YOV Christians, that are perplex­ed in your minds amidst the con­troversies of this time, hovering betweene the choice of that which is Diuine, & that which is humane, of that which is Au­thenticall, and that which is A­pocryphal, of that which is true and that which seemes to bee true, two only words out of the holy Gospell are able to put you out of doubt, and to cause you to see the difference be­tweene them. And behold, here [Page 2]is one of them for you; Hunc au dite, Heare him. Him, and no o­ther. Our Lord Iesus had nowe takē apart three of his disciples, Peter, Iames, & Iohn, & brought thē vp into an high mountain. There had hee beene transfigu­red before them, his face shi­ning as the Sun, his cloathes being becōe as white as snowe. which in this basenes were as pledges of his future glorie, of that glorie, which hee tooke a­gaine, when it pleased him, and which hee had neuer put away. There were Moses & Elias seene by his disciples talking with him Moses and the Prophets: as in a manner giuing up there charge into his hands. his indeed which was the marke and the end, the perfection and accomplishmēt both of the law & the Prophets. Here Peter comes in, as it were, in opposition, Master it is good [Page 3]for vs to be here. Being already ravished and drunken with the shew of this glory, & these spi­rituall delightes. Let vs make here three Tabernacles, one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. And we doubt not, but in this first he reserued a roome for himselfe and his fellow-dis­ciples. But as he spake, and knew not, saith both S. Mark and S. Luke, what he said, Mar. 9. v. 6 Luc. 9. God from heauen directed him. Out of a cloud, that shadowed them, came a voice saying, This is that my beloued sonne, in whome I am well pleased, Heare him. No lon­ger Moses, no longer Elias: the old things are come to an end; I bring you new tidings, good new tidings. There is here no longer any need of Tabernacles or that wee should passe from one figure to another. She hath from henceforth a place where [Page 4]shee may rest. She is to be built on the firme ground. Wilt thou Peter, wil yee, my disciples, one day enioy this glory, and pos­sesse eternally that which you haue seene as in a glimpse, be­hold here the meanes, the only means, to wit, my welbeloved, your happinesse, and all my de­light: But, Heare him. For it is he of whom Moses, the same which you haue scene talking with him, which did here come to rēder homage vnto him for the whole law, told you heretofore very neere two thousand yeares agoe. (See how the Lord fulfil­leth his sayings in their due time,Deut. 18.1.18.) The Lord said vnto mee, I will raise them vp a Prophet from amongst their brethren, like vnto thee, and will put my words in his mouth, and hee shall speake vnto them all that I shall cōmand him: And whosoever will not harken [Page 5]vnto my words, which hee shall speake in my name, I will require it of him. It is thē profit to heare him, and daunger to turne the eare from him. It is he of whom I spake vnto you by Esay my Prophet,Esay, 42. v 1. Behold my servant, hee is mine elect, I haue put my spirit vpon him. And do not stand vp­on his lownesse, or his humilia­tion, in that he will not cause his voice to bee heard in the street, nor will not make much noise. For so much the rather ought you to harken vnto him; what­soeuer you see him to be, yet he shall bring forth iudgement in truth. And is not that it which you ought to looke for in these daies? Hee shall not faile nor bee discouraged, Vers, 4. til he haue set iudge­ment in the earth: till he haue in­structed the whole world. Fi­nally, it is he of whom Iohn the Baptist, that Elias which you [Page 6]looked for, which you haue seene, spake vnto you in these daies: hee being not the worde made flesh, vnto the which you ought at this time to harkē, but the voice which cryeth in the wildernesse, the forerunner of this word. Not that light which lighteth every man that com­meth into the world, but a lamp that beareth witnesse of that light. This is he of whom I said, hee that commeth after mee was better thē I: oh. 1.15. for he was before me. Before me, in as much as hee is the everlasting word. After mee, in as much as hee is the vvord made flesh. V. 16. Of his fulnesse haue al we receiued, Moses, Elias, all the Prophets.V. 17 For the law was given by Moses; the law that enter­tained vs with figures, vs euery one bound ouer also to sinne, & therefore to death; Grace and truth is come vnto you by Iesus [Page 7]Christ. And againe therefore, Heare him: the rather truly, be­cause no man hath seene God at any time. No man can tell you any thing concerning diuine matters, concerning things that appertaine to your salvation, but by him: But the only sonne, more then any other, and after another manner. For as much as he is from everlasting in the bo­some of the father. Prov. 8. From euerla­sting and before all ages. That eternall wisdome which was with him in the creation of all things, and in the which he took his delight. Shee which cryed so long agoe, Giue eare, for the o­pening of my lips shal teach thing, that be right, Prov 8. v. 6 & 7. my mouth shal speak the truth. But at this time con­descending to our weaknesse, made bone of your bones spea­keth vnto you mouth to mouth And therefore the Lord brea­king [Page 8]through the thicke cloude of all these precedent witnesses spake thus vnto vs, (And who will not giue heede vnto this voice?) Heare it. Heare him. The Lorde then will haue his sonne harkened vnto: Iesus our Lord; his well beloued sonne, harke­ned vnto, as being the teacher of saluation, but farther, let vs see by whom. It is said, that hee had taken apart, Peter, Iohn, & Iames, the cheefest among the Apostles, for to make them par­take of that vision, and by a cō ­sequent of this lesson; & in their persons so much the more all the rest.Gal. 2.9. Iames, Cephas, and Iohn, saith S. Paul, counted among the pillers of the Church. Taking thē for afoundatiō of their doctrine this lesson, this word: Iames, & Iohn, those whome Christ him­selft hath honoured with the name of Sennes of thunder, not [Page 9]being able to make a sound, nor to thunder, but according to the voice, which hee giueth vn­to thē. Peter himselfe, on whose confession he built his Church; what greater honour could he receiue? Bound by his Apostle­ship to heare him; to heare him for to teach it vnto others, and not any thing of his owne. O­therwise being subiect to this Anathema pronounced by God; Whosoever will not harken vnto my wordes, Deut. v. 19. which hee shall speake in my name, I will require it of him. And to harken is to o­bey; for an Apostle and minister of the Gospell, it is to cause o­thers to obey. An Anathema, which hath since been doubled and expounded by S. Paul euen in the cause of S. Peter.Gal. 1. & 9. Though that we, or an Angell from hea­ven, preach vnto you otherwise, then that which we hauepreached [Page 10]vnto you, let him be accursed, A­nathema. And indeed when the heauē hath spokē, God through the heauen; all the Angels of heauen what haue they to gain­say? Yea what can they say? Tou ching Gods matters, to speake after God, after the son of God which was sent and came down expresly to declare them vnto vs? Who can doe this, but the king of pride, and the Angels of darknesse transformed into An­gels of light?

You wil say then, let vs heare him: but are you of opinion that wee ought to heare him alone? Yea truly, alone: For it is not without a mystery, that it is no­ted by the Evangelist, that as the voice was a speaking, Iesus was left alone. Moses and Elias beeing retired and giving him place; how much more al other reachers, all other men? And if [Page 11]it be forbidden so expreslie vp­on so high a paine to adde to or diminish from the law giuen by the ministery of Angels; howe much the rather is it forbidden concerning the Gospell pro­nounced by the mouth of the Son of God, light of light, the word, the everlasting wisdome of the Father, whose doctrine cannot choose but bee perfect, perpetual, eternall? Alone, more over, for who will be so presūp­tuous, as to dare set hand to his workmanship, and after him to teachvs any way of salvation; to prescribe vs any rule thereof: & after him to disclos vnto vs any mistery of Religiō, or any thing that might bee expedient for a heavenly life? Lastly, alone, be­cause there was but one Sonne, whom it behoved to set an end to all the Law givers of Iuda: & one Prophet by excellēce poiu­ted [Page 12]out to Moses, by whō God might reveale himselfe to the world & opē vnto vs the depths of his iustice and of his mercie. This Christ, said the Samaritan woman,Ioh 4.25. which when he is come, will tell vs all things. And there­fore saith this voice from hea­ven vnto vs, Hunc audite, poin­ting him vnto vs as it were with a finger, heare him. Him alone, whom so many former ages, so many herald, haue gon before, & haue continually by succes­sion preached vnto you: if that wee ought to haue learned the way of salvation from any o­ther, by what path so euer hee brought vs thereunto, to what purpose then neede wee haue come vnto him, vnto him alone without interruption ever since the beginning of the world? if any one might put in never so smal an helping hand with him: [Page 13]to what end then is it, that the law and the Prophets doe aime at him alone; that Moses & Eli­as were swallowed vp in him, & vanished out of sight before him? This furniture of glory, this voice from heauen, God in his owne person being present at this charge, was al this for to tell vs some thing either com­mon or communicable to ano­ther? Heare him, my well belo­ved sonne; Him, in whom I am well pleased, but for this time only, but without preiudice to them that shall come after, but with a reseruatiō of other rules of well beleeuing, and well do­ing, which shall from time to time be taught vnto you; but if the meaning had bin, that they shoulde haue rested here, was there any need of this solemne transfiguration, of so maiestical a preface? As therefore when S. [Page 14]Iohn saith vnto vs of Iesus; Be­hold the Lambe of God; we con­sider in this Lambe all the typi­call and Sacramentall Lambes both ended and, accomplished: after this Lambe, we do no lon­ger settle our mindes and hopes vpon any other, that can take away or beare the sinnes of the world. In like manner, and that farre more strictly, when God here saith vnto vs, heare him; This Iesus, this Christ, this Em­manuel, God with vs, my well beloued long before promised, at this day exhibited, the tea­cher of saluation, the author of life, & that by his death for vs. Let vs thinke, that in this Tea­cher, in this Lawgiuer al others are accomplished and take an end: let no man presume so far, as to bring his lampe into the Christian church, if he haue not lighted it at the beames of this [Page 15]Sunne, all humane inuentions and rules being set aside; as be­fore times all strange fire was farre from the Lords Taberna­cle, from his altar, from the cen­ser, from the Priest, on paine of being deuoured.

A strange conclusion, will some man here say vnto vs, pre­vēted by so many positiue laws, by so many new examples, & so many good rules. We will there fore let him heare the Fathers. Tertullian; Let vs then hear him, Tertul. l. 3. advers. Marcioné cap. 22. of whom God had from the begin­ning declared that he ought to be heard in the name of a Prophet, because that for such an one hee was to bee esteemed among the people. But was he alone so to be esteemed? S. Cyprian Tertul­lians scholler, and which verie likely had learned if from him, saith. That wee ought to heare Christ alone, the father hath re­corded [Page 16]it from heavē, saying, Cypr▪ ad Cicil. de sacramēt Dom. ca­licis Ep. 63 in edit Pamelia na. &c. Heare him. Wherfore if we ought to heare Christ alone, then ought wee not to minde, what an other shall thinke fit to bee done before vs, but what Christ the first of all, which is before all, hath done; be­cause also we ought not to followe the customes of men, but the truth of God. And to the same purpose doth hee bring in many places out of the holy Scriptures both before and after. The reason thereof is to be sound in S. Am­brose. Ambr. de fide l. 1. c. 5. Because that no man com­meth to the Father, but by the Sō, be it what it will that thou medi­tatest cōcerning the Father. Chrysost Homil 57 in Matth. And likewise thou cāst think nothing touching divine matters, but by the Sonne. Wherevpon Chrysost. saith, Heare him in all things. In all, without exception; that from hence forth, Hiero Matt. 6.17 saith S. Hierome, we might no more pitch anie taberna [Page 17]cle but to him, obey none but him, no lōger Moses, nor Elias; they are but seruāts; it is no lesse their dutie then ours, to raise him up a tabernacle within their hearts. He that spake thus of thē, what would he haue saide of such as are com since? of all those foun­ders of new orders? vnto which notwithstanding we erect as well as to Christ, yea in some sort aboue Christ, temples, al tars, and sacrifices: and obey thē rather thē the law, the Gospell, or the Sonne of God himselfe.

But passe we this ouer, not to anger the world. Yet truly we see that this lesson, as being en­grauen with the finger of God in their souls, doth remain deep he imprinted in all there wri­tings▪ whereas Iames telleth vs; there is one lawgiuer, I am. 4.12. which is a­ble to saue & distroy, who art thou that iudgest another man, that [Page 18]takest vppon thee to giue him a law (how great so euer thou art) that may binde his consci­ence, and giue or take from him life euerlasting.1. Ioh. 1. And S. Iohn That which we haue seene and heard of that word of life, declare we vnto you. we haue learned it both for you and for our selfes; that you might haue felloship with vs & that our fellowship might be with the father and with his son Iesus Christ. This is the reward of hearing him. Farre different from that which once they as­ked, to witt, his right hād or his left hand here on earth. S. Peter also alleadging for a reason this same vision;2. Pet. 1.8 16.17. For we followed not deceauable fables whenwe opened vnto you the comming and power of our Lord Iesus Christ, but with our eies we saw his Maiestie, when there came such a voice to him sent frō that excellent glory, [Page 19]This is my beloued sonne &c. & then making a difference be­tweene the doctrine of the law & that of the Gospell, between Moses and Elias, which he had seene, and that Iesus whome he was cōmanded to harken vnto: he goeth on thus, We haue the word of the prophets, V. 9. [...] to the which ye doe well that yee take heed. But as to what? as vnto a light, that shineth in a darke place. and how long? vntil the day dawne, and the day starre arise in your harts. This Iesus the Sonne of righteousnes, the true light of our soules, of the which all the Prophesies are but litle sparkes; this Iesus, of whom Peter said, when he had knowne him, To whom should we goe? Lord, thou hast the words of everlasting life. Thou hast them, that is to say, none hath them, but thou, but by thee: thou art the only head­spring [Page 20]spring of them; all others [...] but stinking cisternes. In son [...] other place perhaps wee might find the words of life, but of a temporall life,1 of a mortall life, of an immortall death. Wordes of saluation and happinesse are not found but in Iesus onely, in my Iesus alone. And there­fore with good reason was it told vs in the mountaine, Heare him. S. Paul was not at this visi­on, and yet stickes not to taker the same lesson for himself also,Heb. 1. v. 1 & 2. God (saith he) hauing at sundry times and in divers maners spokē in the old time to our fathers by the Prophets, in these last daies hath spokē vnto vs by his son. 2. I 16. In these last daies, saith hee, that is to say, for the last time, and for good reason, sith that by this sonne, the heire (as he addeth) of all things, by whom also hee made the worlds, that euerlasting wis­dome [Page 21]that assisted him, when he [...]epared the heavens, Prov. 8. v. 27. when hee [...]et the compasse vpon the deepe. [...]eing descended neuerthelesse [...]ratiously from heauen, from [...]he bosome of the father, for to set vs aright in his waies. For which cause also he relateth not [...]nto vs these visions and reue­ [...]ations of his, which hee had seen,2. Cor. 12. taken vp into the third hea­ven, into Paradise, those wordes which cannot be spoken. (What could not he haue told vs, if hee would but haue entertained the time with such discourses?) But those things barely, which hee had learned of our Lord, for the saluation of the Churches, that is to say, of the assemb lies of the faithfull of all sortes, men, women, children, learned, and vnlearned, vnto which hee did write;1. Cor. 1 v. 23. & 1 v. 3. I haue (saith hee) receiued of the Lord that, which I haue de­livered [Page 20] [...] [Page 21] [...] [Page 22]vnto you; I haue delive­red vnto you that which I recei­ved; the Gospell whereby you are saved, if you keepe in memorie, af­ter what manner I preached it vnto you. If you keepe it still the same, that I gaue it you, with­out adding therevnto any thing of your owne. And the rather, because I neither received it of man, Gal. 1. v. 12. nor was I taught it, but by revelation of Iesus Christ. Is not that man therefore very arro­gant, that dares passe beyond that, within which these great Apostles doe keepe themselues, & bound both their preaching and writings? And after, yea & besides, this well beloued Son, this Sonne in whom the Father is well pleased, to teach and ex­pound vnto vs, what the plea­sure of God is, and with what service he is pleased; and there­vpon to adde somewhat of his [Page 23]owne minde, and display his owne fancies and inuentions? Doth not this deserue that God should say vnto vs? Who hath required these thinges at your hands? Not to bee allowed, not to bee approued in your ac­counts? It is in vaine that you serue me to please men, and ac­cording to the inventions of men? He are him, whome I haue sent you, him of whom I haue told you long since, that whoso­ever will not harken vnto his words, I will require it of him. Deut. 18. v. 19. & 20 For the Prophet that shall presume to speake a word in my name, which I haue not commaunded him to speake, even the same Prophet shall die, shal incurre everlasting damnation. And here let these looke to themselues, which a­gainst their own knowledge & conscience doe preach vnto the simple people so many things, [Page 24]which they haue not heard frō our Lord Iesus Christ, no nor from his Apostles; which are grounded only vpon visions in the aire, vpon pretended reue­lations, and certaine tales farre worse then Apocryphall. These notwithstanding are articles of beleefe, more to be beleeued & observed, nay more indeed be­leeued and obserued, then the worde of Christ and the holy Scriptures.

But it may be that this is spo­ken to those three onely, those three, which were taken apart by our Lord, & were to learne some particular mystery there­by. But that which is only spo­ken to one of them (saith our Lord) is spoken vnto all. The mysteries and the secrets of God are not of the same nature that others are of; They are spoken in the eare, but to bee preached [Page 25]on the house tops. And indeed thou seest, that S. Paul did not sticke to apply these wordes to himselfe, and the fathers haue told thee that it concernes all the Apostles. And if all the A­posties, then also all their disci­ples and successors, all such as haue beleeued their word, and haue receiued from them their calling to teach the word, wee may say, all Christians, all the faithfull, all the sheepe of our great sheepheard. For (saith he) my sheep heare my voice, Ioh. 10. they vn­derstand not the voice of a stran­ger, they flie backe from him. We may say, the very Catholike & vniuersall Church: For it is said vnto her, Harken ô daughter, Ps. 45.10. & consider and incline thine eare. And how often hath it bin told vs, that that which is said to Pe­ter, is said to all his successours, and to the whole Church? And [Page 26]for what reason should it not hold herein also? To bee short, when our Lord saith vnto his A­postles, Hoc facite, do this, thou drawest from thence a perpetu­all institution of a Sacrament, of a sacrifice: when God therefore saith here solemnly, Hunc audi­te, Heare him; What right hast thou to restrain it to these few, and to some peculiar mystery, to the end that all thinges may be lawfull vnto you? With what face canst thou deny, that these words doe containe a lesson, which is to bee continuall and vniuersall vnto the ende of the world, how to limit the faith and life of a Christian within the compasse of Christ his voice, of Christ his lawe, of Christ his schoole, which is the only Lawgiuer, the only Master and only teacher in his Church?

But there is more in it yet, [Page 27]for this lesson is more necessary for vs, then it was then for them or at any other time whatsoe­uer since his Apostles. For vs, I say, on whome the last ages are come; for vs, whom so many a­ges, & by a consequent so many forestalled in their iudgement, haue preuented by anticipat o­piniōs, by inueterated customs, by presidents of antiquitie, by renowne and maiestie, which wil offer to part stakes with the Godhead. and make themselues to be heard aboue the sonne of God, aboue the Father himselfe. For is there almost any age, that hath not brought forth its own teachers? Any teacher, that would not haue his priuat opi­nions, his owne inuentions? I might say, heresies. And is there any of them, that hath not built his own stubble on Christs foū ­dation, & sowne his owne tares [Page 28]in Christs field? And how may al this be remedied? Onely by this word alone, Heare him, heare none other; let euery o­ther voice be suspected by you. Vnto him that sear cheth for the truth, doubteth of his way, and seeketh life; he, who is the truth, the way and the life, which also wil teach them, doth of his own accorde offer himselfe. And where then shall wee seek him? This againe was an easie matter for his Apostles▪ which had him at hand. which were dayly in his company, and did as it were draw it out of his breast. For S. Paul likewise, to whom it was yet graunted to heare him, though in lightning & in thun­der. But whither sendest thou vs to heare him? He which is ascē ­ded into heauen, and fitteth at the right hād of the Father, will not descend from thence, vntill [Page 29]he comes to iudge the worlde. And in the mean time what shal become of our doubtings? A­wait patiently; our Lord is not so farre from thee as thou ima­ginest. Say not in thy heart, Rom. 10. v. 6 7. & 8. who shall ascend into heaven? That is to bring Christ from aboue. Or, who shall descend into the deepe? That is to bring Christ againe from the dead. The word is neere thee. This is the word of faith. The Gospell which we read by the grace of our God, & which we preach. Iesus Christ hath not left vs Orphans. Hee hath not beene preuented by death, ha­uing death in his owne power; He is not dead without making a Testament, nor gon from earth vp into heauen without a last will. By his Testament he spea­keth yet at this day, and did speake in all the ages past, and giueth his law to his family. A [Page 30]Bastard he is or vnthankful, that doth not heare him; It is his Gospell, and his holy Scriptures, in the which he liueth, and teach­eth, and iudgeth, and beareth rule in his Church. This Gospel, by whose rule hee directeth the faithfull, correcteth and repro­ueth the hereticks and vnbelee­uers, and putteth a difference between the one and the other; Of which S. Ireneus tels thee; That Gospell which the Apostles haue preached, haue they since gi­ven and delivered vnto vs, tradi­derunt, in the Scriptures by the will of God, to bee the foundation of our faith. Then is it not by oc­casion only, or by their owne instinct, as some would make vs Beleeue,August de [...]on [...]en [...]. [...]vang. l. 1. S. Augustin; All that; which our Lord would that wee should haue concerning his [...]tiēs and his sayings, he hath comman­ded, saith he, to his Apostles to [Page 31]write it, as with his owne hands. As if therefore hee had writtten it himselfe, if wee read it, wee heare himselfe. And S. Cyrill ad­deth; All that, Cyril. l. 12 in loh c. 68. which they haue thought to suffice as well for man­ners as for doctrine: Will we bee more able then they? S. Iohn al­so the beloued Disciple of our Lord;Ioh. 20. v. 31. These things are written not casually, not by humane in­stinct, but that you might beleeue that Iesus is that Christ that son of God, and that in beleeving yee might haue life through his name. And this beleeuing truely pre­supposeth hearing, according to the wordes of the Apostle: Faith is by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. The Gos­pell hath succeeded the law, but as the truth succeedeth the sha­dow, and manhood infancie, that the doctrin might be made cleane, and the condition of the [Page 32]Church amended. God not be­ing content that his lawe had bin written with his owne fin­ger, commaunded also that it should bee written in a booke, that they should look in it, that euery houshold from their first yeares should bee instructed in it. Truly Christ the son of God, our only lawgiuer, hath in like manner prouided for his Gos­pell; being to leaue this world & to withdraw his voice together with his flesh from vs., hee hath perpetuated it vnto vs in his Gospell. He hath giuen vs Euā ­gelists & Apostles, whose pens he hath inspired. In them, & by them, if thou wilt, hee speaketh vnto thee, thou needest not climbe vp into a mountaine for it, or enter into a cloud, or be o­uertaken with feare; thou nee­dest only his bountifulnesse and grace alone; of him, I say, spea­king [Page 33]in these Euangelists, his heauenly father telleth thee as well now as then; Heare him, [...]are him in them. As well as our Lord at euery table where his Sacrament is celebrated ac­cording to his institution, tel­leth thee yet throughout the whole world, Hoc facite. Doe this. And communicateth vnto thee on the one part his Spirit in his word, on the other his body, his flesh, and his blood in his holy table. Which also is the reason, why every one of these good ancient fathers in al those conflicts of heresies did in times past betake themselues to this testament, did therein take coū ­saile from the mouth of Iesus, as in old time frō God in the Arke and did therehence carie awaie healthfull answers to the peace of their conscience, and the pa­cification of the Church. Mise­rable [Page 34]men, that we are, if some mē had said vnto vs, heare Pla­to, hearken vnto Aristotle, wee would vnderstand it so,Opt S. Aug. that he had directed vs to their books, and would goe to buy them at the Stationers: nor would wee any way trouble our selues to seeke their persons either in Hell or in their feined Elisian fieldes. But when it is said vnto vs, Heare Christ, we begin to wauer make as if we were very idi­ors, but indeed are malicious, & aske where hee is? Herevpon marke what Optatus saith, that great African Doctour, conte­sting against the Donatists.Opt. Mi­levit. l. 5. contra Parmen. You Donatists say, yea: we Catholiks say, Nay. In the midst of your yea and our nay, mens soules are in doubt. None will beleeue you, nor. vs also; because therefore that we are at ods, we must seeke iudges. The Christians, saith he, are the [Page 35]parties themselues, the heathen cannot conceiue our mysteries. And therfore can there be found no iudgement on earth. Must wee seeke it in heaven? Note here the question, & marke how hee answeres it. But what go wee to seeke for in heavē, seeing we haue a Testament in the Gospell? So long as the father is present, hee chargeth every one of his childrē, what they are to do. There is as yet no need of any testament. And so Christ gaue to these Apostles their charge, whilest yet he was on earth. But as an earthly Fa­ther seeing himselfe to be neere the graue maketh his will, for to preuent and end all contro­versies betwixt his children; & then men goe not to seeke him in his tombe, but in this will, wherein he speaketh as if he li­ued, and though dumbe yet is vnderstood: so indeed, Christ, [Page 36] he, that hath made the Testamēt, is in heaven, but let vs seeke his will in his Gospell, as in his testa­ment. For even these very things, which some of you do now, hee did euen at that time see you do them. And as at that time he did fore­see them, as being God euerla­sting, vnto whom all things are knowne from eternity, so with­out doubt hee hath manifestlie prouided against them; he hath preuented all chances, and an­ticipated all tricks and cauils. heare also S. Augustin, Optatus his Country-man, which either had learned it of the other, or was inspired by the same spirit. We are brethren, why striue wee one with another? Our father di­ed not without a Testament; he made a will, and then died; died & rose againe. Men do pleade con­cerning the succession of the dead, vntill the will be brought forth; It [Page 37]being brought forth, every one is silent, that it may be opened & re­hearsed. The Iudge harkeneth at tentiuely, the Advocates holde their peace, the Cryers cause si­lence, the people stands in suspēse, whilest that the wordes of the de­ceased are a reading, who lyeth in his tomb [...] without feeling, and yet his words haue their force. Christ is seated in heaven, & shall he bee contradicted in his Testament? August. in Psal. 21. Open then, and let vs read▪ we are brethrē, why are we at variance? Let vs appease our anger: our fa­ther hath not left vs without a Testament. His Gospels; A Te­stament. saith S. Basill, Basil. de Fide. vnto which nothing ought to be ad­ded. It would be false; nay sacri­ledge. The Apostle, saith he, by a worldly example forbiddeth vs exprestie to adde any thing to the holy Scripture, whē he saith; And notwithstanding no mā reiecteth [Page 38]the Testament of a mā, or addeth any thing therevnto, if it hath once beene established. Wherefore we haue alwaies knowne, that we must flie from every voice and all meanings, which are beside the doctrin of our Lord. Beside, saith he, and not against. And now in the mouth of these three wit­nesses, shall not our speech be confirmed vnto you? God will haue it, & hath appointed that his well beloued Son should be heard. Heard here beneath, so long as he conuersed here in his owne person: and heard in his holy Gospell, sealed vnto vs by his Apostles by the will of the Father, and the commādement of the Sonne, since that he hath been lifted vp from this world.

Heard, doe you tell vs, in his Gospell? I & you to heare him. Then behoveth it vs to reade. May we do so, without being [Page 39]excommunicated or anathema­tised? A book so dangerous, full of ambushes, full of snares? HOW the world is changed, nay euen the very voice of the Church since the time of these good fa­thers? That the law of our Lord, which is to decide all our con­trouersies should be esteemed of in these daies as a matter of question; and this Testament which ought to bring to an agreemēt the most contentious brethren, as a bundle of contradictorie clauses. Could this Testament euer haue beene altered? Seeing that we agree in this, that it could not, what remaines then, but that this alteration pro­ceeds not from the truth of the thing, but from the malice of the persons? Thy father hath made a wil: doth it not concern thee to see what hee leaueth thee; and vnder what title; to [Page 40]know also what things he chargeth thee to doe? Were hee the greatest stranger in the world, wouldst thou not be so curious as to reade it? Hee that would conceale it from thee, yea and keepe thee from reading it, couldst thou beleeue he did this without fraud? And being curi­ous in euery other thing, wilt thou be negligent in this? Thou that seemst to bee a quicke fel­low, and wouldst bee esteemed of for such a one in all thy busi­nesse; wilt thou in this bee an i­diot, & lesse then a babe? Canst thou doe this without a con­tempt to God? Canst thou doe this if Gospell, and an eternall life? Tell mee in thy conscience, if thou hadst lived in the time that our Lord conversed here in his flesh, and hadst had the grace to acknowledge him to bee that [Page 41]Christ that Sonne of the living God; wouldst thou haue made any difficultie, or thought it to be any grievous fault, or an ex­ecrable deede to heare him preach? Wouldst thou not on the contrary, haue gon to seeke after this divine worde, euen in the midst of the wildernesse (Whatsoever the Scribes and the Pharises had said vnto thee) wouldst not thou haue had thine attentiue care linked to his sacred mouth? And behold, when he was to ascend vp into heaven, for to lift you vp thi­ther after him, hee hath sealed the same vnto you in his Scrip­tures, in his Gospels, which for the greater part are nothing but his Sermons; his speeches set downe by writing, that thou maist read them and read them againe more distinctly & more cleerely, chew and chew them [Page 42]againe at your ease; written ex­presly by sundry Evangelists, that for thine instruction the one may giue light & serue for an interpreter to the other. And yet shall men make you beleeue that the pen and stile of his E­vangelists and Apostles, though ledde by the same Spirit, by that Spirit, which was promi­sed vnto them, was to bring in­to their memory all that which he had told them, hath connected this sauing, this quickning word, into a dead letter, a murthering and condemning letter; that thou mightest abhor it, and flie from it, and cast it into the fire, I & thy selfe because of it? why then what needed this worde haue bin giuen vnto vs in wri­ting by the will of God, as S. Ire­neus told vs before, and by the commandement of Christ, as S. Augustin repeated it, but that [Page 43]it might be reade? And why should it be read lesse, then the law and the Prophets, by al be­leeuers. S. Peter called Prophe­sying a candle, but the Gospel a Sun, a full midday, such a lighte as can admit no increase. True­ly our Sauiour wrought mira­cles enough, in the which his diuinity appeared both effectu­ally and euidently; And for all this yet sendeth he the Iewes to the law & the Prophets. Search saith he, the Scriptures. Ioh. 5. And we finde not that they reply vnto him: we are forbidden them. S. Paul also exercising his Apo­stleship among the Iewes com­meth into a Synagogue of the citie of Berea; Act. 17. & as he was pow­erfull in the holy scriptures, hee preached vnto them that Iesus is the Christ. What doe then those of Berea? They were not ignoraunt of that so notorious [Page 44]vision which S. Paul saw in the way to Damascus, they might likewise haue laid a foundation on such signes and miracles, as confirmed his sayings. And ne­verthelesse the Euangelist Saint Luke telleth vs, that they recei­ved the word with all readinesse, but by what meanes? Searching the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so: to wit, as S. Paul had preached vnto them. And this is the reason, why S. Luke telleth vs, that they were more noble men then those, which were at Thessalonica: by this liue lie faith, which they with a zeal mixed with knoweledge, did draw out of the reading of the holy Scriptures. Whence also it is that hee addeth that many of them beleeved, and of honourable womē which were Grecians. Wo­men therfore at that time were not reproued, but commended [Page 45]by the Euangelist, by the holie Ghost himself, for hauing read, conferred, and searched the ho­ly Scriptures; And that also, that they might iudge of the doctrin and preaching of S. Paul that excellent Apostle. Now what is it that the Gospell coulde since haue done vnto vs, what euill hath it done to Christendome, that we should feare or abhorre the reading thereof? Truly whē as S. Iohn telleth vs, these things are writtē that ye might beleeue: Ioh. 20. v. 31. He telleth vs cōsequently, that they are written, that yee might read them, and read them for to beleeue them, and therfore they may be vnderstoode of vs, they are not ambiguous, they are fit of themselues to perswade vs, and to make vs beleeue. When­as also S. Paule directed his Epistles, to the churches of Rome, of Corinth, of Galatia, of Ephe­sus, [Page 46]of Philippi, &c? which con­sisted of al ages, sexes, and con­ditions; his purpose was not to exclude any one from them, he hath admitted al of vs thereun­to: vnto those Epistles notwith­standing, in the which hee trea­teth most deeplie and profoundly of the deepest and profoun­dest articles of the Christian faith; and none of vs wil wrong him so far as to thinke, that his intent was thereby to destroie them, he being so powerful and so zealous in their instruction. The like is also to bee thought of S. Peter, and S. Iames, & the other Apostles. But speake wee also of the church in these pri­mitiue times. Of what folly doe we accuse her, which tooke so great a care, to cause the newe testament to be translated into all languages, that all mē might be able to vnderstand it? Into [Page 47]the Latine, the Syrian, the Ara­bian, the Egyptian, the Ethio­pian, the Persian, the Indian, the Scythian, the Sauromaticke, & the Gothes language. And for what manner of men shall wee take S. Hierome, and S. Chry­sostome, which turned it into the Sclavonian and Armenian tongues, commending so ex­presly the reading thereof vnto all persons?Chrysost. Hom. 3. de Lazaro. In Ioh. Hom 29. De verbo Esay Hom 2. In opere Imperf. Homil 42 In Matt. Hom. 2. In Ioh. Homil. 16 In Genes. Hom. 12.13.21. The one of them so farre as to say, that they are the instruments of every Christian mans trade, that hee ought, and can no lesse want them, then an artificer the implements of his shop, that he must spare no cost for to buy them, that hee ought to haue thē alwaies in his hād, and not referre himselfe either to Monke or Clergie man; but on the contrary hee ought to preiudice and iudge the sermōs of the Preachers, I and his own [Page 48]too,Ad Col. Hom 9 & ad Thess. Hom. 3. by reading before hand the same place, which is expounded vnto them: ought also to arme himselfe against the Arrians, & all other hereticks, because it shall so happen (saith he, and re­peats it at sundry times) that then when Antichrist shall bee come with his army of heresies, there shall bee left no other meanes to knowe the truth or true Christianitie by, but onely, tantummodò,Chrysost. in Opere Imperf. Hom 9 by the Scriptures: No more at all by visions, nor by miracles. The reader may find on that same subiect many homilies, in the which hee can never bee cloid, almost whole ones together, which wee need not bring in here. Origen, S. Ba­sil, S. Ambrose, S. Augustine, S. Hierom, say euery one the same also. When as thē men spake of of the Scriptures quite other­wise at this day; and vse as ma­ny [Page 49]inhibitions for to remoue vs from them, as these good Fa­thers had exhortations for to bring vs neere them: when as men tell vs, as vnto little chril­drē, take heed therof, the wolfe is there: can we heare this, and not haue cause to suspect them? And what then is more likely, then to beleeue rather that our Church is much changed, sith that the voice of our teachers is quite different from that of these holy Fathers: & that they set our candlesticke vnder a­bushel, for feare we should per­ceaue these deformities & gaps, or seeke after a reformation, or call them into the law, at least to repentance?

Therefore, Hunc audite, Heare Iesus our saviour, heare him in his Scriptures. But to make vse of them: Heare him with due reverence: Think with [Page 50]your selfe, when you alight vp­on this newe Testament of our Lord, that you enter into the temple of God, into his sanctu­arie; that Christ preacheth vnto vs therein, that it is his voice, which is the truth and the way: that it is not for naught, that the Church hath called these Scriptures Canonicall, that is to say Regular, they being rules di­recting our faith and our salva­tion. [...]nter therefore with invo­cation of Gods holy name, by the same Iesus, requiring of him his holy Spirit, that may inspire you, enlighten you, & gine you an accesse to his mysteries: be­ing void of all passions, & full of holy affections, hungring af­ter salvation, and covetous of his glory. And doubt not, but that seeking him there, for there he is, he wil be found of thee; & knacking at this dore he will o­pen [Page 51]vnto thee, hee will preuent thee, and draw thee vnto hinn The Eunuch of the Queene of the Ethiopians,Act. 8. read Esaias the Prophet in his chariot; read him but vnderstood him not. And yet found he there Iesus, whom he scarse sought after; Philip rū ning vnto him, being carried by the Spirit, for to bee his truche­man, his interpreter. Thus is God at hand to those that seek his Son in the Scriptures. Thus also is the Son himselfe deligh­ted in being sought after here, and in offering himselfe to bee foūd here in his schoole. Which being risen and glorified, com­ming to his disciples at Emma­us, when he might haue shewne them his wounds, tokens of his mortality and also of his God­head, had rather resolue them in their doubts by Moses & by the Prophets. Did not our harts, [Page 52]said they, burne within vs, while he talked with vs by the way, and whē he opened vnto vs the Scrip­tures. Why then simple people & idiots as we are, you will say, (for I speak euen vnto them al­so) in these Scriptures what are we to do? Thou Christian, that hast thy conscience doubtful a­bout the controversies of this time: thou shalt consult with Iesus thy Sauiour in this his word on them. In a matter of great doubt thou cōsultest with thine Advocate, & wilt beleeue his writings therin. What wrōg then shalt thou do to thy Saui­our, in a matter of thine owne saluation, if thou wilt not heare him, if thou wilt not beleeue him? Thou shalt also in reading it see before thee the chiefe points of thy Religion, wherof thou art in doubt; Those, that aboue others are commaunded [Page 53]and commended vnto you; of which ether the beliefe is more strictly prescribed vnto thee, or the practise in special vrged vp­on thee: for to obserue or not to obserue those, which are told thee to procure greater sinne or greater reward. Thou shalt ob­serue in these holy Scriptures the words of thy Sauiour, & the rules of thy saluation; if there be any mention made of them, and in what manner, if in the same manner, as men teach them vn­to thee, as they are celebrated in thy church, though not in name, yet at least in effect, though not in expresse tearmes, yet at least in such as are equi­valēt. In briefe, if in the reading of these holy Scriptures thou canst finde out the beliefe, the doctrine, the discipline, the face the visage, and lineamentes of thine owne church▪ and of that, [Page 54]which is taught, beleeued, and done in thy church. Truely if thou canst perceiue all this, call then thy selfe happy, think that thou art in Paradise, where the voice of Iesus, where his worde is heard. From this church be thou neuer desirous to departe. But say with the Apostle, who shal separate me frō this church, wherin is felt the loue of Christ? Shall tribulation, Rom. 8 35 or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or naked­nes, or perill, or sworde? No, nei­ther death, nor life, nor Angels, nor principalities, nor powers. For what greater consolation can there be in this conflict of opi­nions, then to haue peace in his conscience; and in these so dan­gerous occurrents, thē to be as­sured of his way? Of the true faith warranted by the word of his God, and, by a consequent, of his saluation? But on the cō ­trary, [Page 55]if thou findest nothing therein of the most part of that which men preach vnto thee, & make thee beleeue, and inioine thee to do; if in the inward and in the outward, in the doctrine & in the discipline, thou findest altogither a different voice and different hue; hast not thou thē cause to doubte, that thou art straied from the Sheepefolde of thy Sauiour, where thou knew­est not his voice, but the voice rather of a stranger, in words & doctrines so strange, that it is now no longer the true temple of God, seeing that it is an o­ther then our Sauiour, that cau­seth his voice there to sound, & hath seased on the chaire there­of? And what remaineth then, but that with the spouse in the Canticles thou sayest vnto him, Shew me ô thou whom my soule lo­veth, Cant 1.6▪ where thou feedest, where [Page 56]thou lyest at noone: for why should I bee as shee that turneth aside? Psal. 25. & 23. Shew me thy waies, ô Lord, direct me in thy truth, sēd me thy light, let it lead me, let is bring me into thy Tabernacles. Tabernacles in deed in regarde of that statelie building of this temple, wherin I finde my selfe to bee, and of a small shew, and very contemp­tible. But be they what they wil yet are they the tabernacles & boothes of that chiefe. Shep­heard, which I seeke for, whose skins and cords hee will stretch out when it shall please him; & in the meane time I shal be sure to finde there my Shepheard, I shall not want. Psal. 23. That good Shep­hearde, which laieth downe his life for his sheepe, Ioh. 10. and lifteth thē all vp euen the little lambes, into his bosome; Esa. 40.11 doth wash them in the poole of Siloa, feedeth thē to the hand, and nourisheth thē [Page 57]vp with himselfe into life ever­lasting. Whereas in this fained Temple I was fed with nothing but smoake, with winde, with sound, with pride, with rumour with luxury; I laide out, as the Prophet saith, my siluer and my labour for that which neither did nourish nor satisfie:Esay. 55. in idle suffrages, in vaine seruices, and erroneous indeed because vain.

Here againe is another stop. What then? The Religion of Christ, the true one, the only religion, doth she not admit of a­ny increase or change? May not men adde therunto some Laws, some articles, some new cere­monies? Learne this my friend, that the true religion, as a man from his first birth, hath all his members, all his ioints, any the least part cannot be taken from it; (thou findest it so in thine owne body,) without maiming [Page 58]it; any the noblest, that thou canst imagine, cannot be appli­ed vnto it out of the work, with out disproportion, without de­formity, without wronging the whole frame: if any thing be in it more then should be, it is ex­tuberancie, or some vnnaturall flesh that groweth out; because that Religion is not a thing in­vented by man, but by a diuine Law, and the rule of Gods ser­vice, and of mans saluation; and none other but God can giue or enioine it vnto man; because that his thoughts are aboue the thoughts of man, and are high­er then the heauens that are a­boue the earth;Cor. 2.1. because that no man knoweth the thinges of a man saue the spirit of a man; not one man of another mā, though they haue the same ofspring, & do consist of the same faculties and like parts; but every one of [Page 59]himselfe. And with much more reason then; no man hath known, no man hath ever beene able to know, the things of God but the spirit of God. Who art thou, Esa. 40 13 saith the Prophet, that instructest the spirit of the Lord; or art his coū ­sailour to teach him any thing? And hence it is that we see, all those authours of religions a­mong the heathen, to haue bin so childish and ridiculous in their ceremonies; and can we i­magine, that, when wee vnder­take to adde any thing to that religion, which was ordeined from God by Iesus Christ, wee should be less so thē they were? can we thinke, that the dirt and dust, and smoke, which we cast vpon it, can any way honor, nay canne it chuse but disfigure or pollute his worke? And neuer­thelesse, do not thou think ther­fore that the Doctours in the [Page 60]church are vnprofitable, or that they are not very profitable, that the church & her members all and euery one of them can­not helpe or grow vp. Truely the right Religion can growe both in it selfe and in thee, hath growne heretofore, and can al­waies goe on in grouth. But learne also how shee groweth. She groweth in her selfe, and e­ven in thee also, (if thou canst make thine vse of it,) when the old Testament hath taught thee that it behooved the Christ of God to die and rise againe; and the new, that hee hath died in­deed, and is risen againe. And beholde a sufficient clowde of witnesses, of holy martyrs, which many ages ago, by hun­dreds and thousandes togither haue died for the witnes of this death, of this resurrection; & by their suffrings and deaths haue [Page 61]subdued the world vnto him, & knit together vnder the banner of his crosse those which hee hath separated from the world: dost not thou thinke that these articles, I beleeue that he rose a­gaine from the dead; I beleeue the resurrection of the body, are very well perfected by them, well growne, and strengthned both in them and in thee, so far as to beleeue them, and to embrace them euen to the death for this faith, seeing that by this faith thou art to liue? Behold also, the lawe hath told thee, that this Christ should be the son of God and neuerthelesse be borne of a Virgin: and the Gospell, that he is that Iesus that sonne of the li­ving God, God of God, & there fore from everlasting as the Fa­ther; and that word nevertheles made flesh, conceiued in the wombe of the Virgin Mary; [Page 62]God and man, both together. Sundry heretickes, Arius and Nestorius aboue the rest, begin they to call in question some his eternity and Godhead, and some his manhood and morta­litie, and by a consequent the Character of the Saviour of the world; wherevpon the Almigh­tie through his spirit stirreth vp many great doctors frō al quar­ters, powerful in the Scriptures, which by the same doe ouer­come and convince them, doe demonstrate with efficacie in one only person as well the one as the other nature; both the wills as well the one as the o­ther to be necessarie for our sal­vation; the one working with­out preiudice to the other. And that by places well expounded and aswell applied, and by ar­guments drawne from them, both strong in themselues and, [Page 63]as strongly vrged; so that after many cumbats the field is left to the truth, the victory & glory to the simplicitie, and to that seeming weaknesse of the Gos­pell. Dost not thou thinke that these articles of our creed, I be­leeue in Iesus Christ the only son of the Father Almightie our Lord, borne of the virgin Mary, conceiued by the holy Ghost; these very same in number, as they vse to speak in the schools, haue bred in thee a new impres­siō & in themselues new forces? The like also is to bee thought of so many others, for all that the hereticks doe set vpon thē, which harden and make them­selues strong against them; and we by them, as wrestlers against the skirmish, according as the hereticks do trouble & vex thē. Those articles of the fall of man by himself, of his restitution by [Page 64]one Iesus alone; of the grace of God, of free iustification, for all that Pelagius, Celestius, & their consorts, either lay battery a­gainst them or vndermine thē: stand fast notwithstāding, with out once moving thēce, where the Master-builder placed thē, make no breach in the propor­tion of the building, & stir not from their first conformity, to the which nothing cā be added, but in the manner of a botch, quite contrary to the nature of the first Law giuers intent, and to that Lawe, in the which no­thing can bee altered without high treason, & from which no­thing cā be derogated without sacriledge.Vincent. Lirinen. contra hęreti cos Heare therevpon, what saith our Vincentius Liri­nensis; (for in such matters I speake not willingly without mine authour; and such an au­thour as may please thee.) The [Page 65]Canon, saith he, of the Scriptures is perfect, and more then sufficient in it selfe for al things. What thē shall it not bee lawfull to put somewhat of our own there vn­to? Timothy, saith hee, thou that art a Doctour of the Church, De­positum custodi, keep that which hath beene trusted vnto thee, thou hast received it of gold, giue it vp againe of gold, I will haue no lead nor brass or base mettle from you: God hath hee endowed thee with his spirit, or with learning, then be thou a Bezeleel in his spiritu­all Tabernacle, in his church, cut and square these pretious stones of his divine doctrine, set them cunningly in some worke, giue a luster vnto them, and a sparkling, and grace. But goe no farther then hee did, presume not to change any thing either in the matter or the forme, which the Lord hath prescribed vnto thee: [Page 66]vnto this Bezeleel God had prescribed of euery thing, euen to the very badgers skins, and the loopes of the Tabernacle, he had left him nothing to doe after his owne minde. For what serues then both his and our in­dustrie? That by thee, saith hee, men may vnderstand that more cleerely, which before they belee­ved more obscurely. One and the same article of faith, more cleerly, but no newe one, none of thine owne head. That in tea­ching that, which thou hast lear­ned, thou maist say the same things after a new manner, with a new grace or methode, but no new things; nothing, that is not in this rule of holy Scripture; nove (saith he) non nova. And he addeth, that this is not said vn­to Timothie in particular, but to the whole Church, to the whole body of those that haue any [Page 67]charge therein, because that this Depositum, is a thing which hath beene commanded thee, and thou thy selfe hast not invented; which thou hast receiued, and thou thy selfe hast or forged. It is no worke of chine owne wit, but it was taught thee; it is no matter of private vsurpation, but of pub­lique graunt. In respect of which lastly, thou oughtest not be the author, but the keeper, not the ordainer, but the follower; thou oughtest not to lead others, but to follow. And to speake truely, what neede is there of all these inventions, and of so many careeres, as we giue, vn­vnprofitable to our owne wittes, for to beautifie the Religion, to our owne fansie? As if, saith hee, it were not an heavenly doctrine, and suffised to haue beene once revealed; but an earthly institution, and [Page 68]could never be perfected but by a continual amendmēt, according as men vse to deliberate toge­ther of one thing to day, and to morrow of another. After him, which flourished about some twelue hundred yeares agoe, all wearied and tired by the in­uentions of his own time, what is there that wee may not now say? Shall we esteeme of it as he­resie, or a lust after schisme, to call the Church backe againe vnto Christ, vnto his holy word and vnto his holy Scriptures? Therefore, Hunc audite, Heare Iesus, heare him, yee which haue heard so many others, and that to your great harme; heare him, and shut your care vnto them, which was too open to humane teachings, and is from hence forth to bee reserued for his voice alone. But because that our cares are vncircumcised, & [Page 69]filled with fatte, let vs beseech this everlasting Sonne, that by his spirit he would cleanse them and pearce them even vnto our hearts, and vnto our soules, for to heare and vnderstand our Ie­sus, and his voice, in his word, and in his doctrine, and that he will graunt, that wee may heare it, to beleeue it with our hearts; that we may beleeue it, to con­fesse it to saluation; and that we may professe it to the edificati­on of our neighbours and his Church. But aboue all, because that in his language to heare is to obey, and that truely to be­leeue and to doe well, doe na­turally follow the one vpon the other: let vs make our supplica­tion vnto him, that he will giue vs the grace, to be of the num­ber of those, which harken vn­to his word and keep it; and be­ing consequently built, & lay­ing [Page 70]our foundation on that Rocke, which all the waues of the sea can neuer shake, and the gates of hell with all their in­deavors can never approach vn to; we may then be assured, that as he hath graunted vs here be­neath to bee of the number of his true disciples, so hee will make vs in heauen aboue, (not vpon this earthly mountaine) partakers of his full glory; be­cause that there we cannot say, as S. Peter did, Let vs make here three Tabernacles, as being ra­uished with the sense of a light shadow of this heauenly glorie; but rather as being both better in our wits, and better instruct­ed and that by himselfe, wee are to heare him, and to depend on his sayings, and to seeke him in his word, wherein hee makes vs to vnderstand him, as being the finisher of the law, and the [Page 71]author of saluation in his Gos­pell, yea himselfe being that sal­uation; that so, when the earth­ly habitation of this our abode shall come to be destroyed, wee may be carried vp into that buil­ding and euerlasting house, which was neuer made with hands, but hath beene prepared by the father for his Disciples. Now to him be all honour and glorie with the Sonne and the holy Ghost for euer and euer.

Amen.

WE haue told you that two onely words out of the Gospell were a­ble to decide the most parte of doubts, that are at this day in Christendome; and wee haue already expounded vnto you one of them, Hunc audite, Hear him, that well beloued Sonne, that Sonne and Christ of God, in his worde, in his holy Scrip­tures. Whereby are cutte off all forged articles of faith or of re­ligion, that haue no foundation [Page 73]all in this his worde. Now fol­loweth the second; Non sic fuit ab initio: From the beginning it was not so. Which banisheth out of the Church, and consequent­ly blotteth out in our conscien­ces, whatsoeuer the inuention or imitation of man, either in imitation of the Iewes and Pa­gans, or in loue of their owne fansies, hath added to those ve­ry articles, which are grounded in the holy Scriptures, in so much, that wee haue need from time to time to recall them to their first institution, & begin­ning, it belonging to the same diuinitie, and being of the same kind, nature, and consequence, to inuent new articles of faith, or to cast the old ones anew, to institute a religion in the whol, or in some parts. Iesus Christ therefore being asked by the Pharises, which came to tempt [Page 74]him, whether it be lawfull for a man to put away his wife, an­swers them by the law of God; Haue yee not read that hee which made thē at the beginning, made them male and female; and would haue them twaine to be one flesh? And let no man therefore put asunder that, which God hath coupled together. Here was wherewithall to stoppe their mouth. But they neuerthelesse reply; Why then did Moses com­maund to giue a bill of divorce­ment? This proud nation oppo­sing Moses to God, the seruant to the master, the creature to his Creator. But what answe­reth our Sauiour, which was e­uen meeknesse and humblenes it selfe, but yet for all that aba­ted nothing from the glory of the father? Moses because of the hardnesse of your heart hath suf­fered you to doe so. A number of [Page 75]things haue either bin brought in or tolerated in the Church vnder this pretense; But from the beginning it was not so; Such was not the institution of mar­riage ordained by God, that great lawgiuer; to this original it is that he calleth them, with­out any respect of their prescri­ptions. I say therefore vnto you, I which was present with God, being coeternall with him, whē he made them, when hee cou­pled them together, when hee blessed them, which knowe his meaning, and the reason of the law, which also will cause it to be followed, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it bee for whoredome, and marrie another, committeth adulterie. How ma­ny thinges might the Pharises haue to say hereupon, in a mat­ter wherein Moses was tou­ched, that great captaine of [Page 76]Gods people, which had spokē to him face to face, had receiued the law from his hand, authori­sed by so many miracles? By a prescription of two thousand yeares? By so long a forbearāce? And that vnder so many kings, Priests, and Prophets? And yet they stand here at a stay, & yeeld without once cōtradicting this sentence; From the beginning it was not so; In Paradise this was ordered otherwise. If then this hold in a law that concernes on­ly ciuill societie, howe much more in Ecclesiasticall lawes, which concerne religion, and Gods service? the articles of our faith, the saluation of our souls, and things spirituall? Where­in the naturall man discer­neth nothing, nor the spiri­tuall man perceiueth an [...]e more, then as far as the Spirit of God guideth him, and being [Page 77]guided by the spirit of God cā go no farther, then as he keepes himselfe to his word; how illu­minated soeuer he either bee or seeme to be, he cā adde nothing to Gods work, to his comman­dement; whatsoeuer he putteth to it, is but imperfect and full of filth. And hence it is that the Politicians do so often rehearse vnto vs, that to the vpholding of the lawes of any common­wealth, it is necessarie that they should be recalled from time to time to their principles; to wit, against all tricks, & side-stroaks as it were of such as wrest & de praue them. And therefore for a greater cause was Gods people enioind so carefully to knowe the law of God and his seruice at their fingers end; that so, as many men as there were of thē, so many cōtrollers there might be in the church, for to keep hir [Page 78]in and call her backe againe to her bounds. And therefore was it that Esay cryed so lowd: To the Law and to the Testimony, Esay. 8.20 if they speake not according to this word, it is because ther is no light in them. No saluation for this people. Thē is this a rule, which is to be receiued for the directi­on of Gods church, & to con­taine all whatsoeuer concernes the true religion, the whole du­ty of man towards God, & his owne saluation: and for such a one hath it indeede alwaies bin vsed, as often as there was in hande any reformation of the Church.

David had established Gods seruice, in the middest of his people, according to the ten or of his law. And many of his suc­cessors, either dronken with the seruice of false Gods, or neglecting the seruice of the [Page 79]true God, had partly corrupted it, and partly suffered it to go to decay; and now that good king Iosaphat, mooued with a true zeal of God, is about to restore it againe: It is said,2. Chron. 17 v. 3. vn to the 9. That he wal­ked in the first waies of his father David. He stood not vpon that, which his father Asa, though a godly Prince, had either done or tolerated, and stood as little also on that, which so many o­ther in all this while had done, for to drawe a president from their example: but turned back euen vnto David, vnto the first waies of David, vnto his best yeares; and those very best ones yet did he examine by the lawe of God: when it is added, that he sought the God of his father; not that which his father had done, but that which the God of his father had appointed to he done; he walked in his com­mandements, [Page 80]and not accor­ding to that which Israel had done; he ordered himselfe ac­cording to the law, and not af­ter the vsuall custome of the church, he tooke away the high places and the groues out of Iu­da, which had bin tolerated a­mongst them by most of their best kings. To a young and ten­der king this toleration might haue scrued for an excuse. And that his people might also seeke the same waies, he sent Priestes and Leuites, as also some of the chiefe men of his Estate to assist them, That they should teach those of Iuda, But how? Having the booke of the law of the Lorde with thē, for to recall their faith to this beleefe, their worship to his ordinances, their crooked & depraued waies, to this square, to this rule. And we find not, that in all this circuite, which [Page 81]they make, any one doth once obiect vnto them either the tra­dition or the authority of the church, or the toleration of the Fathers. So well had every one of them learned & remembred, euen in the middest of that cor­ruption; that there, where the God of their fathers spake, was no place at all to hearken vnto either the Church of Israel, or all their fathers togither.

Likewise Hezekiah when he came to the crowne; he had had to his father king Ahaz, which had broken the vessels of Gods house, and shut vp his temple; that is to say, had cast down his seruice,2 Chron. 28. v. 24. & built vp altars to the false Gods in all the citties of Iuda; insteed of the true Altar, many thousands of false ones, as superstition of its owne nature doth multiply; all this might haue beene a great stumbling [Page 82]blocke to this yoūg Prince, but yet he goeth on farther. Euen in the first yeare of his raigne, hee openeth the dores and repaires them; and which is more, doeth send for the Priests and Leuites those which ought rather to haue preuented him, and com­manded them to cast forth the filthines. By filthines he meant all kinds of strange seruices. All what was not in the law, that counted he to be strange; & be­cause they might haue said, as we at this day; haue not our fa­thers liued as wel as thou? what wilt thou thē do? He cutteth thē short with this, our fathers haue trespassed, 2. Chron. 29. v. 6.7. and done evill in the eies of the Lord our God, & haue turned away their faces from him and turned their backs; they haue quenched the lampes of the Tem­ple: What light thē can we look [Page 83]for, or what darknes ought not we to expect from them? And therefore did they arise at this word, and gathered their bre­thren, and being convicted and sorrowfull in their hearts san­ctified themselues, cleansed the house of the Lord, & caried the filth therof out vnto the brook; that it might neuer at any time be remembred. And all this was done according to the commā ­dement of the king, as it is saide there? But what is added?V. 15. By the word of the Lord: as before was said of Iosaphat. And that for to abolish all false worshippings. He beginneth afterwarde to e­stablish the true worship, & the maner of their sacrifices, by the same authority, and in the like method, according to the cōmandement, saith he, of David, and Gad, and Nathan. V 25. This might seeme enough to content them, [Page 84]seeing these were such excellēt prophets. But doth he stay there and thinketh he therby to haue satisfied them? No, but he takes it yet higher. In the church of God, wherein we must not liue after examples or the comman­dements of men; for the commā ­dement, saith he,V. 25. was by the hand of the Lord, & by the hand of his Prophets. And wee must not thinke that al this while Heze­kiah was attended vpon or assi­sted by others in that manner, as so good a worke might haue required. The Priests, in the ve­rie reformation of these sacrifi­ces, are found to be but fewe in number. Those, which haue the chiefest charge in the church, are not alwaies the first that do reforme it: for want of them, he was constained to set a worke the Levites; wee in our daies might say for want of Bishops, [Page 85]the Priests or Deacons, those which are lesse bounde to pre­vent and forbid these corrupti­ons. The Levites, saith the holy story, being found to be, V. 34. & 35 more vp right in heart for to sanctifie thē ­selues, then the Priests, &c: And so the service of the house of the Lord was set in order. In the like maner doth Hezekiah proceed to the reformation of the sacra­mēts; he publisheth a passeover to be kept throughout al Israel and that such a passeover, saith the authour of this holy storie, as for a long time before they had not celebrated, after that manner as it is written, to wit, in the law of God. For a long time before, saith he; This might haue beene enough to stop all reformation; and if we had liued at that time, wee had bin ready to tell them, haue not our fathers done it on this manner? Are they all dam­ned? [Page 86]What need is there then of such a change? will we be wiser then they? wifer thē the Priests? wifer then the church it selfe? But what then would Hezeki­ah haue told vs? The same truly, that he told them:2. Chron. 30.16. Ye children of Israell, turne againe vnto the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, & Iacob. It is no time now to stay still in these Abuses. And he caused this to be cried every where throughout the land.V. 7. Be not yee like your fathers & like your bre­thren, which trespassed against the Lorde God of their fathers. What proportion, I pray you, is there betweene that respect, which you owe to your earthly fathers, and that duety, which you owe to the Lorde God of you and of your fathers also? There were not wanting, saith be some men in Ephraim, Ma­nassen, and Zebulun, that moc­ked [Page 87]them, being now growne old in their filthines; neuerthe­lesse the greater part submitted themselues: In Iudah especially, with one heart,V. 12. according to the word of the Lord. They take a­way therefore the altars that were in Ierusalem, and all those for incense tooke they away, & they celebrated the passeouer, according to the Law. Some at legth of the Priests were ashāed, & sanctified thēselus, the Levits supplying the places and the duty of those that were obstinate against thē. And the like thing the like passeover, was not seene in Ierusalem since the time of Sa­lomon and of David, V. 26. for many a­ges together. And it followeth in the same place, that assoone as the passeover was finished, by the same commaundement, all the people being inflamed with a new zeale, went out, and [Page 88]brake the images, & cut downe the groues, and brake downe the high places and the altars. But behold, they did more yet; at the same time also, (for it is to be read in the same verse, the Authour maketh not two nar­rations of this and that which went before,2 King 18 v 4. Numb. 21 v. 9.) he brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made by the expresse com­mandement of God, for a pre­sent remedy against the bitings of those fiery serpents, to him that did looke on it; as a signe of Christ the Son of God, which was to be lifted vp on a tree, for a remedy against sin, the biting of that old serpent, to him that would turn the eies of his faith towards him. Because that now indeede, of that present vse, which remained no lōger, t [...]ey had made an abuse: of the signe and sacrament of Christ which [Page 89]was to come, they had made it as the thing it selfe, and had gi­ven vnto it divine honours: and had lastly converted this so healthfull an image into an a­bominable idoll. Wherefore al­so, when he brake it, hee gaue them to vnderstand, that it was but Nehushtan, a piece of brasse contemptible in it selfe, & here­after for ever vnprofitable, I & dāgerous too, by reason of that relation which it had vnto Christ, seeing they abused it. And hee was very highly com­mended for it by the Spirit of God, for hauing done vprightly in the sight of the Lord, and be­cause he trusted in the God of Is­raell: for having laid aside al hu­mane considerations, that hee might retaine or restore the pu­rity of his service. And indeede by reason of the conditiō of the church wherein wee obserued [Page 90]hir to haue bin at that time, as also by reason of the cōnivence the slacknes and corruption of the Priests, which then were; it is not to bee doubred, but that he met with some that contra­dicted him; & then is it not said here for naught, that hee trusted in God, to wit, against the mur­muring of the people; And, vnto those daies the children of Israell burned incense to it; alleadging without doubt, a prescriptiō of so many yeares, but especially, that this serpent was instituted by God and erected by Moses himself. But against all this, that answere which our Savior gaue here to the Pharisie; stood him insteede: Non sic fuit ab mitio, From the beginning it was not so. It was ordained to be a remedy for you against the biting of he serpents in the wildernesse; and now you are no longer in that [Page 91] [...]ase. For a signe, that on that Christ which was to come, the sonne of the liuing God, did depend all your health both tem­porall and spirituall; and you now haue attributed all that to this image, and transferred the honour of the Creatour to the creature, of the ordeiner him­selfe to the thing ordeined by him. And therfore hath he now brought it backe againe to his first nature. And I woulde to God we had not many thinges in our Christian Religiō, which haue very great need of the like remedie.

Iosiah likewise is renoumed amongst the kings of Israel,2 Chron. 34. &. 35. be­cause hee had reformed the church: & that on good groūds for Manasseh had defiled all the service thereof, & had brought in false Gods in steed of the Al­mightie, and Amon his son, the [Page 92]father of Iosiah, had not done much better then he.2 King. 22 & 23. Iosiah be­gan this reformation, by repai­ring the ruines of the Temple, whereof he laide the charge on Hilkiah the high Priest. It hap­pened so, that Hilkiah amongst many other old registers,2 King, 22 which he sought for, found the booke of the Law in the Temple. You may imagine to what a straight the church was brought, when the high Priest himselfe findeth this booke but by a chance. No sooner had he found it, but hee sendeth it to Iosiah by Shaphan the Secretarie, which read it be fore him; therein hee findeth, that it was a thing of nothing to build vp againe the Temple of God, vnlesse hee also would establish againe his seruice; that it rained not only on the ho [...]se top, as they say; but that the in­side also was posaned, and the [Page 93]Sanctuarie filled with Idolatry. And hereupon beginneth hee nowe to detest the sinne of the Church: rent his cloathes, ta­keth counsell with the Prophe­tesse, and humbleth himselfe. Here the Priest might haue cō ­forted himselfe with this: that he knew his lesson by hearte, & might haue contented him with the tradition of the Church; which neuer faileth, never lieth; but what do'es he? He gathereth together the Priests and the Le­vits in the house of God; all Iu­da, all Ierusalem, from the verie least to the greatest. At that time was it not the fashion to get a dispensation for to read the ho­ly Scriptures? In the middest of them all he causeth this booke to bee read: which being read, hee maketh a couenant to ob­serue it, and bindeth therewith all the people. And after al this, [Page 94]he purgeth the Temple from all idolatrie and superstition, and driueth out al the Priests there­of, hee casteth their vessels into the fire, and breaketh down the high places, euen those that were in the cities of Iuda, ha­uing beene tolerated by so ma­ny good kings, & in the which the Priests of the stock of Leui those that had their lawfull cal­ling, did sacrifice vnto the true God. And hereupō there might haue beene much to gainesay: what is there wanting to these sacrifices? Are they not offered to him and by those, to whome and by whom they ought to be offered? Is this therefore any thing else, but a desire of no­veltie. And put the case, that there is some defect in them, is it not for all that tolerable, ha­ving already beene tolerated by so many good kings, by so [Page 95]many high Priests, for so ma­ny yeares to gether? And is it not in this, that that law of po­licy is to take place, that a thing once well setled, though it bee euill, ought not to bee taken a­way, but to shun all inconueni­ences it ought to be left still in his place? And neuertheles our rule makes him not sticke at all this;Deut. 12, v. 11. From the beginning it was not so. There shall be a place (saith Moses) which the Lord shal chuse to cause his name to dwell there; thither shall you bring all your burnt offerings and your sacrifi­ces, &c. Take heed, V. 1 [...]. that thou of­fer them not in every place that thou seest, and which thou thin­kest to be fit for thy purpose. As if he said, for I will not take any of thy pretended supererogati­ons for sacrifices or worship­ping. I will be worshiped, ac­cording to that which I haue [Page 96]commanded thee, and not after thine owne fansie. Because in­deed that God, the very reason and cause of all things, hath his end in all whatsoeuer he ordei­neth; for to direct all nations to the sacrifice of his onlie sonne alone, hee would haue but one temple, one sanctuarie, and one altar, whereas thou dost darken and confound his meaning, by thine owne inventions, by thy pretended good purposes, and by such a multitude of thine high places and thine altars; e­very sacrifice of thine is a wrōg worship. Therefore also is it said, in that which followes; that he commanded the people to keep the Passeover. But how? As it is written in the booke of the covenant; 2 Kin. c. 23 according to the word of the Lord delivered by the hand of Moses. He sendeth them to the originall, to the old form [Page 97]thereof; and indeed it is added, There was no Passeover holden like that from the daies of the Iudges that iudged Israell, V. 22. nor in all the daies of the kings of Israell and of the kings of Iuda; not in Samuels time, no nor in the time of Hezekiah himselfe. So neces­sarie a thing did hee esteeme it, to keepe himselfe exactly to the law of the Lord, and to his ho­ly Scriptures.

In the time of the captiuitie of Babylon, the Church of God, Gods Israell, in the midst of the Chaldeans, those great masters of ceremonies and patrons of al idolatrie and superstition, could not possibly haue stood out so long without being corrupted. What does then Esdras in this case, when he bringeth back the people into Ierusalem? Howe doth he proceed to set them in order againe? Truely it is said [Page 98]that, as soon as they were come into Ierusalem, Ieshua the son of Iozadak, with his brethren the Priests, and Zerubbabel the sonne of Salathiel, the captaine of the transmigration, Builded the altar of the God of Israell to offer thereon, Esd 3 v. 2 not according to their owne fansy, nor according to that which they might haue learned in that medlie of the heathen; but, saith hee, as it is written in the law of Moses, the man of God. As if it were said, that they calling to minde the punishment of the sonnes of Aaron, which were consumed by the fire of the wrath of God, for hauing offered vnto him a strange fire; they reestablish af­ter the same manner the service of God in Ierusalem, as it is written in the booke of Moses; they are not ashamed to go and learne their lesson therein. And [Page 99]yet are wee not to thinke, that they wanted amongst thē such men as were of courage, and had in thē presumptiō enough, to adde somewhat of their own therevnto. Lastly, to apply som­what neerer our text to this purpose; Esdras the restorer of the Church at that time, was fully informed, how that many of the cheefest of the people, yea & sōe Priests also against the expresse law of the Lord, had taken vn­to themselues strange wiues,Chap. 9. of those nations which were for­bidden them; whereupon hee rent his clothes, pluckt of the haire of his heade and of his beard, fell on his knees, and cō ­fessed both his owne and the peoples sinnes in the presēce of God;V. 7. from the daies of our fa­thers, saith he, haue wee beene in a great trespasse vnto this day. The longer that the sinne had [Page 100]lasted, the greater doth hee ac­knowledge to bee the fault: so farre was he from taking there­by any right occasion to conti­nue it. But did he stay here only? No, he returned▪ to his principle; Thou hadst forbidden vs to do so, Levit 18. [...]. 25 27. saith he, by thy servants the Pro­phets, Deut. 7.3. &c. And now shall wee re­turne to breake these commande­ments? Shall wee goe on stil, ô Lord, in these abominations? So that being strengthned by the assistance of honest men, & amongst others by Shechaniah the sonne of Iehiel, hee caused the people to sweare & bound them with a newe oath to the keeping of Gods law, that lawe especially, which forbad all these incestes; whence ensued forth with the putting away of all their strange wiues, and that by the common consent of the people and of the Priests them­selues, [Page 101]which at the reading of the law were convicted of their faults. This was a hard sentence you will say, as also an harder execution, to part asunder so many housholds, and to rent in two the wife from the husband, the children from the mother. And what became then all this while of Esdras his wisdome? Was there no Pope amongst them in those daies, that might haue dispensed with them for this? But rather if thou beleevest the Lord, when he hath spoken, wouldst thou haue had him cast Gods people againe into that furnace from whence they were but newly come; and that the wrath of the Lord for disobedi­ence (they are the very wordes of the law) should waxhot against them, Deut [...], 4. and destroy them suddenly? So certaine is that maxime in al good divinitie, that wee ought [Page 102]to obey God without looking back; and in a matter of refor­mation we ought to do nothing by roate, but haue alwaies re­course vnto this booke.

Our Lord therefore, which was come in our flesh to reform the Church, doth giue vs also the same rule, a rule indeed pro­noūced by him in this one case; but yet it extendeth it selfe over all whatsoever concernes Gods service, and therefore is it here­in so much the more to bee put in practise, as this is a matter of greater mysterie and weight. As also we learne the same in Gods law concerning his service. So saith he in another place, where hee instructeth his Disciples: Thinke not that I am come to de­stroy the law or the Prophets: Matth. 5. v. 17. The reformation of the church hath alwaies bin subiect to this slan­der. I am come to fulfil them, to [Page 103]recal the law vnto his right ob­servation, to restore vnto it his due and natural interpretation, and to keepe it from all traditi­ons, inventions, and Pharisaical glosses, the which vnder a co­lour of giuing light vnto it, doe indeed darken it: insteede of e­stablishing it, doe destroy it; in­steed of honouring it, doe make a mocke of it. You haue hearde that it was saide by them of the old time, your Doctors, & your Fathers, Thou shalt not kill, for whosoever killeth shall bee culpa­ble of iudgement. V. 21. For to avoide this iudgment they haue taught you, that it was enough not to kill at all; likewise it was saide; Thou shalt not commit adulterie. V. 27. And they haue made you be­leeue, that you were free from this law, if only you kept your selues from acting this sin. Like wise;V. 43. Thou shalt loue thy neigh­bour, [Page 104]and hate thine enemie. And in like manner all the other cō ­mandements. But I say vnto you I that am the true law giuer, that knowe the meaning of the Fa­ther, of that eternall Father, the creatour of bodies and spirites, which giveth his lawe alike to the one and to the other; That whosoever hateth his brother hath already killed him; whoso­ever looketh on a womā, to lust after hir, hath already commit­ted adultery with her. And, if so be you do not helpe your grea­test enemies, euen those which persecute you, then are you not his children, but the children of hell. Calling them backe in this manner from their Fathers (as we haue observed throughout in the state of the church of Is­raell) to the God of their Fa­thers; frō the glosse, to the text; from the letter, to the spirit, to [Page 105]the right purpose of the Law gi­ver, & to the reason [...] of the law. And this did the Pharisies saie we, to blaspheme the Temple, and to call Moses in question; in these daies amongst vs men would say it were, to condemne the Fathers, and to overthrowe the Church. Behold therefore this rule, which our Sauiour gi­veth vs: from the beginning it was not so. This was not the will of him that made the Testament; let this rule but bee stretched out over the building of the church; and then, whatsoever shall be found to bee out of this line, or out of the squire, let it be censured to be also out of the worke, let it bee condemned to be battered by the hammer, and to be cut of from the faith & doctrine of the church. Let S. Paul bee an example vnto vs even in those first times. For men, in [Page 106]matters of religion, can never go on very farre without stray­ing, vnlesse they alwaies take this guide along with them. E­vē in his time was the holy sup­per of the Lord prophaned a­mongst the Corinthians; in this church of God, by thē that were sanctified in Christ Iesus, Cor. 1.2. and Saints by calling: for so hee tear­meth them. But what saith he to them? Everie man, when they should eate, [...]. 11. v. 21 taketh his owne sup­per afore, &c. And one is hungry and another is drunken. This is not to eat the Lords Supper. This is not to celebrate that holy Sa­crament, it is rather to despise his church. Here then is a reme­die for it. I haue received, saith he of the Lord, V. 23 that which I also haue delivered or taught vnto you. Theodor i [...] 1. de [...] [...].7 And herevpon doth hee re­hearse vnto them at large the whole institution of the Lords [Page 107]Supper, in the same manner as we finde it in the Gospell; As I haue receiued it, euen so haue I delivered it vnto you; It is now your dutie, if you will be Chri­stians, to obserue it according­ly. S. Peter also perceiving that hee was nowe shortly to leaue this worlde,Gelas. Ci­lic. in Act. Conc. [...]ic doth not tell the churches to the which he wrot; after my decease, doe not much trouble your selues about that which you are to do; I will in­struct you sufficiently by reve­lations, and visions; there shall scarce bee one weeke in the which I will not giue you some new Article of faith, or deliuer vnto you some new ceremonie or other. But on the contrarie he saith; Seeing I know that the time is at hand, that I must laie downe this my tabernacle, 2. Pet 1. v. 14, & 15. I will indevour therefore alwaies, that after my departing ye also may be [Page 108]able to haue remēbrance of these things, that is, of the doctrine of saluation, which openeth vnto thē an entrance into the everlasting kingdome of Christ Iesus. To wit I my selfe beating this doctrine into you so deepe, whilest I am yet amongst you in this Taber­nacle, that, after I shall haue left you, you cānot forget it. Which also was the reason, why that great Emperor Constantine in the middest of all the hard con­tentions of his time went no where for helpe but thither. There is nothing more vnworthy said he to the Bishoppes of his time, then to wrangle one with a­nother about the controversies of divine matters, seeing that vvee haue the doctrin of the holy Ghost in writing. And, the bookes of the Evangelists and Apostles, togi­ther with the Oracles of the an­cient Prophets, doe teach vs evi­dently, [Page 109]what we ought to cōclude about divine matters, and there­fore laying aside all discord, let vs take the decision of all our contro­versies out of those words, which were inspired by God.

What then? Is it now behoue­full to reduce the Christian Church to this rule? The church truely hath alwaies fitly beene compared to a ship: and no ship can keep his right way without a cōpasse to direct it; if at some time it be not looked vpō, how good and skilfull soeuer the Pi­lot or the Mates of the ship be, we are not to think it strange, if shee bee much out of the waie. This ship also hath floted vp & downe for many yeares toge­ther, and hath run vpon manie strange coasts: it were then a marveile, if she were not soiled, or had not gathered on the out side much mosse, many wormes [Page 110]and shels; & in the inside much corruption, contagion, and all kindes of vermine; or if shee did not leake for a long time alrea­dy on so many places, where e­very one bringeth his superflui­ties, & leaueth his excrements, but no man in all this time hath taken the beasom in hand or set hand to the Pumpe. It were a miracle indeed if there had bin left any thing entire. And wret­ched mē that we are, being our selues full of nastinesse in the midst of all this filth; yet do we cry out blasphemy, if anie one smell it; and curse him, that will take it away. Shee hath moiled hir anker within the havēs, yea and in the mud also and owze, of Iewes, Pagans, Philosophers Peripatetiks, Academikes, both old and new. Shee hath beene fraighted with their marchan­dise, with their inventions. Frō [Page 111]the one, she hath put on the ce­remonies, which from hence­forth ore without any mysterie; and from the others, shee hath borrowed their superstition & Idolatry: from the one, by a for­cible imitation, she hath confirmed the presumption & merits of man, contrary to the ende of the whole law and Gospell; frō the others they haue receiued fables for truth, Poësies for hi­story, Mythology for Diuinity: for these tenne or twelue hun­dred yeares togither, we haue had no other trade, no other traficke, beeing alwaies mingled, (like vnto the people of Israell, not once looking on the lawe) with strange women; & yet doe we finde it strange, that our progeny, our religiō, is become ba­stard? can we beleeue, if the A­postles of our Lorde, if all those Apostolicall men, of the nexte [Page 112]age, should come hither once a­gaine, that they would finde as much as one step of the old dis­cipline and Christian policie; Amongst vs truly hath now been verified that tale, which goeth about, of him that tooke a pri­soner, but was caried away by him himselfe. We haue conver­ted many Iews and Pagans vn­to Christ; but they haue perver­ted vs: we haue baptized them; but they haue plunged vs in their filthines: and from hence­forth, if we now convert one a­mongst t [...]em, wee make them twise as much the sons of hell.

Come thou then hither, and question with our Lorde Iesus Christ, not as a Pharisie to tēpt him, but as a true Christiā with a good conscience to learne of him. Master, teach me how to pray; I know, that I ought to cal vpon God, but I am told, that I [Page 113]ought also to call vpon the An­gels and Saints, and set them a work as intercessers vnto thee. Is this lawfull? He will tell thee with out doubt, (for he cannot do otherwise, being neither cō ­trary to God nor to himselfe,) Hast thou not read, that which is written; Call vpon me, and I will heare thee, & thou shalt giue me the praise. And knowest thou not that hee, in whom men be­leeue, is one only God, accor­ding to thy Creed, the Father, the Sonne, and the holy Ghost? And howe often is it rehearsed vnto thee, that there is but one only Mediator betweene God & men: he alone, that could make their peace with the Father and their propitiation in his blood? And herevpon as thy Pharisies, thou canst not choose but make reply on this manner: why then doth such or such a father direct [Page 114]vs to this or to that Martyr? But he will answere vs againe: For the hardnes of your hart, & out of the weaknesse of theirs, was this so done. You come but new and fresh from the service of false Gods; These good men thought then to haue gained much, when they had caused you to put thē away, & to take the Saints for a change insteede of them; But from the beginning it was not so. For the space of 4. or 5. thousand yeares togither, men spake not of calling vpon any other in the church, but on God alone; the Angels were cō versant with the Patriarks: doth any one cal vpon them? Henoch and Eliah were taken vp into heauen; Noe or his children, E­lisha or his other disciples, doe they come vnto them? Of so many Psalmes of David, which are as so many praiers, in al that [Page 115]diversity of matter, is there anie one only that hath any other obiect of his faith, and of his praier, but him alone? And am I come to derogate from his glo­ry, I the beloued Son from the Fathers worship, or rather to e­stablish it, & so much the more to glorifie him? I then tell you that which I long since tolde to Sathan; Thou shalt worshippe the Lord thy God, Marth. 4. and him only shalt thou serue. And invocation is one of the chiefe partes of his worship, of his service. Frō the weaknes of some of my servāts do not you take al your strēght: out of their wants, doe not you seeke a supply either of the law of God, or of my Gospell: and from my patience by reason of my long forbearance, doe not you make a law, nor thinke to pleade prescription against the true religion and pure worship. [Page 116]That which the Lorde hath re­serued vnto himselfe alone, doe not you turne it away vpon the creature, do not part it.

Let another come, and saie thus; Master, we are al in doubt amidst al these controversies. Is it lawfull to reverence, to adore the Images of the Saints, of the Virgin Marie, thine owne, that also of the holy Trinitie? And he will answere doubtlesse, hee which is come to establish the law and not do destroy it; Hast thou not read what is writtē in the law; in that law, which was given by the ministerie of the holy Angels? Thou shalt not make any gravē image; Exod. 20. thou shalt not bow downe to them, neither serue them. Doest thou not look for some plainer or more ex­presse speech? Or is it need, that you should haue a glosse here­vpon? There followes therefore [Page 117]the reasō of it. For saith he, I am the Lord thy God; a mighty & iealous God. And can his na­ture then be changed now? And yet thou wilt not bee ashamed to reply: why thē haue our Ma­sters giuē thē vnto vs for books insteed of the Gospels? When we guild them, cloth them, per­fume them, worship them, call vpon them; is there any thing in all this, wherof God may com­plaine? To whom doth this ho­nour redounde but to him, his Saints beeing glorified in their images, & he in his Saintes? But know thou (will he answere thee) that God, as he is a Spirit, so he will haue such as worship him in spirit and truth; he wilbe worshipped, as he himselfe hath commanded, and not after the fansies of men. Know also that an image is a teacher of lies,Habak. 2, v. 18. and maketh of men beasts, and con­foūdeth [Page 118]those that are inclined therevnto; and as for those Ma­sters that haue giuē you images insteede of Masters, they did this since the time that they are become ignorant and carelesse and haue bin dispensed withall for not preaching my Gospell, dumbe Pastors as they were themselues they haue givē thee these dumbe preachers. But frō the beginning it was not so, be­fore the law and vnder the law, for the space of fower thousand yeares, the church of God hath had no images. To haue them or not to haue them, as some particular liverie, did then put a difference betweene the be­leeuer and the infidell. Yea and for eight hundred yeares toge­ther, since the time that by mee grace was come into the world in the better part of Europe, in France it selfe, there were none [Page 119]of them. I therefore say vnto you. Of the ignorance of your Masters doe not you make your knowledge; make not your Christianitie of the imitation and emulation of Paganisme; The word of the Lord standeth fast for ever. That which once he hath ordained, hee never su­perannuateth nor disanulleth.

Let another proceed, I know Lord, that thou art the Lambe, which takest away the sinnes of the world. But wee are told also of a certaine fire, at our going out of this world, wherein wee must be purged, and must for all this pay and make euen our re­koning; what must I beleeue in this matter? And therevpon hee will tell thee all that, which the holy Scripture teacheth vs: hast thou not read, what my Pro­phets say, That I was woun­ded for your transgressions, Esai. 53. v, 5. and [Page 120]broken for your iniquities, & that the chastisemēt of your peace was vpō me. God which is al iustice, all mercy, will he haue the same debt paid twise? Zacharie saith, There shall be a fountaine opened to the house of David, Zacharie. 13. v. 1. to the Church, for sinne, for every vn­cleanesse whatsoeuer; and I ve­rily am this fountaine, a foun­taine that neuer dryeth vppe; to what purpose serues thy fire if this water doe suffice? And that this water is not sufficient, who can say it without blasphemie. But yet if thou wilt haue a fire also, heare what Iohn the Bap­tist saith;Matth. I baptize thee with water and with fire. Thy spirit in­deed with a spirituall fire, euen with mine own spirit. And here thou wilt reply (for thou art for bidden to yeeld) But S. Augu­stine, and S. Gregorie doe not they speak of a fire, to the which [Page 121]wee must goe when wee depart out of this world? Doe not they say, thee it is not altogether in­credible that there is one, and that it may be true? And at all aduentures hath it not beene a good thing to keepe the soules in such aw? For how many faire Churches haue beene founded thereby, how many cloisters, Chappels, and Masses? And will you then haue the olde doubts of those men to be vnto you as articles of faith? The fables of Platonikes as truth? The fictiōs of Poets, as sound diuinitie? Our Lorde moreouer will say vnto thee. He that beleeueth in the Sonne, hath life euerlasting, he is already gon from death to life; hee that beleeueth not in him, the wrath of God remai­neth vpon him; hee is already condemned, and shall not see life. Betweene these two where [Page 122]canst thou finde any place for this Purgatorie? And then will the Sonne of God say vnto thee againe; Do not stand vpon that which the Doctours tell thee thereof; They could never cre­ate it. From the beginning it was not so. If it had beene from the beginning, there is no question but the Church of Israell would haue made vse of it; by so much the more, because that foun­taine, for the cleansing of sinne, was not as then opened. And yet for foure thousand yeares together, is there any one word spoken of it? Amongst so many sacrifices, and those of so many fashions; is there any one word spokē of such sacrifices, as were for the dead or for their sinnes? And if it had been created since that time, would then the Apo­stles haue hidden it from vs? would they haue told vs. Bles­sed [Page 123]are they that die in the Lord, from henceforth they do rest from their labours. If wee confesse our sinnes God is faithfull and iust; The blood of his Son Iesus Christ doth purge and cleanse vs from all sinne. This Purgatorie then is a strange fire in the Church; such a one, as quencheth her naturall heate, her confidence in the merit of the Redeemer. And therefore; That which the Lord hath paid and quitted for vs so dearely, so fully, the faithfull mā needs not to buy it againe; Let no servant of God therefore sel it him againe.

Let another also come, that perhaps hath looked more dee­pely into it; and say, Master, I knowe that thou hast bin made an oblation on the tree of the Crosse, & wiped out, and vtterly abolished the handwriting that was against vs. And neuerthe­lesse [Page 124]we are told, that thou art every day offered vp, euery day sacrificed in Masse; and herevp­on is all this stirre; To what o­pinion therefore shall we stand fast? and hereupō he wil tel thee Hast thou not read, what Esay saith of me; His soule shall bee made an oblation for sinne; The soule of the Sonne of God. At what rate thē dost thou reckon her? and knowest thou not that I haue giuen my flesh for the life, and my blood for the re­mission of the sins of the world? In comparison of this price, all your pretended. Oblations can amount to nothing. Knowest thou not also, that likewise all the other sacrisices of the Law, are fulfilled and abolished in this one onely? And here, either blown vp by tradition, or fore­stalled by custome, thou wilt re­ply; but would then our Fathers [Page 125]for so long time together haue made so great account of the Masse, and all for nothing? Why then, art thou not then, really with thy flesh and bones, sacri­ficed therein every day? Did not men speake of this oblation, e­ven in the time of good S. Gre­gorie, not aboue six hundred yeares after thine incarnation. The ill disposed facilitie of men in accommodating themselues to infidelitie, hath brought in these things; And this carnall wisdome, hath beene found to be but naturall, and is rightly convicted of folly before God. The outward worship of Iewes and Gentiles consisted in sacri­fices; and when they haue been brought to the Christian faith, they were willing to content them with the word of sacrifice taken in a large sense; with this word did they qualifie the chri­stian [Page 126]service; their prayers, their Sacraments, their Almes. How farre safer had it beene, to keep them in their owne proprietie; and to teach them the right end of the old sacrifices; that is, their end in my cone only Sacrifice? I had also appointed for a sacra­mēt of this one sa crifice, of my flesh crucisied and of my blood shed for you, That bread which you break, [...]. Cor. 10 [...]. 16. the Cōmuniō of my bo­dy; that cup which you blesse, the Communion of my blood. The re­all communication in summe of all the blessings and benesittes, that redound vnto you by this sacrifice. And in as much as their devotion did wax cold, instead of making my people partici­pate of them, they haue thought it enough onely to she we them vnto them, they haue also taken my cup from them. But I say vn­to you, that From the beginning [Page 127]it was not so. Do but read the A­postle; Without sheading of blood is no remission of sinne. Heb 9. v. 22. And wilt thou therefore for the remission of thy sinnes take vnto thy selfe the place of the Iewes; wilt thou once againe shedde my blood? Read on further that which hee rehearseth vnto thee so often; Christ hath appeared once to put away sinne by the sacrifice of him selfe. V. 26. It is not then for nought, that they shewe him so manie times vnto thee? Againe, We are sanctified by the offering of the body of Iēsus Christ once made. C. 10. v. [...]0 With one offering hath hee consecrated vs for ever. and iffoneuer,V. 14. why then doe we begin againe eue­ry day? That therefore, which I haue fulfilled at once, effectual­ly, and perfectly, doe not thou accuse it of imperfection by re­iterating it; doe not darken the truth, nor belie the vertue ther­of, [Page 128]by the friuolous repre senta­tions. That which I haue giuen thee for a Sacrament, & thanks­giving, of that vnspeakable be­nesit, do not thou account it as a Sacrifice. That which God hath ioined, seeing I haue ioin­ed them, to wit, the sacraments in my holy Supper; thou man, vnder what colour soeuer it be, do not separate them.

But lastly, could our Fathers then oversee so grosly? These good kings, Iosaphat, Hezekiah Iozia [...], those good servantes of God, Hilkiah, Esdras, & others, did never make this questiō. Se­ing they had the booke of the law, and did know, that therein they had the ordināces of God, they rent their clothes, beate their breastes, confessed both their owne & their fathers sins before the Congre gation; they exhorted, and by their own ex­ample [Page 129]brought, the whole peo­ple to repentance. What there­fore, coulde our Saviour euer leaue vs as Orphanes, and his barke without a guide? On the contrary, hath he not left vs a lieuetenāt general, a vice-God, this man God on earth? Else what becomes of that, Tues Pe trus, Pasce oves meas, Thou art Peter: and, feed my sheepe. But here our Lord wil answer thee. I am that everlasting word, that was made flesh for thee. The on ly Emmanuell, God with thee; with you, by my Spirit in mine holy word; I am with you vntill the end of the world. Ma [...]th. 28 As for lieue­tenants, I haue as many, as there are good Pastors and holy dis­pensers of my word and Sacra­ments here on earth. But as for Generall, or Vice-God, there ought none to be over my state because I am every where pre­sent, [Page 130]I haue no need of any; how much so ever the mā be limited to a certaine place, or be he as quick as he wil or is able to be. I haue said indeode vnto Peter, one of mine Apostles, and vnto one for all. Thou art Peter, & on this Rocke wil I build my church. On this Rocke, that is, on his cō fession; for he had confessed vn­to me,Matth. 16 Thou art the Christ the son of the living God. And there­vpon haue you placed vnder an Altar at Rome, the supposed Reliques of Peter, and haue called them the confessiō of Peter. On this pretended confession haue you built S. Peters church. It was not so that this holy Apo­stle vnderstood it, when he told vs,Pe [...] ▪ 2. v. [...]. Be yee as liuely stones made a spirituall house. But vpon what? truly not vpon this your cōfes­sion, but vpon his owne, vpon him that is that living stone, re­iected [Page 131]by me, and yet the chiefe Corner-stone, elect and precious in Gods eies. I told him also, the gates of hel should not prevaile against it; and all the power of Sathan shall be found weake a­gainst it. And you haue thereby gathered, that it must be a tem­porall, puissant, and invincible Empire. But Peter vnderstood farre better this my style & lan­guage; He that shall beleeue in it in this liuing Stone, in mee that am the Rocke of Israel, shall ne­ver be confoūded. I had likewise said vnto Peter, I will giue thee the keyes of the kingdome of hea­ven, Ioh. 22. whatsoever thou bindest on earth shall bee bound in heaven. And I gaue them indeede vnto him, & vnto all his fellowes, af­ter my resurrection; to wit, the ministrie of reconciliation by the preaching of the Gospell. And thence you haue conclu­ded [Page 132] Thou art Peter; Ergo, the Bishop of Rome is the vniversal Bishop of the world; hee shut­teth, and no man openeth, he o­peneth & no man shutteth, Hee hath in his hands al power both temporall and spiritual, he ope­neth heaven, he shutteth hell, & quencheth the fire in Purgato­rie, he commandeth the Angels hee keepeth in awe the Divels, he saveth or dāneth men, at his owne pleasure; he giueth dispē ­ [...]ations contrary to the lawe of God, and to his Gospell; being not so much in the place of God as against God himselfe. And yet are wee bound to beleeue, that God is changed in opinion when he is altered in his. But betweene these two propositi­ons; Thou art Peter, & The Bi­shop of Rome is Ʋice-God, nay more then God. What a gulfe is there to be filled? And whence [Page 133]can it be filled, but frō that bot­tomlesse deepe? How much better did the holy Apostle vnder­stand this: Feed my sheepe, that is with my word. Feed, saith he, you Priests my fellowes in the Priest hood, the flocke of Christ which is cōmitted to your charge not as bearing rule over the inhe­ritance of the Lord, bee they of the Clergie or lay-men, but so, that ye may defend the flock. And whē the chiefē shepheard shal ap­peare, you shal receiue that incor­ruptible crowne of glory. And not here on earth a triple crown or kingdome. This therefore was the meaning of the Lord, farre different from thy glosse, & yet Peter himself is the interpreter. And therfore would he haue answered thee here, as before. Frō the beginning it was not so. The first Bishops of Rome, for the space of 300. yeares, vnder the [Page 134]Heathē Emperors, for the most part were all Martyrs, & knewe neuer what this temporal iuris­diction meant. As for the 400. years following, vnder the Christian Emperours, they were hū ­ble seruants; they obteined frō them their grants, immunities, and priuiledges, and helde as it were from them their chiefe au­thority: so farre were they from once speaking of giuing thē a­ny, or making thē their feudarie vassals. As for the 300. ensuing yeares, they begin to embrace them, to vndermine them, & by tricks & smooth dealing defeat the one by an other; do at the length set themselues in their place; they seaze vpon their dwellings, they put on their scarlet, inuest themselue [...] with their crowne, set footing vpon their Empire, bewitch their subiectes, and with their feete they [Page 135]spurne at their owne persons. A long time after, and, as it were, through a long wood, come in by degrees the Iubilies, Indul­gences, & Faires or Markets of sin, the bankes of Pardons; the Agnus Dei, the hallowd graines & every day some new bables or others. In so much that for these 600. yeares and more, the most learned & flourishing yeares of the Christian church, she could not looke so deepely into these mysteries, as to vnderstand (evē the Romish church it selfe, as much Latin as she was) the ver­tue & force of these two Latin words; ecce duo gladij, Beholde here two swords. (What likelie­hood is there in it?) Therfore he that vseth them with both his handes at this day, though hee haue no other Mission, no other Commission, yet shalbe vnto vs a Vice-God? And what else can [Page 136]he be, being he wil haue himself to be so, & calleth himselfe so, if he be it not?

Thus therefore by this one word; Non sic fuit ab initio. from the beginning it was not so, doeth our Lord here call vs backe to a reformatió of the abuses of the church, in all hir partes, accor­ding to his first institution, ac­cording to his word. And let these few pointes serue vnto vs for scantlings; as one beame of the Sunne; one drop of the Sea. You may after the like manner run over all the rest. And would to God that in good time wee had practised this rule in Chri­stendome; how many contenti­ons, schismes, wars, massacres, & cōfusions, might we thē haue spared & avoided? of the which we are culpable, and hereafter must giue account. Whereas at the sighes & groanes of so ma­ny [Page 137]greate and holy persons, throughout all Christendome, for so many ages togither, wee haue out of pure pride only an­swered them with this. It was impossible the church should erre shee cannot erre. What consci­ence was there in this? And had not they thē cause enought to be leeue, that this was the voice of that woman in the Apocalypse, I am a Queene, and shall never be a widdow? Say we therfore with the Prophet, Wee haue departed frō thy precepts & from thy iudgements. Our Kings, our Priests,Dan. 9. v. 5 our fathers, all our people; & let vs not stand any longer vpō our reputation, or thinke to maine­taine our credit.V. 7. Vnto thee belō ­geth righteousnes and vnto vs o­pen shame, Vnto thee, ô Lord be the glory of our repentance, of our confession, of our confusiō, and of our shame; to the edification [Page 138]of thy church, and the sal­vatiō of our own souls, through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Soli Deo gloria.