S. Augustine and of Franciscus Arias in his tract Depraesentia Dei cap 2. Who by Gods face vnderstand Gods presence So the Scripture by the face of the wind and by the face of frost and fire meaneth as you know the presence of these things as in Psalme 68. Like as waxe melteth ante faciem ignis before the fires face So let the vngodly perish at the presence of God So Hagar is sayd to flee from the face of her mistresse Sara Gen. 16. 8 So Pharaoh to Moses Exod. 10. 28. Get thee from mee Looke thou see my face no more So Adam is sayd to hide himselfe from Gods face Gen. 3. 8. and Satan Iob 1. 12. Egressus est à facie Domini that is he departed from Gods presence to seeke then euermore Gods face is nothing else but seriously to consider and contemplate that he is alwayes present with vs in euery thought word and deed Plutarch aduiseth vs so circumspectly to demeane our selues as if â—…r enemies alwayes beheld vs Seneca counselleth vs to liue so well as if Cato Laelius or some reuerend Person of great wisdome and account ouerlooked vs Thalis Milesius in the coÌ„mitting of any sin wished vs when we are alone to be afraid of our selues and of our owne conscience which is in stead of a thousand witnesses te sine teste time saith Ausonius S. Paul exhorteth women to cary themselues in Gods house reuerently because of the Angels as being assured that the glorious Angels in heauen obserue their behauiour But our text teacheth vs yet a better way then all these which is to seeke Gods face to remember that God searcheth vs out knowing our downe-sitting and our vprising and that he standeth about our paths and about our beds and spieth out all our wayes A pious exercise highly commended in the Scriptures and in the Fathers and by the practise of holy men in all ages The Scriptures in reporting that Enoch and Noe walked with God intimate that those holy Patriarchs had set God alwayes before them and that they liued so religiously tanquam sub eius oculis as vnder his obseruing and all-seeing eye they walked as St. Luke recordeth of Zacharias and Elizabeth in all the commandements and ordinances of the Lord without reproofe they considered the wayes of God and turned their feete vnto his Testimonies as our Prophet speaks of himselfe Psal. 119. 59. They did endeauour and set their hearts to haue not only good credit before men but alâ—… with S. Paul to keepe a cleare conscience before God In this sense God sayd to Father Abraham walke before mee Gen. 17. 1. And Abraham againe concerning God the Lord before whom I walke Gen. 24. 40. So the Prophet Elias and Eliseus speake The Lord God in whose sight â—… stand The text inioyning vs always to pray poynts at this duty that wee should seeke Gods face continually for our desires and thoughts are the voyces and wordes by which our soule speakes If then at any time wee lift our hearts vnto the Lord wee may be sayd and that truely to pray which occasioned Diuines to terme prayer an humble familiarity with God He that will alwayes conuerse with God must alwayes either reade the Scripture saith Augustine or else pray for as often as we read his word he talketh with vs and as often as we pray we talke with him When our Prophet sings in 123. Psalme Vnto thee lift I vp mine eyes O thou that dwellest in the heauens He doth vnderstand not eyes of his flesh only but eyes of his faith also seeing him which is inuisible Heb 11. 27. But the spirit by the mouth of Solomon as yet speakes more plainly Prou. 3. 6. In all thy wayes acknowledge God and he shall direct thy goings in omnibus vijs cogita Deum as the vulgar latine runnes in euery thing thou takest in hand thinke on God or as our translation haue respect vnto him as Tobie to his sonne Set God alwayes before thine eyes behold him as a Iudge and so shame to sinne before the Iudges eye behold him as thy great reward and so faint not in doing good Behold him as authour and finisher of thy faith and so runne with patience the race which is set before thee Behold him as the Donor of euery good and perfit gift and so confesse that he worketh all thy works for thee by whose grace thou art whatsoeuer thou art S. Augustine beginneth his heauenly meditations in this stile Domine Deus meus da cordi meo te desiderare desiderando quaerere quaerendo inuenire inueniendo amare amando mala mea redâ—…mpta non iterare O Lord giue me grace from the very bottom of mine heart to desire thee in desiring to seeke thee in seeking to find thee in finding to loue thee in louing vtterly to loath my former wickednes And in his soules soliloquies or priuat talke with God he prayeth in like manner O Lord who knowest me giue me grace to know thee O my comforter shew me thy selfe let mee see thee which art the light of mine eyes mirth of my spirit ioy of my heart life of my soule It is a good Motto thinke and thanke God there is no moment of time wherein God cares not for vs and therefore saith a Bernard no moment of time wherein we should not seeke him especially when we come to his house to call vpon his Holy Name for how prayâ—…s hee to God who prates in his heart to the world intende quoth the same Father 〈◊〉 qui intendit tibi Christ promised to be with vs in our deuotions euen in the middest of vs Mat. 18. 20. but as Eusebius Emisenus obserueth how shall God bee in the mids of thee if thou be not in the mids of thy selfe If the aduocate sleepe how shall the Iudge awake No maruaile if thou loose thy sute when as in praying thou loosest thy selfe Hilary writing vpon the words of the Psalmist all my wayes are before thee notes that the Prophet making his course before Gods eye to whom all hearts are open and no secrets hid walked not in the counsell of the wicked nor stood in the way of sinners his feete did not goe downe to death and his steps take hold of hell but his whole pilgrimage was a seeking of the Lord and as S. Paul phraseth it he did so runne that he did obteyne Seneca though he were not a Doctour in Diuinity yet he wrote in his 10 Epistle lib. 1. Diuine-like to this purpose Sic viue cum hominibus quast deus videat sic loquere cum Deo quasi homines audiant So conuerse with men as if God did euer see thee so conferre with God as if men did euer heare thee and in another Epistle God is neere to thee with thee within thee so it is Lucilius that a sacred spirit resideth in vs as a custos and obseruer of all that we doe
thine own fashion and face Turne not away thine eye from beholding his countenance though hee seeme neuer so despicable but consider and that seriously this vnhappy wretch is a man as well as I and if our good God blesse mee not I may become such a man as hee Blind as hee Naked as hee Forsaken of friends as hee Lamed in limbes as hee Maymed in minde as he Whatsoeuer then I would that men should doe vnto mee let me while I haue time doe to them I would that all men in such an agonie should doe good vnto me why then I am bound to doe good vnto all men Now for our direction in breaking bread to men of all sorts two things are to bee considered especially Their Worth Their Want All men are to bee releiued in adversity yet more specially the Houshold of Faith and among the faithfull also the better man is to haue the better maundie for other things being alike the neerer vnto Christ ought euer to bee deerer vnto vs. He that beleeueth in him is our Brother and Sister and Mother The soule of euery man is next to himselfe or rather as diuine Plato sayd his own flesh They therefore which are allyed in good vnto the soule are more neere then they which are allyed in blood onely to the body Sanctior est copula cordium quam corporum the coniunction of the spirit is more high and holy then any coniunction of the flesh If the soule be the better gentleman then alliance by the soule must of necessitie bee most honourable but when our kinsman is a good man allyed each way both in respect of his generation and regeneration vndoubtedly two bonds are more strong then one Such a man ought to haue the prime place both in our loues and loaues Iohn in his 3 Epistle commending highly Caius his hospitality saith hee did faithfully to the brethren and strangers hee did entertaine both the one and other But first the Brethren and then afterward Strangers as Aretius expoundes that text or as Loâ—…inus especially strangers if Brethren As for the want of our brethren Esay saith heere deale thy bread to the Hungrie So Iob I was a father to the poore when thou makest a feast inuite the poore saith our Sauiour Luke 14. 13. Laudent te quoth Hierom Esurientium viscera non ructantium opulenta conuiuia the feeding of the hungrie Lazare commeÌ„ds thee more then the feasting of the belching Epicure It is lawful I know to feast our rich acquaintance for Christ himselfe did grace with his owne presence neighbourly meetings and friendly feasts as opportunity serued The Phenix of Germanie reuerend Melancthon I meane was exceeding courteous in this kind being often inuited and often inuiting Loue-feasts in the iudgment of all Orthodoxe diuines are commendable when moderation is one dish at the Table But let vs take heed lest happily wee waste so much vpon the pampering of great ones as that wee neglect some of Christs little ones lying crying at our gates for hunger It is a kind of sacriledge quoth Hierom rem pauperum dare non pauperibus to bestow that portion of bread vpon the hautie which is properly due to the hungrie Woe to them saith Amos that eate the Lambes of the stocke and the Calues of the stall and drinke wine in boules but are not sorrie for the affliction of Ioseph And as in breaking of our bread wee should consider the want of the hungrie so likewise the true causes of their want for that which our blessed Sauiour sayd of the Eunuch Math. 19. 12. may bee well applyed vnto the poore Some bee borne so some made so by others and some haue made themselues so Some borne poore namely beggers children vnregarded fatherlesse orphants especially such as are Creeples or blind Some made poore by others and that either by the cruell oppression of men as they whose Landes and estates haue been deuoured by byting vsurie tedious sutes in Law cunning and crafty bargaines Or by the iust hand of God as the wounded souldâ—…er in the quarell of his Country the banckrout Merchant in suffering shipwracke the decayed husbandman by fire consuming his goods by murreyne consuming his cattle by Catterpillers and mildewes consuming his fruits by grieuous plagues sicknesse vexing himselfe and the rest of his Family some be made poore by themselues as the riotous spend all and idle get-nothing Now they which are made poore by some great disaster are to bee relieued before those which haue made themselues poore by their own disorder The very Barbarians vsed no little kindnes to Paul and his company who suffered shipwracke Acts. 28. Seneca though hee neuer learned Christ as wee yet hee could not but exceedingly deplore the lamentable destruction of Lions in France consumed in one night sticke stone by fire Vna tantum nox interfuit inter ciuitatem maximam et nullam At night that Citty was none which in the morning was non-such Quis taliafando temper et à lachymis what man is so banckrout of good nature senslesse of miserie but is readie to doe good to those of Gods house which haue suffered insupportable losses by wind and water and fire whose very Mercies as Solomon sayd of the wicked are Cruelties As the Schoolemen say that there is ignorantia vincibilis and inuincibilis an ignorance which a man is able to conquer and an ignorance which hee cannot ouercome So there be 2. kindes of pouertie a vincible pouertie which a good man ouercomes by his industrie and an inuincible pouertie that no man is able to resist or repayre for as the Scripture speaketh it commeth vpon him as one that trauaileth and as an armed man So suddenly so strongly that no labour or dolour is able to withstand it As for example the diligent Merchant runneth his Ship into the furthest end of the world to get goods and gold Impiger extremos currit mercator ad Indos Per mare pauperiem fugiens per saxa per ignes So the painefull artificer to prouide for his family riseth vp early and goes to bed lately eating the bread of carefulnesse as the Prophet speakes Psal. 127. 3. So the toyling labourer to sustaine his poore charge worketh vntill hee bee ready to sleepe for very wearinesse and then in his sleepe hee dreames of his worke Yet of ten times it comes to passe that these diligent honest actiue men are not able sufficiently to releiue their houshold without helpe from others And therefore let vs in breaking our bread remember Solomons aduise Cast thy bread vpon the waters super aquas transeuntes as it is in the vulgar latine not vpon standing waters vpon such as either stand in the Market or sit in the Tauerne all the day idle But vpon the stirring waters vpon industrious labourers in a lawfull occupation or office Let the prodigall a little while feed on huskes
heere distinguish betweene Image and likenesse Saint Basil in Hexam Hom. 10. Ambrose lib. De dignitate conditione humanae Lomb. 1. sent Dist. 16. and Aquin. vpon our text referre Image to the naturall giftes of the soule will vnderstanding memory but likenesse to the supernaturall gifts of grace holinesse and righteousnesse which occasioned Eucherius to say Imago est omnium similitudo paucorum Aquine doth auow that Gods Image may be seene in the most admirable frame of the body but the likenesse in our mindes onely For as Bernard obserues the mind of man is properly Gods similitude wherein there be three powers or faculâ—…ies Memory Vnderstanding Will. In our memory wee resemble God the Father which is the ancient of dayes Dan. 7. 9. In our vnderstanding God the Sonne in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge Colos. 2. 3. in our will God the holy Ghost by whom his grace worketh all in all 1. Cor. 12. 6. The which opinion Augustine fauoureth in his 102. Epistle and S. s Ambrose in his Treatise concerning mans dignity saith as the Sonne is begotten of the Father and the Holy Spirit proceedeth from both euen so the will is begotten as it were by the vnderstanding and memory proceedes from both Now beloued howsoeuer it be true that these naturall giftes of reason and supernaturall giftes of grace were conferred by God vpon man in his creation Yet if wee compare one Scripture with another it will appeare that Moses here makes no difference betweene likenesse and Image But that as Caluin and u other obserue they doe signifie the same thing For in the next verse without any mention of the word likenesse it is sayd that God created man in his Image in the Image of God created hee him And in the 5. Chapter at the 1. verse without any mention of the word Image God created Adam in the likenesse of God made he him And so the meaning of our text in our Image according to our likenesse is nothing else but in our Image which is likest vs. As if the Lord had sayd let vs make man in our Image that he may be as a creature may be like vs and the same his likenesse may bee our Image But wee shall vnderstand more fully what is Gods Image by considering in what part of man it was placed u Audius the founder of the monstrous Anthropomorphite heresie supposed it was placed in the figure of the body which lest happily there should be raysed any wicked errour which they would not acknowledge for their owne the Papistes are content to like well and defend in whose Churches and other places of deuotion it is euery where to find the likenesse of God the Father depictured vpon their walles and windowes in the figure of a man As if they had learned of Zeuxis to draw his Physiognomy and they professe it lawfull both to haue such Images and to worship them also from our text that God created Adam in his likenesse But it is a strange peruersenesse quoth Tertullian aduersus Marcion Lib. 2. Cap. 27. To thinke that there are humane thinges in God rather then diuine thinges in man and to conceiue of God to haue the Image of a man rather then a man to haue the Image of God Other affirme that the likenesse of God is placed in the mind only For saith Ambrose who sayd let vs make man in our Image Was it not God and what is God flesh and bones or a spirit Christ answereth in the 4. of S. Iohn at the 24. verse God is a spirit Ergo man is like to God as being endued with an vnderstanding spirit But because God created the whole man in his Image consisting of a body made of the dust of the ground and of a soule that was the breath oâ—… life which being vnited by the spirit became a liuing soule It is euident so farre as their seuerall nature could conteine that God creaâ—…ed in that Image both body and soule But as waxe is more apt then clay to receiue a print So the soule being a spirit was much more capable of the impression of the Image of God Yet that which the body could receiue it did in very notable sort expresse being so wonderfully framed of such an excellent proportion and beauty that no creature in the world may be compared with it and moreouer of so sound a temperature that had not Adam sinned it would haue continued without corruption for euer But the soule being a spirit as God is a spirit it is apter a great deale to beare Gods Image For in the very substance of the soule there is a liuely print thereof not as though the soule were of the substance of God for as Augustine pithily distinguisheth it is 〈◊〉 deo non de deo But first in that it is a substance spirituall and immortall as God is the liuing God Heb. 10. 31. Secondly for that it is indued with vnderstanding and memorie which are the very character of Gods wisdome Thirdly in respect of quicknesse and agility conceiuing at one time so many matters so different so farre distant which is the shadow of Gods vbiquity But St. Paul in saying man was in the beginning created after the Image of God in knowledge Colos. 3. 10. And the same in righteousnesse and holinesse Ephes. 4. 24. Shewes plainely that this Image consists not so much in the substance of the soule or in the naturall faculties thereof as in the supernaturall giftes of grace knowledge illumination holinesse Iustice of the soule For Adam had an illuminated vnderderstanding and a rectified will louing God aboue all things and his neighbour as himselfe The two wordes of S. Paul Holinesse and Righteousnesse conteine mans whole duty holinesse his duty to God righteousnesse his duty to man In this Image man was created and so consequently this Image consists in the soule more then in the body and in the supernaturall graces of the soule more then in the naturall powers of the soule For 1. If this Image consisted onely in the soules spirituall essence then it would follow that wicked spirits and wicked men should haue Gods Image because the substance of the spirit and soule remaineth in them but the scripture teacheth expresly that the wicked haue not Gods Image but the deuils stampe So Christ affirmed of Iudas haue not I chosen you twelue and one of you is a deuill and S. Peter when he committed a foule fact come behind me Sathan Mat. 16. 23. and of the Pharisees yee are of your father the deuill Iohn 8. 44. And the text is plaine 1. of Iohn 3. 8. he that committeth sin is of the deuill 2. God cannot properly be sayd to damne his owne Image or to send it into hell fire but the soules of reprobate sinners are damned Ergo this Image is not altogether in the soules substance that Image saith Ambrose wherein
quoth he would chuse rather to throw my selfe into hell then commit one foule fact onely But St. Paul affirmes plainly Heb. 10. 31. That it is a fearefull thing to fall into the handes of the liuing God g Answere is made by distinction almighty God hath marring or destroying handes Of which hands St. Paul there speakes againe making handes Psal. 119. 73. Thine handes haue made me protecting handes Iohn 10. 28. no man saith the Shepheard of our soules shall plucke my sheepe out of my handes and sauing handes Luke 23. 46. Father into thy hands I commend my spirit Of which Dauid here speakes Or as other in this world while there remaines hope for pardon it is better to fall into the handes of God But in that blacke day when once the sentence of condemnation is past it is an horrible thing to fall into his handes for with the froward hee will bee froward Psalm 18. 26. Dauid here speakes of a punishment which is temporall on earth at the most enduring but three dayes But S. Paul there speakes of a payne which is eternall in hell inflicted by such an aduersary which is euerliuing and so consequently his Iudgements in that dungeon of torture can neuer dye Or as other it is better for one who sinnes against God and contemnes the riches of his mercies esteeming the blood of his Couenant where-wherewith he was sanctified an vnholy thing despiting the spirit of grace crucifying Christ againe and trampling him vnder his feet I say for such a reprobate who dyeth in his sinnes It is better to fall into the handes of man who can onely kill the body but hath not power to destroy the soule But for one that sinnes and as Dauid here repents of his sinne from the bottom of his heart It is better for to fall into the handes of God Or in playner termes if it be possible God hath two handes one of Iustice another of Mercy To fall into his hand of Iustice an horrible thing Of that hand Iob sayd Chap. 13. 21. Withdraw thine hand farre from mee The fingers of that hand wrote terrible thinges vpon the wall of Belshazers pallace Dan. 5. But to fall into his hand of mercy full of comfort bâ—…cause his mercies are great Now S. Paul in that place meaneth punishments inflicted by the Lord as an angry Iudge But Dauid in this place meaneth chastisements imposed by the Lord as an indulgent father in loue for the amendments of his children This rubbe being remooued and the passage made cleare let vs proceed in the wayes of our text And that as the blessed Apostle speakes with a right foote In the resolution of Dauid chusing the pestilence rather then famine or the sword Interpreters obserue many notable vertues as first his Iustice For had he chosen famine that would haue pinched onely the poorest himselfe would haue fared well And if hee had chosen warre that would haue destroyed onely the weakest Or if the fury thereof had ouerrunne most of the other yet he might haue set a safeguard to defend his owne person and so preserue his owne skin from the dint of the sword and print of the speare But hauing beene partaker with his subiects in their sinne hee would not exempt himselfe from the punishment He chose therefore the plague which is common Et regt et gregi to Prince to people to Peere to poore The hand must bee equall that handles the scale Princes are sometimes partiall in distributing Iustice betweene subiect and subiect But in a cause concerning their owne particular so well as the generall of their people not to shew more of the party then of the King as Dauid in this answere to Gad is admirable Iustice. Well fare his heart who sayd Diuines are to blame who write Cases of conscience for priuat persons and teach exactly what account shopkeepers are to make for false wares and idle words and in the meane time neglect exorbitant errours of higher powers and potentates And it is a good quaere whether it bee not grosser Idolatry to preferre reason of states before the principles of piety then to worship the golden calfe or Nabuchodonosors Image Dauid vnderstood that hee was obliged to God doubly first that he made him a man Secondly in that he made him a little God to rule ouer other men a finger as it were of that great hand that gouerns al the world as then he stood in Gods place so did he follow Gods paterne as God is righteous in all his wayes so hee desires to deale iustly with all men in all things Hee respects the ship of the common weale more then the cock-boat of his owne fortune and therefore would not haue the whole burden of the punishment to be layd vpon his people but with bowed knee stoupes to beare his part saying Let vs fall into the hand of God shewing himselfe so forward to suffer as he was to sinne Secondly Diuines obserue Dauids humility laying no fault vpon his subiects their sinnes he knew not his owne he knew for which he had iustly deserued this plague The text telleth vs at the 10. verse That after hee numbred the people for which all this tempest arose His heart smote him and hee sayd vnto the Lord I haue greatly sinned in that I haue done And now I beseech thee O Lord take away the iniquity of thy seruant for I haue done very foolishly and at the 17. verse Loe I haue sinned and done wickedly but these sheepe what haue they done That is the people being innocent as Sheepe what haue they done that they should thus suffer I pray thee let thine hand be vpon mee and against my fathers house Hugo de Sancto victore Tostatus and other auow that the people did offend in numbring the souldiers as much if not more then Dauid First because they did not entreat Dauid to forbeare this muster at this time being needlesse saying as Ioab the generall of the host in the 3. verse Why doth my Lord the King delight in this thing Secondly because being numbred they did not offer vnto the Lord his due for the law saith Exod. 30. 12. When thou takest the summe of the children of Israel after they be numbred euery man shall giue a ransome for his soule to the Lord when thou numbrest them that there be no plague among them when thou numbrest them It was according to the law for the magistrate to number Israel as we read Num. 1. 2. But it was against the Law for the people being numbred to neglect their offerings For the better vnderstanding of this hystory let vs if you please renew that text againe When thou takest the summe The word in Hebrew signifieth Head because the summe totall howsoeuer it bee placed at the foot of our account yet indeed it is the head of the number or Head That is the summe of the heades of
but in this matter all our care must be cast vpon the Lord who being a iealous God will not giue his glory to another nor his prayse to grauen images Esay 42. 8. O Nabuchodonosor we will shew by deeds that it is better to obey God then man In reason as well as in religion a true proposition is to bee granted a false to bee denyed only the doubtfull and probable to bee disputed humane demonstrations and diuine testimonies are without controuersie the lawes of the Medes are not alterable much lesse the commandements of God questionable So Balum answered the seruants of Balack If Balack would giue me his house full of siluer and gold I can not gâ—…e beyond the word of the Lord my God to doe lesse or more So Ioseph answered his want on mistresse How can I doe this great wickednesse and so sinne against God The breach of the â—…east commandement in the second table concerning our neighbours is a sinne but a transgression of the first table concerning our duty to God a greater offence For as Bernard and other diuines obserue God hath in old time dispensed with some precepts of the second table as in bidding Abraham to kill his sonne Isaac contrary to the 6 commandement and in suffering the Fathers to haue many concubines contrary to the 7. commandement and in aduising his people to rob the wicked Egyptians of their iewels contrary to the 8 commandement Put God who can not deny himselfe neuer yet dispensed with any commandement of the first table touching his true worship and holinesse and therefore Shadrach Meshach and Abednego delighting in the law of the Lord and exercising themselues in it day and night and vnderstanding that it saith expresly thou shalt haue no other gods and thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen Image resolued instantly constantly that they would neither serue the false gods of Nabuchodonosor nor yet adore his golden image Cyprian the blessed Martyr in the like case gaue the like answere for being tempted to forsake the trueth of religion he replyed as Augustine reports in re tam sancta nulla deliberatto telling the Proconsull Paternus to his beard I am a christian and a Bishop I know no gods but one that is the true liuing God who created heauen and earth and all that is therein So Martyn Luther in the spirit of Elias by fire from heauen vsed to say that the principles of faith are like a Mathematicall poynt which admits neither ademption nor addition in such a case quoth hee God assisting I am and euer will bee stout and sterne herein I take vpon mee this title Cedonulli So the good Ignatius of his age Dr. Rouland Taylor when his friends aduised him as Peter did his master pitty thy selfe answered I shall neuer be able to doe God so good seruice as now I know that the papacy is the kingdome of Antichrist and that all the doctrine thereof euen from Christs crosse be my speed vnto the end of their apocalyps is nothing else but idolatry superstition errors hypocrisie lyes So the renowned Prelate Iohn Iewel I deny my learning I deny my Bishopricke I deny my selfe only the faith of Christ and trueth of God I can not deny with this faith or for this faith I trust I shall end The schismaticks in loosing their liuings and the Papists in loosing their liues are both exceeding resolute but it is not the crosse but the cause that makes the Martyr the Romanists are not questioned for seruing the true God but for their worshipping their false gods and for adoring 〈◊〉 lord god the Pope they bee not conâ—… as they say because Iesuites but on the 〈◊〉 because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Our blessed Iesus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God euen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Augustine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2â—…8 Whose foote stood vpon 〈◊〉 and the top reached vp to heauen But the papists haue 〈◊〉 this 〈◊〉 saints and angels at the foote with the merits of their owne works and so they make Christ Iesus our only mediatour 1. Tim. 2. 5. but halfe a mediatour and halfe a Sauiour halfe a mediatour because the Saints are ioynt patrons with him and halfe a Sauiour because themselues are ioynt purchasers with him in the worke of their saluation Irenaus writeth of certaine humorous fellowes who called themselues Emendatores apostolorum apostle-menders and so these men are correctors of the scriptures accounting Saint Paul a very Lutheran for teaching iustification by faith only So likewise Schismaticks in our Church are not questioned for articles of doctrine but for poynts of discipline for matter of ceremonie not substance As then Aristides who dyed of the bite of a weazell exceedingly lamented because it was not a lyon so the brethren of diuision and other of their alliance may grieue that they do not smart for the lyoÌ„ of Iuda but for a siely weasel latelyâ—…rept out of the Alps which at the first crouded in among vs at a little hole but since being pampered at the tables of diuerse rich men is growen so full and pursie that many will rather forsake Gods plâ—…gh and looke backe to the world then acknowledge he came in at so narrow an entrance Manners as it is in the prouerbe makes the man and so it is the matter that makes the Mâ—…rtyr as the 3 children in our text O Nabuchodonosor wee are not carefull to answere theâ—… in this matter Yea but iâ—… is the King that 〈◊〉 and the proclamation of a King is like the roaring of a lyon and with him as wee find in the forepart of this chapter are ioined the Nobles Princes and Dukes the Iudges the receiuers and all the gouernours of the prouinces why then are Shadrach Meshach and Abednego recusants and singular in their opinions especially considering on the one side their danger and on the other side their duty Lawyers and Diuines and great clearkes in other professions often are ready to speake good of euill and euill of good prostituting their tongues and pens and wits and wils all that they haue goods honour bodies soule to serue the times and turnes of Princes If the King bid kill they kill If he say spare they spare If hee bid smite they smite If hee bid make desolate they make desolate beating downe mountaines and walles and towres amplifying or extenuating euery thing for the pleasing of his humour and aduancing of his honour It is thought by St. Hierome and other that the golden Image set vp here by Nabuchodonosor was his owne Statua so vaine was his impiety that being dust and ashes as a clod of clay in the hand of the potter he did notwithstanding ambitiously desire to bee worshipped as a God opposing as it were this image which himselfe made to that image which appeared vnto him in a dreame by Gods appointment and immediatly his plot tooke for as we read in this chap. at the
his merite Luke 18. For blessed is the man that feareth alway but hee that trusteth in his owne heart is a foole Prouerbs 28. 26. Seeke not to the strength of your owne purse doe not sacrifice to your owne net make not gold your hope saying to the wedge of gold thou art my confidence for riches auaile not in the day of wrath noâ—… helpe in the time of vengeance Seeke not to the blessed spirits of iust men in heauen for Abraham is ignorant of vs and Israel knoweth vs not Esay 63. 16. They doe not vnderstand our wants in particular howsoeuer vndoubtedly solicitous for our good in generall grant they did clearely see what we lacke and that they be so well able as willing to helpe yet because the Scriptures afford neither precept nor promise nor paterne for inuocation in this kind seeking to the dead saints is an open iniurie to the liuing God at the best it is wil-worship at the worst adoring of old saints is an adopting of new sauiours To summe vp all in a word with our Prophet in the 73 Psalme verse 14. Whom haue I in heauen but thee and there is none vpon earth that I desire in comparison of thee all other hopes and helpes are miserable comforters in respect of thee which art a present helpe in trouble vnder the shadow of thy wings will I reioyce my soule hangeth vpon thee mine eyes are euer looking vnto thee to the throne of grace will I goe boldly that I may find mercy thou Lord art my strength and onely refuge thy face will I seeke euermore Hugo Cardinalis vnderstandeth here by Gods face that happinesse which is euerlasting in heauen They who seeke for Gods temperall blessings onely seeke his hinder parts as it were but they who first seeke the kingdome of God and the righteousnesse thereof are sayd to seeke his priora because potiora the multitude who followed Christ in the 6. of S. Iohn for loaues and not for loue sought Gods hinder parts only but the blessed Apostle who sayd I forget that which is behind and endeauour my selfe vnto that which is before following hard toward the marke for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesu sought Gods face euermore Temporall goods as riches and honour are the blessings of Gods left hand but length of dayes that is euerlasting life the blessings of his right hand Prouer. 3 16. New creatures in Christ and new men are like the new Moone when the Moone decreaseth it is close aboue open below but when it increaseth it is open aboue close beneath euen so beloued if our mindes as nature framed our hearts are close downeward vsing the world as if wee vsed it not and enlarged vpward in seeking the things aboue then as S. Paul speakes our conuersation is in heauen and as Dauid here we seeke Gods face for euermore Arnobius and diuers moe by Gods face doe vnderstand Christ Iesus as being the brightnesse of Gods glorie and expresse character of his person Heb. 1. 3. And as our Prophet Psalm 67. vers 1. The light of his countenance God is manifested in his sonne as a man is knowen by his face for no man saith our Lord commeth vnto the Father but by me Iohn 14. 6. I am the way the trueth and the life non est quà eas nisi per me non est quò eas nisi ad me as Augustine sweetely Christ is the beginning of blessed and heauenly vision and therefore the way the meane and therefore the trueth the end and therefore the life No man knowes the Father saue the Sonne and to whomsoeuer the Sonne will open him It is true that we may see Gods hinder parts by the light of nature for the power of God is manifested in the creation of the world the heauens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handy worke but we cannot see Gods face that is the most vnsearchable riches of his mercy but in by his Son only none know the Father that is a distinction of the Persons in the Sacred Trinity but by the reuelation of God the Sonne in whom are hid all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge Coloss. 2. 3. Or none know that God is their Father but by the spirit of the Sonne crying in our hearts Abba Father Galat. 4. 6. Wee speake the wisdome of God in a mysterie quoth Paul which none of the Princes of this world knew Hoc magnus Plato nesciuit eloquens Demosthenes ignorauit saith Hierome deepe Plato was altogether ignorant eloquent Demosthenes was vtterly silent in this argument they being secretaries of nature groped after God and found out also so much of him as may serue to condemne them but wee blessed are the eyes that see the things which we see seeking God in his Sonne in whom he is well pleased vnfainedly beleeue that he is our Father and that we are his children and further his heires euen heires annexed with Christ in his kingdome of glorie Rom. 8. verse 16. 17. The Turke seekes not God aright for that he seekes him in Mahumet the Iew seekes not God aright for that he seekes him in a Messias which is yet to come the Popeling seekes not aright for that he seekes him in moe Mediatours then one the Hereticke destroying either the natures of Christ or offices of Christ seekes not God aright the carnall Gospeller and worldling seekes not God aright for although he professe Christ in word yet in his workes he denieth him and the power of his Gospel as Augustine pithily the difference betweene an Hereticke and a bad Catholicke is briefly this the one is an Hereticke in his faith and the other is an Hereticke in his manners Lord shew vs the light of thy countenance that is indue vs with true knowledge of thy word and with a liâ—…ely faith in thy Sonne which is thine owne Image that so wee may seeke thy strength and see thy face euermore It is euident by the first of the Chronicles 16. Chap. That Dauid was authour of this Hymne and that it was indited for Asaph to be sung when the Lordes Arke was placed in the mids of the Tabernacle that Dauid had pitched for it and therefore most expositours interpret here Gods face to be Gods Arke by which hee declared his poweâ—… and presence fauour and goodnes toward his people So we read 2 Chron 6. 41. Psal. 63. 3. Psal. 78. 61. Psal. 132. 1. Arise O Lord into thy resting place thâ—… and the Arke of thy strength The like is sayd of Gods holy Temple that it was his house Esay 56. 7. His amiable dwelling place Psal. 84. 1 Yea the very chamber of his presence Psal. 95. 2. Let vs come before his presence with thankesgiuing And they who worshipped in the Courts of the Lord are sayd to stand and appeare before him as Deut. 16. 16. Three times in the yeere shall all
in generals often in particulars euery man almost is a good ludge in Thesi but not in Hypothesi thou wilt in Thesi say that murther is a crying sin drunkennes a stinking vice whoredome as the Pharisees here worthy to be punished with death but in Hypothesi descend from the generall to the particular and then the case quoth Ployden is altered the murther committed by thee was full of honour and fayre thy drunkennes was but good fellowship thy want onnesse but a tricke of youth example hereof in the 2. of Sam. 12. Dauids anger was greatly kindled against the rich man who tooke from the poore man his only lambe As the Lord liueth the man that hath done this thing shall surely dye But when once the Prophet told him to his beard thou art the man his heart instantly smote him and he sayd I haue sinned against the Lord. The refractarie spirits of the towne censure the Church and the Church hath happily those that censure the town the countrey peraduenture doth censure both there be Criticks in this age which either out of the bitternesse of spirit or spirit of bitternesse as Augustus Caesar taxe all the world but I say to you beloued as Christ here to the Pharisees he that is without sinne let him cast the first stone Cedat huic sententiae pietas Christianorum cui cessitimpietas Iudaeorum cedat humilitas obsequentium cui cessit superbia persequentium as Augustin exhorteth in 54. Epist which is to Macedonius But the patterne concerneth especially Ministers of the word intimating that they should bee very cautelous in answering their aduersaries and circumspect in all their wayes toward those that are without our enemies are mighty and many we need therefore to beg of God as Solomon did an vnderstanding heart that wee may bee wise like serpents in defending our selues albeit simple like doues in offending others it is written of Laurentius Medices that famous Florentine that hee had two men in him as being a playne and pleasant man at home but a stoute man and a prudent in the Senate Christ would haue his disciples to be like children not in vnderstanding but as Paul construeth him in malitiousnesse 1. Cor. 14. 20. It is not sayd the kingdome of heauen is of children but of such is the kingdome of heauen Matth. 19. 14. Not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Chrysostome obserues of such as are children in meekenesse albeit men in ripenesse of iudgement But why should any Doctour haue a tongue to speake where the spirit hath not a pen to write quod lego credo We build our saith vpon the scriptures of God and not vpon the coniectures of men And therefore seeing the spirit did not reueale to S. Iohn nor S. Iohn expresse to the Church nor the Church deliuer to vs what it was our blessed Lord here wrote with his finger I say with Tertullian in this case nihil scire omnia scire est To know nothing is to know all and with Ambrose quod scripturarum authoritate non didici quà si secretum praetereo Confessing with Augustine that there is a learned ignorance taught by the spirit of wisedome and with Salutanus the desire to know that which Almighty God would haue hidden it is a kind of sacriledge And vpon these premises I conclude with x Euthymius y Caluin z Maldonat a Gualter and b many moe that Christ here wrote nothing at all only seemed to write that he might expresse by this gesture his distast of their idle question and that hee did not attend their captious cauilling as men vse when they disregard vnsauourie speeches and vaine prattle to strike the ground with their staffe to play with their gloues or to write with their fingers in the aire manifesting by these behauiours and the like contempt and scorne Yet I beleeue this to be so not because these Doctors say so but as the Samaritane in the fourth of S. Iohns Gospel at the 42 verse because wee haue heard himselfe construe himselfe so for saith our Euangelist according to the last and best English Translation herein agreeing with diuerse Greeke copies as Beza reportes He stooped downe and with his finger wrote on the ground as though he heard them not 2 If Christ had written any sentence concerning the Pharisees they would rather haue framed a reply then continued asking 3 It is not easily granted that Christ would stoope downe againe to write that which he had written before 4 Had Christ written any remarkeable saying it is probable S. Iohn here would haue reported and repeated it But as whatsoeuer things are written are written for our learning So this not written is for our instruction also teaching vs by this example that we need not answere cauils obiected by schismaticks and Hereticks in all things and at all times not in all things for Aristotle telleth vs it is absurde to reforme ridiculous opinions accuratly the best answere to words of scorne is Isaacks Apology to his brother Ismael the Apology which patience and silence makes our answere sayd reuerend Hooker to their reasons is no to their scoffes nothing Not at all times for there is a season and an opportunity for euery purpose when our blessed Lord was on the Crosse the Iewes mocked him If thou be the Sonne of God and King of Israel come down from the Crosse saue thy selfe But he did answere nothing because it was tempus patiendi non faciendi His work was now to suffer not to do to be crucified and not magnified And so when his aduersaries here would haue him censure this adultresse he doth intimate that his houre was not yet come to condemne his worke was now to saue sinners and not to destroy distingue tempora et conuenient omnia Christ hath a three-fold comming into the world according to the three-fold distinction of time Past Present Future In time past as Bernard pithily venit ad homines He came to men in the time present venit in homines he commeth into men by his spirit In the time to come venit contra homines He shall come to iudge the quicke and the dead His first and second comming is to conuert sinners his third only to condemne he sayd therefore to the woman hath no man condemned thee neither doe I condemne thee goe thy way and sinne no more And this may serue for the resolution of the second question also touching what was written to fill vp the rest of the time remaining I might examine how the serpentine brood of Ignatius Loiola deuoted only to the name of Iesus imitate the person of Iesus in nothing He was stooping but it may be sayd of them as Henry the third of the hospitallers at Clearken well their extraordinary faculties and priuiledges haue made them rich their riches proud their pride madde impudently bragging that the Church is