why we should not speake euill of ◠Reason or condemne the brethren is drawen frō the duetie of the saints it is the dutie of Gods children to do the lawe not to iudge or condemne it The law saith speake not euil of thy brother neither condemne thy brother this law must Leuit. 19. Mat. 7. we do and endeuour to fulfill it in euery point not by withstanding it seeme to cōdemne it and be iudges of it Men condemne the law when they condemne their brethren they iudge the lawe when they will not be taught thereby nor reformed but as iudging it vnworthy to be the rule and line of their life they withstand it God hath not appointed vs to iudge his lawe but rather to doe it therfore by not speaking euil of the brethren must we do the law and not by resisting it condemne and iudge it How men are saide to do the law See S. Iames ch 1. v. 22. The meaning of this place is that we are ordained to be doers of the lavv and by God vvilled to labour to fulfill it therfore it standeth vs vpon thereunto to tende therein to labour and trauell and not by arrogantly iudging of our brethren rashly to iudge of the law Men become the iudges of the law when by obstinately transgressing of the law they seeme superiours and aboue the law as such as will not be subiect therunto and not by doing it seeme inferiours as they which will be ruled thereby then when we speake euill of our brethren which the law forbiddeth in rising vp resisting against this law we seeme to be aboue the law as such as will not be restrained thereby To iudge the law not to do it is great sinne Therfore must we rather in not speaking euill Deut. 27. of the law do it then in speaking euill thereof iudge it Great blessings are promised such as do obserue the law a great curse likewise is threatened to them which do not keepe it Moses therefore saith Cursed is euery one that continueth not in all the wordes of this law to do them This Apostle pronounceth them blessed which looke into Iames 1. 1. Ioh. 2. the perfect lawe of libertie to do it Saint Iohn witnesseth that such as do the will of God shall remaine and abide for euer and we are called to the doing of the law vvee ought therefore to do it that vve may be blessed in our deede and remayne for euer and not iudge it by violating thereof least vvee taste of the curse vvhich is threatened When vve speake not euill of our brethren vvee fulfill the royall lavve vvhich saith Loue thy neighbour as thy selfe vvhen vvee speake euill of them and iudge them because they vvalke not according to our pleasures vve iudge the lavve vvhich is farre from our dutie The lavv is by God ordained to be the line and leuell of our life the guyde of our feete the gouernour of our pathes therefore the princely Prophete Dauid Psal 119. saith Thy vvorde ô Lorde is a lanterne vnto my feete and a light vnto my pathes this lavv of God is the touchstone of our actions the triall of al our vvorkes the ballance to waigh vvhether they be according to the lavve of equity iustice to do this law not to iudg it ar we called For which cause almighty God in his law witnesseth that Deut. 4 6. he had giuen lawes vnto his people to do them Our Sauiour so often requireth the doing of the lawe and worde of God in the saints not euery one that saith vnto me Lord Lorde shall enter into the kingdome of heauen Mat. 7. but hee that doth the will of my father which is in heauen to the woman which pronounced the wombe blessed Luke 10. that bore him and the pappes that gaue him sucke He saith yea rather blessed are they that heare the worde of God and doe it To his disciples after the washing Iohā 13. of their feete blessed are yee if you know these thinges and doe them Saint James requireth this and calleth Iames 1. men to the doing of the lawe and worde of God be yee doers of the lavve not hearers onely Finally the Apostle in his Reuelation blessed is he that readeth and heareth Reuel 1. the vvordes of this prophesie and keepeth those things which are written therein to this law we must submit our selues and giue ouer all our actions thereby to be iudged this law forbiddeth euill speach of the brethren this forbiddeth proudly to iudge them arrogantly to cōdemne them because they walke not according to our wils this law must we not resist but obey notwithstand but fulfill this is the dutie of the saints of God this is the thing wee are bound vnto vvherefore if notwithstanding we speake euill of the brethren we do not the law but we iudge it and so swarue from the dutie of Gods saints and the thing whereunto we are called which is to be doers not to become iudges of the lawe of God And this is the second reason of the Apostle why we may not speake euill of the brethren because in so doing we are not doers of the law which dutie requireth but iudges which becommeth not the saints 3. A third reason why men may not proudly condemne 3. Reason arrogantly iudge their brethren is drawen frō the vsurping of the office of God of Christ men must not proudly arrogate that to themselues which is proper to God to giue lawes of their liues vnto men which if they embrace not at our pleasure to speake euill of thē to cōdemne thē therfore appertaineth not to vs for there is one only law giuer which prescribeth rules to vs to our brethren how we shall liue one iudge which shall iudge both vs and them if we doe not thereafter and this law maker and iudge is not mans fancie will pleasure but God himselfe so that when we will take vpon vs to prescribe vnto other men and woulde haue all men liue after our examples and pleasures Which if they will not proudly to iudge them bitterly to speake of them seuerely to censure and condemne them is to vsurpe the office of God our heauenly father to arrogate to our selues the thing which apperteineth not vnto vs therfore ought we not to doe it That God is the onely Law geuer and iudge which is able to saue and to destroy and that no man ought to take vpon him to set lawes of life and death to mens consciences and restraine them to their pleasures it appeareth For in the holy mountain with great feare and terror with sights and soundes from aboue almightie God Exod. 19. 20. deliuered vnto Moses the two tables of the lawe In the preface whereof the Lord setteth downe his own name as the authour thereof I am the Lorde thy God which brought thee out of the lande of Egypt thou shalt haue no
heare not only but do also therefore he admonisheth them to be doers of the worde not hearers onely To do the worde is double 1 To doe it absolutely and perfectly so that both the heart consent and the outward A double doing of the worde life answere fully to the law of God in perfect measure To which doing God in the lawe did promise life for in the law it is said I haue giuen thee lawes statutes and ordinaunces which if thou doe thou shalt liue in Leuit. 18. them Our Sauiour in the Gospel thereunto respecting telleth the foolish lawyer who by doing would obtaine Luke 10. life that if hee would loue God with all his heart with all his soule with all his strength with all his thought Rom. 2. and his neighbour as himselfe hee should liue The Apostle shewing the Iewes which so much boasted of doing the lawe that they must perfecty fulfill the lawe if thereby they would looke to be saued saieth That not the hearers thereof but the doers of the lawe shall be iustified before God This perfect fulfilling and doing all that the law requireth is that doing which the law and Gospell mencioneth and requireth in them which by their workes hope to attaine life This no man can possibly performe for what man euer could loue God with a perfect heart with all his soule with his whole affection strength and power What man euer loued his neighbour as himselfe VVhere is he and who is he that continueth in all things that â—eue 17. are written in the law to do them VVhere is that either man or woman that neither in thought word nor worke hath broken the commaundements of God this is the obedience this is the fulfilling this is the doing which the lawe requireth which no man perfourmeth Saint Peter the Apostle therefore calleth it a yoke intollerable which neither they neither their fathers could Acts 15. beare And Saint Paul a little before to the Antiochians Acts 13. in Pisidia protesteth that by the law wee could not be saued from our sinnes because we could not perfourme it which was so weakned through the infirmitie of the flesh that it could not possibly deliuer man from sinne from death Which defect is not by nature of the law but thorowe the naturall impotency and weaknes of man which cannot doe that in perfect measure which the lawe with great exactnes requireth Saint Augustine therfore in his booke of the Spirit and letter saith very well and wisely De spiritu lit c. 19. The law is not therefore not accomplished for any fault in the law but by the fault of the wisdome of the fleshe Which fault is to be shewed and made manifest by the lawe but to be healed through grace The holy men of God therefore seeing themselues to come short of the doing of the word and lawe in this matter and manner of doing haue in the humilitie of their mindes accounted themselues as sinners and therefore haue confessed their iniquities and transgressions their sinnes and vnrighteousnes before the Lord as the Patriarches as Job Dauid Daniel the Apostles and all the Saints of God as it appeareth Seeing theÌ„ that no man is able thus to do the word there must some other kind of doing the word be by Saint Iames here required Therefore there is a doing of the word and law vnder the Gospell when Christ for vs and our saluation fulfilleth the law in perfect measure therfore Rom. 10. is called the fulfilling of the law to all that beleeue and therewith also geueth vnto his Saints as members of his body the holy Ghost the spirite of sanctification that thereby they after some measure may truely doe his will earnestly cleaue vnto his word faithfully beleeue his promises vnfeinedly loue him for his goodnes and feare him with reuerence for his mighty power And finally loue their neighbour though in great infirmitie great imperfection great weaknes This our doing of the word and fulfilling the law of God almighty God accepteth and taketh in good part for his sonnes sake who hath in all points and parts perfectly fulfilled the lawe for all those that beleeue And this our doing of Gods worde is not thereby to attaine to righteousnes with God which thing before we haue receiued by faith in Christ only but partly to testifie that by Christ we are made righteous before God and partly to shew our obedience to God therfore whose workmanship we are prepared vnto good workes that we should walke therein Such then as knowing themselues to be iustified by Ephes 2. faith in Christ before God to testifie their righteousnesse to men and their obedience to God endeuour to expresse in their deedes the hope they haue in Christ and labour in their whole life to walke worthy the calling whereunto they are called that in their conuersation they may beautifie their profession and God may in all things through them be glorified in Iesus Christ are said to be doers of Ephes 4. the word and these are the doers whom the Apostle here mentioneth Be ye doers of the worde not hearers onely And hereunto serue so many exhortations in holy Scripture whereby we are stirred and pricked forward to the practise of good workes and studie of vertue whereof the Epistles of the Apostles are full and the whole bodie as it were of the holy Scripture therewith replenished This godly endeuour according to the measure we haue receiued this studie and practise of good workes vertue prescribed this performance of obedience offered to God must shine in the Saints which as necessarie in al professorus of gods word is ioyned with the hearing therof Our Sauiour Christ ioyning the hearing and doing of Mat. 7. the word together saith That he that heareth the word doeth it is like to a wise man which buildeth his house on a rocke And shewing whom he accounteth for his brethren and his mother he saith That they are his brethern Luke 8. and mother not which heare onely but which heare and doe the will of God And to the woman which said vnto Mat. 12. Luke 11. him Happie is the wombe that bare thee and the pappes which gaue thee suck he replieth Yea rather happie are they which heare the word of God and doe it Finally when he had washed his Disciples feet mouing them to the imitation and following of his owne example in conclusion of the exhortation he shutteth vp the Iohn 13. matter in this wise If you know these things happie are you if you doe them To heare or know then the will of God and not to doe his word preuayleth nothing This knew the holy Prophets who therefore ioyned practise of the will with the hearing of the word and lawe of God as in Deut. 4. v. 1. 5. c. v. 1. Ierem. 11. 6. This the holy Angell Reuel 1. in the Reuelation weighing and pronouncing them
famous Physicion calling and counting it follie blasphemed it All men which by vile speeches disgrace discredite reproach or speake euill and maliciously of Christian religion as diuers and sundrie wise prophane rich men offend blaspheme the worthie name whereupon we are called and whereby we are called 2 As by their speech so by their liues men blaspheme and dishonour the Gospell when they which professe religion walke not neither liue thereafter by which meanes the Gospell is flaundered dishonoured blasphemed 2. Kings 12. Thus Dauid blasphemed the worthy name whereby he was called when by his adulterie he caused the name of God to be euill spoken of and blasphemed by the wicked the rulers ouer the people of Israel causing them to houle blasphemed the name of God in like manner as is Isai 52. witnessed by the Prophet The Iewes which professed the selues the people of GOD by breaking the law of God whereof they boasted and liuing in all vncleannes mischiefe Rom. 2. and wickednes caused also the name of God to be blasphemed among the brethren as Saint Paul writeth All men professing godlines yet liuing disorderly dishonestly and otherwise farre then their calling requireth blaspheme the worthy name whereby they are called as adulterers fornicators vncleane persons couetous men extortioners oppressours drunkards vsurers liers deceauers the malicious and enuious the slaunderous and reproachfull persons with such like professing godlines but practising wickednes in their whole conuersation blaspheme the name whereby they are called And thus the rich men oftentimes blaspheme the Gospell in like manner Albeit both wayes the worthy name whereby Christians are called be blasphemed by the wicked rich men of the world yet the Apostle seemeth to haue spoken of the former kinde whereby the Gospell is euill spoken of and blasphemed as by the spitefull malicious and vile slaunders mockings and reproaches of Christ and his religion Which thing while the rich men of the world doe they ought to be helde as cursed and execrable To honour such as these are what madnes is it And as in the Apostles time there were such hare-braines and frantike fooles so this madnes also remayneth among vs in these daies For we cappe we crouche we bowe we bende we preferre we honour we esteeme we respect and that with disdaining of the poore brethren vngodly men mockers and scorners of religion arrand papists knowen adulterers open blasphemers dayly liers luxurious and riotous persons carnall professours yea and professed enemies vnto the Gospell and worthie name whereby wee are called whose whole force is bent whose whole laboure is imploied whose studie tendeth by all possible meanes not onely in part to corrupt but in whole to subuert Christian religion to bring in idolatrie restore superstition and sowe the seede of scisme in the Church of Iesus Christ What madnesse is this in our braines what phrensie hath possessed vs what lacke of sense and reason what doting follie hath bewitched vs These are then the two euils which in accepters of mens persons are here condemned peruersnesse of iudgement in preferring the prophane rich whō God abhorreth and contemning the poore godly whom he hath called and their doting madnesse in that they honour and preferre those who for their tyrannie vnmercifulnesse and extreeme crueltie towards the Saints and their horrible blasphemie whereby they blaspheeme and speake euill of the worthie name whereby we are called are to be counted execrable and cursed And this is the second thing in this first reason to be considered the euils which in respecters of persons in the professing of the Gospel of Christ are here condemned 3 The third thing in this first argument is the conclusion The conclusion wherof thus saith the Apostle but if ye fulfill the roiall lawe according to the Scripture you doe well but if you regarde persons yee commit finne and are reprooued of the lawe as transgressours In which wordes the Apostle concludeth that charitie which by the lawe of God is prescribed can not stande with this respect of persons for the lawe requireth that men shoulde loue their neighbours as themselues without exception counting all men our neighbours therefore in the dueties of loue men must not regarde mens persons but generally do their duetie to all And this conclusion seemeth to be inferred by the way of preuenting an obiection which might haue beene made by them which honour the rich with the contempt of the poore for they might say to honour is a point of loue loue is the fulfilling of the law therefore in honouring the rich we fulfill the will and the lawe of God and so doe well Matt. 22. Rom. 13. Gal. 5. 1. Tim. 1. and offend not Thereunto Saint Iames answereth if in deede you loue according to the true meaning tenour of the law which willeth vs to loue our neighbour as our selues and counteth all men our neighbour and therefore inioyneth loue generally towardes all to bee extended you doe well But if you regarde in your loue the persons of men and loue honour preferre men because of their riches pompe glorie and outwarde appearance you sinne and become transgressours of the law If you loue euen the rich also as men you do wel but if you loue and honour them because of their riches you doe sinne and transgresse the law This conclusion in these two verses contayned ministreth vnto vs the consideration of foure things 1 VVhat the royall lawe is here mencioned 2 Why this lawe is called a royall lawe 3 VVhat this royall lawe commaundeth men 4 Howe this lawe is fulfilled 1 The lawe which here is called royall is the lawe of loue and righteousnesse prescribing what duetie to euerie one pertaineth and it containeth that part of the lawe which in the second table is deliuered teaching vs to loue one without hating of another to honour one without contemning of another to preferre one without disdaine of another to regarde the rich without neglect of the poore brethren The lawe of loue therefore which prescribeth what duetie is to bee perfourmed to euerie one is the royall lawe by Saint Iames here mencioned But if you fulfill the royall law which sayeth thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe you doe well 2 This lawe of loue here called the royall lawe is therefore called the royall lawe 1 Because it is from a King not mortall but immortall euen the king of kings and Lord of Lords euen from God This law then proceeding from this King is called the kings lawe the royall 1. Tim. 6. 15. Reuel 5. lawe the princely lawe And that this lawe concerning loue is from GOD it is manifest for God in the reforming of his people among other things prescribeth Leuit. 19. this lawe vnto them loue thy neighbour as thy selfe Saint Paul agreeable thereunto sayeth Concerning brotherly loue I neede not to write vnto you for 1. Thes 4. 1. Iohn 4. you are taught of God to loue one
other Gods but me To the obseruing wherof blessing and life is promised to the breach thereof death and cursing Deut. 28. 30. Deut. 27. Leuit. 26. is threatned This is that law which onely geueth definitiue sentence and iudgement peremptorie vpon all men In the whole course of the lawe and Prophets it is witnessed that the lawes of life and death which presse the hearts and consciences of men are only the Lordes and that he onely according thereunto iudgeth so that men may not take vpon them to drawe all others after their tailes and leade them at their pleasures which wheÌ„ they refuse theÌ„ also to speake euil of theÌ„ iudge theÌ„ The holy Prophet Isai subscribeth hereunto The Lord is our Isai 33. Lawe geuer the Lord is our king he will saue vs saith the Church by the mouth of the Prophet It was the Lorde Psal 147. which gaue this law vnto his own people Israel the Lord shewed his word to Jacob his statutes and his ordinances to Israel he established a lawe in Jacob and ordeyned a testimonie in Israell which he commaunded our fathers to teach their children saith Dauid the holie Prophet And this concerning the moral preceptes thereof is euerlasting vniuersall and to all the world giuen Therefore he is to be reputed the law giuer and the iudge only which gaue it first vnto Israel his people Who being the onlie geuer of the lawe can thereby either saue or destroye condemne or iustifie pardon or punish wherefore this must men leaue to him alone which if they do not but wil condemne their brethren after their wills then challenge they to themselues the right of God then thrust they him from his heauenly throne of iudgement therin endeuour they as it were to rise vp in his rome and giue that sentence which only belongeth vnto him then which arrogancie and pride what can be greater It is the Lord that searcheth the hearts and raines it is he who perceth into the cogitations of men and seeth that they are but vaine he knoweth only who are his and he alone can tel when and whom to saue or condeÌ„ne to discharge or destroye this prorogatiue we take from God of this priuiledge we spoile him of this preferment of iudging and condemning of making and setting lawes of life and death to the consciences of men we then bereue God when we in the pride of our hearts speake euil and condemne our brethren vvhen they displease vs and our humours Thus men challenge to themselues that vvhich is Gods and Christs only thus take they sentence of iudgement out of the mouth of God and take the povver of geuing lavves to the Church out of his hands hovv great is this blasphemous presumption hovv hainous is this extreame vngodlynes For as it is not only doting and foule follie but horrible impietie and vvickednes in the highest degree for men to take vppon them to repele the eternall lavves of God geuen by him to the Church and all posteritie for euermore So is it likewise no lesse vngratiousnesse an louer bolde and presumptious rashnes â—o make other lawes contrarie to his as if we would teach him wisdome and thereby to iudge our brethren Christ is our king hee onely is the head ouer his Church therefore as vnto the king and chiefe head of his Church it belongeth of right to geue lawes to the saints Was it euer heard among earthly Princes that loyall subiects either could or would either repell or change the lawes of their Princes or doe they at any time take vpon them to make lawes of their owne heads without their Princes in their owne kingdomes or can there be greater treason and rebellion then to endeuour to seeke such lewde libertie doe the Princes and Peeres of Common-weales call Parlements set downe lawes without the authoritie of their Kinges and Emperours were not this great conspiracie and shall men take vpon them in the church which is the royal seat of Christ and the very septer of his kingdom to establish lawes without his licence were there euer lawes proclaimed in any kingdom but in the name of that king which there raigneth shall men proclaim lawes of their own deuising in christs kingdom vnder any other name or authoritie then by the name authoritie of Iesus Christ wherefore we deny Christs soueraintie ouer vs when without him we will make lawes to others and we refuse God to be our law geuer when besides his lawes we will proclaime lawes to binde our brethren Which thing as grosse sollie and great impietie the Apostle condemneth testifying that God only is our law-geuer and iudge in whose power it is to saue and destroy and therefore men ought not to challenge that to themselues in any wise Of this euill how many are now giltie is not euery one readie to prescribe lawes of the liues of their brethreÌ„ and sisters If we see any either in the habite of apparrell or in the talke of the tongue or in the gesture of the bodie either in the course of his Common life or in the religion and worshippe he perfourmed to God or any other thing which walketh not according to our pleasures and agreeth not in all things to our life and ruie how soone speake we euill of him how proudly doe wee iudge him how peremptorilie doe wee condemne him Thus one man dealeth with another one woman thus iudgeth another thus the people condemne the pastors the pastors the people thus the Cleargie speake euill of the Temporaltie and they of the Cleargie thus one preacher of another one laie man of another and almost euery one of his neighbour Is not this to vsurpe that which belongeth vnto god is not this to take the scepter of iudgement out of the hande of Iesus Christ This is reprooued by Saint Paul who art thou that condemnest another mans seruant he standeth or falleth to his owne master what hast thou to Rom. 14. intermeddle where thou hast not to doe This is condemned by this Apostle who ascribeth prescription of lawes and pronouncing of iudgement to God onely who can saue and destroy but thou ô man canst saue none therefore by thy proud iudgement condemne and destroye none yet condemnest and destroyest as much as in thee lieth thy brother when because hee liueth not after thy pleasure thou speakest euill of him And this is the third argument of the Apostle The fourth and last reason why we should not speake The fourth reason euill or rashly condemne our brethren is from the frailty of our owne common state and condition For all men are subiect to infirmities therefore ought we not one of vs rashly to condemne another And this reason that it might be more forcible it is proposed in the manner of an interrogation Who art thou which iudgest another art not thou a man subiect to like infirmities why doest thou so proudly then iudge thy brother who art thou that iudgest
desert of Maon perceiuing the inestimable loue of God toward Psal 116. Psal 143. 12. 144. 10. him protesteth that he will therefore be thankfull and do God seruice Behold Lord for I am thy seruant I am thy seruant and the sonne of thy handmaide In this sence infinitely is setuant taken in holy Scripture meaning all such as serue God in profession of religion Specially they are called the seruants of God and of Christ who in some seueral and chiefe calling do homage vnto God and promote his kingdome So Princes in common wealths Preachers and Ministers in the Church of Christ are seruants of God and of Christ in speciall seruice Our sauiour Christ in some sence is also a seruant in that in the office of a mediatour he serued the wil and pleasure of his father whereof the prophet Ezechiel speaketh Ezech. 34. I will set vp a shepheard ouer them and he shall feed them euen my seruant Dauid he shall feede them and be their Shepheard By Dauid not meaning Dauid the king the sonne of Ishai but Iesus Christ of whom Dauid was a liuely type and figure Isai also speaketh of Christ in the Isai 52. 53 v. 11. 42. 1. person of God Behold my seruant he shall prosper hee shal be extolled and exalted very high speaking of our sauiour Christ in whose hands the worke of our spirituall deliuerance prospered Seruing therefore as the head great Shepheard of the church he is called in a special respect the seruant of God Dauid and other Princes seruing God in the chiefe place of the common wealth in handling the scepter of gouernment are called Gods seruants Magistrates seeking by setting foorth Gods glory and true religion by geuing precepts and making lawes for the aduancement of godlines and vertue are called the seruants of God in that speciall seruice as Augustine Epist 50. to Boniface the Earle at large sheweth So the Apostles and Ministers of Gods word specially called to the ministerie of the word and sacraments are called in respect of that speciall seruice specially the seruants of God and of Christ as Saint Paul in sundrie his Epistles Saint Peter and this Apostle of himselfe speaketh calling themselues the seruants of the Lord. Princes themselues haue no greater honour then to 1. Iames 1. become seruaunts vnto Christ and to licke dust vnder the feet of his Church as the Prophet speaketh which is that earthly Princes should not feare to set out the gospel Psal 72. and geue all their strength to the enlarging of Christ his kingdome though it bee with hazard of their crownes Yea this is by the Apostle to the Hebrewes 1. chap. verse 7. attributed to the angels of God as their hiest honour to be ministring spirites to Christ and to be subiect vnto him How many times doeth Abraham Isaac Iacob Moses Iosua Dauid Ezechiah and all the zealous kinges of Iuda entitle themselues the seruants of God How often doeth God shew foorth his great loue fauour and goodnes to Israel yea and many other vnder this name that they are his seruants Who euer of the Princes of the earth but Pharao and Senacherib and the like exalted themselues against him in this wise Who is the Lorde that I should heare his voice I know not the Lord neither vvill I let the people goe Exod. 5. Exod. 5. If thou vvert as mightie as Dauid the King and Prophet yet this is thy greatest honour vvith him to say Behold Lord for I am thy seruant I am thy seruant and the sonne of thy handmaid Psal 116. If thou excellest al kings in vvisdome riches honor as Salomon did yet this is thy Psal 116. glory to reioyce in the seruice of Iesus Christ If thou vvert vviser then Daniel more righteous then Noah more perfect then the Prophets this is thy glory the seruice of Christ If vve vvere Princes on earth Prelats in the Church Angels in heauen yet this is the height of all glory to reioyce in the seruice of Christ Who are vve and vvhat are our fathers houses vvho can imagine and frame vnto our selues greater glory then to bee seruantes vnto Christ This the Apostles did not vvho alvvais held it their greatest glory to be indeed the seruants of Christ 1 Now this name of seruant must teache vs humilitie that we submitte our selues to Christ whose seruants we are and for his sake and by his example to serue one another wherunto he exhorteth You know that the Lords of the Gentiles haue rule ouer them and they that are Matt. 20. exercise authoritie vpon them But it shall not be so among you but who so will be great among you let him be your seruant and who so wil be chiefe among you let him be your minister euen as the sonne of man came not to be ministred vnto but to minister and to geue himselfe John 13. for a raunsome for many Whereunto his example in washing his Disciples feet serueth Whereupon he concludeth You call me master and Lord and ye say well for so I am if I then your Lord and master haue washed your feete ye ought also to wash one anothers feet For I haue geuen you an example that ye should doe euen as I haue done vnto you Verely verely I say vnto you the seruant is not greater then the master neither the Ambassador greater then hee that sent him So by their calling vnto his seruice hee by his example teacheth them humilitie both to serue him and to serue one another also The holy Apostle teaching the Saints that their freedome and liberty Gal. 5. consisteth in mutuall seruing one another in the humilitie of their hearts thereunto exhorteth Brethren you haue been called vnto libertie onely vse not your libertie as an occasion to the flesh but by loue serue one another Elsewhere about to entreate of the particular dueties of Ephes 5. speciall persons as a sentence generall he premiseth this Submitte your selues one to another in the feare of God Vnto whom Saint Peter subscribeth Submitte your selues 1. Pet. 5 one to another deck your selues inwardly in lowlines of minde for God resisteth the proud and geueth grace to the humble Hereof our profession and calling putteth vs in remembrance who are seruāts by calling to serue God in spirite and trueth and to serue one another in the feare of God Let disdainfull contempt let ambitious honour let insolent pride let peeuish arrogancie be abandoned abolished frō the harts of the Saints who are therfore seruants to serue God his sonne Iesus Christ in all pure holy obediēce for his sake to serue one another in loue 2 By our seruitude we are furthermore taught what we owe vnto Christ Iesus our Lord and maister euen all Luke 1. seruice which is the ende of our redemption and cleansing by Christ from our sinnes Zacharie the father of Saint Iohn Baptist therefore saith wee are redeemed and deliuered
and subiect whereof the Gospell entreateth it is the word of truth for it entreteth of Christ and Christ is trueth it selfe therefore the Gospel the word of truth That it entreateth of Christ it appeareth by all the Euangelists who entitle Iohn 14. their writings the holy Gospell of Iesus Christ of whom therein they entreat by the Apostles which cal their preachings and writings the Gospell the testimonie of Christ of whom therein they speake and to whom they giue and beare witnesse I am not ashamed of the Gospell of Christ 1. Rom. for it is the power of God to saluation to euerie one that beleueth Els where if our Gospel be hid to any it is hid to those that are lost in whom the God of this world hath 2. Cor. 4. blinded their mindes that is the infidels that the glorious Gospell of Christ which is the image of God should not shine vnto them Paul saith he hath sent Timothie the minister of God and his labour-fellow in the Gospell of Christ vnto the Thessalonians and for this cause is it also 1. Thes 3. called the testimony of Christ because it beareth witness and record of him To which sence soundeth that of Saint Paule who geueth thanks to God for the riches of the 1. Cor. 1. grace of God vpon the Corinthians who abounded in all knowledge euen as the testimonie of Iesus Christ that is his Gospell was confirmed in them And a little after he 1. Cor. 2. saith that when he came vnto them he came not in excellencie of words and wisedom preaching vnto them the testimonie of Iesus Christ and finally he exhorteth his 2. Tim. 1. scholer Timothie not to be ashamed of the testimonie of Christ that is the gospell neither of him the Lordes prisoner Seeing then the Gospell speaketh wholy of Christ or at least tendeth wholy vnto him and he trueth as himselfe affirmeth I am the way the trueth the life Ioh. 14. the gospel in that respect also is the word of trueth 3 Moreouer this word is inspired from the spirit For all Scripture saith Paul is inspired from aboue And Saint Peter saith that Prophesie came not in former times by 2. Tim. 2. Pet. 1. the will of man but holy men spoke and vttered the word as they were moued and inspired by the holy Ghost the holy Ghost is the spirit of trueth as our sauiour affirmeth I wil pray the Father and he shal geue you another comforter Iohn 14. Iohn 16. that he may abide with you for euer euen the spirite of trueth And againe when the comforter shall come whom I wil send vnto you from my father euen the spirite of trueth which proceedeth from the father he shal testifie of me 16. Ioh. 13. 1. Ioh. 5. 6. The word gospell being inspired by that spirit which is the spirit of trueth is in that respect Iohn 15. 26. also the word of trueth 4 In respect that euery particular thing in the gospel conteined is true therefore is it also the worde of trueth Whatsoeuer Christ spoke and preached it is truly in effect there deliuered whatsoeuer hee did it is truely reported whatsoeuer he promised it is truely and shal truely be performed what punishment is therin threatened to the wicked it shall assuredly be inflicted Finally whatsoeuer is there mentioned is most true This word conteyning nothing but the sound trueth and hauing therein no lie no vntrueth no falshood no errors as the words of mē haue for al men are liers and their words oftentimes are ful of Pasl 116. 11. Rom. 3. 4. vntruethes therefore may the gospel rightly be called the word of trueth Wherfore whether we respect God the authour or Christ the subiecte or matter or the holy Ghost the inspirer or the things themselues in this worde conteyned it is the word of trueth For God is God of trueth Christ is Lord of trueth the holy Ghost the spirite of trueth the things in this word things of trueth Therefore the Gospell the word of trueth By which word of trueth we are begotten adn regenerate we are new framed and as it were new fashioned vnto a holy birth to our new birth whereby wee are borne not of flesh and bloud but by the word of trueth to eternall life This is the seede of the new birth frō hence 1. Cor. 4. our new birth and regeneration ariseth whereof S. Paul speaking testifieth to the Corinthians that he had begot them through the gospell For this cause speaking of the spirituall begetting and of the regeneration of Timothie Tim. 1. Tit. 1. and Titus whom he had begotten by the gospell and by his meane through the word of trueth regenerate he calleth them his naturall sonnes through faith because they comming by his ministring to the knowledge of the faith of Christ were regenerate by the worde of trueth by him preached Saint Peter speaking of the causes of our regeneration 1. Pet. 1. maketh the gospell and word of God the meane and instrument of our new birth Being borne anew saith he not of mortall but of immortal seed by the word of God which endureth for euer Therefore attributing our new birth and growing vp by regeneration vnto the worde as 1. Pet. 2. the meane and instrument in the next Chapter he prosecuteth his former purpose and addeth thereunto exhortation Therefore saith he as new borne babes desire the sincere milke of the word that you may grow thereby and as the word of trueth is the instrument whereby our newe birth is caused so is it the meane also whereby therein we are continued and therefore a thing of singular excellencie Finally our Sauiour Christ acknowledging the word Iohn 17. of trueth to be the meane and instrumēt of our regeneration to that end praieth vnto his father that his Disciples might not onely be consecrate to his seruice and by him made fitte for the office of the Apostleship whereunto they were called but also might be purged regenerate and born anew saith Sanctifie them with thy trueth thy word is trueth If the gospell of Christ be the word of trueth why doe we not beleeue it if it be the instrument of our regeneration why doe we not honourably embrace it if therby God hath begotten vs againe why are we in any wise so carelesse of it that only such times excepted as for feare of law or shame of the world they must come they come not to the hearing of this word of trueth but either they talke our at table or walke out abroad or sleepe out at home or play out with companie or spende out in vaine exercise or contriue out with dalliance or passe out by euill meanes that time which is apointed for the preaching and hearing of the word These are carnal men and haue not the spirite lumpish and earthly whose affectiōs reach not to this heauenly doctrine If the gospell be the word
teach men this how much more ought the light of Scripture to teach vs this wisdome 4 As the time so the maner how must not be neglected Sometimes we speake familiarly sometimes reuerendly sometimes meekly sometimes sharpely somtimes gentlely sometimes hastily respect had to the disposition of men with whom we haue to talke 5 The things we speake of must be weighed they must be honest seemely good profitable necessarie for time and person such as we our selues know and therfore can the better talke of them to others 6 Finally our talke must be to aduaunce the glorie of God whereof it ought to be the instrument it must tende to the benefite of our brethren to peace godlinesse iustice equitie loue and all maner of vertue These things being diligently obserued wee may speake and offende not against this place of the Apostle wherefore my deare brethren let euery man be swift to heare but slow to speake But we obseruing neither person place nor time regarding neither maner matter nor end babble out we know not what and oppose our selues to the Apostle here being swift to speake but slow to heare Euerie one will now speake all men will become teachers The Artificer the shoomaker hosier tinker and tailer the vintener the clothier the weauer and the cobler the marchant the mariner the carpenter and the painter the master the seruant the fathers the children the mistresse the maiden the mother and the daughter the yong men the olde folke the simple and the ignorant will now take vpon them not to speake onely but to teach also and not other but their teachers of whom we should learne with pacience heare with silence take counsell with reuerence and be informed with humblenesse Therefore our Sauiour in the song of Solomon biddeth his Church being ignorant to go to the pastor to learne knowledge 1. Canâ—ic if thou knowe not saieth he O thou fairest of women get thee forth by the sheepe folds and feede thy kiddes by the tents of the shepheards And almightie God perswadeth the people to take the lawe of the Lord at the Mal. 2. mouth of the priest who should be as the treasure house of Gods word of whoÌ„ the people ought to be instructed Dauid being a prophet in the humilitie of his mind with gratefull memorie and great thankefulnesse to God Psal 11 of whom he was instructed saieth vnto the Lord thou hast made me wiser then my teachers He truely humbly thankefully but men and women now in arrogancie of their spirite in pride of their hearts in vanitie of their mindes in presumption of their owne knowledge thinke themselues wiser then their teachers and take vpon them to alter and change to order and set downe what in the Church ought to be done obserued and retained These falsely proudly vnthankefully disorderly contentiously preposterously deale wherfore let them learne here a better lesson and holde fast the counsaile of the Apostâ—e that they be swift to heare but flowe to speake as they are exhorted let them hearken with reuerence to the woorde preached by the faithfull Ministers of Iesus Christ and be not new fangled nor caried away with euerie Ephes 4. winde of vanitie that they may follow the trueth in loue and in all quietnesse humilitie peace and godly vnitie growe vp vnto him that is the head euen Iesus Christ and heare his word with reuerence and not rashly prate and prattle thereof with insolencie that thereby they may preuent this first inconuenience and remoue the first hinderance of our attention Whereof the Apostle speaketh wherefore brethren let euerie man bee swift to heare but slow to speake This place then remooueth loquacitie and rash speaking when we should giue attentiue eare to the word of God taught vs this is an enemie to knowledge to heauenly doctrine this hindereth the course of the worde of God in out hearts wherefore it ought to bee farre from the Saints of God which to abolish the Apostle here exhorteth Let euerie one be swift to heare and slow to speake 2 The other euill which hindereth the woorde of God in man is wrath and anger choler and snuffing wheÌ„ wee are taught and informed in the worde For we cannot profitably heare vnlesse we be peaceable quiet and modest both towards all men and specially towardes our teachers Many kindes there are of wrath and anger manie things wherefore and wherein men are angrie but to passe that ouer as appertaining to another place the Apostle speaketh of that wrath and anger which riseth from desire of contending and of intractablenes of way-wardnes 2. Chro. 16. 7. Acts 54. 2. Chro. 26. 18. 19. Luke 4 28. whereby we suffer not our selues to be taught or reproued no not by the word of God it selfe Thus by the affections and perturbations of our minds we oftentimes make the word of God frustrate fruitlesse in vs and so to lose not onely the blessed effecte it would worke in vs but also in a manner the credite and estimation which it should haue among men Whereunto were we the seruants and true Disciples of Christ we would yeald all attentiue audience This anger groweth partly from selfeloue and preiudicate Cyrilin Iohn lib. 4. c. 34. opinion of our selues standing wise in our owne conceites we disdaine to bee checked controlled informed or reproued of any Partly herence that naturally we more esteeme darcknes then light falshood then trueth error then veritie superstition then religion From which if men draw vs then are we angrie Herence in all times haue risen perfecution imprisonment calamity affliction with all manner of violence and villanie against the reprouers of wickednes teachers of true religion reformers of corruption and superstition by the wicked of this present euil and corrupt world Herence the anger furie and madnes of the princes and people against Isai Ieremie Michat Amos and the rest of the Prophets arose sprong and flowed Herence the outrage of the Scribes and Pharisies against Christ Iesus our Sauiour and his most holy Apostles the cruell persecution by the bloudy tyrants and Emperors of Rome against the Saints and blessed Martyrs was raised Herence the vnquenchable wrath and malice neuer reconciled of the Romish Cleargie against the faithfull preachers of Christian religion who caried away partly with selfeloue and preiudicate opinion of themselues as the onely learned and wise men in the whole world and partly being naturally blinded in superstition whereunto they haue sworne their allegiance curse with bell booke and candle persecute with fire sword and fagot whosoeuer speaketh against them whereby the course of the word of God is hindered Herence mislike rebuke disgrace reproch disdaine and all manner euill dealing towards the ministers groweth for that men cannot ne will not heare of their faultes be reclaymed from their sinne and informed in their duties roundly and sharply without offence and anger who seeme they neuer so wise in them selues yet are they both
Heare O Israel the ordinances lawes and statutes which I teach you to doe that you may liue and goe in and possesse the lande which the God of your fathers geueth you The princely Prophet Dauid exhorteth the people Psal 78. to the hearing of those laws which frō god he would geue vnto them as a thing of greatest weight therefore saith he heare my law O my people incline your eares to the words of my mouth for I will open my mouth in a parable and vtter heard sentences of olde The holy Prophet Isai calling all men to Christ exhorting them to heare Esay 55. his law and attend therunto crieth out Incline your eares come vnto me heare and your soule shall liue and I will make an euerlasting couenant with you euen the sure mercies of Dauid Hearing and attending to Gods worde is the way whereby we come vnto heauenly wisdome wherefore the sonne of Sirach calleth all those who would learn diuine Verse 34. wisdome to the hearing of his doctrine My sonne heare thou my doctrine and despise not my counsell And a litle after in the same place If thou loue to heare thou shalt receiue doctrine if thou delight in hearing thou shalt be wise The wise man Salomon commending hearing as the 1. par c. 8. v. 6. 7. c. 22. v. 17. 18. 19. 23. 19. Rom. 10. way to attaine wisdome and knowledge saith The wise man shall attaine vnto wisdome by hearing And S. Paul making it the meane whereby we come to faith which is the greatest point of heauenly wisdome in men thereof saith Faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God And our Sauiour Christ being the cheefe Scholemaster and onely teacher from God of this wisdome is Mat. 3. 17. by God himselfe commended vnto vs to be hearkened vnto Wherefore the Disciples and John Baptist the one in the daies of Christs baptisme by John the other as the Disciples Peter Iames and John in the daies of Christes transfiguration 1. Iohn 1. were from heauen commanded to heare him This is my welbeloued sonne heare him Saint Iohn confesseth this to haue beene one way wherby they beleeued John 8. in Christ the worde of life That saith he which was frō the beginning which we haue heard which we haue seen and our hands haue handled the word of life this the true saints of god know for which cause they heare the word of Iohn 10. god as of thē our sauiour witnesseth They that are of god heare Gods word And againe My sheepe heare my voice Luke 10. Therfore whē Marie saw that she by hearing might attain vnto faith in Christ and the true wisdome of God she sate downe at the feete of Christ and heard him preaching for which attention she is by Christ commended Marie hath chosen the better part and it shall not be taken from her Finally the Angell of God in the Reuelation teaching Reuel 2. 3. Iohn what he should write to euery one of the seuen Churches of Asia to that which he had spoken to ech one of thē hee addeth as a thing most necessarie Let him that hath an eare heare what the spirit saith to the 7. churches And to conclude our Sauiour commēding hearing as a most necessarie thing in all those that would be pertakers of the word of trueth and his heauenly doctrine so oftē in the Gospel vrgeth this he that hath eares to heare let him heare If thē the prophets hereunto haue so often moued the people If it be the way and meane whereby we attaine to heanenly wisdom if by this we be made partakers of faith and heauenly misteries if it be the propertie of the Saints of God sheepe of Christ if Marie were therefore so highly commended by Christ himselfe if as a necesarie addition to the seuerall charge of euerie Church it was added by the angell if our Sauiour so often repeate it he that hath eares to heare let him heare who is so wilfully blinded so malitiousl◠obstinate so peeuishly peruerse that seeth not how necessary a thing it is to heare the word of trueth whereof our Apostle here not ignorante geueth the Saints this first admoniton to here the word But because in all ages and times many do heare yet neuer the nearer wee are not only taught to heare 2 The maner but how we should heare that we might heare with profit For if it be to some the sauour of life vnto life but to others the sauour of death vnto death if the worde sound in the eares of many to their iuster condemnation then is it not enough to knowe we must heare but also to learne how to heare is necesarie for which cause the Apostle 2. Cor. 2. Ezech. 2. 3. teacheth vs how we ought to heare receaue this word of trueth whereby God of his owne good will hath begotten vs againe to be the first fruites of his creatures In the manner of our hearing and receauing this word the Apostle first remoueth certaine euils from vs which hinder our profitable hearing then hee sheweth positiuely and affirmatiuely how we must heare Touching the former he willeth in hearing to put away all filthines and superfluitie of maliciousnes all iniquitie all carnall affection all losenes of life all pride and insolencie of minde all arrogancie and disdainefulnes of spirite wherence wrath anger debate contention often ariseth and the fructifieng of the worde is alwaies hindered all which must be abandoned and abolished vtterly from them which wil profitably heare the word of trueth Filthines and corruption of heare or affection is wherby our mindes doe wander and we are occupied about other matters thinking of our pride pleasures vanitie and such like when our mindes should be stayed and fixed in the hearing of the word Superfluitie of maliciousnes is wherby we growe into contempt of the word speaking euil and disdainfully of the diuine doctrine and heauenly wisdom of God which two must first be remoued For whereas mens mindes are a wool-gathering and caried away with filthy cogitations and desires there men cannot heare the worde with profit and when men growe in dislike of the worde hate of the trueth speake euill of the mysterie of godlines what commoditie can it then bring to such and what hope is there that in them it shall fructifie This Saint Iames verie well perceyued therefore hee remooueth these euils from godly hearers This shall all men by their owne experience most easily learne and therefore must carefully remooue them Whereof to speake no more but this howe is it that many men often heare and learne nothing yea being asked what hath beene sayde remember nothing but that when they should heare their mindes are either set vppon couetous desires or occupied about fleshly imaginations or caried away with proude conceytes or rauished with filthie cogitations or else alienated by mislike hatred and contempt from the worde preached so
blessed onely which ioyne practise with hearing of the worde breaketh out and crieth Blessed is he that readeth and they that heare the words of this prophesie keep those things which are written therein Agreeable to which doctrine the Apostle in this place admonisheth the Saintes in these wordes Be you doers of the worde not hearers onely Of which admonition two are the reasons The first is from detriment and hurt They that heare onely and doe not the word also are hurtefull to themselues for they deceiue themselues in a vayne perswasion and thereby hurte themselues to their owne iuster condemnation Men thinke themselues highly in the fauor of God and perswade themselues that they doe GOD good and sufficiēt seruice and haue performed the dueties of christians in conuenient measure when they are content to hearken and listen to the word of God albeit they neuer endeuour thereby to leade their liues neither to reforme their manners thereunto But this being nothing so they greatly deceiue themselues and procure iuster condemnation against themselues from God For hovv much more mē knovv by hearing so much more do they enhaunce their iudgements increase their punishment if they vvalk not according to their knovvledge Our Sauiour Christ protesteth that that seruant vvhich knovveth Luke 12. the vvill of his master and doeth it not should be beaten vvith many stripes This Apostle witnesseth that it is a double sinne to a man to know what to doe aright and not to do it he that knoweth how to doe aright and doeth it not to him it is sinne not sinne simply but sinne with aduantage Whereunto Iames. 4. Saint Augustine writing to Athanasius subscribeth Epist 144. By Gods word and lawe man sinneth so much the more how much the more by the word he knoweth that to bee sinne which he committeth Saint Chrysostome thereunto Homil. 12. Popes Anty agreeth who to the people of Antioch writeth in this māner against their vsuall swearing whereof they had often heard yet were not amended the oftner men heare the more they offend the more they encrease their punishment if they reforme not that whereof they haue heard so often Theophilact to the like sence soundeth vpon the words vpon Luk. 12. Cap. of our Sauiour How much the more hee knoweth which sinneth so much the greater punishment he procureth to himselfe Saint Ambrose in like manner citing the wordes of Christ in the seuenth Chapter of Saint Mathew his gospell 1. Offic. c. 26. Not euery one that saith vnto me Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heauen but he that doeth the things which I say concludeth thereupon For I knowe not whether the studie of knowledge without practise and deedes doe not more inwrap vs no doubt then our know ledge without obedience doeth inwrap and intangle vs in her iudgements The more often the Israelites heard the voice of their Jerom. 5. 6. Esay 42. c. Prophets the more inexcusable were they when they did not obey them the more our Sauiour and his Disciples preached to Cities and people the more they denounce Iohn 15. Mat. 11. punishment vvhen they hearing would not doe thereafter The more knowledge men haue the more they deceiue themselues if they doe not thereafter The more men and women know as many very carefully in shewe heare such as they lust and to whom they in the vanitie of their humors are addicted the more iust condemnatiō they procure to themselues and the heauier wrath of god they heape and treasure vp against themselues and they doe not that which they knowe by hearing Whereof to aduise men the Apostle geueth vs this worthy admonition Be ye doers of the word not hearers onely deceiuing your selues This lesson must we heare this counsell must wee follow this doctrine must wee embrace who bosting that we haue hard two or three sermons this day or that day for all that we neither diminish ought of our pride in flaūting ruffs in curious cuffes in coloured starche or other our vanities Nether haue we left our boiling malice our swelling hatred our cursed couetousnes our fleshly pleasure neither abate we any thing of our vvanton banquets our riotuous feastes our sumptuous tables neither stay vve our bribed hāds our slaunderons mouthes our blasphemous tongues our lying lips neither withhold we our selues from pestilent vsurie cruell oppression violent extortion fraudulent dealing with our brethren neither finally doe we amend those enormities iniquities sinnes and blemishes of our liues whereof we haue beene admonished and thus to our iuster condemnation flattering our selues with bare hearing we deceiue our selues Seing then the knovvledge vve haue by hearing the vvord vvithout practise of vertue and studie of good vvorks encreaseth our iudgemēts and in contenting our selues vvith hearing only vvithout the doing of Gods vvill reueled vve deceaue our selues to our greater condemnation Let this reason moue vs to bee doers of the vvord and stirre vs vp to embrace the doctrine of the Apostle be you doers of the vvord not hearers only deceauing yourselues The hearing of our time is in many marueylous the knoledge of the cōmon people is great hath not been the like in any former generatiō in this our Countrie and Nation their vnderstanding in the Scriptures is such as that many of the Laitie and people can talke with glorie reason with feruencie dispute with a grace of the Scriptures of God whose hearts notwithstanding are puft vp with pride whose mindes are set on mischiefe whose feet are swift to shedde innocent bloud whose handes are full of briberies whose heads are occupied about couetous desires whose liues are stained with vsurie and oppressions whose bodies are wearied and wasted with pleasures choaked with the cares enticed with the delightes carried away with the vanities rauished with the inordinate desires of this wicked world hearing the sound of the word in their eares but admitting not the sence in their hearts are greatly and grosly deceiued like the Athenians who could talk much of vertue but practised nothing thereof whom Pantolidas the Ambassador hearing dispute Partolidas of vertue and being demaunded how their speaches pleased him answered Their talke was good and deserued praise but this was to be lamented that speaking so well they would not reforme their liues according to vertue So our knowledge and talking of the Scriptures of vices to be remoued and vertue to be embraced is worthy praise but this is greatly to be lamented that we talking so well doe walke so wickedly Herein if we runne on still and so continue we enhaunce our punishment encrease our iudgement enlarge our condemnation Wherefore we must not be hearers onely but doers also of the worde of God as the Apostle here admonisheth The next and second reason vvhy vve must be doers 2. Reason of the lavve not heaers only is dravven from the vse of Gods vvord vvhich is to reforme in vs those things that
are amisse this profit and vse vve loose vvhē we heare the vvord only and doe not thereafter this vse of Gods lavve and vvord Moises commendeth vnto princes and people Deut. 7 vvho exhorting the King continually to reade and meditate in the lavve shevveth him for vvhat end he should so doe to learne to feare the Lord and not to heare and knovve alone but to keepe his commaundements This vse vvas respected vvhen he vvilled the Leuites to teach the lavve vnto the people that they might learne to doe Deut. 31. Psal 119. and keepe the ordinances and the vvords of the lavve of God prescribed Dauid disputing of the vse and end of the lavve maketh it the reformer of our manners the directer of our pathes the line and leuell of our life and the guide of our waies to godlines Saint Paul affirmeth that all scripture is inspired from aboue and is profitable to teach 2. Tim. 3. such as are ignorant to conuince such as are repugnant to correct such as erre and wander in conuersation to instructe in righteousnes wherefore to what end to what vse to what purpose euen that thereby the man of God may be absolute perfect to euery good worke Perfectiō in righteousnes holy conuersation in life is the vse of the law and word of God As therefore the chiefe ende of sciences and humaine artes is not knowledge but action that when a thing is learned it may be put in vre and practise And as the vse and ende of morall philosophie is not to knowe only but to practise also whereunto they are vnfit which lacke experience to practise as Aristotle teacheth so the 1. lib. Ethic. c. 3. vse of Gods word which is the arte of all artes and that diuine philosophie which neither Thalis nor Pythagoras Socratet nor Plato Zeno nor Aristotle neither any other of the learned heathen haue deuised and inuēted but which we haue receiued from God himselfe is not meere knowledge to wote what to doe but practise of obedience that we may so doe in action as by hearing the word we haue learned This vse and end men then lose when they content themselues with hearing onely Which thing the Apostle here proueth by a fit similitude wherein he compareth the word of God to a glasse As the chiefe vse of the glasse is not to see our faces only but to correct our faults that there be no blemish or deformitie therein so the word of God hath this vse not to shew our selues only but to reforme our enormities that there remaine no iniquitie in vs. The word of God may well be compared to a glasse The word like a glasse Three speciall properties are in a glasse wherby the word is resembled vnto it 1 A glasse sheweth the perfecte forme of our faces with all the deformities and blemishes therein to correct them if they may be corrected So the lawe and worde of God sheweth the perfect face and fashion of sinne in vs that so farre forth as natural infimitie permitteth all blemishes may be amended for which cause Saint Paul saith that thereby we come to see sinne and by the lawe haue knowledge thereof because by the lawe is the knowledge of sinne that then being knowen we might by grace reforme Rom. 3. it 2 The glasse sheweth their owne faces which looke thereinto and not the faces of others that they might be carefull to wipe away their owne blemish and dyrty spots and not be curious in clearing of others So the lawe sheweth euery one that loketh thereinto his owne sinnes cheifely not the sinnes of his brethren so much that euerie one should be carefull of his owne life and not be too curious in the liues of others Wherefore holy Dauid so often desired to bee informed in the lawe and statutes of Psal 14. Psal 25. Psal 86 God that he him selfe might walke therein and be reformed as in his psalmes many waies it appeareth and the Apostle exhorting all men to make triall of themselues by the word not only at the receauing of Sacraments but otherwise 1. Cor. 11 by the ministerie of the word for the proofe of their faith woulde not haue them as busie in the liues of others but as carefull of their owne to mend themselues Let euerie one examine him selfe and so let him eate of this bread and drinke of this cup And againe proue your 2. Cor. 13. selues whether you are in faith examine your selues know you not that Christ dwelleth in you except ye be reprobates the word must teach vs to see our selues and our owne infirmities and endeuour to reforme our owne blemishes of sinne and not to be curious in them searching into the liues of others before our owne be throughly reformed 3 The glasse sheweth vs our blemishes which seene we hate and with mislike wipe them away so the worde of God sheweth vs the deformitie of sinne which sinne must be hated of vs thus Gods word taught Dauid to hate his owne waies and Marie Magdalen to loth here former life This maketh the Saints of God to hare the very garments defiled with the flesh and conceyue mislike against those sinnes wherevnto in times past they were giuen These things being so the Apostle compareth the word of God to a glasse Of which comparison there are two partes or members 1 They which looke into the worde of God without endeuour or yet desire to reforme their liues thereby are like such as looke into a glasse to see themselues but not to reforme their faults or blemishes of life as soone as they are gone they forget what fashion they were of thus their peering pooring and peeping into the glasse profiteth nothing as good neuer a whit as neuer the better The looking or hearing of hypocrites is like the vaine looking into glasses of fooles Fooles looke into glasses to see themselues but not to correct any thing amisse in them so hypocrites heare the worde of God and looke into his will to see it but not to correct their maners thereby Fooles looking into glasses with perswasion of themselues that they are faire when they are deformed come therehence as wise as they went and hypocrites thinking themselues righteous when they are wicked come as wise from a Sermon as they went thither As fooles looking into glasses see not that therein that which is indeede the right side is the left and the left the right and so thinke all is well So hypocrites seeing not by the worde their disordered liues that all things are topsie turuie in them perswade themselues all is well inough and so are not profited As fooles looking into glasses thinke they see a face in deede when they see but the reflexe or turning backe of a face therefore they coll they kisse they fall in loue oftentimes with the face seene in the glasse as Nareissus did with his owne face when he behelde himselfe in the water so
hypocrites thinke their counterfeite hoâ—ynesse to bee true holinesse wherefore they embrace it they brooke it they delight therein they loue it as if it were sincere and perfect integritie And thus they may bee compared vnto fooles looking into glasses who heare the worde awd looke into the law being carelesse to obey it The other part of this similitude is who so looketh into the perfect law of libertie hee not being a forgetfull hearer but a doer of the worde shall be blessed in his deede In which member we see the lawe is called perfect and a perfect law of libertie 1 Perfect which addition Dauid also giueth vnto the law The law of the Lord is perfect conuerting the soule Psal 19. therefore so called because whatsoeuer appertaineth to faith and godlinesse is therein aboundantly set downe and deliuered so that neither in doctrine neither in maners we ought to seek for any other thing whatsoeuer S John entreating of the perfection of the newe lawe which is the Gospell confesseth that therein all things which Iohn 20. our Sauiour did were not written yet sufficient things to be written which men beleeuing might thereby liue wherefore he saith Many other signes and tokens did Iesus in the presence of his Disciples which are not written in this booke but these things are written that yee might beleeue that Iesus is Christ the sonne of God and that in beleeuing ye might haue life through his name Saint Paul writeth that he kept not backe any thing from the Church of Ephesus but hath shewed them all the Acts 20. counsels of God Tertulian crieth out that that Church is happie to which the Apostles haue powred out all the Tertulian doctrine of God euen with their owne bloud Our Sauiour promiseth the Church a Comforter which should Iohn 16. bring them into all truth What truth is it that the holy Ghost did not teach the Church But yet least wee should thinke there were other truthes beside such as were preached by Christ and penned by the Euangelists it is added that that Comforter should teach them whatsoeuer Christ had taught them before Wherein was enough to saluation as Iohn witnesseth Saint Paul sheweth the excellencie of the worde of God and how perfect it is in all poynts affirmeth that all Scripture is inspired 1. Tim. 3. from aboue and is profitable to teach to improue to correct to instruct in righteousnesse that the man of God might be perfect instructed to euerie good worke Vnto this truth the fathers reuerendly subscribe Saint Tract 49. vpon Iohn Augustine sayeth that where as Christ had done manie things which were not written yet such things were chosen to bee written which the writers thought sufficient for the saluation of them which beleeued Saint Cirill Lib. 12. vpon Iohn hath almost the same wordes All things that were done by Christ were not written but those things onely which seemed sufficient both to maners and to doctrine that men shining through true faith and good workes might come to the heauenly kingdome by Iesus Christ our Lorde Chrysostome vpon Matthew not once and Vpon Mat. 22. 4. hom vpon the Epistle to Titus in like manner sheweth that all things necessarie are in Scripture reuealed therefore concludeth he that they are perfect Athanasius finally affirmeth that the Scriptures inspired froÌ„ aboue is sufficient for instruction in all vertue And this is true in the whole lawe of God but most manifest in the doctrine of the Gospel The lawe which by Moises ministerie was giuen the people was so perfite that almightie God forewarned them that they should neither adde nor diminish therefrom end howe seuerely he punished that malapert and Deut. 4. 12. Prou. 30. sawsie boldnesse in the Israelites which aduentured to adde any thing either to the doctrine or the ceremonies so many sermons of the Prophets the interpreters of the lawes so many testimonies of holy Scripture the holy sacred diuine histories our Sauiour Christ himselfe witnesseth most plainly Shall we thinke more basely now of the Gospell which is a doctrine more excellent then the â—awe Shall wee thinke God had lesse carefull consideâ—ation of his church in the daies of his son being on earth â—nd afterward then he had in the time of Moises Or shall â—e dare to imagin the Prophets to haue left a more perâ—ect doctrine then the apostles taught by the very mouth â—f Christ and ledde into all truth by the holy Ghost according to the promise Wherefore if the lawe were perfect so that the people durst adde thereto or detract therefro nothing which who tempted were punished shall not the Gospel containe a most perfect doctrine whereunto nothing may be added from which nothing may be detracted This the Angel acknowledged wheÌ„ in Reuel 22. the shutting vp and concluding of the Gospel he protesteth that if any man adde to the wordes of that booke God should adde the plagues in that booke written vnto him and if any should diminish any thing therein God would diminish and take away his name from out of the booke of life Thereby therefore is the perfection of the Gospel concluded Which thing the holy Apostle here to expresse vnto vs calleth the worde of God the perfect law For this cause the Scripture hath the name of a Canon giuen it and is called Canonicall because it is the onely perfect rule line leuell and square whereby all doctrines and all maners must be meet measured examined and prooued as by that which is most sufficient and perfect which suffereth no addition nor detraction for then the rule and measure faileth This being true as most true it is not onely by the infallible worde of God but by the manifest testimonies of the reuerend fathers then Ambrose 3. de virgini all inuentions dreames doctrines traditions vnwritten verities must fall to the ground and be condemned as counterfet adulterie and sacriligious which are not warranted out of the perfect law of the Gospel as Saint Ambros affirmeth The Gospel here hence then is proued to be perfect 2 As it is perfect so is it a law of libertie not that it bringeth men into carnall freedome to do what they lust 1. Pet. 2. whereunto the wicked abuse it for a cloake of wickednesse but because it setteth vs at libertie in our consciences from Satan sinne and death which we obtainie by Christ Iohn 8. who freeing vs we are free in deede He therefore calling vs to the glorious libertie of the sonnes of God and the Gospel preaching this libertie of conscience vnto men is called the law of libertie 3 In this law must we continue herein must we looke continually herein must we meditate day and night herein must we spend our dayes Some thinke it enough Psal 1. to looke into this law once in their liues Some thinke it much to looke into it once in a yeare two three or seuen Some perswade
themselues that they do God good seruice if now and then onely they haue a spirt a crash a fit at the worde and leaue off but our Apostle willeth vs to continue therein often yea alwayes to be looking in the perfect law of libertie 4 Therein we must not be idle hearers but doers of the worde the promise of happinesse is not made to the hearing but to the doing of the worde we hearing must do that therein we are taught and so as good ground bring forth fruits with pacience 5 This if we do we shall be blessed in our deed not that our deedes do make vs blessed but because studie and endeuour to do well is a qualitie of such as shall be blessed And this blessednesse is giuen as a free gift and reward from God to such as walke in holinesse of life which life is not the cause of our reigning with God in eternall blessednesse but the way to the kingdome saith Saint Bernard neither are our good workes efficient and Bernard vpon 1. Psal proper causes of saluation and happinesse but ornaments of our faith as Saint Ambrose writeth But of this more was spoken 1. Iames 12. Here it may be obiected that in as much as happinesse is promised to our workes in Scripture therefore our workes purchase this happinesse Dauid pronounceth Psal 1. Psal 41. 119. 8. Luke 11. Reuel 1. him blessed which walketh not in the connsaile neither standeth in the way of sinners him blessed also who considereth the poore and needie those that are vndefiled in the way such as feare God and walke in his wayes Our Sauiour counteth them blessed which heare the worde and do it the Angel those which heare the words of that prophecie and fulfill them The Apostle here those which looke into the law of libertie and continue therein being not idle hearers but doers of the worde I answere that herehence if followeth not that men deserue by their works this happinesse but first these places entreate not of the cause why men are blessed but of their qualitie who shall be blessed euen such as do these things Secondly such things are vnderstoode of their workes who by faith are iustified accepted and blessed in whom the blessednesse of their workes doth followe the blessednesse of their faith as the effect the cause euen as ciuill righteousnesse or righteousnesse by workes whereby the fairh of our heart is knowen to men doth follow righteousnesse by faith which is before God Thirdly rewards are promised to works of grace and not of dutie so that no man by workes can chalenge happinesse vnto himselfe which as also eternal life is the meere gift of God through Iesus Christ Rom. 6. This part of the Apostles comparison is that who so looketh into the law of God with carefulnesse to liue thereafter shall be blessed in his deed Wherefore as Socrates the great Philosopher exhorted all men but specially yong men alwayes to looke into their glasses that if they were beautifull they should behaue themselues accordingly if deformed they should then hide and couer their deformities by vertue and learning so ought all Christians men and women to looke continually into this glasse of Gods worde that if they be alreadie beautified by the graces of God they may walke worthy their Ephes 4. Philip. 1. 2. Tim. 1. glorious calling in true holinesse and righteousnesse if they be deformed through sinne they may learne thereby to couer and correct their deformities of sinne by true obedience vnto the Gospel that they continuing in vertue may be blessed in their deeds not for their owne merits but of the mercie of God to whom with the sonne and the holy ghost be all praises dominion and maieâ—tie now and for euermore Amen Iames Chap. 1. verses 26. 27. Sermon 8. 26 If any man among you seemeth religious and refraineth not his tongue but deceyueth his owne heart this mans religion is in vaine 27 Pure religion vndefiled before God is this to visite the fatherlesse widowes in their aduersitie to keepe himselfe vnspotted of the world IN which wordes are the other two exhortations or admonitions namely the third and the fourth contained the thirde that Gods worde giueth and setteth downe the rule not onely to do well but to speake wel also The fourth that pure and perfect religion holy and acceptable seruice to God standeth in charitie towards the needie and in puritie of our liues These two verses containe the other two admonitions 3 To refraine the toÌ„gue wherin are two things 1 admonition it selfe 2 The reasons 1 It causeth errour and hurt 2 It defileth religion 4 Wherein pure Religion before God consisteth namely in 1 Charitie towarde the needie 2 Puritie and innocencie in our owne liues The thirde admonition of the Apostle is touching 3. Admonition the restraint and moderation of the tongue wherein he teacheth vs that the worde of truth whereby we are regenerate and begotten through the will of God prescribeth vnto vs not onely a rule of doing well but of speaking well also Wherefore the holy and vnfaigned professours of this worde must endeuour thereby not onely to reforme their actions but also to restraine their speaches and moderate their tongues that they fall not into those vices whereunto the godlesse tongue is giuen therefore sayeth he if any man among you seeme religious and refrayneth not his tongue but deceyueth his owne heart this mans religion is in vaine This admonition teacheth that the law of God being Psal 119. a lanterne vnto our feete and a light vnto our paths and a thing diuinely inspired from aboue to make a man perfect in righteousnesse and absolute to euerie good worke doth not onely restraine the vnbrideled actions of men but also refraineth and holdeth backe the 2. Tim. 3 disordered speaches of their mouthes that both in action and communication they may be holy vnto the Lorde For this cause haue we many exhortations in the sacred Scriptures of God to moderate our tongues and to restraine them In stead of many it may suffice which the holie Prophet and Prince of Israel teacheth vs If any Psal 34. man loue long life and would see happie dayes let him refraine his tongue from euill and his lips they speake no guile Hereof wee haue heard more verse 19. before and shall heare more 3. chapter from 2. verse to 13. verse thereof The reasons hereof are two 1 it causeth errour in our liues and hurt vnto our selues when wee are giuen to babling and prating thereby our hearts are deceyued and our selues indangered For great hurt commeth vnto men for want of moderation and gouernement of their tongues Solomon setting downe the inconuenience of not refraining the tongue affirmeth that life Prou. 18. and death are therein and they that loue it should eat the fruite thereof shewing how dangerous a thing it is to be loose which who is is subiect to great daunger Therfore
Aristotle the Philosopher and heathen sending Calisthenes the Philosopher to Alexander the great king of Macedonia Aristotle oftentimes admonished and commaunded him to speake more rarely and most pleasantly to the King because he carried life and death in his tongue The which the wiseman foreseeing saith He that keepeth his mouth Pro. 21. and his tongue keepeth his soule from trouble And in another place comparing a man whose tongue is vnbrideled to a City vnwalled affirmeth As a citie lying open Pro. 25. and vncompassed with walles euen so is a man that cannot refraine his tongue Which when holy Dauid rightly weyed and aduisedly Psal 141. considered he praieth the Lord to set a watch before his mouth and to keep the dore of his lippes And the sonne of Sirach to the like purpose crieth out Who shall Ecclus. 22. set a watch before my mouth and a seale of wisdome before my lips that I fall not sodenly by them and that my tongue destroy me not Thus men thinking themselues to haue an absolute libertie to prate and prattle what they lust without hurt or danger by their saucie pratling and brabling by the euill of their tongues they greatly endanger themselues and so deceiue their owne hearts Neither that onely but by much talke they thinke to attain to the opinion of wisdome with men who onely speaking would be thought to haue all knowledge but hereby they shewe their greater follie and so deceiue their owne hearts The wise man shewing that it is great follie not to bridle and moderate the tongue saith That the voice of a foole is in the multitude of words and elswhere to like Eccles. 5. purpose A wise man concealeth knowledge but the harts of fooles publish foolishnes The same writeth that wise Pro. 12. men vse fewe words then it followeth that such as vse many words are fooles Wherefore when by much talking Pro. 17. we thinke to obteine opinion of wisdome then most of all we descrie our owne follie and thereby we deceiue our own hearts and therefore we ought to refraine our tongues Finally we thinke our tongues to be geuen vs to prattle at our owne pleasures but they are geuen as instruments to set foorth the mightie and manifolde power of God his miracles and wonderous works which he doth towards the children of men abusing then our toungs at our own pleasure we deceue our own harts Seeing therefore by not moderating our tongues we thus deceiue our selues and our owne hearts we ought with all carefulnes to bridle moderate our tongues by the word of trueth As not moderating our tongues we deceiue our own hearts so we descrie our hypoctisie we corrupt and defile our religiō and make it vaine before God therfore ought we to moderate and refraine our tongues whose speach is not good their religion cannot be acceptable Wherefore vnlesse we refraine our tongues our religion is frustrate and in vaine Now the euils and faults of our tongues frō which they not refrained deceiue our heartes and make our religion vaine are sundrie 1 Vaine talke idle friuolous seruing to no profit to no purpose prating and pratling where there is no neede Mat. 12. for which we shall geue account to God as Christ witnesseth protesting that we shall geue accounts vnto GOD Ephes 5. for euery vaine and idle word proceeding from vs. Saint Paul exhorteth the Saints to put from them all vaine and foolish talke as a thing not becomming them From this euill if we refrain not our tongues our religion is in vain For if any man among you seem religious and refraineth not from this this mans religion is in vaine 2 Another euil to be restrained in men is when we talk of god of his word of his law religion not desirous to reforme our liues according vnto his cōmandements This is a great euil and point of halting hypocrifie wherby our religion is frustrate and in vaine For to talke of Gods word and not to walke in his will profiteth or preuayleth nothing to religion therefore almighty GOD shewing their religion to be but in vaine which talked of him in their mouthes but folowed him not in their harts crieth out This people draweth neare vnto me with their lips but their hearts are farre from me worshipping me in vaine teaching doctrines precepts of men Dauid in Gods person telling the hypocrites that their talking of his couenants was in vaine in as much as Psal 50. they would not be reformed in their conuersations saith What hast thou to doe to declare my ordinances and to take my couenants in thy mouth seeing thou hatest to be reformed and castest my words behind thee Our blessed Sauiour intimateth and witnesseth vnto men that to Mat. 7. call vpon him in their wordes maketh them but hypocrites and sheweth their religion to be vaine when they doe not that which he commaundeth therefore he saith that not euery one that saith vnto him Lord Lord shall therefore enter into his kingdome but such as did the will of his father Finally Saint Paul accounting their religion as 1. Tit. vaine which talke of God in their mouthes but obey him not in their deedes condemneth them as hypocrites who say they know God in word but deny him in deedes being abhominable disobedient and to euery good worke reprobate From this vanitie and foolish prating if wee refraine not our tongues though we seeme neuer so religious yet deceaue wee our selues and our religion is in vaine And yet this is our religion in these daies consisting in lip-labour and talking of God and his commandements but not liuing according as in his lawes he chargeth vs and therefore are we not better then very hypocrites For if any man among vs seem religious refraineth not his tongue from this vanity also surely this mans religion is in vaine 3 As from these euils our tongues must be refrayned so from rash iudgement of our brethren when vpon surmised suspitions we condemne them for this also maketh Mat. 9. our religion vaine Therefore our Sauiour to remoue it farre from the Saints his Church forewarneth them not to iudge least they be iudged not to condēne least they be condemned To whom the Apostle agreeth Iudge nothing before the time vntill the Lord come who 1. Cor. 4. shall lighten things that are in darkenes and make the counsels of the heart manifest In which kinde they sinne which by euentes iudge and condemne their brethren accounting them for most wicked vppon whom the hand of the Lords chastisement lighteth The wicked iudged Christ condemned of God Isai 53. Wisd 3 5. chap. Job 4. Psal 41. 8. because he was chastened of the Father The vngodly condemned the Saints for despised because they were subiect to affliction in the world The frends of Job iudged Iob wicked because hee was so many waies plagued of God The people condemned the Galileans those
Againe we haue the faith and religion of Christ in respect of persons when wee holde that onely for true religion which hath succession of many Bishoppes confirmation of diuers Councels defence from sundry Princes continuance of many yeares regard had to these circumstances not to the trueth it selfe whereunto they must haue respect Thus might and did the lewes defend their idolatrie against the Prophet Ieremie from succession Ierem. 44. of Priestes authoritie of Princes continuance of time thus our aduersaries the Papistes by the like means measure the religion of Christ and therefore haue it in respect of persons when they rather respect the successiō of their Romish Bishoppes the consent of Councels called by themselues defence of Princes either bewitched with the entising strumpet of Babylon or ouerruled by the authoritie of the Pope himselfe Continuance of time which serueth for defence of all idolatrie and iniquitie of the heathen then the worde it selfe grounded vpon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Iesus Ephes 2. Christ himselfe being the head corner stone Thus haue they also the faith of Iesus Christ in respect of persons 5 What when for gaine and aduauntage wee can make the Gospell to serue mens pleasures and do apply it to mens humors which is making marchaundise of the gospel reprooued by Paul haue we not the faith of Christ 2. Cor. 2. in respect of persons 6 What when either for feare or fauour wee spare some and bitterly inueigh against others not once touching some and for the same or some lesse fault cōdemne others to the bottomlesse pitte of destruction are we not partiall in our selues and haue we not the faith of Christ in respect of persons The Apostle condemning all these but specially the first kinde exhorteth the brethren not to haue the faith of our glorious Lord in respect of persons 4 This euill cannot stande with Christian profession the Gospell teacheth that with God is no respect of Acts 10. persons but that they all which fear God work righteousnes are accepted through the ioyfull tidings of saluation Gal. 3. by Iesus Christ in whome there is neither male nor female bonde nor free neither rich nor poore but they are all alike vnto him The sound of this Gospel went not to the rich noble honourable and mightie men of the world alone but it was preached to the poor also Hereby are we vnited into an holy brotherhood and this brother hood implyeth equalitie in this case so that the rich may not be regarded the poore neglected but the Spiritual brotherhoode is violate and broaken Through the Gospell we become all of vs members of one body each of vs 1. Cor. 12. members of each other and all members of Christ our head If then for riches honour worldly pompe we esteem and count of men and not for their vnion with Christ and their incorporation with him we fall away frō Christian religion Thus the respect of mens persons and esteming religion by outward appearance of men cannot stande with the faith of Christ which teacheth vs to embrace Christians with brotherly loue and not to regarde one with the contempt of another which as a thing vnseemely our calling repugnant to loue contrary to our profession S. Iames in his proposition condemning exhorteth the brethren not to haue the faith of our glorious Lord Iesus Christ in respect of persons And these are the two things in the first place in the proposition or state of this Treatise obserued the persons whom he admonisheth and the thing whereof he admonisheth My brethrē haue not the faith of our glorious Lord Iesus Christ in respect of persons Now this glorious Lorde euen our Sauiour Iesus Christ who hath loued vs and geuen himselfe for vs to Ephes 5. Tit. 2. be a sacrifice of a sweete smell vnto God geue vs grace so to esteeme of our Christian brethren as that wee preferre not one to the disgrace and contempt of another but that we equally esteeming them all as bought with the bloud of the same Lambe immaculate and vndefiled may haue a right estimation and iudgement of Christian profession and that men without respect of persons walking sincerely may glorifie God of him be glorified in the life to come through our Lord Iesus Christ To whom with the father c. Iames Chap. 2. verses 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9 Sermon 10. 2 For if there come into your companie a man with a gold ring and in goodly apparell and there come also a poore man in vile apparell 3 And ye haue a respect to him that weareth the gay clothing and say vnto him sit thou here in a goodly place and say vnto the poore Stande thou there or sit here vnder my footstoole 4 Are you not partiall in your selues and become iudges of euill thoughts 5 Hearken my deare brethren hath not God chosen the poore of this world that they should be rich in faith and heires of the kingdome promised to them that loue him 6 But ye haue despised the poore Do not the rich oppresse you by tyrannie and doe they not draw you before the iudgement seates 7 Doe they not blaspheme the worthie name after which ye be named 8 But if ye fulfill the roiall law according to the scripture which saith thou shalt loue thy neighbor as thy self ye do wel 9 But if ye regard the persons ye commit sinne and are rebuked of the lawe as transgressours IN these wordes and the rest to 14. verse the Apostle confirmeth that which he before proposed and proueth by two arguments that to haue the faith of Iesus Christ in respect of persons is euill The first reason is from the example of such as thus accept the persons of men the other is from the nature of the lawe of God which by this meane is transgressed The first argument is handled in these words and verses set downe In which reason frō their example which respect mēs persons there are three things to be considered 1 the example it selfe verses 2. 3. 4. 2 The euils in that example condemned which are two 1 Peruersnesse of iudgement ver 5. part 6. 2 Madnes part 6 7 verse 3 The conclusion v. 8. 9. In which there are foure things 1 What this law is 2 Why called roiall 3 What it willeth 4 How it is fulfilled The example of such as haue the saith of christ in respect of persons 1 Concerning the first the example of men thus respecting the rich with the cōtempt of the poore christian brethren thereof thus saith S. James For if there come into your companie a man with a gold ring and in goodly apparell and there come in also a poore man in vile raiment and ye haue respect to him that weareth the gay clothing say vnto him Sit here in a goodly place but say to the poore Stand there or sit here vnder my footestoole are you not partiall
another The lawe of loue therefore comming and proceeding from God the king of all kings and kingdomes of the earth is therefore called royall kingly princely 2 Because it is the chiefe of all lawes which concerne our dueties towardes our brethren perswading men and drawing them to the o-obedience of the seconde table which in perfourming of loue is fulfilled Therefore is loue so often called the fulfilling of the lawe Saint Paul saieth that the whole Rom. 13. law is briefly contained in this loue the neighbour as thy selfe To like effect in another place to another Church he sayeth All the lawe is fulfilled in one worde Gal. 5. which is this loue thy neighbour as thy selfe And to his scholer Timothie the end of the commandement is loue 1. Tim. 1. out of a pure heart and good conscience and faith vnfeigned Seeing then the lawe of loue is as the chiefe head and as it were the Queene ouer other vertues and duties and the onely thing wherein all the lawe of the seconde Table is contained complete and fulfilled it maye therefore not amisse bee called royall or princely 3 This law furthermore is called royall because it is like the kings high way for as the kings high way is open for euerie man to passe therein and bringeth men from place to place foorth out right without turnings So the lawe of GOD which is the lawe of loue is open plaine without turnings of all men to bee gone in trauailed past through not turning either to the right hande or to the left through respect of persons whereunto who so respecteth declineth turneth out of the high way and wandereth 3 The law of loue being this roiall law and for these causes so called enioyneth men to loue their neighbours as themselues In which three things may here briefly be obserued 1 What this law requireth loue 2 To whom to our neighbour 3 How as to our selues That Gods lawe requireth loue who readeth the Scriptures and seeth not who peruseth the word of god and is ignorant God himselfe in the verie lawe expresly Leuit. 19. commaundeth that men should loue one another Our Sauiour Christ the very expounder of his fathers will vnto men exhorteth all the Saints thereunto as to the cognizance and liuerie wherby they should bee knowne to be his seruants The Apostles the interpreters of this Iohn 13. lawe enfourmed and taught by the holy Ghost the spirite whereby they were ledde into all truth haue thereof beene carefull Therefore Saint Paul owe nothing Rom. 13. Ephes 5. to any but that ye loue one another And againe be yee followers of God as deare children and walke in loue euen as you haue Christ for example And againe And Col. 3. aboue all things put on loue which is the bonde of perfectnesse To whom Saint Peter subscribeth aboue all 1. Pet. 4. things haue feruent loue among your selues for loue couereth the multitude of sinnes Saint John in his three Epistles therein laboureth especially to perswade the Saints to follow loue Of which in the time of his preaching he was so carefull that as Saint Ierome recordeth Vpon 6. to Galath being verie aged and not able without helpe to ascende into the Pulpet preached still of loue vntill his auditours were wearie of the same to whom he answered it was the thing that the whole lawe required and enioyned of God which who so hath hath all things VVherefore if we looke either into the olde Testament or the newe wee shall finde that the royall lawe of God enioyneth loue Whereof we are forgetfull when enuie and malice hatred and rancour debate and contention couetousnesse and vsurie slaundering and backebiting lying and deceite separating our selues from the brethren respect of riches honour glory worldly pompe not of religion pietie and godlinesse reigneth in our hearts The persons whom we must loue are our neighbors thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe But who is Leuit. 19. our neighbour Our Sauiour Christ by the parable of the man falling into the handes of the theeues betwixt Luke 10. Hierico and Hierusalem telleth the lawier who questioned with Christ to tempt him that all men which neede our help or to whom any dutie belongeth are our neighbours whether neare at hand or farre of whether friends or enemies rich or poore one or another Wherehence Saint Augustine concludeth that all men are our neighbours to whom either dutie should bee shewed if it bee Lib. 1. doctrine Christ. c. 30. needfull either remaineth due if it be required And citing that place of Saint Paul thou shalt not commit adulterie thou shalt not kill thou shalt not steale thou shalt not beare false witnesse against thy neighbour and if there bee any other commaundement it is briefly contained in this thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe by neighbour saith he must wee vnderstande all men vnlesse we will say it is lawfull to commit adulterie with the wife or some or to kill some or to rob some or beare false witnesse against some But seeing these cannot lawfully be done against any therefore vnder neighbour euerie man is comprised In his worke of true religion reprouing men for louing men not because they were men and the creatures of God but because they De vera religione were allianced or affianced vnto them sayeth it were discourtesie not to loue in respect they are men and to loue in respect they are fathers or children c. Thereby teaching vs to loue all men because all men in that they are men are our neighbours The lawe teaching vs to loue all men and to doe duetie vnto them as vnto neighbours for to respect the persons of the riche and preferre them with neglect of the poore is agaynst this lawe whereof in so doing wee are transgressours The manner howe wee must loue is as our selues And euerie man vnfeignedly feruently continually loueth himselfe so must wee also loue our neighbours albeit straungers albeit enemies who are all our neighbours 4 This then being the summe and substance of this royall lawe to loue our neighbours as our selues who finally may be saide to fulfill this lawe They fulfill the royall lawe of loue who through faith working by loue â—al 5. obey this lawe of God And this faith of Gods Saints looketh not to the outward appearance of mens persons but to the vnfeigned profession of Christian religion Of this fulfilling of the law the Apostle may seeme to speake if ye fulfill the royall law according to the Scripture which saith Loue thy neighbour as thy selfe you do well The obedience of Gods children is accepted albeit vnperfect for Christs sake whose righteousnes imputed vnto vs we are by faith through imputation saide to fulfill the lawe As before vpon the 1. Chap. ver 22. hath beene said The obedience and fulfilling of Gods law is accepted according to the measure of faith distributed to euery Ephe. 4. Rom.
12. ◠Cor. 12. one seuerally according to the purpose and pleasure of God In this wise if you do fulfil the royal law saith Iames you do well but if you accept persons you sinne and are become transgressours of the law for that law commandeth to loue all and disdaine none If men therefore regard the persons of men they sinne and transgresse the lawe of God And this is the first argument why wee should not haue the faith of Christ in respect of persons and the things therein contained the example of them which so doe the euils in which men in so doing commit and the conclusion Let vs beseech almightie God for his sonnes sake to remooue all partialitie of Iudgement farre from vs that neither for fauour nor for feare we honour the prophane men of the worlde to the disdaine of the brethren but that we hauing speciall care of holinesse and righteousnesse of faith and religion in our esteeming and iudging of men may so nourish and foster loue in our hearts that thereby God may be glorified who is our onely Lord and God to bee blessed for euermore Amen Iames Chap. 2. verses 10. 11. 12. 13. Sermon 11. 10 For whosoeuer shall keepe the whole lawe and yet faileth in one point he is guiltie of all 11 For he that said thou shalt not commit adulterie said also thou shalt not kill Now though thou committest none adulterie yet if thou killest thou art a transgressour of the law 12 So speake ye and so doe as they that shal be iudged by the law of libertie 13 For there shall be condemnation mercilesse to him that sheweth no mercie and mercie reioyceth agaynst condemnation THe second reason and argument why men preferring the rich to the poore with contempt do sin offend is drawne from the nature of the law of God flowing and following out of the former conclusion it is this They greatly offend the law of god who honor some ambiciously disdain other cōtemptuously this they do which honor the rich which are vile prophane wicked disdain those poor which are honest vertuous godly therfore such as respect the persons of mē esteeming faith and religion according to the outwarde appearaunce sinne and doe against the lawe of God Of which law euerie part member branch and point is so vnited and knit togither as that if we keepe all the rest and yet faile in any one as that we obserue all other partes of the lawe yet regard the outward appearance of men and so haue the faith of Iesus Christ in respect of persons we are guiltie of the whole and so transgresse the law of God Which reason in these verses is contained In the which wordes and verses containing the second argument why respecters of mens persons do sinne three things are to be noted namely 1 The proposition he that keepeth the whole law yet faileth in one point is guiltie of the whole ver 10. 2 The confirmation of the proposition he that said thou shalt not cōmit adulterie said also thou shalt not kil c. 3 The cōclusion in which are to be noted 2. things 1 The conclusion it selfe v. 12. 2 The reason of the conclusion v. 13 1 Of these three the first is the proposition the state of the matter the setting downe of the thing which is in handling and it is this Whosoeuer keepeth the whole lawe yet offendeth or fayleth in one poynt thereof hee is guiltie of all Therefore that man which keepeth all the rest of the lawe and yet respecteth the personne of the prophaine riche man and coptemneth the poore godly religious and honest is guiltie of all the whole lawe Men cutting off from the lawe what seemeth them good and keeping not the whole lawe indifferently transgresse the law and offend against it Such are they which being by Gods law charged indifferently to loue all men and count thē their neighbours and in token of loue honour some with contempt of others as men reuerencing the wealthy though they be wicked and disdaining the poore Saintes and brethren These men therefore are guiltie of the whole lawe But how is this true Surely in as much as the law is so vnited and knitte together in euery part as that who soeuer offendeth in one iote is guiltie of all in the sight of God How is he guiltie of the whole lawe that faileth but in one point or part thereof Two waies 1 Who so obserueth all the whole law yet by respecting the persons of mē offendeth against loue he is guiltie of the whole law For loue is the fulfilling of the law Who so offendeth against that which conteineth all the rest and is the accōplishment of the whole is guiltie of the whole Now the Scripture teacheth that loue is the fulfilling of the lawe Rom. 13. For this Thou shalt not committe adulterie thou shalt not kill thou shalt not steale thou shalt not beare false witnes against thy neighbour or if there bee any other law it is briefly conteined in this Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe Our Sauiour Christ teacheth the saucie and malapert Lawier which asked him a question not to learne of him but to tempt him That on those two precepts of loue thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with al Mar. 22. thine heart with all thy soule with all thy minde and thy neighbour as thy selfe the whole law and the Prophetes dependeth Albeit then one obserue all other parts of the law yet offend against the law of loue wherein the whole law is cōprised he is become guiltie of all sinning against that which conteineth all which is loue 2 A man obseruing the whole law yet offending against one point or parte thereof is guiltie of the whole because no man can perfectly keepe any part of the lawe as it should be kept which keepeth not the whole therefore in failing in one iote of the law men faile as it were in all and are guiltie of all For all the parts and precepts of the law are so knitte and vnited together in an inseperable coniunction as that who so keepeth any one perfectly keepeth all who so offendeth against any one offendeth against all and is guiltie of all And is not this agreeable to Moses doctrine who holdeth all men vnder a bitter curse which obserue not Deut. 27. all the whole lawe of God denouncing that curse against euery particular offence which is denounced against the breach of the whole lawe and holding them vnder the same condemnation that offended against any iote of the lawe whereunto they are subiect which are guiltie of many transgressions To shew that men are counted guiltie before God of the whole law which are found faulrie in any part thereof Wherefore denouncing a curse against many particular sinnes he concludeth his terrible curse with these words Cursed is euery one that perseuereth not in all the words of this law to doe them Wherefore how so
was a perpetuall infamie and death by the lawe of God faith men doe not dispise a thiefe when he stealeth to satisfie his soule when he is hungrie but if he be found he shall restore seuen folde or he shall giue all the substance of his house but he that committeth adulterie with a woman he is destitute of vnderstanding and hee that doeth it destroyeth his owne soule S. Augustine no doubt therefore measuring sinnes according to their Lib. 21. c. 16. ciuit Dei punishments and seeing that inequalitie of paines doe growe of the inequalitie of offences and sinnes writeth that hell fire shall bee greater or lesser according to the wickednesse of men Whose sinnes therefore are greater their punishment shal be sharper whose sinnes are lighter their paines shall bee easier So that inequalitie of punishments doth rightly argue inequalitie of offences God almightie in his word and law partly inflicting partly threatning greater punishment to one sinne then to an other doth thereby sufficiently teach vs the inequalitie of sinnes by men against him committed 4 Neither this onely but euen mans owne conscience when he hath committed sinne sheweth and testifieth inequalitie of sinne in that he is more vexed troubled in mind for some one then for another sinne more inwardly tormented for committing adulterie in breaking the promise which he made before God and his holy Congregation then for theft more in minde disquieted for the committing of murther then for oppressing his neighbour in bargaining more burthened in conscience for slaying his owne father and mother then any other man or woman more grieued in spirite for horrible blasphemie against GOD and his Sonne Christ whose soul men slay as it were whose bodie they rent whose sides they pierse whose flesh they teare whose heart they wounde whose bloud they shedde whose name they prophane by cursed execrable cruell and vngodly othes then for slaunder or backebiting of their brethren Hauing this testimonie of our conscience which by the instinct and light of nature is imprinted and impressed in mens hearts it is euident that there is great difference and inequalitie of sinnes Which thing wee may see in Cain whose sinnes were Gene. 4. many yet no one so much touched his conscience as the shedding of the innocent bloud of his brother Esau had manie sinnes for which he was worthily condemned for a prophane person yet none of his sinnes Gene. 27. Heb. 12. 27. troubled him so much as that for one portion of meate he had solde his birth-right wherefore afterward when hee woulde haue inherited the blessing he was reiected and found no place of repentance though he sought that blessing with teares as the Scripture recordeth Iudas the traitour was an euill man euerie way couetous mercilesse and guiltie of great wickednesse yet none Mat. 27. of these troubled and disquieted his minde so much as his treason and shedding of innocent bloud wherewith he was so touched as that through conscience therof hee brought the money backe againe to the rulers which for his betraying Christ he had receiued and went out and hanged himselfe This wee finde and knowe to bee most true both in hystories sacred and also prophane in common vse and practise of our times that some one sinne so much more then others haue disquieted mens mindes as that some therefore haue fallen phrentike others become desperate some haue beene dayly disquieted and haue languished away others haue beene the butchers of their owne bodies whereby appeareth euidently inequalitie of sinne 5 Moreouer not onely Gods lawes but ciuill Iawes acknowledge inequalitie of sinnes in that they doe not onelie set downe greater punishment to one sinne then to another but also giue more sharpe charge for the auoyding of one sinne then of another As Gods lawe chiefly forbiddeth idolatrie which is spirituall fornication mans lawe chiefly forewarneth to beware of disloyaltie rebellion and rising vp against their princes wherby it appeareth that these are greatest sins both before God and men and so an equalitie of sinnes 6 The verie Scriptures of GOD the woorde of trueth witnesseth that one sinne is greater then an other therefore vndoubtedly sinnes are vnequall Almightie GOD comparing the sinnes of Hierusalem Ezech. 16. Psal 1. 1. with the sinnes of Samaria and Sodome auoucheth that Hierusalem had done worse then they both and had corrupted her wayes more then eyther Samaria or Sodome and had farre exceeded them and iustified them in the abhomination which shee aboue them had committed Our Sauiour auoucheth in plaine maner inequalitie Iohn 19. of sinne when he tolde Pilate that Judas in betraying him had the greater sinne Saint John plainly auoucheth 1. Iohn 5. inequalitie of sinne in that he sayeth There is a sinne not vnto death for which we must pray in the brethren Another vnto death for the which hee woulde not haue praier made Saint Paul preferring adulterie and fornication before other sinnes putteth a plaine 1. Cor. 6. marke of difference betwixt sinnes therefore hee saith Flie fornication euerie sinne that a man doth is without the bodie but hee that committeth fornication sinneth against his owne bodie Finally S. Peter maketh an euident difference and inequalitie of sinnes when hee speaking 2. Pet. 2. of backesliding affirmeth that it had beene better for men neuer to haue knowen the worde of righteousnesse then after they haue knowen it to turne from the holy commaundement giuen vnto them 7 As one vertue is more excellent then another so is one sinne vice worse then another but S. Paul maketh 1. Cor. 13. 13. charitie more excellent then either hope or faith therefore it must so fall out in sinnes that one be woorsse then another Seeing therefore that all sinnes came not from the same roote and originall seeing the like euents follow not all sinnes alike seeing some sinnes are punished more sharpely others more sleightly Seeing some sinnes more trouble the consciences of men then others do seeing not onely Gods lawe but mans also forwarneth of one more then of another seeing the verie Scripture of God affirmeth one to be greater then an other then is the Stoicall opinion false which holdeth an equalitie of all sinnes Neither is it the meaning here of the Apostle to make all transgressions alike as if it were al one to sinne in one and in many precepts but to shew that the whole lawe is so vnited in euerie point that who so breaketh one iot breaketh all and that no man can perfectly fulfill any one commaundement which fulfilleth not all And finally that the Maiestie of God the lawmaker is offended in the breach of euerie commaundement whose will and pleasure is vnaccomplished as well in one part of the lawe as in manie therefore saith he who so euer keepeth the whole lawe and yet faileth in one poynt he is guiltie of all and this is the proposition 2 This proposition of the Apostle is in the seconde place confirmed that hee that
soeuer wee are tempted by satan to any Psal 145. kinde of wickednesse whether it be by couetousnesse to riches or ambition to honour or enuy to murther or concupiscence to adultery or malice to slaunder or intemperancie to gluttonie or any other sinne to iniquitie let vs incontinently flie to God for helpe by prayer that we may ouer come these temptations and resist the deuill our enemie Thus haue the holy Fathers in former times thus haue the Saints of God in all ages thus must we resist the deuill in like manner if we will submit our selues obediently vnto God 3. Moreouer the saincts resist the deuill when they See Cyprian fol. 246. earnestly giue themselues ouer to the studie of vertue and practise of godlinesse seruing the Lorde in righteousnesse and true holinesse of life Hereby all entrie to satan is shut vp hereby all holes of our hearts are stopped so that he cannot inuade vs. Wherefore it is called by Paul a breste plate which he exhorteth all men in the encountring Eph. 6. 2. 2. Cor. 6. 7. with the deuill to put on put ye on the breste plate of righteousnesse vvhich is not meant onely of the imputed righteousnesse of Christ but also of the inherent righteousnes which floweth there fro is wrought in vs by the spirite of sanctification and this righteousnesse may be called a breste plate very well and in a iuste comparison For as a breste plate defendeth the heart the liuer the intrels and vitall partes of man vvhich beyng wounded man falleth dovvne and perished so doth sinceritie vprightnes and holinesse of life keepe the mind the hart the conscience from inuasion of satan so that his firie darte cannot wound vs with infidelitie wante of conscience coldnesse of religion wickednesse of life corruption in conuersation or any the like iniquitie wherewith man stroken is greatly endaungered Wherefore as bodily souldiours by their breste plates of iron steele or such like defensed boldly and with courage withstande and resist their bodily enemies euen so do the spirituall souldiours who fight vnder the displayed banner of Iesus Christ armed with this breste plate of righteousnesse with inuincible courage and fortitude resist satan the deuill the spirituall enemie of mankinde Seeing then wee haue not to fight onely with flesh Eph. 6. and bloud but much rather with principalities powers yea vvith the prince of the darkenesse of this worlde and with all spirituall wickednes in heauenly things it greatly standeth vs vpon to put on the brest plate of true holinesse and righteousnesse of life that thereby our enemie the deuill may bekepte out put of repelled and resisted yea put to flight also and finally dispatched and this is done by the carefull studie of good works and the painefull practise of true godlines Now as satan by sincerity and integrity of life is withstood resisted so by loosenes and licenciousnes of the flesh by lewdenes of our life by iniquitie and vngodlines he is animated fleshed enboldned daily to tempt and to assault vs foreseeing in vs an inclination to any wickednes thereof he bloweth the bellowes and kindleth the flame thereunto he prouoketh stirreth vs vp and daily pricketh forwarde till he haue cast vs downe headlong into the bottomlesse pitte of finall perdition thus all couetous lecherous luxurious wanton proude and Rom. 6. vvicked persons falling away from grace from vertue from godlinesse giuing their members as instrumentes of vnrighteousnesse to iniquitie are so farre from resisting satan as that they helpe and promote his kingdome in them and suffer him to rule raigne and rage ouer them at his pleasure But let all those before whose eyes is the feare of God in whose heartes Christ dwelleth by fayth vvho vvill bee thought to performe their reuerent submission vnto GOD put on the newe man Eph. 3. created after God in holinesse and righteousnesse of life that they may be able to stand fast in the day of their Eph. 4. temptation and in all thinges resist the deuill as we are exhorted 4. Satan is besides this resisted of the saints when we oppose the law and commandement the will and the 2. Cor. 6. 7. Eph. 6. Heb. 4. 12. 1. Reuel 16. worde of God to his suggestions and wicked temptations And this is also a parte of the spirituall armour and heauenly harnesse wherewith Saint Paul would haue vs armed in this daungerous combat and conflict with the deuill this is the svvorde of the spirite which is the worde of God hereby satan is kepte of as a man keepeth his enemie at the point of his sworde This wise did our holy and most blessed Sauiour Christ resiste satan Mat. 4 when he tempted him and kept him of that he could not hurte him as when the deuill moued Christ for wante of bread in the wildernesse to turne stones into bread Christ drewe out the sworde of the spirite which is the worde of God against him and saide it is written man shall not lyue by bread onely but by euery worde that proceedeth out of the mouth of God Whē satan tempted Deut. 8 him to cast himself dovvne from the pinnacle of the temple because God had giuen his angels charge ouer him Psal 91. to keepe him in their hāds least he dash his foote against a stone Christ drewe out the svvorde againe and vvithstoode him it is vvritten thou shalt not tempte the Lord thy God when finally he tempted Christ with promise Deut. 6. of all the kingdomes of the vvorld to fall downe and worship him by the same sword he resisted Auoid satan for it is written thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and Deut. 6. 10 him onely shalt thou serue Now then as our maister head captaine Christ resisted the deuill in his ovvne person by the same meanes must vve also resist him vvhen either by himself or by his ministers vve shal be assaulted to vvickednes Wherfore if he tempt vs to malice hatred enuie oppression iniury let vs dravv the svvord of the spirite against him and say it is vvritten thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe Leuit. 19. If he tempt vs to vncleannes of the flesh fornication adultery chambering vvantonnes let vs resist him vvith thi◠sword it is written Fornicators and adulterers the Lord Heb. 13. will iudge yea although wee shroude and shadow it neuer so secretly though wee keepe and couer the matter neuer so cunningly though wee hide it neuer so curiouslie If he tempt vs to steale resist him with this It is written thou shalt not steale If hee moue vs to lying let vs Exod. 20. draw out this sword against him thou shalt not beare false witnes against thy neighbour If he moue vs to pride then let vs say it is written God resisteth the proud and geueth grace to the humble If he tempt vs to blasphemy let vs resist him with it is written Thou shalt not take
father of the Church searching and seeking out rhe true Serm. 4. domi 1. quadrag causes for vvhich the Saintes of God might lavvfully vveepe vvriteth that there be tvvo causes for vvhich they may so do 1 Because they haue omitted through negligence many things vvhich they should haue done 2 Because they haue committed through boldnesse manie things also vvhich should haue beene vndone by them the one he calleth the sinne of omitting the other the sinne of committing and for both ought men to vveepe before God Let vs therefore looke hereinto vvith vvakefull and vvatchfull eyes let vs recorde and recounte vvith our selues vvhat dueties and good things vve haue omitted vvhich vvee shoulde haue done either to God or man either to our selues or others to our ovvne charge or to straungers to our friends or to our enemies let vs call to minde vvhat euill we haue done vvhereby God hath beene dishonoured our neighbours iniuried our selues defiled other by our euill example allured to vvickednesse Hovv vve haue dishonoured God by blasphemie oppressed our neighbours by iniurie vsurie extortion deceite and couetousnesse hovve vvee haue defiled our selues vvith fornications adulteries vvantonnesse and fleshly vncleannes vvith drunkennesse surfetting or the like enormities hovv vve haue dravvne on others to like sinne by sight by persvvasion by action by motion shall it not make vs to vtter our repentance by vveeping If vve forget not that vve haue omitted our dutie of praier and inuocation to god and the performance of humble seruice vnto him that vve haue omitted the ministring to the necessitie of the Saints and the helpe vve should haue shevved to the needie brethren that vvee haue omitted many good opportunities vvhich haue beene offered for the encrease of our vertue fayeth pacience mercie and such like that vvee haue neglected the carefull visiting of the poore destitute vvhich liue in our streetes and complaine and perish before our eyes for lacke of reliefe that wee haue omitted many exercises of prayer of preaching of reading and meditating in the lawe of God that we haue omitted the doing of manie things which appertaine vnto godlinesse and true sanctification and committed much wickednes priuately publikely openly secretely in our soules in our bodies at home and abroade agaynst God and men in our conuersation in our communication haue wee not iust cause to chastise and afflict our selues by weeping When wee heare of our cruell dealings our intollerable pride our silthinesse of the flesh our riotousnesse of life our great falsehoode lying deceyte vnderminding one of another our enuie hatred malice slaunder reproch backebytings and all iniquitie which nowe reigneth in our whole life mercifull God what fountaines what welles of teares shoulde it cause in vs VVherefore if Democritus the Philosopher wept continually Democrit 9. to see the ignoraunce blindnesse and doting follie of man shall not wee weepe day and night to see the blindnesse ignorance wretchednesse and wickednes of our selues whereby we continually prouoke the wrathfull indignation of God against vs VVhen our goods are taken by pirates our wealth consumed by shipwracke our houses burnt with fire our landes taken from vs by violent oppression our riches wasted by pestilent vsurie our libertie restrained by cruell persecution our children miscarie suddenly our friendes die from vs dayly and one misfortune fall on the heeles of another what crying what wringing Psalm 42. 7. Job 2. 15. c of handes what lamenting what weeping is there among vs But that God by our wickednesse is offended his name through vs blasphemed his lawe and holy worde contemned his pacience and long sufferance dayly prouoked and abused his threatnings his admonitions his counsels neglected his louing mercie forgotten and his great benefites not remembred that many good things pertaining to duetie haue beene through our follies omitted and manie wickednesses whereof we should haue beene cleare committed by vs who weepeth who lamenteth Let vs deare Christians in the feare of God euermore remember alwayes holde fast this councell of the Apostle that by sorrowing and weeping wee may shew our affliction and chastising our selues by repentance 3. A thirde way of afflicting our selues is by turning our laughter into mourning our wanton laughing which proceedeth frō the dissolutenes of our minds must bee turned into mourning Here by laughter is vnderstoode that lasciuious and wanton mirth and giggling which is rife among fooles and vaine persons and which they take vp vpon euerie vaine occasion in the world whereby their follie appeareth as Sirach witnesseth who Ecclus. 19. making the vaine laughter of men an argument of folly sayth A mans garments excessiue laughter and going declare what he is descrie his follie And in another place not long after A foole lifteth vp his voice with laughter Ecclus. 21. but a wise man doth scarse smile secretly And Salomon in his preacher like as the noise of thornes vnder the pot Eccles. 7. which for a time crackle but profite nothing for they are consumed suddenly and quickely So is the laughter of a foole this is also vanitie This laughter our Sauiour Christ condemneth crying out wo and denouncing Luke 6. vengeance against such as gaue themselues to wanton mirth and vaine laughter Wo vnto you that now laugh for you shall waile and weepe Our foolish giggling our prophane laughter our dissolute mirth our wanton screaming and scrcking our disordered lifting vp of our voices in our incontinent mirth must be laid aside and be turned into mourning if so be we wil humble our selues by true repentance vnto God And here vnder laughter and mirth are vnderstood also all those delicates and delightes all those merry conceyts and pleasant pastimes all those iollities sportings wherein men take pleasure and so become forgetfull of the iudgements of God and neglect the chastising of themselues for their wealth vnto God Whereunto our Mat. 24. Sauiour Christ witnesseth the world should be giuen towardes the end thereof yea and at the very appearing of the Sonne of God in iudgement whereof the saith As the dayes of Noe were so shall the comming of the Sonne of man be for as in the dayes before the floude they did eate and drinke marie and giue in marriage vnto the day that Noe went into the Arke and knew nothing till the floud came and tooke them away euen so shall also the comming of the Sonne of man be Wherein hee shevveth that in the latter dayes men shal be giuen to brutish pleasures delights and pastimes which the Apostle in the Saints of God would haue to be turned into mourning suffer affliction sorrow and weepe let your laughter be turned into mourning 4. Finally as our laughter must be turned into mourning so must also our ioy be turned into heauines the ioy vvhich worldly minded men conceyue of worldly thinges the wanton reioycing of men must be turned into heauinesse hanging downe of head casting downe of countenance in signe of shame for
dovvne and abasing our selues before God vvorke our glory and our lifting vp by him it is reason sufficient thereunto to moue vs cast dovvne your selues before God and he vvill lift you vp Novv God exalteth and lifteth vp such as cast dovvne How God lifteth the lowly themselues before his diuine maiestie diuerse vvaies 1. When he ministreth invvard comfort of his holy spirite in all the difficulties and daungers of this present vvorld in so much as come life come death come sword come famine come plague come persecution come peril come nakednes come prosperitie come aduersitie come sicknes come health come wealth come woe these are lifted vp in heart with comfort from God So they which caste downe themselues haue the Spirite of God in all distresse to comfort them and so are they exalted by God 2 God also lifteth vp those who cast downe themselues and humble themselues before him by sending theÌ„ deliuerance and riddance from their troubles wherewith Gen. 41. they were afflicted So Ioseph submitting himselfe and casting downe himselfe in all Christian duetifulnes to God was therefore lifted vp by God and deliuered God speaking Esah 17. by his Prophet of the deliuerance of the Church and Saints which cast downe themselues in dutifull maner and were also low and contemned in the world affirmeth that as he would bring downe the high tree the proude so would he by deliuerance exalt and lift vp his seruant the low tree and the tree cast down in the world The Prophet Dauid entreating of the lifting vp of the Psal 149. Saints by deliuerance from their trouble sayeth The Lord hath pleasure in his people he will make the meeke glorious by deliuerance Thus lift he vp Jacob who in Gen. 3. 32. the humilitie of his minde cast downe himselfe before God when he kept him from the iniuries of Laban and from the crueltie of Esau his brother Thus did God lift vp Dauid whome he deliuered out of infinite troubles Thus did God lift vp Hezechiah when hee deliuered him from Sennacherib the king of Assiriah Thus lift he vp many of his deare Saints when hee rid them from their miseries and afflictions whereunto they were subiect Thus he lifteth vs vp dayly nowe deliuering vs from troubles at home now from troubles abroade now from troubles by sea and nowe by land nowe by straungers now by our domesticall and houshold people nowe by professed enemies nowe by counterfeit friends intended Hereof haue we examples innumerable hereof haue we experience in other in our selues thus God Almightie lifteth them vp by deliuerance from their troubles who humble and cast downe themselues before him Whereof neuer people nor nation hath had greater experience and An. 158â— triall then we of England nowe presently haue whome the Lorde hath deliuered by his owne hand from immenent daunger and present perill of the proude Spaniards who with determinate purpose and full resolution to haue inuaded our Countrie and subdued our Nation came with bloudie mindes prepared tortures with a mightie nauie with long preparation with helpe of manieprinces but the Lorde hath deliuered this humble and despised land and hath lodged their shippes in the bottome of the sea and sent their dead carkesses partly into this land partly into Scotland partly into Ireland partly into other Countreys to proclaime what accesse their diuelish and desperate attempte hath had 3 Neither thus onely but God aduaunceth them vp to great honour who in the humilitie of their heart humbled themselues before him When Dauid humbled himselfe before the Lorde and counted himselfe vnworthie 1. Kings 18. of that honour to be the kinges sonne in lawe the Lord not onely aduaunced him thereunto but made him to reigne and rule in the steade of Saul the wicked king of Israel When Moses was appointed by God to doe a Exod. 3. message to Pharaoh he in humilitie refusing it was therefore exalted to bee the prince and captaine of his people Daniel humble in minde and cast downe before the Lord Daniel 1. 2. 3. was by him exalted to great glorie euen to be the chiefe and ouerseer of all the princes of the prouinces of Babylon Psal 113. 1. Kings 2. And thus we see it true both that Dauid and also Anna the mother of Samuel song that the Lord raiseth vp the poore and meeke out of the dung-hill to set him among his princes and to inherite the seate of glorie 4 Finally God lifteth vp those which prostrate and cast downe themselues before him by exalting them in the ende to the glorious kingdome of his sonne euen to the eternall kingdome of heauen Which our Sauiour Christ promiseth to such as are truely humble Blessed Matt. 5. saith he are they which are humble in spirite for theirs is the kingdome of heauen To this kingdome they are in due time exalted who prostrate and cast downe themselues before God And as Christ humbling himselfe before God was therefore highly exalted by him farre aboue Philip. 2. Ephes 1. all principalities and powers and euerie name that is named not in earth onely but in heauen also euen so doth our most gracious God highly exalt and lift vp such as in meekenesse of their hearts in humilitie of their spirites in lowlinesse of their mindes cast downe themselues before him These in fine he crowned with eternall glorie and immortalitie these hee raiseth vp together maketh theÌ„ to reigne with Christ in heauenly places to these he promiseth his eternal kingdome of gorie there to rule reigne with the Saints for euer according to the doctrine of the Apostle cast downe your selues before God and he will lift you vp Now the Lord for his mercie giue vs this grace that we may in all things humble our selues and prostrate our selues before him and be by him exalted And the God of peace which brought againe from the dead our Lorde Iesus Christ the greate shepheard of the sheepe by the bloud of the euerlasting couenaunt make vs perfect in all good workes to doe his will working in vs that which is pleasant in his sight through Iesus Christ to whom bee praise for euer and euer Amen Iames Chap. 4. verses 11. 12. Sermon 21. verse 11. Speake not euill one of another brethren he that speaketh euill of his brother or he that condemneth his brother speaketh euill of the law and condemneth the law and if thou condemnest the law thou art not an obseruer of the law but a Iudge 12 There is one lawe giuer which is able to saue and to destroy who art thou that iudgest another man â— part THese wordes and the rest to the end containe the fourth and laste parte of this Chapter which is touching the remoouing of two euils and mischiefes which grow of pride Whereof the one is reproch and speaking euill of our brethren the other is the vaine confidence of men whereby they rashly determine long â—wo euils
of â—ide before of things to come The former of these two is contained in these two verses These two verses containe the condemning of the first euil of pride which is euill speach wherein ther are 2. things obserued namely 1 The thing and euill which hee condemneth reproch slaunder euill speach against our brethren 2 Why men should not so doe The reasons are foure 1 Who so speaketh euil of his brother or condemneth his brother speaketh euil of the law and condemneth it So From violating the law 2 Christians must obserue and keepe the lawe and not iudge it From the dutie of the Saints 3 To iudge and speake euil of our brother is to vsurpe the office of god From vsurping that office which concerneth not vs. 4 We our selues are fraile by condition therfore ought we noâ— to condemne and speake euill of others From the frailnes of our owne state 1 Of these two the first is the thing it selfe which he condemneth whereof hee giueth this precept negatiuely speake not euill saith he one of another brethren In which precept negatiue all slaunder all rash iudgement all reproch all obloquie all vile and backbiting speach proceeding from malicious hatefull proude and peruerse iudgement is condemned whether it bee open or secret whether before thy face or behinde thy backe whether publikely or priuately it be done to our selues or others for the discrediting defaming and impeaching the estimation and good report of the brethren Which euill and mischiefe for the most part commeth and riseth of pride when insolent and arrogant persons when the high minded and proude men of the earth desire that all men should daunce to their pipe and liue according to their willes which thing if it bee not done to their contentation then breake they and brust out into euill speach then fall they to rash iudgement then condemne they euery thing and euerie person which pleaseth them not wherewithall the Apostle to meete and to represse so great a mischiefe in the life and societie of men giueth out this precept and exhortation Speake not euill one of another brethren This euill how great it is and how largely spredde abroade in the liues and manners of men who is so blinde that seeth not VVho is so ignorant that knoweth not VVho is so wilfull that confesseth not Is not this the custome and common course of all men to reuile to speake euill of to iudge at their owne pleasure whatsoeuer and whosoeuer they mislike and is not according to their fancies Then which there is not a greater or more manifold mischiefe in the life of man Against theft robberie spoiling and taking away of our goodes wee all with one voice crie out against the taking away of our good name against the impeaching of our honestie against the impairing of our estimation and lawfull credite shall wee not cry out If a good name bee to bee chosen before great riches and Prou. 22. 1. louing fauour before siluer and golde as Salomon writeth then howe much the good name of a man is greater then riches and worldly wealth so much greater euill is euill speach slaunder wherby a man is spoiled of his credite and estimation then robberie whereby he is bereft of his riches And as euery sinne ought to bee Deut. 25. 1. punished with greater or lesse punishments according to the nature of the sinne then sith euill speach is greater then theft and robbery it ought also to be subiect to the greater punishment This thing is quite contrary to the law of loue this is altogether repugnant to the lawe of charitie this is a manifest breach of the second table of Gods holy commaundements therefore in the sacred worde and diuine law of God not once but often not in the olde testament alone but in the new in like manner worthily condemned What that God in the ordering of the common-wealth Leuit. 19. of Israel his people commandeth that they should not go about as slaunderers and backebiters with tales and euill reportes against their brethren what that the wise Sirach counselleth vs not to be counted tale bearers Ecclus. 5. neither to waite with our tongues to speake euill for that shame and repentaunce followeth the theef and an euill condemnation is ouer him that is double tongued but confusion hatred and enuy pursueth him that is a backebiter and euill speaker of his brother What that the princely Prophete seeking and searching who they bee Psal 15. that should dwell in the Lordes tabernacle and rest vpon his holy hill and be reputed for true members of the Church there hence excludeth and thrusteth out all such as with their tongues speake euill and slaunder their neighbours What that our blessed Sauiour Christ the true expositor of the lawe of God condemneth slaunder Math. 5. as a parte of murther for thereby with our tongues wee slay and murther our brethren adiudging him worthy hell fire which shal be found guiltie thereof What that Saint Paul by the same spirite moued 1. Cor. 6. crieth out to the Church be not deceaued for neyther fornicators nor idolators nor adulterers nor wantons nor buggerers nor theeues nor drunkardes nor raylers nor backebiters nor extortioners shall inherite the kingdome of God What that the same Apostle condemning Eph. 4. all the workes of olde Adam in the Saincts and exhorting them to put on the new man created after God in holinesse and true righteousnesse in fine and conclusion of his discourse knitteth and shutteth vp the matter with this admonition Let all bitternesse and anger and wrath and enuie euill speaking be put away from you with all maliciousnesse What that Saint Peter singeth 1. Pet. 3. the same song to the Saincts finally my brethren be yee all of one mind one suffer with another loue as brethren be mercifull be courteous not rendring euill for euill nor rebuke for rebuke but contrariwise blesse knowing that you are called thereunto euen to be heyres of the blessing doe not these and infinite the like condemne all backbiting euill speaking slaundering one of another which ought to be wholy abaÌ„doned and abolished from the saints of God Wherfore whether it be openly to the faces of meÌ„ done as reprochfull taunting speaches or whether it be priuily secretly done as backbiting slaunder tending to the diffamation discredite and hurting of his name of whoÌ„ men speake it is generally indifferently condeÌ„ned The originall of this euill is from satan the petigree of euill speach is to be fetched deriued froÌ„ the deuill the great dragon the old serpent For which cause as Reuel 12. by the way of prerogatiue aboue all other he is called the slaunderer the backbiter the false accuser of the brethren before God whose labour and studie whose endeuour trauell is to raise vp lies false accusations euil reports of the saints of God and therefore is called by a name agreable thereunto
thereby shevv that they like not such lavves that those lavves are not worthie to be the bridle of their liues and thus in effect speake euill and condemne them euen so vvhen Almightie God hath established a lavve that no man shall speake euill of his brother nor rashly condemne him at his pleasure vvhen obstinately and stubbornly vve vvithstand this and vvill not be restrained and brideled from speaking euill of and condemning our brethren vvhat doe vve else but in effect speake euill of it and condemne it as not vvorthy to be our teacher and informer And thus by speaking euill of our brother and condemning him vve speake euill of that lavve and condemne it vvhich saith Thou shalt not speake euill of or condemne thy brother Novv vvho so speaketh euil and condemneth any lavv speaketh euill and condemneth him vvhose lavv it is proud and vvicked men speaking euill of the lavv of God and condemning it speake thereby euill of God and condemne him by vvhose finger this lavv vvas vvritten and to finde fault vvith the vvisedome of God and to speake euill of his eternall spirite and the vnsearchable councels of his heart to take vpon vs to controul and correct his lavves statutes and ordinances vvhat intollerable impietie vvhat desperate iniquitie vvhat singular vngodlinesse vvere it Hovv great is the vvickednes then of men vvho by speaking euill of and condemning their brethren speake euil of and condemne the lavv whereby they speake euill also and condemne God himselfe by vvhose finger it vvas vvritten This the Apostle confidering draweth his argument from the breach of Gods lawe and the iniurie thereunto done when we speake euill of the brethren and dissuadeth vs there from by this argument in speaking euil of the brethren and condemning them we speake euill of the lawe and condemne it therefore must we not speake euill of the brethren for he that speaketh euill of his brother and he that condemneth his brother speaketh euill of the lawe and condemneth the lawe Which reason of the Apostle holdeth not onely in this perticular whereunto it is applied but it is generally true in the whole lawe of God and euery parte and member thereof that when we breake it eyther in whole or in parte thereby we speake euill and condemne it eyther in whole or in parte likewise 1. When the law therefore saith Thou shalt haue no other God but one notwithstanding to make many Gods as the idols of the Heathen the workes of our owne hands the righteousnes which our selues haue wrought the Saints in heauen as many we do to make our gold our God as the couetous to make our bellies our Gods as the Epicures to make our backes our Gods as prowde persons doe this is to speake euill of the lawe and condemne it 2. When the lawe saith Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen image of any likenes whatsoeuer to worship it notwithstanding to make the image of the father sonne or holy ghost to expresse the diuine maiestie thereby to worship God to make the image of Marie Peter John Iames Paul or any other man or woman in our temples to erect them do worship vnto them is to speak euill of the law to condemne it 3. When the law saith Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vaine notwithstanding this to name God vnreuerently to professe him coūterfetly to cal vpon him deceitfully to sweare by him falsly or vainely is to speake euill of the lawe and to condemne it 4. When the law saith Remember to keepe holy the Saboth day yet not regarding that law to profane the Lordes day in banquetting in surfetting in dicing in dauncing in enterluding in play following in bearbaiting bulbaiting in going gadding abroad in sleeping in idlenesse in other lewdenesse or loosenes whatsoeuer what is this but to speake euill of the lawe and condemne it 5. When the lawe saith Honour thy father and mother notwithstanding this to denie dutie to our parents in not reuerencing them as becōmeth vs is not relieuing them in extreame age pouertie to be disobedient to the fathers of our countries princes and magistrates to neglect our spirituall fathers our ministers and pastours which begitte vs daily through the ministerie 1. Cor. 4. Gal. 4. of the gospell not to giue duetifull seruice to such as are our maisters after the fleshe and for the time in steede of our parents not to performe that reuerence to all our elders and betters as by due belongeth vnto them is to speake euill of the lawe and to condemne it 6. When the law saith Thou shalt not kill yet eyther in heart by hatred or in tongue by slaunder or in hande by violence to murther eyther our selues or others is it not to speake euill of the lawe and condemne it 7. When the lawe saith Thou shalt not commit adulterie yet to hunte after straunge flesh in thy heart to desire any other besides thy married and lawfull wife in sight in shewe in signe to pretende carnall loosenesse to ioyne thy selfe vnlawfully by fleshly coniunction to any other then thy yoke fellow appointed by God is to speake euill of the lawe and condemne it 8. When the lavve saith Thou shalt not steale yet to robbe to spoile by sea by lande to oppresse by violence to retayne by force the goods of our brethren to deceyue by fraude the simple of his right to picke to steale to pilfer or by any sinister way to possesse that is not thine owne what is this but the speaking euill of the lawe and the condemning thereof 9. When the lawe saith Thou shalte not beare false witnesse against thy neighbour notwithstanding to testifie and witnesse a false matter to lie and speake vntruly of and to our brethren to vse disceit or forged cauillation in our tongues to counterfet to dislemble to glose with our lippes or any like way here against to offend is to speake euill of the lawe and to condemne it 10. When the lawe saith Thou shall not couet though we abstaine from the outward action and doing of euill yet burne inwardly in vnlawfull lust of any thing which is not ours what is this but to speake euill of the lawe and to condemne it Finally whatsoeuer the law enioyneth therein not to be obedient what is it but in effect to speake euill of the law and condemne it Which we then speake euil of and condemne when therevnto we will not be obedient Thus then the lawe of God violently brokē wilfully withstood voluntarily resisted of men is euil spoken of condemned for that they shew in effect that they mislike it as not worthy to direct leade them in the race of their liues and this is the first reason why we may not speake euil of our brethren nor condēne them rashly because thereby we speake euill of the lawe and condemne it which teacheth vs not to speake euill of or condemne our brethren A second reason
sinnes of the wicked rich men for which their calamitie is threatened are three 1. Their iniurious and fraudulent detaining of the wages of their Reapers and haruest seruants 2. Their sensua litie which standâ—eh in these 3. 1. Pleasure 2. Wantonnes 3. Banquetting and riotousnes 3. Their crueltie which in two thinges appeareth In 1 Condemning the righteous 2 Slaying them when as they resist not 1 The first sinne and euill condemned in these wicked rich 1. Sinne in the wicked men with whom and against whom Saint Iames dealeth and for which so sharpe a sentence of so iust condemnation is geuen out against them is their fraudulent detaining of their hirelinges wages whereof hee geueth speciall example in their haruest labourers such as reaped their fieldes who helping them to get and gather in their graine and corne into their barnes and bringing in the increase of their land for them whereon they liued Yet for so needefull and necessarie so painefull and profitable a worke they were vnrewarded and their wages deteined by fraud from them no doubt an extream point of euill dealing And vnder this particular example the holy Ghost conteyneth all iniurious dealing with their seruants either in this kinde or in any other kinde whatsoeuer The greatnesse of their sinne the Apostle amplifieth in most effectual manner Behold saith he the hire of the labourers which haue reaped your fieldes which is by you kept back by fraud crieth and the cries of them which haue reaped are entred into the eares of the Lorde of hostes 1. Saith he beholde Of which speach there are diuers vses Sometimes it is vsed in cases of ioy and reioycing as when Christ the Prince of peace and eternall Mat. 21. glorie shoulde come into the citie of Ierusalem to the great ioy of all such as receaued him the Euangelist citing the words of Zacharie the Prophet saith Go tell the daughter of Sion beholde thy king commeth vnto thee Zach. 9. meeke and sitting vpon an Asse and a colte the fole of an Asse vsed to the yoke Sometimes it is vsed for a greater euidence certaintie of a thing Saint Iude citing the wordes of Enoch the seuenth from Adam for a great euidence and certaintie Iude v. 14 of the Lords comming to iudge the worlde vseth this phrase of speach Behold the Lord commeth with thousands of his Saints to geue iudgement against all men and to rebuke all the vngodly among them of all their wicked deedes which they haue vngodly committed and of all their cruel speaches which wicked sinners haue spoaken against him In like manner in this place to assure Iob. 4. 18. Reuel 7 them that their wickednes was certainlie gone vp into the eares of the Lorde the Apostle breaketh out in this manner Behold the hire of the labourers which haue reaped your fieldes which is of you kept backe by fraude crieth and the cries of them which haue reaped are entred into the eares of the Lord of hostes Sometimes it is vsed to moue attention vnto a thing spoken and this is familiar in the Prophetes in our Sauiour and the apostles also sometimes to this purpose vsed The Prophet Nahum prophecying of the peace which Nahum 1. Iuda should enioy by the death of Sennacherib the king of the Assyrians to moue them to greater attention thereunto as it may be thought he saith Beholde vppon the mountaines the feete of him that declareth and publisheth peach And Abacuk prophecying of the strange plagues Abacuk 1. calamities which shoulde befall the people for their shamefull iniquitie and contempt of Gods worde to stir them vp to greater attention thereunto as I suppose hee crieth out Behold among the heathen and regard and wonder and maruaile for I will worke a worke in your daies you will not beleeue it though it be told vnto you And may not the princely Prophet Dauid be thought in Psal 133. this sence to haue vsed this word when he commending peace loue and vnitie among men saith Beholde how good and pleasant a thing it is brethren to dwell together in vnitie Sometimes it is vsed in strange and wonderfull things which rarely are heard or seene as Jsai intreating Isai 7. of the strange and extraordinarie rare and wonderfull manner of Christes conception in this wise expresseth it Behold a virgine shall conceaue and beare a sonne and they shall call his name Emmanuel Our Apostle as wondering at the harde dealing of the wicked may not amisse in this sence be thought to vse it Behold the hire of your labourers which reaped c. as a thing therefore either most certaine that the crie of their seruants were entred vnto the eares of God or a thing to bee wondred at that any would be so hearde hearted as to defraude their labourers of their hier the Apostle breaketh out and saith beholde the hire of your labourers c. 2 The hire of those laubourers which reaped their fieldes was detained this amplifieth their wickednes To detame the wages of any labourour who by the toyle and moyle of his bodie and in the sweate of his face eateth his breade connot be but agreat sinne but to denie them their wages by whom our fieldes are reaped our corne and graine got and gathered in to our garners the fruites of our Landes safly brought into our barnes and houses whereof we our wiues children and famylies doe liue the surplus whereof wee turne to the encreasing of our riches is no doute a greuious and most haynous sinne before God therefore the Apostle leauing other seruants whom no dout they defrauded in like manner rehearseth those in whose iniurie their iniquitie most manyfestly appeareth Wherefore he saith beholde the hire of your labourers which haue reaped your fieldes whose wages by you is helde backe through fraude crieth 3 The wages of their hired seruantes was by fraude kept backe to detaine and holde backe the wages of the hierling and seruante which for his lyuing worketh with men is an euill and sinne by the lawe and worde of God forbidden Whereof the Lorde by his seruante Moyses admonished Leuit. 19. the people of Israel to which purpose they had commaundement from the mouth of God that the wages of the hierling should not rest nor remaine with them till the morning intymating that as euery one had done his worke so he should receaue his wages which by the Deut. 24. masters shoulde in nowise bee detained And in another place thou shalt not oppresse saith he the hired seruante that is poore and neadie neither thy brother neither the stranger that is within they gates thou shalt giue him his hire for his day neither shall the sunne goe downe vpon it For he is poore and therewith sustaineth his life least Malach. 3. hee crie vnto the Lorde and it be sinne vnto thee The Prophet Malachie in the person of God condemneth the same in the people who pronouncing iudgement against their manifolde
sinnes cryeth out I will bee a swift witnesse agaynst the Southsayers and agaynst the adulterers and against the false swearers and agaynst them that wrongfully keepe backe the hirelings wages Who condemning there the same sinne where agaynst here the apostle speaketh vseth the same phrase of speach which the Apostle also vseth Ieremie sharpely inueighing Ierem. 22. against the oppressions of men towards their poore brethren and denouncing feareful iudgement against them for the same among other great gaules miseries and oppressions of the poore he maketh this one wo sayth he therefore to him that buildeth his house by vnrighteousnesse and his chambers with iniquitie he vseth his neighbour without wages and giueth him not for his worke Tob. 4. Tobias hauing speciall care and regarde hereunto among other his fatherly lessons and exhortations giuen to his sonne willeth him in no wise to detaine and withholde the hire from the labourer Wherefore he sayth Let not the wages of anie man which hath wrought for thee tarie with thee but giue it him out of Tob. 1 â— hande Which thing moued him to say to his sonne after his returne from his iourney out of Medea prouide for the man wages my sonne which went with thee and thou must giue him more Wherein his care appeared in giuing and paying euerie man for his worke and labour Which thing kept backe and withhelde is great extremitie violence and iniurie for thus the poore hireling and labourer is murthered as it were of the hirer as the sonne of Sirach sayth hee that taketh away Ecclus. 34. his neighbours liuing slaieth him and hee that defraudeth the labourer of his hire is a murtherer The hire of the labourer is his liuing whereby his wife children and poore familie is dayly relieued to withholde the dayly reliefe of a man from him what is it but as much as lyeth in vs to take his life from him for wee keepe backe the thing whereby hee liueth and this is murther before the Lord. This holy Job knewe to bee a most grieuous sinne Iob. 31. wherefore in his protestation of his innocencie among other speciall points thereof hee maketh this one that hee had not kept backe the wages of the labourer if my lande crie against mee or the furrowes thereof complaine together if I haue eaten the fruites thereof without siluer or if I haue grieued the soules of the maisters thereof let thistles growe in stead of wheate and cockle in steade of barley if sayeth hee my lande crie out against me or the furrowes thereof complaine together as though I had withholden and kept backe their wages that laboured therein This is that first euill and sinne condemned here in prophane rich men for which this so sharpe a commination and denouncing of threatning is giuen out against them namely because they held and kept backe the labourers wages and their hire from the workers in their haruest and that by fraude and deceite Now the wages of the hireling ought to be paid 1 because he is poore and cannot spare it for it is his liuing and the liuing of his familie 2 Because if it be withhelde the crie thereof will come before the Lorde who will auenge the iniurie 3 Because the detaining of wages terrifieth the labourer from such maisters who notwithstanding can not bee wirhout hirelings so the couetous in thus dooing hurt themselues 4 Because so men kill and slay the poore as doe these rich men by withholding their wages Notwithstanding some are so cruell that with Salomon 1. Pro. 17. with Isai 3. with Miche 3. with Dauid 14. Psalm 4. wee may pronounce of them That they pray vpon the poore and simple people and are like Sargus the fish of the Aegyptian sea which deuoureth the lesser fishes Thus the rich wil be purse-bearers and cofferers to the poore whether they will or no and they that worst may shal hold the Candle and the weakest alwaies shal be thrust to the walles by the wealthie And this sinne of fraudulent detaining and withholding How wages aâ—â— detained the wages of hired seruants and labourers is diuerse wayes committed 1 When the hirelings wages is stopt altogether vnder some colourable pretence and intended matter not right not true not iust but deceitfull In which kind they sinne which quarrell with their workmen after their labour is ended that they might vse their neighbour without hire As when they pretend they loitered when they laboured faithfully when they pretend they haue done this hurt or that hurt which farre exceedeth their wages when vnder this colour or that they deceitfully or fraudulently detaine the wages of the poore labourer they are guiltie of this sin heere condemned 2 Moreouer this crueltie is done and sinne committed when the wages is deceitfully deferred longer then the poore can well spare it As there are many shifts many deferrings in rich men that the poore workeman shal not after many commings much intreatie long forbearance receiue his hire for his labour his wages for his worke but it shal be kept backe from him 3 And men become guiltie hereof also when through fraud they misrecken the poore hireling being simple or any wayes diminishe of the wages of the labourer 4 Or finally by changing the wages of the seruant and workman to their hurt and damage In which Laban may be condemned as fraudulently detaining the wages Gene. 31. of Iacob in as much as he often chaunged his wages agaynst couenant composition and promise betwixt them as Iacob had iust cause thereof to complaine of him For when it was agreed vppon that Iacob should haue for keeping Labans sheepe the particoloured when the sheepe brought foorth particoloured Laban would haue him take the spotted and when the sheepe brought foorth spotted then hee must take the particoloured Thus Iacob complaineth of him that he chaunged his wages tenne times that is often to his hinderance Not vnlike are those maisters who hyring workemen to labour for them their worke ended giue them not money for their worke as they should doe but either corne or wares and that at their price which is extreeme iniurie by which meanes they are benefited and the poore hireling oppressed By these and like meanes as mens owne skill and knowledge may teach them is this sinne of the Apostle here condemned committed In committing whereof the prophane rich couetous and miserable wicked worldlings contemne the lawe of God forbidding it despise the woordes of the Prophets disswading it neglect the counsaile of the wise condemning it breake the law of loue equitie and iustice reproouing it and finally regarde not the manacing threatning and denouncing of vtter destruction by the Apostle agaynst them for the same and his foretelling of finall calamitie for that so greate iniquitie 4 To conclude this sinne is mightily amplified in that the crie thereof is saide to ascende and come to the eares of the Lord of hostes Which speach is vsed in haynous and
not shrinke from it saying of the fruire of thy bodie will I sett vpon thy throne The Prophet Isai speaking of the deliuerance of the Israelites out of their captiuitie in Babylon by Cyrus Isai 45. and of the calling of the Gentiles for the faithful accomplishment of that promise hee bringeth in God himselfe swearing I haue sworne by my selfe the worde is gone out of my mouth in righteousnesse and shall not returne that euerie knee shall bowe vnto me and euerie tongue shall sweare by my name The Lord himselfe willeth the Prophet in his name to make this protestation vnto the Ezech. 33. world Say vnto them as I liue saieth the Lord God I desire not the death of the wicked but that the wicked turne from his wayes and liue Which place Tertullian citing crieth out the Lord sweareth saying as I liue hee Lib. de poenitentia would that men should beleeue him O happie men for whose cause the Lord sweareth O most miserable wretched if we beleeue not the Lord when he sweareth More of the othe of God may be seene Psal 95. v. 11. Iere. 11. 5. Luke 1. 73. Heb. 6. 13. Deut. 4. v. 21. 31. From God to come to the example of the Patriarks Abraham the great and mightie Patriarke making a Gen. â—1 league with Abimelech the king of the Philistins swore vnto him that hee for his part woulde keepe that league inuiolable Whose sonne Isaac the patriarke to like Gene. 26. purpose swore to the same prince and his people Dauid a Prophet and a Patriarke as Peter calleth him swore to Ionathan 1. Kin. 20. 2. Actes 2. when hee made a league of friendship with him and by othe also promised to Saul that he would not destroy his posteritie Our Sauiour Christ his othe in the Gospel was Amen Amen Velily verily I say vnto you 1. King 24. which not onely S. Chrysostome taketh for an othe but others innumerable of great learning sounde iudgement singular knowledge in the Scriptures of God Which othe is in many places set downe by the Euangelists as Mat. 5. 18. 26. v. in Iohn more often 3. Iohn 3. v. 5. Iohn 24. 25. verses 14. Iohn 12. Iohn 16. 20. Saint Paul drawen on and led by these examples almost in euery Epistle sweareth God is my record whom I Rom. 1. serue in my spirit in the Gospel of his sonne that without ceasing I make mention of you saith he to the Church of Rome then being In another place I take God to record 2. Cor. 1. against my owne soule that to spare you I came not as yet to Corinth To the Church and Congregation of God Gal. 1 at Galatia hee thus breaketh out the things that I write vnto you beholde I witnesse before God that I lie not Thus both God and the Patriarkes Christ and his Apostle is our example hereof so that it cannot be a thing vnlawfull Nowe if they replie that it was lawfull in the time of the lawe but not in the time of the Gospel that may easily bee refuted for our Sauiour Christ disanulled no Mat. 5. part of the morall lawe but fulfilled it therefore thereof sayeth hee I came not to breake the lawe but to fulfill it And this is a part of the morall lawe therefore at Christes comming was it not abholished but standeth in full strength power and vertue for euer Neither can their cauill impeach this doctrine for that our Sauiour the setter foorth of the Gospel and Paul a faythfull preacher of the same and both in the prime of the Gospell haue sworne wherehence it is apparant that euen vnder the Gospell it was lawfull for Christians to sweare 3 Lastly the lawfulnes of an othe euen among Christians herehence appeareth in that the ende of othes is profitable and the vse necessarie among men For whose vse is profitable and good and whose ende is needefull and necessarie that must needes be good profitable and lawfull Such a thing is an othe taken in the feare of God Some things are done in such secrecie and so priuilie that they cannot bee knowne or come ro light but onely by an othe then men are forced to take an othe and to witnesse a truth in the name of God the knowledge whereof is right necessarie among men So in the lawe when a man had laid a pawne or any other thing vpoÌ„ trust to another and the thing were lost or miscaried vnder Exod. 22. Num. 5. 19. his hands if the theefe were not founde the receyuer should be brought before the Iudge and take his othe whether hee had stole it conueyed it away and embefiled it or no. VVhereof seeing the owner had no witnesse he to whom it was committed and had receyned it was put to his othe whether it was gone by his meane and knowledge Thus had this othe a necessarie ende and vse among the people VVhen the people of Israel were afflicted by the men of Ai for the trespasse and sinne of Achan in taking the execrable thing from Hiericho Iosua 7. this thing beeing secrete and vnknowne Iosua commaunding all the tribes to appeare and Achan at the length taken Iosua willeth him to sweare and to vtter the truth which he did and was punishid and the fauour of God againe obtained for his people The authour to the Hebrewes commending lawfull othes vnto Heb. 6. men affirmeth that an othe for confirmation among men is the ende of all strife In euerie christian common wealth othes are for many such causes taken without which as many sinnes would lie secret and vnknowne to the great hurt of men so many duties would bee vnperformed were not men therunto bound by solemne othe and protestation the reuerend care whereof woorketh great good in the Church and common wealth albeeit many most wickedly and vngodly haue and doe despise the religion thereof Seeing then the lawe it selfe commendeth it the example of God the Patriarkes Christ and his Apostles confirmeth it seeing the end is necessarie and the vse profitable in the church coÌ„mon wealths of Christians what absurditie is it in supersticious Anabaptists to condemne all othes al swearings amoÌ„g men Othes then taken onely in the name of God for matters weightie and of importance righteous iust and true to the glorie of God the ending of controuersies the performance of duetie the profite peace and quietnesse of the Church and common wealth with pure affection to truth equitie and godlinesse with hatefull minds to falshood iniuries wickednes and oppression are lawfull in the Saints of God and in true Christians euen vnder the Gospel of Iesus Christ These things thus premised and set downe before wherehence it appeareth that all othes are not condemned neither euerie manner of swearing forbidden the Saints of God what manner of swearing doth the Lord in his law our Sauiour in the Gospell and this Apostle in this place forbid and condemne When