Remains of John Boyse, Sermon 14
IOHN. 8. 6.
Iesus stouped downe, and with his finger wrote on the ground.
THere be so many questions vponupon this text▪ that the text it selfe is a little called into question; it being in the iudgment of aAnnot in locErasmus, bCom in loc.Caietan, cCo…cord. cap 76.Iansenius, dAnnot. i… loc.Beza, rather a patch then a parcell of the Gospel. If any list to be contentious, hee may read Erasmus answered by Bellarmin de verb… dei. lib. 1. Chap. 16. Caietan answered by his Antagonist, Ambros us Catharinus, in his annotations against the nou ll opinions of Caietan, §. de historia adulterae, Iansenius answered by eCom. in loc.Maldonate: Beza, by Melancton, Caluin, Aretius, Piscator, in their commentaries vponupon the place.
For my part, I was euer, and am still, an o… … of the Church, hearing the fProu 1 8.inst…uction of my Father, and not forsaking the eaching of my Mother, and therefore beholding this pecce, with the eyes of all antiquity, to bee prot … and altogether authenticall, I fo…beare further inquisition, and come presently to the worke of this houre; which is to deliuer vntounto you first an explication of the wordes, and then an application of the doctrines arising from the same.
Our text then is a Iudicious answere of Christ, vntounto a captious question of the Scribes and Pharisees, in the words immediatly going before, Master this woman was taken in the very act of adulterie; now Moses in the law commanded vsus, that such should be stoned, but whatsayest thou: hereby tempting him, that they might hauehave to accuse him, either before the Priests or the people; before the Priests, gAug tract. 43. in Iohn Ambros Epist. l…. 7. Ep 58. Aretiu, Caietan. Oecolamp. in loc.If contrary to the commandement of Moses, hee should absolue this adulteresse: before the people, If contrary to the profession of his meekenesse and mercy, he should vtterly condemne her; and therefore being in a great strait, he doth answere, by not answering, or he giueth vsus his answere by deed, whereas they did obiect by word, this action of deed is two fold.
1 He stouped downe to the ground.
2 He wrote with his finger on the ground.
In stouping downe to the ground, he doth intimate hIansenius. Oecolamp.that if they would set apart their supercilio…s pride, descend into themselues, and contemplate, that in the beginning they were dust, and in the end shall againe returne to dust: If they would consider seriously, that it is appointed vntounto men, iHeb. 9 …7.once to dye, and after death, a iudgment followeth, in which all receiue their doomes, kRom 2. 6.according to their deedes; If they would examine their owne selues, and vnderstand their owne case, they would not bee so foreward in censuring, nor so malitious in condemning others, lIer. 22. 29.O earth, earth, earth, heare the word of the Lord, mBernard Meditat. cap. 3.thou which art earth by procreation, earth by sustentation, earth by corruption, in principio sperma faetidum, in medio … corumi in fine cibus vermium, Heare the … … … Lord; what word? euen that of … … Sauiour, Mat: 7. 1. Iudge not, that ye… bee not iudged; Iudge not rashly; Iudge … …, Iudge not vnseasonably, lest … … … … of the whole world, con… … …: So S. Paul expounds his Lord, … … …. … ▪ If we would iudge our selues, wee … … … iudged.
I… is a conclusion in architecture, that the n… … … … … … … …. …g 23foundation requires the most exact care; for if that happen to dance, it will marre all the mirth in the house, and it is another rule, he that will build high, must lay his foundation low; So (beloued) it is in the spirituall building of Gods house, which are we, Heb. 3. 6. oMat. 23. 12.… euer exalteth himselfe, shall be humbled, and … that humbleth himselfe, shall be exalted; The pro…d Pharisee, standing vponupon his typtoes in the Temple, went home lesse iustified, then a poore publican, who stooping downe, would not lift vp so much a his eye▪ into heauen, Luke 18. So Saul when he stooped downe, being p1. Sam. 15 17.little in his owne eyes, became the greatest, euen the head of all the tribes of Israel, appoynted and anoynted by God to be King, yea the first King of his owne people; On the contrary, qDan. 4.Nebuchadnezar in the contemplation of his might and Maiestie, conceiting himselfe to be some diuine thing, and thereupon enioyned his people to worship his golden Image, was in the top of his pride, cast out from the conuersation of men, and his dwelling with the beastes of the field; hee did eate grasse as oxen, his body was wet with the dew of heauen, his haires growen like the feathers of eagles, and his nayles like the clawes of birds, vntill hee knew that the Lord ruleth in the kingdome of men, and giueth it to whomsoeuer hee will; and Antichrist is therefore stiled r2. Thes. 2. 3.the man of sinne, for exalting himselfe aboue all that is called God; Whereas Christ our patterne here, being higher then the highest, humbled himselfe, and stooped so low, that hee did appeare rather a worme then a worthy, the very scorne of men, and outcast of the people, Psalm. 22. 6. his first instruction in his first publique sermon is, blessed are the poore in spirit, and he did, as he did, quod iussit, gessit, as Bernard sweetely, his whole life was nothing else, but an open booke, rather a free-schoole of humility: His ingresse into the world▪ was so stooping, that he was layd in a cratch, his egresse out of the world, so stooping, that he died on a crosse, intrauit per stabulum, exiuit per patibulum; his progresse into the world, so stooping, that he was at once sApoc. 1. 8.the first and the last, Alpha for his Maiestie, Omega for his meekenesse, ringing (as it were) the bell himselfe, to his owne Sermon, of this argument, tMat. 11. 29.learne of me, for I am humble, and meeke; Proud Pharisee, seeing I stoope, why doest thou stroute▪ looke down to the ground, consider the rocke out of which thou wast hewen, Et cum sis humillimus, cur non humilimus?
The second action of Christ, here to be considered, is writing with his finger on the ground; where two questions are to be discussed.
1 Why he wrote on the ground.
2 What he wrote on the ground.
The first hath in it (If I may so speake) the three questionets.
1 Why he did write.
2 Why with his finger.
3 Why he wrote on the ground.
Hee did write, uHugo Card Idem Hugo de Seo. Chara.to shew that he would not bee rash, and light in his censure; hereby teaching all iudges to deliberate, and write their sentence, before they deliuer & publish it vntounto the world. xManlius Loc Com.Demosthenes vsed to say, that he would (if it were possible) speake, not only scripta, but sculpta, licking his phrases, as the beare doeth her whelpes, and weighing eueryevery word, in a prudentiall ballance, which hee was to vent in the seates of Iustice.
It is obserued truly, that yDalington Aphores lib. 2. Aphorism. 4.vertues are stronger in the aduerbe, then in the adiectiue; To doe that is well▪ is better, then to doe that is good; for a man may doe that is honest, against his will and knowledge, whereas in all vertuous actions, there is a free election; and therefore that iudge, who doth huddle his sentence, before hee chew the c…d, after all parties are fully heard, may iudge the right, but not aright.
2 He wrote, and deliberated a while, before he zHugo Cardin. Are… Gorran.spake, that he might hereby giuegive them an occasion and space, to repent them of their accusation and question, O the depth of the riches of the mercies of Christ! hee la… ours to saue those who sought to destroy him; Albeit, their feete were swift to shed his blood, yet is hee slow to wrath, and ready to forgiue them: and the same mind should be in vsus, as a1 Pet 4. 1.S. Peter exhorteth, euer ready to b1. Pet. 2. 21.follow his steps, who is the cIohn 14. 6.way, the trueth, and the life, dRoyard. hom. 1. in Ep Dom. 5. Post Pentec.To render good for good, is the part of a man, to render euill for euill, is the part of a beast; to render euill for good, is the part of a deuill, to render good for euill, is the part of a Saint, mercifull, as our father in heauen is mercifull.
The second questionet, is why he wrote with his finger, and that (as eDe consen. su. Euangel. lib 4 cap 10.Augustine, fIn loc.Rupert, and gHugo Cardi. Ca…etan, Aretius.Other doctours obserue) was to shew, that he was greater then Moses, and hHeb. 3 3.worthy of more glory, not a subiect to the law, but Lord of the law, for that it was his finger, that wrote it, and his hand that deliuered it vntounto Moses.
Intimating hereby likewise, that the law should bee considered in the Gospel, and Moses consulted, as accompanied with Christ. If wee contemplate Moses alone, that will be terrible. Exod. 34. 30. But if wee contemplate Moses in Christs company, that will be comfortable. Mat. 17. 4. Domine bonum est nos hic esse, Master it is good for vsus to be here, this sight is pleasant and profitable.Aug de consensu. Euangel. lib. 4. cap. 10.
The third questionet is, why he wrote on the ground, and that was first (as Aretius obserues,) to shew the Pharisees, how they trampled the commandements of Moses, vnderunder their feet, they had (as Hugo de S. Vict: writes,) legem in corde, but they had not cor in loge; they were Doctores Theoretici, but not practici, they knew the Lawes of God, and preached them vntounto the people; yet iPsal 50 17.hated to bee reformed by them, kPsal. 119 9.or ruled after them
2 Christ wrote on the ground, (as lCom. in loc. Idem alii non pauci.Melancton notes) to let the Pharisees vnderstand, that they who depart from the Lord, shalbe written in the earth, Ierem. 17. 13. The names of Gods elect are registred in the booke of life. Philip, 4. 3. recorded in heauen. Luke. 10. 20. But the wicked who make their heauen on earth, are written in the dust, and so they mPsal. 73. 18.suddenly consume, perish, and come to a fearefull end, nPro. 10 7.their name rots, and their oPsal. 37 29seed is rooted out, their stately pallaces are no where to be pVerse 37.found, and their memoriall is perished with them, Psalm 9. 6. All their hope is like dust, that is blowen away with the wind, like a thinne froth that is driuen away with the storme; like the smoke which is dispersed here and there with a tempest, and passerh, as the remembrance of a guest, that tarryeth but a day, Wisedome. 5. 14.
3 Christ wrote on the ground, saith qIn loc.Hugo Cardinalis, insinuating that the sencelesse and speechlesse earth, shall in the day of iudgement accuse the wicked, put in articles, and rWisd. 5. 20… ▪fight against them, according to that of Iob; If my land cry out against me, or the furrowes thereof exclaime, Iob 31. 38. God is the Lord of hostes, and eueryevery creature is a souldiour in pay with him, hauing not only defensiue weapons, ad muniendum, to protect his seruants, but offensiue likewise, ad puniendum, to punish his enemies; And because the men of sinne, hauehave transgressed most on earth, it will chiefly cry out against them, as hauing beene pondus inutile terrae, an vnworthy burden for mother earth to beare.
4 Christ wrote on the ground, (as sBB. Mountacue.a very learned Bishop of our Church, acutely) to shew that hee would hauehave slanderous accusations written in the dust, and trodden vnderunder foote of those, who passe by.
tPro. 22. 1.Solomon saith, A good name, is better then great riches, honor is better then wealth, & good is better then great; for as uIn Phaedone.Plato determined diuinely, goodnesse is not in greatnesse, but on the contrary, greatnesse is in goodnesse. Put then according to the rules of Logicke, these premises together, and the conclusion of it, owne selfe, will easily follow, that a good name, is better then great riches; He therefore that is an vnworthy backbiter of his brother, is xL…uater in Pr…u 22. 1.worse then a thiefe, stealing that away which is more precious, then siluer and gold.
And the rule doubtlesse is verified in backbiting, so well as in burglary, there would bee no theeues, if there were no receiuers; If some men had not itching eares, to heare false rumours, others would not hauehave scratching tongues, like the pens of libellors, to make them and moue them, it is truely sayd by Bernard, the tale-bearer hath the deuill in his tongue, the receiuer in his care, the one is the foot-post and messenger of Satan, and the other (lest happily the deuil being now growen an old serpent should fayle in his memory) the recorder and register of hell.
It is reported of ySedulius A…olog. Franc. lib. 1. cap. 4.Theocritus, that being asked on a time, what beast hee thought to be most hurtfull and cruell; answered, on the mountaines Lyons and beares, in the cities, catchpolles and slanderers: a thiefe is sayd, to send one to the deuill, an adulterer two, but the back-biter hurteth at the least three; to wit, himselfe, the party of whom, and the party to whom he tels the tale, ter homicida, quoth zLoc Com. t…t de lingua.Luther, he kils three with one blow; aSerm 24. in …ant.Bernard goes further, multitudinis audientium dum aures infecit, animas interfecit.
And therefore when thou hearest a scandalous information against a brother, against an Elder especially, follow Christs example, write it in the dust, hauehave not eares to heare, but expresse both in word and gesture, that thou hatest a backbiter, euen with a perfit hatred.
Hitherto, concerning the first question and the branches thereof, I come now to the second, what it was our blessed Lord wrote on the ground.
bEpist. lib. 9 Epist. 76.S. Ambrose saith, hee wrote this sentence. Matth. 7. 3. Thou beholdest the mote that is in thy brothers eye, but consid…rest not the beame, that is in thine owne eye; As if he should hauehave sayd in other termes, yee Scribes and Pharisees, are ready to condemne this adultres, & yet your selues running a whoring after your owne inuentions, adulterating the law, with your corrupt glosses, and impious interpretations, hauehave committed greater abhominations in the sight of the Lord; her carnall vncleannesse, is nothing in comparison of your spirituall wheredomes, without number.
cDial. 2. contr. Pelag Tom. 2. fol. 288.Hicrome … eAp…d Marlorat.Bullenger, and fHugo de S. Charo.some other hauehave this … ▪ that hee wrote certaine characters in the pauement, which the Phariseesd In loc. beholding, might as in a glasse, see their own wickednesse; and so blushing at it, went their wayes, one by one, beginning at the first, euen to the last; one by one, they went not out by twoes, much lesse by troups, but stole away gMaldonat. in loc.single, lest it might appeare, that Christ had confounded them, and the most ancient went out first, as being most hEm Sa.guilty; For the true Church is compared to a flocke of Lambes, and of Lambes, it is truely sayd, the bigger the better: But the wicked are compared to goates, of whom it is sayd, the elder the worse, as they bee the sonnes of many dayes, so the fathers of many sinnes; or the eldest went out first, and the younger imitating their example, followed after, and so none left in the roome, but misera et misericordiae, saith iTract 33. in Iohn.Augustine, the woman a subiect of misery, and Christ the Father of mercy, Pride and Hypocrisie being remoued, a Sauiour and a sinner agree well enough alone, and yet (by reuerend Bezaes leaue) they were not alone; for kAretius. Maldonat. Em. Sa.although his aduersaries, and her accusers went out, as being conuicted in their conscience, yet his owne company stayed with him in the Temple; the which is cleare by the words of our Euangelist at the 9. verse, stans in medi…, she was standing in the midst, in the midst of whom, If Christ only were present with her?
lIn loc.Beda, Thomas of Aquin, and mApud Marlorat. Maldon. in loc.many moe thinke he wrote that sentence, which afterward he spake he that is without sinne among you, let … cast the first stone at her; The which one word, crossed their cauill, and answered their question abundantly, nOecolamp. Ari…s. mont. in loc.preseruing hereby both the lawes honour, and his owne credit; Non dixit (as oVbi supra.Augustine pithily) non lapidetur, ne contra legem; nèc lapidetur, ne contra misericordiam; venit enim quaerere, quod perierat, If he had sayd, let her not be stoned, that had beene against the law; If he had sayd, let her be stoned, that had beene against the Gospell, and himselfe, who came to call sinners to repentance, to seeke and to saue that was lost; He therefore frames this midling answere, that quit himselfe of both imputations; Here then is verified that of Solomon, a word fitly spoken, or as the Hebrew hath it, a word spoken vponupon his wheeles, as Castalio translateth, oratio r…tunde pronuntiata, round and sound, is like apples of gold, in pictures of siluer, what could hauehave beene sayd more shortly, yet what more sharply? being (as Paul speakes) a two edged sword, on the one side, cutting the knot of the proud Pharisees doubt, on the other side cutting asunder the bondes of a poore dismayed sinner.
The precept it selfe! teacheth all people, that if they contemplate their owne sinnes, in the glasse of the word, they will not rashly censure of others.
It is the Rhetoricke, with which all of vsus were borne, to lessen our owne offences, & to lay them at the doors of others, Adam in the beginning (as yee know) layd his fault vponupon the woman, and she layd it vponupon the serpent, and the serpent vponupon God, it is an old sayd saw, non videmus id manticae quod intergo est, the sinnes of our brethren, are placed in that part of the Wallet, which is before vsus alway, but our owne misdeeds in that part which is behind vsus, out of sight: All of vsus in examining our proper errours, are like Polyphemus, hauing but one eye, or like the Popish Priest, who had one that was nequam, and another nequicquam; yea borne blind, like the man in the ninth of S. Iohn, hauing neuer a seeing eye, but in discouering the manifold transgressions of other Argus-like, of whom the Poet, Centum luminibus cinctum caput Argus habebat.
pCaluin lustitut lib. 2. cap. 2. 23.Themistus obserued iudiciously, that our vnderstanding seldome errs in generals, often in particulars, eueryevery man almost is a good ludge in Thesi, but not in Hypothesi, thou wilt in Thesi say, that murther is a crying sin, drunkennes a stinking vice, whoredome (as the Pharisees here) worthy to be punished with death; but in Hypothesi, descend from the generall to the particular, and then the case (quoth Ployden) is altered, the murther committed by thee was full of honour, and fayre, thy drunkennes was but good fellowship, thy want onnesse, but a tricke of youth; example hereof in the 2. of Sam. 12. Dauids anger was greatly kindled against the rich man, who tooke from the poore man, his only lambe, As the Lord liueth the man that hath done this thing, shall surely dye. But when once the Prophet told him to his beard, thou art the man, his heart instantly smote him, and he sayd, I hauehave sinned against the Lord.
The refractarie spirits of the towne, censure the Church, and the Church hath happily those that censure the town, & the countrey peraduenture doth censure both, & there be Criticks in this age, which either out of the bitternesse of spirit, or spirit of bitternesse, (as Augustus Caesar) taxe all the world, but I say to you (beloued) as Christ here to the Pharisees, he that is without sinne, let him cast the first stone, Cedat huic sententiae pietas Christianorum, cui cessitimpietas Iudaeorum; cedat humilitas obsequentium, cui cessit superbia persequentium, as Augustin exhorteth in 54. Epist: which is to Macedonius.
But the patterne concerneth, especially, Ministers of the word, intimating, that they should bee very cautelous in answering their aduersaries, and circumspect in all their wayes, toward those that are without, our enemies are mighty, and many; we need therefore to beg of God (as Solomon did) an vnderstanding heart, that wee may bee wise, like serpents, in defending our selues, albeit simple like doues, in offending others, it is written of Laurentius Medices, that famous Florentine, that hee had two men in him, as being a playne and pleasant man at home, but a stoute man, and a prudent in the Senate: Christ would hauehave his disciples to be like children, not in vnderstanding; but (as Paul construeth him) in malitiousnesse. 1. Cor. 14. 20. It is not sayd, the kingdome of heauen is of children, but of such is the kingdome of heauen, Matth. 19. 14. Not qIn locforeign but foreign, as Chrysostome obserues, of such as are children in meekenesse, albeit men in ripenesse of iudgement.Muscul. in loc.
But why should any Doctour hauehave a tongue, to speake, where the spirit hath not a pen to write; quod lego, credo; We build our saith vponupon the scriptures of God, and not vponupon the coniectures of men; And therefore seeing the spirit did not reueale to S. Iohn, nor S. Iohn expresse to the Church; nor the Church deliuer to vsus, what it was, our blessed Lord here wrote with his finger▪ I say with rLib de praser. hoerat.Tertullian, in this case, nihil scire, omnia scire est, To know nothing, is to know all, and with sHexam lib. 3. cap 3.Ambrose, quod scripturarum authoritate non didici, quàsi secretum praetereo; Confessing with tE…. 121. Probae.Augustine, that there is a learned ignorance, taught by the spirit of wisedome▪ and with uLib. 3. de Gubern. Dei.Salutanus, the desire to know that which Almighty God would hauehave hidden, it is a kind of sacriledge.
And vponupon these premises, I conclude with x Euthymius, y Caluin, z Maldonat, a Gualter, and b manyIn loc. moe, that Christ here wrote nothing at all, only seemed to write, that he might expresse by this gesture, his distast of their idle question▪ and that hee did not attend their captious cauilling, as men vse, when they disregard vnsauourie speeches, and vaine prattle, to strike the ground with their staffe, to play with their gloues, or to write with their fingers in the aire, manifesting by these behauiours, and the like, contempt and scorne.
Yet I beleeue this to be so, not because these Doctors say so, but as the Samaritane in the fourth of S. Iohns Gospel, at the 42 verse, because wee hauehave heard himselfe construe himselfe so; for saith our Euangelist, according to the last, and best English Translation, herein agreeing with diuerse Greeke copies, as Beza reportes; He stooped downe, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.
2 cMaldonat.If Christ had written any sentence, concerning the Pharisees, they would rather hauehave framed a reply, then continued asking.
3 It is not easily granted, that Christ would stoope downe againe, to write that which he had written before.
4 Had Christ written any remarkeable saying, it is probable, S. Iohn here would hauehave reported, and repeated it.
But as whatsoeuer things are written, are written for our learning; So this not written, is for our instruction also; teaching vsus by this example, that we need not answere cauils obiected by schismaticks and Hereticks, in all things, and at all times; not in all things, for Aristotle telleth vsus, it is absurde, to reforme ridiculous opinions, accuratly: the best answere to words of scorne, is Isaacks Apology to his brother Ismael, the Apology which patience and silence makes; our answere (sayd reuerend dEccl. Polit. lib. 5. p. 66.Hooker,) to their reasons, is no, to their scoffes, nothing.
Not at all times; for there is a season, and an opportunity, for eueryevery purpose; when our blessed Lord was on the Crosse, the Iewes mocked him, If thou be the Sonne of God, and King of Israel, come down from the Crosse, & saue thy selfe; But he did answere nothing, because it was tempus patiendi, non faciendi, His work was now to suffer, & not to do; to be crucified, and not magnified; And so when his aduersaries here would hauehave him censure this adultresse, he doth intimate that his houre was not yet come to condemne, his worke was now to saue sinners, and not to destroy, distingue tempora, et conuenient omnia, Christ hath a three-fold comming into the world, according to the three-fold distinction of time.
Past, Present, Future;
In time past, as eSer. 3 de ad…. Dom.Bernard pithily, venit ad homines▪ He came to men: in the time present, venit in homines; he commeth into men by his spirit: In the time to come, venit contra homines, He shall come to iudge the quicke and the dead. His first and second comming is to conuert sinners, his third, only to condemne, he sayd therefore to the woman, hath no man condemned thee? neither doe I condemne thee; goe thy way, and sinne no more. And this may serue for the resolution of the second question also, touching what was written; to fill vp the rest of the time remaining; I might examine how the serpentine brood of Ignatius Loiola, deuoted only to the name of Iesus, imitate the person of Iesus, in nothing.
He was stooping, but it may be sayd of them, as fDan. Chron. Pag. 142.Henry the third, of the hospitallers at Clearken well, their extraordinary faculties, and priuiledges hauehave made them rich, their riches proud, their pride madde, impudently bragging, that the gRelation of Religion. Sect. 28.Church is the soule of the world, the Clergie of the Church, and the Iesuites of the Clergie.
Iesus in this answere to the Pharisees, expressed equity, trueth, piety; but the Iesuites in their disputes, regarde quaestum magis quam quaestionem; All seeking their owne, and not the things of Iesus Christ, as S. Paul phraseth it, Philip. 2. 21. Which occasioned hHist. Ord. Iesuit cap. 2.a learned Diuine to say, that they were Suitae, not Iesuitae, louers of themselues, and not followers of Christ.
Iesus here, would hauehave scandalous accusations of our brethren written in the dust, and trodden vnderunder feet, of all that passe by: But their doctrine is composed of lyes, and libels, and all thinges are fed, and mainteined by such things, of which they are bred and made; the iDr. Feathe.aliments of Popery, must be correspondent to the elements, of which it consisteth; aequiuocation is their Diana, lying their best helpe, Machiauel their fifth, if not first Euangelist, as Caesar sayd, si ius violandum est, regni causa violandum, and I hauehave heard, that Sambucus, alluding to that Apoph…egme should say, when he had stolen a manuscript out of a library▪ si ius violandum est, eruditionis causa violandum, so these men are resolued, if a man must lye, hee must lye for the good of the catholike religion, and if lye in so good a cause, lye to some purpose.
Iesus is a Sauiour of his people, the Prince of Peace, the God of louelove; but the Iesuites, are destructiue doctors, as kEarle of Northamp. at Ga…nets Arraignmentrash Empiricks; they can cure none, but by letting of blood, no treason plotted, lHist. meditat lib. 4 cap. 9.as (Camerarius obserues) in any state, but a Iesuit hath a finger, if not his whole hand in it, either at the beginning, middle, or end; so drunken with the blood of the Saints, that (as their mWatson Q…odlibet. 3.old acquaintance writes) the very Canibals, and Anthropophages, shall condemne them at the last day.
Thus hauehave they nothing of Iesus, except only the bare name, and nomen inane, (saith a Father) is Crimen immane, for their nature, they resemble more Christs aduersaries, the Scribes and Pharisees, as being their offall and off-spring, not so much flesh of their flesh, as spirit of their spirit.
Now beloued (I beseech you) giuegive me leaue to say that vntounto you, which Moses in the 30. Chap of Deuter. to his auditours, I hauehave set before you this day, life and death; good and euill, blessing and cursing, chuse therefore life; shun the wayes of Antichrist; which are the paths of death, and follow Christs example, which is the way, the truth, and the life: that fo…, both you, and your seede may liue, good subiects, in his kingdome of grace, and blessed Saints in his kingdome of glory.