of them the Pox Saint Roche the Falling-evil Saint Cornelis the Tooth-Ach Saint Apollin c. Neither do Beasts nor Cattel lack their Gods with us for Saint Loy is the Horsleach and Saint Anthony the Swineheard c. Where is Gods Providence and due Honour in the mean season Who saith The Heavens be mine and the Earth is mine the whole World and all that in it is I do give Victory and I put to Flight Of me be all Counsels and Help c. Except I keep the City in vain doth he watch that keepeth it thou Lord shalt save both Men and Beasts But we have left him neither Heaven nor Earth nor Water nor Country nor City Peace nor War to Rule and Govern neither Men nor Beasts nor their Diseases to Cure that a godly Man mâ—ght justly for Zealous Indignation cry out O Heaven O Earth and Seas what Madness and Wickedness against God are Men fallen into What dishonour do the Creatures to their Creator and Maker And if we remember God somtimes yet because we doubt of his ability or will to help we joyn to him another Helper as if he were a Noun Adjective using these sayings such as learn God and Saint Nicholas be my speed Such as neese God help and Saint John To the Horse God and Saint Loy save thee Thus are we become like Horses and Mules which have no Understanding For is there not one God only who by his Power and Wisdom made all things and by his Providence governeth the same And by his Goodness maintaineth and saveth them Be not all things of him by him and through him Why dost thou turn from the Creator to the Creatures This is the manner of the Gentiles Idolaters But thou art a Christian and therefore by Christ alone hast access to God the Father and help of him only These things are not written to any reproach of the Saints themselves who were the true Servants of God and did give all honour to him taking none unto themselves and are blessed Souls with God but against our Foolishness and Wickedness making of the true Servants of God false Gods by attributing to them the Power and Honour which is Gods and due to him only And for that we have such Opinions of the power and ready help of Saints all our Legends Hymns Sequences and Masses did contain Stories Lauds and Praises of them and Prayers to them yea and Sermons also altogether of them and to their Praises Gods Word being clean laid aside And this we do altogether agreeable to the Saints as did the Gentiles Idolaters to their false Gods For these Opinions which Men have had of mortal Persons were they never so holy the old most godly and learned Christians have written against the feigned Gods of the Gentiles and Christian Princes have destroyed their Images who if they were now living would doubtless likewise both write against our false Opinions of Saints and also destroy their Images For it is evident that our Image-maintainers have the same Opinion of Saints which the Gentiles had of their false Gods and thereby are moved to make them Images as the Gentiles did If answer be made that they make Saints but Intercessors to God and means for such things as they would obtain of God That is even after the Gentiles Idolatrous usage to make them of Saints Gods Medioximi Dii called Dii Medioximi to be mean Intercessors and Helpers to God as though he did not hear or should be weary if he did all alone So did the Gentiles teach that there was one chief Power working by other as means and so they made all Gods subject to Fate or Destiny as Lucian in his Dialogues feigneth that Neptune made suit to Mercury that he might speak with Jupiter And therefore in this also it is most evident that our Image-maintainers be all one in Opinion with the Gentiles Idolaters Now remaineth the third part that their Rites and Ceremonies in honouring and worshipping of the Images or Saints be all one with the Rites which the Gentiles Idolaters used in honouring their Idols First what meaneth it that Christians after the example of the Gentiles Idolaters go on pilgrimage to visit Images where they have the like at home but that they have a greater Opinion of Holiness and Virtue in some Images than other some like as the Gentiles Idolaters had which is the readiest way to bring them to Idolatry by worshipping of them and directly against Gods Word who saith Seek me Amos 5. and ye shall live and do not seek Bethel enter not into Gilgal neither go to Beersheba And against such as had any Superstition in the Holiness of the place as though they should be heard for the places sake saying Our Fathers worshipped in this Mountain and ye say that at Jerusalem is the place where Men should worship our Saviour Christ pronounceth John 4. Beâ—ieve me the hour cometh when you shall worship the Father neither in this Mountain nor at Jerusalem but true Worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and Truth But it is too well known that by such pilgrimage-going Lady Venus and her Son Cupid were rather worshipped wantonly in the Flesh than God the Father and our Saviour Christ his Son truly worshipped in the Spirit And it was very agreeable Rom. 1. as Saint Paul teacheth that they which fell to Idolatry which is Spiritual Fornication should also fall into Carnal Fornication and all Uncleanness by the just Judgments of God delivering them over to abominable Concupiscences What meaneth it that Christian Men after the use of the Gentiles Idolaters cap and kneel before Images which if they had any Sense and Gratitude would kneel before Men Carpenters Masons Plaisterers Founders and Goldsmiths their Makers and Framers by whose means they have attained this Honour which else should have been evil-favoured and rude Lumps of Clay or Plaister pieces of Timber Stone or Metal without Shape or Fashion and so without all Estimation and Honour as that Idol in the Pagan Poet confesseth saying Horatius I was once a vile Block but now I am become a God c. What a fond thing is it for Man Adorare who hath Life and Reason to bowe himself to a dead and insensible Image the Work of his own Hand Gen. 23. and 33. Is not this stooping and kneeling before them Adoration of them which is forbidden so earnestly by Gods Word Let such as so fall down before Images of Saints know and confess that they exhibit that Honour to dead Stocks and Stones 3 Reg. 1. Acts 10. and 14. Apoc. 19. which the Saints themselves Peter Paul and Barnabas would not to be given them being alive which the Angel of God forbiddeth to be given to him And if they say they exhibit such Honour not to the Image but to the Saint whom it representeth they are convicted of folly to believe that they please Saints with that
the nature of Charity concluding that because they did pray for men on Earth therefore they do much more the same now in Heaven Then may it be said by the same reason that as oft as we do weep on Earth they do also weep in Heaven because while they lived in this World it is most certain and sure they did so And for that place which is written in the Apocalyps namely that the Angel did offer up the Prayers of the Saints upon the golden Altar it is properly to be understood of those Saints that are yet living on Earth and not of them that are dead otherwise what need were it that the Angel should offer up their Prayers being now in Heaven before the face of Almighty God But admit the Saints do Pray for us yet do we not know how whether specially for them which call upon them or else generally for all men wishing well to every man alike If they Pray specially for them which call upon them then it is like they hear our Prayers and also know our hearts desire Which thing to be false it is already proved both by the Scriptures and also by the Authority of Augustin Let us not therefore put our trust or confidence in the Saints or Martyrs that be dead Let us not call upon them nor desire help at their hands but let us always lift up our Hearts to God in the name of his dear Son Christ for whose sake as God hath promised to hear our Prayer so he will truly perform it Invocation is a thing proper unto God which if we attribute unto the Saints it soundeth to their reproach neither can they well bear it at our hands When Paul had healed a certain lame man Acts 14. which was impotent in his Feet at Lystra the People would have done Sacrifice unto him and Barnabas who rending their clothes refused it and exhorted them to worship the true God Likewise in the Revelation Apoc. 19. when St. John fell before the Angel's feet to worship him the Angel would not permit him to do it but commanded him that he should worship God Which Examples declare unto us that the Saints and Angels in Heaven will not have us to do any Honour unto them that is due and proper unto God He only is our Father he only is Omnipotent he only knoweth and understandeth all things he only can help us at all times and in all places he suffereth the Sun to shine upon the good and the bad he feedeth the young Ravens that cry unto him he saveth both Man and Beast he will not that any one hair of our Head shall perish but is always ready to help and preserve all them that put their trust in him according as he hath promised Isai 65. saying Before they call I will answer and whilst they speak I will hear Let us not therefore any thing mistrust his goodness let us not fear to come before the Throne of his Mercy let us not seek the aid and help of Saints but let us come boldly our selves nothing doubting but God for Christs sake in whom he is well pleased will hear us without a Spokes-man and accomplish our desire in all such things as shall be agreeable to his most Holy Will Chrysost 6 hom de profectu Evang. So saith Chrysostom an ancient Doctor of the Church and so must we stedfastly believe not because he saith it but much more because it is the Doctrine of our Saviour Christ himself who hath promised that if we Pray to the Father in his name we shall certainly be heard both to the relief of our Necessities and also to the Salvation of our Souls which he hath purchased unto us not with Gold or Silver but with his precious Blood shed once for all upon the Cross To him therefore with the Father and the Holy Ghost three Persons and one God be all Honour Praise and Glory for ever and ever Amen The Third Part of the Homily concerning PRAYER YE were taught in the other part of this Sermon unto whom ye ought to direct your Prayers in time of need and necessity that is to wit not unto Angels or Saints but unto the eternal and everliving God who because he is merciful is always ready to hear us when we call upon him in true and perfect Faith And because he is Omnipotent he can easily perform and bring to pass the thing that we request to have at his hands To doubt of his Power it were a plain point of Infidelity and clean against the Doctrine of the Holy Ghost which teacheth us that he is all in all And as touching his good will in this behalf we have express Testimonies in Scripture Psal 50. how that he will help us and also deliver us if we call upon him in time of trouble So that in both these respects we ought rather to call upon him than upon any other Neither ought any man therefore to doubt to come boldly unto God because he is a sinner For the Lord as the Prophet David saith is gracious and merciful yea Psal 107. 1 Tim. 1. his mercy and goodness endureth for ever He that sent his own Son into the World to save sinners will he not also hear sinners if with a true penitent Heart and a stedfast Faith they Pray unto him Yea 1 John 1. if we acknowledge our sins God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness as we are plainly taught by the Examples of David Peter Mary Magdalen the Publican and divers others And whereas we must needs use the help of some Mediator and Intercessor let us content our selves with him that is the true and only Mediator of the New Testament namely the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ For as St. John saith If any man sin 1 John 2. we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous who is the Propitiation for our sins And St. Paul 1 Tim. 2. in his first Epistle to Timothy saith There is one God and one Mediator between God and man even the man Jesus Christ who gave himself a ransom for all men to be a testimony in due time Now after this Doctrine established you shall be instructed for what kind of things and what kind of persons ye ought to make your Prayers unto God It greatly behoveth all men when they Pray to consider well and diligently with themselves what they ask and require at Gods hands lest if they desire that thing which they ought not their Petitions be made void and of none effect There came on a time unto Agesilaus the King a certain importunate suiter who requested him in a matter earnestly saying Sir and it please your Grace you did once promise me Truth quoth the King if it be just that thou requirest then I promised thee otherwise I did only speak it and not promise it The man would not
meant in any condition of the pretenced or coloured Power of the Bishop of Rome For truly the Scripture of God alloweth no such Usurped Power full of Enormities Abusions and Blasphemies But the true meaning of these and such places be to extol and set forth God's true Ordinance and the Authority of God's Anointed Kings and of their Officers appointed under them And concerning the Usurped Power of the Bishop of Rome which he most wrongfully challengeth as the successor of Christ and Peter We may easily perceive how false feigned and forged it is not only in that it hath no sufficient ground in Holy Scripture but also by the Fruits and Doctrine thereof For our Saviour Christ and St. Peter teach most earnestly and agreeably Obedience to Kings as to the chief and Supreme Rulers in this world next under God But the Bishop of Rome teacheth that they that are under him are free from all burdens and charges of the Commonwealth and Obedience toward their Prince most clearly against Christ's Doctrine and St. Peters He ought therefore rather to be called Antichrist and the Successor of the Scribes and Pharises than Christ's Vicar and St. Peter's Successor Seeing that not only in this point but also in other weighty matters of Christian Religion in matters of Remission and Forgiveness of Sins and of Salvation he teacheth so directly against both St. Peter and against our Saviour Christ who not only taught Obedience to Kings but also practised Obedience in their Conversation and Living For we read that they both paid Tribute to the King And also we read that the Holy Virgin Mary Matth. 17. Mother to our Saviour Christ and Joseph who was taken for his Father at the Emperor's Commandment went to the City of David Luke 2. named Bethlehem to be taxed among other and to declare their Obedience to the Magistrates for God's Ordinances sake And here let us not forget the blessed Virgin Maries Obedience For although she was highly in God's Favour and and Christs natural Mother and was also great with Child at the same time and so nigh her Travail that she was delivered in her journey yet she gladly without any excuse or grudging for Conscience sake did take that cold and foul Winter journey being in the mean season so poor that she lay in a Stable and there she was Delivered of Christ And according to the same Lo how St. Peter agreeth writing by express words in his first Epistle 1 Pet. 2. Submit your selves and be Subject saith he unto Kings as unto the chief heads and unto rulers as unto them that are sent of him for the punishment of evil-doors and for the praise of them that do well for so is the will of God I need not to expound these words they be so plain of themselves St. Peter doth not say Submit your selves unto me as Supreme Head of the Church Neither saith he Submit your selves from time to time to my Successors in Rome But he saith Submit your selves unto your King your Supreme Head and unto those that he appointeth in Authority under him for that you shall so shew your Obedience it is the Will of God God will that you be in subjection to your Head and King This is God's Ordinance God's Commandment and God's Will that the whole Body of every Realm and all the Members and Parts of the same shall be subject to their Head their King and that as St. Peter writeth for the Lords sake 1 Pet. 2. Rom. 13. Matth. 22. And as St. Paul writeth for conscience sake and not for fear only Thus we learn by the word of God to yield to our King that is due to our King That is Honour Obedience payments of due Taxes Customs Tributes Subsidies Love and Fear Rom. 13. Thus we know partly our bounden Duties to common Authority now let us learn to accomplish the same And let us most instantly and heartily pray to God the only Author of all Authority for all them that be in Authority according as St. Paul willeth writing thus to Timothy in his first Epistle 1 Tim. 2. I exhort therefore that above all things Prayers Supplications Intercessions and giving of Thanks be done for all Men for Kings and for all that be in Authority that we may live a quiet and a peaceable life with all godliness and Honesty For that is good and accepted or allowable in the sight of God our Saviour Here St. Paul maketh an earnest and an especial Exhortation concerning Giving of Thanks and Prayer for Kings and Rulers saying Above all things as he might say in any wise principally and chiefly let prayer be made for Kings Let us heartily thank God for his great and excellent Benefit and Providence concerning the state of Kings Let us pray for them that they may have God's Favour and God's Protection Let us pray that they may ever in all things have God before their Eyes Let us pray that they may have Wisdom Strength Justice Clemency and Zeal to God's Glory to God's Verity to Christian Souls and to the Commonwealth Let us pray that they may rightly use their Sword and Authority for the maintenance and defence of the Catholick Faith contained in Holy Scripture and of their good and honest Subjects for the fear and punishment of the evil and vicious People Let us pray that they may most faithfully follow the Kings and Captains in the Bible David Ezekias Josias and Moses with such other And let us pray for ourselves that we may live Godlily in Holy and Christian Conversation So shall we have God on our side and then let us not fear what Man can do against us So we shall live in true Obedience both to our most merciful King in Heaven and to our most Christian King on Earth So shall we please God and have the exceeding Benefit peace of Conscience rest and quietness here in this World and after this life we shall enjoy a better Life Rest Peace and the everlasting Bliss of Heaven which he grant us all that was obedient for us all even to the death of the Cross Jesus Christ To whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost be all Honour and Glory both now and ever Amen A SERMON Against Whoredom and Vncleanness ALthough there want not good Christian People great swarms of Vices worthy to be rebuked unto such decay is true Godliness and Virtuous living now come Yet above other Vices the outragious Seas of Adultery or breaking of Wedlock Whoredom Fornication and Uncleanness have not only burst in but also overflowed almost the whole World unto the great dishonour of God the exceeding Infamy of the Name of Christ the notable decay of true Religion and the utter destruction of the publick Wealth and that so abundantly that through the customable use thereof this Vice is grown unto such an height that in a manner among many it is counted no sin at all but rather a pastime a
and are made Bondslaves to the Devil Through cleanness of Life we are made members of Christ And finally how far Adultery bringeth a Man from all Goodness and driveth him headlong into all Vices Mischief and Misery Now will I declare unto you in order with what grievous punishments God in times past plagued Adultery and how certain worldly Princes also did punish it that ye may perceive that Whoredom and Fornication be sins no less detestable in the sight of God and all good Men than I have hitherto uttered In the First Book of Moses we read That when Mankind began to be multiplied upon the earth the Men and Wâ—men gave their minds so greatly to fleshly delight and filthy pleasure that they lived without all fear of God God seeing this their beastly and abominable living and perceiving that they amended not but rather increased daily more and more in their sinful and unclean Manners repented that he had ever made Man And to shew how greatly he abhorreth Adultery Whoredom Fornication and all Uncleanness He made all the Fountains of the deep Earth to burst out and the sluces of Heaven to be opened so that the Rain came down upon the Earth by the space of forty Days and forty Nights and by this means destroyed the whole World and all Mankind eight Persons only excepted that is to say Noah the Preacher of Righteousness as St. Peter calleth him and his Wife his three Sons and their Wives O what a grievous Plague did God cast here upon all living Creatures for the sin of Whoredom For the which God took vengeance not only of Man but of all Beasts Fowls and all living Creatures Gen. 4. Manslaughter was committed before yet was not the World destroyed for that But for Whoredom all the World few only except was overflowed with Waters and so perished An example worthy to be remembred that ye may learn to fear God We read again Gen. 19. That for the filthy sin of Uncleanness Sodom and Gomorrha and the other Cities nigh unto them were destroyed by Fire and Brimstone from Heaven so that there was neither Man Woman Child nor Beast nor yet any thing that grew upon the Earth there left undestroyed whose Heart trembleth not at the hearing of this History Who is so drowned in Whoredom and Uncleanness that will not now for ever after leave this abominable living seeing that God so grievously punisheth uncleanness to rain Fire and Brimstone from Heaven to destroy whole Cities to kill Man Woman and Child and all other living Creatures there abiding to consume with Fire all that ever grew What can be more manifest tokens of God's wrath and vengeance against Uncleanness and impurity of Life Mark this History good People and fear the vengeance of God Do you not read also Gen. 12. that God did smite Pharaoh and his House with great Plagues because that he ungodlily desired Sarah the Wife of Abraham Gen. 20. Likewise we read of Abimelech King of Gerar although he touched her not by carnal knowledge These Plagues and Punishments did God cast upon filthy and unclean Persons before the Law was given the Law of Nature only reigning in the Hearts of Men to declare how great love he had to Matrimony and Wedlock and again how much he abhorreth Adultery Fornication and all Uncleanness Lev. 22. And when the Law that forbad Whoredom was given by Moses to the Jews did not God command that the breakers thereof should be put to death The words of the Law be these Whoso committeth Adultery with any Man's Wife shall die the death both the Man and the Woman because he hath broken Wedlock with his Neighbor's Wife In the Law also it was commanded That a Damosel and a Man taken together in Whoredom should be both stâ—ned to death Numb 25. In another place we also read that God commanded Moses to take all the head-Rulers and Princes of the People and to hang them upon Gibbets openly that every Man might see them because they either committed or did not punish Whoredom Again did not God send such a Plague among the People for Fornication and Uncleanness that there died in one day Three and twenty thousand I pass over for lack of time many other Histories of the Holy Bible which declare the grievous vengeance and heavy displeasure of God against Whoremongers and Adulterers Certes this extream Punishment appointed of God sheweth evidently how greatly God hateth Whoredom And let us not doubt but that God at this present abhorreth all manner of Uncleanness no less than he did in the Old Law and will undoubtedly punish it both in this World and in the World to come For he is a God Psal 5. that can abide no Wickedness Therefore ought it to be eschewed of all that tender the Glory of God and the Salvation of their own Souls 1 Cor. 10. Saint Paul saith All these things are written for our Example and to teach us the Fear of God and the Obedience to his Holy Law For if God spared not the natural Branches neither will he spare us that be but Grafts if we commit the like Offence If God destroyed many thousands of People many Cities yea the whole World for Whoredom let us not flatter ourselves and think we shall escape free and without Punishment For he hath promised in his Holy Law to send most grievous Plagues upon them that transgress or break his Holy Commandments Thus have we heard how God punisheth the Sin of Adultery Let us now hear certain Laws which the Civil Magistrates devised in their Countries for the Punishment thereof that we may learn how Uncleanness hath ever been detested in all well-ordered Cities and Common-wealths and among all honest Persons The Law among the Lepreians was this That when any were taken in Adultery Laws devised for the Punishment of Whoredom they were bound and carried three days through the City and afterwards as long as they lived they were despised and with shame and confusion counted as Persons void of all honesty Among the Locrensians the Adulterers had both their Eyes thrust out The Romans in times past punished Whoredom somtime by Fire somtime by Sword If any Man among the Egyptians had been taken in Adultery the Law was That he should openly in the presence of all the People be scourged naked with Whips unto the number of a thousand Stripes the Woman that was taken with him had her Nose cut off whereby she was known ever after to be a Whore and therefore to be abhorred of all Men. Among the Arabians they that were taken in Adultery had their Heads stricken from their Bodies The Athenians punished Whoredom with death in like manner So likewise did the barbarous Tartarians Among the Turks even at this day they that be taken in Adultery both Man and Woman are stoned straightway to death without mercy Thus we see what godly Acts were devised in times past of
one into the Heresie of the Anthropomorphites thinking God to have Hands and Feet and to sit as a Man doth which they that do saith St. Augustine in his Book De fide symbolo cap. 7. fall into that Sacriledge which the Apostle detesteth in those who have changed the Glory of the incorruptible God into the similitude of a corruptible Man For it is wickedness for a Christian to erect such an Image to God in a Temple and much more wickedness to erect such an one in his Heart by believing of it But to this they reply that this reason notwithstanding Images of Christ may be made for that he took upon him flesh and became Man It were well that they would first grant that they have hitherto done most wickedly in making and maintaining of Images of God and of the Trinity in every place whereof they are by force of God's Word and good Reason convicted and then to descend to the Tryal for other Images Now concerning their Objection that an Image of Christ may be made the Answer is easie For in God's Word and Religion it is not only required whether a thing may be done or no But also whether it be lawful and agreeable to God's Word to be done or no. For all wickedness may be and is daily done which yet ought not to be done And the words of the reasons above alledged out of the Scriptures are that Images neither ought nor can be made unto God Wherfore to reply that Images of Christ may be made except withal it be proved that it is lawful for them to be made is rather than to hold ones peace to say somewhat but nothing to the purpose And yet it appeareth that no Image can be made of Christ but a lying Image as the Scripture peculiarly calleth Images lies for Christ is God and Man Seeing therefore Rom. 1. that for the Godhead which is the most excellent part no Images can be made it is falsly called the Image of Christ Wherefore Images of Christ be not only defects but also lies Which reason serveth also for the Images of Saints whose Souls the most excellent parts of them can by no Images be presented and expressed Wherefore they be no Images of Saints whose Souls reign in joy with God but of the Bodies of Saints which as yet lie putrefied in the Graves Furthermore no true Image can be made of Christ's Body for it is unknown now of what Form and Countenance he was And there be in Greece and at Rome and in other places divers Images of Christ and none of them like to other and yet every of them affirmeth that theirs is the true and lively Image of Christ which cannot possibly be Wherefore as soon as an Image of Christ is made by and by is a Lye made of him which by God's Word is forbidden Which also is true of the Images of any Saints of Antiquity for that it is unknown of what Form and Countenance they were Wherefore seeing that Religion ought to be grounded upon Truth Images which cannot be without Lies ought not to be made or put to any use of Religion or to be placed in Churches and Temples places peculiarly appointed to true Religion and Service of God And thus much that no true Image of God our Saviour Christ or his Saints can be made Wherewithal is also confuted that their allegation that Images be the Lay-mens Books For it is evident by that which is afore-rehearsed that they teach no things of God of our Saviour Christ and of his Saints but Lies and Errors Wherefore either they be no Books or if they be they be false and lying Books the teachers of all Error And now if it should be admitted and granted that an Image of Christ could truly be made yet it is unlawful that it should be made yea or that tho Image of any Saint should be made specially to be set up in Temples to the great and unavoidable danger of Idolatry as hereafter shall be proved And first concerning the Image of Christ that though it might be had truly yet it were unlawful to have it in Churches publickly it is a notable place in Irenaeus Lib. 1. c. 24. who reproved the Hereticks called Gnostici for that they carried about the Image of Christ made truly after his own proportion in Pilate's time as they said and therefore more to be esteemed than those lying Images of him which we now have The which Gnostici also used to set Garlands upon the Head of the said Image to shew their affection to it But to go to Gods word Be not I pray you the words of the Scriptures plain Beware lest thou being deceived Levit. 26. Deut. 5. Sculptile Fusile Similitudo Deut. 27. make to thy self to say to any use of Religion any graven Image or any Similitude of any thing c. And Cursed be the Man that maketh a Graven or Molten Image abomination before the Lord c. Be not our Images such Be not our Images of Christ and his Saints either Carved or Molten or Cast or Similitudes of Men and Women It is happy that we have not followed the Gentiles in making of Images of Beasts Fishes and Vermines also Notwithstanding the Image of an Horse as also the Image of the Ass that Christ rode on have in divers places been brought into the Church and Temple of God And is not that which is written in the beginning of the Lords most Holy Law and daily read unto you most evident also Thou shalt not make any likeness of any thing in Heaven above in Earth beneath or in the Water under the Earth c. Could any more be forbidden and said than this Either of the kinds of Images which be either Carved Molten or otherwise Similitudes Or of things whereof Images are forbidden to be made Are not all things either in Heaven Earth or Water under the Earth Exod. 20. And be not our Images of Christ and his Saints likenesses of things in Heaven Earth or in the Water If they continue in their former answer that thâ—â—â— prohibitions concern the Idols of the Gentiles and not ouâ— Images First that answer is already confuted concerning the Images of God and the Trinity at large and concerning the Images of Christ also by Irenaeus And that the Law of God is likewise to be understood against all our Images as well of Christ as his Saints in Temples and Churches appeareth further by the Judgment of the old Doctors and Primitive Church Epiphanius's renting a painted Cloth wherein was the Picture of Christ or of some Saint affirming it to be against our Religion that any such Image should be had in the Temple or Church as is before at large declared judged that not only Idols of the Gentiles but that all Images of Christ and his Saints also were forbidden by Gods Word and our Religion Lactantius affirming it to be certain that no true Religion can
alledgeth the words of Esay the Prophet where it is said Abraham is ignorant of us and Israel knoweth us not His mind therefore is this not that we should put any Religion in worshipping of them or praying unto them but that we should honour them by following their vertuous and godly Life For as he witnesseth in another place the Martyrs and Holy Men in times past were wont after their death to be remembred and named of the Priest at Divine Service but never to be invocated or called upon And why so because the Priest saith he is Gods Priest and not theirs whereby he is bound to call upon God and not upon them John 5. Thus you see that the Authority both of the Scripture and also of Augustin doth not permit that we should pray unto them O that all men would studiously read and search the Scriptures then should they not be drowned in Ignorance but should easily perceive the Truth as well of this Point of Doctrine as of all the rest For there doth the Holy Ghost plainly teach us that Christ is our only Mediator and Intercessor with God and that we must not seek and run to another 1 John 2. If any man sinneth saith St. John we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the Propitiation for our sins 1 Tim. 2. St. Paul also saith There is one God and one Mediator between God and man even the man Jesus Christ Whereunto agreeth the Testimony of our Saviour himself John 14. witnessing that no man cometh to the Father but only by him who is the Way John 10. the Truth the Life yea and the only Door whereby we must enter into the Kingdom of Heaven because God is pleased in no other but in him For which cause also he crieth and calleth unto us that we should come unto him Matt. 11. saying Come unto me all ye that labour and be heavy laden and I shall refresh you Would Christ have us so necessarily come unto him and shall we most unthankfully leave him and run unto other This is even that which God so greatly complaineth of by his Prophet Jeremy saying My People have committed two great offences they have forsaken me the Fountain of the Waters of Life and have digged to themselves broken Pits that can hold no Water Is not that man think you unwise that will run for Water to a little Brook when he may as well go to the head-spring Even so may his Wisdom be justly suspected that will flee unto Saints in time of necessity when he may boldly and without fear declare his grief and direct his Prayer unto the Lord himself If God were strange or dangerous to be talked withal then might we justly draw back and seek to some other Psal 145. Judith 9. But the Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him in Faith and Truth And the Prayer of the humble and meek hath always pleased him What if we be sinners shall we not therefore pray unto God or shall we despair to obtain any thing at his hands Why did Christ then teach us to ask forgiveness of our sins saying And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us Shall we think that the Saints are more merciful in hearing sinners than God David saith Psal 103. Ephes 2. that the Lord is full of compassion and mercy slow to anger and of great kindness St. Paul saith that he is rich in mercy toward all them that call upon him And he himself by the mouth of his Prophet Esay saith Esay 51. For a little while have I forsaken thee but with great compassion will I gather thee For a moment in mine anger I have hid my face from thee but with everlasting mercy I have had compassion upon thee Therefore the sins of any man ought not to withhold him from Praying unto the Lord his God But if he be truly penitent and stedfast in Faith let him assure himself that the Lord will be merciful unto him and hear his Prayers O but I dare not will some man say trouble God at all times with my Prayers We see that in Kings Houses and Courts of Princes men cannot be admitted unless they first use the help and means of some special Noble-man to come to the speech of the King and to obtain the thing that they would have To this reason doth St. Ambrose answer very well Ambros supper cap. 1 Rom. writing upon the first Chapter to the Romans Therefore saith he we use to go unto the King by Officers and Noble-men because the King is a Mortal man and knoweth not to whom he may commit the Government of the Common-wealth But to have God our Friend from whom nothing is hid we need not any helper that should further us with his good word but only a devout and godly mind And if it be so that we need one to intreat for us why may we not content our selves with that one Mediator Heb. 7. which is at the right hand of God the Father and there liveth for ever to make Intercession for us As the Blood of Christ did Redeem us on the Cross and cleanse us from our sins even so it is now able to save all them that come unto God by it For Christ sitting in Heaven hath an everlasting Priesthood and always prayeth to his Father for them that be Penitent obtaining by vertue of his Wounds which are evermore in the sight of God not only perfect remission of our sins but also all other necessaries that we lack in this World so that this only Mediator is sufficient in Heaven and needeth no others to help him Matt. 6. James 5. Coloss 4. 1 Tim. 2. Why then do we Pray one for another in this Life some man perchance will here demand Forsooth we are willed so to do by the express Commandment both of Christ and his Disciples to declare therein as well the Faith that we have in Christ towards God as also the mutual Charity that we bear one towards another in that we pity our Brothers case and make our Humble Petition to God for him But that we should Pray unto Saints neither have we any Commandment in all the Scripture nor yet Example which we may safely follow So that being done without Authority of Gods Word it lacketh the ground of Faith and therefore cannot be acceptable before God Hebr. 11. Rom. 14. Rom. 10. For whatsoever is not of Faith is sin And the Apostle saith that Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God Yet thou wilt object further that the Saints in Heaven do pray for us and that their Prayer proceedeth of an earnest Charity that they have towards their Brethren on Earth Whereto it may be well answered First that no man knoweth whether they do Pray for us or no. And if any will go about to prove it by
sent down from Heaven unto us the Holy Ghost nor that he sitteth on the right hand of his Heavenly Father having the Rule of Heaven and Earth Psal 17. reigning as the Prophet saith from Sea to Sea nor that he should after this World be the Judge as well of the living as of the dead to give reward to the good and judgment to the evil That these Links therefore of our Faith should all hang together in stedfast establishment and confirmation it pleased our Saviour not straitway to withdraw himself from the bodily presence and sight of his Disciples but he chose out forty days wherein he would declare unto them by manifold and most strong arguments and tokens that he had conquered Death and that he was also truly risen again to life He began saith Luke at Moses and all the Prophets Luke 24. and expounded unto them the Prophesies that were written in all the Scriptures of him to the intent to confirm the truth of his Resurrection long before spoken of which he verified indeed as it is declared very apparently and manifestly by his oft appearance to sundry Persons at sundry times First Mat 28. he sent his Angels to the Sepulcher who did shew unto certain Women the empty Grave saying that the burial-linen remained therein And by these signs were these Women fully instructed that he was risen again and so did they testifie it openly After this Jesus himself appeared to Mary Magdalen John 20. and after that to certain other Women and strait afterward he appeared to Peter then to the two Disciples which were going to Emmaus 1 Cor. 15. He appeared to the Disciples also as they were gathered together for fear of the Jews the door shut Luke 24. John 21. At another time he was seen at the Sea of Tiberias of Peter and Thomas and of other Disciples when they were fishing He was seen of more than five hundred brethren in the Mount of Galilee where Jesus appointed them to be by his Angel when he said Behold he shall go before you into Galilee there shall ye see him as he hath said unto you After this he appeared unto James and last of all he was visibly seen of all the Apostles Acts 1. at such time as he was taken up into Heaven Thus at sundry times he shewed himself after he was risen again to confirm and stablish this Article And in these revelations sometime he shewed them his Hands his Feet and his Side and bad them touch him that they should not take him for a Ghost or a Spirit Sometime he also did eat with them but ever he was talking with them of the everlasting Kingdom of God to assure the truth of his Resurrection Luke 24. For then be opened their understanding that they might perceive the Scriptures and said unto them Thus it is written and thus it behoved Christ to suffer and to risâ— from death the third day and that there should be preached openly in his name pardon and remission of sins to all the Nations of the World Ye see good Christian People how necessary this Article of our Faith is seeing it was proved of Christ himself by such evident reasons and tokens by so long time and space Now therefore as our Saviour was diligent for our comfort and instruction to declare it so let us be as ready in our belief to receive it to our comfort and instruction As he died not for himself no more did he rise again for himself â— Cor. 15. He was dead saith St. Paul for our sins and rose again for our justification O most comfortable word evermore to be born in remembrance He died saith he to put away sin he rose again to endow us with righteousness His death took away sin and malediction his death was the Ransom of them both his death destroyed death and overcame the Devil which had the power of death in his subjection his death destroyed Hell with all the damnation thereof Thus is Death swallowed up by Christs Victory thus is Hell spoiled for ever If any man doubt of this Victory let Christs glorious Resurrection declare him the thing If Death could not keep Christ under his dominion and power but that he rose again it is manifest that his power was overcome If Death be conquered then must it follow that sin wherefore death was appointed as the wages must be also destroyed If Death and Sin be vanished away then is the Devil's Tyranny vanished which had the power of Death and was the author and brewer of sin and the ruler of Hell If Christ had the victory of them all by the power of his death and openly proved it by his most victorious and valiant Resurrection as it was not possible for his great might to be subdued of them and it is true that Christ died for our sins and rose again for our justification Why may not we that be his Members by true Faith rejoyce and boldly say with the Prophet Hosea and the Apostle Paul Where is thy Dart O Death Where is thy Victory O Hell Thanks be unto God say they which hath given us the Victory by our Lord Jesus Christ This mighty Conquest of his Resurrection was not only signified before by divers figures of the Old Testament as by Samson when he slew the Lion out of whose mouth came sweetness and honey and as David bare his figure when he delivered the Lamb out of the Lions mouth 1 Reg. 17. and when he overcame and slew the great Giant Goliath and as when Jonas was swallowed up in the Whales mouth Jonas 1. and cast up again on land alive but was also most clearly prophesied by the Prophets of the Old Testament and in the New also confirmed by the Apostles He hath spoiled saith St. Paul Rule and Power Col. 2. and all the Dominion of our spiritual enemies He hath made a shew of them openly and hath triumphed over them in his own person This is the mighty power of the Lord whom we believe on By his Death hath he wrought for us this Victory and by his Resurrection hath he purchased Everlasting Life and Righteousness for us It had not been enough to be delivered by his Death from sin except by his Resurrection we had been endowed with righteousness And it should not avail us to be delivered from death except he had risen again to open for us the Gates of Heaven to enter into life everlasting And therefore St. Peter thanketh God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ for his abundant mercy 1 Pet. 1. because he hath begotten us saith he unto a lively hope by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from death to enjoy an inheritance immortal that never shall perish which is laid up in Heaven for them that be kept by the power of God through Faith Thus hath his Resurrection wrought for us life and righteousness He passed through Death and
Henry the Emperor with his Wife and young Child to stand at the Gates of the City in the rough Winter bare Footed and bare legged only cloathed in Linsey Wolsey eating nothing from Morning to Night and that for the space of three days Shall we say that he had Gods holy Spirit within him and not rather the Spirit of the Devil Such a Tyrant was Pope Hildebrand most worthy to be called a Firebrand if we shall term him as he hath best deserved Many other examples might here be alledged As of Pope Joan the Harlot that was delivered of a Child in the High-street going solemnly in Procession Of Pope Julius the II. that wilfully cast St. Peters Keys into the River Tiberis Of Pope Urban the VI. that caused five Cardinals to be put in Sacks and cruely drowned Of Pope Sergius the III. that persecuted the dead Body of Formosus his Predecessor when it had been buried eight years Of Pope John the XIV of that name who having his Enemy delivered into his hands caused him first to be stripped stark naked his Beard to be shaven and to be hanged up a whole day by the Hair then to be set upon an Ass with his face backward toward the Tail to be carried round about the City in despite to be miserably beaten with Rods last of all to be thrust out of his Country and to be banished for ever But to conclude and make an end ye shall briefly take this short Lesson wheresoever ye find the Spirit of Arrogance and Pride the Spirit of Envy Hatred Contention Cruelty Murder Extortion Witchcraft Necromancy c. Assure your selves that there is the Spirit of the Devil and not of God albeit they pretend outwardly to the World never so much Holiness For as the Gospel teacheth us The Spirit of Jesus is a good Spirit an holy Spirit a sweet Spirit a lowly Spirit a merciful Spirit full of Charity and Love full of Forgiveness and Pity not rendring evil for evil extremity for extremity but overcoming evil with good and remitting all offence oven from the heart According to which Rule if any Man live uprightly of him it may be safely pronounced that he hath the Holy Ghost within him If not then it is a plain token that he doth usurp the the name of the Holy Ghost in vain Therefore dearly beloved according to the good Counsel of St. John Believe not every Spirit 1 John 4. but first try them whether they be of God or no. Many shall come in my namâ— saith Christ Mat. 24. and shall transform themselves into Angels of Light deceiving if it be possible the very Elect. They shall come unto you in Sheeps Cloathing being inwardly cruel and ravening Wolves they shall have an outward shew of great Holiness and innocency of Life so that ye shall hardly or not at all discern them But the Rule that ye must follow is this To judge them by their Fruits Mat. 7. which if they be wicked and naught then it is unpossible that the Tree of whom they proceed should be good Such were all the Popes and Prelates of Rome for the most part as doth well appear in the Story of their Lives and therefore they are worthily accounted among the number of false Prophets and false Christs Luke 6. which deceived the World a long while The Lord of Heaven and Earth defend us from their Tyranny and Pride that they never enter into his Vineyard again to the disturbance of his silly poor Flock but that they may be utterly confounded and put to flight in all parts of the World and he of his great mercy so work in all Mens hearts by the mighty power of the Holy Ghost that the comfortable Gospel of his Son Christ may be truly preached truly received and truly followed in all places to the beating down of Sin Death the Pope the Devil and all the Kingdom of Antichrist that like scattered and dispersed Sheep being at length gathered into one fold we may in the end rest all together in the Bosom of Abraham Isaac and Jacob there to be partakers of Eternal and Everlasting Life through the merits and death of Jesus Christ our Saviour Amen AN HOMILY FOR THE Days of Rogation-Week That all good things come from God I Am purposed this day good devout Christian People to declare unto you the most deserved praise and commendation of Almighty God not only in the consideration of the marvellous Creation of this World or for conservation and governance thereof wherein his great Power and Wisdom might excellently appear to move us to honor and dread him but most especially in consideration of his liberal and large goodness which he daily bestoweth on us his reasonable Creatures for whose sake he made the whole Universal World with all the Commodities and Goods therein which his singular goodness well and diligently remembred on our part should move us as Duty is again with hearty affection to love him and with word and deed to praise him and serve him all the days of our Life And to this matter being so worthy to entreat of and so profitable for you to hear I trust I shall not need with much circumstance of Words to stir you to give your Attendance to hear what shall be said Only I would wish your affection inflamed in secret wise within your self to raise up some motion of Thanksgiving to the goodness of Almighty God in every such Point as shall be opened by my Declaration particularly unto you For else what shall it avail us to hear and know the great goodness of God towards us to know that whatsoever is good proceedeth from him as from the principal Fountain and the only Author or to know that whatsoever is sent from him must needs be good and wholsome If the hearing of such matter moveth us no further but to know it only what availeth it the wise Men of the World tâ— have knowledge of the Power and Divinity of God by the secret inspiration of him where they did not honor and glorifie him in their knowledge as God What praise was it to them by the consideration of the Creation of the World to behold his goodness and not to be thankful to him again for his Creatures What other thing deserved this blindness and forgetfulness of them at Gods hands but utter forsaking of him and so forsaking of God they could not but fall into extream Ignorance and Error And although they much esteemed themselves in their Wits and Knowledge and gloried in their Wisdom yet vanished they away blindly in their thoughts became Fools and perished in their folly There can be none other end of such as draw nigh to God by knowledge and yet depart from him in unthankfulness but utter destruction This Experience saw David in his Days for in his Psalm he saith Behold they which withdraw themselves from thee shall perish Psal 73. for thou hast destroyed them all
this matter that in the mouth of two or three may the truth be known Verily that holy Prophet Esay beareth record and saith Esay 26. O Lord it is thou of thy goodness that hast wrought all our works in us not we our selves And to uphold the truth of this matter against all Justiciaries and Hypocrites which rob Almighty God of his Honor and ascribe it to themselves St. Paul bringeth in his Belief 1 Cor. 3. Acts 17. We be not saith he sufficient of our selves as of our selves once to think any thing but all our ableness is of Gods goodness For he it is in whom we have all our Being our Living and Moving If ye will know furthermore where they had their Gifts and Sacrifices which they offered continually in their Lives to Almighty God they cannot but agree with David where he saith Of thy liberal hand O Lord we have received that we gave unto thee If this holy Company therefore confess so constantly that all the Goods and Graces wherewith they were indued in Soul came of the goodness of God only What more can be said to prove that all that is good cometh from Almighty God Is it meet to think that all spiritual goodness cometh from God above only and that other good things either of Nature or of Fortune as we call them cometh of any other cause Doth God of his goodness adorn the Soul with all the Powers thereof as it is and come the gifts of the Body wherewith it is endued from any other If he doth the more cannot he do the less To justifie a sinner to new create him from a wicked Person to a righteous Man is a greater Act saith St. Augustin than to make such a new Heaven and Earth as is already made We must needs agree that whatsoever good thing is in us of Grace of Nature or of Fortune is of God only as the only Author and Worker And yet it is not to be thought that God hath created all this whole Universal World as it is and thus once made hath given it up to be ruled and used after our own wits and device and so taketh no more charge thereof As we see the Shipwright after he hath brought his Ship to a perfect end then delivereth it to the Mariners and taketh no more care thereof nay God hath not so created the World that he is careless of it but he still preserveth it by his goodness he still stayeth it in his Creation for else without his special goodness it could not stand long in this condition And therefore St. Paul saith That he preserveth all things Heb. 2. Heb. 3. and beareth them up still in his Word lest they should fall without him to their nothing again whereof they were made If his especial goodness were not every where present every Creature should be out of order and no Creature should have his property wherein he was first created He is therefore invisible every where and in every Creature and filleth both Heaven and Earth with his Presence In the Fire to give Heat in the Water to give Moisture in the Earth to give Fruit in the Heart to give his Strength yea in our Bread and Drink is he to give us nourishment where without him the Bread and Drink cannot give sustenance nor the Herb health as the Wise Man plainly confesseth it saying Wisd 16. It is not the increase of Fruits that feedeth Men but it is thy word O Lord which preserveth them that trust in thee And Moses agreeth to the same when he saith Deut. 8. Mans life resteth not in Bread only but in every Word which proceedeth out of Gods mouth Wisd 17. It is neither the Herb nor the Plaister that giveth Health of themselves but thy Word O Lord saith the Wise Man which healeth all things It is not therefore the power of the Croatures which worketh their effects but the goodness of God which worketh in them In his Word truly do all things consist By that same Word that Heaven and Earth were made by the same are they upholden maintained 2 Pet. 3. and kept in order saith St. Peter and shall be till Almighty God shall withdraw his Power from them and speak their dissolution If it were not thus that the goodness of God were effectually in his Creatures to rule them how could it be that the Main Sea so raging and laboring to over-flow the Earth could be kept within its bounds and banks as it is That Holy Man Job evidently spied the goodness of God in this Point and confessed that if he had not a special goodness to the preservation of the Earth it could not but shortly be over-flowed of the Sea How could it be that the Elements so divers and contrary as they be among themselves should yet agree and abide together in a concord without destruction one of another to serve our use if it came not only of Gods goodness so to temper them How could the Fire not burn and consume all things if it were let loose to go whither it would and not staid in its sphere by the goodness of God measurably to heat these inferior Creaturs to their riping Consider the huge Substance of the Earth so heavy and great as it is How could it so stand stably in the space as it doth if Gods goodness reserved it not so for us to travel on It is thou Psal 10.3 O Lord saith David which hast founded the Earth in its stability and during thy Word it shall never reel or fall down Consider the great strong Beasts and Fishes far passing the strength of Man how fierce soever they be and strong yet by the goodness of God they prevail not against us but are under our subjection and serve our use Of whom came the invention thus to subdue them and make them fit for our Commodities Was it by Mans Brain nay rather this invention came by the goodness of God which inspired Mans understanding to have his purpose of every Creature Job 38. Who was it saith Job that put Will and Wisdom in Mans head but God only his goodness And as the same saith again I perceive that every Man hath a mind but it is the inspiration of the Almighty that giveth understanding It could not be verily good Christian People that Man of his own wit upholden should invent so many and divers devices in all Crafts and Sciences except the goodness of Almighty God had been present with Men and had stirred their wits and studies of purpose to know the natures and dispositions of all his Creatures to serve us sufficiently in our needs and necessities Yea not only to serve our necessities but to serve our pleasures and delight more than necessity requireth So liberal is Gods goodness to us to provoke us to thank him if any hearts we have The Wise Man in his Contemplation by himself could not but grant this thing to be true
Rebellion as you see both the first and the greatest and the very root of all other sins and the first and principal cause both of all worldly and bodily Miseries Sorrows Diseases Sicknesses and Deaths and which is infinitely worse than all these as is said the very cause of death and damnation eternal also After this breach of Obedience to God and Rebellion against His Majesty all mischiefs and miseries breaking in therewith and overflowing the World lest all things should come unto confusion and utter ruin God forthwith by Laws given unto Mankind Gen. 3. d. 17. Gen 3. c. 16. Job 34. d. 30. 36. a. 7. repaired again the rule and order of Obedience thus by Rebellion overthrown and besides the Obedience due unto his Majesty he not only ordained that in Families and Housholds The Wife should be obedient unto her Husband the Children unto their Parents the Servants unto their Masters but also when Mankind increased and spread it self more largely over the World he by his holy Word did constitute and ordain in Cities and Countries several and special Governors and Rulers unto whom the residue of his People should be obedient Eccl. 8. a 2. 10. c. 16.17 d. 20. Psal 18. g. 50. 20. b. 6. 21. a. 1. Prov. 8.115 As in reading of the Holy Scriptures we shall find in very many and almost infinite places as well of the Old Testament as of the New that Kings and Princes as well the evil as the good do Reign by Gods Ordinance and that Subjects are bounden to obey them that God doth give Princes Wisdom great Power and Authority that God defendeth them against their Enemies and destroyeth their Enemies horribly that the anger and displeasure of the Prince is as the roaring of a Lion and the very messenger of death and the Subject that provoketh him to displeasure sinneth against his own Soul with many other things concerning both the Authority of Princes and the Duty of Subjects But here let us rehearse two special places out of the New Testament which may stand instead of all other Rom. 13. The first out of St. Pauls Epistle to the Romans and the thirteenth Chapter where he writeth thus unto all Subjects Let every Soul be subject unto the higher Powers for there is no Power but of God and the Powers that be are ordained of God Whosoever therefore resisteth the Power resisteth the Ordinance of God and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation For Princes are not to be feared for good Works but for evil Wilt thou then be without fear of the Power Do well so shalt thou have praise of the same for he is the Minister of God for thy Wealth But if thou do evil fear for he beareth not the Sword for nought for he is the Minister of God to take vengeance upon him that doth evil Wherefore ye must be subject not because of Wrath only but also for Conscience sake for for this cause ye pay also tribute for they are Gods Ministers serving for the same purpose Give to every Man therefore his due tribute to whom tribute belongeth custom to whom custom is due fear to whom fear belongeth honor to whom ye owe honor Thus far are S. Pauls words The second place is in St. Peters Epistle and the second Chapter 1 Pet. 2. whose words are these Submit your selves unto all manner of Ordinances of Man for the Lords sake whether it be unto the King as unto the chief Head either unto Rulers as unto them that are sent of him for the punishment of evil doers but for the cherishing of them that do well For so is the Will of God that with well doing ye may stop the mouths of ignorant and foolish Men as free and not as having the liberty for a cloak of maliciousness but even as the Servants of God Honor all Men love Brotherly Fellowship fear God honor the King Servants obey your Masters with fear not only if they be good and courteous but also though they be froward Thus far out of St. Peter By these two places of the Holy Scriptures it is most evident that Kings Queens and other Princes for he speaketh of Authority and Power be it in Men or Women are ordained of God are to be obeyed and honored of their Subjects that such Subjects as are disobedient or rebellious against their Princes disobey God and procure their own damnation that the government of Princes is a great blessing of God given for the Common-wealth specially of the good and godly For the comfort and cherishing of whom God giveth and setteth up Princes and on the contrary part to the fear and for the punishment of the evil and wicked Finally That if Servants ought to obey their Masters not only being gentle but such as be froward as well and much more ought â—ubjects to be obedient not only to their good and courteous but also to their sharp and rigorous Princes It cometh therefore neither of chance and fortune as they term it nor of the ambition of mortal Men and Women climbing up of their own accord to dominion that there be Kings Queens Princes other Governors ovâ—r Men being their Subjects but all Kings Queens other Governors are specially appointed by the ordinance of God And as God himself being of an infinite Majesty Power and Wisdom ruleth and governeth all things in Heâ—ven and Earth Psal 80. b. 16 45. a. 6. c. 47. a. 2. Eccl. 17. c. as the Universal Monarch and only King and Emperor over all as being only able to take and bear the charge of all so hath he constituted ordained and set earthly Princes over particular Kingdoms and Dominions in Earth both for the avoiding of all confusion which else would be in the World if it should be without Governors and for the great quiet and benefit of earthly Men their Subjects and also that the Princes themselves in Authority Power Wisdom Providence and righteousness in government of People and Countries committed to their charge should resemble his heavenly Governance as the Majesty of heavenly things may by the baseness of earthly things be shadowed and resembled Mat. 18. c. 23. 22.12 Ps 10. b. 16 and 45. a. b. 47. a. 2. c. Mat. 22. b. 13. 25. c. 34. Psal 82. b. 6. And for that similitude that is between the heavenly Monarchy and earthly Kingdoms well governed our Saviour Christ in sundry Parables saith That the Kingdom of Heaven is resembled unto a Man a King and as the name of the King is very often attributed and given unto God in Holy Scriptures so doth God himself in the same Scriptures sometimes vouchsafe to communicate his Name with earthly Princes terming them Gods doubtless for that similitude of Government which they have or should have not unlike unto God their King unto the which similitude of heavenly Government the nearer and nearer that an
a more perfect Service and Honouring of God and more pleasing to God than the keeping of God's Commandments Such hath been the corrupt inclination of Man ever Superstitiously given to make new Honouring of God on his own Head and then to have more Affection and Devotion to keep that than to search out God's Holy Commandments and to keep them And furthermore to take God's Commandments for Men's Commandments and Men's Commandments for God's Commandments yea and for the highest and most Perfect and Holiest of all God's Commandments And so was all confused that scant well learned Men and but a small number of them knew or at the least would know and durst affirm the Truth to separate or sever God's Commandments from the Commandments of Men. Whereupon did grow much Error Superstition Idolatry Vain-religion Overthwart-iudgment great Contention with all ungodly living An exhortation to the keeping of God's Commandments Wherefore as you have any Zeal to the right and pure Honouring of God as you have any regard to your own Souls and to the Life that is to come which is both without pain and without end apply yourselves chiefly above all things to read and hear God's Word mark diligently therein what his Will is you shall do and with all your endeavour apply your selves to follow the same A brief rehearsal of God's Commandments First you must have an assured Faith in God and give yourselves wholly unto him love him in prosperity and adversity and dread to offend him evermore Then for his sake love all Men Friends and Foes because they be his Creation and Image and redeemed by Christ as ye are Cast in your Minds how you may do good unto all Men unto your Powers and hurt no Man Obey all your Superiors and Governors serve your Masters faithfully and diligently as well in their absence as in their presence not for dread of punishment only but for Conscience sake knowing that you are bound so to do by God's Commandments Disobey not your Fathers and Mothers but Honour them Help them and Please them to your power Oppress not kill not beat not neither slander nor hate any Man But love all Men speak well of all Men help and succor every Man as you may yea even your Enemies that hate you that speak evil of you and that do hurt you Take no Man's Goods nor covet your neighbor's Goods wrongfully but content yourselves with that which ye get truly and also bestow your own Goods charitably as Need and Case requireth Flee all Idolatry Witchcraft and Perjury commit no manner of Adultery Fornication or other Unchastness in Will nor in Deed with any other Mans Wife Widow or Maid or otherwise And travelling continually during this life thus in keeping the Commandments of God wherein standeth the pure principal and right Honour of God and which wrought in Faith God hath ordained to be the right trade and pathway unto Heaven you shall not fail as Christ hath promised to come to that blessed and everlasting life where you shall live in Glory and Joy with God for ever To whom be Praise Honour and Empery for ever and ever Amen A SERMON Of Christian Love and Charity OF all things that be good to be taught unto Christian People there is nothing more necessary to be spoken of and daily called upon than Charity As well for that all manner of works of Righteousness be contained in it as also that the decay thereof is the ruin or fall of the World the banishment of Virtue and the cause of all Vice And forsomuch as almost every Man maketh and frameth to himself Charity after his own appetite and how detestable soever his life be both unto God and Man yet he persuadeth himself still that he hath Charity Therefore you shall hear now a true and plain description or setting forth of Charity not of Men's Imagination but of the very words and example of our Saviour Jesus Christ In which description or setting forth every Man as it were in a Glass may consider himself and see plainly without error whether he be in the true Charity or not Charity is to love God with all our Heart What Charity is The love of God all our Soul and all our Powers and strength With all our Heart that is to say That our Heart Mind and Study be set to believe his Word to trust in him and to Love him above all other things that we love best in Heaven or in Earth With all our Life That is to say that our chief joy and delight be set upon Him and His Honor and our whole Life given unto the Service of him above all things with him to live and dye and to forsake all other things rather than him For he that loveth his father or mother Matth. 10. son or daughter house or land more than me saith Christ is not worthy to have me With all our Power That is to say that with our Hands and Feet with our Eyes and Ears our Mouths and Tongues and with all our Parts and Powers both of Body and Soul we should be given to the keeping and fulfilling of his Commandments The love of thy neighbor This is the First and Principal Part of Charity but it is not the whole For Charity is also to love every Man Good and Evil Friend and Foe and whatsoever cause be given to the contrary yet nevertheless to bear good Will and Heart unto every Man to use ourselves well unto them as well in Words and Countenances as in all our outward Acts and Deeds For so Christ himself taught and so also he performed indeed Of the love of God he taught on this wife unto a Doctor of the Law that asked him which was the great and chief Commandment in the Law Love thy Lord God Matth. 22. said Christ with all thy heart with all thy soul and with all thy mind And of the love that we ought to have among ourselves each to other he teacheth us thus You have heard it taught in times past Matth. 5. Matth. 5. Thou shalt love thy friend and have thy foe But I tell you love your enemies speak well of them that defame and speak evil of you do well to them that hate you pray for them that vex and persecute you that you may be the children of your father that is in Heaven For he maketh his Sun to rise both upon the evil and good and sendeth rain to the just and unjust For if you love them that love you What reward shall you have Do not the Publicans likewise And if you speak well only of them that be your brethren and dearly beloved friends what great matter is that Do not the Heathen the same also These be the very words of our Saviour Christ himself touching the love of our neighbor And forasmuch as the Pharises with their most pestilent Traditions and false interpretations and glosses had corrupted and almost
unlawful and forbidden by the Commandment of God For such Swearing is nothing else but taking of God's Holy Name in vain And here is to be noted that lawful Swearing is not forbidden but commanded by Almighty God For we have examples of Christ and Godly Men in Holy Scripture that did Swear themselves and required Oaths of others likewise Deut. 6. and God's Commandment is Thou shalt dread thy Lord God and shalt swear by his Name And Almighty God by his Prophet David saith Psal 63. All Men shall be praised that swear by him Thus did our Saviour Christ Swear divers times saying Verily John 3. Verily And St. Paul Sweareth thus I call God to witness 2 Cor. 1. And Abraham waxing old required an Oath of his Servant Gen. 24. that he should procure a Wife for his Son Isaac which should come of his own kindred And the Servant did Swear that he would perform his Masters Will. Abraham also being required Gen. 21. did Swear unto Abimelech the King of Geraris that he should not hurt him nor his posterity and likewise did Abimelech Swear unto Abraham And David did Swear to be and continue a faithful Friend to Jonathan and Jonathan did Swear to become a faithful Friend unto David Also God once commanded that if a thing were laid to pledge to any Man or left with him to keep if the same thing were stoln or lost that the keeper thereof should be Sworn before Judges that he did not conveigh it away nor used any deceit in causing the same to be conveighed away by his consent or knowledge Heb. 6. And St. Paul saith That in all matters of controversie between two Persons whereas one saith Yea and the other Nay so as no due proof can be had of the Truth the end of every such Controversie must be an Oath ministred by a Judge And moreover God by the Prophet Jeremy saith Thou shalt swear the Lord liveth in truth Jer. 4. in judgment in righteousness So that whosoever Sweareth when he is required of a Judge let him be sure in his Conscience that his Oath have three Conditions and he shall never need to be afraid of Perjury First he that Sweareth may Swear truly that is What conditions an Oath ought to have he must setting apart all Favour and Affection to the Parties have the Truth only before his Eyes and for love thereof say and speak that which he knoweth to be Truth and no further The Second The Second is he that taketh an Oath must do it with judgment not rashly and unadvisedly but soberly considering what an Oath is The Third is The Third He that Sweareth must Swear in Righteousness That is for the very Zeal and Love which he beareth to the defence of Innocency to the maintenance of the Truth and of the Righteousness of the Matter or Cause all Profit Disprofit all Love and Favour unto the Person for Friendship or Kindred laid apart Thus an Oath if it have with it these three Conditions is a part of God's Glory Why we be willed in Scripture to Swear by the Name of God which we are bound by his Commandments to give unto him For he willeth that we shall Swear only by his Name not that he hath pleasure in Oaths but like as he commanded the Jews to offer Sacrifice unto him not for any delight that he had in them but to keep the Jews from committing Idolatry So he Commanding us to Swear by his Holy Name Isai 42. doth not teach its that he delighteth in Swearing but he thereby forbiddeth all Men to give his Glory to any Creature in Heaven Earth or Water Hitherto you see that Oaths lawful are Commanded of God used of Patriarchs and Prophets of Christ himself and of his Apostle Pauâ— Therefore Christian People must think lawful Oaths both Godly and necessary Commodities had by lawful Oaths made and observed For by lawful Promise and Covenants confirmed by Oaths Princes and their Countries are confirmed in common Tranquillity and Peace By Holy Promises with calling the name of God to witness we be made lively Members of Christ when we profess his Religion receiving the Sacrament of Baptism By like Holy Promise the Sacrament of Matrimony knitteth Man and Wife in perpetual Love that they desire not to be separated for any displeasure or adversity that shall after happen By lawful Oaths which Kings Princes Judges and Magistrates do Swear Common Laws are kept inviolate Justice is indifferently ministred harmless Persons Fatherless Children Widows and poor Men are defended from Murderers Oppressors and Thieves that they suffer no wrong nor take any harm By lawful Oaths mutual Society Amity and good Order is kept continually in all Communalties as Boroughs Cities Towns and Villages And by lawful Oaths Malefactors are searched out Wrong doers are punished and they which sustain wrong are restored to their right Therefore lawful Swearing cannot be evil which bringeth unto us so many Godly Vain Swearing is forbidden Good and necessary Commodities Wherefore when Christ so earnestly forbade Swearing it may not be understood as though he did forbid all manner of Oaths But he forbiddeth all vain-Swearing and forswearing both by God and by his Creatures as the common use of Swearing in Buying Selling and in our daily Communication to the intent every Christian Man's Word should be as well regarded in such matters as if he should confirm his Communication with an Oath For every Christian Man's Word saith St. Hierom should be so true that it should be regarded as an Oath And Chrysostome witnessing the same saith It is not convenient to Swear For what need we to Swear when it is not lawful for one of us to make a lye unto another Peradventure some will say An Object I am compelled to Swear or else Men that do commune with me or do buy and ell with me will not believe me An Answer To this answereth St. Chrysostome that he that thus saith sheweth himself to be an unjust and a deceitful Person For if he were a trusty Man and his Deeds taken to agree with his Words he should not need to Swear at all For he that useth Truth and Plainness in his bargaining and communication he shall have no need by such vain Swearing to bring himself in Credence with his Neighbours nor will his Neighbours mistrust his Sayings And if his Credence be so much lost indeed that he thinketh no Man will believe him without he swear then he may well think his Credence is clean gone For Truth it is as Theophylactus writeth that no Man is less trusted than he that useth much to Swear Eccles 33. And Almighty God by the Wise Man saith that Man which Sweareth much shall be full of Sin and the scourge of God shall not depart from his House But here some Men will say Another Objection An Answer for excusing of their many Oaths in their
Lord's sight Holy Simeon after that he had his Hearts desire in seeing our Saviour that he ever longed for in his life he embraced and took him in his Arms and said Now Lord Luke 2. let me depart in peace for mine eies have beholden that Saviour which thou hast prepared for all Nations It is truth therefore that the death of the Righteous is called Peace and the benefit of the Lord as the Church saith in the name of the Righteous departed out of this World My soul Psal 116. turn thee to thy Rest for the Lord both been good to thee and rewarded thee And we see by Holy Scripture and other ancient Histories of Martyrs that the Holy Faithful and Righteous ever since Christ's Ascension or going up in their death did not doubt but that they went to Christ in Spirit which is our Life Health Wealth and Salvation Apoc. 14. John in his Holy Revelation saw an hundred forty and four thousand Virgins and Innocents of whom he said These follow the Lamb Jesu Christ wheresoever he goeth And shortly after in the same place he saith I heard a voice from Heaven saying unto me Write happy and blessed are the dead which die in the Lord From henceforth surely saith the Spirit they shall rest from their pains and labours for their works do follow them So that then they shall reap with joy and comfort that which they sowed with labours and pains They that sow in the Spirit of the Spirit shall reap everlasting Life Let us therefore never be weary of well-doing for when the time of Reaping or Reward cometh we shall reap without any Weariness everlasting Joy Therefore while we have time as St. Paul exhorteth us Gal 6. Matth. 6. let us do good to all Men and not lay up our Treasure in Earth where Rust and Moths corrupt it which Rust as St. James saith shall bear Witness against us at the great day condemn us and shall like most burning Fire torment our Flesh Let us beware therefore as we tender our own Wealth that we be not in the number of those miserable covetous and wretched Men James 5. which St. James biddeth mâ—arn and lament for their greedy gathering and ungâ—dly keeping of Goods Let us be wise in time and learn to follow the wise Example of the wicked Steward Let us so wisely order our Goods and Possessions committed unto us here by God for a season that we may truly hear and obey this Commandment of our Saviour Christ Luke 16. I say unto you saith he make you Friends of the wicked Mammon that they may receive you into everlasting Tabernacles or Dwellings Riches be called wicked because the World abuseth them unto all Wickedness which are otherwise the good gifts of God and the Instruments whereby God's Servants do truly serve him in using of the same He commanded them not to make them rich Friends to get high Dignities and worldly Promotions to give great gifts to rich Men that have no need thereof but to make them Friends of poor and miserable Men unto whom whatsoever they give Christ taketh it as given to himself And to these Friends Christ in the Gospel giveth so great Honor and Preeminence that he saith They shall receive them that do good unto them into everlasting Houses Not that Men shall be our Rewarders for our well-doing but that Christ will reward us and and take it to be done unto himself whatsoever is done to such Friends Thus making poor Wretches our Friends we make our Saviour Christ our Friend whose Members they are Whose misery as he taketh for his own misery so their Relief Succor and Help he taketh for his Succor Relief and Help and will as much thank us and reward us for our goodness shewed to them as if he himself had received like Benefit at our hands as he witnesseth in the Gospel saying Matth 25. Whatsoever ye have done to any of these simple Persons which do believe in me that have you done to myself Therefore let us diligently foresee that our Faith and Hope which we have conceived in Almighty God and in our Saviour Christ wax not faint and that the love which we bear in hand to bear to him wax not cold But let us study daily and diligently to shew ourselves to be the true Honorers and Lovers of God by keeping of his Commandments by doing of good Deeds unto our needy Neighbours relieving by all means that we can their Poverty with our Abundance and Plenty their Ignorance with our Wisdom and Learning and comfort their Weakness with our Strength and Authority calling all Men back from evil-doing by godly Counsel and good Example persevering still in well-doing so long as we live So shall we not need to fear Death for any of those three Causes afore-mentioned nor yet for any other Cause that can be imagined But contrarily considering the manifold Sicknesses Troubles and Sorrows of this present Life the dangers of this perillous Pilgrimage and the great encumbrance which our Spirit hath by this sinful Flesh and frail Body subject to Death Considering also the manifold Sorrows and dangerous Deceits of this World on every side the intolerable Pride Covetousness and Lechery in time of Prosperity the impatient murmuring of them that be worldly in time of Adversity which cease not to withdraw and pluck us from God our Saviour Christ from our Life Wealth or everlasting Joy and Salvation Considering also the innumerable Assaults of our Ghostly Enemy the Devil with all his fiery Darts of Ambition Pride Lechery Vain-glory Envy Malice Detraction or Backbiting with other his innumerable Deceits 1 Pet. 5. Engines and Snares whereby he goeth busily about to catch all Men under his dominion ever like a roaring Lion by all means searching whom he may devour The faithful Christian-Man which considereth all these Miseries Perils and Incommodities whereunto he is subject so long as he here liveth upon Earth and on the other part considereth that blessed and comfortable state of the Heavenly life to come and the sweet condition of them that depart in the Lord how they are delivered from the continual encumbrances of their mortal and sinful Body from all the Malice Crafts and Deceits of this World from all the assaults of their Ghostly Enemy the Devil to live in peace rest and endless quietness to live in the fellowship of innumerable Angels and with the congregation of perfect and just Men as Patriarchs Prophets Martyrs and Confessors and finally unto the Presence of Almighty God and our Saviour Jesus Christ He that doth consider all these things and believeth them assuredly as they are to be believed even from the bottom of his Heart being established in God in this true Faith having a quiet Conscience in Christ a firm Hope and assured Trust in God's Mercy through the Merits of Jesu Christ to obtain this Quietness Rest and everlasting Joy shall not only be without
fear of bodily Death Phil. 1. when it cometh but certainly as St. Paul did so shall he gladly according to God's Will and when it pleaseth God to call him out of this life greatly desire in his heart that he may be rid from all these occasions of evil and live ever to God's pleasure in perfect obedience of his Will with our Saviour Jesus Christ to whose Gracious Presence the Lord of his infinite Mercy and Grace bring us to reign with him in life everlasting To whom with our Heavenly Father and the Holy Ghost be Glory in Worlds without end Amen AN EXHORTATION CONCERNING Good Order and Obedience to Rulers and Magistrates ALmighty God hath appointed and Created all things in Heaven Earth and Waters in a most excellent and perfect Order In Heaven he hath appointed distinct and several Orders and States of Archangels and Angels In Earth he hath assigned and appointed Kings Princes with other Governors under them in all good and necessary Order The Water above is kept and raineth down in due time and season The Sun Moon Stars Rainbow Thunder Lightning Clouds and all Birds of the Air do keep their order The Earth Trees Seeds Plants Herbs Corn Grass and all manner of Beasts keep themselves in order All the parts of the whole year as Winter Summer Months Nights and Days continue in their order All kinds of Fishes in the Sea Rivers and Waters with all Fountains Springs yea the Seas themselves keep their comly course and order And Man himself also hath all his Parts both within and without as Soul Heart Mind Memory Understanding Reason Speech with all and singular corporal Members of his Body in a profitable necessary and pleasant Order Every degree of People in their Vocation Calling and Office hath appointed to them their Duty and Order Some are in high degree some in low some Kings and Princes some Inferiours and Subjects Priests and Lay-men Masters and Servants Fathers and Children Husbands and Wiâ—es Rich and Poor and every one have need of other so that in all things is to be lauded and praised the goodly order of God without the which no House no City no Common-wealth can continue and endure or last For where there is no right order there reigneth all Abuse Carnal liberty Enormity Sin and Babylonical confusion Take away Kings Princes Rulers Magistrates Judges and such Estates of God's order no Man shall ride or go by the way unrobbed no Man shall sleep in his own House or Bed unkilled no Man shall keep his Wife Children and Possessions in quietness all things shall be common and there must needs follow all mischief and utter destruction both of Souls Bodies Goods and Common-wealths But blessed be God that we in this Realm of England feel not the horrible Calamities Miseries and Wretchedness which all they undoubtedly feel and suffer that lack this godly order And praised be God that we know the great excellent Benefit of God shewed towards us in this behalf God hath sent us his high gift our most dear Sovereign King JAMES with a godly wife and honorable Council with other Superiors and Inferiors in a beautiful order and godly Wherefore let us Subjects do our bounden Duties giving hearty thanks to God and praying for the preservation of this godly order Let us all obey even from the bottom of our Hearts all their godly Proceedings Laws Statutes Proclamations and Injunctions with all other godly orders Let us consider the Scriptures of the Holy Ghost which persuade and command us all obediently to be subject first and chiefly to the King's Majesty Supreme Governor over all and next to his honorable Council and to all other Noble Men Magistrates and Officers which by God's goodness be placed and ordered For Almighty God is the only Author and Provider for this fore-named State and Order as it is written of God in the Book of the Proverbs Prov. 8. Through me Kings do reign through me Counsellers make just Laws through me do Princes bear Rule and all Judges of the Earth execute Judgement I am loving to them that love me Here let us mark well and remember that the high Power and Authority of Kings with their making of Laws Judgements and Offices are the Ordinances not of Man but of God And therefore is this Word through me so many times repeated Here is also well to be considered and remembred that this good Order is appointed by God's Wisdom Favor and Love especially for them that love God and therefore he saith I love them that love me Wisd 6. Also in the Book of Wisdom we may evidently learn that a King's Power Authority and Strength is a great Benefit of God given of his great Mercy to the comfort of our great Misery For this we read there spoken to Kings Hear O ye Kings and understand learn ye that be Judges of the ends of the Earth give ear ye that Rule the Multitudes For the Power is given you of the Lord and the Strength from the Highest Let us learn also here by the Infallible and undeceivable Word of God That Kings and other Supreme and higher Officers are ordained of God who is most high And therefore they are here taught diligently to apply and give themselves to Knowledge and Wisdom necessary for the ordering of God's People to their governance committed or whom to govern they are charged of God And they be here also taught by Almighty God that they should acknowledge themselves to have all their Power and Strength not from Rome but immediately of God most High We read in the Book of Deuteronomy Deut. 33. that all Punishment pertaineth to God by this Sentence Vengeance is mine and I will reward But this Sentence we must understand to pertain also unto the Magistrates which do exercise God's room in Judgement and punishing by good and godly Laws here on Earth And the places of Scripture which seem to remove from among all Christian Men Judgement Punishment or Killing ought to be understood that no Man of his own private Authority may be Judge over others may punish or may kill But we must refer all Judgment to God to Kings and Rulers Judges under them which be God's Officers to execute Justice and by plain words of Scripture have their Authority and Use of the Sword Granted from God as we are taught by St. Paul that dear and chosen Apostle of our Saviour Christ whom we ought diligently to obey even as we would obey our Saviour Christ if he were present Thus St. Paul writeth to the Romans Let every Soul submit himself unto the authority of the higher Rom. 13. powers for there is no power but of God The powers that be be ordained of God Whosoever therefore withstandeth the Power withstandeth the Ordinance of God But they that resist or are against it shall receive to themselves damnation For Rulers are not fearful to them that do good but to them that do evil
the Quietness and Peace of the same And whereof cometh this Contention Strife and Variance but of Pride and Vain-glory Let us therefore humble ourselves under the mighty Hand of God 1 Pet. 5. Luk. 1. which hath promised to rest upon them that be humble and low in Spirit If we be good and quiet Christian Men let it appear in our Speech and Tongues If we have forsaken the Devil let us use no more Devilish Tongues He that hath been a railing Scolder now let him be a sober Counsellor He that hath been a malicious Slanderer now let him be a loving Comforter He that hath been a vain Railer now let him be a ghostly Teacher He that hath abused his Tongue in Cursing now let him use it in Blessing He that hath abused his Tongue in evil-speaking now let him use it in speaking well All Bitterness Anger Railing and Blasphemy let it be avoided from you If you may and if it be possible in no wise be angry But if you may not be clean void of this passion yet then so temper and bridle it that it stir you not to Contention and Brawling If you be provoked with evil-speaking arm yourself with Patience Lenity and Silence either speaking nothing or else being very soft meek and gentle in answering Overcome thine Adversary with Benefits and Gentleness And above all things keep Peace and Unity Be no Peace-breakers but Peace-makers And then there is no doubt but that God the Author of Comfort and Peace will grant us Peace of Conscience and such Concord and Agreement that with one Mouth and Mind we may glorifie God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ to whom be all Glory now and for ever AMEN HEreafter shall follow Sermons of Fasting Prayer Alms-Deeds of the Nativity Passion Resurrection and Ascension of our Saviour Christ Of the due Receiving of his Blessed Body and Blood under the form of Bread and Wine Against Idleness against Gluttony and Drunkenness against Covetousness against Envy Ire and Malice with many other matters as well fruitful as necessary to the edifying of Christian People and the increase of Godly Living GOD Save the KING THE Second PART OF THE HOMILIES LONDON Printed for George Wells at the Sun Abel Swall at the Unicorn in St. Paul's Church-yard and George Pawlett at the Bible in Chancery-Lane 1687. AN ADMONITION TO ALL Ministers Ecclesiastical FOR that the Lord doth require of his Servant whom he hath set over his Houshold to shew both Faithfulness and Prudence in his Office It shall be necessary that ye above all other do behave yourselves most faithfully and diligently in your so high a Function That is aptly plainly and distinctly to Read the Sacred Scriptures diligently to instruct the Youth in their Catechism gravely and reverently to Minister his most Holy Sacraments prudently also to choose out such Homilies as be most meet for the time and for the more agreeable Instruction of the People committed to your charge with such discretion that where the Homily may appear too long for one Reading to divide the same to be Read part in the Forenoon and part in the Afternoon And where it may so chance some one or other Chapter of the Old Testament to fall in order to be Read upon the Sundays or Holy-days which were better to be changed with some other of the New Testament of more Edification it shall be well done to spend your time to consider well of such Chapters before-hand whereby your Prudence and diligence in your Office may appear so that your People may have cause to glorifie God for you and be the readier to embrace your Labours to your better Commendation to the discharge of your Consciences and their own THE TABLE OF Homilies ensuing I. OF the Right Use of the Church Page 93 II. Against Peril of Idolatry Page 102 III. For Repairing and keeping Clean the Church Page 282 IV. Of Good Works And first of Fasting Page 289 V. Against Gluttony and Drunkenness Page 309 VI. Against excess of Apparel Page 322 VII An Homily of Prayer Page 334 VIII Of the Place and Time of Prayer Page 356 IX Of Common-Prayer and Sacraments Page 370 X. An Information of them which take Offence at certain places of Holy Scripture Page 385 XI Of Alms-Deeds Page 402 XII Of the Nativity Page 421 XIII Of the Passion for Good Friday Page 434 443 XIV Of the Resurrection for Easter Day Page 455 XV. Of the Worthy Receiving of the Sacrament Page 467 XVI An Homily concerning the coming down of the Holy Ghost for Whitsunday Page 480 XVII An Homily for Rogation-Week Page 497 XVIII Of the State of Matrimony Page 539 XIX Against Idleness Page 540 XX. Of Repentance and true Reconciliation unto God Page 556 XXI An Homily against Disobedience and wilful Rebellion Page 583 AN HOMILY OF THE Right Use of the Church or Temple of GOD and of the Reverence due unto the same The First Chapter WHereas there appeareth in these days great slackness and negligence of a great sort of People in resorting to the Church there to serve God their Heavenly Father according to their most bounden duty as also much Uncomely and Unreverent behaviour of many Persons in the same when they be there assembled and thereby may just fear arise of the Wrath of God and his dreadful Plagues hanging over Head for our grievous Offences in this behalf amongst other many and great Sins which we daily and hourly commit before the Lord. Therefore for the discharge of all our Consciences and for the avoiding of the common Peril and Plague hanging over us let us consider what may be said out of Gods Holy Book concerning this matter whereunto I pray you give good Audience for that it is of great weight and concerneth you all Although the Eternal and Incomprehensible Majesty of God the Lord of Heaven and Earth whose seat is Heaven and the Earth his Footstool cannot be inclosed in Temples or Houses made with Mans Hand as in dwelling places able to receive or contain his Majesty according as is evidently declared by the Prophet Isaiah Isaiah 66. Act. 7.17 3 Reg. 8. 2 Par. 2. and 6. and by the Doctrine of St. Stephen and St. Paul in the Acts of the Apostles And where King Solomon who builded unto the Lord the most glorious Temple that ever was made saith Who shall be able to build a meet or worthy House for him If Heaven and the Heaven above all Heavens cannot contain him how much less can that which I have builded And further confesseth What am I that I should be able to build thee an House O Lord But yet for this purpose only it is made that thou mayest regard the Prayer of thy Servant and his Humble Supplication Much less then be our Churches meet dwelling places to receive the Incomprehensible Majesty of God And indeed the chief and special Temples of God wherein he hath greatest pleasure and most delighteth to dwell
convenient that the Scriptures of God and specially the Gospel of our Saviour Christ should be Read and Expounded unto us that be Christians in our Churches specially our Saviour Christ and his Apostles allowing this most godly and necessary usage and by their Examples confirming the same It is written in the Stories of the Gospel in divers places that Jesus went round about all Galilee Matth. 4. Mark 1. Luke 4. Matth. 13.20 Mark 6. Luke 13. Luke 4. teaching in their Synagogues and preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom In which places is his great diligence in continual Preaching and Teaching of the People most evidently set forth In Luke ye read how Jesus according to his accustomed use came into the Temple and how the Book of Isaiah the Prophet was delivered him how he read a Text therein and made a Sermon upon the same Luke 19. And in the Nineteenth is expressed how he Taught daily in the Temple And it is thus written in the Eighth of John John 8. John 18. Jesus came again early in the Morning into the Temple and all the People came unto him and he sate down and Taught them And in the Eighteenth of John our Saviour testifieth before Pilate that he spake openly unto the World and that he always Taught in the Synagogue and in the Temple whither all the Jews resorted and that secretly he spake nothing Luke 21. And in Saint Luke Jesus Taught in the Temple and all the People came early in the Morning unto him that they might hear him in the Temple Here ye see as well the diligence of our Saviour in teaching the Word of God in the Temple daily and specially on the Sabbath-days as also the readiness of the People resorting all together and that early in the Morning into the Temple to hear him The same Example of diligence in preaching the Word of God in the Temple shall ye find in the Apostles and the People resorting unto them Acts the Fifth Where the Apostles although they had been whipped and scourged the day before and by the High Priest commanded that they should preach no more in the Name of Jesus yet the day following they entred early in the Morning into the Temple and did not cease to teach and declare Jesus Christ And in sundry other places of the Story of the Acts Acts 13.15.17 ye shall find like diligence both in the Apostles in Teaching and in the People in coming to the Temple to hear Gods Word And it is testified in the First of Luke that when Zachary the Holy Priest Luke 1. and Father to John Baptist did Sacrifice within the Temple all the People stood without a long time praying such was their zeal and fervency at that time And in the Second of Luke appeareth what great Journeys Men Luke 2. Women yea and Children took to come to the Temple on the Feast-day there to serve the Lord and specially the Example of Joseph the Blessed Virgin Mary Mother to our Saviour Jesus Christ and of our Saviour Christ himself being yet but a Child whose Examples are worthy for us to follow So that if we would compare our negligence in resorting to the House of the Lord there to serve him with the diligence of the Jews in coming daily very early somtimes by great Journeys to their Temple and when the multitude could not be received within the Temple the fervent zeal that they had was declared in standing long without and Praying We may justly in this Comparison condemn our slothfulness and negligence yea plain contempt in coming to the Lord's House standing so near unto us so seldom and scarcely at any time So far is it from a great many of us to come early in the Morning or give attendance without who disdain to come into the Temple And yet we abhor the very Name of the Jews when we hear it as of a most wicked and ungodly People But it is to be feared that in this point we be far worse than the Jews and that they shall rise at the day of Judgment to our Condemnation who in Comparison to them shew such slackness and contempt in resorting to the House of the Lord there to serve him according as we are of duty most bound And besides this most horrible dread of God's just Judgment in the great day we shall not in this Life escape his heavy Hand and Vengeance for this contempt of the House of the Lord and his due service in the same according as the Lord himself threatneth in the First Chapter of the Prophet Aggeus after this sort Agge 1. Because you have left my House desert and without Company saith the Lord and ye have made haste every Man to his own House for this cause are the Heavens stayed over you that they should give no Dew and the Earth is forbidden that it should bring forth her Fruit and I have called Drought upon the Earth and upon the Mountains and upon corn and upon wine and upon oil and upon all things that the earth bringeth forth and upon men and upon beasts and upon all things that mens hands labour for Behold if we be such worldlings that we care not for the Eternal Judgments of God which yet of all other are most dreadful and horrible we shall not escape the punishment of God in this World by drought and famine and the taking away of all worldly commodities which we as worldlings seem only to regard and care for Whereas on the contrary part if we would amend this fault or neglignce slothfulness and contempt of the House of the Lord and his due service there and with diligence resort thither together to serve the Lord with one accord and consent in all Holiness and Righteousness before him we have promises of benefits Matth. 18. both Heavenly and Worldly Wheresoever two or three be gathered in my Name saith our Saviour Christ there am I in the midst of them And what can be more blessed than to have our Saviour Christ among us Or what again can be more unhappy or mischievous than to drive our Saviour Christ from amongst us to leave a place for his and our most ancient and mortal Enemy the old Dragon and Serpent Satan the Devil in the midst of us In the Second of Luke it is written how that the mother of Christ and Joseph when they had long sought Christ whom they had lost and could find him no where Luke 2. that at the last they found him in the Temple sitting in the midst of the Doctors So if we lack Jesus Christ that is to say the Saviour of our Souls and Bodies we shall not find him in the Market-place or in the Guild-Hall much less in the Ale-house or Tavern amongst good Fellows as they call them so soon as we shall find him in the Temple the Lords House amongst the Teachers and Preachers of his Word where indeed he is to be
found And as concerning Worldly commodities we have a sure promise of our Saviour Christ Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and the righteousness thereof and all these things shall withal be given unto you And thus we have in the First Part of this Homily declared by God's Word that the Temple or Church is the House of the Lord for that the Service of the Lord as Teaching and Hearing of his Holy Word calling upon his Holy Name giving Thanks to him for his great and innumerable Benefits and due ministring of his Sacraments is there used And it is likewise declared by the Scriptures how all Godly and Christian Men and Women ought at times appointed with diligence to resort unto the House of the Lord there to serve him and to glorifie him as he is most worthy and we most bound to whom be all Glory and Honour World without end Amen The Second Part of the Homily of the right Use of the Church IT was declared in the First Part of this Homily by God's Word that the Temple or Church is the House of the Lord for that the Service of the Lord as Teaching and Hearing his Holy Word calling upon his Holy Name giving Thanks to him for his great and innumerable Benefits and due ministring of the Sacraments is there used And it is likewise already declared by the Scriptures how all Godly and Christian Men and Women ought at times appointed with diligence to resort unto the House of the Lord there to Serve him and to Glorifie him as he is most worthy and we most bounden Now it remaineth in this Second Part of the Homily concerning the right use of the Temple of God to be likewise declared by God's Word with what quietness silence and reverence those that resort to the House of the Lord ought there to use and behave themselves It may teach us sufficiently how well it doth become us Christian Men reverently to use the Church and Holy House of our Prayers by considering in how great reverence and veneration the Jews in the old Law had their Temple which appeared by sundry places whereof I will note unto you certain In the 26th of Matthew it is laid to our Saviour Christ's charge before a Temporal Judge as a matter worthy death by the two false witnesses that he had said He could destroy the Temple of God and in three days build it again not doubting but if they might make Men to believe that he had said any thing against the Honour and Majesty of the Temple he should seem to all Men most worthy of death Acts 21. And in the 21st of the Acts when the Jews found Paul in the Temple They laid hands upon him crying Ye Men Israelites help this is that Man who teacheth all Men every where against the People and the Law and against this place Besides that he hath brought the Gentiles into the Temple and hath prophaned this holy place Behold how they took it for a like offence to speak against the Temple of God as to speak against the Law of God and how they judged it convenient that none but Godly Persons and the true worshippers of God should enter into the Temple of God And the same fault is laid to Paul's charge by Tertullus an eloquent Man and by the Jews in the 24th of the Acts Acts 24. before a Temporal Judge as a matter worthy of death that he went about to pâ—llute the Temple of God And in the 27th of Matthew Matth. 27. when the chief Priests had received again the pieces of Silver at Judas's Hand they said It is not lawful to put them into Corban which was the Treasure-House of the Temple because it is the price of Blood So that they could not abide that not only any unclean Person but also any other dead thing that was judged unclean should once come into the Temple or any place thereto belonging And to this end is Saint Paul's saying in the Second Epistle to the Corinthians 2 Cor. 6. the Sixth Chapter to be applyed What Fellowship is there betwixt Righteousness and Vnrighteousness Or what Communion between Light and Darkness Or what Concord between Christ and Belial Or what part can the Faithful have with the Vnfaithful Or what agreement can there be between the Temple of God and Images Which sentence although it be chiefly referred to the Temple of the Mind of the Godly yet seeing that the Similitude and Pith of the argument is taken from the material Temple it enforceth that no Ungodliness specially of Images or Idols may be suffered in the Temple of God which is the place of worshipping God And therefore can no more be suffered to stand there than Light can agree with Darkness or Christ with Belial For that the true worshipping of God and the worshipping of Images are most contrary And the setting of them up in the place of Worshipping may give great occasion to the Worshipping of them But to turn to the Reverence that the Jews had to their Temple You will say that they Honoured it Superstitiously and a great deal too much crying out The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord Jer. 7. being notwithstanding most wicked in Life and be therefore must justly reproved of Jeremiah the Prophet of the Lord. Truth it is that they were Superstitiously given to the Honouring of their Temple But I would we were not as far too short from the due Reverence of the Lord's House as they overshot themselves therein And if the Prophet justly reprehended them hearken also what the Lord requireth at our Hands that we may know whether we be blame-worthy or no. It is written in Ecclesiastes the Fourth Chapter Eccles â— When thou dost enter into the House of God saith he take heed to thy Feet draw near that thou must hear For Obedience is much more worth than the Sacrifice of Fools which know not what evil they do Speak nothing râ—shly there neither let thâ—ne Heart be swift to utter words before God For God is in Heaven and thou art upon the Earth therefore let thy words be few Note welbeloved what quietness in gesture and behaviour what silence in talk and words is required in the House of God for so he calleth it See whether they take heed to their Feet as they be here warned which never cease from uncomely walking and jetting up and down and overthwart the Church shewing an evident signification of notable contempt both of God and all good Men there present And what heed they take to their Tongues and Speech which do not only speak words swiftly and rashly before the Lord which they be here forbidden but also oftentimes speak Filthily Covetously and Ungodlily talking of matters scarce honest or fit for the Ale-House or Tavern in the House of the Lord little considering that they speak before God who dwelleth in Heaven as is here declared when they be but Vermine here
have in their Translation in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Saint Jerome in his Translation of the same places in Latin hath Simulachra in English Images And in the New Testament 1 John 5 that which Saint John calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Saint Jerome likewise translateth Simulachrum as in all other like places of Scripture usually he doth so translate And Tertullian a most ancient Doctor and well learned in both the Tongues Greek and Latin interpreting this place of Saint John Beware of Idols that is to say Lib. de corona militis saith Tertullian of the Images themselves The Latin words which he useth be Effigies and Imago that is to say an Image And therefore it skilleth not whether in this process we use the one term or the other or both together seeing they both though not in common English Speech yet in Scripture signifie one thing And though some to blind Mens Eyes have heretofore craftily gone about to make them to be taken for words of divers Significations in Matters of Religion and have therefore usually named the likeness or similitude of a thing set up amongst the Heathen in their Temples or other places to be worshipped an Idol But the like similitude with us set up in the Church the place of Worshipping they call an Image as though these two words Idol and Image in Scripture did differ in property and sense which as is aforesaid differ only in Sound and Language and in meaning be indeed all one especially in the Scriptures and matters of Religion And our Images also have been and be and if they be publickly suffered in Churches and Temples ever will be also worshipped and so Idolatry committed to them as in the last part of this Homily shall at large be declared and proved Wherefore our Images in Temples and Churches be indeed none other but Idols as unto the which Idolatry hath been is and ever will be committed And first of all the Scriptures of the Old Testament condemning and abhorring as well all Idolatry or worshipping of Images as also the very Idols or Images themselves especially in Temples are so many and plentiful that it were almost an infinite Work and to be contained in no small Volume to record all the places concerning the same For when God had chosen to himself a peculiar and special People from amongst all other Nations that knew not God but worshipped Idols and false Gods he gave unto them certain Ordinances and Laws to be kept and observed of his said People But concerning none other matter did he give either more or more earnest and express Laws to his said People than those that concerned the true Worshipping of him and the avoiding and fleeing of Idols and Images and Idolatry For that both the said Idolatry is most repugnant to the right worshipping of him and his true Glory above all other Vices and that he knew the proneness and inclination of Mans corrupt Kind and Nature to that most odious and abominable Vice Of the which the Ordinances and Laws so given by the Lord to his People concerning this matter I will rehearse and alledge some that be most special for this purpose that you by them may judge of the rest In the fourth Chapter of the Book named Deuteronomy is a notable place Deut. 4. Numb 22. and most worthy with all diligence to be marked which beginneth thus And now Israel hear the Commandments and Judgments which I teach thee saith the Lord that thou doing them mayst liâ—e and enter and possess the Land which the Lord God of your Fathers will give you Ye shall put nothing to the word which I speak to you neither shall ye take any thing from it Keep ye the Commandments of the Lord your God which I command you And by and by after he repeateth the same Sentence three or four times before he come to the matter that he would specially warn them of as it were for a Preface to make them to take the better heed unto it Take heed to thy self saith he and to thy Soul with all carefulness lest thou forgettest the things which thine Eyes have seen and that they go not out of thine Heart all the days of thy Life thou shalt teach them to thy Children and Nephews or Posterity And shortly after The Lord spake unto you out of the middle of Fire but ye heard the Voice or sound of his Words but you did see no form or shape at all And by and by followeth Take heed therefore diligently unto your Souls you saw no manner of Image in the day in the which the Lord spake unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the Fire lest peradventure you being deceived should make to your selves any graven Image or likeness of Man or Woman or the likeness of any Beast which is upon the Earth or of the Birds that flie under Heaven or of any creeping thing that is moved on the Earth or of the Fishes that do continue in the Waters Lest peradventure thou lifting up thine Eyes to Heaven do see the Sun and the Moon and the Stars of Heaven and so thou being deceived by errour shouldst honour and worship them which the Lord thy God hath created to serve all Nations that be under Heaven And again Beware that thou forget not the Covenant of the Lord thy God which he made with thee and so make to thy self any carved Image of them which the Lord hath forbidden to be made For the Lord thy God is a consuming Fire and a jealous God If you have Children and Nephews and do tarry in the Land and being deceived do make to your selves any similitude doing evil before the Lord your God and provoke him to anger I do this day call upon Heaven and Earth to witness that ye shall quickly perish out of the Land which you shall possess you shall not dwell in it any long time but the Lord will destroy you and will scatter you amongst all Nations and ye shall remain but a very few amongst the Nations whither the Lord will lead you away and then shall you serve Gods which are made with Mans Hands of Wood and Stone which see not and hear not neither eat nor smell and so forth This is a notable Chapter and treateth almost altogether of this matter But because it is too long to write out the whole I have noted you certain principal points out of it First how earnestly and oft he calleth upon them to mark and to take heed and that upon the peril of their Souls to the charge which he giveth them Then how he forbiddeth by a solemn and long rehearsal of all things in Heaven in Earth and in the Water any Image or likeness of any thing at all to be made Thirdly what Penalty and horrible Destruction he solemnly with Invocation of Heaven and Earth for record denounceth and threatneth to them their Children and Posterity if they
contrary to this Commandment do make or worship any Images or Similitude which he so strictly hath forbidden And when they this notwithstanding partly by Inclination of Mans corrupt Nature most prone to Idolatry and partly occasioned by the Gentiles and Heathen People dwelling about them who were Idolaters did fall to the making and worshipping of Images God according to his Word brought upon them all those Plagues which he threatned them with as appeareth in the Books of the Kings and the Chronicles in sundry places at large And agreeable hereunto are many other notable places in the Old Testament Deuteronomy 27. Cursed be he that maketh a carved Image or a cast or molten Image which is abomination before the Lord the Work of the Artificers Hand and setteth it up in a secret corner and all the People shall say Amen Read the thirteeenth and fourteenth Chapters of the Book of Wisdom concerning Idols or Images how they be made set up called upon and offered unto and how he praiseth the Tree whereof the Gibbet is made as happy in comparison to the Tree that an Image or Idol is made of even by these very words Happy is the Tree where through Righteousness cometh meaning the Gibbet but cursed is the Idol that is made with hands yea both it and he that made it and so forth And by and by he sheweth how that the things which were the good Creatures of God before as Trees or Stones when they be once altered and fashioned into Images to be worshipped become abomination a temptation unto the Souls of Men and a snare for the feet of the unwise And why The seeking out of Images is the beginning of Whoredom saith he and the bringing up of them is the destruction of Life For they were not from the beginning neither shall they continue for ever The wealthy idleness of Men hath found them out upon Earth therefore shall they come shortly to an end And so forth to the end of the Chapter containing these Points How Idols or Images were first invented and offered unto how by an ungracious custom they were established how Tyrants compel Men to worship them how the ignorant and the common People are deceived by the cunning of the Workman and the beauty of the Image to do honour unto it and to err from the knowledg of God and of other great and many Mischiefs that come hy Images And for a conclusion he saith That the honouring of abominable Images is the cause the beginning and end of all evil and that the Worshippers of them be either mad or most wicked See and view the whole Chapter with diligence for it is worthy to be well considered specially that is written of the deceiving of the simple and unwise common People by Idols and Images and repeated twice or thrice Sap. 15. lest it should be forgotten And in the Chapter following be these words The painting of the Picture and carved Image with divers Colours enticeth the ignorant so that he honoreth and loveth the Picture of a dead Image that hath no Soul Nevertheless they that love such evil things they that trust in them they that make them they that favour them and they that honor them are all worthy of death and so forth Psal 115. In the Book of Psalms the Prophet curseth the Image-honorers in divers places Confounded be all they that worship carved Images and that delight or glory in them Psal 135. Like be they unto the Images that make them and all they that put their trust in them And in the Prophet Isaiah saith the Lord Isai 42. Even I am the Lord and this is my Name and my Glory will I give to none other neither mine Honor to graven Images And by and by Let them be confounded with shame that trust in Idols or Images or say to them you are our Gods And in the xl Chapter Isai 40. after he hath set forth the incomprehensible Majesty of God he asketh To whom then will ye make God like Or what similitude will ye set up unto him Shall the Carver make him a carved Image And shall the Goldsmith cover him with Gold and cast him into a form of Silver Plates And for the poor Man shall the Image-maker frame an Image of Timber that he may have somwhat to set up also And after this he cryeth out O Wretches heard ye never of this Hath it not been preached unto you since the beginning and so forth how by the Creation of the World and the greatness of the Work They might understand the Majesty of God the Creator and Maker of all to be greater than that it should be expressed or set forth in any Image or bodily Similitude And besides this Preaching even in the Law of God written with his own Finger as the Scripture speaketh and that in the first Table Exo. 20. and the beginning thereof is this Doctrine aforesaid against Images not briefly touched but at large set forth and preached and that with denunciation of destruction to the Contemners and Breakers of this Law and their Posterity after them And lest it should not yet be marked or not remembred the same is written and reported not in one but in sundry places of the Word of God that by oft hearing and reading of it we might once learn and remember it as you also hear daily read in the Church God spake these Words and said I am the Lord thy God Thou shalt have none other Gods but me Exo. 20. Levit. 26. Deut. 5. Thou shalt not make to thyself any graven Image nor the likeness of any thing that is in Heaven above nor in the Earth beneath nor in the Water under the Earth thou shalt not bow down to them nor worship them For I the Lord thy God am a jealous God and visit the Sin of the Fathers upon the Children unto the third and fourth Generation of them that hate me and shew Mercy unto thousands in them that love me and keep my Commandments All this notwithstanding neither could the notableness of the place being the very beginning of the very loving Lord's Law make us to mark it nor the plain declaration by recounting of all kind of similitudes cause us to understand it nor the oft repeating and reporting of it in divers and sundry Places the oft reading and hearing of it could cause us to remember it nor the dread of the horrible penalty to ourselves our Children and Posterity after us fright us from transgressing of it nor the greatness of the reward to us and our Children after us move us any thing to Obedience and the observing of this the Lord 's Great Law But as though it had been written in some corner and not at large expressed but briefly and obscurely touched as though no penalty to the Transgressors nor reward to the Obedient had been adjoined unto it like blind Men without all knowledg and understanding like
unreasonable Beasts without dread of Punishment or respect of Reward have diminished and dishonored the high Majesty of the Living God by the baseness and vileness of sundry and divers Images of dead Stocks Stones and Metals And as the Majesty of God whom we have left forsaken and dishonoured and therefore the greatness of our Sin and Offence against his Majesty cannot be expressed So is the weakness vileness and foolishness in device of the Images whereby we have dishonoured him expressed at large in the Scriptures namely the Psalms the Book of Wisdom the Prophet Isaiah Places of the Scripture against Idols or Images Ezekiel and Baruch especially in these places and Chapters of them Psalm 115. and 134. Isaiah 40. and 44. Ezekiel the 6th Wisdom 13 14.15 Baruch 6. The which places as I exhort you often and diligently to read so are they too long at this present to be rehearsed in an Homily Notwithstanding I will make you certain brief or short Notes out of them what they say of these Idols or Images First that they be made but of small pieces of Wood Stone or Metal and therefore they cannot be any similitudes of the great Majesty of God whose Seat is Heaven and the Earth his Footstool Secondly that they be dead have Eyes and see not Hands and feel not Feet and cannot go c. and therefore they cannot be fit Similitudes of the living God Thirdly that they have no power to do good nor harm to others though some of them have an Ax some a Sword some a Spear in their hands yet do Thieves come into their Temples and rob them and they cannot once stir to defend themselves from the Thieves Nay if the Temple or Church be set a fire that their Priests can run away and save themselves but they cannot once move but tarry still like blocks as they are and be burned and therefore they can be no meet Figures of the Puissant and Mighty God who alone is able both to save his Servants and to destroy his Enemies everlastingly They be trimly deckt in Gold Silver and Stone as well the Images of Men as of Women like wanton wenches saith the Prophet Baruch that love Paramours Baruch 6. and therefore can they not teach us nor our Wives and Daughters any Soberness Modesty and Chastity And therefore although it is now commonly said that they be the Lay-mens Books yet we see they teach no good Lesson neither of God nor Godliness but all Error and Wickedness Therefore God by his Word as he fordiddeth any Idols or Images to be made or set up so doth he command such as we find made and set up to be pulled down broken and destroyed Numb 23. And it is written in the Book of Numbers the 23 Chapter that there was no Idol in Jacob nor there was no Image seen in Israel and that the Lord God was with the People Where note that the true Israelites that is the People of God have no Images among them but that God was with them and that therefore their Enemies cannot hurt them as appeareth in the Process of that Chapter And as concerning Images already set up thus saith the Lord in Deuteronomy Deut. 7. and 12. Overturn their Altars and break them to pieces cut down their Groves burn their Images for thou art an holy People unto the Lord. And the same is repeated more vehemently again in the twelfth Chapter of the same Book Here note what the People of God ought to do to Images where they find them But lest any private persons upon colour of destroying Images should make any stir or disturbance in the Commonwealth it must always be remembred that the redress of such publick Enormities pertaineth to the Magistrates and such as be in Authority only and not to private Persons and therefore the good Kings of Juda Asa Ezechias Josaphat and Josias are highly commended for the breaking down and destroying of the Altars Idols and Images And the Scriptures declare that they specially in that point did that which was right before the Lord. And contrariwise 1 Kings 16. 2 Chron. 14.15.31 Jeroboam Achab Joas and other Princes which either set up or suffered such Altars or Images undestroyed are by the word of God reported to have done evil before the Lord. And if any contrary to the Commandment of the Lord will needs set up such Altars or Images or suffer them undestroyed amongst them The Lord himself threatneth in the first Chapter of the Book of Numbers and by his Holy Prophets Ezekiel Micheas and Abakuk that he will come himself and pull them down And how he will handle punish and destroy the People that so set up or suffer such Altars Images or Idols undestroyed he denounceth by his Prophet Ezekiel on this manner I my self saith the Lord will bring a sword over you Numb 1. Ezekiel 6. to destroy your high places I will cast down your Altars and break down your Images your slain Men will I lay before your gods and the dead Carkasses of the Children of Israel will I cast before their Idols your bones will I strew round about your Altars and dwelling places your Cities shall be desolate the hill Chappels laid waste your Altars destroyed and broken your gods cast down and taken away your Temples laid even with the ground your own works clean rooted out your slain shall lye amongst you that ye may learn to know how that I am the Lord and so forth to the Chapters end worthy with diligence to be read That they that be near shall perish with the Sword they that be far off with the pestilence they that flee into holds or wilderness with hunger And if any be yet left that they shall be carried away prisoners to servitude and bondage So that if either the multitude or plainness of the places might make us to understand or the earnest charge that God giveth in the said places move us to regard or the horrible plagues punishments and dreadful destruction threatned to such worshippers of Images or Idols setters up or maintainers of them might engender any fear in our Hearts we would once leave and forsake this wickedness being in the Lord's sight so great an offence and abomination Infinite places almost might be brought out of the Scriptures of the Old Testaments concerning this matter but these few at this time shall serve for all You will say peradventure these things pertain to the Jews what have we to do with them Indeed they pertain no less to us Christians than to them For if we be the people of God how can the Word and Law of God not appertain to us St. Paul alledging one Text out of the old Testament concludeth generally for other Scriptures of the old Testament as well as that Rom. 15. saying Whatsoever is written before meaning in the Old Testament is written for our instruction Which Sentence is most specially true of such writings
great contention in the Church of Christ about them to the great trouble and decay of Christendom And withal ye have heard the Sentences of old Ancient Fathers and Godly Learned Doctors and Bishops against Images and Idolatry taken out of their own Writings It remaineth that such reasons as be made for the maintenance of Images and excessive Painting Gilding and Decking as well of them as of the Temples or Churches also be answered and confuted partly by application of some places before alledged to their Reasons and partly by otherwise answering the same Which part hath the last place in this Treatise for that it cannot be well understood of the meaner sort nor the arguments of Image-maintainers can without prolixity too much tedious be answered without the knowledge of the Treatise going before And although divers things before-mentioned be here rehearsed again yet this repetition is not superfluous but in a manner necessary for that the simple sort cannot else understand how the foresaid places are to be applyed to the Arguments of such as do maintain Images wherewith otherwise they might be abused First it is alledged by them that maintain Images that all Laws Prohibitions and Curses noted by us out of the Holy Scripture and Sentences of the Doctors also by us alledged against Images and the worshipping of them appertain to the Idols of the Gentiles or Pagans as the Idol of Jupiter Mars Mercury c. and not to our Images of God of Christ and his Saints But it shall be declared both by God's Word and the Sentences of the ancient Doctors and Judgment of the Primitive Church that all Images as well ours as the Idols of the Gentiles be forbidden and unlawful namely in Churches and Temples And first this is to be replyed out of God's Word that the Images of God the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost either severally or the Images of the Trinity which we had in every Church be by the Scriptures expresly and directly forbidden and condemned Deut. 4. as appeareth by these places the Lord spake unto you out of the middle of Fire you heard the voice or sound of his words but you did see no form or shape at all left peradventure you being deceived should make to your self any graven Image or likeness and so forth as is at large rehearsed in the First Part of this Treatise against Images And therefore in the Old Law the middle of the propitiatory which represented God's Seat was empty lest any should take occasion to make any similitude or likeness of him Isaiah Isaiah 40 after he hath set forth the incomprehensible Majesty of God he asketh To whom then will ye make God like or what similitude will ye set up unto him Shall the Carver make him a Carved Image And shall the Goldsmith cover him with Gold or cast him into a form of Silver Plates And for the poor man shall the image-maker frame an image of timber that he may have somewhat to set up also And after this he cryeth out O wretches heard ye never of this Hath it not been preached to you since the beginning how by the Creation of the World and the greatness of the Work they might understand the Majesty of God the Maker and Creator of all to be greater than that it could be expressed or set forth in any Image or Bâ—dily Similitude Thus far the Prophet Isaiah who from the Forty fourth Chapter to the Forty ninth treateth in a manner of no other thing And Saint Paul Acts 17. in the Acts of the Apostles evidently teacheth the same that no Similitude can be made unto God in Gold Silver Stone or any other matter By these and many other places of Scripture it is evident that no Image either ought or can be made unto God For how can God a most pure Spirit whom Man never saw be expressed by a gross bodily and visible Similitude How can the infinite Majesty and Greatness of God incomprehensible to Man's Mind much more not able to be compassed with the Sense be expressed in a small and little Image How can a Dead and Dumb Image express the Living God What can an Image which when it is fallen cannot rise up again which can neither help his Friends nor hurt his Enemies express of the most Puissant and Mighty God who alone is able to reward his Friends and to destroy his Enemies Everlastingly A Man might justly cry with the Prophet Habakkuk Habak 2. Shall such Images instruct or teach any thing right of God Or shall they become Doctors Wherefore Men that have made an Image of God whereby to Honour him have thereby dishonoured him most highly diminished his Majesty blemished his Glory and falsified his Truth Rom. â— And therefore Saint Paul saith that such as have framed any Similitude or Image of God like a mortal Man or any other likeness in Timber Stone or other matter have changed his Truth into a Lie For both they thought it to be no longer that which it was a Stock or Stone and took it to be that which it was not as God or an Image of God Wherefore an Image of God is not only a Lie but a double Lie also But the Devil is a Liar John 8. and the Father of Lies Wherefore the lying Images which be made of God to his great dishonour and horrible danger of his People came from the Devil Wherefore they be convict of foolishness and wickedness in making of Images of God or the Trinity for that no Image of God ought or can be made as by the Scriptures and good Reason evidently appeareth Yea and once to desire an Image of God cometh of Infidelity thinking not God to be present except they might see some sign or image of him as appeareth by the Hebrews in the wilderness willing Aaron to make them gods whom they might see go before them Where they object that seeing Isaiah and Daniel by certain descriptions of God as sitting on a high seat c. Why may not a Painter likewise set him forth in colours to be seen as it were a Judge sitting on a Throne as well as he is described in Writing by the Prophets seeing that Scripture or Writing and Picture differ but a little First it is to be answered that things forbidden by Gods Word as Painting of Images of God and things permitted of God as such descriptions used of the Prophets be not all one Neither ought nor can Man's Reason although it shew never so goodly prevail any thing against God's express Word and plain Statute-Law as I may well term it Furthermore the Scripture although it have certain descriptions of God yet if you read forward it expoundeth it self declaring that God is a pure Spirit Infinite who replenisheth Heaven and Earth which the Picture doth not nor expoundeth it self but rather when it hath set God forth in a bodily similitude leaveth a Man there and will easily bring
burning of Incense and Candles hanging up of Crutchets Chains Ships Arms Legs and whole Men and Women of Wax kneeling and holding up of hands is done to the Images appeareth by this that where no Images be or where they have been and be taken away they do no such things at all But all the places frequented when the Images were there now they be taken away be forsaken and left desert nay now they hate and abhor the place deadly which is an evident proof that that which they did before was done in respect of the Images Wherefore when we see Men and Women on heaps go on Pilgrimage to Images kneel before them hold up their hands before them set up Candles burn Incense before them offer up Gold and Silver unto them hang up Ships Crutchets Chains Men and Women of Wax before them attributing health and safeguard the gifts of God to them or the Saints whom they represent as they rather would have it who I say who can doubt but that our Image-maintainers agreeing in all idolatrous Opinions outward Rites and Ceremonies with the Gentiles Idolaters agree also with them in committing most abominable Idolatry And to increase this madness wicked men which have the keeping of such Images for their greater lucre and advantage after the example of the Gentiles Idolaters have reported and spread abroad as well by lying tales as written fables divers Miracles of Images As that such an Image miraculously was sent from Heaven even like the Palladium or Magna Diana Ephesiorum Such another was as miraculously found in the Earth as the Mans Head was in the Capitol or the Horse head in Capua Such an Image was brought by Angels Such an one came it self far from the East to the West as Dame Fortune fled to Rome Such an Image of our Lady was painted by St. Luke whom of a Physician they have made a Painter for that purpose Such an one an hundred yokes of Oxen could not move like Bona Dea whom the Ship could not carry or Jupiter Olympius which laught the Artificers to scorn that went about to remove him to Rome Some Images though they were hard and stony yet for tender heart and pity wept Some like Castor and Pollux helping their Friends in Battel sweat as Marble Pillars do in dampish weather Some speak more monstrously than ever did Balaam's Ass who had life and breath in him Such a Cripple came and saluted this Saint of Oak and by and by he was made whole and lo here hangeth his Crutch Such an one in a Tempest vowed to St. Christopher and scaped and behold here is his Ship of Wax Such an one by St. Leonard's help brake out of Prison and see where his Fetters hang. And infinite thousands more Miracles by like or more shameless lies were reported Thus do our Image-maintainers in earnest apply to their Images all such Miracles as the Gentiles have feigned of their Idols And if it were to be admitted that some miraculous acts were by illusion of the Devil done where Images be For it is evident that the most part were feigned lies and crafty juglings of men yet followeth it not therefore that such Images are either to be honoured or suffered to remain no more than Ezechias left the brasen Serpent undestroyed when it was worshipped although it were both set up by Gods Commandment and also approved by a great and true Miracle for as many as beheld it were by and by healed neither ought Miracles to perswade us to do contrary to Gods Word For the Scriptures have for a warning hereof foreshewed that the Kingdom of Antichrist shall be mighty in Miracles and Wonders to the strong illusion of all the Reprobate But in this they pass the folly and wickedness of the Gentiles that they honour and worship the Reliques and Bones of our Saints which prove that they be mortal men and dead and therefore no gods to be worshipped which the Gentiles would never confess of their gods for very shame But the Reliques we must kiss and offer unto specially on Relique-Sunday And while we Offer that we should not be weary or repent us of our cost the Musick and Minstrelsie goeth merrily all the Offertory time with praising and calling upon those Saints whose Reliques be then in presence Yea and the Water also wherein those Reliques have been dipped must with great reverence be reserved as very Holy and effectual Is this agreeable to St. Chrysostom Homilia de septem Macchabaeis who writeth thus of Reliques Do not regard the Ashes of the Saints bodies nor the Reliques of their flesh and bones consumed with time but open the eyes of thy Faith and behold them clothed with Heavenly vertue and the grace of the Holy Ghost and shining with the brightness of the Heavenly light But our Idolaters found too much vantage of Reliques and Relique-water to follow St. Chrysostom's counsel And because Reliques were so gainful few places there were but they had Reliques provided for them And for more plenty of Reliques some one Saint had many Heads one in one place and another in another place Some had six Arms and twenty six Fingers And where our Lord bare his Cross alone if all the pieces of the Reliques thereof were gathered together the greatest Ship in England would scarcely bear them and yet the greatest part of it they say doth yet remâ—â—n in the hands of the Infidels for the which they pray on their Beads bidding that they may get it also in their hands for such godly use and purpose And not only the Bones of the Saints but every thing appertaining to them was an Holy Relique In some place they offer a Sword in some the Scabbard in some a Shoe in some a Saddle that had been set upon some holy Horse in some the Coals wherewith St. Laurence was roasted in some places the Tail of the Ass which our Lord Jesus Christ sate on to be kissed and offered unto for a Relique For rather than they would lack a Relique they would offer you a Horse-bone instead of a Virgins Arm or the Tail of the Ass to be kissed and offered unto for Reliques O wicked impudent most shameless men the devisers of these things O silly foolish and dastardly Daws and more beastly than the Ass whose Tail they kissed that believe such things Now God be merciful to such miserable and silly Christians who by the fraud and falshood of those which should have taught them the way of truth and life have been made not only more wicked than the Gentiles Idolaters but also no wiser than Asses Horses and Mules which have no Understanding Of these things already rehearsed it is evident that our Image-maintainers have not only made Images and set them up in Temples as did the Gentiles Idolaters their Idols but also that they have had the same Idolatrous Opinions of the Saints to whom they have made Images which the Gentiles Idolaters had of their
shall forthwith pass from death to life If this kind of purgation will not serve them let them never hope to be released by other mens Prayers though they should continue therein unto the Worlds end He that cannot be saved by Faith in Christs Blood how shall he look to be delivered by mans Intercessions Hath God more respect to man on Earth than he hath to Christ in Heaven 1 John 2. If any man sin saith St. John we have an Advocate with the Father even Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sins But we must take heed that we call upon this Advocate while we have space given us in this life lest when we are once dead there be no hope of Salvation left unto us For as every man sleepeth with his own cause so every man shall rise again with his own cause And look in what state he dieth in the same state he shall be also judged whether it be to Salvation or Damnation Let us not therefore dream either of Purgatory or of Prayer for the Souls of them that be dead but let us earnestly and diligently pray for them which are expresly commanded in Holy Scripture namely for Kings and Rulers for Ministers of Gods Holy Word and Sacraments for the Saints of this World otherwise called the Faithful to be short for all men living be they never so great Enemies to God and his People as Jews Turks Pagans Infidels Hereticks c. Then shall we truly fulfil the Commandment of God in that behalf and plainly declare our selves to be the true Children of our Heavenly Father who suffereth the Sun to shine upon the good and the bad and the rain to fall upon the just and the unjust For which and all other benefits most abundantly bestowed upon mankind from the beginning let us give him hearty thanks as we are most bound and praise his Name for ever and ever Amen AN HOMILY OF THE Place and Time OF PRAYER GOD through his Almighty Power Wisdom and Goodness created in the beginning Heaven and Earth the Sun the Moon the Stars the Fowls of the Air the Beasts of the Earth the Fishes in the Sea and all other Creatures for the use and commodity of Man whom also he had created to his own image and likeness and given him the use and government over them all to the end he should use them in such sort as he had given him in charge and commandment and also that he should declare himself thankful and kind for all those benefits so liberally and so graciously bestowed upon him utterly without any deserving on his behalf And although we ought at all times and in all places to have in remembrance and to be thankful to our gracious Lord according as it is written Psal 103. I will magnifie the Lord at all times And again Wheresoever the Lord beareth rule O my Soul praise the Lord Yet it appeareth to be Gods good will and pleasure that we should at special times and in special places gather our selves together to the intent his Name might be renowned and his glory set forth in the Congregation and Assembly of his Saints As concerning the time which Almighty God hath appointed his People to assemble together solemnly it doth appear by the fourth Commandment of God Remember saith God that thou keep holy the Sabbath Day Upon the which day as is plain in the Acts of the Apostles Acts 13. the People accustomably resorted together and heard diligently the Law and the Prophets read among them And albeit this Commandment of God doth not bind Christian People so straitly to observe and keep the utter Ceremonies of the Sabbath day as it was given unto the Jews as touching the forbearing of work and labour in time of great necessity and as touching the precise keeping of the Seventh day after the manner of the Jews For we keep now the First day which is our Sunday and make that our Sabbath that is our day of Rest in the honour of our Saviour Christ who as upon that day rose from death conquering the same most triumphantly Yet notwithstanding whatsoever is found in the Commandment appertaining to the Law of Nature as a thing most godly most just and needful for the setting forth of Gods glory it ought to be retained and kept of all good Christian People And therefore by this Commandment we ought to have a time as one day in the Week wherein we ought to rest yea from our lawful and needful works For like as it appeareth by this Commandment that no man in the six days ought to be slothful or idle but diligently to labour in that state wherein God hath set him Even so God hath given express charge to all men that upon the Sabbath day which is now our Sunday they should cease from all weekly and work-day labour to the intent that like as God himself wrought six days and rested the seventh and blessed and sanctified it and consecrated it to quietness and rest from labour even so Gods obedient People should use the Sunday holily and rest from their common and daily business and also give themselves wholly to Heavenly Exercises of Gods true Religion and Service So that God doth not only command the observation of this Holy Day but also by his own example doth stir and provoke us to the diligent keeping of the same Good natural Children will not only become obedient to the Commandment of their Parents but also have a diligent Eye to their doings and gladly follow the same So if we will be the Children of our Heavenly Father we must be careful to keep the Christian Sabbath day which is the Sunday not only for that it is Gods express Commandment but also to declare our selves to be loving Children in following the example of our gracious Lord and Father Thus it may plainly appear that Gods Will and Commandment was to have a solemn time and standing day in the Week wherein the People should come together and have in remembrance his wonderful benefits and to render him thanks for them as appertaineth to loving kind and obedient People This Example and Commandment of God the godly Christian People began to follow immediately after the Ascension of our Lord Christ and began to chuse them a standing day of the Week to come together in Yet not the seventh day which the Jews kept but the Lords day the day of the Lords Resurrection the day after the seventh day which is the first day of the Week Of the which day mention is made by St. Paul on this wise 1 Cor. 16. In the first day of the Sabbath let every man lay up what he thinketh good meaning for the Poor By the first day of the Sabbath is meant our Sunday which is the first day after the Jews seventh day And in the Apocalyps it is more plain whereas St. John saith I was in the Spirit upon the Lords
strangers one to another Ephes 2. 1 Cor. 10. and 12. but we are the Citizens of the Saints and of the houshold of God yea and members of one body And therefore whiles our Minister is in rehearsing the Prayer that is made in the name of us all we must give diligent ears to the words spoken by him and in heart beg at Gods hand those things that he beggeth in words And to signifie that we do so we say Amen at the end of the Prayer that he maketh in the name of us all And this thing can we not do for edification unless we understand what is spoken Therefore it is required of necessity that the Common-Prayer be had in a Tongue that the Hearers do understand If ever it had been tolerable to use strange Tongues in the Congregations the same might have been in the time of Paul and the other Apostles when they were miraculously endued with gifts of Tongues For it might then have perswaded some to embrace the Gospel when they had heard men that were Hebrews born and unlearned speak the Greek the Latine and other Languages But Paul thought it not tolerable then And shall we use it now when no man cometh by that knowledge of Tongues otherwise than by diligent and earnest study God forbid For we should by that means bring all our Church-exercises to frivolous Superstition and make them altogether unfruitful Luke writeth Acts 4. that when Peter and John were discharged by the Princes and High-Priests of Jerusalem they came to their fellows and told them all that the Princes of the Priests and Elders had spoken to them Which when they heard they lifted up their voice together to God with one assent and said Lord thou art he that hast made Heaven and Earth the Sea and all things that are in them c. Thus could they not have done if they had prayed in a strange Tongue that they had not understood And no doubt of it they did not all speak with several voices but some one of them spake in the name of them all and the rest giving diligent ear to his words consented thereunto and therefore it is said that they lifted up their voice together St. Luke saith not Their voices as many but their voice as one That one voice therefore was in such Language as they all understood otherwise they could not have lifted it up with the consent of their hearts For no man can give consent of the thing that he knoweth not As touching the Times before the coming of Christ there was never man yet that would affirm that either the People of God or other had their Prayers or Administrations of the Sacraments or Sacrifices in a Tongue that they themselves understood not As for the time since Christ till that usurped Power of Rome began to spread it self and to inforce all the Nations of Europe to have the Romish Language in admiration it appeareth by the consent of the most Ancient and Learned Writers that there was no strange or unknown Tongue used in the Congregation of Christians Justinus Apol. 2. Justinus Martyr who lived about 160 years after Christ saith thus of the Administration of the Lords Supper in his time Vpon the Sunday Assemblies are made both of them that dwell in Cities and of them that dwell in the Countrey also Amongst whom as much as may be the Writings of the Apostles and Prophets were read Afterwards when the Reader doth cease the chief Minister maketh an Exhortation exhorting them to follow honest things After this we rise all together and offer Prayers which being ended as we have said Bread and Wine and Water are brought forth Then the head Minister offereth Prayers and Thanksgiving with all his power and the People answer Amen These words with their circumstances being duly considered do declare plainly that not only the Scriptures were read in a known Tongue but also that Prayer was made in the same in the Congregations of Justin's time Basilius Magnus and Johannes Chrysostomus did in their time prescribe publick Orders of publick Administration which they call Liturgies and in them they appointed the People to answer to the Prayers of the Minister sometime Amen sometime Lord have mercy upon us sometime And with thy Spirit and We have our hearts lifted up unto the Lord c. Which answers the People could not have made in due time if the Prayers had not been in a Tongue that they understood The same Basil writing to the Clergy of Neocaesarea Epist 63. saith thus of his usage in Common-Prayer appointing one to begin the Song the rest follow and so with divers Songs and Prayers passing over the Night at the dawning of the Day all together even as it were with one Mouth and one Heart they sing unto the Lord a Song of Confession every man framing unto himself meet words of Repentance In another place he saith If the Sea be fair how is not the Assembly of the Congregation much more fair in which a joyned sound of Men Women and Children as it were of the waves beating on the shore is sent forth in our Prayers unto our God Mark his words Bâ—sil Rom. 4. A joyned sound saith he of Men Women and Children Which cannot be unless they all understand the Tongue wherein the Prayer is said And Chrysostom upon the words of Paul saith So soon as the People hear these words World without end 1 Cor. 14. they all do forthwith answer Amen This could they not do unless they understood the word spoken by the Priest Dionysius saith Dionys Cyprian Ser. 6. de orat dominica that Hymns were said of the whole multitude of People in the Administration of the Communion Cyprian saith The Priest doth prepare the minds of the Brethren with a Preface before the Prayer saying Lift up your hearts That whiles the People doth answer We have our hearts lifted up to the Lord they be admonished that they ought to think on none other thing than the Lord. St. Ambrose writing upon the words of St. Paul saith This is it that he saith 1 Cor. 14. because he which speaketh in an unknown Tongue speaketh to God for he knoweth all things but men know not and therefore there is no profit of this thing And again upon these words If thou bless or give thanks with the spirit how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest This is saith Ambrose if thou speak the praise of God in a Tongue unknown to the Hearers For the unlearned hearing that which he understandeth not knoweth not the end of the Prayer and answereth not Amen which word is as much to say as truth that the blessing of thanksgiving may be confirmed For the confirmation of the Prayer is fulfilled by them that do answer Amen that all things spoken might be confirmed in the minds of the
wretches which have no feeling of God within us at all continually to fear not only that we may fall as they did but also be overcome and drowned in sin which they were not And so by considering their fall take the better occasion to acknowledge our own Infirmity and weakness and therefore more earnestly to call unto Almighty God with hearty Prayer incessantly for his grace to strengthen us and to defend us from all evil And though through Infirmity we chance at any time to fall yet we may by hearty Repentance and true Faith speedily rise again and not sleep and continue in sin as the wicked doth Thus good People should we understand such matters expressed in the Divine Scriptures that this Holy Table of Gods Word be not turned to us to be a snare a trap and a stumbling stone to take hurt by the abuse of our Understanding But let us esteem them in a reverent Humility that we may find our necessary Food therein to strengthen us to comfort us to instruct us as God of his great Mercy hath appointed them in all necessary works so that we may be perfect before him in the whole course of our life Which he grant who hath Redeemed us our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost be all Honour and Glory for evermore Amen The Second Part of the Information for them which take Offence at certain places of the Holy Scripture YE have heard good People in the Homily last read unto you the great Commodity of Holy Scriptures ye have heard how ignorant men void of godly Understanding seek Quarrels to discredit them Some of their Reasons have ye heard answered Now we will proceed and speak of such politick wise men which be offended for that Christs Precepts should seem to destroy all Order in Governance as they do alledge for example such as these be If any man strike thee on the right cheek Mat. 5â— turn the other unto him also If any man will contend to take thy coat from thee let him have cloak and all Let not thy lest hand know what thy right hand doth If thine eye thine hand Mat. 18. or thy foot offend thee pull out thine eye cut off thine hand or thy foot and cast it from thee Rom. 12. If thine enemy saith St. Paul be an hungred give him meat if he be thirsty give him drink so doing thou shalt heap hot burning coals upon his head These sentences good People unto a natural man seem meer absurdities contrary to all Reason 1 Cor. 2. For a natural man as St. Paul saith understandeth not the things that belong to God neither can he so long as old Adam dwelleth in him Christ therefore meaneth that he would have his faithful servants so far from vengeance and resisting wrong that he would rather have him ready to suffer another wrong than by resisting to break Charity and to be out of Patience He would have our good deeds so far from all carnal respects that he would not have our nighest Friends know of our well-doing to win vain-glory And though our Friends and Kinsfolks be as dear as our right Eyes and our right Hands yet if they would pâ—â—â— us from God we ought to renounce them and forsake them Thus if ye will be profitable Hearers and Readers of the Holy Scriptures ye must first deny your selves and keep under your Carnal Senses taken by the outward words and search the inward meaning Reason must give place to Gods Holy Spirit you must submit your Worldly Wisdom and Judgment unto his Divine Wisdom and Judgment Consider that the Scripture in what strange form soever it be pronounced is the Word of the living God Let that always come to your remembrance which is so oft repeated of the Prophet Esaias The mouth of the Lord saith he hath spoken it and Almighty and everlasting God who with his only word created Heaven and Earth hath decreed it the Lord of Hosts whose ways are in the Seas whose paths are in the deep Waters that Lord and God by whose word all things in Heaven and in Earth are created governed and preserved hath so provided it The God of gods and Lord of all lords yea God that is God alone incomprehensible almighty and everlasting he hath spoken it it is his Word It cannot therefore be but truth which proceedeth from the God of all Truth it cannot be but wisely and prudently commanded what Almighty God hath devised how vainly soever through want of grace we miserable wretches do imagine and judge of his most Holy Word The Prophet David describing an happy man Psal 1. saith Blessed is the man that hath not walked after the counsel of the ungodly nor stand in the way of sinners nor sit in the seat of the scornful There are three sorts of People whose Company the Prophet would have him to flee and avoid which shall be an happy man and partaker of Gods Blessing First he may not walk after the counsel of the ungodly Secondly he may not stand in the way of sinners Thirdly he must not sit in the seat of the scornful By these three sorts of People ungodly mâ—n sinners and scorners all Impiety is signified and fully expressed By the ungodly he understandeth those which have no regard of Almighty God being void of all Faith whose hearts and minds are so set upon the World that they study only how to accomplish their worldly practices their carnal imaginations their filthy lust and desire without any fear of God The second sort he calleth sinners not such as do fall through Ignorance or of frailness for then who should be found free What man ever lived upon Earth Christ only excepted but he hath sinned Prov. 24. The just man falleth seven times and riseth again Though the godly do fall yet they walk not on purposely in sin they stand not still to continue and tarry in sin they sit not down like careless men without all fear of Gods just punishment for sin but defying sin through Gods great grace and infinite mercy they rise again and fight against sin The Prophet then calleth them sinners whose hearts are clean turned from God and whose whole conversation of life is nothing but sin they delight so much in the same that they choose continually to abide and dwell in sin The third sort he calleth scorners that is a sort of men whose hearts are so stuffed with Malice that they are not contented to dwell in sin and to lead their lives in all kind of wickedness but also they do contemn and scorn in other all Godliness true Religion all Honesty and Vertue Of the two first sorts of men I will not say but they may take Repentance and be converted unto God Of the third sort I think I may without danger of Gods judgment pronounce that never any yet converted unto God by Repentance but continued still in their
poor Pilgrim and meek soul riding upon an Ass but like a valiant and mighty King in great Royalty and Honour Not as Christ did with a few Fishermen and men of small estimation in the World but with a great Army of strong men with a great train of Wise and Noble men as Knights Lords Earls Dukes Princes and so forth Neither do they think that their Messias shall slanderously suffer death as Christ did but that he shall stoutly conquer and manfully subdue all his Enemies and finally obtain such a Kingdom on Earth as never was seen from the beginning While they feign unto themselves after this sort a Messias of their own brain they deceive themselves and account Christ as an abject and scorn of the World Therefore Christ crucified as St. Paul saith is unto the Jews a stumbling-block and to the Gentiles foolishness because they think it an absurd thing and contrary to all reason that a Redeemer and Saviour of the whole World should be handled after such a sort as he was namely scorned reviled scourged condemned and last of all cruelly hanged This I say seemed in their eyes strange and most absurd and therefore neither they would at that time neither will they as yet acknowledge Christ to be their Messiâ—s and Saviour But we dearly beloved that hope and look to be saved must both stedfastly believe and also boldly confess that the same Jesus which was born of the Virgin Mary was the true Messias and Mediator between God and Man promised and prophesied of so long before For as the Apostle writeth With the heart man believeth unto righteousness Rom. 10. and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation Again in the same place Whosoever believeth in him shall never be ashamed nor confounded Whereto also agreeth the testimony of St. John written in the fourth Chapter of his first general Epistle on this wise Whosoever confesseth that Jesus is the Son of God he dwelleth in God and God in him There is no doubt but in this point all Christian men are fully and perfectly perswaded Yet shall it not be a lost labour to instruct and furnish you with a few places concerning this matter that ye may be able to stop the blasphemous mouths of all them that most Jewishly or rather devilishly shall at any time go about to teach or maintain the contrary First ye have the witness and testimony of the Angel Gabriel declared as well to Zachary the High-Priest as also to the blessed Virgin Secondly ye have the witness and testimony of John the Baptist pointing unto Christ and saying Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the World Thirdly ye have the witness and testimony of God the Father who thundred from Heaven and said This is my dearly beloved Son in whom I am well pleased hear him Fourthly ye have the witness and testimony of the Holy Ghost which came down from Heaven in manner of a Dove and lighted upon him in time of his Baptism To these might be added a great number more namely the witness and testimony of the Wise Men that came to Herod the witness and testimony of Simeon and Anna the witness and testimony of Andrew and Philip Nathaniel and Peter Nicodemus and Martha with divers other But it were too long to repeat all and a few places are sufficient in so plain a matter specially among them that are already perswaded Therefore if the privy Imps of Antichrist and crafty Instruments of the Devil shall attempt or go about to withdraw you from this true Messias and perswade you to look for another that is not yet come let them not in any case seduce you but confirm your selves with these and such other testimonies of Holy Scripture which are so sure and certain that all the Devils in Hell shall never be able to withstand them For as truly as God liveth so truly was Jesus Christ the true Messias and Saviour of the World even the same Jesus which as this day was born of the Virgin Mary without all help of man only by the power and operation of the Holy Ghost Concerning whose nature and substance because divers and sundry Heresies are risen in these our days through the motion and suggestion of Satan therefore it shall be needful and profitable for your instruction to speak a word or two also of this part We are evidently taught in the Scripture that our Lord and Saviour Christ consisteth of two several natures of his manhood being thereby perfect man and of his Godhead being thereby perfect God John 1. Rom. 8. It is written The Word that is to say the second Person in Trinity became flesh God sending his own Son in the similitude of sinful flesh fulfilled those things which the Law could not Phil. 2. Christ being in form of God took on him the form of a servant and was made like unto man being found in shape as a man 1 Tim. 3. God was shewed in Flesh justified in Spirit seen of Angels preached to the Gentiles believed on in the World and received up in glory Also in another place There is one God and one Mediator between God and man even the Man Jesus Christ These be plain places for the proof and declaration of both Natures united and knit together in one Christ Let us diligently consider and weigh the works that he did whiles he lived on Earth and we shall thereby also perceive the self-same thing to be most true In that he did hunger and thirst eat and drink sleep and wake in that he preached his Gospel to the People in that he wept and sorrowed for Jerusalem in that he paid Tribute for himself and Peter in that he died and suffered death what other things did he else declare but only this that he was perfect man as we are For which cause he is called in Holy Scripture sometime the Son of David sometime the Son of Man sometime the Son of Mary sometime the Son of Joseph and so forth Now in that he forgave Sins in that he wrought Miracles in that he did cast out Devils in that he healed men with his only Word in that he knew the thoughts of mens Hearts in that he had the Seas at his Commandment in that he walked on the Water in that he rose from Death to Life in that he ascended into Heaven and so forth What other thing did he shew therein but only that he was perfect God coequal with the Father as touching his Deity Therefore he saith The Father and I are all one which is to be understood of his Godhead For as touching his Manhood he saith The Father is greater than I am Where are now those Marcionites that deny Christ to have been born in the flesh or to have been perfect man Where are now those Arians which deny Christ to have been perfect God of equal substance with the Father If there be any such we may easily
condemned unto death to take upon him the reward of our sins and to give his Body to be broken on the Cross for our offences He saith the Prophet Esay Esay 55. meaning Christ hath born our infirmities and hath carried our sorrows the chastisements of our peace was upon him and by his stripes we were made whole 2 Cor. 5. St. Paul likewise saith God made him a sacrifice for our sins which knew not sin that we should be made the righteousness of God by him And St. Peter most agreeably writing in this behalf saith Christ hath once died and suffered for our sins the just for the unjust c. To these might be added an infinite number of other places to the same effect but these few shall be sufficient for this time Now then as it was said in the beginning let us ponder and weigh the cause of his death that thereby we may be the more moved to glorifie him in our whole life Which if you will have comprehended briefly in one word it was nothing else on our part but only the transgression and sin of mankind When the Angel came to warn Joseph that he should not fear to take Mary to his Wife Did he not therefore will the Childs Name to be called Jesus because he should save his People from their sins When John the Baptist preached Christ and shewed him to the People with his finger Did he not plainly say unto them John 1. Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the World When the Woman of Canaan besought Christ to help her Daughter which was possest with a Devil Mat. 15. Did he not openly confess that he was sent to save the lost sheep of the house of Israel by giving his life for their sins It was sin then O man even thy sin that caused Christ the only Son of God to be crucified in the flesh and to suffer the most vile and slanderous death of the Cross If thou hadst kept thy self upright if thou hadst observed the Commandments if thou hadst not presumed to transgress the will of God in thy first Father Adam then Christ Rom. 5. being in form of God needed not to have taken upon him the shape of a Servant being immortal in Heaven he needed not to become mortal on Earth being the true Bread of the Soul he needed not to hunger being the healthful Water of Life he needed not to thirst being life it self he needed not to have suffered death But to these and many other such extremities was he driven by thy sin which was so manifold and great that God could be only pleased in him and none other Canst thou think of this O sinful man and not tremble within thy self Canst thou hear it quietly without remorse of Conscience and sorrow of Heart Did Christ suffer his Passion for thee and wilt thou shew no compassion towards him While Christ was yeâ— hanging on the Cross and yielding up the Ghost the Scripture witnesseth that the veil of the Temple did rent in twain Mat. 27. and the Earth did quake that the stones clave asunder that the Graves did open and the dead bodies rise and shall the Heart of man be nothing moved to remember how grievously and cruelly he was handled of the Jews for our sins Shall man shew himself to be more hard hearted than stones to have less compassion than dead Bodies Call to mind O sinful Creature and set before thine eyes Christ crucified Think thou seest his Body stretched out in length upon the Cross his Head crowned with sharp Thorns and his Hands and his Feet pierced with Nails his Heart opened with a long Spear his Flesh rent and torn with Whips his Brows sweating Water and Blood Think thou hearest him now crying in an intolerable agony to his Father and saying My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Couldst thou behold this woful sight or hear this mournful voice without Tears considering that he suffered all this not for any desert of his own but only for the grievousness of thy sins O that mankind should put the everlasting Son of God to such pains O that we should be the occasion of his death and the only cause of his condemnation May we not justly cry wo worth the time that ever we sinned O my Brethren let this Image of Christ crucified be always printed in our hearts let it stir us up to the hatred of sin and provoke our minds to the earnest love of Almighty God For why is not sin think you a grievous thing in his sight seeing for the transgressing of Gods Precept in eating of one Apple he condemned all the Wâ—â—ld to perpetual death and would not be pacified but only with the blood of his own Son True yea most true is that saying of David Psal 5. Thou O Lord hatest all them that work iniquity neither shall the wicked and evil man dwell with thee By the mouth of his holy Prophet Esay Esay 5. he cried mainly out against sinners and saith Wo be unto you that draw iniquity with cords of vanity and sin as it were with cart-ropes Did he not give a plain token how greatly he hated and abhorred sin Gen. 7. when he drowned all the World save only eight Persons when he destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah with Fire and Brimstone Gen. 19. 1 Kings 26. when in three days space he killed with Pestilence threescore and ten thousand for David's offence when he drowned Pharaoh and all his Host in the Red-Sea Exod. 14. Daniel 4. when he turned Nabuchodonosor the King into the form of a brute Beast creeping upon all four 2 Kings 27. Acts 1. when he suffered Achitophel and Judas to hang themselves upon the remorse of sin which was so terrible to their eyes A thousand such examples are to be found in Scripture if a man would stand to seek them out But what need we This one example which we have now in hand is of more force and ought more to move us than all the rest Christ being the Son of God and perfect God himself who never committed sin was compelled to come down from Heaven to give his Body to be bruised and broken on the Cross for our sins Was not this a manifest token of Gods great wrath and displeasure towards sin that he could be pacified by no other means but only by the sweet and precious Blood of his dear Son O sin sin that ever thou shouldest drive Christ to such extremity Wo worth the time that ever thou camest into the World But what booteth it now to bewail Sin is come and so come that it cannot be avoided There is no man living Prov. 24. no not the justest man on the Earth but he falleth seven times a day as Solomon saith And our Saviour Christ although he hath delivered us from sin yet not so that we shall be free from committing sin but so that it
Hell to the intent to put us in good hope that by his strength we shall do the same He paid the Ransom of sin that it should not be laid to our charge He destroyed the Devil and all his Tyranny and openly triumphed over him and took away from him all his Captives and hath raised and set them with himself among the Heavenly Citizens above Ephes 2. He died to destroy the rule of the Devil in us and he rose again to send down his Holy Spirit to rule in our hearts to endow us with perfect Righteousness Thus it is true that David sung Psal 84. Ephes 4. Captivam duxit captivitatem Luke 2. Veritas de terra orta est justitia de coelo prospexit The truth of Gods promise is in Earth to man declared or from the Earth is the everlasting Verity Gods Son risen to life and the true righteousness of the Holy Ghost looking out of Heaven and in most liberal largess dealt upon all the World Thus is glory and praise rebounded upwards to God above for his mercy and truth And thus is Peace come down from Heaven to men of good and faithful hearts Psal 48. Misericordia veritas obviaverunt sibi Thus is mercy and truth as David writeth together met thus is peace and righteousness embracing and kissing each other If thou doubtest of so great wealth and felicity that is wrought for thee O man call to thy mind that therefore hast thou received into thine own possession the everlasting Verity our Saviour Jesus Christ to confirm to thy Conscience the truth of all this matter Thou hast received him if in true faith and repentance of Heart thou hast received him If in purpose of amendment thou hast received him for an everlasting gage or pledge of thy Salvation Thou hast received his Body which was once broken and his Blood which was shed for the remission of thy sin Thou hast received his Body to have within thee the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost for to dwell with thee to endow thee with grace to strengthen thee against thine Enemies and to comfort thee with their presence Thou hast received his Body to endow thee with everlasting righteousness to assure thee of everlasting bliss Ephes 5. and life of thy Soul For with Christ by true Faith art thou quickned again saith St. Paul from death of sin to life of grace and in hope translated from corporal and everlasting death to the everlasting life and glory in Heaven where now thy conversation should be and thy heart and desire set Doubt not of the truth of this matter how great and high soever these things be It becometh God to do no small deeds how impossible soever they seem to thee Pray to God that thou mayest have Faith to perceive this great Mystery of Christs Resurrection that by Faith thou mayest certainly believe nothing to be impossible with God Luke 18. Only bring thou Faith to Christs Holy Word and Sacrament Let thy Repentance shew thy Faith let thy purpose of amendment and obedience of thy heart to Gods Law hereafter declare thy true belief Endeavour thy self to say with St. Paul Phil. 4. From henceforth our conversation is in Heaven from whence we look for a Saviour even the Lord Jesus Christ which shall change our vile bodies that they may be fashioned like his glorious body which he shall do by the same power whereby he rose from death and whereby he shall be able to subdue all things unto himself Thus good Christian People forasmuch as ye have heard these so great and excellent benefits of Christs mighty and glorious Resurrection as how that he hath ransomed Sin overcome the Devil Death and Hell and hath victoriously gotten the better hand of them all to make us free and safe from them and knowing that we be by this benefit of his Resurrection risen with him by our Faith unto life everlasting being in full surety of our hope that we shall have our bodies likewise raised again from death to have them glorified in immortality and joyned to his glorious body having in the mean while his holy Spirit within our hearts as a Seal and Pledge of our everlasting Inheritance By whose assistance we be replenished with all righteousness by whose power we shall be able to subdue all our evil affections rising against the pleasure of God These things I say well considered let us now in the rest of our life declare our Faith that we have in this most fruitful Article by framing our selves thereunto in rising daily from sin to righteousness and holiness of life For what shall it avail us saith St. Peter to be 2 Pet. 2. escaped and delivered from the filthiness of the World through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ if we be entangled again therewith and be overcome again Certainly it had been better saith he never to have known the way of righteousness then after it is known and received to turn back again from the holy Commandment of God given unto us For so shall the Proverb have place in us where it is said The Dog is returned to his vomit again and the Sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire again What a shame were it for us being thus so clearly and freely washed from our sin to return to the filthiness thereof again What a folly were it thus endowed with righteousness to lose it again What madness were it to lose the Inheritance that we be now set in for the vile and transitory pleasure of sin And what an unkindness should it be where our Saviour Christ of his mercy is come to us to dwell with us as our Guest to drive him from us and to banish him violently out of our souls and instead of him in whom is all grace and vertue to receive the ungracious spirit of the Devil the founder of all naughtiness and mischief How can we find in our hearts to shew such extream unkindness to Christ which hath now so gently called us to mercy and offered himself unto us and he now entred within us Yea how dare we be so bold to renounce the presence of the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost For where one is there is God all whole in Majesty together with all his power wisdom and goodness and fear not I say the danger and peril of so traiterous a defiance and departure Good Christian Brethren and Sisters advise your selves consider the dignity that ye be now set in let no Folly lose the thing that Grace hath so preciously offered and purchased let not wilfulness and blindness put out so great light that is now shewed unto you Ephes 6. Only take good hearts unto you and put upon you all the Armour of God that ye may stand against your Enemies which would again subdue you and bring you into their thraldom Remember ye be bought from your vain conversation
1 Pet. 1â— and that your freedom is purchased neither with gold nor silver but with the price of the precious blood of that innocent Lamb Jesus Christ which was ordained to the same purpose before the World was made But he was so declared in the latter time of grace for your sakes which by him have your Faith in God who hath raised him from death and hath given him glory that you should have your faith and hope towards God Therefore as you have hitherto followed the vain lusts of your minds and so displeased God to the danger of your souls So now like obedient Children thus purified by Faith 1 Pet. 1. give your selves to walk that way which God moveth you to that ye may receive the end of your Faith the Salvation of your Souls And as you have given your bodies to unrighteousness to sin after sin so now give your selves to righteousness to be sanctified therein If ye delight in this Article of our Faith that Christ is risen again from death to life then follow you the example of his Resurrection as St. Paul exhorteth us saying Rom. 6. As we be buried with Christ by our Baptism into death so let us daily die to sin mortifying and killing the evil desires and motions thereof And as Christ was raised up from death by the glory of the Father so let us rise to a new life and walk continually therein that we may likewise as natural children live a conversation to move men to glorifie our Father which is in Heaven Matth. 5. If we then be risen with Christ by our faith to the hope of everlasting life let us rise also with Christ after his example to a new life and leave our old We shall then be truly risen if we seek for things that be heavenly if we have our affection on things that be above and not on things that be on the earth If ye desire to know what these earthly things be which ye should put off and what be the heavenly things above that ye should seek and ensue St. Paul in the Epistle to the Colossians declareth when he exhorteth us thus Mortifie your earthly members Col. 3. and old affection of sin as fornication uncleanness unnatural lust evil concupiscence and covetousness which is worshipping of Idols for the which things the wrath of God is wont to fall on the children of unbelief in which things once ye walked when ye lived in them But now put ye also away from you wrath fierceness maliciousness cursed speaking filthy speaking out of your mouths Lie not one to another that the old man with his works be put off and the new be put on These be the earthly things which St. Paul moved you to cast from you and to pluck your hearts from them For in following these ye declare your selves earthly and worldly These be the fruits of the earthly Adam These should you daily kill by good diligence in withstanding the desires of them that ye might rise to righteousness Let your affection from henceforth be set on heavenly things sue and search for mercy kindness meekness patience forbearing one another and forgiving one another If any man have a quarrel to another as Christ forgave you even so do ye If these and such other heavenly vertues ye ensue in the residue of your life ye shall shew plainly that ye be risen with Christ and that ye be the heavenly Children of your Father in Heaven from whom as from the giver James 1. cometh these graces and gifts Ye shall prove by this manner that your conversation is in Heaven where your hope is and not on Earth following the beastly appetites of the flesh Phil. 3. Ye must consider that ye be therefore cleansed and renewed that ye should from henceforth serve God in holiness and righteousness all the days of your lives that ye may reign with him in everlasting life If ye refuse so great grace whereto ye be called what other thing do ye Luke 1. than heap to you damnation more and more and so provoke God to cast his displeasure upon you and to revenge this mockage of his Holy Sacraments in so great abusing of them Apply your selves good Friends to live in Christ that Christ may still live in you whose favour and assistance if ye have then have ye everlasting life already within you then can nothing hurt you Whatsoever is hitherto done and committed John 5. Christ ye see hath offered you pardon and clearly received you to his favour again again in full surety whereof ye have him now inhabiting and dwelling within you Only shew your selves thankful in your lives Col. 3. determine with your selves to refuse and avoid all such things in your conversations as should offend his eyes of mercy Endeavour your selves that way to rise up again which way ye fell into the Well or Pit of sin If by your Tongue you have offended now thereby rise again and glorifie God therewith accustom it to land and praise the Name of God as ye have therewith dishonoured it And as ye have hurt the name of your Neighbour or otherwise hindred him so now intend to restore it to him again For without Restitution Restitution God accepteth not your Confession nor yet your Repentance It is not enough to forsake evil except you set your courage to do good By what occasion soever you have offended turn now the occasion to the honouring of God and profit of your Neighbour Psal 36. Truth it is that sin is strong and affections unruly Hard it is to subdue and resist our Nature so corrupt and leavened with the sour bitterness of the Poison which we received by the inheritance of our old Father Adam But yet take good courage saith our Saviour Christ Matth. 6. for I have overcome the World and all other Enemies for you Sin shall not have power over you for ye be now under grace saith St. Paul Rom. 6. Rom. 8. Though your power be weak yet Christ is risen again to strengthen you in your Battel his Holy Spirit shall help your Infirmities In trust of his mercy 1 Cor. 5. take you in hand to purge this old leaven of sin that corrupteth and soureth the sweetness of our life before God that ye may be as new and fresh dough void of all sour leaven of wickedness so shall ye shew your selves to be sweet bread to God that he may have his delight in you I say kill and offer you up the worldly and earthly affections of your bodies For Christ our Easter Lamb is offered up for us to slay the power of sin to deliver us from the danger thereof and to give us example to die to sin in our lives As the Jews did eat their Easter Lamb and keep their Feast in remembrance of their deliverance out of Egypt Even so let us keep our Easter Feast in the thankful remembrance of
that are strayed from thee This Experience was perceived to be true of that holy Prophet Jeremy Jer. 15. O Lord saith he whatsoever they be that forsake thee shall be confounded they that depart from thee shall be written in the Earth and soon forgotten It profiteth not good People to hear the goodness of God declared unto us if our hearts be not enflamed thereby to honor and thank him It profited not the Jews which were Gods elect People to hear much of God seeing that he was not received in their hearts by Faith nor thanked for his benefits bestowed upon them their unthankfulness was the cause of their destruction Let us eschew the manner of these before rehearsed and follow rather the Example of that holy Apostle St. Paul who when in a deep Meditation he did behold the marvellous Proceedings of Almighty God and considered his infinite goodness in the ordering of his Creatures he burst out into this conclusion Surely saith he of him Rom. 11. by him and in him be all things And this once pronounced he stuck not still at this Point but forthwith thereupon joyned to these words To him be glory and praise for ever Amen Upon the ground of which words of St. Paul good Audience I purpose to build my Exhortation of this day unto you Wherein I shall do my endeavour First To prove unto you that all good things come down unto us from above from the Father of Light Secondly That Jesus Christ his Son and our Saviour is the mean by whom we receive his liberal goodness Thirdly That in the power and vertue of the Holy Ghost we be made meet and able to receive his gifts and graces Which things distinctly and advisedly considered in our minds must needs compel us in most low reverence after our bounden Duty always to render him thanks again in some testification of our good hearts for his deserts unto us And that the entreating of this matter in hand may be to the glory of Almighty God Let us in one Faith and Charity call upon the Father of Mercy from whom cometh every good gift and every perfect gift by the mediation of his well-beloved Son our Saviour that we may be assisted with the presence of his Holy Spirit and profitably on both parts to demean our selves in speaking and hearkning to the Salvation of our Souls In the beginning of my speaking unto you good Christian People suppose not that I do take upon me to declare unto you the excellent Power or the incomparable Wisdom of Almighty God as though I would have you believe that it might be expressed unto you by words Nay it may not be thought that that thing may be comprehended by Mans words that is incomprehensible And too much arrogancy it were for Dust and Ashes to think that he can worthily decâ—are his Maker It passeth far the dark understanding and wisdom of a Mortal Man to speak sufficiently of that divine Majesty which the Angels cannot understand We shall therefore lay apart to speak of the profound and unsearchable Nature of Almighty God rather acknowledging our weakness than rashly to attempt what is above all Mans capacity to compass It shall better suffice us in low Humility to reverence and dread his Majesty which we cannot comprize than by over-much curious searching to be over-charged with the Glory We shall rather turn our whole Contemplation to answer a while his goodness towards us wherein we shall be much more profitably occupied and more may we be bold to search To consider the great Power he is of can but make us dread and fear To consider his high Wisdom might utterly discomfort our Frailty to have any thing to do with him but in consideration of his inestimable goodness we take good heart again to trust well unto him By his goodness we be assured to take him for our refuge our hope and comfort our merciful Father in all the course of our Lives His Power and Wisdom compelleth us to take him for God Omnipotent Invisible having Rule in Heaven and Earth having all things in his subjection and will have none in Council with him nor any to ask the reason of his doing Dan. 11. For he may do what liketh him and none can resist him For he worketh all things in his secret Judgment to his own pleasure Prov. 16. yea even the wicked to damnation saith Solomon By the reason of his Nature he is called in Scripture consuming Fire he is called a terrible and fearful God Heb. 11. of this behalf therefore we have no familiarity no access unto him but his goodness again tempereth the rigor of his High Power and maketh us bold and putteth us in hope that he will be conversant with us and easie unto us It is his goodness that moveth him to say in Scripture It is my delight to be with the Children of Men. It is his goodness that moveth him to call us unto him to offer us his Friendship and Presence It is his goodness that patiently suffereth our straying from him and suffereth us long to win us to Repentance It is of his goodness that we be created reasonable Creatures where else he might have made us brute Beasts Prov. 8. It was his Mercy to have us born among the number of Christian People and thereby in a much more nighness to Salvation where we might have been born if his goodness had not been among the Paynims clean void from God and the hope of Everlasting Life And what other thing doth his loving and gentle Voice spoken in his word where he calleth us to his Presence and Friendship but declare his goodness only without regard of our worthiness And what other thing doth stir him to call us to him when we be strayed from him to suffer us patiently to win us to Repentance but only his singular goodness no whit of our deserving Let them all come together that be now glorified in Heaven and let us hear what answer they will make in these Points before rehearsed whether their first Creation was in Gods goodness or of themselves Forsooth David would make answer for them all and say Know ye for surety even the Lord is God he hath made us and not we our selves If they were asked again who should be thanked for their Regeneration for their Justification and for their Salvation Whether their deserts or Gods goodness only Although in this Point every one confess sufficiently the truth of this matter in his own Person yet let David answer by the mouth of them all at this time who cannot chuse but say Not to us O Lord not to us but to thy Name give all the thanks for thy loving mercy and for thy truths sake If we should ask again from whence came their glorious Works and Deeds which they wrought in their lives wherewith God was so highly pleased and worshipped by them Let some other witness be brought in to testifie
which I reason unto you In his hands saith he be we and our Words Wisd â—â— and all our Wisdom and all our Sciences and Works of Knowledge For it is he that gave me the true instruction of his Creatures both to know the disposition of the World and the virtues of the Elements the beginning and end of Times the change and diversities of them the course of the Year the order of the Stars the natures of Beasts and the powers of them the powers of the Wind and the thoughts of Men the differences of Planets the virtue of Roots and what soever is hid and secret in Nature I learnt it The Artificer of all these taught me this wisdom and further he saith Wisd 9. Who can search out the things that be in Heaven For it is hard for us to search such things as be on Earth and in daily sight before us For our Wits and Thoughts saith he be imperfect and our Policies uncertain No Man can therefore search out the meaning in these things except thou givest Wisdom and sendest thy Spirit from above If the Wise Man thus confesseth all things to be of God why should not we acknowledge it and by the knowledge of it consider our Duty to God-ward and give him thanks for his goodness I perceive that I am far here overcharged with the Plenty and Copy of Matter that might be brought in for the proof of this cause If I should enter to shew how the goodness of Almighty God appeared every where in the Creatures of the World how marvellous they be in their Creation how beautiful in their Order how necessary they be to our use all with one Voice must needs grant their Author to be none other but Almighty God his goodness must they needs extol and magnifie every where To whom be all honor and glory for evermore The Second Part of the Homily for Rogation Week IN the former Part of this Homily good Christian People I have declared to your Contemplation the great goodness of Almighty God in the Creation of this World with all the Furniture thereof for the use and comfort of Man whereby we might rather be moved to acknowledge our Duty again to his Majesty and I trust it hath wrought not only belief in you but also it hath moved you to render your thanks secretly in your hearts to Almighty God for his loving kindness But yet peradventure some will say that they can agree to this That all that is good pertaining to the Soul or whatsoever is created with us in Body should come from God as from the Author of all goodness and from none other But of such things as be without them both I mean such good things which we call Goods of Fortune as Riches Authority Promotion and Honor some Men may think that they should come of our industry and diligence of our labor and travel rather than supernaturally Now then consider good People if any Author there be of such things concurrent of Mans labor and endeavor were it meet to ascribe them to any other than to God As the Paynims Philosophers and Poets did Err which took Fortune and made her a Goddess to be honored for such things God forbid good Christian People that this Imagination should earnestly be received of us that be Worshippers of the true God whose Works and Proceedings be expressed manifestly in his Word These be the opinions and sayings of Infidels not of true Christians Job 22. for they indeed as Job maketh mention believe and say That God hath his residence and resting place in the Clouds and considereth nothing of our matters Epicures they be that imagine that he walketh about the Coasts of the Heavens and hath no respect of these inferior things but that all these things should proceed either by chance or at adventure or else by disposition of Fortune and God to have no stroke in them What other thing is this to say than as the Fool supposeth in his heart there is no God whom we shall none otherwise reprove than with Gods own Words by the mouth of David Hear my People saith he for I am thy God Psal 14. thy very God All the Beasts of the Wood are mine Sheep and Oxen that wander in the Mountains Psal 50. I have the knowledge of all the Fowls of the Air the beauty of the Field is my handy work mine is the whole circuit of the World and all the plenty that is in it And again the Prophet Jeremy Jer. 23. Thinkest thou that I am a God of the place nigh me saith the Lord and not a God far off Can a Man hide himself in so secret a corner that I shall not see him Do not I fulfill and replenish both Heaven and Earth saith the Lord Which of these two should be most believed Fortune whom they paint to be blind of both eyes ever unstable and unconstant in her Wheel in whose hands they say these things be Or God in whose hand and power these things be indeed who for his truth and constancy was yet never reproved for his sight looketh through Heaven and Earth and seeth all things prâ—sently with his eyes Nothing is too dark or hidden from his knowledge not the privy thoughts of Mens minds Truth it is that God is all Riches all Power all Authority all Health Wealth and Prosperity of the which we should have no part without his liberal distribution and except it came from him above David first testifieth of Riches and Possessions Psal 104. If thou givest good luck they shall gather and if thou openest thy hand they shall be full of goodness but if thou turnest thy face they shall be troubled Prov. 10. 1 King 2. And Solomon saith It is the blessing of the Lord that maketh rich Men. To this agreeth the Holy Woman Ann where she saith in her Song It is the Lord that maketh the poor and maketh the rich it is he that promoteth and pulleth down he can raise a needy Man from his Misery and from the Dunghil he can lift up a poor Personage to sit with Princes and have the seat of Glory for all the Coasts of the Earth be his Now if any Man will ask What shall it avail us to know that every good gift as of Nature and Fortune so called and every perfect Gift as of Grace concerning the Soul to be of God and that it is his gift only Forsooth for many causes it is convenient for us to know it for so shall we know if we confess the truth who ought justly to be thanked for them Our Pride shall be thereby abated perceiving nought to come of our selves but Sin and Vice if any goodness be in us to refer all laud and praise for the same to Almighty God It shall make us not advance our selves before our Neighbor not despise him for that he hath fewer gifts seeing God giveth his gifts where he will
wait to serve his Maker to be fierce against unjust Men to their Punishment For as the same Author saith He Armeth the Creatrue to revenge his Enemies and otherwhiles to the probation of our Faith stirreth he up such storms And therefore by what mean and instrument soever God takes from us his Gifts we must patiently take Gods Judgment in worth and acknowledge him to be the Taker and Giver Job 1. as Job saith The Lord gave and the Lord took when yet his Enemies drove his Cattle away and when the Devil slew his Children and afflicted his Body with grievous Sickness Such meekness was in that holy King and Prophet David when he was reviled of Shimei in the presence of all his Host he took it patiently and reviled not again but as confessing God to be the Author of his Innocency and good Name and offering it to be at his pleasure Let him alone saith he to one of his Servants that would have revenged such despite for God hath commanded him to curse David 2 Sam. 16. and peradventure God intendeth thereby to render me some good turn for this curse of him to day And though the Minister other whiles doth evil in his Act proceeding of Malice yet forasmuch as God turneth his evil act to a proof of our Patience we should rather submit our selves in Patience than to have indignation at Gods Rod which peradventure when he hath corrected us to our nurture he will cast it into the fire as it deserveth Let us in like manner truly acknowledge all our Gifts and Prerogatives to be so Gods Gifts that we shall be ready to resign them up at his Will and Pleasure again Let us throughout our whole Lives confess all good things to come from God of what Name or Nature soever they be not of these corruptible things only whereof I have now last spoken but much more of all Spiritual Graces behoveable for our Soul without whose Goodness no Man is called to Faith or staid therein as I shall hereafter in the next part of this Homily declare to you In the mean season forget not what hath already been spoken to you forget not to be conformable in your judgments to the truth of his Doctrin and forget not to practise the same in the whole state of your Life whereby ye shall obtain the blessing promised by our Saviour Christ Blessed are they which hear the Word of God and fulfil it in Life Which blessing he grant to us all who reigneth over all one God in Trinity the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost To whom be all Honor and Glory for ever Amen The Third Part of the Homily for Rogation-Week I Promised to you to declare that all Spiritual Gifts and Graces come specially from God Let us consider the truth of this matter and hear what is testified first of the gift of Faith the first entry into a Christian Life without which no Man can please God For St. Paul confesseth it plainly to be Gods gift Ephes 2. 1 Pet. 1. saying Faith is the gift of God And again St. Peter saith It is of Gods power that ye be kept through Faith to Salvation It is of the goodness of God that we falter not in our hope unto him It is verily Gods work in us the Charity wherewith we love our Brethren If after our fall we Repent it is by him that we Repent which reacheth forth his Merciful Hand to raise us up If we have any Will to rise it is he that preventeth our Will and disposeth us thereto If after Contrition we feel our Consciences at peace with God through remission of our sin and so be reconciled again to his favor and hope to be his Children and Inheritors of Everlasting Life Who worketh these great Miracles in us Our Worthiness our Deservings and Endeavors our Wits and Vertue Nay verily St. Paul will not suffer Flesh and Clay to presume to such Arrogancy and therefore saith All is of God which hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ For God was in Christ when he reconciled the World unto himself God the Father of all Mercy wrought this high benefit unto us not by his own Person but by a mean by no less a mean than his only beloved Son whom he spared not from any pain and travail that might do us good For upon him he put our Sins and upon him he made our Ransom him he made the mean betwixt us and himself whose mediation was so acceptable to God the Father through his absolute and perfect Obedience that he took his Act for a full satisfaction of all our Disobedience and Rebellion whose Righteousness he took to weigh against our Sins whose Redemption he would have stand against our Damnation In this Point what have we to muse within our selves good Friends I think no less that that which St. Paul said in remembrance of this wonderful goodness of God Thanks be to Almighty God Rom. 7. Ephes 1. through Jesus Christ our Lord for it is he for whose sake we received this high gift of Grace For as by him being the Everlasting Wisdom he wrought all the World and that is contained therein So by him only and wholly would he have all things restored again in Heaven and Earth By this our Heavenly Mediator therefore do we know the Favor and Mercy of God the Father by him know we his Will and Pleasure towards us Matt. 3. For he is the brightness of his Fathers Glory and a very clear Image and Pattern of his Substance It is he whom the Father in Heaven delighteth to have for his well beloved Son whom he Authorized to be our Teacher whom he charged us to hear Ephes 1. saying Hear him It is he by whom the Father of Heaven doth bless us with all Spiritual and Heavenly gifts for whose sake and favor writeth St. John we have received Grace and Favor John 1. To this our Saviour and Mediator hath God the Father given the Power of Heaven and Earth and the whole Jurisdiction and Authority to destribute his Goods and Gifts committed to him for so writeth the Apostle Ephes 4.7 To every one of us is Grace given according to the measure of Christs giving And thereupon to execute his Authority committed after that he had brought Sin and the Devil to Captivity to be no more hurtful to his Members he ascended up to his Father again and from thence sent liberal Gifts to his welbeloved Servants and hath still the power to the Worlds end to distribute his Fathers Gifts continually in his Church to the establishment and comfort thereof And by him hath Almighty God decreed to dissolve the World to call all before him to judge both the Quick and the Dead and finally by him shall he Condemn the Wicked to Eternal Fire in Hell and give the Good Eternal Life and set them assuredly in presence with him in Heaven for evermore Thus
shall please him he turneth it Thus say the Scriptures Wherefore let us turn from our sins unto the Lord with all our Hearts and he will turn the Heart of the Prince unto our quiet and wealth Else for Subjects to deserve through their sins to have an evil Prince and then to Rebel against him were double and treble evil by provoking God more to plague them Nay let us either deserve to have a good Prince or let us patiently suffer and obey such as we deserve And whether the Prince be good or evil let us according to the Counsel of the holy Scriptures Pray for the Prince for his continuance and increase in goodness if he be good and for his amendment if he be evil Will you hear the Scriptures concerning this most necessary Point 1 Tim. 2. I exhort therefore saith St. Paul that above all things Prayers Supplications Intercessions and giving of Thanks be had for all Men for Kings and all that are in Authority that we may live a quiet and peaceable life with all godliness for that is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour c. This is St. Pauls Counsel and who I pray you was Prince over the most part of the Christians when Gods holy Spirit by St. Pauls Pen gave them this Lesson Forsooth Caligula Claudius or Nero who were not only no Christians but Pagans and also either foolish Rulers or most cruel Tyrants Will you yet hear the Word of God to the Jews when they were Prisoners under Nabuchodonosor King of Babylon after he had slain their Kings Nobles Parents Children and Kinsfolks burned their Country Cities yea Jerusalem it self and the holy Temple and had carried the residue remaining a live Captives with him into Babylon Will you hear yet what the Prophet Baruch saith unto Gods People being in this Captivity Baruc. 1.11 Pray you saith the Prophet for the life of Nabuchodonosor King of Babylon and for the life of Balthasar his Son that their days may be as the days of Heaven upon the Earth that God also may give us strength and lighten our Eyes that we may live under the defence of Nabuchodonosor King of Babylon and under the Protection of Balthasar his Son that we may long do them service and find favor in their sight Pray for us also unto the Lord our God for we have sinned against the Lord our God Thus far the Prophet Baruch his words which are spoken by him unto the People of God of that King who was an Heathen a Tyrant and cruel Oppressor of them and had been a Murtherer of many Thousands of their Nations and a Destroyer of their Country with a Confession that their sins had deserved such a Prince to Reign over them And shall the old Christians by St. Pauls exhortation Pray for Caligula Claudius or Nero Shall the Jews Pray for Nabuchodonosor These Emperors and Kings being strangers unto them being Pagans and Infidels being Murtherers Tyrants and cruel Oppressors of them and Destroyers of their Country Countrymen and Kinsmen the Burners of their Villages Towns Cities and Temples And shall not we Pray for the long prosperous and godly Reign of our natural Prince No stranger which is observed as a great blessing in the Scriptures of our Christian our most gracious Sovereign no Heathen nor Pagan Prince Shall we not Pray for the health of our most merciful most loving Sovereign the Preserver of us and our Country in so long peace quietness and security no cruel Person no Tyrant no Spoyler of our Goods no Shedder of Blood no Burner and Destroyer of our Towns Cities and Countries as were those for whom yet as ye have heard Christians being their Subjects ought to Pray Let us not commit so great Ingratitude against God and our Sovereign as not continually to thank God for his Government and for his great and continual benefits and blessings poured upon us by such Government Let us not commit so great a sin aginst God against our selves and our Country as not to pray continually unto God for the long continuance of so gracious a Ruler unto us and our Countrey Else shall we be unworthy any longer to enjoy those benefits and blessings of God which hitherto we have had by her shall be most worthy to fall into all those mischiefs and miseries which we and our Country have by Gods grace through her Government hitherto escaped What shall we say of those Subjects May we call them by the name of Subjects Who neither be thankful nor make any Prayer to God for so gracious a Sovereign but also themselves take Armor wickedly assemble Companies and Bands of Rebels to break the publick Peace so long continued and to make not War but Rebellion to endanger the Person of such a gracious Sovereign to hazard the Estate of their Countrey for whose defence they should be ready to spend their Lives and being English Men to rob spoil destroy and burn in England English Men to kill and murder their own Neighbors and Kinsfolk their own Countrey-men to do all evil and mischief yea and more too than Foreign Enemies would or could do What shall we say of these Men who use themselves thus rebelliously against their gracious Sovereign Who if God for their wickedness had given them an Heathen Tyrant to Reign over them were by Gods Word bound to obey him and to pray for him What may be spoken of them So far doth their unkindness unnaturalness wickedness mischievousness in their doings pass and excel any thing and all things that can be expressed and uttered by words Only let us wish unto all such most speedy Repentance and with so grievous sorrow of heart as such so horrible sins against the Majesty of God do require who in most extream unthankfulness do rise not only against their gracious Prince against their natural Countrey but against all their Countrey-men Women and Children against themselves their Wives Children and Kinsfolks and by so wicked an example against all Christendom and against whole Mankind of all manner of People throughout the wide World such Repentance I say such sorrow of Heart God grant unto all such whosoever rise of private and malicious purpose as is meet for such mischiefs attempted and wrought by them And unto us and all other Subjects God of his mercy grant that we may be most unlike to all such and most like to good natural loving and obedient Subjects Nay that we may be such indeed not only shewing all obedience our selves but as many of us as be able to the uttermost of our power ability understanding to stay and repress all Rebels and Rebellions against God our gracious Prince and natural Country at every occasion that is offered unto us And that which we are all able to do unless we do it we shall be most wicked and most worthy to feel in the end such extreme Plagues as God hath ever poured upon Rebels Let us make
creeping upon the Earth in comparison to his Eternal Majesty and less regarding that they must give an account at the great day of every idle word wheresoever it be spoken Matth. 12. much more of filthy unclean or wicked words spoken in the Lords House to the great dishonour of his Majesty and offence of all that hear them And indeed concerning the People and Multitude the Temple is prepared for them to be Hearers rather than Speakers considering that as well the Word of God is there Read and Taught whereunto they are bound to give diligent Ear with all Reverence and Silence as also that Common-Prayer and Thanksgiving are Rehearsed and said by the Publick Minister in the Name of the People and the whole multitude present whereunto they giving their ready Audience should assent and say Cor. 14. Amen as Saint Paul teacheth in the first Epistle to the Corinthians And in another place Glorifying God with one Spirit and Mouth Which cannot be when every Man and Woman in several pretences of Devotion prayeth privately one Asking another giving Thanks another reading Doctrine and not regarding to hear the Common Prayer of the Minister And peculiarly what due Reverence is to be used in the Ministring of the Sacraments in the Temple the same Saint Paul teacheth to the Corinthians 1 Cor. 11. rebuking such as did Unreverently use themselves in that behalf Have ye not Houses to eat and drink in saith he Do ye despise the Church or Congregation of God What shall I say unto you Shall I praise you In this I praise you not And God requireth not only this outward Reverence of Behaviour and silence in his House but all inward Reverence in cleansing of the Thoughts of our Hearts Osee 9. threatning by his Prophet Osee in the Ninth Chapter that for the Malice of the Inventions and Devices of the People he will cast them out of his House Whereby is also signified the Eternal casting of them out of his Heavenly House and Kingdom which is most horrible And therefore in the Ninteenth of Leviticus God saith Levit. 19. Psal 5. Fear you with Reverence my Sanctuary for I am the Lord. And according to the same the Prophet David saith I will enter into thine House I will Worship in thy Holy Temple in thy Fear Shewing what inward Reverence and Humbleness of Mind the godly Man ought to have in the House of the Lord. And to alledge somwhat concerning this matter out of the New Testament in what Honour God would have his House or Temple kept and that by the Example of our Saviour Christ whose Authority ought of good reason with all true Christians to be of most Weight and Estimation It is written of all the four Evangelists as a Notable Act Matth. 21. Mar. 11. Luke 19. John 11. and worthy to be testified by many Holy Witnesses how that our Saviour Jesus Christ that Merciful and Mild Lord compared for his Meekness to a Sheep suffering with silence his Fleece to be shorn from him Isaiah 53. Acts 8. Isaiah 50. Matth. 5. and to a Lamb led without resistance to the Slaughter which gave his Body to them that did smite him answered not him that reviled nor turned away his Face from them that did reproach him and spit upon him and according to his own Example gave Precepts of Mildness and Sufferance to his Disciples Yet when he seeth the Temple and Holy House of his Heavenly Father misordered polluted and prophaned useth great severity and sharpness overturneth the Tables of the Exchangers subverted the Seats of them that sold Doves maketh a whip of Cords and scourgeth out those wicked abusers and profaners of the Temple of God saying My House shall be called the House of Prayer but ye have made it a Den of Thieves John 2. And in the Second of John Do not ye make the House of my Father the House of Merchandize For as it is the House of God when Gods service is duly done in it So when we wickedly abuse it with wicked talk or covetous bargaining we make it a Den of Thieves or an House of Merchandize Mark 11 Yea and such Reverence would Christ should be therein that he would not suffer any Vessel to be carried through the Temple And whereas our Saviour Christ as is before mentioned out of Saint Luke could be found no where when he was sought but only in the Temple amongst the Doctors and now again he exerciseth his Authority and Jurisdiction not in Castles and Princely Palaces amongst Souldiers but in the Temple Ye may hereby understand in what place his spiritual Kingdom which he denieth to be of this World is soonest to be found and best to be known of all places in this World And according to this Example of our Saviour Christ in the Primitive Church which was most Holy and Godly and in the which due discipline with severity was used against the wicked open Offenders were not suffered once to enter into the House of the Lord nor admitted to Common Prayer and the use of the Holy Sacraments with other true Christians until they had done open Penance before the whole Church And this was practised not only upon mean Persons but also upon the Rich Noble and Mighty Persons yea upon Theodosius that Puissant and Mighty Emperor whom for committing * The Peoples fault was most grievous The sentence executed otherwise and more cruel than it should a grievous and wilful Murder Saint Ambrose Bishop of Milain reproved sharply and ‡ did also Excommunicate the said Emperor and brought him to open Penance And they that were so justly exempted and banished as it were from the House of the Lord were taken as they be indeed for Men divided and separated from Christs Church and in most dangerous estate yea as Saint Paul saith * 1 Cor. 5 even given unto Satan †He was only dehorted from receiving the Sacrament until by Repentance he might be better prepared Chrys the Devil for a time and their company was shunned and avoided of all Godly Men and Women until such time as they by Repentance and publick Penance were Reconciled Such was the Honour of the Lords House in Mens Hearts and outward Reverence also at that time and so horrible a thing was it to be shut out of the Church and House of the Lord in those days when Religion was most pure and nothing so corrupt as it hath been of late days And yet we willingly either by absenting ourselves from the House of the Lord do as it were Excommunicate ourselves from the Church and and Fellowship of the Saints of God or else coming thither by uncomely and unreverent behaviour there by hasty rash yea unclean and wicked Thoughts and Words before the Lord our God horribly dishonour his Holy House the Church of God and his Holy Name and Majesty to the great danger of our Souls yea and certain Damnation also if
not things indifferent nor tolerable but against Gods Law and Commandment taking theiâ— own Interpretation and Exposition of it First for that all Images so set up publickly have been Worshipped of the Unlearned and Simple sort shortly after they have been publickly so set up and in conclusion of the Wise and Learned also Secondly for that they are Worshipped in sundry places now in our time also And Thirdly for that it is impossible that Images of God Christ or his Saints can be suffered especially in Temples and Churches any while or space without Worshipping of them And that Idolatry which is most abominable before God cannot possibly be escaped and avoided without the abolishing and destruction of Images and Pictures in Temples and Churches for that Idolatry is to Images specially in Temples and Churches an inseparable accident as they term it so that Images in Churches and Idolatry go always both together and that therefore the one cannot be avoided except the other specially in all publick places be destroyed Wherefore to make the Images and publickly to set them up in the Temples and Churches places appointed peculiarly to the service of God is to make Images to the use of Religion and not only against this Precept Thou shalt make no manner of Images but against this also Thou shalt not bowe down to them nor Worship them For they being set up have been be and ever will be Worshipped And the full proof of that which in the beginning of the first part of this Treatise was touched is here to be made and performed To wit that our Images and Idols of the Gentiles be all one as well in the things themselves as also in that our Images have been before be now and ever will be Worshipped in like form and manner as the Idols of the Gentiles were Worshipped so long as they be suffered in Churches and Temples Whereupon it followeth that our Images in Churches have been be and ever will be none other but abominable Idols and be therefore no things indifferent And every of these parts shall be proved in order as hereafter followeth Simulachra gentium Argentum aurum Fusile Similitudo Sculptile Simulachrum opera manuum hominum And first that our Images and the Idols of the Gentiles be all one concerning themselves is most evident the matter of them being Gold Silver or other Metal Stone Wood Clay or Plaister as were the Idols of the Gentiles and so being either molten or cast either carved graven hewen or otherwise formed and fashioned after the similitude and likeness of Man or Woman be dead and dumb Works of Man's hands having Mouths and speak not Eyes and see not Hands and feel not Feet and go not and so as well in form as matter be altogether like the Idols of the Gentiles Insomuch that all the Titles which be given to the Idols in the Scriptures may be verified of our Images Wherefore no doubt but the like Curses which are men-in the Scriptures will light upon the Makers and Worshippers of them both Secondly that they have been and be worshipped in our time in like form and manner as were the Idols of the Gentiles is now to be proved And for that Idolatry standeth chiefly in the mind it shall in this part first be proved that our Image-maintainers have had and have the same Opinions and Judgment of Saints whose Images they have made and worshipped as the Gentiles Idolaters had of their Gods And afterwards shall be declared that our Image-maintainers and Worshippers have used and used the same outward Rites and manner of honoring and worshipping their Images as the Gentiles did use before their Idols and that therefore they commit Idolatry as well inwardly and outwardly as did the wicked Gentiles Idolaters And concerning the first part of the idolatrous Opinions of our Image-maintainers What I pray you be such Saints with us to whom we attribute the defence of certain Countries spoiling God of his due honor herein but Dij Tutelares of the Gentiles Idolaters Dij Tutelares Such as were Belus to the Babylonians and Assyrians Osiris and Isis to the Aegyptians Vulcan to the Lemnians and to such other What be such Saints to whom the safeguard of certain Cities are appointed but Dij Praesides with the Gentiles Idolaters Such as were at Delphos Apollo at Athens Minerva at Carthage Juno at Rome Quirinus c. What be such Saints to whom contrary to the use of the Primitive Church Temples and Churches be builded and Altars erected but Dij Patroni of the Gentiles Idolaters Such as were in the Capitol Jupiter in Paphus Temple Venus in Ephesus Temple Diana and such like Alas we seem in thus thinking and doing to have Learned our Religion not out of Gods Word but out of the Pagan Poets who say Excessere omnes adytis arisque relictis Dij quibus imperium hoc steterat c. That is to say All the Gods by whose defence this Empire stood are gone out of the Temples and have forsaken their Altars And where one Saint hath Images in divers places the same Saint hath divers Names thereof most like to the Gentiles When you hear of our Lady of Walsingham our Lady of Ipswich our Lady of Wilsdon and such others what is it but an imitation of the Gentiles Idolaters Diana Agrâ—tera Diana Coriphea Diana Ephesia c. Venus Cypria Venus Paphia Venus Gnidia Whereby is evidently meant that the Saint for the Image sake should in those places yea in the Images themselves have a dwelling which is the ground of their Idolatry For where no Images be they have no such means Terentius Varro sheweth that there were Three Hundred Jupiters in his time there were no fewer Veneres and Diana's we had no fewer Christophers Ladies and Mary Magdalens and other Saints Oenomaus and Hesiodus shew that in their time there were Thirty Thousand Gods I think we had no fewer Saints to whom we gave the Honour due to God And they have not only spoiled the true living God of his due Honour in Temples Cities Countries and Lands by such devices and inventions as the Gentiles Idolaters have done before them But the Sea and Waters have as well special Saints with them as they had Gods with the Gentiles Neptune Triton Nereus Castor and Pollux Venus and such other In whose places be come Saint Christopher Saint Clement and divers other and specially our Lady to whom Shipmen Sing Ave maris stella Neither hath the Fire scaped the Idolatrous inventions For instead of Vulcan and Vesta the Gentiles Gods of the Fire our Men have placed Saint Agatha and make Letters on her day for to quench Fire with Every Artificer and Profession hath his special Saint as a peculiar God As for Example Scholars have Saint Nicholas and Saint Gregory Painters Saint Luke neither lack Souldiers their Mars nor Lovers their Venus amongst Christians All Diseases have their special Saints as Gods the curers
Christ to be the Son of God and through Faith obtain eternal life To conclude with the words of St Paul Rom. 10. which are these Christ is the end of the Law unto salvation for every one that doth believe By this then you may well perceive that the only mean and instrument of Salvation required of our parts is Faith that is to say a sure trust and confidence in the mercies of God whereby we perswade our selves that God both hath and will forgive our sins that he hath accepted us again into his favour that he hath released us from the bonds of damnation and received us again into the number of his elect People not for our merits or deserts but only and solely for the merits of Christs Death and Passion who became man for our sakes and humbled himself to sustain the reproach of the Cross that we thereby might be saved and made inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven This Faith is required at our hands And this if we keep stedfastly at our hearts there is no doubt but we shall obtain Salvation at Gods hands as did Abraham Isaac and Jacob of whom the Scripture saith Gen. 15. Rom. 7. that they believed and it was imputed unto them for righteousness Was it imputed unto them only and shall it not be imputed unto us also Yes if we have the same Faith as they had it shall be as truly imputed unto us for righteousness as it was unto them For it is one Faith that must save both us and them even a sure and stedfast Faith in Christ Jesus who as ye have heard came into the World for this end that whosoever believe in him should not perish John 3. but have life everlasting But here we must take heed that we do not halt with God through an unconstant and wavering Faith but that it be strong and stedfast to our lives end He that wavereth saith St. James is like a wave of the Sea James 1. neither let that man think that he shall obtain any thing at Gods hands Peter coming to Christ upon the Water Mat. 14. because he fainted in Faith was in danger of drowning So we if we begin to waver or doubt it is to be feared lest we shall sink as Peter did not into the Water but into the bottomless Pit of Hell-fire Therefore I say unto you that we must apprehend the Merits of Christs death and Passion by Faith and that with a strong and stedfast Faith nothing doubting but that Christ by his own Oblation and once offering of himself upon the Cross hath taken away our sins and hath restored us again into Gods favour so fully and perfectly that no other sacrifice for sin shall hereafter be requisite or needful in all the World Thus have you heard in few words the mean whereby we must apply the fruits and merits of Christs death unto us so that it may work the Salvation of our Souls namely a sure stedfast perfect and grounded Faith Numb 21. John 3. For as all they which beheld stedfastly the Brasen Serpent were healed and delivered at the very sight thereof from their corporal diseases and bodily stings even so all they which behold Christ crucified with a true and lively Faith shall undoubtedly be delivered from the grievous wounds of the Soul be they never so deadly or many in number Therefore dearly beloved if we chance at any time through frailty of the flesh to fall into sin as it cannot be chosen but we must needs fall often and if we feel the heavy burden thereof to press our souls tormenting us with the fear of Death Hell and Damnation let us then use that mean which God hath appointed in his Word to wit the mean of Faith which is the only instrument of Salvation now left unto us Let us stedfastly behold Christ crucified with the eyes of our heart Let us only trust to be saved by his Death and Passion and to have our sins clean washed away through his most precious Blood that in the end of the World when he shall come again to judge both the quick and the dead he may receive us into his Heavenly Kingdom and place us in the number of his Elect and chosen People there to be partakers of that immortal and everlasting life which he hath purchased unto us by vertue of his bloody Wounds To him therefore with the Father and the Holy Ghost be all Honour and Glory World without end Amen AN HOMILY OF THE Resurrection of our Saviour Jesus Christ For Easter-Day IF ever at any time the greatness or excellency of any matter Spiritual or Temporal hath stirred up your minds to give diligent ear good Christian People and well-beloved in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ I doubt not but that I shall have you now at this present season most diligent and ready Hearers of the matter which I have at this time to open unto you For I come to declare that great and most comfortable Article of our Christian Religion and Faith the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus So great surely is the matter of this Article and of so great weight and importance that it was thought worthy to keep our said Saviour still on Earth forty days after he was risen from death to life to the confirmation and establishment thereof in the hearts of his Disciples So that as Luke clearly testifieth in the first Chapter of the Acts of the Apostles he was conversant with his Disciples by the space of forty days continually together to the intent he would in his person being now glorified teach and instruct them which should be the teachers of other fully and in most absolute and perfect-wise the truth of this most Christian Article which is the ground and foundation of our whole Religion before he would ascend up to his Father into the Heavens there to receive the glory of his most triumphant Conquest and Victory Assuredly so highly comfortable is this Article to our Consciences that it is even the very Lock and Key of all our Christian Religion and Faith 1 Cor. 15. If it were not true saith the Holy Apostle Paul that Christ rose again then our Preaching were in vain your Faith which you have received were but void ye were yet in the danger of your sins If Christ be not risen again saith the Apostle then are they in very ill case and utterly perished that be entred their sleep in Christ then are we the most miserable of all men which have our hope fixed in Christ if he be yet under the power of death and as yet not restored to his bliss again But now he is risen again from death saith the Apostle Paul to be the first-fruits of them that be asleep to the intent to raise them to everlasting life again Yea if it were not true that Christ is risen again then were it neither true that he is ascended up to Heaven nor that he