TWO SERMONS on these wordes of Peter the Apostle Honour all men Loue brotherly felowship Epist 1. chap. 2. vers 17. Preached at Marlebrough the seuenth of Nouember and fifth of Ianuarie 1595. by Charles Pynner Minister of the Church of Wotton-Basset in North-wiltshire Gal. 6.10 VVhile we haue time let vs do good vnto all men but especially vnto them which are of the houshold of faith LONDON Printed by Thomas Creede 1597. TO THE RIGHT honourable and my especiall good Lady Anne Ladie de La VVarr wife vnto the L. de La Warr that now is a grace mercie and peace from God the Father and from the Lorde Iesus Christ MAdame when at the request of my worshipfull and godly friend Master Iohn Bailiffe theÌ„ Maior of Marl-brough I had there preached these two Sermons I purposed euen theÌ„ though thwarted til now by some occasions to offer the same vnto your Ladiship in part of paiment of a much greater summe which for many your benefites as manie knowe and my selfe most willinglie acknowledge is due vnto you And the rather I haue done this and in this kinde sought some part of recompence because as Dauid sayth vnto God One day in thy Courts is better then a thousand Psal 84.13 So your whole life telleth vnto others and to mee especially that one Sermon yea one sentence of the Lawe of GOD is dearer vnto you then thousands of Gold and Siluer Psal 119.73 And therfore this spark of Gods grace howe little so euer it be if any at al it be I know wil be accepted of your Ladiship and all other of like spirite in which hope I haue beene bold to make it publike desiring it may worke that good in others which the like labours of others by Gods grace and I humbly thanke him for this grace in some measure hath wrought in mee And I pray God this zealous care may still be in vs chiefly in those that haue receiued most to helpe theÌ„ which especially haue neede thereof as lacking the liuelie voyce of theyr owne pastours In the want of which duetie in many most learned of whome howe many haue receiued how many taleÌ„ts which go not abroade or so broade as they might euen he which hath receiued a little I speake for my selfe may I trust bee allowed to giue a little VVhich if there be a willing minde first as sayth the Apostle it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that he hath not The Lord Iesus preserue your good Ladyship with my honourable good Lord and your happy children happie if they knowe their happinesse of such their parents and increase in you the graces of his holy spirite Amen From London the second of August 1597. Your Honours bounden and in all dutie to commaund Charles Pynner THE FIRST Sermon 1. Pet. Chap. 2. Vers 17. Honour all men THe Apostle in these words not so much teacheth the faithfull to whome hee writeth as exhorteth them vnto certaine duties which it seemeth they knew before Like as himselfe in this and his other Epistle with the rest of the Apostles and indeede all the holy Scriptures both of the old and new Testament are very plentifull in this matter of exhorting These things commaunde and teach 1. Tim. 4.11 faith Paul to Timothie the first fourth That which is taught must be commaunded like as that which is commanded must first bee taught Which sheweth our dulnes deerely beloued and how restie we are and needing a spurre in the knowen way And yet it may bee many Philips heere not so vnwilling to embrace their dutie as not knowing what dutie is that they may embrace it In the fourteenth of Iohn If ye had knowen me saith Christ ye should haue knowne my father also Ioâ—â— 14 7.â— â—seq and from henceforth ye know him and haue seene him Phillip saide vnto him Lord shewe vs the Father and it sufficeth So we shew vs what it is to honour all men and we will honour them What is the brotherhood we will loue them what it is to feare God and we will feare him and so forth But Iesus said vnto him Phillip I haue beene so long time with you and hast thou not knowne me he that hath seene me hath seene my Father I cannot chalenge you as Christ doth Philip I haue beene so long time with you for I haue bin seldome with you Neither yet can your own Pastours so chalenge you notwithstanding their bodily presence which you haue had much longer time then Christ was with his disciples because they haue not so preached and shewed Christ vnto you as Christ his father to his disciples And whence this deadly plague should come I knowe not except partly from the the measels of the Gergesites contented rather then they would bee at any cost with Christ to be without him and partly from the seueritie of God against this sinne and others who despiseth vs in this prophanenesse as once his owne people Israel and Iuda in the eleuenth of Zacharie the Lorde by the Prophet denouncing thus Zach. 11.9 Then I saide I will not feede you that that dyeth let it die and that that perisheth let it perish As Christ also telleth them in the 23. of Mathew Math. 23 38 that they are giuen ouer Beholde saith he your house it left vnto you desolate O my people sayth the Lord by Esay They which leade thee Isa 3 12 misleade thee and hide form thee the way of thy pathes And yet lo deerely beloued some parte of your pathes as a stranger that passeth by and is content to go a little with you to shewe you the way that GOD hath shewed him For God that commaundeth the light to shine out of the darkenesse sayth the Apostle 2. Cor. 4 6 the second to the Corinthians chap. 4. ver 6. is he which hath shined in our hearts to giue foorth the light of the knowledge of the glorie of God in the face of Iesus Christ And hee it is which hath lighted our candle not that we should put it vnder a bed or vnder a bushel but on a candlestick that it may giue light vnto the whole house And lo now it shineth vpon your candlestick to shew you some parte of the way which you must walke The first steppe vvhereof is this Honour all men the seconde this Loue brotherly fellowshippe or the brotherhood the third this Feare God and the sourth and last this Houour the King And yet it seemeth this last point needed not to haue bin added by the Apostle hauing spoken so largely at the first saying Honour all men For is the King no bodie Yes verily hee is more then any besides and therefore hath a speciall honour by himselfe In which respect the Apostle saith againe more distinctly and particularly of him Honour the King but of this in place Wee haue therefore heere in the first place or point of this exhortation
Honour all men a generall honour which respecteth all men as well those from whom it is due as those vnto whom it is due that is to say an honour which all men owe to all men and each man to each and euerie man the King himselfe not excepted in that dutie which hee oweth to his meanest subiect And therefore is hee called both by prophane writers as also by the prophets and namely Ezechiel the 34. The sheapheard of the people Ezec. 34.2 VVo to the sheapheards of Israel And again Heare the word of the Lord Vers 9. O ye sheapheards Where hee speaketh as well to the ciuill as Eclesiasticall Magistrate as it is in the Psalme Thou didst leade thy people like sheepe by the hand of Moses and Aaron Psal 77.20 The office therefore of Kings and rulers is to leade and feed the people and to doo them good And this is the thing which so generally is here commanded commended vnto vs by the name of Honour euen our dutie of dooing good vnto al that especially need our good For first that this is due it appeareth by another Apostle saying Looke not euerie man on his owne things but euery man also on the things of other men Philip. 2. and 4. And againe Phillip 2.4 to the Galathians the 6 and 10. VVhile we haue time let vs do good vnto al specially those that are of the houshold of faith Gal. 6.10 And in the third of the Prouerbs Prou. 3.27 VVithhould not good frō the owners therof when it is in thy power to do it Where note that hee calleth the needie the owners of thy good or benefit as due vnto them the enemie himselfe not excepted considered not indeed as an enemie for that is not possible vnlesse wee should conspire against our selues but as a man and so commeth hee within the compasse of this honor of the Apostle Honour all men For this honor as all other duties must not onely bee pure and without hypocrisie but full perfect in all her parts not partiall excluding any but including all euen the enemie as Christ also teacheth vs by his owne example in the fift of Mathew Matth. 5 44 45 48. But I say vnto you loue your enemie blesse them that curse you do good to them that hate you pray for thē that hurt you and persecute you that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heauen For hee maketh his Sunne to rise on the euill and on the good and sendeth raine on the iust and vniust Ye shal therefore bee perfect as your father which is in heauen is perfect And secondly that this duty done is honour it is plaine also by the former Apostle in the fifth of the first to Timothie The elders saith he which rule well 1. Tim 5 17 are woorthie of double honor specially they that labour in the word and doctrine Where hee speaketh properly of the wage and maintenance of the minister to be allowed vnto him according to the waight and worthinesse of his worke and labor as appeareth by that that followeth For the Scripture saith saith the Apostle Thou shalt not mosell the mouth of the Oxe that treadeth out the corne Vers 18. And againe The Labourer is worthie of his hire And in the same place speaking of poore widowes that liued well and had no kindred able to releeue them hee commendeth them to the prouision of the Church and saith Vers 3. Honour widowes that are widowes indeede And in the 15. of Mathew Matth. 15. Christ very sharpely reprooueth the Scribes and Pharisies for loosing the bands of this dutie and bringing this honour into contempt in children towards their parents especially such as were poore and needie lay as we say vppon their childrens hands For these hypocriticall couetous Maisters had so preferred in holinesse and worthinesse the gold of the Temple before the Temple and the gift of the Altar before the Altar because they could sweepe away the gold and the gifts and turn them to the maintenance of their pompe and pleasure that the people as they taught them did euer well to bring bring And howe euill so euer they were and whatsoeuer euill they had done as a thiefe that robbeth on the Plaine yet if the Priest had receiued their gifts and sanctified them in the Temple they were as safe as they thought and as well shrowded in this hipocrisie from all danger of the wrath of God as the theefe is in his den as the Lorde also by the Prophet Ieremie obiecteth to them Iere. 7.11 And this went so farre as I sayde that if a sonne or a daughter who themselues had somewhat and had their father and mother relying on them had carried all to the Temple and left themselues so needie that scarcelie or not at all they were now able to relieue their Parents yet all was well For if the father or mother complaining for maintenaunce the sonne had aunswere Gift as it is in the fifteenth of Mathew or as in the seuenth of Marke Corban that is gift The Verb is wanting which must bee supplyed thus gift it is or become gift and giuen alreadie wherewith thou mightest bee helped and relieued at my handes he was free that is to say faultlesse by theyr doctrine VVho to establish theyr owne Tradition of freeing men from sinne in such a case as this had abrogate as Christ chargeth them the commaundement of GOD saying Honour thy Father and thy Mother And againe I will haue mercie and not sacrifice This mercie therefore comfort and reliefe which shoulde bee bestowed vppon the needie parents is the honour which the Sonne or Daughter oweth vnto them in case more then gifts or sacrifices vnto the Temple and therefore is honor in deed which God so esteemeth of and so alloweth to bee done that rather then it should not be don he is content to want some part of his owne outward honor as here we see And in deede these I meane the needie of all sorts specially those that concerne vs most are the liuelie Images which our Papall men and great Pharisaicall doctours shoulde haue taught the people to honour and to bring their gifts and presents vnto and not to the Church walles and windowes to stockes and stones Roode-loftes and the like stumbling at the same stone that their fathers did For there is in the person of man aboue al other things a certaine excellencie and dignitie as the Image of God so to be honored of vs that wee preserue it by all meanes possible And therefore in the Lawe of murther it is ordained that hee that sheddeth mans blood Gen. 9.6 by man shall his blood bee shedde because hee destroyeth the Image of God VVhat is man saith Dauid that thou art mindfull of him Psal 8.6 Heb. 2 6 7 Thou madest him little inferiour to the Angels thou crownedst him with glorie and honour and hast
dignitie not in others beside the honor of maiestie in the king magistrate of whom we speake not yet And all these must haue their honour euerie man as hee excelleth most and hath most of this honour in himselfe as a marke or print of a certaine maiestie which God hath placed in him And it was a peece of the confusion threatened to Iuda in the third of Esay and not the least parte of the confusion which at this day raigneth amongst vs Superbient pâ—er iâ— senem Isay 3 5 vilis in honor â—ium The boy shall beare himselfe bragge against the auncient and the base against the honourable And it greeued Iob at the heart Iob 2 2 3 and helpeâ—â—ppe the heape of all his miseries what once he had this honour and no we had it not Oh that I were sayth hee as in times past when God preserued mee when his â—â—ig â—â—â—shined vppon my head And afterwardes in the fâ—â—â—enth vâ—â—se VVhen I went 〈◊〉 to the Gate to the sâ—ate of iudgement Verse â— and 〈◊〉 bedâ—â— caused them to prepaâ—â—â—â—â—y seaâ—â— iâ— theâ— Streetos The young 〈◊〉 samâ—â—â—e and bidde themselues and the agâ—dorâ—se and stood vp But in the 〈◊〉 Chapter hee sayth But newe Iob 3 â— â—ident me minore â—â—â—pores My younger laugh 〈◊〉 mee and those so base borne and vile that as there hee sayth VVhose â—athers I woulde haue disdeyned to sette with the Dogges of my flocke This was Iobs case to want that honour and reuerence which once he had had wel deserued Which if it be any of ours as doubtlesse neuer was there more contempt and lesse honor yeelded vnto Superiors let vs charge this sinne vpon the Inferiours yet so as that wee wholie discharge not our selues of blame For besides that this plague is partly vpon vs Isa 3.4 in the third of Esay Dabâ— puerâ—â— principes coâ—um I will set children to rule ouer them and so indeede wee haue in many places rulers no more able to rule themselues and others then women and children therfore are despised of men women and children there is also another plague mentioned by the Prophet in the next words thus Quifacinero se doâ—ineâ—tuâ— in â—osâ— that is I will set children to be their Rulers which shall mischiâ—â—ously raigne ouer them And afterwards in the same chapter Verse 13 The babie oppresseth my people and VVomen â—aue rule ouer them And yet as very babes as they are in gouernment and weak as women to rule themselues or other as they ought to doo they are strong enough to oppresse the people and this maketh them to be despised of the people Vt ameris amabilis esto saith the poet If thou wilt haue loue thou must beare thy selfe louely And if thou wilt haue other to honour thee in high place do thou stoupe downe to them and honour them in those roomes and places wherein they are euen the meanest Do not oppresse them but relieue them for this is the best honour as before is proued and shewe all kindnesse and courtesie and affabilitie towardes them And thou shalt see that kindnes will beget kindnesse as Moses was honoured of all the people And yet it is said that he was the mildest man in al the earth Num. 12. â— Which doubtlesse could not haue been if in his high place he had ouerlookt them and not rather in all faith fulnesse loue and diligence had looked to them liued with them as a common friende And therfore the king himselfe also in the 17. of Deut. was commanded not to multiplie horses Deut. 17 6 seq nor augment his pompe ouermuch least he shuld waxe proude and haue his heart lifted vp aboue his brethren Wherefore giue you that are euen the greatest giue vnto the meanest their honour and they shall giue you yours Good measure as Christ saith pressed downe Luke 6 38 shaken together and running ouer shall men giue into your bosome Matth. 7 2 for with what measure you meate with the same shal men measure vnto you againe For otherwise euery man doth beare a kingdome in his breast how soeuer his outward obedience or reuerence may be wrested from him And yet may and must the Ruler and euerie superiour maintaine his place and shew himselfe as he is in keeping the grace and grauitie the port and support of a superiour as it is saide of a Roman gouernour that he bare vp the Common-weale with his brow or couÌ„tenaÌ„ce Which no man may impute to pride or immodestie for it is maiestie Therfore Salomon maketh a comparison in the thirtieth of the Prouerbes Prou. 30 29 30 31. There bee three things sayth hee that order wel theyr going yea foure which haue a comely gate an olde Lyon mightie among Beastes and turneth not at the sight of any an Horse that hath his Bellie taken downe a Goate and a King against whome there is no rysing vppe And therefore it is counselled in another place Ne sis humilis in sapientia tua Eccl â— 19 Bee not ouerlowly in thy wisedome nor out of conceite with thy selfe for thy place least it bee true which is saide Tanti eris aliis quanti tibi fueris Thou shalt bee iust so much esteemed of others as thou in this sense esteemest thy selfe And therefore it was commanded Timothie 1. Tim. 4.12 being a yong man to shew himselfe graue in his ministrie Let no man saith Paul despise thy youth That is see thou giue none occasion by any ouer familiar light or loose behauiour that any should despise thy youth And no lesse the Pastour of the Common-weale then the Pastor of the church in the person of Titus Tit. 2.15 is commanded thus These things speake and exhort and rebuke with all authoritie See that no man despise thee Thus the superiour must know what honour hee hath and much more what honour he oweth to the inferiour and pay it and the inferiour for his parte must doo the like And all men as Peter heere sayth must honour all men A necessarie doctrine for al who in that state of franchisement which wee haue in the heauenly city of our God and King haue or ought to haue our conuersation as Paul had his in heaueÌ„ Philip. 3 20 or heauenlie or as in heauen alreadie according also as we pray Mat. 6.20 Thy will be done in earth as it is in heauen And thus much of the first step of these foure duties heere required Which is as farre as at this time I can go with you Now let vs pray THE SECOND Sermon 2. Pet. 2.17 Loue brotherly fellowship THis whole verse breaking it self into foure principal parts which are so many seuerall exhortations of the first in these wordes Honour all men wee haue spoken alreadie and are now come vnto the second in these words Loue brotherly felowship or as I had rather interpret them according to the plain significatioÌ„ of the Greek
yee did it not to one of the least of these yee did it not to mee And in the seuenteenth of Iohn Iohn 17 2 Those that thou gauest mee haue I kept and none of them is lost saue the childe of perdition that the Scripture might bee fulfilled Where he descendeth to account for euerie particular which the Father had giuen him and so must we for euery brother whome hee commendeth vnto our loue But note I pray you out of the place of Matthew Verse 40 a distinction of brethren For he saith Vnto one of the least of these my brethren Therefore some are greater and some are lesse not in the brother hood it selfe or nature of brethren wherein all are alike but in some outwarde respects wherein they may be and are vnlike as here in this place of Mathew the 25. there is mention of hungrie and thirstie of naked and harbourlesse and prisoned brethren who in this respect are lesse as the Lord hath humbled them then those brethrē which are full and clothed housed and at libertie hauing other furniture also somtime of pompe and dignitie The one sort Saint Iames in the first Chapter of his first Epistle calleth Brethren of low degree Iam. 1 9 and the other he calleth rich Thus there are poore abiect brethren low and little and there are great and rich and flourishing brethren and we must loue all But yet out loue is chiefly approued as before was shewed by such outwarde works and duties which we do vnto our lesser brethren for our greater brethren need them not as Paul speaketh of the members of the naturall bodie 2. Cor. 12 23 And vpon those members sayeth hee of the bodie which wee thinke to bee the lesse honourable wee put on more honour and our vncomely parts haue more comelinesse for our comely parts need it not Thus the hunger and nakednesse the wants and distresses the bands and prisonments of our little Brethren should be our care and the matter especially to fire our loue much lesse should wee set light of them because they are little Saint Iames compareth the prophane rich men of the world with the rich Brethren and reproueth the loue of the faithfull to whom hee writeth for preferring the one before the other And what do wee else if in respect of their riches their pompe and dignitie wee preferre in our loue and the duties of loue our greater Brethrē before the lesse but let vs heare his words Iam. 2 1 2 seq My brethren sayth hee haue not the faith of our glorious Lorde Iesus Christ in respect of person For if there come into your companie a man I adde a brother with a gold ring and in goodly apparrell and there come in also a poore man to wit a brother in vite raiment and yee haue a respect to him that weareth the gay clothing and say vnto him sitt◠thou neere in a goodly place and say vnto the poore stand thou heere or sit heere vnder my foote-stoole are yee not partiall in your selues and are become iudges which haue euill thought Hearken my beloued brethren hath not God chosen the poore of this worlde that they should bee rich in fayth and heyres of his kingdome which he promised to thē that loue him but yee haue despised the poore Heere he toucheth the boyle For there is a kinde of estimation which belongeth vnto men of dignity as the Lord hath diuided degrees in the world some brethren hauing more honour some lesse But our loue vnto all must bee alike as well poore as rich And wee must haue somewhat the more care of the poore that we exclude them not for Saint Iames his reason because the greater number of vs I meane the brethren are poore and not rich weake not strong base and not honorable foolish not wise Hearken my beloued brethren saith he hath not God chosen the poore of this world Verse 3 that they should be rich in faith and heyres of the kingdome which he promised to them that loue him not that he excludeth the rich but more commonly generally in this choyse respecteth the poore as Paul also sheweth in the first of the first to the Corinthians Brethren saith he you see your calling that is who 1. Cor. 1.26 seq and what manner of men amongst you are called and come vnto Christ not many wise men after the flesh not manie mightie not many noble But God hath chosen the foolish things of the worlde to confounde the wise and God hath chosen the weake things of the world to confounde the mightie and vile things of the world and things which are despised hath God chosen and things which are not to bring to naught things that are that no flesh should glorie in his sight And therefore I feare if my heart giue a better welcome to a rich brother then to a poore that I loue not the brethren as I ought Wherefore let not the carnall and outwarde beautie of Brethren beguile our mindes The Kings Daughter is all glorious within Psal 45 14 Hebr. 13 2. Angels may bee strangers as in the thirteenth to the Hebrewes and the beautie of a brother may be hid vnder a very sorie weede The same may bee saide for the weake brethren of whome somewhat already hath bin spoken And therfore briefly thus be their weaknesse neuer so great euen as of children in Christ and their infirmities neuer so many lacke they knowledge or conscience sometimes in somethings For who can say sayth Salomon Prou. 20 9 I haue cleansed my heart I am cleane from sinne Wee must take them with all their faults as wee are taken and loue them as wee are loued and were loued euen when we were enemies as saith the Apostle the weaker our brethren are Rom. 510 the more must be our care and our burthen the greater to beare them and make them better Brethren saith the Apostle in the sixt to the Galathians◠if a man be preuented in any fault ye which are spirituall restore such a one in the spirit of meekenesse Gal 6 1 considering thy selfe least thou also be tempeed Beare yee one anothers burthen and so fulfill the law of Christ And thus much touching the first general point of this sentence what or whom we must loue to wit the brotherhood or fellowship of brethren none excepted Nowe somewhat of the loue it selfe and so an ende And first when as the Apostle here saith exhorteth saying Loue the brotherhood hee meaneth not that the faithfull to whome hee writeth and in whom he acknowledgeth all the graces of God were simply void of loue or that they had not some loue alreadie when he wrote vnto them but that they should continue in loue and increase in loue and loue more perfectlie then before For otherwise for the Brethren to loue together is as kind and as naturall as for the birdes to flie together for