Touchstone to Determine the True Catholic Faith, Part 29 – Part 30
Yet Michaell the Archangell when hee stroue against the Deuill, Text. vers. 9.and disputed about the bodie of Moses, durst not blame him with cursed speaking: but saide, the Lorde rebuke thee.] Heere wee may learne first by the name archangell, that there are degrees of angels in heauen. The scriptures would not hauehave named a chiefe angell, vnlesse there had beene inferiour angels. The which thing is sufficient to condemne the Anabaptisticall anarchie or equalitie of some, who will hauehave no superiours nor magistrates. God in heauen hath an order, a difference among his angels: therefore in earth he wil hauehave the same amongst men. Secondly, the name of this great angell Michael, may teach all princes and mightie men their duties: that is, to magnifie the Lord, to humble themselues vnderunder his mightie hand: to feare to offend him, and though they be in authoritie, for any cause to breake his lawes. For thus much the hebrue name (Michael) signifieth: who is like to the Lord. Though Michael himself was great among the angels: yet he glorieth not in his own strength. So Dauid saith,Psal. 18. vers. 31 Who is like vntounto ye Lord? or who hath any strength except our God? Hee accompted, as it should seeme, his owne glorie, vanitie: his owne strength, though a mightie king; yet like a potshearde in comparison of God. Euen as a candle light before the sunne: such is the glorie, maiestie of all kinges and princes before the Lorde,Oros. lib. 6. ca. 22. Caesar Augustus (as it is reported) by diuine inspiration the daie that Iesus Christ was borne, would not bee called Lorde neuer after. Constantine also the great,Nicephor. lib. 6. c. 46. in consideration of this his humilitie and seruice to God, caused a portable Church of woode to bee made, that in all his warres, whither soeuer he went, hee might serue God. And our king Henry the second,Stow in his last Chronicle. on Christmas daie wearing his crowne at Worcester, set it vponupon the altar, and neuer would weare it after: in token that he acknowledged Iesus Christ to be king of kinges. All these fellowed the name of this great angell Michael: and no doubt in their heartes saide, Who is like vntounto the Lorde?
When as he stroue disputing about the body of Moses. Text.] Heere is the nature of the deuill, and his common practise taught vsus. So that as S. Paul saith we may saie, (if we will marke the scriptures,) We know his fetches, his deuises. 2. Cor. 2.11.He goeth about to peruert and abuse all thinges, he mooueth (as they saie) euerie stone to set vp his idolatrie: yea, euen Moses bodie. And here concerning Moses bodie,Deut. 34.6 wee may learne first, that it is saide, that the Lord buried him. And therefore to burie the dead is no contemptible work, it is a worke fit for the minister. Therfore let no minister thinke much to burie the dead, or thinke that it belongeth not to his office. Secondlie, it should seeme, though no man knewe the graue of Moses: yet the deuill knew where it was, and therefore because Moses was one, whome the Iewes beeing aliue, did greatlie reuerence: he would hauehave made an idoll of his bodie, that they might hauehave worshipped it after his death; but God would not suffer him. So that then hereby wee may learne, if God woulde not hauehave Moses bodie worshipped: much lesse the image of Moses, or of any sainte. And againe, if Sathan would so gladly hauehave had Moses bodie, to hauehave beguiled the people, yt which he could not hauehave; then no doubt, that which he can hauehave, hee will not omit: that is, to take vponupon him Moses shape, or the shape of the saintes, or of the virgine Mary, or of an angel, to beguile vsus withall. Therefore let euerie good christian saie with S. Paul: Wee are not ignorant of Sathans wiles, of his deuises: hee canne take vponupon him the shape of Samuel, 1. Sam. 28.14the shape of an angel: therefore I will beléeue no apparitions, no reuelations: I will onelie rest vponupon and cleane to Gods word, that teacheth me sufficient knowledge to my saluation: I will desire no more. They which doe not so, may easilie be deceiued. We may also learne heere the office of angels, to serue, to defend, guard and assist the godlie. So Dauid saith,Psal. 34.7 Heb. 1.14. The angell of God tarieth rounde about them that feare him, and deliuereth them. And S. Paul saieth, they are all ministring spirits, Reu. 19.10sent to serue those which shall inherit saluation. And so the angell taught S. Iohn, I am thy fellowe seruaunt, and of thy brethren which hauehave the witnesse of God: worship God. So that then we are not to worship angels, as the angell heere teacheth S. Iohn, and not onelie teacheth, but proueth, They are our fellow seruantes, and who will worship his fellow seruant?
And lastlie, heere wee may learne our owne duties: not to raile or reuile one another, when as quarrels shall chance to arise amongst vsus.Mat. 5.22. He that calleth his brother foole contemptuoustis or opprobriouslie (saith our sauiour) is in daunger of hell fire: And S. Paul saith,Eph. 4.31. Let al sowrenesse or bitternesse, or wrath and anger, and outcries and blasphemies, be quite taken from among you, with all maliciousnesse: Be courteous one to another, and pittifull, forgiuing one another, euen as Christ forgaue you. And in an other place,Phil. 4.5. Let your patient minde be knowne vntounto all men: The Lord is euen at hande: As though he should saie, will you bee malicious, spitefull, reuiling your brethren? and the Lord is at hande. Will you be falling out one with another, against his comming? Surelie this shall not please him. Forgiue one another, that he may forgiue you; be courteous one to another, that hee may be courteous to you againe. For with what measure you measure, Luk. 6.38.it shall bee restored to you againe. Michael woulde not reuile the deuill, and wilt thou reuile thy brother? This may teach all christians curtesie in their spéeches, in their dealings with their brethren. Manie passe not what they saie, what spéeches they giuegive, if they bee offended. But heere they must learne, though they hauehave cause, though he be a verie wicked man that speaketh against them, nay though hee were a deuill: yet they ought to giuegive courteous speeches, not rendering euill for euill, or reproch for reproch, as S. Peter also teacheth. Our God will hauehave all his courteous,1. Pet. 3.9 as well in their tongues as in their déedes. Michael said to the deuill, the Lord rebuke thee. This was all he saide. Let vsus learne this lesson also of S. Michael, in the reproches and bitter speeches of our brethren, to saie vntounto them; the Lorde reprooue thee: This lesson, these proude and presumptuous heretiques, these pretended catholiques, whom Saint Iude here speaketh of, had not learned. If they had, their bookes would not be so full of tauntes and bitter spéeches as they are, being not prouoked: as I hauehave partlie noted before, and as it is plaine to euerie one that will read their writinges. They declare hereby, of whose spirit they are. Gods spirit is courteous and gentle.
But these speake euill of those things which they knowe not, Text verse 10and whatsoeuer thinges they know naturally, as beastes which are without reason; in those thinges they corrupt themselues.] Here the Apostle hath a relation to that saying of Salomon, The foole maketh answere, before he knowe the matter. If he had hold his peace, Pro. 17.28 & 18.13.hee had beene accounted wise. So these men are, to bee accounted, which in truth by these tauntes and reproches, go about to defend their errours, and to cast a mist before the truth. Quippes and tauntes are pleasant to the carnall man, these he delighteth in: they are as wine and nectar vntounto him. And therefore no doubt, to make their doctrine more plausible, and acceptable to the simple, they hauehave mingled as it were this sharpe sauce of their vineger and spight, in their bookes: And that not onelie against vsus; but against the gospell it selfe which we teach,M. Harding which they call venemous and lothsome stuffe, detestable blasphemies, Turkish doctrine. We may saie to them as our sauiour saide to the woman of Samariah, If she had known the gift of God and who it was, that said to her: giuegive me drinke; She woulde hauehave asked of him, and hee would hauehave giuen her the water of life. Io. 4 10So if these men had known the gospell of Iesus Christ, which is the vnspeakeable gift of God: (as S. Paul saith to the Corinthians) as well as they had knowne the master of the sentences,1 Cor. 9.15 who as should seeme, was their master in times past, (and to professe and teach him, they had their graces granted in the vniuersities) they would not thus raile on the doctrine of it. They are cunning in excommunicating, in cursing with bell, booke and candle, and giuing to the deuill: but in the Lordes booke, in ringing his belles, in lightning the candle of his worde to the people: they hauehave no skill at all. And this makes thē thus to raile against it. The knowledg of the tonguesaIn the primitiue church it was a gift to the christians giuen, whereby they were knowne. Mark. 16.17 they make no account of, that which S. Paul makes the chiefe gift of the holie ghost, and therefore a meanes to leade into truth: they saie, it maketh heretickes, and therefore they must néedes make it a gift of Sathan. They cannot abide that their workes of pilgrimages, virges, masses, and pardons, should be condemned: and to heare that men should bee saued by a liuely faith in Iesus Christ, working through louelove. If they knew what true faith were, they would not thus raile against it.