the same or of the want of Gods holy assistance to that effect if we would with humilitie accept thereof Thys Esay made plaine when hee prophecied of thys perspicuitie that is of thys most excellent priuiledge in Christian Religion so many hundred yeeres before Christ was borne For after that in diuers Chapters hee had declared the glorious comming of Christ in signes miracles as also the multitude of Gentiles that shoulde embrace hys doctrine together with the ioy and exultation of theyr conuersion hee fore-sheweth presently the wonderful prouidence of God also in prouiding for Christians so manifest a way of direction for theyr faith religion as the most simple and vnlearned man in the world should not be able but of wylfulnes to goe astray therein His wordes are these directed to the Gentiles Take comforte and feare not Behold your God shall come and saue you Then shall the eyes of the blinde be opened and the eares of the deafe shall be restored c. And there shall be a pathe and a waie which shall be called The holie waie and it shall be vnto you so direct a way as fooles shall not be able to erre therein By which wordes wee see that among other rare benefits that Christes people were to receiue by hys comming thys should be one and not the least that after hys holie doctrine once published and receiued it shoulde not be easie for the weakest in capacitie or learning that might bee whom Esay heere noteth by the name of fooles to runne awry in matters of their beleefe so plaine cleere and euident shoulde the way for tryall thereof be made God hath opened himselfe vnto vs in the holie Scriptures the wrytings and doctrine of Moses and the Prophets of Christ and hys Apostles wherin is contayned whatsoeuer is necessarie for our saluation For although the inuisible thinges of God that is hys power and God-heade may be seene by the workmanship and creation of the world wherin as in a booke written with the hand of God and layde open to the eyes of men the glorie of GOD and hys mightie power appeareth Yet because eyther we reade not thys Booke at all or if wee doe wee reade it careleslie therefore it was necessarie that the Lord God should adde another Booke more plaine and easie to be read so as he may run that readeth it and this is as hath been said his holie wyll reuealed vnto vs in his wrytten word Which Saint Augustine therefore verie well calleth the Letters or Epistle of God sent vnto vs from our heauenly Countrey to teach vs to liue godlie and righteouslie whilst wee soiurne heere in thys present worlde Thys is that Lanthorne wherby our feete may be directed and that light wherby our pathes may be guided vnto Christ it is that most certaine infallible rule and leuell of all our actions wherby both our faith lyfe are to be squared and framed Yea it is that holy and vndefiled way and with all that plaine and easie way denoted by Esay which euen in the very entraunce thereof gyueth light vnderstanding as Dauid speaketh vnto the simple And although wee must confesse wyth S. Peter that there are some thinges in the Scripture harde to be vnderstoode yet wee may also say wyth the same Peter that they are harde to those that are vnlearned and vnstable which peruert and wrest them to theyr owne destruction So that if the Gospell of Christ be yet hid it is hid in them that perrish whose sences sathan hath closed that the light thereof should not shine vnto them And heere-hence is it that the Apostle Saint Paul pronounceth so peremptorilie of a contentious and hereticall man that he is damned by the testimonie of his owne iudgment or conscience for that hee hath abandoned this common direct and publique way which all men might see hath deuised particuler paths and turnings to him selfe And heere-hence is it that the auncient Fathers of Christes primatiue Church dysputing against the same kind of people defended alwaies that theyr errour was of malice and wilfull blindnesse and not of ignoraunce applying these words of prophecie vnto them They that sawe mee ran out from mee Thus then it appeareth that the plaine and direct way mentioned by Esay wherein no simple or ignoraunt man can erre is the doctrine taught by the mouth of our Sauiour Christ and hys Apostles which howsoeuer it seeme to be obscure and darksome to men of peruerse mindes that are not exercised in it yet to the godlie and studious readers and hearers that haue theyr eyes opened and theyr mindes lightened to see the trueth it is most plaine and easie to be vnderstood And thys is the cause that those holie and sage Apostles of Christ for the better preuenting of all bye-waies crooked paths and blinde lanes of errours that afterwardes might aryse as by reuelation from Iesus they vnderstoode there should doe manie so earnestly exhorted and so vehementlie called vpon the people to stand fast in the documents then receiued to holde firmelie the fayth and doctrine alreadie deliuered as a Depositum and treasure committed to be safelie kept vntill the last daie And aboue all other things they most diligently fore-warned them to beware of newe-fangled Teachers whom they called Heretiques who should breake from the vnitie of that bodie whereof Christ is the head and shoulde deuise newe glosses expositions and interpretations of Scripture bring in newe senses doctrines opinions and diuisions to the renting of Gods Church and Cittie nowe builded to the perdition of infinit soules The Apostle S. Paule euen whylst hee liued founde some of his Schollers to be remoued by new-fangled Teachers to another Gospell and the better to make them see theyr errour hee appealeth to the Gospell which he had taught them The Gospell he preached was not after man neyther receiued he it of man but by reuelation from Iesus Christ. He brought them no fancies visions dreames interpretations of scripture hatched in hys owne braine but the pure sincere doctrine receiued by reuelation from God himselfe and faithfully deliuered vnto them without hacke or mayme as hee receiued it Therefore Saint Ierome vpon that place considering howe all Heretiques haue iugled wyth the Scriptures from time to tyme sayth That Marcion and Basilides and other Heretiques the contagious botches plague sores of the Church haue not the Gospell of God because they haue not the spirit of God without which that which is taught groweth to be mans Gospell Thys maketh that learned Father to resolue vpon the matter that it is a dangerous thing peruersly to expound the holy Scriptures for by thys meanes that is by wrong and peruerse interpretation that which is Gods gospell is made mans Gospell et quod peius est and that which is worse saith this holy Father it is made the deuils Gospell
artificiall stile which humaine writers doe so much couet yet in perswading instructing mouing of affections and all other effectes which speech or writing can worke there is no comparison a thing most wonderfull betweene any other wrytings in the worlde and these Whereof I coulde alledge manie proofes and examples but that it were too-long Let anie man reade attentiuelie but the first Chapter of the prophecie of Esay and compare it with anie one part or parcell of Tullies or Demostines orations see whether the difference of wordes be as great as the differeÌ„ce of motions Let diuers hymnes and holy Psalmes of the scriptures be conferred with the most patheticall poems that mans wit hath inuented and see whether there be any comparison in stirring and fiering of affections or no This am I sure that Iosephus the Iewe who for glorie of his eloquence had his Image of mettall erected by Titus the Emperour in the market-place of Rome wrote the the same storie which the scriptures containe and bestowed much labour humane cunning therein But yet euen in those places where he endeuoured most to shew hys arte as in the sacrifice of Isaac by his father and in the meeting of Iephte with his onelie daughter which by vowe he was constrained to put to death the Scriptures are able to pearce the hart and wring out teares of the reader whome Iosephus will not greatlie mooue with his rethorical narration though otherwise verie learned and arteficiallie penned Aristaeus that learned Gentile of whom wee haue made mention before who was in speciall fauour with Ptolomie the second great Monarche of Egipt about three hundred yeeres before our Sauiour Christ hys natiuitie and a cheefe dooer in procuring the translation of the Hebrue Bible into the Greeke language reported of his owne knowledge to the said King Ptolomie two strange accidents which had happened in his time and which hee had vnderstoode of the parties themselues to whom they had happened The first was of Theopompus an eloquent Hystoriographer who hauing translated many things out of the Bible and endeuouring to adorne the same wyth vaine colloures of eloquence could not performe his desire but was striken wyth a suddayne maze and giddines in the head and was warned in hys sleepe not to proceede anie further in that worke after that sorte for that such maner of stile was too-base for so high matters as the scriptures contained The other example was of one Theodectes a wryter of Tragaedies who tolde Aristaeê° that he once attempted to bring certaine matters out of the Iewes Bible into a Pagan tragaedie and that thereupon he was presentlie striken blind where-with he beeing astonished and falling to repentance for that he had doone desisting from the enterprise as also Theopompê° did they were both of them restored again to their former healthes And thus much did these three Pagans confesse of the authority diuinitie and peculier sacred stile of our scriptures THE SEVENTH PROOFE OF SCRIPTVRES BVT nowe further it insueth in order that after the subiect phrase we shold consider a little the contents of these Scriptures which wyll perhaps more cleerely direct vs to the viewe of theyr Authour then any thing els that hetherto hath beene sayde And for our present purpose I wil note onlie two speciall thinges contained in the Bible The first shall be certaine high and hidden doctrines which are aboue the reache and capacitie of humaine reason and consequently could neuer fall into mans braine to inuent them As for example that all thys wonderfull frame of the worlde was created of nothing whereas Phylosophie saith that of nothing nothing can be made That Angels beeing created spirits were damned eternally for theyr sinnes that Adam by dysobedience in Paradise drewe all hys posteritie into the obligation of that his sinne that the womans seede shold deliuer vs from the same That God is one in substaunce and three in person that the second of these persons beeing God shoulde become man and die vpon a Crosse for the raunsome of mankinde that after him the way to all felicitie and honour should be by contempt suffering and dyshonour These doctrines I say and many more contayned in the Bible being thinges aboue mans capacitie to deuise and nothing agreeing wyth humane reason most euidentlie doe declare that God vvas the Author and enditor of the scriptures for that by him onely and from no other these high and secrete mysteries coulde be reuealed The second thing contained in the scriptures that coulde not proceede but froÌ„ God alone are certayne prophecies and foretellings of thinges to come VVherein God hymselfe prouoketh the Idoles of the Gentiles to make experience of theyr power in these wordes Declare vnto vs what shall ensue heereafter and thereby we shall knowe that you are Gods indeede Which is to be vnderstoode if they coulde fore-tell particularlie and plainly what is to come in things meerlie contingent or depending of mans wyll they should thereby declare theyr power to be diuine For albeit these Idoles of the Gentiles as Apollo and other that gaue foorth Oracles which were nothing els indeede but certaine wicked spyrits that tooke vpon them these names did some-time happen vppon the trueth and fore-tell thinges to come as also some Astrologers Sooth-sayers Magitians doe eyther by fore-sight in the stars and other elements or by the assistaunce of these wicked spirits and deuils yet are the thinges which they pronosticate eyther natural not contingent and so may be fore-seene and fore-told in theyr causes as raine heate colde windes and the like or els if they be meere accidentall these predictions of theyrs are onelie coniectures so most incertaine and subiect to errours Thys testifieth Porphirie the great Patrone of Paganisme in a speciall booke of the aunswers of the gods wherein he sweareth that he hath gathered truely without addition or detraction the Oracles that was most famous before his tyme wyth the false and vncertaine euent therof in consideration of which euent he setteth downe his iudgment of theyr power in predictions after this maner The Gods doe fore-tell some naturall things to come for that they doe obserue the order and coniuÌ„ction of their naturall causes but of things that are contingent or doe depend of mans will they haue but coniectures onely in that by their subtiltie and celeritie they preuent vs. But yet they often-times doe lye and deceiue vs in both kindes for that as naturall thinges are variable so mans will is much more mutable Thus farre Porphyrie of the prophecies of his gods wherunto agreeth another Heathen of great credite among the Gretians named Oenomaus who for that he had been much delighted with Oracles and more deceiued wrote a speciall booke in the end of theyr falshoode and lyes and yet shevveth that in many things wherein they deceiued it was not easie to
For discerning therefore of this kinde of most pernicious people and theyr deuilish dealing and least we shoulde be carried awaie wyth euery winde of doctrine by the wilinesse of men God hath ordained in his Church Apostles Doctors Prophets Pastors and Interpreters whom he hath so guided and gouerned from time to tyme with his holy spirit that they haue beene able by the Scriptures to represse and beate downe whatsoeuer errours and heresies haue beene raysed vp by the enemies of Gods trueth contrary to the analogie of fayth and rule of charitie that is to say beside the true sence and meaning of the Canonicall scripture When there rose vp certaine sedious fellowes among the Iewes in the primatiue Church making som contention about their ceremonies as did Simon Magus Nicholaus Cerinthus Ebion and Menander that were heretiques They were refelled and conuinced out of the scriptures by the Apostles and theyr schollers Martialis Dyonisius Areopagita Ignatius Policarpus and others who were no doubt directed guided by the spirite of God Afterward when Basilides Cerdon Marcion Valentinus Tatianus Apelles Montanus and diuers others troubled the Church wyth monstrous heresie they were cōfuted by Iustinius Martyr Dionisius byshop of Corinth Irenaeus Clemens Alexandrinus Tertullian their equals who in all theyr controuersies had recourse vnto the scriptures and beeing instructed and ledde by the spirit of trueth preuailed mightily against their aduersaries And so downward from age to age vnto our daies whatsoeuer heresie or different opinion hath sprung vp contrary to the doctrine of Christ and hys Apostles it hath beene checked and controlled by the watchmen spirituall Pastours and Gouernors of the Church who alledged alway the consent of the scriptures for deciding of all doubts and were most graciously guided by the spyrite of God in all their actions And heereof it is that the word of God is called the sworde of the spirit because as it was giuen by inspiration at the first so being expounded by the direction of the same spirit it is most liuely and mightie in operation sharper thē any two edged sword and entering through euen to the deuiding a sunder of the soule and the spirit of the ioynts and the marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the hart Thys is that spirituall sworde wherwith our Sauiour Christ preuailed against sathan the head Lord maister of all Heretiques who notwithstanding pretended scriptures for his deuillish purposes And the Apostle Paule being furnished wyth thys only weapon disputed against the peruerse ouerthwart Iewes which dwelt at Damascus and confounded them proouing by conference of Scriptures that thys was very Christ. Nowe as it was expedient that the Gospels should be written that we learning the trueth foorth of them should not be deceiued by the lyes of heresies so was it necessary that the same Gospels shoulde be preached for the confirmation of fayth And heereof it is that the Apostle S. Paule Rom. 10. sayth that fayth cōmeth by hearing the word of God because the word preached is the ordinary meanes to beget and increase faith in vs for the which cause also it is called the incorruptible seede whereby we are borne a newe and whereby the Church is sanctified vnto the Lord. Wherefore to conclude thys poynt seeing that the holy scriptures are that most infallible and secure way mentioned by Esay seeing they are the rule leuell both of our fayth and life contayning in them sufficient matter to confute errour and confirme the trueth able to make a man wise vnto saluation perfectly instructed vnto euery good worke this ought to be the duetie of the faithfull that I may vse the words of Basil to be thorowly perswaded in his minde that those thinges are true and effectuall which are vttered in the Scripture and to reiect nothing thereof For if whatsoeuer is not of fayth be sinne as saith the Apostle and if fayth commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God without doubt when anie thing is without the holy scripture which cannot be of faith it must needes be sinne And therefore to speake as S. Augustine speaketh if any I will not say if wee but which S. Paule addeth if an Angell from heauen shall preach eyther of Christ or of his Church or of any other thing which pertaineth to faith or to the leading of our life otherwise then we haue receiued in the holy scriptures of the Law and the Gospel let him be accursed Now if forsaking all bie-pathes of mens inuentions and traditions we wyll search diligently in the scriptures wherein we thinke to haue eternall life wee shall see that they testifie of nothing so much as of the promises of God in Christ Iesus who as he is the ende of the Lawe for righteousnes to euery one that beleeueth so doe they sende vs directly and as it were leade vs by the hande like a careful Schoole-maister vnto him teaching vs to apprehend and lay holde on him with the hand of fayth and to apply hym wyth his gifts and graces vnto our selues and our owne saluation So that faith is made the meanes and as it were the Conduit to conuey Christ himselfe hys death burial and resurrection and all the rest of hys benefits vnto vs which the Apostle witnesseth Collos 2. 12. Yee are buried saith he with him through Baptisme in whom ye are also raised vp together through the fayth of God effectually working who raysed him from the deade Whereof it ensueth that all the faithfull doe not onely obtaine the benefite of Christes death buriall by their Baptisme wherby they die vnto sinne but also do receiue and enioy the fruite and effect of his resurrection by a liuely fayth whereby they are quickned and raysed vp vnto righteousnes in thys life and are assertained of resurrection to glorie in the life to come by hys mightie working that is able to subdue all things vnto himselfe Seeing therefore that the summe substaunce of our whole Religion and of our eternal saluation or damnation consisteth in the knowledge of this one vertue it shalbe worth the labour breefely but yet plainly to describe the forme force nature of this faith whereof we speake Wherein you shall not looke for the diuers significatiōs which that word receiueth in the Scripture nor for any declaration of those vnprofitable faythes whereof S. Iames speaketh which are common to the wicked and to the deuils themselues wherby they beleeue that Iesus is that Christ but heere my purpose is to entreate of that liuely and sauing fayth which is peculier and propper to the elect and chosen children of God whereby they beleeue that Christ is theyr Iesus by whom they are saued from theyr sinnes and from the punishment due vnto them for the same and by whom onely they are restored vnto the fauor of God and
they should giue him vineger to drinke deuide his apparrell and cast lottes for his vpper garment Psalme 68 verse 22 and 21 verse 19. That he should rise againe from death the thyrde day Psal 15 verse 19. Ose 6 ver 3. That he should ascend to heauen sitte at the right hand of God his father for euer Psalme 67 verse 19 and 109 verse 1. All these particularities a number more were reuealed in Scripture touching the Messias some foure thousande yeeres some two thousand and some one thousande and the last of all aboue foure hundred yeres before Christ was borne Which if wee lay together and doe consider withall hovve exactlie they were fulfilled afterwarde in the person of Christ as in the next Section shal be declared if we adde also to this that wee haue receiued these prophecies predictions from a Nation that most of al other doth hate vs and that the same are to be seene and read in theyr Bibles euen worde for word as they are in ours if you hold in memorie also what inuincible proofes wer alleaged before in the second chapter for the infallible truth and certaintie of those Hebrue Scriptures you shall finde that hardly any thing can be imagined for manifestation of a truth before it come to passe which God hath not obserued in fore-shewing the Messias The fift Consideration AND all these considerations are touching the Iewes There remaineth somewhat to be saide of the Gentiles who albeit they were to receiue theyr principall knowledge in thys affayre from the Iewish Nation to whom the Messias was first and principally promised and from whom the Gentiles had to expect both theyr Sauiour and hys Apostles as also the Scriptures for testimonie and witnesse of them both and finally all their certaine knowledge sound vnderstanding in the mysteries of Christ yet had they also among themselues some kinde of notice and fore-warning in thys matter which beeing ioyned with that which I haue sette downe before of the Iewes and examined at the light of Gods diuine prophecies before alleaged it will make very much for confirmation of our Christian veritie And therefore thys last consideration shall be of the fore-knowledge of Gentiles in thys behalfe For better vnderstanding whereof it is to be noted that besides al knowledge of the Messias that diuers Gentiles might haue by the Hebrue Scriptures which as I haue shewed before were in the Greek language diuers ages before Christ was borne or by the instruction or conuersation of the Iewes with whom many Pagans did liue familiarlie there remained three waies peculier to the Gentiles whereby they receiued some vnderstanding fore-warning of this great mysterie The first was by tradition writings of theyr auncestours The seconde by prophecies of theyr owne The thyrde by admonishment of theyr Idols and Oracles especially when the time of Christes appearaunce drew neere And for the first way it is euident that as the Iewes receiued diuers things by succession from theyr fore-fathers and they againe from Moses and Moses froÌ„ the Patriarches Iacob Isaac and Abraham who was the first man from whô that whole Nation proceeded and in whom they were distinguished from all other people in the world so had the Gentiles and other Nations theyr succession also of doctrine and monuments euen from the beginning albeit the lower they went the more corrupt they were and more obscured in diuine knowledge by their exercise in Idolatrie So we knowe that the Romans had theyr learning from the Graecians the Graecians from the Egyptians and the Egiptians from the Chaldeans who were the first people that receiued instruction in diuine matters from Adam Methusalem Noe and others of those first and auncient Fathers Nowe then it is to be considered that by consent of Writers there were three famous men that liued together in those auncient tymes to wit Abraham who descending from HEBER was the father and beginner of the Iewes or Hebrues and with him Iob and one Zoroastres that were not of that linage of Heber but as we call them for distinctions sake either Heathens or Gentiles albeit that difference was not theÌ„ in vre And of Iob wee knowe by the testimonie of hys Booke that hee was a most holy and vertuous man Of Zoroastres we know only that he was greatly learned and left testimonies thereâ—â— vnto his posteritie This Zoroastres liuing in Abrahams time might by account of Scriptures see or speak wyth Noe. For Abraham was borne threescore yeres before Noe deceassed And Noe was borne aboue fiue hundred yeeres before Methusalem died which Methusalem had liued two hundred and fortie yeres with our first Father Adam that had enioyed conuersation both with GOD and Angels And thereby no doubt could tell many high and secret misteries especially touching Christ in whom all his hope for redemption of hys posteritie did consist Which misteries and hidden knowledge it is not vnlike but that Abraham Iob Zoroastres and others who liued at that time with them might receyue at the thyrde hand by Noe and his children I meane Sem Cham and Iaphet who had lyued before the fludde and had seene Methusalem which Methusalem lyued as I sayd before so many yeeres with Adam Heerehence it is that in the wrytings of Zoroastres which are yet extant or recorded by other Authors in hys name there be found very many plaine speeches of the Son of God whom he calleth Secundam mentem the second minde And much more is to be seene in the wrytings of Hermes Trismegistus who liued after in Egypt and receyued hys learning froÌ„ thys Zoroastres that these first Heathen Philosophers had manifest vnderstanding of thys seconde person in Trinitie whom Hermes calleth The first begotten sonne of God his onely sonne his deere eternall immutable and incorruptible sonne whose sacred name is ineffable those are hys words And after him again amoÌ„g the Graecians were Orpheus Hesiodus and others that vttered the like speeches of the sonne of God as also the Platonists whose wordes and sentences were too-long to repeate in thys place But hee that wyll see them gathered together at large let him reade eyther Origen against Celsus the Heathen or els S. Cyril in his first booke against Iulian the Apostata And thys shall suffice for thys fyrst way whereby the Gentiles had vnderstanding of Christ. For the second thing which I mentioned is to be vnderstood that among the Gentiles there were certaine Prophetisses or women Prophets called Sibyllae which in the Greek tongue as Lactantius gathereth may signifie so much as eyther Counsellers to God or Reuealers of Gods councell And these women beeing indued as it seemeth with a certain spirit of prophecie did vtter froÌ„ time to time though in such termes as most Gentiles vnderstoode them not most wonderfull perticularities of Christ to come agreeing as it were wholy with the Prophets
those things There ensueth nowe for ending and confirmation of all that hath been sayd and prooued before to adde a worde or two of Iesus Resurrection Which point as of all other it is of most importance so was it exactly fore-tolde both to Iewe and Gentile and promised by Christ himselfe in all hys speeches whyle hee was vppon earth And among the Iewes it was assured by all the prophecies before recited which doe promise so great aboundance of glory ioy and tryumph to Christes Church after his passion Which neuer possibly could be fulfilled vnlesse he had risen from death againe And therfore the said resurrectiō was prefigured in Ionas together with the time of his abode in the Sepulcher It was also expresly fore-shewed by Dauid affirming That GOD woulde not suffer his holy one to see corruption And after him againe more plainelie by the Prophet Ose He shall quicken vs againe after two daies in the third day he shall rayse vs and we shall liue in his sight And to the Gentiles Sibylla left written not farre from the same time He shal end the necessitie of death by three daies sleepe and then returning from death to light againe hee shall be the first that shall shewe the beginning of Resurrection to his chosen for that by conquering death hee shall bring vs life Thus much was promised by Prophets before Christes appearaunce And Iesus to comfort his Disciples and followers reiterated this promise againe of himselfe in manie speeches albeit oftentimes his meaning was not perceiued Which promise of returne from death if it had beene made for some long time to come as Mahomet promised hys Sarasins after eyght hundred yeeres to reuisite them again albeit the performance were neuer meant yet might the falsehood lurke in the length of time But Iesus assuring all men that he would rise againe within three daies it cannot be imagined but that hee sincerely purposed to performe his promise for that otherwise the fraude must haue been discouered Now then let vs consider what manner of performaunce Iesus made heereof And first the persons most interessed in the matter as they whose totall hope stay refuge and felicitie depended heereof I mean his appaled dismayed and afflicted Disciples doe recount twelue sundry apparisions which Iesus made vnto them in flesh after hys Resurrection The first was to Mary Magdalen a part when she with Solome and other women went remained with oyntments about the Sepulcher The seconde was to all the women together as they returned homewardes who also were permitted to embrace his feete The thyrde was to Simon Peter alone The fourth to the two Disciples in their iourney to Emaus The fift was to all the Apostles and other Disciples together when the doores were shut The sixt was to the same companie againe after eyght dayes when Thomas was wyth them at what time also he did both eate and drink and suffered his body also to be handled among them The seauenth was to Saint Peter and S. Iohn with fiue other disciples when they were in fishing at what time also he vouchsafed to eate with them The eyght was to eleuen Disciples at one time vpon the Mount Thabor in Galiley The ninth was to more then fiue hundred bretheren at one tyme as Saint Paule testifieth The tenth was to S. Iames as the same Apostle recordeth The eleuenth was to all his Apostles Disciples and freendes together vppon the Mount Oliuet by Ierusalem when in theyr presence hee ascended vppe to heauen The twelfth and last was after his ascention vnto Saint Paule as himselfe beareth witnesse All these apparitions are recorded in Scripture as made by Iesus after his Resurrection to such as by his eternall wisedome were preordained to be witnesses of so glorious a spectacle To whom as S. Luke affirmeth He showed himselfe aliue by manie arguments for the space of fortie daies together and reasoned with them of the kingdome of his Father And why any man should mistrust the testimonie of those men which saw him cōuersed with him eate with him drank wyth him touched him and heard him speak and whose entire estate and wel-fare depended wholy of the certaintie heereof I see no reason For what comfort had it been or consolation to these men to haue deuised of them selues these former apparitions What encouragement might they haue taken in those dolefull times of desolation and affliction to haue had among thē the deade body of him on whose onely life theyr vniuersall hope and confidence depended The Scribes and Pharisies beeing astonished with the suddaine newes of his rysing againe confirmed vnto them by their owne Souldiers that saw it found no other way to resist the fame therof but onely by saying as all theyr posteritie do vnto thys day that his Disciples came by night and stole away his body whyle the Souldiours were a sleepe But what likelihood or possibilitie can there be in thys for first it is euident to all the worlde that hys Apostles themselues who were the heades of all the rest were so dismaied discomforted and deiected at that time as they durst not once goe out of the doore for which cause only those seelie women who for their sexe esteemed themselues more free from violence presumed alone to visite his Sepulcher which no one man durst doe for feare of the Souldiours vntill by those Women they were enformed that the fore-said band of Souldiours were terrified put to flight by Christes Resurrection And then howe was it likely that men so much amazed ouercome with feare shold aduenture to steale away a dead body from a Guard of Souldiers that kept it or if theyr harts had serued them to aduenture so great a daunger what hope or probabilitie had there beene of successe especially considering the sayde body lay in a newe Sepulcher of stone shutte vppe locked and fast sealed by the Magistrate Howe was it possible I say that his dysciples should come thether breake vp the Monument take out his bodie and carrie the same away neuer after to be seene or founde without espiall of some one amongst so many that attended there Or if this were possible as in reason it is not yet what profit what pleasure what comfort could they receiue hereby We see that these Apostles and Disciples of his who were so abandoned of lyfe and hart in his passion after two daies onely they were so chaunged as life death can be no more contrarie For whereas before they kept home in all feare and durst appeare no where except among theyr owne priuate freendes nowe they came forth into the streetes common places and auouched with all alacritie and irresistable constancie euen in the faces and hearing of theyr greatest enemies that Iesus was risen from death to life that they had seene him and enioyed his presence And that for
made heyres with Christ of hys heauenlie kingdome In the Epistle to the Hebrues there is a notable description of that liuely fayth wher it is said to be the ground of things that are hoped for the euidence of things that are not seene Of which description of the Apostle we may make a plain definitiō after thys sort Faith is an assured perswasion of our saluation by the meanes of Christ which is grounded on the promises of God sealed in our harts by the holie Ghost This definition is drawne frō the forme proprietie of true faith but the other in the Epistle to the Hebrues seemeth rather to be taken frō the substance of fayth speaketh of the obiect matter thereof But both of them tend to one and the same thing namely to expresse the nature of true faith to consist in the certaintie of that eternall life which is purchased vnto vs by Christ Iesus which although we enioy not presently yet by faith wee are as fully assured of it as if we had possession and fruition thereof alreadi◠And heereof it is that the Apostle calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fulnes or assuraunce of fayth when we are perswaded that wee are so highlie in Gods fauour that nothing is able to seperate or remooue vs frō the loue that GOD beareth vs in his Sonne and our Sauiour Christ Iesus This fulnes of fayth containeth in it these three thinges First a notice or knowledge of the mercifull promises of God in Christ Iesus Secondly an vndoubted perswasiō of the truth of those promises And thirdly the applying of the same to the comfort of our soules and consciences for our saluation For as it is not enough for a man to haue meate vnlesse he also eate it and digest it so it is not enough for vs to know the promises of God vnlesse we beleeue the same to be true and applie them to our owne selues And as it is not enough for a wounded man to haue a soueraigne salue or Medicine in his window vnlesse hee apply it to his wounde so is it not sufficient for vs to knowe that Christ is the Sauiour of the worlde vnlesse also wee acknowledge him to be a Sauiour vnto vs and lay holde on him by the hand of fayth Wherefore this is the propertie effect of a sauing fayth euen to apply Christ wyth his gifts vnto euery one of the faithfull and to make all conclusions of Gods promises perticuler that is peculier to themselues theyr owne saluation And therfore it is that fayth is called the life of the soule because it is the instrument wherewith Christ the true life and foode of our soule is to be eaten Yea it is the mouth the tongue the teeth the stomacke and that heate of our harts soules whereby Christ the worde of God is spiritually taken eaten and digested of vs wyth which worde or rather with which Christ our soules doe liue namely with the fleshe and blood of Christ which we eate drink whilst we embrace and receiue Christ by a liuelie fayth Whereupon S. Cyprian hath this sweete saying Quod est esca carni hoc animae est fides c. That which meate is to the flesh that is fayth to the soule That which foode is to the bodie that is the word to the spirit So that faith is that bond which dooth so straightly vnite and knitte vs vnto Christ no otherwise then the members are vnited to the head wherby wee pertake hys spiritual graces as the members of mans bodie receiue nutriment from the head and in a worde what good things soeuer are necessarie for vs to eternall life doe flowe and are deriued vnto vs from Christ as from a most plentifull and wholesome fountaine and are conueied vnto vs by the instrument of faith as by a strong and substantial Conduit pype It were too long and not so pertinent to the purpose to recite all the properties of this sauing fayth whereof we speake it may suffise therefore to haue shewed you these fewe notes and effects thereof by the due consideration whereof it shall be easie for anie to examine and try themselues as the Apostle speaketh whether they be in the faith or no and consequently whether they be true Christians for the first part of that profession namely for matters of beleefe which consisteth as hath beene shewed not onelie in beleeuing whatsoeuer is propounded vnto vs in the holy Scripture although that also be a true faith but also in the assurance of Gods loue fauour towards vs wrought in our harts by the preaching of the Gospel and sealed by the holy Ghost whereby wee doe firmely perswade our selues that our sinnes are as vtterly forgiuen vs for Christes sake as if we neuer had committed any and his righteousnes as perfectly imputed vnto vs as if wee had performed the same in our owne persons Wherefore to conclude this first part of our present speech he that not onely protesteth with Saint Ierome that he dooth abhorre all sects and names of perticuler men as Marcionists Montanists Valentinians and the like which like the builders of Babell haue built vp Churches Sinagogues and Conuenticles to gette thēselues a name that men might be called after them Marcionists Montanists and such others hee I say that loatheth and detesteth sects and as he was not baptised in the name of Marcion Montan or Valentine but in the name of Iesus Christ so refuseth to be called a Marcionist Montanist or Valentinian or by any name of any man vnder heauen therwithall reioyceth in the name of Christ to be called a Christian and giuing all doctrines and gospels the slyppe pitcheth him vpon the doctrine and Gospell of Iesus taught by hys holy Apostles he that can captiuate his vnderstanding to the obedience of Christ to beleeue humbly such things as Christ by his Apostles proposeth to him albeit his reason or sence should stande against the same And not onely so but also perswadeth and assureth his owne hart and soule that all the mercifull promises that God maketh in hys word doe belong vnto him in especiall and that he is one of that number which GOD hath elected to saluation and for whose sins Christ Iesus the sonne of God was content to die and to ryse againe for his iustification he that findeth himselfe to be in thys fayth or rather thys fayth to be in him and feeleth the fruites and effects therof that is as they are reckoned by the Apostle Rom. 5. to be at peace with God to haue an entrance vnto grace to haue spirituall ioy not onely in prosperitie but euen in tribulation and affliction to haue hope that maketh not ashamed and to haue the loue of God shed abroade in hys hart by the working of the holy Ghost c. Thys man no doubt is in a most sure case for matters of his faith and cannot