For if the blood of Bulles, and of Goates, and the ashes of a young Cowe being sprinckled, purifieth the vncleane, tou­ching the purification of the flesh: how much more, &c.

This argument of the Apostle, which consisteth vpon a proposition & an inference, is of that kind, which is cal­led by the Philosophers ( à minori ad maius) from a lesse, to a greater; from a darke, obscure, lesser, and smaller truth, admitted by the Aduersary, to inferre and euince a truth, cleerer, manifester, greater, and most certaine. If (saith the Apostle) the blood of such contemptible crea­tures, the weake, vncleane, and seruile sprinckling of the ashes of a young Cowe, mixed with water, can purifie the flesh: how much more shall the blood of Christ, who by the eternall spirit, offered himselfe vnspotted to God, clense the conscience from dead workes, to serue the liuing God? Singular vessel of election, how mightie is thy argument either to confound or conuert the incredulous Hebrews!

Christian and beloued Hearers, obserue the Antithesis [Page 7] and oppositions of the Apostle, waigh his comparisons, betwixt blood and blood: one, base, filthie, corrupt, ser­uile, contemptible: the other, honourable, most pure, sin­cere, free, excellent: the one, of Bulles, and Goates: the other of man, of a perfect, and most innocent, and holy man. As if the Apostle should say, O ye Hebrewes, you haue bulles, goates, kiddes, lambes: wee haue Christ the Messias desired, expected: you haue the sprinckling of a few corruptible droppes, we haue incorruptible, and sin­cere droppes of Christ, diuinely vnited to his person: you haue the vncleane and durtie ashes of a young cowe, in­termixt with water; we haue the admirable sprinckling of the diuine and humane nature, in vnitie of person: your sprinckling is naturally vncleane, and corporally polluteth the takers: ours is most pure, sanctified by the eternall spirit, beautified by the diuinitie it selfe: yours is a sprinckling made vpon man, ours is a sweet smelling sa­crifice offered to God: your sprinckling onely purifieth an outward kind of impuritie, and legall irregularitie; ours clenseth and purifieth the soules and consciences of faith­full offerers: yours, many, and often repeated, can neuer make the offerers perfect: ours, being one, and once on­ly offered, hath found an eternall redemption, and eter­nally consummateth all beleeuers: yours were not effica­cious for sanctification: ours, so potent, that it giueth a­bundance of grace, whereby we may be enabled to serue the liuing God. Christian and religious hearers, is it not worthily written of this Apostle, Saulus autem, &c. But Act. 9. Saul was comforted and strengthened, and euery where con­founded the Iewes, testifying that Iesus is Christ. O incre­dulous Iewes! when I consider the pride of your mindes, and withall, the basenesse of such creatures, and such ele­ments, vnder which you liued, in so toilesome a seruitude, I am astonished to thinke, that you would rest in such weake sacrifices, rites, sacraments, ceremonies, and ob­seruancies, and would not seeke, nor receiue Christ, the [Page 8] Messias, and the true immaculate Lambe slaine from the beginning of the world, being offered vnto you.

Thus much most briefly of the proposition it selfe: for I hasten to the inference made by the Apostle: in which full of all Christian consolation, I obserue and distin­guish, first, of whom the blood is, which is offered; to wit, of Christ; in these words: How much more, the blood of Christ? Secondly, I obserue by whom, and through whom, this blood is offered, By, and through the Eter­nall spirit: [...] (saith the Apostle) by the eter­nall Spirit. Thirdly, I distinguish, to whom it is offered; there; to God. Fourthly, I obserue for what end, this sa­crifice is offered; there; to cleanse the conscience from dead workes, to serue the liuing God. Of these foure (in­termitting some other obseruations which might be here made) in order.

Touching the first, when I weigh with my selfe, whose blood it is, which is offered: I am wholly disanimated from presuming to decipher the excellencies, perfecti­ons, and eminences of his person. For, I beleeuing with faith, that he is both God and man; not onely man, nor onely God, but a Christ consisting both of God and man; a perfect supposit, a compleate Person; who though as Christ, had a beginning, and was not before the incar­nation; yet as touching his diuinity, and personality, hee was most perfectly, from all eternities very perfect God, of God, Sonne of the father; who in the fulnesse of time, by a certaine inexplicable vnion became the Sonne of man, or rather the true and naturall Sonne of a woman, and the reputed Sonne onely of man, of Ioseph, his puta­tiue father.

These things I say beleeuing with faith, the saying of Isaiah the Prophet ( Generationem eius quis enarrabit) Isay 53. who shall declare his generation? occurreth, and checketh my presumption, that I bee not too bold a searcher of maiesty; least I be oppressed, and confounded with the [Page 9] glory thereof. Yet, considering that the veile of Moses is remoued, and the veile of Sancta Sanctorum is rent, at the dreadfull houre of Christs ( consummatum est) it is consummated: and that the mysterie of Christ, the hope of our glory; which was hidden in ancient ages and genera­tions, (as the Apostle speaketh in his Epistle to the Co­lossians) is now made manifest to the Saints: I will, ac­cording Collos. 1. to the rule of Christian faith, with my best fa­culty of wit, and learniug, (but alasse, what a nothing is all that, in respect of the excellency of the obiect, whereof I am to discourse?) declare vnto you, what this Christ is, of whose blood we speake: what this, ( verbum abbreuia­tum) this abbreuiated word is, to speake with the Apostle, in his Epistle to the Romanes is: if in this discourse, I seem Rom. 9. briefe and obscure, impute it to the eminency of the ob­iect, which otherwise then defectiuely, cannot be spoken of, neither by the tongue of man, nor of Angell.

With most submisse reuerence therefore, we will con­sicer Christ; first, with a reference to God and his acti­ons, secondly, with a reference, and relation to vs: Thirdly as he is in himselfe. In the first consideration, first of all, we consider Christ, as the very terme, obiect, or bound, of the greatest communication, or diffusion, which the Almightie Trinity can make: so that, by the communica­tion, which the most blessed Trinitie, and peculiarly the second Person, hath already made of his subsistence, and personality to the humane nature, the same blessed Trini­ty, (be it spoken vnder correction of faith, and with de­misse reuerence) is at a stop and stay, not potent to make a greater communication, then this which is already made, whereby Christ is made. For, is a substantiall com­munication of the diuinity it selfe, in the very diuine na­ture were possible; (which yet cannot be granted, vnlesse we wil subuert the very foundation of christian religion) yet the same greater then this, which is alreadie made, should, nor could not be: because a greater cōmunicatiō [Page 10] then of God himselfe, which is already made, by this personall coniunction in Christ, cannot bee imagined. Againe, if either the father, or the holy Ghost, or both, (as Christian diuinity faith it is possible) should aslume, by hypostatical and personall vnion the nature of an Angell or of man; yet both such communications, both such as­sumptions, should not surpasse in greatnesse, or excellen­cy, this one, which is already made in Christ alone. For our holie faith teaching vs, that two persons of the most ineffable Trinity, are not greater then one, nor one of them lesser then two; but that euery Person hath infinite­ly a perfect equality, and persection with the other two: manifest it is, that the communications of two Persons, or of three, is not greater nor excellenter then of one onely: How admirable therefore? how ineffable therefore is this communication of God to man, whereby the Omni­potent power of God is so bounded and limited, that it cannot proceed further, to make a worke of greater per­fection? O inenarrable generations! As the Eternall and natural generation of the sonne in diuine essence, is so in­finite, so immense, that God the father could not beget a more perfect naturall Sonne: so like wise, the voluntary, and temporall generation of Christ, is so absolute, so in­finitely perfect, that a greater cannot by God be made.

Well, diddest thou crie out, holy Isay (Generationem Isay 53. eius quis enarrabit?) who shall shew forth his generation? and againe, O Lord, who hath beleeued, what we haue heard, and the arme of the Lord to whom is it reuealed? Admirable indeed, but more sweetly, and more comfor­tably admirable is that, which the same Prophet adioi­neth of this our Christ, that hee should be reputed with the wicked, with malefactours; that through slander, and false iudgement, he should be cut from the land of the li­uing, that he should bee smitten by the senere decree of his father, for the expiation of the sinnes of a most wic­ked, and most vngratefull people. O Lord, who will be­leeue [Page 11] what wee haue heard, or to whom is the arme of the Lord reuealed? not framing the heauens; but nailed and hanging vpon the Crosse, to eleuate man with the might of his blood, to the heauens. But of this anone.

This supreme communication of God to man, doth so farre surpasse all naturall productions of creatures, or su­pernaturall, of qualities of that kind; as of iustification, sanctification, glorification, that there is no comparison to be made: yea all the same graces, of iustification, san­ctification, glorification, by necessary consequence, fol­low vpon the same communication; and by vertue of the hypostaticall vnion; so, that it is impossible, that the soule or humane nature, which is assumpted into vnity of the di­uine Person; should not by necessary consequence, be ho­ly, be sanctified, be glorified, beatified. And had not Christ, by his almighty power, bounded and limited the brightnesse, which the soule and humane nature recei­ued and possessed, by the vision of the diuine nature, from redounding and imparting it selfe vnto his inferior parts, and his body: the same, by an effluence, and ouer flowing of happinesse from his soule, should haue become glori­ous, glorified, and consequently impassible, immortall; and so Christ could not haue died.

But because our deare Sauiour, ( desiderio desiderauit) with a desire desired (as he testifieth of himselfe) that is, most vehemently desired, to drinke the cup of passion; and Luc. 28. to die the death, lest the whole nation of mankind, for want of such a death, should haue perished. Therefore, ( in capite libri) in the very head, beginning, or top of the booke, (as it is described in the 40. psalme by some rea­dings) in the very first moment of his conception, he gra­tiously, and out of the bowels of an infinite mercy, vouchsafed by a great miracle to stop, and conteine the glory of his soule, from communicating, or redounding it selfe, to his body: that so, he might haue a fit, a ready, or Psal. 40. Heb. 10. prepared body, as the holy Prophet and our Apostle doe [Page 12] speake: a readie and prepared bodie, a bodie fitted to suffer. O sweet Iesus, had not thy bodie beene fitted for the person of thee a God, if it had not beene passible, apt to suffer, apt to die? No, no, saith our Christ, otherwise not fit: but being so fitted, so prepared, then saith Christ Ibidem. (ecce venio) Behold I come, behold I come, to doe the will of my Father, and to die for the deliuerie of mankind. O Christian and Catholike soules, are you not astonished with admiration? Are you not incensed and fired with flames of louing and most thankfull affections? to ob­serue, that the very first miracle which Iesus should make, and this vpon the verie moment of his conception, was to containe the glorie, which by vertue of the Hypostati­call and personall vnion, would haue imparted it selfe to his bodie, and haue made it impassible and immortall, that by such a miraculous subtraction and containing of glorie he might make his bodie passible, mortall, apt, and fitted to suffer, to die: for whom? for whom? for you Christian hearers, and for all mankind. If vpon such con­siderations you feele no alterations of loue, of ioy, of detestation of sinne, of amendment of life, of thanksgi­uing, of consolation in your soules (Tentate vosmetipsos ne forte reprobi sitis) Trie your selues to speake with the 2. Cor. 13. Apostle, least perhaps you be reprobate: trie and examine whether soules congealed, and obdurate in sinne, not to be moued or melted by such a fire of loue, are not reprobat, Hebr. 6. and neere to malediction.

But, to our confiderations vpon Christ, whom if wee consider, with respect to the diuine attributes, and infinit perfections in God, to wit, his infinite wisedome, omnipo­tencie, iustice, mercie, goodnesse, &c. they doe so perfectly shine and appeare in him, that most worthily therefore he is called in holy Scripture (facies Domini) the face of the Lord, (for so some thinke that is to be vnderstood) in the Num. 6. booke of Numbers (ostendat Dominus faciem suam) the Lord shew his face: and those frequent speeches in holy [Page 13] Scriptures, Shew thy face O Lord, Turne not away thy face, Illuminate thy countenance ouer vs. What other face or countenance of God is this, than that, of which Saint Hebr. 1. Paule thus pronounceth? That he is the splendour of the glorie of his Father, and the figure of his substance. And I vnderstand this shining and appearing of the diuine attri­butes in Christ, not onely in respect of his diuine essence, and nature, by which he is the sonne of God, and there­fore, according to the common law of Sonnes, as a Sonne, he is like to his Father, nor in respect of any supernaturall gifts or qualities onely, or by reason of his soule; for these two later are common with him to iust and sanctified per­sons: but moreouer, in a certaine admirable and inexpres­sible sort, the diuine attributes did so shine, and were so re­splendent in Christ, his humane nature and conuersation, that by the same he might be knowne to be very God, e­uen as the sex of man or woman is knowne and distingui­shed by their faces. May I not gather this out of that speech of Christ to Philip? (Philippe qui videt me &c.) Ioh. 14. Philip, he who seeth me, seeth my Father. Againe, if you had knowne me, you should also haue knowne my Father. Cleare is this in S. Iohn the beloued Disciple thus pronouncing. 1. Joh. 1. (Quod fuit ab initio &c.) That which hath beene from the beginning, which we haue heard, which we haue seene with our eyes of the word of life, that which we haue beheld, and our hands haue felt, of the word of life, and the life is made manifest, and we haue seene, and witnesse, and doe shew to you the life eternall, which was with the Father, and hath appeared vnto vs. O admirable, diuine, and most beloued Disciple in Christs conuersation and apparition, thou diddest see with thy eyes, and feele with thy very hands God the life, the word, made flesh. But tell vs, O ye Sa­ges of the East; yee, who being inuited and conducted by a starre from heauen, came and found this our Christ in his mothers lappe, and hanging vpon her breasts: what splendours of maiestie? What beames of glorie did you [Page 14] behold in that Almightie infant? What, shall your gifts speake for you? ( Aurum, Thus, Mirrha) Gold, Frankin­cense, Mirrhe, to a King, to a God, to a Man: who taught you this wisdome? the Starre, or Balaams prophecie on­ly? no doubtlesse: the diuine Maiestie of that babe which you there beheld, in that garment of our humanitie, sent forth such splendours, to your great admiration, that en­tring into the house, and finding the child with the blessed virgine Marie, as the Euangelist describeth it, you could Math. 2. not but prostrate your selues, open, offer your gifts, your treasures to him, Gold, Mirrhe, Frankincense; all which were mysticall gifts: for by Gold, the childs royall autho­ritie and supremacie; by Mirrhe, his sweet humanitie and mortalitie: by Frankincense, his Diuinitie and Godhead was signified, honoured, and adored. O consummate wisedome of these Sages from the East, honouring the maiestie of this Almightie Babe, euen then, when the beames of his birth, reflecting vpon Hierusalem, daunted and confounded Herod, with his Court, together with all the citizens of that earthly Hierusalem. I will not stand to ampliare this my discourse, by asking the Doctors and learned of Ierusalem, what illustrations of wisedome and knowledge they saw in this child, hearing the wise an­sweres and demaunds which he made, being but twelue yeares of age: it is ynough for me, that the Scripture saith (Stupebant autem omnes &c) But all who heard him, were astonished, and amazed at his wisedome and an­sweres, Luk. 2. diuine wisedome doubtlesse appearing in him. Neither will I stand to demaund of the Apostles, the Dis­ciples of this Christ, nor of the deuout multitude, what they saw, when to him, sitting vpon a sillie Asse, they gaue such acclamations, excelling the condition of a pure man ( Osanna in excelsis &c.) Health, Prosperitie, Safe­tie from on high: God speed on high, Blessed is he who commeth in the name, in the power of the Lord: Blessed is he, who commeth the Lord, and with the power of the [Page 15] Lord; the Lord, and God himselfe. Six hundred passa­ges of sacred Scripture I passe ouer, recounting the di­uine wisedome, mercie, power, iustice, goodnesse of a God, shiningly appearing in Christ, and his conuersation: so that euery where his diuine praises were breathed forth, either from the mouthes of infants, from the testi­monies of his aduersaries, or the religious applauses of the deuout multitudes. But giue me leaue, most beloued and religious Christians, yet to enter with this Christ in­to his passion, and there to consider how magnificent and apparāt in it were the attributes & perfectiōs of his God­head. I passe ouer his confounding, his casting and throwing downe to the ground, his aduersaries with traiterous Iudas comming to apprehend him, with those few words onely (Quem quaeritis? ego sum) Whom seeke you? I am, I am: whom you seeke, I am he: I pretermit hundreths of arguments in the time of his pas­sion, for the proofe and honour of a suffering, of a dying Maiestie. I onely consider, what diuine splendours of goodnesse, mercie, iustice, wisedome, power, patience, clemencie, did with a collaterall reflection represent themselues out of Christ crucified, and reflect vpon the right-handed, rather the right-hearted theefe, that hee was moued to make that most Christian and happie in­uocation Luk. 23. and confession (Memento mei Domine, cum veneris, &c.) Remember me O Lord, when thou shalt come into thy kingdome. O most happie confession of a most happie theefe! flesh and blood reuealed not this vnto thee. O thou theefe, not now a wicked theefe, but an in­nocent theefe, robbing rather in a Paradise than vpon earth. O theefe, wonted with violence to violate men, but now, with the violence of a eontrite heart, liuely faith, and constant confession, purchasing Paradise. Christian and religious hearers, what kingly, what di­uine ornaments saw this most Christian theefe, to make such a confession? to professe Christ to be the King of [Page 16] heauen? for of any earthly kingdom he could not meane. The Scepter of the vaine reede, with the most scornefull, Haile king of the Iewes, he had not seene, he had not per­haps heard: the scepter he then beheld, were the sharpe piercing nailes, fastening his Kings hands, to the shame­full crosse: the kingly robes, were Adams nakednesse, and our confusion: the chaire of State, the hard and igno­minious crosse: the royall fare and kingly dainties, gall and vineger: the Prince-like acclamations, were tauntes, reproches, exprobrations, reuiles, with scornefull casting of hands, and mouing of the heads of those damned mis­creants, with those most contemptuous vahs: vah, vah, He hath saued others, let him now saue himselfe: If he bee the sonne of God, let him now come down from the crosse, & we will beleeue in him. I dare pronounce, that these most vnspeakable ignominies, borne with that admirable pati­ence, inuincible charitie, most charitable compassion and clemencie, and the powerfull suffering of Christ, did drawe this our holy theefe to that Christian confession; Remember mee, O Lord, when thou shalt come into thy kingdome. It was not the wonders onely, which mooued him thereunto: no, no; hee made this confession before diuers of them were made, as you shall reade in Saint Luke, the 42. and 43. verses of the 23. Chapter: there­fore, by the secret working of the holy Ghost, and by that confluence of the diuine attributes of patience, mer­cie, iustice, power, goodnesse, charitie, which appeared in Christ (more then could be in a pure man) hanging vp­on the crosse, the good and Christian theefe came to ac­knowledge him to be a Lord, and to confesse his eternall and euerlasting kingdome.

Oh, how could my tongue here expatiate it selfe, to amplifie by similitudes and examples, how the attributes of a God euery where appeared in Christ! whether J be­hold him lying in the manger, or resting in his mothers armes: whether amongst the Doctors disputing in the [Page 17] Temple, or betwixt the theeues, praying, and offering supplications vpon the crosse: whether scourging sa­crilegious buyers and sellers out of the Temple, his fa­thers house, or himselfe fast bound to a pillar, tormented and scourged most cruelly by those sacrilegious executi­oners: whether sitting wearie vpon Iacobs fountaine, or hanging languishing vpon the crosse, yeelding forth of the blood of saluation a most pretious fountaine: whe­ther raising the dead, or himselfe adiudged to death: whether in the desart feeding others with bread, or him­selfe fed by others with gall and vineger vpon the crosse: wheresoeuer and howsoeuer, I see and contemplate him, J cannot but admire, and confesse him, ( speciosum for­ma, prae filijs hominum) beautifull in forme aboue the chil­dren of men: beutiful in the forme of God aboue the chil­dren of men. I cannot but with admiration say vnto him with Kingly Dauid, Beautifull in forme aboue the chil­dren Psal. 45. of men, Grace is diffused in thy lippes: therefore thee, O God! thy God hath annointed with the oyle of gladnesse, aboue thy fellowes: so annointed, that in verie forme he appeared more than his fellowes; aboue his fellowes not onely a holy man, but a God, God and man. I cannot but proclaime, that although the glorie of the Diuinitie of Christ, imparted to his soule, was so contai­ned from communicating it selfe to his bodie, yet it could not be so concluded and shut vp, but that some beames and glitterings thereof did so diffuse themselues (like vnto the beames of the glittering Sunne vnder a cleare cloud) that the pious beholder might contemplate the very diuine attributes, to be in an admirable sort relucent and resplendent, in the very humanitie of Christ, con­uersing with man. O Emanuel! O Emanuel! God with vs: God with vs: conuersing amongst men, and by so diuine conuersation, knowen to be the true Emanuel in­deed, [Page 10] the true God amonst vs, amongst men.

Thus too breefly, and imperfectly, how theattri­butes, and diuine perfections, of God were transponent in Christ.

Oh, that time would permit me, fully to consider this our Christ, as he hath relation to the actions, and opera­tions of God, in the framing, and gouerning of this vni­uerse, especially, his actions to ward mankinde! we should find him, to be the very scope, and end, for which all this world was made; wee should find him, to be the very drift, butte, and end of all Gods desires; we should finde, that of the holy Prophet Isay to be true in him ( Et eris Isay 62. corona gloriae, in manu domini, & diadema Regni in manu dei tui.) Thou shalt bee a crowne of glory in the hand of the Lord; a Diademe of a Kingdome in the hand of thy God. A crowne of glory, a Diademe of a Kingdome, e­uen vpon the head, and in the hands of the Lord, of God; to honour, to make glorious, God the Lord. A crowne of glory, A diademe of a Kingdome in the hands of God, in the hands of the Lord, euer to be looked vpon, to bee contemplated, admired, desired. Heare the heauenly father, himselfe more then once, auouching as much. Math. 17. Ma [...]c. 1. Luc. 9. Mat. 3. ( Hic est filius meus, &c. This is my beloued sonne, in whom I am very well pleased, in whom my soule taketh full content. This, this, is the scope of all my actions; This is my word, which I looked vpon, framing the whole world. This is the very Idea, vpon which I con­templated, electing, predestinating, my children to my glory: and when I call those, whom I haue elected, and predestinated, according to the purpose of my will, from all eternities; to iustifie them, to sanctifie them, to glorifie them: I make them all confermable to the Image of this my sonne: Yea so well pleased is my soule in him that for his sake, from all eternities, I haue absolutely [Page 11] perfectly, loued those, whom I haue elected in him, and for him, before they were any thing at all, and when in time, like fugitiue seruants, they were at enmity with me, through sinne, liuing in sinne, delighting in sinne: I then, for his sake, called, iustified, sanctified them, leauing them not, vntill I bring them for respect of him to my e­ternall glory, and vntill, I accomplish my will in them, I will not surce ase: no man shall take them out of my handes, no man shall stop the might of my election. This, this, Christian hearers, as it is doctrine, full of all consola­tion to the faithfull, that haue a liuing and a sanctifying faith, through and in this Chri [...]t: so is it not nouell but most ancient, Catholike, howsoeuer most commonly, the Pontifician Diuines teach and affirme, that the predesti­nation, and election of Gods children; is not without preuision of their merits: and so making the merits of man, as a motiue of Gods eternall election; they shew themselues, to be nothing lesse, then Semipelagians; whole Pelagians, I would call them, if they taught these merits of man; without necessity of grace through, and in Christ. Merits we exclude (Christian hearers) whē they are made as causes of predestination: but not good workes, as fruites of sanctification, in which, God hath eternally preordained his elect to walke in.

Sixe hundred places of scripture, (wherewith you learned in Gods booke, are acquainted) I could produce for the confirming of this truth: how that without works freely in Christ alone, we were loued, beloued, and ele­cted; before we were any thing at all; (except onely in Gods election,) yea and afterwards also, when in time, we became worse then nothing, by committing sinne (the which, as it is nothing of Gods worke, so for so much as it is mans worke, it maketh him worse then nothing) yet for Christs sake, man so wicked, so abhominable, was cal­led, iustified, sanctified, according to the purpose of Gods eternall election.

[...] [Page 11] [...] [Page 20] O inestimable! O vnspeakable benefit therefore of Christ! O Christ! powerfull in the eternall prouidence of God, before creation, for our election: powerfull in time appointed, for our vocation, iustification, sanctifica­tion: powerfull for our perseuerance, and finall consum­mation: so powerfull, and so precious in the sight of God; that if God, (whose goodnesse is so great, that he would suffer no ill; if he knew not how, to produce good thereout) had not foreknowne such a remedy against sinne; such an anointed one; such a Christ; for the curing of soules; he would neuer haue permitted Adam to haue sinned, at least wise, he would neuer haue permitted his sinne, as a generall deluge, to haue ouer whelmed all man­kind; so that as in a sort, it may be said: sinne had not bin permitted, if such a Sauiour, such a Christ, could not haue beene sent; haue beene prouided: so neither, such a dying Sauiour; such a passible Christ had not been sent, if sinne had not beene permitted. O mysterie of all mysteries! from the very profoundest of my soule, I proclaime; O Christ; most blessed, and eternally to be desired; for if thou couldest not haue beene sent, to expiate sinne; the same had not beene permitted; and if sinne had not been permitted, thou haddest not beenesent, to seeke the lost sheepe of mankind: O infinite goodnesse of God. There­fore, I dare boldly pronounce, with ancient Gregory. (O Felix Adae peccatum, &c.) O happy sinne of Adam; which deserued to haue such, and so great a Redeemer? O truely necessary sinne of Adam; which by the death of Christ, is abolished and destroied; of Christ I say, of whose excellencies and perfections, in respect of vs; and in the manner of his concurrence to our sanctification, and sal­uation, in respect of euery sort of causing and working as materiall, formall, efficient, finall; and in respect of him­selfe, for those treasures of diuine wisdome, and graces, without measure, (as farre as the right hand of God, by his ordinary power could extend it selfe) imparted to [Page 21] his soule: if I should further, (according to my diui­sion made aboue of the respects of Christ) discourse Hebr. 5. and ampliate my speech, it should proue, to be (sermo in­interpretabilis) a speech vninterpretable, (as the Apo­stle speaketh) either by my selfe the speaker, or by you the hearers, neither doth the time fauour me so much: He is God, what seek you? he is God: what desire you? or why doe I yet presume to search?

Consider his attributes, his perfections, to day, to mor­row, the more you shall seeke, the lesse you shall find (if you thinke to attaine) for hee is incomprehensible: be­leeue the scriptures, thus pronouncing (lucem inhabi­tat inaccessam) hee dwelleth in a light, to which there is 1. Timoth. 6. no accesse. Here therefore, a periode and a stop of this my discourse: not able to make any further progresse; I answere, (as Simonides the Philosopher did to Hiero tou­ching God) the more I seeke the perfections of Christ, the lesse I find them. But for application and vse of this doctrine; I will make no other then what I haue al­ready made; by which I see Christ already in faith, and loue applied to your soules: with whom I doubt not, but that you will speake, and commune as Christians ought with such a Christ, so deere, so sweet, so perfect a Spouse.

How much more: he blood of Christ?

But how shall I prosecure the other consideration of this my first part of my text? what a paradoxe, shall I seeme to deliuer, to speake of the blood of such a maie­sty? of such a glory? how ill doe consort, the maiesty of Godhead; and the humility of bloodshed? these attri­butes of diuinity, and such defects of humanity: such a humility, and such a glory? If I should preach to the Gentiles, they would esteeme mee (in sanire) to bee mad, and such doctrine to be meere folly: if to the Iewes, they would not indure the scandall of the Crosse; nor the ig­nominy [Page 22] of this blood: but considering I preach to this so religious an assembly, called and associated together (non de sanguinibus) not by bloods; not by bloods of Buls, Goates, Sheepe, &c. but (de sanguine quasi agni immacu­lati) by the one blood of the immaculate Lambe: one lambe, and once sacrificed. I shall easily perswade you, the sweet coniunction of such a Maiestie, and such a hu­militie: I shall easily perswade you, that the blood of this lambe is (virtus Dei omni credenti) the very vertue of God, to euery one who beleeueth, and confideth in it.

How much more the blood of Christ?

Manifold is the acception of blood in sacred Scrip­tures, and with prophane Philosophers. Blood for mur­ther, man-slaughter, death, crueltie: blood for impuritie, vncleanenesse of life: blood for the seed of generation: blood, as it is the seat and domicile of life; the immediate cause and instrument of nourishment, of motion, of natu­rall health, colour, temperature, due complection, &c. But intermitting all these acceptions, and the moralizing vpon them: the blood which our Apostle meaneth, is the blood of Christ, the Seale of the new Testament, the blood of redemption, satisfaction; of reconciliation, san­ctification.

O wonderfull and most venerable blood! But is the acception of this blood of our one Iesus, one, or mani­fold? It is Christian Catholike Auditors, both one, and manifold: one, in Christ: manifold, from Christ: one in Christ, in an indiuiduall, substantiall, and integrall vnitie of nature, concurring to make him a perfect liuing man: manifold, as it is effused and flowing from Christ, to make vs perfect Christian men. How manifold is this blood? witnesse, first, that bloodie sweat in the garden, a­rising rather from his tender and inward compassion ouer [Page 23] sinners, then from any desolation. O droppes, not drop­ping, but of blood (decurrentis in terram) running downe vpon the earth! what earth? mankind, by sinfull conuer­sation transformed into earth: but this blood trickleth, yea runneth downe vpon it, to wash it, to sanctifie it, and to make it fructifie. Witnesse those streames of blood which gushed from euery part of Christs sacred body, when the mercilesse scourgers whipped and tormented him, being fast bound to a pillar. I reade elsewhere (Chri­stus erat petra, & bibebant de spirituali consequente eos 1. Cor. 10. petra) Christ was a rocke, and they drunke (the auncient faithfull) of the spirituall rocke which followed them. Here I contemplate Christ, not a rocke, but a most tender man, fast bound to a stone, to a rocke, whipped, scourged, tor­mented, to yeeld forth a streame, a great fountaine of blood; of which all may drinke, from the beginning vntill the consummation of the world. For not onely ( Agnus occisus, but Agnus flagellatus ab origine mundi) was the Lambe slaine, but also whipped, from the beginning of the world: Moyses, Abraham, Noe, Adam, drunke of this rocke, or rather of this Christ, bound to a rocke, and yeel­ding a fountaine of blood. Not here ( petra erat Chri­stus) Christ was a rocke, a stone, but ( apud Petram Chri­stus) a tender man, a sensitiue man, fast bound to a stone, a pillar of stone, feeling the sharpe paine of most cruell scourging, able enough to haue killed Christ, had he not also determined to ascend vp into the Palme-tree: what said, I the Palme-tree? I should haue said the tree of the crosse, the tree of curse, of malediction. Witnesse, those currents from his head crowned with thornes, his hands and feet nailed and pierced. Witnesse his most diuine side opened with a speare; whence, in testimonie that this Christ had made a complete expiation for mankind: with his last droppes of blood, water also issued forth: (conti­nuo exiui sanguis & aqua) presently, instantly, vpon the [Page 24] opening of the sacred side, blood and water went forth. Blood and water stood attending that opening of the di­uine wall; which once opened, and launced, blood and water, fel not out, rushed not out, dropped not out; but went out, walked out, going in fortitude, in vertue, strength, to confront with Satan, to vanquish death and damnation, to consummate our redemption. What mar­uell is this, to vs beleeuing, that this blood and water, by a strange and wonderfull vnion, were vnited to the sub­sistence and person of him, who is the author of all life, giuer of all motion? O blood and water, consummating all sanctification, filling all ruines, in heauen and vpon earth! Waight and ballance are the iudgements of God, Prou. 16. saith the diuine Scripture. But in this extraordinarie worke of our redemption, in this iudgement exercised vpon the sonne of God, what measure hath beene kept? what ballance hath beene vsed? what meane hath beene obserued? all is shedde, all is effused: and in testimonie thereof, with the last droppes of blood, water is adioyned; by such a coniunction of water with blood, proclaiming to mankind, That the blood of Christ doth not onely me­rit, redeeme, satisfie; but also wash, purifie, sanctifie with puritie of grace, the consciences of all such, who with a li­uing, and a sanctifying faith should confide in it.

Rowze vp you soules beloued, in this blood, and de­maund of me, by which of all these bloods are we redee­med: and I will answer vnto you, That wee are redeemed by them all: all these are (passio Christi) the passion of Christ: by them all, by them all: plentifull therefore is your redemption, absolute, and in very rigour of iustice so consummate, that applied by faith to your soules, ap­prehended by faith, (iustifying faith, sanctifying faith I meane, which destroyeth dead workes, innouateth your consciences with a new, and with the principall spirit) the seuere, and iust eye of God cannot reiect or condemne [Page 25] such as are signed, and marked with the same. The last houre (Christian hearers) endeth the day, the last sand emptieth the houre-glasse, the last droppes fill the ves­sel, the last figure consummateth and maketh perfect a­ny number; so, the last droppes of Christs blood, consum­mated, perfected, our redemption. All these effusions of blood by me mentioned, did concurre to your redempti­on and saluation; but the last droppes consummated all: for it is the blood of Christ dying, the effusion of blood, in which the life of Christ was offered, which consummate­ly perfected all, merited, satisfied for vs. O most sweet prouidence of God! (non alius defuit Deo, saluandi mundum modus) there wanted not, saith Saint Austen, ano­ther manner, or meanes to God, for sauing of the world. Notwithstanding, by blood he would haue it done, and this by the blood of his onely begotten sonne.

O most potent blood, not of Bulles or Goates, for a le­gall and carnall purification onely; but of Christ, to make such a purification of soules, that the eie of the most iust Iudge looking vpon them, signed with the same, cannot repute them vncleane, vnsanctified, but diuinely beauti­fied. Not of Bulles, and Goates, Calues, and Kiddes, of­ten to be repeated, & reiterated: but of one only Christ, by one onely oblation eternally sanctifying all sincere be­leeuers. Not of goates and oxen, for the Iewish nation onely; but of Christ, the liuing fountaine (irrigans vni­uersam terram) watering the whole earth: all ages, all sex­es, all conditions of mankind. Foure-fold were the riuers, which issued from one fountaine, in the earthly Paradise, and watered the whole earth, making the same fruitfull: not foure fold onely, but manifold are the riuers, which is­sued from the fountaine in the spirituall Paradise, where Christ Iesus was placed with his spouse, his wife, his Church. How manifold were the riuers, issuing from this [Page 26] fountaine, you haue already heard, from euery part, side, and end of this fountaine, from the head of this foun­taine, by thornes; from the feet, and hands by nailes; from his sweetest face, by blowes, buffets, and most cruell scrat­ches, from his side, by the speare; from his whole body, by the sharpe scou [...]ging of [...] executioners.

O Rare fountaine, streaming on euery side! O diuine altitude, longitude, latitude, and p [...]ofundity of this foun­taine! Oh that we would, with all Saints, comprehend the altitude, longitude, latitude, and profoundnes of this [...]eding fountaine of this bleeding Christ, commen­ded by the Apostle in his Epistle to the Ephesians? Ephes. 3. O that we would, or could endeauour, to comprehend in our daily considerations, the altitude of the bleeding head of this fountaine? should we not, trow yee, with teares of sorrow, and compunction, bewaile the pride, of our owne ambitious heads? should we not wash away our aspiring thoughts, by which yeerely, lately, at all moments, we proiect our owne greatnesse, to mount vp ourselues, though it bee with the circumuention of our owne brethren, breach of fidelity, incurring of periurie, and the commitment of any most dreadfull sinnes? Oh that wee would consider, the longitude of this bleeding fountaine? longitude in time, from thursday euening, till friday euening; for vpon friday euening ( Mar. 15. Circa horam nonam expirauit Iesus) about the ninth houre sweet Iesus expired: I should haue said, longitude in time, from the day of his circumcision, vntill his expiration, or rather vntill the apertion of his side, after his expiring.

Longitude in place, from the Garden of Gethsemanie vnto the houses of Annas, Caiaphas; thence to the towne house; thence to the mount Caluary; where wee haue many longitudes; longitudes of his armes, stretched out to the armes of the Crosse; longitude of his feet, and bo­dy proportioned to the length of the Crosse, and in all these longitudes, Christ boisterously drawne out, stret­ched [Page 27] forth, mercilesly hoysed vp, immanely pitched downe with the crosse, fastened in the ground; what a mouing? what an effectuall and diuine longitude would this proue, if it were daily meditated vpon? would it not (thinke you) produce in our soules a longanimity of patience, in all our tribulations? a longitude of hope a­gainst all suggestions of dispaire? a length of loue, to for­giue our enemies, offending and iniuring vs, though neuer so often? A vertue very necessary, and needfull in these times, especially, with our Gallants; who so vn­christianly stand vpon their points of honour; who ne­uer as yet haue learned, for Christs sake, to forgiue any wrong; to put vp any iniury vpon any submission, or ac­knowledgement whatsoeuer: nothing will content them; but ( lex Talionis) the law of requitall, of equality: An eie, for an eie; a tooth for a tooth: life for life, blood for blood? O yee Christians! (truly Gallants, and truly nobles, if you heare this lesson) in the behalfe of this Christ; which did once susteine your persons, to deliuer you from damnation; who suffered so many iniuries, to giue you eternall honour: I aske of you, I require of you, that for his sake, for his loue, for his honour, and for the honour of the Christian name, end your controuersies, conclude your contentions, and quarrels as Christians ought to doe: that is so often, ( though seuenty seuen times Mat. 18. saith Christ) as the offender shall acknowledge his fault, make submission; doe ye forgiue, be reconciled, forget in­iuries.

I dare here boldly pronounce, he vnderstandeth no­thing, he knoweth nothing, he is worth nothing; he hath no dramme of Christian magnanimitie in him; who will not admit, and approue such a reconcilement, to be Chri­stian, honourable, glorious, both before God and man: such a reconcilement (I say) as the duty of a Christian to [Page 36] Christ crucified, dead and sacrificed, requireth, challen­geth, commandeth. And if any here will despise, or neg­lect this Christian counsell, and stand vpon Machiuillian, and Italian puntidel-honore, I will confidently pro­claime against him, or them, whatsoeuer they be, that of the Prophet Osee, (Ventum seminat, turbinem metet) he soweth a wind, but shall reape a whirlewind? Osec. 8. he soweth a puffe of vaine glory, a blast of spanish Ostentation, but shall reape a whirle wind of confusion and ignominie to himselfe and his posterity, perhaps in this liue, if he of­fend the law, and feele the seuerity of the same, (accor­dingly as he deserueth) or else most assuredly at the dread­full day of his iudgement, he shall meet with that dreadfull whirlewind of ( Ito maledicte) Depart thou accursed; Mat. 25. which shall conuolue and wrap him vp with his consorts, the seruants of the Roaring and deuouring Lion, into the whirlepoole of Eternall damnation, where, and with whom, he may if it shall so please him, cast firebrands, for precedency of honour, and chaires of dignitie eter­nallie.

But to our sountaine, to our fountaine. Oh that wee would consider Christ with such a length of his armes, so prodigallie and charitably effusing, and powring forth his blood, to wash all, to sanctifie all: would it not per­swade vs, to lengthen forth our armes, and to open our palmes to the poore, and needy? but out alas, wee con­template not this longitude, and therefore insteed of stretching forth our armes to the poore, we stretch and whet our tongues, we sharpen our speeches against them, we ad affliction to their affliction, we reuile, exprobrate, discomfort them. O damnable custome ouerflowing Italy! O wretched practise ouerabounding Spaine and France! O practise of Reprobates, too too frequent in England. O fashion euery where in fashion, and yet the [Page 33] fashion only, of Reprobates and children of perdition! I boldly here speake it, that it is a speciall signe, marke, badge, and character of reprobates, and children of per­dition, so to en [...]ertaine, so to abuse the poore Lazars; why said I poore Lazars? I should haue said poore Christs, and poore Iesus in these Lazars: Hee hath said it, and I dare proclaime it, whatsoeuer you shall doe to one of these, you shall doe to me. Honourable, worshipfull and Mat 25. most worthy Christians, especially you of the deuout and religious sex, who are more accustomed to be like to the worthy Matron of your owne sex described in the Pro­uerbs, to open her palmes to the needy, and to stretch forth her armes to the poore: I beseech you often to con­sider Prouerb. [...] of this blood of Christ, shed so prodigally for your soules: and if you will not be prodigall to him in his poore, at least be liberall, be Charitable: Expend of­ten that saying of Christ to the couteous Scribes, which I now inclucate to your religious eares and hearts, ( Da­te elemosynam & ecce omnia munda sunt vobis:) Giue almes, and behold all things are cleane vnto you: Be chari­table, Luc. 11. be liberall, be prodigall, vnto the poore Lazars, vnto the needie Christs, and behold all things shall bee cleane vnto you: if you doe not, beware of the thunder­clap ( depart accursed,) Mat 25. the which, as assuredly as the word of God shall not passe vnfulfilled, so certainely shall all such as decline their eares from hearing, and their hearts from comforting and releeuing the poore, shall heare it, shall vndergoe it, and shal be eternally confoun­ded with it.

But from the length of this fountaine, to the breadth, to the latitude thereof, the which if wee would deuoutly consider, yeelding streames of blood on euery side, and vpon all sorts of persons, vpon enemies, and onely ene­mies, and all enemies, to what a breadth of loue would it [Page 36] [...] [Page 33] [...] [Page 36] [...] [Page 33] [...] [Page 30] perswade vs? to loue all that Christ loueth: and because Christ loueth, to loue our friendes in Christ, and our enemies for Christ. What a latitude of resoluti­on would it ingender in our Soules, to walke the commandements of God cheerefully? what a breadth of charitable loue and compassion would it cause in vs, to giue to the poore cheerefully? for ( hilarem da­torem diligit Deus) God loueth a merry and cheerefull gi­ner, 2. Cor 2. saith the Apostle.

Would we consider the profunditie of this fountaine, founded in loue, and the mestimable charitie of God; founded in the vnspeakable humilitie of the sonne of God: what a depth of humilitie, what a profoundnesse of meekenesse, what an abysse of charitie, what a purpose of stedfast perseuerance in Gods seruice, would it inno­uate and confirme in our mindes? Let experience, Chri­stian Hearers, be your mistresle in this: make triall, and as you find, so be perswaded, so giue credit to what I speake.

But alas! who can bewaile sufficiently, the miseries of these times? Euen as in the earthly Paradise, after the deluge of the slood had ouerwhelmed the whole world, neither the fountaine, nor the riuers issuing from the same, can certamely be distinguished, or knowne, which, or where they are: so out alas! since partly, deepe igno­rance of Poperie, manifold inundation of heresie, abun­dance of iniquitie, extreame defect of charitie, haue ouerwhelmed the visible face of the Church; it is hard to finde, where this fountaine of Christ crucified, where these riuers issuing from the same fountaine, doe make their courses, where their channels be. De­uout Christians, I speake not this, as though I knew no place where Christ crucified is truely preached: for in so speaking, I should calumniate that Church, to which [Page 31] I haue happily associated my selfe, where the infinite e­nergie, vertue of Christs death, and passion, is daily and incessantly preached, commended, extolled, and applied to all beleeuing soules. But I speake this of Christian conferences, of deuoute soules, who should daily meditate, and sucke of this fountaine; who by their pure liues, and sincere conuersations should shew, that it is the blood of the most immaculate Lambe, whereof they drinke: it is the blood of the vnspotted sacrifice, where with they are fedde and nourished. Such kind of channels, such kind of streames are hardly sound, are hardly scene. But let vs yet at last awake our soules, and recall them from drinking of the puddles of Egypt: there is no houre too late for repentance, the energie of this blood is euerlasting it speaketh still better, and lowd­ly to all, then that of Abel: therefore euen now, and at this moment, it will not be too late to beginne to drinke of this fountaine; no impuritie so great, the which it wa­sheth not away: it is the Alpha and Omega of vocation, iustification, sanctification, perseuerance, glorification; because the blood of the Eternall Alpha and Omega of all things.

O Well of all consolation! O fountaine of all Gra­ces! O wounds not killing, but the onely Asyle and Sanc­tuatie of sinnefull and afflicted soules! wounds, in which, and in which only, we may be secured from the sting of sinne, and power of Satan.

Giue me leaue here for this purpose, to apply to your eares, the words of a certaine deuout Father: Vbi tuta Bernard [...]1. in Cant. sirmaque requies infirmis, &c. Where is there safe and se­cure rest to the infirme and weake, but in the wounds of our Sauiour? there I dwell more securely, by how much he is more potent to saue: the world fretteth, my flesh presseth, Satan lieth in waite; I fall not, because I am founded vp­on [Page 22] a firme rocke: I haue sinned a great sinne, my conscience will be troubled, but it shall not be ouer-troubled, because I will remember the wounds of the Lord: for hee is woun­ded for our iniquities: What so neere to death, which is not saucd by his death? If therefore so potent, and so efficient a medicine shall come into my minde, I cannot be terrified with the greatnesse of any disease. And againe a little af­ter, But I doe confidently vsurpe to mee, what is wanting to me, from the bowels of my Lord, which abound with mer­cie. Neither doe there want holes, by which it may flowe out, they haue digged his hands and feete, and haue pier­ced his side with a launce: and by these chinkes, it is law­full for me to sncke honnis from the rocke, and oyle from the most hard stone, and taste, that the Lord is most sweet. The secrets of the heart are opened by the holes of the body, that great Sacrament of pietie is opened: The bowels of mercie of our God, in which the Orient from aboue hath visited vs, are opened. And why may not bowels appeare, and shewe themselues, by, and through wounds? In what more cleerely, then in thy wounds, doth it appeare, O Lord? that thou art sweete, meeke, and of much mercy: for greater mercy no man hath, then that hee giue his life for his friend: but thou, O Lord, hast had greater chari­tie, who hast giuen thy selfe for off-casts and damned per­sons. Therefore my merit is the mercie of the Lord: I am not altogether voyd of merit, so long as he shall not be voyd of mercie and miserations. But if the mercies of our Lord, be many, euen so am I much in merits: for what if I am guiltie to my soule of many sinnes? truely, where sinnes haue abounded, grace hath ouer-abounded. And if the mercies of the Lord be from eternitie to eternitie, I also wil for all eternities sing his mercies. And a little after: How great in the holes of the rocke is the multitude of weetnesse, the fulnesse of grace, the perfection of vertues? [Page 33] Thus farre deuout Bernard. Truely great, and ve­ry delectable is the sweetnesse of these woundes, honie in the mouth, melodie in the eares, and ex­ultation in the heart; from discoursing whereof I am most loath to surcease: but my Text calleth mee away.

As for vse and application of this Doctrine, I make no other, then that which your religious hearts haue made already, by your constant faith in it, by your inflamed affections of loue to it. But before I proceed to my other parts of my Text, giue mee leaue to giue a glaunce at the Popish abomination, set vp by humane inuention, against the most dreadfull sa­crifice of this blood of the crosse. Let vs pause a little.

How much more the blood of Christ?

The Pontificians and Romanists, who out of a Pharisaicall pride, haue accursed and condemned all the Reformed Churches; for the setting forth and ex­tolling the Maiestie, and efficacie of this blood: and of the infinite energie of the one and onely sacrifice, and daily oblation of the Christians: haue withall, by their most prophane and idolatrous sacrifice of their Masse, (against which, I haue more largely di­scoursed out of their owne Canons, in my Booke of Motiues) as much as lieth in them, conculcated the blood of the New Testament, and prophaned the one and onely sacrifice of the crosse.

Antiochus was a figure of Antichrist, hee tooke away and abolished for his time, the daily sacrifice of the Iewes. The Romane Antichrist (Romane Anti­crist I call him, for we must vnderstand, that there haue beene, are, and shall bee, Antichrists of diffe­rent kindes) hath by might and maine, oppugned the onely sacrifice of the crosse, although with many faire pretences, he would seeme to magnifie the same in his [Page 34] Massing sacrifice: but alas, how vainely? Briefly, let vs consider, the Christians sacrifice of the crosse, ei­ther as it is an expiation for sinne, or a satisfaction for punishment, a meanes of reconcilement, a merit of saluation, a powerfull deliuerance from Satan; and we shall finde, that in all these respects, and diuers o­thers (not now to be stood vpon) that the man of Sin, and his Disciples, haue most abhominably depraued, prophaned, contemned it.

The sacrifice of the crosse, being of an immense va­lour, and infinite efficacie: Christ the high Priest, by one onely oblation of it, in the consummation of the world, appeared for the destruction of sinne, saith the A­postle in the ninth Chapter to the Hebrewes, and the 26. verse, adding in the very next verse, thus: ( Et quemadmodum) And euen as it is appointed, for man once to die, and after followeth iudgement: so Christ was once offered, to take away the sinnes of many. And so frequent are the passages of holy Scripture, for Christs once offering himselfe, by once shedding of his blood, and for his one oblation onely, and once one­ly to be made; that it is altogether needlesse to adde more, for the confirmation of so euident a truth. The Aduersaries themselues cannot denie it, though to their owne confusion: for by their new daily conse­cratings of Christ, I should say, their daily new makings productions, factions, creations, and fieries of Christ, they are confounded. In such wordes and phrases they delight, and such wordes their Transub­stantiation requireth: for it is impossible to conceiue a substantiall Transubstantiation, without a substanti­all production, making, faction, or fierie of that sub­stance, into which the other substance which is destroi­ed, is transubstantiated, & substantially conuerted. And this is so manifest, in the very principles of all Philo­sophy, [Page 35] that the learnedst of them cannot denie it: and yet, it is impossible, and implieth, that Christ, who was, and is substantially subsistent, before all their consecrations, should be by the same, substanti­ally produced, made, created: for, a substantiall pro­duction and making, is the bringing, and drawing out of a substance; from a no being, to a being; from a non esse, to an esse; from a no existence, to an existence: how then is it conceiueable, that Christs substance, which was, and is before their consecrati­ons, should be made, and produced by the same? A­gaine, it is vnconceiueable, that there should be a new production of any substance, or Person, and perfect supposit, without the making of a new subsistence, or existence: Tell me then, O all ye Pontificians, what new subsistences? what new existencies are made of one Christ, by your productiue, creatiue, and factiue consecrations in your massing fiue words? But were these daily, and infinitely multiplied conse­crations, productions, reall offerings, reall desitions, cessations, remoouings, destructions of Christ vpon your Altars, in your stomakes, possible, as you pre­tend and beleeue; yet, by them all, it is manifest, and as cleare as the Sunne, that you rest not in the one, and only reall sacrifice of the crosse; but that you re­quire daily new reall offerings, consecratings of Christ vpon your altars. And can any one of them, be so impudently ignorant, as to affirme, that the consecrations, oblations, consumptions, desitions of Christ, which they make daily, and multiply infi­nitely vpon their prophane altars, and in their sto­macks, should be the same in number, and indiuidu­all vnity, with the making of Christ in his mothers wombe? with that offering of Christ, that consumpti­on, & death of Christ, vpon the crosse? with that resur­rection [Page] of Christ from the Sepulcher? Beleeue me, Christian and Catholike Hearers, when it is deman­ded of them whether their sacrifice, oblation, making, and consumption of Christ, be the same in indiuiduall vnity, and number with that, vpon the crosse, they are so pusled, to solue the knot, that they know not, what to answere; Sometimes, they will say, it is the same in number, and indiuiduall vnity. (I meane, as it is a sacrifice, an oblation, and offering,) with that of the crosse: but who would not scorne this? who would not contemne such ignorant folly? the absur­dity of the paradox, ouerthroweth it selfe: for there, Christ was truly, and naturallie borne, by a substan­tiall generation from his mother; here, by an imagined substantiall action, and fieri, of their owne, which ma­keth nothing, which was not before, and that, which is already made, in one place, by one substantiall acti­on, it is impossible, that it should be made often by many other substantiall actions in other places, vn­lesse we will make many things substantially to be one, and one to be many substantially: which insoldeth contradiction, as all Philosophers will easily grant: There, Christs blood was truly and really shed, here in imagination, and seeming onely, as themselues con­fesse: there, his body was truly rent: here, onely in shew: there, Christ truly died, and so really, that ( in triduo) in those three daies, whilest his body lay in the graue, he was not man: (for such a dissolution, such a separation of the soule of Christ, from his body, which true death requireth was necessary for our re­demption,) here, he only ceaseth to be, (as they vnin­telligibly teach) by an imaginary cessation in their box­es, pixes, stomackes, when their species, their formes of bread, and wine, as whitenesse, roundnesse, sauour, re­lish, doe cease, are corrupted, and changed.

Some others therefore pretending more learning than wisedome, or Christian pietie; grant indeed, that there is not the same indiuiduall, and numerall oblation of Christ, vpon their Altars, with that of the Crosse: which their an­swere indeed is most true, according to their owne princi­ples, both in Philosophie, and Diuinitie; but discouereth the ignominie of their abhomination, in setting vp, and teaching a new daily, reall sacrificing, and oblation of their imagined Christ vpon their Altars; against that infinitely valuable offering, and sacrificing of Christ Iesus vpon the Crosse: by which once only, really, truly, corporally, car­nally offered, all faithfull beleeuers are iustified, and sancti­fied, are consummated, by the eternall might and neuer dy­ing energie of his bloud. I pretermit here, to stand to de­mand of them, why they doe so vainly require a reall and truly Propitiatorie sacrifice of Christ, in Person, and Sub­stance, vpon their Altars; to apply the vertue of Christ sa­crificed vpon the Crosse: for how vaine is it to imagine, that the same cannot be applied by a liuely faith, and the vse of a holy Sacrament of Bread and Wine, as it is applied by Faith and Water in Baptisme? I pretermit to charge them, that they are not yet accorded what to affirme, or how to teach, in what action of their Masse, this their sa­crifice doth consist, whether in their making of Christ by their Priests fiue mightie wordes; or by their Eleuation of their Christ vp, or by their laying downe of their Christ vp­pon their Altars; these thinges I omit, with much more to like purpose, because the out-running of time causeth me to be briefe.

But you know Christian and Catholike Auditors, that they (not without cause) contend for this their reall, and vnbloudy sacrificing of their Christ; as for the very liuely­hood, and soule of their religion: you are not ignorant, how many zelouse and renowned Professors of the only bloud of the Crosse, haue and doe daily shed their blouds, for the denying of their prophane sacrifice: doubtlesse, [Page 38] then they doe, greatly magnifie it; they doe greatly extoll it: Heare me how; and first, touching the expiation, and remission of sinne, I will deliuer vnto you, a position, or rather a Paradoxe of theirs (for so I am assured it will seeme vnto you.) Notwithstanding this their faith of their Christ, truly and really sacrificed in their Masse, yet they doe denie power, valour, and efficacie to this their sacrifice, to take away the sinnes of such as doe offer it, or of such, for whom it is offered; what said I, that they denie this their sacrifice to expiate the sinnes of the offerers, or for whom it is offered? I so said indeede, and it is most true: but yet they grant vnto it forsooth, force, and energie, to abolish, to wipe away smaller sinnes, veniall sinnes; such as are also taken away by their holy Bread; by their sprinkling of ashes vpon Ashwednesday; by their daily lustrall, prophane holy water; by their knocking of their breasts; by their Priests blessings; by their signing of themselues with the signe of the Crosse; by bearing of Palmes vpon Palme-Sunday; and Candells vpon Candle-masse-day; and by in­numerable such their sacramentalls, (deuised by humane presumption) as themselues teach, and confesse. Whereby it is manifest, that they doe equalize the sprinkling of their lustrall water, of their prophane ashes, in the effect of ta­king away of veniall smaller sinners, with the true and reall offering of their Christ, their God and Man, sacrificed, offe­red vpon their Altars. O most prophane, most ignorant folly of these men! their Christ and God, truly offered as a propitiatorie sacrifice for sinnes by them; and being the very same with that of the Crosse; for expiating of sinnes, doth no more, worketh, effecteth, no more than the base, seruile, contemptible ashes of a few Palmes, magically by them consecrated vpon Palme-Sunday, and sprinkled vpon their counterfeit humiliats vpon Ashwednesday. But to proceede, heare yet somewhat, as prodigious as the former, if not more. If either Priest, or Lay person, wanting opor­tunitie of a Ghostly Father, to confesse their secret sinnes [Page 39] vnto; shall with a most contrite heart lamenting, & bewai­ling their sinnes, acknowledging them, confessing them to God, offer, or receiue this their sacrifice, with such a liuing faith, and humble deuotion, as they require; yet this their Christ and God, there so offered as a sacrifice Propitiato­rie, there so receiued as their diuine Sacrament, doth not sanctifie the conscience, doth not expiate the sinne of the consciences of such Offerers, of such Receiuers of it, as it is a sacrifice, or as it is a Sacrament; but, as it is ioyned withall, with an implicite and vertuall purpose, and reso­lution of the offerers, of the receiuers, to confesse their sinnes to some approued Priest, some Ghostly Father: and if there be any Papall or Episcopall reseruation (a custome, a most detestable custome, very frequent amongst them) then forsooth, the vertuall and implicit vow must bee to confesse to such Bishops, to the holy Father, and haue ac­cordingly absolution from them, or else, this their Christ, as a propitiatorie Sacrifice, expiateth not their sinnes, as a diuine Sacrament sanctifieth not their consciences. O most blasphemous doctrine, eneruating the bloud of Christ, de­uised only to set vp the Papall Soueraigntie, and their An­tichristian pride, to the horrible ruine and inconsolable af­fliction of innumerable soules! O most blasphemous do­ctrine, and damnable follie rather than heresie! The bloud of Christ truly offered, truly receiued, by soules confessing sinne to God, lamenting sinne for the loue of God; cannot, doth not abolish sinne, without implicite relation, to a Papall absolution; if it shall please his Holinesse, to restrain such sinnes, to reserue such cases for his owne absolution, and not without some pecuniarie mulcts, as the practise (Romanae Curiae, & taxe, Apostolicae Cancellariae.) Of the Roman Court, and the taxe, of the Apostolicall Chancerie do euince. Catholike and religious Hearers, what can bee ac­counted impious doctrine, against the only sacrifice of the Crosse, if this be not to be esteemed; to bee accounted for such?

To proceede; As touching the satisfaction for punish­ment of sinne: Good God! their Altar-sacrifice is weaker than their fatuouse Purgatorie-fire, than their vaine Chi­merian Indulgences (in the founding the tresurie whereof, although Christ be the principall, yet he hath his consorts and fellowes, Saint Stephens, Saint Laurences, &c. to set vp and inrich their vaine checker) for these forsooth, can take away and satisfie, by the way of Iustice, of perfect re­quital and repaiment for all punishment remaining and due to sinne: Yea further, the profession and solemne vow of a Monasticall life, in the handes and presence of the Su­periours of such houses, Monasteries, Nunries, is a com­pleate and perfect expiating of all punishment for sinne, as absolute as Baptisme it selfe.

But their Christ offered in their Masse, as it is a sacrifice, doth not this, effecteth not this; neither in the offe­rers, nor in them, for whome it is offered, nor in the re­ceiuers. What said I? doth it not so? yes but it doth: I haue forgotten my selfe, I confesse it: it doth satisfie for pu­nishment; but when? but when? Marry, when this their Christ is offered and sacrificed vpon priuiledged Altars, as at Loretto, at Sichem, at S. Laurences, at S. Sebastians without the Gates of Rome: then, then; and vpon such Altars, by the holy Father of Rome, priuiledged for such ends: Christ sacrificed, doth, and can satisfie for all punish­ment of sinne; then he can worke a plenarie Indulgence, and deliuerie of soule vpon soule, out of Purgatorie: Fur­ther, when this their Christ is offered and sacrificed by En­glish Priests in this Kingdome, vpon Wednesdaies, and Fridaies; prouided they haue a sanctified Medall, or Crosse for that purpose, blessed by their holy Father, either with them, or lying vpon their Altar: then forsooth, vpon such an indulgent Indulgence, from the most prophane Baron of the Roman Checker, Christ can, and doth satisfie for the punishment and paine due to sin: how poore? how weak? how contemptible is their altar Christ? their masse sacrifice? [Page 41] which needeth the addition of such an Indulgencer, to sa­tisfie for the paine and punishment of sinne? weaker, and feebler, is this sacrifice, then their Ordinarie Priests, with their blessed Graines, of which some bring into this King­dome Decades of thousands, for so many thousands of soules, to deliuer them from all paine of sinne inioyned, or to bee inioyned (by ghostly Fathers) or to bee endured in Purgatorie. But as for the powerfull Friers, Monkes, and Ignatians (called Iesuites, but haue not a dramme of Iesus his spirit in them) they forsooth, in their very Persons; and knotted girdels surpasse this their Christ, this their Propiti­atorie Sacrifice: for whosoeuer shall make a first confession Plenarie In­dulgence, and a generall par­don annexed to the very persons of I­gnatians and Monkes at the first reconcile­ment of any man by them to the Roman Church. of all his sinnes (which they call a reconcilement from he­resie to the Church of Rome) to any of them, shall precisely in that respect, not because they are Priests, (for so euery Priest should haue it) for confessing first to them, and ha­uing absolution from them, haue, and obtaine a full Ple­narie: most full, most plenarie Indulgence, of all paines and punishment due to sinne.

How ambitious is this humour of Ignatians, of Benedi­ctine but vnbenedict Monks, for Precedencie before their Secular Priests, in so high a priuiledge and preeminencie of their Persons? but rather, how impious and detestable a practise is this, of the Roman Sinagogue, not to equalize only, but to preferre the Persons of weake men before, and aboue the Person of their Christ, of their God of Ma­iestie, offered, sacrificed vpon their Propitiatorie Altars? how mysticall euery knot of their Saint Francis his power­full girdells are, it is superuacaneous to deliuer; Weare it next your skinne or shirt you haue such a pardon: weare it longer, greater is your pardon; pray vpon all the knots, maruailous are your pardons: you shal die no sodain death. O fopperies! Concerning reconcilement to God, mediation to God: Alas, neither Christ in their Masse, nor vpon the crosse is with them sufficiēt. Hear the Remists the deprauers Annotat. in 1. ad Tim. 2. of al youth, in their deprauations vpon the first of Timothie, [Page 42] (Opus est Mediatore, ad Mediatorem, nec nobis alia est vti­lior, Maria) We haue neede of a Mediator, to our Mediator, and none more profitable, then Marie. I acknowledge, that they cite these words, as out of deuout Bernard; but con­sidering what I haue related out of him here aboue, and how contrarie this their vaine position is, to his doctrine, I cannot but thinke that the workes of that learned man are corrupted, and depraued: but howsoeuer ( Bernardus non vidit omnia) especially in that corrupt and most igno­rant age: And the doctrine is so impious, so hereticall, that if all Austens, all Bernards, all Gregories, all Angells from heauen should affirme it, we were to denounce vnto them the Anatheme of S. Paul in his Epistle to the Galathians. For, if they vnderstand this their position of supposed and absolute necessitie, because so appointed by God, that we must needes haue a Mediatour to our Mediatour, or else that in respect of our owne vnworthinesse, and sinnes, wee must needes haue a Mediatour to our Mediatour, it is the most blasphemous heresie that euer was maintained, wor­thy to be persecuted with fire and fagot, for it ouerthrow­eth the whole worke of our Redemption; and I doe bold­ly here pronounce, agreeing to sacred Scriptures, and do­ctrine of all ancient Churches; that whosoeuer defendeth such necessitie of a Mediatour to our Mediatour, he is fallen from Christ, he is fallen from Grace, and ought not to bee esteemed, named, or called a Christian. As for you Catho­like Auditors, it is sufficient, and abundantly sufficient, that you haue an Aduocate, a Redeemer, a Sauiour: An Ad­uocate of their Aduocates and Aduocatesses: a Sauiour of their Sauiours and Sauiouresses: a Redeemer of their Re­deemeresses, who inuiteth, exhorteth, yea commandeth, All that are heauy loaden, and labour vnder the burthen of sinne, to come vnto him, promising that hee will refresh them, comfort them, &c. But as for such as are diffident in his promises, doubtfull of his mercies, distrustfull of his gratious admittance; let them keep themselues still to their [Page 43] Sauiouresses and Aduocatesses; which as is manifest, can­not heare them, but by the appointment, power, and au­thoritie of him, who commandeth vs, with all confidence to approch to him with a firme faith, a full trust to enter in­to Ad Heb. 10. 19. the holies, euen vnto himselfe our high Priest, and only Sheep-heard of our soules. I must be briefe.

As touching the merit of saluation, deliuerance from Satans power; which wee Catholike Christians confesse, and professe to be only, and effectually through the power of the death and bloud of Iesus Christ vpon the Crosse: I should trifle the time (which I see is ouer-spent) if I should stand to shew how by their confidence and trust in their Vowes, Pilgrimages, Inuocations to fellow-Seruants: How by their Agnus-Deies, the very excrements of Satan; their idle Relikes, wooden Crosses, Images, lustrall Water, hal­lowed Salt, Palmes, Candles, they doe daily and infinitely derogate from the might & power of the bloud of Christ, once crucified: putting more, or at least equall affiance in such deuised trumperies (I dare call Crosses and Images trumperics, if adored, if worshipped, otherwise not) as in the bloud of Christ, as in their very Christ sacrificed vpon their Masse-Altars, that herein I doe not belie them, it is as manifest as Noon daie▪ for they will not hold nor account him a good Roman Catholike, who doth not vse, practise, esteeme, and put affiance in them; against Fire, Water, Deuill, and all the power of that damned crew. And how cleare it is, that more priuiledged Altars, and Pilgrimages, for safetie, for deliuerance; more frequent oblations for helpe and assistance, are made by the Papistically supersti­tious, and allowed by their Bishops and Priests, vnto their Saints, and vnto the blessed Virgin Marie, then vnto God, then to Christ, our only sacrifice? I know some here in En­gland, but I may not name them, who often, frequently, and confidently will set vp in their gardens, orchards, gal­leries, chambers, closets, certaine small wooden pictures, framed like to that of Sichem, and there they will make of­ten [Page 44] Pilgrimages to the same euery day, to obtaine deliue­rance of some grieuous dangers and disasters: but alas, as yet they haue not been heard; they haue not been holpen. Worthy obseruing is that superstitious deuotion vsed long agoe at Canterburie, and at the shrine of Thomas Becket, where the offerings and oblations made to him in a very large degree, yea by ten degrees and more, exceeded the like, made to the euer blessed Virgin Marie, and those which were made to her, in a greater degree surpassed those which were offered and consecrated to Christ him­selfe, the one and only Sauiour, and sacrifice of all Catho­like Christians. No man, Catholike hearers, can better te­stifie how weake their confidence and trust is in Christ and his bloud, than such, as haue beene acquainted with their miserable miseries, or rather seruile miseries, and inconso­lable worships. Wherein (beleeue me, most worthy Au­ditours) what with their vaine confidence in vnsound In­dulgences, their imperfect and stained merits, their abso­lute and compleat numbering of all their sinnes, and cir­cumstances changing the nature of sinne in their auricular confessions (a matter morally impossible) the deuouter sexe amongst them, or rather the more superstitious sexe, leade such inconsolable liues, that any compassiue mind and heart knowing the same, cannot but compassionate their wret­ched and vncomfortable seruitudes: no maruaile of this, seeing they serue Gods, who cannot, giue them rest by day nor Icrem. 16. by night, such as the Prophet Ieremie hath long agoe fore mentioned.

But thou, O England! reioyce, for that thou art deliue­red from these impure Idolatries, and Romish slaueries; and that the light of Christ crucified is illuminated ouer thee, that thou maiest serue him without feare: but reioycing Luc. 1. remember through what meanes the Iewes were cut off, and fell; through their incredulitie: and how fell they into Rom. 11. incredulitie? because they were not permanent in goodnesse, in workes of sanctification. Remember how the Romans [Page 45] were cut off? Through incredulitie: and how fell they into that? Because they did not abide in goodnesse, and workes of sanctitie: This is that, which our Apostle affirmeth of the Iewes, and threatneth to the Romanes, in the 12 Chapter of his Epistle, directed to them, Reade it. Reioyce, O En­gland, (to make a little digression here, to another kinde of blood) that thou art deliuered from the Papall tyrant [...]e; but reioycing, bee still watchfull, against this ambitious Monarch; this most bloody Bishop; The deuill is a busie Bi­shop, saith the old prouerbe, I may say, that this Bishop, is a busie deuill, against the Church and State of this Kingdome. This proud Bishop, hath prophaned the blood of the crosse, he hath set vp his prophane, and his imaginarie blood of his Idolatrous altars: But what? proceedeth hee no further? medleth he with no other blood? Oh that it were so! Eng­land, is well acquainted, with his proceedings, what they haue beene, and how that in these later times, there haue beene no bloody Commotions, and horrible Massacres, in which the Holy Fathers fingers haue not beene. And what, O yee Britaines? (for so I will call you, mentio­ning your late happie deliuerie, when as English, you should haue beene ruinated and destroyed; but as Bry­taines for the fauour of your GOD ouer your Britaine Soueraigne and his Royall off-spring you were protec­ted, deliuered.)

Doe you thinke, that the Holy Father, was not ac­quainted, with that most hellish attempt of those smo­kie locusts? Could GARNET, GERRARD, TES­MOND, with their Ignatianed Disciples be actours, prin­cipals? Could STANLEY, OWEN, know it? Could Antwerpe, and the Low-countrie mutter of some great Alteration, not of the heauens, but of Englands Scep­ter? Could PARSONS, CRESWELL, bee not ig­noraunt? And could it be concealed from AQVAVIVA, the Generall of the holy quarell; or he hide it from the ho­ly Father, Paule the fifth? Who will once imagine this▪ [Page 46] that hath beene but once acquainted with the Ignatians manner of proceedings? And what doth the holy Father now rest? hath the late most happy and miraculous deliue­rie of all Englands glorie, daunted his courage so; that hee will proiect no more villanie of like kind? God grant it be so: but, it is to be doubted, he will not surcease, vntill hee be consumed by the spirit of Gods mouth, as most infalli­bly he will one day.

Idle are the prophecies which flie vp and downe, espe­cially amongst the speudo-Iesuited and Ignatianed Papists: I will relate none of them because I contemne them as ba­bles, vnworthy of the eares of so honourable an audience: yet giue mee leaue to mention a bloudie peece of one of them; and a little to demurre vpon the same. A Pope for­sooth shall fight against two English Kings, and with bloudie handes shall blesse England. The most gratious God, as he hath confounded them often, and who broke their necks the fifth of Nouember, doth doubtlesse suffer them to bee delu­ded in their vaine prophecies, and will, I most humbly trust and pray, subuert all their wicked enterprises. But seeing prophecies are mysticall, and mystically to be interpreted, especially such as are paper ones, described by pictures, as they say, this is: I will deliuer my conceit what I thinke, may be vnderstood, by these bloudie handes of the Pope; For my part I cannot better interpret the same, then thus: That by the Popes bloudie handes, the Ignatians are to be vnderstood, and by the bloudie fingers their Ignatianed, and disloyall foranized Disciples, be they Priests or Laikes, (I alwaies except temperate and moderate Recusants, of which, I know, some of the Laitie, to be very true hearted and loyall English, as likewise I cannot doubt, but that there are some moderate Secular Priests, I meane such, as are vn-Ignatianed.) For, were not such, and only such Igna­tians, and Ignatianed, the Powder-Miners, and Powder-Locusts? Are not such only, or most singularly those, who euery where, at home, and abrode, in forraigne Countries, [Page 47] doe seeke to disgrace the Magistrates (Soueraigne not ex­cepted) of these Kingdomes, and if any of them haue any vice or defect (and who liueth without some one at least?) they will aggrauate the same; yea, and rather then faile, they will deuise new, vaine, and those most foule and filthy, in the forge of their owne wicked braines (oh how meete is it that such as are eminent should be careful of their con­uersations when they are besieged with such malitious Zoiles?) Such only, or chiefly, are they, who will gladly talke or presage of the decay of our shipping; delightfully reason of the consuming of our Kings treasure, pleasingly commune of the decay, and fall of martiall men; ioyfully listen after mutterings, or any least discontents, in the mu­tinous multitudes; against gouernment or Gouernours: these are they, who gladly discourse of forraigne powers, forraine preparations: these are they who vnwillingly and fearefully hear of the admirable prowesse and martiall ma­gnanimitie of our most hopefull Alexander, or rather de­sired Constantine, and most deare Prince Henrie: these are they (to be short) who delight in nothing more, take con­tent, and hope in nothing more, than to heare of fallings out and quarrels betwixt those of the Scottish and English Nation; hoping, desiring, and expecting, that from per­sonall quarrells they may come to bee Nationall. Honou­rable, right Worshipfull, and most worthie Christians, all that are here present, from the highest to the lowest; I be­seech you all, in respect of your dutie to Christ Crucified, in respect of your dutie to your Soueraigne, loue to your Countrie, care of your owne safeties, and the flourishing state of Christs Church and Ghospel, haue no such quarrels amongst you; and if any such arise, appease them speedily, end them Christianly: Beleeue it, beleeue it, nothing will please the Ignatianed Papists more (I except still the tem­perate) nothing can be more gratefull to their holy Father, then to vnderstand that the Subiects of two so honourable nations, vnder so peaceable, so gratious, and so religious a [Page 48] Soueraigne should haue any iarres and contentions. How often, Catholike hearers, haue I heard Robert Parsons, Io­seph Creswell, presagingly hope for such contentions vpon vnion of the two kingdomes, whereby, as hee and they all thinke (and wisely thinke, if it should so fall out: but God auert it) the vnconquerable and inuincible power of this kingdome (vnder God, and by God protected) might be broken and weakened: and alas who is so simple a con­iecturer as can not presage vpon whose head the beane would be bruised and broken: doubtlesse the beginner of any such quarrell by all Britaines should deserue to bee re­puted as a most detestable Anatheme, worthy all execrati­on. But to returne to the bloudie hands of the holy Fa­ther of Rome: consanguineous, and of the same blood with these, were those Ignatian Valladolidian Padres, of the English Seminarie: who, when the proclamation for our most gratious Soueraigne was brought vnto them, by a Spanish Duke, were so strangely daunted therewith; thus it was. Those English Padres, had long time held that king of Spaine, and the Nobles of that kingdome, in expectati­on of great matters, to be done, at the death of Queene E­lizabeth of happy memory, for the bringing of the Infanta of Spaine into this kingdome, vpon the fantasticall Title to this Crowne: but that Heroisse being departed, and our most gratious Soueraigne being almost euen with the bre­thing vp of her ghost, most ioyfully in this city proclaimed: Copies of the said Proclamation were with al speed by In­telligencers, sent into some forraine Countries, and into Spaine also, where, presently vpon the fresh receit of one of them, a certaine great Spanish Duke, posteth in his Caroch with all speed, to the English Fathers of the Seminarie in Valladolid, who first demandeth of them what newes out of England? or what expectations they had, of any good to be done there? According to their accustomed answers their vnnaturall and vnenglished spirites they forsooth pro­mised and hoped for much at the death of Queene Eliza­beth, [Page 49] for their Spanish Lady: till then (as they saide) their hopes were but weake, but small, but cold. Well answered the Duke, If you heare no news, here then is news for you, and withall he presented to them a printed Proclamation for the most ioyfull acknowledgement of our Soueraigne king Iames: where now (saith the duke) be your great pro­mises? where now are your expectations? where now are your hopes at the death of Q Elizabeth? They stood as mē astonished, danted, and confounded, that they had scarse a word to say. The Duke obseruing their confusion presently departeth, discourseth with som persons of note, who were with him in his Caroch, touching the busie spirites of those english Padres, greatly laughing at their follies, their vaine promises and expectations. But these holy Fathers, not able to contain their griefe, giue notice of the vnexpected news to some of their fauorites, among their scholers, wherof one of them, presently as one ready to burst, coms in hast, & dis­chargeth his stomacke to his fellows thus: We are vndone my masters, we are vndone, (God graunt it, and let all Eng­land say Amen,) Iames of Scotland is proclaimed King of England. These things being true, & iustly imputed to thē, with much more that I haue obserued in my Motiues, may I be thought vnfitly to haue interpreted, the Popes bloudy hands, & fingers, wherewith he incessantly labours to blesse England, to be these Ignatian Fathers, & their Ignatianed children? O England, or rather, O Britany! reuiued in thy Britaine Soueraigne: Thinke on these bloody hands & fin­gers, and be euer vigilant: Remember thy late miraculous deliuerie, and be euer thankefull to thy Almightie and All­mercifull Deliuerer: Remember thy late danger, & be euer watchfull: Remember how as God then deliuered thee, so he also vouchsafed to inspire thee, that thy Soueraigne with thee did then prouide an Oath, as a Touchstone, whereby the disloyall and forranized Spirites might bee discerned from the Naturall and Temperate: Doest thou make vse of Gods Doctrine? Dost thou apply this touchstone? and [Page 50] distinguish, vpon what spirit it is refused, either out of a Womanish scrupulositie (for some few feminine men in swearing are perhaps like to scrupulous women) or out of inueterated disloyaltie, and grounded heresie? if so, it is well and most happy for Englands securitie; for Englands Posteritie, our Children, our Childrens Children will blesse such prouidence, &c. But I obserue the time is very farre spent, that I cannot prosecute my diuision of my Text so fully as I desired: therefore I must be briefe; it followeth in my Text.

Who by the Eternall Spirit offered himselfe vnspotted to God.

In these wordes the Apostle deliuereth vnto the He­brewes, what the Sacrifice is, which he so highly commen­deth vnto them; how it is offered; to whom it is offered; by whom, or through whom it is offered. The sacrifice of­fered is Christ, who also is the high Priest, offering and sa­crificing himselfe most voluntarily, freely, and vnspotted, to his Father: The Person, to whom the sacrifice is offered designed by that word (Deo) to God. But what is that, by which, or through which this Sacrifice is offered. Heare the Apostle ( [...]) By, or through the Eter­nall spirit, as if he should haue specially expressed it thus: by the Eternall God-head, by the eternall euerlasting Di­uinitie. Here, here, Christian Hearers, are misteries of loue, of faith, of admiration, of excesse, of diuine wisedome, of excesse and an infinite excesse of diuine goodnesse, of di­uine power, of which excesse Moyses and Elias, communed with Christ vpon the Mount Thabor, so saith the Scripture (Loquebantur de excessu eius) they spake of his excesse. What an excesse, aboue all humane intelligence, wher God and the Diuinitie is concurring in euery circumstance of this Sacrifice? God the Priest, God the Sacrifice, God the receiuer of the Sacrifice; and God the Dignifier, the San­ctifier, and Beautifier of the sacrifice, and yet all these cir­cumstances are in one God. These considerations doe a­stonish [Page 51] me, and produce a strange admiration in my soule, that the most infinite Trinitie should so busie themselues, himselfe to make and accomplish a bloudie sacrifice, of one of that infinite societie: but in no respect, I am touched with greater admiration, then to consider how most wil­lingly, most voluntarily, the infinite maiestie of Christ, did consent to dedicate himselfe to the ignominious death of the Crosse; did consent to offer himselfe, to giue himselfe as a free gift, for the deliuerance of most vngratefull man­kinde. (Dedit semetipsum, &c.) He gaue himselfe ( Tit 2. saith the holy Apostle to Titus) that the might redeeme vs: That which is giuen, you know Catholike hearets, is put out of the power and possession of the giuer, and is at the dispo­sing of him, to whom the gift is made; and you know, that the strongest, the absolutest manner of passing away any goods is by deed of gift, as being irreuocable, O inestima­ble mysterie! Christ giueth himselfe, makes an irreuocable deede of gift of his bloud to his Father? yea, but not only to him; to such faithfull beleeuers that should confide in him? yea, but not only to them? to whom farther? to who else? marry, he putteth himselfe into the power, dominion, and disposing of those damned and reprobate miscreants the Iewes; that they should vorke their pleasure on him, Isai. 50. (genas dedit vellentibus, corpus perentientibus,) His cheekes he gaue to be pulled, rented, his bodie, his whole bodie, to bee smitten, and this that wee who were in the slauerie of sinne, and Satan, might be made free, by so great a grace; and be put in the free possession & disposing of our selues, within that most diuine Paradise, which his most sacred bloud should eternally water and sanctifie. What a humi­liation? what an offering is this? The holy Apostle admi­ring thereat, pronounceth thus: ( Humiliauit semetipsum &c. Phil. 2. He hath humbled himselfe, made obedient vnto death, euen to the death of the Crosse;) that he might exalt and honour vs. What a mysterie of loue? that hee might raise vs vp to life, he debaseth himselfe to death. For this purpose being [Page 52] in the forme of God he putteth on him the shape of man; that is much: but heare more. The forme of a Man ob­noxious to the law, subiect to the law; yet more, he is ve­sted with the condition and qualitie of a sinfull man: yet more, hee is arraied and clothed with the iniquities of all mankinde: yet more, hee is made vpon the Crosse as a curse, as a malediction for mankinde: yet more, or most of all, vpon that Crosse, before the Tribunall of his Eternall Father, bee sustaineth the Person of all mankinde, vnder­goeth his displeasure (such a displeasure in which is life, Psalme 30.) he hath that iudgment pronounced vpon him and against him, which mankinde had deserued; so heauily, so grieuously, that in the infliction of the iudgement, and the execution of the sentence; as Man he cried out my God my God, why hast thou forsaken me: and yet as man he could not bee swallowed vp, nor held long with the torments and terrours of death. What a progresse is here? what a sum­marie of greatest humiliation, for the Sonne of God, thus to offer himselfe to his Father as a malediction, that in him wee all might bee a benediction, and a blessing in the hea­uenly holies of holies? what an abisse of humiliation, that he offereth himselfe alone; no man of the Nations, no Per­son of the Iewes, no Angel from the heauens helping him, assisting him, (Torcular caleat solus) but himselfe alone, hee alone treadeth the Presse of his most bitter Passion: there was indeed a Trinitie of deuout Persons; the two Maries, and the Disciple whom Iesus loued, standing, or languish­ing with griefe by the Crosse; by that their presence and attendance, they gaue testimonie of their loues, and most sincere compassion; but nothing able to releeue him, to comfort him, who had hoised himselfe vp, vpon the Altar of the Crosse, out of their reaches towards the heauens, and to the view of his heauenly Father, in heauen; where the price of our Redemption, of our Reconciliation, was to be made and paied. What a smelling, and a most sweet­smelling sauour, did reeke vp from that presse, and Altar [Page 53] of the Crosse, to the Nostrills of the eternall Iudge, and most iust God? by him most worthily, most desiredly ad­mitted and receiued: receiuing (duplicia de manu Domini,) a twofold, a double price from the hand of the Lord, our dy­ing Esai 40. Lord. Surely, if no other dignitie had beene in this our Lords person, who offered himselfe: yet the inestima­ble chatitie, the vnspeakable loue, wherewith he so freely dedicated himselfe to death, to satisfie his Fathers heauie displeasure, would haue made the sacrifice to be most wor­thily esteemed.

But there is a Dignitie, there is an Excellencie in this high Priests sacrificing himselfe, which did make the same sacrifice, not only by acceptance and fauour, but euen out of the worth and inestimable valew of it, to bee accepted and admitted, as a compleat, consummate satisfaction, re­demption, in very perfection of iustice and satisfaction, of all, and for all, who should stedfastly beleeue, and confide in it. What dignitie is this? what worthinesse is this? you will aske and demand of me: Our Apostle shall answere; heare him ( [...]) Who by the eternall spi­rit offered himselfe. This eternall Spirit, the Diuinitie of the second person in Trinitie, by reason of the hypostaticall and personall vnion of it with the humanitie, communica­ted vnto the same humanitie an infinite dignitie; the ve­ry dignitie and vnspeakable excellencie, of the God-head it selfe; and by reason of the same personall Vnion, the operations and actions of this person, (for operationes sunt suppositorum, Operations and actions are of the persons and supposites themselues) though immediately, proceeding from the humanitie, or the soule of Christ, or any power of his soule, or bodie: doe receiue and are dignified, with an infinite kinde of valour, dignitie, and estimation; as being the operations of God and Man: and although there be no Phisicall, Diuines or Supernaturall impression, or qualitie, giuen to these actions, yet the only procee­ding of these operations from such a person, hauing so in­estimable [Page 54] an excellencie, and dignitie, intrinsecally with­in himselfe, giueth vnto them an extrinsecall valour, by which they are esteemed, and regarded, as the very a­ctions of God himselfe, by which hee offereth and submit­teth himselfe to his Father: and therefore, no tongue, neither of Man nor Angell, can deliuer how infinitely deseruing they are, of esteeme, and regard: the only knowledge of God, which is infinite, can comprehend their worth and valour.

If I should stand largely to proue this, you would thinke that I held these my Auditors, to bee but of com­mon intelligence. Few of you are so ignorant, as I sup­pose, but conceiue, that according to the dignitie or ex­cellencie of the Person, is the morall worth, and esteeme of the action, which proceedeth from such a Person: Re­spect worthy, is a salutation or honourable vse, which commeth from a worthy Gentleman; more worthy, that which commeth from a Knight; worthier is the same from a Baron; aboue that, is the same, proceeding from an Earle, a Duke: but of highest esteeme, is that, which is giuen from a Prince, and if there were any earthly Prince, of infinite worth, and excellencie, in the intrinsecall wor­thinesse of his person, the actions and operations of such a Prince, in morall estimation, would haue a morall kinde of infinitie. Here-hence it is, that our high Priest Iesus, whose dignitie was the very God-head it selfe, whose Person was of infinite Maiestie, did immediately, and by it selfe, communicate vnto his operations and actions, an infinite kinde of morall worthinesse and valour; by which they were so eleuated, that being presented to the sight of the diuine Maiestie; in very rigour of Iu­stice, and perfection of Satisfaction, and Merit, they were equiualent, super-excellent, and surpassing all the malice of sinne, which mankinde had, or could com­mit: and therefore, this our high Priest offering him­selfe by the eternall Spirit, (thus dignifying, and eleua­ting [Page 55] his actions and operations:) to his Heauenly Fa­ther, for the Redemption of Mankinde; did by the same Oblation and Sacrifice, so fully, so abundantly, so perfectly, so iustly, so deseruingly, purchase vs to himselfe, and reconcile vs to his Father; that his Fa­ther could not refuse his face, making intercessions and supplications for vs, vpon the Altar of the Crosse: and this is that, which our Apostle pronounceth in this his same Epistle to the Hebrewes: of the infinite worthinesse and excellencie of Christ? Hebr. 5 Qui in diebus carnis suae, &c.) Who in the daies of his flesh, with teares, and a loude crie, offering vp praiers and supplications to him▪ who was able to saue him from death, was heard for his Reuerence: So great, (Catholike and Christian Hearers) so infinite was the reuerence and excellencie of CHRIST, be­cause hee was the Sonne of GOD; that his Father could not, but heare his requests and supplications, made vn­to him for vs: and from this reuerence, and from this worthinesse hath his flesh valour, efficacie, and force, to cleanse our consciences from dead workes, to serue the li­uing God.

Heare to this purpose, (but what neede I authoritie of any man to confirme so manifest a truth:) Saint AVSTEN, Aug. lib. 10. de Ciuit. cap. 24.( Non ergo Caro Christi, per se ipsum mundat credentes, sed perverbum à quo suscepta est: Therefore the flesh of Christ doth not by it selfe cleanse the beleeuers, but by the word, of which it was taken and assumpted: and this is that which AQVINAS hath most clearely. Aquin q. 48. art. 6. in cap. & ad 1. & ad 2. eodem art. (Efficiens principale humanae salutis, est Deus: Quia vero humanitas Christi, est diuinitatis instrumentum, ideo ea consequenti, omnes actiones & passiones Christi, instrumentaliter operantur in virtute diuinitatis, ad salu­tem humanam; & secundum hoc, Passio Christi, effici­cienter causat salutem humanam. The principall effici­ent, of saluation of mankinde is God; but because the hu­manitie of Christ, is the instrument of his diuinitie; therefore [Page 56] consequently, all the operations and actions of Christ, do worke in the vertue of the diuinitie, to the saluation of mankinde. And in his answere to the first obiection, thus most clearely ( Pasio Christi &c.) the passion of Christ, referred to the flesh ibidem. of Christ, answereth and is agreeing to the infirmitie assumpted; but referred to his diuinitie, hath thereby, an infinite vertue or efficacie: Thus he; which I partly bring, to confirme what I haue said, partly to stop the mouthes of such Pon­tificians, who gladly would calumniate the Church of England, for her doctrine touching the concurrence of Christs diuinitie in the office, and acts of his most high Priest-hood.

But what shall I here plunge my selfe into that depth, in to that profound abisse of discoursing, of the manner of Christs concurring as a Priest, by reason of his diuinitie and humanitie, for the saluation of mankind? no, no: ( Sermo in-interpretabilis) the speech would bee uninterpretabile: my shallow conceite, would bee ouerplunged in such a depth: it is enough for vs, at this present, to vnderstand, and con­ceiue, that by reason of the personall vnitie, not only the humane nature, but very Christ God himselfe, was offered to his Father, and offered himselfe to his Father, and also, this diuine nature, had his concurrence in the suffering, of his humanitie, that the same consented to his suffering, and did in a wonderfull sort particularly gouerne, comfort and strengthen the said humanitie, as being a principall and proper part of himselfe; that it might suffer, and be offered in such obedience to the Father, to the death of the most ignominious crosse. I shall not here need, to insist vpon the third branch, of my diuision: by the which our Apostle distinguisheth, to whom this sacrifice is offered; to wit to God: For, if all sacrifices are to be consecrated as sacred vnto him; to whome else should the sacrifice of a God, and from a God bee offered then to God himselfe? neither shall I neede to dwell any whit in this discourse, to shew how this Christ, this sacrifice, was vnspotted; without ble­mish, [Page 57] and most immaculate: I could not esteeme it lesse then blasphemie in me, to seeme to discourse thereupon, and by way of argument to proue it: for can it sinke into the imagination of any, that God should bee, or could bee spotted with any sinne, imperfection or ble­mish thereof? Our Christ indeed, tooke vpon him the sem­blance of a sinner, but it was impossible to the absolute and almightie power of God, to haue permitted him, to haue beene taynted with any the least internall or true blemish of sinne. Yea by the omnipotent power of God, would not hinder or let it, but that by vertue of the perssinall vni­on, and hypostolicall coniunction, the soule of Christ was so sanctified, and replenished, with all graces, that abso­lutely and most necessarily it was impeceable, vnsinneable, and not capable of any the lest spot of sinne. And it was indeed most meet that our high Priest should be such a Per­son Heb. 7. impolluted, innocent, separated from sinnes, and made higher then the very heauens themselues, as being the Lord and God of themand all that is in them. And so, I pro­ceede, to the last branch of my diuision in which is thus.

Shall cleanse the conscience, from dead workes, to serue the liuing God.

Here is the scope of Christs bloud offered; here is the end of Christs offering himselfe, by the Eternall Spi­rit to God: that our consciences might be cleansed from dead workes, to serue the liuing God. Good God, what are men, or the consciences of men that thou doest so visit them? thou doest so esteeme them? what are they that, to cleanse them, thou diddest so farre depresse and humble thy only begotten Sonne, vnder thy Angels, e­uen to an ignominious death, to make man equall with Angells in euerlasting life? it is thy vnspeakeable loue and charitie: no deseruing of ours at all. But how? by what meanes? by what instrument, is this cleansing sa­crifice applied to our consciences, to cleanse them from [Page 58] dead workes, to serue the liuing God. God made heauen & earth and all in them, made man and all belonging to him without any concurrence or helpe from him by that word ( fiat, fiat) be it done bee it made. Doth he so cleanse the conscience of man, from dead works, without any act of man, as a meanes, as an instrument, to applie this soue­raigne sacrifice to his conscience? no, no: Heare the Apo­stle, Rom. 3. ( [...].) Being iust [...]fied gratis frankly, by the grace of him, by the redemption which is in Christ Iesus whom God hath proposed, a propitiation by faith in his bloud: by faith therefore, by a liuing faith, Christ [...]s proposed a propitiation in his bloud (not in mans works) to euery be­leeuing conscience. Indefinite, vniuersall, is this propo­sing of this propitiation, by faith in his bloud, to all Na­tions, all sexes, all conditions, in all times and in all ages: no person whatsoeuer, is excluded from faith & confidence in it, no not Iudas himselfe, who betrayed it, had he beene so happie; not the crucifying Iewes, had they beene so fortunate.

How powerfull a sound faith in this bloud, is to cleanse consciences; let Leo an Ancient Pope confront against these latter Pontificians all of them being meri­tists ( de condigno o [...] de congruo) out of condignitie or con­gruitie to their first or second iustification (for such a distin­ction, their nouell Scholasticall heresie hath denied.) [...] in [...]. sept. m [...]ns. Ef­fusio pro iniustis iusti sanguinis, tam potens fuit ad praemi­um, tam diues ad praetium, vt sivniuersitas Captiuorum, in Redemptorem suum crederent, [...]alium, tyrannica vincula re­tinerent. The effusion (saith this Pope) of the iust bloud, for the vniust was so potent for a reward, so rich for a price, that if the whole vniuersitie of Captiues would be­leeue in their Redeemer, the bands of the Tyrant should hold or retaine none. To him I adioyne Saint Austen: Modo fratres, vt a peccato sanemur, Christum crucifixum intu [...]a­mur, [Page 59] quomodo illi intuebantur illum serpentem, & a morsibus August. tract. su­per Ioh. sanabantur serpentium; sic qui fide intuentur mortem Chri­sti, sanantur morsibus peccatornm sed illi sanabantur a mor­te, a d vitam temporalem; hi autem, vt habeant vitam aeter­nam; hoc enim interest inter figuratam imaginem, & rem ipsam: figura praestabat vitam temporalem, res ipsa cuius ima­go erat, praestabat vitam aeternam. Now brethren▪ (saith he) that we may be healed from sinne, let vs behold Christ cruei­fied, euen as they beheld that Serpent, (hee speaketh of the Iewes in the Desart) and were healed of the biting of Ser­pents; so they who in faith behold the death of Christ, are hea­led from the biting of sinne: but they were healed from death, to a temporall life; but these, that they may haue life euerla­sting: for this is the difference, betwixt the figuring image, and the thing it selfe: the figure gaue temporall life, but the thing it selfe of which the Image was gaue euerlasting life. Thus hee with infinite much like, which might bee produ­cted out of him, and all Ancient Fathers, agreeingly to the whole current of sacred Scriptures, for iustification by faith; against the doctrine of all Pontificians who require a positiue, and immediate concurrence (dispositiue and, preparatiue at lest) of mans workes, to the first iustification, too to derogatorie against the bloud of Christ and faith in it.

How pernicious is that position of many of them, that the works which doe proceede, and goe before iustificati­on doe, ( de congruo) out of congruitie, merit iustificati­on? shal I cal this, tenent, an incongruous position only? not so: it is hereticall; it is damnable, not onely in the teachers, but in the consenters and approuers of the same: For tell mee, All yee Pontifician Meritists out of congruitie and de congrua, as you speake: can the power of God? can the iustice of God? can the wisedome of God? doe any thing? dispose any thing? or proceede in any thing? against congruitie, right, equitie decencie? No surely, you must answere; vnles like madmen you wil affirme [Page 60] that his wisedome may doe some thing vncongruously, his power may worke something indecently, inconueniently, vnseemely: you are not yet so impudent, as to denie the attributes of God his infinite Wisedome, Iustice, Good­nesse, and consequently his God-head: see then and ob­serue what your merit of congruitie produceth: marry, a merit of condignitie; for such a conueniencie, such a con­gruitie, such a worthinesse of a worke to God, is as a con­dignitie. For I demand of you in good earnest. Is not that a merit of condignitie, which in respect of the disposition of the worker, and worthinesse of the worke, so bindeth, vrgeth, and constraineth the omnipotent hand of God, that he cannot (vnlesse hee will proceede against decencie and congruitie) but respect, regard, and reward the same with subsequent and following iustification in the soule which hath it? whereby then, it is as cleare as the Sunne, that from merits of congruitie preceding iustification, you are come to merits of condignitie, preceding the same: by which your hereticall condignitie, you are condignely fal­len from Christ, you are condignely fallen from the iustifi­cation which is in Christ; which is only by grace, not by Rom. 11. workes; otherwise, grace should not be grace, if the Apostles argument, in his Epistle to the Romanes may stand, and take place: and that of the same Apostle also to Titus stand firme. ( Nos iustificatos esse, illius gratia, vt haeredes efficeremur aeternavitae.) That we are iustified by his grace, that we might bee made Heires of euerlasting life. And that againe of the same Apostle, in his Epistle to the Romanes. ( Iustificati ergo ex fide, &c.) We being iustified therefore by Cap. 5. faith, let vs haue peace to God, through Iesus Christ our Lord; by whom we haue accesse by faith, into this grace, in which we stand, and doe glorie, in the hope of the glorie, of the chil­dren of God.

How admirable therefore is the excellencie of Christian faith, by which the faithfull beleeuer is iustified in Christ, is inserted to Christ? made the Sonne of God? the Heire of [Page 61] heauen? partaker of iustice? possessor of life? not by pur­chasing merits of his owne, but by the same faith, posses­sing all the merits and iustice of Christ, which thereby are efficaciously for his iustification, communicated vnto him. But what? doe wee by this extolling of faith, and by this comfortable doctrine of iustification by faith, subuert the necessitie of good workes? God forbid: doe we grant a li­cense, or impunitie of sinning? God auert it: doe wee grant a Christian securitie, and hope of saluation without merits? Yes, without merits; but not without good works, not without the fruits of sanctification, which God hath ordained prepared and commanded his elect to walke in. Heare that learned man master Caluin cap. 10. of his lear­ned institutions (that his propugnacle and defence of Chri­stian religion which no Pontifician durst euer yet attempt to confute) Per fidei iustificationem &c. By iustification by faith the Aduersaries cauill good works to bee destroied, what if thereby, they be more established? for we dreame not (saith he) of a faith voide of good works, or of a iustification, which consisteth without them; this is only the difference, that where­as we confesse faith, and good works necessarily to cohere toge­ther; notwithstanding, we place iustification in faith, and not in works: And the same, by what meanes it is done, it is ea­sie to explicate, if wee conuert our selues to Christ, to whom our faith is directed, and from whome, it receiueth all vertue and force; why therefore are we iustified by it? because by faith we apprehend the iustice of Christ, by which only, we are re­conciled to God: But this thou maist not apprehend, vnlesse thou doe withall apprehend his sanctification; for he is giuen to vs, for Iustice, VVisedome, Redemption, Sanctification, therefore Christ iustifieth no man, whom hee doth not also sanctifie: For these benefits, are with an insolluble knot con­ioyned; so that whom Christ illuminateth, those hee redeemeth; whome he redeemeth, hee iustifieth; whome bee iustifieth, hee sanctifieth: thus hee most excellently; agreeingly to sacred scriptures and all antiquitie; conformably to the faith of [Page 62] the Church of England; and accordingly to the Christian doctrine, and resolution of all reformed Churches, as the harmonie of confessions testifieth. And I dare auouch, that the vniuersall and Catholike concordance, of this funda­mentall point of iustification, (without which no Church and no person can bee held for Christian (in the strict, pro­per, and true acception of the name of Christian) is more v­niformely taught and held, by all the reformed Churches, then any point of Doctrine controuerted in these times, is held by the Pontisicans: How glad would they be, had they but such a vnity and conformitie for the verie rule of their faith touching which they are not yet agreed as I haue shewed in my motiues. But the conformitie and irrepre­hensible agreement of all reformed Churches, for this fun­damentall article of iustification, by faith in the bloud of Christ Iesus, as it is an euidentargument of Christs spirit a­mongst them, and tendeth greatly to the glorie of our Re­deemer; so it produceth wonderfull and vnmoueable con­solation in the soules of the faithfull and sanctified belee­uers. The aduersarie, forsooth, frame vnto themselues an Historicall beleefe for iustification in Christ; the which as 1. Ioh. 2. the Diuels haue, and yet notwithstanding doe tremble: so the Christian auncient Churches neuer knew it, and the Reformed doe explode it: and against iustification by this Historicall faith, they muster argument vpon argumentt; and produce text vpon text; to shew, that besides such a faith, there is required necessitie of good works, and the fruits of sanctification. But alas, ( oleum & operam perdunt) they wast their oyle and loose their labour. For what Christi­an reformed Church euer taught such a blasphemous para­doxe, of iustification by such an Historicall faith? they vt­terly detest, abhominate and renounce such a iustifying faith. And here, giue me leaue, most beloued and Catholike Auditours, to feele the very pulses of your consciences, and my owne also; to see how you stand, and whether wee [Page 63] are cleansed with the bloud of Christ, or no, by this iusti­fying, by this sanctifying faith. Doe you at any time, persi­sting in the purpose of sinne, desire of sinne, perswade your selues, that notwithstanding the same, you are iustified in Christ, apprehending him by a dead faith as your Sauiour? Doe you at any time, hauing a conscience to act sinne, to commit, approue, consent to sinne; thinke that Christ not­withstanding will iustifie and sanctifie you, without hum­ble acknowledgement and heartie detestation of the said sinnes? if the Diuell (hauing transformed himselfe) haue lulled any of you into such a lethargie, I must needs pro­nounce, that such a confidence, is but a mere presumption, such a iustification is a most pernicious deprauation. But arise, arise, and Christ will illuminate you, and will tell you 1. Joh. 1 what you ought to doe. ( Si confiteamur peccata &c.) If Iacob 2. we confesse and acknowledge our sinnes, God is faithfull to re­mit 1. Joh. 3. them. Againe he who saith, he knoweth God, (by a iu­stifying faith) and keepeth not his commandements is a lyar, and the truth is not in him. Againe ( Omnis quinatus est ex Deo non peccat &c.) Euery one, who is borne of God sin­neth not, because the seed of God, remaineth in him; neither can he sinne, because he is borne of God. Millions of like passages of sacred Scripture, might be produced to shew that no man can be iustified in Christ, whiles with full con­sent, and with a setled intention and purpose of sinne, hee prosecuteth the same: doubtlesse it were a most pernicious paradoxe, to teach, that Christ iustifieth any one, while hee is proposing and prosecuting with full and free consent Rom. 6. sinne, the hire and wages whereof are death and damnation. H [...]b. 3. If any one here, should bee so dangerously seduced by the fallacie of sinne, and deceit of Sathan, let him awake from so prophane a perswasion; or else, I must needes tell him, that as much as in him lieth, hee doth conculcate the bloud of the New Testament, and doth esteeme the bloud of Christ as polluted: for, were it not a pollution [Page 64] euen in the bloud of Christ it selfe, so to partake, so to con­sent, to communicate with sinne? to iustifie a conscience actually, deliberately polluting, and contaminating it selfe with sinne? be it spoken with reuerence, it is a thing which the infinite goodnes of God cannot doe, cannot effectuate. How lamentable therefore is the state of certaine sinners, who alwaies liue in the state of sinne, and infallible occasi­on of sinne? who therefore cannot (vnlesse they bee most presumptuously made) euer esteeme themselues to be iusti­fied through faith in Christ; and so consequently, neuer feele the true comfort of the soule which ariseth from a Christian perswasion of iustification in Christ: I meane not such persons, who through infirmitie and ignorance may fall seuen (yea seuentie seuen) times in a day, and rise againe; Prou 24 but I meane such, as still are falling and neuer arise; because they are fast bound, and chained in the occasion and state of sinne: I meane such auaricious persons, be they Church men or Laikes, which doe detest Papisticall idolatrie; and yet themselues daily, and incessantly doe commit their spi­rituall idolatrie, and whordome with their gold and siluer; with their continuall beholding, solicitous and couetous turning, winding, telling, locking, and vnlocking, medita­ting, caring, contemplating, adoring, worshipping of their Idolls: and yet presumptuous fooles, most ignorant Doctors of the law, they will thinke themselues to be iu­stified in Christ, because they can talke of iustification in Christ, without workes: alas, alas, they should rather tremble with the Deuills, and with remorse of conscience, bewaile their damnable state in which they liue, and bee most assured, that whilst they serue such Mammons in their chests, they cannot serue Christ in their soules, nor be iusti­fied in Christ in their hearts. I meane such wanton ones, who abuse and separate themselues from their nuptiall bed and doe glew their soules to their Concubines, whome they keepe at home, or adore abroade: and yet good holy ones, they thinke that Christ resteth daily in their soules [Page 65] for their iustification; as their filthes lie by their sides to sa­tisfie their abhominable pleasures. I meane such, as euer, and at all moments, carrie vpon their backes and about them obligations for the Deuill, adding vanitie vpon vani­tie, iniustice vpon iniustice; and neuer doe so much as once imagine of any recompence, of any satisfaction, or restitu­tion to be made: and yet, as vaine as butter-flies, they will thinke, that at, and in the same seasons, and momen [...], Christ doth by iustification vouchsafe to adorne, and trimm their soules.

Infinite is the number of such like peruerse beleeuers, and fooles: of whose presumption, when I seriously consi­der, I cannot but iudge of them, that in their consciences they are to bee esteemed the most blasphemous Heretikes, that euer were, in hauing such crooked and doltish per­swasions of Christ: who as hee is a most comfortable and potent Aduocate, for all humble and penitent sinners, ne­uer refusing any who with contrite heart shall returne to him; so likewise against impenitent sinners, he hath in his mouth a double edged sword, to chastise them with eternall malediction; and as it were with the double edge of a dou­ble most sharp punishment, of losse of the glorie of heauen, and of the vndergoing of eternall punishment in the bot­tomlesse Lake of hell, the damned pit of euerlasting afflicti­on. But to Christ iustifying, to Christ sanctifying, with a most humble confidence, and with prostrate soules; let vs all here assembled returne, and in a full faith inuocate him, that hee will vouchsafe by the energie of his Almightie bloud, to cleanse our consciences from dead workes, to serue him, the liuing God: that none of vs here present, be found of that presumptuous ranke, to thinke, that although wee liue deliberately and continually in dead workes: yet wee shall bee liuing to God through a dead faith, for Christs sake. And here to conclude; Most Religious and Christian Auditours (yee, who haue learned, according to the pro­fession of all reformed Churches, that the bloud of Christ [Page 66] doth sanctifie and cleanse from dead workes, all such con­sciences as are iustified by faith in the same) with what pas­sage of sacred Scripture may I more fitly end, and salute you then with that of this our Apostle, in his Epistle to the Hebrewes; (Habentes igitur, &c.) Seeing therefore, Bre­thren, Heb. 10. v. 19. we may with a firme trust enter into the holies, in the bloud of Christ, by the new way, and a liuing way which hee hath prepared for vs, by the veile of his flesh: And hauing a high Priest ouer Gods house; let vs draw neare in a true heart, in the fulnesse of faith, sprinkled in our hearts from an euill conscience, and washed in our bodies with pure water: let vs keepe the profession of our faith, without wauering; for hee is faithfull that promised: and let vs consider one another, to prouoke to loue and good workes, not forsaking the fellowship or the assembly as the custome of some is; but let vs exhort, and comfort one another, and that so much the more, because yee see the day approcheth. O heauenly perswasion! O most diuine lesson! with a firme and an assured faith, wee may walke into the holies in a new and a liuing way, which Christ dying in his bloud, hath dedicated for vs vpon the Crosse: yet with this condition, most dearely beloued, with this prouiso; that our hearts be sincere our consciences sprinkled, with this bloud; and our bodies washed with this water, and wee bee cleansed from dead workes, to serue the liuing God. From dead workes, I say, wherein we pleased Satan, were obsequious to our lusts, and followed our owne concupi­scences, to liuing workes of pietie, loue, compassion, god­linesse, feare of God, to serue the liuing God: The liuing God, once dying, but now liuing: liuing from aboue, to consider all our actions; liuing within vs, to giue vs life, mouing, and to search our very reines; liuing in the hea­uens, ready with reuengefull hand to punish the wicked, and with a most plentifull arme to reward the vertuous; liuing amongst vs vpon earth with his grace, to quicken, to sanctifie vs. What? most deuout Christians? shall our God be liuing, and we his seruants dead? and dead in sinnefull [Page 67] workes, Whose stipend and hire is death and damnation? What? shall the euer-liuing God die an ignominious death? rise to a most glorious life, to quicken vs, to reuiue vs? and will we not bee quickned, be reuiued? The Pellican with bloud stroken out of her breast, quickneth such of her yong ones, as the Serpent may haue poisoned or killed: and shall not the bloud of our Pellicane Christ Iesus, powred Psal. 102. vpon vs, being stroken dead with mortiferous sinne, quic ken vs, reuiue vs? the Pellicane giueth drops of bloud; Our Pellicane prouideth a bath; the Pellicane striketh her breast only; Our Pellicane hath his whole body smitten, on euery part, on euery side, streaming vpon vs bloud and water: shall he not sanctifie vs? shall he not wash vs, reuiue vs, in iustice, pietie, charitie, and other liuing workes of sanctification? If any here will still take sinnefull delight in dead workes; it is more then to be doubted, that the se­cond death and euerlasting damnation, will more then at­tend vpon him: But my very soule is comforted? for in your very countenances, and aspects, I see your resolutions, I see your Christian determinations, that you will be reuiued; and reuiued in liuing workes of faith, charitie, iustice, longanimitie, patience, obedience, pietie, to serue the liuing God, the Father, Sonne, and holy Ghost; to whom be all praise, honour, and dominion, from hence-forth, for euermore.

AMEN.