is true is most euident First that the light of a true and vnfained Faith is aboue all the lights of worldly opinions for that whereas they haue the authoritie of humane Historyes this hath authoritie of diuine Scriptures whereas humane Faith hath the testimony of men of their vniuersities of learning diuine Faith hath the Prophets the Apostles Ioan. 4. 8. the Euangelistes the Martirs the Saincts the Angells the holy Church Christ the holy Ghost and God himselfe for their testimony the witnes of which is greater then of all others and therefore whereas that Faith alwayes doubteth this is stedfast cleare and certeine The light of a true Faith also is so cleare that it ouercoÌ„meth all natural light of vnderstanding so that the wise of this world do not sée with so great clearenesse the truth declared in the chiefe principles of their Sciences as the illuminate Christians doe the truth therefore reuealed and the articles of faith which humane reason can haue thorough the sinne of their first parents is weake féeble and blinde and the spirite in the regenerated is sounde strong full of light and cleare Seing then that whereas the light of humane reason is but naturall and purchased and therefore it is obscure blinde and grosse insomuch that it tosseth about like a wallet about ones neck But the light of Faith as that which is supernaturall inspired heauenly most pure cleare perfect and diuine lighteneth and pearceth thorough the whole soule They are therefore blinde and in a very darke night to whom the clearenesse of the Gospell doth not shine 2. Pet. 1. Rom. 13. 2. Cor. 4 1. Pet. 2. Math. 1. and we are 〈◊〉 to yéeld God most high thankes for that of his mâ—â—re grace we be called vnto so wonderful light which excéedeth all that any man is able to expresse As we sée in Ioseph in whom naturall reson perswaded that Mary was great with childe by the force and power of man and yet Faith preuailed in him so with a greater light that he beléeued that she had conceiued by the holy Ghost And further I saye that the light of Faith is so much greater then the light naturall that as the Sunne with the greatnesse of his light when it is in our Hemispherye darkeneth the light of the Starres so doth Faith darken all the light of humane wisedome The light of Faith is so high and so supreme that it is comprehended with it selfe And the same is so cléere and mightie that wicked reason and humane wisdome cannot conteine it but euen as in the morning when thou openest the windowes of thine house thou puttest out all the candells bicause that the Sunne being then risen aboue our Horizon pearceth with his bright beames and shineth euerye where so when Christ the Sunne of righteousnesse with the beames of a cleare Faith shall enter into our soules he shall quench in vs and diminish the light of humane wisedome and then we shall sée 1. Cor. 3. that our knowledge is ignoraunce and our wisedome foolishnesse And that we must néedes say more humane reason as a thing that is blinde lyke vnto a Bat or Flinder-mouse lyeth hidden in the darke crauyes of the creatures whereas a cléere Faith is lifted vp pearceth thorough and flyeth aboue all the heauens Humane reason séeth but a very few things Faith séeth all things that be necessarye and profitable to saluation Humane reason séeth not Ioan. 15. 14. but as it were thorough a thicke glasse windowe and therefore vnperfectlye and Faith lifteth vp it selfe aboue all vayne shaddowes of sensible things and séeth the sincere pure and euerlasting truth most perfectly Humane reason séeth the out-warde accidentâ—â— of things created and storye of the holy Scriptures albeit imperfectly and if it enter into the bowells thereof it is with a verye obscure knowledge that it maye bée easelye iudged howe weake féeble darke and imperfecte the opinion which it hath conceyued of the materiall sincere and eternall truth is whereas Faith with his cléere light doth not onely pearce in to the very marrow of the holy Scriptures Luc. 24. but séeth God and his secretes Humane reason séeth not but onely the things that be of this present lyfe where-as Faith hauing a farre greater light séeth those things which be of the other life and a great waye further off Humane reason hath not the light of things passed nor of things to come but by waye of a féeble coniecture where-as vnto a diuine Faith the things passed and the things to come be as certaine as the things that be present And finally where Faith sheweth vs God with so cleare a lyght then for his honour we leaue gladlye all riches plesures dignitie glory our own life our selues with yéelding our selues to all vexations and torments for the loue of him as we sée in the Martirs Humane reason as a thing that hath but a litle light of God maketh thée not to leaue the worlde for the loue of him well may it cause thée to leaue one part of the world for another but not to forsake it wholly for God The Sainctes would not so had forsaken all things if they had not had a greater light and feeling of God then of themselues and all creatures All the knowledge which worldly wise men haue depende vppon their thoughts and for that loue followeth knowledge therefore it doth necessarily follow also that all their loue dependeth on sensible things Being then that the foundation of humane creatures of all their loue and knowledge is of necessitie such that forsaking the world they forsake in themselues al light loue iudgement reason vertue and strength whereas inuincible Faith forasmuch as it is grounded onely in God in condempnations and in torments sheweth it selfe most cleare most constant and strong Likewise the things which we haue obiected before our eyes we do not see with such clearenesse as with the eyes of faith we do sée things which are in the other life Also how much more the spirite that beléeueth is noble and more perfite of the bodily eye which séeth and how much the more God to whom faith hath regarde is obiected more perfect mightie stedfast a present and déere friende to the soule which are thinges that can-not be séene with corporall eyes And further howe much the light of faith Ioan. 8. and of Christ the light of the worlde and the sonne of righteousnesse is more cleare then the light of the sunne so much with more clearenesse and certeintie is séene the trueth reuealed to them that haue perfect faith not according as we sée those thinges whiche are before our eyes for the corporall eye may be deceyued but so cannot the spiritual in the faith be deceiued for by the death of Christ all shadowes and figures are taken away with all vailes and couerings so that in Christ crucifyed we may plainely beholde God albeit not with such a great clearenesse as
his blessed Angels doe And what néede I speake any more although the light of the Church triumphant is more cleare then the light of the Church Militant 2. Cor. 3. Ephes 3. yet as Paul affirmeth the Angels haue had in some parte light from the Church Militant There is nothing therefore seene in this present lyfe of so great certaintie and clearenesse as the trueth which God hath reuealed vnto vs by the which we haue a lyuely true and perfect faith Thou wilt say as Paul saith faith is of thinges not appearing things that are séene are not beléeued and so also not hoped for therefore it cannot be seene with such clearenesse and certaintie as the thinges which be present before our eyes I aunswere and say that it is true whiche is written that is to say that Faith and likewise Hope are of thinges not appearing and of thinges whiche are not séene with corporall eyes nor with humaine reason nor yet in such sort as they are séene of the blessed neuerthelesse Faith and also Hope are of thinges appearing to the spirituall eyes of Faith whereby the trueth reuealed is seene with greater light and with a greater certaintie is hoped for then the thinges of this worlde Therefore Paul albeit he was in fruition of this present life yet as being certaine of his saluation and of the saluation of all the elect alreadie thorough Hope in possession of heauen sayed not we shal be saued but we are made safe thorough Hope Rom. 8. The light there-fore of Faith dimmeth all other lights of this present life Faith doubteth not if it be perfect yea it is firme stedfast safe and sure Thou wilt say but we sée in some respectes the contrary by experience that where as spirituall men doe often doubt of thinges supernatural the carnal doubt not but are cleare sure and certaine of thinges naturall as to know the Eclipse of the Moone and likewise the Sunne and howe the Rubarbe doth purge his choller and the trueth of other such like thinges also they are sure without doubting of those thinges which they haue before their eyes It might therefore be sayed that the light of Faith is lesser and therefore wauering or that it is true that in this worlde we haue no true Faith I aunswere and say that as the light of the Sunne dimmeth the light of a little canndle when it burneth so the light of Faith doth by other lights of this present life and yet notwithstanding as if one were in a darke prison where as the Sunne doth not enter with his light but onely by one little loope hoole he shoulde better sée with a candle being lightened the thinges that were in the prison then they coulde sée those thinges that bée abroade with so little a light of the Sunne euen so the soule which is inclosed in the bodie and in this worlde is as in a prison although it often times séeth better with the light of the Sunne and of carnal reason the thinges of this present life then those thinges of the other life with the light of Faith it is not for bicause that the light of Faith is not farre greater then other lightes but it is bicause we haue but a little light of Faith and great stoare of worldly lyght but if wee had as much light of Faith as wée haue of the light of the Sunne and of humane wisdome wée woulde not doubt Therefore when we doe make iudgement of naturall thinges and of those things whiche wee haue before our eyes we doubt not bicause we haue nothing to gainsay vs but when we be lifted vp to secreat things supernaturall by and by humaine wisedome exalteth it selfe in vs where vnto for as much as it is connaturall together with vs we doe giue great credite and then it beginneth with reasons to gainesay Faith wherefore it is no great maruell if we oftentimes doubt But to conclude as Charitie is in it selfe more perfect then all worldly loues so the light of Faith is more cleare then all the lightes of this present life It is also true that as to that blinde man Mark 8. to whom Christ gaue sight at the first men séemed to him lyke trées and that not for defecte of light but thorough the ill disposition of the member So when GOD doth beginne to giue vs of his light and to open the treasures of his diuine secreates vnto vs yet oftentimes we doe not sée plainlye the trueth not for defecte of the light of Faith but bicause the eye of the minde being turmoyled also with worldly thinges is not in order to sée the sincere and pure trueth of God The light then of Faith is greater then all other lights of this present life yea with-out it we be in darkenes and when we begin to beléeue then God openeth vnto vs the Heauens with reuealing to vs his diuine secreates as it appeareth by Christ when he was baptised and sheweth vs the truth with this so cleare light Matth. 3 that they that haue a true perfect faith do not care for any other humaine reason nor miracles Gal. 1. Also with Paul they séeke not to be better clarified to compare their Faith with the Saintes and all is thorough the great inward light which they haue Seing then that the light of Faith is so cleare and great let vs pray vnto the Lorde that he woulde giue it vs so that seeing his goodnesse we may giue him al praise honour and glory thorough Christ Iesus our Lorde Amen What thinges a Christian is bounde to beleeue Sermon 4. THe first and chiefest summe of things necessarie for a Christian man to beleue consisteth first in that he beleeueth in God It is not needefull for thy saluation that thou comprehend God as he comprehendeth himselfe Neither needest thou so to sée him in thy selfe in this present life as the Angels doe Mat. 13. But it is néedefull that thou beleeue in God Therefore it is not sufficient for thee to say the Créede as if it were an Oration nor yet doth it suffice for thy iustification that without Faith thou make confession of all that is contained in the said Créede but thou must beléeue Neither sufficeth it to haue a certaine humaine barren Rom. 10. idle colde deade and purchased opinion of those thinges which be of God but we must haue a Faith inspired and a supernaturall light and therefore we must first beleue in God Here we may sée howe that Faith is most full of light for where as humaine reason beginneth belowe at sensible thinges and thereby is forced to lift vp it selfe vnto those thinges that may be vnderstoode Faith contrariwise beginneth on highe at God and then descendeth to thinges belowe But vnderstand that it is not ynough to haue a certaine deade opinion of God that he is and that he is God as euery bodie hath but thou must beléeue liuely not onely that he is God in
honour glorie thorough Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen ¶ Of the triumph of Faith Sermon xiiii THere is not founde in the world a more weak creature then man wheÌ„ he is without fayth for that not onely a séely womaÌ„ wil make him hir prisoner so that he cannot be master of himselfe but being a slaue also of his immoderate affectitions passsions shall euer be turmoyled offended disquieted and tumnbled on the waueringe whéele of vayne shaddowes of the worlde So that as a féeble and vnarmed straunger who trauayleth alone thorough a thick darke woode full of most cruell wilde beastes and theeues if he doth but perceiue a bough wagge he trembleth for feare Euen so a man whilest that he maketh his course in this preseÌ„t life if he be wtout faith he is afraid of euery thing he cannot be safe by any meanes he hath all the diuells for his enemyes the world the flesh and himselfe Hée is ready to distrust in God in men he ought not trust yea he is afraide euen of himselfe and this bicause not hauing God by him he hath the contrarye and hée to whom God is an enemie Luc. 11. to him euery thing is hurtfull like as euery creature is profitable to them who haue God for their friend I would not now thou shouldest thinke that God had in the beginning created man so feeble and imperfect as hée is nowe Rom. 8. Forasmuch as like as in all other perfections he made him superiour to euerye creature lykewise also in power so that bearing rule ouer all other nothing could hurt him he was full of God and of his vertue Gen. 1 But after that by sinne man was seperated from God he lost that perfect vertue And albeit that God assisteth euery creature yet he leaueth him the bridle vpon his necke after that distrusting him he presumeth of himselfe wherfore he remaineth feeble and impotent and so much the more as that falling from that high diuine libertie hée remayneth bounde with the yron cheynes of humaine affections and is plunged in the myrie puddle of this worlde in which hée shoulde still euer haue bene if the sonne of God putting vppon him our frayle flesh had not vnited himselfe to vs with communicating that his diuine vertue It is néedefull therefore for to bée strong Luc. 24. that wée bée lifted vp thorough fayth and béeing vnited to God by the meanes of Christ we doe embrace him as our owne and further with receiuing his spirit to bée clothed with his vertue And then béeing exalted aboue the vaine shadowes of this worlde hauing GOD for our God wée néede not feare saying with Paul if God be with vs who shall be against vs The faithfull haue God in them and therefore they be feared of all the vnfaithfull although they were armed with all the force of the world Ioan. 8. Gen. 21. Gen. 26. 1. Reg. 19 Mar. 6. Act. 5 1. Reg. 17 Luc. 4. Ioan. 18. Luc. 10. as is manifest in Abraham Isaac of whom Abimelech was afraide although concerning humane streÌ„gth he was far mightier And likewise Saul feared Dauid Herode Iohn Baptist At the presence also of the Apostles the Princes and chiefe men of the Iewes were amased He that is strong thorough Faith in God with Dauid careth not for worldly weapons and with Christ passing safely thorough the midst of his enimies euery thing giueth him place as the multitude of Iewes fell downe before Christ Faith is so mightie that he which is armed therewith throweth to ground the great Diuel and bringeth his kingdome to nothing 1. Pet. 1. wherefore Peter exhorteth vs to be strong in Faith Those which haue a liuely Faith in God if they were in the middest of all the aduersities of the world yet they should be altogether happye this bicause Act. 7. as Stephen did the Heauens being open and séeing Christ in their fauour they know that God is their father who hath so singular a care of them Rom. 8. that euery thing shal serue to their saluation Wherefore they liue without any seruile feare without suspition anguish vexation and worldly misery frée from all disdaine troubles aduersities and euills with Christ walking safe Ioan. 6. Dan. 5. vppon the raging waues of the sea of this present life can not be hurt But we be like vnto Peter bicause that when we be in a smal ship of worldly prosperitie we séeke sometimes to go vnto him vppon the waues of aduersities and afterwards when we be there for that we faint in Faith and distrust in our selues of diuine grace fearing not to denye him in persecutions we begin to be drowned therin 1. Ioan. 5. There is nothing that can ouercome the world but onely Faith God doth communicate his strength to those which beléeue yea he giueth them Christ with all his vertues graces victories triumphs and felicities he which beléeueth is found alwayes and in euery estate happy so that in pouertie hée is founde rich in persecution quyet in daungers safe in necessitie liberall in sicknesse hayle in infamie and dishonour of the world glorious and in miseries happy He â—â—â—weth that God is euer mercifull vnto him so much the â—â—re merciful as he hath the more neede When a man hath Faith he feareth not death yea seeing that to dye is none other but to passe into a more happy estate accounting death for life he séeketh and desireth for it with Paul Vnto him that beleeueth euery thing is possible Philip. 1 Mar. 11. inasmuch as he that walketh by Faith is moued with the spirite of God which bringeth to good successe euery enterprise that he taketh in hande yea to him that beléeueth euery thing is easie forasmuch as Faith easeth all labour and payne maketh lyght euery heauie thing and maketh swéete all things that be sowre as appeareth in the Martyrs vnto whom euen death was pleasaunt With the shielde of Faith we may defende our selues from the poysoned arrowes of the Diuells and make vs able to disdaine all theyr power and this bicause that such as haue Faith know that the Diuells can-not doe anye thing but what God will and so much the more as they sée that God kéepeth them and vseth them for instruments to his glorye and the felicitie of the elect Mat. 16. Rom. 5 Sinnes do not raigne in them doe not preuayle against them which by Faith be ingrafted in Christ there is none that can remaine with-out pricks of conscience but he that hath a liuely Faith whose sinnes be pardoned thorough Christ Faith then resisteth and vanquisheth all Ioan. 19. where an ignorant body although he vsed all his strength and were armed with all morall vertues he could not resist against the assaults and force of the world of the flesh and of the Diuell which appeareth in Pilate to whom being sayd that if he let goe Christ he should not be Caesars friend he being
ouercome with feare of the worlde as one that depended not vppon God but on Caesar gaue iudgement that he shoulde be crucified which he would not had done if he had had a true Faith in God Faith as that which is the mother of all vertues Mar. 28. includeth in it the strength of them all wherefore he that is armed with Faith is most mightie I will say moreouer that as Christ to whom the Father hath giuen al power in heauen and in earth can not be ouercome but ouercommeth and triumpheth ouer all so those who by Faith be vnited are his members and haue the selfe same spirit Heb. 11. are not onely inuincible but doe triumph ouer all Faith as a thing that is aboue nature and custome doth ouercome the concupiscences beateth downe to the ground vnbridled passions confoundeth carnall wisedome and mortifieth wholly the carnall man so that being borne again we doe chaunge our companyes friendships thoughts Mat. 2. desires wills manners and lyfe It appeareth by the wise men who came from the East how much Faith is able to doe séeing that when they hauing vnderstanding that Christ was borne immediately and without any difficultie leauing their pleasaunt countrey and all that they had they were moued to make so long a voyage And albeit not finding by the way but in darke Ierusalem that they were moued to séeke Iesus wisdome moued them that they should not follow the way any further yet Faith preuayling in theÌ„ they ceased not yea knowing how much it would displease Herode to vnderstand that the King of the Iewes was born they ceased not to confesse and say openly with zeale lybertie that Christ was borne with enquiring of the place and lastly vnderstanding with he ought to be borne in Bethlem although no body wil led them yet they ceased not to goe thether with the same zeale And their Faith was so perfecte that albeit he was founde in a rude and simple place and wrapped in simple clowtes theyr Faith didde not therefore fayle them but they worshipped him for the Sonne of GOD. Faith is so constant might ye and inâ—â—â—â—ble that if it sawe Christ dead vppon the Crosse in the middest of two Theeues forsaken of all men denyed scourged wronged it would in no wise be offended at him it would not faint but with the good Thiefe it would confesse him to be the Sonne of God oan 19. The vertue of Faith appeareth in Ioseph and Nicodemus seing that at such time as he coulde not with-out great daunger and shame shew himselfe a friend of Iesus being knowen for one of his louing Disciples craued of Pilate the body of Iesus and buried it honourably trusting to haue life by him who had séene death And that I must néedes more say Faith is so mightie that it ouercommeth euen God inasmuch as he is forced to doe vnto vs those graces which with a liuely Faith we are promised to haue of him otherwise it must néedes be said the the goodnesse of God were limitted and bounded out and so little that it could not aunswere to our hope Seing then that without Faith we be most féeble although we were young hayle armed with all worldly force and on the other side albeit we were without strength weake forsaken of al the world and further if all creatures were our enimies hauing true Faith in God we should be in euery respect so mightie the we should triumph ouer all the enimies of God Let vs pray him therefore that he would giue vs this Faith so that we my render to him all praise honour and glory thorough Iesus Christ our Lord Amen ¶ Of the triumph of the Truth Sermon 15. THe Truth is so mightie that not onely it cannot be extinguished nor ouercome but preuayleth alwayes against the enimyes thereoff and triumpheth aboue all things First it is so ful of force and strength that not only it cannot be extinguished it may well behidden for a time but it is neuer brought to confusion If it might be that in the world were no Faith that Charitie were quenched Iustice diminished Hope quyte dead and all other vertues brought to naught yet it were not possible that truth should faile inasmuch as if a matter hath bene once true it must néedes be that it be euer after true for that it hath bene a certeine time truth it is néedful necessary that it be truth euer after neither can it be contrary by any meanes If thou hast committed an offence it will alwayes be that thou hast coÌ„mitted it it wil neuer be possible that it shall be by thée vndone so likewise if thou hast done a vertuous deede it must be considered that we take heed of vitious déeds exercise our selues in works of vertue Truth then is without defect Rom. 1. it cannot be extinguished it well may for a time be hidden oppressed and buried by the wicked But whereas other vertues when they are oppressed be féeble many times do faint Truth when it is impugned or fought against awaketh it selfe taketh strength againe Esdr 3.4 and sheweth it selfe more manifest mightie and glorious Truth then as that which is inuincible not onely continueth safe and with-out anye feare in the middest of all the enimies and as being most mightie confoundeth and ouercommeth them all but also comforteth giueth a minde and strength to al those which loue it wil draw néere vnto it so that the innocent feareth not to appeare before the tribunall seate of Iustice yea he that hath truth on his side Psal 90. shall appeare safe before the Iudgement seate of God Truth alwayes kéepeth company with those that suffer thorough loue and giueth them Hope comforteth them bringeth them consolation it is a shield with which they may be defended from all the strikings and wounds of the world and moreouer it maketh persecutions pleasaunt causeth that in miseries they bée happy and lastly with discouering it selfe it doth not onely delyuer from false miseries but maketh men more glorious then euer they were Peraduenture thou wilt say that I might the better know the victories and triumphs of the truth I would know what thing truth is To this I say that as if thou diddest make a print on a lyttle péece of waxe with a seale and afterward hauing put this seale amongst many others within a while after wouldst séeke it out and know which it was the way should be to proue all with the print made in that waxe for in so doing no other seale would fit the print in all respects as the right seale which printed it that alone would fit it wherefore thou wouldest say I haue found the right feale which I sought So lykewise that thing is truth which fitteth the vnderstanding or true according to the very perfect propertie after some mens opinion which we haue of that thing and it is séene by experience that when a man goeth on séeking
cancelled and raced out quite the remembraunce of Christ God by meanes of his Prophets refreshed it agayne And lastly when the Scribes and Phareses with all their humaine traditions and Ceremonies concerning the face of Moses had darkend the glorye of Christ then the sonne of God appearing vpon the earth the Angells the shepheardes the starre the wise men Anna Symion discouered him to bée the Sauiour of the world Herode persecuted him euen to the death and hée then in giuing spirituall lyfe to the innocent shewed himselfe to be the lyfe of the worlde Sathan deuised that Iohn Baptyst should be in great reputation and reuerence with the Hebrewes for to darken the glory of Christ and then it came to passe that not onely Saint Iohn magnified Christ with saying Ioan. 1 beholde the Lambe of GOD which taketh awaye the sinnes of the worlde and sayde Hee is Christ Mat. 3 not I neither am I worthy to vnbuckle his shooes but also his Father from heauen declared vnto all the worlde that he was his beloued sonne The Diuell sought in the wildernesse to make him fall but hée remayned with confusion and vanquished The Scribes and Pharesies laboured with false reportes and slaunders to spotte his innocencie and Christ with his pure doctrine and holy lyfe shewed himselfe euerye daye more cléere bright and pure The Scribes and Pharesies laboured to perswade the people that Christ not onely was not the true Messias but that he was contrarye to the lawe and the Prophets and Christ with verifiyng in himselfe all the prophecies and with hauing in the mounte Thabor the testemonie of Helyas and Moses shewed all the contrarye How much the more they sought to kéepe close the diuinitie of Christ so much the more with myracles he shewed foorth the same Also howe much the more they sought to put downe his myracles so much the more they came to lyght At last they deuised with murmurings backbitinges infamyes with slaunders false accusations and witnesses with wicked iudgements with abuses beatinges with settinge him at naught as rybalde and with hanginge him vppon the Crosse betwéene two théeues as the principal and last they thought with so shamefull a death to extinguishe all his fame Ioan. 8. name creadite and reputation and then didde he most singulerlye shewe himselfe the lyght of the world and more full of force and power then euer before They buryed him with sealing vp the Sepulchre and watchinge it but thereby they made his resurrection so much the more meruaylous and glorious They corrupted the Souldyers with money to the intent they might saye that hée was not risen agayne but that his Disciples had taken awaye his bodye and CHRIT shewed himselfe to his Disciples risen againe And lastly when they had sought with all theyr power to subdue him then was hée glorious ascended into Heauen And for that they coulde not persecute him any more in the flesh therefore they beganne to persecute him in his elect with whome hée was still abidinge with his spirite Mat. 28 but on the daye which wée call Pentecoste hée so filled them with lyght zeale strength and grace that without any feare they beganne to preach openly they were forbidden with many threates by the Princes of the Iewes to preach Christ any more Act. 2. but they coulde not refrayne from it Act. 4. they sayde that they coulde not holde theyr peace of that which they had hearde and séene and it was more méete they shoulde obeye GOD then men They were oftentimes imprisoned with many iniuries beaten scourged and they with reioycing suffered all and gaue thankes to GOD Act. 5 that they were made worthy to suffer for CHRIST they went forth preachinge more vehementlye then euer they dyd before And lastly when the Iewes bicause they woulde hide the truth of the Gospell chased the Apostles out of Iewrye then was it that they beganne to preache thorough out all the world And albeit in euery place they were gaynesayde and forbidden yet the worlde coulde not withstande the wisedome giuen by God to his Apostles And lastly howe much the more Tyrauntes dyd séeke to extinguish and deface the truth of the Gospell Act. 28 with sheddinge the bloude of Martyres so much the more it shewed it selfe cléere brighte glysteringe famous mightie and glorious So that not onely the godly do serue to the glory of Christ but also the wicked against their wills Finally the Antechristians as those which be aboue all others the greatest enemyes of Christ haue deuised with all possible craft subtiltie peruersnesse malice deceite and strength to hide and quench out the cléere lyght of the Euangelicall truth and this with their such false doctrines humayne inuentions and diuellish approued with wonders wrought therefore as Paul sayth by Sathan 2. The. 2 with wicked Ceremonies and religions with hipocrisies and fayned holynesse with superstitions and Idolatryes dissemblinges flatteryes promises giftes and not sufficiencie false reportes infamies threateninges persecutions tyrannies and great cruelties and all vnder a shewe of goodnes And furthermore they haue laboured to bring to naught the fayth of Christ with al dishonestie simonie extortion treasons hatreds partialitie warres and sinnes of the worlde So that not many yeares since there was none vppon earth that had a true fayth in Christ Notwithstanding Luc. 10. for as much as truth is so mightie pure that how much the more it is fought against and withstoode it shineth the more therefore it must néedes be sayd and beléeued that like as the persecution agaynst Christ made by Antechrist and by his members hath bene the most wicked cruell and diuellish of all others Euen so the truth of the Gospell is made manifest with greater vertue brightnesse cléerenesse and light as nowe in this our time is séene such a beginning that euery one ought to take courage in confessing Christ without feare openly and so much the more as by fayth we knowe that Christ who is truth is euer present with his vertue and grace to all them which suffer for his loue He strengtheneth theyr mindes comforteth them ayedeth and giueth them strength hée maketh their persecutions pleasaunt and making them safe at last they doe triumph ouer all the enimies of God Séeing then that Christ who is truth not onely is inuinsible in himselfe and in his elect but vanquisheth ouercommeth and triumpheth ouer all Let vs indeuour our selues to embrace him with a supreme fayth for our owne and to haue him continually in our heartes so that preuaylinge agaynst all the enimyes of GOD wée maye render to our eternall Father all honour and glorye thorough Iesus Christ our Lorde Amen ¶ Of the meane how to bring to a vnitie all Faithes Religions and Sectes and chiefly the Papistes with the Protestants Sermon xvi LIke as there is not founde in the worlde any thing which is in it selfe more honest rich mery and fortunate to God more acceptable and
that he which hath that of necessitie is a good Christian he that is ignorant thereoff albeit he did al good works possible to be done hée could not be any other but an vngodly hipocrit If wée desire then that people might be vnited together in the true Faith let vs labour to draw them to the knowledge of Christ and let vs pray God to giue them lyght so that by him we may altogether render to the Father all praise honour and glory Amen How that the greater part of those that thinke themselues Christians in truth are none Sermon 17. IT is séene by experience that the desire to doe a thing helpeth much to the dooing thereoff When a scholemaster hath made a willingnesse to learne to come vnto his schollar he hath done that which is most necessary and hard And bicause I am desirous that euery one should be a good Christian I know that it were greatly profitable that men were willyng inasmuch as if one desire to become good he commendeth himselfe to God and goeth on séeking by all meanes and wayes that he possibly can for to be good But for bicause he can not hartely desire to be a good Christian if hée knoweth not how to discerne of a Christian yea this is one of the causes why there be so few good Christians for that euery body thinketh himselfe to be one therfore they be not chaunged so they doe interprete after their owne fashion The not desiring it therefore groweth of this that we séeme to our selues Christians although wée bée not Wherefore I haue thought it expedient to show that good Christians are fewe bicause that he which is none doth yet acknowledge himselfe to be Mine enterprise is great and difficult that I should goe about to perswade that Christians are but very few not for bicause I haue not on my side most lyuely and strong reasons but for that a matter is hardly perswaded which is displeasaunt vnto mē If I wold proue that euery one who is baptised is a good man it should be an easie matter for me to do for euery body woulde conclude my reasons although they were without any foundation forasmuche as he that speaketh a gratefull and pleasaunt thing is readily allowed But to proue that they be no Christians I know that I shall haue a great resistaunce Many there be which confesse Christ with their mouthes but fewe with their heart so that very fitly their euill workes will confirme and further myne indissoluble reasons There be found two sortes of fayth one purchased an other inspired A purchased fayth is that whiche is found in all those that were baptised in their youth which beléeue in Christ bicause they haue ben so taught by their parents bicause they sée others beléeue so and especially those that haue ben accoūted learned wise and holy yea the Church the which they thinke cannot erre and that it is guyded by the holy Ghost They haue also an opinion that the holy Scriptures be giuen by God for a confirmation of their fayth likewise the myracles bicause it hath bene so perswaded them with many probable reasons therfore they be come into an opinion of fayth of the matters of Christ and this the sooner bicause they haue ben ready to beléeue or rather there haue bene some which knewe how easily to perswade thē But now this is no fayth inspired but a purchased fayth albeit it be of things supernatural for bicause they haue theroff but only an humane opinion so much they beléeue as hath ben perswaded them with probable reasons and as much as their weake and blinde reason is capable off And their faith forasmuch as it is purchased is lyke vnto that which the Turkes haue of Mahumet their beléeuinge is of lyke sort for that they likewise haue ben so taught of their parents they sée those also which they account learned wise and holy to beléeue so they thinke that their heades or chiefe men and their Church cannot erre and that they be gouerned and inspired by God And that their Alcorane is a diuine thing and confirmed with many myracles they sée as great men beléeue it as they be and likewise by other apparaunt reasons they be come into that opinion and fayth So that if they had bene borne and brought vp among Christians they would beléeue as we doe likewise Christians who haue none other but a puhchased fayth if they had bene borne and brought vp among Turkes they would beleue as they beléeue Wherefore both the one also the other in this respect is a humane opinion although theirs bee of false thinges and ours of true Now therefore this opinion is not sufficient to be a good Christian and to come to saluation inasmuch as this is an obscure fayth full of darkenesse vnstéedfast which alwayes wauereth stackereth and doubteth it séeth not the truth with a cléere and supernaturall lyght it is a barren fayth vnfruitefull colde idle earthly carnall humaine purchased and dead which standeth with euery great sinne wherfore is not sufficient to saue vs. And if it were then euery wicked Christian woulde be saued yea euen the Diuells inasmuch as they beléeue that God is Almightie that he hath made the worlde that Christ is his sonne conceiued by the holy Ghost borne of the Virgin Mary crucifyed dead and the rest of the Articles Yea to speake of a purchased fayth they haue more then we Wherefore this fayth is not the which maketh any person a Christian in truth but maketh him onely a masking Christian But there is found an other fayth which commeth downe from heauen altogeather diuine supernaturall cléere full of lyght burning zealous liuely and working which is the gift of GOD and dwelleth not idle in any as many haue sayde it is a cléere lyght and supernaturall which sheweth the diuine and reuealed truth Ephes 2 in an other fashion then humane reason can doe This was in Peter when hauing hadde reuealed to him that CHRIST was the sonne of GOD and confessing him to bée so Christ sayde Mat. 6 It is not fleshe and bloude that hath reuealed to thée this truth but my father which is in heauen And this is the Faith which maketh men in truth Christians To know therefore whether thou be a Christian or not thou must needes marke whether thy Faith be inspired or purchased which thou shalt first know for that he which hath a purchased Faith contēteth himselfe with that chiefely the learned he thinketh to haue inough by them and this bicause he féeleth not with that Faith the goodnesse of God wherefore they abide so colde without hauing any certeine feruent desire to haue more lyght of Faith But an inspired Faith is a firie light which therefore maketh thée to féele the goodnesse of God 1. Cor. 1. causeth that in thée is euer raysed vp more desire to taste it thou thinkest that thou hast an infinite Sea whē thou hast
tasted but one drop thereoff 2. Cor. 4 Seing then that humane Faith groweth or diminisheth according to the reasons which doe perswade it whereon it dependeth But diuine Faith groweth by the méere grace of God by a mans humbling himselfe vnto him and asking with feruent prayer Purchased Faith desireth and asketh signes and miracles forasmuch as a great part thereoff dependeth therevppon and also for that he which hath no inspired Faith is not perfect and yet he would be tryed so But the inspired Faith is certeinly sure Gal. 1. careth not any more for miracles Wherefore Paul sayd that signes and wonders be giuen to the Infidells Act. 19 and that the faithful haue no néede thereoff Faith also that is purchased as that which doubteth goeth on séeking now this way and then that way by reasons to be tryed where against also many times they resist striue and gaine saye But diuine Faith forasmuch as it is certeine goeth to none other for counsell Act. 10. Wherefore Paul being lightened by Christ was so sure in the truth that he neded not to go to the Apostles for conference to certifie his Faith and lyke-wise when Christ lyghtened him he stoode not to dispute with him but being resolued of the truth he sayde what wouldest thou that I should do as though he would say I am sure thou art the sonne of God and I am ready to follow thée but I would faine know the way Mat. 2. Lykewise also the Eunuch replyed not to Saint Philip nor the Centurion to Saint Peter There is not founde in all the Scriptures any of them that haue replyed or withstood bicause they had a Faith inspyred Dost thou think that the wise men tooke counsell whether they shoulde beléeue that Christ was borne or not they were sure theroff thorough Faith onely they enquired of the place Humane Faith as béeing féeble and weak is easely hurt and offended yea many times it waxeth féeble and fainteth thorough the infidelytie of his neighbour as is seene by experience in many children who haue denyed Christ bicause their parents denyed him and this was for that their Faith depended vppon them And in lyke manner manye when they haue perceiued any great sinne in those whom they accounted relygious and holy they haue bene offended haue lost their Faith yea many were wont to saye vnto such as those be take heede to your selues for bicause our Faith is wholly placed in you Looke what a good foundation this is And some other say I went to Rome and thorough the great enormities and abuses which I haue found there especially in the Prelates I haue loste the Faith And they saye true forasmuch as all their Faith was humane and grounded vppon them but if it had bene diuine and grounded vppon Christ they coulde not haue lost it for Faith inspired is so cléere that he which hath it whatsoeuer he should séeme vnto the world he shall by all meanes continue stedfast in Faith otherwise if thou couldest bring all the perswasions of the world it could nothing help thée Rom. 6. As if one would proue thée to be a black More he could not perswade thée by his reasons for that thou séest it manifestly to be contrary He that beléeueth with a Faith inspired hath the Holy Ghost in his heart which sayeth and testifieth that Christ is the sonne of God And this witnesse alone can doe 〈◊〉 more in him then all the reasons authorities which can be brought to the contrary bicause the witnesse of God is greater Humane fayth is so mutable inconstant that one while it beleeueth this an other while that accordinge as it is perswaded Therefore all so many mindes opinions faythes sectes and heresies which be in the world are altogether humane but the diuine fayth abideth stéedfast in the truth without euer chaunging Those that haue only a humane fayth for bicause they féele not liuely the goodnesse of God therefore they loue him not yea they offend him And moreouer bicause they beléeue not that there is found any other sorte of fayth but theirs they doe thinke that it is a blasphemie to saye that fayth alone iustifieth and so they be constrayned to trust in themselues and in workes and to extoll man with falling from the confidence of God with darkening Christ his grace his gospell and his glory Humaine fayth maketh men superstitious wheras diuine fayth maketh them sincere simple and pure Humane fayth is lyke a painted flame of fire it shineth not giueth no light burneth not maketh no flame But an inspired fayth is a fierie and diuine light whiche burning doth kindle giue light Wherefore Christ sayde of Saint Iohn that he was a shininge and burninge lyght Ioan. 1.3 A purchased fayth causeth thée not to chaunge thy lyfe nor māners as an inspyred faith doth which maketh thée to be borne agayne and to become the sonne of God causeth that a man chaungeth companies friendships words lyfe manners and all he remoueth becomming of a carnall man diuine A purchased fayth kéepeth scilence although it séeth God dishonoured Psal 115. but an inspired fayth cannot keepe scilence Whereoff Dauid sayde I beléeue and therefore will I speake Yea whereas infidelitie maketh a man dumbe fayth loaseth his tongue as is plainely séene in Zacharias Wherefore Paul writing to the Corinthians Luc. 1. 2. Cor. 6. sayde O Corinthians my mouth is opened vnto you my heart is enlarged I cannot holde my peace I must néeds tell you that which I thinke Séeing that a purchased fayth doth not pacifie the conscience those that be such continue alwayes with a thousande prikes but an inspired fayth maketh quyet for that it maketh the person certeyne of the remission of sinnes Rom. 5. Likwise a purchased fayth doth not make the minde quyet but such be euer full of doubtfull cares pensiuenes feares suspitions vaine hopes and passions But the diuine fayth maketh quiet for that it maketh a man féele the so great bountifulnesse of God that he is certeine that God is his father and that he hath a most special care of him Also a purchased fayth maketh not a man so ioyfull and happie as an inspired fayth doth which maketh him to reioyce to sing leape with an vnspeakable ioy this thorough the great goodnesse which he féeleth in God Humane faith doth not mortifie the affections as diuine faith doth the which bicause it maketh thée tast the great goodnesse of God to féele that thou art his sonne heire maketh thée dispise all worldly pleasures honours dignities all fraile riches A purchased fayth also doth not gouern and strenghthen thée against persecutions infirmities and aduersities yea it maketh vs féeble and fainte and the diuine fayth maketh more strong 1. Cor. 11 as is séene by experience in Paul who in them became more full of force If a great multitude of arrowes were shotte at a man and hée
if it be méere foolishnesse then thinke and consider that albeit in Christ all the treasures of the wisedome and knowledge of God doe consist yet this as a foole will euen read it to be true in their parents saying that God was madde and out of his wittes Christ likewise his Church neuer had nor at any time shall haue a greater enimye then this This humaine Faith is it that hath alwayes persecuted grace and the Gospell and with deuising euery daye new sortes of lyuing after the owne fantasie hath filled the world with superstitions idolatryes sectes heresies and wicked religions And lastly that is it which although it hath alwayes persecuted the Sainctes and hanged Christ vppon the Crosse yet in the kingdome of Antechrist in shewing more wickednesse then euer it did hath done and doth the last vyolence It is therefore exceeding foolishnesse miserye and wickednesse for a man to suffer himselfe to be guyded thereby Lyke as it is moste high wisedome godlynesse and felicitie to be gouerned and guyded with Faith supernaturall lyght and spirituall wisedome forasmuch as such hauing God for their last ende goe vnto him happely by due meanes with vsing all creatures to his glory Let vs pray vnto God therefore that he woulde giue vs of his lyght that he would quench and put out in vs all carnall wisedome so that lyuing onelye vnto him we may yéeld him all praise honour and glory thorough Iesus Christ our Lord Amen The ende of the Sermons of Faith Sermons of Hope How that the sinne of desperation is the greatest sinne that can bee Sermon 1. THere be found two sortes of desperation one most holye as when a man despayreth of himselfe of his owne strength of his owne cunning prudence wisedome deuise and goodnesse distrusteth himselfe in all his workes and of all helpe that he can euer haue by creatures with putting his trust whollye in God now this is a most godlye desperation The other desperation is altogether diuelish and most wicked as when a man distrusteth and dispayreth of the helpe of God And this is one of the greatest sinnes that can be committed forasmuch as a desperate person hath most wicked conceits of God he thinketh that ther is no God or that if there be he cannot or that he knoweth not how to helpe him and if he knoweth how and can that hée will not that he loueth him not that he doth not fauour him estéeme him hath not elected him neither that he hath a most singular care of him yea hée thinketh that God is partiall and an acceptor of persōs that he is his enimie cruell and angry with him he beléeueth not that thorough Christ he is pacified with him And this bicause he thinketh that Christ hath no power to satisfie for his sinnes and if yet he hath power hée hath no will to doe it A desperate person setting himselfe to striue against God as Cain did laboureth to with-drawe and wrest mercie from God or at least so to diminish it that it abideth the lesser towardes him thorough his vngodlynesse And if the desperation in Cain was a great sinne in vs it is so much greater as that God since that time hath bene shewed vnto vs with greater charitie and especiallye in Christ vppon the Crosse And what worser thing can a man doe then to distrust of that so great and infinite goodnesse loue and mercie of God made manifest to vs most highly in Christ The sinne of desperation so much displeaseth God that if we should goe on duely considering thereof we shoulde finde that what great workes God hath wrought from the beginning of the worlde euen vntill now all hath bene for to eleuate and drawe our Hope vnto him and bicause that we should not fall into desperation He hath created man so noble excellent and worthy and the worlde for to serue him to the intent that men séeing themselues so loued of God they might trust in him Also he suffered man to fall not onely bicause he should no more trust in himselfe nor in creatures but also bicause that comming in the greater neede he should be of necessitie constrayned to haue refuge to God and so of him being helped approuing his fauour might learne to put his trust in him He sent not also Christ immediatly to set him at libertie but would that for a long time he should abide so bicause that he should first thoroughly trye his owne strength and seeing that they were not sufficient for him béeinge altogether distrusting in himselfe might be lifted vp with Hope vnto God He chased him out of earthly Paradise bicause the tasting of the troubles of the world he might be moued to recommend himselfe vnto God and to trust in him When he sent the floud drowned the world he preserued those fewe in the Arke bicause they might learne to depend onely vpon God He confounded the languages bicause that béeing disparsed thoroughout the whole world and in euery part trying and féeling the diuine prouidence goodnesse of God they might put in him all their trust He would that those most holy Patriarches should be euer straungers pilgrimes amongest vnknowne enuious Nations in perpetuall daungers and necessitie bicause that they might learne to put confidence in God He would also that his people should be oppressed in Aegypt persecuted by Pharao and that abiding in the desert dy forty yeares they should be fed with Manna bicause that experiencing so meruaylously the goodnesse of God they might learne to distrust of the worlde and to trust in God he gaue them a lawe by Moses to the intent that by it men séeing their sins and that they were not able to obserue the same lawe dispayring of themselues might séeke theyr saluation thorough Christ To the selfe same ende did God suffer them to be destroyed when they trusted to ouercome in battayle by their owne strength alwayes they ouercame if they did put their trust in God He commaunded Iosua that he shoulde kill all the horses burne all the chariots which they had taken from their enemies bicause they should haue no occasion to put confidence therein He also forbad Dauid that he should not number the people bicause he might not trust in the multytude In the meane time while they were in the land of promise he would that his people should be compassed about with enemies and alwayes molested bicause of necessitie they might sometimes be turned vnto God And lastly sending his owne sonne he would that dying vpon the Crosse with shewing to vs great loue hee might make satisfaction for our sinnes to the ende that we might haue no occasion to distrust in our selues of the great mercy of GOD whereoff who so doubteth doth in déede the greatest iniury that can be done vnto God in as much as lyke as a Lorde hauing receiued great harmes by one of his seruaunts and seeinge him iustly condemned to bée ledde vnto execution is moued with
Heb. 11. whereon dependeth Faith Hope Charitie and all other Christian vertues I say that Faith according to the iudgement of Saint Paul is a substance that is a certeine substanciall and sure possession of things promised which are hoped for and an euidence of things inuisible which cannot of vs be comprehnded except we be exalted vp aboue all that which our blinde and humaine reason can doe Therefore Faith is not as many doe thinke a certeine obscure lyght of God and a certeine triflyng and friuolous opinion but it is an euident lyght a certeintie and assuraunce of the minde and a cléere shining which being thy guyde thou séest that God is so mightie wise and good that he can that he knoweth how and that hée will saue thée Therefore with a sure and stedfast confidence thou dost trust in him repose and cast thy selfe wholly vppon him Faith is a cleare and effectuall perswasion wrought not in the bodilye eares but in the eares of the heart not by men but by the holy Ghost where-by we are made certeine and sure to bée the sonnes of God It is a firme Rom. 8. constant and perseuering trust in the bountifulnesse of God It is not an agréement brought to passe by humane reason but a certaintie more cleare loftie and high then all other things of this present lyfe It is a lyght which lifteth vp and rauisheth aboue all sensible things and beyond that any man is able to make discourse to comprehende the breadthe lengthe Ephes 3. height and depth of those things which are to vs incomprehensible with naturall eyes It is a heauenly Ladder with which men ascende to the knowledge of the truth supernaturall where-vnto no man can attaine with the Ladder of humaine reason It is a cleare eye of the minde where-with pearcing thorough the Heauens we doe see the deuine secretes of God Act. 5. It is a quickening cléere and fierye lyght which purgeth our heartes and delyuereth vs from the darke and inextricable Laborynthes of the vayne shadowes of this worlde by which we guyde our blynde reason and are lyfted vp to an high estate so that by the tasting of heauenly things we dispise humaine things It is a spirituall wedding and matrimony betwéene Christ and the Soule which béeing our Mediatour the soule is vnyted and transformed in Christ in such perfecte manner that all that which it hath becommeth to be of Christ and so Christ with all his vertues treasures and graces become to be of the soule It is a lyght so cleare and high that darkening others it maketh vs sée riches in pouertie glorye in confusion safetie in daunger peace in persecution rest in trauayle felicitie in miserye and lyfe in death He that beléeueth hath a spirituall tasting of God by meanes whereoff he feeleth his diuine goodnesse in such sorte that it bréedeth in him a feruent desire to honour GOD and séeing that wée can-not speake of him in such manner as we ought and as is conuenient for him we desire at least with our owne bloud to testifie vnto the world how great the goodnesse of God is Faith maketh vs conceiue Christ spiritually and by force of the spirite to be borne againe with lyfting vs vp vnto God Rom. 4. Rom. 5. Iacob 1. 1. Pet. 1. Rom. 5. Abac. 2. 1. Pet. 1. 2. Cor. 1. Ephe. 6. 1. Ioan. 3 Ioan. 1. Ioan. 17. Mat. 16. Gen. 4. Gen 6. Gen. 21. Luc. 1. Luc. 2. 1. Ioan. 3 Gal. 5. it maketh vs put of the old Adam and his concupiscences and to put on Christ with his vertues and to become of vngodly iust temples of God and his children brothers and members of Christ Faith iustifieth pacifieth the minde and conscience maketh mery causeth to reioice in such sort that we glory euen in shame This is such that it renueth vs regenerateth vs quickeneth maketh noble enricheth saueth sanctifieth preserueth defendeth obteineth that which it demaundeth Faith knitteth vs to God maketh vs his heires and children the brothers of Christ and his members yea it maketh vs deuine happy Faith is that which in Abel made him offer sacrifices acceptable to God in Noe caused him to frame the Arke for the sauegard of the world made Sara to conceiue that Abraham offered his owne sonne to God caused Moises to worke so manye wonders in Aegypt and in the Wildernes Faith made the Prophets to speak loosed the tongue of Zacharias and saued men in daungers made Simeon not to feare death also made Paul to wish for it This in the Saints caused them ouercomming the worlde that they haue wrought wonderfull things thorough loue But what néede I speak any more Faith is a vertue so noble excellent and worthy that how much the more a man consider of it so much more will it discouer the perfection therefore he which hath tasted it will neuer be satisfied with speaking in prayse thereoff Wheras those which neuer haue felt nor tryed it in thēselues can as much speake theroff as one that is blinde can discerne of colours Cor. 2. yea if those speake of it as those which be carnall and brutish they doe not vnderstand it nor know the excellencie there-off Therefore they doe not onely peruert good workes whereoff this is the true mother but they persecute it with speaches which idle and lycentious persons do vse But let vs pray vnto the Lord that he would delyuer them from those most thicke and palpable darkenesse that hauing the true and liuely light of God they may yéeld him all praise honor glory through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen Of the lyght of Faith Sermon 3. THere be many which haue neuer experienced in themselues to haue anye other but a purchased faith the which bicause it is bleare-eyed and blinde from the truth supernaturall and reuealed and therefore they thinke that the lyght of Faith is small and inferiour to the light of humane and natural reason and moreouer to the light of the Sunne and kindeled as of a litle candle so that according to their fantasie not onely the vnderstanding doth sée better the truth of the first naturall principles of things which bée of themselues euident and with reason made manifest but also that corporall eyes doe better sée those things which are layed before them then we do sée according to their opinion the things supernaturall with the light of Faith It should of necessitie be therefore as they doe iudge that Faith is alwayes suspitious and doubtful neuer cléere certaine euident séeing that the light is so imperfect But they would not say so if they had proued to haue that Faith inspired into them which is supernaturall diuine full of lyght and cléere which doubteth not but is sure certaine and firme And of this therefore the light is so great that it ouercommeth all other lights in this present life Neither is any other lyght greater then this sauing the light of the blessed And that this
himselfe but that he is thy God Whiche will cause that with the spirite thou shalt at all times féele him and that he doth thee so great a goodnesse with his continuall benefites as cannot be done but of God whereof it groweth that thou trust in him loue him and giue him thanks committest thy selfe to his gouernement and order al thy life to his honour and glorie as of him thou feelest al the good things thou hast to come so to him alone thou dost render all thankes thou accountest him to be the first beginning and the last end and therefore to be God Thou must also liuely beléeue not onely that he is the father of Christ and of the elect whiche thorough Iesus Christ are adopted for to be the sonnes of God but that he is thy father Ephes 1 Rom. 8 Gal. 4. and that thou art one of the elect and sonnes of God and an heire a brother of Christ and coheire with him Thou must féele with the spirit that God is thy best father and that as a most déere father he loueth thee most perfectly and hath a great care of thée Consider now a little howe much thou louest him with what safety thou goest vnto him for fauour with Hope to obtaine it and with how great quietnesse peace and reast of minde soule and conscience thou liuest vnder his protection if with a liuely Faith thou beléeue that in truth he is thy father and that all the creatures together that be cannot pluck of one haire from thy head without his will It is necessary also to beléeue that he is almightie so that not onely the world dependeth vpon him but that he hath all creatures in his power and can dispose of them according to his pleasure that he can bring the worlde to nothing and prolong it into euerlasting if he will neither is there any that can withstand his will we must also beléeue that this omnipotencie of God is not idle but that he vseth it and that euery day so that it neuer sléepeth but alwayes worketh as Christ saide Ioan. ◠We must beléeue that it is euer watching strong and laborious It worketh in al creatures and without it nothing is done And further it is néedefull that liuely and with thy spirite thou beléeue that this almightines belongeth to thée and that thou féelest that God doth vse the same euery day with thee in giuing thée all the good thinges that thou hast Wherefore they be greatly deceyued which doe not acknowledge al to be of God but to come by chaunce Fortune Nature of the Heauens of Men Angels or Diuels Moreouer we ought to beléeue that he is the creatour of heauen and of earth that is of all creatures both celestiall and terrestriall those that he hath created them hée preserueth gouerneth ordereth and guydeth to the end and all with his high and infinite wisedome It is not sufficient that of necessitie thou liuely beléeuest how that God not onely hath giuen thée thy being and so to all other creatures but that he preserueth guydeth gouerneth and ordereth all to thy benefite with great wisedome Thou must also liuely beléeue not onely that GOD is God in himselfe and therefore most perfect but that he is thy God and such a father that he will doe to thée all good thinges which be possible and conuenient to bée done Mat. 1. that he is thy best father bicause he is omnipotent and that he knoweth how bicause he is infinitely wise as we see in his creation and gouernaunce of the world Thou must also beléeue in Iesus Iesus is the proper name of Christ Rom. 14 giuen vnto him thorough the will of God by the Angel and doth signifie a Sauiour Therfore thou shalt then beléeue truely in Iesus when with thy spirite thou shalt féele that he hath saued thée 1. Tim. 2 Heb. 9. It is also necessary not onely to beléeue in Iesus but in Iesus Christ Christ is to say annoynted And for because in olde time they annoynted high Priestes Kinges and Prophets therefore Christ being sent into the world from the father to do the office of a high Prophet Priest and King hath also béene ordayned and annoynted with a spirituall vnction filling a tunne full of his gyftes and graces for as much as he was the chiefest Prophete Priest and King and hath done the office of euery of them moste perfectlye there-fore hée is called Christ We must then beléeue in Christ Heb. 9. that is in Iesus Christ that he is the high Priest vndefyled and holye and that he hath done the office of the chiefe and most perfect Priest Moreouer that as an onely mediatour betwixt God and vs hath offered vp himselfe vppon the crosse to the father for the elect 1. Tim. 2. Heb. 9. and that he is accepted of GOD for such a diuine sacrifice that he pacifyeth his anger and reconcyleth him vnto them That he standeth also for their sakes before the father and hauing compassion prayeth for them and obtaineth them all grace and fauour Hier. 47 Rom. 8. Ioan. 11. and that he offereth them vnto GOD vnspotted and holy by being washed with his pretious bloude and that he enrycheth thée with his giftes and graces Thou must also beléeue that in as much as he is Christ the chiefe Prophete Therefore he came into the worlde sent from the father to make manyfest vnto his elect all the will of God for to teach Isaiae 45 Ioan. 15. Heb. 8. and to imprint in their heartes all thinges profitable and necessarie to their saluation Wherefore as the onely maister and light of the worlde which making all thinges manifest he hath fulfilled the Prophetes Thou must also beléeue that he is a King Mat. 23. Ioan. 8. Mat. 11. bicause that with his spirite he moueth raigneth ouer and gouerneth the electe whiche be giuen him of God there-fore he is a King in the spirituall kingdome of GOD whiche is righteousnesse peace and ioye in the holy Ghost It is not sufficyent that thou beléeue that Iesus is Christe the chiefe Prophet Priest and king of the elect Rom. 14 but also thou must liuely beléeue that he is thy Christ that is the chiefest Prophet Priest and king ouer thée And so if with thy spirite thou shalt féele that hée hath lightened thy minde with diuine things he shall be thy Prophet Also if thou shalt féele that for thy sake he hath offered him-selfe vppon the Crosse that he hath pacyfied the father that he prayeth for thée that hée is heard that he presenteth thée vnto God and that thorough him God doth accept thée for his sonne then he shall be thy high Priest And likewise if with a liuely Faith thou shalt beleeue that he hath taken charge of thée and that he inspireth thée moueth and gouerneth thee thou shalt haue him for thy king Thou shalt there-fore truely beléeue in Christ when with thy spirite thou
the body therefore the soule of Christ was neuer in the graue in those three dayes the which he continued dead wherefore by this word Inferno cannot be vnderstoode the graue Others saye that Christ vppon the Crosse did not onely suffer the paines of death the which consist in seperation of the soule from the body but also that he suffered in his minde the tormenting of the dampned bicause that for to satisfie for our sins it was néedeful that he should suffer all punishment that was due vnto vs being in these torments he felt that horrible anguish and sorrow which he should haue felt if being vpon the crosse in all those torments of the dampned he had bene vtterly abandoned from his father Mat. 16. Act. 2 And therefore he sayd My God my God why hast thou forsaken me not bicause he despayred but he ouercame desperation with all the sins and lykewise death with all sorrowes but hée felte the payne of the desperate with-out hauing in him anye fault They doe thus expound it He descended into Hell that is into the bottomelesse pit of the torments of Hell And although this was before that he was buryed and dead and therefore should be sayd by order thus He suffered vnder Pontius Pilate he was crucified descended into Hell dyed and was buryed yet there is oftentimes vsed in the holy Scriptures to speake first of that which was done afterward It cannot be sayd that the soule of Christ seperated from the body descended into hell that is suffered torments there those thrée dayes for that Christ sayd contrarywise vnto the good Théefe Luc. 25. To day thou shalt be with me in Paradise Other saye that he descended into Hell inasmuch as he shewed his Soule vnto the Spirites of his Electe alredy departed out of this present life vnto whom as Saint Peter saith he preached the Gospel 1. Pet. 4. inasmuch as he made them sée in a most cleare sort that which he had wrought suffered for their saluation He preached also vnto the dampned the Gospell with rebuking their incredulytie and that they were altogether inexcusable and so their condempnation shoulde appeare vnto the worlde to be iust It is néedefull also to beléeue lyuely that he rose againe the third day which when with thy spirit thou shalt féele Rom. 4. 6. thou shalt not feare death séeing that in Christ and thorough Christ death is ouercome yea if thou be grafted in Christ thorough Faith Col. 3. thou shalt in the spirite be raysed againe from sinne and being righteous shalt walke in newnesse of lyfe seeking and tasting onely the things which are aboue We must also beléeue that he ascended into Heauen hauing on earth wrought and suffered all that his father appointed him and that was expedient for our saluation it was conuenient that he should ascende into heauen for our profit to giue vs hope of our heauenly countrey seeing that he is entred in possession for vs Heb. 9. 1. Ioan. 2. for to stande also before the father for his Elect and to be their Aduocate and Intercessour remayning therefore with them in spirite vppon earth Mat. 28 But vnderstand it is needefull that thou lyuely beléeue that he is ascended into heauen for thy benefite which when thou féelest with the spirit lifting thée vp to things on high Philip. 3 thou wilt say with Paul My conuersation is in Heauen Moreouer thou must beléeue that hée sitteth on the right hand of his father Mat. 28. in-asmuch as he hath giuen him all dominion and lordship ouer all and hath ordeined him to be aboue all princedome power vertue and domination and hath giuen him a name aboue all other names hath made him the head of the Church and hath subdued all things vnder him Thou must also beléeue lyuely Ephes 1. that as he was séene ascende into heauen so he shal come visibly from heauen to iudge the quicke and the dead And if it be sayd according to Saint Paul it is decréed that men must dye Act 2. 1. The. 4 Heb. 9. 1. Cor. 15. how then shall he come to iudge the quicke Paul himselfe doth aunswere that those which then shall be alyue shal sodeinely be chaunged being made of corruptible incorruptible and that chaunge shal be vnto them as a death If then thou shalt lyuely beléeue that Christ which loued thée so much that he dyed for thée on the Crosse and hath all power which must also be thy Iudge thou shalt be sure and safe thorough Faith that his Iudgement shall be fauourable vnto thée Chiefly learne that Christ shall be our Iudge he is not onelye our Aduocate but hath taken vppon him our cause We must more-ouer beléeue in the Holy Ghost and this bicause albeit Christ dyed for vs rose againe ascended into Heauen was our Aduocate and prayed for vs yet we could not be saued if God with his holye Spirite did not open our hearts made vs to vnderstand and be partakers of these so great benefits thorough Christ done to vs. So that as thorough Christ all giftes and graces bée offered vs from GOD so the Holye Ghost béeing our guyde we doe receceiue them It is therefore néedefull that thou féele lyuely in thée this spirite of God which renueth thée lighteneth moueth inspireth imprinteth and maketh thée féele God in Christ and that thou art safe It is not possible that thou shouldest be a true Christian if thou hast not the Holy Ghost in thée And therefore he which beléeueth that Christ dyed and that not vainly beléeueth also that there be fruites of his passion and death which is the saluation of the Elect Wherefore we must also beléeue that there is a holy Catholicke Church that is the vniuersall Congregation of the faithfull and Elect of God It is not inough to beléeue that there is founde a Church which is holye and sanctified thorough Christ that Ephes 5. is a mysticall bodye of the Elect but it is néedefull that thou dost liuely beléeue and féele that thou art a portion and member of the same and that thou art one of the Elect. Thou must also beléeue the Communion of Saincts that is thou must liuely féele that thou art pertaker together with thy bretheren of all the giftes and graces of Christ the head of the Church Ephes 1. therfore more or lesse according to the measure of Faith reioyce thy selfe in their prosperitie and be sory in their mishappe as members and good brothers doe together and forasmuch as the benefites which Christ doth to his Church is not that they should be proper to one man alone but for the commoditie of them all therefore thou oughtest not to séeke for to possesse or vse anye thing for thine owne lucre but for the honour of God and safegarde of thy neighbour and so thou oughtest to this same ende or purpose procure the safetie of thy bretheren and with Faith to embrace
excusable But I would first know of such who it is that being lightened doeth all that he came so that his ignoraunce maye be called inuincible yea those which haue not Faith can not as Saint Paul saith call vppon Rom. 10. nor heartely request or craue any thing at Gods hande But let vs graunt that an Infidell should doe by his endeauour all that he can doe we not sée that all his workes his thoughtes affections force and desires shall be not onely vaine vnprofitable and vnfruitefull but naught vncleane and wicked Luc. 8. inasmuch as he is vnclean himselfe a badde Tree without the spirite and without Faith And thou imaginest in some part at least that thou deseruest that God should giue thée Faith Ephes 2. which is the gifte of God giuen méerely by grace and not by desert by any wayes of our workes It is very true Math. 21 that the Lord hath promised that he will heare vs and giue vs his grace therefore to them which aske it with Faith and not to them which aske it without Faith We cannot therfore by such meanes be tryed that our Faith is true which if we could we might partly glory in our selues Rom. 4. 1. Tim. 1. 1. Cor. 4. contrary to the doctrine of Saint Paul And I say that to bée tryed that our Faith is the true Faith we had néede to haue a true and lyuely Faith bicause that in such a case there is in vs a supernaturall lyght so cleare that we do not onely sée the truth reuealed which of necessitie wée must beléeue but also ther is séene what lyght is true diuine and supernaturall and moreouer that the holye Ghost doth testifie in our hearts that we be in the truth Then is knowen what true miracles haue bene done in confirmation of the trueth and what otherwise which is the true Church of Christ and which be the holye and sacred Scriptures Then also is knowen that we be vnperfect and stubborne that thorough our selues we canne neither in all nor in part deserue any so rich precious a gifte as Faith is and lastly then we shall be tryed to be in the truth But without this cleare inward and spiritual light no tryall can suffice vs nor miracles nor Saincts nor the Church nor the Scriptures nor reasons nor all other lyghts of the world Let vs pray therefore vnto the Lord that for his méere goodnesse and for the death of his déere sonne he would giue vs his true and supernatural light so that we may yéelde vnto him all due praise honor and glory thorough Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen The meane to proue the truth of a Christian Faith Sermon 8. THere haue bene many which not hauing experienced euer an inspyred and supernaturall Faith beléeuing that ther is not found in the worlde any other but a humane and purchased Faith lyke vnto theirs and that men were tryed sufficiently of the truth of a Christian Faith if they be throughly weried in assaying to proue with reasons and if it had bene possible to shew the truth of our Faith But those that be such deceiue themselues forasmuch as the true Faith of Christ Ephes 2. being a gifte of God is not purchased but reuealed dependeth not vpon learning yea a very vnlerned man may haue perfect Faith and the most learned may want it The Faith of Christ is altogether diuine and spirituall and hath not for the foundation science prudence or worldly wisedome 1. Cor. 3. which being compared to God is foolishnesse yea he killeth it as his enimie These men haue also deceiued the world inasmuch as many doe thinke by their reasons that a purchased Faith is sufficient and that they are so much the more perfect as they haue the more of it and busying themselues so in the considering of this they haue left that which was necessary that is to humble themselues before God and to craue of him grace and thorough Iesus Christ the true and supernaturall Faith And furthermore manye wise men of the world bicause their reasons doe not shew it them haue dispised the Faith of Christ as vntrue You must therefore vnderstand that the truth supernaturall and reuealed cannot be shewed or made manifest which humane reasons nor séene cléerely with naturall lyght but must bée tryed by a lyght supernaturall It is true that albeit all worldly reasons be not sufficient for Faith yet they bée some helpe vnto such men as vse them as they ought and this is when such men that haue not yet a lyuely Faith by such reasons comming into some opinion of the thinges of Christ doe humble themselues to pray vnto God that he would giue them a cléere lyght of the truth And also doe séeme vnto those which haue Faith to be confirmed there-in the more They also serue to conuince those which bée contentious and stubborne Thou wilt say seing that we cannot serue to the glorye of God in such sort as thou sayst I would thou wouldest declare vnto me those reasons which might moue me to the perswasion of the truth of the Faith of Christ I aunswere and saye that there be manye amongst which this is one forasmuch as there can bée no lye so artificiall that it consisteth on euerye parte and euerye thing aunswereth there-to yea as to the truthe euery thing doth agrée so to falshood euery thing doth disagrée but is manifest that in Christ all the Prophecies be verified all shadowes and figures made cléere and perfecte and all the promisses of the olde Testament fulfilled So that séeing that all is verified in Christ we should haue iust occasiō to accept none other Messias Moreouer it is séene by experience that a Christian if he be a perfect Christian in Christ and thorough Christ séeth himselfe free as he is in déede from all euills both of this present lyfe and of the lyfe to come bicause that God hath suche a singular care of him that all things doe serue to his saluation so that aduersities are to him prosperities yea he findeth in peace war health in sicknes and life in death yea thorough Christ he séeth himselfe as he is safe the son of God and his heire wherfore he is most happy most noble rich of all diuine treasures graces If then a Christian by being a perfect Christian be frée from all euills and is quiet restfull and peaceable he possesseth already all good thinges that be possible and can be desired and he is no perfect Christian if thorough Christ he be not forced to say that séeing that Christ hath delyuered the worlde from all euilles and giuen vs all good thinges Rom. 7. that he is the true Messias and this bicause we cannot haue any goodnesse by any other forasmuch as we haue all by Christ It is manifest also that none is saued by the obseruaunce of the lawe diuine or naturall bicause that there is no body which can doe towards God and
his neighbour all that he ought to doe Therefore it must of necessitie be saide either that none can be saued or els they that be saued are saued thorough grace But it wer greatly amisse to say that none can be saued for that God in such a case shoulde in vaine haue created and preserued the worlde if there shoulde not be reaped some fruite thereof Wherefore we must néedes say that some men are saued and that by grace and for that none can tel vs this but Christe in as much as all other sectes and opinyons say that men are saued wholly or els in parte by the workes of men therefore onely the Faith of Christ is true There is not founde also any Relygion which doeth not in some part exalt man with diminishing of the grace of God except that relygion which is of Christ and that onely doth debase a carnall man to be altogether earth giuing all glory vnto God and for-bicause this Religion cannot erre therefore it must of necessitie be sayde that onely this is the true Religion of God Also that God hath so loued sinners that for their saluation he hath appointed his owne Sonne to suffer death on the Crosse Ioan. 3. which is an acte of so high and excéeding loue that if such a secret thing God as a truth had not himself reuealed there is no vnderstanding that were able to beléeue it and therefore néedes we must conclude that this was the truth And graunt that albeit men of themselues had bene able to haue imagined so incomprehensible a loue of god yet they could not in any wise haue beléeued that in one who was crucified consisted all their saluation that he was both God and man especially with so stedfast a Faith that for this Truth they woulde spende and venture their owne lyues if God had not perswaded this in their hearts we must then néedes saye that it is so in very déede If Christ had not bene the Sonne of God séeing hée would be so accompted he should haue bene very proude and it is séene that all his lyfe was full of humilitie It could not be hidden when men would haue crowned him if he had not fled away Ioan. 6. but had sought the friendship of great men and the meanes how to haue bene exalted It is manifest that Christ neuer sought any commoditie to himselfe alone as it appeareth by his life by his words but onely the glory of God wherefore of necessitie must be sayd that he was no carnall man but altogether diuine and spirituall and so was his lyfe and doctrine It is also manifest that Christ willyngly tooke vpon him a shamefull and bitter death and he saw that in dying so he should loose both his lyfe and all that he had euen that worldly credit which he had so that his owne disciples would be offended Mat. 26. as his proper commoditie fore-tolde him Yea he should haue séemed to haue lost his soule if he were not the sonne of God bicause he named himselfe so No worldlye thing then coulde moue him to dye so wherefore we must néedes say that he was moued not for his owne pleasure but for the truth for the glory of the Father and for our saluation Consider all the lyfe of Christ and thou shalt finde that albeit it was wholly a Crosse yet he neuer shewed any signe of impatience yea vppon the Crosse with-out any trouble of the flesh he shewed himselfe diuine altogether euen till he gaue vp the ghost and pronounced still words of great charitie Is it not manifest séeing that Christ vpon the crosse being naked spoyled and depriued of al riches pleasures honours dignities friendes fauours strength and helpe of the worlde Philip. 2 humbled brought to nothing as if he had not bene yea being opprobrious and accursed of al men hath vanquished and ouercome death the world the flesh sinnes the Diuells and all the enimyes of God which he could not possibly haue done with-out the fauour of God If also in lyke sort his Church had not bene altogether spirituall when the fauour of the worlde decayed it must also haue waxed féeble whereas when the world stroue against it it became alwayes more mightie forcible and tryumphant Christ also where-as in the flesh he séemed weake arising againe and ascending into Heauen to the right hande of his Father shewed him-selfe so stronge in Spirite that twelue vnlearned and simple Disciples with-out eloquence with-out learning with out humane industrie and subtiltie with-out strength and with-out anye promise of worldlye things onely with preaching that one who was crucified hath saued them conuerted the worlde notwithstanding that all the armed men with their whole force resisted them and with learning wisedome treasures honoures dignityes and all other meanes which the worlde possible coulde deuise Yea and in our time onely with the worde of GOD such a mightie kingdome of Antechrist hath bene already decayed There is not founde nor can be founde in the world any lyfe so truely holy pure and spirituall as the lyfe of good Christians which is so diuine that it worketh more then myracles and they are made such thorough Christ crucified An innumerable sorte of Christians haue forsaken riches pleasures friendes parentes their countrey fauours honours dignities the worlde themselues and all and by way of pouertie of infamye dispossessed of their owne tormented and put to death are willyngly and ioyfully gone to Christ crucified not being by anye worldly thing drawen there-to which is most manifest inasmuch as they were wholly naked there-off then it must néedes be sayd that their diuinitie drewe them to it Which thinge also doth appeare not onelye bicause that howe much the more they be ioyned and vnited together so much the more chaunging their lyfe they be renewed and doe become more humble lyberall holye diuine and in all vertues moste perfecte but also for that where-as in pleasures riches honoures and benefites of this present lyfe they neuer finde reste béeing naked of worldlye thinges onely in Christe crucified they finde the greatest felycitye that canne bée and this shoulde bée impossible if that Christe were not the Sonne of the lyuing God I doe lette passe the myracles which declare all the vertuous actes done by Christe and his Saints for a Testimonye of the truthe of the Gospell And the longe continuall cruell irkesome hatefull dolorous irremediable bitter and shameful captiuitie of the Hebrewes or Iewes for the sinne which they committed in crucifying the Sonne of God Let vs pray then to our heauenly and diuine Father that of his cléere manifest truth he woulde giue vs an inward lyght so that we may render vnto him all praise honour and glory thorough Iesus Christ our Lorde Amen Of the meane how to be delyuered from all superstition Sermon 9. ALbeit that men by the sinne of their first parents be fallen into great ignoraunce yet notwithstanding ther is left in them a lyttle
in euery other manner that it is vsed or to any other ende it is but superstition Wherefore all they are superstitious which beléeuing that prayers the psalmes of Dauid or other wordes of the holy Scriptures except the vertue which they haue to teach vs to liue to declare vnto vs the will of God and to moue vs to praise him haue any other singuler vertues to deliuer him which caryeth them about his necke or saith these or those words from this or that euill or to make vs haue some perticuler grace And if they would say vnto me it is séene yet sometimes by experience that they haue a singuler vertue I aunswere that these are altogether illusions diuelish workes for to nourish men in superstition withall Likewise also albeit when one baptiseth an other hée is bound to say I baptise thée in the name of the father and of the sonne and of the holy ghost bicause that Christ hath so ordeined neuerthelesse it is a great superstition to beléeue that in these wordes is such a singuler vertue that he which is baptised with them is in any part saued thereby in as much as he is saued onely thorough Christ on whom alone dependeth all our saluation In like manner it is most wicked superstitiō to beléeue that in these wordes Hoc est corpus meum that is this is my body is any particuler vertue so that the Priest or Minister by vertue of consecration should as it were inchaunt it Forasmuch as Sacraments be Sacraments by the vertue of Christ and the consecrating like as the institution of Sacraments is the office of Christ the high Priest and our office is manifested in this that we doe that which Christ hath ordeyned and that we administer and vse the Sacramentes according to that which Christ hath appointed Christ hath not ordeined that we shoulde consecrate with saying these wordes yea he himselfe hath not consecrated with saying Hoc est corpus meum but hauing consecrated already he expressed with those wordes what we ought to take and eate Likewise those be superstitious which beleue that in the Letanie in the Procession in the ringing of the Bell in the exorcisme in the water of Baptisme in the holy Water in the holy Oyle or in any other méere creature is any singuler vertue supernaturall The lyke I say of those who to the same ende doe gather hearbes on Saint Iohns night doe make for Venus holy rings doe put confidence in reliques bodies of the Saintes wherefore they go to visite them do worshippe their Images and haue more deuotion to one then to an other They be also superstitious which praye or make supplications for the dead and much more if they beléeue that the torches and candells which are burned doe help them and so be also those superstitious which haue confidence in Indulgences Pardons remissions absolutions and blessings of the Pope and of his members The like also I say of all them which thinke at the least in some part to be companions of Christ in purchasing their saluation or do attribute vnto creatures more then the naturall vertue that they haue frō God some singuler vertue imagined of their owne heads without hauing witnesse of God and his woord therefore all obseruation of place time number or creature is superstitious if it bée with confidence to obtain by some supernaturall grace which is of man for as much as God in our acts whether wée be in this or that place or time if wée haue sayd these or those words done these or those workes hath respect onely to Christ and to our fayth with which we embrace him according to the measure that we be more or lesse happie Now he that openeth well his eyes shall sée that the worlde is altogether full of superstition chiefly the kingdome of Antechrist albeit they say that theirs is the church of Christ The first and chiefest cause then whereoff groweth all superstition is the ignorance or want of the the knowledge of Christ him we cannot know by any our righteousnes health treasures or goodnesse as he is Wherefore to deliuer vs from all superstition we must haue a true liuely light of Christ so that at the presence of Christ as was aforesaide we despise as earth all Idolls and superstititions Ezech. 30. Zach. 13 for that it is impossible that Christ should be exalted in any soule and knowen of it by any his righteousnesse as long as Idolatrye or superstition abideth therin Let vs praye God therefore that he woulde open our mindes and giue vs the cléere light of Christ so that thorough him we may render to him all honour and glorie Amen ¶ Of the meane how to haue all vertues Sermon .x. THere haue bene some which haue said that god hath powred into man the séede of vertues so that as in a Medowe the flowers doe growe of themselues if they bée not hindered and as the feathers do grow vpon Birds 1. Cor. 5. so doe vertues in men if they be not hindered by naughty examples wicked wordes the which corrupt good manners Mat 13. for looke as the tares béeing sowne while the master of the house slept by that his enemye ceased not to growe aboue the good corne so by wicked wordes and euill examples béeing sowen and imprinted by the wicked in the cleane tender mindes of young children whilest that theyr parents hauing no care doe sléepe so that they be letted and vertues in them choaked in such sort that they cannot become perfect Therefore according to the opinion of these it should bée néedefull most chiefly to beware of children that they kéepe no company with the wicked least they should applye themselues to their naughtinesse Other say that although all this is good Gen. 3. yet that sufficeth not to haue vertues for as much as since the sinne of our first parents the earth of it selfe bringeth foorth nothing but thornes bryers and naughtie wéeds and the good hearbs and plantes must bée sowen so that vices doe growe in vs by themselues lyke as a sedge or rush groweth in the Brooke they bée nourished without euer hauing any euill example neither in woorde nor in déede by anye meanes for that they haue in them the roote of sinne by their nature béeing corrupt in Adam there will spring and grow vp in them vnbridled lustes and immoderate affections bringing foorth the fruites of sinne wherefore man of himselfe will be wicked It is very true yet that he will not worke so much lewdenesse otherwise as if he were practised with the vngodly and haue had time and occasion to doe euill as much he would Wickednesse therefore doe growe of themselues and vertues must be sowen for oeher-wise wée shall deserue no praise by them Wherefore to haue vertuous children as they say it shall bée néedefull not onely to beware of euill examples but also to till continually their soules and spirites with sowing vertues and
trust and confidence in him ascribe to him all goodnesse commendeth him giue him thanks humblâ—th himselfe vnt him is ready to suffer for his honour glory and lastly doth not praise honour him by all meanes that he possibly can yea it is néedfull that according as he hath of God more or lesse light he be in all vertues more or lesse perfect Seing then that to honor God highly we must haue of his supreme light with huÌ„bling our selues vnto God let vs beséech him that he wold graunt it vs so that we may render to him al praise honour and glory thorough Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen What thing we ought to do for to haue Faith to grow assure our selues stablish our selues continue therin euen to the ende Sermon 12. THere haue bene some which being deceiued haue thought that beléeuing was an acte vertuous meritorious therfore voluntary that Faith in vs depeÌ„ded in a good part vpoÌ„ our wils So that according to their fantasie for to haue Faith to grow and be stablished therein the determination of a man the resoluing of himself to be willing to beleeue auaileth much which according to theÌ„ is in our power those which with greater vyoleÌ„ce force of their own wils do endeauour them-selues to beleeue the truth which God hath reuealed vnto vs haue the greater Faith as they say are the more stedfast and firme therin But such as these be do deceiue theÌ„selues inasmuch as Faith is the gift of god Ephes 2. depeÌ„deth not in any sort vpon our own wil neither can it be gotfeÌ„ with humane streÌ„gth or force It is very true that the vnderstaÌ„ding is subiect obedient to the will in consideration of this or that thing but it is not so in agréeing disagréeing or doubting yea for natural power if a matter be shewed it for true it is driuen of necessitie to agrée therevnto that more or lesse after as it is made manifest vnto it but if the matter shew it selfe to be false it cannot but disagrée vnto it And 〈◊〉 yâ— wil coÌ„maundeth the contrary it caÌ„not obey it likewise if a matter be shewed not perfectly for true or false it must néedes doubt The vnderstaÌ„ding therfore agréeth disagréeth doubteth according as is the euidence of the matter not after the gouernaunce of the will forasmuch as by gouernance it hath no greater light of matters then it had before in the beginning neither doth it appeare in any other manner Yea there be many which liuing wickedly and desiring to be eased from their heart of the torments they féele for the feare which they haue of Hell they are forced to beléeue verilye that there is none other lyfe but this and they haue no power to the contrary If the vnderstanding agreed according to the gouernaunce of the will we might beléeue that which we would and say without lying that which pleased vs beléeuing to will that which we spake and yet we proue the contrarye in our selues Seing that either the wil should be moued without reson in commaunding the vnderstanding when it beléeued and agreed vnto a matter and in such case the gouernaunce or Empire should be tyrannicall therefore not vertuous likewise should be the agréement or els if it should bée mooued with reason and then the vnderstanding shoulde beléeue it in such case the gouernaunce is not of wil but by meanes of those reasons which moued it to beléeue so And if the agreement or following of things naturall of this present life dependeth not on the will much lesse doth the allowing of things supernaturall and of the other life as is the allowing of Faith Any person might at his owne will resolue or dispose with himselfe to confesse his faith moreouer to dye for it which a very Turke might doe but man hath not power to beléeue at his owne wil. It might also be possible that a man wer baptised and not hauing a true and liuely faith in Christ yea not beléeuing in him might dispose himselfe for the honour of the worlde and confession of Christ euen to dye rather then to deny him yet in such a case he should be damned Rom. 10 Heb. 11. for that it is not sufficient to confesse Christ with the mouth but it is néedefull that we be righteous that we beléeue liuely with our heart neither can wée without Faith please God Man of himselfe may easely be stubborne of his wil but not redily haue a true Faith The hauing then of Faith is not in our willes Wherefore there were certeine which séeing that Faith depended not immediately vppon the will sayd that it was in our power onely inasmuch as it might commaunde the vnderstanding which went on pondering all those reasons which serue to declare the true Faith of Christ the which they beléeue groweth of humane reasons and that no man beléeueth but it is with some pledge as if our reson were the rule of Faith and therefore the Quéene and Iudge of the secrets of God It might be that a man wer one of the chiefest wise men in the world his wisedome likened vnto God yet is foolishnesse yea the most learned in the holye Scriptures 1. Cor. 3. being without spirite and a liuely Faith which doth not grow or depend vppon humane reasons but commeth downe from heauen Ephes 2. for that it is a frée gifte of God We be of our selues so prowd ready to distrust in God and to put confidence in our selues so blinde concerning diuine matters so féeble of strength that we can not by any meanes be lifted vp of our selues to so great a light as the light of a true and liuely Faith is which should not be a light inspired supernatural if we could purchase it by our owne strength All our strength then sufficeth not to haue Faith The naturall light nor the light purchased is not sufficient It is not sufficient to be borne among the faithfull nor to be baptised nor yet to be instructed of Christian things The Law the Prophets nor the hauing of the holy scriptures be not sufficient It is not sufficient to be learned in them to haue heard the Gospell preached neither miracles for if that all those things were sufficient the Philosophers the Scribes and Phariseyes theÌ„ had more faith then all others Yea the testimonie of Saints is not sufficient as appeareth in Iohn Baptist Ioan. 1. Ioan. 3. Mat. 11. who albeit for the most part testified vnto his disciples that Iesus and not he was Christ yet they beléeued him not wherefore he was constrained to send them to Christ Yea the outward testimonie of Christ is not sufficient as it appeareth in the Scribes and Phariseyes which did not beléeue although Christ himselfe bare witnesse We muste therefore haue the testimony of the holy Ghost he must open our mindes touch our hearts lighten vs inwardly and stablish
vs. For which cause Christ did not only preach work miracles but also praied not only dyed rose again ascended into heauen but sent the holy Ghost as was necessary to the ende that we might haue Faith It is séene by the Apostles that they neuer did beleue perfectly vntil they were filled with the holy Ghost We must with Mary conceiue Christ not with humane reson but with the holy Ghost Then the diuine supernatural Faith doth not depend vpon our own strength nor on our own wil neither on our own studie good wit wisdome knowledge or humane prudēce And this bicause ther is no certaine imprinting made in our fātasie by seing hearing or féeling nor yet is it an acte of humane reasō neither an allowing of the vnderstanding wrought by the gouernaunce of that wil but it is an imprinting of matters reuealed supernatural wrought in the spirit an acte of diuine reason an agréement made by the inward inspiratiō perswasion of the holy Ghost wherefore it dependeth not vpon any outward sensible matter Thou wilt peraduēture say seeing that it depēdeth not on me I may ought to dispaire of euer hauing it I aunswere thou oughtest so much to hope that thou shalt obtaine it as God of his great liberalitie on whō Faith dependeth without any proportiō doth loue thee more then thou louest thy selfe And woe vnto vs if it were our partes to purchase it with our owne strength or if it should depende in any part vpon vs it is better so that it be wholly in the hande of God If thou wilt say this is manifest that seing it dependeth not on me I ought not dispose my selfe to haue it nor yet to prepare me nor take any paine thereabout if that doing what I could all should be in vaine It must néedes be that God giueth it to whom it pleaseth him We on the other side may stande wayting with a curteous hande till God giueth Manna from heauen And I say that although it be the gifte of God yet the wicked who haue not Faith ought to doe all things they possibly can to haue it to assay euen things which séeme to thē impossible And the like ought the godly to doe that they might bée preserued in Faith grow therin Ioan. 15. Mat. 7 Rom. 14 Not that the wicked while they are in their impietie can do any déede meritorious or worthy in any sort of it selfe that God should giue him Faith Inasmuch as being without Christ no man can doe any good work yea for that being euil plants they can bring forth none other but euil fruits sinnes then be al their fruits wherfore they be in no wise meritorious of so rich a gift present at the hands of God as Faith is Yea the works of Saints whē they haue not ben or shal not be in this present life were not neither shal be worthy of such merit in any wise that God should increase or preserue their Faith And further I say that if God were willing to enter into iudgement with them with-out Christ to examine their life and to weigh their workes with thy ballaunce of his Iustice it should be soūd that they were worthie of great punishment for that they haue sinned at least in leauing things vndone inasmuch as in all their actions déedes in all their life through euery estate place time they haue ceased to honour God most highly as was cōueniēt for his infinit diuine goodnes as was due vnto him according to the vndispēsable diuine natural law Rom. 3. It is very true that being the mēbers of Christ their sins not onely were not imputed vnto thē but they with al their works done in faith were grateful accepted before god not for that they were in any wise worthy but thorough Christ thorough the méere mercie of God Psal 31 Ther is thē for the world offered vnto god no other merits but the merits of Christ And it is a most wicked matter to attribute vnto the Saints that which is fit for none but for the son of god he alone it is who hath purchased for the elect heauē all good things al men be saued in no wise thorough their works but through Christ through grace Ephes 2. as Paul declared Faith thē is the gift of God which bicause no man should glorie of himselfe is giuen thorough Christ and is by no meanes purchased thorough workes Neuerthelesse God will that we should doe whatsoeuer we could to haue it with accounting our selues alwaies vnworthie So that our trauayling to haue Faith must not be for that we should thinke that we coulde merite it but bicause without it we cannot honour God therefore it is our duetie to desire it to craue it of God by grace and to assaye all meanes possible to obtaine it Thou wilt say and what can we doe to haue it I aunswere and say that first we ought to labour to haue a certeine feruent desire and longing for Faith without which we cannot heartely séeke for it nor craue it of God And to haue this we must consider how noble a thing Faith is how rich fortunate mightie and needful to saluation forasmuch as without it not only we can not please God but we be most damnable It should also be néedful for the wicked to know that they be ignoraunt thereoff for that they appearing to haue it as it chaunceth with the Hipocrites superstitious people and false Christians do not séeke nor desire it yea they do not humble themselues to craue it of God so the godly ought to consider that their faith is small for that a man doth not breathe toward grace inasmuch as he doth not come to the knowledge of his miseries and of his weakenesse to ease him selfe And to this ende serueth this consideration that all our strength is not sufficient to obtaine Faith nor yet our wit our studies nor the learning knowledge wisdome of the world yea a carnal man by his corrupt nature is most ready to distrust in God is so blinde proude and affected to himselfe that with his foolish reason of an enuious Faith not onely he doth not goe vnto Faith but maketh a bulwarke against it Iam. 1. Thou oughtest therefore beléeue that onely God who is the Father of light can giue and wil giue it thée most largely And to this ende serueth the consideration of his great goodnesse and large liberalitie which is shewed vs in his creatures Then if God ceaseth not to administer vnto the moste vyle wormes continually that which is necessary so that they goe foorth and serue to that ende which he hath created them it must néedes be beléeued that hée will not forsake the soule for which hée created and conserueth al things yea for the saluation thereoff be dyed vpon the Crosse and he with the materiall Sunne lighteneth the carnall
eyes of those which were his enemyes how should they not beléeue then that he wil also lighten the eyes of their mindes Thou must also stirre vp thy selfe with saying thus if I trust the earth and therefore doe sow and plant the Sea and windes and therefore doe sayle men and that most euill therefore doe make bargaines and couenaunts with them why should I not much more put my trust in God the most good and my best Father And bicause that God doth more often make himselfe knowen with his goodnes in the holy Scriptures then in his creatures therfore we ought to be diligent industrious and carefull in the study of them inasmuch as they doe auayle greatly vnto fayth especially if a man considerth that God who is true Rom. 3. is he that speaketh in them and the large and great promises which he doth make vnto vs for that as by reading a writing wherein a creadible and honest man is become thy debter of a thousand Crowns giueth thée his promise and fayth that he will pay thée them so in reading in the holy Scriptures the promises of God there become to thée in fayth a warrant that God wil obserue them The reading of holy Scriptures also doth cause a man much the better to vnderstand how with a liuely faith Rom. 10 the worde of God may be preached for as Paul sayd fayth is by hearing hearing by the word of Christ Act. 9.10 8. God could immediately lighten his yet to the intent that loue might be exercised amongest vs orderly in giuing it the Ministers of his woorde be appointed as is séene in Paul when he was sent to Annanias in Cornelius béeing sent to Peter and in Philips comming to the Chamberlaine It is profitable also for fayth to meditate vpon the lyfe of Christ He sayd to Thomas Iohn 20 Luc. 5 bicause thou hast séene me thou hast beléeued And the consideration of his myracles is necessary Peter bicause of one onely miracle that he sawe of the fishes beléeued and left all that hée had He sawe that which wée ought to doe but perticulerly the consideration of Christ vpon the the Crosse is profitable wherfore Saint Iohn hauing briefly written the passion of Christ Iohn 20 sayde These thinges are written that we might beléeue And bicause we cannot haue trust in any person whome we despise as is séene with the fellow Country-men and naturall brothers of Christ Ioan. 17. which beléeued not in him therefore we must néedes constraine our selues to haue 〈◊〉 â—â—â—â—rence also bée affectionated to the truth to the ende we may not perish We had néede also to endeuour our selues as much as in vs lyeth to forsake sinne especially arrogancie Ioan. 5 stubburnnesse and pride for bicause that as Christ sayde he coulde not trust in and séeke the glory of the worlde Mar. 1 yea we ought to repent vs of that which is past Wherefore Christ preaching sayd repent and beléeue the Gospell We ought to remoue all lettes and obstracts from the light of God 2. Pet. 1. Psal 33. yea with good woorks let vs draw néere vnto him so that we béeing lightened may certefie our selues euery day more and more of our vocation and so grow in fayth But vnderstand that whereas to haue worldly thinges is néedefull to haue strength diligence science wisdome prudeÌ„ce towardnesse subtiltie craft actiuitie sleightes and humane artes to haue Faith is néedeful to haue a simple minde sincere humble pure these be those little ones and cleane to whom be reuealed the diuine secretes of God Mat. 11 which doe receyue the Gospell and which by fayth doe sée God Mat. 6 And although the foresaid things cannot of vs be done without the grace of God yet it is our duetie not onely to knowe that we are bounde to doe them yea and most diligently to force our selues to doo them Mar. 9 Luc. 17. to assay euen things which be to vs impossible But besides all this we had néede to make feruent and continuall prayer we ought to make our petition vnto Christ with the blinde that he would giue vs light and to beséech with the Father of him that was possessed with an euill spirite that he would helpe our vnbeliefe Deut. 23 Mar. 7. 2. Cor. 2. Mat 13 and with the Apostles intreate that he woulde increase our Faith yea with a newe heart and vnderstanding so that with the worde of his vertue he woulde open the eares of our heartes as he did to the deafe and woulde giue vs eares to heare his worde inwardlye If then we woulde haue lyght let vs go to Christ the light of the worlde and our onely Master inasmuch as without that his spirit without his fauour grace and inwarde worde the which is neuer without fruites we cannot doe any thing that is acceptable before God The reading also of the word of God is profitable for the commendations of our bretheren in theyr prayers so that praying for vs as Christ healed the man sicke of the palsie when he sawe the Faith of them which carryed him so likwise he would saue vs not for the worthynesse of our workes or of our Faith but by his méere grace so the we may as we ought yéeld vnto God al honour glory through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen ¶ Of the true Caball Sermon xiii GOD vpon the mount Synai gaue by Moses a lawe vnto the worlde Exod. 20 and that so perfect a one that to the perfection theroff could nothing be added inasmuch as it is contained all thinges profitable and necessary to saluation And all be it that Moses wrote the same lawe by the will of God yet the Hebaewes saye that hée was forbidden to expresse with letters the great treasures of the wisedome and knowledge of GOD the which were hidden vnder a coueringe of the letter reuealed to Moses himselfe Mat. 7 And this bicause that holy thinges should not bée giuen to dogges nor pearles should be cast before swine wherefore vntill the time of Esdras the Caball that is the reuealed and secrat vnderstanding of the holy Scriptures was as they say onely in the custody of certeine old men whereoff when one dyed they chose an other in his place and reuealed the lawes to him But afterwardes being captiues and dispearsed and that many of them dyed fearing least the lawe should be vtterly lost they began to write it out and after to corrupt and alter it in such sort that the Hebrewes be now ignoraunt of the true Caball and the which they haue is altogether a vain superstitious mischieuous and diuellish Caball The true Caball is a diuine knowledge reuealed and is so perfect that he which hath it hath the light of all diuine secreats can doe merueylous things and whatsoeuer he will obteineth that which he demaundeth hath that he desireth satisfieth his will and is most happie And forasmuch as it
to vs more profitable then true concord vnitie and peace so also there is not found any thing which is in it selfe more blame-worthy miserable and vnhappie which more doth displease God is to vs more hurtfull then discord disunion discention warre all which albeit be wicked yet those which be of faith be so much the more wicked as that they be matters of the more importaunce and as the persecutions which by them are made by béeing made vnder a forme or coulour of goodnesse be more cruell and durable It is true that those things which the false Christians and especially the Papistes doe to the true bretheren and members of Christ be more cruell inasmuch as they be more repugning against the truth Mat. 2 and inasmuch as they be most carnall with Herode they would not lose their kingdome their glory dignitie treasures pleasures and other worldly benefites by the which they are moued to persecute Christ his members and his Doctrine although vnder a pretence of honouring God They be also not onely enimies and that ciuill enimies but familyar and inward enimies therefore the worst Which thing considering with my selfe and seing that in the world especially in this our age there be so manye faithes opinions sectes heresies religions diuers rights lawes rules and sorts of lyuing wherefore so great dissentions discordes enmities hatreds infamies and persecutions I went on thinking how there might be anye meane to vnyte all men together in a vniforme true Faith and Religion And although some haue proued and sought to doe the selfe same thing and could not I did not therefore dispayre knowing that God with his grace can doe this a greater matter and so much the rather for that I know that lyke as it is necessary that those which come to an agréement about the principles of a science do agrée also about all conclusions whereon the first principle do depende so it must néedes bée that they who agrée about the principles of Faith do agrée also in al other things necessary to saluation And for that I sée that all persons in the world not onely Christians but Iewes Turkes Pagans and all the sectes that be founde doe agrée in the first and chiefe poynt of true Religion wheron dependeth all our saluation that is in beléeuing in God as if any of them were asked he would so saye Wherefore I am of opinion not onely that it were possible but easie to vnyte all persons in a true Faith and I meruaile greatly how it were possible that they should all beléeue in the selfe same God and were notwitstanding so much differing and cōtrary in beléeuing other things necessary to saluation so much the more I meruaile of false Christians inasmuch as I sée that as they say they not onely beléeue in God but in Christ And moreouer allowing the selfe same holy Scriptures they all confesse to beléeue that which is conteined in the Apostles Crede But going further in waighing well the matter I haue séene cléerely manifestly that not onely the Iewes Turkes Infidels but the Papists do not beléeue in truth any of the Articles of the Faith do not beléeue in Christ nor in God further also I say that they know not God in such sort as is necessary to know him They haue in déede a certeine idle barreine and dead opinion of God and a certeine obscure knowledge but it is none such as sufficeth to saluatiō A body may haue some lyght of God Rom. 1. as the Philosophers had and lykewise of the Scriptures as the Iewes had but without Christ we can haue no sufficient light of god Col. 2 for that Christ alone is the lyuely Image of God his countenaunce in the which is discouered to vs sufficiently the lyght of the world the way and meane to goe vnto God and onely those which sée and know Christ Iohn 8. 14 doe sée and knowe the Father Wherefore Paul writing to the Galathians sayed vnto them that they coulde not knowe God when they were without Christ This is the chiefe and principall sinne of the Turkes of the Iewes of the Infidelles and of the false Christians not to know God and for this they shall be punished Ephes 2 He then that is without Christ is without God as Paul did write he hath not God for his God nor for the latter ende The world can doe more in such a one then God and he is moued alwayes to worke not for the glory of God but for his owne gayne In Christ therefore alone is God reuealed with his so great goodnesse and grace that he draweth vs vnto him more effectuallye then the worlde so that despising our selues with all our earthlye thinges and pleasures we goe to the glory of God And then we know and féele God not onely for his respecting vs as our benefactour and one who is good vnto vs but much rather absolutelye as béeing good in himselfe and so also wée loue him with a sincere and pure loue Now forasmuch as Christ is he who hath made manifest vnto the world the vnspeakeable name of God Ioan. 17. Iehoua Ioan. 17. which onely signifieth God himselfe without any respect vnto creatures that is Christ alone hath gyuen vs light and made vs knowe feele and loue very GOD in himselfe therefore without Christ wée cannot knowe God truely And forbicause the Turkes the Iewes the Infidells and likewise the Papistes doe not knowe Christ in truth therefore it must be of necessitie sayde that they knowe not GOD. And that these doe not knowe Christ in truth is manifest for that Christ is not knowe truely but of them which sée him by all his righteousnesse sanctification wisedome and saluation as the Euangelistes 1. Cor. 1 and true Christians onely doe see him Inasmuch as the Turkes the Iewes and the Infidells beléeue not in any wise to be saued thorough Christ The Papistes also although they saye that they beléeue to be saued thorough CHRIST yet the beléeue not wholely to bée saued thorough him but in parte and partly by theyr owne woorkes Not hauing or accounting therefore Christ for any theyr righteousnesse and saluation they know him not so as they ought to knowe him to bée theyr Sauiour It must therefore néedes bée sayde forasmuch as they know not Christ that they know not God And for that they know neither God nor Christ it must néedes be concluded that they beléeue not in truth neither in the one nor in the other whereoff doth necessarily followe that they beléeue not anye article necessary to saluation All those therefore be deceiued who willing to vnite and knitte in one accorde all sectes in one true fayth doe cease to drawe men vnto the true knowledge and Faith of Christ and of GOD and doe labour to vnite and ioyne them togeather in outwarde woorkes and Ceremonies in as much as the true knowledge and fayth in Christ importeth all So
with a Target or Buckler defended them all off thou mast perceiue that that is a good Buckler but if the arrowes passe thorough and goe into the mannes heart thou wilt say that the Buckler must néeds be made of paper or such like trash So lykewise those that haue the shield of Faith inspired are defended from all the arrowes of the iniuryes of the world they come not néere their hearts they know thorough Faith that so it pleaseth God to haue it Ephes 6 and that al is for their commoditie and beatitude but those which haue onely the shield of purchased Faith euery small iniury casteth them downe to the ground they blaspheme and would reuenge forbicause they do not féele through Faith in déede the goodnesse of God A purchased Faith also doth not make vs to forsake all worldly things and our selues yea if any of those be moued to follow Christ it is for his owne lucre for his profite pleasures honors satisfiyng commoditie appetites delycatenesse or earthly Paradise or els to shunne griefes the hellish paines both of this and of the other lyfe and this bicause a purchased Faith maketh not a man to féele the goodnesse of god in such sort that for thorough the very méere glory of God he forsaketh all Alwayes in such men the worlde can moue more then God They well may leaue the garment but it is for honour also for plesure but not wholly for God bicause they doe not féele with lyuely Faith his great goodnesse Ioan. 4. as the righteous doe who for the glory of God doe leaue with the woman of Samaria their pitcher of worldly pleasures the swéetenesse of this lyfe and themselues And lastly a purchased Faith doth not moue thée to the obseruance of Gods commaundements as the inspired Faith doth which neither offendeth God nor his neighbour but abhorreth all wickednesse And although a purchased Faith in the Hipocrites at sometime doth shew it selfe forth with certeine glistering workes yet being dead it cannot long time dissemble but a true Faith doth not onely continue for euer but getteth euery day more force Let euery one therfore examine himselfe and sée if in him be the effects of a true Faith or no to the intent that if he doe not finde them in him hee may know that he is no Christian and so may humble and recommend himselfe to God and if he finde them in him he may giue thankes vnto God To whome hée all praise honour glorie thorough Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen ¶ If it be possible that in euery honest estate men may be perfect Christians or not Sermon 18. IT is not possible that a man should bée actuallye an adulterer vsurer a proude person an Idolater or any other sinne repugning against the diuine grace and holy Ghost and yet a perfect Christian but it is possible that a man in any estate not resisting agaynst a liuely Fayth Hope and Charitie and against other Christian vertues may be most perfect It is possible then that whether a man be young olde féeble strong hayle sick learned vnlearned man woman rich poore frée bonde marryed vnmarryed noble ignoble Prince priuate person Master Scholler prelate Captain Souldier Iudge Aduocate Procurator Notarie Gentleman Merchant Artificer Shepheard Plow-man lykewise in any other honest estate and a perfect Christian Which thing also I say of women and the reason is this for that goodnesse stubburnenesse and likewise the chiefest perfection vngodlynesse consist not in the lyke outward matters accidentall and indifferent which may bée found in the good and in the wicked in the perfect and in those which are most euill and be vsed in the honour and dishonour of God but consisteth in hauing a liuely faith in Christ in féeling liuely his great benefite and the excessiue loue of the father manifested vnto vs in the death of his déere only begotten sonne by whose meanes he hath saued vs adopted vs for his sonnes made vs his heires brothers members of Christ thorough his liuely faith supernaturall light spiritual knowledge of the goodnes mercy of God groweth in vs Fayth Hope Charitie humilitie patience loue of our neighbour mortifying of our selues all other true substantial Christian vertues wherefore it is necessary that according to the measure of faith of the light which we haue of god by the meanes of Christ we be more or lesse perfect in all vertues Rom. 6. In euery estate therefore not contrary to a liuely fayth in the which we may liue without sin raigning in vs we may be not onely good Christians but excellent and most perfect in all vertues I say not now but amongst honest estates are found some which be in themselues lesse daungerous then others likewise of those be some most apt to honour God but I say that in all estates may be some most perfect wherefore if a man be found in any estate honest let it be what estate it will hée cannot forsake his honestie as when one is marryed poore sicke a seruaunt ignoble and lykewise of all other estates he ought not to dispayre of habilitye to be perfect therein but to content himselfe and in this estate to serue God with takinge héede that they doe not offende but disposinge themselues rather to loose theyr liues then to agrée vnto sinne and they ought not onely labour to honour GOD in that estate which they are in with greate Fayth Hope Charitie but also to giue God thanks for his singuler grace séeing that whereas many doe not vnderstande and knowe their calling he is certeyne and sure that it pleaseth God that then it is profitable for him to be in that estate bicause he cannot honestly then chaunge it It is sufficient before GOD that he doe with heart and will those good woorkes which in that state he cannot do with power albeit in euery estate he ought to deale honestly there can be founde no exercise so simple if it be honest which may not make to the glory of God with a high Fayth and Charitie and therefore with a supreame acceptation allowed of God And so by the contrarye there is nothing so high so noble and famous in the sight of the world Rom. 1. Luc. 1. which béeing wrought without fayth is not abhominable before God If therefore for an example thou findest thy selfe to haue children thou oughtest bee contented with them and thinke that they bée the children of God which he hath giuen thée to the ende that thou shouldest gouerne lighten and teach them diuine manners this now is no small office Thou wilt say O I will goe into some Forrest for I know that there I may best serue God Doest thou not sée that this is a temptation of the Diuell which would bereaue thée of a true godly and very perfect Christian Religion woulde robbe thée of Charitie and of Christ and would cause thée to departe from thy
vocation which GOD hath appoynted 1. Cor. 7. from the obedience to GOD from his seruice to the intent that thou béeinge a backeslider mightest serue the Diuell and thy selfe GOD will be serued of vs in obedience according to his worde and not according to our franticke fantasies Lykewise 1. Cor. 7. Gal. 3 1. Cor. 12 Ephes 6 Act. 5. if thou findest thy selfe to be in seruitude with thinkinge that thou art free in Christ thou oughtest content thy selfe and in righteous matters thou oughtest serue and obeye heartely with great loue and charitie towardes thy Maister as vnto Christ but in matters vnrighteous thou oughtest saye with the Apostle It is more néedefull to obeye GOD then men It is very true that without hurting Charitie thou mayst séeke to bée made frée for thine estate beeing frée is more apt to honour God and by GOD thou art therevnto called thou must take héede yet that by honest meanes thou becommest frée and all for the greater glorye of God So that if thou finde thy selfe in libertye to be able to choose chaunge or not chaunge thine estate thou oughtest with praying vnto god that he would giue thée his light take héede not to thine owne peace reste and lucre but to the honoure of GOD and so to turne thy selfe not according to thine owne fantasie but according as the Lorde inspireth calleth thée with fayth that God will in no wise forsake thée yea if God called thee to walke and trauaile vnto him thorough the middest of all the daungers in the world thou oughtest go safe and be assured thorough fayth that God with his diuine grace will not nor doth not forsake such as with obedience to him doe walke thorough his pathes after that he inspireth and calleth him Dost thou knowe when thou shalt be in great daunger euen when thou art out of Gods way and from his calling and walkest after thine owne fantasie yea in such a case howe much that estate in which thou art founde be in it selfe more high perfect so much the more if thou be not therevnto called it shal be to thée more hurtfull There may be then a good Prince and the same a perfect Christian as many were both in the olde and newe Testament yea none can in truth be a good Prince if he be not a good Christian Inasmuch as he which is without true Religion and fayth it must néedes be that he is ignoraunt of true wisedome of true righteousnesse strength charitie temperaunce and all other vertues If a Prince be not a Christian he shall neuer haue such sincere pure and diuine loue to his subiects as is conuenient he shall neuer be mortified to the world and himselfe and liuing vnto the honour of God he shall not haue so graue manners so ripe sound and holy as he that hath fayth in Christ Paul wrote that God would saue of all sortes of men 1. Tim. 2 and not onely of those who lead a priuate life but also of those that be set in authoritie wherfore he exhorted men to pray for them Yea a Prince hath a most fit occasion to be and to shew himselfe a Christian I doe not now deny but that it is a most hard thing to be in a high estate dignitie fauour friendship riches pleasures and with the eye of a liuely fayth to discern for his Lorde the simple abiected little estéemed humble forsaken poore and passioned Christ vppon the Crosse and so much more harde a thing it is to finde Christ in a Prince as in this our age the corruptions of the most part accounted for most holy Lawes be greater their libertie and power more tyrannicall their willes more vnbrideled and flatterers which serue them in stéede of mightie men are great in aboundaunce so that we may say with the Phariseyes high Priestes of the Iewes Ioan. 7. which of the great men haue beléeued in Christ there is none but the simple and poore people that beléeue in him Also the Iudges Aduocates Procurators and Notaries might be good men and doe offices and déedes of great charitie it is true that they ought to be of another sort then they commonly are And lykewise also a man might be a souldiour and yet a good Christian as was the Centurion but it so hard Mat. 8. that it is next neighbour to a thing impossible The lyke I say of other honest estates of the world in which euerye one that is founde therein by the will of God ought to turne vnto his sayd Lord God all his intents thoughts will actions and workes with ordering al his lyfe to his honour glory Such also may ought to haue alwaies god before their eyes and him alone to serue and albeit they be found to be in the world they ought not to be drowned intangled shackeled nor with heart be established in any wise therin but to tread the world vnder their féete They ought to goe heartely vnto God seruing altogether to his honour Séeing then that in euery honest estate we may be perfect Christians it is our dutie to content our selues with that estate in which it hath pleased God that wée shoulde bée and to labour with a supreame Faith and vertue to do all that which is conuenient in that estate so that we may render vnto God all prayse honour and glorye thorough Iesus Christ our Lorde Amen ¶ Of the foolishnesse of those that be gouerned with the prudence and wisedome of the world and of the wisedome of those that be guyded with the prudence and wisedome of God Sermon 19. THere is found in the worlde a prudence and wisedome which is carnall profane humane and diuelish and an other that is spirituall holy Angelicall and diuine Of the first Paul maketh mention wheras he sayed Be you not wise in your owne opinions And likewise when he sayd that the wisedome of this world was foolishnesse before God Rom. 12. 1. Cor. 3. and in many other places Of the seconde Faith Christ made mention when he exhorted the Apostles to be wise as Serpents Mat. 10. Mat. 15. and also when he tolde of those fiue virgins who entred with him into the mariage Christ also spake both of the one and of the other when he sayd that the children of this world Luc. 16. be more wiser then the children of lyght and forasmuch as the greater part of men leauing off to be gouerned with spirituall prudence and wisedome be gouerned with carnall by which they fal headlong into great daungers therefore I haue iudged that it wil not be vnprofitable to shew vnto such partly their foolishnesse First spirituall prudence and wisedome as that which hath a great light cleare supernaturall and high holdeth alwayes the eyes open fixed and stedfast vpon God hauing him alone for the last end vnto whose glory it ordereth all our actions and workes vsing all creatures to his honour But carnall wisedome and prudence as
be moued to goe séeke for grace at Gods hande Lastlye he vsed with vs great mercy in sending Christ his onely begotten sonne who albeit for the space of thirtie and thrée yeares he shewed himselfe most pitifull vnto sinnners yet they alwayes persecuted him so that at last wyth very great ignominie and shame they crucified him And he of that death which they put him vnto wrought meanes to giue vs lyfe shewing himselfe still pitifull vnto man when man was most cruellye bent against him And besides all this arisinge agayne hée shewed himselfe oftentimes vnto his electe more amyable godlye and pacified hée lightened them with diuine matters with bestowinge on them many gracious benefites Hee ascended visibly into heauen that our hope might be lifted vp on high abiding therefore with his spirit vpon earth He sent the holy ghost vpon his Apostles visibly at the day of Pentecost like as he sent it vnto his alwaies inuisibly He prayeth for vs cōtinually bestoweth new graces vpō vs although we be most vnworthy There is no man that can deuise greater mercy then that which God hath vsed with vs. Séeing that we offend him he should haue vsed great mercy with vs if he should but once haue had remembraunce of vs but that he sent not a seruant but his sonne to heale our sicknes with his own bloud yea toke our infirmitie vpon him suffered the which of duetie we ought to haue suffered this was a very great mercifulnes that after sinne committed hath saued Adam all his posteritie Be our sinnes neuer so great innumerable that if we do hartely craue pardō at gods hand we shall immediately be pardoned His mercy it is that preserueth vs frō innumerabe sinnes and euills into which we should fall if that were not ready to helpe vs that preuenteth vs maketh vs riche deliuereth and saueth vs. If tenne onelye righteous men had bene in Sodome God woulde not haue destroyed the filthy citie so euer is his mercy Somtimes God punisheth euen to the third and fourth generation and sheweth mercy vpon a thousand The sin of Dauid was great therefore with his heart he sayd I haue sinned and immediately he was pardoned The holy Ghost doth extoll in the holy Scriptures no perfection of God so highly as his mercy to the intent that wée should not dispayre and nothing doth so much displease him as when we distrust in his goodnesse and mercy so that I would choose rather if it were possible to haue committed all sinnes to haue hope in God then to haue this one sin of desperation We al haue néede of the mercy of God therefore we all ought to gaspe after it chiefly marke that it is offered vnto all and he that hath the eyes of fayth shall sée that the works of god be full of mercy not only when he chastiseth vs but also when he suffereth vs to fall into any sinne He suffered as Paul did write euen the Iewes to fall that he might saue the gentiles Hauing then to bring vs vnto the mercye of god one so mighty pitifull an high Priest as Christ is who preuenteth vs with his mercye we ought in him put all our hope and forasmuch as he hath already deliuered vs from all sinnes therefore also from all miseries He as Ioseph the Patriarch although he had bene hurt by his brethren could not in any wise refrain but that with his mercy he would embrace vs. He alone was that Samaritane who truely had pitie vpon vs. He also hath bene and is that diuine shephearde which came downe from heauen for his lost flocke He together with the father of the prodigall sonne receiueth embraceth with great ioy the miserable sinner when he humbly turneth vnto him He without béeing many times requested rayseth againe the dead sonne of the Church militant as before time he raysed vp the widowes sonne And what néede I say more he hath turned all the world vp side down for to finde againe the groate that was lost Séeing thē that the mercie of God is so great let vs labour by al meanes possible to put all our trust in him so that we may render vnto him all praise honour glory thorough Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen Of the good Thiefe Sermon 7. WHo is it that is not astonied in considering the bottomelesse profunditie of Gods diuine Iudgement Séeing Christ vppon the Crosse altogether tormented next vnto deaths dore betrayed of Iudas denyed of Peter forsaken of the rest of his Disciples persecuted of the Iewes scorned of the Gentiles euery bodye fell from the Faith and euen then a poore Théefe opened his eyes and began to haue Faith when all the world had lost their Faith The others had talked with Christ heard the Gospell his doctrine seene his innocent lyfe his excéeding charitie his excellent wisdome profound humilitie and other his diuine vertues his so great wonders signes and miracles they had read the Prophets studied the Scriptures séene the figures and all to be fulfilled in Christ and yet for all this they beléeued not on him not onely whilest they sawe him hang vppon the Crosse but whilest he shewed himselfe glorious vppon the earth and on the other part a Thiefe or robber béeing blynde and ignoraunt without peraduenture euer hauing séene or read the holy Scriptures with out miracles being with such great paine and sorrow vpon the Cross euen ready to dye and séeing that Christ dyed vppon the Crosse beléeued that he was the Sonne of God and hoped for Heauen by his meanes who hanging on the Crosse said My God my God why hast thou forsaken me It cannot be sayd but that his conuersion was a singular lyght and grace which he had from God so that as his conuersion was the last miracle that Christ wrought vppon the earth so it was of all other the greatest He was a figure of al the elect who are saued onely thorough grace as he was He is set for an exāple to all the world to the intent that none shoulde euer dispayre of the grace of God seing that a Théefe who for his wickednesse was punished euen with death and for his vngraciousnesse was crucified is saued Was it not a great matter that in the same day when Christ with so great zeale shed his bloud that then he opened the windowes of his diuine treasures and rayned downe grace in such aboundaunce that a Théefe was illuminated and is saued The good Théefe perceiuing that Christ with great pittie prayed vnto the Father for those that crucified him more-ouer excused them with saying that they knewe not what they did wondering at this so great loue hée tourned his eyes vnto Christ and sawe that he suffered so great euills without any perturbation hée sawe such pitifull teares fall from him to the grounde and such feruent and kindeled groanings mount from him vp to the Heauen he heard his wordes so full of loue he behelde such his gestures
mouth when wée worke or suffer that it is to the the glory of God Also it is not sufficient to haue a certeine feeble desire theroff the which is found euen in the wicked inasmuch as they would also loue God worke and suffer for his honour yea it is not sufficient to doe anye thing to the glory of God if we be wicked that with all our might and force we purpose and determine to worke for his honor forasmuch as whilest we be wicked we cannot worship God truely nor lyft vp our head to his glory with accoūting him for our last ende And more ouer it sufficeth not that we imagine thinke that we worke for his glory for that the Iewes also in crucifiyng Christ and in persecuting his saints thought that they did God seruice as Christ foretolde vnto the Apostles They supposed that they were moued by zeale of the honour God but they deceiued themselues as Paule did write forasmuch as in truth if they had bene moued and drawen by the honour of God they would not haue done things which shoulde be to his dishonour as they did and this bicause séeing that the honour of God is in truth our last ende it doth not drawe vs to doe any thing but that which serueth to honour God To make therefore in truth our purposes right it must néedes be that we féele with the spirite a liuely Faith and light supernaturall the goodnesse of God in Christ in such sort that it can worke more in vs then all the benefits of the world so that louing it aboue all other things we be drawn to doe things for his glory so much the more as that man with a liuely faith séeing that Christ hath not onely delyuered him from al euill of this present life and of the lyfe to come but also hath merited all he could no more be moued to worke or suffer as a seruaunt for his owne gaine wherefore it shall of necessitie be that as a regenerate heyre and Lord ouer all and sure of saluation he should be onelye moued to worke by the Sonne for the glorye of the Father Now these doe onely worship God in spirite and truth forasmuch as they account him for their last ende they alone doe truly loue him not bicause he is good vnto them and bestoweth benefits vpon them but bicause he is good in himselfe and this is properly to loue God They onely doe also acknowledge God and his name in truth for that whereas others doe not feele nor knowe God but in that he hath created them preserueth them gouerneth and bestoweth benefites on them wherefore they doe for his owne gaine in himselfe acknowledge him in his owne being to be absolutely and with-out respect vnto creatures Vnto these also the Heauen béeing open as vnto Stephen they see the glorye of God wherefore they be moued to worke thereby And albeit such as these doe not actually thinke at all times to doe things vnto the glory of God yet notwithstanding lyke as all that which the Mariners doe is that they might be conducted vnto the hauen they séeke for albeit they doe not alwayes actually thinke thereon euen so the elect of God and those which haue with the spirite tasted the goodnesse of God be drawen to worke for his glorye although they doe not alwayes actually thinke there on Wherefore lyke as when thou castest on thée a cloake that not finding any let is moued by some part although thou doest not continually touche and dash it with thy hande and this by that first force which thou didst vse in casting it on Euen so when thou beginnest to doe a good worke to the glory of God although thou dost not alwayes actually thinke to do it to the glory of God neuerthelesse in vertue of the first force it is wholly to the glory of God so that there is found no let that is so that afterward thou dost not chaunge for to doe it with any wicked intent repugning against the glory of God It is very true that as to shake this cloake oftentimes will cause it sway with much the greater force and swiftnes so lykewise when we doe a good worke the refreshing of it oftentimes the thinking by force of a liuely spirite to doe it to the glory of God profiteth much to make vs do it with greater vehemencie Lyke as therefore the Hounde if he feeleth not the smell of the Hare runneth one while this way another while that but if he seeth it or féeleth the smel theroff is moued and runneth to it with great spéede the right way without turning either to the right hande or to the left euen so he which féeleth not in Christ the great goodnesse of God is moued to worke now by this worldly thing and then by that but he which féeleth it is drawen to worke with-out straying with a right purpose for the glory of God the which as our supreme beatitude and last ende we ought to haue alwaies before the eyes of our minde Neither ought we account it a hard matter to holde our minde alwayes lyfted vp vnto God séeing that not onely the loue which he beareth vs and that he alwayes thinketh on vs but moreouer ouer how he béeing infinitelye good hath made himselfe knowen vnto vs in bestowing benefites vppon vs with great excesse of his loue To this ende he hath created vs and done all that which he hath done to the intent that knowing him for our first beginning last ende chiefe happines with making his glory shine we labour to set foorth his glory which to doe is a thing in it selfe so honest that in the world can nothing be done in it selfe so vile which if it be done for the glory of God is not glorious in the sight of God like as also there can nothing be done in the world so gloryous in it selfe that béeing done for humaine respects is not most abiected in the sight of God If thou shouldest giue all that thou hast to the poore thy body to the fire if thou dost it not for the loue of God euery thing is lost as Paule did write Although thou canst not serue God vnrewarded thou oughtst notwithstanding serue him without hauing respect vnto the reward but only to serue for his glory And when the eye of our purpose is so simple sincere pure all the body of our workes is lyght and acceptable vnto God There is nothing that hurteth so much the arte of liuing well as a peruerse intent the which disordering the whole and taking the honor from God maketh men idolaters and vaine inasmuch as all the which they worke and suffer and not for the glory of God is lost cast away yea and sinne in the sight of God for that they are not done for the glory of God as they ought to be O how happy wer we if all that wée haue suffered and wroughte euen vntill now we had suffered and
wrought for the glory of God but we ought at least to do so héereafter and then euery thing that we shal do shal be acceptable vnto God so that our purpose be right vnto him Euery man therfore ought to haue God for his last ende before his eyes to order al his life vnto him with chusing those things that serue most to his glory with forsaking those things which do hinder or stay vs wtout regarding things which appertaine not to vs which we shall be constrained to doe at any time when being in loue with God we féele with the spirit in Christ his great goodnesse Let vs pray to God therfore that he would giue vs a liuely light of him to the intent that hauing alwayes our eyes open to his honour we maye render vnto him all prayse thorough Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen How that the Law of the Gospell is more perfect then all other Lawes Sermon 11. AS there is but one onely God one onely Christ one onely holy Ghost one onely Faith one onely Church and one onely Gospell so lykewise vnto the world is but one onely diuine Lawe imprinted alreadye by God in the minde of man darkened by sinne expressed somewhat by morall Philosophy but much better by Moses and most perfectlye by Christ and a new by Christ the spirit of God being the guyde powred in imprinted and written in the bowels and in the hearts of the regenerate as God afore time promised by his Prophet They call notwithstanding the naturall Law those canons rules and truth practised of that which is right and of that which is not right imprinted in the booke of the minde in the which euery one reading when he commeth to yeares of discretion without any other master and booke he discerneth by himselfe good from euil And the truth it self inasmuch as by Moses it was expressed in tables is called the Law writtē wheras afterward by Christ the holy Ghost being the guide it was in a more perfect manner imprinted in the harts of the regenerate that is called the Euangelical law of grace of the spirit Wher is to be noted that although a philosopher hath for example imprinted in minde this truth that God ought not to be dishonoured but honored knew that this thing is most right yet notwithstandinge hée obserued not this most iust lawe Yea the Iewes albeit they had this same truth not only imprinted in the minds but also expressed in the tables of Moses discerned the righteous from the vnrighteous that with greater light then the Philosophers they could in no wise obserue that iust honest law bicause they were letted by their concupisences But in a Christian already by faith regenerated the goodnesse of God thorough Christ is in such sort imprinted in his heart that by the liuely spirituall tast feeling which he hath in Christ of God he cannot dishonour him yea by the spirit which he hath the which preuayleth agaynst his carnall concupisences he is constrayned to honour him And this according to the measure of fayth which he hath The Philosopher then albeit he knew in part his bounden duetie he did not therfore fulfill it bicause the flesh resisted him And in lyke case also the Iew albeit he knew that better then all the Philosophers what the wil of God is neuerthelesse béeing without Christ without grace he obeied it not Wherefore he shall be punished the more grieuously as hée had greater knowledge of the lawe of God The naturall lawe therefore much more the written law is the Minister of death and damnation whereas the euangelicall law of spirite of grace is the minister of lyfe saluation Wherefore Paul speaking of it sayd the lawe of the spirit of lyfe in Christ Iesu hath deliuered mée from the law of death of sinne The written law therefore is vnperfect although the naturall lawe be much more vnperfect séeing that albeit they shew those thinges which ought to be done they doe not therefore giue the grace to be able to obserue them The law naturall then was as it were in darknesse the lawe of Moses in shadowes the euangelicall law in light The law natural came at midnight Moses lawe at the morning and the euangelicall law at noone day The naturall lawe came with a little candle burning Moses lawe with a great torch but couered the euangelical law with the cléere light of the Sun The natural law saw god in his creatures Moses law in the Scriptures the euangelical law in Christ The natural law séeth not Christ Moses law saw him and shewed him a farre off the euangelicall law hath seene him openly imbraced him for his owne The natural law hath imbraced no man Moses law hath painted him out with giuing him coulours the euangelical law hath giuen him spirit The naturall lawe made him serue by reasons Moses lawe for feare the euangelicall lawe for loue The natural lawe deliuereth vs from worldly infamy Moses law from the tyranny of Pharao and the euangelicall law from the tyranny of the world of the flesh of sinne and of the diuell The naturall law hath for the guide vnderstandinge Moses lawe a piller of fire and the euangelicall lawe the holy Ghost The natural lawe is the lawe of the Philosophers Moses law hath him for the author the euangelicall law is of Christ The naturall lawe féedeth men with worldly thinges Moses law with Manna and the euangelical law with God The natural law buildeth vp a worldly common wealth Moses law the holy citie of Hierusalem and the euangelicall lawe the heauenly countrey By the naturall law we were straungers by Moses law seruants and by the euangelicall frée and the sonnes of God The naturall law guided vs to a certeine humaine felicity Moses lawe into the land of promise and the euangelicall law vnto heauen The natural law is a burthen fit for humaine strength Moses lawe is a burthen sharp grieuous and the euangelicall lawe is pleasant delectable The naturall law hath a respect to the comelines of vertues Moses law vnto felicitie and the euangelical law vnto the glory of God The naturall conducteth thee into Aegipt there leaueth thee Moses law deliuereth thée frō thence maketh thée walk thorough the desert the euangelical law bringeth thée into the land of promise The natural law begetteth thee vnto the world Moses law killeth thée vnto God the euangelical law raiseth thée againe The natural law accuseth thée Moses law condemneth thée and the euangelicall law saueth thée The naturall law awaketh man when he sléepeth Moses law maketh him to tremble and the euangelical law setteth him at rest The naturall lawe maketh men righteous in their owne sight Moses law in the sight of the world and the euangelicall law maketh them righteous in the sight of God The naturall lawe promiseth not any thing that is supernaturall Moses law maketh promises of most rich diuine thinges and the euangelicall lawe obserueth them The naturall lawe maketh vs men Moses law maketh vs Angells and the euangelicall law euen as Gods Wherfore the natural law is good Moses law better the euangelicall law best and most perfect Let vs pray therefore vnto the Lorde that hée would imprint it in our heartes to the intent that we may render to him all prayse honour and glory thorough Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen FINIS ⧠IMPRINTED AT London by Thomas East dwelling betwéene Paules Wharfe and Baynards Castle 1580. MIEVLX VAVLT MOVRIR EN VERTV QVE VIVRE EN HONCTE
hath pleased God of his grace to reueale it to mee I haue determined to giue lyght thereoff to his honour and glorye vnto those who be ignoraunt and blinde There is found in the fiue bookes of Moyses a name of such and so great vertue that who so knoweth it and beareth it vpon his backe may know how and doth obstaine whatsoeuer he desireth And this is that name to which euery knée must bow and doe reuerence Philip. 2 Mar. 16. Act. 3 Iohn 16. Rom. 10 Act. 2.4 1. Iohn 2 bicause it is aboue all other names and contayneth in it Princedome that is to saye IESVS Of this name had Moses knowledge likewise the Patriarches the Prophets the Apostles all the Saints both of the olde and new Testament By vertue of this name they had their so greate light wrought all their myracles and obtayned all that they desired and craued as afterward Christ promised to his Apostles Act. 10 4 He that calleth vpon the name of Iesus is safe we haue no other name vnder heauen in which we can be saued or haue any good thing but onely Iesus By which name alone our sinnes be forgiuen vs and we receiue of God all giftes benefites and graces But note that in the holy Scriptures by the name is signified the person named So that whereas it is written that by the name of Iesus we haue remission of sinnes and saluation power to become the sonnes of God to work miracles Ion. 1 Mat. 6 Ion. 14 and to obtayne all things by that name of Iesus it is vnderstoode of Iesus himselfe For the vertue consisteth not in the letter nor in the name as the superstitious Antechristians doe saye and beléeue it consisteth not in voice in writing no nor in conceite but in Christ himselfe If thou shalt reade the holy Scriptures thou canst not finde any obseruations of words in the Apostles whē they wrought myracles and lykewise in Moses and the other Saintes They therefore did not receiue grace by vertue of words but by vertue of Christ Wherefore we had néede to doe otherwise then to pronounce or carye the name of Iesus about our neckes We must carye Iesus thorough faith and spirite in our heartes And they that doe so possesse him be great Caballistes Rom. 16. Ion. 14. and so much the greater as with a greater Faith they imbrace him as their owne as were the Apostles Moses the Prophets other great Saints In Christ himself consisteth al vertue of the true Caball hidden from vs before time and thorough Christ cléerely and manifestly reuealed and there is founde no other true Caball besides this for if there were any other Christ who made knowen to his Apostles all that hée had heard from the Father would haue reuealed it and so woulde the Holy Ghost seeing that it doth teach all truth as Christ hath promised and the Apostles haue preached vnto others but we see manifestly that they neuer taught any other Caball then Christ The true Cabal therefore consisteth not in charecters in Images or letters wherefore Moses could not write it nor yet Christ but it consisteth in possessinge thorough fayth and in spirite Iesus Whereof bicause the Hebrewes are ignoraunt therefore they be without the true Caball And onely those which haue Iesus in their hearts be the true Cabalistes for that they first by knowing Christ doe know all shinges inasmuch as in him bée hidden al the treasures of the wisdome knowledge of God Christ reueleath vnto his friēds al the which he heard from the Father Col. 2 Ion. 15. that is all thinges néedefull and profitable for their saluation Those thinges which doe not appertaine vnto them to know as for the day when the sonne of god shal come to iudge the world Christ himselfe confesseth that the Father hath not reuealed to him Luc. 13. The holy ghost instructeth the elect of God them that haue Christ in their hearts of all the which is expedient for their saluation 1. Cor. 2. we ought to desire no more The spirit of Christ goeth séeking thorough all euen to the profound things of God as Paul did write 1. Cor. 1. therefore they which by faith do possesse him do know all the diuine secrets of God profitable therefore néedfull to serue to the glory of God for the health of the soule This is the true Cabal reuealed to Moses to the Prophets to the Apostles Saints 1. Cor. 2. This wisdome did Paul preach amōg those which were perfect that is Christ wisdome righteousnesse our sanctification redemption so did all the Apostles as they that were great Cabalistes Likewise Christ forasmuch as albeit he was crucified thorough infirmitie yet he is risen againe most mightie in vertue 2. Cor. 13 Mat. 28. yea all power hath bene giuen him both in heauen in earth therefore those which by fayth haue Christ in their hearts haue an high abundance of vertue power so that not only in the name of Christ they worke myracles Ephes 1. Mar. 16. such as be fit equal with the miracles of Christ but greater as he himself promised Other vertues haue their limits but vnto faith all things are possible Ion. 14. to him that beleeueth hath Christ in his heart all enterprises are small and this bicause he doth not take them in hande but to the glory of GOD and being moued by force of the spirite Ion. 18. wherevnto euery thing giueth place as the whole multitude fell downe before Christ He is safe that hath Christ in his heart there is none that can hurt him yea Rom. 8. euery thing serueth to his saluation He also which hath Christ in his heart obtayneth whatsoeuer he desireth being thereto moued by the spirite of Christ which is alwayes hearde He himselfe who is most faythfull hath promised vs Ion. 10. that if we aske anye thing in his name we shall be alwayes hearde and further haue whatsoeuer we desire Iohn 16. for that Christ the sonne of God and his heyre hath promised vs so vnto whome the father hath put all thinges in power and he that hath Christ hath all and that for bicause hée is ordered according to the good will of God and is contented with that which he hath Iohn 13. and which it pleaseth God to bestow vpon him without desiring anye more and for as much as God giueth not his owne sonne to any but that with him he giueth all good thinges therefore he which hath Christ by fayth in his heart as his brother the sonne of GOD heire and Lorde of all it is profitable inough for him in all thinges both in his saluation and to the glory of God Faith setteth vs in possession of all satisfieth our wil and maketh vs most happie Let vs praye therefore God that he would giue vs fayth so that we may yéeld vnto him all prayse