And such (good Brethren) was the life of all Christian men, in the beginning of Gods Church: such was, I say, their life & living. They subdued their flesh, they mortified their members, and gave them over wholly unto Christ, and so made them members unto righteousness. When Christ walked here on this earth, & was conversant in our flesh, and this nature of ours; at what time he entered into the house of Zacheus, which was a Ruler of the Publicans, & desired to see Jesus, by and by Zacheus was turned into a new man, and by and by he stood forth, and said unto the Lord: Behold Lord, 1the half of my goods I give unto the poor, and if I have defrauded ⟨image 39⟩any man, I restore him four fold. Thus was he only by the presence of Christ, turned into a new man, thus he of an uncircumcised Publican was made the child of Abraham, and of a sinful and wretched creature, he became forthwith a Christian. And so in like, when Christ had but once called unto Matthew, 2and bad him follow him, immediately he left the Toll-gathering, he left the receipt of the custom, he left his own proper game and profit, and ran after Christ. Of such force was the presence of Christ unto Zacheus, of such power was the commandment of Christ, with Matthew the Toll-gatherer. Saint Augustine a little before he returned unto Christ, & embraced his trueth, he feared, he trembled, and always stood in doubt: but so soon as Christ had once inspired him with his holy spirit, and revealed his trueth unto him, forthwith without any further doubt or delay, he renounced his errors, and became a perfect Christian. There was once a Christian man, whose name was Eusebius, and being demanded what he was, ⟨image 39⟩answered, a Christian: being asked what country man, said, a Christian: who was his father, a Christian: where he dwelt, a Christian: and so to each other demand, he answered a Christian: as who would say, what so ever I be, I am nothing else but a Christian. In the beginning of Gods Church, all good men were called Christian men: and yet was it not one thing to be a Christian, and a good man. The Christian men, for that they considered they were called to salvation, to redemption by the death of Christ, & to the inheritance of Heaven, they had their delight and only felicity in heavenly things: they esteemed not the vain pleasures of this world:
And such (good Bretheren) was the life of all Christian men, in the beginning of Gods Church: such was, I say, their life & lyuing. They subdued their flesh, they mortified their members, and gaue them ouer wholy vnto Christ, and so made them members vnto righteousnesse. When Christ walked here on this earth, & was conuersant in our flesh, and this nature of ours; at what time he entered into the house of Zacheus, which was a Ruler of the Publicans, & desired to sée Iesus, by and by Zacheus was turned into a new man, and by and by he stoode forth, and said vnto the Lord: Behold Lord, 1the halfe of my goods I giue vnto the poore, and if I haue defrauded ⟨image 39⟩any man, I restore him foure fold. Thus was he only by the presence of Christ, turned into a new man, thus he of an vncircumcised Publican was made the child of Abraham, and of a sinfull and wretched creature, he became forthwith a Christian. And so in like, when Christ had but once called vnto Mathew, 2and bad him follow him, immediatly he left the Toll-gathering, he left the receipt of the custome, he left his owne proper game and profit, and ran after Christ. Of such force was the presence of Christ vnto Zacheus, of such power was the commaundement of Christ, with Mathew the Toll-gatherer. Saint Augustine a little before he returned vnto Christ, & embraced his trueth, he feared, he trembled, and alwaies stood in doubt: but so soone as Christ had once inspired him with his holie spirit, and reuealed his trueth vnto him, forthwith without any further doubt or delay, he renounced his errors, and became a perfect Christian. There was once a Christian man, whose name was Eusebius, and being demaunded what he was, ⟨image 39⟩answered, a Christian: being asked what countrey man, said, a Christian: who was his father, a Christian: where he dwelt, a Christian: and so to ech other demaund, he answered a Christian: as who would say, what so euer I be, I am nothing else but a Christian. In the beginning of Gods Church, all good men were called Christian men: and yet was it not one thing to be a Christian, and a good man. The Christian men, for that they considered they were called to saluation, to redemption by the death of Christ, & to the inheritance of Heauen, they had their delight and only felicitie in heauenly things: they estéemed not the vaine pleasures of this world:
- 1Luk. 19.
- 2Math. 9.
