Diary of John Manningham Part 27

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 fas.h.i.+on of Cresilaus of Athens, a franticke fellowe, that would board all s.h.i.+ps that arrived, searche and take account of all things as they were his owne, when poore fellowe he was sca.r.s.e worth the clothes on his backe.

The Papists call their ma.s.se 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.

[Sidenote: fo. 72^b.

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 G.o.d, 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 ma.s.se, 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.

[Sidenote: 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 G.o.d 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 G.o.ds part onely, like a testament in this, that it is a free donacion without condicion precedent, all meerely of grace and favour from G.o.d.

Noe merit from us. When he a.s.sended he gave gifts unto men.

When man had entered into covenant with G.o.d, and by breaking of it became soe farre his debtor that he had forfayted body and soule for his synn, G.o.d 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.

[Sidenote: fo. 73^b.

5 Dec. 1602.]

In the afternoone, the same man at the same place. After a briefe recapitulacion of what he had deliuered in the forenoone, he proceeded to shewe the office of a minister of the Newe Testament, with the difference betweene the preists of the Old and the ministers of the Newe Testament. The office of those was to teache the covenant, to denounce the curse, and to take sacrifices of synners as obligacions and testimonies against the synner that he had soe often forfayted his soule and body; the office of the minister of the New Testament is to preache both the lawe to deject and humble the synner by the operacion of the spirit; and the gospell to rayse and comfort him, that he may not despayre and dye, but beeleeve and be saved; their office is alsoe as executors of Christs testament to dispose of his legacyes, his promises; that is, to remitt synnes to every penitent beleeving synner; and lastly, to impart and confirme the graces by ministring his blessed sacraments.

The letter killeth, for that sayth in the lawe, Thou must doe this, thou must not doe that, otherwise G.o.d must be satisfied; thou must be punished, or els thou must have pardon. Man could not obserue them; man was not able to abide the punishment--was like a man in prison, could not gett forth to sue for pardon; was like a poor man deepely indebted, had noe meanes to make satisfaction. The gospell likewise in the letter sayth, Thou must repent, thou must beleeue, or els thou canst not be saued; and yet none of them is in our power. But the spirit quickeneth; that shewes vs Christ hath satisfied, and giues vs grace to beleeve it, &c.

[Sidenote: fo. 74.

5 Dec. 1602.]

The lawe of the Old Testament is not abolished by the Newe, but the old covenant, the condicion of the lawe, is taken awaye; for the lawe continues and hath a singular vse in the ministry of the Newe Testament, to make a synner knowe and confesse himselfe such a one, for before he finde his synnes greuous he hath noe neede of a sauiour; as Christ sayd, "I came not to call the righteous but synners to repentaunce," and "Come vnto me, all ye that are weary, and I will easye you," and "The whole neede not the physitian."

Yf the minister dispense Christs legacyes to a counterfayt and dissemblinge penitent, yet they haue done their duty. And as Christ sayd to his disciples, "When you enter into anie place, say peace be with you, and yf the Sonne of peace be not there, your peace shall returne againe vnto you."

Christ made his testament, bequeathed legacyes, made his executors the disposers of them: therefore there must be certaine markes and notes, as certaine as the names of persons to knowe the persons to whom the legacyes are bequeathed, otherwise the executors cannot knowe howe [to]

dispose of them. And these markes are fayth and repentaunce, for to euery one that repenteth and beleeueth remission of syn is giuen: and therefore it followeth, against the doctrine of the Church of Rome, that a man must beleeue, and knowe that he beleeueth, hath fayth and repentaunce, for that generall fayth of that church in generall is noe more but to beleeue noe [more?] but this, that all that is in the Scripture is true, that all that beleeue shall be saued, and that noe man knoweth whether he beleeue or repent. But, on the contrarie, we hold that beleeue and fayth must be in particuler, and then such a person is become a legatary certaine in Christs testament, and capable of the disposicion of the promise.

[Sidenote: fo. 74^b.

7 Dec. 1602.]

In Justice Catlines[128] tyme one Burchely brought a Replegiar _"quare averia cepit et injuste detinuit", et declare "quod cepit et detinuit unam vaccam"_, and soe it was recorded. After, when Meade came to argue, he pleaded this in abatement; and Burchely, perceuing the recorde was faulty, entred the words _et vitulum_, and then said there was a calfe in the case in the roll (an Ess.e.x case). Justice Catline demaunded to see the record, and, the wordes being written soe newely that they were not dry, "It is true," sayd he, "your cowe hath newly calved, for shee hath not lickt the calfe dry yet." (_Colebrand._)

[Footnote 128: There were two contemporary Judges of this name, but this was probably the one who was Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench from 1559 to 1574. (Foss, v. 471.)]

The abuse of the Statute for reforming errors in the Kings Bench, &c.

hath frayed the clients from their suites, when they see they can haue noe judgment certaine or speedy.

Three men's opinions preferred before five, yf not all togither; as in a writt of error in the Kings Benche to reverse a judgment in the Common place. Yf there be three of one opinion to reverse, and the fourth would haue it affirmed; nowe regarding the judgment in the Common place, with this mans opinion there are five on the on syde, and but three on the other, yet those three shall prevaile.

[Sidenote: fo. 75.

Dec. 7, 1602.]

Out of a little book int.i.tuled _Buccina Capelli in laudem Juris_:[129]

[Footnote 129: We have not found any other trace of this "little book." It was probably a work of one of the celebrated French Protestants of the name of Cappel. (_La France Protestante_, iii.

198.)]

Lawe hath G.o.d for the author, and was from the beginning.

Jurisprudentia est naturae effigies, ut Demosthenes; humanitatis initium, ut Isocrates; libertatis fundamentum, ut Anaxagoras; recte viuendi norma, ut Diodorus; aequi bonique ars, ut Ulpia.n.u.s. Confert divitias, quibus egenos fulciant, amicos sublevent, patriam vel labentem sustineant, vel precipitantem erigant, vel florentem augeant; honores, quibus ill.u.s.trati familiam suam obscuram ill.u.s.trent, novam exornent, insignem decorent, facultatem qua inquinatam improborum vitam retundant et comprimant, et optimorum optime traductam muncribus et mercede digna et laudabili ornent et ill.u.s.trent, ut majores dicantur.

Quid aliud vult sibi legis nomen quam hoc, ut velit quicquid sit insolutum ligare, quicquid dissolutum legis severitate devincire, quicquid corruptum, quicquid inquinatum, illud resecare vel resarcire.

Cuidam percontanti quomodo respublica florere, et statu faelicissimo quam diutissime permanere possit, respondet Solon, "Si illi quos fortuna ad infimam plebis sortem depresserat penderent a praescripto magistratuum, et quos fortuna ad altiorem dignitatis gradum erexerat penderent a praescripto legum."

Literis inc.u.mbunt juuenes ut fiant judices.

Scio qualis fuerim, immo qualis fuisse non deberem; cognosco qualis sum, timeo qualis futurus sim, et magis timeo quo minus doleo; utinam magis dolerem, ut minus timerem.

Doleo quia semper dolens dolere nescio.

Quo modo nisi per dolores sanabitur, qui per delectationes infirmatur?

Doce me salutarem dolorem.