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.
fo. 73.
5 Dec. 1602.Mr. Layfeild at St. Clements.
His text, 2 Cor. iii. 7: "Whoe hath alsoe made us fitt ministers of the Newe Testament, not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit quickeneth."
He had preached heretofore of this text, and had in that sermon obserued out of this place that the duty of a Christian and a fitt minister are severall and distinct. Nowe he considered the object whereabout the office of a minister is imployed, which is the Newe Testament, and to this purpose he shewed the difference betwixt the Old and Newe Testament, the old lawe and the newe, which consisted not onely in this (which the Papists make to all), that the newe is more plaine then the old, and that Moses was the writer of the first and Christ of the latter; but this the true essentiall difference, the old was a covenant; a mutuall sponsion and stipulacion; a promise upon condicion; something to be performed on either part. Fac hoc, sayth God to man, this is the lawe to be observed by man, et vives, and I will give thee lyfe; trust me with that. But the gospell, the Newe Testament, is a covenant absolute, like that "I have made a covenant with myne eyes," and that "I have made a covenant with David that I will not fayle:" a promise on Gods part onely, like a testament in this, that it is a free donacion without condicion precedent, all meerely of grace and favour from God. Noe merit from us. When he assended he gave gifts unto men.
When man had entered into covenant with God, and by breaking of it became soe farre his debtor that he had forfayted body and soule for his synn, God dealt mercifully with him, and tooke a sacrifice of some living beast as a bond which deferred, not satisfied, the debt, and this to continue till Christs comming, whose death should be a discharge of that obligacion, and the whole debt alsoe for soe manie as could obtaine Christs favour.