whatsoeuer is not of faith is nothing but saying it is sin declareth that whatsoeuer thinges are not of faith they are not to be decided as good things but as vices rather which iustify not the doers of them but rather do condemne them When the scripture therefore saythe in this place Euerye man shall receaue according to that which he hath done in other places that euery man shalbe rewarded accordinge to that whiche hee hath doone that manner of speaking is not ment of the merite of oure dooinges for that wee shoulde all be rewarded with euerlasting damnation and hell fier but that we shall receiue and be euerie man rewarded according to the testimonye of that which hee hath done bearing witnesse of our faith with vs or of want of sayth against vs. If that which we haue done proceede of faith then doth God accept it and impute it to vs for a good woorlie not in respect of the woorke it selfe or for our sakes or for oure faythe sake but for Iesus Christes sake in whome he is well pleased and in whose name we do it and he doth accept it and in mercie reward it Now we are to consider that the Apostle saith Euery inan shall receiue according to his well doing so likewise Euery man that hath doone euil shall receiue according to his doing ill whiche must not be 〈◊〉 conâ—â—ued of vs as though man at the laÌ„tter iudgement shoulde receiue onely according to that ill whiche hee hath done and not aunswere at all nor receiue anye punishnent for that ill whiche hee hath spoaken For I tell you saith our sauioure Christ a man shall giue accompte for euerye euell woorde Quid ost in omni vit a nostra cutus nos minus rationis habeamus quam verborum what is there in the whole course of our life whereof we haue lesse regard then of oure wordes and therefore in what daunger stand we before God if we shal aunswere euery idell woorde wherein we haue offended before men Or if we shall aunswere euery idle worde Alas how shall we answere euery idell word If we must answere euery idell woorde how shall we answer euery lying word euery blasphemous word euery flandorous worde Or if wee cannot answere our idell words how shall we answere of one idell deedes and time mispent Or if we caÌ„not answere our idel deedes how shal we be able to susteine the punishment which we must receiue for our il deedes Heere we may all crye out and appeale from God his iustice and oure deseruings to his mercie Enter not into iudgement with thy seruants O lorde for no flesh is righteus in thy sight and haue mercie vppon me O God not according to my merites but according to the mercie doe awaye my offences c. For otherwise we must all prepare our selues to taste of the reward of sinne which be our sinne neuer so light or littell committed in thought woorde or deede is death of bodye and death of soule to euery one according to that which he hath done Vppon the vngodlye shall come snares fier brimstone stormie tempest this shalbe their portion to drinke The Prophet vseth many words wher of euery one may seeme more greeuous then other to teache vs that the greater shalbe the punishment which the sinner shal receiue according to that which he saith in the second chapter to the Romaines that the impenitent presumptious sinner doth heap vp wrath to himself c. as who should saye God will heape damnation vpon his head in life to come as he hath heaped one sinne vppon an other in this life not that there are many helles or many siers in bell but that the iustice of God re quireth to measure out y â— grieuousnes of their punishment accor to the grieuousnes of their sines vt et ignem non dissimilem habeant tamen eosdem singulos exurat that not hauing a diuerse fire yet euery one to be tormented the same w t fire euen as we feel in our do dies wheras many stand together in the sun the sun hath like power of them all alike yet doe they not all feele the like heat but some feele it hotter then other some euery man according to the complexion and constitution of his body Euen so according to the quality of his sinne shall euerye man receaue his punishment And therefore in the daye of iudgement it shall hee easie for Sodome and Gomortha then for those Cities Townes and persons which haue hard remission of sinnes preached in the name of Iesus yet haue not repented For the seruant that knew his maisters wil and did it not shalbe beaten with many stripes If that reuerend and childish feare of God therefore cannot win vs to eschue euill and do good yet let this seruile and slauishe feare the feare of punishement staie vs and make vs a fraide to perseuer in our ill least accordinge to the greeuousnes of the same in oure soules at last we reseaue double damnation in our bodyes For although euery man so sone as the soule and body are parted by death hath his particular iudgement and receiueth in his soul which presently mounteth either to heauen or is carryed to hell the rewarde of ioye or paine which either thorough sinne he hath deserued or the Lorde in merrye doth freely giue him yet doth he nor receiue the same in body which remayneth in the graue til the generall resurrection and iudgement of all flesh at what time the bodye shall be vnited to the soule and be made partaker of the same euerlasting ioyes in heauen or eternall torments in hell as it was partaker with the bodye in sin vpon earth If any man therfore aske wherefore and what there should neede to be a second iudgement since euerie man hath his iudgement already I answere out of the Apostle that euery man may receaue in his body that which hee hath already receaued in his soule Lâ—â— vs forbeare therefore to iudge of 〈…〉 mens sinnes to looke into other mens liues and either euery man that calleth vpon the name of the Lorde depart from iniquity and learne to amend him selfe For euery man shall receaue accordinge to that which he hath done in his body I shall not receaue accordinge to that which thou haste done in thy bodye nor thou shalt not receaue according to that which I haue done in my bodye but I according to that which I haue done in my bodye and thou according to that which thou 〈◊〉 done in thy body and so forth euery maÌ„ according to that which he hath done in his own bodye That soule that hath sinned that soule shall dye the death Though the father haue eaten sowre grapes the childrens teeth shall not be set on edge The sonne shall not beare the fathers iniquity nor the fathers beare the sonnes The righteousnes of the righteous shall be vppon him the wickednes of the wicked vpon him
A godlie Sermon of repentaunce and amendment of life togeather with the accompt which we must render at the day of iudgement Preached at the Rolles Church in London the second of Maye and taken out of the fifth Chapter of Saint Paule his Epistle to the Corrinthians Cor. 5. vers 10. We must all appeare before the iudgement seat of Christe that euery man maye receiue the thinges which are done in his bodye according to that which he hath done whether it bee good or euill AT LONDON Printed by Thomas Purfoote and are to be sold at his shop right ouer against S. Sepulchers Church 1585. A Sermon preached at the Rolles Church in London the 2. of Maye beeing Sondaye taken out of the 5. Chapter of S. Paule his second Epistle to the Corinthians verse 10. The Text. We must all appeare before the iudgement seat of Christe that euery man maye receiue the thinges which are done in his bodye according to that which he hath done whether it bee good or euill THe holye Apostle at such time as he wrote this Epistle to the Corinthians beeing persecuted for the testimonye of his conscience and the profession of the glorious Gospell of Iesus Christe protesteth solempnely that the troubles which bee suffered in his bodye did not onelye not discourage him nor cause him to faint but eyther That they did adde zealo and 〈…〉 causing him to continue constaune in his calling and to account those afflitions but tuomentary light in respect of that most excellent and eternall weight of glorye wherewith all in the end he knew he shoulde be crowned the earnest desire whereof caused him to sigh and grone in spirite that he might shortly be losed out of his body and cloathed with his house which the Lord had prepared for him in heauen not that be thought hee coulde preuent the time which the Lord in his secret counsel had already determined For he knew that the Dayes of man surely are determined and that his number of monethes are knowne of God who hath appoynted him his boundes which can not goe beyonde but we know sayth he that if our earthly house of that tabernacle bee destroyed wee haue a buildinge giuen of GOD that is a house not made with handes but eternall in the heauens beeing absent from the Lord whileste we are at hoame in this body Howbeit whether it be the Lord his good wil and pleasure that we shall stil dwell at home in the bodye or remooue from home out of this bodye and dwell wich him we endeuour our selues that we may be found acceptable in his sight at all times and in all places Whereof he giueth this reason For we must all appeare c. Exhorting al men both by his example and doctrine in life to meditate of death in prosperitie to feare aduersitie in the day of mercye to thinke of the daye of iudgement and so to liue in their seuerall callinges as to remember they must giue account of their callinges so to vse the benefites and blessinges of God as not forgetting from whence they haue them and when they muste resigne them according to that counsell of the wise man Remember thy ende That is the certaintie of thy ende the vncertain howre of thy ende the rewarde thou shalt receaue at thy ende the place of ioye or payne that thou must goe to at thy end In all thy doinges remember these thinges and thoâ—â—â—â— shalâ— neuer doe amisse For what causeth such losenes of life in all sortes but the forgetfulnes of death in all sortes What causeth the wicked alwayes to presume of God his mercye but the contempt of his iustice What causeth such generall security in sinne but the generall obliuion of the reward of sinne Whereas if we did alwayes remember our particular endes and our generall iudgements it would cause vs to walke more circumspectly in our callinges which more care of conscience and greater consideration of all our actions which one day must be brought to iudgment To this ende doth the Apostle preach of the daye of iudgement in this place putting vs in remembraunce of three thinges necessary to be thought of and considered of all men before that tyme. 1 First who and what they are whiche must appeare at that day 2 Secondarily where and before whom they must appeare 3 Thirdly to what ende they must appeare If you aske who they are which must appeare at that daye the Apostle saithe All. If you aske where and before whome those All must appeare the Apostle aunswereth Before the iudgement seate of Christ If you aske to what ende those All must appeare before the iudgement seate of Christ the Apostle doth aunswere To receaue euery man according to that which he hath done in his body whether it c. The first part TOuching the substaunce of that doctrine which here is deliuered by the Apostle it was prophesied long since by S. Peter that towards the letter end of the world this doctrine of the generall iudgement and resurrection of all flesh should of all other to the opinions of the wicked seeme most absurd ridiculous and foolish There shall come in the last dayes mockers saith he which will walke after their lustes and saye where is the promise of his comming For since the Fathers dayed all thinges continue a like from the beginning of the creation He termeth the despisers and contemners of this doctrine mockers he saith the dais they shal liue in shalbe the last the manner how they shall mocke it will appeare both in their liues and speeches in their liues for that they shall not walke after the lawes of God but after the lawes of their fleshe fulfilling the lustes therof as prophane and rechles persons void of al godlines and giuen ouer to all sinne and iuniquirye In speeches not ashamed to profes that they beleue nothing lesse then that that should be performed which is promised in the scriptures concerning the comming of Christ in iudgement The reason that moue them to thinke and say so is the obseruation of nature his constant course in all the workes and creatures of God continuing in y e same state wherein they were first created withoute any alteration or chaunge in any of them as those great lights the sunne and the Moone obseruing their vsuall and ordinarye time of their vprising and downe sitting according to the seuerall seales and tymes of the yeare the one ruling and giuing light to the daye the other in the night the starrs remaining firme and fixed as lightes in the firmament of heauen where they were firste planted in the beginning to diuide y e day and the night and to bee as signes and seasons for daies and yeares the earth being vnremooueable vnder our feete bringing forth budde and greene hearbe apt to seede and fruitfull trees euerye one yeilding fruites after his kinde and all these together with the beasts of the
haue beene brent and consumed to ashes slayne in fieldes and veuoured of wild beastes or corne in peeces with vermine or which haue miscarried on the seas they thinke it impossible that those bodies should be brought againe But that which is impossible to man is possible with God al is one with him whether the sea hath receaued vs or lande the Church or the Chancel earth or water and as easie it is for him to raise vp our bodies out of the earth sea or land as it was easie for him at the firste of nothing to make vs something and with the breath of his spirite to breath into vs a liuing soule which before were boyde of life Dost â—oe thou see it is possible for thee being but a man and the creatour of God to strike ster out of the harde flint where before thou flindest it it may seeme impossible to haue fier And why shouldest thou thinke it were impossible thy creator and maker which hath giuen that nature to the stone that power to thee himselfe hauing greater power to raise thy body out of y e dust water or cinders seeing at first he gaue thee thy bodye Those that finde not them selues thus satisfied with the consideration of the omnipotent power of God but requyre to be further satisfied with reason the apostle saith there are fooles mad men as thaugh he should say the resurrectioÌ„ of the body is either to be beleeued that it shalbe then to be reasoned vpon how it can be they but fooles madd men that will stand reasoning about it when they are bound simply to beleue it Nay he that will call in question euery kind of doctrine in the scriptures wherof he cannot conceaue or giue a reason maye chaunce to doubt of the highest points of a christian mans faith and religion For what reson in there that there should be one and one three as that the Father shoulde be God the sonne God and the holye Ghoste God yet not three Gods but one God a trinity in vnity and an vnitye in trinitye What reason is there that a Virgine shoulde conceiue with childe beare a childe and yet after her conception and birth remain a pure and vndefiled virgine stil What reason is there that a man deade buried laid in his graue three daies should rise again aliue Or what is he that baring the name of a Christian dare denye or doubt of the truth of these thinges because he seeth not the reason of theÌ„ No God almighty his misteries are hid and inserchable not to be construed by reason but conceiued by faith And we are taught in the scriptures bound to beleeue many things whereof our reason can conceiue but few I come to the lord his table who hath hidden me vnder the signe of bread wine to receiue his bodye and drincke his bloud and I doe nothing doubt but he doth truly offer him selfe to me and I do truely receiue him Howbeit if anye man aske me how hee beeing in heauen shoulde be receiued in earth I aunswere as Maister Caluine De modo si quis me interrogat fateri me non pudebit sublimius esse attamen quam vt vel meo ingenio comprehendi vel enarrari verbis queat atque vt apertius dicam experior magis quam intelligam Itaque veritatem dei in qua acquiescere tuti licet hic sine controuersia amplector That is If anye man aske me of the maner howe Christe is present in the Sacrament I will not shame to confesse that it is a higher mistery than can either bee conceiued with my wit or expressed with my tongue and to speake more plainely I rather feele it then vnderstande it And therefore in this poynt I doe willinglye embrace God his truth wherein I doe safely rest stay So for the resurrection of the dead though I see no reason in it or that the reason is hid from me yet I doe acknowledge it to be an article of my Christian faith and therefore do vndoubtedly beleeue that the spirit of him that raysed Iesus from the dead shall raise my mortall and corruptible bodye and that my bodie and all mens bodies throughe his omnipotente power and myght being so raised Must appeare before the iudgement seate of Christe c. But heere now leaste anye man shoulde thinke that among such a multitude as must then appeare it were possible for some to hide themselues from the presence of their iudge and so escape the seueritie of his sentence therefore the Apostle saith we shal not onely be summoned by the trumpe of the Lorde and so dismissed agayne but of necessitye We must ad appeare before him and can no waye hide our selues from him The worde Apparere that is appeare is very emphaticall in this place notinge vnto vs the appearaunce of the soule as the bodye the inwarde heart and conscience as well as the outward man And because the nature of the wicked is to promise themselues perpetuall impunitie of those simes before God whereof they can not bee detected before the world to confute and confound that vain hope of theirs the Apostle telleth them plainly they must then appeare Which importeth so much as if he should saye whereas we haue heere played the Hipocrites dissembled our selues and oure sinnes before men with a counterfaite show of vprightnes not beeing the same men before God in our consciences now we must haue the vizardes pulled of froÌ„ our faces and be vncased laid wide open to the whole world Euen as though our bodyes were ript in peeces for euerye man to view vs to looke ouer vs vnder vs round about vs and into vs. Naie either the verye heartes in our bodyes which now we 〈◊〉 count the most feereat partes of vs shal be so 〈◊〉 sought and searched into as if they were 〈◊〉 in smell peeres for euerye 〈…〉 and discerne the secreates thereof which now are onelye knowne to oure selues Let vs take herd therefore we be no bescher incouraged to bee 〈◊〉 for the 〈◊〉 of our 〈◊〉 or the 〈◊〉 〈…〉 of the place wherein we doe 〈◊〉 For how 〈…〉 we be in our selues or how 〈…〉 yet will our wickednesse one daye appeâ—â—â— when nothing can hide it Nothing so secreat but it shall 〈◊〉 Sayth Christ it is not alwayes reuealed as it is done but it shall be The wicked presumptuous sinner who 〈…〉 â—he world with his glosing speech and â—ocketh God with his abhominable lyfe thinking that his hipocrisie shall neuer be found out because it is not alwayes piâ—nished and detected of God But God by the Prophet telleth him an other caâ—e When thou sawest a theife thou diddest consent to him and haste bene partaker with the adulterers Thou hast let thy mouth speake wickednesse and with thy tongue thou hast set foorth deceit Thou sattest and spakest againste thy brother yea thou hast slaundered thy owne mothers sonne these thinge haste thou