these thinges should be accomplished but shewing signes that should goe before as well the destruction of Ierusalem as also his seconde comming It is not for you to knowe the times and seasons sayth he which the father hath put in his owne power No not the sonne of man as man knewe them 10 This knowledge is kept from men for two causes as Saint Augustine well noteth The one least it should hinder and withdrawe vs from perfourming our necessarie duties least it should terrifie and amase vs and make vs carelesse to prouide for our selues and others An other reason why the time both of our owne particular ende and of the generall consummation of all thinges is left vncertaine is that we might at all times make readie and prepare for it seeing it might happen at any time euen at any instant Watch and pray because ye know not what hower God hath therefore kept the time it selfe secrete but hath reuealed certaine tokens and signes going before it that when we see the messengers and forerunners of him which commeth swyftly to iudge quicke and dead wee may lift vp our heades knowing that our redeemer and redemption is neere at hande Christ foresheweth as I saide the signes that should happen as well before the ruine of Ierusalem as also before his second comming in the ende of the worlde The Euangelistes haue mixed and folded them one within another so that which do serue for the one and which for the other it cannot precisely be discerned S. Chrysostome thinketh that all the signes simply and literally vnderstoode haue relation to the destruction of Ierusalem but mystically or spiritually considered of they may be applyed to the end of the worlde Others whom in this I do rather followe referre the former signes as false prophets warre sedition earthquakes famine pestilence persecution hatred of the Disciples of Christ and beseeging to the destruction of Ierusalem And these latter signes in the sunne moone starres c. to the latter comming of Christ to iudgement 11 In this comming of Christ to iudge the quicke and the dead we may for our better instruction consider these thinges First that there shall be a Iudgement and who shalbe that iudge Secondly the time when this iudgmēt shalbe Thirdly the signes which shall goe before it Fourthly the manner of it Lastly how we ought to be in perpetuall preparation and readines therunto 12 A day the Lorde hath set in the which he will iudge the worlde in righteousnesse by that man whom he hath appointed whereof he hath giuen an assuraunce to all men in that he hath raysed him from the deade Heere we see plainely that there is a day appointed for righteous iudgement of the whole worlde that there is a man appointed to giue sentence in that day that there is an assuraunce alreadie giuen to all men of all thinges that are written concerning both the day the iudgement and the iudge With God sayeth the Apostle speaking to the faithfull which suffred tribulation for the name of Christ with God it is a righteous thing to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you to thē which are troubled rest This righteous thing with God is not perfourmed heere as yet For this worlde is as an hel vnto the godly an heauen vnto them which despise righteousnesse Therfore it cannot be but that God hath appointed a day heereafter to iudge the worlde with that iustice which shall giue vnto euerie man according to that he hath done be it good or euil which shall render vengaunce vnto them that know not God but rest vnto such as now are trobled for his sake Our Lord knoweth to deliuer the godlie from temptation but to reserue the vniust vnto the day of iudgement to be tormented Wherefore S. Peter threatning false prophetes and lying maisters which bring in sectes of perdition and denie him that bought them euen the Lord sayeth that their iudgement long agoe was not farre off and their perdition sleepeth not The day of their eternall condemnation is appointed the man that shall condemne them is alreadie assigned and well knowne We must all appeare before the iudgment seate of Christ. The father hath giuen all iudgement to the sonne He is constituted iudge of quicke and deade 13 This iudge hath three properties First he is more priuie to our thoughtes wordes and deedes then we our selues are he seeth in darkenesse as well as in light at midnight as at noone day no secrete is hidde from him neyther can any man conuey himselfe out of his eyesight He sawe Adam when he ate of the fruite which was forbidden him he looked vpon Cain when he slewe his onely brother he behelde Cham when he discouered his fathers nakednesse he tooke a viewe of Sara when she laught behinde the doore of the sonnes of Iacob when they solde their brother Ioseph into Egypt His eye was open vppon Dauids filthie and bloudie actes vpon Absolons treason vpon Achitophels wicked counsell The oppression of Achab the crueltie of Iesabell the pride of Haman the couetous heart of Balaam and of Geze the pride and hypocrisie of the Pharisee could not be kept from him Hee seeth all sleightes in merchaundise all shiftes in vsurie all malitious mindes all flattering tongues all lying lippes He looketh downe from heauen and beholdeth all the children of men from the habitation of his dwelling place he beholdeth all them that dwell on the earth he fashioneth their heartes euerie one and vnderstandeth all their workes Hee shall be both a iudge and a witnesse in that day of all the wicked deedes which the vngodly haue committed and of all the cruell speakinges which wicked sinners haue vttered against him and his who as nowe they cannot auoyde his sight so neither shall they then be able any way to escape his hande O consider this you that forgette God He that made the eye shall not he see Can your deedes be concealed from him that seeth all the children of men and can call them euerie one by his name 14 Another propertie of this heauenly iudge is the infinite greatnesse of his power He doth what pleaseth him all thinges are subiect vnto his will vnto him euerie knee boweth of thinges in heauen and thinges in earth and thinges vnder the earth He hath power to saue and to kill to lift into heauen and to cast into hell heauen is his seate earth is his footestoole What he willeth is as sure as it were alreadie done We should feare therefore this mightie iudge who hath such power to doe his will and who will doe that only which is iust 15 For his third propertie is his iustice Hee taketh no rewards his scepter is streight his iudgement righteous his eye simple he will not be intreated of the wicked neither shew them any mercie In that day euerie one of them shall receiue iustice
idle vaine wanton and prophane life with sober righteous and godlie behauiour Let your laughter be turned into mourning and your ioie into heauinesse For our God seeth all our thoughts he heareth all our words he beholdeth all our workes There is no wantonnesse nor wickednesse but our God who doth hate it seeth it the Lorde bee mercifull vnto vs yea our iust God who will iudge vs according vnto our deedes seeth it O Lord be mercifull vnto vs. O Lorde who shall stand in that most dreadful daie Lord graunt vs true repentance that forsaking our selues and detesting our sinnes we may flie so vnto thy mercie that we may tast of thy tender compassions and not receiue according to thy iustice and our most sinnefull deserts Enter not Lord into iudgement with thy seruants O let vs at the length wash our hands and purge our hearts Let vs mourne and bewaile our sins that so being cleane we may approch and come neere vnto our God 35 The onely thing which hindereth and keepeth vs backe from this is that ouerweening which wee haue of our selues Whereby it commeth to passe that when we should be sorowful we are puft vp The Apostle therefore to meete with this fault and remooue this let addeth Cast downe your selues Humble your selues in the sight of God The countrie which we seeke for is on high but the way is belowe that leadeth vnto it He that seeketh the one must not refuse the other The Publicane humbling himselfe before GOD drewe neere vnto him and was receiued To whom hath God regard on whom doth he looke to whom is he neere Euen vnto him that is poore and of a contrite spirit add that trembleth at my woordes saith the Lord. Manasses notwithstanding his idolatrous sinnefulnesse yet by humilitie drewe neere vnto God and found his sauing mercie And all that are or shall be his must learne of him to be milde as he is milde to humble themselues vnto Christes mercie who humbled himselfe vnto mans crueltie 36 What hath man wherein of right he can boast himselfe or whereof he may be prowde It is God who hath giuen vs those good gifts which we haue wee haue them not of our selues and he hath giuen them vs not to pride our selues in them and so to make them ill but humbly to be thankefull for them and to dispose of them well to his glorie knowing and remembring that we must straitely reckon for them Render an account will one daie be a fearefull speeche For why doth thy nobilitie power and authoritie lift vp thy minde These are giuen thee from aboue By me kings raigne by me Princes beare rule There is no power but of God He that setteth vp can likewise cast downe Nay Hee hath cast downe the mightie from their seate and hath exalted the humble and meeke And what he hath doone once he can doe againe The highest place is not the sweetest nor the safest place much authoritie is cōbred with many cares Such as haue entred into a great charge must enter into a great account And greater cause haue they to feare their reckoning than to bee prowde of their ruling The more that God hath lift thee vp the more thou oughtest to humble thy selfe before him least hee eternally cast thee downe 37 A Christian heart must be an humble heart and the way to humble our selues is to knowe our selues For if wee did looke vpon our blacke feete our faire Peacocke fethers no doubt would soone fall downe If we did cast our eyes vpon our fowle handes and polluted hearts if we did sift our selues and search our soules and see how ouglie we had made our selues in the sight of God hauing blotted out his gratious image in vs and cloathed our selues with the maculate coate of sinne the rewarde whereof is that eternall death of hell this sight would terrifie vs this consideration would pull downe our hawtinesse and cause vs to mislike and vtterly denie our selues and flie onely vnto Gods mercie Our cheerefull countenance would be changed into an heauie our mirth into sighing our pastime into praier It would make our sorowfull heartes to water our wanton eies with bitter teares It would cast downe our bigge and high lookes flat vpon the earth and turne our curled frisled writhen haire into a baser vse euen into a towell to wipe the feete of Christ withall In the steade of monstrous apparell we would put on sackecloth and ashes and crie with S. Paul Miserable man that I am who shall deliuer me This sight of our selues would humble vs in the sight of God This humilitie would cause vs to drawe neere vnto him If wee drewe neere vnto him he would drawe neere vnto vs If wee did cast our selues downe he would mercifully lift vs vp 38 For so it followeth in the last part This commoditie remaineth to such as in such humble sort drawe neere vnto him He will drawe neere vnto you he will lift you vp If we sinners and double hearted men wash and purge our hands and hearts if by faith and vnfeined repentance we drawe neere vnto him hee will meete vs in the way embrace vs with his armes of mercie kisse vs with the kisse of peace and reconciliation put on our spowsall ring vpon our finger as fully restored vnto our gratious and blessed spowse in that perfect spirituall mariage Hee is as readie to forgiue our sinnes as we are to aske forgiuenesse If we turne vnto him by repentance he doubtlesse wil turne vnto vs in mercie He will refresh vs and we shall finde eternall rest for our wearied soules Be our sinnes as bloudie as skarlet is red hee will make them as white as snowe Though they now presse sore vpon vs yet he will remooue them as farre from vs as the East is from the West yea he will drowne them in the verie bottome of the sea he wil wholy blot them out of his booke forgiue them and forget them for euer This our gratious God hath promised this our true God who cannot deceiue will performe Lastly if with penitent and humbled hearts for our sinnes wee cast our selues downe before God our God will lift vs vp If we condemne our selues with trust in his mercie our God will iustifie vs. If we die vnto sinne wee shall bee raised vp vnto happie righteousnesse The more we humble our selues the more he wil exalt vs not for our owne deserts but for his promise sake of free mercie and his sons complete merites To conclude if here we be humbled with Christ hereafter wee shall bee exalted with Christ euen into the high heauens and there bee placed in the ioyfull presence of God our father to whom with his Sonne Christ Iesus our Sauiour and the holie Ghost our Sanctifier and Comforter be all honour and praise nowe and for euer Amen The eighth Sermon A Sermon preached before the Queene ESAY 55. 6 Seeke ye the
Gospell bee hid it is from them that perish whom the God or rather the diuel of this world hath blinded We are in the light the way of truth lyeth plaine and open before our faces Let not vs walke nowe as the children of darkenesse For darkenesse and the night are past 27 The day draweth neere The day of euerie mans particular dissolution and the day of that generall iudgement of all men Although the day of our death be vncertaine yet because all our daies are fewe our first day is no sooner come but we are sure and certaine that the last draweth neere Wherefore it behooueth vs continually to watch to looke for our ende and to put our selues in a readinesse for it For as we are found in that day so shall we finde in the day after that the day of the glorious appearing of Christ when all secrets shall be vnsealed al faults made manifest and euerie man receiue a blessing or a curse as he hath wrought in his bodie good or bad Many daies are past since Christ and his Apostles did count it neere therefore nowe it must needs drawe much neerer and be euen at the doore We may nowe say iustly It is time to rise from sleepe Our saluation is neerer than when wee beleeued The night is past the day draweth on 28 Let vs walke honestly therefore as in the day We are created and redeemed to walke and serue God in whose seruice if we goe not forward we goe backeward we may neither lie down nor stand still but take paines and walke And that honestly hauing our conuersation according to our good profession Wee are set as it were vpon a stage the worlde Angels and men fixe their eies vpon vs. And if the eies of all these were closed yet he to whom the night and the light are all one in clearenesse our eternall God hee seeth our cogitations and searcheth our heart he vnderstandeth all our waies All things lie open and vncouered vnto him hee beholdeth all practises all deuises all trecheries all treasons all sinne Let vs walke vprightly and liue honestly as in his sight 29 This we shall doe if we followe the counsell and exhortation of S. Paul that is if we first cast away the workes of darkenesse Sinnefull actions are called woorkes of darkenesse First because much sinne springeth out of ignorance which is blindenesse and darkenesse wherefore S. Paul alledgeth ignorance to be the cause why hee persecuted the Church of Christ Secondly for that sinners because their workes are euil hate the light which discouereth them and loue darkenesse wherein they may conceale them Thirdly because the workes of sinne are to bee cast into that perpetuall and vtter darkenesse of hell and bound in euerlasting cheines of darkenesse vnto the iudgement of that great day 30 Howbeit for that it sufficeth not to abstaine from euil but it is required that we should doe good therefore the Apostle exhorteth vs not onely to cast away the woorkes of darkenesse but to put vpon vs the armour of light Wherein looke what was saide why sinne should be called by the name of darknesse the like may on the contrarie side be saide why righteousnesse should bee termed by the name of light First for that good woorkes are the fruits of the light of knowledge wherein if we encrease more and more in loue and in all spirituall vnderstanding we shall not onely put a difference betwene those things that are more excellēt but bee pure also and without offence vnto the day of Christ filled with the fruites of righteousnesse which commeth by Iesu Christ vnto the glorie and praise of God Secondly because they that walke honestly as in the day time delight in the light For he that doth the trueth commeth to the light that his deedes may be made manifest that they are done in God who is light and in him is no darknesse at all And therefore insomuch as they well vnderstande that the night will come wherein no bodie shall be able to worke while they haue the light they giue themselues to walk in the light that they may be the sonnes of the light And thirdly because as Bernard saith Bona opera non sunt causae regni sed via regnandi Good workes are not the causes of but the way vnto the kingdome so they leade vs the way to the inheritance of Saints in light and to the fruition of that God who as hee is the father of lights in whom there is no variablenesse nor shadowe of change so he dwelleth in a light that cannot as yet be commen vnto we shall come to it heereafter when we shall drinke of the well of life when in his light wee shall see light To the which euerlasting life and light hee bring vs who is not onely the way the trueth and the life but God of God light of light euen Iesus our Sauiour to whom with the Father and the holie Ghost three persons and one God c. The twelfth Sermon A Sermon preached at an Assises MICH. 6. 8 He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what the Lord requireth of thee Surely to doe iudgement and to loue mercie to humble thy selfe and to walke carefully with thy God FOR the better vnderstanding of the Prophet in these fewe words recited it shall bee requisite to open vnto you a fewe circumstances concerning them wherein I will be short We learne in the text that goeth before in this chapter that God was displeased with his people the Israelites And that it might appeare how iust cause hee had of offence giuen him hee challengeth them that his gratiousnesse towardes them and their vnthankefulnesse towardes him might be examined and tried in iust iudgement And God appointeth the mountaines to be Iudges heerein that is as Ierome expoundeth it the Angels of heauen whom God often vseth as ministers for his glorie and for the benefite of man God declareth therefore here by his Prophet first that hee neuer wronged them and therfore they had no cause to complaine secondly that he hath bestowed his manifold benefites vpon them that he deliuered them out of the house of bondage from the tyrannicall hands of cruell Pharao whose slaues their fathers were that he had giuen them woorthie magistrates and good Priestes to rule direct and instruct them Moses Aaron Myriam and lastly that hee had turned Balaams cursings against them into blessings towards them Nowe after that God had thus set forth his great goodnesse towardes them hee chargeth them with their great vnkindenesse towards him howe they fell from the seruing of him to the woorshipping of false gods by running a whoring after Idols and sacrificing on their hill altars committing most grosse Idolatrie and foolish superstition howe altogether they contemned the woord of the almightie the preaching of the Prophets were drowned in sinnefull securitie and fed themselues with their owne phantasies the inuentions and vaine
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
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
wearie and loaden to come promising them that he would refresh their soules And heerein he did the office of a priest And againe hee healed all that Satan had afflicted and herein he did the office of a king He shall iudge the poore of the people saith the prophet he shall saue the children of the needie and shal subdue the oppressor He threwe out his enemie the oppressor Satan and deliuered his people out of that enemies hands An example for the magistrate to defend the innocent to deliuer the oppressed to punish the transgressor For the swoord is giuen him to this end An example for the minister to teache the word of God and confirme it with doing what good soeuer he may according to the talents that the Lord hath giuen him Finally an example for euerie faithfull Christian to shewe foorth his beleefe by his conuersation his faith by workes to make his vocation and calling sure thereby For God was with him Christ wrought his wonderfull workes by the power of God and not as the Scribes falsely charged him by the power of Beelzebub for God was with him He taught the word that he receiued of his father he cast out diuels by the finger of God He was no chopper or changer of the woord he vsed neither witchcraft sorcerie nor coniuring He wrought not by the diuel but by the power of God 40 The next part was that he died and rose again to procure vs this peace They slewe him hanging him on a tree God raised him vp the third day The death and resurrection of Christ is the onely meane of our reconciliation and peace with God For he died for our sinnes and rose for our iustification By his death and passion he hath cancelled and fastened vpon the crosse the hand-writing that was against vs. Hee hath pacified Gods wrath hee hath procured Gods fauour of enemies made vs friends of strangers citizens of the children of wrath the children of God and fellow-heires of his eternall kingdome 41 Before this crucified Christ that died and rose againe wee shal appeare to giue an account of our whole life of our thoghts our workes and words For as S Peter saith He is ordeined of God a iudge of the quicke and the dead At the latter day hee is appointed to be iudge of all flesh The father hath deliuered all iudgement vnto him And we shall all stand before his iudgement seate that euery one may receiue the things doone in his bodie according to that he hath doone whether it be good or euill This iudge is both iudge and witnesse I will come neere vnto you to iudgement and I will be a swift witnesse against the southsayers and against the adulterers and against false swearers and against those that wrongfully keepe back the hyrelings wages and vexe the widowe and the fatherlesse oppresse the stranger and feare not me saith the Lord of Hosts Nothing is hid from his eyes he seeth the secrets of all hearts he wil not be corrupted but giue vnto euerie one according to his woorkes Christ is iudge Wherefore we are taught to leaue reuenge vnto him Vengeaunce is mine I will repay saith the Lord. For priuate men to reuenge wrongs is to vsurp Christs office to take iudgement out of his handes whom God the father hath appointed iudge of the quicke and the dead You that bee afflicted and oppressed with miserie and wrong lift vp your heads for your redemption draweth neere You that oppresse and wrong your brethren repent and desire pardon least the sentence of Gods iustice ouertake you His iustice no man can abide For in his sight shall none that liueth be iustified Christ therefore is giuen as S. Peter teacheth to be our Iesus that is our Sauiour our Christ that is annointed a king a priest and prophet the Lord of all whom we ought to serue in holinesse and righteousnesse sent of God and made man he preached peace betweene God and man and betweene men among themselues he died to bee a sacrifice for vs he rose againe to iustifie vs hee is made our iudge and doeth iudge iustly 42 Nowe wee with PETER or rather with the holie Ghost with the Prophets and Apostles giue heerein to Christ that which is his owne And here is the controuersie betweene the aduersaries of the Gospel the papists and vs. We giue vnto Christ that which is his right they rob and take from him that which is his due We spoile our selues of all righteousnesse and seeke to be cloathed with his righteousnesse They cloath themselues with their owne righteousnesse not caring for that righteousnesse which is in him We hope to be saued by him our onely priest our sacrifice our mediator They haue shauen priests and vnbloudie sacrifices and infinite mediators both of Saints and Angels To be short we acknowledge Christ our whole Sauiour and all the glorie thereof we giue vnto God They will be saued by themselues their merits their pardons they impart the glorie of God vnto dead men to images to relikes to dumme creatures 43 The third and last part of S. Petets sermon was that wee are made partakers of peace by faith in Christ name To him all the prophets giue witnesse that through his name al that beleeue in him shall receiue remission of sins Wherein three things are remembred vnto vs that remission of sinnes is free that we receiue it by faith and that this doctrine is witnessed by all the prophets 44 All flesh hath sinned and doth neede forgiuenesse God is the onely forgiuer of our sinnes Neither doth he forgiue them in respect of mans merits but of his mercie good will and free mercie The onely meanes that mooued God to bee mercifull freely to sinnefull man was that most acceptable sweete bloudie sacrifice which the innocent sonne of God offred vpon the crosse for our sinnes All haue sinned and are depriued of the glorie of God are iustified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Iesus He tooke our vnrighteousnesse vpon himselfe and cloathed vs with his iustice and He who knewe no sinne was made sinne for vs that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him In Christ and for Christ we receiue free remission of sins There is no other name giuen vs vnder heauen whereby we may be saued I am the way the truth and the life No man commeth to the father but by me saith Christ. No sinne forgiuen but thorough him and through him all sinnes are forgiuen freely 45 The meane whereby wee are made partakers of this free remission of sinnes in the death and resurrection of Christ is faith in Christ. For all saith Peter that beleeue in him shall receiue remission of sinnes through his name God doeth freely offer vnto vs remission of sinne and peace in Christ. The meane 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
to the idle and Idol pastor to the dumme dogge to the vnpreaching minister For the bloud of all these that perish for lacke of taking through his negligence shall be required at his hands 31 The second net is godlie conuersation good example of life This net holdeth hard Examples are a great deale stronger than words and the voice doeth not so fully instruct as the life Therefore Peter saith Be a platforme for the flocke to followe He that liueth otherwise than he speaketh teacheth God to punish him saith S. Chrysostome Paul termeth such teachers as are fertile in speeche and barren in life tinckling cimbals They send foorth a sound and inwardly are hollowe Christ did what hee taught His innocencie and patience chaunged the hearts of the verie souldiers that put him to death And as the godlie example of a good life draweth many to Christ so an euill life giueth great offence The bad demeanor of Helies sonnes caused men to loath the offering of the Lorde And you saith Iacob to his two sonnes Simeon and Leui haue made me to bee abhorred among the inhabitants of the Land Let vs therefore haue our conuersation honest among these men that as now they speake euil of vs as euil doers so hereafter they may by our good workes which they shall see glorifie God in the day of visitation 32 The third net to take these foxes in is discipline Where the former nets faile this will take hold it helde that incestuous Corinthian whom no other way could haue taken Hereby Ambrose brought the Emperor Theodosius himselfe to vnfained humilitie and heartie repentance Doeth it not appertaine vnto pastorall diligence saith S. Augustine with feare yea if they resist with feeling of stripes to recall to the fold of the Lord those sheepe when wee finde them which haue not beene violently caried away but by faire and soft vsage being seduced haue gone astray and began to be held in possession of straungers Those wilfull cubbes which neither by teaching nor by example will be reformed must feele the smart of the rod. We haue saith Paul in a readinesse punishment against all disobedience Such as will not come to feede with Christ willingly must bee compelled against their wils Constraine them to come in Thus the minister should take these litle foxes and winne them vnto the Lord with the net of Gods word of good example and of discipline Now if they cannot be so recalled that themselues perish not they are to be cut off or tyed vp that they destroie not others 33 The magistrate therefore must also set traps to catch these foxes withall The chiefe trap the magistrate hath is the Lawe Artaxerxes writeth his letter vnto Esdras whom hee sent to Ierusalem to see the people gouerned and requireth him hoth to place Magistrates and Iudges ouer the people and to see that they might liue according to the Lawes of God and the king adding thereunto a sharpe commination against transgressors Whosoeuer will not doe the Lawe of thy God and the kings Lawe let him haue iudgement without delay whether it be vnto death or to banishment or to confiscation of goods or to imprisonment The kindes of punishment here set downe are foure Death Exile Confiscation Incarceration These lawfull meanes are wisely to be vsed of Christian Magistrates as traps to take these litle foxes 34 The first is death It is the Lords commaundement Let the false Prophet die Let the adulterer and the adulteresse be put to death Let the blasphemer be stoned Moses obserued this in destroying Idolaters and hanging vp them that committed whoredome The Magistrate beareth not the sword in vaine Asa the good king of Iuda gaue commaundement that if any would not seeke the Lord God of Israel he should die from the least to the greatest from the man to the woman Thus zealous Magistrates haue indeuoured to take rebellious foxes 35 Exile is also a punishment fit for foxes Zerubabel and Ieshua together with the rest of the fathers of Israel agreed not to suffer the enemies of their religion those wilie foxes to ioyne with them but banished them out of their companie It is not for vs and you to builde a house to our God The Emperor Theodosius likewise being mooued thereunto by that zealous Bishop Amphilochius draue all the Arrians out of his dominion These foxes must be remooued the further the better And it were wel with Christs Church if they were all as farre as Rome hence from whence many of them came who now wander and raunge amongst vs. God spared not to expel Angels out of heauen men out of paradise And when Absolon had put off the duetifull minde of a naturall sonne then Dauid laying aside the tender affection of a louing father banished him his countrie 36 The third trappe to take withall is confiscation of goods which way is the easiest and not the woorst For the most men loue Mammon better than God their riches more than their religion When the riche man heard that hee and his wealth must part he went away very sorowfull If he from Christ it is to bee hoped these wil from Antichrist There can bee no sharper punishment to a worldlie minded man than to be taken in this trap God therefore commaunded the Egyptians to be spoiled than which there could be no plague more grieuous vnto them being so greedily set vpon their gaine When the Philistims would keepe the Iewes in good order and disable them to rebell they tooke their weapons and instruments of warre from them It is no euill or vnlawfull policie to weaken these enemies which are readie to vse the strength of their wealth to the ouerthrow of the Church if occasion did serue Touche them by the purse It is the most easie and readie way whereby to take and tame these foxes 37 The last way set downe by wise Artaxerxes is Incarceration When Ioseph had cast his brethren in prison then they remembred their fault and repented then they thought Wee suffer these things deseruedly for the hardnesse of our heartes against our brother Manasses was neuer reclaimed vntil he was inclosed in prison He was miserable in his kingdome and blessed in his captiuitie Thus it is the duetie aswel of the Magistrate as the Minister to obey the commaundement of the almightie and by all meanes to preuent wicked enterprises to roote out euill and to seeke the safetie of Gods vineyard his beloued Church Which God graunt them once effectually to doe for their owne discharge and benefite of the people so deerely redeemed by the bloud of Christ. To whom c. A Sermon preached in the same place and vpon the same occasion with the former 1. TIM 2. 1 I exhort therefore before all things that requests supplications intercessions and giuings of thankes be made for all men 2 For Kings and for all that
Ed. the sixt more syncerely affected towardes the Gospel of Christ. Looke vpon other princes at this day some are drunken with the poisoned cup of that harlot whose venome her Highnesse doeth abhorre some haue imbrued themselues in bloud wherewith her Maiestie did neuer yet staine the tip of her finger when they tumble in warre shee sitteth in peace when they breake othes and couenaunts she keepeth promise therefore God hath blessed the worke of her handes shee found this Realme in warre she hath established it in peace she found it in debt which she hath discharged she hath chaunged drosse into siluer and golde she hath by liuing within compasse and sparing wastfull expences without pressing the people or seeking more than ordinarie and vsuall tribute furnished this Lande with so great a Nauie with such store of armour and warlike munition both for defence and offence as Englande neuer had in former times This I speake not of flatterie it was neuer my fault but rather in synceritie testifying the trueth that seeing your happinesse you may be thankefull and considering the wonderful mercies of God ye may fall into that meditation of the Prophet What shall I render vnto the Lord All his benefites are vpon me I will receiue the cup of saluation and call vpon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vowes vnto the Lord euen now in the presence of all his people God hath loden vs with all his benefites Farre be it from vs that our vnthankefulnesse should bereaue vs of this felicitie That we heare the sound of bels and not the thundering of gunnes that our goods are not spoiled our houses rased our landes extended our bodies imprisoned our wiues and children murthered before our eies that mercie and trueth are met together that righteousnesse and peace haue kissed eche other that in libertie of bodie and freedome of conscience we may assemble thus together in the house of God to make our praiers to heare his word to receiue these holie and heauenlie mysteries doe we thinke it a small or a light or a common benefite How should we requite the Lord We haue nothing in vs woorthie the name of recompence All that we can render or repaie for that which we haue receiued is before we craue more to be mindefull and thankeful of that we haue obteined alreadie to take vp the cuppe of saluation call vpon the name of the Lord in the presence of all the people let supplications praiers intercessions and giuing of thankes bee made for Kings this one paiment doeth aboundantly satisfie God for all graces benefites and blessings which by the meanes of good Kings haue beene powred vpon vs. 13 Neither let vs praie for our prince only but also for al such as God hath placed in authoritie vnder her For euerie power is of God whether it be Ecclesiastical or Ciuil power We must praie for all those that be in authoritie be they good or bad for the continuance of the one and the amendement of the other Our praier for Ecclesiasticall powers must bee that GOD would place ouer his people good guides louing and wise sheepheards such as may carefully gouerne the flocke ouer which the holie Ghost doeth make them ouerseers such as Peter that will feede as much as in them lyeth such as Paul that will preache in season and out of season that wil soundly instruct sharpely improoue seuerely correct and diligently guide such as Iohn that feare not to reprooue kings to their faces as Elias which wil not spare to punish transgressors that the Church may bee deliuered from such as Iudas and Magus buyers and sellers from false prophets from sacrificing Balamites from deuouring wolues wilie foxes insatiable dogges dumme curres deceitfull workemen makers of diuision Idol pastors vnsauourie salt such as make their bellie their God their preferrement their religion lewdely and worldly minded men Our praier for them in whose handes Ciuil gouernement lyeth must be that for as much as one is vnable to beare the burthen of a commonwealth alone such according to the counsel of Iethro may be chosen as be Salomons not Nabals men of wisedome and not dotterels men of experience that can and of courage that wil both wisely and boldly discharge their duetie men like to Gedeon and not to Pilate such as wil not feare the face of Caesar when they should doe right men able mightily to put downe sinne men that feare God syncerely being louers of the trueth not secret fosterers of superstition men that hate couetousnesse and are not takers of bribes to peruert iudgement men like to Samuel not the sonnes of Samuel Woe be to that people which is led with blinde guides and woe be to that common wealth which is ruled with base bad and euil gouernours 14 Let vs therefore blesse God if we haue good rulers and praie that we may reape the good fruite of them that is to say that we may leade a peaceable and quiet life vnder them with all godlinesse and honestie Herein we haue two things to be considered the duetie of rulers and the duetie of them which liue vnder rulers Kings and such as are in authoritie must seeke the peace pietie and honestie of the people the people thus gouerned must leade a peaceable a godlie and honest life vnder them It was saide to the Iewes which liued in captiuitie but may serue as a profitable lesson for all that haue soueraigntie ouer others Seeke the prosperitie of the Citie In the peace thereof you shall haue peace Salomon hath this commendation especially giuen him in scripture as a notable effect of his wonderfull wisedome He had peace on all sides Iuda and Israel dwelt without feare euerie man sate quiet vnder his vine and vnder his figgetree all the daies of Salomon Our Sauiour Christ is called the Prince of Peace hee brought peace into the world at his Natiuitie the Angels sung Peace on earth at what time he was borne there was peace amongst all people Ezechias likewise sought the peace of his Countrie by earnest and heartie praier Let there be peace and trueth in my daies 15 The long and honourable peace which wee haue enioied and doe enioie is in the eies of all that doe beholde it woonderful the more because the procurer of our peace hath beene carefull therewithal to haue pietie and true religion planted and continued amongest vs. Doubtlesse they that so watche ouer the people committed vnto their charge shewe that they are neither coldly affected towards God nor vncharitably towards their people Dauid Salomon Iehosaphat Asa Ezechias Iosias are commended of God for good rulers because they were religious feared God These louing the Lawe of the Lord themselues laboured by all meanes to make the people partakers also of the like loue These were in deede the Nurces of the Church hauing the same affection and kindehearted inclination which the blessed Apostle had towardes them of
deede meere daliances deuised by Satan to no other end but onely to noozle the deceiued in their blindenesse But true humilitie is the lowlinesse of a pensiue and contrite heart This humilitie was in the Publicane which thought so basely of himselfe that he durst not lift vp his eyes towards heauen this humilitie was in Paul when hee confessed himselfe the least amongst the Apostles and the chiefest amongst sinners A man of this disposition which thinkes so basely of himselfe will easily esteeme others better than himselfe But what Should a king then in dignitie place and authoritie prefer a meane artificer or a daylabourer before himselfe or should a wise man esteeme a naturall foole wiser than himselfe No. Saint Paul is no author of confusion neither will hee in any wise haue Gods good gifts debased He descendeth not to these extremities but onely perswadeth vs not to thinke so arrogantly of our selues as in respect of our selues to condemne others Euery man hath the minde of a king in himselfe Goliah thought bigly of himselfe but of Dauid how basely This selfeliking hath infected and possessed allâ—flesh 14 The way to redresse it is to looke vpon our selues and vpon others but not vpon both with the same eyes vpon our selues with the eyes of straite iudgement vpon our neighbours with a fauourable and a charitable eye Whosoeuer therefore thou art that despisest another consider in thy selfe these two things First whatsoeuer thou hast that good is it is of God the author of al goodnes as al that thou hast is from him so to him thou dost stand accountable for it Thou art but a steward of his goods which will call thee to a strict a hard reckoning for euery mite If thou consider this thou shalt find small cause to boast and glorie of thy selfe but shalt giue all glorie to the king of glorie But open thine other eye and looke downe to thy sinnes there shalt thou see an ouglie sight thou shalt be forced to leaue off glorying and to crie with the Prophet Dauid Mine iniquities are gone ouer my head and as a waightie burthen they are too heauie for me Yea if thou rightly looke vpon thy sinnes thou shalt see in that glasse Gods face turned away from thee his eares shut vp against thy praiers Your iniquities saith God haue made a diuision betweene you me If thou truely enter into thy selfe and consider of thy sinne thou shalt say with the prodigall childe Lord I am not woorthie to be called thy sonne and with Peter Depart from me for I am a sinner and with Dauid It is I that haue sinned as for these sheepe what haue they doone Thou wilt thinke of others as Saul did say of Dauid Thou art more righteous than I. But the prince of darkenesse hath dimmed or rather put out both these eyes we can neither see our gifts that be good to be of God nor our sinne as we should to be of ourselues and therefore we esteeme most highly of our selues most vilely of others Which we would not doe if we did louingly and charitably beholde with reuerence the graces gifts of God which are in them For who is there in whom some commendable thing doeth not appeare Lazarus seemed a contemptible thing in the eyes of that riche glutton yet was his patience to bee preferred before the others riches The Publicane seemed ougly and odious to the Pharisee yet his humblenesse was much more worthie praise than the others supposed puritie and holinesse of life There is no man so base but a charitable eye may finde out in him some good and pretious thing And no man may be despised in whom there is any appearance at all of that which is good At the least this we may see in all men that they shewe the workemanship of him which made them they carie the image of him by whom they were created and in them which are our brethren how high soeuer we beare our heads yet thus much wee may consider more that they are as dearely bought as wee the pretious bloud of the sonne of God was shed for them as well as for vs we haue not a foot more than they in that eternal inheritance which God hath prouided for his humble-minded children If these considerations doe not make vs to esteeme others better than our selues yet somewhat they will abate and take downe that proude humor which causeth vs to lift vp our selues so much aboue others And as in looking vpon our brethren we must haue one eye open to behold the graces of God which are in them so the other must be shut and closed vp that those things wherein they are weake may bee hidden For Charitie doeth couer sinnes There can be no charitie in that mans heart whose eies are fedde with beholding the infirmities of his brethren Sem and Iaphet turned away their faces when they went to couer their fathers nakednesse for which charitable deede they receiued a blessing but Cham for looking vpon his fathers fall brought a curse vpon himselfe and his posteritie To teache vs that hee which looketh vpon other mens faults with pleasure and delight doeth well deserue that other men should looke vpon his plagues without compassion S. Paul therefore would haue vs to bee fauourable censurers of our brethren readie to pardon scapes Considering saith he thy selfe least thou also be tempted And it is a good meditation which Augustine prescribeth in these cases Such wee were or may be Wherefore as Christ doth not onely couer our manifold sinnes but also forgiue as it were and quite forget them So let vs like good and pitifull Surgions hide the sores of our wounded brethren from the winde This the Lawe of charitie and loue requireth and this neither taketh away the sword from the magistrate nor yet the rod from the minister but that eche of them seuerally according to the order of his vocation may punish sinne as he must pitie sinners 15 The other preseruatiue of vnitie is Not to looke vpon our owne things onely but euerie man vpon the things of others These words doe suffer a double exposition They may bee referred to the words before by way of preoccupation as if he should say You thinke it hard to preferre others before your selues but you may make it easie Looke not vpon your owne things such as minister occasion of ouerweening but looke vpon the vertues qualities and graces that bee in others Another exposition is to make this a proper meane to keepe and conserue vnitie rather than a waie onely to diminish loftinesse and pride so that the words are to this effect Without vnitie there can be no Christianitie and a chiefe meane to liue in vnitie is that men bee not euerie one for himselfe but eche carefull to doe good to other that wee seeke not greedily our owne commoditie and neglect the commoditie of our
to bee celebrated yet neither purgatorie nor praier neither any other after helps can be auaileable for the partie departed and therefore wee must nowe sowe as hereafter we will reape Cast away impietie and worldly concupiscence and liue a sober a iust and a godlie life looking for the blessed hope and the appearance of the glorie of the great God and of our Sauiour Iesus Christ. Here we are as Christs souldiers appointed to fight a good fight to fulfill our course to keepe the faith and so to looke for the promised crowne of glorie which God will giue to such as looke for and loue his comming 5 Whereof Iob is a good remembrance vnto vs. All the daies of this my warfare doe I waite till my chaunging shall come In which words we haue three things chiefly to bee considered First that our whole life is a warfare Secondly that this warre will haue an ende Thirdly that this end is daily to be looked for 6 He which saith here I waite all the daies of this my warrefare saith otherwhere also Mans life is a warrefare vpon earth In this Christian warre some be generals some captaines some trumpetors the rest be common and ordinarie souldiers Euerie one must keepe his standing answere his calling fight and manfully striue for the victorie 7 Kings and princes are generals Gods lieuetenaunts vpon earth to defend Gods people to set them in order to see them well gouerned to fight in Gods quarell to preferre and promote Gods cause They should serue the Lorde the king of kings in feare Imbrace the sonne aduaunce true religion Seeke the kingdome of heauen wherein doth consist their victorie and glorie This they will doe if they be zealous in Gods cause if they be in deede the Nurces of his Church they will hate his enemies with perfect hatred they will punish transgressors protect the innocent execute iustice and iudgement without respect of persons So shal they militare Christo doe the office of a good general in Gods warre Such generals were Dauid Iehosaphat Ezechias and Iosias These generals are placed of God and therefore of dutie to be obeyed Let euerie soule be subiect to the higher power for there is no power but of God God giueth good princes as a blessing and the same God giueth euill princes as a curse He gaue Samuel in his fauour and in his wrath the gaue Saul He maketh an hypocrite to raigne for the sins of the people These generals haue authority frō the Lord of Hosts to draw the sword against transgressors and to execute martial law according to such limitatiō as God hath prescribed 8 The captaines are the Nobilitie put in their seueral authorities our seuerall bands They must valiantly goe before striue and stand for Gods cause giue good example to their souldiers in honest behauiour in painefull trauell according to their callings So vpright in all their dooings that the people may be enforced to iustifie them as the Israelites did their Samuel Good captaines make good souldiers 9 The trumpetors are the ministers of Gods woord by the blast of the trumpe both to giue warning of the enemie and also to order the going forward of the armie To these men God saith Crie out alowde leaue not off lift vp thy voice like a trumpet and shewe my people their offences If these men be dumme dogges and sound not the trumpet as well to forewarne as to guide Gods armie The perishing bloud shall bee required at their handes by whom it hath beene betraied Paul was faithfull and skilfull to sound this trumpe and to sound it in season to striue for the truth and to powre out his bloud in Gods quarell He ended his daies like a man full of valour I haue fought a good fight I haue fulfilled my course I haue kept the faith His faithfull heart was carefull for the whole armie of God I haue care of all the Churches 10 The common souldiers must keepe their stand and station in all obedience and readinesse stowtly they must fight vnder Christs victorious banner They are not trifles for which they striue Therefore let them not shrinke nor cowardly runne away but with an inuincible courage in an assured hope of the victorie abide all warrelike miseries sustained with the comfort of that reward which no man shall receiue except he striue lawfully No man that laieth his hand to the plough and looketh backeward is woorthie of the kingdome of heauen But hee that endureth to the ende shall be saued 11 Now we must striue for Christ and not for Antichrist for the truth and not against it I can doe nothing against the trueth but for the truth saith S. Paul For the gospel and not for the doctrine of man for true religion and not for superstition must wee striue But our striuing for the most part is all awrie and wicked Wee striue who may be the prowdest pretending equalitie wee striue in deede for superioritie Neither equall nor superior can wee abide wee striue how to supplant and ouerthrowe one another Enuie hath made men impudent striuing to vndermine and cast downe the wals of innocencie striuing how to place and how to displace how to disgrace and how to bring into fauour howe to set vp and how to throwe downe And in so dooing wee striue against our selues and for the aduauntage of our deadly foes This warre is not Christian this is not to striue lawfully This is not to fight a good fight This victorie shall not be crowned 12 Our principall and common enemies against whom wee must all iointly fight are the diuell the world and the flesh The diuell is strong and subtile a roaring Lion and an olde Serpent of long and great experience So soone as we professe to be Christs souldiers as a malitious and fierce enemie hee inuadeth vs. My sonne if thou wilt come into the seruice of God stand fast in righteousnesse and feare and arme thy soule to temptation Christ himselfe was tempted immediatly after that he was baptized His waies of assault are these He perswadeth to euill he either hindereth or infecteth that which is good that no action which we doe may be pleasant in the sight of God Hee tempteth and ouercommeth euen the perfectest as he did Adam the strongest as he did Sampson the wisest as he did Solomon Hee therefore that standeth let him take heede that he doe not fall No perfection no strength no wisedome ought to free vs of this care But we neede to praie continually Leade vs not into temptation And yet we beeing in the midst of the battle with such an enemie still sleepe in securitie But the diuell sleepeth not And this malitious aduersarie hath spials in our armie he laboureth by corruption to make a mutinie amongst vs that whilest we striue amongst our selues he
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
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
feared God and praied to God who brought vp his familie in the feare of God who was pitifull to the poore and liberally gaue almes euen vnto strangers 12 The next point we haue to consider of is vpon what occasion hee did send for Peter In his praier at the ninth houre which is our three of the clocke at afternoone an Angell of God appeared vnto him and tolde him that his praiers and almes were come vp in remembraunce before God and bad him send men to Ioppe and call for Simon Peter who lodged at a tanners house neere the sea and he should tell him what he ought to doe After the Angel was departed he sent two of his seruaunts and a souldier that feared God to Ioppe for Peter Heere is the cause expressed why hee sent for Peter God by his Angel commaunded and he obeied In the Angels Oration I note two things in Cornelius other two The Angell comforteth Cornelius and telleth him what hee shall doe Cornelius is afraide at the message and doeth that which the Angel willeth him 13 Angels are ministring spirites sent foorth to minister for their sakes which shall be heires of saluation God sendeth his good Angels to comfort nourish gouerne guide and defende his elect The euill Angels are sent either to trie the godly or to punish plague and destroie the wicked This Angel was a good Angel of God sent to comfort and instruct Cornelius the deuout and righteous man He doth comfort him declaring vnto him that his praiers and almes are ascended vp in remembraunce before God which is as much to say as that God doth accept and allowe of them 14 The papists abuse much these woords of the Angell striuing thereby to set foorth their owne righteousnesse to the ouerthrow of the merit and righteousnesse which we haue by Christ. For they inferre thereof that our owne woorkes before wee haue faith are preparations to grace Secondly they attribute our iustification to our woorkes Things more absurd than that they neede confutation For what preparation can there be in vs of our selues to grace when S. Paul saith plainely that wee are not able of our selues as of our selues to thinke any good The naturall man perceiueth not the things of the spirit of God And howe can our praiers or almes which are not done in faith please God when without faith it is impossible to please him And if Cornelius had faith as it must needes be graunted he had that also was the gift of God as S. Paul teacheth vs. Nowe to attribute iustification to our merits or workes is to make of none effect the merite of Christ to make grace no grace For remission of sins is iustification as the scripture sheweth saying Blessed are they whose sinnes are forgiuen But we obteine remission of sinnes not by our workes but through faith in Christ wee are iustified freely by the grace of God through the redemption that is in Christ Iesus whom God hath set foorth to be a reconciliation through faith in his bloud to declare his righteousnesse by the forgiuenesse of the sinnes passed And our woorkes are such euen the workes of the best men that when we haue doone all we are vnprofitable seruants Enter not into iudgement with thy seruaunts O Lord for in thy sight shall no man liuing bee iustified The Angel therefore meant not that Cornelius was either prepared to grace or iustified by his workes but that God considered his pietie praiers and almes and would encrease his good gifts in him For God both accepteth good woorkes and will reward them He accepteth them for the mans sake in that the man is faithfull and therefore accepted In which sort the sacrifice of Abel was accepted through the faith of Abel Hee rewardeth our workes not for their woorthinesse but for his owne sake for his loue and promise And he promiseth reward to prouoke vs to worke for to that end are wee created and redeemed euen to serue him in holinesse and righteousnesse all the daies of our life So doth the Angel comfort Cornelius in mentioning his workes and Gods remembrance of them 15 As for that he willeth him to sende for Simon Peter and learne of him what he should doe this speeche doth import that Cornelius in his praier had desired to knowe howe and by what meanes he should be saued Whereupon the Angel Gods messenger telleth him that he must send for Peter by whom he shal be taught the way of saluation God euer prouideth teachers to such as are desirous to learne and sendeth the woord of truth to such as loue the truth He sent Philip to instruct the Eunuch the Queene of the Ethiopians chiefe gouernour as hee was reading the prophet Esaias touching Christ. Hee prouided Ananias for Paul and Peter for Cornelius The Angel setteth ouer Cornelius to Peter to instruct him To commend the ministerie God will haue his Gospel preached by men and not by Angels Hee will not haue vs looke for reuelations from heauen but to giue eare and credit to the voice of his messengers to whom hee hath committed the word of reconciliation whom he would haue esteemed for their office sake to contemne such is to contemne him that hath sent them He that despiseth you despiseth me saith Christ. 16 At his message Cornelius was afraide The presence of the Angel and the strangenesse of the message abashed him Now if he heard the voice of the Angel with trembling and feare with what awe reuerence should we giue eare to the voice of the son of God Christ Iesus Whensoeuer the gospel is preached Christ is present Christ speaketh to vs. The godly tremble at his word as we reade in Esay To whom wil I looke To him saith the Lord to him that is poore and of contrite spirit and trembleth at my words They who despise or disobey the word of God doe not feare him For hee that feareth God doth reuerence his woord 17 And he that doth reuerence the word of God truly wil no doubt obey it Example whereof we haue in Cornelius Hee obeyed the Angel and straight way sent two of his seruants and a godlie souldier that waited vpon him to Ioppe for Peter Euen so likewise must we giue eare when God speaketh as it is written I will hearken what the Lord God will say Neither may we consult with flesh and bloud when God commaundeth but we must obey we must not deliberate in his causes Reason and experience would haue told Cornelius howe dangerons it was publikely to professe a strange and hated religion it might not only tend to the losse of his office but of his life too He might haue disputed also with himselfe What is Peter Some odde sectarie fled from Ierusalem who for feare least he with his errors should be condemned hideth himselfe in a tanners house What learning what pietie can
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