THese words are (almost) the last words our Sauior spake to his Disciples: who hauing finished the worke of our Redemption on the Crosse, & risen againe a triumphant conqueror, laden with the spoiles of death, & meaning now to ascend to his Father; doth before his departure commit a special charge vnto his Apostles, and in them, to all others succeeding them in any part of that function, which charge S. Mathew in his last chapter expresseth in these words, Go (saith our Saui­or) teach all Nations, baptising them, in the name of the Father, the Sonne and the Holy-ghost.

This is the charge which Christ did pro­perly commit to his Disciples; but because it was to small purpose to lay this commande­ment on them, to enioyne them the duty of preaching and administring the Sacraments, vnlesse others would embrace their doctrine, and receiue their Sacraments; to allure men the better, and to draw them, for their owne good, vnto the discharge of this heauenly du­tie, he proposeth a reward to him that shall beleeue and be baptised, and a punishment to them that shall refuse to beleeue, or of con­tempt reiect his Sacrament: The reward in these words, Hee shall be saued: the punish­ment in these; He that will not beleeue, shall be damned. Betweene which two estates, there is no meane, but eyther Saluation or Damnation: of which two my meaning is not to dilate; to speake eyther of the Ioyes of Heauen, or Paines of Hell; these are co­pious Common-places: in which, as no man can want matter of discourse, so no man is a­ble to expresse either of them in the least part.

But my meaning is to speake of the per­sons to whom the reward, which is vncon­ceiueable, is promised; and to whom the pu­nishment [Page 3]or threatning here belongeth: For this I take to be pertinent to the Time, and to this present Occasion.

I will beginne with the persons to whom the reward is promised, set downe, in these wordes; Hee that shall beleeue and be baptised: In which words diuers things do offer them­selues to bee considered, and that which I thinke first is necessary, is the coniunction of these two: namely, Faith and Baptisme: He that shall beleeue and be baptised, must be read without dis-junction, and make but one pro­position: For our Sauiour Christ doth not heere meane, that he which is baptised but beleeueth not, or that he that beleeueth, and is not baptised, shall be saued: but both are heere ioyned together, He that beleeueth and is baptised.

Betweene these two, I meane, Faith and Baptisme, Christ doth part the causes of Sal­uation: yet let none mis-take me, in that I say, these are causes of Saluation: I doe not say they are principall causes, but instrumen­tall, adiuvant, secundary, inferiour causes, which it pleaseth God to vse and sanctifie, for the sauing of our soules. I doe not say, that [Page 4]either both together, or any one of them by it selfe, is a cause absolutely necessarie to Sal­uation, so that he that wants either one, or both, must be damned; which in the latter member, I shall more largely declare; but I say, they are necessarie, in respect of our obe­dience, and necessarie, because commanded: and therefore, if of contempt, or grosse, or af­fected negligence, we either refuse the one or the other, we incurre the displeasure of God, and by that meanes eternall damnation.

In this sence I call them causes, and ioyne them both together, euen as Christ himselfe doth; Hee that beleeueth and is baptised: both of them are, in their kinde, necessary. Of the one, that is, Faith, the Apostle sayth, Without faith it is vnpossible to please God: Hebr. 11.6. Of the other, that is, Baptisme, the Apostle sayth, Titus 3.5. it is Lauacrum regenerationis, the wa­shing of the new birth, and is resembled by Saint Peter, 1. Pet. 3.20.21. to the Arke, in which Noah and his children were saued. The Arke was not a signe onely of the mercy of God, but God vsed it as an instrumentall cause to preserue Noah in that great and vniuersall deluge, and to it is Baptisme compared.

The ancient Fathers, grounding them­selues vpon that, and the like places, doe speake as becomes them, reuerently; resem­bling Baptisme to the red-Sea, in which Pha­raoh, that is, the Diuell, with all his workes, are drowned; and the Israelites, that is, the true Christians regenerate, are deliuered from the wrath of God: To the Poole of Bethesda, into which the Angell descended at a certaine time, and stirred the water; and who first descended there-into, was cured of his infir­mitie; I say, they not onely resemble it, but preferre it before this water; for that wa­ter did onely cure the bodie, but this the soule: in this water but one could be cured at one time, there many are cured: into that water the Angell descended at a certayne time, and before he had stirred the water, it would not worke, and therefore it might bee called Fons signatus, a Fountaine sealed vp: but this water is open and common, and floweth plentifully to all Christians; ac­cording to that prediction of the Prophet Zacharie: In that day, Zach. 13.1.there shall be a fountaine opened to the house of Dauid, and to the house of Ierusalem, for sinne and for vncleannesse. In [Page 6]that water God did worke by the ministerie of an Angell, heere he worketh by the mi­nistery of sinfull men, yet is the effect won­derfull, neither doth our humility derogate from the power and operation of it.

I might repeate many other their simili­tudes to this purpose: many speeches they haue, which some thinke to be Hyperboli­call, and beyond the truth; but indeed, they are no more, then the Scripture teacheth: A man may as well ascribe too little, as too much to the Sacrament; and as the Papists haue erred in Superstition, so some perhaps in Prophanenesse, to which these our times do too much incline: A meane may be held betweene both, that is, to thinke of these as they are in effect, causes and instruments by which Christ doth deriue into our soules the efficacie of his precious bloud: He that belee­ueth and is baptised shall be saued. And this is the first thing I thought meete to be obser­ued, I meane the coniunction of these two, Faith and Baptisme.

But, is nothing else (will some say) requi­red to Saluation? Is it sufficient to beleeue and be baptised? VVill these two, without [Page 7]good-workes, bring them that are come to yeares of discretion, to heauen? God forbid a­ny should think so: yet some in former times haue beene of that minde: who held, that Faith without Workes was sufficient to Salua­tion; and against that heresie Saint Augustine hath written a whole Booke very learnedly.

Our Aduersaries of the Church of Rome, doe ascribe vnto vs this errour, and say, that we haue reuiued this Heresie: wherein, their conscience tells them, they doe vs wrong: It may be, you haue heard some say, that Faith onely is necessary to Iustification, and that is very true; but did you euer heare any say, that onely Faith was necessary to Sal­uation? I suppose there was neuer any so madde, as once to thinke it.

Bellarmine in this poynt, doth vs right, who sayth, That both they and wee doe hold a necessity of workes, though in a di­uers sence: They hold in workes, necessita­tem efficientiae, a necessitie of the efficacie of workes: we holde necessitatem praesentiae, a ne­cessitie of the presence of workes: In plaine termes, the Question betweene vs, is not, of the necessitie of workes, but of the me­rit [Page 8]and dignity of workes, in which there is some difference betweene vs; but the ne­cessity of workes is held of both: and there­fore there is no need to refuse the words: he is supposed to be in the wrong, which taketh away the necessity of a vertuous life, it ra­ther requireth a reall refutation.

For although it is confessed on both sides, I meane, of Protestants and Papists, that good workes are necessary to saluation; yet, in eyther Religion, many there are, who o­uerthrow the confession of their faith, with the notorious sins of their liues, professing they know God, but denying him with their workes, Tit. 1.16. as the Apostle saith: and that is a kinde of indirect and implicite Atheisme. How true this is, the times doe testifie, and I shall easily make knowne, yet not without griefe, as one that taketh small delight in this discourse, and yet not without profit, for I see a profitable vse of it.

I will beginne then with our Aduersaries, who in contention do iustify themselues and lay heauy imputations vpon others: but as the old saying is, Hee that condemnes another, ought not himselfe to be faultie. Let vs consi­der [Page 9]then their demeanour.

Bellarmine, amongst other notes of the Church, saith, that Sanctitas doctrinae, Pure­nesse of doctrine, both concerning Faith and Manners, is a speciall one; and another is, Sanctitas vitae, Holinesse of life, at the least, in the authors and founders of their seuerall Orders: But if you should measure truth, ei­ther by some of their doctrine taught, or by the practise of some of their Professours, it would goe hard with them.

In the Councell of Trent, amongst other things, they haue established Inuocation of Saints, and worshipping of Reliques: in which Councell notwithstanding, the Fathers as­sembled giue great charges to their Priests, that no superstition of idolatry be commit­ted in eyther of them: whereby they plain­ly confesse, that whatsoeuer they teach, the practise of the vulgar is full of corruption & superstition: and that Bellarmine doth intreat, that the weaknesse or ignorance of the com­mon sort, do not preiudice the truth of their doctrine, vsing certaine words of Saint Au­gustine in a like case: Noui multos simulacrorum adoratores, &c. Many superstitions are com­mitted [Page 10]by the vulgar, out of ignorance and weakenesse.

But if wee should come now from matter of Opinion, to the matter of Life, and alledge those things which Bernard spoke, of the cor­ruption of the Church in his time, and that which Petrarch, and sundry others haue writ­ten, it will make our haire stand vpright, and I do abstain from particular reciting of them; neyther is it my meaning in thus censuring them, to iustifie our selues; for I am perswa­ded, that the scandalous demeanour of ma­ny dissolute Protestants, doth make many a Papist, and that the vnchristian carriage of either sort, doth make many an Atheist: and therefore both sorts should ioyne toge­ther, to redeeme our Christian profession from these scandalous imputations, with which diuers doe too truely taxe vs, and to adorne our calling with good-workes, that the Name of God be not blasphemed by vs, and that the mouthes of our enimies may be stopped. This is the best way to confute the supposed opinion, which taketh away the necessity of good life; that is, not by VVords, but by VVorkes: Matth. 5.16 Let your light so shine before [Page 11]men, sayth our Sauiour, that they maysee your good workes, and glorifie your Father which is in heauen.

But you will reply and say: Are not the words of your Text plaine? Doth not Christ say, He that beleeueth, and is baptised, shall be saued? I aunswere, that vnder these two are comprehended good-workes; without which, Faith or Baptisme is to small purpose. The diuels are not altogether without Faith, Iac. 2.19. for they beleeue and tremble. Simon Magus had both these, Faith and Baptisme: Act. 8.13. Of his Baptisme, there can be no question; for it is plainely set downe in expresse tearmes: and why should any make doubt of his faith? for Saint Luke doth not onely say, He belee­ued, but he saith it with an emphasis, now Simon himselfe also beleeued, that great sorcerer, that notable Impostor; and that which is more, that he with others beleeued: And therefore, vnlesse we thinke that all o­thers were hypocrites, and that Saint Luke were deceiued in them all, wee must needes thinke that Simon Magus beleeued and was baptised; for both doth the Euangelist af­firme; yet his end (as is thought) was most [Page 12]miserable and damnable: and therfore Faith and Baptisme without good-workes, profite not: Nay, it is certaine, that both these, I meane, Faith and Baptisme, without good­workes, when we grow vp to yeares of dis­cretion, doe but increase our damnation, so farre are they from procuring our salua­tion.

For it is better neuer to haue knowne the way of God, 2. Pet. 2.21. then after they haue knowne it, to turne from the holy Commaundement giuen vnto them. In Baptisme we bind our selues to the seruice of God; God contracts with vs, and we with him: He couenants with vs to be our God, yet conditionally, so wee serue him: VVe couenant with him to renounce the workes of the Diuell, and to contract our selues wholly to his seruice. True it is, that without this contract wee are bound to the same duety, for wee are his creatures, and in regard both of our Creati­on, and Redemption, are bound to serue him; but yet by our contract in Baptisme, we bring a speciall Bond and Obligation vp­on our selues for euer.

For euen those things which of them­selues [Page 13]doe binde vs, if we binde our selues to them by speciall Obligation, doe binde vs more forcibly. For example, Genes. 28.20 21.22. Iacob doth make a vow, and promise, That if God would bee with him, and keepe him in his iourney, and would giue him bread to eate, and cloathes to put on, so that he come againe to his Fathers house in safety, then should the Lord be his God; then of all that God gaue him, would hee giue him the tenth: To which duties he was bound with­out a vow; but by this vow hee was double bound. The Prophet Dauid describing a iust and righteous man, Psal. 15.4. makes this one note of him, that he sweareth to his neighbour, and dis­appointeth him not, though it were to his owne hinderance. No question, but if he promise, he is bound to performe: though it be neuer so nudum pactum, a bare and naked promise, yet is a man in conscience & honesty bound; but if he sweare, then is he bound in a greater bond: for these are two bonds of a wonder­full force, the one of Oathe; the other of Vow; and it is a question, whether is the greater bond. The Casuists obserue, that Obligatio iuramenti est voto firmior; the Oath is a stronger bond then the Vow, because [Page 14]we sweare by God, though the Vow be san­ctior, holier, because we vow to God.

It is euident then, that the contract wee make in Baptisme, which is as strong as any Oathe or Vowe in the world, doth tie vs more strongly to that duety which of it selfe, without any vow or promise, is simply and absolutely necessarie. But let vs yet a little consider what manner of bond and obli­gation it is, that by Baptisme, wee bring vp­on ourselues. VVe call this mystery by the name of Sacrament, which is a borrowed word: for the Romaines in times past, when they prest any Souldiers, ministred an oathe vnto them, of Fidelity, which they called, Sacramentum militiae, the Oathe of their mi­litarie seruice; without which Oathe, they made a scruple to beare Armes. VVee, when wee take vp Souldiers, doe not alwayes sweare them, but they receiue Presse-mony, which bindes them sufficiently: And what thinke you of a Souldier, that after he hath receiued his Presse-mony, after he is admit­ted into pay, inrolled in the Booke, shall forsake his Campe, without the leaue of his Generall, as many run-agate souldiers doe, [Page 15]or perhappes, reuolte, and flee into the ene­mies Campe, or staying in the Campe, haue, notwithstanding, conference with the e­nemie and (as opportunity serues) deliuers vp the Fort or Holde committed to him, as some in our times perfidiously and dishonest­ly haue done? Or, if hee doe none of these, yet, eyther of cowardise or contempt, neuer fights blowe, neuer doth any seruice to his Captaine or Commaunder? Doe not such Souldiers deserue punishment, greater then if they had refused to serue, to which, not­withstanding, their alleageance doth binde them? So is it in this case: In Baptisme wee receiue Gods Presse-mony; then wee be­ginne to be his Souldiers, and by that my­sterie, doe binde our selues as fast as any vowe or oathe can tie vs: and being thus bound, if we be desertores militiae, forsakers of our Christian profession, and become flat Apostataes, wee then are more guilty then if we had neuer contracted with God to serue him; which to doe, wee are euen bound by Baptisme: and heerein, many of vs doe di­uers wayes infringe the vowe wee made in Baptisme, fleeing from the Campe of Christ, [Page 16]into the tents of Sathan.

There are scene amongst vs, God be than­ked, that renounce their profession vni­uersally, yet many do daily slide to Poperie; which, as I sayd, though it bee not a totall defection, yet it is an aberration from Christ, and that a grosse one: But where Christians doe border vpon the Turkes, it is no newes to see Christians turne Turkes; these are Aposta­taes and runnagate souldiers, out of Christs Campe: But though there be none such a­mongst vs, yet are there disobedient souldi­ers, whose standing is in Gods Campe, but they fight the Diuells battailes: Such are all notorious and scandalous sinners, who may carry Gods marke in their fore-heads, but are the Diuells seruants in their actions; whom I wish, if any such be heere, to re­pent, and consider what a shamefull thing it is, after that they haue receiued Gods Presse­mony, & haue bin brought vp in his Campe, to bee at couenant with Sathan, Death, and Hell. Of all others, Hypocrites, as they are of the greatest number, so are they in the most daunger, because vnder pretence of fighting Gods battells, they betray the whole [Page 17]army to the enemies.

And yet, I know not whether I should say, that such as these are of the Campe; nay rather, as some say, they are but in the camp, not of the Campe; not of the Church, but in the Church: and as S. John speakes, 1. Iohn 2.19. Some such are gone out from vs, but they were not of vs; for if they had been of vs, they would haue continued with vs; or if they be members of the church, they are but members of the visible Church; in which there are Tares and VVheat, Sheep and Goates, vessels of honour, and vessels of dishonour: but how they should be actually members of the Catholike Church, which is the societie of the faithfull, and the mysticall body of Christ, I cannot see.

Our Aduersaries, who will not graunt the difference betweene the visible and inuisible Church, say, that the outward profession of faith, doth make one a member of Christs body; and that no internall vertue is requi­red thereunto: but when wee obiect vnto them, such scandalous and grosse sinners, and close and hidden hypocrites, as lurke in the body of the Church, then are they driuen to their poore shifts: for they affirme, that [Page 18]such are members, though dead members of Christs body; these, say they, are dead mem­bers: Others call them not members, but parts or excrements in the body, as all our nayles and haires are but corrupt humours in the body, like biles or inflammations: But how any such should bee the members of Christ, or appertaine to his mysticall body, is beyond my reach.

For of the Body Christ is the Head, who giueth life and sustenance to euery member of it; men that continue obstinately in any grosse sinne, are the members of Sathan; and how they should be actually the members of Christ, I see not. True it is, that such may appertaine to Gods election, and they may be called, as Saint Augustine speakes, Electi secundum propositum suum; Elected according to his purpose; for so I see the Scripture speakes; but actually, they are not the mem­bers of Christ, till they be called, sanctified and bring forth fruit: neither can a man haue any comfort in Christ, either in regard of an historicall faith, or of Baptisme, till hee re­pent, and become a true souldier to Christ, to which his Baptisme doth binde him.

And therefore, if you wish to bee saued, adde to Faith and Baptisme, Good-workes, which though in this place, they are not mentioned, yet are they comprehended. Neither can I giue better counsell to you, then Iohn Baptist did to the people when they came to be baptised of him: For, when they asked him, what they should doe to be saued: He answered, Let him that hath two coates, Luke 3.11.12.13.14giue one to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him doe likewise: by which is not meant, that it is vn-lawfull for a man to haue two coates, but that which is redundant and su­perfluous in our estate, wee must giue to the poore; or, to speake plainly, relieue the poore, if God hath giuen vs abilitie: it is in a word, a lesson of Mercie, and that to be performed as time and circumstances require: this was a generall lesson which hee gaue to all the people.

But when the Publicans came, who were infamous for their polling and oppression, and asked what they should doe, he bade them require no more then that which was ap­poynted vnto them: and when the Souldiers came, who, vnlesse Grace restraine them, are [Page 20]proude, barbarous, and bloudy, and asked what they should doe; he answeres, Doe vio­lence to no man, neither accuse any man false­ly, and be content with your wages. Vnum om­nibus, conueniens singulis responsum dabat: Hee gaue a generall answere to them all, and a particular answere to men of seuerall degrees and callings; and therein Saint Ambrose com­mendeth his discretion: For there is a ge­nerall dutie, pertaining to all Christians, and that is the duetie of Charitie, of Mercie; from which, neither high nor lowe, Priest nor People, neither rich nor poore are ex­empted; euery man, according to his rancke and abilitie, must be mercifull.

But there are also seuerall dueties apper­taining to seuerall men; for wee all are one body, but in that body are diuers members, some appoynted to one office, some to an­other: and if wee will haue comfort by our Baptisme, then it becommeth [...] to practise all generall dueties with all Christians; and particular also, with faithfulnes and desire to discharge that duty that our particular voca­tion doth binde vs to, & then are we trusty & true Souldiers; then keepe we our vow made [Page 21]in Baptisme; then wee may take comfort in our Christian vocation: For, he that beleeueth and is baptised, and withall, bringeth foorth fruit, liuing answerable to his profession, shall be saued.

I will not deny but in many things we of­fend all; neither doth any person liue so ex­actly and walke so innocently as his Christi­an vocation requireth; but God passeth by many of our infirmities, and accepteth our seruice, though vnperfect, when wee striue to doe our indeuour, and haue a care of our conuersation: Euen as a man that beares with many infirmities in his sonne, so long as he doth not vtterly cast off the yoake of obedience, and become, against all nature, treacherous & incorrigible; for that dissolues the bonds of nature, & giues iust cause of dis­herison: so God suffereth and passeth by ma­ny ordinary infirmities, which humane frail­tie cannot auoyd, and taketh vs for his chil­dren, till by our hainous and grosse sinnes, and by our obstinate persisting in them, wee fall from sinne to Sathan, renounce our pro­fession and leaue our standing: and yet when by repentance we returne againe, hee [Page 22]receiueth vs.

Two things haue I now dispatched, I haue shewed the necessarie coniunction of Faith and Baptisme; and that vnder those two Good workes are comprehended: and now some would thinke, that I might conclude this first member, but I cannot yet leaue it.

There is a mystery of Iniquity, which was long since begot, in the time of Ignorance, and brought vp a long time in darkenesse, and neuer saw the Sunne: but now it is crept out of corners, and aduaunceth it selfe, with impudencie, in the open sight of the world: it is a thing which men call Equiuocation, or Mentall Reseruation, which some would haue husht, and thinke meete it were supprest in silence: but we know the world hath ta­ken notice of it; and it is lippis & tonsoribus notum; it is talked of euen in the Barbers shoppe: and therefore we may say, Publish it in Ashkelon, and proclaime it in the streets of Gath: Howbeit, I would not deale with it at this time, were I not, in some sort, enfor­ced thereunto; for a speciall Patron of it, is the Iesuite, which peruerteth many Scriptures to this purpose, and doth not spare this that I [Page 23]now intreate of; Qui crediderit, & baptiza­tus fuerit, saluabitur: Hee that shall beleeue, and bee baptized, shall bee saued: that is, if hee liue well, so saith he. Is not heere a men­tall reseruation, saith he? and shall I (intrea­ting of this Text) suffer it so to be depraued? and shewing out of this place, the necessitie of a good life, suffer the Text to be wrested to the defence of false dealing and dissem­bling? No, I may not: and therefore I must needes say, that neither in this place, nor in any other place of Scripture, is there any mentall reseruation to be found.

Christ it was that spake these words, and that he vsed any mentall reseruation, is most false. Saint Mathew repeates this charge or doctrine of our Sauiours more largely, Mat. 28.19. Goe teach (sayth our Sauiour) all Nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, the Sonne, and the Holy-ghost: and he addeth; Commaunding them to obserue all things that I haue commanded you: which word Nations, Saint Marke o­mitteth, but Mathew plainely vttereth, spea­king of the fulfilling of Gods will, for that Christ commanded: & therefore it is plaine, that heere is no mentall reseruation vsed.

The question heere is, whether the Euan­gelist, which repeated not all the words of Christ, vsed any mentall reseruation? No, for that which is necessarily to bee vnder­stood, by the whole drift of the Author, and coherence of matter, is not reserued, al­though it bee not expressed with so many words; which euen Boyes doe know; quod necessariò subintelligitur, non deest: that which is necessarily vnderstood, is not wanting, or reserued, but all one as if it were expressed.

I heere appeale to one of their owne au­thors, who writing vpon this place, saith; that this very speech of our Samours, Hee which belcoueth, and is baptized, shall be saued: And that of the Prophet Ioel, Whosoeuer calles on the Name of the Lord, shall be saued: And that of our Sauiour, Euery one that asketh, re­ceiueth: and in a word, all such generall Sen­tences, haue a condition annexed vnto them, and that necessarily to be vnderstood: which conditions, because they are both in other places of Scripture clearely expressed: and that Christian men are supposed at their very entrance to beleeue them; (for he that commeth to him, must beleeue, that he is a re­warder [Page 25]of such as seeke him,) cannot be sayd to be reserued.

They, I meane our Aduersaries, speake one thing, and think another, or reserue some thing to their owne meaning, which is vn­possible for any man else to know what it is: But the Scripture setteth downe plainely all things necessary to saluation; for either they are there expressed, or no way; and there­fore, to cloake their dissimulation before men with pretence of Scripture, is to condemne the Scripture of insufficiencie, to wrest them to the defence of Heresie, and to open a doore to Anabaptisme.

For if the letter of the Scriptures doe not containe the things appertaining to saluati­on; if out of the words wee can not gather their meaning, then the interpretation must be left to particular reuelations without the VVord, and to this, doth this assertion tend, which by no meanes may be endured.

I remember, sometimes there was a con­trouersie betweene Ierome and Austen; two as famous men as euer the Latine-Church had; it was about an interpretation of a saying of S. Paules, where he saith, That he withstood [Page 26] Peter to his face, Galat. 2.11. which S. Ierome thinkes he did not; and that in saying so, he vsed a kind of dispensation: and thus doth Jerome say, to stoppe the mouth of Porphiry. But S. Augu­stine writing to Ierome, tells him, that Paul in that very Epistle maketh this protestation, Galat. 1.20. that he witnessed before God, that the things he wrote vnto them, he lied not: and if he when he sweares he lies not, shall be belee­ued, then must we thinke he withstood Pe­ter: and then plainely telling, he did repre­hend Peter, and yet did not, then did hee abrogate this, and shew that he could not be beleeued in any thing; and that if this gappe were left open, the authority of the Scrip­tures must needes fall, and that no place, though neuer so euident, but might be delu­ded. VVho, were he now aliue, and should see Christ the Author of Truth, in whose mouth there was no guile; and the holy Scriptures the oracles of truth, wrested to the defence of de­ceit, how would he exclaime at such dealing?

But if any shall say, that some places are darke & obscure; I grant it, and say, that not­withstanding it is so, (for, Ad edomandum la­bore superbiam, & ad intellectum à fastidio reuo­candum, [Page 27]cui inuestigata plera (que) vilescunt: To tame the pride of man, to make him better esteeme of the truth when he hath it, God hath wrap­ped vp some places of Scripture in difficulty) yet, if we will speake truly, the darknes is not so much in the Scriptures, as in our harts. Se­necaes wife had a she-foole, who being blind, would yet not acknowledge it, but sayd the house was darke, and therefore she could not see: Such a foole S. Ierome saith himselfe was, who for a long time could not relish the scrip­tures, but delighted more in the workes of Orators and Philosophers, and when I was blinde and sawe not the light, saith he, I thought the fault was not in me, but in the Sunne. And such fooles are they, who when they should condemne the hardnes of their hearts, lay all the fault vpon the hardnes of the Scriptures. For as Master Luther saith: In some respects, all things are hard & darke in the Scriptures; in some respects, all things are easy: They are hard to flesh and bloud, for they cannot bee assented to, till God open the eyes of our hearts, as he did to his disciples: but all things are set downe in termes plaine inough, so we vse diligence to vnderstand them. I say all [Page 28]things, all the mysteries of Religion, without (as they call it) any mentall reseruation. Yet so besotted are they with this foolish deuice of theirs, as that they stumble euen at the plainest Scriptures.

S. Mathew reports, that when our Sauiour cometh to iudgement, he shall say to the re­probate; Nescio vos, I know you not: and heere saith the Friar, Christ vseth a mentall reserua­tion, wherein I know not, whether they are more ridiculous or impious. For Christ there alludeth to an vsual forme of speech amongst the Jewes, who when they misliked a man, gaue him a Nescio, that is, I know you not: VVhich form of speech is vsed at this day by many: & consuetudo vocabuli, vita vocabuli: The custome of speech, is the life of a speech. Nei­ther could our Sauiour more significantly haue expressed his minde or purpose of reie­cting them, then in saying, Nescio vos; so far was he from equiuocation or mentall reser­uation.

VVhen we tell them, Hoc est corpus me­um, This is my body, is figuratiuely to be vn­derstoode; they say, figures are not vsed in matters of VVills, which ought to be plaine: [Page 29]and can they not remember, how the sen­tence of Iudges ought to be plaine? But these men (in some respect) may be pardoned; for, because they, when they are cited, & appeare at the Barre, doe equiuocate and dissemble; they think also, that when Christ shall come to iudgement, and pronounce sentence of saluation or damnation, he shal speak doubt­fully. But God be mercifull to vs, and make vs of the number of those to whom he shall say; Come ye blessed of my Father: For certain­ly, they to whom it shal be said, Nescio, I know you not, shall not only vnderstand it, but feele it: they shall not neede a Commentary to know the meaning of our Sauiour, whose words they grossely & childishly wrest to the maintenance and defence of their deceit.

I am loath to wade further; and had not this violence bin vsed, to this Text, I should haue abstained at this time: and therefore I will conclude this point with the end of the 15. Psalme, adding withall S. Jeromes obserua­tion on it. He in the 15. Psalme describing a righteous man, addeth, among other things, Who sweareth to his neighbour, and disappointeth him not, though it were to his hindrance: Such a [Page 30]man saith Dauid, shall stand in the Tabernacle of the Lord. By which is meant, not onely him that sweareth promissoriê, that taketh a pro­missory oath, but euen he that sweareth as­sertiuè, that formally affirmeth or denyeth a­ny thing by oath. He that sweareth, whether in promising a thing to come, or in affirming a thing past, shall stand in the Tabernacle, & then he concludes, He that doth this, shall ne­uer be moued. Out of which S. Jerome inferres this: therefore he that doth, shall be moued. If he that sweareth, and that truly, shall stand in the Tabernacle; then he that forsweareth himselfe, that eludeth all others by lying and dissembling, and such trickes, as the Heathen man did abhorre, shall not stand in the Ta­bernacle. Sure I am, it is no way to get Hea­uen; the whole Scripture, from the beginning to the ending, in euery place condemneth fraude, lying, periurie, and such like vanitie; extolling sincerity, truth, plain-dealing, both in word and deed: this is the Lawe and the Prophets: this in euery lease is contained, & thus it becommeth men, who are baptized in the name of the Father, the Sonne, and the Holy-ghost. God is the Author of truth, and [Page 31]those that are of him, will say truth; the Di­uell is the father of lies, and his children they are that practise that trade.

And because I haue tolde you, that there are particular dueties, giue mee leaue, I pray you, to be somewhat particular, as the Text, the Time, and this present honorable Audi­ence doth (in some sort) require. It were a sim­plicitie, or rather folly, to thinke it were im­possible, to be both a Courtier, and a Christi­an. S. Iohn Baptist was a Courtier; for though he kept in the wildernesse, yet sometimes he came to the Court: He was in good grace with Herod, who heard him gladly: and, could he haue flattered, he might haue obtained any preferment or honour in the Court: but he was plaine, and told the truth. He was not of his opinion that said, Lex alia est solio, alia priuato, that which was adultery in a pri­uate man, could not be adultery in a Prince. Daniel and Ezra, and many others were great Courtiers, in high fauour with their princes. How did they vse their fauour? Surely, but little to their owne preferment, wholely to the benefite of the Church of God, and their Country.

Saint Ierome reporteth of one who was the Emperours Nephew, and yet neuer asked a­ny thing of the Emperour. It were to be wi­shed, that men of eminent place, great birth, and in high fauour, would know, that it is one part of their duty to imploy their greatnes to the good and behoofe of the Church of God and their country, and that God doth require this of them, as a speciall duty. It cannot bee offensiue (I hope) to haue admonished thus much.

The second thing, is that, which in parti­cular pertaineth to women, who (for the most part) are the chiefest in this assembly, at this time, and if I speake not to them, to whom should I speake? But what should I say? Ter­tullian hath written many Bookes against the brauery of that sexe: amongst other things, he saith, That siluer, golde, and precious stones, were first found out by Sathan: and that forasmuch as in Baptisme they professe to renounce the diuell and all his works, the ornaments and attire they weare, is against their vow in Baptisme: But heere I am not altogether of his mind: For the things them­selues are the good creaturs of God, and may [Page 33]be vsed, so that the minde be not wickedly puffed vp, scandall be auoyded, and decency both in respect of person and condition bee kept. Yet in one thing, I thinke, women can­not bee excused, and that is in painting of themselues; which howsoeuer some defend, the most religious and learned Fathers haue condemned. Cyprian sayth, that they which paint themselues, doe (in a sort) make Christ a lier: For, whereas our Sauiour sayth, Yee cannot make one haire black or white, they haue a mean to make them all of what colour they list. Another saith, that when a Carpenter or Ioyner hath made a peece of work, he will not thinke well that any should discommend it, or rend and deface it: And is it not a dis­grace, when God hath framed and fashioned vs well, but wee must ouer-lay Gods worke with the diuels colours? How this may stand with your Christian profession, with your vow in Baptisme, with the modesty of that Sexe, I know not.

I know that Figge-tree leaues are found out, to shadow this fault; but (in my opini­on) it is but to lay colour vpon colour, to finde out Figge-tree leaues to couer naked­nesse [Page 34]withall: How much better were it for Ladies, according to the Apostles counsaile, to array themselues with good-workes, to di­minish something of their brauery, that they might be better able to exercise the deedes of Charity, as Dorcas did? This (as I haue said) is a generall duety, to which all of vs are bound, without distinction of sexe or de­gree, and that by our very vow in Baptisme, in which we are made Christs souldiers: For though women be priuiledged from bearing of Armes, and from the performance of Mi­litary seruice, yet Christs souldiers they are as well as others, and bound to fight against the VVorld, the Flesh, and the Diuell; bound to serue God in the generall duety of all Chri­stians, and in the particular duty which their sexe and calling requires: And hereof I sup­pose you are not ignorant.

The Apostle, Colos. 3.18. if any be ignorant, will at large informe them in their dueties. Art thou a Maide? 1. Cor. 7.32. Be as one that careth for the things of the Lord, how thou mayst please God. Art thou a VVife? Coloss. 3.18. Submit thy selfe to thy hus­band, as is comely in the Lord. Art thou a VVi­dowe? 1. Tim. 5.6. Remember that the Widow that liueth in [Page 35]pleasure, is dead. Here a question is moued, which of these estates is the best; but, (in my opinion) a curious one, and not meete to bee handled, especially at this time: For they are all good, and commendable, each of them hath seuerall dueties appertaining; in perfor­ming whereof, they shall haue more honour in the eyes of men, more reward with God, then for al other the nicenesses and trimnesse of the bodie whatsoeuer.

But, to shut vp all in a word; as our Saui­our doth promise saluation to him that is baptized; so heere on the contrary, he saith, But hee that is not baptized, shall be damned. Out of which some haue inferred, that Bap­tisme is not simply necessary to saluation: VVhich doctrine, although I take to be very true, yet is it not absolute nor rightly colle­cted out of this place: For our Sauiour doth not in this, ouerthrow that which he spake in the former: and we must holde a coniuncti­on of both these, I meane Faith and Baptisme, both being (in their kinde) necessary: yet, as I said, not so, but that in some cases one may be saued, without either Faith or Baptisme. Some haue no faith, and yet are saued: For, [Page 36]what actuall faith haue Infants? Some think there is actuall faith in them; from which I suppose S. Augustine doth not much swarue: Others haue had Faith, but not Baptisme, as Valentinian, and yet were saued: Some haue neither had Faith nor Baptisme, and yet were saued, as children deceased before they could come to receiue Baptisme: It is the ordinarie meanes of Regeneration, and therefore not to be contemned, not to be deferred; for how­soeuer GOD is powerfull enough without meanes to regenerate, and bring to saluati­on; yet those holy meanes which himselfe hath appointed & sanctified to that purpose, must by no meanes be contemned nor neg­lected: For, He that beleeueth, and is baptized, shalbe saued. VVhich fauour God grant vs all, for his Christs sake. Amen.

THe blessed and deuout Ma­ries, seeking our Sauiour at his Sepulchre earely in the morning, are encountered with this Angelicall checke; Why seeke ye Him that liueth, among the dead? A question that might easily trouble persons of so weake a sexe, at that season, and out of the mouth of an Angell too: But though they were amased at the so­dainnesse of the voice, yet was not their zeale cooled from seeking him whom their soules loued.

In this question of the Angells are two things to be considered. First, a reprehension [Page 38]of their errour: Secondly, a consolation for their labour. First, the reprehension and checke which the Angells gaue to these holy women, for seeking Christ among the dead, was not without iust cause, for it was an er­ronious seeking. All of vs are seekers, and (in some sort) seekers of Christ too; but, few of vs doe finde him, Because wee seeke him a­misse. The errours then where-into men v­sually fall in seeking Christ, must be narrow­ly obserued, that they may the better be a­uoyded.

The first errour men doe commit in seek­ing of Christ, is committed in the Time. The time assigned vs, for to seeke Christ, is the terme of this life; which opportunity, if we neglect, it is impossible wee should euer ob­taine our desires, in finding Christ: For after death, Hebr. 10.26 72 There remayneth no sacrifice for sinne, but a fearefull expectation of iudgement, and violent fire, which shall deuoure the Aduersaries. Therefore the Apostle willeth, Galat. 61.0. that, Whilest we haue time, we doe good to all men, especially to the houshold of faith. There are twelue houres in the day, Iob. 11.9. as our Sauiour teacheth vs, If a man walke in the day, he stumbleth not, because he [Page 39]seeth the light of this world.Iob. 12.35.Walke therefore while ye haue light, lest the darkenesse come vpon you.

It becommeth vs then not to loose the sea­son of seeking, and herein to apprehend the fittest opportunity. For though I will not deny, but Christ may be found at any time, whilest wee liue, yet there is a difference of times; God is debter to no man: and if hee should subtract his grace vniuersally from vs, yet no man could iustly complaine of him, why he had done so: but God in mer­cie doth dispence his graces, and knockes at the doores of our hearts, desiring to be let in: yet not at all times, but at certaine seasons, according to the dispensation which see­meth fittest to himselfe: At which time and season, if wee harden our hearts, how know wee whether the like mercy will be offered againe? and therefore we must with all care­fulnesse embrace such times and opportuni­ties, when hee doth knocke at the doores of our hearts.

The custome of most of vs, is to deferre the seeking of God to our olde age, and to confecrate our youth to sinne, to tender our [Page 40]decrepite yeares to God, and the crop and creame of our youth to sinne and sathan, not remembring the counsel of Salomon, Eccles. 12.1.Remem­ber thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth. Nay, do we not deferre the seeking of Christ to the last moment? to the last act of our life? And what can be more vaine? For, as Augustine speakes most truely: Qui remittit poenitenti peccatum, non promittit peccanti vitam: God which promiseth the penitent sinner forgiue­nesse, doth not promise him length of life, or any certaine number of yeares. How many are cut off when they least thought of it? Doth not the incertainty and frailety of our estate tell vs so much euery day? and there­fore, not onely while as yet we liue, we must seeke him, but we must not neglect any time; yea we must with expedition accept any oc­casion of seeking Christ; for wee know not if euer hee will knocke at our doores againe.

The second error men commit in seeking of Christ, is in the manner; it is long ere wee beginne to seeke him, whom we should seeke before all things; but when wee doe begin to seeke, it is after a negligent and carelesse man­ner, as if the matter were not great whether [Page 41]found him, or no. Matth. 6.33. But what saith our Sauiour Christ? Seeke first the Kingdome of God: and by First is meant, not a priority in order, and the anticipation of time, but a priority in the earnestnes or intention of our minde: as if he should haue said, Seeke the Kingdome of heauen, not onely before all things, but a­boue all things, with greater vehemencie and affection, then you doe any other thing in the world besides. This is the meaning of our Sauiour, and so much doth the words of our Sauiour import: Hee that would finde Christ, must seeke him zealously, with fer­uour and heate: Mat. 11.12. For the Kingdome of heauen suffereth violence, & the violent take it by force: And after we haue found him, then we must seeke how to keepe him too. To which pur­pose Tertullian hath a notable admonition; and very fit for our times: in which many are like vnto children, Ephes. 4.14. Carried about with eue­rie blast of doctrine; or like those women who were euer learning, 2. Tim. 3.7.and yet neuer came to the knowledge of the truth; euer seeking and ne­uer finding, because when they haue found, they loose that they haue found; either of too much curiositie in seeking, or of too much [Page 42]inconstancie in relecting, and learning to seeke; of whom Tertullian thus speaketh. Our Sauiour saith, Seeke, and yee shall finde, knocke, & it shalbe opened vnto you, aske, and it shall be giuen: The true vnderstanding of which place, saith he, consists in three points; For our Sauiour speaketh this, Jnipsis doctrinae primitijs, when first he began to teach, when hee was yet scarce knowne to his Disciples, while as yet Peter had not acknowledged him to be the Sonne of God; and so most pe­culiarly, saith he, doth the speech belong to the Iewes, who did not acknowledge Christ to be the Messias, and therefore were willed to seeke: He addeth further, admit it be spo­ken to vs, as in truth it is, yet, saith he, it hath his bounds, and the true vnderstanding of these words consists in three points; in re, in tempore, in modo; in the thing, in the time, in the manner. The diuision is not much vn­like that of Bernard; that is, saith he, we must vnderstand what it is wee seeke, how wee seeke, and when wee are to seeke it: That which we ought to seeke, is Christ, and we ought to seeke him till we finde him; Et in­venisti cùm credidisti; and then thou hast [Page 43]found him, when thou hast beleeued in him; and then seeke how thou mayest keepe him; for no man, saith he, seeketh, but he which either neuer had Christ, or else hath lost him.

Luke 11.5. The man in the Gospel who repaired to his friends house, knockt at his doore, de­siring him to lend him three loaues, was ve­ry importunate to be let in; but as soone as he was let in, he ceased to knocke any more. The widdow that lost her Groat, Luke 15.8. swept the house diligently, till she found it, but after shee once found it, shee gaue ouer seeking and sweeping. Luke 18.3. The widdow was importu­nate to be heard of the wicked Iudge, but after she was admitted to audience, she gaue ouer her importunity; and therefore there is a measure in Seeking and Knocking: therefore, after we haue, by Faith, working by Charitie, apprehended Christ, we must not seeke after any other Faith: No, nor if wee will follow the policie of some States, not suffer disputation in the question of Faith and Religion; for though disputing of truth be a kind of teaching of truth, and that truth feares no examination or discussion; yet as often as factious or schismaticall spirits shall [Page 44]offer disputation in the matter of Faith or Gouernemrnt, to accept of that challenge, is to bring those things that are soundly and surely setled, to new trialls, and to seeke af­ter that which is already found, which ney­ther the rules of Pollicie nor Diuinitie doe admit.

I speake this, to stop the mouths of some, who with more insolency then confidency, desire, that things in controuersie may be disputed of; which, according to the sence in which they desire it, were to seeke for that which (indeede) wee haue found, and which without curiositie or distrusting wee ought to maintayne, euen with the perill of our liues: As wee haue learned Christ, so let vs goe on, rooted and grounded in Cha­ritie, and not be moued from the profession of our most holy Faith: Neither let vs giue eare to those, who vnder pretence, either of truth in Religion, or sincerity in Ceremo­nie, would alienate your mindes from that obedience and gouernement in which you haue been trayned vp in Christ Iesus: VVee presume, that we haue found Christ so farre forth; now our endeuour is, and must be, to [Page 45]keepe him, not onely in our heads, by spe­culation, that in our hearts, by affection; to which purpose, I shall speake more in con­uenient place.

The third errour men commit, in seeking after Christ, is, that they seeke him not in the place they should seeke him. This is the errour committed by these holy women, for which the Angels blamed them; and there­fore a little longer to be insisted vpon. And this error may be collected easily and plain­ly, from the speach of our Sauiour in the Gospell, who telleth vs, That false Christs, Matt. 24.24 26.and false Prophets shall arise, and shall shew great signes and wonders, saying, Beholde hee is in the wildernesse, hee is in the secret places: On which place, Doctor Stapleton writing, according to his virulent manner, sayth, it is accomplished in our teachers, who lea­uing the right way, the Kings high-way, the auncient and Apostolike Church, doe seeke after Christ in corners, in the wildernesse of our owne wandring imaginations, and a­mongst such Apostataes, who challenge to themselues the name of the Church: But the truth is, it is much better fulfilled amongst [Page 46]them, who confine Christ vnto a certayne place, and thinke he cannot be found out of the limits of their Churches

In times past, the visible Church was in one Kingdome, I meane, among the Iewes: Notus in Iudaea Deus: God is well knowne in Jewrie: But now the time is come which our Sauiour spake of; Iohn 4.23. The houre commeth, and now is, that the true worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and truth. And this was long fore-told by the Prophets, and namely, the Prophet Malachy, Mala. 1.11. who saith, From the rising of the Sunne, vnto the going downe of the same, my Name is great among the Gentiles; By which is meant, the calling of the Gentiles: And therefore, they are iniurious to binde Christ to Rome; and absurd also, seeing in their Creede, they insert these words; I be­leeue the Romaine Catholike Church.

For, the Catholike Church, is the vni­uersall society of all the Faithfull or Elect, both of men and Angells: the Romaine Church is but a particular Church, as the Church of England or France is; though (to speake the trueth) sometimes a flourishing Church; Rom. 1.8. of which Saint Paul saith, That their [Page 47]Faith was published throughout the whole world. One of the originall or mother-churches: a Church (for her constancie in the Faith) re­uerenced of other Churches: But now, the case is altered, The faithfull Citie is become a Harlot; Iustice & Iudgement lodged in her; but now, those that shined as gold are as blacke as pitch: And therefore, to seeke af­ter Christ in Rome, is not conuenient, much lesse to appropriate the truth to the Church of Rome: and yet I will not deny, but many in the Romaine Church appertaine to Christ, who grone vnder that grosse superstition; & Papisme it selfe is not a totall defection, but an aberration from Christ, though a grosse one: neither is there any cause, why they should obiect vnto vs our paucity, who neither are so few as they would haue vs to be esteemed; and yet if we were, we know that trueth is not to be measured by multi­tude: Thou shalt not follow a multitude to doe e­uill. For the most part, euill goeth with the multitude: And Gregory Nazianzene saith, That to esteeme of things according to the multi­tude, were to preferre the dust of the earth, be­fore the Stars of Heauen; to neglect Pearles, and [Page 48]to gather pibble-stones, which are infinite. I can­not (hasting to other matters) prosecute this point at full: onely this I wish you, to take heede of the confused clamours of our Ad­uersaries, in whose mouthes nothing is more frequent, then, the Temple of the Lord, the Church, the Faith, the ancient and Aposto­like Sea, the Chaire that cannot erre, with a number of like childish vaunts, to bring vs backe vnto Rome, as if Christ were no where to be found but there, where indeede hee is neither so soundly nor sincerely as he ought to be. I would also admonish the Schisma­tikes, who according to the praediction of our Sauiour, say, Heere is Christ, and there is Christ; and with them is Christ, & no where else is Christ; euerie Sect challenging to themselues the name of Christ, and thence excluding the other from any right or title therein. But this occasion requireth other matter at my hands, and therefore leauing other errours committed in seeking Christ, out of due place, I come to that which is heere committed by the VVomen, and here I must repeate our distinction.

The errours, saith Bernard, committed, in [Page 49] seeking of Christ, are, in the time, in the manner, in the place: of which three errors, these women committed onely the last; for of the former two, we must acquit them: For how can they be said to erre in the time, who so earely come to the Sepulchre to finde Christ? Christ was crucified on the Friday, the day following was the Sabboath, which caused them to rest: but the day after, before it was yet light, neither discouraged with the darknesse, nor caring for the VVatch, which might well haue amated them, they come vnto the Sepulchre to finde Christ. Neither may they be said to erre in that manner of seeking, which those doe commit that fol­low Christ in the Desart, not for the Miracle, but for the Meate. Many there are, that are like vnto these; the Apostle saith, Philip. 2.21. Omnes quae sua sunt, quaerunt: Euery man seekes his owne, and not that which is Christs: But these holy VVomen, when Christ was now dead, with the perill of their liues, (considering the malice of the Iewes) with the expence and cost of their goods, come earely to the Se­pulchre, intending to performe their funerall rites vnto Christ. And heerein (for their [Page 50]zeale and loue, though (not according to knowledge) they deserue, if not commen­dation, yet tolleration. The errour pro­perly committed by them, is their seeking of Christ out of due place: Cur quaeritis viuen­tem inter mortuos? Why seeke ye him that liueth, among the dead?

The Sepulchre or Graue, is domus mor­tuorum; The house of the dead, inhabited of rotten carkasses: in which it was vnpossible that Christ should either remaine or putrifie. He tolde them, That hee would rise the third day; which they forgetting, or not beleeuing, come with their odours to embalme him, and to that end, doe seeke him among the dead: For which cause, the Angell doth somewhat taxe them: Cur quaeritis viuentem inter mortuos? Why seeke yee the liuing among the dead? This is their errour, about the place; and so is it ours to, and much more grosse: and I now speake of the ordinarie errours committed, call them how you will, either in the manner of seeking; or about the place. Christ, when they did seeke him, was risen, but he was not yet ascended: but now heis both risen and ascended, sitting on [Page 51]the right hand of God, Coloss. 3.1. where wee ought to seeke him. If Christ be risen, let vs seeke him where he sits, at the right of God. But we, like wormes, lie groueling on the earth, whose [...], or Conuersation, ought to be in heauen. If you vnderstand not my mea­ning, I will make it plaine: The Apostle tax­ing certaine persons, among other things, brandeth them with this title, namely, Philip. 3. That they minded earthly things; then the which, nothing is more opposite to the finding of Christ. Christ, as he is God, filleth all pla­ces; as hee is Man, hee is contained in one place; namely, in Heauen, where is the Kingdome of Glorie: where our affections, desires, and thoughts, ought to be. For if we seeke him on earth, who now raignes in Heauen, wee shall neuer finde him. Men naturally looke vp-wards to heauen, where­as the beast looks downe wards: But is it not absurd, that with the eyes of our bodies, we should looke vp-wards, and with the eyes of our hearts looke downe-wards? Yet so it is: which he saith, is, to transforme the Image of God, into the Image of a Beast: and thus speaketh he to him, to make him blush for [Page 52]shame: For whereas thou art made streight, and oughtest to looke vp to heauen; thou, with the beasts, dost creepe on the earth, like a brutish creature, & so art become beastiall in heart, in the stowping of thy soule to the earth. If hee did thus say vnto them, doe not wee stand in need to stirre vp our selues by all meanes, to the contemplation of the heauenly life, and to shake off this earthli­nesse of minde?

The Prophet speaking to the Iewes, be­gins thus; Ierem. 22. Hearken, O earth, earth, earth; three times repeated: May it not be said to ma­ny of vs, who are nothing but earth? Earth in respect of body, earth in respect of our thoughts, which are onely occupied about earth, and earthly matters, how wee may make here and there a purchase, ioyning house to house, and land to land, as the Pro­phet speaketh, euen till there be no roome left. Some will obiect: Doe you condemne purchasing? No: then were I very simple; I know that buying and selling are lawfull contracts, as necessary as eating and drink­ing are: But giue mee leaue, I pray you, to put you in remembrance of our Sauiours [Page 53]words; Luke 21.34. Let not your hearts be oppressed with surfetting and drunkennesse, and cares of this life: And of the Apostles words; 1. Cor. 31. That they that vse this world, be as though they vsed it not; for the fashion of this world goeth away: VVhere the Apostle compares vs to Actors, and the world to a Stage, which must shortly be re­moued. Therefore we may vse these things so farre forth, as they are helpes vnto vs in our seeking of Christ, but to set our affe­ctions on them; and for loue of these, to neglect the dueties of Christianity, is heere to seeke Christ on earth, who now raigneth in heauen.

I will adde but one thing, and so end this point; The Prophet saith: Esay 42.5. That God stretch­eth out the earth, and the Buddes thereof, hee giueth breath vnto the people vpon it, and his Spirit, Calcantibus eam, to those that treade vpon it: which Text is diuersly expounded; But Saint Augustine, among others, hath a notable Meditation, or rather, Interpre­tation on it. For, whereas the Prophet saith, Hee stretcheth forth the earth, and giueth breath vnto the people, and his Spirit to them that tread on it; his meaning is, that he communicates [Page 54]the graces of his Spirit, to such as contemne the earth and earthly things. The heauen of heauens appertains to God, but the earth hee hath giuen to the children of men, who treade it vnder their feet. If then we would finde Christ, we must treade on it with the feete of our affections: I meane, contemne and trample it vnder foote, as we doe those things we care not for; because he giueth his Spirit, as the Prophet saith, Calcantibus eam, To those that treade on it; that is, that doe not reckon or esteeme it, but euen treade it vnder their feete, and contemne it: Qui amore Coele­stium, terrena contemnunt: For the loue of hea­uen do despise earthly things, and all the wealth and glory thereof; to them, saith he, and to them onely doth God giue his Spirit.

In this manner let vs liue on earth, not as men bewitched & besotted with the earth, but as contemners and tramplers on the earth; hauing our feete walking on the earth, but our Faith and Affections dwel­ling in the heauens: being like vnto the Ce­dar, which Radicem terris, comam nubibus inserit, Hath his roote deepe in the ground, but toucheth the Cloudes with his toppe: Or to the [Page 55]Sunne-beames, which do shine on the earth, yet are they fastened to the body of the Sun in heauen: so demeaning our selues on earth, we may inioy Christ which is in heauen.

2. I haue spoken of the Text as it is Re­prehensory; I will now speake of it, as it is Consolatory, to the women seeking Christ, and also to all such, who liuing on earth, doe notwithstanding seeke Christ sitting in heauen.

Quid quaeritis viuentem inter mortuos? (saith the Angell) Why seeke yee the liuing a­mongst the dead? which words containe, not only a reprehension, but also a consolation, of singular moment. For the women com­ming to seeke Christ, and finding the Stone rolled away, and the Body gone, (which is plaine by the speech of Mary Magdalen, Tu­lerunt Dominum; They haue taken away my Lord:) were sore discomforted. The appea­rance of the Angells in maiesty, as it is like­ly, made some impression of feare in their tender hearts: which the Angels perceiuing, doe speake comfortably to them; Feare you not: mixing (as I haue said) Consolation with Reprehension: For, without all que­stion, [Page 56]it sounded ioyfully in the eares of the women, who being perswaded that Christ was dead; and hearing the Angell tell them, that hee was aliue, that hee was risen, could not, but be greatly comforted, when they heard, Quid quaeritis viuentem inter mortuos? Why seeke yee the liuing among the dead? You are perswaded that he is dead, that he is stolne away out of the Graue: No, it is not so; Christ liueth, as before he told you: Goe tell his brethren, that he goes before them into Ga­lile. VVas not this (thinke you) a comfor­table speach to women oppressed with feare and griefe?

The words then of the Angell were, not onely Reprehensory, but Consolatory: not to them onely, but to vs also, for whom these wordes were spoken. VVhat can be more comfortable then to consider and know that Christ liueth? that hee is ascended? that he sitteth at the right hand of God in maiesty and honour? VVhen Iacob saw the Chariots which Ioseph had sent to carry him, Genes. 45.27 28. he said, I haue enough; Ioseph my sonne is yet aliue: But how much greater cause haue we to say, It is enough for vs, that Christ our head liueth, [Page 57]that he is risen againe from the dead? Iohn 12.24. Except the wheate corne fall into the ground, and die, it abideth alone; but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruite. In which words, our Sauiour doth expresse the fruite of his Death and Resur­rection, which is, the resurrection of all those that sleep in the dust of the earth: for though Christus resurrexit solus; Christ did rise alone, who is the first fruits of them that rise; yet not totus, all Christ did not arise: for hee is the head and we are his members, who are now raised in hope, and shall be raised, verily, in­deede, in the time which he hath appointed, and liue with him, by the vertue & power of that life which now is in him. It is enough for vs, that Christ our head, our brother li­ueth, hee is Bone of our bone, and Flesh of our flesh: If the First-fruites be holy, then is the whole lumpe holy. Neither is there any action of Christs, but yeeldes much comfort: For heere, he died for our sinnes, and rose againe for our iustification: but first hee was buried, descended into the Graue, which is, domus mortuorum, the house of the dead, where hee remayned, but yet as liber inter mortuos; as free among the dead. The wo­men [Page 58]did seeke him in the Graue, to which Christ descended; partly to proue vnto vs, the verity of his death and resurrection; part­ly, to secure vs, and to defend vs from the feare of the Graue, into the which (for our sakes) the Lord descended: Jt is appoynted for all men once to die, Iob 17 14.and then commeth the Iudgement. And wee must say with Iob vn­to the wormes, Hebr. 9.27. Thou art my mother and sister: and to corruption, Thou art my father. But be of good cheare, Christ who was dead, now liueth; he that was in the graue, is now ascended: now, Vltra non dominatur mors; Death hath no dominion ouer him; but he hath now the dominion of death. Hee did both enter into his graue, and arise againe, to as­sure vs, that howsoeuer our bodies may pu­trifie in the Graues, yet God shall restore them againe; Et fragile hoc lutum in purissimam & solidissimam testam excoquetur: This house of Clay shall be made farre firmer then Stone, more glorious then Golde or any such corruptible matter. VVhy then are we afraid to descend into the graue; which, howsoeuer in it selfe fearefull, yet, to those that seeke Christ zea­lously, as these women did, it is a bed of [Page 59]rest and quietnesse, as the Prophet calleth it, or a Receptacle or Sanctuary against the troubles of the world? and so is it called, Esay 65. Esay 65. Christ liueth (saith the Angell) and as a Conqueror of death, he is risen from his house of death, and made it, to such as seeke him, a repose, a rest, a treasury, in which they are safely kept and stored vp against the day of Resurrection. This is the benefit we haue by Christs liuing; by his rising from the graue: As his resur­rection is for our benefit, so is his ascension. Jascend (saith Christ) to prepare a place for you, to take possession of Heauen in our name, in our nature: and here he sitteth at the right hand of God, pleading our cause, and shall come in maiesty to iudge vs at the last day. A point worthy to be considered; and which (among other things) the Angell also meant, saying; Feare not.

Now, as it pleased God, that an Angell should publish the Resurrection, so also by an Angell was the Ascension published: for as heere the women are first rebuked, and afterwards instructed; so the Angell seeing them gazing and looking after Christ, rebu­ked them in this manner: Whygaze yee you [Page 60]men of Galile? And then afterward comforted them and in structed them, concerning the Resurrection, adding withall: This Iesus shall come againe euen so as you haue seene him ascend, that is, he shall returne in the same nature in which he ascended; which our Sauiour him­selfe saith, is to be, in the glory of his Angells: But some may say, a fire shal go before him, the powers of heauen shall be shaken, and all the Tribes of the earth shall lament be­fore him; how then doth he come againe as he ascended? I answer; That though there be some difference in the circumstances, yet shall he returne in the verity of his body, in the very same body, shape and members glorified, in the which hee was crucified: And it is a point most comfortable, that the Father of all mercies will vouchsafe by Man to iudge men, that the similitude of Nature in so great feare and perturbation, might giue vs assured confidence. If then, his death, resurrection, ascension, glorification, and comming to iudgement, be all for our com­fort, so that we seeke him heere, it is plaine, that this speech of the Angells, hath both Consolation and Reprehension. These wo­men [Page 61]had a sharpe reprehension by the An­gell, for seeking him that was liuing amongst the dead: but because otherwise their zeale was good, God doth pardon their infirmity, and comforteth them in their misery. As the speech was vnto them, so is it vnto vs. I hope there is none of vs so perfect, but may very wel indure the Angell taxing our earth­linesse, and stirring vs vp to the seeking of Christ, now sitting at the right hand of God: and if wee profite by the reprehen­sion, then appertaineth the consolation vn­to vs, if we seeke him deuoutly heere. For the Prophet saith truely, Lord, thou art good vnto that soule that seeketh thee: neither is it said, to that soule that findeth thee: for hee that according to his humanity raigneth in Heauen, by his grace reigneth in the heart; Et prope estinuocantibus ipsum: Hee is neare to them that call vpon him. VVe neede not (as the Apostle saith) to climbe vp into heauen, nor descend into the depth, heere hee is at hand within vs, if there we will nourish him, and giue him entertainement. The finding of him then, is not hard, so wee seeke him earely, whilst he may be found; and all de­pendeth [Page 62]on this point. And, that men doe not seeke him by lifting vp their hearts vnto him, I will shew you, both the reason, and the remedy, and so end.

A man (saith Lactantius) is made, ex re­pugnantibus, of contrary principles, of a soule and a body; in respect of his soule, hee is of affinity with the Angells; in respect of the body, he is of affinity with the beasts: the soule originally lookes vpwards, in respect of his body, hee is apt and prone to sensua­litie; of these contrarieties, there do arise in man, distractions of minde, the soule car­rying him one way, the frailety of the flesh another; and this warre betweene the spirit and the body, some doe thinke had beene euen in the state of innocency, but that God gaue vnto Adam, Donum supernaturale, a su­pernaturall gift; which was, instar aureifreni, like a golden Bridle, by which he might paci­fie the strife of these contrary parts, & make the body subiect to the spirit, and the spirit subiect to God.

But after Adam offended, he lost, not one­ly that supernaturall gift (if any such he had) but euen Nature it selfe was now corrupted. [Page 63]He that before was prone to Sensuality, in respect of his body, was made sensuall and carnall in his very soule: For, as flesh obey­ing the spirit, may be called spirituall; so the spirit whilest it obeyes the flesh, is carnall: and in this estate of corrupt nature, man can­not but looke downe, his soule and body in respect, being but earth, fleshly and sensuall.

But it seemed good to God, to dissolue the workes of the Diuell, and to send his owne Sonne, who both dyed for sinne, and applieth the power and efficacy of his bloud, by the Sacraments, to the regenerating and renewing of the soule; which is purified from corruption and indewed with strength and grace to rise and mount vp vnto Hea­uen. Yet, forasmuch, as this renouation is not pure, but in part, there remayneth still, and euen in the best of vs, this combate and contradiction, betweene the flesh and the spirit, the spirit coueting vpwards, and the body hanging downwards: and as this cor­pus corruptibile, this corruptible body doth weigh downe the soule, so the soule doth make the body mount vp to heauen: And heereof proceedes our earthlinesse; wee are [Page 64]made of earth, and so apt to fixe our mindes on the earth, vnlesse the spirit vanquish this earthlinesse in vs, whereon dependeth the victorie. For, as while Aaron and Hur held vp Moses hands strongly, the Israelites pre­uailed against the Amalekites; but when they fainted and waxed weary, the Amalekites preuailed against the Israelites: so while our hearts are set on heauen, the Diuell is van­quished by vs, but when this heauy lump of Clay, this body of ours, with our sensuality doth weigh downe the soule, then the Diuell preuailes against vs.

Therefore our care must bee to keepe downe and represse, this sensualitie of ours, to mortifie the affections and desires, and to make them obedient to the spirit, that our earthly affections beeing subdued, our spi­rits with the wings of the morning may climbe vp to God, and in zeale of heart, say with Dauid, Psalme 42.Euen as the Hart desireth the wa­ter brookes, so longeth my soule after thee, O God: to which, there is nothing more auaileable then frequent meditation of the life to come, of Christs ascending, of his sitting at the right hand of God, receiuing of the Sacrament, [Page 65]with such other holy exercises of deuotion: which if you doe, assure your selues, you shall finde him, enioy him, and pray to him with much comfort in the Spirit; ye shall con­uerse with him familiarly, and take more pleasure in him, then in all earthly pleasures beside; which are but vaine and momenta­ny, blazing like a fire of Thornes, but sud­denly extinguished: whereas the things that are not corporall, God bestowes on his, whilest, by setting their mindes on him, they seeke Christ aboue, whereby he brings them to raigne in glory with himselfe for euer: to whom with the Father, and the holy Spirit, be all praise and glory, now, and for euer­more, Amen. *⁎*