at the time of our banquetting the diuel is more busy with vs hath eftsones more power ouer vs at a diner did the diuel moue Herode to behed Iohn Baptist at a supper did Satan perswade Iudas to betray his maister But what sayth Paul to vs of these things these things are our examples to the intēt we should not lust after euil things as they lusted al these things came vnto thē for exāples ar writtē to admonish vs vpō whō the ends of the world are fallē But haue we had no exāples of late whō did the Lord smite down in that terrible plague in Oxford not mockers of Gods seruantes as were the Philistines not Idolaters and murmurers as were the Iewes but the most religious zealous the godliest the strongest the best learned amongst vs iudges sherif knight esquier iustice gētleman scholler for zeale for godlines learning I may truly say for the most of them as Dauid said of Israel the Lord smot down the chosen men that were in Oxford But when was this done euen whē the meat was in our mouths at our acte and proceeding a time of mirth of feasting bāquetting I meane not that scholers made the feasts but their frends then assembled I come a litle nearer to your remembrāce was there not a great feaste and a greate assemblie in this Citie not of Herode and his courtiours but of many right noble personages when the Lord of late shooke not London not Englande onely but the most part of Europe with a terrible earthquake the earth at that time did shake and we for a time did quake the Lord shake the heartes of al englishmen What shall I say of these they are no doubt examples for vs that in the middest of our feasting we set not our minds on our bellies but remember our God think on that meate which endureth vnto euerlasting life If we so doe thē shal we come to the marriage of the greate kinges sonne the Lord graunt wee may leaue our farmes forsake our oxen and not suffer our wiues to make vs say I can not come Then shall we be partakers of that feast with the prodigall sonne the Lorde turne vs home from feeding of swine and in hearte to cry for our sinnes father I haue sinned agaynst heauen and against thee I am no more worthy to be called thy sonne Then shall we enter with the .5 wise virgines into the bridegromes chāber the Lord graunt that we haue lāps that our lāps may haue oyle and that our oyle may burne Man beefore his fall might onely eate of the fruit of trees as Tertullian noteth afterwarde the vse of corne was lawefull for him conditionem consciencie ipso situ corporis approbante the bodie allowing the state and condition of the consience For mans concience being right and vpright he looked vp towarde heauen and pluck the fruite of trees but when the conscience of man was by sinne cast downe man turned his eyes toward the ground and made the graine of corne to bee his meate and so after the floode not onely fruite not onely corne but fleshe was also lawfull The Lorde did alwayes prouide according to the times and seasons and ages of mankind sufficient and conuenient foode Nay beholde the Lorde feedeth the young rauens that call on him the foules of the heauen sowe not reape not nor gather into ther barnes yet they are fed and by our heauenly father they are fedde The Lillies of the fielde labour not spinne not yet Solomon in all his royaltie was not clothed like one of them Thus then will I reason hath God care for beastes too feede them and for flowers too cloth them and will he not much more feede and cloth vs are they fedd and clothed without sowing without reaping without carying without spinning and labouring and shall not wee bee clothed and fed if wee sowe reape cary spinne and labour Will God care for my rayment then much more for my body will he care for my bodie then muche more for my life For the life is more woorth then meate and the bodie more woorth then rayment I will then care neither for cloth nor foode nor bodie nor life but I will first seeke the kingdom of God and the righteousnes thereof and then I am fully assured that all these thinges shalbe ministred vnto me thou shalt not saith the law mussel the mouth of the Oxe that treadeth out the corne And again if thou wilt finde a birds nest the dam sitting theron thou shalt not take the dam with the yong Doth God take care for oxen is God so mercifull to birdes will he not take more care for vs will he not be more merciful vnto vs. In the Cedars of Libanus saith the Prophet the byrdes make their nestes and the Fir trees are a dwelling for the Storcke the hie hils are a refuge for the wilde Goates and so are the stony rocks for the conies the Lyons roring after their pray doe seeke their meat at God In the Sea are thinges creeping innumerable both smal and great beastes there goe the shippes and there is that Leuiathan whom thou hast made to take his pastime therein These waite all vppon thee that thou maist giue them meat in due season Let not vs therefore labour for this meate let vs with prayer seeke our meat at God let vs waite vpon him and he will giue vs meate in due season For our God which layeth the beames of his chamber in the waters which maketh the cloudes his chariot and walketh vpon the winges of the winde is so mercifull that he suffereth his rayne to fall vpon bad and good his sunne to shine vpon iust and vniust For it is hee that appoynteth the Moone for certain seasons and by him the sunne knoweth his going downe Hee couereth the heauen with clowdes he prepareth rain for the earth he maketh the grasse to grow vpon the mountaines and greene hearb for the seruice of men He doth cōmand the clowdes aboue and open the dores of heauen Hee doeth send the first and latter raine his clowdes droppe fatnes hee onely maketh the vallies so full of corne that they laugh and sing If wee aske bread of our earthly father will he giue vs a stone if we aske fish will hee giue vs a serpent if we aske an egge wil he giue vs a Scorpion Much more will our heauēly father giue good things vnto vs if we labour for the meate that endureth vnto euerlasting life Chrisostom woondreth that men will presume so much to begge corruptible meate at Gods handes seeing that among seauen petitions in the Lordes prayer sixe are for the spirit and soule and but one and not that altogether for the bodie For the first three hallowed bee thy name thy kingdome come thy will be done are for the spirit and soule the three last forgiue vs our
trespasses leade vs not into temptation deliuer vs from euill are also for the spirit and soule Onely this giue vs this day our dayly breade is for the bodie and not for foode of bodie onely but for meate of the soule Ceres the goddesse of corne and bread is placed in the lowest roome of the heathen Gods and Goddesses and her daughter Proserpina was married to Pluto king of hel Let Ceres bread bellie and bellie cheere be last and least accounted of vs. As for her daughters they are not virgines to be married to the great kinges sonne but harlots to be married to Belzebub king of hell Tertullian saith that although God after the flood did permit the vse of flesh yet to his people hee inhibited the vse of certaine meates consilium exercendae continentiae a counsell practise to exercise their continencie vii sonnes with their mother were by that horselech bludsucker Antiochus most cruelly put to death because they would not eate swines fleshe agaynst the commaundement of the Lord. Moses refused to be called the sonne of Pharaos daughter and chose rather to suffer aduersitie with the people of God then to enioy the pleasures of sinne for a season esteeming the rebuke of Christ greater riches then the treasures of Egypt Daniel woulde not defile him selfe with the portion of the kinges meate nor with the wine that he dranke he would haue nothing but pulse to eate and water too drinke O yee adulterers and adulteresses sayth Iames knowe yee not that the frendship of this worlde is enmitie with God Iohn sayth if any man loue this worlde the loue of the father is not in him Lay not vp your treasures therfore on earth where the moth fretteth the rust kankereth the theefe breaketh thorowe and steale but lay vp your treasures in heaueÌ„ where there is no moth to fret no rust to kanker no theefe too breake thorow and steale For is it not a great folly to lay thy tresure in an Inne doubtfully wheÌ„ thou maist lay it in thine own house safely folly to lay it in an house which together with thy treasure thou shalt leaue behind thee certainly not in that house whither thou shalt go find thy treasure assuredly and abyde therin perpetually the fashion of this worlde passeth away the heauens and the earth waxe olde as doth a garment O let vs then get that which endureth vnto euerlasting life The heauens shal passe away with a noise the elements shal melt with heate the earth and 〈◊〉 works therin shalbe burnt vp o let vs then labour for that which the fire cannot consume which wil saue oursoules froÌ„ euerlasting fire If we would thinke vpon our name that we are christians we would vnles we should prooue our selues to be reprobates not so much labour for this bellie meat First let vs remeÌ„ber that in our baptisme we forsake the world the flesh the â—iuel for baptisme signifieth not only the death and resurrection of Christ bâ—â— that we must dye to sin and liue in newnes of life How shal we saith Paul that are dead to sin liue yet therin Knowye not that al we which haue bin baptized into Iesus Christ haue bin baptized into his death we are buried then with him by baptisme into his death that like as Christ was raised from the dead to the glory of the father so wee should walke in newnes of life SecoÌ„dly as thou art a christian remember the estate of thy lord maister here on erth Doest thou brag of thy blood thy progenitors thy house stock thy maister came as of a pure so of a poore virgine espoused to a poore carpenter who for lack of mony could haue no roome in the Inne who did offer to the Lorde a paire of Pigeons because he was not able to buy a lamb Ierome noteth that only poore sinfull women are named by S. Math. in the genelogie of Christ as Ruth a poore Moabitis pore Mary the carpenters wife to signifie howe Christ did vouchsafe to come of poore womeÌ„ came into the world to redeeÌ„e pore sinful persons doest thou brag of the countrye Adam was made out of Paradice and Euah in Paradice yet the Diuell hadde more power ouer her then ouer him they had both one name Adam reed earth for this name Adam was not giuen by God only to the man but also to the woman Thy maister was not borne in Ierusalem whither the wise men came but in little Bethlehem as it was prophesied Doest thou glory in thy houses buildings courtes pallaces Thy maister was borne in a manger the foxes haue holes and the birdes haue nestes but the sonne of man thy Lorde had no where to rest his heade on Doest thou boast of thy bagges thy coffers thy welth When thy maister woulde haue payed tribute Iudas bagge was emptie Peter must run and fetch a peece of monie in the mouth of a fishe Doest thou desire to be well spoken of to haue the good will of the world There were generally iii. diuerse opinions of Christ one which flesh and blood could not reueale that he was Christ the sonne of God an other of ignorance that he was Elias Ieremie Iohn Baptist or one of the prophets the third was of mallice that hee was a glutton a drunkard a bon companion a friend to Publicans and sinners a coniurer a woorker by Diuels But what sayth he Woe bee vnto you when all men speake well of you Why For so did their fathers to the false Prophets But reioyce when they speake euil of you for so did they to the true Prophets reioyce and great shalbe your rewarde in heauen Finally if you be a christian remember the resurrection of thy mayster Iesus Christ and what of that if you be risen with Christ sayth Peter seeke those thinges that are aboue where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God I would to God we were as prouident and carefull to prouide foode for our soules as brute beastes are vigilant and paynefull to lay vp foode for theyr bodies The Emmot doeth lay vp in sommer foode for winter Istuc est sapere sayth Syrus in Terence non quod ante pedes modo est videre sed etiam illa quae futura sunt This is wisedome not to see those things only which lye before our feete but to fore see thinges that are to come But as the fishe called Vrlica feedeth alwayes on a stone and being taken from the stone dyeth presently so we doe so cleaue vnto to stones vntoo earthly thinges that wee account life lost if they bee taken from vs or wee from them Nay I woulde to GOD wee did not thinke these corruptible thinges to bee meete meate and sufficient food for our soules and say with the rich mans soule thou hast much goodes layde vppe for many yeeres liue at ease eate drinke and take thy pastime
harts where he cryeth Abba Father as the Apostle saith because we are sonnes God hath sent forth the spirite of his sonne into our heartes which cryeth Abba father It is a true saying Bona magis carendo quam fruendo sentimus We better perceiue and feele the commoditie of a thing when we lacke it then when we haue it For who doth better consider the benefit of the warm fire then he that is frosen with colde who doeth better thinke on the commoditie of libertie then the prysoner who doeth better remember the vse of apparell then he which is naked who doeth more esteeme of meate then hee that is almost famished for after a long colde winter a little sun shining is fayre weather after great sorowe one dayes pleasure is a paradise after a long bloody warre a little peace is a merye world and after long hunger browne bread is good cheare Now if wee could eyther thinke on their extreame miserie who like the woman of Canaan like hungry dogs would gladly picke vp the crummes that fall from our table and can haue no more of them then the prodigall sonne had of the swines huskes or at least woulde call to minde our owne miserable famine when like poore Lazarus wee lay begging at the rich mans gate dogges hauing more mercy then men and wee no more satisfied then Tantalus with his apples We would no doubt labour to obtaine by Christ not houses or liuings as that Scribe not to bee Lordes and Dukes as Iames and Iohn not to haue belly cheare as in this place the Iewes did but for the meate of the soule which endureth vnto euerlasting lyfe But what was our famine how were we vsed or rather abused Sower leauen was put to our sweete bread Coloquintida was cast into our potage chaf thrown among our wheate sand mingled with our dough amongst our gold there was drosse wee had water for wine brasse for siluer the cuppe of the whore for the cup of the Lord wormewoode for hony gall for Manna the legende for the Gospell wolues for shepheards the inuentions of man for the commaundementes of God man for God Antichrist for Christ the son of perdition for the sonne of GOD. Agayne the worde was deliuered vnto vs in a straunge tongue that neither we could tel how to daunce when they blewe the pipe nor how to behaue our selues in battaile when they did sound the trumpet neither the vnderstanding was bettered nor the congregation edified nor the vnlearned at the giuing of thanks coulde say Amen but they were Barbarians to vs and we Barbarians to them Furthermore the common people might not reade the worde they might not once taste of that heauenly foode vnlesse the Priestes had first chewed it in their own mouths whose mouths were full of bitternesse whose throates were open sepulchres whose teeth were venomous whose tongues were ful of deceite vnder whose lippes was the poyson of aspes who did eate vp the Lords people as bread whose feete were swift to shedde the blood of Saints but right deare in the sight of the Lorde is the death of his Saintes But why might not the people reade the word taste this meate they forsooth gathered damnable errours and sucked out thence deadly poyson Because our Sauiour sayde it is giuen to you to know the secreetes of the kingdome of heauen but to them it is not giuen Because hee sayd again giue not that which is holy to dogges neither cast ye your pearls before swine First I aunswere that Vzza for putting forth his hande to holde the arke when the oxen did shake it died before the Lorde that Vzziah burned incense and was therefore stroken with a leprosie because they vsurped the offices of the Priestes and Leuites contrary to the expresse commaundement of God But if this was spoken to all and be the dutie of all Christians searche the scriptures I do not only say wo vnto thē because they shut vp the kingdome of heauen before men they themselues will not goe in nor suffer them to goe that would enter but I exhorte them to remember the blinde zeale of Christes Disciples in forbiddinge children to come vnto him rebuked suffer little children to come to mee and forbidde them not the blinde zeale of Ioshua requesting Moses to forbid Elead and Medad to prophecie reprehended I would to God that all the Lords people were Prophets The blinde zeale of Iohn willing Christ to forbidde one to cast out deuils in his name misliked suffer him hee that is not against me is with me The blind zeale of Nadab and Abihu because they offered straunge fire condemned who because they offered not that fire which came from heauen but straunge fire were deuoured of fire An euerlasting fire is reserued for those which haue troaden vnder foote the doctrin that came from heauen haue brought in straung doctrine which neuer was in heauen As that fire so this meate came from heauen in this they differ that fire endured onely to the captiuitie of Babylon but this meat endureth vnto euerlasting life Wherfore though Peter or Paule though Gabriel or Michael Cherubim or Seraphim teach any other thing thē that we haue receiued of the Lord who came downe from heauen and brought this meate from heauen let him be accursed as I said before so I say again if any of these bring any thing besides that which we haue receiued of the Lord let them and euery one of them be accursed Secondly I answer that though the spider doe gather poyson where the Bee doth suck hony yet there is no poison in the sweet flower but the corrupt humour that is in the spyder doth turne the sweet iuyce into poison so there are no errours nor heresies in the word of god but the corrupt venomous nature of man doth turn the comfortable sap of Gods word into deadly poyson Now if the spyder gather poyson let not therfore the Bee be driuen from the flowers though the sons of Satan doe gather errours and suck that which vnto them is poison yet let not therfore the children of GOD be forbidden to sucke mylke which shall saue their soules Christ is put both for the fall and also for the rysing agayne of many in Israell he is a rock to buylde on and hee is a stone that will grind to powder if the Gospell be hid it is hid to them that are lost it is vnto some the sauour of death vnto death to other some the sauour of life vnto lyfe It is not giuen to them to knowe the misteries who are they to whom it is not giuen it followeth that people whose heart is waxed fat whose eares are dull of hearing who winke with their eies least with their eies they shoulde see and heare with their eares and vnderstand with their heartes and should returne that I might heale them The Gospell
o heauēs harken o earth saith the Lord the oxe knoweth his owner the Asse his Miasters cribbe but my people doth not know me again the stork in the ayre doeth knowe her appointed times the tutele the crane the swallow obserue the time of their comming but my people knoweth not the iudgement of the Lord. But why doth the oxe know his owner the Asse his maisters cribb why doe the storke the turtle the crane the swallowe obserue the time of their comming is it not for meate for their bodies and for their liues shoulde they labour for their liues not we for ours For well saide Tullie to Caesar Non est haec tua vita dicenda quae corpore spiritu continetur illa inquam illa est vita tua Caesar quae vigebit memoria saeculornm omnium c. This is not to be called thy life which doth consist of bodie and soule that I say that O Caesar is thy life which shal endure thorow out all ages c. And well saide Africanus to Scipio Nou tu is es quem fama ista declarat sed mens cuiusque is est quisque non ea figura quae digito demonstrari potest Thou art not he Scipio whom this form and proportion of bodie doth shew thee to be and eche mans minde is the man not that figure and shape of bodie which may bee demonstrated and poynted at with the finger We then in labouring for this corruptible meate doe neither labour to mainteine our liues nor yet too susteine our selues For this is not our life wee are not they whom these shapes and formes of our doe shew vs to be Our soules are our selues our selues are our soules let vs then labour for our selues that is for our soules As the Lord did carie the Iewes so doeth hee offer too carie vs vppon Eagles winges what whereas the deade carcase is we like young Eagles may resort but wee will not bee carried As Christ did clocke for the Iewes so he doth for vs to come vnder his wings but wee will not come We are like Esops cocke who estemed more of one barley corne thē of al the precious stones in the world The heauens doe declare the glory of God the firmamēt sheweth his handy worke the Elemēts obserue their order the sun doth reioyce to run his course onely the foundations of mans hearte are out of course only man doth disobey gods wil. The sun once abode in the mids of heauen for the space of a whole day but it was at the prayer of Ioshua the sunne once went backe tenne degrees but it was at the request of Ezechias but flesh and blood doth stil stand in the way of sinners still walke in the counsell of the vngodly sit stil in the chayre of pestilence and still goe backe from the streight way streight path of the Lord. if this foode were cleane taken from vs and were not to be found as it hath byn wee might then seeme to haue some reason to labour for the other meate For as Hanum king of Ammon tooke Dauids seruāts shaued their beards halfe of cut of their garments by the halfe so those shauers and shauelinges those barbours and Barbarians of Rome tooke away half the Lords Supper from the people they might haue no drink And took the woorde of God from them they had not their meate But now as Mary sate in her owne house quietly hearde Iesus preach as in the dayes of Solomon euery man vnder his figge tree vnder his vine tree heard the lawe peaceably euen from Dan to Beersheba so nowe euery man in his owne house may reade with quietnesse and euery one vnder his figge tree and vine tree with cheerefulnes and ioyfulnes may heare the glorious gospel of Iesus Christ euen from the mount to Barwicke from Douer to S. Dauies the Lord be thanked for it the Lorde continue it the Lord grant we be not vnthākfull that we may labour for this meate which endureth vnto euerlasting life But that my speech may more edifie that it may be mighty in operation that it may pearce and enter thorow euen to the deuiding asunder of the soules and spirites of your ioynts marrow that you may be pricked at the hearte in hearing this my sermon as the Iewes were at Peters sermon when they cried Alas men and brethren what shall we doe as Iosiah was hearing the lawe read by Shaphan when ye tare his clothes As the King of Niniuie was when he hearde the woord by Ionas as Eglon king of Moab whē he heard the word by Ehud who rose vp from their thrones cast of their Kingly robes that my talke may so be powdred with salt that it may giue sauour vnto al to conclude that my sermon may be like that precious oyntmēt which was on Arons head ranne downe on his beard to the very lower skirts of his clothing That it may touch head foote king subiect hie lowe rich poore young old bond and free man and woman Let vs first see what this meat is secondly why we should not labour for it thirdly let vs examine our selues and this our age whether wee labour for this meate or no. By meate is meant not onely food for the belly which the erth bringeth forth as greene hearbe for the seruice of men wine to make glad the heart of man oile to make him a cheerefull countenance bread to strengthen mans heart not onely cloth for the back furniture for bedding which by Gods appoyntment we receiue of dumbe creatures as wooll of sheep lether of oxen fethers of foules silk of wormes but also honour promotion fauour dignitie woorship countenance iolity pride ambition auarice riches surfetting drunkennesse and whatsoeuer else is carnall whatsoeuer is fleshly whatsoeuer is worldly whatsoeuer is tēporal whatsoeuer is not eternal is called meat which perisheth The which Epithetan is added both as a reasō to with draw vs from labouring for this meate because it doth perishe and also to declare a difference betweene the bodie the soule the meates of them both Lyra maketh this difference Cibus corporalis perit non spiritualis Si enim cibus corporalis maneat in propria forma non nutrit sed nocet cerpori sedsi nutriat oportet quod a propria natura pereat conuertatur in membra econuerso cibus spiritualis manet Conuertit in seipsum sumentem That is the meate of the bodie doth perish but not the meate of the soule for if the meate of the body should abide in it proper forme it could not nourish but hurte the bodie but if it nourisheth it must loose it proper nature and bee turned into the partes and members of him that taketh it whereas contrariwise the meate of the soule doeth abide in it owne nature and turneth
him that taketh it into it selfe according to that saying of Augustine speaking as it were in the person of this meate Non me mutabis in te sed tu mutaheris in me Thou shalte not chaunge mee into thee but thou shalte bee chaunged intoo mee and another difference the same Lyra maketh in this sort Panis vitae non solum vitam conseruat sed etiam dat ipsam de no uo panis corporalis vitam corporalem preexistentem tantummodo conseruat The bread of life doeth not onely preserue life but geueth life anew but the meate of the bodie onely preserueth the life which is in the bodie and let these serue for two reasons to proue my secōd part That we ought not to labour for meate which doth perish wherevnto nowe I come In the beginning the Lorde God tooke the man put him into the garden of Eden that he might keepe it and dresse it wherevpon as Peter Lombard noteth that man was made out of Paradise and afterwarde put into it both to signifie that he should not long continue there and also that Paradise was assigned vnto him by grace and not by nature so haue we to learne that God doeth so detest and abhorre idlenesse that though then there was no neede of labour yet hee woulde haue Adam there not onely a keeper but a dresser of the garden For although at the first God made euery plant of the fielde before it was in the earth and euery herbe of the fielde it grewe for the Lord had not caused it to rayne vppon the earth neyther was there a man founde to till the grounde yet afterward God would haue the man to keepe labour dresse and trimme the garden not in the sweate of his face not in paine not in sorrowe but in mirth ioy pleasure and peace Where ydle liuers loytring vacabundes wilde rogues begging Friers loose libertines carnall Anabaptistes snatchers from other mens trenchers they that liue in no vocation no arte no trade no science cannot make this a shroude for their sinne or a cloake for their knauerie saying we are heare forbidden to labour for this sentence of God pronounced against man in the sweate of thy face thou shalt eate thy breade was not onely a curse but a commaundement That euery man should labour in some vocation that as Paule sayth he that woulde not woorke might not eate For wee heare sayth he that there are some which walke among you inordinately and woorke not at all but are busie bodies therefore them that are such wee warne and exhort by our Lorde Iesus Christ that they woorke with quietnes and eate their owne breade For this commandement giuen to the Iewes from God by Moses there shal be no begger among you was a commaundement not only to moue thē to pitie to mercy to liberalitie but also to take away roote out al loyterers al shifters al vagabunds all busie bodies all that liue in no vocation from the common wealth of Israel The slouthfull will not plow because of winter sayth Solomon therefore shall he begge in sommer but haue nothing But you will say I will neyther plow nor begge I will shift with the vniust steward whom Christ commended and say dig I cannot and to begge I am ashamed The breade of deceite sayth Solomon is sweete to a man but afterwarde his mouth shalbe filled with grauell Wherfore we are not heere simplie forbidden to labour but this is forbidden both to labour too carefully as the heathen doe or to labour for the meate of the bodie and care not for the meate of the soule as the Athistes doe which saye in their heartes there is no God The Lord God knowing the nature of man aboue al other vices would be prone to gluttonie and belly cheere did first before al other commandemēt consecrate proclaime an iniunctiō of tēperancy fasting thou shalt not eate of the tree of knowledge of good euil The breach of the which commaundement did iustly and differently not onely thrust Adam and Euah out of Paradise but caused the Cherubins to be heat and the blade of a sword shaken to keepe the way of the tree of life for euer to keepe vs from it had not he which hath the keyes of the bottōles who openeth no man shutteth shutteth no man openeth he who deuided the red sea that we might escape frō the Egyptiās he who deuided the rock that might haue water in the wildernesse hee who duided Iordā that we might pas in to the land of promise he who deuided the earth that we might rise againe he who diuided the cloudes and the heauens with his bodye that wee might might followe after him he who onely giueth to eate of the tree of life had not he I say taken away the Cherubins and remooued the blade of a swoorde too make vs a plaine direct open and safe way to enter againe into Paradise and to taste of the fruite of the tree of life But what caused Euah to eate of it that which doeth cause vs all too labour for that meate which perisheth Nitimur in vetitum We must desire that which we are forbidden to doe it was a fruite too get knowledge a proude mynde a fruite pleasant to looke on a wanton eye a fruite good for meate a lickerishe tooth of the woman But that we may the better vnderstande howe God is grieued when men labour for this belley meate let vs call to remenbrance the times of olde and thinke vppon the daies of late how the Lord hath executed his terrible iudgementes and horrible vengeence how he hath abundantly poured out of the violl of his wrath whē men haue bin in the middest of their mirth of their feasting and banquetting The people sate downe to eate and drinke and rose vp againe to play let me alone sayth the Lorde to Moses that my wrath may wax hote against them for I will consume them And although God hearde the prayer of Moses yet Moses slewe of those belly Gods 3000. men agayne the people lusted for meate saying who shall giue vs fleshe to eate wee remember the fishe that we had in Egypt for naught the cucumbers the pepons the leekes the onyons and garlike But nowe our soule is dried away wee can see nothing but this Manna as now sayth the Papists where is our plentie of victuall our feasting our singing our ringing our pyping our dauncing we see nothing but the bare Testament nothing but this manna sayde the Iewes nothing but this Gospell saye the Papistes beholde while the fleshe was betweene their teeth before it was chewed the wrath of the Lorde was kindled there was an exceeding plague among them that the place was called Kibroth Hattanah the graues of lust When fel downe the house vppon the Lordes of the Philistines at a banquette When fell downe the house vpon Iobs children at a feast Yea
in England but the vniuersities and other places are full of them yet must wee labour for this meate Although the Midwiues neede not feare the kinge of Aegypt to hide Moses three monethes and afterwarde to cast him out Rahab need not to feare the king of Ierico to hyde the spies vnder stalkes of flaxe and let them downe at her window Michael need not feare her father Saule to let her husband Dauid downe at a windowe and to lay an Image in his bead Obadiah need not feare Queene Iezabell to hide a hundred Prophets in a caue The Disciples need not feare the hye Priestes to let downe Paule thorowe the wall by a rope in a basket Moses need not feare Pharao and saye I haue a stutting tongue Ieremy need not feare the Iewes and saye I am a childe Ionas need not feare the King of Niniuie and so for to runne away both from him from the Lord but all the Ministers of the Lorde are mainteined and preserued may vtter the message of their master boldly with out feare and freely without daunger yet wee must labour for this meate although the Lorde hath broken the bowe and knapped the speare in sunder broken our swordes into mattocks and our speares into sithes blessed vs with the crowne of peace and crowned vs with mercie and louing kindnes yet must wee labour for this meate if it were a time of derth of scarcitie of penurie thē we might haue some pretence to labour for belly meate as Iacob did send into Aegypt for corne as Dauid did send to Naball for victuall then we might seeme to haue some coulour of cause to doubt and to be ouer carefull as Moses was when he sayde shall the sheepe thebeeues be slaine for them or shal al the fishe of the sea bee gathered for them and suffise them as King Iehorams seruaunte who mocked the Prophet prophecying the plentie of corne to bee the next day and sayde though the Lorde woulde make windowes in the heauen could this come to passe As Saint Andrew who sayde there is a little boy heere which hath fiue barly loaues and two fishes but what are they amongst so many If I say we were brought into such extremitie as they were fleshe and bloud woulde be ready to doubt But seeing God hath blessed the fruite of our cattell the increase of our kine the flockes of our sheepe our basket our dough seeing al his blessings are come vpon vs and ouertaken vs as hee promysed to them that feare him why should wee labour to fulfill the lustes of the fleshe and take no care to prouide victuall for our soules I pray God those things be not the fall of England which were the vtter ruine of Sodome They were iiii sinnes pride pride aboundeth in England fulnesse of bread gluttony triumpheth in England idlenesse idlenesse is succoured in Englande contempt of the poore beholde this sin hath as a Queene gottē the vpper hand in England Aboue all other vices The way to heauen is a narrow way the gate is a straight gate then wee must striue and labour to enter in The kingdome of heauē is a treasure hid in the ground it is a pearle of great price in a far country then must we take our spade dig then must we enter into ship and passe ouer the seas We are in the Lords Vinyarde not they that sleepe and are idle shall haue their penny at night but they that worke and labour Thou art promised to haue but thou must aske and haue thou shalt finde but thou must seeke and finde it shalbe opened vnto thee but thou must first knocke and then it shalbe opened Knocke like the womā of Canaan who continued knocking although shee was three times repelled and the gate of mercie was shut against her not that she should not enter in but that with more earnestnes desire and vehemencie shee myght knocke and euen prye thorowe the chinkes of the gate so must wee labour by prayer for our meate and though we haue not our petitions at the first second and third knocking yet we must knocke as Peter continued knocking at the dore before hee coulde come in Labour to see Christ as Zacheus who being a man of worship in the middes of a citie did climb vpon a wild Fig tree like a boy to see Christ because he was a man of lowe statute and coulde not see Christ for the prease Let vs labour by fayth as did the sick of the palsey to come to Christ who seeing hee could not goe in at the dore for the multitude was let down thorow the roof of the house which they vncouered Let vs labor by faith to touch the very hem of Christes garment as did the woman who had an issue of blood twelue yeares and had spente all her money on Phisitians If wee thus labour saluation wil come into Zacheus house the dropsie shall bee cured the issue of blood shalbe stopped Remember what a iorny the queen of Saba tooke to come to heare the wisedome of Solomon Remember the trauell of the Eunuche of Ethiopia Candaces the Queene of the Ethiopians chiefe gouernour who had the rule of al her treasure and came to Hierusalem to worship Remember the long iourney of the wisemē who came from the farthest parte of the East to see Christ The Iewes went vp euery yeere to Hierusalem the Papistes trauaile farre and wide on Pilgrimage to see reliques dead mens bones monuments images monasteries and such like trumperie and they thinke theyr labour well bestowed All these shall ryse when the trumpet shall sound and shalbe able to condemne vs if we will take no paines suffer no labour moue scarse a foote to heare the word of God to receiue the euerlasting Nectar and the heauenly Ambrosia to refresh to nourish to cherish yea to preserue our soules vnto euerlasting life But what is meate in this place whatsoeuer pertaineth to the renuing and amendment of this life or to The chiefest part wherof is that which is hid from the wise and mightie of the worlde that which is receiued of the poore and simple that which is the power of God vnto saluation to euery one that beleeueth the glorious Gospel of Iesus Christ and because meat doth not nourish a dead carcasse we must labour for fayth the life of the soule and because this meate cannot bee digested in our soules without the effectuall operation of Gods spirit we must thirdly labour for the holy Ghost who is promised to be giuen to all them that in a right and true prayer shall aske for him of the Father in the name of the sonne although hee descend not like a doue as vpon our Sauiour nor in the forme of clouen and fierie tongues as vpon the Apostles He is now to be sent not to be seen of our bodily eies but into our
saieth Paule is the misterie hid since the world began and from all ages but nowe is made manifest to the Saintes of God to whom GOD would make knowne what is the riches of his glorious misterie among the gentiles Dogs must not haue that which is holy There is a dogge which turneth about and teareth them that doe offer holy thinges Let not this dogge receiue that holy thing There is a dogge that cryeth with the woeman of Canaan trueth Lord I confesse that I am a dog yet the whelps may gather vp the crums that fal frō the childrēs table Christ wil haue that holy thing to be giuen to this dog Cast not pearls before swin Truth if they bee foule and treade them vnder their feete or if they bee washt and returne backe too their wallowing in the myre But if wee which were swine are by the blood of Christe washed and by the water of regeneration sanctified of swine are made lambes let vs haue that pearl we wil not tread it vnder our feete One Gospell yet diuersly it worketh in diuers mens heartes Water wil harden yron and soften the earth The Sunne drieth clay and melteth waxe the seede in good groūd bringeth forth increase but sowed among stones or thornes it bringeth foorth no fruit The fault is not in the seede but in the soyle the Sunne to vs that haue cleare sight is comfortable to the man that is poreblinde it is hurtfull Blame not the Sunne but the foole that will turne his eyes towardes the Sunne Suger to vs that bee in health is sweete to the sicke of an Ague it is bitter the Suger is not bitter his tast is naught Daintie meates to some stomackes are wholesome to others they are fulsome the fault is not in the meate but in the stomacke Euen so Christe crucified is to the Iewe a stumbling blocke to the Grecian folishnesse but to them that are called he is the power of God and the wisedome of God bee they Iew or Grecian bond or free male or female Wherefore thirdly I answere though drunkardes and tosse pottes abuse wine yet wine is profitable though vsurers and couetous men abuse money yet money is necessary though cutters and swinge-bucklers abuse weapons yet weapons are needfull Right so though the word of God by Heretikes and Athistes bee abused yet it is not to be forbidden Because it giueth wisedome euen vnto the simple because it hath milke for babes and strong meate for men because it is a lanterne to our feet and a light to our pathes because it doth lightē vs that sit in darknesse and in the shadow of death and doth guide our feet into the way of peace Let them with Otho reason thus absurdly the title set ouer Christs head by pilat was written in Hebrew Greek and Latine therefore the worde muste be read in one of these tongues wee thus affirme that God who did confounde the tongues of all men at the building of Babell they before hauing all one language that God I say at the beginning of the building of his church did giue to his Apostles and seruantes not onely the knowledge of Hebrew Greeke and Latine but of all languages in the worlde that all tongues vnder heauen all nations vnder the Sunne might reade heare and pray in their owne language in their owne mother tongue Wee therefore say with Cyprian Non videndum est quid aliqui ante nos fecerunt sed quid ille qui ante omnes est faciendum mandarit We must not care what they haue doone which were before vs but what hee doeth commaund to be doone which was before all Let vs then remember our miserable estate howe wee sate downe and wept to remember Syon howe we sought the word in strange Countries howe the Gospel was mingled with vanities how it was in a strange language how it was hid from the common people O let vs nowe then bee thankefull vnto the Lorde and that the world may knowe that wee are thankefull let vs labour for that meate whiche indureth vnto euerlasting life As the Philistines coulde not preuaile against Sampson although his heyfer had betraied him and his hayre cut of vntill they had pluckt out his eies so the Papistes could by no means so sone get the vpper hād as by pulling out the eyes of the people by taking from them their light sight knowledge and vnderstanding making them blinde not as whelpes whiche see after ix dayes not as the blinde man who sawe men as trees not as Paule whose eies were open yet sawe nothing by reason of his scales but as blinde as Moles as blinde as beetles as blinde as the men of Sodome who coulde not finde Lots doore as blinde as the king of Arams seruantes who came to bring Elizeus to their maister but were by him not seeing whither they wente brought into Samaria But as the Lorde opened the eyes of Hagar that she sawe the well of water as he opened the eies of Elizeus his man that hee sawe the mountaines full of Chariots and horses of fier as hee opened the eies of Paule that the scales fell from his eies so hath hee nowe opened our eies that wee see the wonderous thinges of his lawe the light of his truth the brightnesse of his woorde the shining beames of his glorious Gospell Noah reioyced when hee sawe the Doue come in with a leafe in her mouth wherby he knew the waters were abated Ioshua reioyced when hee sawe the Sun stand still for a whole day whereby hee knewe his enimies shoulde bee discomfited Israell reioyced when hee sawe the clowde or the piller of fier whereby hee knewe that by the Lord he was guided Elias reioyced when he saw the clowde no bigger then an hande whereby hee knewe the earth should be watered Ezechias reioyced when hee sawe the shadowe goe backe x. degrees whereby hee knewe his dayes were prolonged the wise men reioyced when they sawe the starre whereby they knew that to Iesus they should be conducted The wise men reioyced when they sawe Christe in the manger the shepheardes when they harde the newes Simeon when he imbraced him in his swadling clowtes Thomas when hee felte his woundes Steuen when he saw the heauens open Euen so iust cause haue wee to lift vp our heartes and reioyce For many kinges wise men prophetes fathers haue desired to heare those things which wee heare and coulde not heare them and to see those dayes which wee see but coulde not see them The Lorde graunt that as wee haue eies and see taste and feele this meate So we may haue mindes to desire it and willes to labour for it Againe remember as the Philistines left neuer a whetstone no speare onely two swordes no smith in all the lande of Israell least said they the Hebrwes make them swordes and speares and so preuaile against vs so the vncircumcised Romanes the Popish shauelings the
superstitious Egyptians Chirstians without none within Iewes in the flesh not in the heart Israelites in the letter and not in the spirit who sought praise of men but none of God left very fewe whetstones few swordes that is very few Testamentes and Bibles left fewe Smithes that is fewe builders in Gods Churche among vs least the Protestantes said they make them swordes and speares and so preuaile against vs. O let vs reioyce and be thankful For as Ionathan with one swoorde ouercame the Philistines so Gods ministers by one swoorde the sworde of spirite the worde of GOD haue pulled downe the power kingdome of Antichrist God graunt he neuer rise again in England As waxe melteth at the Sunne as the fat of lambes consumeth before the fier as the heate dryeth vp the clowdes as the Lion goeth into his denne when man goeth foorth to his worke as the Owle flieth to his hole when the day starre appeareth as Dagon fell downe before the arke of the Lord as Bell the Dragon were destroied before the face of Daniell so the mists of Egypt vanished the Lions of Babilon were vanquished the owles of Rome departed the fat greâ—e of Antichriste melted the Gods of that Sunne of perdition were with vs in Englande all destroyed they al come to nothing when it pleased the Lorde too sende his fier his heat his sonne his day starre his ark and his Daniell that is his worde and ministers amongst vs. Let vs then remember howe cruelly we were handeled and reioyce in the Lorde that wee are so mercifully deliuered but I would to God that many were not sory for the departure of this whoore out of England loke you to your selues chiefly O ye merchants For you may seeme to haue most cause to lament for the fall of that great strumpet For thus sayth the Angell The kinges of the earth shal bewaile her and lament for her which haue committed fornication with her they shall cry Alas alas the great citie Babilon that mightie citie but why shall they so lament because saith hee they liued in pleasure with her yea chiefly the merchantes of the earth saith the Angel shall weepe and waile ouer her yea euery ship maister and all the people that occupie shippes and shipmen and whosoeuer trafficke on the Sea shal stande a farre of and crye Alas alas that great citie But why shal merchants and all shipmen crie so Because no man buyeth their ware any more and by that whore saith hee were made rich al that had shippes on the Sea by her costlinesse Bee not sory for her marke what the Angell saith in that place O heauen reioyce of her and the holy Apostles and Prophetes and pray vnto the Lorde that she neuer returne hyther againe When Dagon fel downe before the arke of the Lord the first time hee was not broken hee was set vp the second time but then the head of Dagon and his handes were broken of That whore of Babylon fell downe once in the dayes of king Edward and was set vp again in the dayes of Queene Mary But nowe in the glorious raigne of our Souereigne Elizabeth shee is fallen downe the seconde time not only her head and her handes are broken of but wee hope that all her body is grounde to powder a curse come to him that shall goe about to set her vppe againe Cursed bee that man saith Ioshua before the Lorde that ryseth vp and buildeth this Citie Ierico yet Hiell did builde Ierico but a curse came to his whole stocke and house for it So cursed be that man before the Lorde that shall beginne to builde that towre of Babell that seate of Antichriste in Englande againe But as the Lorde commaunded Ierusalem to be distroied and all the Iewes though Iulian the Emperour did with all his power aide them were not able to build it so the Lord hath throwne downe this whore and we trust that all the kings of the earth all Popes all Priestes all Monkes all Friers all Nunnes shall not bee able to lift her vp againe She was in England a glorious whore a gorgeous whore therefore her desolation is more shamefull she was in England an high whore and an heauie whore Therefore her fal is the greater as Iezabell was hurld out at a windowe eaten vp of dogges only her skull the palmes of her hands her feete remaining the which the seruants of Iehu buried so wee thanke our God who hath throwne downe this great Iezabell and we pray that if any thing of her be left it shalbe buried O let vs then loue embrace the Gospel followe and obey the Gospell and continue in our profession to our liues end I say continue abide endure stand fast be stronge quiet your selues like men You haue put your haÌ„ds to the plough looke not back least you be iudged vnfit for the kingdome of God For not euery one that runneth but he that runneth to the goale hath the garland not euery one that entreth into a ship but hee that goeth ouer the Seas bringeth home treasures not euery one that worketh in the vineyarde but he that continueth working vnto night hath the peny not euery one that fighteth but hee that ouercometh shall haue the crowne To conclude not euery one that beginneth well but that endureth vnto the ende shalbe saued Nowe you follow the Gospell but I feare many are like the snaile who pulleth in her hornes if any man goe againste her Nowe you laboure for the meate of the soule but you are in your houses like the snaile rather theÌ„ you will loose your houses I feare many will fall from their standing I loue the Gospell saith the worldly man but as long as I am in my house that is as long as I haue peace and quietnesse but if persecution come as lice forsake the head when the man is dying as rattes forsake a house that is ruinous or hath no victuall so will I leaue the Gospell if it bring a swoorde or warre or take away my goods All the Apostles forsooke Christe in time of danger and Demas did forsake Paule and imbraced this present worlde But remember this O man Hee that loueth landes liuings or life more then the Gospell it is as true as the Gospell for it is in the Gospell hee shall neuer come to heauen bring hee neuer so manye keyes from Rome in his hande but hee that shall loose life or liuing for the Gospell it is as true as the Gospell for it is in the Gospell shall haue for his liuing a kingdome for his life a blessed immortall euerlasting life in heauen Satan goeth about to winowe you as wheate stande fast in the faith a lawe in your members rebelleth against the lawe of your mindes stande fast in the faith the fleshe fighteth against the spirite stand fast in the faith the worlde plucketh you by the sleeue to looke backe stande
fast in the faith Athistes and Papistes and other heretikes are tripping at your heeles stande fast in the faith it is worth the noting that our Sauiour in the seconde and thirde of the Reuelation doeth seuen times at the least vtter these wordes hee that ouercommeth c. There is life and all blessinges promised onely vnto him that ouercommeth Nowe the heauenly Manna is plentifull in Englande let vs prouide for warre though it bee a time of peace let vs take our cloake though the sunne doeth shine let vs prouide for a deare yeere though the victuall bee plentie I say stande fast and labour for this meate it bringeth therewith well fed thereby fatte and in good liking you may stande fast in the euill day For wee haue deserued that plague wherof the Prophete speaketh I will turne your feastes into mourning and your songes into lamentations I will bring sackcloth on your loynes and baldnes on your heades I will bring a famine in to your land not a famine of bread or thirste for water but a famine of the worde of God For if Paule and Barnabas were heere they might haue iust cause to speake against vs as they spake against the Iewes seeing you put the woorde of GOD from you and iudge your selues vnworthie of euerlasting life Loe we turne to the Gentiles Christ may truly denounce these words against vs if he shoulde deale according to our desertes the kingdome of God shall bee taken from you and shall bee giuen to a nation whiche shall bring foorth the fruites thereof Let vs amende least Christe curse vs as he cursed the figtree when hee came vnto it being hungry and found nothing thereon but leaues onely hee doeth hunger and thirst after our good workes but beholde howe we deceiue him for fruite wee offer him leaues a man came to the dresser of his vineyarde and bid him cut downe his figge tree because he had come three yeeres and founde no fruites thereon cut it downe saith hee why keepeth it also the grounde barren The dresser answered let it a lone this yeere also till I digge rounde about it and doung it The Lorde hath come to his fig tree of England not three but almost xxiii yeeres and beholde yet he findeth litle fruite and hee woulde no doubt cut it downe had not the dresser of this figge tree Iesus Christe entreated him to let it alone that hee by his worde his labourers might digge round about it doung it Behold that hath been doone and yet this figge tree bringeth foorth small fruite wee are like trees that haue their heades in the grounde and sucke all their iuice from the earth wee are like bruite beastes who turne their faces to the grounde wee are not like men who shoulde turne our countenances towardes heauen thence to fet our meate and all good thinges which by promise we may haue for the asking Wee are like the corne growing on the house top which withereth before it bee plucked vp whereof the mower filleth not his hand nor he that bindeth vp the sheues his bosome Our Sauiour Iesus if hee were heere shoulde bee moued to weepe ouer England as hee wept ouer Ierusalem and say O England England if thou hadst euen knowne at the least in this thy day those thinges which belong vnto thy peace but nowe are they hid from thine eyes I speake of many I meane not all O England thou sayest the naturall branches are broken of that I might be graft in through vnbeliefe they were broken of and thou standest by faith bee not high minded but feare For if God did not spare the natural branches take heed least hee will not spare thee O remēber thou man thou doest not beare the roote but the roote doth bare thee By Satā thou didst fall by Christ thou art raised vp ingraffed into the right Oliuetree Qui incitatorem habuit ad malum reparatorem habuit ad bonum sicut hominis peccatum per alium habuit inuitium ita per alium habuit remedium Hee that had a tempter vnto euill had a restorer vnto good as the sinne of man had a beginning by an other so it had also a remedie by an other For very wel saieth Ambrose Non sunt Iudei reprobati a Deo vt gentes entrarent sed seipsos reprobos fecerunt spernētes donum dei vnde occasionem dederunt gentibus ad salutem quam extollentiam reperiri vult vt magis saluti congaudeatur non aegretudini insultetur The Iewes were not reiected of GOD that the Gentiles myght come in but they made themselues reprobates contemning the gift of God wherby they gaue occasion to the Gentiles to saluation the which hautines the apostle wil haue to be beaten down that they mighe the more reioyce at their own saluation and not insulte ouer the Iewes destruction Take heede why were they cast off spernentes donum Dei because they despised the gifte to God For if the word spoken by Angelles was stedfast and euery transgression and disobedience receiued a iust recompence of rewarde how shall we escape if we neglect so great saluation Propterea tantam adiecit quod mortis destructio demonū interitus caelorū imperium cuncta haec exprolatis a deo sermonibus nobis sunt parta Therfore saith Theophilact did the Apostle adde so great saluatiō because the destructiō of death the death of deuilles the kingdome of heauen all these thinges are gotten for vs by the worde which came from GOD Brag not boast not therefore Pride made Herod to haue a fall from his pulpet and to be eaten of wormes Nay beholde a greater fall pride made Nabuchadnezzar to bee a beast nay yet a greater fall pryde did thrust Adam and Eue out of paradise And yet behold I will shew one greater fal pryde did throwe Lucifer and manye Angelles moe out of heauen What shall I say then If GOD did not spare his owne people the Iewes if hee did not spare Adam and Eue in paradise if he did not spare his bright Angelles in heauen will he spare vs if iudgement beginne at the house of GOD what shall the ende of them be that obay not the Gospell If the righteous scarcse be saued where shall the vngodly and sinner appeare did the naturall braunches wither and were cast into fire what shall bee done to the vnnatural Did the green tree suffer what shall be done of the dry Loe I beginne to plague the Citie saieth the Lorde where my name is called vppon and should you escape let vs then be humble and feare Let vs not despise this great gift of GOD. That fire onely was to be vsed in sacrifice which came from heauen Moses must make all things according to the patterne he sawe in the mounte GOD write the lawes with his owne finger that wee should make nothing of our selues our owne braines
our owne heades our owne pollycies our owne inuentions Let vs then receiue this meate which came from heauen and put nothing into it least while we with the young Prophets thinke to gather good hearbes we gather and cast Coloquintida into the pot No water euer so good as that which came out of the rocke no meate so delicate as Manna which came from heauen no wine so wholsome as that which Christ made of water no oyle so precious as that which the Samaritan had no robe so coastly as that whiche the father gaue to the prodigall sonne no bread no foode no meate so profitable as this meate of the soule which doeth endure and bring vs vnto euerlasting life O contemne not this meate he that despiseth Moses law dieth without mercie vnder two or three witnesses of how much sorer punishment suppose ye shall he be worthy which treadeth vnder foote the sonne of God counteth the blood of the newe testament an vnholy thing wherwith he was sanctified and doth despite the spirite of grace These men crucifie to themselues again the sonne of GOD and make a mock of him This meat is water to refreshe vs and wine to cheare vs it is bread to strengthen vs Manna to nourish vs it is a treasure to enrich vs and a pearle to adorne vs it is a leauen to heate vs and salt to powder vs it is a sword to defend vs and fire to purge vs it is a salue to heale vs and a lantorne to guide vs it is a trumpet to call vs and wisdome to enstruct vs a way to directe vs and lyfe to reuiue vs. If wee haue this meat this leuen this bread this Manna wee shall haue no neede of Elizeus to encrease our oyle to augment our loaues we shall haue no neede of his meale to sweeten our pottage wee neede not to waite at the gluttons gate or sende to churlish Nabal for foode If wee haue this treasure we neede not rob the Aegyptians if we haue this pearle we shal not neede the gold of Ophir if we haue this water we neede not to drawe water at Iacobs well Naaman need not wash himselfe seuen tymes in Iorden the sick neede not to goe to the poole Bethsida for helpe we need not Elizeus salte or Moses tree to heale the venomous water if we haue this sword Peter may put vp his sword into his sheth if we haue this fire we need not the fire of purgatorie if we haue this lantern we neede not the Lanterns of Gedeon to ouercome the Midianites to conclude if we haue this trumpet we shall haue no neede of the Priests trumpets made of Rams hornes to pull downe the walles of Ierico For by this meate we shall doe all thinges for it doth endure and will bring vs vnto euerlasting lyfe O then labour for this meate and I speake vnto you as sometyme Naamans seruant spake vnto him when he refused to wash himselfe seuen times in Iorden as Elizeus willed him Naaman thus sayde are not Abanah and Pharapar ryuers of Damascus better then all the waters of Israell May not I wash me in them and be healed but this man sayde if the Prophet had commaunded thee a great thing wouldest thou not haue done it how much rather then when he saith to thee wash and be cleane you are bidden to come for the water of life for the bread of heauen Doe not many say there are other meates at Rome other waters at Rome better then all the meate and water that is now in England O but I say vnto you if the Lord should commaund you to doe a great thing ought ye not to doe it How much more then when he sayth labour for the meate which endureth vnto euerlasting lyfe which I the sonne of man will giue vnto you this is but aske and haue seek and finde knock and it shall be opened Let vs aske let vs seek let vs knock let vs labour for this meate Labour for this meate O you people and pray vnto the Lord that his Ministers put their candell on a candelsticke with cherefulnes and not vnder a bushell labour for this money and pray vnto the Lorde that his merchantes may occupy with aduauntage with faythfulnesse and not to hyde it in the grounde labour for this seede and pray vnto the Lord that his husbandmen may sowe it with painfulnesse not hoard it in their barnes Labour for this meate and pray vnto the Lord that his Stewards may distribute it with bountifulnes and not keepe it in their closets Labour for this that is be earnest hot zealous firy God the Father did appeare in fire God the Sonne doth baptise with fire God the holy Ghost came downe in forme of clouen and fiery tongues but alas are not yet the people as they were in the time of Ieremy they sayde to him the word thou hast spokē to vs in the name of the Lord we wil not heare it of thee but we wil doe whatsoeuer thing goeth out of our mouth as to burne incense to the Queene of heauen and to purge out drink offrings vnto her as we haue don both we and our fathers our kings and our princes for then had we plenty of victuall and were well and felt no euil Are not these the sayings of the romanists and Papists first to graunt that we haue the word of GOD secondly to say we will not so much as heare it thirdly to follow their own inuentions Againe are not these their arguments first of custome wee haue done so and our fathers secondly of a generalitie not we onely but our fathers our Princes and al haue done so thirdly of their belly then we had plentie of victuall and felt no euill and to whome would they offer their sacrifice not to God but as the Papistes doe to the Queene of heauen Aske the Papistes how they prooue their religion to be the trueth and they will drawe their argumentes from antiquitie from custome from vniuersalitie and from the belly as did the Iewes in the dayes of Ieremy Nay hath not the deuill raysed vp Iehoiakim from the dead to burne the wordes that Baruch had out of the mouth of Ieremy and Antiochus to burne the bookes of the law and delectation to know the bookes of the Prophets and Apostles But beholde I shewe you a better way and whome you should folow When Moses made the arke euery man was cōmaunded to bring somthing the people brought to much and were bidden to bring no more And that no man should think he were exempted from Gods work he that hath no gold to bring might bring Goates hayre or badgers skinnes if a woman were not able to buy a Lambe it was accepted of the Lord if she brought a payre of turtle doues or two young pigeons Euery man cannot be a head in this mysticall body of Christ to be a King Euery man cannot be an
eie to be a byshop euery man cānot be a leg to be a piller in gods church yet euery one may be a hād to giue sōwhat to the building therof euery one may be an eare to heare the word a tongue to prayse the Lord and a mouth to receiue this meat which endureth vnto euerlasting life whē the people came home from Babila they buylded the temple of the Lorde before they builded eyther their own houses or the walles of the citie they builded with one hand hauing weapons in the other All the people followed Dauid to seek the Arke of God and all went with Solomon to builde a temple vnto the Lord. How did the Iewes desire and loue this meate when they heard Esdras read the law from morning to noone and wept bitterly How did the people of Antioch labour when the rulers of the sinagogue an example for officers to folow came to Paule and his companions and said Men and brethren if ye haue any word of exhortation to the people say on When they besought Paule to preache the same sermon the next sabboth day the nexte sabboth daye the whole citie came together to heare the worde of God How did Cornelius labour when he wayted for Peters comming he called his friends and kinred into his house to heare him for we haue not done our dutie if we our selues onely eate of this meate vnlesse we cause them also to eat that belong vnto vs as Cornelius brought his friendes to heare Peter preach as Andrew brought his brother Simon as Philip brought Nathanael as Iohn Baptist brought his Disciples to christ I was glad saith Dauid when they said to me we will goe into the house of the lord If we thus labour the lord God wil raise vp cunning workmen for his tēple painfull labourers in his vineyard faithful pastors of his flock good teachers of his people as when Moses made the Arke he called Bezaleel by name and when Soloman built the temple he raysed vp Hyram of Tyrus whome he filled with his spirit to work in timber siluer brasse and golde But it is not vnknown to vs how the Popes shauelings and that fat Priest of Rome himselfe do mocke vs while we are building as Sauballat mocked the Iewes saying what doe these weake Iewes will they fortifie themselues will they sacrifice will they finish it in a day wil they make the stones whole again out of the heapes of dust seing they are burnt sōe deride vs as Tobiah the Ammonite did mock thē saying although they builde yet if a fox go vp he wil break down the stony wal Some come to vs as the men of Samaria came to Zerubbabel we wil build with you for we seeke the Lord your God as you do But he answered so doe we it is not for you it is for vs to builde the house vnto our God Ye hypocrites you speake good wordes to the people but as Absolon to steale away the hartes of the people from Dauid his father you will proclaime a fast but as Iezabell to kill Nabot you will worshippe Christ but as Herod to murther him you wil kisse Christ but like Iudas you will kill Christ You are knowne to the worlde O ye Gibeanits which fain your selues Ambassadours to Ioshua bringing old sacks vpon your Asses old bottelles for wine olde shooes and clouted on your feete olde rayment dryed and mouled bread Doe you not knowe that for all their old stuf they were knowen at three dayes end Ieroboams wife disguised her selfe and went to Ahiiah for her sonne she caried ten loaues and cracknels and a bottell of hony though Ahiiah were blinde yet he sayd come in thou wife of Ieroboam So you disguise your selues you bring hony in your mouths there is none so blind but he can say come in or rather come out thou sonne of Antichrist You vsed vs and so you hope to doe again as the Philistines vsed Isaac when they stopped and filled vp with earth all the welles which Abraham his Fathers seruantes had digged for him The water for a time with earth may be stopped fire for a time with ashes may be couered the sonne for a time with clowdes may be shadowed but now the Lord be thanked the erth is remoued and the water doeth runne the ashes are consumed and the fire doeth burne the clowdes are dispersed the sun doth shine Now that we may long enioy these benefits the Lord continue encrease the zeale of our soureigne that shee neuer set her minde on that meat which perisheth not on any erthly thing as did good king Dauid when hee numbred the people as did good king Ezechias when he bragged of his treasure to the Ambassadours of the king of Babell but to continue in maintaining the Lordes cause not like Ioash who did well all the dayes of Iehoida the Priest and afterwarde fell from the Lorde nor like Vzziah who sought God as long as Zachariah the Prophet liued and afterward forsooke God but that as her dayes may be as the dayes of heauen so to her liues ende shee may labour for to keep among vs this meat of our soules for this meat hath no end but endureth vnto euerlasting life That she may still haue before her eies the example of Dauid who before all thinges did seeke the Arke of the Lord would haue builte an house for his God and though he were forbidden because hee was a man of blood yet hee prouided timber and stone and commaunded Solomon his sonne to builde it That Solomon may bee in her remembraunce who builte the house of God before he built his owne courte The house of God was 7. yeeres in buylding but his owne was thirteene yeeres not that he bestowed more charges on his owne house but with more hast and speede he did builde a temple vnto the Lord. That she neuer cease to follow Ezechias who first of all brake the Images cut downe the groues and brake in peeces the brasen serpent that Moses had set vp that she thinke alwayes on Iosiah who being a childe beganne to seeke after the God of Dauid his father and did purge Ierusalem and Iudah that she may alwayes thinke on the commaundement of the Lorde when the kinge shall sitte in the throne of his kingdome then he shall write him this lawe in a booke repeated by the priestes it shalbe with him and he shall reade therein al the dayes of his life that he may learn to feare the Lord his god keep al the words of this law and these ordinaunces for to doe them Now for as much as meat doeth not nourish vnles it be receiued by fayth we receiue it it cannot cherish vs vnlesse it be digested and by the heate of fayth it is concocted it cannot profit vs vnlesse it be kept in our hearts and by fayth we retaine it
it doth no good vnlesse we haue life and the iust shall liue by fayth It is very necessarie that we labour for fayth whereby we may perfectly be nourished and well fedde with this meate there is nothing that the deuill desireth more then to haue fayth out of our heartes therefore hee planted vnbeliefe in the heartes of Adam and Eue for vnbeliefe they were thruste out of paradise vnbeliefe in the heartes of Moses and Aaron for vnbeliefe they neuer came into the lande of promise vnbeliefe in the heart of Zacharie for vnbeliefe hee was dumbe vntill the thing came to passe whereof hee doubted Faith is the euidence of thinges whiche are not seene vnto faith did Christ call Mary when he saide to her touche me not for I am not yet ascended to my father Cum iam ascenderit saith Barnard tum tangi ab ea velit aut possit vtique poterit sed affectu non manu voto non ocu lo fide non sensibus woulde he or could he be touched of her when hee was ascended truely he coulde but with the hearte not with the hande with prayer not with the eie with faith not with sēses By faith we see him as the wise men we imbrace him as Simeon we heare him as Mary we touche him as Thomas Faith is the shield whereby we quenche all the fierie darts of the wicked by faith our hartes are purified by faith we resist the deuill by faith we are the children of Abraham by faith we shall not come to condemnation but shal passe from death to life no vertue by Christ so much cōmended as faith be it vnto thee according to thy faith thy faith hath made thee whole I haue not founde so great faith no not in Israell O woman great is thy faith be it vnto thee euē as thou wilt to faith nothing is vnpossible Whatsoeuer is without faith is sinne and without faith it is vnpossible to please GOD on the contrary parte nothing doeth more greeue the Maiestie of Almightie Iehoua then incredulitie and vnbeliefe all the day long I haue stretched out my hande to an vnbelieuing people O thou of litle faith why dost thou doubt to them that went to Emaus hee saide O fooles and slowe of heart to beleeue Againe O generation incredulous how long shall I bee with you how long shal I suffer you in his owne countrie hee coulde not do many myracles for their vnbeliefe the Iewes entred not into his rest Why for vnbeliefe let vs therfore crie with the Apostles Lorde increase our faith and as the father of the sicke childe cried with teares Lord I beleeue helpe my vnbeliefe Now because faith is not reuealed vnto vs by fleshe and blood but by the holy ghost let vs labour for him also that this meat by faith may worke effectually in vs let vs vtter vnto the Lorde strong cryings and deepe sighings for his spirite that our prayer may bee in his sight as the incence and the lifting vp of our handes an euening sacrifice For hee is the spirite of trueth the Maister and Teacher of the faithfull the shewer of thinges to come the witnesse of Christ the distributer of all giftes the spirite of adoption the pleadge of our inheritance hee beareth vs witnesse that we are the children of God hee helpeth our infirmities and maketh petition for vs. No man saith that Iesus is the Lorde but by the holy Ghost did not the Diuelles saith Chrisostome name Christe Somtime they named Christ saith he for feare not for loue and somtime that the people might giue eare to them take them for professours of the gospel so they might bring the people through a colour of christianity into manifolde heresies but of sinceritie heartie good will they neuer named him So then no man can name Christ louingly sincerely but by the holy Ghoste we haue not receiued the spirite of bondage to feare againe but the spirite of Adoption wherby we crie abba father Wherefore this is the end of my exhortation that you labour for all these three meate faith the spirit by heartie and earnest praier I meane not to crie all day long as Baals Priestes did O Baall heare vs O Baal heare vs. Nor as the Ephesians cried for the space of two houres great is Diana of the Ephesians But in hearte feruently and strongly as Moses Phinehes Manasses Ionas our Sauiour Iesus Though our praiers be short as was the prayer of the poore publicane God be mercifull to me a sinner of the prodigall sonne father I haue sinned against heauen and against thee am no more worthie to bee called thy sonne Of Steeuen Lord Iesu receiue my soule Of our Sauiour Christe Father into thy handes I commit my spirite nay though wee vtter neuer a worde the Lord will heare vs Moses spake neuer a woorde when GOD saide vnto him why doest thou cry vnto me Moses Anna spake neuer a word when God heard her prayer she only moued her lippes and Ely the Prieste saide she was dumbe If we thus labour for the spirite we shal obteine him and then our faith shall be fruitefull thē the meate in vs shalbe effectuall The word norisheth faith reuiueth the holy ghost quickeneth the word saueth faith iustifieth the holy Ghost sanctifieth the worde bringeth vs to heauen faith openeth the dore the holy Ghoste placeth vs among the holy Angels to haue euerlasting life which the sonne of man shal giue vnto vs. And this is the reason added to the exhortation being drawne from the person that giueth and the certaintie of the thing giuen Hee which is called the word of God the image of God the power and wisdome of God the Creator of all thinges the searcher of the heart the prince of life the Lord of glory the prince of saluation the prince of faith the brightnesse of the glory and the ingraued fourme of gods person the sonne of God doeth heere call himself the sonne of man he whom Peter confessed to be the sonne of God hee whom the Angell named Iesus hee of whom God the father witnessed this is my beloued sonn in whom I delight heare him hee when the very Diuelles could not choose but confesse him to bee the sonne of God doeth heere call himselfe the sonne of man Hee calleth himselfe the sonne of man first to testifie that he tooke a very true and substantiall nature of man both body soule vpon him fleshe of our fleshe bone of our bone Verbum caro factum est the worde was made fleshe heere some woulde proue that hee was not perfect man because the worde was made flesh that signifieth only the body but these men know not that flesh in the scripture sometime signifieth the one part of mā as when Christ saide