Sermons preached by that reverend and learned divine Richard Clerke, Dr. in Divinitie; sometimes fellovv of Christ Colledge in Cambridge. One of the most learned translators of our English Bible; preacher in the famous metropolitan church of Christ, Canterbury. Since his death, published for the common good, by Charles White, Mr. in Arts, and one of the six preachers of Christ Church, Canterbury

A SERMON PREACHED VPON ALL-SAINTS DAY.

APOC. 7. 10. Salvation to our God, that sitteth on the Throne, and to the Lambe.

WHat fitter Text for All-Saints day, than the song of all Saints? Heare it, I pray you, out of the Revelation, 7. 10. and it is a part of the Epistle for this day, Salvation to our God, &c. The holy Hymne of all the holy Spirits. Said I, of All Saints? All Angells too. All Saints sing it, both Iewes, verse 4. 144000. of Israel, and Christians of all nations, without number, verse 9. And the Angels say, Amen to it, verse 12. The solemnest song, that ever was sung in heaven. Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almightie, was but the song of the foure Beasts, Chap. 4. ver. 8. Dignus es Domine Deus, an other of the twentie foure Elders, ver. 10. A third in the fifth Chapter, ver. 9. of the Beasts and them together. Theres a fourth of a multitude, 1000000. ver. 11. But they were Angells onely. Here both Saints and Angells; All of both, joyne in one Antheme, Salvation unto God. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 be∣hold saith Arethas, one Church of Saints and Angells. A thankefull acknowledgement; whereof; of Salvation. To whom? To God, the Father, and to the Lambe, Christ Iesus. The Father is described by his Majestie, Sits on a Throne; the Sonne by his humilitie; cald the Lambe. These things are my Theme, God assisting, with your patience.

Songs, Spirituall songs, some are prayers; many of Davids are; most are praise and thankesgiving. This is. God doth 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Man

must 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉; Here sends health to us; we sing Hymnes to him: Tis Fit. Man owes it, God expects it. It becomes the Iust (saith David) to be thankfull; theres the debt. Thou shalt glorifie mee, saith God; theres the claime. Saints sing Hosanna in earth, Hallelujah in heaven; here, save us Lord; there, praise the Lord. Wee si••g both in earth; but the latter onely in heaven. If not onely; mostly, they pray in generall, the Church Triumphant there, for the Church Militant here: and for the hastening of the resurrection, for their intire fruition of full joy.

The subject matter of this Song is Salvation. This word in the Latin Text, Salus Deo, and the Ellipsis, the want of the verbe in the Greeke and Latin both, might move some scoffing Atheist to floute both Saints and God, and say, the Saints wish health to God. An im∣pious, absurd, and irreligious sense. Wee wish health and salvation, bodies health, Soules salvation one to another; not to God; he needs neither, is himselfe salvation. The people of Ierusalem to the Iewes in Egypt, salutem, greeting and health, 2 Macch. 1. 10. the phrase is frequent there. It were grosse complement to greet God. To provide for this scruple, Beza puts in a particle, Salus à Deo, and Expositors glosse it, Salus Deo nostro, to be the voyce not Optantium, but Laetantium, of joy, and not of wish. The Saints ascribe their salvation unto God. It is here an Hebraisme, this booke hath many▪ The very same in the third Psalme v. ult 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Salus Domino, salvation to the Lord, that is, belongs unto the Lord. Of that afterwards; it is the Praedicate of the proposition; first of the subject.

All mans good is from God; temporall, riches, health; spirituall, grace and peace, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, all things, Saint Paul saith, saith it thrice. But above all things, salvation. It is but Salus, in Latin, too weake a word, to signifie so much. It meanes but health and wealth, incom∣mon speech, worldly prosperity, as does in Scripture the word Peace, in ordinary salutation. Salvation is a heavenlier, a diviner thing, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, saith a Greeke father, the greatest and the royallest of all the gifts of God. Nihil tam dignum Deo, nothing (saith Tertullian) so worthy God, as mans salvation. Mans creation a great worke; sal∣vation a far greater, cost God more paines. His breath suffis'd to make the soule, but his death required to save it. Two notes here needefull, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, first, that it is; then what it is.

For the one, that the soule shall be saved, all confesse not. That it is Immortall, some make doubt, some quite deny. That it dies with the body, heathens have held many, Atheists all, Christians some, in Arabia. One or two Bishops of Rome, Pope Paul 3. and Iohn 23. This is so grosse an heresie, and the soules immortality so generally now beleev'd, that to spend speech in proofe, were to mispend time. Scriptures are rich in it; yea reason would evict it, were they silent. But soules though all immortall, are not all saved. Christs selfe, that saves them, saith, hell receives moe soules, then heaven. That some shall bee, who doubts? a great summe; Iewes here 144000, Christi∣ans without number, vers. 4. and 9. God to show the world, that hee

was mercifull, as well as just, though all men sinned, yet would not have all death, but some Salvation. Why was Christ else Incarnate? for us Men, saith the Creed, and for our Salvation. Natus est, & Datus est, Esay 9. 6. that he was borne in the wombe, torne on the Crosse, why was it but to save us? He was named Iesus, for that act and end. An Angell tels us, that signifies salvation.

For the other, what is Salvation? It needs no definition, a knowne terme, in the usuall acception. The English word is straight, meanes lightly but deliverance from Hell, and eternall life in Heaven. But the Greeke and Latine are more large; they meane deliverance too; but not spirituall onely, from sinne and death, but temporall also, from any kind of Crosse, present or imminent. And so is the sense of salva∣tion in my Text; the Saints ascribe to God all sorts of deliverance. The soules escape from death, and happinesse in Heaven, is the maine salvation, and is so termed 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. But the other are salvations too, and cald so, though not commonly. Preservations are salvations. Ia∣cobs escape from Esaus sword, the Hebrewes from Amaleks, Davids from Sauls, and Absalons, Peters from Herods, Pauls from many perils, were all salvations. Such temporall deliverance, in the booke of Psalmes is often Englisht salvation. Even such salvations the Saints ascribe to God. David doth often. Ionahs deliverance out of the Whales belly, he cals it his salvation. The Saints are said to sing cap. 15. 3. the song of Moses. That song is of salvation, Exod. 15. 2. of salvation in this sense. God had saved Israel out of the handes of the Egypti∣ans.

Come we now to the Saviour; it is God. The blessed Virgin cals him so, saith her Spirit rejoyceth in God her Saviour, Saints on Earth, as well as Heaven, sing salvation-songs to God. Iob cals God his Sa∣viour. So doth David, and Esay, and Ieremie, and other Prophets. Saul does, though no Saint. Darius too, though a Gentile. God cals himselfe so, Esa. 43. 3. I am thy Saviour. If he be; then salvation is his. His, not Possessive, but Effective, Gods Act. To this beare all the Prophets witnesse, and other Holy men, Ioseph, Sampson, Iona∣than, Solomon, Peter, Paul, that salvation is Gods Act. Davids phrase indeed, Psal. 3. 9. is Salus Domini, which some will say, sounds passive∣ly. But who knows Davids sense, better then Davids selfe? Hee is his owne scholiast, Psal. 37. 39. Salus a Domino. That saith plainely, tis his Act.

This theme should seeme to need no proofe. Who but a profest a∣theist, will once doubt of it? that salvation is of God, that beleeves, there is a God? Onely the Epicure grants, God is, but is idle, busies not himselfe with the affaires of mortall men, leaves them to them∣selves. But of this foolish sect, Plena sunt Omnia; Who is not an Epi∣cure? even the most religious man is one sometimes. The whole world ascribes salvation, I meane, Preservation, meerely to meanes. Every man robs God of his Prerogative, makes himselfe his owne Sa∣viour. The greatest Persons most. They thinke policy protects them, not Religion; put their confidence in 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, walls and wea∣pons, horse and ships; men and munition; distrust God. Even David,

the godlyest of all Kings, trespast in this, thought not God sufficient to preserve him; would needs number his people; see, if need should be, how many thousand strong he was.

But all these things, all other, are (as Saint Augustine saith) Adjutoria deceptoria, deceitfull saviours. Salvation is all Gods. Sure∣ly they save sometimes, oft times; but as God meanes. One man may be Gods instrument, to save another, any Creature may. But the au∣thour of salvation is Gods selfe. If he move not the instrument, blesse not the meanes; theres no salvation. Nay the supposed meanes of our safety sometimes become our bane. Did never King thinke Iesuites would secure his Crowne, and at last was slaine by them? No man, no Creature saves, but as Gods Instrument. It pleaseth him, to make them his meanes of our salvation, still I meane preservation. Ioseph was named by Pharaoh, Saphnath happaneath, thats, saith Saint Hierom, Salvator mundi, because he saved, i. preserved the land. Hee did, both it, and others from the seaven yeares famine. But Ioseph ascribes that Salvation to Gods selfe, Gen. 45. 5. From sword, from pesti∣lence, from famine, from all hurt, it is God, that saves man, God onely. Even sometimes without meanes, by miracle. How many were delivered from sundry infirmities by Christs onely Word? Who, or What saved the Hebrews at the red Sea, from the Egyptians? Who, or What, Ezechias and his people from the Assyrians? Who, or What, England from the Spanish Invasion, from the Iesuites Powder plot.

For Spirituall Salvation, theres lesse Question. All men give that to God. They doe; but not God onely. Papists in that too doe rob God, make the Saints Saviours too; cry Sancte Petre, salva nos, Saint Peter, save us, Mother of God, save us. Bellarmine maintaines it. Say not, they meane them interceding Saviours onely, to procure Salva∣tion to us by their Prayers. They cannot mumme under that maske. They make them Mediators, not Intercessionis, but Redemptionis too. They would faine use that distinction. But they are so brazen browed, that they father on Saint Ambrose this sacrilegious blasphemy, that the Saints have wrought our Salvation by their blood; that the Saints were Sacra hostia, a propitiatory sacrifice. Why should they not? The Saints in this songe, say not, Soli Deo, unto God alone, but barely to our God.

First, for that forg'd saying of Saint Ambrose, the Pope himselfe shall confute that popery. Pope Leo the first, Nullius Sancti Occisio, propitiatio est. Ipse solus est hostia. No Saints blood is propitiatory, Christ alone is the Sacrifice. And for the Why-not, the Popes speech answers that too. For Saint Iohn saith no more, then Ipse est propitiatio. Christ is the propitiation for our sinnes. Hee saith not, Ipse solus. Yet Leo puts that to. He knew, he meant it so. So might the Papists heere (were they as ingenuous, as Pope Leo was) supply the word supprest, and understand, Soli Deo, Salvation to God onely. Moses said no more, then Thou shalt serve the Lord thy God, Deut. 6. But Christ cites it to Sathan, and puts, Soli, to it, Him onely shalt thou serve. Matth. 4. 10. Sathan might have replied, that (onely) was not there. But he

knew, Moses meant it. Gods owne words warrant it, I will not give my Glory to another. What is ascribed to God, is meant to him alone, and is proper to him onely. Every good gift (and is there any better then Salvation?) Saint Iames saith, comes from above. Thats not enough: it may come from the Saints so. Hee there••ore addes, A Pa∣tre luminum, saith not from whence onely, from heaven; Saints are in heaven; but from whom there? from the Father of lights; Saints are but the Sonnes of light, Sain•• 〈…〉〈…〉de saith expressely, Saint Paul too, saith it twice, Soli Deo honor & gloria, to God, to God onely be all glory.

To God, but to what God? For there are many, Saint Paul saith, [ 3] 1 Cor. 8. 5. There are, but cald so onely, he addes that, no gods in∣deed. Theres but one true God, Iohn ••7. 3. Moses proclaimes it, Deut. 6. 4. with an Oyez, Heare Israel, The Lord, our God, is but one. Sibyll an heathen prophetesse could say 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, theres but one God. Si non unus est, non est, Tertul. either but one, or not one. False gods there are many, the god of Eckron, of Hamath, of Arphad. Every Nation had one; every City one, Jer. 11. 13. Gods selfe saith, hee is Alone, Esa. 45. The Saints here therefore call him Their God; Salvation to our God. Thats one reason for the word added here, name∣ly Distinction. An other is of Covenant. God Covenanted with A∣braham, to be, his God, and the God of his Seed: which seed are these Saints, All Saints. Not Isaac onely and Iacob, and his seed; but all the Faithfull, borne whensoever, wheresoever, are the sonnes of Abraham, Saint Paul saith, and may call Abrahams God, their God. But yet this God, though one, Vnissimus, Saint Bernards word, is (I may not say) divided, but distinguisht into Persons, three Persons; and all three lightly meant, when God is named. But here the first, the Father, described by a marke of Majesty, sits on a Throne. For hees a King, thats frequent in Scripture, a great King, Mal. 1. a King of Kings, Apoc. 19. and hath therefore there many Crownes. Other sun∣dry Regalia Scripture hath, I omit them. My Text cites but a Throne. and why that?

Is the Throne proper to the Father onely? Hath not Christ a Throne too? He hath; and in this Booke, the Throne is oftener said of the [ 4] Sonne, then of the Father. Or haply are they differenced thus, the Father to sit, the Sonne to stand? For so tis said, chap. 5. 6. the Lambe stood. So Saint Steven saw Christ standing. But here the Father sits. The Question is not idle. It is a Stone, some Heretickes have stumbled at. The Father to have a Throne, and not the Sonne. Or if both have; yet the One to sit, the other to stand, argues Inequality. Thats it, Arius would have, and other heretickes, the Sonne to be the Fathers Inferiour. But Regall Majesty meant by the Throne, is the same in both, Vnus Thronus, vna Majestas, theres one Throne of the whole Trinity. The ver. penult. of the last Chapter, and the first of the last, are plaine for two of them, that Christ and his Father sit on the same Throne; hath a Throne as well as he, and sits as well as he. All Chri∣stian Creeds have it, that Iesus Christ sits at the right hand of his Father; have it from the Scriptures, many Scriptures. I speake to many here,

that are not learned. I must explaine my selfe, lest I lead them into er∣rour. Scriptures for our capacities speake many things of God unpro∣perly, expresse the things of God, by the phrases of men, make God like one of us. Give him our parts, hands, eyes, eares, feet; our actions too, to stand, walke, sit; passions too, griefe, anger, jea∣lousie. This occasiond some Heretickes to hold, God hath a Body. God hath no Throne indeed, nor sits. Such termes are metaphores or metonymies all, used for our understanding. Gods Throne meanes his Majesty, and his sitting, his Authority; 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, it signifies his Dignity, saith Athan. Hee sits not Corporaliter, not Carnaliter, Saint Augustines words. His Sedere, is Praesidere, his Sitting notes his Power, and his Throne, his Glory. And Christs sitting by his Fa∣ther, showes his parity of power, equality of Majesty; or, as saith A∣thanasius, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Identity of nature, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Consubstan∣tiality.

To end this, what meant the Saints to describe the Father here by his session, and his Throne? Why doe they not distinguish him from the Sonne, and holy Ghost, by some propriety? For Throne and session, i. majesty and power are common to all three. You shall oft∣times observe, even where the Persons are distinguisht, some Acts, or Attributes, common to them all, to be given unto one. In the begin∣ning of the Letanie we petition every Person apart, style the first, Father of Heaven. Are they not so all three? Some, that like not our Liturgie, will easily yeeld, it is a fault. The Apostles Creed cals God the Father Almighty, and Maker of Heaven and Earth. Both Sonne and Holy Ghost are so: Is the Creed faulty too? Heare therefore Christ, Luke 10. 21. He cals his Father, Lord of Heaven and Earth. So it is here. A Title common to the whole Trinity is affixt unto the Father. The Sonne to sit on Throne, you heard before, and of the Holy Ghost, Saint Augustine, saith, Considet, He also sits with them. I have beene long in this; the Saints proceed, sing salvation to Christ too.

Saint Gregory saith, the Iewes, by the name of Saviour, ever meant [ 5] God the Father, Here 144000. Iewes sing salvation to the Sonne. But by what Name? Among Christs many titles and names, which it skils not to mention, they make choise of the Lambe. That name Iohn Baptist like an Herauld proclaimed openly two dayes together, and that with an Ecce, Behold the Lambe of God. It best fits the Saints song; because he being sacrificed to his Father, as a Lambe, wrought their salvation. The Lambe, both in the Passeover, and in the daily sacrifice, prefigur'd Christ. That Reason is not all; for the goat and bullocke did that too. But the Lambe of all the beasts is the meekest, and most harmelesse. Christ would be cald the Lambe, for his innocen∣cy, and humility. The Prophet notes the one, Luke a Lambe dumbe before the shearer, so opened he not his mouth, and Saint Peter for the o∣ther, calls him 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, a Lambe undefiled, and without Spot; that is, free from all sinne, either Actuall, i. undefiled, or Originall, i. spotlesse, saith Aquinas, Agnus, i. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, pure and cleane, ••it to be Christs Hieroglyphicke. Not a Lambe, but the Lambe. The word in this booke no lesse then thirty times; but save twice onely, ever with

an Article. For some other are called Lambes, wee are, Feede my Lambes, saith Christ to Peter. But Christ is called so Singulariter, saith Saint Augustine. To this Lambe Saints have cause, all Saints have speciall cause to sing Salvation, soules Salvation. Temporall Salvation, i. Preservation comes equally from every person in the Trinitie. But for spirituall salvation, Christ thinkes it no robberie, to claime the chie∣fest thankes. For the Father and the Spirit, did but Decree, and Order it. The Sonne besides, tooke flesh; Exinanivit, emptied himselfe, Saint Paul was bold to say so. Not that taking our nature, he resigned his owne, relinquisht his Divinitie. But he humbled himselfe, supprest his Godhead, made himselfe man; would be borne of a woman, brought forth in a Stable, cradled in a Manger, suffered persecution in his Infancie, povertie all his life, and toward his end contempt, con∣tradiction, reviling, all indignitie, all extremity, even death, death of the Crosse; bare all this, as a Lambe, Agnus mansuetus, a meeke Lambe alwayes, but then Agnus occisus, a Lambe slaine for a sacrifice, to be offered up to God, for the sinnes of the world. So hee wrought our salvation. I will not presse comparison too much betweene the Per∣sons, touching our salvation. I may not with sobrietie. I will rest in Saint Pauls word, for it is a weighty one; Heb. 2. 10. he calls Christ 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the Prince of our salvation.

A corrosive to the Devill, great disparagement, a Lyon to be van∣quisht by a Lambe. For it was his hands, his pawes, his jawes, that Christ hath saved us from. A live dogge (Salomon saith) is better than a dead Lyon. But here a living Lyon is queld by a dead Lambe. A Lambe, but yet Lyon too. This Booke, in which he is called a Lambe so often, calls him a Lyon once, Chap. 5. 5. The Lyon of the Tribe of Iudah. If any muse at it, how Christ should be both, Saint Augustine answers it, Agnus in passione, Leo in resurrectione, he died a Lambe, rose a Lyon. His Resurrection was his Triumph over Death, Sathan, and Hell.

To end this, the Saints ascribing Salvation unto God, and to the Lambe, exclude all other Saviours. The Saints themselves are none, you heard before. Salvation (Saint Iames said) was 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, from above, but 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, from God. Not from the Spirits, who are men; but from the Father of Spirits, who is God. Much lesse are Merits, which Papists reckon too; Thats worse than the other. For then salvation is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, from below. Saint Peter is too plaine for that, Theres no Name under heaven, by which we may be saved. In a word, theres no name under hea∣ven, nor in heaven neither, to which wee may ascribe salvation, but God onely; but God that sits on the Throne, and the Lambe, theres no more. Iudge then how sacrilegious Pope Leo the tenth was, who in the Laterane Councill let one title him his Saviour. Gods selfe shall determine (by the Popes leave) this Question, Esay 43. Non est salvator praeter me, theres no salvation in no sence, but from God.

To end all. To God, thats sits upon the Throne, and to the Lambe? Where is the holy Ghost? Doe the Saints exclude him too? God for∣bid. Non-expression is not exclusion. Gods Spirit, whom we may not teach to speake, taught these Saints this song. I may not say of them, as it is said of Peter at Christs Transfiguration, that hee spake, hee

knew not what. The blessed Spirits wot well that the persons are Peeres in mans salvation. They knew that of the Schoole, though they never went to it, Opera Trinitatis ad extra be Indivisa. The Actions ad intra, to Beget, to be Begotten, to Proceed, distinguish Father from Sonne, Sonne from the holy Ghost, each Person from other. But Creation, Preservation, Redemption, Salvation, all workes Emanan∣tia, that goe out unto the creature, are common to all three. Had the song beene but thus, Salvation to the Lambe: that had beene no exclu∣ding of the Father. So neither this ascribing of salvation to two Per∣sons, God and the Lambe, shuts out the holy Ghost. It pleaseth the Spirit to name sometime God onely, then all three are implied. Some∣time two of the Persons; then the third is understood; and sometimes to expresse all three. It is all one. For the Sonne is in the Father, he in him, the Spirit in both, both in the Spirit. What is therefore done to one, is meant to all. The like place to this here (lest you thinke it hath no parallels) is Ioh. 17. 3. and it is Christs owne speech to God, This is life eternall, to know thee, the onely true God, and whom thou hast sent, Iesus Christ. Say, the Saints might neglect or forget the holy Ghost, which to say, were absurd: yet Christ did not, could not. To say that, were impious. Now then unto our God, that sits upon the Throne, and to the Lambe, and also to the Spirit, be jointly and justly ascribed all salvation, Power, Majestie, and Thansgiving, nunc & in secula.