WHereas all our Passions haue their roote in the minde, and cannot be moued thence: nay, whereas they haue their right vses, so that without them there must needes ensue a na­turall vacuity of Sense, and dul­nesse in the heart: the Apostle first allowing that which is naturall in our affections, permitteth anger: secondly, he forbiddeth that which is contrary to Nature, Sinne not: thirdly, if wee haue sinned, hee willeth vs to shake it off quickely: Let not the Sunne goe downe vpon your wrath.

[Page 2] To vs it seemeth strange, that the Apostle should say, Be angry, and sinne not. For wee know not what to say of Anger, but either that it is an hot appetite of re­uenge, or a seething of the bloud about the heart, or a short madnesse, or some such like affection. But if we marke the scope of the Apostle well: He doth not in saying, Be angry, permit, but command some an­ger.

Why the Apostle doth not forbid Anger, we haue this reason; because the passions of our mindes are [...], of themselues indifferent, neither good nor euill. Our Anger then, as it respecteth her end, is good or euill: For there is a time when it is a fault to be an­gry: and there is a time when it is a fault not to be angry. There is lawfull vse of Anger, as of Loue, of Hatred, and of Sorrow: For there is a godly Loue, a godly Hatred, a godly Sorrow, a godly Anger; aswel, although not as often, as the contrary.

Neither doe I speake of this passion, as it is [...], a first motion, without assent, as in the very in­fancy of her cause. For I doubt not but that all the affections of man, are as man is, conceiued in sinne: yet so, that by originall sinne, the reasonable parts, & those faculties which moue to Anger, are hurt. But that part in which Concupiscence moueth, is infected with taint of sinne. Here I speake of a deliberate An­ger, confirmed by reason and act of our will, with which we may as well please God, as with our Almes or Prayers, or any other worke of godlinesse.

Now although the same sinne which hath blemi­shed our vnderstanding, & defaced our purest minde, hath made much more deformed and vgly those af­fections which sit beneath the Will, and being but her sollicitors, haue their place in that part which is more subiect to Concupiscence: yet hath not sinne pre­uayled [Page 3] to destroy the nature and substance of them. Now if in their Nature they be not abolished, much lesse in their right Vse. The Philosopher said well of Anger, that it is the whet-stone to Fortitude. Basill, calleth it a sinew or tendon of the soule, giuing it cou­rage and constancy: and that which is remisse and tender, hardening, as with yron and steele, to pierce and goe through her businesse. To be angry saith S. Hierome is the part of a man: and were not Anger, by Hom [...], in M [...]. suffrage of Saint Chrysostome; neither could teaching auaile, neither iudgement stand, neither sinnes be re­pressed.

The Stoicks hould a vacuity of affections, and condemne them all as vnlawsull: why? because they draw vs to disorder and outrage: but this is not the nature of our affections, but the affection of our cor­rupt nature. Christ himselfe was not without affecti­ons: he was angry when he cast the Mat. 21. [...] Marchants out of the Temple: Mat. 9. 36. pittifull when he saw the people scat­tred like sheepe without a shepheard: sorrowfull, when he cryed ouer Ierusalem: And we know that Luk. 13. 37. Anger, Repentance, Esa. 63. 3. Mercy Ier. 8. 8. and Hatred, are attributed to God himselfe, which if they were simply, and by na­ture euill, should neuer haue beene ascribed to him.

It cannot then be denied but that Anger is vpon iust causes to be permitted. Now let vs see in regard whereof it may be commanded.

There is a time when Gods honour is defaced, and then be angry, through iust zeale, as Phinehas Psa. [...]. 6. was with Zimry and Cozby: but in this kind of anger Nom. 25. 1 [...] sinne not; be not ouer iust. There is a time when our brother is to be reproued; in this reproofe sinne not: be not too sharpe and bitter in rebuking: and in this place we may well cary with vs the rule of the Apostle, E [...]. 7. 1 [...]. Brethren, if any man be ouer taken with a fault, you which are spiritual [Page 4] instruct such an one, with the spirit of gentlenesse, conside­ring thy selfe, least thou also be tainted. First the ve, ry in­sinuation were enough to perswadevs, seeing we are al brethren. Secondly, there is no difference betweene them and vs, but in time: they may preuent vs in sin­ning, we shall follow them. Thirdly, because flesh and blood is insolent, the Apostle maketh a distinct choyse of the persons exhorted: you that are spirituall, you which haue your hearts softned with the vnction of the holy Ghost. Fourthly, the medicine is set downe, we must instruct him: shew him the nature and mea­sure of his fault, and how to amend it. Fiftly, the in­gredience to the medicine is prescribed, with the spirit of meeknesse. Sixtly, we are bound to it by equality of nature, considering thy selfe. Seauenthly, it is worth the noting, that whereas before hee sayd in the plurall number brethren, you: now by a kinde of selecisme he maketh it euery mans case: considering thy selfe, least thou also be tainted. But to goe forward, there is a third kinde of lawfull anger: when wee must be an­gry with our selues for sinnes and trespasses by vs committed: but yet in this kinde of anger let vs not sinne, that is, fall into dispaire: for there is mercy with God albeit we haue sinned. So the first anger, in which we are moued against our brother, commeth from a Godly zeale, the second, when we rebuke our brother for his amendment, commeth from our loue to God: and the third, when we are angry and displeased with our selues, for our sinnes, is our repentance before God. We which haue suffred our affections to stoope downe to sinne, and haue suffered our selues to be caried and misled by them; knowing now that there is necessary vse of them to good, shall we not turne them away from actions of vniustice, and restore them to the honour of God, and the good of our selues, and [Page 5] of our neighbour? We which haue beene so often an­gry and sinned, is it not now time to learne to be an­gry and not sinne? How happy shall we be, if wee can fence and saue our selues with that sword, with which we haue wounded so many of our brethren? How hap­py shall we then be when we haue wonne those pre­turbations from the Diuell, which hang downe so low, and easie for sinne, and by which sinne taking hold, doth clime vp higher into our will and vnder­standing! I conclude then with Saint Basile, Ser: de Ira, If you will be angry with out sinning, and shew forth the law­full vse of this affection; know that one is allured to sinne, an­other enclineth and allureth him: conuert your anger against the latter of these two; a murtherer of his brethren, a father of lies: maligne not him that is ensnared & entrapped: Be an­gry where is a fault which may beare anger, which cannot be a priuate displeasure, but a fáult openly tending to the pro­phanation of Gods feareful name, pollution of his Sacraments, and seruice: Publique, scandalous, incorrigible and in­sufferable faults, whereby his Christ is dishonoured, his good spirit of grace despighted, and the whole congregation and family, that is in heauen and earth, wounded and blasphe­med. Be angry with those which are angry with God vpon e­uery light occasion, for euery crosse, wherewith they are tryed, ready to goe backe and to walke no longer with him: or if their mouthes be not filled with laughter and pleasure, to their hearts desire, and their besties with Garlicke and flesh­pots, as in the daies of darkenesse, breake forth into termes of highest vndutifulnesse, saying: Mat. 3. 14. What profit is there in seruing God? Be angry with those that are angry with the Prophets for prophesying right things vnto them: Be angry with the Prophets if they seeke their ease, if they preach Lies, if they preach not the Word: Be angry with the Citty if it repent not at the preaching of the Prophets, but when they haue pronounced the iudgments of God take them but for [Page 6] fables, and like the sayings and doings of the mad man, who Pro. 26. 10. casteth firebrands and arrowes and mortall things, and saith, am I not in iest? Be angry with dogges, which returne to their vomit, though they beene purged seauen times, and in a word to knit vp all; Be angry with your sinnes, the diuell, lies, vanities, your selues.

Now come we to the prohibition which is the se­cond part: but sinne not. Heere Saint Paul warneth vs of a pit, into which our anger may fall; namely sinne: A pit more daungerous then that into which Gen. 37. 22. Ioseph was throwne, by his brethren: for many fall into this pit, which neuer come foorth againe, and this the more carefully we ought to shunne, how much the more our nature vergeth downewards, and our passions haue their selfe aptnesse and pronesse to that which is euill. There is in vs almost an insensible difference be­tweene anger and sinne; and Saint Paul cannot name the one, but hee must aduise to cause vs shunne the o­ther: so secretly, so subtily, that which is euill is mix­ed to that which is naturall: the motions of our minds were ordained to this end, that they should obey rea­son, but they refuse to obey God.

But the sinne of anger, is so far extended, and lyeth so many waies, that it may seeme a matter of great hardnesse to expresse how diuersly we fall into it: It shall suffice for our present purpose to make some briefe obseruations hereof, and so to come to our con­clusion.

First, Anger, bringeth in sinne, by rashnesse: for what easier way is there to fall, then by omitting counsaile? and what greater enimie to counsaile, then wrath? by which, when we haue but a little distasted, like mouthes of men diseased, we relish not of sweet and wholesome counsailes, but by heate and distemperature of mind, fall into sodaine and violent passions, which bring [Page 7] with them shame and confusion: and for this cause So­crates when he was angry at his seruant, refused to beate him: saying, He would first whip his anger. This was Gen. 39. Potiphers fault, for when his wrath was kindled by a false suggestion, he punished Ioseph with impri­sonment, albeit his anger tooke occasion from a lie, to wrong the innocent. I, this was Dauids fault, when he gaue too hasty credit to false 2 Sam. 16. 4. Ziba his accusation, and he which was otherwise like an 2 Sam. 14. 20. Angell of God, was made now beneath the condition of a reasonable man. This, effecteth anger in the wisest men, euen pul­ling out their eyes of reason and vnderstanding, and making them blind-fold, casteth them headlong into actions of injustice.

But this is the least euill of Anger, in which wee seeme to haue done most modestly, when wee haue done but rashly: For this is worse, that after it hath ouerthrowne counsell in vs, it causeth vs to aske counsell of her, which is as much, as leauing to con­sult with men, we should goe to Schoole with beasts: and as 1 Sam. 28. Saul, hauing forsaken God, consult with the Diuell: like Iuno in Virgil.

For when our disordred affection hath this priority in vs, the first thing on which it taketh hold, is Re­uenge. Of which I will not say, that we offend, when eyther wee attempt it against him which hath not deserued it, or prosecute it further than merit, or not holding a lawfull course: For to say truth, wee offend when we meddle with it at all: Rom. 12. 24. For vengeance is mine, saith the Lord. What doe we then by seeking ven­geance, but take the Sword out of Gods hand, into our owne? What doe we by eagerly pursuing others; [Page 8] but compell God to call our owne sinnes to minde; and wee which euen where bankes are lowe, would bring earth and mull to bay the floud, doe make the bankes and breaches of our poore brethren greater than they were; and instead of binding vp that which was bruised, rubbe one anothers sores, and adde af­fliction to the afflicted. It is not (to say truth) the fault of our poore brethren wee hate in this iniust fury, but our brother: else why are wee more offen­ded at his Moate, than at our beame? It is not his re­formation we seeke, but his subuersion: otherwise had wee not shewen heate and reuenge, but meeknesse and pitty, considering thy selfe. Such a construction a godly Father made of his brothers fault: Ille hodie, ego or as: He hath fallen this day, I may fall tomorrow. For if we be rightly displeased at faults, we shall finde small leasure and time to spare, from chastising our owne: yea all our wrath and indignation is too little to beate downe our owne sinnes. And the life of euery one of vs, hath matter enough of hatred and reuenge, to waste and consume, I will not say the passions of our owne minde in repining and grieuing; but if wee might be vvrathfull and hatefull to our selues, with all the Angers, and mindes of all other men.

And what doe I speake of vnlawful fury, which ad­uanceth it selfe against the weakenesse and trespasse of other men, when it spareth not their vertues? They are our enemies, because they are good, because they excell vs in righteousnesse. Wee hate them for ver­tues, for truths sake: there is no hony more svveet than to prey vpon the righteous man: we search for priuy slanders, & digge the filth out of lewd tongues to cast it vpon them: and thinke wee haue made rich gaine of our spite, when wee haue made our selues most vile and wicked, to make them seeme so. And [Page 9] that we may the better discouer, what mischiefe, what insatiable repine is in Anger, there is nothing more apparent, that our wrath is neuer more hote, more outragious, more deadly and extreame, then when it opposeth it selfe to truth and righteousnesse: In other causes it may be mittigated, our differences with e­uill and wicked men draw to their reconciliation and truce. Luke 23. 5. Herod and Pilate can be made friends, but CHRIST and Pilate neuer. When wee are incen­sed against the good, wee will haue no end but their end. We neuer leaue pursuing till wee cry, Tolle, tolle, crucifige, Luke 2 [...]. 13. Away with him, Crucifie him. If any aske what euill hath hee done? We know our hatred is, because he did no euill. Who euer more suffered of the blinde rage and bitter fury of men, than Iesus Christ the Son of God, that milde Lambe without spot of sinne? And after him what direr tempest of persecution hath the raging world stirred against any, then his holy Apo­stles and Martirs, which came neerest to him in holi­nesse [...]of life. Yet they which thus rage at the iust, are deceiued; for what doe they effect heereby, but to make good men more innocent, and themselues more wicked?

To this it seemeth a small matter, that Anger bree­deth grieuance and disturbance in our common life and manners. Anger resteth in the Eccles. 7. 1 [...]. bosome of a foole: It resteth in our bosomes, and hath the ouer-sight of our actions, and the rule and disposition of our life: and it hath rested so long, that now the loue of Christ speaketh coldly out of our hearts: hee that speaketh to vs from heauen; Math. 5. 44. Loue your enemies, pray for them that persecute you, seemeth not onely to speake coldly, but vainely and ridiculously: Wee hate our friends, and persecute them which pray for vs. The least winde and blast of displeasure, ouerthroweth all our god­linesse. [Page 10] When we should communicate with IESVS CHRIST, wee stay at home to communicate with Anger and bitternesse: it is more sweet to vs to striue with our neighbour, than to taste of remission of our sinnes, and to be washed in the bloud of Iesus Christ. If wee offend any, or are offended, wee thinke wee haue sufficient reason to deny our saluation, and to throw downe ourselues from heauen: to excommu­nicate our selues wilfully from the body & bloud of Christ. Hence it commeth that it is growne familiar with our life and manners, vpon the least word of disgrace, to seeke the life of our brother. We take our weapons in hand, and like Caines, we leade one another into the field; and we lift vp our hand against the face of God in our brother, to destroy it; little consider­ing, that we doe not so onely, but we fight against our owne soule; we fight against heauen, against God.

Thus you see that Anger is not onely in vs turned to sinne, but how strongly it bindes all sinnes together. It beginneth with troubling our bloud and bodily sense, but it endeth with extinction of grace, and slay­ing the soule. At the first entry and step we tremble, as if our heart were shaken to the very foundation and bottome of life: but it ceaseth not till it hath ef­fected a meere stupiditie and deadnesse in all our rea­sonable parts. If we haue not yet learned sufficiently to detest this sinne; let vs draw to our selues the pi­cture of a man inraged. Looke you vpon his feete: they are not now the feete of a man, but Rom. 3. 15. the feete of a Tyger, swift to shed bloud. Looke you vpon his eyes, which are as pure Christall by nature, consisting of water congealed: of the eyes the Greeke Poet well Iliad. [...] saith; [...], which a La­tin Poet translateth; Oculis micat acribusignis: The fire steames and sparkles out of his eyes. The Aspe sits in [Page 11] the Porch of his mouth, like an armory stored with cruell instruments of death, Psal. 57. 4. whose teeth are speares and arrowes, and his Prou. 25. 18. tongue a sharpe sword: his words like hammers: Psal. 57. 4. his throat like a gaping se­pulchre, the whole nature set on fire: and now this faire Image of God, this Microcosinus, this little world, Iames 3. [...]. for beauty and excellence, is made a confused Image of shame and confusion; so that in the whole nature of things vnder heauen, there is not found so vgly & mis-shapen a monster, as an angry man. What should we now say, if that deformity might be seene which lurkes within? Hence come slaunders, deare brethren: hence blasphemies, cursing, swearing, lying, fightings, warres, bloudshed; euen from wrath, the seminary of all mischiefe: what Beare hauing broken the Grates, is more sauage or outragious, then Anger hauing once gotten out of the warde and custody of Reason? We grieue not for the euill we haue done: but for that we could not doe: we will sooner repent what wee pro­mised out of the aduice of Loue, than what wee haue menaced in our fury. O wretches! if we doe not yet conceiue what wrong we doe to others, yet let vs pit­ty our selues. Our anger hurteth vs before it can hurt our brother. What then gainest thou, if thy ovvne minde being darkened, reason cast behinde, thy vn­derstanding led captiue, in wracke of thy soule, and in confusion of thy selfe, thy fury hath preuayled to hurt thy brother? Nay, what if thou hurt him not, but with thy stroke hast lanced his vlcer, and let out his impostumation, as the enemy of Alexander Pheraeus did? What if thou haue deserued of him better, by be­ing a bitter enemy, than a svveet friend? what if by this Plut. de Vtil, ex inimi, tract. he become regardfull & watchfull of his life? What if thy wrongs haue turned to his gaine? But were it not so: yet by being injustly angry thou dost more ab­surdly [Page 12] than hee vvhich asked an hundred stripes, that his fellovv might haue halfe: for thou giuest thy selfe many stripes, but art not sure to giue him one. Thou dost but venture his vexation, thou art sure of thine ovvne. Thou makest men his enemies, thou hast made God thine enemy. Thou fightest against him with that svvord; the very poynt whereof thou turnest to thine ovvne heart. Thou woundest his fame: thou slayest thine ovvne soule. Socrates was wont to say when he saw a drunken man; Num ego talis? Am I such a one? Let vs consider, whether we be such as I haue said: let vs see whether we haue of­fended God more by not repenting the euill, then by committing it: whether wee haue cursed them whom we should haue blessed: vvhether vvee haue smitten them vvhom vve should haue defended: if wee haue turned our compassions into cruelties, and our loues into hatreds. Let vs consider if wee haue rashly or despitefully slaundered our brethren, and giuen the reines to sinne, and made our members the vveapons of wrath and reuenge: and say; Are we such? Doubt­lesse the sinne of Anger should be so much the more detested of vs, hovv much the more it fighteth against Loue and Charity, the very Badges and Recognisan­ces of our calling. Neither ought vve to abhorre An­ger onely, as I haue spoken, but all priuy and secret consultation vvith it. For there is a sort of men which vvould seeme vvisest, vvhich dissemble Wrath, and giue it strength by delay, vvhich harbour Hatred as a treasure in their hearts: These doe but as the Lacede­monian Boy, vvhich stole a Foxe, and hid him so long Plut. vnder his cloake, till at last hee did gnavve out his heart: For vvhere Wrath is most hidden and concea­led, there is it not onely most filthy and abhomina­ble, but more pernicious and to be feared. Therefore, [Page 13] as Anger is sinne, let vs not act our Anger, neither o­penly, neither in secret, neither with a cause, nor without a cause.

We haue handled two parts: First, the Permission: Secondly, the Prohibition. Now followes the Ex­hortation, in which we are instructed to confine this passion of our mind, that it passe not her bounds. Let not the Sunne goe downe vpon your wrath.

Plutarch in his Book [...]; of Brother­ly a 1 Cor. 16. [...]0. Loue, writeth, that it was the custome of Pytha­goras Schollers, how euer they had beene at oddes, jar­ring and wrangling in their Disputations; yet before the Sunnes set, to kisse and shake hands as they de­parted out of Schoole. A custome most worthy obser­uation, and most fit for the Scholers of CHRIST, to end all dissentions and controuersie, [...]: In the holy kisse of loue. GOD forbid, that when our liues are mortall, that our hatreds should be immor­tall. Nay, if we haue entertained Anger as a bad guest, let vs send him away quickely, and turne him out of doores: For he that but toucheth Pitch shall be defi­led, how much more hee that holdeth it in his bo­some? We should be glad to apprehend any occasion to shunne that which is euill. This short night telleth vs of a long night. The setting of this Sunne, warneth vs of the setting of our life. If GOD to our visible sight be contented to bury this blessed Sunne, and [...]his sweet light of Heauen vnder the Earth all night; shall we refuse to bury foule displeasure, and cursed hatred and sinne? How dare we commit our selues to Anger when we sleepe, with which we haue no safe conuer­sation waking? Who will deliuer the keyes of his house to a thiefe which will robbe him, and lodge him in his secret Chamber, and rest with him in bed? Cuiuslibet est errare, nullius nisi insipientis in errore per se­uerare: [Page 14] Any man may erre, but none but madde men will perseuere in their errour. What then can we better doe then redeeme our selues quickely from captiuity? The Dogs in Egypt, for feare of Crocodiles, doe runne and drinke: and doe wee drinke downe malice, and lie downe and sleepe? Doubtlesse hee which hath not maistred the enemie by the light of the day, will be lesse able to doe it in the darkenesse of the night. But let vs see what fruit may redound to vs from this counsell of the Apostle.

First we shall avoyde the familiarity of sinne, then which nothing is more daungerous; and shunne those occasions by which sinne insinuating it selfe into vs, preuaileth at last to seeme sweet and pleasing, so that it should neuer possibly appeare to vs, but in her blacke shape and abhorred nature: for the custome and fel­lowship with sinne, lendeth that ougly monster op­portunity, to dissemble and shrowd it selfe vnder the couering of nature. Be the familiarity of sinne as farre from the children of God as light from darknesse: let rancor and malice and fury rest in the natures of fierce and sauage beasts, whose outward formes and aspects doe threaten violence and cruelty. If we iustly auoyde the company of sinners, how much more the sinne it selfe? How far should we be from harbouring dissenti­on and strife in vs, which if we follow the rule of the Apostle, must not be Eph. 5. 3. named in vs. The wise men of Troy sitting in counsaile in the gate, when Helena, for whom they sustained so long warres, passed by; said: It may be suffered that the Troyans should beare long troubles, for such a peerelesse Lady, which for Beauty and Linements of her Face is to be compared to the Goddesses of immortall state: But though she be thus comparelesse, let her goe: Let her not stay to our wrack and the woe of our children. His words are [...] [Page 15] Did they for feare of euill, depart from an excellent beauty, and a face of pleasure; and shall we not let goe wrath and reuenge, in which is nothing which may allurevs but Gall and Bitter­nesse, and Hellish foulenesse and Deformity?

The second benefit we haue hence, is that we get ad­uantage ouer sinne, while sinne is young, and in her Infancy; so we giue the enemie, by timely resisting those wounds he would haue giuen vs. The foolish Husbandman protracted the Tilling of his ground, expecting [...]. [...]. Dum defluat amnis; whiles the Riuer should runne away. More foolishly doe we defer the remedy of sinne, till the Floud of Anger runne all ouer vs. In all other fights, Prima coitio est acerrima: the first in­counter is sharpest: but in our Buckling with the Di­uell, the first encounter is the easiest: therefore the A­postle Horat. saith, resist the Diuell, and he will flie from d Iam. 4. 7. you: for the old Serpent hauing his head bruised and crushed, cannot now so easily thrust in his mortall Sting, vnlesse we dally with him, and lay our selues open. Yet speake I not this to maitaine security, as if in the first encounter we ought not to gather all our for­ces and maine power to beat downe Satan, for too strong is sinne when it is at her weakest, and there is no security of an enemie in the day time: This may onely serue to shew our folly, which defer the time of strength, to resist our enimie when we are weaker: and lend our hand to him which would leade vs from the way of light into darkenesse, to kill vs there.

The third benefit is, we shall keepe sin from being extreamly sinfull, which they doe not which harbour the desire of Reuenge so long in the Vessels of their hearts, till at last it sowre and turne all to Bitternesse. For there is no difference betweene Anger and Ma­lice, but as in Wine and Vineger. Anger is a short Ma­lice, [Page 16] and Malice a long Anger. Hence we are plun­ged from the low waters of sinne, into the Deepe, and from one deepe into another: To resist our cu­ring; to hate the Phisitian; to iustifie our Wrath: As if we I [...]n. 4. 9. did well to be Angry; to Boast our Cruelty, as [...]n. 4. 23. Lamech did, that he had slaine a Man in his wound: to be as Alexander Phereus, of whom plutarch wri­teth in the life of Pelopidas, that he Consecrated his Iauelin, wherewith he slew his Vncle Polyphron, and called it His God Tychon.

Who doth know when he first entreth into the Seruice of God, to what honour it will aduance vs? What sweetnesse it will bring with it? What Diuine comfort it will bring? What peace of conscience? What ioy of the heart? No more doe we conceaue when we consent to sinne, into what shame and dishonour it will bring vs, into what depth of Bitter­nesse and Sorrow of Heart. For to whom doth the A­postle speak? To those which should put Cor. 3. 9. away the old Man, and the Lusts of the Flesh: to those to whom CHRIST saith, learne of Mat. 11. 29. Me, for I am meeke. Mat. 10. 16. To children, as concerning euill: [...] Pet. 2. 2. To new borne Babes: To them to whom the great Debt is for giuen. Mat. 18. To bre­thren which must mind one thing. Philp. 4. To those whose profession is Eph. 3. 3. to keepe the peace of CHRIST.

But what doth Saint Paul say, let not the Sunne goe downe vpon your wrath? O deare Christians: how many Sunnes haue set vpon our wrath? We let the moneth goe downe, and the yeare, nay our life is not long enough to follow Saints, and to pursue our Brethren. We haue forgotten to agree with our aduersarie quickly. Didwe but thinke that so often sleepings with sinne were so many agreements with the Diuell; could we vnderstand that as when the Milt swelleth all other vitall parts decay: So when Anger ruleth all [Page 17] desires to life, are extinguished: We should not suffer Reason and Vnderstanding, the burning lights of our soule, to be thus darkned and fouly eclipsed: we should not suffer IESVS CHRIST the Sonne of righ­teousnesse to set vpon our wrath, till we had rising by him to Heauens Glory and to peace, and life, and glory, for euer.

Amen.

THis Scripture hath many cir­cumstances, besides the maine parts. 1. What went before the prouing of Abraham; after these things. vers. 1. For we must not be ignorant of whatsoeuer is storied of Abraham from the twelfth chapter. 2. The place of offering Izhak; whether generall, as the land of [Page 19] Moriah; or particular, as a Mountaine there. 3. Abra­hams preparation, and the manner thereof, the third verse, 4. The length and durance of the triall, three daies, verse, 4. But these circumstances will better be moued with their maine parts together, which are three: First, the Triall it selfe, God proued Abraham. Secondly, his Faith, in answering the tentation: and thirdly, his Obedience, in avoyding it, from the fourth verse, to the twelfth.

Now, whereas all tentations may be reduced to two kindes; for either we are tempted in things we loue, or in things we feare: For as we must loue nothing, aboue God, so we must feare nothing beyond him: our Sauiour CHRIST, arming vs against all temp­tations, maketh a briefe recitall of both kindes; Mat, 10. 3 [...]. He that loueth Father or Mother; Sonne or Daughter, more then me, is not worthy of me: Here is mention made of things we loue. And in the next verse, he that taketh not vp his Crosse and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. Here is mention made of things we feare. Now temp­tations exemplified to vs, in these two kinds, do con­taine vnder them all sorts else whatsoeuer; For as the loue of the Father to the Sonne, and the Sonne to the Father, is of all earthly loues the greatest: And if to God we are bound to resigne the greatest loue, much more all lesser loues: so the death of the Crosse is be­yond all other kinds of death, Cruell, Fearefull, and Bitter. And if we stand bound in a couenant with God, to vndertake that death for him, which is so ig­nominious and terrible to Nature; how can we be excused, if euils of lesse weight and consequence doe driue vs from him? Doubtlesse such trials are necessa­ry for vs, that as the loue of God, bearing soueraignty in our hearts, should make all the loues and delights of our life sweet: so the feare of God in vs, exceeding [Page 20] all other feares, should make all the euills of this World to seeme lesse bitter.

Now as touching our purpose; We see Abraham, which had beene sufficiently tryed before, in bearing his Crosse, now put to the highest triall of all: Whe­ther he can sustaine to sacrifice his Sonne. He had pas­sed a long Pilgrimage before these things, through many banishments, and difficulties, to fourescore yeares of Age: he held his troubled life in Care in E­uils, in Danger, in Bitternes, in Feare; He Gen. 12. 10. Gen. 20. 1. was twise dri­uen to depart the land, to which he was called by pro­mise; and for necessity of Famine, to flie to Aegypt: his deere Wife was Gen. 12. 15. Gen. 20. 2. twise plucked out of his bosome. He warred with foure Gen. 14. Kings, not without great danger of his life: his Wife continued Gen. 16. 1. barraine, on whose issue the Hope of his life attended. When he had a Sonne by Hagar; he is driuen to abandon him. Now Isack Gen. 21. 12. is Borne, he hath the Promise sealed in his bo­some, he hath quiet and rest in his old age. But see, God thundreth from Heauen, and rowseth Abraham out of the onely ioy and content of his life: Abraham, take now thy only Sonne Izack whom thou louest.

Let Abraham teach vs what our life is. He which bore the greatest loue to God, what did hee but su­staine the greatest Triall? Hee which held, as a great Captaine in the hoste of God, the buckler of Faith before vs all; how notably doth hee shew the danger of so many sharpe encounters, by so many dints of temptation, and the impression of so many fiery darts of the Diuell? Now, as through Faith he ouercame in all, so by him wee are taught, that our life is nothing else but a certaine order and ranke of temptations; where, when one endeth, another beginneth: where­fore the Wise man saith, Ecclesiast. 2. 1 My sonne, when thou wilt come into the seruice of God, stand fast in righteousnesse and [Page 21] feare, and prepare thy soule to temptations. But let vs not feare those euills which neuer linne mouing and tumbling vs, vntill they haue set vs vpon the Rocke, which is higher than they: Let vs not feare that fire which can burne nothing but our drosse: Let vs not feare those wounds which can let forth nothing but our corruptions: but let vs brandish the sword of the Spirit against all spirits; against the spirit of the flesh, which seeketh sweet things; against the spirit of the world which coueteth vaine things; and against the lying Iohn 8. 44. spirit, which was a murtherer from the be­ginning. The iust shall liue by faith. Habac. 2. [...] ▪ By Faith, here, iust Abraham liued; by the Hebr. 11. 17. Faith in which he of­fered his sonne Isack he ouerthrew the tentation, which otherwise had ouerthrowne him. Si credis ca­ues, si caues conaris, & conatum tum neuit Deus, & vo­luntatem Aug. in Psa. 3 [...]. inspicit, & luctam cum carne considerat, & horta­tur vt pugnes, & adiuvat vt vincas, & certantem spectat, & deficientem sublevat, & vincentem coronat. If thou haue Faith (saith Saint Augustine) thou wilt attend to thy Faith, and God knoweth thy endeuour, and con­sidereth thy striuing with thy flesh: and looketh into thy will, and exhorts thee to the fight, and helpes that thou maist ouercome, and beholds thy striuing, and proppeth thee when thou art falling, and crown­eth thee when thou hast ouercome.

But come we to the temptation it selfe; where find­ing it said, that God proued Abraham; we learne that God hath his manner of tempting and prouing vs; but such as is for our good, and the exercise of our faith, whose end is no other than to bring forth the light of good workes, and a more sweet sauour of our life. Neither is that of Saint Iames repugnant, which saith Iames 1. 13. No man is tempted of God, but of his owne concupiscence: For his purpose is onely to refute their damned blas­phemy, [Page 22] which to acquite themselues, would make God the Author of their sinne: therefore Saint Iames telleth vs, that we must ascribe the causes of sinne to our owne concupiscence: For the roote of them is from our owne heart. For albeit Satan instill his poi­son, and kindle with his bellowes, a fire of euill de­sires in vs: yet it is our owne flesh that is first mouer, and our owne will which we obey. For as corrūpti­on could not by the heate of the ayre ambient enter into our bodies, if our bodies did not consist of such a nature, as hath in her selfe the causes of corruption; No more could sinne which is a generall rot and cor­ruption of the soule, enter into vs through the allure­ment or prouocation of outward things, if our soules had not first, of themselues, receiued that inward hurt, by which their desire is made subiect to sinne: as the womans desire was made subiect to the Genes. 3. 16. husband; and as the Philosophers say, the Matter to the Forme. Now the forme of this temptation Moses setteth down in the highest sort; whereas God doth seeme to shake the faith of his word in the heart of his holy seruant, by a contrary engine of the same word. To this, God citeth Abraham by name twice, to obedience: that hee might haue no doubt, who is the Author of the temptation. Had he not beene certainely perswaded, that it was the voyce, the word of God, with which hee stood charged to offer his sonne Izak, hee might most easily auoyde any other temptation, or what­soeuer Art or subtilty the Diuell might haue vsed to batter his faith. Now hauing no other standing but in the Word, no other sword to fight against distrust, he seemeth to be entrapped in his standing; and with the same Sword himselfe is wounded, with which hee should haue hurt the enemy. For (beloued brethren) if this Sword being but taken from vs, we must needs [Page 23] fall, what shall wee doe when God seemeth to strike at vs with the edge thereof? Now this was Abrahams case.

Let vs then heare the Word speake; Take thy sonne Izhak whom thou louest, &c.

We see with what griefe and resisting, we endure the searching or cutting of our naturall affections, though sinfull: how then must it grieue him to vn­dergoe the rasing out of tender pitty, of fatherly com­passion, which not onely were planted by Nature in his heart, but were fed and cherished by Gods owne word? Exod. 4. 25. If Zipporah could say to Moses, thou art a bloudy husband, for causing her to circumcise her son; might not Abraham, vrged by commandement to sa­crifice his sonne, say, This is a bloudy word? If the child had beene commaunded to haue attempted some hard thing against the father, the like difficulty of execu­tion had not ensued. For albeit the commandement biddeth the sonne to Exod. 20. Honour his father, whereas no word of command vrgeth the father to honour the sonne: This is done to no other end, but to require the loue of children to their parents, because in them it is most wanting. There neede no commandement to enioyne Loue to descend, which it cannot but doe; but to ascend, which it doth not so easily. And as this is true in our earthly parents, so is it in God the Fa­ther of vs all. Gods loue, Gods righteousnesse doth daily descend from heauen to vs: Doth our loue, our righteousnesse so ascend to him? Hence is it that al­beit the Scripture yeeld no commandement for the fa­ther to loue the sonne, yet the Scripture taketh the fathers part, in preferring the loue of the parents be­fore the childrens loue, whereas God himselfe exem­plifieth his loue to vs, in the loue of a father, Psal. 1. 1 [...]. As the father hath compassion on his children; so hath the Lord [Page 24] compassion on them that feare him. How then shall A­braham answere this word? May he not object: My God and my Lord, is not the loue and pitty I beare to the childe of my flesh, by thine owne finger written in mine heart? hast not thou thy selfe shed this ten­dernesse in my bowels? Doe not Birds and Beasts, and all sauage and cruell creatures, cherish and nourish their young; and must I, which am a father, slay my sonne? Thus you see how forcibly this heauy word inuadeth Abrahams soule, and vrgeth him beyond all possibilitie of humane power, to destroy Pitty, which is naturall; and which is hardest, to murther Loue, which for her safety was fled into the in-most Sanctu­ary of his heart. Now this may seeme not a little to moue him, that God seemes to [...]ocke him: For hee calleth him Abraham, which is, a Genes. 17. 5. father of many Nati­ons, after Gods owne promise to him: and yet for­bids him to be the father of one onely sonne.

Had not the word sounded hard in the eares of flesh and bloud, which should haue required of a man the sacrifice of a man, or a strangers, or a seruants life? for when in sacrifice they shed the bloud of Beasts, they did it not without pitty and compassion, which they signified when they laid their hands vpon the Exod. 29. 15. head of the Beast, shewing that the poore Beast was inno­cent, and that for them it was slaine. He then which vnlesse he had been Flint and Marble, must haue pro­fused pitty on such as were remoued in bloud, from the remotest in nature; how should hee be a niggard thereof to his owne sonne?

And if the heart of a father must needes haue blee­ded at the sickenesse of a tender childe; if it had beene enough, as Math. 2. 18. Rachell, to haue made him comfortlesse, to haue beene depriued onely of him by the means of an other: if to these the taking of him away by any [Page 25] violent kinde of death must haue added more bitter­nesse to his griefe: what should this effect in a naturall breast to be himselfe the Butcher and Executioner of his owne childe?

Well may Abraham seeme now to haue sownded the ground and bottome of Griefe: but being so farre plunged, he findes a farther depth. For God requireth not his sonne onely, but his onely sonne. Gene. 21. [...] ▪ Ismaell was cast forth, onely Izhak remayneth; he must kill Izhak: so he hath neuer a sonne left. He seemeth all this time to haue beleeued in vaine. How many would this haue driuen into highest words of indignation, which would not haue sticked to say, Mala [...]. 3. 14. What profit is there in seruing God? Doe not the wicked flourish? Doe not their sonnes and daughters liue and prosper? Hast thou laid any such burthen vpon them which blas­pheme thy Name? But see, Abraham for Gods loue, spareth not his onely sonne: but the Triall resteth not thus, but rankleth and festreth further. Abraham must sacrifice his onely sonne, which he loueth. Thus Gods word swalloweth vp all our deerenesse: Hee will haue vs surrender, not onely the things which we loue, but our loue it selfe, to the end we may end all deerenesse in him.

Abraham had many causes to loue this childe: first, because he was the sonne of his Genes. 21. 2. wife, not of the Bond-woman: Secondly, for that hee was borne in his age, and in the age of his wife, when her wombe had no more nature or power to quicken than the Graue; so beyond hope, so by miracle, he receiued him. How then should hee not loue him naturally, whom he receiued miraculously? Thirdly, wee see, the older we grow to the end of our life, our affecti­ons are doubled to our children: and of what cause I know not; but it is most euident, that when we are [Page 26] aged, our loues are inclined to such as wee affect, as if they went forth of vs into them; so they carry vs with extreamenesse of fondnesse and doting. Like those, which hauing slidden downe from an higher place, the further they slide, are carried with such vio­lence & force, that they cannot recouer then selues a­gaine: As these were sufficient causes of loue; first, that hee was the Sonne of his Wife: secondly, of his old age: thirdly, borne by Myracle: so fourthly, hee is further grieued with his losse, because hee was so long Genes. 15. 3. expected and desired. So that hee which had beene almost tyred with expectation of that, in regard whereof all earthly things might seeme vile vnto him: being now seazed of his joy, must cast it off, with greater griefe and bitternesse than euer with comfort he receiued it: so that now all the promises and fauors of God, are turned to gall and wormewood; and better had it beene for him neuer to haue receiued a sonne, than with such heauinesse to forsake him. To these we may adde a fift circumstance, contayning in it a further cause of Loue; namely, the behauiour and disposition, and meeknesse, and obedience of Izhak: his innocence, and many delights of duty, and quali­ties which Nature is most content and easie to em­brace; yet all these Abraham putteth away for God: Neither doth a sixt difficulty hinder him, namely, that his loue was to his sonne so much the more, as Abra­ham himselfe was just and righteous; and being so, could see no reason to be the Executioner of his inno­cent Childe, but that hee gaue ouer himselfe to the Commandement, and suffered GOD to dispute for him.

But beyond all these, hee hath a further triall and combate with the promise it selfe. For hee must de­pend vpon the promise, and yet act that which is con­trary [Page 27] to it; hee must plant all hope of future comfort vpon Izhak, and yet must kill him: For all the graces offered by God to Abraham, were included in this Warrant; In Gen. 21. 12. Izhak shall thy seede he called: so that A­braham must now offer, not onely his owne hope, but the hope of all the world. You wil demand then; How could his faith cause him to offer his sonne, by con­trarying that same promise, vpon which it was built? Saint Paul answereth, saying; that his faith yet relied on the promise, because hee knew, that God was able to Heb. 11. 19. raise him from the dead. Hauing then to doe with God which is omnipotent, hee thus reconcileth the Commandement with the Promise, leauing the issue to the diuine Prouidence, of which himselfe was igno­rant: this honour doth the truth of God require of vs, to bring all our senses and wits to nothing, to be of it selfe sufficient without meanes, to be aboue all difficulties and lets whatsoeuer. As therefore, when he before expected Izhak from the dead womb of Sa­ra; in hope he went beyond hope: so now appre­hending the same quickening power of God, which was able to inspire the ashes of his dead sonne, he pas­seth out of the Laborynth and Maze of the temptati­on. And albeit God tendering our infirmities, doe not so seuerely racke and examine our faiths: yet it plea­sed him to shew an example thereof in the father of all the faithfull, to bring vs, at the least, to the common triall thereof. For Faith, which is more precious than gold, cannot (without triall) take deepe roote downe­ward, nor flourish vpward.

But this triall, touching the Promise, leaues not A­braham yet: For, hauing giuen off his own affection to Izhak, and departed with fatherly pitty: he must seem to reiect the loue of God, which he beheld in Izhak, which was to him as a glasse of life, and the pledge of [Page 28] all Gods graces and fauours, and further the very name of Izhak must moue him; which is by interpre­tation, Laughter, and telleth him he hath no ioy left: He then which was giuen only for matter of joy and comfort, being taken away, must needes leaue him to sorrow and griefe of heart.

Eliak being tyred out with afflictions in the heaui­nes & anguish of his spirit, cryed out to God; 1 Reg. 19. 4. It is e­nough Lord, take away my soule: what am I better than my Fathers? Might not Abraham, so farre sifted, the triall now boyling in the fornace of his heart, cry; it is enough Lord, take away the tentation? But now hauing answered all doubts to God and his conscience, hee must answere the world and the speeches of men. For what will others say? An injust father, a Butcher of his childe: I, his owne wife and houshold seruants will condemne him, and cast his obedience to GOD vpon him, as an action of most vile reproach and ex­treame cruelty. Thus when hee had vanquished the Diuell and Distrust within, hee must answere, feares, and shames, and fight without; and this was (no doubt) no small temptation.

Yet must Abraham farther carry the racke in his heart three dayes iourney; in which, what is he him­selfe, but continually sacrificed? He must behold his sonne all this while, whose sight bindeth all his woes together: hee must drinke in Bitternesse with his eyes, which cannot be suffered to depart from their griefe. To which the words of Verse 7. Izhak, My father, heere is wood and fire, but where is the Lambe for sacrifice? make his wounds bleede afresh; so that now Abra­ham is like Ionas in the belly of the Whale; in the bot­tome Ionas 2. 3. of the Sea: hauing all Gods mighty waues and surges ouer his head.

Yet that his triall may want no part of extreame a­gony [Page 29] and anguish, the Action it selfe were able to draw out of his eyes, flouds of teares, and to make the sinews of his armes shrinke in the execution, and to make an heart of stone to bleede: For albeit in the former trialls, hee departed not from his obedience, yet it might haue beene, that when hee looked vp­on the pale face of his onely sonne Izhak, which he lo­ved: and all these circumstances of sorrow and ruth, anew and freshly were presented him, and his one heart must endure all these temptations, now joy­ned together, like a Wedge, to sunder his soule and spirit: I say, it might haue beene that his resolutions would haue staggered, his pitties and compassions which hee cast out returning againe. Hee must [...] his deere and tender sonne Izhak with cords: he must how him on the bloudy Altar, to dye in the place of a Beast. Hee must first (hauing killed him) take his d Exod. 29. 1 [...]. bloud and sprinckle it vpon the Altar: hee must cut him in pieces, and pull out his entralls and wash them, and wash his legges, and put them vpon the other pieces, and his head, and burne them all to cinders: and do­ing this, he must not blinne, hee must shew no face of sorrow. And thus wee haue the aged Sire binding his tender childe, bound with cordes, and hee with a strong arme vnsheathing his sword, lifteth his hand on high, to fetch downe a mortall stroke on the neck of Izhak, when the Angell of God spake; Abraham, Stay thine hand.

All this Abraham did at the Commandement of God. He did it as if he had had Gods heart and Gods hand; for albeit Izhak was not thus slame, yet because God onely hindred the execution, God alloweth the worke for done, and the Scripture beareth wit­nes; by Faith Abraham offred his sonne Hebr. 1 [...]. [...] ▪ Izhak. And Saint Iames, Was not ^c Abraham iustified by faith when he [Page 30] offered his sonne Izhak? Iames Chap. 2. Verse 21.

To come then to our second part: Wee see in our father Abraham a notable example of obedience. He shutteth his eyes to all things else, and onely openeth them to Gods word. He maketh a way to serue God through all lets, through all fleshly impossibilities: and being in this way, hee trampleth vnder him his owne nature, and beateth a path for Gods word out of his owne heart. Finally, hee regardeth not what men say, nor what his owne thoughts can say; but hauing receiued his mandate, posteth on his journey, suffering Gods wisedome to reason for him, and Gods omnipotent power and prouidence to worke for him. For Abraham was now such a man, as might haue hoped for rest in his flesh: hee might haue said: Lord, I haue serued thee these hundred yeares in sufficient trialls of my loue and obedience: now I am old, giue me now immunity, let me be no longer prest. Againe, he had accesse to God and familiarity: he knew God was pittifull, and mercifull, and easie to be intreated; and yet he neuer spake one word for himselfe, nor his sonne Izhak: He complayned not of his griefe: he de­fired not to haue the burden lessened: but as if he had the feete of an Hinde, runneth three dayes journey, by the way of the commandement; till a new Post from Heauen ouertaketh and stayeth him, and Gods owne mouth comforted him. Thus he which beleeued and obeyed, hath found, to his and our endlesse comfort, that all the trialls, through which it pleaseth God to leade vs, are no other than steps and staires to raise vs higher into his grace and fauour. For the issue of the temptation was to winne a farther obedience from Abraham, that God might lift him vp higher, and make his Couenant with him irreuocable, by swear­ing by himselfe. As if God should say: Thou art not [Page 31] yet, Abraham, so great as I will make thee. I haue purpose to aduaunce thee higher. Thou mightest be contented with this opinion, and forme of obedi­ence: but I will ring it further, and make thy name more glorious. Thus Abraham, by thinking to glorifie God, hath magnified himselfe, and turned his obedience to God, to his owne honour: What hadst thou lost Abraham, if thou hadst not lost Iz­hak? how vnmercifull hadst thou beene, if thou hadst beene mercifull? The World had lost an Example; we had lost our lesson; the Faithfull had lost a father, and God a sonne. Wee see now how well it is said of Samuell; Toobey is better than [...] Sam. [...]. [...]2 Sacrifice. For Abrahams sacrifice God refused, and accepted his obedience: and to his obedience sealeth the Couenant. True, for a wicked man may offer sacrifice, none can obey but the good: He that sacrificeth, offereth the bloud of Bulls and Goates: hee that obeyeth, maketh a sacri­fice Psal. 51. 17. of his owne heart: we see Obedience is no dts­putant, no framer of Excuses. For if the Captaine command the Souldier a piece of seruice: Must hee tell him why? Is it not enough for the Centurion to say to his Seruant, Math. 8. 9. Doe this, and hee doth it? Must the Subiect obey his Prince in nothing, but when he is of his counsell? But if with men it were so, yet with God it may not so be: of whom it is sufficient for vs to but know that wee are commanded to obey what­soeuer his will and pleasure is. For this reasoning with the Commandement, cast our father Adam out of Genes. 3. Paradise: it threw 1 Sam. 15. Saul downe from the king­dome: and, had Abraham done the like: had he not, when he saw the Commandement, euen contrary to Nature and Reason, suffered the Commander to be wise and dispute for him, hee had ouerthrowne his Faith. It was judiciously said by a wise man of latter [Page 32] dayes, that if hee were enioyned by his superiours to put forth into the Sea in a ship, which had neyther maste nor tackling, nor any furniture or prouision, he would doe it. And being asked, what wisedome were that Sir? answered, The wisedome must be in him that hath power to command, not in him which is bound to obey. How farre are we from such obe­dience, which hauing expresse commandement in Gods word, doe ouerthrow all with our worldly wise­dome, and the reason of our flesh? How likely is it that we will offer to God Izhak our joy: which will not sacrifice the Ramme, that is, mortifie our sinfull lusts, and the desires of our flesh? We forfeit our o­bediences to God in cheape almes, and costlesse prai­ers, and sweet loues, and wholesome dueties. Wee serue him neyther in deede nor word, nor substance, nor shew of holinesse; but hauing broken all the bands of our obedience to God, doe not onely not offer to God, but daily take from him, fayning and counterfeiting new wayes of ease, and liberty to serue God, in such as sound pleasing to the eares of our flesh: if God enjoyne any thing which crosseth our appoyntments with the world, wee slide backe and shake off the Word, like the Capernaits, saying; Iohn 6. 60. Du­rus est hic sermo: this is an hard saying, who can bide it? How farre then is our life differing from the liues of all Gods Saints, which serued him in wants, in affli­ctions, in fasting, in being tempted, in continuall ex­ercise and triall of their Faith? Their scope was obe­dience, ours skill; their indeauour was onely refor­mation of their life; our vertue nothing but hearing; they in the practise of their Religion wearied chiefly their knees and their hands; wee our eares and our tongues. We are growne (as in many things else) to a kinde of intemperancy, which onely Sermons ex­excepted, [Page 33] hath put all other duties of religion out of course: Well, we must know, that our duty to God, consisteth not onely in hearing these. This is requi­red of vs all, to be followers of the faith of our Father Abraham; if not in actuall renouncing all that we haue, yet in a will, ready, and prepared thereto, as often as it shall please GOD to put vs to the triall. Let vs then see how a mind deuoted and consecrated to the seruice of God, may put, I will not say all lesser temp­tations, but euen this tryall which was laid on Abra­ham himselfe to flight?

First, who doth aske this? the great God of Heauen, the Diuine Maiesty: Is not this an vnspeakable mercy and vouchsafing shewed to me, that he will aske of me any thing?

Againe, who requireth this of me? He indeed▪ which first gaue me that, which now he asketh from me. See how louingly God dealeth with me: he willeth me to giue it; and I doe nothing but repay it: for I haue 1 Cor. 4. 18. nothing but what I first receaued from God, no not my onely Sonne.

But of whom doth he aske him? Of me his most vnworthy seruant: Whatsoeuer I haue, is vnworthy, and too little for him: not my Sonne onely, but my heart.

Nay, but why he doth demand him? not to take a­way my Sonne which I onely loue, but to giue me ma­ny moe. He will recompense my little sorrow of for­saking him, with a doubled and trebbled ioy of recea­uing him againe. Thus I loose a little comfort in Izhak, to finde a greater in God.

And doth not God daily offer to me? He offereth me Gen. 13. 15. Land, Gold, Gen 20. 16. Siluer, Sheepe, Camels, Gen 20. 14. Oxen; he offereth me Grace, he offreth me Life, Gen 28. 14. he offereth me Gen. 15. 1. Himselfe: shall I giue him nothing backe againe?

[Page 34] But Abraham is now old and striken in yeares. So much fitter to sacrifice a Sonne; which hath made so continuall a sacrifice of himselfe.

But he must substitute his Sonne to die in the place of a Beast. We are neuer more glorious, and hono­rable, then when we make ourselues vile before God. This was Dauids case, when Michol despised him in her heart, for vilenesse, like a Foole. 2 Sam. 6. 21. 22. It was before the Lord: and I will be yet more vile then thus.

But God may make choyse of many more sacrifi­ces? The beasts Psa 50. 10. of the field are his, and the cattle of a thousand Mountaines. And is not my Sonne his? and might not he take him away without asking?

But this is contrary to Nature and Fatherly affe­ction.

But Abraham had learned that Gospell: Mat. 10. 37. Whose­euer loueth, Sonne or Daughter, more then Me, is not wor­thy of Me.

But my Sonne is innocent.

So much the fitter to be sacrificed to God, and to beare the type of his Sonne CHRIST.

What then is the report of men, or the racke of three daies iourny, or the making to my selfe a ruthful spectacle, or the sprinkling of his bloud, but a farther meanes to engraue and record my obedience to God?

Thus we see, the tentation is avoyded by obedi­ence, and recompensed with comfort vnspeakable: Whereas all these griefes which did rent and wound Abrahams heart, were sent to open and enlarge his breast, and make more roome for ioy in his heart. And this maketh for our consolation, that now at last the Law of God, may enter into our hearts, and mealt and dissolue our bowels into tendernesse and com­passion: seeing the same God which spared our Sonne, I meane Izhak, when he was to be offered to him: [Page 35] when his onely begotten sonne IESVS CHRIST, (in whom he was Mat. 26. 12. well pleased) was to be offred for vs, spared him not, but whereas Izhak was required to a sacrifice, to an honorable death, he hanged his Sonne IESVS CHRIST on the Crosse, to die for vs, a death most vile Gal. 3. 13. and accursed. Izhak was offred by his Father: CHRIST was Mat. 27. 18. crusified by his enimies. Pitties and compassions did follow Izhak to his sacri­fice. But CHRIST was slaine with bitter taunts, and reuiling, and shakings of the head. He that offred Izhak would haue redeemed his life with all the good Mat. [...]7. 3 [...]. and treasures of the World: they which kill the Lord of life, rather then they will spare him, Mat. 27. 25. say: his bloud be vpon vs and our children. And a secret place was chosen to hide Izhaks shame: but the Sonne of God was put to a most cruell and reprochfull death, in the face of the world. If this suffice not, God the Father offereth to vs yet his Sonne IESVS CHRIST, to euery heart that is grieued; to euery soule that is vexed. He is offred to vile sinners, to vnworthy re­ceauers: he is offered so truly, so fully, so franckely, as no heart can conceaue, no thought can compre hend. God grant that our hearts may conceaue him; and our soules receaue him.

Amen.

WE see how Saint Paul exhorteth his Sonne Timotheus; for after he had stirred vp his faith, in the chapter before, verse 6. and warned him what a treasure he had in his keeping, verse 14. complaining how many had reuolted and turne, away from the profession, verse 15. Now he exhorted him to suf­fer affliction as a good souldier of Christ; teaching him, that this life is a warfare: so the Scripture hath [Page 37] foure parts: 1. the state of a Christian, in the words in generall, going in warfare: to which we may annexe how different this warfare is from all others, in the 2. place: 3: what we ought to be in this warrefare; the Latine translation hath laborantes, laboring, the ori­ginall hath [...], suffer euill, as a good souldier of Christ: 4. what we ought not to be, [...], ensnaring or intan­gling our selues with the busines of this present World.

Some considering this worlds euils with a worldly regard, nakednesse, pouerty, troubles, crosses, dangers; haue iudged it a prison, or place of vexation: others looking into the apparant good; as honour, riches, pleasures, with which the world doth not onely allure, but rauish her louers: haue deemed it a Paradise, or place of delight. But they which view it ouer with a spirituall eye, and attend the danger of their soules, the hazard of their country, the multitude of their spirituall enemies; say, Militia est potius, quid enim con­curret? horae momento aut cita mors venit, aut victoria laeta. Her. ser [...] 1. sat. [...]. It is a kinde of warring: for we encounter on euery side in the moment of an houre, either quick death commeth, or ioy­full victory. For Saint Paul which fought from his Act. 7. 58. Youth vp, euen to Paul Philem. 9. the Aged; counted it 2 Cor. 4. 11. but a momentary fight. This horae momentum, is mans whole life: which be it all spent in hazard of fight, hath the comparison, but of an eyes twinkling to the purchase of the victory, and life eternall. And in this moment of an houre we are all lost or saued. That our life is a warfare we are taught by the Sacrament of our cal­ling in Baptisme: where we take an oath to fight; against the Flesh, the World, and the Diuell. There we remember our first presse-peny of grace; and haue professed our selues souldiours of Christ, to fight vn­der his Banner. Our Sauiour Christ chargeth the [Page 38] watch in his Gospell: Watch and Pray, that you fall not into temptation. And giueth this charge not onely to the leaders, and captaines of his band; but to euery common souldier, Mat. 26 41. that which I say to you, I say to all, Watch. We haue our munition out of Holy Scriptures, which are like Solomons Tower, Mar. 13. 37. where hang a thousand sheildes, and all the weapons of strong men. The Apostle Cant. 4. 4. sounds the alarum, Arme, arme, take the whole armour of God, from the heads helmet, to the feete: We must lie open at no place, for our enimie is a Serpent: if he can but bite the heele, he will transfuse his venime to the heart, and to the head. And in one side we see the faithfull in perpetuall agony, striuing, wrestling, figh­ting: now receauing in the buckler of their faith, the dints of affliction and temptation; now char­ging the enimy as in open fight. For which cause the Apostle doth not onely encourage others Eph. 6. 13. to fight a good fight, but desireth to be seene in the fore-front, 1 Tim. 1. 18. hauing the same fight which you haue seene in me. And therefore summeth vp all his labours, for CHRIST and his Gospel in these few words: I Phi. 1. vlt. haue fought a good fight. On the other side we see so many multitudes, led captiues vnder diuers lustes, of whom the Deuill hath his will and hath taken them as an easie pray, as Saint Paul saith, 2 Tim. 2. 26. at his pleasure. Phil. 3. 16. Now enimies of the crosse of Christ. He that warreth vpon an other, doth he not entend to make him tributary, and make his people his seruants? So doth Satan warre against CHRIST.: and being not able to vanquish him, doth yet preuaile to draw from him such as were his sworne seruants; causing them to fight vnder him for wages of damnation. Lastly that we may be out of doubt, that our life is a warfare; our Sauiour saith: Mat. 11. 12. the kingdom of Heauen suffreth violence, & the violent pos­sesse it. So that nothing is more cleere then this point: [Page 39] we must haue warre for our country, we must win it by force and violence. Whether it be because the earth­ly man doth seeke it, because from beneath he aspi­reth to it, because he wrestleth not onely against 1 Cor. 15. 32. outward enemies, whether Carnall or Eph. 6. 12. Spirituall wickednesse, but against his owne Mat. 10. 37. 38. 39. will, and desire, and loue, and against himselfe, to attaine this king­dome; whether it be that the short compasse of our life draweth vs with that swiftnesse that we must reach with violence at that, which with such violence is taken from vs; or that the aboundance of the hea­uenly treasure, so enflameth with desire the hearts of Gods chosen, that they contemne all dangers, and runne through all lets and euils, to win it: or lastly, for that the Ex. 17. Amalekites of this world, while we are here fainting and weary in the way, smite vs: for that here be Caananits which must be expulsed, before we can attaine the land of Promise, and Sehons and Oggs, Giants of monstrous stature, to appale and affright vs. But say the kingdome of Heauen suffreth violence: and what can we get here but by violence? Seeke we then with the same violence the things in heauen, with which wicked men doe seeke the things of this world. Heere we can get nothing without labour, watching, trouble, venture, fight; doe but the same, and see Hea­uen is offered: how much difference in the endes: and see, the meanes of both are one.

But let vs see how our life is a warfare. Cor. 10 4. Arma militiae nostrae non sunt carnalia: the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, our enimies would esteem these as straw or Iob. 41. 18. stub­ble. They would mock such a battaile. They beare this armour whom we esteem poore and naked men. These fights they fight, whom we esteem base and cowardly; our enimy the Deuil is a subtile & cruel enimy, he striks within, he wounds the hart, whom Christs champions [Page 40] doe vanquish with their bloud-shed, and their flesh battered. When God shut man, for sinne, out of Pa­radise, he set the Genes. 3. 24. Cherubims, and the blade of a Sword shaken, to keepe the way of the tree of Life.

But now Christ is entred into Luke 23. 43. Paradise, and hath left the Sword sticking in their flesh, which will enter into life: so that good Christians must be as E. paminondas, Nonsolliciti de vita sed de scuto: Is my buck­ler safe? Ephes. 6. 16. is our Faith sure? For our enemy, neither the goodnesse of our cause, neither the succour and help we haue from heauen, can affright: Our Innocency shall not shield vs from him, he will strike at the elect, hee will assault those whose names are written in hea­uen. He careth not for our armour of light, but will dart the fiery darts of temptation, euen at the buckler of our Faith. He stroke at the head: hee attempted to shake the Rocke Math. 4. 6. Iesus Christ: will he feare the mem­bers? whether then we fight with Sathan in person, or with any of his cursed band. Let vs see how farre diffe­rent this fight is from all other fights.

If I fight against a man, I whet my sword; but 2. when I am to deale with my spirituall enemy, I must blunt my sword; the reason is: Against man I vse my owne weapons, but heere the Diuell vseth my wea­pons, that is, the members of my flesh: I must by all means make this flesh vnprofitable for my enemy. So Saint Paul did dull his sword, Castigo corpus meum, I 1 Cor. 9. 27. chastice my body. Plutarch writes of a man blind and lame, which in his Countries cause would aduenture to fight. And being asked how hee durst, said; [...]; that I may blunt the edge of my enemies sword. We doe by deading and mortifying the members of our body, blunt the sword of our enemy: all care in bodily fight is pro commeatu, for viands for the Campe. Our care is to [Page 41] haue no care for these. Our Generall will haue vs goe [...]orth without a Mat. 10. [...]. Scrippe or Wallet. Wee goe not to his fight [...], with our breakefast, as Ne­ [...]or in Homer, but fasting and praying. Our spirites Ilyad. 1. [...]rength consists in our bodies weakenesse. Christs [...]rmy consists of Luke 14. [...]. poore, and lame, and blinde, of [...]eake and despised men, to throw downe powers; [...]nd Ephes. 6. 32. principalities, he vseth things which seeme to [...]aue no [...] Cor. 1. 26. 27. 28. being to confound the things which are: Secondly, they which fight against men, onely fight with noyse & showting, crying, pressing forth, threat­ [...]ing, 2. with all, whether force or slight; for, dolus an Aene [...]d. 2. [...]irtus, quis in hoste requirat! Our warfare is in yeeld­ [...]g, in silence, in simplicity, in singlenesse of heart; [...]ith sighes and groanes. Mihi arma preces & lachry­ [...] (saith Saint Ambrose) My Weapons are my Pray­rs and my Teares. In Luke 21. 19: your patience, Psal. 91. 4. you shall possesse [...]ur soules: the truth of God is our shield and buckler.

Thirdly, in bodily conflicts, the more wounds we [...]iue our enemies, the sooner we maister them. Not 3. [...] heere: if thy enemy hunger, feede him, if he Rom. 12. 20. thirst, [...]ue him drinke. A strange fight, hee that ouercomes [...]ust be the stronger. But if my enemies power of [...]urting me, hath ouercome my power of doing him [...]ood, he hath the victory ouer me.

Lastly, if I striue with my bodily enemy, I seeke [...] shed his bloud, which till I haue done, I preuayle 4. [...]t little; that heere I am counted no singular souldi­ [...] till mine enemy Galat. 6, 17. hath shed my bloud, till I beare [...]e markes of his hostilitie, engrauen in my flesh. For [...]r enemies are Esay 54, 16. fabri sufflantes in igno Prunas, the black [...]yths that blow the coales of fire: which burning [...]ales of persecution doe try and refine the Crownes [...] Martirs, and make them shine more glorious.

Now the manner of our warfare wee shall best at­tend, [Page 42] if wee consider the stratagems and machinati­ons of our enemy, like Proteus, turning himselfe in­to all formes and shapes to doe hurt:

When he warreth with Michael and the Angells, with the Captaines and Leaders of Gods hoste, hee fights in likenesse of Apoc. 1 [...]. 7. Dragon: to the Church in ge­nerall he swells like a Apoc. 12. 15. floud, which would drowne and swallow her vp: assayling the weake, he is like a 1 Pet. 5. 8. roaring Lion: if we be zealous of Gods word, he will transforme himselfe into the 2 Cor. 11. 14. likenesse of an Angell of Light, to make the children of Darkenesse. The innocent and simple he beguiles, as the Genes. 3. 3. Serpent did Heuah, saying; You shall not dye. When hee giues the mortall stabbe, he will come like a friend, and com­pound and make Isay 28. 15. league: hee will not come feast­ing like a good fellow, and Ioh 1. 19. throw downe the house; he will come like a Matth. 4. 6. Diuine, with a Psalter in his hand, and kill vs, if he can, with, Scriptum est: hee will come like a Matth 4. 9. Prince of this world in his ruffe: and stake downe; haec dabo, ready mony: All these will I giue thee: he will lurke like an Aspe vnder the lippes of our deere friends and parents. If hee preuayle not [Page 43] so, hee will spit fire out of the mouthes of our ene­mies. Know we this for certaine, it is warre whiles ho­stilitie lasteth, whiles our destruction and ouerthrow is sought, be the meanes what they may: while the e­nemy is an enemy, it is warre. Thinke wee not onely Satan our enemy when hee rageth, and is at open defiance; when he flattereth and beguileth, he is the same. And the Graecians onely fight when they bat­tered Troy; not then also when they sent Sinon the fox, for then they tooke the Citty: So doth Sathan more hurt in his sheepes skinne, than by roaring like a Lyon: For as God doth seeke by all meanes to draw vs to him, by alluring, by threatning, by good things, by euills, by friends, by enemies: so doth Sathan vse all meanes to draw vs from God. Let vs then haue our eye vpon him that we may know this changeable Pro­teus; vnder what forme soeuer he shrowds himselfe. When Peter spake like a friend; Maister, pitty thy selfe, Mat. 16. [...]3. Christ spied the diuell there, Auoid Satan. When Acts 13. 10. Ely­mas the Sorcerer perswaded the Deputy. Paul eied the diuell, thou sonne of the Diuell; he found him in 1 Cor. 15. 32. men­beasts at Ephesus: he spide him lurking in his own 2 Cor. 12. 7. flesh, whither Sathan had sent his messenger to buffet him. And it mattereth not whether he seeke our subucrsion by himselfe, or by his sworne seruants: For as when a Prince suborneth his subiect to worke treason vpon his enemy, the benefit redoundeth to the Prince, not to the subject: so when men draw vs from God, the booty is the Diuells. O where doth not this subtile Serpent lurke? what station haue the Souldiers of Christ without danger? where can we put our selues without perill of falling. Wee haue a night and clandesline enemy, which neuer ceaseth to subuert, ruinate, and destroy. If we had to doe with a bodi­ly enemy, wee might sleepe or intermit the watch: [Page 44] there might be something vnperfect in our muniti­ons, and he not espie it. This enemy spies all aduan­tages, his Dragon eye, so called of [...], to see; pries into all things: he intermits no time. Then in a word, whensoeuer wee may be subuerted, wee are taken by him. Wee haue seene this our arch-enemy ruling o­uer all the Nations of the world, fortifying himselfe like a great Monarch, with bands of Atheists, and Ido­latrous, hauing built himselfe Altars and Temples in the heathen, as strong holdes, bearing visible sway, and carrying the Kingdomes of the earth in open tri­umph. We haue seene how hee hath warred with the Saints in the Primitiue Church, and how deare the cause of Iesus Christ stoode the Apostles and Martires in, which prodigall of their liues and bloud, charged the enemy in open fight, and cast him out: rescuing kingdomes and subduing the Nations of the world to Christ and his Gospell: howbeit hee hath made a reentry, hauing gotten the signiory in Africke, and holds them as a prey. More, he raungeth ouer the great Asia, and hath laid it waste: I, hee is entred in­to Europe; and like the surging and ouerflowing o­cean, frets at the shoare, seeking to breake the bounds, hauing gotten ground of the Church: but what doe I speake of outlings which haue yeelded ouer: see how he hath drawne the Starres from heauen? Euen them which professing Christ in his Church, doe take now the contrary part.

And now when wee see without the Church, the common enemies, brauing the poore Christians, des­pising our little number, yet lesse for sects and schis­mes, intestine and ciuill warre: when I see amiddest them which professe Christ, in one side hote fiery men, whetting their tongues in Pulpits, with curses and bit­ter words, preaching common Inuectiues, as if they [Page 45] had warre with one part of their hearers, holding their scute or buckler of Predestination ouer the side they fauour, and powring out plagues and curses [...], like stormes in winter: on the other; When againe I see our aduersaries with bloudy Inquisitions, with fire and sword, armed, not onely with poyson in their mouthes, as lying, slande­ring, blaspheming, for that they count too little; but with treasons and all cruel instruments of death; sharp­ned with spite and malice implacable, and seconded with hellish policy; Heu quantae miseris strages Lauren­tibus instante: what warres, what massacres doe threa­ten vs, God thou knowest. If euer Christs Church had warre, heere is warre: It is warre when the ene­my batters the walls: What is it when hostes habet mu­ros? When our enemy possesseth our walls: So had wee when wee drew within the walls of our Church that monstrum infelix: full of armes and armed men, as the Trojan Horse; which hath not ceased to pra­ctise all cruelty and hostilitie in the Church. And if euill were then to be feared; how is it now, when the enemy commeth out of the sides and bowells of the Church? when he is gotten into the Pulpits, and hath diuided our small number, and pretending no­thing but the pure Word hath sowen that sedition, that parts are taken, that it is growne to mutiny to sides, that almost through the whole kingdome eue­ry towne is at open faction; Preacher against Prea­cher; hearer against hearer? One side goes from the Sermon discouraged, and marked out for reprobate: the other hath grace and comfort, as solely elected: Then spies are sent abroad for more hearers: this man is graced and magnified as the onely Preacher; if an­other come, they will not heare him. And hath not this fiery disposition attended to ruinate the very [Page 46] foundation of the Church, as in Brownists and Barro­wists. But you will say these are zealous and godly men; they minde but to mend the couering, and al­ter somewhat of the old building. Be not deceiued, for it is to be feared they will downe with all: for the new sides doe heare them as the onely Preachers, and they haue cast imputation on their fellowes, of Errour and Popery. But be not deceiued, deare Christians, these are not they which brought you out of darkenes into light: which stoode and fought for your Faith and the Gospell, when the Truth was at a lowe ebbe, and the Church had neede of stowt Souldiers in the cause of Christ.

They were Ridleys, Latimers, and Cranmers, playne Souldiers, fighters, not boasters, which died for Christ and his Gospell in those dangerous times: they cared for the body of Religion, not striuing for the shadow. They had the compleate armour of righ­teousnesse, they did not contend about the guilding and enamelling. They fought indeed, not beating the Ayre with wordes: they warred with the common e­nemy, and left not the sword sticking in the sides of their fellowes. But see how the Serpent is still a Ser­pent: He is out of hope to hurt vs by our enemies a­broad, now he seekes to bring the same ruine on vs by our selues. If he cannot procure our downefall for want of preaching, he will doe it by preaching, if he cannot hurt vs by hiding prayers in a tongue vn­knowne, hee will make vs despise them in a tongue knowne, if he cannot obtayne the rule as he is Prince [Page 47] of darkenesse: He will in a counterfeit forme attempt vs like an Angell of Light.

By these let vs learne what we ought to be: not one­ly good souldiers, but labouring, suffering euill. First, is a good souldier, then, suffring euil: For an euill man is no souldier, but an enimy of Christ, Transfuga, a run-away: he hath forsaken his colours, and giuen ouer the cause. If we be good, then shall we be sure of enemies: when first we become good, then the fight beginueth. My Eccles [...] sonne, when thou commest into the seruice of God: stand fast, and feare, and prepare thy soule to temptations. As soone as Christ Mat. 3. 16. was declared the sonne of God, in­stantly Mat. 4. [...] Satan declared himselfe an open enemy; and this euery child of GOD shall proue in himselfe. What perill was Saint Paul in whiles he was Act 9. [...]. [...]. Act. 26. 20. a perse­cutour? was it not a sweet world to apprehend, to binde, to imprison whome he listed? But when he is conuerted to Christ, heare what he saies: Cor. [...]. 26. In Perils of water, of Robbers, of his owne nation, of the Gentiles, in perils in the Citty, in the Wildernesse, in the Sea, in perils of false brethren. See how the world is changed; now he must iourny, be weary, watch, fast, hunger, for our goodnesse will not free vs from danger, it is the cause of danger, as we see in Gen. 4. 4. Abel. Are not men slaine for their goods? so the treasure of Godlinesse is the sole cause of the enimies assault: he will venture most for the richest booty. Thus the wicked haue a trebble ad­uantage of the Godly: First, their heauen is heere on earth, they are in their owne country, they seeke no farther. Secondly, they haue no such treasure being voyde of grace, cantabit vacuus coram latrone v [...]ator: He that hath neuer a peny in his purse, neede not feare robbing. Thirdly, their friends are here, the world loueth him: So standes it not with the Saints of God, whose coun­try is not the world; whose treasure is not in the [Page 48] world; whose friends are not of the world.

I will briefly shew three things which belong to a good souldier of Christ. First, he must haue a good heart, the Deuill fights for the heart: who then will be a niggard of an hearts courage in an hearts defence? they say, mens cuius (que) is est quis (que), a Christian should be all heart: For so much as we deduct out of courage and resolution for Gods cause: so much haue we forfeited of our being and subsisting to Christ. Doe not Princes when they send treasure by land or sea, picke out the most stout, resolute, the most hardy and ventrous men? will they trust cowards? We haue grace from Christ as a 2. Cor. 4. depositum, a treasure committed; 2 Tim. 6. 10. God hath put vs in trust: let not vs basly and cowardly giue it ouer. Lucan speaks of Metellus, which when Iulius Caesar, en­tred Rome suffring the dishonor of the Citty and the breach of all lawes; yet when Caesar brake open the doore of the treasury, thrust himselfe betweene: and would not let him passe without breaking through his owne sides. So the Poet hath.

Shall it be said so, the loue of riches feareth not sword, nor death? O no: let onely the loue of Christ con­temne death. No sacke of a citty is so lamentable, as when the Deuill entreth into a soule: as when he cries downe with an heart, and synks the whole man into ruine, and perdition, we haue true enemies, why haue we false hearts, he which hewed vs as I may say, out of [Page 49] the dust of the earth, was knowne to bring vs to an excellent piece of worke. Why then doe wee suffer that enemie which will breake downe all our carued workes, with Axes and Hammers? We want no cou­rage to stout it and braue it in defence of our wicked liues, and lewd manners: we will beare no reproofe; we will maintayne it to the death; we are hardie and re­solute to follow causes at Law; we spare for no cost: though our cause be weake, our heart is strong. A man is not afrayd to challenge his Brother into the field, and to seeke to shed his bloud, with hazard of his owne life, though he fight against God, and the iust Lawes, armed with vengeance: The World hath her Martyres, Sinne hath hers: What hath Reli­gion? Come on deare Christians, let vs [...]: First challenge the enemies of our faith: We onely which stand for the truth of God haue a strong cause: Let vs not haue faint hearts. We fight against a fugi­tiue enemy, a Runnagate, whom our Captayne Micha­ell, hath so wounded that if we but resist him Iac. 4 [...]. he will flie from vs: Our fellow Souldiers are all the Saints of God, Martyrs, Apostles, Prophets, Patriarchs; euen that roy­all Army of God: our auxiliares copiae, our supplies, are the Angels in Heauen which pitch their Psal 9 [...]. [...]. Psal 104. 4. Psal. 34. 7. Tents about vs: whom if we could see, we should say, That more are they that fight for vs, 1 Reg. 6. 1 [...]. then they that fight against vs.

Our Captayne, our Leader is Christ Iesus, which Mat. 4 3. combated the enemy in single fight, and is ascended vp on high, Ephe. 1. 21. [...]. Principalities, Powers, Mights, and Domina­tions, being made subiect to him: Come on I say, courage for Heauen, for Christ, for the Crowne of glory: What Dwarfe wil feare to bid defiance to the strongest Champion, if a Giant will stand by and abet his quar­rell? Heb. 3. 6. Dominus nobiscum, The Lord is on our side, that Giant of infinite stature. Psal. 78. 66. Heere what Dauid the [Page 50] Prophet saith, Though an hoast of men were gathered a­gainst mee, yet will not I be afraid: See a little Dwarfe in in this Name, defie all names, and Powers, [...]. 38. Angels, Prin­cipalities, Life, Death, Height, depth, things present, things to come: counting his daily killing for Christ, more then [...] 37. conquering. For know we this, no man can be o­uercome which hath a good cause; if his enemy kill him, his cause will saue him: then come what will, we onely which haue this cause of Christ can say of all our enemies, as Socrates said of Anytus and Melitus: Me vero Anytus & Melitus necare possunt, nocere non possunt. Our enemies may kill vs, but they cannot hurt vs. Fi­nally, to make our courage lasting and durable, let vs behold our Lord Iesus, holding ouer our heads the Crowne of glory, and saying, Vincenti Apoc. 7. 10. dabo, to him that ouercommeth I will giue the Crowne of life.

The second, in a good Souldier, is to haue a good hand, or arme; for we must not be such onely as may not feare our enemies, we must make them feare vs; as Pelopidas, which when one told him, We are in dan­ger of our enemies: Why said he, more then they of vs? For why should we feare carnall, or couetous, or cruell men? if the arme of our Faith be extent and strong, they shall rather feare vs. I say then, Ho­stem qui feriet mihi erit Carthaginiensis. He that strikes an [...]. enemy of Gods, shalbe to me a good Christian. Strike at Atheists; downe with proud Goliah; pull away the visards of hypocrites, and hit them in the faces; feare no mans person, no not the Giants: For wee haue a Sword of that temper and sharpenesse, which will di­uide and pierce Hebr. 4. 12. the diuisions of the Spirit, and the ioynts and the marrowes: But if the Sword be neuer so sharp, what hurt can it doe if there be no hand to strike? If Dauid haue neuer so smooth a stone in his scrippe, if he want a Sling to throw him out, how can hee hit [Page 51] Goliah in the forehead. Plutarch writeth of Coriolanus, in his life; that he vsed his weapons so [...], that the vse made him so familiar that they seemed [...], as if they had beene borne with him, or grafted into his hands. This benefit we haue from being conuersant in Scriptures, that we are able with ease to dart out and sling the word, to hit our enemies in their fore-heads. For which vse, Saint Paul com­mends Timotheus, 2 Tim. 3. 1. Because of a childe hee was exercised in holy Scriptures: and the word of God, in such, is like the Arrow in the Psal. 127. 4. hand of a Giant, which draweth with that vnresistable force, that it will diuide the very soule and spirit. I should thinke it too little in such a case to haue a strong arme onely; both our armes must be strong and practised, that our enemy may not know our right hand from our left. Plato to good purpose in his Republ. counsailed men to be Ambo­dexters for this vse in fight: And for this Hector is Ilyad. commended.

But if this be required in any fight, it is in ours, which haue enemies on both sides, on the right hand, and on the left: therefore Saint Paul exhortes vs, to haue ^a the weapons of righteousnes on the right hand, and on the left: that which way soeuer he strikes, we may ward g 1. Cor. [...]. 7. him; whether he charge vs on the right hand of pro­speritie, or on the left of affliction. Whether he fight before, as a Lion, or sleight it behinde, like a Foxe: whether he assaile vs without, ^b with his men-beasts, or within, by feares and temptations: whether hee h [...] Cor. [...]. 3 [...]. reach at vs from aboue by Presumption, or from be­neath with Despaire; I pray God wee be not found [Page 52] such as Milo, which when he looked on those armes with which he had wrestled before, for the price, at the games of Olympus, could say of them; At hij iam mortui sunt: See, these armes are now dead.

The third thing wee require in our Souldier of Christ, is a good eye. For what vse is there in battell of either courage at heart, or strength of hand, to him which is blind? See this woful experience in Pagans & Heathen people; which haue profused zeale and con­stance to fight for hell, in the darkenes of their vnder­standing. And this is plaine in our aduersaries, whom might, zeale, persistance, resolution onely com­mend; wee might take for vndoubted Souldiers of Christ, had not blindnesse of heart turned all those weapons and powres of the spirit to fight against God. Iudas, when that rich Oyntment was bestowed on Christ, said; ^c Ad quid perditio haec? But we, when [...]. Mar. 14. 4. the whole forces of our soules and spirits are bent and planted to demolish the truth of the Gospell of Christ, To what end serueth this waste? Therefore in one word our Sauiour saith; If thine ^d eye be wicked, [...] Math. 6. 23. all the body is darke: For if we misse in the goodnesse of the cause, and the rightnesse of intention, all is lost. And it is to be noted that he saith not, Eyes, but, thine eye. For one of our eyes, the left eye, it mattereth not if that be out, the worldly wisedome: For I take it, Christ intends the right eye: For the Diuell would make a couenant with vs, like 1 Sam. 11. 2. Naash the Ammonite, vpon this condition, that he may thrust out our right eyes. He careth not how quicke-sighted we be to the world, onely hee desires to GOD and his truth to make vs starke blinde. O eternall God looke vpon vs, and visite vs with light from heauen; for the earth is full of darkenes and cruel habitations. And in this case the word of God is to vs as those Perspicils were [Page 53] to Nero, in which he saw the trickes and cunning of S [...]etonius the Fensers, and their secret wards and thrusts, and the conueyance of their Art. From hence may wee see that great Fenser, and the mystery of iniquities, and learne to shunne his fiery darts, God grant wee may see in his light. I remember Homer, when hee Ilyad. p. speaks of Aiax fighting in a blacke mist, vnder a darke cloude, how he makes him cry to God for light, with such vehemency of passion, as I know not if he ex­presse the like in all his Workes.

Giue vs (O Lord) the light of Grace: remoue from vs all darkenesse of Vnderstanding, and kill vs in the light of thy sonne IESVS CHRIST. My last part followeth.

What wee should not be.] Wee must not be intangled with worldly businesse. I take not any of these words metaphorically spoken: but in the first and proper sense: for bodily fights are but shadowes to this of the spirit, which is the onely true fight: and say we must borrow words, for our better vnderstanding, to ex­presse spirituall things in their kinde: earthly things doe lend heauenly things words, but heauenly things doe lend earthly things signification. So they which fight but for earthly things, doe not, till they haue gotten the victory, meddle with the things of this world; much lesse should we which goe in warfare for heauen. For this implication or stopping at things [Page 54] in the way, is a let to the victory: which if it came but single and by it selfe, were farre more to be desired of a good souldier, than any thing which can be had without it. But the victory brings in these spoyles with it, and whatsoeuer else mans heart can desire: e­specially this victory, after which shall be no more warre, 1 Cor. 15. 26. & 55. 56. no enemy left; and the purchase shall bring with it all spoyles, riches, honour, security, peace, triumph, glory and blisse eternall. If we could consi­der the benefit and fruit of this victory, all the King­domes of the earth could not serue to make one fet­ter to tie vs heere: and those greene cords of the loue of riches, and worldly pleasure, and honour, which so binde our desires, we should breake, as Samson did his Bands, like to Towe when it hath felt the fire: So absurdly then doe they which neglect this end, to which they are called, and lie ensnared with impedi­ments of emoluments which lie in the way: as if a man, being shewed where a rich treasure lay, should neglect to digge it forth, contenting himselfe with the Rushes and Bennets, which grow vpon the ground.

I will content my selfe onely to resemble these men to such as catch at the spoyles before the enemy is o­uerthrowne, or the battell wonne: whose first let is, because that ardor pugnandi, that alacrity of the minde, and heate to fight, which should be in a Souldier, be­gins to cease. This we see in many worldlings, which beganne with a zeale and feruor of the spirit; but that heate and burning of the spirit is now abated and re­tarded. They grow colder and colder to heauenly things, till at last they shrinke and fall away. If they be not starke cold, yet they are not hot: and of such we may heare the Apostle complayne, 2 Tim. 4. 10. Demas hath for saken me.

[Page 55] Secondly, being made rich, they grow timerous: For the nature of these earthly things is, to beget diffi­dence and feares, and jealousie; because our worldly riches haue many suiters, and many competitours, which seeke by flattery and sleight to vndermine our estates, and pilfer away our happinesse: so many ene­mies, not onely of rust and mothes, but of ^a Theeues c Psal. 66. 1 [...]. which breake through and steale: so all our study and care is now deriued from heauen, to guard and watch these base gatherings, that we may justly complayne, Our feete are set in the snare: What snare? In the snare of the Diuell. Saint Paul telleth vs ^b in laqueo Diaboli. d 1 Tim. 6. 9. So these first stole away our zeale, and we beganne to faint; now they haue taken away our courage, and we are turned cowards. And now for feare wee durst not speake the truth: especially if wee should offend some great person. To omit other feares, wee will change our religion and profession too, rather than suffer losse. But say we are not brought to this triall: See the rich mans feare when he comes to die: I meane not his which hath riches, but his which loues riches: I say, when he comes to the last stroke, and should be ful of fortitude; for [...], now it is come e 2 Tim. 4. 8. to the crowne: What can wee stirre such men vp with the view & speculation of heauenly things, of which their hearts haue beene so long naked and dispossest? Now is the time of feare, the thiefe is come which be­gins to dig through the wall: all is full of trouble and terrour. When that soule, which was the least part of their goods, is swallowed vp of Despaire. When one poore Ague shakes all the frame of the house, as it would sinke all downe into hell: when they await the heauy doome of the Physition, as the thiefe doth the Sentence of the Iudge: when that strong enemy, I meane their owne fleagme and spittle hath so wofully [Page 56] besieged their life; when groanes and stitches, and bur­nings, and shakings, begin to hale and pull those fat Bulls out of their rich pastures; thus doe they perish that haue renounced this warfare for the Kingdome of Heauen, and wrapt and snared their soules in the loue of this present world: whose condition was worse then that of Swine: to whom life was giuen in stead of Salt to keepe them from stinking: and now see what followes; we haue lost our courage, and our ene­mies haue found it; we haue deuised to tie our selues so fast that they may take vs, and carry vs whether they will: take we heede then, least that which is most dangerous, the enemy set not vpon vs while we are sub sarcinis, vnder our burthens: For, that I may con­clude, wee gather not the spoyles heere, for they are not earthly things, but Ioy, Loue, Truth, Peace ^a of conscience, and the fruits of the Spirit, with the King­dome h Gal. 5. 22. of Heauen and life eternall: of these rich booties doe our enemies robbe vs, and these are gathered in Heauen.

Againe, in this life the fight is not ended: 2 Tim. 2. 5. No man is crowned vnlesse he haue lawfully ariued. Shall we seeke to triumph before the victory? Lastly, the Souldier must not take the spoyles, but the Generall must di­stribute them, which viewes the whole Armie ouer, and sees who fight best in their seuerall ranckes and Stations: so doe earthly Princes to them which haue deserued bestin the warres: To some they giue gifts, to some honour and Knighthood, to some Lands, to some the seate of Iudgement; and so doth our Lord IESVS CHRIST, looking downe from heauen on such as striue and wrestle for his name and glory: to some gifts; Him [...]. 3. 5. that ouercommeth will I cloth in white aray: to some Lands and possessions; Luc 9. 17. Goe to thou faithfull Seruant, be thou ruler ouer ten Cities: to some ho­nour, [Page 57] Mat. 5. 19. he that shall doe these things, and teach them, shall be called great in the Kingdome of heauen. Some he Mat. 19. 28. ma­keth Iudges, You which haue followed me in this generation shall sit vpon twelue Seates, and iudge the twelue Tribes of Israell. Let these giue vs to consider what our calling is; we should fight for the truth: but how many fight against the truth? as Heretiques, with what vehemen­cy of spirits? raysing vp all mans reason and force of arguments, seeking with allmalice, subtilty, with extreame rage and cruelty, the detorsion of the word of God from it's end: vrging Scripture against Scrip­ture: Which abuse we seeing, may iustly crie [...]. We are wounded and shot through with our owne feathers: Our enemies haue said,

We should fight for God: but how many fight against him? Atheists, Blasphemers, Swearers, which by their liues doe beare witnesse against God: which neuer vse his trembled name, but when they sweare and blas­pheme, as if they would spit him out of their mouthes. Such we haue, which open their mouthes wide against Heauen, we heare them say: Psal. 12. [...]. Our tongues are ours, who are Lords ouer vs? We should fight against the Diuell, we fight for him, when we will not confesse our sinnes, but iustifie them, and say to the Prophets face 1 Sam. [...]5. 20. Nay, but I haue not sinned: Thus doe we absolue Sathan, and condemne CHRIST: this makes the Ministers of God as welcome to vs as Eliah 1 Reg. 21. 20. was to Ahab: Hast thou found mee O mine enemy? And as Michaiah was to the same Ahab, 1 Reg. 22. [...]. he neuer prophesieth good to me, but euill.

We should fight against the world; but we stand in [Page 58] the worlds defence; as couetous men, will they suffer the least diminution of their riches? nay rather perish mercy, dye Almes-giuing, waste zeale, be forfeited all the treasures of Grace, to the vttermost wracke of sal­uation, & the losse of Heauen to boote. What Counsell, what Law, can we not finde to recouer an earthly losse? But Gods laws are not cared for. All our striuings, buil­dings, plowings, saylings, doe obey Hell and the Diuell. If we could rippevp the hearts of such, we should finde written in them: 2 Cor. 4. 4. The God of this present world.

We should fight against the flesh; wee are for the the flesh: as gluttons, adulterours, drunkards, which in the combate betweene the flesh and the Spirit, doe take the flesh her part: which contrary to the rule of Saint a Rom. 7. 21. Paul, doe castigare spiritum, chastise and subdue the spirit: b Cor. 9. [...]7. their flesh they nourish and pamper; their soules they starue and famish, neyther laying hold of Gods pro­mise, which is the ground wherevpon they stand, neyther caring for the word of God, which is their foode: neyther by Prayers and Meditations raysing vp in them the ayde and strength of faith, which is the sword wherewith they must fight: So daily the bodie growes stronger, as if he should say, Who can conquer mee? and Rom. 7. 24. the spirit weaker, crying, who shall de­liuer mee?

Lastly, we should fight for brotherly loue, but we trample it vnder our feete: else what doe so many di­uisions and schismes? Doe wee feare our part is too strong, and hauing escaped the sword of our enemies, doe we seeke to fall by our owne? But the actors of sects doe separate themselues, as the onely sanctified and chosen, despising all others, as Publicanes and Sin­ners. But let me aske, where there is among you enuying, 1 Cor. 3. 3. and strife, and diuisions, are you not carnall? You are not as this Publicane, or Sinner, are you not worse? he is [Page 59] come neere to teare the flesh of IESVS, which hath rent his coat: But these may suffice. God grant that we all which haue our [...] profession in CHRIST, may haue our minde for CHRIST; and not one­ly resolue to fight this fight for the Kingdome of Heauen in our seuerall stations, as we are to ioyne with the honour of God, the rescuing of our soules and bodies from the enemies of God; but in all our states and callings whatsoeuer, publikely, to behaue our selues like good labouring Souldiers of Christ our Lord; whether we be Counsailours, or Iudges, or Deligats for peace, or inferiour Officers, or priuate men, or Pastours of the flocke, or any wayes called: to thinke that to all doth belong this good la­bour, that publique peace and tranquilitie be defen­ded, the truth maintayned, Religion preserued, the good encouraged, the wicked punished, and aboue all, GODS prayse and glory euer magnified. Now to God the Father, with the Sonne, and the holy Ghost, be all Power and Dominion ascribed, now and for euer.

Amen.

IF this place of Scripture had moued me to but an intent of handling the se­uerall parts, according to their just weight and substance; I must of ne­cessity haue giuen it ouer, and layd this [Page 61] burthen on some other, whose shoulders could haue better borne it than mine can, and haue chosen some foords and shallowes of other Scriptures, through which more easily I might haue waded. But sithence I haue no other purpose than to gather from these branches, such fruit as hangeth lowest for my rea­ching, I hope I shall offend no reasonable Hearer.

The generall Scripture, which hath in it, the Cal­ling of Moses, sheweth vs, first, who called him, God, Verse 4. Verse 2. The Angell of the Lord: secondly, the place generall; Verse 1. The Desart: thirdly, the par­ticular place, Verse 4. Out of the Bush: fourthly, the manner of Calling; familiarly by name, Moses, Mo­ses: fiftly, Moses his readinesse, Heere am I: sixt­ly, a Prohibition, Come not hither: seauenthly, a Commandement, or Exhortation, Put off thy, shooes from thy feete: eightly, a reason, it may be of both; For the place where thou standest is holy ground.

There is no doubt but as often as God appeared to our Fathers, making himselfe manifest by some signe: so often hee stouped downe from the height of his Majesty, and (as wee may thinke) went forth from himselfe, to come nearer to them. For that which is most vnworthy of that Diuine majestie, to borrow a Body or a Face of his Creatures for a time, is yet the greatest vouchsafing: wherewith hee can vouch­safe vs, and the possiblest meanes he hath, to make vs, whiles we are here in the flesh, attentiue, and to won­der at his greatnes. The same God doth stoupe downe and bow himselfe to vs when he speaketh and calleth by his word out of the lippes and mouthes of his Pro­phets and Ministers: and there is no difference be­tweene that trembled Majesty; which spake to Moses miraculously, and to vs ordinarily. But this is the end of extraordinary calling, that they haue extraordina­ry [Page 62] effects: & to whom God doth appeare by strange and fearefull signes and wonders, in them he sheweth more wondred workes of his power.

Had not God called Moses, who could haue per­swaded a silly poore man, a shepheard, in the wil­dernesse, such an one as Chap. 2. 15. before fled from the face of one man, to oppose himselfe to a mighty kingdome, to a whole Nation? Had not God inspired, how could one naked man, with a little wand in his hand, whip Pharaoh, and his kingdome, and smite the whole land, and hauing first beaten him with haile and Exodus 9. 24. stormes, after he had almost eaten him vp with Lice, Exodus 8 17. and Caterpillers, Exodus 10. 13, after hee had shaken him with thunders, and scorched and blasted him with lightnings, Exodus 9. 23. powre him out and his whole hoste, like dregges into the Sea?

Now for the calling of Moses, wee must consider this followed another calling of his: namely, his in­ward calling, with which he was called before: it was c Exodus 2. 11. Hebr. 11. 27. then an outward calling, yet not that outward which is opposed to the inward: for so, many are called: But a certaine deputation of a purpose which God would d Mat. 20. 16. publish and make manifest by him, whom by warrant of this calling, as by Commission, he would authorize to sit in his owne place, and to visite Pharaohs house: in regard whereof he saith; Exodus 7. 1. I will make thee Pharaohs God.

So now Moses considering the highnesse of him that calleth him, shall little regard how vilely men e­steeme of him, being assigned by him, before whom, not onely all earthly Kings and their kingdomes, but the heauens themselues are lovve.

And againe; Moses considering the power of him that calleth him, shall now despise his owne weaknes, and a thousand slow tongues.

[Page 63] And further, looking into the end for which he is called, to deliuer his brethren from their bondage; and affliction; shall comfort himselfe, not onely against the hardnesse of his labour, and the obstinacie of blind Pharaoh, but against the bitter murmurings of his own brethren, and the hardnesse of their hearts.

And lastly, Moses calling to heart that wonderfull vouchsafing of the Diuine majesty; first, in looking vpon a people which were afflicted with so cruell bondage; but especially in looking on him, which was afflicted by the afflicted in a lower degree of mi­sery than bondage: to make him their Leader, to make him Pharaohs God, to furnish him with all helpes, to grace him with the familiarity of his owne presence: how gladly shall hee consecrate all his power and strength to this seruice, to Gods businesse, with care, with resolution, with all his heart?

But we must obserue, that albe, it be heere written, God called him; yet in the second Verse, we finde the Angell of the Lord appeared to him. If we desire to know who this Angell should be, which in the sixt Chapter, verse 3. calleth himselfe by the name of Ieho­uah, and taketh to him the glory of the eternall God­head, wee may safely with the Fathers, take him for the eternall Sonne of God, in regard of his person of a Mediator:. Which person albeit he did after take vp­on him, when in the fulnesse of time hee tooke our flesh, yet he bore the figure and image thereof from the beginning. And to this purpose, Saint Paul cal­leth him the ^a Leader of the people in the desart. For albeit he were not yet come, yet might his Predesti­nation to that office, be of that force, that hee might make himselfe knowne to the Fathers vnder no other [...] 2 Cor. 10. 9. habite: For all the communication they had with God, was by no other meanes, than of the Messiah, [Page 64] which was promised: which although he were the eternall Word, that is, God himselfe: yet might he in respect of his future Office and Embassie, borrow the name of an Angell.

And farther be it that the eternall Sonne of God did appeare to Moses; yet could not this hinder any thing, that hee appeared by an Angell, more then that, when God appeared to Abraham in the like­nesse [...]. 18. of three Angels, for that there also the Angels speake in the person of God: (at the time [...]. 14. appoynted I will returne vnto thee, according to the time of life:) It is no extraordinary thing: for the Prophets themselues, which beare Gods message, doe sometimes take vpon them Gods person, and speake as God speaketh: as 2 Reg 6. 16. Elisha, second of Kings, Ch 6. vers. 16. which vseth the same words: and Eliah, the first of Kings, Ch. 21. 20.

Onely this may suffice to be gathered from this place, that whatsoeuer God speaketh by his Angels, is of as much certayntie as if Gods owne mouth had spoken it, I if he leaue Angels, and chuse Shepheards and Fishermen to doe his message, the authority is no lesse then if it had beene thundred from Heauen, or vttered by an hoast of Angels, or written in the Hea­uens, or spoken from Heauen by the mouth of the Sonne of God, from the right hand of God: for al­though the Angels of Gods Church heere on earth be by no meanes to be compared with those blessed mindes, for excellency of substance or immortality, or purenesse from sinne: yet are they not inferiour to them in respect of their message, if they be not aboue them in regard of their office: which is greater then to sit vpon the Spheares of Heauen, and to bring the Sunne to his daily course: to vphold the earth, to dis­pose seasons and times, to inflict famines and pesti­lence: for to them only is committed the dispensation [Page 65] of the word of Life, the Mat. 16. 18. power of the keyes of the Kingdome of Heauen, Iohn 20. 23. the Administration of the Sa­craments, they wash you with liuing water in Bap­tisme, In the name of the Father, and of the Sonne, and of the holy Ghost; they reach you the flesh and 1 Cor. 10. 16. bloud of Christ in the Lords Supper; they lift you vp to Hea­uen by preaching of that powerfull word, the least iot and title whereof shall not passe, Mat. 5. 18. when heauen and earth are passed away: and for this cause, although an Angell appeared to Act. 13. 6. Cornelius, he went no farther then to messenger him to Saint Peter, which should tell him what he should doe: I, when CHRIST Act. 9. 4. himself appeared to Saul, and spake to him from Heauen, yet he gaue to Ananias this honour, that he should be the instrument of his conuersion, and of his receiuing the holy Ghost. Let no man then now looke to be Vers. 17. cal­led out of a bush burning with fire, or by a voyce from heauen, sithence God doth as vndoubtedly call vs daily out of the mouthes of his Ministers and Preachers, and speake by them as familiarly as he did by Moses: and if they be Ministers to you of Grace, and Life, and the riches and glory of the Kingdome of heauen; let it not grieue you with good conscien­ces to be Ministers to them of the perishing things of this world: neyther despise you them, because they are men, and sinners as you are: for God which de­puted them, did it not for want of Angels; but in calling them, he preferreth your nature. Hee knowes their vnworthines better then you, yet he honoureth them: Doe you dishonour them whom God honou­reth? What then? doe you blaspheme the good of your brethren, for which you are to giue God thanks? I, and some there are which load them with disgrace­full termes, and rayling words, such as the Iud. 9. Angell sustayned not to giue to the Diuell himselfe. The spirit [Page 66] himselfe calleth that blinde and carelesse Minister the Apoc 3. 14. Angell of his Church: Doe we esteeme them whom the mouth of God calleth Angels, as the basest of all men? Are you wiser then the holy Ghost? or can you constitute a better forme of gouernment in Gods Church then God himselfe hath ordayned? Doubt­lesse none can set little by the Ministers of Ioh. 15. 18. Christ, but they which haue hated him first. Wee cannot reach at his Heauens, we cannot touch his Sunne nor Starres, nor disorder the least of his workes heere on earth, and yet we oppose our selues to that, to which God hath giuen a farre more excellent being, namely, the word of truth, the image of his glory, the sword of of his Iustice, the Scepter of his Kingdome.

Our second circumstance followeth. The Place ge­neral, out of which Moses is called; the Desart, &c. The 2 Psal. 139. 8. Prophet shewing that no man can flie from the pre­sence of God: neyther by ascending into Heauen, or lying in Hell, or dwelling in the Sea, &c. As hee pro­ueth, that if we doe wickedly, we lye open alwayes to the vengeance & wrath of God; so he enforceth, that if we doe well, nothing can take our reward from vs. What maruell if then God search the Wildernesse for his seruant Moses: doth he not vse to search for his ser­uants, the Dan. 6. 22. dennes of Lyons, Dan. 3 24. and fiery Ouens, Ion. 2. 17. and the bottome of the Sea, and the bottome Ioh. 11. 38. of the graue? For as he reioyceth to bring hidden wicked­nesse to open punishment; so he more delighteth to bring secret godlinesse to open light and glory. Al­though then Moses thou be cast forth into the Wil­dernesse, into the place of Dragons, to haue thy abi­ding with Isay. 13. 2 [...]. Zym, and Dragons, and Ostriches, and Ohim, &c. yet heere God looketh vpon thee. The same God which saw thee Cap. 2. 13. when thou fleddest from thy Brother: I, the same God which saw thee when thy [Page 67] Mother which bare thee, forsooke thee, and shut thee vp in a little Arke Cap. 2. 3. of Slime and Pitch, and cast thee forth among the Bulrushes, and left thee floating vpon the water.

We see, as the littlenesse or vnaptnesse of the per­sons, cannot hinder God in executing by them works of wonder, no more can the vnlikelinesse or vnapt­nesse of the place. He can make as many Springs to flow out of the rocky Desart, as from Apenninus, the father of Riuers: hee can store the waste and roaring Wildernesse with as much prouision as fruitfull Aegypt: he can leuye as great an Armie from Sina bushes, as from the middest of Pharaohs Kingdome.

But what is the reason that God appeareth to Mo­ses, rather in the Wildernesse then in Aegypt. Haue the Aegyptians onely driuen out Moses from them? Haue they not also chased God away? He cannot abide in Pharaohs Court, there is so much hardnesse in Phara­ohs hart: he cannot abide in their land for their cruelty, nor in their Temples for their Idolatry: It was a poore entertaynement, that the Lord of life, when he came to dwell with vs, and to inhabite our flesh; that hee must be driuen to seeke the Asses cratch, and that our vnthankefulnesse did thrust the God of life into a Stable: but it was harder that quietly the Babe IE­SVS could not enioy that, but Mary must be driuen to flie by the way of the Wildernesse) into Mat. 2. 14. Aegypt, to hide her Sonne, for feare of Herod and the Iewes. Why doe we thus banish God from vs, and chase him forth into remote, and farre Countries, from whence he will not returne but to smite vs, and iudge vs, as he did the Aegiptians heere? Why doth hee rather dwell in the thornie bush then in Pharaohs heart? He is not in Samaria, but he is in the Desart with 2 Reg. 19. Eliah: he is not with Belshazzar, in his Pallace Dan. 5. but [Page 68] he is with Daniell in the denne of the Lyons, Dan. 6. Gen. 19. He is not in Sodome, but hee is in the Mountaine with Lot: He is not with Saul in his Tent, but he is with 1 Sam. 24. Dauid in the caue. Oh our vngratefulnesse, nay our wretchednesse, if where we are most, there God is least.

Now for the third part in order; the Place particu­lar. 3 It should little boote to set downe the varietie of the opinions of them which haue interpreted this vision: but God had doubtlesse his secret heere. Some apply it to the Israelites, and their peruerse disposition, which were alwaies like the thornes which resistes the fire. Some take for the Bush, the wombe of the blessed Virgin; some the bodie of CHRIST. I will not maintayne these opinions, neyther will I impugne them, but we more safely compare this vision with that of Gen. 15. 17. Abrahams, where God appeared to him in a fire­brand, out of a darke Fornace: The reason is, God suf­reth not his people to be extinguished in darkenesse. The afflicted and oppressed people of Israell, we may resemble to the low shrub or bush: The tyranny of Pharaoh, to the fire burning in the middest; which had consumed them, had not God miraculously pre­serued them. So by the presence of God the bush scapes the fire, as it is written, that although Psal. 46. 5. the flouds lift vp themselues against the Sanctuary of God: yet it shall not be moued, because God is in the middest of it: Saint Paul saith of God, our God is Heb. 12. vlt. a consuming fire. But Moses can say, our God is a preseruing fire. To the Ae­gyptians he was a consuming fire, but to the Israelites a preseruer from fire. He consumed the Captaynes of 2 Reg. 1. 12. Ahaziah; but he preserued Elijah. Hee Dan 3. consumed the Princes of Nabuchodonosor, but he preserued the three children in the middest of the fire. Isay was pre­serued by this fire; for when God touched his mouth [Page 69] with a coale burning from the Altar, he heard; Isay 6. 7. Thine iniquitie shalbe taken away, and thy sinne purged. And al­though the fire be now out of the Bush, yet Christ hath brought fire Luke 1 [...]. anew from heauen and left it bur­ning in the Tongues Acts 2 3. and Lippes of his Apostles, and made them the Ma [...] [...]. Lights of the world.

Now touching the Vision. No doubt but Moses was wonderfully astonished with the miracle: he go­eth aside, to wonder, to gaze at this strange sight. But these, if thou compare, Moses, with those miracles which God wil worke by thee; with those great won­ders in Aegypt, with his continuall appearing to thee in a Cloude by day, and in a Pillar of fire by night: This burning flame, I say, if thou compare with these, and with Mount Exod. 19. 18. Sinai, burning all with fire, it shall seeme to be but a little sparke.

And yet that great deliuerance of Gods people, which was wrought by Moses, at which all the earth trembled, which filled all hearts with astonishment, which was done with so mighty an hand, & outstret­ched arme; compare we it to our deliuerance in Iesu Christ; and it will seeme but as shadow to a body: and lesse indeede than a little sparkle to a great flame. What is their deliuerance from Aegypt to our 1 Cor. 1 [...]. 35. deli­uerance from Death and Hell? What the leading of them through the red Sea, 1 Iohn [...]. [...] to our washing in the bloud of Christ? What the standing of the Sunne at the praier of Ioshuah, Iohn 1. 14. to the descending of the Sunne of God into the world? What the slaying of the first borne in Aegypt, to the Matth. 27. crucifying of Iesus Christ the Lord of Life?

Come we how to the manner of his calling, which is the fourth in order. Heere wee earne first, that this 4. was no dumbe shew, to terrifie the holy man: For it hath Doctrine annexed to establish his minde. And [Page 70] indeede the miracle is great, but the calling of Moses is greater. And God calleth Moses by name, familiar­ly, which telleth him, that now hee hath a kinde of fellowship and acquaintance with God: that he must now walke with God, and forget his father and ac­quaintance in the flesh, and his flocke of sheepe, and the world, and follow his calling. For God by speak­ing to him in this sort, doth enter and insinuate him­selfe into his minde; and moue him to regard his dai­ly walking, as a continuall judging. For how must they walke, with whom Gods eie doth alwayes walke, as an indiuiduall Ierem. 16. 17. companion? Now God by name­ing vs when hee calleth, shewes, that hee knowes vs when he speaketh not. He calls vs in time, he knowes vs before time: when he calleth, he is not neerer to vs than he was before, but he teacheth vs to draw nearer, to him. But this is the least we can imagine of God, to thinke hee walketh with vs as an indiuiduall compa­nion: for hee walketh in our soule, and betweene the diuisions of our spirit, and treadeth a secret path in our heart and vnderstanding, which no man know­eth but himselfe. There is neuer a fold or wrinkle in our minde, but he knoweth it altogether.

Neither is this so onely; God is nearer to vs than we are to our selues. He seeth ten thousand things in our minde and thought, which we see not: therefore Saint Iohn saith, Iohn 3. 20. God is greater than our heart. To our thought, men, and Angells are blinde; to God our thought is blinde. How many sinnes can hee object which haue fled the secretnes of our thought? What is more ignorant to him than our best vnderstanding? How many things which he will doe by vs, doth hee better know before they are done, than we after? Well may the Prophet say, Such Psal. 3. 19. 6. knowledge is too wonder­full for me: Neither may we wonder at any thing more [Page 71] than that the trembled presence of God is no more re­garded of vs. We shame not to doe that in the presence of God, which we blush to doe in the sight of the worst Boy we keepe. The first step that wee should tread in our calling, should be the forsaking of the world: I, of our selues. The world will not onely entangle vs, if we stand still, but if wee runne through it. Our cal­ling is a daily striuing, and a continuall fight: and the Countrey we seeke, must be Math. 11. wonne by violence.

But speake we [...]ow of Moses his readines; Here am I: Moses did not as Ionas, which was sent to Niniuie, 5 Ionas 1. [...]. and went to Tarkish: nor as the men in the Luke 14. [...]. Gospel, which were bidden to Supper, and went to their Farmes: nor as hee Mat. 21. [...]0. which said hee would goe, and did not. For in saying, Heere am I, he tendreth his obedience be­fore he knoweth what he is commanded. We know not what God may command, but this we know, we must obey whatsoeuer God commandeth. If he in­tend to worke wonders by vs, if vpon vs; if he call vs to be Leaders, or to be led. Some he calleth to honor, some to mourning, some to imprisonment, some to suffer: We are not chusers of our estate, but must act that part which God enjoyneth. This onely wee know for certaine, that then we haue performed the greatest part of our duety, when our heart is ready. But we doe all things sauing those which God requi­reth. God calleth vs one way, we goe the contrary: God Luke 14. calleth vs to a sweet supper, we refuse to come: the world calleth vs to trauell, and sorrow, and care, and we follow the world. There is as great a Luke [...]. gulfe betweene vs and our calling, as was betwixt Lazarus and Diues. Hee goeth farre (they say) that neuer comes backe againe. We haue gone farre from God, and we haue not returned. The Lord hath said, Re­turne, and we would not returne. He hath set his face [Page 72] to vs: we haue turned our backes to him. He hath gi­uen vs a long time to sinne. The childe which was a Ierem 2. 27. borne of a King (as we reade storied of Paris) and cast forth, and taken vp of a shepheard, as long as hee knew no other, did contentedly liue a shepheards life: but when he was told, his father was a King, did scorne that base life, and repayred to his father. If wee, not knowing how highly wee are descended, haue thought it good to intangle our selues with the things of this world, too base and meane for our calling. If perishing and vaine things haue held vs contented to leade our liues in this thrall and basenesse; yet now, knowing wee are more than the sons of Kings, I, Rom. 8. 14. 17 sonnes of the most High God, and heires of his king­dome, let vs not deferreto flie the shadow of this world, and to lift vp our selues to that glory which is prepared for vs; knowing that our heauenly Fa­ther, not onely looketh for our comming, but daily sendeth and calleth for vs.

Now a word of the Prohibition. Moses had ven­tured 6. too farre, forgetting himselfe; drawne as men are, rashly to gaze and prie into strange sights. But this is not the way to come before God, by aspiring, and curiousnesse, but with reuerence and trembling. When wee cast our selues downe lowest, when wee stand farthest off in humilitie, then are we neerest to God. If we consider our vanitie and presumption, we are many times too neere to God: but in feare and re­uerence wee are neuer neere enough. But it is worth the noting; how Moses is called, and forbidden to come neere.

When the Angell was sent to Mary, whose aspect and presence troubled her, she was forbidden to feare: Luke 1. 30. Feare not Maery. But, this Angell appearing to Mo­ses, because he is not troubled at the sight, hee is in a [Page 73] manner commanded to feare, and stand farther off. The blessed Virgin was forbidden to feare, because she had found fauour with God: and Moses is com­manded to feare, because he knowes not what fauour hee had found. For he gazed onely, as one that sawe a strange sight by chance, not looking into Gods vouchsafing; not considering what mercy God shews him. But being instructed by God, you neede not bid him feare, as we see in his standing off. And such is the weakenes and vilenes of vs mortall men, that we cannot sustayne the sight and presence of the least of Gods Angells without shaking and trembling, though they appeare in a forme, tempered and suited to our weakenesse: Therefore, when Mary the mother of Christ saw the Angell, Luke 1. 29. Shee was troubled: the Luke 2. 1 [...]. shep­heards were afraid: Iudg. 6. [...]2. Gedeon, alas, I shall dye, for I haue seene an Angell: Daniell, Dan. 10. 19. Feare not. And an Angell is neuer almost sent, but with a Feare not in his mouth, but the effect is good: for when the trembled presence of God hath possessed vs of an wholesome reuerence and feare of the Diuine maiesty, hee doth by words of comfort take it away, shewing that he is great for our good, and for the confusion of our ene­mies. So our feare and reuerence is invited, our cu­riositie and presumption is rejected. But this I say, if Gods presence be so fearefull when in greatest mercie and compassion hee appeareth, how trembled is his wrath? And if wee may be faulty in approaching neare to God: of what terrible wrath shall our Apo­stasies and falling from God be guilty? And this is the same Moses which after desired to see Exod. 33. 18. Gods face; and not able to see it, doth most notably teach vs, that the strength of our Saluation is not farre from the cleft of the Rocke, in which Gods mercifull hand hath hid vs, and couered vs, till he shall take vs out of the [Page 74] couering of this short life, and shew vs his glory. But when the Lord passed by; when the Lord of Hostes passed by; tell vs Moses, what diddest thou see? Did▪ dest thou see nothing, because the hand of God co­uered thee, because the cleft of the Rocke hid thee? Did all his loue and mercy passe before him? Mercie was the hand that couered thee; it was his loue that looked backe vpon thee. Diddest thou not see his backer parts as he passed by? What then? Didst thou see any vnrighteousnes in the Lord? VVas there any weaknesse in his arme, any crookednesse in his path? VVas hee like the sonnes of men; whose breath is in their nostrills? Thou hast seene, Moses, his backer parts, blessed are they which shall see his face. Blessed are they which when the face of the Lord shall be re­uealed, shall not seek the Luke 23. 30. hills to couer them, or the clefts of the rockes to hide them: Blessed are they whose rocke is the Lord, 2 Sam. 22. 1. whose mercy is to them as the hills on e­uery side, Psal. 125. 2. Matth. 5. 8. Blessed are the pure in heart, which shall see God, strange, and mercifull, and gracious, slow to an­ger, and not making the wicked innocent, reseruing mercy for thousands; for giuing iniquitie and transgressions: visiting the iniquity of the fathers vpon the children, and vpon the chil­drens children, vnto the third and fourth generation.

Let vs come to our seauenth part: Put off thy shooes 7. from thy feets: By these words God doth stirre him vp and prouoke him to further Deuotion and Reue­rence. This ceremony of standing bare-foote before GOD, is like our kneeling and vncouering in the Church. And of all ceremonies this is the end, that Gods trembled Majesty, may haue a more effectuall working in vs. Moses had shewed a reasonable readi­nesse to his calling before, Here am I: he hath yet need to be more stirred vp. And if the most noble Prophet of God, had need of such preparation, no maruell if [Page 75] God doe stirre vp our dulnesse by diuers like meanes, when his high worship is required: for that which is in some, the effect of godlines, to others a cause of godlinesse. In them which are more perfect, reue­rence descendeth from their inward worship of God; by which the weaker ascend to the inward worship. And godly ceremonies are in some, tokens of duety; to others, lessons of duety. Afflictions and sorrow come from 2 Cor. [...]. 1 [...]. Repentance, by which God doth bring many to repentance. Thus we see, Ceremonies haue their necessary vses: Neyther doe we by lawfull v­sing them, tie Religion to outward things, but ra­ther leade our selues to the inward worship. Al­though wee liue in that age, where all markes of out­ward duety are contemned; I would not so much mislike, if the inward seruice were not also neglected. Wee count it now as profane, I will not say to fast, or afflict our selues, or wearesacke-cloth; but to decke and beautifie our Temples. VVe say wee must wor­ship GOD in Spirit; as if they did not, which pou­red forth infinite 1 Reg. [...]. treasures in building Churches, and beautifying them, and which praised God with Psal. 150. the Harpe and all instruments of Musicke. I say, that where the heart is set to serue God, it rejoyceth to moue the hands and feete, and all the outward parts to doe the same. And if we had more outward beha­uiours of Religion and Deuotion than we vse, they might well become vs. But this is little. It is a dan­gerous thing now to praise good workes: as if Faith were Faith without them. Non sunt parua sine quibus magna constare non possunt: S. Augustine saith; These are not small things, without which greater things cannot con­sist. If a man goe towards the Sunne, his shadow will goe before him; but if hee goe from the Sunne, yet his shadow will follow him. What then? if our Ad­uersaries, [Page 76] which haue departed from the Mal. 3. 2. Sonne of Righteousnesse, Iesus Christ, haue set before them­selues the shadow of Signes and Ceremonies? Doth this forbid vs, which turne to the Sonne of God in sincerity and purenesse of worship, to haue it follow vs? The Church of the Ievves had Shadowes and Signes, without the Truth: For the truth was Col. 2. 17. Heb. 10. 1. vailed and couered to them vnder these: All things were to them vnder Shadowes. The Church of Christ, vnder the Gospell, hath the Truth, with Signes: The Church Triumphant in Heauen hath the Truth, without Signes. So the Church of Christ heere on Earth is middle betweene both, participating of the Iewish Church in signes, and of the Church in Heauen, in the Truth. Dionis. Areopagita. de Eccles. Hierarch. lib. 1. cap. 5. part. 1.

And thus we are come to our last part: For the place where thou standest is holy ground. If we make this the reason of that first come not neare, we haue a suf­ficient warrant to manifest our dutie to God in all places: for God filleth Psal. 139. 7. all places with his presence: Whither shall I goe from thy presence? Coelum & terram ego impleo: I fill Ier. 23. 24. Heauen and Earth saith the Lord. In respect of our weaknesse, he seemeth to be lesse present to some place: but as he is in himselfe, he is a like present in all. We haue a more awfull regard of God, where he sheweth more signes of his excellence; but he worketh infinitely aboue our vnderstanding, euen there, where he sheweth no signe at all. But let vs rather construe this of the holinesse of the ground, for a reason of that which went next before, why he must put off his shoes from his feete. We haue this doctrine hence. First, the holinesse of the place doth witnesse Gods presence: secondly, it moueth vs to in­ward reuerence and feare: thirdly it telleth vs what we [Page 77] ought to be: Shall the place be holy, when wee are prophane, Where we must not tread amisse, must we thinke amisse? where Moses must not weare shoes on his feete; shall he carry wickednesse in his heart? Re­gard we what men see, and despise we the eyes of God? for Psal. 51. 5. God requireth truth of the inward parts; yet so, that he refuseth not the worship of the outward parts, which if he would euer haue refused, he would haue done so heere; for God saw Moses heart, and none were present but God and Moses, heere was no con­gregation assembled; none that might learne by out­ward ceremony or behauiour, and yet God, which Iohn 4. 24. is a Spirit, and worshipped in spirit saith: Moses, put off thy shoes from thy feete, for the place where thou standest is holy ground. If Moses stood before God in holy ground: where God appeared to him in a bush burning with fire; how holy must our standings be before him, which haue him not within kenning onely, or at a gaze, or where wee are forbidden to come, but in the Mat. 18. 20. middest of vs? If Mount Sinai were sanctified for a temporall residence, what shall wee thinke of these Mountaines, our Temples, dedicated to his glory and worship; to which hee hath promised Mat, 28. [...] a presence for euer? If God did discend to the low Bramble-bush, and sanctifie it: doe you thinke he will abandon his Temples, where we daily come together in his name? If God, haue any place holy vnder Heauen, this is that place. This place we exempt from all other vses, and consecrate to God: Heere, we meete to acknowledge his diuine presence, so often as we come together in his name, and we testifie the same by our most solemne and royall assemblies. For if wee consider our selues, as grafted in Christ, and members of one bodie: heere we come as sheepe into ourspirituall fold, all linked and combined in the same prayers, with one heart [Page 78] and voyce praysing and lauding the name of God. And if we consider our communion with the Saints, and Angels of God, and the Church triumphant which is in Heauen: heere we ioyne and meete to glo­rifie the same God in earth, which the Angels doe in Heauen: which diuine and celestiall company, how can we better represent, then in this spirituall randi­uouze, singing: Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Sabbath: Heauen and earth are full of the maiesty of thy glory? &c. Thirdly, if the zeale of our profession moue: heere we professe and testifie the name of God, the right worship, and the truth of our calling, against Turkes, Iewes, Infidels, Sects, Aduersaries, Men, Diuels, and all the enemies of Gods truth, sounding and ringing out our zeale for the prayse and glory of God, that all the world may heere it. And lastly, if the loue of our Lord Iesus Christ compell vs: heere wee assembled, are so oft assured of Mat. 18. 20. his presence as we come toge­ther in his name: and when all other places are sub­iect to abuse; our high wayes and fields to riflings and robberies; our Markets and Streets to quarrellings, to deceiuings; our common meetings to wrongfull and fraudulent dealings; our Courts to strife and janglings; whereas disorders are seene daily in our houses, and our secret Chambers can tell of our vncleannesse: the reuerence of this place confoundeth lewd sinners, and keepeth it at least from all open prophanation and abuse. But where is our zeale if it be not in our Tem­ples, nay, if it be against them? Had God holinesse which he might bestow vpon this place, and is he so bare of it that now he hath none left. Did hee spend all vpon mount Sinai, and hath he neuer a blessing left for our Herebs? Yes, some of that was bestowed vpon Salomons Temple: wherefore CHRIST was euen eaten vp with the zeale of that house: Which b Iohn 2. 17. [Page 79] howsoeuer it were shortly to be prophaned and made desolate, yet was it Ius 19. 76. holy to Christ as long as it stood. But our deuotions are gone out of Gods house, to our owne houses, we decke and beautifie them, because we loue our selues as we would Gods house if we lo­ued God. God hath long agoe complayned of this. Is it time to build to your selues seeled houses, Hag. 1. 4. and let my house lie wasle? Which being so, no maruell that the same vilenesse and contempt which we haue suffered to fall vpon our Churches and Church orders, is now fallen vpon our selues: I speake not this to grace cere­monies, or outward behauiours of Religion, otherwise then shadowes to that body: shadowes they are to the body of Religion, but such as well become the bo­dy. Onely this I protest, if holinesse be gone out of the toes and feete of our Church, yet let vs keepe it in the heart still. And if wee haue forgotten the place in which we stand, let vs not forget the person before whom we stand, which is God the Lord, the high owner of Heauen & Earth; which is neere to vs how euer we are farre from him; which doth enspire with his spirit, not onely the head, and honourable parts, but the toes and the feete; to whom the heart is due, and the spirit, and all our strength: But of how many of vs doth he not receiue the calues of our lips? This most high & great God sanctifie vs all in our se­ueral standings before him; and grant vs all holy toes, holy feete, holy knees, holy hands, holy lippes, holy hearts to the glory, and prayse of his name, in Christ our Lord: Now to God the Father Almightie, with God the Sonne, and God the holy Ghost, three persons and one God, be rendred all honour, prayse, power, dominion, and glory, now and for euer. So be it.

WHen Moses sent Spies into the Land of Numb. 13. 19. Canaan to search the Land; and the goodnesse thereof, and to bring of the fruit: when the Messengers made report that it was a fruit­full Land, and flowing with Milke and Honey: and repre­sented the fruit thereof which they brought; the people were all without doubt moued with a won­derous [Page 81] desire to make forth, and possesse that Land: but when some of them reported that there were Vers. 3. 4. Gi­ants in the Land, and that there seemed no possibi­bility of entrie, but by warre and bloud shed; see Num. 14. [...]. how quickly they were turned: VVould God we had died in the land of Aegipt, or in this Wildernesse; would God we were dead. The Preachers of Gods word, which are sent of God, as Spies, to search and inquire into holy Scripture, what good things God hath laid vp in the Kingdome of Heauen for those which trust in him; when they certifie you that 1 Cor. 2. 9. the eye hath not seene, nor the eare heard, and that the good things which God hath prepared, for those that loue him, haue not entred into the heart of man; who burneth not with desire to enter into the Kingdome of hea­uen, and to be partaker of euerlasting blisse, with the Saints in light? But when we tell you of losse and ha­zard, of suffering blowes on the cheekes, of Eph. 6. 12. wrestling, of fighting with the Giants of this world, and suffe­ring all things, to the Heb. 22. 4. effusion of bloud, for the King­dome of heauen; what a world of menturne backe and start aside? Wee bring you to this Scripture as to Num. 20. 23. the waters of strife; A maruaile to see, the people which all escaped drowing in the Sea, were almost all drowned in a little lake. There is this difference be­tweene vs and the murmuring Israelites, Num. 24. 3. they said, we will goe backe into Aegipt: we goe backe, but say notso. The words of Christ will trie who are his, Mat. 10. 38. he that taketh not vp his Crosse and followeth Christ, is not worthy of him. We should beare our Crosse, I would we could be contented that our Crosse might beare vs. Euery true Disciple of CHRIST is cruci­fied with CHRIST, his hands are nayled, he cannot strike: his feete are nayled, he cannot pursue reuenge, he is also fast bound and tied, that hee can moue no [Page 28] ber of his body to resist euill. If wee mistake not, our profession, our Mat. 5. 22. honor, is, to be reuiled: our Mat. 10. 39. gaine, our treasure to forsake all; our fighting to Mat. 10. 23. flie from place to place; Gal. 6. 17. our glory in our wounds; our victory in Phil. 1. 20. death. What then if all our manners, and liues and actions doe crosse this Scripture; if we which should take the blows, do rather giue them; if we which should be so fast tied that we should moue neither hand nor foot, are more swift in pursuit of reuenge, then the Eagle in following after her pray: if not in priuate meetings onely, or in streets, market-places, fields, sportings, feastings, &c. but at Sessions, Assises, highest Courts before iust Iudges, in the eye of Iustice, in the face of reuerend and lawfull authority, we haue done all wee can to the disgrace of this Word: must the Preacher bring a condemning text, as if he were a iudge also? We dare, not onely for the honour we owe to God, but for the loue we beare to you. For this we know, we shall offend none, but as in Moses his ^P case, the person that doth the wrong. This Scripture is not o Exod. 2. 13. now with vs more violated, then it hath beene with them of old, mistaken and misconstrued: for this cause we haue the more neede to search it to the ve­ry ground, which we shall first doe by circumstances of the text it selfe, then by collation of it with other parts of the Scripture.

Origen about the end of his eight booke against Celsus, by mistaking this saying of CHRIST, affir­meth that it is not lawfull for Christians to warre, to beare office, to exercise iudgement. Iulian the Apo­stata, because CHRIST forbiddeth to resist euill, most falsely slandereth the Christians, as enemies to Lawes, and Officers, and commonwealthes: taking the sword from the Magistrate, and arming euery priuate man to wrong and iniustice. Valusianus, otherwise an [Page] excellent man, proposeth this doubt, out of this place; to Saint Augustine, epistola quinta: asking how this doctrine can stand with lawes and iustice, which for­bideth to resist euill? There Saint Augustine answereth, that in its selfe nature, it is not euill to resist, but hee which resisteth not, doth better, as hauing more per­fection. The Manichees did heerevpon reiect all the old Testament, because it commaunded reuenge, which the new forbiddeth: to whom Saint Aug. lib. contra Faust. 22. cap. 76. saith, that there is a dispensa­tion of things, and a distribution of times; and in re­gard of these, according to diuersities of times, Pre­cepts or Councels may be eyther abrogated or per­mitted. Whence the Schoolemen haue their ground, which affirme, that Christ spake not this as a generall commandement for all to obey; but a speciall coun­sell for some which are more perfect. Hugo Cardinalis was of opinion, that the commandement was tempo­rall, and for the Apostles onely, which were to builde the Church in their bloud: now if it were of force, it would hurt the Church. And lastly the Anabaptists out of their lewd construction of this place doe con­demne all politique lawes, and ciuill gouernment; for which causes we must be more diligent in search of the right interpretation.

This place is taken from Exod. 21. 24. Leuit. 24. 5. Deut. 19. 21. Life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foote for foote: There God setteth downe, Le­gem talionis, a law of like for like. But this commande­ment & charge is set downe to the Magistrate onely, as in the nineteenth Chapter of Deuteronomy, the seauen­teenth verse, the men which striue shall be brought before the Lord, euen before the Priests and Iudges, which shall be in those dayes: and the Iudges &c. shall doe to him euen as hee thought to doe to his Brother. [Page 84] Aristotle setteth downe the justice of Rhadamanthus in this Verse:

Now if wee vnderstand not these words out of the causes which they were spoken, as Saint Hilary noteth, it may seeme that Christ spake against this Law: first, saying, You heard it said to them of old time: And then, I say to you. But Christ said before, Verse 17. Thinke not I am come to destroy the Law. Neither doth the Go­spell take away Authority from Rulers and Gouer­nours, or meddle with politique or iudiciall Lawes, as hee protesteth, saying, Iohn 18. 36. My Kingdome is not of this world. And for an vndoubted Argument, Saint Peter, which heard this Sermon, and receiuing the Holy Ghost, had the sence of all Luke 24. 45. Scriptures opned, expresly sheweth, that publique reuenge by the Magistrate, is not by Gods word prohibited, when he saith, Ephes. 2. 14. That Gouernours are sent of God, for the punishment of such as doe euill. And Saint Paul (which receiued the vnderstan­ding of Scriptures by immediate gift of the Holy Ghost) There Acts [...]. 17. is no power but of God: whosoeuer resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God, Verse 4. Rom. 13. 2. 3. For he beareth not the Sword for nought: for he is the minister of God. So wee haue it most plaine, that publique ven­geance is not heere prohibited, nor the temporall powers restrained.

Why then saith Christ, resist not euill? He frameth this interpretation, not against the words of the Law, but against the false Glosse of the Pharisies, to purge it, as it were, of that wicked Leauen. For this they taught, because Gods word did not onely permit, but command the Magistrate, to render euill for euill; [Page 85] therefore euery priuate man was allowed to doe the like, and reuenge euery injury done to him, so he ex­ceeded not this Rule. But see what the Pharisies brought on the people, by corrupt teaching: For their resisting the Magistrate, gaue occasion to the vt­ter ruine of their state. See Iosephus de bello Iudaico lib. 2. Cap. primo. For an Eagle, taken from the Porch of the Temple, what slaughter Archelaus souldiers made of three thousand Iewes, in a tumult. And againe, Lib. 2. Cap. 18. What vengeance Florus tooke of the people, for the tumult they made about Birds sacrificed in the Synagogue.

Well then, Christ giuing the Magistrate authoritie; to priuate persons saith, Resist not euill: And heere we [...]. haue a notable Rule of distinction of Offices, priuate and publique. For what is lawfull for the Magistrate, is not lawfull for a priuate man. Wherefore the A­postle, girding the Magistrate Rom. [...]3. [...]. with the Sword, to beate downe offendours, in the twelft to the Romans, Verse 10. to priuate men saith, Auenge not yourselues: And Verse 17. Recompence to no man euill for euill.

Secondly, that it may appeare, that Christ intend­eth not the abolition of the Law of old, or maketh 2. any new, but onely giueth the old her naturall and proper sence, Moses himselfe, when hee set downe to the Magistrate a law of Reuenge, to priuate men saith; Thou Leuit. 19. 1 [...]. shalt not seeke Reuenge, neyther shalt thou keepe in minde the iniury of thy people. And Solomon doth in direct words crosse the words which the Magi­strate hath enjoyned, in priuate mens cases: Prou. 24. 29. Say not, I will doe to him as hee hath done to mee: I will reward him according as hee hath deserued. And in the third of the Threues, the very forme of suffering is set downe; La [...]. 3. 30. He giueth his cheeke to him: that smiteth him: hee is filled with reproaches.

[Page 86] Thirdly, for further clearing the sence, wee must note to whom our Lord speaketh: For hee doth not instruct the Magistrates or rulers in their duty, which were not present to his Sermon: For hee speaketh to his Disciples, and the people which had no authori­ty, and singling them out, ^a Vobis dico; I say to you. So the Disciples and the multitude, which beare no office, [...] 6. 27. are forbidden to reuenge priuate injury offered.

Fourthly, Christs Disciples, and the multitude, did dreame of an externall and politicall kingdome of the 4 Messiah, which should be armed with externall and kingly power and authority, and vanquish their ene­mies: but CHRIST here foretelleth that they must looke for no such thing, no such bodily Sauiour, but rather prepare themselues to suffer smitings on the cheekes, and spoyle of goods, and bitter injuries and reproach. Neyther should-they receiue assistance of the Magistrates themselues, Psal. 47. vlt. which are called the Shieldes of the earth, but rather haue layd vpon their backes, by them also, most grieuous and heauy bur­thens.

Fiftly and lastly, CHRIST setteth downe heere the forme of his kingdome, which is spirituall and 5. heauenly; For to the eies of the world his kingdome appeareth not. If Iohn 18. 36. my Kingdome were of this world, then would my Ministers fight for mee, that I should not be deliuered to the Iewes. Different from this estate are earthly kingdomes, which are ordered vnder whole­some defence of Lawes and Authority, and power temporall: which yet (as we haue shewed) is the or­dinance of God. Therefore he which is a Free-deni­zon of heauen, and of the House and Family of God: may be also a citizen in an earthly corporation and e­state: as S. Paul Act. 22. 25. proued himselfe a citizen of Rome, and appealed to Caesars Iudgement seate, Acts 25. 10. [Page 87] I cannot forbeare to speake, whether the Pharises peruerted with falser glossing the law of Moses, or our aduersaries the words of Christ. Saint Peter, from whom the Pope challengeth his high Supremacie, could not finde exemption from the Magistrate, al­lowed him out of these words of Christ, but was con­tented to be vnder authoritatiue correction of hea­then rulers, so were all the Apostles; but Peters suc­cessors haue shaken off all authority of Christian Ma­gistrates. I pray you, of what Scripture sauoreth this Stile, To be iudged of none? Well, let vs graunt the Pope this liberty, to be free of all soueraignty tempo­rall; and sithence it must needs so be, let all the sha­uen Priests haue immunity from all Secular power. And not onely challenge this prerogatiue, when the Magistrate may seeme to offer them injustice and wrong; but in cases in which themselues stand guilty of most notorious crimes. But whence hath he lear­ned to be aboue all authoritie? Nay, who gaue the Beast with the great Horne power to push Kings out of their Thrones, to depose the Magistrate, to stop the ordinary course of Iustice, to maintaine the sub­jects in disobedience, to assoyle them of their oathes of allegeance? and how was it found an act meritori­ous to murder kings? a point of highest godlines to lay wicked hands vpon the annoynted ministers of God? If there be any light in the word of God, if any truth Iohn 1. 4. in the truth: hence may we know that man of sinne which is an aduersary, and exalteth himselfe 2 Thes. [...] [...]. aboue all that is God, For if the Magistrates be Gods on earth, as Christ himselfe saith, and shall be shewed: the Pope extolling himselfe aboue all Authority of earth­ly Princes, aduanceth himselfe aboue all that is God on earth. And if Christ be the King of Heauen, which flatly denyeth his kingdome to be of this world: The [Page 88] Pope by joyning to the spirituall the temporall sword: exalteth himselfe aboue all that is God in Heauen, Well, I I leaue you to consider further. This I dare say, hee will take no blowes on the cheeke.

For our present matter in hand, wee stand by these assured, that the Magistrates authority is warranted by God; and to this end, to punish the doers of euill: and therefore it is lawfull by authority of Gods word, for any that is wronged, to seeke that ordinance for redresse: onely we are forbidden to auenge our selues. Therefore the Luke 18. Widow did not offend, which sought the injust Iudge. Now priuate reuengings draw friends on both sides, and parties and confederacies; and so the resisting of the euill is a cause to spread it further: But when the Magistrate punisheth, no man taketh part, no man resisteth, no man is offended: onely the euill is taken away; and the Delinquent, by exemplary justice done, made a terrour to all offen­dours.

But you will say, Rom. 12. 18. Vengeance is mine (saith the Lord.) True. But God himselfe saith, That they which Psal. 82. 6. beare rule are Gods: And Christ himselfe Iohn 10. 35. so interprets that Scripture. Therefore when they strike, God striketh: when they Rom 13 2. & 4. kill, God killeth: they haue his Sword: they haue his Ordinance: they haue his Seate: they haue a speciall Psal. 82. 6. name; they haue a speciall 1 Sa. 15. 1. 3 annoint­ing from him. Therefore they are free from offend­ing (when they Deut. 1. 16. kill offendours or euill doers) of that Law, which saith, Thou shalt not kill. And that com­mandement of not resisting euill, bindeth not them: nay rather, they highly sinne against God if they resist it not.

We haue it then most euident what Christ intend­eth, when he saith, Resist not euill. For when wee haue receiued wrongs, and are destitute of helpe from [Page 89] the Magistrate, then ought wee not to auenge our selues, and by priuate resistance requite euill with euill; but to compose our selues to meekenesse and patience, in forbearing; to forgiue our enemies; and not onely to temper from all outward force, but to quench all inward and inordinate heate, burning to reuenge. We must keepe the peace of Christ, either by publique resisting, or priuate forbearing. And ra­ther suffer the losse of our liues, than to haue the sweet fruit of quiet patience destroyed in vs. If spit­tings, smitings, woundings, killings, might shake our hope, or take away the comforts of Gods spirit, who could be Christs Disciples? We may keepe GODS peace in warre; no tumult, no fire or sword of our e­nemies can take it from vs. For him wee serue, for sa­uing our soules, and for an euerlasting deliuerance: And shall we forsake him for an houres paine, and a blow on our cheekes? Hee that striketh our shadow, toucheth not our body: And hee that killeth the bo­dy, toucheth not the soule. Must the followers of Christ goe to Heauen by a common way? Shall those constant Patients, which are in the diet of Saluation, feare taking some bitternesse in their potion, or let­ting a little bloud? They write that Archimedes had his mind so fixed on a few Mathematicall lines which he drew in the dust, that hee attended not while the Citty was fired about his eares. But how many thou­sands of professours of Christ can wee name, whose Faith hath beene so fixed in God, that they haue des­pised the cruell siege and battery which the enemies of CHRIST haue laid to their flesh and bloud? But because this Doctrine soundeth vnreasonable to eares of flesh and bloud: and in cases where wee haue no lawfull meanes of assistance, to beare and ouer­come with meekenesse and patience, all bitter inju­ries. [Page 90] It is a hard kinde of striuing, and a stranger vi­ctory: let vs prepare our selues to this.

First, let vs consider, that when we suffer injury, it 1 is not by chance, or by the vnbrideled lust of our Aduersaries, but of the goodwill of God, permitting it so to be; eyther to punish our sinnes, or to encrease our Faith, or to exercise our patience, whereas wee are assured that our haires of Luc. 12. 7. Luc. 21. 18. our heads are numbred, and we shall not loose one of them.

Secondly, let vs interpret these sent, from GODS 2 loue: For such suffered Mat. 5. 12. all the Saints, all the Pro­phets, and CHRIST the Sonne of GOD, and all his Apostles. He Psal 74. 5. 6. that hewed timber out of the wood, was knowne to bring it to an excellent piece of worke. So was Ioseph hewed in the Stockes, and in the Prison; God brought him to an excellent piece of worke, to make him Lord of Aegypt: so was Iesus Christ hew­ed and squared on the Crosse, with Hammers and Nayles, and Speares: of this excellent worke: see where hee sitteth at Gods right hand, Ephes. 74. 5. 6 Thrones, Pow­ers, Dominations, Angells, subjected to him.

Thirdly, let not our eyes be onely vpon the atro­city of the injury offered. But consider we how ma­ny 3 wayes wee our selues haue offended GOD and our Neighbours: for which wee may justly suffer. So the Emperour Mauritius, when Phocas slew most cruelly, before his face, his Wife, and his fiue Children, speaking not one word to the enemy, no not in such a bitter wrong; but considering his owne sinnes, con­tinued still crying, till the Sword sundered his head from his body: Iustus es Domine, & iusta iudicia tua: Thou art righteous (O Lord) and iust are thy iudgements.

Fourthly, let vs consider that wee our selues daily 4 aske forgiuenesse for talent sinnes, as I may call them. For the least Mat. 18. 32. sinne wee haue committed against the [Page 91] Diuine Maiestie, infinitely excelleth the greatest tres­passe our brother can doe vs. Why then should not we forgiue our brother peny-farthing offences? Col. 3. 12. 1 [...]. Put on meekenesse, gentlenesse, patience, suffering one another, forgiuing one another, euen as Christ hath forgiuen you. 5

Fiftly, see how Saint Paul dehorteth from reuenge: Mine is Rom. 12. 5. vengeance, I will recompence; saith the Lord; which being so, wee doe not hurt our enemies by taking the Sword out of GODS hand, which will not suffer the wicked to be vnpunished; but we draw downe vengeance, and deriue the course of his Iu­stice which he aymed at our enemies, vpon our owne heads.

Sixtly, let vs consider, that it is not Reuenge, but Long-suffering, Meekenesse, Gentlenesse, which can 6 doe vs good: Mat. 5. 5. The meeke shall inherit the earth. So Dauid, when Shimei rayled on him. Smite, suffer him, perhaps 2 Sam. 15. 1 [...]. God will looke vpon mee, and render me good, for the euill hee hath done mee this day. It is a notable Sentence of Saint Pauls, 1 Tim. 4. 8. Godlinesse is profitable to all things, which hath the promise of this life, and of the life to come. For the vngodly and disobedient to this Go­spell, which follow their owne lusts, and breake out by impatience into actions of Reuenge; these are they that ruinate their Families, which tease on the hatreds and wickednesses of other men to their owne destructions: these waste themselues, and their friends, and their goods, by eager strife and dissenti­on: these fall from honour and high estate, when the meeke and patient, besides their hope of future blessednesse with God in Heauen, doe heere on earth liue in all peace and quietnesse: Their names conti­nue, their houses stand, their posterity encreaseth, they keepe their leafe and greenenesse, like the trees planted by the waters side: when they see of their [Page 33] enemies; the Roote and Stocke consumed.

But my seauenth and last reason, which ought to moue vs against our owne impatience, to meekenes 7 and sufferance, I take from Christs words; to him I say: What better, what greater reason, can we haue? Doe not Princes command their subjects hard and terrible things, which yet they obey? as the Prince of the Moschouites, and the great Duke of Litarauia, will command their Nobles to ride downe from a steepe Rocke, and precipitate themselues into the Sea? Doe not Leaders and Generalls of Armies, com­mand the Souldiers to fight, where is no possibilitie of being saued? 2 Sam. 11. 15. as Ioab did Vriah. Doe not Mai­sters set their Seruants to hard taskes, and enjoyne them vile and base seruices, which they durst not gainesay? Doe not Fathers put their Children to the Schoole, where they are vnder hard Tutours, and beare stripes, and are restrayned of their will and libertie? Behold heere the LORD of Lords, the KING of Kings, whose rule is ouer all, whose Kingdome hath no end; he which is able to restore vs a thousand fold, hee which will crowne our wrongs, and glorifie our sufferings: hee commandeth that we suffer the euils of men with patience, which of vs shall presume to lift vp his owne sinfull lust aboue the diuine commaundement? Heere our Captayne and Heb. 6. 20. forerunner Christ sendeth vs into an hard fight, but most honourable: to be the first that shall beat downe sinne and rebellion in our owne hearts: to captiuate our owne will: to vanquish our owne reason: Are we not his Souldiers, is not our life a spirituall warfare? fight we not all vnder his banner? When we entred the Sacrament of our calling, when we tooke oath a­gainst the world, and the Diuell, was the flesh left out? Heere our Lord Iohn. 13. 13. and Master (for so we call him, and [Page 87] so he is) enioyneth vs a vile worke, as may seeme, but indeede it is but as Hercules, to beat downe monsters; as burning Wrath, pale Enuy, cankred Malice, and by throwing out sinne, to cleanse that Augias stable of our hearts. Be the action what it may, it as our ho­nour to doe what our Master commandeth. Gen. 22. 1. Abra­ham did so when he was enioyned to Sacrifice his only sonne: An harder taske then to take a thousand blowes on the cheeks. And lastly, heere the father Heb. [...]. [...]. of our soules sendeth vs to Schoole to taste the rod of Discipline: Let it not grieue vs to taste his fatherly correction; whether he whip vs by friends, or enemies, by neighbours, or strangers, by men, or diuels. For we participate but of that correction, of which euery Heb. [...]. 6. child which the Father loueth doth taste, which although it be Heb. 12. [...]. grieuous for the time: yet it bringeth with it most excellent fruit. And thus we haue the sense of the Scripture cleared from doubt, and the reasons set downe, which may mooue vs to patience, and obedience to what we are commanded: I haue shewed also that the authority of the Magistrate, contrary to that which was obiected out of diuers Authors, is not onely heere no wayes impeached, but rather confir­med, and maintayned.

Now because many which seeme not to meddle with priuate reuenge, doe cloake their malice vnder the lawfull vse of lawes and Magistrates; let vs see in a few words in what cases the helpe of the ordinance is iustly, and according to the rule of Gods word, law­fully implored.

This is the first, when we vse the arme of publique authority, that he which hath done euill, may be pu­nished, for his amendment.

Next, that the offendour being thus chastened, may cease from doing the like iniury to others.

[Page 94] Then, that we our selues may, through benefit of the: 3 publique redresse, liue quietly.

Againe, to the terrour of others, whose vnbrid­lednesse 4 may by Iustice, thus exemplined, be re­strayned.

Fiftly, for very naturall loue to Equity and Iustice, which requireth by Gods owne ordinance, that euill 5 doers may be punished, that it may appeare there is a God that iudgeth the earth.

And lastly, for the common quieting of the weale-publique, and the Church of God, that refractaries 6 and malefactors may be cut off, like contagious parts, which corrupt the rest of the bodie; when they rancle and fester, and grow incurable.

And by these we may see how seldome the officers and lawes are rightly proued: Some pretend law to oppresse the poore and weaker, as many rich and mightie men.

Some snare and entrap the simple, as many craftie Lawyers: some put forth the bitternesse and malitious­nesse [Page 95] of their owne nature, seeking the hurt of their neighbour by the Magistrate, which they dare not at­tempt by themselues: we deceiue by lawes, we oppresse by lawes, we maintayne enmitie and strife by lawes, we rob and spoyle by lawes, we kill and slay by Lawes and Magistrates: and that which should be for a common quiet, and preseruation, is made an vsuall occasion of strife and disturbance. Our vngodli­nesse! which seeke to make iustice and equity accessa­ry to our wrongs: and thus we pursue not our ene­mies, but our neighbours that are iuster then wee: not those which haue hurt vs, but those whom we haue hurt. Moses when two Brethren stroue together, said: [...] [...]. 13. Why smitest thou thy fellow? I say more, why striue we that are Christans? We may conceiue our head Iesus Christ, as saying from Heauen, why striue you, my members? why do you rent and wound my body, which you are? for this we doe. Who can gainesay vs? we haue the law on our side, we doe it by the aduise of our learned counsell: And doe we not perceiue that we are in the snare of the Diuell? where is thy counsell, now O Christ? who careth for thy words? we which are thus affected, how farre are we from turning the other cheeke?

And let this suffice for leading our vnderstanding in the right sense of this Scripture, and for that which is spoken by Christ of wrong in generall; Resist not euill.

Hauing deliuered the generall rule, our Sauiour sets downe three distinct kindes of iniury.

The first of iniuries which may be done to vs in our body or person If a man shall smite thee on thy cheeke.

The second in our goods or fortunes. If a man shall take away thy Cloake.

The third, in burthens and vexations laid vpon vs [Page 86] from highee authority: If a man shall compell thee to goe a mile with him.

We know beloued in those which prepare them­selues to patience and forbearing, when they shal come to feeling, and the iniury shall pinch their shoulders, and binde them and spoyle them, or make a dint in their flesh: It will bite shrewdly, and few can endure it: but I haue deliuered those rules and reasons, which should carry vs in these occurrents, and the substance of that which is included in these particular instances of wrong, hath beene shewed in the generall ex­position.

For the first, If any shall strike, &c. This hath bee [...] counted amongst most infamous and contumel [...] kindes of wrong: Deut. 25. 9. to spit on the face, to Iohn. 18. 2. Act. 23. 2. smit [...] the face: but that wee may frame to this place no such vaine or absurd sense, as if CHRIST exhorted vs by foolish Patience to tease on such as iniuriously and malitiously abuse vs; I can finde no better answere then the action of Christ himselfe: For when he was smitten on the cheeke, he turned not the other; b [...] reproued him that smote him, saying: If I Iohn. 18. 23. haue spo­ken euill, beare witnesse of the euill: but if I haue spoken well, why smitest thou mee? And Saint Paul when he was smitten on the face: answered with sharpe words, God shall Act. 23. 3. smite thee thou painted wall. But if we cannot Act. 5. flie our enemy, Iohn. 18. nor finde reliefe at the hands of the Magistrate, nor represse Act. 23. 3. his audaciousnesse with seue­ritie of words; we must rather turne the other side, then depart from Patience or deny our profession. For the life of a Christian [...]s stripe after stripe, and blow after blow. This did Christ when he com­plained before the Iudge, and found no remedy; hee did not onely turne the other cheeke, and the whole face, to buffetings and spittings, but gaue his body to [Page 97] be crucified: So Paul when he knew he was wronged at the instance of the high Priest, which was Iudge in the place, he composed himselfe to patience, saying, it is written, Act. 23. 5. thou shalt not speake euill, of the ruler of thy people.

This same is to be vnderstood in suffering the losse 2 of our goods: If a man take away thy Cloake. In this name Saint Paul prayseth them which suffered with ioy the spoyling Heb. 10. 34. of their goods. And some light the state of the Iewes at this time, giueth to this place, which were [...]er the power of the Romanes. By them they were c [...]inually pilled and polled, and rifled of their go [...]s; wherefore they boyled with hatred, and stu­d [...]y all meanes to be reuenged: the Pharisees still eg [...] them forward, saying, an Eye for an Eye, a Tooth for Tooth: But Christ exhorteth his Disciples no [...] [...]o follow the examples of the Iewes, but to learne th [...] in Psal. 30. 1 [...]. rest and quietnesse, and confidence in God, is their saluation and their strength.

The last is, If a man compell thee. The Greeke word is [...]: which is as Suidas noteth, a 3 Persian kinde of speaking. For the kings Messen­gers which conueyed letters from Country to Coun­try, and Prouince to Prouince, they called An­garoi, we call them Postes: These if they met any vpon the way, should compell them, or take their beast from them, for dispatch of the Kings businesse: there­fore (as I said) vnder this kinde are contayned what­soeuer burthens, exactions, or impositions are laid vp­on vs by the Magistrates, or higher authoritie. Where are now the Iewish dreames, which imagined to themselues an earthly Sauiour, vnder whom they should haue riches and plenty, and peace, and prote­ction in the world; when the Messiah himselfe telleth them, that they shall not be free from the very Magi­strates, [Page 98] which shall most injustly handle and persecute them. For by the Magistrates, all that professed Iesus Christ were smitten, spoyled of their goods; banished most cruelly, tormented and killed, by Kings; by Go­uernours, by Deputies, Lieutenants, Iudges; by Edicts, Proclamations, Lawes, Decrees, Counfailes; all vn­iust and cruell things were done to the Martyres of Christ. We see how needfull it was for the Church that Christ should say, vobis dico, to you I speake; for they that cannot keepe this saying, cannot be Christs Disciples. If now then brethren we haue Christian Ma­gistrates which shield vs from wrong, yet let vs learne this lesson, if God should put vs vnder Antichristian authority which may doe vs wrong, and still consider, that albeit we are now in Sanctuary, in a peaceable state, in a quiet and protected Church: yet we haue taken vpon vs that profession which must not stinch or shrinke, when highest iniustice, and extreamest vex­ation shall be inflicted. And as we ought to prepare our selues, against the greatest thunders, and stormes of persecution; so let not little puffes and flawes of iniu­ries, remoue vs from our hope: for what bastard Chri­stians are we, if with lesse patience we suffer a light dis­grace, or contemptible iniury, then those holy Mar­tyrs endured the shedding of their bloud? We know it is a diuine and heauenly blessednesse to suffer wrong; if Gods word did not protest so, we may heere it out of the mouth of an heathen King: Regium est audire Mat. 5. 10. 11. male cum facias bene, It is kingly honour to heare euill [...]ex Mag. when thou dost wel. Doubtlesse euen they which fight but for an earthly Country; do glory in their wounde; as Cicero in his fragments hath of one Salustine, which had his face most fowly scathed in fight: quo ille de ho­nestamento vultus maxime gloriabatur, of which defor­mity and dishonesty of his face, he most gloried, and [Page 99] boasted. Will a man that hath long beene perilously tost in a dangerous Sea, care if the ship split and teare in pieces if he may grapple with the shore? So did not that braue souldier Tarchon:

Let our bodies rent and split, so we may land our soules in Heauen, let vs not care what we suffer, but for what we suffer: for God, for Christ Iesus, for glo­ry, and life in Heauen. Now let vs reason thus: doe pri­uate men do vs wrong? let vs seeke the Gods on earth, Psal. 82. 6. to the Magistrates: do these Gods on earth oppresse vs? let vs appeale to God in Heauen: for God hath not gi­uen authority so to men, that he hath reserued none to himselfe. Psal. 82. 1. God sitteth in the assembly of Gods, he indgeth among Gods. Doe we stand vpon the deerenesse of our flesh and goods? O how much dearer should our soule and life in Heauen bee? But who can endure so many iniuries? Then tell me, if we cannot sustaine the shaking of the leaues, how shall we endure the cut­ting downe of the tree? For we owe to Christ not only these but the forsaking Mat. 10. [...]8. [...]7 of all, & deniall of our selues. If then things of small moment cause vs to renounce the word, we make open protestation that we will ne­uer die for Christ: where then now shall we finde such as will foresake all, when in vs such slight and mo­mentary euils poize downe all our faith in Christ? When thou hast a grieuous ach or sicknes in thy bo­dy, thou doest not preferre, before enduring the paine, to die presently to the flesh: and rather then we will beare a little griefe or bitternesse in our soule, doe we preferre to die to God? Then let vs seeke another re­remedy: [Page 100] there is one thing that can cure all euils what­soeuer: The loue of God in Christ. This Saint Paul op­poseth, to life, to death, to Angels Rom. 8. 38. to Principalities, to Powers, to things present, to things to come; to height, to depth, to all creatures whatsoeuer: saying, Vers. 35. What shall se­parate vs from the loue of Christ? And doe not we speake to Christians? And in such a multitude of these which professe Christ, is there such a fewst of them which fol­low him? Are we still like leane Bulls, in the rich and plentifull Pastures of the Gospell? but the Apostles are dead, and those great lights of examples, the Pa­triarches, the Prophets, the holy Martyrs; and wee haue their Sepulchers with vs; yet let their hope, their zeale, their fayth, their constancy, their Patience liue. I speake with more vehemencie, because I know not what concernes vs more then this Scripture. our Houses, our Liuings, and Estates, and Children, our Liues, our selues are not so much ours, as this: In your Patience you shall possesse your soules. Loe we stand vpon Rom. 21. 18. being or not being, vpon the hauing or loosing our soules. The God of loue and peace giue vs all the spirit of Meekenesse, of Hope, and Patience, that in the sweet loue of Iesus Christ, we may ouer­come all hardnesse of heart, all bitter­nesse of tentation.

Amen.

THE Iewes feared the dissolution of their State, and Lawes, and Customes, and the destruction of their Temple; and would make Christ the Author: for such a brute was blowne a­broad: whether the Predictions of the Prophets, which spake against their Isa. [...] ▪ [...]. 12. 13. 14. Ier. 6. 20. Feasts, and Sabbaths, and Sacrifices, gaue them to vnderstand; or, that the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ, (in so many Signes and Wonders and powerfulnesse, both of Word and Workes) caused them to thinke hee would make some change: or that hating him, they would cast on him an aspersion of [Page 102] malice, as an enemie, to the lawes and religion esta­blished: or that it was fatall to the Sinagogue, which was so neere to her last period, to haue some vniuer­sall notions and presagements of her dissolution. Whether it were any of these, or all: the fame went currant of Christ, that hee would make an alteration; but of the dissolution of their state and policie, Christ was no more the cause, then the man which is mur­thered, is cause that the malefactour is executed. As for the law and religion, hee was so farre from taking them away, that the cause of his comming was onely to fulfill them, as hee saith, I came to fulfill the law. So that vnlesse the fulfilling of the law be a repealing of the law, Christ cannot be said to abrogate the law. The Iewes themselues transgressed the law, and made the ordinance of God voyd, by their Math. 11. 6. traditions: They might haue accused themselues; but they accuse Christ and stand so in feare; that he will disanull it, that they doe as much as in them lieth, hinder his fulfilling of it. If Christ should breake the law, who could keepe it? he doth not onely fulfill it in himselfe, but in vs. For hee that is in Christ, keepes all lawes: and hee that is without Christ, breakes all lawes. How then can it be that he which makes Col. 1. 15. peace in heauen and earth, with God and man, without whose comming, the law of Ceremonies had been but a meere shadow, and an absurd and darke figure; without whose fulfilling, the law morall had had no farther honour, then to hang vp written in Tables of stone, and neuer beene written in any heart, I, by whom the law iudiciall had her full force and vertue; For Pro. 18. 15. by mee Princes raigne, euen by Christ the wisedome of his Father which is God and King for euermore: how can it be that hee should breake the law? How can it be that God should not be God; that truth should not be truth; that hee [Page 103] which saues vs all from the curse of the law, should be himselfe a transgressour of the law. Nolite putare: Doe not thinke so, Why should wee say so, why should wee beleeue so? why should wee beleeue so, which ought not thinke so? Wee are law-breakers. Know, say it. Let all men protest it: let all the world confesse it. If we had not broken the law, Christ should neuer had neede to come to fulfill it. Christ came to fulfill that law. which wee haue broken, and shall wee count him a dissolue [...] of the law? though many be­leeue it, and some say, and Mat. 26 65. some sweare it, yet doe not you thinke it. That we may not thinke so, we haue two reasons. 1. The negatiue, nolite putare: Thinke not so. [...]. The affirmatilte, quia veni implere: I came to fulfill the law. Of the negatiue. First: The law and Prophets are in substance the selfe fame thing, where­fore the writings of the Prophets are called the law. The Euangelist saith, as it is written in the law, Psal. 69. 8. Ioh. 15. they ha­ted me [...]thout a cause: Where hee speaketh not out of the law; but out of the Prophet. And thus wee may take the law for the whole Scripture of the olde Te­stament. The law was a dumbe Prophecie: the Pro­phecie a speaking law. The law we resemble to Zacha­rias, which being stricken dumbe, Luc. 1. 22. made signes and tokens. The Prophets to the same Zacharias when his mouth was opened. Yet the same things which the Prophets expressed, testifying more plainely in words, the law witnessed, though more obsourely: To wit; the Prophet saith of Christ; that hee should be Isay 53. [...]. as a Lambe before the shearer, not opening his mouth: The law signifieth the Exod. [...]. same in the Paschall Lambe, or the Sheepe going to sacrifice. And although the law doe not speake of his Priesthood; of his anointing with the holy Ghost, of his Passion, of his Baptisme, of his In­nocencie, &c. yet it doth shadow him in signes and to­kens: [Page 104] in Aarons Exod. 29. 7. annoynting, in his Exod. 28. 4. royall roabes, in his Priesthood: and pointeth to his Passion in the daily sacrifice of the blood of beasts: his Baptisme in the Exod. 14. 28. red Sea: his innocence in the Exod. 12. 5. Lambe without spot. The law and Prophets were one: 1. Because they came from one, for the same God which Exod. 20. spake the Law, spake by the Prophets, putting his word in their mouthes. 2. Because they were both ioynt-promisers of Christ: the law in dumbe shewes; the Prophets by speaking. 3. Because they ended in one, being as shall be shewed, both fulfilled in Christ; and heere I will take them both for one, namely, for those fiue Bookes of Moses, which the Iewes call Torach, be­cause the question which is of the Ceremonies of the law, and their practise, is there more of purpose and principally set downe; and the law hauing in it impli­citly the Prophets, which were her interpreters, may stand for both. But howsoeuer the law be to be taken; by it selfe without the Prophets: and if by it selfe, whe­ther iudiciall, or ceremoniall, or morrall: of Christ it is true, I came not to destroy the law.

Christ himselfe saith, I came not to take away the law. If the Law could speake, it would say, I was not giuen to take away Christ. But Lex soluit Christum, the law tooke away Christ, when he was crucified, and died, and was buried: for to these, he was Luc. 24. 26. a debter by the law: And Christ tooke away the law, when by his death it was expired and ceased. I, but Christ by thus dying, hath attayned to his fulnesse of power and glory, and spread his saluation ouer all the world: And the law by thus ceasing hath her fulnesse, to haue her perfection and consummation of all that was sig­nified and written. If then the law were Christs end, why should not Christ be the end of the Law? If he obayed the law, and was vnder it, why should not the [Page 105] law obey Christ, and be vnder him? Thus then are these words to be vnderstood; I came not to destroy the law, that is, to make it voyd, or of none effect. But take this soluere in any sense, whether of omitting any thing, which was contayned in the Law, or commit­ting any thing which was contrary to the law: for as it is all one Iac. 2. [...]0. to offend in one, and in all; so hee that o­mitteth the least commaundement prescribed in the Law is guilty of omitting the whole Law. And there­fore Christ in the words next following, will haue all the Law fulfilled to the least iot, or tittle, and point. Till heauen and earth passe away, one iot or tittle of the Law shall not scape, till all be fulfilled. And now, little should we beleeue of Christ, if we should not beleeue this. Many which came before Christ, did breake the Law: I, all from our Father Adam were transgressours of the Law, yet none were euer sent, or came into the world to this end. If then the end of Christs com­ming had beene to loose the Law, needes must Christ in his comming haue had a worser end then any that were before him. Nolite putare: God forbid we should so thinke.

Christ was accused for a breaker of all lawes. Of the Law morall, when hee was termed a drunkard Math. 22. 1 [...]. and a sinner. Of the breach of the iudiciall Law, when he was accused of mouing the people Luc. 23. 2., and for­bidding to pay tribute. Of breaking the ceremoniall Law, when he was accused for Math. [...] Mar. [...]. 2 [...] Luc. 13. 14. Ioh. 5. 10. violating the Sabboth. And whereas in the whole decalogue, there was but this one commandement ceremoniall: Here they stouted and wrangled more then for all the rest. The law mo­rall was, as I may tearme it, Magna Iac. 2. 8. Mat. [...]. 36. charta, the great commandement. The Law of Ceremonies was a Law of iots and titles, compared. The iudiciall Law, was middle betweene both: by which the Kings did go­uerne [Page 126] the State: yet so that the Kings did punish those which offended against the Law morall, as well in breaches of the first Table, as of the second: as you may see the first Booke of Kings, cap. 15, vers. 13. Where Asa put downe his mother Maachah from her estate, because she had made an Idoll in a Groue, and burnt her Idols. Now if the Ceremonies were violated, it did belong to Deut. 17. 8. the Priests to iudge that: and therefore they stood most stifly & prefractly for the vpholding of this Law, be­cause they were Masters of the ceremonies themselues. And albeit, they themselues were most contrary to the morall law, Math. 23. 13. hipocrites, Ioh. 8. 44. liars, Ioh. 8. 48. slanderours, Luc. 18. 13. boa­sters, Luc. 16. 14. couetous, &c. yet still they disputed and con­tended for the Ceremonies, to the least tittle. And for these they not onely accused Christ, when he was with them, but after his ascension, as Acts 6. When the multitude laid to the blessed Protomartyr S. Stephens charge: We haue heard (Stephen) say, that this Iesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place, and change the ordinan­ces Acts. 6. 14. which Moses gaue vs.

Now albeit, as I haue shewed, they accused Christ of breaking the other two: yet their onely feare was, that he would alter their customes and ceremonies. To this Christ answereth, nolite putare; thinke not so.

Christ did not transgresse the morall law: for hee destroyed and abolished sinne. 1 Ioh. 3. 8. Hee did loose the worke of the diuell. Sinne was the diuels Gen. 3. worke, the law be­ing broken, gaue sin strength: as 1 Cor. 15. S. Paul, the strength of sinne is the law. Then was the diuels worke strong and sure: but Christ by fulfilling the law, hath loosed the worke of the diuell.

Neither did Christ take away the iudiciall law: for it tooke him away, and Ioh. 19. 1. hee confessed hee was vnder it. So he answered to the full, both morall and iudi­ciall law: the law morall by his righteousnesse; the law [Page 127] iudiciall with his bloud. Nay, the law of Ceremonies which was of least moment, and shortest time, he did not disobey; for he was circumcised, and presented in the Temple; and did not onely become vnder the Ce­remonies himselfe; but commanded others to do Math. [...]. 4. Luc. 5. 14. the same, as the Leapers whom hee cleansed. Yet farther, whereas the Baptisme of Iohn was a Ceremonie or Sa­crament supererogated to the Ceremonies of the law, he sustayned also to be baptized of Iohn, and gaue the reason; Thus it becommeth vs to Math. 3. [...]. fulfill all righteousnesse: all righteousnesse of all lawes, iudiciall, morall, and ceremoniall: and that in all points to euery little prick and tittle. And lastly, for the fulfilling of the Prophets, it doth appeare, not onely by his birth; by his life, by his doctrine, miracles, death and passion; but by this very slaunder, they here put vpon him, in accounting him an enemie to the law and Prophets. This a Pro­phet fore-told: That he should be Isa. 5 [...]. 34 counted a sinner, and reputed with the iniust; which being so, how truly doth he say? I came not to destroy the law.

But this, another might haue said: I came not to de­stroy the law: Christ saith more, and that which none 2 can say but himselfe; I came to fulfill the law. So that, but for fulfilling all things which are written in the law and Prophets, Christ had not come. As then be­fore Christs comming, the law and the Prophets, did intentiuely looke towards him; so Christ being come, doth fixe his eyes on them, making them the end of his comming. And so Christ comes; and being come, the end of the law and Prophets is come; without whose comming the law had beene ridiculous, and the Prophets friuolous, for they had had no end. God for­bid that we should thinke that God which made no­thing in vaine, should make vaine his owne ordinan­ces; that the Prophets which spake by his owne spirit, [Page 108] should haue proued lyars: which yet had so beene if Christ Iesus comming in our flesh, had not fulfilled the contents of both Law and Prophets.

But the question is, how Christ fulfilled the law, when by his death and the oblation of himself, he caused all the ceremonies and sacrifices to cease. For S. Paul sa [...]th, Eph. [...]. 15. he did abrogate in his flesh the hatred, that is, the law of commandements, which standeth in ordinan­ces. And agayne, [...] 14. he put out the hand-writing of or­dinances that was against vs. [...] 7. 1 [...]. And the commande­ment which went afore, is di [...]lled, be [...]e of the weaknesse thereof and vnprofitablenes. Caietan answereth, that Christ came not in his owne person to cause the ceremonies to cease, but did it by his Disciples after his death. Some answere otherwise, that the law of Moses is taken for those things which were properly brought in by it, as Ceremonies, and Customes: or for the principall contents, as the law Morall, which is called the Mat. 22 38. great commandement. Now those first of Ceremonies were but accessary to the law principall, an [...] for that people onely, and but for a time. They alledge for proofe the testimony of the Prophet. Ier. 7. 22. I spake not vnto your Fa­thers, nor commanded them, when I brought them out of the land of Aegipt, concerning burnt Off [...]ings and Sacrifices: 23. But this thing I commanded and said, obey my voyce and I will be your God, &c. This Scripture they so alledge, as if God, compulsed by their euill disposition, and their p [...]onenes to Idolatry, gaue them those ordinances, by which they should be exercised & humbled: not that they had any necessary vse in themselues: and thus they would haue the negatiue part vnderstood; I came not to loose the law principall: but neyther of these [...]o answere the doubts, or cleere this Scripture: for Christ came as well to fulfill the law of Ceremonies as the morality, and that to euery tittle and poynt. Indeed Christ had [Page 109] loosed them, if after cancelling them to the letter, he should haue said, they had no vse in them, nor were in­stituted by God: he did not so, but exhibited in himself what had bin signed and sealed in them. As then the prophesie is iustified, when the things foretold are com to passe; so did Christ make good & iustifie the customs and ordinances of the Law, when comming with Heb. 10. 5. a body, as they required, he did in substance and trueth exhibit, what they in their shadowes, which were dumb shewes, and figures of him, did pretend and signifie.

To these. He fulfilleth the law, when by the efficacy of his diuine spirit, he worketh in vs all those things inwardly & spiritually (as I will shew in my last words) which the law which had the shadow of things to come did signifie: and thus to take away those figures concerning the letter, was to fulfill them, because the law it selfe did require this. Isay. 13. Bring no moe oblations in vaine: Incense is an abhomination to mee, I cannot suffer your new Moones nor Sabbath [...], nor solemne dayes, (it is ini­quity) nor solemne assemblies: Againe, I will not reproue thee Psal. 50. [...] Psal. [...]. [...]. for thy Sacrifices: and thou desirest no Sacrifice. Well said Le [...] [...] hostia in hostiam transit, sanguine saguis aufertur, & legal [...]s festiuitas dum mutatur impletur: One oblation passeth into another, bloud is taken away with bloud, and the feasts of the law are fulfilled when they are changed. For what hurt is done to the image of the king, by the comming of the King himselfe in person? Shall we gaze now vpon his Image? What looseth a childe by growing to a perfect man? Doe we com­plaine after the Sunne is risen that we cannot see the Starres? Then this ceasing of the law is not her abro­gation, but her co [...]summation. For the Arrow mo­ueth while it is shooting at the marke, but hauing hit the marke resteth▪ in [...]t: So the law which did leuell and shoot at Christ with so many moueable signes [Page 130] and Sacraments, doth, as I may say, cease from her motion of practising them any more, hauing attay­ned to her full end in him: the earth bringeth forth fruit of her selfe, M [...]. 4. 1. 18. but first the blade, then the eare, then after, full corne in the eare: so did the blade or hearbe spring forth in the law of Nature: second­ly, the eare or culme, in the law written; but wee haue in the Gospell the pure graine, or full corne which is Iesus [...] [...] [...]. Christ: Therefore as the stalke and eare are of necessary vse till the corne be ripe; but the corne, being ripe, we no longer vse the chaffe with it, so till Christ was exhibited in the flesh, which lay hidden in the blade, and spike of the law, these ceremonies had their vse; but sithence by this death and passion this pure [...]. 12. [...]4. 8. Wheat corne is threshed, and winnowed, and by his ascension laid vp in the Garner of Heauen, these are of no farther vse.

By this then it is plaine that the law continued egene and profitlesse, and beggarly, till Christ came: which did indeed, and substance exhibite, what the law had in figure, and vnder promise. What iniury is done to a poore man when his debt is payde? or what loo­seth the shadow by the bodies presence? We grant that all those shadowes of the law, in the times of emptinesse went before Christ; ^f but Christ came in a time of Ga [...]. 4. fulnesse, & euer since they followed Christ. The Iewes were taught by these shadowes that the body should come, we know by the same shadowes, that the body is come: and therefore wee looke into the written law, and read it daily, that by comparing the Law with the Gospell, that is, the shadow with the substance; we may by these signes and figures, and these dimen­sions know the true body, which dimensions the A­postle wisheht that euery true Christian should know, to wit, what is the Ephes. 3. 88. length & breadth, and depth. And [Page 131] because he which was made flesh, was not man onely but God, which is high ouer all, he hath one dimension of height which belongs not to a natural body. Think we then, how should he be counted to euacuate the law, or cause emptinesse, whose is all fulnesse; which came and filled time, which was before Gal. 4. 4. void and empty; which hath fulnesse of Mat. 2 [...]. [...]. power to all power. Which hath Iohn. [...]. [...]. fulnesse of force, fulnesse of truth: to whose fulnesse compared, not onely the poore figures of the law were empty, but the heauens themselues, and the Angels in heauen; whose is fulnesse of wisedome, fulnesse of knowledge, Col. [...]. 3. to the hidden treasures, which is full of Iohn 3. 34. the holy Ghost, whose is the Col. 3. 9. fulnesse of the Godhead which dwelleth in him bodily: Whose is fulnesse of fulnesse; euen [...], all ful­nesse, and that not onely to be in him, but [...], to dwell; and that not for himselfe onely. But for vs all, of his Iohn. 1. 10. fulnesse we haue all receiued. Little was it for him to fill those empty vessels of the law which were bor­rowed for a time, and to let runne the oyle of his grace, and mercy out of that pitcher of his humane na­ture, to pay the poore widowes; I meane the [...] Reg. 4. [...]. Syna­gogues debt: he was not so contented, but let it runne still and it runneth ouer and ouer, to pay all our debts: for he thus abounded & superabounded to them, to vs, to Iewes, to Greekes, to all the world, to all that were, to all that shall be. Therefore as soone as Christ is borne, see how these vessels beginne to fill. Saint Ma­thew no sooner spake of his birth, but he filleth one vessell straight: this was Mat. [...]. 2 [...]. Is [...]. [...]. [...]4. [...], that it might be fulfilled which God spake by the Prophet Isay, when he speakes of his going downe to Aegipt. Mat. 2. [...]. Hos. 1 [...]. [...]. He filleth the Prophet Hoseahs measure; that it might be fulfilled &c: Out of Aegipt haue I called my first borne. When he speakes of the place of his birth, hee fils a [Page 112] third vessell: The Prophet Michaiah; Ma. 2. 6. M [...]h. 5. 2. And thou Bethlem in the land of Iudah, are not the least among the Princes of Iudah: for out of thee shall come the ruler, which shall feed my people Israell. When the children were slaine he fils a fourth vessell, namely, the Prophet Ieremiah; Mat. 2. 17. [...]. 31. 13. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken, &c. In Rama was a voyce heard, mourning, weeping, & great lamentation, Ra­chell weeping for her children. Wheresoeuer he goes, he fils. To Nazareth, that it Mat. 2. 23. [...]d 13. 5. may be fulfilled, &c. He shall be called a Nazarite: Whatsoeuer he saith he filleth. That it may be fulfilled. Mat. 13. 35. Psal. 78. I will open my mouth in Parables. Whatsoeuer he doth he fils; This when he but rideth vpon an Asse, this Mat. 21. 5. [...]ay. 62. 11. was done that it might be fulfilled, &c. Tell ye the daughter of Sion, behold, thy King commeth vnto thee, meeke & sitting vpon an Asse. Whatsoeuer is done to him maketh for this filling, if they beleeue not; the Scripture is fulfilled, I Iohn 12. 38. I [...]hn 53. 1. haue blinded this peoples heart. If they hate him, the Scripture is fulfilled; Iohn. 15. 25. Psal. 69 4. they hated me without a cause: See how this Oyle neuer ceaseth running. But what shall I speake of such fillings? when he filleth all that is written not onely by speaking but by silence. For when he spake not before Pilate, a Scripture is fulfilled: Act. 8 35. Isay 53. 7. He was brought as a sheepe to the slaughter, and as a sheepe before the Shearer, so he openeth not his mouth, I, he fulfilleth the Scripture, not onely by liuing, but by dying, and the manner thereof; which was so necessary, that himselfe had neede to say: all this was done, that the Mat. 26. 56. Scripture of the Prophets should be fulfilled. I, our Sauiour sheweth that hee was bound to the law, to suffer and die: Ought not Christ to suffer these Iuc. 23. 26. things, and to enter into his glory? And therefore as you haue seene from the instant of Iudas his betraying; beginning to enter his passion, he gaue vs the alarum, in that 56. verse of Math. 26. so when he hangeth on the Crosse; false Psal. 27. 12 witnesse, I [...]y. 53. 9. han­ging [Page 113] betwixt theeues; his drinking of Psal. 69. [...] gall, parting his Psal. 22. 18. garments; in all these the oyle runnes, in all these the Gospell saith [...]: to this last; when Iesus hauing finished all these, cried Iohn. 19. [...] it is finished, and so the oyle ceased: for the vessels of the law were full, they could hold no more. Well then may Christ say, I came to fulfill the law: For by thus comming, he hath fulfilled all. So the Law and the Prophets w [...]re that Apoc. 5. 6. sealed Booke, of which none was found wor­thy in Heauen or Earth to open the seales: but you may see the Lambe take the booke and open the Seales, when he saith: Luc. [...]. 1 [...]. This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your eares. When first the seales of ceremo­nies were put to the law written, the finger of God was seene. So Pharaohs wise men confessed when they said, Exod. 8. 19. Digitus Dei hic est, the finger of God is here. After when God sent his onely begotten sonne Iesus Christ into the world, the same finger of God was seene. If I in the finger of God doe east Luc. 11. 20. out Diuels: and then did the Lambe of God pull open the whole booke of the law, when the fire of his passion melted like waxe, his flesh and bloud, that we might see in him ouery least impression of those figures, and signes, and characters to the least shadow, and all their con­tents. So now the least we can imagine of Christ is to haue but fulfilled the Law and the Prophets: which for the law of signes, hath not onely in truth and ful­nesse of satisfaction exhibited all, but more then the ceremonies did or could signifie; and for the predicti­ons of the Prophets, hath not onely made good all things whatsoeuer the Prophets spake of him, but more then they were able to speake: for the ceremo­nies which did require to be fulfilled in spirit and truth; they were all contayned in lesse then Gen. [...]. Leuit. Numb. Deut. fiue bookes: but if it should be written what Christ was [Page 114] made, and spake, and wrought, and suffered, and te­stified in their fulfillings: The Euangelist saith, The ^a whole world were not able to contayne the bookes. As for [...] 22. [...]lt. the Prophets, we must consider they spake of Christs birth, miracles, teaching, of his death and passion, of his Priesthood, his righteousnesse, glory, kingdome, &c. Yet were they but poore and niggardly interpre­tours of that which Iesus Christ in his owne person did represent. They did tell vs of this Sunnes rising to the world; but how farre inferiour was their relation to this Suns rising? No meruaile: for how could such a bottomlesse Ocean empt it selfe out of those narrow conduits of the lips of men? Therefore they spake of the light, but darkely: for when we saw the face of that glorious one, how rude was their draught? Little things increase by fame, but of the onely begotten sonne of God, we may say as the Queene of 1 Reg. 10. 6. 7 Saba said of Sal [...]mon: It was a true word that I heard in mine owne land, of thy sayings and wisedome: Howbeit, I beleeued not this report till I came and had seene it with mine eyes, but loe, the one halfe was not told mee: for thou hast more wisedome and prosperity then I haue heard by report. Right so may we say it was true O Christ Iesus, which wee heard by the Prophets of thy wisedome, and power, and maiesty, and glory: but we Isay. 55. 1. beleeued not their report: but when we saw thee come and shew thy selfe to the world; loe, the one halfe was not told vs. What could the Prophet Isaas say more then: [...]p. 45. 8. yee heauens send the dew from aboue, and let the clouds drop downe righteousnesse? But how bare and poore is the concep­tion of the dew in the ayerie cloud, to the incarna­tion of the Sonne of God, in the Virgins wombe? and what comparison with Canaan to Heauen? the drow­ning of Pharaoh, with the vanquishing of the Diuell? what is their red Sea to the bloud of Iesus Christ? [Page 115] what Iosuahs Sunne standing in Heauen, to the Sonne of Gods descending into the world, and dwelling with men? To this purpose did the holy Prophet pray: Psal. 119. [...]8. Open thou mine eyes, that I may see the wonderfull things of thy law: He did not desire to haue his eyes open to see the Passeouer eaten, or the bloud of Goats, and Rammes sprinkled, or sprinkling with Water or Sabbaths, or Feasts, for to these his eyes were ope­ned; he saw them well: The wonder of the law is le­sus Christ, signed and sealed to the world vnder those egene and poore signes, which is, Vere admirabilis Deus: Isay. 9. 6. his name is, Wonderfull, Counseller; the migh­tie God, &c. and in him onely we wonder at the Counsell of God, which hath by him vnclasped that darke booke of Ceremonies and Riddels of the law, and opened the contents of saluation in the light of­the Gospell: giuing vs for the Letter the Spirit; for sha­dowes the body; truth for figures; fulnesse for empti­nesse; for darkenesse, light; for bondage freedome, for death life: for Moses, for Eliah, for Prophets, for Men, for Angels▪ One Iesus Christ which raigneth in. Heauen.

But I most conclude: onely I will alledge two pla­ces which the Apostle hath, to shew Christs fulfilling of the law: for we will giue the Ceremonies leaue, not onely to demand impletion of their greatest and most important signes: let them racke themselues to their least shadow▪ and demaund satisfaction for euery tittle and poynt; And in like sort wee will not onely make euen with the Law morall, to mens vnderstanding, but to satisfie the vtmost demaund of GODS iustice in rigour: stretching the Law, to punish not onely the act and deede, but the entent and thought (as Christ doth in this Chapter; till sinne be shaken) as I may say, out of the wombe of concupi­scence; and that first cradle in which it was rocked. [Page 116] S. Paul saith of Christ: Col. 2. 14. Who hath put out the hand-wri­ting of ordinances, which was against vs, and contrarie to vs, hee tooke it out of the way, and fastned it to his crosse: Ergo hee hath satisfied the condition of the law: for hee could not cancell the band, till hee had paid the debt. For the law when it stood vnfulfilled, was in her whole strength and vertue: but now by Christ his death, the law is made voyd and of none effect. Then the lawes demaund hath beene fully satisfied. Now euery obligation doth witnesse against it selfe, that when the condition is performed, it is voyd, though it it be not actually cancelled: it mattereth not then though Christ did not actually naile the law of ordi­nances to the Crosse: this was enough to disanull the lawes whole vertue and power, when to all the lawes demaund, hee made in himselfe full tender vpon the Crosse, before so many witnesses, God, and Angels, and Men. Here then wee must conceaue the band is cancelled, where the debt is discharged. Rom. 8. 3. 4. Againe, the same Apostle: that which was vnpossible to the law, &c. God sending his owne Sonne in the similitude of sin­full flesh, and for sinne, condemned sinne in the flesh: that the righteousnesse of the law might be fulfilled in vs. Then it is too little to say, Christ hath fulfilled the law, or that by satisfying he hath freed himselfe; for he hath done it for vs, and in vs: and our faith in Christ, doth not take away the law, but establish it: when all these things are spiritually performed in vs, which the lawes, signes, and figures did protend. So wee haue for the law, a law, Gal. 6. 2. legem Christi: the law of Christ, for tables of stone, tables of flesh. Writing my law in their Ier. 31. 33. hearts. For circumcision of the flesh, Rom. 2. 29. Circumcision of the heart in the spirit: For annoynting; Io [...] 2. 20. annoynting, You haue an oyntment from him that is holy. For washing, 1 Cor. 6. 11. wash­ing, so S. Paul: Such were you, thieues couetous, &c. but [Page 117] you are washed, but you are sanctified. Wee haue for out­ward the inward sprinkling. Heb. 10. 22. Let vs draw neere, &c. sprinkled in our hearts from an euill conscience, and washed in our bodies with pure water. For sacrifice, sacrifice 1 Pet. [...]. 5. to offer spirituall sacrifices to God by Iesus Christ. For Altar, we haue Heb. 13. [...]. an Altar: We haue an Altar, whereof they haue no authoritie to eate, which serue in the Tabernacle. For high Priest, Iesus Heb. 6. 20. Christ, which is an high Priest after the order of Melchisedech for euer. For Lambe, 1 Ioh. [...]. [...]. Lambe; Behold the Lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world. Blood for blood: 1 Ioh. 1. 7. The blood of Iesus Christ washeth away our sinnes. Temple for Temple. Apoc. [...]2. 2 [...]. The Lambe is their Temple. And for all, Christ which is our law, our circumcision, washing, sprinkling, annoyn­ting, saerifice, altar, our high Priest, our passeouer, our temple, the fulnesse of all in all. To whom with God the Father, and God the holy Ghost, three persons and one God, be all fulnesse of praise, honour and glory, now and for euer.

AMEN.

WHen the Lawyer stood vp and tempted Christ, saying: [...]. 10. 27. Ma­ster, what shall I do to inherit eter­nall life? he was made answere him selfe out of the morall law, Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God, with all thine heart, with all thy soule, with all thy strength; and thy neighbour as thy selfe. And heere is set downe the vt­most bound of our actions: but if any man should aske, but what knowledge is required to eternall life? our Sauiour himselfe answereth: This is eternall life, to [Page 119] know (the Father) to be the onely very God, and him whom he hath sent Iesus Christ. So here is the vtmost limit of our knowledge. This Scripture then refuteth the va­nity of Sciences, to which men are by nature most propense and prone, and for all Arts, Sciences, Lear­ning, Wisedome, commendeth to vs one, which is the Art of a Christian, to know the true and liuing God. These two compasse in, and containe within them all Christian duty: Ioh. 13. [...] knowing, and doing: first, we know God, then wee loue him: for, ignotinulla cupido; there can be no desire of that we know not: after the Greek Prouerbe, [...]: Of seeing com­meth louing. Such as is our knowledge, such is our loue. If we know God but little, we can loue him but a lit­tle; the more we know him, the more we loue him: if we know him not at all, we cannot at all loue him. It is rooted in the nature of all things to desire that which is good; and whosoe [...]er desireth the good, doth not rest his desire in any subordinate good: for the desire will striue and presse forward for the soueraigne good, that good to which all other goodnesse is sub­ordinate; neither can it haue rest, till it haue attayned to this supreame end of all things, Now albeit many desire the good apparant; for the supreame good: yet the desire in the false, entendeth the true good: as we see in the heathen people, which worshipping false Gods, did entend in them the worship of the true and onely God. It is another principle in nature, for euery thing which hath life to desire and doe all that it can to keepe it selfe from dying: for if our life should pe­rish, what could the good of life profit vs? for no good, no not the soueraigne good, could any wayes aduantage him, that held by no tenure of life to enioy it. Here then wee haue the supreame good made ma­nifest to our vnderstanding; which good is the true [Page 120] God: and to a good eternall, wee haue a life propor­tioned, which is eternall, that wee may neuer dye to our good, nor our good to vs.

You shall not then expect that I speake of this Scrip­ture by way of diuision: sithence the subiect of my Text is the true and perfect Vnion: for other Sciences wee learne; first, by learning the parts, and then the whole. This Science wee haue first by being taught the whole, (the mysterie of the Trinity) and then in it all the parts of a Christian life. It is all one know­ledge for all to know: one life for all to seeke: one God for all to beleeue in: and there is but one way to come to this life, which is by knowing the true and onely God.

I haue heard of a dangerous harbour in our Seas, at whose mouth, at Goodwins sands, out of which the Pilot cannot make forth, but hee must sinke in those sands, vnlesse he so steere his Ship that he bring two steeples which stand off, so euen in his sight that they may seeme to be but one. Doubtlesse wee cannot make way in our faith, without sinking into endlesse errour, vnlesse wee beleeue God the Father, and God the Sonne, to be the same in substance, and the onely true God. But is not the holy Ghost with the Father and the Sonne, one substance, and the same true and liuing God? yes: but he is our Pilot to guide vs in this way: Therefore the Scripture saith, Rom. 8. 4. They that are led by the spirit, are the sonnes of God. And Gal. 5. 16. in another place, Walke in the spirit. And againe, Gal. 5. 18. If you be led by the spirit. Therefore Christ himselfe saith of the spirit, Ioh. 14. 26. He shall teach you all things. If all things: then this truth, the ground of all truth, the knowledge of the Father and and the Sonne: because the 1 Cor. 2. 10. spirit searcheth all things; [...], euen the deepe things of God. Nei­ther ought wee more to doubt, that the spirit is God, [Page 121] because hee brings vs to Christ: then that Christ is God, because hee brings vs to the Ioh. 1 [...]. 6. Father. No man commeth to the Father, but by the Sonne: for then wee should likewise doubt whether the Father were God, because he brings vs to Christ: Ioh. 6 45. Euery man that hath heard and learned of my Father, commeth to me. And Vers. 65. no man can come to mee, except it be giuen him of my Father. For this is that clarification of which our Sauiour spea­keth in the first verse: Father, clarifie thy Sonne, so doth the Sonne glorifie the Father, verse 4. and the holy Ghost, which proceedeth from the Father and the Sonne, clarifie both the Father and the Sonne; that all three persons may be glorified of vs all, and that nothing may be more cleare & illustrious to our faith, then this summe and ground of all truth: The Trinitie in Vnitie, and Vnitie in Trinitie, is to be worshipped. So hence we may ascertaine our consciences, that as the Father, the Son, and the holy Ghost are one God: so our faith, which beleeueth, is one faith: our Eph. 4. 5. knowledge which appre­hendeth this mysterie, is one knowledge: that is, with the same obtute of faith, I beleeue in God the Father, with the same and no other, I beleeue in GOD the Sonne, and God the holy Ghost: And with the same light of knowledge, I know one, I know all three: Neither doth this Vnion rest here, to make our faith one, and our knowledge one, but to make the know­ers one; for which our Lord prayed, That Ioh. 17. 21. 22. all which shall beleeue in Christ (through the Gospell preached by his Apostles) may be one, as the Father is in Christ, and Christ in the Father, that they also may be one in vs. Vers. 23. I in them, and thou in mee, that they may be made perfect in one.

This then we must take for certaine, that in reading this Scripture, we must of necessitie vnderstand God the holy Ghost, with God the Father, and God the [Page 122] Sonne, as S. Augustine teacheth: Ordo verborum est vt cum patre et filio consequenter spiritum sanctum intelliga­mus, quia &c? The order of the words is, saith hee, that by consequence wee must vnderstand the holy Ghost with the Father and the Sonne: for the spirit is the substantiall, and consubstantiall charity of both the Father and the Sonne: because the Father and the Sonne are not two Gods: neither are the Father, the Sonne, and the holy Ghost three Gods, but the Tri­nitie it selfe is one God. Neither is the Father the same (person) that the Sonne, nor the Sonne the same that the Father is, nor the holy Ghost the same that the Father and the Sonne: whereas the Father, the Sonne, and the Spirit are three, and this very Trinitie is one God.

Wee haue then by the grace of Christ, in these words, A Catechisme, or Enchiridion for a Christian man: contayning in it all the mysteries of saluation, all the articles of our faith. For at that very instant, that wee beleeue God to be the Father, maker of the world, al­mighty, the onely true and liuing God: wee beleeue the incarnation of Iesus Christ, we beleeue in the ho­ly Ghost, the resurrection from the dead, the remissi­on of sinnes, we beleeue the holy Catholique Church, the communion of Saints, and whatsoeuer is written in the law and the Prophets; all the contents of the Gospell. This one knowledge hath all knowledge in it: for as life in that instant that it is life, giueth spirit, motion, seeing, tasting, feeling, and desire to preserue life: so as soone as we haue this knowledge, wee haue with it all heauenly wisedome, and vnderstanding, we need not be perswaded to beleeue the Scriptures, wee haue the light, the feeling, the tast of heauenly things: and as the light of this Sunne, which directeth my go­ing in one place, shineth to mee in all places, in the [Page 123] house, in the field, in the Sea, in the Desart, and in all deepe places: so the light of the knowledge of God and Iesus Christ, lightneth to mee all things that were in darknesse, leadeth me out of all doubts and errours, and illuminateth all things that are in heauen and earth.

But that you mistake me not, I doe not deny when we haue receiued this faith, but that we haue our far­ther growing in Christ, and encrease in godlinesse, by hearing and reading the word, by meditation, by pray­er, by receiuing our daily bread and drinke of life, in the Sacraments, by walking, by motion, by exercise and labouring in our most holy faith. The thing I en­tend, is to shew, that all these spring from this foun­taine, and moue from the power of this life. For our bodily life cannot consist or continue without daily foode: therefore it is naturall to life to hunger for it daily, and by foode wee receiue strength, and in our strength we trauaile, and labour, and doe the things which belong to this life. This then is my purpose, to shew that all heauenly gifts and powers of the spirit, are of the nature of faith. So the Apostle, Rom. 5. 2. By faith we haue an entrance into this grace wherein we stand. But first wee liue by faith: The iust shall liue by Hab. 2. 4. Rom. 1. 17. faith. By faith we feed: therefore the word of God is most properly called, the word Ioh. 6. 68. of eternall life: which is Rom. 10. 8. the word of faith, which wee preach. And this word must be mixed with faith, and be as meat digested in the sto­mack of our soules. The word did not profit them, in whom it was Heb. 4. 2. not mixed with faith. By this faith we eate the flesh of Christ, and drinke his blood, which is the bread of Ioh. 6. 35. 56. life. By faith wee are nourished, as said Paul of 1 Tim. 4. 6. Timotheus: which hast beene nourished vp in the words of faith. In faith we grow: 2 Cor. 10. 15. When your faith shall encrease. In faith wee haue our strength. 1 Pet. [...]. 9. Strong in the faith. [Page 124] By faith wee stand: Rom. 11. 20. Thou standest by faith. By faith we walke: For wee 2 Cor. 5. 7. walke by faith, and not by sight. By faith we worke, as Saint Paul saith: 2 Thes. 1. 11. The worke of your faith in power. By faith wee resist Satan: 1. Pet. 5. 9. Whom resist being stedfast in faith. By faith wee fight: 1 Tim. 6. 12. Fight the good fight of faith. By faith we conquer and ouercome. This is the victorie 1 Ioh. 5. 4. which ouercommeth the world, euen your faith. See how S. Paul ascribeth to faith, all the pa­tience, labours, workes, striuings, assurance, hope, and the victories of the Saints, in the whole Chapter, which is the eleuenth to the Hebrewes.

But here the Scripture speaketh of knowledge, not Quest. of faith.

No: it cannot vnderstand this knowledge with­out Answ. the light of faith: For our knowledge of God is the issue and birth of our faith. In all earthly things knowledge maketh faith, for all the wise men of this world beleeued no farther then they were led by rea­son: but of heauenly things faith maketh the know­ledge; for these are aboue reason, and captiue our vnderstanding: Therefore Saint Paul, Heb. 11. 3. By faith wee vnderstand, &c. And Saint Peter, I beleeue and know that thou art Christ, the Sonne Ioh. 6. 69. of the liuing GOD. Therefore our faith hath her perfection in this life, and knowledge doth surrender to faith heere: In the world to come, faith shall surrender to know­ledge, and faith shall bee no more. Wee beleeue not heere in part, wee 1 Cor. 13. 9. know but in part now; but wee beleeue 1 Cor 13. 7. all things. Then in the life to come vvee shall know all thinges, as vvee are knowne. l 1 Cor. 13. 12. Then as Saint Paul and Saint Peter, ioyne faith with knowledge, so doe wee heere: and more then that, with Christ himselfe, in this Chapter, the twentith verse, vvee take them both for one; for so hee prayeth, that they vvhich beleeue in him may bee [Page 125] one; euen all that shall beleeue by the preaching of their, (that is, the Apostles word) that they be one, as hee and his Father are one. Now let vs goe forward.

Hypocrates said truely of the Art of Physicke, [...]: Life is short, the Art is long, the experience is full of danger: How mi­serable then were the state of simple men, if it were of like hardnesse to haue the knowledge of eternall life, as to learne Physicke or Astronomy, or Rhetorique, or any other Art? But heere the Art is short, and our life compared is long, and the practise is secure and full of pleasure; heere is the whole science, to know God the Father: and his Sonne Iesus Christ, And this wee obtayne not by learning, but by beleeuing; not by discourse, as seeking: but by obtute as seeing; wee haue it not by acquisition, but by infusion, not by di­uision, but by vnion: not, as I haue said in all other Sciences, first the parts, and then the whole; but first the whole, and then the parts. This the superabundant mercy of God hath prouided for the simple, the igno­rant & vnlearned, that no man may pretend difficulty or hardnes in the way of life eternal, but that it may be as easily learned of the simple as of the wise. All other Arts, whether mechanicall, or liberall, haue their mi­steries by themselues: diuers Arts haue diuers miste­ries, for diuers men, and all kept secret: this Science of Sciences, hath but one mistery for all men in the world, which is preached and published to all the world: the same of bond, the same of free, the same of old, the same of young, the same of the learned, the same of the ignoran, tthe same of men, the same of wo­men, the same of Iewes, the same of Greekes; one mi­stery for high and low, rich and poore, all people one with another; and this is it, to know God the Fa­ther, [Page 126] &c. well then might Saint Paul call it Tit. 1. 4. common saluation, and Saint Iude Epi. Iud. 3. common faith, and S. Pe­ter write, [...], To them which haue obtayned like precious faith: for as in this bodily life nature by one and the selfe same way worketh in all alike; and that same which is the cause of life in one that liueth, is the cause of life in all that liue: where­fore it is held a maxime in Philosophy that Nature is one in all things: so in our spirituall and eternall life, there is but one mistery, and in it, one cause of vi­tality in all that are saued, that 1 Cor. 15. 28. God may be all in all, I, one in all, which worketh in all: and we all Gal. 3. 28. one d 1 Cor. 12. 6. in God.

I haue foure arguments, by which I may shew that it is a matter of no great hardnesse, or which re­quireth long time to learne the science of a Chri­stian.

My first I take from that principle of Nature, in which there is in all men, a desire, and appetite ingenite and inly rooted of the soueraigne good: Omnia appe­tunt borum: for when to this desire ingrafted, the good desired shall be manifestly obiected out of the vnder­standing, conuicted by euidence of the light of Gods word: how quickly will the desire assent and rest sa­tisfied? For now she is filled, and at the end of her ap­petite, and cannot possibly desire farther. If then the straying and erroneous desire of Heathen people, in ignorance after the true God; being misled in the blindnesse of their vnderstanding, did like men, which being almost drowned in vnperfectnesse and amazement of their sense, will catch at stickes and stones, and weeds in the bottome of the water, and hold them fast to death; thinking by these to get out▪ so they hoping to seeke euasion from eternall death, in that deezinesse, and confusion of apprehension, did [Page 127] catch at gods of stickes and stones, and beasts, and creeping things, in stead of the true and liuing God. How much more shall we be perswaded and euicted by euidence of faith, and enlightned in our vnder­standings from God himselfe, hold by him: So hold all that beleeue. The Apostle hauing caught hold heere, will not loose his hold for any creature in Hea­uen or Rom. 8. 35. earth, or life, or death: saying; What shall se­parate vs from the loue of Christ? and hauing summed vp all other good or euill, that may be imagined, con­cluded in the last verse, that none of these shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God in which is, Iesus Christ. By this good, see how fast holy Iob holdeth, Though he Iob. 13. 15. slay me, yet will I stay in him. Thus doth the Spouse gripe her husband: Can. 3. 4. I tooke hold of him, and left him not. How fast did all the legions of Martyrs clutch and gripe this true God and Iesus Christ, in banish­ment, in bands, prisons, rackes, in torments, in drow­nings, burnings, in all cruell deaths? while their skins were stript ouer their heads, while their flesh was pul­led off with fiery pinsers, while their bodies were a grinding betweene the teeth of cruell beasts? and this hold, haue all that beleeue in God in the houre of death. So then heere the foule of men cries, [...], I haue found, I haue found, I haue found. This is that trea­sure which was hid from the world, which when a man hath found, Mat. 13. 44. For ioy thereof he holdeth it, and sel­leth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. For who taught the poore man to set so much by that treasure? did not the selfe beauty and riches and worth thereof? Who neede tell any man that Gold is Gold, or a Pearle a Pearle? such a treasure is the true God, which be­ing once found by knowledge, will cause vs, to ^e count all things as doung that we may gaine him. k Phil. 3 8▪

I may shew this secondly by the euidence of the di­uinity, [Page 128] which rising as a Sunne to our vnderstanding, in that instant that he is risen doth make day. For which cause God is called Iam 1. 17. the Father of light, and is said, to 1 Tim. 6. 1. 6. dwell in light. Againe, to be 1 Iohn 1. 5. light it selfe, which rising to the world by his sonne Iesus Christ, Iohn 1. 9. lightneth euery man which commeth into the world; so this know­ledge, what is it but Lumen vultus Dei, the Psal. 4 6. light of Gods face? Our apprehension of this truth is to see light Psal. 36. 9. in Gods light, which is as much as Saint Peter in other words; The 2 Pet. 1. 19. day-star rising in our heart. Therefore as soone as I beleeue in Iesus Christ it is day; and all that beleeue are called light of it selfe, and Eph. 5. 6. children of the light. How hatefull then to vs ought be the do­ctrines of them which seeke to obscure to vs this bles­sed day? which say we drinke not, because we drinke of the fountaine: which denie that we see, because we see by the Sunne: which deny that we be in life, be­cause we hold by the head.

A third argument I draw from the manner of teaching of the holy Ghost, which is our Teacher (as shall be shewed in the last place) of this knowledge of the Father and the Sonne, and maketh euery Scholar perfect in this mistery in the twinckling of an eye. Eue­rie man that hath learned this mistery, is Iohn 6. 45. Isay. 5. 4. 13. Ier. 31. 33. áocibilis Deo, taught of God himselfe: and there is infinite diffe­rence bewixt Gods teaching, and mans teaching, which driueth away our sinnes, as the winde the Isay. 44. 22. mist: which ouercommeth our ignorance, as the light 2 Cor. 4. 6. the darknesse: which consumeth our Psal. 68. 2. & 147. 18. euils, as fire the wax, and the Sunne melts the Snow: which coue­reth our nakednesse, as the Psal. 103. 11. Heauens couer the earth; which createth our newnesse as he Psal. 51. 10. created heauen and earth of nothing. See; the Act. 2. 4. Apostles be­ing taught by the spirit, which were idiots and simple men, as was knowne to all men; are not onely at the [Page 129] instance repleat, with all heauenly knowledge them­selues, but are made the onely Mat. 28 19. Doctors and Teachers of all the world beside. And cannot that Son which made those silly fishermen the Mat. 5. 14. lights of the world, by one whole infusion of faith, lighten my closet and chamber, I meane the secret corners of my heart? Heare we what 2 Cor. 4 [...]. Saint Paul saith. God, that commanded the light to shine out of darknesse, is he which hath shined in our hearts, to giue the light of the knowledge of the glory of God, in the face of Iesus Christ.

But you will obiect, the Apostles had the gift of that knowledge by miracle, and those gifts were extraor­dinary, and now they cease: euery man that will haue knowledge now, must eyther learne of others, or seeke it in his booke.

I deny not, but that those gifts which are gratis data, giuen freely, and not gratum facientia, as is the distin­ction of the Schoole-men, not iustifying, or making a man acceptable to God, (of which sort were the gifts of tongues, and vnderstanding all Scriptures:) I say I doe not deny, but they are ceased, and were giuen onely to the Apostles and Ministers, and some others, by imposition of the Apostles hands, in the primitiue Church: for these are not giuen them which receiue them for their owne saluation, but for the saluation of others: and we haue the vse and collation, and bene­fit of the same gifts, being by their preaching brought to the knowledge of God: but this I say; the gift of faith which is giuen vs, by which we are inwardly re­generate and know God, though it be ordinary, and shall be euer in Gods Church to the end of the world; yet is it of higher power, and greater miracle: for re­generation of euery Soule that is grafted in Christ, speaketh as much to the prayse of Gods power and glory, as the creation of heauen and earth made of no­thing, [Page 130] and this is wrought in vs, by which wee are made the sonnes of God in the same instant, as was that knowledge extraordinary, and by God: immedi­ately, and by Gods free gift, and in all that are saued alike, absolutely necessary for all that are saued.

Lastly, we can shew this by examples of them which beleeued: L [...] 19. Zaccheus a Publicane, an Heathen man, the first houre he beleeued heareth Christ say vnto him; This day is Zaccheus a childe of Abraham. The Thiefe Luc. 23. is admitted to Paradise for one confession, Lord remember me when thou commest into thy kingdome. Christ our Lord replyeth. Luc. 23. 44. Verily, verily, I say vnto thee, this day thou shalt be with me in Paradise. The soule and bodie-sicke Mal. 9. 23. Woman, in one houre goes away sound, thy faith hath made thee whole. The Eunuch Act. 8. 38. in that houre that he beleeueth Iesus to be the sonne of God, is baptised. Three thousand are conuerted to Christ at one Sermon, and that Act. 2. 41. same day were added to the Church. This ground of Scripture was there all to be beleeued. No more did Saint Paul require of the Iay­lour but this: Act. 16. 31. Beleeue in the Lord Iesus Christ, and thou shalt be saued and thine household. This was eternall life, this is eternall life, this euer shall be eternall life, to be­leeue, &c. Thus we haue the way of life made com­pendious and playne, and that [...]um Luc 8. necessarium, that one thing which is necessary, cleere, and euident, at the first opening of the Scriptures: for as God hath so or­dered for our bodily life, that those things which make not for necessity, but for lifes beauty onely, and ornament, are abstruse and hard to finde; and st [...]ut vp in the bowels of the ea [...]th or hidden in clests of the Rockes, or in the bottome of the Sea, as Pearles and Gold, and pretions stones: because they are ney­ther necessary nor fit for all men: but those things that are of lifes substance, and are necessary for our [Page 131] being and sustenance, are ready and offer themselues to euery mans hand; as ayre, and water, and corne, and fruits of the earth: so, many things, with which the Spouse of Christ may be adorned and beautified, he buried, as it were, in deepe and prefound sense of Scrip­ture, (which yet many by continuall meditation and study doe dig forth, like pearles and precious stones:) but that without which our soules life cannot haue her being or subsisting, those things which are the ve­ry bread and drinke of our soules: viz. to know the true God, and Iesus Christ, whom the father hath sent: that I say, is so plaine, perspicuous, and easie, to finde in holy Scriptures, that we cannot misse of eternall life, vnlesse we will deny our selues to it.

What then was thy purpose O Sauiour Christ to set downe this one rule and ground for all? to end all con­trouersies; to stay all disputation; to take away all doubts; to cut off all schismes and factions; to build vs sure vpon the rock, to set the marke of all trueth high in the tower of the Scriptures; to make plaine the way to Heauen? When a way is vnknowne to a farre coun­try, where is much treasure, many will seeke it: some by climbing Mountaynes, some will venter the Desart, some will seeke passage by Sea, some by Land, and some by East, and some be West: but when discoue­ry is made of a passage, and the way is knowne, being made playne and easie; no man will seeke dangerous circuits and windings, but passe by the knowne way. For this way to eternall life was vnknowne to the world: some climbed vp by the steepe of their owne workes; some wandred in the desarts of mens do­ctrines; some had blinde Phylosophers for their guides; some seducing Southsayers; some were led by the light of the creatures; some sounded the deepe of mans reason: Iesus Christ hath made this way [Page 132] straight and knowne, and discouering the neerest cut or passage, sayth: this is it; haec est, to beleeue the Fa­ther of Christ the onely very God, and him whom he hath sent Iesus Christ.

Now that we may not doubt, let vs stand and in­quire of the passengers: let vs aske our Father Abra­ham: this was his way, as our Lord Iesus said: Iohn 8 56. A­braham desired to see my day, and saw it: Let vs aske the Prophets: [...] 10. 43. To him all the Prophets beare witnesse. Let vs enquire of the law: Gal. 3 [...]4. The Law was our Schoolemaster to Christ. Aske the Apostles & all the blessed Martyrs; this was the onely poynt they sealed with their bloud, that Christ was God; Aske our Lord Iesus, I heare him say; Iohn. 14. 6. I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: Whom shall we beleeue of the Way, but the way it selfe; whom of the Truth but the truth? Whom of Life, but the life? What then haue you done, O deepe de­ceiuers and seducers, which haue sought by all the Art and cunning of the Diuell to bring men out of this way, to stop the road-way, the high way to the kingdome of Heauen, and to round and circle vs a­bout by merits, by freewill, by traditions, by reliques, by Purgatory, by faith implicite, by questions of prayers for the dead? Which for beleefe in GOD bring men to Romanam Catholicam; for faith in Iesus Christ, to Papa non potest errare, the Pope cannot goe out of the way? When Ennius sought his friend at his house, and asked his seruant where his Master was, the Master said to his seruant; Tell him I am not at home: which speech Ennius ouer-heard, but tooke the answere from the seruant. Next day the same man comes to Ennius his house, and asked his seruant where his Master was. Ennius spake aloud, tell him I am not home: What (saith he) will you deny your selfe with your owne tongue? Why not said Ennius: I beleeued [Page 133] when but your man tolde me you were not at home, and will not you beleeue mee which say so my selfe? The Ministers and seruants of Christ should shew Christ to all that seeke him; but if there be any such as that seruant, which denied his Masters presence, when hee knew where hee was; yet Christ is not like Ennius, hee cannot denie [...] Io [...]. 2. 1 [...]. himselfe: Behold, to those wicked trayterous Iewes, when they sought him, Ioh. 18. [...] ▪ Whom seeke you? Iesus of Nazareth: I am he: and will he denie himselfe to his friends? This then is all wee require of you: Beleeue Christ of Christ. L [...]c. 19. 4. When Zac­cheus was too little, and could not see Iesus, he climed vp a tree: but that wee may see him, Christ hath cli­med the tree of the Crosse himselfe, and there was Ioh. [...]. 32. lif­ted vp to draw vs to him. If this be not enough, hee hath mounted vp aboue the highest heauens, to the right hand of the most high and mighty God, Far Ep [...]. 1. [...]1. a­boue Angels, and thrones, and powers, and principalities, and euery name that is named. Why then, permute this one knowledge and faith in him; for all knowledge, all doubts, all disputes, all wisedome of men: for heare what he saith: this is eternall life, to beleeue, &c.

Thus wee are made to vnderstand, not onely that the Scriptures are sufficient to saluation, but that the Scriptures abound, and more then abound, to instruct our vnderstanding. We reduce all the precepts of the law, and whatsoeuer is else written in the Prophets, to loue; and all our knowledge is comprehended, and endeth in the knowledge of Christ. This is the know­ledge of the treasure: so the Apostle saith of the know­ledge of Christ: Col. 2. 3. In whom are hid all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge. This is knowledge to the full. For in him dwelleth [...]. [...]. [...]. all the fulnesse of the Godhead bodily. But he is full, wee are empty: no, hee is our fulnesse: Ioh. 1. [...] ▪ Of his fulnesse we haue all receiued, grace for grace: For [Page 134] as loue is the Rom. 13. 10. fulnesse of the law, so faith in Christ, is the fulnesse of the heart, Eph. 1. 17. That Christ may dwell in our hearts by faith: that you being rooted and grounded in loue, may be able to comprehend with all the Saints, what is the breadth, length, depth, and height, and to know the loue of Christ, which passeth knowledge: that you may be filled with all fulnesse of God. See what perfect Schollers the faith of Christ makes vs: the head is the bodies fulnesse: Christ is our head, by whom wee holde by faith, and we are his body: and as S. Paul saith, Eph. 1. 23. That God the Father of glory (reade from the seauenteenth verse to the last) hath appointed Christ ouer all things, to be head of the Church, which is his body, euen the fulnesse of him that fil­leth all in all. See how Christ is our fulnesse, and how he counteth vs his fulnesse; for the head cannot haue his fulnesse without the body. Grow we vp in this head, & receiue we from him the fulnesse of the body, till we meet altogether in the vnity of faith, and know­ledge of him For this faith, as I haue shewed, was suffi­cient for the thiefe to be assured to be in Paradise: and to omit the rest, for all the Martyrs in the primitiue Church, to be euerlastingly with all honour recorded. For there was neuer any piece of story, nor point or pricke of letter recorded, that euer yet was seene or to be found, that any of those Martyrs in the primitiue Church shed their blood for any of those points, or articles which are controuerted betweene vs and the Church of Rome, either for Purgatory, or Prayers for the dead, or any other Sacraments, or for infallibility of errour in the Pope, or traditions, or merits, or free will, or transubstantiation, or whatsoeuer is disputed betweene vs; but onely for this eternall life, the con­fession of the Diuinitie and humanity of Iesus Christ. And to this Pope Leo bringeth testimonie in his sixe and twentith Epistle to Theodosius Augustus, which [Page 135] liued neere about the fiue To the [...] 464 [...] in Ch [...] ▪ hundreth yeere after Christ: his words are these. Prae [...]culis h [...], et tota acie mentis aspicite, [...] Petri glori [...], et comm [...], cum ipso o [...]ium Apostolorum corona [...], c [...]ctorum (que) ma [...]tyum palmas, qu [...] ­bus alia non fuit [...]ausa patiendi nisi confessio verae diuinitatis et humanitatis in Christo. Haue before your eyes, and consider with all the sight of your minde, the glory of blessed Peter, and the crownes of all the Apostles, and the palmes of all the Martyrs, which had no other cause of suffering, but the confession of the true Di­uinitie and humanity in Christ.

Happy were you O blessed Martyrs, to whom it suf­ficed, both for temporall death, and life, and glory e­ternall, to confesse Iesus Christ to be the Sonne of the true and liuing GOD: you had no torment, but of your body, you kept your faith vndaunted and vn­shaken, and so yeelded your blessed spirits to GOD. It is not allowed for sufficient for vs to beleeue in God: to confesse Iesus Christ, and to cleaue to him, is to vs imputed for heresie: wee are counted separated from the body, because we hold by the head; and traps and snares are laid for vs in the word and Sacraments, in our faith, in iustification. Wee are tortured with wrests and wrenches of disputations, we are martyred in our mindes and consciences, and may ius [...]ly com­plaine, that of the Apostle, 1 [...] ▪ 4▪ [...] ▪ For this are wee reiected and persecuted, because wee trust in the liuing God. For this; being Christians, wee are persecuted by Christi­ans. If all the tyrants in the world did seeke our bloud, we would kisse death: being of the Church, our owne fellowes kill vs, and hauing suffered the same things, for the same cause, in which the first ho­ly Martyrs suffered, we are accounted Dogs and He­retiques, and Diuels. Thou O Christ, and the Gospell, are the matter of our reproach and scorne: for in thee [Page 136] onely we beleeue, to thee onely wee cleaue and trust, thee onely wee confesse. Which when all the Saints haue done before; how much more doth this now concerne vs in this darknesse of the ending world, in this distraction of faith, in this cruell warre and hostili­ty of sides and parts? Come hither beloued in Christ, heere, heere, stand for this truth. It is a small thing to die for Christ; it is more hard, and as much glorious to liue and confesse him. Follow Christ, if not in suffe­ring death, yet in the contempt and scorne of life: if not in the bodies dying, yet in the hearts suffering: for these home enemies doe not onely seeke to take a­way your life, as those Pagan persecuters and tyrants, but that which is farre more deere and pretious, your Faith.

But I will yet labour to set you surer vpon this foundation. When Peter Math. 16. 6. confessed this same con­fession, Thou art Christ the Sonne of the liuing God; hee heard, not onely to his owne comfort and priuiledge, but for all others whosoeuer shall confesse the same confession, foure things. First, Beat us tu, Blessed art thou Simon Bar-Iona: 2. Flesh and blood hath not re­uealed this to thee; thou art taught it of my Father; God is thy teacher. 3. He was called Cephas, that is, a Rock, thou art a rocke, (for thy constantnesse in this con­fession.) 4 Vpon this rocke (that is, the rocke of my Diuinitie, which thou hast confessed) I will build my Church. Was it then blessednesse to confesse Christ to be God? was Peter called blessed for this, and doth the blessing now cease? Is not our blessednesse the same? Yes, whosoeuer thou art that beleeuest and confessest that Iesus is the Sonne of God, beat us tu; Blessed art thou: Could Peter neuer haue attayned to this know­ledge, without the reuealing and teaching of God in heauen; and we which vndoubtedly know & beleeue [Page 137] the same, ha [...] we or can we haue any other teacher? Was Simon called a rocke, for not being shaken in the faith of the Godhead of the man Christ: and are wee counted stubble and chaffe for our sole and constant building vpon the same? Is the rock it selfe: this, thou art Christ the Sonne of the louing God; the very foundation vpon which the Church is built: and are wee which plant all our hope and faith vpon the Diuinitie of Ie­sus Christ, outlings from the Church of Christ? I be­seech you then consider with me the malice and sub­tilty of the diuell. For when he saw the ground-worke, and foundation laid, on which all which shall be sa­ued, must be built for euer, and that very same foun­dation planted to tri [...]ph ouer his hell and hell gates: forth with attempted the ouerthrow of this foundati­on, that none should confesse Iesus to be the Sonne of God. And first, by all the Kings of the earth, by cruell ty­rants, by open and professed enemies, persecuted this faith, binding, banishing, imprisoning, beating, bur­ning, drowning, killing, torturing, destroying all those which confessed, that Iesus was Christ: as I haue she­wed before: but when hee saw that this was not the way to batter the faith of Christ, and that the Church the more it was shaken with persecution, was built the firmer vpon this rocke: and that the blood of the Martyrs was the seede of the Church; for the more they were killed, the more they encreased: he sought ano­ther way; for that which he could not effect, by vio­lence and hostility, hee wrought by sleight and sub­tilty, that which he could not compasse by open ene­mies, which yelled and roared against the Church: Psal. 138. Downe with it, downe with it, euen to the ground: that he plotted by Tatnayes and Sanballats, which came to vs disguised vnder the profession of Christians, Ezr 4. [...]. saying, Wee will build with you. And so by sleight and shift of [Page 138] argument and wit of man, it is held for the ground of all truth: What, that Peter was a rocke? that we deny not; but that he was the rocke, this rocke, vpon which Christ his Church is built. And so wee haue, for tu es Christus, tu es Petrus. But the Pope of Rome is Peters successour: Ergo, Christs Church is built vpon the Pope. But the Church shall preuaile: Ergo, the Pope cannot erre. But the Popes seat is Rome, therefore Romana is Catholica. But none shall be saued, but they which are of the Church, therefore, this is eternall life, to be of the Church of Rome. Doe you not see how wee are disputed out of our saluation; how wee haue lost our faith, as it were at a tricke of fast and loose? How cunningly the Diuell hath iugled away our founda­tion? Doe you not see this blessed Scripture, our For­tresse, our Rocke, our Castle, our high Tower: which was lifted vp, and planted against hell, and hell gates, turned to fortifie for hell, and hell gates? Doe you not see how lightly we are parted from this one article, the ground and summe of all truth, which the blessed and glorious Apostles held deerer then their lifes blood? And as if we had receiued no good at all by the know­ledge of God and Christ; we make onely earnest of faith, and stand with vtmost contention and eager­nesse, whether Images be to be worshipped, whether the dead be to be prayed for, whether the Pope can dispense with Oathes? &c. Doe you not see how we are robbed of our euidence, and turned out of our right Patrimonie of the Scriptures, and so vtterly dispossest, that our way is turned into a maze, or wood; and our truth into a lye, and our life into death? If then you haue not learned sufficiently the surenesse of this ground, the deerenesse of this knowledge, from the light of the Scriptures, the words of Christ, from the faith of the Prophets, Apostles, Martyrs, Saints; yet [Page 139] wee may sufficiently be perswaded from the cruelty, malice, and opposition, and raging of the Diuell: which from the beginning hath neuer ceased from seeking the vndermining, batterie, and ouerthrow of this truth.

I will now draw to my conclusion, and come to ourselues: which hauing quitted this article from the slaunders of our enemies, haue not yet turned it for our owne best vse. This is the faith which we haue re­ceiued; this is our ground; this we professe; in this we were baptized: and yet hungry after knowledge, as if wee had not beene sufficiently taught, wee long for newes out of Scriptures; we must haue the word more curiously carued: some will haue this Preacher, some that: and this is fuller, and this is sweeter, and this is deeper, and wee will haue I know not what. Let mee be bold to say; you heare Sermons, as you heare Mu­sicke, for some delightfull straine, or quirke of mens wit: you itch in your eares, and must haue them tickled daily with new pleasure: your fashion is, to iudge of the learning, and sufficiencie of the Prea­cher, which should be here humbled, and learne to examine, and iudge, and condemne your selues.

What then? Either doe those things which you haue beleeued, or else confesse against your selues, that you haue not beleeued at all. For Christ is the end of our faith, which is the beginning of a godly life. We that haue heard Christ preached, are beyond hearing, and are come to doing. This then remayneth: Loue one another; frequent diuine Prayers; visite the sicke; re­leeue the poore; receive the Sacraments; auoid con­tentions; lay aside idle questions; haue peace and con­cord one with another; giue glory to God. It is not hard to know what to doe, but to doe what we know. Wee may learne that in one Sermon, which all our [Page 140] life is not enough to put in practise. They which ga­thered E [...]od. 16. 16. Manna aboue their measure, which was an Homer full, it stanke and turned to wormes. This doth our lusting and greedinesse of knowledge, vvhen our measure is full, and vvee are not con­tent, breede Schismes, and factions, and make vs stinck one in anothers nosthrils. VVhy doest thouseeke far Why search for hidden thinges? this one Homer full, I beleeue in God, and him whom he hath sent, Iesus Christ; is able to sustaine thy soule to eternall life. In this thou hast the substance & sweetnesse of all, what­soeuer lyeth eyther hidden, or scattred in the volume of the Scriptures. The whole Scrptures are Manna, but that which feedeth my soule to life eternall is this faith in Christ: As then he that had filled his Homer full, had beene ridiculously absurd to thinke he should want, because he saw so much lye scattered in the mountaynes, and in the plaine fields: so should we be dangerously deceiued, if we should not thinke that the knowledge of God the Father, and his Sonne, were sufficient for vs to eternall life: because there are so many things contayned in the holy writ, which our vnderstandings haue not gathered. This was Saint Pe­ters Homerfull: Mat. 16. 16. Thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing God: This was Saint Paul his Homer full: I esteemed 1 Cor. 2. 2. to know nothing but Christ, and him crucified. This measure they delt to all that beleeued, 2 Cor. 1. 23. Wee preach Christ.

Then let vs not onely take our sufficient sustenance from this liuing bread, which descended downe from Heauen; and which cryeth in all our eares, Iohn 6. 51. This is the will of the father, that he that beleeueth in mee should haue euerlasting life: but let vs take, out of this word euen our compleat armour, and learne to fight with this sword against all our enemies, all our euils, and [Page 141] the gates of hell and the Diuell.

If your aduersaries deny you to be of the true Church, and will seeke to examine your hold: say you hold in Col. [...]. 19. Capite, in Fee by fayth in Iesus Christ, you hold by [...]h. [...]. [...] the head: and whosoeuer holds by the head, is a true member of Christ his body.

If they obiect, but the Church is built vpon an hill: confesse it, and shew them the hill, the diuinitie of Iesus Christ: that hill of Peters, Tu es Christus. This hill heere, haec est vita aeterna. Why hop you so high O ye hils? This is Gods hill, this hill is Iesus Christ himselfe, which is God, and God is not onely 2 Sam. 22. 1. a Rocke, and an high Psal. 125. [...]. Mat. 16. 18. Psal. 125. [...]. Hill to those that serue him, but they that trust in him shall be rockes themselues, and high and sted­fast as mountaynes, as Saint Peter was.

If they will offer to make your faith void by vrging their succession of Popes and Priests, as if your Mini­sters had beene at a fault in their succession and ordi­nation: or if home aduersaries, as Familists or Brownists, or Barrowists, vrge and pr [...]sse your Mi­nisters, as not lawfully called; answere these hence: The Scripture is not carefull to answere in this poynt: it is the succession of true doctrine which concerneth vs, not of men; for God will not haue our life in him depend vpon a quirke, or misse in mens callings, but on faith in Christ. Of this, I am seased, and am interessed in life eternall: I will no more dispute of the meanes to it, then I will of my faith: did they which preached Christ to mee, preach of pride or enuy, or contention or gaine: this is my sure gaine, Phil. 1. 15. Christ is preached: of this I am assured: No man 1 Cor. 1 [...]. [...]. can say Iesus is Christ, but by the holy Ghost. As true as I beleeue this Article so truly I know God the Mat. 16. 17. Father in heauen was my teacher. This I know, Whosoeuer confesseth that Iesus is the 1 Iohn. [...]. [...]. sonne of God, in him God dwelleth: of this I am assured, [Page 142] Iohn 5. 1. Whosoeuer beleeueth that Iesus Christ is borne of God. This record all the diuels in hell shall neuer ouer­throw: ^o God hath giuen vs eternall life, and this life is in 1 Iohn 5. 11. 12 his sonne, and he that hath the sonne, hath life. This is a serious poynt, to haue life eternall, to haue God my teacher, to haue God dwell in mee, to be borne of God: vpon this will I build: I will not tamper about successions.

Farther, if as now it is vsuall with too many, any seeke to seduce you, or trouble your faith, with questions of Canons, or Church-order, or Discipline, or such like: say that you had rather build straw and stubble vpon the foundation, then set the foundation vpon straw and stubble. In these words is the foundation, the ground it selfe of all true Religion; we will not tamper about reparations or couerings; this is the body it selfe. I fight not for the shadow: Heere is the compleat armour of a Christian; I will not passe how it be guilded or enamelled.

Finally, in trouble, in sorrow, in sicknesse, in perse­cution, in prison, in danger by Sea, in danger by Land, in feare; against height, against depth, and whatsoe­uer may seeme to shake our faith, or wound our con­science, or discomfort our spirit; hold we vp this con­fession that our Sauiour Iesus Christ is God and man. Let vs say to Death it selfe, this is life eternall: to Sa­tan, this is the onely true and liuing God: to Sinne, this is Iesus Christ the onely begotten sonne of God: oppose wee to hell and hell gates, this faith in Iesus Christ, which hath opened to vs Heauen and Heauen gates: To whom, with God the Father, and God the I holy Ghost, three persons and one God, be ascri­bed all Honour, Power, and Glory, now and for euer.

Amen.