The Marrow and Juice of 260 Scriptures, Proem
THE PROEME, CONTAINING THE OCCASIONS AND MOTIVES, THE SVBIECT MATTER, THE Methode and vse of this Harmonie and Combination following.
FOR as much as the godly reuerend and learned Fathers, together with the holy Martyrs of the Church of England, and of other reformed Churches; hauehave by the guidance and direction of Gods spirit, not onelyonly for the vniforme and vniuersall good of Christs Catholicke Church: but also for the particular instruction, edification, exhortation and comfort of eueryevery true and faithfull member thereof. Because (I say) …hey hauehave, with that great care and singular wisedome, made a most fit, and worthy choice, of such holy Scriptures, for the publicke seruice in the Church, to be read and taught among vsus: as well vponupon the great and solemne Feast-dayes, as vponupon all the Lords dayes, or Son-dayes throughout the yeare, and namely for these called the Son-dayes of Aduent.
I hauehave therefore thought it good to vndertake this poore paines and labour, both of combining and chaining together, the texts culled out to these ends: as also to reduce them, vntounto one chiefe and maine head of doctrine. Setting downe the reasons and occasions, why they are chosen: the generall and speciall connexion of them, the scope and drift of eueryevery one of them, with the generall and particular analise, resolution, vse and method of eueryevery and each of them.
Which being by our Ministers well thought vponupon, well compared together, and with diligence deliuered; and by our people as well and as throughly vnderstood: will not onelyonly be sufficient confirmations, and grounds, to establish our faith, in the truth of such doctrines, as they import: but they will serue also, as confutations and swords, wherewith to refute and wound, at the very heart, both Iewes, Arrians, and Anabaptists, or any other like heretickes.
For so many, as are not like the deafe Adder in hearing, or the blind Beetles in seeing, though they were captious, against the authenticke proceedings in the Booke of Common Prayer; yet may they lend their hearing eares, in this respect, to Esay that Euangelicall Prophet, and to Malachy, which prophecied concerning the comming of Christs Prodromos, Iohn the Baptist, and of Christs owne coming and Aduent.
For Esay in his fortieth, and Malachy in the third Chapter, do plainly speake and foretell; first as touching the time, that our Lord will come shortly (as he did indeed:) secondly, of the very place, whereunto he will come: thirdly, of the manner how: and fourthly, of the end why and wherefore he will come. Do they not shew and foreshew, that he will come speedily, coming, he will come, and that he will come to Ierusalem. That he will come into his temple (as Malachy 3.1.) that he will come to reforne the deformities ther…of. Do they not prophecy, that he will come to turne the hearts of the Sectaries, of the factious and seditious in the Temple, to turne the hearts of the theeues in the temple, or to turne and whip them out of the temple.
Hearken then, and heare I pray you my brethren (albeit you thinke not the same thing with vsus) giuegive eare to S. Bernard, that most religious Doctor, so rauished with zeale, and altogether giuen to his heauenly meditations. Heare him, I beseech you, how he preaches to you touching this matter, in a Sermon concerning our Lords Aduent. Tis fit my brethren (saith he) that with all deuotion, we celebrate the Lords Aduent and Comming, being delighted with so great consolation, being astonished with Gods so great fatherly kindnesse, being inflamed with Gods so infinite louelove. Let vr not so much thinke of his comming, which is alreadie come, and why he came, to saue that which was lost: but hereupon also let vsus meditate, from whence he will come, and that he will assume, and take vsus vntounto himselfe, when he shall come. That we should continually meditate, vponupon these his two Aduents and commings, ruminating and weighing in our hearts, how much he hath performed by his former, and how much he hath promised to do for vsus at the latter.
But you will say to me, that Bernard saw not all things: Wherefore I pray you hearken diligently, vntounto that Monarch of the Fathers S. Augustine. There was no cause (saith he) of the Aduent of our Lord Iesus Christ, but to saue poore sinners. Where no diseases are, no wounds or sores: there is no vse or occasion of any Phisicke. Wherefore that great Phisition, came from heauen: because the whole world lay full of sicke folkes. Because all mankind was lost after one had transgressed, in whom all mankind was comprehended and tooke their originall. Therfore came one without sinne, who saued all beleeuers, by his righteousnesse, which was without staine of sinne. For twas not our righteousnesse or merites, but our sinnes & wretchednesse, that drew downe this Physition, and caused him to come from heauen to the earth.
Howbeit some contradicting spirit, will yet obiect and say: I yeeld to all this, what then? Can it thereupon be gathered, and concluded, that other Sondayes and Holidaies must also be obserued, as you do keepe them? I pray thee looke vponupon Caluine a late and new writer, who to a like purpose alledgeth the words of Cassiodorus. Marke what that godly and learned man writeth, in his Commentary vponupon the 118. Psalme, concerning the celebration & memoria l of that day, when Dauid made his first entrance into his kingdome. The words whereupon he writes are these. (This is the day, which the Lord hath made, let vsus reioyce and be glad in it.) That which he writeth hereupon is this.
Albeit (saith he) tis true, that all dayes were alike created of God; yet Dauid by a certaine eminencie, and excellency, cals it a diuine day, or a day which the diuine Creator hath made, and set apart, which after a long time of darknesse, shone and gaue light for the Churches good; because that day was principally noted and obserued, and vntounto posterity a day most memorable.
Was this lawfull and expedient in the time of the Law? It well beseemed, and befitted king Dauid, the type and shadow, who figured our Christ. Why then should not Christ hauehave a day, kept and celebrated for himselfe, who is Dauids king, the lawes complement, the substance and subiect matter of the Gospell.
The holy Angel of the Lord, vponupon the very day of Christs birth, tooke a text concerning Christs birth, and preached thereupon vntounto the Shepheards. Why should not all good Bishops, Pastors, Teachers, and all other Ministers and mēbers of Christs holy Church, yeeld & performe the same?
Furthermore, And forthwith, there was with the Angell (saith S. Luke) a multitude of heauenly souldiers, praysing God, and saying: Glory to God in the highest, peace in the earth, goodwill towards men. The quiers of the holy Angels did keepe and celebrate this blessed day, of that new borne Babe: they talke of the deeds and effects thereof, in their Sermon and in their song. The shepheards they publish it: Christs mother ponders it. Why should not other holy men and women do also the same? vnlesse they will staine themselues with the tincture and pollution of most lothsome ingratitude, and proofe of all Gods creatures, and of all that professe religion, the most vnthankfull.
Lastly, the reformed Churches (to speake but one word more) who vntounto them and vsus may in this case be an example, neither do now, or euer did deny, the keeping of these and other dayes and feasts. The which may appeare, both by the Sermons, workes, words and practise, of the most orthodoxe Ministers, and may be seene also, by the decrees & constitutions, of national and prouincial synodes; as also, out of that Harmony of Confessions of the reformed Churches, the 16. Section.
Methinkes then, that men should not carry themselues, so rudely and vncharitably, or to open their mouths, so wide and vnreuerently, against their mother the Church of England (and all other godly reformed Churches in Christendome) as do the factious sectaries, or Anabaptisticall Recusants, who giuegive out in their libels and contentious pamphlets, that the celebration of Aduent, the feast of the Natiuitie of Christ, of Easter, of Christs Ascension, and the feast of Pentecost, is either Iewish, or Antichristian and Popish. For if they, or any other such greene heads were not, some of them selfe-conceited, some hood-winked, others wilfully blind and deafe, they might easily heare, and most cleerly see by comparing and combining the sacred Scriptures of the Old and New Testament together, culled out by the Church for these purposes, as also by that generall connexion and mutuall coincidence, and consequence one vponupon another, that their opinion, as it is very erroneous: so is it vntounto others, and themselues very dangerous.
But to leaue them, and to come to our selues (which are of another mind) that we may proceed in our intended purpose: Let vsus behold and consider, the choice that is made, for this first Sonday in Aduent, which is very singular, most effectuall, and to very good purpose, as seruing to front all the Aduent Sondaies, yea and all the rest of the Sondaies, in the yeare.