fo. 71. 28 Nov. 1602. At Paules ,
Mr. Tolson of Queenes Colledge in Cambridge; his text in Ephes. v. 25: "As Christ alsoe hath loved the Church, and hath given himself for hir, that he might sanctifie it."
The blessinges of God to man are infinit and exceeding gracious; many being giuen which we knowe not of, many before wee aske them, manie which wee are unthankefull for; but of all this gift is most admirable, most inestimable, Christ gave himselfe.
He considered the person giving, the party receiving.
There is noe creature soe base and little but if it be considered with reason it may shewe, as were written in greate caractars, that there is a God.
God is infinit and eternall, therefore can be but one in essence. One person doth not differ from another really in the essence of deity. Yet each person differeth really from other, and haue their proper personall operacions not common to all. Soe here Christ is said to have giuen himselfe, that is, the person of the sonne of God, perfect God and perfect man; he gave not his body, nor his soule, nor his whole humanitie onely,—for if all the creatures in the world were heaped up togither to be giuen, they were noe sufficient sacrifice to satisffie the justice of God,—but he gave himselfe, his whole person.
But two deaths of the soule, synn and eternall damnacion; to affirme that the soule of Christ suffered either were horrible blasphemie.
fo. 71b.
28 Nov. 1602.
Wee must soe worship God as a trinity in vnity, and an vnity in trynity, otherwise we worship but our owne fastasie.
Christ was et sacerdos et sacrificium, he gave himselfe.
Christus totus mortuus est, non totum Christi, the whole person of Christ and both his natures suffered; his deity and soule being mortall could not, but his whole person, wherein both natures are indissolubly united. Christus homo in terra, deus in cœlo, Christus in utroque.
Christ not made in nor by the Virgin, but of the Virgin; therefore perfect man, not an essence of a nature above the angels but inferior to the Godhead: but the splendor or brightnes of Gods glory, the engraven forme of his person, (Hebr. i. cap.) therefore perfect God.
He gave himselfe not for all men, but for his Church; he died for all sufficienter non efficienter; he would have all men saued, revelata non occulta voluntate, or rather, as a Father sayth, Deus vult omnes salvos fieri, non quod nullus hominum sit quem non velit salvum fieri, sed quia nemo salvus fit nisi quem velit; he saveth whom he pleaseth, and they are saved because he will.
Christ gave himselfe for the Church, and hence growes the greate quarrell betwixt Papists and us Protestants, for, this gift being soe precious that none can be saved without it, every one is ready to intitle himselfe thereunto, and challeng his part therin; noe heretike so damnable, but would hold he was of the Churche, but the point is whether they bee what they pretend, or haue what they arrogate. And here, because, as he said, the text gaue him occasion, and he had direction from the superuisor of this sea, he spake some thinge against the common enimye.
Ecclesia dicitur απο του εκκαλειν, ab evocando, because it is a people called from the rest to be sanctified by Christ.
fo. 72.
28 Nov. 1602.
The Church is compared unto the moone for fayrenes and to the sonne for brightnes, therefore the church is not a companie of reprobates, and idolatrous hereticks, as Rome is. Christ is not the head of such a body. Those which give him such a body doe, as the poet sayth, humano capiti cervicem adjungere equinam, but if they define the Church such a congregacion, the[y] may easily mainteane theirs to be one.
The Papists have a trick of appropriatinge the name of the Church to themselves onely; as they reade the Church, it is theirs dead sure; but this is but the fashion of Cresilaus of Athens, a franticke fellowe, that would board all ships that arrived, searche and take account of all things as they were his owne, when poore fellowe he was scarse worth the clothes on his backe.
The Papists call their masse a bloudles sacrifice, but yf wee look backe but [to] the late tymes before hir Majesties happie entraunce, wee may see tokens and wittnes enough, that it is the most bloudy kind that ever was invented.
Christ gave himselfe: noe virtue that is not voluntary: he gave himselfe willingly, soe saith he, "I lay downe my life, and noe man taketh it from me," though the Jewes layd violent hands upon him, which made them inexcusable; yet because yf he would have resisted, they could not have effected their malice, therefore his subjection to their violence was voluntary.
fo. 72b.
28 Nov. 1602.
Nowe from informing your understandings, give me leave, said he, to proceede to the reforming your wills and affections.
Vses. Since Christ hath giuen himselfe for vs, such worthles creatures, such nothings indeed, let us dedicate our soules, ourselves, our thoughts, and actions to his service for a reasonable sacrifice. Christ gaue his whole person for vs, wee must give our whole selues to him; not as some which are content to be present at his seruice, but haue their myndes about other matters; or as others which will say they haue given their mynds to God, and serue him in their soule, though their bodies be present where he is most dishonored, as the yong degenerat trauayler that can be content, be present, and perhaps partaker at a masse, and yet thinke he can be sound at the hart for all that. But wee must apply both body and soule to Christs seruice. Most trauaylers returne, either worse men or worse subjects; caveat in permitting to many trauailers. Some can be content to be feruent and zealous in the halcion dayes of the gospell, as Peter, but lett the sword, persecution, be once drawne out the[y] strait withdrawe them selves and leaue their maister. Yf the[y] think they spie a tempest but comming a farr of, strait they runn under hatches. Yf Judas come with a kisse, and a companie with swordes and staues, they are gone. All were hott and zealous against the Papist in the beginning of hir Majesties raigne; all cold, as it were asleepe, nay dead, in these tymes.
Some slaunder the Court as though they were neuters, some the universities as yf inclining to Popery, many looking for a tolleracion; but whither shall wee goe? here is the word of lyfe.