Exposition of the Festival Epistles and Gospels, Explication of epistles and gospels 1 · Part 1

Exposition of the Festival Epistles and Gospels · Explication of epistles and gospels 1 · Part 1

The Epistle

ROM. 10.9.

If thou knowledge with thy mouth that Iesus is the Lord, and beleeue in thy heart that God raised him vp from death, thou shalt be safe, &c.

THE Gospell and Epistle chosen for this Fes…iuall, intimate the true reason of our Church, in celebrating the memories of the blessed Apostles and Euangelists vntounto Gods honour, namely, because they were fishers of men, ambassadours of peace, preachers of good tidings, euen the aa1. Cor. 4.1.1 Cor 4:1disposers of the riches of God in Christ indiff…rently to men of all sexes and sorts, in that their sound went out into all lands, and their words into the ends of the world; and so by consequent principall instruments of God in the worke of our saluation and eternall happinesse. Which our Apostle sheweth heere by this bbMartyr. Sar…rius. Caluin.Sorites or gradation:

Whosoeuer …all…th on the name of the Lord shall be saued,

Inuocation is by faith,

Faith is by hearing of the word,

Hearing is by the Preachers.

And Preachers are sent of God &c. Erg…, such as hauehave learned Christ, in their minde beleeuing vndoubtedly, with their mouth acknowledging him vndauntedly for their Iesus; ought to praise God in his Apostles, as being after Christ immediately the first, and vnderunder Christ absolutely the chiefe Trumpetors of the Gospell, which is the ccRom. 1.16.Rom 1:16power of God vntounto saluation.

In the whole text two points are remarkable:

Cansa causat…, the means of our iustification, and herein a

Proposition: If thou knowledge, &c. verse 9.

Proofe:

1. From a sufficient enumeration of the principall heads of ddAretius.Christianitie.

Faith; for to bel…eue with the heart instifieth.

Good works; to knowledge with the mouth, &c. vers. 10.

2. From the testimonie of the Prophets.

eeCap. 28.16.Esay: Whosoeuer beleeueth on him, &c. vers. 11.

ffCap. 1.32.Ioel: Whosoeuer doth call, &c. vers. 13.

Causa causae, the ggMelancth…n. Parae….meane for these meanes, and that is the preaching of the Gospell, in this respect aptly termed the word of faith: vers. 8.

If thou knowledge] S. Paul hauing in the Chapter afore, sufficiently discoursed of the re…ection of the Iewes A priore, from Gods absolute decree (shewing hhRom 9.18.Rom 9:18merciemercy on whom he will, and whom he will hardening) he commeth in this present, to demonstrate the same point.… iiAreti…s.post…riore, from their obstinate incredulitie, kkvers. 3.stablishing their owne righteousnesse, and not submitting themselues vntounto the righteousnesse of God in Christ, apprehended and applied by faith only, declaring it selfe in a twofold act; one which is llThomas 22. quaest. 3. …rt. 1.outward, to confesse with the mouth: another which is inward, to beleeue with the heart. mmD. Wi…e… in loc.Some confesse, but beleeue not, as hypocrites: other beleeue but confesse not, as timorous and Peter-like professors in the daies of persecution: other doe neither confesse, nor beleeue on Christ, as Atheists: other both confesse and beleeue, and they be true Christians. A nnArdens. Theophylact.bare confessing with the mouth is not enough, except thou beleeue with thine heart. Esay 29.13. This people come neere to mee with their mouth, and honor me with their lips, but hauehave remoued their heart farre from me, &c. Neither is it sufficient vntounto saluation, only to beleeue with the heart, vnlesse thou confesse with the mouth; according to that vnauoidable sentence, Math. 10.33. Whosoeuer shall denie me before men, him also will I denie before my father which is in heauen.

Now though in nature beleeuing with the heart preceed confessing with the tongue: yet Paul mentioneth acknowledging in the first place, ooMartyr. Heming. Aretius.for that wee doe not know the faith of such as beleeue, but by their confession; according to that of ppCap. 2.18.S. Iames, I will shew thee my faith by my workes. Heere then obserue, that to confesse the Lord Iesus is necessary qqSarcerius.both in respect of other and our selues. In respect of other, rrOccumen.as being herewith armed in the times of persecution, and instructed in the daies of peace. Christ is the fountaine of the waters of life; faith in the heart is as the pipes and cesterne that receiue in and hold the water; and confession with the mouth as the cocke of the Conduit that lets out the water vntounto eueryevery commer. And therefore ssMatth. 6.16.Matt 6:16let your light so shine before men, as that they may see your good workes, and glorifie your father which is in heauen. Againe to confesse, ttPareus.that is, to praise Christ in thy words, and to doe whatsoeuer appertaineth vntounto his worship, is needfull in regard of our selues, uuC…urch hom. s f…ith. & Cō fess. Anglican. art. 12. See Rogers ibid. & Caluin. Instit. …ib. 2. cap. 16.in that a true faith is neuer idle, but alway working by louelove, Galath. 5.6. For although it iustifieth alone, yet is it no more alone, xxCaluin. apud Bellarmin. de Ius…ificat. lib. 1. ca…. 14. §. Iohannes.then the heat of the S…nne which alone warmes the earth is seuered from light …or then Christ is di…oined from his spirit: Cal… apud …. de Iustist at lib. 1 cap. 15. §. Caluinus: or men a hand when it alone doth apprehend any thing is separated from the bodie: Luther apu… Sander…m de Iustis… …. 4 cap. 4.

This doctrine makes against the yy…. 70.… in o'd time, defending this …; Iura, peruira. secretum …. And the zzMartyr in ….… in ourage who following the …. He …, hold it l… full to distemble their faith … the Magistrate. As also the Nicodem…es ashamed of Christ, and exp…cating … forswerring their P…ie…hood, and the Pope their holy father vponupon e…e…y pretended occasion of danger. In a word, all weather …ise professors, adue…tring no more for the glorious Gospell, then one …tely did for his horrible blasphemie, who being bound to the stake, suffered only the lingeing of his beard This open acknowledging of Christ is necessa…ie… not only … morris, at the point of de…h, as Lira…us: or in the daie, of persecution, as Lombard; but at all time, and in eueryevery place, when occasion is offered lustly, …aith aa… 22. … …2.…. Forseeing it is an af…rm…t…ue pr…cept. …. As Christ in his bbMark 8.3….Mark 8:3Gospel expres…ely. …

Whereas cc… … § …… …, the faith not sufficient vntounto … mouth and other …od… …, as efficient cause concure with it in the … may be taken out of his old Schoole…, and Cardinall …, dd…… doth af… confession … act of faith, according to that of the ee…P…mi…. I … hauehave I spoken, And in his second … this Chapter, he that is … by faith ought to be ff…filled with the fruit of righteousnesse. Postquam homo per fide mest instificatus, oportet quod eius fides per dilectionem operatur ad consequendam sal…tem. And Cardinall ggIn loc.Tolet in plaine termes: Oris confessio n…s non iustificat à peccato, &c. sed iustificati tenemur eam palàm profiteri, &c. Confession of the mouth doth not iustifie vsus; but being iustified, wee are bound publikely to professe it afore we can attaine to saluation. Herein agreeing with our hhMelancth. Caluin. Heming. Piscator. Chytreu…. Tileman.Protestant Interpreters, affirming that good workes are consequents and effects of a true faith, as if Paul should hauehave said here, we are iustified by faith onelyonly, but yet this faith is operatiue, bringing foorth liuely fruits, as the confession of the mouth, and the profession of the life; for they be necessarie to saluation, albeit faith alone be sufficient in the act of iustification, as you may see further Epist. Quinquages, and Sund. 2. in Lent.

In the words (and beleeue in thine heart that God hath raised him vp from the dead) three points are considerable, namely, Faiths

Act,

Obiect,

Subiect.

Faiths act is to beleeue, and to beleeue hath these degrees (as the iiLombard. 3. sent. dist. 23. & Aquin. 22. q. 2. art. 2.Schoole teacheth out of kkTract. 29. in Ioan. & ser. 181. de Temp.Augustine) Credere Deo, credere Deum, & credere in Deum. A wicked man, and a wretched deuill, may so farre proceed in faith as to beleeue there is a God, and in grosse to beleeue God: but a true Christian, endued with a sauing faith, ascends higher, and beleeueth in God also. llPerkins e…posit. Creed, art. 1.That is, he knowes God as hee hath reuealed himselfe in his word, acknowledging him onelyonly for his God, and thereupon put his mmSee Church Hom. of saluation, part. 3.whole trust in him, applying to himselfe Gods mercifull promise made to father Abraham and his seed, with the heart vntounto iustification, and confessing the same with the mouth vntounto saluation. He disclaimes not his part in Christ as the deuils, nnMark. 1.24.Mark 1:24Ab, what hauehave we to do… with thee thou Iesus of Nazareth? ooMat…. 8.29.art thou come to torment vsus before the time? but he challengeth his portion in the bloud of his Sauiour, saying with the Church in her ppCant. 6.2.Song 6:2louesong, My welbeloued is mine: and with qq1. C…r. 1.30.Paul, Christ is become to vsus wisdome, righteousnesse, sanctification, and redemption. H…s bodie is in heauen, there shall I finde it mine: his diuinitie is on earth, and heere doe I feele it mine: his word is in mine eare, to beget him mine: his Sacrament is in mine eie, to confirme him mine: his spirit is in mine heart, to assure him mine: Angels are mine: to fight for mee: Prince mine, to rule for mee: Church mine, to pray for me: Vniuersitie mine, to studie for me: Pastour mine, to p…each for me: all mine, rr1 C…r. 3 …2.…3.whether it be Paul, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, whether they be things present, or things to come, euen all are mine, I am Christs, and Christ is Gods.

Faiths obiect is ssChurch H…m of faith, part 1.all holy scripture, the ttAugustin ser. 115 de Temp & Am…r: sser. 38.summe whereof is the Creed, and this one point how God raised vp Iesus from the dead, is uuMart. in…. ….nexus articulorum omnium, as it were the bond or tying knot, on which all other linkes of our beleefe depend. xxChurch Hom. of Christs resurrection.For if it were not true, that Christ is risen againe: then were it neither true that hee did ascend vp to heauen, nor that hee sitteth at the right hand of his father in heauen, nor that he sent downe the holy spirit from heauen, nor that hee shall come from thence to iudge the quicke and the dead. In a word, the matter of the whole Creed concerneth either God, or the Church his spouse. Now the raising of Christ from …he dead, is the worke of God the Father, Acts 2.32. of himselfe being God the Sonne, Iohn 10 18. of God the holy Ghost also, Rom. 1.4. Christ as yyTh…s 3 part. q 53. ar… 4.God, only raiseth and is not raised: as man, he is onelyonly raised, and raiseth not: as the zzPareus.Sonne of God or second person in the blessed Trinitie, both the Father raiseth him, and he raiseth himselfe. The Father raiseth the Sonne by the Sonne, …nd the Sonne raiseth himselfe by the spirit of holinesse, aaRom 1 4.Rom 1:4by which he was declared to be the Sonne of God. As for the Church: our Apostle sheweth bbRom. 4.25.Rom 4:25elsewhere, that Christ died for her sinnes, and rose againe for her iustification; and that ccEphes. 4.8.Eph 4:8ascending vp on high he bestowed on her gifts, as to be Catholike, holy, knit in a communion: and prerogatiues in her soule, namely, remission of sinnes: in the body, resurrection of the flesh: in both, euerlasting life. Wherefore Paul here mentioneth only the resurrection of Christ from the dead, not exclusiuely: but ddPiscator.synecd…checally, because this one article eeGorran.presuppose…h all the rest, and takes them as granted; as if hee rose from the graue, then he died, and his death is a consequent of his birth. Or because this article was, and is most ffAnselm. Idem Augustin. apud Matyr. in loc.doubted in the world, for the Iewes and Gentiles acknowledge the death of Iesus; whereas the Christians only confesse his resurrection. Or because the ggCaluin.rest (vnlesle Christ had risen againe) would hauehave profited vsus little: for he triumphed in his resurrection ouer death, hell, damnation, opening the kingdome of heauen to all beleeuers.

And so the meaning of our text is plaine, If thou confesse with thy mouth that Iesus is the Lord: hhMelanctbon.that is, that Lord, ii1 Pet. 1.10.1 Pet 1:10of whom all the Prophets inquired, as being the kkHaggai 2.8.Hag 2:8desire of all Nations, euen the light of the Gentiles, and consolation of Israel. And if thou beleeue in thine heart, that this Iesus (whom almightie God hath made llActs 2.36.Acts 2:36both Lord and Christ, offered mmEphes 5.….Eph 5himselfe a sacrifice to nnHib. 9.14.28.purge thy conscience from dead workes, and take away thy sinnes, ooColos. 2 14Col 2:14putting out and fastening vponupon the Crosse the Lawes obligation against vsus, and that hauing ouercome death and the deuill, he rose againe, pp…phes. 4.8.leading captiuitie captiue, that hee might heereby deliuer thee from the bands and hands of all thine enemies; I may tell thee from Paul, and Paul here from God, vntounto the comfort of thy soule, that thou art now qqIn praesenti inssi…m, in … salutim Anse…m in loc.presently iustified, and shalt be hereafter eternally saued. For the Scripture saith, whosoeuer beleeueth in him, shall not bee confounded: rrMelan…thon.That is, whosoeuer hath a sure trust in God that he will euen for his Christ sake pardon all his sinnes, and blot out all his offences: and out of this assurance calleth on the name of the Lord, he shall be safe. For the two testimonies of the two Prophets ssTheophylact. Ca…etan.answere the two clauses of Paul, Esay speaking of the beleeuing in the heart, and Ioel of acknowledging with the mouth.

And in these texts of the Prophets obserue their ttLombar…. Martyr. Caluin.vniuersal note whosoeuer, for God is uuAct. 10.34.Acts 10:34no respecter of persons; he puts no difference betweene the Iew and the Gentile, but being Lord ouer all, is rich vntounto all that call vponupon him, xxArdeus.Other Lords cannot reward all their followers as being Poore, many will not as being illiberall and sordide: but our God is yyHyper. apul Marlorat.able, because Lord of all; and willing, because rich vntounto all of whatsoeuer condition or countrey. Poore Bartimeus begging, rich Zacheus climing, old Simeon in the Temple, young Iohn in the wombe, couetous Matthew grinding his neighbour at the receit of Custome, the louing Centurion zzLuke. 7.5.Luke 7:5building his nation a Synagogue, the people aaMat. 27.54.Matt 27:54watching vnderunder the Crosse, the bbLuke 23.42.Luke 23:42theefe hanging on the Crosse, confessing the Lord Iesus, and walking in the sonneshine of his Gospell: in differently finde refreshing in the conscience, rest in the soule. For whosoeuer beleeueth on him shall not be confounded, and whosoeuer calleth on his name shall be saued.

As for the subiect or seate of faith: it is said here, with the heart man beleeueth: Ergo, faith (as many ccCaluin. Pareus. D. Wille… in l…r.Protestant authors hauehave noted) is not placed in the minde, or vnderstanding only: but in the will and affections also. ddH…ming.For faith, as it is notitia, resides in the minde: but as fiducia, feared in the will. eePerk. expos…. Creed. art. 1. D. Fulke in 2. Cor. 13.1. disallowes not this assor. … …n the R…em. Vid▪ Thim. 22. quest 4. art. 2. & Be…mia de Iuc…it. lib. 1. cap. 6.2 Cor 13:1Other Interpretors (etiam note purioris, and no way branded with the markes of Antichrist) hold it no… greatly to stand with reason, that one particular and single grace should bee placed in diuers parts and faculties of the soule. It is true, that faith is not a meere prattle of the tongue, nor a floting ffSarce…. Biz….opinion of the braine: but a certaine perswasion of the heart. Yet notwithstanding this perswasion, or particular knowledge whereby a man is resolued that the promises of saluation appertaine to him, is wrought in the minde by the holy Ghost, 1. Cor. 2.12. A sure trust, and a stedfast hope of all good things to bee receiued at Gods hand, is ggPerkins vbi supra.not happily faith (if wee speake properly) but rather a fruit of faith, in that no man hath a…fiance in God, vntill he be first of all perswaded of his mercy toward him in Christ Iesu.

For mine owne part, I confesse with hhIn Gal. ….5.Luther ingenuously, that it is exceeding hard to distinguish exactly between faith & hope, there is so great a…finitie between them, one hauing respect to the other, as the two Cherubins on the Mercy-seate, Exod. 25.20. Faith engendreth hope, and from hope proceeds affiance, which is nothing else but hope strengthned. For whereas an iiIob 8.14.Job 8:14hypocrites confidence shall be like the house of a spider: kkPsal. 125.1.Ps 125:1he that putteth his trust in the Lord, shall be euen as the mount Sion, which may not be remooued, but standeth f…st for euer.

And for as much as the word heart in my text (as is agreed on all sides) is put for the wholesoule, without limitation to any part: all that I will obserue from hence shall be, that as wee must louelove God; euen so beleeue in God with all our heart, and soule, and minde. llCaietan.For hypocrites hauehave forged faith, and deuils hauehave forced faith, acknowledging against their will out of horror vntounto their condemnation, and not out of louelove from their heart to their iustification, that Iesus is the Lord. A Recusant may be brought vntounto the Church against his will, and compelled in despight of his teeth also to receiue the Sacraments Bread and Wine: mmLombard.but none can beleeue that Iesus is their Iesus, but with the heart only. See Gospell Sund. 8. and Epistle Sund. 10. after Trinitie.

How shall they call on him on whom they hauehave not beleeued? A plaine text against the nnMelancthon.Gentiles idolatrie, praying vntounto gods ooAct. 17.23.Acts 17:23vnknowne. As Hecuba in Euripides; O Iupiter quic quid es, siue hoc coelum, siue mens in coelo, quanquam din iam ignauos opituiatores inuoco. And it is a pregnant euidence to confute the ppD. Fulke. Kilius. Paraeu… in l…. dem Melanc. A…ol. August. confess. art. 21. & Perkin…re. for. Cal. lit. 14.Papists in their inuocation of Saints also; for if they trust in S. Martin or Mary, S. Catherin or Clare, they rob the Creator to clothe his creature, and qq1 I…remys 17.5.cursed be man that puts his confidence in man, and makes flesh his arme. If they trust not, how doe they call on him in whom they beleeue not? Our heauenly Father saith in his rrPsal. 50.15.Ps 50:15word, Call vponupon me: Christ our aduocate with the Father in like fort, ssMat. 11.28.Matt 11:28Come vntounto me, for I am the way, the truth, and the life, Iohn 14.6. ttAugust. tract. 22. in Ioan.Non est qua eas nist per me, non est quô eas uisi ad me: No way to God but by mee, no light but from mee, no life but in mee Christ is a mutuall helpe: to the Father one, to vsus another. An hand to the Father, by which hee reacheth vsus: an hand to vsus, by which wee reach him. The Fathers mouth, by which he speaketh vntounto vsus: our mouth to the Father, by which wee speake to him. Our eye to see by, footway to goe by, the uuExod. 13.21Exod 13:21piller of fire by night, and cloud by day gu…ding his Israel in the wildernes of this world. Wherefore let vsus call on him in whom alone we beleeue, which is our xxIer. 16.19.Jer 16:19strength and refuge in the time of trouble, promising in his yyMatth. 7.7.Matt 7:7Gospell, aske, and yee shall hauehave: seeke and ye shall finde: knocke, and it shall be opened vntounto you. See Gospell on the 5. Sund. after Easter.

How shall they heare without a Preacher?] Heere you may behold the Ministers

zzMelancthon. Martyr. …ilemon.Dignitie, in respect of their

Commission, as being sent of God.

Errand, as being ambassadours of good things, euen such as bring tidings of peace. aaAquin. …between

God and man.

Man and man.

Man and himselfe. Wherefore bbLilius.desire the Lord to send forth ccMath. 9.38.Matt 9:38labourers into his haruest, honouring such Elders as rule well, and labor in the word, euen with double honour, 1 Timoth. 5.17. receiuing them as Angels, yea as Christ himselfe, Galat. 4.14.

Dutie; for if faith come by hearing, and hearing by preaching, so that the word of God vntounto faith is as ddChrysost.oile to the lampe: such as will hauehave their feet kissed, ought to bring tidings of good things. If they will hauehave the ee1. Tim. 3.1.1 Tim 3:1worthie, good reason they should doe the worke. For assuredly such as croud into the Clergie without performance of their office, either through ignorance, that they cannot: or secular emploiment, that they may not: or negligence, that they will not: or feare of trouble, that they dare not preach the word of God, are ffRegersin Anglican. Confess. art. 23 proposit. ….aduersaries vntounto the doctrine of the Church of England, and enemies of the Crosse of Christ, Philip. 3.19. See further in the Gospell ensuing.