Sermons on Three Chapters of Song of Songs, Sermon 30
THE XXX SERMON. Our help be in the name of God &c. It is written as followeth in the third Chapter of the Canticle of Canticles, the 11. verſe.
11 Daughters of Syon come forth & contemplate this King Salomon with the Crowne with which his mother crowned him in the day of the fianſailes, and in the day of the gladneſſe of his heart.
1 He who falſly ſaith he is Liuetenant generall of this King on earth, falſifieth herein his ordinances by al kind of falſehood: and first of that which is in the law moral touching the firſt commandement.
2 Touching the ſecond.
3 The third.
4 The fourth.
5 The fifth.
6 The ſixth.
7 The ſeuenth.
8 The eighth.
9 The ninth.
10 The tenth.
11 Another ſort of abominable falſification in the Law ceremonial.
12 A ſtrange abuſe by which the Law is confoūded with the goſpel, & men ſent to ſeeke after their ſaluation in that which ſerueth for an enditement againſt them.
13 A exhortation to condemne this ſo falſe a doctrine.
WEE ſtoode the laſt thurſday vponupon this point, namely whether hee, who ſome ages ſince, calleth himſelfe ſupreme head of the vniuerſal Church, as Lieutenant of that king of whom mention is heere made, bee not rather guilty of high treaſon againſt his diuine maieſtie, though we ſhould graunt him his Liuetenant-ſhip hee pretendeth to hauehave, and that becauſe hee hath deſerued to be vtterly degraded, ſeeing it cannot be that this ſouerain king euer gaue any man autority to falſifie in any ſort that which he ordained to be ſtable & perpetual vntounto the end and conſummation of the world: and this is it which wee are now againe to proue and handle. I ſay therefore that there are three waies of falſifying an inſtrument, namely by adding, by clipping away, or by chaunging, in ſuch ſort that the inſtrument of the truth, whereof the queſtion is, receiueth thereby an alteration. Let vsus then ſee now whether al theſe ſorts of falſification hauehave not beene and yet are committed by him of whom we ſpake, and let vsus beginne with the Law moral. The firſt commaundement forbiddeth vsus to hauehave any other God then the only ſoueraine father, ſonne, and holy Ghoſt. Nowe what is it to hauehave any other thing for a mans God, but to attribute vntounto it that which is properly belonging vntounto this onelyonly God, whether a man conceiue this opinion within himſelfe, which is inward Idolatry, or whether a man yeelde it any outward ſeruice appertaining vntounto God alone, which is outward Idolatry, both theſe two being abominable before God? Now then is not this to make of a creature, naie of a demi-creature a God, to perſwade a mans ſelfe that it heareth and vnderſtandeth the woords and thoughts of men, abſent, from as farre as that which is aboue the higheſt heauens is remoued from the earth, and which is more, ſpeaking and thinking in one inſtant in an hundred thouſand diuers places? This property I ſay, of being eueryevery where, and of knowing the thoughts, is it not properly belonging vntounto the diuine eſſence alone? Their reply is that this were indeede to make gods of creatures, if they ſaide that theſe creatures did heare and vnderſtand of themſelues that which is ſaid and done in an inſtant in their abſence, in ſo manie diuerſe places, and by ſo manie diuerſe perſons: but that this is giuen by Reuelation vntounto the Sainctes which are dead: as wee ſee how Elizeus by Reuelation of Propheticall ſpirite, knewe and ſawe and hearde in his abſence, what his ſeruant Gehezi ſaid and did with Naaman the Syrian, 2. King. 5.26. And it ſeemeth that the like may be ſaid of Saint Peter in that which he diſcouered of Ananias & Saphira, Act. 5.4. And thereupon they ſaie, that if God vouchſafed his ſeruantes this grace, remaining yet here below in the infirmity of their fleſh, howe ſhould hee not beſtowe much greater vponupon them now when they are with him in glorie? And thus you ſee how the peoples eies be at this daie bleared, being not able to conſider that this whole reply is grounded vponupon an imaginary & fantaſtical preſuppoſal. For as touching the meanes it pleaſeth God to vſe heere below for the edification and preſeruation of his Church, his word aſſureth it vsus not only in general but alſo in ſpecial by the whole courſe of the ſacred hiſtorie: namely that it pleaſeth him to vſe the miniſtery of men as an ordinarie meanes and of Angels themſelues by viſions and commiſſions extraordinarie. And therefore it pleaſed him during the ABC of the law, as the Apoſtle ſpeaketh vntounto the Galathians, Gal. 4. to reueale vntounto his ſeruants not only that which was ſaid and done heere & there, but alſo things to come ſo far as he would vſe them in their charge & vocation: but not that he euer gaue thē ſimply to know or vnderſtand either thoughts or al things preſent done & ſaid in their abſence, but only thē & ſo far as he would imploy thē. And ſo it is that that excellent prophet Elizeus ſpeaketh, 2. Ki. 4.29. which thing we ſee to hauehave hapned vntounto Nathan who was conſtrained, for going too far, to vnſay that which he had ſaid, 2. Sam. 7.3.5. And when Elias thought that al was loſt in Iſrael, did hee not ſhewe that God reuealed him not al things? 1. King. 19.10.18. But if we ſpeak of the heauenly gouernment, in what place of Scripture, by what example of ſacred hiſtory, ſhall we finde this imaginarie commerce & dealing of the liuing, with the ſpirits of the ſaintes departed this worlde, hauing finiſhed their courſe? For as touching the bleſſed Angels, we are taught that their charge hath bin and ſo continueth ſtill, to bee ſent and employed for thoſe effectes and purpoſes it pleaſeth God: but it followeth not therefore that they heare or know al things, neither ſhal wee euer find either commandement to call vponupon them, or any example in the Scripture that euer they were called vpō by any ſeruant of God, no not when they appeared vntounto him. But we ſhall well find that it is not ſo lately that the Inuocatiō of angels was reprehended by the Apoſtle expreſly, Col. 2.18. Moreouer let vsus ſee what is the originall of this Inuocation of the Saintes departed, ſo il grounded. The ground therefore of it in a word is double, to wit, their Merits, & their Interceſſion. Of their Interceſſion we wil afterwardes ſpeake by it ſelfe. As for their Merits, whence are they drawn? Not from the holy ſcriptures which oppoſe them directly vntounto Grace, Rom. 4.1. But though a man ſhould grant them this, and that there had bin in thoſe perſonages a perfect obſeruation of the Lawe without any defect, thoſe who merit are they not ſufficiently ſatisfied and contented with the payment they hauehave receiued, to witte, with eternal life, according vntounto the tenour of the legal couenaunt, doe all theſe thinges and thou ſhalt liue? Whence cometh thē the reſt of the merits which they cal the treaſure of the Church, and of which they make euerie daie ſo great a merchandize and yet it is not exhauſted and ſpent? And if the Saintes, as they cal them, hauehave hadde ſo manie and ſuch plentie of merites that there is an infinite ſurpluſſage of them, what neede hadde they of thoſe of Ieſus Chriſt? Beſides this vntounto whom hauehave they giuen that charge of diſtributing of them? Where and when and who paſſed the couenants of this bargaines? Beſides all this if it be true which is taught in the ſchooles, as it is moſt true that the merite of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, which we onelyonly approue, draweth his infinit vertue from the diuinity in which his humanitie is perſonally ſubſiſting, how can this ſame vertue be attributed to thoſe merites of Saintes, though they rebate neuer ſo much from them, without attributing vntounto them alſo ſome diuine nature? And what is it elſe but to adore the creatures to attribute vntounto them an heauenly and diuine vertue and power? As the power to preſerue the ſoule or the body, to ſanctifie the ſpirite, nay to do forth ſinnes which the Iewes being more blind a greate deale, knewe to ſay that it appertained vntounto God alone, Luk. 5.21. What ſhall we then ſay of their holy water, ſpetle, holy waxe, holy bread, & of their Agnus Dei, & other their traſhe? Finally who will excuſe the adoration of the Chriſme or holy oile ſo many times and ſo expreſſely reiterated in their Ceremonies? Who wil not maruel at their blaſphemy, that kneeling down on their knees before a croſſe of woodde or other ſuch matter, they ſalute it and call it their onelyonly hope? Neither will any gloſe ſerue here, that this is not ſaide vntounto the croſſe, but vntounto Ieſus Chriſt who is repreſented crucified there. For the cleane contrary appeareth by their owne words, which are theſe, O Croſſe all haile, our onelyonly hope in this time of the pasſion, the gibbet on which was hanged in fleſh the Creator of fleſh. And what more? Can the bleſſed virgine Mary be called Queene of heauen, without parting this kingdome? Our Lady, without matching a companion with the onelyonly Lord? Our life, our hope, our ſweetenes, without placing her manifeſtly in the throne of the godhead? But (ô moſt horrible blaſphemie that euer was ſpewed forth!) can a man requeſt her, without degrading of Ieſus Chriſt, that in reſpect of the perſon of the father, ſhee pray: but in reſpect of Ieſus Chriſt his ſonne, that ſhe commaund him of her motherly power and authoritie? And yet notwithſtanding this is not onelyonly ſaide, but ſong and howled forth in their temples: and who ſo findeth fault with this, he is an hereticke. I conclude therefore, that ther are in this church ſo many falſe gods as there be creatures called vpō & ſerued with a religious adoratiō, that is to ſay concerning directly the conſcience, and the diuine ſeruice dewe to one onelyonly God the father, ſonne, and holy ghoſt: and as many as there be temples and altars conſecrated and dedicated vntounto creatures: and how then can that Church bee the true and onelyonly vniuerſall Church?
2 This firſt commandement which is the ground & foundation of al the reſt being ouerthrowen, what may a man conclude of the reſt? As for the ſecond, containing two principall points, namely an expreſſe forbidding to make any likenes of any creature high, middle, or low in the cauſe of religion, or to do any reuerēce to thē, I will not ſay of this cōmandemēt as of the other. For they hauehave gone a great deale farther in this then in the firſt, which albeit in effect they hauehave violated and broken, yet hauehave they left him written as hee was by the hande of God. But as for this ſecond, ſeeing that if he remained there, painted Images and Statues muſt fall to ground, they hauehave ſo intangled it with the firſt, that they hauehave finally eclipſed it altogether: a moſt intolerable preſumption, and inexcuſably execrable, ſeeing that the Lord who engraued it as it were with his owne hande and without the miniſterie of man, declareth that not one ſole little letter of the law may not be blotted out Math. 5.18. So then already this fault, I meane this eclipſing of this commandement by thoſe of whom we ſpeake is without all excuſe. But how on the other ſide may the tranſgresſion thereof bee excuſed, when in their churches, chappels, ſtreetes, great places, in citties and in fields there are found ſo many neſts of ſtatues and all ſortes of Images? We know well their goodly replies, which yet are ſuch as vaniſh away like ſmoke at the leaſt word of this commādement. The true ſenſe thereof beſides that it is moſt cleare in it ſelf, whēce may it be better gathered then by that which hath beene generally obſerued in the chriſtian Church for moe then three hundred yeares together? Images, ſay they, are the bookes of the common people. And what can ſuch dumb doctors teach, ſet vp and eſtabliſhed againſt the expreſſe commaundement of God, who hath not onelyonly forbidden to adore and worſhip them, but to make them, I meane to hauehave them vſed in the matter of religion? And experience hath finally ſhewed why the Lord diſtinguiſhed this commaundement into two principall heades, to wit, firſt forbidding to make them, and after that to worſhippe them. And indeede ſince the firſt entering of Images into the Church, men hauehave for a long time confeſſed that there was no honour due vntounto them, but when Idolatrie was once entered, then they ſaid that this honour was not done vntounto the ſtatua or Image, but vntounto him which was repreſented by the Image. A moſt falſe excuſe. For if it were ſo, why ſhoulde a man vſe more deuotion to one Image of the ſame ſaint, then vntounto an other? And if this were the meaning of theſe worſhippers of Images, as they ſay it is, what other thing is this thē to anſwer, that a man playeth not the Idolater with the Image, but with him whom the Image doth repreſent? I ſpeak in reſpect of the Images of he & ſhee ſaints as they call thē. For who will dare to ſay (but he ſhalbe conuicted by the whole ſcriptures) that if the virgine Mary, or the Apoſtles, & by conſequent other true Saintes were aliue at this daie on earth, that they coulde ſuffer that mē ſhould kneele vntounto thē? That they ſhould offer vp candels vntounto thē, that they ſhould preſent incenſe before thē, that they ſhould preach of their merits? Their whole doctrine and their whole life being clear contrary vntounto it. I let paſſe to ſpeak of their ſetting out of theſe goodly ſtatues & pictures of their our Ladies as they call them, clad in their ſommer and winter garmentes, of their virgins attired like ſhameles ſtrompets, of horſes, aſſes, dogs and ſwine which charge their altars among their ſaintes, of their tapers and lampes burning before their blind ſtatues, and other ſuch meere and inexcuſeable Idolatries, all which notwithſtanding is couered with the goodlie name of deuotion. Alas ô Lord how long?
3 As for the third commandement an oth beeing the true fealty and homage which the conſcience oweth vntounto God his onelyonly Lorde, not onelyonly as preſent, and knowing the thinges which are moſt ſecret & hid, but alſo as iudge and reuenger of al falſhood, the great & only liuing God being as it were ſet & placed in his throne to be made iudge of the truth vnknowne vntounto men: can it bee denied but there are ſo many felonies, ſo many idolatries, ſo many degradations of the true and onelyonly diuinity, as there be othes made by the creatures, high, middle, low, or by other fancies which men do forge & deuiſe? For to ſweare is not only to take vntounto vsus a witnes in generall, as a man maie doe vntounto the verie inſenſible creatures, Deut. 3.1. & Eſaie. 1.2. but it is to take him whome wee ſweare by to bee a witnes of our conſcience, which thing appertaineth vntounto god alone.
4 As for the fourth commandement, euerie chriſtian ought to know that ſo farre as it was ceremoniall it hath an end, not that in lieu of the ſeauenth daie called the Sabbat, we ſhoulde Iudaize the Sundaie (for this were not to impoſe an end vntounto the figures, by the reall comming of the truth Coloſſ. 2.16. but onelyonly to chaunge the daie) but to the ende that according vntounto the ordinance of the Apoſtle which maie be gathered euidently, 1. Cor. 16.2. and Apoc. 1. as the memorie of the creation of the world in ſix daies was celebrated in the ſanctification of the ſeuenth daie (& that notwithſtāding in the deliuerance of AEgypt, the order of the monthes and the beginning of the year were chaunged) ſo by the newe creation of the ſecond world, which the Prophets cal a new heauen and a new earth, Eſai. 61.17. and 66.22. appearing by the reſurrection of the Lord, the true light of this new world ought to be renewed and celebrated the daie which wee call the Sundaie, that is to ſaie, the daie of the Lord, after a ſpeciall faſhion, and ſuch a one as diſtinguiſheth this daie from other in reſpect of the principall vſe: as in the time of the Apoſtles themſelues this daie was celebrated by a more ſpeciall aſſemblie of the faithful. But that the Chriſtians ſhould otherwiſe abſtain from their woorke without it were for that time which was requiſite for their aſſemblie: this was neuer commanded nor obſerued, vntil that Chriſtian Emperours made an ordinance for it: indeed moſt commendable, to the end we ſhould not bee otherwiſe diſtracted: to giuegive our ſelues ouer the more to all holie things. But what? Al this is now become with them a verie Iudaiſme, in ſuch ſort that to open a ſhop window, or to giuegive one blowe with the hammer, is ſuch a ſinne, as ſhould raiſe an whole city in a commotion: but not to game, to go to the tauerne, to plaie the whoremaſter. For this is now growen into a cuſtome. And as if the exerciſe of a Chriſtian were to doe nothing, vnderunder a coulour of deuotion, they could not content themſelues with two and fiftie ſundaies, but they muſt hauehave ſo manie holidaies added, that almoſt the third part of the yeare is paſſed awaie in ſuch idle feſtiual daies. And though wee graunt them al this time, to ſanctifie the name of God, bee it on the ſundaie or on other holydaies, or to celebrate the memorie of great and holie perſonages (not to ſpeake anie thing of a great part of them which are in their calenders) what is it elſe with them but to blaſpheme and to commit Idolatry, as all their diuine ſeruice is notably patched vp and clouted therewith?
5 As for the commaundement of honoring of father and mother, vnderunder the name of whom is compriſed al lawful ſuperiority: dare they deny that the phariſaical traditions, by which the Lord declareth that this commaundement was ſo ſhameleſly brokē, is not the fetch they hauehave vſed to ſnare within their net Duchies, Earledomes, & other Lordſhips? The foundation of their great towrs & ſteeples, the pretence of the deſtruction of families by milliōs? If a man wil not ſeek far after Antiquity, at leaſt let the Gratis of theſe laſt commers, who attribute vntounto themſelues the name of Ieſus, common vntounto al tru Chriſtians, open the eies of ſuch as are blindeſt, who hauehave gotten by their ſeruiceable gratuities more goods and reuenues, then a good part of al the hoſpitals in France hauehave. And what ſhal we ſay of their exemptions from ordinary iuſtice, of the ſuperiority vſurped by Biſhops, Abbottes, Priors, Curates ouer the Iuſtice of kings, & eſpecially by that goodly vniuerſal Biſhop ouer Emperors, Kings, & Princes, ſo far is it that he paieth tribute vntounto whō tribute is due, according vntounto the example of Ieſus Chriſt himſelfe, & of him, whoſe ſucceſſor notwithſtanding he ſaith he is, not ſhaming to cal a good part of Italy and the Capitall Citty of the Romane Empire the patrimony of him who teſtifieth of himſelfe that he had neither gold nor ſiluer, Act. 3.6.
6 Now if we ſpeak of the ſixth cōmandemēt touching murders, how can it be more euidently tranſgreſſed thē by their liberties & priuileges of granting mercy to the greateſt Criminals, & that horrible abuſe of Clergy? Moreouer let a man but conſider the taxes of the Chancery of Rome, he ſhall finde at how many thouſand ducats the murther of father & mother is taxed. Demaund the reaſon of all this: & it is that, which they taught thē who conſtrained Pilat to crucifie this King of whō we ſpeake (as they yet at this daie perſuade Kings and Potentates to crucifie him in his poore members) namely this, Nobis non licet interficere quenquam, that is to ſaie, It is not lawful for vsus to put any man to death. And indeed I confeſſe that neither ciuil nor criminal iuſtice pertaineth vntounto them, beeing as it is diſtinguiſhed from the miniſtery of the word, Lu. 12.14. & 22.25. and Iohn. 8.10. and 2. Timot. 2.4.
7 As for the ſeuenth cōmandement concerning the obſeruatiō of holy mariage I wil not ſtay in this horrible filthy ſtēch which neither the ſunne can abide to ſee, nor the darkenes of the night couer, nor the earth beare and endure, al of theſe demaunding vengeance at Gods hands who ſhall heare them in his time. But they will replie againſt mee that their doctrine doth not approoue this. But who knoweth not, who ſeeth not, who acknowledgeth not, who feeleth not all that ſtinking filthineſſe, the like whereof neither was, nor euer coulde bee in the worlde, which entered in floodwiſe into the Church by the gate of that goodly vowe of ſingle life, called not without cauſe by the Apoſtle a doctrine of diuels, 1. Tim. 4.2. I knowe well their replies. But ô heauen, ô earth, ô hundred thouſand millions of rapes, fornications, adulteries, inceſts, ouerthrowinges of Gods and mans lawe, teſtified before God and men, and demaunding vengeance of ſuch deſperate & ſo long a time cōtinued enormities. But farther though all this were nothing, what is this abhomination ſo ſhameleſly practiſed in our time of diſpenſing with the marriage of Vncles and Nieces in degree of conſanguinitie? A thing not onelyonly condemned by Gods lawe in the caſe it ſelfe of affinitie onelyonly, Leuit. 18.14. but deteſted ſo expreſly by the poore Paynims themſelues, who hauehave bluſhed at ſuch a caſe as the Roman hiſtories cā witnes. And yet for al this, when it ſo pleaſeth them, mariage is forbidden vntounto the ſeuenth degree of ſuch as be collaterall. Alas ô Lord how long?
8 As for the commaundement which concerneth theftes, it were wonder a man woulde ſay it might bee maintained by them, who liue not but by ſacrilege, to wit, with the goods belonging vntounto the poore, of which they make themſelues the receiuers without yeelding any account.
9 I ſay the like of the laſt commaundement ſaue one, ſpeaking of falſe witnes, being in no point more damnably violated then in the ouerthrowing of the witneſſings and teſtimonies of the Prophets and Apoſtles irreproueable witneſſes. Finally the laſt commaundement paſſing euen vntounto the roote of the euill which is in vsus, and without the which the Apoſtle witneſſeth that he had neuer known in deed what ſin meant, Rom. 7.7. is it not aſmuch or more openly violated then any of the reſt by their doctrin, whē they teach that neither the vnderſtanding nor the wil of man are wholy and entierly ſubiected vntounto ſin and death by original ſin: but that there ſtill remaineth a certain diſpoſition and inclination vntounto that which is true and good: whence they drawe their merites of congruity & preparation? Afterwards when they teach that by the very action of baptiſme, yea by the vertue of the water, original ſin is (if not altogether) yet in part ſo done away, that the child of a Turke or Iew being baptized & dying before the age of diſcretion goeth into paradiſe, and as for thoſe who come vntounto age, that that corruption which reſteth in them is not ſinne, but onelyonly a litle ſparke of fire vnderunder the hote aſhes to exerciſe vsus.
10 As for the other kinde of the lawe concerning the outward diuine ſeruice, the ſpirite of errour hath done the cleane contrary, tending notwithſtanding vntounto the ſame end. For hauing aboliſhed the Lawe morall which ſhould notwithſtanding be perpetual, he hath cleane contrarie found the meanes to eſtabliſh the Lawe ceremonial, knowing that Ieſus Chriſt had impoſed an end vntounto it: and this deſſein of his hath he executed by a marueilous ſleight, which hath deceaued thoſe of the better ſort. For if he would hauehave perſuaded them that hee woulde ſet Iudaiſme vp againe, or retained Paganiſme, men would hauehave openly withſtood him. And therfore he obiected that the great ſimplicity of the outwarde ſeruice of God both in the miniſterie of the word & in the adminiſtration of the ſacramentes would breede a contempt, and therefore it would bee good to hauehave ſome petite matters beſide, not that this ſhould be of the ſubſtance of the doctrin or of the ſacraments, but to make the thinges more commendable, and men more attentiue and deuout. This being once thought to be good by an efficacie of errour, hee added, that vſing withal ſome ceremonies of the Lawe not to Iudaize but to turne them vntounto a a good vſe, & doing the ſame ſoberly in certaine points like others without ſuperſtition or Idolatry, would be a meane to winne the Iewes and the Idolaters the eaſier vntounto the true religion. Thence came holy-Water, ſquare-Caps, Surpliſſes, hoodes, bald crownes, chaunting of prick-ſong, altars, diſtinction of daies and of meates, with the reſt of the furniture of al that goodlie ceremonial ſeruice, as if God had impoſed an end vntounto the legall ceremonies, of which himſelfe was the author, to giuegive authority, not vntounto the Apoſtles (who neuer ordained, nor practiſed ſuch thinges, naie contrariwiſe eſtabliſhed and recommended the true and pure ſimplicity aſwel of doctrine as of eccleſiaſtical gouernement) but vntounto them who ſhoulde come after them, to cut and clip off al at their pleaſure. If anie man will denie this, the ſight thereof diſcouereth the fact, if wee conferre their inuentions with Moſes and with profane hiſtories. True it is that touching this point they want no allegations of certaine bookes forged at pleaſure, but ſo doltiſhlie written, that a man need go no farther for proofe of ſuch forgeries. And thus you ſee how the ſpirit of error by a iuſt iudgement of God hath ſerued his turne with the holie Lawe of God, for the deſtruction of men, and al vnderunder the ſhadow of eſtabliſhing of it and teaching the right vſe thereof: a thing moſt miraculous and wonderfull, how men could become ſo brutiſh as not to ſuffer a man to touch their ſore, ſo far are they from ſeeking after or deſiring to finde or receiue a remedy.
12 But touching the law morall the abuſe there of appeareth moſt ſtraunge in this, that there is no one ſpeciall commandement, which hath not beene more openly ouerturned in Chriſtendome then euer it happened in the ſynagogue of the Iewes, as the reprehenſion which the lawe-giuer himſelfe maketh, doth witnes of them from point to point in ſaint Mathew chap. 5.6.7. But the fault is yet more daungerous in that, that the vſe and ſcope there of is turned vpſide downe. Which thing hath beene ſo much handled by ſaint Paul, eſpecially in the epiſtle to the Romans and to the Galathians, that it cannot be but an inexcuſable reproch vntounto them who call themſelues Chriſtians to diſpute of this point any more. In ſumme, the law ſheweth vsus, will we or nil we, what we owe vntounto God and neighbour, and that no man neither diſchargeth, nor is able to diſcharge his debt in this behalfe, being vtterly vndone and made vnpayable by the naturall corruption of mankinde, which thing notwithſtanding neither exempteth him out of debt, nor from the penalty adioyned vntounto the contract, which is euerlaſting death. For to thinke that God renounceth his debt without entire paiment made, is to transforme God into man. This is then an inexcuſable follie to ſeeke after the ſaluation of the ſoule by the obligation of death, that is to ſay in the lawe morall, which argueth our condemnation, and which can vſe no other language vntounto vsus then his tenor importeth. And yet notwithſtanding this is the foundation of the hope giuen of finding in a mans owne merits, or thoſe of an other, (whereof a man may furniſhe himſelfe for ready money vntounto the diſtributer) that which is found, as we will anon declare, in Ieſus Chriſt alone, hauing ſatisfied for vsus, in carying our ſinnes vponupon the tree, 1. Pet. 2.24. and accompliſhed al righteouſnes for vsus, Mat. 3.15. Gal. 3.13. and 4.4. and yet notwithſtanding behold the matter, behold the end and whole ſubſtance of the Church of Romes diuinity at this day touching our ſaluation.
13 It remaineth to declare the falſification committed in the other part of the word of God, which is our ſoueraign happineſſe, I mean the couenant of ſaluation in Ieſus Chriſt alone, promiſed vntounto the Fathers, and finally ſent into the worlde, namely into Iudea in proper perſon, and after vntounto all nations by the miniſtery of the Apoſtles and others ſent hither and thither by them, which is that which we call the Goſpell, Tit. 1.2.3. that is to ſay, the good & true healthfull newes. But we will differ this point vntounto an other time, thāking in the meane time our good God and Father, that it hath pleaſed him of his ſingular mercy and grace, to hauehave opened our eies to knowe and deteſt ſuch abuſes, deſiring him to giuegive vsus farther grace ſo to vſe his truth, that we witneſſe by our good life and conuerſation, that his ſpirit hath not onelyonly wrought in our vnderſtanding, but alſo formed our affections vntounto his obedience, that wee bee not the more inexcuſable before him, the more graces and bleſſings we hauehave receiued. Amen. And becauſe we hauehave beene hitherunto ſo vnthankefull for ſo great a benefite, let vsus demaunde of him fauor & mercy with heart & with mouth as foloweth.
Almighty God, &c.