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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A17330	Ten sermons vpon the first, second, third and fourth verses of the sixt of Matthew containing diuerse necessary and profitable treatises , viz. a preseruative against the poyson of vaine-glory in the 1 & 2, the reward of sincerity in the 3, the vncasing of the hypocrite in the 4, 5 and 6, the reward of hypocrisie in the 7 and 8, an admonition to left-handed Christians in the 9 and 10 : whereunto is annexed another treatise called The anatomie of Belial, set foorth in ten sermons vpon the 12, 13, 14, 15 verses of the 6 chapter of the Prouerbs of Salomon.	Burton, William, d. 1616.	1602 (1602)	STC 4178.5; ESTC S261	267,037	263

powred vpon him shall come with this note also and signe of extreame wrath My soule doth hate and abhorre him all which is spoken after the maner of men for our better vnderstanding for otherwise and indeed in God there be no such passions nor motions nor perturbations of mind as there be in men but these speeches and the like do shew what God in his euerlasting counsell and iustice hath from eternall decreed and what according to the sayd decree of his his Maiesty will execute against the wicked The second thing that sheweth the greatnesse of this sinne is as I said before the consideration of those blessings and benefits whereof contention is the bane destruction Yea if we consider the excellency of those benefits which by contention and her daughters are taken away we shall see great cause why the Lord doth hate and abhorre him that raiseth vp contentions amongst neighbours I say by her her daughters for she is the mother of 4. daughters whereof euery one doth her part in this tragicall and vntimely destruction of those benefits which by them we are depriued of The daughters of wicked Contention are Warre Sedition Schisme and Brawling and euery one of these bring foorth children like themselues and whatsoeuer is their meate bloud is the drinke that they thirst after Contention is the mother of war when she commeth among strangers goeth betweene nation nation beweene Prince Prince Of sedition when she trauelleth at home in her owne coūtry Of schismes rents in the body of Christ when she falleth in the Church about matters of religion whether they be of substance or of circumstance And of brawles and vnquietnesse when she is entertained in families betweene man wife neighborhoods between one neighbor another Whersoeuer they come they are the death of 2. most noble excellēt vertues namely of order of vnity Order is a disposing of all things in their right place for the Lord who is a God of order and not of confusion hath set amongst men many differences and degrees of rulers and subiects of parents and children of maisters and seruants of husbands and wiues of old and yong according to the testimony of the Wiseman in Pro. 20.12 The Lord hath made euen both these the eare for to heare and the eye for to see And mens actions are not well ordered vnlesse they be well tempered according to the worthinesse and condition of these degrees And that cannot be vnlesse it be done according to the prescript rule of the law of God which is the head and fountaine of all good order for he that is the God of order made a law of order Now by cōtention her impes Gods order is peruerted subiects rule Princes obey parēts yeeld to their childrens affectiōs wiues domineere ouer their husbāds seruants beare sway against their maisters and yong men despise their elders God hath distinguished diuerse members in one body one from another set one aboue another placed them all in wonderfull maner The head as a tower the eies in the same as watchmē the eie-lids as windowes for light the mouth as a doore to let in prouision the toung as a porter to cal for that which is needfull to examine that which is doubtful the eares as spies to harken to listen the hands as seruitours souldiers the feet as messengers and porters to carry and recarry the teeth as grinders of natures prouision the pallate as taster the stomach as a cook-roome wherin all things are prepared againe for the benefit of nature the whole body so to be preserued for the benefit of the soule who sitteth within as a Queene commāder with a Princely companie of heauenly attendants called animales virtutes the powers of the soule as reason vnderstanding and memory will affections and all together seruing God who made them doth preserue them who redeemeth repaireth them to the end he may for euer glorifie himselfe in their euerlasting glorification by Christ in his heauenly kingdome All which being beheld in that order that God hath set thē in do shew the high wisdom of God but being either wanting or abounding or displaced they make a man not a man but a monster As when one is borne without head or eyes or eares or hands or feete or is borne with two heads many eyes c. more then nature requireth or hath his eares where his eies should be his feet where his hands should be c. In like sort God in his lawes hath set downe a rule measure for euerie thing which being kept doth make a seemly sight but being brokē doth breed a confused and monstrous being whether it be in Church or cōmon wealth whether in citie or countrie in publicke or in priuate Now contention displaceth all setting as it were the feet vpward turning the head downward placing the mouth where the eares should be and the hands where the feet should be the eares where the eies should be that is he is a speaker whē he should be a hearer he is silent whē he should speake he is an actour when he should be a beholder a talker when he should be a doer So that cōtention bringeth forth no Christans but monsters See you one whether man or woman cōtending to talke whē they ought to be silent and to heare others there is a monster for then is their mouth where their eares should be See you a Minister silent when he should preach there is a monster in the Church for his eares are where his toung should be See you a Magistrate ruled by his officers who should but see out of him he hold a monster in the common-wealth for then are the eies become head and all this is a monstrous peruerting of Gods order and is then commonly to be seene when wicked contentions haue bene raised vp against the truth As contentious Belial is the bane of good order so also is he the destruction of godly vnity loue and concord For whereas Gods order is peruerted ouerturned whether in nature or in grace the minds of Christians cannot chuse but be distracted estranged one frō another which is as deformed a spectacle as to see the members of a mans bodie displaced or torne in peeces When S. Luke would set out the fellowship of the Christians in the time of the primitiue Church he saith They had all one mind and one hart To shew that where diuerse but especially contrary minds are there can be no society except it be such society as is amongst maried persons when the one is a Papist and the other a Protestant they are tyed together indeed but it is like Sampsons foxes taile to taile euerie one looking a contrarie way striuing with firebrands at their tailes to be parted one from another and therefore they striue to be asunder

he should not dye though he did transgresse the commaundement of God doth also tell these fellowes that whatsoeuer the Scriptures say or Preachers babble as they say yet they shall not dye the death But what could Eue say at the last The Serpent deceiued me So will these cry one day Sathan hath deceiued vs. Well leaue them to the Lord and let vs know for certaine truth that whatsoeuer is written before hand in the Scripture is written for our learning as the Apostle saith and therefore this Scripture also is written for our learning as well as any other God hath not taken such paines as I may say in making and setting forth Belials picture in this liuely sort as you see to that end that we should do nothing but stand and gaze at his picture but that we should note him well and learne to know him when we see him and to auoide him when we know him For Belial is like a runagate who hath done that which he is ashamed of hauing stolne the cloke of vertue and honestie is runne away with the same vpon his backe seeking how to hide himselfe in the world And for feare of being taken he hath gotten himself into seruice with great mē of the world like Elimas with the Deputy And hath so won their fauors that he walketh with them in the fields strowteth it with them in the streetes he feasteth with them at their tables he buyeth and selleth for them in their shops he tradeth for them beyond the seas he courteth with the most gallant in the court He hath found a place in the Vniuersities amongst scholers in Cities amongst merchants in Churches amongst Preachers in iudgement hals amongst Lawyers in Consistories amongst Doctours and proctors at Theaters amongst players in housholds amongst seruants and children in Gentlemens houses amongst seruingmen and their maisters He hath learned to insinuate himselfe into the company of all states and degrees and hath found the fauour to be shrowded amongst Captaines and souldiers amongst Lords and Ladies amongst Knights and Esquires amongst yeomen and artificers amongst prentises and iourny-men and where not And if need be he can haue a licence to go beyond the seas amongst Italians Barbarians and to come from all places of the world and be welcome at his good leasure and pleasure and all this can Belial do and more then this too for he hath a great number of foule deformed vices and monstrous vgly abuses which are all begotten of his owne body both male and female which he can easily preferre into seruice And so well are they brought vp by the double diligence of his brother Machiauell that many become sutors vnto them and glad is he that can match his son or his daughter with one of them when vertue and godlinesse may go through the world and can harldy get a seruice except in the iayle or in some beggers cottage much lesse can they get a good mariage and if they do hit vpon a good mariage it will not be long before they shall be diuorced againe But Belial with his cubs because they are euery where are thought to be no where but the Lord from whom they are run away he knoweth them well inough And here he hath made out a warrant you see to attach them wheresoeuer they can be found and to summon them to answer for themselues before Gods iudgement seate which warrant is committed to all Magistrates Ministers and other of his faithfull people and subiects And because many say they cannot know Belial and they must take heede how they detect any by that name therefore the Lord hath well prouided here for his people and in this his attachment hath put downe such markes and notes of his talke of his name of his gestures c. that vnlesse men will be wilfully blind they cannot chuse but know him although he goeth neuer so disguisedly and denieth his name neuer so stoutly And indeed let Belial be arrested at Gods sute for dishonouring him or at Christs sute for crucifying him or at the Churches sute for persecuting her or at the Gospels sute for slandering of it or at Religions sute for contemning of it as all these actions and many more will come against him one day he will straight way deny his name and say You mistake me sir I am not the man that you looke for c. Then those men which want either will or skill or courage or all nor greatly regarding the words of their warrant take his word for the matter and so let him go for an honest man but those that are wise in God can easily discerne Belial from an honest man as King Salomon could well descry the harlot from the true mother of the child because the wisedome of God was with him And the godly wise haue learned to say to Belial as the damsell sayd once vnto Peter Surely thou art one of them for thy voice bewraieth thee So thou art one of the men of Belial for thy filthy speeches bewray thee thy outragious oathes bewray thee thy proud and profane gestures bewray thee thy lewd and contentious behauiour bewray thee therefore it is but a folly to denie thy name for as the Asse is knowne by his braying and the length of his eares to be an Asse though he iet it in a Lions skin so thou art knowne by thy conditions to be a man of Belial although thou goest in the habite of an honest religious or religious honest man When our Sauiour Christ said that one should betray him who was then in presence with him there was looking one vpon another and euery man was iealous ouer himself saying Is it I Is it I But what saith our Sauiour Christ He that dippeth his finger with me in the dish that is the man that shall betray me He named no body but that was inough for thus might any one conclude vppon Christs words He that dippeth his hand now with Christ in the dish is the traytour but Iudas dippeth his hand now with Christ in the dish therefore Iudas is the traitor In like maner when God saith there be wicked men of Belial and vaine men lawlesse persons and vnprofitable that must be destroyed speedily sodenly and without recouery now euery man will put it off from him selfe and say that he is not that man of Belial c. But what saith the Lord he nameth none but noteth them thus The man of Belial and the vaine man walketh with a froward mouth he maketh a signe with his eyes c. that is he that walketh with a froward mouth he that is lawlesse in his affections he that is vnprofitable in his conuersation he that imagineth euill at all times and raiseth vp contentions he is that man of Belial that must be destroyed if he repent not then may we conclude thus But such a one walketh with a froward mouth

except God did giue them repentance and work a strange alteration God deliuer me out of their handes and giue them better minds if it be his will It were a strange alteration to see some that now bring Bibles to the Church and turne to places after the Preacher one day to be instruments to burne so many Bibles as they can come by It were strange to see such as are now most attentiue in hearing the preacher and most kind in giuing him entertainment one day to throw a faggot at his head or to be a witnesse against his doctrine or to helpe to burne him Well such times haue bene and such times may come again for our sinnes and then shall the approued be knowne as the Apostle speaketh and hypocrites with their light and chaffie profession shall then be discouered blowne away with the wind Many now would answer as Hazael did to the Prophet if any should say to them as the Prophet said to him I weepe saith the Prophet to remember what thou shalt do to the children of Israel when thou art king of Aram how thou shalt burne their cities and put their young men to the sword and dash their infants in peeces and rent their women with child What said Hazael is thy seruant a dogge that I should do this great thing So would many answere now no doubt Are we dogges that we should so vse God seruants c No doubt of it in King Edwards daies he that should haue warned some persons of such things that were hearers of those reuerend Martyrs and Bishops Hooper Latimer Ridley Cranmer other faithfull Ministers D. Taylor Bradford and others they would haue bene at defiance with thē yet for al that they when time serued stood foorth to accuse these godly Fathers to persecute them to death that a man wold litle haue thought of be actors in such ttagedies Wel God blesse vs all my brethren keep vs in his holy feare and make vs vpright harted constant in the profession of religiō for I do feare greatly else that if euer time should serue which God for his mercies sake forbid if it be his will too too many would play Hazaels part though they make a faire shew now and stand at open defiance for such matters Well let no man bragge of his own strength that he will do this and he will not do that for manie good men euen sincere Christians may promise and vowe a standing for the truth with Peter and because they rely vppon their owne strength may fall with Peter but I trust God will giue them mercie and repentance to rise againe with Peter but as for hypocrites and time-seruers whose hearts are best knowne vnto God out of question they will then shew themselues in their colours Let them now pretend with Iudas neuer so much care for the poore or loue to Christ they will one day proue theeues to the poore and traytors to Christ as Iudas did and if they once fall with Iudas let them take heed that they hang not themselues with Iudas for betraying and persecuting innocent bloud For it is not the approbation of the Elders that will iustifie Iudas nor his officious kisse that will couer him nor the law of the land that will warrant him nor the siluer bribe that will enrich him nor the praise of men that wil comfort him nor his forced restitution that wil restore him nor his constrained confession that will conuert him nor his faithlesse repentance that will saue him when his money his friends his owne tongue and heart hand conscience as a thousand witnesses and God himselfe shall be against him God grant that all counterfeits and hypocrites and dissemblers in religion may in time take heede by his example There be many both honest and godly religious Christans whose desire is with all their harts to please God by doing those things which his word requireth of them And these for the loue that they beare vnto the truth and their hatred that they carry against wickednesse are by an odious name called Puritanes and if they fall at any time through occasion as oftētimes they do through some infirmity against their wils then are they condemned as hypocrites but most vniustly For though all our actions smell of hypocrisie as maister Bradford well perceiued when he desired the Lord to forgiue him all his hypocrisies and confessed a little before his death that all his prayers and all his best seruing of God were but hypocrisie meaning in comparison of that sinceritie that is required of euerie Christian yet notwithstanding are none to be tearmed hypocrites which fall by occasion through infirmitie and are onely stained with the dust of it and infected with the contagion thereof as men that draw in one and the same aire with hypocrites but onely such are to be counted for hypocrites which make a shew of that which they are not nor meane to be but with their tongues can hold men cunningly with a faire tale of religion and godlinesse while their hearts are resolued to practise all kind of mischiefe and iniquitie of such I speake and not of simple harted and well meaning Christians who haue no doubt their faults as well as other men though they make not an art of sinning as hypocrites do This secret hypocrisie of Gods children doth not a litle trouble many of them neither can many be perswaded but that all that they do is done in hypocrisie as maister Bradford writing to one of his friends in most of his letters condemneth himselfe for a painted hypocrite and being thus troubled in their tender consciences they are still afraide of that woe that our Sauiour Christ pronounceth against hypocrites But for the comforting of such tender consciences whose feare is euer that they shall not deale vprightly and sincerely inough in Gods sight we are to distinguish of hypocrisie for some hypocrisie respecteth men onely seeking only praise of men and not of God and some hypocrie there is that respecteth God also yea most of all and that stealeth in this fort vpon vs. A Christian that feareth God goeth in priuate by himselfe to call vpon God by prayer Now in his priuate prayer somtime his mind is drawne away into a nūber of by-thoughts and wandering imaginations insomuch as he oftentimes thinkes least of God when he calleth vpon him neither is throughly moued with an inward desire of obtaining those things that he prayeth for nor with a hartie loathing of those sins that he prayeth against then commeth Sathan and suggesteth thus Surely thou art an hypocrite for thou hast not prayed with all thy heart nor with all thy soule nor with all thy might Againe sometime the Christian soule prayeth earnestly with great feeling and groning of spirite and hath his mind wholy intent and bent vpon God that he is euen rauished as it were in prayer thinking of nothing but heauenly things when

building of the Lords Temple and holy Citie Haman for seeking the death of the Lords people Herod for murthering the young children Ananiah and Saphira for dissembling with Peter and lying to the holy Ghost Simon Magus for his offer of mony for the gifts of the holy Ghost Elimas for withstanding of Paul Tertullus for his accusing of Paule Iudas for betraying of his Lord and maister The Gadarens for preferring their swine before Christs doctrine All these and euery one of them are become infamous and do stinke before God and man and their reproch and shame shall neuer be blotted out For the word sayth The memoriall of the iust shall be blessed but the name of the wicked shall rot And in the 13. of the Prouerbes 9 verse The light of the righteous reioyceth but the candle of the wicked shall be put out To shew that the name of the wicked is no better then rotten carrion at the stinke whereof euery one that passeth by shall stop his nose and the discoursing of their liues shal be as noysome in hearing as the stinking snuffe of a candle burning low in the socket that euery man shall say put it out fie vpon it away withall And this is the righteous iudgement of God vpon the wicked which regarded not to glorifie God but themselues therefore to giue them vp to such vile affections and lewd actions as can breede nothing in the end but a rotten and stinking name But wicked hypocrites will take a good order for that they can haue such as themselues to perfume their doings while they liue with braue commendations to whom they say as Saul sayd to Samuel Honour me before this people And when they dye there are inough that will for a small reward be hired to commend them in a Sermon to the skies and then we can haue Pamphlets printed and Epitaphes engrauen vpon our tombes which will keepe our names from rotting Besides all this we will giue some gownes and money to the poore which we can no longer keepe and may well spare and all this put together will cast a most sweete smell Surely for the godly that liued well and died in the Lord it will for their life is like a waxe candle made and compounded of sweete matter which men are content it should burne out because when it is our it will cast a most fragrant and sweete smell but the life of the wicked is like a candle made of filthy stuffe which men will not suffer to burne out because it is no sooner out but it stinketh all the house ouer Although you commend it neuer so much yet men will not beleeue you that it was like that of waxe nay if you praise it wil they not laugh you to scorne and think you mad or drunken or senslesse Euen so is it with him that praiseth a wicked man either liuing or dead what doth such a preacher but play the foolish Herald and go about to perswade men that a stinking snuffe is as good as a sweete waxe candle or that filthie puddle water is as wholesome and as sweete as rose water Many such there are in the world who while they so preach the auditors that haue indgement and knew the life of such a man as well as he if not better sit and smile to themselues and wonder that any man either for money or monies-worth should be hired to become so voide of sense And whereunto shall we compare such Sermons and Epitaphs better then vnto flowers and herbes that are strawed and pricked vpon dead corpses buried only in a winding sheet Those flowers may well be laid vpon the dead corpes for a shew or to keepe men from smelling ill aires and may go with him to the graue but to keepe it from rotting and putrifying from corruption wormes and stinke they cannot So such high commendations bestowed vppon vnworthy persons as Papists Atheists drunkards whoremongers and such as liued most prophanely and irreligiously and so died for ought that any man can tell without repentance or any life of Gods Spirit in them are sweete herbes and faire flowers bestowed vpō them for ornament sake to please their friends but to preserue their name from rotting stinking they cannot by any meanes for God is iust who hath sayd Those that dishonor me I will dishonour as for that stinking and rotten cōmendations that they haue bestowed vpon thē by such as theēselues who also hunt after the like things it is all For they haue their reward are they not then in a miserable case But yet this is not all for when the hypocrites reward is come to an end which soone it doth like a thing of naught that is soone ripe and soone rotten and when the date of his good deedes or rather glorious sinnes is expired then must he come to a new reckning for all his hypocrisies and trecherous robberies committed against the glory of God while he hath abused the name of God and taken vnto himselfe all that praise which was due vnto God onely like those kind of fellowes which come to men in the Princes name to take vp their goods as it were to the Princes vse and then appropriate them wholly to themselues And for that they haue both robbed God of his glory and made his most glorious name and sacred religion their cloake and couering while they haue most profanely played their parts therewith to the great dishonour of his Maiesty and the spoile of the Church and oppression of their brethren And seeing as in their best deedes they haue made more account of mens praise then of commendation at Gods hand their iudgement is from euerlasting decreed and already is sentence gone foorth against them which can neuer be reuoked and that is to haue their part and portion with the diuell and his Angels in hell torments for euer where they shall not onely be depriued of Gods gracious presence which is true felicity and fulnesse of ioy for euer but also ly languishing not for a yere or two nor yet for a 100. nor a 1000. nor 10000. nor a 100000. nor a milliō of thousands of yeares for thē there were some hope that their paine would one day end though it were long before and intollerable in the meane time but for euer euer perhaps with many of those also whose vaine praises they haue in their life time so much hunted after where the one shall curse each other and their rewards yea the persence of each other and remembrance of their mutuall folly and vanity of the one in giuing of the other in seeking and taking the glory from God euen the remembrance I say of this their former vanity folly misery madnesse and impiety shall like an euer gnawing and tormenting Serpent sting wound and torment their consciences for euermore Yea if there be any paines or torments in hell greater then other they shall surely fall to the hypocrites lot

sit as a peremptory Iudge ouer the hearts affections of my seruants when thou hadst no list to yeeld to the truth to confesse thy faults amend thy life how canst thou deny but that thou art guilty of most saucy and insolent hypocrisie Moreouer when thou likedst not the plaine simple vtterance of my truth the confirmation thereof by the sacred testimony of my seruants the Prophets Apostles it hath pleased thee ô hipocrite to count my seruāts no scholers but vnlearned ignorant fooles as though my booke contained nothing in it but ridiculous matter for thee to make thy selfe merry withall So hath it alwayes bin with all hypocrites since the world stood my wisedom hath bin counted foolishnesse mans folly high wisedome but thou shalt know that they were truly learned which had learned Christ aright they were fooles who in the swelling words of mans wisedome haue sought onely to feede thy eares and not thy conscience Furthermore I forget not thy hypocriticall shew of maintaining false loue and vnitie and peace with the wicked vnder pretence that the Preachers whom I haue sent vnto thee haue bin condemned by thee and thy consort for troublesom contentious persons when they haue disquieted thy sin But let not my seruants be discouraged in my businesse for all this saith the Lord For so did they vse my Prophets before them Ieremy was counted but a babler a contentious person Ezechiels Sermons were but as the songs of a minstrell matter to iest at Paul was accused of sedition by Dianaes siluer-smithes My own son who was wisedom it self frō euerlasting with me he was counted an enemy to Caesar the wicked hypocrites turned away whatsoeuer he spake with a ieast And let no man thinke himself better then these or too good to pledge thē in that cup of contempt and bitter reproch that they haue begun to them in Oh but me thinks now the hypocrite being thus vncased beginneth to pleade hard for himselfe saying that though he come not at those troublesome fellowes vnlearned yet he heareth others and maketh much of thē too so that he is wrōgfully charged if men say that he cares not for the word of God that he is not religious that he cānot abide to haue his sins reproued c. Surely this at a blush is good fruit but in truth no better thē an apple of Sodom faire in shew but being touched it turneth into ashes For nothing is either more easie or vsuall amōgst hypocrites thē to do so that is to say First in way of reuenge to disgrace one whō they like not by gracing another to discountenāce one by countenācing some other And yet in the mean time pretēd another matter that is to be better edified I wot not what that they may seeme notwithstāding both religious iudiciall they will highly cōmend the one deeply cast downe the other but why or vpō what good groūds they cannot well tell There be in diuerse places of the world especially in great cities other popular places running auditories or as one calleth thē Circumcellions wheelers about hither thither hearing now one thē another then a third euery one indeed neuer a one lōg like one that hath a giddy braine who being whirled into euery place is truly said to be of no place These humorous hearers of al mē cōmonly cannot away long with their own Pastors teaching though he teach the truth neuer so soundly nor so profitably Except it be between man and wife I do not know so neare a coniunction of any thing as is by the ordinance of God betweene the Pastor the flocke Now as nothing ought to separate man wife but fornication or adultery so nothing ought to make the flocke leaue their Pastor but false doctrine heresie if he be a teacher And surely there is no sincere harted Christiā but maketh a conscience of this duty that is they dare not leaue the Ministery of their owne ordinary Pastours by whom they haue sound any profit or spirituall comfort they dare not so much as yeeld to any such changes for feare they should not onely be troubled with the spirituall itch of the eare a disease where it once rooteth altogether incureable but also discourage and make sad the Spirite of God in their faithfull teachers whereby they may in time be giuen vp of God to flatterers and seducing teachers fit for their humorous veine vaine humor And surely whosoeuer doth duly consider the offence that groweth therby the hurt that foloweth also therupō both to the whole body of the Church in general to their own soules in special they dare not but in the feare of God make great cōscience of it Christ pointing to childrē said That whosoeuer should offend one of these litle ones it were better that a milstone were hanged about his necke and he cast into the bottome of the sea How much more may that be spoken to those that take a felicity in scandaling offending in disgracing discouraging by their fantastical rouing abrode the greater ones that is the Pastors and builders of the Church I speake not this as though we were the worse for your giddie gadding and stragling but to let you vnderstand that you are the worse that giue such bad examples and that you must answer your contempts vnto our Lord and Maister Christ Iesus This humorous course of giddy braines and itching eares is both schismaticall childish and vnprofitable Schismaticall because they go about to make a rent in the Church of God and to deuide Christ among them This disease raigned in Paules time and it raigneth in our time I hold of Paul saith one I am of Apollos saith another and Cephas shall go for my money sayth a third But neuer a one of those hold of Christ soundly and substantially But what is this but to deuide Christ as the Apostle saith is Christ deuided as if he should say you all would be counted Christs and to hold of Christ if you do so why then do you not regard all his Ministers alike and heare all alike Paule as well as Apollos and Apollos as well as Cephas and Cephas as well as either of the other for euerie one of them preacheth Christ though euery one after his seuerall gift and measure of knowledge and vtterance and eloquence c. Though one be milder then another and one sharper then another yea though one mans gift please your humour better then anothers yet euery one hath Christ for you But now as if one had Christ and another not ye will heare one and not another and so you deuide Christ which is but one this is not well are you not carnall nay are you not Schismatikes As it is a carnall and schismaticall practise so is it also childish for so do children that go to schoole being once held in to their

bookes and restrained of their libertie they are weary of that Maister and desire to go to another or else no more to schoole so hypocrites when they are required to take a setled course for their profiting in religion and are restrained of their liberty in sinne in vanity in riot in pride and are pressed with the doctrine of mortification and truth of heart they are weary of such a teacher and must go to another or else come no more at schoole so that it appeareth that they haue no more gouernement of themselues nor strength of the Spirite nor stayednesse of affections then little children haue As it is both schismaticall and so danderous and childish and so ridiculous so it is also vnprofitable For they that leaue the ordinary and standing Ministery of their owne Pastour and none certaine gather here a peece and there a peece but neuer lay any sound foundation nor make any orderly building as they do that tye themselues to one man who keepeth an orderly proceeding laying all the principles of religion one after another and one by another and euerie one in order till all be finished I deny not but that vpon some special occasions a man may be somtime drawne away from his ordinarie teacher as trauelling from home or being requested by our faithfull friends of another congregation to answer for their children as they call it at their Baptizing or to accompanie some of our friends or our Magistrates departed out of this world vnto their graue and such like if Christ be preached there that we may follow him otherwise I see no great necessitie to enforce a man to leaue his ordinarie teacher to go to a bare reader for a ciuill dutie performing but rather to remember what our Sauiour Christ answered to one that sayd he would follow Christ but first he would go and burie his father Let the dead burie the dead saith he follow thou me To shew that those that haue no list to follow Christs doctrine are no better then dead men as touching the life of the spirite in the soule and they may serue for such a purpose well inough it is pitty to interrupt those that are better disposed and deuoutly addicted to the heauenly doctrine of the Gospell And further I hold it a thing very expedient and fit that there be sometimes also an entercourse of Ministers labours that is that other Ministers be sometimes admitted yea procured also to exercise their gifts in their brothers charges both for the confirmation of doctrine as also for the quickening of the auditorie for consent of teachers is a great confirmation of the truth in regard of our weakenesse and vnbeleefe otherwise the truth is strong inough of it selfe and will preuaile against all the world And as variety of meates sometime doth make a man haue a better appetite to his ordinarie diet euen so is it not amisse that sometime our ordinarie auditours should haue change of teachers that so they tasting that varietie of Gods gifts and graces which is in diuerse men they may haue a better spirituall appetite vnto the ministerie and doctrine of their ordinarie pastours and teachers But to runne hither and thither and commonly to leaue our ordinary teachers onely either of a fanstasticall desire to heare new things or of a loathing the plaine simple maner of deliuery of the truth or of stomach in contempt and way of disgracing and discouraging those that God hath set ouer vs because they haue more sharply reproued their sinnes or more neerely applied the doctrine to their consciences then others do a blessed fauor of God indeed if men had grace so to take it this is it that I say is both carnal schismatical childish and altogether vnfruitfull and further it is flatly repugnant to the commandement of Christ deliuered by his Apostle in the 1. to the Thessalonians the 5. Chapter and 12. verse where he beseecheth the Thessalonians to know them that labour among them and are ouer them in the Lord and admonish them and that they haue them in singular loue for their workes sake And lastly is the practise of such as neuer professed the Gospell of Christ in sinceritie and vprightnesse of heart with an humble spirite and a holy desire to haue both their iudgement informed and their liues reformed by the word of truth But on the contrarie in palpable and damnable hypocrisie with shewes shadowes and flourishes to be seene and well esteemed of men as hypocrites do Besides these publike and open hypocrisies there be also many other lurking in priuate corners which deserue to be vncased as in housholds where betweene man and wife many times much loue is counterfeited onely before men and in heart much bitter malice and hatred maintained against each other which betweene themselues breake out in open and bitter extremities and behind each others back into foule adulteries and cursed vndoing of the whole family such an hypocrite is the harlot that Salomon vncaseth in the 7. of the Prouerbes Who when her husband is from home calleth in her louers and companions to lewdnesse and coloureth her villany by prating and telling him of her peace offerings and vowes that she hath performed that day that is by talking of religion I say nothing of those that in shops and markets selling wares will pretend great loue saying If it were not to you I would not sell it so another should not haue it so c. when for the most part all this is but meere cunning and counterfeiting I also let passe those that spying a bargaine that they hope to reape a great benefit by will earnestly protest and pretend vnto the partie with whom they meane to deale great care that they haue of his good and his ease rather then of their owne benefit too many such there be in the world Well God will pull off their visour one day and lay them open to the world What should I say of those that being to followe and further mens suites with great persons or otherwise at law haue still one tricke or other to delay the time withall pretending great care to do their friendes businesse and to followe their clients causes in the best manner that may be and for their best aduantage when all their doing is but a cunning kind of fishing for more money like Felix who often sent for Paule before him hoping that some bribe would haue bene giuen him to haue enlarged Paule And a thousand more such partes are played in the world which men in continuall practise and conuersing one with another in Church and common-wealth abroad and at home shall haue occasion to meete withall But for the vncasing of the hypocrite at this time this shall suffice Those that feare God vnfainedly and detest this vgly beast the hypocrite will make of that which hath bene sayd as for those that say they could make good vse of it if it had come out of