for so saith the Apostle Hebrewes 4. And therfore so it preuailed with this people that it wrought in them a resolute conference for their conuersion and bettering of their conuersations And so it preuailed with Iosias and his people for at the reading of the booke of the law by Shaphan there was renting of cloathes and melting of harts and shedding of teares in all humility 2. King 22. And so it preuailed with the King of Niniuie and his People for at the preaching of Ionas there was proclaming of fastes and putting on of sackcloath and sitting downe in ashes and crying mightilye vnto God from the greatest to the least Iohn 3. And so it preuailed with the Israelites at the preaching of Esay for they letted not to inuite one another saying Come ye house of Iacob let vs walk in the light of the Lord Esay 2. And so it preuailed with the people which heard Peters heauenly sermon for they were thereby euen pricked in their hartes and said men and brethren what shall we do Act. 2. But I do not sée beloued in the Lorde that it hath so preuailed with vs and yet how mightilythe Lord hath called vpon vs both Judgelike Fatherlike in punishing and in fauours I knowe you can not be ignorant Haue not the mountaines trembled the foundatioÌ„s of y e earth béen shakeÌ„ in your daies Haue not bloodthirstye conspirators swarmed like grashoppers here at home in our own bosomes Haue not the furious executioners of Gods vengeance couered our seas with their ships and attempted to inuade vs Haue not the messengers of the Lord lyke so many truÌ„pets sounded daily in your eares that tribulation anguish wéeping gnashing of téeth vnquenchable fire vtter darknes the worme y â— neuer dieth euen the portion of hypocrites is prepared for all hard harted stifnecked sinners surely eueÌ„ these wer the voices of Gods vengeance and in euerye one of them hee hath said I will come nere to England in Judgement and will be a swift witnes against you And on the otherside wherhence is it that we haue receiued such gratious gouernment for such bloudy tyrannies such sunshine of the Gospell for such darkenes of Idolatrie such dayly preaching for suche damnable Massing such plenty for such scarsety such peace for such warre such health for such sicknes such fatherly blessings for such Pharaolik persecutioÌ„s as is meruellous in our eyes manifest to al the worlde As this is the Lords doings and in euery one of these his good graces he hath engrauen the voice of his mercy saying Returne to me and I will returne to you But I knowe not how we make no more account thereof then of a blast of winde naye as there was neuer that good or grace wroght to reclame these Israelites but the Lord hath vouchsafed the like or greater to vs. So what euill was there committed by them in Malachies time but it is doubled and tripled by vs in these daies and that in such measure both in Priest and People beginne where you will that it can not but irk our harts to think of it alas then why should it not vrdge our tongues to speake against it as the Israelites did euery man to his Neighbour For first as their Priestes polluted the Altar of the Lord in manye a foule abuse so doo we I may not conceale it cure it as I maye For some of vs are idle bellies do the worke of the Lord negligentlye for wee labour not but loyter in the Lordes Vineyard what is this but with the Priestes of Israell to offer vncleane bread and to present our worst gifts and to sacrifice the halt and maimed vnto him who is a great King Some of vs are men pleasers and such placebos that we laye pillowes vnder the eares and cushins vnder the elbowes of sinners and what is this but to say with the Priestes of â—uda that euery one that doth euill is good in the sight of the Lord Some of vs are brainsicke and fantasticall and euen like Narcissus are not only in loue with our owne shadows but wedded to our owne pestilent conceits so that no reason can perswade vs or aswage them and what is this but with the tribe of Leui to marry with y â— daughters of a strange God Some of vs are bitter contentious making ruptures in the Church our tender mother like so many vipers deuouring one another more like wolues then shéepherdes and deuiding the vnsemed coate of Christian vnity not vnlyke arrant théeues what is this but the miserye whereof Basile complaineth Hoc omnium miseratione vel maxime dignum est cum ea pars quae sana visa est in se deuisa est This is a most lamentable thing when that parte which séemeth to be sound is deuided in it selfe And the misery whereof Lactantius complaineth Gladium quisque habet quo hostem feriat sed nemo clypeum quo sedefendat euery one hath a swoorde whereby he may strike his enemie but no man hath a shéelde whereby he may defend him selfe And the misery whereof Barnard complaineth Omnes amici omnes inimici omnes necessarij omnes aduersarii omnes domestici nulli pacifici All are friendes and all are enemyes all are neighbours and all are aduersaries all are home-dwellers and none are peace-makers Now then beloued in the Lord is it possible for vs of the ministerie to finde and know these euils in our selues and yet to bée mute and silent surely these outrages are able to make him speake that is not wilfully tonguefyed Atys Craesus sonne was dumbe neuer spake in al his life as Herodotus reports yet when he saw Cyrus about to cutte his fathers throat he burst out into these spéeches saide O homo ne interficias patrem O man kill not my father Wee see what wée sée and I do not see how wee can say lesse to them which intreate our spirituall and Ghostly Fathers as they doe that is euen cut the throate of their honorable reputation through spitefull slaunder of their goodlye reuenewes through priuate lucre and of their lawfull authoritie through proud insolencie I doe not see I say how wee can say lesse than this O homo ne interficias patrem O man kill not my father Thus then is the Altar of the Lord at this day in the Church of England polluted in many a foule abuse by vs of the ministerie and therefore great cause there is to lay our heads and hearts together and to lay aside all bitternesse and cursed speaking one agaynst another and to speake euery man vnto his neighbour as Israel did for repentance and against sinne But now let vs leaue the Altar of the Lord come Ad Atria where the people vse to stand Alas if such iniquitie dwell in the middest of the Sanctuarie and amongst the Priests what maruaile is it if it be farre worse in the streetes and among
Palme trée psal 92. Which for all the froste of Winter and scorching of Sommer and blustering of windes and pressing downe of waightes yet it will still bee greene and florishe and rise vp against and aboue the burtheng and therfore was giuen to Conquerors in token of victorye If you would knowe the reason hereof go no further theÌ„to the first promise The sedè of the woman shall bruse the Serpents head This is done by vertue of that seede Or go no further then the wordes of Elizeus They that are with vs be moe then they that be against vs 2. Reg. 6. And because Michaell and his Angels haue beene bee and shallbe to good for the Dragon and his Angelles for euer Appo 12. Therefore it suffiseth to resolue vs that it shall be so And heere as I haue spoken of the estate and condition of the Lordes flocke as it is in this lyfe present So if the time did not exclude me I had thought to haue laid before you the blessed prerogatiues thereof which it shall haue in the lyfe to come As first that it shall bee separated from all the noysome goates of this worlde Secondlye that it shal be scituate on the right hand of the Judge Thirdly that it shall be leased and possessed of that kingdome which was prepared for them before the foundations of the world Math. 25. But I come to the other thing which is gratiously warranted in this promise of the Lords protection which is specified in these wordes And I will spare them c. The like promise is made generally to all them that feare God Psal 103. Euen as a Father hath pittie on his children So hath the Lord compassion on them that feare him Indéed many Fathers haue béene vnkinde vnnatural to their children Saule made an odlawe when Ionathas his sonne was within the lurtch of it hee would haue cut him off had not the people stoode him in stead and rescued him 1. Sam. 14. Herode hauing but onlie two sonnes Alexander and Aristobolus vppon a false surmise strangled them both Whereupon Augustus said Melius est Herodis esse porcum quam filium It is better to bee Herodes hogge than his sonne Plutarch saith that in Rome rich men vsed to carry whelps and yong apes vp and downe the stréets in their armes which when Caesar sawe he would néeds know Ecquid apud ipsos mulieres liberos non parerent Whether women did not bring forth children with them But to let these monsters go which either praeter contra naturam haue thus rebelled repined against their own bowels do you but measure the tender affectioÌ„ of parents toward their children by olde Elie who hearing of the death of Hofni Phinehas his sons with very wo fell downe backward brake his necke 1 Sam. 4. Or by Dauid who at the death of that one sonne which was begotten in adulterie and after the death of that other sonne which letted not to coÌ„mit adultery with his fathers concubines I meane Absolon did so take on that very sorrow had almost broken his very heart insunder 2. Sa. 12. 2. Sam. 18. 33. And to read in histories that Gordianus wheÌ„ he heard of the death of his sonne strangled him selfe Or that Orodes king of Parthia hearing that his sonne Pacorus was slaine in war through extreame sorrowe fell madde Or that Pythias king of Bithinia when Xerxes had slaine his sonne left his kingdome to his wife and went to his sonnes graue and there ended his life with mourning Or that Aâ—geus surmising that Theseus his sonne had béene slayne of Minotaurus leapt into the sea drownd himself To read of all these infinit other the like examples how doth it demonstrate the deare and tender affection of fathers towards their sons therefore in that the Lorde promiseth to fill and to poure out his compassion after this rate and measure what a comforte is this But indéede our heauenly Father doth so entirely tender his children that there is no ende or comparison thereof to bee made And therfore as Esay saith he is our Father cap. 63. And as Ieremy saith He will be called our Father Ier. 3. So whye our Sauiour Christ should forbid vs to call any other by the name of Father here in earth saying For one is your Father in heauen Math. 23. I knowe no reason but this for that no father on earth doeth so tenderlye loue his owne children as our heauenlye Father doeth affect and like of vs being but his adopted children He spareth vs in three respectes in two of them much lyke a naturall Father but in the third there is no comparison I am sure and so you will say First as a naturall Father will not Kill or destroye his childe when he is sicke and feeble and cannot eat his meat or aborreth such things thorow infirmity as should be a mean to recouer his health So our heauenly Father will spare vs and not coÌ„demne vs or confound vs for euer although we be sicke in spirite and weake in faith do euen loath often times his heauenly woord which is the health and saluation of our soules Secondly like a natural father he spareth vs in respect of our wilfull prodigalities and wastinges of his blessinges and graces not vnlike that same louing Father in the gospell who forgaue his sonne which had so leudlye consumed his fathers substance and his owne portion Our race we haue as wilfully runne Our tyme we haue as vainely spent His fauours we haue as ilfauâ—â—rdly bestowed and his displeasure we haue as desperatly incurred But yet come home to his mercy by repentaunce and say father we haue sinned against thee c. and then you shall finde that he wil spare you and embrace you in the armes of his mercifull compassion c. But now to speake of that respect of the Lords gratious fauour which is without comparison What naturall Father euer did as he hath done to spare vs which were but his adopted children hee hath not spared his onelie begotten Sonne Christ Jesus So that to vs ward he was woorth his promise heere made but hee hath laide it vppon his naturall sonne with a witnesse 〈◊〉 our sakes He was faine to resigne a royall kingdome to come to an Asses cribbe to relinquish the sweete societie of Angels to liue among malitious rakehels the Scribes and Pharisees to surrender a throne of glory for a cursed crosse of wood to yéelde vp a crowne of blisse for a crowne of thornes to loose the fauour of his heauenly father to pleasure his deadly foes and to suffer death that miserable wretches might be spared and saued aliue O kind and tender Sauiuiour to spare and to saue vs thou hast suffered thy selfe to become a very spoile for the malice of Sathan I graunt you Fabius Maximus was verie desirous to spare and saue the Romane Captiues when hee solde all his patrimony to redéeme them But our Sauiour Christ hath suffered himselfe to be solde to redéeme vs his very enemies in respect Mithridates was wondred at for his tender affection toward Leonicus his deere frend because hee gaue all the Rhodian captiues to redeeme him but yet he gaue his enemies to redéeme his friend But Christ Jesus our blessed Sauiour hath giuen himselfe to redeeme his enemies To bee short when there was in Rome a sodaine gaping gulph which they could by no meanes fill vp and the Oracle had signified that except the chiefest thing and that which the commons loued best were cast into it it could not be stopped Curtius vnderstanding that he himselfe was their onely Jewel without any more adoe threw himselfe into it and so it was fild vp presently Yet this was done for his country that loued him so well that they accounted nothing better or more worthy theÌ„ hée But when y e gaping gulph of Gods most dreadfull vengeance was to bee stopped our blessed sauiour cast himselfe into the middest of it and died a most bitter death this he did for the people which thought they had nothing worse or more vile than hee no not Barrabas that arrant cutthroat What shall I say then of this so rare so royall so vnspeakeable and so incomparable loue of his towards vs I can say no lesse than Barnard said Opus sine exemplo gratia sine merito charitas sine modo Such a worke as hath no example a fauour without desert and loue without measure The Lord therefore graunt that such bottomles compassion in him may presently work some thankfull compunction in you And that as the vaile of the temple rent in sunder from the toppe to the bottome when these thinges were performed So the consideration of the extreame miserie which hée endured that hée might spare and saue our forlorne soules may ransacke euery vaine in our hearts in all due remorse And y â— as the very earth did quake in horrour of so great violence wrongfully offered to him and méekely suffered for you So our heartes and consciences may quake and tremble considered that an innocent person hath endured the same to spare our guilty and damned soules To him therefore which hath so entirely oued vs that he hath not spared his onely begotten Sonne to saue vs and to him which hath so dearely bought vs that hee hath layde downe his life to redeeme vs and to him that hath so wonderfully purged and sanctified vs through the Lauer of regeneratioÌ„ that hee hath thereby sealed vs vntill the day of Redemption id est to God the Father God the Sonne and God the holy Ghost three distict persons and one euerlasting God bee al praise power and dominion world without end Amen FINIS
the people Surely beloued in the Lord you haue not done wel your sin lyeth before the doore as well as ours you haue plowed wickednes and how shoulde you but reape the rewarde of iniquitie For what cursed thing is there but you haue reached your hands vnto it and delighted your hearts in it as wel nay ill as Israel Is it sorcerie Is it adulterie Is it falseswearing Alas if ther were no other sorcerie but the subtill inchaunting of their circumuenting tongues it were too much for thereby as with the sin of witchcraft you abuse the wise and defraud the simple yea thereby you reape as much profite as by patrimony or frée-land the bread of such deceit is the sweetest morsel that commeth into some of your mealy mouthes And then for Adulterie it is the disease that cleaueth fast to your bones and lyeth festring in your bowels and hath rooted it selfe betwéene your brestes insomuch that the father defloureth a woman and to make her amendes marrieth her to hys owne sonne Amos. 2. 7. And so may I say of periury For affection malice feare and lucre doe at wil suppresse and smother all truth and supplye and suggeste all falshoode when you come to speake vppon your oathe And I doe not see to what end there should be anie either admission or tolleration of them whom you call knights of the Post and surely not amisse for it is thought they haue no more conscience what they sweare many times than a verye poste and I pray God that suche Posts â—â— post to pleasure men with their false oathes haue not firebrands another day in hell for burning is a fit end for all such rotten blasphemous Postes And the damnable wretchednes of our time wherein is it not sutable with the wickednes of Israell Neuer pride more disdainfull neuer ambition more presumpteous neuer couetousnes more insatiable For there are some suche merciles oppressours among you that build fair houses with the bloody sobs and sighs of their poore neighbours whose liuinges they haue taken ouer their heads and whose liuelyhoode they haue wringed out of their hands There are some suche deuouring Vsurers among you that purchase statelye manners and sell the poore for olde shooes to make vppe their sommes and eueÌ„ strip the skinnes of the needy ouer head eares to fit their purposes There are some suche pilling extorsioners that if it were possible they could finde in their hartes with Flauius Vespasianus vectigall ex vrina capere There are some such infatiable and intollerable Church leaches or rather sponges that suck and soaken vp both the bloode of the Mother and the milke of the children yea with Achilles they can finde in their heartes to set on sale the dead bodye of Hector â—ay rather the deare bought soules of Gods saints They are not ashamed with Cirus in hope of gaine to dig vp the very graues of the dead nor with Dionisius to deface the most auncient goodly monumentes that are nor with Iulian to ransacke churches colleges hospitall hospitals yea hospitality to the vtter ruine and wrack of all Religion learning and christian reléefe To be shorte there are some and the most parte of you al grown to such cursed Atheisme and infidelity with these Israelites that no Religion hath any relish in your heartes but that which sauoureth of gaine to your purses And albeit your tongues be mute silent for very shame yet your deeds speak without sound of woorde say with this People It is in vaine to serue God what profit is it that we haue kept his commandement that we haue walked humblie before the Lord of Hostes O strange infidelity the roote and branches of all misery alas how hath this hellish bramble ouergrowne and ouerspread the Lordes vyneyarde here in England O the plague of all plagues our vnbeleeuing hartes this makes you that ye will not be warned but do as you do or rather that you care not what you do this hath made you more incredulus then the diuils in hell Qui credunt et contremiscunâ— which beleue and tremble And by reason hereof are you not at this point If a méere stranger or a common lier or a starke Idiote should but bring you tydings that you and all other magistrates you and all other lawyers you and al other marchants you and al other riche men you and all other Artificers you and all other HusbandmeÌ„ are what in a flat praemunire you woulde then looke about you and lay your heads together and speake euery one to his Neighbour and finding it true would neuer eat meat that should do you good nor take any good nights rest vntill you had found meanes to obtaine your pardon and were quite out of daunger Heereby then maye you measure the misthiefe of infidelitye for all our preaching teaching as verye fooles and Idiotes as you accompt vs is to no other end but to tell you and giue you notice of a dangerous and a most daÌ„nable praemunire whereinto you are fallen all the sorte of you yea euery mothers sonne thorowe your desperate and rebellious sinnes against the almighty and yet you do not once offer to sue for your pardon or to séeke for mercye at his hands whose Maiestye you haue so highly offended Now then beloued in the Lord al this considered is it not hye tyme or rather more then time for vs to growe to such a gratious conference as Israell did for the amendement of all that is amisse The wise man seing the plague comming hideth him selfe but the foole goeth on forward and is snared Pro. 22. Let vs be wise now at the length and learne to hyde our selues in tyme vnder the sackcloath and in the ashes of repentaunce Let vs discharge that duety which the Apostle requireth Heb. 3 which is to exhorte one another and to edifie one another whiles it is called to day Let vs be aduised by Saint Iude euen to edifie our selues in our moste holy faith knowing this for an assured trueth that they which turne many to righteousnes shall shine as the stars for euer Daniel 12. 3. And that he that conuerteth a sinner from going astray shall saué a soule from death and shall hide a multitude of sinnes Iames. 5. ver 20. This duety therefore as we owe one to another and euery maÌ„ to his Neighbour so the Lord make vs carefull to performe it that we may be partakers with Israell of such grace and fauour as doeth belong vnto it Pars. 2. ANd the Lord hearkned and heard it â— Here you are to consider of a thréefolde comforte and encouragement which they receiued from the Lord. Whereof this is the first because he vouchsafed to heare them A maruellous grace they no sooner began to repent but the Lord gaue eare and heard them Who would not frame him selfe to the lyke conference and penitent conformity No no dearely beloued our God is not like to Baall he can
yet euerye one that shalbe found written in the booke of lyfe shall be delyuered and to the same effect it is that this booke was ordained for this people to be as it were their Passeouer to auoid and escape the dayes of miserye which the Lorde did threaten to bring vpon them Prouide that the doore postes of your consciences maye be sprinckled with the bloode of the Lambe or that your repentaunce maye bee recorded in the booke of lyfe and you are sure of an euerlasting Passeouer to escape Gods most dreadfull vengeance But if you wll sée that prerogatiue which is Instar omnium in stéede of all other Then consider againe and againe of that which is written in 20. Apoc. ver 12. Wherin the glorious maiesty of our Sauiour Jesus Christ is moste truely described euen as he shall come to Judge the quick and the dead for it is said And I saw the dead both great and small staÌ„d before God and the bookes were opened another book was opened which is the book of lyfe the dead wer iudged of those things which were written in the bookes acording to their workes But now what are these bookes that shall be opened before the booke of lyfe be opened doubtles these thrée the booke of the Lawe the booke of the Gospell and the booke of Conscience First the booke of the Law shal be opened and laid before vs that it maye appeare what duetye we ought to haue done towardes God and man through loue And euen as Moyses commaÌ„ded the Leuites to put this booke in the side of the Arke that it might be for a witnes against them when they disobeyed the same Deu. 31. So shall all the workers of iniquity in the fearefull day of the Lord find this booke a swift witnes against them And if Iosias rent his cloathes and wept for wo when he heard the law red and thereby sawe how much duety was required and how little he had performed what sorrow and heauines shall compas vs about and if it were possible dissolue our teares and turne them into drops of blood When in the presence of this our seuere Judge we shall both heare and sée not onelye what we haue left vndone in that book commanded but also what we haue done therein forbidden In the meane time therefore let vs not onelye be hearers of the Law but dooers also lest then we finde Gods fauour vnrecouerable and our repentance vnprofitable Secondly the booke of the Gospell shal be opened that thereby it may appear what mercy what grace what frée pardon what remission of sinne what imputation of righteousnes and what assuraunce of lyfe and Saluation you might haue had in Christ Jesus If you had bene so happye to haue sought it by repentance and to haue laid holde vppon it by faith At the opening of this booke shall you sée before your eyes all the swéete promises and tender inuitations which our Sauiour Christ offred vnto you through preaching of the gospell to haue drawne you to repentance Then shall all the benefites of his bitter passion be laid open before your eyes and you shall sée that he was debased himselfe to haue brought you to honour that he was wounded himself to haue healed your wounds of sinne and that he died himselfe to haue saued his enemies from death and to haue purchased eternal life to all penitent sinners And as the booke of the lawe shall shewe what wee ought to haue done so the booke of the Gospell shall shewe what we ought to haue beleeued and both to one end Christ knoweth that so much more Just and dreadfull may be our Judgement O ye proude contemners of the worde of trueth consider of this you which thinke the Gospell to base for your déepe wittes haue regarde vnto it lest the time come that you repent it and féele the smart of it And as the ritch man begde of Abraham that poore Lazarus might dip but the tippe of his finger in water to coole his tormented tongue so the day may come that you will be gladâ—◠〈…〉 e in your harts that the 〈…〉 rascall aâ—d abâ—â—ct minister among vs all as you 〈…〉 â—â— vs might be suffered to bring yâ—u euen the least all drop of the water of lyfe ye a the least comfort of the Gospell to refresh your 〈…〉 〈…〉 les but it will be to late to late Thirdlye the booke of Conscience shall be opened and shewe what abhominable sinnes we haue done and committed Conscientia Codex est in quo quotidiana conscrib 〈…〉 r peccata â—aith Chrisost in Psa 50. The conscience is a booke where in a mans dayly sins are written Therfore keepe this boke well cleare froÌ„ the blots and blemishes of sinne and then the reward thereof will be so strong and substantiall on thy side y â— it is called mille testes a thousand witnesses Sillogismus practicus a conclusion of Experience Cordis scientia the knoweledge of a mans owne hart It is murus Aeneus as Horace saith a brasen wall It is maxima consolatio rerum incoÌ„modarum The greatest coÌ„fort in aduersity saith Tully nay it is ger Benedictionis the field of blessing Hort is delitiarum The garden of pleasures Gaudium An 〈…〉 m The ioy of Angels Habit 〈…〉 m Spiritus sancti The habitation of the holy Ghost saith Hugo de Anima Lib. 2. Cap. 9. But suffer this booke to be 〈…〉 and â—â—lluted with sinne and what is it then It is formidinis mater saith Chrisostome the Mother of all feare It is confusionis tabula saith August It is the table of confusion And of all other bookes in the world you can not abyde to look into the book of your guilty consciences This made the Father I meane Adam a crâ—epâ—ish in Paradice and this made him say Abscondi me Gen. 3. This made the sonne I meane Caine a runnagate and so restlesse that hee durst abide noe where for feare his throat should be cut Gen. 4. This made Ionas conuey him selfe into the bottome of the shippe thinking there to hyde him selfe from the booke of his owne Gauled conscience This made Iudas betake himselfe to the halter because he coulde not abide to see the abhominable treacherye hee had committed against the innocent bloode of Jesus This made Ecebolus that turne cote heretike to cast him selfe downe before the Church and to detest him selfe saying Calcate me in sipidum salem Trample vpon me vnsauorye salt that I am Now then if it be such a feareful horrible thing to looke into the booke of a guilty conscience in this life what shame and confusion shal ouerwhelme vs in the lyfe to come when nothing shall be concealed when all pleates and wrinckles shall be vnfolded when al couÌ„sels and secrets shal be discouered when there is not an idle word of our tongues or a wicked thought of our herts that shall escape our accompt and when all our falts shall appeare vppon record