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A20304 XXVII. lectures, or readings, vpon part of the Epistle written to the Hebrues. Made by Maister Edward Deering, Bachelour of Diuinitie Dering, Edward, 1540?-1576.; T. N., fl. 1577. 1577 (1577) STC 6727; ESTC S114746 295,005 510

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and solitarie places and offer vp sacrifice to the diuell in our dyning chambers and in the market places We are not ashamed at open feastes to fill our tables worse th●… with sp●…ng that is with opē blasphemie of the name of God with many vnclean wordes but we are ashamed of the sweete incense y makes all the house full of pleasure that is brotherly to reproue y lewd sinner that he may 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 before the lord A maruelous affection of mans corrupt minde I cannot tell how to 〈◊〉 it for it is tenne thousand times woo●… then ●…y madnesse Wee are ashamed to exho●… men to doe well wee are no●… ashamed to provoke them 〈◊〉 sinne We are ashamed to minister talke of saith religion we are not ashamed of rotten vncleane works of wantōnes We are ashamed to speake to the praise of God we are not ashamed to blaspheme his name We ar ashamed of Christ we are not ashamed of the diuel But such sinnes the Lord confoūd them It is no reason in many wordes to cōfute thē for where so euer they haue any louers I am sure without any mans words their own hearts wil confute them when they go to bed Our sauiour Christ is our scholemaister and hath taught vs thus In the midds of the congregation I will prayse thee The prophet Dauid was a good scholer in this doctrine when he opened his mouthe vnto God and vowed I will speake of thy name before kings and will not be ashamed Pray dearely beloued that we may bee partakers of the same grace What can they say of vs The woorst report they can giue vs is that we be godly men if they account this a reproche let vs be content to beare it for when their iudgement is done we shall reape the fruite of a better sentence It followeth nowe in the 13. verse And againe I wil put my trust in him This Psalme the prophet made when he was deliuered from the layinges of way to of Saule and from all his enimies wherein as he was a figure of Christ so it is most properly truly verified in Christ that he said of himselfe Besides this many sentences in the Psalme are plaine agreeing onely to Christe S. Paule in the 15. to the Romanes alledgeth this as spoken of the mercie of God in calling the Gentiles by our Sauiour Christ I will confesse thee among the gentiles sing prayses vnto thy name And in the 43. verse of the same Psalme the prophet saith Thou hast made me the head of the heathē a people whō I haue not knowen shal serue me by which it apeareth how this psalme is aptly aplied to Christ for these words were neuer accōplished in the prophet Dauid So it is alledged truly as spoken by our sauiour Christ I wil put my trust in him Now because the Apostle alledgeth this to prooue our Sauiour Christ to be man like vnto vs mark how the argumēt foloweth Christ saith I will put my trust in God but it were a verie improper speach and suche as the scripture neuer vseth to say God wil trust in God therefore there must be a nature in our Sauiour Christ inferiour to his Godhead in which he speaketh thus I will trust in him that was his perfect humanitie like vnto ours in whiche we sawe him subiect to perill and howe according to his trust God his father deliuered him And here the Apostle alledgeth such scripture for proofe of the manhood of Christ as also proueth y he is our king for where he saith I will trust in him it noteth that Christe was not weake in faythe but assuredly trusted in the power of God his father that he should ouercome the diuel And where it is saide Beholde me my children he noteth the sure safetie of his children that he will keepe them all from death and hell and not one of them shall perishe And that the Apostle had this meaning to proue also his kingdome by these places his owne words after plainly shew for of these places he cōcludeth that Christ in his manhood by death ouercame the diuell and set his children free from the bondage of the feare of death Beside this y apostle we are sure made best choice of the Scriptures to prouchis purpose and therefore with great wisdome writing vnto the Iewes who knew the lawe he tooke suche places not as in most cleare wordes proue the humanitie of Christe but suche as proued it necessarilye and proue plainely with all that which they must needes learne that Christ is our Prophet our King and priest And let vs heere learne for our instruction when we haue had experience of Gods benefits as the prophet had let vs vowe as he did We will put our trust in him When Dauid remembred how God had deliuered him from a Lion and a Beare he was not affraide of the vncircumcised Philistine When Saint Paule had reckoned so many calamities out of which God had deliuered him he boasted of a holie hope and said he was sure that euer God would deliuer him Our Sauiour Christ when he would teache his disciples that they ought not to be carefull for meate drinke he bad them remember when of v. loaues two fishes he multiplied so much that he fed 5000. men yet remained xii baskets full Likewise how with vii loaues and a fewe fishes he fed at an other time 4000. seuen baskets full remained By this experience he would make them bolde that God would feede them in all places euen so it ought to be with vs Hast thou experience of any benefite of God whiche thou hast receiued in all thy life In this is the greatest thanks thou canst render vnto him againe to trust assuredly that he will be good vnto thee stil. Hath God giuen thee ioy at any time in his Gospel that thy soule hath had comforte in the hope of eternall life Be glad of that in all tentations and know that God is wel pleased in thy faith and this shall be the fruite of the former benefite if thou persuade thy selfe that God will be merciful vnto thee and giue thee the life that is euerl●…sting Thus we shal be like our Sauiour Christ and Gods benefites shal be thankfully receiued of vs hee hath beene good vnto vs and wee will trust in him for euer An other testimonie yet followeth to proue the humanitie of our Sauiour Christ and it is this Beholde me and the children which thou hast giuen me This is written in the eight of Esaie in which chapter the Prophet fortelleth the captiuitie of the Israelites by the King of Ashur how it is determined of God that the people for all their rebellions should surelie perishe but yet so that God for his Churches sake would bridle their rage and saue some who might prayse his name These threatenings and promises bothe while the people did contemptuousely reiect the Lord hiddeth the Prophet
not be sure and good vnto all the seede of Abraham for he was a father of manie nations euen of such as were vncircumcised to whom the lawe was not written therefore to the ende that Iewe and Gentile might both inherit this blessing it must needes be by faith not by workes So then thus farre we are taught by the Apostle that if we receiue Iesus Christ to be our high priest our only way to enter with him into the heauens is by faith our faith hath boldnes and full persuasion in which it is accepted according to that which is written God hath not giuen vs the spirite of feare againe vnto bondage but God hath giuen vs the spirite of adoption by which we crie Abba Father Here dearly beloued let vs learne to discerne spirits to trie whether they be of God or no Euerie spirit that confesseth Christ to be our only mediatour is of God for by him wee haue libertie through faith to go with boldnes vnto the throne of grace And euerie spirite that denieth Christ to be our onely mediatour is not of God but it is the spirit of Antichrist of whome we haue heard that he is entred into the world for god dwelleth in light which no creature can approch vn to neither hath any man seene him nor cā see him but only by Christ through one spirite we haue all entrance vnto him These dearly beloued they are y words of the scripture they are not the wordes of man whē you are in place obiect them vnto the papists see what one word they are able to answer who in times past haue told you yet of a great number of mediatours confessours martyrs Saints Angels Archangels euerie one in his degree they haue made them mediatours and besought them to leade vs vnto god I beelie them not tenne thousand of their bookes are yet to see tenne thousand prayers in them in which they haue done this wickednesse Aske them bid them speake plaine what one woord haue they of defence for this dooinge surely dearly beloued I tel you the trueth not one worde they can speake which is a word of trueth a word of righteousnesse a worde of life a worde I meane of God to which you may trust a fonde fansie they haue found of their owne as hee that dreameth doth tell a dreame and they say there are two mediatours one of intercession an other of redemption beside the foolishnesse of this speache a mediatour of intercession which you may as wel call an intercessour of mediation for intercessour and mediatour are both one beside this I say manifest follie let them name any Apostle prophet or Euangelist vpon whome we must build and stand that euer mentioned any such thinge let them tell of whome they learned it sure they wil not they are starke dumbe they knowe they haue no Scripture no not a word of their schoolemaisters in deede they are ashamed but I wil tel you who they be and they shall not denie it except they bee as shamelesse as they of whome they are learned The Gods of the Gentiles which are diuels they had this woorshipp amongst them these diuels amonge them selues they which were reputed of the lower sorte were made as meanes to come vnto the higher whereof also they were called Dij medioximi that is Gods only for intercession and Gentiles bookes are ful of examples how these thinges were practised as if Neptune would speake to Iupiter hee made Mercurie his meanes and intercessour and such like toyes which shall bee abolished and tholouers of them And wee may see howe GOD hath recompenced this their euill vnto them for where this is the comforte of a Christian man to haue peace towarde God and which is giuen vs by hauing Christe our only mediatour they who haue made so manie coulde neuer finde it but still they are in suspense and doubt wauering vnconstant in all their wayes and this doubtfulnesse they begett and nourishe vnto them selues while they seeke so many mediatours and what else doe they but teach all their posteritie in choosing many mediatours to haue confidence in none Euen as the rebellious people of Israel wearied them selues running as the prophet saith like Dromedaries to euery high hill and euery greene tree till they were weake and wearie and their soules fainted in them seeking peace and could finde none and in deede howe should they finde it for though they followed a thousand Gods yet was there but one the God of peace whome they had forsaken so though the Papists seeke a thousand mediatours yet haue they no boldenesse to goe vnto God for there is but one mediatour betwene God and vs euen Iesus Christ whome they for their Sainctes haue forsaken for Christ wil be ioyned with no fellowes And what a miserable brotherhood must they then needes be which haue no peace but feare and trembling is in their wayes Againe wee haue heere to marke that the presence of God to which Christe leadeth vs is called heere the Throne of grace noting heereby that by the merites of Christ we be brought vnto God as before a iudge who from his iudgement seate doth acquite vs for euer from al guiltinesse of our sinnes and therefore called the throne of grace because we be quit onely by grace and Gods free mercie a monument of which loue he setteth before vs in the name of the seate on which hee sitteth and calleth it the throne of grace neither shall euer man be iustified before it who bringeth with him boldenesse of his owne woorkes nature kinred or any thing and looketh not only for his pardon by grace and mercie neither can the Lord any more shewe mercie vnto him that is proude of his owne selfe then he can chaunge the propertie of his iudgement seate to make it no more the throne of grace Now it foloweth That we may obteine mercie and finde grace to help these wordes teache vs what the throne of grace is what it offereth vnto vs euen as we saide before boldenesse and constancie that we should not feare to goe vnto it For if it bee a throne of grace that is of fauour of mercie of loue of forgiuenesse of life then can there not be in it anger guiltinesse affliction of spirit bondage and feare of death but as the Apostle saith here it giueth vnto vs mercie grace and helpe in the time of neede Let vs not then say as the Papistes say that we ought to feare and doubt of Gods fauour and fil our mouthes with blasphemie as they haue done to say It is presumption to come with boldenesse vnto the throne of grace but let vs rather acknowledge all the goodnesse of God and confesse that he hath set vp vnto vs a throne of grace before whiche wee shall finde nothing but mercie but pardon but forgiuenesse but helpe neither wil we euer despise his grace to bring doutfulnesse or
life in Christe is to bee obedient vnto his will. What so euer be the way that hee will shewe vs and bid vs walke in it let vs neither decline to the right hande nor to the lefte but goe forwarde in the same We are not to loke into the worlde how our fathers before vs haue walked Our iniquities the iniquities of our fathers shall be bound together If wee be partakers of their euil doings If we go after Baalims which our fathers haue taught vs we shal be fed with the wormwood which our fathers haue eaten The gouernement of the church is vpon the shoulders of Christ he giueth vs the lawes by which we liue he ruleth alone in the house of Iacob his voice must be followed We may not now euery one say wee haue a vision we haue a dreame God hath spoken by his sonne and charged all to heare him We may not boast our selues of Sainct or Angel to hearken to new doctrines which we haue not learned for God hath not put in subiection vnto Angels these dayes of the Gospell in which we are but vnto Christe who is made the head of his people and all thinges are in subiection vnder his feete so that this is the way we haue to walke Christe is our Lord let vs receiue his lawes he is our mayster let vs followe his rules he is our Apostle let vs heare his Gospell Let vs obey in all things and we shal be established This is the glorie that GOD hath giuen vnto his sonne he is our lawgiuer we haue no other If we will leaue the stubbernnesse of our owne heartes and obey him as life is in him so wee shall surely liue for the Lorde hath not as greate pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices as when the voice of the Lorde is obeyed It is an euerlastinge truethe That to obey is better then sacrifice and to hearken is better then the fat of Rams for to disobey is as the sinne of witchcrase and to chaunge the law that is set before vs this is wickednesse and idolatrie Let vs not be wise in our owne conceites to frame God a religion such as we will. This is to drawe iniquitie with cordes of vanitie and to pull sinne after vs as with car tropes A iust recompence of such wearye labours when God shall say vnto vs who hath required these things at your hands Let vs then followe so as wee be called and bringe into captinitie euerie thought of man to the obedience of Christe And the Lord our God for his Christes sake giue vnto vs heartes ful of humilitie that we may think him wisest and rest in his decrees that we be neuer spoiled through vaine Philosophie and the traditions of men but harken vnto him who is onely wise that at the last we may liue with him who hath alone immortalitie and shall fil vs with his glorie for euermore Whiche times the Lorde God bring speedily vpon vs and finishe the dayes of sinne for his mercies sake that we may enter into the heauens whether Christe is gone before vs and reigne with him for euer who is our onely Sauiour to whome with the Father and the holie Ghost three persons and one God be all honour and glorie worlde without ende Amen ¶ The xxv Lecture vpon the 10. verse and so forth the residue of the Chapter 10 And is called of God an highe priest after the order of Melchisedech 11 Of whom we haue many thinges to say which are hard to be vttered because ye are dull of hearing 12 For when as concerning the time ye ought to be teachers yet haue ye nede again that we teach you what are the first principles of the word of God are become such as haue neede of milke and not of strong meate 13 For euerie one that vseth milke is inexpert in the word of righteousnesse for he i●… a childe 14 But strong meate belongeth to them that are of age which through long custome haue their wittes exercised to discerne both good and euill WE haue heard before what comparison the Apostle hath made betweene Christ and Aaron and how the excellencie of Christ is incomparable aboue him in all workes of the priesthood our benefite by him vnspeakablie greater as of whome alone is all saluation The conclusion of the same disputation is added now in the tenth verse And he is called of God an highe priest after the order of Melchisedech which words do conclude in shorte summe all y hath been spoken ▪ first that Christ is our priest hath therfore the name of the high priest giuen him Secondly what kinde of priesthod he hath not Aarons for for it Aaron himselfe was sufficient appointed of God but another spiritual priesthod after the order of Melchisedech Thirdly that vnto this priesthod he was called of God to this sense and meaning the wordes are plainly set downe in this tenth verse as you haue heard of all which we haue spoken alreadie Nowe because this priesthod of Christ after the order of Melchisedech was not well vnderstood what kinde of priesthod it should be of what vertue and grace therefore the Apostle meaneth more at large to speake of this that they might vnderstand it as his maner is often to make exhortation to stirre vp their dull spirits least they should heare in vaine so here in the eleuenth verse and after following he maketh a long digression vnto the beginning of the vii chapter both to persuade them to holde a good vnderstanding of all that hath been spoken and to prepare them more diligently to other things that should be taught that so they might all glorifie God in good wisedom●… and knowledge of the mysterie of his wil. And this exhortation he beginneth thus Of whome we haue many things to say which are hard to be declared because you be dull of hearing Here first the Apostle the more to stirre them vp diligently to learn this mysterie of Melchisedech how he was a figure of our Sauiour Christ and the priesthood of Christe was represented in him he saith first that the matter is harde and difficult to be declared and therefore requireth great heede and d●…ligence This place dearely beloued let vs learne well for it hath many good instructions in it it is harde saith the Apostle and therfore you must adde more diligence to it Heere firste wee learne a good cause why it pleased God to leaue places in Scripture harde to vnderstand like as other places are easie for as the easinesse is because none should bee discouraged but all learne so the hardnesse is because none should be negligent and carelesse and heerein the Lord hath delt also mercifully with vs for seeing all carelesnesse in reading his worde in whiche his wisdome is reuealed is the taking of his name in vaine our own●… profite doeth now make vs take more heede of this finne for we cannot vnderstand or be edified by it but with
our care and diligence for so the Apostle heere exhorteth his brethren the thing is hard and difficult whereof we speake there fore marke it more carefully and giue greater heede to vnderstanding this then is a good cause why the scripture is hard euen that we should put farre from vs all idle sluggish thoughts and prepare our selues with a good conscience and greate diligence as oft as either we heare or read the same and why should it not be so is there any knowledge wisedome learned but by labour and diligence to plowe thy fielde to dresse thy vineyard to keepe thy cattel to buylde thy house to euery worke hath not God appointed care and trauell no otherwise hath God dealt with his worde The Papistes not knowing this or else dissembling it they haue tolde vs an other cause why the Scripture is hard and that is that either we should not at al presume to read it or if we doe read it yet we should not presume of any vnderstanding of it otherwise then the Church of Rome hath taught vs I doe not speake one worde vntruely of them not one of them but this day they will confesse it This they teache The scripture is harde therfore euery man must not read it and if any do read it yet he must vnderstand it after the interpretation of the Church of Rome Heere I beseech you consider it diligently and tel me whether in such doctrine there be any reason trueth or godlinesse we haue a controuersie with these men whether the Churche of Rome be the Churche of Christe or of Antichrist the cause must be tryed by the Scriptures is it any reason nowe for them to challenge that we must beleeue the scripture according to their interpretations is not this to make them Iudges of their owne cause when the Apostle bad vs Try the spirites whether they be of God or no meant hee trowe you we should trie them according to the testimonie of the church of Rome when the men of Thessalonica tried the apostles doctrine whether it were true or no asked they the iudgement of the church of Rome Surely dearely beloued all this is but childish follic whiche of vs euer heard of any men who would bee Iudges in their owne cause except those of whome it is saide aske my fellowe if I be a theefe and beside this their vnreasonable talke haue they any truth in their words was there euer true and iust man that claymed this manner of try all is it not confessed and agreed vpon among all men that trueth seeketh no corners why runne they for defence to their owne darke hoame and feare the open iudgement of all men Learne of our sauiour Christ who is trueth it selfe saith he not If I should beare witnesse of my selfe my witnesse were not true and againe If I honour my selfe mine honour is nothing worth then if beside the wordes of his owne mouth who was the sonne of Dauid he had had no testimonie he could haue beene no true prophet but therefore he was true because his heauenly Father bare witnesse to him bothe in his glorious voice and in the assured testimonie of the lawe and the prophets and in al his miracles which made it manifest that he was the sonne of god If thus our sauiour Christ confirmed his credite vnto men and offered himselfe to be tried by the scriptures what proude people are these and what proude wordes are in their mouthes that woulde haue no triall of their dooings but the censure and iudgement of their owne mouthes Againe this vnreasonable vnture speach the the church of Rome onely must expound the scriptures because they be hard is there any godlinesse at all in so saying is it not taught vs many times that if we loue feare honour serue God we must obey his worde kepe his ordinances make all his lawes the rule of our life how then doe they loue God or what godlinesse is in thē that giue not gods worde credit in it selfe but make the truth of it to stand vpon their owne vnderstanding This nowe we knowe the hardnesse of scripture is not that we shoulde absteine from reading and hearing it nor because we should trust the interpretation of the Church of Rome but because we should with great and earnest affection applie our studie pray vnto God to lighten our minds that we may be taught of his spirit Now further let vs consider yet these woordes of the Apostle Because you be euil of hearing not only as I haue saide they teache vs because of the hardenesse of the scripture to take more heede vnto it but also verie plainly and manifestly they teach vs by what meanes the scripture becommeth harde vnto vs that is through our dull hearinge And who so euer he be to whome the scripture is hard let him accuse his owne dulnesse and whosoeuer blameth the Scripture in this behalfe hee blameth him selfe bothe of slowe eares and of a faithlesse heart for is there any thing thing more plaine then these woordes therefore it is harde because you be dull of hearing Take away from the man a deafe eare and a carelesse minde and thou hast taken from the scripture all obscuritie and darknesse leaue the man in his negligent minde thou makest the scriptures as hard as any darke speeche or riddle and I beseech you the more to confirme your faith in this persuasion marke how oftē in the scriptures this is taught vs that nothing maketh the scripture hard but our infirmitie our Apostle heere once taught it before The worde saith he did not profit them because it was not mingled to them with faith Saint Peter when he had said of Paules Epistles that many thinges in them were harde to vnderstand he addeth which the vnlearned the vnstable do peruert euen as they doe all other scripture heere you see again the scripture is hard but you se to whō and why to the wicked because they are wauering minded and will learne nothing be it neuer so plaine Saint Paule also speaking of the vnderstanding of the mysterie of the Gospell sayth plainely it is the carnall man that perceiueth not the thinges of God and in deede he can neuer vnderstande them because they be discerned spiritually Our sauiour Christ himselfe being asked this question why he spake so darkly and in parables he answereth thus To you it is giuen to knowe the mysterie of the kingdome of God but to those that are without all thinges are done in parables coulde he speake more plainely his worde is not hard vnto his children but to straungers to Infidels to men without God in the worlde to those hee speaketh darkly then dearly beloued this case being so clere let vs be bolde to say to all that accuse the worde of God of hardnesse as Sainct Paule hath say de before vs If the Gospel be yet hid then is it hid to those that perish
drawe it that was spoken in Hierusalem two thousand mile out of Italie that it was ment only of the Citie of Rome Againe they say the sinne against the holie ghost shall neuer be pardoned neither in this world nor in the world to come Ergo there is a purgatorie such are their proofes in their greatest mysteries And is not this trow you a miserable doctrine which hath no plaine and directe scripture but by suche wrested and straunge expositions can onely be proued and this I speak of their best expositions which to this day they hold and reuerence but infinite other expositions they haue and in times past of greatest account for they are written in their masse bookes their portesses their pontificalls their legends their decrees their councels their lawes that you may be sure they were expositions of generall consent and greatest force howe so euer now some woud dissemble them and these are suche expositions as I assure you and I beseech you to beleeue it for before the liuing God you shall finde it one day true the mad men in bedlem can not speake more foolishly they reason thus Peter drewe his sword and cut off Malchus eare therfore the Pope is head of the Church The world was finished in seuen dayes therfore none must marrie within seuen degrees of kinred God made two great lightes the Sunne and the Moone therfore as much as the Sunne is brighter then the Moone so much the Pope is greater then the Emperour The Prophet saith behold the face of thine anointed thus saith the pontifical is a Bishops prayer ouer the popes legat when he kneeleth before the Altar Behold I sende my messinger to prepare thy way before thy face saith God by his prophet Esaie the pontificall vseth this as a prophesie fulfilled when the Popes legate meeteth the Emperour to receiue him into any citie I haue found Dauid my seruant and annointed him with holie oyle My loue is beautifull among the daughters of Hierusalem This they applie to kings and Queenes when the cleargie receiue thē personally into their churches The prophet saith sprinkle mee Lord with ysop I shal be cleane that they applie to the priest sprinkling with holie water Lifte vp your head O ye gates and ye euerlasting dores lifte vp your selues that is when the Clarke openeth the churche doore for the Prieste to come in with the crosse on Palme sunday Tenne thousand such applications and expositions are in their bookes suche I say as I thinke no bedlem man coulde deuise more vaine and foolish Now if any of thē be ashamed of these doings I pray God that shame may be the triall of their countenance which testifieth against them and so be in them a good colour of repentance if they wil not be ashamed then the wrath of the Lord is not turned away but his hand is stretched out still ●…il hee make their madnesse knowen vnto all the world make them a hissing amonge his people who haue so prophaned his word of life And thus much touching the hardnesse of the scripture which the Apostle heere speaketh of It foloweth in the Apostle For wheras considering the time you ought to be teachers yet haue you neede again that we teach you the first principles of the word of God and are become suche as haue needs of milke and not strong meat this is the cause why the Apostle said they were slowe of hearing because they had profited no more in knowledge a great while the gospel preached professed among them yet they stil so ignorant that they knowe not the principles of their Christiā faith We haue had a great while the Gospell preached we might haue beene by this time doctours if we would haue learned I say not euery day or weeke or moneth but euery yeere a little and what a shame is it fos vs if yet we be ignoraunt in the principles of fayth howe many sermons haue wee heard or reade in vaine how many times haue wee made the sower to sowe his seede in the high wayes or among the thornes and stones If in xv yeeres we bee scarce past our A. b. c. when doe we hope that the secretes of the word shal be reuealed vnto vs Are so many yeares so small a portion of our life that wee may giue them to vanitie and learne nothing the Lord graunt that wee may better looke vnto our selues and seeing euery day taketh away parte of our life maketh this earth lie tabernacle more to corrupt let euery day bringe increase of knowledge and adde to our life that when our course is runne our faith may be kept and we may finde the crowne of righteousnesse whiche God hath laid vp for those that be wise of heart Or if this counsel of the Apostle wil not persuade vs but by leasure in xv yeeres to come we will learne hereafter I assure you our graues wil meete many of vs in our wayes while wee are yet dull in learning and when then shal be the time in which we wil enioy our knowledge Let vs looke therefore to our selues for I am afraid this sharpe rebuke of the Apostle is as iust against vs as it was against them and it must needes make vs at last ashamed except it make vs in time repent our sluggishnesse And heere by the way I beseeche you to marke well this place to see the difference of the spirit of trueth and the spirit of errour The Apostle checketh the people because they be so dull of hearing that the woorde of God is harde vnto them which ought to be moste familiar and easie He rebuketh them of ignoraunce that in so long time they haue not learned to be doctours in Christianitie able to teach others He threateneth them that if this greate sinne bee not amended let them looke for no other but that vengeaunce and wrath shal be a recompence vnto them Thus the Apostle sayth but what saith the false apostolicall man the pope of Rome forsooth he pray seth them of greate modestie that wil not presume to read the scripture as those which are darke and obscure writings he alloweth well of learning nothing and after many yeares to be neuer the wiser for ignorance saith he is the mother of deuotion He blesseth the men that haue no wisedome in them though they knowe not how to giue accompt of their faith yet he biddeth them beleue as the church beleeueth and they shal be saued Can any thinge be more contrarie to other then the apostles doctrine is contrarie to this why then do we not yet cast him off for shame and bid sye vpon the beaste that speaketh so presumptuously against the worde of God let him and his foolishnesse perishe together but let vs learne the knowledge of the Lorde It followeth For euery one that vseth milke is inexpert of the word of righteousnesse for he is a babe The Apostle before prouoked them to diligence first
thee Where the Prophet shewing causes why the whole world should not preuaile against Christ he saith because God had decreed it in his eternall counsell and proclamed it with this sentence Thou art my sonne this day haue I begotten thee That is this day haue I declared that thou art my natural sonne meaning especially the time in which he made him knowen in the worlde by his wonderfull workes as S. Paule ment when he saide God was made manifest in fleash noting the power of the spirit working in him in his birthe life death resurrection and ascension So this day noteth not any particular time but all times in generall wherein God hath shewed his power in Christ as especially in the time he liued among vs And it see meth that the Apostle maketh manifest this sense of his wordes in that he addeth to the text alledged in the vi verse the time when it was fulfilled leauing this without any distinct time as that whiche apperteined to all times in which Christ should be shewed to be the sonne of God especially as I saide in his life and before or since as God sheweth his glorie in him So this sentence was true when he appeared to Abraham Iacob Moses to any of the patriarches or prophets or after his ascension when he appeared to Stephan to Paule or any other or whensoeuer he sheweth his power to defend his church vnto the end according to his owne promise I am with you to the latter end of the world And thus this word to day is takē in that which is after alledged To day if ye will heare are his voice harden not your hearts And againe In the day of health I haue heard thee And in the day of saluatiō I haue succoured thee meaning no particular day but al the time that the word is preached vnto vs. It followeth I wil be his father and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●…y sonne This is another texte to proue Christ the naturall sonne of god It is written in the seconde of Samuel the seuenth chapter and they are the wordes of God vnto Dauid by the Prophet Nathan to giue him a promise of the blessing of his seede after him which was begone in Solomon who built the temple and whome God so highly aduaunced in all wisedome richesse and honour that the Fatherly prouidence of God appeared ouer him as ouer an especiall chosen sonne All which as it was promised to Dauid so Dauid looked for the perfourmance of it in Christ and to be figured in Solomon his sonne after him whose temple was a figure of the Churche of Christe his riches a figure of the great graces of the spirite of Christe giuen to his Church his honour aboue all kinges a figure how kinges should submitt them selues to Christ and be nurlefathers and Queenes nurses to the Churche of Christe his wisedome a figure that in Christe should be hid all treasures of wisedome and knowledge and finally he called by name the sonne of God in respect of his blessings as a figure of Christ who is the eternall sonne of his father in nature of his person And so the Apostle here alledgeth this place without any suche long exposition howe the place is meant because we should see in it that the people of Israel were not so ignorant of the Scriptures as we be but brought vp in the knowledge of the lawe and taught the vnderstanding of it euen from their ●…dell as we shoulde be And thus haue we heard this argument of the Apostle Christ hath a more honourable name then the Angels therefore he is more excellent then they Nowe also let vs see the manner of proofes here vsed He proueth Christe to be the naturall sonne of God by textes of Scripture witnessing 〈◊〉 he don●…eth that Angels are so because God in his scriptures neuer spake it for so he beginneth Vnto which of the Angels said he at any time c. The self same maner of proofe againe he vseth in the 13. verse following Because the scripture saide it not therefore he proueth it is not so making his argument negatiuely from authoritie of Scripture whiche in all thinges what soeuer man is required to do or know in matters of religion is euer a most certeine conclusion God spake it therfore we must doe it God spake it not therfore we haue nothing to doe with it And this argument must needes bee good so long as this word of the Lordo doeth endure What I commaund thee doe that only And so long as this is a iust condemnation of all our owne deuises who required these things at your hands And so long as this shal be true that our wisdome is folishnesse and we cannot doe well but when we bearken to the worde of God that shineth in our harts as in a dark place True it is and if we had but the wisedome of children we must needes see it that all particular lawes and orders with which we may be bound they are not set downe in precise words of Scripture but it is as true that the nature and propertie of euery lawe or order is so described that the worde of God as clearely is followed in it as if the wordes of the law were set downe in it For of all decrees to be made in his church hath not God said It must be without offence it must edifie it must bee comely and according to order and it must serue to the glorie of God. Now God hauing giuen grace into our heartes to iudge what soeuer we decree by these rules is not the word of God the warrant of it By such manifest proofe ofscripture the church of Christ doeth iustifie all that she doeth Thus the Apostle proueth heere his doctrine Thus we must do if we will bee the Apostles scholers Marke well this reason for it is worthy God said to Christ thou art my sonne therfore he is his sonne God said not so to any Angel therefore no Angel can take the name vnto him In like manner we will dispute with them God said The true worshippers should not go to mount Sion nor to Ierusalem but worship God in spirit and trueth Where said he go a pilgrimage or go visit the holie sepulchre God said Doe not obserue dayes and monethes and times and yeeres Where said he keepe vnto me Lent or Aduent imber weekes or Saincts Eeues God said vnto vs It is the doctrine of diuels to forbid marriage or to commaund to abstaine from meates Where said he eate now no fleash now no white meate let not the minister marrie God said Let euery soule be subiect to kings princes and the autho ritie of such men let it not be in his Apostles Where said he let the pope haue the gift of kingdomes bee exempt from authoritie of man weare a triple crowne and haue Lords and noble men vnder him God said Cursed 〈◊〉 he that addeth ought to his law or taketh
from it Where said he the pope shall dispense against my apostles and prophets God said It is better to speake fiue wordes which we vnderstood then 〈◊〉 thousand in an vnknowen tong Where said God the ignorant men should pray in latine With this verie argument are ouerthrowne all doctrines of men all traditiōs alpoperie And if this argumēt were good in the Apostle why is it not good in vs Nay if this be vsuall in y scripture why are we so dull that we will neuer learne it Doeth not God condemne the idolatrie of the people of Israel by this reason They built high places which I commanded not Doeth he not condemne all their superstition and vaine worshipping with y same argument Who required these things at your hands When Dauids purpose was stopped from buylding the house of God was not this the word of the Lord that came vnto him Where socuer I haue walked with all Israel spake I one woorde to any of their Iudges saying why haue you not builte me a house of Cedretrees But why seeke we further whē the law is plaine What I commaund thee do that onely And true it is y it is our wisdome and the Light that shineth in our harts as in a dark place If once we go from it as y prophet saith There is no wisdome at all within vs. And this I say because of some which would not haue arguments made negatiuely of scripture I think because it is against Aristotles doctrine But let vs now go forward It followeth in thevi verse Againe when he bringeth c. This is the second comparison betwene Christ and the Angels That it is saide plainely of Christ who is the sonne Let all Angels worship him a thing determined by y scripture it self that Christ is not onely greater then Angels but God to be honoured of all Angels And he alledgeth to this purpose the manifest prophesie that whē God brought his sonne into the worlde hee proclamed before him this honour Let all the Angels worship him First touching the alledging of this texte out of the Psalme we neede not doubt this doeing of the Apostle is proofe inough that that Psalme is a prophesie of the kingdome of Christe of which the psalme saith that God with great power and glorie would establish it in earth●… shewing miracles in his creatures feare and confusion in his enimies ioy and gladnes in the hearts of his children righteousnes and holines in their liues and not only this but all Angels should worship before him Now as he hath taught this by the testimonie of the prophets giuen to Christ so after in the 7. verse he sheweth the same on the other side by the testimonies which y scripture giueth to angels of whō sayth he it is said he maketh his Angels spirites and his ministers a flaming fire The absolute mening of which wordes wee must learne of the Apostle him selfe in the 14. verse following where according to this testimonie he hath defined their nature and called them ministring spirites Then in these wordes he maketh his Angels spirites and his ministers a flaming fire hee nameth them a flaming fire according to y similitude in which their glorie hath ben seene as the angels that were with Elizeus his seruant sawe them as chariots of fire the similitude of the beasts which Ezechiel saw were as coles of burning fire and the Seraphims haue their names because they are of a fierie colour and these wordes ▪ spirits and ministers we must resolue thus ministring spirites So out of this texte his argumēt stādeth thus ▪ Christ is called the sonne the first begotten sonne whome the Angels worship but the Angels are his ministring spirites therefore Christ is greater then the Angels Now for the allegation of this text the Apostle is a sufficiēt witnesse to me that this verse of the 104. Psalme is ment of the Angels of God and not of the windes and I see no reason to the contrarie For first he mentioneth the winds before where he saith He walketh vpon the wings of the winde and therefore a repetition of the same in other wordes was not necessarie ▪ Againe seeing ministers here signifie those which execute Gods power to saue his people I see no cause to attribute it to the windes for though God euen by the elements help his people manie times yet that praise is not giuen as a name to the element which is done in the Angels Now where it is obiected that the Prophet there setteth out the maiestie of God according to his gouernement in thinges of the worlde I graunt it and so the ministery of Angels was then open known in the world And therfore of Angels also the Prophet speaketh as of them in whome the glorie of God shined euen as in the heauens the cloudes the lightnings c. beside this in these words the apostle wil proue what is the nature of angels which requireth that he should speake in the naturall sense of the prophets wordes And the preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vsed of the Apostle seemeth not to be without cause for though it be the Hobrue phrase ▪ as it is saide yet it may well haue iust cause why the Apostle vseth it in Greeke it signifieth as much as if he said thus Vnto all Angels we may say you be but ministring spirites And so it is like vnto the text next alledged of christ To the sonne he sayth c. And thus the preposition is verie conueniently vsed and maketh the Prophets wordes a naturall description of the Angels Therefore for my parte thus I say and thus I am persuaded that as it is here alledged so the wordes were ment of the angels of God which are his ministers to execute his will for safetie of his people And thus muche of the Apostles argument here made Nowe where our Sauiour Christ is here called the first begotten sonne of God both Sainct Iohn sufficiently sheweth the meaning of it in the beginning of his gospel and S. Paule doth plainly expounde the word Iohn saith of our sauiour Christ that he was in the beginning with God that al things were made by him without him nothing was made at al which is as if he had added he was his first begotten sonne Saint Paule expresly addeth the comparison of creatures naming him the first begottē before al creatures because saith he all things were created by him in heauen in earth visible or inuisible angels or powers by him and for him all were made so this is the first begotten the maker creator of all things And he is called the first begottē not the first creature that in this name we might see the blasphemie of Arrius who sayth there was a time when the sonne of God was not when this name first begotten is not in respect of nature as one in time begotten before other but in respect of his work
worshippest God and an idoll too And consider I beseech you but this one thing and marke it well that the Scripture is thus called the The worde of God. There is no doubt but the name of God is great ouer al the earth his name is praysed from the rysing of the sunne to the going downe of the same neither is there any creature but it sheweth foorth his glorie yet hath not God reserued the ●…ound of his name to be called vpon 〈◊〉 y name of any creature but he hath giuen this only to his woorde We do not say The heauen of God nor the earth of God nor any thing in them vnder the name of God is noted notwithstanding they shew forth his glorie but the writings of the Apostles prophets by this name we know them The word of God why else but that his wisdome his power his glorie his mercie especially and aboue al things shineth in his worde and therefore let vs persuade our selues that his maiestie can not be so highly offended in any abuse of all his creatures as when his woord is despised When man sawe not his eternall power and Godhead which was manifest and might haue ben knowen in the workes of the creation of the worlde yet God did ouersee all their ignorances and had pitie on them he gaue them a better testimonie of his presence made his worde knowen in the middes of them that they might beleeue it and be saued which word whosoeuer shal despise he hath despised the power of God by which he should be saued is more guiltie before god thē paganes infidels which neuer knew him neither can there be any other meane of saluatiō vnto him To this effecte no doubt the apostle giueth this reuerende speach to the prophesie The holie ghost hath●… saide Thus hauing prepared the people to heare regard he setteth downe the words of the prophet as followeth To day if you wil heare his voice hardē not your harts as in the bitter murmuring in the day of tentatiō in the wildernes where your fathers c. To vnderstand this exhortatiō well we must see the whole purpose of the psalme The prophet maketh this psalme no doubt as a preparation for the people in all their holie conuocation how to present them selues before the Lord after the same manner in a good and laudable custome we vse it now in the church in our seruice vnto God beginning with this Psalme to stirre vs vp into feare and reuerence an earnest desire of the praise of god O come let vs sing vnto the Lord c. and because our zeale toward God is faint and hypocrisie hath infected the heartes of manie therefore the Prophet toucheth them neerer that if they will stand acceptable before God delay not nor bee faint hearted but euen speedily with a good courage Today if you will heare his voice harden not your heartes c. And he rehearseth the examples of their fathers who tempted God and fel in the wildernes the feare of whose examples should make vs wise This beeing now the plaine meaning of the prophet you see how fitly this Scripture is alledged by the Apostle as then the Prophet cryed vnto them in their assemblies Today if you will hear his voice c that they might keepe holie their Sabbaoth dayes and bee holie in their assemblyes before their God to heare his woorde with humilitie and offer them selues in a holie obedience vnto it So here the Apostle applying it vnto Christe who then spake by his Prophetes that his woorde now might haue also the reuerence of his owne person he sayth also to them Today if you wil heare his voice harden not your heartes c. Now touching the words that he sayth Today he meaneth all the time in which the gospel is preached teaching vs heerby that so long as the word is preached so long saluation is offered In like sense Saint Paul exhorting the Corinthiās not to receiue the grace of God in vaine alledgeth this saying out of Esaic I haue hearde thee in an acceptable time and in the day of saluation haue I succoured thee wherevnto he addeth Behold now is the acceptable time beholde now is the day of saluation plainely expounding this time this day to be so long as the gospell is preached by which we learne how great a benefite it is to heare Christ preached for then God offereth him self vnto vs then he stretcheth out his handes as the prophet sayth to imbrace vs then he calleth vs to come vnto him then he wil accept vs then is the time of saluation for vs all his fauour loue mercie goodnes al his graces are laid out vnto vs he hath opened the heauens y we might see and shewed forth his glorie that we might vnderstand and be no more vnbeleeuing but beleeuing And what excuse trow we can we take vp to bringe before him if this Gospell of grace of peace of life be preached vnto vs and not regarded Therfore euen as the Apostle sayth afterward so let vs learne While the Gospel is preached it is stil called Today harden not our hartes against it through the deceites of sinne And this I beseech you once againe to remember that when the Gospell is preached vnto vs then it is Today Take away this word preached which is the power of God to thy saluation and what time art thou in Sure in the night in whiche no man can woorke for this is the day when his voice is heard Euen as the dayes of our life they arise with the sunne and go downe againe with it so the day of our saluation it springeth in the preaching of the Gospell and it is shut vpp againe with the ceasing of that voice and therfore the holie ghost saith when our sauiour Christ doth come to Capernaum in the borders of Zabulon and Nephtalim The people that sat in darknesse sawe a great light and to them that sat in the region and in the shadowe of death light arose vp vnto them this light is the light of the sonne of righteousnesse how long so euer it shineth so long shineth the acceptable time and the day of health nowe would I faine know what auaile prayers for the dead what helpeth sacrifices for them in purgatorie is not this Sonne gone downe vpon them is it not night with them and they all haue made their beds in the dark Haue they any more eares to heare or are they not as men dead long agoe Howe then can yet their state bee changeable How can they obtein grace mercie peace by our intercession If they can the Apostle sayth not true that it is no longer Today then while the Gospell is preached Sainct Paule saith not true that now onely is the Acceptable time our Sauiour Christ deceiued vs when he said The night commeth in which no man can work but this was the enuie of the diuell to
vnbeleeuing and vnfaithful therfore wee that are beleeuing and faithfull wee shall inherite that reste This I think to be the meaning of these words folowing As it is said to whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my reste Nowe because the Apostle hath reasoned long and much out of this place of the Prophet and will yet reason longer he wisely foreseeth what might bee heere aunswered of the Iewes ▪ that this place is of the people of Israel meant of their entraunce into the lande of Canaan vnder condition of obedience of the law of Moses and therefore rather teacheth them to keepe stil those ordinances then to change them for new follow this Iesus of whomethey haue not heard before This cogitation might easilie arise and they might soone be so persuaded that the prophet spake of the present time now therfore in the words following the Apostle taketh away this offence and doubt teaching that not vnto them onelie but to vs also it was spoken and with this caution proueth with other arguments the former doctrine that by faith grounded in our prophet Iesu Christ we shall enter into his rest And he saith thus Especially seeing his woorkes were finished from the foundation of the worlde The woorde which is heere commonly translated although I english it thus Especially seeing which I doe because the sence wel agreeth and I knowe nothing to the contrarie but the word may well beare it so nowe touching the obiection before made the Apostle aunswereth thus Neither can this bee ment of the rest of the land of Canaan in obeying the lawe of Moses for when neither the law was yet giuen neither the land once promised yet then was this reste of the Lord into which his people did enter for the scripture saith euen at the beginning The Lord rested the seuenth day from all his workes Now this obiection thus beeing confuted there is also in these woordes the seconde reason for proofe of this doctrine before taught that they enter into the Lords rest which doe beleeue and the reason is this Seeing God finished his woorkes streight from the foundation of the worlde so that then he was said to rest the seuenth day men entred not into that rest by the obseruation of the lawe of Moses which was not giuen nor by any woorkes of fleshe whiche were euer vnprofitable but it is cleare then wee entred by fayth according to this which is written To day if you heare his voice harden not your harts this argument is plaine in these words Especially seeing his works were finished from the foundation of the world for he saith in a certeine place of the seuenth day thus and God rested in the seuenth day from al his workes but of this argument we wil speake again in the ninth verse Heere the Apostle may seeme to some of vs to reason not verie stronglie for how proueth he that it is one rest of which it is saide ye shall not enter into my rest and againe the Lord rested the seuenth day for the one semeth to be of God alone the other a figuratiue promise set out vnto vs but this doubt is soone taken away for when it was sayd God rested the seuenth day was it not also said he blessed the seuenth day and h●…lowed it whiche is he appointed it to this holy exercise that mā should leaue off his other thoughts and consider the power and wisdome and goodnesse of God in all his creatures wheron after he gaue his law writen Remember thou keepe holie the sabboth day six daies shalt thou labour but the seuenth c by which it was plaine that this reste was the same vnto whiche they were after called and thus we see the Apostles words how apte they be to his purpose It followeth now And in this place againe if they shall enter into my rest In these words the Apostle teacheth that this is also the same rest which the first was where we see that the rest of the land of Canaan was that they should there enioy peace and in his holie place praise God day night who had deliuered thē out of the cruel bondage of Aegypt from all hurt of the great terrible wildernesse in steade of which he had giuen them a moste pleasaunt countrie that flowed with milke and honie Now vpon the warrant of all this trueth that one rest hath bene from the beginning though the name may bee often named in sundrie respects as first it was so called because God rested from his workes againe because the people entred into a peaceable land in stede of a perilous desert so vpon other occasions this name of rest is named but all in one spirituall sense that is now a ceassing from our owne works to do the workes of God and after this to dwell in the peace and rest of his glorie for euer therfore where promise of entrance into his rest is it is a promise made vnto all and of all ages vpon this I say the Apostle saith further Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therinto they to whome it was first preached entred not because of their vnbelief againe he appointed in Dauid a certeine day by to day saying after so long time as it is alredy alledged to day if you if you wil heare his voice harden not your harts in all these words he cōcludeth as he taught before that seing this rest hath ben euer set out to our first fathers to the people of Israel yet they entred not for vnbelief seeing it can not be but some must needes enter for the graces of God must needes be enioyed therefore in Dauid it is againe said To day if you wil heare his voice that it might be knowen y we which do beleeue shall enter into his rest So in these two verses is the conclusion of the two former arguments to proue that only by fayth we shall enter in to his rest And this I take to be the naturall meaning of these wordes in the 3. 4. 5. 6. and 7. verse It followeth in the 8. verse For if Iesus had giuen them rest he would not haue spoken of any other rest after These woordes proue by an other reason that the former prophecie is not ment of the land of Canaan according to the obiection before spoken of his reason is this Iosua led them into the lande of Canaan a great many yeares before the Prophete Dauid made this exhortatiō if therefore it had bene ment of that land to what purpose did Dauid speak thus so long after could it be threatned vnto them they should not enter into that rest into which they had alreadie entred and dwelt there foure hundreth yeares Vppon this reason he concludeth in the ninth verse Therfore there remaineth yet a rest vnto the people of God. In the tenth verse he sheweth at the last what this rest is that wee should no longer walke in our will but
in whō the God of this world hath blinded their vnbeleuing mindes that the light of the glorious Gospell of Christ should not shine vpon them for otherwise the secret of the Lord is reuealed to those that feare him and his woorde is a lanthorne vnto their feete and a light vnto their steps it is not harde but as Salomon saith It is easie to him that wil vnderstand he is a scorner that seeketh it and can not finde it Moses sayth This commaundement which I command thee this day it is not hid from thee nor sarre of it is very nere vnto thee euen in thy mouth and in thy hart to do it The prophet Ose saith of the iudgementes of God vnto his people that they were as the morning light And the Lorde saith by the prophet Esay I haue not s●…okē in secret nor in a place of dark nesse in the earth I said not in vaine to the house of Iacob Seeke ye me And if thus the doctrine of saluation were preached while yet the people were taught by signes figures how clere is it now since the sonne of righteousnes hath shined in perfect light what wrong is it to say still the scriptures are hard and to make them to be Sphynx his ridles or the winding oracles of Apollo whiche are the cleare wordes of the liuing God I appeale to your owne consciences all that haue experience whether haue you found such hardnesse in scripture or whether do you easily see how we are saued in Iesus Christ what obediēce we owe againe vnto god I am sure there is none of you that with a single heart haue come to read the scripture that were euer driuen back with any hardnesse of it How is it then why do the papists stil cry out of the hardnesse of the worde why see they not this easinesse as wel as we sure I will tel you the Lorde is witnesse howe I tell you true Those men they haue come neere vnto God with their mouth honored them with their lips but their harts haue been farre from him ▪ they haue worshipped God in vaine teaching doctrines which were precepts of men and for this cause God hath couered them with a spirit of slumber hath shut vp their eyes the gospell is vnto them as the words of a booke that is sealed so that whether they be learned or vnlearned they can read nothing This is the great hiddē cause their sinns haue found them out gods iudgemēts haue blinded them Another cause that I tolde you before is because they would leade vs blindfolde after the church of Rome this cause I make not of mine owne head thē selues as I said wil confesse it For this is a solemne decree in their late generall counsel of Trident the 4. session the 2. canon that it belongeth to their holy motherchurch to iudge of the sence interpretation of the scripture nether must we presume to leaue those interpretations although they were such as were neuer meete to bee openly taught published And their greate doctour Hossius saith thus if we haue the interpretation of the church of Rome although wee see not howe it can agree with the wordes of the texte yet we must beleeue it But are not these think you vnreasonable wordes if they be not examine mo of their witnesses at last you shall finde it confesse it that they are not onely vnreasonable but exceeding shameles men while they hold this that the scripture is hard and to be vnderstood after the church of Rome for thus they haue termed the scripture dead y●…ke a thing without life a dumbe iudge a nose of waxe a black gospell ynken diuinitie these such other words are witnesses against them to all the world their owne bookes are extant and with what spirite then haue these men spoken surely not with the spirit of the father Dauid or of his sonne Salomon who say The lawe of the Lord is perfect and conuerteth soules it giueth to the simple sharpnesse of witt and to the children knowledge and discretion nor with the spirite of Paule that sayeth All scripture is inspired of God and is profitable to reproue correct instruct and to make a godly man perfect to euery good worke this is not to call the scripture a waxen nose or ynken diuinitie but these speeches are much more agreeable to the spirit of the olde heretiques which said the prophecies were dremes But to let their vncomely speeches go to come againe to our purpose They cry out still that the interpretations of the churche of Rome are the sense of the scripture And would you not now thinke that these interpretations of the Romaine church were merueilous wise graue mysticall seing they would haue all the worlde thus to reuerence them See therfore what they are and iudge I wil alledge vnto you some of them in the weightiest matters of faith You are wise iudge what I say these are their most learned expositions of all other in which they boast not a litile Christ saith Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke will I build my church ergo the Pope is head of the church how groweth this conclusion forsooth thus if vpon this rocke Christ will build his church then vppon Peter for Peter signifieth that rocke If vpon Peter then vpon Peters successour for the trueth doth cleaue vnto the chaire and Peter maketh his success our inheritour of all his goodnes If to Peters success our then to the Pope for Peter was bishop of Rome And if the church be built vpon Peter then Peter was chiefe of all other and so the Pope is head of the church if these collectiōs be not theirs let me be reproued as a slaunderer if they bee theirs then bee you wise to vnderstand what their religion is for all these collectiōs are vtterly vntrue It is vntrue that Peter is that rocke vpon which the church is built for our Sauiour Christ himselfe saith he that heareth my wordes and perfourmeth them he buildeth vpon the rocke It is vntrue that what faith Peter had the same must be left to Peters successours for Scribes Phariseis buyers and sellers succeeded Moses Aaron It is vntrue that Peter was Bishop of Rome for he was the Apostle of circumcision therefore it was vtterly vnlawfull for him to bee a Bishop among the Gentiles Againe they reason thus The Apostles say to Christ Lord behold here are two swordes therefore the pope hath both ciuil ecclesiasticall gouernement might they not better haue reasoned when Peter would haue vsed one sworde Christe cōmaunded him to put it vp therefore no such swoord at all belongeth to him Again they say Christ promiseth to his Apostles the comforter which shall teach thē all trueth therfore the church of Rome cannot erre howe bring they all the Apostles to the Pope of Rome howe doe they
and in earth And all things the father hathe are mine Not onely earthly things but also heauenly For of the graces of the spirite he saith also He shal glorifie me and take of mine and giue it vnto you The Apostle addeth the seconde note of this authoritie That by him the world was made by the worlde meaning all things in heauen earthe and vnder the earthe For so Sainct Iohn addeth to this testimonie And without him nothing was made what so euer was made Then if all creatures were by him himselfe was vncreate and onely creator of all that is that we might boldely giue him the glorie of the father Almightie maker of heauen and earth And this is notably set out by S. Paul in the first chap ter to the Colossians where he saith He created all thinges in heauen and earth visible inuisible whether they be thrones dominions principalities or powers all things were made by him of which it must needes followe euen as S. Paule also concludeth that he is God aboue all The second thing wherein Christ is here exalted is the glorie of his person First that he is the brightnesse of his fathers glorie whiche title is absolutely giuen him as essentiall vnto the sonne of God not onely before vs but euen before his Father that as all the properties of the Godhead haue their beeing in the person of the father so the brightnesse and beautie of them is in the person of the sonne and so this name was proper to him before the worlde was made noting that eternally he was of the father In whiche sense Sainct Iohn calleth him The worde not according to the time in which creatures haue bene but an essentiall worde before all creatures In the beginning saith he was the worde and the word was with God. But of this mysterie I ceasse to speake For we cannot knowe it our tongues cannot speake it And these verie wordes whiche I nowe vse or any man can vse of Gods maiestie thinke not that their sense and meaning is according to Gods nature they are onely helpes of our weakenesse that by them our faith might be quickened in a spirituall vnderstāding otherwise all the woordes in the worlde cannot expresse the least part of the liuing god Touching vs he is called the brightnesse of his fathers glori●… many wayes as because in our nature he shewed foorth the liuely countenaunce of his father in all fulnesse of grace and trueth and because in the power of his worde hee wrought mightily in all creatures and againe expressely Sainct Paule calleth him The image which is the shining brightnesse of God in respect of the cleare manifestation of the Gospel in which he hath set out so glorious a light of the power of GOD to saue his electe So he is to vs the brightnesse of glorie because many wayes he shewed foorth the glorie of his father vnto vs Euen as Sainct Iohn sayth No man hath seene GOD at any time that onely begotten sonne who is in the bosome of his father he hath reuealed him The second thing here attributed to him is that he is the ingrauen fourme of the person of his father noting hereby the vnitie of substance as in whome the fulnesse of the Godhead dwelt bodilie Euen as Saint Paule doeth also call him the image of God distinguishing him by this name from all shadowes and figures like as this Apostle vseth the woorde in the tenth chap. And here expressely he addeth ingrauen aboue all the figures in the lawe the Ephod the Vrim or the Arke it selfe shewing the excellencie that is in Christe The third title of honour here giuen vnto Christ is of the greatnesse of his power and that is that he heareth vp all things with his mightie word In the metaphore of bearing after the manner of the Prophets no doubt he meaneth the nourishment and preseruation of all things in the state that God hath giuen them which is the prouidence watching ouer al his woorkes Now this beeing knowen to be the work of the liuing God That in him we liue we moue we are and this manifestly agreeing to Christe by cleare proofe of all his workes here in fleshe in which hee reuealed the image of God in him In this also it is assured that he is very God the stay and strength of the world without whose hand all thinges would fall into confusion Forthly he extolleth the person of Christ by the greatnesse of his benefites bestowed vpon man in these wordes By him selfe hauing purged our sinnes put in here as a Parenthesis because it sheweth the way how Christe purchased that excellent dignitie to sit at the right hand of his father wherof after he speketh In that he saith purged our sinnes expresly hee warranteth his Godhead For what creature could haue done so excellent a worke The Iewes could not be ignorant but though a man were as great as Adam yet Adam when sinne rested on him it draue him out of Paradise yea though a man could be as pure as an Angel yet the Angels when they sinned and kept not their first order their sinne weyed them into the condemnation of hel so y our Sauiour Christ taking our sin vpon him beeing able to purge it which no sainct or angel could euer doe it necessarily followed that he is the eternal God euen according to the knowen prophecies of the Messias that they should call him the Lord God our righteousnesse The fifte thing wherein Christe is here extolled is the high dignitie which he hath gotten in these woordes he sitteth on the right hande of high maiestie Noting hereby that God the father hath taken him vp into his glorie so that he sitteth in power and maiestie equall with his father and this is plaine in that he calleth it the right hand of highest maiestie And the scripture sheweth this end of it till I make thine enimies thy footestoole shewing that this is the power of God in him to sitte at the right hand of god And thus muche of the woordes of the Apostle in this magnifying the person of our Sauiour Christ. Now a litle further we will examine the words and applie them more particularly to our instruction In that it is saide firste God made him heire of all So that we see howe these woordes of the Apostle haue euerie way their weight to proue that Christe is the sonne of God the king of his people God and man mediatour betweene God and vs. We must learne of our selues we haue nothing but beeing ingraffed in him we are owners of all thinges In mine owne right I am naked and voyde of all I haue no meate to feede my hungrie bodie no drinke to comfort my faint and thirstie spirite no cloathes to keepe me warme no house to harbour mee I am to take no profite of any creature nor no pleasure in the sight of the Sunne For the earth is
vs If it were thus yet what is become of building religious houses of pilgrimage of numbering many prayers of their holie orders their garments their fasting c All these they let sink in their own shame with out defēce for these applied not the death of Christ vnto vs but in the merite of the worke they were commended But as these haue no colour of good defence so the excuse of the other is very vaine for how say they that the pope or priests applie the me rites of Christ seeing this application cannot stand by their owne confession without a real sacrificing of Christ For saith not y Apostle here that Christ did it by him selfe not onely making Christe the woorke but also the woorkman the price and the chapman the sacrifice sacrificer not al the world can giue any other recompence for sinne but him nor all the world can giue him but him self as both more plainly we shall heare afterwarde And here is expressely saide that he did it by him selfe with as great warrant giuing vnto him y doing as the thing done As wel and with as litle sinne we may choose another sacrifice as another sacrificer For by the same worde of God bothe are giuen to him a like And as there is not mentioned any other thing that euer could be offered so there is not named any other person that euer could offer this But as he is alone our king and alone spoiled principalities and powers vpon his crosse so he is alone our priest and alone he sacrificed vp his bodie once for all Now where it followeth in the Apostles words That he sitteth at the right hand of high maiestie we must first marke the change of wordes where it is vsually saide he sitteth on the right hand of god Here he saith on the right hand of the highest maiestie whiche is as it were an interpretation of the right hand of God signifying nothing else but the power and glorie of God giuen vnto the person of the mediatour according to that saying of Paule God hath highly exalted him and giuen him a name aboue all names Beside this seeing the right hand of God doth signifie his power wee must learne to be wise hearted not make vnto God a right hand or a left like vnto ours Wee know the commandement Thou shalt make vnto thy selfe no grauen image nor the likenes of any thing that is in heauen aboue or in earth beneath or in the water vnder the earth Let vs giue our obedience and confesse that God is incomprehensible not like to any thing which possibly our bodilie eyes can see And let vs not seeke vaine pretences that we might committe sinne and see it not to say I will make it for a remembraunce or the more to stirre vp our mindes make it howe thou wilt the precept is broken which saith thou shalt not make it And be thou well assured as long as S. Paules wordes shall betruer then thine so long it shall stand that if thou do make any similitude in the worlde to represent God Thou hast now turned the trueth of God into a lie changed the glorie of the incorruptible God to the likenes of the image of a corruptible creature and if accordingly God giue thee vp to a reprobate sense for this pride in thine owne wisedome he doth with thee but as he did with thy forefathers therfore take heede The cause why the Scripture attributeth vnto God eares and eyes and hands and feete it is because we are not able yet to comprehende any thing of Gods maiestie therfore the holie Ghost applieth speach to our infirmitie that we might by these woordes the Lord seeth heareth kepeth and ruleth al things that in him we might boldly trust Let not vs carrie away this great goodnesse of God into rebellion to leaue his glorie whiche we see onely by faith and make him handes and feete and gray haire like vnto a wretched bodie that is consumed with yeares But the time is past Let vs pray that it would please God our heauenly father to humble our hearts vnder the mightie power of his sonne Christ that wee may feare loue and obey him reioycing in the excellencie of glory that he hath giuen vnto vs who is the sonne of God and the Lord increase in vs our faith and hope that in the assurance of Gods loue our consciences may be at peace and in the reuelation of Gods glorie our hearts may be filled with ioy in the Lord which we be seech God to graunt vnto vs euen for his sonnes sake our only mediatour and aduocate Amen ¶ The third Lecture vpon the 4. 5. 6. and 7. verses 4 And is made so much more excellent then the Angels in as much as he hath obteyned a more excellent name then they 5 For vnto which of the Angels said he at any time Thou art my sonne this day begat I thee And againe I wil be his father and he shall be my sonne 6 And againe when he bringeth in his first begotten sonne into the worlde he saith And let all the Angels of GOD worship him 7 And of the Angels he saith He maketh his spirits his messingers and his ministers a flame of fire IN these wordes as I tolde you the Apostle beginneth to set out the person of our sauiour Christ by comparison with Angels and this comparison he maketh in many pointes as wee shall heare that the more cleare wee see it tho more effectually we might confesse his high Godhead and therefore aboue all thinges to set him alone called in the new testament the high Prieste and Prophet and King of his people And the first comparison here made is of the first title before giuen him that he is the naturall sonne of God begotten of the substance of his father whereby he must needs be one and equall with his father which name as no Angel hath it so no Angel is to be compared to him That thus the Apostle taketh the name of Sonne according to the dignitie of nature it is plaine in his owne wordes saying And is made so much more excellent c. verse 4. making his excellencie according to his name his name according to his excellēcie For otherwise the name of the sonne of God may be giuen to euery one of vs as God calleth Israel his first borne and all the elect the sonnes of God So the magistrates are sonnes of God and the Angels also the sonnes of God but we by adoption grace the magistrate because he executeth the iudgement of the Lord the Angels by creation none of vs according to the worthinesse of our owne nature But by nature substance eternitie as the Apostle here meaneth there is none the sonne of God but Christ alone And that thus Christ is the sonne of God he proueth it first out of the second psalme where it is said Thou art my sonne this day haue I begotten
as one by whō al other things were begottē And againe being the first begotten of all creatures in this name he condemneth the blasphemie of Seruetus which denyed him to be the sonne of God but onely in respect of his comming in fleash And that y apostle speaketh here of bringing into the world he meaneth not barely his natiuitie but as God gaue vnto Christ all the endes of the earth for his possession so the honourable setting of him in this authoritie he calleth it his bringing in into the world as appeareth because this is the glorie of this bringing that the Angels shall worship him And againe when he sayth the world he meaneth not this age of man but as he expoundeth it in the second chapter the worlde to come euen also as the Prophet Esaie called it that is the kingdome of Christ in the world through the preaching of the gospell And the worship with which the Angels shall worship him is that they shall haue from hencefoorth no such rule as before authorized in their owne persons from God but now they shall giue all glorie to christ Euen as we see in his natiuitie a great multitude of Angels sang Glorie be to GOD on high and in earth peace good will towards men because Christ was borne in the Citie of Dauid a sauiour vnto all people So in all his life in his death in his resurrection ascension and since his ascension there neuer appeared angel vnto man but to the praise of Christe and to ratifie all honour and worship due vnto him which ministerie of Angels because now so clearely it serueth Christ the Scripture is fulfilled Let all his Angels worship him And now that we haue seene the sense and meaning of this Scripture in some pointes I will more particularly applie it to our instruction It is saide first When he bring●… is his first begotten into the worlde which wordes meane as I said when in glorious triumph God l●…deth him into the possession of his kingdome And as the prophet saith whē God giueth him his d●…n from sea to sea and from the riuer vnto the endes of the land that ●…ll that dwell in the wildernesse may kneele besore him and his enimies may lick the dust Heere we must marke howe this hath beene accomplished and when wee knowe it if wee loue Christe let vs set foorth his excellent glorie This was especially doone no doubt in the crosse of Christe him selfe according as him selfe prayeth when he entreth vnto it Father glorisi●… thy sonne And Sainct Paule saith in it he hath spoyled principait●…es powers and hath made open shewe of them and triumphed ouer them vpon his crosse A proofe of this wee sawe with our eyes when Christe vppon the crosse so wrought in the hearte of the Romane cap●…eine that hee cryed aloude Truely this man was the sonne of GOD. When all the people behelde it that was done and smo●…e their brests and went backe when manie Saincts roase out of their graues and went into the holie Citie And not onely this worke was in men but that wee might know the vertue of his deathpearced euen into hell to bynde iudgement to the diuel and his Angels with eternal desperation and to witnesse it vnto his Church that the gates of hell should not preuaile against it To this end we sawe the earth did quake the stones were 〈◊〉 the Sonne was darkened the graues did open and this was the beginning of this kingdome The increasing and amplifying of this is the preaching of the same crosse that is of Christe crucified that it might be seene and heard in all the worlde which had also a glorious beginning in the Apostles of Christe whome God sanctified to that worke with excellent power and graces of the holie Ghoste so that notwithstanding the weakenesse of their persons yet their voice went into all landes and their wordes vnto the endes of the earth And boldely Sainct Paule witnessed of themselues that God had giuen them glorious weapons to fight withall weapons not carnall neither swoordes nor prisons as earthly princes haue to keepe their subiectes in feare but other weapons in deede more contemned of the worlde but yet made by God more mightie then al other weapons or engines to cast downe holdes For by our weapons sayth Saint Paule we cast downe mans imaginations and querie ●…ighe thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God and bring into captiuitie euerie thought to the obedience of Christ. And this not onely was for that age but as GOD is vnchaungeable in all his wayes so this is made his euerlastinge ordinaunce that the preaching of the Gospel shoulde be his might●…e power to saue all that do beleeue And accordingly this cōmission is giuen to all that are sent out in the name of Christ for the gathering together of the Sainctes for the work of the ministerie and for the edification of the bodie of Christ t●…l we meete all together in the vnitie of faith and knowledge of the Sonne of God vnto a perfect man and vnto the measure of the age of the fulnesse of Christe Sith this then is that spirituall pompe and those victorious chariots by which the Sonne of God is carried in triumph into the inheritance of the world they that haue eares to heare let them heare what it is to preache the Gospel of Christ and they that be called vnto it let them knowe what woorke they haue in hande and they that resist it shall at the last be consumed as they that be enimies to the glorie of Christ must needes be made his footestoole So that euerie one in the regard of so glorious a worke should humble himselfe to become a labourer in it yea the greater dignitie the more trauell it shoulde bring vnto it So that princes them selues haue no greater honour if we wil beleeue the Prophet Esaie then to licke the dust vnder the Churches feet By which speache the Prophet meaneth that the faithfull zealous kings which reigne vpon earth should with the perill of their crownes not feare to set out and giue all their strength to the Gospell of Christe by whiche the Lorde of Lordes is to be settled in his throne and he that ruleth for euer in the house of Iacob is to be crowned king The preaching of the Gospel is the preparation of his waye and the obedience vnto it is the honour of his reigne and what king hath too good a hand to ioyne in this nay what king whose spirite is in his nostrels and all his glorie is but a vading flower what king I say is worthie to be a doer in this worke but that it pleaseth this immortall and heauenly king of his free grace to accept his labour so that iustly they are iudged that are despisers of GOD and knowe not the Lord of hostes against whome they are proude Shall God proclame it with so loude a voice that when
abound in worldly peace the crowne and beautie of mine honour is to serue the lord If God haue giuen me trouble in the dayes of my vanitie this is cōfort ynough that I am the seruaunt of the lord Be our life as it will either high or lowe the only fruit of it is the seruice of God the onely hurt that can approch vnto vs is to forget the Lord whose seruants we should haue bene and let vs so much more constantly dwell in this persuasion of heart because we haue heard that the Lord hath spoken it there is no greater glorie no not in his Angels then to serue before him Of the nature of angels as they are here described by the grace of God I shall say more in the latter end of this Chap. Now let vs pray that as we haue learned so we may follow acknowledging the glorie of our Sauiour Christ and what the honour of his kingdome is and desire grace that we may be founde woorthie to be labourers in that excellent worke in which God hath appointed to glorifie his sonne and that we may serue him in holinesse and righteousnes all the dayes of our life who is only al the hope we haue and shall in his good time fill our life with his owne presence and satisfie our eyes with the sight of his maiestie And the same onely and liuing God giue vs his holy spirite in which we may be comforted to liue in his loue to walke in his wayes and to account al the world but vanitie in respect of the inheritaunce purchased vnto vs in the Lorde Iesu the onely forgiuer of al our sinnes to whome with the Father and the holy Ghost be honour and glorie worlde without ende Amen The fourth Lecture vpon the 8. and 9. verses 8 But vnto the sonne he saith O God thy throue is for euer and euer the scepter of thy kingdome is a scepter of righteousnesse 9 Thou hast loued righteousnes and hated iniquitie Wherfore God euen thy God hath annoynted thee with the oyle of gladnesse aboue thy fellowes NOw the Apostle beginneth the third comparison according to the title before Bearing vp all things with his mightie power which setteth out the kingdome of Christ so that the comparison is Christe is an eternall king so is no Angel therefore he is to be honoured aboue them Thus hauing made mention of his kingdome then he describeth it more at large bothe to shewe what his kingdome is and to make it more plaine that though we could imagine easily that Angels in honour deserued the name of Kings yet such a kingdome no Angel could euer haue An euerlasting throne a righteous scepter exalting trueth beating downe iniquitie in worthinesse whereof GOD hath annoynted this King with gladnesse aboue all other and hath called him by the name of GOD himselfe Heere the Iewes whome God hath shut vp in a heauie iudgement and for the first centempt of his Gospell keepeth them stil in blindenesse vntill this day they as they seeke busily all wayes of errour to deceiue them selues so they haue blinded their eyes that they should not vnderstand this prophesie And first where it is said Thy throne O God They say the name GOD is likewise attributed to men as they occupie any rome appointed them of God as where this same prophet saith I haue said you be Gods whiche meaneth that they haue commaundement from God to execute his iudgement But the Iewe if he had not chaunged his heart and turned it away from wisedome to follie hee might haue knowen that though this name be also giuen to Angels or iudges yet it is giuen not to one but to manie so that in their number it is manifest that it is a figuratiue speeche Or if it be giuen to one it hath some addition as where it is saide to Moses I haue made thee Pharaoes God limiting the name to a certeine sense but thus attributed to one without any correction of speache it was neuer but to God alone Againe they say all this Psalme is of Solomon and therefore beeing true in him it cannot proue any diuinitie in Christ but this errour is euē as grosse as the other For how so euer this is true that the Psalme was written as a wedding song of ioy at the marriage of Solomon with Pharaoes daughter yet this is knowen and manifest that in the stories of those men whiche were figures of Christe something is euer spoken not agreeing to the figure but to Christe alone that we might bee bolde to applie it vnto him Neither yet can this Psalme possibly be written of that mariage of Solomon simply in it selfe For when the Prophet beginneth my hart breaketh out into a good matter howe can this praise or this earnest desire of the Prophet agree to it which was contrarie to the lawe of God and of it selfe could neuer be good What had the Kings of Israel to doe with Idolaters and blasphemers to marrie their daughters no doubt as Solomon was a most famous prince so the glorie of the world did here lead him For Aegypt was the greatest Monarchie in the world and Pharaoh the mightiest King so that his daughter giuen to king Solomon was the princeliest marriage that could be made but that it displesed God it is cleare for bothe his generall lawe is against it and this is particularly alledged in the causes of Solomons ruine And though this Psalme were now to wishe prosperitie and peace vnto it what then who will dispute with the Lorde for turning all thinges to the best to those that loue him so when Solomons hautinesse had done this what though God would except her after the renouncing of all her idolatries when as the lawe saith she had shauen her head and pared her nayles and forgot her fathers house what though he would haue her a figure of the honourable calling of the Gentiles and shewe then in her that though he gaue his lawes to Iacob yet he was a God in all the earth all that proueth nothing but Solomon might do yll still this wedding song was made not for him but for another whome hee figured But let these Iewish quarels againste the trueth alone and let vs examine the text heere as it is what honour it giueth to Christ and how by no meanes it can agree to Solomon In this scripture there are foure speciall things spoken First he is called God alone as I saide and without addition euen as the prophet Esai also calleth him the mightie god By whiche warrant of the Prophets beeing a moste sure word the Apostles are bolde to giue to our Sauiour Christe the name and power of the liuing God as Iohn saith the worde was God. And Thomas with these wordes confesseth his former vnbelief My Lord and my God. And S. Iohn in his Epistle saith Iesus Christe this is the true God. And Sainct Paule calleth him the God which is for euer
Angels Where it followeth here that all transgression of that lawe was punished no doubte he respecteth the people of Israel in the wildernesse where of so manie hundred thousandes all died in their sinnes except Caleb and Iosua who were of an other spirite which fearefull example of this people is likewise alledged by Sainct Paule in the firste to the Corinthians the tenth Chapter to admonish the Corinthians that by their example they should learne And where the Apostle addeth Howe shall wee escape if we despise so great saluation howe true this is we cannot doubt if we will open our eyes this day and looke about vs What is become of the Churches of Corinth Galatia Ephesus Philippi Colossos Thessalonica all whiche Paule so highly commendeth What is become of the churches of Pontus Cappadocia Asia Bithynia to which Peter writeth What is become of Smyrna Pergamus Thiatyra Sardis Philadelphia Laodycea y churches mentioned in the Apocalypse In all Asia Graecia Macedonia Syria Palestina and many famous countries else where are nowe their churches Yea to come yet nearer home What is become of the Churches in many Countries and Islands which our eyes haue seene to flourish The famous kingdome of Hungarie the great Countrie of Liuonia howe haue barbarous tyrants layde them waste that scarce one Church of Christ hath peace within them These are the punishementes which God hath executed for the contempt of his Gospell and our eyes and the eyes of our children this day haue seene it If we will not be warned but doe as we do despise the Gospell more then all nations round aboute vs suffer mockers and scorners to make their banquets among vs giue leaue to proude men to haue their pleasures at home and come not once to the church in xiiii or xv yere let the wolues loose whose rauening teeth are yet red and their bellies ful with the bloud of Gods saincts if we will do greater abhominations then these I wil not appoint times and seasons for so God hath not sent me hither a Prophet but as the scourge will surely come so I dare boldly say The wiseman seeth the plague comming and hideth him but the foole goeth on forward is snared It foloweth in the Apostle in the 3. and 4. verse Which at the first began to be preached c. The Apostle continueth yet his reason added to this exhortation of taking heed to the Gospel which as he did before of the excellencie of Christ the teacher of it so repeating that he addeth also for the more glorie of it the way and manner in whiche it was taught respecting heerein the glorious manner how the law was giuen lest thereby any should lesse regarde the Gospel And this manner of teaching he magnifieth first by the authour who was no Angel but the Lord himselfe then by the minissters of it who were not one but many and euerie one in as honourable and assured a calling as Moses himselfe Thirdly that the preaching of it was with signes wonders powers and sundrie special gifts of the holy ghost euen as it pleased God to distribute them So that they shal be without excuse all the despisers of it Heere some haue thought that this epistle can not be Paules because he sayth They which heard this Gospel of Christ himselfe they haue cōfirmed it to vs which thing Paul neuer saith but always standeth vpon this that he receiued it by Reuelation This reason is not vnlikely neither yet is it necessarie for S. Iude being an Apostle yet saith Remember the wordes which before this you haue heard of the Apostles And as Paul would not lightly haue spoken it in his owne person so heere his name beeing concealed and making him selfe one with those to whome hee writeth he might well speake it And it is not to be pretermitted that he saith not it was taught vs but it was confirmed vnto vs which might be said euen of Paule him selfe being confirmed by Ananias and conferring with Peter Iames Iohn c. and manie other wayes Therefore this is a thing still doubtful and whether it were Paule or not Paule we cannot tell That he sayth heere of signes woonders and powers he calleth miracles signes because they were testimonies seales to vs of the doctrine to be from God hee calleth them woonders because they were straunge and shewed an vnwonted woorke not knowen of men he calleth them powers because they had an euident profe of the power of God the sundrie distributions of the spirite hee calleth the extraordinarie giftes which followed those that did heleeue as our Sauiour Christ promised whereof S. Paule speaketh at large 1. Cor. 12. And thus the Apostle endeth this exhortation that we would carefully hearken to the Gospell giuen by Christe preached by the Apostles confirmed by the gifts of the holie ghost whose contempt God our heauenly Father will moste assuredly reuenge Now let vs examine againe the words and applie them to our particular instruction In the firste verse wher it is said we ought more diligently to harkē to the things that we haue heard we learne one lesson verie necessarie for our time and with which we may stopp the mouths of a great many papists when we reason with them about the studie of the scriptures howe all men ought to knowe them if we alledge the moste cleare places as in the vj. of Deuter. These words shal be in thine hart Thou shalt rehearse them to thy children thou shalt talke of them at home in thy house and when thou art in thy way when thou liest down whē thou risest vp Thou shalt binde them for a signe vpon thy hands and they shall be as a frontlet betweene thine eyes Thou shalt write thē in the entrie of thine house and graue them vpon thy gates These and such like places they haue learned thus to answere All that was ment in y olde lawe now Christ hath giuen the holie ghost to the church and it can not erre therefore we must heare her Whether this be not wilfully to be blind see nothing nowe iudge when you heare the Apostle making comparison namely betweene our fathers of the olde testament and vs he sayth that wee are more bounde to the doctrine taught by Christe in his gospel then all our fathers to the law of Moses But they say God hath giuen his holie spirit to the church to guide it in all trueth First I answere this helpeth them nothing for it is a common argument which all sectaries and scismatiques may like wise boast of it But let them proue first that the church of Rome is the church of christ Now touching this gift of Gods spirite powred vppon vs I say it is a promise to the particular comforte of euerie one that wee shall neuer fall from the grace and loue of God it is not a warrant generally to all that the church shal be euer in open rule gouernement no blemish within
shal descēd down but the word is nigh vs euen in our mouth that we should speake it in our heart that we should knowe it With this spirite the Prophet Dauid sayth I haue knowē long since by thy testimonies that thou hast established them for euer And this spirite maketh vs see in the scriptures a doctrine without all earthly thoughts the wisedome of man boldly troaden downe more force to moue in plaine speache then in all the eloquence of Tullie Demosthenes a doctrine which alone hath stoode euer in honor whē all other doctrines haue bene worne out with time a doctrine which hath ben assaulted with ten thousand imaginations of men yet abideth pure with out all infection of falshood this the spirite of God makes vs see in the scriptures more cleere as I said then we see the Sunne light with our eyes and the word of God hath all his credit in it selfe it needeth not the church it wil not haue the Pope to beare witnesse with it Now dearely beloued if any of you feele not this warrant in reading the worde of God aske of him that giueth and vpbraydeth no bodie and you shall vnderstand all that I haue said Set your heart vpon it loue it with all your soule Chaunge your selues with reading into those affections in which you see euery place written and you shall percelue Solomon is your good warrant Seeke after wisedome as you seeke after siluer and you shall finde it Thus muche I thought good to say vnto you by occasion of this earnest exhortation of the Apostle to hearken diligently to the Gospel of Christe He sayth after How shall we escape if wee neglect so great saluation Let vs note here that the Apostle calleth all transgression of the word of Christ the neglecting of so great saluation Wee must not looke till men either speake open blasphemie or doe all things to the open dishonour of God as men manifestly giuen vp to reprobate senses All sinners did neuer fulfill one measure of iniquitie but we see in the Gospel as wel he is condemned that hideth his talent in the ground and doth no good with it as the other that wasted his maisters goods and liued riottously with drunkards and gluttons Euen so it is with vs a great number of vs will not blaspheme the Gospel as Papists do and call them which professe nothing but it alone scismatiques heretiques Lutherans c. A great number of vs hate the knowen sinnes of manie adulterers drunkards oppressors dissemblers flatterers c. but be not deceiued surely this is not inough if we doe but neglect the Gospel how can wee escape The lawe giuen by Angels forbad not only the open breaches of it but it also required of vs that we should loue it that we should delight in it that it should be more deare vnto vs then all our iewels or other ornaments How much more the word spoken by the sonne of God must we not onely not openly transgresse against it but also how ought we to loue it how to delight in it how to account all things but doung in comparison of the excellent knowledge of Iesu Christ that we may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings beeing made like vnto his death trying howe wee may come to the resurrection of the dead This dearely beloued must be our life and we must bee as men who haue both dwelling and freedome in the heauenlie Ierusalem to reioyce in the Lord alwayes reioyce For if other we be of a dull spirite that we haue no ioy of our hope or when we taste a litle if it be streight forgotten so that the Prophets words be true in vs That our righteousnes is as a morning cloud and as the morning dew it goeth away it is with vs according to the common prouerb As good neuer a whit as neuer the better and all our Religion is in vaine for a spirit of slumber hath ouertaken vs And though we draw not our sinns after vs as with cart ropes yet we do neglect the great saluation of christ This I say that we might stirre vp the grace of God that is in vs not once to be negligent in the care of the Gospel but that it may euer be vnto vs as it is in deede a promise of gladnesse the pleasure of our youth the comforte of our age that all our dayes may be in peace It followeth in the fourth verse God bearing witnesse vnto it with signes c. Heere we learne that all signes wrought by God serue to the setting out of the Gospel The Apostle speaketh plaine and we must needes heare in all the signes that are wrought by God he beareth witnesse with them to the Gospell of his sonne And our sauiour Christ him selfe is the first scholemaister of this doctrine for when he sendeth out his Apostles to preache he giueth them their charge to preache that The kingdome of heauen is at hande and he giueth them this warrant of the doctrine Heale the sicke cleanse the lepres c. And where no opportunitie was to teach the doctrine he giueth them charge there not to tel of any miracle done so that assuredly we know those that are true miracles which strengthen the worde and all other are illusions of Sathan whose ende is superstition A notable testimonie of this trueth God him selfe giueth in his lawe where he saith plainely If a prophet come vnto you and worke signes and woonders though they haue neuer suche effect and be vnfeigned yet if that Prophet call you out of the waye in whiche God commaunded you to walke thou shalt not beleeue that Prophet but thou shalt sley him for they are no signes and tokens in whiche thou art iustified but the word of God is the seede of thy newe birth and the milke with which thou art nourished to be a perfect man of God. If signes and woonders carrie away thine eyes that thou shouldest not see the Gospell cursed are y signes thou too that beleeuest if thou turne not againe from such snares of Satan And let vs here dearely beloued carefully beware for our dangers are exceeding you knowe how the vaine heart of man is not a little moued with euerie shewe of a wonder if it be but a iuggler whole heapes will go after him and be partakers of his sinne If there come to passe any vn●…yonted thing rumour streight inlargeth it and carrieth it farre and wyde The diuel seeing this vanitie of our minde abuseth streight our foolish simplicitie and with many idle signes and shewes he carrieth vs in deede into deadly blindenesse Of this our Sauiour Christ warneth vs and biddes vs beware for there shall come deceiuers which will shew great signes wonders able to seduce if it were possible the verie elect And S. Paule foretelling the cōming of antichrist he sayth that through the working of the
life Christ was made our redemption Sainct Paule expressely saith By the obedience of one a great many are presented righteous And again he saith For this cause he was made subiect vnto the law that he might r●…deeme thē which were holden vnder the law And for this cause he pretermitted not one iot or one title of it that he might bestowe vpon vs the fulnesse of all righteousnes but the scripture attributeth commonly our redemption to his death because it was the chiefest and greatest worke of all the accomplishment perfection of a●… the rest vpon the crosse he was lowest cast downe and vpon the crosse he triumphed ouer sathan and after the crosse he obteyned power ouer death and hell therfore in it as the Apostle saith he was consecrate to eternall glorie And thus farre at this time Now let vs pray c. ¶ The tenth Lecture vpon the 11. 12 and 13. verses 11 For he that sanctifieth and they which are sanctified ●…re all of one wherfore he is not ashamed to call thē brethrē 12 Saying I will declare thy name vnto my brethren in the middes of the Church wil I sing praises to thee 13 And againe I will put my trust in him And againe Beholds here am I and the children which God hath giuen mee THe reasons before vsed to proue the humanitie of our sauiour were these First he dyed for man and therefore it was necessarie hee shuld be man Secondly it was the decree of God to bring man into glorie through many afflictions but so Christe our head was also consecrate to enter into glorie therfore he was naturall man. Now it followeth For he that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are all of o●…e This word For noteth a cause of that whiche was saide before as hee had said this He that leadeth other into the glorie of God by the same way he must enter also him selfe He addeth now the cause and grounde of that saying because they must be of one nature bothe hee that leadeth they that are led into this saluation Now because the Apostle hath spoken so plainly of the nature of our Sauiour Christ that he is perfect man to teach vs that yet not in our owne nature but being regenerate by his grace we are made children Therefore the Apostle chaungeth his former speache and in sted of saying He that leadeth into glorie which is the work spoken of he sayeth He that sanctifieth naming the vertue incident by which the work was done and in sted of They that are ledd which is the benefite imployed he saith They that are sanctified which is the qualitie with whiche they are indued meaning yet one thing before and now there in plaine wordes calling it our entrie into saluation here by a figure naming it our sanctification whiche is the meanes of our inheritaunce of it and by this exhorting vs that we would followe holinesse which is our likenesse with christ And thus much touching these wordes how they hang with the former Nowe to consider them in them selues we haue the third argument for the humanitie of our Sauiour Christe which is this He that shall sanctifie his people must beecome one with them but Christ hath sanctified vs therefore he is of our nature And the force of this argument standeth vpon that ground whereof wee haue spoken that this is the decree of the iust God that the nature of man could not be sanctified but in the person of man. A proofe declaration that it is so is added by the Apostle in the residue of the verse And for this cause he is not ashamed to call vs brethren whervnto is streight added the testimonie of the 22. psalme out of which he proueth it I wil shew forth thy name vnto my brethren in the midds of the congregation I will praise thee a plaine euidēt testimonie where our Sauiour Christ calleth vs brethren for the prophet Dauid who in manie of his afflictions bare the image of our Sauiour Christ wrote that Psalme thoughe in his owne great calamities yet especially in the person of Christ as it is certeine because the Euangelistes and Apostles alledge out of that Psalme many places applying them all to our Sauiour Christ besides that the whole Psalme is a liuely descriptiō of the passion of Christ and the latter ende foretelleth the calling of the Gentiles whiche were only to be gathered to the setting vp of this glorious kingdome of Christ so that that is aptly here applied vnto Christe which there the prophet Dauid spake in the person of christ And here let vs mark this while the Apostle proueth our sauiour Christ to be man he alledgeth the scripture so as distinctly shew the offices of Christ that he is our Prophet our King our Priest that we might know we can not giue him these offices and denie his manhoode nor graunt him his manhoode and denie him these offices so heere this texte as in the name Brother it proueth he is of our nature so these words I wil declare thy name and I will sing of thee they shew that our Sauiour Christ is our prophet to reueale the wil of his father to vs. Now where it is saide here He that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are al of one we haue to cōsider y euen in the manhoode of our Sauiour Christe is vertue and grace in which he doth sanctifie vs for not only as he is God he sanctifieth vs but also in his humane nature he hath this vertue and power to make vs holie not taking his nature suche from the virgin Marie but making it such by pouring into it the fullnesse of his spirit And this our Sauiour Christ himselfe witnesseth for speaking of his sending into the worlde how he was sent of his Father to call his lost people vnto saluation he saith in like sort he also sendeth his Apostles and streight addeth For them I sanctifie my selfe The holinesse which the Apostles had in their calling they had it from Iesus Christe made man and walking in that vocation before them Euen so it is with vs all that is good in vs and all the righteousnesse that can be in vs we haue it neither out of the East nor West but from the bodie of Iesus Christ neither is there in the worlde any other sanctification so that all we that be heere this day and all people else of the world except wee know perfect manhood and our own nature to be reallie vnited vnto the person of the sonne of God who hath sanctified himselfe for vs there is no sanctification for vs vnder heauen Euen as our hands and armes other members are not nourished but only by the meate receiued of the head so our spirituall meate of righteousnesse and life is not giuen vs but from our head Iesus Christ. And as the veins are meanes by which nourishment is conueyed to euerie parte so fayth is the meanes by which we
a house and Christe as the buylder who hath set it vp Moses may haue the praise that he was set in an honourable place but the praise is not his owne but the workmans that set him in if we make a comparison betweene them In this similitude of the Apostle that it might be a sul persuasion to the Iewes they must knowe certeinly bothe that Moses is but a parte of the house and that Christ is the buylder of it The first is a thinge without controuersie that Moses was a parte of the house for how was hee else one of Gods Saints or what comforte could he haue had of all the promises made to Israel if his owne portion had not bene in them by beeing one of Israel The other that Christe hath built this house the Apostle proueth it thus It must needes be that euerie house must be built of some bodie and therfore the house of Israel in which Moses was so faythfull was also built by some man it grewe not alone no more then timber and stones can ioyne together alone to make a house who was it then hath built 〈◊〉 or who made it who but euen hee that made all things and that is God him selfe if then as we haue taught Christ be God the wisdome of his father by whome all thinges were made in heauen and in earth and if he hath taken our nature that in one person God and man hee might be a faithfull ruier in this house of god then he ruleth as the builder as the maker so much more glorious then all other as the builder of the house is more glorious then the house it selfe this is the plaine meaning of the Apostle in these thirde and fourth verses Now if it be here obiected Onely God is the builder therefore Christ beeing man is also a part of the house We graunt it he is a part because he is as one of vs hath part with vs and we with him he our head and we his bodie but as he is a part as he is man so he is the builder as he is God therfore taking mans nature into the person of the Deitie to glorifie it with his owne glorie he in this person God and man is now also the builder of the house and therefore al other must giue him the preeminence of honour If it be againe obiected that Moses was also a builder as S. Paul calleth him self a builder a wise builder it is true that this name is giuen them but only improperly as vnto the instrumentes by whiche God buildeth for otherwise Paule may plant and Apollo may water but there is no growing into the house of God except Christ who is God him selfe giue increase for he is onely the effectual builder He as the prophet Dauid saith euen the most high hath stablished her by him all the bodie being coupled and knit together by euerie ioint for furniture therof receiueth the increase of a perfect bodie and is made a glorious house of God. It followeth now in the fifte verse And Moses was faithfull in all his house as a seruaunt for the testimonie of the things which should be spoken but Christ as the sonne is ruler of his house Here is an other difference in which our sauiour Christ farre exceedeth Moses and that is that Moses was in the house of god as a seruant but Christ as the sonne Nowe howe muche more honour the sonne hath in his Fathers house then he that is a seruant so farre Christe is aboue Moses and aboue all And in this the Apostle needed not vse many wordes for the trueth in all was cleare that Moses was a seruant all confessed God calleth him oft his seruant Moses And that Christ was the sonne no man doubted and the Scripture giueth him plainely the title of the Sonne of God. This was vnto the Iewes a verie plaine and a very strong persuasion for though they had beene alieuated from this Sonne of Dauid whome the Apostle preacheth vnto them neuer so much yet they must needes confesse it Moses was but a seruaunt the Messias must bee the Sonne therefore hee to rule in the house for euer and Moses to giue him place So now this high honour of the Sonne of God beeing giuen to this Christ crucified among them they could not be offended at the wordes but were wisely to consider whether this was he they looked for or no which by tryall and searching of the Scriptures when they shoulde finde true then Christe should haue the glorie of our redemption which thinge the Apostle nowe so carefully goeth about Heere we haue all taught vs a lesson of good humilitie and howe to knowe our selues and what place we haue in the church of god Who is there among vs dare aduaunce him selfe aboue Moses yet Moses was but a seruaunt Whiche of vs is so great as an Apostle Yet Paule sayth We confesse our selues to be seruants of the Church To the ende there should bee no mo maisters but Christe it was necessarie all other should bee seruaunts and to the ende he might bee Lorde alone so GOD ordeined it that all his ministers should bee fellowes so they are all fellowe seruaunts that are appointed of God for the ordering of his house Moses in singlenesse of heart was and was called a seruaunt Paule a seruaunt Peter a seruaunt all seruaunts for the woorke of the ministerie to buylde vpp the bodie of the Sainctes of God this is Gods ordinance from the beginning But of late one is risen vp a beast full of hypocrisie more lowely in name then any Apostle or Prophet and calleth him selfe a seruaunt of seruauntes but as proude in spirite as the whoore of Babylon which maketh her selfe Ladie ouer Kinges and Emperours And this deceiuer hathe thus as wee see prophaned the Lords Sanctuarie and exercised tyrannie in his Churche hee hathe driuen out the seruants which laboured in paine and lowlinesse to gather together by preaching all the people of God and hath set maisters in their steede after his owne likenesse who too too long haue nowe kept the Churche of Christ in bondage and ceasse not to striue to keepe it in bondage still And therefore we ought the more earnestly to praye that God would giue vnto the nource ▪ fathers and nources of his Churche that is to Kinges and Princes wisedome to see it and then we shoulde haue hope that they shoulde also finde grace to amende it But let vs returne to the Apostle When he hath thus shewed that Moses was but a seruaunt he telleth after wherein his seruice was and what was his faithfulnesse in it I●… followeth For a testimonie of the things which should after be spoken For this purpose Moses was a seru●…unt and in the perfourmaunce of this duetie Moses was faithfull he was a seruaunt to beare witnesse vnto the people of all the woordes which God should speake vnto them that is a
seruant faithfully declaring all the lawe of God for these wordes The thinges which should after be spoken●… though they be truely vnderstoode of the Gospell of Christ because in the figures of the lawe it was shadowed and Moses also himselfe did beare witnesse of Christe yet beecause here is comparison made betweene Christ and Moses distinctly speaking of both their callinges therefore I rather take these words of the Apostle here onely to be spoken of the lawe giuen by Moses so Moses was a seruāt to beare witnesse of all the thinges which should be spoken of the Lorde Here is the full office and whole authoritie of a true seruant faithfully to doe his maisters message And Moses the most renouned of all Prophets and greatest among the people of Israel what was he A seruant to declare vnto the people all that the Lorde had spoken Who is he now will presume aboue Moses to speake of his owne head ordinances and lawes which the Lord hath not made who wil establish decrees of his own in the house of God Whosoeuer he be he shal carrie his iudgement he is not a seruaunt as Moses was because he beareth not witnesse only to the wordes that God hath spoken but he exalteth him selfe to be a maister and hath a mouth that speaketh proude things because he presumeth in the house of God to giue lawes orders of his own for if he were a seruant he would do the worke of a seruant and beare witnesse what his maister had saide And here by this place we may wel expound it that the Apostle Paule Iames Peter write thē selues the seruants of Iesu Christ. The word it self is manifest proof they speak nothing but the words of Christ no decree no cōstitutiō no order was of their own they were but seruants but al was of the Lord Iesu Christ who was their onelie maister and as their name giueth this testimonie vnto them so Paule openly affirmeth it in plaine wordes before king Agrippa that euen to that day he neuer witnessed any thing neither to great nor little but only that which Moses before all the prophets had said should cōe to passe Then let not the papists heereafter say when we speak against all their vaine deuises that they are traditions left by the Apostles for as they haue not the Apostles places but in stead of seruauntes are made Lordes so they hold no whit of the Apostles doctrine or if they wil still auouche it that the Apostles haue deliuered all such things as they teach then they must shew where Moses or the prophets haue foretolde it for the Apostles were seruauntes to beare witnesse onely of such things as God had spoken by his seruants before them that is by Moses the prophets without whose warrāt whatsoeuer cōmeth we may boldly say we vtterly refuse it It followeth But Christ as the sonne is ouer his house In this name Sonne hee doeth not onely giue preeminence to rule in the house but a perpetuity to dwel in that house and to reigne as the scripture sayth in the house of Iacob for euer So that beeing the sonne of God who is heire of al things he ruleth in this house as Lord gouernour whose commaundement alone doeth stand And againe beeing the Sonne of God eternallie begotten of his Father hee euer did and shall do to the end rule and haue the souereigntie in this house and who soeuer he bee in this house shal presume against the Sonne as a rebellious seruant he shal be cast out of the house and an other shall haue his roome Therfore euen as before the Apostle made his exhortation that they would consider this Apostle high Priest of their prosession euen so let vs humble our selues vnder this high Lord in the house of God let vs obey his voice and as Solomon sayth be more redie to heare then to offer the sacrifice of fooles and let vs be all faithful in our callinge that before him we may haue a good accompt especially the minister that he will be a faithfull seruant keeping his fellowshipp in the church of God and bearing witnesse of all that the Lord hath spoken And now let vs pray c. ¶ The fourteenth Lecture vpon the residue of the sixte verse 6 But Christe is at the Sonne ouer his owne house whose house we are if we holde fast that confidence and that reioycing of that hope vnto the end AS the Apostle hath generally before exhorted them to hearken vnto Christe the high Prieste and Apostle of our profession shewing the necessitie of our so doing because of the excellencie of Christ aboue all other who were sent of God vnto vs yea aboue Moses himselfe so now more particularly he applieth this vnto them and sheweth that by necessity of their condition and calling they are bound especially to this duetie because they euen they themselues are this house of God whereof he speaketh of which Christ is the builder and in whiche hee ruleth aboue all so that they may be sure it was all one to denie Christe to be their onely Prophete and to denie themselues to be the house of god To this our purpose are these first wordes Whose house we bee Another purpose of this speach is for their better instruction in the trueth of the gospel of Christ that they should not as their fathers did holde their faith toward God with respect of the Temple then commonly called the house of God nor with any religion of all the ceremonies vsed in it for all these things had an ende God was nowe gone out of the sanctuarie dwelt no more betweene the Cherubims but had made him a newe tabernacle to dwell in which was the bodie of man which tabernacle onely we must haue care of to keepe it pure from the concupiscence of the fleshe and to keepe it holie frō the vaine inuentions of our heart then the Lorde should be always with vs as with the people whom he had chosen to make them an habitation for him selfe and a tabernacle of his glorie To this end also the Apostle saith Whose house we are this wee must learne in all like places of scripture where we are called by like name Sainct Paule saith Do you not know that you are the temple of God that the spirit of God dwelleth in you And againe Do you not know that your bodie is the temple of the holie ghost which is in you and which you haue of God And againe You are the temple of the liuing God as God hathe said I wil dwel in them and I will walke in them and they shal be my people I wil be their God. And againe We be no more straungers and forreiners but fellow citizens with the Saints of the familie of God. In these and all such places we be taught that the temple which was once the house of God is nowe taken away and all the
hearts condemned them selues those y were disobedient He destroyed not Caleb and Iosua that were of an other spirit he destroyed not Moses that was faithful in all his house and if our hearts condemne vs not we haue boldenes with God he wil not impute our sinnes vnto vs but hee wil geaunt all our request fulfil all our desires this reioycing let vs haue in our selues and how so euer the world be moued no man shall take our ioy from vs It is not so with them which put their trust in other things whether it be in the Pope or in the Citie of Rome or in the multitude of their fathers or what soeuer in all these is no suretie at all for if God shall destroy Rome and all the buildings of it what will they then say or what if the Papacie bee troaden downe so that none be after found in that seate is not then all their reioycing done and what a miserable faith is it whiche is no stronger then a mortall man whose spirit is in his nostrels or then a walled towne whiche is easily battered is this the rock which Christe commendeth whiche neither storme nor tempest shall euer shake nay this is the blinde confidence whiche the people of Israel had in the temple and in mount Sion whiche vanished as smoke when the people were led into Babylon and left the temple naked behinde them So these men when we shall see such thinges come to passe they shal be ashamed of the Pope their expectation of Rome which was their glorie but we wil dwell in the defence of our God with a true faith committing our selues vnto him and neither Rome nor Babylon nor our forefathers nor our posteritie shall euer turne away his loue from vs this comforte is here taught vs by the apostle in this example of our forefathers whiche kepte their faith in the wildernesse and were not seduced with the multitude Now where he saith With whome was he angrie fourtie yeere we haue here to learne what is the long suffering of the Lord who doeth not streight punishe the sinner but as he endured the māners of the people of Israel fourtie yeeres so he beareth with vs in all our transgressions and so the prophet Dauid setteth out vnto vs this example that God made his ways knowen vnto Moses and his workes vnto the children of Israel that we might see The Lord is ful of compassion and verie stowe to anger and of great kindnes againe in the hundreth and seuenth Psalme reckoning vpp the works which God did for his people in the wildernesse making this an instruction vnto vs of his long patience goodnesse he addeth streight O that men would therfore confesse before the Lord his louing kindnes his wonderful workes before the sonnes of men if thus we consider this example such like we are no idle hearers but profitably exercise ourselues in his iudg ments and as we ought to giue him this praise that he is long suffering patient and of much mercie so let vs knowe what duetie wee ought againe to render vnto God for all his goodnesse for a greate manie of vs we cry with loude voyces The Lord is mercifull but we be dum be deafe and haue no hearts when we should learne what his mercie requireth of vs Be wise then and learne of the blessed Apostle Paule who thus teacheth the Romanes The bountifulnesse of God must prouoke thee to repentance for else thou despisest the bountifulnesse patience and long suffering of the Lorde Marke this well derely beloued be not mocked if we say God is good the Lord is gratious full of patience to the children of men know that our owne hearts do then answer vs render againe praises obedience to him that is so good vnto thee for tell me what wouldst thou think of such a child who because his father is louing kinde would therefore be rebellious riotous what wouldest y think of a seruāt that because his maister is gētle courteous would therefore be carelesse in his worke and not regarde him what subiect thinke we were he that because his prince is good and fauourable woulde therefore be trayterous and conspire against him would we not giue speedie sentēce against such monstrous vnnaturall men and what heartes then haue wee that be here this day if we will confesse this greate goodnes of God our king father and yet walke in our sinnes before him we know it to be true and we cānot deny it if sinne should carrie vs still away all the day long to be defiled in it our consciences would aunswer vs at night euen as Paul saith This hardnesse of ours and harts that cannot repent they heape vp vnto vs wrath against the daye of wrath when this merciful father will shewe himselfe that he is also a righteous and a iust God and if we do not in time beleue it foresee it now while it is yet called to day experience which is the scholemistres of fooles shall make vs cōfesse at y last that god forgetteth it not which he long leaueth vnpunished I remember this was once the fault of Israel why they lied vnto the Lorde and set not their mindes on him because as the Prophet saith God helde his peace and that of long time But why should this faulte be ours who by their example should learne wisedome nay let vs rather leaue them in their wayes and followe the spouse of the bridegrome Christe who in the day of he●… calling though shee sleepe yet her heart waketh and when the head of her beloued is ful of deawe and his lockes with the drops of the night shee despiseth not his long patience but aunswereth in the ioy of her heart I haue put off my coate how shall I put it on I haue washed my feete how shal I file them againc as the Church saith in the Canticles Thus let vs answere the long suffering of our God and how so euer he be angrie with many as with the Israelites in the wildernesse he wil be pleased with vs as with Caleb or Moses and we shall enter into his rest Againe where it is here set out howe God was angrie let vs remember the commaundemente of our sauiour Christ to vs Be perfect as your heauenly father is perfect The prophet Dauid being greatly prouoked against his enimies yet would he not hurte them because saith he thy louing kindenesse was before mine eyes and therefore I walked in thy trueth So wee if Gods image and likenesse shine in our dooinges we are sure wee walke in peace therefore where the scripture biddeth Be angrie but sinne not how can we haue a better rule then to see in the worde howe God is saide to be angrie with his people He is angrie here because they refused wisdome imbraced follie because they forsooke the word of trueth and followed
againe another time for thou knowest not whether he will returne or not Seeke him therfore where he may be found and call vnto him while he is neere at hand The seconde pointe the Apostle stoode vp on was that If we heare his voice we should not harden our hearts teaching vs that onely by faith wee shoulde bee fruitefull hearers And if infidelitie beare rule in our heartes all preaching and teaching is in vaine and the voyce of Christe can bee vnto vs but a sauour of death vnto deathe therefore when wee heare him speake let vs faithfully receiue the Gospell of saluation at his mouth or at the mouth of his minister knowing he is our onely prophet giuen of God vnto vs of this the apostle now concludeth in the first of this chapter Let vs feare therefore least at any time this promise of entring into his rest being forsaken any of you may seeme to be depriued by this conclusion yet once againe exhorting them that they would not neglect their onely prophet calling them so at last be frustrate of their vaine hope Let vs heere lay together these sayings of the Apostle in the beginning of the second chapter when he had proued our sauiour Christe to bee God he saith Wherefore my brethren we must carefully hearken to the things we heare least we fall away as water In the beginning of the thirde chapter when hee proued him to be mā also like vnto vs except sinne he addeth Therfore my brethren partakers of the heauēly calling consider the Apostle and highe Priest of our profession Iesus Christ After againe when hee had proued our sauiour Christ to be our only and faithful Prophet he confirmeth his doctrine by the woorde of the prophet alledging this exhortation out of him To day if you wil heare his voice harden not your harts c. Againe applying these woordes of the Prophet he saith See my brethren that there be not in any of you an euill heart of vnbeliefe Now heere againe as a conclusion Let vs feare lest this promise of entring into his rest beeing forsaken we should seeme to be depriued And as though all this were not inough in the eleuenth verse after he sayth Let vs therfore be diligent to enter into that rest that no man fall into the euil example of disobedience And yet againe in the end of this chapter Seeing wee haue a greate highe Priest that hath pearced the heauens euen Iesus Christ the sonne of God let vs hold fast our profession c. What shall wee thinke of all this what meane these often exhortations surely dearelie beloued nothing else but that wee bee dull of hearing and exceeding harde to learne for tell mee notwithstanding this exhortation so often made are there not ●…rowe you many among vs which yet regarde it not yea and yet if againe and againe hee should crie vnto vs would wee all obey his voice wee would if wee were wise but foolishnesse is so wrapped vp in our heartes that I am affraide all the exhortations not onelie here made by the Apostle but all other that haue bene made vnto vs thirtie fourtie fiftie threescore yeeres haue not yet taught vs all that be heere this day with singlenesse of heart and with synceritie to loue the Lord and is it then any maruell though the Apostle hauing compassion on his brethrens ignoraunce doe this often exhorte them in one thing and if wee be weake subiect to the same infirmities y they were let vs think it is necessarie for vs Only I beseeche you take heede that seeing God hath this mercie vppon vs which he had vppon our fathers that his word is thus vnto vs Precept vpon precept precept vpon precept let not vs be againe as they were that notwithstanding all these often and earnest exhortations so plaine to vnderstand yet that the Lord speake vnto vs as with a stammering and a straunge language that we vnderstand nothing for alas dearely beloued how vnprofitable were that for vs and how much better were it wee had neuer heard at all then so often to refuse the Lordes calling let this therfore be our wise vnderstanding in this case and that whiche so often is tolde vs let vs at the last truelie learne it Now touching these wordes of the Apostle that he saith let vs feare that wee lose not this rest promised vs we must not take it as though the Apostle taught that the elect should feare as though they might fall from their hope or that their election were not sure for you haue heard before howe hee saide We must hold the reioycing of our hope with all assurance and constancie vnto the end but heere wee muste consider to whome the Apostle speaketh that is to such as are farre off from a true fayth which haue shewed no great regarde to the voice of the Lorde Iesu whiche are yet in many tentations of sinne doubtful to be carried away with the deceites of it As if at this day the apostle should preach when we see so many worldly minded men so few hungering and thrusting for heauenlie things in this case and to suche people considering their outwarde woorkes the Apostle sayth let vs feare as in deede there is iust cause of feare for when there is scarce in vs anie zeale of God scarce any loue of righteousnes but all our thoughts doe wander in worldlie vanitie if in this case we should boast of our faith were it not good to byd vs feare to take heede that we be not deceiued and what is this against the assuraunce of the faythful that the Apostle biddeth them which are not yet called in holinesse to feare lest they be deceiued in their vaine hope If it be heere sayd the Apostle includeth also him selfe and therefore this feare is also in the most godlie I deny not but in other places of scripture feare is commended vnto the most godlie but the cause of this is because we be all weake full of infirmitie readie to sinne as we see in Dauid in Ezechias in Peter in all the Sainctes of God and therefore this feare is commended in them which is a good care and regarde of their weakenes that they fall not a care that may driue ou●… securitie not a feare to take away the boldenes of faith So when we are bid to feare it is as when wee are byd to watch to be sober to stand with our loynes gyrded to haue before vs the wayes of God with reuerence and obedience it forbiddeth presumptuous and vaine boasting of saluation when the glorious and fearefull name The Lord thy God is not regarded of thee So when Saint Paule commendeth our faith he addeth Be not yet high minded but feare and Iob sayth If I haue done righteously I will not lift vp my head This feare is a feare of falling into sinne least wee should offend so mercifull a Father it is not a feare of falling from his grace least hee should
God is and what power it hath both to quicken the faithfull and wounde the disobedient vnto death wherevnto so euer the Lorde doeth sende it it shall do his will no time no place no person can possiblie chaunge it no creature can breake the force of it the worke that is appointed for it to do it wil assuredly bring to passe Let soule spirit ioynts marow heart and thoughtes striue still against it it will wound all and pearce through as a sharpe sworde euen as al things are naked and bare before the eyes of the lord who speaketh neither let any man euer thinke whosoeuer he be that heareth or readeth this worde of God but that it worketh in him the will of god Euen all we here present this day when after this sermō ended we shal returne to our calings know it assuredly think on it as you are in your way y the word spokē is entred into you if it haue quickned your faith it is the word of life if it haue kil led your old affectiōs it is the seed of your new birth if it haue don you no good it hath detected your cor ruption accuseth you in your own cōscience for change it you shal not make it fruitlesse you cannot there is no defence against the strokes of it but it pearceth through to the place to which it is sent if it light in faithful places it bringeth the power of God vnto saluation if it fall where infidelitie is or disobedience it maketh the hart as flint or as an Adamant stone This is the effecte of the Apostles meaning in these wordes whiche you haue hearde The prophet Esaie to the same purpose vseth an apt similitude who speaketh thus in the name of the lord Surely as the rayne commeth downe and the snowe from Heauen and returneth not thither but watereth the earth and maketh it to bring forth and budde that it may giue seede to the sower and bread to him that eateth so shall my worde be that goeth out of my mouth it shal not returne vnto me in vaine but it shall accomplish that which I wil it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it This Iohn Baptist taught vs going before Christ to prepare his way when hee cryed to the people Euery vallie shal be filled and euery Mounteine and hill shall bee brought lowe crooked things shal be made streight the rough wayes shal be made smoothe and all flesh shall see the saluation of God meaning hereby that all offences and stumbling blockes should bee taken away no power in the worlde should be so greate which should not giue place to this word whiche is the power of God to saue all that doe beleeue The scriptures are ful of suche testimonies of the nature and strength of Gods worde to teache vs bothe to feare before it and to humble our selues for it wil preuaile and also to try our heartes that it may haue in vs a good and profitable work rather to renue vs in the spirit then to harden vs in the deceits of sinne but let vs now come to the words of the Apostle examine thē in all their proper meaning It is said first The word of God is liuing which propertie may be atttributed to the worde of God in diuerse respects first in respect of vs because it quikneth vs into a spirituall life and without it we are in darknesse in the shadow of death therfore it is a liuing word and the seede of our new birth So Sainct Paul saith to the Corinthians In Christ Iesu I haue begotten you through the gospel And S. Iohn sayth Of his owne wil hath he begotten vs with the word of life expreslie calling it the liuing worde or the worde of life because it quickneth vs as I saide into a spirituall life wherin without all doubting we are taught assuredlie to know that if euer we will become the children of GOD that we shall no more liue our selues but what Christ may liue in vs thus we must be borne and thus we must be made a new in takeing into vs the seede of the worde of God and then as new borne babes desire the sincere milke of it that we may grow thereby in the fulnesse of our agee in Christe If the Papistes did well vnderstande this they should also vnderstand with it that them selues were bastards no children as being borne of mortall seede of fathers of counsels of decrees of Popes not of the immortall seede whiche is the woorde of god Another cause why the word is called liuing is in respect of it selfe because it is eternall and abideth euer according to the nature of the liuing God whose word it is so Sainct Peter expresly calleth it where he saith we be borne of a newe immortall seede by the word of the liuing God and abiding for euer therefore attributing life and immortalitie vnto the worde because it is of the liuing and immortal God of which we ought to learn that there is no wisedome no instruction no discipline by whiche we can apprehend eternall life but only the wisdome and instruction of the worde of God for what an absurd thing is it that the wisdom of man which is vaine as man is vaine which is transitorie earthly is abolished should leade mee into that life which fadeth not but is eternall in heauen yea what an absurd thing I say is it seing we ourselues and all that is in vs before the presence of the Lord must needes be changed so that no man possible cā see him and liue yet to think that our wisdome can leade vs vnto him or our reason can approche vnto the places where his glorie dwelleth Surely dearly beloued this is much more folie then to seeke to gather grapes of thornes or figges of brambles for it is to seeke for light in darkenesse and for life in death for out of a corrupt minde a froward heart we seeke for holie obedience and immortalitie as many as say that without the word of God they can please him the papists do not yet vnderstād this and therefore they wearie them selues with their owne inuentions and multiplie ceremonies in their churches which God will cast out as he hath begon til their madnesse be made manifest to all nations An other cause yet there is why the worde of God is called Liuing and this cause moste agreeable to this place That is because it enteret●… with power into euerie part of vs so that as our life is dispersed into euerie parte and we feele it both in griefe and pleasure euen so the vertue of the woord of God pearceth into euerie member to bruise as the prophet saith the verie bones or to fill them with marrow and fatnesse this sense is plaine and agreeable to al the words following and in this same meaning Solomon calleth it also A liuing worde as his words are plaine The
light of the Lord is the breath of man it sercheth al the bowels of the bellie where also he calleth the word light because it shineth in mās heart as in a darke place and trieth out all the secrets of his thoughtes in this meaning heere the word is called liuelie as I tolde you before the more to stir them vp not to neglect so high a prophet as the sonne of God whose worde came with maiestie and power vnto them The second title heere attributed to the worde is that It is mightie in operation meaning that it hathe in it force and vertue able to subdue all enimes and bringe vs in obedience vnto Christe this vertue of the woorde Sainct Paule notablie setteth out to the Corinthians magnifying his Apostleshippe by this means Our weapons saith he are stronge by the power of God 〈◊〉 cast downe holds wherwith we ouerthrow imaginations euerie high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God bring into captiuitie euery thought to the obedience of Christ haue readie vengeāce against al disobedience howsoeuer a man magnifie him selfe or a man exalt himselfe in whiche arrogancie of spirite he seemeth as it were buried in sinne and his heart hardened against the grace of God yet let him heare this word and let it oft fall into his eares for it is as the prophet saith a hammer which breaketh the stone in peeces and is able in the power of God to mollifie his heart or if the sinner be suncken downe so deepe that he will not rise it will crushe him down deeper that he may perishe in his sinne and so God saith to his Prophet Ieremie I will put my wordes into thy mouth and it shal be as fire this people shal be as wood and it shal deuour them And this is it Saint Paule expressely witnesseth to be the onely meanes to glorifie God to preache the trueth of his word vnto all for so saith he we are alwayes a sweete smelling sauour of Christ vnto God as wel in those that perishe as in those that be saued to the one a sauour of life vnto life to the other of death vnto death I would we that are preachers could learne and beleeue this it would make vs leaue our vain babling much talke of philosophie and prophane things and fill our mouthes onely with the worde of the Lorde for this only is mightie in operation the other hath at all no strength no strength at all in this behalfe to glorifie God or to conuert a sinner but strong to delude the people with idlo sounds strong to tickle our eares with fond delight strong to puffe vs vp with pride of our wittes but more weak then water to teach vs true repentance for proofe I say let the sinner come forth that hath beene conuerted by hearing stories or fables of poets I am sure there is none for faith is onely by the worde of God of let the preacher come forth that vseth such thinges and doeth it not either to please men or to boast of his learning for this he knoweth that the word only not prophane things conuerteth the people and why then doeth he vse them The Lord saith by his prophet Ieremie If they had stand in my counsell and had declared my wordes to my people then they should haue turned them from their euill way from the wickednesse of their owne inuentions a plaine testimonie why our preachings are vnprofitable to the people euen because we speake in our owne fansies and vse exhortations of our owne heade And againe in the prophet Malachie the Lord declareth what couenant he made with Leuie and how he promised to blesse his labours in the teaching of his people The Lawe of truth saith he was in his mouth and there was no iniquitie founde in his lipps he walked with mee in peace and equitie and did turne manie away from their sinnes Can any thinge be spoken playner Hold fast the word of God committe the fruite of thy work to the strength of it and thou shalt finde it as is here said mightie in operation and thou shalt conuert manie sinners Let them tell me nowe all that haue eares to heare what madnesse is it to fil the peoples eares with vnknowen tales and sweete wordes in which is nothing but a deceitfull sound leaue the word of God mightie in working to conuert their soules And you dearely beloued who delight in such vanitie and make the preacher transgresse for your fansies sake let me but reason with you as S. Paule reasoned with the Galathians Tel me whether by such tales or by hearing the word of God haue you receiued the spirite that is wherby were you conuerted from your vanitie vnto the liuing God was it the worde of truethe or else Gentile stories that wrought this vertue in you and are you so foolish that when you haue begun in the spirit you wil now go forwarde in the flesh Let vs leaue then this greate abuse bothe you to turne away your eyes to follie and the preacher to vse the pulpit like a Philosophers chaire We may alledge sometime a storie or prophane sentēce I denie it not but then it is good doing it when the remembring of the saying bringeth necessarilie into memorie the worde of God also for which it was alledged and giueth light vnto it for a more cleare declaration of the truth yet when the story is told and remembred by it selfe there is then but a foolish delight of a vaine man to helpe him in his talke to multiplie idle woordes there is no edifying in it at all The third title of the word now following is this That It is more sharpe then a two edged sword and this similitude is often made in the Scripture The prophet Esaie preaching the promises of God hee saith His mouth is made like a sharp sworde And Sainct Paule giueing armour to a Christian souldiour by which he may kil his enimies he biddeth him Take the sworde of the spirit which is the word of God. So in the firste and nineteenth Chapters of the Apocalypse the sonne of GOD is described with a two edged swoorde proceding out of his mouthe meaning by these speeches no other thing but that by the preaching of y gospel Christ should get the victorie and bring all enemies in subiection vnto him euen as the Prophet Esai saith He shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth and with the breath of his lippes shall he kill the vngodly by which we doe learne that the more wee pray Thy kingdome come and the more we wishe the prosperitie of the Churche the more we must striue to make the word of God knowen vnto all for that is the swoorde and scepter of his kingdome The next title heere attributed to the worde is That it entreth into the diuisiō of the soule the spirit of the ioynts and the marrow
because otherwise the scripture would bee hard vnto them Againe because it was ashame after so longe time to haue profited so little Nowe he exhorteth them by shewing the great hurte which shal be vnto them by their ignorance and rudenesse ▪ and sayth that while they are such they can neuer knowe the pretious and hid treasure of righteousnesse whiche Christ hath giuen onely to those that are wise and haue learned his blessed Gospel For better vnderstanding of this you muste knowe this figuratiue speeche of the Apostle of milke and strong meate by milke he meaneth the generall principles of doctrine as him selfe after declareth as of repentance of faith in Christ of baptisme of the resurrection and suche like set out breifely in generall tearmes and according to the capacitie of Children with whiche they are prepared to the kingdome of heauen and must still growe vp in more vnderstanding till they doe see with all the saincts the higth the deapth the length the bredth of Gods vnsearchable goodnesse in Iesu Christ which the Apostle calleth here the word of righteousnes Now if we wil abyde stil in our first instruction when gray hayres shal be mingled with our black yet then still we will be children in vnderstanding the Apostles wordes shal be iustified in vs we are not meete disciples of the excellent knowledge of the Gospel for he that is still at his milke hath not yet tasted of the worde of righteousnesse which is strong meate And it foloweth in the Apostle For strong meate belongeth to thē that are of perfect age which through long custome haue their wits exercised to discerne good euill In these words the Apostle maketh it more plaine what is milke and what is strong meate and why they are so called that is milke which agreeth to beginners and such as haue little experience that is strong meat which is for olde practitioners such as haue wisdome to iudge betwene truth falshod And thus much briefly of the sense of the woordes out of which what instructions we haue to gather for our owne edifying I will speake more at large God willing the next time Now let vs praye c. The 26. Lecture vpon the 13. 14. verses before mentioned so forth vpon the 1. 2. verse of the sixth Chapter 13 For euerie one that vseth milke is inexpert in the word of righteousnesse for he is a childe 14 But strong meate belongeth to them that are of age which through long custome haue their wits exercised to to discerne both good and euill CHAP. VI. 1 THerefore leauing the doctrine of the beginning of Christ let vs be led forwarde vnto perfection not laying againe the foūdation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God. 2 Of the doctrine of baptisme and laying on of handes of the resurrection from the dead and of eternall iudgment WE haue heard alreadie what reprehension the Apostle hathe hetherto made of the slackenesse of the people in learninge the mysteries of Gods word First because they haue beene so carelesse that they haue made the word hard vnto them that they cannot vnderstand it where I tolde you y who soeuer he be that accuseth the scripture of hardnesse the Apostle concludeth against him that he hath a hard dul hart Secondarily he rebuketh them in respect of the time which hath beene so long that they might nowe haue taught other yet they neede to bee taught them selues yea euen the beginnings And heere I wishe vs to looke well vnto our selues for all men knowe how longe the time hath beene in whiche the Gospell hath beene preached vnto vs and howe little we haue profited God knoweth Thirdly hee blameth them for their slacknesse because by it they spoile themselues of a great treasure for while they be thus rude and ignoraunt the worde of righteousnesse that is perfect knowledge can neuer be taught vnto them neither can they bee partakers of the excellent knoweledge of the gospel of Christe but it is vtterlie impossible euen as it is for children to eate stronge meate Then he sheweth who be strong euen those that haue their wisedome perfect so that they can iudge betweene good and euill To this purpose are these laste wordes of the Apostle Euery one that vseth milke is inexpert of the word of righteousnesse for he is a childe but strong meate is for the perfect whiche through long custome haue their wittes exercised to discerne good and euill Firste wee haue heere to learne this principle of Christianitie he that is rude and ignoraunt can not apprehend the excellent knowledge of the Gospell of Christe that is he that can say no more but this I beleeue in one God wee muste repent vs of sinne we are saued by faith we must worship God in spirite and trueth we are baptised in the name of the father the sonne and the holy ghost we beleeue the resurrection of our bodyes we looke for eternal life and suche like confessions in generall wordes though where this is confessed with a single heart and a minde willing to learne more God may and will for his Christes sake accept it vnto saluation yet we that haue receiued of the Lorde bothe time and abilitie ought more exactly to vnderstand if we wil not bee despisers of the manifolde graces of God as for example the childe is taught that there is but one God aboue al and to worship him alone whome he confesseth in three distinct persons the father the sonne and the holy Ghoste Surely a young Christian man which with this faith shoud humble him selfe before God and crye Our father which art in heauen no doubt God would heare his prayer yet notwithstanding seeing this mysterie is not onely taught in generall termes but is set out also in more particular pointes in knowledge of al we must looke for the fulnesse of our comforte and reioycing that now we haue in god Thou sayest I beleeue in God the father almightie thou sayest well and it is a holy confession if thou haue hearde no more but if thou hast also learned that God is a spirit not of the nature of man not like vnto the idols of the Gentiles not like vnto any creature that thou hast heard or seene but a nature of maiestie glorie incomprehensible and aboue the thoughts of man then thou oughtest heere to exercise thy senses with wise meditations howe greate and glorious the Lord is whome thine eye cannot see thine heart can not conceiue no creature in Heauen or earth can resemble vnto thee so thou shalt learne obedience to say vnto thy senses and vnto thy naturall heart what haue I to doe with you All carnal cogitations and thoughts of man be they neuer so high of Kinges and Emperours of golde and precious stones they are vile filthy to cary into heauen if thine imaginatiōs will resemble them to the God of glory thou doest but fill thy soule with corruption
and rottennesse thy fleshly thoughtes shall breede an vnbeleeuing hart thou shalt be the foole which searcheth the maiestie till he be ouerwhelmed of the glorie for thy God is a spirite and in spirit and faith thou canst only see him Thou shalt nowe hate and detest the Idoll and idoll maker which haue fashioned thy God like vnto an old man with a gray beard which haue made him sit as in a chaire of estate and giuen him Angelles in golde and siluer and flaming fire to sit about him this is shame aboue al shames To say vnto the king thou art a slaue and vnto the nobles of the earth ye are villaines they be words of honour in comparison of this vnspeakable sacrilege to say vnto God thou art like a man Againe when thou saiest thou beleuest in the father the sonne and the holie ghost y sayest wel acknowledging in thine hart three persons one God in a mysterie which thou canst not expresse thy faith is accepted But when y hearest the father to be called the God of all grace the authour of life beeing mouing when thou hearest the sonne called the shining brightnesse and ingrauen fourme of the father of whose fulnesse we receiue al increase of grace when thou hearest the holie ghost called the comforter the spirit of sanctification the pledge of thine election when thou hearest y the father hath eternally begotten his sonne the sonne eternally begottē of the father the holie ghost eternally proceeding from them both in al this shal we learne nothing for more cleare knowlege of our faith shal we not here confesse the person of the father to be the beginning founteine of al goodnes glorie life and immortalitie that we our selues whatsoeuer is vnto vs happie and blessed all is only of his free grace and mercie shal wee not confesse that truely and naturally he is the father and because he hath eternally begotten his sonne that his sonne is one God with him without beginning and shall we not humble our soules faithfully to beleeue this and neuer to search or inquire of how it is for our vaine and corruptible harts how can they see eternal and euerlasting things And because the sonne is the image of his father shall wee not learne that we knowe nothing of God nothing at al of his nature godhead maiestie working will power honour life and continuance for euer nothing I say but what we haue seene heard in Christe his sonne for he is the shining brightnesse of his glorie What haue I to do with men or with the children of men what counsell can mine owne heart minister vnto me I must robbe the sonne of God of his honour or I must confesse I knowe nothing of God but in him only Againe if of his fulnesse we receiue we haue no felowship with god but in him all gace mercie life 〈◊〉 immortalitie to him it beelongeth of him we haue it and for his sake it is giuen vnto vs So likewise when the spirite is sayd to be our comforter to proceede from the father the sonne we confesse he is one in nature godhead with the father and the sonne in personal substance proceeding eternally from them both and because eternally therefore incomprehensibly whiche we beleeue in faith and will not searche by reason only we waite and reioyce in hope till God strengthen our eyes to see his maiestie and then our harts shal be wise to cōprehend this distinctiō of the persons Now this spirit being our comforter we acknowledge that it is the person of the holy Ghost which putteth his grace into our harts to make vs wise faithfull holie and so sealeth vnto vs in full assurance our inheritance that is in Iesu Christ according to the free purpose and good will of God his father Besides all this to confesse the humanitie of our sauiour Christ howe in his owne person he hath borne the punishmente of our sinnes and ouercome the diuell who helde vs in bondage howe he hath sanctified our nature in himselfe and made it meete to stand before the presence of God only by faith freely giuing vs his blessings These and many other things taught vs in the scripture to our exceeding comfort shal we neglecte them learne only the confession of Children I beleeue in God the father God the sonne God the holy Ghoste three persons one God Sure if we wil do thus I see no other but that the little children through gods infinite mercie shal be saued in y litle knowledge that they haue learned and we by his iust iudgments worthy to be condemned for his manifolde wisedome which wee haue despised Then dearly beloued if we wil not alwayes be childrē neuer learned in the word of righteousnesse let vs not only hold the generall principles of our faith but so farre also as particular points are taught and mentioned let vs wisely learne them till we may feele in our selues good increase of Gods spirite to loue him to feare him to walke before him with al our heart in all the wayes which he hath appointed for vs. Now in the wordes following But strong meate is for the perfect whiche through long custome haue their witts exercised to discerne betweene good euil Here appeareth as I said who are childrē who are strong they are children which haue not yet had triall and experience wherby they might bee rooted in faith and confirmed by knowledge against al falshod errour which kind of childhod Saint Paule telleth the Ephesians at the last we ought all to leaue of grow vp in the vnitie of faith and of the knowledge of the sonne of God into a perfect mā to the full measure of our age in Christ that we be not alwayes children wauering carried about with euerie blast of doctrine by the deceipt of men with craftinesse which lie in waite to deceiue And as this is a plaine description of Children so as plainly here the Apostle sheweth who are perfecte men euen those that are able with wise senses to iudge betweene good euill y is who haue their mindes lightned with the word of God so that they are able to trie what is acceptable well pleasing vnto god Nowe dearly beloued if these wordes be plaine enough giue me leaue to beseeche you in this plaine case as Paul beseeched the Corinthians in y like My brethren be not children i●… vnderstanding be childrē in ma lice but in vnderstanding be of perfect age and if you see the plaine and manifest meaning of the scripture what it is be wise and beleeue it and confesse this that we ought to be learned in Gods worde so that we haue good ground of our saith and be able to consute falshod As now in our owne dayes we see the Pope claimeth authoritie that he can despense against the word of God but if our witts be exercised in the knowledge of the
word of truth we do see where the sixe tribes of Israel do curse such presumption In the xxvi of Deuter. vppon Mouut Eball Ruben Gad Asher Zebulon Dan and Nepthtalim they pronounce a decree Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this booke and all the people shal say A men If to confirme and ratifie be not to repeale or giue contrarie dispensation then all the Israel of the Lord must accurse his blasphemie that wildispense against the word of god We see the Pope vseth a triple crowne and challengeth honour aboue Emperours and kings but if we haue learned the commaundement of Christe and are lightened by it to iudge betweene good and euill when Christ saith Kings of the nations reigne ouer them and their rulers are called gratious Lords but it shall not be so among you we muste needes knowe the Popes pride is intollerable which taketh such honour vnto him selfe We see how they cry against vs The Church the church make vs beleeue that they are the church and they cannot erre but if we be exercised in the scripture to discerne betweene trueth and salshod we knowe that Christ hath built his church vppon the rocke which rocke is not Peter and his successours in Rome as the Pope expoundeth it but our Sauiour Christe sayth He that heareth his woorde and obeyeth it he is the wise man that buildeth vpon the rocke and neither stormes nor tempestes nor the gates of Hell shall preuaile against that buyldinge and Sainct Paule saith The foundation or rocke vppon which we be buylte is the doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets And who so euer commeth vnto vs and bringeth vs that doctrine though they say they bee Apostles yet they belyers and though they say they be the church yet they are an assembly of theeues and murtherers Let vs then bee wise at the laste it is not ignoraunce it is perfect knowledge it is not infancie it is ripe vnderstanding that must commend vs vnto God. And mark it wel that you may knowe what God requireth of vs That which is here translated long custome the Apostle calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a knoweledge with long studie and practise learned as lawe in the Iudge or counseller as physick in the learned expert Physician so must diuinitie be in vs. Againe he sayth we must haue our senses exercised it is not enough to know nor to know much but wee muste bring the practise of it in our life neither concealing our knowledge nor withholding our obedience but with minde and bodie testifying our faith til experience teach vs that Gods spirit hath the victorie in vs Lastly he sayth wee must be able to iudge betweene good and euill or as S. Paule termeth it able to trie the difference of things one from other that is that we may know how to discerne between●… Gods wisedome and mans vaine inuentions betweene trueth and falsehoode betweene vertue and vice not as the manner of some is that stil be babes and worse then babes with whom if you wil reason of their religion to persuade them by the worde of trueth they will say I am not booke learned I can not dispute with you let me alone with my faith other men haue bene as well learned as they be now I am sure they beleeued otherwise are not these miserable people and are not they more miserable whiche thus haue seduced them and shall not wee thanke God this day who hath saued vs from suche vnspeakable madnesse both of the cursed teacher and of the wretched disciple yes dearly beloued let vs thanke God and let vs leaue the blinde leaders of the blinde and let vs pray that God would giue vnto vs according to his glorious riches the strength of his spirite in the inner man that by faith Christ may dwel in our heartes and wee may apprehende with all the saints the heigth the breadth the length the depth and knowe the loue of Christ whiche i●… aboue all knowledge and be filled with the fulnesse of God. Nowe it followeth in the sixte Chapter Therefore leuing the doctrine of the beginning of Christ let vs be led forward vnto perfection not laying again the foūdatiō of repentāce from dead works of faith towards God c. In these words the Apostle first maketh the conclu sion of his exhortation therfore let vs leaue the beginnings and go foreward vnto perfection In the wordes following he sheweth by particular pointes what is this beginning beyond which we must go that we may be perfecte and hee numbereth foure points repentance from dead works faith towardes God the resurrection of the bodie eternall iudgment whiche principles were learned and confessed of Christian mens children in the day of their confirmation of Gentiles that came to the faith of Christ in the day of their baptisme in this meaning some thinke he calleth these forenamed points the doctrine of baptismes and laying on of hands meaning thereby that seeing this confession and knowledge is in vs then when first we are receiued into the felowship of the church to be partakers of their mysteries howe ought wee of all duetie to growe vnto greater knowledge and wisedome when now many yeares we haue bene of the Church daily taught all the counsels of God or it may bee that the Apostle here reciteth the manner of catechising vsed them in Churches for instruction of children in which they were taught especially these sixe principles of religion what they are and howe they should learne them that is Repentance Faith Baptisme Laying on of handes the Resurrection and eternall iudgement whiche things being first learned of them and giuen vnto them in bookes such as our Catechismes are the Apostle may seme to speake thus Let vs not alwayes be beginners when we were yet children we learned this since so long time hearing the word preached and religion more perfectly taught vs howe shal we be blamelesse if we learne no more By which wordes the meaning of the apostle is to giue vs no time of rest when we should thinke we were wise enough wee neede learne no more but as long as God continueth our life so long we should continue our studie still to knowe more of his vnsearcheable wisedome and goodnesse Touching the learning of these thinges to bee milke and meate of children I tolde you before by some examples howe we might vnderstand it it is milke to know these things in the simplicitie of the wordes it is strong meate to bee able to distribute them into euerie part and applie it to our selues in our life Repentance whereof he first speaketh hath here a sorrowe and purpose of amendment as these affections can be in children which is to be grieued or wepe for a thing done and to beware afterward for feare of the like but the wise and graue man that hath profited in the schole of Christe his sorrowe sinketh much deeper he
her for how else could it be true that the scripture sayth there shal be an Apostasie of men from the faith Iniquitie shall haue the vpper hand No man shall haue the libertieof his life but he that taketh on him the marke of the beast And I would fayne knowe of them whether the church vnder the law had not also this promise Saith not God by his Prophet Esaie My spirit which is vpon thee my words which I wil put in thy mouth shal not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy sede nor out of the mouth of thy seeds seede after thee frō hence forth for euer more What a glorious promise is this Should now the Scribes and Phariseis rise against Christ as they did and say they could not erre they had the holie ghoste they were the church Nay they were not the seed of Esaie but y seede of murderers that killed Esaie the prophets so these mē they are not the children of God but of the man of sinne which exalteth him selfe against God and vnder pretence of the spirite of God blasphemeth the Gospell which onlie the spirit hath taught vs and that he blasphemeth the gospel I may say it boldly and let them blame me if they can for doth not the Apostle say heere All our care must be to obey the gospell And do not they say that the Pope can dispense against the gospel against the Apostle against the prophet against the olde and new testament against the law of God and nature Only one thing can heere possibly bee said that they doe graunt all this care of the Gospel ought to be had but the gospell say they is not onlie the written word but manie other vnwritten verities taught by Christe and his Apostles and therefore we are bound to holde them I beseeche you dearely beloued marke these mens sayinges a little with me and iudge then with the spirite that God hath giuen you They say the woord written in deed we must keepe because it is of God and so likewise Christe and his Apostles preached things neuer written whiche yet preached by them ought to haue the authoritie of Christ himselfe It cannot be denyed but what Christ and his Apostles preached it was the woord of God equall with all writings of Apostles and Prophets But tell me is it the word of Christe writen that we should not worship Angels and is it the word of Christ vnwritten that we should pray vnto them Is it his word written that we shoulde not be bound to our forefathers traditions and is it his woorde vnwritten that our fathers traditions should be to vs as his Gospel Is it his worde written that we shoulde not obserue dayes and times nor make conscience of meate and drinke and is it his worde vnwritten that we should kepe Lent Aduent Imberdayes make difference of flesh and fishe Is it his worde written that to forbidde marriage which is honourable in all estates it is the doctrine of diuels and is it his worde vnwritten that ministers shal be forbidden to marrie Is it his word writtē that fiue words in a knowne tounge are better in the cōgregatiō then v. thousand in a straunge language and is it his worde vnwritten that in all congregations they shall haue a straunge language and speake all in Latine which the people vnderstand not Is it his word written that the dead are blessed which did in the Lord and they rest from their labour and is it his worde vnwritten that they are tormented in the fire of purgatorie And yet to come neerer is it his woorde written that his ministers shoulde bee subiectes to kings should be no Lords should haue no ciuil gouernement should attende vppon their owne flocke and is it his worde vnwritten that the Pope should displace kings that he should haue a triple crowne y his bishops so many should be secular princes y they should haue more churches vnder thē then euer they once loked on Hath God written it that Christ sacrificed himself once for all made a perfect redemption hath he left it vnwritten that a shauen priest must sacrifice him euery day and say a masse propitiatorie for the quicke and the dead What peruersnesse is this of men of a corrupt minde thus to imagine traditions contrarie to the worde of God But I will tell you Esaie prophesied well of these men saying This people draweth nere vnto me with their mouth and honour me with their lippes but their heart is farre from me but in vaine they woorship me teaching doctrines which are precepts of men They say if we beleeue no traditions of our Fathers why doe we beleeue this is the Scripture And heere euerie one obtrudeth S. Augustines sayinge I would not beleeue the Gospel except the authoritie of the Church moued me If this had beene Augustines meaning we would haue aunswered him again●… that we will beleeue the Gospel though all the churches in the world would denie it But Augustine speaketh in y person of one that yet knoweth not God as of him self when he was a Manicheie To what purpose heere would you alledge Paule or Peter to one that knoweth not whether Paule or Peter were of Christ or not Therfore how so euer Augustine spake in this either well or ill his saying is nothing to our purpose But touching the scripture seing these men do cry so lowde that they can not knowe them but by the church I say againe to them that out of their owne mouthes wee may iudge them for Christ his shepe know his voyce do sollowe him and they do not know the voyce of a straunger but flee from him And touching this question I wil not answere it by S. Augustine but by a better man S. Paule answering the like question saith thus In deede our eye hath not seene nor our eare hearde nor our heart conceiued how to iudge this but the spirite of GOD hath reuealed it vnto vs. Marke dearely beloued the Papistes say they know the Scriptures because their eye doeth see where is the sea of Rome that hath kept them and so their eares haue heard their fathers say These are they But S. Paul saith their eyes are blind their eares are deafe their heart is dull all these cannot iudge the Scriptures Will they say now vnto S. Paule then they wil neuer beleeue them if they cannot know them by the church Let them rather be wise learne of Paule that God hath giuen vs his spirit by whiche we should know the things that are of God and of this I dare assure them they cannot so discerne the light with their eyes nor any sound with their eares as they discerne the scriptures by Gods spirit for if we be regenerate by this spirit the law of god is not now hid nor it is not far from vs y we shuld say Who shal ascend vp or who