At what time soeuer a sinner doth repent &c.

ALL these texts of holie writ premised, are (as it were the bels of Aaron) to stirre vp deuotion, and to toll all in to Gods house. The whole ring consists of

• two notes especially,
  • Mans miserie.
  • Gods mercie.

The which are two chiefe motiues vntoLuther. loc. com. tit. de In­uocat. prayer, as we finde, precept Matth. 6. 9. Prayye after this maner; Our Father which art in heauen. Bernard. ser. de nat. B. Mariae qui inscribitur [...] aquae ductu. Admonens adoptionis diuinae, Pater Noster; & peregrinationis terre­nae, Quies in coelis; vt simul intelligamus egere nos auxi­lio, quia peregrini; & fiduciam petendi concipiamus, quia filij dei.

And paterne Luke 15: want and woe in the leaud sonne, pitie and plenty in the good father, occasioned repentance, neuer repented. Of the one it is commonly said; Nathan Cby­traeus in via­tico. Oratio sine malis, est quasi auis, alis. Of the other; I will come into thine house euen vpon the multitude of thy mercy: Psalm. 5. 7. To thee will I sing, because thou art my refuge, and mercifull God. Psal. 59. 17. In the vulgar Latine; Deus meus misericordia mea. Whereupon I [...] l [...]cum Tow. 8. sol. 414. lege plura. Dear [...]ly belo­ued. Augustine; O nomen sub quo nemin [...] de­sperandum est.

Wherefore the Minister out of a due consideration of both, exhorteth his people in an Apostolicall stile, to con­fesse their sinnes humbly to the Lord, who is able to heare, because Almightie; Almighty and most merciful Father. and willing to helpe, because most mer­cifull.

The Confession of sinnes.

THe matter and manner of which Confession all other Liturgies approoue, both ancient (as the Liturgies of S. Margarinus Ribl. oth [...]. pat. tom. 4▪ col 21. [...], of S.Ibidem col. 37. Basil, of theCol. 65. Syrians, of theCol. [...] ▪ 10. Ethiopians) and moderne (as the Scotish, Geneuian, Imprinted at Middleburgh 1586. English admonitioners [...] forme of common praier,Discourse of the troubles of Franckford, pag. 7. Italian, Spanish, Dutch) all which allot Confession of sins a place, and this place prin­cipally. The reason hereof is taken out of Gods own booke, Prouerbs 18. 17. Iustus in exordi [...] sermonis accusator est sui. The iust man in the beginning of his speech is an accuser of himselfe: for so reade S. Ambrose ser. 4. vpon the 118. Psalme. S. Hi [...]om. lib. 1. contra Pelagian. Melancthon in loc, and from the practise of Gods owne people the Iewes: as that noble gentleman Philip Mornai notes in lib. 1. de Missa. cap. 3.

The Nouelists only mislike the Ministers absolution, and therfore in the Conference at Hampton Court, Ian. 14. 1603. they gained so much as to haue it in a more milde terme cal­led, Remission of sins. Herein resembling the people ofPimenta de statu rei Chri­stian. in India Orien. Ben­gala, who are so much afraid of Tigers, as that they dare not call them Tigers, but giue them other gentle names. Ne si propriam nomenclatur am tribuant, cōtinu [...] dilacerentur. Con­cerning absolution, see the Gospell Dominic. 19. post Trin.

The Pater Noster.

THis Praier excels all other inBellarmin. de bonis op [...]ribus in particular. lib. 1. cap. 4. many respects, as being theTertull, lib. de orat. cap. 1. Gospels Epitome, compiled by Wisdome it selfe, soCyp [...]. ser. de orat. Dom. large for matter, so short for phrase, so sweet for order, as that it deserueth worthily to haue both the Best and the Most place in our Liturgie. TheT [...]rtull. vbi supra. First, as guide to the rest: the Most, as a necessaryHooker Eccles. polit. lib. 5. §. 35. complement to supply whatso­euer is wanting in other: and therefore it is vsed at the end of the Letanie, at the end of the Communion, at the end o [...] Baptisme, at the end of other sacred actions: (asDurandus ra­tional▪ [...]iuin. [...]ffie. lib. 5. cap. [...] §. 17. one fitly) Tanquam sal omnium diuinorum officiorum.

• It hath three parts:
  • 1. A proeme; Our Father, &c.
  • 2. A petition; Hallowed be thy name, &c.
  • 3. A conclusion; For thine is kingdome, &c.

• [Page 3]In the first note those three things required in an absolute agent:
  • 1. Will, because hee is ours: for e­uery one wisheth well vnto his owne, and hee that doth not is worse then an Ins [...]del: 1. Tim. 5. 8
  • 2. Skill, because a father. Your father knoweth whereof you stand in need: Matth. 6. 8.
  • 3. Power, because in Heauen. Strength commeth from heaue [...] ▪ 1. Macchab. 3. 19.

So that if we aske, we shall haue; if seeke, we shall finde; if knocke, it shall be opened vnto vs: because God is a fa­ther, Our father, our father in heauen.

Our] Admonisheth vs ofCyp. vbi supra & Ambros. lib. 5. cap. 4. desa­cram [...]ntis. mutual loue; for without loue, there is no true faith, and without true faith, no true prayer: Rom. 14. 23. As the Serpent doth cast vp all his poyson be­fore he drinke, so wee must degorge our malice before wee pray.

Father] Vsed heere rather [...]r [...]inus Cat. tit. de precat. & Magdcburg. cent. 1. col. 139. essentially, then personally. So, God is a father in creation: Deut. 32. 6.

In education, Esai. 1. 2: [...] quasi Germanus Patriarc. Con­stant. exposit. oral. dom. [...]; happilie more fitly, [...].

• In instruction,
  • Inwardly by his Spirit: Rom. 8. 26.
  • Outwardlie by his Preachers: Matth. 10. 20.

In compassion: Psal. 103. 13.

In correction: Heb. 12. 6. Glossa in loc. Quiexcipitur è numero flagel­latorum, excipitur è numero filiorum.

In yeeres: Dan. 7. 9.

But a father in respect of his adoptionCyp. August. Ambros. &c. more principal­ly: Rom. 8. 15. 16.

• In Heaue [...]
  • Mysticall: as
    Lib. [...]. de s [...]r. dom. in monte. tom. 4. fol. 81 [...].
    Augustine and
    vbi sup. coe­lum est ibi vbi cessat culpa.
    Ambrose construe it: in holy men of heauenly con­uersation. Who are his proper
    1. Cor. 3. 16.
    temples and
    Heb. 3. 6.
    houses in whom hee will dwell: Ioh. 14. 23.
  • Materiall: as other generally: for albeit hee be present euere where, yet hee doth ma­nifest [Page 4] himselfe to blessed soules and Angels in heauen, and to vs in glory from heauen especially: Psal. 19. 1. Gen. 19. 24. 1. Thess. 4. 16.

Petition.

THe petition in the iudgements ofCaluin. In­stit. lib. 3. cap. 20 §. 35. Maldonat & lansen. in loc. neotericall authors hath sixe branches: whereof three concerne our loue, wherewith wee loue God in himselfe, and three wherewith wee loue our selues in God: inCaictan. c [...]m. in 22^ae. Thom. q. 83. art. 9. signe whereof the pro­nowne Thy, is affixed to the three first, thy name, thy king­dome, thy will: but the pronownes Vs, and Ours, to the rest. Our bread, our trespasses, leade vs not &c.

• Or (as
  Albertus & Gorran. in Matth. 6.
  other diuide) the petition is,
  • Precatio bonorum.
  • Deprecatio malorū.

• A request for good things, whereof the
  • First concernes Gods glorie, Hal­lowed be thy name.
  • Rest our good,
    Gorran. Gui­do manipul. cu­rat. vel vt alij summum, me­dium, infimum.
    of
    • Glorie; Thy king­dome &c.
    • Grace; Thy will &c.
    • Nature; Giue vs this day our dailie bread.

• A deprecation of euill, which is of
  Tertull. lib. 2. cont. Marcion. cap. 14.
  two sorts:
  • Malum culpae, an euill which is sin
    • Past, Forgiue vs our trespasses &c.
    • To come; Leade vs not into temptatiō.
  • Malum poena, an euill which is a punish­ment, for sinne, De­liuer vs fromAgreeable to the Churches exposition in the common Catechisme: & Melanct [...]on loc. com. tit. in­uocat.euill
    • Internall, and hel­lish conscience.
    • Externall, bodilie dangers.
    • Eternall, euerla­sting death.

In one word, from all that thou seest euill for vsBellarm. Cat. cap. 4., be it prosperitie, or aduersitie: so wee pray in the Letanie; Good Lord deliuer vs in all time of our tribulation, in all time of our wealth, &c.August. epist. 121. cap. 11. Nondum enim sumus in eo bono, vbinullum patie­mur malum.

[Page 5] [...] ra­tional. diuin. lib. 4. cap. 47. §. 8. Other affirme that the first three petitions are concer­ning the life to come: the last three concerning the life pre­sent: that which is in the middle, Giue vs this day our daily bread, concerning both.

These seuen (if wee make so many petitions) areBeauxamis [...]ar. Euang. tom. 2. fol. 220. corre­spondent to the seuen gifts of the blessed spirit, Esai. 11. 2. and seuen beatitudes, Matth. 5.Durandus vbi supra §. 9. against the seuen capitall sinnes:De religione Christian. lib. 3. cap. 3. Ramus hath obserued that this prayer answereth the Decalogue.

God is our father: Ergo, we must haue no other gods.

In heauen: Ergo, no grauen Image, &c.

Hallowed be thy name: Ergo, not take his name in vaine.

Thy kingdome come, thy will be done: Ergo, wee must san­ctifie the Sabbath, and worship him according to his word.

Giue vs this day our daily bread, that hauing sufficient, we may be rather helpfull, Honour thy father, &c. then hurtfull, by wronging our neighbour, in deed, Thou shalt not kill, not commit adultery, not steale: In word, Thou shalt not beare false witnesse, &c.

Leade vs not into temptation: Ergo, not couet our neighbours house, nor his wife &c.

Forgiue vs our trespasses: Ergo, bound to keepe the whole law: which occasionedLoc. com. tit. de inuocat. Luther to say, Docet oratio domi­nica nos esse quotidianos peccatores, & totam vitam esse poeni­tentiam: all our life to be nothing else but aBernard. ser. 3. de Ieiunio qua­drages. Lent to pre­pare our selues against the Sabbath of our death, and Easter of our resurrection.

Conclusion.

SOme cauill at our Seruice book for omitting this clause; yetInstitut. lib. 3. cap. 20. §. 47. Caluin doth acknowledge that it is not extant in any Latine copies: of whichAnnot. in lo­cum. Erasmus andIansen. & Maldonat. in loc. D. Fulke answere to Rhem. praefa. sect. 38. other Di­uines haue sundrie coniectures. Howsoeuer, the Church is blamelesse, seeing ourMatth. 6. 13. Bible, which is Iudex quo, receiueth it, and the Minister, which is Iudex qui, the speaking booke, doth vsually repeate it: and so saying it, in their opinion wee doe well: and not saying it, according to the paterne [Page 6] of all the Latine, and some of the Greeke Fathers, and of S. Luke himselfe, not ill.

• It containes
  • A Reason of our prayer; for thine is king­dome, &c.
  • A testification of our assurance that God will heare our prayer, Amen.

Thine is] Earthlie Princes haue kingdome, power, and glorie from God, Dan. 2. 37. but God hath all these from, and in himselfe: 1. Chron. 29. 11. Seeing he hath interest in all things, it is our dutie to come vnto him for euery thing: and as he hath right to all, so power to dispose of all: and therefore we cannot doe any thing we desire, but by power receiued of him. And if his be power and kingdome, then it followeth necessarily, that his is all glorie. Therefore we must inuocate his holie name, that hereby wee may giue him his due. This one dutie is Alpha, and Omega, the first thing wee must beg, hallowed be thy name: and the last wee must performe, Thine is glorie: for euer]Genebrardus in [...]lt. Psalm. It is a Rabbi [...]icall conceit that the last Psalme hath thirteene Halleluiahs an­swering thirteene properties in God, specified, Exod. 34. 6. 7. Now in that the Prophet doth begin and end with Halleluiah, stirring vs vp in euery verse of that Psalme, and in euery sentence of euery verse, to praise the Lord, hee doth insinuate that this one is our only seruice: for where­as after twelue Halleluiahs a thirteenth is added, it doth sig­nifie, that when wee haue done all, wee must begin againe with Gods praise, that as his mercie is from euerlasting, to euerlasting, from euerlasting predestination, to euerlasting glorificati [...]n; so our praise for euer and euer: here we must begin the Psalme of glorie, but because God hath appoin­ted in this short life, that wee should not sing in Longs, but (as Musitians speake) in briefes and semibriefes, it must be continued in the quier of heauen heereafter, or in this world for euer and euer [...] intentionally, though not actually. For as the wicked [...] comp [...]nd. lib. 7. cap. 21. if hee could liue for euer, would sinne for euer; so the good man, if God should suffer him to breathe on earth for euer and euer, hee would not cease to serue him euer and euer.

[Page 7] Amen.] The which word is theHieron. in 6 Matth. seale of all our petiti­ons, to make them authenticall: importingChurch Cat. Musculus, Vrsi­nus, &c. both assent, and assurance that our requests shall be granted. And therefore (asPerkins vpon the Lo [...]ds praier. one notes aptly) this [...]men, is of more value then all the rest, by how much our faith is more excellent then our de­sire: for it is a testification of our faith, whereas all the peti­tions are only testifications of our desire.De vita Chri­sti part. 1. cap. 37. Ludolphus hath comprised all in this short paraphrase.

PAter noster: Excelsus in creatione, suauis in a more, di­ues in haereditate; qui es in coelis: speculum aeternita­tis, corona iucunditatis, the saurus felicitatis. Sanctificetur nomen tuum: vt nobis sit mel in ore, melos in aure, iubilum in corde. Adueniat regnum tuum: non illud modò poten­tiae, quod nunquam euertitur, sed istud gratiae, quod saepius auertitur: adueniat ergo iucundum sine permixtione, tran­quillum sine perturbatione, securum sine amissione. Fiat vo­luntas, non nostra, sed tua, sicut in Coelis ab Angelis, sic etiam in terra ab hominibus: vt omnia quae non amas, odio habea­mus; quae diligis, diligamus; quae tibi placent, impleamus. Panem, doctrinalem, sacramentalem, victualem, nostrum: sed ne putetur a nobis, dicimus da n [...]bis: quotidianum, qui suffi­ciat nobis. Et dimitte nobis debita nostra. Quae cunque contra te commi [...]mus, aut contra proximos, aut contra nosmet ip­sos. Sicut & nos [...]ttimus debitoribus nostris, qui nos offen­de [...]unt, vel in verbis, vel in personis, vel in rebus. Et ne nos inducas in tentationem; mundi, carnis, Diaboli. Sed libera nos à malo, praesenti, praeterito, futuro. Haec potes, quia tuum est regnum & potentia; haec vis, quia tua gloria, nunc & in secula, Amen.

AS man is a little world in the great, so the tongue a great world in the little.Hieron. poster. exposit. in Psal. 119. [...] Nihil habet medium, aut grande malum est, aut grande bonum. If good (as Eunapius said of that famous Rhetorician) a walking librarie, a whole [Page 8] Vniuersitie of edifying knowledge: but if bad (asCap. 3. 6. S. Iames doth tell vs) a world of wickednesse. NoPlutarch. Aesop. better dish for Gods Pars optima digna quae sit hostia. Prudent. hym. de R [...]man. marty [...]. publike seruice, when it is well seasoned: againe, none worse when ill handled.

So that if we desire to be doore-keepers in Gods house, let vs intreat God first to be a doore-keeper in our house, that he would shut the wicket of our mouth against vnsa­uory speeches, and open the doore of our lippes, that our mouth may shew forth his praise. This was Dauids praier, and ought to be thy practise, wherein obserue three points especially:

Who: the Lord.

What: open my lippes.

Why: that my mouth may shew thy praise.

For the first; man of himselfe cannot vntie the strings of his own stammering tongue, but it is God only which ope­neth aColos. 2. 3. doore of vtterance. When we haue a good thought it is (as the schoole doth speake) gratia infusa; when a good word, gratia effusa; when a good worke, gratia diffusa. Man is as a locke, the spirit of God as a key,Apocal. 3. 7. which openeth and no man shutteth; againe, shutteth, and no man openeth. He did o­pen the heart of Lydia to conceiue well, Acts 16. the eares of the Prophet to heare well, Esay 50. the eies of Elishaes seruant to see well, 2. Kings 6. and here the lips of Dauid to speake well. And therefore whereas in the former verse he might seeme too peremptory, saying, my tongue shall sing of thy righteousnesse; he doth as it were correct himselfe by this latter edition, and second speech: O Lord, I finde my selfe, of my selfe, most vnable to sing or say, but open thou my lips, and touch thou my tongue, and then I am sure my mouth shall shew thy praise.

This doctrine sheweth in generall our dependance on God, inActs 17 28.whom we liue, and moue, and haue our being; from whom only commethIames 1. 17. euery good and perfect gift.

Man is Gods image: Gen. 1. 26. SomeDid [...]us de la Vega. con. 7. super Psal 4. [...]nitential. & Ol [...]aster in cap. 1. Gen. translators vse the word which signifieth a shadow. Now as an image or a shadow doth onely mooue as the bodie whereof it is a likenesse; when the body doth stretch forth an arme, the [Page 9] shadow presently hath an arme; when the bodie doth put foorth a legge, the shadow hath a legge. So man in all his actions, as a shadow depends on God, as the sole foundation of all hisDan. 5. 23. being.

In more particular, this ouerthroweth allLocus contra Pelagian [...]s, vti Genebrardus in loc. workemon­gers, and (if I may so speake) babling word-mongers. If a man cannot open his owne lips to praise God, much lesse direct his owne heart to please God: if not able to tune his tongue, let him not presume to turne his soule.

And if a man cannot open his mouth aright, let him not picke it with a false key, but rather pray with Dauid in the 141. Psalme: Set a watch O Lord before my mouth, and keepe the doores of my lips. As it is absurd in building to make the porch bigger then the house; so, monstrous in nature, when wee commit burglarie, breaking the doores and pulling downe theEcclesiasticus [...]8. 24. barres of our mouth, that the narrow passage may be made wide for our bigge words, and high conceits. A foule fault when our words are either too many, or too mightie: Ecclesiastes 5. 1.

2. Point what: Open my lips.

Dauid Psal. 14. 5. elsewhere thinkes our mouth too much open, and S.Cap. 3. 8. Iames that our tongue is too glib and vnrulie. Lin­gua facilè volat, & ideo facile violat (saithSerm. de Tri­plici custodia manus, linguae, cordis. Bernard.) In old age, when all other members are dull and stiffe, theErasmus com. de lingua▪ & August. lib. 10. Confess. cap. 37. quotidiana [...]or­nax est humana lingua. tongue notwithstanding is quicke and nimble. What neede any then pray for opening their lippes? I answere with the Pro­phet Ieremie, chap 4. vers. 22. They are wise to doe euill, but to doe well they haue no knowledge. Men haue tongue enough to speake ill, an open mouth to blaspheme God, and slander their neighbour; but like Plinies Astomi, no mouth, no lippes, no tongue, possessed with a dumbe diuell when they should speake well.

Hierome,In locum.Basil, Euthymius, and other ancient Doctors obserue, that naturall corruptions, and actuall sinnes are the very rampiers which stop this free passage. So Dauid him­selfe doth expound himselfe, vers. 14. Deliuer me from blood guiltinesse, O God, and my tongue shall sing of thy righteousnesse. His vnthankfulnesse did crie: his adulterie crie: his mur­ther [Page 10] crie vnto the Lord for reuenge: but alas, himselfe was mute, till God in exceeding great mercie did stop the [...]outhes of his clamorous aduersaries, and gaue him leaue to speake.

Here we note the great wisedome of the Church assigning this place to this versicle in this booke: namely, before the Ps [...]es, Lessons and Collects: and yet after the Confession and absolution of our sinnes, insinuating that our mouthes are silenced only by transgression, and opened only by God: and therefore when wee meete together in the Temple to bee thankfull vnto him, and to speake good of his name, wee must craue first, that according to the multitude of his rich mercies; hee would pardon all our old sinnes, and then put into our mouth a new song: that, as the seruice is holie, the time holie, the place holie; so we likewise thePulchra non est la [...]s in ore [...]. Hieron. in. loc. persons holie, who sing, Holy, holy, holy, &c.

Deus faciat t [...]m commodum, quàm Ecclesia fecit accommo­dum. Our fathers in this imitated the learned Hebrew Do­ctors, inioyning that this verse should be said at the begin­ning of euery prayer, inGenebrardus in locum. tractatu Berachoth: that is, their Liturgie, being the first part of the Talmud, as Pet. Galati­nus lib. 1. cap. 5. do Arcanis: & Saxtus Sene [...]sis Bibliothec. lib. 2 pag. 121.

My lips] A part for the whole, sufficient abilitie to praise God: Ex abundant [...]aMat. 12. 34.cordis os loquitur. He doth intreate God then, as before, for a cleane hart, and a right spirit, that hisM [...]sculus in locum. old ioyes of conscience may bee renued, and all the whole man throughly repaired, a goodLuc [...]s Lossius in locum. desire to begin, a ready will to continue, a constant resolution to end in Gods holie seruice.

The key of the mouth ought not to stand in the doore of the lippes, but to be kept in the cabinet of the minde.

ForEcclesiasticus 21. [...]6.the heart of fooles is in their mouth, but the mouth of the wise is in their heart. Dauid therefore doth desire first a newverse 10. soule, then a new so [...]g. The tongue is ambassadour of the minde; as often as we speake without meditation be­fore, so often the messenger runneth without his errand. [Page 11] And idle words are not little sinnes, of which one day wee shall giue greatMat. 12. 36. account.

The mind then and the mouth must goe together: in ci­uill communication, hee that will not speake idlely, must thinke what he speakes; and he that will not speake falsely, must speake what he thinks. In holy deuotion, God must be praised vpon w [...]llPsal. 150. 5.tuned Cymbals, and loud Cymbals, in his quier: first tune well, a prepared [...] heart, then [...]ound well▪ a cheerfull tongue like thePsal. 45. 2. pen of a ready writer. Albeit mentall praier at sometime, and in some place, be sufficient: yetThom. 22 [...]. qu [...]st. 83. art. 12 vocall, in Gods publike worship, is necessary, to stir vp and blow the coales of zeale both in our selues and others. Open lips in open seruice.

That my mouth may shew thy praise. That as ofRom. 11. 36. thee, and through thee, and for thee are all things; so to thee may be prais [...] for euermore. See Pater Noster.

God is of himselfe, and in himselfe so great, so good, as that we cannot any way detract or adde to his glory. Nec August. in Psal. 134. Non [...] be­nedictione, nec in [...]uitur male­dict. nostra. Id. [...] in Psal. 66. [...]elior si [...], nec deterior si vituperaueri [...]. I answere, though we cannot make Gods praise greater in it selfè, yet we may make it s [...]eme greater vnto other; it is our du [...]ie to she [...]forth his praise in all our words and actions too: for al­beit we cannot make a new God, and a new Christ, (as the Papists d [...]e) yet o [...]r good example, and gratious speech, may make l [...]t [...]le Christ a grea [...] Christ; occasion all those with whom we conuerse to magnifie the Lord now, who little regarded him before. See the [...].

This annunciation of praise consists of often repetition and particular enumeration of Gods especiall goodnesse to­wards vs. In locum tom. 8. fol. 339. Augustine therefore doth glosse the text thus: La [...]dem tuam, qu [...]a creatus s [...]m. Laud [...]m t [...]am, quia vt consi­ [...]erer iam monitus sum. La [...]dem tuam. quia peccans non de­relictus sum. Laudem tuam, quia vt secur [...]s essem mundatus sum.

Hugo Cardi­nal. [...]n. Luc. cap. 10. 27. Hugo c [...]mprehends all, which concernes vs all, in foure words: God is to be praised, qui Creator [...] esse, Conserua­tor in esse, Recreator in [...] Glorificator in optimo esse: qui [Page 12] August. de lib. arbitrio lib. 3. cap. 15. non reddit Deo faciendo quod debet, reddet ei, patiendo quod debet.

The whole text doth teach all men generally the lan­guage of Cana [...]n Esay 19. 18., that is, what and how to speake, that their mout [...] may glorifie God, and edifie their brethren. Especiall [...] Pastors toEsay 50. [...]. minister a word in time to the weary; so to tune their notes, as that they may be like apples ofProu▪ 25. [...].gold [...] of [...]iluer. In all their sermons to preach Iesus for Iesus. hunting not after their owne, but his glory Lord open my lips that my mouth may shew not My praise, but Thy praise, saith Dauid.

Gloria Patri.

THis Hymne is of good credit, and great antiquity.De religiare Christian. [...] cap. 19. Ra­mus acknowledgeth ingenuously both. It is a para­phrastticall exposition of that excellent spe [...]ch, Rom. 11. 36. Ex notat pa­trem [...]pe [...] filium: in spir sanct. Lombard. lib. 1. s [...]t dist. 36. & Augustin. de Trin. lib. 6. cap 10.Of him▪ and through him, and for him are all things, to him be glory for euer, Amen: vsed in the Church to manifest our sound iudgement in matter of doctrine concerning the sa­cred Trinitie. We must (saithEpistol 78. & Melanct. expo­sit. symbol, Ni­ce [...]. tom. 1. fol. 403. Basil) as we haue receiued, euen so baptize, and as we baptize, euen so beleeue, and as we belieue, euen so giue glory. Baptizing we vse the name of the Father, of the Sonne, of the holy Ghost: confessing the Christian faith, we declare our beliefe in the Father, and in the Sonne, and in the holy Ghost: ascribing glory to God, we giue it to the Father, and to the Sonne, and to the holie Ghost. And howsoeuer Anabaptisticall Antipodes, out of their ambitious humour to contradict all other, and heare themselues only speak, would haue thrust out of the Church all solemne set formes of holy seruice: yet Gloria Patri stands still, and like a true Martyr doth shew the greatest counte­uance in lowest estate.

For antiquitie, such as looke lowest affirme that it was ordained first byAlcuinus lib. de offic. diuin. Damasus, ann. Dom. Florilegus fol. 104. 376. Others, that it was enacted in that famous Councell of Nice, consisting of 318. Bishops vnder Constantine the Great, an. Magdeburg. Cent. 4. col. 617. 320.

[...]aebadius in lib. aduersus Arrian. insinuates, that it was vsed in the Church long before. The curious in this point [Page 13] may further examineDe Missa lib. 2. cap. [...]6. Bellarmine, and that Oxenford of learning, Master RichardEcclesiast. polit. lib. 5. § 42.Hooker.

Venite exultemus Domino.

IT is euident, not only byAugust. lib. 10. Confess. cap. 33. & prooe [...]. in Psal. 118. Tertullian. lib. de Velandis virginib. cap. 7. Church history, but also by the Scripture, that Psalmes haue alwaies taken vp a great roome in diuine seruice.Scaliger de emendat temp. lib. 6. pag. 273. edit. 1593. Mat. 26. 30. 1. Cor. 14. When you come together, as euery one of you hath a Psalme.

Let not any then wonder at our often Psalmodie both af­ter, and before the word expounded, and read: and some­time interlaced betweene both. A custome continued in all other reformed Churches of Scotland, France, Flanders, &c.

Aboue all other Psalmes,Master Dee­ring Lect. 15. vpon the Epi­stle to the He­brewes. our Church hath fitly chosen this, as a whetstone to set an edge vpon our deuotions at the very beginning of publike praiers in the Temple: teaching plainly for what matter, and after what maner, it behoueth vs to serue God in his Sanctuary. For it consists of two parts:

• 1. An exhortation to praise God, in the 1. 2. 6. verses.
• 2. An allegation of causes why we should doe this, and they bee taken either from his
  • Mercies,
    • In generall; for creating and ruling the whole world: 3. 4. 5.
    • In particular, for electing his Church. 7.
  • Iudgemēts, in the
    • 8. 9. 10. 11. setting before their eies a fearefull example, and that in their owne Fathers, for, omitting this ex­cellent dutie.

• In the first part two points are remarkable:
  • Who must praise; Let vs sing, let vs come, let vs worship.
  • How
    • Where; Before his presence.
    • Whereto; Sing to the Lord.
    • Wherewith; with our voice:

Let vs sing: with our heart, heartily: with hands and knees, O come let vs worship and fall downe and kneele before the Lord our maker.

[Page 14] For the [...]:For he made this Psalme. [...] content alone to praise God, but exciteth all other about him to doe the [...]ame: O come let vs sing. Heb. 4. 7. Now Dauid may be considered

• As a
  • Priuate man.
  • Publike person,
    • Prince.
    • Prophet.

Here then is a threefold paterne in one: An example for Masters to stir vp their [...]amilie; an example for Preachers to exhort their people; an example for Princes to prouoke their subiects vnto the publike worship of the Lord. It becom­meth great men, especially to be good men: as beingGreg. Naz [...]an. vn­printed statutes, andArist. speaking [...] vnto the rest. This affe­ction was inGen. 18. 19. Abraham,1 Cor. 9. 22.Paul,Iosua 14 15.Iosua, and ought to be in all,Heb. 3. 13. exhorting one another while it is called to da [...].

You hold it a good rule in worldly businesse, not to say to your seruants, Come ye, goe ye, arise ye: but, let vs come, let vs goe, let vs arise. Now, shall the children of this world be wiser in their generation, then the children of light? Do we commend this course in mundane affaires, and neglect it in religious offices? Assuredly if our zeale were so great to religion, as our loue is towards the world; Masters would not come to Church (as many doe) without their seruants, and seruants without their masters; parents without their children, and children without their parents; husbands without their wiues, and wiues without their husbands: but all of vs would call one to another, asEsay 2. 3. Esay prophecied; O come let vs goe vp to the mountaine of the Lord, to the house of the God of Iacob, hee will teach vs his waies, and wee will walke in his pa [...]hs. And, as Dauid here practised, O come let vs sing to the Lord, let vs heartily re [...]oice in the strength of our saluation.

How First where;Where.before the Lord, before his presence, vers. 2. 6. God is euery where; Psal. 139. 7. Whither shall I goe from thy spirit? or whither shall I goe from thy pre [...]ence?

True▪ God is a circle, whose Center is no where, Circumfe­rence euery where: yet is he said in holy Sc [...]ipture to dwell inMat. 69. heauen, and to be present in his Sa [...]ctuarie more spe­cially; [Page 15] manifesting his glorie from heauen, his grace in the Church principally. For hee said in theExod. 20. 24. Law, In all places where I shall put the remembrance of my name, I will come vnto thee: and in theMat. 18. 20. Gospell, Where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the middest of them. Albeit euery day be a Sabbath, and euery place a Sanctuarie for our priuate deuotions, according to the particular exigence of our occasions; yet God hath allotted certaine times, and certaine places for his publike seruice: Leuit. 19. 30. Ye shall sanctifie my Sabbaths, and reuerence my Sanctuarie.

God is to be worshipped euer, and euery where. Yet the seuenth of our time▪ and the tenth of our liuing, must more spe­cially be consecrated to that honour which hee requires in the Temple. And thereforeComment. in locum. Caluin is of opinion that Da­uid vttered this speech vpon the Sabbath: as if hee should say, Come let vs sing to the Lord, not in priuate only, but let vs come before his presence with thanksgiuing. As in the 100. Psalme: Goe your way into his gates, and into his courts with praise.

The consideration of this one point, that God is in eue­ry place by his generall presence; in this holie place by his especiall presidence, may teach all men to pray not hypo­critically for fashion, but heartily for conscience; not only formally to satisfie the law, but also sincerely to certifie our loue to the Lord our maker, giuing vntoMat. 22. 21. Si Caesar in Nummo quaerit imaginem suam Deus non quae­rit in homine Imaginē suam? Augustin. e [...]ar. [...]uius Psalmi. Caesar the things which appertaeine to Caesar, and vnto God the things which be­lon [...] to God. That we may not only praise where we should, but, as it followeth in the diuision Whereto:Whereto.Let vs sing to the Lord; let vs reioyce in the strength of our saluation, let vs shew our selues glad in him.

Euery one in his merrie mood will say; Come let vs sing, let vs heartily reioyce: But as good neuer a whit as neuer the better. Silence is a sweeter note then a loud, if a leaud sonnet. If we will needs reioyce, let vs (saithPhilip. 4. 4. Paul) reioyce in the Lord: if sing, saith Dauid, let vs sing to the Lord.

Vaine toyes are songs sung to the world; lasciuious ba­lads are songs sung to the flesh; Satyricall libels are songs sung to the Diuell; onely Psalmes and Hymnes, and spirituall [Page 16] songs areColoss. 3. 16.melodie for the Lord. P [...]e debes Domino exultare si vis securus mundo insultare, saithTom. 8. fol. 730. Augustine vpon this text: we may not exalt but insult ouer the world, the flesh, the diuell; our exaltations and exultations are due to God only.

Venite exultemus Domino.

LEt vs worship and fall downe and kneele before the Lord our maker: not before a Crucifix, not before a rotten Image, not before a faire picture of a foule Saint: these are not our makers, we made them, they made not vs. Our God, vnto whom we must sing, in whom wee must re­ioyce, before whom we must worship, is a great King aboue all gods: hee is no god of lead, no god of bread, no brazen god, no wooden god; we must not fall downe and worship our Ladie, but our Lord; not any Martyr, but our Maker; not any Saint, but our Sauiour: O come let vs sing vnto the Lord, let vs heartily reioyce in the strength of our saluation.

Wherewith: Wherewith. with voyce, Let vs sing; with soule, let vs heartily reioyce; with hands and knees, let vs fall downe and kneele, Comely ge­stures in the Church. with all that is within vs, with all that is without vs; he that made all, must be worshipped with all, especial­ly when we come before his presence.

Here let vs make a stand, and behold the wise choice of the Church, assigning this place to this Psalme, which exciteth vs to come to the Temple quietly and ioyntly, Come let vs sing; and when wee are come, to demeane our selues in this holie place cheerefully, heartily, reuerently. I would faine know of those who despise our Canons, as not agreeable to the Canon of holy Bible, whether their vnmannerly sitting in the time of diuine seruice be this kneeling; whether their standing bee this falling downe; whether they giue God their heart, when as they will not affoord him so much as their hat; whether their lowring vpon their brethren, bee singing to the Lord; whether their dutie required here, bee to come in, to goe out, to stay in the Temple, without any respect of persons, or reuerence to place.

I would such as doe imitate the Turks inSum. conser. pag. 27. habite, would [Page 17] likewise follow them in humble comportment while they pray:Augerius Bus­bequius legat. Turcicae epist. 3. Magna cum Ceremonia, & attentione sacris suis inter­sunt Turcae: nam si vel digito scalpant caput, perisse sibi preca­tionis fructum [...]rbitrantur: quid e [...]im si cum Bassis sermo tibi habendus, ergo multo magis si cum Deo. Thinke of this yee that forget God, hee will not bee mocked, his truth is eter­nall, heauen and earth shall passe, but not one [...]ot of his word shall passe: if an Angell from heauen, or diuell on earth, if any priuate spirit shall deliuer vnto you rules of be­hauiour in the Church, contrarie to this Canon of Gods owne spirit, let him be accursed, Anathema. Let vs sing, let vs worship, let vs, who feare God and honour the King, fall downe and kneele before the Lord our maker.

Thus much of Dauids exhortation to praise God. The reasons why we should praise, follow, Set downe

First briefly, God is our Creator; therefore let vs worship and fall downe and kneele before the Lord our maker, vers. 6. He is our Redeemer; therefore let vs sing vnto the Lod, let vs heartily reioyce in the strength of our saluation: vers. 1.

• Secondly, more at large from his
  • Mercies in generall: vers. 3. 4. 5.
  • Iudgements.

For the Lord is a great God:] Most mightie, almightie, able to doe whatsoeuer he will, and more then he will too. See the Creed.

In himselfe so great, that the heauen of heauens cannot containe him, much lesse any barren braine inwombe him: and therefore Dauid here being not able to set downe the least peece of his greatnes in the positiue degree, comes to the comparatiue, shewing what he is in comparison of other: A great King aboue all gods.

As being more excellent and mightie then any thing, or all things that haue the name of God,

• Whether they be Gods in
  • Title,
    • Elo [...]im. Psal. 8. 5.
      Angels in heauen.
    • Psal. 82. 6.
      Princes on earth.
  • Opinion,
    • As
      Coloss. 3. 5.
      gold is the couetous mans god,
      Philip. 3. 19.
      bellicheere the Epicures god, an
      Psalm. 96. 5.
      Idoll the superstitious mās god.

[Page 18] Now the Lord is the King of all gods in title, for he made them: of all gods in opinion, for he can destroy them.Heb. 1. 14. An­gels are his messengers, andProu. 8. 15. Princes his ministers, allRom. 13. 1. po­wer is of the Lord. The manner of getting kingdomes is not alwaies of God, because it is sometime by wicked meanes; yet the power it selfe is euer from God, and there­fore stiled inPsa [...]m. 50. 1. scripture, the God of gods, as theEcclesiast. 5. 7. Wise man saith, higher then the highest: for religion and reason tell vs, that of all creatures in heauen an Angell is the greatest; of all things on earth, anTertullian ad Scapulam: Om­nibus maior dum solo deo minor. Emperour is the greatest: but the Lord (as you see) is greater then the greatest, as being abso­lute Creator of the one, and maker of the other:Augustin. in lo­cum. Quantus Deus est qui Deos facit! How great a God is hee that makes gods, yea & marres them too at his pleasure! surely this is a great God, & a great king aboue all gods. And therfore in what estate soeuer thou be, possesse thy soule with patience, re­ioyce in God, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might: feare no man, no diuell, no other god, he y^• is greater thē al these shal be thy defence; he will performe whatsoeuer in his word he did promise concerning this life & the next.

In his hand are all the corners of the earth] A reason to proue that God is a great King aboue all gods: he is a great God, because a king of gods: and he is a King of gods, because in his hand are all the corners of the world, subiect to his power and prouidence.

The most mighty Monarch on earth is king as it were but of a molehill, a Lord of some one angle: but in Gods hand are all the corners of the earth, and the strength of the hils. i. of most puissant potentates, in comparison of whō al other are low valleyes; I say the strength & height of the hils are his.

Antichrist doth extoll himselfe2. Thess. 2. 4. aboue all that is called God: and the Pope doth make himselfe Lord of Lords, vsur­ping theHarding con­fut. of Iewels A­polog. part. 2. cap. 3.whole world for his diocesse: yea hee hath a triple kingdome, according to his triple crowne; Supernall, exten­ded to heauen, in canonizing Saints; Infernall, extended to hell in freeing soules out of Purgatorie; Terrestriall, exten­ded ouer the whole earth, as being vniuersall Bishop of the Catholique Church. But alas, vaine man, hee is but a [...]ox in [Page 19] an hole, many corners of the earth are not his; England (God be praised) is not his, Scotland, Holland, Denmarke not his, a great part of France, the greatest part of Germany none of his; many thousands in Portugall, Italy, Spaine, none of his; the great Cham, the Persian, the Turke, the least whereof is greater then himselfe, none of his. And albeit all the Kings of the earth should be drunken with his abomination, yet should he bee pastor vniuersall of the Church, but as the di­uell isIob. 12. 31. prince of the world; not by his owne might, but by others weakenesse, as SaintRom. 6. 16. Paul said, He is our master to whom we giue our selues as seruants to obey.

So likewise the gods of the superstitious Heathē haue not all the corners of the world: for, as themselues ingeniously confesse, some were gods of y^• water only, some of the wind, some of corne, some of fruite,August. de ci­uit. lib. 4. cap. 8. Nec omnia cōmemoro, quia me piget quod illos non pudet. As Heretikes haue so many Creeds, as heads: so the Gentiles (asLib. 1. aduer­sus Symachum. Prudentius obserued) had so ma­ny things for their god, as there were things y^• were good.

So that their god is not as our God,Deut. 32. 31. euen our enemies being Iudges. Other hold some parcels of the earth vnder him, and some lay claime to the whole by vsurpation. But all the corners of the world are his by right of creation, as it followeth in the next verse.

The sea is his, for hee made it.] An argument demonstra­tiue, to shew that all the world is subiect to his power: and therefore in the Creed, after Almightie, followeth instant­ly, Maker of heauen and earth.

If any shall demaund why Dauid nameth heere first and principally the Sea, before all other creatures: answere may be giuen out ofLib. 32. nat. hist. in prooem. Ipsa se natura vincit numero­sis modis. Plinie; God, who is wonderfull in all things, is most wonderfully wonderfull in the Sea. Whether we consi­der (asPsalm. 104. Dauid elsewhere:)

• The
  • 1. Situation of it.
  • 2. Motion.
  • 3. Innumerable creatures in it.
  • 4. Wonderfull art of sailing on it.

[Page 20] Yet God in the beginningGen. 1. 9. made this vnruly foaming fuming beast, and euer since ruled it at his becke: for hee Psal. 65. 7.stilleth the raging of the Sea, and the noise of his waues;Iob. 38. 8.hee shutteth vp this barking curre in the channell, as in a kennell; he laieth vp the deepe, as in aPsalm. 33. 7.treasure house, saying to the wa­ters, Iob 38. 11. Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further, and here shall it stay thy proud waues.

Hitherto concerning the greatnes, and goodnes of God in generall. Now Dauid in the seuenth verse proceedes, in­timating that the Lord of all in common, is our God in spe­ciall. Hee is the Lord our God, as being the people of his pa­sture, and the sheepe of his hands: that is, himselfe doth feede and fauour the Church in a more particular sort, commit­ting this charge to none other. See preface of the Deca­logue.

The last reason is from iudgement: for God vseth all meanes to winne men vnto him. The summe whereof is, that wee must not harden our hearts, and obstinately settle our selues in sinne, as our forefathers in the wildernesse: but rather heare the voice of the Lord speaking vnto vs out of his word all the day long, the whole time of our life gene­rally, but on the Sabbath day more specially, le [...]t in his anger hee sweare that wee shall not enter into his rest. Reade this hi­storie, Numb. 14. Exod. 17: for, as1. Cor. 10. 11. Paul doth teach, these things are written for our ensample, vpon whom the ends of the world are come. Lege histori [...]m, ne fias historia. The iudge­ments of God are like thunder claps, poena ad vnum, terror adom [...]es. As in a Common-weale, places of execution are publike, ad terrorem populi, because (as Plato said) Nemo prudens punit quia peccatum est, sed ne peccetur. And another ancient Philosopher to the same purpose: Malefici non per­eunt vt pereant, sed vt pereundo alios deterreant. That the Seneca lib. 1. de Ira. cap. 6. State which had no benefit by their life, should make vse of their death. In like manner, almightie God in this huge Theater of the world, doth make some spectacles vnto o­ther, all of vs being either actors, or spectators: and so by consequence must take example by other, or else make ex­ample to other. See Epist. Dom. 9. post Trin.

Te Deum.

THat Hymnes accurately framed by deuout men accor­ding to the word, may be sung in the Church with the Psalmes of Dauid, and other spirituall songs taken out of the word; we can alleage precept, and example: Precept, Colos. 3. 16. Admonish your selues in Psalmes and Hymnes, &c. In loc. & Cal­uin. Instit. lib. 3. cap. 20. §. 32.Marlorat doth construe this of singing in the Church: and Haymo, that Hymnes were godly songs, inuented by the Christians of that age. For Gods holy Church hath vsed this custome from theEus [...]bius hist. l [...]b. 2. cap. 7. D [...]onysius de diuin. nom. c. 4. Concilium To­let an. 4. can. 12. Primitiue times, euen vnto this pre­sent day.

Concerning Te Deum in particular: it is approued by Bellarm. de bon [...]s o [...]cribus in particular. lib. 1. cap. 12. & 14. Luther, and held by ourFox Martyr. fol 799. Martyrs a good Creed: (as it is thought generally) composed by those two great lights of the Church, Ambrose Vigner an­swer to Barro­nius. pag. 17. who was the most resolute Bishop, and Augustine Perkins Treat. Conscience. c. 2. who was the most iudicious Doctor of all the Fathers.

It is reported by Dacius, a reuerend Bishop of Millane, that in his time, who liued vnderGreg. lib. 3. Dialog. cap. 4. Magd [...]burg. Cent. 6. col. 702. Iustinian, Barron. tom. 7. fol. 294. anno 538. this Hymne was receiued and vsed in the Church: which argu­eth it of greater antiquity, then vpstart Popery. The Noue­list (asCon. Faustum lib. 22. cap. 34. Augustine writes of Faustus the Manichee) Vel non intell [...]gend [...] repre [...]endit, vel reprehendendo non intelligit: Ei­ther too much passion, or else too little knowledge.

Benedicite omnia opera.

TH [...] Canti [...]e is a rapsodie, gathered here and there from diu [...]s Psalmes of Dauid, as theof the Church Bible. marginall notes indi­gitate: cited often by the learned and ancientCyp. serm. de lapsis & orat. Dom. fathers, and not censured for it by the Lutheran Historiographers. Cent. 5. colum. 219.

Imprinted at M [...]elburgh with the Dauidicall Psalmes in English meeter:August. de Ci­ [...]it. lib. 11. cap. 9. & de natura boni, cap. 16. Chrysost. hom. 4. ad pop. an honour denied vnto the Church Psalter in prose. In a word, I finde this Hymne lesse martyred then the rest, and therefore dimisse it, as Christ did the woman, Iohn 8. Where be thine accusers? Hath no man condemned thee? no more doe I: goe thy way.

Benedictus. LVKE 1. 68.

THe Benedictus, Magnificat, and Nunc dimittis, are said in the Church daily, whereas other Psalmes of Dauid, Asaph, Moses, are read but monethly. The reasons hereof are manifest, and manifold; I will onely name two:

First, these most excellent Hymnes (asHooker Eccle­siast. pelit. lib. 5. § 40. gratulations wherewith our Lord and Sauiour was ioifully receiued at his entrance into the world) concerne vs so much more then the Psalmes of Dauid, as the Gospell more then the Law, and the new Testament more then the old. For the one are but prophecies of Christ to come, whereas the other are plaine discoueries of Christ already present.

Secondly, these songs are proper onely to Christianitie, whereas other Psalmes are common to the Iewes, as well as to the Christians, wherewith they praise God in their Syna­gogue, so well as we praise God in our Church. A Iew will sing with Asaph and Dauid that the Messias of the world shall come, but he cannot, he will not acknowledge with Zacharias and Simeon that he is come. So that the Nouelist herein misliking the Churches custome, doth seeme to play the Iew; which I rather ascribe to the lightnes of his folly, then to the waight of his malice. Sententiam Ecclesiae non in­telligit,August. co [...] ­fess. lib. 12. cap. 25.sedamat suam, non quia vera est, sed quia sua est.

It is fitly placed after the second Lesson, as an Hymne of praise to magnifie God for the comfort we receiue by the sweet tidings of the Gospell: Blessed be the Lord God of Is­rael, for visiting and redeeming his people.

• It hath two princi­pall parts:
  • 1. Concerning Christ and his king­dome.
  • 2. Touching Iohn the Baptist and his office. vers. 76. &c.

It is very remarkable, that Zacharias who was dumbe, vers. 20, doth now not onely speake, but also prophecie. He was made speechlesse, because he was faithlesse: but now be­lieuing, his lips are opened, and his mouth doth shew forth Gods praise: saying, Blessed be the Lord.

Let no man in his affliction despaire: for (asLib. 2. in Luc. cap. 1. Ambrose [Page 23] notes) if we change our manners, Almightie God will al­ter his mind. Nec solum ablata restituit, sed etiam insperat [...] concedit: He will not onely restore that which was taken a way, but also giue more then we can expect.Iob 24. 12. So he bles­sed the last daies of Iob more then the first: for whereasIob 1. 3. he had but 7000 sheepe, 3000 comels, 500 yoke of oxen, and 500 shee asses: afterward the Lord gaue him 1400 sheep, 6000 camels, 1000 yoke of oxen, and 1000 asses. In the second of Ioel; If you will turne to me (saith the Lord) with all your heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning, I will render vnto you the yeeres which the grashopper hath eaten, the canker worme, and the caterpiller. And moreouer, I will powre out my spirit vpon all flesh, and your sonnes, and your daughters shall pro­phecie, &c. In the 9. of Matth. when Christ saw the faith of the palsie man, he did not onely cure the sores of his body, but also the sinnes of his soule; Sonne, be of good cheere, thy sinnes are forgiuen thee.

• In the first part two points are to be con­sidered especially:
  • 1. Who to be blessed; the Lord God of Israel.
  • 2. Why: first for promising, then for performing redemption vnto the world.

Blessed] That is, praised, as Psalme 18. 47. Matth. 22. 39. So that Zacharias here remembring a great benefit, begins his Hymne with thanks, Benedictus Dominus. Hereby sig­nifying, that it is our first and chiefe duty to be thankfull, to blesse God, who doth so wonderfully blesse vs in all the changes and chances of this mortall life, to say withIob 1. 21. Iob; The Lord giueth, and the Lord taketh, blessed be the name of the Lord. God be praised, and the Lord be blessed, is the lan­guage of Canaan: whereas vnthankfulnesse is the diuels text, and the blasphemies of wicked men are Commentaries vpon it.

The Lord] For, asLib. 1. Ethic. cap. 12. Aristo [...]le said; Praise is onely vertues due: but none is good,Marke 10. 18. except God. Other are to be prai­sed in him, so fa [...]re forth as they haue receiued any gift or good from him, onely the Lord worthy to be praised in and for himselfe.

[Page 24] God of Israel] So called inBeauxamis in loc. two respects: first, in regard of his loue towards them, as being his peculiar incloser out of the Commons of the wholeworld: Deut. 7. 6. Psalme 76. Esay 5.

Secondly, in regard of their seruice to him, heeEuthymi [...]s is God of other, will they nill they. Psal. 99. 1. The Lord is King, be the people neuer so impatient; he sitteth betweene the Che­rubims, be the earth neuer so vn [...]uiet: but Israel willingly submitted her selfe to serue him cheerefully with all her heart. The Diuell is prince of the world, because the wicked of the world be ready to giue place to his suggestions: but the Lord is God of Israel; that is, of all good men, because they resist Satan, and yeeld to his gouernment, desiring dai­ly that his kingdome may come, and his will be done in earth as it is in heauen.

He doth vse this title,Maldonat. in lecum. rather then another, in generall, to describe the true God, and to distinguish him from the gods of the Gentiles, who were not gods, butPsal. 96. 5. [...]: that is, Diuels (asIn Psalmum praedic. Euthym [...]s obserues.) In particular▪ this title did best fit his occasion, because Christ the redeemer of the world, was promised vnto theRom. 9. 4. 5. Iewes, Abraham and his seed for euer: and therefore blessed be the Lord God of Israel.

Why? First for promising: then for performing.

The promises of God touching the Messias, areIansenius con­cord. cap. 5. two­fold:

1. Made by himselfe, to Adam, Abraham, Isaac: vers. 72. 73.

2. Made by his seruants: As he spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets, which haue been since the world began: vers. 70.

He spake] The Prophet is but the voice: God himselfe is the speaker, as Iohn Baptist said; I am theIob 1. 23. voice of him that crieth in the wildernesse.

By th [...] mouth] In the singular number: forGorran. & Beauxamis in locum. albeit they were many, yet they spake but one thing, from one spirit, as it were with one mouth.

Which haue been since the world began] ForActs 3. 24. all the Pro­phets haue foretold of these daies.Matth. 17. 3. In the transfiguration, Moses and Elias are said to talke with Christ: signifying [Page 25] hereby, (saithHom. 6. in cap. 8. Leuit. Origen) that the Law and the Prophets, and the Gospell agree all in one. And therefore Peter was vnwise to make three Tabernacles for one.

• Holy Prophets: holy by
  • Place,
    Caluin. in loc.
    separated frō the pro­phane vulgar, and consecra­ted to this high calling.
  • Grace, for being hallowed and elected to this office, they

spake by the1. Pet. 2. 21. holy Ghost: endued also with gifts of sancti­fication; in so much that Prophets, and holie men, hereto­fore were voces conuertibiles, as it isCyrillus & Maldonat. in Ioan. 9. obserued out of the old Testament, Gen. 20. 7. and new, Luk. 7. 16. Ioh. 9. 17.

This may teach the Prophets in our time to be walking Sermons, Epistles and holy Gospels in all their cariage toward the people. Praedicat viua voce, qui praedicat vita & voce. He doth preach most, that doth liue best.

As it is said of Iohn the Baptist,Maldonat. in cap. 11. Mat. Cum miraculum nullum fecerit, perpetuum fuit ipse miraculum: So a good man doth alway preach, though hee neuer comes in pulpit. Whereas such a Minister as is no where a Minister but in the Church, is like2. Sam. 17. 23. Achitophel, who set his house in order, and then hanged himselfe. The word preached is as Aarons rod; if in the Preachers hand, it is comely: but if he cast it from him, it will happily proue a Serpent. That which God hath ioy­ned together, let no man put asunder, Holinesse and Prophe­cie. O Lord indue thy Ministers with righteousnesse, that thy chosen people may be ioyfull.

As God is mercifull in making, so faithfull in keeping his promise: for he visited and redeemed his people.

Visited] In the better part: for visitation in mercie, not in iudgement, as Psal. 8. 4. Gen. 21. 1.

If Christ did visit vs in our person, let vs visit him inMat. 25. 36. his members. All of vs are hisLuke 16. 1. stewards, and the good things he hath lent vs are not our owne, but his; either the goods of the Church, and so wee may not make them Impropria­tions: or else the goods of the Common-wealth, and wee may not inclose them. He is the best subiect that is highest in the Subsidie booke; so he the best Christian that is most [Page 26] forward in subsiaijs, in helping his brethren with such gifts as God hath bestowed vpon him.

The whole world (saith S.1. Epist. 5. 19. Iohn) lieth in wickednes, sicke, very sicke vntoRom. 6. 23. death. All wickednesse is weaknes, euery sinne is a sore; Couetousnes an insatiable dropsie; Pride a swelling tympanie; Lasinesse the Gentlemans gout: Christ therefore theGorran. in lo­cum ex Augu­stino. great Physition of the world, came to visit vs in this extremitie: we did not send for him, hee came of his owne loue to seeke and saue that which was lost. It is a great kindnes for one neighbour to visit another in sicknes, but a greater kindnes to watch and pray with the comfort­lesse: yet the greatest kindnesse of all is to helpe and heale him. Euen so, and much more then so Christ loued y^e world; he came not only to see it, but to saue1. Timot. 1. 15 it; not only to liue among men, but also to die for men: as to visite, so to re­deeme. The Lord did endure the crosse, that the seruant might enioy the crowne: the Captaine descended into hell, that the souldier might ascend into heauen: the Physition did die, that the patient might liue.Liber de Sen­ten [...]ijs. Bernard pithily: Tri­plici morbo laborabat genus humanum, principio, medio, fine: idest, natiuitate, vita, & morte. Venit Christus, & contra tri­plicem hunc morbum, attulit triplex remediū. Natus est, vixit, mortuus est: eius natiuitas purgauit nostram, mors eius de­struxit nostram, vita eius instruxit nostram. As S.Rom. 4. 25. Paul in two words; He died for our sinnes, and rose againe for our iu­stification: that is, (saithSum. 3. part. quaest. 53. art. 1. Aquinas) he died to remoue from vs all that which was euill, and rose againe to giue vs all that which was good. All is infolded in the word Redeeme, the which (as Interpreters obserue generally) doth implie that wee are deliuered from the hands of all our enemies, and they be principally foure:

• The
  • World.
  • Flesh.
  • Diuell.
  • 1. cor. 15. 26.
    Death.

Christ ouercame the world on earth, the flesh on the Crosse, the diuell in hell, death in the graue: now being the Churches head, and husband, hee tooke her dowrie, [Page 27] which was sinne, (for she had nothing else of her owne) and indowed her with all his goods.Cant. 6. 2. I am my welbeloueds, and my welbeloued is mine. So that Christ was borne for vs, and liued for vs, and died for vs, & rose againe for vs: and there­fore though the diuell cry, ego decipiam; the world cry, ego deficiam; the flesh cry; ego inficiam; death cry; ego interficiam: it makes no matter in that Christ crieth,Mat. 11. 28. ego reficiam, I will ease you, I will comfort you, I will visit and redeeme you. See Gospell on whit sonday.

His people] The Iewes, as sent to themMat. 15. 24. Act. 13. 46. first, and princi­pally, whom he did visit in his own person, whereas all other diocesses of the world were visited by Commissaries: I say first, for afterward all people were hi [...] [...]ople: Visita [...]it omnes gentes, quomam omnes egentes. In [...] we are all one, there is neither Iew nor Grecian, neither bond nor free, neither male nor female: Gal. 3. 28.

In Psal. 148. Augustine sweetly: The belieuing Gentiles are more Is­rael, then Israel it selfe: for the Iewes are the children of Abra­ham according to the flesh only, but we are the children of Abraham after the spirit: they be theIohn 8. 39.sonnes of Abraham, who doe the works of Abraham. But what was Abrahams chiefe worke? TheGen. 15. 6. Scripture tels vs, Abraham belieued, and it was imputed vnto him for righteousnes. So that asGal. 3. 29. Paul con­cludes, all belieuers are true Israelites, Abrahams seed and heires by promise. See Nunc dimittis.

But shall we now sinne because grace doth abound? God forbid. He hath deliuered vs from the hands of all our enemies, that we might serue him without feare, in holinesse and righte­ousnes all the daies of our life.Gorran. in loc. Sine timore inimici, non sine ti­more domini. Behauing our selues in this present Tit. 2. 12. world re­ligiously towards God, righteously towards our neighbor, soberly towards our selues.

• Examine these fiue circumstan­ces exactly:
  • 1. Who did redeeme; The Lord God of Israel,
    August. ser. 27. de temp.
    factor [...]errae, factus in terra, yea fractus in terra.
  • 2. Whom: Such as sate in darknes and in the shadow of death. His
    Rom. 5. 10.
    enemies,
    Ephes. 2. 12.
    aliants from his common wealth, and open trai­tors [Page 28] to his kingdome.
  • 3. From what: From the hands of all our enemies.
  • 4: With what: With his owne
    1. Pet. 1. 19.
    pretious bloud, the least drop whereof had bin meriti infiniti; yet his death only, was meriti definiti.
  • 5. For what:
    1. Pet. 2. 24.
    That being deliuered from sinne, we should liue in righteousnes.

Consider these points, and thinke not this Hymne too much vsed in our Liturgie: but sing with Zacharias daily, Benedictus Dominus: and say with Psal. 116. 11. Dauid; Quid retribuam domino, pro omnibus quae tribuit mihi?August. serm. 151. de temp. Primò nihil eram, & fecit me: per [...]eram, quaesiuit me: quaerens inuenit me; captiuum redemit me, emptum liberauit me, de seruo fratrem fecit me. We owe our soules, our selues to God for creating vs, more then our selues for redeeming vs.

Concerni [...]g Iohn Baptist, and his office, which is the se­cond generall part of this excellent song; see the Gospell Do­minic. 3. & 4. Aduent.

Iubilate Deo. Psal. 100.

THe Church doth adioine this Psalme to the Benedictus, as a parallel: and that not vnfitly, for as the one, so the other, is a thanksgiuing vnto God, inforced with the same reasons and arguments: in so much as Zacharias is nothing else but an expounder of Dauid, or Moses. AsQuaest. 73. su­per Exod. Augustine wittily; The new Testament heth hidden in the old, and the old is vnclasped in the new.

O be ioyfull in the Lord, (saith the Prophet) blessed be the Lord God of Israel (saith our Euangelist) Why? because the Lord hath made vs, and not we our selues; we are his people and the sheepe of his pasture. That is, he hath visited and redee­med his people. ForIn locum. Augustine, Hierome, Caluin, Turre­crematensis, other old, and new writers interpret this of our Regeneration, rather then of our Creation. According to [Page 29] that ofEphes. 2. 10. S. Paul: We are his workmanship, created in Christ Ie­sus vnto good works, &c.

The Lord is gratious, his mercy is euerlasting.] That is, he promised euermore by the mouth of all his holy Prophets since the world began, that wee should be saued from our enemies, and from the hands of all that hate vs.

His truth indureth from generation to generation.] That is, hee did in due time performe the mercie promised to our forefathers, he remembred his holy couenant, and kept that oth which hee swore to our father Abraham, and his seed for euer.

To what end? That we might serue God with gladnesse, as Dauid in his text: that is, serue him all the daies of our life without feare, as Zacharias in his glosse.

GodAugust. lib. 2. de serm. Dom. in mont. tom. 4. fol. 812. insinuated himselfe to the Iewes, as a Lord: Exod. 20. 2. but to the Christians, as a father, Mat. 6. 9. And there­fore seeing wee are translated from theGalat. 4. & 5. cap. bondage of ser­uants, vnto the liberty of sonnes;Hieron. in loc. hauing in stead of the Law, which was exceedingActs 15. 10. grieuous, a burthen which is Matth. 11. 30. light, and a yoke which is easie, let vs serue the Lord with gladnes, and come before his presence with a song: Non in amari­tudine murmurationis, sed in iocunditate dilectionis, as Augu­stine vpon the place.

The whole Psalme doth afford many profitable doctrines and vses, in that the Prophet doth double and treble his ex­hortation: O be ioyfull in the Lord: serue him with gladnesse: with a song: Go into his gates with thanksgiuing: into his courts with praise: be thankfull: speake good of his name; he doth insi­nuate our sloth and dulnes in that behalfe: and therefore it behoueth all men, especially teachers of men, in season and out of season to presse this duty.

It teacheth all people to praise God with a good heart cheerfully: vers. 1.

Not in priuate onely, but in the publike assembly also for publike benefits receiued of the Lord: vers. 3.

Our bodily generation, and ghostly regeneration, are not of our selues, but only from God: vers. 2. See Epist. Dom. post. Pasc.

[Page 30] Who is alway the same in his truth and goodnesse to­wards vs abeit we be variable in our loues and promises one to another; vers. 4. See Nunc Dimittis.

The Creed.

THis Apostolicall Creed is pronounced after the Lessons, and the Nicene Confession after the Gospell and Epistle: because faith (as Paul Rom. 10. 17. teacheth) is by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. We must first heare, then confesse▪ for which cause the Church [...] ofScot. Liturgie praters after Serm. Scotlana also doth vsually repeate the Creed after the Sermon.

I beleeue in God, &c.

Albeit the Creed be not protocanonicall Scripture, yet (asSerm. 38. Ambrose speakes) it is the key of the Scriptures: and (asSerm. 115. de temp. Breuiter complexaregula fidei vt mentem instruat, nec oneret memo­riam. Idem. ser. 119. de temp. Augustine) a plaine, short, absolute summe of all holie faith. Thom. 22ae. quaest. 1. art. 9. Other Confessions, as the Nicene, and Athanasian are receiued of the Church not as new, but rather as exposi­tions of this oldB [...]llarm. de Iustificat. lib. 1. cap. 9.. For as the foure Gospels are indeed but one Gospell; so the three Creeds are in substance but one Creed. And therefore I thought good in my passage tho­row the whole Seruice booke to touch vpon it a little, gi­uing you rather a briefe resolution, then a full absolution thereof.

• Obserue then in it the
  • Title: The Creed of the Apostles.
  • Text: I belieue in God, &c.

• In the title note the
  • Worke: Creed.
  • Authors: Apostles.

It is called in English, Creed, of the first word Credo: as the Pater Noster is of the two formost words, Our Father: in other languages, Symbolum; the which hath three signi­fications:

• 1. A shot.
• 2. A badge.
• 3. A ring.

ARuffin. exposit. Symbol. & Au­gust ser. 115. & 181. de temp. shot: because euery particular Apostle conferred his particular article to this spiritual banquet, at least the whole doth arise out of theirEuseb. Emis­sen. hom. 1. de Symbol. common writings.

[Page 31] 2. ARuffin. vbi sup. & Erasmus explan. Symb. badge. For as a souldier is knowne in the field by his colours and coate to what Captaine he doth belong: so the Christian is distinguished by this Creed from all vnbe­leeuers, and misbeleeuers. In token hereof, by good order of the Church, wee stand vp at the Creed, openly to manifest our faith and allegiance to Christ Iesus our Generall.

3. APlin. nat. hist. lib. 33. cap. 1. ring. TheAngelus del Pas praeamb. ad Symb. cap. 4. mettall whereof is digged out of the rich mines of the Bible, refined with the fire of Gods holie spirit, and accurately framed by the blessed Apostles.

It is the very wedding ring wherewith the Minister in our Baptisme married vs vnto Christ, when as in the publike congregation Christ for his part solemnely protested by the mouth of his Minister that he would be our God: and we likewise vowed for our part, by Godfathers and God­mothers, that wee would bee his people. The Creede then ought to be respected as the signet on our right hand, and as the mariage Ring on our Loues finger.

Now for the authors, it is said to be the Apostles (as some thinke) made byHieron. epist. ad Pamma­chium, tom. 2. fol. 173. & Magd [...]burg. cent. 1. lib. 2. col. 66. themselues after they had receiued the holy Ghost, and that before they departed out of Ierusalem to preach the Gospell vnto all nations:Baronius an­nal. tom. 1. fol. 317. Anno Christi 44. Imperatoris Claudij, 2. Iulij 15.

Anglican. Confess. art. 8. & Caluin. In­stit. lib. 2. c. 16. §. 18. Other, that it is the Apostles, as being consonant to their doctrine; theirs for the matter, but not for the manner.

All agree that it is the Gospels abrigement, which Christ taught his Apostles, the Apostles the Church, and the Church hath deliuered vnto vs in all ages: and therefore though it be not the scripture of God, yet it is the Perkins ex­posit. Spmbol. word and truth of God: of greater authoritie then other Ecclesiasticall traditions, whether they be Confessions of particular Chur­ches, or writings of priuate men.

The Text.

• The text hath two parts:
  • Articles.
  • Assent: Amen.

• Lexicon Theo­log. Altenstaig. in verb. articulus.
  Articulus ab ar­ctando
  • Passiue, quia quiddam est arctatum in se.
  • Actiue, quia alios arctat ad credendū.

[Page 32] In the profession, or whole bodie of articles, two points are remarkable:

• The
  • Act
  • Obiect
  • of faith.

• Act: I beleeue. Where note the
  • Personalitie: I.
  • Formalitie of faith: be­leeue in.

Howsoeuer one must pray for another, saying Our Fa­ther; yet euery one must beleeue for himselfe: I beleeue: Habacuck 2. 4. See Gospell on S. Thomas day.

• Formalitie: Beleeue in. For (as
  Ser. 181. de temp.
  Augustine and
  Lib. 3. sent. dist. 23.
  Lombard teach) there is great difference betweene
  • Credere deum, to beleeue there is a God.
  • Credere deo, to beleeue God.
  • Credere in deum, to beleeue in God.

Multi & mali, many bad men, yea theIames 2. 19. Diuell himselfe doth beleeue that there is a God: but a Christian ought to beleeue inIohn 6. 29.God: that is,August. tract. 29. in Iohan. tom. 9 fol. 167. Credendo amare, credendo in eum ire, credendo ei adhaerere. Confessing God to be his God, in whom he puts all his trust and confidence, manifesting his faith inIames 2. 18. deedes, as well as in words: according to that of Lib. 4. cap. 14. Irenaeus: To beleeue, is to doe as God will.

• The matter or ob­iect of the Creede concerneth
  • God
    • Essential­ly in
      • Name: God.
      • Attri­butes,
        • Almighty: Maker of heauē and earth.
    • Personally
      • Father.
      • Sonne.
      • Holy Ghost.
    • Church.

Concerning the name,De doctrin. Christ. lib. 1. cap. 6. Augustine saith it is impossible that foure letters and two syllables, Deus, should containe him, whom the heauen of heauens could not containe: Dionysius de diuinis nom. cap. 1. Dei nomen mirabile nomen, super omne nomen, sed sine no­m [...]e.

ForGranat. dux p [...]e [...]s. cap. 1. if all the land were paper, and all the water inke [...] euery plant a pen, and euery other creature a readie writer: [Page 33] yet they could not set downe the least peece of his great greatnes. De Deo cum dicitur, non potest dici. No name can expresse his nature fully: yet he doth vouchsafe to be prai­sed in our words, and by our mouthes, or rather indeed by his owne words, and owne spirit; for he must be called and called vpon, as he hath reuealed himself in Scripture, where hee is knowne by the nameExod. 15. 3. Iehoua, or God: and therefore this name is not properly communicable to any creature, though1. Cor. 8. 5. analogically giuen to many.

In God.] Not gods, as the Nicene Creed, in one God. For God (asLib. 5. Consi­derat. ad Euge­nium. Bernard said) is vnissimus, the most one:Tertull. lib. 1. aduersus Mar­cion. cap 3. si non est vnus, non est, either one or none.

• Attributes:
  • Almightie.
  • Maker of
    • Heauen.
    • Earth.

God is able to doe whatsoeuer he will, andThom. 1. part. quaest. 15. art. 5. more then hee will too: more by his absolute power, then hee will by his actuall: Matth. 3. 9. [...]6. 53.

He can neither lie, nor die: Dicitur enimAugust. de ci­uit. Dei, lib. 5. cap. 10. omnipotens fa­ciendo quod vult▪ non patiendo quod non vult.

Creator.] His almightines doth proue that he is God, and the creation of the world that he is almighty, Ierem. 10. 11. Let any make a world (saith Augustine) and hee shall bee God. Angels, men, and diuels can make and vnmake some things: but they cannot make them, otherwise then of some kinde of matter which was before: neither can they vnmake them, but by changing them into some other thing which remaineth after. Only God made all things of no­thing, and can at his good pleasure bring them againe to nothing.

• 2. Cor. 12. 2.
  Heauen is three­fold, where
  • Soules are, the glorious, or heauen of heauens: 1. Kings 18. 27.
  • Fowles are, the airy heauē: Gen. 1. 30.
  • Stars are, the firmament: Gen. 1. 17.

Earth containeth land and sea: Psal. 24. 1. Nam omni­potens [Page 34] August. Soli­loqui. cap. 9. van eadem (que) manus dei crea [...]t in coelo angelos, & in terra vermiculos: non superior in illis, non inferior in ist is.

Thus (asRamus de re­ligion. Christ. lib. 1. cap. 9. one said) almightie God is knowne, ex postico tergo, lic [...]et non ex antica facie: by his effects, ad extra, though not in his essence, ad intra. Seculum est speculum: The crea­tion of the world is a glasse, wherein (saithRom. 1. 20. S. Paul) wee may behold Gods eternall power and Maiestie: which the diuineDu Ba [...]tas vbi s [...]p. fol. 6. 7. 58. Poet paraphrastically:

In Tim [...]o. Plato called it Gods epistle: the renowned HermiteTripar [...]. hist. lib. 8. cap. 1. An­tonius, a booke, wherein euery simple man who cannot reade, may notwithstanding spell that there is a God. It is the Shepheards Kalender, and the Ploughmans Alphabet.

This appertaineth essentially, and generally to the whole Trinitie: for the Father is not onely Creator, and Almigh­tie, but the Sonne, and holy Ghost.

The creation in the masse of the matter, is attributed to God the Father: in the disposition of the forme, to God the Sonne: in the preseruation of both, to God the holy Ghost.

• It is said of God personally:
  • Father.
  • Sonne.
  • Holy Ghost.

The Father is the first, not in any prioritie of nature, or honour, or time, butPerkins vpon the Creed.order: or (as thePater est priu­cipium, non de principio: filius principium à princip. Thom. 1 parti sum. quaest. 33. art. 4. schoole) Prioritate originis: according to that of Athanasius in his Creed, The Father is of none, the Sonne is of the Father alone, the holy Ghost of both. I will send (saithIoh. 15. 26.Christ) from the Father, euen the Spirit of truth. Ego mittam à Patre spiritum,Augustin. de Trinit. lib. 4. cap. 20. Ostendens quòd pater est totius diuinitatis, vel si m [...]lius dicitur deitatis princi­pium. Adore simply, rather then explore subtilly, this inef­fable mysterie. Scrutari temeritas est, credere pietas est, nosse vitaest, Bernard, de considerat, ad Eugenium, lib. 5.

• He
  Durandus ra­tionali diuino­r [...]m, lib. 4. cap. 48. §. 2.
  is father of
  • Christ by nature, singulariter.
  • Good men, by adoption, specialiter.
  • All men, and all
    Omnipater, vt Prudentius. Hym [...] de Eula­lia Virgine.
    things, by creation, generaliter; as y^• worke is appropria­ted vnto him in regard of his power.

[Page 35] And in Iesus Christ his onely Sonne our Lord.

That which concerneth the second person is more large­ly set downe then all the rest, teaching vs hereby, that as we should respect other doctrine, so this in more speciall sort, as being the center of all the Creed and Scriptures circum­ference: 1. Cor. 2. 2.

• This person is described by his
  • Titles:
    • 1. Iesus.
    • 2. Christ.
    • 3. His onely Sonne.
    • 4. Our Lord.
  • Estate of
    • Humiliation,
      • Incarnation,
      • Passion.
    • Exaltation.

1. Iesus is hisTertull. lib. aduers. Prax. & Thom. 2. part. quaest. 37. art. 2. proper name, giuen him by theLuke 1. 31. Angell. Other, if any haue theConsule Pet. Galatin. de Ar­canis lib. 3. cap. 20. Iansen. concord. cap. 7. Pagnin. interp. nom. Hebraic. very name, were typicall Sauiours only. Iesus Naue, the figure of Christ as a King: Iesus Sy­dracke, the figure of Christ as a Prophet: Iesus Iosedecke, the figure of Christ as a Priest.Contra Fau­stum. lib. 12. cap. 36. Augustine,Lib. 1. de de­monstration. Euang. cap. 29.Eusebius, and gene­rally all expositors vpon the 3. of Zucharie.

This sweet name containes in it a thousand treasuries of good things, in delight whereof S. Paul vseth it fiue hun­dred times in his Epistles, as Genebrardus obserueth.

2. Christ] His appellatiueCaietan. & Aretius in 1. Matth. Calu. Catecbis. title of office and dignitie. Concerning these two titles, Iesus and Christ, see the Gos­pell Dom. 1. post Natiuit.

• 3. His only Sonne; which implieth that he is
  • God: Iohn 1. 1.
  • A distinct person from the Fa­ther: Mat. 28. 19.

God, because he is a son, not as other by fauor, butRuffin. in Symbol. by na­ture: whatsoeuer the Son receiueth of y^e Father, he receiueth it by nature, not by grace, & he receiueth not as other, apart, but all that the Father hath, sauing the personall proprietie.

Only sonne] Called theMat. 1. 25. first begotten, in respect of his mother and humane nature:Iohn 3. 16. onely begotten in respect of his Father, and diuine nature. For the holy Spirit is not be­gotten, but proceeds (as the Scripture doth distinguish) M [...]lancthon exposit Symbol. Nicen. [...]om. 1. fol. 403. Nasci est à potentia intelligente, quia filius cogitatione nasci­tur, [Page 36] & est [...]mago patris: at procedere est à voluntate, quia spi­ritus sanctus est amor, &c. I belieue: Lord helpe mine vn­beliefe.

The coniunction, And, prooueth that the Sonne is equall with the Father, as concerning his Godhead: and yet a di­stinct person.August. de [...] lib. 11. cap. 10. & Lombard. 1. sent. dist. 25. Alius personaliter, nowaliud essentialiter. I be­leeue in God the Father, And in Iesus Christ.

• Our Lord, as our
  • Creator.
  • Redeemer.
  • Gouernor, as head of the Church: Eph. 4. 5.

In vita cius. Suetonius obserueth that Augustus refused the name of Lord.Lib. 6. cap. 22. vli Platina iu vita Christi.Orosius notes that it was at that time when Christ was borne, that all Lordship might be giuen vnto him. See Epistle Dom. 17. post Trinit.

Christs incarnation is Israels Luke 2. 25. consolation:Incarnat. for all sound comfort stands in happinesse, all happinesse in fellowship with God, all fellowship with God is by Christ: who for this cause being very God, became very man, that he might re­concile God to man, and man to God: he becameTertull. lib. 2. contra Marc. little, that we might be great; the Sonne of man, that we might be theCyp. ser. de E­l [...]mosyna. sonnes of God.

• His incarnation hath two parts:
  • Conception.
  • Birth.

Conceiued by the holy Ghost.] Works of power are attribu­ted to the Father, of wisdome to the Sonne, of loue to the holy Ghost. WhereforeMaldonat. in 1. Mat. & Au­gust. Enchirid. cap. 37. because this was a worke of high­est loue in God toward mankind, it is ascribed especially to the holy Spirit: Luke 1. 35. The holy Ghost shall come vpon thee, and the power of the most high shall ouershadow theeCaluin. in loc.. Sig­nifying hereby that this mystery cannot be seene cleerely, therefore not to be examined curiously. S.Fides matris, non libido con­ceperat. Enchi­rid. cap. 34. Augustine calles it a sweet coniunction, where speech is husband, and eare wife. Meaning, that as soone as the blessed Virgin assented to the Angels message, she conceiued.

Birth] I make Christs incarnation a part of his humiliation, because there can be no greater abasement, then that hee, who thundred in the cloudes, should cry in the cradle; Bernard. ser. 1. in [...]. Dom. swadled in a few ragges, whom the heauen of heauens [Page 37] could not containe; that the eternall Word should become anAugust. ser. 5. de temp. Lam­bit vbera re­gens siaera [...] a­cet, vt verbum est. Idem de sym. lib. 4. cap. 4. infant; that he who was the father of Mary, should be now the sonne of Mary.

The Scripture tels vs, how man comes foureIdem. ser. 20. de temp. waies into the world.

1. By the helpe of man and woman, as all are vsuallie borne.

2. Without any man or woman, and so the first man was created.

3. Of a man without a woman, and so was Eua made.

4. Of a woman without a man, and so was Christ borne.

• Of the Virgin Mary.] Where the mother of Christ is described by her
  • Name, Mary.
  • Surname
    Baronius an­nal. tom. 1. fol. 45. & Epipba­nius Haeres. 78.
    , Virgin.

The new Iesuits, and old Friers, haue many wonderfull extrauagant conceits of thisLexicon Theo­log. verb. Maria. name: let it suffice that it is added in the Gospell, and Creed, to shew that Christ came of the linage of Dauid: and that therefore he was the true Messias, as God had promised and prophecied by the mouthes of all his holy seruants.

• Virgin] A
  Perkins re­for. Catholic. Tit. traditio [...], & Reza con­sess. cap. 3. art. 23.
  perpetuall Virgin
  • Before
  • In
  • After
  • Christs birth.

• Before his birth against
  • 1. Iewes.
  • 2. Gentiles.
  • 3. Cerinthians.

Vnto the first we say with Cyril. Hiero­sol. Cat. 12. Au­gustin. lib. 3. de Symbol. cap. 4. Cyril: Pariet Aaronis virga sine semine, & non pariet virgo sine semine? aut vtrum (que) negate aut vtrum (que) concedite.

• Against the se­cond, we haue
  • Ficta:
    Ruffin. & Cy­ril. vbi supra.
    Qui enim è Iouis cerebro Miner­uam, & ex eiusdem femore Bacchum, falsò prognatum esse fabulamini: quo­modo ex vtero virginali Christum nasci dicitis impossibile?
  • Facta: Quoniam animalia multa
    Lactant. instit. lib. 4. cap. 12. Augustin. de mirabil script. lib. 3. cap. 2. Ambros, Hex­am. l. 5. cap. 20.
    sine commistione generantur. And Plutarch in the life of Numa, spake like anLuke. 1. 35.Angell: Incredibilo non est, vt spiritus Dei cum muliere coeat, ei (que) sobolis quaedam prin­cipia ingoneret.

[Page 38] 3. TheIrenaeus lib. 1. cap. 25. Cerinthians,Cl [...]mens Rom. instit. lib. 6. cap. 6.Ebionits, andIremaeus lib. 1. cap. 24. Carpocratian Here­tikes held that Christ was the naturall sonne of Ioseph: & verus. & merus h [...]m [...]. Contrary to text, Mat. 1. 25. Luk. 3. 23. See the Gospell Dom. 1. post Epiphan.

• In his birth against
  • Augustin. de Haeresib. cap. 82. & contra Iu­lian. lib. 1. cap. 2.
    Iouinian.
  • Swar [...]z tom. 2. in 3. Thom. disput. 5. sect. 2.
    Durandus.

Vnto these that of Esay 7 is opposed: Ecce [...], & pariet filium. The which words are to be construed in cen­su composito, non diuiso: scilicet integra perman [...]e [...] & concep­tura, & paritura: nam quale signum vel prodigium esset vt quae fuit virgo conciperet, & corrupta pareretAugust. epist. 3.? Hic si ratio quae­ritur, non erit mirabile. Si poscitur exemplum, non erit singu­lare. Demus Deum aliquid posse, quod nos fateamur inuestigare non posse.Idem [...]pist. 146 & Enchirid. cap. 34. Si v [...]l per nasccutem corrumperetur eius integritas, non iam ille de virgine nasce­retur, vti tota confitetur Ec­clisia. Fides adsit, & nulla quaestio remanebit. See the Gos­pell of the purification.

• After his birth against the
  • Old
    Hieron. lib. adue [...]s. Heluid. & Augustin. [...]ae­res. 84.
    Heluidians.
  • New Antidicomarianits, hol­ding it a point of zeale to disgrace this holy Virgin: where­as it is our dutie
    Master Per­kins vpon this article.
    rather highly to reuerence her, as being the Mother of our Lord; a Prophetesse on earth, a Saint in heauen, (as the
    August. ser. 15 de temp. Fulgent. ser. de lau [...]ib. Mariae.
    Fathers vsually) the window of heauen, through which it pleased the light of the world, to illumi­nate such as fit in darknesse, and in the shadow of death. Of such estimation in the Church, that whereas the
    Nicen.
    first ge­nerall Councell was assembled against Arrius, to maintaine the honour of the Sonne, and so by consequence of the Fa­ther: The
    Constantino­politan.
    second against Macedonius, to maintaine the honour of the holy Ghost: The
    Ephesi [...].
    third was assembled a­gainst Nestorius, to
    Swar [...]z praes. disp [...], t [...]m [...]. in 3. Thom. Magdeburg. ce [...]t. 5. col. 889.
    maintaine the dignitie of the blessed Virgin. And therefore let not vs giue her too little, though the Papists haue giuen her too much. See Gospell on the Annunciation.

Passion.

• Christs passion is set downe
  • First summarily,
    • Suffered vnder Pontius Pilat.
  • Then particularly,
    • Crucified,
    • Dead,
    • Buried.

[Page 39] All which our Sauiour did not endure for himselfe, but for vs. HeEsay 53 5.was wounded for our transgressions, and broken for our iniquities. InAmbros. de fide ad Gration. lib. 2. cap. 3.me, & pro me doluit, qui pro se nihil habuit quod doleret. O Domine Iesu doles non tua, sed v [...]laera mea. He1. Pet. 2. 21. suffered for vs, leauing vs an example,August. ser. 8. de temp. that his pas­sion might deliuer vs from sinne, and his actions direct vs to vertue; teaching patience, humilitie, obedience, charitie. Greater patience cannot bee found, then for the author of life, to suffer an ignominious death iniustly; no greater hu­militie, then for the Lord of all Lords to submit himselfe to be crucified among theeues; nor greater obedience, then to be willing rather to die, then not to fulfill the comman­dement of his Father; nor greater charitie, then to lose his life, to saue his enemies. For loue is more shewed in deedes, then in words, and more in suffering then in doing. See Gospell on Sunday before Easter, and Epistle 2. Sunday af­ter Easter.

Exaltation.

Note the Creeds order answerable to the Scripture. For ChristLuke 24. 26. first suffered, and then entred into glorie. Teaching vs hereby, that we must first beare with him the Crosse, be­fore wee can weare with him the Crowne. Christianus, as Loc. Com. tit. calamit. Luther said, is Crucianus. As a lilie among the thornes: so is my loue among the daughters: Cant. 2. 2.

• Christs exaltation hath foure parts: his
  • 1. Triumph in hell.
  • 2. Resurrection.
  • 3. Ascension.
  • 4. Session.

I make Christs descending into hell a part of his aduance­ment, rather then abasement, because this generall Creed, of the whole Church, and the particular confession of our Art. 3. Church, make it a distinct article following Christs Suffe­ring, Death, Buriall: and therfore cannot aptly be construed of his agonie in the garden before his death, nor of his tor­tures on the Crosse at his death, nor yet of his buriall after [Page 40] his death: Ergo, Credendum est Christum ad inferos in ge­nere: credibile ad inferos damnatorum in specie, triumphandi gratia secundùm animans realiter, & localiter descendisse. That as hee did ouercome the world on earth, and death in the graue: so likewise he did triumph ouer Satan in the courts of hell his owne kingdome. For my owne part, I rest my self in the iudgement of the Church wherein I liue, and hold it enough to beleeue that Christ did so much, and suffered so much, as was sufficient for all: efficient for me: praying with the Greeke Fathers in their Liturgie; By thine vnknowne sorrowes and sufferings felt by thee: but not distinctly manifest to vs: haue mercie on vs, and saue vs. OBonauent. diaeta salutis, cap. 26. gracelesse peeuish­nes, we scantly follow Christ to heauen: albeit wee beleeue that he went for vs into hell.

Christs resurrection is theChurch Hom. for Easter day. locke and key of all our Christian religion and faith: on which all other articles hang. See the Gospell on S. Thomas and Easter day.

• In Christs ascension 3. points obseruable:
  • Place: Mount Oliuet.
  • Time: When hee had taught his Di­sciples, and while they beheld him.
  • Manner: A cloud tooke him vp out of their sight: Act 1. 9. See the Epistle for Ascension day.

• Christs Session is set foorth by the
  • Place: Heauen: that is,
    Ephes. 4. 10. Acts 7. 56.
    Heauen of heauen.
  • Effect: Comming to Iudgement.

• To
  August. in En­chirid. cap. 55.
  iudge the quick & the dead
  • Spiritually: The good which liue with the spirituall life of grace. The bad, which are spiritually dead in sinne.
  • Corporally: Because at that day most shall be dead, and many shall be found aliue, who in the twinck­ling of an eye shall suddenly be changed, as S.
    1. Cor. 15. 51. 52.
    Paul tels vs. Origen thinketh that the Priest had bels in the lower part of his roabe, to put vs in minde of the end of the world. Our good God hath prepared such
    1. Cor. 2. 9.
    things for vs, as eye hath not seene, neither eare hath heard, neither came into mans heart.
    August. de Symb. ad Cate [...]. lib. 3. cap. 11.
    Si in cor hominis non ascendit, cor hominis illuc ascendat. Seeing the Iudge shall come from heauen, let vs [Page 41] before send thither our hearts to meete him: and in the meane while thence to looke for him, Philip. 3. 20. He hath said it, who is truth it selfe: Surely I come quickly, Amen, euen so come Lord Iesus.

I beleeue in the holy Ghost.] TheRamus de Religion. Christ. lib. 1. cap. 19. Godhead of the Father is especially manifested in the Law, the Godhead of the Sonne especially manifested in the Gospell, the Godhead of the holy Ghost especially manifested in the Creed: inti­mating so much in foure words as the whole Bible con­taines of this argument; namely, first, that the holy Ghost isActs 5. 3. 4. God, otherwise we might not beleeue in him. Second­ly, that hee is aMatth. 28. 19. distinct person from the Father, and the Sonne: I beleeue in the Father: in the Sonne: in the holy Ghost. And thirdly, that he proceedeth from theIohn 15. 26. Father, and the Sonne, infolded in the Title, holy Ghost. For albeit the Fa­ther is holie, the Sonne holie, the Father a Spirit, and the Sonne a Spirit, in respect of their nature: yet only the third person is the holy Spirit, in regard of his office. The holy, be­cause beside the holinesse of nature, his speciall office is to make the Church holy. The Father sanctifieth by the Sonne and by the holy Ghost: the Sonne sanctifieth from the Fa­ther by the holie Ghost: the holie Ghost sanctifieth from the Father and the Sonne by himselfe immediatly. As wee beleeue that the Father is our Creator, the Sonne our Re­deemer; so likewise that the holie Ghost is our Sanctifier.

Againe, the third person is termed the Spirit, not onely in regard of his nature, which is spirituall, but because hee is spired, or breathed from the Father and the Sonne: in that he proceeds from them both. How, I cannot say, you need not search, only beleeue. For as theEsay 53. 6. Prophet said of the Sonne, Who shall declare his generation? so the most iudicious Do­ctor Cont. Maxim. lib. 3. cap. 14. [...]om. 6. [...]ol. 507. Augustine, of the holie Ghost, Who shall declare his pro­cession? Inter illam generationem, & hanc processionem distin­guere nescio, non valeo, non sufficio. Quia & illa, & ista est inef­fabilis. And therefore as theConfess. lib. 12. cap. 5. same Father in the like case: Dum sibi haec dicit humana cogitatio, conetur eam vel nosse ig­norando, vel ignorare noscendo. See the Gospell Dom. post Ascension.

[Page 42] The holy Catholike Church.] The second part of the Creed concernes the Church: for asEnchirid. c. 56 Augustine obserueth, the right order of a Confession did require, that after the Trini­tie, should be ioyned the Church, as the house for the owner, and citie for the founder.Idem lib. 4. desymbol. ad Catech. cap. 10. Againe, the Creede doth end with the Church, as it did begin with God; to put vs in minde that except we haue the Church for our mother, we neuer shall haue God for our father.

The Church is described heere by properties, and prero­gatiues.

• Her properties are three:
  • 1. Holy.
  • 2. Catholike.
  • 3. Knit in a communion.

• Her prerogatiues are likewise three:
  • 1. In the soule, remission of sinnes.
  • 2. In the body, resurrection of the flesh.
  • 3. Both in bodie and soule, life euerla­lasting.

The word, Credo, must be repeated in this article: but the prepositionRuffi [...]. & Thomas 22 [...]. quaest. 1. [...]. 9. (In) omitted, by which the Creator is distin­guished from the creatures, and things pertaining to God from things pertaining to men. It is said, I bel [...]eue in God, in the Sonne, in the holie Ghost: but in all the rest, where the speech is not of the Godhead, (In) is not added. I beleeue there is an holy Church, as a companie gathered to God, not in the Church as God. So the best copies and theCat [...]chis. Con­cil. Trident. Bellarm. ledis­ma. worst too, reade.

• Church is v­sed in a sense
  • Ciuill, for an ordinarie assemblie: Acts 19. 32. 39.
  • Ecclesiasti­call, for
    • Holy places, 1. Cor. 14. 34. [...]
    • Holy per­sons,
      • Seuera [...]; for eue­ry faithful persō is the Church of God, 1. Cor. 3. 16 loyntly, gathered together.

• In
  • One house: Rom. 16. 5.
  • One eitie or countrie: the Church of Sardi, Ephesus: Apocal. 3.
  • The whole world; as in this article. [...]

[Page 43] For all men and Angels elected to life euerlasting, and made one in Christ.

It hath the name both in Greeke and Latine ofEcclesia Au­gustin. exposit. epist. ad Rom. [...]om. 4. fol. 833. calling out and seuering from other, as being indeed a1. Pet. 2. 9. chosen and peculiar people: Bucanus loc. cem. tit. eccles. & Melchior. Can [...]s loc. [...]om. lib. 4. cap. 2. [...], quas: [...].

Not Churches, but Church. Because all the congregations of the faithfull in the whole world make butCant. 6. 8. one onely Church. For as a kingdome diuided into many shires, and more townes, is called one, because it hath one and the same King, one and the same law: so the Church is one,Ephes. 4. 5. because it liueth by one and the same spirit, and is ruled by one and the same Lord, and professeth one and the same faith: not one as tied vnto one place, much lesse vnto one person; as the Papists iniuriously confine it: for as all of them make the Catholike Church to be nothing else but the Roman Church; so some of them haue made the Roman Church nothing else but the Pope. Papa virtualiter est tota ecclesia. saithB. Iewel. 6. part. defence of apolog. fol. 610. Haruaeus in lib. de potestate Papae, cap. 23. As the tumultuous Ana­baptists had framed a Church likeLib. 7. cap. 2. Na [...]. hist. Plinies Acephali, all body and no head: so the Romish parasites haue built a Church like thePlautus in Triuum act. 4. sc. 2. Toadestoole, all head and no body. See Epistle Dom. 17. post Trinit.

Holy.] There are many wicked in the Church, and the best men haue some faults; how then is it holy?Loc. com. tit. ecclesia. Luther answereth in a word: If I looke vpon my selfe, or my neigh­bour, I cannot perceiue that the Church is holy: but if I loooke vpon Christ, who tooke away the sins of the world, then I see it all holy. It is said well, I beleeue: for we cannot see this holinesse ouershadowed with manifold infirmities outwardly, though the KingsPsal. 45. 14. daughter is all glorious in­wardly.

Ephes. 5. 26. Sanctified by the washing of water through the word, that is, made cleane from all sinne by the precious bloud of Christ, which is daily presented vnto vs both in the Word and in the Sacraments.

• [Page 44]The Church then is holie three waies in respect:
  • 1. Of her
    Rom. 1 [...]. 5. Ephes. 1. 23.
    head: which is most holie; like as one that hath a faire face is said to be a faire man, albeit hee haue some crooked finger, or gou­tie toe.
  • 2. Of her faith: which is holy, forma­liter & effectiue: an
    Psal. 19. 7.
    vndefiled law conuerting the soule, in it selfe ho­ly: which forbids nothing but that which is euill, and doth not inioine any thing but that which is good, and making other holy: being the
    Rom. 1. 16.
    power of God vnto saluation.
  • 3. In regard of her life: which is holy,
    Caluin. Cate­chis.
    free from sin
    1. Epist. Iohn 3. 9. Re [...]elus non facit pec­catum, quia pa­titur potius, vti Bernard.
    raigning and con­demning: euen in this world made holy by sanctification partially: by imputation of righteousnesse per­fectly.

This must be construed of the Church inuisible, the tri­umphant part whereof is most holy, the militant more ho­lie, then Infidels, Iewes, Turkes, Heretikes, and other out of the Church, who cannot inioy the gift of sanctification: I say more holy, because in this life we receiue (saithRom. 8 23. Paul) but the first fruits of the spirit, not the tenths of the spirit, saith Vbi supra. Luther: and thereforeIdem ibidem tit. de profectu in Christia­nismo. Christianus non est in facto, sed in fieri; notChurch of Sect. in exposit. of the Creed. so perfect, but that hee neede to stoope vnder mercie.

Now for the Church visible: that is a field wherein are Tares as well as wheate, and both must grow together vn­till the great haruest, Matth. 13. compared to the Moone, Reuel. 12. 1. sometime decreasing, sometime increasing: but when it is in the full, it hath some spots: and therefore Brow­nists and Anabaptists obtrude more perfection vpon the Church then God requires.

Heauen hath none but good, Hell none but bad, Earth both good and bad. Caluin. aduer­sus Anabaptist. art. 2. Cum subspecie s [...]udij perfectionis, im­perfectionem nullam tolerare possamus, aut in corpore, aut in [Page 45] membris ecclesiae; tun [...] di ibolum nos tumefacere superbia, & [...]poerisi seducere moneamur.

Catholike.] This word is vsed some for Orthodoxall; in which senseBaronius an­nal. tom. 1. fol. 310. Pacianus said, Christian is my name, Catho­like my surname. So Rome was, England is, a Catholike Church. But it properly signifieth vniuersall, as here: becauseChrysest. in 4. ad Ephes. ex­tended to all places, and all times, and all persons, not only those who are now liuing, but also those who haue been from the beginning, and shall be to the end of the world. So that to say the Roman Catholike Church, is like the by­word of Kent and Christendome: all one as to say, the parti­cular, or the speciall generall Church.

From this naturall acception ariseth that other borowed, as in the Creed of Athanasius: Haec est fides Catholica: that is, Vincentius [...]winenis con­tra haeres. cap. 3. quod vbique, quod semper, quod ab omnibus creditum est. The Catholike faith is that which is taughtMelchior Canus loc. com. lib. 4. cap. vlt. all men: Matth. 28. 19. Mark. 16. 15. in all places, Rom. 10. 18. at all times, 2. Cor. 1. 19. And Psal. 119. Thy word O Lord indureth for euer, and thy truth also from generation to generation.

August. tract. 40. in Iohan. Fides est vides in vs quae non vides, anHeb. 11. 1. euidence of things not euident. So that the Church we must beleeue is Ca­tholike; not sensible, subiect to view: but inuisible, an object of faith.

Communion of Saints.] The Churches third propertie whichErasmus in Symb. expoundeth the two former: I beleeue the Catholike Church Church of Scot. expos. of the Creed., to wit, the communion of Saints. If a communion, then Catholike; if Saints, then holy.

• This commu­nion hath two parts: fellowship
  • Of the members with the head, because eue­ry Christian hath interest in all the be­nefits of Christ, who is not a garden flower priuate for a few, but
    Cant. 2. 1.
    the Rose of the field common to all: and there­fore S. Iude calles his grace, the Com­mon saluation.
  • Of the mēbers one with ano­ther: and it is either of the
    • Liuing with the liuing.
    • Dead, with the liuing.

[Page 46] As in the naturall body: so in the Church, Christs mysti­call body, there is a pe [...]petuall sympathie betwen ethe parts, 1. Cor. 12. if one member suffer, all suffer with it; if one be had in ho­nour, all reioice with it.

Martin Luther said well and witt [...]y,Loc. com. tit. de Christiano.that a Christian is a freeman, and bound vnto none. And againe, that he is a di­ligent seruant and vassall vnto all. Vere vir omnium h [...]rarum, omnium operum, omnium personarura: becoming all things vnto all men, that he may winne them vnto Christ. As that Antichristian in stile, so the Christian is in deed: Ser [...]us ser­uorum Dei.

There is a knot of fellowship also betweene the dead Saints and the liuing. They pray to God for our good in Apocal. 6. 10. generall: and we praise God for their good in particular. I say we praise God in hisLaudate deum in sanctis. Psal. 150. 1. vt Au­gustin. Hieron. &c. Saints particularly, for giuing Mary, Peter, Paul, such eminent graces on earth: and now such vnspeakable glory in heauen. In affection and heart wePhil. 3. 20. The Churches first preroga­tiue. conuerse with them, alway desiring to be dissolued, and to be with Christ.

Remission of sinnes] All of vs are borne in sinne, orius dam­nati, quam nati, (saith Bernard) and after increasing we grow from euill to worse, vntill our sinnes are remitted by Gods grace, conueied vnto vs in the Church by his holy word and Sacraments: it is a remission, not a satisfaction; a worke not of our merit, but of Gods mercy, who beholding vs in Christ, reputes our sinnes as no sinnes. I Esay 44 22. haue put away thy transgressiōs as a cloud, & thy sins as a mist, so remitted as if they neuer were committed. Agaus D [...]i qui tollit peccata mundi,Lomb. sent. lib. 4. dist. 18.di­mittendo quae facta sunt, & adiuuando ne fiant, & perducendo ad vitam vbi emnino fieri non possunt.

Sinnes in the plurall, be they neuer so many for quantitie: neuer so grieuous for qualitie. Say not with Cai [...]e Gen. 4. 15., My sinne is greater then can be pardoned; but withRom. 8. 28. Paul, All things worke for the best vnto them who loue God. Remember (saithLoc. com. tit. de ubieribus conscien. Luther) the speech of God to Rebecca: Maior ser­uiet minori: The greater shall serue the lesser. Our spirituall enemies are stronger, and our sinnes are greater then we; yet they shall serue for our good: the greater shall serue [Page 47] the lesser, I beleeue the r [...]mission of sinnes. A very great be­nefit, because this pardon is our soules life.

• Where the
  Rom. 6. 23.
  wages of sin is death of
  • Rom. [...]. 12.
    Bodie, which is the temporall
  • T [...]. 5. 6.
    Soule, which is the [...]rituall
  • Eze [...]h. 33. 11.
    Body & soule, which is eternall
  • death.

See the Epistle Dom. 7. post Trinit.

Resurrection of the bodie.] The whole Creed in grosse, and euery parcell argueth a resu [...]rection: asIn symbol. Erasmus aptly. This one article is the Basis of all the rest:Ath [...]nagoras lib. de re [...]ur. [...] The second pre­rogatiue. for if there be a God almightie, then hee is iust; and if iust, then another reckoning in another world, where good men shall be re­warded, and euill condignely punished. If a Iesus Christ who is our Sauiour, then hee must1. Ioh. epist. 3. 8. dissolue the workes of Satan, which are sinne and death: if an holy Ghost, then all his hallowed temples, who did glorifie him heere, shall bee glorified of him hereafter. If a Church which is holy, then a remission of sinnes, a resurrection of the bodie, a life euer­lasting, that all such as haue been subiects in his kingdome of grace, may likewise bee Saints in his kingdome of glory: Io. Combis compend. Theo­log. lib. 4. cap. 1. The third pre­rogatiue. for as God is principium effectiuum in creatione, refectiuum in redemptione: so, perfectiuum in retributione.

Life euerlasting.] The chiefe good, and last end which we gaine by being in the Church. All men on earth haue life, but not euerlasting; the damned in hell endure that which is euerlasting, yet not a life, but an eternall death, as being perpetually tied vnto torments, enforced euer to suf­fer that they would not, neither can they doe any thing that they would: only the Church elected by the Father, redeemed by the Sonne, sanctified by the holy Ghost, shall enioy life euerlasting; not by purchase or inheritance, but byLuke 12. 32. donation and franke almaine. The spirituall hand which apprehends this deede of gift is faith: and therefore begin well with I beleeue in God, and continue well in be­ing a member of his Holy Catholike Church, and thou shalt be sure to end well with euerlasting life.

Amen.] Our assent to the Creed, signifying hereby that all which we haue said is2. Cor. 1. 20. true and certaine.

Ruth 2. 4.

THe Nouelists haue censured this, and other like Suffra­ges, asT. C. lib. 1. pag. 138 & lib. 3. pag. 210. short cuts or shreddings, rather wishes, then pray­ers. A rude speech, which sauoureth of the shop, more then of the schoole: for our Church imitated herein the meeke Luke 18. 13. Publicane, O God be mercifull to me a sinner: and the good womā ofMatth. 15. 22 Cannan, Haue mercie on me O Lord: and deuout Mark. 10. 48. Barti [...]us; O sonne of Dauid take pitie on me. These short shreddings and lists are of more value then their Northren broad cloath: the which (as wee see) shrinkes in the wet­ting: whereas our ancient custome hath continued in the Church aboue 1200 yeeres: for Augustine writes,Cap. 10. cius­dem. epist. 121, that the Christiās of Egypt vsed in their Liturgy many prayers, euery one of thē being very short, raptim quodam­modoHuiusmodi quid Bernar­dus etiam ser. 16. in Psalm. Qui habitat.e [...]aculatas, as if they were darts throwne out with a kind of sudden quicknes, lest y^• vigilant and erect attention of minde, which in deuotion is very requisite, should be wa­sted and dulled through continuance, if their prayers were few, and long. Nam plerum (que) hoc negotium plus gemitibus quàm sermonibus agitur, plus fletu quàm afflatu, saith the same Father in the same place. Peruse that learned epistle, for it is a sufficient apologie both for the length of our whole seruice, as also for the shortnes of our seuerall prayers. If Augustine now liued, and were made vmpire betweene the Nouelists and vs, he would rather approue many short praiers in England, then those two long praiers, one before, and the other after sermon, in Scotland and Geneua.

For this particular Dominus vobiscum, it is taken out of the second chapter of Ruth: an vsuall salutation among Gods people: Iudg. 6. 12. Luke 1. 28.

And therefore the like among vs, as God saue you: God blesse you: God speed, &c. are not idle complements, or taking Gods holy name in vaine: but Christian and commendable duties. See Gospell Dom. 6. post Trinit. and Gospell on the Annunciation.

This and the like salutations or benedictions in the time of diuine seruice betweene the Priest and people, are of great [Page 49] antiquitie, and good vse. For in the Liturgies of S. Iames, Basil, Chrysostome, and that of theBibliothec. pat. tom. 4. col. 111. Aethiopians, I finde that the Priest was wont to say, Pax vobis: and the people re­plied, Et cum spiritus tuo. In that old Liturgie of Spaine, cal­led Ibid. col. 108. Mozarabe, because the Christians were mingled with Arabians, it is enioyned that the Priest should say, Dominus vobiscum, as in our booke; and the people, as ours, answered, Et cum spiritu tuo. Againe, Adiuuate me fratres in orationibus vestris, and the whole companie replied, Adiuuet te Pater, filius, spiritus sanctus. It is reported byLib. 2. de Mis­sa, cap. 16. Bellarmine andLib. de scrip­tor. Ecclesiast. fol. 51. Tri­tenhemius, that one Petrus Damianus hath written an whole booke of this argument, intituled, Dominus vobiscum: in which (as it should seeme) sundrie needlesse questions are discussed; hee liued in the daies of William the Conquerour, therefore thought probable that it was vsed in the Latine Church euer since their Liturgie was composed by Dama­sus, about the yeere 376: deduced out of the Greeke Chur­ches into the Romane, asAnnot. in Ter­tull. de Corona militis. Beatus Rhenanus, and Master Acts and Mo­numents, fol. 1274. 1275. Fox coniecture.

Cum spiritu tuo.

THe peoples answere, Cum spiritu tuo, is taken out of the secondCap. 4. ver. 22. Epistle of Paul to Timothie: The Lord Iesus Christ be with thy spirit. It answereth the reapers answere to Boaz; The Lord blesse thee. These mutuall salutationsDurandus ra­tional. diuin. lib. 4. cap. 14. §. 5 insi­nuate sweete agreement and loue betweene the Pastor and parishioners: it is the Ministers office to begin, and the peo­ples dutie to correspond in good affection and kindnes: for loue is the adamant of loue. When the Minister is a Paul, the people must be Galatians, if it wereGalat. 4. 15.possible, willing to pull out their eyes, and to giue them for his good: Caluin. in loc. ad Galat. not only to reuerence his place, but also to loue his person.

A Pastor cannot vse to the people a better wish then, The Lord be with you. ForRom. 8. 31. if God be with them, who can be against them? and the people cannot make a fitter reply, then, with thy spirit. For (as Plato diuinely said) euery mans soule is himselfe.

Againe, forasmuch as God is a spirit Iob. 4. 24., and ought to bee [Page 50] worshipped in spirit; it is meete we should performe this spi­rituall seruice with all carnest contention and intention of spirit. See Magnificat.

Christ promised, Matth. 18. to bee with vs in our deuo­tion, in the middest of vs, when wee meete to pray. But,Ser. de eo, vbi duo aut tres. as Eusebius Emissenus obserueth, how shall God be in the mid­dest of thee, when as thou art not in the middest of thy selfe? Quomodo erit deus in medio t [...]i, si tecum ipse non fueris? If the aduocate sleepe, how shall the Iudge awake? No maruell if thou lose thy suite, when as in praying thou losest thy selfe.

Prayer is the Christians gunshot (saithLoc. com. tit. inuocat. Luther) Oratio, bombardae Christianorum. As then a bullet out of a gun: so prayers out of our mouth, can goe no further then the spirit doth carrie them: if they beBernard. ser. 4. de Ieiunio & orat. Timidae, they cannot flie far: if Tumidae, not pearce much; only feruent and humble de­uotion hitteth the marke; penetrating the walles of heauen, albeit they were brasse, and the gates iron.

The Church hath placed these mutuall responsories at the very beginning of our prayers after the Lessons and Confession of saith: becauseIohn 15. 5. Christ said, Without me ye can doe nothing. Wherefore the Church, as I haue shewed, be­gins her prayers at the first with, O Lord open thou our lips: and here praying afresh, The Lord be with you; begins, I say, with, The Lord bee with you, and ends with, through Iesus Christ our Lord. Signifying hereby that Christ isApocal. 1. 8. Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, without whom we can nei­ther begin well, nor end well. And this is the reason why the Church after this interchangeable salutation, enioynes vs to pray, Lord haue mercie vpon vs: Christ haue mercie vpon vs: Lord &c. vsing an earnest repetition (as I coniecture) rather to presse this one point, then (asBelethus lib. de Diuinis offi­cij [...], cap. 36. other write) to no­tifie the three diuine persons.

And it is worth obseruing, that we conclude these short Suffrages, as we began: for as in the first we desire the Lord to be with vs and our spirit; so likewise in the last, that hee would not take his holie spirit from vs, but accompanie the whole Church vnto the end and in the end.

I am occasioned in this place iustly to defend the peoples [Page 51] answering the Minister aloud in the Church. The begin­ning of which interlocutorie passages, is ascribed byIn vita Da­masi. Pla­tina to Damasus Bishop of Rome; byLib. 2. hist. cap. 24. Magde­burg. cent. 4. col. 897. Theodoret to Diodo­rus Bishop of Antioch; byLib. de rebus Eccles. cap. 25. alludens forsi­tan ad Hexam. Amoros. lib. 3. cap. 5. Walafridus Strabo to S. Am­brose Bishop of Millane: all which liued 1100 yeeres before the Church was acquainted with any French fashions: and yet Basil, epist. 63. alleageth that the Churches of Egypt, Li­bya, Thebes, Palestina, Phoenicians, Syrians, Mesopotamiās, vsed it long before.Ecclesiast. hist. lib. 6. cap. 8. Socrates andVbi supra. Strabo write, that Ig­naetius, a scholler vntoHieron. cata­log. script. Eccl. in vita Ignat. Muscul. in Mat. 26. 30. thinkes that Christ and his Apostles v­sed it. Christs owne schollers, is thought to be the first author hereof. If any shall expect greater an­tiquitie and authoritie, wee can fetch this order euen from the quier of heauen: I saw the Lord (saidCap 6. 3. Esay) set on an high Throne, the Seraphims stood vpon it, and one cried to ano­ther saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hostes, all the world is full of his glorie.

Blessed spirits in praising God answere one another in­terchangeably: though vnhappie scornefull spirits vnman­nerly terme this custome,T. C. lib. 1. pag. 203. Tossing of seruice. But it may be said of them, asLib. contra Heluidium in initio. H [...]erome wrote of Heluidius: Existimant loquacitatem esse facundiam, & maledicere omnibus bonae con­scientiae signum arbitr [...]tur.

The Magnificat.
LVKE 1. 46. My soule doth magnifie the Lord.

THis Hymne is nothing else, but a grace, for grace: great thankes, for great things receiued of the Lord. Where­in obserue theModus & causa, Gorran. in locum. manner and matter of the Virgins exulta­tion: or a thanksgiuing in the two former verses: and a reason in the rest, For he hath regarded &c.

I purpose to [...]ift euery word of the former part seuerally: and because there is (asCom. in 1. Ga­lat. vers. 4. My. Luther saith) great Diuinitie in pronounes, I will first examine the pronoune My: my soule, my spirit, my Sauiour. It is not enough y^t other pray for vs, except our selues praise God for our selues. He that goeth to Church by an attorney, shal go to heauē also by a proxie.

[Page 52] There is an oldMensa philo­sophica sab. de mercator. Legend of a Merchant, who neuer would go to Masse: but euer when he heard the Saints bell, he said to his wife, Pray thou for thee and me. Vpon a time hee dreamed that hee and his wife were dead, and that they knocked at heauen gate for entrance: S. Peter the porter (for so goeth the tale) suffered his wife to enter in, but thrust him out, saying, Illa intrauit pro se & te: as thy wife went to Church for thee, so likewise she must goe to heauen for thee. The morall is good, howsoeuer the storie be bad: in­sinuating that euery one must haue both a personalitie of faith, my Sauiour: and a personalitie of deuotion, my soule, my spirit.Ambros. lib. 1. de officijs, cap. 8.Officium is efficium, it is not enough that the ma­ster enioyne his familie to pray, or the father heare his child pray, or the Teacher exhort his people to pray: but as eue­ry one hath tasted of Gods bountie, so euery one must per­forme this dutie, hauing oyle of hisMatth. 25. 4. owne in his owne lampe, saying and praying with the blessed Virgin, My soule, my spirit.

Soule. Soule.] As if she should thus speake, Thy benefits O Lord are so good, so great, so manifest, so manifold,B [...]da in loc. that I can not accord them with my tongue, but only record them in my heart. It is truly said, he loues but little, who tels how much he loues: and so surely hee praiseth God but little, who makes it a tongue-toile and a lip-labor only. Mark. 7. 6. This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is farre from me. God who gaue all, will haue all, and yet aboue all requireth the soule.Prou. 23. 26. Sonne giue me thy heart: for that a­lone commands all other members, as theMatth. 8. 9. Centurion did his souldiers. It saith to the foote, goe, and it goeth; vnto the hand, come, and it commeth; vnto the rest, doe this, and they doe it. It doth bend the knees, and ioyne the hands, and lift vp the eye, composeth the countenance, disposeth of the whole man: and therefore as that otherLuke 10. 42. Mary chose the better part, so this Mary bestowed vpon God her best part, her soule did magnifie, her spirit reioyced.

Some Diuines expound these words ioyntly, some seue­rally. The word spirit is vsed in the holie Scripture some­time for the whole soule. 1. Cor. 7. 34. The woman vnma­ried [Page 53] careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit, that is,Ambros. com. in loc. in soule.

So S. Augustine thinks that these two words here signifie the same, because the latter phrase, my spirit reioiceth in God my Sauiour, is nothing else but an exegesis of the former, my soule doth magnifie the Lord: insinuating by this repetition, my soule, my spirit, that her deuotion was not hypocriticall, but cordiall and vnfained. It is obserued in nature, that the Fox doth nip the necke, the Mastiue the throat, the Ferret the liuer, but God especially careth for the heart: being (as Ambrose speakes excellently) Non corticis, sed cordis deus.

And therefore Mary was not content to praise the Lord from the rine of her lips only, but also from the roote of her heart. SoPsal. 103. 1. Dauid did pray, Praise the Lord O my soule, and all that is within mee praise his holy name. SoColess. 3. 16. Paul would haue vs pray: Sing to the Lord with a grace in your hearts. And so the Church doth desire that the Priest (who is the mouth of the people) should pray, The Lord be with you, saith the Minister, and the whole congregation answereth, And with thy spirit. Caroliu mag­nus fragment. de ritibus eccl. veteris, Cassan­der Liturgica, cap. 21. Heereby signifying, that this holy busi­nesse ought to be performed with all attention and inten­tion of spirit.

Diuines interpreting these two seuerally, distinguish be­tweene soule and spirit: and so doth the Scripture, 1. Cor. 15. 45. The first man Adam was made a liuing soule; the last Adam a quickening spirit. Soule is that by which we liue na­turally: spirit is that, by which we liue through grace super­naturally. Or (Calu. in loc. as other) soule signifieth the will, and spirit the vnderstanding: as Heb. 4. 12. The word of God is liuely and mighty in operation, and sharper then any two edged sword, and entreth thorow, euen vnto the diuiding asunder of the soule and spirit: that is,Beza in loc. of the will and vnderstanding.

So that Mary saying here, my soule and my spirit, doth intimate that she did praise the Lord with attention in her vnderstanding, and deuotion in her affection. They praise God with halfe an heart, who either hauing deuotion, want vnderstanding: or else indued with vnderstanding, want deuotion: and so while men pray with the soule with­out [Page 54] a spirit, or with the spirit, without a soule, their heart is diuided (as the ProphetOse 10. cap. 2. Ose: Diuisum est cor eorum:) and God hath but one part, happily the least peece.

The line then to be drawne from this example is, first that we pray with our heart: secondly, with our whole heart, with all our soule, with all our spirit.

Doth]Doth. In the present. For as a gift to man, so glory to God, is most acceptable when as it is seasonable: not defer­red, but conferred in time.Aus [...]nius epi­gram. 84. Gratia quae tarda est, ingrata est gratia. Seneca lib. 2. de beneficijs cap. 5. Proprium est libenter facientis, citò facere.

Magnifie]Magnifie. The word signifieth highly to commend, and extoll: Magnum facere, to make great. Now God is opti­mus maximus, already most great, and therefore cannot be made more great in regard of himselfe: but all our vilifying and magnifying the Lord, is in respect of others onely.

When wee blasheme the most holy name of God, as much as in vs lieth, we less [...]n his greatnes: when we blesse his name, so much as in vs is, we magnifie his glory, making that which is great in it selfe, to be reputed great of other. AsLexie. Theol. verb. magnifi­cati [...]. one fitly, Magnificare nihil aliud est nisi magnum sig­nificare.

This magnifying consists in our conuersation especially. Noli (saithIn Psal. 133. Augustine) gloriari quia lingua benedi [...]is, si vita maledicis. 1. Pet, 2. 12. Haue your conuersation honest among the Gentiles, that they which speake euill of you, may by your good works, which they shall see, glorifie God in the day of the visitation.

God is magnified of vs (asCom. in Luc. lib. 2. cap. 1. Ambrose and Origen note) when as his image is repaired in vs.Gen. 1. 26. He created man ac­cording to his likenes: that is, asEphes. 4. 24. Paul doth interpret it, in righteousnes & holinesse. So that the more grace we, the more glo [...]y God: he doth appeare greater in vs, albeit he cannot be made greater by vs. He doth not increase, but we grow from grace to grace, from vertue to vertue: the which ought principally to stirre vs vp vnto this dutie, for that our selues are magnified, in magnifying him: as Mary sheweth here, My soule doth magnifie the Lord, vers. 46. And, The Lord hath magnified me, vers. 49.August. in Psal. 66. Qui maledicit domino, ipse [Page 55] minuitur, qui benedicit, angetur: prior est in nobis benedictio domini, & consequens est, vt & nos benedicamus domino: illa pluuia, iste fructus.

The Lord.The Lord.] Lord is a name1. Cor. 8. 6. of might, Sauiour of mercie. Mary then (as Augustine andMaldonat. in loc. other obserue) praiseth him alone, who is able to helpe, because the Lord; and willing, because a Sauiour.

And my spiritSpirit. ]Caluin. & Marlorat. i [...] loc. Such as distinguish betweene soule and spirit, make this a reason of the former verse: My spirit hath reioiced in God my Sauiour, and therefore my soule doth mag­nifie the Lord: according to that of S.Iames 5. 13. Iames; Is any merry? let him sing. So that this exultation of Mary, caused her ex­altation of God.

Inward re [...]oicing in spirit, is a great signe of a good con­science, Prou. 15. 15. which is a continuall feast. The wicked are oft [...]n merry, sometime mad merrie: but all is but from the t [...]eth outward. For (asProu. 14. 13. Salomon speakes) euen in laughing the heart is sorrowfull, and the end of mirth is heauinesse. But the good man (as the Virgin here) reioiceth in spirit: all worldly meri­ments are more talked of then felt, but inward spirituall re­ioicing is more felt then vttered.

It is (as theZach. 9. 9. Scripture calles it) a Iubilation, an exceeding great ioy, which a man can neither suppresse, nor expresse sufficiently.Anonymus in Psal. 46. Nec reticere, nec recitare: for howsoeuer in the Court of Conscience there be some pleading euery day; yet the godly make it Hilary Terme all the yeere. See Gospell Dom. 1. Aduent. & Dom. 9. post. Trinit.

In God]In God. Happily the spirit of the most wicked at sometime doth reioice, yet not in God, nor in good: but in villanie, and vanitie. Prou. 2. 14. They reioice in doing euill, and delight in frowardnesse: whereas in the good man the ioies obiect is alway good, goodnesse it selfe, God himselfe. Dauid de­lights in the Lord, Mary reioiceth in God. And this is so good a ioy, thatPhil. 4. 4. Paul saith, Reioice in the Lord alwaies, and againe I say reioice. We may reioice in our friends, in our health, in our preferment, in our honest recreation, in many other things, praeter Deum, beside God: yet in all, propter Deum, for God, so farre foorth as they shall increase our spirituall [Page 56] reioicing in the Lord. God forbid (saithGalat. 6. 14. Paul) that I should reioice in any thing but in the crosse of Christ. In any thing in comparison of this, in any thing which might hinder this, and yet in all things for this. See the Epistle Dom. 4. Aduent.

Sauiour]Sauiour. To consider God as a seuere Iudge, would make our heart to tremble: but to consider him in Christ, in whom he is well pleased, is of all ghostly comfort the greatest. And therefore if we desire to reioice in spirit, let vs not behold God in the glasse of the Law, which makes him a dreadfull Iudge: but in the glasse of the Gospell, which shewes him a mercifull Sauiour.

In euery Christian there are two contrary natures; the flesh, and the spirit: and that hee may bee a perfit man in Christ, he must subdue the one, and strengthen the other: the Law is the ministry of death, and serueth fitly for the taming of our rebellious flesh: the Gospell is the power of God vnto life, containing the bountifull promises of God in Christ, and serueth fitly for the strengthening of the spirit. It isLuke 10 34. The Law as wine to search, the Gospell as oyle to supple. oyle to powre into our wounds, and water of life to quench our thirsty soules. As in name, so in nature, the Goodspell, or the Ghosts spell, that is, the word and ioy for the spirit. Mary then had good cause toCaluin. in loc. adde this epi­thete Sauiour, vnto God: My spirit reioiceth in God my Sa­uiour.

My Sauiour] We note two conclusions out of this pro­noune: the first against some Papists; the second against all Papists.Swarez tom. 2. in tertiā Thom. disput. 3. & 4. Some Popish writers affirme, that Mary was con­ceiued and borne without originall sinne, and that she li­ued and died without actuall sinne: contrary to the scrip­ture, Rom. 3. 9. Gal. 3. 22. SoD. Fulk an­not. in Mat. 1. that in honouring the feast of her conception and natiuitie, with the singular priuiledge of Christ, they worship an Idoll, and not her. For an Idoll (as1. Cor. 8. 4. Paul disputes) is nothing in the world: and so is that man or woman conceiued without sinne, except Christ, who was conceiued by the holy Ghost: as none other euer was, or shall be.

Lombard. 3. sent. dist. 3. Bellar. de amis­sione gratiae, lib. 4. cap. 15. They ground this assertion vpon a place of Augu­stine: [Page 57] De nat. & gratia, contra Pelagianos, cap. 36. tom. 7. fol. 506. Excepta sanctae virgine Maria, de qua propter hono­rem domini, nullam prorsus cum de peccatis agitur, habere volo quaestionem. Answere is made, that Augustine elsewhere concludes all vnder sinne (though he did in that place for­beare to rip vp the faults of the mother in honour of her sonne) for in lib. 5.Tom. 7. fol. 742. cap. 9. against Iulian the Pelagian, he doth intimate that Maries bodie was sinfull flesh, conclu­ding peremptorily; fol. 743. Nullus est hominum praeter Christum, qui peccatum non habuerit grādioris aetatis accessu: quia nullus est hominum praeter Christum, qui peccatum non habuerit in­fantilis aetatis exortu. So likewise, Tom. 6. fol. 561 lib. de sancta Virginitate, cap. 3. Beatior Maria percipiendo [...]idem Christi, quàm conci­piendo carnem Christi: nihil enim ei materna propinquitas pro­fuisset, nisi foeliciùs Christum corde, quàm carne gestasset. And in hisTom. 3. fol. 164Treatise, De fide ad Petrum (for the Papists admit that booke) Firmissime crede, & nullatenus dubites, omnem hominem qui per concubitum viri & mul [...]eris concipitur, cum peccato originali nasci, & ob hoc natura filium irae. Thus Au­gustine expounds, and answers Augustine.

Now for holy Scriptures, if there were no more texts in the Bible, this one is omnisufficient, to accuse Marie of some faults, and the Papists of much follie: My spirit reioy­ceth in God my Sauiour. He that hath no sinne, wants not a Sauiour: but Marie reioyced in a Sauiour, therefore she was sorrie for her sinne. The whole neede not a Physitio [...], saith Matth. 9. 12. Christ: but Marie calles for a salue, therefore surely she had some sore: and if any sin, then she cannot be our Me­diatrix, or Aduoca [...]e. Si peccatrix, non deprecatrix. 1. Epist. Iohn 2. cap. Our Ad­uocate is our propitiation for sinne: 2. Cor. 5. 21. but the propitiation for sinne, knew no sinne. Ergo, quae egebat, non agebat aduocatum. And therefore M [...]ry, who needed a Sauiour her selfe, could not be a sauiour of other.

Againe, we gather out of this pronoune my, Maries par­ticular apprehension and application of Christs merits a­gainst all Papists; whoBellarm. lib. 1. de Iustific. cap. 7 tea [...]h that a generall confused im­plicite faith, is enough without any further examination of Scriptures, or distinct beleefe. Contrarie to the practise of Christ, who prayed in our nature and name.

[Page 58] Matth. 27. 46. Deus meus, Deus meus. Of Psal. 118. 28. Dauid, Thou art my God: of Thomas.Ioh. 20. 28. My Lord: of Mary, My Sauiour.

The second part of this Hymne containeth a reason why she did magnifie the Lord, namely for his goodnes.

• Toward
  • Her selfe. He hath regarded the lowlines of his handmaid; he hath magnified me. From hence­forth all generations shall call me blessed.
  • Other.

• Regarded.]
  Regarded.
  God is said in Scripture to regard three waies, (as Augustine notes vpon this place) secundum
  • Cognitionem,
  • Gratiam,
  • Iudiciu [...].

1. His eye of knowledge regardeth all things. Heb. 4. 13 There is not any creature, which is not manifest in his sight, but all things are naked and open vnto him.

2. His fauourable countenance and gratious eye is vp­on them Psal. 33. 18. who feare him, and vpon them who trust in his mercie.

3. God in iudgement will only regard his elect. For he will say to the reprobate,Matth. 25. 12. Verily I know ye not. God regar­ded here Mary with his gratious eie, vouchsafeing to make her both his childe, and his mother. The one is a benefit obtained of veryMatth. 7. 14. few: the other denied vnto all. It was only granted to Mary to be the mother of Christ,Hugo Lincol­niensi [...] vti Su­rius in eius vita.whereas it was denied vnto all men, to be the father of Christ.

This was so great a grace to Mary, that as in this Hymne her selfe doth prophecie: From hencefoorth all generations shall account her blessed.

An Angell of heauen said that she wasLuke 1. 28. full of grace: Gratia plena in se, non àse; in her selfe, but not of her selfe. And therefore her soule did magnifie the Lord, and her spirit reioyced in God her Sauiour; not in regard of her owne greatnes, but in respect of his goodnesse. For so she saith, He hath regarded.

The lo [...]linesse]Lowlinesse. Marlor. in loc. God cannot looke aboue himselfe, be­cause he hath no superiour: nor about himselfe, for that he hath no equall: he regards only such as are below him; and therefore the lower a man is, the neerer vnto God, the more exposed to his sight who lookes from aboue.Psal. 113. 5, 6. Who is [Page 59] like vnto the Lord our God that hath his dwelling so high, and yet humbleth himselfe to behold the things in heauen and earth? He taketh vp the simple out of the dust, and lifteth the poore out of the mire. And Psal. 138. vers. 6. Though the Lord be high, yet hath he respect vnto the lowly: but as for the proud, he beholdeth them a far off. The most high then hath especiall respect to such as are most low.

• Now lowlinesse in holy Scripture is vsed both
  • Actiuely, for humilitie.
  • Passiuely, for humiliation, base­nesse and affliction.

Origen, Beda, Bernard construe this of Maries humilitie: but I thinke with the most, and best, that she meant by low­linesse, her base degree:Maldonat. in locum. For, Humilitas dum prod [...]ur, perdi­tur. He that brags of his humilitie, loseth it. It is (saithCom. in cap. 1. Abdiam. Hie­rome) the Christians Iewell.

Now, saithHom. 27. Macarius, he is a foolish begger who when he findes a Iewell, instantly proclaimes it, Inueni, inueni: for by this meanes he that hath lost it, will demand it againe: so likewise when we boast of any good gift, the Lord who lent, will resume it.

It is improbable then that Mary spake this of her humi­litie: for (as som [...] Iansenius, Beauxamis, Maldonat. in locum. Popish writers obserue) she did in this song ascribe all her happinesse to Gods mercy, and nothing to her owne merit.

It is true, that as death is the last1 Cor. 15. 26.enemie: so pride the last sinne that shall be destroied in vs.Innocentius de contemptu mundi, lib. 2. cap. 31. Inter omnia vitia tu sem­per es prima, semper es vltima: nam omne peccatum te acce­dente commuttitur: & te recidente dimittitur.Epist. 56.Augustine told Dioscorus, Vitia caetera in peccatis, superbia verò etiam in bene­factis timenda. When other sinnes die, secret pride gets strength in vs: exPet. Chryso­log. ser. 7.remedijs generat morbos, euen vertue is the matter of this vice: in such sort, that a man will be proud, because he is not proud. But this was not Maries mind to boast, in that she did not boast: but, as the word and cohe­r [...]nce more then insinuate, she did vnderstand by lowlinesse, her meane estate and [...]ualitie.

[Page 60] So doth her selfe construe the word, vers. 52. He hath put downe the mightie from their seat, and hath exalted the humble and meeke: where humble is opposite to mightie, as in this verse the lowlinesse of Mary to Gods highnesse. I presse this point, because some Papists (asAnnot. in loc. Erasmus affirmes) haue ga­thered out of this place, that Mary through her modest carriage, worthily deserued to bee the mother of Christ. Whereas (besides the reasons alleaged) the words of this verse, and the drift of the whole song, confute them abun­dantly.

For [...], vsed by Luke, signifieth properly basenesse: whereas humilitie is called [...]: and albeit the vul­gar Latine reade, respexit humilitatem, yet [...], is aspexit, as in our English Bibles, hee looked on the poore degree of his handmaid. And this is not only the criticall Annotation of Erasmus, but their owne Iansenius, and Maldonatus obserue the same: for her intent was not to magnifie her selfe, but to magnifie the Lord.

Heere then wee may behold Maries exceeding great miserie, and Gods exceeding great mercy: the good La­dies infelicitie, who descended of a noble house, yea a royall blood, was notwithstanding a distressed sillie maiden, so poore, that, as we reade Luke 2. 24. she was not able to buy a young lambe for an offering. See the Gospell on the Pu­rification.

LetIerem. 9. 23. not the wiseman glory in his wisdome, nor the strong man glory in his strength, neither the rich man glory in his riches, nor the Nobleman of his parentage, for one generation passeth, and another commeth: and1. Sam. 2. 7. as we haue heard, so haue we seen, some who came from the scepter, to hold the plough; and other who came from the plough, to manage the scepter. And the reason is rēdred in this Hymne; The Lord hath put downe the mightie from their seate, and ex­alted the humble and meeke: hee hath filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he hath sent emptie away. This was his exceeding great goodnesse toward Mary, to raise her out of the dust, so to magnifie her, as that all generations ac­count her blessed.

[Page 61] From henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.] In the verse before Magnificat, Elizabeth called her blessed: now the Virgin opposeth all men to Elizabeth, and all times to the present, saying; (asIn loc. Theophylact doth note) that not Elizabeth only, but all men, and women, as at this time, so for euer also shall account me blessed. All generations, that is, all men in all generations (as the Schoole doth vsuallie distinguish) genera singulorum, albeit not singuligenerum, (or asIn loc. Euthymius) all people who beleeue aright in the Sonne, shall blesse the Mother; not all liuing, but all belee­uing: for Iewes, and Gentiles, and Heretickes, in stead of this honour, reuile her.Lib. de haere­sibus 56. haeres. Augustine mentioneth Antidicomaria­nites, Heluidius in Hieromes age was (asLib. contra Lutherum, fol. 8 in margine. Roffensis termes him) a Mariaemastix; and in our time some are content to giue her lesse, because the Papists haue giuen her more then is due. Let vs not make the Spirit of truth a lier, which saith, All generations shall call her blessed. This shall, is officij, not ne­cessitatis: all ought, howsoeuer all doe not blesse this bles­sed Virgin.

For hee that is mightie hath magnified me.] Magna mihi fe­cit, hath done maruellous things in me. For it is wonder­fully singular, and singularly wonderfull, that Mary should be both a virgin, and a mother: of such a sonne a mother, as was her father: hee that is mightie, and none but the Almightie could thus magnfie Mary: shee was blessed in bearing theRom. 9. 5. most blessed, in whomGen. 12. 3. all nations of the earth are blessed. Vnto this purposeHom. 3. super Missus est an­gelus Gabriel. Bernard excellent­ly, Non quia tu benedicta, ideo benedictus fructus ventris tui: sed quia ille te praeuenit in benedictionibus dulcedinis, ideo tu benedicta.

Hitherto concerning the goodnesse of God toward her selfe: now shee remembreth his mercie toward o­ther. [Page 62]

• His mercie is on thē that feare him, &c.
  • Generally,
    • 1. In helping and comforting thē: He exalteth the humbl [...] and meeke, filling them with all good things.
    • 2. In scattering and confoun­ding their enemies: He hath scattered the proud, put do [...]n the mightie from their seate, and sent the rich empty away.
  • More specially,
    • 1. In promising.
    • 2. In performing his gra­tious promise touch­ing

the Messias of the world: Remembring his mercy hath hol­pen his seruant Israel, as he promised to our forefathers Abra­ham, and his seed for euer. These points areCant. 2. 5. flagons of wine to comfort the distressed soule. For if God, who promised in the beginning that theGen. 3. 15. seed of the woman should bruse the Serpents head, deferred his promise almost 4000. yeers, and yet at length accomplished the same to the very full: then no doubt, God hauing promised the resurrection of the dead, and euerlasting life, will in his good time bring them to passe. That which is past, may confirme our hope touching things to come: For he remembreth his mercie to­wards his seruant Israel, and it is on them that feare him throughout all generations.

Cantate Domino. Psalm. 98.

THe Church hath done well in ioyning to the Magni­ficat, Psalme 98: for the one is a perfect eccho to the other (allAugust. Hie­ron. Euthym. Caluin. Gene­brard. in loc. Interpreters agreeing) that Dauids mystery, and Maries historie, are all one. Whatsoeuer is obscurely fore­told in his Psalme, is plainly told in her Song: as he prophe­cied, O sing vnto the Lord a new song; shew your selues ioyfull▪ So she practised: My soule doth magnifie the Lord, and my spirit reioiceth in God my Sauiour. And this (Iohn 4. 23. as Christ teacheth) is a new song: The houre commeth, and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth. The voice doth say, Magna fecit, Hee hath done maruellous [Page 63] things: and the Eccho: Magna mihi fecit He hath magni­fied, or done maruellous things in me. For it is an exceeding wonder (as1. Tim. 3. 16. Paul speaks) a great mysterie, that God should be manifested in the flesh, that the father of all, should bee the sonne of Mary. Voice: With his owne right hand, and with his holy arme hath he gotten himselfe the victorie. Eccho: He hath shewed strength with his arme, he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. Voice: The Lord declared his saluation, his righteousnesse hath hee openly shewed in the sight of the Heathen. Eccho: His mercie is on them that feare him, throughout all generations: he hath filled the hungrie with good things, and the rich hee hath sent emptie away. Gentiles esurientes, Iudaeos diuites, as Theo­phylact expounds it.

Voice: Hee hath remembred his mercie and truth towards the house of Israel. Eccho: He remembring his mercie, hath holpen his seruant Israel.

• In the whole Psalme fiue circumstances are to be considered especially:
  • Who.
  • What.
  • Whereto.
  • Wherefore.
  • Wherewith.

1. Who must sing: All men, all things For the Prophet in the latter end of the Psalme doth incite sensible men, by dire­cting his speech vnto insensible creatures: Let the sea make a noise, let the floods clap their hands, and let the hils be ioyfull. All which sing Psalmes and Hymnes in their kinde: onely man, for whom all these were made, is vnkind.Esay 1. 3. The oxe knoweth his owner▪ and the dull a [...]e his masters crib: but Israel hath not knowne, my people hath not vnderstood.

2. What: Sing a new song. This is mans end, to seeke God in this life, to see God in the next: to bee a subiect in the kingdome of grace, and Saint in the kingdome of glorie. Whatsoeuer in this world befalleth vs, wee must sing: be thankfull for weale, for woe; songs ought alwaies to be in our mouth and sometimes a new song: for so Dauid heere, sing a new song: that is,August. in loc. let vs put off the old man, and be­come new men,2. Cor. 5. 17. new creatures in Christ: for the old man [Page 64] sings old songs: onely the new man sings a new song, hee speaketh with aMark. 16. 17. new tongue, and walkes inMatth. 2. 12. new waies: and therefore doth new things, and sings new songs: his language is not of Babylon, or Egypt, but of Canaan: his communication doth edifie men, his song glorifie God.

Or a new song, that is, a fresh song,Hieron. in loc. noua res, nouum can­ticum; new for a new benefit. Ephes. 5. 20. Giue thanks al­way for all things. It is very grosse to thanke God only in grosse, and not in parcell. Hast thou been sicke and now made whole? praise God with the Leper, Luke 17, sing a new song, for this new salue.

Doest thou hunger and thirst after righteousnes; where­as heretofore thou couldest not endure the words of exhor­tation and doctrine? sing a new song for this new grace. Doth almightie God giue thee a true sense of thy sinne; whereas heretofore thou diddest draw iniquitie with cords of vanitie, and sinne as it were with cartropes, and wast gi­uen ouer to worke all vncleannes, euen with greedinesse? O sing, sing, sing a new song for this new mercie.

Or new, that is,Caluin. in loc. no common or ordinarie song, but as Gods mercie toward vs is exceeding maruellous and extra­ordinarie, so our thankes ought to bee most exquisite, and more then ordinarie: not new in regard of the matter; for we may not pray to God, or praise God, otherwise then he hath prescribed in his word, which is the old way, but new in respect of the manner and making, that as occasion is of­fered, wee may beate our wits after the best fashion to bee thankfull.

Or, because this Psalme is propheticall, a new song, that is,Augustin. & Turre [...]rema­tensis in loc. the song of the glorious Angels at Christs birth, Luke 2. 14. Glorie to God on high, peace in earth, towards men good will; a song which the world neuer heard before: that the seede of the woman should bruse the Serpents head is an old song, the first that euer was sung: but this was no plaine song; till Christ did manifest himselfe in the flesh. In the old Testament there were many old songs, but in the new Testament a new song.

That vnto vs is borne a Sauiour, which is Christ the [Page 65] Lord, in many respects a new song: for whereas Christ was but shadowed in the Law, he is shewed in the Gospell: and new, because sung of new mē, of all men.Rom. 10. 18. For the sound of the Gospell is gone through all the earth, vnto the ends of the world: whereas in old time Gods old songs were sung in Iury, his name great in Israel, at Salem his Tabernacle, and dwelling in Sion: Psal. 76.

3. Whereto] To the Lord. See before Psalme 95.

4. Wherefore] For he hath done maruellous things: he hath opened his greatnes and goodnesse to the whole world, in his creation, and preseruation, in his redemption especially, being a worke of greater might and mercie then all the rest: for in the creation he made man like himselfe; but in the redemption he made himselfe like man.Granatensis con. 2. Dom. 1. aduent. Illic participes nos fecit bonorum suorum: hîc particeps est factus malorum nostrorum. In making the world, hee spake the word onely and it was done: but to redeeme the world, dixit multa, & fecit mira, saith the text: Passus est dura verba, duriora ver­bera. The creation of the world was a worke as it were of his fingers: Psal. 8. 3. When I consider the heauen, euen the work of thy fingers. But the redemption (as it is here called) is the worke of his arme: With his owne right hand, and with his holy arme hath he gotten himselfe the victorie.

So that if the Iewes obserued a Sabbath in honour of the worlds creation; how many festiuals ought we to keepe in thankfull remembrance of our redemption? As Diogenes said, euery day was an holy day to a good man, so euery day should be a Sunday to the Christian man.

Aquinas excellently: Bonum gratiae vnius, maius est quàm bonum naturae totius vniuersi: The sauing of one soule is a greater work, then the making of a whole world: 12. quaest. 113. art. 9.

• 5. Wherewith: in a literall sense with all kinde of
  Augustin. in Psalmum vlt.
  musicke,
  • Vocall: Sing to the Lord.
  • Chordall: Praise him vp­on the Harpe.
  • Pneumatical: With trum­pets, &c.

In an allegoricall exposition (asIn locum. Euthymius interpretes it) [Page 66] we must praise God in our actions, and praise him in our contemplation: praise him in our words, praise him in our workes: praise him in our life, praise him at our death: be­ing not only temples (as1. Cor. 3 16. Paul) but (asIn Protreptico. Clemens Alexan­drinus calles vs) Timbrels also of the holy Ghost.

As the Swanue, so Simeon in his old age, readie [...]o leaue the world, did sing more sweetly then euer he did before, Lord now lettest &c.

The which Hymne is a thanksgiuing to God, for giuing his Sonne to redeeme his seruants.

• And it hath two principall parts: in the
  • 1. He reioyceth in regard of his owne par­ticular: vers. 29. 30.
  • 2. In regard of the generall good our Sa­uiour Christ brought to y^e whole world: vers. 31. 32.

• In the first note 2. things especially:
  • 1. His willingnes to die: Lord now let­test thou thy seruant depart in peace.
  • 2. The reason of this willingnes: For mine eyes haue seene thy saluation.

Lord] The Papists often in their life,Lord. specially at their death, vse to commend themselues and their soules vnto the protection of the blessed Virgin: Maria mater gratiae, tu nos ab hoste protege, & horamortis susc [...]pe. This is their do­ctrine, Lib. de beati­tudine Sancto­rum, cap. 17. Bellarmine auoweth it: this is their practise; Father Garnet at his execution vsed this forme of praier twice pub­liquely. But old Simeon heere forgetting our Lady, though she were present, commends his soule to the Lord, who re­de [...]med it, Lord now lettest thou &c.

Now] Simeon assuredly was not afraid to die before: but because aLuke 2. 26. reuelation was giuen vnto him from the holie [Page 67] Ghost that he should not see death, vntill he saw the Mes­sias, he was exceeding desirous to liue, that he might see the word of the Lord fulfilled.Caluin. in loc. And therefore men abuse this example, saying they will be contented to die, when such and such things come to passe, when all their daughters be well married, and all their sonnes well placed. Old Simeon had a reuelation for that he did, whereas we haue no warrāt from God, for many things we fondly desire; so that whe­ther God grant them, or not, we must submit our selues vnto his good pleasure, Now and euer ready to depart in peace, when he doth call: taking vnto vs the resolution of Iob; The Lord giueth, & the Lord taketh, blessed be the name of the Lord.

Lettest thou] We may not our selues loose our soules,Lettest thou. but let God let them out of prison. We must seeke to mortifie the flesh, and to cast the world out of vs: but to cast our selues out of the world, is anThomas 22 ae. quaest. 64. a [...]t 5. offence against

• God.
• Our neighbour.
• Our selues.

Against God: who saith, Thou shalt not kill: if not ano­ther, much lesse thy selfe.Luke 10. 27. For thou must loue thy neighbor as thy selfe: first thy selfe, then thy neighbour as thy selfe. The neerer, the deerer. IDeut. 32. 39. kill, and giue life, saith the Lord: we are not masters of our life, but only stewards: and therefore may not spend it, or end it, as we please: but as God, who be­stowed it, will.

Ag [...]inst our neighbours: because men are not borne for themselues alone, but for other also: being all members of one common-weale and politike body: so that (as1. Cor. 12. 26. Paul saith) if one member suffer, all suffer with it.Arist. Ethic. lib. 5. cap. vlt.Homo quilibet est pars communitatis: Euery particular person is part of the whole State. This is the true reason, why the King doth take so precise an account of the death euen of his basest subiect, because himselfe, and the whole kingdome had in­terest in him.

Against our selues: Because by naturall instinct euerie creature labours to preserue it selfe; the fire striueth with the water, the water fighteth with the fire, the most sillie worme doth contend with the most strong man to preserue it selfe: and therefore we may not butcher our selues, but [Page 68] expect Gods leasure and pleasute to let vs depart in peace.

Thy seruant] It is not a seruile seruice,Thy seruant. but a perfect free­dome to serue the Lord. And therefore as the good Empe­tour Theodosius held it more noble to be membrum Ecclesis, q [...]caput Imperij: so may we resolue that it is better to be a seruant of God, then Lord of all the world. For while we serue him, all other creatures on earth and in heauen too serue vs: Heb. 1. 14.

In chusing a master, euery man will shun principally three sorts of men: his

• Enemie.
• Fellow.
• Seruant.

He serueth his greatest enemie, who serueth the Diuell: his fellow, who serueth the lust of his flesh: his seruant, who serueth the world. It is a base seruice to serue the world: for that is to become a vassall vnto our seruant. It is an vn­certaine seruice to serue the flesh: this master is so chole­ricke, so weake, so sickly, so fickle, that we may looke euery day to be turned out of his doores: and that which is worst of all, he is least contented, when he is most satisfied. Like to the Spa [...]ard, a bad seruant, but a worse master. It is an vn­thriftie seruice to serue the Diuell, all his wages is death: the more seruice we doe him, the worse is our estate. But he that serues God, hath the greatest Lord, who is most able; and the best Lord, who is most willing to prefer his follow­ers: and therefore let vs say with Simeon, and boast with Psal. 116. 14. Dauid: O Lord I am thy seruant, I am thy seruant. See the Epistle on Simons and Iudes day.

Depart]Depart. Here first note the soules immortalitie: Death is notCyprian serm. de mortalitate. exitus, but transitus; not obitus, but abitus; not a dy­ing, but a departing, a transmigration and exodus out of our earthly pilgrimage, vnto our heauenly home.Ibidem & August. epist. 6. Fratres mortui, non sunt amissi, sed praemissi:Tertull. lib. de patientia.profectio est, quam p [...]tas mortem: A passage from the valley of death, vnto the land of the liuing.

2. Sam. 12. 23. Dauid said of his dead child, I shall goe to him, but he shall not returne to mee. Matth. 22. 32. Christ confirmes this: Haue you not read what is spoken of God, saying, I am the God of Abra­ham, and the God of Isack, and the God of Iacob? Now God, [Page 69] saith Christ, is not the God of the dead, but of the liuing. Abraham then is aliue, Isack aliue, Iacob aliue; they cannot be said truly dead: but (as Simeon here) departed.

The two receptacles of all soules after this life, Hell and Heauen, infallibly demonstrate this point.Luke 16. 22. Lazarus dieth, and his soule is presently conueied by blessed Angels vnto the bosome of Abraham: vnhappy Diues dieth and his soule is setcht and snatcht away by foule fiends vnto the bottom­lesse pit of hell.

As Gods eternall decrees haue an end without a begin­ning: so the soules of men haue a beginning without an end. The soule and body part for a time, but they shall meete a­gaine to receiue an irr [...]uocable doome, either of, Come yee blessed, or, Goe ye cursed.

Secondly, note that dying is theTheophylact. loosing of our soule from her bonds and fetters: our flesh is a sinke of sinne, the prison of the mind,Plato in cra­tylo. [...] quasi [...].Petrarcha de remedys, lib. 1. dialog. 5. Qui gloriatur in viribus corporis, gloriatur in viribus carceris. And therefore when Plato Ficinus in vita Platonis. saw one of his schoole was a little too curious in pampering his body, said wittily: What do you meane to make your prison so strong?

So that a soule departed is set at libertie: like a bird that is escaped out of a cage.

The world is so full of euils, as that to write them all, would require another world so great as it selfe.Petrarcha praefat. in lib. de remedijs vtri­usque fortunae. Initium vitae caecitas & obliuio possidet, progressum labor, dolor exitum, error omnia: Childhood is a foolish simplicitie, youth a rash heate, manhood a carking carefulnesse, old age a noi­some languishing. DiuHieron. epist. Paulino, tom. 1. pag. 102.viuendo portant funera sua, & quasi sepulchra dealbata plena sunt ossibus mortuorum. It may bee said of an old man, asPlato in Axi­oc [...]o. Bias of the Marriner: Nec inter vi­uos, nec inter mortuos: (and as Plutarch of Sardanapalus, and S.1. Tim. 5. 6. Paul of a widow liuing in pleasure) that he is dead and buried euen while hee liueth: and so passing from age to age, we passe from euill to euill; it is but one waue driuing ano­ther, vntill we arriue at the hauen of death.Altercatio cum Hadriano Im­perat. Epictetus spake more like a Diuine then a Philosopher: Homo calamitatis fabula, infoelicitatis tabula. Though a King by warre or wile [Page 70] should conquer all the proud earth, yet hee gets but a nee­dles point, a mote, a mite, a nit, a nothing. So that while we striue for things of this world, wee fight as it were like chil­dren, for pins and points. And thereforePhil. 1. 23. Paul desired to be loosed, and to be with Christ▪ and [...] (as some Di [...]nes ob­serue) praieth here to be dismissed, (asCom. in Lucam lib. 2. cap. 2. Ambrose doth read) Dimitte: Lord let loose.Ser. de mort. Cyprian andHom. 15. in Lucam. Origen, dim [...]tes, in the future: as if he should say, Now Lord I hope thou wil [...] suf­fer me to depart. Howsoeuer the word in the present, imports that death is aBeauxamis in locum. goale-deliuery: Nunc dimi [...]isseruum: Now Lord thou settest free thy seruant: as [...] is vsed, Act. 16. 35. Luke 23. 17.

• In peace]
  Lexicon Theo­log. verb. pax.
  There are three kinds of peace:
  • Externall
  • Internall
  • Et [...]rnall
  • Peace of
    • World.
    • Mind.
    • God.

• Or more plainly, peace between
  • Man and man.
  • God and man.
  • Man and himselfe.

The last kind is meant here, though assuredly Simeon had all three: for our peace with God, and so farre as is possible loue toward all men, breedes in vs a third peace, the which is the contentation of our minde and peace of conscience: for which euery man ought to labour all his life; but at his death especially, that comfortably departing he may sing with old Simeon: Lord now lettest &c.

I know many men haue died discontent and rauing, without any sentiment of this comfortable peace, to mans imagination, and yet notwithstanding were doubtlesse Gods elect children. For, asDe doctrina Christiana, lib. 1. cap. 14. Augustine, many works of God concerning our saluation are done in, and by their contraries. In the creation, all things were made, not of something, but of nothing, cleane contrary to the course of nature. In the worke of redemption, he doth giue life, not by life, but by death, and that a most accursed death. Opti­mum fecit instrumentum vitae, quod erat pessimum mortis ge­nus. In our effectuall vocation, he calles vs by the Gospell, [Page 71] 1. Cor. 2. 23. vnto the Iewes a stumbling block, vnto the world meere foolishnes, in reason more likely to driue men from God, then to winne and wooe men to God. And when it is his pleasure that any should depend vpon his goodnesse and prouidence, he makes them feele his anger, and to be no­thing in themselues, that they may relie altogether vpon him. And thus happily the child of God, throughActs. 14. 22. many tribulations, and, to our thinking, through the gulfe of de­speration, enters into the kingdome of heauen. The loue of God is like a Sea, into which when a man is cast, he neither seeth banke, nor feeleth bottome.

• For there is a two-fold pre­sence of God in his children:
  • 1. Felt and perceiued.
  • 2. Secret and vnknowne.

Sometime God is not only present with his elect, but al­so makes them sensibly perceiue it, as Simeon here did: and therefore his mourning was turned into mirth, and his sobs into songs.

Againe, sometime God is present, but not felt: and this secret presence sustaines vs in all our troubles and tempta­tations: it intertaineth life in our soules, whē as to our iudg­ment we are altogether dead, as there is life in trees when they haue cast their leaues. And therefore let no man bee dismaied, howsoeuer dismaied: for God doth neuer leaue those, whom he doth loue: but his comfortable spirit is a secret friend, and often doth vs most good, when wee least perceiue it: Esay 41. 10 &c. 43. 2.

According to thy word.]According to thy word.] If God promise, we may presume, Numb. 23. 19. for he is not like man, that he should lie: neither as the sonne of man, that he should repent. This should teach vs to be ho­iie, Leuit. 19. 2. as God our Father is holy,Ephes. 5. 1. being followers of him as deare children. As he doth euer keepe his word with vs; so let vs euer keepe our othes and promises one with ano­ther. It is well obserued, that aequinocation and lying is a kind of vnchastitie: for the mouth and minde are coupled toge­ther in holie mariage: Matth. 12. 34. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. And therefore when the tongue doth speake that which the heart neuer thought, our speech is conceiued in adulterie, and hee that breedes [Page 72] such bastard children, offends not only against charity, but also against chastitie.

Men say they must lie sometime for aduantage, but it is a good conclusion both in religion, and common experi­ence, that honestie is the best policie, and truth the only dura­ble armour of proofe. The shortest way commonly, the foulest, the fairer way not much about. Psal. 15. Lord who shall dwell in thy tabernacle? or who shall rest vpon thine holy hill? euen he that speaketh the truth from his heart, he that vseth no deceit in his tongue, hee that sweareth vnto his neighbour, and disap­pointeth him not.

For mine eyes haue seene thy saluation] I haue seene the Messias,The reason why Simeon was wil­ling to die. in whom, and by whom thy saluation is wrought and brought vnto vs. As Simeon saw Christs humanitie with the eies of his body: so he saw Christs Diuinity long before with the pearcing eies of faith. He knew that the little babe which he lulled in his armes, was the great God, whom the heauen of heauens could not containe: and therefore beleeuing in the Lord of life, hee was not afraid of death: but instantly breakes forth into this sweete song, Lord now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace, for mine eyes haue &c.

Death is vnwelcome to carnall men, asArist. Ethic. lib. 3. cap. 9. Aristotle said, Of all Terribles the most Terrible. Philip Mor­ney Treat. of life and death. They crie out vpon the miseries of life, and yet when death commeth, they doe as little children, who all the day complaine, but when the medicine is brought them, are nothing sicke: as they who all the weeke runne vp and downe the house with paine of the teeth, and seeing the Barbor come to pull them out, feele no more torment: as tender bodies in a pricking plu­risie call, and cannot stay for a Surgeon, and yet when they see him whetting his lancet to cut the throte of the disease, pull in their armes and hide them in the bed. And the true reason hereof is want of faith, because they doe not vnfai­nedly beleeue that Christ IesusEphes. 4 8. hath led captiuitie captiue, 1. Cor. 15. 54.that he hath swallowed vp death in victorie by his death, and opened vnto vs the gates of eternall life. Luke 23. 42. The blessed theefe vpon the Crosse died ioyfully, because hee saw Christ, and [Page 73] beleeued also that he should passe from a place of paine to a paradise of pleasure.Acts 7. 56. S. Stephen died ioyfully, because he saw the heauens open, and Christ standing at the right hand of the Father. Here S [...]meon departed ioyfully, because his eyes saw the saluation of the Lord.

As there are two degrees of faith, so two sorts of Chri­stians; one weake, another strong. The weake Christian is willing to liue, and patient to die: but the strong patient to liue, and willing to die.

That a man may depart in peace, two things are requisit:

• 1. Preparation before death.
• 2. A right disposition at death.

Both which are procured onely by faith in Christ. If a man were to fight hand to hand with a mightie Dragon, in such wise that either he must kill or be killed, his best course were to bereaue him of his poison and sting. Death is a Ser­pent, and the sting, wherewith he woundeth vs, is sinne: so saith1. Cor. 15. 56. S. Paul, The sting of death is sinne. Now the true be­leeuer vnderstands and knowes assuredly that Christ Iesus hath satisfied the law, and then if no law, no sinne: and if no sinne, death hath no sting: well may death hisse, but it can­not hurt:Psal. 32. 1. when our vnrighteousnes is forgiuen, and sinne couered, Christ both in life and death is aduantage: Phi­lip. 1. 21.

Faith also procureth a right disposition and behauiour at death: for euen as when the children of Israel in the wil­dernes were stung with fierie Serpents, and lay at the point of death,Numb. 21. 9. they looked vp to the Brasen Serpent, erected by Moses according to Gods appointment, and were present­ly cured: so when any feele death draw neere with his fiery sting, to pearce the heart, they must fixe the eye of a true faith vpon Christ exalted on the Crosse, beholding death not in the glasse of the Law, which giueth death an vglie face: but in the Gospels glasse, setting foorth death, not as death, but as a1. Cor. 11. 30. sleepe only. Faith is the speare which kil­leth our last enemie: for when a man is sure that hisIob 19. 25.re­deemer liueth, and that this1. Cor. 15. 54.corruptible shall put on incorrup­tion, and this mortall immortalitie; well may he sing with old [Page 74] Simeon, Lord now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace: and triumph ouer y^e graue with Paul; O death where is thy sting! O hell where is thy victory! The sting of death is sin, the strength of sin is the law: but thanks be giuen vnto God, which giueth vs victorie through our Lord Iesus Christ. And thus much of the reason, why Simeon was not afraid of death: namely, for that he did hold in his armes, and behold with his eyes, the Lord Christ,Iohn 11. 25. who is the resurrection and the life: he could say with a true heart vnto God,Psal 31. 16. thou art my God: and his soule did heare God saying vnto him by his word,Psal. 35. 3. I am thy sal­uation.

Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people.] The second part of this Hymne, concerning the generall good our Sauiour brought to the whole world.

• Wherein two points are to be noted especially:
  • 1. What are his benefits.
  • 2. To whom they belong.

The benefits are saluation, light, and glorie. So that the world without Christ, lieth in damnation, darknesse, and shame. Iesus is a Sauiour,Acts 4. 12. neither is there saluation in any other: he is theIohn 1. 9. & 8. 12.light of the world, and sunne of righteousnes, without whom all men sit in darknesse, and in the shadow of death, as Zacharias in his song: hee is our glorie, without whom nothing belongs vnto vs butBaruch. 1. 15.confusion and shame. These benefits are so great, that they ought to bee had in a Psal. 111. 4. perpetuall remembrance. Christ himselfe commanded his last supper to be reiterated often, and the Church inioyneth this Hymne to bee sung dailie, in a thankfull memoriall hereof.

But vnto whom appertaine these benefits? Vnto all. So saith the text, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people.Esay. 52. 10.The Lord hath made bare his holie arme in the sight of all the Gentiles, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salua­tion of our God. Christ is set vp as aEsay 11. 10. signe to the people, and happily for this cause, among other, hee was borne in a Luke 2. 7. common Inne, frequented by men of all sorts: and the first newes of the Gospell was preached in open fields, Luk. 2. as prepared before the face of all people.

But here we must obserue, that albeit saluation pertaines [Page 75] to all, yet all pertaine not to it: none pertaine to it, but such as take benefit by it: and none take benefit by it, no more then by the brasen Serpent, but they who fix their eies on it. If we desire saluation, light, and glory, we must (as old Si­meon) imbrace Christ ioyiully, and hold him in our armes of faith stedfastly.

To be a light to lighten the Gentiles.] If any shall demand why Simeon here calles Christ the light of the Gentiles, and glory of the Iewes, rather then the glory of Gentiles, and light of the Iewes: answer is made that there is a two-fold darknes:

• Sinne.
• Ignorance.

Sinne is called in holy Scriptures a worke of darknes for diuers respects:

1. Because it is committed against God,1. Epist. Iohn 1. 5. who is light, through the suggestion of Satan,Ephes. 6. 12. who is the prince of dark­nesse.

2. Because sinne for the most part is committed in the darke:1. Thes. 5. 7. They that sleepe, sleepe in the night, and they that are drunken, are drunken in the night.

3. Because sinne deserueth eternall darknesse:Matth. 25. 30. Cast that vnprofitable seruant into vtter darknes.

4. Because sinne is committed especially through the darknesse of vnderstanding: for Satan vsually blindeth our eies of reason, and religion, and makes sinne appeare not in it owne name and nature, but vnder the name and habit of vertue.

Now in regard of this kind of darknes, Christ was a light to the Iewes, as well as to the Gentiles: Esay 60. 1. Arise O Ierusalem, be bright, for thy light is come. Iohn 1. 9. Christ doth lighten euery man that commeth into the world.

The second kind of darknesse is ignorance: the light of the body is the eye, so the eye of the soule is the vnderstan­ding: and therefore as Christ saith, if the light that is in thee be darknes, how great is that darknes? The Iewes in this re­spect were not in such darknesse as the Gentiles; hauing the Law, the Prophets, the sacrifices and exercises of holy reli­gion: In Iurie was God knowne, his name great in Israel, at Sa­lem was his Tabernacle, his dwelling in Sion: whereas the [Page 76] Ephes. 2. 12. Gentiles were strangers and aliens from the couenants of pro­mise, without hope, without God in the world: but now Christ Esay 42. 6. the light of the Gentiles, yea of the whole world, hath broken downe the partition wall, and made ofEphes. 2. 14. Both, one; all people, Gods people. For as theMatth. 5. 45. naturall Sunne shineth indifferently vpon the good and euill: so theMal. 4. 2. Sunne of righteousnes sheweth his glorious sauing light before the face of all people; to lighten and open our eies, that we may turne from darknesse to light, from the power of Satan vnto God: Acts 26. 18.

Howsoeuer Christ be the light of all people, yet (as it fol­loweth) he is The glory of his people Israel, vnto whom pertai­ned theRom. 9. 4.adoption, and the glory, and the couenants. He was promised vnto them, borne of them, bred vp them, he liued, preached, acted his great wonders among them: in all which respects, he may be fitly called Israels glory.

Hence we may learne, first, that the Gospel is the greatest honour of a State.

Secondly, that all our glory depends on Christ our head, who is the King of glory.

Thirdly, that a good man, especially a good Preacher, is a great ornament to the Country wherein the liueth: Atha­naius isNazianzen ad Herenem. called the eye of his time;Baronius An­nal. tom. 9. fol. 338. Albinus, Englands Li­brary; Bucanus prae­fat. loc. com. Melancthon, the Phenix of Germany; Christ, the glory of Israel.

Deus Misereatur.

THe parallel of Nunc dimittis is the 67. Psalme, being a Augustin. Hieron. Hilar. Euthym. &c. propecie of Christ, who is theHieron. Eu­thym. Interli­nearis gloss. countenance of God: Heb. 1. 3. Coloss. 1. 15. For,Bellarm. Cat. cap. 3. euen as when one lookes in a glasse, presently he produceth an image of himselfe, so like, as no difference can be found, in so much as it is not only like in shape, but in mouing also, yet made without instruments in a moment with one looke only: so God the Father beholding himselfe in the glasse of his Diuinitie, doth produce a countenance most like himselfe. And be­cause hee hath giuen vnto this image all his owne being, (which we cannot in beholding our selues in a glasse) there­fore [Page 77] that image is the true Sonne of God, very God of very God: whereas the Psalmist therefore: Shew the light of thy countenance. Simeon; Mine eies haue seene thy saluation. The Psalmist, That thy waies may be knowne vpon earth, thy sauing health among all nations. Simeon; Thou hast prepared salua­tion before the face of all people. The Psalmist: Let the peo­ple praise thee, that is, theEuthymius in locum. Iewes, let all the people, that is, the Genttiles: O let the nations reioice and be glad, &c. Simeon: A light to lighten the Gentiles, and to be the glory of thy people Israel.

• In the whole Psalme two points are specially regardable:
  • Affectus: A request of the Church in the 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. verses:
  • Effectus: A grant of God in the 6. 7. verses.

• In the for­mer obserue
  • Petitions for
    • Our selues, in the 1.
      • Generally: God bee merciful & blesse vs.
      • Specially: Shew vs the light of thy countenance.
    • Other, in the 2. 3. 4.
  • Repetitions: God be mercifull vnto vs. And a­gaine: Be mercifull vnto vs: let the people &c. And againe: Let the people, let all the people praise thee.

God be mercifull.] He is the2. Cor. 1. 3. father of mercies: Ergo, we must flie to him for mercy. Deus meus misericordia mea, saith Dauid in the 59. Psalme.August. in Psal. 58. Si dicas salus mea, intelligo quia dat salutem: si dicas refugium meum, intelligo quia confugis ad eum: si dicas fortitudo mea, intelligo quia dat fortitudinem. Mi­sericordia mea: quid est? totum quicquid sum, de misericordia tua est. And therefore seeing Gods mercie is the fountaine of all goodnesse, weHilar. & Fe­linus in loc. must first desire him to be mercifull, and then to blesse vs, he that hath enough mercie, shall ne­uer want any blessing.Musculus in locum. The word originall signifieth ra­ther fauour, then pitie; because pitie is shewed onely in ad­uersitie, not in prosperitie: whereas fauour in both: and therefore the vulgar Latine, Deus misereatur, happily not so [Page 78] sufficient, as Deus faueat: Be fauorable O Lord, and so mer­cifull as to blesse vs: that is, not only to deliuer vs from euill, but also to giue whatsoeuer is good. In more particular, Shew vs the light of thy countenance.]Augustin. in locum. Euery man doth desire blessing, but the good man only this blessing:Gloss. ordinar. in locum. all other are blessings of the left hand, common to the wicked with the godly; but this a blessing of the right hand, which only be­longs vnto Gods elect.

God lookes on the reprobate like an angry Iudge with a cloudie countenance: but beholds all his adopted chil­dren in Christ as a mercifull father, with a gratious aspect. Shew vs thy countenance, that is, indue vs with true know­ledge of thy word, and a liuely faith in thy Sonne, which is thine owne image and countenance, where we may learne to confesse withPhil. 2. 8. Paul, that all other things are but losse, in comparison of the superexcellent knowledge of Christ Ie­sus: Iohn 17. 3. for it is eternall life to know God, and whom he hath sent Iesus Christ.

That thy way may be knowne.] As light, so the participation of Gods light is communicatiue: we must not pray for our selues alone, but for all other, that Gods way may be known vpon earth, and his sauing health among all nations. Thy way, that is, thy will, thy word, thy works.Hieron. in locum. Gods will must be knowne on earth, that it may be done on earth, as it is in heauen. Except we know our Masters will, how shall we do it? Ergo, first pray with Dauid here: Let thy way be knowne vpon earth: and then let all the people praise thee. Gods will is reuealed in his word, and his word is hisDeut. 5. 32. 33 way wherein we must walke, turning neither to the right hand, nor to the left: or thy way Felinus in locum., that is, thy works, as Dauid elsewhere, Psalm. 25. 9. All the waies of the Lord are mercie and truth. Aug. Hieron. Hilar. Or as other most fitly, Thy way, that is, thy Christ, Thy sa­uing health, that is, thy Iesus: for I am the way, saith our Sa­uiour: Iohn 14. 6. No man commeth to the Father but by me: wherefore let thy sonne be knowne vpon earth, thy Iesus a­mong all nations.

At this time God was knowne in Iurie: but (saith Hie­rome) Gods way was vnknowne, his sonne was not as yet [Page 79] manifested in the flesh: this (as1. Cor. 2. 7. Paul speakes) was his wise­dome: but now reuealed, as S. Iohn in his firstCap. 1. vers. 1. epistle, Wee haue heard, wee haue seene with our eyes, and our ha [...]ds haue handled of the word of life. Blessed eyes, happie eares: forLuke 10. 24. I tell you many Proph [...] and Kings haue desired to see the things which you see, and haue not seene them, and to heare the things which you heare, and haue not heard them.

Let the people praise thee.]Musculus in locum. Marke the sweete order of the blessed Spi [...]it: first mercie, then knowledge: last of all, praising of God. We cannot see his countenance, except he be mercifull vnto vs: and wee cannot praise him, except his way be knowne vpon earth: his mercie breeds knowledge, his knowledge praise. Wee must praise God, alway for all things, Ephes. 5. 20. but especially for his sauing health among all nations. And this is the true reason why the Church in her Liturgie doth vse so many Hymnes, The reason why the Church doth vse so many E­uangelicall Hymnes in our L [...]turgie. and giue so much thanks vnto God for the redemption of the world. Where­in assuredly she did imitate the blessed Apostles in compo­sing the Creed: the greatest part whereof (as hath been no­ted) is spent in the doctrine which concerneth our Sauiour Christ.

Let all the people] Some mislike the Letanie, for that it hath a petition for all men, and all people: yet wee haue both a precept, and a precedent out of Gods owne booke: the Commandement is, 1. Tim. 2. I exhort that first of all, sup­plications, prayers, intercessions, and giuing of thankes be made for all men. The practise of Gods Church is apparent in this place: let the people, let all the people, which the Psalmo­grapher vttered from the spirit of God, as the mouth of God: and therefore let men construe the Church, as the Scripture, when as the Church doth speake Scripture, lest they wipe out of the Bible many good lessons, (asLib. 5. aduers. Marcion. Sinon spongia, lingua tamen & per­uersa interpre­tatione. Ter­tulli in said of Marcion) if not with a spunge, yet with a peeuish and ouerthwart interpretation. And heere let the Nouelist also remember, that both ourBooke of the forme of Com­mon prayer, im­printed at M [...]d­d [...]churg. 1586. English reformers, and the Churches of Scotland, vse the same petition for all men, in their prayers after the Sermon.

O let the nations reioyce and be glad.]Calum. in loc. It is obserued to [Page 80] good purpose, that this clause is inserted fitly between that doubled exclamation, Let the people praise thee: because none can praise God well, except they doe it heartily with ioy and gladnesse. For as the Lord loues a2. Cor. 9. 7. cheerefull giuer, so likewise a cheerefullPsal. 81. 1. thanksgiuer.Musculus in locum. God is terrible to the wicked, but a God of gladnesse to such as haue seene the light of his countenance: for being reconciled vnto God, they haue such inward ioy and peace,Philip. 4. 7. that it passeth all vnderstanding.

For thou shalt iudge the folke righteously.] The Psalmist here may seeme to contradict himselfe: for if mercie make men reioyce, then iudgement occasioneth men to tremble. Answere is made, that all such as haue knowne the waies of the Lord, and reioyce in the strength of his saluation, all such as haue the pardon of their sinnes assured, and sealed, feare not that dreadfull assise, because they know the Iudge is their aduocate. Or, (as Hierome) let all nations reioyce, because God doth iudge righteously, being the God of the Gentiles, as well as of the Iewes, Acts 10. 34.Hieron. Calu. Felinus. Or, let all nations reioyce, because God doth gouerne all nations; that whereasActs 14. 16. heretofore they wandred in the fond imagina­tions of their owne hearts, in wrie waies, in by-waies; now they are directed by the spirit of truth to walke in Gods high way which leades vnto the celestiall Ierusalem: now they shall know Christ the way, the truth, and the life. For iudging, is vsed often for ruling: 1. Sam. 7. 15. 2. Cor. 1. 10. So Dauid here doth expound himselfe: Thou shalt iudge: that is, thou shalt gouerne the nations.

Vpon earth.] Not excluding things aboue, but openly meeting with their impietie, who think God careth not for the things below: forCicero de na­tur [...] deorum lib. [...]. Epicurus in old time so taught, & Epicures in our time so liue, as if almightie God did not marke what were done well or ill vpon earth. Psal. 94. 8. O yee fooles when will ye vnderstand? He that planted the eare, shall he not heare? or he that made the eye, shall he not see?August. ep. 111 Totus oculus est, quia omnia videt: totus manus est, quia omnia operatur: to­tus pes est, quia vbique est: as Epist. 41. Lucilio. Seneca like a Diuine: Prope à te est Deus, tecum est, intus est. Ita dico Lucili, sacer intra nos [Page 81] spiritus sedet, malorum bonorumque obseruator & custos.

Let the people.] This, and other manifest repetitions in this Psalme, may serue for a warrant to iustifie the repeti­tions in our Liturgie: but I will answere the Nouelist in the words of Paul, Rom. 2. In that thou blamest another, thou condemnest thy selfe, for thou that iudgest, doest the same thing.

The reformers in one of their prayers after the Sermon, vse repetition, and that of the Lords prayer, and in such sort, that within a very narrow roome it is first expounded para­phrastically, then againe reiterated euery word particularly. So likewise the Scotish Church in the ministration of Bap­tisme doth enioyne that the Creed be repeated twice. First the father, or in his absence the Godfather propounds it, and then instantly the Minister expounds it. Wherfore that worthieMaster Per­kins Treat, how to applie Gods word: sect. 10. Diuine most truly, there is in England a schisma­ticall and vndiscreete companie, that would seeme to crie out for discipline, their whole talke is of it, and yet they neither know it, nor will be reformed by it.

Then shall the earth.] Literally the earth which was cursed for mans sinne, shall, through Gods blessing, giue her in­crease. Psal. 56. 14. The valleyes shall stand thick with corne, and ourPsal. 144. 13.gar­ners shall be full with all manner of store. So that if theIoel 1. 12. vine be dried vp, or the figge tree decaied, if our corne bee bla­sted, or graine so thinne, that thePsal. 129. 7. mower cannot fill his hands, nor he that bindeth vp the sheaues his bosome: we must remember it is for our vnthankfulnes and sin. For if all the people praise the Lord, then shall the earth bring forth her increase. See the two first Chapters of Ioel.

In a mysticall sense: Mary Euthymius & Genebrard. in locum. shall bring foorth Christ: Augustin. in locum. or, the blessed Apostles by preaching in all corners of the world shall bring foorth increase to God, a great haruest. This prophecie was fulfilled, Acts 2. when S. Peter in one sermon conuerted about three thousand soules:Musculus in locum. or earth, that is, all men on earth shall bring foorth fruite vnto God, when as they shall know him, and praise him. Let the peo­ple &c. let all the people praise, then shall the earth bring foorth increase.

God, euen our owne God.] Out of this sentence theHieron. Eu­thymius &c. Fathers, [Page 82] and [...] Tittel­man, &c. other Interpretors obserue generally the Trinitie and vnitie of God: the Trinitie in the three-fold repetition of the word God▪ vnitie in the pronoune him, all the ends of the world shall feare him: in the singular, not them, in the plurall. It is very remarkable that Christ the second per­son is called our God: God▪ euen our God, as being ours in many respects, as hauing taken vpon him our flesh, liuing among vs, and at length also dying for vs. Immanuel God with vs, Esay 7. 14. Matth. 1. 23. Hee bareEsay 53. 4.our infirmities, and answered for our1. Pet. 2. 24.iniquities, our 1. Ep. I [...]h. [...]. 2. reconciliuion, and our Ephes. 2. 14.peace, through whom and in whom God is ours, and we are his: Can. 6. 2.

All the ends of the world shall feare him.] In the 4 verse Dauid desired earnestly that all nations might be glad, and reioyce: now that they may feare: teaching vs hereby to serue the Lord in feare, and to reioyce vnto him with reuerence: Psal. 2. 11. So to feare him, as to serue him withPsal. 100. 1. gladnesse: and so to reioyce in him, as to workePhilip. 2. 12. out our saluation in feare and trembling: without ioy wee shall despaire, with­out feare presume.

The feare of God (as Salomon speakes) is the beginning of wisedome, not only principium, but praecipium; not only pri­mum, but primarium: and therefore as it is called the be­ginning of wisedome, Prou. 1. 7; so likewise the end of all: Ecclesiastes 12. 13. [...]et vs heare the end of all, feare God, and keepe his commandements.

This feare is not slauish, a distractiue and destructiue feare, which ouerthroweth our assurance of saith, and spi­rituall comfort: for such a feare God forbids, Esay 35 4. Luke 12. 32. but it is a filiall and awfull regarding feare, Terrens à malo, tenens in bono: being an inseparable compa­nion of a liuely faith, and therefore commanded in Gods word, and commended in his seruants: oldLuke 2. 25. Simeon a iust man, and one that feared God:Acts 10. 2.Cornelius a deuout man, and one that feared God:Iob. 1. 1.Iob a iust man, & one that feared God: and here God is said to blesse the Church, in that all the ends of the world shall feare him.

Quicun (que) vult.

THe learned Athanasian Creed consists of two speciall parts, vnfolding fully the two chiefe secrets of holy be­liefe: namely,

• The
  • Vnitie and Trinitie of God.
  • Incarnation and passion of Christ.

The which are called the principal mysteries of our faith, because in the former is contained the first beginning and last end of man: in the second, the only and most effectuall meane to know the first beginning, and how to attaine vnto the last end. So that Athanasius hath comprehended in a very narrow roome both the beginning and middle and end of all our felicitie. For this happily called, the worlds eye, because he did see so much, and pierce so far into these vn­searchable and ineffable mysteries.

And as this excellent Confession is a key of beleefe; Letanie. so the Letanie following, is as a common treasure house of all good deuotion. It may be said of the Church in composing that ex­quisite praier, as it was of Origen, writing vpon the Canti­cles: In caeteris alios omnes vicit, in hoc seipsam. In other parts of our Liturgie shee surpasseth all other: but in this her selfe.

These points (I confesse) come not now within the com­passe of my walke: but I purpose pro Nosse & posse to iustifie them, and all other portions of our Communion booke in my larger expositions vpon the Gospels and Epistles, as the text shall occasion me iustly. The next eminent Scripture to bee considered in this Tract is the Decalogue, recorded Exod. 20. 1.

The Decalogue.
Then God spake all these words and said, I am the Lord thy God, &c.

THe Law was imprinted at the first in mansRom. 2. 15. heart: the which is acknowledged euen by prophane Poets, as well as diuine Prophets in generall.

AndEpist. 97. Seneca notably: Prima & maxima peccantium poe­na peccasse: Sinne is the greatest punishment of sinne in particular (asLoc. com. tit. de leg. naturae, tom. 1. fol. 186. Melancthon obserues). Heathen authors haue a paterne for euery precept, according to that of Paul, Rom. 2. 14. The Gentiles hauing not the law, are a law vnto themselues.

But when theAlbinus quaest▪ in Gene­sin. & Thom. 12 ae. quaest, 94. art. 5. light of it through custome of sinne be­gan to weare away, it was openly proclaimed vnto the world, ingrauen in stone, written in a booke, kept for re­cord in the Church, as a perfect abridgement of all law, setting downe the duties of all men, in all things, for all times.

• In it obserue
  • Prefa­ces:
    • One, of the Law writer: God spake all these words, &c.
    • Another, of the Law-giuer: I am the Lord thy God, &c.
  • Precepts of the
    • First table, cōcerning our loue to God.
    • Second, touching our loue to man.

• In the former preface note: the
  • Matter, all these words.
  • Manner,
    • When.
    • Who.

The matter is: these words, that is, these sentences and all these: for Almightie God spake not the first Commande­ment only, nor the second, or third, and left there; but hee spake them all: and therefore the Pope proues himselfe An­tigod in leauing out one, and dispensing with many. God gaue so strict a charge to keepe euery one, as any one: but the Vicar of God abounding with vnlimitted authoritie, doth first publish what he list, and then expound them as he list. To leaue them, who thus leaue God, is our dutie, be­cause God spake them all, to beg of him obedience, and [Page 85] make conscience to keepe them all, as one wittily, Totus, Tota, Totum: The whole man, The whole law, The whole time of his life.

In the manner, I note first the circumstance of time, when God spake: namely, when all the people were gathered together, aud sanctified: as appeareth in the former Chapter, then God spake. Whereupon it is well obserued that all men ought to take notice of the law, whether they be Commoners, or Commanders, high or low, none so mighty that is greater, or so meane that is lesse, then a subiect to God and his ordi­nances: and thereforeLoc. com. tit. Antinomoi. Martin Luther hath worthily repre­hended Antinomian preachers, who teach that the Law need not be taught in the time of the Gospell. Indeed Christ is theRom. 10. 4.end of the Law but, asContra aduer­sar. legis lib. 2. cap. 7. Augustine construes it, finis per­ficiens, non interficiens: an end not consuming, but consum­mating: for, as himselfe said,Matth. 5. 17. I came not to destroy the law, but to teach it, and doe it.

Secondly, we may learne by this circumstance, due pre­paration when wee come before God either to speake or heare his word. Auenzoar vsed to say, that hee neuer gaue purgation, but his heart did shake many daies before. Let the Physition of the soule then tremble, to thinke what hurt bad physicke may doe, when it is administred abrupt­ly, corruptly, without either paines in reading, or reuerence in speaking. Vnto thePsal. 50. 16. vngodly said God; Why doest thou preach my lawes, and takest my couenant in thy mouth, when as thou hatest to be reformed, and hast cast my words behind thee? If hearers of the Law, much more Preachers of the Gospell ought to be throughly sanctified. In the Millers hand wee lose but our meale: in the Farriors hand but our mule: in the Lawyers hands but our goods: in the Physitians hand but our life; but in the hands of a bad Diuine wee may lose that which surpasseth all, our soule.

Hearers also being of vncircumcisedActs 7. 51. hearts and eares, ought to fit and prepare themselues, asExod. 3. 5. Moses andIosua 5. 15. Iosua were commanded, in disburdening their mind, when they come to Gods house to heare God speake, not only from vnlawfull, but also from all lawfull worldly busines; pre­senting [Page 86] themselues and their soules in the righteousnes of Christ, aRom. 12. 1. liuing, holy, acceptable sacrifice to God: and it is the dutie both of speaker and hearer to desire the Lord that he would forgiue ourChron. 2. 30. 18. 19. want of preparation, and so to assist vs with his holy spirit in handling of his holy word, as that the whole businesse may be transacted for our good, and his glory.

The second circumstance noted in the manner is the per­son, and that is God: Then God spake these words, in his owne person, attended vpon with millions ofActs 7. 53. Gal. 3. 9. glorious Angels, inExod. 19. 18. a flame of fire: so that there is neuer an idle word, but all full of wonderful wisdome: so perfect a law, that it proues it selfe to be Gods law. For the lawes of men, albeit they fill many large volumes, are imperfect; some statutes are added daily which were not thought vpon before; many repea­led, which after experience taught not to be so profitable: but this law continueth the same for euer, comprehending in a few words all perfection of dutie to God and man, in­ioyning whatsoeuer is good, and forbidding whatsoeuer is euill.

God is author of all holy Scripture, but the ten Com­mandements are his, after a more peculiar sort: first, because himselfe spake them, and said in a sound of words, and a di­stinct voice,Deut. 5. 24. that the people both heard, and vnderstood them: in which s [...]nse S.Acts 7. 38. Stephen happily calleth them ora­cula vina, liuely oracles: not that they did giue life, for2. Cor. 3. 7. Paul sheweth that the Law was the ministration of death; but liuely words, as vttered by liuely voice, not of men or An­gels, as other Scripture, but immediatly thundred out by God himselfe.

Secondly, because God himselfe wrote them after a more speciall maner: hee did vse men, and meanes in penning the Gospels and Epistles and other parts of sacred writ: 1. Pet. 1. 21. for holy men of God wrote as they were moued by the spirit of God: (as theTheodoret praefat in Psal. & Greg. praefat. in Iob. Fathers obserue) they were the pennes of Gods owne finger: but in setting downe the Decalogue, Gods owne finger was the pen: hee made the tables also wherein they were first written, that there might be no­thing [Page 87] in them but only Gods immediate worke. Since then God had such speciall regard in deliuering the Law, wee must hence learne with all humble reuerence to receiue the same. If King Eglon Iudges 3. 20. a barbarous tyrant respected Ehud a man of meane qualitie, when he brought a message from the Lord; how much more should we with awfull respect embrace the Decalogue, which God in his owne person vt­tered? and it should make vs exceeding zealous also (not­withstanding the scoffes of Atheists and carelesse world­lings) in obseruing and maintaining the same. For what need any feare to defend that which God himselfe spake: and whereofMark. 8. 38. Christ said, He that is ashamed of me, and my words in this world, I will be ashamed of him before my father in the world to come. As a liuely faith is the best glosse vpon the Gospell: so dutifull obedience is the best Commen­tarie vpon the Law. To conclude with Augustine: Faciemus iubente imperatore, & non faci [...]mus iubente creatore? 1. Sam. 3. 10. Yes Lord, speak: for thy seruants herare.

Thus much concerning the first preface. The second is of the Law-giuer: I am the Lord, &c. Containing two sorts of arguments, to proue that hee may giue a law; and that his people are bound to keepe it. The first kind of reason is ta­ken from his essence and greatnes in himselfe: I am Iehoua. The second from his effects and goodnes towards Israel.

• In
  • Generall: Thy God.
  • More speciall: Which haue brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

Now whatsoeuer is said vnto them, is said vnto all. Al­mightie God isHeb. 13. 8. euer the same,Apocal. 1. 4. which is, which was, and which is to come: who being Iehoua the Lord, made vs of nothing: and therefore wee being his creatures, owe obe­dience to his commands in euery thing; especially seeing he doth not only presse vs with his greatnes,Calu. Instit. lib. 2. cap. 8. § 14 but allure vs also with his goodnes: being our God by couenant in ho­lie baptisme, wherein hee tooke vs for his adopted chil­dren, and we tooke him for our heauenly father: he tooke vs for his spouse, wee tooke him for our husband: he tooke vs for his people, wee tooke him for our God:Malac. 1. 6. A some [Page 88] therefore must honour his father, and a seruant his master. If he be ours, and we his, as he doth prouoke vs in bountie: so we must answere him in dutie.

In more speciall, as God brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage: so hath he deliuered vs from the seruitude of Satan, and sinne, Caluin. vbi supra, §. 15. prefigured by that bondage of Egypt and Pharao: that be­ing deliuered out of the hands of all our enemies, we might serue him in holinesse and righteousnesse all the daies of our life.

Ezech. 20. 7. Egypt was a countrie giuen exceedingly to supersti­tion and Idolatrie, worshipping the most base creatures, as Rats, Onyons, and Garlike: so that to live in such a place was very dangerous to the soule, and bondage to natures ingenuous, is an estate of all other most grieuous to the bo­die. Deliuerance then out of both, as benefits in their owne nature very great, and in memorie most fresh, were good motiues vnto regardfull obedience.

The Lord hath done so, and more then so for vs, he hath freed vs from the Romish Egypt, and Spanish bondage, with lesse difficultie and more ease: for we are translated out of Babel and Egypt, without any trauell or iourney. Rome is swept away from England, and Ierusalem is brought home to our doores. If arguments drawne either from Gods infinite might or mercie ought to preuaile; let England shew the greatest obedience: for England hath had the greatest deli­uerance.

The Precepts.

LOueRom. 13. 10.is the complement of the Law. Mat. [...]2. 37. 39. Christ therefore reduced all the ten Commandements vnto these two: Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy heart: and thy neighbour as thy selfe. The which (asLib. 5. contra Marciou. Tertullian obserues) is not dispendium, but compendium legis: not a curtalling, but a full abridgement of the whole law. Yet I finde three sun­drie partitions of the seuerals.

Antiquit lib. 3. cap. 6. Iosephus andLib. de Deca­logo. Philo part them equally, making fiue Commandements in each table: the curious and learned [Page 86] may peruse Sextus Senensis Bibliothec. sanct. lib. 2. pag. 59. & Gallasius annot. in Irenaei, lib. 2. cap. 42.

Lombard out ofQuaest. 71. in Exod. & epist. 119. cap. 11. Augustine, and generally the schoole men out ofLib. 3. sent. dist. 37. Lombard, in honour of the Trinitie, diuide the first table into three Commandements, and the second into seuen.

But all our new writers, and most of the old Doctors, ascribe foure to the first, sixe to the second: among the He­brewes, Ramus de re­ligion. lib. 2. c. 3. Aben Esra: the Greekes,In Synopsi.Athanasius,Hom. 8. in Exod.Origen, Hom. 49. in Matth.Chrysostome: the Latines, Hierome, Ambrose in epist. ad E­phesios, cap. 6.

Wherefore being compassed about with such a cloud of witnesses, I follow the Churches order, assigning foure con­cerning our dutie to God, and sixe touching our dutie to man.

The first table then is a lanthorne to guide vs in the wor­ship of God; asIo. de Combis compend. lib. 5. cap. 59. some write, The two first commandements concerne God the Father as our Creator: the third, God the Sonne as our redeemer: the fourth, God the holy Ghost as our sanctifier. Yet so that we worship the Trinitie in vni­tie, and vnitie in trinitie, neither confounding the persons, nor diuiding the substance.

Or asHerma [...]. Co­lon. Archiepis. explicat. deca­log. other: the two first Commandements intimate how we must worship God in our heart: the third, how we must worship God in our tongue: the fourth, how we must worship God with both, in sanctifying the Sabbath.

• Or the first table doth set down two points especially:
  • 1. The hauing of the true God for our God, in the first, Thou shalt haue no other gods but me.
  • 2. The worshipping of this one God, in the other three.

• The first Commandement is obserued in ex­ercising the three theologicall vertues,
  • Faith,
  • Hope,
  • Charitie.

He that vnfainedly beleeueth in God, hath God for his God: because he taketh God for the chiefe veritie: and in this vnbeleeuers and misbeleeuers offend. Hee that hopeth in God, hath God for his God, in that hee takes him for [Page 90] most faithfull, most pitifull, and also most potent: as being assuredly perswaded that hee can, and will helpe him in all his necessitie. And in this they sinne who despaire of the mercies of God, or doe trust more in men, then in God: or so much in men, as in God. He that loueth God aboue all things, hath God for his God, in holding him for the chiefe good: and in this they trespasse who loue any creature more then God, or equall with God, and much more they that hate God: for it is a sound conclusion in Diuinitie; that is our God which we loue best, and esteeme most.

• Concerning the wor­ship of God, note the
  • Manner: in the 2. Commande­ment.
  • End: in the 3. Commandement.
  • Time and place: in the 4. Com.

The second doth describe the manner of his worship: Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen image, &c. forbid­ding all strange worship, and inioyning pure worship ac­cording to his word:Hilarius. for to deuise phantasies of God, is as horrible as to say there is no God. And therefore though wee should grant, that Images and pictures of God are as it were the Laymans Alphabet, and the peoples Almanacke: yet forasmuch as these bookes are not imprinted Cum priuile­gio, but on the contrarie prohibited; it is vnlawfull to learne what God is by them, or to worship God in, or vnder them. And lest any should presume, God hath fensed in this com­mandement with a very strong reason, I am the Lord, and therefore can punish: a iealo [...]s God, and therefore will pu­nish grieuously such, as giue that honour to another which only belongs vnto me.

The end of Gods worship is his glorie, prouided for in the third Commandement: Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vaine.

• The which is done two waies, in our
  • Workes.
  • Words.

In our conuersation: when as our leaud life doth occa­sion enemies of religion to reuile the Gospell, andRom. 2. 24. blas­pheme God. It is to take Christs name in vaine, when wee play the Gentiles vnder the name of Christians; as Paul to [Page 91] 1. Titus 16. Titus: professing God in word, but denying him in our works. Saluianus de gubernatione. dei, lib. 4.Hoc ipso Christiani deteriores quô meliores esse deberent: 2. Tim. 2. 19. He that calles on the name of Christ, must depart from iniquitie.

Secondly, wee take Gods name in vaine by speech; and that without an oath, or with an oath: without an oath, when we talke of himselfe, his essence, titles, attributes, ho­lie word, wonderfull workes irreuerently and vnworthilie without any deuotion, or awfull regard of his excellent Maiestie.

• We blaspheme God with an oath, by swearing either
  • Idlely.
  • Falsly,

• Idlely out of
  • Weaknesse: when in our ordinary talke, through a
    Basilicon Do­ron, lib. 1. pag. 17
    custome in sinne, wee fill vp our periods with
    Matth. 5. 37.
    vnnecessarie oathes.
  • Wickednesse: as when a wretch in his dis­contented humor shall binde himselfe with an oath to doe some notable mischiefe. So certaine Iewes, Acts 23. sware that they would neither eate nor drinke till they had killed Paul: or when he shall despitefully sweare to vex the good spirit of God, and to trample the bloud of Christ vnder his feet: if cardes, or bowles, or dice, runne against him, he will make his tongue to runne so fast against God: or when he doth sweare by heauen, or earth, or any other creature,
    Deut. 6. 13. Matth. 5. 34.
    in stead of the Creator. An oath is an inuocating of God: he therefore that sweares by the light, makes light his God: hee that sweares by the Masse, doth make that Idoll his God.

• A man may forsweare himselfe three waies, as
  Lib. 3. sent. dist. 39.
  Lombard out of
  De verb [...] Apo­stoli, serm. 28. tom. 10. fol. 264.
  Augu­stine: whē he doth sweare
  • 1. That which is false, and hee knowes it false.
  • 2. That which is true, but hee thought it false.
  • 3. That which is false, but hee held it true.

The two first kinds are abominable: namely, when a man sweares either that hee knowes to be false, or thinks to be false: but the third in the Court of Conscience is no sinne; [Page 92] because it is with forswearing as with lying: Periurie is no­thing else but a lie bound with an oath. Aulus Gel­lius, lib. 11. cap. 11. & Augu­stin. de men­dat. ad Consent. cap. 11. As then a man may tell an vntruth, and yet not lie: so likewise sweare that which is false, and yet not sweare falsly.Ierem 4. 2. Thou shalt sweare in truth, that is, as thou shalt in thy conscience and science thinke to be true:August. epis [...]. 154. for doubtlesse it is a lesser offence to sweare by a false god truly, then to sweare by the true God falsly: it is a sinne to lie, but a double sinne to sweare and lie.

The 4. Commandement.

THe fourth Commandement doth set downe the time and place of Gods holy worship: the time expresly, Remember thou keepe holy the Sabbath day: the which insi­nuates also the place; for God was publikely worshipped in his Sanctuarie, in his Tabernacle, in his Temple. Leuiti­cus 19. 30. Yee shall keepe my Sabbaths, and reuerence my San­ctuarie. The Sabbath (asRamus de re­lig. lib. 2. cap. 6. one calles it) is Gods schooleday: the Preachers are his Vshers, and the Church is his open schoole­house.

This Commandement is hedged in on euery side, lest we should breake out from obseruing it: with a caueat before, Remember: and two reasons after, one drawne from the equitie of the law: Six daies shalt thou labour: As if God should speake thus: If I permit thee sixe whole daies to follow thine owne businesse, thou maiest well affoord one onely for my seruice: but sixe daies shalt thou labour and doe all thine owne worke: therefore hallow the seuenth in doing my worke. Six daies shalt thou labour. B. Babington & Caluin. Cat. A permis­sion, or a remission of Gods right, who might challenge all, rather then an absolute commandement:Perkins au­rea Cat. cap. 23. for the Church vpon iust occasion may separate some weeke daies also, to the seruice of the Lord and rest from labour. Ioel 2. 15. Blow the trumpet in Sion, sanctifie a fast, call a solemne as­semblie. Daies of publique fasting, for some great iudge­ment: daies of publique reioicing, for some great benefit, are not vnlawfull, but exceeding commendable, yea neces­sarie. Yet this permission is aPerkins treat. of callings. commission against idlenesse, [Page 93] because euery man must liue by theGen. 3. 19. sweat of his browes, or sweat of his braines: hauing some profession or occupa­tion or1. Cor. 7. 20. vocation, wherein he must labour faithfully.

Another argument is taken from the Law-giuers ex­ample: For in six daies the Lord made heauen and earth, and rested the seuenth day. God requires no more then himselfe performed, his owne practise is a Commentarie vpon his law. This may teach all Magistrates, all masters, all superi­ors who prescribe lawes vnto other, to become first an vn­printed law themselues. If the Prince will haue his Court religious, himselfe must be forward in deuotion: if the fa­ther will haue his children possesse their1. Sam. 21. 5. vessels in chastity, then himselfe must notIer. 5. 8. neigh after his neighbours wife. When Sabbath breakers are rebuked, all their answere is, other, and that the most doe so. If they will follow fashion and example, let them follow the best: Fashion not your selues like theRom. 12. 2.world: but be ye followers ofEphes. 5. 1.God: who framed the whole world in six daies, and rested the seuenth: he rested from creating, not gouerning; from making of new kinds of creatures, not singuler things: he is not (as Epicurus ima­gined) idle, but alway working: Iohn 5. 17. My father wor­keth hitherto, and I worke.

• The Comman­dement it selfe is
  • First, propounded briefly: Keepe holy the Sabbath day.
  • Then expounded more largely: shewing
    • 1. What is the Sab­bath day, namely, the seuenth.
    • 2. How it must bee sanctified: In it thou shalt doe no manner of worke.

Keepe holy.] This day hath no more holinesse in it selfe then other times: only God hath appointed it to holy vses aboue other: and therefore wee must keepe it more holy then other.

• The Sabbath.] There is sabbathum
  • Pectoris, of the mind.
  • Temporis, of time.

• [Page 94]The sabbath of the mind
  Tho [...]. 12 [...], quaest. 100. art. 5.
  is double:
  • Internall, peace of conscience in the kingdome of grace.
  • Eternall, rest of body and soule in the kingdome of glory.

When asApocal. 14. 13. we shall rest from our labors,Apoc. 7. 17. all teares shall be wiped from our eies, and cares from our heart.

• Among the Iewes the sabbath of time was of
  • Daies.
  • Yeeres.

• Daies
  • Lesser: euery seuenth day.
  • Iohn 19. 31.
    Greater: as when the Passeouer fell on the Sab­bath: as it did when Christ suffered.

• Leuit. 25.
  Yeeres:
  • Euery seuenth yeere, a Sabbath of rest to the land.
  • Euery seuen-times seuen yeere: which was 49. and then followed in the 50. yeere the Iubile.

This Sabbath is of daies, expressely, kept holie the se­uenth day.

• There is
  • A naturall day, which is the space of 24 houres: a night and a day: Gen. 1. 5.
  • An artificiall day: the space of 12. houres: as Christ: Iohn 11. 9. from the Sunne rising to the Sunne set­ting; of which I thinke this Commandement is vnderstood. For albeit the Iewes counted the Sabbath from euening to euening, yet it was but as they reckoned other daies; not to sit vp and watch all night: but to spend in Gods seruice so much of the naturall day, as may be spared without hur­ting the body.

The seuenth is the Sabbath.] It is the iudgement of the most and best Interpreters, that the Sabbath isM [...]lancthon tom. 1. fol. 6. & tom. 2. sol. 362. morale quoad genus, but ceremoniale quoad speciem: Ceremoniall for the Church h [...]m. concerning the time and place of praier. manner, albeit morall for the matter. I say ceremoniall it. regard of the particular:B. Babington. as the strict obseruation of the same day and same rest: precisely to keepe the Saturday, and strictly to cease from all labour, as the Iewes did, was a shadow: therefore abrogated by the comming of the body, Christ.

The blessed Apostles herein led by the spirit of truth, and (as some thinke) by Christs owneIob. 20. 19. 28. example,Acts 20. 7. 1. Cor. 16. 2. Apocal. 1. 10. altered, [Page 95] and so by consequence abrogated the particular day. Con­sentaneum est Apostolos hanc ipsam ob causam mutassediem, vt oftenderent exemplum abrogationis legum ceremonialium in die septimo: Melanct. tom. 2. fol. 363.

Whereas therefore the Iewes obserued their Sabbath on the seuenth day, wee celebrate the eighth. They gaue God the last day of the weeke: but Christians better honour him with the first: they keepe their Sabbath in honour of the worlds creation; but Christians in memoriall of the worlds redemption, a worke of greater might and mercie: and therefore good reason the greater worke should carrie a­way the credit of the day. See the Gospell on Saint Thomas day.

The particular rest of the Iewes isCaluins Cat. Perkins aurea Caten. cap. 23. Ram. [...]ereli­gione, lib. 2. c. 6. ceremoniall also: for it is a type of our inward resting from sin in this life: Exod. 31. 13. Ezek. 20. 12. and a figure of ourCaluins Instit. lib. 2. cap. 8. §. 31. eternall Sabbath in the next: as S.D. Fulk vpon Heb. 4. 4. Master Deering lect. 19. vpon Heb. Paul disputes, Heb. 4.

Yet this Commandement is morall in the generall. As for example, wee must keepe one day in the seuen holie to the Lord: wherein we must doe no manner of work, which may let the ministerie of Gods word, and other exercises of pietie. We must leaue to doe our worke, that the Lord may bring foorth in vs his worke.

• The duties then required on the Lords day be principally two:
  • Rest.
  • And a sanctification of this rest.

A double Sabbath; rest from labour, and rest from sinne: for asVbi supra. our Church doth de­termine, two sorts of people transgresse this Commande­ment especially:

• 1. Such as will not rest frō their ordinary labour, but driue & carry, row & ferry on Sūday.
• 2. Such as will rest in vngodli­nes, idlely spending this holy day in pampering, pointing, painting themselues. So that God is more dishonoured, and the Di­uell better serued vpon Sunday, then on all the daies of the weeke beside.

Thou shalt do no manner of worke.] That is, no seruile work of thine ordinarie calling; which may be done the day be­fore, or left well vndone till the day after. But some workes [Page 96] are lawfull: namely, such as appertaine to the publike wor­ship of God: as painfull preaching of the sacred word, rea­ding of diuine prayers, administring of the blessed Sacra­ments, and euery worke subordinate to these: as ringing of bels, and trauelling to Church, Acts 1. 12. 2. Kings 4. 23.

• And workes of mercie toward
  • Our selues: as prouision of meate and drinke, Matth. 12. 1.
  • Other
    • Men: our Sauiour healed the man with the d [...]ied hand on the Sabbath, Mark. 3. 5.
    • Beasts: in watering cattell, and helping them out of pound and pit: Luk. 14. 5.

Workes of present necessitie:Perkins vbi supra. Physitions on the Lords day may visit their patients; Midwiues helpe women with child, Shepheards attend their flock, Mariners their voiage, 1. Mac. 2. 41. Souldiers may fight, andEsday [...]n the 4. Commande­ment. messengers ride post for the great good of the Common-wealth.

Works of honest recreations also, so farre as they may ra­ther helpe then hinder our cheerefull seruing of the Lord: and the reason of all this is giuen by Christ; Mar. 2. 27. The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.

Thou.] Thy wife is not named, because she is presumed to be thy selfe: that whatsoeuer is forbidden thy selfe, must also be knowne to be forbidden thy second selfe.

Thy sonne and thy daughter.] Euery man is aEster 1. 21.gouernour in his owne house; and therefore must take charge of such as are vnder him: Augustine. Adduc eos ad domum dei tecum, qui sunt in domo tua tecum: mater Ecclesia aliquos à te petit, aliquos repetit; petit eos quos apud te inuenit, repetit quos per te perdidit.

• Thy man seruant.] This is for
  • Thy good.
  • Their good.
  • The common good.

Thy good: For hee that on Sunday shall learne his dutie, will be more fit all the weeke to doe his dutie: such as o­bey God with a good conscience, will serue their master with an vpright heart, asGen. 30. 27. Iacob serued Laban, andGen. 39. 5. Ioseph Pharaoh.

[Page 97] Againe, it is for thy good often toDeut. 5. 15. remember with thank­fulnesse, that God hath made thee master, and him seruant: whereas hee might haue made thee seruant, and him ma­ster.

For their good: that they mayIohn 17. 3. know God, and whom he hath sent Christ Iesus,Iohn 14. 6.the way, the truth, and the life. Thy seruants are men of the same mold with thee:Macrob. sa­turnal. lib. 1. cap. 11. & Am­bros. serm. 33. Iisdem & constant & n [...]triuntur elementis, eundem spiritum ab eodem principio car­punt, eodem fruun. ur coelo, aequa viuunt, aeque moriuntur, serui, sunt, imo conserui. That is, in the words of scripture,Gal. 3. 28. Thy seruants are all one with thee in Christ: made of the same God, redeemed with the same price, subiect to the same law, be­longing to the same master: Ephes. 6. 9. Pitie then and pietie require that thou see them obserue the Lords day, for the good as well of their bodies as soules.

For the common good: Caluin. Cat. For euery man hath iust cause to be ready willingly to labour all the weeke, when as he is as­sured he shall rest on Sunday.

Thy cattell.] Hence we may gather much comfort: for if God in his mercy prouide for the welfare euen of our brute beasts, of which he hath made vs Lords; he will assuredly much more respect vs his seruants and children: he cannot be carelesse for men, who is so carefull for oxen.

The Commandements are so well knowne, and often expounded, that asTract. 50. in Iobannem. Augustine speakes in the like case: Desiderant auditorem magis quàm expositorem. I passe there­fore from the first table, containing all dutie to God, vnto the second, teaching all dutie to man: I say to man as the proper immediat object of them. Otherwise these Com­mandements are done vnto God also: for he that clotheth the naked, and visiteth the sicke, doth it vnto Christ: Matth. 25. 40.

• The law then concerning our neighbour is partly
  • Affirmatiue, teaching vs to do him all good: Honour thy father and mother, &c.
  • Negatiue, teaching vs to doe him no hurt: Thou shalt not kill, &c.

[Page 98] This table begins with honour of our father:Herman. ex­plicat. decalog. First, be­cause next vnto God we must honour those who are in the place of God.

Secondly, because the neglect of this one Commande­ment occasioneth all disorder against the rest: for if supe­riours gouerne well, and inferiours obey well; how can any man be wronged in word or deed?

Bellarm. Cat. Thirdly, because of all neighbours our parents are most neere to vs, as being most bound to them, of whom we haue receiued our life. Thy parent is Gods instrument for thy na­turall being: thy Prince Gods instrument for thy ciuill be­ing: thy Pastor Gods instrument for thy spirituall being. Wherefore as thou art a man thou must honour thy naturall father; as a citizen honour thy ciuill father; as a Christian honour thy ecclesiasticall father.

• Honour imports especially 3. things:
  • Obedience.
  • Reuerence.
  • Maintenance.

Obedience. Children obey your parents in all things: Co­loss. 3. 20: that is, as Paul doth interpret himselfe, Ephes. 6. 1 in the Lord. In all things agreeable to the will of God: o­therwise for Christs loue wee must hate father and mother, Luke 14. 26.De vita Ere­mit. ad Heliodo­rum, tom. 1▪ fol. 1. Hierome notably: Licèt sparso crine & scissis vestibus vbera quibus te nutrier at m [...]ter oftendat, licèt in lim [...] ­ne pater iaceat, per calcatum perge patrē, siccis oculis ad vexil­lum crucis euola. The most eminent paternes of obedience to father and mother are theIerem. 35. Rechabits, Gen. 22. Isaac,Luke 2. 51. Christ: Hieron, [...]pist. de vitando sus­pecto con [...]ber­nio, tom. 1. fol. 224. Venerabatur matrem, cuius ipse erat pater, colebat nutritium quem nutriuerat.

Reuerence: Bearing them respect in words, and outward behauiour, though they be neuer so meane, and wee neuer so mightie. Prouerbs 23. 22. Honour thy father that begat thee, and thy mother that bare thee. As if hee should say, Be dutifull vnto thy parents: not because they be rich and in great place, but because they be thy parents, how base soe­uer they bee.Hieron. vbi supra. Matris angustam domum Iudicas, cuius tibi non fuit venter angustus:Sen [...]cade be­neficijs, lib. 3. cap. 1.parentes non amare impietas est, non agnoscere insania est. Examples of this vertue, recorded in [Page 99] holy Scriptures areGen. 26. 27. 28. cap. Ioseph and1. King. 2. 19. Salomon: and in our Eng­lish Chronicles, SirStapleton in eius vita, cap. 1. Thomas More, who being Lord Chan­cellor of England, vsually did aske his father blessing in Westminster Hall publikely: the which custome of our na­tion is good and godly.

Maintenance. If the parent be blind, the child must be his Iob 29. 15. eye: if lame, the child must be his foote: if in any want, the Tobit 5. 17. staffe of his decaied age. SoIohn 19. 27. Christ tooke care for his mo­ther at his death:Arist. Ethic. lib. 9. cap. 2. for it is great reason that children ha­uing receiued life of their father and mother, should pro­cure to preserue vnto them the same life. Nature doth reade this lesson.Lib. 5. cap. 4. Valerius Maximus hath a memorable historie of a young woman who gaue sucke to her mother in pri­son, and so kept her aliue, who otherwise was adiudged to be famished. A pious office, so well accepted of the Iudge, that he did both pardon the mother, and prefer the daugh­ter. Aristophanes in [...]uibus. Aristophanes affirmes also, that the young Stroke doth feed the old.

There is a dutie required of the parent toward the child, as well as of the child toward the parent: yet the law spea­keth expresly to the one, and not to the other. That the fa­ther being in order of nature & in wisdome superior, might suspect his duty to be written in himselfe: father and mother areHieron. vbi supra. nominapietatis, officiorum vocabula, naturae vincula. The dutie then of superiours is infolded in the word father: a Minister is a father, a Master a father, a Magistrate a father: teaching them to be so well affected to their inferiors, as pa­rents are to their children.

Againe: the loue of parents towards their children is so naturall and ordinary, that there is lesse need to put pa­rents in mind of their dutie. But contrariwise children are not vsually so dutifull to their parents (as theThom. 12 ae. quaest. 26. art. 12. & Aristot. Ethic. lib. 9. c. 7. Schoole speakes): Amor descendit, non ascendit: benefactor plus d [...]li­git quam benefici [...]tus: and therefore it was necessary to ad­monish them of their loue: neither is God content with a bare precept, but hath adioined a promise, That thy daies may bee long: for there is no reason hee should inioy long life, who dishonoureth those of whom hee receiued life: [Page 100] but if God shorten the daies of dutifull children, and in stead of long life giue them euerlasting life; hee doth not breake but keepe his promise: for hee doth promise long life, not absolutely, but so farre forth as it is a blessing; that it may be well with thee: and that thou maiest liue long on earth. Ephes. 6. 3.

The 6. Commandement.

THe negatiue part forbiddeth all euill, and that is com­mitted against our neighbour threelo. Combis lib. [...]. cap. 59. Aq [...]inas in 13. ad Rom. lect. 2. waies:

• In
  • Thought.
  • Word.
  • Deed.

But because bad deeds are worse then bad words: and bad words worse then bad thoughts, it pleased the God of order first to forbid bad deeds: Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not commit adulterie, Thou shalt not steale. Then bad words: Thou shalt not beare false witnesse. Last of all, bad thoughts: Thou shalt not couet thy neighbors house, &c.

• All our bad deeds against our neighbors concerne his
  • Life: Thou shalt not kill.
  • Honour: Thou shalt not com­mit adultery.
  • Goods: Thou shalt not steale.

Thou shalt not kill.] To wit, a man: for to kill other liuing things is not forbidden: and the reason is plaine; because they were created for man, and so man is master of their life. But one man was not created for another man, but for God: and therefore not man, but only God is master of our life: for a magistrate doth not put malefactors to death as master of their life, but as aRom. 13. 4. minister of God: and so by consequence not murther, but an act of iustice:Mat. 26. 52. Such as strike with the sword shall perish with the sword: August. cont. Faustum, lib. 22. cap. 70. that is, such as take the sword vpon their owne authoritie: Dominus iusserat, vt ferrum discipuli ferrent, non vt ferirent. But if God put a sword into their hand, then they may, then they must strike. In a word, killing is vniust when either it is done without authoritie, or by publike authoritie vpon priuate [Page 101] grudge; non amore i [...]stitiae, sed libidine vindictae, Concerning inward rancour and outward disdaine, in deed, word or ge­sture, see the Gospell Dom. 6. post Trin.

The 7. Commandement.

IN this Commandement are forbiddenLombard. 3. sent. dist. 37. Church hom. against adulte­rie, part. 1. all vnchast lusts, aswell burningMat. 5. 28. 1. Cor. 7. 9. within, as breaking forth.

• Into
  • Allurements,
    • Ribald talke: Ephes. 4. 29.
    • Wanton lookes: Gen. 6. 2. 39. 7.
    • Lasciuious attire: Esay 3. 16.
  • Acts of vncleannesse.

• Acts of vnclean­nesse vnnaturall: as
  • Committing fil­thinesse with
    • A man of the same sex: Rom. 1. 27.
    • Abeast: Leu. 18. 23.
    • Paracelsus, iucubi, succubi.
      A Diuell: as wit­ches doe by their owne confession.

• Naturall,
  • Adulterie: when both, or one of the parties are married: Deut. 22. 22.
  • Fornication between single persons: as
    • Deflouring of virgins: Deut. 22. 28.
    • Hunting of common whores: 1. Cor. 10. 8.
  • Incest: with such as be within the degrees of consanguinitie or affinitie prohibited in law: Leuit. 18. 6.

Sinne in this kind is more dangerous, then in another, because a man can hardly repent heartily for it. The mur­therer, and swearer, and theese become many times excee­ding sorrowfull after the fact: but the wanton (asEpist. Amando [...]om. 3 fol. 135. Hierome notes) euen in the middest of his repentance sinneth afresh: the very conceit of his old pleasure doth occasion a new fault: so that when his deuotion ends, he presently begins to repent that he did repent. Example hereof Augustine: who being in the heat of his youth (as himselfeConfess. lib. 8. cap. 7. writes of himselfe) begged of God earnestly the gift of continencie: but, saith he, to tell the truth, I was afraid lest hee should [Page 102] heare me too soone: Malebam enim explers concupiscentiam quàm extingu [...]. See the Gospell Dom. 15. post. Trin.

The 8. Commandement.

THis ouerthrowethMelancthon Catechis. tom. 1. fol. 17. & tom. 2. fol. 369. Anabaptisticall and Platonicall com­munitie: for if all things ought to be common, and no­thing proper in possession, how can one man steale from another? All lawes of giuing, buying, selling, leaseing, let­ting, lending are vaine, si teneant omnes omnia, nemo suum.

• A man may transgresse this Commandement in being a theefe.
  • To himselfe, in spending
    • Too much.
    • Too little.
  • To other.

• Too much
  • Wasting more then he should in gameing, diet, brauery; such are arrant cutpurses vnto themselves.
  • Getting lesse then they should: Ignaui & prodigi sunt fures, saith
    Tom. 1. fol. 185
    Melancthon.

As a spend-all, so a get-nothing is a theefe to his estate: Pouertie comes vpon him as an armed man: Prouerbs 24. 34. An idle person is pouerties prisoner: if he liue without a cal­ling, pouerty hath a calling to arrest him.

Hee that spends too little on himselfe, as the couetous wretch, is a robber of himselfe also,Innocentius de vilit. condit. Human. lib. 2. cap. 13. Corpus extenuat, vt lu­crum extendat: He keepes his belly thin, that his purse may be full: heAmbros. lib. de Naboth. c. 4. cannot afford himselfe so much as an egge, lest he should kill a chicke: whereas a poore man doth want ma­nie things, a rich miser wants euery thing: like Tantalus vp to the chin in water, and yet thirstie. The which (as Salomon calles it) is an euill sicknesse: Eccles. 6. 2.

• To other
  • Openly: which is plaine robbery: so little pra­ctised, or so much punished in King
    Lamberts Perambulation of Ke [...]t, pag. 27.
    Al­freds raigne, that if a man had let fall his purse in the high way, he might with great leisure, and good assurance haue come backe and taken it vp againe.
  • Secretlie: which is properlie called stea­ling. And this offence is manifold: for [Page 103] there is not onely theft of the hand, but of the heart, and tongue. Couetous greedines is theft in heart: for howsoe­uer it be a maxime in our law,
    Meteranus hist. Belgic. lib. 13. pag. 420.
    Voluntas non reputabitur pro facto, nisi in causa prod [...]tionis: sed exitus in maleficijs spectatur, & non voluntas duntaxat: yet it is a breach of this law, co­uetously to desire that which is not ours: albeit wee seeke not to get it wrongfully. Their hearts, saith
    2. Pet. 2. 14.
    Peter, are ex­ercised in couetousnes: and
    In 1 Thess. cap 5. hom. 10.
    Chrysostom plainly; The coue­tous man is a very theefe: fur & latro. The
    Te [...]mes of the Law, pag. 97.
    fathers of the law write that theeues are called felones, of our anciēt word fell or fierce; because they commit this sinne with a cruell, fell, and mischieuous minde: teaching vs hereby that a fe­lonious intent is a principall in theeuerie.

There is also theft of the tongue, byB. Balington. lying, flatterie, smoothing, &c. So we reade that2. Sam. 15. 6. Absolon stole the hearts of the men of Israel: and so false2. Sam. 16. Ziba stole the goods of his master Mephibosheth.

So flatterers and parasites are great theeues in Court and Countrie: not only dominorum suorum arrisores; sed etiam arrosores: and therefore let a flatterer bee in your Pater noster, but not in your Creed: pray for him, but trust him no more then a theefe.

Fraudes in buying and selling are reduced to stealing; because hee that vseth such deceits, secretly taketh of his neighbour more then his due: but oppressions and vniust extortions are reduced by Diuines vnto robberie; because the cruell tyrant exacteth more then his owne manifestly: not to pay debts, is reduced vnto both: vnto robbery, when a man to the great hindrance of his neighbour can and will not: vnto stealing, when hee partly will and cannot: I say will partly: for if he desire wholly with all his heart to pay the vtmost farthing, God assuredly will accept of votall re­stitution, aswell as of actuall: and it is not a sinne though it be a sore.

The 9. Commandement.

NExt the prohibition of iniuries in deede, follow the wrongs against our neighbour in word: Thou shalt [Page 104] not beare false witnesse: and that fitly, becauseHerman ex­plicat. huius pracept. lying is cosen germane to stealing:Erasmus com. de lingua. Da mihi mendacem, & ego ostendam tibi furem: If thou wilt shew mee a liar, I will shew thee a theefe.

This precept condemnes all manner of lying: for albeit one is worse then another,Augustin. in Psal. 5. yet all are naught: The mouth that speaketh lies slaieth the soule: Wi [...]d. 1. 11. And Psal. 5. 6. Thou shalt destroy them that speake leasing. See Gospell Dom. 15. post Trinit.

• Beside lies: euery thing whereby the credit of our neighbour is impaired: especially those three sins of the tongue:
  • Contumely.
  • Detractation.
  • Cursing.

A contumely is an iniurious word, spoken with an iniu­rious mind, to the dishonour of our neighbour: I say with an iniurious intent; otherwise when it is vttered by way of aduice to direct or correct, as a father sometime spea­keth to his childe, or a master to his scholler, or a Pastor to his people, as Paul:Gal. 3. 1.Ye foolish Galathians: out of some heat, but yet not out of any hate, then it is no contumelie or sinne.

Or in merriment, not in malice: There is a time toEccles. 3. 4.laugh: and so by consequence a time to iest: when a wittie con­ceit may profit and administer grace to the hearer. He that said the Duke of Guise was the greatest vsurer in France, be­cause he turned all his estate into obligations, hereby gaue this honest aduice, that if he should leaue himselfe nothing, but only haue many followers bound to him for his large gifts, in conclusion he should finde a number of bad deb­tors. He that called his friend theefe, because he had stollen away his loue, did not wrong, but commend him.

It is lawfull also to iest at the vanities of irreligious men, enemies to God and his Gospell: as1. King. 18. 27. Elia did at the soppish idolatry of Baals Priests. A friend of mine said of an vpstart gallant in Court with a gingling spur, that he had a Church on his backe, and the bels on his heeles.

Euery lay Papist must beleeue as the Church beleeues, albeit he know not what the Church beleeueth: he must also worship the consecrated bread, and yet knoweth not [Page 105] whether it be consecrated or no:Co [...]. Trident, sess. 7. can 11. Bellarm [...]n. de sacramentis in genere, cap. 17. for to the consecration of the host, the Priests intention is required, which no mā knowes but God, and himselfe. So that if a man tell his popish ac­quaintance that he is a blinde buffe, to worship and beleeue he knowes not what, it were no contumelie; because it did proceed out of zeale to God, and loue to him; only to recti­fie his error, and not to vilifie his person.

The second fault reduced to false witnes is detractation, in speaking euill of our neighbour: and it is done by repor­ting that which is false, and sometime by telling that which is true, but secret: whereby the credit of our neighbour is lessened with those, to whom his sinne was not knowne be­fore: for as a man may flatter in absence, namely, when ei­ther the vertue is absent, or the occasion, and so the praise is not kinde but forced either in truth, or in time: so likewise a man may slander his neighbour in speaking the truth vn­seasonably, without discretion out of time and place. A tale tossed from mouth to mouth in creaseth as a snowbal, which being little at the first, groweth to a great quantitie.

Now the backbiter is bound in reason and religion to restore the good name of his neighbour, which hee by de­traction hath taken away; and that is exceeding hard: for a mans honest fame is like the Merchants wealth got in ma­ny yeeres, and lost in an houre. Wherefore speake well of all men alwaies, if it may bee done with truth: and when it cannot, then bee silent: or else interrupt euill detractation with other meere and merrie communication, asIudges 14. 12. Sampson at his mariage feast propounded a riddle to his friends, A [...]b [...] os. epist. lib. 9. epist. 70. hereby to stop the mouthes of backbiters, and to occupie their wits another way. Bernard excellently: The tale bearer hath the diuell in his tongue: the receiuer in his eare.

The theefe doth send one only to the diuell, the adulte­rer two: but the slanderer hurteth three; himselfe, the par­tie to whom, and the partie of whom hee telleth the tale. Ter homicide (saithLo [...]. com. tit. singua.Luther) vno ictu tres occidit:Bernard ser. 24. in Cant.v [...]us est qui loquitur, & vnum tantum verbam profert, & tamen illud vnum verbum, vno in momento, mul [...]itudinis audientium dum aures inficit, animas interficit.

[Page 106] The third fault is malediction: a grieuousColoss. 3. 8. offence when it is spoken with hatred and a desire that such euill come vpon our neighbour: but when it is vttered vpon some sudden disdaine, without regard to that we speake, it is lesse euill, yet for all that alwaies euill: because from the mouth of a Christian, who is the childe of God by adop­tion, nothing ought to passe but1. Pet. 2. 1. benediction.

The 10. Commandement.

THe former precepts intend thoughts and desires, aswel as act and practise: for the Lawgiuer is a spirit, and therefore must be worshipped in spirit: yet lest wee should pretend ignorance, God in this Commandement giueth especiall order for them. Or asMelancthon, & Caluin. Cat. other: The former pre­cepts did condemne the setled thought to doe mischiefe: but this euen the first inclination and motion to sinne, though a man neuer consent, but snub it in the beginning: Rom. 7. 7. Thou shalt not lust or desire.

• Now we sin three waies in this kinde:
  • 1. By coueting y^e goods of our neighbour,
    • Immoueable: as his land and house.
    • Moueable: as his oxe and asse, &c.
  • 2. By coueting his wife.
  • 3. By plotting treason, and murther.

To couet his goods is against his profit, which is deare to him: to couet his wife is against his honor, which ought to bee more deare: to couet his bloud is against his life, which of all wordly things is most deare.

Whereas it is obiected that desire of murther is not for­bidden in particular, as the desire of theft and adulterie: for the Commandement saith, Thou shalt not couet thy neigh­bours house, thou shalt not couet thy neighbours wife: but it is not said, Thou shalt not couet thy neighbours bloud: Answere is made, that a man doth not desire any thing principallie but that which bringeth him someArist. Ethic. lib. 1. cap. 1. good, at least in appea­rance. And so he desireth adulterie, because it bringeth de­light: hee desireth theft for that it bringeth profit: but [Page 107] murther bringeth no good at all: and therefore it is not de­sired for it selfe, but only to attaine to theft, or adultery, or some such designement.

So that God hauingē forbidd expresly the disordinate de­sires of delectation and gaine, comequently forbad desires of murther, which is not coueted b [...]t for vnlawfull profit or pleasure. Thus perfect righteousnesse is fulfilled when we wrong not our neighbour either in deed, or in word, or de­sire: but contrariwise, doe good vnto all, speake well, and thinke charitably of all.

Now the reason why the Church appoints the Decalogue to be read at the Communion, is euident: namely, because the law is aGal. 3. 24.schoolemaster vnto Christ; teaching vs toRom. 3. 20. know sinne, and by knowing of sinne to know our selues, and knowing our selues to renounce our selues, as of our selues vnable to doe anyIohn 16. 5. thing, and so come to Christ: who doth strengthen vs to doe allPhil. 4. 13. things. Almighty God (saithTom. 1. fol. 1. Lu­ther) hath written his law not so much to forbid offences to come, as to make men acknowledge their sinnes already past, and now present: that behol [...]ing themselues in the lawes glasse, they may discerne their owne imperfections, and so flie to Christ: who hath fulfilled the law, and taken away the sinnes of the whole world. For (as theCom. Prayer bookes, tit. Lords Supper. reformed Churches of Scotland and Geneua speake) the end of our comming to the Lords table, is not to make protestation that wee are iust, and vpright in our liues: but contrariwise we come to seeke our life and perfection in Iesus Christ: be­ing assuredly perswaded that the Lord requireth on our part no other worthinesse, but vnfainedly to confesse our vnworthinesse. So that (our enemies being Iudges) it is well ordered that the Commandements are rehearsed in the mi­nistration of this holy Sacrament. Let the Nouelists here blush, whoFor it is inser­ted elsewhere both in the com­mon Catechis. and in the BB. Bible: Exodus 20. 1. Deut. 5. 6. calumniously censure our Church for omit­ting in theMinisters of Deuon. and Cornwall rea­sons, part. 1. cap. 26. proeme of the Decalogue one halfe line: when as themselues in their owne Communion bookes haue left out all the whole law. This indeed occasioned me to re­member an obseruation ofLib. 1. cap. 4. Cominaeus vpon the battell of Montlehery, that some lost their offices for running away, [Page 108] which were bestowed vpon other that fled ten leagues fur­ther. Hypocrite first cast out the beame out of thine owne eye; and then shalt thou see cleerely to cast out the mote out of thy brothers eye.

THe Lords Supper is called a sacrifice by the learned an­cient Doctors in foure respects:

First, because it is a representation & memoriall of Christs sacrifice on the crosse: 1. Cor. 11. 26. As often as yee shall eate this bread, and drinke this cup, ye shew the Lords death vntill he co [...]e. SoLib. 2. de Virgin. S. Ambrose: Christ is daily sacrificed in the mindes of beleeuers, as vpon an altar: Semel in cruce, quotidie in sa­cramento. saithLib. 4. sent. dist. 12. Lombard.

Secondly, because in this action we offer praise & thanks­giuing vnto God, for the redemption of the world: and this is the sacrifice of our lips: Heb. 13. 15.

Thirdly, because euery Communicant doth offer and present himselfe body and soule, a liuing, holy, acceptable sacrifice to the Lord: Rom. 12. 1. The which excels the sa­crifices of the Priests in old time: for they did offer dead sacrifices, but we present our selues a1. Collect after the receiuing of the bread and wine. liuely sacrifice to God.

Fourthly, because it was aIustin Martyr Apolog. 2. custome in the Primitiue Church at the receiuing of this blessed Sacrament to giue large contribution vnto the poore, a sacrifice well accepted of God: Heb. 13. 16. Now the Church allowing and fol­lowing this good old custome, stirres vp the people to giue cheerfully by repeating some one or two choice sentences of scripture best fitting this occasion, as Matth. 6. 19. Matth. 7. 12, &c. 5. 10

These kinds of oblation are our Churches offertorie, and vnbloudy sacrificesCollect for the whole estate of Christs Church. offred by the whole congregation vn­to the Lord: so farre differing from popish sacrificing, as S. Pauls in London is from S. Peters in Rome.

THe sum of the Ministers exhortation before the Com­munion, is contained in these words of Paul: Let a man therefore examine himselfe, and so let him eate of this bread, and drinke of this cup: wherein obserue

• Two points:
  • A preparation: Let a man examine, &c.
  • A participation: and so let him eate, &c.

• In the first note the
  • Parties
    • Examining: a man, that is, euery man.
    • Examined: himselfe.
  • Parts.

Beza translates, andParaphras. in loc. Erasmus expounds [...], quisque: so the word is vsed, Iohn 3. 27. A man can receiue nothing ex­cept it be giuen him from heauen: and Iohn 7. 46. Neuer man spake like this. A man then in this place signifieth euery man, subiect, Soueraigne, Priest, people. The which obseruation ouerthroweth vtterlyBeza annot. in loc. Romish implicite faith. Euery lay man ought to turne confessor, and examiner, endued with suffi­cient knowledge for this heauenly businesse: he must looke not onely thorow the spectacles of the Priest, but also see with his owne eies, able to try himselfe.

Himselfe.] For that is the duty; not another, for that is a fault. We must not be1. Pet 4. 15. busie Bishops in other mens Dioces­ses, but meddle with our1. Thes▪ 4. 11. owne businesse: we must not breake our neighbours head with the Pharisie, but smite our owne breast with the Publican.

S.Cousess. lib. 10. cap. 3. Augustine complained of men in his time that they were Curiosi ad cognoscendum vitam al [...]enam, desidiosi ad cor­rigendam suam: and reuerendLib. 5. p. 263. Hooker, of men in our time, that their vertue is nothing but to heare gladly the reproofe of others vice: like Tailors, who measure, like Barbors, who cut all other except themselues. ButMatth. 7. 3. 5. our Sauiour Christ would not haue vs to gaze on the mote in our brothers eye▪ but rather to pull out the beame in our owne sight. And his Apostle here, not to pry into other, but to try our selues; not but that other according to their seuerall charge, must examine other, as parents must examine their chil­dren: [Page 110] Exod. 12. 26. 27. and masters must examin their house­hold, Gen. 18. 19. and Pastors must examine their parishio­ners, as here Paul corrected & directed the Corinthians: and for this cause the names of all Communicants are to be sent vnto the Minister, that there may be made triall of all: yet if parents and masters and Ministers omit this examination, euery one must be both able and willing to proue himselfe.

• The parts of examination are concerning the
  • Manner.
  • Matter.

• For the manner a triall is to be made
  • Vprightly.
  • Necessarily.

The former is implied in the word Examine: which notes a diligent and exact inquirie, such as Lapidar [...]es and Gold­smiths vse to finde out true mettall from counterfeit, good from bad. As the2. King. 4. Shunamite sought for Elisha,Luke 2.Mary for Christ, the woman for herLuke 15. lost groate: so we must search as if we would finde, search vntill we finde. Many men exa­mine their bad maners, as they do their bad mony, seeke as if they would not see, search as if they would not vnderstād. They decline sinne thorough all the cases (asBigasalutis Dom 8. post Penticost. one notes) In nominatiuo per superbiam, in genitiuo per luxuriam, in datiuo per simoniam, in accusatiuo per detractationem, in vo­catiuo per adulationem, in ablatiuo per rapinam: and yet they will not acknowledge their sinnes in any case. When other mens examination hath found them out, excuses are ready:Bernard Tract. de gradi­bus humilitat. grad. 8. Non feci: si feci, non male feci: si male feci, non multum male: si multum male, non mala intentione; aut si mala intentione, tamen al [...]ena persuasione. Wherefore as the Esay 21. 12. Si qu [...]ritis qu [...]rite. Prophet said: If ye will aske a question, aske it indeed: so if ye will examine your selues, examine earnestly, throughly, vp­rightly. For examination must be made necessarily. This we may gather out of the word therefore: whosoeuer shall eate this bread, and drinke the cup of the Lord vnworthily, shall be guiltie of the body and bloud of the Lord: Let a man therefore, &c.

• Triall of our selues then is ne­cessary, both in respect of our
  • Dutie.
  • Danger, if we neglect this dutie.

[Page 111] In respect of our dutie: for Christ in his first institution vsed a commanding terme; Doe this.Luke 22. 19. Doe this in remem­brance of me: so that it is not in our choice to doe it, or not to doe it. If any be not fit, he must endeuour to make him­selfe fit: and the way to make fit, is examination: Let a man examine himselfe therefore &c.

Secondly, triall is necessarie in regard of the danger, if we receiue the Lords Supper vnworthily.

• Danger in respect of
  • The sinne: vers. 27.
  • The punishment for this sinne in
    • Generall: vers. 29.
    • Particular: vers. 30.

For this cause many are weake, and sicke, and die. See Epistle for Mandie Thursday.

• Now the matters in which euery Commu­nicant must be examined, are summarily two:
  • Faith.
  • Repentance.

These two (like Hippocrates twinnes) must goe toge­ther hand in hand. For there is no true repentance without faith; nor liuely faith without repentance.Serm. 4. before King Edward. B. Latimer said well; Lady faith is a great state, hauing a Gentleman Vsher going before her, called agnitio peccatorū, and a great traine following after her, which are the good workes of our cal­ling. He that saith he doth repent, when as he doth not be­leeue, receiues the Sacrament ignorantly: and he that saith he doth beleeue, when as hee doth not repent, receiues the Sacrament irreuerently: both vnworthily.

• The parts of faith are
  • Knowledge.
  • Application.

• Euery Communi­cant ought to know the 3. generall points of holie Religion: namely, mans
  • Generation: how he was created ac­cording to
    Gen. 1. 26.
    Gods image in
    Ephes. 4. 24.
    holi­nes and righteousnes.
  • Degeneration: how he fell from that estate, and all his
    Rom. 5. 12.
    posteritie with him.
  • Regeneration: how hee was againe
    Eph [...]s. 2. 5.
    restored and recreated by Christs passion, of which this Sacrament is a signe and seale.

In more particular, euery Communicant must vnderstand [Page 112] the number and nature of the Sacraments. Our Sauiour Christ ordained in his Church onely two Sacraments, as Com. Catechis. generally necessarie to saluation, that is to say, Baptisme, and the Supper of the Lord Baptisme is a Sacrament of ini­tiation and insition, assuring the first receiuing into the co­uenant of grace: whereby men are matriculated andCom. booke, tit. Publique Bap. § We re­ceiue this child. ad­mitted into the congregatiō, and made members of Christ. For this cause the sacred Font is placed at the very doore and entrance into the Church: but the Communion is a sa­crament of confirmation, to strengthen our faith, and che­rish grace receiued: and therefore the Lords table by good order is placed in the best & highest roome of the Church. Ram. de relig. lib. 4. cap. 8. Baptisme must be receiued of one but once: because wee cannot be borne twice, one beginning in Christianitie is enough: but the Lords Supper often, because we need dai­ly to be nourished in the faith of Christ: once borne, fedde alway.

The nature of this Sacrament is made knowne by the names in holie writ giuen vnto it:

• Whereof I note principally two: the
  • Lords
    1. Cor. 11. 20.
    Supper.
  • 1. Cor. 10. 16.
    Comm [...]nion.

• A Supper in regard of the
  • Matth. 26. 20
    Time: being instituted in the night that Christ was betraied, as his far well token.
  • Things: because it is a holie feast (as Au­gustine said) Non dentis, sed mentis: not so toothsome, as wholsome: not corporall meate, but spirituall Manna.

• The Lords Supper in three respects:
  • 1. Because it was ordained by the Lord: 1. Cor. 11. 23.
  • 2. Because it was instituted in remē ­brance of the Lord: Luk. 22. 19.
  • 3. Because it was in the Primitiue Church vsuallie receiued on the Lords day: Acts 20. 7.

It is called a Communion in respect of the common vnion among our selues, hauing at that time more specially per­fect peace with all men: or a Communion in respect of the 1. Cori [...]. 11. 20. 2 [...]. [...], quasi [...]. publike participation, as being a common messe, not a pri­uate [Page 113] Masse proper to one, as the Popish priests vse it; or a Communion, as being a signe and seale of our communion with Christ: for his graces are conueied vnto vs by the preaching of the Word, and administration of the Sacra­ments.

Hence the Sacraments (asLib. de corpore & sanguine Dom. cap. 3. apud Bibliothec. Pat. Tom. 4. fol. 162. Paschasius obserues) haue their name. Sacramenta dicuntur à secreto, eò quòd in re visibi­li diuinitas intus aliquid vl [...]ra secretius efficit. In the words of ourArt. 25. Church: Sacraments are visible signes of inuisible grace, ordained of God as badges and sure witnesses of his good will to­wards vs. It is meete euery Christian should vnderstand these, and the like plaine principles of holy faith: butChurch Hom. concerning the Sacrament, part. 1. ex­act knowledge to discusse controuerted points about the Sacraments is not required: according to that of Chryso­stome: The table of the Lord is not prepared for chattering [...]ayes, but for high towring Eagles, who flei thither where the dead bodie lieth. It is not for subtle Sophisters, but for simple beleeuers ascending vp to Christ vpon the wings of faith: and therefore the Communicant must not only know, but applie that in particular, which he beleeueth in generall: as that Christs body was crucified for him; and his bloud shed for him. Hee that vnderstands, and beleeues, and applies these things, examineth his faith as he should.

• In our repentance we must examine two points especially: to wit, our
  • Contrition for sinne past.
  • Resolution to preuent, so farre as we can, all sinne to come.

For the first, Poenitentia est quasiReusnerus class. 3. symbol. pag. 155. punientia. Poenitere (saith De vera & fal. poenitent. cap. 19. Augustine) is poenam tenere.

Wee must therefore weepe with Peter, and water our couch with Dauid, and put on sackcloth with Nineueh: nay we mustIoel 2. 13. rent our heart. For a brokenPsal. 51. 17.spirit is an acceptable sacrifice to the Lord. OChrysost. hom. De poenitent.magnum donum, quod in poenam de­dit, in salutem vertit: peccatum tristitiam peperit, tristitia pec­catum contriuit. As the worme bred in the tree deuoures the tree: so sorrow brought into the world by sinne, doth ouerthrow sinne: so good is God to turne curses into bles­sings, and griefe into grace. If thy heart be not throughly touched for sinne, become sorrie because thou art no more [Page 114] sorrie: resolue to be more resolued. For (as one wittily) fa­ctum infectum, si non sit cor affectum. If Ioseph of Arimathea wrapped the bodie of Christ inMatth. 27 59. cleane linnen; how darest thou receiue it with an vncleane soule?Ch [...]rch Hom. c [...]ncerning the Sacraments, part. 2. If thou wilt not kisse a Princes hand with a foule mouth, eate not the Lords bodie with a foule minde. Let a man therefore examine him selfe. &c. And so let him eate of this bread, and drinke of this [...]. Hauing thus examined examination, I come now to the participation.

And so let him eate, &c.] Of which words I purpose to speake first ioyntly, then seuerally. Considered ioyntly they confute three popish conclusions: as first, the reseruation, eleuation, circumgestation, adoration of the bread. Our Apostle saith here plainly, that the bread must be taken and eaten:Confess. Ang­litan, art 28. Ergo, not to be reserued, nor carried about, not lif­ted vp, nor kept in a box to be worshipped.

Secondly, to take to eate, to taste, to drinke, to doe this in remembrance of Christ, are actions of the liuing, only pertaining to the liuing: and therefore the Papists are de­ceiued holding the Masse to bee a propitiatorie sacrifice both for the quick and the dead. How can the dead eate or drinke, taste or take?Melancthon in confess. [...]c­cle. Saxon. Tom. 1. fol. 135. Ergo, neither the dutie nor the be­nefit belongs vnto them, but only to those aliue; who first examine themselues, and after eate of this bread and drinke of this cup.

Thirdly, the coniunction of these two: Let him eate of this bread, and drink of this cup abundantly proues, that both parts of the Lords Supper ought to be ministred vnto all: Ergo▪ the Papists in denying the cup vnto the Laitie, wrong both God and his people, by defrauding them of this com­fort. As euery one must examine, so euerie one both eate and drinke: not onely drinke, and not eate, or eate and not drinke: but both eate, and drinke. Christ foreseeing this Papisticall error said in his first institution, Drinke yeMatth. 26. 26.all of it: he tooke the bread and said only, take, eate, indefinitely: Caluin, & Marl [...]rat in [...]oc. Matth. but when he tooke the cup, he did adde an vniuersall note: Bib [...]e omnes: Drinke ye, drinke all ye.

We conclude therefore withEpist▪ lib. 1. epist. 8. Cyprian: Adulterum est, [Page 115] impium est, sacrilegum est, quodcun (que) humano furore institui­tur, vt dispositio diuina violetur. Christ is the truth, and the way to the truth: Ergo, Cyp. epist. lib. 1. epist. 3. non aliud fiat à nobis, quàm quod pro nobis prior fecit. Thus much of the words iointly. Now of euery one seuerally.

And so] Let there be first preparation, and then participa­tion: when a man is thus examined, let him thus eate. Let him eate: The which are not words of permission, only lea­uing it to his choice whether he will eate or not eate: but they are words of Pauls commission, insinuating that hee must eate necessarily, not vpon custome, but vpon consci­ence. For it is not said here; let him, if hee haue no let at home, or occasion of absence abroad: if he be neither dis­pleased with his Pastor, nor angry with the people: but let him without all let examine, and then let him without all let eate of this bread. Eate: Mat. 26. 26. Christ in his first institution hath, take and eate. First take, then eate: take not onely into your mouthes, but into your hands:Bucan. loc. com. Tit. coena, Dom. quaest. 34. 35. hereby representing the soule and faith: for the taking of the bread and wine into our hand, sealeth our apprehension of Christ by the finger of faith: Ioh 1. 12. As many as receiued him to them he gaue power to be the sonnes of God: euen to them that belee­ued in his name. Eating of the bread and drinking of the wine sealeth our application of Christ incorporated into vs mystically, 1. Cor. 10. 16. For by the strength of faith wee chew the cud, as it were, and make Christ our owne. Yet herein obserue a great difference betweene corporall food and this heauenly bread: for the one digested is made like vs, but the other receiued into our soule maketh vsRom. 8. 12. Phil. 3. 10. like it. This action then of taking is very significant: and there­fore I see no reason why the Priest altering Christs ordi­nance, should giue the bread into the peoples mouth only, not into their hand. First, the word [...] signifieth properly to take with the hand. Secondly, it is against the rules of common ciuilitie, that men of discretion, such as Commu­nicants ought to be, should be fed like children, hauing their meate put into their mouth. Thirdly, if this taking be not construed of the hand, but of the mouth, there is an [Page 116] idle repetition and plaine Tautologie in the words of Christ: for eating notes orall receiuing: and therefore taking must imply manuall receiuing. Fourthly, it was the custome of the Primitiue Church, as we reade inSixtus Se­nensis, vbi in­frà. Eusebius andHierosol. orat. 5 mystagog. Cyril; How wilt thou (saithTheodoret. hist. lib. 5. cap. 18. Ambrose to Theodosius) receiue the Lords body with a bloudy hand?

TheSixtus Senen­si [...] Bibliothec. lib. 6 annot. 152. Papists answere that the Church altered this cu­stome, because some reserued the bread for magicall spels, and superstitious vses. A sillie shift: for no abuse can take away the vse of that which is simply good. The Bible must be read, albeit some2. Pet. 3. 16. peruert it to their destruction: the word of God must be preached, howsoeuer it be vnto some the sauour of2. Cor. 2. 16. death vnto death: and so the bread according to Christs institution must be taken, albeit happily some keepe it to wicked and idolatrous purposes.

This bread] The nice distinguishing of the Schoole is like the pilling of an onyon: they pull off so many skinnes, vntill at last there is no skinne. They turne and tosse the words of Christs institution, Hoc est corpus meum, so long, till they bring all that Christ said and did at his last Sup­per vnto nothing. For so we reade in theirDe consec. dist. 2. §. timo­rem. Glossa ibi­dem. Glosse, that hoc doth signifie nothing. Omnipotent creatures, who make of something nothing: and againe of this nothing, something; yea Christ who made all things: for by pro­nouncing of these words, hoc est corpus meum, they make their Maker, a dozen gods at once with one sentence. This, is a pronoune demonstratiue, not indiuiduum, vagum, any thing, or a nothing.In his Marc. A [...]ton. Con­stant. Stephen Gardiner herein forgat his Grammar and Logicke too. For hoc, doth determine, and must, as Paul teacheth, and the circumstances of the Gospell import, be restrained vnto the bread. Iesus tooke the bread, and when he had giuen thanks hee brake (no doubt the bread) that hee tooke, and gaue to the Disciples the selfe-same that he brake, saying, Take ye, eate ye this that I giue you, this is my body. What This could our Sauiour meane, but This that he gaue, This that hee brake, This that hee tooke? which by the witnesse of truth it selfe was bread. If the Papists imagine that he tooke bread, but brake it not; or [Page 117] brake it, but gaue it not: they make the Lords Supper a D. Bilsons answere to the Iesuit apolog. pag 331. merryiest, where the latter end starteth from the begin­ning, and the middle from them both. Either they must dis­sent manifestly from the proposition of Christ, and exposi­tion of Paul, from all the Fathers, and some of their owne Gerson contra [...]loret. lib. 4. & Gardner. [...]o [...]t. diabolic. sophist. vti Bilson vbi supra pag. 732. followers: or else admit our interpretation, This bread is my body: and if we resolue the words of Christ so, they can­not be proper, but figuratiue; This bread is the signe and seale of my body.

Bread.] It pleased our Sauiour to make bread the out­ward element in this holy Sacrament, for the manifold ana­logies between it & his body. First, as bread is thePsal. 104. 15. strength and state of our naturall life; so Christ is for our spirituall be­ing 1. Cor. 12. 6. all in all.

Secondly, as bread is loathed of the full stomacke, but most acceptable to the hungry soule; so Christ is most wel­come vnto such asMatth. 5. 6. hunger and thirst after righteousnes.

Thirdly, as bread is vsuall and daily; so Christ should be to the Christian: feeding on that bread which came downe fromIohn 6. 33 35. heauen, should be the soules ordinary refection. fourthly, as bread is made one loafe of many graines; so1. Cor. 10. 17. we that are many are one bread, and one body, because we all are partakers of one bread.

Lastly, as corne is cut downe with the sithe, threshed in the barne with many stripes, torne in the mil with much vio­lence, then boulted & sifted, last of all baked with extreame heate in the ouen; and all this, that it may be fit meate for our body: so Christ in his ripe age was cut downe by cruell death, his body was whipped, his flesh rent asunder, his soule was as it wereLament. 1. 13. Ierem. 1. 12. melted in the fierie furnace of Gods anger: and all this, that he might become food for our soule; that we might eate of this bread, and drinke of this cup. The like resemblances are between the wine and his bloud: For as wine doth make glad the heart of man, Psal. 104. 15. so the pretious bloud of Christ, asCant. 2. 5. flagons of wine comforts the sicke soule.Magdeburg. Cent. 5. col. 393. Paulinus sweetly: [Page 118]

In this exhortation hauing S. Paul for our leader, and the Church of Scotland for our follower: I hope we need not any further examine, why the Church doth vse this scripture for this purpose.Epist. 118. cap. 5. Augustines obseruation is good: insolentis­simae insaniae est, disputare, an [...]d faciendum fit, quod tota fa­cit ecclesia.

Sursum corda.

SVrsum corda Cassander li­turgic. cap. 21. seemes to be taken out of the Lamentations of Ieremy: cap. 3. vers. 41. Leuemus corda nostra cum mani­bus ad dominum in coelos: vsed in the Church at least 300 yeeres before Popery was knowne in the world. For Augu­stine who liued withinBaron. annal. tom. 5. fol. 13 & flores [...]ist pag. [...]45. 400 yeeres after Christ, and the blessed Martyr Cyprian, who diedMagdeburg. cent. 3. col. 249. an. 259. make mention of it in their writings often: Cyprian inFol. 166.serm. de orat. dominic. Augustine deTom. 1. fol. 491vera religione, cap. 3. and epist. 156. and (as Vbi supra. Cassander obserues) epist. ad Dardan. & lib. de bono perseue­rantiae▪ Sursum corda then is no rag of Rome, no peece of Po­perie, but vsed inPerkins refor­med Cat. tit. [...]all presence. all Liturgies of the ancient Church; and that which may content the Nouelist most, it was borrowed (as MasterActs and mon. fol. 1275. Fox thinks) not from the Latine, but from the Greeke Churches. Howsoeuer, it is exceeding fit: for Al­mighty God in his holy seruice requires our heart princi­pally; Prou. 23. 26. Son giue me thine heart: so that when we come to his Temple, specially to his table, euery one must say withPsal. 25. 1. Da­uid, I lift vp my soule to thee. For (as the Church ofMinisters ex­hort. before the Com. Scotland truly) the onely way to receiue worthily the Lords Supper, is to lift vp our mindes by faith aboue all things worldly and sensible, and thereby to enter into heauen, that we may finde and receiue Christ, where he dwelleth: a point well vrged also by our Church: Hom▪ concerning the worthy receiuing of the Sacrament: part the first.

The Papists entertaine this clause still in the Roman Mis­sale; but it makes against their reall presence. For if Christs body,Io. Combis [...] Theo­log. l. b. 6. cap. 14 so large in quantity, as it was on the crosse, be pre­sent, [Page 119] in the Sacrament; what need any man lift vp his heart, when as hee holds it in his hand? Totum hoc (saithSerm. de temp. 174. Augu­stine) fide tenemus, oculis cordis intuemur; dominus ascendit in coelum, ascendat cum illo cor nostrum: His bodieActs 3. 21. must bee contained in heauen vntill the time that all things are re­stored: it cannot descend downe to vs, we must ascend vp to it. So Nicolaus Cabasila writes in his exposition of the Cap. 26. apud Bibliothec. Pat. tom. 4. fol. 496. Liturgie; the Priest after some speech to the people doth erect their mindes, and lift vp their thoughts, and saith, Sur­sum corda; let vs thinke on things aboue, not on things be­low. They consent and say, that they lift vp their hearts thi­ther where their treasure is, euen to heauen, where Christ sits at the right hand of his Father.

Luke 2. 14. Glorie be to God on high.

THe Lords Supper is called an Eucharist, because it is a thanksgiuing to God, for giuing his Sonne to die for vs: and therefore this Hymne is so fitly sung by men on earth at the commemoration of his death, as it was by the quier of heauen at the celebration of his birth: for our re­conciliation and peace with God, is ascribed in holy scrip­ture to Christs passion especially: Rom. 5. 10. Heb. 9. 12. 15.

• Some make
  Cai [...]tan. in locum.
  three parts of this song (which if you please) call the
  • Trebble: Glory to God on high.
  • Busse: Peace on earth.
  • Eras. annot. in loc.
    Meane: Good will toward mē.

• Other haue diuided it into two:
  • The first, concerning Gods glorie.
  • The second, touching our good.
    Caluin. Ian­sen. Arboreus in loc.
    For peace on earth, and good will toward men are both one: because our peace with God is not from our good will toward him: but altogether from his good will toward vs. It is God (saith
    Philip. 2. 13.
    Paul) that maketh in you both the will and the worke: and therefore the Rhemish translation, In earth peace, to men of good will: and the Romish Glosse, that Christ brings no peace, but to such as be of goodwill, are insuf­ficient, and condemned euen by their owne mouth: as we may reade in the Commentaries of Arboreus, Caietan, Ian­senius, [Page 120] Maldonatus vpon the place. Concerning other scho­liall, or scholasticall obseruations vpon the text, I referre the reader vnto Beauxamis, Erasmus, Caluin and other learned expositors; especially to Iacobus Perez de Valentia, who compiled a whole treatise on this Hymne.

It was first vsed in the Communion (as it is thought) by Walafridus lib. de rebus Ec­clesiast. cap. 22. & Marian. Scot. Cron. lib. 1. pag. 260. Thelesphorus a good man, and aIren [...]us lib. 3. cap. 3. glorious Martyr, anno Baron, annal. tom. 2. fol. 120. 254. Ia [...]uar. 5. That which followeth in our Communion book, We praise thee, we blesse thee, was added by that famous BishopCassander li­turgic. cap. 21. Hilarie: singing it first in his owne Church, anno Fox, Acts and Mon. fol. 1274. & Duran [...]. ra­ [...]onal. lib. 4. cap. 13. § 4. 5. 340: and after brought into other Churches by Pope Symmachus, a [...]. 510: the Churches of Scotland vse the like forme of thankes at their Communion. And therefore the Nouelist can mislike nothing in this Hymne, but that which all other like most, Antiquitie.

THeLut [...]er. com­ [...]ent. in Galat. cap. 1. vers. 3. two fiends that torment vs, are sinne, and a bad conscience: grace releaseth sinne: peace doth quiet the conscience. Paul therfore begins his epistles with grace and peace: and the Church ends her deuotions either with the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ, &c. or with the peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding, &c. But because there can bee no peace with God, except wee haue the grace of Christ: first and chiefly Paul desireth grace, then peace: Rom. 1. 7. Grace be with you and peace. Because (I say) grace comprehends in it euery good and perfect gift,1. Cor. 15. 10. by which only, we are whatsoeuer we are; Paul doth not only begin, but end his writings also with this one clause specially, Grace be with you, &c. But aboue the rest, the conclusion of this excellent epistle is most full: and therefore worthilie re­ceiued of our and other Churches, as the fittest close, to shut vp our publique prayers. In it obserue Pauls affection towards the Corinthians, amplified [Page 121]

• With
  • Extention: in re­gard of the
    • Thing: The grace of Christ, the loue of God, the commu­nion of the holy Ghost.
    • Persons: With you all.
  • Intention: Amen.

• The worke of our sal­uation is ascribed in our
  • Election, to the loue of the Father.
  • Redēption, to the grace of the Son.
  • Sanctification, to the communion of the holy Ghost.

SoComment. in loc. S. Ambrose doth expound this text pithily: Dilectio dei misit nobis Saluatorem Iesum, cuius gratia saluati sumus: vt possideamus hanc gratiā communicatio facit spiritus sancti: God the Father soIoh. 3. 16. loued the world, that hee sent his only begotten SonneRom. 4. 25. to die for our sinnes, and to rise againe for our iustification: andIohn 15. 26. God the Sonne, from God the▪ Father, sent God the holy Ghost which crieth in our hearts Abba father: applying to our comfort both the loue of God, and the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ.

The word, God, is vsed here personally, not essentially: for theAmbrose, Hierom, Theo­phylact. Fathers on this text note the blessed Trinitie, that God isNon triplex. Augustin. de Trin. lib. 6. cap. 7 & Lombard. 1. sent. dist. 19. Trinus in numero, vnus in numine. S. Hierom thinkes that Paul foreseeing the blasphemous Arrian heresie, placed the second person in the first roome, God the Son before God the Father.Caluin. & Marlorat. in loc. Other affirme, that the grace of Christ is na­med first, because it concernes vs most. For albeit the loue of God in it owne nature goe before the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ, chusing vs before the foundation of the world: Ephes. 1. 4: yet in our view the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ goeth before the loue of God. Rom. 5. 10 We are re­conciled vnto God, by the death of his Sonne: we feele the mer­cies of the one in the merits of the other.

It is a fruitfull obseruation ofVbi supra. Martin Luther, that Christian religion beginneth not at the highest, as other religions doe, but at the lowest: it will haue vs to climbe vp to heauen by Iacobs ladder, whose feete touch the very earth. And therefore when thou art occupied in the matter of thy saluation, setting aside all curious speculations of Gods vnsearchable counsels, all cogitations of workes, of [Page 122] traditions, of Philosophie, yea and of Gods law too, runne straight to the manger, embrace the little babe Christ in thine armes, and behold him as hee was borne, sucking, growing vp, conuersant among men, teaching, dying, rising againe, ascending aboue the heauens, and hauing power aboue all things. This sight will make thee shake off all terrors and errors, as the Sunne driueth away the cloudes. In a disputation with a Iew, Turke, Papist, Heretike, concer­ning Gods infinite wisedome, Maiestie, power; imploy all thy wit and industrie to be so profound and subtill as thou canst: but in the matter of Iustification, wherein thou doest wrestle with the law, sinne, death, and other spirituall ene­mies; it is the best course to looke vpon no God, but Christ incarnate, and cloathed with thine owne nature: to fixe thine eyes vpon the man Iesus only; who setteth himselfe foorth vnto thee, to be a Mediatour, and saith,Matth. 11. 21. Come vnto me all [...]ee that labour, and are heauie laden, and I will refresh you. To behold the Lambe of God, who taketh away the sinnes of the world: and so by the grace of Christ thou shalt vnder­stand the loue of God, thou shalt perceiue his wisedome, power, Maiestie, sweetned and tempered to thy capacitie: thou shalt finde the saying ofColoss. 2. 3. Paul to be most true, that in Christ are hid all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge: that Christ in our iustification is all in all; and therefore good reason he should haue the first, and most place in this argu­ment; that his grace should be named first and last.

The loue of God, is the fountaine of all goodnes (as Di­uines speake) gratiarum gratia: from which originallie proceeds euery perfect gift and grace. For almightie God hath not elected vs in regard of our works, or other worth: but cōtrariwise, because God loued vs, we do that which is acceptable in his sight. I obtained mercie of the Lord (saith 1. Cor. 7. 27. Paul) to be faithfull; Vt fidelis essem, non quia fidelis eram, as Sent. lib. 1. dist. 41. Lombard aptly.

The nature of this short treatise will not endure, that I should wade farre into this Abyssus. I rememberRom. 11. 33. Pauls exclamation; O the deepnes of the riches both of the wisedome and knowledge of God, how vnsearchable are his iudgements, [Page 123] and his wa [...]es past finding out! And the glosse ofDe verbis Apost. serm. 7. tom. 10. fol. 194 Augustine: Volentes disputare de de [...] profundo, mersi sunt: Or, (asLomb. vbi supra. other) Versi sunt in profundum. I come therefore to the Commu­nion of the holy Ghost: a point more comfortable, then or­dinarily felt, and yet more felt then can be disputed. It is said, Gal 4. 6. God hath sent the spirit of his Sonne crying in our hear [...]s Abba father: he said not calling, but crying: and Rom. 8. 26. hee calleth this crying vnspeakeable groaning. When a man is tempted and afflicted, hee feeleth the strength of his enemies, and the weaknesse of his flesh: he feeleth the fierie darts of Satan, the terrors of death, the wrath of God, all these cry out against him horribly: so that the perplexed soule sees nothing but sinne threatning, heauen thundering, the diuell roring, the earth trembling, hell mouth open and ready to swallow him vp. But yet in the midst of all these, Gods holy spirit crieth in our hearts, Luther. com. in. Gal. 4. 6. and this cry doth outcry the clamors of the law, the bellowes of hell, and howlings of infernall fiends: it pearceth the clouds, and ascends vp to the eares of God, insomuch that the bles­sed Angels seeme to heare nothing else but this cry. The spirit helpeth our infirmities, and the1. Cor. 12. 9. strength of Christ is made perfect through our weaknesse. For Christ is most power­full, when as we are most fearfull: euen when we can scarse­ly groane, marke the words of Paul; The spirit maketh in­tercession for vs in our temptation; not with many words, or long praiers, he crieth not aloud with teares, haue mer­cie on me O God: but only giues a little sound, and a feeble groaning, as, ah father: this is but one word, yet notwith­standing comprehends all things. Indeed the mouth spea­keth not: but the good affection of the soule crieth aloud after this manner: O Lord God of compassion and father of mercies, although I am grieuously vexed on euery side with affliction and anguish; yet am I thy child, and thou art my father in Christ. This little word, or rather no word, but a poore thought, conceiued aright, passeth all the flow­ing eloquence of Demosthenes and Tully, yea Tertullian and all the Orators that euer were in the world: for this mat­ter is not expressed with words, but with groanings, and [Page 124] these groanings are from the blessed Spirit. Thus you see the large extent of Pauls affection, in regard of the thing wished vnto the Corinthians: The grace of Christ, the loue of God, the communion of the holy Ghost.

The second extension is in regard of the persons, be with you all: for the Pastor must wish well, not only to the best, or to the worst, but this praier ought to be made for euery one as well as for any one. There is none so bad, but hath re­ceiued some grace: none so good but hath need to receiue more grace. Wherefore pray we still, that the grace of Christ may be with vs all.

The Church of England addes a third extension in regard of the time; for euermore: the which is implied in the text also, for the Corinthians (as we reade in theCap. 1. vers. 2. former epistle) were Saints by calling, and so doubtlesse had receiued already the grace of Christ, and had tasted of the loue of God, through the fellowship of the holy Ghost. He doth therefore now desire Phil. 1. 6. that the good worke begun in them, may be perfect:Nicolaus Ca­basila exposit. liturg. cap. [...]6. that the grace receiued may continue with them, and increase daily vnto the end, and in the end: that the loue of God which cannot be greater secundùm essentiam, may be greater secundùm efficientiam, appearing, growing, abounding in them more and more for euermore.

Amen.

• Amen is vsed in holy Scripture three waies (as
  Lexicon th [...]oleg. verb. Amen.
  Gabriel and Gerson speake)
  • Nominaliter.
  • Aduerbialiter.
  • Verbaliter.

As a nowne, for truth: Apoc. 3. 14. These things saith A­men, the faithfull and true witnesse: and so it is added in the conclusion of euery Gospell, and of the whole Bible, as a seale to confirme that which is written.

In the beginning, is the first, Amen the last word of holy writ: a stately beginning, a strange ending. For what is more stately then antiquitie? what more strange then truth? Hereby teaching vs that the Scriptures haue vetera and ve­ra, which are not together in any other writing. For in hu­mane [Page 125] learning many things are vncertainly true, and more certainly vntrue: onely the word of God is sealed with Amen.

Secondly, as an Aduerbe, for verily: so Christ often ii. the Gospell, Amen, Amen, dico vobis:

Thirdly, as a Verbe, signifying, so be it: Deut 27. 15. Di­cet omnis populus, Amen: and so it is vsed in Pauls praier ex­pounded before, and in all our Collects: insinuating our earnest desire, that those things which we haue faithfully asked, may be effectually obtained. And this custome of answering the Minister in the Church Amen, is ancient, as it appeareth in the 1. Cor. 14. 16. Iustin Martyr Apolog. 2. Hieron. prolog. lib. 2. in epist. ad Galat. Augustin. epist. 107. Vsum respondendi Amen antiquissimum esse patet, saith Bellarmine, lib. 2. de Mis­sa, cap. 16. Here is open confession, I would the Church of Rome would make open restitution also. For if the people must answere the Priest Amen, then the Priest must pray to the peoples vnderstanding: and how shall they vnderstand, except common praier be said in a common tongue? A conclusion agreeable not onely to the Scriptures, as Bellar­mine acknowledgeth, and to the practise of the Primitiue Church, (asApolog. 2. Iustin Martyr andIn 1. Cor. 14. & Aquin. in cundem loc. Lyra report) and to the paternes of other Liturgies inEckius loc. com. tit. 37. South India,Cassander li­turgic. cap. 15.Mosco [...]ia,Petrus Bel­lon. de moribus Armen. lib. 3. cap. 12.Armenia, but euen to their owne constitutions, and Masse booke: for their owneApost. constit. lib. 8. cap. 12. ex emendat. Francisci Tur­riani. Oremus. Gratias aga­mus. Quaesumus. Offerimus. Laudamus. Benedicamus. Adoremus. Clement, and their owne Missale giue order that the people should answere the Priest in ma­ny things: and how this can be done well, if the vulgar Li­turgie be not in a language vulgar, I cannot tell, Paul can­not tell.

All may see (sauing such as the prince of darknesse hath blinded) that their owne pens haue condemned their owne praiers: euen the phrases extant yet in their seruice booke: Let vs pray, let vs giue thanks, we bese [...]ch, we offer, we praise, we blesse, we adore, specially the peoples answering Amen, [...]ui­dently demonstrate that their publike deuotions at the first institution were common to Pastor and people: not mum­bled in a corner alone by the Priest, or chaunted onely by Clerke and Priest.

[Page 126] Thus I haue briefly surueied all our English Communion booke, the which (asEpist. Paulin. tom. 3. fol. 9. Hierom said of Iohns Ap [...]calyps) [...] habet sacramenta, quot verb [...]: eueryMaster Dee­ring answere of Hardings epist. to Iewel; fol. 5. tittle is grounded vpon scripture, euery scripture well applied, euery good applica­tion agreeable to the most ancient and best reformed Li­turgies in all ages.

I beseech thee therefore (good reader) Rom. 16. 17. marke them di­ligently which cause diuision and offences, contrary to the do­ctrine which you haue learned, and auoid them. For they that are such, serue not the Lord Iesus Christ, but their owne bell [...]es; and with faire speech and flattering, deceu [...]e the hearts of the simple. So the God of peace shall shortly tread downe Satan vnder our feet, and in fine translate vs from this iarring on earth, vnto the well agreeing Quier of Heauen, where all sing in vnitie and vniformitie; Blessing, and glorie, and wisdome, and thanks, and honour, and power, and might, be vnto our God for euermore. Amen.