past al helpe His rotten relikes cannot comfort you His blinde dumbe and wormeaten Idols can doe you no good It is cast awaie which is spent vpon his shamelesse pardons they wil not preuaile God wil not admit them By his Latine seruice ye cannot be edified or made wiser Yet this trumperie they sel for monie and vpon this trash they cause sillie men to wast their substance and to these to commit their soules Thus you see a manifest difference betweene Christ and Antichrist the doctrine of God and the learning of man true teachers and false sounde and counterfaited religion The one offereth true bread freely the other that which is no bread for bread and that not freely neither but for monie The diuersitie of religion professed in these our times is here most plainely and liuely depainted For the better clearing whereof I wil in three notes lay before your eies the whole difference which is betweene them 9 First we disagree in the very foundation They lay one ground and we an other We lay no one stone but onely vpon that foundation of the Prophets and Apostles whereupon whosoeuer is builded groweth into an holie temple in the Lord a temple which no winde no waues no storme no tempest is able to ouerthrowe The foundation of our religion is the written worde the Scriptures of God the vndoubted records of the holie Ghost We require no credite to be giuen to any part or parcel of our doctrine further than the same may be clearely and manifestly proued by the plaine words of the lawe of God which remaineth in writing to be seene read examined of all men This we doe First because we knowe that God hath caused his whole Lawe to be written Secondly because we see that it hath beene the practise of all the defenders of the truth since the beginning to relie their faith onely vpon the Scripture and written word Thirdly because it is euident and plaine that we cannot receiue any other foundation of heauenly truth without the ouerthrowe of Christian faith 10 There was neuer any Lawemaker so simple as to make statutes for perpetuitie and not to register them in bookes or engraue them in tables When Memucan was desirous to haue a Law made for the bringing of women in subiection vnder their husbands his perswasion was this If it may please the King let a royall decree proceede from him and let it be written The Lawes of the Medes and Persians that might neuer be altered were for euer recorded When God deliuered his first Lawe vnto his people the Lawe which commonly we call morall he gaue it them written in tables of stone Againe when he deliuered them ciuil ordinaunces for the administration of iustice betweene man and man Moses first proclaimed all those Lawes and ordinances amongst the people afterward he tooke and wrote in a booke all the words of the Lord. As for the Lawes of rites and ceremonies they are likewise written in this booke To these we must adde that Lawe which the blessed Apostle doth call the Lawe of faith This Lawe God preached vnto Adam by himselfe The seede of the woman shall breake the serpents head vnto Abraham by his Angel In thee shall all the nations of the earth be blessed to the children of Abraham by his Prophets Behold a virgin shal conceiue and beare a sonne finally vnto vs by his sonne and by them whom his sonne hath sent into the world to make it knowen that through this man is preached remission of sinnes and from all things from which ye could not be iustified by the Lawe of Moses by him euerie one that beleeueth is iustified And the statutes of this Lawe are also written God being moreouer desirous to haue his seruaunts not only taught by doctrine but prouoked also by examples gaue them a fift sort of Lawes and testimonies called historical not leauing these neither to men to deliuer vnto their children by word of mouth but all by writing If God haue committed his Lawes moral ciuil ceremonial euangelical and historical also vnto writing where should we seeke for the statutes of the almightie but in his written word 11 The auncients of the house of God knewe no fountaine of his truth but this They neuer enquired what had beene whispered in mens eares that which they beleeued and taught they read it out of the booke In the Historie of Iosua it is recorded howe hee did assemble the Tribes Elders Heads Iudges and Officers of Israel together shewing them what God had spoken vnto them by Moses but vttering to them no speech which was not writtē Iosias with all the men of Iuda and all the inhabitants of Ierusalem the Priests Prophets and all the people small and great made a couenaunt before the Lord to keepe his commaundements and his testimonies and his statutes with all their heart and with all their soule But what statutes what testimonies The words of the couenaunt written in this Booke Christ speaketh many things his Apostles many things concerning the doctrine of the Prophets but no one point of doctrine which is not found in their bookes and writings The prophet Esay crieth Adlegem testimonium To the lawe and to the testimonie If they teache not according to this Lawe it is because there is no light in them Consider the practise of Christ Iesus His proofes are Scriptum est It is written His demaunds are Quomodo legis Howe doest thou reade His Apologies are Scrutamini Scripturas Searche the Scriptures they beare me record His Apostles tread in the same path they goe not the breadth of an haire not a whit from that which is written Thus S. Paul protesteth I deliuered vnto you that which I receiued how Christ died for our sinnes according to the Scriptures and that he was buried and that he rose the third day according to the Scriptures It is not lightly to be marked which is twise repeated He deliuered nothing but according to the Scriptures I would heare the voice of my pastor saith S. Augustine Reade this out of some Prophet reade it out of some Psalme recite it out of the Lawe recite it out of the Gospel recite it out of some Apostle reade it and we will beleeue it These be good presidents for vs to followe til sufficient reason be alleaged why we should lay an other foundation than that which hath beene laide by so many so wise so reuerend builders 12 Especially sith this foundation is so peculiar to the trueth that we cannot rest vpon any other without manifest daunger of the vtter ouerthrowe of Christian faith For first what certainetie or assurance can we haue of any of those things which are beleeued if our faith doe not leane onely vpon the Scriptures If once a religious credite be giuen to vnwritten verities and to mens reports the vndoubted articles of our beleefe cannot choose but at the
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
they receiuing not their portions were fled and so the temple was left destitute this saith Nehemias grieued me sore But whence grewe this fault Where did Nehemias laie the blame but in the gouernours I reprooued saith he the rulers and saide vnto them Why is the house of God forsaken If iniquitie doe abound for want of punishment they which haue authoritie bee it Ciuil or Ecclesiasticall to represse sinne must answere it 19 It is not sufficient for them to mislike sinne but they must proceede against it and that so farre till they haue throughly redressed things amisse Christ did not cease pursuing theeues till their catell were gone their tables ouerthrowne their monie scattered themselues expelled and driuen out Which example Constantine well following hath made himselfe a president woorthie by other Christian gouernours to be followed He did not content himselfe with misliking or reproouing or lightly punishing heretikes but quite and cleane disburthened the Church of them Shall wee suffer saith he the contagious infection of so great euils to creepe further knowing that long delaie may cause euen the sounde and the strong to be infected with it as with a plague Why doe wee not speedily with rigor of publike punishment cut vp the verie rootes of such iniquitie The Angel of the Church of Thyatira did not performe his dutie in this behalfe so long as Iesabel was permitted to teach nor of Pergamus so long as any one Nicolaitane was there suffered nor of Corinth so long as there was any iot of their corrupt leuen kept I would to God saith the Apostle they were cut off which trouble you not rased on the skinne or launced in the flesh but cut off 20 This can neuer bee doone where there lacketh zeale for want wherof in the Church of Ierusalem their corruptions grewe so fast that there was no place left free and cleare the leprosie of their sinne cleaued euen to the wals of the house of God till hee came whom the zeale of that house did as it were consume and deuoure If there were any sparke of the like zeale remaining in any Pope or Prelate of the Church of Rome could they choose but bewaile the vnhallowing of their temple could they patiently abide to see it possessed by heathenish despisers of Gods Law to see it made a denne of theeues a kenel for dogs and vncleane beasts There haue not wanted euen of their owne which haue put them in minde of things to be reformed in the bodie of their Church in their Pope and Court of Rome in their Bishops and Prelates in their seuerall orders of religious men in their Clergie and in their Laitie there haue not wanted from time to time such as haue clearely conuicted them of spoiling murthering destroying But the answere of the Church of Rome hath beene alwaies I cannot erre I am riche and increased with goods and haue neede of nothing Thus she refuseth yea she hateth to bee reformed not knowing or at least wise not acknowledging that she is wretched and miserable and poore and blinde and naked To let them goe and to come to our selues If God haue vouchsafed to choose himselfe an holie dwelling place amongst vs ought not we to doe the best we can to cast out all that steineth and marreth the perfect beautie of his Church 21 What to amend both in our selues particularly and generally in the bodie of the whole Church together with the right and orderly meanes of woorking this amendement it is not humane policie that can teache vs. But Scriptum est It is written what God requireth This is the onely rule as of building so likewise of repairing the Church Iosias heard the woords of the booke of the Lawe and then reformed his Realme binding himselfe and all the people by couenant to walke after the Lorde to keepe his commaundements and his testimonies and his statutes with all their heart and with all their soule So in the daies of Nehemias when it was found written in the booke that the Ammonite and the Moabite should not enter into the congregation of God when they had heard the lawe they separated from Israel all those that were mingled with them The same booke was opened and red vnto vs. It was found that our fathers had not obeyed the woords of that booke to doe according vnto all which is written therein for vs. Hereupon our gratious Soueraigne wel following the blessed example of Christ Iesus did that in her dominions for which shee hath as woorthily as euer any Prince deserued that praise whereof the Prophet speaketh saying Thou shalt be called the repairer of the breach and the restorer of the pathes to dwell in She hath caused the vessels that were made for Baal and for the host of heauen to be defaced she hath broken downe the losts that were builded for idolatrie shee hath turned out the priestes that burnt incense vnto false gods she hath ouerthrowne all polluted and defiled altars she hath abolished darkenesse and caused the light of Gods eternall truth gloriously to shine as we see it doth in the Church of England at this day Remember her O Lorde for this and wipe not out the kindenesse that she hath shewed on the house of her God and on the offices thereof 22 Our Sauiour alleaging the words of Scripture before mentioned doth not onely hereby warrant his owne deede and lay open the grosnesse of their fault but also instruct them in the right vse of that which hitherto they had so greatly abused My house shall be called the house of praier for all nations In which woords wee learne first that the Church is consecrated to the seruice of God in respect whereof it is called his house secondly what seruice it is which he requireth My house shal bee called the house of praier thirdly of whom this seruice is required namely of all Nations 23 It addeth much to the wickednesse of the sonnes of Hely and prooueth the sinne of the young men to haue beene verie great in the sight of the Lorde that they shewed their rauening nature vpon the purest and holiest things that they made no difference betweene the offerings of the Lorde and common flesh that they shamefully abused themselues with women euen in the dore of the tabernacle of God The Prophet Daniel hath set it downe as a note of extreme impietie in Balthazar that hee with his Princes wiues and concubines drunke wine in the golden and siluer vessels which were taken out of the temple at Ierusalem When the men of Tyrus brought fish and other wares and solde them on the Sabaoth to the children of Iuda Nehemias reprooued the rulers of Iuda and saide vnto them What euill thing is this that ye doe breaking the Sabaoth day Did not your fathers thus and our God brought all this plague vpon vs and vpon this Citie Yet yee increase wrath vpon Israel breaking the
Sabaoth Such traficke is as bad in the house as on the daie which God hath sanctified Wherefore in the Lawe these two are iointly coupled together Yee shall keepe my Sabaoths and reuerence my Sanctuarie The prophaning therfore of the temple the house of God the place of praier is an euident token that amongst the Iewes all religion was now trodden vnder feete all reuerence of God abolished This sheweth that there was nowe no difference at all holie and common pure and prophane cleane and vncleane all was one When they which ought not to die but without the citie were suffered to liue within the temple yea of and at the altar when Gods owne house was made a denne of theeues we cannot easily imagine a degree of prophanesse beyond this At this the Lord himselfe doth seeme to woonder Is this house become a denne of theeues whereupon my name is called before your eyes What reuerence or seruice is it likely that they would shewe other-where vnto the Lorde who liued as theeues in that glorious sanctuarie where all the earth should tremble before him 24 In the house of God they had the Lawe both red and expounded they offered sacrifice and they praied But because the seruice for which the temple was ordeined though not only yet principally is praier therefore he hath saide My house shalbe called the house of praier In Deuteronomie it is called the place which God chose to cause his name to dwel there It is true indeede saith Salomon that God will dwell on the earth No doubt where his truth is syncerely professed where his sacraments are rightly and duely ministred where his name is called vpon by heartie praier where two or three are gathered together in his name that is to say to serue him in these things there the woorking of his spirite is so forcible and effectuall his mercie is so obiect euen vnto sense his grace is in such sort felt seene and tasted that he seemeth as it were to stand before mens eyes to walke to inhabite to dwel amongst them when they are thus occupied The dore of the Church is the gate of the Lorde and the righteous wil surely enter into it They reioice when they heare men say We wil goe into the house of the Lord the house of praier where as many as call vpon the name of the Lord shall vndoubtedly bee saued But because no man can call on him in whom he doeth not beleeue nor beleeue without hearing the word of God requisite therefore it is that the house of publike praier should also be the house of publike preaching For this cause the Iewes heard the Lawe euery Sabaoth day in their Synagogues 25 And as they did not onely heare the word but also offer sacrifice in the house of God so we in our Churches haue both the Gospell preached and the Sacramentes which are seales of the Gospel administred knowing that Christ hath commanded both alike Hee which sent his Disciples to teache sent them also to baptize he which inioined them to preache gaue them also an other charge Hoc facite Doe this in remembrance of me Therefore as often as we speake vnto you out of these places as often as here we minister the Sacrament of baptisme to your children in token of their new spirituall birth as often as we doe here present our selues at the Lords table to eat of his bread and to drinke of the wine which he hath prepared for the comfortable nourishment of our soules wee keepe the Lordes institution and not our owne wee doe as he hath commaunded not as we haue deuised we vse the house of God not as theeues but as Saints 26 For these things the Sanctuarie was erected for these the house of God was sanctified and for praier Therefore the twelue told the rest of the Disciples as it is in the historie of their Acts We will giue our selues continually vnto praier and ministration of the word Aaron was appointed vnder the law as to offer so also to pray for himselfe and for the people Be this sinne against the Lord saith Samuel farre from me that I should cease to praie for you The request which Salomon made vnto GOD in the first dedication of the temple was that if his people Israel should at any time for their sinnes be ouerthrowen before the enemie or heauen bee so shut vp that they should bee in distresse for want of raine or if there should be famine in the land or pestilence or blasting or mildew or grassehopper or caterpiller if the enemie should beseege thē if they should fall into any aduersitie whether it were of bodie or of minde his eares might alwaies bee open to the praiers which they should make before the Lord in the house of praier Heare the supplications of thy people Israel which pray in this place 27 Nor only their supplications but moreouer Salomon addeth As touching the straunger that is not of thy people Israel who shall come out of a farre countrie for thy names sake and shall come and praie in this house heare thou in heauen thy dwelling place and doe according to all that the stranger calleth for vnto thee that all the people of the earth may knowe thy name and feare thee as thy people Israel doe Agreeable wherevnto are the words of the prophet Esay It shal be in the last daies that the mountaine of the house of the Lord shall be prepared in the top of the mountaines and shalbe exalted aboue the hils and all nations shall flowe vnto it And againe The strangers that cleaue vnto the Lord to serue him and to loue the name of the Lord and to be his seruaunts euery one that keepeth the Sabaoth and polluteth it not and embraceth my couenaunt them will I bring also to mine holie mountaine and make them ioyful in mine house of praier their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall bee accepted vpon myne alter For myne house shall be called an house of prayer for all nations This prooueth that article of our Christian faith to be most certain wherein we acknowledge the Church of Christ to be Catholike vniuersal For we must vnderstand that there was a time when the Lord gaue expresse charge comandement No vncircumcised in the flesh shall enter into my Sanctuarie The adoption the glory of the sons of God y e couenants the law the seruice of God the promises al the riches wherwith the church of Christ is adorned did belong vnto Israel vnto none else they were the only people that obteined mercie al y e world besides was Loammi amongst them God was knowne but as for the nations they heard not of him Iudea was the onely garden of the Lord the rest of the earth was a meere wildernesse they were the vineyard and we the forrest they within the wals of the citie of God and we
common wealth What stirs diuersities of religion hath raised in nations kingdoms the histories are so many so plaine and our times in such sort haue told you that with further proofe I need not trouble your eares One God one king one faith one profession is fit for one monarchie common wealth Diuision weakneth Concord strēgtheneth The storie of Scilurus the Scythian is knowen who vpon his death bed taught his lxxx sons the force of vnitie by the strength of sticks weake by themselues when they are tyed in a bundle Let conformitie and vnitie in religion be prouided for and it shal be as a wall of defence vnto this Realme 26 And as these things are especially to be regarded as our principal care must be for the highest matters synceritie and vnitie in religion so we may not neglect or passe ouer smaller things which neede redresse For as diseases and sores in the basest and vilest parts of the body doe grieue and may endaunger the chiefest vnlesse they bee cured betimes so the least abuses by sufferance may worke the greatest harme Gorgeous apparel and sumptuous dyet with such like matters may seeme small things but they are the causes of no small euils They eate vp England and are therefore to bee repressed by straite Lawes It is a part of true seruice done vnto God to see euen vnto these things 27 Wee may seeme to cast our eyes very lowe when wee looke into the dealings of euerie officer vnder the Prince Yet euerie one must be seene vnto They waxe sodainely rich by the spoile of the Prince Reforme it by Lawe that all may walke in trueth If merchaunts with other artificers and meaner trades doe inriche themselues by impouerishing others through deceitfull shifts the common wealth suffereth dammage by their vneuen dealings If we wil haue God serued in trueth wee must by Lawe reforme them 28 That biting worme of vsurie that deuouring wolfe hath consumed many many it hath pulled vpon their knees and brought to beggerie many such as might haue liued in great wealth and in honour not a fewe This canker hath corrupted all England It is become the chiefe chaffer and merchaundise of England We shall doe God and our countrie true seruice by taking away this euill Represse it by Lawe else the heauie hand of God hangeth ouer vs and wil strike vs. 29 That vile sinne of adulterie in Gods common wealth punished with death so ouerfloweth the bankes of all chastitie that if by sharpe Lawes it be not speedily cut off God from heauen with fire will consume it Preuent Gods wrath bridle this outrage so shal you serue the Lord in truth 30 There is nothing more hurtfull to the common wealth than these corner contracts without consent of parents contrary to the woorde of God the Lawe of nature the Lawe ciuil and all right and reason The inconueniences that followe are not sufferable Euaristus a Bishop of Rome saith It is not wedlocke but whoredome when the consent of parents is wanting God cannot bee better serued than if by Lawe yee restraine this vnlawfull contracting The children of this inconuenient mariage may scarsely bee termed lawfull The deuill that hath euer hated wedlocke and loueth whoredome was the first author of this great disorder God graunt you vnderstanding heartes and willing mindes faithfully and in trueth to trauell to represse and take away these euils 31 And as euill is to be controlled by Lawe so that which is good is also by Lawe to be procured God hath made vs many wayes riche For what wee haue freely at his hands we haue it But he himselfe is become very poore in so much that for want of reliefe he is forced to begge and for want of lodging and meate hee lieth and dieth in our streetes This great ingratitude God cannot but reuenge Oh what shame is this to a Christian common wealth in a reformed countrie Obstinate Iewes would neuer shew themselues so vnthankful Their auncient Lawe forbidding beggars is euen to this day most straitly kept amongest them Lawes in this behalfe haue beene prouided but as they wanted perfection so haue they in manner in no point or any where had execution Serue God in trueth prouide that Christ craue not Such as wil not feede him here he wil neuer feede in his kingdome Thus haue I point by point let you see disorders and wants in the common wealth Ye haue authoritie by Lawe to reforme them Consider duetifully of it and serue God truely as ye ought alwayes remembring the saying of the Prophet Esay Woe be to them that make wicked Lawes 32 When good Lawes are made they must be put in execution Lawe is the life of the common wealth and execution the life of the Lawe And better not to make Lawes than not to execute Lawes when they are once made This is the dutie of the publike ministers of the common wealth They must first keepe Lawes themselues then see that others in like sort may obserue them If the officers and ministers of the common wealth contemne lawes doubtlesse the people wil neuer reuerence them if they breake them the people wil neuer keep them Which Solon wisely considering wisely aunswered being demaunded what was chiefe safetie for a common wealth If the Citizens obey the Magistrate and the Magistrate the Lawes You that are appointed to this purpose and put in trust therewith lay aside dread and meede fauour and friendship gift and gaine and with simplicitie of heart punish the transgressor of the Lawe according to the Law Make not Anacharsis webbe of the Lawe Let not the hornet escape and the litle flie bee caught Fewe Lawes well made and well kept would serue the turne This is Gods seruice the execution thereof he hath set ouer to your hands Serue him in trueth and singlenesse of heart Cursed is he that negligently doeth the worke of the Lorde 33 Thus much hath beene spoken concerning higher powers and of their duetie in the seruice of God Samuel speaketh not to them alone to the people it is spoken as well as to the prince Feare and serue ye the Lorde in trueth Feare God embrace the Gospel leade your liues in holinesse and righteousnesse according to the word of trueth The Lorde is a strong defence to them that feare him They that feare him want nothing 34 Giue vnto the Lordes annointed due reuerence and honour Let euerie soule be subiect not by constraint but for conscience sake Imitate those worthie Israelites who were so willingly obedient to Iosua that they cryed with one voice Whosoeuer shall rebell against thy commaundement and will not obey thy woordes in all that thou commaundest him let him die Grudge not repine not at higher powers say not in your hearts Let vs breake their bands and cast away their chaines from vs. 35 Seeke the peace of the common wealth and
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
instrument to receiue it withall is faith He that beleeueth is made partaker of it and not of it onely but of eternall life also For he that beleeueth in me hath life eternall saith our Sauiour Christ. But this faith this iustifying faith doth worke through loue and sheweth it selfe by workes The good tree will be fruitfull The beleeuing iustified childe of God will feare God and worke righteousnesse 46 This doctrine of iustification by faith in the death and resurrection of Christ Iesu is witnessed by all the Prophets It is no newe doctrine but olde not onely proceeding from the Apostles but also from the Prophets For Moses and all the Prophets beare witnesse of him And as they so the Apostles after them Whose steppes we must followe and acknowledge that no doctrine is to be established but that which is testified by the Apostles and Prophets The true Church of Christ doth builde her faith on their foundation God will be worshipped and serued according to his prescript woord and not according to the braine of man The Prophets and Apostles with all such as be ministers of the woord are heere and elsewhere called witnesses Yea Christ himselfe termeth himselfe a witnesse of the truth For this cause am I borne and for this cause came into the worlde that I should beare witnesse to the truth And Christ saith to his Apostles Ye shall be witnesses vnto me both in Ierusalem and in Samaria euen to the vttermost endes of the earth 47 The truth is to bee testified by publike preaching Paul commendeth the Thessalonians for beleeuing his testimonie His testimonie was the Gospel which he did preache and testifie vnto them According to the voice that did speake vnto him when he was cast off his horse I haue appeared to thee for this purpose to appoint thee a minister and witnesse both of things which thou hast seene and of the things in which I will appeare vnto thee The truth is also testified by writing By the writings of the Prophets Apostles and Euangelists the truth of God Iesus Christ was most plainely testified As Iohn to name one of them among many This is that Disciple which testifieth of these things The truth is also witnessed when as it is testified in bloud for a martyr is a witnes Christ told Peter that when he was young hee girded himselfe and walked whither he lusted but when he waxed old other should gird him and carie him whither hee would not Nowe this saith Iohn he spake signifying by what death he should glorifie God Many Martyrs haue thus testified the truth with suffering for it But they ouercame by the bloud of the Lambe and by the woord of their testimonie not louing their life no not to the death That minister which will neither testifie it by publike preaching nor by writing will hardly testifie it by suffering but will rather say with Peter I knowe not the man But I must here make an end for the time hath ouertaken me and without repetition as you knowe the maner is To God the father God the son God the holie Ghost three persons one almightie almerciful God be rendred all thanks all glorie giuen for euer and for euer Amen The fifteenth Sermon A Sermon preached at Strausborough in the time of Q. Maries reigne 2. COR. 6. 2 Wee therefore as helpers beseeche you that ye receiue not the grace of God in vaine 3 For he saith I haue heard thee in a time accepted in the day of saluation haue I succoured thee behold now the accepted time beholde now the day of saluation THE Prophet to abate the hawtie conceit which naturally wee haue of our selues in such sort as euery man were his owne God and had no other whom to praise for the graces and gifts wherewith he is beautified and set forth as a mirror for al other creatures to beholde and woonder at indeuoureth to turn away our eyes frō too much gazing vpon our owne excellencie by pointing as it were his finger at him who is author of euerie good perfect gift saying Hee made vs and not we our selues For what end and purpose Zacharie teacheth namely that we might serue him in holinesse and righteonsnesse before him all the daies of our life For we are his workemanship created in Christ Iesus vnto good works which God hath ordeined that we should walke in them Ye are not saith S. Paul to the Corinthians your owne Why so For you are bought with a price Glorifie therefore God in your bodie and in your spirite for they are Gods Forsomuch then as we are all of the houshold of God all one in Christ all members of one and the same spirituall bodie woorshipping one Lord receiuing one baptisme professing one faith expecting one glorie to be reuealed vpon vs in that great day it is our duetie in token of our neere coniunction in the spirite with one heart one minde and as it were with one mouth to present our selues before his mercie seate to praise him to heare his word to receiue the seales of his merciful couenaunt in the Gospel and to offer him our needeful supplications together that in all things it may appeare that we are one as hee and the father are one euen one God to be blessed for euer 2 With what zeale desire Gods people of old were woont to do this we may gesse by that which we reade of y ◠Prophet Dauid who being persecuted of his wicked vnnatural son driuen from y e presence of that glorious tabernacle which with great triumph ioye himselfe had placed in the Citie of Dauid where he was woont with the rest of the people to call vpon the name of the Lord to heare the Lawe and to offer sacrifice vpon those beautiful altars conceiued such a deepe impression of griefe by the sorowfull meditation of those sweete and heauenly comforts whereof his soule had tasted in former times that forgetting quite the losse of all other royalties whatsoeuer he maketh mone for nothing but onely this that he might not nowe be partaker of those inestimable benefites and the comforts of minde and conscience which he was woont to receiue at the hand of God at such time as with the rest of the Israelites he resorted to the tabernacle where God promised to be present and fauourably to heare the petitions there made vnto him Of this his great miferie he complaineth him lamentably in diuerse of his Psalmes but especially in the 84 where he breaketh out into these woords of great zeale O Lord of hosts howe amiable are thy Tabernacles My soule longeth yea and fainteth for the courts of the Lorde mine heart and my flesh reioice in the liuing God He goeth on and magnifieth the blessed estates of those sillie birds which might haue their nests and lay their young euen
length become doubtful and vncertaine like a tale that passeth from man to man and is told as many waies as there are men to tel it Againe if once it be graunted that there is any part of the Lawe of GOD vnwritten if entraunce once be giuen to Lawes that passe by the word of mouth I would know when we should be able to say Nowe we haue all the statutes of God these we must obserue but moe we may not receiue The Marcionites they haue a doctrine as they say receiued from the Apostles by tradition without booke Valentinus he likewise vrgeth very stoutely Christ had many thinges to tel his Disciples which as then they could not beare and therefore his doctrine may not be tryed by the booke It is a tradition Let any thing but the written word of God take place in matters of faith and who seeth not that the very mainesea of heresies must needs breake in vpon the Church of Christ These are as we suppose causes iust allowable and sufficient in the indifferent iudgement of reasonable men why we should deliuer you no doctrine concerning faith religion but onely that which is in Scripture why we should admonish you to beware of bread sowred with pharisaical leuen and to feed vpon that which ye know came down from heauen to shun broken cisternes to come to the wel of liuing waters as here ye are exhorted by the Prophet 13 At this the aduerse part doth greatly storme they cannot abide to haue controuersies iudged onely by the scriptures They which make scripture onely the ground and foundation of faith are no fit builders for the Church of Rome When Constantinus required that those matters about which the Church was then veriehoat in contention might be decided onely according to those things which are written the aunswere of Hilarie was Hoc qui repudiat Antichristus est He which refuseth this is Antichrist Why then doe our aduersaries flie this kinde of triall why refuse they to goe to the lawe and testimonies there to be iudged The reason is rendred by the Prophet It is because there is no light in them They haue chosen to them selues another foundation than that of the Prophets and Apostles Wherefore as Herode to couer the basenesse of his stocke and to the end that in time he might be thought to be of the bloud royall burned the sacred monuments and bookes of the Iewes wherein the lineal descents pedigrees and genealogies of the kings of Israell were described so they to strengthen the authoritie of their base and ilfauoured grounds doe endeuour not onely in word and writing by contumelious and reprocheful termes to discountenance but also if the power of God were not greater than theirs by fire and flame to destroy for euer the eternall testament of the sonne of God We charge them with no corner attempts we haue seene the burning of these heauenly records we haue seene the verie handling of the booke of life punished with bitter and cruel death May we not iustly say to that man of sin as S. Augustine to Petilian Iudas Christū carnalem tradidit tu spiritualem furens Euangeliū sanctum flammis sacrilegis tradidisti Iudas betraied Christ in the flesh but tho◠in the spirite In thy furie thou hast deliuered the holy Gospel vnto heynous flames 14 But what are the grounds for which they haue thus furiously bent themselues against the writings of the holy Ghost The grounds whereupon they build such doctrines as cannot stand with the scriptures of God are fained miracles the record and witnesse of fowle spirits precepts of men muddie legends vncertaine traditions which grounds so long as the light of the Gospel shineth in mens eies so long as we haue the scriptures to direct vs in our iudgement are easily perceiued to be but bogges and false grounds but take away the scriptures put out the light and in darkenesse who can descrie what they are This is the onely reason why Antichrist doth so much striue to hoodwinke the worlde by conueying the scriptures out of sight 15 By the scriptures we learne that the comming of that wicked one shall be with power and signes and lying wonders and in all deceiueablenesse of vnrighteousnesse which when we heare it giueth vs plainly to vnderstand that miracles are rather to be taken for causes of reasonable suspition than infallible proofes of true doctrine But the Pope wel perceiueth that if the scriptures may be buried his miracles wil then stand him in good stead As soone as Philip preached the things that concerned the kingdome of God and the name of Iesus Christ to the people of Samaria they forsooke the sorceries of Simon Magus and beleeued the doctrine of the scriptures But till then they all gaue heede to witchcraft and their generall iudgement of Magus was This man is the power of the great God 16 In the scriptures we are charged to heare Moses and the Prophets In the scriptures we finde that Christ refused the testimonie of an vncleane spirit In the scriptures we haue learned how to aunswere them which sende vs either to diuels or dead mens ghosts to be schooled and taught Should not a people enquire at their God From the liuing to the dead But let it be prouided that such sentences as these may be no more remembred and then what is it which the Pope may not confirme by his pale and grislie witnesses when men doe not heare of these scriptures they will easily finde as good reason as Saul to open their eares and to listen vnto Satan God aunswereth me no more neither by Prophets nor by dreames Therefore I haue called thee that thou maist tel me what to doe 17 How often are we warned in scriptures to take heede that we build not religion vpon doctrines of men How sharply are the Corinthians taken vp by the Apostle for pinning themselues vpon mens sleeues saying I am of Paul and I of Appollos But if this were concealed who would controlle the Pope for diuiding his traine for appointing some to be of Benedict some of Frauncis some of Dominicke for exacting more rigorously the strict obseruation of their rules than the keeping of the Lawes and statutes of God 18 So long as the myst of poperie was thicke ynough to stoppe the light of the scriptures of GOD the fabulous legends of Saints liues were thought as true as the Gospel There they had with maruellous cunning conueyance interlaced all points of popish doctrine which being barely taught would by reason of the grossenesse of them haue beene loathed in short time but being mingled with straunge and pleasaunt fables and so powred both into young and tender wits as the first licour wherewith their mindes were seasoned and into olde heads as the onely thing that might hold them euen then when all other entries of delight were shut vp so long as they had but
though there were some others without whom the father in him is not pleased some others more willing to heare our requestes than hee who gaue himselfe to death for our sakes haue made their intercessors infinite in number and as though his sacrifice were so vnperfect that by beeing once offered it could not perfectly consecrate those which are sanctified renue their oblations day by day finally as though the Prophet were ouer presumptuous which saieth God is our hope and strength and helpe therefore will not we feare goe about by all meanes to strike a seruile terror into the heartes of the faithfull to keepe them alwaies wauering and doubting to take away all assurance of the mercie and fauour of God towards them which when we haue lost what courage can we haue to withstand the fierie assaults of Satan what comfort or consolation in the middest of those sharp and bitter conflicts which we must endure if we will liue godly in Christ Iesus 35 It is an honour vnto God when his name onely is called vpon when we worship and fal downe before none but him This honour he getteth not at their hands which haue gotten to them selues legions of Angels to whom they pray and millions of Idols which they daily adore Their differences betweene an Idoll and an Image are but shifts Call them what yee will They are similitudes of things in heauen or things in earth which is sufficient to condemne them of Idolatrie that worshippe such things Their distinctions betweene the honour which they giue to Images and the worship which they doe to God alone may serue to bleare the eyes of mortall men But the eternall God doth knowe that they honour creatures with that honour which is forbidden them in the Lawe that they bowe downe to them and that they serue them 36 It is an honour vnto God when reuerence and obedience is shewed vnto his Lawe But is this performed in that synagogue where he sitteth which is an aduersarie and exalteth him selfe against all that is called God or that is woorshipped making himselfe supreme Iudge of all nations requiring his owne words to be heard of all men as the words of God bereauing magistrates of their lawfull power exempting his Clergie from the ciuill sword what villanie soeuer they commit chaunging at pleasure the gouernment of Christ established in his Church dispensing with sinne be it neuer so directly against the expresse commaundement of God forbidding his Clergie mariage vnder colour of seuering them from the worlde but in deede to ease them of such cares and troubles as are necessarilie ioyned with that honourable estate which God commendeth and both secretly with concubines and openly in stewes permitting them fornication which God doeth hate Seeing therefore that this their synagogue is nothing but a sinke of all vncleannesse seeing that all their indeuours tend to no other end but onely to the aduauncement of themselues the dishonour of God and the disgrace of Christ doubtlesse they are not they cannot be the men which minister the waters of eternall life vnto thirstie soules 37 Now that we haue seene both the ground and the end as wel of that faith which we professe as of the doctrine which is helde by them who are deadly enemies to vs and our profession it remaineth that a worde bee spoken of the meanes which are vsed on both parts to set forward that for which we striue Touching our selues as the marke which wee shoote at is to set vp the kingdome of Christ Iesus a kingdome which is not of the worlde so the meanes which herein wee vse are not worldlie but altogether heauenly and spirituall What the proceedings of the Gospell haue beene yee are not ignoraunt ye knowe verie wel how without force without crueltie without trecherie and deceit without all wisedome of flesh and bloud in naked simplicitie in trueth vncoloured and as the Apostle speaketh in foolishnesse of preaching we haue laboured to prepare you for one husband to present you as a pure virgin to Christ not outwardly arrayed in purple and skarlet guilded with gold pretious stones and pearle like the strumpet that sitteth vpon many waters but like the spouse of Solomon glorious within ful of Christ riche in faith and in good workes fulfilled with knowledge of his wil in all wisedome and spiritual vnderstanding strengthened mightily in the inward man rooted and grounded in syncere loue inabled to comprehende with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height of the loue of Christ strengthened with all patience and long suffering blessed with all spirituall blessings in heauenly things 38 Contrariwise they desiring no such thing but seeking to build an earthly kingdome for themselues vse the meanes which are fittest for that purpose They feede mens eies with all glorious and glittering shewes they inuent to themselues instrumentes of Musicke to delight the eare but of the worke of the Lord of preaching the Gospel of instructing the heart of building the faith of exhorting and comforting Gods people who seeth not how litle regard they haue They keepe men occupied alwaies in corporal and bodily exercise which profiteth litle But are they careful to traine men vp in the knowledge of Christ which is eternal life in true godlinesse which is profitable vnto all things which hath the promise of the life present and of that which is to come No their practise from time to time doth shewe that most prophane and godlesse men onely siding themselues with the Church of Rome and defending by all meanes the Popes honour may both be counted as Catholikes and euen canonised as Saints among them If they passe the daies of their life lewdely after death at a reasonable prise they may purchase rest for their soules If their hearts be set vpon adulterie incest theft murther consider the holie father for his parchement and lead and what more easily graunted in the Court of Rome than full and free libertie to commit sinne Hence it commeth to passe that as euerie man is most licentiously bent so he ioyneth himselfe most willingly to the Church of Rome and warreth most earnestly for that faith which faith if the riche men of this worlde be for the most part readie to embrace what maruel is it For whereas Christ hath saide It is hard for a riche man to enter into heauen their doctrine and practise maketh the way expedite onely for the riche but by the way which they teache for a poore man to enter into the kingdome of heauen it is a hard matter It were too much to recite all the meanes whereby that kingdome of darkenesse hath growen it were a thing too full of horror to discourse of all the trecheries poysonings murtherings massacres which they haue vsed to maintaine their power neuer any tyrant in the world more Did Christ did Peter did the blessed Apostles thus subdue and conquer nations Did they thus inlarge the kingdome of God
furtherance of true religion 18 The church had neede to be purged of an other enormitie or else it cannot be safe The sinne of Magus must be remooued This disease spreadeth farre Patrones gape for gaines and hungrie fellowes vtterly destitute of all good learning or godlie zeale yea skantly cloathed with common honestie hauing money find readie entraunce into the Church These are theeues and robbers they creepe into the church of Christ by stealth They are not called of God as Aaron was This sinne is vniuersally complained of Surely if symoniacall affection haue corrupted the heart of any Bishop as some will not let openly to say it were not amisse if his heart were giuen him in his hande He is easily dealt withal if he be disbishopped If the lot fal on the lay man the losse of his patronage is but a light punishment for a fault so heynous But whosoeuer is this money man I wil say vnto him in the words of S. Peter Thy money be with thee vnto perdition Shifts are but shifts in these matters It is all one to goe plainely to worke with Iudas What will ye giue me and to giue thy patronage to thy seruaunt to sell and so to diuide Christs coate betweene you Ambrose in his booke de pastore seemeth to touche Bishops of his time with simonie saying Quod dedit cùm Episcopus ordinaretur aurum fuit quod perdidit anima fuit cùm alium ordinaret quod accepit pecunia fuit quod dedit lepra fuit That which he gaue when he was ordained Bishop was gold and that which he lost was his soule That which he tooke when hee ordained an other was money and that which he gaue was a leprosie This is the hole whereat so many vnfit and vnwoorthie persons haue crept in Lay not thy hands on any man quickely is worne out of remembraunce Such as cannot feede the flocke are now dispensed withall to be owners of the fleese God no doubt will finde out the fault and the bloud of such as perish wilbe required at some bodies hands God graunt speedie reformation heerein Such in authoritie as truly feare God wil purge his church from false doctrine from Idolatrie from superstition and from Simonie 19 The next point of princely seruice doone to God is to nurse the church with wholesome foode till we all growe vp to a perfect man in Christ Iesus That this foode may bee ministred that this word may be preached euerie where to Gods people good princes and such as are in authoritie must take special care For this is truely to serue and feare God It is not enough that princes and magistrates embrace the Gospel that they feed vpon the foode of saluation themselues but they as heads and pastors must see this bread broken deliuered to the people Christ had care of al the people sent his disciples abroad with this charge Go your waies into the whole world The wil of Christ is that all be saued and come to the knowledge of the truth The preaching of the gospel is called the kingdome of Christ. For by that meanes Christ is planted groweth raigneth in the hearts and soules of the people If the flocke want their pastor by reason therof through famine perish doubtlesse that bloud of soules wil be required Lawes prouide for many matters of small importance This waightie matter of mans saluation is not lightly to be passed ouer The haruest no doubt is great many willing to heare the word fewe there be that labour but many idle lookers on who take the wages but either wil not or cannot worke They haue learned of the euill steward to play the theefe both to robbe their master Christ of his glorie and the church of Christ of their saluation But woe be to those sheepeheardes which feede themselues and suffer the flocke of Christ to want their meate 20 The want of reward hindereth this worke But this wil be answered Some haue ynough and some haue too much I am acquainted with these speeches but let me say againe A great sort haue too litle and some that are worthie to haue haue starke nothing No man hath too much that wel doeth his dutie for he is worthie of double that honour which he hath And he that can iustly be charged with want of duetie let his candlestick in Gods name and for Gods sake be remooued Nowe if it be alleaged that if equall diuision were made all might be sufficiently prouided for But who shal make the diuision There is cause why men may thinke it skant safe for the Church of Christ to put her patrimonie to arbitrement least while diuision bee pretended some Quintus Fabius adiudge a good part thereof to the Senate of Rome Rome hath robbed Christ of his honour and by impropriations giuen his patrimonie to idle fat Monkes to feede vpon We haue restored Christ to his honour and dignitie but we stil holde from him his lands and liuing like a ward The Ethnicke and Idolatrous priests of Egypt of Iupiter of Baal of Bel were liberally prouided for The priests of Aaron the Scribes and Pharisies the Monkes Friers and sacrificing popish priests were in high authoritie and had the wealth of the worlde Shall Idol seruice be preferred to the true seruice of God Shall false prophets be better regarded and rewarded than true Preachers Then iust is our condemnation For we shewe that light being come into the worlde wee loue it not so much as they loued darkenesse The Gospel hath euil lucke it is neuer preached but the patrimonie thereof is pinched Such as wil pretend the Gospell and labour to pull away the patrimonie of the Gospel may well professe Christ in words but they denie him in their deedes 21 As the ministers are to bee prouided for that the worde may be preached so the people must bee brought to conforme themselues to the thankefull receiuing thereof that from thence they may learne truely to serue and feare God And this care also pertaineth to godlie princes and good magistrates to prouide good Lawes for the same and to see those Lawes put in execution Although conscience cannot be forced yet vnto externall obedience in lawful things men may lawfully be compelled God the great king who worketh al things wel sent foorth his officers to compel men to come in and eate of his great supper Herevpon S. Augustine saith Qui compellitur quò non vult cogitur sed cùm intrarit iam volens pascitur Hee that is constrained is driuen whither he would not goe willingly but when hee is entred by constraint then he feedeth with a good will Paul neuer embraced the gospel vntil he was cast off his horse flat vpon the earth and then he cried Lord what wilt thou haue me to doe It is profitable for men to be constrained vnto those things which are
him that raiseth vp cōtentions amongst brethren Loue is the Liuerie-coate of Christ whosoeuer wil be numbred with his seruaunts must put it on By this men shall know you to be my Disciples If ye loue one another In those verie creatures which God hath left emptie and voide of vnderstanding there is a kinde of loue a consent we see there is in the stars in the elements in times and seasons amongst the beasts of the field the fowles of the aire the fishes of the sea and fruites of the earth euerie beast doth loue his like to our shame and reproche if hauing so many schoolemasters to teach vs one thing we learne it not especially being so necessarie as it is For in loue and concord our praiers are accepted in the sight of God and without them abhorred Verilie I saie vnto you that if two of you shall agree in earth vpon any thing whatsoeuer they shall desire it shall be giuen them of my father which is in heauen 7 S. Paul therefore to perswade men to this concord vseth a similitude drawne from the members of a naturall bodie wherein he noteth that the bodie by nature is a thing whole and perfect consisting of all his members if any part be wanting or cut off it is maimed Euen so in this mysticall bodie of Christ in this spirituall societie of the faithfull if any part bee cut off the whole is defaced and deformed All the members and euery one of them labour not for themselues onely but for the vse and preseruation of the whole bodie So are we borne not for our selues alone but for others also for whom we should trauell as for our selues The members striue not but are content with their placing be it honourable be it base Euen so should not wee striue for equalitie or superioritie but euerie man content himselfe with his owne calling The members reioice and suffer together Euen so should wee bee kindely affected eche to other mourning with them that mourne and being glad with them that doe reioice That member which hath not this sympathie this mutuall suffering this feeling of other mens hurts is dead and rotten Remember them saith the Apostle that are in bonds as though yee your selues were bound with them and them that are in affliction as if yee your selues were afflicted in their bodies The members are sundrie and haue sundrie offices For if all were an eye where were the hearing If all did commaund which should obeie Euen so in this resembled bodie and ciuil societie there must be diuersitie as of members so of functions The prince is as the head without whose discreete and wise gouernement the Lawes would cease and the people being not ruled by order of Lawes ruine and confusion would soone followe eche contending and striuing against other the end would be the vtter subuersion of all The ministers of the word are as the eyes to watche and not to winke or sleepe and as the mouth to speake and not be dumme For then they performe not their allotted function They are placed as watchemen ouer the Church for the good and godlie direction thereof to take heede both to themselues and to all the flocke whereof the holie Ghost hath made them ouerseers to feede the Church of God which he hath purchased with his owne bloud to warne the people of the enemie euer at hand alwaies readie to assault to teache and instruct the people of God in the waie of their saluation to tell them of their sinnes to crie vnto them and not to cease The Iudges are as eares who should sit in open places to heare the causes and complaints of the people opening the one eare to the plaintife and reseruing the other to the defendants answere The nobilitie are as the shoulders and armes to beare the burthen of the common wealth to holde vp the head and defend the bodie with might and force with wise counsel and good aduise Men of lower degrees are set as inferior parts in the bodie painefully to trauel for the necessarie sustentation both of themselues and others All these members are so necessarie that none can want without the ruine of the whole For euerie one hath need of other by the help of the other is maintained This necessary cōiunction should cause the Prince to loue the people as Moses which wished rather to be blotted out of the booke of life than that they should perish and as Dauid which besought the Lord to turne his wrathfull hand against him and to spare the people It should cause such loue in the people towards the Prince as was both in the people of Israel towardes their Prince and gouernour Iosua when they said All that thou hast commanded vs we will doe and whithersoeuer thou sendest vs we will goe and in Dauids subiects towards him when they stoode fast by him at such time as he fled from his rebellious and vnnaturall sonne not suffering that he should aduenture himselfe in the field but they rather for him to beare the brunt and burthen of the battell Thou shalt not goe thou art woorth tenne thousand of vs. This should cause the pastor to loue his flocke as Paul did loue his brethren I would wish my selfe separated from Christ for my brethren and againe Our good will was to haue dealt vnto you not the Gospell of GOD onely but euen our owne soules too because ye were deere vnto vs. This should cause the people to loue their pastor deerely as the Galathians loued Paul to whom he giueth this testimonie I beare you record that if it had beene possible you would haue plucked out your owne eies and haue giuen them to me Finally this should cause all men to walke in loue euen as Christ our example hath loued vs. 8 It followeth Let nothing be doone through contention or vainglorie After that S. Paul hath exhorted vs to loue and vnitie now he remooueth the lets and enemies of them The breache of all concord is contention and the daughter of contention is dissipation Wherefore our God is not the God of contention but of peace not of confusion but of order his Apostles are not breeders of stirs and mutinies they are messengers sent to make peace to this they prouoke and exhort eueriewhere I beseech you let there be no contentions amongst you Followe peace Let no roote of bitternesse spring vp and trouble you Where the man and the wife the parents and the children striue one against another that house needeth no forreine enemie to bring it to nought it will bee deuoured of it selfe A kingdome a citie diuided by contention how should it stand All times and examples are our witnesses Contention betweene Roboam and Ieroboam brought the kingdome of Israel first to a diuision and then to confusion The contention betweene Simon Iohn and Eleazar chiefe men in the citie of Ierusalem was the last and vtter
as the verie bane and pestilence of a common wealth whereof the olde Romane both historie and practise is an often witnesse These secret shifts are seene of God and abhorred and will be reuenged Well maiest thou escape the hands of man by thy colored delusions yet canst thou not escape the sharpe and swift iudgement of God who accordingly as hee hath threatened will exclude thee out of his kingdome interdict thee his tabernacle and hurle thee into hel where thy euill gotten monie can neither redeeme nor help thee A iust reward for thy vniust vsurie Our Apostle requireth that we paie vnto euerie man the thing that we owe. And wee are as much debtors to lend freely as others faithfully to pay the thing which is lent 13 The merchaunt is indebted to his neighbour the feller to the buyer to deale truely with him not to defraude him by false weights false measures false lights false words by swearing and forswearing or by any such vsuall but vnlawfull meane One lesson obserued serueth this matter lend as thou wouldst borrowe sell as thou wouldst buie doe as thou wouldst bee doone vnto This is duetie this is debt Pay it and owe nothing vnto any man but this that ye loue one another 14 The debt of loue is naturall and continuall We all owe it and we owe it vnto all And vnto whom we owe it we neuer pay it except we acknowledge that we owe it stil. In this debt of loue we must consider why we must loue whom wee must loue and lastly how we must loue 15 To omit the reasons drawne from nature this one taken from the God of nature shal suffice We must loue because God hath so commanded and because it is the fulfilling of all his commandements I giue you a newe commandement saith Christ that yee loue one another In our newe birth or regeneration wee are made brethren and fellowe heires with Christ of Gods kingdome As God therefore for euer loueth vs in Christ so wee ought to loue our brethren for God and in Christ for euer If ye wil be knowne to be his seruaunts by this men shall knowe you If yee will bee counted not hearers onely but also doers of the Lawe the Lawe is loue He that loueth another fulfilleth the Lawe Which the Apostle prooueth thus The Lawe saith Thou shalt not kil thou shalt not steale thou shalt not beare false witnesse thou shalt not couet that is to say thou shalt no way harme thy brother Loue doth no euill or hurt to any hee that loueth his neighbour will not take away his life will not defile his bed will not steale or rob him of his goods will not witnesse vntruely against him wil not in his heart couet any thing that is his And he that doth any of these things against him beareth not in deed hearty and true loue towards him Therefore is loue the fulfilling of the Lawe So that you see great cause why we should enter into this holie and Christian band of loue 16 But whom must we loue Thou shalt loue thy neighbour And who is our neighbour Not hee onely to whom wee are ioined by familiar acquaintance by alliance or neerenesse of dwelling but whosoeuer doth neede our helpe he is our neighbour be he Iewe or Gentile Christian or Infidell yea friend or enemie he is our neighbour To him wee ought to bee neere to doe him good It is friuolous for thee to obiect hee is mine enemie hee hath many waies wronged me he hath raised slanderous reports of me he hath practised against me spoiled and robbed me how can I loue him If Christ had loued his friends onely he had neuer loued thee whosoeuer thou art Loke vpon him whose hands were stretched out vpon the crosse for his enemies and for thee when thou wast his foe No man proposeth him as a paterne to be followed whom in his heart he doth mislike Thou mislikest thine enemie because he hateth thee if thou hate him then doest thou imitate the very thing which thou hatest Loue thy neighbour therefore without exception and loue him as thy selfe 17 For after this maner wee ought to loue No man hateth his owne fleshe no man is enuious of his owne commoditie or preferment Nature breedeth a selfeloue in euerie man And as this Lawe of nature doth woorke in vs a very feruent and carefull desire both to procure vnto our selues whatsoeuer wee are perswaded is good and to auoide whatsoeuer seemeth hurtfull or noysome So the Lawe of charitie requireth at our handes like readinesse and cheerefulnesse to benefite others Of loue towards our selues we hide and very warily couer all such faults as might any way worke our discredit or disgrace If we loue our brethren as our selues we will no more blase their offences than our own Charitie doth hide the multitude of sinnes But when we inlarge the sins of other men that they may seeme great or recken them vp by one and one to make them appeare as if they were many how fulfill we the Lawe of charitie would wee doe this in our owne transgressions we are neuer wearie in dooing good to our selues but to doe good to others wee haue no sooner begun but we are euen tired Our selues we loue not in woord and shew but in truth and in deede If wee speake deceitfully euerie one to his neighbour if we flatter with our lippes if we carie in our heads a double tongue and in our bodies a double heart and say wee loue we lie Which of vs beeing in his right minde doth lift vp his fist to strike himselfe If any part of our bodies be out of frame any bone out of ioint we seeke by and by all the helpe we can to set it in The name of strife and contention would neuer he heard of if we were thus affected towards others The onely breache of peace is the want of loue he that loueth al men wil haue peace with all men 18 Yet this doth suffer a kind of exception Haue peace with all men saith the Apostle but he addeth if it may be and as much as in you lieth It may not be which may not be lawfully Wee may not so yeeld vnto loue that wee yeeld vnto sinne withall not so haue peace with our neighbors that to continue loue with them we depart from the faith and loue of God or that for peace sake we flatter and followe our neighbour in his euill That were to fall out with Christ that we may keepe in with men If thy hand or eye offend thee cut the one off plucke the other out Loue Gods creation but hate all sinnefulnesse the Lorde also doth abhorre it And therfore we must be well content to loose the loue and beare the enmitie of the whole world for the loue we beare to God and his trueth With that strife to keepe this peace the Lord is pleased 19 But we are fallen into these euill
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
told him that he should not take as polluted that which hee had made cleane All meates are sanctified by the word and praier So are the Gentils as cleane as the Iewes whose hearts God hath purified To forbid meates or mariage as vncleane seeing that the Lorde hath purified them by his woord is the doctrine of diuels For all things are cleane to them that be cleane and the beleeuing Gentile is accepted of God as wel as the beleeuing Iewe. While Peter mused at this vision Cornelius his messengers asked for him at the doore and God spake vnto him and saide Goe with them and doubt nothing for I haue sent them 26 Peter hauing the woord of God for his calling went cherefully forward on his iourney readie to preache to them to whom God did send him He alleaged not howe dangerous it was to preache the Gospel in Cesarea howe long and tedious a way thither howe odious to be conuersant with the Gentiles he indented not what reward he should haue hee asked not who should beare his costs he alleaged not his worne bodie his olde age he was voide of all such put-offs he knewe that Woe be vnto him if he preached not he remembred his lesson giuen to others Feed the flocke of God he forgat not Christs lesson giuen vnto him If thou loue me feede my sheepe he knewe that the minister of the word ought to preache in season and out of season And he tooke the thing in hand the more gladly hauing hope that he should winne vnto Christ by the word a Captaine a man of might and authoritie in getting of whom he should also get a great sort he should get an hundred souldiers who easily would be drawne to bee like affected with their Captaine he should win a great familie with the rest of Cornelius friends kinsemen and euen so it came to passe It is a great gain vnto the Church of Christ when as a man in authoritie is woon by the word Therefore S. Paul vsed all perswasion to drawe king Agrippa to be a Christian knowing what great aduantage would come thereby to Christs Church To winne a prince is to winne a multitude yea a nation The Church of Christ encreaseth and thriueth apace when Kings Queenes become nurces to it 27 Peter being come now to Cornelius and perceiuing how God had touched his heart with the rest of his companie and made them most readie and greedie of the word of God opened his mouth and saide Of a trueth I perceiue that God is no accepter of persons and so foorth Now Peter entereth into his sermon seeing so wide a doore opened vnto him so great an occasion offered so large and apt a field to sowe Gods seede in In which Sermon there is ynough for a Christian to learne all matter needful to saluation is comprised in it He that hath taken out this lesson needeth not to learne another And a great occasion of it as of other excellent sermons was in the people For the holie Ghost soweth seede plentifully where he findeth a good ground to cast it in and giueth great vtterance lightly to the minister when he giueth good will to the auditorie to heare If the field be barren the seede is spared least it should be spilt Hee will not haue his seede cast in an vnfruitefull ground Surely when the people are woorthie of the woord God will sende preachers with aboundance of it 28 Of a trueth I perceiue that God is no accepter of persons This is S. Peters entrance to his matter wherein he declareth that hee hath nowe learned that the Gospel of Christ the doctrine of saluation doth as well pertaine to the Gentiles as to the Iewes For although there was a partition-wall which diuided them now it is taken away The Gentiles were aliants from the common wealth of Israel strangers from the couenant of promise and had no hope and were without God in the world but now in Christ Iesu they which were farre off are made neere For he is our peace which made of both one and hath broken down the partition-wall to make of twaine one newe man in himselfe so making peace Through him both Iewe and Gentile hath an entrance vnto the father by one spirit And Peter hauing had this reuealed to him before in his vision doth now affirme to the Gentiles in the beginning of his speeche partly to winne fauourable hearing in that he enuied not their saluation as other Iewes did but carefully sought it partly to make them attentiue to heare those things which pertained to their saluation Of a truth I perceiue Peter confesseth his former ignorance touching the calling of the Gentiles and that he hath learned that which he knew not before A token of his great humilitie His successor the pope is led by an other spirite hee cannot abide to graunt ignorance or that he can erre all knowledge is shut vp in scrinio pectoris as they terme it in the hutch of his brest Paul would not arrogate all knowledge though he were taken vp into the third heauen and sawe mysteries not to be reuealed vnto men for he saith We knowe in part These Romish Rabbies will be no Disciples but masters They will aunswere him that shall take in hande to teache them Thou art borne wholly in sinnes and doest thou teache vs 29 But what hath Peter learned That God is no accepter of persons I regard not that which man doth regard saith God to Samuel For man regardeth that which is before his eyes but God regardeth the heart The person heere is taken for the outward apparance and qualities as you would say or circumstances of persons as circumcision vncircumcision man woman magistrate subiect Iewe Gentile English-man French-man master seruaunt riche poore faire euill fauoured a tall man a dwarfe a citizen a countrie man a wise man a foole a learned an vnlearned These such other things are here meant by the persons of men GOD is no accepter of these outward shewes he iudgeth not as man iudgeth There is neither Iewe nor Gretian there is neither bond nor free there is neither male nor female for ye are all one in Christ Iesus There is no respect of persons with God neither ought we to be caried away with externall shewes of magnifical pompe of glorious titles of great authority much learning nor in matter of religion to respect the messenger but the message Paul reprooueth the Corinthians for respecting of persons in matter of religion some would heare none but Paul some liked none but Apollos others followed after Peter would only be his disciples Is Christ diuided saith S. Paul The preacher is to be heard for the woords sake and not for his owne sake If Scribes and Pharisees teache out of the chaire of Moses if Iudas teache the Gospell of Christ they are to be heard To heare or not to
heare in respect of the person is to iustifie or condemne the woord for the person Respect not persons but reuerence the matter when thou hearest the minister preaching the truth thou hearest not him but the sonne of God the teacher of al truth Christ Iesus Plato was as honest a man and as good a philosopher as was Diogenes for all his pretense of simplicitie and contemning of the world Haue no respect to outward pretenses Iudge not according to the sight least in opinion you condemne the good and iustifie the euill In matter of saluation neither ought the childe to respect his parent nor the seruaunt his master nor the subiect his prince nor posteritie the predecessors for we may not hang vpon man but vpon God Cursed is hee that maketh flesh his arme We must herein onely giue eare and respect what the sonne of God shall say vnto vs who is the wisedome of his father whom our heauenly father hath commaunded vs to heare saying Heare you him 30 In euerie nation he that feareth him and woorketh righteousnesse is accepted of him God respecteth not the outward person but the inward man He regardeth not the shape but his owne image that is in man Hee is not partiall to the Iewe more than to the Gentile Riche and poore learned and vnlearned are all one in his sight He accepteth of such as feare him and worke righteousnesse Herein is comprised perfect religion our duetie towards God and our dutie towards man the former and the latter table to beleene in God and to doe right to our neighbour to loue God aboue all and to loue our neighbour as our selfe To feare God is in true holinesse to serue GOD to worke righteousnesse is not to hurt but to help our neighbour to doe to others as we would be doone vnto our selues Hee that will be a wise man in deede must learne to feare God The beginning of wisedome is the feare of the Lord. All other wisedome wherein the feare of God wanteth is but earthly sensuall and diuelish Such as feare God shall be strengthened to stand against all assaults of Satan yea they shal continue and stand stedfast vnto the end euen to the last gasp Canst thou not away with want Wouldst thou haue plentie There is nothing wanting to them that feare him Canst thou not away with infamie Wouldest thou be praised The greatest praise that can come to any man is that he feareth God It is the glorie of the riche the noble and the poore Wouldest thou haue all vertues and the rewards of them Wouldest thou be free from sinnes and the punishments ensuing them Followe the example of Cornelius and feare God For they who feare God will honour and obey their parents they who feare God will diligently exercise themselues in praier they who feare God wil search their owne hearts see their offences and with the prodigall child be sorie for them confesse them and forsake them They who feare God will abstaine from sinne remembring that the Lord doth hate it and will punish it and knowing that their dooings cannot bee hid from him If the feare of God were planted in our hearts wee would learne after so many admonitions to leade a better life wee would practise such lessons as we haue beene so long in learning wee would not liue in such carelesse securitie as we doe the Gospel would take better effect in vs and bring foorth more plentifull fruite wee would at the length cast away impietie and worldely concupiscence and liue a sober iust and godlie life we would repent and forsake sinne least sinne procure Gods speedie wrath the ministers would be more diligent in feeding of the flocke the people more readie to heare the voice of the sheepeheard the magistrates more carefull ouer the common-wealth the subiectes more obedient to frame themselues to liue vnder Law the riche would not suffer the giuer of their riches to goe on begging the poore would endeuour to get spirituall treasures and to be riche in Christ finally we would not feede our bellies so daintily nor so vainly and superfluously cloath our bodies but vse temperance in diet and sobrietie in apparell hauing what to eate and wherewith to be cloathed we would bee content Verily to conclude such as feare God abstaine from euill and doe good and as our Apostle S. Peter saith they doe worke righteousnesse 31 Righteousnesse compriseth in it all such duetie as we doe owe vnto our neighbour Whatsoeuer is contained in the second table is comprehended in this word Righteousnesse But how can we worke righteousnesse who are as vncleane things and al our righteousnesse as a filthie clowte Of whom the prophet saieth There is not one that doth good no not one In deede we are not able to worke perfect righteousnesse For if wee could then Christ had died in vaine with whose perfect righteousnesse we must be cloathed by imputation that wee may bee accepted as righteous in Gods sight For God hath made him which knewe no sinne to be sinne for vs that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him But when we are iustified so by the perfect righteousnesse of Christ wee must endeuour to serue God in righteousnesse and bring foorth good fruites though they be vnperfect such as in this frailtie of the flesh we may And these are accepted of God for Christes sake their weakenesse and imperfection being pardoned in him Wherefore in this sort we must worke righteousnesse and follow sanctification Hitherto howe all estates must apply themselues to worke righteousnesse 32 Omitting therfore others whom generally this toucheth I will at this present remember children onely of a point of righteousnesse which they must worke in giuing due honour to their parents For there is a great fault in many at this day that wheras they are specially bound to their parents both by the linkes of nature and by the bonds of Gods word they burst those bondes asunder dispose of themselues in mariage as they list without consent of their parents A fault as most heinous in the sight of God and condemned by his law so condemned too by the law of nature the Lawe Ciuil the Lawe Canon and the opinion of the best writers For the Lawe of God doeth not onely charge children generally to obey their parents in all thinges but also particularly doth shewe by sundrie examples that children ought to be giuen by their parents in mariage and not to bee left to their owne fantasies And among the Ethnikes euen by the Lawe of nature as their Poets shew mariages for children were not made by themselues but by their parents It is written in the Lawe Ciuil If a sonne marie a wife against his fathers will the child that shall be borne of that mariage shall not be counted lawfull In the Canon Lawe it is saide Mariages are then
lawfull when maidens are asked to wiues of their parents and are giuen by them openly to their husbandes otherwise they are not mariages but whoredomes The best writers both olde and newe subscribe hereunto Tertullian Ambrose Chrysostome Augustine with all the learnedst of latter times whose particular sentences I omit to recite for breuities sake But if youthfull children haue so litle reuerence both of God and men that such admonition wil not make them leaue such disordered mariages it behooueth magistrates who are the common parentes of the weale publike to bridle their lusts with seuere Lawes for the redresse of this euill and the mischiefes ensuing of it And thus much of S. Peters entraunce into his sermon the sermon doeth followe 33 Ye knowe the word which God hath sent to the children of Israel preaching peace by Iesus Christ and so foorth The summe of the sermon is this Iesus Christ which is Lord of all the preacher and author of peace did faithfully performe the office for the which he was sent preaching to the people the glad tidings of the Gospell and healing all their diseases for God was with him and hee was slaine and hanged on tree the thirde day he arose again from death he ascended into heauen from thence shall he come to iudge the quicke and the dead to whom all the prophets beare witnesse that through his name all that beleeue in him shall haue remission of their sinnes Such as this is were the sermons of the Apostles Here is all things necessarie to saluation expressed This is that which God commanded his great Apostle S. Peter to preache In this doctrine would hee haue his people trained vp The people receiued it as a sufficient doctrine Peter and Paul were directed by one spirite they neither esteemed to knowe any thing but Iesus Christ and him crucified neither could they testifie or preache ought but him This sermon is diuided into three parts the first that Iesus Christ the Lord of all was sent vnto the people of Israel to preache peace the next that he died rose againe from death to procure vs this peace the last that we are made partakers of this peace by faith in his name Iesus Christ the Lord of all was sent vnto the people of Israel to preache peace Let vs weie the words seuerally they are most effectuous fully setting foorth the mysterie of our saluation 34 Iesus by the interpretation of the Angel is a sauiour Thou shalt call his name Iesus for he shall saue his people from their sinnes The Angel appearing to the sheepeheards saide Behold I bring you tidings of great ioie that shall be to al the people that is that vnto you is born this day a Sauiour The Ethnikes doe seeke their safetie in their idols the Iewes in the obseruances of the Lawe and traditions the Papistes in their pardons purgatorie masses merites the true Christians seeke it in Iesus Christ the Sauiour and in none but him He will not be matched therein with any other but he is a full perfect and onely Sauiour He is the Lambe of God that taketh away the sin of the world There is neither water nor fier buls nor bels masses nor merites pope nor pardon that can saue vs. There is neither diuel or flesh nor world if he saue vs that can condemne vs. For who can condemn whom he doth iustifie And whom he iustifieth not who can saue Christ is annointed And Iesus is called so because hee was annointed of God aboue his fellowes Whereupon Esay the prophet writeth of him The spirit of the Lord is vpon me for he hath annointed me Annointed he was to be a king and priest for they among the Iewes were woont to be annointed Hee is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords The wise men of the East did acknowledge him a king Where is he that is borne king of the Iewes Zacharie sheweth further what maner of king Behold thy king commeth to thee meeke and riding vpon an asse and vpon a colt the foale of an asse This our king doth gouerne vs with a right scepter The scepter of thy kingdome is a scepter of righteousnesse He doth defend vs with a mightie and stretched out arme against whose power no power can stand He is that triumphant prince which hath most victoriously vanquished and throwen vnder foote our enemies They labour in vaine that kicke against the prickes that striue against his Gospel For he is a prince of might that doeth defend it and the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it The sunne wil runne his course the passage of the Gospel cannot bee stopped The Gospel is not bound While it is persecuted it is inlarged The bloud that is spilt for it is the very seede of it Nowe as he is our king so our priest and prophet too at whose mouth wee should require the Lawe of God That prophet like vnto Moses the searcher of truth That very sonne of God of whom the father hath saide Ipsum audite Heare ye him He is the priest which once for all hath sufficiently sacrificed for our sins by himselfe and by none other once and not often vpon the crosse and not vpon the altar sufficient for all such as shall be saued He is the priest the high bishop that maketh intercession for vs the onely mediator betweene God and man to teach man the wil of God to reconcile God to man to make intercession betweene God and man These are the peculiar duties of Christ as wee are taught in the Epistle to the Hebrues 35 Which is Lord of all Least the Gentiles should conceiue that Iesus Christ was promised and sent to be a Sauiour onely to the Iewes hee answereth that obiection by a preuention so to terme it calling him Lord of all the Lord of the Gentile as wel as of the Iewe. Christ wil that all men shall be saued that is men of all sorts He was sent to preache peace to all both Iewes and Gentiles He is the Lord ouer all euen the Lord of glorie to whō all power is giuen both in heauen and in earth He hath bought vs al with a great price that we should serue him in holinesse and righteousnesse Let vs remember therefore that of the prophet If I be a Lord where is my feare saith the Lord of Hosts Feare not them which kil the bodie but be not able to kill the soule but rather feare ye him which is able to destroie both bodie and soule in hell 36 Which God hath sent When the fulnesse of time was come God sent forth his sonne made of a woman and made vnder the Lawe that he might redeeme them which were vnder the Lawe He was made man for vs that in our nature he might suffer for vs. He was sent of his father being equall
into them also the selfesame blessing of increase and fruitfulnesse And as vnto these so likewise vnto man the greatest in honour though in order the last of all his creatures he gaue the same power to spread out himselfe by propagation and to replenish the face of the earth 2 For the seemelier and better ordering whereof to the ende that as God himselfe is most pure and therefore hateth all vncleannesse so the actions of men who in nature resemble him might be framed according to the paterne of his image hee prescribed a way how man as beseemeth the excellencie of his creation nature might not after a brutish beastly maner but in al honestie cleanlines bring forth the honorable fruit of his bodie that so Gods creation and work might be continued his kingdom inlarged his name by reason of the multitude much more praised And this meane or way appointed by God was matrimonie a state whereof the chosen vessel of God writeth this as the iudgement of the holie Ghost Mariage is honourable Wherein for your better instruction and learning my purpose is to shew you the reasons of the honour which it should haue and also of the great disgrace which it hath amongst men 3 Mariage is honourable first in respect of the author by whom it was ordeined Secondly in regard of the causes thereof Thirdly for the dueties which are required of the parties maried Touching the first it appeareth in the beginning of the booke of Genesis howe after that God had perfectly accomplished his creation and had giuen the Lordeship ouer all liuing creatures vnto Adam he saide It is not good that man be alone let vs make him an helper that may be before him let vs make woman Whereupon our Sauiour in the Gospel inferreth That therefore which God hath ioyned together let no man separate approouing mariage to bee the institution of God and a naturall order proceeding I meane from the God of nature to bee obserued and vsed for euer Neither did hee onely confirme this lawe and ordinaunce of God in plaine woords and in his teaching but he also did honest and honour the same with his presence For being called to a mariage he his mother and kinsfolke gladly went there to feast with others where it pleased him miraculously to increase their cheere and withal their honour For it is not nothing which this doth adde to the holy and reuerend estimation thereof that the first miracle which Christ wrought was wrought at a mariage and is so by the holie Ghost recorded Nowe besides this that almightie God himselfe ordeined mariage and that in Paradise a most heauenly habitation and that before the innocencie was stained with sinne besides this that Christ did allow and many waies approoue the same yea and moreouer vouchsafed to resemble his spirituall coniunction with his Church vnto this estate we finde that the Patriarkes the Priests and Prophets the holiest men of God Abraham Moses Aaron and the rest of that blessed companie haue chosen to liue rather in mariage than otherwise acknowledging thereby the state of mariage to be vndoubtedly no lesse allowable if not more honourable than single life 4 Concerning the second point that is to say the honour which riseth from the causes for which GOD did institute the state of wedlocke the scripture noteth especially three The first is mutuall societie helpe and comfort And this were a cause sufficient to esteeme of mariage highly if there were no other For God hath saide It is not good that man be alone Let vs make him an helper and helper and not an hinderer 5 The second cause why matrimonie was ordeined and must be honoured is increase and propagation For although that this may be as we see it it is in lewde and shamelesse persons too often without this estate of mariage yet this is so much against the dignitie of humane nature that such broodes haue beene alwaies basely accounted of by men which haue had but the bare light of naturall vnderstanding Wherefore the blessed Apostle hath saide I will that the younger sort marie and bring foorth children giuing vs thereby to vnderstand that there can be no seemely propagation of mankinde saue onely in mariage Children begotten in the state of matrimonie are the blessing of God and the fruite of the vndefiled wombe is a reward as Salomon wisely acknowledged in the Psalme For a man to be honoured with the name of a father to be renued and continued in his posteritie if it be not a speciall blessing of God a very exceeding great reward why are men women so desirous to see the fruit of their bodies Why was Anna so exceeding in crauing children at the hands of God Why was barrennesse so grieuous vnto Sara Why did it seeme reprocheful vnto Elizabeth Is it a small benefit that God hath raised out of the bodie of Abraham so many Patriarchs Priests Prophets Iudges and Kings such a multitude not onely of men of reputation on earth but also of blessed saints and citizens in heauen If it were an honour vnto Abraham to be a father of many nations surely mariage which made him a lawfull and an honourable father ought very honourably to be esteemed 6 Another cause of honour giuen vnto mariage is for that it is a remedie against vncleannesse Let euerie man haue his wife and euerie woman her husband for the auoiding of fornication Vpon which words of S. Paul Ambrose writeth verie aptly Qui abstinēt a licitis in illicita prolabuntur They which forbeare things lawfull to vse fall many times to vse things which they should forbeare And he bringeth in the Manichees for example as we may bring in the Papistes and namely that ponde of Rome adioyning to a Nunrie wherein were founde the heads of seuen thousand bastards It is true that all haue not neede of this remedie because all are not subiect to the daunger and perill of this disease But if any man be subiect to this disease let him beware howe he despise this remedie There bee no doubt that haue the gift of chastitie by birth and there be that haue made themselues chast by indeuour but of all this men are not capable As it is the gift of God so it seemeth to be a rare and not a common gift Such as haue it and so liue sole they are more fit to labour in Gods Church it must needes be graunted for they are combred with fewer cares But be these cares neuer so many and great better it is to marie than to burne and to be burthened with ordinarie and nest cares than with vnordinarie and dishonest carelesnesse to be destroied There are many that deceiue themselues thinking a single and a chast life to be all one To bee pure in bodie and in spirite this is chastitie Hee that seeth a woman and in his heart hath
Peter tooke vp Cornelius and would not suffer him to worship him His successor compelleth princes to cast themselues downe before him and to kisse his filthie feete This beastly pride declareth him neither to be Christs vicar nor Peters successor but rather his childe who saide to Christ in the mount All these will I giue thee if thou wilt fall downe and worship me If man who is the liuely image of God may not haue this worship how much lesse stockes and stones the dead images of men For is it not more reasonable that the image-maker should be woorshipped than the workes of his hands 21 Finally Cornelius thanked Peter for his comming and declared withall howe readie he was to heare him For in that he saide thou hast doone well to come he shewed a thankefull minde for his paines taken So all should bee thankefull to such as bring them glad tidings the word of saluation He sendeth his woord and healeth them saith the prophet Let them confesse therefore before the Lord his louing kindenesse and his wonderfull woorkes before the sonnes of men The philosophers write euen by the Law and rules of nature that the children can neuer yeeld woorthie thanks vnto their parents for their birth and breeding Such as beget and breede vs spiritually deserue more thankes euen so much more as the soule is better than the bodie spirituall regeneration better than naturall procreation Such as will not be thankefull for the ministers of the trueth shall be requited with deceitful teachers For God will send them strong delusion that they should beleeue lies that all they may be damned that beleeue not the truth 22 Nowe howe readie himselfe and his companie were to heare Peter preache it appeareth by the woords following We are all present here before God to heare all things that are commanded thee of God Wherein both the dueties of the hearer and the preacher are plainely set downe The dutie of the hearer first to be present before God To remember that he standeth in the sight of God the seer and searcher of hearts from whom nothing is hid To stand before the preacher is to stand before God The presence of God requireth feare and reuerence Feare and reuerence should occupie the hearts of them who stand so Secondly to heare and learne There is none so well learned but hee may learne more For while we liue we knowe in part saith S. Paul and therefore we must giue diligent care and applie our mindes to that which is spoken We must not be as a beaten way where the seede can take no roote We must not suffer preiudice to treade downe and destroie the seede nor the birds of the ayre Satan to pull it out at the one eare so fast as it entereth in at the other We may not let our mindes wander but comming of purpose to heare to our profite we must beseeche God to giue vs memorie and vnderstanding to print into our hearts that which wee heare with our eares Thirdly to heare all things euen all the doctrine of God not things that doe please but things that displease our flesh not other mens faults but our owne not onely profession but also conuersation not onely faith but also workes not onely to heare but also to doe Herod heard Iohn gladly while hee carped others but hee could not abide to bee rubbed on the gall himselfe Hee heard Iohn in many things but not in all The Iewes at Rome heard Paul vntill hee applied the woords of Esay vnto them The heart of this people is waxed fat and their eares are dull of hearing and with their eyes haue they winked least they should see with their eies and heare with their eares and vnderstand with their hearts and returne that I might heale them Then they shrunke from him and would no more heare him The preacher is gladly heard of the people that can carpe the magistrates cut vp the ministers crie out against all order and set all at libertie But if hee shall reprooue their insolencie pride and vanitie their monstrous apparell their excessiue feasting their greedie couetousnesse their biting vsurie their halting hearts their muttering mindes their friendly words malitious deedes they will fall from him then He is a railer he doteth he wanteth discretion Not so Cornelius and his companie but they were readie to heare all and so fashioned and framed according to all that which God by his word should require at their hands 23 The duetie of the preacher is expressed in these woords That are commaunded thee of God The preacher may teache no other than he hath commission to speake than is commaunded him of God He may not adde to the written word neither take from it Gods Lawe is perfect it doth perfectly instruct and teache all things necessarie to saluation The Disciples must only breake those loaues vnto the people which they haue receiued at Christs hands They may not teache their owne dreames inuentions or doctrines For God will not haue them woorship him so but thou shalt heare the word saith he at my mouth and giue them warning from me And thus much of Cornelius what he was on what occasion he sent for Peter and howe he receiued him at his comming to him 24 Likewise in Peter three things we haue noted Howe he was occupied when the messengers came to him howe readilie he went with them and what the sermon was that hee preached to them The messengers found him at the sixth houre which is twelue as wee count fasting and praying on the house toppe where he sawe a vision in his traunce a sheete let out of heauen knit at foure corners wherein were all fowre footed beasts of the earth and wilde beasts and creeping things and fowles of heauen And a voice saide arise Peter kill and eate First wee see that Peter had his appointed houres of praier Praier is an acceptable sacrifice to God and a Christian exercise for the vse wherof the godlie will prescribe themselues certaine times For mans corrupt nature is easily caried away to worldely affaires Hee matcheth fasting with praier as needefull to stirre vp our slothfull drowsie spirits to pray the more feruently For a full bellie maketh a faint praier And he sought also a priuate place to pray in because in priuate places we may powre out our hearts more freely vnto God But of this I haue spoken before 25 The vision that appeared was to teache him that Christ was borne a Sauiour to the whole world that the Gospel was to be preached to all that he would all should be saued and come to the knowledge of the trueth And so was declared the calling of the Gentiles For Peter was commaunded to make no difference betweene Iewe and Gentile although the Gentiles were esteemed as vncleane in the eyes of the Iewes Peter being commaunded to kill and eate abstained in respect of the Lawe God