HE that loues the law of God, Qui [...]dei [...] legem diligit, etiam eaquae non intel­ligit honorat. August. in Psal. 119. Con. 31. honou­reth the things that hee vnder­stands not, as that heavenly Do­ctor writes vpō the 119. Psalm. For here is no superfluous iod, every circumstance hath some pith, and the supposed barren places of the scripture cōtaine in them great fertility of wisedome.

And this would better appeare if some skilfull Ze­nas Tit 3. 13. among you had the expounding of this present chapter, that describeth the ministeriall garments of the priests: for my part, I presume not aboue the skirts of the robe, If I touch but the hemme of the garment soundly, it shalbe vnto me sufficient con­tentment.

When great Alexander marched with his army a­gainst Ierusalem, hee was so amazed at the sight of the high sacrificer in his pontificall robes (as the Iewish an­tiquary recordeth) that he reuoked his purpose, Ioseph lib. 11. Antiq. cap. 8. hee turned his hostility into veneration, he spared the cit­ty, and hee graunted vnto the Iewes all their requests▪ [Page 2] And yet Alexander saw but the out side of these ho­ly vestiments, the misteries that are folded vp in them never entred into the thoughts of a meere Aristotele­an Prince.

The ceremoniall law ( which was a shaddow of future good things) Heb. 10. 1. is a booke written within & on the back­side (as Hugo Card. Hugo Card. saith in his preface to the book of Numbers) intus mysterium, foris historia, within is the mistery, on the outside is the history.

You heard the sound of the words, I make hast to the sense of the matter, after some short analytical re­solution of the text.

In this chapter the first canonicall scribe of the ho­ly Ghost describeth the ministeriall garments of the priests, and they are of three sorts.

• 1 Some are proper to the high priest alone.
• 2 Some are proper to the inferiour Priests a­lone.
• 3 Some are common to both.
  The Priest must beare in his breast the care of right iudgement.

The proper ornamentes of the high priestes are foure.

• 1 The robe of the Ephod.
• 2 The Ephod.
• 3 The breastplate of iudgement.
• 4 The miter with the golden plate.
  [...]

The robe of the Ephod is described

• à causis.
• ab adiunctis.
• ornamentis.

• By the causes
• By the adjuncts.

[Page 3]The causes are of two sorts

• externall
• internall.

The externall causes are

• efficient
• finall.

The in­ternall

• matter.
• forme.

The matter of this robe was [...] tekeleth which (as Munster observeth by the vniversall consent of the Iewes was some kind of silke. Munster

Arias Montanus, Iunius & Tremel: & our English bibles mention here the colour without the stuffe.

Concerning the forme of this robe the greeke word which the 70 Iewish Rabbins vse here, giueth some light. 70 Interpret.

Their word is [...], which signifieth a garment to the foot.

In few words then this robe was a blew habit of tekeleth which came downe to the foote of the high Priest.

The proper ornaments of this robe, were of 2 sorts, golden bels and pomegranats.

And concerning these two with the assistance of God, and by your Christiam patience, I intend this subsequent discourse: and first concerning the bels.

When Moses spake vnto the people hee covered his face with a vaile, Exod. 34, 35. signifying by that type, the obscurity of the law, Compared with 2. Cor. 3. according to the anagogicall interpretatiō of the Apostle in the second to the Corinthians & the third Chapter.

Here is solid meat that requireth much chew­ing [Page 4] of the cud, Scriptura in lo­cis obscurioribus quasi cibus qui manduc [...]ndo glutitur, in locis apertioribus quasi potus qui itasorbetur, si­cut invenitur. Greg. Mag. lib 1. Moral, c. 21. Idem in epist. ad leand. Mare est script. divina habens in sesensus pro­fundus. Ambrosius in ep. 44▪ ad Const. Gregor. Mag. part. 2. curae pastoral. c. 4. Cyrillus de sacerdotio. by spirituall meditation before we can digest it. Here is that ocean in which the Elephant may swimme, diue you into it who can, wading per­adventure is a fitter tearme for my shallow passage. Yet now with Peter I cast my selfe into the sea. The law threatneth death to the Priest, if hee make not a sound with his bells. And this (by the generall con­sent of interpretors vpon this place) importeth dan­ger to the dumbe Minister, if wee compare the type with the antitype, and the ceremony with the signifi­cation. And here among the rest Gregorius Magnus taketh away the vayle from the face of Moses in the second part of his pastorals at the fourth Chapter, in these words. Iram contra se occulti iudicis exigit, qui si­ne sonitu praedicationis incedit. Hee provoketh the an­ger of the secret iudge against himselfe, that insi­steth not in the sound of preaching. And with him forteth well the Archbishop of Alexandria in his booke de Sacerdotio where hee speakes thus. Impen­debat mortis metus ijs qui sacerdotis munere in ta­bernaculo fungebantur nisi tintinabula maxime circum­streperent: est ergo silentium doctoribus in primis pericu­losum id (que) perspicue illud est quod Paulus ait vae mihi si nō Evangelizavero: they that executed the office of the Priests in the tabernacle were in daunger of death if the bels made not a noise. Therefore (saith he) silence is dangerous in a doctor and this is that which Saint Paule affirmeth in plaine termes Wo vnto me if I preach not the gospell. Vetus testamē ­tum in novo re­velatum & in veteri novum uelatum, Aug. in Psal. 105. And thus as the new testament is vai­led in the old, so the old testament is revealed in the [Page 5] new. Consonant vnto the former is the exposition of Calvin vpon this place, although he be commonly a close adherent vnto the letter of the text.

Morte dignus est sacerdos à quo vox praedicationis nō auditur. Calvin Exod. 28▪ That priest is worthy to die from whom the voice of preaching is not heard. This is a harde saying, if peradventure he meane not by preaching a­ny publishing of the truth and so is the word taken in the 8. of Luke at the 39. verse, Luk. 8. 39. the man out of whom the divels were departed went into his owne house, [...]. and he went away prea­ching through the whole citty, how great things Iesus did for him: howsoever his meaning is, in this I am con­fident with Bernard, Bernard. Nobis tacere non licet quibus ex officio incumbit peccantes arguere. Silence is intollerable in vs, who by our office are bound to reproue offenders. If you affected multiplicity of language it were easie to paralell this text with many plaine places of scripture but I referre you to the 56. of Esay at the 10. verse, Esay 56. 10. and to the second of the Actes where the holy Ghost com­meth downe vpon the Apostles in the likenesse of fiery tongues, Act 2. Sic fere Greg quia omnes quos miserit & ardentes pariter & loquentes facit: because all that are sent of God vpon this message haue their mouthes opened and their tongues fi­red from heaven. And here by your patience we may taxe negligēce in some, who although they haue the tong [...]es of the learned yet they minister no word of comfort to the afflicted. 1. Cor. 9. 13. They eate of the sacrifices but they minister not at the altar.

Is not the pastor resembled in scripture to the Oxe, 1 Cor 9. 9. Rev. 4. [Page 6] which is a symboll of painefulnesse. For Theseus mar­ked his coine with the stampe of an Oxe, and in so do­ing (as Plutarch recordeth in the life of Theseus) hee provoked his cittizens to industrious diligence in their callings. Plut. in Thes. Origeni Ada­mantini cogno­men inditum pr [...]pter indefa­tigatam studii tolerantiam, Eras. Chil.

Are not the disciples compared to salt which mel­teth away by seasoning other things. And was not Iohn Baptist a burning candle because hee consumed himselfe by giving light to others.

Secondly this maketh way vnto a iust complaint against the ignorāce of others, the first sort want that fidelity, the second sort want that wisedome that is re­quired in a good steward, who is a faithful and a wise steward: si non fuerit fidelis fraudabit, si non fuerit pru­dens fraudabitur.

The first sort resēble the Estridges that haue wings but they fly not. Sernard: ad hoc de [...]ium dantur pennae vt cur­rentem adiuvēt caetero non sunt volucres nec à terra tolluntur Plin. nat hist. lib. 10. cap. 1. Plutarch.

The second sort resemble the lapwings that runne away with some part of the shell vpon their heads.

The virgin vestals vowed chastity for the space of 30. yeares, in the first 10. they learned their duties, in the second 10. they did that which they learned, in the last 10. they taught yong novices.

Our course is preposterous, we begin at the last: & here I accuse my selfe in the first place with Ambrose, Ambros. offic. [...]ib. 1. cap. 1. factum est ut prius docere inciperem quam discere: I began to teach others before I was taught my selfe. And this I may second with the wordes of the Spowse in the Canticles, at the 5. verse, the sonnes of my mother made me the keeper of the vines, but I kept not mine owne vine, [Page 7] or with the words of the mellifluous doctor vpon that place, ego huius loci occasione meipsum reprehendere soleo, Bernard. serm. 30. in Cant. quod animarum susceperim curam, qui non meam suffi­cerem custodire. I tooke vpon me the cure of soules, before I was sufficient to watch over mine owne.

The breast, and the shoulder were appointed vnto the Priests vnder the law, Pectus et armi sacerdoiibus dā ­tur, qui & con­silio populum regere, & ingēs onus gubernati­onis Ecclesiae sustinere debent Sic Origen. hom 5. in Levit. 7. Moses, enim [...] Theod. quaest. 27 in Levit. The Romans sent 3 Embas­sadors to the Realme of Bi­thinia, the one had the gout, the other had his head ful of gashes, the 3 was a foole. Of these 3 Ca­to said merily mittit Populus R. legationem quae nec caput nec cor, nec pe­des habet. Plu­tarc in Cat. not without some misterie, because they must haue a breast for counsell, and a shoulder to beare the burthen of care for the flock, & therefore no man dischargeth the part of a good Pa­stor, vnlesse he haue a breast for counsell, and a shoul­der to beare that heavy burthen. By the law of Moses they were vncapable of the Priesthood that had any outward blemishes in their bodyes Levit. 21. 17, 18, 19 20. [...] these are our types, these outward de­formitis in the body, resembled inward imperfectiōs in the soule that make men vncapeable of ministeriall function in the Church vnder the new Testament. At vtinam viveres Cato, If Cato maior were now li­ving, here is matter of laughing for him: for now the people of Rome sent forth Embassadours (like vnto thē that went into the Realme of Bithinia) that haue neither head nor heart, nor feet. Nemo egregium & mu­nus maximum per indignam mittit personam, no man sendeth the greatest present of all by the hand of an vnwor­thy person, saith Ambrose vpon the third to the Ephesi­ans: and therefore if any send such, they haue the grea­ter sinne, and yet on the other side, if any refuse the sacraments at their hands that haue the outward cal­ling of the Church, this is zeale out of his wits. No­tably [Page 8] doth the hammer of haereticks beat down thesur­ging pride of the Donatists. August. Malle­us heretrcorum in this point in his third booke contra Cresconium grammaticum: per ministros dispares Dei munus aequale. By Minist [...]rs of vnequall gifts the gift of God is of equall worth. The best gifts are to be desired (if they may be had) yet the want of them nul­lifieth neither the calling, nor the ministeriall actions of the minister. St Paul to Timothy requireth many things to the commendable being of a Pastour, M ^r Cl [...]in his manu [...]l. yet they are not all necessary to his essentiall being: Plato draweth forth a Common wealth, and Cicero descri­beth an orator, at such a pitch of perfection, that no man ever yet saw the like, and yet if any inferre this conclusion vpon the premises: therefore there was never any true orator &c. Every yesterdaies sophister denies readily the sequell: And so from the bells I come to the golden bells.

In a golden bell I note two things

• matter
• sound.

• 1 Precio valet.
• 2 Dulce sonat.

• 3 It is precious in estimation.
• 2 The sound is pleasant to the eare.

‘Omne tulit punctum qui miscuit vtile dulci.’

He beereth away the golden bell that delivereth a profitable story in a pleasant style. Good matter slub­bered vp in rude tearmes becommeth loathsome to the hearers: and elegancy of words without soundnes of matter, is but a nice vanitie. To both these the Psal­mist hath respect, Psal. 45. at the first verse [...] [Page 9] [...] my heart bubbleth vp a good matter, or a good word for dabor tob signifieth both: his mea­ning then as I conceaue him is this: Praedicatores Ecclesiae bene labia sponsae di [...]ntnr quia per eos populis lo­quitur: Greg. Mag. in Cant. deliciosa ad sa­porem, solida ad nutrimentum. my heart inditeth a good matter in good words. The lippes of the spouse (they are the preacher: of the Church) droppe downe hony­combes. Koheleth (as al the other Prophets) hath words of delight and Scripture of right words of truth, hee matcheth [...] dibre Kephets words of delight, & [...] dibre Aemeth, words of truth together. A preacher must haue words of truth, hee must not make the pulpit a chaire of falshood, Eloquentia ex­pe [...]s sapientiae calore & succo, sapientia elo­quentiae expers colore & cultu­carere videtur ex Bensii erat. 169 and hee must haue words of delight for divine truth is a graue matron that abhorres wanton daliances, but she loues comlinesse. They that pranke her vp in vaine fashions, offer vnto her great indignitie, and so doe they that cloath her in ragges. In the 11 of Math. Christ compareth himselfe to a Master of musicke We haue piped vnto you because his preaching was musicke to the eare, D. H. Verbu Dei mel in ore Melos in aure, iubilus in corde. grace was pow­red into his lippes all men wondred at the gracious word th [...]t proceeded out of his mouth: and by the confession of his very enimies, never man spake as this man: mul­cendi sunt auditores sermonis dulcedine, Gulielm. quem Martinus D. [...]. Riocitat in [...] 4. Psal. 147. 1. ne vt ilia in­vtiliter audiant: such is our nature we are soone wea­ry of good things vnlesse we take pleasure in them & therefore the Psalmist exhorteth the church to the praising of God. First because it is a good thing to sing vnto our God, and secondly because it is a pleasant thing. 1 Su [...] quaedam [...] patientia, disciplina.

1. Some things are good but they are not pleasant as Correction, Heb. 12, 11. no chastising for the present [Page 10] seemeth to be ioyous.

2 Some things are pleasant but they are not good: [...]: 2. Sunt quaedam iucunda & non bona, voluptas. durty speeches, foolish tal­king and scurrilous iesting condemned in the 5. to the E­phesians: at the fourth.

3 Some things bring neither profit nor pleasure as envy, 3. Sunt quaedam nec bona nec iu­cundat invidia, tristitia. and worldly sorrow and swearing: Basilicon doron.

4 Some things are both good and pleasant and they affect vs most. 4. Sunt quaedam bona & iucun­da: honestas: charitas, puritas. Bernard.

In a golden bell, there is good matter artificially handled, & both these are commended by S. Paule to Timothy in the second epistle 2. chapter. & at the 15. verse, study to shew thy selfe approved vnto God, a worke­man that needeth not to be ashamed [...] rightly dividing the word of truth: the worde of truth rightly divided, is a good matter artificiallie handled.

And here there are three sorts of workemen, that offend against this rule.

1 Some deceitfull workemen contrary to the Ca­non in the 19. Doctrina falsa verae non ad­miscenda, Pe­largus. of Leviticus at the 19. verse, sow the field with mingled seed by sowing tares among the wheate I meane hereticall opinions among some catholicke points of doctrine, these men among many good hearbs cast some deadly colloquintida into the pot and of this sort were the Pharises that taught many sound fundamentall points, but they had their leaven.

2 The second sort are vnprofitable workemen that beat the aire to no purpose, and they make anagrams [Page 11] vpon the text and fond defcants vpon every letter as if the scripture were but a rattle for children to make sport withall, these so presse the breasts of the scrip­tures the old and the new testament, that insteede of milke they draw forth nothing but blood: they moūt aloft now and then in great words, but their words are like vnto the cypresse trees, Malac. 2. 7. which are high, & lof­ty, but they beare no fruit. The Priests lips saith the prophet Malachy preserue knowledge and the people shall seeke the law at his mouth not toyes or fables. Wel said sweet S. Bernard, In ore secularis nugae, nugae sunt, in ore sacerdotis blasphemiae, toyes are toyes out of the mouth of a secular man, but out of mouth of the priest they are blas­phemies.

3 The third sort are vnskilfull workemen, who be­cause they want their knife, I meane their art, and me­thod, divide not aright the word of truth. Plin. nat. hist. l▪ 10 c 65. Apud Persas pregnan­tes & in vtero parentis reperi­untur mures. And yet these sermocinators imitate the Persian Mice which as Plinius secundus recordeth, multiply in so great nū ­ber that the tale hazards the credit of the reporter, for as hee saith the yong ones are found with yong while they are yet in the belly of the damme, so they multiply sermon vpon sermon, and the conception of the one preventeth the birth of the other. As these men please themselues with so little learning as may be, so (hauing to neere affinitie with those spirits whom S ^t Iude taxeth) they speake evill of the things which they vnderstand not. Iud. 10. They condemne the vse of arts, and sciences in the pulpit, together with the rin­ging sentences of the fathers (as they speake) not per­ceaving [Page 12] how through the sides of our learned divines the Apostle is goared, Act. 17 28. 1. Cor. 25 33. Tit 1. 12. Quaecu [...] (que) bene & rationabili­ter dicta inve­nimus apud im­micos n [...]stros opor [...]et nos mundare & resecare omne quod e­m [...]tuū & ina­ne est. hoc enim sunt omnes ca­pilli capiti [...], & vngulae mulieris ex inimic [...]rum spoliis assump [...]ae Origen. hom. 7. in Levit. 10. Philosophi si qua vera & fi [...]l [...]i nostrae accom­moda dixerunt non solum for­m [...]danda non sun [...]sed ab iis etiam [...]nquam ab [...]oribus in vsū nostrum vendi­canda. Aug. de doct Chr. lib 3 who citeth three severall senten­ces out of profane Poets; The truth is, the profitable inventions of the heathen may bee sparingly vsed by Christians. And this was the iudgement of Origen in his 7. Hom. vpon the 10. of Levit. When any of Is­rael tooke a maid in battaile, he first pared her nayles, and he shaved her head before he married her: so wee must pare away in humane learning all things noxi­ous before we captiue it to the vse of the Christian religion, and with him agreeth Augustin in his second booke de doctrina Christiana, at the 40. Chapter: Wee robbe the Egyptians of their iewels, when we cōvert arts and sciences and humane learning to the vse of Theology. Nec aranea um sanc textus id [...] m [...]lior quia ex se sila gignunt, nec noster vilior quia ex alienis libamus vt apes [...] in not ad Pelit. lib. 1.The spider is never the more commendable because he weaueth his webbe out of his owne bow­els. neither is the bee despised because shee gathereth her hony out of divers flowers.

Whatsoever some pretend yet many (I say not al) condemne the vse of learning in the pulpit, that men may not take notice of their ignorance. And here the Apologie of the craftie fox (that by some mischance lost his taile) may take place, he comming into the as­sembly of beasts of that kind, exhorted them all to cut of their tayles, alleaging the vnprofitablenesse, & the cumbersomnes of it. And this he did for the covering of his owne deformitie; the application is easie. I goe forward to the next point.

The golden bels were about the skirts of the robe.

Concerning this circumstance Ierom to Fabiola [Page 13] hath a witty observation: Hieron. ad Fab. circa finem. the golden bels hanged a­bout the skirts of the robe, quia ipse vestitus sacerdotis debet esse v [...]cilis, because the garments of the Priests must be a lowd preacher to the people. As Iohn Bap­tist preached the doctrine of repentance to the eare by voice, so his garment of Camels haire preached sobrietie to the eye in hieroglyphick manner by a sen­sible signe. Adam had coats of skinnes, Moneantur [...]io divites, ne in ni­mium vesti [...] ē [...]iornatum pluri­mum insumant Pelarg. in Gen. 3 Venturae mortis signa: Lyse [...]us in Genes. 3. and they prea­ched frugalitie: they were the skinnes of slaine beasts, and so they preached mortalitie to the beholders. The second Adam had a coat without seame, & that prea­ched vnitie. So our apparell must preach modesty & sobrietie: for a Bishop must be sober in speech, in be­haviour, in diet, in apparell.

And here I cannot passe further without shouldring of some that stand in my way on both sides, and they are of two sorts: First they of the new faction; secondly they of the new fashion.

The ordinary garments of the factions which they vse publikely in the celebration of divine service, and in the administration of the sacraments, are indeed lowd preachers vnto the people; but what doe they preach? [...] disobedience to superiours, singularitie in opiniō, and desire of contention. But from the Salamanders that delight in the fire of contention, I turne: my selfe on the other hand to the Chameleons, M [...]tat nam (que), Chamaeleon co­lorem suum & oculis & caud [...] & toto carp [...]re Plin. nat. hist. lib. 8. c, 33. that transforme themselues into all fashions. Their swaggering in the fashion, and their swearing in the fashion proclaime vnto all men the impiety, and vanitie of their mindes: for true is that observation of Bernard, forma haec ve­stium [Page 14] deformitatis mentium indicium est: this forme of apparell argueth a worse deformitie in the heart. Eccles. 19. 28. A mans attyre, excessiue laughter, and going, shew what he is: these three make a commentary vpon the heart. And so from the golden bels in the skirts of the robe, I come to the Pomegranates, that were matched with them.

The pomegranate, which is an excellent fruit, was a symbol of good workes, as Gregorius affirmeth, nee desunt malogranata, sicum linguae sonitu bona opera con­iūgas, he wanteth not pomegranates to his bels, that ioineth teaching, and doing together. Both these are ioined to­gether in the 5 of Mathew at the 19. verse. Whosoever shall doe and teach them, he shall bee great in the kingdome of heaven. Act. 1. 1. S. Luke reduceth the history of Christ into two heads: teaching, and doing. Moses wisheth vnto Levi Vrim and Thummim, Vult lex Ponti­ficem in operibꝰ ornatum, nec sufficit sola scien­tia. Origen: de indumentis pon­tificis hom. 6. in Levit. the light of knowledge, & the integritie of conversation, and our Saviour commen­deth to his Disciples, the wisdome of the serpent, & the innocency of the doue.

A Church minister must be in verbis Vlysses, infa­ctis Achilles, or rather because we are accused for brin­ging the vnciscumcised Greekes into the Temple, Acts 21. 28. he must be in verbis Chrysostomus, in factis Poly­carpus. The Scribes and Pharises are sharply reproved Mat. 23. for putting asunder the things, which God ioineth together, I meane, saying, and doing, they say but they doe not.

And this light shined in darknesse for the Romanes accused Publicola for praising Brutus in word, when he followed Tarquinius in deed. Plut. in Public. B [...]rnard. Multi sunt Catholic [...]. [Page 15] dicando, qui tamen sunt haeretici operando: many are Ca­tholickes in their doctrines, which are heretickes in their liues, Multi habent Christum in co­dicibus sed non in cordibus Aug lib. de spiritu & animi. c. 62. saith Bernard. They confute their sermons, with their evill liues. They resēble the file, that smootheth other things, but it selfe remaineth rough. These are mercuriales statuae, that point at the way to others, but they stand still.

But how can they so boldly reproue others, that are so badly reformed in thēselues? Who laughes not at the Cynicke Philosopher trampling vpon the pride of Plato with a greater pride. Bernard. Monstruosares est sedes prima, & vita im [...], gradus summus, & animus infimus, lingud magniloqua, & manus otiosa, sermo multꝰ, & fru­ctus nullus. These are monstrous things (saith the devout Abbot, de consid. ad Eugen.) the highest seate and the basest life, a busie tongue and an idle hand, much talking, & lit­tle good walking: here are bels without pomegranats, Mat. 5. Ergo vitae suae diligentem ra­tionem habeant pastores, vtpote in quos omnes spectant in qui­bus exiguus lap­sus foedi criminis instar crit. Ferus in Mat. Minoris aestima­tur offensa, quae ab vno aliquo populari, quà [...] quae à sacerdot [...] acciderit, Iunius in [...]xp. Analyt. in Levit. 4, Rev. 1▪ 6. which is a plaine transgression of the law.

Brethren we play our part vpon the open stage of the whole world, and therefore we must vse the grea­ter circumspection. The law in the 4. of Leviticus ap­pointeth a he-goat for the sinne-offring of the Priest & a lesser sacrifice for the offring of a private man; be­cause God is more highly displeased with the sin of the Priest (and so he is with the sin of all governours) then with the sinne of a private man, Levit. 10. 3.

Lastly, this text containeth instruction for all Chri­stians, for we are all Priests to God the father.

God therefore by ioining togither bels, & pome­granats in the skirts of the robe, requireth 2. things [Page 16] at the hand of every Christian.

• 1 Profession.
• 2 Practise.

First he requireth profession; as we beleeue with the heart vnto righteousnesse, so wee must confesse with the mouth vnto salvation, Rom. 10. 10.

And secondly he requireth practise, not every one that saith vnto me Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdome of heaven, but he that doth the will of my father, which is in heaven. Mat. 7▪ 21.

Concerning the first our Saviour speaks in the 10. of Matthew at the 32. verse, Whosoever shall confesse me before men, him will I also confesse before my father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my father which is in heauen.

Here is a coūterpoysō against the deadly doctrine of the Nicodemites, who deny the faith in time of persecution, vnder pretence of keeping their heartes vnto God. As the law threatneth death to the priest, if he make not a sound with his bels, so Christ here requireth publike profession of the faith vnder paine of eternall death. And yet profession in word is not sufficient, without good workes.

The Church is compared to a woman in the Canti­cles, propter foecunditatem bonorum operum, for her fruit fulnesse in good workes, as Beda noteth. And the Chri­stian is compared to the vine, which is most fruitfull of all plants. Augustine writing vpon the 103. Psalme, Psal 103. speaks occasionally of the 8. of Iohn, where our Savi­our writeth with his finger vpon the ground, In lapide le­gem [Page 17] scripserat significans duritiam Iudaeorū; hie in terra scribit significans fructum Christianorum, He wrote the law to the Iewes in stone, signifying the hardnesse of their hearts; here he writeth vpon the ground signifying that fruitfulnesse that is to be expected at the hands of Christi­ans. And here I might take occasion to fight a com­bate with verball professors, that professe in word the knowledge of God, but in deed they deny him, Titus 1. 16. Non rectè sanè, Bernard. sed impiè, linguam Christo, & animam dedisti diabolo: wisely done indeed! for so thou givest thy tongue to God, and thy soule to the devill. [...]. These men haue the smooth voice of Iacob & the rough hands of Esau. They are good linguists, but they are bad reallistes. Vt poma in Iu­daea non poma nascuntur, quae contacta in fu­mum abeunt, ta­lis verbosa illa pietas, sine vitae­li hoc operum succo; Lips. in po [...] Sobriè quantum ad nos, iustè quantum ad proximos, piè quantum ad de­um: Bernard. They resemble the faire apples that grow by the lake Asphaltites, which (as Iosephus saith) va­nish away into smoak when they come to handling. These men abuse the doctrine of free iustification by faith, by turning the grace of God into wantonnesse, and so with good food they poison themselues.

But the grace of God teacheth vs to deny vngodlinesse, and wordly lusts, & to liue soberly, righteously and godly in this present world, soberly in respect of our s [...]lues, righteously in respect of our neighbours, & godly in respect of God.