That as of the light which men haue of God groweth all their goodnesse, so of being blinde of his so great goodnesse, commeth all their infelicitie and euill. Sermon. 1.

THere is no bodie that sinneth in that hée respecteth the euill. And this, inasmuch as sinne is so filthy that it can-not en­tise, moue, nor drawe vnto it the will which hath obiected vnto it goodnesse, and is moued onely thereby. Therefore like as if vertue were shewed vs in his proper being, the beau­tie of it woulde drawe vs to the loue thereof, and of ne­cessitie we should goe vnto it, so if vice were discouered vnto vs naked in his filthinesse, we would flye from it: but as vertue, by being possessed of the vnworthy, albe­it it is in it selfe riche, mery, happie, glorious and wor­thy, yet putting on a visar or masking garment [...]t appea­reth vnto carnall eyes altogether contrary, so vyce by being receiued of the worlde, although in it selfe is foule, poore, abiected and miserable, yet vnto carnall eyes it appeareth all the contrary: And that bicause it putteth on a visar and mery Mas king garment, be­ing cloathed with delycate and precious apparell, and with a rich Crowne vppon the heade, adorning it selfe wholly with beautifull ioy: in such sort that the carnall people, not pearcing with their sight into the foule panch thereof, are moued to goe vnto wickednesse, by the out­warde light, and glistering of those his exteriour and dis­simuled goodnesse. Therefore euery one that goeth vnto wickednesse, goeth vnder a shadow, a couering, a forme & image of goodnes. As is séene by experyence, in the pur­pose of théeues, which be moued to robbe, not bicause of the hurt that they desire to do vnto their neighbour, but [Page] for their owne proper gaine, which séemeth to them to bée good. Also if they kill men, after that they haue robbed them, it is not, but bicause they feare to bée by them bewrayed and so to loose their life, and there­fore they are moued to kill, chiefelye for the sauegard of their owne lyfe, whiche sheweth vnto them a forme of goodnesse, and not for a desire of the others death.

Also if one kill him-selfe, hée doth it, for that hée thinketh, by dying to bée no more so miserable: death then séemeth vnto him to bee easyer then life, there-fore hée chooseth it vnder an image of goodnesse: But if hée sawe the hearte of the deuill, in séeking our dampnation, hée shoulde sée that hée deceiueth him, by procuring him vnder a fourme of goodnesse.

All errours there-fore and vyces, euen the vene­mous hatreds whiche are founde in the wicked, doe growe of that pestilent spring the cause of all euill, (that is) of the disordinate loue whiche men beare towardes themselues, to their kinsfolkes, to world­lye honour, to apparell and other benefites of this present lyfe, thorowe the losse and damage where­of they are moued to hate those whiche haue done them iniury.

The will therefore can-not bée moued to worke but thorough a true and substantiall good thing, as in those whiche bée Godlye, or els by a false and out­warde apparent goodnesse, as it is in the wicked.

And there-fore wee must of necessitie say, that there is none so vngodlye whiche is moued to sinne except sinne doth shewe it selfe to him vnder a visarre or image of goodnesse. If then the wicked doe sinne, it is not bicause they absolutely will doe euill, but as those in whom selfe loue doth raigne, they are mo­ued to sinne, not by that wickednesse which is in them selues, but by some their proper vtilytie, profite, sa­tisfaction, contentation, pleasure, honour, or Glorye. [Page 2] All those there-fore which goe vnto vyce, goe being drawen, not by any other their owne wickednesse, but for their owne commoditie. Moreouer it is to witte, that the way of vertue is rich, ioyfull, delectable, mery, quyet, restfull, safe, faire, honest, and happie, and the way of vyce is poore, miserable, vnquiet, daun­gerous, foule and vnfortunate, full of pr [...]kes, sus­picyous, doubtefull, grieued with torme [...]es and paines of hell, so that if men had iudgement i [...] them­selues, they woulde forsake the way of wickednesse, and choose the way of vertue, if they had the lig [...] of the trueth, and did sée at least but onelye the sensu­all pleasures and displeasures which are founde in the way of vyces and the way of vertue. As if the Epi [...] sawe this, which estéeme the ende and chiefest of h [...] felycitie to consist in voluptuous pleasure, yet bicau [...] he might tast his meate with more sensualitie, he would not eate but as much as shoulde suffice, and when hée were hungry, and that for bicause in eating so spa­ringlye he shoulde finde greater taste and pleasure: which thing woulde force him also to be likewise tem­perate in all other his actions, bicause hée might liue in the greater delight. Nowe if an Epicure moued by a sensuall pleasure of vertue and displeasure of vyce, as that he being most carnall séeketh to leaue the ex­tremitie of vyces, and to walke by a mediocritie of vertues, what thinkest thou will be done? If a man, and that a Christian, shoulde bée drawen, not one­lye by sensuall pleasures and health of bodie, but by the beautie and comelynesse of Vertue, by con­tentacion of the mynde, by traunquillitie of the soule, and by the chiefest felicitie both of this pre­sent lyfe and of the lyfe to come, yea and by that verie trueth, infinite and eternall bountifulnesse of GOD, and by his glorie: and on the other parte they haue béene blinde and ignoraunt, not onely by [Page] their sensuall sorrowes whiche doe accompany vyce, but also by their fowlenesse, by their doubtfull cares, insatiable desires, vayne hopes, griefes, feares suspitions, displeasures, infamyes, dishonours, reproofes, losses, prickings, torments, vexations, and infernall miseries, the which be founde in the wayes of wickednesse, and much more in the ende, but especially if they haue had in horrour the dishonour of God. Séeing then, that onely the wayes of true vertues are profitable for the chiefest felycitie, and are in themselues most blessed, yea and the wayes of false, humaine, and carnal vertues are lesse miserable then the wayes of vyces, we must needes say that all vyces doe growe of ignorance, the spring and roote of all errours and euilles. So that of a trueth so much miserable a man is, as hée is gluttonous, leche­rous, couetous, enuious, ambitious, proude, parti­all, or a seruaunt of other vyces: and so much is a man happye, as he is adorned with true vertues, neither can the saincts of God, in what state soeuer they be founde, be rightly called miserable, as neither the wicked can be called happie, although the blinde, foolish, frantike, false, lying, and miserable world saieth, and iudgeth the contra­ry. As also in iudging the wise naught, and fooles good, it is deceyued, for it must néedes bée, that a man in asmuch as he is good, in somuch he must in déede be wise, and as hée is naught, so much he is a foole, blinde, and full of pernicyous ignoraunce. As there-fore felicitie can-not bée without vertue, nor vertue without light and wise­dome, for that the one dependeth vpon the other, and they are lynked together in such sorte, that the one cannot spring, grow, nor decrease with-out the other, so also mi­serye cannot bée without vyce, nor vyce without igno­raunce. Then séeing that man is not moued to doe any thing, by euill, but by good onely, the whiche good is not found but onelye of those whiche walke by the wayes of vertues, as also the euill is onelye founde of those [Page 3] which walke by the pathes of vyces, we must néedes say, that they which leaue vertue for vyce, sinne thorow ig­noraunce: whereof grow all sinnes, errours, miseryes, and euills. And forasmuch as all ignoraunces hurtfull vnto the soule doe spring of the ignoraunce or want of the knowledge of God, as of their chiefe and principall head, lyke as all our true and wholsome light doth grow and hath the first beginning of the light which we haue of God, therefore we must of necessitie say, that of the ig­noraunce of God, groweth all our euill, and all our good­nesse commeth of that cléere lyght, which we haue of his bountie. Inasmuch as y^t it is not possible, for vs to haue a lyuely & cléere knowledge of God, and to dishonour him, yea it must of necessitie be, that we honour him by all meanes that we possiblye can doe, when we haue a spiri­tuall taste, féelyng and lyght of this his goodnesse. Ther­fore as good fathers, aboue all other things, desire & are delyghted, that their children doe acknowledge the great loue that their fathers haue borne vnto them: euen so the contrary doth highly displease them, knowing y^t it is im­possible, that their children should perceiue and taste the great bountifulnesse and loue of their parents towardes them, and shewed vnto them by diuers meanes, and yet to offend them: yea, in such a case it forceth them to loue them, obey them, trust in them, and honour them by all meanes that they can; and so if the children of God haue not the light of their fathers bountifulnesse, they can not honour him, yea they shall offende him with-out hauing due respect vnto him. Now seing God, aboue all other things, requireth of vs that we know him, and is greatly displeased, when we are blinde of his so great goodnesse & loue, shewed to vs by so many, and excéeding meanes, and this, bicause that as of the knowledge of God grow­eth all our vertue, felycitie and goodnesse, so of the igno­raunce of that his so great bountie groweth all our vi­ciousnesse, errour, misery and euill. It is true then, that [Page] as faith (inasmuch as it includeth in it the knowledge of God) is the cause of all goodnesse, so infidelitie (inasmuch as it includeth the ignoraunce of God in it) is the cause of all euill. Let vs therefore pray dilygently vnto God, that he would giue vs of his lyght, that we may render vnto him, all praise, honour, and glorye, thorough Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

What Faith is and of the excel­lencie thereof. Sermon. 2.

TO speake of Faith, forasmuch as it impor­teth not onely that confidence which wee haue in God, but inasmuch as it includeth also with that confidence the very know­ledge of God,Heb. 11. whereon dependeth Faith, Hope, Charitie, and all other Christi­an vertues. I say that Faith (according to the iudge­ment of Saint Paul) is a substance (that is) a certeine substanciall and sure possession of things promised which are hoped for, and an euidence of things inuisible, which cannot of vs be comprehnded, except we be exalted vp a­boue all that which our blinde, and humaine reason can doe. Therefore, Faith is not (as many doe thinke) a cer­teine obscure lyght of God, and a certeine triflyng and friuolous opinion, but it is an euident lyght, a certeintie and assuraunce of the minde, and a cléere shining, which being thy guyde, thou séest that God is so mightie, wise and good, that he can, that he knoweth how, and that hée will saue thée. Therefore, with a sure and stedfast con­fidence, thou dost trust in him, repose and cast thy selfe wholly vppon him. Faith is a cleare and effectuall per­swasion, wrought, not in the bodilye eares, but in the eares of the heart, not by men, but by the holy Ghost, where-by we are made certeine and sure to bée the [Page 4] sonnes of God. It is a firme,Rom. 8. constant and perseue­ring trust in the bountifulnesse of God. It is not an agréement brought to passe by humane reason, but a certaintie more cleare, loftie, and high, then all other things of this present lyfe. It is a lyght, which lif­teth vp, and rauisheth aboue all sensible things, and beyond that any man is able to make discourse, to com­prehende the breadthe, lengthe,Ephes. 3. height and depth of those things which are to vs incomprehensible with naturall eyes. It is a heauenly Ladder, with which men ascende to the knowledge of the truth superna­turall, where-vnto no man can attaine with the Ladder of humaine reason. It is a cleare eye of the minde, where-with, pearcing thorough the Heauens, we doe see the deuine secretes of God.Act. 5. It is a quicke­ning, cléere and fierye lyght, which purgeth our heartes and delyuereth vs from the darke and inex­tricable Laborynthes of the vayne shadowes of this worlde, by which we guyde our blynde reason, and are lyfted vp to an high estate, so that by the tasting of heauenly things we dispise humaine things. It is a spirituall wedding and matrimony betwéene Christ and the Soule, which béeing our Mediatour, the soule is vnyted and transformed in Christ, in such perfecte manner, that all that which it hath becom­meth to be of Christ, and so Christ with all his vertues, treasures and graces become to be of the soule. It is a lyght so cleare and high, that dar­kening others, it maketh vs sée riches in pouertie, glorye in confusion, safetie in daunger, peace in persecution, rest in trauayle, felicitie in miserye, and lyfe in death.

He that beléeueth, hath a spirituall tasting of God, by meanes whereoff he feeleth his diuine goodnesse, in such sorte, that it bréedeth in him a feruent desire to honour GOD: and séeing that wée can-not [Page] speake of him in such manner as we ought, and as is con­uenient for him, we desire at least, with our owne bloud to testifie vnto the world how great the goodnesse of God is. Faith maketh vs conceiue Christ spiritually, and by force of the spirite to be borne againe, with lyfting vs vp vnto God,Rom. 4. Rom. 5. Iacob. 1. 1. Pet. 1. Rom. 5. Abac. 2. 1. Pet. 1. 2. Cor. 1. Ephe. 6. 1. Ioan. 3 Ioan. 1. Ioan. 17. Mat. 16. Gen. 4. Gen, 6. Gen. 21. Luc. 1. Luc. 2. 1. Ioan. 3 Gal. 5. it maketh vs put of the old Adam and his con­cupiscences, and to put on Christ with his vertues, and to become of vngodly, iust, temples of God, and his chil­dren, brothers and members of Christ. Faith iustifieth, pa­cifieth the minde and conscience, maketh mery, causeth to reioice & in such sort, that we glory euen in shame This is such that it renueth vs, regenerateth vs, quickeneth, ma­keth noble, enricheth, saueth sanctifieth, preserueth defen­deth, obteineth that which it demaundeth. Faith knitteth vs to God, maketh vs his heires and children, the bro­thers of Christ, and his members, yea, it maketh vs de­uine & happy. Faith is that, which in Abel made him offer sacrifices acceptable to God, in Noe, caused him to frame the Arke, for the sauegard of the world, made Sara to con­ceiue, & that Abraham offered his owne sonne to God, caused Moises to worke so manye wonders in Aegypt, and in the Wildernes. Faith made the Prophets to speak, loosed the tongue of Zacharias, and saued men in daun­gers, made Simeon not to feare death, also made Paul to wish for it. This in the Saints caused them (ouercom­ming the worlde) that they haue wrought wonderfull things thorough loue. But what néede I speak any more, Faith is a vertue so noble, excellent and worthy, that how much the more a man consider of it, so much more will it discouer the perfection, therefore he which hath tasted it, will neuer be satisfied with speaking in prayse thereoff: Wheras those which neuer haue felt, nor tryed it in thē ­selues, can as much speake theroff, as one that is blinde can discerne of colours,Cor. 2. yea if those speake of it, as those which be carnall and brutish, they doe not vnderstand it, nor know the excellencie there-off.

[Page 5]Therefore they doe not onely peruert good workes, whereoff this is the true mother, but they persecute it, with speaches, which idle and lycentious persons do vse. But let vs pray vnto the Lord y^t he would delyuer them from those most thicke and palpable darkenesse, that ha­uing the true and liuely light of God, they may yéeld him all praise, honor & glory, through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Of the lyght of Faith. Sermon. 3.

THere be many which haue neuer experi­enced in themselues, to haue anye other but a purchased faith: the which, bicause it is bleare-eyed and blinde from the truth supernaturall and reuealed, and therefore they thinke, that the lyght of Faith is small, and inferiour to the light of humane and natural reason, and moreouer to the light of the Sunne, and kindeled as of a litle candle, so y^t according to their fantasie, not onely the vnderstanding doth sée better the truth of the first naturall principles of things, which bée of themselues euident, and with reason made manifest; but also that corporall eyes doe better sée those things which are layed before them, then we do sée (according to their opinion) the things supernaturall: with the light of Faith. It should of necessitie be therefore (as they doe iudge) that Faith is alwayes suspitious and doubtful, ne­uer cléere, certaine & euident, séeing that the light is so im­perfect. But they would not say so, if they had proued to haue that Faith inspired into them, which is supernatu­rall, diuine, full of lyght and cléere, which doubteth not, but is sure, certaine and firme: And of this therefore the light is so great, that it ouercommeth all other lights in this present life. Neither is any other lyght greater then this, sauing the light of the blessed. And that this is true [Page] is most euident: First, that the light of a true and vnfai­ned Faith is aboue all the lights of worldly opinions, for that whereas they haue the authoritie of humane Histo­ryes, this hath authoritie of diuine Scriptures, whereas humane Faith hath the testimony of men, & of their vni­uersities of learning, diuine Faith hath the Prophets, the Apostles,Ioan. 4. &. 8. the Euangelistes, the Martirs, the Saincts, the Angells, the holy Church, Christ, the holy Ghost, and God himselfe, for their testimony: the witnes of which is grea­ter then of all others, and therefore whereas that Faith alwayes doubteth, this is stedfast, cleare and certeine.

The light of a true Faith also is so cleare, that it ouercō ­meth all natural light of vnderstanding, so that the wise of this world do not sée with so great clearenesse y^e truth declared in the chiefe principles of their Sciences, as the illuminate Christians doe: the truth therefore reuealed, and the articles of faith, which humane reason can haue, thorough the sinne of their first parents, is weake, féeble and blinde, and the spirite in the regenerated, is sounde, strong, full of light and cleare. Seing then that, where­as the light of humane reason is but naturall and pur­chased, and therefore it is obscure, blinde and grosse, inso­much that it tosseth about like a wallet about ones neck. But the light of Faith, as that which is supernaturall, inspired, heauenly, most pure, cleare, perfect and diuine, lighteneth and pearceth thorough the whole soule: They are therefore blinde and in a very darke night, to whom the clearenesse of the Gospell doth not shine,2. Pet. 1. Rom. 13. 2. Cor. 4 1. Pet. 2. Math. 1. and we are [...] to yéeld God most high thankes, for that of his m [...]re grace we be called vnto so wonderful light, which excéedeth all y^t any man is able to expresse. As we sée in Ioseph, in whom naturall reson perswaded y^t Mary was great with childe by the force and power of man, and yet Faith preuailed in him so with a greater light, that he beléeued that she had conceiued by the holy Ghost.

And further I saye, that the light of Faith is so [Page 6] much greater then the light naturall, that as the Sunne with the greatnesse of his light, when it is in our Hemis­pherye darkeneth the light of the Starres, so doth Faith darken all the light of humane wisedome. The light of Faith is so high, and so supreme, that it is comprehended with it selfe. And the same is so cléere and mightie, that wicked reason, and humane wisdome cannot conteine it; but euen as in the morning when thou openest the win­dowes of thine house, thou puttest out all the candells, bicause that the Sunne being then risen aboue our Hori­zon pearceth with his bright beames and shineth euerye where, so when Christ the Sunne of righteousnesse, with the beames of a cleare Faith shall enter into our soules, he shall quench in vs and diminish, the light of humane wisedome: and then we shall sée,1. Cor. 3. that our knowledge is ignoraunce, and our wisedome foolishnesse. And that we must néedes say more: humane reason (as a thing that is blinde) lyke vnto a Bat or Flinder-mouse, lyeth hidden in the darke crauyes of the creatures, whereas a cléere Faith is lifted vp, pearceth thorough, and flyeth aboue all the heauens.

Humane reason séeth but a very few things, Faith séeth all things that be necessarye and profitable to saluation. Humane reason séeth not,Ioan. 15. &. 14. but as it were thorough a thicke glasse windowe, and therefore vnperfectlye, and Faith lifteth vp it selfe aboue all vayne shaddowes of sensible things, and séeth the sincere, pure, and euerlast­ing truth most perfectly.

Humane reason séeth the out-warde accident [...] of things created, and storye of the holy Scriptures, al­beit imperfectly: and if it enter into the bowells there­of, it is with a verye obscure knowledge: that it maye bée easelye iudged howe weake, féeble, darke and imperfecte, the opinion which it hath con­ceyued of the materiall, sincere, and eternall [Page] truth is, whereas Faith with his cléere light, doth not onely pearce in to the very marrow of the holy Scrip­tures,Luc. 24. but séeth God and his secretes. Humane rea­son séeth not, but onely the things that be of this present lyfe, where-as Faith, hauing a farre greater light séeth those things which be of the other life and a great waye further off. Humane reason hath not the light of things passed, nor of things to come, but by waye of a féeble coniecture, where-as vnto a diuine Faith the things pas­sed and the things to come, be as certaine as the things that be present.

And finally, where Faith sheweth vs God with so cleare a lyght, then for his honour we leaue gladlye all riches, plesures, dignitie, glory, our own life, & our selues, with yéelding our selues to all vexations and torments for the loue of him, as we sée in the Martirs. Humane reason, as a thing that hath but a litle light of God, ma­keth thée not to leaue the worlde for the loue of him: well may it cause thée to leaue one part of the world, for another, but not to forsake it wholly for God. The Sainctes would not so had forsaken all things, if they had not had a greater light and feeling of God, then of themselues and all creatures. All the knowledge which worldly wise men haue, depende vppon their thoughts: and for that loue followeth knowledge, therefore it doth necessarily follow also, that all their loue dependeth on sensible things.

Being then that the foundation of humane creatures of all their loue and knowledge is of necessitie such that forsaking the world, they forsake in themselues al light loue, iudgement, reason, vertue and strength, whereas inuincible Faith, forasmuch as it is grounded onely in God: in condempnations and in torments, sheweth it selfe most cleare, most constant and strong.

Likewise the things which we haue obiected before our eyes, we do not see with such clearenesse, as with the [Page 7] eyes of faith we do sée things, which are in the other life. Also how much more the spirite that beléeueth is noble and more perfite of the bodily eye which séeth, and how much the more God (to whom faith hath regarde) is ob­iected more perfect, mightie, stedfast, a present and déere friende to the soule, which are thinges that can-not be séene with corporall eyes. And further, howe much the light of faith,Ioan. 8. and of Christ (the light of the worlde and the sonne of righteousnesse) is more cleare then the light of the sunne: so much with more clearenesse and certein­tie is séene the trueth reuealed to them that haue per­fect faith, not according as we sée those thinges whiche are before our eyes, for the corporall eye may be decey­ued, but so cannot the spiritual, in the faith be deceiued, for by the death of Christ all shadowes and figures are taken away, w^t all vailes and couerings, so that in Christ crucifyed we may plainely beholde God, albeit not with such a great clearenesse as his blessed Angels doe. And what néede I speake any more: although the light of the Church triumphant is more cleare then the light of the Church Militant,2. Cor. 3. Ephes. 3. yet (as Paul affirmeth) the Angels haue had in some parte light from the Church Militant. There is nothing therefore seene in this present lyfe, of so great certaintie and clearenesse, as the trueth which God hath reuealed vnto vs, by the which we haue a lyuely, true and perfect faith. Thou wilt say, as Paul saith, faith is of thinges not appearing, things that are séene are not beléeued, and so also not hoped for, there­fore it cannot be seene with such clearenesse and certain­tie, as the thinges which be present before our eyes.

I aunswere and say that it is true whiche is writ­ten: that is to say, that Faith and likewise Hope, are of thinges not appearing, and of thinges whiche are not séene with corporall eyes, nor with humaine reason, nor yet in such sort as they are séene of the blessed: neuerthe­lesse Faith and also Hope, are of thinges appearing to [Page] the spirituall eyes of Faith whereby the trueth reuealed is seene with greater light, and with a greater certain­tie is hoped for, then the thinges of this worlde. There­fore Paul, albeit he was in fruition of this present life, yet as being certaine of his saluation and of the saluati­on of all the elect, & alreadie thorough Hope in possession of heauen, sayed not, we shalbe saued, but we are made safe thorough Hope. Rom. 8. The light there-fore of Faith dim­meth all other lights of this present life, Faith doubteth not, if it be perfect, yea it is firme, stedfast, safe and sure. Thou wilt say, but we sée in some respectes the contrary by experience, that where as spirituall men doe often doubt of thinges supernatural, the carnal doubt not, but are cleare, sure and certaine of thinges naturall: as to know the Eclipse of the Moone and likewise the Sunne, and howe the Rubarbe doth purge his choller, and the trueth of other such like thinges, also they are sure with­out doubting of those thinges which they haue before their eyes. It might therefore be sayed, that the light of Faith is lesser, and therefore wauering, or that it is true that in this worlde we haue no true Faith.

I aunswere and say, that as the light of the Sunne dimmeth the light of a little canndle when it burneth, so the light of Faith doth by other lights of this present life: and yet notwithstanding as if one were in a darke prison, where as the Sunne doth not enter with his light, but onely by one little loope hoole he shoulde bet­ter sée with a candle being lightened, the thinges that were in the prison, then they coulde sée those thinges that bée abroade with so little a light of the Sunne: euen so the soule which is inclosed in the bodie, and in this worlde is as in a prison, although it often times séeth better with the light of the Sunne and of carnal reason the thinges of this present life, then those thinges of the other life with the light of Faith, it is not for bicause that the light of Faith is not farre greater then other [Page 8] lightes, but it is bicause we haue but a little light of Faith and great stoare of worldly lyght: but if wee had as much light of Faith, as wée haue of the light of the Sunne and of humane wisdome, wée woulde not doubt.

Therefore, when we doe make iudgement of natu­rall thinges, and of those things whiche wee haue before our eyes, we doubt not, bicause we haue nothing to gainsay vs: but when we be lifted vp to secreat things supernaturall, by and by humaine wisedome exalteth it selfe in vs, where vnto, for as much as it is connaturall together with vs, we doe giue great credite, and then it beginneth with reasons to gainesay Faith, wherefore it is no great maruell if we oftentimes doubt.

But to conclude, as Charitie is in it selfe more per­fect, then all worldly loues, so the light of Faith is more cleare then all the lightes of this present life.

It is also true, that, as to that blinde man,Mark. 8. to whom Christ gaue sight, at the first, men séemed to him lyke trées: and that not for defecte of light, but thorough the ill disposition of the member: So when GOD doth beginne to giue vs of his light, and to open the trea­sures of his diuine secreates vnto vs, yet oftentimes we doe not sée plainlye the trueth, not for defecte of the light of Faith, but bicause the eye of the minde being turmoyled also with worldly thinges, is not in order to sée the sincere and pure trueth of God. The light then of Faith is greater then all other lights of this present life, yea with-out it we be in darkenes, and when we begin to beléeue, then God openeth vnto vs the Heauens, with reuealing to vs his diuine secreates (as it appeareth by Christ when he was baptised) and sheweth vs the truth with this so cleare light,Matth. 3 that they that haue a true & per­fect faith do not care for any other humaine reason, nor miracles.Gal. 1. Also with Paul they séeke not to be better clarified, to compare their Faith with the Saintes, [Page] and all is thorough the great inward light which they haue. Seing then that the light of Faith is so cleare and great, let vs pray vnto the Lorde that he woulde giue it vs, so that seeing his goodnesse, we may giue him al praise honour and glory, thorough Christ Iesus our Lorde. Amen.

What thinges a Christian is bounde to beleeue. Sermon. 4.

THe first and chiefest summe of things ne­cessarie for a Christian man to beleue, consisteth first in that he beleeueth in God. It is not needefull for thy saluation that thou comprehend God as he compre­hendeth himselfe. Neither needest thou so to sée him in thy selfe in this present life, as the An­gels doe.Mat. 13. But it is néedefull that thou beleeue in God. Therefore it is not sufficient for thee to say the Créede as if it were an Oration, nor yet doth it suffice for thy iustification, that without Faith thou make confession of all that is contained in the said Créede: but thou must beléeue. Neither sufficeth it to haue a certaine humaine, barren,Rom. 10. idle, colde, deade and purchased opinion of those thinges which be of God: but we must haue a Faith in­spired, and a supernaturall light, and therefore we must first, beleue in God. Here we may sée howe that Faith is most full of light, for where as humaine reason begin­neth belowe at sensible thinges, and thereby is for­ced to lift vp it selfe vnto those thinges that may be vn­derstoode, Faith, contrariwise, beginneth on highe, at God, and then descendeth to thinges belowe. But vnderstand, that it is not ynough to haue a certaine deade opinion of God, that he is, and that he is God, as euery bodie hath: but thou must beléeue liuely, not onely that he is [Page 9] God in himselfe, but that he is thy God. Whiche will cause, that with the spirite thou shalt at all times féele him, and that he doth thee so great a goodnesse with his continuall benefites, as cannot be done but of God, whereof it groweth, that thou trust in him, loue him, and giue him thanks, committest thy selfe to his gouerne­ment and order, al thy life to his honour and glorie, & as of him thou feelest al y^e good things thou hast, to come, so to him alone thou dost render all thankes, thou accountest him to be the first beginning and the last end, and there­fore to be God. Thou must also liuely beléeue, not onely that he is the father of Christ, and of the elect, whiche thorough Iesus Christ are adopted for to be the sonnes of God, but that he is thy father:Ephes. 1 Rom. 8 Gal. 4. and that thou art one of the elect and sonnes of God, and an heire, a brother of Christ and coheire with him. Thou must féele with the spirit that God is thy best father, and that as a most déere father he loueth thee most perfectly, and hath a great care of thée. Consider now a little, howe much thou lo­uest him, & with what safety thou goest vnto him for fa­uour, with Hope to obtaine it, and with how great qui­etnesse, peace and reast of minde, soule and conscience, thou liuest vnder his protection, if with a liuely Faith thou beléeue that in truth he is thy father, and that all the creatures together that be, cannot pluck of one haire from thy head without his will. It is necessary also to beléeue y^t he is almightie, so that not onely the world de­pendeth vpon him, but that he hath all creatures in his power, and can dispose of them according to his pleasure, that he can bring the worlde to nothing, and prolong it into euerlasting, if he will, neither is there any that can withstand his will: we must also beléeue that this omni­potencie of God is not idle, but that he vseth it, and that euery day, so that it neuer sléepeth, but alwayes worketh, as Christ saide.Ioan. [...]. We must beléeue that it is euer wat­ching, strong and laborious. It worketh in al creatures, [Page] and without it nothing is done.

And further it is néedefull that liuely, and with thy spirite thou beléeue that this almightines belongeth to thée, and that thou féelest that God doth vse the same eue­ry day with thee, in giuing thée all the good thinges that thou hast. Wherefore they be greatly deceyued which doe not acknowledge al to be of God, but to come by chaunce, Fortune, Nature, of the Heauens, of Men, Angels, or Diuels.

Moreouer we ought to beléeue that he is y^e creatour of heauen and of earth (that is) of all creatures both celesti­all and terrestriall, those that he hath created, them hée preserueth, gouerneth, ordereth and guydeth to the end, and all with his high and infinite wisedome. It is not sufficient that of necessitie thou liuely beléeuest, how that God not onely hath giuen thée thy being and so to all o­ther creatures, but that he preserueth, guydeth gouer­neth and ordereth all to thy benefite, with great wise­dome.

Thou must also liuely beléeue, not onely that GOD is God in himselfe and therefore most perfect, but that he is thy God, and such a father, that he will doe to thée all good thinges which be possible and conuenient to bée done,Mat. 1. that he is thy best father, bicause he is omnipotent, and that he knoweth how, bicause he is infinitely wise, as we see in his creation and gouernaunce of the world.

Thou must also beléeue in Iesus. Iesus is the proper name of Christ,Rom. 14 giuen vnto him thorough the will of God by the Angel, and doth signifie a Sauiour. Therfore thou shalt then beléeue truely in Iesus, when with thy spirite thou shalt féele that he hath saued thée.

1. Tim. 2 Heb. 9.It is also necessary, not onely to beléeue in Iesus, but in Iesus Christ. Christ is to say annoynted. And for be­cause in olde time they annoynted high Priestes, Kinges and Prophets, therefore Christ being sent into the world from the father, to do the office of a high Prophet, Priest, [Page 10] and King, hath also béene ordayned and annoynted with a spirituall vnction, filling a tunne full of his gyftes and graces, for as much as he was the chiefest Prophete, Priest and King, and hath done the office of euery of them moste perfectlye, there-fore hée is called Christ.

We must then beléeue in Christ,Heb. 9. that is in Iesus Christ, that he is the high Priest, vndefyled and holye, and that he hath done the office of the chiefe and most perfect Priest. Moreouer that as an onely mediatour be­twixt God and vs, hath offered vp himselfe vppon the crosse to the father for the elect,1. Tim. 2. Heb. 9. and that he is accepted of GOD for such a diuine sacrifice, that he pacifyeth his anger, and reconcyleth him vnto them. That he standeth also for their sakes before the father, and ha­uing compassion, prayeth for them, and obtaineth them all grace and fauour:Hier. 47 Rom. 8. Ioan. 11. and that he offereth them vnto GOD vnspotted and holy, by being washed with his pretious bloude, and that he enrycheth thée with his giftes and graces.

Thou must also beléeue, that in as much as he is Christ the chiefe Prophete. Therefore he came into the worlde, sent from the father, to make manyfest vnto his elect all the will of God, for to teach,Isaiae. 45 Ioan. 15. Heb. 8. and to im­print in their heartes all thinges profitable and neces­sarie to their saluation. Wherefore as the onely maister and light of the worlde which making all thinges ma­nifest, he hath fulfilled the Prophetes. Thou must also beléeue that he is a King,Mat. 23. Ioan. 8. Mat. 11. bicause that with his spi­rite he moueth, raigneth ouer and gouerneth the electe, whiche be giuen him of God, there-fore he is a King, in the spirituall kingdome of GOD, whiche is righ­teousnesse, peace and ioye in the holy Ghost.

It is not sufficyent that thou beléeue that Iesus is Christe, the chiefe Prophet, Priest and king of the elect,Rom. 14 [Page] but also thou must liuely beléeue that he is thy Christ, that is, the chiefest Prophet Priest and king ouer thée.

And so if with thy spirite thou shalt féele that hée hath lightened thy minde with diuine things, he shall be thy Prophet.

Also if thou shalt féele that for thy sake he hath offe­red him-selfe vppon the Crosse, that he hath pacyfied the father, that he prayeth for thée, that hée is heard, that he presenteth thée vnto God, and that thorough him God doth accept thée for his sonne, then he shall be thy high Priest. And likewise if with a liuely Faith thou shalt beleeue that he hath taken charge of thée, and that he in­spireth thée, moueth and gouerneth thee, thou shalt haue him for thy king.

Thou shalt there-fore truely beléeue in Christ, when with thy spirite thou shalt féele, that he illuminateth thée as a prophet, gouerneth thée as a King, and as an high Priest pacyfieth the wrath of God for thée, and reconcy­leth him, offereth thée to the father acceptable, holy and vnspotted. Thou must also beleeue, that Iesus Christ is the onely sonne of God, we also be other sonnes of God, but it is by adoption: for that God by the meanes of Christ, of straungers, yea of his enimies, hath thorough grace adopted and taken vs for his sonnes. But Christ was neuer any enimie to God nor straunger, but was alwayes full of light,Ioan. 1. Coll. 1. Coll. 2. Ioan. 1. of perfection, vertue, trea­sures, giftes and graces, full of the spirite and of di­uinitie, he is a spring that euer floweth, and all the graces whiche the electe haue, they receiue of his ful­nesse, therefore in the holy Scriptures he is not onelye called the first begotten sonne,Rom. 8. Ioan. 13. 1. Ioan. 4. but also the onely be­gotten sonne of God: for bicause that GOD hath communicated vnto him all graces, all vertues, giftes and treasures, as though he had no other sonnes but him: he hath also communicated with him all his diui­nitie, with his deuine prefection.

[Page 11]Therfore thou must not onely beléeue, that he is the one­ly sonne of God, but that he is God.Coll. 2. Thou shalt then e­uen lyuely beléeue, that he is the onely sonne of God, when thou shalt féele that thou by his meanes and not by any other, hast receiued all those graces & good things that thou hast. It is also néedefull to beléeue, that he is our Lord, for that, as it is written,Ioan. 17. God hath giuen vs vnto Christ, all the electe are his flocke, hee maye order them, as him listeth. Mat. 28. The Father hath giuen him all pow­er in heauen and in earth. Then he which truly beleeueth that Christ is his Lord and head, which féeling with his spirite, his most full and totall dominion, which renoun­cing to leane to his owne carnall wisedome, to his owne strength, and all other vertues that be in anye creature, is wholly committed to the gouernaunce of Christ, as of his lawfull and best Lorde. And moreouer we must beléeue, that he was conceiued in the Virgin Mary, by a wonderfull operation of the holy Ghost. First that hée was conceiued of the substaunce of the Virgin Mary, & therefore that he was very man of the séede of Dauid & of Abraham, as had bene prophecied before time:Psal. 131. Gen. 22. Heb. 2. also ac­cording to Saint Paul it was conuenient, that taking in hande to sanctifie his bretheren, he should become man lyke vnto them, and of the same first father discended, & so might suffer, and for obedience of his father, might bée offered vppon the Crosse for their sinnes: to the intent that as by the disobedience of one man, we be made sin­ners,Philip. 2 so by the obedience of one man we should be made righteous.

But forasmuch as he which sanctifieth others, must of necessitie be without spot: therefore, to the intent hée might not be subiect to the vniuersall corruption of hu­mane generation, but full of puritie and holynesse, it must néedes be, that he was conceiued, not naturally and by humane meanes, but meruaylously, and by the opera­tion of the holy Ghost.

[Page]Thou must also beleeue, that he was borne of the Vir­gin Mary, for except thou beléeue this, thou canst not beléeue the miracles which he did in this lyfe, nor that he dyed vpon the crosse. Thou must furthermore necessa­rily beléeue, that he suffered vnder Pontius Pilate.

If thou héere demaund why ther is no mention made of the lyfe of Christ, and wherefore it is not sayd in the Crede, that we must beléeue, that the wise men came to worship him, that he was circumcised, that he fled into Aegypt, that he was lost and found againe in the Tem­ple, that he was baptised of Saint Ihon, that he fasted fortie dayes and fortie nights, that he called the Apostles, that he preached, wrought miracles, and lykewise of all his other wonderfull workes. I will aunswere that in the Crede, there is no mention made, but onely of those principall things which belong properly to the substance of our saluation, the faith of the which is substantial and sufficient to a true Christian.

It also thou wouldest know wherefore Pontius Pi­late is so named: I will say that this was not onely to confirme the history of the passion of Christ, but much more that we should beleeue lyuely, that albeit he was innocent, yet he with our sinnes, thorough the wil of his father being attributed vnto him, appeared before the iudgement seate of man, whereas, lyke a wicked doer, he was willyng to be condempned, that we thorough Christ as innocent, might appeare safe before the Tri­bunall seate of God, in whose sight we wer blame wor­thy.

It is also necessary to beléeue y^t he was crucified & dead. It is not inough to say, dead, but néede-full to declare the manner of his death, bicause we might beléeue that he dyed vppon the Crosse, and this (as Saint Paul iudg­eth) was, for that he was accursed which hanged on the Crosse, and Christ for to delyuer vs from curses, wherein we were thorough sinne incorporated, chose that cursed [Page 12] death, and for our sakes ouercame it, and so delyuereth vs from his curse, yea and from death it selfe, inasmuch as to the Elect, thorough Christ there is no more death, but lyfe.

There be manye wicked or false Christians which haue a certeine dead opinion of all these things, yea and the Diuells beléeue that he suffered, that he was cruci­fied and dead. But that sufficeth not, for thou must be­léeue lyuely, and féele with thy spirite that he suffered for thée, that he was crucified and dyed for thée, to thy beni­fite, and for thy saluation. Thou must féele with the spirite his passion and death, his great loue, and the fruite of his death, that is, that thou art saued there-by, and then his death hath effect in thée.

It is néedefull also, that as thou beléeue truly that hée dyed, so that thou beléeue that he was buried. It follow­eth immediately, that he descended into Hell, and for bi­cause these words be not found in the Crede written by the olde Doctors, therefore some haue thought, that they were afterward added to declare and make more mani­fest the words that goe before.

And bicause in the holy Scriptures,Gen. 43. Num. 16 this name Infer­no is taken for a Pit or Sepulcher, and this name Ge­enna for the place of the dampned, they haue expounded thus, Descese a gl' inferi, that is, he was layd in in the graue: but the matter it selfe doth make replye, héere against. Seing that both Paul and also Peter willing to proue the resurrection of Christ, brought a saying out of the Psalme.

Thou shalt not leaue my soule in Hell, Act. 2. &. 13. Psal. 15. neither shalt thou suffer thy holy one to see corruption. Where Da­uid maketh mention of the soule and of the body, & there­fore the soule of Christ was neuer in the graue in those three dayes the which he continued dead, wherefore by this word Inferno cannot be vnderstoode the graue.

Others saye, that Christ vppon the Crosse did not [Page] onely suffer the paines of death, the which consist in se­peration of the soule from the body, but also that he suf­fered in his minde, the tormenting of the dampned, bi­cause that for to satisfie for our sins, it was néedeful that he should suffer all punishment, that was due vnto vs, & being in these torments, he felt that horrible anguish and sorrow, which he should haue felt, if being vpon the crosse in all those torments of the dampned, he had bene vtter­ly abandoned from his father.Mat. 16. Act. 2 And therefore he sayd, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? not bicause he despayred, but he ouercame desperation with all the sins, and lykewise death with all sorrowes: but hée felte the payne of the desperate, with-out hauing in him anye fault.

They doe thus expound it, He descended into Hell, that is into the bottomelesse pit of the torments of Hell. And although this was before that he was buryed and dead, and therefore should be sayd by order thus, He suf­fered vnder Pontius Pilate, he was crucified, descended into Hell, dyed and was buryed, yet there is oftentimes vsed in the holy Scriptures to speake first of that which was done afterward. It cannot be sayd that the soule of Christ seperated from the body descended into hell, that is, suffered torments there those thrée dayes: for that Christ sayd contrarywise vnto the good Théefe.Luc. 25. To day thou shalt be with me in Paradise.

Other saye, that he descended into Hell, inasmuch as he shewed his Soule vnto the Spirites of his E­lecte, alredy departed out of this present life, vnto whom (as Saint Peter saith) he preached the Gospel,1. Pet. 4. inasmuch as he made them sée, in a most cleare sort, that which he had wrought & suffered for their saluation. He preached also vnto the dampned the Gospell, with rebuking their incredulytie and that they were altogether inexcusable, and so their condempnation shoulde appeare vnto the worlde to be iust.

[Page 13]It is néedefull also to beléeue lyuely, that he rose againe the third day, which when with thy spirit thou shalt féele,Rom. 4. &. 6. thou shalt not feare death, séeing that in Christ, and tho­rough Christ death is ouercome, yea if thou be grafted in Christ thorough Faith, Col. 3. thou shalt in the spirite be ray­sed againe from sinne, and being righteous, shalt walke in newnesse of lyfe, seeking and tasting onely the things which are aboue.

We must also beléeue that he ascended into Heauen, hauing on earth wrought and suffered all that his father appointed him, and that was expedient for our salua­tion: it was conuenient that he should ascende into hea­uen, for our profit, to giue vs hope of our heauenly coun­trey, seeing that he is entred in possession for vs,Heb. 9. 1. Ioan. 2. for to stande also before the father for his Elect, and to be their Aduocate and Intercessour, remayning therefore with them in spirite vppon earth.Mat. 28 But vnderstand it is neede­full that thou lyuely beléeue that he is ascended into hea­uen for thy benefite: which when thou féelest with the spirit lifting thée vp to things on high,Philip. 3 thou wilt say with Paul: My conuersation is in Heauen.

Moreouer thou must beléeue, that hée sitteth on the right hand of his father,Mat. 28. in-asmuch as he hath giuen him all dominion and lordship ouer all, and hath ordeined him to be aboue all princedome, power, vertue and do­mination, and hath giuen him a name aboue all other names, hath made him the head of the Church, and hath subdued all things vnder him.

Thou must also beléeue lyuely,Ephes. 1. that as he was séene ascende into heauen, so he shal come visibly from heauen, to iudge the quicke and the dead: And if it be sayd (accor­ding to Saint Paul) it is decréed that men must dye,Act 2. 1. The. 4 Heb. 9. 1. Cor. 15. how then shall he come to iudge the quicke? Paul himselfe doth aunswere, that those which then shall be alyue, shal sodeinely be chaunged, being made of corruptible incor­ruptible, and that chaunge shal be vnto them as a death.

[Page]If then thou shalt lyuely beléeue, that Christ which loued thée so much that he dyed for thée on the Crosse, and hath all power, which must also be thy Iudge, thou shalt be sure and safe thorough Faith, that his Iudge­ment shall be fauourable vnto thée. Chiefly learne, that Christ shall be our Iudge, he is not onelye our Ad­uocate, but hath taken vppon him our cause.

We must more-ouer beléeue in the Holy Ghost, and this bicause, albeit Christ dyed for vs, rose againe, ascen­ded into Heauen, was our Aduocate and prayed for vs, yet we could not be saued, if God with his holye Spi­rite did not open our hearts, made vs to vnderstand and be partakers of these so great benefits thorough Christ done to vs. So that as thorough Christ all giftes and graces bée offered vs from GOD, so the Holye Ghost béeing our guyde, we doe receceiue them.

It is therefore néedefull that thou féele lyuely in thée this spirite of God, which renueth thée, lighteneth, mo­ueth, inspireth, imprinteth, and maketh thée féele God in Christ and that thou art safe. It is not possible that thou shouldest be a true Christian, if thou hast not the Holy Ghost in thée.

And therefore he which beléeueth that Christ dyed, and that not vainly, beléeueth also that there be fruites of his passion and death which is the saluation of the E­lect: Wherefore we must also beléeue, that there is a ho­ly Catholicke Church, that is the vniuersall Congrega­tion of the faithfull and Elect of God.

It is not inough to beléeue that there is founde a Church which is holye and sanctified thorough Christ, that,Ephes. 5. is a mysticall bodye of the Elect: but it is néedefull that thou dost liuely beléeue and féele, that thou art a por­tion and member of the same, and that thou art one of the Elect.

Thou must also beléeue the Communion of Saincts, [Page 14] that is, thou must liuely féele that thou art pertaker, to­gether with thy bretheren of all the giftes and graces of Christ the head of the Church:Ephes. 1. therfore more or lesse ac­cording to the measure of Faith, reioyce thy selfe in their prosperitie, and be sory in their mishappe as members and good brothers doe together, and forasmuch as the be­nefites which Christ doth to his Church, is not that they should be proper to one man alone, but for the commodi­tie of them all, therefore thou oughtest not to séeke for to possesse or vse anye thing for thine owne lucre, but for the honour of God and safegarde of thy neighbour, and so thou oughtest to this same ende or purpose pro­cure the safetie of thy bretheren, and with Faith to em­brace, not onely them and all that they possesse, but al­so Christ with all his diuine treasures: bicause Loue ma­keth all things common. Now if with thy spirite thou shalt féele this, thou shalt then beléeue the communion of Saincts.

Thou must beléeue the remission of sinnes, that is, not onely that God, of his mere lyberalytie and gra­tious goodnesse, thorough Christ crucified, which hath made satisfaction for vs, pardoneth the sinnes of his E­lect, but it is needefull for thée to beléeue, and with the spirite lyuely to féele, that he hath pardoned thée.

Then will the Gospel laugh vppon thée; and shew it selfe amiable, and thou shalt féele in Christ the great goodnesse of God.

It is néedefull also to beléeue liuelye the resurrecti­on of the flesh, which if it were so, we would not accompt this world for our countrey, we would not set our loue vppon it, we woulde not feare death, and with hope of the other lyfe, with-out grounding our selues in prospe­ritie, and with-out retyring, or tourning back in aduer­sitie, we would ioyfully runne to our heauenly coun­trey.

And lastlye, it is néedefull for vs to beléeue euer­lasting [Page] lyfe, that is, that the Elect shal be happy and shal lyue for euer, and it is néedefull for thee with the spirite to féele that thou art one of them, and if thou wilt say vn­to me, why is it not sayd that we should also beléeue the euerlasting death of the dampned? I aunswere that héere is not spoken but onely of those things which must with a lyuely Faith be beléeued, and felt with the spirit, and this lyuely Faith and féeling is not but in the Elect, and the Elect can-not lyuely beléeue nor féele in themselues any thing, but those benefites which God hath promised them, whereof the holy Ghost speaketh vnto them, and witnesseth in their heartes. Therefore in the Crede is no­thing declared, but onely those things which apperteine to the comforting of the consciences of the Elect, and that moue them to loue.

Now these be the Articles which we are bounde to beleeue, and they be so knit and lynked together, that a man cannot beléeue one of them lyuely with-out the o­ther, and he that beléeueth the one with a lyuely Faith, beléeueth all. As for example, no body can beléeue lyuely in God, no, nor yet know him sufficiently with-out the lyght of Christ, which is supernaturall, as Paul saith, and lykewise Christ, and he that beléeueth lyuely in Christ, & thorough Faith and the holy Ghost féeleth and accepteth his great benefite,Gal. 4. Ephes. 2. Mat. 11. beléeueth that God is the Father al­mightie, Creator of all things: beléeueth also the resur­rection of Christ, his ascention, his sending of the holye Ghost, and that he shall come to iudge vs, and the effects of his death, that there is a holye Churche, the re­mission of sinnes, the resurrection, and euerlasting lyfe.

There be many which of their owne fantasie haue ad­ded other Articles, and such as bée no other but their owne doctrines, the which it is but lost time to consi­der off.

They woulde prophecie and vnderstande more then [Page 15] the Apostles, excéeding the lymits of Faith, and all is bi­cause they haue not a liuely Faith in the light superna­turall, whiche if they had they shoulde sée wonderfull things reuealed by God, which would content them and cause them to séeke, not to vnderstand newe thinges, but to growe in greater light of thinges reuealed, that they might be able to render thankes more largely vnto God, to whom be alwayes all praise, honour and glory, thorough Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

If it be possible to be confirmed and stablished in Faith. Sermon. 5.

THose which doe neuer sée the trueth su­pernaturall and reuealed with a light inspired and cleare of Faith, but onely haue had in them a certaine opinion, and a humaine and purchased Faith, for their light being very obscure and imperfect, they neuer haue béene cleare, sure and certaine of those thinges which they beléeue. And therefore they thinke that there is no other manner of Faith but of that sort which they haue, wherefore they suppose that of diuine thinges there can no Faith be had, which is cleare, cer­taine, sure, stedfast, yea they doe imagine, that doubting is inwarde and a thing substancial to Faith, in such sort that they thincke there can be no beliefe without doub­ting And to maintaine this their opinion with all, they bring this reason. The thinges which they beléeue,Heb. 11. they doe not sée with corporall eyes, no, not if it hath also a cleare and euident vnderstanding, as there is of the first naturall princyples of thinges, this they may proue by reasons demonstratiue which doe binde fast and stablish the vnderstanding: but in such a case it shoulde not bée Faith, but a scyence. The trueth which such men beleeue, [Page] is onely perswaded thē by probable reasons, y^e which bi­cause they make not any necessary conclusion, bée very weake, so that only they moue vs to thinck that it is so, but they doe not force vs, forasmuch as they shewe not clearely & plainly y^e truth, this therfore their Faith being bleareyed, it must of necessitie be always suspecting & in doubt, for y^e nothing in them is cleare & euident but euer totering & wauering like those which haue y^e Palsy. But they wold not say so if they had experienced to haue a true Faith, for y^t the light therof is so great, y^t euery one which hath Faith, if it be perfect, is safe, sure & clearly certified of the truth, & in it is stedfast & firme. So that as y^e light of a true Faith dymmeth in clearenes all other lights of this present [...]fe, so spiritual men & those which by Faith be re­generated, if they be perfect in the same Faith, are more firme, sure, cleare & certeine of the truth supernaturall & reuealed, then y^e carnal be of things which they haue be­fore their eyes. The light of a true Faith is so cleare, that as loue cannot hate, so cānot a perfect Faith distrust, stut­ter or doubt. That therfore is not a true Faith which dou­teth, but those are carnal men which being w^tout Faith, do wauer. And although spirituall men also doe sometimes doubt, this is bicause of their little Faith, & for y^t, they gi­uing eare to carnall wisdome do locke the eyes of Faith against the trueth reuealed, whiche resisting against the holy ghost, and do follow the instigation of the Diuell: wherefore if we doubt, it is not so much for the little light which we haue of Faith, as for that we doe not al­wayes and continually behold the trueth supernaturall with the cleare light of a true Faith: yea, we would of­tentimes sée & discerne it with our blinde natural light: and vnderstand that it doth not by and by appeare true which we sée alredy with the light of Faith. And if those which haue but once séene with a cleare light of Faith y^e truth, do proue afterwards of infidelity, if they by chance do rise againe,Gen. 15. Rom. 4. they themselues will then say, we ought not to doubt, séeing that we haue séene so clearely the [Page 16] trueth, we be assured that it is so,Luc. 1. Iacob. 1. as God with the cleare light of Faith doth plainly shewe vs. Faith then being perfect with Abraham doubteth not, & if that with Mary the virgin it maruaileth, yet it doubteth not, it waue­reth not to and fro like young children, it stutteth not nor stackereth as a thing that is weake, neither doth it tosse one while this way, another, that way, wherof He­lias reproued certaine Prophets, but it is pure,3. Reg. 8. stedfast & firme, hauing respect to the goodnes of God, & his promi­ses without doubting to obtaine that which it demaun­deth. And therefore it is that which confirmeth & stabli­sheth vs in God:Heb. 6. &. 11. wherefore saint Paul calleth it the sub­stance of thinges which be hoped for, a making manifest of thinges inuisible, and also a sure shippe in God of our soule. Wherupon Dauid saith trusting in y^e Lord,Psal. 25. I shal not go astray. It is possible then to be stablished in Faith, to be lyghtened and come into a certaine perswasion of the trueth, wrought in vs by the holy Ghost, yea it is not possible to beléeue liuely & in truth, w^tout clearenes,Col. 2. assu­rance, certainty & stedfastnes, wherfore more or lesse, ac­cording as thy Faith is more or lesse perfect. Let vs ther­fore pray vnto y^e Lord y^t he would giue vs of his liuely & cleare light, so that we being strong & stedfast wholly in him, may yeld him al praise, honour and glory, thorough Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

If it be good or euill, that euery one shoulde seeke to be lighte­ned with Faith, if that be the true way or no. Sermon 6.

THere be many & especially they of the kingdome of Antichrist, which beléeue y^t it is euil y^t euery one in­differently, especially women, vnlearned folke, idiotes & simple persons, if they wold séeke to be lightened in Faith whether it be y^e right way or not. But they say y^e euery such one ought to beléeue simply, that is to say grosly & blindly, with-out any discussing or consideration, that which hath béene taught them by their parents, and by their Prelates, bicause that (as they say) those [Page] cannot erre, yea they perswade, that euery one must flye all thoughts and desires, which shoulde happen, willing them to be lightened thorough Faith as a temptation & instigation of Satan. They also condemne that the holy scriptures should be translated into any vulgar tongue, bicause the vnlearned should not studie thereon, yea they will that the Psalmes, their Masses, the prayers, euen those things which Christ taught, the Godly precepts or commaundements, the Articles of the Faith and all other things necessarie to saluation, should be learned & taught in the Latine tongue, as though the vertue of Faith, of prayer and of the holy scriptures did consist in this Lati­nytie, & were not néedefull for a Christian, to know how he ought to liue, what he ought to demaunde of God, and what he saith when he maketh his prayer: and to vnderstand what he beléeueth, when in making confessi­on of his Faith, he saith: Credo in deum Patiem &c. I meruaile greatly, that as they haue ordained that the ho­ly scriptures and their diuinitie is not reade but in the Latine, so that their sermons or preachings be not also in Latine that they might not be vnderstoode. It is verye true that they bring all their authorities in Latine and many times in Gréeke and Hebrew, to shewe that they be learned in the tongues. They thincke that in the end, their Bulles, Briefes, indulgēces, absolutions, blessings, excommunications, yea and their contractes made of things of this world, will be the better kept close, and deceiue the simple, that they shall sell them the dearer for the maiesty of this Latinytie, and therfore they write and pronounce them in Latine.

And I say against them, first that those which haue not a true and liuely Faith, are bounde to séeke it by all meanes that they possible can, and to be lightened that they may be in a true Faith: for as much as they ought not to refuse the inspiration which commeth to lighten them, for in so doing they should forsake the grace of the [Page 17] holy ghost. It is very true that those which be alreadye in a true Faith and thereby certaine that they be in the trueth, ought to refuse all other fantasies contrary as the instigation of the diuel: and to continue stedfast in the Faith wherin they are, with séeking by al meanes pos­sible to growe therein, and to be lightened euery day more and more, for the glory of God.

Seing then that true Faith is euer ioyned with clear­nesse, it must néeds be said, that as it is not euil but good, to séeke for to haue Faith, and to gro [...] therin, so it is not euill but good, to séeke to be lighten [...] and to growe in light, certainetie and clearenesse: for if you procéede by due order, ther can be no daunger vnto you, for looke how much more the trueth is discussed of, so much more it shineth.

Let vs suffer the false doctrine of Turkes to lye hid­den, and likewise of the heretikes & Antichristians, and all such as be in errour,Mat. 10. but the doctrine of Christ and his Gospell, it is most true that it ought not to be hidden in darkenesse, but ought to be preached and taught in the light, aboue the houses, plainely and openly:Ioan. 12. as Christ appointed the Apostles, and himselfe obserued. But note, that forasmuch as we can-not with our owne strength purchase nor deserue Faith, bicause it is a gifte of God,Ephes. 2. giuen to whom it pleaseth him, therfore we ought to séeke it princypally of God, by way of prayer and humilitie.

But for that also serueth the learning of the worde of God and studying of the holy scriptures, bicause we ought to studie wholly thereon, and therefore to haue it in euery language. And that whiche is contained in the holye scriptures is it any thing els, but the bene­fites which God hath done for vs, the riches which he hath promised vs, & that which he requireth of vs? Then tell me, is not euery one bound to vnderstand & know al those things aforesaid? Hath Christ paraduenture spoken only to the learned? or such things that the vnlearned can [Page] not vnderstand? Was Christ so proud vppon earth, that he [...] to teach, or would let none vnderstande but [...] the learned and wise of this worlde, yet Paul said, [...] humbled and debased himselfe, [...] Math. 11. euen to the death of the Crosse, and that God hath chosen the weake & ig­noble things of the worlde to confound the things that be strong and noble. Christ himselfe gaue thankes vnto the father, for that he had hidden his diuine secreates from the wise and prudent, and had reuealed them to babes. Is it peraduēture necessary by Aristotle to know Christ? Or be not men capable of the things of God, ex­cept they be learned? The holy scriptures, and chiefelye y^e Gospel, ought to be had in euery language, to be prea­ched, reade, and taught to all men, and likewise to be hearde of euery one, studyed, and learned as they did be­fore time in the primitiue Church of Christ.

To this ende was giuen to the Apostles the gifte of tongues, and they were enioyned that they shoulde goe preaching the Gospel thorough all the worlde. Christ would that it should be vnderstoode of all men, and like­wise would the Apostles.

Before time the holy Scriptures were translated out of Hebrewe, and also out of Gréeke into Latine, bicause the Latine tongue, especially in Italie was common to all men: there-fore they said the Créede, the Gospel, the Psalmes, the Lords prayer, & other prayers in Latine: but nowe séeing that the common Italian tongue is no more Latine, we ought to haue those things which be ne­cessary to be knowne brought into a tongue which may be vnderstoode, which thing I say were also conuenient in all other nations. I say not nowe, that the mini­sters of the worde of God are not bounde, to studie and vnderstande better the holy scriptures, then the simple people, y^t they may be able (as Paul writeth) to instruct others, and moreouer to resist and ouercome those which shall gaine-say the trueth.

[Page 18]But to others concerning the thinges whiche be of God, it is sufficient for them to knowe as much as is néedefull for their saluation. They doe not euill but well if they studie the holy scriptures, so that they studie them in such sort as they ought. But I thinke that the heades of the kingdome of Antichrist with their subtile and de­uilish craftinesse, are forced so to hide these thinges, bi­cause they might be so worshipped like diuyne creatures and as though they among all others, had the light of di­uine secreates. They also haue deuised so to kéepe close the trueth, that it should not be declared, bicause if men should haue the light of the holy scriptures, they shoulde see the doctrin of Antichrist to be not only vnprofitable & vaine, but false, wicked, contrary and repugning against Christ and his Gospel. They will say, that if the vn­learned should studie the scriptures, they should easilye fall into many errours and heresies, and there-fore it is not good. And I say,1. Cor. [...] that the wise of this worlde doe so much more easily fall, as that by their greater prudence & humaine wisedome (which being compared to God is but foolishnesse) they are further of from God, aduersaryes and enemies of Christ, of grace, of Faith, and of the Gos­pel, and in as much as with greater force they doe with­stand the holy Ghost. As it hath béen séene by experience, that where as the simple people haue receiued the Gos­pel and beléeued in Christ,Ioan. 7. the worldly wise men haue not beléeued, but haue persecuted him. And the errours & heresies are growen of their learned doctours: as is to be séene by hereticall doctrine and theologie of Anti­christ.

And albeit that the vnlearned by studying the holye scriptures do sometimes fall into errours, it is not tho­rough defect of the scriptures, nor yet bicause it is not good that euery bodie should studie it but thorough their owne defect, for that they doe not study it with humily­tie, purenesse, and a right purpose, as they ought.

[Page]They craue not at Gods hande the true vnder­standing thereof, with such zeale and Faith, as of duetye they shoulde, wherefore they néede not withdraw them­selues from studying it, but apply themselues to studie it as is conuenient. Otherwise, forasmuch as many good thinges are vsed to the dishonour of God, men had néede euen to withdrawe themselues from all companyes, and to heare the word of God. But they will say, if the ignorant would study the word of God, they cannot vn­derstand it. Then (according to that opinion) they vnder­stande it by force of the letter and humaine wisdome, and not by diuine reuelation, contrarye to saint Paul, which would, that the interpretation and vnderstanding of the holy scriptures, shoulde be the gift of God.

1. Cor. 12 Luc. 24.It must néedes be for that Christ opened the mindes of the Apostles, to the intent that they shoulde vnder­stande the holy scriptures, and for that they thorough their simplicitie, made smaller resistance against the ho­ly ghost then the wise men of the worlde, therefore that they vnderstoode it better, forasmuch as they studyed it with reuerence, and for the glory of God, and in such sort as they ought. And if they will say, they cannot vnder­stande the harde places. I will say that God is able to giue them light, as well as to thée, and more too, whiche be so much the apter to vnderstand then the worldly lear­ned, as y^t not hauing their so much dead learning, they haue occasion to be more humble, to which sort of people God reuealeth his secretes.Math. 11. And if by and by they doe not vnderstand, thinking that they please not God, he immediately giueth them light, so that with yelding thankes vnto God, they passe away to the vnderstāding of the other places, & do not as you that be proud, which not séeking to haue light from God, nor hauing patience to tary with humblenesse, vntill the Lord giue you the right vnderstanding, ye haue expounded them falselye and vngodly, according to your owne fantasie, & so you be [Page 19] fallen into a thousand errours. They will saye that in studying the scriptures they would be contented to haue vs onely, which can-not erre, for their Masters, and to vnderstand them according as we haue expounded, wée would not say that it were euill that they should studye them, but forasmuch as there be many Wolues, and es­pecially in these our times: which being cloathed in the manner of Shéepe, doe preach new doctrines, and do not expound the holy scriptures in many places after our fa­shion, therefore we doe not onely excommunicate, perse­cute and burne, whosoeuer sticke vnto their opinions, but who so doe read those bookes. And if we feared not that it would be accompted vnto vs for a great impietie, we would not onely forbid vnto the vnlearned the studye of holy Scriptures, but we woulde burne the Epistles of Saint Paul and the Gospell, bicause we would not suffer men to haue any further knowledge, séeing of studying them, doe grow euery day new Heretickes.

To this I first say, that if that be true which Christ sayd, that by the fruites, by the lyfe, and by the workes,Mat. 7. false Prophets shall be knowen, we maye make a sure iudgement that you be no true shepheards nor Pastors of soules, but most rauening Wolues, inasmuch as ye féede not the soules with the word of God, but persecute euen to the death those which preach it, being with your wicked lyuing an offence to all the world. Is it possible that you should be so blinde, peruerse & obstinate, that you see not how in the questions of your schoole Doctors, ther is but a lytle Diuinitie, and that most intricate, full of erroures and Heresies, and you will néedes haue them for your Masters.

Who doth not sée the obscure, thicke & palpable darke­nesse in which we were, and the great lyght which God hath giuen vs of himselfe, within these few yeares? Not with any new doctrine but with the verye same which Christ preached, the Apostles, the Prophetes, and those [Page] which were true Saincts, therefore olde, although newe to those which had bene blinde, for that it was a long while buried.

Know you not that the light of the Gospel is so great, that it discouereth all deceipts, errours, and falshood?

And that all the false perswasions of the worlde can doe no hurt to such as be lyghtened with the truth, that is, to them which be illuminated? Whereof are you then a­fraide, if you with your people be in the truth together with the Gospell? If you were in y^e lyght, you would not flye it, as ye doe, but would desire and seeke for it, not fai­nedly, but in truth to come vnto the toppe. But you, as those which know, y^t your doctrine consisteth in deceipts and falshoode, fearing least you should be discouered, with making your selues suspected, doe not onely flye as haste­ly as you can all counsell, but doe persecute those which preach Christ and his Gospel. And it is manifest, that in persecuting so grieuouslye the true Christians, they are not moued by zeale of the honour of God, séeing that in other things they shew no such sparkle of zeale. They are moued, for y^t they doubt their kingdome will be brought to nothing, as a most vaine shadowe, thorough the lyght of the Gospell.

And forasmuch as they saye that they cannot erre, I say that they should say true, if they were God himselfe, or that they had his spirite: but it is séene by their lyfe, that they be carnall men, whose propertie is to be lyers. And suppose it could be, that they did not fal into so great errors, as not being defiled any more, they could not erre. Read with the spirite their decretalls and ordinaunces say they, & thou shalt be pure inough. And withall this they would, that the people leauing Christ, should ground their faith vppon them, hauing for their rule, not the ho­ly scriptures but their words. They would also that men should haue, in stéede of Christ & of the Apostles (albeit they haue not their spirit) their zeale, their doctrine, their [Page 20] vertues, their lyfe, yea and their ceremonyes as suffici­ent. But séeing that God doth let them alone, being in such great blindenesse, we haue to wonder of his so ex­cessiue diuine goodnesse and bountie, & to force our selues with humble and feruent prayer, with hearing the word of God, & with study of the holy scriptures, to grow euery day more & more in a greater light of God, so that being lightened with the truth, we may render to our heauenly and diuine Father, all praise, honour and glory, thorough Iesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

How euery one may be tryed whether he be in a true Faith, or no. Sermon. 7.

THere be some, which for to try themselues to be in a true Faith, do say to themselues, We beléeue in such sort as our forefathers haue taught vs: and therefore it is not lykely, y^t being their children they should haue deceiued vs, wherefore we maye bée sure to be in a true Faith. But tell me, might it not be possible, that your fathers and mothers would willingly deceiue you? And much the rather vnwillingly they bée­ing deceiued, & in errour themselues, might deceiue you? Such manner of Faithes be all humane Faithes, groun­ded vpon the loue and wisdome of parents, therfore vpon probable reasons, but they be not firme & stedfast: & they haue so feeble a foundation, y^t they do not only alwayes wauer, but will faile in the children, at all times, when the parents doe denie Christ. After that, if when they would be tried to be in a true Faith, it shuld suffice them to know those things, which were taught them of their parents, they should follow y^t, which y^e heritikes, y^e Turks, the Idolaters, and all those, which beléeue according as their parents haue taught thē (whether their faith be true [Page] or false) thinking not onely to be excused before God, but to be pure in the true Faith: forasmuch as there-in they haue bene instructed of their fathers and moth [...]rs, which opinion is most false.

Therefore some others going another way to worke, to be tryed that they be in true Faith, doe alwayes call to minde that they wer borne, nourished, and by their pa­rents instructed in that Faith: and moreouer that they sée a great multitude of people that beléeue as they doe, especially those with whome they be conuersant. Now this Faith also is altogether humane, blinde, full of dark­nesse & weake, grounded so féebly, that if the multitude faile, the Faith also will faile. And if such as these be had bene in that time when the Apostles were, when there were but a fewe that beléeued in Christ, they would not had beléeued, they will not beléeue that which they sée gain-said of others: if also they had ben borne amongst the Turkes, or had bene conuersant amongst them, they would beléeue as they doe, and so the Turkes should bée excused, séeing they are such, and lyke-wise all other He­retickes and Infidells, which be a great multitude: they also shoulde be proued to be in a true Faith. And so it should of necessitie be sayd, that euery Faith where ther is a multitude, were true. Now see if this be not a great errour.

Many other there be which for tryall of Faith do re­gard miracles, and they thinke that bicause their Reli­gion hath bene confirmed by many miracles, therefore they suppose that it is manifest that their Faith is true. But this their Faith is very weak, féeble and vnperfect, inasmuch as there be but a very fewe Christians which haue séene miracles, the true Christians haue percei­ued that it is but mens talke the which doe easelye beguyle them and bée lyes,Psal. 15. and for that theyr Faith is grounded vppon mens wordes, it hath a féeble foun­dation.

[Page 21]But let vs graunt that they had séene such myracles, they had not knowledge to discerne whether they were effects natural, diuellish illusions, or things wrought su­pernaturally by God. Seing that, Christ and also Sainct Paul, haue shewed afore, that in the kingdome of Anti­christ, false Christians and preachers shall arise, and shall deceiue the worlde, shewing signes and wonders.Mat. 24. 2. Thess. 2. Euen to the Romaines when they worshipped idols, haue bene myracles shewed, therefore they shoulde then be excused before God, likewise with the Antichristians, if these myracles were the foundation of Faith, and that it sufficed to haue a certain humaine opiniō, that in their religion haue ben wrought myracles. For that it is manifest that the Scribes and Pharisées saw the myra­cles of Christ, and yet beléeued not: therefore we muste beléeue some other thing then myracles, if we woulde be tryed to be of a true Faith.

There be also some which beléeue as their Churche beléeueth, and thinke that so they are tryed to be in a true Faith: and this, bicause they beléeue that their Church that is their Prelates, be y^e successours of Christ and of the Apostles, and that they haue in them the holy Ghost, therefore that they cannot erre.

And I say, that the true successors of Christe and of the Apostles, and the true Pastors, be those whiche with the spirite of God in preaching the Gospel doe féede the hungry soules, with the sincere, and pure worde of God, and with good examples and lyuing: and the church of Christ be not they alone, but also all those which haue a liuely Faith in Christe. Nowe these cannot erre in thinges appertaining to saluation, among whiche are the liuely members of Christ, and those which haue the spirite of God.

But héere standeth the matter, howe wée shoulde knowe which Church this is, and who be the true succes­sours of the Apostles.

[Page]All the heretykes euen the very Antichristians, haue their Churche, and euery of them doe thinke that their Church is the Church of Christ, they all haue their Pre­lates, and them they account in stéede of the Apostles, yea, their Pope or Patriarch they holde to be in y^e roome of Christ. If then it were sufficient to beléeue as their Church beléeueth, it might of necessitie be saide that the Faith of Heretikes and of Antichristians were true.

It is néedefull therefore first to vnderstande, that our Church is the Church of Christ: and that our Prelates be no Mummers or Masking Apostles, but their true successours. Which are knowne not by the Coapes and Myters, by their solemne Titles, by Ritches, by Power, Dignitie, Ceremonies, Hypocrysies, humaine deuises, nor other outward glystering showe of the worlde, but we must sée if they haue the spirite, a lyuelye Faith, Hope and Charitie, Math. 7. and this may be knowne by their fruites and by their workes, and by séeing that amongst them the Gospell is preached, and if the sacraments bée admynistred according to the institution of Christ. I knowe not how it is possible, that any one of those which are practised in the kingdome of Antichrist, can perswade themselues, that theirs is the Church of Christ, and their Prelates the successours of the Apostles, séeing with them are such great wickednesse, publike Idolatries, su­perstitions, heresies, and abhominations, and that there is in them no sparkle of the spirite, nor any signe of true Christian Religion, that they cannot preach the Gospell, and that the true Christians be by them more greuously persecuted and put to death, then euer the Martyrs were by any tyrantes: I cannot tel how their Prelates dare say that they be the Pastors and successours of the Apo­stles, being rauening Wolues and the Ministers of Sa­than.

If we were bounde to order our selues according to them, and to beléeue as they beléeue, we should of necessitie [Page 22] be without Faith, as they are. It is true which Christ saide, that he will be with the Apostles,Mat. 28. and with their true successours: yea with his electe: and this in not suffering them to perish: and moreouer in hauing such a care ouer them, that all things shal serue for their safety.Ioan. 10. Rom. 8. Ioan. 1.8 But it is not so ment now y^t God doth not sometimes suffer (for their benefite) them to fall and to erre: the which we reade euen of sainct Peter. Thou canst not therefore be tryed, that thine is the true Faith, Gal. 2. which be­léeuing that which thy Church beléeueth, except thou first know that thy Church is the Church of Christ, and that in it dwelleth y^e holy Ghost. Which thing thou canst not vnderstande with-out the spirite and light superna­tural. Thou wilt say, wil it not be sufficient that I haue a purpose to be willing for to beléeue that which the true Church of God beléeueth? I answere no, for as much as it is néedefull for thée to beléeue all that which is necessa­rie to saluation, and the purpose of being willing to be­léeue y^e trueth sufficeth not, for if it did euery one would be saued. Some others there be which thinke themselues tryed to be in a true Faith, for y^t they beléeue according as they finde it written in the holy scriptures. But first, if they haue not the spirite and light supernaturall, they shall neuer be sure and certain, that that which is writ­ten in the olde and newe Testament, is of God: but shal euer go on doubting, wauering and suspecting, whether they be all humaine inuentions, or whether they haue bene corrupted by heretykes. They shall not also vnder­stande, what is their true interpretation and meaning. For if that the tryall of our Faith depended vppon the holy scriptures, the simple which doe not vnderstande them could not be tryed of their Faith. Those also which were before Moyses time, and therefore before the holy Scriptures were written, coulde not haue bene tryed of their Faith. If also the bookes were lost, it muste of necessitie bée that all true and perfecte [Page] Faith shoulde decay. I deny not nowe but that the Ho­ly scriptures doe serue for Faith being studyed in such sort as they ought, but they are not sufficient: yea a man may studye them by force of humaine witte, and as the Saincts haue expounded them, and yet be with­out the Spirite: Wherefore many thincke that they are pure in Faith, if they doe not beléeue, but holding a pledge of humaine reason, and onely such thinges as bée conformable there-to, as though humaine reason were the rule of Faith, and the iudge of thinges that be diuine and supernaturall.

These woulde not say so, if they vnderstoode that thorough the sinne of our first Parentes, our humaine reason (if by Faith it be not healed) is weake, blynde, franticke and foolish, and so stiffenecked, that it alloweth nothing but that which liketh the blind iudgement ther­of, yea it maketh a mocke at [...] supernaturall thinges, bicause it is not capable of those things that bée diuine, where-vnto no man can ascende, but onely by the Lad­der of Faith.

If the triall of Faith depended vppon humaine rea­sons, the Philosophers shoulde haue bene the best Chri­stians of all men. There haue bene also whiche haue thought and saide that when a man by his industry doth all that he can to haue Faith, that is, that he studyeth the holy Scriptures, and disposeth himselfe to heare the worde of God, and frameth him-selfe by all the meanes he can to the trueth, with praying to God that he would lighten him, that in such a case hauing done that is possi­ble for him to do, he may be sure & certaine that he is in the trueth, for that it cannot be thought that God for­saketh those which doe as much as they know and as is possible, for their saluation. If in such a case they cōtinue in darkenes, their ignorance should be inuincyble, there­fore excusable. But I would first know of such who it is that being lightened doeth all that he came, so that his [Page 23] ignoraunce maye be called inuincible: yea those which haue not Faith, can not (as Saint Paul saith) call vppon,Rom. 10. nor heartely request or craue any thing at Gods hande.

But let vs graunt that an Infidell should doe by his endeauour all that he can, doe we not sée that all his workes, his thoughtes, affections, force and desires, shall be not onely vaine, vnprofitable, and vnfruitefull, but naught, vncleane and wicked:Luc. 8. inasmuch as he is vnclean himselfe, a badde Tree, without the spirite, and without Faith.

And thou imaginest in some part at least, that thou de­seruest that God should giue thée Faith: Ephes. 2. which is y^e gifte of God, giuen méerely by grace, and not by desert by any wayes, of our workes. It is very true,Math. 21 that the Lord hath promised that he will heare vs, and giue vs his grace, therefore to them which aske it with Faith, and not to them which aske it without Faith. We cannot therfore by such meanes be tryed that our Faith is true, which if we could, we might partly glory in our selues,Rom. 4. 1. Tim. 1. 1. Cor. 4. contra­ry to the doctrine of Saint Paul. And I say that to bée tryed, that our Faith is the true Faith, we had néede to haue a true and lyuely Faith: bicause that in such a case, there is in vs a supernaturall lyght, so cleare, that we do not onely sée the truth reuealed, which of necessitie wée must beléeue, but also ther is séene what lyght is true, di­uine and supernaturall: and moreouer, that the holye Ghost doth testifie in our hearts, that we be in the truth: Then is knowen what true miracles haue bene done in confirmation of the trueth, and what otherwise: which is the true Church of Christ, and which be the holye and sacred Scriptures. Then also is knowen that we be vn­perfect and stubborne, that thorough our selues, we canne neither in all, nor in part, deserue any so rich & precious a gifte, as Faith is: and lastly then we shall be tryed to be in the truth.

But without this cleare, inward and spiritual light, [Page] no tryall can suffice vs, nor miracles, nor Saincts, nor the Church, nor the Scriptures, nor reasons, nor all other lyghts of the world. Let vs pray therefore vnto y^e Lord that for his méere goodnesse, and for the death of his déere sonne, he would giue vs his true and supernatural light, so that we may yéelde vnto him all due praise, honor, and glory, thorough Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The meane to proue the truth of a Christian Faith. Sermon. 8.

THere haue bene many, which not hauing experienced euer an inspyred and super­naturall Faith, beléeuing that ther is not found in the worlde any other but a hu­mane and purchased Faith, lyke vnto theirs, and that men were tryed suffici­ently of the truth of a Christian Faith, if they be through­ly weried in assaying to proue with reasons, and if it had bene possible; to shew the truth of our Faith. But those that be such, deceiue themselues: forasmuch as the true Faith of Christ,Ephes. 2. being a gifte of God, is not purchased, but reuealed: dependeth not vpon learning, yea, a very vnler­ned man may haue perfect Faith, and the most learned may want it.

The Faith of Christ is altogether diuine and spiritu­all, and hath not for the foundation science, prudence, or worldly wisedome,1. Cor. 3. which being compared to God is foo­lishnesse, yea he killeth it, as his enimie. These men haue also deceiued the world: inasmuch as many doe thinke by their reasons, that a purchased Faith is sufficient, and that they are so much the more perfect, as they haue the more of it, and busying themselues so in the considering of this, they haue left that which was necessary, that is, [Page 24] to humble themselues before God, and to craue of him grace, and thorough Iesus Christ, the true and superna­turall Faith. And furthermore manye wise men of the world, bicause their reasons doe not shew it them, haue dispised the Faith of Christ, as vntrue. You must there­fore vnderstand, that the truth supernaturall and reuea­led cannot be shewed or made manifest w^c humane rea­sons, nor séene cléerely with naturall lyght, but must bée tryed by a lyght supernaturall. It is true, that albeit all worldly reasons be not sufficient for Faith, yet they bée some helpe vnto such men as vse them as they ought: and this is when such men that haue not yet a lyuely Faith, by such reasons comming into some opinion of y^e thinges of Christ, doe humble themselues to pray vnto God, that he would giue them a cléere lyght of the truth: And also doe séeme vnto those, which haue Faith to be confirmed there-in the more.

They also serue to conuince those which bée conten­tious and stubborne. Thou wilt say, seing that we can­not serue to the glorye of God in such sort, as thou sayst, I would thou wouldest declare vnto me those reasons which might moue me to the perswasion of the truth of the Faith of Christ.

I aunswere and saye that there be manye, amongst which, this is one, forasmuch as there can bée no lye so artificiall that it consisteth on euerye parte, and euerye thing aunswereth there-to, yea as to the truthe euery thing doth agrée, so to falshood euery thing doth dis­agrée: but is manifest that in Christ all the Prophecies be verified, all shadowes and figures made cléere and perfecte, and all the promisses of the olde Testament fulfilled.

So that séeing that all is verified in Christ, we should haue iust occasiō to accept none other Messias. Moreouer it is séene by experience, that a Christian, if he be a perfect [Page] Christian, in Christ and thorough Christ séeth himselfe free, as he is in déede, from all euills both of this present lyfe and of the lyfe to come, bicause that God hath suche a singular care of him, that all things doe serue to his saluation, so that aduersities are to him prosperities, yea he findeth in peace war, health in sicknes, and life in death: yea thorough Christ he séeth himselfe, as he is, safe, the son of God and his heire, wherfore he is most happy, most noble, rich of all diuine treasures & graces. If then a Christian by being a perfect Christian be frée from all euills, and is quiet, restfull, and peaceable, he possesseth already all good thinges that be possible and can be desi­red: and he is no perfect Christian if thorough Christ he be not forced to say, that séeing that Christ hath delyue­red the worlde from all euilles and giuen vs all good thinges,Rom. 7. that he is the true Messias: and this bicause we cannot haue any goodnesse by any other, forasmuch as we haue all by Christ.

It is manifest also that none is saued by the obser­uaunce of the lawe diuine or naturall: bicause that there is no body which can doe towards God and his neigh­bour all that he ought to doe. Therefore it must of neces­sitie be saide either that none can be saued, or els they that be saued are saued thorough grace. But it wer greatly amisse to say that none can be saued: for that God in such a case shoulde in vaine haue created and preserued the worlde, if there shoulde not be reaped some fruite thereof. Wherefore we must néedes say that some men are saued, and that by grace, and for that none can tel vs this but Christe, in as much as all other sectes and opi­nyons say that men are saued wholly, or els in parte, by the workes of men, therefore onely the Faith of Christ is true.

There is not founde also any Relygion which doeth not in some part exalt man with diminishing of the grace of God, except that relygion which is of Christ, and that [Page] onely doth debase a carnall man to be altogether earth, giuing all glory vnto God, and for-bicause this Religion cannot erre, therefore it must of necessitie be sayde, that onely this is the true Religion of God. Also that God hath so loued sinners, that for their saluation, he hath ap­pointed his owne Sonne to suffer death on the Crosse,Ioan. 3. which is an acte of so high and excéeding loue, that if such a secret thing, God, as a truth, had not himself reuealed, there is no vnderstanding that were able to beléeue it: and therefore néedes we must conclude, that this was the truth. And graunt, that albeit men of themselues had bene able to haue imagined so incomprehensible a loue of god, yet they could not in any wise haue beléeued, that in one who was crucified consisted all their saluation, & that he was both God and man, especially with so stedfast a Faith, that for this Truth they woulde spende and ven­ture their owne lyues, if God had not perswaded this in their hearts: we must then néedes saye, that it is so in very déede.

If Christ had not bene the Sonne of God, séeing hée would be so accompted, he should haue bene very proude, and it is séene that all his lyfe was full of humilitie: It could not be hidden when men would haue crowned him if he had not fled away,Ioan. 6. but had sought the friendship of great men, and the meanes how to haue bene exalted. It is manifest that Christ neuer sought any commoditie to himselfe alone, as it appeareth by his life & by his words, but onely the glory of God, wherefore of necessitie must be sayd, that he was no carnall man, but altogether di­uine and spirituall, and so was his lyfe and doctrine.

It is also manifest, that Christ willyngly tooke vpon him a shamefull and bitter death, and he saw that in dying so he should loose both his lyfe and all that he had, euen that worldly credit which he had, so that his owne disciples would be offended,Mat. 26. as his proper commoditie fore-tolde him. Yea he should haue séemed to haue lost his soule, if [Page] he were not the sonne of God, bicause he named himselfe so. No worldlye thing then coulde moue him to dye so, wherefore we must néedes say, that he was moued, not for his owne pleasure, but for the truth, for the glory of the Father, and for our saluation.

Consider all the lyfe of Christ, and thou shalt finde that albeit it was wholly a Crosse, yet he neuer shewed any signe of impatience, yea vppon the Crosse, with-out any trouble of the flesh, he shewed himselfe diuine altoge­ther euen till he gaue vp the ghost, and pronounced still words of great charitie.

Is it not manifest, séeing that Christ vpon the crosse being naked, spoyled, and depriued of al riches, pleasures, honours, dignities, friendes fauours, strength and helpe of the worlde,Philip. 2 humbled, brought to nothing, as if he had not bene: yea being opprobrious and accursed of al men: hath vanquished and ouercome death, the world, the flesh, sinnes, the Diuells, and all the enimyes of God? which he could not possibly haue done with-out the fauour of God.

If also in lyke sort his Church had not bene altoge­ther spirituall, when the fauour of the worlde decayed, it must also haue waxed féeble, whereas when the world, stroue against it, it became alwayes more mightie, forci­ble, and tryumphant.

Christ also where-as in the flesh he séemed weake, arising againe, and ascending into Heauen to the right hande of his Father, shewed him-selfe so stronge in Spirite, that twelue vnlearned and simple Disci­ples, with-out eloquence, with-out learning, with out humane industrie and subtiltie, with-out strength, and with-out anye promise of worldlye things, one­ly with preaching that one who was crucified hath sa­ued them, conuerted the worlde: notwithstanding that all the armed men with their whole force resisted them, and with learning, wisedome, treasures, honoures, dig­nityes, [Page 26] and all other meanes which the worlde possi­ble coulde deuise. Yea, and in our time, onely with the worde of GOD, such a mightie kingdome of An­techrist hath bene already decayed.

There is not founde nor can be founde in the world any lyfe so truely holy, pure and spirituall, as the lyfe of good Christians, which is so diuine, that it worketh more then myracles, and they are made such thorough Christ crucified.

An innumerable sorte of Christians haue forsaken riches, pleasures, friendes, parentes, their countrey, fa­uours, honours, dignities, the worlde, themselues and all, and by way of pouertie, of infamye, dispossessed of their owne, tormented and put to death, are willyngly and ioyfully gone to Christ crucified: not being by anye worldly thing drawen there-to, which is most ma­nifest, inasmuch as, they were wholly naked there-off, then it must néedes be sayd, that their diuinitie drewe them to it.

Which thinge also doth appeare, not onelye bi­cause that howe much the more they be ioyned and v­nited together, so much the more chaunging their lyfe they be renewed and doe become more humble, lyberall, holye, diuine and in all vertues moste perfecte, but al­so for that where-as in pleasures, riches, honoures, and benefites of this present lyfe, they neuer finde reste, béeing naked of worldlye thinges, onely in Christe crucified they finde the greatest felycitye that canne bée, and this shoulde bée impossible, if that Christe were not the Sonne of the lyuing God.

I doe lette passe the myracles which declare all the vertuous actes done by Christe and his Saints, for a Testimonye of the truthe of the Gos­pell. And the longe, continuall, cruell, irkesome, [Page] hatefull, dolorous, irremediable, bitter and shameful cap­tiuitie of the Hebrewes or Iewes, for the sinne which they committed in crucifying the Sonne of God.

Let vs pray then to our heauenly and diuine Father, that of his cléere & manifest truth, he woulde giue vs an inward lyght, so that we may render vnto him all praise, honour and glory, thorough Iesus Christ our Lorde. Amen.

Of the meane how to be delyuered from all superstition. Sermon. 9.

ALbeit that men by the sinne of their first parents, be fallen into great ignoraunce, yet notwithstanding ther is left in them a lyttle light of God, and of his Iustice: and therefore doe féele themselues accu­sed, as guiltie in the sight of God by their owne consciences: wherefore all they which be not in desperation with Cain, as those that feare the iudgemēt of God, for to auoyd his wrathe and the tormenting of their owne consciences, haue gone séeking remedyes to reconcile them to God: the good men (according to the word of God) haue known and lyuely imbraced Christ, for their onely refuge and Mediatour, ready before the Father to pacifie his anger: but those which haue bene blynde of these so great benefites of Christ, and haue not knowen the Iustice of God, the peruersenesse of their sinnes, with their vnablenesse to arise out of them, presu­ming of thēselues haue gone imagining after their own fantasie, diuers wayes to pacifie the wrath of God: and this with afflicting their bodyes with abstinence, naked­nesse, fastings, watching, silence kéeping, sackecloth, bea­tings, pilgrimages and other paynes with solytarines, with chaunging of garments, with diuers Idolatryes, [Page 27] Sacrifices, words and workes. And forasmuch as such being without Christ, coulde not tourne themselues to God, with sinceritie, purenesse & rightnesse of heart, ther­fore all their chaunging was in outward things, in the which being singular, and comming by them in admira­tion of the world, as those which were proude, and desi­red the glory and praise of men, they beautified continu­ally séeking newe extremities of lyuing: so that in déede they haue bene more superstitious, which being in loue of themselues & more proude, haue sought by one meane to flye the wrath of God, and by an other meane to liue vnder a certeine false Image and masking shewe of hu­milytie, pouertie, straightnesse, with honour, credite, and estimation of the world, yea in greater riches and sensu­alitie. Nowe from hence bée all superstitions grow­en.

And for bicause superstition is in it selfe most euill: inasmuch as it crucifieth againe Christ a newe, laboureth to subuerte his great benefite, his grace and his Gos­pell: And more-ouer is a pestilence verye contagi­ous, which thing is séene by experience, for that it hath corrupted all the world, therefore I haue iudged it good to shewe howe wée maye bée delyuered from it.

It is verye true that those men which haue bene nourished vp in superstition, where-vnto they be most enclyned, and therefore superstition séemeth vnto them very good, so that not onely they doe not abhorre it, as a pestilent thing and diuelish, worthy of all reproofe and shame, but they imbrace it as a holy and diuine thing, worthy all prayse, honour and glory, wherfore it is a ve­ry hard matter for those which be plunged in superstition to depart from it.

But forasmuch as it is possible with God which is impossible with men, therfore I would that we might sée by what waye we might be delyuered.

To heale men of this pestiferous disease, it is néede­full [Page] to know the first cause where-off superstition procée­deth, and by what waye it commeth: and to haue knowledge of the first spring and beginning, we muste vnderstande that there is but one onelye God,Iacob. 1. from whome procéedeth all our goodnesse, so that ther is not, neither was, nor shall euer be anye person that had, or could haue any good thing, but onely from GOD, therefore of him alone they must desire graces,1. Tim. 1 in him onely they must truste, of him alone they ought to me­ditate, him onely to thanke, and to him alone to giue all prayse,1. Tim. 2 honour and glory: Lyke-wise betwixt God and vs there is but one Mediatour Christ Iesus, by whose meanes come downe to vs all giftes, benefites, and graces, so that by no meanes in the worlde God e­uer had giuen, will giue, or doth giue any grace vnto men, but by his meanes of Christ: wherefore onely by his meane we ought to demaund of God, & onely by his meane we must looke to obtayne, and they that haue obtayned, must acknowledge it to come from God, one­lye by the meane of Christ: And lyke-wyse by him a­lone they must render vnto God all thankes and all praise, honour and glory.

Christ therefore and not the Angells or men, is hée who alone, and not with the helpe of anye crea­ture, in the whole and also in parte, hath made satisfac­tion for our sinnes, reconciled vs to the Father, with pacifying his anger, hée alone hath whollye opened Heauen to vs, hath made vs to be adopted the Sonnes of God, and made vs his heires, with meriting for vs not onely heauen, but graces, giftes and spirituall benefits, things corporal and temporal whatsoeuer we had, haue, and shall haue.

So that as from the heade, onely by meanes of the necke descendeth nourishment and strength into the members, lyke-wise onely from God thorough [Page 28] Christ descende into the worlde all graces. And he onely doth know Christ aright, which knoweth that all good­nesse commeth of God, onely by Christ, and thorough him alone doth séeke it.

This alone is the true, pure, cleane, and sincere waye, by the which a good Christian ought to walke: and all the other wayes be full of superstitions. Those then bée superstitious not onelye, which fallyng from confidence in God, doe craue and séeke their happi­nesse from some other creatures, but also those that doe séeke and desire of God, and not thorough Christ, but either wholly or partly by meanes of some other vertue besides Christ.

As those which desire the graces of God by the meane of Angells, of this Saincte, or of that Sainct, and beléeue that they shall obtayne that which they aske, either in parte or in all, for the worthinesse of them, and for the excellencie of their vertues, or for the preciousnesse of their owne workes.

All those in lyke manner bée superstitious which doe beléeue that they are hearde and shall obtaine any grace or good thing by vertue of woordes, and more with these woordes then with them: in as much as graces bée not obtayned but onely by the meere mer­cye of GOD, and thorough Christ, embraced of vs with a lyuely Faith.

The worde of God hath no other vertue, but to expound vnto vs, make manifest, and giue lyght of the diuine willl of GOD, with exhortinge vs to o­beys him, especially if it bée pronounced with the spirite.

Wherefore those which cary about their necks certeine Briefes, albeit in them are written holy words, they be altogether superstitious, for that they think to haue some grace by vertue of those wordes. God hath not giuen vs [Page] his woorde, & made his name knowne, for that we should beare it about, nor that we should painte the writinges vpon doores, but that we might by meanes of his woord know him, call vppon him, giue him thankes, obey him, praise him, & honour him in such sort as in his sayd word he hath taught vs: The word of God ought not to serue vs, but in that manner and to that ende, which God hath ordeined and reuealed to vs, and then the worde of God doth worke according to the vertue which God hath gi­uen it: and in euery other manner that it is vsed, or to a­ny other ende, it is but superstition. Wherefore all they are superstitious which beléeuing that prayers, y^e psalmes of Dauid, or other wordes of the holy Scriptures, except the vertue which they haue to teach vs to liue, to declare vnto vs the will of God, and to moue vs to praise him, haue any other singuler vertues to deliuer him which ca­ryeth them about his necke, or saith these or those words, from this or that euill, or to make vs haue some perticu­ler grace. And if they would say vnto me, it is séene yet sometimes by experience, that they haue a singuler ver­tue. I aunswere, that these are altogether illusions, & di­uelish workes for to nourish men in superstition with­all.

Likewise also albeit, when one baptiseth an other, hée is bound to say, I baptise thée in the name of the father, and of the sonne, and of the holy ghost, bicause that Christ hath so ordeined, neuerthelesse it is a great superstition to beléeue that in these wordes is such a singuler vertue, that he which is baptised with them, is in any part saued thereby: in as much as he is saued onely thorough Christ, on whom alone dependeth all our saluation. In like man­ner it is most wicked superstitiō to beléeue, that in these wordes, Hoc est corpus meum, that is, this is my body, is any particuler vertue, so that the Priest or Minister by vertue of consecration, should as it were, inchaunt it.

Forasmuch as Sacraments be Sacraments by the ver­tue [Page 29] of Christ: and the consecrating, like as the instituti­on of Sacraments is the office of Christ: the high Priest: and our office is manifested in this, that we doe y^t which Christ hath ordeyned, and that we administer and vse the Sacramentes according to that which Christ hath ap­pointed.

Christ hath not ordeined that we shoulde consecrate with saying these wordes, yea, he himselfe hath not con­secrated with saying, Hoc est corpus meum, but hauing consecrated already, he expressed with those wordes, what we ought to take and eate. Likewise those be supersti­tious which beleue, that in the Letanie, in the Procession, in the ringing of the Bell, in y^e exorcisme, in the water of Baptisme, in the holy Water, in the holy Oyle, or in any other méere creature, is any singuler vertue supernatu­rall.

The lyke I say of those, who to the same ende, doe ga­ther hearbes on Saint Iohns night: doe make for Venus holy rings, doe put confidence in reliques & bodies of the Saintes, wherefore they go to visite them, do worshippe their Images, and haue more deuotion to one then to an other They be also superstitious which praye or make supplications for the dead, and much more if they beléeue that the torches and candells which are burned doe help them, and so be also those superstitious which haue confi­dence in Indulgences, Pardons, remissions, absolutions, and blessings of the Pope and of his members. The like also I say of all them which thinke at the least in some part, to be companions of Christ in purchasing their sal­uation, or do attribute vnto creatures more then the na­turall vertue that they haue frō God, some singuler ver­tue imagined of their owne heads, without hauing wit­nesse of God and his woord, therefore all obseruation of place, time, number, or creature, is superstitious, if it bée w^t confidence to obtain by some supernaturall grace which is of man: for as much as God in our acts whether wée [Page] be in this or that place or time, if wée haue sayd these or those words, done these or those workes, hath respect one­ly to Christ, and to our fayth, with which we embrace him, according to the measure that we be more or lesse happie. Now he that openeth well his eyes, shall sée y^t the worlde is altogether full of superstition, chiefly the king­dome of Antechrist, albeit they say y^t theirs is the church of Christ.

The first and chiefest cause then whereoff groweth all superstition, is the ignorance or want of the the knowledge of Christ, him we cannot know by any our righteousnes, health, treasures, or goodnesse, as he is. Wherefore to deli­uer vs from all superstition, we must haue a true & liue­ly light of Christ, so y^t at the presence of Christ (as was aforesaide) we despise as earth all Idolls and superstiti­tions:Ezech. 30. Zach. 13 for that it is impossible that Christ should be ex­alted in any soule and knowen of it by any his righteous­nesse, as long as Idolatrye or superstition abideth therin. Let vs praye God therefore, that he woulde open our mindes and giue vs the cléere light of Christ, so that tho­rough him we may render to him all honour and glorie, Amen.

¶Of the meane how to haue all vertues. Sermon .x.

THere haue bene some which haue said, that god hath powred into man y^e séede of ver­tues: so that as in a Medowe the flow­ers doe growe of themselues, if they bée not hindered: and as the feathers do grow vpon Birds,1. Cor. 5. so doe vertues in men, if they be not hindered by naughty examples, & wicked wordes, the which corrupt good manners:Mat, 13. for looke as the tares béeing sowne while the master of the house slept by that his enemye ceased not to growe aboue the good corne, so [Page 30] by wicked wordes and euill examples, béeing sowen and imprinted by the wicked, in the cleane & tender mindes of young children, whilest that theyr parents hauing no care, doe sléepe, so that they be letted, and vertues in them choaked, in such sort that they cannot become perfect.

Therefore according to the opinion of these, it should bée néedefull most chiefly to beware of children, that they kéepe no company with the wicked, least they should ap­plye themselues to their naughtinesse. Other say that although all this is good,Gen. 3. yet that sufficeth not to haue vertues: for as much, as since the sinne of our first pa­rents, the earth of it selfe bringeth foorth nothing but thornes, bryers, and naughtie wéeds, and the good hearbs and plantes must bée sowen: so that vices doe growe in vs by themselues, lyke as a sedge or rush groweth in the Brooke, they bée nourished without euer hauing any e­uill example, neither in woorde nor in déede, by anye meanes, for that they haue in them the roote of sinne by their nature béeing corrupt in Adam, there will spring and grow vp in them vnbridled lustes, and immoderate affections, bringing foorth the fruites of sinne: wherefore man of himselfe will be wicked.

It is very true yet that he will not worke so much lewdenesse otherwise, as if he were practised with the vn­godly and haue had time and occasion to doe euill as much he would. Wickednesse therefore doe growe of them­selues, and vertues must be sowen, for oeher-wise wée shall deserue no praise by them. Wherefore to haue ver­tuous children (as they say) it shall bée néedefull, not one­ly to beware of euill examples, but also to till continual­ly their soules and spirites, with sowing vertues, and this in shewing them the beautie & comlinesse of vertues: yea and the riches and pleasures thereoff, and the meane how it should bée gotten. It is néedfull also to water them with good examples, and to drawe them forward with giftes, with praises, with honour, and with glorie.

[Page]And moreouer it is néedefull to stop or hinder, that their vitious concupicenses doe not bud and bring foorth any venemous fruites of sinnes: which thing they shall doe with shewing them the filthinesse of vice, the hurtes, reproches, dishonours, infamies, tormentinges, miseries, and hell, which vice will bring them too, if it be necessa­ry also, with threatninges & beatings, to withdraw them. Then séeing that in Adam we be corrupt,Ephes. 2. the sonnes of weath, as Paul writeth, it is naturall for vs to doe wick­edly, therefore not néedefull that wickednesse shoulde bée taught vs, as it is necessary that we shoulde be instructed in vertue, which for that as it is not naturall, must bée sought with great paines. For as much as it is not suf­ficient to flye the company of the wicked, but also that we bée instructed with doctrine, moued forward with good examples, prouoked with praise, with honour and digni­ties, and with rewards, and that we put it in vse also. For lyke as if one learned the science or arte of Musicke, without euer singing or sounding vpon Instrument, hée could not bée a good Musitian: so a man cannot be vertu­ous onely by learning vertues, without putting them in vse and doing vertuously. Déeds bée vnto a vertuous man more necessary then words. But I say first, that in the world we haue no other true vertues, but Christian ver­tues, inasmuch as they alone haue for their ende God & his glorie, all other be wicked, bicause they haue for their ende the vaine praises & false honours of the world, wher­off they bée nourished, and so they are puffed vp & become proude, or els they haue for their ende worldly treasures, and be couetouse: or pleasures, and be lasciuious: or at the most a certeine shadow and Image of the beautie & hone­stie of the true vertues which be in God, and so they bée vaine, false, painted, and without spirite. And whereas morrall vertues, for that they are poore, miserable, weak, abiected & base, yea, no true vertues be gotten, & therefore with so great paines y^t to possesse them perfectly all the [Page 31] whole trauaile of our lyfe time is not sufficient, the true Christian vertues, be so high, ritch, precious, happie, glo­rious and excellent, that they cannot by vs be purcha­sed & gotten, but are giuen by God to his elect, thorough his méere goodnesse and grace, and his liberalitie is so great, that hée doth not at any time giue vs one, but all good gifts. They bée sisters, and in such sort bound toge­ther, that where one is, the others also must néedes bée. Wherefore the soule of a Christian is lyke vnto a fayre garden, (whereas being the garden of God) are all flou­rishing and swéete smelling vertues. It is also like vn­to the heauen full of starres, adorned with all the stars, and a most perfect harmonie, where be the agréementes of all vertues, which be cléere, shining, honest, vnspotted, and holy, which cannot abide where is any vice.Deut. 32 God whose workes are perfect armeth his elect, not partly, but with all the vertues that bee. Wherfore if a perfect Mu­sition be in such admiration, thinke then what a perfect Christian will bée, in whom is the harmony of all ver­tue. Vices be not ioyned together, and their vertues are morrall, but the Christian vertues, be linked and vnited together, neither can they be possessed without Christ, and he that hath Christ in his heart, hath them all,Rom. 8. forasmuch as God in Christ giueth al thinges, euen himselfe, that is, all his perfection and diuine vertues. But for bicause in the world we haue none other true goodnesse then that which is diuine (as Christ said) neither is ther any other true loue, truth, wisdome, righteousnesse, strength,Luc. 8. 1. Ioan. 4 Rom. 3. perfec­tion, or vertue, then y^t which is diuine, therfore we bée so much vertuous, as we doe participate of God, which cō ­municateth himselfe to his children, with all his vertues, and maketh himselfe so to be within them, that they are strong with his strenth, righteous, with his righteousnes,Psal. 17 &. 5 Ioan. 4. wise with his wisdome, good with his goodnesse, and lastly perfect in all diuine vertus, by being pertakers of him, therfore Dauid called God his fortitude, his mercy & ver­tue. [Page] And for that God béeing a spirite is not communi­cated to vs in parte, but wholely, therfore it is necessarye that hée which possesseth one diuine vertue, possesseth all, & hée that is ignoraunt of one is ignoraunt of all: chief­ly, for that they bée in God, I will not saye indissolubly vnited, but together, and with God made one. So that as much as a man is wise, (to speake of the true wise­dome) so much he is strong, righteous, godly, good, lowly, and adorned with all diuine vertues.

And so likwise, howe much a man is pertaker of di­uine loue, godlynes, righteousnes, or of any other perfecti­on of GOD, so much it must néedes be that hée is par­taker of all the rest. The true vertues then doe beginne to bée in the elect of GOD altogether, neither can the one of them growe without all the other, although many times when the occasion doth decay, they are not discouered and made manifest. And forasmuch as GOD doth not communicate them with vs, but onely by meane of Christ, the which is not layed holde on, nor embraced of vs but onely by fayth, therefore faith onely is that which setteth vs in possession of Christ, of God, and of all his vertues. So that, as where there is no light, must of necessitie bée darknesse, so hée that hath no fayth, must néedes be without vertues, and full of all vices: and like as where the Sunne shineth cannot bée darknesse,Rom. 14 Act. 15 Gal. 5 1. Cor. 13 Ionae. 3. 1. Iohn. 2 Rom. 5 &. 15. Mar. 16 Ioan. 6. Rom. 4. Ioan. 20 yea, of necessitie there must bée the lyght, brightnesse and beames of the Sunne, with the heate and vertue there­off: so whereas fayth is, and GOD possessed by fayth, cannot bée sinne, yea, there must néedes be all ver­tues. Where there is no fayth, altogether is sinne, and where fayth is, of necessitie the heartes must bée puri­fied.

A true and liuely fayth worketh thorough loue, there­fore alwayes with charitie, and charitie is euer patient, gentle, lowly, and accompanied with all other vertues. He that hath fayth offendeth neither God nor his nighbour, [Page 32] but repenting his sinnes with the Nyniuites, he obser­ueth the preseptes of God. Of fayth groweth the peace of the minde, and of the consience, of it doth growe the contentation of the minde, health lyfe, our righteousnesse,1. Cor. 3 felicitie, and all our goodnesse. Of fayth groweth true prayer, humilitie, patience, godlynesse and all other Chri­stian vertues, of which this is the Mother. The which wée must beginne and build vppon Christ, other stéede­fast foundation we can finde none. Fayth giueth all ho­nour to God.1. Thes. 3 Wherefore Paul and likewise Christ re­quired fayth, and exalted it most highly. Therefore to haue all vertues, wée must néedes labour to haue fayth, and to bée most perfect in all vertues and goodnesse, wée must grow and become perfect in fayth inasmuch as all other vertues doe grow in vs,1. Pet. 5. according to the measure of fayth.

Let vs laboure therefore to beholde GOD, and his perfection with a cleare and liuely lyght, in Christ cru­cified, in whom hée discouereth himselfe in a high de­grée, so that wée béeinge taught of him by fayth, and of his diuine vertues, wée may render to him all ho­nour and glorie through Iesus Christ, our Lorde. Amen.

¶How we may honour God most highly. Sermon. xi

VNTO God alone (as Paul wrote) is due all honour and glorye.1. Tim. 1 And this bicause hée onely is substauncially good, righte­ous, godlye, wise,Luc. 18. Mat. 19. and adorned with all other vertues and perfection: but wée on the other side, haue insomuch any ver­tue or goodnesse, as wée bée pertakers of that whiche is his.

Séeing that as all the goodnesse which we haue had, [Page] haue,1. Cor. 4 and shall haue, is from him onely, as from y^t which is, the first beginning of all things, so to him alone as to the last ende, ought to bée yéelded all honour and glorye, yea, and to this ende he hath placed vs in this world. But forasmuch as, although God hath bene towards vs so li­berall, that he hath giuen vs Christ vpon the Crosse, and in him all thinges,Rom. 8 yet one thinge, he hath reserued for himselfe, that is his glorie: which he neuer gaue to any other,Esay, 41. nor at any time will giue, as by Esay is declared, wherefore séeing by all duetie we ought to giue him the glorie and honour. I would that we might sée in what sort we might honour him most highly.

And first, there haue bene some which haue thought that God is honoured most highly with prayer: bicause that he which prayeth hartely for grace at the handes of God,Rom. 10 beléeueth that God can, knoweth how, & will heare him, although he be vnworthy: It is néedefull then to haue a great light and féeling of God: and how much the more he which maketh prayers, by hauing committed many sinnes, is not only more vnworthy to be heard, but should deserue y^e greater punishment, and by this meane craueth for the greater grace and fauour, that he might so much the better be able to serue to the honour of God, & also that God bestowing so great gifts vpon one which was so froward an enemie to him, doth declare vnto the world, his so large mercie, liberalitie, and charitie, so much the more as he craueth with fayth, so much he ho­noureth God. In Prayer therefore God is wonderfully honoured: chiefly for that in prayer all vertues be follow­ed and exercised. Others say that patience honoureth god aboue all other vertues: for bicause that when a man accounteth that his aduersities be sent from God, for his benefit, he féeleth in them not so much the iustice, as the goodnesse and mercy of God, therfore by their meanes he estméeing God as his singuler Benefactor & Father, doth not onely praise and giue him thanks for all things, but [Page 33] also liuing in them contented, doth testifie vnto the whole world the good prouidence of God, so that, the world seing him so merry in troubles and miseries, doth yéelde hear­tie thankes vnto God, and is constrained to thinke and say, surely God dwelleth in this his creature: he coulde not so ioyfully beare such great tribulations, if the Lord did not comfort him with his diuine grace: it is séene yet that God worketh and hath a singular care of his elect? Patience then doth meruailously honour God by diuers meanes. There haue bene some also which haue beléeued that there is no vertue which doth so much honour God, as humilitie, and their reason is this: bicause that one­ly the humble person doth acknowledge all his goodnesse to come from God, therfore he alone of all men, doth ren­der vnto God all thankes and glory: and if he be praised of any body, that praise he doth not attribute vnto him­selfe, but giueth it ouer to God, remaining in his own re­putation miserable. There is none also that truly doeth know the great benefite of Christ, and the excéeding mer­cie, and charitie of the Father, if he féele not in truth his miseries, and his owne dishabilitie, to arise out of them, and bicause none but the humble man doth this, therfore he alone can render vnto God due thankes, and honour him in such sort as is conuenient. It appeareth also to many that loue doth most highly honour God, inasmuch as when a man hath set his loue vppon God, he holdeth euer the eye of his minde open, stedfast and fixed vpon his glory, according to which with a right intent, he orde­reth all his lyfe. And further he is forced by the loue that he beareth him, not onely for his honour to doe wonder­full things, but also to procure others to doe the like.

Wherefore he honoureth him by all meanes that he pos­sibly can. There haue bene also some which haue sayde that Faith doth greatly honour God, bicause y^t he which beléeueth in a thing of so great importaunce, as is the saluation of the soule, doth put his trust in God, with [Page] forsaking all his owne wisedome and himselfe, and doth wholly commit himselfe to the gouernaunce of God. And I say that it must be marked and considered that e­uery vertue doth honour God, otherwise it should not be truly a vertue, and so much the more they hoonour God as they are in themselues more perfect. Euery one that desireth to honour God most highly, ought to seeke it not by hauing one onely vertue, but all: inasmuch as they be all spirituall sisters, indissolubly vnited and knit to­gether, it is impossible that one of them should be posses­sed without all the other. Euery person therfore, which desireth to honour God perfectly, ought to labour diligēt­ly, not onely to haue all, but to haue in the highest de­grée perfect vertues and to put them in exercise. And for that the knowledge of God is the mother of all vertues, whereoff of necessitie they do grow, and in such sort de­pende, that in vs can not be any vertue, without y^e know­ledge of God: and where that is, must néedes be al ver­tues, more or lesse perfecte, according to the measure of the knowledge which they haue of God. Therefore all those which desire to honour God most highly, and ther­by to haue al vertues, in the chiefest degrée perfect, ought to labour to haue a supreme light and spiritual feeling of God: forasmuch as it is not possible, that anye shoulde haue a liuely knowledge of the goodnesse of God, except he loue him, put his trust and confidence in him, ascribe to him all goodnesse, commendeth him, giue him thanks, humbl [...]th himselfe vnt him, is ready to suffer for his ho­nour & glory, and lastly doth not praise & honour him by all meanes y^t he possibly can: yea it is néedfull, that ac­cording as he hath of God more or lesse light, he be in all vertues more or lesse perfect. Seing then y^t to honor God highly, we must haue of his supreme light, with hūbling our selues vnto God, let vs beséech him y^t he wold graunt it vs, so that we may render to him al praise, honour and glory thorough Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

What thing we ought to do for to haue Faith, & to grow, assure our selues, & stablish our selues, & continue therin euen to the ende. Sermon. 12.

THere haue bene some which being deceiued haue thought that beléeuing was an acte vertuous & me­ritorious, therfore voluntary: & that Faith in vs depēded in a good part vpō our wils: So y^t according to their fan­tasie, for to haue Faith, to grow and be stablished therein, the determination of a man & the resoluing of himself, to be willing to beleeue auaileth much, which (according to thē) is in our power, & those which with greater vyolēce & force of their own wils do endeauour them-selues to beleeue y^e truth which God hath reuealed vnto vs, haue the greater Faith (as they say) & are y^e more stedfast and firme therin. But such as these be do deceiue thēselues, inasmuch as Faith is y^e gift of god,Ephes. 2. & depēdeth not in any sort vpon our own wil, neither can it be gotfē with hu­mane strēgth or force. It is very true, y^t the vnderstāding is subiect & obedient to the will, in consideration of this or that thing, but it is not so in agréeing, disagréeing or doubting: yea for natural power, if a matter be shewed it for true, it is driuen of necessitie to agrée therevnto, & that more or lesse, after as it is made manifest vnto it: but if y^e matter shew it selfe to be false, it cannot but dis­agrée vnto it. And [...] y^• wil cōmaundeth y^e contrary, it cā ­not obey it: & likewise if a matter be shewed not perfect­ly for true or false, it must néedes doubt. The vnderstā ­ding therfore agréeth, disagréeth, & doubteth, according as is y^e euidence of y^e matter, & not after y^e gouernaunce of the will: forasmuch as by gouernance it hath no greater light of matters then it had before in y^e beginning, nei­ther doth it appeare in any other manner. Yea there be many which liuing wickedly, and desiring to be eased from their heart of the torments they féele, for y^e feare which they haue of Hell, they are forced to beléeue ve­rilye that there is none other lyfe but this, and they [Page] haue no power to the contrary. If the vnderstanding a­greed according to the gouernaunce of the will, we might beléeue that which we would, and say without lying that which pleased vs, beléeuing to will that which we spake, and yet we proue the contrarye in our selues: Seing that either y^e wil should be moued without reson, in com­maunding the vnderstanding when it beléeued and agre­ed vnto a matter, and in such case the gouernaunce or Empire should be tyrannicall, therefore not vertuous, & likewise should be the agréement: or els if it should bée mooued with reason, and then the vnderstanding shoulde beléeue it, in such case the gouernaunce is not of wil, but by meanes of those reasons, which moued it to beléeue so. And if the agreement or following of things naturall & of this present life dependeth not on the will, much lesse doth the allowing of things supernaturall and of the o­ther life, as is y^e allowing of Faith. Any person might at his owne will, resolue or dispose with himselfe to confesse his faith & moreouer to dye for it: which a very Turke might doe, but man hath not power to beléeue at his owne wil. It might also be possible that a man wer bap­tised, and not hauing a true and liuely faith in Christ, yea not beléeuing in him, might dispose himselfe for the honour of the worlde and confession of Christ, euen to dye rather then to deny him: yet in such a case he should be damned,Rom. 10 Heb. 11. for that it is not sufficient to confesse Christ with the mouth, but it is néedefull that we be righteous, that we beléeue liuely with our heart: neither can wée without Faith please God. Man of himselfe may easely be stubborne of his wil, but not redily haue a true Faith. The hauing then of Faith is not in our willes. Where­fore there were certeine, which séeing that Faith depen­ded not immediately vppon the will, sayd that it was in our power, onely inasmuch as it might commaunde the vnderstanding, which went on pondering all those rea­sons which serue to declare the true Faith of Christ, the [Page 35] which they beléeue groweth of humane reasons, and that no man beléeueth but it is with some pledge, as if our re­son were the rule of Faith, and therefore the Quéene and Iudge of the secrets of God. It might be that a man wer one of the chiefest wise men in the world (his wisedome likened vnto God, yet is foolishnesse) yea & the most lear­ned in the holye Scriptures,1. Cor. 3. being without spirite and a liuely Faith, which doth not grow or depend vppon hu­mane reasons, but commeth downe from heauen,Ephes, 2. for that it is a frée gifte of God. We be of our selues so prowd, ready to distrust in God, and to put confidence in our selues, so blinde concerning diuine matters, & so féeble of strength y^t we can not by any meanes be lifted vp of our selues, to so great a light as the light of a true and liuely Faith is, which should not be a light inspired & superna­tural, if we could purchase it by our owne strength. All our strength then sufficeth not to haue Faith. The na­turall light, nor the light purchased is not sufficient. It is not sufficient to be borne among the faithfull, nor to be baptised, nor yet to be instructed of Christian things. The Law, the Prophets, nor the hauing of the holy scrip­tures be not sufficient: It is not sufficient to be learned in them, to haue heard the Gospell preached, neither mi­racles: for if that all those things were sufficient, the Philosophers, the Scribes and Phariseyes, thē had more faith then all others. Yea the testimonie of Saints is not sufficient, as appeareth in Iohn Baptist, Ioan. 1. Ioan. 3. Mat. 11. who albeit for the most part testified vnto his disciples that Iesus (and not he) was Christ, yet they beléeued him not, wherefore he was constrained to send them to Christ. Yea the out­ward testimonie of Christ is not sufficient, as it appea­reth in the Scribes and Phariseyes, which did not be­léeue although Christ himselfe bare witnesse. We muste therefore haue the testimony of the holy Ghost, he must open our mindes, touch our hearts, lighten vs inward­ly and stablish vs. For which cause Christ did not only [Page] preach & work miracles, but also praied, & not only dyed, rose again & ascended into heauen, but sent y^e holy Ghost, as was necessary to y^e ende y^t we might haue Faith. It is séene by y^e Apostles, y^t they neuer did beleue perfectly vn­til they were filled with y^e holy Ghost. We must w^t Mary conceiue Christ, not with humane reson, but with y^e holy Ghost. Then y^e diuine & supernatural Faith, doth not de­pend vpon our own strength, nor on our own wil, neither on our own studie, good wit, wisdome, knowledge, or hu­mane prudēce. And this, bicause ther is no certaine im­printing made in our fātasie, by seing, hearing, or féeling: nor yet is it an acte of humane reasō, neither an allow­ing of y^e vnderstanding wrought by the gouernaunce of y^t wil, but it is an imprinting of matters reuealed & su­pernatural wrought in y^e spirit: an acte of diuine reason, & an agréement made by y^e inward inspiratiō & perswasi­on of y^e holy Ghost: wherefore it dependeth not vpon any outward & sensible matter. Thou wilt (peraduēture) say, seeing y^t it depēdeth not on me, I may & ought to dispaire of euer hauing it. I aunswere, thou oughtest so much to hope y^t thou shalt obtaine it, as God of his great liberali­tie, on whō Faith dependeth without any proportiō, doth loue thee more then thou louest thy selfe. And woe vnto vs, if it were our partes to purchase it, with our owne strength or if it should depende in any part vpon vs: it is better so that it be wholly in the hande of God. If thou wilt say, this is manifest, that seing it dependeth not on me, I ought not dispose my selfe to haue it, nor yet to prepare me, nor take any paine thereabout: if y^t doing what I could all should be in vaine. It must néedes be that God giueth it to whom it pleaseth him. We on the other side may stande wayting with a curteous hande till God giueth Manna from heauen. And I say that al­though it be y^e gifte of God, yet y^e wicked who haue not Faith, ought to doe all things they possibly can, to haue it, & to assay euen things which séeme to thē impossible. [Page 36] And the like ought y^e godly to doe, that they might bée preserued in Faith & grow therin.Ioan. 15. Mat. 7 Rom. 14 Not y^t the wicked while they are in their impietie, can do any déede meritorious, or worthy in any sort of it selfe, y^t God should giue him Faith: Inasmuch as being without Christ, no man can doe any good work, yea for y^t being euil plants, they can bring forth none other but euil fruits: sinnes then be al their fruits: wherfore they be in no wise meritorious of so rich a gift & present at the hands of God, as Faith is. Yea y^e works of Saints, whē they haue not ben or shal not be in this present life, were not, neither shal be wor­thy of such merit in any wise, y^t God should increase or preserue their Faith. And further I say y^t if God were willing to enter into iudgement with them, & with-out Christ to examine their life and to weigh their workes with thy ballaunce of his Iustice, it should be soūd that they were worthie of great punishment, for y^t they haue sinned, at least in leauing things vndone, inasmuch as in all their actions & déedes, in all their life, through euery estate, place, & time, they haue ceased to honour God most highly, as was cōueniēt for his infinit & diuine goodnes, & as was due vnto him according to y^e vndispēsable diuine & natural law.Rom. 3. It is very true y^t being y^e mēbers of Christ their sins not onely were not imputed vnto thē, but they w^t al their works done in faith, were grateful & accepted before god, not for y^t they were in any wise worthy, but thorough Christ & thorough y^e méere mercie of God.Psal. 31 Ther is thē for y^e world offered vnto god, no other merits, but y^e merits of Christ. And it is a most wicked matter to attri­bute vnto y^e Saints, y^t which is fit for none but for y^e son of god, he alone it is who hath purchased for y^e elect, heauē, & all good things, & al men be saued in no wise thorough their works, but through Christ & through grace,Ephes, 2. as Paul declared. Faith thē is the gift of God, which bicause no man should glorie of himselfe, is giuen thorough Christ, and is by no meanes purchased thorough workes.

[Page]Neuerthelesse, God will that we should doe, whatsoeuer we could to haue it, with accounting our selues alwaies vnworthie. So that our trauayling to haue Faith, must not be for that we should thinke, that we coulde merite it, but bicause without it we cannot honour God; there­fore it is our duetie to desire it, to craue it of God by grace, and to assaye all meanes possible to obtaine it.

Thou wilt say, and what can we doe to haue it? I aun­swere and say, that first we ought to labour to haue a cer­teine feruent desire and longing for Faith, without which we cannot heartely séeke for it, nor craue it of God. And to haue this, we must consider how noble a thing Faith is, how rich, fortunate, mightie, and needful to saluation: forasmuch as without it, not only we can not please God, but we be most damnable. It should also be néedful for the wicked to know that they be ignoraunt thereoff, for that they appearing to haue it, as it chaunceth with the Hipocrites, superstitious people, and false Christians, do not séeke nor desire it, yea they do not humble themselues to craue it of God, & so the godly ought to consider, that their faith is small, for that a man doth not breathe to­ward grace, inasmuch as he doth not come to the know­ledge of his miseries, and of his weakenesse to ease him selfe. And to this ende serueth this consideration, that all our strength is not sufficient to obtaine Faith, nor yet our wit, our studies, nor the learning, knowledge, & wisdome of the world, yea a carnal man by his corrupt nature is most ready to distrust in God, & is so blinde, proude, and affected to himselfe, that with his foolish reason of an en­uious Faith, not onely he doth not goe vnto Faith, but maketh a bulwarke against it.Iam. 1. Thou oughtest therefore beléeue, that onely God who is the Father of light, can giue and wil giue it thée most largely. And to this ende serueth the consideration of his great goodnesse and large liberalitie, which is shewed vs in his creatures. Then if God ceaseth not to administer vnto the moste vyle [Page 37] wormes continually that which is necessary, so that they goe foorth and serue to that ende which he hath created them it must néedes be beléeued that hée will not forsake the soule for which hée created and conserueth al things, yea for the saluation thereoff be dyed vpon the Crosse, and he with the materiall Sunne lighteneth the carnall eyes of those which were his enemyes, how should they not be­léeue then y^t he wil also lighten the eyes of their mindes: Thou must also stirre vp thy selfe with saying thus, if I trust the earth, and therefore doe sow and plant, the Sea and windes, and therefore doe sayle, men and that most e­uill, therefore doe make bargaines and couenaunts with them, why should I not much more put my trust in God, the most good, and my best Father? And bicause that God doth more often make himselfe knowen with his goodnes in the holy Scriptures, then in his creatures, therfore we ought to be diligent, industrious, and carefull in the study of them, inasmuch as they doe auayle greatly vnto fayth, especially, if a man considerth, that God who is true,Rom. 3. is he that speaketh in them, and the large and great promises which he doth make vnto vs, for that as by reading a wri­ting, wherein a creadible and honest man is become thy debter of a thousand Crowns, giueth thée his promise and fayth that he will pay thée them, so in reading in the ho­ly Scriptures the promises of God, there become to thée in fayth, a warrant that God wil obserue them. The rea­ding of holy Scriptures also doth cause a man much the better to vnderstand how with a liuely faith,Rom. 10 the worde of God may be preached: for (as Paul sayd) fayth is by hea­ring, hearing by the word of Christ.Act. 9.10. &. 8. God could immedi­ately lighten his, yet to the intent that loue might be ex­ercised amongest vs orderly in giuing it, the Ministers of his woorde be appointed: as is séene in Paul, when he was sent to Annanias in Cornelius, béeing sent to Peter, and in Philips comming to the Chamberlaine. It is profitable also for fayth to meditate vpon the lyfe of Christ. He sayd [Page] to Thomas, Iohn. 20 Luc. 5 bicause thou hast séene me thou hast belée­ued. And the consideration of his myracles is ne­cessary. Peter bicause of one onely miracle, that he sawe of the fishes, beléeued, and left all that hée had. He sawe that which wée ought to doe: but perticulerly the consi­deration of Christ vpon the the Crosse is profitable, wher­fore Saint Iohn hauing briefly written the passion of Christ,Iohn. 20 sayde. These thinges are written, that we might beléeue. And bicause we cannot haue trust in any person whome we despise, as is séene with the fellow Country­men and naturall brothers of Christ,Ioan. 17. which beléeued not in him, therefore we must néedes constraine our selues to haue [...] [...]rence, & also bée affectionated to the truth, to the ende we may not perish. We had néede also to ende­uour our selues, as much as in vs lyeth, to forsake sinne, especially arrogancie,Ioan. 5 stubburnnesse, and pride, for bicause that as Christ sayde, he coulde not trust in, and séeke the glory of the worlde,Mar. 1 yea, we ought to repent vs of y^t which is past. Wherefore Christ preaching sayd, repent and be­léeue the Gospell. We ought to remoue all lettes and ob­stracts from the light of God,2. Pet. 1. Psal. 33. yea, & with good woorks let vs draw néere vnto him, so that we béeing lightened, may certefie our selues euery day more and more of our voca­tion, and so grow in fayth. But vnderstand, that where­as to haue worldly thinges, is néedefull to haue strength, diligence, science, wisdome, prudēce, towardnesse, subtiltie, craft, actiuitie, sleightes, and humane artes: to haue Faith is néedeful to haue a simple minde, sincere, humble & pure: & these be those little ones and cleane to whom be reuealed the diuine secretes of God,Mat. 11 which doe receyue the Gospell and which by fayth doe sée God.Mat. 6 And although the foresaid things cannot of vs be done without the grace of God, yet it is our duetie not onely to knowe that we are bounde to doe them, yea and most diligently to force our selues to doo them,Mar. 9 Luc. 17. & to assay euen things which be to vs impossible. But besides all this, we had néede to make feruent and conti­nuall [Page 38] prayer: we ought to make our petition vnto Christ, with the blinde: that he would giue vs light: and to be­séech with the Father of him that was possessed with an euill spirite, that he would helpe our vnbeliefe:Deut. 23 Mar. 7. 2. Cor. 2. Mat, 13 and with the Apostles intreate that he woulde increase our Faith, yea, with a newe heart and vnderstanding, so that with the worde of his vertue, he woulde open the eares of our heartes, as he did to the deafe, and woulde giue vs eares to heare his worde inwardlye. If then we woulde haue lyght, let vs go to Christ the light of the worlde and our onely Master, inasmuch as, without that his spirit, with­out his fauour, grace and inwarde worde, the which is neuer without fruites, we cannot doe any thing that is acceptable before God. The reading also of the word of God is profitable for the commendations of our brethe­ren in theyr prayers, so that praying for vs, as Christ hea­led the man sicke of the palsie, when he sawe the Faith of them which carryed him, so likwise he would saue vs, not for the worthynesse of our workes, or of our Faith, but by his méere grace, so y^e we may, as we ought, yéeld vnto God al honour & glory, through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

¶Of the true Caball. Sermon. xiii.

GOD vpon y^e mount Synai gaue by Moses a lawe vnto the worlde,Exod. 20 and that so per­fect a one, y^t to the perfection theroff could nothing be added, inasmuch as it is con­tained all thinges profitable and necessa­ry to saluation. And all be it that Mo­ses wrote the same lawe by the will of God, yet the He­baewes saye, that hée was forbidden to expresse with letters, the great treasures of the wisedome and know­ledge of GOD, the which were hidden vnder a coue­ringe of the letter reuealed to Moses himselfe.

[Page] Mat. 7And this, bicause that holy thinges should not bée gi­uen to dogges, nor pearles should be cast before swine, wherefore vntill the time of Esdras, the Caball, that is the reuealed and secrat vnderstanding of the holy Scriptures, was (as they say) onely in the custody of certeine old men, whereoff when one dyed, they chose an other in his place, and reuealed the lawes to him. But afterwardes being captiues and dispearsed, and that many of them dyed, fea­ring least the lawe should be vtterly lost, they began to write it out: and after to corrupt and alter it in such sort, that the Hebrewes be now ignoraunt of the true Caball, and y^e which they haue, is altogether a vain, superstitious, mischieuous, and diuellish Caball. The true Caball is a diuine knowledge reuealed: and is so perfect, that he which hath it, hath the light of all diuine secreats, can doe mer­ueylous things, and whatsoeuer he will, obteineth that which he demaundeth, hath that he desireth, satisfieth his will and is most happie. And forasmuch as it hath plea­sed God of his grace to reueale it to mee, I haue determi­ned to giue lyght thereoff, to his honour and glorye, vn­to those who be ignoraunt and blinde. There is found in the fiue bookes of Moyses a name of such and so great ver­tue, that who so knoweth it, and beareth it vpon his backe, may know how and doth obstaine whatsoeuer he desireth. And this is that name to which euery knée must bow and doe reuerence,Philip. 2 Mar. 16. Act. 3 Iohn. 16. Rom. 10 Act. 2.4 1. Iohn. 2 bicause it is aboue all other names, and contayneth in it Princedome, that is to saye, IESVS. Of this name had Moses knowledge, likewise the Patri­arches, the Prophets, the Apostles, & all y^e Saints both of the olde and new Testament. By vertue of this name they had their so greate light, wrought all their my­racles, and obtayned all that they desired and craued, as afterward Christ promised to his Apostles.Act. 10 &. 4 He that cal­leth vpon the name of Iesus is safe, we haue no other name vnder heauen, in which we can be saued, or haue a­ny good thing, but onely Iesus. By which name alone our [Page 39] sinnes be forgiuen vs, and we receiue of God all giftes, benefites, and graces. But note that in the holy Scrip­tures, by the name is signified the person named. So that whereas it is written, that by the name of Iesus, we haue remission of sinnes, and saluation, power to be­come the sonnes of God, to work miracles,Ion. 1 Mat. 6 Ion. 14 and to obtayne all things, by that name of Iesus, it is vnderstoode of Ie­sus himselfe. For the vertue consisteth not in the let­ter nor in the name, as the superstitious Antechristians doe saye and beléeue: it consisteth not in voice, in wri­ting, no nor in conceite, but in Christ himselfe. If thou shalt reade the holy Scriptures, thou canst not finde any obseruations of words in the Apostles, whē they wrought myracles, and lykewise in Moses and the other Saintes. They therefore did not receiue grace by vertue of words, but by vertue of Christ. Wherefore we had néede to doe otherwise, then to pronounce or carye the name of Iesus about our neckes. We must carye Iesus thorough faith and spirite in our heartes: And they that doe so possesse him, be great Caballistes, Rom. 16. Ion. 14. and so much y^e greater as with a greater Faith they imbrace him as their owne: as were the Apostles, Moses, the Prophets, & other great Saints. In Christ himself consisteth al vertue of y^e true Caball, hidden from vs before time, and thorough Christ cléerely and manifestly reuealed, and there is founde no other true Caball besides this, for if there were any other, Christ who made knowen to his Apostles all that hée had heard from the Father would haue reuealed it, and so woulde the Holy Ghost, seeing that it doth teach all truth (as Christ hath promised) and the Apostles haue preached vnto others: but we see manifestly that they neuer taught any other Caball then Christ.

The true Cabal therefore consisteth not in charecters, in Images or letters, wherefore Moses could not write it, nor yet Christ, but it consisteth in possessinge tho­rough fayth and in spirite Iesus. Whereof bicause the [Page] Hebrewes are ignoraunt, therefore they be without the true Caball. And onely those which haue Iesus in their hearts, be the true Cabalistes, for that they first by know­ing Christ, doe know all shinges, inasmuch as in him bée hidden al y^e treasures of the wisdome & knowledge of God. Christ reueleath vnto his friēds al y^e which he heard from the Father,Col. 2 Ion. 15. that is all thinges néedefull and profitable for their saluation. Those thinges which doe not appertaine vnto them to know (as for y^e day when y^e sonne of god shal come to iudge the world) Christ himselfe confesseth that y^e Father hath not reuealed to him.Luc. 13. The holy ghost instruc­teth the elect of God, & them y^t haue Christ in their hearts of all y^e which is expedient for their saluation,1. Cor. 2. & we ought to desire no more. The spirit of Christ goeth séeking tho­rough all, euen to the profound things of God, as Paul did write,1. Cor. 1. therefore they which by faith do possesse him, do know all the diuine secrets of God, profitable therefore & néedfull to serue to y^e glory of God, & for the health of the soule. This is the true Cabal reuealed to Moses, to the Prophets, to y^e Apostles & Saints.1. Cor. 2. This wisdome did Paul preach amōg those which were perfect, y^t is, Christ, wisdome, righteous­nesse, our sanctification & redemption, & so did all the Apo­stles, as they y^t were great Cabalistes. Likewise Christ for­asmuch as, albeit he was crucified thorough infirmitie, yet he is risen againe most mightie in vertue,2. Cor. 13 Mat. 28. yea, all power hath bene giuen him both in heauen & in earth, therefore those which by fayth haue Christ in their hearts, haue an high abundance of vertue & power, so y^t not only in y^e name of Christ they worke myracles,Ephes. 1. Mar. 16. such as be fit & equal with the miracles of Christ, but greater, as he himself promised, Other vertues haue their limits, but vnto faith all things are possible,Ion. 14. & to him that beleeueth & hath Christ in his heart: all enterprises are small, and this bicause he doth not take them in hande, but to the glory of GOD, and being moued by force of the spirite,Ion. 18. wherevnto euery thing giueth place, as the whole multitude fell downe be­fore [Page 40] Christ. He is safe that hath Christ in his heart, there is none y^t can hurt him, yea,Rom. 8. euery thing serueth to his sal­uation. He also which hath Christ in his heart, obtayneth whatsoeuer he desireth, being thereto moued by the spi­rite of Christ, which is alwayes hearde. He himselfe who is most faythfull, hath promised vs,Ion. 10. that if we aske anye thing in his name we shall be alwayes hearde, and fur­ther haue whatsoeuer we desire:Iohn. 16. for that Christ the sonne of God and his heyre hath promised vs so, vnto whome the father hath put all thinges in power, and he that hath Christ hath all, and that for bicause hée is ordered accor­ding to the good will of God, and is contented with that which he hath,Iohn. 13. and which it pleaseth God to bestow vpon him, without desiring anye more, and for as much as God giueth not his owne sonne to any, but that with him he giueth all good thinges: therefore he which hath Christ by fayth in his heart, as his brother, the sonne of GOD, heire and Lorde of all, it is profitable inough for him in all thinges, both in his saluation, and to the glory of God. Faith setteth vs in possession of all, satisfieth our wil, and maketh vs most happie. Let vs praye therefore God that he would giue vs fayth, so that we may yéeld vnto him all prayse, honour, & glorie, thorough Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

¶Of the triumph of Faith. Sermon. xiiii.

THere is not founde in the world a more weak creature then man whē he is with­out fayth: for that not onely a séely womā wil make him hir prisoner, so that he can­not be master of himselfe, but being a slaue also of his immoderate affectitions & pas­ssions, shall euer be turmoyled, offended, disquieted and tumnbled on the waueringe whéele of vayne shad­dowes of the worlde. So that as a féeble and vnarmed [Page] straunger, who trauayleth alone thorough a thick & darke woode, full of most cruell wilde beastes and theeues, if he doth but perceiue a bough wagge, he trembleth for feare. Euen so a man whilest that he maketh his course in this presēt life, if he be w^tout faith, he is afraid of euery thing, he cannot be safe by any meanes, he hath all the diuells for his enemyes, the world, the flesh, and himselfe. Hée is ready to distrust in God, & in men he ought not trust, yea, he is afraide euen of himselfe, and this bicause not ha­uing God by him, he hath the contrarye, and hée to whom God is an enemie,Luc. 11. to him euery thing is hurtfull: like as euery creature is profitable to them who haue God▪ for their friend. I would not now thou shouldest thinke, that God had in the beginning created man so feeble and im­perfect as hée is nowe.Rom. 8. Forasmuch as like as in all other perfections, he made him superiour to euerye crea­ture, lykewise also in power, so that bearing rule ouer all other, nothing could hurt him, he was full of God and of his vertue.Gen. 1 But after that by sinne man was seperated from God, he lost that perfect vertue. And albeit that God assisteth euery creature, yet he leaueth him the bridle vpon his necke, after that, distrusting him, he presumeth of himselfe, wherfore he remaineth feeble and impotent, and so much the more as that falling from that high diuine li­bertie, hée remayneth bounde with the yron cheynes of humaine affections, and is plunged in the myrie pud­dle of this worlde, in which hée shoulde still euer haue bene, if the sonne of God putting vppon him our frayle flesh, had not vnited himselfe to vs, with communicating that his diuine vertue. It is néedefull therefore for to bée strong,Luc. 24. that wée bée lifted vp thorough fayth, and béeing vnited to God by the meanes of Christ, we doe embrace him as our owne: and further with receiuing his spirit, to bée clothed with his vertue. And then béeing exalted aboue the vaine shadowes of this worlde, hauing GOD for our God, wée néede not feare, saying with Paul if [Page 41] God be with vs, who shall be against vs: The faithfull haue God in them, and therefore they be feared of all the vnfaithfull, although they were armed with all the force of the world:Ioan. 8. Gen. 21. Gen. 26. 1. Reg. 19 Mar. 6. Act. 5 1. Reg. 17 Luc. 4. Ioan. 18. Luc. 10. as is manifest in Abraham & Isaac of whom Abimelech was afraide, although concerning humane strēgth he was far mightier. And likewise Saul feared Da­uid: & Herode Iohn Baptist. At y^e presence also of the A­postles the Princes and chiefe men of the Iewes were a­mased. He that is strong thorough Faith in God, with Da­uid careth not for worldly weapons, and with Christ pas­sing safely thorough the midst of his enimies, euery thing giueth him place, as the multitude of Iewes fell downe before Christ. Faith is so mightie, that he which is armed therewith, throweth to ground the great Diuel and brin­geth his kingdome to nothing;1. Pet. 1. wherefore Peter exhorteth vs to be strong in Faith. Those which haue a liuely Faith in God, if they were in the middest of all the aduersities of the world, yet they should be altogether happye: & this bicause,Act. 7. as Stephen did the Heauens being open and séeing Christ in their fauour, they know that God is their father, who hath so singular a care of them,Rom. 8. that euery thing shal serue to their saluation. Wherefore they liue without a­ny seruile feare, without suspition, anguish, vexation and worldly misery, frée from all disdaine, troubles aduersities and euills, with Christ walking safe,Ioan. 6. Dan. 5. vppon the raging waues of the sea of this present life, can not be hurt. But we be like vnto Peter, bicause that when we be in a smal ship of worldly prosperitie, we séeke sometimes to go vn­to him vppon the waues of aduersities: and afterwards when we be there, for that we faint in Faith and distrust in our selues of diuine grace, fearing not to denye him in persecutions, we begin to be drowned therin.1. Ioan. 5. There is no­thing that can ouercome the world but onely Faith. God doth communicate his strength to those which beléeue, yea he giueth them Christ with all his vertues, graces, victo­ries, triumphs and felicities, he which beléeueth is found [Page] alwayes and in euery estate happy, so that in pouertie, hée is founde rich, in persecution, quyet, in daungers, safe, in necessitie, liberall, in sicknesse, hayle, in infamie and disho­nour of the world, glorious, and in miseries, happy. He [...]weth that God is euer mercifull vnto him, & so much the [...]re merciful, as he hath the more neede. When a man hath Faith he feareth not death, yea seeing that to dye is none other but to passe into a more happy estate, accoun­ting death for life, he séeketh and desireth for it, with Paul. Vnto him that beleeueth euery thing is possible:Philip. 1 Mar. 11. inasmuch as, he that walketh by Faith, is moued with the spirite of God, which bringeth to good successe euery enterprise that he taketh in hande, yea to him that beléeueth, euery thing is easie, forasmuch as Faith easeth all labour and payne, maketh lyght euery heauie thing, and maketh swéete all things that be sowre, as appeareth in the Martyrs vnto whom euen death was pleasaunt. With the shielde of Faith we may defende our selues from the poysoned ar­rowes of the Diuells, and make vs able to disdaine all theyr power, and this bicause that such as haue Faith, know that the Diuells can-not doe anye thing, but what God will, and so much the more, as they sée that God kée­peth them and vseth them for instruments to his glorye, and the felicitie of the elect.Mat. 16. Rom. 5, Sinnes do not raigne in them, doe not preuayle against them, which by Faith be ingraf­ted in Christ, there is none that can remaine with-out pricks of conscience but he that hath a liuely Faith, whose sinnes be pardoned thorough Christ. Faith then resisteth and vanquisheth all,Ioan. 19. where an ignorant body although he vsed all his strength, and were armed with all morall ver­tues, he could not resist against the assaults and force of the world, of the flesh, and of the Diuell: which appeareth in Pilate to whom being sayd, that if he let goe Christ, he should not be Caesars friend, he being ouercome with feare of the worlde (as one that depended not vppon God, but on Caesar) gaue iudgement that he shoulde be crucified: [Page 42] which he would not had done, if he had had a true Faith in God. Faith, as that which is the mother of all vertues,Mar. 28. includeth in it the strength of them all, wherefore he that is armed with Faith, is most mightie. I will say moreo­uer, that as Christ, to whom the Father hath giuen al po­wer in heauen and in earth, can not be ouercome, but ouer­commeth and triumpheth ouer all: so those who by Faith be vnited, are his members, and haue the selfe same spirit,Heb. 11. are not onely inuincible, but doe triumph ouer all. Faith as a thing that is aboue nature and custome, doth ouer­come the concupiscences, beateth downe to the ground vn­bridled passions, confoundeth carnall wisedome and mor­tifieth wholly the carnall man, so that being borne again, we doe chaunge our companyes, friendships, thoughts,Mat. 2. de­sires wills, manners and lyfe. It appeareth by y^e wise men who came from the East, how much Faith is able to doe, séeing that when they hauing vnderstanding that Christ was borne, immediately and without any difficultie, lea­uing their pleasaunt countrey, and all that they had, they were moued to make so long a voyage. And albeit not fin­ding by the way, but in darke Ierusalem, that they were moued to séeke Iesus, wisdome moued them y^t they should not follow y^e way any further, yet Faith preuayling in thē they ceased not, yea knowing how much it would displease Herode, to vnderstand y^t the King of the Iewes was born, they ceased not to confesse and say openly, with zeale & ly­bertie, that Christ was borne, with enquiring of the place: and lastly, vnderstanding w^t he ought to be borne in Beth­lem, although no body wil led them, yet they ceased not to goe thether with the same zeale. And their Faith was so perfecte, that albeit he was founde in a rude and simple place, and wrapped in simple clowtes, theyr Faith didde not therefore fayle them, but they worship­ped him for the Sonne of GOD. Faith is so con­stant, might ye and in [...]ble, that if it sawe Christ dead vppon the Crosse in the middest of two Theeues, [Page] forsaken of all men, denyed, scourged & wronged, it would in no wise be offended at him, it would not faint, but with the good Thiefe it would confesse him to be the Sonne of God.oan. 19. The vertue of Faith, appeareth in Ioseph and Nico­demus, seing that at such time as he coulde not with-out great daunger and shame, shew himselfe a friend of Iesus, being knowen for one of his louing Disciples, craued of Pilate the body of Iesus, and buried it honourably, trusting to haue life by him who had séene death. And that I must néedes more say, Faith is so mightie, that it ouercommeth euen God, inasmuch as, he is forced to doe vnto vs those graces, which with a liuely Faith we are promised to haue of him, otherwise it must néedes be said, y^e the goodnesse of God were limitted and bounded out, and so little that it could not aunswere to our hope. Seing then that without Faith we be most féeble, although we were young, hayle & armed with all worldly force, and on the other side, albeit we were without strength, weake, forsaken of al y^e world, and further if all creatures were our enimies, hauing true Faith in God we should be in euery respect so migh­tie y^e we should triumph ouer all the enimies of God. Let vs pray him therefore that he would giue vs this Faith, so that we my render to him, all praise honour and glory, thorough Iesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

¶ Of the triumph of the Truth. Sermon. 15.

THe Truth is so mightie, that not onely it cannot be extinguished nor ouercome, but preuayleth alwayes against the enimyes thereoff and triumpheth aboue all things. First it is so ful of force and strength, that not only it cannot be extinguished: it may well behidden for a time, but it is neuer brought to con­fusion. If it might be y^t in the world were no Faith, that Charitie were quenched, Iustice diminished, Hope quyte [Page 43] dead, and all other vertues brought to naught, yet it were not possible that truth should faile, inasmuch as, if a mat­ter hath bene once true, it must néedes be that it be euer af­ter true, for that it hath bene a certeine time truth, it is néedful & necessary that it be truth euer after, neither can it be contrary by any meanes. If thou hast committed an of­fence, it will alwayes be that thou hast cōmitted it, & it wil neuer be possible, that it shall be by thée vndone: & so like­wise, if thou hast done a vertuous deede, (it must be consi­dered y^t we take heed of vitious déeds) & exercise our selues in works of vertue. Truth then is without defect,Rom. 1. it cannot be extinguished, it well may for a time be hidden, oppres­sed, and buried by the wicked. But whereas other vertues, when they are oppressed be féeble, & many times do faint: Truth, when it is impugned, or fought against, awaketh it selfe, taketh strength againe,Esdr. 3.4 and sheweth it selfe more ma­nifest, mightie and glorious. Truth then as that which is inuincible, not onely continueth safe and with-out anye feare in the middest of all the enimies, and as being most mightie confoundeth and ouercommeth them all, but also comforteth, giueth a minde and strength, to al those which loue it & wil draw néere vnto it, so that y^e innocent feareth not to appeare before the tribunall seate of Iustice, yea he that hath truth on his side,Psal. 90. shall appeare safe before the Iudgement seate of God. Truth alwayes kéepeth compa­ny with those that suffer thorough loue, and giueth them Hope, comforteth them, bringeth them consolation, it is a shield, with which they may be defended from all the stri­kings and wounds of the world: and moreouer, it maketh persecutions pleasaunt, causeth that in miseries they bée happy, and lastly with discouering it selfe, it doth not one­ly delyuer from false miseries, but maketh men more glo­rious then euer they were. Peraduenture thou wilt say, that I might the better know the victories and triumphs of the truth, I would know what thing truth is: To this I say, that as if thou diddest make a print on a lyttle péece [Page] of waxe with a seale, and afterward hauing put this seale amongst many others, within a while after wouldst séeke it out and know which it was, the way should be to proue all, with the print made in that waxe, for in so doing, no o­ther seale would fit the print in all respects as y^e right seale which printed it that alone would fit it, wherefore thou wouldest say, I haue found the right feale which I sought. So lykewise that thing is truth, which fitteth the vnder­standing, or true according to the very perfect propertie (af­ter some mens opinion) which we haue of that thing: and it is séene by experience that when a man goeth on séeking to vnderstand the truth, his vnderstanding is neuer per­fectly satisfied, but when he hath found it, then it remaineth satisfied, quyet and contented. And forasmuch as in the world there is in truth nothing, which wholly doeth fill, satisfie, make quiet and at rest, and is fit to our vnderstan­ding,1. Tim. 6 but God, therefore he alone is truth. But for y^e God in his maiestie, dwelleth in a light which we cannot come vnto and that only in Christ in whome dwelleth all the fulnesse of his diuinitie,Col. 2. is shewed vs by Ged, and may of vs be comprehended,Ioan. 14 therefore Christ is sayd to be truth it selfe: as he sayd of himselfe. Christ alone therefore is he, who being the very truth doth satisfie and content vs, nei­ther ought we to meruaile any thing héereoff, séeing that in him alone be hidden all the treasures of the wisedome and knowledge of God.Col. 2. So that in Christ, as in him who is the ende of the Law, not onely be verified and fulfilled all shadowes, figures, sacrifices, oracles, prophecies & scrip­tures of the olde Testament, yea in him as in an abridge­ment,Rom. 10 1. Cor. 1. Ioan. 15. God hauing put all vertues profitable and necessa­ry for our saluation, and being his owne sonne, he hath reuealed him to vs most playnly. He himselfe said that he had made knowen to vs all that which he had heard from the Father, in such sort that in him is verified that, which Esaye had prophecied before,Esay. 10 1. Co. 1. that is, that the ende béeing shortened righteousnesse shoulde flowe. It is therefore [Page 44] no meruayle, if Paul preached Christ crucified, the ver­tue of God, and wisedome, and among the Corinthians, he adiudged not good to vnderstande anye other thing but Christ, him alone he preached, tasted,1. Cor. 2. and had before the eyes of his minde, him onely he studyed, knewe, and hée was Truth, so that Christ was to him all thinges, and without Christ he saw no things but shadowes, vanities and falshoode. All truthes therefore profitable and neces­sary to saluation, be in Christ, & in him alone men ought to séeke them as in their proper spring, there can be in vs no very truth, except Christ lyuing in vs,Gal. 2. Ioan. 14. Psal. 15. we bée perta­kers of him, who is truth it selfe. Forasmuch as man of himselfe and without Christ, is a lyar and vanitie it selfe. Nowe lyke as, albeit the truth is alwayes persecuted of the wicked and fought agaynst, yet as that which is in­uincible, resisteth agaynst all, yea how much the more it is oppressed, so muche the more it appeareth manifest, mightye and gloryous, so that in the ende it vanquisheth and tryumpheth ouer all his enimies: so Christ who is Truth it selfe, although he hath ben alwayes persecuted, lyke as he shall bée also euen till the daye of the laste Iudgemet, yet hée ouercommeth,Psal. 8. Heb. 2. vanquisheth and try­umpheth ouer all, so that at lengthe euerye thing shall continue subiecte vnto him. And his Vertue shall be suche and so great, that howe muche the more his enimyes séeke to oppresse him, to subdue him, to hyde or kéepe him close, and to darken his glory, so muche the more, hée will shewe him-selfe mightye, pure and gloryous, which thing is séene alwayes by experyence, euen from the beginning of the worlde, vntyll this our time. In that, first, lyke as the Iewes kylled Christ, so also (as Christ expressed) the Diuell theyr Father was lykewise a man [...]ear from the beginning,Ioan. 8. Rom. 5. and this inasmuch as séeing that for the sinnes of the first parents, he was come to seduce the [Page] whole world thinking that in such a case, God would not vouchsafe to send his owne sonne by tempting man, hée thought to hinder the comming of Christ, and to darken his glory. This also (as some thinke) was the sinne of the Dragon and of his company, when they fought in heauen with Michael and with the good Angells,Apoc. 12 Ephes. 1. that is, for that they woulde not acknowledge their saluation to be tho­rough Christ, they would not accept him for their Lorde and head, they stroue against him, and willingly slew him, in séeking as much as they could, not onely to darken his glory, but to stop that he should not come into the world. But lyke as then the Diuells being chased out of Hea­uen by the vertue of Christ,Apoc. 12 Christ shewed himselfe in spi­rite mightie & glorious: so also, after that the Serpent had deceiued Eue, he supposed that he should haue had victorye against Christ, but God said vnto him, of this woman, by whose meanes thou thinkest to haue triumph ouer Christ,Gen. 3 shall spring seede, that is Christ, who with tearing downe all thy force, shall breake thy heade, and shall declare vnto the world the great vertue, power and glory of Christ. Also the great Diuell sought afterwarde meanes, that in the world were multiplied so many, and such great sinnes, that the world being altogether corrupted and ful of ma­lice,Gen. 6. God was so angrye, that he vouchsafed not to sende Christ, yea it euen repented him that he had made man. But God in sauing y^e Arke, framed by y^e meanes of Noe, figuring & shewing, y^t he would likewise saue his church & his elect by the meanes of Christ, declared vnto y^e world more manifestly the glory of Christ. To the verye same ende the great Diuell had at the time of Abraham, Gen. 22. Isaac, and Iacob, inclyned all the world to Idolatry, & God ma­king them refraine, did by them make manifest and disco­uer the remembraunce of Christ and his glory euery day more and more. The Diuel also hauing afterward vnder­stoode, that Christ must descend of Abraham, thorough Isa­ac and Iacob, with intent to extinguish and roote out all [Page 45] his stocke, and so to let the Natiuitie of Christ, procured Pharao to oppresse in Aegypt all the people of Israel.

But GOD so much the more encreasing them, made al­so more famous the glorye of Christ: And forbicause hée could not by this meane obteine his entent, be sought yet to hinder the incarnation of the worde, by causing all the male children of the Hebrewes to be slayne, but GOD in sauing Moses who delyuered the people from Pharaos bondage with so greate signes,Exod. 1 figured the true delyue­raunce of the people of God, from the tyrannie of the Di­uell, which is wrought by Christ, & partly declared, what and how great the power and glorie of Christ should bée. Sathan also ceased not, after that the Hebrewes had pas­sed the red sea, still to hinder that Christ should not come into the world, to assay by diuerse meanes for to bring thē to death, euen with stirring vp so many heathen people a­gaynst him, but alwayes he remained with confusion, and Christ shewed himselfe in spirit and vertue, euermore ma­nifest and famous. Also when as afterward in the lande of promise they had with their sinnes & vnfaythfulnesse, (as it were) cancelled and raced out quite the remem­braunce of Christ. God by meanes of his Prophets refre­shed it agayne. And lastly when the Scribes and Phare­ses with all their humaine traditions and Ceremonies, concerning the face of Moses, had darkend the glorye of Christ, then the sonne of God appearing vpon the earth, y^e Angells, the shepheardes, the starre, the wise men, Anna, Symion, discouered him to bée the Sauiour of the world. Herode persecuted him euen to the death, and hée then in giuing spirituall lyfe to the innocent, shewed himselfe to be the lyfe of the worlde. Sathan deuised that Iohn Baptyst should be in great reputation and reuerence with the Hebrewes for to darken the glory of Christ, and then it came to passe, that not onely Saint Iohn magnified Christ, with saying,Ioan. 1 beholde the Lambe of GOD which taketh awaye the sinnes of the worlde: and sayde. Hee [Page] is Christ,Mat. 3 not I, neither am I worthy to vnbuckle his shooes, but also his Father from heauen declared vnto all the worlde, that he was his beloued sonne. The Di­uell sought in the wildernesse to make him fall, but hée re­mayned with confusion and vanquished. The Scribes and Pharesies laboured with false reportes and slaun­ders to spotte his innocencie, and Christ with his pure doctrine and holy lyfe, shewed himselfe euerye daye more cléere, bright and pure: The Scribes and Pharesies la­boured to perswade the people, that Christ not onely was not the true Messias, but that he was contrarye to the lawe, and the Prophets, and Christ with verifiyng in him­selfe all the prophecies, and with hauing in the mounte Thabor, the testemonie of Helyas and Moses, shewed all the contrarye. How much the more they sought to kéepe close the diuinitie of Christ, so much the more with myra­cles he shewed foorth the same.

Also howe much the more they sought to put downe his myracles, so much the more they came to lyght. At last they deuised with murmurings, backbitinges, infamyes, with slaunders, false accusations, and witnesses, with wicked iudgements, with abuses, beatinges, with settinge him at naught, as rybalde, and with hanginge him vppon the Crosse betwéene two théeues, as the principal and last they thought with so shamefull a death to extinguishe all his fame,Ioan. 8. name, creadite, and reputation, and then didde he most singulerlye shewe himselfe the lyght of the world, and more full of force and power then euer be­fore.

They buryed him with sealing vp the Sepulchre, and watchinge it, but thereby they made his resurrection so much the more meruaylous, and glorious. They cor­rupted the Souldyers with money, to the intent they might saye that hée was not risen agayne, but that his Disciples had taken awaye his bodye, and CHRIT [Page 46] shewed himselfe to his Disciples risen againe.

And lastly, when they had sought with all theyr pow­er to subdue him, then was hée glorious ascended into Heauen.

And for that they coulde not persecute him any more in the flesh, therefore they beganne to persecute him in his elect, with whome hée was still abidinge with his spirite,Mat. 28 but on the daye which wée call Pentecoste hée so filled them with lyght, zeale, strength, and grace, that without any feare they beganne to preach openly: they were forbidden with many threates by the Princes of the Iewes, to preach Christ any more,Act. 2. but they coulde not refrayne from it,Act. 4. they sayde that they coulde not holde theyr peace of that which they had hearde and séene, and it was more méete they shoulde obeye GOD then men. They were oftentimes imprisoned with many in­iuries, beaten & scourged, and they with reioycing suffered all, and gaue thankes to GOD,Act. 5 that they were made worthy to suffer for CHRIST, they went forth prea­chinge more vehementlye then euer they dyd be­fore.

And lastly, when the Iewes, bicause they woulde hide the truth of the Gospell, chased the Apostles out of Iew­rye, then was it that they beganne to preache thorough out all the world.

And albeit in euery place they were gaynesayde and forbidden, yet the worlde coulde not withstande the wisedome giuen by God to his Apostles.

And lastly, howe much the more Tyrauntes dyd séeke to extinguish and deface the truth of the Gospell,Act. 28 with sheddinge the bloude of Martyres, so much the more it shewed it selfe cléere, brighte, glysteringe, fa­mous, mightie, and glorious. So that not onely the godly do serue to the glory of Christ, but also the wicked against their wills.

[Page]Finally, the Antechristians, as those which be aboue all others the greatest enemyes of Christ, haue deui­sed with all possible craft, subtiltie, peruersnesse, malice, deceite, and strength, to hide and quench out the cléere lyght of the Euangelicall truth, and this with their such false doctrines, humayne inuentions, and diuellish, approued with wonders (wrought therefore as Paul sayth) by Sathan,2. The. 2 with wicked Ceremonies and religi­ons, with hipocrisies, and fayned holynesse, with super­stitions, and Idolatryes, dissemblinges, flatteryes, pro­mises, giftes, and not sufficiencie, false reportes, infa­mies, threateninges, persecutions, tyrannies, and great cruelties, and all vnder a shewe of goodnes.

And furthermore they haue laboured to bring to naught the fayth of Christ, with al dishonestie, simonie, extortion, treasons, hatreds, partialitie, warres, and sinnes of the worlde. So that not many yeares since, there was none vppon earth that had a true fayth in Christ. Notwithstan­ding,Luc. 10. for as much as truth is so mightie & pure, that how much the more it is fought against and withstoode, it shi­neth the more, therefore it must néedes be sayd, and belée­ued, that like as the persecution agaynst Christ made by Antechrist and by his members, hath bene the most wic­ked, cruell, and diuellish of all others: Euen so the truth of the Gospell, is made manifest with greater vertue, brightnesse, cléerenesse, and light, as nowe in this our time is séene such a beginning, that euery one ought to take courage in confessing Christ, without feare openly: and so much the more as by fayth we knowe that Christ who is truth, is euer present with his vertue, and grace, to all them which suffer for his loue. He strengtheneth theyr mindes, comforteth them, ayedeth and giueth them strength: hée maketh their persecutions pleasaunt, and making them safe at last, they doe triumph ouer all the enimies of God.

Séeing then that Christ who is truth, not onely is [Page 47] inuinsible in himselfe and in his elect, but vanquisheth, ouercommeth, and triumpheth ouer all: Let vs indeuour our selues to embrace him with a supreme fayth for our owne, and to haue him continually in our heartes, so that preuaylinge agaynst all the enimyes of GOD, wée maye render to our eternall Father all honour, and glorye, thorough Iesus Christ our Lorde. Amen.

¶Of the meane how to bring to a vnitie all Faithes, Religions, and Sectes, and chiefly the Papistes with the Protestants. Sermon. xvi.

LIke as there is not founde in the worlde any thing, which is in it selfe more honest, rich, mery, and fortunate, to God more ac­ceptable, and to vs more profitable, then true concord, vnitie and peace: so also there is not found any thing which is in it selfe more blame-worthy, miserable, and vnhappie, which more doth displease God, & is to vs more hurtfull then discord, disunion, discention, & warre, all which albeit be wicked, yet those which be of faith, be so much the more wicked, as that they be matters of the more importaunce, and as the persecutions which by them are made, by béeing made vnder a forme or coulour of goodnesse, be more cruell and durable. It is true that those things which the false Chri­stians, and especially the Papistes doe to the true brethe­ren and members of Christ, be more cruell, inasmuch as they be more repugning against the truth,Mat. 2 and inasmuch as they be most carnall, with Herode they would not lose their kingdome, their glory, dignitie, treasures, pleasures, and other worldly benefites, by the which they are mo­ued to persecute Christ, his members and his Doctrine, although vnder a pretence of honouring God.

[Page]They be also, not onely enimies and that ciuill enimies, but familyar and inward enimies, therefore the worst.

Which thing considering with my selfe and seing that in the world, especially in this our age, there be so manye faithes, opinions, sectes, heresies, religions, diuers rights, lawes, rules and sorts of lyuing, wherefore so great dis­sentions, discordes, enmities, hatreds, infamies and per­secutions, I went on thinking how there might be anye meane to vnyte all men together, in a vniforme true Faith and Religion. And although some haue proued and sought to doe the selfe same thing and could not, I did not therefore dispayre, knowing that God with his grace can doe this & a greater matter: and so much the rather for that I know, y^t lyke as it is necessary y^t those which come to an agréement about y^e principles of a science, do agrée also about all conclusions whereon the first principle do depende: so it must néedes bée that they who agrée a­bout y^e principles of Faith, do agrée also in al other things necessary to saluation. And for y^t I sée that all persons in the world, not onely Christians, but Iewes, Turkes, Pa­gans, and all the sectes that be founde, doe agrée in the first and chiefe poynt of true Religion, wheron dependeth all our saluation that is in beléeuing in God, as if any of them were asked he would so saye: Wherefore I am of opinion not onely that it were possible, but easie to vnyte all persons in a true Faith, and I meruaile greatly how it were possible, that they should all beléeue in the selfe same God, and were notwitstanding so much differing and cō ­trary in beléeuing other things necessary to saluation: & so much the more I meruaile of false Christians, inas­much as I sée, that (as they say) they not onely beléeue in God, but in Christ. And moreouer allowing the selfe same holy Scriptures, they all confesse to beléeue that, which is conteined in the Apostles Crede. But going fur­ther in waighing well the matter, I haue séene cléerely & manifestly, y^t not onely the Iewes, Turkes, & Infidels, [Page 47] but the Papists do not beléeue in truth any of y^e Articles of the Faith, do not beléeue in Christ, nor in God, & further also I say, that they know not God, in such sort as is ne­cessary to know him. They haue in déede a certeine idle barreine and dead opinion of God, and a certeine obscure knowledge, but it is none such as sufficeth to saluatiō. A body may haue some lyght of God,Rom. 1. as the Philosophers had, and lykewise of the Scriptures as the Iewes had: but without Christ we can haue no sufficient light of god,Col. 2 for that Christ alone is the lyuely Image of God, his countenaunce, in the which is discouered to vs sufficient­ly, the lyght of the world, the way and meane to goe vnto God: and onely those which sée and know Christ,Iohn. 8. &. 14 doe sée and knowe the Father. Wherefore Paul writing to the Galathians, sayed vnto them that they coulde not knowe God, when they were without Christ. This is the chiefe and principall sinne of the Turkes, of the Iewes, of the Infidelles, and of the false Christians, not to know God, and for this they shall be punished.Ephes. 2 He then that is without Christ, is without God, as Paul did write, he hath not God for his God, nor for the latter ende: The world can doe more in such a one then God, and he is moued al­wayes to worke, not for the glory of God, but for his owne gayne.

In Christ therefore alone is God reuealed, with his so great goodnesse and grace, that he draweth vs vnto him more effectuallye then the worlde, so that despising our selues, with all our earthlye thinges and pleasures, we goe to the glory of God.

And then we know and féele God, not onely for his re­specting vs, as our benefactour, and one who is good vnto vs, but much rather absolutelye, as béeing good in himselfe, and so also wée loue him with a sincere and pure loue.

Now forasmuch as Christ is he who hath made ma­nifest vnto the world the vnspeakeable name of God,Ioan. 17. [Page] Iehoua, Ioan. 17. which onely signifieth God himselfe, without any respect vnto creatures: that is, Christ alone hath gyuen vs light, and made vs knowe, feele, and loue very GOD in himselfe, therefore without Christ wée cannot knowe God truely. And forbicause the Turkes, the Iewes the Infidells, and likewise the Papistes doe not knowe Christ in truth, therefore it must be of necessitie sayde, that they knowe not GOD. And that these doe not knowe Christ in truth, is manifest, for that Christ is not knowe truely, but of them which sée him by all his righ­teousnesse, sanctification, wisedome, and saluation, as the Euangelistes, 1. Cor. 1 and true Christians, onely doe see him. Inas­much as, the Turkes, the Iewes, and the Infidells, beléeue not in any wise to be saued thorough Christ.

The Papistes also, although they saye that they beléeue, to be saued thorough CHRIST, yet the beléeue not wholely to bée saued thorough him, but in parte, and partly by theyr owne woorkes. Not hauing or accoun­ting therefore Christ for any theyr righteousnesse and saluation, they know him not so as they ought to knowe him to bée theyr Sauiour. It must therefore néedes bée sayde, forasmuch as they know not Christ, that they know not God. And for that they know neither God nor Christ, it must néedes be concluded that they beléeue not in truth, neither in the one nor in the other: whereoff doth necessarily followe, that they beléeue not anye article ne­cessary to saluation. All those therefore be deceiued, who willing to vnite and knitte in one accorde all sectes in one true fayth, doe cease to drawe men vnto the true knowledge and Faith of Christ and of GOD, and doe labour to vnite and ioyne them togeather in outwarde woorkes and Ceremonies, in as much as the true know­ledge and fayth in Christ, importeth all. So that he which hath that, of necessitie is a good Christian, & he that is ig­norant thereoff, albeit he did al good works possible to be done, hée could not be any other, but an vngodly hipocrit. [Page 49] If wée desire then that people might be vnited together in the true Faith, let vs labour to draw them to y^e know­ledge of Christ, and let vs pray God, to giue them lyght, so that by him we may altogether, render to the Father all praise, honour and glory, Amen.

How that the greater part of those that thinke them­selues Christians, in truth are none. Sermon. 17.

IT is séene by experience, that the desire to doe a thing helpeth much to the dooing thereoff. When a scholemaster hath made a willingnesse to learne to come vnto his schollar, he hath done that which is most necessary and hard. And bicause I am de­sirous that euery one should be a good Christian, & I know that it were greatly profitable that men were willyng: inasmuch as if one desire to become good, he commendeth himselfe to God, and goeth on séeking by all meanes and wayes that he possibly can for to be good. But for bicause he can not hartely desire to be a good Christian, if hée knoweth not how to discerne of a Christian, yea this is one of the causes why there be so few good Christians, for that euery body thinketh himselfe to be one, therfore they be not chaunged, so they doe interprete after their owne fashion. The not desiring it therefore groweth of this, that we séeme to our selues Christians, although wée bée not: Wherefore I haue thought it expedient to show that good Christians are fewe, bicause that he which is none, doth yet acknowledge himselfe to be. Mine enterprise is great and difficult, that I should goe about to perswade that Christians are but very few: not for bicause I haue not on my side most lyuely and strong reasons, but for that a matter is hardly perswaded which is displeasaunt vnto mē. If I wold proue that euery one who is baptised [Page] is a good man, it should be an easie matter for me to do, for euery body woulde conclude my reasons, although they were without any foundation: forasmuche as he that speaketh a gratefull and pleasaunt thing, is rea­dily allowed. But to proue that they be no Christians, I know that I shall haue a great resistaunce. Many there be which confesse Christ with their mouthes, but fewe with their heart, so that very fitly their euill workes will confirme and further myne indissoluble reasons.

There be found two sortes of fayth, one purchased, an other inspired. A purchased fayth is that whiche is found in all those that were baptised in their youth, which beléeue in Christ, bicause they haue ben so taught by their parents, & bicause they sée others beléeue so, and especially those that haue ben accoūted learned, wise, and holy, yea, the Church the which they thinke cannot erre, and that it is guyded by the holy Ghost. They haue also an opinion y^t the holy Scriptures be giuen by God for a confirmation of their fayth, & likewise the myracles, & bicause it hath bene so perswaded them w^t many probable reasons, ther­fore they be come into an opinion of fayth of the matters of Christ, and this, the sooner bicause they haue ben ready to beléeue, or rather there haue bene some which knewe how easily to perswade thē. But now this is no fayth in­spired, but a purchased fayth, albeit it be of things super­natural, for bicause they haue theroff but only an humane opinion: so much they beléeue, as hath ben perswaded them with probable reasons, and as much as their weake and blinde reason is capable off. And their faith (forasmuch as it is purchased) is lyke vnto that which the Turkes haue of Mahumet: their beléeuinge, is of lyke sort, for y^t they likewise haue ben so taught of their parents: they sée those also which they account learned, wise and holy, to beléeue so: they thinke that their heades or chiefe men and their Church cannot erre, and that they be gouerned and inspired by God. And that their Alcorane is a diuine thing [Page 50] and confirmed with many myracles, they sée as great men beléeue it as they be, and likewise by other apparaunt reasons, they be come into that opinion and fayth. So that if they had bene borne and brought vp among Christians, they would beléeue as we doe: likewise Christians who haue none other but a puhchased fayth, if they had bene borne and brought vp among Turkes, they would beleue as they beléeue. Wherefore both the one & also the other, in this respect, is a humane opinion, although theirs bee of false thinges, and ours of true. Now therefore this opi­nion is not sufficient to be a good Christian, and to come to saluation, inasmuch as, this is an obscure fayth, full of darkenesse, vnstéedfast, which alwayes wauereth, stacke­reth, and doubteth, it séeth not the truth with a cléere and supernaturall lyght, it is a barren fayth, vnfruitefull, colde, idle, earthly, carnall, humaine, purchased and dead, which standeth with euery great sinne, wherfore is not sufficient to saue vs. And if it were, then euery wicked Christian woulde be saued, yea, euen the Diuells, inas­much as they beléeue that God is Almightie, that he hath made the worlde, that Christ is his sonne conceiued by the holy Ghost, borne of the Virgin Mary, crucifyed, dead and the rest of the Articles. Yea, to speake of a purchased fayth, they haue more then we. Wherefore this fayth is not y^e which maketh any person a Christian in truth, but maketh him onely a masking Christian.

But there is found an other fayth, which commeth downe from heauen, altogeather diuine, supernaturall, cléere, full of lyght, burning, zealous, liuely, and working, which is the gift of GOD, and dwelleth not idle in any, as many haue sayde: it is a cléere lyght and supernatu­rall, which sheweth the diuine and reuealed truth,Ephes. 2 in an other fashion, then humane reason can doe. This was in Peter, when hauing hadde reuealed to him that CHRIST was the sonne of GOD, and confessing him to bée so, Christ sayde.Mat. 6 It is not fleshe and bloude [Page] that hath reuealed to thée this truth, but my father which is in heauen. And this is y^e Faith which maketh men in truth Christians. To know therefore whether thou be a Christian or not, thou must needes marke whether thy Faith be inspired or purchased: which thou shalt first know, for that he which hath a purchased Faith, contēteth himselfe with that, chiefely the learned, he thinketh to haue inough by them, and this bicause he féeleth not with that Faith, the goodnesse of God, wherefore they abide so colde, without hauing any certeine feruent desire to haue more lyght of Faith. But an inspired Faith, is a firie light, which therefore maketh thée to féele the goodnesse of God,1. Cor. 1. causeth that in thée is euer raysed vp more desire to taste it, thou thinkest that thou hast an infinite Sea, whē thou hast tasted but one drop thereoff.2. Cor. 4 Seing then that hu­mane Faith groweth or diminisheth, according to y^e rea­sons which doe perswade it, whereon it dependeth. But diuine Faith groweth by the méere grace of God, by a mans humbling himselfe vnto him, and asking with fer­uent prayer. Purchased Faith desireth and asketh signes and miracles, forasmuch as a great part thereoff depen­deth therevppon, and also for that he which hath no inspi­red Faith, is not perfect, and yet he would be tryed so. But the inspired Faith is certeinly sure,Gal. 1. & careth not any more for miracles. Wherefore Paul sayd, that signes and won­ders be giuen to the Infidells,Act. 19 and that the faithful haue no néede thereoff. Faith also that is purchased, as that which doubteth, goeth on séeking now this way and then that way by reasons to be tryed, where against also ma­ny times they resist, striue and gaine saye. But diuine Faith forasmuch as it is certeine, goeth to none other for counsell.Act. 10. Wherefore Paul being lightened by Christ was so sure in the truth, that he neded not to go to the Apostles for conference to certifie his Faith: and lyke-wise when Christ lyghtened him, he stoode not to dispute with him, but being resolued of the truth, he sayde, what wouldest [Page 51] thou that I should do, as though he would say, I am sure thou art the sonne of God, and I am ready to follow thée, but I would faine know the way.Mat. 2. Lykewise also y^e Eu­nuch replyed not to Saint Philip, nor the Centurion to Saint Peter. There is not founde in all the Scriptures any of them that haue replyed or withstood, bicause they had a Faith inspyred. Dost thou think that the wise men tooke counsell whether they shoulde beléeue that Christ was borne or not, they were sure theroff, thorough Faith, onely they enquired of the place. Humane Faith as bée­ing féeble and weak, is easely hurt and offended, yea ma­ny times it waxeth féeble and fainteth thorough the in­fidelytie of his neighbour, as is seene by experience in many children, who haue denyed Christ, bicause their pa­rents denyed him and this was for that their Faith de­pended vppon them. And in lyke manner manye when they haue perceiued any great sinne in those whom they accounted relygious and holy, they haue bene offended, & haue lost their Faith, yea many were wont to saye vnto such as those be, take heede to your selues, for bicause our Faith is wholly placed in you. Looke what a good founda­tion this is. And some other say, I went to Rome, and thorough the great enormities and abuses which I haue found there, especially in the Prelates, I haue loste the Faith. And they saye true, forasmuch as all their Faith was humane and grounded vppon them: but if it had bene diuine and grounded vppon Christ, they coulde not haue lost it, for Faith inspired is so cléere, y^t he which hath it, whatsoeuer he should séeme vnto the world, he shall by all meanes continue stedfast in Faith, otherwise if thou couldest bring all y^e perswasions of y^e world, it could no­thing help thée.Rom. 6. As if one would proue thée to be a black More, he could not perswade thée by his reasons, for that thou séest it manifestly to be contrary. He that beléeueth with a Faith inspired, hath the Holy Ghost in his heart, which sayeth and testifieth, that Christ is the sonne of [Page] God. And this witnesse alone can doe [...] more in him then all the reasons & authorities which can be brought to the contrary, bicause the witnesse of God is greater. Humane fayth is so mutable & inconstant, that one while it beleeueth this an other while that, accordinge as it is perswaded. Therefore all so many mindes, opinions, faythes, sectes, and heresies, which be in the world are al­together humane: but the diuine fayth abideth stéedfast in y^e truth, without euer chaunging. Those that haue on­ly a humane fayth for bicause they féele not liuely y^e good­nesse of God, therefore they loue him not, yea, they offend him. And moreouer, bicause they beléeue not that there is found any other sorte of fayth, but theirs, they doe thinke that it is a blasphemie, to saye, that fayth alone iustifieth, and so they be constrayned to trust in themselues, and in workes, and to extoll man, with falling from the confi­dence of God, & with darkening Christ, his grace, his gos­pell, and his glory.

Humaine fayth maketh men superstitious, wheras di­uine fayth maketh them sincere, simple, and pure.

Humane fayth is lyke a painted flame of fire, it shi­neth not, giueth no light, burneth not, maketh no flame. But an inspired fayth is a fierie and diuine light, whiche burning doth kindle & giue light. Wherefore Christ sayde of Saint Iohn, that he was a shininge and burninge lyght.

Ioan. 1.3A purchased fayth causeth thée not to chaunge thy lyfe, nor māners, as an inspyred faith doth, which maketh thée to be borne agayne, and to become the sonne of God, cau­seth that a man chaungeth companies, friendships, words lyfe, manners, and all he remoueth, becomming of a car­nall man, diuine.

A purchased fayth kéepeth scilence, although it séeth God dishonoured,Psal. 115. but an inspired fayth cannot keepe sci­lence: Whereoff Dauid sayde. I beléeue, and therefore will I speake. Yea, whereas infidelitie maketh a man [Page 52] dumbe, fayth, loaseth his tongue, as is plainely séene in Zacharias. Wherefore Paul writing to the Corinthians, Luc. 1. 2. Cor. 6. sayde: O Corinthians my mouth is opened vnto you, my heart is enlarged I cannot holde my peace, I must néeds tell you that which I thinke.

Séeing that a purchased fayth doth not pacifie the con­science, those that be such continue alwayes with a thou­sande prikes: but an inspired fayth maketh quyet for that it maketh the person certeyne of the remission of sinnes.Rom. 5.

Likwise a purchased fayth doth not make the minde quyet, but such be euer full of doubtfull cares, pensiuenes, feares, suspitions, vaine hopes and passions. But the di­uine fayth maketh quiet, for that it maketh a man féele the so great bountifulnesse of God, that he is certeine that God is his father, and that he hath a most special care of him.

Also a purchased fayth maketh not a man so ioyfull and happie, as an inspired fayth doth, which maketh him to reioyce, to sing & leape with an vnspeakable ioy, & this thorough the great goodnesse which he féeleth in God. Hu­mane faith doth not mortifie the affections, as diuine faith doth, the which bicause it maketh thée tast the great good­nesse of God, & to féele that thou art his sonne & heire, ma­keth thée dispise all worldly pleasures, honours, dignities, & all fraile riches. A purchased fayth also doth not gouern and strenghthen thée against persecutions, infirmities and aduersities, yea, it maketh vs féeble and fainte, and the di­uine fayth maketh more strong,1. Cor. 11 as is séene by experi­ence in Paul, who in them became more full of force.

If a great multitude of arrowes were shotte at a man, and hée with a Target or Buckler defended them all off, thou mast perceiue that that is a good Buckler: but if the arrowes passe thorough and goe into the mannes heart, thou wilt say that the Buckler must néeds be made of paper, or such like trash.

[Page]So lykewise those that haue the shield of Faith inspired, are defended from all the arrowes of the iniuryes of the world, they come not néere their hearts, they know tho­rough Faith that so it pleaseth God to haue it,Ephes. 6 and that al is for their commoditie and beatitude: but those which haue onely the shield of purchased Faith, euery small in­iury casteth them downe to the ground, they blaspheme and would reuenge, forbicause they do not féele through Faith in déede, the goodnesse of God. A purchased Faith also doth not make vs to forsake all worldly things, and our selues, yea if any of those be moued to follow Christ, it is for his owne lucre, for his profite, pleasures, honors, satisfiyng, commoditie, appetites, delycatenesse, or earth­ly Paradise, or els to shunne griefes, & the hellish paines both of this and of the other lyfe: and this bicause a pur­chased Faith, maketh not a man to féele the goodnesse of god, in such sort that for & thorough y^e very méere glory of God, he forsaketh all. Alwayes in such men the worlde can moue more then God. They well may leaue y^e gar­ment, but it is for honour & also for plesure, but not whol­ly for God: bicause they doe not féele with lyuely Faith his great goodnesse,Ioan. 4. as the righteous doe, who for the glo­ry of God doe leaue with the woman of Samaria their pit­cher of worldly pleasures, the swéetenesse of this lyfe and themselues. And lastly a purchased Faith doth not moue thée to the obseruance of Gods commaundements, as the inspired Faith doth which neither offendeth God nor his neighbour, but abhorreth all wickednesse. And al­though a purchased Faith in the Hipocrites, at sometime doth shew it selfe forth with certeine glistering workes, yet being dead, it cannot long time dissemble, but a true Faith doth not onely continue for euer, but getteth eue­ry day more force. Let euery one therfore examine him­selfe, and sée if in him be the effects of a true Faith, or no, to the intent that if he doe not finde them in him, hee may know that he is no Christian: and so may humble [Page 53] and recommend himselfe to God, and if he finde them in him, he may giue thankes vnto God. To whome hée all praise, honour & glorie, thorough Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

¶If it be possible that in euery honest estate, men may be perfect Christians, or not. Sermon. 18.

IT is not possible that a man should bée actuallye an adulterer, vsurer, a proude person, an Idolater, or any other sinne repugning against the diuine grace and holy Ghost, and yet a perfect Christian, but it is possible that a man in any estate not resisting agaynst a liuely Fayth, Hope, and Charitie, and against other Christian vertues, may be most perfect. It is possible then that whether a man be young, olde, féeble, strong, hayle, sick, learned, vnlearned, man, woman, rich, poore, frée, bonde, marryed, vnmarryed, noble, ignoble, Prince, priuate person, Master, Scholler, prelate, Captain, Souldier, Iudge, Aduocate, Procurator, Notarie, Gentle­man, Merchant, Artificer, Shepheard, Plow-man, & lyke­wise in any other honest estate, and a perfect Christian.

Which thing also I say of women, and the reason is this, for that goodnesse & stubburnenesse, and likewise the chie­fest perfection & vngodlynesse, consist not in the lyke out­ward matters, accidentall, and indifferent, which may bée found in the good and in the wicked, in the perfect and in those which are most euill, and be vsed in the honour and dishonour of God: but consisteth in hauing a liuely faith in Christ, in féeling liuely his great benefite, and the exces­siue loue of the father manifested vnto vs in the death of his déere & only begotten sonne, by whose meanes he hath saued vs, adopted vs for his sonnes, made vs his heires, & brothers & members of Christ, thorough his liuely faith, [Page] supernaturall light, & spiritual knowledge of y^e goodnes & mercy of God, groweth in vs, Fayth, Hope, Charitie, humilitie, patience, loue of our neighbour, mortifying of our selues, & all other true substantial Christian vertues: wherefore it is necessary, that according to the measure of faith, & of y^e light which we haue of god, by y^e meanes of Christ, we be more or lesse perfect in all vertues.

Rom. 6.In euery estate therefore not contrary to a liuely fayth, in y^e which we may liue without sin raigning in vs, we may be, not onely good Christians, but excellent and most perfect in all vertues. I say not now, but amongst honest estates are found some which be in themselues lesse daun­gerous then others, & likewise of those be some most apt to honour God, but I say that in all estates may be some most perfect: wherefore if a man be found in any estate honest, let it be what estate it will, hée cannot forsake his honestie, as when one is marryed, poore, sicke, a seruaunt, ignoble, and lykewise of all other estates, he ought not to dispayre of habilitye, to be perfect therein, but to content himselfe, and in this estate to serue God, with takinge héede that they doe not offende, but disposinge them­selues rather to loose theyr liues, then to agrée vnto sinne: and they ought not onely labour to honour GOD in that estate which they are in, with greate Fayth, Hope, & Charitie: but also to giue God thanks for his singuler grace, séeing that whereas many doe not vnderstande and knowe their calling, he is certeyne and sure that it plea­seth God, that then it is profitable for him to be in that estate, bicause he cannot honestly then chaunge it. It is sufficient before GOD that he doe with heart and will, those good woorkes which in that state he cannot do with power, albeit in euery estate he ought to deale ho­nestly, there can be founde no exercise so simple, if it be honest, which may not make to the glory of God, with a high Fayth and Charitie, and therefore with a supreame acceptation allowed of God.

[Page 54]And so by the contrarye, there is nothing so high, so noble and famous, in the sight of the world,Rom. 1. Luc. 1. which béeing wrought without fayth is not abhominable before God. If therefore, for an example, thou findest thy selfe to haue children, thou oughtest bee contented with them, and thinke that they bée the children of God, which he hath giuen thée, to the ende that thou shouldest gouerne, ligh­ten, and teach them diuine manners: this now is no small office. Thou wilt say, O, I will goe into some For­rest, for I know that there I may best serue God.

Doest thou not sée that this is a temptation of the Di­uell, which would bereaue thée of a true, godly, and very perfect Christian Religion, woulde robbe thée of Chari­tie, and of Christ, and would cause thée to departe from thy vocation which GOD hath appoynted,1. Cor. 7. from the obedience to GOD, from his seruice, to the intent that thou béeinge a backeslider mightest serue the Diuell and thy selfe? GOD will be serued of vs in obedi­ence according to his worde, and not according to our franticke fantasies. Lykewise,1. Cor. 7. Gal. 3 1. Cor. 12 Ephes. 6 Act. 5. if thou findest thy selfe to be in seruitude, with thinkinge that thou art free in Christ, thou oughtest content thy selfe, and in righteous matters thou oughtest serue and obeye heartely, with great loue and charitie towardes thy Maister, as vnto Christ, but in matters vnrighteous, thou oughtest saye with the Apostle. It is more néedefull to obeye GOD then men. It is very true that without hurting Chari­tie, thou mayst séeke to bée made frée, for thine estate beeing frée, is more apt to honour God, and by GOD thou art therevnto called, thou must take héede yet that by honest meanes thou becommest frée, and all for the greater glorye of God. So that if thou finde thy selfe in libertye to be able to choose, chaunge, or not chaunge thine estate, thou oughtest with praying vnto god that he would giue thée his light, take héede, not to thine owne peace, reste, and lucre, but to the honoure of GOD, [Page] and so to turne thy selfe, not according to thine owne fan­tasie, but according as the Lorde inspireth & calleth thée, with fayth that God will in no wise forsake thée, yea, if God called thee to walke and trauaile vnto him thorough the middest of all the daungers in the world, thou ough­test go safe, and be assured thorough fayth, that God with his diuine grace will not nor doth not forsake such as with obedience to him doe walke thorough his pathes, after that he inspireth and calleth him. Dost thou knowe when thou shalt be in great daunger? euen when thou art out of Gods way, and from his calling, and walkest after thine owne fantasie: yea, in such a case howe much that estate in which thou art founde, be in it selfe more high & perfect, so much the more if thou be not therevnto called, it shalbe to thée more hurtfull. There may be then a good Prince and the same a perfect Christian, as many were both in the olde and newe Testament: yea, none can in truth be a good Prince, if he be not a good Christian. Inas­much as he which is without true Religion and fayth, it must néedes be that he is ignoraunt of true wisedome, of true righteousnesse, strength, charitie, temperaunce, and all other vertues. If a Prince be not a Christian, he shall neuer haue such sincere, pure, and diuine loue to his sub­iects, as is conuenient, he shall neuer be mortified to the world and himselfe, and liuing vnto the honour of God, he shall not haue so graue manners, so ripe, sound and holy, as he that hath fayth in Christ. Paul wrote y^t God would saue of all sortes of men,1. Tim. 2 and not onely of those who lead a priuate life, but also of those y^t be set in authoritie, wher­fore he exhorted men to pray for them: Yea a Prince hath a most fit occasion to be and to shew himselfe a Christian. I doe not now deny but that it is a most hard thing to be in a high estate, dignitie, fauour, friendship, riches & plea­sures, and with the eye of a liuely fayth, to discern for his Lorde, the simple, abiected, little estéemed, humble, for­saken, poore, and passioned Christ vppon the Crosse, [Page 55] and so much more harde a thing it is to finde Christ in a Prince, as in this our age, the corruptions of the most part (accounted for most holy Lawes) be greater, their libertie and power more tyrannicall, their willes more vnbrideled, and flatterers which serue them in stéede of mightie men are great in aboundaunce, so that we may say with the Phariseyes & high Priestes of the Iewes,Ioan. 7. which of the great men haue beléeued in Christ? there is none but the simple and poore people that beléeue in him. Also the Iudges, Aduocates, Procurators and No­taries might be good men, and doe offices and déedes of great charitie, it is true that they ought to be of another sort then they commonly are. And lykewise also a man might be a souldiour and yet a good Christian, as was the Centurion: but it so hard,Mat. 8. that it is next neighbour to a thing impossible. The lyke I say of other honest e­states of the world, in which euerye one that is founde therein by the will of God, ought to turne vnto his sayd Lord God all his intents, thoughts, will, actions, and workes, with ordering al his lyfe to his honour & glory. Such also may & ought to haue alwaies god before their eyes, and him alone to serue, and albeit they be found to be in the world, they ought not to be drowned, intangled, shackeled, nor with heart be established in any wise therin, but to tread the world vnder their féete. They ought to goe heartely vnto God, seruing altogether to his ho­nour. Séeing then that in euery honest estate we may be perfect Christians, it is our dutie to content our selues with that estate in which it hath pleased God that wée shoulde bée, and to labour with a supreame Faith and vertue, to do all that which is conuenient in that estate, so that we may render vnto God all prayse, honour and glorye, thorough Iesus Christ our Lorde. Amen.

¶Of the foolishnesse of those that be gouerned with the prudence and wisedome of the world: and of the wisedome of those that be guyded with the prudence and wisedome of God. Sermon. 19.

THere is found in the worlde a prudence and wisedome which is carnall, profane, humane and diuelish: and an other that is spirituall, holy, Angelicall, and diuine. Of the first Paul maketh mention, wher­as he sayed. Be you not wise in your owne opinions. And likewise when he sayd, that y^e wise­dome of this world was foolishnesse before God,Rom. 12. 1. Cor. 3. and in many other places. Of the seconde Faith Christ made mention, when he exhorted the Apostles to be wise as Serpents:Mat. 10. Mat. 15. and also when he tolde of those fiue virgins, who entred with him into the mariage. Christ also spake both of the one and of the other, when he sayd that the children of this world,Luc. 16. be more wiser then the children of lyght, and forasmuch as y^e greater part of men, leauing off to be gouerned with spirituall prudence and wise­dome, be gouerned with carnall, by which they fal head­long into great daungers: therefore I haue iudged, that it wil not be vnprofitable to shew vnto such partly their foolishnesse. First, spirituall prudence and wisedome, as that which hath a great light, cleare, supernaturall and high, holdeth alwayes the eyes open, fixed, and stedfast vpon God, hauing him alone for the last end, vnto whose glory it ordereth all our actions, and workes, vsing all creatures to his honour.

But carnall wisedome and prudence, as that which hath small lyght and a feeble discerning, openeth not the eyes vnto God, but vnto the worlde and to the commo­dities [Page 56] thereoff, which it accounteth to be the latter ende of all things: and if it sometimes hath respect vnto God, that is a farre off, and vnperfectly: it cannot fixe stedfast­ly the eyes vppon God, nor account him for his last end, but it is offended at his great lyght, is constrained to holde downe the face and to get it away with the Bats flying about into the darke & inextricable dennes of the vayne shadowes of the worlde, with seeking to rest in them, so that he cannot vse God as his Lord, but séeketh for his owne gayne to vse and to serue that, as though the other wisedome were a thing lytle worth: Like as is seene by experience in carnall men, which loue not, come not neere, esteeme not, feare not God but for their owne lucre. They respect therefore humaine wisedome, and holding theyr eyes open and fixed not vppon God, who is in truth our last ende and refuge, but vpon plea­sures, treasures, honours & other benefites of the world, it must necessarily be sayd, that as a man shoulde be a very foole, if when he woulde goe into the East partes, should choose for his guyde one that would conduct him into the West, lykewise those be fooles, which béeing de­sirous to goe vnto God and to felycitie, which is not founde but in him alone, doe choose to lyue and to bée gouerned after carnall prudence and wise­dome.

But manye will saye: Wouldest thou not that wée shoulde profite our selues with that humaine prudence and wisedome which GOD hath giuen vs, at the least yet in worldlye thinges? thinkest thou that GOD woulde haue giuen it vs, if it had not bene good for some thing? it is not now to be thought that God hath giuen it vs in vayne. Doest thou thinke that wée woulde lyue by chaunce, and not gouerne our selues according to the wisedome that God hath gi­uen vs? surelye wée maye not deale so foolishly.

[Page]Now to such as these be I aunswere and saye, that if carnal wisdome wer of God, it should not so be con­dempned in the holy Scriptures as it is: wherefore it must néedes be sayd, that it is naught and diuelish. And what is carnal wisdome els, but the ignoraunce of God, therfore sinne? & it is not onely the ignorance of God, but also y^e ignorāce of creatures, which if they knew him, he néede not so be shewed forth vnto vs for to be our last ende as he is, we would not so be perswaded to séeke & enioy this wisdome as we do, without hauing respect to the honor of God. Knowest thou what prudēce & wisdom that is which God giueth, and is commended in the holy scriptures, it is that which guyding vs, we sée God, to be God, & our last ende, & the creatures to be creatures, and by due meanes do serue to y^e honour of God, as is spiri­tuall prudence and wisdome to doe. I say not then that men should lyue by chaunce, but I say that in all theyr lyfe, in all their actions & workes, euen in worldly things they ought to haue God alwayes before theyr eyes, and to order all their lyfe to his honour and glorye, so that although one would purchase him apparell or any other worldly commoditie, he ought not to desire it, but so as he might vse it to the glory of God, he ought not to séeke it, but with honest and iust meanes, without dishonou­ring God in any wise: Lyke as he doth y^t is gouerned & guyded with the wisedome of God. But they that bée guyded w^t worldly wisdome, locking their eyes against the glory of God, and fixing them vpon worldly thinges, with all craft, subtiltie, malice, deceipts, treason, extorti­on, vsury, rauening, vyolence, & by al other meanes possi­ble, which may turne to their gaine, without hauing any litle respect to the honour of God, do séeke to haue & to vse things, not to the glory of God, but to their own benefit. It is manifest therfore y^t such wisedome as this is, is not of God, bicause it is euill and diuelish: and God would, that it should vtterly be lefte. But I would thou shoul­dest [Page 57] vnderstande, that those which be gouerned with humaine wisedome, be fooles, not onelye for bicause they forsake to be guyded on the contrarye, respecting the ende, but also respecting the meanes: inasmuch as although one woulde, with-out hauing anye re­specte vnto GOD, make him-selfe happye in this world by such meanes as he can, he ought not in anye wise be guyded after humane and carnall wisedome: bi­cause it is so blinde, frantike and foolish, that not onelye thou canst not know how to finde the due meanes, but contrariwise it will make thée most miserable, euen in things of the world. And that this is true, put case thou finde a man who hath no Religion, and that is as it were a beast, beleeueth not that there is found any God nor other lyfe. Now in such a case, if this man would make himselfe happy in this present life, he must liue af­ter the fashion of brute beastes, with taking day by day, all those pleasures that hée could obtaine, without fain­ting therefore, and not to thinke of the time to come in any wise: for that, immediately when this man would begin to héede that, to heape vp, and make gardeines in the aire, with that his carnall wisedome, he should enter into a thousand cares, pensiuenesse, thoughts, trauailes, feares, suspitions, hatreds, passions, torments, miseryes and hellishnesse; and so he should he most miserable, not onely by béeing without God, but also by being ignorant of himselfe, with his owne proper wisedome, of y^e small felicitie which he might haue in this life, in such sort as other liuing creatures haue. So that I iudge, that if re­ligion be taken away from man, it were better for him to be a beast, then a man with wisedome. Humane wise­dome then, as that which is diuelish and most euill, can not but hurt a man, in what estate so euer it possesseth him.

That was it which béeing figured by the Serpent, caused the first parents to loose their happy and blessed e­state. [Page] Wherefore they be of all other most foolish & mise­able, who leauing the bridle in y^t hands of a carnal wise­dome, do commit themselues wholly to y^e wicked, perni­tious & franticke gouernaunce there-off, although the blinde world doth extoll such men for wise and happie men. And know that this humane wisedome is so stiffe-necked, that it cannot yeelde it selfe to vnderstande the truth which if it could be capable off, it should no more be carnall, but spirituall, so that humane wisedome is none other but an incurable phrensie, & more-ouer it is so blynde of it selfe, that not onely it hath taken in hande to order the worlde, with disordering it euerye day more and more, but it presumeth to iudge and con­dempne euen God in his workes, as though it wer his superiour both in wisedome and righteousnesse. But wilt thou sée if it be méere foolishnesse? then thinke and consider, that albeit in Christ all the treasures of the wisedome and knowledge of God doe consist, yet this (as a foole) will euen read it to be true in their parents, saying that God was madde and out of his wittes: Christ, & likewise his Church, neuer had, nor at any time shall haue, a greater enimye then this. This humaine Faith is it that hath alwayes persecuted grace, and the Gospell, and with deuising euery daye new sortes of ly­uing after the owne fantasie, hath filled the world with superstitions, idolatryes, sectes, heresies and wicked re­ligions. And lastly that is it which, although it hath al­wayes persecuted the Sainctes, and hanged Christ vppon the Crosse, yet in the kingdome of Antechrist, in shewing more wickednesse then euer it did, hath done and doth the last vyolence.

It is therefore exceeding foolishnesse, miserye and wickednesse, for a man to suffer himselfe to be guyded thereby: Lyke as it is moste high wisedome, godly­nesse and felicitie, to be gouerned and guyded with Faith, supernaturall lyght, and spirituall wisedome: [Page 58] forasmuch as such hauing God for their last ende, goe vn­to him happely by due meanes, with vsing all creatures to his glory.

Let vs pray vnto God therefore, that he woulde giue vs of his lyght, that he would quench and put out in vs all carnall wisedome: so that lyuing onelye vnto him, we may yéeld him all praise honour and glory, thorough Iesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

How that the sinne of desperation is the greatest sinne that can bee. Sermon. 1.

THere be found two sortes of desperation, one most holye, as when a man despay­reth of himselfe, of his owne strength, of his owne cunning, prudence, wisedome, deuise and goodnesse, distrusteth himselfe in all his workes, and of all helpe that he can euer haue by creatures, with putting his trust whollye in God: now this is a most godlye despera­tion.

The other desperation is altogether diuelish and most wicked, as when a man distrusteth and dispay­reth of the helpe of God. And this is one of the greatest sinnes y^t can be committed: forasmuch as a desperate per­son hath most wicked conceits of God, he thinketh y^t ther [Page] is no God, or that if there be, he cannot, or that he know­eth not how to helpe him, and if he knoweth how and can, that hée will not, that he loueth him not, that he doth not fauour him, estéeme him, hath not elected him, neither that he hath a most singular care of him, yea hée thinketh that God is partiall, and an acceptor of persōs, that he is his enimie, cruell and angry with him, he be­léeueth not that thorough Christ he is pacified with him. And this bicause he thinketh that Christ hath no power to satisfie for his sinnes, and if yet he hath power, hée hath no will to doe it. A desperate person setting him­selfe to striue against God, as Cain did, laboureth to with-drawe and wrest mercie from God, or at least so to diminish it, that it abideth the lesser towardes him thorough his vngodlynesse. And if the desperation in Cain was a great sinne, in vs it is so much greater, as that God since that time hath bene shewed vnto vs with greater charitie, and especiallye in Christ vppon the Crosse. And what worser thing can a man doe, then to distrust of that so great and infinite goodnesse, loue and mercie of God, made manifest to vs most highly in Christ? The sinne of desperation so much displeaseth God, that if we should goe on duely considering thereof, we shoulde finde that what great workes God hath wrought from the beginning of the worlde euen vntill now, all hath bene for to eleuate and drawe our Hope vnto him, and bicause that we should not fall into despe­ration. He hath created man so noble, excellent and wor­thy, and the worlde for to serue him, to the intent that men séeing themselues so loued of God, they might trust in him. Also he suffered man to fall, not onely bicause he should no more trust in himselfe, nor in creatures, but also bicause that comming in the greater neede, he should be of necessitie constrayned to haue refuge to God: and so of him being helped, approuing his fauour, might learne to put his trust in him.

[Page 59]He sent not also Christ immediatly to set him at liber­tie, but would that for a long time he should abide so, bi­cause y^t he should first thoroughly trye his owne strength, and seeing that they were not sufficient for him, béeinge altogether distrusting in himselfe, might be lifted vp with Hope vnto God. He chased him out of earthly Paradise, bicause y^e tasting of the troubles of the world, he might be moued to recommend himselfe vnto God, and to trust in him. When he sent the floud & drowned the world, he preserued those fewe in the Arke, bicause they might learne to depend onely vpon God. He confounded y^e lan­guages, bicause that béeing disparsed thoroughout the whole world, and in euery part, trying and féeling the diuine prouidence & goodnesse of God, they might put in him all their trust. He would that those most holy Pa­triarches should be euer straungers & pilgrimes amon­gest vnknowne & enuious Nations, in perpetuall daun­gers and necessitie, bicause that they might learne to put confidence in God. He would also that his people should be oppressed in Aegypt, persecuted by Pharao, and that abiding in the desert dy forty yeares, they should be fed with Manna, bicause that experiencing so meruaylous­ly the goodnesse of God, they might learne to distrust of the worlde, and to trust in God: he gaue them a lawe by Moses, to the intent, that by it, men séeing their sins, and that they were not able to obserue the same lawe, dispayring of themselues, might séeke theyr saluation thorough Christ. To the selfe same ende did God suffer them to be destroyed, when they trusted to ouercome in battayle by their owne strength, & alwayes they ouer­came if they did put their trust in God. He commaun­ded Iosua, that he shoulde kill all the horses, & burne all the chariots, which they had taken from their enemies, bicause they should haue no occasion to put confidence therein. He also forbad Dauid that he should not num­ber the people, bicause he might not trust in the multy­tude. [Page] In the meane time while they were in the land of promise, he would that his people should be compas­sed about with enemies, and alwayes molested, bicause of necessitie they might sometimes be turned vnto God. And lastly, sending his owne sonne, he would, that dy­ing vpon the Crosse, with shewing to vs great loue, hee might make satisfaction for our sinnes; to the ende, that we might haue no occasion to distrust in our selues of the great mercy of GOD: whereoff, who so doubteth, doth in déede the greatest iniury that can be done vnto God: in as much as lyke as a Lorde hauing receiued great harmes by one of his seruaunts, and seeinge him iustly condemned to bée ledde vnto execution, is moued with such pitie towardes him, that for to raunsome him, to satisfie for his iustice, appoyntinge in his place his owne beloued and onelye begotten sonne, caused him to dye, and afterwardes (all this notwithstanding) that seruaunt woulde not trust or put any confidence, but dispayred to haue or euer obtaine mercye at his handes: in such a case the Lord woulde be more offen­ded at this last iniurye, then by all them that be pas­sed: and that bicause he should sée that all the meanes which he had wrought to saue him, and that the death of his sonne for him was in vaine, and also for bicause he coulde haue no more any remedy to saue him: euen so wée, if we dispayre of the mercye of GOD, seeinge that he hath appoynted his owne sonne vnto the crosse for to satisfie for our sinnes, we doe vnto GOD a most great iniury, for as much as it is by our own meanes, we make vnprofitable and vaine the passion and death of Christ, & all that which God & Christ hath wrought. Neither remaineth there any more remedy for our sal­uation, except the passion of Christ be profitable to him. Chiefly, for that like as if a sicke man, who might easily be healed with medicines, & being frantick or out of his wits, thought himselfe to be haile, & would take no me­dicines, [Page 60] that his madnesse should more hurt him then all other sicknesse: so likewise vnto a desperate person, the onely phrensie of desperation doth more hurte, then all other his vices. So that if it were possible, thou might better choose to haue committed all the sinnes of the worlde, and to trust in God, then not to haue commit­ted any other sinne, but to distrust in God Desperation also is most euill, not onely bicause a desperate person doth not allow any remedye, but also bicause he giueth y^e bridle at wil vnto al wickednesse, with saying: & why not? in any wise I cannot be remedied: I must néedes be damned: seeing it is so, it is best that while I am in this present lyfe, I take my pleasures, without hauinge any respect vnto God. Seeing then that desperation is so horrible a vice, let vs pray the Lord that he would deli­uer vs from it, with giuing vs grace that we may haue stéedfast hope in him, so that we may render vnto him all praise, honour, and glory, thorough Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

¶How that in God alone, euery one ought to put their whole Hope and confidence. Sermon. 2.

THe comfort of the wretched, whilst they be in their miseries, is Hope, the whiche vpholdeth them, comforteth, nourisheth & maketh them happie, so that it bée a true Hope: for that a deceitfull Hope maketh them so much the more miserable, as that it beguileth thē y^e more. And forasmuch as ther is no true Hope, but only y^e which is groūded vpō god: therfore like as by him alone we must cōfesse y^t we haue al good things whatsoeuer we possesse, & to him alone we ought to ren­der all thāks: so also in him alone we ought to hope. And this, bicause al those things y^t can be desired in any persō, [Page] to the intent that in the same person all our hopes ought of vs to be placed, are founde in God. Inasmuch as God is omnipotent, most wise, most rich, most liberall, most good, of infinite charitie, and most méeke. And although he be righteous, and we continually offende him, yet notwithstanding he is in Christ, and thorough Christe pacified: and that in such sorte, that although we haue cause to feare, yet we may hope that he chastiseth vs as a Father, we haue not therefore any cause to feare that he forsaketh or condempneth vs: but alwayes to trust that we shall be saued, and that all that which he work­eth with vs, is for his greater glorie, and our felicitie. He striketh vs vppon the handes with his rodde, to the intent that we may leaue these wordly thinges, and so may be constrayned to tourne vs vnto him, and to taste of the great deintinesse of his loue. He plucketh vs back sometimes with his benefites, mouinge his creatures agaynst vs, to the ende, that we maye so much the more stricktly embrace him: yea, he suffereth vs oftentimes to fall, bicause that the better knowing our owne infir­mitie, and his goodnesse, we may depend alwayes vppon him. Besides all this, God from euerlasting hath deter­mined, & in time promised to saue vs, and not with this condition, if we shall do good woorks, but by béeing sure of our saluation, and to the intent that it shoulde not de­pend in any wise vppon vs, and that he may bée stéede­fast in his wordes, and firme in his promises, he hath made an vnchaungeable determination to saue vs abso­lutely which trust in him, although we haue bene con­trary vnto him: he hath vtterly purposed to chaūge our wills, to giue vs a newe heart, to make vs walke tho­rough his pathes, to cause vs to obserue his preceptes, to make vs doe good woorkes and to saue vs. And more­ouer to haue of vs such a most singuler care, that all things that we shall doe, and that shall happen vnto vs, shall serue to our saluation. Hée hath also, not onely [Page 61] promised vs all the foresayd things, and that absolute­ly, as it is euident in diuerse places of the holy Scrip­tures, but already in Christ, and thorough Christ hath obserued the same, as may be séene in so many Saints as haue bene saued. Séeing that we haue experience, which is such a Mistres, that maketh vs sée playnly the truth, with making vs in the ende to féele the same. If a Prince besides his abilitie & that thou knowest cer­teynly he is a good man, knoweth howe, and will helpe thée asmuch as he can, that he is determined to take thée for his sonne, and hath promised thée so, that he hath also bestowed vpon thée many benefites, and still day­ly doth, in the ende for thy benifite, he offered his owne sonne to dye, in such a case, wouldst thou not trust him? yes truely. And if any should perswade thée to distrust the sayd Prince, by and by thou wouldst say, and why? I haue tryed his goodnesse so many times, and in suche sort that I ought not nor can doubt of him any more. Now we ought much more to doe and saye the same of God, in as much as his loue is greater then all the loue of men, his wordes more stéedfast, his promises more firme, and his benefites greater, continuall & more du­rable. If God should but onely the twinklinge of an eye leaue off to preserue vs, and to do vs good, we should sodainly come to naught. And what néede I speak any more, we trye by a thousand wayes and continually his goodnesse, and shall we doubte thereoff? But it hap­peneth vnto vs (I will not say) as vnto Ionas, but much worse, bicause that although Ionas when he was on the earth, felt not the goodnesse of God, and therefore was disobedient vnto him, it séemed vnto him y^t the earth, & not god susteyned him, notwithstanding after y^t he was cast into the Sea, & deuoured of the fish, and sawe that he liued, he opened his eyes and perceyued that it was god which sustayned him, wherefore he recommended him­selfe vnto him from his heart and gaue him thanks: but [Page] we, although we be in the Sea of this miserable & tem­pestuous world, already thorough our sinnes swallow­ed in by Sathan, and God for all this preserueth vs, we yet doe not in any wise seale his grace, his benefits, in his goodnesse, and we thinke that creatures, and not God doth susteyne vs. God beeing willing to make vs sure of our saluation, coulde not giue vs any greater knowledge & signe of our saluation, then his own son vppon the crosse, nor a more sure pledge, then his owne spirit. Christ hanging vppon the Crosse, forsooke him­selfe, aboue the senses of man, and woulde concerning his passion, be abandoned euen of his Father, to the in­tent that wée might haue confidence in him, and might thinke that he would neuer forsake vs any more.

Wherefore we doe a most great iniurye to God, if wée trust not in him. And so much the greater as on the o­ther part, besides God there is nothing, in whiche wée ought or may iustly put our confidence. And this, bi­cause that creatures be all most vaine shaddowes the which as without the good will of God they cannot hurt vs, so they cannot helpe vs. Séeing that the thinges of this world are not stéedfast, the whéele thereoff alwayes turneth, therefore if wée arme them vpon vs with our own Hope, we must néeds be in continual turmoilings, miseries, and trauayles. The men also in whom GOD doth not reigne, although they appeare now thy déere friendes, or they be now thy bounden kinsfolkes, and to reach a great way, they wil shew themselues to be selfe louers, lyars, vnfaythfull, and trayterous. If also thou wilt put confidence in Saints, thou shalt displease both them and God, they cannot helpe thée. God shall be hée who will suffer thée to forsake thy selfe, to the intent thou mayst be constrayned to goe for helpe vnto him. Thou must thinke that it is not without cause that god by his prophet hath cursed those which put their trust in men. And if thou shalt put confidence in thy selfe, thou [Page 62] shalt put confidence in the greatest enemie that thou hast.Ier. 17

Also if thou shalt trust in thine own proper wisdome, power and goodnesse, this shall be none other, but to put trust and repose thy selfe vpon foolishnesse, in impoten­cie and malice. And what néede I say more, the power of Aegypt, the strength of the world,Esay. 36. is nothing els but a most vaine réede, whervnto if any man leane, by and by it breaketh, with hurting those that would rest ther­on. If the thinges of the strong men of the worlde, as Iob did write, be lyke a spiders web,Iob. 8. what shall those be which are most weak? All the wisdome of the world in the sight God as Paul sayth,1. Cor. 3. is nothinge but foolish­nesse, the goodnesse thereoff abhomination. Wherefore in God alone we ought to trust,Luc. 16. on whome alone dependeth all our helpe. He onely therefore is happy, who as a true and good diuine, hath god for all his goodnesse, dependeth on him alone, and in him onely doth repose himselfe.

This is a most high diuinitie, which cannot be learned in bookes, nor taught by men: wée must néedes haue Christ our onely Master to teach it vs, with imprinting it in our heartes with his spirit, and with makinge vs vnderstande by experience, not of the flesh, but of the spi­rit: so that thorough him we may render vnto the fa­ther, all prayse, honour and glory, Amen.

¶Whereoff it groweth that men with hope, doe not depend wholly vpon God.. Sermon. 3.

MEn haue many desires, amongst which, this is principal, y^t they would be like vnto god. The which thing is manifest, inasmuch as ther is no man y^e natural­ly doth not abohorre seruide. We all would, if it were possible, be as GOD, [Page] Lordes ouer all, know all thinges, haue power and do­minion ouer all, be in euery place and time, & most hap­pye: and to conclude, we would haue a beeing that were infinitly noble, perfect, and excellent, without passions immortal, euerlasting, necessary, without depending vp­pon any, and most diuine. And for as much as this de­sire is so high that it conteyneth all things which can be of men desired, therfore aboue al others, it is most migh­tie in vs. Man therefore by his owne nature in Adam béeing corrupted, and thorough the pride which he hath for inheritaunce, woulde if it were possible be as a God vpon the earth, and neuer to haue néede, neither of crea­tures, nor of God. And for as much as he is not by na­ture happie, he desireth to purchase him heauen by him­selfe, bicause he would not acknowledge it to be of god, as he should doe if he had it by grace. And this his di­uellish pride is puffed vp with so vnbrideled and blinde a loue of himselfe, that whereas he hath néede, not one­ly of God, but also of all the creatures of God, he per­swadeth himselfe that hée is able euen to saue himselfe. He is also so blinde of himselfe that his vices doe ap­peare vertues vnto him, so that it may bée thought, how he can know his miseries. By our great pride there­fore in not willinge to bende, or humble our selues to craue helpe at others, and by being deceiued by the vn­brideled & blinde loue which we beare vnto our selues, in beléeuing and thinking that we can and know howe to helpe our selues, and that we shal euer haue a will to doe it in our owne power, doth grow all the confidence and trust that we put in our selues. And if sometimes we be by open and manifest necessitie constrayned to seeke other helpe besides our selfe, we haue not accesse vnto God, as we ought, but vnto creatures. And this bi­cause as carnal people, we beléeue not y^t god hath care of vs. The graces & benefits which we cōtinually receiue: we do not acknowledge to be of God, from whō they doe [Page 63] come, being inuisible, but frō creatures, which are before our eyes, vsed by him for instrumēts to do vs good. So y^t, although God being vnmeasurable, is most ready at our handes with his presence, yet notwithstanding, foras­much as he is most high, and in such sort, that betwixt vs and him is no agreement, lykenes nor any proportion, but an infinite distaunce, it appeareth that he is most farre off from vs, and as though he were not at all. And if that sometimes we haue any smal opinion of God that he regardeth vs, by and by knowing that we haue offen­ded him, and not séeing that he is pacified with Faith in Christ, and that he is our most deare Father: we ima­gine him to be as a most seuere Lord and Iudge, angred against vs: wherfore we can not place any of our Hope in him: but he constrayned with our first Father to run away, to hyde vs and to distrust of him. So that albeit it should happen, that we being forsakē of all creatures, shoulde be driuen to haue refuge vnto God, we shoulde not altogether recommend our selues in any wise with our whole hearts vnto him, nor with a stedfast confidēce and sure Hope to be heard, as is fit and conuenient for vs to doe: and so much the more, as that God hath ne­uer suffered the like, we could not thinke that he would haue compassion of vs. Whereas on the other parte, for that the creatures be afore our eyes, we haue with them agréement and lykenesse, they haue some pitie of vs, and a great deale of themselues, they not onely haue not ben by vs hurt and iniuried, but haue receiued benefites at our handes, we are bent to put our trust in them rather then in God: and especially in men, bicause they are of the same forme and kinde that we be, and singularly in friends and kinsfolke, bicause they are most néere vnto vs: but aboue al, we are inclined to trust in our selues, being vnto vs (I will not say) more lyke and néere, but one and the selfe same thing with our selues. And héere may be séene the great ignoraunce, blyndenesse, & pride [Page] of man, for that hauing their béeing and all beatitudes from God, by whom alone he may trust for and haue all benefites, doth leaue him, and doth rest with his Hope on vayne shadowes of this world, which of themselues béeing most vayne and depending onely vppon God, can not of themselues doe any good. For the Sonne of God descending from heauen, hath taken it vppon him, not the Angells, but the séede of Abraham, to the intent that he béeing to vs the next neighbour, lyke to vs, of y^e same forme, man together with vs, our déere friend, our next kinsman and brother, we should be altogether vnexcusa­ble, if we doe not put our confidence in him. And so much the more as with his spirit, with a speciall illuminating to his elect, he maketh them more properly féele, that it is not their owne spirit. For this cause also Christ would, both in his passion and in other things, except in sinne, be made lyke vnto his bretheren, to the intent y^t know­ing that Christ our high Priest hath experience our mi­series, we might thinke that he will haue compassion on vs, and so we might trust in him. He also would dye for vs vpon the Crosse, to the ende that séeing in him & tho­rough him satisfaction is made for our sinnes, and God is reconciled with vs, we should not feare to goe vnto him, but should hasten thether, with a most sure confi­dence. At all times therefore when we consider of God without Christ, by diuers respectes we can-not haue a true Hope in him, inasmuch as he appeareth to be a very great way off from vs, vnlike vs, & such a one as we are not worthy off, y^t he cōmeth not néere vnto, that he loueth vs not, that he estéemeth vs not. And further bicause we haue done him iniury, it appereth vnto vs that he is our enimy, angry with vs, vniust and cruell: wherefore we cannot put our trust in him. In Christ alone therefore God is discouered vnto vs, and we sée him, and hee is mercifull vnto vs, a most delycate friend, and a most déere Father, in him alone is séene how much he loueth [Page 64] vs, how he holdeth vs in price and estimation, and how great his pittie, mercie, goodnesse and loue, which he hath vsed towardes vs, is. Wherefore lyke as thorough Christ alone our Mediatour, all graces descende from God vnto vs, so onely by him, we may lyfte vp to God all our Hope, let vs fixe our selues stedfastly therefore vppon Christ with the eye of a lyuely Faith, to the ende that thorough him our Hope béeing lyfted vnto Hea­uen, wée maye yéelde vnto the Father all prayse, honour and glorye, thorough Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

How that hee which trusteth in God, can not be confounded, but of necessitie must ob­taine all that hee ho­peth for. Sermon. 4.

IT is no meruayle, if manye trusting that thorough their good workes, GOD ought to giue them beatitudes in this present lyfe, and more-ouer after­warde euen the fruition of Heauen doe abide with confusion, with-out obtay­ning that which they hope for: forasmuch as that is no true Hope but a presumption, bicause it is foun­ded vppon their owne workes: where-as true Hope hath no other foundation but the pure grace and good­nesse of GOD: and therefore is euer safe, firme and stedfast.

There be also many which as they say, hope to haue continuaunce in a good lyfe, and further to haue it amen­ded, and this to be gotten by the grace of God, which as they iudge, shall neuer fayle, and thys bicause [Page] they haue their will and arbitrement frée, and be wise as they think, they giue themselues to marke what they can doe, they will knowe and be willyng to doe that good thing, to perseuer and continue therein, chiefly thorough the meanes of their owne good deuices: wherefore they binde themselues with continuall vowes. Now this is al­so is a presumption and distrusting, bicause it hath not God alone for the foundation, but also the wisedome, power & goodnesse of man. And God most iustly suffereth such as these to fall, to the intent y^e opening theyr eyes, and knowing their foolishnesse, weakenesse and malice, they might learne not onely not to put confidence anye more in themselues, but rather dispayre thereoff, and so put their whole trust in God. Also that Hope which ma­ny haue is not true, who beléeue that God will bestowe his gracious giftes vpon him, thorough the intercession of Saints, or of the Virgin Mary. They wickedly ima­gine, that the Saints and Saintesses, whilest they were in this present life, did workes which wer in themselues of such goodnesse and excellencie, that by them they did merite, not onely that glory in which they are, but that also moreouer they deserued to be heard, when they bée­ing in Paradice doe pray for vs. This also is not true Hope, séeing in some parte it is founded vppon mennes workes. It is very true, that I maye and ought intreate people that be in this present lyfe, that they would make prayers for me, to exercise vs in vertue, and not bicause I should thinke that they must of necessitie be hearde thorough the worthinesse and excellencie of their pray­ers, but onely thorough Christ and the méere goodnes of God: Now this is the true Hope, founded wholly in the bountifull goodnesse of God, and therefore most sure and certaine. Lykewise to speake of worldly thinges, I say y^t those be no true Hopes, which beeing mens guides they hope to haue preseruation or recouery of health, by meanes of Phisitians or Medicines, with putting con­fidence [Page 65] therein, to haue and obtaine iudgement, fauoura­ble toward them, by meanes of Iudges, Aduocates, pro­curators, friends, kinsfolke, fauours, gifts, sleights or rea­sons: to haue meanes to defend themselues, or to ouer­come their enimies by force of theyr owne strength, or by their wisedome, to get friends, fauours, honours, dig­nities, rayment, knowledge, vertues, and other worldly things, with their owne wit being the guyde, and theyr sapience, care, dilygence, industrie and vertue: and lyke­wise to haue by these meanes the aforesayd thinges pre­serued or augmented. Now all these are presumptions, and not true Hopes, bicause they be not founded vppon God, but in things of this world: wherefore such as they be, doe often remaine with confusion, being vaine, and no true Hopes. There be also many which although they hope to haue of God temporall benefites, goods corporal and spiritual and heauen it selfe, and that by no meanes, either of Saints or merits, but onely by the méere grace of God and by the merites and intercession of Christ, neuerthelesse their hope is not true, although it be gr [...] ded vpon God: and this bicause they haue not for y^e ende of that their Hope and desire the glory of God, but onely their owne proper gayne. They desire and hope that tho­rough Christ and the pure goodnesse of God, they shall haue prosperitie in this world, and afterward heauen, but for their ioyes and triumphes, and not for the meere glo­ry of God. But this is no true hope: inasmuch as true Hope, being the Theologicall and diuine vertue, like as it hath God onely for the foundation euen so it hath him alone for the refuge and ende. So that as Loue when it is set vppon creatures, is no more so sincere a loue, nor so pure, spirituall, diuine and full of Charitie, as it is, when it seeketh the glory of God, and furtherance of his Gospell, but is carnall & prophane: so when our hopes be set on pleasures, treasures, honours, dignities and fe­licities, without being directed and eleuated vnto God, [Page] they are no true Hopes, but false, vayne and deceiptful. Seing then y^e true Hope is founded wholly vpon God, and who so hath him alone for his refuge and ende, can not be confounded, yea it is necessary that we obtayne all that which with the sayd Hope we looke for. For to vnderstand this truth, we must first know, that lyke as Charitie is nothing els but a spirituall loue of God, and of creatures for his honour and glorye: so Hope, is no other thing but a spirituall desire of the glorye of God, and of other things to this ende and purpose, with a sure and safe expectation, that God wil graunt me that being for his glory, lyke as if, for an example, I hope to haue at Gods hand some temporall benefite, either corporall or spirituall, this hope in me is nothing els but a spiri­tuall desire that I haue of the foresayd things, for the glory of God, and not for mine owne gayne, with a sure and certaine expectation that God will giue it me when it is for his glory, not for any merite of mine, but onely for his méere goodnesse, and for Christ who dyed for me vppon the Crosse. And forasmuch as when we shall bée in Heauen, we shall haue all that we can and ought to desire, therefore béeing without desires and expectation of any better thing, we shall be also with-out Hope as Paule did write.1. Cor. 13 And héere it may be séene how they are deceiued which saye, that a man maye beléeue both good and euill, but no man can hope for anye thing but that which is good, nor feare any thing but that which is euill: so that according to their opinion, a man might agreeably say, I beléeue that I shal haue prosperitie, and also aduersitie, but a man cannot congruently saye, I trust that I shall haue aduersitie, but he must saye, I feare that I shall haue aduersitie, and I hope that I shall haue prosperitie. This theyr opinion is false, foras­much as albeit aduersitie can not be desired of carnall men, nor therefore be hoped for, bicause they account ad­uersitie to be a naughtie thing, yet notwithstanding spi­rituall [Page 66] men which know that aduersitie is good, and the gifte of God, can both desire and hope for it: so that a good Christian maye congruentlye saye, I hope that GOD of his méere goodnesse and grace, will giue mée aduersitie, with graunting me patience: and fur­ther that hée will doe thus much fauour, that I maye spende my bloude for his glorye. Then séeing that Hope is nothing els but a godlye and spirituall desire that wée haue of things for the glory of GOD, with a sure and certayne expectation, that GOD for Christ and his méere goodnesse, will giue them vs, forasmuch as they shall bée to his glory, it is of necessitie, that this Hope can neuer bée confounded, but shall obtayne all things.

And this, bicause that such desires and spiritu­all expectations, hauing not for foundation refuge and ende any other but GOD, it must néedes bee sayed that they are of God: wherefore not vayne. GOD is hée that giueth mée that desire, which béeing my guide I wish to haue those things to the glorye of God.

God also is hée which gouerning with his spirite, tal­keth to mée in my hearte, witnesseth vnto mée, and maketh mee sure and certayne, that I shall obtayne at his hande: Wherefore inasmuch as GOD can-not lye, hée that putteth his trust in him can-not remayne with confusion, or deceiued, so that his hope and truste bée right and true, the which Hope, lyke as GOD giueth it not but to his elect, so also hée neuer graun­teth vnto anye person habilytie to obtayne anye thing, but when it pleaseth him to giue it.

Wherefore Dauid sayde: Saue mée O Lorde,Psal. 16 for I haue put my trust in thée: as though hée had sayde, Thou canst not forsake them that commit themselues to thy charge, and doe put their confidence in thée.

And in an other place: Those which put their trust in [Page] the Lord, shall neuer be brought to confusion: those that put confidence in him, be compassed about with mercie. The Lord is good,Eccl. 2. Iud. 6. Rom. 5. and for such a one he sheweth himselfe to them that trust in him. There was neuer any that hoped in the Lord and was confounded: and this bicause God neuer forsaketh them that trust in him: Hope ther­fore doth neuer abide with confusion or ashamed. Wher­fore Christ demaunding of his Apostles, if when he sent them forth without wallet scrippe,Luc. 22. or shoes, they wanted any thing, and they aunswering him no, he sayde vnto them, now let him that hath a wallet sel it and likewise his scrippe, and he that hath none, let him sell his coate, and buy him a sword: as if he would say, whilest that you trusted in me, although you were poore and without any worldly thing, ye wanted nothing, but forbicause now you béeing offended at my death which is néere at hande, will distrust of mée, therefore I say vnto you, buy you swords, & defend your selues by your own strength: and this, not to perswade you to any confidence of your selues and of worldly things, but to disdain the strength of this world, and to shew that without the grace of God they be most vaine. Seeing then y^t the hope of this world is most vayne and deceiptfull, and the diuine Hope sure and certeine, let vs pray vnto the Lord that he woulde giue vs grace, to put all our trust in him, to the ende we may render vnto him all praise, honour and glory, tho­rough Iesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

How that albeit men ought to trust in God, yet they ought not to tempt him. Sermon. 5.

ALthough that men ought to depende whollye vppon God, and in him to put all their hope & confidence, yet notwithstanding they ought not therefore to abide in idlenesse, & wayte for [Page 67] Manna from heauen, but euery one ought to choose him an art, or honest & profitable exercise; according to which he feeleth himselfe called by God, that he may be able to liue of his trauayle, dooing all to the profite of his neighbour and glory of God, without enuie, vaine glory, pride, couetousnesse, and vice, euerye one also ought in vsing theyr sayd trade, not to be ouermuch carefull, with beeing in such sort attentiue and labourous, y^t they would kill themselues, bring theyr lyfe in ieopardy wea­ken themselues, or let things vndone necessary for the soule as of ordering well his household, or helping those which be in necessitie, and haue not wherewith to sustein themselues, of hearing the worde of God, hauing néede thereoff, and other workes necessary for the health of the soule & the benefit of our neighbour, according as y^e best ordered loue doth require. And moreouer the Christi­ans ought not to be carefull (as Christ said) in thinking and saying, what shall we eate, what shall we drinke, & wherwith shall we be clothed, as the Gentiles do, which doe not beléeue that God hath care & prouidence of them: not that a Christian man ought not vse due dilligence & care in vsing his art, occupation, and businesse, and like­wise in séeking by honest meanes to get his hire or due­tie, and prouide him things necessary, yea, if in the fore­sayd thinges they shall be negligent, such negligence shal be vnto them a damnable thing, but now they néede not be vexed and carefull in thinking and fearinge that al­though they doe the foresayd thinges, God will in anye wise fayle them: so that man ought of duetie to be care­full in dooing that which belongeth vnto him to doe, but he ought not to be carefull in doubting that God would not doe all that which apperteyneeh vnto him. Christ condemneth & forbiddeth onely that carefulnesse which groweth of distrust in GOD. Likewise the purpose of Christ in condemning those which were carefull for the time to come, was not to condemne the carefulnesse of [Page] such, as honestly gather together that they may be the better able to prouide for the want of their neighbours, as Ioseph did in Aegypt, forasmuch as such carefulnes groweth of charitie: but his purpose was onely to con­demne and forbid the carefulnesse of those, which gather riches together for couetousnesse and a distrust that they haue in God. So that a good christian ought to doe that which is his duetie to doe, and then to be sure & certein that God will not forsake him: and so he shall liue with­out any great griefe. And although a Christian man doth not all that is his duetie, he ought not in any wise at any time fall from confidence in God, but to trust & say, albeit I am a wicked person, God is good, which wil help mée.Iob. 13 And if I knew that God would not giue me rayment, yea, would take awaye all that I haue, so y^t I with all my householde must dye for hunger, I would in no wise cease to trust in him, bicause I know certeinly by fayth that he would do all for my benefit, with great charitie. Also a Christian man ought, if he will not fall vnto the earth with his hope, but stand stil lifted vp vn­to God with hope alwayes, as is his duetie to doe, ac­knowledge that the bread which hée getteth is not ob­tayned by any his owne strength, wit, diligence, or cun­ning, but onely by God. And so also hée ought to thinke, that not that bread which he eateth doth susteine and nourish him, but the vertue of God. Likewise a Chri­stian when he is sicke, may and ought to vse medicines, and Phisitians, without hauing therfore any confidence in them,2. Par. 16 but in looking & hoping for help wholy by God. Asa king of the Iewes sinned not, in y^t he vsed Phisiti­ans, but that he put his confidence in them & not in god. And in like manner we may vse y^e help of Magistrates, (as Paul vsed, when he appealed vnto Caesar) so that we offend not charitie, & doe not by this meane absent our selues with our hope from God. And lastly, a good Chri­stian ought with charitie, when it is expedient, vse the [Page 68] helpe and commoditie of things ordeyned by God & his creatures, so y^t with al his hope he may abide euer sted­fast in god. And in like sort also ought he to do of things perteining to y^e soule, a Christian man ought not to say, I am one of y^e elect, wherfore I wil liue carnally, bicause I shal in any wise be saued: or it is true y^t I can not w^t my workes make satisfaction for my sinnes, nor merit not only Paradise, but not the least grace of God, wher­fore I will stay my selfe in idle carelesnesse: yea but he ought to trauaile by all meanes that he knoweth & can to séeke the health and profit of his neighbour & the glo­rye of God, without putting any confidence in his own workes. If Hope were grounded vpon our own works, men might of necessitie hope more or lesse, according as they had done mo or fewer good woorks: but forasmuch as our Hope ought to be founded onely vpon God, ther­fore both the good and bad, whilest they are in this present lyfe ought to haue a lyke hope and that most perfect. And whereas the good by theyr spirituall & holy workes, may and ought to take occasion to thinke and beléeue that God loueeh them, séeing that he hath giuen them grace to doe such good workes, & thereby to thinke that they are the elect of God, and to hope for theyr sal­uation, the wicked also by their sinnes may take occasi­on to trust for saluation, inasmuch as they may & ought to beléeue, that God hath suffered them to fall, to y^e in­tent that knowing the better theyr frailtie, ignorance, & stubburnenesse, with a more humble heart they may goe for helpe vnto God: and he may shew himselfe vnto them with greater abundance of his grace. The lyke I saye concerning worldly thinges, he ought no lesse to put his trust in God which féeleth aduersitie, then he y^t hath prosperitie, forasmuch as like as the first, by those giftes that he hath receiued, séeing that God loueth him ought to hope for better, so y^e second, séeing that by that aduersitie, god giueth him so fit occasion to exercise him­selfe in al vertue, ought w^t eleuating his Hope, to thinke [Page] that God loueth him most singulerly, and that he vseth towardes him the same manner of tender care, that he was wont to vse with his elect, and before time with his onely begotten sonne. The elect therefore if they haue prosperitie and benefits of this present lyfe, they doe not put theyr confidence in them, knowinge that they bée most vaine shaddowes, giuen them by GOD for to rayse them vppe to the consideration of Gods di­uine goodnesse, and to make them the more steedefast v­pon God with their Hope: and lykewise if they haue aduersitie, as the true children of God, feeling a diuine loue in him, and that the LORDE doth giue them that aduersitie for theyr benefite, they be so muche the more enforced to tourne them vnto GOD and to confirme their hope in him. Whereas the wicked, lyke as the more prosperitie they haue by GOD, so much the greater confidence they haue in him after a sorte: so lykewise how much the more they are in try­bulations, so much the more, they thinking that hée is their enemie, doe absent themselues from him, with theyr Hope, and do distrust in him. Let vs pray therfore vnto God, that he woulde giue vs grace to acknow­ledge that all doodnesse commeth from him, to the ende that wée béeing most zealous of his honour, and most feruent in dooing good, may yéelde vnto him all prayse honoure and glorye, thorough Iesus Christ our Lorde, Amen.

¶Of the mercie of God. Sermon. 6.

IN GOD is no mercy or pitifulnesse, for that he hath an heart capable of mi­series, as wee haue in sorrowing togea­ther for our mishaps: for as much as God is such a one as cannot be mole­sted with perturbations or passions, [Page 69] he is vnchaungeable, most happie, and of a high perfecti­on, but he is mercifull for that he hath regarde to our miseries, without chaunging himselfe. The Angels doe sée his infinite mercy, in the owne proper spring, that is in God, whereas we on the other side doe sée it in riuers of his workes, and of the effects of great pitie which he vseth. And in the first is séene how much pitiful God is, séeing that when the first man had sinned, and offended agaynst god, he did not condemne him immediatly, as he iustly might haue done, yea for to heale the pride that was hidden in him, he forbad him that he shoulde not tast the Apple: knowing that he would not obey him, although he threatened him death, to the intent that cō ­mitting so manifest an errour, he might open his eyes to acknowledge himselfe, and to craue pardon: notwith­standing albeit he had eaten thereoff, he did not by this meane humble himselfe vnto God, but then he hid him­selfe with flying from God as fast as he could, and co­uered him a new. And if that god had not called him, & preuented him with his grace & mercy, he would neuer haue retourned againe vnto god. But god who is rich in mercy, yea, & the Father of mercy (as Paul did write) for that from him procéede all mercies, called him, say­ing vnto him: Adam, where art thou? open thine eyes a lyttle, and see into what great miseries thou art fal­len, from a most high and perfect felicitie, to the intent that thou mayst craue pardon at thy most pitiful & most gentle Father. And he béeing worser then before: did thē séeke to excuse himselfe with casting y^e fault vpon God, bicause he had giuen him that woman, and lykewise the woman blamed the Serpent, for to cléere hir selfe. Then God might haue had occasion not to suffer thē any lon­ger, to punish them, or at the least to let them alone in y^e estate, whereas he séeing them so néere vnto desperation, for to comfort them, & draw them vnto him, he promised y^t of the very same woman, should spring y^e blessed séede [Page] Christ, which should take away al the strength and force of the Serpent with breaking in sunder his head. And for bicause man was fallen from God in such sort, that he tooke no more pleasure in beholding him, as he had done before that he sinned, God to the ende he woulde haue him occupyed in some thing, and bicause he might not continue in idlenesse, which is the sinke of all euils, and should not commit many sinnes, accursed not him, but y^e earth, & willed that it should bring foorth thornes and brambles, and should haue néede of tillinge, for to bringe foorth fruites, to the intent that man béeing wil­ling to liue, should be constrayed, not to remaine in idle­nesse. Also he multiplyed the miseryes of the women, for to asswage hir so great pride, for that she woulde bée a Goddesse. And made hir subiect vnto the man, bicause that of him she might bee well gouerned, inasmuch as she knewe not how to gouerne hir selfe. So that all those penaunces which were appointed by God to our first parents were nothing els but effects of great pitie and mercie: and all alone for their benefit. He woulde not that they should tast of the trée of lyfe, bicause they should not liue alwayes in those miseries, into the which they were fallen: he chased them also out of Paradise, to the intent that trying the miseryes of this world, they should be so much the more stirred vp to remember the felicitie that they had lost, and thereby to repent them of theyr sinne: and with all this there is not read y^t they did once craue pardon at gods hand, but increased their sinnes in such sort, that all the earth was corrupted, and héere may bée séene what thing man is, when he wyll be guided by himselfe. God did determine, and that for the benefit of man, to sende the floude, but he tolde Noe of it an hundreth yeares before, to the intent that they might haue time to repent, but they made no more but a mocke or iestinge thereat. The Arke it selfe myght haue moued them vnto repentaunce, especially when [Page 70] of all liuing creatures some entered into it: notw^tstan­ding man onely was not moued thereby, but gaue hym­selfe to all worldly filthynesse. At y^e last in sendinge the floud he preserued eight soules, and with all this dea­linge, they all that repented, were by GOD embraced with his mercye, and many by this meane were sa­ued, yea, all the elect: and the other forsaken, if they could haue liued longer yet they should in any wise haue ben damned, and that with greater sinne: wherefore the very floud was an effect of the great mercy of God.

God would that his people should be so oppressed in Ae­gypt, to the intent that in deliuering them they myght feele so much the more his diuine goodnesse and mercie. And although they offēded him many times in the de­sert, he did not therefore cease to preserue them mer­uaylously. He gaue them also a lawe, the whiche they lyke proude persons, promised to obserue, and they could not obserue it stricklye, to the intent that they myght come vnto the knowledge of theyr sinnes, theyr frailty, ignoraunce, and stubburnenesse, and so might be moued to goe séeke for grace at Gods hande. Lastlye, he vsed with vs great mercy, in sending Christ his onely begot­ten sonne, who albeit for the space of thirtie and thrée yeares, he shewed himselfe most pitifull vnto sinnners, yet they alwayes persecuted him, so that at last, wyth very great ignominie and shame they crucified him.

And he of that death which they put him vnto, wrought meanes to giue vs lyfe shewing himselfe still pitifull, vnto man, when man was most cruellye bent against him.

And besides all this, arisinge agayne, hée shewed himselfe oftentimes vnto his electe, more amyable, godlye, and pacified, hée lightened them with diuine matters, with bestowinge on them many gracious be­nefites. Hee ascended visibly into heauen, that our hope [Page] might be lifted vp on high, abiding therefore with his spirit vpon earth. He sent the holy ghost vpon his Apo­stles, visibly at the day of Pentecost, like as he sent it vnto his alwaies inuisibly. He prayeth for vs, & cōtinu­ally bestoweth new graces vpō vs, although we be most vnworthy. There is no man y^t can deuise greater mercy then y^t which God hath vsed with vs. Séeing that we of­fend him he should haue vsed great mercy with vs, if he should but once haue had remembraunce of vs, but that he sent not a seruant, but his sonne, to heale our sicknes with his own bloud, yea, & toke our infirmitie vpon him. & suffered y^e which of duetie we ought to haue suffered, this was a very great mercifulnes, y^t after sinne com­mitted, hath saued Adam & all his posteritie. Be our sinnes neuer so great & innumerable, y^t if we do hartely craue pardō at gods hand, we shall immediately be par­doned. His mercy it is that preserueth vs frō innume­rabe sinnes and euills, into which we should fall if that were not ready to helpe vs, that preuenteth vs, maketh vs riche, deliuereth and saueth vs. If tenne onelye righteous men had bene in Sodome, God woulde not haue destroyed y^e filthy citie, so euer is his mercy. Som­times God punisheth euen to the third and fourth ge­neration, and sheweth mercy vpon a thousand. The sin of Dauid was great, & therefore with his heart he sayd, I haue sinned, and immediately he was pardoned. The holy Ghost doth extoll in the holy Scriptures, no per­fection of God so highly, as his mercy, to y^e intent y^t wée should not dispayre, and nothing doth so much displease him, as when we distrust in his goodnesse and mercy, so y^t I would choose rather, if it were possible to haue com­mitted all sinnes & to haue hope in God, then to haue this one sin of desperation. We al haue néede of y^e mer­cy of God, therefore we all ought to gaspe after it, chief­ly, marke that it is offered vnto all: and he that hath the eyes of fayth, shall sée y^t the works of god be full of mer­cy [Page 71] not only when he chastiseth vs, but also when he suf­fereth vs to fall into any sinne. He suffered (as Paul did write) euen the Iewes to fall, that he might saue y^e gen­tiles. Hauing then to bring vs vnto the mercye of god, one so mighty & pitifull, an high Priest, as Christ is, who preuenteth vs with his mercye, we ought in him put all our hope, and forasmuch as he hath already de­liuered vs from all sinnes, therefore also from all mise­ries. He as Ioseph the Patriarch, although he had bene hurt by his brethren, could not in any wise refrain, but y^t with his mercy he would embrace vs. He alone was that Samaritane, who truely had pitie vpon vs. He also hath bene, and is that diuine shephearde, which came downe from heauen for his lost flocke.

He together with the father of the prodigall sonne, recei­ueth & embraceth with great ioy the miserable sinner, when he humbly turneth vnto him. He without béeing many times requested, rayseth againe the dead sonne of the Church militant, as before time he raysed vp the wi­dowes sonne. And what néede I say more, he hath turned all the world vp side down for to finde againe the groate that was lost. Séeing thē y^t the mercie of God is so great, let vs labour by al meanes possible to put all our trust in him, so that we may render vnto him all praise, honour, & glory, thorough Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Of the good Thiefe. Sermon. 7.

WHo is it that is not astonied in conside­ring the bottomelesse profunditie of Gods diuine Iudgement? Séeing Christ vppon the Crosse, altogether tormented, next vn­to deaths dore, betrayed of Iudas, denyed of Peter, forsaken of the rest of his Disci­ples, persecuted of the Iewes, scorned of the Gentiles, euery bodye fell from the Faith, and euen then a poore [Page] Théefe opened his eyes and began to haue Faith, when all the world had lost their Faith. The others had talked with Christ, heard the Gospell his doctrine, seene his in­nocent lyfe, his excéeding charitie, his excellent wisdome, profound humilitie, and other his diuine vertues: his so great wonders, signes, and miracles, they had read the Prophets, studied the Scriptures, séene the figures, and all to be fulfilled in Christ, and yet for all this they belée­ued not on him, not onely whilest they sawe him hang vppon the Crosse, but whilest he shewed himselfe glori­ous vppon the earth: and on the other part a Thiefe or robber béeing blynde and ignoraunt, without (peraduen­ture) euer hauing séene or read the holy Scriptures, with out miracles, being with such great paine and sorrow v­pon the Cross, euen ready to dye, and séeing that Christ dyed vppon the Crosse, beléeued that he was the Sonne of God, and hoped for Heauen by his meanes who hang­ing on the Crosse said, My God my God, why hast thou forsaken me. It cannot be sayd but that his conuersion was a singular lyght and grace which he had from God: so that as his conuersion was the last miracle that Christ wrought vppon the earth, so it was of all other the grea­test. He was a figure of al the elect, who are saued onely thorough grace as he was. He is set for an exāple to all the world, to the intent that none shoulde euer dispayre of the grace of God, seing that a Théefe, who for his wic­kednesse was punished euen with death, and for his vn­graciousnesse was crucified, is saued. Was it not a great matter, that in the same day, when Christ with so great zeale shed his bloud, that then he opened the windowes of his diuine treasures, and rayned downe grace in such aboundaunce, that a Théefe was illuminated and is sa­ued. The good Théefe perceiuing that Christ with great pittie, prayed vnto the Father for those that crucified him, more-ouer excused them with saying, that they knewe not what they did, wondering at this so great [Page 72] loue, hée tourned his eyes vnto Christ, and sawe that he suffered so great euills without any perturbation: hée sawe such pitifull teares fall from him to the grounde, and such feruent and kindeled groanings mount from him vp to the Heauen: he heard his wordes so full of loue: he behelde such his gestures and diuine actes, such his wonderfull patience, profound humilytie, high wis­dome, large loue, long perseuerance, and other his di­uine vertues, whereby he was moued and stirred vp, (the inwarde lyght which was graunted him thorough grace béeing his guyde,) to beléeue that this Iesus who suffered in such sorte, was the Sonne of GOD.

Christ regarded him with the eye of his pittie, and therefore hée was saued. It cannot be denyed but that the vertues, giftes and graces of the good Théefe, were meruaylous at the first, as it is in the elect of GOD, for that opening his eyes, he acknowledged and confes­sed, that he was wicked, and that he suffered iustlye for his vngodlynesse, lyke as did all other sinners, wherefore approuing the workes of God to be righteous, he sayed. We suffer iustly, we receiue guerdon according to our workes: wheras the wicked with y^e euill Théefe do say, if thou be Christ, saue thy self & vs, forasmuch thou shouldst saue both thy selfe and vs. Hée also excused innocent Christ with saying, this man hath not sinned, he suffe­reth for vs and for our faults, béeing constrained therto by his owne méere goodnesse and loue, wherefore wée ought to giue him thankes, that in suffering for vs hée would excuse vs before the Father. There can bée done vnto a Lorde or noble man nothing more gratefull, then when hée were slaundered and accused of all his subiectes and countreymen, that one would excuse him, defende him, and testifie of his innocencie and vertue, as the good Théefe did, who vppon the pulpit of the Crosse, when there was none that durst say well of Christ, yea when euery one reuiled him, he with out all [Page] feare, preached foorth openly his innocencie. Reprooued also the naughtie thiefe, saying. Dost not thou also feare God, and art vppon the Crosse and ready to dye? After­ward praying, he sayd vnto Christ. O Lord remember me when thou commest into thy Kingdome. As if hée would haue sayd, when thou shalt be, I say not carnally of great authoritie in this present lyfe, for that thy king­dome is not of this world, but when thou shalt be in thy heauenly inheritaunce and glory, purchased for vs with thy precious bloud, be mindfull of me, not of my sinnes, but of my weakenesse and frailtie, remember that I am thy creature, formed and created by thée vnto blessed­nesse, after thine owne similitude, remember that thou camest downe from Heauen for mée, that thou hast ta­ken humaine fleshe vppon thée, that thou hast pray­ed, hast taken paines, and hast suffered tribulations thir­tie and thrée yeares, for me hast bene crucified, and for me shalt now dye. Remember that I thorough the Faith that I haue in thée, am thy brother and member. I craue not to bée nexte vnto thée in thy kingdome. Iustice would y^t I should be damned, but I know by Faith that I shall not be damned, O Lord thou canst not forget that I am one of those for which thou sheddest thy bloud, and sufferest so much, and which béeing thy companion vpon the Crosse, hath put all his hope in thée, for that he saw opened in thée the windowes of all diuine treasures and graces. His Faith was great, séeing that in the time of greatest darknesse, & when al men cloased their eyes a­gainst Christ, he opened his, and knew him to be the sonne of God. His hope also was nothing lesse, in hoping for heauen by his meane who hanged on the Crosse. Al­so his loue was great, seeing that he offered vnto Christ his heart, all his thoughts, his loue, his tongue & words, yea he offered himselfe wholly, béeing vppon the Crosse. O what great strength and constancie was this in him, seeing that he béeing on the crosse in such great tormēts, [Page 73] lifting vp his minde aboue himselfe, he remembred with how great loue of Christ, and with what temperaunce, he settled himselfe wholly vppon the good will of God, ascribing with great iustice, glory & honour vnto God, to himselfe confusion and punishment, and correction vnto the wicked théefe: his prayer likewise was altoge­ther spirituall, forasmuch as he desired not things bric­kle and things which are below, neither prayed he for any other thing, but that he would looke vppon him with a pitifull eye. He craued that he might lyue in his re­membraunce and Christ promised him Heauen, saying, Verily I say vnto thée, that this day thou shalt be with me in Paradice. He added vnto the promise, this worde verily, to the intent that he might be assured thereoff: as if he would say, be assured, that thou shalt be with me in Heauen as thou art with me on the Crosse. He reque­sted to be in his remembraunce, and Christ promised him Paradice: and when should he be there? the very same day: and with what company? with Christ: and howe long? for euer: and to whom did he promise such great treasures? to a most vyle théefe, who for his wickednesse was hanged vppon the Crosse: and wherfore did he pro­mise him such a benefite? not for anye merites of the Théefe, but for his owne merites, and thorough méere grace. What aunswere did Christ make then? Assure thy selfe that although thou hast bene euer hethertoo a wic­ked person, notwithstanding, I say not a thousand yeres hence, but euen this daye, and so foorth into euerlasting, where is not, was, nor shall be, but all that is present shall be: for that by and by thou shalt be with me, that am the Sonne of God in Paradice, inasmuch as thou shalt be in felicitie. And so distributing his dayly penny, he beganne at the last. It was no small priuiledge, that one so vyle a Théefe, amongst all the other electe, was appoynted by God to suffer punishment vppon the crosse with Christ, and that he had grace graunted him to aske [Page] mercie of Christ, when he in such aboundaunce shewed foorth grace abroad: and to beléeue that he shoulde re­ceiue aboundantly, séeing that the Chest of the treasurie of Christ was opened. Let vs praye therefore vnto the Lord, that with the eyes of his pittie he would looke vp­pon vs, as he looked vppon this Théefe, so that we maye render vnto him all praise, honour and glory, thorough Iesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

Of the wonderfull conuersion of Saint Paul. Sermon. 8.

ALbeit that God is wonderfull in him­selfe, and is so also declared in his cre­atures, and especially in the Saints, yet in Paule he is declared moste wonder­full. And this, bicause that whilest hée was an enimie to Christ, and most ear­nest in séeking to peruert the honour of God, vppon a sodaine God conuerted him, and wrought so in him, that he was a most zealous setter foorthe of the honour and glory of God. Wher is to be noted, that as all creatures depend on God, so lykewise they belong vnto him, and man so much y^e more, as he hath a being more noble: not­withstāding man thorough his malice & peruerse nature doth oftētimes resist against God, he tourneth his shoul­ders, & walketh y^e contrary way, with absenting himself euery day more & more from him, as Paule did in times past, who with a meruaylous force, made hast & ran to seeke y^e dishonour of God. And this, first bicause he was a young man, and his bloud boyled in him, he was proud for that he was a Iew, & further of the Tribe of Benia­min, vnto whom Ierusalem fell by lot, & was the highest among y^e other. He was also of the sect of y^e Phariseies, who accounted themselues the best of all others, and [Page 74] moreouer he was a Citizen of Rome: so that it may be thought, if he were without the grace of God, he had oc­casion to be proud. Forasmuch as he was learned in the Law, in that he had ben instructed by Gamaliel, brought vp in Moses rightes, and thorough continuance of cu­stome made as it were vnchaungeable. He sawe that Christ had bene, not onely by the Iewes but also by the consent of the Gentiles iudged to the death and crucified, it séemed vnto him that Christ was contrary to Moses, and to the Law, wherefore with great vyolence he per­secuted both him and those that beleeued in him. Going to Damascus of his owne accord, he had gotten authori­tie graunted him, to bring vnto Ierusalem, all those that confessed the name of Christ. He himselfe writing vnto the Galathians, confessed that hée had persecuted the Church of Christ excéedingly. It maye be thought if hée were terrible and vyolent agaynst the Christians, that the Disciples themselues also, after they had receiued the holy Ghost in such great aboundaunce, were afrayde of him: so that after hée was conuerted, comming to Ieru­salem, and seeking meanes to be vnyted with the Apo­stles, Barnabas was faynt to bring him in, so great was the feare that they had of him. Before that hée was conuerted, hée breathed foorth nothing but threatnings and death, as it is written. Ananias sayd vnto Christ. Lorde I haue heard by manye, of this man, how great euills hée hath done to thy Saincts in Ierusalem.

He would haue destroyed and vtterly rased out the Church of Christ, if God had not preuented him: inas­much as his woodnesse and anger was wonderfull, and of so much the greater force was it, as that he persecu­ted Christ, vnder a shew of goodnesse, thinking blyndly, that he did a great seruice to God.

The Apostles were not sufficient for to instructe him, wherefore hée sette him-selfe agaynst CHRIST: for that lyke as hée was according to the righteousnesse [Page] of the Law vnblameable, so he was most wicked, inas­much as he persecuted Christ our righteousnrsse.

In the meane while that Paule went with so great anger vnto Damascus, Christ assaulted him by the way, he vsed vyolence with him, and by force conuerted him. When Dauid had sinned, and God would conuert him, he sent to him Nathan y^e Prophet, who shewing him flatly his fault, caused him to acknowledge it, so he con­fessed his sinne, and repented: but we doe not read that he vsed with him any vyolence. And lykewise when hée counuerted that sinfull woman that fell weeping at his féete, the good theefe, and many other sinners, the which at the least recommended themselues vnto him: But as for Paule, he called him, when he was most his enimie, to giue vs to vnderstand, that those which be righteous by the righteousnesse of the Lawe, as Paule was, bée greater enimies vnto Christ, then the wickedest peo­ple in the worlde: wherefore Paule, not by ceremonies, and fables, but heartely and in truth writing to Timo­thie, called himselfe the greatest sinner in the world, and this, bicause the righteousnesse of the Law was of all o­ther most farthest off from grace, and most contrarye thereto. Paule then béeing nigh vnto Damascus, was on a sodaine wholy compassed about with a great light, which came from heauen, in token of the great inwarde lyght which he ought to haue, by that that he being astonied fel vnto the ground, to note that he must fall from all confi­dence in himselfe. And he perceiued a voyce which sayth vnto him, Saule, Saule, why persecutest thou me? It is a pleasant thing when we be in extreme miseries, to bée called by our right names, of our true friends, & much more of Christ, as Paule was. He repeated twice the same name, not onely in token of the excéeding loue he bare towards him, & that he should consider, that he was come nowe the seconde time for him, but to note that Paule béeing in the profunditie of erroures, [Page 75] lulled a sléepe vnder the shaddow of the lawe, had néede of a singuler calling for to be awaked, and to the intent that he might open his eyes vnto Christ He sayd then vnto him, why persecutest thou mée? knowest thou not that thou persecutest one who neuer offended thée? one that is thy friende, one that for thee came downe from Heauen, one that dyed for thée vpon the Crosse, & would dye a thousand times, if it were so expedient, persecu­test thou one so déere a friende of thine, that albeit thou hast offended him most highly, yet notwithstandinge, without any thy forwarde disposition, doth not onelye pardon thee, but hath elected thée for one of his principal Capitaynes? Then Paul sayde, who art thou Lorde? as if he should say, I perceiue a voyce, I heare woordes, I féele that one talketh with mée, but I cannot tell who it is. I haue read that GOD talked with Adam, with Noe, with Abraham, with Moses, with Samuel, & with many others, it might be that thou art God thou which talkest with mee? looke howe thou hast cast me to the earth sodaynely. Then Christ aunswered and sayde: I am Iesus, whome thou persecutest, with attributinge to himselfe all the hurt that was done to his elect. As if he woulde saye, reade my Gospell, consider all my lyfe, and thou shalt finde that it hath bene continuallye and alwayes, full of reproches, infamyes, labours, per­secutions and crosses, and for al this thou shalt not finde that euer I did lament mine estate: but forasmuch as thou persecutest mine elect, whiche beeing soule of my soule, and heart of my heart, are to me more déere then mine owne lyfe, I cannot abide that thou shouldest per­secute them. If that be not sufficient which I suffe­red by thée on the earth in thirtie and thrée yeares, but that thou wouldest I shoulde suffer more, worke thine anger vpon me, and let my déere brethren alone, who be so precious and déere vnto me, y^t with mine owne death I haue giuen them lyfe. It is a hard matter for thée to [Page] kicke agaynst he prick. It is a thing very hard & daun­gerous to fight agaynst Christ, who vnto the wicked & to those that be rebelling agaynst him, is a rocke of of­fence and a stumblinge blocke: for that like as beasts when they stricke out their héeles agaynst a pricke, do hurt themselues and not the pricke, so thou Paul, if thou wouldest kicke agaynst Christ, at the last without pre­uayling against Christ, yea, with manifesting so muche the more his glory, shalt hurt onely thy selfe. Then Paul béeing by this time altogether inwardly chaunged, disposing himselfe to the good will of God, sayde: Lorde what wilt thou that I should doe? as if he should saye, I commit my selfe wholly into thy handes, doe with me what it pleaseth thée. O happie sicke man, séeinge that he committed himselfe into the charge of one so expert, able, and louing a Phisitian. O happie lost flocke, seeing it is now fallen into the pitifull armes of the heauenly shephearde: Christ sayd then: arise vp and goe into the citie, and there it shall be tolde thée what thou oughtest to do. Those which were in his company, stoode astony­ed hearing the voyce, although they vnderstoode not the worde, and séeinge nothing. And Saul arising from the earth; opening his eyes, saw nothing, in token y^t he was altogether lifted vp and rauished vnto God. Then lea­ding him by the hande they brought him vnto Damas­cus, where he was afterward instructed by Ananias.

Then béeing perfectly illuminated, he sawe how great­ly blinde his prudence had bene, his wisedome foolish, his pietie vngodly, his righteousnesse vniust, his goodnes mischieuous, his charitie cruell, his innocencie spotted, & all his vertues full of vice. Then putting off vtterly y^e olde Adam, he clothed himselfe with Christ, & countinge himselfe of no reputation, he was transformed in God. And likewise Christ made of him a glorious and diuine conquest, inasmuch as where he went to attach the elect of God, he himselfe was attached of Christ. He woulde [Page 76] haue bond them, & himselfe was bound with the golden cheines of charitie: brought vnto Hierusalem, & was euē rauished and lifted vp vnto the third heauen: he woulde haue imprisoned them, and himselfe was shut close in the good will of God: he would haue slayne them, & he was mortified vnto the world, & made liuing vnto God. His conuersion also was wonderfull, not onely bicause Christ stayed him on a sodain from so great an anger & violence, with which he went to the dishonour of God: but moreouer conuerted him, turned and drew him vn­to him, with great force: so that he conducted him to the top & height of all vertues, in such sort that concerning his following of Christ, he sayd: Be ye like vnto me, fol­lowers of Christ. I know not who could more haue de­spised the world & his owne righteousnesse, séeing that he accounted for dounge, euery thing y^t was without Christ. Who is it that hath for Christ so despised this present life, as Paul did? who sayd, I desire to be disol­ued, and to be with Christ. And as concerning mortifi­cation of the olde Adam, he said, I chastise my body and bring it in subiection. He was crucified w^t Christ, wher­fore he sayd, w^t Christ I am nailed vpon the crosse. Ther was none of y^e Saints y^t tooke so much paines for Christ as he did: he himselfe writing to the Corinthians sayd, y^t he had laboured more abūdantly, thē al y^e other Apostles. He was so inamoured on Christ, y^t he was ready & pre­pared, not onely to be taken & bound for Christes sake, but also to dye: yea, he said, God forbid y^t I should glorie but onely in y^e crosse of Christ. His glorious Ensignes, were y^e markes of Iesus Christ, which he beare in his body. And his glorye was the witnesse, not of men, but of the holy Ghost, and of his owne conscience. When he was for Christ reuiled, apprehended, bounde, and imprisoned, hée accompted himselfe moste happye, then when he was taken vppe to the thirde Hea­uen.

[Page]Writing his Epistles & béeing willing to giue autho­ritie to his word, he called himselfe most often Paul in bondes for Christ, adiudging himselfe greater, when hee was imprisoned for Christ, then if he had bene in y^e most high throne and seate of dignitie in the world. His fayth was certeyne, wherefore he sayde, I runne not as to an vncerteyne thing, his hope was stedfast, wherefore he sayde, we are made safe thorough hope: and his charitie was perfect, therefore he sayd, who shal seperate me frō the loue of God? he had such zeale and loue of soules for the honour of God, that he desired to be accursed from Christ, for the glory of God and y^e saluation of his bre­thren. He was euer fixed with his heart and minde in heauen, wherefore he sayd, our conuersation is in heauē. And for all this he was so humble, that he called himselfe the least of the Apostles, vnworthy the name of an A­postle, borne out of due season, and nothing, yea, the chie­fest sinner of the world. Paul was a spirituall temple of God, in which he wrought wonderfull things. And what néede I say more, he was an instrument of Christ, and a vessell elected to publish all abroade the name of Iesus, & to suffer for him. Séeing then y^t from the bot­tomlesse gulfe of his sinnes, he was rauished vp euen to the third heauen, & enriched with so great light, vertues, giftes, and graces, so that in him is verefied that which was aforesayd, that whereas sinne doth abound, grace doth superabound. Let vs set this glasse before our eyes, not onely to the intent that we may neuer dispayre, but also, so that following him in all good thinges, we may render vnto God all prayse, ho­nour and glorye, thorough Iesus Christ our Lorde. Amen.

¶What thing it is to loue God. Sermon. I.

THere be some who forbicause they saye that they loue God, doe thinke that they loue him sufficiently, but God is lo­ued with the heart, not with wordes. To loue God is an other manner of thing then onely to say, I loue GOD. Some other bicause they fast, giue almes, praye, and doe lyke workes, doe thinke that the dooing thereoff is a lo­uing of God. But loue consisteth in the heart, not in the handes, albeit by the workes, it is declared & made knowne. Such outwarde woorkes may be done by hi­pocrites, and by such as be not in loue with God: and when they are done also by those which loue God, not­withstanding, albeit those outward workes do grow of loue, they are not therefore loue it selfe, but the effects theroff. Also those be deceyued which bicause when they talke haue a féeling of that they talke, when they read or meditate on any deuout thing, haue a certeine tast, and doe feele a certeine pleasaunt swéetnesse therein, doo beléeue that the hauing of such lyke tast and féelinge, is the louing of God: but forasmuch as such like pleasure and tasting, is many times graunted, not onely to the vnperfect, but also to the wicked, the which be not in loue with God: therefore such sensuall appetites and ef­fects, be effects of the flesh, and not of the spirit. It is ve­ry-true, that they which loue God truely, for that they féele with the spirite that they be of the elect, that God loueth them, that he is theyr Father, and that he hath a singuler care of them, wherefore they haue in theyr heartes as it were alwayes, a certeine ioyfulnesse, but sincere and pure: they take pleasure to reason of God, to [Page] heare his worde, to read the holy Scriptures, to behold his diuine goodnesse, and to pray & do other good works, yet notwithstanding this pleasure is not loue it selfe, but the effect of loue. To iudge God of greatest price, to estéeme him, to account him déere, to set more by him then by all the worlde, and himselfe, they all be effectes of loue, but not loue it selfe. And so likewise, although y^e loue of god, making vs of no reputation in our selues, transformeth vs in God, and that in such sort, that estée­ming nothing good but God, we account our selues and all other things nothing worth, except in that that they may serue to the glory of God, notwithstanding this ab­iecting our selues, and transforming in God, be not loue it selfe, but the effectes of loue. Also those doe deceiue themselues, which for that they haue a desire to goe vn­to heauen, for theyr owne felicitie and profite, doe be­léeue that this desire is the louing of God, and in verye truth it is but an effect of selfe loue, contrary to y^e loue of God. It is very true, that the desire of going to hea­uen for the glory of god, is no effect of selfe loue, ney­ther the very loue of god, but an effect thereoff. Lyke­wise also to loue God bicause he hath giuen to thée, gy­ueth to thée, or bicause thou hopest y^t he will giue to thée ryches, children, honours, pleasures, and other bene­fites, is in truth no louing of God, but of thy selfe. And in like sort also, forasmuch as GOD hath plentifully all benefites, therefore séeing that in himselfe cannot desire any good thing, if the louing of god were to desire any good thing in him, God coulde not be loued. It is very true, that we may and ought to desire it, not that GOD is more glorious in himselfe, bicause this is im­possible, but that he is more glorious vnto the worlde, with his glory by creatures, béeing made manifest and famous. But this desire is not the louing of GOD it selfe, but and effect thereoff. Neyther is it the louing [Page 78] of God to be gladde and reioyce together of his bene­nefite, bicause that all this groweth of the loue which we beare him but it is not loue it selfe. Loue is a thing much dearer vnto vs. And so also the loue of GOD is not that liuelye and spirituall, knowledge, taste, and feeling, that we haue of GOD, yea loue groweth of it selfe, inasmuch as, for that lyuely with the spirite wee doe féele his goodnesse, therefore we doe loue him.

Wherefore it is to bée noted that loue is a thing so in­ward to vs, that albeit we do loue, yet notwithstanding we knowe with great difficulty what loue is, and with greater difficultie can we expresse it. So that lyke as it is an easie thinge to knowe that GOD is, but verye harde to discerne what manner of one he is: so it is easie to loue, and to knowe that loue is, but to vnderstande and expresse what manner of thing it is, that is a most harde matter. And for all this I thinke to expresse it. Loue is nothinge els but a certeyne inclina­tion which we haue to hinges. Lyke as the naturall loue is none other but a naturall inclynation, whiche all creatures haue vnto theyr owne béeing, whereoff it groweth that they naturally haue a longinge after, doe desire, and are moued to séeke all those thinges which do preserue it.

In lyke sorte sensuall loue is an inclynation which all lyuinge sensible creatures haue vnto pleasure, wher­of it groweth that they desire and bée moued to séeke for those thinges which woulde cause it, as meate, and other things whereoff pleasure groweth. And lykewise humane & reasonable loue, is nothing els but an incly­nation which men haue vnto honestye, whereoff it groweth that they desire and be moued to séeke for ver­tues, be pleased and delyghted therein.

Nowe the true and spirituall loue of GOD is nothinge else but a spirytuall inclynation whiche the Sayntes haue vnto the glorye of GOD, [Page] the which groweth of a liuely feeling that they haue of the goodnesse of God, & of this inclynation groweth that they long for and desire to honour him, and that hée maye bée honoured of all creatures. They are moued to honour him in such sorte as they can, and doe séeke that he may bée also honoured of others, and so they come to shewe foorth actes of loue, they reioyce together and bée delyghted in all those thinges which make to the glorye of God, wherefore they take pleasure in all the good workes that bée done, and lykewise also doe séeke to haue euery day more light of the goodnesse of God. But it is to be vnderstoode, that séeing such incli­nation is altogether spirituall, it is not found in carnall men, but only in those, who béeing regenerated thorough Christ, be spirituall, wherefore they alone do loue God in truth, those which are by hauing fayth borne agayn, those the more, which haue the greater fayth. And for­asmuch as God, as he that hath in himselfe the fulnesse of all perfection, hath no inclination to creatures, there­fore he loueth them not in such sorte as he is loued of vs, yea, the loue which GOD beareth to creatures, is none other but a willingnesse to doe them good effectu­ally, for as longe time as he thinketh good. But let vs praye vnto the Lord that hée woulde make vs féele his loue, to the intent that we may render to him all praise, honour, and glorye, thorough Iesus Christ our Lorde, Amen.

¶How God alone ought of vs to be loued. Sermon. 2

GOOdnesse is an obiect to loue, so that it onely ought to moue vs to loue y^e which we loue: wherefore we ought to loue no­thing but y^t which is good: & forbicause, according as Christ sayd, God alone is good in truth, therfore he onely ought to [Page 79] be loued. In him alone is the true beautie, by the which things are loued, the true Charitie, wisedome, mercy, and all other vertues, which can moue & stirre vs vp to loue: inasmuch as the vertues that be sound in creatures, and likewise y^e beautie, are no true vertues nor true beautie, but shadowes a farre off, and Images of the vertues & beautie of God: yea God alone is he, who is in truth, wherefore he onely ought to be loued. Creatures haue not any true beeing, but shadowed, wherefore God sayd vnto Moses, I am: as if he would saye, Goe downe vnto Aegypt to deliuer my people without feare, for that creatures bicause they haue no true being, they can-not without me doe thée any hurt nor yet helpe thée, but I alone am he, who for that I am in truth, can doe thée both good and euill. And although when we bée loo­ued, that loue procureth vs to loue them againe which loue vs yet bicause we be not loued in truth of any but onely of God, from whome alone we must acknowledge to haue all our beatitude, therefore him onely we ought to loue. Wherefore as God is y^e first beginning of al our beatitude, so also he ought to be our last end, vnt whō we ought to goe w^t al our loue, with which in him alone we ought to stablish our selues: as he himselfe commaun­ded saying. Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God, with all thy heart, soule, minde, strength, and vertue. Therefore God willing to haue of vs all loue, as is conuenient he should, layeth hard to our charge, y^t we ought not in any wise giue part therof to creatures. Thou wilt saye God hath cōmaunded y^t we loue our neighbour as our selues, wherefore we ought not to loue God alone, but also cre­atures. I aunswere and say that Christ sayd also, that he which hateth not father & mother, children, brothers, sisters, and moreouer himselfe, can-not be my Disciple: and how shall it be possible that we hate them, and on the other side, being our neighbours, that we loue them as our selues, séeing that hatred is contrary to loue?

[Page]For the vnderstanding therefore of the truth, it is to wit, that nothing in truth is loued, but onely that thing in which loue is stedfastly fixed and set: and in lyke sort there is in truth no hatred, but onely that, in which ha­tred is fixed and bounded: and bicause that like as the waters runne all into the Sea, neither doe they euer rest vntill they come thether, so God, for that he alone is in truth good, our first beginning and last ende, our loue passing by creatures, ought not to be stayd in them, but wholly to be directed euen vnto God, and to rest in him: wherefore he alone in truth ought to be loued. And likewise also, forasmuch as sinne onelye is in trueth naught and filthie, therefore it alone ought to be hated: so that albeit our hatred passe by creatures, it ought therfore not to be stayd in them, but to be directed vnto wic­kednesse, and there onely to rest. And to vnderstand this the better, I will bring an example of a perfect Christian. whose heart if thou sawest, thou shouldest see that his loue is wholly vppon God: and yet for all this, hée lo­ueth creatures, with-out staying therefore his loue in them, yea he loueth them not, but for the glory of God, & inasmuch as they serue to make it manifest: so that such a one might say vnto God the same wordes that Augu­stine sayde in time passed, O Lord when I loue and cre­ture, I loue not that creature, but thée, for whose loue I loue it. Although the spouse, doth loue y^e gifts of hir hus­band, she doth not therefore staye hir selfe with hir loue vpon them, but onely doth loue them for his sake y^t gaue them, and bicause they serue for his glory and credit: in lyke sort the true spouse of the Sonne of God, doth not loue, account precious, nor estéeme the benefites of God for the worthinesse of them onelye, nor yet for hir owne gayne, but only for being giuen of God, and for that they serue to his glory. Likewise also a good Christian hateth no persons, but for their wickednesse, which be to y^e dis­honour of God, béeing by him most highly loued, so that [Page 80] his hatred is not fixed in the creature but in the sinne.

We ought therefore to loue God with all our heart, and that with staying our selues with al our hopes vpō him: and we ought to loue our neighbors as our selues, with out stablishing in any wise our loue vppon them, but w^t louing them onely for the glory of God, and inasmuch as they serue to the making of it manifest. We ought al­so to hate our neighbours, our parents, and our selues, as Christ sayde, not with staying our selues with hatred towardes them, but towardes their vices and sinnes: in­asmuch as we ought to hate them onely, for that they béeing carnall doe hinder vs, draw vs backe, make vs slacke, & suffer not vs to make famous the glory of God. Like as then there is one onely God, so he alone ought to be loued: and as al other things be of God, so onely for him they ought to be loued. Al the creatures together be not worthy of our loue, which is fit for none but God. And al this of our loue which resteth in creatures, is lost. God as he who is iealous ouer vs, will haue all our loue for himself: of other things that we haue he is content that we should communicate & giue vnto others, so that it be to his glory, but loue he would not, that should giue vnto any but him. If we loue men, for that they be our kinsfolkes, be lyke vnto vs, and come of the same bloud that we doe, such loue is naturall and not vertuous.

If we loue them for their beautie, and there-in doe establish our selues with our loue, in such a case that is a lasciuious loue. If we loue them for profite, y^e loue-pro­céedeth of couetousnesse: if for dignitie or honour which we looke to obtaine, that loue commeth of pride: If also we loue thē, for that we hope that they shall serue for our saluation, and for that we trust by their meanes to goe vnto Heauen, which we desire onely for our owne felici­tie, without hauing respect to the glory of GOD, this also is wholly a wicked and carnall loue.

[Page]But now this truely is a loue, bright, sincere, pure, spi­rituall and of Charitie, when we loue our selues & crea­tures, onely for the glory of God, and onely when they doe serue, or be to serue to the manifesting thereoff.

True Charitie then, as Paule did write, séeketh not the things that be our own, but the glorye of God: yea it is a vertue that is most worthy, most high, most pure, and altogether diuine, holdeth the eyes alwayes open, sted­fast and fixed on the glory of God, and albeit sometimes, as that which is most pitifull and humble, it debaseth it selfe, to helpe the neighbours, it is not therefore stayed in them, but immediately with exalting it selfe on high, it returneth to the glory of God: yea, for that Charitie maketh vs of no reputation in our selues, and transfor­meth vs in God, therefore it maketh that not séeing vs any more in our selues, but onely in GOD, we cannot any more loue vs in our selues but in God alone. Let vs pray vnto God then that he would giue vs that loue, to the intent that we maye render vnto him all praise, honour and glory, thorough Iesus Christ our Lorde. Amen.

With how great loue God ought to be loued. Sermon. 3.

FOrasmuch as goodnesse is such, that bée­ing obiected to loue, it ought to bée loued, and so much the more, as it is the greater: séeing that Gods diuine bountie is infi­nite, it ought of vs to be infinitely loued, as it is loued by diuine will: yea wée ought infinitely to loue God, not onely bicause of his in­finite goodnesse, but also bicause of his infinite beautie, wisedome, power, mercie, charitie, righteousnesse, and for euery other his infinite vertue and perfection. And more-ouer, for that loue ought to bée recyprocall, in [Page 81] our louing of God with infinit Charitie, as he loueth vs, we ought to loue him againe with an equall loue, there­fore with a loue that is infinite, yea and with a greater if it wer possible, séeing that in louing vs he first begin­neth. We can-not say that he hath not shewed vs his loue with effectes infinite, séeing that he hath giuen vs his sonne vppon the Crosse, himselfe in him, with al his diuine graces and treasures, and his owne spirit. Wher­fore wheras other vertues, for that they haue for theyr obiect meanes, doe consist in a certaine mediocritie, so that it is a vice, not onely the failing or want of that mediocritie, but also the excesse thereoff: Charitie lyke as Faith and also Hope, for that they haue God our last ende for their obiect, and therefore be called Theologi­call vertues, doe not consist in that mediocritie: inas­much as God cānot of vs be loued too much, as also we cannot trust in him ouermuch, nor put too much confi­dence in him, yea we doe euer fayle in louing him, belée­uing in him, and putting our truste in him as wée ought. The meane to loue God, is to loue him without measure, and if it were possible infinitely. We be then bound, and that by many respects, not onelye to estéeme more of God then of infinite worlds, if there were infi­nite, and to spende our lyfe for God infinite times, if in­finite times, we should arise againe, but also to loue him w^t an infinit loue. Thou wilt say, is it possible y^t we loue God with an infinite loue? seeing y^t our will is finite, li­mitted & bounded, therfore we are not bound to loue him with such loue. I aunswere and say, that like as if thou hauing lent vnto one a thousand Crownes, and the time being come in which he ought to paye thée them againe, thou couldest not haue them, and this bicause he is come into pouertie thorough meanes of his great household, in such a case if the sayd man seeking about to his kins­folke and friendes, should vse all possible diligence for to haue it and pay it to thée, and at last could get but one [Page] Crowne thereoff, and this alone he payed thée, tell mée in such a case, albeit he could not pay thée the thousande Crownes, should this be for this that he was not bound to paye thée them? surely no, but he should remaine and be in any wise bound, albeit he could not then pay them. And that the truth is so, is most certeine, inasmuch as if one should euer become rich, he should be bound to giue them thée, not by any new Obligacion, but by that olde, the which did alwayes continue, and was neuer cancel­led, albeit it hath lyen hidden for that time, in which he was not able to pay them, wherefore thou oughtest not to cause him to be cast in prison, séeing that he could not pay them, and that it was with-out his fault: so lyke­wise, if we cannot render vnto God infinite loue, but onely a very little, for this cause, not that we are not bound thereto, so that if it were possible that God should make vs so perfect, that we might loue him with an infi­nite loue, we should be bound to loue him infinitely, and not by any new Oblygacion, but by the olde which last­eth euer. It is very true that it lyeth hidden, séeing that we be not able to loue him with an infinite loue: wher­fore although we doe not loue him with such great loue, hée will not for this caste vs into the prison of Hell: so that we loue him as much as we are able. And if thou wouldest say, that God hath dispensed and vnbounde vs of this Bonde of louing him with an infinite loue, séeing that we are not able to obserue it. I will say, that if this our Bonde depended onely on his diuine will, he might dispence with vs and vnbinde vs, but it dependeth on his infinite goodnesse, wherefore lyke as God can-not take away any thing from his infinite goodnesse, and yet bée infinitely good, so he cannot vnbinde vs, that wée should not be alwayes bounde to loue him with infinite loue, as is fit for his infinite goodnesse, and is our duetie, to doe although we cannot. And héere it may be séene, not onely howe great the goodnesse of God is, séeing that [Page 82] whereas an infinite loue is due vnto him, he is conten­ted with a small loue, but also how great our imperfec­tion is, séeing that infinitely we doe faile of doing that which is conuenient for vs to doe vnto GOD. Al­beit God doth not impute vnto vs such a defect and sinne, neither doth he punish vs therefore, séeing that we can­not loue him, as much as for him should be conuenient. But thou wilt say, I would know with how great loue I am bound to loue God, so that in me there may be no fault vnto me imputed, and so I might be damned. I aunswere that we are bound to loue him with all our heart, soule, and minde, neither can it be sayde, that God in saying, Thou shalt loue God with all thy heart, soule and minde, did not commaund that we should loue him whilest that we are in this present lyfe with so great a loue, but that he would onely shewe vs what we should doe when we shall be in Heauen, as some haue said héere­tofore, inasmuch as Christ sayde contrariwise, that this was not onely a commaundement but the chiefest. Nor yet can it be sayd as the Papistes say, that to fulfill and obserue this commaundemēt, it is sufficient that we giue vnto God one part of our loue, so that it be the greatest part: and that we loue God alone, more then all other things, and this first, bicause God is of the contrary wil in commaunding vs that we should giue all our hearte and therby all our loue: the which also he repeated with many wordes, diuers wayes, to the intent y^t we should be inexcusable. And to expound, thou shalt loue God w^t all thy heart, that is with parte, is not to declare the worde of God, but to depraue it, and to gainsay it. For that they haue against them, Basil, Origene, Augustine, Bernard, Gregory, Nicene, Hugo de santo vittore, & many other holy men, all the which notwithstanding with di­uers words in expounding this commaundement, haue sayde, that we are bounde to giue vnto GOD all our loue.

[Page]Thou wilt say, if it be so, we must be all damned, in­asmuch as there is no body, which giueth to God all his loue, yea whilest that we be in this present life, without a singular priuiledge, we cannot doe it, for that since the sinne of our first parents, thorough the concupiscen­ces that be in vs, we be hindered and slacked from the loue of God, and in such sort, that we do neuer loue him with all our loue, yea some parte of our loue doeth al­wayes abide in the earth. Now to this I aunswere and saye, that the commaundement of diuine loue is in it selfe righteous, honest and holy: and if we be vnable to obserue it, this is thorough the faulte of man which sinneth, wherefore such sinne God iustly may impute vn­to vs, and for it punish vs, and for all this, séeing that God by the obseruaunce of this commaundement, and of his diuine lawe, coulde not iustifie and saue vs, hée hath chosen to iustifie and saue vs, thorough grace, and thoroughe Christe, to the intent that as by the dis­obedience of Adam we be lost and destroyed, so by the o­bedience of Christ we should be made [...]e: Wherefore if we would be iustified and saued, we ought not to séeke our saluation or righteousnesse, by way of obseruing the Law, inasmuch as by it in Adam we being fallen into the ignoraunce of God, and the concupiscence of worldly things, cannot obserue it, but ought to séeke for grace in Christ, with vniting our selues vnto him by Faith.

And then féeling in Christ the diuine bountifulnesse of God, we shall loue him aboue all other hin [...] ▪ & although we cannot loue him with all our heart, yet such sin shall not be imputed to vs. Our Oblygation then wherin we are bounde, is not onelye to loue God aboue all other things, with holding him in price and estimation more then all treasures, pleasures, honours, dignities, Pa­radises, and our owne life, but to set all our loue vppon him, and moreouer to loue him with all our heart, soule, minde, strength and vertue, yea if it were possible to loue [Page 83] him infinitely, with applying al our force to this ende.

Let vs therefore praye vnto the Lord, that he would giue vs grace to loue him, as we are bounde to doe, to the intent that wée may render to him, all prayse, ho­nour, and glorye, thorough Iesus Christ our Lorde. Amen

¶With what manner of loue, God ought of vs to be loued. Sermon. 4.

GOD ought to be loued of vs, with a pure & sincere loue: that is, bicause that he is good in himselfe, and not bicause he is good vnto vs. Forasmuch as he that loueth God, bicause he hath recey­ued, doth receiue, or hopeth to receyue some temporall benefit, corporall, or spirituall, suche a one, in that case loueth not God, but himselfe, séeing that he bounding out loue in himselfe, is desirous of y^e fore­sayd benefits, willing that God should serue them, as a vile instrument to let them haue their purpose. As the kingly or principall floudes or riuers without loosinge their name, or neuer stayed vntill they be ioyned to the Sea, but alwayes running, do draw with them al other riuers which enter into them, so lykewise a true spiry­tuall loue, although it passeth by the creatures, is not stayed in them, yea, drawing with it all our affections, it directeth the course euen vnto God, and there alone it resteth. We cannot without iniurye and despising of God, forsake God with our loue, and stay our selues vp­pon his gifts. Wherefore as God loueth vs with a sin­cere & pure loue, so y^t all whatsoeuer he hath wrought and shall worke, is wholly for our benefit, and not in any sorte for his owne gayne, séeing that hauing in him the fulnesse of all benefites, wée cannot bée profita­ble to him in any sorte, we cannot shewe him the least [Page] pleasure that is, nor make him in himselfe more glori­ous then he already is, forasmuch as his glory & fely­citie is infinite: now we ought thus to loue God with­out respecting in any wise our selues, and thus to work and doe all for his glorye. So that as when it was told Iacob that in Aegypt were many treasures, and that Ioseph his son was chiefe gouernour ther, he answered, I haue inough that Ioseph my son is yet alyue: as if hée had sayd, I care not for, neither desire the treasure of Aegypt, but as one that haue all my loue in Ioseph, it sufficeth for my perfect felycitie, that he lyueth, and that I may see him in that glorye: euen in lyke sort when it is sayde vnto vs, that in heauen be so great treasures, pleasures, and felycitie, and that Christ is the LORD there, if we had all our loue in God, as we ought, wée would aunswere, we care not for our owne pleasures, no nor for heauen in any other sort, but as we may serue to the glorye of God: it is sufficient for vs, for our most perfect felycitie, that Christ lyueth in his elect, that hée reigneth, that the glorye of God is made manifest tho­rough him. And there it may be séene howe that many doe deceiue themselues, which doe thinke that men are bounde to loue God so much the more, as they haue re­ceyued moe or greater benefites at his hande, as though they were bound to loue God, not for that he is good in himselfe, for that he is good vnto vs, and bycause he be­stoweth benefites vpon vs. And I say that if it were pos­sible we should be, and had neuer receiued any benefite at the handes of GOD, we shoulde be bounde to loue him nothing lesse, then nowe that we haue receyued so great benefites of him: and this, bycause wée ought to loue him, for that he is good in himselfe, and not for that he is good vnto vs: and bestoweth benefites vp­on vs: and this is properly to loue him.

Séeing then God is infinitly good, hée ought of all [Page 84] men be most perfectlye loued, therefore equally to his goodnesse. It is very true that those vnto whome GOD doth make himselfe knowne wyth greater goodnesse, and with bestowing on them more graces and greater benefites, although they be not bounde to loue GOD wyth greater loue then others, forasmuch as all are bounde to loue him with a most perfect loue, yet vnto that moste perfect loue, they are so much more bound then others; as by those greater benefits they are stir­red vp to loue him, the which if they doe not, they sinne more grieuously. And this is it which CHRIST wil­led, when he sayde, that he to whome much was gyuen he was bounde greatly to loue.

And lykewise the seruaunt that shall haue had grea­ter lyght of God, and of his wyll, and shall not haue lo­ued him, nor done his will, shall bée grieuously beaten, bycause his sinne is greater, and this not for that others be not equally bound to loue god, as wel as he, inasmuch as all men be bounde to loue him most perfectly, where­fore equally, but for that suche a one, vnto whome is so much the more bound then vnto others, as hée is more stirred vp thereto, and inasmuch as he hath more lyght and more grace, therefore more meanes howe he maye loue him. Wée all be therefore bounde to loue GOD with a loue most perfect, sincere, and pure, albeit to such a perfect loue, hée is more bounde that hath receyued more graces.

Let vs praye vnto GOD therefore, that with ex­tinguyshing in vs all selfe loue, hée woulde giue vs a supreame lyght, to the intent that tasting with the spy­rite his great goodnesse, and louinge him with a sincere and pure loue, we may render vnto him all prayse, honour, and glo­rie, thorough Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

¶When God ought to be loued. Sermon. 5.

FOrasmuch as onely wickednesse ought to be hated, and in God is no wickednesse or fault, that God ought not at any time be hated: and he that should hate him but onely the twinkling of an eye, should cō ­mit a most horrible sinne. Also the crea­tures ought neuer to be more estéemed then God, inas­much as lyke as Christ sayd, he that loueth his Father, his Mother, his sonnes, his daughters, or other thinges more then him, is not worthy of him, yea, he is vnwor­thy. He then which loueth and estéemeth more his pa­rents, rayment, pleasures, honours, dignities, himselfe, or creatures, then God, although it were but a moment of time, doth sinne, & inasmuch as God excéedeth in per­fection the creatures, in so much doth he offend in iudge­ing him inferiour to them: he sinneth then infinitly, like as God in goodnesse doth excéede them infinitly. We al­so ought neuer to account God equall with creatures, yea, he ought not onely be exalted aboue them all, but he alone ought of vs to be loued, and that with al our heart, soule, minde, strength, and vertue. And if thou wouldest demaunde when we are bound to loue him so, the Pa­pistes do say, with deceiuing therefore themselues and others, and say, that the commaundements negatiue do binde vs alwayes, and for all times, but the commaun­dementes affirmatiue doe binde alwayes, but not for all times. As for example: for that not to steale is a commaundement negatiue, we be alwayes bound with this commaundement, and moreouer bound to obserue it thorough euery moment of time, so that it is not law­full for vs at any time to steale. But on the other side, forasmuch as the dooing of almes is a commaundement affirmatiue, therefore albeit we be neuer frée from this [Page 85] precept, but are alwayes bound to obserue it, we be not therefore bounde to obserue it thorough all times: foras­much we are not bounde to giue almes at all times, and continually, but onely at certeyne times, that is, when we be able, and sée our neighbours in néede. Now they saye lykewise, that séeing not to hate GOD, is a a cōmaundement negatiue, it bindeth vs alwayes, and thorough all times, in such sort, that continually and for euer it shall not be lawfull, by any moment of time to hate him, but forasmuch as to loue God is a commaun­dement affirmatiue, therefore albeit we shall neuer bée vnbounde from this commaundement, we shall not bée therefore bounde to obserue it thorough euery moment of time, but onely when it shall bée néedefull. Then ac­cording to theyr saying, we be not bounde to loue God, but when it is néedefull. And if this néede shoulde ne­uer happen, yet in any wise they saye, that we shoulde bée bounde to loue him sometimes, for that a man could not be without the dispising of God, & without sinne, if he did not once loue God all his lyfe longe. And if thou wouldest aske at what time GOD ought to bée loued, they will aunswere, that on the Sabboth and festi­uall dayes: and this not onely to the intent that we dispise not GOD in not louing him at any time, but al­so bicause we are bound to sanctifie the sabboth daye, which we cannot doe béeing Gods enimyes, where­fore on that daye we ought to reconcile our selues vnto God, to be sory together thorough his loue for that wée haue sinned, and therby we are bound to haue towards him an act of loue. It is sufficient therefore to a Chri­stian, according to their diuinitie, that for to obserue the chiefest cōmaundement of the law, & of the loue of God, that onely the Sundayes & holydaies, had towards God an act of loue, with exalting him aboue all other things, albeit it were but for a smal momēt of time. Thus they say, y^t their most holy and innocent Church hath decréed. [Page] But first, whereas they saye, that we are bound to loue God onely when it is néedful, I would that they would tell me what they meane by this saying to be néedful. If they meane that lyke as we are not bounde to giue almes, but when our neighbours haue néede thereoff, so that we be not bound to loue God, but when God hath néede of our loue, it is certeine that we should neuer be bound to loue him, séeing that God shal neuer haue néede of vs, nor of our loue. Thou wilt say, that albeit God hath in himselfe the fulnesse of all good things, and is in himselfe most perfectly happy & glorious, wherfore hath not, neither can haue néed of vs, yet notwithstanding for to make manifest vnto thée our God, his glorye, & to the intent that he may not be dishonoured, it is néedful that we loue him, and that with effectes we shewe vnto him our loue: as if thou séest one that blasphemeth God, then it is time and néedfull that thou loue him, and that for his loue thou art moued to reproue and correct suche a one: the lyke I say of all other iniuryes which thou séest done vnto god. In lyke sort if y^t thou séest thy neighbour be in any necessitie, then it is time also and néedful that thou loue God: & that for his loue thou be moued to pro­uide for him, and so in other cases we are bound to loue God, when such necessities doe happen. And I say, y^t for­asmuch as God is alwayes most perfectly good, pitifull, righteous, wise, omnipotent, and most excellent, therfore he ought of vs to be most perfectly loued alwayes. And so much the more, as that continually & at all times he lo­ueth vs with an infinite loue, & bestoweth benefits vpon vs. And the cōmaundements affirmatiues, in respecting the inward act, doe binde alwayes & thorough al times, as wel as the commaundements negatiues do: so y^t lyke as although we are not boūd to giue almes at al times, but only when our neighbours haue néed thereff, notw^t ­standing we are bound alwayes & thorough all times to loue them inwardly. In like sort also, albeit we are not [Page 86] bound alwayes to praise GOD with voyce, but onely when it should be expedient for to stirre vp our selues or others to giue glory vnto God, yet notwithstanding we are bound to loue God alwayes & continually with all our heart. We ought also, not only on the Sundayes & holydayes, but al the time of our life, & euery moment thereoff, sanctifie him, with making him shine in honour of his maiestie, forasmuch as to this ende onelye it is graunted vs from God. Neither is it without iniurye done vnto him when we faile of that high & perfect loue which is fit for him. And although y^t whilst we be in this present lyfe, without a singuler priuiledge & grace wée cannot loue God continually, as also we cannot loue him with all our heart, soule, & minde, notwithstanding for this cause it is not fully set downe, neyther can it be sayd, that such loue is not conueniēt for God, nor our duety to doe. Wherefore if we would abide vnder the lawe, we shoulde be alwayes, as Paul did write, subiect vnto malediction, so y^t we could in no wise be iustified, except by grace we go vnto Christ. And héere it may bée séene, how that the opinion of them is false, which say y^t we be not bound to loue God alwayes: and in lyke sort may be séene y^t they be very intricate, in willing to de­termine and appoint the time, in which we be as they say, bound to loue him. This their opinion, is nothing els but an imagination of theirs, without any foundation of the holy Scriptures: & a thing inuented to this end that I will tell you. The Papists béeing desirous to holde a­gainst the truth, that men may be iustified & saued tho­rough their own works, & by obseruing the cōmaunde­ments of God, & séeing y^t there is none that loueth God continually & with all his heart, with deprauing & ex­presly gainesaying y^e holy Scriptures, they be forced to perswade men, that for obseruing the first and chiefest commaundement of the lawe, it is sufficient that at the least the twinkling of an eye vppon the sabboth daye, [Page] we haue in vs some act of loue towardes God, with ex­alting him aboue al other things: and that this, thorough our most and mightie frée will, is alwayes in our pow­er. It is our duetie, to beséech the Lorde that he would heale and deliuer them from all such prensies, with giuing them the light of the truth, to the intent that to­gether with other the elect, they may render vnto God, all prayse, honour, and glory, thorough Iesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

¶If it be in our power to loue God, when and how much we list. Sermon. 6.

LIKE as if an Eagle were without wings, bound vpon the grounde, woun­ded and dead, it could not stirre it selfe, not flye vp into the ayre, and if yet it coulde flye, it coulde not direct the flight vp to the Sunne, and if it could thether direct the course, yet it coulde not flye aboue it selfe: euen so the soule thorough the sinne of Adam, béeinge without the winges of Christian vertues, bound vpon the earth with carnall affections, & thorough sin woun­ded and killed, cannot moue it selfe, be eleuated, nor flye with loue on high, and although it could be eleuated a­boue the creatures, it could not in any wise be directed vnto God, and if it could be directed thether, yet it could not with the winges of loue flye aboue it selfe, so that it shoulde loue God more then it selfe. Peraduenture thou wylt saye that this is true, if we speake of our naturall and sensuall loue, with which we can loue none but our selues, and the thinges that be for our profite, commo­ditie, delyght, and honour: Wherefore with this loue we doe not loue God, but for our owne gayne, and inasmuch as he bestoweth benefits vpon vs: which in truth is no louing of God, but of our selues: but if we would speak of loue procured by wil, now with this we might, with [Page 87] out any other grace, loue God aboue all creatures, and more then our selues: and the reason is this. There is none so wicked a person, that without other grace, doth not acknowledge and confesse that he is bounde to loue God aboue all things, wherefore if he cannot loue God more then himselfe and all creatures, as his vnderstan­ding doth shew and declare vnto him, his will shall not be frée, and moreouer he shall be naturally wicked, seing that it could not obey the vnderstanding. I aunswere & say, that as Paule did write, we are by nature y^e children of wrath, wherefore wicked and the seruaunts of sinne: not therfore so created of God by nature, but by nature corrupted in Adam, wherefore with out diuine grace, we cannot haue lybertie of power to loue God aboue al other things: and lykewise it is true that our will, by nature in Adam corrupted, is alwayes mischieuous and a seruaunt of sinne, vntill that thorough Christ it be made frée. Peraduenture thou wilt say, if that a valiant Citizen doth hazard his owne life for his country, with out any other grace or light supernaturall, yea and the hand doth offer it selfe for the sauegard of the head, as is oftentimes séene by experience: and thereby if a politike man, without any other grace can loue his country more then himselfe, and likewise also the hande doth manye times loue the head better then it selfe, we haue cause to thinke and beléeue, that our wil may so much more then the foresayd things loue God more then it selfe, as that God is more greater then the head or the countrey. Vn­to this also I aunswere and say, that a valiant Citizen doth hazard his life many times for glory which hée lo­ueth more then his own life, or it is true, y^t he foreséeing, that loosing his countrey, he should loose all that he hath, therefore he adiudgeth it be lesse hurte in such a case to spende his life. Some other be moued to take armour vppon them for the profites sake which they hope to ob­taine, or els for the losse which they feare will happen.

[Page]All this then that a polytike man doth as one that is carnall, is onely for himselfe, and for his owne proper gaine. And likewise also a man when he offereth his hande contrarye to the proper inclination, to receiue a wound for the safegard of the head, doth it, bicause hée loueth himselfe, and séeth that it would be smaller hurt & lesse daunger, if he suffer his hande to be hurt, then if he suffer his head. It is alwayes then selfe-loue, which cau­seth vs to doe anye thing, when wée bee with-out diuine grace. And albeit that God alone in truth is good, and includeth in him al vertues, & being al goodnesse, where­fore not onely we ought to loue him aboue all other things, but in him alone we ought to stay our loue, not­withstanding thorough the sinne of our first parents, we be so blinde, féeble, mischieuous and miserable, that with­out his grace and light supernaturall, not only we can­not set our whole loue vpon him, no nor yet loue him a­boue all other things. Thou wilt say, I proue yet, that although I be wicked, and without diuine grace, I haue notwithstanding a certeine desire to loue him, aboue all other things: and forasmuch as this desire is nothing els but loue, therefore it maye loue him aboue all cre­atures w^tout any other grace. Vnto this I say, y^t if thou shalt go forward séeking diligently, thou shalt finde that this desire which thou hast to loue him, is none other but for thine owne lucre. If thou be carnall, thou doest not desire to loue him for his glory, but for thine owne feli­tie, and this is not to loue God, but thy selfe. And if thou wouldest say, I desire that all my will, loue & desire may be most entire and sincere. I aunswere likewise and say, that this thy desire also, if thou be carnall, is onely for regard of thy selfe, wherefore thou louest none but thy selfe. Whilest therefore we be carnall, and that self-loue doth raigne in vs, not onely we cannot loue God aboue all things, but we cannot in truth loue him, but for our owne gaine: the which is not to loue him but our selues. [Page 88] Thou wilt say, it is sufficiēt that diuine grace being our guyde, we may loue him as much as we would, and for­asmuch as diuine grace doth neuer faile, therefore it is alwayes in our power io loue him, and that in what sorte it pleaseth vs. Vnto this also I aunswere and say, that there is experience to the contrarye, inasmuch as men doe not loue God as much as they would, yea al­though the reprobate shoulde vse all their witte and strength, they could in no wise loue him. It must néedes therefore be sayd, that this grace of louing him, is not graunted alwayes, nor to all men, nor yet to loue him after our fashion: yea the elect themselues haue not al­wayes this grace to be able to loue him, at their instance, nor in such sort as they ought: wherefore like as Faith is giuen of God, so also is Charitie. And they deceyue themselues who thinking to haue alwayes in them po­wer to loue God, driue off to repent and conuert vnto the latter ende of their life. Séeing then that Charitie is a diuine and supernaturall fire, let vs praye vnto GOD that thorough his grace he would kindle it in our hearts, to the intent, that we may render vnto him all praise, honour and glory, thorough Iesus Christ our Lord, Amen

How the waye of Heauen is easie. Sermon. 7.

THere bée some which thinke that the waye of Heauen is most difficult: and this bicause lyke as Christ sayde, for to enter into euerlasting lyfe, it is néedefull that wée obserue the Com­maundements of GOD, wherefore we must loue our neighboures as our selues, that wée [Page] pardon from our hearts all iniuries, with louing our bretheren, all our enimies. It is néedefull also that we patiently suffer all aduersities, and all sicknesses, euen death, with contenting our selues with whatsoeuer it shall please God to appoint vs. That we despise riches, pleasures, honours, friends, parents, and all other world­ly benefites, that we mortifie all our affections, our own will, our iudgements, with accounting our selues of no reputation, and that we loue God with all our hearte, soule, minde and vertue. And for that the dooing of the foresayd thinges, is very difficult vnto vs, séeing that as in Adam be we made blinde, & as the concupiscences of the flesh be most mightie in vs, the world most corrupt, thorough euill examples and temptations most mightie, thorough subtiltie, malice and power of the Diuell, ther­fore they say that the way of Heauen is most difficulte and hard, which thing also they confirme by Christ, who sayd, that straight is the path which leadeth vnto syfe.

Whereoff it groweth that many beléeuing that, béeing afrayd of the difficultie, dare not walke by the waye of God, but retire backe from it. And I saye that although the path be straight, and the gate narrow which entreth into the spirituall kingdome of Christ, and this bicause into it no man can enter but by a lyuelye Faith, the which is not in our power, wherfore not depending on vs, it is hard for vs, yea impossible, to enter by our selues into the spirituall kingdome of Christ, notwith­standing séeing that by grace and thorough Christ we be regenerated, and alreadye entred into the kingdome of Christ, hauing of God a liuely light, and a spirituall tast and féeling, we doe loue him aboue all other things, doe walke thorough good workes without any difficultie, in­asmuch as in such a case the loue of God maketh vnto vs all painfull trauaile easie, all bitternesse swéete, euerye yoake pleasaunt, and euerye burthen lyght, as Christ sayed. And it is séene by experience, that when one in [Page 89] truth hath fixed his loue vppon God, that it is not harde matter for him to pardon for his loue all iniuries, to loue his enimes, to despise the world, yea and himselfe, to bring downe himselfe with watchings, fastings, ab­stinences, disciplines and other kindes of penaunce, so that they be done thorough force of loue, not onely they are not sharpe and grieuous, but also pleasaunt & light, & in such sort, that suffering for Christ, they iudge thēselues happie. Thou wilt say, I sée yet many, which make pro­fession that they are willing to serue God, that do afflict thēselues with fasting, abstinence, watchings, disciplines, nakednesse, pilgrimages, and with dooing and suffering these and many other most difficult things. I aunswere and saye, that to goe vnto Heauen there is no ordinarie néede, that we walke by such lyke extremities, if we bée not thereto mooued singularly by the spirite of God, but it is sufficient that we walke by the way of mediocritie, in which truely consisteth vertue, with ordering all our lyfe to the glory of God. Wherefore at anye time when we haue Faith, and in vs is sobrietie, sparingnesse, tem­peraunce and other vertues, we be in the way of God, and not when abiding bare-footed and naked in a wil­dernesse, we eate nothing but rootes of hearbes. All they therfore that be so extreame in their lyfe, as they which be out of the way of God: and be not drawen to liue so by the honour of God, but by the honour of the world, & by other their proper gaine, by the spirite of pride, or by some other diuelish and vnclean spirit. And if thou woul­dest say that y^e Patriarches, the Prophets, the Apostles, the Martyrs, and all other Saints, haue suffered much, and lykewise that other shall suffer: forasmuch as accor­ding to Paules iudgemēt, all they which would liue god­ly in Christ Iesu must suffer persecution. Thou wilt say, that the elect whilest y^t they are in this presēt life, do not abide in idlenesse, nor in carnall delights, but that they worke & take paines, although moderately and in honest [Page] matters, & do suffer much: but forasmuch as al y^e which they do & suffer they do & suffer it for y^e loue of god, wher­fore willingly, ioyfully, and without difficultie, yea with pleasure more or lesse, according to the measure of loue. When therefore in working we do féele any il-willyng­nesse, it is a signe also that we be not perfect in Charitie. Knowest thou to whome it is hard to doe good workes, and thus to suffer? vnto him that worketh and suffereth by force, and contrary to his will. Goe forward and con­sider the life of carnall men, and thou shalt sée that they trauaile and suffer for to haue worldly benefits, much more then the elect doe for God: and yet notwithstan­ding if thou wouldest demaund of them which were the hardest, either the way of God, or the way of the world, they would say that the way of heauen were the hardest, and this bicause y^t hauing their loue set vpon y^e world, they do not féele y^e difficultie in working & suffering for it, wheras on y^e other side for y^t they loue not God, they ad­iudge it a most hard matter to obey him. I say not y^t in the way of Heauen men do walk without paines & suf­ferings, but I say, y^t forasmuch as we goe not vnto God, neither are moued by him, except when we be moued by his spirit & drawn by his loue, y^e which maketh easie eue­ry difficultie, & maketh euery sharpnes & bitternes plea­sant: therfore it must néedes be said that y^e way of heauen is most easie & happy. Al they therfore which work & suf­fer, either worke & suffer by force of y^e spirit, & of Chari­tie, & so without difficultie: or els they work & suffer tho­rough humaine respects, & so they are not in the way of God, séeing they are not moued vnto him, but vnto the world. It is a matter most difficult vnto carnal mē, yea impossible, although possible with God & most easie, it is to be regenerated, to become spirituall, to haue a liuely light & spirituall féeling of y^e goodnesse of God, to haue a liuely faith & hope fixed in God, & to be in loue w^t God: & thus also after y^t they be regenerated to grow in Faith, Hope & Charitie: but after y^t we be spirituall, & that ha­uing [Page 90] a liuely light of God, be in loue with him to worke & suffer according to y^e force & mesure of y^e spirit, of faith, & of loue y^t we haue to God, it is a thing most easie, most pleasant & happy. And if with humane prudence & cun­ning we be forced to worke or suffer beside this motion in such a case, although we had difficultie in working & suffering, it shold be no meruail: & this bicause we being moued by the loue of God, should not be turned therby, for then we should go backward, & not by y^e right way. Al they therefore who are entred into y^e spirituall king­dome of Christ by y^e gate of Faith, which is called strait, forasmuch as it is graunted but to a few, as vnto those which haue ben thorough grace drawn & eleuated aboue al difficultie, they do tast with y^e spirit in Christ, y^e great goodnes of God, they do walke easely with suffering for works done thorough loue to y^e glory of God. Neither is it necessary, for y^t ther is none y^e loueth God with al his heart, & his neighbor as himself, to y^e intēt y^t we might be turned vnto God, y^t we might walk by y^e perfect obserua­tion of Gods cōmaundemēts, forasmuch as if it shold be so, seing ther is none in this present life y^t perfectly obser­ueth thē, none shold walk vnto God: but in truth it is not so: for like as if one walked by a narrow way, & on his side wer many briers & thorns, if they plucked him by y^e garmēt, in any wise such a one whē he wer a lusty felow, might preuaile & go away, although he were some-what staid & hindered by y^e said thorns. Euen so a Christian, if he be regenerated, & that sin raineth no more in him, but y^e spirit & loue of God, although he doth perfectly obserue Gods commaundemēts, but not turning himselfe vnto God, w^t a most zealous force, vehemencie, & swiftnes as he is boūd to do, & shold be moued, if a most perfect chari­tie being in him, his cōcupiscēces wer wholly mortified, so y^t in him were nothing, which when he turned to God could draw him back, yet notwithstanding for y^t in him be cōcupisences, wherby is he holdē back, on y^e other side the spirit is in him so might, y^t it preuaileth, so that [Page] in any wise he is tourned vnto God, wherefore to haue a motion to séeke the glory of God, the perfect obseruati­on of Gods commaundements is not necessary, but it is néedefull that we féele throughly with the spirite, Gods diuine goodnesse, that God may draw vs vnto him more then the world. Let vs pray therfore vnto the Lord, that he would giue vs such light, and that he woulde increase it in vs euery day more and more, to the intent that with great zeale we walking by his pathes, may render vnto him all praise, honour and glory, thorough Iesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

What thing it is, wherein God hath shewed vs greater loue then in all the other. Sermon. 8.

FOrasmuch as to kindle in vs diuine loue, it is very profitable to know what thing it is wherein God hath shewed vnto vs greater loue then in all other things, I haue iudged that it woulde bée requisite, to consider amongst all the signes of loue which God hath shewed, which is the greatest. Some say that the greatest signe of loue which God hath shew­ed vnto man, was when he created him after his own si­militude and likenesse, capable of him, and to beatitude. And moreouer hauing giuen to him a being so noble, en­richeth him with many giftes and graces, with making him Lord ouer all creatures. So that when Adam ope­ned his eyes, and saw that God had created this worlde for him, that he conserued and gouerned it for the seruice of him, and that euery creature was obedient vnto him, to the intent that he confessing all his beatitude to come of him, might seeke to set foorth his glory, seeing his ex­cellencie, he felt towards him a singular loue of God. [Page 91] Other say that the greatest signe of his loue was in for­bearing sinne. And this, inasmuch as man not know­ing the great charitie and goodnesse of God perfectly, by his so great benefites, God suffereth him to fall, and to iniury and dishonour him, that he might haue occasion to shew him vnto him as to an enimy with greater superaboundance of loue, to the intent that he might the better féele how greatly God loued him. There haue bene also some which haue sayd, that as when the father sheweth greater loue vnto the sonne when he chastiseth him, then when he dandleth with him. Euen so, when God chastiseth vs for our benefit, sheweth vnto vs grea­ter loue, then whē he giueth vs worldly prosperitie. But those which be more néere vnto the truth, haue sayd that the most high signe of loue which GOD hath shew­ed vnto vs, hath bene that GOD (béeing more high then he could come vnto vs) which be vnworthy, most vile lewde persons, and his enimies (more loue then he could descend vnto) hath, I saye, not solde, but thorough méere grace giuen (a gift most high and worthy y^t could bee) not a seruaunt, or one of his friendes, but his owne déere and onely begotten sonne: a thing to him more déere and entirely beloued he could not giue vs: not poore but the richest of all diuine treasures, vertues and gra­ces, yea, in Christ he hath giuen vs al things, euen him­selfe. And moreouer he hath giuen him to vs, to the in­tent that he might serue to wash vs from all our filthy and stinking sinnes, with his owne bloud, and to dye for vs vpon the crosse. He hath also giuen him vnto vs for an example, direction, and rule, for a pleasant friende, spowse, and brother, for a Capitaine, for a Shephearde, Priest, Alter, Sacrifice, foode, rayment, and for a reward. But in giuing vs him vpon the Crosse, he had shewed vs a most singuler loue, chiefly, for that he hath giuen him to vs with a most high and infinite charitie. And lykewise the sonne with great loue offered vp himselfe [Page] vpon the crosse, and altogether for our benefit. Where­fore Christ wondering at y^e great charitie of y^e father, sayd. So god loued y^e world y^t he gaue his only begotten son for it. And in an other place, speaking of himself, he sayd. None hath any greater loue then to spend his lyfe for his friends. Wherfore S. Iohn said. In this we haue knowen y^e loue God, for y^t he hath spent his own life for our sakes. Man knoweth not, neither can he imagine y^e God could shew any greater loue then y^t which he hath shewed w^t giuing vs his own son vpon y^e Crosse. There be also some which say, y^t the greatest signe of loue which God hath shewed vs, hath ben in giuing vs his spirit: forasmuch as although god had created vs and bestow­ed innumerable benefits vpō vs, w^t giuing vs also Christ vpon y^e crosse, we shold in no wise haue ben holpē, if god w^t his spirt had not opened our mindes, & made vs féele in déede his great goodnes & loue. Other say, y^t God shal then shew greater loue thē at any other time, when at y^e day of iudgement, he raysing vs again glorious, both in respect of our soules & also of our bodyes, & deliuering vs frō al euil of this present life & of y^e life to come, shal set vs in quiet, restful, & peaceable possessiō of heauen, & of y^e most high & perpetuall felycitie, w^t making vs al­waies to inioy & vse y^e most pleasāt fruits of y^e passion & death of Christ, & of his diuine grace. And I iudge y^t the greatest loue which God hath shewed vnto vs, hath ben in purposing frō all eternitie in his diuine minde to saue vs, with his most perfect felicitie, high triumph of Christ and his most great glory: forasmuch as this benefit in­cludeth in it all other, the which do depend on it alone, Inasmuch as, forbicause he determined to saue vs with our most high glory, therfore he created vs so noble, af­ter his owne likenes, & capable of him, & the world for to serue vs: for this cause he suffereth sin, to this ende he chastiseth vs, calleth vs, biddeth vs, tarrieth for vs, dissi­muleth himselfe, tollerateth vs, & bestoweth innumera­ble [Page 92] benefits vpō vs: for this cause he sent y^e Patriarches, gaue a law by Moses, sent y^e Prophets, & lastly his own son: for this cause he appointed that they should preach, worke myracles, & do all y^t which they did: for this cause he sent Christ y^e lastly he should dye vpon y^e crosse. And likewise bicause he had elected vs to most perfect felicy­tie, therfore Christ arose againe, ascended into heauen, & sent y^e holy ghost, like as he sendeth it inuisibly alwayes vpō his elect. And likewise also, for bicause he hath pre­destinated vs to y^e glory, therefore he sending Christ to iudge the quicke & the dead, we shalbe by him thorough Christ takē vp to a most high & perpetuall felicitie. God therefore louing vs w^t an infinit loue, & hauing shewed his loue in so great & excéeding meanes, let vs besech him y^t he would giue vs a spiritual tast & féeling of him, to y^e intent that thorough Christ, we may render vnto him, all honour and glory. Amen.

How Christ vpon the crosse draweth euery thing vnto him. Sermon. 9.

HE that will duely beholde Christ vpon y^e crosse, shal sée y^t with a most earnest violence, & by all meanes possible he draweth all things vnto him. First for that words, especially whē they be pronounced w^c eloquēce, order & pithy proprietie, be most effectual to moue mens hearts & to draw thē vnto it, as hath ben, & is séene cō ­tinually in oratours: wherfore Christ vpon y^e chaire of y^e crosse was not dumb, yea he spake words y^t would moue & draw vnto him any hardned, faithles, & obstinate hart. And although Christ had in his life time spoken, and his words wer altogther diuine, notw^tstāding those words which he pronounced vpon y^e crosse, wer of so much force aboue al other, & so much more effectual & violent, as y^t being y^e last, & pronounced by y^e son of God, when alredy néere vnto death, he was in great torments, they are ful of exceding wisdom, swetnes, pitie, goodnes, righteousnes & charity, as euery one proueth which w^t the spirit doth tast them.

[Page]The iestures also doe helpe when they be fitly applyed vnto the wordes to moue greatly, wherfore when a mo­ther would haue hir young sonne come vnto hir, she doth not onely call him, but also proueth him the more with beckening hir head, and with opening hir armes. The which Christ also did for to drawe vs vnto him: foras­much as he stretched out his armes vpon the crosse, as if he would say, beholde that I open and offer my selfe vn­to all men, ready and prepared to receiue and imbrace euery sinner, which by my meane doth thirst for his sal­uation. Or if thou haddest seene with what & how great firy teares, burning sighes, and excéeding loue, he lifted vp his eyes to heauen to pray for vs, & with what sweete pitie he debased himselfe and behelde those which hadde nayled him on the crosse, and others who were present, if thy heart were a thousand times harder then an A­damant stone, thou shouldest in any wise haue bene con­strayned, that it should not onely be mollyfied, made fée­ble and pleasaunt, but moulten: chiefly, séeing that for thy loue bloud guished out from euery part of him. And if the wisdome of Salomon could worke so much in the Queene of Sabba, that with causing hir to leaue hir rich and delicate kingdom, drewe hir from so farre a country to trauaile euen to his presence for to heare him, the wisedome of Christ excéedingly shewed vpon the Crosse, ought so much the more effectuallly drawe vs from the world vnto him, as that his is the greater without pro­portion. Wherefore also in Christ vpon the Crosse are fulfilled al the Prophets, are verified al the Scriptures, all shadowes and figures are made manifest, and all the treasures of the wisdome and knowledge of GOD are opened, wherefore as the most high, perfect, open, and manifest truth, he draweth our mindes to beholde it in him. And lykewise also for that lybertie, especially of riches, is most effectual in alluring, chiefly the poore, and such as be in necessitie therefore Christ for to draw vs [Page 93] vnto him, vsed towardes vs vpon the crosse a most hygh and excéeding liberalitie: forasmuch as by meere grace, he not onely deliuered vs from sinne, from the power of the diuell, and from all euill of this present life and of the lyfe to come, with making satisfaction for all our bonds, but also moreouer giueth vs all his diuine trea­sures, heauen and himselfe. Yea, he draweth vs to hym euen with his righteousnesse, inasmuch as we be draw­en and moued to haue compassion on him, seeing that in him, although he be most innocent, the Father with most rigorous iustice punisheth all our sinnes. Not­wythstandinge, albeit vppon the crosse he stirreth vs vp with wordes, prouoketh vs with his déedes, and diuine iestures, calleth vs with his wisedome, moueth vs wyth his truth and bindeth vs with his benefites, draweth vs with his Charitie vnto him, with forcinge vs violently. Neyther ought any bodye to wonder héereat, forasmuch as GOD béeing not onely the first beginning of all things, but also the last ende, and this bicause that lyke as all thinges depende on him, so al­so they wayte vppon him, it must néede bée sayde that hée vpholdeth them all, moueth and gouerneth them, not onely as theyr first efficient cause, but also as their last ende. And forasmuch as the finall mocion, béeinge voluntary and louing, is more swift and forcible, then the motion of the efficient cause, agaynst the whiche, whilest that it pricketh vs, we repugne and resist:

Therefore GOD béeing willing to cause man that he shoulde come vnto him, he chose not onely to moue vs with our first beginning, with impulsion of his spirite, but also wyth our last ende, hée woulde drawe vs vnto him by the meane of Christ crucified. Wherefore if the celestyall bodyes bée moued with so great force by the Angells, by what force and violence maye wée thinke that the noble spirites of the elect of GOD hée moued, when as béeing regenerated, loosed from the affections [Page] of creatures, béeinge actiue and liuely, are not onelye driuen by the holy Ghost, but drawen with great vio­lence by CHRIT crucified. And if thou wouldest sée how great the force of y^e loue shewed to vs in Christ vppon the Crosse is, consider that if in the earth there were a man most sensuall, with all his affections moste stricktly bounde vnto treasures, pleasures, honours, and benefites of the worlde, if in any wise it should bée graunted vnto him to open his eyes but for very short time to Christ vpon the Crosse, to sée him with a lyuely light, and to féele him with the spirite, that he was so crucified for him, he should be by his loue in suche sorte rauished in the inwarde partes of his heart, and with such violence and force drawen, that shaking in péeces all the fetters wherewith he was bounde vnto world­ly thinges, he should immediatly be found with all his heart, soule, minde, and spirite eleuated, rauished, and transformed in God. And héereoff we haue example in Paul, who whilest that hée had tourned his shoulders against Christ, & whilest that with great force he ran to séeke the dishonour of God, béeinge called and illumina­ted by Christ, was drawen with suche violence to the glory of God, that he was rauished vp euen to the third heauen. And albeit that afore time euen vntill his con­uersion, he had bene most vehement agaynst Christ, yet béeing conuerted, he was drawen to honour him with a greater vehemencie, inasmuch as CHRIST was to hym more effectuall, then all other obiects which had before time moued him to the contrary. When that sinfull woman came to bewayle hir sinnes at the féete of CHRIST, shée was drawen with so greate a vehemencie and force, that if there had bene offered hir a thousande worldes, with all the possible trea­sures, pleasures, honours, and felicyties of the worlde, she could in no wise haue bene hindered nor stayed.

[Page 94]Christ himselfe sayde vnto the Apostles, you haue not chosen mée, but I haue chosen you: as if he woulde saye, you are not come vnto mée by your owne accord, but bicause I haue drawen you. As concerninge you, yée bée none such that yée haue hadde power, once to thinke of comminge to mée, yea, as those whiche bée carnall, yea, haue alwayes resisted and fought against mée.

Lyke as Christ expressed an other place, when talk­inge wyth the Citie of Hierusalem, he sayde: Howe of­ten woulde I haue gathered thy children together, as the Henne gathereth hir chickens vnder hir winges, and thou wouldest not? vnto the whiche wordes Au­gustine adioyneth, speakinge of the elect, and sayeth, and hath gathered them together agaynst thy will: for­asmuch as lyke as Augustine himselfe sayde in his Enchiridion, there is none so wicked which dare saye, that GOD can at any time when hée will, conuerte the wicked and drawe them vnto him, Although hée were vngratious and obstinate, GOD can when he wyll, mollyfie his heart, and make him of wicked, god­ly. There neuer was any holy man who in any wise, by his owne accorde went vnto CHRIST. They all haue bene by him drawen with the violence of loue. Thou thinkest peraduenture that CHRIST, for to sée him so vppon the Crosse, as a weake and fée­ble person, and I say vnto thée, that as Paul did write, hée is the vertue and power of GOD which draw­eth vnto him and saueth euery one that beholdeth him vppon the Crosse with the eye of a lyuely fayth: where­fore he sayd. If I shall bée exalted vp, I wyll drawe all thinges vnto mée: that is, if béeinge fastened and lyfted vp on the Crosse, I shall bée exalted in the heartes of menne, so that they shall sée mée wyth a liuely fayth, for the sonne of GOD, crucified and deade, wyth greate Charitye for the loue of them, [Page] I shall drawe euery thinge vnto mée, inasmuch as I shall drawe vnto mée, not onely the spirite of suche as they bée, the minde, the vnderstandinge, wyth all the thoughtes, the will with al the affections, the soule with all the powers, vertues, and operations, but also all o­ther creatures, inasmuch as seruinge vnto man, and he béeing by Christ drawen to the glorye of GOD, they also shall bée thorough Christ drawen in man to serue vnto the glory of GOD. Man in Adam was fallen, a straunger from GOD, and in suche sorte drowned in the worlde, and bound with yron cheines of humaine affections vnto creatures, that by himselfe, not onelye he coulde not come vnto GOD, yea, his forces were all vnto worldly thinges. It is not sufficient that God sent the Patriarches, the Prophets, and the other Saynts, with bidding vs to his diuine wedding, wher­fore béeing willing to drawe vs vnto him, he at the last sent his owne sonne in the forme of a seruaunt, and appoynted that he dying vpon the crosse, should giue vs such and so greate light of his goodnesse, and should so make manifest vnto vs his loue, that we should be con­strayned and forced to come vnto him. Neither is it profitable that man should bée suche a straunger from God, so drowned in the worlde, vngratious, and obsti­nate, that he myght not bée immediatlye drawen by Christ, if hée sée him to bée the sonne of GOD, and dead for hym, yea as calamytie draweth vnto it espe­cially hardnesse, lykewise Christ draweth vnto him the great sinners, so that they acknowledge them to be such. All they therfore which be gone vnto Christ, and climed vp into heauen, are gone and climed thether by the force of loue, and likewise by force they doe abide, and shal a­bide there for euer. Christ then would chiefly suffer, for to declare vnto vs his most high loue, and therewith as with a most mightie thing, and most déere vnto y^e heart to enforce and draw vs vnto him. Forasmuch as loue is [Page 95] a spirituall fire which we doe not seeke to quench, but to nourish: it is a most pleasant knot, from which we do not séeke to be vnbound, but to be fast tyed: it is an amorous vyolence, against which we make no resistaunce, yea eue­ry one fauoureth it. He draweth vs not vnto him, but by drawing vs to the father, wherefore being vppon the Crosse naked of all treasures, pleasures and worldly be­nefites, he is shewed vnto vs altogether diuine. And if Noe coulde drawe the lyuing creatures into the Arke, how then should not Christ be able to draw vs into his breast? The Angells could draw Lot out of Sodome, and shall not I beléeue that Christ can deliuer me from hell, and from all my sinnes? I sée that Moses coulde drawe out of Aegypt so peruerse and obstinate people, and shal not I beleeue that Christ can draw me out of the world? Iosua brought them into the lande of promise, and shall not I hope y^e Christ will conduct me into heauen? Christ in Peter conuerted and drew vnto him in one day thrée thousand persons, and in an other day fiue thousande, in Paule as it were the whole world, wherefore I can-not doubt but that he will also draw me vnto him. One wo­man Samaritane could moue the whole Citie of Samaria, and shall not Christ be able to moue and drawe me vnto him? The multitude of people followed Christ thorough the wildernesse, euen till they had forgotten themselues, being allured by his pleasaunt words, and shall not I be drawen to follow Christ, séeing that for me he dyed v­pon the Crosse? the deafe heard, the blinde knew him, and the children praised him: and I seing that hée hath ope­ned my heart, lightened my minde, in this age, shal I not féele his great goodnes and loue with his most high and excéeding spirit, discouered vpon the crosse: This can in no wise be possible, yea, it will of necessitie be that I continually loue my Iesu, and that by him I be draw­en to render vnto the father for euer all praise, honour and glory. Amen.

How the loue fo God maketh right our purposes. Sermon. 10.

ALthough God made man righteous, yet notwithstanding he is turned away vn­to creatures: so that if by Christ he bée not regenerated, he doth not worke nor suffer for the glory of God, but for his owne gaine. Speaking therefore of car­nal men, they al haue for their Idol, rayment, pleasures, honours, or other worldly things, by y^e which as by their last ende, they are principally moued to work. And albeit sometimes they thinke to worke to the glory of God, yet they worke not in truth but for respecte of themselues, as should well be knowne, when they might enter into the inward parts of the darke Laborynth of their own hearts: for that they should sée that they séeke to know by béeing knowen, doe loue by béeing loued, bee lyberal for to moue others to be prodigall towardes them: doe prayse euerye one, for that they woulde bée praysed: doe tollerate, bicause they are bound to be patient: are af­flicted, bicause they woulde bée called Sainctes: doe choose miseryes bicause they woulde bée happye, despise the worlde bicause they woulde bée holden in estimati­on: doe debase themselues, bicause they woulde bée exal­ted: and in humblyng themselues be proude: they care not to dye, so as they may lyue in the remembraunce of others: and so appearing to shunne glorye, they goe sée­king it, although by secrete and priuye wayes, they woulde bee humble, so as they might not féele it, yea for to reioyce in confusion, they thirst after patience, bi­cause they would bée happie euen in shame: they would be content to be without worldly affections, that they might lyue more content in euery place, time and state: they desire to depende onely vppon God, bicause they [Page 96] would not be drawen and tumbled about with the tur­ning whéele of worldlye things: they be discréet vnto themselues, for that they would haue no griefe in gouer­ning them, they would be reposed wholly in God: they de­sire a perfect faith, bicause they might alwaies be heard, they long to be holden of no reputation, but for their owne glory: they would willingly loose their owne will for a diuine will: they haue a desire to lyue blamelesse bicause they might lyue without payne: they frame the Arke with Noe, but it is to saue themselues: they build the tower of Babel for to make their name famous: they leaue their countrey with Abraham, but it is for the land of promise: with Lot they fly out of Sodome, but for feare: they serue w^t Iacob vnto Laban, but it is for to haue Rachell: & with Sichem be circumcised, for to haue Dina: they humble themselues vnto Ioseph with his brethren, for feare: and with Pharao they suffer by force the peo­ple of God to depart: they flye out of Aegypt with the Hebrew people, but it is bicause they would not be op­pressed: & if when they be in y^e desert, they return not vn­to y^e dainties of Aegypt, it is bicause they be holden w^t the pleasantnes of Manna: they would haue bene borne then when Christ was, y^t they might tast & liue with him without being therfore persecuted of Herode, they would willingly be found with Christ at the mariage, but they would not y^t they should want wine: & likewise also they would be contented to be with Christ in y^e desart, so y^t the Angels would minister vnto them, they would with Christ goe vp into the mountaine, so y^e Christ would in­crease bread & fish. And likewise also in y^e mount Tha­bor, they willingly would be clymed vp, for to see Christ transfigured: they would beare him company vpō Palme Sonday riding to Ierusalem, bicause they woulde be ho­noured: and in lyke sort they woulde haue bene at the last supper with Christ, for to eate the Pascall Lambe: but when Christ should take the Crosse for to goe vnto [Page] death, they will with Peter deny him, and with the other forsake him, & if that they should haue dyed with Christ vpon the Crosse, that should haue bene only bicause they would haue risen againe glorious: but to dye wholly for the glory of God, this is for the perfect to doe. The carnall men, as those which cannot lyft vp their head to the glory of God, all that which they work and suffer, is by chaunce, vnaduisedly, for naturall pittie, for custome, for feare, for shame, by force, for to flye griefes, to haue rest and peace, for their owne pleasure, profite, commodi­tie, honour, for the contentation of others, for that it ly­keth them to lead an honest and polytike lyfe, for that they would not be punished and addicted to any, to pur­chase or preserue friends, to haue a certaine contentati­on of the minde, and to shunne the tormenting of the con­science, not to haue anye aduersitie at Gods hande, but prosperitie, for to escape Hell, and to enioye Hea­uen alwayes, and for other lyke innumerable respectes, It is not sufficient to worke or suffer truely to the glorye of God, that we saye with our mouth when wée worke or suffer that it is to the the glory of God. Also it is not sufficient to haue a certeine feeble desire theroff, the which is found euen in the wicked: inasmuch as they would also loue God, worke and suffer for his honour: yea it is not sufficient to doe anye thing to the glo­ry of God if we be wicked, that with all our might and force we purpose and determine to worke for his honor, forasmuch as whilest we be wicked, we cannot worship God truely, nor lyft vp our head to his glory, with accoū ­ting him for our last ende. And more ouer it sufficeth not that we imagine & thinke that we worke for his glory: for that the Iewes also in crucifiyng Christ, and in per­secuting his saints, thought that they did God seruice, as Christ foretolde vnto the Apostles. They supposed that they were moued by zeale of the honour God, but they deceiued themselues as Paule did write: forasmuch as in [Page 97] truth if they had bene moued and drawen by the honour of God, they would not haue done things, which shoulde be to his dishonour, as they did: and this bicause, séeing that the honour of God is in truth our last ende, it doth not drawe vs to doe any thing, but that which serueth to honour God. To make therefore in truth our purpo­ses right, it must néedes be that we féele with the spirite a liuely Faith and light supernaturall, the goodnesse of God in Christ, in such sort, that it can worke more in vs, then all the benefits of the world, so that louing it aboue all other things, we be drawn to doe things for his glo­ry: & so much the more as that man with a liuely faith, séeing that Christ hath not onely delyuered him from al euill of this present life and of the lyfe to come, but al­so hath merited all, he could no more be moued to worke or suffer as a seruaunt, for his owne gaine: wherefore it shall of necessitie be, that as a regenerate heyre and Lord ouer all, and sure of saluation, he should be onelye moued to worke by the Sonne for the glorye of the Fa­ther. Now these doe onely worship God in spirite and truth forasmuch as they account him for their last ende: they alone doe truly loue him, not bicause he is good vn­to them, and bestoweth benefits vpon them: but bicause he is good in himselfe: and this is properly to loue God. They onely doe also acknowledge God and his name in truth: for that whereas others doe not feele nor knowe God, but in that he hath created them, preserueth them, gouerneth, and bestoweth benefites on them, wherefore they doe for his owne gaine, in himselfe acknowledge him in his owne being, to be absolutely, and with-out respect vnto creatures. Vnto these also the Heauen bée­ing open as vnto Stephen, they see the glorye of God, wherefore they be moued to worke thereby. And albeit such as these doe not actually thinke at all times to doe things vnto the glory of God, yet notwithstanding lyke as all that which the Mariners doe, is that they might [Page] be conducted vnto the hauen they séeke for, albeit they doe not alwayes actually thinke thereon: euen so the elect of God, and those which haue with the spirite tasted the goodnesse of God, be drawen to worke for his glorye, al­though they doe not alwayes actually thinke there on.

Wherefore lyke as when thou castest on thée a cloake, that not finding any let, is moued by some part, although thou doest not continually touche and dash it with thy hande: and this by that first force which thou didst vse in casting it on. Euen so when thou beginnest to doe a good worke to the glory of God, although thou dost not alwayes actually thinke to do it to the glory of God, ne­uerthelesse in vertue of the first force, it is wholly to the glory of God, so that there is found no let, that is, so that afterward thou dost not chaunge for to doe it with any wicked intent, repugning against the glory of God. It is very true, that as to shake this cloake oftentimes, will cause it sway with much the greater force and swiftnes, so lykewise when we doe a good worke, the refreshing of it oftentimes, the thinking by force of a liuely spirite to doe it to the glory of God, profiteth much to make vs do it with greater vehemencie. Lyke as therefore y^e Hounde if he feeleth not the smell of the Hare, runneth one while this way, another while that: but if he seeth it or féeleth the smel theroff, is moued and runneth to it with great spéede the right way, without turning either to the right hande or to the left: euen so he which féeleth not in Christ the great goodnesse of God, is moued to worke, now by this worldly thing, and then by that: but he which fée­leth it is drawen to worke with-out straying, with a right purpose, for the glory of God, the which as our su­preme beatitude and last ende, we ought to haue alwaies before the eyes of our minde. Neither ought we account it a hard matter, to holde our minde alwayes lyfted vp vnto God, séeing that not onely the loue which he bea­reth vs, and that he alwayes thinketh on vs, but more­ouer [Page 98] ouer how he béeing infinitelye good, hath made himselfe knowen vnto vs, in bestowing benefites vppon vs, with great excesse of his loue. To this ende he hath created vs, and done all that which he hath done, to the intent that knowing him for our first beginning, last ende, & chiefe happines, with making his glory shine, we labour to set foorth his glory: which to doe, is a thing in it selfe so ho­nest, that in the world can nothing be done in it selfe so vile, which if it be done for the glory of God, is not glo­rious in the sight of God: like as also there can nothing be done in the world so gloryous in it selfe, that béeing done for humaine respects, is not most abiected in y^e sight of God. If thou shouldest giue all that thou hast to the poore, & thy body to the fire, if thou dost it not for the loue of God, euery thing is lost, as Paule did write. Although thou canst not serue God vnrewarded, thou oughtst not­withstanding serue him without hauing respect vnto the reward, but only to serue for his glory. And when y^e eye of our purpose is so simple, sincere & pure all the body of our workes is lyght and acceptable vnto God. There is nothing that hurteth so much the arte of liuing well, as a peruerse intent, the which disordering the whole, and taking the honor from God, maketh men idolaters, and vaine: inasmuch as all y^e which they worke and suffer, and not for the glory of God, is lost & cast away, yea and sinne in y^e sight of God, for that they are not done for the glory of God, as they ought to be. O how happy wer we if all that wée haue suffered and wroughte, euen vn­till now, we had suffered and wrought for the glory of God: but we ought at least to do so héereafter, and then euery thing that we shal do shal be acceptable vnto God: so that our purpose be right vnto him. Euery man ther­fore ought to haue God for his last ende before his eyes, & to order al his life vnto him, with chusing those things y^t serue most to his glory, & with forsaking those things which do hinder or stay vs, w^tout regarding things which appertaine not to vs: which we shall be constrained to [Page] doe at any time when being in loue with God, we féele with the spirit in Christ his great goodnesse. Let vs pray to God therfore that he would giue vs a liuely light of him, to the intent that hauing alwayes our eyes open to his honour, we maye render vnto him all prayse, thorough Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

How that the Law of the Gospell is more perfect then all other Lawes. Sermon. 11.

AS there is but one onely God, one onely Christ, & one onely holy Ghost, one onely Faith, one onely Church, and one onely Gospell: so lykewise vnto the world is but one onely diuine Lawe, imprinted alreadye by God in the minde of man, darkened by sinne, expressed somewhat by morall Philo­sophy, but much better by Moses, and most perfectlye by Christ, and a new by Christ, the spirit of God being the guyde, powred in, imprinted, and written in the bowels, and in the hearts of the regenerate, as God afore time promised by his Prophet, They call notwithstanding the naturall Law, those canons, rules, and truth practised, of that which is right, and of that which is not right, im­printed in the booke of the minde, in the which euery one reading, when he commeth to yeares of discretion, with­out any other master and booke, he discerneth by himselfe good from euil. And the truth it self, inasmuch as by Mo­ses it was expressed in tables, is called the Law writtē: wheras afterward by Christ, the holy Ghost being the guide, it was in a more perfect manner imprinted in the harts of y^e regenerate, y^t is called the Euangelical law, of grace & of y^e spirit. Wher is to be noted, y^t although a phi­losopher hath for example, imprinted in minde this truth, y^t God ought not to be dishonoured, but honored, & knew [Page 99] that this thing is most right, yet notwithstandinge hée obserued not this most iust lawe. Yea, the Iewes, albeit they had this same truth, not only imprinted in y^e minds but also expressed in y^e tables of Moses, & discerned the righteous from y^e vnrighteous, & that with greater light then the Philosophers, they could in no wise obserue y^t iust & honest law, bicause they were letted by their con­cupisences. But in a Christian already by faith regene­rated, the goodnesse of God thorough Christ is in such sort imprinted in his heart, y^t by the liuely, spirituall tast & feeling which he hath in Christ of God, he cannot dishonour him, yea, by the spirit which he hath, y^e which preuayleth agaynst his carnall concupisences, he is con­strayned to honour him. And this according to the mea­sure of fayth which he hath. The Philosopher then albe­it he knew in part his bounden duetie, he did not ther­fore fulfill it bicause the flesh resisted him. And in lyke case also the Iew, albeit he knew, & that better then all the Philosophers, what the wil of God is, neuerthelesse béeing without Christ & without grace, he obeied it not: Wherefore he shall be punished the more grieuously, as hée had greater knowledge of the lawe of God. The naturall lawe therefore, & much more the written law, is the Minister of death and damnation, whereas the e­uangelicall law, of spirite & of grace, is the minister of lyfe & saluation: Wherefore Paul speaking of it, sayd, y^e lawe of the spirit of lyfe in Christ Iesu, hath deliuered mée from the law of death & of sinne. The written law, therefore is vnperfect, although the naturall lawe be much more vnperfect, séeing that albeit they shew those thinges which ought to be done, they doe not therefore giue the grace to be able to obserue them. The law na­turall, then was as it were in darknesse, the lawe of Moses in shadowes, & the euangelicall law in light. The law natural came at midnight, Moses lawe at the mor­ning, and the euangelicall law at noone day. The natu­rall [Page] lawe came with a little candle burning, Moses lawe with a great torch, but couered, & the euangelical law with the cléere light of the Sun. The natural law saw god in his creatures, Moses law in the Scriptures, & the euangelical law in Christ. The natural law séeth not Christ, Moses law saw him and shewed him a farre off, & the euangelicall law hath seene him openly, & im­braced him for his owne. The natural law hath imbra­ced no man, Moses law hath painted him out, with gi­uing him coulours, the euangelical law hath giuen him spirit. The naturall lawe made him serue by reasons, Moses lawe for feare, & the euangelicall lawe for loue. The natural lawe deliuereth vs from worldly infamy, Moses law from y^e tyranny of Pharao, and the euangeli­call law from the tyranny of the world, of the flesh, of sinne, and of the diuell. The naturall law hath for the guide vnderstandinge, Moses lawe a piller of fire, and the euangelicall lawe the holy Ghost. The natural lawe is the lawe of the Philosophers, Moses law hath him for the author, & the euangelicall law is of Christ. The naturall lawe féedeth men with worldly thinges, Moses law with Manna, and the euangelical law with God. The natural law buildeth vp a worldly common wealth, Moses law the holy citie of Hierusalem, and the euangelicall lawe the heauenly countrey. By the natu­rall law we were straungers, by Moses law seruants, and by the euangelicall frée and the sonnes of God. The naturall law guided vs to a certeine humaine felicity, Moses lawe into the land of promise, and the euangeli­call law vnto heauen. The natural law is a burthen fit for humaine strength, Moses lawe is a burthen sharp & grieuous, and the euangelicall lawe is pleasant & delec­table The naturall law hath a respect to the comelines of vertues, Moses law vnto felicitie, and the euangelical law vnto y^e glory of God. The naturall conducteth thee into Aegipt, & there leaueth thee, Moses law deliuereth [Page 100] thée frō thence, maketh thée walk thorough the desert, & y^e euangelical law bringeth thée into y^e land of promise. The natural law begetteth thee vnto the world, Moses law killeth thée vnto God, & the euangelical law raiseth thée againe. The natural law accuseth thée, Moses law condemneth thée, and the euangelicall law saueth thée. The naturall law awaketh man when he sléepeth, Mo­ses law maketh him to tremble, and the euangelical law setteth him at rest. The naturall lawe maketh men righteous in their owne sight, Moses law in the sight of the world, and the euangelicall law maketh them righ­teous in the sight of God. The naturall lawe promiseth not any thing that is supernaturall, Moses law maketh promises of most rich diuine thinges, and the euangeli­call lawe obserueth them. The naturall lawe maketh vs men, Moses law maketh vs Angells, and the euan­gelicall law euen as Gods. Wherfore the natural law is good, Moses law better, & the euangelicall law best and most perfect. Let vs pray therefore vnto the Lorde, that hée would imprint it in our heartes, to the intent that we may render to him all prayse, ho­nour, and glory, thorough Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen.