obey our God and shewe that our affection is so bent without dissembling Let euery one of vs incline to that which is giuen him in commaundement namely to bee carefull vigilant and attentiue Nowe he addeth To keepe all the commaundementes which I set before thee this day or which I ordeyne for thee Although Moses be the speaker hereof yet taketh hee the aucthoritie and power to commaund and to subdue men not to anything of his owne forging as who should say it ought therefore to bee receiued without gainesaying but to God because GOD speaketh by his mouth and for that hee himselfe doeth faithfully deliuer the doctrine that was to him committed Therefore speaketh hee in such a high style insomuch as he saith that they should keepe his ordinaunces It lieth not in the power of a mortal man to binde folks consciences And yet is that y e thing which wholly corrupted the Church in that men haue vsurped the office of God in making lawes and statutes for spirituall gouernement of mens soules And that is a point of high treason to Godward For the creature vsurpeth to himselfe the thing which appertaineth to GOD onely whom the Prophet Esay termeth the lawgiuer 〈◊〉 3.22 and in likewise Saint Iames 〈◊〉 12. to the ende that wee should learne to heaâ—ken vnto him and wholly to depend vpon his worde Let vs marke wel then that it is not lawful for men to inioine lawes vnto mens soules But whereas Moses saith I ordeine vnto thee he presupposeth that he preferred not any thing of his owne ne forged any law of his owne brayne or added any thing to that which God had committed vnto him but forasmuch as hee did his office faithfully he might well say I ordeyne for thee As when wee set forth the pure word of God the same very worde is a souereigne commaundement Now it is not meant heereby that we should vsurp any dominion or souereintie ouer mens soules But that in dooing seruice to GOD wee may commaund in his name and in his person Thus wee see heere what the meaning of Moses was And in deede doth it lie in vs to promise men life euerlasting or to denounce vnto them the vengeance of God And yet wee doe it neuerthelesse Yea verily howbeit no furtherfoorth than the worde of God is put into our mouth and that wee haue the testimonie of him being his witnesse bearers and his herauldes his witnesses I meane to assure the faithfull of the grace and saluation which is promised vnto theÌ„ and his heralds to pronounce and to publish his sentence against al the vnbeleeuing sort and rebels Therefore to be short God meant to shew forth the maiestie of his word when he appointed Moses to speake in that manner And it was to the end that we should receiue the woorde of God with so much the more lowlinesse and reuerence when it is preached vnto vs not respecting the person as who would say hee is but a man that speaketh he is like vnto vs and as wee â—re so is he but as though we thought thus with our selues It is God that speaketh by the mouth of this man therefore let vs tremble at his presence let vs stoope and receiue that which hee saith and seeing he calleth vs before him let it serue to bring vs to such obedience that we may doe him homage thereby to shewe that we embrace that which proceedeth from his maiestie This is the summe of that which wee haue to keepe in memorie touching this text Now here might a question be moued why it is said When you haue kept al my commandementes For it is impossible for vs to fulfil the law so long as we stand cloathed with this mortall flesh As I said afore we shal euer be ful of vices and imperfections It seemeth then that it is to no purpose for God to require such a fulfilling of the lawe seeing it is impossible But here we must remember what hath bin spoken of afore To wit that God in his law respecteth not our might power or abilitie but our dutie after what maner our life ought to be gouerned And y e same ought to suffice vs inasmuch as we say y t a man shal neuer attaine to y e perfect obedience of God but y t we be euer farre from the end of our way the cause whereof is our corrupt nature being so infected through original sinne y t when we think on God we be troubled with many euil fansies wheÌ„ we haue any good motioÌ„ we are by by pluckt back from it we neede not any other thing to draw vs to the cleane contrarie But nowe by the way doth the impossibilitie of dooing it discharge vs of our seruice which wee bee bound to doe vnto God No. For the euil commeth of ourselues It is no maruel then that God in his lawe shoulde haue no regard to maÌ„s abilitie or vnabilitie but rather to the dutie which we owe him or that he shoulde require the right that belongeth vnto him for who is he y t can denie it him Hee must not change his nature If wee bee froward what hath he to do to meddle with our steines fylthines But he setteth forth such a righteousnes as we are not able to replie against And in his law he setteth not down such a righteousnes as is in himself he hath not respect to his own rightâ—ousnesse but vnto the righteousnesse that ought to bee in his creatures namely such as is in his Angels If wee had continued in our integritie and not beene peruerted and corrupted through sinne then should we haue beene able to haue discharged all that God requireth of vs in his lawe That is certaine Now then we see how it is not without cause that God will haue vs to keepe his whole law And yet we be not able to performe it It is true but the default proceedeth of the sinne which dwelleth in vs as I haue shewed heeretofore Now herewithal we haue to mark that seeing God promiseth nothing but vnto theÌ„ that haue obeyed al y e law it were too doltish follie to suppose that we can merit or deserue by doing this thing or that thing we must first of all haue kept al the law which is impossible And whereas the Papists prate of their merits enabling theÌ„selues to purchase the kingdome of heauen they think that wheÌ„ they haue done anie good to their own seeming God is bound to them Oh say they I haue beene deuoutly at Masse It is certaine that they prouoke the wrath of God by so dooing for we know that it is a diuelish abhomination Againe I haue serued such a Saint my Patron say they I haue builded such a Chappell and they beare themselues in hand that in so dooing they earne heauen Truely al these things are but a spiting of God they bee diuelish superstitions whereby the seruice of God is quite defaced But put the case that the
Yes And therefore let vs beware that we beare not false witnesse against God 1 Cor. 15.15 according to Sainct Paules saying who auoweth that such as corrupt the purenesse of the Gospel are falsewitnesses against God and not against men What is to be done then Wee must maintaine Gods trueth and deale so roundly in it that forasmuch as wee see the doctrine is good wee beare it abroade and maintaine it knowing that God hath ordeyned vs to bee as his deputies Then if I see the trueth oppressed I must not suffer it to my power Why so God hath appointed mee to see that lying and vntrueth bee suppressed in his name And this is to bee obserued most specially when the doctrine of saluation commeth in question As for example when wee see the doctrine in daunger to bee falsified and that men woulde mingle Leuen with it to imbrewe men with falshood and leasings in that case we must be zealous indeede not suffer false witnesses to haue their full swindge against God vnlesse we mind to consent to them and to bee partakers with them as I haue declared alreadie Finally let vs learne that when wee haue liued in such plainenesse among men as it cannot bee laide to our charge that wee haue gone about to deface any man by slaundering rayling or backbyting wee must also haue such zeale to Godwarde as his trueth may continue sounde and be maintained to reigne among vs. Thus ye see in effect what wee haue to consider vppon this commaundement Nowe let vs kneele downe in the presence of our good God with acknowledgement of our faultes praying him to make vs perceiue them better than we haue done and to leade vs more and more to such repentance as we may learne to bethinke vs of our sinnes to be sorie for them and to mislike of them that hauing obtained forgiuenes of them we may learne to direct our life according to his holy commaundementes so as he may be honored of vs with true obedience not onely with confession of the mouth That it may please him to graunt this grace not onely to vs but also to all people nations of y e earth c. On Friday the fift of Iuly 1555. The xli Sermon which is the twelfth vpon the fifth Chapter 21 Thou shalt not lust after thy neighbours wife neither shalt thou couet thy neighbours house nor his fielde nor his manseruant nor his womanseruaunt nor his Oxe nor his Asse nor any thing that is thy neighbours IT might seeme at the first sight that this commandement were more than needeth because that in condemning of thefte whoredome God ment therby to represse all wicked affections For I told you that we must expounde these commandements according to gods nature and we knowe that it is Gods peculiar office to serch mens hearts Chr. 2â— 9 Chr. 6.30 â—al 7.11 â— 2 〈◊〉 11.20 â— 10 so as he knoweth euen the deepest secretest and hiddenest thoughtes It followeth then that in forbidding men to be theeues and whoremasters hee ment also to bridle their affections and lustes And indeede if it were not so God had no more power in making of lawes thaÌ„ mortal men For if an earthly man condemneth whoredome he will also condemne the intent of it If there appeare a wicked intent it shal be punished If Gods Lawe were no more but so it were a matter of no great importance for it were but a ciuil order to gouerne vs honestly to the worldward But there is much more in it for we see howe S. Paul saith 1 Tim. 1.15 that the lawe cannot be kept without a pure conscience and an vnfeined faith It it bee requisite for vs to haue such a soundnesse in vs for the well keeping of Gods Lawe it followeth that all wicked lusts were forbidden vnder the name of whoredome As much is to be said of the word Theft Also we might alledge the authoritie of our Lorde Iesus Christ who is a faithfull expounder of the Lawe Matt. 5.28 1. Pet. 3.19 For it is by his spirite that Moses and all the Prophets spake Why then is it added heere that we must not couet If all wicked lustes were spoken of before why shoulde they bee repeted againe Wee must marke that in this place God meaneth not to represse the affections that are fully intended and determined vpon but the other affections or motions that stirre vs vp and prouoke vs although we neither sticke to them nor consent to them This requireth a longer and plainer exposition Sometimes Couetousnesse or Lust betokeneth the will in man As for example when I see my neighbours goods and am tempted to couet them and to lust after them Now if I feede this temptation in my self and giue my selfe the bridle then doth the sinne so ouermaster me that my wil is fully resolued vpon it and I would faine that those goods were mine This is a kinde of couetousnes or lust that carieth the will with it for the partie consenteth to the sinne and hee would put his wicked intent in execution if hee were able Nowe such kinde of wicked couetings and lustings were forbidden heretofore where it is saide Thou shalt not steale Thou shalt not commit aduoutrie For there God hath forbidden vs not onely the actuall deeds of theft and whordome but also the verie lusting and longing after another mans wife goods or possessions But there is another kinde of couetousnesse or lust wherevnto we doe not altogether cleaue as to consent thereto and yet notwithstanding it tickleth and moueth vs in such sort as wee feele some euill prouocation in our selues which is against God striueth against the righteousnes that is conteined in the Law Those are the lusts that are forbidden in this place And so we see that God hauing alreadie condemned all wicked intents and purposes doeth iustly adde that that is not yet such a perfection as he requireth at our handes but that we must vnderstande that all manner of affections which stirre vs vp to euill are sinfull insomuch that although wee determine not vppon any thing in our selues ne purpose it at all but onely that some lusting or liking doe glaunce through our heart A sinne is forthwith committed and wee bee guiltie before God Wee see then what manner of soundnesse is required in this text namely howe that our Lorde hauing alreadie forbidden wicked intents addeth that all our senses wits must be so imprisoned vnder the feare of him and so inflamed with loue and desire to liue in all holinesse as wee may not bee moued or stirred one way nor other by any wicked passion to luste after another mans gooddes or wife Seeing wee haue Gods meaning nowe let vs see whereto he bindeth vs for the Lawe shoulde be as a lookingglasse vnto vs to behold our own wretchednesse in And when we once knowe our dutie let vs assure our selues we be worthy to be condemned if we draw not
Lawe It is sayd Thou shalt let the Damme goe and onely take the young ones to thy selfe When a Henbird broodeth her young ones therein we haue an image of a mothers dutie towardes her children And the sillie birdes doe sometimes teache vs our lesson when men and women are so brutish that GOD is fayne to send them to schoole to the beastes Esa. 1.3 For when as the Prophet Esay saith The Oxe knoweth his Maisters stable and the Asse knoweth his Crib thereby hee ment to put men in minde of their leaudnesse and as it were to vpbraide them thus Yee bee woorse than the brute beastes therefore go learne of them For the Oxe in knowing his owne Crib or stall doeth shewe you that you ought to knowe the Lorde your GOD. And seeing hee vouchsafeth to gather you into his flocke and into his Church and yet you remaine woorse than the wilde beastes doe ye not shew your selues to haue vtterly forgotten the order of nature Nowe then seeing that the birdes haue such a care of their young ones surely they may teache men and women their lesson when they shewe themselues to haue no care of their Children as wee see some ryotous folke doe which care not though they let their wiues and Children starue at home without regarde thereof and in the meane while goe and spende thrise as much at the tauerne as would find their whole house Againe there are mothers y t haue no care at all of their children all their seeking is to rid their hands of them they cannot finde in their heartes to take the paines with them wherein they shew themselues to be vtterly void of louingnesse and kindnesse and to bee woorse than the brute beasts which teache vs our lesson in this behalfe For although the beasts haue no further care of their young than til they be able to shift for themselues yet are men taught their dewtie and charge thereby and what they haue to doe all the time of their life Why doe not the birds take care for their young ones furtherforth than till they be able to shift for themselues Bycause a bird is not created in the world to be gouerned by his sire and his dam all the time of his life He is not bound to that for he is a reasonles creature But the case standeth not so with men For euen when they be come to yeres of liberty they must still be guided and gouerned by counsell and their fathers and mothers must put them in mind of their dewty when they haue done amisse This needeth not in the beasts but yet doe the beasts discharge themselues of their duety so long til their yong ones be exempted out of their charge And sith it is so what shall men doe Let vs resorte to that which is sayd heere namely Thou shalt not catch the dam when shee sitteth vpon her young And why I see the dam brooding her yong ones and as we see she had leuer suffer herselfe to bee eaten with vermine than forsake her yong she sittes there as vpon a torture and shee passeth not for it For why Shee hath such a care of her yong that shee forgetteth her selfe for their sakes If ye demaund a reason of it there is none that we know but this it is a naturall inclination and mouing impressed by God in birdes that when they see their little ones to their seeming they be deerer to them than their owne life And although it bee a painefull thing to them to tary sitting there in such care yet goe they to it with a cheerefull courage Nowe when wee beholde this is it not all one to vs as if we sawe a picture wherein God shewed vs our dewtie Let fathers take warning heere to trauell earnestly for their children And as they ought to haue a care for the feeding and mainteyning of them so must the mothers also doe their diligence in that behalfe assuring themselues that it is an acceptable seruice to God when they take such paines in respect that GOD hath bound them to that Condition and that it behoueth them to yeeld thereunto willingly and with a franke and free goodwill Seeing then that wee see an Image of our charge and God sheweth as it were with his finger what dewtie fathers and mothers doe owe to their children shall wee goe ouerthrow it were not that all one as if a Child should goe burne his booke When he hath a booke bought for him to goe to schoole with and he teareth it in peeces shal he not be beaten for it Then if wee burne the booke which our Lorde sheweth vs and wittingly defeate the order which hee hath set in nature by playing the butchers in killing with our owne handes the silly bird brought thereto by constraint of necessitie for the discharge of her fatherly and motherly duetie what will become of vs True it is that God hath giuen vs the birdes for our foode as wee knowe hee hath made the whole worlde for vs. Yet notwithstanding if wee bee so cruell that wee will not spare the poore birdes euen when they bee as it were vnder Gods tuition imploying themselues in his seruice is it not a refusing of the grace which he offereth vs in setting before our eyes as in a lookingglasse the duetie which we owe towardes those whom hee hath committed vnto vs Yes verily In so much that if wee bee not besides our wittes and caryed with too cruell a rage wee will haue pitie and compassion vppon the poore birdes when wee see them yeelde their life in that sort to discharge their duetie And in deede it shoulde seeme that men intended to defye God and nature when they take the dammes so vppon their little ones For they bee so leane that they bee as it were frothe or slime Nowe our Lorde meant to restraine men and to shewe them that their lustes are altogither out of order As if he should say What will ye doe Ye see there is no substance or strength in them For during the time that I take them into my tuition they be not good for sustenance Now then if a man bee so cruell towardes the birdes without hauing regard hereto surely he wil be cruel to his neighbours also And he that maketh no sticking nor coÌ„science to kil birdes in their breeding time will also â—ut his neighbors throat if he thinke he may haue any gaine by it Thus wee see nowe why our Lorde hath tolde vs that hee woulde haue the Broodbirdes to bee in safetie though their young ones bee taken from them Hereby wee bee taught so to vse Gods creatures as the vse of them may bee orderly and specially that wee may inure our selues to pitie and compassion all our life long For to that ende is this commaundement to bee referred As I sayde afore GOD standeth not vppon the birdes to put any great perfection therein but hee ment to teache vs by an argument from the lesser to the
That the Iudges may perswade the man and if they see him to stande stiffe in his opinion then the woman shall plucke off his shoe from his foote and spitte in his face as by waye of reproche and shee shall say GOD doe so vnto all them which will not raise vp a stocke in Israel Nowe heere wee haue farther to note that God would haue the Iudges speake vnto the man to perswade him as farre as they were able And if the man woulde not consent vnto them they should content themselues with this kinde of punishment Whereby wee see that the Magistrates and other Iusticers ought to abstaine from vsing any force and violence in that thing which they cannot simply commaund As for example if there bee a thing which is good and yet there is no lawe for it and I being of power and authoritie would constraine a man to doe what I thinke good were there any reason in it For the law constrayneth him not to doe it and I ought not to passe those boundes Let vs therefore note wel that such as are armed with the sword must contayne themselues within their bounds and not challenge to themselues any Lawelesse libertie to say What I commaunde nothing but that which is good and therefore yee must doe it No For there is no constrainyng where there is no Lawe When there is a Lawe a man must holde himselfe to the rule thereof but yet in the ende the poynt that must bee come vnto is to presume to bring men into no further subiection than the Lawe byndeth them vnto Ye see then what wee are farther to beare in minde vpon this place Now as touching the shame that was done in plucking off of their shoes in spitting in their faces it serued to prouoke men to discharge their dueties the better Yet neuerthelesse if a man had rather sustaine this reproche than to take wife against his wyll hee was discharged thereof And heerein wee see as I haue alreadie tolde you that GOD sheweth the authoritie of a Father in beyng grieued when the families was not maintayned in Israel and yet was hee contented to beare with such as could not finde in their heartes to stoope to that yoke bicause it was so hard Therefore if any had rather to suffer such shame than to take a wife after that maner he came to declare it publikely But wee must nowe returne vnto that which I sayd in the beginning namely that there is not now any carnall kinred priuiledged as the race and linage of Abraham was For God adopteth vs nowadayes vnder condition that we bee ingraffed by faith into his Church and so made the children of Abraham For so much therfore as the kinred which we haue at this day is spirituall the order of raising vp issue to succeede in the inheritaunce of houses landes or medowes is no longer in force And why For it behoued that the stocke of Abraham should bee maintained vntil y e comming of our Lorde Iesus Christ. And y t was the cause why y e land of CanaaÌ„ was giuen in possession vnto the people Nowadayes y e whole earth is y e dwelling place of the children of God although they be dispersed throughout the whole worlde yet are they knit in one body by agreeing in one consent of faith to call vppon GOD and although they do it in diuerse tongues yet it skilleth not seeing that one selfe same spirit gouerneth them and that they haue all one hope of the euerlasting saluation which is promised vnto them Those are the things wherein they are all knit and conioyned together Seeing it is so let vs note that GOD will haue euerie of vs nowadayes for his owne part to do his indeuor to multiplie the church And the seed of Abraham is no longer begotten according to the fleshe through carnall marriage but it is begotten of the incorruptible seede of Gods worde 1. Pet. 2.23 as Saint Peter saith And when God vouchsafeth vs his grace to winne anie man and to bring him into his flocke then are we as spirituall Fathers And that also is the verie cause why the Ministers of the worde bee called Fathers and likewise the Church hath generally y e name and title of Mother because she coÌ„ceiueth the children of God Nowe albeit that all haue not that office of Preaching the worde of God yet a priuate person being a member of the Church may begette spirituall children vnto God if hee haue occasion and abilitie to winne a poore soule to inlighten him with the faith of the Gospell Let vs then bestowe our paynes to this ende knowing that if the carnall mariage was so pretious vnder the lawe in the sight of God Surely the meane whereby we be made members of our Lorde Iesus Christ is a thing now farre deerer and of greater estimation with him And therefore let euerie man employe himselfe that way to the vttermost of his poore For here is no forcing of vs to marie against our willes but of the winning of wiues vnto our lord Iesus Christ that by the multiplying of the Church wee may alwayes bee the more firmely linked vnto him Seeing then that our condition is more gentle and sweet than that which was vnder the lawe we ought to be stirred vp so much the more to the discharging of that duetie and we shall haue so much the lesse excuse if we be carelesse and negligent therein Thus yee see what wee haue to beare in minde in effect as touching this Lawe And nowe wee see that although it bee no longer in vse yet may we gather some profite from it to bee edified thereby For of all the thinges which the holy Ghost hath vouchsafed to leaue vnto vs there is none vnprofitable if wee haue the wisedome as I told you the discretion to applie it wel vnto our vse It followeth That if two men be at strife and one of their wiues come to deliuer her husbande and take his aduersarie by the priuities her hand shall bee cut off This lawe betokeneth in effect that honestie is to bee kept continually And that if a woman forgoe shamefastnesse it is a wicked and intollerable thing and therefore ought to bee punished to the intent honest sobrieâ—ie and stayednes in conuersation may be maintayned among the people of God and no lawlesse libertie of shamefull beastlinesse suffered That is the thing in effect whereat God amed in this law And so let vs note that vnder one example he meant to giue vs a generall instruction as touching all thinges which wee ought to take heede of Now as concerning the speciall case which is set downe here we see howe the woman might haue somewhat for her excuse when she commeth to helpe her husbande she might alleadge that she tooke not great heede and that she was astonished or amased but God holdeth her not excused for all that Nowe then if euen in trouble in daunger and amasednesse God will
True it is that this is spoken expressely to Iudges and gouernours in as much as God hath taken them neere to himselfe by setting them in his owne seate and by willing them to execute his office in this worlde and therefore ought they also to haue the greater care to followe vprightnesse that they suffer not themselues to bee peruerted by the thinges that are to bee seene in men But yet for all that euery man for his owne part ought to take warning to follow Gods example and to frame himselfe thereafter Colos. 4.1 according also as Saint Paul sendeth vs thither when he speaketh of bondmen and of men of bace degree that are easie to bee oppressed bicause men take leaue to doe euill when they see that a sillie soule cannot reuenge himselfe and that if he haue any wrong done vnto him he must bee faine to put it vp patiently by reason wherof they presume y e more boldly to say O as for him when I haue done the worst to him that I can he hath no meanes to hurt mee Thus are wee the bolder when we see that men are bace haue no maintenance But in this case Saint Paul saieth that wee must lifte vp our eyes to heauen and that forasmuch as there is no respect of persons before God wee must not thinke wee shall escape vnpunished when we abuse the priuiledge authoritie that he giueth vs. He then y t despiseth his neighbour ought to thinke thus yet notw tstanding we haue a cōmon iudge in heauen although I be now rich honorable to the worldward although I be in authoritie estimation yet when I come thither all this geare must ceasse and although my coūterpartie be now despised haue no mā to stād by him yet hath he a defender in heauē Lo here say I what ought to beate downe all pride in vs to the end that none of vs aduance himselfe nor take more vpon him than is lawfull ne thinke he hath leaue to doe euill vnder colour that our counterparties are of no credite and authoritie Let vs not tarie till ordinarie Iustice doe redresse our extorsions or till those whom God hath set in his place to iudge without respect of persons doe punish vs for committing of some outrage but let euery of vs remember this lesson here namely that inasmuch as God regardeth not any outward showes at al it behoueth euery of vs also to frame himselfe to the like vprightnesse and indifferencie And forasmuch as men do always put vs in feare so as there spring from thence the sorest and worst temptations that can be to hinder the perfourmance of our duetie Moses warneth Iudges expresly not to be afrayde of men Why For the iudgement is Gods sayeth he Loe here a text well worthy to bee marked I haue tolde you alreadie that which experience sheweth too much that is to wit that they which otherwise are of good nature doe neuerthelesse ouershoote themselues through fearefulnesse Ye shall see a man in the place of Iustice who being not euill of himselfe would that all should goe well it grieueth him when he seeth any fault and he could finde in his heart that euery man should brydle himselfe or else that there should be some good correction when any men haue done amisse but in the meane whyle forasmuch as he seeth that there will be some grudging and misliking of the matter he thinketh thus with himselfe What Shall I prouoke euery man to anger against mee That man hath kinsfolke and friends and such a one is able to be euen with me if I trouble him Againe forasmuch as naughtinesse reigneth euerywhere and wicked folke haue their full scope and are most in number I shall bring all the world in my top if I minde to discharge my duetie I must not set my selfe against two or three onely but I see that all are corrupt and there is no man but he resisteth weldoing They therefore which otherwise feare God and woulde minister right and iustice when they sit in iudgement are letted through fearefulnesse If they stand in awe of men they shall surely bee shaken downe And why Bicause they bee not grounded vpon the foundation that Moses layeth here namely that the iudgement is Gods They knowe not say I that they offer great dishonour and reproche vnto God when they preferre men before him For he that swarueth from his duetie for feare esteemeth mē more than God Why so A Iudge ought to consider that God hath set him in the place where he is with another maner of countenance than other simple creatures For he that sitteth in the seate of Iustice sitteth in the roome of God and is as his Lieuetenant A Iudge therefore ought to consider that and if he doe not he forgetteth God whom he was bound to serue It is all one as if a man being feced by his maister to doe him seruice knoweth not whether there bee a maister in the house or no but falles to singing and playing and eateth drinketh at his houres and sleepeth when he listeth without hauing any care or regarde of his maister Doeth not the seruaunt that forgetteth his maister after that fashion deserue to haue men to spitte in his face Nowe then if Iudges consider not of whome they holde their estate and dignitie their vnthankefulnesse or rather blockishnesse is too too shamefull beastly Againe if Iudges knowing themselues to bee set vp of God doe neuerthelesse shrinke from their duetie for feare of men and bee stopped and held backe from doing the things which they knowe they ought to do bicause men are against them what yeelde they vnto God what estimation haue they of his power And yet for al that God hath taught them their lesson and promised them to stande by them and to bee their defence Seeing it is so ought they not to make a bucklar of his inuincible power and to fight lustily though al the world should step vp against them Is not God mightie ynough to ayde them and succour them if they trusted thereunto so as they woulde rest vpon it and plucke vp a liuely courage and constancie to goe on in the right way Yes but else if they bee moued by such temptations to swarue from their duetie let them assure themselues that God wil leaue them destitute of his power Thus then wee see that this streine as I saide afore importeth a very profitable doctrine But yet wee must note also that this perteyneth not only to them that are in authoritie but also to all men in generall For there is as it were a comparison made betweene God and mortall men And why For nothing beguileth vs more than that wee make too great reckening of men and in so doing eyther diminishe God or abolish his highnesse As oft as men come in our minds God is no body in comparison insomuch as if wee put him in ballaunce hee seemeth lighter than a feather
then that the thing which wee haue to marke vppon this text is that if wee meane not to leade a disordered lyfe and such a one as God vtterly mislyketh wee must hearken vnto him And heere it appeareth of what valâ—we good intents as they terme them are whereof I will treate more at length anon For if it behoue vs to heare God speak before we lift vp one foote to goe foreward what will become of vs when euery of vs is wedded to his owne fancie and when our lustes are so wilde Doth it not appeare that God refuseth all such thinges in one worde Againe Moses telleth vs that God on his side will teach vs faithfully soundly and perfectly conditionally that we refuse not to be ruled by him and to obey him And hee vseth mo wordes than one For he could haue sayd hearken to the Lawe or hearken to his commaundementes but hee sayth hearken to his statutes and ordinances And in other places he setteth downe Statutes Gen. â—â— ordinances commaundementes and rules This is not a superfluous speach but it serueth to expresse the better that it is long of none but our selues that wee be not well and faithfully taught But what for that Men are so lustie as they cannot temper themselues to y e simplicitie of Gods worde to say that it shall suffise them to be gouerned by God and to receiue whatsoeuer is set before them in his name Men cannot abide such modestie but are alwayes itching after their owne inuentions and yet in the meane while doe still arme theÌ„selues w t starting holes according as we see nowadayes y t a number doe grant y e holy scripture to be good but they say also y t it is expedient to supply y e wants y t are in it y t is a cursed blasphemie inasmuch as it accuseth God of ouersight or else of enuie for not setting downe all that is requisite to our saluation But yet shall this saying holde spyte of all the world that the lawe of God is a full and perfect doctrine wherein there wanteth not any thing and that if our lyfe bee ruled thereafter it is certeine that there shall no fault bee able to bee found in it and that wee cannot walke after that manner but that if the worlde condemne vs God will not faile to allowe of vs and that ought to bee enough for vs. But herewithall Moses sheweth the ende also why hee taught the people not to the end that euery man should knowe what was good and then make no further account of it but to the ende that their liues should bee answerable thereunto God then setteth vs downe a doctrine of practise as they say And therefore it is not enough for a man only to knowe Gods word but hee must also be transformed into it by beholding it as Gods image 1. Cor. 3.18 as Saint Paule speaketh thereof To what ende then doth God speake vnto vs not to the end we should but nod at it or listen with our eare to it to ratify his sayings by speach or by signes but to y e end we shold giue proofe by our whole lyfe that hee is our father and maister and that hee hath all preheminence ouer vs and that whereas wee bee his creatures we bee his children too Let vs marke well then that our comming hither to heare Gods worde must not bee to goe away as wee came but if our life bee chaunged and that wee haue learned to frame our selues according to that which God hath tolde vs that is the very right vse of it Otherwise wee doe but vnhallowe Gods worde and wee shall be found guiltie of high treason towards him for disappoynting of the operation thereof But what So little is this obserued nowadayes of such as name themselues Christians that in stead of performing the thinges that are commaunded them they vouchsafe not to come where they may bee taught one worde but which woorse is doe shunne all learning There are to be seene which can brag well enough that they be faythfull and yet there nedeth none other tryall to knowe what they bee than their manifest despising of Gods woorde more than the Turkes or Iewes doe For thâ—se haue yet some reuerence of religion but the diuells that are among vs come to sermons lyke dogges and Oxen without any honestie or modestie Othersome come thither to sleepe so as it should seeme that their meaning is to spite God openly and to spit in his face it should seem that they be desirous to shew some signe of their leawdnesse and beastlynesse how detestable they be To be short although they speake it not yet doe they beare a marke in their foreheades for all men to beholde with their eyes that they seeke to deface Gods glory to the vttermost of their power Another sorte doe make countenaunce to hearken and yet make but a flim-flamme of it as they say For what shall a man finde in all their life Nothing but desperate disobedience But yet for all that Gods worde hath not chaunged his nature Wherefore if wee looke not about vs to frame our selues accordingly thereunto wee must needes come to account for defyling so holy a thing which GOD hath ordeyned to so worthie and noble an vse And herewithall Moses addeth that God requireth not any thing at our handes in respect of himselfe or for any profite that he shall haue by it but for our owne welfare To the ende sayth hee that thou mayst enter into the land that is giuen thee for thine inheritaunce and possesse it Herein Moses protesteth that God looketh not for any reward at our handes for hee hath no neede of any thing but it is for our profite that hee would haue vs to serue him Hee could well ynough forbeare vs but yet is hee desirous to haue vs and hee woulde that wee shoulde suffer him to gouerne vs. Seeing then that God in all respectes sheweth such loue and regarde of our welfare are wee not woorse than wilde beastes if wee bee still hard to yeelde and cannot finde in our hearts to come to him but against our willes If God should but onely commaund vs after a precise fashion yet were we bound to do whatsoeuer he biddeth vs yea and although hee should vse the greatest rigour that could bee yet might not wee refuse to doe our duetie towardes him But hee forbeareth that authoritie of his as though hee yeelded vp some part of his right and vseth another maner of speach as if hee shoulde say you owe mee all thinges for yee bee mine and yet for all that the seruice which you doe mee shall bee accepted in so good woorth as yee shall perceiue that I take yee for my children yee shall feele my gratious goodnesse and benefites in all sortes and to bee shorte yee shall not loose your labor Seeing then that God stoopeth thus vnto our rudenesse ought not wee to bee rauished at so great goodnesse And although
leuer to winne vs by his goodnesse than to restraine vs by his threatnings And therefore hee saith My children looke not that I shoulde punish you Truely if yee prouoke mee I will not suffer my selfe to bee so mocked at your hands but yet for all that when I haue told you of my displeasure I had much leuer to traine you and to winne you to me by mercie Therefore I tell you that if you abide pure and sounde in my obedience I also will continue in doing good vnto you euen vnto a thousande generations so as your children after you shall find me the same still Thus yee see what we haue to remember vpon that sentence Moreouer for a conclusion it is not for nought that God vseth the terme Mercie notwithstanding that it bee as a rewarde for the seruice that is done vnto him Hee might well haue saide I will consider the seruice of such as shall haue honoured and serued mee and when men shall haue loued mee by keeping my commaundementes I will shewe them that they haue not lost their labour in taking paines to honour me God might haue spoken so but hee saieth I will shewe mercie And howe may that bee Doeth it not seeme that if we serue God hee oweth vs recompence No but hee sheweth that his doing of good to such as honour him and followe his commaundements is not of bounde duetie nor for any desert of theirs for euen in so doing hee vseth mercie still And the terme Mercie serueth to beate down all pride of men so as they may not boast of their owne workes as though they were worthy of recompence but rather consider that thereby God ment to declare that when we serue him the best that we can we haue still neede to be borne withall at his hande and to haue our faultes and infirmities forgiuen vs. Thus are there two thinges for vs to marke in this place The one is that although wee serue God neuer so purely yet his recompensing of vs is not vppon any duetie that hee oweth vnto vs. 1. Cor. 15.10 For indeede whence commeth our seruing of him but of his meere grace And what can hee then owe vnto vs Nay there is yet a further matter namely that we should all of vs be found faultie in his sight Rom. 3.4 if he listed to examine vs rigorously So then whereas God recompenseth vs for our seruing of him hee doeth it for his owne meere goodnesse and therfore not of any bounde duetie but which more is hee is faine to pardon our sinnes and to beare with vs yea euen in the good that wee doe Wherefore let vs consider that God sheweth himselfe so gratious and freeharted towards vs that where as hee might make vs to feele his rigour hee is contented to make vs tast of his mercie by bearing with vs in our infirmities For let vs not think but that without his mercie we were al vndone and that although we stroue neuer so much to obey him yet wee shoulde be found faultie if he vsed not y e foresaid gracious goodnes wherof he speaketh So then that is the thing wherevnto we must flee for refuge if we intend to be sure of our saluation Nowe let vs kneele downe in the presence of our good God with acknowledgement of our sinnes praying him to make vs feele them better than wee haue done that it may leade vs to true repentance so as being taught to feare him wee may stande in such awe that as soone as he threateneth vs with his wrath wee may conceiue the power that is in him to the ende that being humbled in our selues wee may haue recourse to his fatherly goodnesse not doubting but that when hee hath once begunne to shewe himselfe a father and Sauiour towards vs he will continue so stil yea euen after our decease so that wee shrinke not from him through our owne naughtinesse and disobedience That it may please him to graunt this grace not onely to vs but also to all people and nations of the earth c. On Wednesday the xix of Iune 1555. The xxxiij Sermon which is the fourth vpon the fift Chapter 11 Thou shalt not take the name of the Lorde thy God in vaine for the Lorde will not holde him guiltlesse which taketh his name in vaine IF we were well aduised we needed not to bee taught to yeelde reuerence to our God for nature ought to leade vs thereto To what ende are we created in this worlde To what ende liue we here but to honour him to whom wee be beholden for al good things and to giue our selues to the glorifying of his maiestie That then is the end and whole summe of our life But in the meane season in steede of honouring our God and of applying our selues that way we seeme to haue conspyred the cleane contrarie For some of vs woulde haue all remembrance of God buried some despise him and mocke him and othersome blaspheme him with open mouth so as we shewe sufficiently that wee knowe not to what end we liue or should liue Now forasmuch as there is this vice in vs God intending to redresse the same telleth vs that we ought at leastwise to refraine from abusing his holy name for that is as an vnhallowing thereof And therefore hath hee forbidden men to take his name in vaine By these wordes he meaneth that wee must consider well which is the right and lawfull vse of his name Of a trueth wee be not worthie to take Gods name in our mouth after any manner at all for wee must remember what the Prophet Esay saide in his sixt Chapter Esa. 6.5 Lorde quoth he I haue vncleane lippes and dwell among a people that is altogether defiled Seeing then that we haue nothing but infection and filthinesse in vs it is certain that we may not take Gods name in our mouth at leastwise if it were not that God of his goodnes were willing that we should vse his name so it bee to glorifie him withall Therefore let vs marke well that when as it is saide that we shall not take the name of God in vaine our Lord rebuketh vs for our vnthankfulnesse if we haue not the skill to vse his name as he hath giuen vs leaue by following the rule that is set downe in his worde for that is the lawful meane whereby wee may rightly vse the name of God Neuerthelesse to the end that this may be yet plainlyer vnderstoode wee must marke that vnder one particular God meant to shewe vs here what a maiestie is in his name to the intent we shoulde not speake of it but with all reuerence and honour Therefore he taketh one particular kinde to wit of an othe specially when occasion serueth to sweare and vseth it for all prophaning of God his name whatsoeuer We see howe our Lorde loueth vs seeing he lendeth vs his name whereby to communicate with our neighbours Exod. 22.10 11. Hebr. 6.16 so as
were fed with manna from heauen and whereas they sawe the clowd vpon the tabernacle which was a token of Gods presence maiestie should they not haue concluded that God bare rule ouer them and shewed himselfe to be their guide yes and yet for all that Moses beholding the hardheartednesse of the people thought it not enough to tell them of the thinges which were seene at that time but also alledged the promise that had beene made fowre hundred yeeres afore Behold sayth hee the Lorde thy GOD will bring thee into the land of Chanaan If thou aske what proofe thou hast that it is Gods handâ— thou needest no long disputing of the matter thou knowest what promise was made thereof This heritage theÌ„ was assigned vnto you aforehand by the free goodnesse of your God euen before you were borne If God had giuen this land simply to the people of Israell without promising of it before it had bin somewhat the darke somer But seeing that GOD made an agreement and as it were a solemne league with Abraham saying this is the signe that I enter into couenant with thee and with thine ofspring this day namely that thou shalt inherite this land howbeit that shall not bee presently but thou thy selfe must liue and dye there as a straunger and also they that come of thee and their ofspring lykewise must bee soiourners in a straunge lande and bee there vexed and greeued with continuall tyrannie neuerthelesse they shall returne thence at the end of foure hundred yeeres and then will I performe my promise Doth it not appeare by these sayinges that God wrought in that behalfe Should any further proofe be sought therof may not euen blinde folkes feele it with their hands We see then for what purpose Moses alledgeth here y e promise y t had bin made to Abraham Isaac Iacob yea and Gods rehearsing of his promise againe was a larger proofe thereof so as the thing became the better knowen and of more authoritie In deede the people are also put in minde therewithall that this inheritance befell them not by their owne policie Psal. 44.4 nor for any worthynesse that was in themselues nor was conquered by their own power or strength but was giuen them freely of God so as it behoued them to acknowledge that they had receiued it and that their possessing of it was not as though they had obteined it by their owne power The Lord sayth hee promised you this land At what time when none of them was yet borne or bred Then coulde they not haue earned or deserued aught And therfore it behoued them to acknowlege that Gods onely free gift was the cause of it and that they obteyned not any thing but through his freebestowed mercie because it pleased him so to doe For men will neuer sufficiently perceiue themselues bound vnto God vntill they bee vtterly bereft of all their merites and that it bee shewed them that they haue not any thing of their owne to bring but that it is God which doth all not of duetie but of good will Men must bee fully perswaded of that or else they will neuer duely perceiue themselues to bee bound vnto God And whereas Moses speaketh afterward of the great and goodly Cities of howses full of gooddes of vineyardes oliuegardens and of all other commodities it is to make the people to vnderstand the better that God delt not nigardly with them but had powred forth his tresures to the intent that they should be the more prouoked to serue him And that is another point well worthie to bee marked For so long as God dealeth with vs but after the ordinarie maner wee will not perceiue that he is willing to bee our father because wee consider but the order of nature and stand musing therupon That then was the cause why God voutsafed to adde the full measure of all liberalitie by handling his people as is shewed here so as hee gaue them not a meane land that was neither barrein nor abundant of which sort some are to bee found but hee gaue them faire and strong cities houses throughly furnished and groundes throughly manured Seeing it is so the people ought to haue bin the more prouoked to acknowledge that seeing God had shewed himselfe so bountifull it became not them to fall a sleepe but to knowe him to whom they were so greatly bound And it is sayd expressely heere that the people should possesse the thinges which they had not made or gotten to themselues There is not any thing of thine owne labor sayth hee Diddest thou build the houses wherein thou dwellest or shalt dwel For hee speaketh here of the time to come When yee come into the land yee shall finde fayre houses and that of other mens building ye shall finde all maner of housholde stuffe and necessaries ready made yee shall finde vineyardes and Oliuegardens throughly planted ye shall want nothing yee shall finde welles ready digged for that land had not water at will We know what payne and distresse the holy fathers were driuen vnto onely to haue water for themselues and their caâ—tell Gen. 21.25 26.19.20.21.22.32 namely how they were driuen from place to place yea and that not for any pretious thinges but when they digged some poore pitte their neighbors came and draue them from it Not without cause therefore is here expresse mention made of pittes or welles to shewe that the people should finde all commodities there without the putting too of one finger to take any paynes for them And therefore hee addeth take good heede that thou forget not the Lord thy God when thou art full This is the chiefe matter which we haue to wey For Moses doth vs to vnderstand that meÌ„ are a kin to restie horses if they be ouerpampered they fall to kicking and will not be handled nor ordered any more and this similitude is set downe more expressely in the two and thirtith chapter Deut. 32.15 But in this place hee sheweth playnely that ouermuch ease is the cause of wilfull stubbornnesse so that if God hath once pampered vs wee forget him and play the drunkardes so as we cannot order our selues in such wise in the inioying of the benefites which hee bestoweth vppon vs as to yeelde him thaÌ„ks for them and to serue him the more effectually but contrariwise we deuoure them vp with such greedinesse and excesse as our nature becommeth vtterly brutish and God hath no more authoritie ouer vs but wee beare our selues in hand that wee could well enough forbeare him Yee see then that men become brutish through pleasures and abundance of wealth And that is the thing which Moses hath noted here in saying take good heede that thou forget not the Lorde God when thou art full Finally hee concludeth that wee must feare God and honor him and sake him for our GOD which thing he betokeneth by this word Sweare For wheras y e people are commanded to sweare by
And what did he He executed rigor ynough vppon those whom he listed and specially vpon such as he wist might doe him harme but when he had so begun he let the rest go vnpunished he cared not what came of it so he might reigne peaceably Now at the first sight a man might well say it was a vertue worthie of commendation that he punished those whom God had commanded him Verily and so was it if he had held on that trade still But for as much as he destroyed one sort and spared another sort it is said that God will punish the maÌ„slaughter that Iehu had committed And how may that be Is it manslaughter to haue executed the coÌ„mandement of God Yea after the maner that he went to worke He is said to bee a manslear bicause he had not an eye to the thing that God commanded him For he should haue gone through as he began But he stayed in the middes of his way For as for those whom he punished he punished theÌ„ in respect of his owne peculiar profit He had no regard of Gods honour so the Crowne of the kingdome continued with him Therefore is he iustly accouÌ„ted for a manslear and not a iudge And therefore let vs beware that we take not more libertie than God giueth vs. For he can well skill to moderate his own doings though we take not vpon vs to be more pitifull than he And if wee make our hand of his honor we must pay dearely for it when we come to our reckening before him But if this seeme straunge vnto vs let vs go a litle by degrees see if nature might not be a schoolemystresse good enough for vs if we were not blinded by our wicked affectioÌ„s If a maÌ„ haue children he knoweth well ynough that it is his duetie to teach them and to chastise them wheÌ„ they doe amisse For if he beare with his childreÌ„ and dare not touch them but cockereth them and in the meane while they bee of euill nature may it not bee saide that he is worthie that his children should picke out his eyes and pluck his nose from his face And on the contrarie part if children were teachable meeke of themselues it were not meete that they should bee touched But when a father perceiues his children to bee curst and vnruly if he spare them then men will say that he marreth them and that he sendeth them to the gallowes and that he is the cause of their vndoing Now let vs compare a father with a Iudge Whereas a father ought to chastise his children with roddes a iudge hath an office that passeth yet further Therefore he must haue an eye thereunto and if he doe not he is worthy to haue his eyes put out with the mischiefe as Moses speaketh here of these people saying They shall be as thornes to prick thee on all sides Iosu. 23.13 and to put out thine eyes they shall be as waspes to sting thee in such sort as y u shalt not know which way to turne thee Lo what reward y e Israelites had for their retchlesnesse in that they were not stout in putting the sentence in execution which God had vttered with his own mouth But howsoeuer the case stoode with them let vs learne still to be pitifull For the rigour that is spoken of here must not make vs to forget how God commandeth vs to loue euen our enemies Matt. 5.44 them that persecute vs and to indeuour to doe them good to the vttermost of our power that we may bring them into the right way of saluation Then must we needes haue that Yea and euen when a Iudge vseth rigour his heart must mourne and lament to see a creature that is made after the image of God so dealt withall but yet must he go on still and execute the office which GOD hath committed vnto him These two thinges then are not vnmatchable that is to wit that gentlenesse should bee vsed in the executing of Iustice so as our wicked moode should not carie vs away but that we should alwayes hold vs still to this point of louing euen those that shall haue done vs the worst they could Thus ye see howe we ought to put this doctrine in vre Gods intent is not to stirre vp his people to crueltie his meaning is not to bereaue them vtterly of all compassion and yet notwithstanding he will haue misdeedes to be punished And furthermore as touching the lande of Chanaan which hee had purposely appointed to his honour hee woulde not haue it any longer so defyled with such infections For the Nations that had dwelled therein before had as it were defiled the land Nowe Gods intent is to stablish his kingdome there he will bee worshipped vncorruptly there and therefore all abhominations must be rid away For seeing that God will haue his righteousnesse put in vre through the whole world whensoeuer he is knowen in any place so as his trueth is there preached and he hath set his Church in some good order and state men must looke well about them that no offences or defylinges may raigne there For wheresoeuer God is worshipped and serued that place is as a temple dedicated to his Maiestie and Gods temple must be kept holy as it ought to bee 1. Cor. 3. Then is it the greatest and intollerablest treacherie to Godward that can bee when euill doings and crimes are fostered in his Churche Therefore it is not said without cause Thine eye shall not pardon any of all these Nations they must bee consumed vtterly And why first the wickednesse that was among them was ouergreat they were despisers of God and therefore he was faine to be reuenged of them in the end Againe he hath an eye to the benefit and welfare of his Church so as he woulde not haue his children intangled with such as might draw them to euill consequently to theirruine and destruction God then wil haue his people rid of all stumbling blocks Marke that for the second point Moreouer for the third point it was conuenient y t God should shewe himselfe a Iudge to the intent that by beholding such vengeance they might take warning to thinke thus with themselues seeing that God hath done vs the honour to punish such as haue offended vs to giue vs example by them let vs beware y t wee fall not into the same offences for then shall we be dubble to blame Thus ye see how Gods committing of his vengeaunce vnto his owne people to punish such as had bin giuen ouer to all naughtinesse ought to serue all folkes for an example After he hath said so Deâ— â—â— 15. he addeth now Thou shalt not serue their Gods for that would turne to thy decay Although this saying haue bin set downe by Moses alreadie heretofore yet is it not without cause y t he setteth it downe here againe For we soone forget what God commandeth vs if wee bee not quickened vp
then should I looke for the blessing that God hath promised Wee must not thinke to binde him when wee fall to spiting of him so wilfully nor to haue his blessing light vpon vs when we fall to straying out of the right way shaking off his yoke bridle froÌ„ our necke but we must coÌ„trarywise looke y t he should curse vs that his wrath shold light vpoÌ„ vs not only vpoÌ„ our selues but also vpon our childreÌ„ And so we see what instructioÌ„ we ought to gather vpoÌ„ this place Namely y t euery of vs ought to look to himself y t if we purpose to haue God to keepe vs through his fauor goodnesse our howses must not be defiled with robberie deceit neither must our hands be imbrued with stealing filching but to be short we must be cleane from all spottes Yea we must beware that we keepe y e order which our Lord hath commaunded vs Matt. 6.33 which is y t he which is desirous to bee blessed in his owne person in his houshold must looke wel to it y t god be serued honored in his house that there be no filthinesse lurking any where y t there be no whordom no swearing nor no other disorder y t there be not any thing against God nor any euil bolstered or borne out If we doe so then shall wee prosper better than wee doe and although things fal not out as we would wishe to the worldward yet will God graunt vs the grace to bee contented with his only blessing which wil satisfy vs more than if we had all y e heapes of golde siluer that were possible to be imagined But on y e contrary part if a man haue not a care to keepe his house pure and cleane as a teÌ„ple of God y e thing y t Moses speaketh here must needs be performed y t is to wit Gods curse must come into it accordingly as it is sayd in y e prophet Zacharie Zach. 5.3.4 that this same curse possessed al y e houses of that time because iniquitie reigned in theÌ„ and departed not from them Will wee then haue God to shed out his blessing vppon vs Let vs be sure that we clense both our selues our houses from all filthinesse and then will the curse depart from thence out of hand But if wee cease not to prouoke Gods wrath by abusing his patience too long hee will kindle a fire that shall neuer be quenched and if wee fall still asleepe hee will wake vs to our cost and when we think our selues to be escaped then shall wee be new to begin And therefore let vs be circumspect to preuent the mischiefe specially sith wee be warned yea warned by our God himself Wherein hee sheweth vs what a care he hath both of our worldly welfare and of our saluation Now let vs kneele downe in the presence of our good God w t acknowledgement of our faults praying him to voutsafe to make vs feele theÌ„ better than wee haue done so as it may make vs to resort vnto him to be sorie for our sinnes and to condemne them that we be not so froward as to spite him to harden our selues but that we may haue a meeke plyable heart to receiue al his warninges correctioÌ„s in such wise as we may haue the skill to fare y e better by them And so let vs say Almighty God heauenly father c. On Thursday the fifteenth of August 1555. The Lviij Sermon which is the first vppon the eight Chapter Keepe al the commaundementes which I haue commaunded you this day to do them that yee may liue and encrease and go in and possesse the land by right of inheritance which the Lord swore to your fathers 2 And be mindfull of al the way wherethrough the Lord thy GOD hath made thee to walk these fortie yeares in the wildernesse to the intent to afflict and try thee that hee might knowe what is in thine hart and see whether thou wouldest keepe his commaundements or no. 3 Hee afflicted thee and made thee to endure hunger and fedde thee with Manna which neither thou nor thy fathers knew to make thee to know that man lyueth not onely by bread but that man lyueth by all that euer commeth out of the mouth of the Lord. 4 Thy rayment hath not worne vpon thee neyther hath thy foote beene swolne all these fortie yeares HEre againe Moses sheweth y e people y t God gaue not his law in vain but that his will is to haue it kept and that is the way for vs also to fare y e better by it True it is that whensoeuer any man speaketh to vs in Gods name we must haue our eares open to heare what is tolde vs for by that meane doth faith come Rom. 10.17 But yet must we bring our handes and feete with vs also to offer them obediently vnto God Rom. 12.1 to imploy all the power that hee hath giuen vs in his seruice Therefore let vs not come hither onely to haue our eares beaten with the thinges that are preached vnto vs but let vs also apply them to our vse Instruction must be matched with practise or else we shall neuer knowe what hath bin shewed vs and taught vs. And so we see what we haue to beare in minde Moreouer let vs marke that Moses thinketh it not enough to haue sayd these things at once and away but he repeteth them againe for a larger confirmation Looke sayth he that thou keepe the commaundements which I inioyne thee not to the end thou maist knowe them at thy singers endes or bee able to vtter them with thy mouth that is not enough But thou must put thâ—â— in execution And to confirme this matter the better hee addeth a promise saying That thou mayst liue and increase and go into the land which the Lord thy God did sweare vnto thy Father This hath beene expounded alreadie heretofore and there remaineth no more to doe but onely to renewe the remembrance thereof according also as we see that y t was intent of Moses or rather of y e holy Ghost Now theÌ„ our Lord altâ—reth vs to him by promises of purpose to giue vs y e better corage to serue him he doth it of his own free goodnesse without being bound thereto For he needed no more but to say the word he hath authoritie to commaund vs what hee listeth and it is our part to obey him Why then doth he ad his promises but to win vs by louingnesse lyke a father who though he haue al soueraigntie ouer his childe doeth neuerthelesse vse gentlenes in promising to y e inteÌ„t his child shold serue him with the cherefuller heart True it is that the child is bound therto aforehand by nature but yet when hee seeth his father so vpright towardes him as to offer him more than his duetie it moueth him the more if he be not
the west side in the lande of the Cananites which dwel in y e plaine ouer against Gilgal beside the groue of Moreh 31 For ye shall passe ouer Iordan to go possesse the lande which the Lorde your God giueth you and you shall possesse it dwell therein 32 Take heede therefore perfourme all the ordinances lawes which I set before you this day THE protestation that Moses maketh here serueth to shewe y t men themselues are the cause of all their miseries that it is not for them to seeke the blame therof any where else And on y e other side that when God declareth his will vnto vs the way of welfare is shewed vs it is long of our selues y t our life is not happie in al respects throughout So then the meaning of Moses is y t God doth men a singular good turne when hee vouchsafeth to teach them by his word For whē they haue the record of his wil it is as good as a shewing of them howe to attaine to saluation how to prosper in this transitorie life Contrarywise also they be warned y t if they fare not y e better by the doctrine that is deliuered vnto them vnhappie are they they haue not cause to cōplaine of God afterward as though it were long of him for they had choyce Therefore when we haue beene instructed in Gods worde knowen y e true pure religion if we hold not on through out all the blame is to be layed vpon our selues For God had shewed vs the good way we held it not ne kept our selues in it Needes therefore must we be barred from al excuse and God must hold vs as conuicted for that we had leuer to perish wilfully to go to destruction than submit our selues to him who was willing to haue led vs to life saluation For this cause Moses sayeth Behold this day do I set before you a blessing a curse As if he should say Bethinke your selues Seeing y t God hath commanded me to publish his lawe it is not for you to fall asleepe For on the one side hee sheweth you howe you may prosper all your life long namely by obeying him On the contrarie part thinke not to scape scotfree when ye shall haue disobeyed your God such vnthākfulnes shal not abide vnpunished For God must needes be reuenged of such as haue refused his doctrine made no reckening of it So then first we be done to vnderstand that y e hauing of the knowledge of Gods will is an inestimable treasure All of vs are desirous to lead a happie life but there is no meane for vs to attain to it vnlesse God open vs the gate to come vnto him If it be alleged How then Shal not men be blessed if they indeuour to do wel Wil not God accept all their seruice when he sees them go on with a good intent Let vs marke first of all that men may to their own seeming haue as greate deuotion as is possible yet they shall but erre To weene that we do wel is not all that we haue to do We must be sure y t the way which wee take is no bypath but the way that leadeth straight forth vnto God Ye see then that we cannot bee sure of any blessing that is to say that our liues please God and that the seruice which wee doe him is wel liked of vntil he haue shewed vs what he requireth what he alloweth For so long as we walke after our own imagination wee go the clean contrarie way in stead of going forward wee go back Marke that for one point Againe for the second point when we haue done all yet is God nothing beholden to vs for it What oweth he vnto vs Nothing Now then al that we can hope for is by reason of the promise y t he maketh vnto vs by telling vs that if wee keepe his law we shal not lose our labour nor be disappointed but we shall haue a good rewarde at his hand Gods saying so is the ground from whence the blessing springeth that Moses speaketh here And it is the same thing that S. Paul telleth vs where he presupposeth y t euen before y e law men could not deserue any thing not without cause For if wee had done all that which were possible for vs to do as I said afore were it possible for vs to deserue aught at Gods hande No for wee owe it him euery whit of it he oweth nothing vnto vs. And so yee see why Moses sayeth here y t when the lawe was published then was a blessing set before the people As if he should say Heretofore ye haue knowen no rule ye haue beene as the wretched infidels which go on at all aduenture haue no certeintie to trust vnto But now hath your God gathered you to him shewed you y e right way Therfore y e way for you to leade a happie life is to obey the wil of your God Also here is a promise added to it whereby the people might bee in the better hope y t God would blesse them It is al one then with y t which I haue told you alreadie namely y t God is verie gracious to vs in shewing vs after what manner we ought to lead our life For without that wee might martyr our selues as much as we lifted yet it should be to no purpose Wherefore let vs beware that we receiue the word the more reuerently which is preached vnto vs in his name specially seeing it bringeth vs a blessing not only in y t we learne therby to know what Gods wil is how to liue in his fauour but also for that hee bindeth himselfe of his own good wil insomuch y t although no duetie compell him thereto yet vouchsafeth he to couenant with vs in such sort as we shal not serue him in vaine But here a mā might cast a dout how it commeth to passe that Moses speaking of the law sayth that he setteth forth a blessing For as was declared yesterday whatsoeuer God promiseth vs in his lawe wee fare neuer a whit the better by it because of the conditiō that goeth with it which is that y e promise of his blessing is tyed to performing of his commandemēts But no man doth that therfore are we al disappointed of the promise of the lawe by reason of the vnpossibilitie of the condition It should seeme then y t Moses speakes to no purpose in this text in promising a blessing to the people And in deede wee heare how S. Paul speketh of it Rom. 4.15 7.14 He saith y t the law bringeth nothing but Gods wrath vengeance for it rebuketh euery one of vs so as there is none of vs all that is righteous neither hath euer any man bin All of vs then are conuicted by the lawe Psal. 14.3 as transgressors against Gods righteousnes so
may dispise him all their life long And heerein we see as in a lookingglasse how greatly our nature is inclined to superstition and secondly that alwayes we will needes haue ceremonies to content God withall and to discharge our dewties towardes him Our nature I say is so bent to superstition that if God forbid a thing in deede wee dare not doe it with intent to resist him but wee seeke some other byway so as GOD shall bee disappointed and neuer haue the thing that hee demaundeth As for example the Christians which beare that name take not vpon them the very superstitions of y e Idolaters as they terme them but yet they followe the selfe same in deede with a little disguising of them and so they beare themselues in hande that god espies them not at all The Idolaters caryed bread and drinke to the graues of the dead bearing themselues in hand that the soules were fed therewith and they caryed thither lightes to the intent to glad them Nowe the Papistes haue thought this to be too great an absurditie But what for that They offer vp bread wine and candles and monie at their Masses and the soules departed say they shall finde releefe by it Verily if it bee replyed that the superstition of the Papistes is not all one with the superstition of the heathen in deede there is some difference betwixt them But to what ende do they so but to content GOD with some newe exchaunge For as I sayde it is a thing rooted in mans nature And wee ought to marke it well for wee woulde soone fall into it if wee were not restrayned by Gods woorde as by a short and rough brydle And all commeth from out of this spring that wee will not serue GOD as he requireth but by a sorte of Ceremonies I wote not what And when wee haue once made some shewe of deuotion wee beare our selues in hand that he is well appeased and that he ought not to presse vs any further And thus ye see that the cause why men in all ages haue toyled themselues so much in the seruing of God and haue inuented so many trifling things is that they will needes paye him in such coyne bicause they were loath to deale vprightly and faythfully with him God requireth our hearts 1. Sam. 16.7 if he possesse not them al the rest is nothing worth Now we bee full of hypocrisie and wee bee not willing to discouer our backnookes which are full of dissimulation malice and rebellion but would alwayes keepe them still to our selues And yet in the meane season wee pretend a maruelous holynesse with our eyes our feete and our handes Therefore let vs learne that this mischeefe hath reigned in all ages to the intent we may rid our selues of it and let vs assure our selues that God will not be serued at our handes by outwarde Ceremonies True it is that all our whole life ought to beare witnesse that the feare of him is well rooted in our hartes Iames 2.17 Faith is a dead thing if it vtter not it selfe by good fruites Moreouer if we intend to haue our seruice accepted of God let vs assure our selues that we must begin at the soundnesse of hart and that all Ceremonies are to no purpose except they shewe y t our hart is right pure and vnfeined Thus much concerning the superstition and abuse y e reigned among the Iewes and still reigneth at this present We must alwayes come backe to this saying of our Lorde that the thinges which goe into a mans mouth defile him not but the thinges that come out at his mouth as all maner of wicked affections One is full of ambition and pride another burneth in couetousnesse and a third practiseth spitefullnesse and treason Euery man hath his vice himselfe so as one is a glutton and another is a whoremonger These are the things that infect the man yea and they infect the whole world Therefore let vs learne to clense our selues from all such filthinesse and as for Ceremonies let vs knowe that wee ought to vse them so farre foorth as God requireth them for the vttering of our faith but yet must we vse them simply and not bee wedded too much to them For wee see that the deuill will by and by haue a towell ready to blindfould our eyes withall so as wee shall no more consider the principall but forget it vtterly and abuse our selues to thinges of nothing To the intent then that we may not haue our eyes so bleared let vs follow God that way which hee calleth vs that is to serue him in all purenesse And now as touching the principall point of this sentence where it is said that a kid must bee eaten in his dammes milke let vs vnderstand that God will haue vs to vse honestie and sobernesse in our eating and drinking that is the thing in effect which wee haue to remember in that text Truely as touching the figure we be no more tyed to it as I haue said afore but as for Gods meaning that is durable When men doe giue themselues to their leawde and outrageous appetites it is all one as though they ment to ouerthrow the order of nature Yee see how drunkardes when they bee so full that they be ready to burst doe inuent such shamefull thinges that an honest man would bee ready to cast vp his stomacke to heare the things spoken of which those swine doe When they be as full as their skinnes can holde they whet their stomacks take shooinghornes as they term thē to drawe on a cup of wine and such other like things so as wee may see that men cannot content themselues with any measure but although God shewe himselfe liberall towardes them yet notwithstanding they wil needs follow their inordinate lustes still declaring y t their desires are vnsatiable neuer at rest till they haue brought themselues to shameful disorder without regard of any modestie Sith we see such things we may well perceyue howe it is not without cause that God hath warned the Iewes to vse a kind of honestie in their liuing and feeding which thing belōgeth much more to vs at this day Although we haue not the Ceremonie any more yet will God haue vs to liue honestly to vse a sobrietie in our eating drinking so as we may alway lift vp our eyes say Lord we haue receiued foode at thy hand we know y t thou shewest thy selfe a father towards vs. But if we make a hotchpotch of al things w tout discretion surely it is no taking of them as at Gods hand but wee shall finde at the last that we rauened them vp like beastes And therfore let vs learne to refraine our selues Thus wee see howe the doctrine that is conteyned heere is not vnnecessarie at this day so wee can applie it duely and with discretion of the holy Ghost to our instruction Now after this he sayth concerning beasts that
loueth such as offer vnto him willingly and not as of necessitie Yee shall see manie that will be liberall to Godwarde howebeit it is but a thing of constraint which kinde of dealing God vtterlie misliketh A man may spoyle himselfe of all his goods and yet doe God no such seruice as hee shall like well of if it bee not matched with his freewill as I saide afore Besides this GOD left it to euerie mans owne choyce to offer what hee thought best but yet he addeth according as the Lord thy God shall haue blessed thee To the intent that men should not withhold through nigardshippe as they be commonly wont to doe God putteth them here in minde of his blessing as if hee had saide be well aduised true it is that in this case I lay the bridle on your neckes offer what you your selues thinke good I meane not to inforce you to any thing I would haue the offeringes which you bring vnto mee to be of a free will But yet for all that ye must come to account for it Who is hee that blesseth you If yee haue had a good and plentiful haruest to whome are you beholden for it Ought yee not to consider howe it is I y t haue opened my hand wide to the end that your hearts also shoulde open themselues wide on their parte Know ye therefore that I haue allured you by multiplying you wherefore when yee haue a good croppe looke that yee employe your selues so much the freelier in doing my seruice And hereby wee bee warned to looke neerely to our selues that euerie of vs may put forth the good thinges which God hath committed vnto him Here is mention made but onely of Corne Wine and such other thinges Then if God haue inriched a man hee must see that hee suppresse not Gods blessing by keeping it close For wee see there are Cormorantes which haue no care of otherfolkes pouertie they thinke they may scrape all that they can come by and that no man ought to haue any parte of their goods On the contrarie part it is declared here that accordingly as euerie man hath receiued aboundance at Gods hande so must hee impart vnto his neighbours for that is the ende which God ameth at And if wee thinke not of it we must come to account for it and wee shall finde at length that God will impute it to vs for theft when wee shall haue deuoured his goods after y t fashion without hauing anie pitie vppon the needie to succour them In like case is it with spirituall giftes For according as euerie man is of abilitie and skill to succour his neighbours so is hee bounde to discharge himselfe and to put himselfe forwarde Otherwise GOD will shewe vs to what purpose hee had bestowed his benefites vppon vs and that wee haue fayled in our duetie That is the thing which wee haue to beare away in that Moses alleadgeth Gods blessing to stirre vp the Iewes to offer sacrifice y e more largely after as God shall haue increased them knowing that hee bindeth them thereby vnto him And whereas he saith That they shall reioyc◠with their children their menseruauntes their womenseruaunts the fatherlesse the widowes and the strangers thereby hee sheweth that his lawe was not ceremoniall onely but that it tended also to the doing of almesdeedes as indeede our Lord hath at all times shewed Hebr. 13.16 that those are the very sacrifices which he requireth True it is that part of the thinges which were to be offered were to be brought to the Altar there to be burned in sacrifice but yet for all that it was alwayes prouided that of the rest the poore should be fedde and maintayned as well as the priestes Leuites and nowe doeth Moses speake thereof againe Wherefore let vs marke that euen in the time of the Ceremonies and shadowes of the lawe God neuer required sacrifice but that he willed men therewithall to haue pitie vppon the needie to succour them according to this saying of his by his Prophet Osee I require mercy not sacrifice Osee. 6.7 True it is y t he had commanded both of them but he sheweth y t such as think to discharge themselues by cōming to y e church and by offering their giftes there doe beguile themselues and that all their doinges are but hypocrisie if they bee not kindehearted in succouring the needie in doing of Almesdeeds For I pray you can wee aduance GOD anie whyt by offering of our goods vnto him Can we inrich him Iob. 35.6 Psal. 16.2 Wanteth he any thing True it is that hee requireth oblations howebeit that was to the end that men shoulde acknowledge euen by eysight that they were bounde vnto him It was a kinde of puting of them in minde of it Yet notwithstanding it stood them alwayes in hand to consider that they could not otherwise discharge themselues than by giuing part of their goods to such of their neighbours as had want Thus ye see howe the meaning of Moses was that when the Iewes offered their sacrifices after haruest it was not enough for them to acknowledge with mouth and outward gestures that they were bound vnto God for his sending of them wherewith to liue but that it behooued them also to shewe towardes men that they intended to be faithfull stewardes of the thinges which he had put into their hands and desired nothing but to be well discharged of them And to moue thē more thereunto he telleth them That they themselues had beene bondeslaues in the Land of Egypt which warning peale hath bin set downe in other places heretofore For wee know that when men liue at their owne ease and in pleasure they bee not greatly touched with compassion though other men die for hunger euen so was it with the Iewes when they were come into the land of Chanaan after they began once to waxe ful For the land it selfe was fat and specially because God had blessed it Therefore doth he bring thē backe to the minding of their former state and of the cruel bondage wherein they had beene Consider saith he how ye haue beene bondslaues in the land of Egypt and that as then ye would faine haue been gently intreated When ye were too greeuously vexed ye cried out vnto mee Now therefore know ye that y e poore needy which are among you do craue likewise to be regarded at your handes and that I for my part do make account of them This is the effect of the matter conteined in that place Now to the end we may make our profit by it let vs cal to mind the saying of the prophet O see accordingly also as it is alledged by our Lord Iesus Christ that is to wit that God requireth the sacrifice of Almesdeeds Matt. 9.23 12.7 As if he should say that he is not contented that men shoulde vse some Ceremonies towards him but will haue vs to be kindharted in releeuing
profit whē God on the otherside offereth vs his blessing telleth vs that he will prosper vs so we stick vnto him And whether were it better for vs to inrich our selues by vnlawfull meanes which God condemneth and which shall come to an euill end or to haue Gods fauor present with vs and that the same should neuer faile vs Thus we see now to what purpose Moses addeth this sentēce That men should followe vprightnesse Verily euen to the intent they may inioy Gods fauor that thou maist possesse the land sayth he which the Lorde thy GOD giueth thee and that thou maist liue long therein This is a continuing of the same matter still which I haue declared before namely that whereas God might commaund vs in one word yet notwithstanding to win vs to him hee is so gentle that hee bindeth himselfe to vs and maketh a couenant with vs as it were betweene two parties He hath authoritie enough to commaund vs and it is not for vs to aske wherefore Againe he is not bound to promise vs any thing for we owe him all that we haue and he is indetted to none of vs. Neuerthelesse he voutsafeth to yeelde to our infirmitie accordingly as we haue seene heretofore that after his requesting of y t which is our duetie he addeth that we shall not be disappointed in seruing of him Yet must wee not conclude thereupon that wee can deserue aught at his hand but rather we see his infinite goodnesse in that hee promiseth vs his fauor freely after that fashiō And therefore we ought to be the forewarder in dooing whatsoeuer hee commaundeth notwithstāding any impedimēt that might hinder vs to plucke vs back Vnexcusable are we in these dayes if we feele not some force of his promises in quickening stirring of vs vp to obey him Hath God commanded it That ought to suffice vs. Notwithstāding because we be slowe and negligent he addeth this help that he commeth to win vs by gentlenes as if a father should flatter his child See we this Must it not needes be y t our hearts are too too much hardened if they relent not at such goodnesse Therefore when we feele that Gods commaundementes touche vs not sufficiently to the quicke let vs take these promises here to stirre vp our selues the more and to spurre vs the more forewarde Againe let vs marke well the speach howe he saith Thou shalt followe vprightnesse in all cases The wordes are Vprightnes vprightnes shalt thou follow So doth Moses speake how beit that some men translate it Thou shalt follow iustice vprightly But when all is throughly lookt vnto he meaneth nothing else but that men should beare an euen hand in executing of iustice following the right by streight line and perseuering stedfastly in it without swaruing I say it behoueth vs to marke well this saying bycause men will needs alwayes discharge themselues to Godwarde by peeces but as for to go through stedfastly with all things that he commaundeth that is a very rare matter as the world seeth specially in those which haue the handling of the lawe True it is y t though they be wicked yet wil they be ashamed not to haue some goodly shew so now and then a man shal finde some vprightnesse and reason in them But haue they done right to one man To morowe they will deale contrariewise with another Haue they punished one misdeede Three shall go vnpunished for it after as the persons are fauored and borne out This partialitie is to be seene in maner continually and it is a token that there is no vprightnesse And this is not to serue God insomuch that when indifferencie is not vsed in the ministration of Iustice those that are punished cry out vnto God for vengeance as though they were wronged And therefore Moses thinks it not enough that men should simply doe Iustice but hee will also haue them to proceede with it and to continue it so as there may be Iustice vpon Iustice that is to say a continuall holding on so as no vndifferencie may be perceiued nor any diuersitie of weightes and ballances nor any respect of persons accordingly as hath bin sayd heretofore that men must not leane to the one side for any fauor nor forsake a good cause for any hatred but be of such stoute courage that they bow not one way or other for any thing That is the way to mainteine Iustice. This lesson is apparant enough of it self there remaineth no more for vs but to fall to the practising therof But as I sayd it is a very hard thing for men to frame themselues to keepe an euen hand So farre off is it that this was written in vaine that it is sayd y t if we will prosper through Gods fauor wee must keepe order continually among vs so as euery man may haue his right and that on the contrary part without we doe so God threatneth to bereaue vs of his blessing though he had giuen vs it before And thereof it is that we see so many chaunges and alterations to happen in the worlde namely for that when God hath blessed a people set them in as good state as were to be wished by by they fall to ryoting so as the gouerners abuse their authoritie the people take libertie to doe euill when they see y t their Iudges are corrupted by reason wherof God is fain to lift vp his hand to take away quite and cleane all that euer he had bestowed vpon that nation Wee see examples thereof too commonly Wherefore let vs stand in awe and let vs learne to liue the warelyer in the obedience of God when he hath set vs in any prosperitie Let euery man according to his abilitie further the maintenāce of Iustice and let such as haue the sword in hand vse it in such sorte as God may be honored not be driuen to bring vs to our arreignment for breaking of the order which he had set among vs That is the effect of the thinges which we haue to remember in this text Now Moses addeth That men should not plant any tree neere vnto the Altar of the Lord nor see vp any maner of image Wherby he prouideth y t there should be no resemblance betweene thē the Idolaters Gentiles and also that there should not be any memoriall of long continuance for feare least they should learne or accustome thēselues to doe sacrifice in diuers places So are there two reasons which Moses hath an eye vnto in this text The one is y t he would haue y e seruice of God separated from all y e superstitions of the heathen The other is y t he would haue folke to accustome thēselues to the worshipping of God and to offer their solemne sacrifices in the place where y e Arke of y e couenant was and that there might not be any peculiar religion throughout all y e countrie As touching y e first it is
his bloudshed but also which shall then come to perfection when wee be vnited to him in the kingdome of heauen Nowe let vs kneele downe in the presence of our good God and father praying him to rid vs dayly more and more of our flesh and of all the corruptions thereof and to make vs so to feele our sinnes as wee may at leastwise bee sory that we haue offended him and desire to be ridde of them continually more and more proceeding still forewarde in the doctrine of repentance vntill we be fully brought home vnto him and that he will vouchsafe so to beare with vs as in the meane while we may by his holy spirit be drawen vnto him euen vntill we be come altogether home vnto him That it may please him to graunt this grace not only vnto vs but also to all people and Nations of the earth c. On Tewsday the last of December 1555. The Cxxiij Sermon which is the fourth vpon the one and twentith Chapter 18 If a man haue a sonne that is stubborne disobedient so as he will not harken to the voice of his father nor to the voyce of his mother and they haue chastised him and he will not obey them 19 Then shall his father and mother take him and bring him to the Elders of their Citie and vnto the gate of their place 20 And shall say to the Elders of their Citie This sonne of ours is stubborne and disobedient and will not harken to our voyce he is a ryottour and a drunkard 21 And all the men of that Citie shall stone him with stones vnto death And so shalt thou rid away the euill from thee that all Israell may be afrayde when they heare thereof HEere first of all is shewed what their charge duetie is which haue children and secondely that when children growe past amendment by their fathers mothers they must be rooted out bycause their doing is against nature and it is such an infection as prouoketh Gods wrath vpon the whole Countrey Nowe as touching the first point it is sayde that if a man haue a frowarde and stubborne sonne and that he haue done his indeuour to reforme him Here God presupposeth that the father and mother doe performe their duetie for their children are giuen them with condition that they must yeelde account of them If a man haue layde the brydle vppon his childes necke and let him playe the loose colte he is worthy to haue his eyes pickt out by him and all the euill that the childe doeth is to be imputed to his father because he was negligent in correcting him Therefore wee see heere as I sayde afore that Moses doeth here warne fathers and mothers to bee diligent in nurturing their children And if chastisement will not preuaile their children are to be taken for vtterly vnrecouerable Wherefore that wee may benefite ourselues by this text let vs marke well that he to whome GOD giueth children must haue a speciall care to bring them vppe well for that is a singular treasure which ought to be preferred before al the goods in the worlde Then if a man be slothfull and suffer his children to runne at randone is it not an vnthankefulnesse that offendeth GOD greeuously seeing hee despiseth the benefite and honour which hee had vouchsafed vppon him Must it not needes be that men are starke blinde when they make more account of some other thing in their house than of their owne children Some haue more care of their kine Oxen or Horses than of their children Euery man makes account of his wares of his Lands and of his Medowes and in the meane while they let the chiefe thing alone Worthy be they to bee sent to schoole to a certaine Heathen man who beeing in a house where all thinges were as finely furnished and dressed as could be deuised finding the good mās sonne to bee aranke slouin and euilnurtured did spit in his face saying I must needes spitte vppon this filth that is left heere As for those which are so diligent and watchfull about their marchandise their reuenewes their possessions yea and their Cattell insomuch as they take more care for their dogges and horses than for their children accordingly as wee see howe greate Lordes sette more store by their haukes and houndes than by their children Doe not such blinde wretches bewraye their beastlinesse that men may abhorre them as folke too too farre voide of all witte and reason Yet notwithstanding our Lorde telleth vs heere that if men or women haue children they must looke to the bringing vppe of them True it is that chiefly it is the fathers duetie but yet must not the mother also be barred of her right If a childe be so lustie as to say my mother is a woman he must goe and finde fault with GOD. For wee see heere howe the authoritie is giuen as well to the one as to the other so as God will not haue the father alone to haue the gouerning of the childe but that the mother also shoulde haue part of the honour and preheminence and that y e child which will not obey his mother shall be taken for past grace be condemned to death And therefore both of them ought to do their endeuour to the vtter most of their power For seeing that GOD hath honoured the mother it is good reason that shee on her side shoulde streyne her selfe to doe her duetie And it is not ynough for fathers and mothers not to giue their children leaue to doe euill or not to traine them thereunto but they must also nurture them and instruct them in goodnesse as nature it selfe sheweth If a father say As for mee I vpholde not my sonne in this euill I mislike of it but I can not doe withall it is a very simple excuse and it is not meete to be admitted or to be taken in account For it may be sayde vnto him thou art a very blocke for seeing thou art set in that place and he will haue thee to bee the maister of thy childe thou art but a dolt in that thou makest no countenaunce when thou seest him doe amisse So then lette vs learne that heere GOD requireth a carefulnesse in fathers and mothers that they shoulde take paines to teach their children and haue an eye to their behauiour and dispositions and that if there be any fault in them they correct it and be very diligent in that behalfe Nowe if onely negligence be so condemned though fathers and mothers allowe not of their childrens faultes what will become of them when they bolster them in their euill dooinges and cloke them as much as they can and are offended when any other bodie goes about to bring them into the right way from their vnthriftinesse And yet we see that parentes doe so Truely negligence is too common a thing for fathers mothers haue no further regard of their children than to receiue some seruice at their hands In
their children will not be reclaymed at the first choppe that for very spyte they let them alone and so their children fall into all excesse But they ought not to deale so Howe then Vntill they finde by experience that their childe is out of measure stubborne and sheweth himselfe to bee of so frowarde and ildisposed nature that hee can not be reclaimed the father and the mother ought to proceede still with that nurturing of him which God commaundeth heere And parentes ought to bee patient in this case for mieldenesse is a vertue right requisite in this behalfe because that if a father trust to his owne courage he shall marre his children if he finde any hardnesse in the teaching of them forasmuch as it is alwayes a painefull thing and yet GOD will haue men to occupie themselues in nurturing of their children notwithstanding the painefulnesse thereof And if they can not frame their children according to their desire but that they will needes take the brydle in their teeth truely it can not but turne to the great griefe of the parentes What say they Ought not one worde to serue to the childe Ought he not to be ashamed if there were any droppe of honestie in him After that manner might a father speake But howsoeuer the worlde go yet must not the creature be left at randon without regarde of winning him to God Wee must rather vse patience still as Saint Paul counselleth vs in speaking of corrections In deede hee telleth vs that we must vse sharpnesse and rigour to moue such as be ouermuch hardened in their naughtinesse but yet hee woulde haue it matched with meekenesse and patience Nowe then what ought fathers to doe Should they bee so far out of patience as to giue ouer the correction of their children No. And therefore let vs learne that in this text fathers for their parte are warned to haue a stay of themselues when they see their children giuen to lightnesse vnconstancie and to misbehaue themselues and that although they cannot winne them at the first nor bring them to such meekenesse as to make them take y e right way of their owne good will yet they must consider with them selues howe it is Gods will to keepe them occupied in that kynde of paines taking and to trye their patience after that manner Thus yee see one other poynt more which wee haue to marke in this text where mention is made of such vnreformable stoutnesse and stubbornesse as fathers and mothers doe finde to bee past remedie in respect of themselues and therefore are faine to resort to the Iudge Nowe let vs come to the euidence that is to be giuen by the father and the mother It is said that they shall come to the gate for that was the place of iustice in olde time So then they shall repaire to the seate of iustice and there say This sonne of ours is stubborne against vs froward wee haue assayed to reforme him cannot preuaile with him He is a riotour a drunkarde and therfore wee put him now into your handes Gods will is that vppon this euidence the chyld shall bee stoned to death And it is not without cause y ◠he giueth such authoritie to fathers and mothers For it is not likely that men wil be so cruell as to spill their own bloud that were vtterly against nature Therfore it is good reason that y e father mother should bee beleeued without further scanning or sifting of the matter seeing the case concerneth their own children For it were a shaming of the father mother to driue them to bring witnesses against their own children their dealing by ordinarie maner of inditement should be a derogation to the degree wherein God hath placed them And seeing such prerogatiue is giuen to men they ought to haue the more regard of their duetie But Gods will is that the father and the mother should be beleeued And why Because hee hath printed ingrauen such an affection naturally in their hearts towardes their children as that they had leuer to dye than to do them wrong Nowe if a man bee so wicked and beastly as to practise any thing falsly against his owne childe and to shewe himselfe voyde of the louing kindnes which our Lorde hath printed in mankind and whereof some footesteppes and sparkes are to be seene euen in the brute beastes what a thing is it that a man should so farre ouershoote himselfe And therefore parentes see here what honour God doth them in making them to be beleeued against their children which thing ought to make them to inforce themselues the more to loue them and to bring them vp with al gentlenes yea and euen in their chasticing of thē to vse the rule that Saint Paul giueth vs Eph. 6.4 which is that parents shoulde not put their children out of heart by their ouergreat rigour For dyuers tymes it falleth out that a chyld is put out of heart because he sees his father vse no mieldnesse towardes him nor any reason or loue in his doings Therefore must discretion be vsed in this case And to bee short let vs note that the more honour GOD doeth vs the more are wee bounde to doe our dueties As for example such as are aduaunced to any degree or state of honour ought to consider that GOD hath bounde them exceedingly and that they ought to strayne themselues the more to doe their duetie and this belongeth generally to al states But it is sayde here expressely concerning fathers and mothers And therefore such as haue children must looke that they loue them after such a sorte as they may well keepe themselues from abusing the power and authoritie which they haue of God for it is not committed to them to that end Also it is declared heere further that the father and the mother may not accuse their children iudicially vnlesse they finde them vnreformable I haue tolde you alreadie that this place speaketh of punishment by death For if fathers and mothers fall to putting of their children to death before they haue vouchsafed to take paynes with them to see them well instructed ought they not to bee coupled with them as causers of their destruction A father perchaunce will say I haue not consented to my sonnes lewdnesse I haue let him alone Yea but shouldest thou haue falne asleepe when as God appoynted thee to keepe watch Thou shouldest haue guyded thy childe so as hee shoulde not haue stepped one pace but thou shouldest haue beene at hande to direct him Thou wouldest haue guyded a brute beast and hast thou made no reckening of thine owne seede Thou lettest the creature alone which is formed after the image of God whereof notwithstanding thou wast appointed to bee the keeper and thinkest thou to scape by so try fling an excuse Then if fathers and mothers come to this plunge of shewing their children to haue beene sturdie and vnreformable if they can not first protest
that they haue done their dueties in chasticing them they themselues also shal bee taken for guiltie forasmuch as it is apparant that it was long of themselues that their children did leaudly because they did suffer them to runne at randon By reason whereof if a man bee punished by lawe it may well bee inquired howe hee hath beene brought vp and what teaching hee had in his fathers house and when the mischief procedeth from that spring the father ought no more to scape scotfree than the sonne Thus yee see what wee haue to beare in mynd And here is mention made of two vices Our sonne is a riotour a drunkard Doth this import that other vices ought not to be corrected No but vnder these two kyndes God ment to shew that fathers mothers ought to bring vp their children in all vertue and honestie For vnder ryoting and drunkennesse hee meant to comprehende all loosenesse of life If ryotousnesse bee punished what is to be doone to other much heynouser thinges What shall become of whoredome theft and periurie What shall become of such other like things God then restreyneth not this lawe to these two vyces but intendeth to shewe generally that all fathers and mothers ought to haue a vigilant eye to the conuersations of their children and that if they finde any misbehauiour or vnthriftines in them they must do their indeuour to reform them and to bring them back againe from their euill trade Thus much for one poynt To bee short it is all one as if hee had sayd that if there bee any priuie faultes in children their fathers and mothers must haue a vigilant eye vppon them and reclaime them againe that they growe not desperate For what a thing were it if a man shoulde marre his chylde by bearing w t him in some particular fault One euil woulde drawe on a hundred mo after it and â—o the chylde should bee lost and vndone Men therefore must take good heede and preuent the danger that their children growe not worse and worse and that the forgiuing of one fault make them not to fall into another and so they become euery day worse than other For if men suffer ryot or drunkennesse in their children those vyces are ill ynough of them selues alreadie but yet in the ende a ryotour becomes a swyne and wil be altogether vnprofitable And though there were no more in it but the vntemperance in y e abusing of Gods creatures soothly it were too much What is drunkennesse It is a kynde of beastlinesse that bereaueth men of the grace which God had bestowed vpon them in nature A ryotour being an ydle and vnprofitable lubber and hauing spent all vpon bellyfare must needes fall to stealing when he wanteth wherewith to furnish out his excesse But a drunkarde is yet worse The worlde sees these euil inconueniences Therefore wee had neede to preuent them and to lay aforehand that such mischiefes come not to passe Notwithstanding it is shewed vs herewithall howe men tumble out of one euill into another vntill they come to deadly ruine If a chylde bee a glutton or a drunkarde in his youth well men will say they be euill touches but yet shall they be bornwith and they wil not be thought to be deadly sinnes But wee see to what poynt children come by y t meanes If that ryotousnesse bee not reformed in them but that they continue stil in their stubbornes at length they must bee deliuered into the hande of the Iusticer and bee put to death Seeing it is so let vs beware that wee flatter not our selues but whensoeuer there is any vyce in vs let vs assure our selues that if stubbornnes be matched with it we shall grow euery day more wilfull and hardharted than other in so much y â— a fault which is counted but small before men and as it were a veniall sinne wil become an intollerable cryme Now it is God which saith so Therefore let vs learne to examine our selues and when we perceiue any vyce in vs let vs doe our indeuour to amende it for feare least it throwe vs downe headlong altogither and finally sinke vs in such sorte as there remaine no mo punishmentes but the last that is to say the mortall and deadly punishment Thus much concerning that poynt Nowe let vs treate of the duetie of children towardes their fathers and mothers In deede it were to bee wished afore all thinges that children were of themselues so wyse and weladuysed as not to vexe their fathers and mothers in teaching them and specially in chastycing them for their faultes And soothly were our nature so well ruled as it ought to bee a chylde woulde not tarry till hee were rebuked or compelled but rather hee woulde thinke alas to what ende liue I in the worlde And on y e other side hee woulde consider thus God hath set thee heere to be serued and honoured by thee againe to obey my father and mother whome he hath giuen vnto mee to that end Contrariwise if they reape nothing but sorow by my meanes it had bene better for mee to haue dyed before I was borne y t the earth might haue swalowed me vp After that maner ought a child to thinke But forasmuch as youth lacketh discretion childreÌ„ are not so reformable of themselues as were requisite at leastwise let them suffer themselues to bee gouerned by others And if their father spye any vyce in them let them acknowledge it when they bee put in mynde of it and not onely confesse the misdeede but also reforme it For it is but hypocrisie when a chyld holdeth on in his vnthriftinesse after hee hath made pretence of repentance by humbling him selfe before his father If hee change not his conditions but continue still in his vnthriftinesse it is a lying before GOD and mocking of his father Therefore if a chylde haue done amisse or see himselfe subiect to any vyce and God is so gracious to him that hee hath a father or mother Let him consider thus with himselfe Go too God reacheth thee his hande in this behalfe for what are my father and my mother but the handes of God and his instruments wherewith he intendeth to serue his turne to guyde thee into the way of welfare For when I see my father and my mother goe about to correct my vyces I must needes set my selfe against GOD and defye him opâ—â—ly if my stomacke bee not abated and pulled downe to receiue their correction And surely children ought to vnderstande that this superioritie ouer vs is the amiablest in all the worlde I meane the superioritie which our fathers and mothers haue ouer vs. For although Kinges princes magistrates be to be reuerenced yet is not that kind of superiority so amiable A man wil be ashamed to be corrected by his prince or by his superiour that weeldeth the sword of Iustice but if a father speake to his sonne yea and smite him too it is no shame at
all for the child to stoope to him though the father doe him wrong or reuile him saying thou villaine thou stretchehalter thou gracelesse knaue what wilt thou doe When thou hast killed me with greife and sorrow of mind thou must needes cal down Gods vengeance vpon thee When the father vseth such roughnesse towardes his chylde and the chyld humbleth himselfe vnto him and becommeth as it were dumme without replying at all against him it shal bee a great honour to him to haue receiued correction at his fathers hande and to haue beene touched by him after that fashion Now then sith wee see that this superioritie which God hath giuen to fathers mothers is a thing which wee ought euen naturally to haue in estimation if a chyld nod his head at all the warninges that are giuen him shewing himselfe brazen faced and vtterly past shame so as hee regardeth not what his father and mother say vnto him but wrings his groyn at them for their putting of him in mynde of his faultes is he not quyte cleane past grace What can a man say more or hope for at his hande Now then let children haue regarde hereof and let them note also that the honouring of their father and mother is the first commaundement that is giuen in the seconde table and the onely commaundement of the law that hath any promise 〈◊〉 6.2 I meane speciall promise as S. Paul declareth And hereby wee bee put in mynd that such as holde scorne to honor their fathers and mothers doe not only despise God but also shewe their vnbeleefe in mocking at all his promises and in refusing and casting away of all his blessings wilfully as if they should say I passe not for prospering by Gods grace I will none of that meane And for proofe that it is so God hauing sayde that we must honour our father and mother addeth To the ende thou mayst liue long in the lande which the Lord thy God giueth thee 〈◊〉 10.12 as if hee shoulde say Looke not that I shoulde prosper you or blesse you but vppon this condition that yee obey your fathers and mothers Nowe then as for those that harden themselues do they not shewe that all is one to them whether they bee depriued of Gods grace and blessing or no And that is an intolerable vnthankfulnes Moreouer let vs mark also that wheras God speaketh of the honouring of our fathers mothers hee meaneth not of ceremoniousnes but that children shoulde thinke thus with themselues God hath giuen mee a father and a mother to the intent I shoulde bee ruled by their hande and liue vnder their direction The honour then which a chylde oweth to his father mother consisteth not in pretending some ceremonious and counterfet humilitie but in behauing himselfe meekely in suffering them to haue the gouernement of him and in beeing tractable to bee refourmed when his parentes tell him of his faults Those bee the things that children ought to regarde but specially religion For often times fathers and mothers deserue well to bee disobeyed at their childrens hands And in deede they can no skill of seruing God otherwise than by disobeying their fathers and mothers If there bee any man so wicked that hee woulde haue his sonne giuen to craftinesse to leaudnesse to vnthankfulnesse to periurie and to trecherie what a thing were that And yet we see a number of fathers which haue beene despysers of God all their life long and all their seeking is to bring vp their children in their owne schoole A father will say to his sonne I renounce thee if thou bee not like me Such cursed wordes shall we heare men speake In so much that hee which hath beene a whoremonger and infected a whole countrye with his filthinesse all the time of his life or a blasphemer or a drunkarde will needes haue his sonne to bee like himselfe Nowe in such cases children must disobey their parents for otherwise they cannot obey God And therefore S. Paul speaking of the honor and obedience that children should yeeld to their parentes addeth this exception or afterspeeche Eph. 6.1 in the Lorde For God must euer haue the vpper hande And for the same cause also did I say crewhyles that the honour which is required in this commaundement of the lawe ought then cheefely to be put in practice when fathers and mothers doe their indeuour to trayne vp their children well and to correct their vyces Then must the children in any wise obey assuring themselues that if they admit not both the warnings and the chasticements of their parents and reforme themselues thereafter when they heare their vices so condemned they shewe themselues to be disobedient both to God and to the order of nature Notwithstanding to the intent that children excuse not themselues and beare themselues in hande that it is a light fault to disobey their parentes heere God condemneth such disobedience to death It is God that giueth this sentence and not man And hee sayeth that it is an vnpardonable fault when a childe is so hard-hearted that his fathers and mothers correction̄ cannot preuaile with him For why wee must euer come backe to this point that such a one is as a monster and whatsoeuer is against nature wee ought to lothe abhorre it And no dout but Gods curse vengeance would bee kindled against vs if we should suffer the thing that is against nature Nowe if a child wil not heare his father and his mother when God vouchsafeth to giue him gouernours at home to tell him his faults his despysing of them is a manifest despysing of God For why God hath printed his marke vppon the father and mother insomuch that if there bee any religion the same must bee acknowledged in the person of the father and of the mother Euen the very Heathen had a cōmon saying concerning the obedience which they yeelded to God and to their parents As if they should say as nature had taught them that fathers mothers beare the image of God in this world y t he which hath any religion in him acknowledgeth any soueraine maiestie submitteth himself therto must also needs obey his father mother The verie heathen spake after y t maner it was their common style Nowe then if we receiue not this instruction must it not needes follow y t wee be too destitute of wit Greatly ought we to be ashamed to be taught in the schoole of the Heathen to knowe our dutie Therefore as I saide afore let children knowe that it is no light fault nor easie to be pardoned when they bee disobedient to their fathers and mothers For why They had the instinct of nature which they ought to haue followed And therefore it is an vnpardonable cryme to disobey a mans father mother according whereunto it is sayde in another place He that smyteth his father or his mother Exod. 21.15 shall dye y e death without fauour
how shall I excuse my selfe Wherefore let vs marke well that if wee ought to mayntaine the welfare of mortall men because God hath ordeyned that there shoulde be faithfulnesse among vs one towardes another wee ought much more to indeuour and procure that God may abide vnimpeached in his state and that those which be of his house that is to say of his Church may not miscarie but that they may all be preserued vnto him That is the thing which wee haue to remember vpon this text Nowe Moses addeth that men must doe it though it be the more to their owne paine For although I be vnknowen to the partie that hath a beast so strayed and he be not my neighbour yet must not his beast be lost by my negligence but I must bring it backe least it fall into euill handes and my so doing must bee of purpose to restore it to the owner Here wee see as I haue saide afore that it is not enough for vs to absteyne from all misdealing but wee must also doe our neighbours seruice as wee woulde they shoulde doe for vs. The taking of payne or care for an other mans benefite must not make vs shrinke from the doing of our duetie If wee alleadge What am I bound to him What hath he doone for me It is not for vs to regard the doinges of men whether they haue done vs any pleasure or no and there after to requite them as who would say I should shew a man no friendship vnlesse he had first befriended mee before No It must suffice mee that God wil be acknowledged in all those things And therfore we must not haue an eye to mens persons to say we know them not but it must suffice vs that God saith vnto vs Although the parties bee vnknowen vnto you yet must you doe your indeuour to saue their goods and substance for it is my will that there shoulde be that bonde among men and that by meane thereof they shoulde bee knit together and euery man willingly become detter to other Although men can not bring ye before earthly Iudges to compell you thereto yet ought euerie man of himselfe to yeelde vnto it and to beare in minde that I will haue you to exercise such charitablenes amōg yourselues Thus much concerning that point where it is said that although the partie bee not our neighbour no nor knowen vnto vs yet wee must not forebeate to keepe his beast for him or any other thing that he hath lost There is also an other point namely y t if we light vpon our Neighbors Oxe or his Asse falne downe by the way by reason of some disease or tyring vnder his burthen wee must helpe to get him vp And this sheweth vs yet better that all they which procure not the benefit of other mē are esteemed as theeues For we commit not any offence but the same is a breaking of the Law of God It behoueth vs to marke that Now what is said in Gods law Thou shalt not steale It is but one word But we must haue an eye to the lawe-makers meaning And so we must conclude that if we see our neighbor stand in neede of our succour before our eyes and faile him if wee perceiue he is like to sustein losse we remedy not the matter hauing the meane to do it we be cōdemned of felonie before God It is a hard case men may well dispute of it yea imagine y t they shal get y e vpper hand but al replying must be laid downe for asmuch as God hath spoken it his saying is an vnreuocable sentence Therefore let it content vs y t the law telleth vs that if we saue not our neighbors goods to y e vttermost of our power God condemneth vs and taketh vs for theeues Indeed if wee were to bee called before worldlie Iudges we might alledge he neuer bound me to do so much for him I am not beholdē vnto him I haue not promised him any thing what couenant is there betwixt vs such other like things But whē we come before God we must shut our mouthes acknowledge y t if we haue bin negligent when we haue seene the losse or hinderāce of any mans goods so as wee haue not helped to saue them but haue shut our eyes at it and not vouchsafed to put forth our finger to y e succouring of them it is all one with theft or robberie before God And herewithall let vs marke wel y t seeing it is said here y t we ought to succor the beasts whē they be falne downe vnder their burthen howe much more ought we to do y e like to men When an asse is falne down what is y t to vs And yet for the loue of my neighbor I am bound to lift him vp againe if I can A poore man y t hath toild himselfe to y e vttermost standeth in need of my help and I forsake him is this cruelty excusable before God Behold I am condemned for not doing my dutie towards a brute beast what shal then become of me if I forsake mine owne image the image of God so as a poore man is borne downe I succor him not but wring my mouth at it as if I had done no fault at all So then let vs marke y t in speaking of the brute beastes God ment to induce vs y e rather to the discharging of our owne dueties one towardes another Like as when S. Paul alledgeth this text 1. Cor. 9.10 Thou shalt not musle the mouth of the oxe y t laboreth for thee thinke we saith hee y t God hath no further respect than of the beasts Nay verily his speaking of it is for the loue of men As who should say If we ought not to withdraw foode from the beast that laboreth vnder our hand for our profite ought wee not to giue sustenance to the handicrafts man or to any other person when he doth vs seruice Indeede S. Paul speakes there of the ministers of Gods worde but yet generally wee be led to this vprightnes of maintaining such as take paines for vs according to reason For why God hath spoken so of Oxen And he hath spoken it to doe vs the more shame as if he shoulde say The Oxe shall haue iust matter to condemn you Indeed y e Oxe hath not speech as we haue but yet wee cannot so scape but y t God will condemne vs for cruell and vnkinde foolke if we pitie not the brute beastes It is saide in Salomons Prouerbs Prou. 12.10 y t the righteous man hath in regarde the bloud of his horses of his beastes y ◠labour for him Sith it is so then if the poore soules that haue bestowed their labor trauel spent their sweat bloud for you be not paid their wages as they ought to be nor succored and susteyned by you as they should be if they aske vengeance against you at Gods hand who
greater after what maner we ought to behaue our selues towardes our neighbours Therefore if we trouble any man whyle he is doing his dutie and put him to any vexation vnder colour y t he is busie in discharging himselfe towardes God and towards those to whom he is bound we bee worthie of double blame If a man disquiet a nurce or a mother in doing her duetie towardes her child surely it is double crueltie The instruction that wee must take hereat is that euery of vs must straine himselfe to help his neighbours When we see them take paines to doe the things that God hath inioyned them we must indeuor to succour them no man is to bee troubled or molested in y t behalfe For if it be not lawfull to trouble y e birdes what may we do towards them that are ioyned vnto vs as our brethren as hath bin declared heretofore Nowe it followeth that when a man buildeth a house he must make battlemeÌ„ts or railes about the roofe of it This serued for y e houses of Iewrie For there they builded their houses with flat roofe and in all the East Countries they haue kept the same fashion still to this day And in that respect our Lord Iesus Christ said looke what ye heare now in secret ye shal preach hereafter vpon y e houses toppes When wee reade this text it seemeth strange to vs if we haue an eye to the forme of building that is vsed here in these countries For how shall a man get vp to y e house top to preach there But their houses were made like Towers that a man might walke vp and downe vppon them Now if those had no battlemeÌ„ts or railes men had beene in daunger to haue falne downe from them For their children went vp to y e tops of their houses wherby many might haue beene slaine through want of heede sometime a man seruant sometime a chambermaide and consequently a child might haue falne downe and so all should haue bin in daunger Now our Lorde commandeth theÌ„ to prouide aforehand for it by making battlements about their houses But wee must first of all aduise our selues whereunto all the sayinges are referred which are set downe heere Following the keye which I haue giuen already which is that there are but ten articles whereby to rule our whole life well we must not goe seeke for fiue legges in one sheepe as they say but we must alwayes hold vs to this point y t God gaue vs a perfect rule of all righteousnesse and iust dealing when he comprised his Law in two Tables and in ten commaundements Now whereas here is mention made of building mens houses in such sort as they bring not bloud vpon them hereby we see how our Lord hath shewed vs how deere the liues of al men ought to be vnto vs. Marke that for oue point And so haue we the exposition of this commaundement Thou shalt not kill But is it ynough for a man y t he abstaine from murthering from cutting of throats from beating and from vexing his neighbour Truly it would be abhorred if it were but spoken of in common speeche but God hath yet a further respect in forbidding murder Why is that Let vs come to this reason that forasmuch as mans life is precious vnto him therefore it followeth that wee must preserue our neighbours liues to the vttermost of our power For although wee offer them no violence yet shall wee not bee discharged But euery of vs must looke that hee vse no anoyaunce nor giue any cause or occasion of harme or losse to insewe to our neighbour Yee see then howe our Lorde hath â—ould vs yet better in this text the thing which hee had spoken afore when hee sayd Thou shalt not kill And so according to my rule wee must come to y â— foresetdowne and foreexpressed commaundement Thou shalt not kill Well God maketh there but a single forbidding but yet must we learn thereby to seek al the meanes wee can to maintaine the life of our neighbour Thou wouldest not that any man shoulde put thee in daunger of thy lyfe but rather that hee should preserue it and that thou mightest not be in perill by another mans ouersight Therefore looke that thou yeeld y t like minde to thy neighbour Moreouer let vs marke that heere God hath vnder one part comprehended the whole Hee speaketh of the making of battlements or Railes vpon the roofes of mens houses but it is all one as if he had said whensoeuer men build let them bee well ware to build after such a sort as no incoÌ„uenience may insue therof Many be so grosse witted that they make things in their houses as it were of set purpose to intrappe them that come in so as a man had neede of good skill where to set his foote and if hee bee not very ware and looke well to himselfe hee shal bee in daunger to breake his necke There are some which bee so ill disposed And God sayth that he which doeth so bringeth bloud vpon his house that is to say defileth his house with mans bloud Nowe then let vs looke wel about vs and let vs so seeke our owne commodities as our building may bee without daunger And why For otherwise wee shal bee worthie of blame But as hath beene declared already we haue to gather vpon this text that God doth well vouchsafe to lay for the preseruing of our liues to prouide aforehand for all inconueniences that none of vs may fall in daunger For as much then as wee see that GOD hath such a fatherly care of vs haue we not cause to acknowledge his gracious goodnesse and to be vtterly rauished at it Therefore although our dewtie bee shewed vs heere that is to say although God tell vs that euery of vs ought to prouide for the safegarde of his neighbours life yet haue wee another good lesson to gather here namely that GOD descendeth hither vnto vs and sheweth that hee hath his eye vpon our life and that he intendeth to bee the defender thereof Nowe sith wee see this haue wee not a singular recorde of his goodnesse Yee see howe our bodyes are but Carions and yet GOD vouchsafeth to mayntaine them and giueth vs heere a commaundement to prouide long aforehande for the daungers that may insue to it that it may bee preserued from them Ought not the sight of all these things to touch vs to the quicke and to make vs to magnifie the goodnes of our God And furthermore when we know this goodnesse as in respect of this present life and this world let vs mount vp one step higher and not doubt but hee hath a farre greater care of our soules as hee sheweth by experience And therefore let vs rest boldly vppon him and not doubt but wee shall bee preserued if wee abyde vnder his protection and play not the loose Coultes but come broode our selues vnder his winges as the Scripture sayeth not doubting
to vse such compassion towardes all that are vniustly oppressed and whom men torment beyond measure without any cause how ought we to behaue our selues toward those poore soules which are afflicted for the worde of God By much more reason is it that wee should giue them refuge and succour them in their afflictions and if we doe not relieue them let vs also feare that which is said by the Prophet vnto the Moabites Esa. 15. For he addeth that God will hunt them out of their secretest lurking corners And why Bicause they discouered the people which fled vnto them and set them foorth for a pray Therefore if we cause the children of God to be persecuted by tyrantes and ioyne with tyrantes in such wickednes by driuing Gods children out from among vs doubtlesse the Lorde will not faile to punish such crueltie But when our turne commeth to bee visited after the same manner as it must needes come men shall hunt vs also out of our corners and we shall finde no harbouring place for our selues in the whole world bicause wee haue laboured to cast them away whom God deliuered into our handes Yee see then in fewe wordes what wee haue to beare in minde And moreouer as touching the matter which I haue treated of alreadie wee must vnderstand that our Lorde commandeth vs to straine our selues to the vttermost to bring them vnto the knowledge of the trueth which haue strayed heeretofore in superstition The seruants which offered themselues out of straunge Countries were in the ende framed vnto the seruice of God For albeit they were at the first rude and rawe yet was it behoouefull that they should accustome themselues vnto the Lawe and that in the ende they should frame themselues wholly vnto it Seeing then it is so let vs gather vppon this place that God ment to stirre vs vp to seeke after the poore wandering sheepe to bring them into the way of saluatiō and to gather them into his flock And so ye see what we haue to beare in minde as touching this custome Moses in the third place sayth Let there be no whore in Israell nor any filthie infamous fornicator And whereas he speaketh heere of fornicators it is not meant of common fornication but of that outrageous filthynesse which is contrary to all nature And verily it is a dreadfull thing to consider that the people which was dedicated vnto GOD should bee forbidden such wickednesse and especially that they should at that time so exceede in villainous behauiour that they had not onely stewes for strumpets where women abandoned themselues vnto filthie lustes but also that men with men were giuen to such filthynesse Is not this a thing which ought to make euery hayre of our head to stande on ende But heereby wee are warned what men of themselues are except GOD holde them backe and gouerne them by his holy spirite Wee must not thinke that these corruptions neuer came into the worlde before this day They haue beene in it from all time For since the time that Adam estraunged himselfe from GOD it was of necessitie that hee shoulde beare the punishment of his sinne and that all his posteritie should bee abandoned vnto wickednesse For the roote of all vices yea of all outragious crimes doeth then budde foorth when man is forsaken of GOD and hath the brydle layd loose on his necke as it is to bee seene heere For wee see that naturall fornications suffice not but more than beastly enormities are committed Common filching theeueries suffice not but there are robberies and piracies there are inuentions and practises more wicked than all the theeueries in the world Men are growen so farre out of kinde that they are dayly inuenting of strange fashions they thinke it not ynough to haue put their enemies to death except they extend their crueltie yet farther To bee shorte if wee consider well of all that is in man vntill GOD gouerne him we shal find within him euen a sinke and gulfe of hell And as euery man nourisheth in himselfe much wickednesse so must it needes be that the mischiefe thereof shall increase except GOD prouide a remedie for it And whereas among the Paynims themselues there was alwayes kept some honestie it came so to passe through the wonderfull prouidence of GOD who meant still to reserue some honestie among mankinde In deede the Paynims had neuer this intent of seruing GOD as was reason they should but yet although none of their workes were accounted pure before GOD he notwithstanding so ruled them as thinges might not bee vtterly confounded Sith wee see this let vs learne that when God sheweth vs any signes of his prouidence by retayning men in some order and honestie it is to make vs perceyue thereby that he watcheth ouer mankinde And on the otherside let vs knowe also that if hee helde not out his hande to keepe men vnder some order wee should see such villainous and detestable things that euen the brute beastes should behaue themselues more honestly than men See I say what wee are to consider of to the ende we may pray God to receiue vs and not to suffer vs to fall into any such enormities as euen our selues should bee constrayned to abhorre them And for as much as wee see y t examples of these things haue beene giuen so long time since and perceiue by experience that the worlde ceaseth not to growe worse and worse what woulde come of it if God shoulde not redresse it What would bee the ende of it Questionlesse were it not for Gods wonderfull prouidence in this behalfe it must needes come to passe that all honestie among men should be cleane wiped out Thus yee see what wee haue to consider vppon the forewarning which GOD maketh in this place And moreouer let vs note that this lawe of GOD himselfe coulde not vtterly disappoint the raigning of such abhomination euen in the people which named themselues holy and elected aboue all the rest of the world Insomuch that sometimes the holy Scripture speaking of Kinges which were not ouer diligent in dooing their dueties saith that there were Stewes yea euen against nature not onely of harlots which were there at hire but also of other shamefull filthynesse not to bee named and that this wickednesse raygned And where In Iuda Therefore when wee heare this rehearsed vnto vs wee ought to tremble and walke in feare and warinesse praying GOD to hide vs vnder his wing◠and not to suffer such corruptions to happen vnto vs. And let vs note that from the one wee steppe to the other For when loose behauiours is once permitted men beare themselues in hande that euery thing is lawefull When such infamous thinges are suffered and lawlesse libertie of vsing them is graunted in any countrey men not onely giue themselues to lechery lyke dogges but also in the ende doe fall into greater and more outragious filthynesse Therefore seeing it is so let vs learne in generall to
fathers of old time haue bin blemished with them for when wee dwell in a lawlesse Country where euery man hath the bridle laid on his neck and may do what him liketh we be then as in a tempest or in a whirle winde a man cannot stay himselfe but that the winde will driue him to and fro The like force hath euill custome and therfore we ought the more as it were to imprison our selues vnder the obedience of God Let vs nowe returne vnto this present law It is sayde that the next brother shall take the wife of his brother deceased without Children When wee heare the woorde Brother according as the Hebrewes also take it wee may not restraine it vnto this first degree of borne brother but of cousēs both in y e first and second degree as wee cal thē which are brothers sisters children For y e Iewes do vse this word Brother generally and not as wee doe and therefore one lawe must bee conferred with an other For when it is sayde Let the brother take the wife of him which is deade It is to bee vnderstoode so farre forth as it is lawefull and permitted and so farre foorth as GOD hath establyshed the degrees of marriage so as incest bee neuer committed Nowe wee haue the meaning of the law And it is sayde expresly If the brethren dwell together For that a woman when shee taketh an husbande in an house should binde her selfe in bondage generally vnto all the kindred were against reason and bondes as we as al other lyke things ought to bee bounded within some measure Where thinges are set downe without limitation there followeth confusion by and by If a man should by his last will appoint so many heyres as could not be numbred and therewithall would haue his will to endure vnto the ende of the worlde what a confused thing were that As much is to bee sayde of other like thinges And therefore if a woman should be bounde to marrie in a house till the whole kindred had refused her in what a straunge case were shee But heere it is spoken of those kinsmen which are nigh at hande euen of such as dwell together that they may bee knowen For if a woman shoulde bee bounde shee wotteth not vnto whome and constrayned to take one which she neuer sawe shee should be kept vnder too cruel bondage and there were no reason in it And therfore our Lord meant to limit this law within certaine bonds It followeth That the woman shall make hir request to bee prouided for Not that shee was to beginne to seeke hir an husband for it pertayned vnto the next of the kinne to come and demaunde hir for his wife But in this place the case concerneth the setting of the woman at libertie For if none of the kinne would haue hir shee was to take hir leaue after this manner by offering hir selfe to accept the condition which God had ordayned hir For when a man is bounde vnto any condition and is desirous to bee ridde of it and to set himselfe free he must offer himselfe to doe his duetie so as men may vnderstand that it was not long of him that the former bond stoode not still in force The thing then which God hath ordayned in this place is That the woman shall come vnto the Elders of the Citie that for as much as none of the kin would take hir they myght see shee was ready to doe hir duetie and that thereuppon shee myght prouide for hir selfe where GOD would appoynt her And therefore shee was to come before the Iudges and to cause the next of the kinne that is to say him which might lawfully take hir to wife to bee called and the Iudges were to doe what they coulde to perswade him For our Lorde meant not to compell men to take those women although hee might iustly ynough haue done it But he had this consideration That forced and constrayned marriages neuer come to good end In deede God might haue precisely set downe and commanded that the next kinsman should haue beene bound to marrie the wife of him that was deceased without heires God might haue so commaunded Why doth he then permit that a man might to his shame refuse hir Verily bycause that if the husband and the wife doe not agree and loue togither it is an vnhallowing of marriage or rather to speake properly no marriage at all For the good will is the chiefe bond in so much that it behooueth the husband to acknowledge his wyfe to bee as his owne body and the one halfe of himselfe Gen. 2.23 Shee is bone of my bone sayeth Adam being inspired of God Wherein hee giueth a common rule vnto all men for it was not spoken in respect of Eue onely but of that which must bee kept and obserued for a rule vnto the ende of the worlde Seeing then that this mutuall agreement is required in marriage let vs note that our Lorde meant not precisely to constrayne kinsmen to marrie those women which were wydowes and without children but hee was contented to release them somewhat in this behalfe And hereof wee are to gather this instruction that when a man is to take a wife and to marrie hir hee must take hir of his owne minde and good wil knowing that where there is no true and sounde loue there can bee nothing but confusion and wee may not looke that GOD will prosper such marriages For the issue of them can not bee but ill when both parties seeke not first to loue together in the name of GOD that they may liue together in quietnesse of conscience And let fathers also haue this regard For what a thing were it for mortall men to take more vppon them than God himselfe woulde doe And yet he is the chiefe and soueraigne father of all neuerthelesse hee will not force any to take such a one to wyfe as hee liketh not of In deede GOD is grieued and angrie with him which will not take hir and setteth on him a marke of reproche and shame But yet for all this he which hath infinite power hee which hath all soueraigntie ouer vs in all things without exception euen hee I say doeth vse a measure hee stoopeth vnto vs and hee beareth with vs that wee may see hee woulde presse and ouercharge no man And what then shall we thinke of a man who is lesse than nothing if hee will needes marrie his sonne or his daugther at his owne lust and pleasure It is verily contrarie to the whole order of nature nay it is a blasphemie against God for a mortall creature and a worme of the earth to presume so farre as to take more vppon him that GOD himselfe hath taken vppon him So then such as haue children let them take diligent heede when they intende to marrie them that they obserue this reason blenesse and rightfulnesse so as they doe not compell them to marrie Nowe moreouer it is sayd in this place
God with acknowledgement of our faultes praying him to make vs to feele thē better than we haue done and in the meane time to teach vs so to offer our selues vnto him y t being reformed in our mindes and affections we may endeuor altogether to please him in all poynts and y t therewithal we may also apply that which he hath put into our hands to such vse as al may be detted vnto him and that we may offer vnto him the firstlinges of all our fruites that is y t our life may be aunswerable to that which hee hath ordayned so as we abuse not his benefits to defile them but turne them to his glory and to the common benefite and commoditie of the whole Church That it may please him to graunt this grace not onely vnto but also to people and nations of the earth c. On Wednesday the xxv of Februarie 1556. The Cxlvij Sermon which is the third vpon the sixe and twentith Chapter 13 Then thou shalt say before the Lord thy God I haue brought the hallowed thinges out of mine house and also giuen it to the Leuite to the straunger to the fatherlesse and to the widowe according vnto all thy commaundements which thou hast commaunded me I haue trasgressed none of thy commaundementes neither haue I forgotten them 14 I haue not eaten thereof in my mourning nor held backe aught of it in vncleanesse nor giuen aught thereof for the dead but I haue obeyed the voyce of the Lorde my GOD I haue done according vnto all that which thou hast commaunded me 15 Looke downe from thy holy dwelling place of heauen and blesse thy people Israel and the land which thou hast giuen vs as thou swarest vnto our fathers the land which floweth with Milke and Hony THere is not one amōg vs which desireth not to be esteemed of in the face of the world euery man boasteth himselfe of the discharging of his duetie and we are also enclyned by nature to set out our selues before men for ambition driueth vs thereunto But in the meane time there are very fewe which enter into their owne conscience to know howe they haue behaued themselues before God and which haue such a regarde in ordering of their life as to say I walke in the sight of the heauenly Iudge it is he vnto whome I must bee accountable I must therefore rest my selfe vppon him and not ioy in the estimation of men for that is but a vanitie there are very few I say which enter into this consideratiō Now God seeing that vice to raigne in vs seeketh to remedie it as we may see in this place where it is sayd that we must returne vnto him to haue a good testimonie of our life Thou shalt say saith he And how hee setteth vp here no scaffold for vs to make protestation before men what we haue done No but he appointeth him selfe to be the Iudge and will haue vs to speake as in his presence Thou shalt say before the Lorde thy God sayth hee And so wee are warned that to order our life well we must not haue our eyes fastened on this world nor take great care what men thinke of vs but we must take especiall paynes to approue our whole life with all our workes and all our thoughtes vnto him before whom we must appeare at the latter day I graūt we must diligently auoyde all offences and put the doctrine of S. Paule in practise to doe well not onely in the sight of God 2. Cor. 8.21 but also before mē to the intent we may edifie others and winne others by our example to doe that which they ought But yet neuerthelesse wee must labor aboue all to haue God to lyke of vs and albeit the world speake ill of vs and slaunder vs and turne al y t into euil which is good yet must not y t turne vs aside from our duetie but we must hold our selues vnto God To be shorte to fare the better by this doctrine let vs learne both euening and morning to summon our selues before God let euery of vs enter into himselfe as if he were out of the sight of mortall men and say Alas my god I must liue as I were in thy presence and I cannot escape thy handes nor thine eyes giue me grace therefore so to order my lyfe as I may referre it wholy vnto thee and frame it vnto thy will Behold what we haue to doe And when we haue passed the day let vs thinke Alas my God how haue I behaued my selfe towardes thee When we haue such a care we shall not make any pompous shewes before men as those which would haue men flatter or reioyce in thē and haue their prayses preached when in the meane time they fall asleepe before God neither can they consider their owne blockishnes but although they finde themselues guiltie yet they thinke all is wel so men lyke of their doings here belowe This is the thing which we haue to cōsider in y t God hauing spokē of the offering of the first fruits addeth that wee may not thinke that wee haue gayned much when men accuse vs not nor vpbraide vs for defrauding GOD of that which is belonging vnto him Therefore although men charge vs with nothing yet wee may not sleepe thereupon but euery man must examine himselfe and consider whether hee hath done that which was commaunded and that not to the intent to bee commended of mortall creatures but of the heauenly Iudge Now it is expresly sayd I haue done all thinges which thou hast commaunded me and according vnto thy statutes and I haue not forgotten them Wee see here what is the rule of good lyfe Namely to doe according as God hath commaunded vs which suffereth vs not to dwell in doubt as the ignorant wretches doe who know not at what ende to beginne because they are not instructed in the word of God Ye see how in Poperie when a man would liue as he ought to do he listeneth to y t which one saith to y t which an other saith he is turned and returned with euery wind and euery mā bringeth in his peece so as they are always to learne how to begin To the intent therfore that wee be not wauering nor douting let vs holde our selues vnto that which is so often warned vs in the holy scripture and whereof we haue a confirmation in this place that is that wee may be at defiance with all the worlde if wee keepe on in the way which God hath shewed vs. Now I graunt that men may finde things enough in vs wherefore to blame vs as wee see what outcryes the Papistes make and how they storme and say that we despise the traditions of our holy mother the Church and the decrees of holy councels that wee ouerthrow all order that our lyfe is loose and licentious and that our whole desire is to leade a brutish and beastly life These be the thinges which they vpbraide
raised him againe to make vs righteous beleeuing the same in his heart and confessing it with his mouth shal be saued And thereunto also doth S. Paul bring vs backe in the tenth Chapter to the Romanes Rom. 10.9 which is the verie exposition that will giue vs the vnderstanding of this place The righteousnesse of the law sheweth vs that we be all accursed that there is not any maner of way to saue vs so long as we stay there What are wee to doe then that wee may haue accesse vnto God Let vs with our heartes beleeue vnto righteousnesse and with our mouthes confesse vnto saluation that wee put our whole trust in him which hath acquitted vs towardes God his father and let vs imbrace the righteous obedience which he hath yeelded vnto God and likewise his sustaining of the curse which was due vnto vs to the intent to set vs free from it Now let vs fall downe before the maiestie of our good GOD with acknowledgement of our sinnes praying him to make vs feele them better than we haue done that we may be more more touched with the true repentance which mortifieth all our fleshly affections and to draw vs from the delightes of this world and to lift vs vp into a true desire of giuing our selues wholly to his lawe so as wee may dayly profite thereby knowing that the true perfection of all faithfull folke is to know how farre they be off from perfection to the end that all mouthes may be stopped and none acknowledged for righteous but onely God and that when Christes righteousnesse once shineth vppon vs we shall not bee bereft thereof assuring our selues that therin lyeth all our perfection That it may please him to graunt this grace not onely to vs but also to all people and nations of the earth c. On Tewsday the x. of March 1556. The CLiij Sermon which is the first vpon the eight and twentith Chapter IF thou obey the voyce of the Lorde thy God in keeping and doeing all his commaundementes which I commaunde thee this day then will the Lord thy God make thee head ouer al the nations of the earth 2 And al these blessings shall come vpon thee and inclose thee round about if thou obey the voyce of the Lord thy God WE haue seen heretofore howe God hath couenanted with his people of purpose to bynde them that euerye one shold know his duetie and bee the better disposed to doe the same Now he speaketh as a Iudge hauing all authoritie It skilles not whether folke doe pleade guiltie or no when they haue doone amisse for God giueth heere his determinate sentence though they consent not thereunto Neyther doeth the case concerne altogether the condemning of those that offend the lawe but he beginneth with another matter to wit with right amiable promises therby to allure and to win mens heartes vnto him Thus therefore doeth he say If ye hearken vnto my voyce to obey my commaundementes and bee carefull to keepe them you shal be blessed all maner of wayes and yee shall be enuironed through my fauour with all maner of welfare and prosperitie I haue already tolde you that GOD sheweth great goodnesse towardes men when hee goeth about by such meanes to winne them for it were sufficient for him to to say This is your duty and al creatures should tremble at his speaking Therefore when hee addeth any promises hee forbeareth part of his right and therein humbleth himselfe that wee should bee the more inclyned and better disposed to serue him If wee had doone all that wee can yea and more than wee are able is GOD bound to recompence vs Surely no. Wee must alwaies resort to that which our Lorde Iesus alleageth in Saint Luke Luke 17.7 namely That if a man haue a bond seruant and he send him to labour in the feelde all the day long when the seruant commeth home at night wil he say Wel nowe must I doe my turne thou shalt sit downe at the Table and I will prepare thy supper and giue thee thy meate and drinke bycause thou hast laboured for mee and my course is nowe come to serue thee Will the Maister say so No truly But when the seruant is come home the Maister will say vnto him Couer the table dresse my supper and giue me drinke Euen so sayth Iesus Christ When you haue doone all that is possible for you to do thinke not in your selues that God my father oweth you aught at all or that hee is beholden vnto you but proceede on still and acknowledge that all that euer yee can doe is but duetie towardes him And indeede seeing that God hath made vs what is hee that can do too much for the seruice of him We see then y t God might say playnly Thus it it pleaseth me this is my will follow you y t way And therfore whereas he telleth vs y t we shal be blessed not loose our labour but haue rewarde for our seruing of him It is not to be doubted but y t in so dooing hee forbeareth some part of his right In the meane whyle wee may see that he playeth the good and kinde hearted Father to win his Children For although a father woteth well that his children are bounde to obey him to the vttermost and that hee for his part is not any way bounde to them yet will hee not refuse to saye Loe I loue you and I desire but your owne welfare doe but so as I may haue lyking of you and I will not forsake you A father will be liberall of promyse saying Goe to yee knowe that all that euer I haue is for you for whome else doe I trauayle And to what other ende And if I see you take good wayes I will vse you accordingly Thus doeth the father that humbleth himselfe in his authoritie And wherefore Bycause hee woulde that his children shoulde serue him of free good will rather than bee compelled thereunto by rigorous extremitie Let vs marke therefore that all the promises contayned in holy Scripture be as it were so many testimonies of the fatherly loue of our GOD shewing himselfe to haue a care of our health and welfare in that hee vouchsafeth thus to apply and fashion himselfe vnto vs. By meanes whereof the Lawe of GOD becommeth the more amyable vnto vs for as much as wee see that in keeping of the same wee bee not disappoynted of a good rewarde yea farre greater than we can wish For vnder this woorde Blessing is comprehended all manner of prosperitie Moreouer whē God doeth make vs to prosper in this world it is for none other purpose but to giue vs a tast of his loue towards vs. Howbeit this is not the cheefe point whereupon hee woulde haue vs to stay but he leadeth vs euer further Insomuch that when we feele his goodnesse in this present life and that hee hath care of vs that hee reacheth foorth his hande to
wel aduised y t you bring not with you any disloyalty or hypocrisie but rather see that ye tremble before him which is heere present to receiue the protestation y t you make vnto him Nowe we see what Moses meaneth It remaineth y t we apply this sentence to our owne vse It is true that God doth not euery day passe such couenant as that was But yet so often as we be assembled in the name of our Lorde Iesus Christ 〈◊〉 â—8 20 he is in the middest of vs as he hath sayde and when the gospell is preached vnto vs it is asmuch a if he spake to vs in his own person and it is our duetie to be answerable againe that we seeke nothing but to be his and to giue ouer ourselues vnto him Therfore if there be any counterfaiting let vs not thinke to hide it it must needes come to reckening For whosoeuer coÌ„meth not to him with right soundnesse doeth plainely mocke the sonne of God Wherefore lette vs consider well that wee must not be double minded when wee come to a sermon least Iesus Christ blame vs for falsifying our faith and promise by our wicked a busing of his worde and by turning of a thing of such holinesse and maiestie to a iest and scoffe For when he calleth vs to be members of his bodie and would haue vs to doe him homage it is an excellent benefite and such a one as can not be sufficiently esteemed And therefore so much the more diligent ought we to be subdue ourselues vnto him To be short as often as wee goe to the Church if we steppe but one step thitherwarde whensoeuer the bell calleth vs it ought to come to our remembraunce that our Lorde Iesus Christ commeth thither himselfe to receiue the obedience which we yeelde vnto him and that wee come hither to make our musters before him thereby to shewe that wee be his people yea and his verie body Nowe as it importeth an infinite reioycing when our Lorde Iesus is neere vnto vs so ought wee also to tremble before his royall maiestie which was giuen him of God his father and to resorte thither with a true and right meaning heart as I haue tolde you afore And Moses speaketh expressely both of men women litle children gouernours the Elders of the people all the chiefe of the people and the handie craft men euen from them that clyued the wood to them that carryed water Also among them he comprehended the straungers which were vncircumcised and dwelled amongest the people and hee sayeth that purposely to the intent that the great ones shoulde not thinke themselues exempted from the common sort For the greatest honour that kinges and princes haue is to bee of the bodie of the Church if they consider it well But certainely the Pompes of the worlde doe so blinde them that they woulde bee diuided from the rest of men and woulde haue a worlde by themselues so as they will not in any wife bowe to submitte themselues vnto God Neuerthelesse it is expressely shewed heere that euerie high thing must stoope and that when God vttereth himselfe then euen the highest ought to vnderstande that they must shewe the way to others and goe afore to prouoke them by their example Thus much concerning that which Moses speaketh of Princes and Gouernours And in likewise when Ioell exhorteth the people to bewayle and lament their sinnes Ioel. 1.13 and to condemne themselues hee beginneth with them Albeit that at the first sight it may seeme to bee an vnseemely thing and to import a certaine shame that the great ones shoulde come to acknowledge themselues offenders before GOD yet because that oftentimes they bee most faultie the prophete sayeth that they must beginne the daunse and that the litle ones must followe their trace when they see that there is none exempted no not euen of them that bee in any authoritie Let vs therefore vnderstande that Moses in this place obserued great order in saying that the heades and Rulers and the greatest of the people were there to binde themselues vnto GOD that there myght bee no greatenesse in this worlde which shoulde not stoope vnto his maiestie And hee addeth the women and children that the people might knowe howe there was no person which shoulde not be comprehended in that couenaunt And forasmuch as GOD did this fauour to their litle children to receiue them into the number of his people it was meet that they should be taught the Lawe of GOD as soone as they came to the age of vnderstanding to the intent they might knowe that they were that blessed ofspring which GOD hadde adopted and chosen out of all the world Deut. 6.2 And heereuppon Moses exhorteth the menne to haue care of their families and to consider that seeing all were dedicated vnto GOD all ought to be referred to that ende and it behooued men to yeelde him his due and not to disappoint him of his right To bee shorte husbandes were taught by this woorde to take paynes to guyde their wiues and children in such order as GOD might bee honoured in all the house and that there might be one common agreement in the same Yea and hee sayth that the verie straungers which were vncircumcised were to resort thyther notwithstanding that they hadde not the marke of saluation And wherefore Because God was to be honored in the Lande of Chanaan which he gaue to his people for an heritage Albeeit then that to speake properly these straungers were not of the bodie of the Church yet behoued it them also to be bounde To what end Because it was not meete that they should haue leaue or libertie to mocke GOD to vnhallow his Religion and to peruert the order which he had appointed That in effect was the meaning of Moses Nowe must wee apply the same to our owne vse For we be neuer assembled or come together in the name of GOD but we make protestation that wee be of his flocke It is not enough that euerie man come thither for himselfe but the great ones must vnderstande that they are to shewe the way to their inferiours and vnderlinges And they must consider that they bee bounde with a straiter bonde because GOD hath set them on high to the intent they should be as Lamps to giue light vnto others And therefore if they doe not endeuour and enforce themselues to discharge their dueties in that behalfe it is certaine that they be doubble guiltie Againe euery man ought to bethinke him of his housholde and family They that will haue their wiues quiet and obedient vnto them ought much rather to be diligent to cause them to serue GOD and to take such paynes so to rule their children as God may be the chiefe father husbande and master of the house That is the thing whereof we be admonished heere And if we doe not so then looke how often we come into the Church so manie witnessinges haue we to
shutte the way of saluation against vs from the which euen our owne sinnes doe turne vs away yet shall the goodnesse of GOD get the vpper hand so wee bereaue not our selues of it altogether through our owne vnthankefulnesse Seeing then that we doe heare such exhortations let vs enter into examination of our sinnes and let euerie of vs confesse howe many wayes hee hath offended his God and let all of vs in generall doe the lyke with one common accord And when wee haue mourned and sighed for them let vs then pray vnto our good GOD to touche vs so to the quicke that wee may not onely come and confesse our sinnes with our mouthes and with certayne ceremonyes but also returne to our GOD with heart and minde so as he may asswage our plagues griefes and afflictions through his infinite goodnesse which hee hath manifested vnto vs by his Gospell and wee turne vnto him with sure and infallible confidence to obtaine fauour at his hand Nowe let vs fall downe before the Maiestie of our good GOD with acknowledgement of our faultes beseeching him to cause his admonitions to profite in vs more and more and that seeing he hath once called vs vnto him he suffer not his labour to bee lost in afflicting vs so many wayes but that wee may finally returne vnto him and that in so returning wee may yeelde foorth true righteousnesse and soundnesse so as wee double not ne play the hypocrites And that to accomplish this thing hee make vs to feele and to acknowledge his fatherly goodnesse that wee may bee altogether giuen ouer thereunto and haue our eyes and all our senses so fixed on our Lorde Iesus Christ as wee may vnderstand that it is by his meanes that wee must obtaine mercie of GOD of the which wee bee vnworthie as touching our selues That it will please him to bestowe this grace not onely vpon vs but also vpon all people and nations of the earth c. On Munday the xx of Aprill 1556. The CLXX Sermon which is the second vpon the thirtith Chapter 6 And the Lorde thy God will circumcise thy heart and the heart of thy seede that thou mayest loue the Lorde thy GOD with all thine heart and with all thy soule to the ende that thou maist liue 7 And the Lord thy God will lay all these curses vpon thine enemies and vpon them that hate thee and which haue persecuted thee 8 Thou then shalt returne and obey the voyce of the Lorde and doe all these Commaundements which I commaund thee this day 9 The Lorde thy GOD will make thee plentifull in all the woorkes of thy hande in the fruite of thy wombe in the fruite of thy Cattell and in the fruite of thy Lande to thy welfare For the Lorde will reioyce agayne ouer thee to doe thee good lyke as hee did reioyce ouer thy fathers 10 If thou obey the voice of the Lord thy God in keeping his Commandementes and his ordinaunces written in the booke of this Lawe and returne vnto the Lorde thy GOD with all thyne hearte and with all thy Soule HItherto Moses in promysing y t God would vouchsafe such fauour on his people as to blesse them hath spoken but of the thinges which concerne this present lyfe as of bodily health of foode of peace and of preseruation from their enemyes But nowe hee speaketh of a higher and a more excellent matter to wit that GOD will chaunge the heartes of them which before were euil and froward And that is a farre greater thing than to giue vs onely meate and drinke and whatsoeuer else is to bee desired for the flesh in this transitorie lyfe Wee haue moreouer to gather out of this text that whereas the holy Scripture requireth vs to doe that which God demaundeth it is not bycause wee haue the power to doe it for GOD doeth not measure his commaundements after our power albeit that wee be weake yet neuerthelesse wee bee bound vnto him but when he hath shewed vs our duetie it belongeth to him to giue vs the grace to accomplish it And this text doth shew it vs very well for we haue seene it heretofore and Moses doeth yet againe confirme the same Deut. 30. ◠y t men ought to turne to God that they ought to feare him with all their heart and with al their soule that they ought to obserue his law Now when we heare this we may iudge that if men will imploy themselues take a good way it is in their libertie and they haue free choise to gouerne themselues well if they list and the Papistes in deede doe abuse themselues with such Textes For as soone as they heare that God commandeth they do forthwith conclude that wee are able to put all in execution But we see howe Moses speaketh thereof He saith Thou shalt keepe the commandements of the Lord thy GOD to loue him with all thine heart and with all thy soule and then he addeth It is the Lord that will giue thee such a minde such an affection Also he saith in another place Circumcise your hearts this day vnto the Lord and now he saith 〈◊〉 10.16 It is the Lord that will circumcise thine heart It is his very office We see then that when God giueth vs his lawe it is not bycause we are able to attaine to the accomplishment of that which is contayned in it but it is ynough for vs to vnderstand wherein we bee bound vnto him and that knowing once our infirmitie we resort to the remedie euen to pray him that he will supply our default But they may heere reply that Moses meaneth not that onely GOD shold altogether change men and reforme their hearts for this place seemeth to shew that God will ayde men when they haue some good motion and be disposed to serue him and that it is so he saith Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy heart But yet hee addeth And the Lord wil make thee to loue him It seemeth therfore that Moses placeth some good disposition in men and that they doe begin on their part and that thereuppon God helpeth them and addeth that which they want Thus do the Papistes turmoyle themselues when men alleage vnto them whatsoeuer is spoken in holy Scripture concerning the grace of God as y t it is he which inlightneth our conscience it is hee that giueth vs the knowledge to discerne good from euill it is he that giueth vs wisedome to walke as becommeth vs it is he that giueth vs power to resist temptations it is he that wealdeth guideth our hearts in his obedience it is he that giueth vs the power and vertue to continue when men tell them any of these thinges O say they it is true that men doe not all for seeing that they be weake God must ayde them but yet doeth it lye in them to guide themselues and to haue some good preparation and moreouer it lyeth in them also to
bee chaunged to serue our GOD. The same was likewise in Circumcision and Moses doeth shewe in this place that it was not a vayne figure It was not a marke that GOD had set vppon his people but onely to say You are a chosen people and in the meane whyle they shoulde haue thereby no promise not warrant of their saluation nor of any thing that was spirituall But contrariwyse in saying that GOD will Circumcise their heartes hee sheweth that this Sacrament this visible signe of Circumcision declared vnto them that they ought to bee chaunged and that they ought to be a holy people vnto their GOD. And therefore let vs learne that Baptisme at this day succeedeth circumcision like as Saint Paule sayeth in the Epistle to the Colossians Col. 2.12 After hee hath shewed that Circumcision remayneth not at this day as touching the outwarde vse hee sayeth that wee bee Circumcised not by the hand of man but in that wee bee buried in the Baptisme of our Lorde Iesus whereby the olde man is mortifyed that from hencefoorth the spirit of God may gouerne vs. Thus yee see what we haue to obserue in this place as touching the first poynt Therefore let vs marke that although the fathers which lyued vnder the Lawe were as little children vnder their Tutors and Ouerseers Gal. 3.23 4.2 yet were they the children of GOD as wee are and had the verie same promise of saluation and the Sacramentes which GOD deliuered them tended to the selfe same ende and so consequently were spirituall Thus much concerning one point Nowe furthermore it is heere shewed vnto vs that Circumcision did not onely signifie vnto the Iewes that they shoulde bee a holy people vnto GOD and that they shoulde change the malice of their hearts but it shewed also that God would do them the fauour to regenerate them by his holy Spirit As at this day in Baptisme when the water is powred vppon the head of a little childe it is not onely to signifie that beyng come to mans age hee must serue GOD and yet notwithstanding is not able to doe it vnlesse it bee giuen him from aboue but the infant is baptised by the hande of another and the hand of the Minister is as it were the hand of Iesus Christ to whom onely it doeth appertaine to Baptise as Saint Iohn sayth Wee in deede doe Baptise with water but his office is to Baptise with the Spirit and with fyre Therefore let vs marke it well that when the Minister layeth the water on the childes head therein hee representeth the person of our Lorde Iesus Christ witnessing thereby that our Lorde Iesus will bee so gracious to as many as beleeue and are chosen of GOD his father as to drawe them to him and to gouerne them so as they shall become newe Creatures And euen so is it with Circumcision Abraham in deede was circumcised but that was after an extraordinarie manner But yet ordinarily it behooued men to bee circumcised by the handes of them that were appointed thereunto and those did represent the person of God It was therefore a testimonie that men of themselues could not be circumcised but that it was necessarie that God shoulde put his hande thereto and that he should change them Seeing it is so let vs marke that in all the Sacramentes wee bring nothing of our owne but that wee doe rather come to receiue that which is offered vnto vs in the name of GOD. The Sacraments then be not meritorious matters that men might alledge any seruice that they had doone but rather come to seeke that which they want Whereby wee see the foolishnesse that is in the Iewes for they boast themselues of Circumcision as if it had beene a great vertue and woulde needes bring it in reckoning as if God had beene beholden vnto them bycause they were circumcised To bee short whensoeuer deseruing and grace came in question the Iewes pretended that they were not saued by the free goodnesse and mercie of God And wherefore To what end serued y e circumcision It serued for a testimonie for an earnest for a visible signe to declare y t it is God that doth all in vs. But these miserable beastes vnderstand not that See here I pray you the vnthankfulnes of men which hath taken place not with that nation onely but among the christians also where y e goodnes of God hath bin vttered much more at large Behold our Lord Iesus Christ calleth vs vnto him Col. 2.10 he telleth vs that we must seeke all our welfare in him yet the Papistes haue not ceassed to distinguishe and to seeke out a woorke which is wrought on mans part as they terme it They haue yeelded that the principall part of the Sacramentes is a diuine worke but yet neuerthelesse they sticke not to say that men doe bring thereunto somewhat of their owne And no maruaile For we see to what point they are come namely that they haue chaunged the Supper of our Lord Iesus Christ into a charme and a diuelish sorcerie Thus saide Iesus Christ Take Matt. 26.26 Eate he commandeth vs to receiue it the Papistes make God to beleeue y t they do offer it vnto him And further they stablish thereupon a worke of merite euen the most excellent y t euer they could dreame of But yet for al that we see how y e diuell hath bewitched them so as they haue changed y e whole order of nature For in sted of receiuing y t thing with humilitie which God offered them they haue presumed to offer vnto him the things which they haue forged in their owne braine doe make themselues beleeue that all those things are acceptable vnto him yea and that he is very much beholding to them for so dooing So much the more therefore doth it stand vs in hand to mark that which is spoken here namely The Lorde thy God will circumcise thy heart So then seeing God hath shewed vs what Baptisme doeth signifie let vs vnderstande howe it is our duetie to reforme vs and to renounce our owne nature to serue GOD. But doe wee once knowe that Then let vs proceede to the promise that is giuen vs which is that bycause wee can doe nothing GOD sayth that he will put to his hand that wee may bee chaunged and become new creatures through his holy spirite This is in effect that which wee haue to obserue in this place Nowe Moses addeth That thou mayst lyue not that God dealeth with vs according to our deseruings but bicause wee be slouthfull therefore he addeth this promise namely that wee shall be blessed of God and whatsoeuer he hath sayd to make vs to walk in his obedience it is to shewe vs that wee must walke in such sort as wee prouoke not the vengeaunce of GOD against vs if wee will bee blessed of him It is true that hee may alwayes punish vs by good right and that although hee guide vs and
rauished that hee had no care of himselfe Nowe therefore when he heard that the people would fall away from God there is no doubt but his heart was mortally wounded But what Yet must hee needes heare these tydinges full of sorrowe and anguish Heerein we see how God did exercise him euen vnto y e end We must not therefore suppose that Moses discharged his duâ—tie as it were with dailyaunce but that he had terrible hartbyting so as he was tossed too and fro and God gaue him alwayes dreadfull grypes of minde But yet neuerthelesse he did still continue And therefore when we see that matters fal not out as we wold albeit that we haue faithfully laboured and it seeme that our trauaile is vnprofitable and that Sathan will throwe downe that which we haue indeuored to set vp and thinges fall out to trouble and disorder let it not turne vs aside from the good way let it not repent vs that we haue serued our GOD let it content vs that our labour is acceptable vnto him for although it be not so profitable vnto men as were to be wished yet haue we done such a sacrifice vnto God as he doth receiue and accept Yea but yet if men fare litle the better thereby wee may be sorrie and sigh therefore Neuerthelesse we haue not lost our time because God liketh well of our dooinges That say I is the thing whereby the ministers of Gods worde should coÌ„fort themselues at this day when they see the worlde so drunken as we see it is and that in steede of going forwarde the greater part goeth backewarde and that whereas Gods worde is so preached vnto them that the very walles doe ring of it yet doe they but make a scoffe of it When we see such thinges let vs resort to God and say Alas Lorde thou knowest wherfore thou hast employed vs hereunto and albeit that thy doctrine be so slenderly receiued of the worlde yet is it alwaies a sacrifice of good sauour vnto thee according as Saint Paul sayth Beholde sayth he it behooueth our preaching to be as the sauour of death to many people 2. Cor. 2.15 They be the missebelieuing which be hardened against God but howsoeuer they fare that sauour is a sweete sent to our God forasmuch as it is his will that his Gospell should be preached vnto all creatures And all the faithfull in generall ought to apply the same to their owne vse specially when wee deale vprightly with men and they render vs euill for good For then it seemeth that the thinges which we haue indeuoured to doe for their welfare are taken in disdayne and by meanes therof we coÌ„monly repent vs by reason of our frailtie What then We must arme ourselues with stedfastnesse in this case And although there be neuer so great vnthankfulnesse in the world yet must we neuer be sorry that we haue obeyed our God No but the issue is not answerable to our desire There is no remedie Let vs be contented that our God alloweth our obedience So much concerning that point Moreouer whereas it is sayd that the people will rise vp God telleth of a change that whereas they shoulde holde them quiet vnder the bridle which God had giuen them they would rise vp proudly and stubbornely through inordinate desire seeke to shake off the yooke which was layde vpon their necke By the sight heereof we may learne what our owne nature is For it is certaine that heere God ment to shewe vs as in a glasse what wee be vntill such time as hee hath wrought in vs. Nowe then when we be taught in the doctrine of the Gospel what is our dutie but to hold ourselues quiet without wrenching either hither or thither as we be too much giuen by nature The word of God then must hold vs in and settle vs that we couet not newe changes euery day euery minute of an houre but that God may haue the obedience that is due vnto him and wee followe that which he commandeth vs. Thus ought the word of God to preuaile in vs to keepe vs quiet But yet we see howe the children of Israell dealt in that behalfe and howe they rose vppe that is to say that they changed and could not keepe themselues in the obedience of God At the same point are we Therefore let vs mistrust all our owne conceites When so euer any thought comes in our minde or whensoeuer we take any thing in hande let vs euermore suspect it for feare least wee shake off the yoke which GOD hath layde vppon our neckes and let vs vnderstande that God must guide vs to the ende Seeing then that we be so wauering by nature let vs learn to submit ourselues the better to the word of God not to enterprise thinges of our owne heades as who would say I will doe this I will doe that for as soone as we followe our owne wit and aduise we become stray beastes There is no more then for vs to doe but onely to liue in continuall obedience And for somuch as our Lorde hath shewed vs howe he would haue vs to walke let vs hold vs thereto not follow our tickling lustes to be carried too and fro by them After that manner are we to practise this place where it is sayde That the people would ryse vp after the death of Moses True it is that wee ought to haue our hearts alwayes lifted vppe to Godwarde but yet must they also bee brought lowe through humilitie and we must not lift vp ourselues with pride and presumption tâ— cast away that which hath beene taught vs. Nowe let vs kneele downe before the maiestie of our good God with acknowledgement of our sinnes beseeching him to vouchsafe to receiue vs to his mercie And forasmuch as wee know we bee no better than these whom we see here condemned euen before they were borne according as it is heere spoken of them which should succeede after the death of Moses let vs pray to that good God that seeing he knoweth the vices that be in vs that we bee not able to helpe it vnlesse he worke by his holy spirite he will therefore clense vs from all wicked affections and so subdue vs vnto him that though we be straied away by nature yet notwithstanding he suffer vs not to continue still in our iniquities but that being drawen vnto him as he hath once called vs thereunto we may continue constantly therein and so perseuere vnto the ende and that in the meane while hee will vpholde vs because he knoweth vs to be weake vntill hee hath fully restored vs by his power That it may please him to graunt this grace not onely vnto vs but also vnto all people and Nations of the earth c. On Wednesday the v. of May 1556. The CLXXVI Sermon which is the fourth vpon the one thirtith Chapter 17 Is it not because my God is not with me that these euils haue found me out
his natural duetie towards them but he must preferre God before all men according to this generall saying Luke 14.26 that we cannot be the disciples of our Lord Iesus Christ except wee hate both father and mother The word hate is yet somwhat harder than that which is conteined heere in Moses but the meaning is not darke at all For our Lord Iesus doth vs to vnderstand that wee must make such account of him that both father mother must be as nothing in comparison of him that the husbande must leaue y e loue which hee beareth to his wife and the father must set aside the care of his children that wee may keepe on our way roundly insomuch that when the case standeth vppon yeelding record to the Gospell and of cleauing to our Lord Iesus Christ all worldly thinges must be quite and cleane wyped out of our hearts And so we see nowe the meaning of Moses And in very deed the same appeared as well in himselfe as in his brother Aaron At such time as the Calfe was made and the people had defiled themselues with ydolatrie we see with what zeale Moses was carried and likewise all the tribe of Leuie For hee willed euery man to take his sworde in his hande â—â—od 32.27 Let vs goe saith hee and sanctifie you your handes to the Lorde For in so doing yee shall shewe your selues to be rightly zealous of Gods seruice in that yee kill your owne brethren without sparing so as in this case the order of nature be put vnderfoote to shewe that God is aboue all and ought to beare chiefest sway Seeing then that Moses maketh such an execution that hee carieth with him the whole tribe of Leuie wee see it is not saide in vaine that the Priestes executed vengeance both on father and mother that they did shut their eyes against al that euer might coole them or restreine them and that God had so rauished them as they sought nothing but the maintenance of his honour and the executing of his vengeance vpon such abhomination as had bin committed against him for to deface his honor in Israel Neuerthelesse we must note that no one deede is spoken of heere alone but Moses meant to shewe in fewe wordes that God had chosen that tribe with condition that it should be holy vnto him and that they all should shewe the way to all the rest of the people But wee know it is vnpossible to please God so long as wee bee too much affectioned towardes men And therefore we haue heere a rule that if wee intende to walke aright and not to halt before God we must not be intangled in our fleshly affections no not euen in those which are most commendable or at leastwise which may haue most excuse Men cannot condemne him which honoureth his father and mother for it is a vertue and wee knowe that God hath commaunded it with a promise Exod. 20.12 Ephe. 6.2 The man that loueth his wife shall not bee the lesse esteemed for it but what shal be saide of the man which hath not a care of his children He were worse thaÌ„ a brute beast 1. Tâ—m 5.8 And Sainct Paul saith that such folk shal be condemned by the vnbeleeuers because the vnbeleeuers do shewe them their lesson Then is it a commendable vertue for a man to loue his father and his mother and his neighbours but yet must all these bee forgotten when God commeth in place and when his honour is put into the balance to be compared with the duety which wee owe to all creatures For then as I saide afore God must go formost and al the residue must follow Insomuch that if we shoulde be turned quite away from them for the doing of such things as God commandeth to be done for his honour the order of nature ought to beare no sway in that behalfe but rather to bee vtterly ouerthrowen True it is that here he speaketh of the Leuits which were in olde time yet notwithstanding they which at this day do preach Gods worde are bound to the like and ought to vnderstande that Gods putting of them in that office degree is to the intent they shoulde so giue themselues vnto him as that they should not be turned away from him neither for regard of their owne persons nor for any earthly affection nor for any loue of the world Then must they fight against those thinges and although there bee great hardnes in it yet must they inforce themselues neuerthelesse For we shall not so fully ouer master our selues at y e first that we shal be able to forget both our wiues and children But yet is it no excuse to alledge that we be weake and y t the things which we haue by kind cannot be so soone forgotten we must fight against theÌ„ neuerthelesse For if we be rechlesse heere our condemnation is giuen vpon vs. How then shall the ministers of Gods word performe their dutie faithfully Euen by hauing the one foote coÌ„tinually lifted vp to depart out of the worlde so as neither houshold nor any thing else do hold them backe from dedicating themselues wholly vnto God be it to liue or die That is the end whereat we must begin Now in very deede that cannot be done throughly but yet must wee indeuour and inforce our selues to that ende and dayly labour and take paines to profite to go forward in that behalf Moreouer forasmuch as nowadayes al of vs are Leuits a kingly priesthood 1. Pet. 2.9 as the people of Israel were let vs note y t this matter belongeth partly vnto vs all For we heare how it is saide by the Prophet Esay 66.21 that in the reigne of our Lord Iesus Christ those which afore were but Leuits to be porters of y e temple or to make cleane the vessels or to doe the residue of the base seruices shal be high priests and that the common people which durst not enter into the Temple afore shal be of the order and degree of Leuits And in very deede at this day the sanctuarie of God is set open vnto vs by the bloud of our Lord Iesus Christ Heb. 10.19.20 the veile is rent asunder and wee goe in vnto the maiestie of God as the high priestes did of olde time vnder the Lawe Seeing that God hath so greatly inhonoured the faithfull vnder the Gospell that hee hath set then in equall degree with those which were Leuits in the materiall tabernacle which was but a figure it behooueth vs well to consider what hath beene said concerning the Priests of old time and all of vs from the highest to the lowest ought to know that we cannot serue God without forgetting our father and mother according to the forealledged saying of our Lorde Iesus Christ who speaketh there not of his disciples onely True it is that it behoued them to be the foreleaders and by their example to induce the faithfull to the restreining
chastised by the hand of God 1160. b all A Comfort for vs if we see gods Church scatered c. 168. b 50 A Comfort to them that are afflicted for their sinnes 1047. a 20. c. 1048. a 30.40.50.60 b 10.20 The Comfort of the faithfull in their distressed state 1007. a 50.60 b 20.1008 al. The true Comfort of wretched sinners when God scourgeth them 155. a 20 What is the Comfort that wee haue in afflictions 155. b 50 Why we haue to Comfort our selues in all the temporall punishmentes which God sendeth vs. 1237. a 10.20 How God doeth Comfort his seruants when they complaine of their calamitie and the prosperitie of the wicked 1168. b 30.40.50.60 Who they be vnto whome the Lorde promiseth Comfort 1170. a 30.40.50 Commaund Howe we ought to bethinke ourselues when God doth Commaund vs any thing 871. b 10.20 The reason of these words of God spoken with authoritie I Commaund thee to do so 871. a 40.50 What wee haue to do when God doth CoÌ„mand vs any thing that seemeth hard and vnpossible vnto vs. 889. a 50.60 b 10 If God doeth enioyne and Commaund a thing to be done it must be done without gainsaying 327. a 40 What we must doe when the thing that God doth Commaunde vs seemeth strange 327. a 60. b 10 Commandement What was the first Commandement y t God gaue y e Iewes when they shold be come into the promised land 490. b 10.20 How the Papistes prooue that these words of Christ Do good to your enemies is no Commaundement but a counsell 771. a 50.60 b 10.20 The Commaundement Thou shalt not kill expounded 777. a 10.20.30 Howe that part of the third Commandement where mention is made of men seruantes and women seruants is to be vnderstood 209. b 40.50 The tickelishnâ—s of our nature in doing Gods Commandement 54. a 10 How God will haue his Commaundement receiued of vs when hee sendeth the same by men 56. a 10 It shall not boote vs to doe anie thing without Gods Commaundement 54. b 10.20 Of Gods Comnaundement forbidding the Iewes the vse of Gold Siluer Read that 344. a 40.50.60 b 10 Vntill when we shall not be able to doe Gods Commandement 479. b. 60 What is the first Commandement in y e law that hath anie promise 217. a 40 Whether it were manslaughter in Iehu to haue executed the CoÌ„mandemeÌ„t of God Read that place 329. b 20 To what end a promise was added to the first Commandement of the second table 217. b 10 The fourth Commaundement confirmed by the seuenth yeres solemnitie among the Iewes 573. a 50 How men haue conspired to doe contrarie to gods CoÌ„mandemeÌ„t 62. b 20 Notable doctrine vppon these wordes According as the Lorde had giuen Commandement 84. b 10.20 Commandements The 156 157.158.159 Sermons conteine certaine specified plagues denouÌ„ced against the breakers of gods Commandements By what meanes God prouoketh vs to the keeping of his CommaÌ„dements 464. b 50.60 What God intended to doe vnder the ten Commandements 202. a 10 What should sharpen our desire to follow Gods CoÌ„mandements 207. a 10 Whereof we ought to assure our selues so oft as Gods Commandementes seeme harde vnto vs. 207. a 20.30 Read the doctrine vpon these words If they child aske here after what these CoÌ„mandements meane c. 297. a al The meaning of these words The keeping of gods Commandements shal be imputed to men for righteousnes before God 300. a 60. b all If a man looke no further than Gods Commaundements there is nothing but cursing 131. a 40.50 We must not onelie put Gods Commandements in executioÌ„ but keepe them to do them 488. a 40.50 Wee must submit our selues to Gods Commandements in al cases in al respectes without gainsaying 523. b 30.40 Moses sheweth vs how we should keep Gods Commandements 317. b 10.20 How the Papistes storme when we say that God must be serued simplie according to the trueth of his Commandements 543. b 60.544 a 10 Why before there is anie speech of the keeping of Gods Commandements loue is set downe in the first place 137. b 30.40.50 God auoweth all such as breake his CoÌ„mandements to be his enemies and why 320. b 10.20 To loue God and keepe his Commandements are thinges vnseparable 192. b 60 Gods doing of good to such as keep his Commandements is not of bound duetie of what then 193. b 10 What we must doe to go through with Gods Commandements 108. a 30 What wee haue to learne when God matcheth promises with CommaÌ„dements 111. b 50 How we shall be hardie enough to obey Gods Commandements 74. b 40 The manifold and great impediments that hinder vs from obeying Gods Commandementes 75. a 20.30 The promise of Gods blessing is tyed to the performing of his Commandements 483. b 20 What we haue to learne in that God added not anie thing to the sentences of the ten Commandementes 249. b 10.20.30.40.50.60 The suÌ„me of the ten Commandements 251. b 10.20.30 Notable doctrine vpon these wordes Lay vp my Commaundementes in thy heart and in thy soule 473. b 40.50.60 Why God pretendeth to wishe in men the keeping of his Commandements and Lawes 260. a 10.30 Why God hath reduced his lawe into ten Commandements 472. b 40 Why God addeth promises to his Commandements 340. b 40.50.60 347. a 10 Of the papistes pretended humilitie in obseruing the Commandements of their church 389. b 10.20.30.40 Whether it be in mans power to fulfill the Commandements of God 1052. a b 50.60.1053 a al. Notable doctine vppon these wordes Keepe al the Commandements 693. b 50.60 That none can fulfill the Commandements in all points what we must doe towards the fulfilling of y e same 694. a 10 Whereto the Commaundementes of God doe tend and howe wee maie keepe them 694. a 20 40. c. Ciuill gouernment is not to preiudice y e ten Commandements or to change anie thing in them 834. b 40.50.60.835 a 10 Iesus Christ hath kept the Commaundemeâ—ts for vs. 947. a 30 Diuerse amiable promises wherby God allureth vs to the obseruing of his Commaundements Reade the 153 and 154 Sermon The Commandements of God which serue but for a time are not to be obserued for euer as for examples 919. a 40.50 Of our knowing of Gods commaundements what it must be not be 911. a 40 What it is y t maketh vs so many wayes to transgresse Gods Commaundements 905. a 50.60 Of walking according to Gods CoÌ„mandements and whether it be in mans power to performe such a work 905. all 906. all How God will haue vs keepe his Commandements is shewed by a similitude 999. a 20.30 The ten Commaundements laid vp in the sanctuarie 1099. a 20. Looke Law and Word Comming What we haue to gather of gods Comming foorth for the people 1187. a 50.60 Gods grace shed foorth throughout all the world by the Comming of Christ 4. b 10 Of Comming vnto God and presenting our selues before him 914. all 915.
time of the law with the surplus of the tythes 903. a 40.50.60 430. a 20. 569. a 30.40 b 20 What a benefite it is to haue a poore man to pray for vs. 855. a 10.20 c. Of the crie of y e Poore in their distresse and miserie 855. b all An instruction for the Poore in respect of their pouertie 855. b 60. 856 a 10. c. and what their dutie is when they are releeued ibid. a all 833. a 50.60 280. a 60. 233. a all 511. b 10 20 The wilinesse and craft of the Poore complained of 834. a 10.20 How both Poore rich ought to tende to Godward 282. a 50.60 b 10.20 Of a kinde of intercommoning that ought to be betweene the rich the Poore 587. a 10.20.30.40 A reconciling of two places one that there should be no Poore begger in Israel the other that they shoulde haue Poore folke alwayes among them 586. a 10. 587. a 10. 574. a 60. b all 585. a all How the Iewes neglected the true performance of the lawe that prouided for the releefe of the Poore among them 579. â— 20.30 b 50.60 c. Howe to be Poore in heartes is meant 233. a 10 Howe a man in Poore estate beareth himselfe in hand in his pouertie and how if he afterwards be wealthy 411. b 20 An exhortation to the releeuing of the Poore whom we are bound by dutie to see vnto 570. a 10.20.30.40 517. a 20. b 10 A comfort vnto Poore folke that God will doe them right when they are wrongfully dealt withal 449. a b al. 450. a 10 How the rich man doth malice y e Poore 232. b 30.40.50 Pope The Popes proude assertion touching his owne lawes 121. a 30 Pope Sericius his blasphemie noted 228. b 60. 229. a â—0 That the Pope hath marred the whole order of the Church and how 5. a 40 50 The Popes tyrannical gouernement his Clergie noted 113. a 10.20 Why the Pope saith it is not lawfull to examine his doctrine 678. a 40.50 The abhominable dissolutenesse of the Popes Cleargie noted 14. b 40 50 Against the Pope and his proude vsurped titles 217. b 50.60 640. b 10.20 and 666. b 10.20 678. b 10. 684 b all The shamelesnesse of the Pope and his rable noted in diuerse pointes of Church matters 389. a 60 Popedome Of a number in the Popedome which rowe betweene two streames 493 b 30.40.50 The meanes wherewith men thinke to pacifie God in the Popedome 447. b 20.30.40 c. Why all thinges are out of order in the Popedome 445. a 30.40 983. a 50.60 That in the Popedome there is no harkening what God saith but al things are done at the appointment of meÌ„ 504. b 50 Whether there bee any question of the hearing of God in the Popedome 389. a 10 The hellish Popedome hath no foundation at all 218. a 10 Of the ouerstatelinesse of the cursed Popedome 217. b 50.60 How the helhounds of the Popedome haue marriage in contempt 228. b 10 20.30.40.50.60 The greatest clâ—rkes of the Popedome prooued to be dull or witted thâ—n sillie Infidels c. 243. a 50.60 A number of superstitions in the Popedome taken from the heathen 628. a 40.50.60 b 10. c. The cause of so barbarous tyrannie in the Popedome 14. b 10 Howe villanously and wickedly they of the Popedome spend the wealth of y e Church 903. a 60. b 10.20 Against them that terme themselues prelats in y e Popedome their vsurped titles 1205. b 60. 1206. a 10.20 Poperie No doctrine in Poperie to draw men to God 187. a 20 In what respects Poperie must needes fall to the ground 114. a 60. b 10 A definition or description of Poperie 636. a 50 To what end all the doctrine of Poperie doth tend 680. a 60. b 10 The cause why in Poperie euerie man hath cast to a collup of his owne inuention 261. b 50.60 The cause of the great number of ordinances lawes and ceremonies set vp in Poperie 262. b 30.40 Of the Agnus Dei vsed in Poperie 276. a 10.20 Looke Papists Portion Dauids words that the Lord is his Portion expounded 658. b 50.60 659 a 10 Why the Portion of the tribe of Gad was said to be a hidden portion 1221 b 50.60 1223. a all A double Portion giuen to Ioseph by Iacob and why 1211. b 40 How it came to passe that the linage of Abraham became Gods Portion 1117. b 10 The meaning of these words they had a hidden Portion of the lawgiuer 1222. b 30.40 1223. a all Portions The office of distributing the world into Portions is attributed vnto God and what we haue to learne thereby 1116. b 50.60 Possessions The Rubenites and Gadites not to be commended in that they sought to haue Possession of the countrie that was giuen them so soone 92. a 50 Howe we be in Possession of the inheritance promised to the Iewes 1143. a 10 None must couet the Possession of any thing which he hath not receiued at Gods hands 74. a 20.30 Howe the Ammonites the Moabites the Edomites and the Israelites got the Possession of their lande 70. a 60. b 10.20 What God sloth when hee intendeth to maintaine a people in their Possession â—4 a 10.20.30 Notable doctrine vppon these wordes that God gaue mount Seir in Possession to Esaâ— 62. all 63. all What we must doe if wee will haue the continuall Possession of Gods benefites 347. a 40.50 290. b 60. 551. a 20.30.40 Why God lingereth the time to put vs in Possession of his benefites 506. b 10 Howe and by whom we are put in Possession of the heritage that was promised vs by the law 480. b 10 No man must rest vppon the thinges that a man hath in his Possession 583. b 60. Looke Inheritance Possessions That such as haue lands and Possessions be the greatest theeues why 978. a 50.60 b 10 Of some that be vexed in their goods and Possessions and why 978. a 60. b 10 With what condition hee that hath goods and Possessions may vse them 658. b 30.40 Why it was Gods will that the Possessions should returne to the first owners 573. b 50.60 574. a 10 Pouertie Of the ridiculous vowe of Pouertie made by the Friers 829. b 50.60 A meane and way to make vs beare Pouertie the more patiently 282. a 50 60. b 10 Pouertie the meane whereby God trieth whether we be subiect vnto him or no Looke that place 349. a 10.20 How he that is growen rich should bethinke himselfe of his former Pouertie 363. b 20.30 An exercise for vs when we be driueÌ„ to Pouertie 352. b 10.20.354 b 20. Looke Distresse and Necessitie Power of God The wonderfull Power of God set forth in deliuering Geneua and the Citizens thereof from destruction 459. b 30.40.50.60 Of the Power of the Gospell which it hath to
God 962. b 30.40 Prerogatiue Our Prerogatiue greater than that of the Fathers in the time of the lawes howe and wherein 556. all The Prerogatiue of putting difference betwene beastes cleane vncleane to whom it belongeth 557. b 40.50 A notable Prerogatiue that the citie of Ierusalem had 498. b 20. Looke Preheminence and Priuiledge Prescription Of claiming title against God by Prescription 150. b 60. 151. a 10 Presence of God Howe the Sacrament of the Lords supper is called the Presence of God 1081. a 50 Of the Presence of God with y e Iewes and of his presence with vs howe the same is brought to passe 1027. a all 1081. a all b 10. 1187. a all 1186. all 926. b 20.30 815. a 20.30 and 815. a 30.40.50 and 704. b 50 60. and 705. a 10. and 661. a 40. b 10. and 900. b 50.60 and 901. a 10 The Presence of God put for the sanctuarie Looke how 900. b 50 Of reioysing in the Presence of the Lorde 901. a 30.40.50 Who they be that banish themselues from Gods Presence 926. b 60. 927. a 10 Of Christs Presence with vs in what respect hee saide hee woulde neuer leaue vs. 815. a 30.40.50 Of the Presence of Gods Maiestie in the order of Iustice. 704. a 50.60 b 10. 640. a 10 We were notable to abide Gods Presence if he shoulde come vnto vs as he is indeede 184. a 20 Men will needes haue a Presence of God after their owne fashion and deuice 134. a 60. b 10 Howe wee bee in the Presence of the Lord when we bee Partakers of the Sacraments 618. b all Gods Presence is not perceiued by our mother wit 336. b 50 What we haue to note by these words that we must eate and make merie in Gods Presence 567. b 10.20.30 c. 500. all Presentes Against such as boast themselues to be vnable to bee corrupted with Presentes 625. a 10.20 That it is a deadly poison for a Iudge to receiue anie Presents in any wise 626. a 40.50 Looke Giftes Presumption The Papistes count it Presumption in men to warrant themselues of saluation 914. a all The diuelish Presumption of the Papistes noted and the maner of their sawcie pleading with God 914. a 60 b 10.20.30 The Presumption of some in seeking out thinges that God hath noâ— reuealed 131. a 10 The Presumption of false Prophets noted and condemned 683. a 30 40.50.60 A looking glasse shewing mens Presumption to make them selues â—edoubted c. 58. a 10 Awakening of such as are puffed vp with a vaine Presumption vnder colour that God is gratious vnto theÌ„ c. 147. a 40 The Presumption of the Iewes without warrant of promise noted 53. a 10.20 In what respectes hardinesse will bee turned to Presumption 56. b 60. 57. a 20 The Papistes accuse vs of Presumption when we rest vpon Gods promises â—8 a 30 Our Presumption noted when wee bee once minded to followe our owne foolish rashnesse 341. b 10 The Presumption of men noted in seeking to iustifie themselues 380. a 10 Nothing but Presumption in the attempts of the vnfaithfull c. 74. a 50.60 Howe we shall haue a holie Presumption in vs. 74. b 50 Of a fonde Presumption wherewith hypocrites are puffed vp touching Gods seruice 631. a 20.30 c. Pride Notable doctrine to the beating downe of Pride and hawtinesse 51. a 10.20.30.40.50 b 10. 437. all 4â— a 10 Vnbeleefe alwaies matched with Pride and loftinesse 56. b 30 The Pride and ambition of men noted in diuerse pointes 209 b 50. 147. a 50.60 167. b 10.20 213. a 40 The Pride of men in their abundance that ingendereth crueltie where also the Pride of Sodome is noted 869 b 20.30.40 The Pride of the Iewes noted for their election sake before all other people 880. a 10.20 A protestation of the Iewes tending to the suppressing of their Pride 895. al 896. al. Pride one of the sinnes of Sodome and Gomor 1153. a 40.50.60 The Pride of mans nature howe men thereby set themselues against God and how God dealeth with men for the expelling thereof 1163. a al. Of the Pride of Herode and howe the same was punished 985. b 10. and 364. a 30 That God foreseeth the Pride of men and then taketh awaie the occasions and obiectes 988. a 40.50 An exhortation to such as be in authoritie to take heed of Pride 655. a 20.30 To what intent it is expedient for men to bee bereft of all their Pride and loftinesse and howe it may be done 95. b 60 The Pride of such noted as hold scoâ—ne to obey lawes and Magistrats 643. a 40.50.60 Pride is the sinne that will bee last corrected in vs and is the roote of all other offences 382. b 20 Two respectes for the abating of Pride and fonde desire of superioritie 13. b 60 Of some in whom no Pride shall bee perceiued if God aduaunce them to honour or wealth 363. a 20 Howe Pride doeth euer carie crueltie with it 364. a 30 The diuerse meanes that God vsed to pul downe the Pride of Egypt 334. a 40.50.60 Pride hath raigned in men in all ages 114. a 30 What an odious vice Pride is in the sight of God 643. b 30 The Pride of Princes and potentates noted 655. a 10 What we haue to learne by that wheras Moses speaketh of the Pride of false Prophetes 68â— all The Popes diuelish Pride the cause of renting asunder the order that God set in hiâ— Church 14. b 20.40 The cause why the Iewes were alwaies so vnrulie was Pride c. 114. a 30 Looke Ambition and Loftinesse Priest What manner of Priest Christ was and the seuerall pointes of his office 431. a 50.60 What necessarie doctrine wee haue â—o gather by these wordes that the Priest must iudge according to the Lawe of God 641. a 60. b all The cause why God commaunded the Priest to come into the Israelitishe armie and to exhort them not 〈…〉 afraide of their enemies â— and what we haue to gather hereof 717. all 718. a all The Priest of the lawe was more excellent in his office than all the Angels of heauen and why 1198. a 40 High Priest Diuerse reasâ—â— of such furniture as the High priest ware at his entring in to the Sanctuarie 502. a 50.60 b 10 20. and 1199. all and 1200. a 20.30 The Highpriest with his assistants had authoritie to giue sentence of iudgement among the Iewes and why 639. b 40. Looke Aaron Priestes That we are all Priestes or Leuites vnto the Lorde where by the waie the Popish rable are twited 426. b 30.40 658 b all 659. a 10 What we must doe if we will bee Gods Priestes 427. a 50.60 and b 10.20 The meaning of these words that the Priestes were ordeined to blesse in Gods name 738. b 30.40 The Priestes in the olde lawe were bounde to releeue the poore 430. a 20
to the perfection which God calleth vs vnto Thus yee see wherevppon wee must stand that wee may make our profite by this last commandement of the Law And to the end we may take the better heede to it and consider that it is such a doctrine as deserueth well to haue our whole mindes applyed vnto it Rom. 7.9 Act. 22.3 Gal. 1.13 Phil. 3.5.6 let vs beare in minde howe saint Paul saieth that whereas hee â—ad beene counted a great doctor and a wise man and had beene trained vp in Gods lawe from his childhood yet notwithstanding he had beene so blinde that he wist not what Gods Lawe ment vntill hee had beene conuerted and that our Lord Iesus Christ had inlightened him by his Gospel and so made him to knowe wherevnto the Lawe ought to leade vs. Yee see then howe S. Paul had beene brought vp in such sort that he was of great reputation among men howbeit not among the heathen as who should say hee had beene some Philosopher but as one that had beene trayned vp in the Lawe of God And as in respect of his life he protesteth y t he had bin vnblameable before men Yee see then that S. Paul was a holie and a wise man in common account and yet for all that hee is but a sillie beast as in respect of Gods Lawe Why so He saith that he thought himselfe to bee aliue and to haue beene righteous before God not knowing that hee needed the mercy which God offereth to all sinners For hee absteined from whoredome and robberie and such other things and againe he had no euill intentes that any man coulde perceiue or knowe by reason whereof hee thought himselfe to be a righteous man But at the length when God had pitied him hee opened his eyes and made him to vnderstande by this last word Thou shalt not lust Rom. 〈…〉 Loe howe S. Paul began to learne the lawe newe againe whereof he had beene a teacher before S. Paul making profession of the Lawe wherein he had beene brought vp from his tender age saith that vntill such time as he had throughly bethought him of the meaning of this text hee posted ouer it as it had beene vppon burning coales as they say so as he tasted not the strength and power of the lawe ne knewe what sinne was that hee might condemne himselfe and flee to Gods mercie for refuge wherein the hope of our saluation lyeth and ought to bee grounded Seing that S. Paul could not conceiue the meaning of the lawe nor attaine to the right vnderstanding thereof but by this clause let vs determine with our selues to trauell y e earnestlyer in it And sith hee was so blinde all the time of his life vntill his conuersion that he vnderstoode not that saying wee ought to take the better heede of it as I tolde you before For wee be not of better abilitie than hee but God must bee faine to shewe vs by his holy spirite what is ment by this coueting or lusting which is condemned in this place But nowe besides this we haue here another warning which is right necessarie for vs. For the diuel hath labored to couer this commandemeÌ„t after such a sort as Gods intent and meaning might not be knowen but that men might lightly passe ouer all wicked lustes which were seene to be sinne and whereof euery man might haue proofe in himselfe Insomuch that men restreined this worde lust to none other affections than such as import a resolute purpose or full intent but that is contrarie to the plaine meaning of Moses And let vs consider what is come to passe in the Popedome For although the Papistes cannot denie but that to be prouoked and stirred vp to euill desires is a damnable fault and springeth of originall sinne and of the corruption which wee receiue from our father Adam yet notwithstanding they imagine that after baptisme it is no longer sinne though there come a thought into a mans minde to doubt of Gods promises and to grudge and repine against him If a man bee afflicted and his heart riseth against it so as he blameth God of vnrighteousnesse and crueltie that is no sinne say the Papistes And they be not the small fooles that say so but it is a generall resolution in all their diuellish Synagogues or Schooles There is not any synagogue in the Popedome wherein this point is not receiued as an article of the faith namely y t though a man bee moued and prouoked by any wicked lust yet it is no sinne insomuch that if hee bee tempted to murther to poyson to committe whoredome and to doe all the crimes and outrages of the world yet if he do not consent thereto nor assent for those are the two termes that they vse that is to say so they determine not fully vpon the matter to say I will goe through with my wicked intent nor stande vpon it to delight in that wicked affection it is no sinne at all it is but an exercising of our selues in battell whereby wee shewe our selues to bee valiant champions and that sinne ouermastreth vs not Indeed it is true that the faithfull doe well shewe that Gods spirite reigneth in them by their beating backe of such temptations And when they hold themselues in awe and as it were imprison them selues and resist those things because they know they bee contrarie to Gods will and that hee condemneth them it is certaine that thing sheweth that God hath giuen them the vpper hande of sinne and that his power is resident in them and that they be stout champions to fight against Satan but yet doeth it not followe that they bee cleare from all fault and that they can pluck vp sin and fully deliuer themselues from it as though there were not any spot or blemish more in them Alas we come farre short of that For surely on the one side wee haue cause to praise God for giuing vs the grace by his holie spirite to ouercome all wicked affections But yet must wee sigh with all humilitie acknowledging our selues to be weake on our part and that if he pitied vs not we haue such a wicked minde alredy in vs as prouoketh his vengeance against vs so as we shoulde well deserue to be vtterly destroied at his hande Moreouer it was requisite that God should discouer the shame of the popedome and shewe that the greatest clarks there are duller witted than the sillie Infidels that neuer hard one word of holy scripture Why so For we must take that which is written in the Law It is saide that the whole summe of the lawe is that wee shoulde loue God with all our heart with al our soule 〈◊〉 6.5 〈…〉 22.37 with all our minde and with all our powers If it had beene saide Thou shalt loue GOD with all thy heart very well a man might haue concluded that it is no sinne vnlesse thewil doe fully resolue vpon it and purpose it For
The people of Israell commaunded by God to discharge their duetie towardes the Priestes 659. a. 40.50.60 b 10. c. The Priestes had the keeping of the lawe committed vnto them why 1079. a all Popish Priestes prooued theeues by their owne Canons 569. a 30.40.50.60 c. Howe it falleth our that Dauid comming not of the tribe of Leui boasteth himselfe to haue as much as the Priestes 638. b â—0 â—0 Why God ioyneth the Priestes and the iudges together in a case of witnesse bearing 705. a 60. b â—0 The maner of Presenting the Priestes in the olde lawe 1202. b 50 God speaketh by the mouth of his Priestes as if he were visible in his owne person 925. b 60. and 92â— a 10 To what Purpose God ordeyned that the Priestes should blesse his people 805. b 60. and a 10. and 806. a 40. â—0 Priestes were alwayes ordeined to reach Gods people 926. a 30.40 The Priestes in the time of therâ—â— we did wickedlie abuse their vocation 1â—0â— b al. Wherein the Priestes of the olde lawe differed from vs. 1207. a 20.30.40.50 Looke Leuites Priesthoode The Priesthood of the Leuites â—onteÌ„ned all Christes comming notwithstanding the misdemeanour of the Priestes 430. b 10.20 Christ hath taken vppon him the euerlasting Priesthoode ouer all order and gouernement of the Church 641. a 10.20 Howe it came to passe that God would haue the Priesthoode intermedle with ciuill gouernment 640. a 20.30.40.50 With what condition the Priesthoode was giuen the Leuites 640. a 60. 6â—6 al. and 849. a 50.60 b 10.20 The Priesthoode which God had established warranted by miracle 656. a 50.60 Elie deposed from the Priesthoode y e dignitie therof bestowed vpon Samuell and why 851. a 50.60 The Priesthoode of Leuie inferiour to the Priesthoode of Christ. 850. a 10.20 The reason why Aarons children and not Moseses being the excellentest man succeeded in the Priesthoode â—51 a 10.20.30.40 What notable pointes wee haue to marke vpon y â— choosing of Leuie to the Priesthoode 1198. b 50.60 and 1199. all That we are all a kinglie Priesthoode and what our charge is in that case 1203. b 50.60 What we haue to note vpon the Priesthoode of Aaron whereto God had chosen him 1198. al. Of the Priesthoode of Melchisedech and the Priesthoode of Leuie 850. a 10.20 To whom the title of Priesthood doth appertaine 426. b 30.40.50 High priesthoode Of the Highpriesthoode of Aaron and of his childreÌ„ 458. b 50.60 the same ratified 459. a 40.50 What place the tribe of Leuie had in the Temple and why he preferred not them being of his owne tribe to the Highpriesthood 1199. a 40.50 60. b 10.20 Why Aaron was exalted to the dignity of Highpriesthoode 1200. b 50.60 120â— a 10.20 Prince What a Prince should consider when hee moueth warre 67. b 10 After what manner a Prince ought to maintaine his subiectes 734. b 30.40 Gods purpose against a busie and vnquiet and medling Prince 64. a 40. Looke authoritie Princes What Christian Princes haue to consider when they goe on warrefare 721. a 40 In what behalfe 〈◊〉 will not like that Princes should be obeyed 216. b 20.30.40 Howe Princes abuse their places and reigne not to Magnifie God 2â—5 b 40.50 Princes of the world are Gods officers 21. b 10 Kinges and Princes haue a verie harde account to make 21. b 10. 649. b 10. 15. a 10 The incoÌ„ueniences which follow Princes negligence in not minding their office and charge 14. b 60 A supposed speech applied to Princes wherby is declared what withdraweth them from the discharging of their duetie 332. a 10.20.30 What the Princes of the earth are why they are to be honoured 455. a 30.40 Looke Gouernours and Magistrates Principalities To what ende God hath made Principalities 18. b 10 Priuilâ—dge The notable Priuiledge which it hath pleased God to vouchsafe vs. 915. a 60. and b 10. and 921. a 50.60 and 921 a 10 A lawe or Priuiledge of exemption froÌ„ going to warre for them that are new married 843. a 10. c. A Priuiledge graunted to seruantes in the Iewes time and in what cases 816. a 40.50.60 b all A Priuiledge graunted to the Iewes to choose their owne iudges Magistrates and of what things it was a ratifying 621. â— 30 What Priuiledge God hath giuen vs touching meates in respect of the Fathers and what we ought to doe in this case 556. b 20. c. Looke Prerogatiue Priuileges What the granters of Priuileges ought to consider 688. a 60. and who are to be disappointed of them ibidem b 10 Of certaine Priuiledges in olde time seruing for the poorer sort and in what cases 687. b 40.50 Profite The cause why so fewe Profite in the holie scripture 1060. b 30.1061 a all There can be no good ciuill order in y e worlde if euerie man were giuen to his owne Profit 94. b 60 Why we haue such an â—ye or rather be so wedded to our owne Profit and aduantage â—81 b 60. and 582. a al. What is to be doone of vs if wee will haue God to make vs Profit in his worde 248. a 50.60 and 146. b 60. 147. a 10 Howe priuate Profit made the Iewes neglect their duetie to God 362. a 30.40 Promise of God Howe wee ought to resolue our selues touching Gods Promise of the kingdome of heauen against Satan and all his sathanicall meanes 476. a 50.60 b 10 Of the Promise of God to Abraham y t he would multiplie his seed like the starres of the skie 452. a 60. and b 30 A proofe of Gods Promise y t he would cast a feare vppon his peoples enemies 478. b 20.30.40.50.60 and 479. a 10 Howe farre the Promise that GOD would haue mercie on a thousande generations in such as loue him extendeth 217. a 40.50 To what end a Promise was giuen touching the keeping of the first commaundement of the seconde table 217. b 10 The faithfull in the time of the lawe had the Promise of life after y e same manner as it is conteined at this daie in the Gospell 465. b 10.20 What Promise soeuer God doth make vs in his lawe with condition it standes vs in no steede and why 464. b 40 The Promise of Gods blessing is tyed to the performing of his commaundements 483. b 20 Howe long Gods Promise to choose a place for sanctuarie was delaied and that y e Iewes notwithstanding their manifolde prouocations of Gods wrath coulde not disappoint that promise 506. b 20.30.40.50.60 The Promise of saluation was giuen vs before our creation 10. b 30 The Promise that God made to Abraham Isaac and Iacob was aliue when they were dead and rotten 9. a 40.50 A Promise of God vnto vs if we be sure that he hath called vs into the place where we be 67. b 50 In what cases God shewed himselfe more liberall to the Iewes than his Promise was 91. a 10 God hath made Promise of some things and this wee