A Sermon Preached at the Christening of a Jew, Preface – Sermon
The Preface to the Christian Reader, conteyning godly exhortation.
FOrasmuch as the summe, & absolute perfection of al our righteousnesse, consisteth in the onelyonly faith and knowledge of Iesu Christ, without whom al humane power, and puyssaunce is vneffectuall: without whome, no prouident policie preuayleth: ne yet any force, or actiuitie of naturall operation can bring any thing to passe: no honorable ornament of vertue, no excellencie of exquisite learning, is auaylable: according to the testimonie of the Lord himselfe, Withou… me ye can do nothing: what ought we… seely mortall wretches regard more entierly, then that by due proceeding; in dayly renewed encreases of this same faith, we not only cleaue fast to this Iesu Christ, the assured & vndoubted chiefetaine & Prince of life? And cōueying him into the very intrailes of our soules, we throughly possesse him, as fast enclosed in a certaine holy Oratorie: but also endeuour by all meanes possibly, to be most neerely ioyned vntounto him, to be incorporate wholly in him, & made members of his owne body? For performance wherof behoueth vsus, aboue all other, to be guyded by his conduct and coun…el chiefely. Searche the Scriptures (sayth he) for they beare witnes of me. Which saying S. Peter the Apostle doeth verifie, aduertizing vsus of the same faith: And we hauehave (sayeth he) a more s…re worde of the Prophetes, whereunto whiles yee take heede, as vntounto a lyght that shineth in a darke place, ye doe well, vntill the dawne of the day appear…, & the day starre aryse in your hearts. Yea, the Lorde him selfe in an other place sendeth vsus backe to the scholing of the Law and the Prophets, as vntounto infallible preceptes, and rules of pure and true doctrine. And albeit I may not denye that testimonie of S. Paul to be most true, where he sayth, That faith is a gift of God, yssuing from his free mercy & bountie: yet doth he not: thereby meanewhyles exclude other lawfull and ordinarie meanes, taught for the better attainement thereof. As where he sayeth, Fayth commeth by hearing, & hearing by the word of God. So that their error is so much the more blameworthy,Fides implicita. who contented with that intricate, and confused faith (as they tearme it) be of opinion, that to the rude & vnlettered people, sufficeth ynough to beleeue those things onelyonly, that all other men do beleeue. But this common faith seemed not sufficient to the auncient fathers, in that purer age of the primitiue & Apostolique Church: who though mistrusted not the lessons & instructions of the Apostles, yet were they also in this respect adiudged prayseworthy, because they did conferre the doctrine, which they receyued of the Apostles, with the bookes of the Law, and the prophets: which obseruatiō of the elders was of no smal importaunce, to procure credite to the establishment of faith. But the state of Christianitie is nowe come (I know not to what passe) that this Christian faith, which behoued to be most deepely engrauen in the hearts of eueryevery of vsus, is either not so well garnyshed in manye of vsus, as it ought to be: in others very faynt and feeble: and in some others skarse any resemblaunce at all appearing, which slender portion and sparkle of faith, be it neuer so small, as is not altogether to be reiected, so neyther is this wonderfull sluggishnes, and retcheles securitie of the men in our age, in any respect tolerable: of whome some ouergreedily busied in worldly affaires, some feeding their fansies vponupon fonde delights, do either make no estimate at al, of that inestimable Iewel of faith, which only enricheth to the inheritaunce of eternall life, or at the least, are not so diligent searchers of the same, as they ought to be. To clime vntounto honour, what attemptes and toyle do some vndertake? howe filthily do others turmoyle them selues, in raking riches together? how dayntily some men besmeare them selues in perfumes, and pleasures? who because they knowe, they can not lyue here for euer, & do determine to liue godly neuer, yeeld them selues wholly to liue delicately & wantonly. To be aduaunced in Court, to aspire to prelacie and ecclesiasticall dignitie, & to be a magistrat ouer the multitude, who doth not accōpt it matter most honorable? who adiudgeth not that man to be most fortunate, that by hooke or crooke hath cratcht wonderfull possessions together? who thinketh not that man to be most happy, that lyueth most pleasurably? And what shal I say of those artes & sciences, which procure gaineful lucre, & estimation of the world? wherin whyles wee sweate and swinke all our lyues long, scarse one minute can bee spared, no thought employed to the things which lead vntounto Christ. I speake not of them, who seme to sauour of no sappe of religion, nor are endued with one drop of faith: who resembling rather Diagoristes and Protagoristes, then Christians, are so vtterly fallen from Christianisme, to Atheisme, that, measuring this life with the present pleasures thereof, they doe beleeue nothing holy, good, or worthy to be embraced, but those plausible workes & obiects of nature, wherewith our eyes & senses are delyghted most. There is also an other crewe & company, not much vnlike to these other, who perceyuing Christian religion assaulted, rackt, and rent in sonder (as they say) with sects, schismes and contrarieties of opinions, do persuade them selues that religion to be best, that will acquaint it selfe with no religion at all.
What shall I say of them, wherof the nomber is exceeding great, who with full mouth do professe true religion it selfe, and will not deny, but that they do beleeue in Iesu Christ: but beyng demaunded, wherefore they doe beleeue in him: what the will of God the father in Christ is: what Grace is: what & how great promises are layde vp in stoare for vsus in Christ: howe glorious the Maiestie & royaltie of Christes kingdome is: how inestimable the glorie of his riches be: what is the breadth, the length, the depth & the heyght thereof: howe woonderfull the louelove of his knowledge is: how great the force & power of faith is: and vponupon what principal pillers & foundations it is buylded, they can render scarse any reason at all. For as much therfore as the infallible certeintie, & true vnderstanding of these thinges can be attayned vntounto rightly, from no where els, then from the holy closets of sacred Scriptures: it shalbe very requisite and needefull, that eueryevery of vsus employ al our senses & povvers of the mind, continually exercised in the same. For howsoeuer Christian diuinitie is tossed, and turmoyled to & fro, with innumerable intricate entangled and wandering questions, yet remayneth faith one selfe same neuerthelesse both pure & simple: and as it is but one, so ought all men necessarily be endued therewith wholly… That is to say, that we all know Christ, that we repose all our ankerholde of affiaunce in Christ, & that we imprint Christ in the bowels of our soule, as wee are commaunded by the mouth of God the father, seeing there is no name besides this name giuen vnderunder heauen, in whome the treasure & hope of mans felicitie may safely shroude it selfe. Let Princes therefore learne to know this Christ: Let subiects attend vponupon him: let auncient fathers take hold of him: Let yong men embrace him: Let the riche enlarge their treasury with this precious Iewel: & let the poore seek their reliefe to be refreshed by him: who in deed cā els where by no meanes be found more easily, then in the very sacred wellspringes of the propheticall Scriptures: notwithstanding who so is desirous to procure this ioyfull Iewel, must first of necessitie make earnest and diligent searche therfore. For this precious pearle is not allotted to any, but vntounto them, that vvill searche for it: nor doth this heauēly Manna feede any, but the hungry. The soule must be very thirstie, that must taste of this liquour that gusheth frō out the cōduyte pipes of eternal life. This gate is not opened to the lazy & slouthfull droane, but vntounto him that wil knocke. Knocke (sayth he) and it shalbe opened vntounto you. Seeke, and ye shall finde. All persons without exception are graunted free accesse to the treasurie of this kingdome: It is layde open for all estates, but all catch it not, except such as scratche and offer force for it: for what (I beseeche you) is more forcible then fayth? what more mightie, if it be true faith, if it be liuely faith, yea if it be true Christian fayth? as that which displaying banner vnderunder his captaine Christ, doeth fight in heauen, and combat in the ayre, against the princes and powers of the ayre, against spiritual wickednesses from aboue: doeth keepe continuall warres against infinite hazards in the earth, and in hell agaynst Beelzebub, agaynst the furies & gates of the hells, yea against death fighteth for eternall life, against the Law for righteousnes, and against horror of conscience for freedome and peace.
Therefore considering this faith is of such power and efficacie, yea so necessarie to be frequented in all the actions of mans lyfe: what remayneth from henceforth, but that all and eueryevery of vsus, crye out vntounto the same Christ, and beseeche him to impart vntounto vsus, the true knowledge and vnderstanding of him selfe, to enlighten the glimmering sight of our dazeled fleshly eyes, with the most bryght and orient beames of this gladsome saith, and that he wil vouchsafe at length, to bring that to passe in vsus, that he vsed sometimes with his Apostles, when as he discouered vntounto them vponupon the way, as they trauayled, the holie Scriptures? For so we reade, And he, beganne at Moses, and at all the Prophets, and interpreted vntounto them in all the scriptures, the things which were written of him. Luke .24.And immediately after, Then opened hee their vnderstanding, that they might know the Scriptures, & said vntounto them, Thus it is written. Whereby appeareth playnly, the duetie and office that is required in the expositours of the holy Scriptures: To witte, that omitting all superfluous circumlocutions, and vnprofitable quiddities of questions, they instruct the people in those principles, & rules of the Scriptures chiefely, which auaile most to the nourishment and encrease of faith. In which kinde of argument, forasmuch as in this sermon behoued me to frame my simple skill, according to the estate of the present matter, and opportunitie of time, and that it seemed good to my friendes, to hauehave this litle treatise published in print, to the viewe of the common people, as not altogether vnworthy the reading: I hauehave yeelded to their request, that it myght be imprinted: And although my meaning was at the first, to hauehave the same directed to the behoof of the Iewes chiefely, yet (I trust) it vvil not be altogether vnprofitable to the Christian readers. First, because it may so be, yea I feare me, may also iustly be feared, lest amongst the nomber of thē, which say that they beleue in Christ, some happely vvil be found, in vvhose lippes onelyonly this faith rolleth at large, and hath not yet pearced any deeper, nor taken roote in their heartes, nor are as yet so sufficiently learned, as (if matter come to tryall and proofe) they can render a true and vndoubted reason of this their faith. Moreouer, admitte that a man stande assured and stedfast in the certeintie of his faith, yet vvhat faith is there so sure, constant and vnuanqui…able, but may be made more stable and perfect? For if S. Paul did see sometime as in a darke ryddle: if the Apostles (notvvithstanding so many miracles vvrought in their sight) needed yet the interpretation of Scriptures: if those vvhichwhich receaued the vvoorde by the preaching of Paul,Act .17. did neuerthelesse cōferre his doctrine vvith the Scriptures, to see, whether they agreed together… as is recorded in the Actes of the Apostles: vvhat shoulde let vsus to doe the like? that by this meanes, vve also myght encrease dayly, from fayth to faith. Finally for as much as our auncient & deadly enemie doeth not more cruelly maligne, nor more outragiously assaile any one thing, so much, as this our faith in Christ: surely I iudge this aboue all other most requisite, that eueryevery of vsus hauehave especial regard, to be (as much as is possible) armed and garded vvith this target of faith, that vve may couragiously encounter all attempts and assaults of the deuill: vvhereunto hovve auaylable this litle Sermon vvill be, I knovv not: that let Christ our Lorde him selfe see vntounto, and giuegive his mercifull ayde therein. I for my slender capacitie, hauehave perfourmed vvhat I vvas able, and as much as the Lorde graunted me: vvhome I most heartily beseeche, to blesse and encrease thy holy studies (godly Reader) and to direct the same to the honour & glory of his name. Amen.
A Sermon of the true and gladsome Oliue tree, mentioned in the Epistle of Sainct Paul to the Romanes, chap. xi. preached at London by a faithfull Minister of God, Iohn Foxe, at the christening of a certaine Iewe, translated out of Latine into Englishe.
FIrst, as duetie requireth, I do yeeld most humble thāks to our Lorde and Sauiour Christ Iesu, whome it hath pleased of his vnsearcheable merciemercy and bountifull louelove towardes vsus, to minister so notable an occasion of our assembly, this present day, & place: and so fruitefull an argument for mee to empart vntounto you all. Secondly, I doe no lesse heartily thanke, then woorthily commend in the Lord, all you that are present, who, according to your accustomed maner, are so willingly and ioyfully gathered together, enduced hereunto, not through any vayne delight of fonde noueltie, but of a seryons, and studious zeale of godlinesse, not as gazers of friuolous fantasticall fables, but as willing witnesses of this great and inestimable benefite of almightie God. Lastly, I do from the bottome of my heart reioyce in the behalfe of this person, for whose cause we are as nowe mette here together, who being transported from out the vttermost parts of Barbarie into England, and conuersant amongest vsus, by the space of sixe whole yeeres, renouncing nowe at the last the naturall contumacie of his natiue country, doth with so earnest bent affection of voluntarie wil, chearefully desire to become a member of Iesu Christ, and to be made partaker of his holye congregatio… through faith, and Baptisme. And withall I most humbly beseeche Almightie God, that he will not onelyonly vouchsafe his gracious encrease to this glorious worke begunne with this Israelite stranger, but also to allure the whole remnant of the circumcised Race, by this his example, to be desirous of the same communion: So that at the length, all nations, as well Iewes, as Gentiles, embracing the faith, and Sacramentes of Christ Iesu, acknowledging one Shephearde, vnited together in one sheepefold, may with one voice, one soule, and one generall agreemēt, glo…ifie the only begotten sonne our sauiour Iesus Christ, & be glorified againe of him. And that it may please him of his singular clemencie to graunt the same, as also to blesse these our dayes with quiet calme, and ioyfull tranquillitie, which we doe nowe enioy vnderunder the gouernmēt of our most gracious Souereigne, and her most honorable Magistrates, I beseeche you of your charitie, to ioyne with me in heart and minde vntounto the eternall God father of vsus all, with the same prayer which his onelyonly begotten sonne taught vsus in the Gospell.
The Prayer, Our father. &c.
Forsamuch as in the administration of the Sacraments of the Church, I doe well perceiue that both by the word of God, and by an auncient and solemne custome amongst many, it hath bene an vse to hauehave somewhat, for the better instruction of their auditories, read and expounded out of the bookes of holie scripture: and deliberating likewise with my selfe, what course I might best keepe at this present, as well to serue the offred opportunitie, as also to satisfie the publique commodity of you al chiefly: I could not determine vpō any one text of ye whole scripture to be opened vntounto you, more profitable for your learning, more effectuall for exhortation, more applyable to our age, and more agreeable for this present occasion, then the sentence of S. Paul the Apostle, not very long, but of wō derfull force, taken out of the xi. chapter of his Epistle written to the Romanes. And to the ende you may receiue the same to your greater comfort, it behoueth you to yeeld earnest and heedefull attention, not with your bodily eares onelyonly, but with the eares of your minde also, to these things which I shal vtter vntounto you. Hearken ye therefore to the words of the Apostle euen as him selfe hath spoken them.