A Catholicon, Part 1 · Subpart 4
The fourth lecture.
Uers. 5. I will put you in remembrance for as much as ye once knewe:] Nowe the Apostle declareth by the examples of Gods iudgements in times past, what punishment these hypocrits also are to expect: and he produceth three principall examples: of the Israelites, the angels, and the third is of Sodome and Gomorrha.
Doctrin. That it is profitable euen to put the people of God in minde of those Godly conference profi… ble.things, they alreadie knowe.
Testim. 2. Pet. 1. 12, 13. I will stirre you vp by putting you in remembrance, though you hauehave knowledge.
Examp. Mich. 6. 5. O my people remember Balaak &c. Heb. 10. 32. Call to remembrance, &c.
Confirmat. Phil. 3. 1. For you it is a sure thing: often to recapitulate and repeate the same thing is profitable.
Exornat. Like as, when a naile is driuen to the head. Ecclesiast. 12. 11. So is a doctrine or precept well vrged: and they are like the cleane beastes that chawe the cudde, which doe ruminate and meditate of the same things often.
Applicat. First against the papists, who allowe not the people to conferre and reason Error. 13.togither of such things as they heard, which we see notwithstanding was the practise of the primitiue Church, Act. 17. 11. Secondly, we see it is an approoued course both for the minister to vse some repetition and rehearsall of that which hath bene taught, and that it is a friuolous obiection, when any man saith, he heard nothing but that he knewe, for it is somewhat to hauehave that called to his remembrance, and to be better imprinted in his minde, which he knewe before. Thirdly, this Christian practise is commended, that people should conferre togither of those things they heare, that they be not as leaking and running vessels, Heb. 2. 1. It were much better for them so to doe, then to make themselues busie bodies, in pratling and talking their pleasure of others, when they are met togither.
The Lord, after he had deliuered, &c. destroyed them which beleeued not] By this Doctrin. 1. Doubtfulnesse in faith a sinne.example the Apostle sheweth, that as the Israelites, though they were deliuered out of Egypt, perished because they murmured and lusted, and brought forth no fruits of their faith: so they which seeme to be deliuered and redeemed by Christ from the bondage of sinne, shall not be saued if they lead a carnall and corrupt conuersation.
Doctrin. That they which liue in carnall pleasures and voluptuousnesse are conuinced not to beleeue, as the Israelites wished to returne to the fleshpots of Egypt, because they beleeued not the promises of Canaan.
Testim. Phil. 3. 19. They which make their bellie their God, and mind earthly things are enemies to the crosse of Christ. 1. Tim. 5. 6. Shee that liueth in pleasure is dead.
Exampl. Luk. 16. 19. This was the condemnation of the rich man, his voluptuous liuing, who notwithstanding liued in the externall cōmunitie of the faithfull, & calleth Abraham father: such an one was Herod, Mark. 6. 20. who made semblance of religion, yet liued in vnlawefull lust.
Exornat. Saint Peter compareth such to the dog that returneth to his filthy vomit, and to the sow that returneth to the wallowing in the mire. 2. Pet. 2. 22. Such are they which hauing once receiued the faith, doe pollute it with their liues.
Confirmat. Heb. 10. 29. Their sinne is great, because they count the blood of the testament as an vnholy thing: that is, not able to sanctifie and clense them.
Applicat. 1. Against the papists, in this manner: all that died in the wildernes, were not vnbeleeuers and altogither incredulous; but some of them onelyonly doubted, as Moses, Numb. 20. 12. You beleeued me not, saith the Lord, that is, they were wauering and not constant: here we conclude, that we ought to be vndoubtedly Error. 14.assured of our saluation: and therefore it is an erroneous assertion of the papists, that the certaintie of faith, whereby a man is assured of saluation, is presumption. 2. We see what a daungerous thing it is, by this example, for those, which hauehave taken vponupon them the profession of faith, not to liue thereafter: as to followe adulterie, idolatrie, drunkennesse, 1. Cor. 10. 7. 11.
Uers. 6. The angels which kept not their first estate, or principalitie foreign: Doctrine, Here we see, that there are some good, Doctr. 3. We must be certaine of our …aith.some euil angels: 1. Tim. 5. 21. Elect angels: & so are there reprobate angels: but these were also created good in the beginning, but fell for their pride.
Testim. Ioh. 8. 44. He stoode not in the truth. 2. Pet. 2. 6. The angels that sinned.
Exemp. Iob 1. 6. The good angels are called the sonnes of God, but the euill spirit is called Sathan: an enemie. And a false spirit, 1. king. 22. 22.
Aitiolog. His follie and pride was the cause. Iob 4. 18. The word tahalah, signifieth madnes, foolishnes, praise: and Iude insinuateth as much, that they were not content with their owne state or habitation.
Exorn. And therefore Nebuchadnezzar is resembled for his pride to Lucifer, who is called heelill of the same roote, that signifieth light. Isa. 14. 16. wherefore God cast him downe, and he fell like lightening, luk. 10. 18. that is, violently and speedily.
Applicat. 1. The Manichees are condemned, who did hold two equall beginnings, and two kingdomes, of light and darkenes: for we see that the deuill in the beginning was created good, but continued not therein.
2. Because the Apostle maketh mention onelyonly of the fal of the angels, not shewing the time when, or the place from whence, or who and how many fell, we are taught to stay our curiositie, and not to mooue needlesse questions. Yet so farre as Of the fall of Angels.the Scripture doth lead vsus we may safely wade. 1. For the time, it was in the beginning, as soone as they were created, or not long after their creatiō, as it is said in Iob, he found no steadfastnes in the angels, Iob 4. 18. and Ioh. 8. 44. He was a lyar from the beginning: that is from the beginning, not of his owne creation, but of the world and mans beeing: & they fell before the starrs were made, Iob 38. 7. For the children of God, that is, the angels reioyced, gaue praise vntounto God, so did the deuill neuer, not his angels that fell. 2. They fell from their estate, that is, that perfection of glorie, holines, innocencie, wherein they were created: their fall was of two sorts, the first was voluntarie and sinnefull in their wilfull apostasie, the other necessarie and penall in beeing cast downe from heauen: as the fall of man was first in his transgression, then in his expulsion out of paradise: and so the Apostle here saith, that the angels first kept not their estate, and then lost their habitation, beeing depriued of their glorie.
The state] wherein they were created according to Gods image did consist, either in holines and innocencie, or in their knowledge and power: for these are the two parts of Gods image; knowledge, Col. 3. 10. holines, righteousnes, Eph. 4. 25. Then like as man hath wholly lost his innocencie, which was a supernaturall gift, and his naturalls, as knowledge, wisdome, are empaired, though not altogether lost: so Sathan is cleane fallen from the truth, Ioh. 8. 44. his power and knowledge remaineth, though not like to the elect angels, yet very great and vncomparable in respect of mans weaknesse: and therefore the Apostle Eph. 6. 12. giueth the name of powers, principalities, gouernours, euen vntounto wicked angels.
3. For the third: though directly in Whether more good or bad angels.Scripture it be not expressed, which is the greater number of Elect, or reprobate spirits; yet I hold it most probable, that the number of good angels is greater: as may appeare first by these places of Scripture, Psal. 55. 18. Many were with me. 2. king. 6. 16. 2. chron. 32. 7. They are more that are with vsus, then they that be with them: which is to be vnderstood of the angels and inuisible spirits. Againe, the greatest number of euill spirits, that I remember mentioned in Scripture is a legion, which contained 6000. but we read of 12. legions of angels. Math. 26. 43. and of not legions onelyonly, but of whole hoasts. Gen. 32. 2. of thousand thousands, &c. ten thousand thousands. Dan. 7. 10. yea twentie thousand thousand. Psal. 68. 17.
Applicat. 3. Further by this doctrine we are taught, to take heed vntounto our selues, that we fall not away from the first grace receiued, seeing the angels stood not, let him that standeth, take heede least he fall, 1. Cor. 10. 12. Neither is there any strength in mans freewill to hold him, as the Papists Error 15.affirme, seeing the Angels freewill could not keepe them from falling. Againe we see what a dangerous thing it is to despise gouernment, and to speake euill of those that are set ouer vsus in the Lord, either in Ciuill or spirituall matters: to the which ende all these examples are produced by the Apostle, as the Israelites murmured against Moses, the Angels rebelled against God, the Sodomites skorned the admonition of Lot. Men for feare of the law, refraine to speake euill of the Magistrate, but the tongues and stomackes of many are whetted against the Ministers, and they iudge it no fault: whereas their murmurings are not against them, but against God. Exod. 16. 8.