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
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
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
they say partly by grace but principally by the power and strength of their owne nature For being ashamed to affirme with Pelagius that a man may doe the workes of righteousnesse by nature without the grace of God they hold his grace to be a thing indeede necessarie But howe As a birde that is tyed or a man that is in fetters needeth onely to haue those incumberances remooued hauing then a naturall abilitie to flie and walke without any further helpe so man as they say hath in himselfe abilitie to doe good if the grace of God doe but remooue lets Is not this to make nature the principal cause of our well dooing whereas in trueth without the speciall motion of Gods spirite and that in euerie particular action wee are no more able to walke in the waies which GOD hath commaunded than a drunken man to goe without leading who staggereth euen in the plainest ground though all stumbling blockes be remooued though his waie lie neuer so smooth before him such is our weakenesse In consideration whereof the blessed Apostle sayth plainely It is not in him that willeth or in him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercie We dragge and are not able of our selues to set one foote before an other Drawe me saith the spouse in the Canticles and then we will runne after thee But these men litle considering of what fraile metall they are made perceiuing not how sinne hath weakened the faculties of the soule vaunt of freedome of strength of inward power and make their owne will the chiefest cause of their wel dooing 30 And when they haue doone any thing which to their seeming is wel doone they prise it so high and esteeme so much of it that God as they thinke should doe them iniurie if in iudgement he did not pronounce them iust and righteous for their workes sake If it were possible that God entering into iudgement should finde any so vpright and perfect that by their workes they might be iustified in his sight doubtlesse he should finde his owne seruaunts to be such or else none if any of his seruaunts surely his Prophets if any Prophet rather Dauid than any other But Dauid crieth out Enter not into iudgement no not with thy Seruaunt O Lord. For in thy sight shall none that liueth be iustified For whether we consider workes forbidden or commaunded by the Lawe what man is there liuing which can say in the one My heart is pure in the other I haue doone all that is enioyned me For if it were so that we knewe nothing wherein we had transgressed the lawes and statutes of the almightie yet herein could we in no wise be iustified because of secret sinnes hidden euen from our owne selues For which if God shal call vs to our reckoning and marke straitely what is doone amisse O Lord saith the Prophet who shall stand Againe if we had doone whatsoeuer wee could yet because we cannot doe so much as we should we ought to acknowledge our selues vnprofitable whereas we euen the best of vs are farre from dooing that which if we would we might doe 31 Nowe if God notwithstanding for his sonnes sake doe so allowe and accept the worke of our hands that he bountifully rewardeth our weake seruice with an excellent and an eternall waight of glorie how much are wee bound both to praise his mercie and to hate the insolencie of those men who besides al this swelling in the proude conceit of their workes will haue eternall life which is his gift to be their merite nor onely that but the worthinesse of their deserts to be so great that many of them dooing God more seruice than can bee sufficiently rewarded in their owne persons deserue heauen not onely for themselues but for others too These shipwracks of faith they haue made by reason of their inward pride 32 The excessiue desire of outward pompe hath furthermore caused them to disdaine the basenesse of Christ Iesus and of his Apostles to bee ashamed of the meane and lowe estate wherein they liued to make of their Deacons and Priests Cardinals exceeding the kings of the earth in glorie of their Bishop a Monarke vnder whose foote the Emperour himselfe hath beene a footestoole whose stirrop the greatest Soueraignes haue scarse beene deemed worthie to holde at whose bridle kings haue attended as seruaunts that the wordes of the Preacher might bee iustified Follie is set in great excellencie and the riche set in the lowe place I haue seene seruaunts on horses and Princes walking as seruants on the ground 33 This pompe cannot bee maintained with nothing it must haue strong sinnewes And therefore whatsoeuer mans wit might possibly deuise for gaine they haue both founde it out and put it in vre setting Offices Masses Prayers Pardons Sacramentes Heauen and Earth all the treasures of the house of GOD to sale if wee may terme it the house of God which they haue made a shoppe of so vile merchaundise It were infinite to recite what huge summes of money they haue heretofore by religious pretenses euerie yeere gathered within the compasse of this one Ilande What heapes then haue they raked out of other partes of Christendome Which offals and profites if once men beginne as here so in other kingdomes also to withholde from them if men leaue off buying their wares any more if things which are fatte and excellent depart doubtlesse that citie which nowe is cloathed in fine linnen and purple and skarlet which nowe is guilded with golde and decked with pretious stones and pearles shall in one houre be made desolate This they know and it maketh them carefull to maintaine whatsoeuer is commodious and gainefull to them As for the glorie of GOD it is the least part of their care nay they care not howe heynous sacrilege they commit in spoyling and robbing him of his honour 34 It is an honour vnto God when all men by faith point their fingers as it were at Christ Iesus naming him the onelie Lambe which taketh away the sinnes of the worlde when he is acknowledged the onely mediatour betweene God and vs when wee confesse that hee is that Priest according to the order of Melchisedech which hauing offered one sacrifice for sinnes hath therewith because it was a perfect sacrifice consecrated for euer them that are sanctified when our faith is so ascertained and grounded vppon his promises that we can bee bolde as Lyons assuring our selues that the eye of the Lorde is on them which trust in his mercie to deliuer their soules from death as the Prophet witnesseth But how doe they giue vnto him this honour who haue deuised so many waies to take away sinne besides the bloud of the Lambe of GOD who as though wee might not be bolde to enter into the holie place by the newe and liuely way which hee hath prepared for vs through the vaile which is his fleshe or as
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
compassion vpon the poore Let vs seeke vp Christ and prouide for him He sought vs and found vs when we were robbed spoiled and deadly wounded let not vs turne away our faces from him seeking crauing so small help at our hands He became poore to make vs riche let vs out of the aboundance of our riches spare somewhat nowe to the reliefe of his pouertie He will well requite it It is not lost which is bestowed vpon him in his poore afflicted members that which wee put in the handes of the poore we lay it vp in the Lords bosome where neither dice nor cards hawkes nor hounds horses nor harlots can consume it rust and canker can not eate it theeues can not robbe and bereaue vs of it Vnwoorthie we are to be called Christians if wee suffer our head Christ Iesus to be naked and cloath him not if we see him hungrie and giue him no bread Woorse wee are than Iewes if we suffer this ignominie to bee doone vnto Christ this ingratitude to be shewed to so gratious a God O let vs be mercifull that as children we may resemble our heauenly father for he is mercifull Vnto this mercifull God the Father the Sonne and the holie Ghost be honour glorie and praise nowe and euer Amen The ninth Sermon A Sermon made in Pauls at the solemnization of CHARLES the 9. the French Kings funerall IOB 14. 14 All the daies of this my warrefare doe I waite till my changing come THE custome of funerals as it is auncient so is it commendable Abraham the father of our faith purchased a peece of ground to burie his dead in And in that place he himselfe Sara Isaak Iacob and Ioseph were buried with great solemnitie much mourning Tobias is commended for burying the dead So is Marie Magdalene for preparing of ointment for the burying of our Sauiour So is Ioseph and also Nicodemus for the care that they had about Christs funerall 2 Causes of funerals S. Augustine giueth three First it is the office of humanitie the duetie of charitie decently to commit the dead corps to the earth out of which they came This charitable dutie is commended in Toby and others whose names I mentioned before and was of the verie Heathen religiously obserued Secondly it is a thing verie seemely and conuenient with reuerence to laie the corps in graue because our bodies are the temples of the holie Ghost wherein by which as by liuely instruments both God hath beene glorified and his people haue receiued good Knowe yee not that your bodie is the temple of the holie Ghost which is in you That which hath beene so notable an instrument would not be vnreuerently entreated though dead Thirdly our faith is hereby confirmed touching the article of our resurrection For we laie downe the bodie in the earth vnder hope that This mortall must put on immortalitie as confessing with Iob I beleeue that my redeemer liueth and that I shall see God in my fleshe mine eyes shall behold him and none other But the Christian Church doeth not neither ought to vse funerals thereby to relieue or benefite the dead All these things saith S. Augustine furniture of funerals order of burying and the pompe of exequies are rather comforts to the liuing than helps to the dead The glutton of whom S. Luke speaketh in the Gospell was buried no doubt with pompe ynough yet his wicked soule was plunged into hell There commeth therefore no part of blessednesse to the dead by funerals but Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord. Lazarus wanted as it is to be thought his funerall but the want thereof bereaued him not of his happie estate he died in the Lord and so was blessed 3 Sith therefore death bringeth with it our particular iudgement sith he that beleeueth on the sonne hath euerlasting life but he that beleeueth not on the sonne shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him Let vs liue as we will die and die as they that hope to rise againe and liue with Christ hereafter As euerie man departeth hence so shall he be iudged at the last daie And Euerie man shall sleepe with his owne cause and with his owne cause rise againe At our particular death is our particular iudgement at the glorious comming of Christ shall bee the generall reuelation of the iudgement of the whole world After this life there is no helpe remaining to the dead to the liuing there is mercie offered to the deade there remaineth onely iudgement He that is not purged heere shall be iudged as filthie there 4 Vaine therefore and dangerous is the opinion of Purgatorie Vaine because it hath no foundation at all in Gods woord Moses prescribing all kindes of sacrifices in the old Lawe maketh no mention either of sacrificing or praying for the dead Paul instructing the Thessalonians what they ought to doe in funerals neither doeth remember vnto them sacrifice nor praier Iust Simeon neuer dreamed of Purgatorie when as he saide Lorde now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace according to thy word Small peace is there in Purgatorie as Papists report It neuer came into Saint Pauls minde when he said I desire to depart hence and to be with Christ. It was not reuealed to the Angell when he said Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord they rest from their labours There is no rest but intollerable paine imagined in Purgatorie euen to them which die in the Lord. Neither Lazarus not the rich man were acquainted with it the one was immediately caried into heauen the other cast into hel He which said to theefe This day thou shalt be with me in Paradise knewe onely two waies the straite way to heauen the broade way to hell hee who knewe all things was ignorant of this third way For there is no such waie to knowe This opinion is perilous The hope of helpe in Purgatorie hath sent many deceiued soules into hell This opinion is iniurious to the bloud of Christ. For if any sinne remaine to bee purged by these after paines then The bloud of Christ doth not cleanse vs from all sinne and then â—e make God a lyer It destroieth repentance without which there is no remission of sinnes here and with which satisfaction for sins afterward cannot stand For faith and repentance cease with this life He that hath not his pardon heere deceiueth himselfe if he hope to haue it hereafter elsewhere Euery man after life shal beare his owne burthen as euerie man hath wrought in his bodie There commeth nothing to the spirits of them that bee dead but that which they wrought while they were aliue Worke thou righteousnesse before thy death for in the graue it is too late And thus it doth appeare that although the vse of funerals be auncient and that for good causes they are
conscience sake pay this debt of true obedience in all lawfull causes to their lawfull magistrate 7 Let the magistrate pay vnto the people the debt which he oweth them The debt of the magistrate is the iust execution of lawfull punishment against transgressors The sword is deliuered vnto him for that purpose neither is any open transgression of any kinde whether it concerne the first or second table of the lawe of God or any man of any calling bee hee Prophet or Priest exempted from this iudgement Salomon deposed Abiathar the high Priest Iehu slewe the false Prophets Elias the Baalites This sword is giuen of God to magistrates to execute iust iudgement against all sinnes and all sinners and this part of debt is to be paide It is also a part of the magistrates debt to giue vpright sentence in matters of controuersie betweene parties For which cause the Poets faine Iustice to carie a sword in the one hand and a balance in the other to kill sinne with the one and with the other to weie litigious and controuersed causes 8 Such as are magistrates to whom the deciding of causes punishing offences is committed should be chosen out of al the people the best and fittest men for their wisedome and courage their religion and heartie affection to the truth and for the hatred which they beare to couetousnesse For this is no office for a foole and he that feareth not God will shewe partialitie he that loueth not the truth will iustifie the wicked and condemne the innocent he that hateth not couetousnesse will take rewards and be corrupted with bribes as the sonnes of Ely which receiued gifts with the one hand and with the other peruerted iudgement The eyes euen of the wise are blinded herewithall Feare also affection and commiseration with desire to please men are great hurts vnto iustice Pilate for feare of Caesar gaue sentence against Christ For feare of displeasing a man on earth hee murthered the king and God of heauen Whom monie cannot corrupt affection will carie away it is the cutthroate of al iustice the people daily both feele it and rue it Pitie or commiseration made Iosua spare the miserable Gabionites contrarie to the expresse commaundement of God Desire to please caused Pilate to send Iesus ouer vnto Herod who together with his band despised and mocked him It caused Herode to imbrue his hands in the Baptists bloud It causeth many euen against the light of their owne consciences to iustifie the wicked and condemne the man whom they finde innocent Such doe very ill discharge the debt which they owe vnto their brethren 9 The minister is also a debtor to the people committed to his charge I am a debtor saith the Apostle both to Greekes and Barbarians to learned vnlearned The pastor is a debtor vnto his flock to feed it so much as in him lyeth to feed it both spiritually corporally spiritually by life and doctrine corporally with hospitality according to his abilitie Woe be to that pastor y t paieth not this debt For if the flocke perish for want of food al y t perishing bloud shal be required at his hands A hard reckoning for him to answere a sharp punishmēt to sustain for not answering 10 The flocke is indebted to their pastor to honour and to reuerence him as their father to heare him as their schoolemaster to obey and submit themselues vnto him as to one whom God hath set ouer them for to rule them to obserue his wholesome precepts to followe him in life as hee followeth Christ to loue him and to minister necessaries vnto him for his conuenient sustentation All this debt is set downe in the scriptures and God requireth paiment of it 11 The husband doeth owe vnto his wife due beneuolence tender and faithfull loue prouision for things needefull and honest wise gouernement good instruction protection custodie and honour The wife is indebted vnto her husband to honour him to loue him to obey him to learne of him to be gouerned by him to liue vnder him in silence with all subiection to ease him in the orderly nurturing of his children and the wise gouerning of his house to be not onely an helpe but a credit vnto him by her keeping home by her industrie and painefulnesse by her sober holie and discreete behauiour The master oweth to his seruaunt meate wages correction instruction The seruant to his master honour obedience faithfull seruice and whatsoeuer he is able by labour to performe 12 Euerie man is to his neighbour a debtor not onely of that which himselfe boroweth but of whatsoeuer his neighbour needeth a debtor not onely to pay that he oweth but also to lende that he hath and may conueniently spare to lend I say according to the rule of Christ Lend looking for nothing thereby And your reward shall be much you shall be the sonnes of the most high So that these ouerpaiments the vsurie which hath spoiled and eaten vp many the canker of the common wealth is vtterly both forbidden to man and abhorred of God To bargaine for leade graine or leases with such as haue neither leade graine nor lease to pay neither any such matter meant but onely vnlawfull gaine of monie the partie to forfeit his obligation because hee neither can nor meaneth such paiment and the lender not content to receiue lesse aduantage than thirtie at the hundred this is but a patched cloake to couer this vile sinne withall Whatsoeuer thou receiuest vpon condition or by what meanes soeuer thou receiuest more than was lent thou art an vsurer towards thy brother and God will be a reuenger against thee Hee whom thou shouldest obey if thou wilt be saued doth in expresse words command thee not to lend thy monie for vsurie If thou lend monie to my people to the poore with thee thou shalt not be as an vsurer vnto him If thy brother be impouerished and fallen into decaie thou shalt relieue him and as a stranger or soiournour so shall he liue with thee And againe Thou shalt not giue to vsurie to thy brother vsurie of monie vsurie of meate vsurie of any thing that is put to vsurie This woord of God man cannot dispence withall and it shall not returne in vaine If it cannot be a conuerting commaundement it shall bee a confounding iudgement The reasons of men for vsurie must giue place to the precept of God against it What man art thou that wilt bee wiser than thy maker Hath God condemned it and darest thou defend it Is it in his iudgement iniurious and doeth thy censure thinke it equall Hath he seene reason to prohibite it and doest thou see reason why thou maist vse it Such reasons with the makers and vsers of them the Lords iustice shal destroie And yet in truth all reason and the verie Lawe of nature is against it all Nations at all times haue condemned it
conceits of man These and such like were their faults as may appeare in the life of king Achas in whose time and raigne the prophecie was written The people vnable to gainesay so manifest a truth were forced to pleade guiltie and to acknowledge their offences and therefore went about to seeke out meanes howe to pacifie Gods wrath and to satisfie for their sinnes and being doubtful by what meanes or with what sacrifice to please God and appease his anger enquireth Wherewith shall I come before the Lord The Prophet Micheas directeth the doubtfull minds of the people in this behalfe and saith He hath shewed thee O man what is good what the Lord requireth of thee Thus in fewe ye see the occasion of these wordes which I haue taken in hand to expound vnto you 2 And it shall not be vnprofitable with like breuitie to applie the circumstances to vs and to our times If God should in like case contend in iudgement with vs the Lawe would accuse vs heauen and earth would beare witnesse against vs and our owne consciences would condemne vs. For great and manifolde are Gods mercies towardes vs and wee render nothing againe but meere and extreme ingratitude What haue I doone to thee or wherein haue I greeued thee saith the Lord 3 God hath not enuied vs he oweth vs nothing but hee giueth vs much he hath not beene greeuous vnto vs but mercifully considered of vs. He hath kept promise with vs and performed his woord though wee haue neglected our faith towardes him We haue often tasted of his bountifull goodnesse of vs altogether vndeserued Policarpus beeing required by an Infidell Iudge to blaspheme Christ made this answere Fourescore and sixe yeres haue I serued him neither did he once harme mee in any thing howe then can I blaspheme my king that hath saued me We cannot charge our iust God with any wrong our gratious Lorde with any vnkindenesse towardes vs but must with Policarpus euer acknowledge his vnspeakeable mercie and exceeding goodnesse For as he bestowed vpon his people the Israelites sundrie great benefites so hath he blessed vs with the like or greater God with a mightie arme hath deliuered vs out of Egypt from the tyrannie of Pharao not onely out of the cheines and deadly thraldome of Satan and sinne by the death and bloud of Iesus Christ our redeemer but also out of the seruile bondage of the great Pharao though lesser than the former the Romish Antichrist who villanously bereaued vs of our spirituall libertie robbed vs of that inestimable treasure the woorde of God and oppressed vs with the intollerable burthen of vnprofitable labours trained vs vp in ignorance forced vs in Idolatrie and superstition the waies to hel to seeke our safetie and euerlasting life But God in his mercie hath remembred vs to doe vs good and to worke our deliuerance of bondslaues to make vs freemen of the children of darkenesse to make vs the sonnes of light in him and to restore vs to the comfortable freedome of conscience by the gratious libertie of the Gospell God hath also blessed vs with good magistrates hee hath not onely giuen vs his sonne Christ the Prince of his people who by offering vp himselfe a sacrifice for our sinnes procured vnto vs free remission of them but hath also blessed vs with worthie rulers vnder him which gouerne in equitie and syncerely seeke the glorie of God He hath giuen vs Moses our Soueraigne a prudent and a gentle magistrate who seeketh not reuenge but beareth with the muttering of the people yea with the rebellious Dathan and Abiron choosing rather to put vp any tollerable wrong than to see the ruine and subuersion of men though they seeke it themselues He hath also giuen vs Aaron and Miriam Priests and Prophets to minister vnto vs the heauenly bread the foode of our soules the woord of God the Sacraments of Christ and that most faithfully and syncerely without changing or mingling And as I said of late in this place so I say againe England hath at no time heretofore beene blessed with so many and so faithfull preachers of Gods woord Surely God mindeth your saluation in that he so plentifully offereth vnto you the woord of saluation Nor that onely but therewithall peace plentie and rest such as our fathers neuer tasted of in their ages 4 Which mercies and blessinges powred vpon vs in so great measure should in reason enforce vs to praise him our God and to serue him in true holinesse all the daies of our life from the fountaine of whose vnspeakeable goodnesse we haue receiued them The Israelites their strange deliuerance out of Egypt their good Magistrates their manifold blessings benefites and graces notwithstanding were found vnthankefull And if God shall enter into iudgement with vs and throughly examine vs as one day he will may we not be accused and shall wee not bee found guiltie of the like ingratefull crime Haue wee not a longing as they had vnto that from which the Lorde hath deliuered vs in great mercie God hath blessed vs with both magistrates and ministers of great valewe but so thankefull are we to him and to them his seruauntes that wee can easilie abuse both mutter against the one and despise the other neither is obeyed neither reuerenced according to the woorde and will of GOD. But such as cannot away with Samuell God in his wrath shall giue them a Saul and such as mislike of the true preacher shalbe rewarded with a false Prophet The word is loathed men are full of the Gospell and of many it is professed without all fruite wee shall therefore hunger for this bread seeke it and not finde it in the stead heereof wee shall surfet vpon the fruite of our owne desires yea God in his iustice shall take his word from vs and giue it to a people that will bring foorth better fruites and more woorthie of so pretious a blessing Thus truely considering our case entring into iudgement with God we must with the Israelites pleade guiltie and as professe his mercies so confesse our faults 5 The guiltie Israelites sought meanes howe to satisfie for their sinnes Their meanes were to sacrifice to God and to offer vp calues rammes and goates yea some haue not shrunke to powre the bloud of their owne children vpon the altar as Moab who offered vp his eldest sonne to pacifie the wrath of God when in battell he was beseeged and brought into straights Euen by like meanes when our conscience hath accused vs of sin many haue sought to make satisfaction to God for it some haue sought remission of sinnes in a great number of praiers vttered in a strange tongue without either sense or zeale neither made in faith nor charitie procuring hatred in Gods sight while they looked to be heard by their much babling Some haue sought to pacifie God by hearing and buying of many Masses wherin God was blasphemed and fowle Idolatrie
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
shall be as one that robbeth and hee that selleth as one that stealeth They bought and solde in the temple this Christ condemneth Yet beholde what a beautifull colour they had set vpon their wicked practises to make them seeme allowable before mē For of the iudgement of God they made no account It is written in the Law Thou shalt eate before the Lord thy God in the place which he shall choose to cause his name to dwell there the tithe of thy corne of thy wine and of thine oyle and the first borne of thy kine and of thy sheepe that thou maist learne to feare the Lord thy God alway And if the way bee too long for thee so that thou art not able to carie it because the place is farre from thee where the Lorde thy God shall choose to set his name when the Lord thy God shall blesse thee then shalt thou make it in monie and take the monie in thine hand and goe vnto the place which the Lorde thy God shall choose and thou shalt bestowe the monie for whatsoeuer thine heart desireth shalt eat it there before the Lord thy God and reioice both thou and thine housholde Vnder pretense of prouiding that according to this lawe men which dwelt farre off might alwaies at their comming to the temple haue sacrifices there and offerings in a readinesse to present before the Lord their couetous humor fed it selfe vpon the people without all feare of God without any reuerence at all of his sanctuarie May they not iustly be termed Theeues who pretending thus to serue the Lord in his sacrifices robbed and spoiled him in his Saintes No doubt Ierusalem had shee knowen the things which belonged to her peace would haue blest the houre wherein the Lorde of the house came to ease that holy place of so intollerable burthens to rid his temple of so noisome filth 9 Now because the roote from whence these abuses and corruptions grewe was the setled wickednesse wherewith the hearts both of the priests and people were possest therefore wee may without swaruing from the true intent of this historie take occasion heere to note some speciall pollutions of the mysticall Temple of GOD which is his Church and to shewe the great necessitie of remoouing them Wherein as the present occasion of our assemblie at this time requireth I will especially touche such as properly belong to that part of the Church which hath the spirituall regiment of the other This therefore is the principall matter which now we haue to obserue in the fact of our Lord and master Christ that if in visiting our temples wee finde them possessed with wicked pastors they are not there to bee suffered the rodde of seueritie must whippe them out Who bee good sheepeheardes and who be theeues it is soone discerned yee shall knowe them by their fruites 10 Vnto good pastors our Sauiour opposeth hirelings theeues and robbers shewing also the difference betweene the one and the other The good sheepeheard loueth his flocke intirely it grieueth him not to powre out his verie soule for their sakes he gathereth them as Lambes into his armes carieth them in his bosome and kindely intreateth them Contrarywise the hireling careth not for the sheepe he beareth a sterne and a stonie heart towards them And as their inward affections are farre different so their outward actions are much vnlike whether we looke vpon their entring into their function or their dealing after they are entred 11 The true sheepeheard goeth in by the dore to him the porter openeth He taketh not this honour vnto himselfe but expecteth a calling from God as Aaron did hee breaketh not in by violence but waiteth till the porter open vnto him till they giue him entrance to whom Christ hath giuen power and authoritie to ordeine But theeues and robbers clime vp another way they winde in themselues by vnlawful meanes with monie they purchase the roomes which they occupie in the Church of Christ. Thus did Menelaus get the priesthoode from Iason at the handes of the king by giuing three hundred talents of siluer more than the other albeit hee had nothing in himselfe woorthie of the high priesthood but bare the stomacke of a cruel tyrant and the wrath of a wilde beast Thus Leo the tenth Innocentius the eighth Siluester the third two Gregories the sixt and the twelfth yea the most part of the Bishops of Rome for many yeeres haue obteined their popedomes Thus doe their Cardinals Bishops and Prelates thus doe their clergie euen to this day And I would to God this were onely their fault A thing both condemned by the commendable Lawes decrees and constitutions of sundrie Councels and also by the blessed Apostle S. Peter so grieuously accursed in him whose heart was first therewith infected that in the whole bodie of the sacred Scripture a note of the like indignation conceiued against any other sinne as I am perswaded can scarcely be found For why If they which bought and solde but the beasts of the field and birds of the aire doues sheepe and oxen in the place which God had sanctified to himselfe were therefore termed by a name that declareth their dealings to haue beene as much abhorred in his sight as if they had spent all the daies of their life in theft robberie how can we think any bitternesse of speeche or sharpnesse of punishment too great for so extreme licētiousnes as theirs that make sale of the cure of soules that bargain for the gifts of the holie Ghost For so they are The making of Bishops the bestowing of benefices the presēting instituting and inducting of pastors the placing of teachers guides and ouerseers in the Church is and should be accounted the very work of the holie Ghost Attend saith S. Paul take heed to your selues and to the whole flocke wherein the holie Ghost hath placed you Bishops to rule the Church of God which hee hath purchased with his owne bloud Whosoeuer therfore be the man that presumeth to staine a thing so holie with the execrable filth of indirect dealing of buying selling couenanting bargaining either for monie or monie worth may it not as iustly bee saide to him as to Magus Thy monie perish with thee because thou thinkest that the gift of God may be obteined with monie Thou hast neither part nor fellowship in this buisinesse for thine heart is not right in the sight of GOD I counsel them with S. Peter that are in the gall of this bitternesse and in the bonds of this iniquitie betime to repent them of their wickednesse and to praie vnto God that if it bee possible the thoughts of their hearts may be forgiuen them 12 It is a true saying Vix bono peraguntur exitu quae malo sunt inchoata principio Thinges ill begun are not commonly well ended neither are their proceedings likely to be good whose beginnings are so greatly out of order They which enter
not into the temple as did Aaron wil hardly behaue themselues in the house of the Lord as Aaron did Iason obteined a superioritie in the Church by monie But howe behaued he himselfe in this his purchased function Began he not immediatly to drawe his brethren to the customes of the Gentiles Did hee not by and by change their Lawes and policies and bring vp newe statutes contrarie to their Lawe As the good sheepeheard entring in at the doore when he is entred guideth his sheepe as Dauid in the discretion of his hands feedeth them carefully with wholesome doctrine walketh in all vprightnesse of holie and vndefiled conuersation before them so he that climeth vp an other way after hee hath gotten himselfe in seeketh nothing but to steale kil and destroie The theefe commeth not but to steale to kill and to destroie Hee hath no other ende or purpose 13 The onely thing that should be desired by the pastor is the weale and benefite of his flocke For if the marke whereat wee shoote be but to make our commoditie by the Gospell of Iesus Christ wherein doe we differ from theeues and robbers Is not our intent and purpose the very selfesame with theirs Wherefore S. Peters exhortation is Feede the flocke of God caring for it not for filthie lucre but of a readie minde If a man haue al knowledge in so much that he be able to speake with tongues yea and to prophecie yet if the thing for which he laboureth be his owne gaine if he vse this vocation than which nothing is more pretious and holie onely as a way or trade to liue by whatsoeuer hee receiueth with such a minde he stealeth rather than receiueth it This is that whereof the Lorde complaineth so grieuously by his Prophets The priests teache for hire the prophets prophecie for monie yet will they leane vpon the Lord and say Is not the Lord among vs And againe These sheepeheards cannot vnderstand they all looke to their owne way euerie one for his aduantage and for his owne purpose Moses blessing Leuie before his death saith first They shall teache Iacob thy iudgements and Israel thy Lawe they shall put incense before thy face and then addeth Blesse O Lord his substance accept the worke of his hands As if he should haue saide So long as Leuie and his sonnes doe not seeke their owne commoditie but thy glorie thou art righteous and canst not forget to prouide in large maner both for them and theirs As indeede till the men of that sacred order tooke fleshhookes in their hands and sought to better their estate by force til they became like to greedie mastiues rauening curres who euer sawe the Leuite of the Lord forsaken or the sonne of the Leuite begging his bread So likewise the Church of GOD was neuer spoiled till her pastors were ouercarefull to be inriched In the prime and first appearing of Christian religion as long as that heroicall contempt of earthly things continued in the guides and leaders of the people what heapes of worldly treasure were brought and laide downe euen at their feete Men thought themselues to performe nothing worthie of that profession into which they were entred vnlesse they sold away their lands goods and possessions and gaue al to make thē rich by whose meanes thēselues were become righteous The contrarie to which affection as in other parts of the Christian world so in this also hath taken such roote and is growen nowe so strong that God may iustly charge vs as sometime he did his owne people saying Ye haue spoiled me euen this whole Nation If therefore we be grieued as who is not grieued to see the hauocke that is made of the Church of GOD let vs change our earthly and worldly affection that he may change the condition of his Church God is no puruey or for theeues and robbers Let vs in synceritie and in truth heartily and in deede despise our own gaine for his glorie and prooue him if hee will not rebuke these deuourers for our sakes 14 The next thing which Christ obserueth in theeues is this they destroie the flocke and make as litle conscience to kill as to steale They kill not the bodies but the soules of men The life of the soule is the word of truth wherein whosoeuer hath taken vpon him to instruct the flocke of Christ and either cannot or wil not doe it what doth he else but kil and destroie Moses speaking of the obedience of Israel to the Lawes and statutes of their God This is saith he your wisedome But howe came Israel by that wisedome Did they naturally knowe the Lord as beasts doe naturally knowe their dammes No The Lord said vnto me saith Moses Gather the people together and I wil cause them to heare my woordes that they may learne to feare me all the daies that they shall liue vpon the earth and that they may teache their children So they came neere and stoode vnder the mountaine and were taught of God which spake vnto them out of the midst of the fire Thus God taught Israel then Afterward he raised vp prophets among them of their owne brethren and they were taught by men like vnto themselues Neither hath God at any time ceased and left off but from the beginning of the world to this verie houre he hath giuen men knowledge by instruction and saued his elect by teaching Can not God then giue wisedome from aboue without a teacher Yes God is able to mainteine the life of man without bread But why doe we talke of his absolute power when his wil is that Cornelius be taught by Peter Lydia by Paul Paul by Ananias the Eunuch by Philip euerie soule that is wise in the doctrine of saluation by Apostles Prophets Euangelists teachers appointed for the gathering together of the Saints for the worke of the ministerie and for the edification of the bodie of Christ. As therefore he that wil liue must eate so he that will bee saued must haue a teacher Wherefore when the Lorde meant a blessing to his people hee made them this promise I will giue you pastors according to my heart which shall feede you with knowledge and vnderstanding When their pastors were voide of knowledge and vnderstanding this was euer a token that their ruine and destruction was at hande Come nowe saith the prophet all ye beasts of the field come to deuoure euen all the beasts of the forrest this people cannot continue nowe they must needes perish for their watchemen are all blinde they haue no knowledge they are all dumme dogges and cannot barke they lie asleepe and delight in sleeping We are vnworthie of our liues if we doe not acknowledge the woonderfull blessing of God in our ministerie at this day For howsoeuer it bee debased by some yet is it so farre off God be thanked from the state of the Iewish Clergie in those daies that I am perswaded
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
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