the safetie thereof for in the peace thereof your peace doeth stand In this sort God is to be feared in this sort of all sorts he is to be serued and by this meane the common wealth is to bee maintained and preserued If we linked together in the feare of God and in true concord and amitie among our selues put to our helping handes euerie one duetifully in his calling to the supporting of this state and defending thereof doubtlesse no enemie no forren power can hurt vs no Bull of Basan shall preuaile against vs but wee and our common wealth in despite of all both corporal and spiritual enemies shall be strengthened and stablished for euer So true is it that kingdome which is grounded vpon good wil standeth fast and sure for euer 36 But as the naturall bodie without sinewes can not growe waxe strong or continue no more can a ciuil bodie without his sinewes The sinewes of the common wealth are the treasures Tributes therefore and subsidies are due to the Prince Giue vnto Caesar those things that are Caesars tribute vnto whom tribute belongeth It is not giuen to the Prince but to the common wealth it is in trueth bestowed vpon our selues The prince in respect of priuate vse neither needeth neither requireth our money It is the common wealth whereunto we owe not our goods onely but our liues also it requireth this at our handes for our owne safetie The prince will be but a steward hereof seasonably to lay it out for publike vse Good common wealthsmen haue not spared to giue their very liues for their countrie as Themistocles Curtius Codrus and others And who can so litle regard the common wealth as by pinching at a peece of monie to pinche it He that seeth his house ruinous and for sparing will not repaire it if it fall vpon his head let him fall himselfe Moses found his subiects maruellous readie in this behalfe when a voluntarie contribution was required towardes the building of the tabernacle they brought in so much that he was forced to crie Sufficit Nowe ynough Cyrus was a gentle and a good prince and he had thankefull subiects their voluntarie gift at one subsidie surmounted all the long heaped treasure of riche Craesus The Princes treasure is wasted in our defence our duetie is to repaire it againe for our safetie This duetie God and our common wealth require at our handes Let vs paie franklie this debt so shall we worke our owne safetie strengthen the common wealth and serue God and our countrie in trueth 37 And thus we learne that if the ministers earnestly praie for and faithfully teache the prince and the people if the prince and the people syncerely feare and serue God feare him as an omnipotent Lord and iust Iudge and withall loue him as a most louing father serue him in cleansing and feeding his Church cleansing it from false doctrine Idolatrie superstition and symonie feeding it with the word by causing it eueriewhere to be preached which will be by prouiding maintenance for the preachers thereof and compelling all subiects to heare Gods word and receiue his sacraments Further if the Prince carefully consider of the common wealth to represse the euil encourage and strengthen the good and ouerlooke the whole and doe choose wise religious louers of the trueth and haters of couetousnesse vnder him to gouerne it If in this great and stately counsell of the kingdome banishing priuate affections it syncerely be sought by Lawe to set foorth and preferre true religion and withall to bridle the desperate tongues of gainesayers If by strength of good Lawes they represse monstrous apparell and excessiue dyet deceitful bargaining vsurie adulterie vnlawfully stolen contracts and so prouide for the poore that Christ in his members may be relieued If the officers of the common wealth keepe good Lawes themselues and faithfully without foolish pitie which is crueltie see them executed vpon others If the people like good subiectes feare God honour the Prince liue peaceably and seeke the safetie of their countrie Lastly if we all linked together in loue liberally relieue the common wealth and frankly supplie the want therof for our owne safetie then doubtlesse the Lord wil blesse and preserue our Prince and vs and stablish this kingdome in peace and prosperitie to flourish and to continue But if we be cold and negligent in Gods cause if we be vnthankefull and disobedient to our good Samuel to our gratious Soueraigne then let vs looke for that which God threateneth here by his prophet Both you and your king shall perish God graunt in his mercie that assisted with his grace we may syncerely seeke and serue him to his great glorie and our great safetie in this life and eternal saluation in the world to come To that immortall onely wise and most gratious God c. A Sermon preached in Yorke at the celebration of the day of the Queenes entraunce into her Raigne CANTIC 2. 15 Take vs the litle foxes which destroy the vines for our vine hath flourished SVch solemne assemblies in so sacred a place to giue God thankes for great benefites receiued are no rare things among Gods people but are confirmed by sundrie examples in the scriptures Nehemias after that the house of God was reedified assembled the people caused the Lawe of the Lord to be openly read gaue thankes vnto the Lord for their deliuerance from Babylon and for restitution of religion and with great reioising and feasting kept that day holie vnto the Lord. When by the meanes of Queene Hester the Iewes had gotten rest and giuen a great ouerthrow to their enemies she likewise with the aduise of hir godly vncle Mardocheus commanded the people to keepe that day the fourteenth of the moneth Adar holie vnto the Lord yerely to feast and giue thanks for Gods great mercies and their maruellous deliuerance When God had deliuered his people Israel from the tyrannie of Triphon by the meanes of Simon the high priest a gouernour and prince of the Iewes Simon ordained that the same day of their deliueraunce should yerely bee kept holie vnto the Lorde with gladnesse feasting and thankesgiuing The feasts of Passeouer Pentecost Tabernacles and such other were commaunded to be kept holie in remembraunce of great benefites receiued at the Lords hands The people of Israel with thankefull hearts remembring what a great benefite they had receiued when hee chose and annointed Dauid to be their king gathered together in a solemne assemblie to celebrate that happie daie and to giue God thankes sang with ioyfull acclamation vnto the Lord This is the daie which the Lord hath made let vs reioice and be glad in it 2 Greater cause to assemble together and to giue God thankes for blessings and benefites receiued had neuer nation or people than we presently haue For as this day now twentie yeres fully finished the Lorde in his mercie
and their prayer tooke away the force of the fire The scriptures are full of examples of all sorts Kings Prophets Apostles faithfull Christians haue called vpon the Lord in the time of their troubles hee hath heard them graunted their requests and deliuered them from their distresses Wherefore before all things the Apostle heere exhorteth vs vnto praier 10 But for whom First generally for all men then specially for kings and them that are placed in authoritie It seemeth some were of opinion that praiers should be made onely for the faithfull for the brethren for Christians and not for Infidels Paul to meete with this vncharitable error saith Let supplications be made for all men S Iohn in his Canonicall Epistle seemeth to make exception against this generall doctrine There is a sinne vnto death I say not that thou shouldest praie for it This is that sinne which Christ calleth sinne against the holy Ghost which neuer shall be remitted and therefore is not to be praied for But because it is hard for vs to discerne who sinne vnto eternall death Christian charitie wil that we hope wel of all and obserue the generall rule to praie for all There were secrets reuealed to the Apostles of Christ which are hidden from vs they had the gift of prophecying and discerning of spirits to foresee and knowe which gifts these times haue not Paul rapt into the third heauen learned secrets not to be reuealed hee knewe that Himenaeus and Alexander were reprobates We may not so iudge of others Who art thou that iudgest an other mans seruaunt In outward shewe after the iudgement of man Paul being a violent persecuter of Christ sinned vnto death yet was hee the elect vessell and glorious instrument of God Christ is the propitiation for the sinnes of the whole world he wil haue all men to be saued and to come to the knowledge of the trueth We must therefore haue a charitable meaning towards all and pray for all as he hath died for all Praie euen for your enemies for them that persecute and slander you Blesse them that curse you Wish well to them that doe ill to you For God suffereth his raine to fall and his light to shine both vpon good and bad Abraham praied for Abimeleck Moses for Idolaters Samuel for Saul Stephen for them that stoned him and Christ for them that cruelly put him to shamefull death Let vs imitate these holie paternes 11 As we should praie for all men so chiefely for kings and such as are in authoritie because they chiefly neede it In Pauls time the kings and rulers of the people were Ethnickes tyrants enemies to Christ and cruel persecuters of the Gospel wherevpon some thought it not conuenient for the Church to pray for them who sought to destroie it S. Paul abateth this opinion teaching them that they should chiefly praie for such as for men in greatest daunger and most needing the helpe of their praier Praie for him that praieth not for himselfe The prophet Ieremie requireth the Israelites to praie for the cruel persecutor of Gods people Nabuchadnetzar For God in his mercie giueth good princes and in his ire he giueth wantons as Esay saith and hypocrites as Iob writeth Both euill and good are the ordinaunce of God We must praie for ill princes because the kings heart is in Gods hand that he may turne their mindes and staie their persecutions of euil make them good and of strangers from the common wealth of his Saints make them pillers and staies vnto the Church For good princes we ought heartily to praise the Lord for them especially to pray as the prophet did for Salomon Giue thy iudgements to the King O God and thy righteousnesse to the Kings Sonne For it is the singular gift of God not onely to set vp rightfull gouernement in the world but also to cherishe and preserue the same Euen they whom he hath furnished with the spirite of righteousnesse and of iudgement are vnable furtherfoorth to execute their charge than they be specially directed by the hande of God and assisted from heauen with all helpes necessary for their calling If the Christians did praie for the wealth and prosperitie of those princes which bent all their force and power against the kingdome of Christ surely for such as are defenders of the faith and zealous patrones of Gods people wee ought daily and hourely to powre out supplications that God would grant them a long life a safe gouernementt a sure dwelling valiant souldiers faithfull counsellers a good people a quiet world and whatsoeuer the hearts of men or kings doe desire And let all such as wil not say Amen to those praiers assure themselues that they are neither duetifull Christians nor faithfull subiects but disloyall contemners of Gods ordinance and rebellious despisers of his commaundement who spake by the mouth of his Apostle saying Praie for Kings and all such as be in authoritie 12 If any Church any people any nation in the world haue cause to praise the Lord for their prince this Lande hath more than any in respect of the wonderfull blessings wherewith God by the ministerie of his handmaide hath enriched vs far beyond all that we are possibly able to conceiue Israell was well apaide with the good gouernement of Debora Iudith and Hester But they thought themselues twise happie when God gaue them Moses Samuel Dauid Salomon Iehosaphat Ezechias Iosias to gouerne them England liked well and tooke it for no small blessing of God when Henrie the first H. the second Edward the first Edward the third Edward the fourth H. the fift H. the sixt H. the seuenth H. the eight Edward the sixt bare rule ouer it But did God euer blesse the throne of any man as hee hath doone the royall seate of his annointed at this day Hath the like euer beene heard of in any nation to that which in ours is seene Our Debora hath mightily repressed the rebel Iaben our Iudith hath beheaded Holophernes the sworne enemie of Christianitie our Hester hath hanged vp that Haman which sought to bring both vs and our children into miserable seruitude And if we may compare with the ancients of Israel Moses was not more milde nor Samuel more iust nor Dauid more faithful nor Salomon more peacefull nor Iehosaphat more readie to assist his neighbours nor Ezechias more carefull for Gods cause nor Iozias more zealous to restore syncere religion If yee make the comparison betweene her owne predecessors neither was Henrie the first better learned nor Henrie the second more easie to forgiue and put vp iniuries nor Ed. the first more chast nor Ed. the third more loath to accept of forrein dominion being offred nor Ed. the fourth more iust in yeelding all men their owne nor H. the fift more happie nor H. the sixt more holie nor H. the seuenth more prudent nor H. the eight more valiant in quelling the Pope nor
must all offer 15 At the handes of the minister it is required that hee feed the flocke committed vnto his charge this is righteousnesse in him it is his sacrifice God will haue no blinde no lame no vncleane thing to be offered therfore let as many as offer the sacrifice of righteousnes take heede to that they doe The wordes of the Lorde are pure wordes like siluer tried in a fornace of earth fined seuen times He therefore that speaketh let him speake as the wordes of God 16 Furthermore as it is reason that they which sacrifice at the altar shoulde liue of the altar euen so it is against all equitie and right that the labour of preaching the Gospell shoulde rest vpon any mans backand the maintenance due for the same be withheld and kept from him It hath beene tolde you often and some haue beene angrie to heare it so often tolde that the ministerie is too much pinched the liuing of the Church so fleesed that manie worthy ministers haue scarce nay they haue not wherewith tolerablie to sustaine themselues 17 To come from the minister to the magistrate when heynous crimes are detected and brought to light there is then a speciall sacrifice of righteousnesse required at his handes such a sacrifice as Ioas offered who following the good aduise of Iehoida the high priest his faithfull counsellour put Athalia which had murthered the kinges children and vsurped the kingdome to the sworde The Lorde sometime doth so deale with his people that they plainely see his wrath to be kindled and his heauie indignatioÌ„ impossible to be appeased til this sacrifice be offred him The Israelites were ouerthrowne in battle till Achan was stoned to death King Dauid founde no rest in his kingdome till AbsoloÌ„ Adonias had that which their rebellious practises did deserue God requireth as well the sacrifice of iustice as of mercie yea he sometimes accepteth iustice for a sacrifice and plagueth mercie as a grieuous sinne If Dauid had not spared his sonne for murther his sonne had not troubled him with rebellion For rebellion he woulde also in fatherly pity and compassion haue spared him this God coulde not suffer but tooke execution of iustice him selfe stretched out the arme of an oake and strangled the gallant in his owne haire Saul suffred Agag but he felt the wrath of the Lorde for it to the losse of his kingdome Quiparcit lupo mactat gregem hee that spareth a wolfe spilleth the bloude of the flocke saith Chrisostome God appointeth the magistrate to be a reuenger vnto wrath vpon him that committeth euil They which glorie to haue the sworde rustie in the sheath when they woulde drawe it out peraduenture shall not so well be able Let magistrates therefore from the highest to the lowest execute iustice without feare or fauour when neede requireth and so they shall offer vp the sacrifice of righteousnesse 18 As this sacrifice belongeth peculiarlie to them so there are others belonging although to them yet not to them alone but to all Christians Wee must all sacrifice vnto the Lorde with our goodes with our mindes and with our bodies For all these we haue receiued to serue him withall With our goodes the needie must be relieued the naked clothed the hungrie comforted and fed For this sacrifice S. Paul commendeth to the PhilippiaÌ„s I was euen filled after that I had receiued of Epaphroditus that which came from you an odoure that smelleth sweete a sacrifice acceptable pleasant vnto God The like he hath also to the Hebrewes To doe good and to distribute forget not for with such sacrifice God is pleased 19 To haue the sacrifice of the bodie offered S. Paul is verie earnest with the Romaines I beseech you brethren by the mercies of God that yee giue vp your bodies a liuing sacrifice holie and acceptable vnto God Let not thine eye behold the thing which is euill and it is made a sacrifice let no vncleane word escape thy tongue and it is an offring let thine hande doe no harme and it is an oblation saith S. Chrysostome To the like effect Origen when thou subduest pride thou dost affer a calfe when wrath a ram when lust a goate a doue when a vaine and wandring cogitation But the most precious sacrifice of the bodie is when being mortified it is also offered to the crosse for the testimonie of Iesus Christ in whose cause the death of the Saints is deere in the sight of God If the Prophetes the Apostles the martyrs of all ages haue offred vp the glorious sacrifice of righteousnesse why should wee be acounted faithfull as they were vnlesse wee be willing to doe and to suffer as they did Wee haue a longe time had faire weather wisdome would that we should prouide for stormes Christs Church must be tried such is Gods woont A rough storme was rising but the Lord such are his mercies raised vp a winde which scattered the clowdes he hath in great fauour and tender loue deliuered vs from the Lions mouth Let vs therefore liue no longer in this our senslesse securitie but offer him sacrifice as of our bodies so likewise of our mindes repentance and praise 20 Our sinnes no doubt haue prouoked his wrath our ingratitude hath grieued him our iniquities haue kindled his indignation wee haue grieuouslye offended by despising his worde from the highest to the lowest The Magistrates are for the most part colde in Gods cause they are not eaten vp with the zeale of his house iustice iudgement they commonly omit wickedly peruert The guides and Pastours of the Church seeke themselues and not those things which belong to Iesus Christ. And the people not well guided nor â—euerely corrected are of all other farthest out of frame Now if the most high haue power ouer the kingdome of men to giue it to whom soeuer he will and to appoint ouer it most vile persons when pleaseth him and if because of our vnrighteous dealing he should as he hath done many a time and oft vnto nations farre greater and mightier then ours power vs as it were out of one vessell into an other translate the scepter of this kingdom from hand to hand in steede of a gracious and religious Lady cause an hypocrite to raigne ouer vs which the Lord neuer suffer these eyes to see what could we saie but God were iust in al his waies had brought that vpon vs which our sinnes haue deserued To appease his wrath and to staie these or the like plagues from breaking in and from ouerwhelming the land there is no other waie but speedily to offer vp the sacrifice of righteousnesse This is the sacrifice of righteousnesse euen a broken and a contrite heart 21 The other sacrifice of the minde is praise which consisteth in thankesgiuing and petition Let vs thanke our God for his manifolde mercies For it is the Lordes mercies that
an eare left were so effectual to deceiue al sorts of men that knowing this we cannot meruaile if poperie were spread far wide He did the Pope very profitable seruice which first found out this ground to builde on It bare vp their building a great while But after that the light began a litle to appeare when men had gotten once a sight of the scriptures in a knowen tongue they woondered to see the world so deluded in so much that euen amongst themselues such as had any small freedome of iudgement spared not plainely to auouche that this ground was but mire and slough altogether vnfitte for spiritual building Why that booke should be called a golden legend saith Viues for so it was intituled I doe not knowe sith it was written by a man of an yron mouth and a leaden heart and is altogether full of most shamelesse lies Erasmus likewise At this day saith he euerie bodies dreames yea the dotages of sillie women are read amongest diuine Scriptures 19 The last ground which they haue and the fairest to the eye is their traditions Vnder the name of doctrine receiued from Moses by word of mouth without writing that is to say tradition the Scribes and Pharisies were able smoothlie to carie away anything til Christ recalled all things to the Lawe the Psalmes and the Prophets til he opened the scriptures And as in other grounds so in this the Pope hath found by good experience that they cannot stand longer than the scriptures lie secret and vnknowen 20 He therefore that buildeth vpon these grounds hath cause I thinke to besturre hand and foote that men may be alwaies kept off from the scriptures For whatsoeuer is builded vpon these grounds by the scripture it is ouerthrowen The scriptures haue prescribed an holie communion they vpon their foundation haue reared a blasphemous Masse The scripture maketh baptisme the consecrated seale of mans saluation They vpon their foundation haue builded the baptisme of belles and shippes The scripture saith Christ was offered vp but once they vpon their foundation haue erected an altar whereupon he is daily offered vp The scripture wil haue the scriptures to be read of all men prayer to be made with vnderstanding Christ to be a full satisfaction for sinne worship to be doone vnto God alone They vpon their foundations haue builded a doctrine that forbiddeth Gods people to reade his word that teacheth them to powre out their prayer in a tongue which they cannot vnderstand that hath found out a way to satisfie the wrath of almightie God in this life by penaunce and after this life by indurance in Purgatorie a doctrine that commaundeth them to call vpon Saints and soules departed to worship the worke of their owne handes to say to a peece of bread My Lord my God If these doctrines of theirs did not containe as they doe most manifest impietie yet all religion builded vpon such grounds must needes be vaine and friuolous For although we offer vp neuer so many sacrifices though we keepe all the daies in the yere holie though we pray and giue thankes and doe almes yet except we knowe that herein we shewe obedience to the lawes and statutes of our God we doe but tire out our selues in vaine Wil God reward those things wherein he taketh no delight Or taketh he delight in any thing and hath not shewed it Or hath he shewed it and not in scripture Doubtlesse they worship him but in vaine which either teache or practise the precepts of men for the Lawes of God That they teache or practise the precepts of men they wil not graunt yet the most that possibly they can alledge to prooue any one of these things to be of God is this Such or such a father saith that this or this being not written is neuerthelesse Apostolicall And they knowe that the witnesses whom they cite in matters of tradition doe sometimes checke and contrarie one another In the controuersie that was betweene the East and West Churches concerning the feast of Easter the one part alledged tradition to prooue their custome and the other part tradition to prooue the contrarie It might be that neither was Apostolicall both could not be when eche gainesaide other Yet both must be if al be Apostolicall which the Fathers haue saide is Apostolicall If al be not where is the certaintie of these grounds Why doe they murther burne and persecute from place to place as many as make any doubt of these things which are grounded vpon so fickle and weake foundation 21 But to leaue the foundation whereupon they builde their doctrine if in the rest we finde them as corrupt as in this they haue beene declared weake surely then we may boldly affirme that the Church of Rome is rather a sinke of all abhomination than a fountaine from whence those liuing waters or a storehouse wherein that heauenly foode whereof the Prophet Esay speaketh may be had Let vs therefore nowe consider the end as wel of our religion as of theirs Let vs viewe the marke whereat eche part doeth shoote Whatsoeuer men doe they doe it to some end And the qualitie of things which are doone to any ende is iudged to be good or bad by the ende whereunto they are doone Hereof it is that in scripture things otherwise highly commended as prayer fasting and almes deedes are most bitterly reprooued when they tend to bad ends As there is but one author from whom all things are so there is but one end vnto whom al things should encline and bend themselues God is Alpha the first from whom all other things haue their being and beginning wherefore in reason he is Omega the end and finall cause of all things vpon him they must attend and seeing they are not of themselues therefore they may not serue themselues but for the glorie of him by whom they are From hence a rule may be gathered to iudge betweene pure religion in deede and that which is vntruely so called For that religion no doubt is best which most aduaunceth the glorie of God and that which taketh most from him the worst Ipsi gloria in Ecclesia In the Church of God all glorie is giuen not to men but to him This is the song of the true Church of Christ Righteousnesse O Lord belongeth vnto thee but vnto vs open shame 22 Wherefore touching our selues we teache with the blessed Apostles and Prophets that by nature we are the children of wrath that corruption is bredde and setled within our bones that we are both borne and begotten in it that with it all the powers and faculties of our nature are infected that still it cleaueth fast vnto our soules and although the deadly sting be taken from it yet there it sticketh as long as life doth endure so irkesome and so grieuous that it forceth the most vpright and perfect to crie Miserable man who shall deliuer me
the middest of them and what the Bishoppes in Synode did so conclude to bee godly and behooueful that he did ratifie and confirme 11 The ministers you see should teache the right waie He which beareth that name and performeth not this office is but an Idoll Let another take his Bishopricke Such drones were better smothered than suffered in that hiue where none should liue that wil not labour Such as sowe not why should they reape Neither is it any new thing to cast out vnworthie ministers who cast off care of their duetie Solomon deposed Abiathar the high Priest and Iustinian depriued Syluerius and Vigilius Bishops of Rome These are good presidents for Princes in like case to followe 12 Again such as teach but teach not the good right way such as are open and publike maintainers of errors and heresie such in the iudgement of God are thought vnworthie to liue Falsus Propheta moriatur Elias and Iehu did not thinke themselues imbrued but rather sanctified with such bloud I haue no cruell heart bloud be farre from me I minde nothing lesse Yet needes must it be graunted that the maintainers and teachers of errors heresie are to be repressed in euery Christian common wealth Such troublers of the quiet of the Church such deceiuers of the people are at leastwise according to the auncient commendable custome of the church to be remooued from the ministerie It is no reason that the church enemies should bee fostered in the bosome of the church The histories of things doone by good princes and rulers in these cases are so many and manifest that I neede not trouble you with recitall of them Amphilochius the Bishop sharply reprooued Theodosius the Emperour that he so long winked at Arius and suffered him to spreade his pestilent heresie farre and wide ouer the bodie of the church The Emperour was not angrie at the words of iust reproofe but foorthwith banished Arius and gaue him some part of his iust deserts The ministers what roume soeuer they haue in the church of God ought to pray and teache the good and right way or else to giue place to others that can and will And thus much for the duetie of the ministers 13 It followeth Feare the Lord and serue him in the trueth withall your hearts The Prophet in these words putteth the prince and people in remembrance of their dutie Wherin double seruice is required The seruice due vnto God and the seruice due vnto the common wealth The seruice which we owe vnto God is feare which feare is euer ioyned with loue and for that cause called a sonnelike feare to distinguish it from that seruile feare the ende whereof is desperation as the fruite of the former is loue which maketh not ashamed Feare God for they which feare him shal not feele his power All things bee naked and open before him He doeth see and wil iudge Feare him therefore but loue him too who hath so loued thee that hee hath not spared his onely sonne but giuen him to death for thee 14 God putteth the heads in minde of this duetie knowing that as they goe before so the people wil followe after Ieroboam gaue euil example and he made the people sinne Iosias feared and zealously serued God and the people did the like Quomodo reges Domino seruiunt in timore nisiea quae contra Domini iussa sunt religiosa seueritate prohibendo atque plectendo Aliter rex seruit vt homo aliter vt rex vt homo fideliter timendo vt rex leges iusta praecipientes contraria prohibentes sanciendo How doe Princes serue the Lorde in feare saith S. Augustine vnlesse with religious rigor they forbid and punish things wherein the statutes of the Lorde are broken The king serueth God as a man one way and an other way as a king As a man by leading a faithfull life as a king by making Lawes such as inioyne things that are iust forbid the contrary Ezechias did God the seruice of a king in destroying the groues and temples of Idols which were builded against the commandement of God Iosias did the like in reforming the church in dispatching all Idolatrie and superstition Darius did God royall seruice when he gaue the Idol into Daniels handes and cast his enemies into the denne of Lions Nabuchodonazer did the like when by straite Lawe hee commaunded that none should blaspheme but that all should serue the God of Sydrach My sach and Abednago Herein Princes doe rightly serue God as Princes when to serue him they doe such things as vnlesse they were Princes they could not doe 15 The first point of kinglie seruice vnto God is to purge and cleanse his Church Christ teacheth this by that which he did at his entering into that fowlie defiled temple of Ierusalem It appertaineth to Princes to Magistrates to them which are nowe assembled in this honourable Court of Parliament by all good meanes and Lawes to see Gods house made cleane that it may be the house of prayer and not a denne of theeues 16 First it must be purged from all false doctrine from all Idolatrie and superstition The good kings Ezechias and Iosias were careful in this behalfe They could not abide Idolatrie to be committed or God to be blasphemed within their dominons It had beene hard to haue purchased such a thing as a Masse at Moses hands with a masse of money That zealous Prince king Asa deposed Maacha his grandemother wholly from all gouernment for setting vp a foule Idol in a groue He that dealt so sharply with his grandmother for this surely would in no case or respect haue tolerated a blasphemous masse in his reformed church and kingdome The euill which others doe by our sufferance is ours We doe it when we suffer it to be done Princes to please princes may not displease the prince of all princes Feare the Lord and serue him in zeale and in trueth cast out of the church of England all leuin of blasphemie and Idolatrie So shall you glorifie God and he shal glorifie you Pauls heart was set on fire his spirit was kindled within him when hee sawe the citie of Athens giuen to Idolatrie Ye knowe the Historie of that woorthie man Mattathias We praie daily Hallowed be thy name but with what mindes if wittingly we suffer his name to be prophaned blasphemed 17 Feare the Lord purge his Church remooue all stones of offence out of his vineyard S. Pauls rule is Let all things in the Church be doone seemely What that seemelinesse is he himselfe expoundeth in these words Let all things be doone vnto edification The primatiue Church casting away Iudaicall and Heathenish rites was simple in her ceremonies The pope hath polluted and burthened the Church with both Wee may haue no other than such as are comely and serue for the
common wealth What stirs diuersities of religion hath raised in nations kingdoms the histories are so many so plaine and our times in such sort haue told you that with further proofe I need not trouble your eares One God one king one faith one profession is fit for one monarchie common wealth Diuision weakneth Concord strēgtheneth The storie of Scilurus the Scythian is knowen who vpon his death bed taught his lxxx sons the force of vnitie by the strength of sticks weake by themselues when they are tyed in a bundle Let conformitie and vnitie in religion be prouided for and it shal be as a wall of defence vnto this Realme 26 And as these things are especially to be regarded as our principal care must be for the highest matters synceritie and vnitie in religion so we may not neglect or passe ouer smaller things which neede redresse For as diseases and sores in the basest and vilest parts of the body doe grieue and may endaunger the chiefest vnlesse they bee cured betimes so the least abuses by sufferance may worke the greatest harme Gorgeous apparel and sumptuous dyet with such like matters may seeme small things but they are the causes of no small euils They eate vp England and are therefore to bee repressed by straite Lawes It is a part of true seruice done vnto God to see euen vnto these things 27 Wee may seeme to cast our eyes very lowe when wee looke into the dealings of euerie officer vnder the Prince Yet euerie one must be seene vnto They waxe sodainely rich by the spoile of the Prince Reforme it by Lawe that all may walke in trueth If merchaunts with other artificers and meaner trades doe inriche themselues by impouerishing others through deceitfull shifts the common wealth suffereth dammage by their vneuen dealings If we wil haue God serued in trueth wee must by Lawe reforme them 28 That biting worme of vsurie that deuouring wolfe hath consumed many many it hath pulled vpon their knees and brought to beggerie many such as might haue liued in great wealth and in honour not a fewe This canker hath corrupted all England It is become the chiefe chaffer and merchaundise of England We shall doe God and our countrie true seruice by taking away this euill Represse it by Lawe else the heauie hand of God hangeth ouer vs and wil strike vs. 29 That vile sinne of adulterie in Gods common wealth punished with death so ouerfloweth the bankes of all chastitie that if by sharpe Lawes it be not speedily cut off God from heauen with fire will consume it Preuent Gods wrath bridle this outrage so shal you serue the Lord in truth 30 There is nothing more hurtfull to the common wealth than these corner contracts without consent of parents contrary to the woorde of God the Lawe of nature the Lawe ciuil and all right and reason The inconueniences that followe are not sufferable Euaristus a Bishop of Rome saith It is not wedlocke but whoredome when the consent of parents is wanting God cannot bee better serued than if by Lawe yee restraine this vnlawfull contracting The children of this inconuenient mariage may scarsely bee termed lawfull The deuill that hath euer hated wedlocke and loueth whoredome was the first author of this great disorder God graunt you vnderstanding heartes and willing mindes faithfully and in trueth to trauell to represse and take away these euils 31 And as euill is to be controlled by Lawe so that which is good is also by Lawe to be procured God hath made vs many wayes riche For what wee haue freely at his hands we haue it But he himselfe is become very poore in so much that for want of reliefe he is forced to begge and for want of lodging and meate hee lieth and dieth in our streetes This great ingratitude God cannot but reuenge Oh what shame is this to a Christian common wealth in a reformed countrie Obstinate Iewes would neuer shew themselues so vnthankful Their auncient Lawe forbidding beggars is euen to this day most straitly kept amongest them Lawes in this behalfe haue beene prouided but as they wanted perfection so haue they in manner in no point or any where had execution Serue God in trueth prouide that Christ craue not Such as wil not feede him here he wil neuer feede in his kingdome Thus haue I point by point let you see disorders and wants in the common wealth Ye haue authoritie by Lawe to reforme them Consider duetifully of it and serue God truely as ye ought alwayes remembring the saying of the Prophet Esay Woe be to them that make wicked Lawes 32 When good Lawes are made they must be put in execution Lawe is the life of the common wealth and execution the life of the Lawe And better not to make Lawes than not to execute Lawes when they are once made This is the dutie of the publike ministers of the common wealth They must first keepe Lawes themselues then see that others in like sort may obserue them If the officers and ministers of the common wealth contemne lawes doubtlesse the people wil neuer reuerence them if they breake them the people wil neuer keep them Which Solon wisely considering wisely aunswered being demaunded what was chiefe safetie for a common wealth If the Citizens obey the Magistrate and the Magistrate the Lawes You that are appointed to this purpose and put in trust therewith lay aside dread and meede fauour and friendship gift and gaine and with simplicitie of heart punish the transgressor of the Lawe according to the Law Make not Anacharsis webbe of the Lawe Let not the hornet escape and the litle flie bee caught Fewe Lawes well made and well kept would serue the turne This is Gods seruice the execution thereof he hath set ouer to your hands Serue him in trueth and singlenesse of heart Cursed is he that negligently doeth the worke of the Lorde 33 Thus much hath beene spoken concerning higher powers and of their duetie in the seruice of God Samuel speaketh not to them alone to the people it is spoken as well as to the prince Feare and serue ye the Lorde in trueth Feare God embrace the Gospel leade your liues in holinesse and righteousnesse according to the word of trueth The Lorde is a strong defence to them that feare him They that feare him want nothing 34 Giue vnto the Lordes annointed due reuerence and honour Let euerie soule be subiect not by constraint but for conscience sake Imitate those worthie Israelites who were so willingly obedient to Iosua that they cryed with one voice Whosoeuer shall rebell against thy commaundement and will not obey thy woordes in all that thou commaundest him let him die Grudge not repine not at higher powers say not in your hearts Let vs breake their bands and cast away their chaines from vs. 35 Seeke the peace of the common wealth and
Bernard is the mother of toyes he might haue saide of vices and the stepdame of vertues Amasis king of Egypt made prouision by Lawe against idlenesse once a yere calling euerie man to a reckoning what he had gotten and what he had spent In this reckoning was neither the gaine of carding dicing vsurie briberie cousinage nor extortion allowed Let euerie man walke in that vocation wherewith God hath called him God hath called no man with these vocations Yet dare I not say neither will I that for anie man at any time in any sort to recreate himselfe with cardes or dise is sinne I am not of that opinion Yet it falleth out too often that these exercises are occasions of much sinne And when they are so it were no doubt much better to bee altogether idle than so ill occupied Wee must not plaie but walke 11 And least in walking wee should wander out of the waie the Prophet now teacheth vs wherein we should walke In trueth We must beware of crooked bywalkes the waie of the Lorde is the straite path of trueth Therefore the Prophet maketh this promise I will walke in thy trueth Truth comprehendeth both soundnesse of doctrine and integritie of life Salomon declareth that Dauid walked after this sort My father walked in trueth and iustice before thee In trueth of doctrine and in iustice of life He faithfully performed his promise vnto the Lord. 12 S. Paul complaineth grieuously of some walkers Many there are saith he that walke of whom I haue told you often and now tell you weeping They are enemies of the crosse of Christ. The crosse of Christ is taken here for the passion of Christ which suffered on the crosse Whoso offereth vp Christ againe once offered and sacrificed for our sinnes he is an enemie to the crosse of Christ. To seeke remission of sinnes redemption iustification satisfaction or saluation elsewhere than in Christ crucified is to bee an enemie to the crosse of Christ and to walke not in the high way of trueth but in the bypathes of wicked men 13 S. Paul noteth other bywalkers which walk according to the flesh In this byway walked the Sodomites the Beniamites yea and Dauid sometimes himselfe This was the bypath of the riche glutton which fed daintily day by day whose God was his bellie he serued no other Lord. In this byway walke all wantons flatterers lyers enuious persons stirrers of strife makers of diuision sectaries and such like The ende also of this way is perdition 14 Ezechiel complaineth of walkers which walke after couetousnesse This path is haunted of all sortes of men priests prophets themselues and prophets children yea kings haue beene subiect to this fault They are most miserable which take this way They enioie no quietnesse they tire out themselues with foolish cares they entangle their hearts with noysome lusts they grieue the spirit their toile and vexation hath neither ende nor measure The prophet therefore beggeth at the handes of God Encline mine heart to thy testimonies and not to couetousnesse 15 Ieremie complaineth of walkers in the hardnesse of their hearts They haue hearts trampled on with the feete of men and made as hard as a beaten waie They are become as obstinate against the word and message of God as euer was Pharao There is planted a preiudice in them from which they cannot goe back No enchauntment bee it neuer so wise can haue any force vpon them their eares are so cunningly and so closely stopped 16 Dauid complaineth of such walkers as are led by the counsell of the wicked as Eue by the serpent Absolon by Achitophel Saul by Doeg Roboam by a traine of lewde companions rash heads The waie of all these vngodlie ones shall perish 17 There is also another kinde of inordinate walkers complained of by the Apostle which worke not at all but vnder pretense of zeale and religion forsake all labour and occupie their heads wholy with searching and sifting other mens dooings their tongues onely with barking against such as God hath placed in authoritie their eares with nothing but listening after straunge and newe reports These are spreaders of brutes brochers of newes informers of men how the world shall wagge They are still beating and forging out newe plots of common wealths and vndermining the olde They are one of the woorst kinds of men that liue The vnbridled malapertnesse of such men the prophet Dauid seemeth to touch when he saith The tongue of them walketh throughout the earth They make no difference of any person high or lowe they stay no where Dauid though a king Paul though an Apostle Christ though the sonne of the liuing God escaped not the reach of these venimous creatures Such walking tongues would be tyed short If men cannot bridle them yet of this wee are sure that Slaundering and lying lippes the Lord will destroie 18 Ieremie complaineth also of certaine walkers whom he termeth rebellious traitors walking craftily flattering them whom they purpose to vndermine These bee cunning courtlike men whose countenance wil neuer bewraie that which lieth secretly hid within their hearts Of this crue was Siba who pretended great good to his master Mephiboseth but spying a time begged his whole inheritance of the king And Herod that foxe which made a shewe of religious worshipping him whom his meaning was cruelly to destroie And Ioab which fraudulētly bare Abner in hand that he came to talke with him as a friend but getting opportunitie stabd him to the heart And the sonnes of Iacob who vnder pretense of friendship mariage and ioining in religion with the Sichemites caused them to be circumcised and when they were sore fell vpon them and murthered them without compassion or pitie Let no man defraude or circumuent for the Lord is the auenger of all such things But as S. Paul faith What should I say more Time would be too short if I should remember vnto you all the bywaies wherein the wicked doe walke 19 The prophet Dauid seemeth to bee much grieued at the great swarmes of bad walkers in his daies The wicked saith hee doe walke on euerie side And he yeeldeth the reason Because they are exalted When bad men are placed in great roumes when the base are exalted and lifted vp into places of authoritie then the bounds of wickednesse are inlarged and sinne going on without controlement gathereth strength Christ therefore requireth carefull choise of ministers in his church his desire is to haue them faithfull and wise Paul would place none but such as were well testified to be blamelesse in life and apt to teach with wholesome doctrine The admitters of ministers are too lauish in our daies they haue litle regard or care whom they take S. Pauls lesson Lay not hands on any man rashly is forgotten The preferrers vnto liuings are no lesse faultie they choose of the
of heauen to burne vp cities it destroied the Tribe of Beniamin Let it not be once named amongst you They that are such shall not inherite the kingdome of God These fowle offenders are here termed Sinners 5 The Iewes were grieuous sinners which slewe their Prophets and stoned such as were sent vnto them But they escaped not his heauie hand whose seruaunts they did so cruelly entreate God plagued this their sinne with strange desolation Hee made their house like Shilo and their citie a curse to all the nations of the earth The Lord hath also sent wise men Scribes and Embassadors vnto vs of them in these our daies we haue killed and crucified none we haue scourged none of them in our Synagogues we haue persecuted none from citie to citie we haue not beaten one and stoned another wee haue not dealt thus cruelly with any one of them but wee haue dealt hardly and vnkindely with moe than one No mans life hath beene touched many mens liuings are They haue not beene murthered and slaine they are defaced reuiled and made contemptible to the whole worlde These messengers ought to be better esteemed for their masters and for their message sake But the sonne of God whose seruants they are wil in his good time reuenge it he will not beare this iniurious ignominie doone to himselfe He that despiseth you despiseth me Such contemners of Christ and of his ministers may most iustly be called Sinners 6 Achab gaue great and open offence in robbing Naboth of his vineyard And God did reuenge this open sinne with an open plague punishing the deuourer with deuourers bloud with bloud The vineyard of the Lorde is set ouer to the spoile it is the onely pray that is left for greedie cormorants to rauen vpon The hedge is broken wilde boares are entred in for to destroie it If God had not set his elect ouer it no doubt ere this day it had beene vtterly laide wast You could haue looked for no grapes of pietie of learning or of religion of it but beeing rooted vp by these violent boares it would haue brought out nothing but sowthistles ignorance superstition and grosse Idolatrie But Woe be to thee that spoilest shalt not thou be spoiled How both the Church and common wealth are spoiled all men see it but fewe wil tell it and no man goeth about to redresse it These greedie gleaners are also in the number of them whom our Apostle here nameth Sinners 7 The sinne of king Saul was heinous in consulting with a witch that had a familiar spirite inquiring of her what chaunce should befall him This grieuous sinne God grieuously and without delay plagued On the next morowe he and his sonnes were slaine all Israel discomfited murthered and put to flight If euerie good gift come from God shall wee seeke helpe at diuels hands If onely God knoweth the heart of man and things to come shall we inquire of secrets at the mouth of Satan The diuell is a lyer and shall we beleeue him Hee is our aduersarie and shall we seeke aide of him Hee is a deceiuer and shall wee trust in him There is no fellowship betweene Christ and Beliall neither ought the seruaunts of Christ to communicate with such seruaunts of Satan Let witches sorcerers and sowthsaiers die the death saith the Lorde Such as communicate with them communicate with diuels and such also are Sinners 8 Doeg sinned greatly in accusing faithfull Dauid and the good high Priest Aâ—imelech to king Saul who being light of beleefe persecuted the one and murthered the other Haman dealing so with godlie Mardocheus brought him almost to the gallowes and his people to great confusion The Arrians accused the right Christian Bishop Athanasius of incontinencie before the Emperor Constantinus but his innocencie through the prouidence of God cleared him Christ was charged to bee a drunkard a companion of sinners a destroier of the Lawe and of the Temple an enemie to Caesar. Such false accusations are more current in these our euill times and latter daies than euer If the Heathen accounted it a discredite to be termed an accuser may we not iustly call false accusers sinners By whose meanes if false accusations may get credite innocencie shall be condemned Christ shall be crucified as a malefactor and Barrabas as an innocent shall be let loose Wherefore the Ciuill Lawe hath wel prouided that the false accuser receiue as much dammage as hee seeketh to bring vpon an other And this Law hath beene sometimes executed He that falsely accused Appollonius was so serued For failing in his proofe sentence was giuen that both his thighes should be broken This is another kinde of Sinners 9 Now as our Apostle remembreth vnto vs open sinners so doth he also couert sinners whom he calleth double minded The Sichemites were double minded in matters of religion who in respect of gaine and profite were content outwardly to yeeld to Iacob and his sonnes to receiue the Iewes religion and to bee circumcised Men for commoditie can transforme themselues into all colours and conditions and in open shewe professe any religion inwardly keeping their false hearts to themselues 10 Which practise the Familie of loue hath lately drawne to a precept and hath newlie broached it as saleable doctrine that men neede not openly be of any religion whereby they may endanger themselues that it is good Christiandome to lie sweare forsweare to say and vnsay to any sauing such as be of the same Familie with whom they must only vse al plainnes keep their mysteries secret from all others to themselues These men may doe any thing to auoide affliction and they haue scripture for that purpose Your bodies are the temples of the holie Ghost you may not suffer Gods temples to be touched As fitly alleaged as Scriptum est by the diuell 11 In a paper which of late came from the Pope as a token to his deare children there were printed the fiue woundes of Christ with this poesie Fili da mihi cor tuum sufficit Sonne giue me thy heart and it sufficeth Whether his Holinesse did meane thereby to allowe dissimulation or no I will not define His practises are mysticall and his broode is so throughly framed in this way that they seeme to take the Popes embleme in no other meaning They halt on both sides they serue all times and turne with all windes By professing all religions they shew themselues plainly to be of none They haue double hearts one heart for the Prince another for the Pope one for Christ and an other for Baal one for a Communion and an other for a Masse These dissembling wolues put vpon themselues sheepes skins to deceiue withall Now are they milde and gentle flattering and promising all loyaltie to the prince conformitie to gouernement and consent to religion But if the times should turne they would turne off the
to spare such as attempted the ouerthrowe of true religion or made the people to bowe themselues vnto strange gods In such cases the verie heads and princes of the people escaped not his iust hands Hee did wisely consider that as it is a point of mercie to pardon priuate wrongs so not to punish publike transgressors against God and the state were great iniustice it beeing in doubt whether their deedes were more pestilent or their example if it were strengthened by impunitie would be more pernicious The scepter of thy kingdome saith the Prophet is a scepter of righteousnesse And he prooueth it thus For thou louest righteousnesse and hatest iniquitie Wilt thou knowe what is good and what the Lord requireth of thee Surely saith the Prophet to doe iustice and to loue mercie The song of Dauid had these two parts Mercie and Iudgement Princes are Gods lieuetenants his person they beare and his image they must resemble In him both these are ioined together I am the Lord which shewe mercie iudgement and righteousnesse on earth Mercie without iustice is not mercie but follie saith S. Chrysostome And againe Mercie is then rightly termed mercie if it be shewed so that iustice be not thereby brought into contempt And S. Augustine saith that As it is mercie sometimes to punish so sometimes to spare is crueltie Concerning our selues thus much I can say that if care bee not had thereof in time to keepe backe the rage of sinne by repressing sinners it wil be too late when the Land doth flowe with bloud to thinke vpon it Moses so loued the safetie of his people that hee cried Lord spare them or wipe me out of the booke of life To haue a gouernour like to Moses milde and mercifull yet not carelesse to be zealous in Gods cause nor vnmindefull in iustice to punish great transgressors is a great a rare blessing Which if our God haue bestowed vpon vs for vnto him wee must acknowledge it although in this place I passe it ouer because my desire is not to please but to teache neither did I euer vse flattering woords as ye know but if God haue beene mercifull to vs heerein the Lorde make vs thankefull for it 7 Together with Moses God gaue his people Aaron the Priest which gift he accounteth also as a great blessing Yet Aaron was a man though of great vertue not altogether without blemish We see how for feare of the people more than of God in the absence of Moses he plaied the milkesop erected an Idol and with his bodie wheresoeuer his heart was become either committed Idolatrie or at least permitted it perswaded hereunto as some suppose by Marie the sister of Moses We haue too many followers of the steps of Aaron in this weakenesse Howbeit vnto some God hath giuen a greater measure of strength courage some there are more bold and constant in Gods cause and their duetie some that will not bowe their knees to Baal that wil not displease God for the pleasuring of man some whose libertie and liues are not so deere vnto them but that they can be contented not onely to bee bound but also to die for the testimonie of Christ. Of this better sort although in comparison of the woorse the number be not so great as good yet I suppose that fewe Nations vnder heauen haue moe faithfull and able ministers than this Land hath Beg we at the hands of the Lord of the haruest to send moe pastors and fewer hyrelings moe labourers and fewer loyterers For in respect of the greatnesse of the haruest these workemen though they be many yet are but fewe When God doth giue his people good gouernours and wise teachers when he maketh their men to excell in wisedome their princes to be as Moses and their Priests as Aaron and besides all this raiseth vp women like to Marie amongst them powring out his spirite not onely vpon their sonnes but vpon their daughters also choosing out of them notwithstanding their weakenesse mightie instruments of his power surely a benefite so rare and pretious should winne mens hearts vnto God for euer 8 But the Prophet goeth forward and maketh mention of a third thing which is that God did turne the cursings of Balaam into blessings Remember what Balak King of Moab had deuised and what Balaam the sonne of Peor aunswered him from Shittim to Gilgall that ye may knowe the righteousnesse of the Lord. It fretted the heart of that prophane king Balak to beholde the flourishing prosperitie of Gods people to see Og the king of Bashan and Sihon king of the Amorites conquered and slaine by them This multitude saith he will licke vp all that are about vs as an oxe licketh vp the grasse of the fielde Wherefore mistrusting his owne strength hauing feene trial of theirs he deuised to hire Balaam the wisard to curse them and thought by that meane without all peraduenture to preuaile ouer them But ye knowe Balaams answeres the first How shall I curse where God hath not cursed the second God hath blessed and I cannot alter it the third How goodly are thy tents O Iacob and thine habitations O Israel As the valleies are they stretched foorth as gardens by the riuers side as the Aloe trees which the Lord hath planted and as the cedars beside the waters When hee sawe that God would not suffer his tongue to curse Israel though it were hyred hee gaue Balak this aduise to cause the daughters of Moab to steale away their hearts by carnall pleasure and so to allure them vnto the sacrifice of their gods that they forsaking the true God he might also forsake them This practise was a stumbling block in their way whilest they abode in Shittim they committed fornication they coupled themselues vnto Baal Peor and ate of things sacrificed vnto Idols and diuels Wherefore God plagued them and laid his heauie hand vpon them Howbeit he withdrewe not his mercie and kindenesse wholly from them but in Gilgal tooke away this their shame and sealed againe the couenant of reconciled loue So that as there was no curse which could take away his blessing so there was no counsell that could hinder his good purpose towards his people Yee are not ignoraunt how the Balamite of Rome hath cursed vs our prince our prophets and our people euen as the Philistim cursed Dauid by his gods But we haue found the promise of Christ most true Blessed are yee when they shall reuile you Our God hath turned all his curses into blessings his name be blessed for it The Pope that Balaam hath bitterly cursed the ground whereon we goe and the whole Land wherein wee liue But hath there growen a brier or a thorne the more vpon it for all that mans curse Hee that shall surueie it and viewe it well and marke the plentifulnesse of these latter yeeres must needes confesse that God hath bestowed vpon
it more than ordinarie or vsuall blessings As the blessings of that man are by God accursed so where he curseth there the Lord blesseth and to the eternall reproofe of that our enemies vniust and vncharitable execration he hath in these our daies opened his bountifull hand farre wider than in former times when those Antichristian blessings came posting yerely from Rome and embraced our Lande so kindely that they sucked the sappe of wealth both from braunche and roote The Land of Canaan was a pleasaunt and a fruitefull Land flowing with milke and abounding with honie truely it was barren and almost beggerly in respect of our aboundance and store God may iustly say to vs What could I haue doone more vnto my vineyard which I haue not doone vnto it He hath miraculously giuen and continued with vs that grand blessing of his glorious Gospell he hath wonderfully preserued our Soueraigne his seruant he hath kept her safe as Moses and Dauid from Pharao from Dathan and from Amalek from Goliah from Saul from Absolon from the hands of her open enemies and treasons of her deceitfull friends he hath not onely giuen her a circumspect heart to foresee and to preuent and I trust to cut off all intended destruction but also hath more than miraculously abated the pride and confounded the manifold counsels of her and our enemies and contrarie to all expectation kept vs in peace and safetie GOD make vs thankefull and giue vs hearts syncerely bent to seeke him which so mercifully by his benefites and graces hath sought vs. How great is thy goodnesse O Lord which thou hast laide vp in store for them that feare thee For this shall euerie one that is godlie make his praier vnto thee in a time when thou maist be found and call vpon thee while thou art neere 9 If this way will not serue to bring vs vnto God another must be assayed if we wil not be led by faire meanes we shall be drawne by fowle God hath blessings for them which are of a pliable minde but for the froward rods Them he first threateneth as hauing no delight or pleasure to punish hee punisheth as one vnwilling to destroie Gods corrections is for our reformation but if it will not reforme vs for our confusion This selfe loue of ours this senselesse securitie this contempt of Gods woord this want of godlie zeale these contriuings of treason and conspiracie are tokens that God hath bent his dreadfull bowe and is preparing to make his arrowes drunke with our bloud If hee spared neither Israelites nor Angels doubtlesse neither will he spare vs except vnfeinedly we seeke him and seeke him nowe 10 For now is the acceptable time now is grace offered the Lord now stretcheth out his handes of mercie this is the daie wherein the Lorde may be found of them that seeke him But some stop their eares at this and will not heare they are too wise to be enchaunted with these times If ye tell them of seeking the Lord their answere is Who is the Lord They say plainely in their foolish hearts There is no God But the iust God will one day shew himselfe to their confusion Others haue their excuses of worldly hinderaunces and lets Fermes or Oxen or Wiues haue tied them by the legge when they should goe and seeke the Lord. Others haue a minde not vtterly vnwilling to seeke after him but they would faine staie a while seeke him hereafter Youth they say must haue his swinge let olde age waxe holie Such nouices there were of whom Chrysostome writeth that they would not be baptised vntill they were in their death beddes least baptisme should be as a bridle to hold them in They were desirous to haue their foorth in their carnall desires and at the end of their daies by baptisme to wash away all at once But God shall mocke such craft and they who wil not come when he calleth when they call shal not be heard Beware of these delaies Let vs not differre and put off till to morowe but while it is called to day euen whilest this acceptable day is let vs seeke the Lorde that wee may finde him Nowe he is readie to meete vs by the way and louingly to embrace vs with the armes of his eternall mercie 11 The second thing to be cōsidered is how we may seeke the Lord in seking him be sure to find him I wil omit to shew how vainly the Gentiles in their Idols the Iewes in their ceremonies traditions the Papists in their superstitions do seeke the Lord. They seeke him and finde him not because they seeke him where he is not not where he is as themselues haue imagined and not as he hath prescribed The first entrance into the waie where God will be found is faith Fide tangitur Christus fide videtur saith S. Ambrose By faith Christ is handled by faith he is seene By faith he is found All our trauell in seeking without faith is but a fruitlesse wearying of our deceiued soules For he that commeth vnto God must beleeue 12 And the way to beleeue is hearing for by hearing commeth faith The word is that starre which guideth and directeth vs vnto Christ. Search the Scriptures For to this end they are written That ye might beleeue that Iesus is Christ the sonne of God and that beleeuing ye might haue eternall life They were written to be red and therefore S. Paul chargeth Timothie straitlie Giue attendance to reading They were written to bee red not of him onely but of vs also in what condition or estate soeuer God hath placed vs. Princes are not exempted more than others no they aboue others are especially charged to trauell heerein What charge can be deuised more effectuall than that which is giuen vnto Iosua Let not this booke of the Lawe depart out of thy mouth but meditate thou therein day and night that thou maist obserue and doe according to all that is written therein for then shalt thou make thy way prosperous and then shalt thou haue good successe Good reason it is that as Kings doe raigne and hold their power by him so his will reuealed in his word should be the rule and direction of their gouernement If they thinke to establish their thrones better by their owne wise and politike deuises they are greatly deceiued There is no policie no wisedome like the wisedome of GOD. The common wealths which Aristotle and Plato haue framed in their Bookes otherwise full of wisdome yet compared with diuine policies with that citie for whose sake and benefite the Lord doth watch what are they but fancies of foolish men As for Machiauels inuentions they are but the dreames of a brainesicke person founded vpon the craft of man and not vpon godlie wisedome which onely hath good effect Godlie Princes haue no neede to seeke for counsell at these mens hands the mouth of the Lord
as the verie bane and pestilence of a common wealth whereof the olde Romane both historie and practise is an often witnesse These secret shifts are seene of God and abhorred and will be reuenged Well maiest thou escape the hands of man by thy colored delusions yet canst thou not escape the sharpe and swift iudgement of God who accordingly as hee hath threatened will exclude thee out of his kingdome interdict thee his tabernacle and hurle thee into hel where thy euill gotten monie can neither redeeme nor help thee A iust reward for thy vniust vsurie Our Apostle requireth that we paie vnto euerie man the thing that we owe. And wee are as much debtors to lend freely as others faithfully to pay the thing which is lent 13 The merchaunt is indebted to his neighbour the feller to the buyer to deale truely with him not to defraude him by false weights false measures false lights false words by swearing and forswearing or by any such vsuall but vnlawfull meane One lesson obserued serueth this matter lend as thou wouldst borrowe sell as thou wouldst buie doe as thou wouldst bee doone vnto This is duetie this is debt Pay it and owe nothing vnto any man but this that ye loue one another 14 The debt of loue is naturall and continuall We all owe it and we owe it vnto all And vnto whom we owe it we neuer pay it except we acknowledge that we owe it stil. In this debt of loue we must consider why we must loue whom wee must loue and lastly how we must loue 15 To omit the reasons drawne from nature this one taken from the God of nature shal suffice We must loue because God hath so commanded and because it is the fulfilling of all his commandements I giue you a newe commandement saith Christ that yee loue one another In our newe birth or regeneration wee are made brethren and fellowe heires with Christ of Gods kingdome As God therefore for euer loueth vs in Christ so wee ought to loue our brethren for God and in Christ for euer If ye wil be knowne to be his seruaunts by this men shall knowe you If yee will bee counted not hearers onely but also doers of the Lawe the Lawe is loue He that loueth another fulfilleth the Lawe Which the Apostle prooueth thus The Lawe saith Thou shalt not kil thou shalt not steale thou shalt not beare false witnesse thou shalt not couet that is to say thou shalt no way harme thy brother Loue doth no euill or hurt to any hee that loueth his neighbour will not take away his life will not defile his bed will not steale or rob him of his goods will not witnesse vntruely against him wil not in his heart couet any thing that is his And he that doth any of these things against him beareth not in deed hearty and true loue towards him Therefore is loue the fulfilling of the Lawe So that you see great cause why we should enter into this holie and Christian band of loue 16 But whom must we loue Thou shalt loue thy neighbour And who is our neighbour Not hee onely to whom wee are ioined by familiar acquaintance by alliance or neerenesse of dwelling but whosoeuer doth neede our helpe he is our neighbour be he Iewe or Gentile Christian or Infidell yea friend or enemie he is our neighbour To him wee ought to bee neere to doe him good It is friuolous for thee to obiect hee is mine enemie hee hath many waies wronged me he hath raised slanderous reports of me he hath practised against me spoiled and robbed me how can I loue him If Christ had loued his friends onely he had neuer loued thee whosoeuer thou art Loke vpon him whose hands were stretched out vpon the crosse for his enemies and for thee when thou wast his foe No man proposeth him as a paterne to be followed whom in his heart he doth mislike Thou mislikest thine enemie because he hateth thee if thou hate him then doest thou imitate the very thing which thou hatest Loue thy neighbour therefore without exception and loue him as thy selfe 17 For after this maner wee ought to loue No man hateth his owne fleshe no man is enuious of his owne commoditie or preferment Nature breedeth a selfeloue in euerie man And as this Lawe of nature doth woorke in vs a very feruent and carefull desire both to procure vnto our selues whatsoeuer wee are perswaded is good and to auoide whatsoeuer seemeth hurtfull or noysome So the Lawe of charitie requireth at our handes like readinesse and cheerefulnesse to benefite others Of loue towards our selues we hide and very warily couer all such faults as might any way worke our discredit or disgrace If we loue our brethren as our selues we will no more blase their offences than our own Charitie doth hide the multitude of sinnes But when we inlarge the sins of other men that they may seeme great or recken them vp by one and one to make them appeare as if they were many how fulfill we the Lawe of charitie would wee doe this in our owne transgressions we are neuer wearie in dooing good to our selues but to doe good to others wee haue no sooner begun but we are euen tired Our selues we loue not in woord and shew but in truth and in deede If wee speake deceitfully euerie one to his neighbour if we flatter with our lippes if we carie in our heads a double tongue and in our bodies a double heart and say wee loue we lie Which of vs beeing in his right minde doth lift vp his fist to strike himselfe If any part of our bodies be out of frame any bone out of ioint we seeke by and by all the helpe we can to set it in The name of strife and contention would neuer he heard of if we were thus affected towards others The onely breache of peace is the want of loue he that loueth al men wil haue peace with all men 18 Yet this doth suffer a kind of exception Haue peace with all men saith the Apostle but he addeth if it may be and as much as in you lieth It may not be which may not be lawfully Wee may not so yeeld vnto loue that wee yeeld vnto sinne withall not so haue peace with our neighbors that to continue loue with them we depart from the faith and loue of God or that for peace sake we flatter and followe our neighbour in his euill That were to fall out with Christ that we may keepe in with men If thy hand or eye offend thee cut the one off plucke the other out Loue Gods creation but hate all sinnefulnesse the Lorde also doth abhorre it And therfore we must be well content to loose the loue and beare the enmitie of the whole world for the loue we beare to God and his trueth With that strife to keepe this peace the Lord is pleased 19 But we are fallen into these euill
not into the temple as did Aaron wil hardly behaue themselues in the house of the Lord as Aaron did Iason obteined a superioritie in the Church by monie But howe behaued he himselfe in this his purchased function Began he not immediatly to drawe his brethren to the customes of the Gentiles Did hee not by and by change their Lawes and policies and bring vp newe statutes contrarie to their Lawe As the good sheepeheard entring in at the doore when he is entred guideth his sheepe as Dauid in the discretion of his hands feedeth them carefully with wholesome doctrine walketh in all vprightnesse of holie and vndefiled conuersation before them so he that climeth vp an other way after hee hath gotten himselfe in seeketh nothing but to steale kil and destroie The theefe commeth not but to steale to kill and to destroie Hee hath no other ende or purpose 13 The onely thing that should be desired by the pastor is the weale and benefite of his flocke For if the marke whereat wee shoote be but to make our commoditie by the Gospell of Iesus Christ wherein doe we differ from theeues and robbers Is not our intent and purpose the very selfesame with theirs Wherefore S. Peters exhortation is Feede the flocke of God caring for it not for filthie lucre but of a readie minde If a man haue al knowledge in so much that he be able to speake with tongues yea and to prophecie yet if the thing for which he laboureth be his owne gaine if he vse this vocation than which nothing is more pretious and holie onely as a way or trade to liue by whatsoeuer hee receiueth with such a minde he stealeth rather than receiueth it This is that whereof the Lorde complaineth so grieuously by his Prophets The priests teache for hire the prophets prophecie for monie yet will they leane vpon the Lord and say Is not the Lord among vs And againe These sheepeheards cannot vnderstand they all looke to their owne way euerie one for his aduantage and for his owne purpose Moses blessing Leuie before his death saith first They shall teache Iacob thy iudgements and Israel thy Lawe they shall put incense before thy face and then addeth Blesse O Lord his substance accept the worke of his hands As if he should haue saide So long as Leuie and his sonnes doe not seeke their owne commoditie but thy glorie thou art righteous and canst not forget to prouide in large maner both for them and theirs As indeede till the men of that sacred order tooke fleshhookes in their hands and sought to better their estate by force til they became like to greedie mastiues rauening curres who euer sawe the Leuite of the Lord forsaken or the sonne of the Leuite begging his bread So likewise the Church of GOD was neuer spoiled till her pastors were ouercarefull to be inriched In the prime and first appearing of Christian religion as long as that heroicall contempt of earthly things continued in the guides and leaders of the people what heapes of worldly treasure were brought and laide downe euen at their feete Men thought themselues to performe nothing worthie of that profession into which they were entred vnlesse they sold away their lands goods and possessions and gaue al to make thē rich by whose meanes thēselues were become righteous The contrarie to which affection as in other parts of the Christian world so in this also hath taken such roote and is growen nowe so strong that God may iustly charge vs as sometime he did his owne people saying Ye haue spoiled me euen this whole Nation If therefore we be grieued as who is not grieued to see the hauocke that is made of the Church of GOD let vs change our earthly and worldly affection that he may change the condition of his Church God is no puruey or for theeues and robbers Let vs in synceritie and in truth heartily and in deede despise our own gaine for his glorie and prooue him if hee will not rebuke these deuourers for our sakes 14 The next thing which Christ obserueth in theeues is this they destroie the flocke and make as litle conscience to kill as to steale They kill not the bodies but the soules of men The life of the soule is the word of truth wherein whosoeuer hath taken vpon him to instruct the flocke of Christ and either cannot or wil not doe it what doth he else but kil and destroie Moses speaking of the obedience of Israel to the Lawes and statutes of their God This is saith he your wisedome But howe came Israel by that wisedome Did they naturally knowe the Lord as beasts doe naturally knowe their dammes No The Lord said vnto me saith Moses Gather the people together and I wil cause them to heare my woordes that they may learne to feare me all the daies that they shall liue vpon the earth and that they may teache their children So they came neere and stoode vnder the mountaine and were taught of God which spake vnto them out of the midst of the fire Thus God taught Israel then Afterward he raised vp prophets among them of their owne brethren and they were taught by men like vnto themselues Neither hath God at any time ceased and left off but from the beginning of the world to this verie houre he hath giuen men knowledge by instruction and saued his elect by teaching Can not God then giue wisedome from aboue without a teacher Yes God is able to mainteine the life of man without bread But why doe we talke of his absolute power when his wil is that Cornelius be taught by Peter Lydia by Paul Paul by Ananias the Eunuch by Philip euerie soule that is wise in the doctrine of saluation by Apostles Prophets Euangelists teachers appointed for the gathering together of the Saints for the worke of the ministerie and for the edification of the bodie of Christ. As therefore he that wil liue must eate so he that will bee saued must haue a teacher Wherefore when the Lorde meant a blessing to his people hee made them this promise I will giue you pastors according to my heart which shall feede you with knowledge and vnderstanding When their pastors were voide of knowledge and vnderstanding this was euer a token that their ruine and destruction was at hande Come nowe saith the prophet all ye beasts of the field come to deuoure euen all the beasts of the forrest this people cannot continue nowe they must needes perish for their watchemen are all blinde they haue no knowledge they are all dumme dogges and cannot barke they lie asleepe and delight in sleeping We are vnworthie of our liues if we doe not acknowledge the woonderfull blessing of God in our ministerie at this day For howsoeuer it bee debased by some yet is it so farre off God be thanked from the state of the Iewish Clergie in those daies that I am perswaded
sins Secondly it causeth vs to be giuen to hospitalitie Thirdly it will not suffer men to hide those graces which they haue receiued at Gods handes but is a cause of bestowing the same to the vse benefit of their brethrē 17 It is not our charitie that can couer our sins from the sight of God Christ is the propitiation for our sinnes It is I that blot out your iniquities sayth the Lorde But as Gods loue to vs ward couereth our sinnes so our towardes our brethren doeth couer theirs If God loue vs his mercie is as a cloke that hideth all our shame he seeth no blemish or deformity in vs. If we loue our brethren our charity is as a vaile before our eies we behold not their faults Although they be great we do not waie thē although many we recken thē not For charitie couereth euen the multitude of sins The eye of the charitable man is alwaies vewing his owne woundes as for the scarres of other 〈◊〉 he seeth them not His hād is alwaies occupied not in picking out motes frō other mens eyes but in drawing out beames from his owne S. Augustine to shew the great dislike he had of such as vncharitably delighted to vnfold other mens faults wrote these verses ouer his table Quisquis amat dictis absentum rodere vitam Hanc mensam vetitam nouerit esse sibi Who so loueth to gnawe vpon men in their absence Let him knowe that this table doth not like his presence 18 The next fruit of loue is hospitalitie Be harborus one toward another without grudging S. Paul is of the same iudgement For hauing vsed this exhortation Let brotherly loue continue he immediatly addeth Be not forgetfull to lodge strangers Hospitalitie hath respect vnto all men but chiefly to strangers namely such as are of the houshould of faith and are driuen out of their countrie for the profession of Christs Gospel Such are chiefly to be releeued Of such especially it is written and prouided for in the lawe The strāger that dwelleth with you shalbe as one of your selues thou shalt loue him as thy selfe for ye were strangers in the lande of Egypt I am the Lord your God God hath offered vs at this time great occasion to shew foorth our charitie many of Gods good children are straungers in Englande Let vs not omit this good occasion to doe good Abraham and Lot were liberall towardes straungers and when they supposed to haue receiued men they receiued Angelles to their great benefit But we no doubt in receiuing these strangers which wander from place to place beeing cast out of their countries for confessing and professing Christ receiue not Angels but the Lorde of Angelles Hee that receiueth you receiueth me In doing good to straungers we doe good also to our selues for great shall be the benefit when Christ shall say I was a straunger and yee harboured me As great the curse to them to whom it shalbe said I was harbourlesse and ye did not lodge me Saint Peter would haue vs giuen to hospitalitie without murmuring and with kindnesse entertaine straungers For in shewing of beneuolence there are three speciall vertues which if they be wanting our benefits loose their grace and goodnesse The first is willingnesse God doth loue a cheerefull giuer The seconde is bountifulnesse For he that soweth sparinglie shall reape sparingly The thirde is singlenesse of heart for if we giue vainegloriously to be seene of men wee loose our rewarde at Gods handes as by murmuring we deserue no thankes of men 19 There be two graunde enemies of hospitalitie The one is couetousnesse the other profusenesse Nigardlinesse would not suffer Naball that rich carle to bestowe a peece of breade to releeue the necessitie of Dauid a king Shall I take my breade and my water and the flesh of my beastes that I haue killed for my shearers and giue it to men whom I knowe not eyther who or whence they are Others with the prodigall sonne wast that vnthriftilie wherewith they should releeue the poore and comfort straungers Some of them being eaten vp as they say with three H. H. H. Horses Haukes and Harlots Some with vaine apparell casting away as much vpon a garment as would almost ransome a king Some with building some with banquetting some by one meane and some by an other whereby it is come to passe that hospitalitie it selfe is waxen a straunger and needeth harbour we haue shut it quite and cleane out of doores 20 The last fruite of heartie loue is the good bestowing of our graces and giftes to the benefit of others Let euery man as he hath receiued a gift minister the same one to another as good disposers of the manifolde graces of God The giftes that we haue which be good they be of God for euery good gift commeth downe from the Father of lightes And these giftes we receiue to bestowe vpon others as good stewardes of the Lorde S. Peter doeth seeme chiefly as it were to point vnto two sortes of high and principall stewardes at whose handes an especiall reckoning of the graces of God will be required the magistrate and the minister For God leadeth his people like sheepe by the hande of Moses and Aaron whose gifts are the sworde and the woorde whereof the one may not be borne in vaine but drawne to the punishment of euill doers and to the aduauncement of them that doe well the other is to bee preached in season and out of season to the confirmation of the trueth the refutation of errour the exhortation to vertue the disswasion from vice that the man of God may be perfectly inabled to euerie good worke Howbeit as magistrates and ministers are principally ment in this exhortation so are all sexes and sorts of people called vpon For we shall all giue an account of our stewardship we must all make a reckoning of the talentes we haue receiued be they fiue two or one No man is borne nor brought vp to himselfe but to the benefit and behoofe of an other and as stones in one building or members in one bodie so is euerie man interessed and inuested in the possession ech one of an other to the ende no man should seeke his owne thinges but the things that make for the profiting of an other Which one lesson amongest many if once we would heare to learne it and learne to remember it and remember to followe it and followe to continue and perseuer in it we should not onely declare our selues to be good dispensers of the manifolde gifts and graces of God but heare also that blessed voice Euge serue bone fidelis Come my good and faithful seruant I haue set thee ouer a few small things I wil henceforth place thee ouer more and greater come and enter into thy maisters ioy whereunto he bring vs that so dearelie bought it for vs euen Iesus the price of our redemption to whome with the father and
SERMONS Made by the most reuerende Father in God Edwin Archbishop of Yorke Primate of England and Metropolitane DAN 12. 3. They that be wise shall shine as the brightnesse of the firmament and they that turne many to righteousnesse as the starres for euer and euer AT LONDON Printed by Henrie Midleton for Thomas Charde 1585. To the Christian Readers grace and peace through Iesu Christ our Lord. OF other thinges besides these my sonne take thou heede for there is none end of making manie bookes and much reading is a wearinesse of the flesh Let vs heare the ende of all feare God and keepe his commandements for this is the whole dutie of euerie man By which wordes of weight proceeding from the Oracle not of Apollo but of God himselfe what effect hath beene wrought both in the heartes and in the handes of many great learned Clerkes both heere and elsewhere both heeretofore and at this day to make them withdraw their mindes from writing and to withholde their pens from paper some witnesses worthie credite could testifie but that dayly experience needeth no farther proofe Howbeit when it is well knowen and ought accordingly to be considered that the place alledged shold rather correct the bookish humor of cōmon writers idle discoursers then control the writing of necessarie and needefull workes which to the singular aduancement of kingdomes cōmonweales to the most excellent seruice of almighty God to the inestimable benefit and blessing of his Church many hundred yeeres sithens that saying of Salomon haue beene printed and published notwithstanding as by large volumes innumerable of Scriptures and fathers of histories and artes in all kinds of knowledge may euidently appeare Euery man of abilitie should rather by those examples encourage himself the suffer himselfe by these wordes to be disswaded to imploye the talent as wel of his hand as of his tongue to meete with and ouertake all practises inconueniences and as it were to applie a salue to euerie sore to minister a medicine to euerie maladie that may occurre Againe when we perceiue Sanballat Tobiah Geshem Noadiah the Prophetesse and their accomplices continually to hinder and impeach as much as in them lyeth the worke of Gods Temple that is Papistes Iesuites and Malecontentes with their adherents all aduersaries enimies to the euerlasting truth of the Gospell without intermission to abuse their great leasure and small learning to plant error and heresie in the heartes of our brethren thereby to supplant all religious woorshippe of almightie God all audience of his woorde and reuerence to his Sacramentes all humble obedience to lawefull Magistrates all dutifull regarde of wholesome lawes all carefull obseruation of auncient discipline all sincere and seemely conuersation of Christian life and honest manners howe can the holie Ghost who reprooueth the woorlde of sinne but require vs to bestowe all the forces and habilimentes wee haue not onely as good Zacharias and Aggeus to prophecie but as godly Zorobabell and Salathiell to reedifie that is aswell by writing as by preaching aswell by our bookes as by our sermons and as it were with a trowell in the one hande and a sworde in the other to rayse and erect the newe Ierusalem supplying the decayes repairing the ruines filling vp the breaches building vp the wals and towers of Sion in perfect beauty The consideratiō wherof together with some other earnest and vehement perswasions to the like effect vsed did at the last though long first induce the most reuerend authour of this booke euē another Esdras or Nehemias to suffer these his labours to come to light aswell for that he mought leaue behinde him a witnesse and warrant of his godly zealous affection that the professiō of his faith mought become the sweete sauour of life to life in all rather thē the sauour of death to death in any as also for that words spokē are soone come soone gon but written withall may make a deeper impression so by striking aswell the eye of the reader as the eare of the hearer may perse his heart the better saue his soule the sooner Of the booke it selfe I will saie but this that for myne owne parte I am verilie perswaded there is no worke written in this kinde wherin men of principall estate or particular callings may be either more sufficiently enformed to know or more plainely directed to performe their seueral duties The superiour how to gouerne the inferiour how to obey the Minister what to teach the people what to learne the Parliament what to establish the Realme what to embrace her Maiestie and counsaill what to heare Courte Citie and Countrie what to amend why Patrones especially professing godlines should be vncorrupt why Pastours vndergoing such a charge shoulde keepe the flocke from the foxe and wolfe why Bishops should be more vigilant precise not to admit Ministers hand ouer head why the rich should be open handed and poore Christ in his needie members competenlie relieued how the Church to be disciphered by hir proper marks of the word to be heard with diligēce and the sacramentes with reuerence to be frequented how the Temple to be purged of idolatrie superstition and superfluitie the Church men of ignoraunce negligence and simonie the commonweale of vnmercifulnesse couetousnesse and vsurie the iudgement seates both ciuill and Ecclesiasticall of briberie extortion partiality why the Gospell to be preached with fauour the Law with terrour yet both with a caueat how God to be worshipped our neighbours intreated our children families catechised our selues conformed to Christ his image the simple aduised the subtill preuēted the weake supported the obstinate corrected what patience to be vsed vnder the crosse what thankefulnesse to be shewed for Gods great mercies what prayers in our extremest necessities to be powred out what sorrow must throw downe the sinfull man what faith raise him vp what hope sustaine him what charitie inflame him what worthy fruites commend him to the world finally how the truth may be cōfirmed falshood refelled vice reproued vertue aduaunced and so the child of God made a man wise vnto saluation and perfectly enabled vnto euery good worke Besides many other most profitable obseruations sooner taught then learned yet sooner learned then followed such so many as in so few sermons you shal hardly finde I beleeue but in the same Nor is this my single opinion only but many mens censure of greater learning better iudgment who know what belonges to matter and method to times and persons to place and occasions with other due circumstances of well and wise meaning speaking and writing But as those sermons be best praysed euer that be euer best practised so if these shall be receiued into the good grounde of your heartes with the same affection and spirite they were preached first and nowe be published no doubt but the sower the seede the soile the increase and all will be founde to the glorie of his grace
23 By this inbred corruption our vnderstanding is so darkened that naturally we cannot perceiue the things which are of God no we count them foolishnesse our will is in such thraldome and slauerie vnto sinne that it cannot like of any thing spirituall and heauenly but is wholly caried vnto fleshly desires 24 If therefore we perceiue the things that are of God and doe like of them if our hearts be enclined to doe his will because this cannot come of our selues our nature bending a cleane contrarie way we acknowledge most willingly and vnfeinedly The good we doe is his it is not ours our beginning to doe and our continuance in dooing well proceedeth onely and wholly from him If any man receiue the grace of God offered it is because God hath framed his heart thereto If any man come when God calleth it is because his grace which calleth draweth If being brought vnto Christ we continue in him we haue no other reason to yeeld of our dooing but onely this he hath linked vs and fastened vs vnto himselfe We neither rise when we are fallen nor stand when we are risen by our owne strength When we are in distresse we are of our selues so far from abilitie to helpe our selues that we are not able to craue helpe of him vnlesse his spirite wrest out Abba Father from vs. We cannot mone our owne case vnlesse he doe grone and sigh for vs we are not able to name Iesus vnlesse by the speciall grace of his spirite our mouthes be opened no we cannot of our selues so much as think of naming him if to thinke of naming him be a good thought 25 When against our naturall inclination to euill his spirite which worketh all in all hath so preuailed that wee now beginne to hate the workes of the flesh hauing an earnest desire to abounde in loue ioie peace long suffering gentlenesse goodnesse faith meekenesse temperaunce and all other fruites of the spirite yet by reason of the strength of that bodie of sinne which euer fighteth against the spirite our inward man is so weakened that we cannot do the things which we would and the things which we do euen the best of them are so farre beneath that perfection which the Lawe of God requireth that if he should rigorously examine them in iustice no fleshe could euer be accounted righteous in his sight The loathsomest things that can be imagined the cloathes that be most vncleane are not so foule as our very righteousnes is vnrighteous Wherupon we conclude that whatsoeuer wee receiue by way of reward at Gods hand either in this life or in the life to come wee receiue it as a thing freely giuen by him without any merite or desert of ours we doe not say in our hearts The Lord hath giuen vs these good things to possesse for our righteousnesse For seeing it is he which giueth both to will and to doe he crowneth in deede his owne worke when he rewardeth ours and he neuer rewardeth any worke of his owne wherein there is not somwhat of ours which he pardoneth 26 Thus being naked and vtterly destitute in our selues we seeke all things in Christ Iesus Him onely we acknowledge to be our wisedome our iustification our sanctification our redemption our priest our sacrifice our king our head our mediator our phisition our waie our trueth our life In our selues we finde nothing but pouertie and weakenesse praise and honour and glorie wee giue to him The onely marke we ayme at is to set vp his throne to aduaunce his kingdome to make it knowne that in him the Father hath layde vp all the treasures of heauen to the ende that vnto him the thirstie may repaire for water the hungrie for bread the naked for cloathes and wee all for all things needeful to the safetie of our soules and bodies 27 This is not the scope which the Church of Rome proposeth They direct all things to an other end How can ye beleeue saith Christ to the Iewes which receiue honour one of an other and seeke not that honour which commeth of God alone And howe can the faith of the Church of Rome be sound sith they hold such doctrines as tend wholly to their owne glorie their owne gaine and not to the praise and honour of God 28 That they seeke not his glorie but their owne it may appeare vnto any man which throughly considereth of their doctrine First they will not acknowledge that pouertie and nakednesse those filthie garments of corruption and sinne wherein Adam hath wrapped his posteritie But in the pride of their hearts they dissemble it diminish it and make light of it For although they denie not but that mans nature is corrupted yet marke how they paire and lessen this corruption The Prophet Dauid doeth terme it wickednesse and sinne but they make it onely an inclination vnto sinning The Lorde himselfe doeth witnesse that by it all the imaginations of the thoughts of mans heart are only euill they restraine it to the inferior part of the soule and make it onely a mother of some grosser desires The blessed Apostle prayed groned and wept against it as a thing which made him altogeher wearie of his life But after Baptisme they make no more account of those inward rebellious motions against the spirite than they doe of the beating of a mans pulse 29 And as they hide that weakenesse which indeede they haue so they boast of that strength which is not in them For being subiect vnto miserable bondage vnder sinne by reason of that corruption which hath spred it selfe ouer all flesh they bragge notwithstanding of the freedome of their wil as if sinne had not vtterly bereaued vs thereof but stil it were in vs to frame and fashion our owne hearts vnto good things For proofe whereof their maner is to make long discourses teaching that Gods foreknowledge doth not take away free will that men are not violently drawen to good or euill Which things we easily and willingly graunt neither doe we teache or euer did that the freedome of our wil is taken away by the eternall decree of his vnsearchable purpose but this we say and all that haue the trueth doe say the same that the will of man being free vnto naturall and ciuill actions hath of it selfe no freedome to desire things heauenly and spirituall not because the eternall purpose of God but because the corruption of our nature hath addicted vs only vnto euill We doe not teache or euer did that any man is the seruaunt either of sinne or of righteousnesie by constraint For whether we obey the one vnto death and condemnation or vnto life and saluation the other our obedience is alwayes voluntarie it is not wrested from vs against our wils But the question being how we are made willing vnto that which is good this is the difference betweene our aunswere and theirs We say onely by the grace of God
As verily as he doth liue it is not the goodnesse of their religion but the strength of their faction and the wilinesse of flesh by which they stand 39 Wherefore briefly to conclude this matter and in fewe words to knit vp that which remaineth I haue as you see set before you life and death truth and error wholesome foode and noysome poison If ye tender the safetie of your owne soules be not as children readie to take whatsoeuer is offered you learne to iudge betweene good and euill lay not out monie for that which is no bread spend not your labour in that which cannot satisfie come to the waters whereunto God calleth you 40 The maner of comming is set downe by the Prophet in many words the summe of all is this Wee must not giue eare vnto lying spirits Heare not the wordes of the Prophets that prophecie vnto you and teache you vanitie they speake the vision of their owne heart and not out of the mouth of the Lord turne away your eares from such and hearken vnto me saith the Lorde Hearken diligently carefully attentiuely The word of life is of power and strength to saue your soules But if ye be as vessels that leake and runne out how should the doctrine of saluation profite you This food refusing all other we are exhorted both to take and to eate If sinners heretikes enemies of the truth say Come with vs shunne them turne away your feete from their pathes offer not you their offerings of bloud present not your selues in their temples tast not things sacrificed vnto their Idols Eate that which is good Labour not for the meate which perisheth much lesse for that whereby men perish but labour for the meate that endureth to euerlasting life which meate the sonne of man shall giue you For him hath God the father sealed He is the bread of life his flesh is meate indeede and his bloud is drinke in deede his word is the power of God vnto saluation his sacraments are seales of righteousnesse by faith in him are all the treasures of peace ioie rest comfort no eye hath seene no eare hath heard no heart hath conceiued the things which are hidden and laide vp in him Whereupon if we feede in such sort that our soules take ioie pleasure and delight in fatnesse then the fruite which hereby we shall reape is this 41 Your soule saith God shall liue and I wil make an euerlasting couenaunt with you euen the sure mercies of Dauid What Shall they then which hearken vnto him and put their trust in his mercie deliuer their liues for euer from the hand of the graue Shal they liue and not see death There is a first and a second death the one onely seuereth the soule from the bodie for a time the other tormenteth first the soule seuered and afterward both bodie and soule for euer The second death shal not touche them of whom the Prophet here speaketh But of the first Iob hath saide Death is the house appointed for all the liuing Wherefore God doeth not promise to prolong the daies of his children continually heere on earth but his promise is that their soules shal liue For touching outward things we cannot certainely iudge the hatred or loue of God by them In these externall euents The same condition is to the iust and to the wicked to the good and pure and to them that are polluted to him that sacrificeth and to him that sacrificeth not As is the good so is the sinner he that sweareth as he that feareth an oath Howe dieth the wise man Euen as the foole saith the Preacher Nay one is wicked and liueth in ease and prosperitie another feareth God and dieth in the bitternesse of his soule they sleepe both in the dust together the wormes couer them both alike This onely is the difference The wicked is kept to the day of destruction and shall bee brought foorth to the day of wrath But the iust shall liue by faith his soule shall liue The foundation from whence this life floweth is that couenaunt which was made with Dauid I wil set vp thy seede after thee which shall proceede out of the bodie and I will stablish his kingdome hee shal build an house for my name and I wil stablish the throne of his kingdome for euer Now as Dauid so the children of Dauid after him fulfilled their daies and fel asleepe the throne of Dauid was not established in them for euer But of Christ the Angel of the Lorde hath saide The Lord shall giue vnto him the throne of his father Dauid and he shall raigne ouer the house of Iacob for euer and of his kingdome shall be no ende Wherefore in Christ this couenaunt with Dauid is fulfilled The mercies which were promised vnto Dauid are the benefites and as the Apostle termeth them the holie things which we receiue by Christ Iesus This couenant is euerlasting If saith God by the Prophet Ieremie you can breake my couenaunt of the day and my couenaunt of the night that there should not be day and night in their season then may my couenaunt be broken with Dauid As the couenaunt made with Dauid is euerlasting so the mercies therein contained are sure Of the sure mercies of Dauid thus he speaketh in the booke of Psalmes Mine hande shall be established with him and mine arme shal strengthen him the enemie shall not oppresse him neither shall the wicked doe him hurt but I will destroy his foes before his face and plague them that hate him my mercie will I keepe for him for euermore and my couenaunt shall stand fast with him The couenaunt made with Dauid is made with vs his mercies are our mercies if so be we performe that which here is required at our hands If we hearken diligently vnto him that cryeth Come to the waters if we cleaue fast vnto his trueth if we embrace his promises with ioie eating that which is good shunning and loathing that which is euil surely his hande shall be established with vs as with Dauid his arme shall bee our strength the enemie shal not oppresse vs neither shal the wicked doe vs harme but God shall destroy all our enemies before vs and plague them that hate vs his mercies he shal keepe towards vs for euer his couenaunt shall stand fast with vs our soules shal liue he shal make an euerlasting couenaunt with vs euen the sure mercies of Dauid Which mercies the God of all mercie graunt vs vnto whom with the Sonne by whose blood they are purchased together with that glorious Spirite which hath sealed in our heartes ful assurance that they cannot faile be honour and glorie for euer and euer Amen A Sermon made before the Parliament at Westminster 1. SAMVEL 12. 23 Be this sinne against the Lord farre from me that I should cease to pray for you But I will shewe you the good and the right waie 24
Therefore feare you the Lord and serue him in the trueth HIstories as well sacred as profane at large record that good Princes haue euer vigilantly looked into the state of the common wealth which is their charge and perceiuing disorder or foreseeing danger haue speedily caused consultation to be had as well for the reformation as for the preseruation thereof In which consultation three especiall things are commonly offered to consider of The state of religion the state of the Prince and the state of the common wealth Three most necessarie things to be regarded and prouided for If religion be not sound mens soules cannot be safe if the head be not preserued the bodie of necessitie must decay if good gouernment want the common wealth falleth into confusion Our Prophet that good Prince and ruler of the people in the great assemblie of the Israelites remembred vnto them these selfesame things as by the words which I haue chosen to treate of it wil appeare Our Samuel our good and gratious gouernour moued with like affection hath called this honourable and high Court of Parliament for like end Wherein that things wel intended may the better proceede and take best effect let vs in our prayers craue helpe and assistance from aboue Wherein let vs not forget Christs vniuersall Church this particular Church of England and Ireland the Queenes excellent Maiestie our most Soueraigne Ladie and chiefe gouernour that God remembring vs in his mercie may graunt her Maiestie a long happie life with the encrease of all godlie honour and felicitie to the great praise of his name and great good of his Church Let vs also remember in our prayers the honourable priuie Counsel the Clergie the Nobilitie with the whole people of this Realme that God may graunt euerie one grace in his calling syncerely to serue him And especially at this time let vs call vpon God for wisedome and grace from aboue that in this consultation of Parliament all priuate affections and respects to our owne commodities laide aside Gods glorie and the good of his Church and this common wealth onely and syncerely may be sought For these and grace let vs pray vnto God as our Sauiour Christ hath taught vs Our Father c. 2 The better to conueigh my selfe to the matter which I haue in hand I shall craue leaue that I may speake somewhat of this princely Prophet Samuel who descending of noble parentage was by his mother consecrated to the ministerie Of which calling though Christ himselfe thought so highly and honourably that refusing to bee a King he chose the office of a Minister yet so peruerse is the iudgement of the worlde that they thinke no condition more base or vile The minister with his master Christ is contemned this holy office is become odious All men seeke their owne and serue themselues it is accounted slauerie to serue the Lorde 3 Samuel was called of God to be a magistrate wherein he was so faithful and vpright that his aduersaries were forced to iustifie his dooings and to beare him record that he neither was a bribetaker nor an extortioner nor one that had iniuried any man It were wel with our common wealth if all officers could carie away the like testimonie But euill subiects cannot away with good magistrates The prodigall which haue consumed their substance in lewdenesse and vanitie long for a chaunge supposing that their state wil be bettered thereby and perswading them selues that it cannot be made worse All change is perilous and an olde saying is it Seldome comes the better A better this people could hardly haue had yet so vnquiet and discontented they were that the good and peaceable gouernement of Samuel notwithstanding they misliked their present state and desired an other gouernour to be giuen them The worthie magistrate Moses was muttered against The noble king Dauid for a time deposed our faithful Samuel reiected Behold the harde state of good Princes who are for the most part rewarded with great ingratitude Moses deare cousins became his deadly enemies Dauids familiar friends became his most fierce and violent foes Samuel was reiected of such as he most fauoured Crysippus obseruing the course of these things saith that which experience prooueth true Thou shalt bee sure if thou gouerne amisse to purchase Gods if well the peoples anger and displeasure The daunger of this office by reason of the great ingratitude of the people made Moses say to God Send whom thou wilt send it caused Demosthenes rather to wish banishment than place of gouernement and Themistocles to prefer hel it selfe to the iudgement seate When Antigonus should put on a royall diademe he brake foorth into this speeche O cloth of more honourable than happie estate wherewith if a man were so throughly acquainted that he could tell the number of cares and miseries wherewith thou art fraught hee would not stoupe for thee though he might haue thee for the taking vp Wherefore it grieued not Samuel to be eased of so heauie a burthen but God was much grieued to see so great disgrace offered to his annointed They haue not reiected thee but me saith the Lorde To dislike and cast off a good magistrate is to dislike and cast off God because all power is of God God in his wrath for godly Samuel gaue them wicked Saul I pray God in his iustice serue all such alike as seeke after such change as cannot submit themselues with louing and obedient hearts to the good gouernement of woorthie Samuel their natural Prince their good and faithful Magistrate whom for conscience sake they ought to honour and obey 4 Samuel was both a Prophet and a Prince a Minister and a Magistrate So was Melchisedech Moses Dauid Christ. Hee had neede to be a rare man that should wel aunswere sundrie offices When Redde rationem giue account commeth then one office such as the least of these will be thought a burthen heauie ynough for any one besides these to haue borne But the matching of these two offices doth teache what agreement loue and liking should be betweene these two officers They are Gods two hands to build vp withall the decayed wals of Ierusalem If the one hand set forward and the other put backeward Gods worke will be ill wrought The wisedome of God matched Moses and Aaron two brethren the one the minister the other the magistrate that knit together in brotherly loue they might labour together with both handes for the furtherance of Gods building When the word and the sword doe ioine then is the people wel ruled and then is God well serued So long as king Ioas and the good priest Iehoida liued together God was serued according to his word the priest rightly counselled the king gladly followed 5 Samuel zealous for the glorie of God and carefull for the commonwealth preacheth to the Parliament assembled after this sort Be this sinne
good And as it is profitable for them to be constrained so is it a thing verie reasonable to constraine them For why should not the Church enforce her lost children to returne to saluation if lost children enforce others to turne to destruction Seeing that the whole seruice in our Church is no other than Gods written worde as there can be alleaged no iust cause why any man should withdrawe himselfe from this word so appertaineth it vnto princes that feare God within their dominions to compel euery subiect to come and heare this worde least the church by this euill example should be greatly offended Gods causes are zealously to be seene vnto and the winning of mens soules is religiously to be sought And thus much briefly touching the seruice of God To see the Gospel eueriewhere preached the ministers prouided for and the people compelled to come heare the worde This is the feare of God which Samuel requireth 22 Whereunto must bee added a speciall regard to the common wealth It is commonly saide that the common wealth is sore diseased and that euerie member of that bodie seemeth to be grieued Remedie would bee sought in time least remedie come too late But I am no Phisition for that bodie and therefore is it not fit for me to minister any medicine to it But I shall pray for the health thereof and set it ouer to such as haue skill and can helpe The care of the common wealth chiefly appertaineth to the head of the common wealth who is Parens Patriae the mother of this sicke childe It is required at our handes to feare and serue the Lorde in trueth That prince doth serue God in trueth and in deede which is careful that the euill may be punished and repressed and that the good may bee defended and aduaunced When generally all men are seene vnto that euerie man doe his duetie then God is in trueth and synceritie serued 23 The prince is set as the head ouer the bodie as the chiefe shepeheard ouer the flocke These titles are giuen to Princes and gouernours to put them in minde not onely of their honour and preeminence but of their charge and office also But the prince cannot doe this alone it is a burthen too heauie for one to weeld And therefore hee must according to the counsel which Iethro gaue vnto Moses choose out of all the people men wise and fearing God louers of the trueth such as hate couetousnesse and out of them make rulers ouer thousands hundreds fifties and tennes that they may sit and iudge the people at all seasons Magistrates should bee chosen out of all the people for their woorthinesse It is vnmeete that such things as should followe deserts bee procured by other sinister meanes Magistrates should be wise men furnished with learning vnderstanding good skil and long experience men that feare God religious louers of his trueth fauourers of the Gospell and of all such as liue in the feare of God True and vpright dealers such as will stedfastly fasten their eies vpon the causes brought before them and not regard the face of any man lastly haters of couetousnesse bribes and rewardes Good officers should thus be qualified And to the end that magistrates may be such it must be prouided that there may be choise of officers without sale of offices It is not probable that he which obtaineth such a roume for a price wil leaue it freely or deale iustly in it A greater corruption than this cannot enter into a common wealth For by this meane both the prince and people are deceiued To punish the euil to maintaine the good to ouerlooke the whole and to choose appoint forth worthie officers for the gouernment of the common wealth this is the duetie of a prince that feareth God That prince which doth this serueth God in trueth 24 Homer bringeth in Iupiter sitting in the middest of the assemblie of gods whom he menaceth and threateneth on this wise Let not any god or goddesse attempt the breache of my mandate If I vnderstand that any doe I wil giue him small ioie of this place or prouide him another farre ynough hence a dwelling place the gates whereof are yron and the ground brasse I will plunge him as deepe vnder hel as heauen is ouer earth He shall well knowe his might to be somewhat beneath mine For if ye thinke your selues to be stronger than I am make triall of your strength fasten a chaine in heauen and ioyne all your force at the end thereof But yee shall neuer be able to pull Iupiter out of heauen no though ye sweate much about it whereas if I list to put but my finger to the haling of you I wil pluck vp sea and lande with you So much am I superior vnto gods and men Kings and princes in their seuerall dominions haue such power through the prouidēce of almightie God by whose appointment they weare their crownes that their ordinaunces bee not lightly broken vnlesse themselues be carelesse to haue them kept For by reason of the Maiestie that God hath giuen them they are feared of all estates and conditions of men They can throwe downe whom they wil and whom they wil they can aduaunce They haue the chaine and the reine in their hands they can draw others whither they wil but others are not able to drawe them vnlesse they list This power and strength and glorie which GOD hath giuen vnto kings and whereby they are able to leade the worlde as it were in a string leaueth them vtterly without excuse if they vse it not to the benefite of the common wealth They cannot serue God in trueth and giue the bridle to their subiects to sinne without restraint These times of greatest and grauest consultation are fit occasions wherein Princes may most effectually shewe howe heartily and truely they feare the Lord. These are the times to prouide chaines that is to say good statutes and lawes to holde all men within compasse and to binde together the skattered parts of the common wealth When the great counsel of Rome entered into the Senate to consult for the good gouernment and defence of the Empire first they went sacrificed to Iupiter and there euerie man offered vp and left behinde him his priuate affections promising that their consultation should onely tend to the common benefite Leaue you all priuate affections likewise cast them behinde you seeke not your owne commoditie Let it appeare that you loue your Countrie God the Prince and the common wealth require a faithfull performance of this seruice at your hands Seeke by Lawe the syncere setting foorth the maintenance and continuance of Gods true religion Let this be your first and principal care and so shal ye serue the Lorde in trueth 25 Seeke by Lawe to represse the gainesayers and the enemies of this trueth This libertie that men may openly professe diuersitie of religion must needs be dangerous to the
might bee shewed in Dauid Ezechias Nehemias Mattathias But one example may serue for all being of our Sauiour who is aboue all and Lord of all Christ at his first entrie into the temple purged it by casting out buyers and sellers Our gratious Gouernor following Christs example hath laboured most earnestly first to cleanse this ground and to purge this church of England hath caused the stones to bee picked out brambles and breers to be pulled vp all rubbidge and whatsoeuer was hurtfull to be remooued the denne of theeues to be dispersed buyers and sellers of popish trash Monkes Fryers Massemongers with like miscreants to bee hurled and whipped out the stumbling stones of superstition the baggage of mans traditions with all monuments of Idolatrie vanitie and poperie to be cast out of the house of God and vineyard of the Lord So that the field of God is cleared the vineyard cleansed the church purged readie for the seede to be sowen and the vine to be planted And all this without resistance or tumult It was the worke of God it is maruellous to as many as duely consider it 7 Nowe it behooueth the vinitor to take great heede what vine he planteth in this vineyard Thornes will not bring foorth grapes nor thistles figges If thou sowe the giddie darnell of humane traditions looke for like fruite for he that conceiueth vanitie shall bring foorth winde But our skilfull housholder our wise gouernor hath planted in this our vineyard neither thornes nor thistles but the true vine Christ growing in the heartes of his elect This vine hath beene diligently watered with the dewe of Gods trueth syncerely preached it hath beene cherished with his sacraments reuerently administred according to his will it hath beene vnderpropped with the continuaunce of authoritie and defence of zealous Christian magistrates pruned with the two edged sword of Gods spirit working by the ministerie of his seruaunts who with the sweete promises of the gospel haue reared vp the drooping braunches ouerburthened with sinne and with the sharpe threatenings of the Lawe haue cut off the lasciuious wilde boughes of wickednesse No flocke better fed no people more instructed no vineyard in the world more beautiful or goodly to behold 8 This vineyard so prepared this vine so planted watered and vnderset hath also beene strongly hedged and fensed with godlie Lawes of good discipline to put backe all enemies to punish all transgresiors to bridle the vnrulie and to keepe men in order that the church of God may liue in all peace and tranquillitie with all pietie and honestie This is the flourishing vineyard of the Lord the beautifull arke of couenaunt wherein are reposed the treasures of God the golden pot with Manna the rod of Aaron and the tables of Moses No church vnder heauen more inriched with treasures and gifts of God so that wee may truely say We are inriched by him in all knowledge and in all speeche in so much that we are not destitute of any gift The Lorde may iustly say to vs as to his people of olde What might I doe for my vine which I haue not doone and wee may well sing the song which the spirite hath indited euen of purpose as it seemeth for vs Vinea nostra floruit Our vine hath flourished 9 And although the ground where this vine is planted hath beene very barren yet hath it brought foorth many goodly and pleasaunt grapes The gospel hath chased away walking spirites it hath cast out diuels banished much ignorance and blindnesse put horrible blasphemie in maner to flight vtterly cleansed that sinke the stewes made vaine and filthie songs lesse currant than they haue beene in former times and caused sinne to bee more shunned although it be God knoweth too much stil frequented But one pleasaunt grape especially the gospel the worde of reconciliation hath brought foorth and that is the sweete fruite of peace peace towards God and peace amongest our selues The gospel preacheth Christ. Christ is our peace and peacemaker He that hath Christ hath peace with God and hee that beleeueth in him hath him By this meanes we haue peace of conscience peace with God The other peace is ciuill peace among men This is a pleasaunt fruite and a great blessing Hee that knoweth the hurt of warre can best iudge of the worth of this benefite The God of peace hath doone this for vs to our singular commoditie and comfort he hath giuen peace in our daies England neuer so long tasted the like Warre heretofore hath torne this Realme in peeces all Nations round about vs starue in the field tumble in warre wallow in bloud expecting no end of their troubles but vtter ruine and desolation In the meane while we sit safe vnder our vine euerie man in peace may quietly followe his vocation God hath not dealt thus with all nations as hee hath dealt with vs the least nation of all It must be graunted some stormes haue beene stirred vp to disturbe this our happie rest But the prince of peace and Lorde of our tranquillitie hath ceased the waues of the sea stilled the rage of the people maruellously preuented their wicked deuises and confounded the deuisers of them There is neither power nor counsell against the Lord. God taketh away the hearts of the enemies and then as fearefull Hares they flee at the wagging of euerie leafe yea they feare where there is nothing to be feared For this great calme for this miraculous peace we haue to praise our God 10 This peace hath fructified and brought foorth his natural fruite which is plentie Warre is a locust deuouring all fruites peace as a sweete and pleasaunt dewe maketh all things fruitfull Peace hath made this Land flow like Canaan with milke and honie God hath opened his mercifull hande and replenished vs with all his blessings the Lord hath shewed vs his louing kindenesse and our Land hath brought foorth her encrease 11 These earthly blessings God hath giuen to trie vs whether prouoked by his gratious benignitie we will walke in his Lawe or no. I will raine downe bread out of heauen that I may trie you whether ye wil walk in my Law or no. After this sort he proued Adam giuing him all dominion ouer his creatures with all the fruite and plentie of the earth So prooued he the Sodomites with a Countrie for pleasure and plentie termed The Lords Garden So prooued he Israel when he gaue them Canaan but they were forgetfull of the giuer and abused his gifts both their peace and plentie they prouoked GOD vnto wrath and they felt his heauie hande their peace was turned into warre their plentie into distresse their pleasure into paine their ioie into sorowe 12 These things are written to warne vs that we should beware of the like sinnes least we feele the like plagues For if wee regard not the fauour of God if wee contemne his woorde the worde of saluation if we
are in authoritie that wee may leade a quiet and a peaceable life in all godlinesse and honestie MOSES speaking to the people of God concerning the institutiō of the Passeouer to be kept at the appointed season from yere to yere saith When thy Sonne shall aske thee What is this thou shalt say vnto him With a mightie hand the Lord brought vs out of Egypt out of the house of bondage and in remembraunce hereof wee celebrate this feast In like sort when your children shall aske you what this our assemblie meaneth you shall aunswere that it is to giue God thankes for that great benefite which we receiued at his hands as this day when in his mercie he gaue vs our gratious elect Elizabeth whom hee hath vsed as his mightie arme to worke our deliuerance to bring vs out of Egypt the house of Romish seruitude This is the day which the Lord hath made this is that our happie day the Lorde in his mercie hath made it let vs be thankefull for it let vs reioice and be glad in it This is the acceptable time the day of saluation the happie time of our deliuerance This day God shewed vs the light of his gratious countenance and had mercie on vs in bestowing vpon vs so great a treasure so good a gouernour so worthie a Prince The Lord graunt vs many of these daies and long continuance of these happie yeres And as our Apostle doeth exhort vs let vs both praise the Lorde and praie vnto him that vnder so good a gouernement we may liue a quiet a godlie and an honest life as the Lords goodnesse towards vs and our duetie towardes him and profession of his name require I exhort you therefore before all things c. Here are two things offered to our consideration first an exhortation Pray for all men especially for princes and rulers secondly a reason of this exhortation that by their good gouernement we may liue a quiet a godly and an honest life 2 In exhorting vs to praie he sheweth the benefite and fruit of our praier We must praie to God to giue vs good Princes and rulers vnder a good prince we ought to leade a good life a good prince should procure peace pietie and honestie to the people a good people should liue peaceably godlily and honestly vnder their prince The exhortation is Pray for all men especially Princes and rulers In this part we haue to consider what praier is To whom we should pray What be the parts of praier When where and how we should pray For whom we should pray 3 Praier is a lifting vp of the minde vnto God or a friendely talking with the Lord from an high and a kindled affection of the heart In the word God speaketh vnto vs in praier we speake vnto him Praier is the powring out of a contrite heart with a sure perswasion that God wil graunt our requests and giue eare to the suites which we make vnto him This praier must be onely vnto God It is praier vnto God that onely hath promise that onely hath example in the scriptures Call vpon me saith God Aske the father in my name saith our Sauiour Aske and ye shall haue When yee shall pray saith Christ pray thus Our Father which art in heauen So and none otherwise praied all the Patriarches Prophets Apostles and Christ himselfe and all true Christians in all ages In praier no creature may be ioyned with God God and our Ladie help vs is no allowable praier 4 This praier which must be made onely to God our Apostle diuideth into his partes Requests Supplications Intercessions Thankesgiuings Requests or petitions are when wee praie for the increase of Gods good gifts in vs and that of his mercie and fauour he would giue vs whatsoeuer is necessarie for bodie or soule and for as much as we cannot obteine any thing for our owne merites that he would graunt vs all things for his sonne our Sauiours sake 5 Supplications when we praie to be deliuered from euill as when we pray that the wrath of God which we haue deserued may through his mercie be remooued from vs as farre as the East is from the West that our sinne may be remitted and blotted out of Gods bookes 6 Intercessions are when we praie for such as doe afflict and wrong vs for our enemies which persecute vs that God would forgiue them turne their hearts and better them Or when wee praie for others either for remoouing of euill from them or for Gods fauour and blessing towards them 7 Thankesgiuings are when we praise and thanke God for the great mercies graces and gifts which wee haue receiued at his hands For we must acknowledge that euery good and perfect gift commeth downe from aboue from the father of lights and is by his mercie freely giuen Praier generally may be diuided into two parts Petition and Thankesgiuing in the one we aske of God in the other wee offer vnto God both are accepted as sweete smelling sacrifices pure and through the merite of his sonne pleasaunt in his sight I shall not neede to put you in remembrance that we must praie both for our selues and others that there is a priuate and a publike praier that we must pray for things perteining to saluation absolutely and for things that pertaine to this life conditionally These are matters wherewith yee are throughly acquainted 8 The next thing to be considered in praier is when where and how to praie When Alwaies without ceasing Where In all places especially that place which being sanctified to this vse is therefore called the house of praier How from the heart lifting vp pure and cleane hands that is to say in faith and in loue Our praier fethered with these two wings flyeth straight into heauen 9 Thus we are by the Apostle willed to pray before all things according to the commaundement of our Sauiour Seeke first the kingdome of God Let vs begin all our workes our enterprises our actions our iourneies our lying downe our rising vp our eating our drinking and all our studies with praier So our bread shalbe multiplyed our oyle encreased our meate sanctified all our endeuours and actions blessed If the very Ethnicks in the beginning of their bookes first prayed vnto their gods to prosper and giue good successe to their labours it were a shame for vs not to praie to our God before all things knowing that the praier of the iust is greatly auaileable before him Praier is a succour vnto vs a sacrifice to God and a scourge to Satan Examples are infinite Israel in praier groned vnto God and was deliuered out of Egypt Moses by praier so held God that he could not destroie his idolatrous people The blast of praier ouerthrew the walles of Ierico At the praier of Iosua the Sunne stoode stil. The young men prayed in the burning fornace
Thessalonica vnto whom he was not onely content to giue the milke of the gospel of Christ but willing that they might sucke euen bloud out of his brest so it were for their benefite So deare and precious they were vnto him Such a nurce was Moses which fed the people with the Lawe of God the foode of life meate sweeter than honie or the honie combe Such a one Iehosaphat in sending abroade preachers to feede the people Such a one Ezechias in washing and cleansing the Church from Idolatrie Iosias in reforming the house of God Salomon in deposing euil priests and placing better in labouring by all meanes to inlarge the glorious kingdome of God These did the parts of good and faithfull nurces and God did highly requite their seruice 16 After pietie honestie and order must be sought This is attained vnto by seeing good Lawes both made and put in execution For the execution of the Lawe is the life of the Lawe and a Lawe not executed is but a dead Lawe And here let rulers first learne to obserue Lawes themselues and so with greater courage and better countenance they may punish by Lawe the transgressors of the Lawe For this cause S. Paul would haue a Bishop whose office it is to reprooue others himselfe to bee vnreprooueable Iudah gaue sentence against Thamar for her incontinencie Bring her foorth and let her be burnt But when he once vnderstoode it was his owne offence the case was altered The Prophet Dauid was driuen to the like Those magistrates doe both wickedly and shamefully which prescribe a Lawe of honest life vnto others and keepe it not themselues It is fowle thing when he that punisheth is more woorthie punishment than the partie punished Paul himselfe being blamelesse executed discipline with great authoritie vpon that lewde incestuous person Samuel a faultlesse magistrate was not afraide to cut off the head of Agag the king with his owne handes Moses could not with that courage haue hanged vp those Gentlemen-fornicators had not his owne life that way beene without staine or blemish When magistrates themselues be cleare they may boldely punish others and see diligently to the straite execution of Lawes For want whereof it commeth to passe that for the most part Lawes are accounted like to cobwebs which take small flies and hold them fast but suffer hornets to breake through In execution of lawes we may not respect the person of the riche or of the poore neither feare nor pitie must remooue vs that which is iust must take place in both For if Lawes be not executed without respect of person if sinne be not seuerely repressed if the people bee not kept in order it wil shake the state all wil be in an vprore no man shall be master of his owne or in any safetie of his life al iniquitie will abound all honestie will be exiled and the magistrate shall beare the sword in vaine To neglect it is to neglect that thing for which this ordinance of God was first appointed For if men without these meanes might be kept in order surely God would neuer haue established gouernement to keepe them in order by these meanes Barbarous therefore and wicked is the opinion of the Anabaptists which condemne all superioritie authoritie and gouernement in the Church For what is this else but vtterly to expell both out of Church and common wealth all godlinesse all peace all honestie 17 Nowe as magistrates and rulers should by good gouernment procure peace promote religion and preserue honestie amongst men so our Apostle requireth at the peoples handes that they vnder gouernement leade a peaceable quiet and honest life There is a double peace the one outward the other inward peace with men and peace with God With God there is no peace but in Christ. Through faith in him wee haue peace with God and not otherwise He hath peace with God whose sinnes are remitted for Blessed are they whose iniquities are pardoned But our sinnes are remitted onely in the bloud of Christ Iesus his bloud doeth purge vs from all sinne Christ therefore is our onely peacemaker with God This is that peace which passeth all vnderstanding He that wil enioie it must be careful to keepe a good conscience Haue a good conscience that when men speake euill of you as of ill doers they may be ashamed For if our owne heart condemne vs God is greater and wil more syncerely iudge vs. A good conscience maketh a strong faith Many by loosing their hold of the one haue made shipwracke of the other 18 The peaceable and quiet life which S. Paul in this place doeth chiefly require is to haue outward peace with men If it be possible and as much as in you lies haue peace with all men Yet not peace with all men so but that we may be alwaies readie for Gods cause to sustaine the hatred of all men in the world We may not for peace sake flatter men in their sinne for that is to be partakers of euill We must haue peace with all if it may be and so farre as in vs lyeth euer preferring a good conscience and a Christian minde For it may not be which may not be honestly Followe those things that belong vnto peace but vnto godlie peace For our God is the God of true of good peace He detesteth them that sowe discord yea the soule of the Lorde abhorreth them Doeg was hated of God for setting dissension betweene Saul and Dauid Achitophel likewise for stirring vp Absolon to striue against his father For as peacemakers are blessed so cursed are all disturbers of peace all breeders and maintainers of sedition Vnto peace we must ioine holinesse true and religious worshipping of God So saith the Apostle Followe peace and holinesse without which no man shall see the Lorde Thou shalt worship the Lorde thy God and him onely shalt thou serue He is a spirite and will be woorshipped in spirit and trueth in inward holinesse not in outward shew of holinesse onely in synceritie and not in ceremonie alone according to his owne will and commaundement not according to the fancie or inuention of man Euerie God saith Socrates is so to be worshipped as himselfe hath appointed 19 This our seruing of God in the Church of God in true holinesse consisteth chiefly in true and earnest praier vnto God in diligent and duetifull hearing of his word in faithfull and reuerent receiuing of his Sacraments In praier we beg of God those things which we wish and hope to receiue and wee praise him for things alreadie receiued This is a sweete and an acceptable sacrifice The hearing of his word is also a seruice wherewith he is pleased 20 And as praying and hearing so the woorthie receiuing of his sacraments is not onely a sealing of his grace vnto vs but also a testifying of our godlinesse towards him His sacrameuts are two in number
him that raiseth vp cōtentions amongst brethren Loue is the Liuerie-coate of Christ whosoeuer wil be numbred with his seruaunts must put it on By this men shall know you to be my Disciples If ye loue one another In those verie creatures which God hath left emptie and voide of vnderstanding there is a kinde of loue a consent we see there is in the stars in the elements in times and seasons amongst the beasts of the field the fowles of the aire the fishes of the sea and fruites of the earth euerie beast doth loue his like to our shame and reproche if hauing so many schoolemasters to teach vs one thing we learne it not especially being so necessarie as it is For in loue and concord our praiers are accepted in the sight of God and without them abhorred Verilie I saie vnto you that if two of you shall agree in earth vpon any thing whatsoeuer they shall desire it shall be giuen them of my father which is in heauen 7 S. Paul therefore to perswade men to this concord vseth a similitude drawne from the members of a naturall bodie wherein he noteth that the bodie by nature is a thing whole and perfect consisting of all his members if any part be wanting or cut off it is maimed Euen so in this mysticall bodie of Christ in this spirituall societie of the faithfull if any part bee cut off the whole is defaced and deformed All the members and euery one of them labour not for themselues onely but for the vse and preseruation of the whole bodie So are we borne not for our selues alone but for others also for whom we should trauell as for our selues The members striue not but are content with their placing be it honourable be it base Euen so should not wee striue for equalitie or superioritie but euerie man content himselfe with his owne calling The members reioice and suffer together Euen so should wee bee kindely affected eche to other mourning with them that mourne and being glad with them that doe reioice That member which hath not this sympathie this mutuall suffering this feeling of other mens hurts is dead and rotten Remember them saith the Apostle that are in bonds as though yee your selues were bound with them and them that are in affliction as if yee your selues were afflicted in their bodies The members are sundrie and haue sundrie offices For if all were an eye where were the hearing If all did commaund which should obeie Euen so in this resembled bodie and ciuil societie there must be diuersitie as of members so of functions The prince is as the head without whose discreete and wise gouernement the Lawes would cease and the people being not ruled by order of Lawes ruine and confusion would soone followe eche contending and striuing against other the end would be the vtter subuersion of all The ministers of the word are as the eyes to watche and not to winke or sleepe and as the mouth to speake and not be dumme For then they performe not their allotted function They are placed as watchemen ouer the Church for the good and godlie direction thereof to take heede both to themselues and to all the flocke whereof the holie Ghost hath made them ouerseers to feede the Church of God which he hath purchased with his owne bloud to warne the people of the enemie euer at hand alwaies readie to assault to teache and instruct the people of God in the waie of their saluation to tell them of their sinnes to crie vnto them and not to cease The Iudges are as eares who should sit in open places to heare the causes and complaints of the people opening the one eare to the plaintife and reseruing the other to the defendants answere The nobilitie are as the shoulders and armes to beare the burthen of the common wealth to holde vp the head and defend the bodie with might and force with wise counsel and good aduise Men of lower degrees are set as inferior parts in the bodie painefully to trauel for the necessarie sustentation both of themselues and others All these members are so necessarie that none can want without the ruine of the whole For euerie one hath need of other by the help of the other is maintained This necessary cōiunction should cause the Prince to loue the people as Moses which wished rather to be blotted out of the booke of life than that they should perish and as Dauid which besought the Lord to turne his wrathfull hand against him and to spare the people It should cause such loue in the people towards the Prince as was both in the people of Israel towardes their Prince and gouernour Iosua when they said All that thou hast commanded vs we will doe and whithersoeuer thou sendest vs we will goe and in Dauids subiects towards him when they stoode fast by him at such time as he fled from his rebellious and vnnaturall sonne not suffering that he should aduenture himselfe in the field but they rather for him to beare the brunt and burthen of the battell Thou shalt not goe thou art woorth tenne thousand of vs. This should cause the pastor to loue his flocke as Paul did loue his brethren I would wish my selfe separated from Christ for my brethren and againe Our good will was to haue dealt vnto you not the Gospell of GOD onely but euen our owne soules too because ye were deere vnto vs. This should cause the people to loue their pastor deerely as the Galathians loued Paul to whom he giueth this testimonie I beare you record that if it had beene possible you would haue plucked out your owne eies and haue giuen them to me Finally this should cause all men to walke in loue euen as Christ our example hath loued vs. 8 It followeth Let nothing be doone through contention or vainglorie After that S. Paul hath exhorted vs to loue and vnitie now he remooueth the lets and enemies of them The breache of all concord is contention and the daughter of contention is dissipation Wherefore our God is not the God of contention but of peace not of confusion but of order his Apostles are not breeders of stirs and mutinies they are messengers sent to make peace to this they prouoke and exhort eueriewhere I beseech you let there be no contentions amongst you Followe peace Let no roote of bitternesse spring vp and trouble you Where the man and the wife the parents and the children striue one against another that house needeth no forreine enemie to bring it to nought it will bee deuoured of it selfe A kingdome a citie diuided by contention how should it stand All times and examples are our witnesses Contention betweene Roboam and Ieroboam brought the kingdome of Israel first to a diuision and then to confusion The contention betweene Simon Iohn and Eleazar chiefe men in the citie of Ierusalem was the last and vtter
hath the greatest skil the prince because he hath the highest roume the people because they are most in number If the pastor goe before the sheepe will be the readier to followe after if the fountaines bee sweete the riuers that flowe from them will not be sowre if there be darkenesse in the hils there will bee more in the valleies if those that should giue light vnto others be turned into darkenesse how great shall the darkenesse of others be Examples haue a meruelous force to leade men The whole world is led as they haue others especially their superiors for examples And therefore you that be chiefest in authoritie should by reason be foremost in the waie of trueth Walke in what way you wil you are sure to haue followers Iosias walked in the straite waie to heauen and the people followed Ieroboam in the broade waie and the people were caried after in heapes If you liue in securitie carelesse for Gods matters carelesse for the causes of the common wealth carefull to feede vpon pleasures and fancies carefull to passe ouer your owne times in ease and quietnesse the people will easily take after your your townes and cities will soone be made like to that secure and carelesse citie of Lais. If ye will haue the people of the Land watchfull you your selues must not slumber If you make light of the word of God the people will learne by your example to despise it if you embrace the truth they also wil loue it You my Lords you whom God hath placed before you must goe before for Gods loue striue no longer take your places and goe on that the people of God being guided by you as by lights may follow after in the way of trueth It is a monstrous thing to see the basest liues in the highest roumes Your conuersation must be a glasse for others to looke into Others shall aunswere for their owne faults but you for your owne faults and for others who through your example are faultie To conclude let vs all so walke as becommeth the children of the light let it suffice that in times past wee haue walked according to the vanitie of the Gentiles let vs now returne vnto the Lord let vs cast away impietie and worldly concupiscence and liue a sober a righteous and a godlie life let vs with true repentance craue pardon and mercie at the handes of God and hereafter walke humbly before him not for a day or for a moneth or a Lent season but continually all the daies of our pilgrimage vpon earth He onely shall be saued that continueth walking in trueth to the ende God for his mercie sake let fall plentifully the drops and dewe of his heauenly grace vpon the hil of Hermon and the mountaines of Sion to the fruitefull watering of the whole Land of Israel Teach vs O Lorde euen our princes our prophets and our people thy waies direct all our goings that we may walke for euer in thy trueth This that wee may doe all and euerie of vs in our seuerall callings God the father graunt for his Sonne Christs sake to whom c. The seuenth Sermon A Sermon preached before the Queene IAC 4. 8 Drawe neere to God and he will drawe neere to you Cleanse your hands ye sinners and purge your hearts ye double minded 9 Suffer affliction and be sorie Weepe Let your laughter be turned into mourning and your iote into heauinesse 10 Cast downe your selues before the Lord and he will lift you vp GOD requireth in his houshold steward the minister of his blessed word fidelitie and discretion fidelitie to deliuer to Gods familie such meat without mingling as he hath receiued at his Lords hands discretion to giue it fitly in due season by respecting the time place auditorie like circumstances Al men are not of one kind of constitution Some are able to receiue and digest strong meate high mysteries deepe secrets of God Others must be fed with milke simple and plaine lessons yet auaileable to their saluation These differences are in the foode it selfe The maner of diuiding it standeth in doctrine and exhortation Doctrine is for the ignoraunt to instruct them exhortation for the learned to monishe and strengthen them both may most profitably be ioined together Paul hauing to doe with the ignorant Gentiles learned in profane arts but barbarous in true religion is ful of doctrine Iames dealing with the learned Iewes traueileth more in exhortation Our times are learned times God hath blessed our daies with vnderstanding Wee are inriched by him in all speeche and in all knowledge But we knowe and doe not and that deserueth stripes Miserable is it to be ignorant of Christ not to knowe the path which leadeth to heauen Yet better it were not to knowe the way of truth than not to walke in it being knowne I will therefore followe the wisedome of S. Iames and with his owne woordes exhort you Drawe neere to God and he will drawe neere to you c. In which woords first hee exhorteth vs to drawe neere vnto God secondly he sheweth vs the meanes how we may so doe lastly hee telleth what commoditie we shall reape thereby 2 He exhorteth sinners double hearted men to draw neere vnto God Sinners are such as be notable open offenders who make all the world witnesses of their wickednesse Marie Magdalene is called a sinner because she was knowne to be a great offender Behold a woman that was in the Citie a sinner The Sodomites and the Amalechites are likewise termed sinners for the excessiuenesse of their sinne because their sinnes were notorious and manifest Double hearted men are hypocrites resembling painted sepulchers beautifull without and within full of rottennesse such as say and doe not pretending holinesse for aduantage and working mischiefe in their hearts 3 This exhortation is generall it reacheth to all for wee are al offenders euen against the maiestie of almighty God although not all in the same degree All haue sinned and do need the glorie of God Euerie mans waies are corrupt The imagination of mans heart is euill euen from his youth What man liuing can say My heart is pure Betweene an open sinner and an hypocrite there is a difference in their sight which take them as they seeme there is no difference before God who beholdeth them as they are As God wil not heare the praier of the open obstinate sinner so doeth hee powre his grieuous curse vpon all hypocrites and counterfeite Christians Woe be to you ye hypocrites 4 Dauid when hee committed that great follie was an open sinner and gaue great offence It was told him by Nathan Thou hast made the Lords enemies to blaspheme Mariage is honourable in the sight of all men but fornication and adulterie the Lord doth abhorre and the offenders therein the Lorde shall iudge This one sinne drowned the whole world it called fire out
sheepes coate and play the wolfe in his right kinde They would shewe their rauenous nature by their cruell deedes then would they fil their bellies with that after which they now thirst they would finde swift feete to shed the bloud of innocents From the mouth of the Lyon O Lord deliuer vs. This sort of people our Apostle calleth double hearted 12 Herode was a double hearted man who calling the wise men to him bad them goe and searche out Christ returne and bring him word that he also might goe and worship him He intended to kill whom he pretended to worship Iudas was like affected he kissed and betraied Cains minde was as double when he spake faire vnto his brother entised him into the fielde and there villanously murthered him Ioab dealt euen so with Amasa and Abner whom vnder pretense of friendship traiterously hee slewe Absolon inuited his brother Ammon to a feast and in the midst thereof sodainely bereaued him of his life 13 These double hearts died not with these men they liue stil in their posteritie With Herode all men pretend to woorship Christ but most part also with Herode in trueth in heart in life kill him and trample vnder their feete the pretious bloud of his Testament Whom wee professe in woord wee denie in deede whō in doctrine we follow him in life we forsake Thus in doublenesse with Iudas we flatter we dissemble we courtesie we kisse but the inward heart is full of malice and treason Faithful friendship hath taken his flight away There is no trueth in the earth We speake them full faire whom we hate full deadly Whom we kisse we can sell to death for a peece of monie Iudges can talke of iustice and for monie peruert iudgement For monie the vineyard of the Lorde is laide wast by them who professe themselues the keeepers of it By them for monie the flocke of Christ is scattered and left to the wolfe to bee deuoured For monie an Idoll is made a pastor Iudas selleth Magus buyeth a thiefe by a thiefe is placed Beware of these double harted men Cain is a murtherer speake he neuer so faire If Absolon feast thee yet feare least thou finde sowre sawce to thy sweete meate The bond of brotherhoode is not of strength sufficient to retaine these double hearts Take heede of Ioab howsoeuer hee fawne for hee carieth inwardly a bigge and hawtie minde It is death to him that any should be in credite or direct Dauid besides himselfe Hee must doe all alone His outward speech is faire but his inward thought is ful of hatred enuie and wrath 14 Such as the fountaine is such is the riuer that runneth from it A double heart maketh a double tongue They which thinke deceitfully speake deceitfully and flatter with their lippes The Disciples of the Pharisees and the Herodians as they had double hearts so had they double tongues Before Christs face they could say Master we knowe that thou art true and teachest the waie of God truely neither carest for any man nor respectest the person of men But behinde his backe they termed him a seducer a companion of Publicanes and sinners a wine bibber and most spitefully railed against the righteous Lord of glorie All flatterers are double tongued Whom they praise excessiuely being present of him their maner is being out of sight to speake most slanderously and vilely So vnlike they are to our Sauiour Christ who would not praise Iohn to Iohns Disciples but after their departure commended him to the people It is Saint Augustines iudgement that the hand of no persecuter is more grieuous than is the tongue of a flatterer 15 These sinners and double hearts our Apostle doeth here reprooue vsing withal and earnest exhortation vnto them to draw neere vnto God from whom they haue so farre straied All sinners are straiers for sinne maketh a diuision betweene God and man Your iniquities haue made a separation betweene me and you To sinne is to depart and fall away from God The more wee sinne the faster and farther we flie from him Iudas sinned deepely and deadly hauing sinned he could not abide the presence of that innocent whom he had betraied but went out and vnrecouerably fell away The prodigall childe being loosely giuen waxed wearie of his fathers vertuous house raunged abroade fell to follie fed on filthinesse and bathed himselfe in all loathsome sinne yet being touched with Gods hand he repented and drew neere What should I name this or that man which hath gone astray It is most true that the Prophet saith We haue all erred gone astray like sheepe Not one hath remained within the sheepefold Euerie one hath either skipt ouer the hurdles or crept through the hedge All haue sinned there is not one innocent He that saith hee is no sinner is a sinner because he is a lyer Our sinne therefore hath separated vs from God who hateth and abhorreth sinne Our doubtfull double hearts haue caried vs into many crooked dangerous waies Our Apostle doth call vs home againe as sheepe that haue strayed saying Drawe neere vnto God 16 But what is it in our owne wil and power to returne or doeth God commaund that which is impossible for vs to performe Trueth it is All our sufficiencie is of God Of our selues wee are not able to thinke a good thought It is God that giueth both to will and to performe Without me saith Christ you are able to doe nothing No doubt we haue power and free will to runne from God but to drawe neere vnto him is his grace and gift Ad malum sufficit sibi liberum arbitrium ad bonum non Freewill hath in it selfe abilitie ynough to euill but not to good Hee commaundeth vs therefore to doe that which of our selues we are not able to doe that seeing our want we may craue his grace and helpe which will inable vs to drawe neere vnto him This grace is not in vaine by it we are that we are when we be as we should be neere vnto him If he that commandeth vs do not reach vs his hand when we are bidden to drawe neere we goe farther off But let God giue that which he commaundeth and then commaund whatsoeuer hee will Conuert vs O Lord and we shall be conuerted If he conuert vs not we shal remaine as we are or rather proceede to woorse No man commeth vnto me saith Christ except the father drawe him The spirit grace of God of vntoward and vnwilling maketh forward and readie and so by the efficacie of the spirit being changed we which were farre off are drawne neere 17 The way to drawe neere vnto God our Apostle setteth downe at large Cleanse your handes purge your hearts bee afflicted mourne weepe let your laughter bee turned into sorowe and your tote into griefe Humble your selues in the sight of the Lorde Esay the
Prophet teacheth the selfesame in few words Let the wicked forsake his waies and the vnrighteous his owne imaginations and returne vnto the Lord S. Paul meaneth the same thing when he speaketh of denying vngodlinesse and worldly lusts and liuing soberly righteously and godlily in this present worlde But our Sauiour Christ shutteth vp the whole in one word Repent 18 The order of our repentance set downe by the blessed Apostle is this First of all we must remooue euill from vs. Cleanse your hands purge your hearts wash and scowre both bodie and soule make you selues cleane both from outward and inward sinnes For it is not sufficient to abstaine from euill in our externall actions but we must also chase from our hearts euil cogitations The proude Pharisee seemed to haue a pure life but he had a polluted heart If the fountaine and spring bee not pure and sweete the riuers that issue from it must needes be vnsauourie From the heart there proceede euill cogitations murthers adulteries fornications false witnessings reuilings These are the fruites of an impure heart and these are the workes of vncleane fingers The hand is but the seruaunt to execute that which the heart hath deuised It was follie in Pilate to wash his hands in token of his puritie when his heart had consented to shed the bloud of that Innocent 19 The hand hath sundrie significations in the scriptures Sometime it is taken for counsell as Is not the hande of Ioab with thee in all these things And againe They met together to doe whatsoeuer thy hand and thy counsell had before decreed to be doone Euill hands are the breeders of al mischieuous practises but such counsel is commonly woorst to the giuer Dauid praied to God to confound the traiterous counsell of Achitophel who conspired against his master and king And it came to passe that his fingers did knit a roape about his own traiterous throate to strangle himselfe withall It is written of Dauid that he fed his people in the singlenes of his heart and led them foorth in the discretion of his handes The swoord of gouernement is an edged toole it requireth the hand of wise counsell discreetely to weeld it Roboam being guided by the vnwise hands of those lustie young Counsellers who aduised him to oppresse his people with heauy burthens to bring them into bondage and to giue them short and sharpe answeres wrought in the people discontented minds alienated their hearts from their Prince which in the ende was the tearing of his kingdome into peeces Of twelue parts he lost tenne and better 20 The word Hand is also taken for crueltie and oppression because the hand is the instrument to worke these things Your hands saith the Prophet are full of bloud Such hands had Herod And such haue they not onely which kil but which hate malice and slaunder their brethren For hee which hateth his brother is a manslaier 21 Finally because the hand worketh most of al the members of the bodie in the necessarie actions of mans life therefore all pollutions in our outward deedes are conteined in the name of vncleane hands 22 The slanderer and libeller hath bloudie hands his tongue cutteth like a sharpe rasor his penne writeth in bloud For he killeth whom he defameth 23 The oppresser with his bloudie fingers pulleth the skinne off the peoples backes Aemilius being placed by Tyberius Caesar ouer Egypt oppressed the Egyptians with great vnwoonted exactions The Emperor hearing of it was wroth and wrote vnto him That he would haue his sheepe to be shorne but not flaied Such oppressers of the people greatly wrong the Prince who beeing faultlesse yet is forced to beare the burthen of that blame Such gleaners of other mens goods and pillers and purloiners although they ioine house to house yet the foundation of them being laide in bloud that building shall not continue That which commeth ill shal goe woorse away They loose as much in their consciences as they gaine in their cofers 24 Rewards likewise doe not onely blinde the eies and peruert the woords but they also defile the handes of the wise and righteous 25 All such as enter into the Church of GOD by corrupt meanes defile their hands and destroie their soules That saith S. Ambrose which the man gaue when he was ordeined Bishop was but gold and that which he lost was his soule 26 The vsurer doth so mire his fingers in monie that with his fowle filthie fists he can neuer take hold vpon the tabernacle of God 27 It were infinite to goe through all particulars We defile our hands whensoeuer our actions are corrupted infected and polluted with sinne seeme they vnto vs neuer so perfect holie and good Things highly esteemed before men are found to be as vanitie before God Our verie righteousnesse in his sight is polluted Yea many times euen when we doe good then we doe ill In our praier by coldnesse in our almes deedes by vaineglorie wee defile the hands which we lift vp vnto God and put foorth vnto men These fowle hands our Apostle biddeth vs wash Mundate manus vestras O peccatores 28 And as we must wash our fowle hands so must we purge our infected hearts The heart of man is not searched by man Who knoweth it Onely God is the searcher of hearts The hypocrite seemeth holie in the face of the world but his inward man is poisoned with sinne Of men hee is commended and reuerenced but his false impure heart the Lord doth abhorre Thy heart must bee purged before thy hands can be washed to any purpose For as all impuritie riseth from the heart and so pulluteth the hands so must first thy heart be purified and that will make all cleane If thine eye bee right all thy bodie will be cleare saith our Sauiour The stomacke well confirmed all the bodie will be in good estate But our hearts are impure neither can any man say My heart is cleane The Pharisee saide that he was righteous but he looked onely vpon his hands and did not see into his prowde and malitious heart The penitent Publicane wisely knocked vpon his heart for there laie the disease Euerie sinne breedeth in the heart from thence it hath his originall and euerie heart is possessed with sundrie sinnes and hath neede carefully to be purged 29 Pride polluteth mans heart This venome poisoned the heart of the great Angell of God of Adam the most perfect man of God of Nabuchodonozar the great and mightie Emperor of Ozias the king Their hearts were lifted vp and therefore GOD threwe them downe Pride is the first and greatest sinne and therefore with chiefest care to bee shunned This hidden poison cannot bee smothered it will burst foorth into the outward parts It will appeare in thy countenance in thy pace and in thy apparel Monstrous attire
is sufficient for them Thy testimonies saith Dauid are my counsellers Their counsell was to him sufficient Hee red not the scriptures at idle times or at leisure they were his meditation continually Reading was not irkesome and tedious vnto him his eies did preuent the night watches to meditate in the word The time was not lost which was so bestowed For by thy commaundements saith he thou hast made me wiser than mine enemies The diligence of that noble Eunuch chiefe officer to the Queene of Ethiopia is greatly commended as a woorthie president for Christian Courtiers to behold and followe Many cannot reade yet al ought to heare I will hearken saith Dauid what the Lord God will say Who doth not reioyce to heare a prince speake gracious and fauorable wordes But I wil heare the lord speake saith the prophet For he wil speake peace vnto his people A bad seruaunt an euill wife a cursed childe a damnable creature that will not gladly heare the voice of the Lord the husband the father the creator Christ taught dailie in the temple and doubtlesse he was daily heard But hearing of the woord may not daily be attended least it hinder more weightie affaires Is there any thing more weightie than the matter of saluation Is the earth of more account than heauen a short miserable life than a blessed and immortall Philip of Macedonia casting off the suite of a poore woman with a short answere that he had no leisure to heare her cause she aunswered boldly Why then hast thou leisure to be a king I may as boldly aske of them which say they haue no leisure to heare Gods word how they will finde the leisure to be saued This word only saueth Receiue ye therfore the word ingrafted which is able to saue your soules 13 If there bee no saluation but by faith no faith but by hearing the woord of God how should the people be saued without teachers The mother Citie of the Realme is reasonably furnished with faithfull preachers certaine other Cities not many in number are blessed too though not in like sort But the sillie people of the Land otherwhere especially in the North parts pine away way and perish for want of this sauing foode they are much decayed for want of prophecie Many there are that heare not a sermon in seuen yeres I might say safely in seuenteene Their bloud will be required at some bodies hands The Lord deliuer vs from that hard account and graunt redresse with speede 14 But why doth the countrie want preachers The people pay tithes of that they haue therefore there must needes be sufficient to maintaine them If things were well ordered this sequele were good But the chiefest benefices were by the Pope long since impropriated vnto a Monkes which deuoured the fruits and gaue a sillie stipend vnto a poore Sir Iohn to say Masse And as they left it so we finde it still Where liuings were not impropriated by the Pope there they are for the most part so handled that patrons maintaine themselues with those tithes which the people giue and ministers haue that which the patrons leaue The worlde dealeth with Gods Clergie as Dionysius the tyrant with Iupiters Idoll They make themselues as merie with spoyling Christs patrimonie as he with robbing Iupiter of his golden cloake which being too heauie for Sommer and too colde for Winter he tooke away and left in stead of it a cotten coate light for the one time and warme for the other To take from them which liue idly and superstitiously in the Church they pleade it to be lawfull because those vnprofitable members were vnwoorthie to enioie the fat of the earth Abbeies being eaten vp and other profites gone now as greedie cormorants they sease also vpon the Church of Christ. It is not fit forsooth that men sanctified vnto heauenly things should be ouermuch encombred with these earthly commodities and therefore euen of great deuotion and zeale they will ease the Church of these her burthens Thus by men that cannot stand without the fall of the Church of God all meanes are inuented to begger the ministerie A deuise no doubt of Satan and a practise of his impes to cause a famine of the bread of life by staruing the Oxe that should treade out the come and to withdrawe Gods people from seeking the Lord by weakening and discouraging such as should guide them in the waie of life Thus you see how God must be sought in his word which woord because all men must heare and learne therefore many must be sent to teache it 15 But because the seede which is cast into the earth groweth not vp vnlesse it be watered with the dewe of heauen neither doth the sound of the woord bring any man vnto Christ except the grace of the spirite be with it which grace God offereth so freely vnto men that there needeth no more but Aske and Haue for this cause it followeth in the Prophet Call vpon him while he is neere We may reade and heare of God as of one farre off But when we praie vnto God we acknowledge that he is as it were within sight when we cal vpon him we speake to him as vnto one which is present He is neuer so clearely and plainely found his presence is neuer so familiarly enioied as by heartie praier Praier consisterh of two parts Thankesgiuing for that which we haue receiued and requesting of that whereof our soules or bodies haue neede 16 The good king Dauid falling into consideration of the infinite mercies of God bursteth out into these carefull woordes What shall I render to the Lord Finding no way to requite hee resolueth thus I will take the cup of saluation and call vpon the name of the Lord. Perhaps the Prophet had the more care to shewe himselfe thankefull towards God by reason of the griefe which himselfe sustained through mens ingratitude towards him He maketh pitifull complaint that his familiar friends who ate bread at his table who tooke sweete counsell with him whom hee had many waies benefited were vnthankefull and requited him with trecherous dealing An honest hearted man is neuer so grieued as when his friendlinesse is requited with ingratitude If it be saith S. Ambrose a fault to bee matched euen with murther not to requite man with thankefulnesse what a crime is it to deale vnthankefully with God Dixeris maledicta cuncta cum ingratum hominem dixeris Wee haue named all the naughtinesse that can bee obiected when wee haue termed a man vnthankefull saieth another Lycurgus beeing asked why in his Lawes he had set downe no punishment for ingratitude answered I haue left it to the gods to punish All the punishment which man could deuise he though too easie for a fault so heinous The ingratitude of Ierusalem did more wound the heart of the sonne of God Christ Iesus than the speare that pierced him through the heart vpon the crosse Hee
compassion vpon the poore Let vs seeke vp Christ and prouide for him He sought vs and found vs when we were robbed spoiled and deadly wounded let not vs turne away our faces from him seeking crauing so small help at our hands He became poore to make vs riche let vs out of the aboundance of our riches spare somewhat nowe to the reliefe of his pouertie He will well requite it It is not lost which is bestowed vpon him in his poore afflicted members that which wee put in the handes of the poore we lay it vp in the Lords bosome where neither dice nor cards hawkes nor hounds horses nor harlots can consume it rust and canker can not eate it theeues can not robbe and bereaue vs of it Vnwoorthie we are to be called Christians if wee suffer our head Christ Iesus to be naked and cloath him not if we see him hungrie and giue him no bread Woorse wee are than Iewes if we suffer this ignominie to bee doone vnto Christ this ingratitude to be shewed to so gratious a God O let vs be mercifull that as children we may resemble our heauenly father for he is mercifull Vnto this mercifull God the Father the Sonne and the holie Ghost be honour glorie and praise nowe and euer Amen The ninth Sermon A Sermon made in Pauls at the solemnization of CHARLES the 9. the French Kings funerall IOB 14. 14 All the daies of this my warrefare doe I waite till my changing come THE custome of funerals as it is auncient so is it commendable Abraham the father of our faith purchased a peece of ground to burie his dead in And in that place he himselfe Sara Isaak Iacob and Ioseph were buried with great solemnitie much mourning Tobias is commended for burying the dead So is Marie Magdalene for preparing of ointment for the burying of our Sauiour So is Ioseph and also Nicodemus for the care that they had about Christs funerall 2 Causes of funerals S. Augustine giueth three First it is the office of humanitie the duetie of charitie decently to commit the dead corps to the earth out of which they came This charitable dutie is commended in Toby and others whose names I mentioned before and was of the verie Heathen religiously obserued Secondly it is a thing verie seemely and conuenient with reuerence to laie the corps in graue because our bodies are the temples of the holie Ghost wherein by which as by liuely instruments both God hath beene glorified and his people haue receiued good Knowe yee not that your bodie is the temple of the holie Ghost which is in you That which hath beene so notable an instrument would not be vnreuerently entreated though dead Thirdly our faith is hereby confirmed touching the article of our resurrection For we laie downe the bodie in the earth vnder hope that This mortall must put on immortalitie as confessing with Iob I beleeue that my redeemer liueth and that I shall see God in my fleshe mine eyes shall behold him and none other But the Christian Church doeth not neither ought to vse funerals thereby to relieue or benefite the dead All these things saith S. Augustine furniture of funerals order of burying and the pompe of exequies are rather comforts to the liuing than helps to the dead The glutton of whom S. Luke speaketh in the Gospell was buried no doubt with pompe ynough yet his wicked soule was plunged into hell There commeth therefore no part of blessednesse to the dead by funerals but Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord. Lazarus wanted as it is to be thought his funerall but the want thereof bereaued him not of his happie estate he died in the Lord and so was blessed 3 Sith therefore death bringeth with it our particular iudgement sith he that beleeueth on the sonne hath euerlasting life but he that beleeueth not on the sonne shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him Let vs liue as we will die and die as they that hope to rise againe and liue with Christ hereafter As euerie man departeth hence so shall he be iudged at the last daie And Euerie man shall sleepe with his owne cause and with his owne cause rise againe At our particular death is our particular iudgement at the glorious comming of Christ shall bee the generall reuelation of the iudgement of the whole world After this life there is no helpe remaining to the dead to the liuing there is mercie offered to the deade there remaineth onely iudgement He that is not purged heere shall be iudged as filthie there 4 Vaine therefore and dangerous is the opinion of Purgatorie Vaine because it hath no foundation at all in Gods woord Moses prescribing all kindes of sacrifices in the old Lawe maketh no mention either of sacrificing or praying for the dead Paul instructing the Thessalonians what they ought to doe in funerals neither doeth remember vnto them sacrifice nor praier Iust Simeon neuer dreamed of Purgatorie when as he saide Lorde now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace according to thy word Small peace is there in Purgatorie as Papists report It neuer came into Saint Pauls minde when he said I desire to depart hence and to be with Christ. It was not reuealed to the Angell when he said Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord they rest from their labours There is no rest but intollerable paine imagined in Purgatorie euen to them which die in the Lord. Neither Lazarus not the rich man were acquainted with it the one was immediately caried into heauen the other cast into hel He which said to theefe This day thou shalt be with me in Paradise knewe onely two waies the straite way to heauen the broade way to hell hee who knewe all things was ignorant of this third way For there is no such waie to knowe This opinion is perilous The hope of helpe in Purgatorie hath sent many deceiued soules into hell This opinion is iniurious to the bloud of Christ. For if any sinne remaine to bee purged by these after paines then The bloud of Christ doth not cleanse vs from all sinne and then â—e make God a lyer It destroieth repentance without which there is no remission of sinnes here and with which satisfaction for sins afterward cannot stand For faith and repentance cease with this life He that hath not his pardon heere deceiueth himselfe if he hope to haue it hereafter elsewhere Euery man after life shal beare his owne burthen as euerie man hath wrought in his bodie There commeth nothing to the spirits of them that bee dead but that which they wrought while they were aliue Worke thou righteousnesse before thy death for in the graue it is too late And thus it doth appeare that although the vse of funerals be auncient and that for good causes they are
taketh away because the world is not worthie of them and some because they are not worthie of it He cut off Iofias for his souâ—e pleased God therefore he made hast to take him away from the midst of iniquities He cut off Achab Agag and Herode because they were bloudie and wilie men therefore they did not liue out halfe their daies 18 So true it is Man that is borne of a woman hath but a short time to liue it is euen as true that followeth in the same sentence that his fewe daies are full of miserie He commeth vp and is cut downe like a flower he fleeth as it were a shadowe and continueth not Mans life is as vnlasting as a flower Hee commeth vp and is cut downe as a flower He vanisheth away like a shadowe of a flower And while he liueth he is full of miserie He commeth into the world with sorowe and weeping whilest hee liueth in the worlde hee is hated of the worlde or else which is woorse of God assaulted of Satan in continuall warre subiect to the manifold diseases both of the bodie of the soule the one truely miserable but the other most intolerable He neuer continueth in one state To day in his princely throne to morowe in his dustie graue to day placed in great authoritie to morow cast out of countenance to day in high fauour to morow in high displeasure now rich now poore now in wealth now in woe now sound now sicke now ioiefull now ful of sorowe to day a man to morowe nothing O how short how changeable and howe miserable is the state of mortall man which we neglect but Iacob well considered when he aunswered Pharao of his age The daies of my peregrination are pauci mali fewe and euill Walke therefore circumspectly saith S. Paul for the daies are euill Wee are fallen into those euill daies and perillous times of the which both Paul and Peter forewarned vs. These may bee rightly called dismall daies The God of this world hath blinded the eyes of men Let him therefore that standeth I say it againe take heede that hee fall not Let vs expect our change and pray the Lord to increase our faith that wee may bee able to stand before him in that day that dreadfull day of his iust iudgement 19 As our daies here are short and euill so is the time of our change either to better or woorse vncertaine What is most certaine Death What most vncertaine the time of death saieth Bernard We are all tenants at will vncertaine how long to remaine in this our earthly tabernacle Of this we are put in minde in the Lords praier Giue vs this day our daily bread We say this day as vncertaine of to morowe It is written of one that beeing inuited to a dinner on the morowe by his friend hee aunswered These many daies I neuer had to morowe Therefore saith S. Iames let vs not appoint for to morowe but with conditions If the Lorde will and if we liue The Egyptians considering the vncertaintie of mans daies were accustomed at their great feasts in the midst of their iollitie to haue one sodainely come foorth with an image of death and shewing it to the gests to pronounce this speeche Eate drinke be merie within a while thou shalt be such as this And the Israelites dwelt in tents vncertaine of their abode euer readie to shift whereby they represent vnto vs our peregrination in this mortalitie wherein because we are vncertaine to stay long wee ought at all times to be readie to depart so that we may enter into that celestiall Canaan This time of mans life and death God hath made vncertaine for two causes the one that his minde might not be troubled the other this present text giueth and it is the last member of our diuision 20 This ende or chaunge is daily to bee looked for Seeing that death is certaine our daies short and the time of our dissolution vnknowen wisedome would haue vs to put our selues in readinesse looking for our change the end of this bad life that it may be to vs the beginning of a better It is good counsell which S. Augustine giueth Death looketh for thee eueriewhere if thou bee wise looke thou eueriewhere for him The remembraunce of this our end would bridle sinne well in vs. Remember thy ende and thou shalt neuer doe amisse Christ saith Watch for you knowe not at what houre he will come He commeth sodainely as a theefe in the night The Lorde will come when thou lookest not for him and in an houre that thou knowest not Let vs watche therefore with the wise virgins hauing our lampes continually burning waiting for the comming of the bridegroome that wee may enter with him into his ioie 21 And as mans life is short so is the comming of Christ at hand Waite for it will surely come and will not stay The time is short This we knowe though it be not in vs to knowe the definite point of time which to the Angels of heauen is vnreuealed But Christ hath set downe certaine tokens of the ende which all are fulfilled and amongst others he saith Iniquitte shall abound charitie shall waxe colde the Gospell shall be preached in all the world and then shall come the end Neuer more iniquitie neuer lesse charitie the Gospel neuer so liberally taught behold the ende Peter saieth The end of all things is at hand If then at hande howe much neerer now If those were the latter times surely these are the last times the verie ende of the ende Heare the counsell of a wise man Make no tarying to turne vnto the Lord and put not off from day to day for sodainely shall the wrath of the Lord breake foorth and in thy securitie thou shalt be destroied and thou shalt perish in the time of vengeaunce 22 By procrastination driuing off forslowing our turning to the Lord and looking for our change three great dangers doe ensue First if we slumber and sleepe in securitie if we accustome our selues with sinning not looking for our chaunge neither remembring the fearefull comming of our Lord our custome will waxe to be our nature and hard will it be for vs to rise from sinne in which we haue beene so long and so deepely buried After that Lazarus had laine foure daies in the graue Christ vsed many circumstances for the raising of him againe who raised others with a woord 23 Secondly it is daungerous in respect of the sodaine taking away which happeneth to many in so much that they haue not time sufficiently to think vpon God or once to crie Lord help The first age in all their iollitie not thinking on death were sodainely drowned The Sodomites sodainely by fire consumed Pharao with his armie swallowed vp in the sea The Israelites gnawne of deadly serpents Dathan
with his complices eatē vp of the earth Herode sodainely deuoured with lice The riche man after all his prouision sodainely smitten with death Lying Ananias sodainely fel downe dead Eglon the Moabite Abner the captaine sodainely murthered by the swoord of Aod and Ioab All histories all ages are full of like examples 24 The third danger is that in driuing off to the lest day we shall finde hard time then to turne vnto our God Sickenesse wil sore disquiet vs Satan wil extremely tempt vs Our friends with talking and crauing will molest vs the terror of our ouglie conscience will astonish vs so that hard it will be for vs then to bee rightly mindful of our end so in this extremitie to turn to God that hee in our extreme case may turne his mercie towardes vs. And as S. Augustine saith The remedies come too late when perill of death is neere Remember that which hee also saith elsewhere Hee that hath liued well cannot die ill and hee can hardlie die well that hath liued ill Hee saith hardly not vnpossibly but questionlesseverie hardly 25 Put thine houshold in an order for thou shalt die and not liue saith Esay to Ezechias Giue thy goods whilest they be thine for after death thou hast no interest in them Stand with your loines girded and your shoes on your feete and your staffe in your hande that you may bee readie Wee haue slept too long in sinne to our great danger Let vs now awake to our speedie deliueraunce It is sufficient for vs that we haue spent the time that is past of our life after the will of the Gentiles Let vs now imitate that woorthie souldier who after long warring vnder Adrian the Emperor returned home and liued as Christs souldier a most godlie life and after 7◠yeeres died and caused to be written on his tombe Here lyeth Similis a man that was many yeres and liued but seuen Let vs these fewe yeres that we haue liue them to God For that onely is woorthie to be called a life which bringeth vs from a transitorie life to an eternall from a miserable to a most blessed and glorious Let the trumpe euer sound in our eares Rise you dead come vnto iudgement Let vs daily remember that we must die and so shall we contemne these things present and make hast to things to come Truly if we shal rightly consider the vanitie of the worlde the miserable estate of man that we are here but pilgrims and haue no permanent citie that whilest we liue in this rotten tabernacle wee are meere straungers and men from home that wee daily slide yea and fall into sinne that our righteous God hateth it and that the stipend therof is eternall death and withall propose before our eyes the celestiall kingdome the crowne of glorie the eternall felicites which the Lord hath prepared in heauen for such as loue his comming we wil not onely watchefully looke for but most greedily desire the same In our heart wee wil daily crie with S. Iohn Come quickely Lord Iesu wee wil bee like affected to S. Paul desiring to depart hence and to be with Christ we wil sigh and mourne as hee did O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me frō the bodie of this death We wil with Iob euen be wearie of our liues and crie with Elias It is ynough O Lord take my soule it wil be with vs as it was with al the blessed Patriarches and Prophets and Apostles and holie men now glorious Saints in heauen who continually beeing heere thirsted after God and now most blessedly haue enioied him we will vtterly contemne this earthly trash worldely vanities and transitorie things and desire and seeke those things which are aboue where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God we will whilest wee haue our beeing heere which is but a while humble our selues to walke with our God and although wee tread this earth yet our conuersation wil be in heauen from whence also we looke for the Sauiour the Lord Iesus Christ who will change our vile bodie that it may bee fashioned like to his glorious bodie according to the working whereby he is able to subdue all things vnto himselfe 26 Thus wee see that funerals are Christian auncient and commendable that the causes are sundry good godly yet neither our preaching nor praier neither any other ceremonie nor circumstance can profite the dead but are helping comforts to such as liue that onely in this life mercie remaineth for man and after this life onely iudgement As we now sowe so we shall then reape Here we are Christs souldiers to fight a good fight so wee may hope for the crowne of glorie Which thing Iob doeth wel declare vnto vs First telling vs that wee are in continuall warre wherein both the generals the captaines the trumpetors and common souldiers that is the prince the nobilitie the ministers and the people must take to them a good courage be faithful dutiful and manfull in fighting the battle of the Lorde euerie man keepe his standing and answere his office But we must all striue for Gods truth and not struggle against it not ambitiously contending for superioritie or malitiously howe to vndermine and wrong one another This is no lawfull combat no Christian warre this is not to fight a good fight But wee must wage warre against our common and our deadly enemies the diuell the world and the flesh The diuel is a roaring lyon a subtile serpent who hath ouercome the perfectest the strongest the wisest The world is all wrapped in wickednesse The flesh wrestleth against the spirite We must put on the armour of God resist the diuell and he will flie from vs crucifie the world chasten our flesh and bring it into subiection vnto the more noble part our spirit At length this our warrefare will come to an ende wee may looke for a change All the world is mutable and of all thinges in the world man most mutable We would change our condition our magistrates our ministers our religion all things But the change that Iob speaketh of we least remember wee litle thinke vpon the change of this mortall life Wee may assure our selues that we all shall die It is an act of Parliament that shall neuer be repealed it is the way of all flesh The daies of man are short and wretched short a spanne long wretched full of miseries All flesh is as grasse and as a flowre both do fade but the flowre sooner Cares wantonnesse ambition yea God in sundrie respects cutteth off both the good and the bad good flowers bad flowers but all as flowers The time of our change is vncertaine and often sodaine that our minde be not troubled that we alwaies be in readinesse Iobs example admonisheth vs of this I looke still when my changing shall come Let vs after his example
For he is our God not whom we professe but in whom we repose our trust and whom we serue and obey When the Lord commaundeth one thing and his monie perswades an other will not his obedience declare whom he maketh his God God saith Lend freely and looke for no gaine But wil the vsurer whose monie is his God remit his interest because of this because the Lord hath so charged him No he will not so let goe his tenne or twentie or thirtie in the hundred To him the glorie of God yea and his owne soule is vile nothing is pretious but onely money What the Prophet speaketh of putting foorth monie to vsurie he full litle regardeth but feedeth still vpon his mast and blesseth himselfe when hee waxeth fat not perceiuing that God hath alreadie plagued him with a plague of all plagues the obduration of his heart And although that God hath giuen him ouer into a dull and senselesse minde his eares beeing so dammed vp that nothing can haue entraunce to mooue or touche his hard heart yet he still blesseth himselfe and his accursed soule Thou vsurer thou idolater that doest glorie in thy shame in thy euill gotten golde doest thou not knowe that thy wealth shall melt like snow before the sunne thinkest thou still to holde it O foole this night shall they tâ—ke away thy soule perhaps this instant and then whose is all this After that Zacheus fell to the seruice of Christ and that Christ entred into his house hee presently forsooke the seruice of Mammon made a large restitution of that which he had gained by such vnlawfull meanes and then began to bee liberall not onely to lend freely but to giue for nothing he gaue the one halfe of all his goods to the poore If God would at this day work thus in the heart of one Zacheus a rich vsurer how many poore might be relieued by such a restitution He might mainteine many a needie man and saue his owne soule Well this one thing we knowe This woord that proceedeth out of Gods mouth against vsurie shall not returne in vaine if it cannot worke reformation it wil worke confusion 11 As these serue their monie so there are some Domino non seruientes sed suo ventri seruaunts to the bellie and not to the Lord. He serueth the bellie who frameth himselfe to be of any religion so that in this world he may liue by it when poperie hath the vpper hand then a papist when the Gospell is in due estimation a protestant all things to all men that somewhat may be gained or saued to himselfe Hee maketh no difference betweene the Masse and the Communion Christ and Beliall but for his bellie sake wil halt on both sides serue all times and turnes Such a one was Leontius Bishop of Antioch who being in heart an Arrian couered his religion and ioined with the counsell of Nice in outward profession of the trueth So his soule was led by the diuel and his bodie by the world 12 Some and those many are seruauntes of men as those which in matters of religion wholly hang their soules vpon humane authorities and iudgements So did the Corinthians I hold of Paul I of Cephas and I of Apollos So doe al the Popes fauorites And so doe those that choose to themselues newe masters newe teachers according to their itching and wandering â—ares esteeming such and despising others So doe they which praise and flatter men in their follie thereby to winne themselues estimation with them which haue mens persons in admiration for gaines sake Finally so doe they which repose their trust in the merits of men that seeke iustification or remission of sinnes eyther by their owne woorkes or by the desertes of others For to knowe that hee is our redemption sanctification and iustice is no small part of Gods seruice to giue this to any other is to take it from him which who so doeth is not woorthie to bee named his seruaunt He that serueth him must serue him alone 13 Not him and the worlde For the worlde is wholly set on vanitie and mischiefe it hateâ—h him and therefore wee must hate it If ye be his seruaunts let not sinne beare rule in your bodies or haue dominion ouer you We must die vnto sinne that we may liue vnto God through Iesus Christ our Lord. He that doth sinne is the seruaunt of the diuell the diuel is but a bad master to serue he is a lier a theefe and a murtherer And hee entertaineth no seruants but such as be like himselfe whose wages are fire cheines brimstone darkenesse wailing howling and gnashing of teeth in a word euerlasting death and damnation Wee are nor ransomed out of the hands of our enemies to serue these masters mammon the bellie men sinne the world or the diuell But wee are redeemed to serue him onely to serue our Christ our redeemer that hath full deerely bought vs. Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serue 14 Him we must serue without feare In the Psalme it is saide Serue the Lord with feare and reioice vnto him with reuerence And here wee are taught to serue him without feare As there is but one God so the scripture is alwaies one There is a feare which children haue towards their parents and a feare of seruants towards their masters God will be feared of vs as children but not as seruaunts or if as seruaunts not as slaues The beleeuing Christian the regenerate childe of God who through faith in Christ is certaine of his deliuerance from the diuell and from hell assured of remission of sinnes and of life euerlasting in the death and resurrection of Iesus Christ our Sauiour he serueth in the reuerent feare of loue and not in that dreadfull feare of death and euerlasting damnation wherewith the reprobate minde is daunted He feareth not death for hee is sure of life hee feareth not damnation for he is assured of saluation he beleeueth that which Christ hath promised and doubteth nothing of the obteining of that which Christ hath procured for him He is surely perswaded with S. Paul that neither death nor life nor tribulation nor affliction nor any thing present or to come shall separate him from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus Hee feareth therefore neither the sting of death nor the power of Satan But this certaintie of Gods loue towards him in Christ and the testimonie of his loue towards God againe casteth out all feare of eternall punishment For ye haue not saith the Apostle receiued againe the spirite of bondage vnto feare but ye haue receiued the spirit of adoption by which wee crie Abba father This spirit testifieth with our spirit that God is our gratious father and if he our father wee his children and if his children heires of his glorious kingdome The preaching of the Lawe letteth vs see
persecuters of true religion who by euill meanes had attained vnto that authoritie and behaued themselues as ill in it Paul in this treatie of a magistrate meeteth with both these errors He laieth downe this foundation for an absolute and a generall rule Let euerie soule be subiect to the higher powers This obedience he requireth both of Iewe and Gentile of Prophet Priest in summe of euerie Christian and this position he prooueth by sundrie forcible reasons 2 First there is no power but of God The powers that are bee ordeined of him Be the magistrate Iewe or Gentile Christian or Heathen good or bad hee hath his authoritie from God the magistrate of all magistrates God hath placed him and ordeined him to bee thy gouernour in respect whereof thou art bound for thy conscience sake towardes God for to obey him Another reason why euerie soule should liue in subiection to the higher power is because whosoeuer resisteth the ordinaunce of God prouoketh the iudgement of God against himselfe If God for thy sinne set a wanton an hypocrite yea or an Infidell ouer thee thou must obey that wanton that hypocrite and that Infidell and not rebell against him GOD hath ordeined him to resist that power is to resist the ordinaunce of GOD to conspire against him is to conspire against GOD to reiect him is to reiect God Christ submitted himselfe to the authoritie of Caesar and to Pilates iudgement Resisters and rebels receiue to themselues condemnation they neuer haue neither euer shall escape the heauie hand of Gods wrath they feele it often in this life but in the life to come if they escape it heere they are sure to feele it A third reason why we should liue obediently is because there is no reason why wee should doe otherwise For why should any man desire not to be subiect Because he is afraide of the power of kings and rulers Princes are a terror not to them that doe well but to euill doers Wilt thou then be without feare of the power Withdrawe not thy selfe from obedience but doe well so shalt thou haue praise and be without feare For this ende magistrates are appointed of God to maintaine the good and represse the euill And the magistrate is so necessarie in respect hereof that no common wealth can be safe or long stand without him For if the bad were not bridled more by the authoritie of the magistrate than by any moderation in themselues they would eate vp the good and a woonderful confusion would soone followe A fourth reason may be this God hath put a sword in the magistrates hands to shewe that he hath appointed him as his vicegerent to take vengeaunce on them which doe euill So that the very sight of the sword ought to put vs in minde of his power and our obedience For God hath not deliuered him a swoord for nothing hee is the minister of Gods wrath he hath not receiued the swoord in vaine it is giuen him to smite the wicked withall 3 Wherefore ye must be subiect not because of wrath onely but also for conscience sake The Apostle concludeth vpon the former reasons that wee must submit our selues obediently vnto the magistrate and attempt nothing against him not onely for feare of punishment he being the minister of Gods displeasure but also for conscience sake in that God requireth this obedience at our handes All this notwithstanding if magistrates should commaund that which is impious and which God forbiddeth in such cases we haue our answere well warranted Melius est obedire Deo quà m hominibus It is better to obey God than men 4 In token of this obedience wee pay them tribute as acknowledging them to be Gods ministers It is not a strange or a newe custome to pay custome to princes All nations all people haue euer vsed it and yeelded it and magistrates well deserue it For their office is both painefull and chargeable they euer caring for the benefite of the common wealth to represse the euill to strengthen the good to set vp vertue to cast downe vice to defend their people and countrie and in well gouerning as the good ministers of God to spend both their goods liues These magistrates must bee supported and may lawfully receiue the reward of their labours nay they must receiue it Wherefore vnlesse ye wil be iniurious and withhold back from them that which is theirs euen by debt and not by courtesie giue to all men their duetie tribute to whom tribute custome to whom custome feare to whom feare and honour to whom honour is due Wee must haue magistrates in great estimation and reuerence wee must feare them as the ministers of Gods wrath we must honour them for that they occupie Gods place for our benefite wee must readily and willingly pay vnto them tribute and custome for God hath so appointed and they haue so deserued And therfore the Apostle saith Reddite Paie it Whereupon S. Chrysostome fitly noteth We doe not giue it vnto magistrates but we paie it vnto them It is as due as debt 5 Vpon this particular touching our duetie towardes magistrates our Apostle inferreth a generall exhortation Owe nothing to any man but this to loue one another c. This exhortation compriseth two things our duetie to our neighbour our duetie to God Our duetie to our neighbour consisteth in paying him what we owe him and in louing him as wee loue our selues 6 Owe nothing to any man pay thy debt pay vnto the magistrate obedience feare honour tribute custome all this is due vnto him all this is thy debt The people of Israel bound themselues with solemne promise to pay this debt to their magistrate Iosua whom the Lorde had giuen to bee their gouernour All things which thou hast commaunded vs we will doe and whither so euer thou wilt send vs we will goe as we obeyed Moses so will we also obey thee Onely let thy Lord thy God be with thee as hee was with Moses Whosoeuer shall rebell against thy commaundement and will not obey thy words in al that thou commaundest him let him be put to death This is the debt we owe to magistrates Myriam would not pay this debt to her brother Moses and God plagued her with a fowle leprosie so that shee which had separated her selfe from common obedience was separated from all companie Dathan and Abiram with their complices rebelliously murmured against their magistrate and God made the earth open and swallowe them vp and a number of that conspiracie he consumed with fire Absolon rebelled and would not pay this debt of obedience to his father But God quickely paide him that which was due to his rebellious and disloyall attempts God is stil the same God he hateth iniquitie and wil not suffer conspiracie rebellion or treason against lawfull magistrates either vnreuealed or vnreuenged And therefore let all subiects as wel to auoide the wrath of God as also for
times wherein iniquitie aboundeth and charitie waxeth colde Heartie loue is turned into heartie hatred our handes are bloudie and our hearts malitious Hee liueth not that loueth his neighbour as himselfe If we did loue our neighbours as our selues we would not oppresse them with extortion and vsurie we would not vndermine them and wring them in bargaining we would not so proudely contemne them so spitefully enuie them so impudently slander them or so greedily practise for their infamie and discredit wee would not speake them faire and mind them euil fawne on them and betraie them seeke our credit by their reproche our gaine by their losse when we see their necessities we would releeue and succour them binde vp their wounds with the good Samaritan and charitably prouide for them When wee suffer them for want to perish in our streetes this is an euident token and manifest argument that wee neither loue God neither them that are of God neither him nor his If the vertues which are in loue be not found in vs but if contrariwise we abound in those vices from which loue is free if we be voide of patience and courtesie full of enuie and froward dealing if we swell in pride and care not what we do to aduance our selues aboue others if euerie mans care be only for himselfe if our wrath be kindled with euerie light occasion any thing suffice to make vs alwaies thinke the worst that can be surmised and doe the woorst that can be inuented if wee rather be glad at the fall of our brethren than reioice when they constantly abide in the truth if we be come to that passe that we can in a maner suffer nothing beleeue nothing hope nothing beare and endure nothing what should we say but acknowledge the arrearages in which we are cast and confesse that wee haue left that debt of loue which wee owe to our brethren vndischarged God graunt vs grace to amend this bad paiment least hee paie vs our due punishment Thus much of our duetie towardes our neighbour set downe in these words Owe nothing c. 20 Nowe followeth the duetie which we owe vnto God And that considering the season that it is nowe time wee should arise from sleepe For nowe is our saluation neerer than when we beleeued The night is past and the day is at hand Let vs therefore cast away the workes of darknesse and let vs put on the armour of light so that wee walke honestly as in the day Two things are here required at our hands to cast off the workes of darkenesse to put on the armour of light to put off the olde man Adam and to put on the new man Christ to shake off the ragged coate of sin to cloath our selues with the comely vesture of innocencie to absteine from euill and to doe good in a word to repent and amend Why wee should thus doe our Apostle giueth reasons The time doeth require that nowe wee should arise from sleepe our saluation is neere the night is past and the day hath dawned 21 This time requireth a newe life For this is the last houre the acceptable time the day of saluation the day when as God doeth visite vs in his mercie calling vs to the knowledge of him and of his sonne Christ by the preaching of the gospell to the sauing of our soules O that we could knowe the day of our visitation and would take hold of this gratious time of mercie Arise at length arise from sinne and redeeme the time past and lost We haue long yea too too long slumbered it is now more than high time to arise to arise from slepe of error of sin of securitie 22 Many are fallen asleepe in the blinde errors of mans doctrine many are yet drowned in the dregges of poperie preferring dreames fancies lies and fables before the heauenly doctrine of Gods euerlasting trueth The cause of this their blindenesse is ignorance of the scriptures the cause of their ignorance is the hardnesse of their hearts They neither knowe they are so ignorant nor will knowe they are so stubborne When they are exhorted to reade they close their eies when to heare they shut their eares when to come they drawe backe their feete If the sunne shine neuer so bright they see it not if the trumpe sound neuer so lowde it will not waken them Christ compareth them very aptly to the hard stonie way whereon what good seede soeuer is cast is lost it can take no roote for either it is eaten vp by birds or trodden downe by men The stubborne-hearted and stiffe-necked Iewes were cast into this dead sleepe establishing their owne righteousnesse and reiecting the righteousnesse that is in Christ Iesu reposing saluation in their externall sacrifices ceremonies not seeking it there where it was onely to bee found in Christ which was the sacrificed Lambe from the beginning of the worlde that onely taketh away the sinnes of the worlde As those were then so nowe these are who with the proude Pharisees iustifie themselues by their owne defiled woorkes not regarding the true iustification which we haue in Christ thorough faith preferring the sacrifice of the blasphemous masse the meere inuention of man or of Satan before the sweet and acceptable sacrifice which Christ made for vs vpon the crosse once not to be renued and sufficient not needing helpe Men they are of dull eares and of hard hearts a rebellious and froward generation to whom whatsoeuer we speake this account we may make before hand Surely they will not heare neither will they arise from the error wherein Satan hath rockt them asleepe crie the Prophets neuer so lowde so often Rise O Ierusalem be inlightened for thy light is come and the glorie of the Lord is risen vpon thee The light is come into the world Therefore considering the season it is time we should awake least we bee vnseasonably taken asleepe and so iudged as we are taken 23 Arise thou that sleepest whether it bee in error or in sinne This sleepe is so pleasant that all the world lieth in it and hardly can shake it off King Dauid fell into it and continued in it sleeping very soundly neuer lifting vp his head for two yeres space till at the length Nathan the Prophet at the commaundement of God awakened him Zacheus slept a long time pleasauntly in his vsurie with heapes of euill gotten goods vnder his heade till the sonne of God himselfe called vpon him and lifted him vp by whose voice hee was effectually and throughly wakened insomuch that his eyes beeing nowe opened to see the ouglinesse of his sinne wherein he had so long time before slumbered hee not onely made restitution but also gaue the one halfe of al his goods to the poore This man awaked in an happie time It is most dangerous to slumber long in sinne Custome of sinne maketh sinne familiar so that at the length we learne
conceits of man These and such like were their faults as may appeare in the life of king Achas in whose time and raigne the prophecie was written The people vnable to gainesay so manifest a truth were forced to pleade guiltie and to acknowledge their offences and therefore went about to seeke out meanes howe to pacifie Gods wrath and to satisfie for their sinnes and being doubtful by what meanes or with what sacrifice to please God and appease his anger enquireth Wherewith shall I come before the Lord The Prophet Micheas directeth the doubtfull minds of the people in this behalfe and saith He hath shewed thee O man what is good what the Lord requireth of thee Thus in fewe ye see the occasion of these wordes which I haue taken in hand to expound vnto you 2 And it shall not be vnprofitable with like breuitie to applie the circumstances to vs and to our times If God should in like case contend in iudgement with vs the Lawe would accuse vs heauen and earth would beare witnesse against vs and our owne consciences would condemne vs. For great and manifolde are Gods mercies towardes vs and wee render nothing againe but meere and extreme ingratitude What haue I doone to thee or wherein haue I greeued thee saith the Lord 3 God hath not enuied vs he oweth vs nothing but hee giueth vs much he hath not beene greeuous vnto vs but mercifully considered of vs. He hath kept promise with vs and performed his woord though wee haue neglected our faith towardes him We haue often tasted of his bountifull goodnesse of vs altogether vndeserued Policarpus beeing required by an Infidell Iudge to blaspheme Christ made this answere Fourescore and sixe yeres haue I serued him neither did he once harme mee in any thing howe then can I blaspheme my king that hath saued me We cannot charge our iust God with any wrong our gratious Lorde with any vnkindenesse towardes vs but must with Policarpus euer acknowledge his vnspeakeable mercie and exceeding goodnesse For as he bestowed vpon his people the Israelites sundrie great benefites so hath he blessed vs with the like or greater God with a mightie arme hath deliuered vs out of Egypt from the tyrannie of Pharao not onely out of the cheines and deadly thraldome of Satan and sinne by the death and bloud of Iesus Christ our redeemer but also out of the seruile bondage of the great Pharao though lesser than the former the Romish Antichrist who villanously bereaued vs of our spirituall libertie robbed vs of that inestimable treasure the woorde of God and oppressed vs with the intollerable burthen of vnprofitable labours trained vs vp in ignorance forced vs in Idolatrie and superstition the waies to hel to seeke our safetie and euerlasting life But God in his mercie hath remembred vs to doe vs good and to worke our deliuerance of bondslaues to make vs freemen of the children of darkenesse to make vs the sonnes of light in him and to restore vs to the comfortable freedome of conscience by the gratious libertie of the Gospell God hath also blessed vs with good magistrates hee hath not onely giuen vs his sonne Christ the Prince of his people who by offering vp himselfe a sacrifice for our sinnes procured vnto vs free remission of them but hath also blessed vs with worthie rulers vnder him which gouerne in equitie and syncerely seeke the glorie of God He hath giuen vs Moses our Soueraigne a prudent and a gentle magistrate who seeketh not reuenge but beareth with the muttering of the people yea with the rebellious Dathan and Abiron choosing rather to put vp any tollerable wrong than to see the ruine and subuersion of men though they seeke it themselues He hath also giuen vs Aaron and Miriam Priests and Prophets to minister vnto vs the heauenly bread the foode of our soules the woord of God the Sacraments of Christ and that most faithfully and syncerely without changing or mingling And as I said of late in this place so I say againe England hath at no time heretofore beene blessed with so many and so faithfull preachers of Gods woord Surely God mindeth your saluation in that he so plentifully offereth vnto you the woord of saluation Nor that onely but therewithall peace plentie and rest such as our fathers neuer tasted of in their ages 4 Which mercies and blessinges powred vpon vs in so great measure should in reason enforce vs to praise him our God and to serue him in true holinesse all the daies of our life from the fountaine of whose vnspeakeable goodnesse we haue receiued them The Israelites their strange deliuerance out of Egypt their good Magistrates their manifold blessings benefites and graces notwithstanding were found vnthankefull And if God shall enter into iudgement with vs and throughly examine vs as one day he will may we not be accused and shall wee not bee found guiltie of the like ingratefull crime Haue wee not a longing as they had vnto that from which the Lorde hath deliuered vs in great mercie God hath blessed vs with both magistrates and ministers of great valewe but so thankefull are we to him and to them his seruauntes that wee can easilie abuse both mutter against the one and despise the other neither is obeyed neither reuerenced according to the woorde and will of GOD. But such as cannot away with Samuell God in his wrath shall giue them a Saul and such as mislike of the true preacher shalbe rewarded with a false Prophet The word is loathed men are full of the Gospell and of many it is professed without all fruite wee shall therefore hunger for this bread seeke it and not finde it in the stead heereof wee shall surfet vpon the fruite of our owne desires yea God in his iustice shall take his word from vs and giue it to a people that will bring foorth better fruites and more woorthie of so pretious a blessing Thus truely considering our case entring into iudgement with God we must with the Israelites pleade guiltie and as professe his mercies so confesse our faults 5 The guiltie Israelites sought meanes howe to satisfie for their sinnes Their meanes were to sacrifice to God and to offer vp calues rammes and goates yea some haue not shrunke to powre the bloud of their owne children vpon the altar as Moab who offered vp his eldest sonne to pacifie the wrath of God when in battell he was beseeged and brought into straights Euen by like meanes when our conscience hath accused vs of sin many haue sought to make satisfaction to God for it some haue sought remission of sinnes in a great number of praiers vttered in a strange tongue without either sense or zeale neither made in faith nor charitie procuring hatred in Gods sight while they looked to be heard by their much babling Some haue sought to pacifie God by hearing and buying of many Masses wherin God was blasphemed and fowle Idolatrie
committed Some by killing of Christ the first begotten sonne againe sacrificing him afresh as they thought vpon their hill altars for the dead and the quicke But they were deceiued Some by the mediation of Saints departed robbing Christ of his office who is the onely mediator and intercessor betweene God and man Some haue thought to make amendes for their sinnes by buying popish pardons by taking their walkes in long pilgrimages to dumme and senselesse idols in such like not only vaine but impious deuises of mans foolish braine Thus sundrie haue sought out sundrie ways some blasphemous and some of them ridiculous to appease the wrath of God prouoked by their sinne The Israelites doubted by what meane to satisfie for their sinne what God would accept they could not tell they were altogether vncertaine which way to please him And truely it is lamentable that there bee so many euen nowe in the cleare light of the sauing Gospell which doubt by what meanes they may bee saued and in this doubtfulnesse many still followe their owne fantasies and through ignorance are led into the high way of damnation Wherefore such as are doubtful our Prophet Micheas clearely resolueth such as are out of the way he calleth into the right path such as are ignorant he instructeth and such as will learne hee offereth to teache what the good will and pleasure of the Lord is 6 He hath shewed thee O man what is good and acceptable to him surely not to take vpon thee to satisfie for sin thy selfe for that passeth thy power all thy righteousnesse being but filthinesse in the pure sight of God not to offer vp any sacrifice as being in it selfe propitiatorie for sinne for that Christ onely hath doone on the crosse and that but once and that for all hee is the onely sacrifice the onely priest the onely mediator the only redeemer The price of our saluation is neither golde nor siluer but the pretious bloud of the innocent lambe of God Christ Iesus shed for the sinnes of the worlde there is no other name vnder heauen whereby we can be saued God requireth therefore no satisfaction for sinnes at thy hands but at his he hath required it to the vttermost Christ is thine God hath freely giuen thee both him and with him all things that are his If thou receiue him through a true faith thy saluation is sealed and thou art safe For as many as haue receiued him to them hee hath giuen power to bee the sonnes of God euen to them that beleeue in his name If thou confesse with thy mouth and beleeue in thy heart that thou art deliuered from thy sinne by that one oblation of Christ offered vpon the crosse that his merite hath made thee the childe of his father and the inheritor of that kingdome which he hath prepared for as many as are his then applie thy selfe to liue after the will and commaundement of him that hath doone so great thinges for thee shew thy faith by thy life let it appeare and be seene in thy works that thou art in deede the louing and the iustified childe of God readie desirous to obeie and doe his will And least in thy working thou shouldest followe thine owne phantasie and doe that which is not acceptable in the sight of God hee hath laide out thy way before thee 7 He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what the Lord requireth of thee Surely to do iudgement and to loue mercie to humble thy selfe to walke carefully with thy God Wherein we first learne this lesson that no seruice wee doe to God can please him but such as himselfe in his woord hath prescribed he will be serued as he hath commanded in his lawe and not as thou hast deuised with thy selfe That seruice which God in his word doth not require at thy hands if thou offer it him it is in vaine thou offerest The Lord hath not asked it and he wil not accept it of thee In vaine they worship me teaching doctrines the precepts of men It is not for nothing that God was so curious in platting foorth the Tabernacle and so precise in commaunding that all thinges without exception should be doone according to that patterne Was God so careful ouer an earthly a corruptible house think you No His meaning was to teache vs that in the spirituall Tabernacle in matters of religion perteining to the seruice worship of God all things should be doone according to the rule of his owne will which is set downe in his written woord For hath he not saide in the Lawe What I commmaund thee that onely shalt thou doe thou shalt neither adde nor diminish He that addeth God shal adde vnto him all the plagues he that taketh away God shal take from him all the blessings conteined in that booke The doctrine of Christ saith Clemens Alexandrinus is most absolute neither wanteth it any thing God is well pleased when men are so religiously affected that they dare not swarue a haires bredth from his word S. Cyprian saith The foundation of all religion and faith is laide in the woord of God And S. Ierome That which hath not authoritie out of the woord of God is altogether as easilie refused as prooued Which rule of religion if the Latine Church had as wel obserued as it is both in the scriptures often giuen and often commended by the godlie fathers the Church of Christ had neuer beene burthened with so many vnprofitable traditions and newe inuentions of men so many superstitions so great idolatrie so ouglie pollutions had neuer found entrance into the house of God In the scriptures wherein is conteined all that is good and all that which God requireth or accepteth of we finde no mention either of the name or of the thing of the Masse the Pope Purgatorie praying on beades hallowing of bels either any such like popish trashe In summe fewe parts of their religion haue any one stone from thence to be founded or built vpon For where doth God require any one of these or the like at our or their hands That which is required in his name is this To doe iudgement and to loue mercie c. Wherein is fully comprised our whole duetie both to God and man 8 To doe iudgement This sentence receiueth sundrie expositions and each of them yeeldeth vs sundrie good lessons Ierome vnderstandeth by dooing of iudgement dooing all things with reason and ripe consideration God himselfe giueth an example hereof and applieth himselfe to our senses that he may instruct our mindes herein For minding to powre his plagues vpon Sodoma and Gomorra those sinfull cities hee saith first with himselfe I wil goe downe nowe and see whether they haue doone altogether according vnto that crie which is come vnto me or not that I may knowe It was rashnesse in Iephthe to promise without exception whatsoeuer should meete him first and hee
paide ful dearely for it Herode without all reason and iudgement promised to his daunsing daughter whatsoeuer shee should demaund and his keeping of promise was euen as vnaduised They want iudgement that forsake the freshe liuing springes and drinke of a puddell that contemne the sauing woord of God and bee altogether addicted to mans vaine and deceitfull doctrine that forsake Christs merits by sticking to their owne They want iudgement that call vpon dead Saints when they may and should call only vpon the liuing God who hath promised when we crie both to heare and to helpe vs. They are destitute both of reason and iudgement who vowe that which lieth not in their power to performe The world is not ignorant howe these holie ones performed their vowes of chastitie and of single life How vnable to beare this yoke the Popes owne legate was which forced this thing here in England vpon others they well knewe which tooke him in the midst of his filth to his owne euerlasting infamie and the great dishonour of Honorius the second from whom he was sent Res notissima negari non potuit the thing was famously knowen and could not be denied Doest thou teache another and doest not teache thy selfe Doest thou forbid mariage and thy selfe commit adulterie Doest thou force that yoke vpon others which thy selfe so shamefully shakest off What is emptinesse of reason and iudgement if this be not The murther which Theodosius rashly committed without aduise or iudgement put him to great penance and wrought him much sorowe whereupon he gaue his royall assent vnto a Lawe that afterwards he should do nothing without deliberation before hand taken The man that is hastie and rash as hee doeth others much woe so wants no woe himselfe S. Paul would haue our seruing of God for to be reasonable that is to be such as that a good and a iust reason may be rendered of it not such reasons as Durandus giueth of popish rites and ceremonies in a booke written purposely of this matter but written in such sort that a man vnacquainted with the strange blindenesse of their darkened mindes would certainely thinke that such a worke was rather published to mooue laughter amongst companions than to breede knowledge in the mindes of religious Christians So voide they are in al their doings euen of common sense and reason not onely of true pietie and obedience to Gods woord 9 Another interpretation of dooing iudgement may bee giuen and that is if we take iudgement for the administration of iustice and so it hath a speciall respect to such as are set in place of deciding causes and repressing sinnes who are required by our Prophet to giue righteous and iust iudgement Giue thy iudgements to the King O God saith the Prophet and thy righteousnesse to the kings sonne Then shall he iudge the people in righteousnesse and the poore in iustice Iustice and iudgement are commonly in the scriptures ioined together because if there be a diuorce at any time betweene these two Gods familie and the common wealth goe to wracke and ruine The Psalmist seemeth to note a separation to haue beene betweene these two in his time when hee saith Iudgement shall returne to iustice But these may also bee so distinguished that iudgement haue his especiall respect to the execution of the sword to the punishing of transgressors iustice to the righeous deciding of matters which are in controuersie I neede not trauell much heerein I speake to wise and learned men which well knowe their duetie and I trust that the feare of God will direct them Christianly to discharge the same Yee doe not forget that ye are called in the scripture God not onely because yee are set in Gods seate but because ye are the mouth the hand of God the mouth to speake in awarding true sentence the hand to strike in executing iudgement without respect-of mens persons Wherein it behooueth you to take good heede and to beware what ye doe For yee exercise the iudgement not of man but of God If the seate be his if ye be his mouth and hand if sentence be his if his be the iudgement then see to it that ye iudge vprightly as the ministers of that vpright iudge For there sitteth a iudge also vpon you what measure you giue you shall receiue when the great iudge shall proceede to his last and euerlasting sentence Hee that truely feareth God and considereth these things will not swarue from iustice for feare or fauour of any man or thing 10 I will briefly touche certaine properties which should be in such as are placed in Gods iudiciall seate and leaue the rest to your wise considerations The first thing that iudges are especially to take heede of is that they be not receiuers of bribes Beware of rewards they are the verie bane of vpright iudgement 11 In God whose seate ye sit in there is no iniquitie Such therefore as correct faults ought themselues to bee faultlesse In condemning others we condemne our selues if wee our selues doe that for which we condemne others A certaine pirate beeing charged with his fault by Alexander the great conquerour made him this answere I robbe in deede with one litle shippe but thou robbest with a whole Nauie It is not for him to reprooue that is reprooueable 12 God is no accepter of persons neither must you in iudgement either fauour the riche because of his wealth or spare the poore for his miseries sake but weie their causes in the balance of equitie with an euen and steddie hand 13 The iudge may not giue place to commiseration his place is a place of equitie and not of foolish pitie The pitifull and deceitfull crie of the Gabionites the appearance of their miserable estate and condition made the wise and woorthie iudge Iosua to swarue from iustice and to breake the commaundement of the almightie The exclaming of the people hath many times as much cause as had the harlots complaint made vnto Salomon that her childe was taken from her which her selfe had smothered 14 In proceeding in iudgement beware of swiftnesse and much speede It is good for a iudge commonly to haue leaden feete Yet as a iudge may be too swift so hee may bee too slowe Delatories and shiftings off weare out many a iust cause begger many a poore man The cause standing cleare further pleading should cease sentence shold not be delaied Salomon set not ouer the harlots to the next terme but seeing by his wisdome the truth of the cause proceeded foorthwith to iudgement Paul was set ouer from place to place from terme to terme and could not receiue iustice the cause is declared Felix hoped for a fee. But this fault of delaying iustice is laide vpon the Attorneies and Proctors the Counsellers and Aduocates in the Lawe who seeke their greater gaine and wealth through the greater trouble and losse of the people If
they would learne two short lessons of S. Paul and learne withall to followe them the matter easilie might be amended The one is to loue men not their monie Non quaero quae vestra sunt saith S. Paul I seeke not yours but you This lesson is hard but good and the other is like it I can doe nothing against the trueth but for the trueth saith the Apostle Nothing in a bad cause but in a good cause all things These lessons well learned would quickely cut off many euil pleas and driue back causelesse controuersies 15 You to whom the sword of iustice and iudgement is committed take heede vnto it Let it not spare mightie men for their sinnes are mightie sinnes If such offend their fall draweth down others with them God therefore commaunded Moses to hang vp the princes of the people vpon gibbets that they might be examples of punishment who had beene examples in sinning The good Consul Iunius Brutus spared not his owne sonnes but cut off their conspiring heads And Aulus Fuluius in the like case did the like thing Pilate abused his office when vpon sute hee spared Captaine Barrabas the murtherer and killed Christ our sauiour Spare not traitors murtherers or theeues least you bee partakers of their sinnes Your lenitie towardes them is crueltie towards the common weale the enemies of whose peace they are Serue God in feare loue his trueth promote his Gospell The seate the iudgement the sword is the Lordes defend therefore his cause see to the keeping of his statutes enlarge his kingdome aduaunce his glorie for he hath promised to glorifie them that honour him but they that despise him shall be full base hee shall make them vile and contemptible 16 Doing of iudgement may also generally be taken for iust dealing Iustice is a vertue which giueth euery man his own Render vnto euerie man y ◠which is his Let euerie man performe his office fulfil his dutie let euerie man do right one to another do as you would be done vnto If this Law were obserued the people shold be eased of great expenses iudges iustices of great trauel Christ saith if a man take thy coat frō thee rather than striue giue him also thy cloake There is verily a fault amongst you because ye goe to Lawe one with another why doe you not rather suffer wrong Why doe yee not rather sustaine any kinde of tollerable harme Abraham gaue place to Lot and would not contend his onely reason was wee are brethren But brotherhoode is nowe adaies no argument of agreement our times are so vnlike their times and we so vnlike them There were no better meane in my opinion to bridle these quarelling and contentious mindes of wranglers than to burthen such as faile in their cause with great expenses amerciaments It would make them beware of quarels and vniust contending if they were sure to paie well for it Doe iudgement deale iustly one with another paie vnto al men that which is due that which is not due seeke not to haue at any mans hands 17 The second duetie to our neighbour is mercie Hee hath shewed thee O man what is good and what the Lord requireth of thee surely to doe iudgement and to loue mercie Bee mercifull saith our Sauiour as your father is also mercifull This mercie as Christ there teacheth wil shewe forth it selfe in three properties First it will bridle that vncharitable rashnesse of iudging and condemning others Nolite iudicare Iudge not Mercie will not bee hastie to iudge There be iudgements ciuill and iudgements Ecclesiasticall iudgements publike and priuate iudgements Christ neither forbiddeth the magistrate neither the publike minister to iudge according to the Lawe neither the parent or master to iudge and correct their offending children or seruaunts It is vncharitable priuate iudgement which God forbiddeth when men vnaduisedly take vpon them to giue sentence of others as if God had resigned his owne right into their handes they condemne whom they list and say what they list euen as they fancie so they iudge This man is a Saint and that man a sinner he the seruant of God and hee the childe of death Who art thou that so iudgest anothers seruaunt Is it not to his own master only to whom he stands or fals Who art thou that takest such seueritie vpon thee that dealest so vnmercifully with thy brother He is a sinner so thou either art or hast beene or maist be iudge therfore thy selfe trie and examine thine owne woorkes Iudge I say thy selfe and iudge not him least thou be condemned of the Lord for both not iudging and iudging If a brother be ouertaken with a fault ye that are spirituall shew mercie restore him with the spirit of meekenesse considering thy selfe least thou also be tempted Verily this mercilesse iudging of others is the cause why wee fall into many perils and secret temptations Loue mercie therefore and iudge not Hee that iudgeth with the Pharisee with the Pharisee shall be iudged 18 Another fruite of mercie is forgiuenesse They who are hastie to iudge are for the most part in forgiuing slowe But forgiue and yee shall bee forgiuen Howbeit such as sit in iudgement ought to correct and not to remit because they deale not with iniuries doone to themselues but to the lawes and common wealth or church But in priuate iniuries wee must all remember the words and followe the example of our Sauiour Be mercifull and forgiue Christ forgaue them that put him to death Stephen them that stoned him Ioseph them that solde him the king his vnthriftie seruaunt 1000. talents If wee forgiue not others it is in vaine to praie that which wee dailie praie Forgiue vs. For so doth Ecclesiasticus wel teache vs. He that seeketh vengeance shall finde vengeance of the Lord and he will surely keepe his sinnes Forgiue they neighbour the hurt that he hath doone to thee so shall thy sinnes be forgiuen thee also when thou praiest Should a man beare hatred against man and desire forgiuenesse of the Lord Hee will shewe no mercie to a man that is like himselfe and will he aske forgiuenesse of his owne sinnes If hee that is but flesh nourish hatred and aske pardon of God who will intreate for his sinnes And our Sauiours commaundement is If thou bring thy gift to the altar and there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee leaue there thine offering before the altar and goe thy waie first bee reconciled to thy brother and then come and offer thy gift Whereunto S. Chrysostome alluding saith That God had rather want thy sacrifice due to him than reconciliation should not be made betweene thee and thy brother 19 The next and third fruite of mercie mentioned by our sauiour is Giue and it shall be giuen vnto you He that loueth mercie giueth almes but the couetous man is cruell God is so carefull to haue the
poore releeued that he hath bound himselfe by promise to make almes most gainefull to the giuer so that it is not in this as in other common expenses but whatsoeuer we laie out that we laie vp He that giueth to the poore lendeth to the Lorde a sure discharger of his debts to the vttermost For hee leaueth not a cup of colde water giuen in his name vnrewarded The occasions which we haue to shewe foorth this fruite of mercie are very many and great we haue the poore with vs and we haue them with vs in great numbers Are we not woorse than Iewes if we suffer our Christ at whose hands we haue receiued all our riches in his naked and hungrie members to beg his bread at our dores pitifully to die euen in the midst of our streetes for distresse for colde and hunger If our gospell bring foorth in steade of mercie this crueltie in stead of kindenesse this hardnesse of heart doubtlesse God will take his pretious gospell from vs and giue it to a people that will bring foorth better and sweeter fruite Nowe if the loue of God and mercie towards our brother can not pierce our flintie heartes yet let shame of the worlde compell vs and our owne commoditie induce vs well to consider of this lamentable case If that which is giuen were giuen in good order it would ease this common griefe By good order and wise prouision the impotent might be so releeued that they should not need to beg and such as are able might be forced in the sweate of their browes to eate their owne bread And if the matter were taken in hande by them by whom it should I doe not doubt but GOD would touche the hearts of many a man with tender mercie that they would both cheerefully and liberally contribute to this worke of mercie which God doth more esteeme than any other sacrifice nay he refuseth sacrifice and craueth this The Lorde loueth a cheerefull and a bountifull giuer and will plentifully reward him Let euerie good man set forward this worke it is the worke of the Lord the fruite of mercie good and gainfull not onely to others but also to our selues For behold howe the works of mercie doe returne backe againe vnto them from whom they proceed Iudge not and you your selues shall not bee iudged Forgiue and yee shall bee forgiuen your selues giue and it shall bee giuen vnto you 20 All which notwithstanding the bowels of compassion are in some men so maruellously dried and closed vp that they turne away their faces from all men that desire any thing at their hands though they aske it not of gift but of loane vnlesse they aske to buie the loane with vsurie The Iewes euen till this day will not lend vpon vsurie among themselues but lende freely to their brethren and without gaine Iudas himselfe that solde his master for monie was not more cruel harted I suppose than these men are who for monie deuoure their brethren Their hearts are yron hearts They haue no sparke of pitie or compassion left in them Let them not thinke but that one day their gaine shall be their exceeding losse If Chrysostome thought that one euill gotten groate laide vp amongest a chestful of monie would be as a canker to fret out and eate vp the rest what shall become then of so much gotten by so vnmerciful vngodlie meanes Where is loue where is mercie when lending of monie is become merchandise Inough hath beene saide in this place of this matter which if it be not amended be yee assured that the Lorde God in his iust wrath will plague you both in your selues and in your posteritie for it 21 Nowe that we haue seene what duetie we owe to men let vs see what God requireth to be performed vnto himselfe Hee hath shewed thee O man what is good Our dutie towards him is to humble our selues and to walke carefully with our God He that will walke with God must be of an humble heart It is the milde-hearted and not the proude-minded the Publican and not the Pharisee that walketh with him 22 To walke with him is to be syncerely and heartily carefull to set forward his cause to promote his gospell to defende his trueth to amplifie his kingdome to the vttermost of our powers Princes and they that iudge the earth whome God hath blessed with so high an honour especially should in feare and reuerence serue their God loue his woord and gospell earnestly cheerefully aduaunce maintaine and defend true religion They are able to doe most good and therefore most is required of them Bishops and ministers the dispensers of Gods blessed mysteries should carefully trauell in their Lords cause and glorie in season and out of season to preache the gospell euen so much as in vs lieth or else the Vae of God which hangeth ouer our heads shall be powred downe vpon vs. But the saying of S. Paul is verified in these our daies vpon al sorts of people All men seeke their owne The preferring of true religion the seeking of Gods glorie is the least part of mens care or thought It was otherwise with Moses who both loued Gods seruice with perfect loue hated superstition with perfect hatred Theodosius for want of this warmenesse zeale in Gods quarell suffered by his too much lenitie the Arrians who denied Christ to be God quietly to spreade abroad their heresies in his dominions without checke or controlling The good Bishop Amphilochius vpon this occasion repaired to the Emperor who had at that time with him his sonne and heire Arcadius The Bishop did his obeysance and dutie to the Emperor but saluted not his sonne wherewith the Emperor finding fault saide Why salute ye not our sonne who shall sit on our seate No Emperor for somuch as thou doest not care for the sonne of God but sufferest him to loose his honour and place neither shal thy sonne be regarded or sit on thy seate Here at his owne cause called into question hee waxed warme and foorthwith expelled the Arrians out of his dominions Many of them who are hoat in their owne matters are colde in Gods cause Yet our Prophet biddeth vs carefully to walke with our God and to bee earnest in seeking of his kingdome and glorie 23 Be carefull ouer your conuersation giue no cause of slander to them which are without or of offence to the litle ones Let not the gospell be discredited by your behauiours Be careful that the light of your life so shine before the worlde that therein your heauenly father may be glorified Yee ought to shine as lights Take heede that your light be not turned into darkenesse Be bright starres and not mistie cloudes If an Eclipse fall amongst you the rest of England will be darkened with it Ye are seene and marked of men and Angels The world hath many eies eares and tongues London Westminster the Innes of Court and Chancerie from
of Christ but also to view and see in what state the Church of God committed to my ouersight and gouernement standeth And as Christ began with the most magnificent temple of Ierusalem which hee found prophaned and polluted through the practise of the priests so thought I it conuenient and meete first to visite this most auncient and famous church the head and example to all the rest wel hoping to finde it in better order 2 That we may learne by the doctrine and example of Christ howe we ought to vse our selues in the house of God as well for the establishing of true religion of the syncere seruing of God as also for the expelling of that which is vaine corrupt and counterfeit there are in this action of Christ two thinges especially to be considered of first he commeth to Ierusalem entreth into the temple findeth it full of corruption and doeth purge it secondly he teacheth the true vse of it and sheweth them their fault who did abuse it 3 Christ comming towards Ierusalem was at the first highly magnified and receiued with applause of the people crying Hosanna Blessed is he that commeth king in the name of the Lorde peace in heauen and glorie on high But this faire wether did not long continue So soone as hee entred into the citie and taught the chiefe priests the Scribes the Princes of the people sought to destroy him yea the people which before gaue so great applause crying Hosanna soone after cried with a lowde voice Crucifige The gospell in prosperitie hath many pretensed friends and fauourers but when it is persecuted by the wise and mightie men of the worlde then these counterfeits shewe themselues in their owne colours the hollownesse of their hearts is then descried Let the minister therefore which mindeth indeede the glorie of God beware that he neuer depend vpon men whose mindes are changeable and alwaies wauering but let him rest vpon GOD and relie himselfe wholly vpon his prouidence Let vs all faithfully and painefully trauell in our function making our selues readie for the crosse patiently to suffer with Christ Iesus 4 Being come to the citie hee streight way entered into the temple either as Gregorie noteth to declare quòd ex culpa Sacerdotum ruina populi that the fault of the priestes is the ruine of the people and therefore his principall care was to correct and reforme them or else to giue all men an example of diligence in repairing to the house of God 5 Hauing entred the temple he findeth there in steade of pastors teaching the woord of God drouers and brokers making sale in stead of pues for praier tables for exchange in steade of righteous men brute beasts theeues in steade of a sanctified congregation Thus hee found the Church of Ierusalem disfigured and forlorne this was the state of that Synagogue at what time he came to visite it 6 Howe to proceede in reforming a Church so greatly disordered our Sauiour hath taught vs by his owne practise amongst the Iewes He entred into the temple threwe out the men that bought and solde whipped out the beasts powred out the changers monie turned their tables vpside downe ouerthrewe the seates of them that sold doues and withall told them Scriptum est It is written 7 In that wee reade howe Christ did all these things wee are thereby giuen to vnderstand at whose hands wee must expect reformation of things amisse in the Church of God Christ had authoritie to cast out of the temple whatsoeuer displeased him because he was supreme Lord ouer it The persons therefore to whom this worke of reformation belongeth are not al men indifferently but they onely to whom hee hath graunted the seate of speciall authoritie in his Church If they whom he hath set ouer his house as principall seruaunts guides and stewardes either ciuilly or spiritually as Moses or as Aaron to rule and gouerne it vntill his comming shal in such maner as agreeth with their seueral places and callings performe his dutie in the church of Christ whosoeuer in such proceedings withstandeth them the same vndoubtedly rebelleth against God Yea I say further when GOD hath giuen his people kings which are as nurcing fathers and Queenes which are as nurcing mothers to his church when princes are not enemies but professors of the faith and protectors of the faithfull their hands ought to be chiefe in this worke neither is it lawfull for subiects of what degree and order soeuer by themselues to attempt alteration and chaunge in the church of God though it be from woorse to better In the daies of Iosias Helchiah although he were the Lords high priest knew things to be very much out of order did not thereupon according to the custome of the turbulent and seditious by woord or writing alienate and estrange the mindes of the people from the present kind of gouernment either of the Church or publike weale but peaceably and orderly hee sent Shaphan the Chauncelor to the king who perceiuing the things which were amisse went immediatly vp to the house of the Lord with all the men of Iuda and the inhabitants of Ierusalem with him and the priests and prophets al the people where the faults and abuses being cleerely set down that euerie one might see them he gaue commandement to Helchiah the high priest and the priests of the second order and the keepers of the doore to bring out of the temple of the Lorde all the vessels that were made for Baal Thus the prince did his duetie and the priests theirs he by iniunction and they by execution they instructing him and he strengthening them in the worke of the Lord. Seeing therefore we haue on the one side the name of the Lord be blessed for it the highest power zealous for the glorie of God as theirs was let not vs whom this care ought especially to touche shewe our selues lesse readie than they were to bring out of the temple of the Lord all such filthie corruptions as are crept into it by the wicked dealings of those vngodlie men which care not howe shamefully they pollute and defile it let not vs whom the Lord hath made the ouerseers of his house be slothfull in proceeding to sweepe cleanse and purge it according as Lawes and statutes haue wisely prouided in this behalfe let vs consider that we are the Lords labourers that the worke we haue in hand is his husbandrie that our duetie is as well to destroie as to build to roote out as to plant 8 But what is that which we must labour to destroie what weedes be those which we must indeuour to root out We reade here that our Sauiour did cast buyers and sellers out of the temple terming them Theeues For although to buy and sell be actions in themselues lawfull and honest yet the time and place with other circumstances may so change their qualitie that he which buieth
shall be as one that robbeth and hee that selleth as one that stealeth They bought and solde in the temple this Christ condemneth Yet beholde what a beautifull colour they had set vpon their wicked practises to make them seeme allowable before mē For of the iudgement of God they made no account It is written in the Law Thou shalt eate before the Lord thy God in the place which he shall choose to cause his name to dwell there the tithe of thy corne of thy wine and of thine oyle and the first borne of thy kine and of thy sheepe that thou maist learne to feare the Lord thy God alway And if the way bee too long for thee so that thou art not able to carie it because the place is farre from thee where the Lorde thy God shall choose to set his name when the Lord thy God shall blesse thee then shalt thou make it in monie and take the monie in thine hand and goe vnto the place which the Lorde thy God shall choose and thou shalt bestowe the monie for whatsoeuer thine heart desireth shalt eat it there before the Lord thy God and reioice both thou and thine housholde Vnder pretense of prouiding that according to this lawe men which dwelt farre off might alwaies at their comming to the temple haue sacrifices there and offerings in a readinesse to present before the Lord their couetous humor fed it selfe vpon the people without all feare of God without any reuerence at all of his sanctuarie May they not iustly be termed Theeues who pretending thus to serue the Lord in his sacrifices robbed and spoiled him in his Saintes No doubt Ierusalem had shee knowen the things which belonged to her peace would haue blest the houre wherein the Lorde of the house came to ease that holy place of so intollerable burthens to rid his temple of so noisome filth 9 Now because the roote from whence these abuses and corruptions grewe was the setled wickednesse wherewith the hearts both of the priests and people were possest therefore wee may without swaruing from the true intent of this historie take occasion heere to note some speciall pollutions of the mysticall Temple of GOD which is his Church and to shewe the great necessitie of remoouing them Wherein as the present occasion of our assemblie at this time requireth I will especially touche such as properly belong to that part of the Church which hath the spirituall regiment of the other This therefore is the principall matter which now we haue to obserue in the fact of our Lord and master Christ that if in visiting our temples wee finde them possessed with wicked pastors they are not there to bee suffered the rodde of seueritie must whippe them out Who bee good sheepeheardes and who be theeues it is soone discerned yee shall knowe them by their fruites 10 Vnto good pastors our Sauiour opposeth hirelings theeues and robbers shewing also the difference betweene the one and the other The good sheepeheard loueth his flocke intirely it grieueth him not to powre out his verie soule for their sakes he gathereth them as Lambes into his armes carieth them in his bosome and kindely intreateth them Contrarywise the hireling careth not for the sheepe he beareth a sterne and a stonie heart towards them And as their inward affections are farre different so their outward actions are much vnlike whether we looke vpon their entring into their function or their dealing after they are entred 11 The true sheepeheard goeth in by the dore to him the porter openeth He taketh not this honour vnto himselfe but expecteth a calling from God as Aaron did hee breaketh not in by violence but waiteth till the porter open vnto him till they giue him entrance to whom Christ hath giuen power and authoritie to ordeine But theeues and robbers clime vp another way they winde in themselues by vnlawful meanes with monie they purchase the roomes which they occupie in the Church of Christ. Thus did Menelaus get the priesthoode from Iason at the handes of the king by giuing three hundred talents of siluer more than the other albeit hee had nothing in himselfe woorthie of the high priesthood but bare the stomacke of a cruel tyrant and the wrath of a wilde beast Thus Leo the tenth Innocentius the eighth Siluester the third two Gregories the sixt and the twelfth yea the most part of the Bishops of Rome for many yeeres haue obteined their popedomes Thus doe their Cardinals Bishops and Prelates thus doe their clergie euen to this day And I would to God this were onely their fault A thing both condemned by the commendable Lawes decrees and constitutions of sundrie Councels and also by the blessed Apostle S. Peter so grieuously accursed in him whose heart was first therewith infected that in the whole bodie of the sacred Scripture a note of the like indignation conceiued against any other sinne as I am perswaded can scarcely be found For why If they which bought and solde but the beasts of the field and birds of the aire doues sheepe and oxen in the place which God had sanctified to himselfe were therefore termed by a name that declareth their dealings to haue beene as much abhorred in his sight as if they had spent all the daies of their life in theft robberie how can we think any bitternesse of speeche or sharpnesse of punishment too great for so extreme licētiousnes as theirs that make sale of the cure of soules that bargain for the gifts of the holie Ghost For so they are The making of Bishops the bestowing of benefices the presēting instituting and inducting of pastors the placing of teachers guides and ouerseers in the Church is and should be accounted the very work of the holie Ghost Attend saith S. Paul take heed to your selues and to the whole flocke wherein the holie Ghost hath placed you Bishops to rule the Church of God which hee hath purchased with his owne bloud Whosoeuer therfore be the man that presumeth to staine a thing so holie with the execrable filth of indirect dealing of buying selling couenanting bargaining either for monie or monie worth may it not as iustly bee saide to him as to Magus Thy monie perish with thee because thou thinkest that the gift of God may be obteined with monie Thou hast neither part nor fellowship in this buisinesse for thine heart is not right in the sight of GOD I counsel them with S. Peter that are in the gall of this bitternesse and in the bonds of this iniquitie betime to repent them of their wickednesse and to praie vnto God that if it bee possible the thoughts of their hearts may be forgiuen them 12 It is a true saying Vix bono peraguntur exitu quae malo sunt inchoata principio Thinges ill begun are not commonly well ended neither are their proceedings likely to be good whose beginnings are so greatly out of order They which enter
close by the altars from the presence of which he was exiled In the ende to shewe the happie case wherein they are to whom continuall and daily accesse to the house of the Lord is graunted he preferreth one day spent there before a thousand any other-where the meanest roome about the house of God before the highest throne in the pallaces of the wicked In another Psalme he so speaketh as if euery daies absence from that holie place were a thousand yeeres When shall I come to appeare before the presence of God As if he should haue said Shall I neuer Neuer shall I be so happie So the Israelites at such time as they were exiles in Babylon declared their earnest desires this way by their bitter teares Nehemias by his heauinesse in the presence of the king Christ by leauing his mother to present himselfe at holie exercises in the temple being but as yet of greene and tender age And with what zeale ioye and gladnesse the Disciples of Christ after the death of their master ioyned themselues together in priuate houses when by reason of the cruell persecution by the Priests they durst not shewe themselues abroade it appeareth both in the Euangelists and in the Acts of the Apostles Yea when afterward the spirite of God miraculously descending vpon them had increased both their zeale and courage they openly professed him whom before they worshipped in secrete places No feare no prohihition no threatning of higher powers was able to withholde them they spake they entred into the temple they taught daily and beeing persecuted were glad that God thought them woorthie to suffer for his sake who had died for theirs God according to his promise is euer present in his congregation Wheresoeuer two or three are assembled in his name he is with them yea what thing soeuer his Saints so assembled shall lawfully aske his promise is it shall bee giuen them 3 With what earnest desire deare brethren ought we then to stand in this place before the Lord beeing driuen from the tabernacle of God as Dauid persecuted as the blessed Apostles of Christ exiled as Israel cast out of the Churches wherein we were nurced and trained vp Howe thankefull ought we to be to our heauenly father who hath in so ample manner in the midst of our manifold distresses griefes caused the light of his countenance to shine in the faces of vs his poore afflicted seruaunts For althogh because we our princes our prophets our people haue grieuously sinned in not esteeming so preciously nor following so religiously his blessed Gospel as we ought to doe therefore he hath bereaued vs of our worldly prosperitie and brought these miseries vpon vs wherein we nowe are yet knowing that we are the sheepe of his pasture howsoeuer wee haue wandered and gone astray it hath pleased him in great aboundance of mercie so to temper the sharpenesse of his correction that we finde him still our present helper at hand and readie most to succour vs in our extreemest neede Could wee wish for more at the hands of God than beeing banished and constreined to forsake all the profites and comforts which we inioied at home in our natiue countrie here amongst aliens and strangers to finde a citie so safe to dwell in maintenance so competent for our needeful and reasonable sustentation such grace in the eies of the godly magistrates vnder whom we liue such fauour and respect to our hard estate such free libertie to come together to call vpon God in our common praiers to heare his word syncerely and truly preached in our owne natural tongue to the great and vnsearchable comfort of our soules finally all things so strangely and almost miraculously ministred and brought vnto our handes as doubtlesse we could neuer haue found heere if the Lorde himselfe had not gone before as it were to make readie to prouide for vs O what tokens of mercie special fauour hath our kind gratious father shewed vs in this our exile and distresse for his Gospell in these our sorowful and afflicted times Wee haue lost the sauing truth at home and found it abroade Our countrie-men are become our enemies and strangers are made our friends Being persecuted by our natiue rulers foraine magistrates haue shewed vs fauour In banishment wee haue a place to dwell in In anguish we abound with comfort And as the Apostle speaketh hauing nothing we are as possessing all things Therefore deare brethren hauing receiued these so great and rare graces at the mercifull hands of our good God I may iustly as one of your poore helpers in these holie labours vse the words of S. Paul which in the beginning I recited exhorting and beseeching you that yee receiue not this grace of God in vaine Be not an vnthankeful people neglect not the great benefite now offered vnto you approch with all reuerence and present your selues as humble petipetitioners before the Lord and careful seruants before our God For I say vnto you as Iacob saide in his iourney towardes Mesopotamia Verè Dominus est in loco isto Truly God is here euen present amongst vs. We doe clearely and plainely perceiue that our fathers and mothers our friends and familiars hauing forsaken vs he hath receiued vs as his dearest 4 Let vs nowe take a viewe of S. Pauls words which I haue propounded to intreate of In the entrance of which he professeth himselfe to bee our helper furthering vs and setting vs forwarde in the course of our saluation not onely by teaching the woord of reconcilement remission of sinnes free mercie in the death and through the merites of Christ crucified but also by most earnest and vehement exhortation beseeching vs woorthily to receiue this so freely offered grace and blessing Nowe as Paul was an helper and a moouer vnto godlinesse so no doubt we ought all to bee helpers euerie one to another according to our calling in distributing and communicating such gifts as we haue receiued at the bountiful hands of God Euerie one according to that of S. Peter as hee hath receiued grace himselfe so ministring it to another as good dispensers of the manifold graces of GOD. For he hath not deliuered vs our talents to bee wrapped vp hidden and buried in the earth We are stewards so to vse the riches of his grace as may bee most to the aduantage of his glorie amongst men 5 Vnto this our blessed Apostle exhorting setteth three especiall things before our eyes to be considered First hee putteth vs in remembrance of the great mercie of God towards vs whereof we are mooued not to shewe our selues vnwoorthie receiuers Secondly hee sheweth that this is the acceptable and onely accounted time wherein it must appeare whether wee receiue that grace in vaine or no Thirdly he teacheth wherein and howe wee must declare our selues so to haue receiued it as behooueth 6 Receiue not the grace of God in vaine I will
If a prince giue out his letters patent of a gift so long as the seale is not put to the gift is not fullie ratified and the partie to whom it is giuen thinketh not him selfe sufficientlie assured of it Gods gift without sealing is sure as hee himselfe is al one without changing yet to beare with our infirmitie and to make vs more secure of his promise to his writing woord he added these outward signes and seales to establish our faith and to certifie vs that his promise is most certain He giueth vs therfore these holie and visible signes of bread wine saith Take and eate this is my bodie and blood giuing vnto the signes the names which are proper to the things signified by them as we vse to doe euen in cōmon speach when the signe is a liuelie representation and image of the thing 13 Let vs therefore bee thankefull vnto our redeemer Christ for these his great benefites and so vnspeakeable and vndeserued mercies and let vs receiue this holie sacrament as a sure pledge that the vertue of his death and passion is imputed vnto vs for iustice euen as though we had suffered the same which hee did in our owne naturall bodies Let vs not be so peruerse as to drawe backe when Iesus Christ calleth vs so louingly to this royall feast but with good consideration of the woorthinesse of this gift present we our selues with a feruent zeale that we may come woorthily to this holy table Let eche man trie himselfe and so eate saith the Apostle Let vs enter into our selues therefore and examine the estate of our hearts and soules and consider in what case we stand If we be not of the sanctified houshold of God not Christs seruaunts and faithfull Disciples shall we dare presume to presse in being aliens and strangers to the Lords as most comfortable so also most dreadfull table No let no impenitent blasphemer of God no whoremonger or vile and vnrepented sinner presume to touch or tast this foode for such shall not feede vpon Christ and his merits but they receiue their owne damnation But such as wil woorthily feede at this blessed feast must earnestly and truly mourne for their sinnes past in a setled purpose and resolution neuer willingly to defile themselues againe And such as will be partakers of this bread that came from heauen Iesus Christ our one and onely Sauiour must also be as one bread or loafe and as one bodie ioined together in brotherly loue and all other offices of godlie and Christian charitie For if thou come to this banket without this vesture of loue it shall be saide vnto thee Friend howe camest thou hither not hauing on thy wedding garment A wofull speeche and an ende most miserable Let this suffice for the first point which is the blessed Apostles exhortation not to receiue the grace of God in vaine 14 Concerning the second member wherein wee are put in mind that this is the time to shewe our selues woorthie receiuers of grace he applieth to his purpose the words of the Prophet Esay who speaking vnto Christ as in the person of his father saith In an acceptable time haue I heard thee and in a day of saluation haue I helped thee The acceptable time is that whereof S. Paul speaketh When the fulnesse of time came God sent his sonne made of a woman It was indeede an acceptable time and full of grace wherein the sacrifice of Christ was so gratiously accepted and his praiers heard of God And it may well be called a day of saluation wherein his father gaue him a triumphant victorie ouer those so bitter torments of death An acceptable time was it a day of saluation not so much in respect of him who at all times was accepted as of vs who without him and his death had beene refused For in that day was your redemption wrought by our redeemer and sinners saued by his passion who had no sinne And as hee died and rose so he praied and was heard for vs. I pray for them I pray not for the world I pray for them whom thou hast giuen me saith our Sauiour Nowe the acceptable time and day of saluation which Esay spake of S. Paul doth very aptly and effectually applie to his present occasion Beholde nowe is the acceptable time beholde nowe is the day of saluation For the Fathers liued in hope of this acceptable day of grace and fauour to come but the verie time beginneth from the suffering of Christ Iesus and continueth euen to the worlds end And vnto euerie one of vs so much of this acceptable time is granted as we haue time granted here to liue Which being not long because our life is but as it were a span it may fitly be called a day or rather an houre of saluation This day therefore grace is offered vs of God Against whose maiestie forasmuch as all haue sinned and by sinne are depriued of his glorie wee must needes acknowledge that for the recouering of our losse wee stand all in present neede of his grace Nowe is the time wherein our soules doe groane to be releeued with grace and mercie For who can say My heart is sound I neede no Physitian What one man is there amongst vs all who hath loued God as he ought to doe or tendered his neighbours case as he would his owne We may dallie with our selues and thinke that we suffer not for our owne transgressions that we are not cause of that great plague calamitie which presently is come vpon our countrie Beloued do not deceiue your selues Our God is a righteous iudge who blesseth the innocent and heapeth punishment vpon the offending soule For truly if we searche our selues as we ought to doe with a single eye if we examine out thoughts take a reckoning of our words and peise our deedes and waies in an equall ballance aske our hearts and they wil tell vs enquire of our conscience it wil declare vnto vs that euerie one of vs hath wel deserued more than hath happened vnto any of vs Yea wee shall finde that all haue not suffered halfe so much as euerie one hath deserued Our first parents for tasting the fruit that was forbidden them were themselues cast out of their pleasaunt habitation and punished in all their posteritie to come for euer Haue wee being terrefied by the horror of their example withheld our hands and bridled our affections from euerie vnlawful and forbidden thing Corah Dathan and Abiram with their fauourites and confederates were swallowed vp of the earth for whispering against Moses and against Aaron Did we neuer once mutter against our good and lawfull magistrates against our iudges and against the Lordes ministers Dauid for numbring of his people procured such a plague that 70. thousand were consumed with it and are wee so vnspotted that we haue not in as heinous a matter as this offended God would
e law hath plainly said None shall come neere to any of the kindred of his flesh The vnrulie desires of men which presume to go further in these cases than the shamefastnes of natural honestie doth permit must be restrained repressed For this cause Iohn the Baptist tolde Herode It is not lawfull that thou shouldst haue thy brothers wife For this cause S. Paul dealt so sharpely and seuerely in the cause of that lewde Corinthian with whose foule and vnnaturall fault the whole Church of Corinth was much disgraced 13 In mariage therefore there ought to bee a reuerend regard of nature that this state be not dishonoured by vnseemely copulation as in like sort it is by the vngodlie ioyning of the faithfull with vnbeleeuers Of this thing holie Abraham in prouiding a wife for his son had as we see an especiall care For the eldest therefore by likelyhoode the discreetest seruaunt of his house yea and the trustiest as it seemeth for he had rule ouer al which Abraham did possesse was not permitted to deale in this matter without taking a corporal oath before hand I wil make thee sweare saith Abraham by the Lord God of heauen and God of the earth that thou shalt not take a wife vnto my sonne of the daughters of the Cananites amōgst whom I dwell Abraham would not linke his sonne with the wicked Hee remembred what had come of such mariages in the age before him when the sonnes of God tooke them wiues of the daughters of men onely for their beautie without regard of religion or honestie Their destruction was a lesson vnto him he auoided their sinne by fearing their punishment GOD gaue his people expresse charge concerning this that they should beware in ioyning mariage with Amorites and Cananites the indwellers of that prophane Countrie not onely forbidding this kinde of mariage but also shewing the reason why his people should forbeare it least idolatrous wiues should make their husbands also to become idolators least they make thy sonnes goe a whoring after their gods Whereof wee haue a notable example in Salomon whose pitifull fall being so wise a prince to so horrible impietie ought to be admonition sufficient vnto vs to submit our wisedome to the wisedome of the almightie and our desires to his commaundement But had Salomon neuer beene or had his fall beene vnrecorded our owne times may teache vs what fruites haue come of such vngodlie coniunctions Mans nature is corrupt and fraile he runneth headlong into wickednesse but to righteousnesse must be drawen by God and sooner can the euill peruert the good than the good persuade the euill This kinde of mariage therefore seemed so wicked vnto Esdras that hee caused the Israelites after their returne out of captiuitie to put away their strange not women only but wiues which they had taken to themselues in Babylon And shall Christians doe wel in receiuing such into mariage as Iewes being maried vnto did wel to put from them 14 But the common sort of men in making their matches this way haue chiefly two outward vntoward respects regarding nothing in their choise except it be either beautie or monie The sonnes of God of olde bewitched with the beautie of the daughters of men procured the general flood to ouerflowe them all to wash the defiled world Samson tooke one of the daughters of the Philistims to wife because shee pleased his eye but what came of it It cost him a polling wherein stoode his strength and it lost him both his eyes which before were rauished in the beautie of that deceitful woman Others there are yet of a baser note whose only care is to match themselues wealthily Their question is with what monie not with what honestie the parties whom they seeke are endowed whether they bee riche not whether they be godlie what lands they haue on earth not what possessions are laide vp in heauen for them Such as marie for monie as the monie wasteth so their loue weareth neither is there any loue or friendship constant saue onely that which is grounded on constant causes as vertue and godlinesse whereof onely neither time nor man can spoile vs. There was a riche man in Athens which had a daughter to marie and he asked counsell of Themistocles howe to bestowe her shewing him that there was a verie honest man that would gladly haue her but he was poore and there was a riche man which had also desired her but he was not honest Themistocles aunswered that if he were to choose he would preferre monilesse men before masterlesse monie It is true that S. Paul saith Godlinesse is great gaine Whether it bee man or woman that is godlie they be rich and as Salomon saith He that findeth a good wife findeth a good and a pretious thing the value of golde is not to be matched with her In mariage therefore it behooueth vs to be carefull that they whom we choose bee of the houshold of God professing one true religion with vs the disparagement wherein is the cause of all dissension true friendeship being a louing consent as in all things so chiefly in Gods true seruice 15 But this is not ynough For although the parties maried be such as the lawe of the Lorde alloweth to come together yet can it not be saide that they marie in the Lord except they also marie in such sort as the lawe prescribeth For mariage may be as much dishonoured by the one as by the other For orderly entring into the state of matrimonie it is required that they which be vnder the tuition and gouernement of others haue the ful consent of their parents tutors or such as haue rule ouer them to direct and guide them Abraham prouided a wife for his sonne Isaak Isaak sent Iacob into Mesopotamia to his vncle Laban and there commaunded him to take a wife and he did so In the law of Moses children are commanded to honour their parents And what honour is giuen vnto parents if in this chiefe case beeing the weightiest one of them that can happen in all their life their aduise wisedome authoritie and commaundement be contemned The lawe saith If a man finde a maide that is not betrothed and take her and knowe her then the man that knewe her shall giue vnto the father of the virgin fiftie shekels of siluer and she shall be his wife What Although the parents be against it No. For If her father refuse to giue her to him he shall pay the monie and not marie her Againe the lawe saith Whosoeuer voweth a vowe vnto the Lorde or sweareth an oath to binde himselfe by a bond hee shall not breake his promise but shall doe according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth Neuerthelesse if a woman vowe a vowe vnto the Lord and binde her selfe by a bond beeing in her fathers house in the time of her youth and her
father disallowe her the same day that he heareth all her vowes and bonds wherewith shee hath bound her selfe they shall not be of value and the Lord wil forgiue her because her father disallowed her If promises made to GOD without consent of parents are of no effect can promises made to men be effectuall where the parents consent is not had Children saith the Apostle obey your parents in all things In all things and not in this the greatest of all When S. Augustine was required to helpe to make a mariage in the behalfe of a young man the other partie was named hee aunswered I like that matche well Sed mater adolescentulae non adest cuius voluntatem vt nosti requirere debemus but the mother of the young damsel is not present whose good will as you knowe well ynough wee must aske And as the parents or tutors consent is to bee had in all good and lawfull mariages so it is against the duetie of good parents either to keepe their children longer vnmaried than in conuenient or thorough an ouergreat desire of enriching them which is the common disease to marie them against their liking Such mariages seldom or neuer proue wel but are for the most part the cause of great sin much miserie There can be no lawfull coÌ„mendable match where there wanteth full consent and agreement of the parties whom it most concerneth Rebecca was asked whether she would goe with Abrahams seruant and be maried vnto Isaak or no. Her parents did neither keepe her backe from mariage when she was fit for it nor conclude it til her owne minde were knowne Such then as marie not in the feare of God making a religious and a godlie choise hauing the full consent of their parents or tutors doubtlesse God is no author of their mariage it is not he that coupleth and ioyneth them together their estate is base and not honourable in his sight 16 Touching the causes for which God appointed mariage we haue heard that the first is mutuall helpe and comfort For the man is a couer of defence vnto his wife and the woman a piller of rest vnto her husband As a bodie without a heade so is a woman that hath no husbande And As where no hedge is there the possession is spoiled so hee that hath no wife wandereth to and fro mourning This is the iudgement of the wise But the mouths of fooles are alwaies open to aggrauate the incombraunces troubles and sorowes which the maried are woont to sustaine in the flesh neuer remembring the helpes and comfortes which notwithstanding men religiously yoked in the Lord must needes acknowledge far to exceede all those grieuaunces both in number and measure If any find it otherwise â—ith the fault is not in mariage which was instituted for our helpe but in the maried who make it a hinderance to themselues by their owne follie let the men be blamed let the thing be honoured 17 But as in this case it fareth so doeth it also in the next A vertuous sonne is his mothers glorie they that see him count the wombe that bare him blessed Yea though his father die yet is he as if he were not dead because he leaueth one behinde him like him In his life he sawe him and had ioye in him and was not sorie in his death neither was he ashamed before his enemies Thus when our children doe well and prosper mariage is honoured But are they dissolute disobedient Doe they trouble vs as Simeon and Leuie did their father Doe they make vs abhorred amongst the inhabitants of the land By and by wee grudge and thinke vnreuerently in our hearts Behold this is the fruite of mariage So that which giueth honour to the birth of man receiueth dishonour by his lewde behauiour 18 To come to the last The Physitian must be honoured because God created him for necessitie In like sort mariage which God hath giuen as a remedie and not onely as a meane vnto propagation If therefore we neede it and doe not vse it howe doe we honour it S. Paul was so careful in this respect that euen where he giueth the highest commendation to single life there he addeth This I speake for your coÌ„moditie not to tangle you in a snare but that ye follow the thing which is honest And againe Hee that hath decreed in his heart to keepe his virgine doeth well yet so if he stand firme in his heart that he hath no neede but hath power ouer his owne will Otherwise were it not better to vse an honourable remedy than to nourish and increase an incurable sore Let vs take heede howe we feede the flesh in her vnlawful desires For it cannot be in vaine that God should speake so directly and as it were so particularly vnto euerie one that lewdely defileth prophaneth the temple of the holie spirite Perdet te Deus Thee God shall destroie This the enemie knoweth therfore he laboreth so diligently by all meanes to keepe his sore euer festering within it selfe For which cause it is strang to coÌ„sider how he hath dulled the hearts of many by setling a strong perswasion in them that although they frie in the heate of their vile affections yet their outward continencie of bodie is of it selfe meritorious before God their single life of it selfe acceptable and holie What a puddle of vncleannesse what a sinke of filth what ouglie abhominations haue growne in the worlde vnder this pretense to the great displeasure of almightie God The dishonor of mariage the slaunder and shame of Christian profession the inlarging of the kingdome of sinne and darkenesse the sending of soules innumerable downe to hell time will not suffer mee to discourse 19 I will therefore adde somewhat concerning the disgrace which commeth vnto mariage in regard of the duties thereunto belonging and so end The companie and felowship of maried folkes if discreetely louingly and religiously they performe those needefull dueties eche vnto other which God requireth at the handes of both then no doubt their estate is blessed of the Lord and deserueth to be honoured amongst men But if there want discretion in them wee see what contentions strifes and heart-burnings are wont to grow betweehe couples to the great disquieting of their owne mindes inwardly and if thinges doe chaunce to breake out as such flames commonly doe to the discrediting also of their persons openly in the worlde How vnsweete and vnpleasaunt such a life is the wise man sheweth by comparing a troublesome and contentious wife to a continuall dropping as contrariwise If there bee in her tongue gentlenesse meekenesse and wholesome talke then is not her husband like other men 20 Let heartie loue and affection be lacking betweene them and what enemie can deuise so great a torment against them as they exercise continually vpon themselues Doe they not finde that daily whereof Iob
to be honoured of what qualitie soeuer they be in them selues The foode which they gaue to the people did miraculouslie growe by diminishing and by consuming increase So it was with the meale and oyle of that poore widow of Sarephta It was in sight too little to suffice one in vse it proued more than sufficient for manie So it is with all the graces giftes of God they grow in the handes of him that spendeth and in the cofers of him that saueth they wast Thus I haue brieflie gone ouer such thinges as I thought most conuenient for this time The Lord blesse the seede of his word sowne amongest vs and giue it a plentifull and a large in crease to his owne glorie and our comfort through the merite of Iesus Christ by the gracious operation of the holie Ghost to whom c. The eighteenth Sermon A Sermon preached at Pauls Crosse. LVKE 21. 25 Then there shall be signes in the Sunne and in the Moone and in the Starres c. GOD bethinking him selfe and as it were musing vppon the benefites and blessinges which he had in great abūdaunce of mercie bestowed from time to time vppon the people of Israell breaketh out by his prophet into these wordes What might I doe for my vine which I haue not done The graces wherewith he enriched them were infinite their prerogatiues aboue all other people of the worlde were manifolde and for the preciousnesse and rarenesse of them most wonderful to them the adoption the glorie the couenaunte the Lawe the seruice of God the promises were impropriated of them were the fathers and of them as concerning the fleshe Christ came who is God ouer all blessed for euer They had the Arke the Temple and the Oracles with a promise that God woulde be their God and they shoulde be his euen Gods owne elected and beloued people if they walked in his wayes and wrought his will for euer But this vngracious and vnthankfull nation was vnworthy of such worthynesse they worshipped God with lippes and not with heart outwardly in shew but not inwardly in harty sincere truth according to the letter but not according to the spirit after their own conceipts but not agreeablie to his blessed will reuealed in his holie word Their crie was still The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lorde but through their prophanation they made the temple of the Lord a den of theeues They cried Lord Lord but they did not his wil on whom they cryed for sweete grapes they yelded soure for hartie and sincere seruice hypocriticall and painted shewes of religion their glorie was in the externall beautie of their materiall temple they wondred at the stones and goodlie buildinges at the gorgeous furniture and precious guiftes wherewith it was both outwardly and inwardly adorned and enriched 2 Wherupon our Sauiour to take away the cause of this vaine hope and foolish ioy tooke occasion thus to prophecie of that glorious temple Are these the thinges that you looke vpon The dayes will come wherein there shall not be left a stone vpon a stone which shall not be destroyed This prophesie was as euidently accomplished as it was made For thirtie eight yeares after that they had crucified Christ their promised Messias the Lorde of glorie God raysed vppe the seruauntes of his wrath Vespasian and Titus Emperours of Rome who beseeged conquered and rased their Ierusalem made hauocke of the people as of dogges murdered eleuen hundred thousande man woman and childe of that cursed nation Then was fulfilled the crie of those crucifiers His bloud be vppon our heades and vppon our children It hath bene and shall be for euer Yea the violence of the Romaines proceeded farther and pulled downe the Temple and layde flat with the grounde their onely glorie insomuch that according to the expresse wordes of our Sauiours prophecie they left not one stone vpon another The Iewes sundrie times hauing licence thereunto attempted to builde it vp againe but it woulde not be for what their hande builded in the day the hande of the Lord most miraculouslie hurled downe by night Most true it is that Christ sayth there is not one worde that commeth out of Gods mouth not one title or iot written in his word which shall not in his due and appointed time be accomplished 3 Hence we may take this instruction that God is not delighted in outward shewes in gorgeous pompes in beautifull buildinges in painted sepulchers It is the inward beautie of the kinges daughter and not the outwarde brauery of the harlot of Babylon wherewith God is pleased It is the contrite heart of the postrate Publican and not the proude ostentation of the Pharasie wherein he doth take delight God aloweth as well of Peter in his mantell as of Aaron in his miter All these external shewes are but as the beautie of a paynted wall not onely not acceptable but euen lothsome vnto God when the soule the minde the inward parte is polluted 4 The causes why this house this costlie building and temple of God was so miserablie destroyed Christ himselfe declareth saying Because thou hast not knowne the time of thy visitation There is a double visitation the one in mercie the other in iustice Our mercifull God first visited this people in great often mercy He deliuered them out of the handes of Pharao He gaue them good guides He deliuered vnto them his law written in tables of stone He caused heauen to giue them bread the hard rocke to yeelde thē drink He made them triumphe ouer their enimies possesse strang cities He brought them to a land that flowed with milk honie caused them to reape that which their fooes had sowne He gaue them Priests Prophets builded them both an Arke by Moses and a temple by the handes of Solomon wherein he woulde be worshipped All which notwithstanding this stif-necked people was obdurate and vnthankefull no benefittes coulde euer winne them They prouoked their gratious Lord vnto most fierce and most iust wrath After their deliueraunce they lusted to returne to the place from whence they were deliuered they muttered against Moses and despysed holy Aaron They loathed and misliked the verie foode of heauen euen the meate of Angels the written lawe of God they mightely transgressed his messages they contemned the Prophetes and Messengers they derided euill entreated murdered lastly to adde a crowne to all their former wickednesse their promised Messias their king Christ Iesus the Sonne of the liuing God they most spitefully cruelly and villanouslie crucified 5 This great vnthankfulnesse of theirs did greatly prouoke the iust Lord to displeasure as it were enforce him to visit them in iustice sharpely and with the rod of more then vsual correctiō Wherefore he plagued them with mortalitie in the wildernesse onely two entred the land of promise of all the number that came out of Aegypt he gaue them ouer
into the hands of their enimies and they that hated them were Lordes ouer them he cast them into exile and miserable bondage he burnt vp their holie citie he destroied their glorious temple he left them to be deuoured with pestilence with hunger and with the sworde the accustomed instrumentes of his wrath Insomuch that euen to this day the remnant of that elect and chosen people is scattered farre and wide and doth liue in all contempt hatred and slauerie marked like Cain to be knowne as a murdering vagabond vpon the earth to be a byword an example of Gods Iustice to all the worlde throughout all succeeding ages 6 Now all these thinges came vnto them not onely for their punishment but also for examples vnto others were written to admonish vs vpon whom the endes of the world are come They are patterns for vs to looke vpon that seeing their sinne and the punishment thereof we may eschew the one if we desire to escape the other And they crie dayly in our eares Let not your faults be like their faultes least your destruction also be like to their destruction for God is the same yesterday to day for euer he hateth sinne no lesse now then before no lesse in vs than in them 7 He hath visited vs in mercie as he visited them yea we haue tasted perhaps more aboundantly of his goodnes than euer they did And as the benefittes we haue receiued doe at the least equall theirs so their vnthankfulnesse is much behinde ours if it be rightly and duelie considered God hauing so straungly so farre beyond all hope so much beside our expectation and more besides our desert so many times and so many wayes deliuered vs not out of one Aegypt from vnder one Pharao through the middest of one sea but out of sundrie places of most grieuous irkesome and tedious captiuitie from vnder the heauie yooke of sundrie cruell tyrants through the middest of sundrie maine seas of troubles and afflictions Yet haue we for all this buried the memorie of our deliuerance in forgetfulnesse yet doe wee for all this sinne dayly and that with greedinesse yea and spiritually as farre as in vs lyeth crucifie Christ a freshe and sheede his most precious bloud againe We are wearie of the Gospell the foode of life is reiected as a thing vnsauorie we haue no liking to feede as the Lordes table our desire is rather to franke vp our selues with that which we shoulde abhorre and loath Euerie house and corner is full of idolatrie and superstition of sinne and filthinesse full of murmuring against God full of grudging and repyning against the Lords annointed For of his Prophetes what shoulde I say was there euer any time any age any nation countrie or kingdome when and where the Lordes messengers were worsse entreated more abused despysed and slaundered than they are here at home in the time of the Gospell in these our dayes wee are become in your sight and vsed as if wee were the refuse and paringes of the worlde Euerie mouth is spitefully opened euerie tooth is sharpened and whetted against vs. Harde it is to finde one foorth that will loue and reuerence vs as fathers obey vs as gouernours honour vs as Gods embassadours learne of vs as of schoolemaisters here and follow vs as sheepeheardes giue vs worthie wages as workemen that take paines for your saluation But our exspectation is not deceiued Christ our Sauiour hath told vs long ago that the world should hate vs our case is no worse herein thē the blessed Apostles was our reward is great in heauen And it were well if this vnkinde affection did reach no further than vnto vs only But it spreadeth wider regardeth as little the throne of Dauid as the chaire of Moses the sworde as the booke the Prince as the Prophet the ciuill as the ecclesiasticall state Some desire a chaunge Others not onely desire it but conspire for it too and contriue treacherie greedelie expecting their looked for time the daie of their felicitie and of their great ioy But if God in his wrath graunt such a time which for his mercie sake I trust he will neuer do it wilbe euen to them who now so earnestlie desire it a day of death and not of life of lamentation and not of ioy What gayned they who desired the chaunge of Samuell for Saull of Christ for Barrabas they procured Gods wrath their owne confusion perpetuall slauerie So it fareth with miscontented mindes Their own desires plague them 8 Thus we cannot but see Gods godnesse and our vnthankefulnesse his giftes and our abusing of them his patience and our continuall frowardnesse Our sinnes are come to the fulnesse with the Ammorites iniquitie hath gotten the vpper hand and crusheth downe all pietie Can our God thinke you winke at so manifest or holde his hande at so grieuous sinne If he spared not the braunches of the true oliue not his first borne Israell not his elect people but often punished and at length gaue them quite ouer for that they neglected his worde and despysed the Preachers of it if he spared not his owne onely citie not the holie temple wherein he woulde be worshipped but for that they were both polluted and prophaned destroyed both for euer whar can wee which are but as wilde twigges whose father was an Ammorite and whose mother an Hittite who haue not harkned to his worde sent from heauen who haue defiled his sacred temple and euen crucified his Christ looke for any other but Gods great plagues and dreadfull vengeance to be powred vpon vs to our eternall miserie doubtlesse we haue deepely prouoked him vnto anger The onely way to pacifie and appease his wrath to mitigate his indignation and to remoue his plagues from vs which euen now hange ouer vs is our earnest repentāce to turne vnto our God with our whole harte that he may turne to vs to lament and forsake our wickednesse to trust in mercie and to craue pardon to promise performe amendment of this sinnefull life Thus we must doe and that speedelie or else without doubt and without delay we perish 9 The threatned destruction of the temple hath occasioned me thus much to say Now when Christ had vttered the sentence of ruine desolation against that holy place the Disciples as Mathew reporteth cam secretly vnto him asked not only of the time when the Tēple should be destroied but also of the second comming of Christ and of the end of the worlde They enquired as men desirous to learne that whereof they were ignoraunt And they asked of Christ the wisedome of God the appointed schoolemaister of whome we should seeke for knowledge They asked as I sayde three seuerall thinges of the destruction of Ierusalem of the seconde comming of Christ of the ende of the worlde which two later are indeede but one To whom Christ maketh answere not assigning any certainetie of the times when
when he saide Many are the troubles of the iust S. Paul did consider it and therefore said They that will liue godlie in Christ Iesus shall suffer persecution Christ did often put his disciples and scholars in remembraunce of it If they haue persecuted me they will persecute you In the worlde wee are sure to finde heauie intertainement but this is our comforte with whom we suffer with him we shall raigne we shall liue with him in glorie with whom now we are in miserie if so be we take vp our crosse and follow him Patience perfoce is no patience Not euerie one which beareth any manner of crosse but he which taketh it vp that is to saie which is willing to beare it he shall receiue an immortall crowne of glorie The wilde restie and vnbroken horse if hee kick and fling neuer so much yet is hee forced to carie his rider but being managed and tamed he passeth on quietlie with his burthen The wicked mutter they murmure blaspheme when they are once touched but the seruauntes of God doe not onely take that patiently which is laide vpon them but they reioyce that they are thought worthie to suffer Be they neuer so much afflicted in body the end of their affliction is alwaies ioy in the spirit The wicked kick against the prick the godly submit them selues to the yoke knowing that they are striken with a tender hand that he which humbleth them loueth them shall turne all things to their good Yea they take vp not only their own crosses but also the griefes suffrings of others vpon their backs they are content to feele the smart euen of other mens stripes to put their shoulders vnder the burthēs of their brethren to weepe for the sorrowes of other men as much as for their owne when others are bound to be as if they were in chaines with them These are the suffringes of the church of Christ these are the crosses of his children As for hereticks they haue no portion in this cuppe Though they offer themselues vnto all kindes of torture yet because they suffer not for the truth but against the truth they cannot looke for that rest which is promised to Gods afflicted when the Lorde shall shew him selfe from heauen accompanied with his mighty angels For it is not the crosse but the cause that makes a martyr Blessed are they that suffer for righteousnes sake There is no cause why that irreligious crew should glory in their suffrings which fight for Antichrist for heresie for popery for superstitiō sedition selfe will singularity Non ex passione certa est iustitia sed ex iustitia passio gloriosa est saith S. Augustin Our suffringes are no argument of our righteousnesse but our righteousnesse an ornament vnto our suffringes 13 To these afflictions whereof wee haue hitherto spoken the church hath alwaies bene subiect from the beginning it hath ben tossed and much troubled Abel the image of the church was vnnaturally murdered by the bloudy hand of his owne brother Abraham the father of our faith with his familie a figure of the church liued as a pilgrime and they as straungers vpon earth The Israelites were in Aegypt tyrannized by Pharao in the wildernes many wayes chastised of the Lord afterwardes in continuall stormes war battle before they could be placed in the land of Canaan when they were come thither had dwelt long there in the end their temple was spoiled their people murdered their cities razed they led captiues into strange countries This was the lot of Gods church the portion of his elect chosen people in former times In the last daies Christ himselfe was no sooner in the worlde but he was by by forced to saue his life by flight There was no day no houre that passed ouer him without griefe frō the time of his birth to that verie moment wherein he yeelded vp the ghost How it fared with his disciples after him after them with the churches which they had planted it may appeare by the history partly of their acts partly of those times wherein Nero Traiā Domitian Diocletian others of the like disposition liued But no time so bloudy cruell as since that Romaine strumpet hath vsurped authority ouer Christ his church The church coulde hide it selfe in no corner of any kingdom in the whole worlde but his tyranny found it out to vexe it to persecute it and to spoile it What bloud he hath shed what murthers he hath committed in these latter daies Englād Scotlād Flaūders Fraūce can sufficiently record By this it is euident to al mēs eyes how the church in the midst of this wicked world is tossed like a ship vpon the sea 14 As the whole church of Christ so euery member that truely professeth him is subiect vnto great tentation If the ship be in danger how can they be without perill that are in it As soone as we professe the name of Christ the Deuill stirreth vp his stormes tempests of temptation to make vs deny forsake our profession wherin his assaults be most fierce in which respect the blessed Apostle doth cal thē firie So it pleased God to chastise keepe vnder euery sonne whom he receiueth And if we would be without affliction then were we bastardes not children 15 If both the whole body euery member therof be thus deuoted vnto suffring the chiefest mēbers must looke to be in greatest dangers That which Christ told his disciples must be verified in all their successors The world shal hate them For why they which hate to be reformed cannot brooke to be reproued And we must needes rebuke the world of sin What misery soeuer commeth to the church the minister is alwaye the first that feeleth the smarte of it This we finde to haue bene true in the Prophets in the Apostles in others that frō time to time haue borne the roomes of ouerseers in the Church Quem prophetarum non persecuti sunt sayth Christ. What Prophet can be named which hath not bene persecuted The time would not suffer me to make but onely a bare rehersall either of the ancient worthy guides of the church which haue ben most cruelly entreated murthered in former times or of your owne pastors whom our late euill daies haue seene taken from vs in most cruell sort 16 By this it is plaine that the whole church of Christ euery mēber of the same is subiect to tribulations afflictiōs troubles the chiefest mēbers most subiect Let vs now consider how why this commeth to passe The most neere immediate cause of their troble which are tossed vpō the sea is the rising of windes the raging of the waters This is manifest vnto sense They that go downe to the sea in ships vse trafficke in great waters do see that when the stormie winde ariseth lifteth vp the waues they
it will one day appeare Our conuersion will be called vnto an hard account In that day wee must stande before the tribunall seate of God and render a reckoning yea and receiue as we haue wrought in our bodies good or badde The iudge is euen at hande Veniens veniet He will come surely without fayle and without staie He standeth before the doore This is the last houre the trumpe is in a readinesse to bee blowne to iudgement 2 For sayeth Peter the ende of all thinges hangeth ouer vs. In which wordes the Apostle doth both comfort vs and exhort vs. Such as are afflicted oppressed with wrong burdened with pouertie vexed with sickenesse slaundered persecuted or hated of the worlde heere they may receiue comfort Your miserie shall be but momentanie and short your ioy shall be great and endlesse Lift vp your heades for your redemption draweth neare The ende of your affliction together with the end of all thinges is at hande Againe vpon these wordes a most necessarie exhortation is inferred Christ is comming in the cloudes all fleshe shall rise and recken he onely that hath his lampe burning shall enter in with the bridegrome as wee are founde so shall wee be taken and iudged The ende is at hande bee sober therefore and watch vnto prayer 3 Whereas the holy scriptures doe make often mention of a double ende the one wherein wee are to yeelde vp our mortall liues the other wherein Christ at his seconde comming shall finish the course of all this sinnefull worlde the Apostle treating in this place of the later I shall at this present followe his foote-steppes and speake of Christ his seconde comming to put an ende to all thinges For they which say Where is the promise of his comming deceaue themselues Hee hath set a day wherein he will iudge the worlde in iustice hee is appointed iudge of quicke and dead The Angell of God beareth witnesse of his comming This Iesus which is taken vp into heauen shall so come as ye haue seene him goe And S. Iohn as if he beheld and sawe him comming sayth Beholde he comâ—eth with cloudes and euerie eye shall see him 4 But as his comming is most certaine so the houre day moneth yeare or time is most vncertaine It is not for you to knowe the seasons and precise pointes of times which the father hath appointed in his owne power Of that day and houre no man knoweth No not the verie Angels of heauen but my father onely The day of the Lorde will come stealing vpon vs as a theefe in the night 5 Nowe as we knowe not the day and time so let vs be assured that this comming of the Lorde is neere He is not slacke as we doe count slackenesse That it is at hande it may be probably gathered out of the Scriptures in diuerse places The signes mentioned by Christ in the Gospel which should be the foreshewers of this terrible day are almost alreadie all fulfilled The prophecies of Daniell of the foure Monarchies of the little horne and of the times weekes and dayes are manifestlie come to passe The defections or fallinges away which are spoken of in holie scriptures are also in great part accomplished The prouinces the tenne kingdomes are fallen from the Romaine Empire and that wicked one hath wrought the misterie of iniquitie Againe there hath beene in a manner a generall falling from the Catholike faith as the Apostle long before foretolde vs some vnto Mahomet some vnto Antichrist his brother Euen about one time Mahomet appeared and the Pope swarued from the true faith of Christ the one renouncing him in name the other in deede the one quite blotting out the mention of Christ and denying at all to professe him in woorde The other keeping his name but robbing him of his office and shutting him out of his right place both falling from the faith That defection also is come vpon vs which Saint Paul did prophecie of In the latter times men shall fall from the faith giuing eare to deceiuing spirites and doctrines of diuelles And Saint Peter There shall come in the last dayes mockers that walke after their owne lustes and say where is the promise of his comming Thus heretiques and Atheistes haue fallen from Christ and Christian faith We that professe Christ and his Gospell are also charged with a defection a schisme and a falling away But in euerie Apostasie two thinges must be considered from whom and to whome this sliding is We gladly graunt that we are fallen away from the Bishoppe of Rome who long agoe fell from Christ wee doe vtterly abandon his vsurped and proude authoritie we haue happely forsaken that Synagogue of Satan that den of theeues that polluted Church that simoniacall temple and we ioyfully confesse that we haue no societie or fellowship with his darknes In our sermons we preach Christ and none els but him we knowe nothing we teach nothing we beleeue nothing but Christ and him crucified In our Sacraments we shewe foorth the Lordes death in no other sort then he himselfe hath done and commaunded vs to doe In our liues we woorship the Lord alone and in yeelding vp our soules we flie for mercie onely to the merites of Christ Iesus our mercifull sauiour This is our Apostasie We haue forsaken him that hath forsaken God and whom God hath forsaken we haue left that man of sinne that rosecolored harlot with whom the kinges of the earth haue committed fornication that triple crowned beast that doublesworded Tyrant that theefe and murderer who hath robbed so many soules of saluation and sucked so much innocent bloud of Christian martyrs that aduersarie vnto Christ that pretensed vicar who hath displaced the person not onely taking vpon him Christes roome and office but also boasting himselfe as if he were a God being content of his parasites so to be called This wicked man of sinne is at length reuealed by the sincere preaching of the Gospell Daniell in his prophesies Paule in his Epistles and Iohn in his Reuelations haue most liuely described pointed him foorth euen as it were with the finger Yea through his pride and ambition his vsurping authoritie and worldly rule his tyrannie and persecuting of Christ in his members hee hath sufficiently reuealed and detected him selfe if none had doone it for him 6 This wicked man the Lorde shall destroye with the breath of his mouth and then shall be the ende The blast of Gods trumpe hath made him alreadie stagger he hath caught such a crampe that hee beginneth nowe to halt his long and farre reaching arme is marueilously shortned his cofers are waxen leaner his falshoode is espied many princes refuse to tast any more of his poysoned cuppe he is fallen from beeing the head and come almost to be the taile he was too cruell and too violent to continue There is no counsell nor power
Christ. S. Paul speaketh to the elect of God who doubtlesse will at length awake As for the reprobate they still shal sleepe on in their errours and sinnes vnto their eternall death and confusion But arise Ierusalem and be thou enlightned arise Ierusalem from death to life frō errour to truth from darkenesse to light from Antichrist to Christ who by his holy spirite will illuminate thee that thou mayst knowe God the father and him whom he hath sent Iesus Christ and that is the only way to euerlasting life Plinie reproouing our drowsinesse sayeth that sleepe doth steale away the halfe of our life But this sleepe wherof we speake stealeth away the whole life of the greatest part of men Dauid himselfe lay slumbering in the filthy sleepe of whoredome a whole yeare at the least and could not awake vntill Nathan blewe in his eare and stirred him But Dauids sleepe was but a nappe in comparison of such as are so hard and fast a sleepe that they will neuer stirre vntill fire out of heauen flee about their eares to waken them So were the Sodomites wakened and consumed Awake therefore and when ye are wakened then watch 13 Watch that ye be not deceiued by false prophetes who watch to deceiue you teach otherwise thā Christ hath taught The diuell is a subtill perswader of men he is a lying spirite in the mouth of his prophets his ministers workmen are craftie companions such as creepe into houses and leade away the simple as captiues with them A man of a watchfull eye shall knowe these wolues by two properties First they are rauenous cruel bloudy they will persecute and kill they will be as Caine not as Abell as Ismaell and not as Isaak as Esau not as Iacob as Pharao and not as Moses as Caiaphas and not as Peter The seconde note is that which Chrysostome mentioneth Who so in blasphemie yelleth and howleth with a foule and open mouth against the trueth he is a wolfe Such they were of whom the prophet speaketh in the psalme saying They set their mouth against heauen 14 All must watch that they be not themselues deceiued by these deceitfull wolues when they put on sheepes clothing But God giueth charge to such as be the pastors of his people to be watchfull also ouer others not only carefully to feede them as his flocke deerely redeemed in good wholsome pastures but also to driue chase away the wolues least Gods sheepe be deuoured by thē And this pastoral office doth not only pertain vnto priests prechers but also vnto princes tēporal gouerners whō God hath placed in authority to y t end y t they shold promote his glory For the which cause God calleth Cyrus the king his shephard Vigilate watch the wolfe to driue him away watch the flock to fede it 15 Let euerie one be watchfull ouer his life that his conuersation be according to his profession If we walke disorderly we shal not walke alone our example wil draw others after it their sins we shall answere for Lucifer fell not alone he drew cōpany from heauen with him Ieroboam being sinfull made Israell to sin And he is burnt in the hand with that marke of horror for a warning to al succeeding ages Ieroboā the son of Nebat that made Israel to sin Let vs beware that we play not Simeon Leui so make our father Iacob to be loathed of the Cananites We professe Christ true Christianitie Let vs not through our lewd life be a slander to our sauiour and a shame to his gospel Watch therefore But because as S. Paul sayth neither planting nor watering will helpe except God himself do giue encrease because our watching as the prophet witnesseth is in vaine neither can sobrietie and heedefulnes serue to keepe a citie except the Lorde himselfe doe keepe it let vs craue help at Gods mercifull hands let vs pray as wel as watch When S. Paul hath armed Gods souldier he biddeth him pray Man be he neuer so well appointed for defence neuer so stronge and perfit cannot stande without Gods strength He that looketh but a litle into the worlde shall espie iust cause to moue vs to prayer if anie men now if euer The greate diuell in these our later dayes is let loose Antichrist rageth and seeketh our confusion The wicked glistering world maruelously deceiueth bewitcheth The flesh raigneth and beareth swinge The spirite is faint sinne ouerfloweth Christ is comming in the cloudes to call vs vnto iudgement Therefore be ye sober watch pray Pray I say not in shewe but in deede not in appearance but from the heart not for fashion but in earnest Babble not in wordes like hypocrites but powre out thy heart before God as did Hanna And God graunt for his Christ our Iesus sake that in fayth and loue wee may lift vp pure hands sincere affections hartie grones vnto our Lorde that we may ouercome our many dreadfull enemies purchase pardon and glorifie God Let vs with Dauid with whom we haue sinned pray for mercy Let vs with the disciples of Christ with whom we haue wauered pray for the encrease of our faith because the ende of all thinges is nowe at hande 16 It followeth Haue feruent charity amongst your selues This cōcerneth our dutie towardes men as y ◠other did towards God All our dutie towards our neighbour consisteth in loue He that loueth another hath fulfilled the lawe Iohn the beloued disciple of Christ was the preacher of loue it was euer in his mouth as it is in his writings in so much that lying vpon his death bed his disciples requesting to haue one lessō frō him before his departure he was able to deuise no one thing more needful to be spokē of then this which he had oftē said Loue one another my litle childrē Peter would haue our loue to be earnest hote Euery one loueth himself very vehemently but our loue towards others is very cold chill Our loue for the most part this way is in word in phraise but not in deede in truth This world is dubble harted dissēbling is made a trade to liue by There be many Labans but fewe Iacobs Many that salute say Aue but their next word is Apprehendite If Christ came nowe he were like to finde litle faith but lesse charity yet without charity al that we do is vaine yea it is very sin Let vs therfore loue as God hath loued vs he loued vs not slenderly when he tooke so bitter a death for vs. A God for his enemies See therfore that ye haue vehement sincere hearty loue among your selues not contenting your selues barely to haue it in shewe vnlesse yee shewe it by these effectes which Saint Peter in this place setteth down Vehement loue heere spoken of is described by these properties First it couereth y e multitude of
wee are not consumed because his compassions faile not but are renewed euerie morning great is his faithfulnesse Being mindfull therefore of these his mercies let vs as thankfull seruauntes offer vnto this our mercifull God this sacrifice of righteousnesse neuer ceasing to magnifie and praise his name O Lorde we acknowledge this to be thy worke without any merite or deserte of ours Wee blesse thee wee praise thee we thanke thee for it accept O Lorde this our seruice and sacrifice in thy great mercie 22 The seconde part of this our sacrifice of praise is to poure out requestes and supplications Let vs herein with humble and penitent heartes with sure trust that God will heare vs out of heauen craue at his mercifull handes the deliueraunce of his annointed our Soueraigne Ladie out of all distresse from the rebellion of Absolon from the counsell of Achitophell from the rage and furie of all that conspire to do hir harme Thou knowest O Lorde that shee hath not deserued this treacherie at their handes being most milde and mercifull doing good vnto all hurting none Therefore O Lorde according to thy mercifull woont as thou hast done hitherto so deliuer protect and defend hir still finish that which thou hast most graciouslie begune bridle O Lorde hir enemies and ours let them knowe their madnes open their eies and cause them plainely to see that they cannot preuaile against thy chosen seruaunt that they cannot cast downe or bring into ignominy hir whom thou hast set vp and placed in honour Giue grace O Lorde if it bee thy good pleasure that they may enter into themselues examine their own heartes see their sinne repent them of their wickednesse abstaine from farther proceeding that thou in thie mercy maiest shew them grace and fauour in the ende And graunt O Lorde that we which professe thy holie name may still offer vnto thee the sacrifice which thou requirest euen the sacrifice of righteousnesse that the minister of thy worde may sincerely and diligently preach thy Gospell that being a good example to the flocke and leading a godlie an vpright life he maie bring thee the offrings of many soules vnto the stretching out of thy glorious kingdome amongst men Grant that princes Magistrats whom thou hast set in authority may without feare or fauor offer also this sacrifice in vpright deciding of controuersed causes and seuere punishing of malefactours Finallie giue this grace O Lorde wee beseech thee to thy whole flocke for wee are thy flocke the sheepe of thy pasture that wee all may offer vnto thee our goodes our bodyes and our soules for they are thyne Graunte that we maie liberallie bestowe our goodes to the needefull reliefe of thy poore Sainctes that wee may mortefie our bodyes and cheerefullie offer them if neede so require to anye kynde of tormente for thie sake that in soule wee maye offer thee the sacrifice of true repentance for our sinnes of hartie thankes for thy great grace of earnest sute for continuance of thy mercie and fauour towardes vs. We humblie beseech thee O father for the merites of thy deere sonne vpon whom as vpon our aultar we offer vp all our sacrifice bowe downe thy mercifull eare to our petitions extend thy mercies to thy litle flocke preserue our gracious Queene and so direct the heartes of all which beare authority vnder hir that by their good gouernment wee may leade a peaceable and a quiet life in all godlynesse and honestie To thee O mercifull father with thy Sonne Christ Iesus our onely redeemer and that blessed spirit our sweete comforter three persons one God be all honour and praise both now and euer The two and twentieth Sermon A Sermon preached at Pauls Crosse at his remouing to Yorke 1. COR. 13. 11 For the rest brethren fare yee well be perfect be of good comforte be of one minde liue in peace And the God of loue peace shalbe with you AFTER that our Apostle S. Paul as a faithfull teacher a wise stewarde a louing father a vigilant watchman a diligent labourer a seuere punisher of all sinne had with a good conscience painefully trauailed a long time with the famous citie of Corinth omitting no part of Apostolicall dutie opening vnto them all the mysteries of Christ the whole counsell of God all the secretes of his truth at the length by the goodwill and calling of God being else where appointed to preach the Gospell hee forgetteth them not in the time of his absence but as by word afore so stil by writing endeuoureth to leade them on Wherfore being now to make an ende both of speaking and writing vnto them hee most louinglie taketh his leaue and with his farewel giueth them this sweete exhortation Be perâ—it be of good comfort be of one minde liue in peace and the God of loue and peace shall be with you 2 My present case is not much vnlike although I my selfe bee most vnlike for happie were hee that might followe so blessed a guide though it were with far vnequall paces The citie is like the people are like my departure from you is like but the performing of my office amongest you I must confesse hath ben much vnlike And good cause why for God alike hath not bestowed his gracious giftes Yet my conscience beareth me record I haue endeuored to treade in the same steps And in doctrine which is the chiefest point I dare affirme euen the same which the holy Apostle doth I haue deliuered no other vnto you then that which I haue receiued of the Lord yea safely in the sight of the most high God I may saie with him you haue receiued of vs not the word of men but as it was in deede the worde of God In distribution whereof neither haue I vsed flatterie as you know neither coloured couetousnesse the Lorde will testifie neither haue I sought mine owne praise my heart is witnesse And this testimonie of conscience that I haue dealt sincerely in the house of God as touching doctrine hath bene my great reliefe and comfort in all the stormy troubles which by the mighty assistance of almighty God I haue waded throwe Concerning diligence in the execution of mine office although I haue had a ready will yet my weake body being not answerable to my desire as all flesh herein is faultie so for my part I must pleade guiltie One debt and duety with S. Paule I protest I haue truelie paide you for with a tender affection I haue loued you The nurce was neuer more willing to giue the breast vnto hir childe then I haue beene that you shoulde sucke not onely milke but also bloude from mee if it might stande you in steede or serue to your safetie God hee knoweth that with this loue I haue loued you In vsing correction I haue sought reformation and not reuenge to punish hath bene a punishment to my selfe I neuer did it but with great griefe I haue alwaies
laboured rather by perswasion to reclaime transgressors then by correction with which kinde of dealing because stubborne mindes will not be bowed my softnesse I graunt hath rather deserued reproofe then praise My life and conuersation amongest you I leaue wholy to your secret iudgementes I cannot not saie for who can that my heart is cleare If in manie thinges we offende all how can any man saie hee is no sinner except hee saie also that God is a lier Howbeit this the God of my righteousnesse knoweth that wittingly and willingly I haue wronged no man if I haue reddam quadruplum I will render foure times so much good If any haue wronged mee I hartelie forgiue and will forget it for euer While I liue I will acknowledge that I haue receiued more good liking fauour and friendship at your handes then I coulde either looke for or deserue God no doubt hath his people hee hath many a deere childe in this citie But nowe that by his prouidence not by my procurement I am called from hence to serue elswhere in the church of Christ I will with S. Paule take my leaue of you and that the more willingly as well because it is Gods good will and appointment as also for that I trust the chaunge shall bee good and profitable vnto you My hope is that the Lord hath prouided one of choice to bee placed ouer you a man to vndertake this great charge so well inabled for strength courage grauitie wisedome skill in gouernement knowledge as in manie other thinges so especiallie in the heauenlie mysteries of God that I doubt not but my departure shall turne verie much to your aduauntage Amongest whom sith a great parte of my life is nowe spent and a fewe euill daies doe remaine otherwhere to bee bestowed I must vse the wordes of the blessed Apostle For that which remaineth my brethren fare ye well my deere and faithfull flocke farewell my crowne and my ioy farewell againe with griefe I speake it farewell I must in bodie goe from you yet in heart and good will I shall euer bee with you you shall euer bee most deere vnto me and I shall not cease God forbid I shoulde to powre out my prayers before the almightie in your behalfe that the greate sheepeherd of the sheepe of the Lorde Iesus Christ may take charge of you and by his holie spirite direct and gouerne you in all your waies In like sorte I most hartelie craue at your handes that yee bee not vnmindefull to praie also for mee thaâ— I may walke worthely in my calling and fulfill the ministerie which I haue receiued that God may open vnto mee the doore of vtteraunce to speake the misteries of Christ as becommeth mee to speake that I maie in faith and boldnesse do his message that hee maie deliuer mee from the disobedient and that my seruice maie bee accepted of the Saintes that the worde of the Lorde may haue his free passage and that I may finishe the residue of my course in the Gospell of Christ to the glorie of God and profit of the Church 3 And nowe brethren for my last and longe farewell I can vse no fitter wordes of exhortation then these are Bee perfect haue consolation bee of one minde liue in peace and the God of charitie and peace shall bee with you Two speciall thinges there are comprised in these wordes an exhortation and a promise Wee are exhorted to bee perfect to bee of good comfort to liue in vnitie and peace and wee are promised that so doing the God of loue and peace shall remaine with vs. The first parte of the exhortation is as it were the roote aâ—d fountayne of the seconde and the seconde likewise of the laste For perfection breedeth comforte and comforte causeth peace But let vs particularlie consider of euerie braunch of the exhortation Bee perfect 4 Integritie or perfection is of two sortes the one is deuine the other humaine That which pertaineth vnto God is absolute that which is of men is not without defect In God there is full and absolute perfection Your heauenlie father is perfect sayth our Sauiour So perfect that there is not so much as anie shadow of imperfection at all in him Hee is light perfect light there is no darkenesse in him Hee is the fountaine from whence all perfection floweth euerie perfect gift is from aboue Hee which planted the eare shall not hee heare hee that formed the eye shal not hee see He that teacheth man knowledge shall not hee vnderstande sayth the Prophet Shall I cause to bring foorth and shall I bee barren sayth the Lorde Hee cannot but be perfect in himselfe which is the cause of all perfection in others 5 And as he is perfect so all thinges are perfect which are his His law is perfect and maketh them perfect which fulfill it O that my waies were directed according to thy statutes then should I not be confounded saith the Prophet His commaundements are holy iust good Scimus quia bona est lex the goodnes and perfection of it is apparant cleare and manifest wee knowe the lawe is good But S. Paule seemeth to charge the lawe with imperfection The lawe saith hee brought nothing vnto perfection It is true that the lawe in it selfe is perfect able to saue and make perfit all such as are able perfitlie to obserue it For what saith the lawe Do this and thou shalt liue Yet no man liueth by the lawe why so Because the lawe in vnperfit God forbid The cause then why being perfit it bringeth nothing to perfection is the weakenesse and infirmitie of our flesh Wherefore that which was impossible to the lawe in as much as it was weake because of the fleshe God sending his owne sonne in the similitude of sinfull flesh and for sinne condemned sinne in the flesh that the righteousnes of the lawe might be fulfilled Although no man therefore be brought to perfection by the law yet the law remaineth perfit euen as he is perfit which gaue the lawe 6 Euerie worke of the mightie God is perfit When he had made heauen and earth sea and lande fishe foule man beast and whatsoeuer is contained within the compasse of the whole world hauing finished all he behelde the works of his owne handes and saw they were all exceeding good If there bee this perfection in the workes of God then whatsoeuer hee doe in heauen or in earth seeme it vnto vs neuer so much out of order yea although it bee euen against all reason in our eyes yet must wee alwaies set our handes vnto this It is of God therefore perfit For woe bee to him that saith to his father what hast thou begotten or to his mother what hast thou brought forth Shall the claie saie to the workeman what makest thou dust and ashes to the creator of heauen and earth it is not good and perfit which
I haue ouercome Although ye trauaile be heauie laden for a while yet comfort your selues knowing that your anguishes greefes and molestations shal haue an end your teares shalbe wiped away dried vp but the ioy which shalbe giuen you is euerlasting The seede of teares which ye sowe now is nothing to that haruest of ioy which hereafter shalbe reaped Againe whatsoeuer doth befall vs heere it coÌ„meth not vnto vs by hap or chance but all is disposed by the will and prouidence of almightie God when we are chastised we are chastised of the Lorde it is of meere loue and perfect righteousnesse that we are corrected it is not for our harme but to our good either for the triall of our faith or for the reformation of our life So that the man which feareth God which walketh vprightly in his sight hauing the testimonie of a good conscience cannot want matter of consolation hee hath wherfore in the Lord to reioyce alwaies God hath giuen enough for his continuall comfort For that which resteth therefore brethren lift vp your heades and be comforted 18 Finally to come to the last branch of this present exhortation be of one minde liue in peace These fruites of vnitie peace are not gathered but where integritie and comfort haue taken roote One teÌ„ple was builded for the people of God one lawe written by the finger of God that the Church of God might in all things be one The bond of vnitie is veritie neither can they be truely one which are not one in trueth And therefore although an Angell should come from heauen with all shew of learning all appearaunce of vnspotted and vndefiled puritie teaching thinges contrarie to that one trueth which you haue receiued reach him no hande salute him not in token of consent vnitie with him is enmitie with God But if all be builded vpon the setled foundation of Gods trueth if all be members of one body seruauntes to one maister souldiers fighting vnder one banner children of one and the same father then is the name of vnity and peace amiable Beholde saieth the prophet howe good and howe sweete a thing it is for brethren to dwell together in one It is good like the dewe which watereth the hilles sweete like that oyle which was powred vpon the heade of the High Priest Oyle is pleasant and dewe profitable the one giueth a most fragrant smell the other maketh the grounde fruitfull but the goodnesse and sweetnesse of vnitie of peace no tongue is able sufficiently to expresse If this oyle and dew of peace vnitie concord shall be powred as vpon Hermon Aaron so likewise vpon the tops of our mountaines vpon the heades of our guides vpon our magistrates vpon our ministers and shall thence distill to the lower partes as it were to the vallies that lie vnder the one and to the skirtes of the others garmentes the fruite that shall thereby growe vnto vs and the pleasure which all beholders shall conceiue of it is vnspeakeable Wherefore with Saint Paul I beseech you brethren by the name of our Lorde Iesus Christ that you all speake one thing â—nd that there be no dissensions among you but be ye knit together in one minde and in one iudgement And as it is sayd that the last lesson which Saint Iohn the Euangelist gaue to his disciples was Filiolâ— diligite vos inuicem my little children loue one another So my deare brethren receiue you also this last lesson at my handes Be perfect be of good comfort be of one mind liue in peace 19 And then I dare conclude promise with S. Paul the God of loue and peace shall abide with you That God which hath so much commended peace vnto vs that God who is so much delighted in loue y t God which is the author of loue peace y t God which is peace and loue it selfe he will be with you a sure towre for your defence against whose power no power is able to stande a present helpe in all necessities a louing father which cannot forget you a mercifull God a faithfull schoolmaister a good shephard He will feede you with the food of life he will augmâ—nt and increase your faith confirme and stablish you in all truth his loue to the ende shall continue with you his peace he will giue you and leaue among you hee will stande alwaies at your right hande maintaine your lot leade you through this vale of teares and conduct you safelie to the lande of promise he will pull from your shoulders this miserable coate of your corruption and cloth you with the robes of immortalitie he will change this vile bodie and make it like the glorious bodie of Iesus Christ. All this that God which can not lie hath promised all this that omnipotent mightie and mercifull God will performe euen to all such as labour to become perfect as ioy in the holie ghost as haue comfort in Christ as consent in true religion and liue in peace and brotherly concorde To that God immortall inuisible and only wise be all honour glorie and praise now and euer Amen FINIS Faultes escaped Page 3. line 3. in the margin reade specially 29. 19. Plutarch 39. 20. diuersitie 43. 8. fault 83. 8. Constantius 110. 29. Ahimeleâ—h 111. 13. matters 135. 1. for it can not 136. 25. taken 140. 17. we 144. 26. craftie vndermining 146. 13. Haman 168. 6. affecteâ— 169. 23. Mattathias 17 12. marg magistrate 227. 1â— Nedes 231. 8. out our hearteâ— 238. 21. say 25. attended 239. 1. Ophni 34 hearts 240. 28. this 245. 21. aliens 27 〈◊〉 250. 12. are 252. 2. put out shall 256 vlt. marg ad our aduersaries 259. 3. marg put out 2 Pet. â— 279. 15. innocencie of man was 291. 32. God the 305. 12. caused 309. 37. vsed 333. 11. pâ—â—â—ectour 363. 36. Achitophel 364. 10. king Eccl. 12 12. 13 Christ and thosâ— things which he should doe suffer foretold by Esayas His birth according to y t which was spoken before by y e Prophet Luc. 2. Psal. 110. Esay 9. Luc. 2. All men inuited vnto Christ. Who are called generally all but specily the thirstie Mark 16. Matth. 11. Matth. 5. Psal. 51. Luc. 18. Luc. 5. Whither and to whom they are called To the waters wine milk Iohn 6. Water wine milke freely offered by Christ. Contra Pelag. de origin peccat cap. 24. The contrarie sold by Antichrist for monie Three differences betweene thâ— doctrine professed by true Christians that which is maintained by their aduersaries the Pope his adherents The first difference is in the ground and foundation of doctrine Reasons why religion shold be grounded onely vpon scripture The whole Lawe of God which is the rule of religioÌ„ committed to writing Hester 1. Rom. 3. Gen. 3. Gen. 12. Esay 7. Acts. 〈◊〉 The 〈◊〉 professors 〈…〉 then saith vpon scripture 〈◊〉 Iosua 2â— 2 Reg. 23. Esay 8. 1. Cor. 15. It is
Eche man should be anothers hâ—lper 1. Pet. â— Three things conteined in S. Pauls exhortation Of receiuing the grace of God in vainâ— What that grace iâ— Aug. in Psal 30. Gal. 4. Grace offered by the word and Sacraments Grace offered in vaine by the word to such as wil not heare it Acts 7. Esay 66. To such as heare it but reteine it not Matth. 13. To such as reteine it but not still Matth. 10. Eccle. 2. To such as receiue it and reteine it but vnprofitably Matth. 8. Luke 8. 1. Tim. 6. Luke 6. Grace offered by the Sacraments Howe grace is receiued by the sacrameÌ„ts not in vain 1. Cor. 11. Matt. 22. The time to receiue grace offered is when God calleth by the preaching of the Gospel Esay 49. Gal. 4. Iohn 17. Rom. 3. Gen. 3. Numb 16. 2. Kings 14. Ierem. 18. Matth. 3. Prouerbs 1. Matth 11. 2. Kings 12. Ionas 3. Matt. 3. Acts 3. Rom. 15. The most especial time to receiue grace is when God afflicteth Prou. 1. Gen. 42. 2. Par. 33. Psal. 136. Iob. 33. Ier. 31. The right way of woorthy receiuing grace is by heartie repentance Hos. 6. Hos. 6. Luke 15. Luke 7. By walking without offence Why God blessed plants beasts men with power to increase them selues by propagation Mâ—ns ofspring by mariage Mariage is honourable in respect of the author Gen. 2. Matth. 19. Iohn 2. Mariage is hâ—nourable in respect of the causes for which it was ordained as comfort help and mutuall societie Gen 2. Propagation 1 Tim. 5. Psal. 127. 1. Sam. 1. Luke 1. Remedie against concupiscence 1 Cor. 7. Ambrose Matth. 19. Mariage honourable in respect of mutual duties betweene parties maried The duties of honour required in the husband towards his wife Ephes 5. Ephes. 5. 1. Pet. 3. Reason why the wife shold be honored of her husbande Duties of honour required in the wife Gen. 3. Ephes. 5. 1. Pet. 3. Tit. 2. Col. 2. Prou. 21. Mariage dishonoured by heretikes that holde it not to be of God Mariage dishonoured by them that seeke it not in him whom they acknowledge to be author of it 1 Cor. 7. Mariage betweene parties too neerely linked by nature Leuit. 18. Marke 6. 1. Cor. 5. Mariage without care of religion Gen. 24. Gen. 6. Exod. 34. 1. Reg 11. 1. Esd. 14. The cause of irreligious mariage is the ouergreat respecting of beautie or wealth Iud. 14. 1 Tim. 6. Prou. 18. Mariage without consent of pareâ—â—es or such as are in stead of Parentes Gen. 24. Exod. 20. Exod. 22. Num. 30. Col. 3. Aug. ep 133. Gen. 24. Dishonour done to mariage in respect of the first of those causes for which God appointed it Eccle. 36. The second Luc. 11. Eccle. 30. Gen. 34 The thirde 1. Cor. 7. Mariage in respect of the duties thereunto belonging dishonoured for waÌ„t of discretion in maried folkes Pro. 19. Want of hartie affection Want of religion and the feare of God The weightinesse of a Bishoply charge especiâ—lly ouer a great a wise people 2. Tim. 3. The 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 thâ— office of a Bishop in respect of the paines in teaching Liuing Studying The perill both oâ—â—â—schargiâ—g anâ— not 〈…〉 Ezâ—ch â— In these câ—nsidâ—â—ations good meâ— haue rather wished to auoide than laboured to get tâ—e office of a Bishop Cyprian The occasions wherupon Christ forsooke IerusaleÌ„ and went beyond the sea of Galilee Iohn 5. To auoid the handes of the wicked Matth. 14. Matth. â—0 Prou. 28. To take some rest Marke 6. Prou. 28. Prou 31. Prou. 26. Prou. 24. To auoid the feast of Easter 2. Cor. 6. Esay 52. Deut 12. Occasions which moued the multitude to followe Christ. Nouelties Hunger Health Matth. 4. The worde of life Ioh. 8. Ioh. 10. Christ with his Disciples quiet in the mount when the multitude came vnto him Ioh. 16. The miracle which Christ wrought and the circumstaÌ„ces which are to be considered in the people in his disciples and in himselfe The people were the vulgar sort Marke 6. Ioh. 7. 1. Cor. 1. They came cheerefully Iohn 6. Matth. 10. They did obediently as they were commaÌ„ded 2. Reg. 5. The disciples cause the people to sit down Matth. 8. They deuided the bread which Christ appointed to the people They gathered that which was left They douted how the people could be fed wheÌ„ they saw not wherwithall 2. Reg. 4. Luc. 12. Christ diligent in his office Pitifull towardes them which had no Pastour to feede their soules Ose. 4. Towardes them which wanted foode to refreshe their bodies 1. Ioh. 3. He gaue thankes deuided breade and it increased in deuiding 3. Reg. 17. The excellencie of the Iewish nation Esa. 5. Rom. 9. Ierem. 7. A prophecie concerning the ouerthrow of their temple and the performance therof God delighteth not in the outward beautie of any thing The cause of their ruine they knewe not the time of their visitation VisitatoÌ„ in mercie moueth them not Luc. 19. Visitation in iustice These thinges recorded for our benefit Our blessings as great as theirs our vnthankfulnesse greater Therefore without repentaunce our punishment cannot be lesse then theirs The disciples question concerning both the particular destruction of the Iewes and the generall consummatioÌ„ of the whole worlde Mat. 24. The time wheÌ„ the end of the world shall be is for two causes concealed from men to whoÌ„ notwithstanding the signes that go before it are reuealed Fiue thinges to be noted in the comming of Christ to iudgement There shall be a iudgement Act. 17. 2. Thess. 2. 2. Pet. 3. 2. Pet. 2. 2. Cor. 5. Ioh. 5. Act. 10. The properties of him that shal iudge His knowlegde Psal. 33. Epist. Iud. His power Phil. 2. His iustice The certainty and assurance of these things Rom. 14. The time of iudgement 2. Pet. 3. Matth. 24. Act. 1. Signes going before the coÌ„ming of Christ to iudgement Ioel. 2. Apocal. 6. Matth. 24. Beda Esay 13. Esay 24. Ezech. 32. An Allegoricall application of the foresaide signes The darkning of the sunne by false doctrine 2. Thess. 2. The darkning of the sunne by corrupt life and conuersation 2. Sam. 12. Rom. 2. Iac. 2. 2. Tim. 3. The moone â—urned into bloud by crueltie of persecution Cant. 1. The falling of starres from heauen Dan. 12. Rom. 2. Other applications of the foresayde signes What these signes shall worke in the harts of men Aug. ad Hes. The manner of Chrstes comming to iudgement Matth. 25. Psal. 97. Matth. 24. 2. Thess. 1. 2. Pet. 3. Beda Gen. 19. Psalm 1. Apoc. 20. Matth. 25. Apoc. 21. Matth. 25. Our preparation vnto this iudgement by heede taking 2. Pet. 3. By watching Ierome Iob. 14. By praying The state of the Church militant figured by a ship tossed vpon the waters Christ must be followed into this ship This ship must bee knowne from the ship of Antichrist Heb. 9. When wee know the ship where Christ is thither wee must followe him The way to follow him to the ship is