I doubt not but the Statute prouided against Drunkennes calleth such Drunkards By Idlenes the second sinne I meane such a sin as is contrary to an honest vocation by Idle persons such sinners as follow no trade but the wicked trade of Gaming and Drunkennes or the Beggers wandering trade Such persons are Idle persons and not the members but the diseases of the Common-wealth Also the houses which harbour such are no better then Bawdes to all manner vice and lewdnes Such houses of vnnecessarie resort being without number in no order should be shut vp by the Magistrates key specially such as are kept at Townes ends or in corners blinde Lanes for greater conueniencie of receiuing late conuaying away earely persons of most infamous life God blesseth a mans lawfull trade Man in it but this blessing they cannot hope for who liue in no calling or sinfully in a wicked calling Moses keeping sheepe saw the Lord Exod. 3.1.2.3.5 This excellent Man of God whose Psalme this is was taken from the Sheep-folds to be King Psal. 78.70.71 Lidia in her honest trade hath the benefit of her conuersion Act. 16.14 And in Q. Maries time there was almost no trade Mechanicall so base but some were called out of it to suffer for Christ. But how many Roysters Tiplers Gamelters good-fellowes e mbraced the Stake hot flames of fire in those raging dayes And for Carding houses Dicing-houses Tipling-houses Brothell-houses what Chappels are these to serue God in and of what trade are they who keepe them that they may say they liue in a trade with comfort to be saued Also these houses and such trades of life what doe they but multiply Rogues and Theeues who though they haue nothing to liue vpon in a lawfull course yet goe gay and haunt Alehouses day after day This cannot be borne out but by some bad dealing Therefore you who haue your Princes Sword and Oath put into your hands for such matters as you tender the glorie of GOD the welfare of your Countrey your Soueraignes glory and the saluation of your owne soules be zealous against both Drunkennesse and Idlenesse and let not those houses stand open that are open Iâ—nes to one or both And what I haue sayde of these I would haue to be sayd of all other works and workers of iniquitie And so I come to that which the Prophet meaneth by the wicked of the Land All the workers of iniquitie c. THe wicked which the Prophet before spake of he here by an exegesiâ— or exposition calleth the workers of iniquitie By which he meaneth such as giue themselues ouer to wantonnesse to worke al vncleanenesse euen with greedinesse Eph. 4.19 and such as commit sinne not vnwillingly but with purpose of heart From whence this Doctrine is taught that euery doer of euill is not a wicked person but he that doth euill and will doe it Dauid had many faults so haue the best Men for in many things we sinne aâ— Iam. 3.2 yet they are not to be numbred among the wicked Zacharie and Elizabeth were both sinners yet the Scripture calleth them not wicked but iust persons and persons iust before God that is in Gods account iust and concerning the Law vnreproueable that is vnreproueable by Man Luk. 1.6 Paul likewise after his conuersion had a bodie of death but no body of wickednesse Rom. 7.24 The Reasons First the doer of euill may doe euill against his will or as caried to it by some violence and yet be a good Man and so opposite to one that is wicked and doth purposely offend for hee is no sinner vvho in truth and deede desireth to be none Secondly hee is a wicked person not who sinneth but vvho is of the trade and vvorke of sinne and vvho is led by it as a Dogge in a line after his Keeper Also hee that worketh sinne 1 Ioh. 3.8 that is that followeth it as a man doth his trade is a wicked sinner But hee that doth euill sometimes doth not so offend and vvhen a good Man offends â—t is not his worke but the sinne that dwelleth in him Rom. 7.17 and can hee who thus is rather ouertaken by sinne then an ouertaker of sinne be properly called wicked Vses Here we see what may be thought of those who when they behold or heare of the frailties of Gods children iudge them as wicked as themselues vvho daily offend and with greedinesse and excuse their wilfull wickednesses by the vnwilling slippes of those that are sory that they doe euill But it is one thing to haue sinne in vs and another thing to haue it raigning in vs as it doth in the workers of iniquitie who giue their willes affections and members as seruants vnto it Indeede no man can say his heart is cleane Pro. 20.9 and sinne dwelleth and hath dwelt and will dwell in the best that euer vvas is or shall be begotten by Man But sinne is in the godlie as an ill Tennant that they would but cannot put out and the godlie are in sinne as a Malefactor in prison that is in hold and vvould be at libertie So it is not with the wicked for they without striuing willingly serue sinne make it their trade and occupation and delight in nothing more then to doe euill They liue by it as a man doth by his meate and walke in it ordinarily as Trauellers by the way Sinne raigneth in them Rom. 6.12 and by such regiment expelleth all voluntary goodnesse it selfe onely hauing the Kingdome and glory They wallow in sinne and rise not from vnrighteousnes And these the Prophet calleth the wicked of the land An instruction therefore to put difference betweene the sinnes of Gods children and the works of iniquitie in Saethans children Both may doe euill but both doe not euill in like measure nor with like minde therefore the one sort â—re and may be called the doers of euill the other wicked The place followeth out of which the Prophet purposeth to destroy these wicked of the Land From the Citie of the Lord c. BY the Citie of the Lord in these last words of the Psalme the Prophet meaneth Ierusalem which is called the Citie of the great King Matth. 5.35 for as the Lord out of all the world chose the Land of Canaan to bee his portion so out of all Canaan he chose Ierusalem to be his place where he vvould put his Tabernacle and set his Temple Deut. 12.5 and 1 King 8.29 Metaphorically hee meaneth by the City of the Lord the Church of God and so the reformation of the Church shal be his first and chiefest care The Doctrine is in all reformationâ— the Churches should haue the first place The Commaundement which Christ giueth Mat. 6.33 First seeke the Kingdome of God and his righteousnesse belongeth to all teaching them vvith their first care and best meanes to promote the glorie of GOD in his Church This Dauid practised himselfe 2 Sam. 6. 14.15 7.1.2 and
commaunded to his Sonne 1 Chron. 28.9.10 By this Salomon ascended into a most glorious seate as is noted by the Lyons at his feete on eyther side and sate downe aboue all the Kings of the earth whose glorie so sitting vvas such that he seemed to be a new Adam reentred into the Paradise of God or rather as the Sonne of God vvhose glorie in a sort vvas shadowed in his And the Lord greatly prospered Hezekiah because with his morning care he opened the doore of the Temple of the Lord which his Father Aâ—az had shut vp 2 Chron. 31.21 Moe examples and precepts to this effect might be alledged but these may suffice that haue beene spoken of The Reasons First Religion and Godlinesse which are the Iachin and Boaz the two strong and durable Pillars of Gods Church 1 King 7.21 are the two and principall two necessarie proppes of a sanctified state without which it falleth Secondly if a man that hath the charge of the Kings house in the Kings absence will carefully looke vnto all the roomes of the same but specially to those that they be cleane and in good order into vvhich the King in person vvill come shall not they vvho haue the keeping of Gods house which is his beautifull Temple though they must not neglect the out-roomes of the Common-wealth yet specially looke to the presence and those holy Chambers in the vvhich Christ will keepe his Passe-ouer with his Disciples that they be trimmed Mark 14.15 Thirdly the Church as the first moueable must be first stirred and vvell ordered or the wheeles of the Common-wealth will all of them either stand still or goe in no order Therefore were they reproued by Haggai the Prophet vvho builded their owne houses and dwelt in setled houses but neglected or did not regard Gods house Agg. 1.2.4 Vses An admonition to all Rulers and Gouernours in all their purposes specially in their Parliament and State-consultations to set the motions of policie vnder the waightie billes of the Church till Gods tabernacle haue all his pinnes and vvhole furniture And here that which Azariah the Prophet said to Asa the King and to all Iudah and Beniamin may truly and fitly be spokenâ— to all Kings as to Asa and to all their Nobilitie as to the royall seede of Iudah and to all the people as to Beniamin the Lord is with you while you be with him and if you seeke him He will be found of you but if you forsake him hee will forsake you 2 Chron. 15.2 The first fruits are Gods He that denieth these denieth Gods right and refuseth to giue him his royalties But there are in the holy Citie that is in the Church wicked persons as theâ—e vvill euer be that must be cut off Where the point taught is the Church visible is a mixt assembly vvherein are good and bad true beleeuers and hypocrites Some are sound members and some not members but certaine superfluous and troublesome humours in the veines of the Church liuing in it as Goates among Sheepe and being in it as tares among Corne Matth. 13.27 Ierusalem in the dayes of Christ was called the holy Citie yet in it were blinde leaders of the blinde a corrupt Priest-hood and ministrie of sacriledge Matth. 15.14 This is that great sheete knit at the foure corners and let downe to the earth wherein are all manner of beasts and fowle cleane and vncleane Act. 10.11.12 and this is that draw-net of soules that gathereth of all kindes good and bad soules Matth. 13.47.48 The Reasons There must be heresies in the Church and Schismes in Doctrine But there can be no heresies but there must be heretikes to teach them euen in the Church nor Schismes but where are Schismatikes to make them euen from the Church 1 Corinth 11.19 Further the faith of the good must be tried 1 Pet. 1.7 And how can that be if there be no bad to trie them Secondly Christ gaue himselfe for his Church that he might sanctifie and cleanse it Eph. 5.25.26 And wherefore sanctifie it but because it was vncleane and yet a Church When hee presents it to his Father it shall be without spot but till hee take it from the drosse of mortalitie to present it it shall haue spottes yea it selfe shall be spotted and liue with spotted men Vse The vse reproueth those who thinke there can be no sound Church vvhere are any corrupt members and vvho for the euill vvhich are in the Church forsake the good that are in it Hebr. 10.25.38.39 There was a Iudas in Christs companie and at Christs table yet did Christ suffer him neither shewed him to the other Apostles that they might seperate from him Which he did no doubt to shew that among Professours there will be alway faultie Professours The Magistrate should reforme them but Christians may not separate for them neither depart from the company of the Church because of that euill companie that is in the Church Indeede vvee should not make them our companionâ— and we ought alwaies to separate from their sinnes But shall I runne from my Fathers house because a bad seruant is in it No doubt but there were good men who abode in that Church where the watch-men vvere blinde and where they were all dumbe Dogges who should with wholesome barking haue driuen away the Wolfe or giuen warnâ—â—g of his comming or vvhere were they Esa. 56.10 If a brother walke inordinately vvee should with-draw our selues from him not from the Church because of him 12 Thessalonians 3.6 1 Corinthians 5.11 So I conclude that to separate from a Church is vnlawfull where many things vnlawfull and not so refined from the drosse of flesh are practised in that Church ROM 16.27 To God onely wise be praise through Iesus Christ for euer Amen IOS 24.15 I and my house will serue the Lord. ACT. 10.1 Cornelius with all his houshold feared God FINIS GODS Gentle Remembrance this last Sommer Anno 1613. OR AN EXPOSITION on part of the Parable of the lost Sonne BY ROBERT HORN PSAL. 111. vers 4. Hee hath made his wonderfull workes to be had in remembrance the Lord is mercifull and full of compassion LONDON Printed by T. S. for Francis Burton and are to be solde at the signe of the greene Dragon in Paules Church-yard 1614. TO THE VVORSHIPFVLL RICHARD ATKINS Esquire at Tuffe-leigh in the Countie of GLOCEST My speciall good friend Grace and Peace YOur bountie Worshipfull Sir besides my obligation to your Fathers name after his blessed death hath deserued a better oblation then the tender of this small Booke which by way of thankefulnesse to you and remembrance of Him in all thankefulnesse I send to you and abroad into the world vnder your Name It pleased that your Religious and truly godly Father to seeke Mee out in a darke skie or night of distresse to doe me good which he spared not to doe while he liued For as another Onesiphorus he often refreshed mee 2 Tim. 1.16
of damnation A curse that vvill suffer nothing to prosper with it or that is neere vnto it Habaâ— 2.9 And therefore stolen wares are rightly called infectious wares because they bring all to nothing house and all by a kinde of leprosie or fretting canker in them And one saith vvell that a man vvere as good put a coale of fire into the thatch of his House of Barne as to lay vp stolne goods among his other stuffe for they will turne all into a fire of destruction and no man shall quench it A terrour to Theeues and Robbers and threatning to all that liue by vnlawfull idlenesse or by vngodly profit in no lawfull calling For such are farre from repentance being more lost then the lost Sonne There is no trade of life so meane whereout God calleth not some by his grace in the Ministerie But how many are so called being out of a Trade or in no lawfull Trade Meane Trades in the burning raigne of Queene Mary gaue glory to God by sending some continually from their shop to giue witnesse to Christ in the fire But how many good-fellowes as we call good fellowship and drinking mates and dicing mates and other lose mates then receaued such honour It it a step to Religion to liue according to Gods ordinance in some honest place of some liberall or other Science to the benefit of the Church and Common-wealth Therefore Moses keeping Sheepe saw the Lord Exod. 3.1.2 Amos and Elisha two Prophets the one called from the plough 1 King 19.19 the other from the heards Amo. 7.14 and Lidia in her honest trade receaued the benefit of her conuersion Act. 16.14 Contrarily Dicing-houses houses that liue by tippling Drunkennes Play-houses and the whole stage of those that counterfait goodnesse and act vice in kinde what Trades are these that a Christian may liue in vvith comfort to be saued I haue not sayd any thing of the Vsurers trade that moth in the Common-welths-garment fretting it to a bare thread of necessitie which yet I iudge to be a Couetousnes not worthy to haue any standing giuen to it among the lawfull trades of a kingdome It is fearefull either to liue out of a trade or in such trades But must all haue a calling must rich men and landed men liue in a calling yea if they wil liue as members of their country and not as diseases in it It is not meant that all should goe to Plough and Cart or all be Trades-men and men of occupation for there are profitable Sciences which are not done with the body or chiefely by it as these are but with the industry of the minde wherein the richest and greatest should liue a helping member of his Countryâ— in the Church in the Common-wealth or in his priuate house Hee that doth otherwayes doth worse then this lost Son and is no sound but rotten member among the members of the body Rom. 12.4 5. 1 Cor. 12.21 So much for that effect of punishment that concerned the lost Sonne himselfe that that concerned him in regard of the Citizen followeth And he sent him to his fields or Farme to feede Swine In regard to the Citizen whom this poore man chose for his dependencie in so great a dearth of things it may first be reproued that hee did not imploy him about himselfe in the Citie but basely in the fields or at his Farme and then that hauing abundance for so it may be thought in so great a vvant of bread and dearth of graine he would not allow what was sufficient to him that serued him for the Text saith that no man gaue vnto him no man no not his Master v. 16. which maketh me to think that this hard Master was like some Corn-Masters in our dayes who by a cursed ingrossing of the markets of the poore keepe in Corne when they should sell Corne and starue Men to feed Mice But in this example our Sauiour by a Parable and darkely doth teach what a dead hold the world taketh of those whom it bringeth vnder for the practise of any oppression caused by a couetous soule It maketh them to violate Iustice and to forget Humanitie Iustice requireth that they that labor for vs should eate with vs and pittifull Humanitie that no man should with hold that vvhich being brought forth in time might saue the life of a man But where the world is most in minde these things are most neglected The bread of the hungry is the life of the poore hee that depriueth him of it is a man of bloud Sirach 34.22 yet what mercilesse worldling will not doe this villanie The hire of the labourer which is kept backe cryeth Iames 5.4 This hire is not onely his portion of money but that proportion of meate which is kept backe that is denyed by hard Masters when it is neither for quantitie sufficient nor for time seasonable Mat. 24.45 Prou. 31.15 The Leuite is forsaken Deut. 12.19 The comfort of his labour is eaten vp by greedy men at their full Tables who receiue his spirituall things and grudge him their carnall 1 Cor. 9.11 Men ioyne house to house and lay field to field Esay 5.8 that is their study and toyling care is how to increase their wealth and to inlarge their house A sinne of great men in Esay's dayes a sinne of meane men as well as of great ones in our dayes For high and low haue solde themselues to this couetousnesse The Thistle that is in Lebanon sendeth to the Cedar that is in Lebanon saying Giue thy Daughter to my Sonne to wife 2 Chr. 25.18 that is meane men aspire to set their house vpon Golden pillars and to match in great houses which is not spoken any way to taxe those who haue risen to great Marriages and meanes by their industry and true worth but iustly to reproue all ambitious Brambles Iudg. 9.15 who that they may mount and be aloft care not how vnnaturally they spare from themselues and how vniustly they pull from others Of such Salomon spake long agoe in his Ecclesiastes God hath giuen to man riches and treasures I may adde Abundance but not the power to eate thereof For a stranger shall eate it This saith that wise King is vanitie and an euill sicknesse Eccles. 6.2 A vanitie and sicknesse that holdeth too many at this day in the cords of sparing more then is meete Pro. 11.24 And that maketh them needy that are full and to borrow that should lend and to feed not the poore that should be fed but the rich by Vsury in whose net being taken they are constrained they or their children after them to sell as fast as euer they bought and sometimes all both old store and new And this ambition of liuings hath shut vp the dores of Hospitalitie in very many houses that haue giuen succour but are now eyther occupyed without Tenants or desolate without an inhabitant What shall I say of our Corne-masters Haue they not doe