Touchstone to Determine the True Catholic Faith, Part 3
And called] God euen now calleth, as he did once our grandfather Adam, hauing offended, and broken the commandementes, and hiding himselfe in paradise, that he might be partaker of that blessed promise of life.Gen. 12.1 Gen. 19.12 As Abraham liuing securely in Vr the land of the Chaldeans, that he might goe out of it, and possesse the lande of Canaan: as Lot, that he might go out of Sodome, that hee were not destroied with it: as Dauid from the sheepefolde, Psal. 88.7 1. King. 19.19. Matth. 9.9that he might bee a pastor and feeder of his people, as Elizeus from his twelue plowes, that he might be a prophet to his people: as Mathew in the gospell, from the receipt of custome, that he might be nowe a Receiuer, of that great treasure of the gospell, and deliuer it to other. And lastlie, as those that stoode idlie in the market place, that they might go and labour in his vineyard. Without this calling of God,Mat. 20.3 Adam would neuer hauehave commen to God, nor Abraham hauehave possessed Canaan, nor Lot hauehave gone out of Sodome, nor Dauid hauehave bin king, nor Elizeus a prophet, nor Matthew an euangelist; nor anie one of the generation of mankinde, whether king or prophet, high or low; a laborer in the Lords vineyard: But all would hauehave béen Pharaohs brickmakers, sonnes of Beliall, seruants of Mammon, sathans bondslaues. And the refore euerie one that commeth to God, is first called by Iesus Christ: both outwardly, by his word, and inwardlie, by his spirit; or else by both. No man commeth of himselfe.om. 1.7 So S. Paul telleth the Romaines, that hee had receiued grace and Apostleship, that obedience might be giuen to the faith in the name of Iesus Christ, among all the Gentiles. Among whom the Romaines were called of Iesus Christ. Where wee may note two thinges. That all the Romaines, that beléeued in Iesus Christ. were first called inwardlie, by his spirit, and outwardlie, by the preaching of the gospell. Secondlie, that among the other gentiles and nations of the world, the Romaines were called. Heere is no prerogatiue giuen to them, aboue the rest: which no doubte the Apostle would not hauehave omitted, to hauehave made them more attentiue to his doctrine, if there had béene anie such, as many doe now teach and suppose. And in his 8 chap. speaking of all christians.Rom. 8.15. Those (saith he) whom God hath predestinate, them hee hath called, and whom he called, them also he iustified, and whom hee iustified them also he glorified. Here is that golden and most strong chaine of our saluation, linked with such sure linkes, as all the diuels in hell cannot break it. First, Gods eternall and most gratious and certaine decree of it in heauen, and the most euident token thereof, the calling of his word outwardlie, and the effectuall calling of his holie spirit in our hearts inwardlie. Which maketh vsus crie Abba, Rom. 8 15father, that is, accompt and surelie beleeue God to be our father, with great boldnesse and assurance: which is the earnest of our inheritance, Ephes. 1.14and maketh vsus as sure of that great couenant, bargaine and promise made of God to vsus warde of our saluation; as any earnest penny in the world, giuen and taken amongst men, assureth them of their bargaines and couenantes. So that then,Ma… 11.28 doest thou heare the voice of Iesus Christ? doest thou heare him in thy heart call thee to him, as to a sauiour, from sathan thine enemie; as to a mightie helper, in the great burthen of thy sinnes: be sure then thy saluation is decréed, is ratified, is registred in heauen. And therefore reioice, as our sauiour teacheth his Apostles.Luke 10. v. 20. Neuertheles in this reioyce not, that the spirits are subdued vntounto you: but rather reioyce, because your names are written in heauē. All the names of them, that are called by Iesus Christ, that in their heartes beleeue his Gospell, are registred in heauen, and their saluation is of God most certainlie decréed. And this free calling of God the prophet Ieremy verie plainlie declareth vntounto vsus. They say, behold if a man put away his wife, and she go from him, Iere. 3.1.and become another mans: will hee returne to her any more? hath not this lande beene polluted againe and againe? and thou hast plaied the harlot with many louers: yet turne to me, saith the Lord.
And here is to be marked one other excellent point of doctrine, that the works of the Trinity are common together, & the works of one of them are attributed to the other. As we are said here to be sanctified of God the father:1. Cor. 1.2 so we are saide to be sanctified by Iesus Christ. And as Iesus Christ is commonlie called our sauiour: so God is called our sauiour. Thereby also to teach vsus,1 Tim. 1. v 1. that our workes ought to be common, wee should bee all as brethren, no man should labour alone. When as God had appointed Iudah after the death of Iosuah, to go vp before the children of Israell, to be their captain, & to fight against the Canaanites: Iudah though he were appointed alone, said to Simeon his brother,Iudg. 1.3 Come and go vp with me into my lot, that we may fight against the Cananites. And I likewise will go vp with thee into thy lot: and so Simeon went with him. So our Sauiour sent his disciples two and two togither before him into eueryevery city and place whither he should come!. So S. Paul in most of his Epistles, ioineth some of the brethren with him, as Timotheus, and Siluanus: hee seldome writeth any Epistle alone.2 Thes. 1.1 Teaching all christians, and especiallie the ministers of God, this holie fellowship, this communicating of their labours one with another, this brotherlie helpe in the Lordes worke, this ioyning of handes togither. God himselfe hath done so: all the saintes of God hauehave done so: and why should not we do so? It would make our labours light, and our workes easie, as the prouerbe is: By many handes a great worke is made light and easie. And if the saints of God, being mightie in respect of vsus, and strong in the inward man, and abounding in the giftes of the holie ghost, hauehave done this: how much more ought we, who are weake in comparison of them, vponupon whom the end of the worlde is come, to vse this mutuall aid & societie, in our labors. This is that great & general & roial law of Christ. One should beare anothers burthē. Gal. 6.2This is not only wisedom, but it is a cōmandement. And how is this heauēly wisdome forgotten? how is this roial law neglected? Our worldly wisedome hath drowned it, our selfe louelove hath ouerflowed it, our vaine glorie hath surprised it: we thinke skorne to impart our labours to others, to aske helpe of anie, or to giuegive our helping hand to any. This roiall law of Christ is broken. Euerie man nowe is for himselfe. There is no communicating of helpe, of workes, of labours, of riches: neither in the Church, nor in the common wealth. In the Lordes haruest wee labour alone: and in the haruest of our fieldes, we labour for our selues. For our neighbour, may be behind with his corne, may lacke helpe: and no man almost will care for him. If he lacke seed, he shall pay déerelie for it. God here, by his owne example, teacheth vsus another lesson.
Tertul in Apol. cap. 39.The primitiue church also, vsed a contrarie practise. The heathen (saith Tertullian) were madde that we christians called our selues brethren. Amongst them they are brethren that maintaine a faction, (that take a part in the common wealth:) But howe much more worthily, are they called and accompted brethren, which acknowledge one God, for their father; which hauehave drunken one spirit of sanctification, which hauehave attained from the same wombe of ignorance, to the same light of truth. But therefore perchance wee are accompted lesse lawfull brethren, because no tragedie exclameth of our brotherhoode, or because in our goods and riches we are brethren: which amongst them breaketh their brotherhood. Therfore we, which being ioined together, in hart and wil; do nothing doubt of communicating or imparting our goods one to another. All things in vse amongst vsus are common: besides our wiues.
Arnobius lib. 8. contra Gentes.Arnobius also of the louelove of christians in his daies writes thus. So we mutually louelove one another, which you are sory for, because wee cannot tel how to hate. So we cal one another brethren, (which you repine at,) as men hauing one God for our father, as partakers of one faith, and heires of one hope.