Fame then affection of Trueth 2. Are there none that mould their Sermons with Court dough Flatterie Cushion Chaplaines that carry their Mistresses Fannes to keepe the heate of Reproofe from their painted faces that cry it is either cold or hot as their Patron listes to feele it Si prâ—nderet olus patienter regibus vti Nâ—llet Aristippâ—s si scirâ—t regibus vti Fastidirâ—t olus c. They get more by flattery theâ— iust men by their impartiall censures But it was Aristotleâ— amicus Platâ— amicus Socrates mâ—gis 〈…〉 Thy Patron is thy Friend and the chiefe man of thy Parish is thy Friend Trueth is thy Friend aboue all 3. Are there none that leape out of the troubles of the world into the peace of the Church onely to be fedde at the Altar and liue idle That intertained to build vp Gods House and once sure of his pay lay downe their tooles and fall to play 4. Are there none that make a Vertue of necessitie and when all trades fayle turne Priestes making that their last refuge that should be their best This is a ranke custome among the Papistes but I hope it hath not gotten ouer our Seas Oh how vile is it and an argument of a desperate minde when Diuinitie is made but a shift If to digge they are too lazie to begge ashamed to steale afrayde to cheate want witte and to liue meanes then thrust in for a roome in the Church and once crope in at the window make haste to sharke out a liuing nay and perhaps she apace with the winges of golden Ignoraunce into Patrons Bookes and Presentations to good Beneficer when Learning is so ill hors'd riding vpon Penurie that the Benefice is gone ere he comes no matter how poore the stocke of Learning be so the stocke of Money hold out to the Patrons content Somtimes such Beggars are made Priestes when good Priestes are made Beggars 5. Are there none sicke of the Pearle in the eye a shrewd disease and no lesse common whose soules are taken vp by Mammons commission as Demas that gaue Religion the Bagge when the World offered him the Purse and vowed to serue Christ no longer for nothing I haue shewed you many oblique indirect and sinister endes but among all this carryes it for custome for hatefulnesse Proh pudor that euer a Minister should be couetous as if we had lost all our former time and were now to recouer it with a preposterous emulation of the hungriest Worldlings How should we reclaime others from the World that cleaue to it our selues They must needes thinke wee haue a broder way to Heauen then we teach others It is obseruable that the Creatures neerest to the Earth are most greedy to accumulate What Creatures store vp such heapes of prouision as the Ant But the Birds of the Ayre that flye next Heâ—uen Neither sow nor reape nor carry into the Barne sayth our Sauiour Wee are next to Heauen in profession let vs hate to be farthest off in conuersation These are all vnblest and pernicious endes and whereof I trust no soule is heere guiltie I confidently vse the wordes of Paul I haue perswaded my selfe better thinges of 〈◊〉 and such as accompany saluation though I thus speake I hope the least Feather can brush these dustes from our Conscience Let not Fame Flatterie Ease Necessitie Couetousnesse taske our endeauours to this holy worke we are then but Adulterantes verbum such as adulterate Gods word as the Fornicator makes Lust his end not Generation so such a Minister intendes not to beget soules to God but Fame or Gaine to himselfe If we doe thus the worst is our owne Whiles some preach Christ of strife some of goodwill yet so long aâ— Christ is preached I doe ioy and will ioy therein It shall be the best for vs that our intentes sympathize with Gods his Ordinaunce with our Perfourâ—ance to turne soules to Righteousnesse COPVLATIVES This for the Praedicate The persons whom God hath deputed to attone these two contrary natures sinfull men and Righteousnesse are the Ministers there is no weake contention betweene these and the labour is hard to reconcile them To vs is committed this ministery of reconciliation God hath honored vs to tye this â—notte though it be indeed Dignus vindice nodus a sacramentall bond for the hand of the most high God to perfect yet he vouchsafes this honour to vs as his instrumentes that we in his name and power shall tye a double knot on Earth a temporall knot of the husband to the wife which none but the Minister may doe a Spirituall and eternall knot of the beleeuing soule to her husband Christ I haue prepared you for one Husband to present you a pure Virgin to Christ Hee hath designed vs to turne men to Righteousnesse Is this possible Est Deus in vobis c. God is in you if you can doe this no power rules constraines conuertes the heart of man but God onely I say againe thus is God pleased to honour vs that we shall be said to conuert sinners Hee that conuerteth a sinner from going astray shall saue a soule from death and hide a multitude of siâ—nes And Paul thus chargeth Timothy Continue in learning for in doing this thou shalt saue thy selfe and them that heare thee Yet absit farre be it from vs to thinke or any superstitious soule to ascribe it to vs that by our owne arme we haue gotten this victorie If the Psalmist denyes power to any of rescuing his brothers body from the Graue he much more excludes thy redemption of his soule This then is true when the externall voyce of man and internall operation of the spirit shall iumpe togeather then John Baptist shall turne heartes then the Priest shall make thy soule cleane When the agent of Heauen and instrument of Earth doe concurre or are comprehensiuely taken but when they be either compared in opposing or opposed in comparing then all is in God then Paul can but plant and Apollos water God giues the increase Then Iohn Baptist poures on Water and Christ baptiseth with the holy Ghost and with Fire Will you heare them vnited God was in Christ reconciling the world to himselfe and hath committed to vs the ministrie of reconciliation else there is no power in my perishable voyce to affect your conscience Breake away this Analogie and virtuall association of the spirit from our preaching and you depart from the Temple with as foule heartes as euer you came thither No beloued lift vp your eyes higher then the Pulpit and know he dwelles in Heauen that pierceth the Conscience Behold I stand at the dore and knocke c. I sayes the Sonne of the eternall God It is he that cleares the eye vndeaffes the eare vnlockes the heart and shakes the inmost powers of the soule as the Thunder shakes the Wildernesse Were we all Boâ—nerges the Sonnes of
HEAVEN and EARTH Reconcil'd A Sermon preached at Saint Paules Church in Bedford October 3. 1612. At the visitation of the right Wor. M. Eland Archdeacon of Bedford By Tho. Adams Minister of the Gospell at Willington 1. Corinth 5.19 For God was in Christ and reconciled the world to himselfe not imputing their sinnes vnto them and hath committed to us the word of Reconciliation LONDON Printed by W.W. for Clement Knight and are to be sold at his Shop in Paules Church-yard at the signe of the holy Lambe 1613. To the right Honourable Lord HENRY Earle of Kent Lord of Hastinge Weisford and Ruthyn RIGHT HONORABLE I Know not vnder whose winges I might better shelter an Apologie for the Ministrie then vnder your Honours who haue euer liued a ready Patron to defend vs from the oppositions and wronges of our Aduersaries making them no friendes to your selfe that are enimies to the Gospell wherein you haue procured some blessed trouble to your selfe by frequent complaintes deserued great loue of your Countrey and secured your Soule of an eternall recompence Let it be your prayse happinesse comfort that you haue not onely not liued in opposition to the Trueth as our refractary Papistes nor in the luke-warme Neutrallitie of this age that conceiues a mixt Religion compounded of Syon's and Babilon's nor thought it enough to countenaunce Preachers as some that would make God beholding to them for their lookes but you haue stoode to seconded succoured and which is yet a higher testimony relieued many a distressed Seruant of the Lord not with Micha's wages or pittances of Charitie but with ample Rewardes worthy your Honour's bountie to giue and their necessitie to receiue Let all these true and happy reasons plead for and somewhat iustifie my ambition that haue dared to looke so high for Patronage at your Honour Worthier Pennes haue contented themselues with meaner Protections It is not the excellencie of the worke but the Noblenesse of your disposition that incourageth me who am thence prompted not to feare your acceptation You that haue been sâ— generâ—llâ— Shadow of Refreshing to Ministers take from me all cause to distrust your fauour specially in the countenauncing of that written which you haue euer actually and really furthered Proceede most honoured Lord to affect the Trueth yet more zelously by your helpe to support it by your fauour to protect it so shall you make blessed vse of that Honour God hath heere inuested you withall and interest your selfe to the honour of Heauen and whiles Nobilitie without Religion dyes in infancie and is buried in the graue of Obliuion your Noble zeale or zealous Noblenesse shall liue heere to your Makers glory and the Churches comfort and hereafter leaue behind it a neuer-decaying monument of Honour which if the ingratitude of men should forget shall neuer passe the hand of God vnrewarded with glory This Booke salutes your Honour with the New yeare may they both giue you happie content The God of mercies multiply his fauours and graces on you and make your Cuppe to runne ouer with his blessinges Your Honour 's humbly deuoted Tho. Adams Heauen and Earth Reconcil'd Dan. 12.3 They that turne many to Righteousnesse shall shine as the Starres for euer and euer THese words are prophetically spoken and turne ouer to vs a golden Leafe whose Incke is Nectar and the Pen from the winges of Angels I meane the matter expressed is wholly Celestiall Quis sit finis iustorum et iustificantium iustos What shall be the end of the Righteous and of them that make them so Porta patet caelâ—-procul Oh procul este profanâ— I must in some sort open you the euerlasting Dores shew you the King of glory and your glory in him Let a holy reuerence possesse your soules say with Jacob the place is fearful none other but the House of God and this is the Gate of Heauen Suppose that great Prince set on his Throne of vniuersall Iudgement vpon all Creatures that haue borne the image of God summoned before him hauing past an irreuocable sentence will you heare what shall become of the lust Open your intellectuall sanctified eyes able with Steuen to pierce through the curl'd Cloudes and with meditations râ—p't to the third Heauens behold them as heere described The Wee shall shine as the brightnes of the Firmament and they that turne many to Righteousnes shall shine as the Starres for euer and euer A loftie metaphor when the lowest part of it is not lesse high then the Firmament then the Starres Iust men shall paralell the brightnesse of the azure Skie and Ministers shall shine as Starres in it nay they shall transcend both in glory Wee shall then see the Firmament and Starres as farre below vs as now our humbled mortalitie thinkes them aboue vs and could they shine as bright as euer their creation left them the Righteous shall out-shine them for They shall be fashioned to the glorious body of Christ. The wordes may be distinguished In opus et mercedem into the Worke and the Wages Heere is Earth and Heauen in this text our Way and our Countrey dishonour and honour trouble peace Our Earth Way Trouble goes thus farre They that turne many to Righteousnesse Our Heauen Countrey Peace followes Shall shine at the Starres for euer and euer 1 We Ministers on earth are not vnfitly compared to logicall copulatiues that must ioyne togeather a Subiect and a Predicate 1. The Subiect we worke on is Men Many Men. 2. The Predicate we worke them to is Righteousnesse 3. Ministers are the Copulatiues that vnite these Conuertentes that make Men and Righteousnesse friendes which neuer naturally and heartily loued one another since that Apple set our first Parents teeth on edge 2. Our Heauen followes and there is nothing but ioy in it 1. Wee shall shine No more be counted the Drosse and off-scouring of the world as Paul sayes No more be like low Hedges which euery Nimrod hunter persecutor treades downe for his sport No more be like reiected and vnthought of things which the eye of scorne lookes ouer Wee shall stand where we shall be seene Wee shall shine 2. Not meanely and with a glimmering light but as Starres reserued to the Sonne of righteousnesse his greater and chiefe glory we shall shine as Starres 3. This for euer not like Meteors whiles a grosse spuncie squallid substaunce lastes Nor like Stella cadentâ— falling Starres which seeme fixed in some Spheare but are not as S. Iohn sayth They went out from vs for they were not of vs But without passing the Horizon of glory without obscuring without interposition of any Cloudes Wee shall shine for euer and euer This is our Heauen but I must keepe you on Earth awhile though you long more for the other place THE SVBIECT The Subiect we must exercise our skill on are Men temper'd of the same mould hauing a soule inspired from the breath of the same God as
Benefices went a begging as Ministers doe now as for the rest that haue Liuings they are scarse Liueones or enough to keepe themselues and their Families liuing and for those that haue none they may make themselues merry with their Learning if they haue no Money for they that bought the Patronages must needes sell the Presentations Vendere iure potest emerat ille prius and then if Balaams Asse hath but an audible voyce and a soluble Purse he shall be preferred before his Maister were he ten Prophets If this weather hold Iulian need not send Learning into exile for no Parent will be so irreligious as with great expences to bring his Child at once to misery and sinne Oh thinke of this if your impudence haue left any blood of shame in your faces cannot you spare out of all your ryot some crummes of liberality to the poore needy and neglected Gospell Shall the Papistes so outbid vs and in the view of their prodigality laugh our miserablenesse to scorne Shall they twit vs that our Our Father hath taken from the Church what their Pater-noster bestowed one it Shall they bid vs bate of our Fayth and better our Charitie Indeed where heard you of a Papist that cuttes short his Minister Where see you a Protestant that doth not I speake not to commend the Religion of the Papist aboue the others no more then Christ preferred the Religion of the Samaritane to the Priestes and Leuites when he praysed his charitie but to apply that to vs which Christ once to the Iewes Tyre and Sidon shall condemne you So the Papistes shall iudge vs. The Papist comes with Omnia dabo to his Priest I will giue all the Protestant with Omnia eripiam I will take away all Doe the Alpes barre vp all reward from vs Cannot Bountie creepe ouer those frozen thresholdes Flere licet reparare vetatur I may perhappes be censured to speake so home in the respect of some particular aduantage and loosers may haue leaue to speake I confesse it would be a ioyfull day to me to see the breaches of Jerusalem made vp againe yet he is my witnesse that doth now search and shall hereafter iudge all heartes that the present Theame the wants of the Church the pouertie of Ministers and the hard heartes of their oppressours togeather with the commiseration of the Studentes yet vnborne that shall feele this burden heauier as the world growes at once and insaparablely more old more couetous haue been occasions onely to induce this speach For I not with out cause feare that as we may say of the Church in this our age Omnia ad ruinam all thinges are going to ruine so our Children in the next generation may iustly cry with the Poet Etiam periere ruinae euen the very ruines are ruined Though I cannot but hope that so long as our royall and religious Jacob whose dayes God make as the dayes of Heauen and his seed shall beare rule in our Judah he and they will make good that deserued title and be defendours of the Fayth not giue leaue and authoritie to any violence further to forrage the Church God also put it into his Subiectes heartes to loue the Gospell and then it shall not decay for want of incouragement and reward But for the detainers of the poore Ministers right let them heare their reward Wâ—e to him that heaâ—eth up that which is none of his you that haue taken away the Vnction and left vs nothing but the Alablaster boxe the Shreddes the Sheardes the scrapings of our owne as happy and rich as you thinke your selues when you haue summed vp your gaines and cast your accountes at the end if euer you be the richer for that you haue stolne from your Starres let mee come a begging to your Doores Judas sold his Maister for thirtie Pence he might put his gaines in his eye his losses stucke by him when his mony was gone he lost a God a Heauen a Soule but he threw away his cash take heed least you cry one day with him Wee and our Extortions are both perished Remember you must giue account of your Stewardships a fearefull Bill of Reckoning that many shall put vp at that day to God Jtem so many scores of poundes in Malice and Suites at Law Item so many hundreds of pounds spent in Lustes and Vanities Jtem so many thousandes in building Eglons Parlours Item to the Poore in a yeare three pence Jtem to the Minister iust nothing Nothing to God and nothing from God shal be your reward 3. Let me end with our selues and all to comfort Ploramus nostris non respondere faeâ—â—enâ— speratum meritis We lament on Earth the ill successe and worse reward of our labours but Sat erit merâ—â—sse it is enough that we haue deserued As darke as the World keepes vs and thinkes vs Wee shall shine and that with no ordinarie glory but As the Starres and this not for a time but For euer and euer 1. If I had been in Heauen I would describe this glory to you You shall shine 2. I would shew you the differences of Glory which are heere implyed Good Men shall shine as the Firmament but Good Ministers as the Starres If I be not deceiued the Starres haue a brighter glory then the Firmament 3. Lastly if I had ascended aboue the wheele of Time where nothing but eternitie dwelleth I would striue to make you conceiue the length of your glory For euer and euer but Haec meditanda potius quam dicenda your meditations are better able to conceiue these thinges then my weake tongue to expresse And so I cease to speake of that which you shall neuer cease to enioy ending my Sermon not my Text and commending you to the Father of Peace who as he hath called vs to so troublesome an Office for a time will reward vs with glory beyond all time euen for euer and euer This God graunt for his Mercies sake Iesus Christ for his Merites sake the holy Ghost for his Names sake to whom with whom and for whom be all glory honour and prayse now and for euer Amen FINIS Imprinted at London by W.W. for Clement Knight and are to be sold at his shoppe in Pauls Church-yard at the signe of the holy Lambe 1613. Gen. 29.17 Ver. 2. Philip. 3.21 Via et patria Mal. 4.2 1. Ioh. â— 19. 1. Pet. 5.3 Esay 49 â— â— Timoth. 4.8 Ephes. 4. 1. Cor. 15. Psal. 4. Ierom. Hoc ipso plecere cupiunt quod placere contemnunt Ouid. Non vt aliqua illic vitia deponant vt aliquam c Sed vt oblectamento auriuÌ„ perfruantur Sen. ep 10â— Hot. ad scaenam lib. 1. Ep. 17. Optimum est non vltimum resugium Presbyt Math. 6.26 Heb. 6.9 â— Cor. 4.2 Phil. 1.15.18 2. Cor 5. â— Cor. 11.2 â—am 15.20 1. Tim. 4.16 Mala. 4.6 Leuit. 16. 1. Cor. 3.6 Math. 3.11 1. Cor. 5 19. Reue. 3.20 Heb. 4.12 D.B. Math. 5.14.16 Nomine 1. Pet. 5.2 Iude. 13. Reu. 12.4 Hor. lib. car â— od 3. Substantia Mal. 2.7 Pernassus waites on Sion Helicon on the fountaine of grace Secular learning hath the vse if it be washed in the sope of the Prophets Ratio barbara Actio barbarissima Cypr. Rom. 8.36.37 â— Cor. 2.16 2. Pet. 2.17 Luke 19.22 Non volentes non valentes Post. D.B. Luk. 11.42 â— Thess. 5.20 ver 17.18 Numb 11.29 1. Cor. 14.5 Opus via oâ—us patriae Situ Mala. 4. Phil. 3.20 Phil. 3.17 Caelum aedificat Lingua infernum vita Sen. ep 1. lib. 19. Hâ—rat in artâ— Senec. 2. Tim. 4.5 Tit. 2.15 Sen. It hurts not to haue no grace of them that haue no grace 1. Pet. 3.16 Sedes prima vita ima Mota Orbicularis A Ioue principium Per lustrandum cuile Iob. 1. 1. Pet. 5.8 â—riequietus Act. 2â— 31 Velocissimus Luke 14.21 Praedicare volunt imò volant Ordinatissimus 1. Cor. 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ephes. 4.12 Leo. Effectes Influendi Astra regunt homines sed Deus astra regit Egentis animum doctrinae sermo non penetrat si hunc miserecordiae manus non coÌ„mendat Grig Past. The Vicaredge is but the Parsonages spawne * For so are Impropriators Illuminandi Grig Naz. Ingenium Galbae male habitat Hos. 9.7 Coloss. 4.3 Ornatu delectandi Ouid. met Phil 3.17 Quam pridem de caelo descendisti Act 3.5 6. Hor. Patrons D. Smirh Esay 62.1 Laity Nisi homini deus placuerit deus non erit homo iam deo propitius esse deberit Tect Tractent sabâ—ilia fabri Aug. Psal 33. Exod. 4.13 Act. 18.15 Homines 1. Cor. 4.1 1. Cor. 2.10 Amos. 3.7 Insirmi Math 7.29 1. Cor. 5.5 Mortales Amos. 7.9 Lam. 1.3 Psal. 137.1 De male quaesitis non gaudet c. Tabulantes Ioh. 1. Cicer. Orat. Satis loquentiae eloquentiae patum Ierom. contr Iouinian â—ib Iob. 7.7 Tacit. Lactan. Aristoph Gal. 6 6. Mal. 3.8.9 Gal. 6 6. Prou. 20.25 Status insolidus qui caret solidiâ— L.B. of London in his lectures on Ionas Aug. de ciuit Dei lib. â— cap. 2. Rom. 10. Bern. Iuuen. Ier. 49.9 Leauings not Liuings Heb. 2.6 Ministers Hor. ad Aug. lib. 2. Ep. 1.