all nor any like hee not prefixed yet no doubt it is necessarily to be vnderstood â—he proâ—â—sition is â—iuersall For the propositioÌ„ being indefinit the latter part therof so vndoubtedly vnseparably belonging to the former as it doth it must needs be equiualent to an vniuersal proposition therefore all one in effect with this All they that dy in the Lord are blessed theÌ„ceforth besides the vsual maner of the scripture which is to set down vniuersal propositions indefinitely confirmeth the same as Ioh. 3.6 18. By the Lord is meant Christ And by the Lord we haue here to vnderstaÌ„d our Lord sauior Iesus whose vsual title in the scripture this is as Ro. 1.3 1. Co. 1.2 2. Cor. 1.3 yâ— worthily both for that he is our creator also redeemer What it is to die in the Lord. it is coÌ„fessed of al denied of none But what it is to dy in the lord here in this place al interpreters be not of one mind Some vnderstaÌ„d it generally of al those which die in the state of grace tauour of the Lord through a souÌ„d and right christian faith in him other some take it yâ— onely hereby Martyrs are meant therefore these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with word for word sound in the Lord they translate for the Lord or for the Lords cause Which later interpretatioÌ„ the papists best like of as appeareth in the Rhem. notes vpoÌ„ this place For the place so takeÌ„ say they it maketh not at al against our doctrine of purgatory For we neuer taught yâ— martyrs weÌ„t thither but haue alwaies confessed that such are immediatly after their death blessed Of whoÌ„ with Aug. sermone de verb. Apost 17. Cap. 1. wee say they haue alwaies said that he doth iniury to a martyr that praieth for a mâ—rtyr Wherfore it shal be very necessary to coÌ„sider whether of these interpretations is the rather in this place to bee followed They that folow the later vrge this as the only reason of their so doing that the circumstaunces of the place leades them to take it as spoken only to the comfort of those that through the tyranny of Antichrist shall loose their liues for the profession of the pure doctrine of Christ That it is spoken to the comforte of such yea and especially to the comforte of such I will easilie graunt but onely to the comfort of such and therefore onely of such I cannot in anie case think For no doubt of it the Lord hauing foreshewed vnto Iohn the fall of Antichristes kingdome and the maner how and consequently hauing let him in spirite foresee howe he woulde free and chafe against all those that beeing admonished by the Gospell shoulde fully seperate themselues from him to rest onely in and vpon Christ as he did thereupon foresee that he would raise cruell persecution against theÌ„ that through the feare thereof he mihgt reclaime them so hee without all peraduenture in spirite foresawe that no faire meanes or subtile perswasions would be omitted to heale vp the wound of the beast again withal that the saints of god should finde is as hard a matter to staÌ„d stedfast in Christ vnto their liues end against those assaultes as against the other that is his cruell persecutioÌ„ For daily experieÌ„ce teacheth that this way he preuaileth more a great deale than by the other And therefore if there were cause why these words of my text should be vttered recorded to animate incourage men in the time of persecution to stand stedfast in the truth against Antichrist there was as good cause why they shoulde bee so also to the streÌ„gthning of meÌ„ to liue die in the same truth what faire allurements subtil deuises or cuÌ„ning perswasioÌ„s soeuer were vsed to draw them froÌ„ the same So that as wel he is told here that he is blessed that dieth in his bed a right souÌ„d Christian faith notwithstanding these meanes vsed to him before to seduce him as hee that dieth in the fire for the profession of the same faith And yet though they haue it graÌ„ted them that the words especially concerne Martyrs yet vnderstanding the words generally they serue aswel to the coÌ„fort of them rather better than if they were true only in them For this argument followeth strongly whosoeuer dieth in the Lord that is in a right souÌ„d christian faith he is thenceforth immediatly blessed therfore martyrs who not only dye in the faith but for that faith Further who knoweth not that it is an vsuall thing in the scriptures in all other good learning to proue particulars by generals And therfore what reason is there to the contrary but that here to the comforting of them that dye for the Lord the blessed state generally of al that dye in the Lord should be set foorth wherein they might see themselues of al other vndoubtedly included Hereby then it appeareth that their reason of restraining the words to theÌ„ only that dye for the Lord is taken away therfore also the consequent which they wold infer therupon falleth to the ground Besides this diuerse reasons I haue which inforce me to vnderstand the woordes generally of all that die in the Lord when and wheresoeuer and they are these first it is somewhat harde to translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is in the Lorde for the Lorde Secondly when the circumstance coherence of the text wil wel suffer as in this place that it cary a sense to the generall coÌ„fort of Gods Church then vnnecessarily to restraine it to some sort of members therof only caÌ„not be but a fault For it is as it were a needlesse shrinking vp of the sinnews and pulling in of the armes of the holy scripture And lastly in the interpreting of scripture it is a rule greatly to be commended If the question of the sense arise vpon a phrase of speech as here it doth to consider the vse of the same or like phrase in other places of scripture and to take it in that sense that best agreeth with the vse therof in other places of scripture Now in this case we neither finde that to liue in the Lord or to die in the Lorde are taken in any other place for to liue or die for the Lordes sake but to dye in the Lorde to bee taken in this generall seâ— seâ— to depart this life in a sounde and right Christian faith wee finde elsewhere in the Scripture For 1. Thessal 4. where it is euident that the Apostle speaketh generally of all those that shal haue a ioyfull resurrection hee calleth them first those that sleepe in Iesus vers 14. after those that be dead in Christ verse 16. where it were absurd to restraine these phrases to those only that dy for Christs cause For it were to restrain the comfort of the generall resurrection only to such These and some other such like reasons as it should seeme haue
inforced our Rhemists vpon this place though they plainly shew that they would very gladly haue the words restrained only to Martyrs that so easily they might shifte off the place when it is alleadged against their purgatory to confesse that yet it may be takē as spoken generally of all that departe in the state of grace Wherefore seeing this general sense most fully and strongly answereth the circumstances of the text best agreeth with the letter therof offereth more generall comfort to Gods children accordeth best with the vse of the same and other the like phrases in other places of the Scripture in so much that our very aduersaries against whom most that sensr maketh haue in print confessed that that may be the sense we may safelye conclude that they which are here spoken of are all generally that depart this life in Christ Iesus our Lorde whether they liued or dyed before Christ or since or shall hereafter and children dying within Gods election and couenaunt The necessitie of perseuerance This thus concluded determined it is worthy to bee marked that it is saide which die in the Lord. For therby we learne that vnlesse we perseuere vnto our end in refusing the beasts marke both in forehead hand that is any way to be fauorers of the abhominatiōs and superstitions of Antichrist what meanes soeuer he vse to seduce vs and continue also in a constāt and sincere profession of Christs truth vnto our death that here is no comfort at all offered vnto vs but our portion is set downe before by the voice of the 3. Angell to drinke of the cup of Gods wrath and to be tormented euermore Wherfore let euery one of vs not only take warning by the light of the gospell shining nowe amongest vs to seperate our selues quite from Antichrist and his religiō and to be no fauorers of him or his opinions either secretly or openly but let vs also imbrace the sincere religion of Iesus Christ offered vnto vs by the gospel and perseuere in the zealous profession therof what means soeuer fraudulent or violent he shal vse to shake vs and so doing wee may bee sure we are of the nūber here spokē of els not For it is writē He that perseuereth to the end shal be saued Mat. 10.22 Be faithful vnto the ende I wil giue thee the crown of life Apo. 2.10 on the other side No mā that putteth his hande to the plough looketh hack is meete for the kingdō of God Luk. 9.62 most fearfully is the iudgmēt of God denoūced against al apostataes and reuolters frō a known truth Heb. 6.4.5.6 10.26.27 and in the 2. epistle of Pet. 2.20.21.22 By this therfore that wee haue heard already we see that neither Turkes Iewes Pagans nor Atheistes can be of the number heare spoken of that dye in the Lorde because they doe not acknowledge Iesus Christ so much as to bee a Lord yea and that it is not enough for a time neuer so well to acknowledge him to be Lorde and king and professe faith in him vnlesse wee perseuere in our so doing vnto our death let antichrist do what he can against vs therfore and that so al backsliders from the sincere religion of Iesus Christ are also shut out from this number of thē that dye in the Lord. The necessitie of spiritual vnion with Christ Further yet we are to weigh the force of this phrase in the lord for it is of great importance in that euidently thereby is taught vs that there is a very nigh coniunction and vnion necessarily required to bee betwixt the Lorde and them that euer woulde bee of the number of them that die in the Lorde It is not enough therefore for such to knowe the Lorde what hee is in nature and what hee is in office and to be able and willing to vtter their knowledge vnlesse therewithall they proceede euen to be in the Lord. For the former is but to come nigh him which is nothing except wee get into him The necessitie of this vnion betwixt vs and our Lord and Sauiour Iesus or else wee cannot bee saued ariseth of this that wheras our saluation lyeth in an attonement and vnion betwixt god and vs and there is no other meanes in the wisedome of God found out and appointed to vs men hauing by our sinnes made a diuision betwixt him and vs to recouer this vnion againe with God but by becomming one with Christ Iesus our Lord in whose person for our sakes God-head and māhoode bee vnited so that thereupon it must needs thus stand with vs that vntill wee bee in Christ and so one with him wee remaine still deade in our sinnes and trespasses at enmitye with God and indeede without life before him But when it is once come to passe that wee are in him ingrafted and growing in him then our heauenly father being well pleased in him becommeth to be so also in vs for his sake Whereuppon it must needes bee that our sinnes are forgiuen and that we are at one againe with God and liue in deede in his sight in that Christ liueth in vs and wee in him So that as necessary as the vnion of the soule and body of man be to cause this temporall life so needefull is the vnion of Christ spiritually to euery man to cause him to liue before God For as the body is dead when the soul is sundred from it so whole man though otherwise in respect of this common life he be neuer so liuely is starke dead spiritually whiles Christ and hee be seuered For as we read 1. Ioh. 5.11 that this is a most certain truth that God hath giuen vnto vs eternal life so this is as certaine as it there followeth that this life is in his sonne Wherupon as he saith in the next verse thus the case stādeth that he that hath the sonne hath life and he that hath not the son hath not life For confirmation of this doctrine of the necessitye of our spirituall and mysticall vnion with Christ it serueth that he is called the head and all that shall be saued his Church and body Colos 1.18 Eph. 1.22.23 and that he is compared by himself Ioh. 15.5 to a vine whereinto his heauenly father so ingrafteth al those as branches that shall be saued that they grow in him and that also Ioh. 6.55 where he compareth his flesh to meat indeede and his blood to drinke indeede in the eating and drinking whereof lyeth saluation and in the not eating and drinking whereof lyeth damnation as there hee sayeth expreslye verse 53.54 For by these metaphors it is euident especiallye seeing the grounde of them is the similitude betweene the metaphor and the thing metaphorised euen in this pointe that as the bodye receiueth life from the heade and is dead without it as the branch though it bee neuer so neere the vine stock yet if it abide not in it and growe not in it hath no
Lorde speaketh of For he was no timeseruer or dissembler none that either in forehead or haÌ„d bare the marke of the beast but that hated theÌ„ least ragge relicke and clour of the Romish harlote euery day more and more vnto his death O you Nobles and others of what calling soeuer learne and seeke to bee like to him liuing that ye may bee like to him dying Assure your selues that hee loued Gods sincere trueth vnfeynedlye thet hee made not his religion a stepping stone to clime vp to promotion by nor his drudge to serue his turne to coÌ„passe his worldly fetches and deuices by No no hee was no vaine and prophane politike that fauoured and countenanced religion for his own turne his vnfeyned loue appeared towardes it in that euen the feete yea the very feet of them that were messengers therof vnto him were alwaies beautifull in his eiâ—â— insomuch yâ— he tooke pleasure to reason coÌ„ferre with them most familiarlye curteously taking it as great honour vnto himselfe to patronise theÌ„ in their good cause â—â—â—â—mes and to further to his vtmost their honest sutes Truly when I consider of the one side how faithful acounseller her maiesty hath lost of him of how trusty â—patron the coÌ„monwealâ— is by this his departure froÌ„ vs hereaâ—ed and of 〈◊〉 and teÌ„der a father this our Church is therby also depriued and when I haue done enter into a consideratioÌ„ on the other side of the blessed and happy change that hee hath made which followeth here in my text I cannot tel whether we haue grater cause to mourne in respect of this threefold losse to vs thaÌ„ to reioyce in respect of the blessed happy state hereby befallen to him Sure I am we may now wel conceiue yâ— in this threefolde respect there is great cause why we sâ—â—â—ly mourn but I â—eare we shal euery day more and more perceiue this threefold misse and losse of him and therfore our mourning is rather likely to bee increased than otherwyse Howbeit to moderate it let vs proceed in yeâ—eâ—t that we may see thereby again what cause there is euen of loue towards him to make vs in his respect to be ioyful again In the handling whereof I wil be the briefer because I haue beene the longer in this Wherfore leauing him most certainly enrolled euen by Gods â—wne hande within the number of those that be vndoubtedly deaâ—â— in the Lord let vs see what is here saiâ— concerning the state of such aâ—d therefore consequently of himsâ—â— The secoÌ„d part of the general diuisioÌ„ wherein first is set down the method true sense of that part of the text with proofes thereof as followeth It followeth Blessed are they immediately thence forth Yea saith the spirite they rest froÌ„ their labours and their works accompany theÌ„ Wherin first their state is fer boâ—â—e by yâ— he â—â—â—â—ly voice what it is and when they enter vpon it and then the same is iterated somwhat explaned by the approbartion assem of the holy Ghost in that forthwith they resto froÌ„ their labours and their works accoÌ„pany them Their state is blessed As for them entraÌ„ce coÌ„tinuance in that state 〈◊〉 pressed in this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the etinâ—â—â—logy of the word the vse of the word in the best Greeke authours and the very circumstance of the tâ—â—â— considered cause me to traâ—â—â—â—â—â—â—hâ—s Immediatly thenceforth Which to he the sense that it haâ—h in this place vnderstanding the place of maâ—â—yrs the Rheâ—ists themselues in the notes vpon this place â—ilâ—ingly confesse Yea they vnderstanding the place also generally of al diseased in â—ate of grace confesse it may theÌ„ also though they say it dothâ—â—â— properly so signifie in this place which they 〈◊〉 neuer proue â—efo takeÌ„ here vndersaÌ„ding it only of these that so deceased after Christs asceÌ„sioÌ„ vnles that impedimeÌ„t be in theÌ„selues Wherby it is euident that not the properly of the word but a desire to maintaine first their limbus patrum for those that departed in faith before Christs ascension and their purgatory for some that depart so since maketh theÌ„ vnwilling to yeeld that the natural sense of the word here is as I haue rendred it But who so coÌ„sidereth that the scope of the place is to coÌ„fort the godly and sincere seruants of god against the manifold assaults afflictions procured them in this life by Antichrist eueÌ„ with this that if these notwithstanding they perseuere vnto the end they shal presently so forth for euer be blessed shal therby perceiue that it must needs here haue that sense For to take it any otherwise would minister vnto them a colde comfort as for example say vnto them but in their sense which they would faine vtter for the sense if they durst for shame be of good cheare be constant vnto the end and then perhaps presently thou shalt go to blisse and perhaps to purgatory there to feele paines that exceede all the paines of this life at the least vntil thou hast satisfied vp for thy sinnes partely by thine owne bearing of those paines and partly by such other reliefe as good men shall prouide for thee when thou art gone and then thou shalt go to blisse and the comfort that it ministreth is as cold as lead Answereth this the circuÌ„stance of the text Nay tendeth it not rather to the plain contrary that is to their discomfort Well it seemeth they will not striue with vs for this sense of the word so we would be content to vnderstand it of al that die in grace since Christs ascension only and but of so many of those also as before their death haue fully satisfied for their sinnes but we may not graÌ„t them either of these limitations not the first because they that dyed in faith in Christ to come as well as those that dy since in faith in Christ come found their faith auailable to their saluation For Christ hath bin the selfe same slain lamb for euer in the sight of his heauenly father Reuel 13.8 and is one and the selfe same yesterday to day and for euer Heb. 13.8 And he himself to the plain confutatioÌ„ of this grosse opinion that the faithful that died before his ascension went not to ioy blisse placeth AbrahaÌ„ Lazarus with him in ioy blisse before his death Luk. 16.24 c. and promiseth the thiefe that day when he died that he should be with him in paradise Luk. 23.43 And as for the later the vainnes of the addition hath bin laid opeÌ„ already in that we haue learned that there is no other satisfaction for the sins of the faithfull but that which Christ made in his owne person once for al yet they are so loth that this place should be vnderstoode generally of all that depart in a right faith in Christ when where and howsoeuer that mistrusting belike that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 would not serue their turns in the