to serve sin.

And in another epistle he saith, that Christ died to this end for all men that they which live, should from henceforth live, not to themselves, but to Him that died for them and rose again. So likewise Paul rejoices that he liveth not, but Christ in him. And he exhorts the Corinthians, that forasmuch as they through faith in Christ are holy and righteous, and yet for the remnants of the unclean flesh are sinners and unrighteous, they would purge out that old leaven. Know ye not, saith he, that a little leaven soureth the whole lump of dough? Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be new dough, as ye are sweet bread. For Christ our Passover is offered up for us. Therefore let us keep a joyous feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of maliciousness and wickedness, but with the sweet bread of pureness and truth. In which words Paul evidently expresses and requires that we should leave the old impure life which we have of Adam, and in spirit begin and exercise a new spiritual life, unto which Christ hath brought us; and that we should from time to time, if we find in ourselves any old leaven of wickedness, purge it out, and utterly cast it away from us. Therefore seeing we are risen again with Christ, let us seek the things that are above, where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God; that is to say, Let us forsake earthly and transitory things, and aspire and labour forward unto heavenly and everlasting things, that the resurrection of Christ, and the benefits thereof, of which you have now heard, may be fruitful, and full of efficacy and power in us; that by our new life and Christian conversation, we may show ourselves thankful unto God, and profitable to our neighbours. Again, that they who are without, and enemies to the Christian truth, may, through our godly and honest behaviour, be converted and turn from their idolatry unto the worshipping of God; from their superstition unto God's pure religion; from corrupt and wicked manners, unto holiness and pureness of life; that by this means God our heavenly Fa ther may be glorified both by them and by us, who unto this end hath given us his Holy Spirit, that in all points, both in body and soul, we, being holy and righteous, may serve him, even the Lord our God, in holiness and righteousness all the days of our life. To whom, with Christ our Lord, and the Holy Ghost, be all praise, honour, and glory, world without end. Amen.

THE

OFFICE OF THE HOLY GHOST.

The Gospel for the Fourth Sunday after Easter.

Jesus said unto his disciples, Now I go my way to Him that sent me, &c.-John xvi. 5-14.

THIS is a most noble and excellent gospel. For it treats especially of that high and necessary article for which we are, and are called, Christians. If we intend truly to have the profit and fruit that comes by it, we must diligently exercise ourselves in the meditation thereof. It is also part of that sermon which Christ made after his Last Supper. Christ would have it well beaten into all men's heads, that they should not be offended with his passion and death, nor should take it as a matter of sadness; but that we should rather use it as a confirmation of our faith, and unto the consolation and comfort of our consciences; forasmuch as by this means the tyranny of the devil is destroyed, and the Holy Ghost is gotten and given unto us.

What the Holy Ghost shall do, what he shall bring, what he shall declare and teach, Christ sets forth in these words: "When the Holy Ghost shall come, he will rebuke the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment." Christ, in these his words, comprehends many great things, and saith, that the Holy Ghost shall not only rebuke small companies, certain kinds of men, certain nations or people, but the whole world. He had need be well fenced and armed that will take upon him to have to do with the whole world. For the world is, whatsoever hath grown up from Adam hitherto, monarchs, emperors, kings, princes, no man, no, not of the highest degree, excepted. All these must be rebuked of sin by the apostles, and by the ministers of the word, at the motion of the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost, by the preachers, shall rebuke them all of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment, none either high or low excepted; not Jerusalem for her holiness, not Rome for her wisdom, All must receive this correction and rebuke of the

&c.

Holy Ghost, that they may be saved. For all men, with all that ever they have, are under the kingdom of the devil. Neither their righteousness, nor their holiness, nor yet their good works, can be of such force and virtue, that they can help any thing at all against damnation. And this is the office that the Holy Ghost will do in the world by the apostles, men beggarly and of no reputation, even to rebuke the world of sin. It is no small thing, but a matter of weighty and great importance, to rebuke the world of high and great matters. For he hath an office to rebuke the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. Seeing that all things are full of sin, and no righteousness and judgment are in the world, what shall then remain? The whole world, therefore, is condemned, together with all her righteousness, and it is openly said, that it cannot once aspire and come unto the kingdom of God, except it be delivered from sin by the Holy Ghost, and justified, and by that means escape everlasting damnation. Such sentences are there many in the Holy Scriptures; as when Paul saith, God hath comprehended all things under sin. Again, We are by nature the children of wrath. And Christ himself saith, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. It is truly the sermon of the Holy Ghost thus to rebuke the world for sin.

But what is sin? It is to rob, to kill, to commit adultery, &c. These are sins indeed, but not the chief sins which the Holy Ghost rebuketh. For there are many who are not guilty of these outward sins, but of those sins, whereof the Holy Ghost declares, all are guilty, otherwise he could not rebuke the world of them. And, to be short, this sin is, Not to believe in Christ. Of this sin, the world knows nothing. It is the whole and alone doctrine of the Holy Ghost. For the world counts those for sins only which are forbidden in the second table of Moses. Of Christ it knows nothing, much less knows that it is sin not to believe in him. But why should we with many words rebuke the ignorance of the world, seeing that even in the schools among the learned, incredulity, infidelity, or unbelief is taken for no sin, namely, for no original sin. For it belongs to no science to teach that incredulity is sin, but to the Holy Ghost. And he by this doctrine makes the whole world guilty of sin, whereas many times the world is able to prove her external justice and outward righteousness. This, therefore, is the doctrine of the Holy

Ghost, that he should reprove the whole world of sin, no man being excepted. The world has not been accustomed unto such an unwonted kind of doctrine, neither knows it at all, that it is bound to believe in Christ. Thus it thinks that, if, with the pharisee, it be no murderer, no adulterer, no unrighteous person, it is enough, and the world requires

no more.

But the Holy Ghost preaches otherwise, and saith, I know well, that among men, as concerning outward and bodily righteousness, one is better than another. But this is the chief and principal sin, that all are subject unto, that is, that they do not believe in Christ Jesus. This sin, no man, except he hath learned it of the Holy Ghost seeth, knoweth, or perceiveth. Therefore, be thou bold thus to say, Whatsoever is not of faith is sin, be it monkery,* prayer, fasting, alms-deeds, or any thing else. If there be no faith in Jesus Christ, then as thou hearest here, the Holy Ghost will rebuke it. Neither is there any other way to be delivered from this sin, than to believe in Christ Jesus. No man can deny that Christ here speaks of sin, and he expounds that it is sin not to believe in him, whereof it must needs follow that whatsoever they babble of outward appearance and of good works, if there be no faith in Christ, man with all his good works and virtue is a condemned sinner, and cannot escape the rebuke of the Holy Ghost.

Therefore incredulity, or unbelief, is the principal and greatest sin, and the fountain out of which all other sins and vices do issue and spring. For where incredulity is in the heart, and men believe not in Christ, this then immediately follows, that the word of God is not regarded, but either is despised, or else utterly rejected and cast away for heresy and lies, as though the devil were the author of it. And after this, other sins follow, as disobedience toward parents, magistrates, rulers, ministers of God's word, &c. neglecting their vocation and calling, a wicked and sinful life, besides other most grievous vices, which, either for shame, or for fear of punishment, they dare not do. All these are the leaves, yea, and the whole tree of incredulity which spring out of these roots, for which the Holy Ghost rebukes the world, neither suffers he anything to resist and withstand his office.

For he that believeth not in Christ hath not the Holy

*Monastic life.

Ghost, neither can he think any godly thing aright. And although he doeth that which of its own nature is not vicious and wicked, but agreeable to the commandments of God, yet doeth he the same, as a servant, only for fear, and not freely to show his obedience to the will of God; so that the world is even such as like a bond-slave is led by the devil, who can neither speak, do, nor think any thing that is good and godly; as St. John saith, The world is altogether set on wickedness. The reason hereof is this, for incredulity is the fountain and well-spring of all evil.

This rebuking of the world shall not be taken away before the last day, but it shall continually be taught that whatsoever is the world, it believes not in Christ, it pertains not unto the kingdom of Christ, but unto the devil, not only for the notorious and outward sins, but also for this principal and most grievous sin, I mean, incredulity, or unbelief. Neither doth this profit any thing at all, that thou keepest this or that monastic rule, that thou doest this or that work. For so long as incredulity is present, thou art a condemned sinner, neither canst thou avoid damnation, so long as thou remainest in that state. The one and only way to escape damnation is, to give over thine incredulity, and to believe in Christ, and to hold fast this comfort, against sin, the devil, and death.

As concerning faith, what it is, it is not unknown to you, and ye have many times heard, that faith is not only to know and believe that the history of Christ is true, but faithfully to be persuaded that all that ever Christ did was done for thy sake, for thy commodity and wealth, for thy health and everlasting salvation. For the devil also knoweth that Christ died, and doth certainly believe it; but he believeth not that Christ died for him and for his salvation. This faith, that all that Christ did was done for our sake and for our salvation, is only the gift of the Holy Ghost. And this is the first part of the office of the Holy Ghost, that all things are wrapped in sin, and that we, with all our good works are, notwithstanding, judged of the Holy Ghost to be sinners, and so condemned, forasmuch as we believe not in Christ Jesus. Therefore, let us refuse and utterly cast away all unfruitful ceremonies, and idle observations of men's most idle inventions and carnal imaginations, and whatsoever we have taken upon us, to this end that we may obtain remission of our sins; and let us lay hand upon and hold fast, true faith in Christ. For these things cannot agree