whylst the euill dayes come not nor the yeres approche wherein thou shalt say I haue no pleasure in them A little after when the keepers of the house vz the hands of the body shal tremble and the strong men that is the legges shal bowe themselues and the grynders the téeth shal cease bicause they are fewe they waxe darke vz the eyes that looke out by the Wyndowes And the dores lyppes or mouth shal be shut without by the base sounde of the grynding that is when the the chawes shall scarce be able to open and he shal ryse vp at the voyee of the byrde namely he cannot sléepe halfe the night and al the daughters of synging that is the wynde pypes or deafnesse of eares shal be abased Also they shal be afrayde of the high thing euery thresholde shall be hard to stryde ouer and feare shal be in the way the Palsye shal cause the bones to tremble and the Almonde tree that is the gray heade shal floorishe and the Grashopper that is the least weyght shal be a burden and concupiscence shall be driuen away for man goeth to the house of his age euen to his graue and the Mourners goe aboute in the streete whyles the syluer corde is not lengthened meaning the Marow of the back bone of the synewes nor the golden Ewer broken the little skyn that couereth the brayne which is in coulour lyke Golde nor the Pitcher broken at the Well that is the veyns at the lyuer not dissolued nor the wheele broken at the Cesterne that is nor the head with the hart from whence he draweth his powers of life make an ende of their office and duste returne to the earth as it was the spirite note that the soule incontinentely goeth to ioye or tormente to him that gaue it Vanitie of vanities sayth the preacher all is vanitie This moste excellent counsell ye Noble Lords and louing Countrymen whose yong daies are now or already wel neare spent shall you haue in the house and worde of God contynually to your Christian consolation in Christ by repentance and fayth in him not onely to ioye with Symeon but with the whole Church of God to say most assuredly Lord now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace c. Further consider gentle Reader that Symeon speaketh here of naturall death when he sayth he departeth in peace and yet he calleth his death not a destruction but a departure And a departure for thrée causes He departeth from this life and hath no more fellowship with those that lyue on the earth or they with him as men with men to be benifited And also his soule departeth from his bodye for a season and hath no more participation therewith tyll the day of Resurrection but this is also a departure for the soule dyeth not with the bodye but lyueth bicause she is immortall Thirdly he departeth from the vally of misery into the Mountayne of all ioy and felicitie into the Heauens there to raigne with God for euer In assurance whereof he concludeth his lyfe to depart in peace saying Now Lord thou lettest me depart in peace but al this warrant hath he from the spirite of God wherefore he addeth according to thy worde Eccle. 9.5.6 But as concerning the fyrst departure Ecclesiastes sayth The deade departed know nothing at all neyther haue they any more a reward For their remembrance is forgotten Also their loue and their hatred and their enuye is nowe perished they cannot by their loue profite those left behinde them No profite after death from the lyuing in earth or yet by their hatred had they any doe them hurte And they haue no porcion of all that is done vnder the sunne This doctrine considered the forged frame of popishe Purgatory must néeds fall out of our hartes For if of those prayers which daylie in popery be made for the deade the departed haue no portion howe vayne a thing is it to imagine a purgatory from whence our friends Soules are fetched by our sundry déedes for them As by Trentals Diriges Requiem and restles Masses Almes deedes Popes pardons and prayers for all christian soules with Aue Maria Amen Whose pelfe yong babes can scoffe and saye in these dayes Come tye the Mare Tomboy A cake a cake for all christian soules De profundis Salue Regina Godfather But if of these dead workes vnder the sunne done the departed haue not their portion as the spirite of God in this Canonicall Scripture sayth they haue not how wicked an opinion is popery Euen a damnable synke of most blasphemous false doctrine At the hower of death he had his iudgement Luc. 16.26.27.28.29.30.31 Diues is presently condemned to Hell and Lazarus from sentence sent to Abrahams bosome and thence cannot remoue though the cryes of the dead be many or the necessitie of teaching the lyuing neuer so great They haue Moyses and the Prophets Eccle. 11.3 sayth Father Abraham let them heare them And as the Tree falleth East or South and so lyeth Euen so as a man is founde by the spirite of God at the houre of his death so shall he be placed in the daye of his Resurrection when the soule shall be revnited to his body Thence forth in body and soule for till that daye onely the soule hath the iudgements censure to receyue the rewarde of their state in this mortall lyfe And this is most fyrmely proued by the words of our Sauyour in Iohn thus Ioh. 5.28.29 The hower shall come in the which al that are in their graues shal heare his voyce and they shal come forth that haue done good vnto the Resurrection of lyfe but they that haue done euil vnto the resurrection of condemnation Marke well he sayth not they whose friends haue done well for them they beyng dead but he sayth they which themselues haue done good shall go to lyfe Againe he affirmeth the state of the dead to remayne alwaies one and the selfe same that it was at the hower of death For he sayth not vnlesse their friends by their prayers their deuotions their déedes and their other Pelfe hath changed their condition synce death But thus the Lorde of truth which cannot lye Christ Iesus sayth They they which haue done euil and dye without his speciall gifte of repentance they shal go to Hel. And thus shall the matter stand in the day of Iudgement sayth Christ in the Gospell after saint Mathewe Mat. 25.41 Departe from me yee curssed into euerlasting fyre which is prepared for the Deuil and his Angels for I was an hungry you gaue me no meate c. But percase they might aunswere our friends gaue penny dole for vs during the dayes of the worlde But still this answere they shall haue Departe from me ye curssed into Hell you I say you gaue me no breade O poore Papists forget not Math. 25.1.2.3 c. how that the Virgins which had no Oyle
themselues but hoped after Oyle of the wyser Virgins were denyed and had the gates of the Bridegrome shut vp against them Séeke therefore by the Gospell of God to nourishe thy fayth in Christ by whom thou shalt be at peace with God and in a most quyet conscience thou shalt ende a godly lyfe and make a ioyful departure Otherwise albeit thou haue the Popishe Oyle of all the Virgin Priests and saintes in the worlde it cannot helpe thée thy departure shall be the beginning of sorrowe and an absolute departure from God his Aungels Saints and saued creatures and shalt haue thy portion in the Hels for euer Be not deceyued beléeue the truth God graunt thée with vs so to doe and to lyue in truth all the dayes of thy lyfe and in perfite departing from spirituall death which is sinne and iniquitie For after thy departure here hence thou shalt be as frée from the state of the lyuing and the actes and déeds of them for thée as the wicked dead in sinne are frée from righteousnesse estranged from the lyfe of God Secondly we haue sayde that the soule is immortall and therfore cannot dye For the holy Scriptures do euerie where recorde it Thou shalt not leaue my soule in Hell vz in graue sayth Dauid neyther shall thy holye one see corruption Psal 16.8 As this Scripture serueth chiefely to Christ so doth it to all other his members Againe the Preacher sayth deuyding the soule and body a sunder The bodye sayth he shal returne to dust from whence it came but the soule to him that gaue it Eccle. 12. And Christ Iesus sayth in Iohn Verily Ioh. 5.24 verily I say vnto you he that heareth my worde and beleeueth in him that sent me The soule sleepeth not with the bodye hath eternall lyfe and he shall not come into iudgement but hath passed from death to life This place as it most plainely prooueth the immortalitie of the soule saying He hath euerlasting life he hath passed from death to lyfe which cannot be once dreamed to bée spoken of the bodye for that passeth from lyfe to naturall death and to the sléeping graue So doth it refell those Heretiques which eyther denie the immortalitie of the soule or imagine the same to sleepe tyll the day of iudgement with the body And to this ende serue the words of Paule I desyre to be dissolued and to be with Christ But the Storie or Parable of Diues Lazarus Phil. 1.23 most lyuely expresseth the one the other Diues in body is sumptuously buried Luc. 16. but his soule is presently in Hell in torments and beholde he sléepeth not for he féeling his terrible payne is exercised in beholding the ioy of his late despised Lazarus and calleth for succour and maketh peticion for his Brethren which yet remayne a lyue all which approoue the soule immortall and not to sléepe a sencelesse death wyth the bodye So the bodye of Lazarus cast in some Dytche or open Fielde his soule by the ministrie of Angels Math. 8.11 is taken vp into Abrahams bosome where he sléepeth not but enioyeth the pleasant comforte of the Heauens But possible thou wouldst aske me then howe these places can stande with those which affirme the soule to dye and also say that the godly after death doe sléepe As that soule that synneth shall dye We confesse for answere that the soule is not altogether immortall as our God is and not all subiect to death we confesse that there is a death wherewith the wicked soule shall be ouerwhelmed and so is the soule but after a spirituall sorte both mortall and immortall The death of the soule is when his lyfe is not in him Mans soule mortall and immortall the lyfe of the soule is Christ Iesus by whose spirite the godly doe lyue in soule a lyfe to eternall lyfe Of this lyfe speaketh Paule thus I lyue yet not I Gal. 2.20 Colo. 3.3 1. Iohn 5.11.12 but it is Christ that lyueth in mee And to the Colloss Our lyfe is layde vp with God in Christ when Christ which is our lyfe shall appeare we shal appeare with him glorious That soule that hath not Christ hath not lyfe but is already dead though in bodye he lyueth For the wrath of God abydeth vppon him Vnderstande then that this worde Death is mente not of the substance of the soule which cannot dye but of her condition which shall lye in the Lake of fyre and shall burne and lyue for euer which is called the Second death Reuel 20.14 Eph. 3.17 Ephe. 2.1 1. Tym. 5.6 Tess 4.13 By fayth Paule prayeth that Christ may dwell in our harts and affirmeth Christ by fayth to lyue in him Ergo wythout fayth the soule is dead lyuing in dead workes and dead sinnes as the vnprofitable Wydowes are deade in soule though aliue in body To the place of Paule where he sayth He would not haue vs ignorant touching them which sleepe and such other places of scripture We must interprete him to speake of the body and not of the soule for as when the soule is ioyned with the bodye he alwayes waketh when the body taketh rest So disioyned much lesse he is said to sléepe And the body is sayde to sléepe not in respect that the soule lyeth deade or sléeping within him for we haue prooued the soule to be with God but in regarde of his rysing againe when the soule shal returne to his former bodye at the day of iudgement And by the sléepe of Death he awayteth the retyre of his mortall lyfe by the reconiunction of his selfe soule and bodye sanctified in Christ the lyfe of the bodye with whome tyll then the soules of the saints raigne vnder the Aulter in heauen not sléeping but waking and crying vpon God How long Lorde holy and true doest not thou iudge and auenge the blood of them that dwel on the earth These were the soules of them sayth Iohn Reue. 6. which lay vnder the Aulter which is Christ that were kylled for the worde of God and for the testimonie they maintayned Beholde ye cruell Papistes you haue killed the bodies but the soules of our English saints are with their Protector Christ Gen. 4.10 and their blood doth begge you vengeance if ye repent not Abrahams Bosome Thirdly Symeon calleth Death but a departure bicause for a tyme onely the soule taking leaue of the massy fleshe as we haue sayde doth depart to the rest in peace prepared for him in his consolation Christ Namely the Bosome of his Father Abraham which by Salomon is called the hand of God Sapi. 3. Apo. 69. The soules of the righteous sayth he are in the hands of God the torments of Hel doe not touch them And by Iohn the Heauens and the Aulter which is Christ and by Christ Paradise as to the Théefe saying on the Crosse This day shalte thou be with me in Paradise And in
hym to preaching Paule And also of a most zealous Pharisey in blyndnesse made him most feruent in the Gospell of God to all our comfortes which be Gentyls For thys our Lord Christ Aelion most highe hath consecrated Paule aboue Peter to be our especiall Apostle both at Rome and else where in the rounde world Our Sauyour Christ our God Iere. 20. Esa 42. is also called of the Hebrewes El. to say of his great strength For whatsoeuer he wyll doe that can he doe For which cause he is called by the Prophets The God of strength and the mightye Lorde or Gygante Sometyme also Eloah and of the Trinitie in coniunction we may say Elohim which signifyeth God our Christ in his deuyne nature to be alwayes and euery where present in heauen and in earth and in peace and warre in persecution and preaching peace in workes and playes in actes and thoughtes in lyfe and death in all places at one and selfe instante Of whose presence the Psalmist sayth thus Whether shall I go from thy Spirite Psal 139. or where shall I flee from thy face If I ascend into heauen thou art there if I go down to hell thou art there also But if I shall take the wings of the morning and dwell in the farthest part of the Sea euen there shall thy hande gouerne me and thy right hande shall beholde me And Paule aptly pronounceth our Lordes presence to the Athenians Act. 17.28 testifying him not to be farre from them but they in him rather saying For in him we lyue moue haue our being And it séemeth probable for this cause the Grecians to haue called God Theos and the Latines to haue formed thence thys worde Deus As one learned affyrmeth Theos to come of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of redynesse and running to and fro so is God called by such a name as best can expresse his presence who is neuer absent from mortall men in earth but to euery man in all places gyueth all things that they possesse Of which his liberalitie some suppose him to be called Deus a dando for that he gyueth to all men that they haue God our Lorde and Christ is also called Schaddai .i. sufficient in himselfe and the sufficientcy to all creatures that whosoeuer hath him to their Lorde hath all sufficientcy to body and soule to this and the lyfe eternall And in oure tongue we call Christ in his deuyne nature God that is the most principall and best good Lastly he is called the God of Abraham the God of Isaack the God of Iacob insinuating vnto vs from whence the holynesse of these Fathers with their fayth came And also that as we are the posteritie of the Noble Abraham by fayth in Christ So is he to vs our best good and most excellent God so that with Paule we may conclude our selues in him most vertuous Rom. 8.31.32 sufficient and blessed saying If God be on our syde who can be against vs. It is God that iustifyeth who shall condemne Againe if he hath giuen vs Christ how shal he not giue vs all things with him And by him we shall bée more then Conquerors Loe this god is thy Iesus whose power is prest and ready to thy best good if thou faythfully put thy trust in him He is also called the Lordes Christ which word Christ Luc. 4.18 Esa 61.1 importeth his honorable Function by the excellent Oyntment aboue his fellowes euen the holy ghost by which he is annoynted of his father to be the king and Priest of his Church for euer according to this saying Heb. 7.17 Thou art a priest for euer after the order of Melchesidech So then he is called Iesus of the worde Iesehak and so called as the Angell testifyeth bicause he saueth his people from theyr synne Mat. 1.21 The worde Christ is a greeke word which aunswereth the Hebrewe vocable Messhiah annoynted In olde tyme with the people these persons Prophets Priests and Princes were annoynted with Oyle Wherefore our Iesus is called Anoynted signifying the plentifull graces of Gods spirite giuen to those called of god to these Functions and also into what perillous daungers and harde battles they were to enter which truely exercised that seuerall calling By which Oyling they were as with a Symbole put in mynd what couragious Champions they ought to be in their offices This was the cause why the noble Champions before the pryse playde were annoynted But in as much as the Lord Christ had a greater enimy then all other Champions and therewyth a most deadly fyght towards whose body and soule was to stande in the battle of death vppon the crosse against his fathers iustice for the synnes of the whole worlde Satans malice and mans corruption Hell and Death it was most necessary that he shoulde before thys cruel combate haue a more precious Oyntment then had his shadowing fellowes preaching Prophets sacrifycing priests and ruling Princes Wherefore he was annoynted with the holy ghost The spirit of God is vpon me sayth Christ because he hath annoynted me that I should preache the Gospell to the poore c. Esa 61. Luc. 4.18 This sentence expresseth Christs priesthood kingdome and preaching office He is sente sayth he to preache His kingdome he is annoynted to delyuer the oppressed His priesthood he is giuen to heale the broken and wounded hartes wyth synne and iniquitie by the sacrifice of his death vpon the crosse During hys lyfe he preached the gospel Rom. 1.16 which is Gods power in Christ to saluation to euery one that beleeueth In his sacrifice of hymselfe vpon the crosse he performed both the other By his death he healed our infirmities Esa 53. Col. 1.20 for the chastisment of our peace was layde vpon him In hys death he obtayned the victory hauing fully aunswered the Fathers iustice against synne death and hell and spoyled principalities and powers and hath made a shew of them openly Col. 2.15 and hath tryumphed ouer them in the same crosse He hath forgyuen vs our synnes put out the hande wryting that was agaynst vs he hath taken it out of the waye and fastened it to his crosse hath translated vs from the power of darknes into the kingdome whereof he is king of kings and Lorde of Lordes vz the body of hys Church of which he is the onely heade Whose kingdome is thréefold of power of grace and of glory Of power for all Nations shall bow the knee to this Lorde of Lordes and king of kings Christ the annoynted king and priest And who so wyl not kysse the sonne Christ Iesus shal perish whether Prince Psal 2. 1. Rom. 14 17. Potentate Preacher Magistrate people or pestilente Pope Of grace which he sayth by Luke is within vs and consisteth as Paule sayth in righteousnesse Christ the high Byshop of our soules in peace and ioy in the holy Ghost His kingdome of glory as well in that he
Mathewe he descrybeth Abrahams seate to be in the kingdome of heauen Luc. 23.43 Mat 8.11 Ioh. 14.23 And in Iohn our seates with him in the heauens as in our Mansion house But neuer in the scriptures is the place of our deade godly fathers called eyther Lymbus or Purgatory but contrary they affirme there is no payne to them And Purgatory hath the same paynes the Papists which fayne that place say that Hell hath onely this is the difference that they which be in Purgatory shall come thence by the merits of the Church and purging in fyre in Hell there is no redemption Wherefore the godly fathers were not in Purgatory paynes but in the handes of God which is a Paradise of most pleasure And whereas by the Apostle Peter they go about to proue their Fathers Lymbo as whence the soule of Iesus Christ brought them that place doth neyther affirme the naturall Soule of Christ to go to Hell after his death on the crosse or else that he did bring thence the soules of the fathers For his spirite discending left all those there which he found not in a fayned Lymbo but in the paynefull Helles For thus sayth the Apostle He suffred in the fleshe but was quickned in the spirite 1. Pet. 3.18.19.20 by the which he also wente and preached vnto the spirites that are in prison which were in tymes paste disobedient in the dayes of Noah c. The Apostle sayth not that Christ in his naturall Soule went downe into Hell but he sayth that by that spirite which raysed him to life he preached to them that are in prison Nowe againe he sayth not he fetched out the soules of the fathers which were before hys comming in this prison but he sayth his spirite preached vnto them that still are in prison So farre from delyuerie are they that they as obstinate Rebelles remayne in their former tormentes Nowe then the reason standeth thus By what spirite Christ was raysed from the deade by that same spirite he wente or came to the spirites that are in prison but Christe was raysed not by his owne soule but by the deuine spirite of God euen by the operation of the father Therefore by his deuine power Eph. 1.17.18 not in his humaine soule he came vnto the spirites that are in prison Again note it is one to say he delyuered the Gaole and an other to saye he made an exhortation to the prisoners This their alledged place were it the soule of Christ yet prooueth not a delyuerye but a preaching to them that now was that Sauiour borne dead and crucified for the redemption of the worlde which by his spirite in the mouth of Noah for one hundred and twenty yeares space preached to the disobedient in his dayes had they beléeued That it was not the soule of Christ which quickned Christ from death but the Deuine power these places approue 2. Cor. 13.4 Rom. 8.11 Althoughe he was crucifyed by infyrmitie yet he was raysed and lyueth by the power of God Againe But if the spirite of him that raysed vp Iesus to lyfe dwell in you he that raysed Iesus from the deade wil also quicken your mortal bodies bicause his spirite dwelleth in you And againe Act. 4.10 Be it knowne to you al and to the whole people of Israel that by the name of Iesus of Nazareth whom ye slue and hanged on high whome God raysed vp from death by this man standeth this person sound before you To the Romaynes also we are commaunded to beleue in him Rom. 4.14 which raysed Iesus Christ from death And in the vj. chapter thus As Christ is raysed vp by the glory of the father where note that not by the soule of Christ but by God the father Christ was raysed vp so let vs walke in a newe lyfe And to the Ephesians Ephe. 1.17 Alwayes in my prayers I praye for you that the God of our Lorde Iesus Christ the father of glorye might giue vnto you the spirite of wisedome c. And a little after that ye may know what the hope is of his calling and what the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saintes is and what is the exceeding greatnes of his power towardes them that beleeue according to the working of his mightye power which he wrought in Christ when he raysed hym from the deade set him on his right hande on heauenlye places These places sufficiently expounde our Apostle or rather assist his affirmation which sayth that he suffred in the Fleshe but was raysed in the spirite that is by the Godhead of the father by which spirite in his deuyne nature long before he had our humayne nature vpon him he by his Prophetes taught the inobedient then as by vs his Apostles sayth Peter he preacheth to you in that spirite at this present Yea and also to the verye damned in the Hels no doubt at the death of Christ by the deuyne power of his holye spirite was the glory of his crosse opened to their greater condemnation which contemned their saluation in him as the godlye fathers and their sacred bodyes in great comforte by his power were raysed sundry from their brethren to testifye the glory of this our crucifyed Christ raysed vp by his father and set vp wyth him in glory Adde to this this place of Peter is so farre from warrante to that Popishe opinion that the soule of Christ fetched forth the soules of the godly fathers Adam c. That of the flatte contrary he sayth they to whome thys spirite came were disobedient And that thou shouldest not dreame of Christs soule after his death herein he setteth thée the time when this office was fulfylled saying In the daies of Noah whyle the Arke was a preparing Last of all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the godly learned Beza doth interprete qui sunt which are not which were in pryson according to the efficacie of the gréeke worde And the Apostles purpose is not to tell vs that they were in prison what tyme Christe by his spirite in the dayes of Noah preached vnto them for then they were men in naturall lyfe as Noah was but he will giue the Iewes to vnderstande that all were drowned except eyght persons bicause they were disobedient vnto his worde All whose soules that then were damned nowe at the wryting of this Epistle and at this present and euer shall be thoughe their bodyes be rotten and dust are in prison So now most iustly they receyue damnation which refused their saluation in Christ preaching vnto them in spirite in the mouth of Noah not hauing as yet our nature vpon him We conclude therefore that Abrahams Bosome is a place of celestiall comforte a Paradise of pleasure vnspeakable the hande of God deuoyde of Hellish or any torments the Aulter of ioy the kingdome of God Iohn 14.2 Ephe. 1.18.19 Christes fathers house where he sayth are many Mansions euen the inheritance of the iust
Loe to thys place went the holy father Symeon departing wherof perswaded he departed in moste assured peace in conscience and with God who in his Christ with him being satisfied by his holye spirite setled the harte of Symeon in moste quyet rest That the soules departed walke not after death in earth againe But yet or I passe from thys worde departe for that I wryting this a most slaunderous reporte is raysed of an honest and vertuous Minister departed this lyfe that hys soule nowe walketh at this daye in his Parsonage house it shall not be vnprofitable Christian Reader that I saye something to the beating downe to death this error It is an olde sinister opinion of men that the soules of the dead depart not so from vs but that after buryall they walke in the earth and appeare vnto men exhorting them to this or to that as Gregory of Rome reporteth in his Dialogues Yea the Apostles might séeme to be combred wyth this error saying when they saw Christ vpon the water it is a Spirite Act. 12.15 And when Peter knocked at Iohn Markes mothers dore they saide to Rhoda the mayde it is his Angel This had they of the vulgare opinion receyued from Pithagoras teaching the soules of men to returne into the bodies of others eyther for correction or reward And thus deluded Herod hearing of Christ supposed Iohn Baptist to be rysen againe Mat. 14.1 Mar. 6.14 Luc. 9.7 whom he had beheaded And the better sort of the people dreamed Christ to be Helias Iohn Baptist Ieremy or some of the Prophetes all which we sée were most vntrue But as touching the departure of the soule once seperated from the bodye that it returneth not or can possibly into the world the storie of Lazarus doth affyrme Diues desyreth that Lazarus might come to help his tongue Luc. 16. but it is denied that they which be in ioy can come to the Helles He then desyreth that the soule of Lazarus may go to his brethren that are in the earth and may teach them to beware but he receyueth this aunswere They which be here cannot come hence and they which be there cannot come thence And they haue Moyses and the Prophets let them heare them and if they wil not heare them neyther wil they beleue though one should which is vnpossible before iudgement come from death againe Esa 8.19.20 Deut. 18. The Prophets doe forbid vs to aske counsell of the dead God lykewise in the lawe here Abraham doth sende vs to the Prophets and to Moses bookes for our instruction denying most constantly that any soules of the dead shall walke againe to teach or terrifie vs All they which departe thys lyfe be eyther godly or wicked If they be godly then are they by imputation iust and the soules of the iuste Sapi. 3. are in the hands of God And godly Lazarus cannot be permitted no not to do much good to come from Abrahams bosome But if they be wicked they lye in the Hels like sheepe and thence cannot Diues or his fellowes come though heauen and earth should runne together But thou wilt say what shall we saye to this there is much iumblyng in suche a house and there is séene lyuely such a man walke before vs Chrisost hom 29. whome we cannot but say to be our friend departed to all our sences iudgemente To thys I aunswere wyth Chrysostome vpon S. Mathew What shal we say to those voyces sayth he which saye I am the soule of such a man The Deuil not the soule of the deade it is that after buryall walketh to deceiue men Say it is not the soule of the deade man but it is the Deuill which doth fayne these things to deceyue the hearers thereby These are sayth he olde wyues Fables and fryuolous tales The soules of the righteous are in the hands of God and soules of Infants c. But the soules of synners are straight waye after their departure called to their place as playnely appeareth sayth thys father by Lazarus the righteous and the wicked rich man Loe this is no newe doctrine by vs deuysed but an olde truth by the Fathers concluded through the warrante of Gods worde that the soules of men departed be placed presently at the hower of death out of which place they cannot come againe to men in earth Whether Samuell apeared to Saule or no. before the day of iudgement But the Papistes séeme to presse vs with the apparition of Samuel to king Saule at the cuniuration of the Pythonisse To whome we soundly aunswere that Samuel appeared not to Saule but Satan abusing the king tolde him that he was Samuel But here againe they saye sée howe these men denye the playne Text of scripture Doth not the holye booke of GOD twise saye 1. Sam. 28. Eccle. 46. Samuel appeared vnto Saule we acknowledge the scripture to call the Spirite that apeared by the name of Samuel And albeit against the second place as not Canonicall we maye lawfully excepte August quest 3. yet we answere with Augustine ad Simplicianum the Bishop of Millaine It was not sayth he the spirite of Samuel raysed from his rest but it was some fantasie or imagination of the Deuill which the scripture notwythstanding calleth Samuel as Images be called after the names of such persons as they do represent Who doubteth sayth this father to name the Images of the Phylosophers pictured vpon the wall saying this is Cicero that is Salust and this is Achilles and this manne is Hector this is the flood of Simois and that is Rome when these be nothing other but bare pictures vpon a paynted wall No maruell therfore though the wryter of the sacred Storyes sayth he call this Image of Samuel by the name he represented or that the Deuill could transfigure himselfe to the shape of a holye man which hath power also to tourne hymselfe into an Aungell of lyght But Turtullian sayth Absit vt animam cuiuslibet sancti c. God forbid that wée should beléeue the Deuill to haue power to call vp anye soule of the saints of God much lesse of his holy Prophets for we are taught that Satan doth transforme hymselfe into an Angel of light with what ease then into the shape of a manne of lighte so he calleth Samuell bicause he is a member of Christ the true light of the worlde yea he doth sayth he affirme himselfe to be God and worketh great and prodigious things if it were possibly therby to seduce the elect people of God That learned father Peter Martyr sayth that Samuell apeared not to Saule but it was an imagined shape which by the delusion of Satan was brought vnto Saule and as we call it a Ghost and he gyueth probable reasons to approoue his assertion Diuers reasons proouing Samuell not to appeare to Saule First syth the case so stood with Saule that God would neyther answere him being often
for enstructions they are sent to the law and propheticall bookes of Gods holy scriptures To determine this disputation the Prophets saints and seruants of God refuse to take deuine worship giuen vnto them Apoc. 19.10 Act. 10.16 14.4 But this Spectrum dyd take it and reprooueth not the same an absolute conclusion that it was the spirite of Satan and not the Prophete of the Lorde Samuell who rightly sayde that Saule in soule should be with him on the morrow which is the place of all abiect Murtherers which from true religion fall to his opposite Hebr. 6.4 Idolatry as sayth the Apostle It is impossible that they which were once lightened and haue tasted of the heauenly gifte and were made partakers of the holye ghost and haue tasted of the good worde of God and of the powers of the worlde to come if they fall awaye should bee renewed by repentance seeing they crucifie agayne to themselues the sonne of God and make a mock of him And an other place Hebr. 10.26 If we synne wyllingly after that we haue receyued the knowledge of the truth there remayneth no more sacrifice for syns but a fearefull looking for of iudgement and violent fyre which shall deuoure the aduersaryes Apo. 14.3 To returne to our holy Symeon he sayth he shall now depart in peace for why as saint Iohn sayth Blessed are the deade which dye in the Lorde or for the Lordes cause euen so sayth the spirite for they rest from their labors and their workes that is Gods mercifull reward follow them In this sentence all feare of death to Symeon and trembling at the Popish Purgatory Three perfite consolations agaynst the pretensed Purgatory is taken awaye from the children of God and that by thrée most assured affirmations First he sayth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which importeth by and by presently no delay or interception but euen from the very instant of death and the last gaspe as Christ also hath promised the godly though in themselues synners shall passe from death to lyfe Secondly to assure vs hereof he sayth the Spirite of God sayth so which cannot lye or be deceyued Thirdly he sayth we thenceforth rest from our labors Now the labors of the godly are afflictions of mynde and body sorrows paynes torments and terror of conscience and such lyke But from all these at the hower of death the sonnes of God in Christ ending their lyfe doe take their quiet rest Therefore Purgatory which is sayde to consist most of these labors cannot touch those or anye of them which are else purged in the onely Purgatory to a christian soule or body Heb. 9.14 1. Ioh. 1.7 1. Pet. 1.19 Reuel 1.5 Namely the bloud of Iesus Christ once shed vpon the crosse by the which he hath in his owne person purged our soules from all sinnes and not in a popish Purgatory of an imagined fyre which is no other but the Hels whose nature is euer to burne and to tormente but neuer to purge those that be thether condemned Thys Christ was Symeons purgation and consolation peace and glory in whom to whom all that beléeue in him aright shall to him with Symeon at the hower of death departe in most comfortable and quyet resting peace Some reade this place thus The godly feare not but rather desyre at Gods will to ende thys lyfe Lorde now let thy seruante departe in peace c. As if hereby he had made peticion to the Lorde to ende these dayes of sinne in his bodye and to take his lyfe from him which reading is not wythout profitable doctrine For it teacheth vs that after Christ the Lorde is once faythfully embraced of vs in harte that be godly Ephe. 1.18 there remayneth no ioy to that earnest meditation of the heauenly lyfe which enflameth loue to hunger the day of dissolution and with Paule to saye I couet to bee dissolued and to be with Christ And for our enstruction there be in this reading thrée things to vs not improfitable First that the elect of God feare not death as doe the wicked whose consciences accuse them giuen to condemnation but they at the Lords leasure desyre it bicause they know 2. Cor. 5.1 if that they were delyuered from this earthly tabernacle they should be possessed of the heauenly with Christ And here let no man obiect vnto me the feare which was in Christ against death from which he prayed thrée tymes in the Garden to be delyuered For we denye it not Mat. 26.37 Mar. 14.35 c. Luc. 22.42 c. Hebr. 2.18 but to mans nature death is yrkesome and our Christ herein doth verily teach vs that he is of our nature a naturall man with vs tasting our infyrmities that he might haue the more compassion of vs his members And the which most is the Lorde Iesus had not to fyght against naturall death onely but he was to sustayne and fully beare in his body the syns of the whole worlde and for them he was to féele in his soule and body the whole wrath of God the father for the chasticement of our peace Esa 53. was by his father fullye layde vpon him Wherefore if that thou being one of the causes of this terror hauing earnest consideration of thy horrible sinnes and doest lyft vp thine eyes to God lookeing vpon him without Christ as thine angry iudge which who can abyde cannot but be eaten vp of all sorrowe into despayre Psa 130.3 How greatly our sauiour Christ then was caused which had the burden of the whole worlde of synne layde vpon him to praye for delyuerance to his fathers wyll thou mayest by thy selfe gyue sentence Yet was he not afrayde to dye as the wicked are which haue no hope but assured of his resurrection he sayth in ioye of harte and peace of conscience Math. 26.39.42 Iohn 17.2 Father thy will be done And againe he desyreth death Venit hora glorifica filium Father the hower is come glorifye thy sonne that is to say by death that thy sonne may glorifie thée in his resurrection Take not this for an obiect to thy duety in desyre to be cut from the dayes of synne or desyre to be with Christ which is a signe of infidelitie Christ hauing by his suffering slayne synne hell and death to and for thée but remember and learne hereby how horrible a thing it is to fal into the hands of the lyuing God by synne which synne wrought in Christ such terror and that bicause he tooke the paynes due to all sinne vpon his person on the Crosse therby to become our raunsome and mediator as being a very naturall man as he is truely God sweat in the agony of hys soule Luke 22.44 before his body was apprehended bloudy drops O synne most horrible And be assured that if by infydelitie popery and carnall trace thou crucifye a freshe the Lorde of lyfe this horror shall not profite thée but thus treading
miseries of sinne but so as with griefe and anguishe of heart they carry that lumpe of death Yet they in pacient mortification by his holy spirite wayte his tyme set for their delyuerie and earnestly desyre the same Note also the right ende of this peticion which by the wicked and desperate is abused A due respect in the desyre of naturall death The godlesse cumbred with piercing sting of conscience ashamed of their state and looking for his heauye iudgement doe also desyre and cry for death So doe the poore ignorante persons which in pryson in Gallyes or Iayles and pyning in payne The poore oppressed the néedie which cannot haue to satisfie the hungry crye of their children and selues the sick pacient which long hath lyen of an incurable disease These and such lyke desyre death but it is not to the right ende for which it should be desyred They only haue respect to the present paine or shame and to fynish that they do not onely desyre but the wicked desperate persons in despite of God his holy lawe and instinct of Nature doe with the pernicious knyfe of perpetuall paine bereaue for a tyme the sorrowes of thys synfull corps But such desperate death is the purchase of Hel with Iudas Achitophel king Saule and such others Now the true and lyuely ende of this peticion in the elect of God is That least they should by to much acquaintance wyth finne and death become resty in the bed of hir delight and so be slayne Sap. 4.11.12 sléeping with Holophernes in dronken pleasures of the fleshe the same daylie more and more assaulting them they doe pray for death as for the last remedye and perfite victory against sinne and Sathan Yet so as I saye still they doe by fayth in hope suppresse the dolorous griefe of sinne in lyfe with the continual meditation of the inwarde ioyes receyued by grace in Christ and therein solace themselues as with the earnest penny of their Fathers possession which they are assured of when the Lord in mercy shall call them to himselfe by death Till when they punishe this bodie of sinne least it shoulde proue to lustie 1. Tim. 5.23 but they nurrish nature weakned that she may the sooner and the better yéelde the office which their seuerall callings doe require And this is the heauenly ende of our desyre to die that so we may receiue to our selues that life which now is treasured vp for vs with GOD in Christ which is our onely lyfe Col. 3.1.2 And thirdly the loue and longing desyre which in the saintes is apparant for the whole and perfite ioye of the Church the Apostle S. Iohn manifesteth in these wordes O Lorde come quickly Apo. 22.17 which there is approoued by the Lorde who to the comforte of his Church sealeth vp thys prayer with Amen Saying So be it Beholde I come quickly Amen Lorde perfite vs in thée and shortly ende these dayes of sinne for thy holye names sake Lorde Iesu and giue vs that truely call vpon thée thy eternall glorye Amen Last of all when Symeon sayth Lord now let thy seruaunt departe in peace he doth teach vs to abhorre all troublesome and murtherous kinde of death And doth cōuince all those guyltie of this precept Thou shalt not kill which in any maner haue slaine themselues for any cause Symeon abhorreth al troublesome and murdering deaths And doth forewarne the Church of God to flye such damnable enterprises which are no other but the perswasions of Satan and the acte herein is the obsequie of his deadly will Though Symeon desyre to dye and that death is to him comfortable in that he hath séene in bodye and soule the Sauyour of the worlde come now in fleshe to saue his Church by the ransome of his bloud which fayth only maketh death desyred in hart yet will he not shorten his life by sodaine crueltie to be a Felondese But he will dye as hath ordayned the wyll of God And therefore he addeth according to thy worde What shall we then say to them which else haue their great commendation in that to auoyde some the dayes of tyranny some other the sight of Gods church persecuted or to auoyde the purpose of synful persons or the infamy of synne or therby thinking to glorifye God haue from the consistory of the harte giuen commission and commaundement to the violent hande to cut in sunder soule and bodye by murthering stroake of merciles arme Truely I say that neyther Cato Razias Lucretia Curtius or his lyke are sure warrants to thée or yet the Donatists which to bring the Christian Byshops into contempt would offer to kill themselues rather then to prouoke the Emperours sworde against them which they spake to winne more ease when the godly Bishops craued his ayde against their pernitious pollution and yet would they be accounted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cato in kylling himself thought to be ridde of Caesars tyranny by which meanes he offred himselfe to Sathans bondage yea he conuinceth himselfe of folly when he exhorteth hys sonne to obey and séeke the peace of Caesar from whome he ran by murthering death If it were good and a wise parte for his sonne to obteyne the Princes fauour why not for the father also His impacience which could not suffer himself to liue a bearing subiect was a thousande partes worse then the Tyrants crueltie But thou which fearest God hast another rule if the Prince be neuer so cruel thou art commaunded to pray for him that thou mayest liue a quyet godly honest lyfe 1. Tim. 2.12 which thing sayth Paule in that place is good and acceptable What to kyll himselfe from Nero his tyranny being a persecuted christian No but that God will vnder his Regiment giue thée at length a quyet lyfe For the same cause Ieremy sendeth by Baruck Baruk 1.11.12 exhortations to the afflicted Iewes in captiuitie vnder Nabuchadnezar that they should pray for his lyfe Persecuting Princes muste bee prayed for How much more ought wee to call vpon God for such as professe hys Gospell that they might also lyue quyetly vnder him And the Apostles doe arme vs to pacience and vnto forbearing of tyranny with long suffering as well by their owne example as doctrine But in no waies haue they eyther slayne themselues to be ridde of prisons Irons cruell murther or tyranny but haue sought by all meanes rather to maintayne their lyfe to doe more good therein to the Church of God then to hasten their ende by violent stroke For thys cause did Paule exhorte Timothie to pacience willing him to suffer aduersity to do the worke of an Euangelist 2. Tim. 4.5 and to make his ministery knowne He telleth him that he is now ready to be offred to dye for Christ but he feareth it not or will preuente Nero his cruelty by his owne hande but will lyue till the daye of his dissolution which the Lorde hath set
he a little after he is euerye where but as he is man he is onely in heauen yet for the coniunction of the two natures in Christ sundry tymes in Scripture that is spoken of the one which is proper to the other As in example No man ascendeth into heauen Ioh. 3.1.9 but the same which came from heauen euen the sonne of man which is in heauen And yet was not Christ ascended but in earth not glorifyed but subiect to death But bicause of the coniunction with the deuyne nature that is communicated to the humayne nature in spéeche which in déede and truth was onely performed in his Deitie Agayne Act. 20.2 ye are bought with the bloud of God Who knoweth not that this actiō was performed in the humane nature of Christ But bicause he is very God and the nature of his humanitie so connexed that it is inseperable therfore this Conionian and participation of the two natures is often vsed And for thys cause we say God is borne deade and crucifyed for vs when the humane nature onely was so But perhaps it maye astonie thée when I say that the two natures in Christ be inseperable and yet the Godhead is in many places Where his humanity is not nay his deuine nature in all places and his humane nature onely in heauen But consyder in thy self a perfite mirror and ymage hereof Thy soule and body are of two natures the one a spirite the other a compact forme of fleshe the one mortal the other cannot dye Yet during lyfe they are inseperably knit both natures in one in such sorte as eyther nature notwithstanding do kéepe their sundry condition The bodye sléepeth but the soule is alwayes waking the body eateth and drinketh naturall meates the soule onely féedeth of the worde of God the body is sicke and dyeth the soule is for the most parte best healthy when the body is nearest death and most lyuely when she is discharged of the bodye of synne by death Agayne the soule resting with the body is also the selfe instant by her powers at the vtmoste partes of the worlde and aboue the clowds whether shée hath daylie accesse by fayth and inuocation yet for al this the body is but in one place So is it in Christ He is risen he is not here Mar. 16.6 sayth the Angell to the women which came to annoynte Christ in his graue This was spoken of hys humanitie now glorifyed But according to his deuyne nature himselfe hath sayde Wheresoeuer two or three be gathered together in my name Math. 18.20 there am I in the middest of them Thus thou séest who and what is the Lords saluation Namely Iesus Christ the Lorde perfite God the onely begotten sonne of God eternall equall and of selfe substance with his father God and man borne of the Virgin Mary ascended vp in glory reseruing thée eche propertie of eyther nature not confounding the persons nor deuyding the substance Now resteth it to sée also somewhat more of the valor of thy Sauyour in his deuyne nature his valor to thée which best thou shalt perceiue by those noble names according their effects which the sacred scriptures attribute vnto Christ The valour of Christ in hymself and to vs. our one and onely God with the Father and the holy ghost First he is called Tetragramaton or Iehouah which signifyeth that Christ our god with his father is of his owne essence and being hath power and lyfe in himselfe not néeding the helpe of any other but is that sufficiencie which plentifully satisfyeth all others of his fulnes To be shorte the eternall god without begynning and ending In whom we lyue moue and haue our being Act. 17.28 Apo. 1.11 He is Alpha and Omega the fyrst and the last which contayneth all in all in himselfe He is also called Adonay of the Hebrews which of a certaine conceyte would not pronounce hym Tetragramaton or Iehouah rarely but in place thereof set thys name Adonay that is ineffable which all the Interpretors expounde by Dominus Lord. And rightly is Christ with his Father called Lorde For he hath giuen the Regiment of heauen and earth vnto him Mat. 28.18 Col. 1.16 And besydes hym there is none to whome all things visyble and inuysible ought to yéelde their obedience And to this name is added Sabaoth which some interprete the Lord of powers some the Lorde of Hostes the god of battle He it is which ouerthroweth with his myght all power that sturteth vp agaynst god and wyth his armye doth he pull downe the pryde of mightie kings and huge Nations Thys is that Michael who with his army of Angels beate downe Satan from the heauenly habitation of God in his church militant Thys is that Emperour and Monarche Apo. 12.7.9 to whome all kings shall stoupe This is that most tryumphant conqueror who with most symple and small creatures hath can and wyll ouerthrow myghtie Gyants huge armies puyssant Princes and mightie Monarches of the worlde In his campe are infinite Angels Thousande thousands ministred to him sayth Daniell and ten thousand thousands stood before him Dan. 7.10 Beholde of what Maiestie thys christ our Lorde of Hostes is of what force and power when as one Angell of these infinite thousands could and did in one night destroy and kyll in the hoste of Sennacherib which cruelly beséeched the Lordes cytie Ierusalem one hundred forescore and fiue thousand of fyghting Souldiours With water darknesse Frogs Flyes and Grashoppers he wasted and destroyed the pride of the most fertyll lande Egypt With the noyce of Chariots he droue to flyght the kings of Ashur And who is able to withstande his myght For in his army all the Planets and Starres the wyndes fyrie lyghtes Ice Frost Snow rayne Fyre and water Al Deuils in Hell the ayre and Fyrmament all men and kings and all their powers and at one worde all creatures in heauen earth and Hell visyble and inuisible All these are his to vse at hys good pleasure where he wyll when he luste and during his set purpose executing hys vengeance vpon his enimies but the defence of hys Churche Sometyme also he is called Aelion 1. excelsus high As Dauid sayth Psal 113. The Lorde is high aboue all Nations and hys glory aboue the heauens Againe who is lyke the Lord our God that hath hys dwelling so highe and yet abaseth hymselfe to behold the things that are in heauen and earth Euen vnto thys high throne is our Lorde Christ ascended aboue all heauens and set at the right hand of his father on high to beholde the things that are done in earth From this height he sawe Damasco her myserie and Saules pryde and from thence stroake this cruell Tyran to the earth in the mydst of his force and seruantes whose brightnesse stroke Saule with blyndnes but in great mercy wrought his conuersion of persecuting Saule changed him and that bycause he had chosen
in his syghte but by his Fayth Rom. 3.28 as by the hande wherwith he apprehended his righteousnesse in Christ Or maye any person obiect in right as opposite hereto The words of Iames declared By the papists abused the saying of Iames the Apostle was not Abraham iustified by workes For Iames doth not in that place dispute the meanes of mans iustification before God but requyreth that good works be to Christian fayth adioyned as by which grace holye men on earth doe approoue that which God in the Heauens before through the vndoubted fayth in hys Sonne Iesus Christ hath imputed to his beloued children which may easely appeare in the Apostles owne wordes Shewe mee thy fayth out of thy works sayth he and I will shewe thee my fayth by my workes Iam. 2.18 As if he had sayde Thou which boastest to haue fayth shewe me that am but man and therefore knowe not thy state before the Tribunall seate of GOD or his graces in the inwarde man by which meanes I cannot iudge of thée Shewe me I saye thy fayth by hys works in thée and I will beléeue thée then to be a faythfull Christian Gene. 22.16 This sence Moses also testifieth the Angel or rather the Lorde by his Angel to approoue which stayde the hande of Abraham from the sacrifycing of his sonne Touch not thy sonne with violent hands for nowe I knowe that thou fearest God bicause thou hast not spared thine only sonne for my commaundement sake To conclude the Epistle written to the Hebrewes doth attribute this great worke of Abraham to the excellency of his fayth saying By fayth Abraham offred vp his sonne Isaac Heb. 11.17 It resteth therefore sythe Symeon is not able to fulfill the lawe but fayleth in many poyntes thereof and therefore guyltie of all Sithe also that those good workes which he doth be polluted in Gods syght as procéeding from hym selfe by which meanes he is become in himselfe vniuste before God that nowe his righteousnesse consysteth herein that his synnes be not layde to his charge according to the saying of the Psalmist Psal 31.1 Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiuen and whose synnes be not imputed to them Thus was Symeon vniust in himselfe but iust in his consolation Christ Iesus and that bicause he fyrmely beleeued in him by whose merittes and death on the Crosse the Fathers iustice is answered Symeons synnes raunsomed mercye to hym procured his daylie synnes not layde to his charge bycause by imputation he is accounted for iust And in the same maner are all the elect of God alyke blessed with him And so lykewise all the workes of Gods saintes are impure in his sight if tryed by the phan of hys spirite before his Tribunall seate But such is his fatherly benigne mercye that in and for his sonne Christ he accepteth vs and then our holy actions for iuste as he accepted Habel and his sacryfice but he regarded not Caine Gene. 4. and therfore not his sacryfice also he casteth our iniquities quight out of his remembrance Ezec. 18. Secondly Symeon is called pius godly religious Iere. 31.22 or fearing God This is proper to the chylde of God if iustifyed by his grace then to lyue in his feare that is in his obedience Tit. 2.12 Luk. 1. We are also redéemed to this ende That we should denye vngodlynesse and walke in puritie of lyfe in holynesse and righteousnesse before our iuste God all the dayes of our lyfe So sayth the holye Ghoste in the mouth of Zachary the good maryed Priest So did the same holye man of God and his good wyfe by vertuous lyfe expresse the graces of Gods holye spirite in them as testifyeth Saint Luke saying Both were iuste before God and walked in all the commaundementes of the Lorde without reproofe Luc. 1.6 Here hast thou good Reader the true discription of a godly man namely he that being iustifyed by Fayth in Christ walketh though he cannot performe in perfection in all the commaundements and ordinances of the Lord. Deare Reader we glorye that we be called christians but onely this is a true christian lyfe of which here thou haste heard Our wants in this profession in these oure dayes bewray from top to the toe in the Courte and thence thorowe the Countrie from the Nobilitie to the Plowman and his mate The greater personages boast and bragge of great tytles Lordships Baranies Offices and liberties of bewty byrthe brauerie manhood chyualry and force of cunning skyll learned tongue But vnlesse my Lords ye relye vpon Symeons lore vnlesse ye be worthyly endowed with his style vnlesse ye be iuste before God walke in all the commaundementes of God not only to do holyly but to be holy your selues in déede Vndoubtedly your honor and all your other pompe in pryde shall you change for horror wéeping howling and gnashing of teeth and so shall all fleshe that lyueth not in the feare of God Math. 25.30 What benefite was it to Diues nowe boyling in Hell that he was endewed with all worldlye Epicurious pleasures Luck 16. as gorgious houses costly array after the fashion diuersitie of dyshes and the worlde at wyll Or what aduantage to the other Ritchman Luck 12. that pulled downe his Barnes to make them greater sayde to hymselfe Now soule be merrie for thou hast goodes and landes in store for many yeres But how did he possesse this large and newe buylded frame Thou foole sayth the spirite This nighte shall they take thy soule from thee and who shall then possesse thy goods Shall not the wicked ritche men lykewise haue their heauen in this lyfe Shall they not after the hower of death with Diues lye in the Helles lyke shéepe and say Sapi. 3. There was no greene pasture which we wente not through whereby they note in naturall lyfe their courtly pleasures We left no token of vertue behinde vs in thys they signifie their wicked lyfe buryed in contynuall securitie We thought these men fooles vz Symeon and such other the sonnes of God Whereby they vtter their ignorance of godly men and their owne fréedome from godlynesse These are they which wee persecuted scorned and cruelly intreated but nowe see how they are taken with the iuste By which the holye ghost sealeth vp the naturall disposition of all Atheists to their gréeuous and irrecuperable condemnation Wherefore beloued Reader Noble and ignoble Courtier and Countryman séeke the Lorde earely and whyle he is to be founde attayne to his seruice who by his grace will endue thée with iustification Esa 55. and holynesse with obedience to his holy law and delight to dwell therin Ephe. 1.14 bicause his holye spirite is his Arrha and earnest penny giuen thée for thy assurance of his loue and fauour towards thée So shall your Nobilities more encrease your state most surely stande your selues with Symeon shall be famous to your posteritie a good example
for the age to come Amen Thirdly he is sayde to wayght for the consolation of Israel The Euangelists purpose is Symeons ioye to shewe vs wherein the ioy of this olde father consisted Namely that whether he did eate or drinke or whatsoeuer he else did therin he neyther tooke more then was méete and sufficient or made his bâ—lly his pleasant God or any worldly thing else but that his ioye was fixed in his féeling fayth fastened in the Messias our annoynted Christ which he knewe by the studie of the Scriptures to be at hande by whome he sawe his synnes to bée forgiuen and hys whole Countrye and brethren with him to haue their full and only consolation And here agayne is noted Symeons iustification in that he beléeued in Iesus Christ promised in the worde of God to haue the forgiuenesse of hys synnes and in hym eternall lyfe His fyrme fastened fayth is here noted vnder thys worde He wayted which expresseth as well his constancie as his fortitude against those perillous tymes wherein he was The common welth of Israell so ruyned and the Church of God in Iewry so corrupted that it mighte seeme all her hope of recouerie from their woes or consolation in their hartes to be vtterly extinguished We may not forget here howe the Euangelist significantly noteth the corruption and degenerate condition of the Citie Ierusalem which sometymes being the holyest place vnder Heauen is nowe become so estranged from her God so plunged in securitie and synne Shadow of Englands securitie so hardened in hart against the truth and so ignorante of her estate that neyther shée féeleth her present miserie or wayteth for her consolation Christ the Messiah Onely this one man in a whole Citie is here named to féele the one and with long expectation and pacient abode for the Lords leasure hopeth after the other and that bicause he had the warrante of God by his holy worde for the same and was fylled with the spirite whereby he was in mercye preserued from that déepe and iuste iudgement of blyndnesse wherein the wicked Pharysies and the whole people and Princes of Iewrie a few with Symeon excepted were ouerwhelmed which is vehemently noted by the Euangelist in this worde Ecce beholde O beloued England thou mayest lawfully mourne fostering a great number of such people which be as wandring as carelesse as bolde in their synne and hardned in heart as euer were the inhabitants of Ierusalem They talke of Christ and they are myraculously preserued by this our Messiah but as in their déeds they doe denie him So they counte him to them eyther vnprofitable or think him not their consolation For truely they desire not hys presence they hate his Gospel Iere. 3.19 that bicause their deeds are euill Neyther desire they his comming But as the théefe imprisoned wysheth the Iudgement seate ouerturned the lawe with his Princes and power deade and the day of his execution neuer to come Euen so doe these Caterpillers of the earth whose consciences doe accuse them guyltie and fearing his iudgement they desyre rather that he were not at al then that he should come to giue them the rewarde of synne Eternall death the assured stypende to al wicked actions and thoughts Rom. 6.23 to Princes fyrst and to whomsoeuer men and women which in like wickednesse ioyne with these Princes and prophane Pharysies of Ierusalem Surely lyke desolation shall ouerthrowe them if they séeke not Christ in tyme by repentance and with Symeon wayte for their consolation in him Note with me gentle Reader in the commendation of this good man that the spirite of God ioyneth righteousnesse and Religion in one yoke together saying No godlynesse of lyfe no ryghte Religion Symeon was iust and religious Hereby he teacheth vs that these two are so lincked and connexed by the Fynger of God that they cannot be seperate in twayne but of lyke necessitie with the Sunne which hath his Globe his light and his heate so conioyned that wheresoeuer the one shyneth the other cannot but warme and as the soule body are so compact in one that the bodye cannot but performe the pleasures of the same Euen so in whomsoeuer true Righteousnesse in Christ is in him also there cannot but be the true feare of God and holynes of lyfe which is the singuler seruing of our God in the inwarde desyre of our hartes vnfaynedly and here called Religion or true godlynesse Psal 116. Act. 4.20 I beleeued and therfore I spake sayth Dauid We cannot but testifie the things which we haue heard and seene sayth the Apostle I determined to holde my tongue sayth Ieremy the preaching Prophet the peoples obstinacy was such and my daungers so great but the worde was as fyre within my hart as a burning fyre shut vp within my bones and I was weary with forbearing I could not stay Again I will be their GOD sayth the Lorde by his Prophet and they shall be my people Iere. 20.9 Ier. 31.33 They shall not but serue the Lorde to whome he is God Againe I will poure cleane water into you and you shall bee cleane yea from all your filthynes and from all your Idols will I clense you A newe harte will I giue you and a newe spirite will I put into you and I will take away the stony harte out of your bodye and will giue you an harte of fleshe And I will put my spirite within you and cause you to walke in my statutes and you shall keepe my iudgements and doe them To conclude it is the Lorde Christ which hath created his seruaunts after the Image of God in righteousnesse and true holynesse which is the perfect newe man in whom both these graces be ioyned Ephes 4.24 as Paule sayth to the Ephesians So that true righteousnesse wyll effectually shewe faythfull holynes in one and selfe same Christian But as for such as onely haue Christ in their lyppes and denye him in their déedes whose whole course of lyfe is set vpon sensuall appetite to worldly lustes and yet can crye Lorde Lorde Thou knowest deare Reader what the Lord hath denouÌ„ced against them Luc. 13.26 We haue eaten and dronke at thy Table saye these men yea wee haue preached and taught in thy name and therein cast out Deuils But they haue this sentence Depart from me ye workers of iniquity I know you not That is I approoue not your acts for godly or you for mine therfore departe from me into the Lake of burning fyre that neuer shall be quenched These be those Atheists of our dayes which because the gracious Prince godly lawes laye hande to the Plowe of the Gospels profession the which the Lord in mercy continue and increase therfore to winne fauour in the Courte to maintayne their carnall countenance they wil be Temporarij for the time Gospellers they will heare the Preacher they will curteouslye salute hym they will giue him séemely entertaynment
godly Ioash to be daylie thankfull to God for her deliuery and to continue the godly counsell of Iehoidah I meane her Maiesties honorable Counsell learned Bishops and godly preachers and to stop her gracious eares against the wylie charmes of such as séeking to bring some sorte of these states to contempt would doe their best to drawe vs to their former Idolatrye the dore of our vtter desolation Finally the wicked wayteth but to wallow in all synne and Epicureous lyfe saying Let vs eate and drinke 1. Cor. 15.32 to morrowe we shall dye take our pleasures whylst we lyue for after this we knowe not what shall become of vs. But Symeons brethren are farre and sure set another waye they wayte and looke for the Heauenly knowledge of the Lorde wherein is eternall lyfe for Christ their consolation to dwell in their hartes by fayth Iohn 17.3 for his holye spirite to kéepe their bodyes Soules and Spirits blamelesse vnto the day of consolation when Christ with his Angels shall come to receyue them to glorie They vse the worlde as they whose mindes are else where set in the heauens from whence they wayte for their Sauiour Titu 2.13 They lyue in hope and wayte by al meanes to ouercome the worlde the fleshe and the Deuill they abyde paciently the euill degenerating dayes of our lyfe Hebr. 12. and méekely beare the crosse of Consolation heauy to the flesh hoping that the euent shal be to their God glorious to his Church commodious and to themselues in hym prosperous 1. Pet. 2.12 They finally wayte to liue so as the enimy which backbyteth them may by their example be trayned to reioyce in the daye of their visitation And last of all when God the Father with whome their lyfe is treasured vp in Christ will by his beloued sonne appeare for our full redemption Collos 3. that all we that longly wayte in Spirite and Truth for his comming to cutte of these dayes of synne and ende this wretched worlde maye lifte vp our heades with assured comforte Luc. 21.18 bicause we shall then be with thys our Symeon and the whole elect of God for euer after glorious brought to our Fathers kingdome the inheritance of our onely consolation Christ Iesus and lykewise oure inheritance in him Furthermore we are precisely to stande in this No health but in christ that besyds Iesus Christ there is no consolation and without syncere fayth in him nothing but desolation and eternall woes The way to rest in this our Redemption by Christ is with Symeon to fixe our fayth absolutely in him for our Saluation without which we shall neyther feele comfort in him or rightly serue him And before I passe this point as the meaner sort haue had in Symeon a playne patterne of holynesse So I thought to giue the Ritcher and more Noble personages A Noble patterne to the Nobles of England an example of Nobilitie to followe in this case And the same is noble Ioseph of Aramathaea the Disciple of Iesu and the same was ritche Luke sayth of him thus And beholde there was a man named Ioseph he was a Councellour a good man and a iust c. Luc. 23.50 Hee did not consent to the counsell and deede of them which was of Aramathaea a Citie of the Iewes who himselfe also wayted for the kingdome of God Mathew thus And when euen was come Math. 27.57 there came a ritch man of Aramathaea named Ioseph who had also himselfe bene Iesus Disciple Iohn sayth He was Iesus Disciple Ioh. 19.38 but priuilye for feare of the Iewes for he doubted that if he should confesse Christ they would cast him not onely out of Counsell but out of the Synagoge Marke the Euangelist sayth thus Mar. 15.24 Ioseph of Aramathea an honorable Counsellour which also looked for the kingdome of God came and went in boldly vnto Pilate and asked the body of Iesus This noble Counsellour by all the Euangelists is thus discribed First his dwelling place is to vs noted which was a famous Citie of the Iewes for Ioseph was of Aramathaea supposed to be the same which was also before called Ramath layde oute for the Citie of the Leuites by Samuel the Prophet sytuate about the Mounte Ephraim néere to Lydda which after was called Diospolis Secondly his condition and lyfe by condition Noble for he was an honorable Counsellour eyther of the Sanhedrin or called to Pilats Counsell Concerning godly cyuilitie he was honest a good man and a iuste Touching his Religion he was a disciple of Iesu and wayted with Symeon for the kingdome of God that is for his redemption in Christ his Lord and Mayster Concerning his faythfull seruice to his Mayster Christ our Lorde he withstoode the Counsell boldly as did also Nicodemus and when he coulde not preuayle he openly refused to gyue his consent to them in the death of Christ for the Euangelist speaketh of a thing that was knowne to all men His infirmitie was somewhat great in déede that hee durst not confesse Christ for feare of the Iewes But his modestie was more that being of such place and power he resisted not the Magistrate by sworde for the cause of Christ being a subiect to that tyrannous power or with haultie wordes or conuitious spéeche gaue counterchecke to their curssed blasphemies but manifestly refused to allowe of that murthering Sentence To giue you this man wholy in his vertues As he refused to kyll Christ by cruell sentence So Christ being slayne he sheweth himselfe more faythfull and bold in the cause of Christ then eyther the Virgin Mary or any other of the Apostles For as saint Marke sayth He went with great boldnesse to that dissembling Tyran Pilate in the heate of the Iewes rage and honorably obtayneth the body of Iesu to be buryed and the same layeth in his owne graue honorably prepared for himselfe This was to his state very dangerous For in that he maketh sute to honor him with buriall whome the Presidente Princes and people of the Iewes had condemned to death and subscribed therevnto what might they accompt of Ioseph other then that this his peticion gaue flat condemnation to their present action What was he and where dwelte he That did or durst begge with boldnesse the bones of the beloued Bucer which the Papists in their rage and great solemnitie burnte at Cambridge By this measure howe bolde and aduenturous attempte this was in this Noble Counsellour his honor ryches place and calling considered Besides this Ioseph myght haue founde some better and more easie waye to haue obteyned his purpose to haue done that honor to the slayne bodye of Christ whome he durst not confesse during his lyfe As he might haue obserued the Iewes where their crueltie ended they woulde haue caste the deade bodye of our Sauiour Iesus Christe and by night haue priuely conuayed the same to hys Sepulture or to haue procured fauour of the Centurion for
vnder foote his death most auayleable and glorious Thou shalt dye a death immortall and ignominious But the heartes of the regenerate sonnes of God feare not death bycause they are assured by his spirite to lyue with Christ This is the cause why so manye Martyrs wyllingly giue their bodyes to the fyre and other deaths terrible to the fleshe Phil. 1.29 bicause his spirite which maketh them on this wise to confesse his holye name goeth with them through the midst of the flames and corroborateth their hartes moste constantly to wade through the valley of this shadowe of death by fayth in him Secondly the children of God Hebr. 12. for the moste parte are so farre from fearing naturall death that they desyre and couet the same as the last remedy against the enimy Satan 1. Cor. 15.26 Rom. 7. Ephe. 1.14 Luk. 21.28 Rom. 8.23 as the day of delyuerie from the body of synne lastly as the dore of entrance into their eternall redemption by Christ The wicked we graunt to hunger for death many tymes but it is not to shut vp the shop of synne but by that meane to ende the daies of their deserued shame And hereof come so manye murtherers Iudas children which ashamed to liue being charged with a most guyltie conscience doe hang drowne or cut their owne throates which is the force of Satan in them as thereby beginning their endlesse sorrowes but in the godly there is this mature moderation for as they most hartilye with Paule desyre to be dissolued So they submit themselues moste humbly to his worde of decrée Phi. 1.21.22.23 c. in their appointed course regarding the place they haue and the office they beare wherein their lyfe God will vse longer then their desyre to the profite of those to whome he hath giuen them for his honorable instruments to the benefite of his beloued Church Wherfore they restrayne theyr peticions in Symeons lyne thus O Lorde when it pleaseth thée according to thy worde for my dayes are thereby numbred which I shall not passe Note here that no Papist in the perswation of Popery can say vnto his soule Now shall I depart in peace according to thy worde No Papist in Popery can dye in peace For neyther hath Popery or any part therof warrant thence or doth that profession worke peace in the conscience of his pacient at the hower of death but farre the contrary For if when Satan féedeth their ignorant humors and with pleasure draweth them to the profession they neuer therein can finde sure foote of stay to quyet their minds for sinne How shall they thereby feele that necessary bulwarke and Ancor of health at the instant of natures farewell when that subtill Serpent doth now no longer dally but draw them into despaire shewing them the multitude of their sinnes their securitie in euil their ignorance in God their doubt of his fauour which is an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Popery his seuere iustice and their forlorne estate Then aske they by what meanes shall I passe his iudgemente By Masses sayth one by the Popes pardon sayth an other by the merits of the saints sayth the thirde But then doth Satan sharply fight against the wounded conscience and openeth the truth as thereby further to pierce his conscience to death and enforcing to his harte these things cannot helpe thée thy trust is vaine in them Against which temptation what helpe in Popery They are fayne to cry this is thy helpe euen Iesus Christ but then his comfort is cut short in that they pull his meditation from the Lorde crucifyed and lay on bed before him a brasen Crucifixe They tell him that his friends shall praye for him and the Church shal be plyed with Trentals to delyuer him from Purgatory which doctrine is most troublesome and so the poore Papist for all that Popery can doe dyeth thereby moste doubtfull of rest if not most fearefull of eternall payne Consyder this well there is not the best treasure in Popery that doth warrante thée peace in death If the death of Christ be not sufficient hereto so say they most blasphemously where then shall we haue it in the Masse No for then would that sacrifice sometime cease But so long as the worlde endureth euen so long will they if God ouerthrowe not their seate contynue that deade sacrifice for the dead soule in whose cause it is daylie song or saide Doth not this argue a doubt of valor in the Masse And also of the peace of the soule for whome it is called Requiem Is not this true Can this worke peace in the hart Popery yeeldeth no quyet to mans conscience when the best account made at the foote therof he fyndeth an arrearege which his soule is to aunswere in burning fyre and flaming brimstone in a Purgatorie of payne whence he cannot by all the cunning of Popish arte know when or how to be delyuered Smale quyet in conscience to a poore Papist which séeth no remedy but that he muste from lyfe to death from earthly troubles to hellish paines without intermission to be boyled in lead and imprisoned by Deuils in paynes incurable O poore harte be wise in God imbrace his word beléeue in his Christ walke in his statutes by the grace of his spirite so shalt thou be assured that the popish Purgatory is Hell from whence no man can be delyuered So shall all terror of death be drawne from thée Luc. 16.16 Ephe. 1.13.14 1. Ioh. 5.10 Rom. 8.1 for his holye spirite shall seale thée vp to redemption and the witnesse shal be within thée agaynst Synne Satan Pope and Hell that no condemnation can come to thée which by fayth art ingraffed into Christ whose lyfe is not to walke after the wicked fleshe but after Gods holye spirite guyding thy soule and body into true righteousnesse and sanctification during thy naturall lyfe By this rule onely shalt thou obtayne peace but to the wicked sayth the Prophete vz to the Papist lyuing and dying in Popery there shall be no peace Esa 48.22 Obiection And here I preuent this obiection What say you then of all our forefathers in the long time of Popery are they all without peace What is become of our forefathers in Popry Are they all condemned No God forbid When Achab and Iesabell had ouerrunne all Israell with Idolatry so that Helias supposed hymselfe onely to stande for the cause of God 3. Reg. 19. the Lord answered that he had reserued seauen thousand that is to saye a great multitude in euery part of Israell which did not bowe the knée to Baal Nero was a most cruell persecutor of Christes Church and yet saint Paule wytnesseth Iesus the Lorde Phil. 4.22 to haue his Churche euen in his persecuting Courte But ye will saye these were drawne by preaching of the worde but in Popery the worde is kept hydden from the people It is so Yet we doubt not but as at the
last hower the spirite of God lightened the harte of the théefe vpon the Crosse Luck 23.40 Ezech. 18. Eph. 1.4.5 Ioh. 1.9 1. Tim. 2.4 Eph. 1.18 Heb. 1.3 so that in yéelding to death he sawe Christ onely to be his lyfe So the same most louing father who wylleth not the death of a synner hath euen in the hower of death and in all the dayes of Popery tourned the hartes of as many as were predestinate before all tymes in Christ to lyue eternally And that our Christ which lighteneth all men that come into the worlde and would haue all men that is to say of euerye country nation people and families some to be saued and come to the knowledge of the truth Hath also illuminated the hartes of all those whome the father hath by his spirite drawne out of the Dungeon of Papistrie to thys brightnesse of his glory wherby they haue with the eyes of their fayth séene this Iesus Christ to be the onely saluation of Iewe Turke Pagan Papist and Gentyle and consequently haue in harte felt him for theirs to their greate and synguler consolation After which sight they haue in the integritie of their soules 1. Cor. 3.12 Phil. 3.8 accounted al the hey tymber stubble and Popishe stuffe as fylthie doung and paciently abode the paine of death for their former ignorance and rest in hope of eternall peace and in the assurance of hys spirite that their synnes in his bloude are washed awaye They are perswaded that death is to them lyfe in cause whereof they haue in Christ banished that feare which bringeth paynefulnesse 1. Io. 4.18 and with Symeon haue sayde Now Lorde let vs thy seruants depart in peace for the eyes of our minde nowe in the agony of our soule hath through the day spring which from an high hath visited vs perfitly seene the Lorde thy Christ to be our sauing health â—uc 1.78 in whome wee departe to thee who neuer before this hower in these dayes of ignoraunce could attayne to this grace But now Lord receiue vs in peace through Christ our lord our God of peace and the same to all his chosen children The prouydence of God in tyme of Popery féedeth this our sentence of the forefathers thus blessed in the dayes of ignorance In that he conserued and during those tymes continued among men the Symbole of our fayth which very manye at their death haue constantly repeated and by open declaration haue affirmed in that fayth to ende their lyfe But thys Symbole preacheth onely the gloryous fayth in God the Father God the sonne and God the holy Ghost In Popery no saluation wherfore I conclude that manye of our forefathers were in the daies of Popery saued by fayth alone in Christ and that by Popery no man may or can be saued For the whole course of the Romishe Religion is to disperce Mat. 12.30 and not to gather together the saintes of God to the vnitie of fayth and knowledge in the sonne of GOD but to hayle to the fayth of Rome which maketh as many Sauiours as the sunne shyning giueth shadowes which can in no case permit a man eyther to rest alone in the death of Christ or to assure himselfe of saluation in hym But to attayne lyfe Popishe Treasures the Papists must fetch the treasures of the Church of Rome parte whereof is the blood of Martyrs though some of them be notable Traytors It is to playne that they make such not Mediators onely but Sauiours also from synne Who can forget this solemne Anthemne to that Traytor Thomas Becket sometimes Byshop of Caunterbury which the Popes Portuse and all laten Primers haue farsed in them for men in prayer to vse In the Popishe Primers Tu per Thomae sanguinem quem pro te impendit fac nos Christe scandere quo Thomas ascendit That is graunt vs Christ by the vertue of saint Thomas his bloud which he shedde for thée to ascende whether Thomas is gone where note that Christ hath but that office which else they giue to Peter Namely to be the dore kéeper and to admit those soules into heauen which clayme it by the bloud of Barrabas I should say Thomas and they do refuse bicause they doe distrust the raunsome of Christ our onely way to lyfe Oh horrible and most abhominable blasphemy Ioh. 14.6 But deare Reader No man can come to the father sayth our sufficient Sauyour but by mee And therefore praying for the Papists conuersioÌ„ if it be Gods good will let vs as Paule doth exhort vs Heb. 12.19 seeing by the bloud of Iesus we may be bold to enter into the holy place into heauen by the newe and lyuing way which he hath prepared for vs thorow the vayle that is to say his fleshe and seeing we haue an high Priest ouer the house of God let vs drawe neare with a true hart in assurance of fayth sprinckled made pure in our hearts from an euil conscience and washed in our bodies with pure water Let vs keepe the profession of our hope without wauering for he is faythfull that promised And let vs consider one another to prouoke vnto loue and to good workes not forsaking the felowship that we haue among our selues as the maner of some is but let vs exhorte one another that so much the more bicause ye see the day draweth neere Let vs expect his comming and loue the Lorde so shall we not feare any perrill of death And God graunt our Englishe Papistes once to sée and be ashamed of their wylfulnesse to damnation sléeping in the bedde of the whore of Babilon Reuel 18. which is prepared to desolation and perpetuall fyre And to imbrace his Gospell which is the onely ioy of soule and solace in death â—â—t 3.17 the path to lyfe in that Sauiour in whome God the father is onely pacifyed The second note is that the godly are so farre from fearing naturall death that on the contrary part they humbly many tymes at the hande of God can earnestly pray for it and wyshe it yea and eaten vp of griefe for the dayes of synne they lament that they are not disburdened of the bodye thereof Finally in desyre of the full accomplishment of the bodye of Christ that the same his Church might be thorowly glorifyed in heauen as she is in parte and in earth perfitly sanctifyed The saints in this lyfe praye for the dissolution of the world and Christ to come with speede to iudgement For the fyrst Paule prayeth thus I desyre to be dissolued and to be with Christ and our Symeon here Lorde now let thy seruaunt depart in peace Secondly in the seuenth to the Romaynes Paule cryeth out of synne lamenting and saying O wretched man that I am who shall delyuer me from the body of this death that is from this lumpe of fleshly sinne and death Where note gentle Christian that the saintes of God are subiect to the
the false Prophets to turne to his saluation that is their prayer to God for his pacience shall profyte him to beare the crosse wyth silence Iam 5.16 which bringeth peace in Christ And so in such sort it is that Iames sayth The prayer of the iuste auayleth much wherfore pray one for another that ye may be saued But if God by his grace giue not this grace into man to beléeue and suffer for him that man cannot by other mens fayth be saued as we haue sufficiently prooued wherefore Symeon rightly reioyceth that his proper eyes to saye the eyes of his fayth and also of bodye haue had the experimented perswasion in his heart that this borne Babe Iesus the Virgins son is his sauiour But let no man dreame here that Symeons solace is of that that only he saw with his bodily eyes the body of Christ For notwithstanding that sight had he not with the eyes of his fayth beholden Christ for his onely Sauiour he had died most sorrowfull What did it profite the Phariseys Iewes Pilate Caiphas and the tormentors of Christ that they sawe hym whom they pierced No more then it doth the Traytor hauing sentence of death pronounced against him to loke vpon the face of the Iudge hasting the expectation of his final decrée Such is the comforte to all those Papistes which dreame and deceyue the worlde in this imagination that Christs body is to our sight offred really corporally fleshe bloud and bone as he was borne of the Virgin Mary in the sacryfice of their dead Masse A reproofe to the Popishe Masse For as the Iewes were condemned for this sight bicause then when they so sawe him they crucifyed him So are they Papistes when as with the Iewes the Popishe Priest if he coulde shewe thée in déede the bodye of his Christ in his abhominable Masse doth in sacryficing Christ euery daye so often crucifie him afreshe For sayth the Hebrewes where so euer Christ is offred there he is also deade that is to say againe crucified Their comforte is endlesse woe in the same Epistle descrybed thus He that despiseth Moses lawe Heb. 10.28 dyeth without mercy c. Of how much more punishment suppose you shall he be which treadeth vnder foote the sonne of God as doe the Papistes for where God hath exalted him on high no more subiect to death they kill him euery day at their Masse and eate him they say in that cake counteth the bloud of the Testament as an vnholy thing wherewith he was sanctifyed and doth despite that Spirite of grace Hebr. frō the 7. to the. 11. cap. Herein the Papistes are also touched for Paule sayth the holynesse of this bloud is once onely to be offered no more to be offred bicause in that one Oblation once for al offred he hath made perfect for euer those which be sanctifyed They doe despite also the Spirite of grace which sayth in the same Chapter Nowe where there is remission of these things there is no more offring for synne Yet the Popishe Priest wil euery day iterate this Sacrifice wyping thy eyes with thys miste it is an vnbloudy sacryfice For no more may Christ be offered bloudy But I aske the shauen Gentleman whether he offer truely the bodye of Christ or no If he say he doth then I aske hym whether the same body that rose from death and was crucyfied To this if he say yea then agayne I say wheresoeuer that body is offred he must of force in bloud be offred forsomuch as he hath revnited the same to his soule and Godhead and is not a spirite without fleshe and bloud as he sayth to Thomas Lu. 24.39 Secondly if you could and doe offer his body without bloud An vnbloudie sacryfice can neuer take awaye sinne you must of force new agayne kill him and tread a freshe that glorious Wyne presse which ye denie to doe Thirdly if your sacrifice be an vnbloudye Sacrifice then cannot it obtayne forgiuenesse of sinnes which is the colour ye haue to offer it but your owne lucring luste is the cause of it For the Apostle sayth that without blood Heb. 9.22 there is no forgiuenesse And without a testament there is no promise whersoeuer this Testamente and bodye is offred there of necessitie must be the death of the Testator But you chalenge the Testamente to haue forgiuenesse of synnes by your daylie sacryfice it followeth of necessitie then that in this your sacryficing Testament you must again kyll Christ the Testator For thus sayth the text For where a Testament is there must be the death of him that made the Testament And if you wil reply that Christ is aliue and you kill him not which cannot die and yet ye offer him I saye first that in the sacrifice of Christes Testament vnlesse he dye the Testament is of no force so long as he liueth that made it And then I saye it is most absurde to say that you can offer Christ and not make him to suffer death againe When as the text sayth Christ is not entred into the holy places Heb. 9.24 that are made wyth handes which are symilituds of the true sanctuary but is entred into very heauen Marke where our Christ offred is not in the priests hands to appeare in the sight of God for vs. Not that he should offer himselfe often as the high priest entred into the holy place euery yere with other blood now marke to this reason for then must he haue often suffered synce the foundation of the worlde Where and whensoeuer Christ is offred there and then he is also slayn and agayne crucifyed But he can no more dye therefore can he no more be offered but now he hath appeared once to put away synne by the sacryfice of himself Note how elegantly he sayth by the sacrifice of himselfe not of other after or for him hath he put awaye sinne And forget not that he sayth Christ is not gone to heauen to the ende he should be often offered where the daylie offering of the Popishe Masse is denied by Paule to be the offering of Christ and that that Oblation is against the will of God who hath ascended the heauens bicause he will no more be offered for he can no more be slaine and for that he hath obtained in that his owne sacryfice already for vs eternall redemption And laste of all he sayth that whensoeuer Christ is offred he is therewith slayne O Lorde Hebr. 9.12 if wyth pure eyes we coulde looke into the booke of lyfe the worde of God how could this doltish damnable doctrine of Rome deuoure vs and this is most certaine The corporall presence of Christes body not so profitable to be wyth vs. that this corporall sight of Christes body should rather hinder then help vs For Christ sayth vnlesse that he be taken from vs his holye spirite will not come to vs and if we haue not the spirite of
Iewishe or much lesse the Popishe priests can be to vs men of good warrante to pacifie hys wrath for our synnes with and by their dayly counterfeyte sacrifices when they haue neyther warrante from thy holy written worde or be The Pope very vnfytte to offer vp sacrifice for synne hys Cardinals lesse hys priests least but his irreligious all to bad or can be such men as it becommeth our priests to be Can the Pope or any his broode be found in truth and search of his owne friends holy harmelesse and vndefyled Is he in all sortes seperate from synners or are his priests Is hys dwellings aboue the Heauens or haue not his Fryers Monkes Byshops Cardinals and Popishe prelates the fertyll soyle of euery Nation to plante their dwelling places in Doe they not néede to offer sacrifice fyrst for their owne sinnes which of all other are most acquainted therewith And doe they not in the daylie sacrifice of their blasphemous Masse fyrst offer for the Pope then for the king Byshop and themselues then for him her or them for whome they are for that tyme hyred These therefore can be no lawfull priests to offer for sinne were there any such sacrifyce to be offered The lawe of Moses made such men priests as were subiect to death The Popishe lawe anoyleth such as are wrapped in infyrmities but the law of the othe of God which is the gospell maketh the sonne of God Christ Iesus onely the sacryfycing priest of hys Churche who is without synne deuoyde of infyrmitie holy harmelesse vndefyled higher then the heauens seperate from synners once for all offred a full price in sacrifyce to his father vpon the crosse for the syns of the whole worlde which can no more be offered or any other in place therof is not subiect any more to death but lyueth to make intercession for his church to God hys father for euer Nowe we haue to consyder also from what it is that thys Sauyour Christ delyuereth vs. Truely from the Fathers wrath from the chaynes of synne and her rewarde which is eternall death Of which deliuerance Zacharius speaketh in his Song Rom. 6.23 Luc. 1.74 that wee being delyuered from the feare of our enimies might serue him without feare c. But when it is sayde he delyuereth vs it is imported we are fyrst in thraldome Mans state wythout Christ thraldome and most misery and bounde from libertie Euen so are the sonnes of men by nature thralled vnto the wrath of God bound in chaynes of synne and subiect to the cursse of euerlasting death Therin borne in it lyuing and lusting death by the contynuall desyres therof Eph. 2.3 But Synne synne is the cause that Gods iustice cannot but giue vs wrath and his wrath cannot procéeding from his iustice but cast the synner into the prison of eternal payne where is darknesse sorrowe wéeping torments and gnashing of téeth the worme that dyeth not and the anger of God And this synne is and maye be sayde to be of two kyndes the one procéeding from the other Originall and Actuall Originall commeth wyth the lumpe of massy poysoned fleshe Originall synne and actuall which our parentage hath brought to vs from the loynes of oure fyrst father Adam And he becommeth synful by the breach of Gods holye lawe in Paradise hath begotten by synfull séede his children in synne who by succession haue encreased the worlde to thys daye from his synfull loynes to beget vs synfull creatures of our synfull mothers And thus are we guyltie of Adams synne called Originall the beginning synne For lyke as out of a poysoned Vessell can be drawne no other lycour but poysoned So from the poysoned séede of Adam can procéede no other then lyke corrupted matter for mans propagation and ofspring And againe thys worde synne signifyeth generally the disobedience to God the offending of God by the breaking of hys most holy commaundements This difference is betwéene Originall and Actuall synne the one we bring with vs in flesh as guyltie by byrth of our fathers transgressiō as the Apostle sayth By Adam all men do dye The other is that our selues in mynde and bodye doe commit daylie agaynst our God and his holy lawe which we do eyther in mynde 1. Cor. 15.22 in will in harte and affection in tong or hande in soule or bodye in one or both The fyrst doth infecte all other that come from his fyrst roote For lyke as leporous parents of their bodyes cannot but beget and the chyldren which are borne of them are defyled as wel with the parents leprosie as contaminate with their owne naturall corruption Euen so are the posteritie of Adam infected with the fyrst fathers leprosie in synne and steyned with their owne actuall offences and iniquitie which one lamenting sayeth And great is that Original synne Barnardus which doth not alone infect the person but corrupteth the whole nature of man also The second which is actuall synne dwelleth in the body of the synner alone and hurteth others no otherwise then when they be pertakers therof eyther by ioyning in facte or consente by suffring or not regarding the poyson thereof the ende of both is death euerlasting Rom. 6.23 How horrible that synne is the Scriptures doe tell Synne breaketh our couenant with God prouoketh anger of God The fruits of synne in man seperateth his loue from vs hasteneth his iustice procureth our perpetuall destruction caused Christ to come from heauen and he the sonne of God to suffer death for vs moste wretched creatures which else should haue perished in synne Is of that nature that if we wyllingly fall into it agayne we crucifye Christ anewe and there is no more looking for redemption but a fearefull wayting for the wrath of Gods furye fyre and vengeance Finally it is the worke of the Deuill and he the author therof who is the vtter aduersarye of God and we his sworne enemies and Gods famylye How intollerable a matter it is for the Quéenes seruante of her priuie chamber from beggery exalted farre aboue all brauery to become Traytor to her grace and in her secret chamber to violate his fayth who séeth not with darkned eyes How much more vgly is he and most intollerable is his case that casteth dyrte by synne euery daye into the face of God by carnall concupiscence courtly carnall lustes and fylthy actions Well from all thys yet he the Lord Christ saueth his people 1. Ioh. 1.7 euen his bloud doth wash their soules and bodyes from euerye synne and his death doth purge our consciences from dead workes Heb. 9.14 Esay 1. to serue the lyuing God Of this delyuerance Esay sayth Washe you make you cleane if your synnes were as redde as Scarlet I wyll make them as whyte as Wooll Iere. 31. sayth the Lorde Ieremy Your synnes and iniquities will I remember no more Ezechiel Ezech. 18. At what tyme soeuer a synner doth repent of hys synne
teache hymselfe that he is to the hartes of men When he was at Iacobs Well with the woman of Samaria Ioh. 4.10 he tooke occasion by the Metaphor of water to teache her the lycour of lyfe By the desyre the Iewes had to earthy bread therfore followed him Ioh. 6.15 Luc. 5.3 he began to teach himself to be the bread of lyfe And teaching in the shyp by that myracle of Fishes he taught the Apostles the waye to catch men The same thing he vseth in these wordes I am the lyght c. For teaching in the morning in the Temple the Sunne nowe shyning moste brightly bewtifying the place to the great delight of the beholders he calleth them from the terrestriall to the sonne of righteousnesse affirming in him to finde the true properties of the glorious sonne in déede First as the Sunne is a most pure Planet most bryght and cléere defyled with nothing wheresoeuer it shyneth but maketh the darke and fylthy places more open to the eyes of men So Iesus Christ the brightnesse of his fathers glory Col. 1.15 is of nature most pure and holye and albeit he hath taken oure nature vpon him lyued amongst vs did accompany wyth synners to their good and abhorred not to eate with Publicans yet was he nothing defyled therby but by him these fylthy persons made wholy to know themselues through him were illuminated and fully sanctifyed The Sunne that is to say the light doth so shyne that himselfe may be séene of vs and doth make all other lyuing creatures to sée by him So Iesus Christ our light doth so manifestly in his nature appeare that the insensible heauens and earth do know him he doth so powre by his spirite the beames of his brightnesse into the hartes of hys beloued that they by his spirite and resplendishing Scriptures both perfitly as fleshe may know God the Father and his Christ and all things else which be eyther necessary or expedient to their saluation in him besydes whom there is none other Act. 4.12 Psal 36.9 Thys compelled Dauid to say With thee O Lord is the Well of lyfe and in thy lyght shal we see lyght Through christs light we see God to be our father hym the lord to be our Sauior And as the lyght discouereth darkenesse and refresheth the toyled bodyes in former obscuritie Euen so Christ remouing the former ignorance of God in vs banyshing the terror of cōscience doth most magnificently recreate our sences and refreshe our spirites renouate our conscience quyet oure soule and replenishe vs with ioye And lyke as the lyghte doth not onely in darknesse of night guyde our footesteps but helpeth vs aright to our whole businesse So Christe that eternall worde of God is the Lanterne to our feete and the light to our labours Psal 119. in that the doctrine and preceptes thence shyning to vs doe direct our darke soules into the paths of righteousnesse and that for his owne names sake And as light banyshing darknesse openeth to mans eye many things which in mircke midnight were not onely shadowed The commodities of light but also sheltered and so vnknowne that many adulters théeues murtherers and wicked persons by her were couered Iohn 3.19 and nowe by light disclosed for which cause naturally they loue darknesse hate the lyght So Christ hauing by his worde of most cléerenesse and heauenly power banyshed from Realmes Familyes and persons the darknes of ignorance maketh knowne to them their syns and reproueth their errors accuseth the corruptiō of mans nature and playnely maketh vs sée that all those things which without him we most imbraced are most fylthye and horrible And this is the cause why all such as wallow in wicked lyfe and false Religion doe hate Christ in hys Gospell to this present daye Ioh. 3.19 but to their vtter ruine and selfe condemnation Lastly as one shyning Sunne serueth the vniuersall worlde and is the onely Fountayne of light to all lightes in the same So the bright sonne of God our righteousnesse Christ is the onely author of spirituall light whome the Father of lights hath onely giuen to the whole worlde And he doth lighten euerye man that commeth into the worlde Ioh. 1.9 neyther will he admit any copemate to be ioyned with him What church is not guyded by our lyght Christ onely is eclypsed and bloudy to Christ and his members but kéepeth the whole Regimente in and to himselfe For as the Moone the figure of Gods Church receyueth at the handes of the Sunne her lighte and is so much darkned as she wanteth of his brightnesse So the Churche of God not kept with the countenance of Christs shyning face and Gospell is wrapped in the wayne of darknesse but lightned by his truth she is most gloryous and her naturall spottes shall not deface her yet both Moone and Church remayne to be light by hym else as opposite to him they are eyther darke or bloody or one or bothe Let no man obiect to me Lightened by Christe her spots do not hurt her that the Apostles are called also lightes of the worlde for that hath the true light imported in mercye to them by borrowed spéeche as we may call the Lanterne a light Eph. 5.25.26.27 bicause the light shyneth by and through it vnto the whole housholde And so are the Apostles called lights not bicause they are the light Christ How the Apostles and preachers of the worde are called lighte but bicause they bring vnto vs the true light that dwelleth in them which doth also by them and their labours preaching and wryting shine into the vtmost partes of the earth to the great comforte of all those that loue the same To conclude great is the mercye of our good God séeing the darknesse of the world so greate that no otherwise it could be discouered remoued gaue vnto vs this his owne son whome he hath made to vs the onely light of God to Iew and Gentyle that we should not for wante of safe conduction perishe in our wandring passage Now the vse of thys light and wherto he is giuen vs of God Symeon doth tell vs and sayth it is that he should be reuealed vnto the Gentyls and to be the glory of the people Israel Two things also the good father telleth vs in these words Fyrst that the ages from tyme to tyme should knowe that this one Christ is to all them and people in them the one and onely saluation light guyde and delyuerer Christ is to all ages the the one and onely lyght to lyfe sygnified by the two Nations by him named Iewe Gentyle The lyke doth Esay before naming the Gentyls and addeth and health to the vtmost partes of the world So Christ himselfe concludeth saying as before is saide I am the lighte of the worlde that is to saye of euerye place in the worlde of all sortes of men women and chyldren
worldly cares and enimies there is consolation and happy euent easely had If destrest and perplexed there is sound counsell and faythfull friendship If doubting of Gods lyfe there is a most sure Towre of defence and well buylded bulwarkes against all such assaultes And truely our second Dauid Christ did not else where 1. Sam. 17.40 Mat. 4. then forth of this Scrip take those little stones which slue the olde Goliath Satanas in his subtile assaulte and cruell temptation Scriptum est c. What wouldest thou haue Hence floweth the Ryuers of God in Christ to the drinking of which Ioh. 4.14 our Christ doth daylie inuyte vs whose nature is absolutely to quenche oure intollerable thyrst The treasures dwelling in the worde of God and to satisfie vs in desire of most happinesse Here is the Storehouse of GOD whether we ought to goe to satisfie oure hungry soules Thys is the Table of the Lorde most amply furnished with all dyshes of necessary dyet dressed by the finger of God wherewith he doth most lyberally féede vs Here is also moste pleasaunt Wyne of consolation and lyfe the Fountayne of Christs bloud daylie open for euery soule that thyrsteth after it to washe away his synnes In this holy Byble is situate the Heauenly Paradise farre passing the Garden of Eden where is all kinde of fruit for vs to eate in which the Trée of lyfe Christ Iesus is most fayre and frée to vs. The trée of knowledge of good and euill is set to our instruction vz the worde of God of which we maye eate and muste eate wyll we be saued But that we eate not as our fyrst Father Adam did in earthly Paradise it is fyt that we come as Bées and not lyke vnto venemous Spyders Let vs search and séeke therein the most swéete lycour of lyfe the knowledge of God and his Christ the knowledge of our synnes the reward of them the forgiuenesse of them by whome and the maner howe The will of God and the strength to serue him orderly the power of Satan and his wylie engins and how to escape them The weapons and armour of God and how to be armed therewith and by battayle in our Captayne Christ to beate downe Satan vnder our féete If on this sort we come and humbly with open hartes pray and reade aduisedly and eftsoones meditate in the lawe of God we shall moste ioyfully returne daylie to our brethren into the Hyue of Gods Churche where we shall become profitable to all men by the honey of lyfe euen his spirite and truth which forth of the Garden of Gods scriptures we haue receyued But if we come with mindes to cauill forestuffed with errors and bent to gather to féede our yll we shall misconster the worde for his truth is open to babes Mat. 11.15 that are content to take the lesson at the parents mouth and not to the worldly wyse and lyke learned resting in their owne wouen webbe of frayle humayne spynning Hence commeth darknesse error heresies schismes backslydings from God and running into Hell without remorse Take héede therfore how thou commest to this holy booke and looke not therein superficially but in great diligence and let the hardnesse thereof procure thy whole industrie as before consydering wyth what paynes men attayne to skyll and how harde things by often vse become both swéete and easie Mortall men take great paines to read prophane but little in gods Booke The mortall bookes of heathen men we toyle and turne ouer with incredible endeuour and contynuall labor beating body and brayne the solace and safetie of health often berefte and contemned hereby that we might attayne the perfection of the wryters will And yet doe such labors but teach or the kéeping or recouery of Natures health or the increase of state and wealth or the ruled lynes of common welths guyde or such other artifyciall poyntes of temporall blessings which in themselues consydered are in deede precious but compared with the treasures of Gods booke the lyght of lyfe there is no comparison For we haue not therein mannes earthy but Gods heauenly wisedome speaking vnto vs to whose worde Gods word wyll make vs apt to all perfection if we giue obedient eare we shall receyue most synguler aptnesse and ability to al heauenly things we shall dryue from vs all heauy depressing pleasures that hinder godly paines in Gospel studie we shall be lightened with consolation in the booke of God and his worde shal become most swéete and easie vnto vs of what estate soeuer Kings shall haue in this booke their rule to gouerne learned Preachers to teache and the matter and Methode Counsellors Lordes and Lawyers matters of health the déepe wyttes and great Clarkes high and déepe mysteries and louing lowly persons plaine and most open doctrine sufficient to their saluation Therfore reade diligently and praye continually and no doubt the Lord according to his promise seeke and you shal finde Luc. 11.10 Math. 6. Ezech. 36. pray and it shall be giuen you c. will giue thée his holye spirite change thy heart of stone into a fleshy heart and teach thée his statutes giue thée the vnderstanding of hys lawe and teach thée himselfe This onely remayneth that we which be Gentyls should cast away our former darknesse and put on this armour of lyghte and embracing Christ for our lead Starre as he is of his father giuen to vs should by his spirite and sacred worde of fayth in his power cast of the power and workes of darknesse Otherwise it shall be to all Recusants their condemnation that light is come into the worlde Ioh. 3.19 and those blynde men loue darknesse rather then the light The Iewe ought to refuse his Righteousnesse by the lawe also and the Pharisey not to bragge glory of his holynesse but sincerely to receyue this our light Christ and in him onely to repose his trust bycause he is giuen him of GOD to be his onely glory And this God graunt to his good pleasure in Christ To the which Christ with God the Father and the holy Ghost be all honor and glory nowe and for euer Amen Laus Deo A. A. ⧠Imprinted at London in Fleetestreate beneath the Conduite at the Signe of Saint Iohn Euangelist by H. Iackson 1581.