of our endeuours I know that you will cut and slash me in your censures as meate to the cauldron yet Dicatur veritas rumpatur inuidia Let trueth be spoken and enuie burst her gall We had neede to doe by and with you as the little children did with Minerua the goddesse so esteemed by them that ruled the memorie the storehouse of discipline and of wisedome which children at this Mineruaes feast vsed to carrie new yeeres gifts to their masters making play dayes of the same to the seruice of the Goddesse whereof came this verse of Ouid Pallida nunc pueri tenerique or note puella qui bene placarit Pallida doctus erit Now Pallas Temple youth and damsels fill He that can please her shall haue mit at will Desire we your good commendations e yea we would but then wee must shew our selues refractary to established orders wrangle about formes and shadowes and shoote squibbes in the ayreat those that are in authority then we shall please you and our doctrine shal be embraced Otherwise we cannot purchase your fauour for your Motto is Wee loue such preaching But let vs see if there bee any iust cause of your calumniations which if there be it will appeare either in doctrine discipline or manners First that it may appeare that there is none in doctrine obserue these three points following First that it must be from God that is The doctrine vpon which we build our saluation must be such as God hath preseribed vnto his Church For Cursed are they that adde thereunto as is manifest by our Lord In vaine they worship mè teaching for doctrine the precepts of mens yea if an Angel should preach any other doctrine then that which God hath deliuered let him bee accursed No doctrine goes currant in the ballance of the Sanctuary but such as comes fró the bosome of the Father Then iudge if the Church of England doth erre or no fró this point namely retaining that doctrine and only that doctrine which God hath prescribed We doe not like the Papists teach you to build your faith vpon vnwritten verities Secondly as it must be from God so it must be compleat that is the whole will of God must be vsed in the Church For the whole Scripture is giuen by inspiration of God and is profitable to teach to conuince and to instruct in righteousnesse That the man of God may be perfect to euery good worke For not one syllable of Gods word must be kept backe And in this the Church of England cleareth her selfe as in the former not keeping backe any part of Gods word from the Church but freely teaching and giuing liberty vnto prosessors wholly to enioy it Indeed if we should with the Church of Rome locke vp the word in an vnknowen tongue or steale part out from it as they doe the second Commandement we were then iustly to bee accused Thirdly and lastly it must bee rightly ordered which the Church of England obserues For wherein doeth our Church offend in this For we teach Gods loue the primary cause of our saluation Christ his obedience and suffering to be the materiall cause and faith the instrumental cause Againe we teach first Election then Calling then Iustification then Glorification Therefore if there be the same which God commanded and all that God commanded and also ordered according to his will then the Church of England is not to be condemned nor refused for any thing in the doctrine thereof Seeing you haue no iust cause to complaine in regard of doctrine let vs see if there bee any in the discipline and gouernment thereof To that end that wee may perceiue this point the clearer we will obserue the discipline in three branches first diuine secondly necessary thirdly indifferent First diuine gouernment of discipline is such an order as is set downe by God in his word as Prayer the Sacraments the excommunicating of wicked persons gathering of almes for the poore and Ministers and Elders for the gouernement of the Congregation c. All which are practised in the Church of England yet they obiect that the Sacraments are not obserued as Christ instituted them For there is added the surplesse kneeling the crosse and the like But to these I answere thus First the time when Christ commaunded or ordeined these in the Church the Church was not then established and confined to any place and therefore orders could not be ordained before the Church was established Secondly they may be answered thus Christ did not say as oft as yee obserue these orders yee shew the Lords death but as oft as ye eate of this bread and drinke of this cup setting downe the subiect and leauing the ordering of it vnto the Church touching outward ceremonies Thirdly it may bee answered thus The Church hath not appointed these ceremonies as any parts of the Sacraments For then they could not bee Sacraments but when they should bee so deliuered and so receiued But now to shew that these outward ceremonies are no parts of the Sacraments They are administred sometimes with them and sometimes without them at the discretion of the Ministers And besides this obserue that when any are of this opinion that these are not lawfull Sacraments without the ceremonies that then these are denied the ceremonies though they hauc the Sacrament to the end they may know these ceremonies to be no part of diuine discipline for if they were they could not nor might be omitted In the next place behold that discipline which wee call necessary that is the vse of such things as God hath not commanded and yet they are needfull and warrantable by consequence from the word of God As for example wee haue no commandement for the manner or for me of consecrating the Sacraments yet it is necessarie that they should bee consecrated Moreouer what commandement haue wee for a forme of prayer yet it is necessary otherwise there would be a confusion in the Church Againe what commandement haue we for the buriall of the dead yet it is necessary that there should be some forme vsed that there may be some distinction betweene the buriall of Christians and dogges Of this nature are Te Deum laudamus after the first Lesson and Benedictus after the second And likewise Magnificat and Nunc demittis Also the Collects and Churching of women and the like which albeit God hath not set downe by way of precept yet they are needfull and cannot be omitted Lastly behold that discipline which wee call indifferent that is the vse of such things as may be vsed or omitted it being no vertue to vse them nor any vice to omit them Such are the Surplesse the Crosse in Baptisme kneeling at the Communion wearing a white cloth to be Churched and sestiuall dayes which things may be done or omitted as occasions may serue The Church of England doeth not like the Church of Rome tye the conscience to the
87 2 How the Papists abuse the word of righteousnes from 87 to 100 3 Why the word is righteous 101 to 102 4 Of the workes of righteousnesse and how to doe them 103 to 107 2 In the sowing-time 1 How obedience seemes lost 108 2 Why thereward is not yet 109 3 Great gaine in obedience 111 4 We are to doe good to many 112 5 We are to doe the beast good 113 6 How the wicked sowe 114 7 World make obedience a labour 115 3 In the persons 1 Great men not too good to serue God 118 to 119 2 Poore not too meane to serue God 120 In the haruest time are 1 propertie of the worke 2 the manner of it 1 Generall obeydience euer rewarded 121 to 124 1 In the propertie 1 How obedience bringeth earthly blessings 125 to 127 2 The haruest of assurance of heauen 129 to 134 2 In the manner 1 All we haue is of mercy 135 2 Papists merits 136 to 137 In the consequence are 1 the action Seeke 2 the obiect the Lord. 3 the cause it is Time 1 In the action 1 We must serue God in our owne persons 139 2 That it is a labour to seeke and why 140 2 In the obiect 1 Of the name Iehouah 143 2 To seeke God in his word 145 3 The seuerall seekers 146 to 147 4 To seeke the loue of God 148 to 149 In the compelling cause 3 In the time past in it 1 The longer in sinne more cause to turne to God and why 150 to 154 2 In the time to come 1 Take time while time is and why 154 to 155 2 The continuance in seeking 156 to 157 3 How and when he come 157 4 The metaphor of the raine 158 to 159 5 Raine for teaching 161 6 Raine for abundance 162 A Table of the principall words in this Booke A A meane in words 69 Assurance of heauen here 129 Apology of the world 116 Apologie for the Church 35. 56 Adultery how committed 29 All the lawes to be executed 80 B Bishops lawfull 55. 56 Brokers 30 Blind Magistrates 82 Best good to be done 114 Boldnes of Ministers 77 Blasphemy of Papists 102 C Couetousnesse 26 Corruption of nature 16 Continuance in obedience 191 Ceremonies 39. 40 Custome in sinne 155 Church of England true Church comming of God how 157 Continuance in sinne 156 D Discipline of 3. sorts 38. 39 Death of sinne where 63 Dissembling protestants 113 Drunkennesse 19. 146 Dumbe Magistrates 82 Dead to sinne 63 Deuil cause of sinne 17. 18 Dead in sinne 152 Doctrnie of England pure 36 37 E Exchange 32 Error of Papists 132. 87 Engrosers 13 Earth for man 5. 7. 8. 9 Euill actions 66. 67 F Free will 97 Faith of our owne 75 Faith the nature of it 130 Faith only in this life 131 G Grace the power of it 72 Good to be done to many 112 God no cause of sinne 16 Gaine in obedience 111 Great men serue God 119 Good how to doe it 106 H Hypocrites 12 Heart most regarded 8. 9. 10 Heart to be rent 61 Hurt of euillworks 70 Hope of the godly 110 Haruest of magistrats 123 Ministers people 124 Haruest temporall 125 Haruest of grace 124 Heart in obedience 105 Hospitalitie 123 I Inclosers 24 Idolatry of Papists 95 Infidelity of ingrossers 24 Instruction 81 Iehouah what it is 143 Iustified how 167 K Knowledge of the word 105 Knowledge of sinne 57. 58. Knowledge of good and micked men 72 Knowledge of the heart 75 Kill sin in the heart 63 L Loue of God to he sought 148 Labour to seeke 115 Lookes wanton 29 Long in sinne 154. 155 loeke vp the word 88 to 90 Lawyer a seeker 139 Lawyer little trueth 21 M Mean in words 69 Merits of Papists 93. 136 Mortifie sinne 70 Magistrates to punish sinners 78. 79. 85 Man to worke his saluation out 73 Mercie of God 133 Murmuring 52. 53 Man part with all creatures 4 Mercie of God gause of this crop 115 Mercie of God greater then sinne 154 Merchants falow ground 21 N Nature of faith 35 Nature of the wicked 15 Nature of merits 96 Names cut off 5 O Obedience seemes lost 108 Oppression 22. to 25 Obedience profitable 122 Ordinances of God 141. 142 Obedience rewarded 121. P Pleasure of sinne 18 Profit of sinne 18 Patrons 24. 25 Pride 13. 27 Profit in words 71 Pardons 98 Purgatory 90. 91 Prayer to Saints 95. 96 Plow our selues 76 R Reward not yet 109 Raine the maner of it 159 Raine for teaching 160 Rob-altar seekes 139 Kighteousnesse of sanctification 168 Righteousnesse of iustification 166. S Slanders of the Papists 102 107 Seeke in our own persons 139 Seeking of sinne 146 148 Swearing 27 Subiect of faith in vs 74 Sathan rules the sinner 17 Sleeping magistrates 80 Sowing of the wicked 114 Sorrowe how differs in the good and bad 61 62 T Trueth not to be found 21 22 Trueth in words 67 68 Tongue to be mortified 65 Translation of the word 88 to 90 Time to seeke 150 Theft of engrossers 23 Thankes-giuing 161 Time past 150 Time to come 154 V Vsury 25 100 Vse meanes to saue the sinner 77 Vnwritten verities 97 Vnmercifulnes of the Pope 99 Vlcer of sinne 152 W Workes not perfit 135 Word righteous why 101 Wicked no right to any thing 143 Wicked sinne of purpose 14 Workes of righteonsnesse 103 Word our rule 84 Whoredome 28 In commendation of the Author VErtere si agricolas terrā est nunc laude docendo Virgilius dignus laudibus esse puto Dignum hunc nostrarum quae animarū cura libellum Sit qui nostra docet vertere corda bene Alex. Bradley To my worthy friend his Celestiall Husbandry THe Husbandry which these dead leaues doe bring Thy liuely voyce did once sweetely sing That thy learned and iudicious hearers thought The Celestiall haruest to them had brought Thereby their hearts so did inflame That they desir'd to heare it once againe Io. Ga. THe ground mans heartis Gods word the plow The harrow repentance is to breake it now The seede obedience sowen in our liues The raine Gods grace whereby it also thriues Then vse it and it will bring Thee to heauen there to sing Then now Prayse God for the gaine And the Author for his paine T. H. THE CELESTIALL husbandry RIght Honorable and well beloued in our best be loued I knowe that many haue been the flowers that my brethren the Prophets haue gathered out of the garden of Gods word giuing a fragrant smell in this place so that I know not what flowers to gather to present you withall that formerly yee haue not seene Yet in this my meditation I considered of my worthy Auditors and so fitted my text accordingly Some of them being Iudges and Magistrats that fitly I might speake to them of Iustice. An other part of them being inferiour subiects that also I might speake to them of obedience In a word considering that heere are vsually auditours of all sorts I
obseruing hereof yet because the King and authoritie hath set these downe I thinke it fit that they should be obserued But all this is nothing to answere them mine appologie is fillipped backe with contempt and they dispute but not by reason yet strong victorious and full of desperate valour euen as Saul reasoned with Dauid Euery traytor ought to be put to death But Dauid is a traytor Ergo Dauid ought to be put to death Well Dauid grants the proposition that euery traltor deserues to dye but denies the assumption saying I am no traytor and therefore not to bee put to death But now Saul prooues it by imagination takes his spheare throwes it at Dauid an inuincible argument Thus deale our brethren the professors with vs arguing in this same manner All Idolaters ought to be detested But the Church of England is Idolatrons Ergo All the members of the Church of England Ought to be detested Well we doe not much stand vpon the maior but altogether and truely denie the minor and say for our selues that we are no idolaters and therefore ought not to be detested yet they wil proue it whet their tongues open their mouthes and shoote sharpe headed arrowes at vs. Thus wounding deeper with their bitter words then the high-way thiese doeth with his sword an vnanswerable syllogisme This is for our persons they haue another for our ceremonies thus All the shewes of idolatry are to be auoided But the ceremonies of the Church of England are idelatrous Ergo All the ceremonies of the Church of England are to be auoided We answere to this as to the former that wee stand not vpon the maior but altogether deny the minor that the ceremonies of our Church are no shewes of idolatry therefore ought not to be auoided But they proue it reiect them flye out of the Church picke out teachers for their humours and of their owne minde nisi quod ip si faciunt nihil recte existimant they thinke nothing well done but what they doe themselues And these thinke nothing rightly taught but such as these teachers teach But I thinke I speake words in value for it is a hard matter to drawe these to a consormitle Therefore let vs come to take notice of the manners of the Church of England And here a question is to be answered whether a generall disobedience or particular makes a Church to be no Church And answere is not a particular but a generall disobedience proued by Scripture Vnto the Angel of the Church of Thyatyra a Church you see by the testimony of God yet thou hast them that maintains the woman lez ibel yet a Church The like is seene by the Carinthians where their sinne is noted out first in him that had his fathers wife and secondly in contention and in going to lawe one with another and yet a Church as it appeates by the wordes of Paul in the beginning of his Booke Was Thyatyra a Church and among the Corinthians a Church and yet had priuate falues and shall the Church of England be denied to be a Church because there are found winked ones among I knowe that there are many wicked ones yet I am assured that there are thousands that conforme themselues to the Church of England that are right Nathaniels In whom there is no guile And with iudgement make well the types of the Church from time to time Adams family a type yet a Caine in it Noyes family a type yet a Caine in it Abrahams family a type yet an Ismael in it Dauids family a type yet an Ismael in it And when Christ was come in his family a Iudas Was the Church before Christ not without some wicked persons was Christ his family not without a Deuill And shall wee looke now to haue the Church free no the tares shall grow with the good corne to the end of the world But these obiect further that the Church of England knowing these to be wicked suffers them not with standing to be in the company of the Saints The Maior of this is false for the 26. Cannon commands That none offenders be made pertakers of the ordinances of God The Miner I feare is 〈◊〉 that some wicked persons are admitted to the holy ordinance of God yet impute it not vnto the lawe but rather to the corruption of such Midisters and Church-wardens at so suffer them Or if such persons be presented and yet not reformed then impute it to the inferior officers and not to the Gouernours and institutions of the Church And though it be so in some Congregations iudge it not therefore to bee in all Search and yee shall finde to the contrary Time will not suffer me to dwell long here therefore let me in a word perswade you to ioyne your selues vnto the Church of England in regard of the danger that will follow For while we fall to striuing about things indifferent the people fall to doubting what they shall hold what they shall beleeue and to whom they shall leane Thus that which is but matter of circumstance is called into question while matter of substance I feare is let goe So busie we are about the question de modo that the Deuill easily steales the matter of Religion out of our hearts And doe not our aduersaries aduersaries to see vs together by the eares for the leaues that they in the meane time may steale away the fruite from vs. and doeth not this debatelye as a stumbling blocke to hinder others from embracing the trueth which are restrained by the varietie of sects that are among vs. It is recorded of a Heathen man which said I would faine be a Christian sed rescio cui adheream multae sunt inter vo spugnae singuli tamen dicunt Ego verum dico but I knowe not whom to followe there are so many differences and contentions among you and euery one of your say I am in the right and yet there is but one Trueth one Father one Faith one Baptisme and one body And this proceeding hath not bin without some danger to themselues for I know by mine owne experience some that haue been first members of our Church after that of the more purer sort then Brownists and lastly came to be Anabaptists It is iust with God seeing they will disobey authority and not obey the truth that they should be deluded by falshoods Besides I haue well considered that this proceeding hath been accounted of God as a sinne to murmure and to speake euill of those that are in authoritie 〈◊〉 to minde what the Apostle faith There is 〈◊〉 Agreement betweene Christ and Belial sinne and grace cannot reigne together in one place for it is not the manner of Gods Spirit to sanctifie one part and leaue another vnsanctified to worke faith in one part and to suffer the sinne of murmuration to remaine in another part Therefore I make some doubt whether such haue any part reformed in whō still this
themselues as the affections of men are to be viewed Witnesseth that of Marke where the widowes two Mites were more regarded then the abundance of the rich men because they came from the heart Good things done with an euill minde are but splendida peccata glorious sinnes Wherfore God said O that there were an heart in this people to keepe my Commandements for where there is no heart in the action there is no faith if no faith it cannot bee well done 3. It must be done with readinesse Wee must imitate the Angels which are said to haue wings to note out their readines in executing the will of God God will haue his worke done when hee commands not when wee please While it is called to day harden not your hearts It was the saying of Christ to Zaeheus Come downe at once Delayes must not be made in Gods seruice but as Christ said in another case vnto Iudas That thou doest doe it quickly 4. And lastly must bee faithfulnesse to doe all that that God commaunds and no more for to doe lesse then God doeth commaund is disobedience and to doe more is meere presumption and will worship It was Dauids care and resolution to haue respect vnto all his commaundements Thirdly that it be righteous it must bee done to a good ende for to doe good workes and not to a good ende is either vaine-glory or meere hypocrisie as to instance it thus It is a good worke to giue almes to feede the hungry and cloath the naked But if these be done to be commended of men or for the obtaining of credit rather then for the good of the common wealth it is not commendable So we may say it is bonum in respect of the acte but not bene in respect of the ende Therefore to doe good workes to a good end take these three things along with you 1. That they be propter gloriam Dei for the glory of God That is that the loue and zeale to Gods glory constraine vs hereunto as the Apostle speaketh doe all that ye doe to the glory of God 2. That they bee propter nostram salutem for our saluation 3. That they bee done to the good and profit of others as the Apostle teacheth that euery thing may minister grace vnto the hearers for whatsoeuer is done is not right quod non conducit ad praepositam vtilitatem which belongs not to an intended profit Thus you see the word of righteousnesse that it must be the rule of all our actions as also you see the workes of righteousnesse and how to doe them Now before I let you passe from this part I would haue you to marke how our aduersaries doe slander vs saying that the Church of England teacheth faith without good works and giueth libertie to sinne being a doctrine of liscenciousnesse to all impietie insomuch that many are kept from vs by reason of these slanders falsely laide vpon vs. The consideration whereof at the first sight seemes like a great mountaine yet after deliberation it is lesse then a moule-hill For if they so blaspheme the holy word of God it is no wonder they thus slander vs. Besides it hath beene an vsuall thing with them of olde thus to slander the people of God They accuse Wickliffe that he should say that Luther did hold magistrates not lawfull that Caluin saide that Christ dispaired on the Crosse that Beza was turned to popery and so died who was then aliue and by his owne wryting prooued them lyers that Caluin fell into blasphemy with many more of the like nature But to bring this home to their doores to pay them with their owne coyne and to beate them with their owne weapons for doe not they themselues teach a doctrine of liscentiousnesse yes vnspeakeable villaynies both countenanced and canonized for worthies as murthers rapes periuries adulteries and the like as the sruite of such a diabolicall Religion Thus much for the subiect Righteousnesse now followes the propertie of the worke which is to sowe The second part of the seede-time SOwe to your selues in right consnesse The propertie of the worke is now to be obserued 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sow sowing is sometimes taken for casting of seede into the ground as thou shalt not sowe the ground with mingled seede some time for preaching of the word the sower went out to sowe and sometime for our actions and so it is here yet we will not fall into the error of Pelagius A Deo habemus quod homines sumus a nobis ipsis autem quod insti sumus wee are beholding to God that we are men but vnto our selues that we are good men But the contrary is God both makes vs and makes vs good men and then being good wee labour to doe well That is as my text saith to sowe good workes as the wise man exhorts Babokar zerang eth-zargnaeca Betimes sowe thy seede That is betimes doe good and he giues the reason The sower of righteousness shall bee truely rewarded Mans life is a continuall sowing either good or bad seede the seede is the worke the ground God and man and the doing or acting is the sowing The metapher holds well for first wee knowe that the husbandman casteth his seede into the ground couers it with earth there it rots and seemes to perish as though he should neuer haue good of the same and thus would a man iudge that knowes not what belongs to that art and that he were foolish to cast his seede into the earth vpon so hopelesse a gaine Euen so the sowing of good and charitable workes seemes to be lost because we see not the fruite of our labour as Iohn noteth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Yet it appeareth not what wee are Therefore Salomon compareth this sowing vnto the casting of bread vpon the waters which at the first seemeth to perish And this is the estate of the godly they pray fast giue almes honour God loue man obserue his lawes doe his commaundements with the like yet what is to be seene of all this What profite hath a man of all his labours saith Salomon Where is the destinction of good and bad they seeme to bee all one yet Caine and Abel in one field Cam and Iapha in one arke Ismael and Isaake in one family Esau and Iacob in one wombe Peter and Iudas in one company teares and wheate growne together in one field good and euill are not yet diserned And doe not then our labours seeme to bee lost May we not say with Esay I haue laboured in vaine So the world iudges and we in some sort finde for our life is yet hid with God in Christ Onely wee haue some peace of conscience that the world see a not and the loue of God which it knoweth not But we knowe that when he shall appeare we shall be like him as the Apostle Iohn saith and much like those verses which we read of Pithagoras