The cer­tainty of the truth in this scripture conteined no­ted to breede at­tention & obediē [...]e thereto.THis present occasion considered (right ho­norable & dearly beloued in our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus) this portion of Scripture of­fereth most fit & necessary matter, both to me to speak of, & to you to he are. For (as you may well perceiue) herein is set down, what the state and condition of al those is, that die in the Lorde, yea immediatly vpō that their death. Of which num­ber (I hope) all you here present are fully per­swaded, this honorable person, whose funerall day heere this is, was one. And the more reue­rently both to mooue me to speake thereof, and to prouoke you all the more attentiuely to listen to that which is therin auouched, we are to wey y ^t that which herein is set down is a proposition or assertion not first deuised, vttered, and recorded by the will & wit of man, but which came downe from heauen, left in writing thus vnto vs by ex­presse and speciall commandement from thence, confirmed also to be most true by the assent and approbation of the holy Ghost. For Iohn the be­loued disciple of Iesus Christ, & a faithfull wit­nesse testifieth vnto vs, that he heard a voice from [Page 2]heauen commaunding him to write it, & also hee telleth vs, that this heauenly voice had no sooner tolde him, that the thing which he shoulde write was this, Blessed are they that dye in the Lorde thenceforth, but that the Spirit said yea vnto it, adding further, that such rest from their labors, and that the woorkes of such accompany them. Wherefore in the feare of God, we are al of vs so to consider of the matter taught vs in this pro­position, as of matter most weighty, most certain & true. For if Iohn himself had left it in writing but by the ordinarye direction of his Apostolike spirite, wee ought not at all to haue doubted, either of the necessarinesse, or certainety thereof. For euen thereby both hee and all the rest of his fellowes, writers of the Canonical Scriptures, were euer preserued in their writinges both from all erring in their writings, and also from committing vnto writing any needelesse or vn­profit able thing. Howe much lesse, it being (as you haue hearde) most earnestlie affirmed, and by most inuincible authoritie confirmed and strengthened, may we doubt of any thing taught vs in this heauenly oracle: Out of all doubt e­uen hereby we are (to begin with al) al of vs fast bound, most readily to beleeue euery thing to be most certainelye true, which herein is taught, whatsoeuer wee haue taught heeretofore, or fleshe and bloode can say to the contrarie hereaf­ter [Page 3]otherwise most gracelessely wee shoulde call into question, whether there be trueth or no in a most vehement asseueration of the al­mighty, which once to doe were blasphe­mie.

The scope occasion and other circum­staunces thereof.The scope and drift, that our most wise and louing GOD had in causing these woordes to be registred, and recorded in this booke af­ter this sort, to the eternall consolation of his, considered, wee shall euen thereby perceiue, that it was not without very great cause, why euen thus they were set downe. For it appea­reth in certaine chapters before this, whereof these woordes are a part, that it was reuealed vnto Iohn, how Antichrist shoulde come, grow, and flourish in his kingdome to the ecclipsing of the trueth marueilouslie. Wherefore in this Chapter (as our verie aduersaries are com­pelled to confesse) to his comfort, and the far­ther consolation of the Church, the Lord vouch­safeth to reueale vnto him the fall of Antichrist, and the manner how in this sorte, first in cau­sing him to see an Angell flie in the middest of heauen, hauing an euerlasting Gospell to preach vnto them, that dwell on the earth, to euerie Nation, Kindred, Toungue and People, saying with a lowde voice, Feare God, & giue glorie to him, for the houre of his iudgemēt is come, worship him that made heauē [Page 4]and earth, the Sea & the fountaines of waters: and then in causing him to see another Angell following, saying, It is fallen, it is fallen, Ba­bylon the great citie. For shee made all nations to drinke of the wine of the wrath of her fornica­tion: and thirdly in causing him to see and heare a third Angell following the other two, saying with a loude voice: If any man worshippe the beast and his image, and receiue his marke in his foreheade, or hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, yea of the pure wine, which is powred into the cup of his wrath, and hee shall be tormented in fire and brimstone be­fore the holy Angels, and before the Lambe, and the smoke of their torment shal ascend euermore: and they shall haue no rest day nor night which worship the beast, and his image, and whosoeuer receiueth the Print of his name. Wherein in effect is shewed (as it is also written 2. Thes. 2.) that after Antichrist shall haue shewed himselfe in his full, then yet, when God shall see it time, that he would by the spirit of his mouth, that is, by the effectuall preaching againe of the Gospel (which Antichrist had smothered) bring him to a desperate consumption. Which once beeing brought to passe of the great mercie of the Lorde towards his church, by this light thē so come in­to the world & shining therin, the Lord teacheth here by the voice of the 3. Angel, that as many as [Page 5] be desirous to escape eternal damnatiō should in any case so seperate themselues from Anti­christ & his religiō, that neither in forhead nor hand they bear his mark, that is, that neither o­penly nor secretly they be any longer fauorers of him and his abhominations. And this more plainly after chap. 18. vpon occasion of a reuela­tion like vnto this, which he had of the fall of the kingdome of Antichrist, he doth warn vs of by a voice from heauē, saying, Go out of her my people, that ye be not partakers in her sins, & that ye receiue not of her plagues. Which admoni­tion Iohn by the spirite of Prophesie foreseeing would take place in a number, & that thereupon Antichrist and his confederates would take occasion of great griefe & anger seeing so their king­domes to decay, he bursteth out into these words saying, Here is the patience of the Saints, here are they that keep the cōmandements of God & the faith of Iesus. As who should say, I foresee that when these thinges shoulde come to passe, which the Lord hath foreshewed by the voices of these three Angels shall; then they that leaue An­tichrist to cleaue to Christ, and forsake his abho­minable superstition to imbrace the sinceritie of the Gospell, shall maruellously bee assaulted by Antichrist and his, to reclaime them againe by al meanes both faire and foule, sweete and subtile, sowre and violent, insomuch that they then shall [Page 6]stād neede of perfect patience. For if it were pos­sible (the deuises and meanes which he will vse to repaire his kingdome againe withal will bee such) that the very elect should be seduced, as Christ hath foretold Mat. 24.24. Wherupon the words of my text follow, where incoragemēt is giuē to al men that shal liue to see Antichrist and his treacherie by the preaching again of the gos­pell thus detected & brought to his consumption, to imbrace the doctrine of the Gospell, and to leaue his, yea and constantly to perseuere both in the profession of their hatred and defiance of his abominations (though neuer so vniuersally liked before, yet & stil (the better to deceiue) offered in a golden cup) and also in their loue & liking of the sincerity of the truth of the gospel, though neuer so much slaundred by his to be a new doctrine & heresie, and persecuted also. For so far off shall it bee, that ye shall loose anie thing (saith the Lord vnto such in my text) if you take this course quite to forsake Antichrist and leane onely vnto and vppon Christ, that when hee hath doone his woorst (which is, but to kill your bodies, and so to cause your soules to flit the soo­ner out of them) that I assure you without all doubt you shall immediately thence-foorth bee blessed, in that all manner of woe and paine shall bee ended to you, and besides your sincere profession & holy cōuersation must bee re­warded [Page 7]with ioy & vnspeakeable felicitie in hea­uen, Be therefore of good courage, the light shining amongest you againe, imbrace it and walke in it, haue no longer, either secretly or o­penly any further fellowshippe with the workes of darkenesse: if you haue, you haue heard the thirde Angell tell you, that then therefore ye shal be euerlastingly accursed and condemned. But if you haue refused them and will liue and die in the sincere profession, and beleefe of the trueth of the Gospell, whatsoeuer meanes Anti­christ shall vse to drawe you backe againe vnto him, I say vnto you (and I say it most earnestly) you shalbe for euer blessed and happie, My text therfore commeth in, as a preoccupation, to take awaie from al such as should fall from Antichrist to Christ by the preaching of the Gospell, all ob­iections whatsoeuer can or may arise in their mindes to make them wauer or go backe againe vnto him. And for asmuch as the Lord saw that these would be many, yea and that in shew so for­cible to a man consulting with flesh & bloud, that he should euen therwith be often amased, you see (right honorable) as I haue said, that not with­out verie great cause is this proposition, ten­ding to their comforce and strengthening, vt­tered and recorded in such sort and maner as you haue heard, Wherefore whensoeuer there ari­seth any reason or motion in our mindes to draw [Page 8]vs backe frō the sincerity of the Gospell, to take again the marke of the beast either in our fore­head or hand, then to strengthen our selues to withstand all such, let vs make our recourse vnto this place, and well wey this point, that here is damnation flatly denoūced to all such, as after the sound of the gospell againe reuolt to Anti­christ: and that there is most certainly saluatiō and blisse promised to those that refuse to doe it, and choose rather to lose their liues.

The diui­sion.Now in the proportiō it self thus & vpō this oc­casion vttered we haue to cōsider two things principally, y ^t is, who they be, of whō the Lord therein speaketh, & what it is, y ^t he speaketh of such. The first is expressed in these words, They that die in the Lord: the later in these, Are blessed thence­forth: euen so saith the spirit that they rest from their labors, & their works accōpany thē. Wherof orderly nowe I am to speake as the text offereth occasiō, & as the time wil permit me. Though this particle (all) nor any like, hee not prefixed, yet (no doubt) it is necessarily to be vnderstood. [...]he pro [...]sition is [...]iuersall. For the propositiō being indefinit, & the latter part therof so vndoubtedly & vnseparably belonging to y ^e for­mer, as it doth, it must needs be equiualent to an vniuersal proposition, & therefore all one in effect with this. All they that dy in the Lord are blessed thēceforth: besides the vsual maner of y ^e scripture, which is to set down vniuersal propositions inde­finitely, [Page 9]confirmeth the same, as Ioh. 3.6. & 18. By the Lord is meant Christ. And by the Lord we haue here to vnderstād our Lord & sauior Iesus, whose vsual title in the scripture this is, as Ro. 1.3. 1. Co. 1.2. 2. Cor. 1.3. & y ^• worthily, both for that he is our creator, & also redeemer, What it is to die in the Lord. it is cōfessed of al, & denied of none. But what it is to dy in the lord here in this place al interpreters be not of one mind. Some vnderstād it generally of al those which die in the state of grace, & tauour of y ^e Lord through a soūd and right christian faith in him: other some take it, y ^• onely hereby Martyrs are meant, & therefore these words [...], w ^t word for word sound, in the Lord, they translate for the Lord, or for the Lords cause. Which later interpretatiō the papists best like of, as appeareth in y ^e Rhem. notes vpō this place. For the place so takē (say they) it maketh not at al against our do­ctrine of purgatory. For we neuer taught, y ^• mar­tyrs wēt thither, but haue alwaies confessed, that such are immediatly after their death blessed. Of whō w ^t Aug. sermone de verb. Apost. 17. Cap. 1. wee (say they) haue alwaies said, that he doth iniury to a martyr, that praieth for a m [...]rtyr. Wherfore it shalbe very necessary to cōsider whether of these interpretations is the rather in this place to bee followed. They that folow the later vrge this as the only reason of their so doing, that the circum­staunces of the place leades them to take it as spoken only to the comfort of those that through [Page 10]the tyranny of Antichrist shall loose their liues for the profession of the pure doctrine of Christ. That it is spoken to the comforte of such, yea and especially to the comforte of such, I will easilie graunt: but onely to the comfort of such, and therefore onely of such, I cannot in anie case think. For (no doubt of it) the Lord hauing fore­shewed vnto Iohn. the fall of Antichristes king­dome, and the maner how, and consequently ha­uing let him in spirite foresee, howe he woulde free and chafe against all those, that beeing ad­monished by the Gospell shoulde fully seperate themselues from him, to rest onely in and vpon Christ: as he did thereupon foresee, that he would raise cruell persecution against thē, that through the feare thereof he mihgt reclaime them; so hee (without all peraduenture) in spirite foresawe, that no faire meanes, or subtile perswasions would be omitted, to heale vp the wound of the beast again withal: & that the saints of god should finde is as hard a matter to stād stedfast in Christ vnto their liues end against those assaultes, as a­gainst the other, that is his cruell persecutiō. For daily experiēce teacheth, that this way he preuai­leth more a great deale, than by the other. And therefore if there were cause why these words of my text should be vttered & recorded to animate & incourage men in the time of persecution to stand stedfast in the truth against Antichrist, there was [Page 11]as good cause, why they shoulde bee so also to the strēgthning of mē to liue & die in the same truth, what faire allurements, subtil deuises, or cūning perswasiōs soeuer were vsed to draw them frō y ^e same. So y ^t as wel he is told here, that he is bles­sed, that dieth in his bed a right & soūd Christian faith (notwithstanding these meanes vsed to him before to seduce him) as hee that dieth in the fire for the profession of the same faith. And yet though they haue it grāted them that the words especially concerne Martyrs, yet vnderstanding the words generally, they serue aswel to the cō ­fort of them, & rather better, than if they were true only in them. For this argument followeth strongly, whosoeuer dieth in the Lord, that is in a right & soūd christian faith, he is thenceforth immediatly blessed, & therfore martyrs, who not only dye in y ^e faith, but for that faith. Further, who knoweth not, that it is an vsuall thing in the scri­ptures, & in all other good learning, to proue par­ticulars by generals? And therfore what reason is there to the contrary, but that here to the com­forting of them that dye for the Lord, the blessed state generally of al that dye in y ^e Lord, should be set foorth, wherein they might see themselues of al other vndoubtedly included? Hereby then it appeareth, that their reason of restraining the words to thē only that dye for the Lord, is taken away, & therfore also the consequent, which they [Page 12]wold infer therupon falleth to y ^e ground. Besides this, diuerse reasons I haue, which inforce me to vnderstand the woordes generally of all that die in the Lord, when and wheresoeuer, and they are these, first it is somewhat harde to translate [...] which is, in the Lorde, for the Lorde. Secondly, when the circumstance & coherence of the text wil wel suffer (as in this place) that it ca­ry a sense to the generall cōfort of Gods Church then vnnecessarily to restraine it to some sort of members therof only, cānot be but a fault. For it is, as it were a needlesse shrinking vp of the sin­news, and pulling in of the armes of the holy scri­pture. And lastly in the interpreting of scripture it is a rule greatly to be commended, If the que­stion of the sense arise vpon a phrase of speech (as here it doth) to consider the vse of the same or like phrase in other places of scripture, and to take it in that sense, that best agreeth with the vse therof in other places of scripture, Now in this case we neither finde, that to liue in the Lord, or to die in the Lorde are taken in any other place for to liue or die for the Lordes sake: but to dye in the Lorde to bee taken in this generall se [...] se [...], to de­part this life in a sounde and right Christian faith, wee finde elsewhere in the Scripture. For 1. Thessal. 4. (where it is euident that the Apo­stle speaketh generally of all those that shal haue a ioyfull resurrection) hee calleth them first [Page 13] those that sleepe in Iesus. vers. 14. after those that be dead in Christ verse. 16. where it were absurd to restraine these phrases to those only that dy for Christs cause. For it were to restrain the comfort of the generall resurrection only to such. These and some other such like reasons (as it should seeme) haue inforced our Rhemists vp­on this place (though they plainly shew, that they would very gladly haue the words restrained on­ly to Martyrs, that so easily they might shifte off the place when it is alleadged against their pur­gatory) to confesse that yet it may be takē as spo­ken generally of all that departe in the state of grace. Wherefore seeing this general sense most fully and strongly answereth the circumstances of the text, best agreeth with the letter therof, of­fereth more generall comfort to Gods children, accordeth best with the vse of the same, and other the like phrases in other places of the Scripture (in so much that our very aduersaries, against whom most that sensr maketh, haue in print con­fessed that, that may be the sense) we may safelye conclude, that they which are here spoken of, are all generally, that depart this life in Christ Ie­sus our Lorde, whether they liued or dyed be­fore Christ, or since, or shall hereafter; and children dying within Gods election and coue­naunt. The ne­cessitie of perseue­rance.

This thus concluded & determined, it is worthy [Page 14]to bee marked, that it is saide, which die in the Lord. For therby we learne, that vnlesse we per­seuere vnto our end in refusing the beasts marke both in forehead & hand, that is, any way to be fa­uorers of the abhominatiōs and superstitions of Antichrist (what meanes soeuer he vse to seduce vs) and continue also in a constāt and sincere pro­fession of Christs truth vnto our death, that here is no comfort at all offered vnto vs: but our por­tion is set downe before by the voice of the 3. An­gell, to drinke of the cup of Gods wrath, and to be tormented euermore. Wherfore let euery one of vs not only take warning by the light of the gos­pell shining nowe amongest vs, to seperate our selues quite from Antichrist and his religiō, and to be no fauorers of him or his opinions, either se­cretly, or openly, but let vs also imbrace the sin­cere religion of Iesus Christ, offered vnto vs by the gospel, and perseuere in y ^e zealous profession therof, what means soeuer fraudulent or violent he shal vse to shake vs: and so doing wee may bee sure we are of y ^e nūber here spokē of, els not. For it is writē, He that perseuereth to the end shal be saued, Mat. 10.22. Be faithful vnto the ende & I wil giue thee the crown of life. Apo. 2.10. & on the other side: No mā that putteth his hande to the plough & looketh hack is meete for the kingdō of God, Luk. 9.62. & most fearfully is y ^e iudgmēt of God denoūced against al apostataes, [Page 15]and reuolters frō a known truth, Heb. 6.4.5.6. & 10.26.27. and in the 2. epistle of Pet. 2.20.21.22. By this therfore that wee haue heard already we see, that neither Turkes, Iewes, Pagans, nor Atheistes can be of the number heare spoken of, that dye in the Lorde; because they doe not ac­knowledge Iesus Christ so much as to bee a Lord; yea, and that it is not enough for a time ne­uer so well to acknowledge him to be Lorde and king, and professe faith in him; vnlesse wee perse­uere in our so doing vnto our death, let antichrist do what he can against vs therfore: and that so al backsliders from the sincere religion of Iesus Christ, are also shut out from this number of thē that dye in the Lord.

The necessitie of spi­ritual vni­on with Christ.Further yet we are to weigh the force of this phrase (in the lord) for it is of great importance, in that euidently thereby is taught vs, that there is a very nigh coniunction and vnion necessari­ly required to bee betwixt the Lorde and them, that euer woulde bee of the number of them that die in the Lorde. It is not enough therefore for such to knowe the Lorde, what hee is in na­ture, and what hee is in office, and to be able and willing to vtter their knowledge, vnlesse there­withall they proceede euen to be in the Lord. For the former is but to come nigh him, which is nothing, except wee get into him. The necessitie of this vnion betwixt vs and our Lord and Sa­uiour [Page 16]Iesus (or else wee cannot bee saued) ari­seth of this, that wheras our saluation lyeth in an attonement and vnion betwixt god and vs, and there is no other meanes in the wisedome of God found out and appointed to vs men, hauing by our sinnes made a diuision betwixt him and vs, to recouer this vnion againe with God, but by, becomming one with Christ Iesus our Lord, in whose person for our sakes, God-head and mā ­hoode bee vnited; so that thereupon it must needs thus stand with vs, that vntill wee bee in Christ, and so one with him, wee remaine still deade in our sinnes and trespasses, at enmitye with God, and indeede without life before him. But when it is once come to passe, that wee are in him, in­grafted and growing in him, then our heauenly father, being well pleased in him, becommeth to be so also in vs for his sake. Whereuppon it must needes bee, that our sinnes are forgiuen, and that we are at one againe with God, and liue in deede in his sight, in that Christ liueth in vs and wee in him. So that as necessary as the vnion of the soule and body of man be to cause this temporall life: so needefull is the vnion of Christ spiritual­ly, to euery man to cause him to liue before God. For as the body is dead when the soul is sundred from it; so whole man, though otherwise in res­pect of this common life he be neuer so liuely, is starke dead spiritually, whiles Christ and hee be [Page 17]seuered. For as we read 1. Ioh. 5.11. that this is a most certain truth, that God hath giuen vnto vs eternal life: so this is as certaine (as it there followeth) that this life is in his sonne. Wherup­on (as he saith in the next verse) thus the case stā ­deth, that he that hath the sonne hath life, and he that hath not the son hath not life. For con­firmation of this doctrine of the necessitye of our spirituall and mysticall vnion with Christ it ser­ueth, that he is called the head, and all that shall be saued, his Church and body, Colos. 1.18. Eph. 1.22.23. and that he is compared by himself (Ioh. 15.5.) to a vine whereinto his heauenly father, so ingrafteth al those, as branches, that shall be saued, that they grow in him, and that also Ioh. 6.55. where he compareth his flesh to meat in­deede, and his blood to drinke indeede, in the eating and drinking whereof lyeth saluation, and in the not eating and drinking whereof lyeth damnation as there hee sayeth expreslye verse 53.54, For by these metaphors it is eui­dent (especiallye seeing the grounde of them is the similitude betweene the metaphor and the thing metaphorised) euen in this pointe, that as the bodye receiueth life from the heade, and is dead without it: as the branch though it bee ne­uer so neere the vine stock, yet if it abide not in it, and growe not in it, hath no life there from, and therefore withereth, and if it abide in it, then it [Page 18]liketh and fructifieth: and as the hungrie & thir­stie haue not the benefite of meate and drinke to liue by, by comming where it is seeing it, and knowing it, but by eating and drinking thereof, and digesting it, so that by the force of nature there may growe an vnion betwixt them & their meate: euen so it is as necessary, that the Church be vnited to her head Christ, engrafted into him, and grow in him, and that euery one that would bee saued eate him and drinke him, and that so effectually, as that hee may be their spirituall foode. For if it be thus they shall liue for euer by him, otherwise they remain in death, wither, and must perish. And therefore Christ (Iohn. 15, 5.) saith, He that abideth in mee and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit. And in the next verse he addeth, If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, & withereth, & men ga­ther them & cast them in the fire, & they burn. What a comforte is it then to al those that be the Lordes to reade, how Christ (whose prayer wee may be sure was heard) hath prayed vnto his heauenly father, Ioh. 17.23, that hee might be in them, & his father in him, that so they maie be made perfect in one?

And hereby we may be assured, that hee will finde the meanes so to marie himselfe in spirite vnto all the elect, that they shalbee sure to bee v­nited vnto him, and made one in him, and he in [Page 19]them, It hath pleased the father, that in him should al fulnes dwell, Colos. 1.16. and yet such is his goodnesse towardes his Church (in that hee hath taken vppon him to bee the redeemer thereof) that he accounteth himselfe as it were imperfect without his body the Church, & there­fore it is saide to bee his fulnes, Ephes. 1.23. Whereupon it is, that he and his Church ioyned together by spirituall bondes appointed for that purpose as the head and body of a mā be by natu­ral and bodily meanes, are accounted in the sight of God as one perfect man, whereof hee is the head, and the Church his body, as it is euident to the diligent reader, Ephes. 4.13.15.16. 1. Cor. 12.12. &. Gal. 3.16.

These things thus considered may breede in vs al here present (and I hope they haue) an ear­nest desire to knowe howe to get vnto this vni­on and coniunction with Christ, wherby we may be in him, and so to be the readier, when it shall please the Lorde to call vs hence, to die in him. And this is the thing that nowe next wee haue to Consider of. Concerning which we are to vn­derstand, that on Gods part offering this blessed vnion and fellowshippe vnto vs, his outwarde meanes is the whole ministerie of his worde and Sacraments. For we reade, Ephes. 4. that hee hath appointed it namely to this end, to gather together his Saints, for the edification of the [Page 20]body of Christ, till we all meete together vnto a perfect man, & vnto the measure of the age of the fulnes of Christ, in the vnity of the faith, and knowledge of the sonne of god, by whom all the body beeing coupled and knitte toge­ther by euery ioint for the furniture therof (ac­cording to the effectuall power, which is in the measure of euery part) receaueth encrease of the body vnto the edifying of it selfe in loue, verse 12.13.16. And Saint Iohn. 1. Epist. 1.3. plainely confesseth, that the ende of his ministe­ry and his fellowes the Apostles was this, say­ing. That which we haue hearde and seene, de­clare wee vnto you, that yee may also haue fel­lowshippe with vs, and that our fellowship also may bee with the father, and with the sonne Iesus Christ. By the worde preached generally the doctrine of this vnion is laide open to our eares: in the administration of the sacraments it is also, the better to make vs to embrace it, not onely set before our eies, but confirmed, parti­cularly offered, and ratifyed vnto vs. Gods inwarde meanes, whereby hee maketh this out­warde effectuall vnto vs, is the effectuall ope­ration of his spirite in our heartes. For it was hee that opened Lydias heart to attende vnto the thinges that Paul spake to her saluation, Act. 16.14.15. And Paul may plant and A­pollo water, but it is GOD, that must giue [Page 21]the encrease, or else the other will be to no pur­pose, 1. Cor. 3.6.7. Now the meanes on our part, whereby by the foresaide meanes we are enabled to take & apprehend this vnion offered, is a sound and a right faith in Christ Iesus. I say sound, because it must be vnfeined: and right, because it must not bee erronious, nor hereticall: in Christ Iesus, because to the apprehension of this fellowshippe with Christ, and consequent­ly to all the mercies of GOD layd vp for vs in him, it is not enough to beleeue either that he is, or what he is, vnlesse we beleeue also rightly in him being such a one. But in this I speake but of them of sufficient age and descretion. For, as for children borne in the Church, dying in their infancie, and others borne and dying idiots in the same, borne of such parents, as the coue­nant (Gen. 17. I will bee thy GOD, and the GOD of thy seede after thee) belongeth unto, no doubt of it the Lorde can and doeth by the force of this election and other extraordinarie meanes vnite vnto his sonne. And therefore we are to hope, that such die in the Lorde. Vn­derstand therefore, that I heerein haue spoken, and in that, which followeth, meane to speake on­ly of those, to whome the Lorde giueth yeares and discretion, so that if the fault bee not in themselues, they are capable of the doctrine of faith.

That by faith this vnion is attained.Nowe to proue, that faith hath this office ap­pointed vnto it of God, to apprehend Christ, & to make him our owne by the former meanes offe­red vnto vs, the scripture is most cleare and eui­dent. For we read Iohn. 1.12. that as many as re­ceiued him, to them he gaue power to be made the sonnes of God. For explanation whereof it followeth immediatly, euen to thē that beleeue in his name. And Ephes. 3.17. Paul praieth, that Christ may dwell in their hearts by faith. And in the 4. chapter of that epistle 13. ye haue heard that by the vnity of faith and knoweledge of the sonne of God we all meete together vnto a perfect man in Christ.

And who so duely considereth, what is writ­ten in the 6, of Iohn, from the 27. verse vnto the 57. of the same, he shall there plainely finde the premises, whereupon this conclusion is directly to be inferred, ergo to eate the flesh of the sonne of man and to drinke his bloud, is nothing else but to beleue in him, plainly & at large handled. For first there this proposition is handled, that to eate the bread of life is to doe nothing else, but to beleeue in the son: & then this, but to eat the flesh of the son of mā & to drink his bloud is nothing else, but to eat the bread of life: wher­upon it directly followeth, that therfore it is no­thing else to eat the flesh of the sonne of mā & to drink his bloud, but to beleue in him. Which [Page 23]also is euident, in that you shall find in that chap­ter within the compasse of the foresaide verses, the same thinges both promised to the eaters and drinkers of Christes fleshe and bloude, and to the beleeuers in him, and also the same things threat­ned to the not eaters and drinkers thereof, which are to the not beleeuers in him. Which argueth that they are both one, especially seeing the one is put for the other in the Chapter following, verse. 37.38. In the former whereof we reade thus, Nowe in the last and great day of the feast, Ie­sus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come vnto me & drinke: but in the lat­ter (whereas if he had continued the metaphori­call speech, wherein he beganne, he shoulde haue saide, he that commeth vnto me and drinketh of mee) changing his phrase, and yet retayning his former meaning, to shewe vs that to drinke him is nothing else, but to beleeue in him, hee saieth in the steed thereof, Hee that beleeueth in me, as saith the Scripture, out of his bellie shall flowe riuers of waters of life. And there­fore not without good ground said Augustine, Crede & manducasti, Beleeue and thou hast ea­ten. Tract. 25. vpon Iohn. And Tertullian de resurrectione carnis: 29. writeth, that Christ is au­ditu deuorandus, & ruminandus intellectu, & fide digerendus, that is, to be deuoured by hearing, to be chewed on by vnderstanding, and to be di­gested [Page 24]by faith. So that by all these proofes laide together wee see that Christ is receiued by faith, that wee growe in him by faith, yea to a perfect man in Gods sight, and lastly that hee is as surely apprehended of vs by faith to our spi­rituall maintenance in the worde preached, and sacramentes ministred (which are the dishes wherein one and the selfe-same Christ is offered vnto vs) as meate and drinke being set before vs is taken in by eating or drinking thereof to our temporall nourishment, Whereof the Sacra­ment of Christes body and bloud is a most effe­ctuall ratification, and particular confirmati­on to euery right receiuer thereof by faith. If it were otherwise that wee coulde not get to be in Christ, and hee in vs by faith in him, but to ac­complishe this it were necessary bodily to take him into vs by the mouth of our bodies, then (forasmuch as there were neuer any that died that coulde be blessed, that died not in him) all the good Patriarkes, Prophets, and other seruantes of GOD that died before hee had an humane body, must bee condemned. But the contrary thereof is euident, in that Abraham is placed in state of saluation by Christ, Luk. 16.24. &c. Yea and with Abraham; Isaac, and Iacob, in the kingdome of heauen, Luk. 13.28.29. And therefore Paul is bolde 1. Cor. 10.3.4. to say of them that were before Christ, that they all [Page 25]ate one spirituall meate, and dranke the same spirituall drinke, that we doe, Christ, which coulde not be otherwise effectually, but by be­leeuing aright in CHRIST, to come. Let vs therfore labour by diligent vse of the meanes, that GOD hath appointed vs for that purpose, to attaine to a right and sounde faith in Christ, and to nourishe it still by the vse of the same meanes, seeing thereby wee see it commeth to passe, that wee put on Christ and be vnited vn­to him, so that wee may bee saide (according to the vsuall phrase of the Scripture) to bee in him, and consequently alwaies found rea­dy to dye in him. Of which number I count as well them that died before Christ in a right faith in him to come, as since in him already come.

But not by euery kind of faith.But nowe (least wee deceiue our selues in thinking we haue attained vnto this faith, and so are in Christ, when it is nothing so) wee are diligently to consider what manner of faith that is, and of what nature it is, that worketh this great and glorious effect. And the rather are wee diligently to consider hereof because this woorde Faith is not alwaies taken in one and the selfe-same signification in the Scriptures: for there are diuers sortes and kindes of faith. Not by the mira­culous faith. Vnderstande therefore (Righte Honourable and welbeloued in our Sauiour Iesus Christ) [Page 26]that it is not fides miraculosa, a faith to woorke miracles by, that is, a resolution by some extra­ordinarie meanes of Gods will to worke a won­der, and therefore thereupon to attempt it in his name, and to bring it to passe, that maketh vs haue this fellowshippe with Christ. For of such as haue this faith we reade thus, Mat. 7.22.23. Many wil say vnto me in that day (saith Christ) Lorde, Lorde, haue we not in thy name pro­phecied? And by thy name cast out Diuels? And done many great workes? And then will I professe to them, Not by the histo­ricall faith. I neuer knewe you, de­part from me you workers of iniquitie. Nei­ther is it an historicall faith onely, whereby wee assent to the trueth of those thinges that are written in the Scripture. For (no doubt of it) the very diuels of hell are enforced to yeeld thus much to their smart and woe. And there­fore we read Iames. 2.19, The diuels beleeue and tremble. Not by the tem­porarie saith. Neither is it a temporary faith, fleeting in the conceite of man not firmely set­led and rooted in his heart. For such as haue that kinde of faith onely are compared by our sauiour Christ Mat. 13. to the thornie and sto­nie ground, wherein though for a time the good seede of the woorde seemed to make faire pro­mise of a plentifull haruest, yet ere due time of haruest came, either through the cares and pleasures of this life it was so choaked and ouer [Page 27]growen, or through the scorching heate of persecution so burnte vppe that it came to no good. And therefore you haue hearde that it is sayde heare not without cause, Which dye in the Lorde, to shewe vs that it must bee a continu­ing and perseuering faith vnto the ende (how­soeuer in the meane time it bee assaulted) that must serue the turne in this case to make vs such, as of whom the LORDE here speaketh. Not by the dead faith. I say further, that a faith though seeming to be neuer so liuelye in woordes, yet if it be fruit­lesse in good woorkes, it is not the faith that canne make vs to be in Christ. For both im­mediatlye before the woordes of my text, and in the ende thereof it is euident, that a faith accom­panied with good woorkes is heere required. For before you reade, that Iohn set downe these woordes, Heere is the patience of Saintes, heere are they that keepe the commaunde­mentes of GOD and the faith of Iesus. And my text concludeth, that the woorkes of such accompanie them, as dye in the Lorde. For the true faith purifieth the hearte, Actes. 15.9. and it is of that nature, that it worketh by loue, Galat. 5.6. And therefore as, though a man haue neuer so charitable and curteous woordes, yet if hee haue no deedes aunswering thereunto, his charitye is vaine, Iam. 2.15, 16. [...]0 [...] [...] if it haue no woorkes is deade in it selfe, and can­not [Page 28]not saue a man, verse 17. &c. Howbeit this I say, and thus I teach with Iames, not that I woulde haue you to thinke, that faith saueth, or iustifieth any for the worthines of these works that followe it, and accompanye it. For so far off am I, and wee all ought to bee from that, that we may not once imagine, that fayth it selfe saueth or iustifieth any for the worthinesse of it selfe, but onely for and through the worthines of Christ the obiect thereof, whom it appre­hendeth and applieth withall his merites to her owner, and so thereby hee is iustified. But this I say and constantly afferme, that that fayth that iustifieth a man indeede is two wayes liuely and effectuall, namely in heauen before GOD about her obiect Christ, first in apprehending and applying lit to the iustification of the ow­ner: and then in earth amongst men in puryf [...]yng her subiect, that is, the person in whome it is, to bring foorth fruites beseeming a iustified per­son. So that alwayes hee that hath the iustifi­yng faith, hath therewith the sanctifying spirite, whereby hee is able (according to Saint Peters counsaile to ioyne vertue to his faith, 2. Peter. 1.5 and according to Saint Iames request, to shewe his faith by his woorkes, Chapter. 2.18. for the [...]ounde and right fayth in Iesus [...] into the hearte of the owner, by [Page 29]the operation of the spirite, such abundance of loue to wardes GOD for and in conside­ration of his infinite loue and goodnesse found out and apprehended thereby, that it reple­nisheth the hearte wherein it is withall thanke­fulnesse and duetifulnesse towardes him in o­beying his commaundementes with all his power chearefully and willingly: in somuch that as it is impossible to seperate fire and heat, sunne and light: so is it to finde a iustiflyng fayth without good woorkes. And there­fore though wee take the office of iustifiyng from good woorkes generally without distinc­tion, and leaue it soly and wholy to faith, as Paul doeth, Romanes. 3.28. where he sayeth, Therefore wee conclude, that a manne is iustified by faith without the woorkes of the lawe: yet wee say and holde also with Sainte Iames, that a man is iustified of woorkes, and not of faith onelye, Iames 2.24. For though by warrant from Paul wee holde that onlye faith iustifieth before GOD, because the woorkes of the Iawe, that is, woorkes commaunded by the Lawe, which (if any other thing might bee ioyned with faith in this office) are most woorthy, are shut out quite from intermed­ling therein: yet wee holde also, that this fayth, which is sola, that is, alone in doing this office, yet is not solitaria, that is, alone in her owner, [Page 30]when she doth performe it.

Faith therefore alone (with Paul) iustifieth before God, and workes proceeding from faith iustifie, that is, declare who is iustified, with Iames. For that appeareth to be his sense by his saying, She we me thy faith out of thy woorkes. Neither is his phrase straunge in saying that works doe iustifie, which doe but declare who is iustified. For we say cōmonly, white haires make in olde man, and yet our meaning onely is, that they declare him to be an olde man. And for fur­ther proofe yet of this point, that it is not a faith in the sippes, but in the heart, not a woroy, but a worthy faith, that knitteth vs vnto Christ, wee are to call to our remembraunce, that Christ ex­presly ( Iohn. 15.5.) saith, He that abideth in me and I in him, the same bringeth foorth much fruit. And that as Saint Paul saith, there is no condemnation to those that bee in Christ, to he addeth, which walke not after the flesh, but after the spirit, Rom. 8.1. yea that he saith, that they that are Christes haue crucified the flesh with the lustes thereof, Galat. 5.24.and that with with, olde thinges are past away, and all thinges are become newe, 2. Cor. 5.17. Either therefore neuer pretende, that thou hast a sound are a right faith, or else set thy life and conuer­sation be such, as God may be glorified in iustifi­ing such an one. Dauid coulde say) seeing Christ [Page 31]but a far off in respect of that purgation and clen sing, that hee hoped for by him, Psa. 51.7. Purge me with hysope, and I shall bee cleane, washe mee and I shall be whiter than snow. And ther­fore said Iohn very flacly 1. epist. 1.6.7, If we say wee haue fellowshippe with him, and walke in darckenesse, wee lie and doe not truely: but if wee walke in the light as hee is in the light, we haue fellowshippe one with another, and the bloode of Iesus Christ cleanseth vs from al our sinnes. Wherefore let vs assure our selues, ei­ther that wee are not purged at all by Christes death or washed by his bloode, or else chat we are cleane and white. For (no doubte of it) where God for his sake pardoneth sinne, there he purgeth it: and where he couereth it, there he cureth it: and therefore to all that beleeue in him the spirite is promised, Iohn. 7.38. to bee in that measure, that it shalbe as riuers of water of life flowing ouer the bankes, for the force it shall haue in all such effectually to wash them, to soften them, to make them fruitfull, and to quench in them the flames and heate of sinne. Vnlesse therefore wee finde the spirite in vs to haue this operation, wee are without warrant in our selues to prooue, that we haue a sound and right faith in Christ. By this then you mate see (dearely beloued in Iesus Christ) seeing this is the generall doctrine of vs all, that professe the [Page 32]Gospel with knowledge, how much we are wrō ­ged by our aduersaries the papists, who (this not withstāding) charge our doctrine to be a doctrin of liberty, and licentiousnesse. For heereby, eui­dently you may see, wee shut out all those from the number of them that dye in the Lorde which be carnal, and worldly minded men, whatsoeuer they say; and al carnal and prophane Gospellers, which turne the grace of God into wantonnesse, what faire shew soeuer they can make of faith in wordes. And therefore here is no comfort at all for any, that yet remaine in their sins, hauing thē raigning in their mortall bodyes, for Epicures, Libertines, or for any leude & lycentious wretch whatsoeuer he be. For such doe not liue in the Lord, and therefore are not slkely to dye in the Lord. For commonly qualis vita, finis ita, such life such death, & in the iust iudgment of God it so fal­leth out For he that lyuing and in health wil not remember God, it is but right that God shoulde forget him sicke and dying.

Not by the po­pish faith.Howebeit as yet (will some saye) for a­ny thing that you haue sayde, both Papist and Protestant may seeme to bee such as dye in the Lorde. For both professe faith in Christ, and labour to shewe their faith by their woorkes. I graunt it may seeme so, to a simple man that seeth not the difference betwixt them to bee such. as that the one holdeth the foundation, the other [Page 33]not. For though there were a difference other­wise as great, as there is betwixt golde & siluer, precious stones and wood, heye and stubble; yet if both helde the foundation, though the builders thereupon of wood, hey & stubble, should in time, by a more clear day of vnderstanding, shining vn­to them, through the fire of Gods spirite kindled in them, bee caused to see their folly in building no better matter, vpon so good a foundatiō, with griefe, sorrow, and some shame for their so doing: Yet we learne by S. Paul, that euen they also 1. Cor. 3.11.12, 13.14. and 15. shall bee saued for holding the foundation. And therefore that such, notwithstanding their wood, hey, & stub­ble, that is, their fonde and vaine opinions not o­uerthrowing the foundatiō, may dye in the Lord, and so be partakers of the comfore set downe in this place. But the truth is (right honorable) that the Popish faith what good shewe soeuer it ma­keth, hath forsaken the foundation, which is in this case, but one, euen Christ Iesus; Because it holdeth not the foūdatiō. besides whō no other foundation can any man lay, as there, ver. 11. Paul most excellently affirmeth.

For better vnderstanding of which point to be most true, as this would be remēbred, which wee haue heard S. Paul tel vs, 1. Co. 3.11. y ^t other foū ­datiō cā no mā lay, thē that which is laid, which is Christ Iesus, so we are dilligētly to cōsider the groūd of y ^t metaphor, that is y ^e reason why Christ [Page 34]is sayd to be the onely foundation of his Church, whereuppon all the true members thereof, as liuing stones, must bee built, 1. Pet. 2.5. that in him the whole building being coupled together, may grow vnto a holy tēple in the Lord, Ephes. 2.21. No doubt of it, the grounde and reason of the mecaphore is the similitude, that is betwixte the foundation of an house, and the house, and Christ and his Church; which is this, that as the whole frame of the house standeth and resteth vpon the foundation, and so therby is borne vp and vpholden: so euery one, that woulde stande vp, and be vpholden, as any parte of Gods spirituall house, must wholly stand and rest vpon Christ, and by him alone be borne vp, and vphol­den. Let a house stande but halflings vppon the foundation, it cannot stande: it will fall: so in this case they that would surely stand before the Lord, they must fully bee setled, and rest vppon the onely foundation Christ. Whereuppon it must néeds follow, that the popish Church is not Gods spiritual house, because neither the whole house generally, nor any member thereof parti­cularly, taketh it selfe onely to stande, and to bee vpholden vppon, and by Christ alone. For it is currant doctrine with them yet, that Christ by his sufferinges hath not so satisfied the iustice of his heauenly father, as that hee will not require further satisfaction at the hands of him, that be­leeueth [Page 35]in him. For they plainely teach, that though to such, their sinnes be forgiuen, yet con­cerning the penalty due therefore, this is onely done, that by the merites of Christ, whereas it should be euerlasting miserie, nowe for his me­rites God will be content to accept of a tempo­rary satisfaction; and so partly for that and partly for his sonnes satisfaction hee will ac­quite them. And here it is worthy to be noted, that the Lord hath so stroken that generation in his iust iudgement with blockish sottishnes, for this their robbing of his deare son of his glorie which is due vnto him, that whereas in this their doctrine they ioyne other meanes & helpes, to deliuer men from their sinnes, to the salue, and plaister which Christ hath made, as though his were either not broade enough to couer the sore, or not good enough to cure it, the meanes that they deuise are so childishe and so vnfit to be mingled with the precious bloude of Christ, as that they make themselues ridicu­lous, in attributing deliuerance from sinne vnto them. As for example, they attribute the power to deliuer from sinne to their holie water, ho­ly oyle, holy salt, holy creame, holy breade, ho­ly palmes, holy crosse; yea and to what toye soeuer, if it be but a graine, or a beade hollowed of the Pope; as their seruice bookes, which yet they vse, and too too grosse experience, haue [Page 36]taught vs. Sinne is so small a matter with them, that some sinnes must needes of their own nature be veniall, and therefore our learned Rhemistes in their notes vppon the 10. of Mat. hold that a Bishoppes blessing will wipe them out; going on pilgrimage, offering of Candels to stocks & stones, and such like deedes of deuo­tion inioyned by a Ghostly Father in waie of pe­naunce; yea saying of fiue Aue Maries, three Pater nosters, and three Creedes are counted of them good meanes of satisfactions to deliuer the beleeuer from that which the pretious & bloudy satisfaction of Christ hath not deliuered him frō. And which is of al the rest most absurd, a number of thē (as it is too wel known by their attēpts, & practises both in Englande and else where), are growen to bee of this opinion, that traite­rouslie and treacherouslie to murther their naturall Prince, for that hee or shee fauoreth not the Popishe faith, is become nowe a meanes to merite and to obtayne plenarie re­mission of all sinne, to the partie that will hazarde his life to doe it, and yet this they wil not graunt that the beleeuer in Iesus Christ canne haue, by Christes dying a most bitter death.

O horrible blasphemie, and yet their day­lie practise putteth vs out of doubt, that this is their opinion, and their couering and shrow­ding [Page 37]their manifold treasons vnder the pretence of their religion cōfirmeth the same. And wheras to saluation two thinges are necessarie, first quite to bee deliuered from sinne and from the daunger thereof, which otherwise woulde sinke vs downe to hell: and then a perfect righteousnesse, that can not but bee so ac­compted in the righteous and iust iudgement of God. Whereby a right claime and title may bee had to heauen, and both these are ful­ly prouided and prepared for all right belee­uers, in the Messias, as after you shall heare. As they will not seeke for the former in his sa­tisfactions alone, but partly also in their own: so concerning the latter, they euen with the blind and pharisaicall Iewes Rom. 10.3. are so igno­rant of the righteousnesse whirh God in Christ hath prepared to make men righteous by, that they seeke to that end still to establish their owne righteousnesse. For at no hand they can abide, that men should beleeue that the righteousnesse of Christ should be imputed vnto the beleeuer in Christ for righteousnesse. This they count ab­surde, and therefore in their Tridentine Con­uenticle accurse it as an heresie. In the meane time holding, that the workes which they them­selues doe after faith, is the formall righteous­nesse, whereby they deserue to bee accompted righteous before God. In which point (because [Page 38]their owne consciences tell them, that their doc­trine soūdeth greatly to the derogatiō of Christs glorie) to coulour the Antichristianity thereof as well yet as may bee, they haue now found out this deuise to say, that their owne works are not so of their owne worthinesse, & absolutenesse, but through the worthinesse of the merites of Christ. Which in effect, in plainer tearms is to say, that Christ came not perfectly to saue by himselfe, & to be a full sauiour in his own person, but to me­rite: that mē might by their own works be their own sauiours: as though Christ died to be our sa­uior, to post ouer either part, or the whole of that his office to any thing wrought by man. And as their doctrine is, so is their faith. For to take it at the best (as now they haue fined it) thereby they seek in Christ but their former iustificatiō: which they accoūt nothing els, but the first translation from the state of mere naturall men, to the state of grace & fauor of God. And yet euē herunto they hold, that men may haue workes of preparation of their owne common abilitie, left vnto them of nature: but as for sinnes done after this former iustification attained, they beleeue they must flie to a second refuge, which they call the sacra­ment of Penance, for them: and so they beleeue they must either in this life by them-selues, or after in Purgatorie, satisfie for these sinnes, partly by their owne sufferinges, and partly by [Page 39]deedes done for them by others, after they bee dead. And for the seconde iustification, which is the consummation and perfection of the former, they beleeue that that must bee made vppe, and finished by their owne merites, madē able to merice their saluation by the merites of Christ. And that this is their faith and their docerine euen nowe, I coulde make it euident from point to point out of the Tridentine coun­cell, the Censurer of Coled, Canisius Ca­techisme, the Romish Catechisme, and our of our own coun [...]rimens writings, which are coun­ted not the meanest of the Iesuites. But I need not it [...]ble you with any further proofe thereof. For they themselues will not deny it. And yee hereby it cannot dee but you plaiuely see, that Christ is not the onely foundation to them, wher­upon, as vpon their onely foundation, they stand and test. For you see they trust to stand before the Lorde pa [...]tly by his satisfactions, pa [...]y by their owns, par [...]ly by his merits, and p [...]tly [...]y their owne and others: and therefore they are built but halflings at the most vppon him, & half­lings vpon themselues & others. For whatsoeuer he hath done for them; yet vnlesse their owne sa­tisfactiōs be ful & their merits such, as for which they may euen in the iustice of God clasme hea­uen, they can be at no rest, nor peace in their con­sciences. And therefore because they can neuer [Page 40]but doubt, whether their satisfactions bee full, & their meries perfect, they hold, that they may ne­uer haue an assured trust and confidence, that they shall be saued; but that lawfully they may alwaies be in some doubt thereof. O what an vu­cōfortable doctrine of desperatiō is this? And yee so far off are they frō being ashamed of this (which is the iust iudgement of God vpon them for lea­uing to rest vpon Christ, the only & most stedfast foundation) that they are not ashamed that their doctrine be intitiled. A doctrine of doubtfulnesse: Yea they count that their doubtfulnes, humility: & the assurance, that true faith breedeth, presum­ption. Euen the bare opening vnto you thus, what the popish faith is (I hope) sufficiently pro­ueth vnto you, that they that die in such a faith, cannot bee saide to die in the Lorde Iesus, be­cause that out of the Lorde Iesus (you see) in themselues and others, they seeke a great part of their saluation. Howbeit, because it is a point of great importance and weight, and wher­in as yet great multitudes will not bee so ea­sily resolued, let vs see howe from point to point this their faith and religion is opposite and contrarye to Gods reuealed will in his worde. The for­mer do­ctrine and faith con­futed first generally.

They holde (as you haue heard) generally this, that Christ in his own person, by that which he hath doone himselfe, hath not already done, [Page 41]whatsoeuer is necessary for man to be iustifled & saued by. And therefore they ad thereunto their own satisfactions & merits, by his doings & this togither, to make vp their iustificatiō, & saluation. But the scripture saith. Heb. 7.25. he is able per­fectly to saue those, that come vnto God by him: Heb. 10.10. by the will of God we are san­ctified by the offering of the body of Iesus Christ once made; & a litle after verse 14. with one offering hath he cōsecrated for euer them that are sanctified. And Christ himselfe that knew best to giue an infallible note of his owne body the Church, telleth vs Matth. 22.1. that the sounde and earhand of the true Messengers therein is this. All things are already prepared (namely in the mariage of the kings son) come vnto the mariage. Whereby it is most cleare y ^e the word setteth forth Christ vnto vs as one that of himselfe, & by himselfe hath already done what soeuer we are to looke to be saued by or for. Then par­ticularly in three points. To leaue now the generall ground of their faith, and to come to the particulars thereof, first you heare that they hold, 1 that Christ hath not clean purged by himselfe, and by that which he hath done in his own person, those that beleue in him, both frō their sinnes, & from the penalty due for the same; and that therefore, God requireth to y ^e satisfying of his iustice, fully some further satisfaction at their own handes. But we reane to the contrarie [Page 42]in the Scriptures. For there it is thus written. The bloud of the son of God doth clense vs frō all sinne, Iohn. 1.7. and least this should be taken as spoken onely of sinnes before faith, Iohn ad­deth, and putteth himselfe in the number, and yet long before that be had faith; If we say, we haue no sin, we deceiue our selues, & the truth is not in vs: If we acknowledge our sinnes he is faith­full & iust, to forgiue vs our sinnes, & to clense vs from all vnrighteousnes. If they reply, that all this proueth but remissionem omnis culpae, that is forgiuenesse of the fault or guilt onely, of all our sinnes, and not also of the punishment, I proceede and aske them, whether the curse of the lawe and damnation bee not punishmentes due for sinne, and then whether these be not the grea­test, and include not the rest. They cannot deny, but these are punishments due for sinne, & that the greatest also including all other. If therefore the Scripture teach vs, that Christ hath freed vs from these, then it is euident, that he hath freed vs from all. Wherefore marke that it is thus written, Rom. 8.1. There is no condemnatiō to those that are in Christ: & Gal, 3.13. Christ hath redeemed vs from the curse of the law, when he was made a curse for vs. If it were not thus, that they that beleeue in Christ were assured, that Christ had freed them both from all their sinnes, and also from their penalty [Page 43]due therefore, how coulde it be true that we read: Rom. 5.1.2. that they that are iustified by faith haue peace with God through Christ, & accesse to his grace, wherin they stand & re [...]olce? And if there were not yet enough done to satisfie the iustice of God, why did Christ say giuing vp the ghost cosummatum est, it is finished? Ioh. 19.30. And why is the promise to al Gods children vtte­red in these wordes, Ierem. 31.34. I will forgiue their iniquitie, and remember their sinnes no more? Yea how can it stand with Gods iustice, that hauing for-giuen to the beleeuer all his sinnes, hee yet should punish him for them, and cause him to satisfie for them: Will God punish and driue to satisfaction, where the cause is al­ready taken away? & when he hath been satisfied at once already to the vttermost farthing, as it is euident he hath beene in Chryst for al that be­leue in him? For other wyse Christ hauing taken vpon him to satisfie the iustice of his heauenlye Father shoulde not, nor coulde not haue risen a­gayne, ascended into heauen, and sit at the right hand of his father. Thereby it is euident, that by his abasement, he hath fully satisfied his father & gone through with the work he took in hād, & is now able to apply y ^e same to those y ^e be his. Yea but all this letteth not (wil they say) but that we may hold still, that by our satisfactions God in part is satisfied, seeing we graunt that they are [Page 44]made auailable satisfactions by Christes satis­faction. Yea but that were yet to say, that Christ purgeth his from their sinnes not by himself, but by the helpe and sufferings of others: the plaine contrary whereof wee reade, Heb. 1.3. in these words, He hath by himself, purged our sinnes. How say you then to manyfold afflictions, and in the ende to death, laid vppon them, that beleeue, say they? I answeare, that these are no satis­factions to God for sinnes already commit­ted, but they are his fatherly chastisements, to admonish vs to repent vs of sinnes paste, and to take heed of sinne hereafter. And they are both occasions to them to exercise their vertues, and to those that are without instructiōs to take heed of going on in wickednes, seeing the Lord so chasti­seth his owne house. And as for death, the stinge thereof is taken away in respect of such; soy how­soeuer it be & remain the rewarde of sin to the vn­beleeuer, yet to thē y ^e beleeue, it is but y ^e last strok of y ^e battel, & as the dore thorow which they passe frō this worlde full of misery to the next full of ioy and felicity. It is a pitifull thing, that of these they cannot tell what to make, vnlesse they make them meanes to derogate from the most sufficient and infinite satisfaction made by Christ. If the glory of Christ were deare vnto them, as it ought, & they were perswaded, as they should, that he was both able & willing to go tho­row [Page 45]with the worke which he tooke in hand; that is, to be a perfect and a ful Sauiour in himselfe, and by himselfe, whatsoeuer they thought of thē, they would not once dare to cause thē to encroch thus vpon his office. Alas it is lighter then vani­tie it selfe for them to say, that by the vertue of Christ there is deserued for them that beleeue in him, that eternall punishments due to thē, should be turned into tēporall, & y for his sake God will cōtent himself with these. For first it is a mere deuise of their owne head, vtterly without warrant frō Gods reuealed wil in his word: secōdly howe can it stād with any reason, that he y ^e for Christs sake wil forgiue the greater, wil stick at the lesse, that he that will forgiue the eternal punishment, wil not for-giue the temporary: And lastly what a toy is it to imagine, that Christ tooke so much paines to satisfie the iustice of his heauenlye fa­ther, to leaue the accomplishment thereof to the vncertainty of mens satisfactions?

2 And truely as you see by this that I haue said, their vanity & contrariety to the word writren in this particular pointe of their faith concerning remission of sinnes, so if you will listen but a while, you shall finde their fault as great in the next, concerning their iustifying vp, or making of themselues righteous by their owne righte­ousnesse done after faith. Concerning which point you are to vnderstand (dearly beloned) that [Page 46]the quistyon betweene vs and them therein is not (as they woulde make the woorlde beleeue) whether Chryst be of power in them that beleeue aftertually to cause them to dye to sinne & lyue to righteousnes For (as you haue before hearde) I haue already betermyned, that vnlesse it be a faith arc [...]panyed with that power, it is a deade, and [...] fayth. And therefore wee as earnestlye [...] them that beleue to bring forth fruits wor­thy of forth; as they can doe for their lyues. But herein lyeth the questyon, whether fayth iustifye for the worke it bryngeth foorth, or for Chrystes [...] whom it apprehendeth: and so whether wee may trust to these good fruites, when wee haue brought them foorth, as that the reby wee may thinke and beleue we are iustyfied before God, & [...] ma [...]ited to be sai [...]ed. We say, wee may not account other wyse of them then as of fruit as and [...]rctes, of out full iustification appre [...]ded in Christ, seruing to the glory of God, Mit. 5.16. and to testifie, both to our se [...] and others, that soluation is pr [...]p [...]d for vs in Christ in heauen. Iohn. 13.35.2 Pe [...]. 1.5. And in no case [...]ar [...] we make them any cause, eyther of our iusti­fication or saluation. But we say with Saint Bar­nard ser. 1 de ann [...]tione Mari [...], that thou canst not deser [...]e et [...]all life by any woorkes, [...] merites are not such that [...]rer [...]all life [...], as that God shoulde doe man [Page 47]wrong if therefore he shoulde not giuē it; for our good woorkes are Gods giftes, and so for them wee are indebted to him, and not hee to vs. They accompt of them as of a merito­rious cause of their saluation, and as of the for­mall cause of their iustification, and therefore to that end they doe them, and trust in them. Wher­as we hold, that wee bee in the state of iustificati­on onely, for Chrysts sake apprehended by faith: and that therefore wee shalbee saued for his sake onely, and not for our workes at all Let vs now therefore heare, what the Scripture sayth to the determination of this question. That saying of Christ to his (Luke. 17.10.) is directly contrary to their position, where hee sayth, when ye haue doone all those thinges that are commanded you, say wee are vnprofitable seruantes: wee haue doone that which was our duetie to doe. For heereby not in way of curtesie (as some of them haue sayde.) but in sadnesse we are taught, that if wee kept the whole lawe in euery pointe, which neuer man did, but Christ, that yet we are to account our selues so farre from hauing meri­ted any thing thereby at Gods handes, that we are to thinke, we haue but payde him that which we ought him: and therefore merited no more at his handes, than an olde ill better may say he hath merited at his creditours handes, when he payeth him but his hare owne, How much more [Page 48]stronglye then doeth this place bynde vs from hauing that conceite of our woorkes, when wee haue doone them, that thereby we are iustified and merite heauen? Seeing that the ve­ry best woorkers of vs al, when wee haue doone what we canne, yet finde our selues scarce able, where wee owe God golde, to paye him leade, where wee owe him thousandes to pay him hundredes, yea to aunswere him one of a thou­sande, Iob. 9.3. in so much that the righte­ousnesse of the righteous is but as a steyned cloath, Isa. 64.6. And therefore Paul, though hee wrote the Epistle to the Phillippians a litle before his death, when hee was full of sufferinges for CHRIST, and of all kinde of good woorkes, yet he in the 3. Chapter ther­of protesteth, not onelye in the preter tense, that hee counted all his pharisaicall righteousnesse before his, conuersion, but all then in the pre­sent tense, but doung, that hee might winne Christ, and might be founde in him, not ha­ning his owne righteousnesse, which is of the Lawe, but that which is through the faith of Christ, euen the righteousnesse which is of GOD through fayth, verse. 8.9. Where­fore hee boldlye concludeth, Titus. 3.5. thus, Not by the woorkes of righteousnesse (which no doubt, are woorkes doone in fayth; for otherwyse they were not to be called woorkes [Page 49]of righteousnesse, but rather woorkes of vn­righteousnesse) which wee haue doone, but ac­cording to his mercy he saued vs. Now to make it cleare, that by this righteousnesse of GOD, whereby Paule through faith in Christ woulde bee righteous before GOD, is ment not an inherent righteousnesse in mans owne selfe, Paul opposeth it to that righteousnesse in himselfe. And besides Romanes. 10.1.2.3. they are seue­red, in that the one is called the righteous­nesse of God, the other mans owne righteous­nesse. But most cleare is that Romains. 1.17. where hee affirmeth that that righteousnesse, which is called the righteousnesse of GOD, is reuealed by the Gospell from faith to faith. For it is written, The iust shall liue by fayth, Whereby▪ it is most euident, that this inherent righteousnes, which they would haue to make thē righteous by, is reuealed by the morall law. And therefore you shall finde, that Paul. Rom. 10.5.6, 7.8.9. distinguisheth the righteousnes of the lawe, from the righteousnes that commeth by faith. And Rom. 3.21. that hee in plaine tearmes thus determineth this matter. Now is the righ­teousnes of God made manifest without the law, hauing witnesse of the Law, and the Prophetes, to witte the righteousnesse of God by the faith of Iesus Christ vnto all and vppon all that beleeue. Which coulde not bee, if the [Page 50]righteousnes of God were the good workes that are in men, for we come to the knowledge of thē by the Lawe. This is called the righteousnesse of God in an excellencye, because the righteous­nesse of Christ is the righteousnesse of one that is God, and is indeede a righteousnesse absolute be­fore God, for the which he cannot but account them righteous to whom it is imputed by fayth. In an inferiour sort the godlynesse in Gods chil­dren maye be called a righteousnesse of God, be­cause it is wrought in them by his spirite: but yet (as appeareth by these places) it is not that righteousnesse, whereby we may dare perswade one selues that wee are made righteous before hym, but onely a fruite proceeding from that, applyed first vnto vs, and then testifiyng thereof. Further howe could it be sayde truely, that life euerlastyng is [...] that is, the free gift of God, Ro. 6.23. if it come at all by meryte? To imagyne that it may come of grace and also of workes, it is flat agaynst Paul Rom. 11.6. where he sayth, If it be of grace, it is no more of works, or else were grace no more grace but if it be of works it is no more grace, or else were work no more woorke. In which woordes he de [...]ermi­neth, saluation to come by merite of workes, and by grace, to bee so contrarye the one to the other, as if it come the one way, it cannot come at al by [...]he other. It cannot bee sayde to the shifting off [Page 51]of this place with any reason, that here by works are meant workes onely done before faith, for he speaketh generally heere of woorkes without di­stinction. And therefore very well saide, August. contra Pelag. & Caelest. lib. 2. cap. 24. Gods grace shalbe grace no way vnlesse it be free e­uery way, and the drift of the Epistle to the Ga­lath. is flatly and directly against such as would be saued partly by grace through faith in Christ, and partly by their workes following faith. For they were neuer taught by the false Apostles, nei­thee did they then holde, iustification by workes done before faith, or by workes alone. And yet Paul speaking to the purpose to confute them saith, If righteousnes come by the lawe, Christ died in vaine, Gal. 2.21. & Chap. 5.4. ye are al­bolished frō Christ, whosoeuer are iustified by the lawe, ye are fallen from grace. Vpon which ground said Augustine in his preface vppon the 31. Psal. If thou wilt haue nothing to doe with grace, boast thy merits: and Chrysostome 3. ad Gal. saith thus, [...]hey saide, accursed is hee, that leaneth onely to faith. Paul sheweth, that hee that so doeth is blessed. And Ambrose also vpon the same warrant 1. Cor. 1. affirmeth, that it is appointed of GOD, that he that belee­ueth in Christ shalbe saued without woorkes onele by faith, freely receiuing remission of his sinnes. And least they should cauill, and say (as [Page 52]they are not ashamed to doe) that by workes of the lawe are vnderstoode onely workes done be­fore faith, by the direction of the Lawe, with­out the infusion of the speciall grace of GOD through Christ, marke how notably to preuent that popish shift chap. 2.15.16. he saieth, Wee that are Iewes by nature and not sinners of the Gentiles know, that a man is not iustified by the workes of the Lawe, but by the faith of Ie­sus Christ. Euen we (I say) haue beleeued in Iesus Christ, that we might be iustified by the faith of Christ, and not by the woorkes of the lawe, because that by the workes of the Lawe no fleshe shalbe iustified. In which words he excludeth from the office of iustifying not onely the workes of vnbeleeuers, but also of them that beleeue, saying, that he and such as he was, which beleeued in Christ did so beleeue, not that they might bee enabled thorowe their owne woorkes to iustifie vp themselues, but the plaine contra­dictorie, that is, that they beleeued in him, that they might still bee iustified by their faith in him, and not by their woorkes, which were woorkes done after their faith, though he calleth them the workes of the Lawe, because there­in they were prescribed. Againe, where haue they any grounde for this pointe of diuinitie, that CHRIST merited that their workes or the woorkes of any shoulde bee meritori­ous? [Page 53]Doe they not see, that this were in ef­fect to say, that CHRIST communicateth his owne glorious office of beeing a Sauiour to those workes, and so remaineth not a full and a perfect Sauiour in him-selfe and by him­selfe? Whereas we reade flatly to the contra­ry Isai. 43.11. where hee sayth vnto vs thus, I, euen I am the Lorde, and beside me, there is no sauiour. To conclude therefore this point, if the righteousnesse that GOD hath prouided for vs in CHRIST, were not the righte­ousnesse that should make vs righteous, why is it, that wee reade, that the faithfull shall say, Isai. 45.24. In the Lorde haue I righteous­nesse and strength: and that his name shall be our righteousnesse, Ierem. 23.6. & 33.16. And that the Messias shall bring with him an euer­lasting righteousnesse, Dan. 9.24. Who seeth not, that it is, seeing God hath appointed, that we shoulde be so iustified, as that the whole glo­rie may bee his, and none ours, (which can­not be, if it come by any woorkes at all, done by vs, Rom. 3.27. & 4.4.) to make vs conclude with Paul, that he is made of God vnto vs wise­dome, righteousnes, sanctification and redēp­tion, that he that reioyceth, may reioice in him, 1. Cor. 1.30.31.

If yet they wil say, that this cānot be, that we shoulde bee termed or accounted righteous by a [Page 54]righteousnesse that is not in our selues, but in Christ I aske them why they holde so? They must answere, because it is a principle in Phi­losophie, that the accident must bee in the sub­iect whereof it hath denomination. To whom fiest I answere, that it is not in vaine that Saint Paul hath giuen vs this warning, be w [...]e least there be any, that spoile you through vaine Philosophie. Colos. 2.8. Secondly I say, that howsoeuer this be a sounde principle in Philoso­phie, yet it is false in diuinitie: which I prooue thus, Christ was one in whom there was no sin, Isai. 53.8. and yet we read that the Lorde laide vpon him the iniquities of vs all, verse. 6. In so much that he was wounded for our transgressi­ons, and broken for our iniquities, and the cha­stisement of our peace was laide vpon him and with his stripes we are healed, ver. 5. Whereby I see that our vnrighteousnesse was imputed vnto him, though there were no vnrighteous­nesse at all inherent in him. Where-uppon it must needes followe, that as well may his righteousnesse bee imputed vnto vs, which be­leeue, that of our selues are vnrighteous. Yea no doubt of it, that change hath GOD made with vs in him, to impute vnto him our vn­righteousnesse, that his righteousnesse might bee imputed vnto vs. For we reade, that hee was made sinne for vs which knewe no sinne, [Page 55]that we should be made the righteousnesse of GOD in him. 2. Cor. 5.12. By Iohn there­fore hee willeth the Laodiceans ( Apoc. 3.) to come to him, to buy of him but freely Isai. 55. 1.) long white garmentes to couer their na­kednes, vers. 18. That is, to haue at his hands by faith perfect righteousnesse whereby they may bee made righteous. And what peeuish­nes is this to deny the imputation of Christes righteousnesse to the beleeuer in him, and to holde that the righteousnesse of Saints may bee imputed vnto him that buyeth a pardon, which they all holde? And how can it bee other­wise but that his righteousnesse shoulde bee the righteousnes of all thē that beleeue in him? For it being, as it is, an infinite and absolute righte­ousnesse, and they that beleeue in him thereby being (as you haue heard) in him and one with him, how can it be I say any otherwise, but that those thinges that bee in him should so farre bee communicated vnto them, as is meet and neces­sarie for them? Whereupon it commeth, that we reade Apoc. 3.21. he saith, that he will grant to them that ouercome, to sitte with him in his throne, as he ouercomining sitteth with the fa­ther in his.

3 But to passe from this point to the last particular branch of their faith, wherein they plainely confesse that their faith breedeth not in [Page 56]them assuraunce and confidence of their saluati­on, but such a hope onely as may be ioyned with doubtfulnesse, whether it shalbe so in the ende or no. I will easily grant them, that as long as they builde beside the onely foundation Christ, as they doe vpon the satisfactions and merites of man, it cannot be otherwise. Nay I say fur­ther, that (forasmuch as there is no couenant be­twixt God and man of any saluation, but onely in Christ Iesus the promised seede, for all the promises runne in the singular number, In one which is Christ, Gal. 3.16. and they are all yea & amen in him, 2. Cor. 1.20.) it is horrible pre­sumption (so farre off it is from being humility) for thē once to hope, or to call in question, whe­ther they may or shalbe saued, seeking for any part thereof, for any thing that is not be. For it is to looke after some fort to bee saued after a meere fancy and deuise of man, full of rob­berie and blasphemy against Iesus Christ: which howe absurd it is let any man iudge. And as long as their owne consciences enforce them to confesse, that they haue no better faith than this, let them be assured, that though they we are their tongues to the stumpes, and their knees till there grow bornes on thrm in praying to GOD for their saluation, they shall neuer be heard. For it is written, Iam. 1.6.7. Let him aske in faith, & wauer not, for he that wauereth [Page 57]is like the waue of the Sea tost and caried a­waie: neither let that man thinke that he shall receaue any thing of the Lord. And where­as an assured confidence of saluation in Christ is counted of them presumption, I say they may be ashamed but once to thinke so. For vnto the right beleeuer God hath first giuen his ge­nerall promise, that such a one whatsoeuer hee be shall not perish, but haue eternall life, Iohn. 3.16. And this woorde is in writing in the place before named, and else where very of­ten in GODS booke, and in the vse of the Sacramentes it is particularly applyed to euery one that so beleeueth Roman. 4. verse. 11. And besides all this the spirite of GOD inwardly in the heartes of all such teacheth them to crie Abba, Father, Romanes. 8.15. and testifieth to their spirits, that they are the children of God, ver. 16. and so sealeth them vp to the day of redemption, 2. Corint. 1.22. Vp­on which euidence to grounde an assured confi­dence to enioye the thing promised, who may not? Yea the Lord hauing giuen such euidence & ground vnto vs, of assurance; who seeth not, that this notwithstāding to doubt, whether the thing promised shall bee giuen vs or no, is most horri­ble sinne against the Lorde, calling his trueth into question, 1. Iohn. 5.10? And therefore, what­soeuer they say to the contrary, wee know it is [Page 58]our dueties, to yeelde vnto the exhortation made to all them that beleeue aright in Christ, Heb. 10.19. &c. which is this, Seeing therefore (bre­thren,) that by the bloud of Iesus we may be bolde to enter into the holy place by the new and liuing way, which hee hath prepared for vs through the vaile, that is, his flesh: and seeing we haue an hie Priest, that is ouer the house of of God, let vs drawe neare in a true heart, in as­surance of faith sprinkled in our hearts from an euill conscience, & washed in our bodies with pure water, and let vs keepe the profession of our hope without wauering, for he is faithful that hath promised. Thus I hope you see proofe sufficient to prooue, The po­pish faith [...] anti­christian, & popery antichri­stianity. that the popish faith is not that faith, whereby men can grow into an vnion with Christ, and consequently not the faith wherby any can dy in the Lord. Howbeit because they shall not say, y ^e I was driuen to seeke for forraine profes to proue this, & haue no proofe or argumēt to cōfirme it in this my presēt text; giue me leaue to vse one argument more to prooue it, and that deduced from the very circumstances of my text: which I thus frame, Whosoeuer dieth bearing the marke of the beast either in forhead or hād, dieth not in the Lorde, but in the Babylonish, that is, Antichristian religion: but whosoeuer dieth in this popish faith, dyeth bearing the mark of the beast in the forhead or hād: ergo so [Page 59]far off is it, that such a one dyeth in Christ, that in deede and trueth hee dyeth in Anti­christ The first part of this argument they nei­ther can nor will deny. For they reade vers. 9.10.11. that who so worshippeth the beast and his image, and receiueth his marke either in his forehead or hand, the same shall drinke the wine of Gods wrath, and be euerlastingly tor­mented. Yea what then (wil they say) your assūption or second part of pour argument is vtterly false. Well, that then being prooued, the conclu­sion must bee yeelded vnto. This themselues grant that by Babylon ( the fall whereof heere denounced shall followe vpon the preaching of the Gospel, vers. 6.7.8.) is ment the florishing kingdome of Antichrist, and they confesse, that by wearing the marke of the beast in foreheade or hande, is vnderstoode perseuering still a fa­uourer and liker of Antichristianity, notwith­standing the warning here giuen to the contra­ry. And if they woulde deny either of these, they coulde not for shame, the text in this booke and the circumstaunces thereof, are so preguant to prooue them. If therefore I can prooue, that by Babylon here we haue to vnderstande Rome, By Baby­lon we are to vnder­stande Rome. and that Antichristianitye and Popery be al one, then I am sure, that they must needs graunt my assumption. For the first of these I doe boldly affirme, that here by Babylon we [Page 60]must vnderstande Rom. My reasons are these, The phrase vsed in this booke generally is figuratiue, and not literallye to bee taken, and therefore it is not likely, but by Babylon is ment same other Citye, which figuratiuely might bee so termed. And it is euident, that Iohn speaketh of such a Babylon, as florished in his time, and should long after; and yet that should in the end haue a fall: and therefore not of Baby­lon in Chaldea, for that was fallen and decayed before. Neither is it straunge in the Scripture to finde one Citye and people called by the name of another, for the liklihood of manners bewixt the one, and the other. For Isai. 1.10. wee reade, that God speaketh thus to the Princes and peo­ple of Israel, that dwelt in Canaan; Heare the word of the Lord, O Princes of Sodome, har­ken vnto the law of our God, O people of Go­morrha. By which reason most aptly after the same figure of speech may Rome be called Ba­bylon, For as old Babylon vexed y ^e Church in y ^e olde Testament with long captiu [...]y, so hath Rome done the Church of Christ in the newe; as that ouercame the Iews and burned their City, so hath also this doone by Titus and Vespasian: as Babylon was the seat and fountaine, when it floorished, of Idolatrye and all abhominati­on, so hath Rome beene both in the time of the beast and his image, that is, both in the time of [Page 61] Paganisme vnder the heathen Emperours, and nowe in the time of Papisme vnder the Popes the Princes thereof. And it is no small rea­son to mo [...]ue vs by Babylon here to vnderstand Rome, that it is called Babylon the great Ci­ty, that hath made all nations drimke with the wine of the wrath of her fornication, that is, that hath infected all nations with a false faith and religion, whereby men in falling from their fathonely in the true and onely husbande Christ, fall to put their trust and confidence in other thinges, that are not CHRIST, and to commit fornication spiritually, with those thinges for the which the Lorde is wroth with them, Which cannot bee sayde of Babylon in Chaldea, nor of any other Citye so called. For none of that name haue doone so since Iohns time▪ but most fitly as appeareth by viewe of the popish doctrine and faith, may be said of Rome, and the Princes therof the Popes. So that thus you see by the way, that their glory is turned to their shaure. For they bragge of their vniner­salitye and generall consent, which yee see heare (their doctrine being as you haue hard) is a most plaine note of the Antichristian Babylon. But which is of all reasons the most forcible, where­as it cannot be denied, but by the purple, silken, and proud whore of Babylon is ment Antichrist, Apoc. 17.4. their she is described sitting vppon [Page 62]a Crimson coloured beast full of names of blasphemy, which had seuen heades and ten homes vers. 3. which seuen heades are by the An­gell vers. 9. expounded to be seuen mountaines, on which the woman sitteth. The names of the bils be these, Cap [...]olitius, Palatinut, Auenti­nus, Caelius, Exquilinus, Viminads, Quiri­nasis, And the woman is sayde verse. 1 [...]. to be that great Citie, which raigneth ouer the kings of the [...]a [...]th. Then by which descripti­on it was impossible more playnely to describe [...]ome, which then w [...] the mistresse and these of other Cityes; and a City compassing within the [...]ies that of seuer [...], as euen voyes haue learned in the section booke of Virgils Geor­gickes; and as it is not orsiously known other­wise. If [...] not haue Rome to [...] the very [...] of Antichrist, let them [...] vs out another City, [...] this description agre­eth. Againe why should the standing and [...]oorish­yng Empire of Rome, and the continuance of the seme of the Empero [...]ere, bee that which letted and should let the setling of Antichrist in his seatē, vntill it were taken our of the waie, 2. Thess 2.7. But to shewe that the very seate of the Empire shoulbe be his seate, and that the place must be seft emptye for him by the de­parture of the Emperour from thence before he [...] come into his chayre of pessisonee? The [Page 63]papists themselues confesse that this is Paules meaning there. And therefore Sanders in his booke of the visible Monarchy in his fourth de­monstration for the defence of the Pope, confes­seth that Hierom in his eleuenth question to Al­gasia, Tertullian in his Apollogie against the Gentiles, that Chryfostome vpon the place it selfe, and August. in his 20. booke de Ciuitate Der cap. 19. (vnto whom he might ad Ambrose, Iraeneus, Lactantius, with diuerse others also) doe vnderstande Paul thereby to meane the Ro­mane Empire. Which when indeede it decayed in the West, and tooke his seate in the East at Constantinople, the Popes founde to be so ta­ken out of their way, that (as experience and al storyes consitme) quickly after they grew to be so Emperor like in the West, that in their king­dom, the wound that the former beast had taken by thus ce [...]ouing his seat from Rome, seemed to be healed, they bare so liuely the image of the former beast. As for the Empire that is now lest in the West, it is (as it is well known) a thing in name but not indeede, & they haue so handled the matter, that it is as good as quite taken out of their way, they may do for all it, what it pleaseth them: and the other part of the Empire is swal­lowed vp of the Turke. Lastly you are to vnder­stande, that I am not the first, that by Babylon here vnderstand Rome. For euē then when these [Page 64]uisions of Iohn were far harder to be vnderstood than nowe, in that nowe experience hath opened many of them, which it had not then, the anciene fathers sawe that by Babylon heere was ment Rome. As for example, Tertullian contra Iudae­os, and Hierom in diuerse places, as in his 11. question to Algasia, in his preface of Didimus booke of the holy Ghost, and in his 2. booke against Iouinian. Yea our Rhemistes, in their notes vpon the last of the first of Peter earnestly contend to prooue, that there by Babylon is meant Rome, and vppon the 17. of Iohn they dare not flatly deny, but that there, by Baby­lon the seat of the strūpet, may be vnderstood Rome. That the popish faith is an [...]christiā. Wherefore these reasons considered. I conclude, that by Babylon heere is ment. Rome. Yea but yet you shal not finde it so easie a matter to proue the popish faith to be Antichristian, they will say. Yes verily: for euen that, which I haue already sayd in the description and confutatiō of their faith, proueth it to be Antichristian. For if Antichrist be he that is an aduersary to Christ, & if he be an aduersary to Christ, y ^t robbeth him of that honour and glory, that is due vnto him, then it cannot he but that the popish faith is An­tichristian But S. Iohn, say they, in his first E­pistle ca. 4.3. hath plainly cold vs, that that spirit that cōfesseth not that Iesus christ is cōe in the flesh, that is the spirite of Antichrist. Whereby [Page 65]they would gather, that they cannot be Antichri­stian, because they confesse, that Christ is come in the flesh. I answere them with Aug. wordes vp­on S. Iohns epistle tract. 3. Non attendamus ad linguam, sed ad facta, &c. Let vs not consider what they say, but what they doe. For if they al should be asked with one mouth, they would confesse the Lord Iesus to be Christ. But let their tongue stay a while, and aske their life: for how­soeuer in words they confesse, that Iesus Christ is come in y ^e flesh, yet indeed and truth they deny it. For he that denyeth the fruit & cause of his cō ­ming (which was as I haue proued to be a full, whole, & sole sauiour in himselfe and by himself) they deny his comming indeede and truth, what­soeuer they say in wordes. And this is euident in thē, in y ^e they trust not to his satisfactions & me­rits, w ^eout, adding there to their own in the cause of their saluation. The Iews & Turks say they knowe God, and beleeue in him: but we christi­ans say, and wee say truely, that they neither know him nor beleeue in him at all but onely in an Idoll of their owne framing, because they knowe him not in the face of his sonne Iesus Christ. Arius in plaine words denied not Christ to be God, yet because he denyed that he was e­quall to his father, he denyed his godhead indeed. And so though the papistes in woordes confesse Christ to be come in y ^e flesh, yet because indeede [Page 66]& truth they will not let him be priest alone, to offer propitiatory sacrifice: king alone, to go­uerne by his owne orders: prophet alone, to in­struct by his owne woorde: but (as it is most e­uident) ioyne vnto him a succession of priestes to iterate his sacrifice, which he offered once for all, Heb. 9.25.26. alter his lawes and orders, ad and detract at their pleasure too and from his re­uealed and written woorde, as the face and prac­tise of their Church teacheth, indeede and truth they deny that he is come in the flesh. And it ap­peareth by the prophecies that wee haue in the scripture of Antichrist, that hee shall not bee so blunt a foole: as flatly and in playne tearmes to denye so manifest an article of fayth, as this is, but hee and his shall come and set abroach their false doctrin through hypocrisie. 1. Tim. 4.2. In so much that antichristianitye 2. Thess. 2.7. is called a mistery of iniquitie, that is an iniquity that not all at once and openly shall shew is selfe, but that shall come in by soft and stealing pases so shrowded and hid vnder a shew of godlinesse. that it should not easily be espyed. And therefore Christ Mat. 13.25, 26. compareth this bad seed to tares, which the good seedmans foe, sowed amongst the good wheat, while men slept, & then slielye went his waye; which was not espyed by and by of the good seedmans houshold nay not vntill the blade was sprung vp. And [Page 67]therefore Saunders is but a foole from hence to drawe a demonstration that the Pope is not Antichrist, because in wordes hee confesseth Christ, How could he be ignorant, that it is no­ted. Apoc. 17.4. that the Babylonish harlotte is described to hold out vnto others her abomina­tions and filthy fornications in a golden cuppe: that is, that it should be y ^t property of Antichrist (the more to allure men to receiue his religion) to colour it with as glorious shewes of Catho­like and Christian religion, as he could deuise. By which note by the way wee may see, how vaine that their great reason is, whereof our late Iesuites, and Rhemistes bragge so much, namely, that therefore Popery cannot be Anti­christianity, because it cannot be shewed (as they say) in what Emperours time it beganne, & that it was then espied and resisted as soone as it be­ganne. For howsoeuer it be the nature of some other heresies to beginne at once and to shewe themselues bluntly, as bad as they be, at the first, yet we see it is not so with Antichristianity, the most perilous apostasie, and hotch-potch of all heresies. And therefore it is no more proofe that popery is not Antichristianity, if it could not be told when it first came in, and who then by and by with-stoode it, than it had beene, that the tares were no tares (whē euidently by cōparing of them with the wheat they shewed themselues [Page 68]to be so) because that they that then espied them could not tel when they were sowen, and that any resisted the sower thereof, when hee went about to doe it. As then it was sufficient to conclude them to be tares, because they, compared with the fruite then of the wheate, that was sowen, were found so far to differ from it, as they did: so it is a sufficient argument to vs to proue the po­pish faith to bee Antichristian, in that we haue founde it, as we haue, to differ from Christian doctrine. But to the further proofe thereof (be­cause they bragge they haue faith, & that a true Christian faith, because they with their mouth confesse Iesus Christ to be the son of the liuing God) they must be put in remembrance, that the Diuels doe as much as that commeth to, Mark 1.24 and Lu [...]. 4.34. & how that Iudas kist him with his mouth and said, Haile maister, when be had but a traiterous heart. Matth. 26.49. and Marke. 14.45. Nay I say yet more, that the Diuelles faith is farre better than theirs. For (no doubt of it) they knowe and are fully perswaded (though they grieue at it) that the merites of Christes owne satiefaction performed in his owne person by himselfe are so infinitely auailable in the sight of his heauen­ly father, that they neede not the addition of any other satisfaction or merite to saue the beleeuer, and this they will not be brought to [Page 69]confesse. Whereupon it must needes followe, that they imagine to themselues such a cruell and mercilesse God the father, and will not grow to be at one with them for the infinite merites of his owne deare sonne, without the addition thereunto of their owne: and such a God the son they haue framed vnto themselues, as that either could not, or would not fully in himselfe and by himselfe prepare whatsoeuer was neces­sary for mans saluation. The very consequent whereof is this, that indeede they neither know God nor beleeue in him, but worshippe an Idole of their owne heades. For it is most true that S. Cyprian hath saide in his booke de duplici Mar­tyrio, of double Martyrdome, Non creditin De­um, qui in eo solo non collocat totius suae salutis fidu­ciam: he beleeueth not at all in God, which re­poseth not in him alone the confidence of his whole saluation.

That Popery▪ Antichristianity.Yet to proceede one steppe further with them, not onely their faith is Antichristian (as it appeareth by their former reasons) but their Church and kingdome is so also: in so much that popery is Antichristianity it selfe. Which to be so, who­soeuer with a single eie wil but consider the pro­phesies and descriptions of Antichrist and his kingdome, 2. Thess. 2. 1. Timoth. 4. and through this booke of the reuelation, and compare them with the kingdome of popery, shall see most eui­dently. [Page 70]For if time and opportunity now would permitte me, I would not doubt to make it most clearly appeare to euery one heere present that there was neuer cote made fitter for mans body, or gloue for his hand than these descrip­tions be for popery. For a litle tast whereof, consider either the originall, the manner of pro­ceeding and growing to his perfection, the flourishing estate, the qualities or consumption of Antichrist set downe in these places, and you shall finde them all notably to fitte the papacie. His originall is said to be from the earth, Reu. 13.11. And 2. Thess. 2. we read that the miste­ry of his iniquity was woorking in Pauls time. In that no doubt (as it appeareth by the occasi­on that Paul had to write as he did, to the Gala­thians) there were euen thē false Apostles, that taught men to seeke their saluation, partly by their own merites, and not onely by faith in Christ: And whence is popery sprung, but euen from the earth, that is from earthly and not hea­uenly groundes, from the wit and will of foolish man and vncertaine traditions of earthly men? And who seeth not that the false Apostles do­ctrine in Galatia is the very ground of all pope­ry? His maner of proceeding (as you haue heard) is by hypocrisie, & (as you may further obserue) by false miracles, 2. Thess. 2.9. and when these will not serue, by extreme persecution without [Page 71]all mercy against the faithfull witnesses of the truth, Apos. 17.6. All which haue bin the steps, whereby popery hath proceeded and growen to his perfection, as experience most euidently hath taught. Antichrist could not fully be borne, y ^• is, shew himselfe in deed in his right colours (as you haue heard) vncil the Roman Empire was remoued out of his way, but then he should. Which in stories we see iustly verified in the papacy. For vntil he seat of the Empire was remoued from Rome, [...]o Constantinople, & the Empire in the We [...] deca [...]ed, y ^e popes chalenged not to thēselues their blasphemous & antichristiā titles. But shorely after in the murtherer Phocas his time they tooke the vpon thē. Antichrists florishing estate is described to be such, that al nations shalbe made drunke with the wine of the wrath of her forni­cation, & kings shal cōmit fornication with her, Ap. 18.2. that is, there shalbe a wonderful vniuer­sal consent in imbracing Antichrists religiō: and it is set forth to ve wonderful pompous, magnifi­cent, & maiestical, for the wealth and brauery of the world, e. 17.4. which be two of the things that popery braggeth of, & trumpheth for against the true church of christ. As for his qualities we read, 1. Tim. 4.2.3. that he shall teach that there lyeth great holniesse in absteining from mariage and meats: & that therfore he shall forbid mariage & command abstinence from eats, and that he [Page 72]shall speake words full of blasphemie, as wee read, Apoc. 17.3. And that he shalbe an aduersa­rie, that exalteth himselfe against all that is cal­led God, or that is worshipped, sitting as God in the temple of God, shewing himselfe that he is God, 2. Thess. 2.4. Of which qualities the two first are notoriously seen in popery, in forbidding the mariage of ministers, and in the commāding, as a holy and meritorious thing, abstinence from flesh. And as for the rest, who can consider, howe the Popes haue brought kinges and princes vn­der to do them most base seruice, and what other­wise they haue taken vpon them & do stil to make lawes besides and often contrary to the woorde written, to binde consciences yet vnder paine of damnation to obey; how they cal thēselues heads of the vniuersall Church, which is Christs spe­ciall, and peculiar title, Colos. 1. Ephes. 1. howe they take vpon them to forgiue sinnes, and to con­ferre vpon beggarly creatures by the halowing of them, power to put away sinnes, but he must be enforced to cōfesse, that al the other qualities are seene and found notoriously in the rase of Popes for a long time? Lastly as it is prophecied that by the spirit of Gods mouth 2. Thess. 2.8. Anti­christ shall consume, and after the sound of the Gospell againe, that Babylon shall fall, Apoc. 14.8. so (the Lordes name be praised for it) we haue seene by experience papacie fallen into a [Page 73]great consumption, and the popes credit and au­tority very well fallen also in the consciences of men by the preaching of the Gospell againe in these latter daies. And to our comfort we may learne out of the 2. to the Thes. 2.8. that his con­sūption is so deadly, that he shal neuer recouer it vntill he be quite abolished by the brightnes of Christs comming. If he therfore win a litl [...] in one place, both he and his may learne by this to make their account, that they shall loose more in another. In steade therefore of hoping a­gaine for their golden day, let them seat n [...] for the fall of Babylon, which is irreuocable, to take vppe weeping and wailing, and to cry a­las, alas, for the great citie, as it is prophecied that Antichristes friendes shall doe at his fall, Apoc. 18.19. Thus you see, or at the least may see, both that Babylon is Rome, and also that Anti­christianity is Popery. Wherefore the second part of my argument is proued, which was this But who so dyeth in the popishe faith, dieth bearing the marke of the beast both in forhead and hand: and therefore now againe I may con­clude, therfore so far off is it, that he that dieth a papist, dieth a christian, or in Christ, that most certainty he dieth a limme of Antichrist: and that consequently all Papistes, dying Papistes in this peeuish and Antichristian faith before deseri­bed & confuted, are shut out from this number [Page 74]that my text speaketh of [...] thus also in this short comparison of the prophecies concerning the kingdome of [...] ▪ you se [...] once againe their glory [...] to their shame▪ For (you know) they bragge that their Church must bee the true church, because they [...] alleage an [...]iqui [...]; vniuer­sality, vnity & visibility, whereas al these (as you haue he [...]r [...]) are [...] christianity. For [...], it wa [...] [...]ginning in Pa [...] times for v­i [...]ity and [...] [...]ll [...]tions shalbe drunke the [...] for the [...] you haue heard, how glit­tering [...]sible, & [...] the whore of Babylon shalbe Let them [...] therefore dazel our eies, or deceiue vs by any such false marks to cause vs to [...]e the poore, litle, & persecuted flock of Christ, to [...] our selues with their garish synagogue.

[...] thus you haue heard what faith wil not [...] our [...] vs vnto Christ, that so we may, when it pleaseth the Lorde. [...]e in him, euen wher by you may also see ( [...] I doubt not but you do) what maner of faith it must be that wil serue. Howbeit for your more full satisfying cōcerning that point, What faith it is that will vnite vs in deede to Christ. vnderstand, that that faith the Lorde by the ministery of his word and Sacramente [...] through the inward working of his spirit neuer yet [...] [...]ought in any, [...]euer will, vnles that first by his law he [...]er [...] one, that was [...] onely to see and know his sinnes, and the punishments therefore due [...] him, but also to a true sorowe [Page 75]for the f [...]me, and an vnfe [...]ed loathing therof, and conse [...]ntly to an earnest hūger and this [...] to be deli [...]ered [...]herefrom. [...]or Christ was not sent to cōfort [...] by the Gospell, that were not first [...] ­comforted by the law▪ to [...] vp any by the one, that were not first thr [...] [...] down by the other; or to heale [...]y by the one, who the other before had not made euen sieke in the foule for the g [...]iefe of sinne. And therefore it is writen, that he wa [...]sent to bind vp the broken ha [...] [...], to appoint vnto them that mourne in Sion, & to giue vnto thē beautie for a shes, the o [...]e of ioy for mourning, the garment of gladnes for the spirit of heau [...] ­nes, Isai. 6.13. And such (saith Dauid Psa. 5.1 [...].) as are of a contrite and a broken hart are [...]cc [...]p table vnto him▪ and he will not despise them: and to him, euen to him that is poore and of a contritespirit, he saith, he will looke, Isai. 66. [...]. And therefore Isai. 55.1. and Iohn. 7.37. he [...] ­leth only the thirsty vnto him, and Mat. [...].28. the weary, and heauy loaden, promising com­fort, to such. Which property of our God it see­meth yt he blessed virgin had wel obserued, & therfore she singeth L [...]k [...] 1.53. He hath filled the [...] ­gry with good thinges, [...]le [...]ch he [...]ath se [...]t e [...]ty away. They therfore y ^• by fayth would find Christ, & [...] [...]e raised vp, must first go to schole w ^t the law [...]lea to therby effectually the former sess [...] f [...] the law is our sch [...]e [...]ster to bring vs [Page 76]to C [...]hrist, [...] 4. that so they finding out the depth and grieu [...]usnes of their spirituall sicknes may seek a sit & [...]ciēt [...]layster & s [...]lue to heal & [...] it. Vnto w ^t estate whē the lord hath brought his, knowing that light after darknes, helth after sicknes, felicity after tast of misery wil be y ^• more [...]le [...] ̄ [...] & more th [...] ̄kfully receiued; thē effectually becauseth thē so to pr [...]fice by the doctrine of the gospel, that first therby they attain to a sound and right knowledge of Iesus Christ, what hee is in persō, & what he is in office. In person, that he is the 2 person in Trinity, very God, and very man also: and yet that he is but one person cōsisting of (these 2 natures. In office, king▪ priest, & prophet, the only messias & means to be saued by. Which saliatiō therby also they learne, he hath dearly & fully merited in & by his owne abas [...]mēt, in that he [...]āe mā, liued, died, was buried and descēded into [...]el: & therby likewise they learn, that by his [...]duācemēt, that is, by his resurrectiō; ascension, [...]nd si [...]ing on y ^• right hād of his father, he is now able to bestowe and apply the same faluation by himself so merited to al that be his. Whereupon they take decasiō st [...]fastly to beleeue, that for his [...]ly sake they shal not only be quit of al their sins & the punishmene [...] due for the same, but that also God will vouch [...] to accoūt thē righteous, and wo [...]thy or meet for the kingom of heauen for his righteousnes imputed vnto thē. So that faith seeketh [Page 77]for the whol matter and cause to be saued by in Christ Iesus alone, & in him alone it findeth, & apprehendeth sufficient matter why the owner of it shold be iustified and saued. The groūd of this faith in the cōfutation of the popish faith you haue heard already: wherunto ad yet these 2 manifest places, wherof the first is in the 10. of Ioh. 1. & 7. where Christ flatly teacheth, that he is the only dore into Gods sheepfold, & that so earnestly. that he pronoūceth thē all theeues & robbers, that seek to get in any other way. The other is in the 4. of the Act. 10.12. where we read, that Pe­ter boldly before the high Priests and their com­pany in a solemne assembly sayth, Be it knowen vnto you all, & to all the people of Israell, that there is saluatiō in no other, but in Iesus of Na­zareth: For amōg mē there is giuē no other nāe vnder heauē wherby we must be saued. The w ^c 2 places (if there wer no more to be foūd through out the whole scripture) were sufficient to put vs out of all doubt, that there is no part of saluation to be looked for, but only in, through, and for Ie­sus Christ. And therfore the greater is the iudg­ment of God vppon the Church of Rome, which notwithstanding these places will yet seeke for some part of the cause of their saluation by their owne satisfactions and merites. But [...], to whom the Lord hath giuen grace to see the glo­rious riches, which hee hath prepared for vs in [Page 78]this his son, hereby may be assured, y ^e seeing there lacketh in Christ, neither ablenesse, nor willing­nes to be such a one, that w ^tout all wauering, wee may he bold to beleeue that God as both able and willing freely & fully, soly, & wholy to iustifie vs here, and to glorifie vs elswhere, for this his sons sake alone. Which persuasion grounded vpō this and other such groundes in the Scripture before touched, is that which I boldly affirme vnto you, to be the faith that indeede maketh vs to be in the Lord, & so ready to dye in the Lorde. I exhort you therfore as many as be desirous to dye in y ^e Lord, to seeke in time by this sayth to liue in the Lord. Remember that it is the Lordes gift, & that by the ordinary means of the word preached, Gal. 5. Ro. 10.14. 1. Cor. 1.21. And therfore if you would haue it and hauing it once reteyne and keepe it, you must diligently seeke it at the Lords hands, by the vse of this means, and that while the Lord doch offer the means vnto you, least (as he threat­neth, Pro. 1.24.26.) Because he called & ye re­fused, he will laugh at your destructiō, & mock when your fear commeth. Do not defer off the seeking for it, and the strēgthening of it vntil old age come. If you wil do in it, you must learne to li [...] in i [...] first and there is no reason y ^• you should spend the strength of your dayes in vanity, igno­rance, misbeliefe and infidelity in the seruice of [...] in the and [...] these things are weary [Page 79]of you, to think, that it is enough to serue God w ^t your old, dry, & rotten bones: God neuer liked to be serued w ^t the lame, blinde and maimed of the flock, but the strong, lusty, & vnblemished hee alwaies called for, Mal. 1.8. & 13. And therfore let euery one in his youth & time of his strēgth remēber his creatour, & turn vnto him, Ec. 12.1.

A briefe report & testimony of the Earle of Bedfords life and death.Of this fayth, and early and timely seeking for it, this noble person, whose funeral and burrall we are now about, hath bin a noble example vnto vs. For we know, that not only in his later daies in her Maiesties time that now is, when to be of this fayth, was and hath bin safe and commenda­ble vnto him, but also before, when to shewe him­selfe of this fayth was daungerous to his liuing and honour he hath shewed himselfe in his life a zealous and constant professor and confessour of this faith, vsing al good means both priuatly and publikely to nourish it by the diligent vse of the means aforesayd. I my selfe haue bin both an eye witnesse, and an eare witnesse, that both in res­pect of his sins, he had infallible, tokens of a very broken and contrite hart, and thought as baselye of himselfe in respect of himselfe as a true peni­tent man should: and that yet casting his eyes vp­on. Gods mercyes towards such in Christ, no [...]ā could be more comforted and r [...]ysed vp agayne. Notwithstanding he was as free from the com­mon corruptions of the world (wherinto [...]e [...] of [Page 80]his place are greatly assaulted and prouoked to fall) and as ful of loue and charity and all the fruites thereof as lightly amongst men any can be found: yet this I canne testifie of him, and (I thinke) so canne all that knew him and were ac­quainted with him, that he was neuer the more puffed vppe with any conceyt of his own righte­ousnes: yea though his course of life and dealing with all men were such, that he had got this title commonly in the mouthes of al, The good Earle of Bedforde, yet stil his cry was, that only in Ie­sus Christ and his merites was all his hope and trust concerning his saluation. And truely as he liued in this faith in this sort, so, to the glory of his God, al our good exāple, and his own euerlasting comforte, hee dyed constantly in the same. And therefore (as they that were most about him can testifie) a litle before his death in this his last sicknesse, out of the abundance of his heart, and fayth that was lodged therein, hee vttered these words with great comfort, Satan is cheyned, Satan is cheyned: The seede of the woman hath broken the serpentes head, The seede of the woman hath broken the serpents head: Euen for mee, Euen for mee. And a little before his death he ioyned in prayer with a godly Mini­ster, (whom hee kept in his house for the wate­ring of himself and his family, from time to time, with the water of life) vnto the Lorde most ear­nestly, [Page 81]and made in his hearing (after some good comfort giuen him by him) a notable, sweete and Christian confession of his fayth in God the fa­ther, God the son, and God the holy Ghost: shew­ing how fully he hoped to be saued in and for Ie­sus Christs sake alone, cōcluding in the end thus, Thus I beleeue with my heart to iustification, & confesse with my mouth to saluation: and so quietly within a very litle space after gaue vppe the Ghost. I dare therefore be bolde to place him within the number of them that here in my text the Lorde speaketh of. For he was no timeseruer or dissembler, none that either in forehead or hād bare the marke of the beast, but that hated thē least ragge, relicke, and clour of the Romish har­lote euery day more and more vnto his death. O you Nobles and others, of what calling soeuer, learne and seeke to bee like to him liuing, that ye may bee like to him dying. Assure your selues that hee loued Gods sincere trueth vnfeyned­lye, thet hee made not his religion a stepping stone to clime vp to promotion by, nor his drudge to serue his turne to cōpasse his worldly fetches and deuices by. No, no, hee was no vaine and prophane politike, that fauoured and countenan­ced religion for his own turne: his vnfeyned loue appeared towardes it, in that euen the feete, yea the very feet of them that were messengers ther­of vnto him, were alwaies beautifull in his ei [...] [Page 82]insomuch y ^• he tooke pleasure to reason & cōferre with them most familiarlye & curteously, taking it as, great honour vnto himselfe, to patronise thē in their good cause & [...]mes, and to further to his vtmost their honest sutes. Truly when I con­sider of the one side how faithful acounseller her maiesty hath lost of him & of how trusty [...]patron the cōmonweal [...] is by this his departure frō vs, herea [...]ed, and of [...] and tēder a father this our Church is therby also depriued, and when I haue done, enter into a consideratiō on the other side, of the blessed and happy change that hee hath made, which followeth here in my text: I cannot tel, whether we haue grater cause to mourne in respect of this threefold losse to vs, thā to reioyce in respect of the blessed & happy state hereby be­fallen to him. Sure I am we may now wel con­ceiue, y ^• in this threefolde respect there is great cause, why we s [...]ly mourn: but I [...]eare we shal euery day more and more perceiue this threefold misse and losse of him, and therfore our mourning is rather likely to bee increased than otherwyse. Howbeit, to moderate it let vs proceed in y ^e [...]e [...]t, that we may see thereby again, what cause there is euen of loue towards him to make vs in his re­spect to be ioyful again: In the handling whereof I wil be, the briefer, because I haue beene the lon­ger in this. Wherfore leauing him most certain­ly enrolled euen by Gods [...]wne hande within the [Page 83]number of those, that be vndoubtedly dea [...] in the Lord, let vs see what is here sai [...] concerning the state of such, a [...]d therefore consequently of hims [...]

The secōd part of the gene­ral diuisiō wherein first is set down the method & true sense of that part of the text, with proofes thereof, as follow­eth.It followeth, Blessed are they immediately thence forth, Yea saith the spirite, they rest frō their labours, and their works accompany thē. Wherin first their state is fer bo [...]e by y ^• he [...]ly voice what it is, and when they enter vpon it, and then the same is iterated & somwhat explaned by the approbartion & assem of the holy Ghost, in that forthwith they resto frō their labours, and their works accōpany them Their state is blessed. As for them entrāce & cōtinuance in that state, [...] pressed in this word [...], which, the etin [...]logy of the word, the vse of the word in y ^e best Greeke authours, and the very circumstance of the t [...] considered, cause me to tra [...] [...]h [...]s, Immedi­atly thenceforth. Which to he the sense y ^t it ha [...]h in this place, vnderstanding the place of ma [...]yrs, the Rhe [...]ists themselues in the notes vpon this place [...]il [...]ingly confesse Yea they vnderstanding the place also generally of al diseased in [...]ate of grace, confesse it may thē also (though they say it doth [...] properly so signifie in this place, which they [...] neuer proue) [...]efo takē here vndersāding it only of these y ^t so deceased after Christs ascēsiō. vnles that impedimēt be in thēselues. Wherby it is euident, that not the properly of the word, but a desire to maintaine first their limbus patrum, for [Page 84]those that departed in faith before Christs ascen­sion, and their purgatory for some that depart so since, maketh thē vnwilling to yeeld, that the na­tural sense of the word here is as I haue rendred it. But who so cōsidereth, that the scope of y ^e place is to cōfort the godly and sincere seruants of god, against the manifold assaults & afflictions procu­red them in this life by Antichrist, euē with this, that if these notwithstanding they perseuere vn­to the end, they shal presently, & so forth for euer be blessed, shal therby perceiue, that it must needs here haue that sense, For to take it any otherwise would minister vnto them a colde comfort: as for example, say vnto them but in their sense (which they would faine vtter for the sense, if they durst for shame) be of good cheare, be constant vnto the end, and then perhaps presently thou shalt go to blisse, and perhaps to purgatory, there to feele paines that exceede all the paines of this life at the least, vntil thou hast satisfied vp for thy sinnes partely by thine owne bearing of those paines, and partly by such other reliefe, as good men shall prouide for thee when thou art gone, and then thou shalt go to blisse, and the comfort that it ministreth is as cold as lead Answereth this the circūstance of the text? Nay tendeth it not rather to the plain contrary, that is, to their discomfort? Well, it seemeth they will not striue with vs for this sense of the word, so we would be content to [Page 85]vnderstand it of al that die in grace since Christs ascension only, and but of so many of those also, as before their death haue fully satisfied for their sinnes: but we may not grāt them either of these limitations: not the first, because they that dyed in faith in Christ to come, as well as those that dy since in faith in Christ come, found their faith a­uailable to their saluation. For Christ hath bin the selfe same slain lamb for euer in the sight of his heauenly father, Reuel. 13.8. and is one and the selfe same yesterday, to day, and for euer, Heb. 13.8. And he himself, to the plain confutatiō of this grosse opinion, that y ^e faithful that died be­fore his ascension went not to ioy & blisse, placeth Abrahā & Lazarus with him in ioy & blisse be­fore his death, Luk. 16.24. &c. and promiseth the thiefe that day, when he died, that he should be with him in paradise, Luk. 23.43. And as for the later the vainnes of the addition hath bin laid opē already, in that we haue learned, that there is no other satisfaction for the sins of the faithfull, but that which Christ made in his owne person once for al: & yet they are so loth that this place should be vnderstoode generally of all that depart in a right faith in Christ, when, where, and howsoe­uer that (mistrusting belike that [...] would not serue their turns) in the next clause [...] they trā ­slate Now: where as they know it is an aduerbe of affirming, and not of time, and signifieth, Yea, [Page 86]Also, & neuer now. Why doe they not translate the saine word Mat. 5. & Iam. 5. so also? Which if they did, thē we should read there, for let your yea be yea, let your now be now: & for let your speech be yea, yea, let your speech be now now. But they found y ^t their vulgar translation readeth it. Iam. that is, now. Yea, but they were not ignorāt, that is, now. Yea, but they were not ignorāt, that truely the word [...] could not be so translated: but that they cared not for, as long as thus to crā state it (though against al reason) seemed to soūd better to countenance their Limbus Patrū, for so they gather of it. Now saith the spirit &c. (that is since Christs ascension) that it in thus with them that die in the Lord, as thought it had not beene so before. And it would be noted, that y ^e Greek word that is translated labors, doth not signify any a [...] ­tion or operatiō whatsoeuer, but such labor as is wearisome & tedious to the doer or sufferer. For we must not thinke that the soules of the righte­ous separated from their bodies liue in idlenesse, without exercising thēselues in any kind of acti­on. For (no doubt of it) they are occupied in the contemplation of God, wherin their felicity lieth and in praysing him with ioifulnes. But we are therby to vnderstand, that such is the case of them that die in the Lord, that thenceforth immediatly for euer, al wo, griefe, & paine whatsoeuer ceaseth to thē both in body & soule, w ^t is one part of their blessednes & happines here spokē of. But because [Page 87]blessednes lieth not onely in a not feeling of wo & paine, but especially in fruition of some present & permanent ioy & comfort, therfore (the better to explane vnto vs, what blessednes it is, that they that die in the Lord thenceforth for euer haue at­teined vnto immediately vppon the dissolution of their soule and body) it is farther added, that the workes of such accompany them: that is, that presently all the good works of such, euē vnto the gi­uing of a cup of cold water to one of gods little ones in the name of a disciple shalbe rewarded in heauen with vnspeakeable ioy and felicitie, Mat. 10.42. I read it rather, And their workes accompany them, because so trāslated the force of the greeke is the better expressed. For [...] doth not signify to follow a far off, but to follow hard at the heeles, & therfore [...] is a hand maid: & besides [...] is more properly read, with thē, thā after them. Also thus reading it ac­cording to the sense of y ^e greek, the circumstāce of y ^e place is better answered, which was to animate those that liued in the Lord also to die in the lord, w ^t hope of present blisse vpō their death. Wheras, if it were read. And their works follow them, a cauiller to their discōfort might say, that may be so, though it be not before y ^e end of a thousād yeres after their death, & so in the meane time they may fry in purgatory. And thus it is confirmed like­wise, [...] must here import immediatly thēce [Page 88]forth. For if the reward of their workes followe them, so, that it is present at their heeles, then there is no mean space betwixt. And yet I would not haue it hereupon inferted, that my meaning is, that souls departed in faith haue streight their consummation and full crowne of glory, that is prepared for them. For I know that that shall not be before the generall resurrection, and y ^t the setting of the crown vpon their heads is deferred vnto Christs 2. comming. And therfore Iohn in a vision ( Apo. 6.10. heareth the blessed soules in hea­uen cry aloud for that day, though so, y ^t they are contented w ^tout griefe (for to obey the Lord is all their ioy thē) to tary the Lords leasure, & to abide his pleasure. But hereby I would haue it gathe­red (for so it may wel) that straight their blisse is such, & shalbe thēceforth, y ^e neither body nor soule shal euer feele the least grief or pain again, & that presently the soule is in possession & fruition of so excellent an estate in heauen, in respect wherof it may worthily thinke it selfe right blessed and happy, and so fully rewarded for all the workes done by it in the body, that it shal not haue cause to cō ­plaine that any one worke is forgotten & not re­warded. Euen this therefore hath the Lord from heauē in & by this word (blessed) expressed, which is a word of greatest importāce, that he could vse. For in blessednes and happinesse both Philoso­phers and diuines hold, that mans chiefe felicity [Page 89]consisteth, whereunto in his whole life hee must aime. Wherefore (no doubt of it) euen this state of them, that die in the Lorde, that by this word, and the phrases following to explane it, is ment, is such a state, that y ^e state of princes & Emperors in this life, let thē be otherwise as happy, as it is possible for mē to be, in comparison hereof is but a misery. For what state here is, euer was, or shal be so happy, which is not intermingled, was, or shalbe with some labor & paine? Yea euen in the delights here & greatest ioyes of this world there is saciety & wearisomnes: and there is no certain­ty, nor vnchangeablenes in states here, the best & most florishing are so subiect to mutability and alteration: but in this there is no griefe of mind, nor sickenes or paine of the body, no Gangrena, nor any other woe, Apoc. 21.4. And in the ioies there is continuall comfort, & delight with­out wearisomnes, and that such as is euerlasting, vnutterable and vnconceiueable by the tongue or heart of man. And this is now the state, and hath bin euer since his departure, of this Noble Earle our honourable brother, and shalbe thenceforth, as both God and angels ful wel know, & we men need not once to doubt, & this shalbe ours also if we liue and die in the Lorde, as he hath done. It is told vs all so from heauen, it is recorded so by a faithful witnes, and approued and ratified by the spirit of God. God grant vs al grace to beleue it, [Page 90]& one day to trie the truth & certainty of it in our own persons by experience. In the mean time let vs somwhat further consider of the doctrine and of the words as they lie, wherin it is vttered, that we may not only see thus, as we haue done hither to, the generall & principall lesson therein taught vs, but also euery particular truth cōfirmed ther­by, & error confuted therin, that we may make the vse of it fully, for which it was writen.

The par­ticular lessons to be lear­ned here­in.Because (no doubt of it) there are fooles in the world, Psal. 14.1. which in their hearts thinke (though they dare not for shame w ^t their congues say) there is no God, and consequētly, that there is neither Hell, nor Heauen, resurrection of the body nor immortality of the soule: let vs marke, The same body shall rise a­gaine, & in the meane time re­steth in peace. what doctrine this text teacheth vs to the cōtrary to the stopping vp for euer of the mouths of such prophane Atheistes. Wherefore to begin with all I say, how could it be here said, that they that die in the Lord are thenceforth blessed, vnlesse in re­spece of the whole man it were so in some force? Euident it is, that if either the body were vtterly perished, so that it should neuer rise againe, or the soul dead, that it could feel no ioy, they could not at al be sayed to be blessed. For blessednes (as you haue hard confirmed vnto you euē out of my text it selfe) consisteth not only in ceasing from labor woe and paine, but in a possession and fruition of a most heauenly reward. Nay it is most certaine [Page 91]that if either the body in the meane time vntil the resurrection were not at rest and peace, or in the end should not rise again, the soule coulde not bee said to be blessed, & to enioy the reward of works done by it in the body. For it were a kinde of mi­sery vnto it to haue the body disquieted, especial­ly to be without hope of beeing euer restored and ioyned to the body again. Wherfore in that they that dy in the Lord are here pronounced blessed, first for the bodies of such we learn, that they are in rest, and (as the scripture speaketh) as it were a sleepe in the bosome of their mother the earth, Acts. 7.1. Thess. 4.15. and therefore free from all woe and pain, and not to be disquieted by diuels, enchanters, or witches any manner of way, and that most certainely they rest in hope of a bles­sed resurrection, which (according to the Scrip­tures, Mat. 25.1. Thess. 4.1. Cor. 15.) at the last general day of iudgment by the power of the Lord shalbe brought to passe. Wherof we must needs be perswaded, in that otherwise God shuld not be perfectly merciful, nor Christ a ful sauior. And why should Christ take vnto his godhead & vnite therwith in person as wel the body of man, as y ^e soul of man, vnlesse he ment to be a ful sauior of both? He our head rose again, in his own body one in substance with that it was before though altered in properties, and so shall it be with his members, 1. Cor. 15.1. Thess. 4. Notable there­fore [Page 92]was Iobs faith, his time considered, I know saith he that my redeemer liueth, & that I shal see God in my flesh though after this skin the wormes destroy this bodye, whom I my selfe shall see & mine eies shall behold, & none o­ther for me, Iob. 19.25.26.27. Euen the dying of y ^e corne first in y ^e earth and the after growing vp of the same, & the reuiuing of diuerse worms and other creatures at the spring towardes sūmer, y ^e laye for deade all winter, are glasses in nature our God hath set before vs to make vs ashamed, of this point of infidelity and Atheisme once to call the truth of the resurrection into question,

The soule is immor­tall.And as touching the soul that it dieth not, but (if it depart out of the body in the Lorde) that it passeth streight to the Lorde, with whome it not only ceaseth from al woe and pain, but also enioi­eth the reward of blisse, hereby also we are plain­ly taught. For otherwise how should it bee true, y ^t immediatly thenceforth such as die in y ^e Lord, are blessed in not only ceasing frō their labours, but also in present receiuing rewarde of their works. For hereupon it must needs follow to be most true, which wee reade, Eccl. 12.7. that the soul returneth to him, that gaue it. And that al­so Mat. 10.28. that tyrants cannot kil the soul. Wherfore we may w ^t Peter count death but a flitting of the soule out of the tabernacle of the body, 2. Pet. 1.14. and with Paul a going [Page 93]from an earthly house to an heauenly, It slee­peth not nor is without feeling of ioy assu­redly vn­til the re­surrectiō. 2. Cor. 5. &c. and therefore with him vpon good cause de­sire to be dissolued, & to be with the Lord, Phi. 1.23. and when we dye, dying in the Lorde, with Christ, Luk 23.46. and w ^t Stephē, Act. 7, 59. cō ­mēd our souls into the hands of God. Where­upon it followeth that there is a soule, and y ^t it di­eth not when the body dyeth, but is immortal. Yea further in y ^• (as we perceiue by Christs pla­cing of Lazarus immediatly in present fruition of ioy after his death in Abrahams bosom, Luk. 16.) the souls of such as die in the Lord are sayd here to haue their works accompany them, here­upon it followeth, that the reward thereof is not drousie sleepe but a ioyfull feeling of heauenlye blisse, and that therefore the soules of such depar­ted sleepe not, but are awake, and in a liuely fee­ling of ioy in heauen. Which fancy of these slee­pers is confuted also in that Ioh. Apo. 6. seeing in visiō soules in heauen, heard them cry a loud vn­to the Lord to hasten his second cōming. Here­vpon also (in that of contraries there is contrary condition) may well be gathered, in that the state of those that dye in the Lord, is blessed, that the state of those that dye not in y ^e Lord, That is no purgatory for any that dy in the Lord to goe vnto. is accrused.

Now in that it followeth [...] immediate­ly thenceforth: and their works accompany thē, and they cease from their labours, by three most euident reasons it must needes follow that [Page 94]to such as dye in the Lord there is not any meane place or Purgatory, and therfore to none other by our aduersaries owne confession. For they themselues hold as wel as we, that al that dy out of grace and fauor of our God, they for their sins in soul go straight to hel: and that none go to purgatory but such as dye in the Lord, which yet be­fore their death haue not sufficiently satisfied for their sins, But here I say this their doctrine is flatly confuted: first, in that they are imediatly af­ter their death thenceforth without any exceptiō said to be blessed. Secōdly in that it is said, They rest from their labours. Thirdly in that it is said Their works accompany thē. None of all which could bee true, if any of them went to purgatory. And yet our Rhemists vpon this place are not a­shamed to write in their notes (notwithstanding it be their known and receiued doctrine, that the p [...]ines that souls suffer in purgatory, be equal to the paines of hel for the time, & that one principal torment there, is the gnawing worme of consci­ence) that soules in purgatory may well be said to be blessed streight after their death, and to rest there in peace. Which if it be true, then their doctrine of the paines, that soules abide there is but a frai-bug and if their doctrine be true, then this is false, which they write. Lo here the popish vnity. But howe maye they notwithstanding the p [...]es there be sayd to be blessed? Because [Page 95](say they) them notwithstanding they are ceased from the labours of this life, and al danger to sin, and are put in security of eternall ioy in the ende, with vnspeakable peace of consciēce in the mean time. Then it cannot be (say I once againe) that the paines of purgatory be so great for the time, as the paines of hell. For there is no security of ioy there in the end, nor in the mean time any cō ­fort at al in conscience, but extreame anguish and horror. Againe, who seeth not that it is a poore blessednes to go from the afflictions of his life (which the faithful with ioy and reioycing suf­fer, Act. 5.41. and that In ful assurance of ioy in the end, Ro. 8.33. and so to the end of the chapter & cōsequently with great cōfort of conscience in­deede) to a place where for the space of ten mens liues, yea they cannot tell howe long, they shall suffer paines & tormēts, the least wherof (as they write) infinitely exceedeth the greatest of y ^e other. And if this were so, that it might stand with the Apostles meaning, as they in their notes woulde faine make vs beleeue, thē (no doubt of it) here is a colde hartning ministred to those y ^e liue in the Lorde, to perseuere to their death against all as­saultes to y ^e contrary, y ^t when they dye they shall streightway make onely this chāge. No, no (dearly beloued) the scope of y ^e text, & the nature of the blessednes here spoken of wil not abide this their glose. The greek word [...], which is here tran­slated [Page 96]labors, signifieth as (I haue told you) al la­bors with griefe, wearisomnesse, or payne gene­rally, and cannot be restreyned to the afflicitions only of this life. And though they could hold their purgatory by their cauilling, for all [...] and [...], yet (seeing they must needs vnderstand the last clause by a metonymie of the rewarde of works. For the works themselues (they knowe) were either actions or p [...]ssions, which are not ex­tant but vanished and gone, when the action and passion was finished: and seeing also the greeke [...] cannot more properly be en­glished, than their works go with them: and see­ing in purgatory they wil not for shame say, that they haue already the reward of their workes) it must needs follow y ^e presently after their death they go thither, where forwith they may haue the reward of their workes, which they must needes confesse is heauen: and therfore that there can be no such purgatory, for them to stay in, as they i­magine, before they come there. The po­pish relife for soules in purga­torie, de­spised. Yea further the due weying of these words as they clean quench the fire of purgatory, so they ouerthrow al the re­liefe, which the papists haue deuised; and yet vse to releeue the soules, that be there. For we reade here, that their own works [...] accom­pany them: and all these their reliefes consisteth of that which others doe for them, when they bee dead, and here is no promise, that any woorkes [Page 97]shall followe them but their owne. And there­fore S. Paul 2. Cor. 5.10. writeth that we must be all manifested before the iudgement seate of Christ, that euery manne may receiue the thinges done in his owne body, according to that, which he hath done, bee it good, or e­uill. Now if when soules shall appeare in iudge­ment with their bodyes euery one be but to re­ceiue according as he hath done in his owne bo­dy, is it not most euident that in the meane time what so euer is done for soules departed hence by others; it shall neuer benefite them? And ther­fore heere the spirite of God woulde not comfort them that dye in the Lord with that Popish com­forte, that thinges doone for them by others, when they be dead, should also follow them: one­lye he telleth them that their owne workes shall go with them. And yet his purpose beeing to comforte them in the best and most effectuall manner without all doubt, if hee coulde in truth haue comforted them with that, he woulde not haue omitted it. But hee hath (wee see) quite past that kinde of comforte ouer, and spea­keth onely of our owne woorkes. Wherefore let vs not (after the manner of the Papistes) be slack in good works, while we are aliue, tru­sting that by doles. Masses, dirges, trentals, & pardons made, done, & procured for vs by others whē we are gon, we shal haue y ^e state of out souls [Page 98]departure relieued, but (as S. Paul hath com­maunded vs.) Whiles we haue time let vs doe good vnto all men, especially vnto the house­holde of faith. Gal. 6.10. for where the tree fal­leth there it lieth, vntill it bee reared againe. Eccle. 11.3. and the dead haue no portion of a­ny thing, that is done vnder the Sun, Eccle. 9.6. And we see by Christs parable, Mat. 25.10. &c. that the foolish virgines that lacked oyle in their lampes of their owne, sought it at the hands of others, could get none, though they would neuer so faine haue had some of them, whatsoeuer it had cost them, and so were shut out from entring in with the bridegrome into his chamber. O therefore the spiritual craftines of poperye, first in deuysing that there is a thirde place betweene hell and heauen, or a meane place called Purgatory for soules departed to go vnto before they goe to heauen: and then in inuenting such a reliefe for them when they were gone thither by others. For by the first they put soules departing into such feare, that they cared not what they gaue, & depriued their heires, wiues, and other children of, to buy at their handes their praiers, masses, & pardons, wherby they wonder­fully to the spoile of others inriched themselues: & by the latter they greatly occasioned men to be slacke in godlines, & loose in life, whiles health lasted vpon hope of this prouision in the end, & also [Page 99]so led them from the present faith in Christ to a faith in these things, and consequently murthe­red their soules, & yet marueilously inriched them selues. Whereby they haue proued themselues to be the cruellest, cunningest, and greatest theeves, that euer were in the world. They may well pre­tend Scriptures, fathers & reasons for this their deuise, thereby to bleare the eies of the simple, it is so passing gainefull vnto them: but in deed and truth the very onely roote and fountaine thereof was insatiable couecousnes to inrich themselues they cared not how, and intollerable ambition to lift vp themselues into credit among the people, in that thus they made thē beleeue it lay in their hands to ease them of the paines of Purgatory, & to send thē to heauen. As for scriptures Roffensis Perionius, & Soto are inforced to confesse (& yet they were great papists) they haue none plain en­ough to proue it. And how can they, seeing Christ the father of the scriptures hath diuided al mē but into two sorts, beleeuers in him, and not belee­uers in him, Iohn. 3.18. and hath told vs there are two waies only, the one broade leading to hell and the other streite, leading to heauen, Mat. 7.13.14. Luk. 13.24. placing (for further expli­cation of his minde concerning the state of those two sorts of mē taking y ^e one of those two waies) Lazarus an exāple of the one sort streight in ioy and felicity, and the rich glutton example of the [Page 100]other sort streight in hell after death Luke. 16. And truely as for Fathers to proue their purga­tory withal they are to seeke also. Some of them (as Origen & his folowers) imagin a purgatory, through which both good & bad shal go, & wherin the wicked and the diuell also after the iudgemēt in the ende after long tormentes shall be saued. Which beastly heresie Aug. worthily condēneth & confuteth in diuerse places, as they well know. And I am sure they will not hold such a purgato­ry neither. Some other as Theodor. Oecumenius, Alcuinus) talke of a purgatory fire at the last day wherewith Christ shall come, when he commeth in glory, as they imagine: through which al shall passe: but this is not their purgatory: neither is it any thing but a meere phāsie indeed. Some other among whom Aug. is (as they take it) the chiefe man, seeme somewhat to allow their purgatorie: but indeed the chiefe places which they cite out of him for it, are such, where he speaketh but doubt­fully as thus, For sitan verum est: non est incredibile: An sit quaeripotest: that is, perhaps it is so: It is not altogether incredible: It may be a questi­on, whether there be any such place or no, as in his booke de Ciuitate Deilib. 21. cap. 26. & in En­chirid. cap. 69. And yet in diuers other places (be­like better aduised, and more settled) he flatly de­termineth, that there is no such third place. For in a sermon of his de vamiate huius saecul [...], I read [Page 101]thus, Scitote vos quod cū anima a corpore auellitur statim in paradiso collocatur, aut in inferni tartara praecipitatur, that is, Knowe yee, that when the soule is taken from the body either by and by it is placed in paradise, or thrown into Hell. And in hie Hypognosticon the 5. booke he saith thus, The first place the Catholike faith by Gods au­thoritie beleeueth to be the kingdome of hea­uen, the second place that same catholike faith beleeueth to be hell, where all runnagates and all that are without the faith of Christ shall tast euerlasting punishment. As for any third place penitus ignoramus, that is, we vtterly know none saith he, neither shal we finde in the holy scrip­tures that there is any such. And in his booke de peccatorum meritis, li. 1. ca. 28. he hath these words Non est vlli vllus medius locus vt possit esse nisi cum diabolo qui non est cum Christo there is no middle place for any, but that he must needes be with the diuel if not with Christ. And truely for the re­leeuing of soules departed by things done for thē here by others as you haue heard the scriptures are against them, so the fathers be also. For Au­gustine saith flatly to Hesichius Epist. 80. In what state thy dying day findeth thee, the last day also shall come vpon thee. And Hierom. vpon the 9. of Eccles. before alleadged, gathereth that there can nothing bee added to the dead by any thing done hereafter. And accordingly [Page 102]writeth Cyprian de mortalitate, saying, Qualē t [...] inuenit Deus cū hinc euocat, talē pariter & iudicat, that is, In what state God findeth thee whē he calleth thee hence, such a one he wil also iudge thee. Indeed they may haue these fathers, the heathen philosopher Plato in his Gorgia, Homer in his 1. & 3. Odyss, Virgil in his 6. book of AEneid Ouid in his 2. Fastorū, Aristotle, the Alcoran, & such like to fetch their purgatory from, others of any sound credit they haue none. And as for their reasons they are but discourses of their own wit, or of others like themselues laste before named. And their best are, when they are driuen to the vtmost, but counterfait writings of fathers fal­sly bearing their names, and writen by some of their owne crew of later time, false tales, lying apparitions of men and diuels. For rather than Purgatory shalbe left without an author, the di­uell shalbe he, and they will make much of his au­thority also. For they write in Lombardica hi­storia, that Saint Odilio at Vulcania of Sicilia hearing that the howlinges and cries of Diuels were hard mourning, that soules were takē from them after their departure out of the body by the almes & praiers of their friendes liuing; cau­sed the feast of the cōmemoration of the dead for the reliefe of soules in purgatory to be ordeined. The truth is, dearly beloued, that their doctrine in this point is such, that if ten thousand angels [Page 103]and al the fathers should tel vs that it were true, we ought to bold both them and their assertiō ac­cursed, it is so blasphemous and iniurious to the precious boud-shed of Iesus Christ, the only pur­gatory indeed both of soul and body. For to main­tain this they first must hold that the merites and satisfactions of Christ are not sufficient of them­selues, and by themselues (without these paines suffering in purgatory also, and this other relief) to saue the soule of the beleeuer in him. Second­ly they must hold, that in the bloud of Christ the beleeuer hath forgiuenes of sinnes, but not of the punishment due therefore. Thirdly that God is such a God as will punish a soule with such hel­lish torments for the same sinnes, which he hath already forgiuen in his sonne, and therfore pro­mised to remember no more, Heb. 10.17. And lastly they must attribute power to do that to the paines of purgatory, and to this their reliefe, that they talke of, which they hold the bloud of Christ hath not done without these to such. You see ther­fore that these fellowes that are so busy in purga­tory are wel worthy for their labour to finde no­thing els whē they depart, but hell and hellish tor­ments. And no doubt of it they sell heauen so fast to others, that (if they repent not) there wil be no place els left for them but hell. But to leaue them to their fained king the pope and to this his new kingdome, which he hath appropriated to him [Page 104]and his, it is further to be noted, that in that the word [...] doth not onely signifie vp & by, but noteth also a continuāce of time thenceforth, that to the full comfort of them that die in the Lorde, The bles­sed state of them that dy in the lord is permanēt they may hereby learne, that not onely immedi­atly after their death they shal rest from their la­bours and enter vppon their rewarde, and so bee blessed: but that also, this their state is certaine without any falling backe from it: and therefore still their reward is called life euerlasting in the scriptures. And surely if this be their state imme­diatly thenceforth without euer any dāger of fal­ling backe to worse, then of the contrary it must needs follow, that quite contrary immediatly af­ter their death shalbe the state and condition of al that die not in the Lord, and that there is no hope for euer for them to attaine vnto a better. What neede there then a general iudgement, will some say? I answere for two causes; that the bodies thē may be restored to their soules againe, that both the ioies of the faithful & paines of the faithles, to the ful manifestatiō both of gods mercy & iustice, may be cōsummate and ful: & that so god thē may outwardly & solemnly iustify before al the world his former particular iudgemēt, which imediatly before at euery mās death he had laid vpon them.

Lastly we are not to passe ouer, or forget how our aduersaries the Papistes abuse this last clause of the text. For they hearing that workes [Page 105]follow such, thereupon inferre, that works merit eternal blisse. The abuse of this place, therby to prooue that workes merite, confuted. Indeed hereupon it followeth (as I haue noted before) that none haue a right faith in Christ, but those that haue also good works to accompany them whensoeuer they dye in the Lord, which I would not haue forgotten: But hereupon to gather that our workes merite hea­uen we may not. For then they should go before our being in the Lord, & be a cause therof, where­as here it is only sayde, that they follow and ac­company such. Which it should seeme that Au­gustine had obserued li. de Fide & operibus ca. 14. when he said that good workes goe not before iustification, but they follow a man iustified, Let them therefore followe in Gods name, as a fruit of a man in the Lorde, but let them not step before as a cause of his being in the fauor of the Lord. And vnderstād that this argument is stark naught, good workes shal be rewarded w ^t heauē ­ly blisse: therefore they merite it. Is no man re­warded but he which hath merited and deserued it first? The heire when he commeth to his fa­thers lands is then wel rewarded for his paines he took in his fathers time, & yet hee hath not his inheritance for those his paines, for then rather some seruant oftentimes should haue the inheri­tance: but for that he was his fathers son & heire before: Euen so it is in this case, we are born the sons of God by faith in Christ, Ioh. 1.12. & 13. & so [Page 106]coheires with him of heauen, Rom. 8.17. thereby first, and then follow good workes in vs not as a cause why we shal haue this inheritance, but as a fruit & effect flowing frō our thankful mindes to our heauenly father for this notable inheritance thus freely prepared for vs. And yet when we come to the inheritance, because it cōmeth after these our works, after a sort we may say, that euē there by our paines in working are rewarded, & yet we haue not that reward for our workes, but for that we working so, were the sons & heires of God. But for the better loosing of al such popish knots, vnderstād that it is not al one to say good works shal be rewarded, and to say, good works haue merited that rewarde. For there are re­wards giuen of mercy (and so is this) as well as of debt and duty, Rom. 4.4. Againe there is great ods betwixt these two questions, who shal bee sa­ued, and why man shalbee saued: To the former we answere, the well worker: to the latter only for Christs sake apprehended by faith. And ther­fore take this for the conclusion, we shalbe iudg­ed Secundū operum indicium, non propter operum meritū, according to the testimony y our workes giue of vs, not for the merit of our workes. For it is writen Ephe. 2.8.9. We are saued by grace through faith, & that not of our selues: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast himself. And yet this doctrine neither let­teth [Page 107]nor staieth at al frō good works, but is y ^• on­ly fountain indeed from whēce al true works do spring & flow. And therfore y ^• Apo. Paul (as you may obserue throughout al his epistles) first la­boreth to set down this doctrine, & then thereup­on after buildeth exhortation to godlines of life: & the like course tooke Peter as you may see in his first epistle. And yet these knewe how to pro­uoke to good works, and in no case may be coun­ted teachers of a doctrine enemy to good works. Yea there is none indeed that hath grace to im­brace this doctrine effectually, but therby he fee­leth by experience his hart so enflamed with loue towardes God for his infinite mercy hereby dis­plaied vnto him both in sauing him frō perishing, and in thus freely preparing heauē for him, that frō that loue of his there floweth riuers & flouds of al thankfulnes in al true obedience to his God▪ wherin he walketh chearfully & cōfortably. But the Papists being bastards & no lawful children of the Lorde, beeing not assured of this full and free fauor of his towards thē, of a slauish feare, & w ^t a seruile mind to earn heauē at his hands doe y ^e good which they do. Which indeed in matter & maner of doing is such, that though it carrye the shew of godlines, yet it is not so indeede. For the matter of good works they wil not fetch warrāt only frō gods reuealed wil in his word, but mat­ter good inough w ^t thē. For a good worke is any [Page 108]thing for the which they can alleage a traditiō of y ^e elders, or their own good intent, Which kinde of works the Lord reiecteth as stincking in his sight, Isa. 29.13. Mat. 15.9. & Co. 2.20. &c. And as for their maner of doing, it is like y ^e Pharises ioyned w ^t a conceit, that therefore they may des­pise others, & trust to be heard at Gods hands for the merite of their works. Which kinde of do­ing Christ hath cōdēned, Mat. 6.1. & Luk. 18.9, &c. in forbidding vs to do our workes as the Pharisees did, & in sending home the proude Pharisee vniustified And therfore in very deed, as they are without all true christian faith, so are they without al true good works, And therefore whosoeuer hath any thing to comfort himself by this place, it is none of thē. No doubt of it, this noble mā, whose body lieth here amongst vs to be encōbed, though euen in outwarde shew of almes giuing & other good works he ouermatched most merit mongers, yet seeing he trusted only to the meries of Christ, and neuer to his owne workes, but did them only of loue and thankefulnesse to­was his God, is among those, of whome it is here said, Their workes accompany them, and therfore now is in ioyful fruition of the reward thereof. Whose example as wee that bee of the same faith are to followe, that so with him we may bee in euerlasting remembrance both with God, and good men, (as no doubt hee shall) so it [Page 109]is an example to stoppe the mouths of the aduer­saries, that lyingly crye out that they that bee of our religion haue no good woorkes following them.

The secōd conclusiō.Thus at last (right honorable and dearely be­loued) we haue runne thorow this portiō of scrp­ture, and considered both the generall and parti­cular vse thereof. And so first we haue heard how strongly it is warranted to conteine nothing, but soūd truth: namely that not whosoeuer knoweth or cōmeth ny, but whosoeuer is by a true & a liue­ly faith vnited vnto Christ, & dieth in him, (which is neither a miraculous, historicall, temporarie, dead, or popish faith, but a faith seeking and ap­prehending saluation onely in Christ Iesus) shal thēceforth be blessed immediatly in resting from all woe in body and soule, and in entring vppon possession of their euerlasting rewarde: and then thereby more particularly we haue obserued, y ^t therefore, the body riseth againe, and that the soule is neither mortall nor sleepeth, that there is no popish purgatory, nor any thing that can be done by others for soules departed, that can doe them any good to ease or better their estate: and final­ly that though here bee offered vs great encou­ragement to good workes, yet here is nothing to proue that woorkes merite any thing at Gods hand. All which doctrine and lessons our honou­rable friend here departed (as I haue from point [Page 110]to point shewed you) hath already found true by experience. God of his mercy giue vs all grace so to set his example before vs, that wee may so followe him, that we may euery one of vs one day also to Gods glory and our own euerlasting comfort feele and finde the trueth thereof in our selues. This O Lorde we beseech thee to grant vs all for thy onely sonne Iesus Christes sake, to whome with thee and the holy Ghost, three persons and one euerliuing God, be all power, honour, might and maiestie nowe and for euer, Amen.

September 22. An. Do. 1594.

The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ, the loue of God the Father, and the most comfortable fellowship of the holy Ghost, be with vs all now and euer, to direct, sanctifie, and go­uerne vs in all our waies, works, & thoughts. Amen.