ioyning of house to house and fielde to fielde so as they woulde banishe the poore to dwell alone by themselues 11. Earely vp to dronkennesse and bibbing from morning till nighte banquetting feasting piping and dauncing but no regarde of the worke of the Lorde wherefor he hathe made them Furthermore Vers 20. they gaue a contrary tongue vnto God For they yéelded commendation of that whiche was noughte and flatly condemned the simple good They altered the tymes and seasons to their owne fantasies darkenesse for light bitter for sweete and swéet for sower 21. They estéemed mannes pollicie aboue Gods diuinitie makyng muche of their owne conceits and became prudent in their owne sight they durst vse and bragge of it that a carowsing Cup or a harty draught coulde not ouertumble them therefore they woulde ioine Bacchus to Venus still Vers 23. Finally they abused the seate of Iustice Equity was sent from home and the wicked were iustified for bribes yea the godly and his cause was by the aduerse power intercepted of his right and hys case peruerted so as either the righteousnesse of his cause was darkened or much diminished or the true alowance to it vtterly taken away therefore the Lorde did threaten his cutting down Esay 5.24 saying Like as the flame of fire deuoureth the stubble and as the Chaffe is consumed of the flame So their roote shall bee as rottennesse and their bud shall ryse vp like duste bycause they haue caste off the lawe of the Lorde of hostes and contemned the worde of the holy one of Israell But nowe let vs looke into the long suffering of this our God to this people Beholde saith he these three yeares haue I sought for fruit and finde none By this terme of time we are to note beloued the long suffering of God which calleth by it to repentance So he dealt with the world in the dayes of the floude yea euen when he was ready to strike then he gaue them afreshe a longer time to repent namely 20. yeres Gen. 6.3 So prolonged he the time of his plagues to their posteritie euen when the daye was conceyued to sée if they would preuent his anger with their returning vnto him And by his holye Prophets cryed vnto them oh ye people why wil you dye Ezech. 33.11 Turne you from your euil wayes gather your selues togither o people not worthy to be beloued before the dresser come forth and ye be as chaffe that passeth in a day and before the fierce wrath of the Lorde come vpon you Zephany 2.12 But they greatly abused his great forbearing and so do we Ieremy saide of them Ierem. 25.3 that hée hadde called them to repentaunce ful 23. yeares earely and late but they woulde not heare nor encline thine eares to obey but prouoked him to anger albeit he long suffered them and sente to them his Prophets as before is saide Oh Ieremy Gods holy Prophet thy terme of time is cast vppon vs. These thrée and twentie yeares hathe the Lorde in mercye by the voice of his Prophetes called for fruite of vs in Englande But what shoulde be our fruites Surely a duple degrée in fruites the Lorde dothe require of vs. Firste a generall fruite as we be all professed into our Christe And then a speciall namely euery trée his owne fruite Philip. 1.27 Of the firste the Apostle Paule speaketh thus Let your conuersation be as it becōmeth the Gospel of God c. That is that our heartes be one in iudgement oure offections in loue our confederacie in godlynesse suche as wée ioyne hands in vnitie one with another to fight togither through the faith of the Gospell againste the aduersary and not as dismembred bodies and companies to deuoure one an other by iarring braules and causelesse contentions Let this beloued be neuer out of our minds which are of one religion If ye bite one an other Gal. 5 15. take heede leaste ye be consumed one of an other Our vnitie loue doth appall the pride of the Papists our brawling contentions and strife not for knowledge but for malice doth bréede a breache for the wicked But note that our vnitie godlinesse muste be a conuersation not a déede well done by chaunce at a sodaine but a continued conuersation in holynesse The guide of whiche conuersation is set downe to vs here to be the faith of the Gospell of God as from which fountaine euerye manne may fetche hys seuerall fruite and lycour to life Marke this you mighty rulers and rich of the earth From hence namely from Gods holy worde oughte you firste to others godlye example to draw the patterne to your conuersatiō God sendeth hys holy Prophets the preachers of the worde fyrste to call you hyther Goe downe to the house of the Kyng of IVDAH saith the Lord to Ieremy Ierem. 22.1 and speake thys thing and say heare the worde of the Lord o King of Iudah thou that sittest vpon the throne of Dauid thou and thy seruants and thy people Execute iudgement and righteousnesse c. then shall yee liue I praye you reade the place at youre leysure you princely Rulers Know you that first you aboue all menne are spectacles and myrrors vnto men your conuersation therefore muste shine by the Gospel Gods holy word and your loue from aboue must abound in equitie to his Ministers Moses must loue Aaron defēd him in truth againste the malice of the wicked But where is this Gospel-like conuersation We wil aske of the riche and mighty nowe at the ende of these thrée and twenty yeres but this equall fruit But it is with vs fruite good ynoughe for the Minister to be basely estéemed it is no matter to priue his portiō to your owne purses but suche are Nabothes feare not God I speake not against the godly mighty but against the rich men of the earth whiche care not for these wordes Do my Prophets no harme Nor for this He that teacheth the Gospel let him liue of the Gospell Nor for this Muzzel not the mouth of the Oxe that treadeth out the corne c. But are these worldlings but fewe or rather may we not aske who is it that delighteth in this conuersation of the worde For the moste parte ye dispise our holye calling but daylye more and more you labour and hunger to be possessed with our liuings You are by calling properly temporall but through elder abuse many of you are become improperly Ecclesiasticall The poore Minister muste crouch to such patrons his knée to the grounde his stéeple to theyr stealth his tythe to their granary and his due portion to their vnsatiable prouision These be improper persons and therefore I take it by law their Churche detentions are rightly called impropriate promotiōs These improper persons receiue hundreds but the pore Vicar can scarce haue tenne poundes and yet the whole burthen is layde on hys shoulders I know not howe many
the basenesse of the trée whiche hée hath planted as in the moste excellente place wherein he hathe right mercifully established it The Metaphor is very elegante taken from the Figge trée which by nature in the roote is very bitter though by the Arte and labour of the dresser his fruit become right pleasant to the eater And surely not only the people of Iuda but also of the Gentiles if they be pierced at the roote shal approue this for moste true that they are naturallye bitter to the eye and pallate of any sensible taster In birth we are moste bitter as being embrued from the conception with our firste fathers sin and in bitternesse of sin not by Marriage but by naturall propagation we are al conceiued both King and Caitife As Dauid hathe saide in sinne hath my mother conceiued me For we are all the sonnes of Adam and of one propagation after our common corruption And in our birth no swéetenesse but bitter grippings of the mother bitter wrawlings of the child and most bitter estate of the same before the seconde byrth Whereof I referre you to the reading of Ezech. 16. Ezech 16.1 2.3 Chapter Our father is an Amorite our mother is an Hittite our kindred is of curssed Canaan and wee polluted in our owne bloude and by condition the children of Gods anger Eph. 2. Oh moste bitter roote and vnsauerie Figge trée But are we bitter in oure life happily some man woulde thinke that reason might reache vs his hande of good direction But alas we then waxe to encrease in bitternesse For as the Wormewoode groweth bigger and so increaseth into bitternesse euen so wée as wée encrease in stature state and strength so do we abounde in bitternesse of sinne And if we woulde more plainelye sée thys let eache man sounde the sea of hys hearte and hée shall finde there greate stony cragges ful of bitternesse and gall against God and his owne soule and al godly men albeit that Gods spirite of regeneration doth daily purge and mortifie the same But from our selues lette vs caste oure eies with truth into the earth and into this our nation of England and o Lord what bitternesse what bitter controuersies for religion receiued of the enimie what greate delight to drinke a carowse of that Wormewoode water of Poperie Reuel 7.11 of which Iohn in the Reuelation speaketh And as the thirde parte of the earth haue druncke of it so they are become more than thrée parts bitter by it againste God oure gratious Prince hir godlye lawes state and people What bitter hate beare they to the worde howe bitterly bite they at the Preachers thereof What bitter roote can yéelde suche iuice as the Papisticall spirites doe streame out againste vs These are Figge trées indéede planted in this holy lande they make the ground barren and bitter wheresoeuer they dwell their children their seruaunts their tenauntes that Countrey that dothe entertaine them those friendes whiche doe accompany them are eyther made verye bitter vtterlye barren or muche molested by them The soyle of the lande they doe deuoure the Nursse of the Countrey oure Gratious ELIZABETH they doe despise They are as Mice in the Lords barne they eate vp the owners corne but they refuse to ioye his presence This bitter trée bringeth his fruite but it is without the dresser of the Vineyarde Euen suche as the Galileans broughte agaynste theyr allotted Prince seditions conspiracies and publique rebellion And whatsoeuer good oure godlye Nursse and good Princesse doth endeuour the same our bitter Papists turne to Wormewoode reporting euil of godly lawes and stirring vp such forraine foes and domesticall enimies as they can procure to assay their beste againste vs. And theyr pretence with the Galileans is religion fréedome from the bōdage of conscience and tyranny of now gouernement whē as the most bound of them reape much more fréedome than either their cause or conscience can deserue or yet cā win them thankeful vnto God But is your Figge trée nowe readie ripe you Papists Your buds were preately broken in the North hapely your after growth is blossomed nowe and braggeth of his ripenesse and your Louanistes Seminaries and late vpstarte Iesuites are ready to reape the fruite of your bitter Figge trées But o Lorde it is a bitter fruite a pestilent Figge and a deadlye dyet whiche they desire therefore graunte that they may perishe They are O Lord rotten in their ripenesse let them fall to confusion which in this merciful time of so much proyning and dressing by thy holye worde and hir Maiesties softened sworde can not be conuerted vnto thée But do you desire a daye you bitter Papistes What haue you to do with that daye our sinnes indéede doe fight againste vs and if our demerites bring vs a heauye daye yet it is not yours but the Lordes day We may say to you as the Prophet Amos Amos. 5.18 saide to his wicked ones in his time What haue you to doe with the daye of the Lorde woe to you that desire it The day of the Lord is darkenesse and not light it is as if a man didde flee from a Lion and a Beare met him or went into the house and leaned vpon the wal and a Serpent bit him So you runne from hir Maiestie supposing hir a Lion you Papistes and hope after a day but euen in that day you I say shall be deuoured of the Bull of Romishe Bashan the she Beare robbed of hir whelpes shall teare you in péeces But you haue peace offred you and you séeke for war Wherefore you hunger your owne destruction Ier. 24. euen in that daye wherein your suppose is of Popishe solace But beloued were it that only the Papists of Englande were bitter wée mighte in swéetenesse lament that soure fruite But our selues are bitterly sette one againste an other our hearts and acts at home our Courtes and Assises in the Countrey oure thrusting and rushing into Westminster Hall dothe compell you my Lordes of the Benches to witnesse it that Englande is full of bitter Figge trées The Lorde be mercifull to choose vs into his vineyarde louing to plante vs willing to dresse vs and to proine vs that we may be fruitfull and bring forth by his operation swéete Figges and odoriferous fruites vnto him for his holy names sake It maye yrke vs thus to heare of our bitternesse but it may shame vs to féede of suche fruite Surely it wearyeth one to thinke therof and therefore I wil now recorde Gods mercie and goodnesse to this Figge trée namely how he hathe planted it in his holy Vineyard What he hathe there planted you haue hearde euen a bitter Figge trée Nowe where it is planted our Texte doth say namely in his Vineyarde let euerye manne therfore apply this to himself as it may appertaine him The whole Realme of Englande is this Figge trée planted into the vniuersall Churche of God This Citie of London is likewise a parte of
you shall confesse that not pleasaunt Minstrels but Gods true Prophetes Preachers were sent to forewarne you 2. Kin. 21.2 These bée much more wicked thā curssed Achab whyche yet beléeued the worde at the voice of one Prophet and receiued cōforte But these shall haue him a witnesse to their condemnation in the day of Gods anger which cannot or wil beléeue the Lordes word by so many yeres trauel amongest them Rom. 12.1 But lette vs labour to persuade you by Gods mercies to offer vp your bodyes a holy liuelye acceptable sacrifice to God whyche is your resonable seruing of God Tush that cānot moue for you beléeue vs not you haue Papisticall spirites that is to say doubtfull hearts you dare not reste vpon the promises of God and therefore wil not be allured by his mercies But let vs tell you Esay 26 17 that if ye followe the fashion of this worlde you shal die in the sinnes thereof you saie to your selues safe inough for we haue made a couenant with death our Preachers do but scare vs we sée no suche likenesse of Gods anger all thinges continue their course as at the beginning But you wilfully are ignorant saying 2. Pet. 3.3.4 that the Lord hath a desire to saue vs and would haue none to perish but woulde all to come to repentance Notwithstanding be it knowne to you O ye curssed scorners the Lorde wil come to you as a théefe in the night and when you crye to youre selues peace and rest then sodaine shal be your destruction 2. Tess 2.12 whiche woulde not credite the worde of trueth to your saluation Gen. 7. The first age beleued not Noah and are vniuersally drowned Gen. 19. The cursed Sodomites scorned Loth and wyth fyre and brimstone are consumed And canst thou think to escape with thy scorning couenant of death thou Paynim Papist and carnall Atheiste No the Lord saith to euery such your couenant with death shall be disanulled and your agréemēt with hel shal not stād When a scourge shall runne ouer Esay 28.18 and passe through then shal ye be troden down by it c. The third vice abusing Gods long suffering is Our presumption to sin For we conceiuing by a natural self liking a sinister cōiecture of Gods mercie that he doth not so narrowly looke to our offēces or will so strictly punish our sins do therfore take occasion presumptuously to adde sin vpon sin to passe the dayes of our youth in distemperate dealings against God man promising to our selues a long life a long tyme to repent a long suffering God But O ye gallants of these days which sin in this presumption know ye that God is iust as he is merciful that repētance is his gift to whom it pleaseth him giuen to the hūble spirited that feare him which in the days of their youth remēber him before those euil dayes come wherein you shal for paine griefe in conscience corps say we haue no pleasure to liue Be helping therefore to youre selues in God Eccle. 12 1. and stowpe to the yoke of Christe in time Nowe is the day of your calling when the sounde of Gods Gospell ringeth in your eares now is the acceptable day In this day harden not your harts nor treasure vp to your selues anger against the day of wrath But lende your lustie eares to this necessarye demaunde of the Apostle Paule O man Rom 2.4 despisest thou the ryches of hys bountifulnesse and patience and long sufferaunce not knowing that the bountifulnes of God leadeth thee to repentaunce but thou after thine hardnesse and heart that cannot repent heapest vp as a treasure vnto thy selfe wrath against the day of wrath and of the declaration of the iust iudgemēt of God who wil reward euery man according to his workes Now beloued in God let vs pray the Lord our long suffering God to giue vs true repentaunce that we abuse no longer his blessed bountie either with carnall contempte naturall diffidence or presūptuous sins but that with Dauid we may praye againste the rebellion of our youth Psal 19. our secrete faults and presumptuous offēces that in this long time of his suffering nowe drawing so neare the Lordes Haruest wée may hasten throughe him our heares to be fruitefull leaste we still abusing his great patience at the laste shall heare to our endlesse sorrowe the sharpnesse of this sentence Cutte downe the Figge tree But O Lorde and deare father graunt vs thy heauenly grace wée béeséeche thée for thy holy Christs sake And nowe time requireth to speake some thing of this sharpe sentence Cut it downe If he had saide but cut it it had bene a harde word of Gods anger but in that he saith Cut it downe and with a further demaund namely Why keepeth it the grounde barren also hée signifieth his loue is gone his wrath is kindled and therefore this barren trée must néedes perishe Two wicked euils you sée followeth this wicked Fig trée Firste he is not only fruitelesse himselfe but the verye place where he stādeth he maketh barren also Secondly for thys after a long wattering proyning wéeding and wayting no goodnesse founde in him but much euill he is commaunded to be cut downe from the trées of the Vineyarde And for the first would God it were rightly considered of those which are in aucthoritie For wheresoeuer the barren Figge trée abideth there he is not onely fruitelesse to God but very hurtful to the common weale rounde about him as for example the child of hel the shamefull Vsurer as barren to God so he maketh barren and vnable to liue al the trées that earste bare greate shewe in that Forrest of his Countrey Likewise the hardned Papist is not onely an enimy to God his religion and hir Maiestie in his heart but he maketh according the valor of his countenaunce the Countrie by proportion where he dwelleth very Papisticall with him If he be a Gentlemā he corrupteth his tenants and the godly Minister there hath small ioy of his labor but if a Iustice of peace as too manye suche there are then hée goeth very néere if not to corrupt sundrye his fellowe Benchers yet by the fleshly fauor they owe him and through the linkes of bloude or affinitie to him or other their friendes they are become very sparing of religious fruite bothe bearing with his Popery and all hys and also not so dutifull to God and hir Maiestie for the purging of the country of such bitter trées or fruites as they of faithfulnesse oughte or for their owne persuasion should were they not made barrē by such a bitter Fig trée Oh Lord why should such vniuste Papists sit in place of Iustice so to barren the soyle rounde aboute them Mercy they haue had and it doth rather mar them Lord from heauen from heauen Lord grant them Iustice or mercy at thy good wyll Conuert them or confound them Lord For why