The Autumn Part from the Twelfth Sunday after Trinity, Letter 11
The Epistle.
EPHES. 6. 10.
My brethren be strong through the Lord, &c.
THe life of man is a qI…b 7. 1.warfare on earth, and eueryevery Christian is a professed souldier, hauing r2. Cor. 7. 5.fightings without, and terrors within. He must therefore learne two things especially: first, how to chuse his armes: and secondly how to vse them. Our Apostle doth instruct him heere concerning both. As for the choice, the sZanchius.defensiue weapons are the girdle of veritie, breast-plate of righteousnesse, s…ooes of preparation, shield of faith, helmet of saluation. Offensiue, the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God. As for their vse, Paul aduiseth vsus also to put them on, and to put them all on, and so to put on the whole armour, as that we may stand in all good, and withstand all euill. All which is implied in the 11. verse, containing a proclamation ad arma, put on all the armour of God. And a reason, that ye may stand, &c.
In the proclamation foure points are remarkable:
1. EueryEvery Christian is charged with armour.
2. This armour must be Gods armour.
3. Panoplia, complet armour, all the armour of God.
4. This complet armour must not onelyonly be shewed abroad, or hung vp at home: but vsed and imployed daily, put on.
The reason hereof is manifest and manifold: first, that we may be able to tFor so long as a man standeth in battell he is well, if he fall downe then in ieopardie..stand in battell. Secondly, that wee may so stand, as that we may withstand. Thirdly, that we may so withstand, as that we may foile our enemies assaulting as well as retiring. Fourthly, that we may repell not only some few, but all assaults. Fiftly, all assaults not only of the flesh and the world, but of the diuell also, which is the prince of darknesse, and generall commander of all forces against vsus in these spirituall skirmishes. uIudith 15. 1.Olofernes being slaine, his souldiers instantly fled. xLombard. in loc.If we conquer the rulers and gouernours of the darknesse of this world, wee shall easily discomfit their followers and instruments. If we cast the yAnselm.rider, his horse will instantly be taken and tamed. EueryEvery Christian ought to put on the resolution of Captaine zPareneticall treatise to the Princes of Europe, pag. 26.Ferras, alway bearing armes against the greatest Emperour of the world, wrestling not against blood and flesh onelyonly, but against principalities, against powers, against spirituall craftinesse in heauenly things.
For the first point: armour is necessarie, whether wee consider our owne weaknesse, or our enemies strength. Our weaknesse, as being vnapt and vnable by nature to a2. Cor. 3. 5.thinke so much as a good thought, and therefore we must be strong through the Lord, bLombard.who giueth his souldiers power and might, cPsal. 144. 1.teaching our hands to warre, and our fingers to fight. It is reported of dXiphlin in vita Traiani.Traian that he would cut in peeces his owne garments, rather then his souldiers should want a ragge to binde vp their wounds: but our Captaine Christ hath giuen vntounto such as march vnderunder his banner his owne flesh and his owne selfe, willing vsus not to put on his armour, but also to eRom. 13. 14.put on himselfe, that we may be strong through the power of his might, who can doe whatsoeuer he will, and will doe whatsoeuer is best for all his followers. Againe, we need armes in respect of our enemies, as being many, mightie, cunning in plotting, cruell in executing.
1. Many, fKilius.for these gouernours and princes hauehave many souldiers and subiects vnderunder them, gAretius.improbos spiritus, & homines pessimos, an hEcclesiastes 1. 15.infinite number, against a little flocke and an handfull of people.
2. Mightie, for we wrastle not against flesh and blood, iZ…chius.that is, not simply with flesh and blood; or kLombard. Aquin.onelyonly, for then lMarlorat.one sword should be so long as another, and one man so strong as another: but we fight men against diuels, euen weaklings against powers and principalities, as it were sillie lambes against roring lions.
3. Cunning in plotting, as being spirituall and invisible, fighting so craftily, mAnselme.that we know not on which side they will assault. Satan in the beginning was a nGen. 3. 1.Serpent for his subtiltie, but now being indued with almost six thousand yeeres experience, become a Dragon and an old Serpent, Apocal. 20. 2. Cui nomina mille, mille nocendi artes, quoth oAd Heli…dor. de vita ….Hierome. Such a p2. Cor. 2. 11.circumuenting enemie, that being a prince of darknes, he can q2. Cor. 11. 14.transforme himselfe into an angell of light. Auarice is a worke of darknesse, peeuishnesse a worke of darknesse, inordinate drinking a worke of darknes. But he doth couer and cloak these with armour of light, insinuating, that couetousnesse is commendable thrift, obstinacie noble resolution, and drunkennesse a point of good fellowship. Grosse wickednesse is easily seene, and preuented soone: but our chiefe aduersaries abound with spirituall wickednesse and inuisible craftinesses, and their ordinary souldiers are in their generation rLuke 16. 8.wiser then the children of light.
4. Cruell in executing and prosecuting; Sathan is an sApoc. 12. 10.accuser of his brethren, and a tIohn 8. 44.murtherer from the beginning, called in holy Scripture a Lyon for his might, and a roring Lyon for his malice, seeking daily whom he may deuoure, 1. Peter 5. 8. Now these descriptions are set downe not that we should faint, uCaluin. Bullinger. Kilius.but rather encouraging vsus to fight. For seeing our enemies are xAugustin de Ciuit. l. 8. c. 22.superbia tumids, inuidentia liuids, fallacia callidi, à iustitia penitus alieni, so many, so mighty, so malitious, so crafty, so willing and able to hurt vsus, it behoueth eueryevery man to be well appointed and armed, that he may be able to resist in the euill day.
The second point obserued in the Proclamation, is, that our armour must be Gods armour, not armour of the flesh, for yIerem. 17. 5.cursed is the man that maketh flesh his arme. Not armour of the world, for our enemies are worldly gouernours, and the chiefe of them is zIohn 12. 31the Prince of the world. aPsal. 20. 7.Some put their trust in Chariots, and other in horses, but we will remember the name of the Lord our God. Not armour of the diuell, for then we shall hauehave nothing but his leauings. His armour is Popish exorcisme, superstitious crossing, holy water and the like: which he little feareth as being framed in his owne shop, and giuen vsus at his appointment. The weapons of our warfare are not b2. Cor. 10. 4.carnall, but mighty through God to cast downe holds. Against spirituall harmes we must vse cPrimasius.spirituall armes; against the workes of darknesse we must dRom. 13. 12.put on armour of light, eAquin.that is, vertues against vices, as being vestimenta put on, munimenta armour, ornamenta of light. Let vsus then if the diuell at any time tempt to cruelty, pride, impatience; put on fColoss. 3. 12.tender mercy, kindnes, humblenes of minde, meeknesse, long suffering, &c. as it is in the present Epistle, wee must arme our selues with the breast-plate of righteousnes against iniquity, with the girdle of truth against heresie, with the helmet of saluation against dispaire, with the shield of faith against infidelity. The diuell is mysticallie that huge Leuiathan esteeming gIob. 41.iron as straw, and brasse as rottenwood, when the sword doth touch him he will not rise vp and he laugheth at the shaking of the speare, in the earth there is none like him, he feares not our fleshly weapons, or worldly weapons, and therefore that we may stand against his force, we must put on the armour of God, and dwell vnderunder the hPsal. 91. 1.defence of the most high.
The third thing considered in the proclamation, is, that we put on iSarcerius. B. Latymer. Mariorat.all Gods armour, or the whole armour of God, as it is verse 13. If we should arme our head onelyonly, the diuell happily would strike at the foote: if the foote only, then he might hurt our head: if both, and leaue our breast vnarmed, he might wound vsus at the heart. Wherefore that we may repell all assaults of the diuell, we must kAretius.tanquam milites cataphracti, put on all the armour of God. I cannot examine eueryevery particular weapon in this Armourie, learne onelyonly three points of warre in the whole.
First, that Paul heere makes no mention of a backe Curete for the Christian souldier. There is an helmet for the head, a corselet for the breast; in a word, a shield for all the fore-parts, onelyonly no guard, no regard of the hinder. It is a compleat armour, and yet without any defence for the backe: signifying hereby that eueryevery Christian ought to keepe his lZanchius.station in Gods armie, neuer forsaking the banner of Christ, vntill death his m1. Cor. 15 26.last enemy be destroied. It is nG…euara.written of Bias falling into the hands of his enemies, and his souldiers crying, what shall we doe? that he did answer, Report yee to the liuing that I die fighting, and I will report to the dead that yee did escape flying. When oRestitution of decaied intelligence, pag. 176.William the Conquerour had landed at Pemsey neere to Hastings in Sussex, he caused all his ships to be sunck, that all hope of flying backe might be taken away. The Numantine would rather die then flie; so the Christian warriour must continue pApocal. 2. 10faithfull vntounto the end, like qIudg…s 16. 30Sampson killing enemies at his death as well as in his life.
r… in symbolis.Mars dubius, victor que cadit, victus que resurgit.
Qui fugit, huic merito…ulla corona datur.
The second remarkable point of warre is, that we must aboue all other weapons of defence take the shield of faith. And the reason heereof is plaine, because the helmet couers only the head, the corselet the breast, and the sandall the foote: but a sZanchius.shield couers all the body. Let vsus then aboue all, or as tVulgar Latin.other read in all, vse faith. In uAnselm.all tentations and combats, xRoyard, hom. 2. in loc.or in putting on all the weapons aforesaid, hauehave a liuely faith and assured confidence, without which all the rest hauehave no force. The sword of the Spirit without faith is no scripture to thee, the girdle of verity without faith is no truth vntounto thee, all thy righteousnesse without faith is vnrighteousnesse. Seeing then it is impossible without faith either to please God, or resist the diuell, in all, and aboue all vse the shield of faith, wherewith yee may yCaietan.not onelyonly reiect or auoid: but also quench all the tentations of the wicked, albeit they bee zCaluin.darts in respect of their sharpnesse, and fiery for their destroying, one sinne aLombard. Zanchius.kindling another, as drunkennesse kindleth adultery, and adultery murther. All the world, saith Saint b1. Epist. 5. 19.Iohn, lieth in wickednesse, positus in maligno, cRoyard. vbi supra.that is in malo igne, set on fire by the diuell, heere called the wicked, dSarcerius.as being author of all euill, and master of all the fiery workes in the world, Matth. 6. 13. and 13. 38. But bee of good cheare, faith ouer commeth the world, 1. Iohn 5. 4. One shield of faith is able to beare, yea to beat off all the fierie darts of the wicked world, flesh, and diuell.
The third point of warre is, that the Christian souldier is armed with a sword so well as with a buckler: and this sword is the word of God, being eHeb. 4. 12.powerfull in operartion and sharper then any two edged sword. fViues in August. lib. 14. de Ciuit. cap. 12.Sharpe in a literall, and sharpe in a mysticall exposition: or sharpe in discoursing of thinggAns…lm. … Heb. 4. temporall, and sharpe in teaching things eternall: or hAquin. lect. 2. in Heb. 4.acute in moouing vsus to vertue, and acute in remoouing vsus from vice. Doth the flesh intice thee to wantonnesse? strike with the sword of the Spirit, Thou shalt not commit adultery. Doth the world tempt thee to vanity? strike with the sword of the Spirit, i1. Ioh. 2. 15.louelove not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man louelove the world, the louelove of the father is not in him. Doth Sathan assault thy faith, and tempt thee to superstition and idolatry? strike with the sword of the Spirit, kMatth. 4. 10.Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him onelyonly shalt thou serue. Doth Death in the last houre of thy spirituall combat affright thee? strike with the sword of the Spirit, l1. Cor. 15. 54.Death is swallowed vp in victory, the sting of death is sinne, and the strength of sinne is the law: but thankes be vntounto God which hath giuen vsus victory through our Lord Iesus Christ. mCaluin.By the buckler of faith a Christian souldier is able to defend himselfe, by the sword of the Spirit able to confound his enemie. So that our aduersary going about daily seeking whom he may deuoure, reioyceth exceedingly when either nB. …. serm. vponupon this Epistle.Papists hinder the reading, or, Atheists hurt the preaching of the word. As the o1. Sam. 13. 19Philistians would not suffer a Smith in Israel, lest the Hebrwes should make them swords or speares: p… in euangel. dom. 1. qu…ra. Co… 5.so the diuell cannot endure that we should heare sermons, and read holy Scripture, lest out of this shop wee get armour to repell his assaults in the euill day.
The last obseruable thing in the proclamation is, that a Christian ought not onelyonly to know Gods armour, but also qZanchius.put it on. For as it is not enough for the seruice of our Common-weale that wee keepe good weapons at home, or that we shew them at musters abroad, except we hauehave skill and will (as occasions of the State require) personally to serue with them: euen so, to hauehave the sword of the Spirit rust at home, or sometime to flo…ish a little with it abroad, is not sufficient for the souldier of Christ, except he can and will vse Gods armour, and stand in battell against all assaults of the diuell. As in Physicke the best prescript can doe no good except it be taken: so the most complet armour is no defence when as it is not worne. We must in aduersitie put on patience, in prosperitie put on humblenesse of minde, at all times rColoss. 3. 14.aboue all these put on louelove, giuing eueryevery man his owne. If we will ouercome the princes of darknesse, wee must put on the armour of light.
But obserue heere that wee must vse the weapons of God in the warres of God, against enemies of God onelyonly, that wee may stand against all assaults, and quench all the fierie darts of the diuell. Many men hit the souldiers of Christ, and hurt the friends of God with armour of God. As Heretikes fraudulently cite scriptures against scriptures, and Fathers against Fathers, and so make God as it were fight against himselfe. sVelleiu… hist. lib. 1.Silla said, ante frangendus hostis quàm vlciscendus ciuis, our force must not bee spent in priuate grudges against our brethren, but in the publike quarrell of the Gospell against the common enemie. The Scorpions in tApollonius in hist. mirabilib….Caria when they sting, kill homebred people: but hurt not any stranger. On the contrarie, there bee certaine little Snakes in Babylon which onelyonly bite forreiners, and not inhabitants. It is a fooles fray to strike him that is neerest; uMc. Greenham in a ser… at S. Maries in Camb. vponupon the comming out of Martin marprelate.vndiscreet Schismatikes vsing lies and libels the weapons of the diuell in good causes, offend the Church as much as open heretikes imploying Gods armour in bad causes.
In this our spirituall warfare wee hauehave many great incouragements to fight valiantly: first, our weapons are good, a complet armour: secondly, our Captaine is good, euen the Lord of hosts, hauing all power and might: thirdly, our cause good. Now
xIucan.Causa iubet melior superos sperare secundos.
yPropertius.Frangit & attollit vires in milite causa.
Againe, the continuance of our fight is little, but our reward great. In Rome the militarie age was from zAuius Gell…us lib. 10. c. 28.seuenteene to fortie and six, or in dangerous times vntill fiftie. aPsal. 90. 10.The daies of our age are threescore yeeres and ten, and in all this time there is no time for peace; we are legionum filij, borne in the field, and sworne souldiers in our swadling clouts, alway bearing armes against the common enemie from our holy baptisme to buriall. All which is called in the 13. verse the euill day: in regard of the sharpnes bAquin. Anselm. Zanchius.euill, in regard of the shortnes cOecumen.a day. Now the souldiers resolution is aut sors, aut mors, either victorie the beginning of ioy, or else death the end of miserie. So the Christian in this holy warre may comfort himselfe:
dHorat.Aut cito mors veniet, aut victoria laeta.
Either God will end our danger, or our daies: and then wee shall be no longer souldiers in armour, but gowne men in eApocal. 7. 9.long white robes, hauing palmes in our hands, and fApocal. 4. 4.Crownes on our heads as conquerors, according to that of g2. Tim. 4. 7.Paul; I hauehave fought a good fight, and hauehave finished my course, from henceforth is laid vp for me the crowne of righteousnesse, which the Lord the righteous Iudge shall giuegive me at that day, and not me onelyonly, but vntounto all them also that louelove his appearing.