seuen in due signification and right meaning taken for sacraments For in such sort as these are called sacramentes that is because they signifie some holy thing wee shall finde a great number of thinges which the godly learned Fathers haue called Sacramentes and yet I trow we must not holde them as sacraments ordeined to be kept and continued in the church for then shoulde there bee not seuen but seuenteene sacramentes S. Bernard calleth the washing of the Apostles feete a sacrament Ablutio pedum sacramentū est quotidianorum peccatorum The washing of feet is the Sacrament of daily sinnes So Leo calleth the crosse of Christ a sacramēt Crux Christi quae saluandis est impensa fidelibus sacramentū est exemplū The crosse of Christ which was giuē to saue the faithfull is both a Sacrament also an example Tertullian calleth the whole state of Christian faith Religionis Christianae Sacramentum The sacrament of Christian religion S. Hillary in diuers places saith Sacramentum orationis sacramentum esuritionis sacramentum sitis sacramentū fletus sacramentū scripturarū The sacramēt of praier the sacrament of fasting the sacramēt of thirst the sacrament of weeping the Sacramēt of the scriptures Thus much for the nūber that by the institutiō of Christ there are but two sacramēts as Cardinal Bessarion confesseth Haec duo sola Sacramenta in Euangelijs manifesté tradita legimus We reade that these two onely Sacraments were deliuered vs plainly in the Gospel I wil now speake briefly of the sacramentes in seueral leaue all idle vaine questions and onely lay open so much as is needful profitable for you to know Baptisme therefore is our regeneration or newe birth whereby wee are borne a new in Christ are made the sonnes of God heires of the kingdome of heauen it is a sacrament of the remission of sinnes and of that washing which we haue in the blood of Christ We are al borne the children of wrath and haue our part in the offence of Adam S. Paul saith By one man sinne entred into the world August saith Non dixit veniet super eum sed manet super eum Respexit originem c. Christ saide not it shal come vpon him but it abideth on him He had regard to our ofspring whē he saith the wrath of God abideth on him Vpon which when the Apostle also looked hee said and we our selues also were sometimes the children of wrath That which in Adam was imputed to his offence not to bee of nature is now in vs which are come of Adā become natural Therefore saith the Prophet Behold I was borne in iniquity and in sinn hath my mother conceiued me So y t we all haue cause to crie out mone with Saint Paule I see another law in my members rebelling against the law of my minde leading me captiue vnto the lawe of sinne whiche is in my members O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the bodye of this death Here of speaketh our sauiour That whiche is born of the flesh is flesh that which is borne of the spirite is spirite And for this cause saith he except a man bee borne of the water and the spirite hee cannot enter into the kingdome of God For this cause are infants baptized because they are borne in sinne and cannot become spirituall but by this newe birth of the water and the spirite They are the heires of the promise the couenaunt of Gods fauour is made vnto them God saide to Abraham I will establish my couenant betweene me and thee and thy seede after thee in their generations for an euerlasting couenaunt to be God vnto thee and to thy seede after thee Therefore saith the Apostle If the roote be holy so are the branches And againe The vnbeleeuing Husband is sanctified by the wife and the vnbeleeuing wife is sanctified by the Husbande else were your Children vncleane but now are they holy When the Disciples rebuked those that brought little Children to Christ that he might touch them he saide Suffer the little children to come vnto mee and forbid them not for of such is the kingdom of GOD. And againe Their Angelles alwaies beholde the face of my Father which is in Heauen The kingdome of Heauen is of such saieth Christ not onelie then of those but of other like infantes which shall bee in al times As God tooke the seede of Abraham to be partakers of the couenant whiche hee gaue to Abraham so hee appoynted that euerie man childe of eyght dayes olde shoulde bee circumcised And Abraham circumcised his sonne Isaac when he was eyght dayes old as God had commanded him May wee thinke that the promise of God hath an ende so that it reacheth not to our children Or might the children of the Iewes receiue the signe of the couenant and may not the children of the Christiās Whatsoeuer was promised to Abraham the same is also perfourmed vnto vs. Wee enioye the same blessinges and free priuiledge of Gods fauour Saint Paule to the Galathiās saith Know ye that they whiche are of faith are the children of Abraham Againe If yee bee Christs then are ye Abrahams seed heires by promise Nowe is the signe of the Couenaunt also chaunged and Baptisme is in steede of Circumcision as Saint Paule declareth and calleth them circumcised which are baptized In whome meaning Christe also yee are circumcised with circumcision made without handes by putting off the sinful bodie of the fleshe through the circumcision of Christ in that you are buried with him thorow baptisme Our Sauiour giueth charge to his Apostles to baptize all nations in the name of the Father and of the sonne and of the holy ghost The Apostles baptized not only such as professed their beliefe but whole housholdes The keeper of y ◠prisō was baptized with all that belonged vnto him So was Crispus the chiefe ruler of y ◠Synagogue his housholde and the housholde of Stephanas Infantes are a parte of the Churche of God they are the sheepe of Christ and belong to his flocke Why shoulde they not beare the marke of Christe they haue the promise of saluation Why should they not receiue the seale whereby it is confirmed vnto them they are of the felowshippe of the faithfull Augustine saith Vbi ponis paruulos non baptizatos profecto in numero credentium Where place you young children which are not yet baptised Verily in the number of them that beleeue Why then shoulde not they be partakers of the sacrament together with the faithfull And as the children of the faithfull by right ought to be baptized So such others also as were borne of vnbeleeuing parents and were aliants from the common wealth of Israel and were strangers from the couenant of promise and had no hope if they acknowledge the errour in which they liued and seeke
and I will confesse against my selfe my wickednes vnto y e Lord. Call to minde how you haue gotten your goods how you haue vsed thē whether you haue delighted in thē or put any confidence in thē Call to minde how you haue taken care for your Children seruantes if by your good meanes they haue bene nourtered in the feare of y t Lord. In these such other parts of your lyfe lay open your sinnes let them come forth before you acknowledge thē against yourselfe vnto the Lord say boldly because you may saye it truelye I am an vnprofitable seruant I haue not done that which I ought to haue done there is no good thinge dwellinge in mee the Law in my members hath preuailed agaynste the Lawe of my minde It can not bee but God wyl cast his eyes vpon you and wyl heare you and wil pardon the wickednes of your sinnes What wanteth in you to the fulnesse of righteousnesse is already satisfied in the rigeteousnes of Christ God hath saide and sworne As I liue saith the Lord God I desire not y e death of the wicked but y t the wicked turne from his way liue And againe if the wicked will returne from all his sinnes y t he hath cōmitted al his transgressions y t he hath committed thei shal not be mētioned vnto him The Lord is ful of compassion mercy For as high as the heauen is aboue the earth so great is his mercie towared them that feare hym As far as the East is frō the West so farre hath he remoued our sinnes frō vs. Christ himselfe saith God so loued the world y t he hath giuen his only begotten sonne that whosoeuer beleueth in him should not perish but haue life euerlasting And S. Paul god setteth out his loue toward vs seeing y t while we were yet sinners Christ died for vs much more thē being iustified by his blod we shalbe saued frō wrath through him Thus in time of sicknes are we put in minde to examine and view our sins to solace our selues in y t bloodshedding of Christ Farther he that is sicke is counsailed to call to minde what any man hath trespassed him to forgiue them because God is y e God of loue and if any man hate his brother hee abideth in death and we are commanded to saye forgiue vs our trespasses as we forgiue them that trespasse against vs if we doe forgiue men theyr trespasses our heauenly father will also forgiue vs. But if we do not forgiue men theyr trespasses no more wil our heauenly father forgiue vs our trespasses That so all we which are redeemed with one price by the precious blood of the vnspotted lambe may ioyne together as partakers of one inheritance and the children of one father and so goe forewarde to one glorie by one way and become al one in Iesus Christ our Lorde In this case the good father calleth his sonne vnto him and exhorteth him in this manner My sonne harken vnto mee these be the last words which I shal speake vnto thee Thou seest in me the weakenes and decay of flesh thou shalt be as I am now One passeth before another the worlde and the beauty thereof fade away and come to an ende Trust not the worlde it wil deceiue thee walke aduisedly knowe y t thou shalt giue an accompt of thy doings For we must al appeare before y e iudgement seate of christ y t euery man may receaue the things which are done in his body according to that hee hath done whether it be good or euil Deceiue no man by wrongful dealing encrease not thy goodes by extortion nor by vsury he that giueth his money vnto vsurie shall not enter into the tabernacle of the Lorde Hee that taketh vsury of his neighbour killeth him without a sword The Lord wyll auenge it he wil not blesse yl gotten goods they cannot prosper they wyll neuer continue nor remayne vnto the third heire My sonne in all thy doings feare the Lord. If thou feare the Lord thou shalt prosper in the day of thine ende thou shalt bee blessed Medle not much with other mens busines least thou be entangled with controuersies abhorre the flanderer double tongued Let my doings which am thy father be euer before thyne eyes Those few goodes which I haue were truly gotten I haue not gathered them of the teares and heauines and vndoing or hindering of any Be faithfull to thy wife and besides her know none other Helpe thy neighbour accordinge to thy power and turne not thy face from the poore needie Be mercifull after thy power If thou hast much giue plentiously if thou hast licle do thy diligence gladly to giue of that litle Be not slowe to visit the sick whatsoeuer thou takest in hande remember the ende and thou shalt neuer do amisse As for me I haue passed the vanities and miseries of this world The Lorde hath giuen and the Lord taketh away blessed be the name of the Lord. He is the Lorde my God let hym doe with me as it seemeth good vnto hym I knowe that this shall hasten my saluatien And that Christ shalbe magnified in my body whether it be by life or by death I haue not so liued that I am ashamed to liue neither am I afrayde to die for we haue a gracious Lord. I know that if my earthly house of this tabernacle bee destroyed I haue a building giuē of God that is an house not made with handes but eternal in y ◠heauens They that die in the Lord are blessed they shall rest from their labors Christ is vnto me both in lyfe and in death aduantage In such sort do the Godly prepare themselues to their iourney out of this life Then the Minister prayeth that he e may bee constant in this faith he strengtheneth him confirmeth him in it He exhorteth the sicke to commende him selfe vnto God he prayeth vnto God that he will giue his Angels charge ouer him to keepe him and defende hym that hee fall not into temptation He teacheth him to saye O lord in thee haue I trusted let mee neuer be confounded Come Lord Iesus come and take mee vnto thee Lord let thy seruant depart in peace thy kindome come I am thy sonne thine am I O saue me into thine hands O Lord I commende my spirite thou hast redeemed mee O Lorde God of trueth In this state he dyeth and hath his eyes alwayes fastened vpon God and so seeth how indeede the dead are blessed which dye in the Lord. Thus doth the Churche of God instruct all men to liue and to die and to bee in readinesse Thus ar the sicke amonge vs annointed with the inner in uisible oyle of y ◠mercie of God Thus are they put in minde to haue the oyle of faith and of a good conscience and that their lampes may euer be burning that so they may enter in with the
his Epistle to Traianus that they were a sect which would not offer vp to Idols which coulde not be compelled to blaspheme Christ but were wont at certayne times appointed to meete together and sing hymnes to one Christ their God that they were of one mynd agreed among themselues and did absteine from theft murther and adultery and did keepe their faith and defraâ—â—ed no man Euen such should we be thus ought we to liue these things are examples for vs to follow we should meet often to sing hymnes and giue thankes to our God we should lament our former wickednes wherwich we haue called Gods anger vpon vs. But alas there appeareth not in vs that chaunge of life that ought to be in such as turne to Christ we are as proude as couetous and wicked in abusing the holy name of God as euer we were in the time of ignorance Thus we abuse the great mercy of God thus we withhold his trueth in vnrighteousnesse We say we know God but giue him not the glorye that is due vnto God And besides this wee are in loue with our owne corruption and as the Prophet sayeth we reioyce when we haue done wickedly wee cannot abide to haue our fault touched our pride is growen vp as hie as heauen our couetousnesse is sunke as deepe as hell our poore weake brethren be offended and think that these be the very fruites of Christes gospel Yet we can in no wise suffer to be reproued we say to the Preacher peace and talke not to vs in the name of the Lord tell not vs of the Scriptures tel not vs of Christ of Peter Paul we did him speake vs faire and blesse those things that be accursed by Gods owne mouth We say he is too busie he medleth with that he knoweth not Yes yes man he knoweth it wel inough he knoweth that pride is pride that vsury is vsury that sinne is sinne and thou thine owne conscience knowest it too if thou wouldest be knowen of it yea thou knowest it indeede in thy heart of force art weary of it And this is extreeme miserie that we are so farre plunged in sinne that wee can neither abide our owne faultes nor yet the amendinge of them Is this the repentaunce of our life Are these the fruits of Gods Gospell are these the fruites of the innocent blood that we see shead before our eyes Are these our teares for the sinnes wee haue commited Is this the thanks that we render vnto God for giuing vnto vs so great blessings But what sayd I blessings Would God we were so blessed that we might consider our blessednesse Many alreadie bewray the weakenesse of their stomakes they brooke not the Gospell yea they seeme already weary of these Preachers they call them Pulpit men men of the spirite and I knowe not what as though they themselues had nothinge to doo with Gods spirite Ha mercifull God what way may GOD take to winne you Alas what are wee what haue wee offended you Are we become your enemies for tellinge you the trueth I feare mee this murinuring is not agaynst vs but against the Lord. You haue had the Masse and that you worthely hated you haue now the Communion and that you regard not God hath sent to call you with fire and fagots those which vsed that seueritie crueltie you called tyrants He hath sent vnto you now simple men that bringe you nothing els but the kingdome of God and seeke for nothinge but onely for your saluation and them you disdaine It is eueÌ„ now come to passe that Christ said We haue piped to you you haue not danced we haue mourned to you you haue not wept but wisedoms is iustified of al her children Many of you are euen ful of the gospel ful weary of these schoolemaisters Therfore shal God send amongest you an other maner of schoolemaister y â— shal intreat you after another sorte that shall pull the pride from your neckes the ruffes from your shaulders I will saye I woulde God I might not speake thus in y e spirit of truth I would to God it might proue vntrue and neuer come to passe But God is iust and the extreame disdaine of Gods trueth and his holy Gospel iustly deserueth the extremitie of Gods vengeance and this Gospell that you are already so weary of shal be taken away from vs. The kingdome of God shalbe taken away from vs and shalbe giuen to a nation that shal do the fruites of it The kingdome of God which is the true vnderstanding of Gods word shalbe taken away And theÌ„ what shall remaine but blindenes and falshood which is the kingdome of the Diuel I will send saith God a famine in the land not a famin of bread nor a thirst of water but of hearing the word of the Lord. Let vs therefore good brethren remember for what causes God suffred his temple at Hierusalem to be destroyed burnt by y e Chaldees let vs remember wherefore God tooke from vs his holy Gospel that he had planted amongst vs of late time let vs now thankefully receiue it with teares and repentance for our former life let vs not make our selues vnwoorthye of the great grace and blessing of God To you this holy promise is made you are the children of Abraham to you Christ spreadeth out his armes to embrace you receiue not the grace of God in vayne let vs not put out that heauenlye light which God hath kindled let vs pray to God to giue vs new heartes and to put a newe spirite within vs Why should you perish you that are so dearely saued why should you perish O you the house of Israel Let vs once fal to the building vp of Gods holy temple let vs not driue it off any longer The Foxes haue boroughes and the birds of the aire haue nests but the Sonne of man hath not yet a place to rest his head in God calleth to vs by the Prophet Bring wood builde this house I will be fauourable in it Is it time for your selues to dwel in your sieled houses this house lie waste Your houses are fresh faire furnished yet my house lieth desolate flat vpon the ground Behold the miserable desolation of my holy place my flock is scattered in the mountaines behold your brethren y e lie in chaines in a thousande places bound beaten tormented and drawen to most cruel death not for any offence they haue coÌ„mitted but only for the building of my temple and professing of my name They are your owne body flesh and blood My bones are scattered vpon the face of the earth my blood is shed without compassion as it were water vpon y e grounde O what cruel eyes haue you that can see this not be moued that can buyld your owne houses serue your owne pleasures and leaue my house forsaken Thus almighty God speaketh to vs O good brethren let vs not
a potion shewed him not what was in it began to chafe and take on with him why said he heale not me as thou wouldest heale an oxe or a horse but shew me what thou giuest me what are the ingredients and wherefore thou giuest it me Euen so must the people bee healed of their errours they must know what is giuen them and wherefore Fides saith Bernard suadenda est non imponēda Faith may not be compulsed by force or rigour but gently brought in by perswasiō For forced faith is no faith Saint Paule saieth Faith commeth by hearing hearing by the word of God And therefore it is wel obserued by the wise politike father S. Ambrose that the church of Christ was not gathered by the law but by faith Basil saith If you wil haue Gods wisedō take place al your worldly wisedome must be set a parte And in like sort Hillarius Humanis operib extructa nō permanent aliter aedificanda Ecclesia aliter custodienda est c. Things that be set vp with mans workmanship saith Hillary will not endure the church of God must otherwise be buylded and preserued for the foundation of it must be layde vppon the Apostles and Prophets The church being thus built by God that is to say by the doctrine of God shall neuer fall I speake not this against all ciuil and honest lawful policie for I know it is the gift of God without the which nor common state nor the Church can be mainteined But this seemeth to haue byn the meaning of these olde Fathers that in the building of Gods church y e preaching of Gods worde must goe before to quiet mens consciences and wisedome pollicie like handmaides must follow after For this honor prerogatiue God claimeth onely to himselfe that his Church must bee built vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Which if it be otherwise built Nisi dominus aedificauerit domū in vanum laborauerunt qui aedificant eam Vnlesse God himselfe build vp the house they sweat and labour but in vain that set it vp Thus Christ at the beginning gathered his Church not by lawes of men but against all law policy by the preaching of his word God might haue instructed Cornelius by the Angell that appeared to him as it appeareth in y e Acts of the Apostles but he woulde not so but sent Peter to him that he might be instructed by the mouth of a Preacher Hee might haue taught Paul after he had striken him downe from his horse when he appeared to him said Ego sum Iesus quē tu persequeris I am Iesus whō thou persecutest But he would not so but rather left him to be taught by Ananias And as it appeareth in the Actes of the Apostles at the preaching of Peter 3000. people were conuerted wonn in one day that it might appeare by what tooles and with what workemen God woulde haue his haruest set forward Nowe let vs beholde the present state of our countrey These wordes of Christ our Sauiour were neuer more true then we find them now in these our dayes The haruest is great the labourers very fewe the poore people lyeth forsaken and left as it were sheepe without a guide the afflicted in conscience haue no man to quiet them they growe wilde and sauadge as it were a people that had no God they are commaunded to change their religion and forlacke of instruction they know not whither to turne them they knowe not neither what they leaue nor what they should receiue Some other defie and spit at the holy gospel of our Sauiour Christ and refuse the Couenāt of euerlasting life Some other for lacke of knowledge followe after wilfull blinde maisters and become Arrians or Pelagians and thus they blaspheme the sonne of God Some other giue themselues ouer to their owne affections and as he saith reioyce and triumph in their filthinesse without feare of God without conscience of sinne and so treade downe the blood of the testament vnder their feete and this do they for lacke of teaching because they haue not learned men and preachers to shew them what they should doe O saith our Sauiour Christ the good shepheard and Bishop of our soules my haruest is beaten down and lost and there is none that wil goe abroade and saue it My people run headlong to their own destruction not of malice but of verye simplicity onely because they are not taught because they know not my father nor me Alas it is not my fathers will that anye of them should be lost They be our brethren they be the flocke of God they be the haruest they are bought with great price I beseeche you euen for that blood that was shed and spent for them and vs al let vs not despise them If the kingdome of God be not worthy to be promoted yet the kingdome of Satan is worthye to be ouerthrowne Now is that acceptable and ioyfull time come amongst vs euen nowe God hath visited his people now the haruest is greate and plentious Al the world this day longeth and groneth after the Gospell Let vs therefore altogether directe our prayers to the Lord and master of the haruest Wee beseeche thee most mercifull father for thy sonne Iesus Christes sake as thou hast plentifully encreased thy haruest brought it to a ripenes in these our dayes so sende out labourers to get it in that it be not spilt Gather in al thy sheepe that lie straying w tout a heard Lighten the heartes of thine aduersaries that they may know the time of their visitation and see that blessed hope whereunto thou haste called them That all the worlde with one mouth and one minde may know and gloryfie thee the onely true and lyuinge God and thy sonne Iesus Christ to whom with thee and the holy Ghost be al honour and glorye Amen Luke 11. vers 15. But some of them saide he casteth out deuils through Beelzebub the chiefe of deuils c. THat it may please God so to order both my vtterance and your vnderstāding that whatsoeuer shalbe spoken or heard may turne to the glory of his holy name and to the profite and comfort of his Church before I enter into the exposition of these wordes I desire you to call vpon our gracious God with your earnest and harty prayer And heere I commende vnto you the good estate of Gods holy and catholique Church and therein the Queenes most excellent maiesty by the especial grace of God Queene of England Fraunce and Irelande defender of the true ancient and Apostolique faith and the highest gouernour next vnder God of this Churche of England c. That as God of his mercie hath marueilously preserued her to the possession of her righte to the great comforte of all our her subiects heartes and to the reformation of the Church so it may please him to ayde and encrease her with his holy spirite to the continuance
We malice them not wee are not enemies vnto them And that thou O Lorde that knowest al things knowest best Let them haue the commendation of learning God giue them grace to ioyne it with trueth and to vse it to his glory and not to their owne Yet they must needes be very well learned that wyll charge all their aduersaries with ignorance Albeit in contention of learning I may bee worst heard to speake being the vnworthyest of all my brethren yet this dare I be bolde to say because it is true we are not so farre to seeke in learninge as they woulde haue vs appeare to be S. Paul being driuen to answere in his owne defence in a lyke matter in cōparison betweene him and the false prophets writeth on this sort Hebraei sunt ego Israelitae sunt ego Semen Abrahae sunt ego ministri Christi sunt ego They are Hebrewes so am I they are Israelits so am I they are the seede of Abraham so am I they are the ministers of Christ so am I. So wyll I saye and truely saye betweene vs and them They are seene in the tongues Latine Greeke and Hebrewe so are wee They haue studied the artes so haue wee they haue read the Doctours the generall Councels and the scriptures so haue wee If they can be learned doing this O what vnfortunate vnhappy men are we that are so vnlearned yet doe the same This lucke commonly foloweth al them that be professours of the trueth S Paul was counted and called a rebell and accused that he was an Egiptian and had gathered a number of men of warre to disquiet and trouble the Countrie Wee haue founde saith Tertullus This man a pestilent fellow a mouer of sedition amongest all the Iewes throughout the world So saieth Tertullian that in his time the Christians were called hostes public◠that is enemies destroyers of all common states And those reportes the enemies not only scattred amonge the common people but also dropped them into the magistrats princes eares that they might haue an il opinion of Christian religion and suppresse the Ministers and preachers of it so vnkinde commonly many haue bene towardes the messengers of Gods word When Christ hymselfe came downe from Heauen from the bosome of his father and began to vtter to teache the Gospell of euerlasting life and to confirme the same with manie a straunge myracle the poore people gaue eare vnto hym and beleeued his doctrine and by his wonderous workes knew him to be the sonne of Dauid the very Messias y t was promised them But the Scribes Pharises that bare the name of Doctours and had bene euermore brought vp in learnynge were the instructors of the people made light of Christes miracles said to y e people he casteth out deuils thorow Beelzebub the chiefe of the deuils The miracle was such that no reasonable man would haue thought it to be wrought by y e deuil The poore man that before had ben deafe was now able to heare that before was possessed of the deuill was now deliuered that before was sicke was now restored to his health The poore people marueiled at the doing and glorified God But the Pharisies cryed out against him In Beelzebub principe daemoniorum eiicit daemonia He casteth out deuils through Beel zebub the chiefe of y e deuils Not because it was true nor because it was likely to be true nor because they in their conscience thought it to bee true but onely to bring Christ in hatred w t the people to deface his doctrin And therfore they blasphemed that y e indeede they coulde not deny that they knew to be the workmanship of God they said it proceeded from y e deuil Christe our Sauiour putteth backe these slaunders with diuers reasons whereof at this time for shortnes sake I wyll touche but two The first reason is Euery kingdome that is diuided in it selfe shal be brought to desolation if Satan be deuided against him selfe then must his kingdome needes be dissolued that by his owne workyng But that is not likely For al y e Angels of Satan agree and conspire together to y e vpholding of their kingdome therfore must you needes confesse that I haue remoued this deuil by some other greater power not by the power of Beelzebub the chiefest of the deuils Here perhaps some man wil replie that witches coniurers oftentimes chase away one deuil by y e meane of an other Possible it is so but that is wroughte not by power but by collusion of y e deuils For one deuil y e better to attain his purpose will giue place make as though he stood in awe of another deuil And by y e way to touch but a worde or two of this matter for y t the horrible vsing of your poore subiectes inforceth therunto It may please your grace to vnderstād y t this kind of people I meane witches sorcerers w tin these fewe last yeres are marueilously increased w tin this your graces realm These eyes haue seene most euident and manifest markes of their wickednesse Your graces subtectes pine away euen vnto the death their colour fadeth their flesh rotteth their speach is benummed their sences are bereft Wherefore your poore subiects most humble petitiō vnto your highnes is that the lawes touching such malefactours may bee put in due execution For the schole of them is great their doinges horible their malice intollerable the examples most miserable And I pray GOD they neuer practise further then vpon y e subiect But this onely by the way these be the scholers of Beelzebub the chiefe captaine of the deuils This first reason that Christ vseth is taken of common experiēce For natwithstanding there be nothing so puissant as y e force of a kingdom yet if it be deuided in it self it wyl perish come to confusion For concord and agreement is the strength and maintenāce of al states Break the hoopes of a vessel al the boordes wil fal asunder The exāples hereof are too rife The mightiest kingdomes that euer were by such meanes haue bene conquered fallen into the power of their enemies Therfore Esay prophecying the destruction of the kingdome of the Jewes sayeth firste the people shal fal at dissention within themselues and then should folow their confusion When Vespasian the Emperour his sonne Titus came with an armie against Hierusalem the whole natiō of the Jewes was deuided into three factions eche of them ready to vndo the other Then folowed the ouerthrow of that kingdome Then was Hierusalem rased to y e groūd Then were there slayne of the Jewes to the nūber of 1100000. Once agayne I wil say it because it is marueilous and most true as Iosephus who was thē a capitain there in y e field writeth there were then slayne of the Jewes of men women and children no lesse then 1100000. Of late yeeres the
darknesse their worme shall neuer die their fire shall neuer bee quenched they shall goe downe headlong into the fire that is prepared for the deuill and his angels Be not deceiued saith Saint Paul neither fornicatours nor adulterers nor wantōs nor bouggerers shal inherit the kingdome of God Now are wee to speake in the next place of the ministerie of the Church which some haue called holy orders Shall wee accompte it a Sacrament there is no reason so to doe It is a heauenly office a holy ministerie or Seruice By suche as haue this office God lighteneth our darkenesse hee declareth his minde to vs hee gathereth together his scattered sheepe and publisheth vnto the worlde the glad ridings of saluation The Patriarkes dyd beare this office This was the office of the prophets God saith I haue sent vnto you al my seruants the prophets rising vp eueri day sending thē Agayne he saith I haue put my wordes in thy mouth Therefore when they taught the people of God the Prophetes signed their speache thus The mouth of the Lorde hath spoken it The Lorde hath saide The voyce and y e worde of the Lord Heare the word of the Lorde But when the fulnesse of the time came God sent his Sonne and hath spoken vnto vs by hym He became our Prophet to shew vs the wyll of his father He saieth I haue not spoken of my selfe but the Father whiche sent mee he gaue mee a commandement what I should say and what I should speake Hereof Saint Iohn sayth No man hath seene God at any time He is inuisible he is incomprehensible no minde can conceiue hym no eye can see hym but the onely begotten Sonne which is in the bosom of y e Father hee hath declared him Of hym the father sayde This is my beloued Sonne in whome I am well pleased heare hym Hearken vnto hym receiue hys woorde credite hym beleeue hym No doubte the Ministerie of the Gospell is hyghlye to bee esteemed seeinge our Sauiour was not ashamed to publish the wyll of his Father in his owne person yet it appeareth not where euer hee dyd ordeine it to be a Sacrament Hee appointed that the comforte thereof shoulde bee carried into all nations and gaue that charge vnto hys Apostles Goe teache all nations Agayne What I tell you in darkenesse that speake you in light and what you heare in the eare y e preache you on the houses Hee sawe the people and had compassion on them hee saw they were dispearsed and scattered abroade lyke sheepe without a shepheard and that they perished because they had no knowledge of the wyll of God Therefore he sayeth Pray the Lord of the haruest that he woulde sende labourers into the haruest Therefore he ordayneth them to this ministery I wyll make you fishers of men And sendeth them foorth as my father sent mee so sende I you And Goe to the lost sheepe of the house of Israel Hee wylled them to call the people to repentaunce and to preache the kingdome of God By this ministerie God hath gathered to hymselfe an acceptable people and hath brought them to the obedience of the Gospell of Christ and hath turned the hartes of the Fathers vnto their children and so made it to be the foundation of religion They that exercise this ministerie are y e eyes of Christ the pillers of y e Church the interpreters of Gods will the watchmen of the Lordes tower the leaders of Christes sheep the salte of the earth the light of the world Daniel saith They that turne many to righteousnes shal shine as the starres for euer euer Not that there is any so great wisdome or eloquence in men they are but weake they are vnfit to do this seruice Esay saith of himselfe I am a man of polluted lippes And Ieremie saith O Lord god behold I cannot speake for I am a child So saith S. Paul I haue planted Apollos watered but God gaue the increase So thē nether is he that planteth any thing nether he that watereth but God y t giueth the increase So said Saint Iohn that he was not Christe nor that Prophet but the voyce of hym that crieth in the wildernesse and not worthy to vnloose the latchet of his shooe that should come after him The power whereby they dyd conquere the worlde was not in them but in the woorde which they preached It is the power of God to saluation to euery one that beleueth It is like a fire lyke a hammer that breaketh a stone When ye receiued of vs y e word of the preaching of god saith S. Paul to the Thessalonians ye receaued it not as the worde of men but as it is indeede the woorde of god which also worketh in you that beleue The power of an earthly Prince is great The wyse man sayeth The feare of a King is lyke the roaring of a Lyon Yet is a Prince but mortall and the Law of a Prince is but mortall it hath no power to force the conscience But the woorde of God dooth breake into the heart it forceth a way into the Conscience it is sharper then any two edged sworde it entreth through euen to the deuidinge a sunder of the soule and the spirit because it is the word of God For it is not man but God that speaketh as Christ telleth the Apostles It is not yee that speake but the spirit of your father whiche speaketh in you So saith the Prophet Zacharie Hee spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets which haue bene since the worlde beganne The Prophets and Apostles and holy men of God were but instruments It was God which gaue his holy spirite whiche gaue them tongues to speake and wordes to vtter Therfore said Christ I wil giue you a mouth and wisedome where against al your aduersaries shall not be able to speake nor resist Though men be but simple yet the worde they deliuer is mighty though they be mortall the worde of the Lord endureth for euer Where this worde is receiued it is fire and burneth it is a hammer and breaketh the hardnesse of the heart it is mightie in operation it cleanseth the inner man it openeth the consctence it is a sauour of life vnto lyfe it is the meanes of saluation Hee that receiueth this worde and beleeueth shal be saued This is the worde of reconciliation God hath committed it vnto vs. If any hide this worde he slayeth the people He is a dombe dogge Of such God saieth Beholde I wil come against the Prophets that steale my word euerione frō his neighbour They are thieues and robbers Woe be vnto you interpreters of the law for yee haue taken away the key of knowledge saith Christ ye entred not in your selues and them that came in yee forbad And agayne Woe bee vnto you Scribes and Pharises hypocrites because ye shut vp the kingdome of
heauen before men for ye your selues go not in nether suffer ye theÌ„ that would enter to come in Of these and against them God speaketh by the Prophet Ieremie Wo be vnto the pastors that destroy scatter the sheepe of my pasture And by the Prophete Zacharie O Idol-shepherd that leaueth the flocke Thou hast eares and hearest not thou hast eyes and seest not thou hast a tongue and speakest not and a heart but vnderstandest not thou art an idole Christ sayde to thee feede my lambes feede my sheepe but thou carest not for them Thou hast the roume of an Euangelist and Pastour and Teacher but thou gatherest not the saintes together thou doest not the worke of the ministerie thou buildest not vp the bodie of Christe They shall perish in their wickednesse but their blood wyll I require at thy handes Here note this ministerie of the Churche was not ordeined to offer sacrifice for forgiuenesse of sinnes Whosoeuer taketh that office vpon hym be doeth wrong iniurie to the death and passion of Christ He only is called of god an high Priest after y e order of Melchisedec He onely by his owne blood entred in once into the holy place obtained eternall redemption for vs. He only with one offeringe hath consecrated for euer them y t are sanctified He only hath said Consummatum est It is finished The ransome or price for mans saluation and for forgiuenesse of the sinnes of the worlde is payde in mee in my death vpon the Crosse Of hym alone and onely of hym hath it bene spoken This is my well beloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased And by Esay With his stripes only we are healed It is he only which hath made of both one It is he only which did put out y â— hande writing of ordinaÌ„ces y â— was against vs he euen tooke it out of the way and fastened it vppon the Crosse He alone is our hye Priest the Lambe of God the Sacrifice for sinnes the Altar the Propitiation for sinners and redeemer of the world He only hath appeased the wrath of god He onely appeareth in the sight of GOD to make intercession for our sinnes All others whatsoeuer Apostles Prophetes Teachers and Pastours are not in office to offer any propitiatorie sacrifice but are called to the ministerie of the Saintes to the edification of the bodye of Christe and to the repayringe of the Church of God Thus muche of the holy ministerie of the Church which standeth in the setting foorth of the mysterie of our saluation both by the Preachinge of the woorde of GOD and by the due and reuerent ministration of the Sacramentes The principallest parte of this office is to preache repentance that so wee may amende our lyues and bee conuerted vnto GOD. So Ioel the Prophet followed hys ministerie sayinge Rent your heartes and not your garmentes and turne to the Lorde your God for he is gracious merciful So S. Paul teacheth that true circumcision is by putting off the sinnefull body of the fleesh that it is in mortifying our members that bee on the earth Fornication vncleanesse the inordinate affections euil concupiscence couetousnes which is idolatrie y â— it is in putting away al these thinges wrath anger maliciousnes cursed speakinge filthy speakinge out of your mouth in putting of the old maÌ„ with his works and putting on the new which is renewed in knowledge after y e image of him that created him So Iohn Baptist said Repent for the kingdome of God is at hand Prepare ye y â— waies of the Lord make his pathes straight So our Sauiour Christ when he began to preache said Am end your liues for the kingdome of God is at hand Therfore it wil not bee amisse now to speake of repentaunce which some of late yeares haue chaunged into pennaunce and there of haue also made a Sacrament Here it behoueth to rippe vp the whole lyfe of man There is not any man that liueth and sinneth not God sayeth The imagination of mans heart is euyll from his youth The Prophet Ieremie saith The heart is deceitful and wicked aboue all things who can know it Saint Iohn therefore saith If wee say that we haue no sinne wee deceiue our selues trueth is not in vs. Of hymselfe Saint Paul saith I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing Of hymselfe the Prophet Dauid sayeth There is nothiÌ„g sound in my flesh because of thine anger neither is there rest in my bones because of my sinnes For mine iniquities are gone ouer mine head as a weighti burtheÌ„ they ar to heauy for me He saith If thou O Lord straightly markest iniquities O Lord who shal abide it So sayth the Wise man A iustman falleth seuen times God is a righteous God and the auenger of all them that offendeâ—â— Saint Paul saith The wages of sinne is death And the Prophet Ezechiel The soule that sinneth shall dye For this cause then God ordayned the ministerie of his worde and appoynted certayne to this office that they shoulde warne his people of theyr sinnes and feare them by the terrour of Gods assured displeasure and heauy wrath As is seene by y t to Esay Cry aloude spare not lift vp thy voyce lyke a trumpet and shewe my people their transgressions the house of Iacob their sins So Saint Paul vnto Timothie I charge thee before God the Lorde Iesus Christ which shal iudge the quick and dead at his appearing in his kyngdome preach the word be instant in season out of season improue rebuke exhort with all long suffering and doctrine So woulde God haue our filth layde open before our eyes that wee might weigh and iudge our owne heartes that euery man might make charge vppon him selfe and saye I am an vnprofitable seruant my righteousnesse is as a foule and steined cloth My soule hath sinned and hath deserued to dye the death In this case some fall into desperation and saye as sometimes dyd Caine My sinne is greater then can be pardoned God withdraweth his mercie from mee I am vnworthie of it I haue offended against the holy spirit of GOD mine owne conscience accuseth me I haue no parte in the kingdome of GOD and of Christe there is no sacrifice left for my sinnes Thus the wicked liue in trembling and agony as dyd Cain thus they leaue their lyfe with horrour and miserie so haue they no grace to repent no taste nor feelyng of the mercie of God But the children of God though they bee wounded yet they finde reliefe in the certayne hope of Gods mercie Though they say I am a sinner my sinnes are more in number then the heares of my head I haue offended against heauen and earth Yet they know that Christ came to call sinuers to repentance that hee healeth those that are