Thessalonica vnto whom he was not onely content to giue the milke of the gospel of Christ but willing that they might sucke euen bloud out of his brest so it were for their benefite So deare and precious they were vnto him Such a nurce was Moses which fed the people with the Lawe of God the foode of life meate sweeter than honie or the honie combe Such a one Iehosaphat in sending abroade preachers to feede the people Such a one Ezechias in washing and cleansing the Church from Idolatrie Iosias in reforming the house of God Salomon in deposing euil priests and placing better in labouring by all meanes to inlarge the glorious kingdome of God These did the parts of good and faithfull nurces and God did highly requite their seruice 16 After pietie honestie and order must be sought This is attained vnto by seeing good Lawes both made and put in execution For the execution of the Lawe is the life of the Lawe and a Lawe not executed is but a dead Lawe And here let rulers first learne to obserue Lawes themselues and so with greater courage and better countenance they may punish by Lawe the transgressors of the Lawe For this cause S. Paul would haue a Bishop whose office it is to reprooue others himselfe to bee vnreprooueable Iudah gaue sentence against Thamar for her incontinencie Bring her foorth and let her be burnt But when he once vnderstoode it was his owne offence the case was altered The Prophet Dauid was driuen to the like Those magistrates doe both wickedly and shamefully which prescribe a Lawe of honest life vnto others and keepe it not themselues It is fowle thing when he that punisheth is more woorthie punishment than the partie punished Paul himselfe being blamelesse executed discipline with great authoritie vpon that lewde incestuous person Samuel a faultlesse magistrate was not afraide to cut off the head of Agag the king with his owne handes Moses could not with that courage haue hanged vp those Gentlemen-fornicators had not his owne life that way beene without staine or blemish When magistrates themselues be cleare they may boldely punish others and see diligently to the straite execution of Lawes For want whereof it commeth to passe that for the most part Lawes are accounted like to cobwebs which take small flies and hold them fast but suffer hornets to breake through In execution of lawes we may not respect the person of the riche or of the poore neither feare nor pitie must remooue vs that which is iust must take place in both For if Lawes be not executed without respect of person if sinne be not seuerely repressed if the people bee not kept in order it wil shake the state all wil be in an vprore no man shall be master of his owne or in any safetie of his life al iniquitie will abound all honestie will be exiled and the magistrate shall beare the sword in vaine To neglect it is to neglect that thing for which this ordinance of God was first appointed For if men without these meanes might be kept in order surely God would neuer haue established gouernement to keepe them in order by these meanes Barbarous therefore and wicked is the opinion of the Anabaptists which condemne all superioritie authoritie and gouernement in the Church For what is this else but vtterly to expell both out of Church and common wealth all godlinesse all peace all honestie 17 Nowe as magistrates and rulers should by good gouernment procure peace promote religion and preserue honestie amongst men so our Apostle requireth at the peoples handes that they vnder gouernement leade a peaceable quiet and honest life There is a double peace the one outward the other inward peace with men and peace with God With God there is no peace but in Christ. Through faith in him wee haue peace with God and not otherwise He hath peace with God whose sinnes are remitted for Blessed are they whose iniquities are pardoned But our sinnes are remitted onely in the bloud of Christ Iesus his bloud doeth purge vs from all sinne Christ therefore is our onely peacemaker with God This is that peace which passeth all vnderstanding He that wil enioie it must be careful to keepe a good conscience Haue a good conscience that when men speake euill of you as of ill doers they may be ashamed For if our owne heart condemne vs God is greater and wil more syncerely iudge vs. A good conscience maketh a strong faith Many by loosing their hold of the one haue made shipwracke of the other 18 The peaceable and quiet life which S. Paul in this place doeth chiefly require is to haue outward peace with men If it be possible and as much as in you lies haue peace with all men Yet not peace with all men so but that we may be alwaies readie for Gods cause to sustaine the hatred of all men in the world We may not for peace sake flatter men in their sinne for that is to be partakers of euill We must haue peace with all if it may be and so farre as in vs lyeth euer preferring a good conscience and a Christian minde For it may not be which may not be honestly Followe those things that belong vnto peace but vnto godlie peace For our God is the God of true of good peace He detesteth them that sowe discord yea the soule of the Lorde abhorreth them Doeg was hated of God for setting dissension betweene Saul and Dauid Achitophel likewise for stirring vp Absolon to striue against his father For as peacemakers are blessed so cursed are all disturbers of peace all breeders and maintainers of sedition Vnto peace we must ioine holinesse true and religious worshipping of God So saith the Apostle Followe peace and holinesse without which no man shall see the Lorde Thou shalt worship the Lorde thy God and him onely shalt thou serue He is a spirite and will be woorshipped in spirit and trueth in inward holinesse not in outward shew of holinesse onely in synceritie and not in ceremonie alone according to his owne will and commaundement not according to the fancie or inuention of man Euerie God saith Socrates is so to be worshipped as himselfe hath appointed 19 This our seruing of God in the Church of God in true holinesse consisteth chiefly in true and earnest praier vnto God in diligent and duetifull hearing of his word in faithfull and reuerent receiuing of his Sacraments In praier we beg of God those things which we wish and hope to receiue and wee praise him for things alreadie receiued This is a sweete and an acceptable sacrifice The hearing of his word is also a seruice wherewith he is pleased 20 And as praying and hearing so the woorthie receiuing of his sacraments is not onely a sealing of his grace vnto vs but also a testifying of our godlinesse towards him His sacrameuts are two in number
wee haue to praise our God that in publike doctrine touching the substance of religion wee all agree in one truth we all builde vpon one foundation Christ Iesus slaine and offered vp for our full redemption according to the doctrine of the scriptures So much the greater pitie it is that there should be such dissent in matters of small importance in rites and circumstances that by contention in such things the course of the Gospel should be hindered Christs aduersaries strengthened and his church offended The ministerie cannot bee well executed without her rites which rites are left indifferent to euerie policie so that they be not disagreeing from the word so that they tend vnto edification so that they be seemely and according to decent order Bee it graunted that some rites vpon some consideration might be bettered or omitted yet can I not say neither any man I suppose can prooue that any thing is set downe to be obserued in the Church wicked or contrarie to the woord And it were scarse wisedome when as in many yeres a beautifull and a costlie house is builded if a windowe be set a litle awrie or some small like eye sore doe appeare in respect thereof to disturbe the whole house to put it downe and laie it flat with the ground For euerie change being so full of perill surely these great alterations vpon so light aduise these newe common wealthes howsoeuer they be shadowed with the plausible name of reformation yet in seeking for vndoubtedly this is sought and that by many to haue the patrimonie of the Church diuided mangled and impaired they threaten the vtter ouerthrowe of learning and religion For take away liuing at which roote this axe especially striketh and ye take away learning take away learning and yee ouerthrowe teaching take away teaching and what shall become of the church of Christ Where there is no vision there the people cannot choose but come to decaie There is no state no not the state of a prince excepted to whom feare honour obedience and tribute is due that may more rightly chalenge a competent and sufficient liuing than the minister of the word of God They seeme to haue put out the verie light of nature in themselues which repine at the reasonable maintenance of them that minister before the Lorde in these sanctified labours For who doeth plant a vineyard and doeth not eate of the fruite thereof or who feedeth a flocke and eateth not of the milke of the flock Marke how the scriptures both in the Lawe and in the Gospell doe beate vpon this point In the Lawe it is saide Thou shalt not mussle the mouth of the Oxe Doeth God take care for Oxen No his care is for vs. For our cause it is that he hath saide The labourer is worthie of his hire For our cause he hath ordeined that they which preache the Gospell should liue of the Gospell Hee had a care of his church and therefore gaue charge Let him that is taught in the word make him that taught him partaker of al his goods This is large yet but reasonable For if we haue sowen vnto you spiritual things is it a great matter if wee reape your carnall things is it much to make vs partakers of all your goods The Elders that rule well are worthie of double honour specially they which labour in the woord and doctrine They which labour amongst you and are ouer you in the Lorde and admonish you haue them saith the Apostle we beseeche you in singular loue for their works sake It was foreseene no doubt by the spirite how Gods portion should be pinched howe the ministers of the word should be contemned howe iniuriously men in these last vncharitable daies would seeke for the hauocke and spoile of the Church this mooued him in so large and ample sort to speake of maintenance and honour due to his ministers If any man bee slowe and rechelesse in dooing his office if there bee any Idol-sheepeheard that feedeth himselfe onely and not his flocke let him be reformed or remooued But for the fault of a fewe that the whole state should be subuerted and the patrimonie of the church of Christ spoiled and deuoured it were verie hard No prince nor people Christian or Heathen could euer consent to such a thing without sacrilege Wel as we are at vnitie in substance of religion so God graunt that at length in these things also we may agree and be as one euen as becommeth the congregation of Christ which is a societie linked and knit together not sundered by diuision and rent in peeces by varietie of opinions and iudgements To this vnitie Paul exhorteth Be of one meaning This vnitie Christ commendeth to his Disciples saying Be one 6 Of this vnitie and coniunction of men agreeing in the trueth ariseth that brotherly concord whereof S. Paul in the woordes that followe saith Be like minded hauing the same charitie Where dissent in religion is there can hardly be consent in loue Diuersitie of religion sundered the Iewe and Gentile caused the one to be an abhomination to the other Wherefore hee that came to bring religion into the world came not to bring with it peace but a sword a sworde to diuide asunder not onely kingdomes and cities but euen the man and the wife the father and the childe a sword to cut off one brother from another For there can be no agreement betweene Christ and Beliall the light of the one and the others darkenesse such as are not of one true religion with vs their profession may be friendshippe but their practise is deceit they may with speeche and countenaunce flatter and fawne but they carie for the most part a malitious heart set vpon mischiefe Caine spake Abel faire ynough but for the diuersitie of his sacrifice he hated him and spying opportunitie shed his bloud Herod pretended to worship Christ whose death he fully purposed in his malitious mind There was neuer therfore wise Israelite that would trust an Amorite It is and will bee true for euer that Constantine saide Qui perfidi sunt in Deum in Principem fideles esse non possunt They cannot be sure to their Prince who to God-ward are not syncere They count trueth heresie and No PROMISE TO BE KEPT WITH HERETIKES is their posie Children they are like to their father which is a murtherer and lier from the beginning But when we speake of loue and charitie we speake of the badge of Christianitie of the vertues of true Christians who consenting in faith bring foorth the fruite of faith which is loue without which howe neere soeuer we approche vnto Christ in word and in outward profession we are in deede none of his He cannot agree with Christ that is at discord with a Christian. God is so delighted with this affection that he professeth himselfe to hate them that are enemies of it yea the soule of the Lord abhorreth
whence the best and most of you doe flow are as a fountaine from whence should spring all true religion all pietie vertue and godlie conuersation If this spring bee corrupted the riuers that flowe from it must needes bee polluted If blasphemous poperie full of idolatrie and superstition if vaine and puffed vp pride if wicked auarice and intollerable vsurie the great canker of the common wealth if bellie cheere and filthie whoredome if subtile and false dealing if counterfaite and fained friendship if flatterie and dissimulation bee the water of this your well doubt you not but that all England wil drink thereof and they being poisoned by your ill example their bloud shall be required at your hands 24 Walke therefore and walke on goe forward For if yee be in the way of life not to goe forward is to goe backward If ye be entrâ—d into this happie path steppe not aside giue not backe A dogge returning to his vomit is a fowle and an ougly thing to behold Take heede I say of backesliding It is a dreadfull thing to forsake Christ and to be ashamed of the gospell Hee that tasteth of this sweete gift of God the gospell of Christ and falleth backe from it he is a tormenter as much as in him lieth and a crucifier of the Lord of glorie Walke therefore goe on from strength to strength from vertue to vertue Ye haue beene heretofore often mooued but what effect hath it taken God graunt that there bee not a retyring from strength to weakenesse from vertue to sinnefulnesse It is to be feared that many mens woonted zeale is transformed into colde securitie their liberalitie into greedinesse and biting vsurie charitie into enuie sobrietie into wantonnesse humilitie into pride and hawtinesse This is the common walking of men for whom it were farre better if they stoode still The Apostle could not mention them but with teares There are many which walke saith he of whom I haue tolde you often and now tell you weeping they are enemies of the crosse of Christ their bellie is their God their glorie is in their shame their end is damnation 25 Walke not as these doe in darkenesse but in light God is light walke therefore with God And then ye doe that which hee requireth at your hands Walke with him for howsoeuer wee walke we are sure to walke before him We cannot shun his eie if we flie vp into heauen he is there if wee goe downe into hell there he is also Hee seeth things doone in light and beholdeth that which is couered with darkenesse hee is priuie vnto mens thoughts he knewe the spitefull and malitious purposes of the Scribes and Pharisees hee espied Adam biting the forbidden fruite he looked vpon Cain shedding his brothers bloud hee perceiued the secrete sinnes of Sodome he vnderstood the corruption of Giezi and made it manifest he sawe the double heart of Iudas who kissed his master and betraied him he beheld Siba when hee falsly and traiterously accused Mephiboseth vnto Dauid The cloaked adulterie and murther which Dauid had couered with cloudes of policie could not be hidden from his eie The lie of Ananias was written in capitall letters before him plaine to be red The sleights and conueiances of the vsurer cannot be couered with figgetree leaues from the sight of the almightie there is neither bribe giuen nor taken but God looketh vpon it there is no trecherie nor treason that can be hid from him Dominus videt is a short but a good lesson I beseeche you learne it and remember it that it may teache you to walke alwaies as in the sight of the Lord who will be a swift witnesse and a fierce iudge against euill doers who walke with Satan Which thing rightly and duly considered and weied would bridle these vntamed affections of ours and terrifie men from these heinous and wilfull sinnes Our Lorde graunt this good effect for his great mercies sake Thus haue you heard the occasion explication and application of these the prophets woords what way we may please God and pacifie his wrath what wee owe to our neighbours namely to deale iustly and mercifully with them not rashly to iudge of them easily to forgiue them and liberally to giue vnto them what wee owe likewise to our gratious GOD to wit to humble our selues lowlie before his maiestie and carefully zealously and continually to walke in his presence To this God euen our good and mercifull father with his sonne our sauiour the holy ghost our sanctifier three persons and one God bee all honour and glorie world without end Amen The thirteenth Sermon A Sermon made in Yorke at a visitation MATTH 21. 12 And Iesus went into the temple of God and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple and ouerthrewe the tables of the monie changers and the seates of them that sold Doues 13 And said to them It is written Mine house shall be called the house of praier but ye haue made it a denne of theeues THE Church and spouse of God hath beene euer most deare to the children of God Godly Princes haue alwaies carefully trauelled for the good preseruation and gouernement thereof Dauid that princely prophet Salomon that wise and mightie king Iehosaphat Ezechias Iosias Zorobabel with others most religious and woorthie men which bare excellent rule in their dominions haue painfully trauelled not onely to builde to amplifie and to inlarge the kingdome of God by setting forwarde true religion but also to purge and reforme his temple by taking away such defilementes and corruptions as grewe by meanes of carelesse gouernement The Apostles of Christ both among the Iewes and Gentiles did first plant Churches by the diligent preaching of the gospel and afterward with like care and diligence visite them to see in what state they stood that if any thing were gone to decaie it might in time be repaired This is recorded vnto vs in the historie of their acts and deedes and namely in the fifteenth chapter Christ the annointed king and priest the great sheepeheard of the sheepe the perfect example giuen vs to followe did not onely goe about through all Galilee and the costs of Iurie preaching the glad tidings of the gospell and confirming his heauenly doctrine with woonderfull miracles but as it is in this present historie declared perceiuing that through the subtiltie of Satan and couetousnesse of the priests the temple of God was prophaned in his pastorall care he visited it and in the zeale of God voided them out which did defile it Howe the fathers of the Church and chiefe pastors haue with great care and diligence euerie where at all times in al ages doone the like I neede not declare vnto you the histories are plaine and plentifull And thus considering my calling and the charge committed vnto me I thought my selfe by these former examples in dutie forced and in conscience bound not onely as much as in me lieth to feede the flocke
length become doubtful and vncertaine like a tale that passeth from man to man and is told as many waies as there are men to tel it Againe if once it be graunted that there is any part of the Lawe of GOD vnwritten if entraunce once be giuen to Lawes that passe by the word of mouth I would know when we should be able to say Nowe we haue all the statutes of God these we must obserue but moe we may not receiue The Marcionites they haue a doctrine as they say receiued from the Apostles by tradition without booke Valentinus he likewise vrgeth very stoutely Christ had many thinges to tel his Disciples which as then they could not beare and therefore his doctrine may not be tryed by the booke It is a tradition Let any thing but the written word of God take place in matters of faith and who seeth not that the very mainesea of heresies must needs breake in vpon the Church of Christ These are as we suppose causes iust allowable and sufficient in the indifferent iudgement of reasonable men why we should deliuer you no doctrine concerning faith religion but onely that which is in Scripture why we should admonish you to beware of bread sowred with pharisaical leuen and to feed vpon that which ye know came down from heauen to shun broken cisternes to come to the wel of liuing waters as here ye are exhorted by the Prophet 13 At this the aduerse part doth greatly storme they cannot abide to haue controuersies iudged onely by the scriptures They which make scripture onely the ground and foundation of faith are no fit builders for the Church of Rome When Constantinus required that those matters about which the Church was then veriehoat in contention might be decided onely according to those things which are written the aunswere of Hilarie was Hoc qui repudiat Antichristus est He which refuseth this is Antichrist Why then doe our aduersaries flie this kinde of triall why refuse they to goe to the lawe and testimonies there to be iudged The reason is rendred by the Prophet It is because there is no light in them They haue chosen to them selues another foundation than that of the Prophets and Apostles Wherefore as Herode to couer the basenesse of his stocke and to the end that in time he might be thought to be of the bloud royall burned the sacred monuments and bookes of the Iewes wherein the lineal descents pedigrees and genealogies of the kings of Israell were described so they to strengthen the authoritie of their base and ilfauoured grounds doe endeuour not onely in word and writing by contumelious and reprocheful termes to discountenance but also if the power of God were not greater than theirs by fire and flame to destroy for euer the eternall testament of the sonne of God We charge them with no corner attempts we haue seene the burning of these heauenly records we haue seene the verie handling of the booke of life punished with bitter and cruel death May we not iustly say to that man of sin as S. Augustine to Petilian Iudas Christū carnalem tradidit tu spiritualem furens Euangeliū sanctum flammis sacrilegis tradidisti Iudas betraied Christ in the flesh but tho◠in the spirite In thy furie thou hast deliuered the holy Gospel vnto heynous flames 14 But what are the grounds for which they haue thus furiously bent themselues against the writings of the holy Ghost The grounds whereupon they build such doctrines as cannot stand with the scriptures of God are fained miracles the record and witnesse of fowle spirits precepts of men muddie legends vncertaine traditions which grounds so long as the light of the Gospel shineth in mens eies so long as we haue the scriptures to direct vs in our iudgement are easily perceiued to be but bogges and false grounds but take away the scriptures put out the light and in darkenesse who can descrie what they are This is the onely reason why Antichrist doth so much striue to hoodwinke the worlde by conueying the scriptures out of sight 15 By the scriptures we learne that the comming of that wicked one shall be with power and signes and lying wonders and in all deceiueablenesse of vnrighteousnesse which when we heare it giueth vs plainly to vnderstand that miracles are rather to be taken for causes of reasonable suspition than infallible proofes of true doctrine But the Pope wel perceiueth that if the scriptures may be buried his miracles wil then stand him in good stead As soone as Philip preached the things that concerned the kingdome of God and the name of Iesus Christ to the people of Samaria they forsooke the sorceries of Simon Magus and beleeued the doctrine of the scriptures But till then they all gaue heede to witchcraft and their generall iudgement of Magus was This man is the power of the great God 16 In the scriptures we are charged to heare Moses and the Prophets In the scriptures we finde that Christ refused the testimonie of an vncleane spirit In the scriptures we haue learned how to aunswere them which sende vs either to diuels or dead mens ghosts to be schooled and taught Should not a people enquire at their God From the liuing to the dead But let it be prouided that such sentences as these may be no more remembred and then what is it which the Pope may not confirme by his pale and grislie witnesses when men doe not heare of these scriptures they will easily finde as good reason as Saul to open their eares and to listen vnto Satan God aunswereth me no more neither by Prophets nor by dreames Therefore I haue called thee that thou maist tel me what to doe 17 How often are we warned in scriptures to take heede that we build not religion vpon doctrines of men How sharply are the Corinthians taken vp by the Apostle for pinning themselues vpon mens sleeues saying I am of Paul and I of Appollos But if this were concealed who would controlle the Pope for diuiding his traine for appointing some to be of Benedict some of Frauncis some of Dominicke for exacting more rigorously the strict obseruation of their rules than the keeping of the Lawes and statutes of God 18 So long as the myst of poperie was thicke ynough to stoppe the light of the scriptures of GOD the fabulous legends of Saints liues were thought as true as the Gospel There they had with maruellous cunning conueyance interlaced all points of popish doctrine which being barely taught would by reason of the grossenesse of them haue beene loathed in short time but being mingled with straunge and pleasaunt fables and so powred both into young and tender wits as the first licour wherewith their mindes were seasoned and into olde heads as the onely thing that might hold them euen then when all other entries of delight were shut vp so long as they had but
an eare left were so effectual to deceiue al sorts of men that knowing this we cannot meruaile if poperie were spread far wide He did the Pope very profitable seruice which first found out this ground to builde on It bare vp their building a great while But after that the light began a litle to appeare when men had gotten once a sight of the scriptures in a knowen tongue they woondered to see the world so deluded in so much that euen amongst themselues such as had any small freedome of iudgement spared not plainely to auouche that this ground was but mire and slough altogether vnfitte for spiritual building Why that booke should be called a golden legend saith Viues for so it was intituled I doe not knowe sith it was written by a man of an yron mouth and a leaden heart and is altogether full of most shamelesse lies Erasmus likewise At this day saith he euerie bodies dreames yea the dotages of sillie women are read amongest diuine Scriptures 19 The last ground which they haue and the fairest to the eye is their traditions Vnder the name of doctrine receiued from Moses by word of mouth without writing that is to say tradition the Scribes and Pharisies were able smoothlie to carie away anything til Christ recalled all things to the Lawe the Psalmes and the Prophets til he opened the scriptures And as in other grounds so in this the Pope hath found by good experience that they cannot stand longer than the scriptures lie secret and vnknowen 20 He therefore that buildeth vpon these grounds hath cause I thinke to besturre hand and foote that men may be alwaies kept off from the scriptures For whatsoeuer is builded vpon these grounds by the scripture it is ouerthrowen The scriptures haue prescribed an holie communion they vpon their foundation haue reared a blasphemous Masse The scripture maketh baptisme the consecrated seale of mans saluation They vpon their foundation haue builded the baptisme of belles and shippes The scripture saith Christ was offered vp but once they vpon their foundation haue erected an altar whereupon he is daily offered vp The scripture wil haue the scriptures to be read of all men prayer to be made with vnderstanding Christ to be a full satisfaction for sinne worship to be doone vnto God alone They vpon their foundations haue builded a doctrine that forbiddeth Gods people to reade his word that teacheth them to powre out their prayer in a tongue which they cannot vnderstand that hath found out a way to satisfie the wrath of almightie God in this life by penaunce and after this life by indurance in Purgatorie a doctrine that commaundeth them to call vpon Saints and soules departed to worship the worke of their owne handes to say to a peece of bread My Lord my God If these doctrines of theirs did not containe as they doe most manifest impietie yet all religion builded vpon such grounds must needes be vaine and friuolous For although we offer vp neuer so many sacrifices though we keepe all the daies in the yere holie though we pray and giue thankes and doe almes yet except we knowe that herein we shewe obedience to the lawes and statutes of our God we doe but tire out our selues in vaine Wil God reward those things wherein he taketh no delight Or taketh he delight in any thing and hath not shewed it Or hath he shewed it and not in scripture Doubtlesse they worship him but in vaine which either teache or practise the precepts of men for the Lawes of God That they teache or practise the precepts of men they wil not graunt yet the most that possibly they can alledge to prooue any one of these things to be of God is this Such or such a father saith that this or this being not written is neuerthelesse Apostolicall And they knowe that the witnesses whom they cite in matters of tradition doe sometimes checke and contrarie one another In the controuersie that was betweene the East and West Churches concerning the feast of Easter the one part alledged tradition to prooue their custome and the other part tradition to prooue the contrarie It might be that neither was Apostolicall both could not be when eche gainesaide other Yet both must be if al be Apostolicall which the Fathers haue saide is Apostolicall If al be not where is the certaintie of these grounds Why doe they murther burne and persecute from place to place as many as make any doubt of these things which are grounded vpon so fickle and weake foundation 21 But to leaue the foundation whereupon they builde their doctrine if in the rest we finde them as corrupt as in this they haue beene declared weake surely then we may boldly affirme that the Church of Rome is rather a sinke of all abhomination than a fountaine from whence those liuing waters or a storehouse wherein that heauenly foode whereof the Prophet Esay speaketh may be had Let vs therefore nowe consider the end as wel of our religion as of theirs Let vs viewe the marke whereat eche part doeth shoote Whatsoeuer men doe they doe it to some end And the qualitie of things which are doone to any ende is iudged to be good or bad by the ende whereunto they are doone Hereof it is that in scripture things otherwise highly commended as prayer fasting and almes deedes are most bitterly reprooued when they tend to bad ends As there is but one author from whom all things are so there is but one end vnto whom al things should encline and bend themselues God is Alpha the first from whom all other things haue their being and beginning wherefore in reason he is Omega the end and finall cause of all things vpon him they must attend and seeing they are not of themselues therefore they may not serue themselues but for the glorie of him by whom they are From hence a rule may be gathered to iudge betweene pure religion in deede and that which is vntruely so called For that religion no doubt is best which most aduaunceth the glorie of God and that which taketh most from him the worst Ipsi gloria in Ecclesia In the Church of God all glorie is giuen not to men but to him This is the song of the true Church of Christ Righteousnesse O Lord belongeth vnto thee but vnto vs open shame 22 Wherefore touching our selues we teache with the blessed Apostles and Prophets that by nature we are the children of wrath that corruption is bredde and setled within our bones that we are both borne and begotten in it that with it all the powers and faculties of our nature are infected that still it cleaueth fast vnto our soules and although the deadly sting be taken from it yet there it sticketh as long as life doth endure so irkesome and so grieuous that it forceth the most vpright and perfect to crie Miserable man who shall deliuer me
common wealth What stirs diuersities of religion hath raised in nations kingdoms the histories are so many so plaine and our times in such sort haue told you that with further proofe I need not trouble your eares One God one king one faith one profession is fit for one monarchie common wealth Diuision weakneth Concord strēgtheneth The storie of Scilurus the Scythian is knowen who vpon his death bed taught his lxxx sons the force of vnitie by the strength of sticks weake by themselues when they are tyed in a bundle Let conformitie and vnitie in religion be prouided for and it shal be as a wall of defence vnto this Realme 26 And as these things are especially to be regarded as our principal care must be for the highest matters synceritie and vnitie in religion so we may not neglect or passe ouer smaller things which neede redresse For as diseases and sores in the basest and vilest parts of the body doe grieue and may endaunger the chiefest vnlesse they bee cured betimes so the least abuses by sufferance may worke the greatest harme Gorgeous apparel and sumptuous dyet with such like matters may seeme small things but they are the causes of no small euils They eate vp England and are therefore to bee repressed by straite Lawes It is a part of true seruice done vnto God to see euen vnto these things 27 Wee may seeme to cast our eyes very lowe when wee looke into the dealings of euerie officer vnder the Prince Yet euerie one must be seene vnto They waxe sodainely rich by the spoile of the Prince Reforme it by Lawe that all may walke in trueth If merchaunts with other artificers and meaner trades doe inriche themselues by impouerishing others through deceitfull shifts the common wealth suffereth dammage by their vneuen dealings If we wil haue God serued in trueth wee must by Lawe reforme them 28 That biting worme of vsurie that deuouring wolfe hath consumed many many it hath pulled vpon their knees and brought to beggerie many such as might haue liued in great wealth and in honour not a fewe This canker hath corrupted all England It is become the chiefe chaffer and merchaundise of England We shall doe God and our countrie true seruice by taking away this euill Represse it by Lawe else the heauie hand of God hangeth ouer vs and wil strike vs. 29 That vile sinne of adulterie in Gods common wealth punished with death so ouerfloweth the bankes of all chastitie that if by sharpe Lawes it be not speedily cut off God from heauen with fire will consume it Preuent Gods wrath bridle this outrage so shal you serue the Lord in truth 30 There is nothing more hurtfull to the common wealth than these corner contracts without consent of parents contrary to the woorde of God the Lawe of nature the Lawe ciuil and all right and reason The inconueniences that followe are not sufferable Euaristus a Bishop of Rome saith It is not wedlocke but whoredome when the consent of parents is wanting God cannot bee better serued than if by Lawe yee restraine this vnlawfull contracting The children of this inconuenient mariage may scarsely bee termed lawfull The deuill that hath euer hated wedlocke and loueth whoredome was the first author of this great disorder God graunt you vnderstanding heartes and willing mindes faithfully and in trueth to trauell to represse and take away these euils 31 And as euill is to be controlled by Lawe so that which is good is also by Lawe to be procured God hath made vs many wayes riche For what wee haue freely at his hands we haue it But he himselfe is become very poore in so much that for want of reliefe he is forced to begge and for want of lodging and meate hee lieth and dieth in our streetes This great ingratitude God cannot but reuenge Oh what shame is this to a Christian common wealth in a reformed countrie Obstinate Iewes would neuer shew themselues so vnthankful Their auncient Lawe forbidding beggars is euen to this day most straitly kept amongest them Lawes in this behalfe haue beene prouided but as they wanted perfection so haue they in manner in no point or any where had execution Serue God in trueth prouide that Christ craue not Such as wil not feede him here he wil neuer feede in his kingdome Thus haue I point by point let you see disorders and wants in the common wealth Ye haue authoritie by Lawe to reforme them Consider duetifully of it and serue God truely as ye ought alwayes remembring the saying of the Prophet Esay Woe be to them that make wicked Lawes 32 When good Lawes are made they must be put in execution Lawe is the life of the common wealth and execution the life of the Lawe And better not to make Lawes than not to execute Lawes when they are once made This is the dutie of the publike ministers of the common wealth They must first keepe Lawes themselues then see that others in like sort may obserue them If the officers and ministers of the common wealth contemne lawes doubtlesse the people wil neuer reuerence them if they breake them the people wil neuer keep them Which Solon wisely considering wisely aunswered being demaunded what was chiefe safetie for a common wealth If the Citizens obey the Magistrate and the Magistrate the Lawes You that are appointed to this purpose and put in trust therewith lay aside dread and meede fauour and friendship gift and gaine and with simplicitie of heart punish the transgressor of the Lawe according to the Law Make not Anacharsis webbe of the Lawe Let not the hornet escape and the litle flie bee caught Fewe Lawes well made and well kept would serue the turne This is Gods seruice the execution thereof he hath set ouer to your hands Serue him in trueth and singlenesse of heart Cursed is he that negligently doeth the worke of the Lorde 33 Thus much hath beene spoken concerning higher powers and of their duetie in the seruice of God Samuel speaketh not to them alone to the people it is spoken as well as to the prince Feare and serue ye the Lorde in trueth Feare God embrace the Gospel leade your liues in holinesse and righteousnesse according to the word of trueth The Lorde is a strong defence to them that feare him They that feare him want nothing 34 Giue vnto the Lordes annointed due reuerence and honour Let euerie soule be subiect not by constraint but for conscience sake Imitate those worthie Israelites who were so willingly obedient to Iosua that they cryed with one voice Whosoeuer shall rebell against thy commaundement and will not obey thy woordes in all that thou commaundest him let him die Grudge not repine not at higher powers say not in your hearts Let vs breake their bands and cast away their chaines from vs. 35 Seeke the peace of the common wealth and
remembring vs when wee litle hoped and lesse deserued deliuered vs from the state of miserable seruitude and gaue vs our gratious Soueraigne his owne elect Elizabeth by his grace our prince and gouernour the restorer of our religion and libertie Lorde shewe vs the light of thy fauourable countenance multiplie these good daies graunt vs many of these happie yeres O Lord I praie thee saue nowe O Lord I pray thee now giue prosperitie Lord preserue whō thou hast giuen giue her O Lord good successe and prosperitie Eusebius the Bishop of Cesarea thought himselfe much honoured that he was appointed to celebrate with a Sermon the Inauguration of Constantinus the Emperour Euen so I take it for my great good happe that it falleth to my lot at this present to put you in remembraunce of the great happinesse which hath befallen vs as on this day that we may reioice and be thankefull for it 3 And for the better performance hereof as the publike minister of the Church I bring vnto you the voice of the Church a part of the most excellent song of Solomon Which at the first sight although it may seeme a strange peece of scripture and skantly fit for this time yet when it shall be throughly considered of it wil appeare very pertinent to our time and purpose For herein is contained a doctrine touching the mercies of God towards vs the malitious frowardnesse of his and our enemies and our duetie towards him concerning them Our vineyard hath flourished behold the meere grace and fauour of God towardes his Church Litle foxes deuoure it behold the ingratitude of the people resisting the grace of God and abusing his mercie Take vs these litle foxes behold the commaundement of God and the duetie of his seruaunts Of these three things in order as they lie my purpose is by Gods assistance to speake 4 The Church of God by a metaphor is many times in the scriptures termed a vineyard neither can there bee a better resemblance in any thing and that in diuerse respects But because it were more curious than profitable particularly to follow the comparison I wil onely remember vnto you the chiefe parts The vineyard that shall fructifie must fall into the hands of a skilful and laboursome husbandman who first must weede it stone it and prepare it then he must in season and with cunning plant a good vine that will beare a pleasaunt grape in it water vnderprop and prune it and lastly compasse it about with a ditche a strong wall or a sure hedge for defence Such a vineyard must needes bring foorth good fruite God of his goodnesse hath prouided for this vineyard his church of England all these helpes aboundantly he hath beautified it and furnished it most plentifully with rare and woonderfull blessings 5 He hath giuen it a skilfull ouerseer one indued with al gifts and qualities fit for gouernement An vnwise King destroyeth his people but where they that be in authoritie are men of vnderstanding there the Citie prospereth Be wise therefore O ye Kings be learned ye Iudges of the earth saith the Prophet It pleased the Lord greatlie that Solomon asked rather wisedome than riches knowledge than honour Giue vnto thy seruaunt O Lord an vnderstanding heart to iudge thy people that I may discerne betweene good and bad If learning and wisedome be so necessarily required in a gouernor how great is the goodnesse of almightie God to vs ward which hath so plentifully bestowed this gift of knowledge and wisdome vpon our Soueraigne not farre inferior to Mithridates for diuersitie of languages but farre surmounting al former English princes in learning knowledge and vnderstanding which rare and excellent gift dwelleth not in her royall brest alone but is beautified and accompanyed with sundrie other most singuler graces She is the verie patronesse of true religion rightly termed The defender of the Faith one that before all other things seeketh the kingdome of God If the threatenings of men could haue terrified her or their allurements entised her or any craftie perswasions haue preuailed she had reuolted long ere this so fiercely by great Potentates her constancie hath beene assaulted But God hath strengthened his royall handmaide the feare of God hath put to flight the feare of men her religious heart is accepted of the Lord and glorious it is also in the eyes of the worlde A Prince so zealous for Gods house so firmely setled in his trueth that she hath constantly determined and oftentimes vowed rather to suffer all torments than one iot to relent in matter of religion She is not fraudulent and treacherous but dealeth iustly and truely in woord and deede with all men promiseth and performeth Herein her Maiestie passeth all princes and therefore in credite she is farre before others And her great desire is that all men placed in authoritie vnder her should deale truely iudge rightly and giue to euery man his owne according to iustice matching alwaies with iustice mercie which two are so linked and coupled together that they may not be seuered Iustice without mercie is too sharpe and rigorous and mercie without iustice is not mercie but follie That no Prince of this Realme inclining so much to mercie did euer lesse hinder the course of Iustice than her Highnesse hath doone such as are placed in Iudiciall roumes must needes confesse So truely it may be saide The scepter of thy kingdome is a righteous scepter thou louest iustice and hatest sinne Of nature a prince most mercifull in iudgement vpright and iust A prince voide of all corruption an hater of bribes free in bestowing in taking close handed one that hath learned and doeth practise our Sauiours lesson It is a more blessed thing to giue than to receiue A right Samuel that cannot bee charged with indirect dealing A prince milde as Moses iust as Samuel peacefull as Solomon zealous as Dauid Neither speake I this in flatterie which thing be farre from me but in an vpright conscience not of gesse but of knowledge not seeking my selfe but the glorie of God that being put in minde of your happinesse yee may praise God for his mercie and glorifie him in his gratious gifts Thus hath God blessed this vineyard his Church with a learned wise religious iust vncorrupt milde mercifull peacefull and zealous Prince to gouerne it A great blessing the Lord continue it and make vs thankefull for it 6 This skilfull manurer of the vineyard must first ridde the ground purge the Church The barnefloore must be cleansed before the haruest be brought in Ieremie commaundeth the thornes first to be rooted out and then the seede to bee cast into the ground Moses gaue charge to cast out all leauen before the people might celebrate the passeouer Iosua willed the Cananites to be expelled ere he would establish his common wealth of Israel Iacob would not sacrifice vnto God till he had purged his house of Idols The like
remember vnto you for offending your chast eares the horrible filthinesse wherewith those learned Scribes those holie fathers those maiden priests those foxes were infected the smell whereof ascended vp into heauen and cryed out for vengeaunce against them Spirituall and corporall whoredome for the most part go together Who was more hoat in the seruice of Baal than Iesabel that deuoute hypocrite and yet she was but a painted harlot When Israel gaue themselues to Idolatrie they foorthwith fel vnto whoredome Mens life and religion are for the most part like a sound faith a sweete behauiour men gather not figges of thornes neither can their outward conuersation be pure whose inward perswasion is not good These are they that destroy the vines Whereunto euen nowe they haue prepared themselues For this ende and purpose they gather themselues together they boldly haue their conuenticles they contriue treacherie and deuise how to destroy the vineyard and church of God In the late euill times the professors of the Gospel found no such libertie But the saying of Christ is verified Foxes haue holes but the sonne of man hath not where to hide his head 18 Two especiall meanes they vse in seeking to destroie the vineyard force and perswasion Force of two sorts open and secret Open force of persecution that cruell beast hath alwaies practised from time to time What prince hath hee not stirred vp what nation hath he not armed to persecute the professors of true religion with fire and sword The red bloudie dragon doeth still vexe the woman with her childe Christ with his church The practise hereof all Nations haue felt and Englande cannot forget The late rebellion in this Realme raised for no other cause but by force to subuert religion by no other man than the father of these foxes is fresh in memorie 19 When by open force this beast cannot quench his thirst with the bloud of his Saints then he practiseth by secret deuises Sometimes vnder pretense of mariage and faithfull affinitie he leadeth Princes blindefold to the house of slaughter sometimes vnder colour of giuing aide to possesse kingdomes he dispossesseth them both of their state and of their life sometimes he offereth league and confederacie with such as in heart he deadly hateth thereby to stay their force till he may fitly practise his purposed mischiefe When these practises will not serue then they sell themselues to satan as did Pope Syluester they enter into an execrable league with the diuell and labour by incantation coniuration magicke sorcerie and witchcraft to consume kill and destroie the Lords annointed by picturing c. When inchantments wil not serue that no poysoned deuise be left vnattempted they flie to poysonings which practise of theirs hath taken effect in diuers Henrie the Emperour receiued poyson in sacramentall bread Victor the Pope in sacramentall wine Wherein it is to bee noted by the way that if they did offer the bodie and bloud of Christ indeede as they pretend to doe they could not mingle that sacred and glorified substance with poison Of late noble Dandelot with others haue drunke of the like cuppe So these foxes conceiue mischiefe and bring foorth most monstrous and cruel wickednesse both by open violence and by secret treacherie 20 The other meane whereby they labour to hinder the course of the Gospel and to subuert religion is fraude the naturall propertie of a foxe This fraude is practised after sundrie sorts First they labour to seduce the simple by perswasion Of persuasion they haue sundrie kindes As first the Antiquitie of their religion their fathers olde faith But they should remember that their religion is as newe as false sixe hundred yeeres after Christ vnknowne The substance of our religion is most ancient shalbe most permanent it was from the beginning it shal remaine to the end no iot nor title therof shal perish In matter of religion we may not followe our fathers further than they haue followed our Master Christ. We must thinke not what others haue said or doone before but what he which is before all others hath saide and doone Heare him The scripture hath giuen vs warning to be warie in this point God fed Israel with wormewood and gaue them waters of gall to drinke because they walked after Baalims which their fathers taught them 21 Another ground whereupon they builde their perswasion is the Authoritie of the Church and of the Pope which cannot erre There is a church of God and a synagogue of Satan The Church of God is builded vpon the doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets The true church hath her markes whereby she is knowne The Gospel truely preached The sacraments syncerely ministred discipline duely executed The popish church hath neither the true foundation nor yet the right marks of the church of God her foundation is Man her markes are blasphemie Idolatrie superstition Christ is the head of his bodie the Church This head cannot erre the head of the church Antichristian is the Pope that man of sinne a lier yea a verie father of lies 22 From these general perswasions they traine the people to particulars teaching many other shamefull things but this aboue all other as most needefull to be held of all that the masse is a sacrifice auaileable for quicke and dead strong and effectuall to take away sinne forcible in ridding soules out of Purgatorie paines But S. Paul teacheth that Christ was offered vp once to take away all sinne and by that one oblation because it was perfect obteined the full deliuerie and redemption of his Church The bloud of Christ doeth cleanse vs from all sinne Therefore we neede not their aftercleansings which in trueth are defilings With these and other like false and subtile perswasions they leade the simple people to the pit of destruction 23 Or if they cannot preuaile by such perswasions they finde out Prophecies and therewith fil the peoples eares they haue the bookes of Merlin and other phantasticall spirits full of doubtfull sayings and deceitful dreames of these they make such constructions and expositions as may serue their purpose all tending to this ende that alteration is neere that the state will not continue that religion cannot endure long such and such times when this chaunge should be they haue presumed more than once to appoint But their times-master hath deceiued them they haue found him a lying spirite in the mouth of his Prophets This practise of Satan and of his impes hath brought sundrie great persons and noble houses to confusion Let their posteritie take example and warning by them 24 They haue left no meanes vnattempted whereby the hearts of the people might any way be seduced Wherefore vnto other their deceitfull practises they haue ioyned the offer of reconciliation The Pope hath sent his proctors abroad to pardon whatsoeuer is alreadie past so that men will nowe forsake the church of Christ and ioyne themselues vnto
Ed. the sixt more syncerely affected towardes the Gospel of Christ. Looke vpon other princes at this day some are drunken with the poisoned cup of that harlot whose venome her Highnesse doeth abhorre some haue imbrued themselues in bloud wherewith her Maiestie did neuer yet staine the tip of her finger when they tumble in warre shee sitteth in peace when they breake othes and couenaunts she keepeth promise therefore God hath blessed the worke of her handes shee found this Realme in warre she hath established it in peace she found it in debt which she hath discharged she hath chaunged drosse into siluer and golde she hath by liuing within compasse and sparing wastfull expences without pressing the people or seeking more than ordinarie and vsuall tribute furnished this Lande with so great a Nauie with such store of armour and warlike munition both for defence and offence as Englande neuer had in former times This I speake not of flatterie it was neuer my fault but rather in synceritie testifying the trueth that seeing your happinesse you may be thankefull and considering the wonderful mercies of God ye may fall into that meditation of the Prophet What shall I render vnto the Lord All his benefites are vpon me I will receiue the cup of saluation and call vpon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vowes vnto the Lord euen now in the presence of all his people God hath loden vs with all his benefites Farre be it from vs that our vnthankefulnesse should bereaue vs of this felicitie That we heare the sound of bels and not the thundering of gunnes that our goods are not spoiled our houses rased our landes extended our bodies imprisoned our wiues and children murthered before our eies that mercie and trueth are met together that righteousnesse and peace haue kissed eche other that in libertie of bodie and freedome of conscience we may assemble thus together in the house of God to make our praiers to heare his word to receiue these holie and heauenlie mysteries doe we thinke it a small or a light or a common benefite How should we requite the Lord We haue nothing in vs woorthie the name of recompence All that we can render or repaie for that which we haue receiued is before we craue more to be mindefull and thankeful of that we haue obteined alreadie to take vp the cuppe of saluation call vpon the name of the Lord in the presence of all the people let supplications praiers intercessions and giuing of thankes bee made for Kings this one paiment doeth aboundantly satisfie God for all graces benefites and blessings which by the meanes of good Kings haue beene powred vpon vs. 13 Neither let vs praie for our prince only but also for al such as God hath placed in authoritie vnder her For euerie power is of God whether it be Ecclesiastical or Ciuil power We must praie for all those that be in authoritie be they good or bad for the continuance of the one and the amendement of the other Our praier for Ecclesiasticall powers must bee that GOD would place ouer his people good guides louing and wise sheepheards such as may carefully gouerne the flocke ouer which the holie Ghost doeth make them ouerseers such as Peter that will feede as much as in them lyeth such as Paul that will preache in season and out of season that wil soundly instruct sharpely improoue seuerely correct and diligently guide such as Iohn that feare not to reprooue kings to their faces as Elias which wil not spare to punish transgressors that the Church may bee deliuered from such as Iudas and Magus buyers and sellers from false prophets from sacrificing Balamites from deuouring wolues wilie foxes insatiable dogges dumme curres deceitfull workemen makers of diuision Idol pastors vnsauourie salt such as make their bellie their God their preferrement their religion lewdely and worldly minded men Our praier for them in whose handes Ciuil gouernement lyeth must be that for as much as one is vnable to beare the burthen of a commonwealth alone such according to the counsel of Iethro may be chosen as be Salomons not Nabals men of wisedome and not dotterels men of experience that can and of courage that wil both wisely and boldly discharge their duetie men like to Gedeon and not to Pilate such as wil not feare the face of Caesar when they should doe right men able mightily to put downe sinne men that feare God syncerely being louers of the trueth not secret fosterers of superstition men that hate couetousnesse and are not takers of bribes to peruert iudgement men like to Samuel not the sonnes of Samuel Woe be to that people which is led with blinde guides and woe be to that common wealth which is ruled with base bad and euil gouernours 14 Let vs therefore blesse God if we haue good rulers and praie that we may reape the good fruite of them that is to say that we may leade a peaceable and quiet life vnder them with all godlinesse and honestie Herein we haue two things to be considered the duetie of rulers and the duetie of them which liue vnder rulers Kings and such as are in authoritie must seeke the peace pietie and honestie of the people the people thus gouerned must leade a peaceable a godlie and honest life vnder them It was saide to the Iewes which liued in captiuitie but may serue as a profitable lesson for all that haue soueraigntie ouer others Seeke the prosperitie of the Citie In the peace thereof you shall haue peace Salomon hath this commendation especially giuen him in scripture as a notable effect of his wonderfull wisedome He had peace on all sides Iuda and Israel dwelt without feare euerie man sate quiet vnder his vine and vnder his figgetree all the daies of Salomon Our Sauiour Christ is called the Prince of Peace hee brought peace into the world at his Natiuitie the Angels sung Peace on earth at what time he was borne there was peace amongst all people Ezechias likewise sought the peace of his Countrie by earnest and heartie praier Let there be peace and trueth in my daies 15 The long and honourable peace which wee haue enioied and doe enioie is in the eies of all that doe beholde it woonderful the more because the procurer of our peace hath beene carefull therewithal to haue pietie and true religion planted and continued amongest vs. Doubtlesse they that so watche ouer the people committed vnto their charge shewe that they are neither coldly affected towards God nor vncharitably towards their people Dauid Salomon Iehosaphat Asa Ezechias Iosias are commended of God for good rulers because they were religious feared God These louing the Lawe of the Lord themselues laboured by all meanes to make the people partakers also of the like loue These were in deede the Nurces of the Church hauing the same affection and kindehearted inclination which the blessed Apostle had towardes them of
cannot be where the other is not Walke honestly because the daies are euil denie impietie and worldely lustes liue soberly iustly godlily in this present world looking for that blessed hope and appearing of the glorie of the mightie God our Sauiour Iesus Christ. If we wil be Christs Disciples let vs treade in his footsteps If we follow him here in peace pietie and honestie we shall receiue in his kingdome that crowne of eternal glorie which God the father for his sonnes sake grant vs to whom with the holie Ghost three persons and one God be all honour and glorie now and for euer Amen The fifth Sermoni A Sermon preached before the Queene PHILIPPIANS 2. 2 Be like minded hauing the same loue being of one accord and of one iudgement 3 That nothing be doone through contention or vaine glorie but that in meekenesse of minde euerie man esteeme other better than himselfe 4 Looke not euerie man on his owne things but euerie man also on the things of other men 5 Let the same minde be in you that was in Christ Iesus THE Apostle of our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christ with a most vehement spirit and most earnest obtestation doeth here exhort the Philippians if there were any consolation in Christ any comfort of charitie any communion of the spirite any bowels of tender affections or any compassion in them they would to the fulfilling of his ioie followe peace vnitie loue and brotherly concord remoouing withall the lets thereof and shewing the meanes how vnitie loue and concord may be continued and preserued And that his exhortation might be of greater authoritie and so take better effect he setteth downe our Sauiour Christ as an example who is the God of vnitie and peace the Lorde of loue and the liueliest patterne of all pietie and sweetenesse of maners requiring of vs as we professe Christ in name and worde so in minde and in deede to be so affected as Iesus Christ himselfe was 2 Be like minded hauing the same c. We haue here an exhortation and an example so linked and tied together the one depending vpon the other that they cannot well be sundred My purpose therefore is iointly to laie them both before you and in explicating the one to propose the other The exhortation is this Bee like minded hauing the same loue being of one accorde and of one iudgement That nothing be doone through contention or vaine glorie but in meekenesse of minde euerie man esteeme other better than him selfe Looke not euerie man on his owne things but euerie man also on the things of other men Vpon this exhortation followeth the example Let the same minde be in you that was in Christ Iesus The exhortation standeth vpon three parts First he mooueth vnto vnitie saying Be ye like minded hauing the same loue and this vnitie by way of interpretation he diuideth into two members Be of one accord and of one iudgement Of one iudgement in matters of religion and of one accord in brotherly loue In the second part he remooueth the lets of this vnitie and concord saying Let nothing be doone through contention and vaine glorie These are great hinderances to vnitie and concord Lastly he telleth the meanes whereby agreement and loue may be vpholden maintained saying In meekenesse of minde let euery man esteeme other better than himselfe Looke not euery man to his owne things but euerie man also to the things of other men Here hee setteth downe two preseruatiues and defences of vnitie and loue the one in humblenesse of minde to thinke better of others than of our selues the other not to looke vpon our owne things onely but euerie man also on the things of other men 3 The Apostle requireth of vs a double vnitie in Religion and in brotherly concord Both are so necessarie that the one cannot stand long if the other fall Vnitie in religion is a thing most to be desired What is the woorst thing of all others Dissention What the best Vnitie peace and agreement Thus thought Gregorie And we reade that the Gospel had his beginning in vnitie The multitude of them which beleeued had one heart and one soule Schisme had his beginning of dissention I am of Paul I of Apollos I of Cephas this was that which rent the church of God in peeces The Church is called the kingdome of God the Arke of Noah the bodie of Christ to teache vs that it should be at vnitie in it selfe For a house a ship a bodie diuided cannot continue By themselues they are brought to ruine Wherefore together with the blessed Apostle I beseech you brethrē by the name of our Lord Iesus Christ that ye all speake one thing and that there be no dissentions among you but bee yee knit together in one minde and in one iudgement 4 But we must consider which is true vnitie For euerie agreement is not that concord whereunto we are in this place exhorted Lucifer with other Angels consented together Eue and Adam and the serpent were all of one minde so were the builders of the tower of Babel so were they of Sodome a puero vsque ad senem from the childe to the man of graie haires so were Dathan and Abiram with their complices so were the woorshippers of the golden calfe so were the sacrificers in Dan and Bethel so were Pilate and Herode so were the Iewes that cried with one voice Let him be crucified and so are they which haue ioined themselues in holie league with no other intent than those wicked confederates had of whom the Prophet saith They assembled themselues together against the Lord and against his Christ. But it is vnitie of the spirit vnitie in the truth vnitie in Christ and in his gospell whereunto our Apostle here exhorteth vs. The name of peace is goodly and the opinion of consent saith Hilarie is a faire and a beautiful thing but who doubteth that the linked peace of the Church and of the Gospell is that peace only which is of Christ which he spake of to his Apostles after his glorious passion which he commended at his departure as the pawne of his euerlasting commaundement All other peace is no peace indeede Nor is he ioined to the Church saith Cyprian who is seuered and sundered from the Gospell S. Paul moouing men to vnitie in religion saith This is all one thing but he addeth further according to Iesus Christ. The citie whereof the Prophet speaketh which is at vnitie within it selfe must be builded vpon the foundation of the Apostles and of the Prophets For what a concord is that which is at strife with Christ Vnitie must be in veritie Thy word is veritie in this we must agree Let vs not heare This I say This thou saiest but This saith the Lorde For vnitie in religion not grounded vpon Christ and his Gospel is not concord but conspiracie 5 And here
euerie good worke 5 The Prophet beeing inflamed with a desire of knowledge and vnderstanding sawe no other waie to attaine thereunto but by ioyning with continuall meditation earnest prayer Teache me thy waies O Lord Giue me vnderstanding Shewe me thy Law He knewe that praying was as needefull altogether as reading that if there be any difference at all it is this By praying we profite more than by reading 6 As he desireth to be taught so it is especially to bee noted that his desire is to be taught of God Teache thou me O Lorde There is none that can open the sealed booke of God but onely the Lion of the tribe of Iuda the roote of Dauid the Lambe of God For Thou art woorthie to take the booke and to open the seuen seales thereof because thou wast slaine and hast redeemed vs to God by thy bloud It is he that hath the keie of Dauid which openeth and no man shutteth shutteth and no man openeth For the outward reading of the word without the inward working of his spirite is nothing The precise Pharisees the learned Scribes red the Scriptures ouer and ouer againe they not onely red them in bookes but woore them on their garments they were not onely taught but were able themselues to teache others But because this heauenly teacher had not instructed them their vnderstanding was darkened their knowledge was but vanitie they were ignoraunt altogether in that sauing trueth which the Prophet Dauid is so desirous to learne The mysteries of saluation were so hard to be conceiued of the verie Apostles of Christ Iesus that he is forced many times sharpely to rebuke them for their dulnesse which vnlesse he himselfe had remooued by opening the eyes of their mindes they could neuer haue attained to the knowledge of saluation in Christ Iesus The eares of that woman Lydia would haue beene as close shut against the preaching of Paul as any others if the finger of God had not touched and opened her heart As many as learne they are taught of God and no man knoweth the father but he to whom it pleaseth the sonne to reueale him There is but one teacher in the schoole of Christ hee it is that leadeth vnto all trueth 7 Nowe although Christ onely openeth the booke of knowledge giueth vnderstanding and reuealeth vnto vs the wil of his father although the spirite onely bee the schoolemaster that inwardly guideth the heart in the way of trueth yet may wee not gape for reuelations as the Anabaptists doe or thinke that God hath reuealed vnto vs whatsoeuer wee doe vainely imagine and conceiue in our braines For as there is a spirite of truth so there is also a lying spirit S. Iohn therefore giueth vs a caueat not to credit euerie spirit but to trie spirits whether they be of God or no. We are to bee taught of God yet by such meanes as God hath appointed The riche man beeing in torments craued reuelations for his brethren to whom it was aunswered They haue Moses and the Prophets God doth teache inwardly but by outward meanes He spake in old time by Angels by dreames by visions by reuelations But now in these latter daies he hath spoken by his sonne and he by his ministers He taught the Eunuch but it was by Philip he taught Cornelius but it was by Peter he taught Paul but it was by Ananias 8 But howsoeuer or by whomsoeuer we taught the thing which we must learne is the woord of God not the decrees and decretals of Popes not the quiddities of too curious schoolemen not lying legends not amorous arts not the daungerous discourses of Politikes voide of the feare of God denying defacing Christian religion This is not our schoole these are not our studies What we should desire to learne the Prophet sheweth by the words following Thy waies 9 This word WAIE by a translation or metaphor in the scripture hath sundrie significations Sometime it is taken for doctrine as thou teachest the WAIE of God truely sometimes for religion as when S. Paul saith I persecuted this WAIE and againe According to this WAIE which they call heresie I woorship the God of my Fathers sometimes it is taken for the course and order of a mans life as in the words of the Prophet Esay The Lord taught mee that I should not walk in the WAIE of this people sometimes for the counsels and purposes of men so Elihu meant it saying His eyes are vpon the WAIES of man and he seeth all his goings The waie which the Prophet heere would learne of God is true religion the doctrine of his holie wil in his word reuealed but chieflie the doctrine of the true Messias promised the waie of trueth it selfe hee onely being the waie the trueth and the life hauing giuen vs an example that we should followe his steps who did no sinne Now as God hath his waie so man hath his My waies are not your waies The waies of Christ and Antichrist of the Church of God and the Synagogue of Satan of religion and superstition these are contrarie eche to other Christ saith of himselfe I am the waie In the knowledge of this waie S. Paul glorieth I esteemed to knowe nothing but Christ Iesus and him crucified and in the knowledge of this waie the Prophet desireth to be taught of God Teach me thy waie O Lord. 10 To this petition he addeth a promise first to walke and secondly to walke in trueth We may not be idle We are created vnto good workes which God hath prepared that we might walke in them Wee are redeemed and bought with a price not to doe nothing or to liue as we list but to serue him which hath redeemed vs. Our Sauiour could in no wise abide idlenesse Why stand ye still Saint Paul would haue all men to be stirring Let euerie man walke Not one is excepted not one can be dispensed withall Whosoeuer hee bee that will not labour let him not eate For it is good that euerie man should eate his bread in the sweate of his browes And worke in the wise mans iudgement is euen as needefull for men as meate There is no such bane to a common wealth or kingdome no such poison to the maners of euerie particular man as idlenesse is Examples we haue too many in all ages Idlenesse in Dauid was a cause of lewdenesse so that it is not good no not for Princes to bee idle Idlenesse was the roote of all that filth in Sodoma Israel in the absence of Moses being idle fell to feasting dauncing and idolatrie And therefore seeing that such as bee idle are subiect to so many noysome temptations S. Ieroms counsell is this See thou be alwaies dooing somewhat that the diuell may finde thee occupied he that is out of good exercise is easilie snared of the diuell And idlenesse saith S.
to bee celebrated yet neither purgatorie nor praier neither any other after helps can be auaileable for the partie departed and therefore wee must nowe sowe as hereafter we will reape Cast away impietie and worldly concupiscence and liue a sober a iust and a godlie life looking for the blessed hope and the appearance of the glorie of the great God and of our Sauiour Iesus Christ. Here we are as Christs souldiers appointed to fight a good fight to fulfill our course to keepe the faith and so to looke for the promised crowne of glorie which God will giue to such as looke for and loue his comming 5 Whereof Iob is a good remembrance vnto vs. All the daies of this my warfare doe I waite till my chaunging shall come In which words we haue three things chiefly to bee considered First that our whole life is a warfare Secondly that this warre will haue an ende Thirdly that this end is daily to be looked for 6 He which saith here I waite all the daies of this my warrefare saith otherwhere also Mans life is a warrefare vpon earth In this Christian warre some be generals some captaines some trumpetors the rest be common and ordinarie souldiers Euerie one must keepe his standing answere his calling fight and manfully striue for the victorie 7 Kings and princes are generals Gods lieuetenaunts vpon earth to defend Gods people to set them in order to see them well gouerned to fight in Gods quarell to preferre and promote Gods cause They should serue the Lorde the king of kings in feare Imbrace the sonne aduaunce true religion Seeke the kingdome of heauen wherein doth consist their victorie and glorie This they will doe if they be zealous in Gods cause if they be in deede the Nurces of his Church they will hate his enemies with perfect hatred they will punish transgressors protect the innocent execute iustice and iudgement without respect of persons So shal they militare Christo doe the office of a good general in Gods warre Such generals were Dauid Iehosaphat Ezechias and Iosias These generals are placed of God and therefore of dutie to be obeyed Let euerie soule be subiect to the higher power for there is no power but of God God giueth good princes as a blessing and the same God giueth euill princes as a curse He gaue Samuel in his fauour and in his wrath the gaue Saul He maketh an hypocrite to raigne for the sins of the people These generals haue authority frō the Lord of Hosts to draw the sword against transgressors and to execute martial law according to such limitatiō as God hath prescribed 8 The captaines are the Nobilitie put in their seueral authorities our seuerall bands They must valiantly goe before striue and stand for Gods cause giue good example to their souldiers in honest behauiour in painefull trauell according to their callings So vpright in all their dooings that the people may be enforced to iustifie them as the Israelites did their Samuel Good captaines make good souldiers 9 The trumpetors are the ministers of Gods woord by the blast of the trumpe both to giue warning of the enemie and also to order the going forward of the armie To these men God saith Crie out alowde leaue not off lift vp thy voice like a trumpet and shewe my people their offences If these men be dumme dogges and sound not the trumpet as well to forewarne as to guide Gods armie The perishing bloud shall bee required at their handes by whom it hath beene betraied Paul was faithfull and skilfull to sound this trumpe and to sound it in season to striue for the truth and to powre out his bloud in Gods quarell He ended his daies like a man full of valour I haue fought a good fight I haue fulfilled my course I haue kept the faith His faithfull heart was carefull for the whole armie of God I haue care of all the Churches 10 The common souldiers must keepe their stand and station in all obedience and readinesse stowtly they must fight vnder Christs victorious banner They are not trifles for which they striue Therefore let them not shrinke nor cowardly runne away but with an inuincible courage in an assured hope of the victorie abide all warrelike miseries sustained with the comfort of that reward which no man shall receiue except he striue lawfully No man that laieth his hand to the plough and looketh backeward is woorthie of the kingdome of heauen But hee that endureth to the ende shall be saued 11 Now we must striue for Christ and not for Antichrist for the truth and not against it I can doe nothing against the trueth but for the truth saith S. Paul For the gospel and not for the doctrine of man for true religion and not for superstition must wee striue But our striuing for the most part is all awrie and wicked Wee striue who may be the prowdest pretending equalitie wee striue in deede for superioritie Neither equall nor superior can wee abide wee striue how to supplant and ouerthrowe one another Enuie hath made men impudent striuing to vndermine and cast downe the wals of innocencie striuing how to place and how to displace how to disgrace and how to bring into fauour howe to set vp and how to throwe downe And in so dooing wee striue against our selues and for the aduauntage of our deadly foes This warre is not Christian this is not to striue lawfully This is not to fight a good fight This victorie shall not be crowned 12 Our principall and common enemies against whom wee must all iointly fight are the diuell the world and the flesh The diuell is strong and subtile a roaring Lion and an olde Serpent of long and great experience So soone as we professe to be Christs souldiers as a malitious and fierce enemie hee inuadeth vs. My sonne if thou wilt come into the seruice of God stand fast in righteousnesse and feare and arme thy soule to temptation Christ himselfe was tempted immediatly after that he was baptized His waies of assault are these He perswadeth to euill he either hindereth or infecteth that which is good that no action which we doe may be pleasant in the sight of God Hee tempteth and ouercommeth euen the perfectest as he did Adam the strongest as he did Sampson the wisest as he did Solomon Hee therefore that standeth let him take heede that he doe not fall No perfection no strength no wisedome ought to free vs of this care But we neede to praie continually Leade vs not into temptation And yet we beeing in the midst of the battle with such an enemie still sleepe in securitie But the diuell sleepeth not And this malitious aduersarie hath spials in our armie he laboureth by corruption to make a mutinie amongst vs that whilest we striue amongst our selues he
of Christ but also to view and see in what state the Church of God committed to my ouersight and gouernement standeth And as Christ began with the most magnificent temple of Ierusalem which hee found prophaned and polluted through the practise of the priests so thought I it conuenient and meete first to visite this most auncient and famous church the head and example to all the rest wel hoping to finde it in better order 2 That we may learne by the doctrine and example of Christ howe we ought to vse our selues in the house of God as well for the establishing of true religion of the syncere seruing of God as also for the expelling of that which is vaine corrupt and counterfeit there are in this action of Christ two thinges especially to be considered of first he commeth to Ierusalem entreth into the temple findeth it full of corruption and doeth purge it secondly he teacheth the true vse of it and sheweth them their fault who did abuse it 3 Christ comming towards Ierusalem was at the first highly magnified and receiued with applause of the people crying Hosanna Blessed is he that commeth king in the name of the Lorde peace in heauen and glorie on high But this faire wether did not long continue So soone as hee entred into the citie and taught the chiefe priests the Scribes the Princes of the people sought to destroy him yea the people which before gaue so great applause crying Hosanna soone after cried with a lowde voice Crucifige The gospell in prosperitie hath many pretensed friends and fauourers but when it is persecuted by the wise and mightie men of the worlde then these counterfeits shewe themselues in their owne colours the hollownesse of their hearts is then descried Let the minister therefore which mindeth indeede the glorie of God beware that he neuer depend vpon men whose mindes are changeable and alwaies wauering but let him rest vpon GOD and relie himselfe wholly vpon his prouidence Let vs all faithfully and painefully trauell in our function making our selues readie for the crosse patiently to suffer with Christ Iesus 4 Being come to the citie hee streight way entered into the temple either as Gregorie noteth to declare quòd ex culpa Sacerdotum ruina populi that the fault of the priestes is the ruine of the people and therefore his principall care was to correct and reforme them or else to giue all men an example of diligence in repairing to the house of God 5 Hauing entred the temple he findeth there in steade of pastors teaching the woord of God drouers and brokers making sale in stead of pues for praier tables for exchange in steade of righteous men brute beasts theeues in steade of a sanctified congregation Thus hee found the Church of Ierusalem disfigured and forlorne this was the state of that Synagogue at what time he came to visite it 6 Howe to proceede in reforming a Church so greatly disordered our Sauiour hath taught vs by his owne practise amongst the Iewes He entred into the temple threwe out the men that bought and solde whipped out the beasts powred out the changers monie turned their tables vpside downe ouerthrewe the seates of them that sold doues and withall told them Scriptum est It is written 7 In that wee reade howe Christ did all these things wee are thereby giuen to vnderstand at whose hands wee must expect reformation of things amisse in the Church of God Christ had authoritie to cast out of the temple whatsoeuer displeased him because he was supreme Lord ouer it The persons therefore to whom this worke of reformation belongeth are not al men indifferently but they onely to whom hee hath graunted the seate of speciall authoritie in his Church If they whom he hath set ouer his house as principall seruaunts guides and stewardes either ciuilly or spiritually as Moses or as Aaron to rule and gouerne it vntill his comming shal in such maner as agreeth with their seueral places and callings performe his dutie in the church of Christ whosoeuer in such proceedings withstandeth them the same vndoubtedly rebelleth against God Yea I say further when GOD hath giuen his people kings which are as nurcing fathers and Queenes which are as nurcing mothers to his church when princes are not enemies but professors of the faith and protectors of the faithfull their hands ought to be chiefe in this worke neither is it lawfull for subiects of what degree and order soeuer by themselues to attempt alteration and chaunge in the church of God though it be from woorse to better In the daies of Iosias Helchiah although he were the Lords high priest knew things to be very much out of order did not thereupon according to the custome of the turbulent and seditious by woord or writing alienate and estrange the mindes of the people from the present kind of gouernment either of the Church or publike weale but peaceably and orderly hee sent Shaphan the Chauncelor to the king who perceiuing the things which were amisse went immediatly vp to the house of the Lord with all the men of Iuda and the inhabitants of Ierusalem with him and the priests and prophets al the people where the faults and abuses being cleerely set down that euerie one might see them he gaue commandement to Helchiah the high priest and the priests of the second order and the keepers of the doore to bring out of the temple of the Lorde all the vessels that were made for Baal Thus the prince did his duetie and the priests theirs he by iniunction and they by execution they instructing him and he strengthening them in the worke of the Lord. Seeing therefore we haue on the one side the name of the Lord be blessed for it the highest power zealous for the glorie of God as theirs was let not vs whom this care ought especially to touche shewe our selues lesse readie than they were to bring out of the temple of the Lord all such filthie corruptions as are crept into it by the wicked dealings of those vngodlie men which care not howe shamefully they pollute and defile it let not vs whom the Lord hath made the ouerseers of his house be slothfull in proceeding to sweepe cleanse and purge it according as Lawes and statutes haue wisely prouided in this behalfe let vs consider that we are the Lords labourers that the worke we haue in hand is his husbandrie that our duetie is as well to destroie as to build to roote out as to plant 8 But what is that which we must labour to destroie what weedes be those which we must indeuour to root out We reade here that our Sauiour did cast buyers and sellers out of the temple terming them Theeues For although to buy and sell be actions in themselues lawfull and honest yet the time and place with other circumstances may so change their qualitie that he which buieth
not into the temple as did Aaron wil hardly behaue themselues in the house of the Lord as Aaron did Iason obteined a superioritie in the Church by monie But howe behaued he himselfe in this his purchased function Began he not immediatly to drawe his brethren to the customes of the Gentiles Did hee not by and by change their Lawes and policies and bring vp newe statutes contrarie to their Lawe As the good sheepeheard entring in at the doore when he is entred guideth his sheepe as Dauid in the discretion of his hands feedeth them carefully with wholesome doctrine walketh in all vprightnesse of holie and vndefiled conuersation before them so he that climeth vp an other way after hee hath gotten himselfe in seeketh nothing but to steale kil and destroie The theefe commeth not but to steale to kill and to destroie Hee hath no other ende or purpose 13 The onely thing that should be desired by the pastor is the weale and benefite of his flocke For if the marke whereat wee shoote be but to make our commoditie by the Gospell of Iesus Christ wherein doe we differ from theeues and robbers Is not our intent and purpose the very selfesame with theirs Wherefore S. Peters exhortation is Feede the flocke of God caring for it not for filthie lucre but of a readie minde If a man haue al knowledge in so much that he be able to speake with tongues yea and to prophecie yet if the thing for which he laboureth be his owne gaine if he vse this vocation than which nothing is more pretious and holie onely as a way or trade to liue by whatsoeuer hee receiueth with such a minde he stealeth rather than receiueth it This is that whereof the Lorde complaineth so grieuously by his Prophets The priests teache for hire the prophets prophecie for monie yet will they leane vpon the Lord and say Is not the Lord among vs And againe These sheepeheards cannot vnderstand they all looke to their owne way euerie one for his aduantage and for his owne purpose Moses blessing Leuie before his death saith first They shall teache Iacob thy iudgements and Israel thy Lawe they shall put incense before thy face and then addeth Blesse O Lord his substance accept the worke of his hands As if he should haue saide So long as Leuie and his sonnes doe not seeke their owne commoditie but thy glorie thou art righteous and canst not forget to prouide in large maner both for them and theirs As indeede till the men of that sacred order tooke fleshhookes in their hands and sought to better their estate by force til they became like to greedie mastiues rauening curres who euer sawe the Leuite of the Lord forsaken or the sonne of the Leuite begging his bread So likewise the Church of GOD was neuer spoiled till her pastors were ouercarefull to be inriched In the prime and first appearing of Christian religion as long as that heroicall contempt of earthly things continued in the guides and leaders of the people what heapes of worldly treasure were brought and laide downe euen at their feete Men thought themselues to performe nothing worthie of that profession into which they were entred vnlesse they sold away their lands goods and possessions and gaue al to make thē rich by whose meanes thēselues were become righteous The contrarie to which affection as in other parts of the Christian world so in this also hath taken such roote and is growen nowe so strong that God may iustly charge vs as sometime he did his owne people saying Ye haue spoiled me euen this whole Nation If therefore we be grieued as who is not grieued to see the hauocke that is made of the Church of GOD let vs change our earthly and worldly affection that he may change the condition of his Church God is no puruey or for theeues and robbers Let vs in synceritie and in truth heartily and in deede despise our own gaine for his glorie and prooue him if hee will not rebuke these deuourers for our sakes 14 The next thing which Christ obserueth in theeues is this they destroie the flocke and make as litle conscience to kill as to steale They kill not the bodies but the soules of men The life of the soule is the word of truth wherein whosoeuer hath taken vpon him to instruct the flocke of Christ and either cannot or wil not doe it what doth he else but kil and destroie Moses speaking of the obedience of Israel to the Lawes and statutes of their God This is saith he your wisedome But howe came Israel by that wisedome Did they naturally knowe the Lord as beasts doe naturally knowe their dammes No The Lord said vnto me saith Moses Gather the people together and I wil cause them to heare my woordes that they may learne to feare me all the daies that they shall liue vpon the earth and that they may teache their children So they came neere and stoode vnder the mountaine and were taught of God which spake vnto them out of the midst of the fire Thus God taught Israel then Afterward he raised vp prophets among them of their owne brethren and they were taught by men like vnto themselues Neither hath God at any time ceased and left off but from the beginning of the world to this verie houre he hath giuen men knowledge by instruction and saued his elect by teaching Can not God then giue wisedome from aboue without a teacher Yes God is able to mainteine the life of man without bread But why doe we talke of his absolute power when his wil is that Cornelius be taught by Peter Lydia by Paul Paul by Ananias the Eunuch by Philip euerie soule that is wise in the doctrine of saluation by Apostles Prophets Euangelists teachers appointed for the gathering together of the Saints for the worke of the ministerie and for the edification of the bodie of Christ. As therefore he that wil liue must eate so he that will bee saued must haue a teacher Wherefore when the Lorde meant a blessing to his people hee made them this promise I will giue you pastors according to my heart which shall feede you with knowledge and vnderstanding When their pastors were voide of knowledge and vnderstanding this was euer a token that their ruine and destruction was at hande Come nowe saith the prophet all ye beasts of the field come to deuoure euen all the beasts of the forrest this people cannot continue nowe they must needes perish for their watchemen are all blinde they haue no knowledge they are all dumme dogges and cannot barke they lie asleepe and delight in sleeping We are vnworthie of our liues if we doe not acknowledge the woonderfull blessing of God in our ministerie at this day For howsoeuer it bee debased by some yet is it so farre off God be thanked from the state of the Iewish Clergie in those daies that I am perswaded
there neither is nor euer was a more learned ministerie in any nation vnder heauen Neuerthelesse I acknowledge It is much to be lamented that the glorious Gospel of Christ nowe shining with so perfect beautie as it doth in the midst of so great light so many should still remaine in darkenesse liuing as men without God in this present world and perishing through the ignorance of his sauing truth In the meane while they which are the chiefe and principal causes hereof think they haue very wel discharged themselues by accusing others as if when they against all both religion and reason haue drawne vnto themselues those possessions which ought to maintaine such as labour in the Gospel a Bishop by striking the earth with one foote might raise vp learned pastors sufficient to furnish a whole prouince But whosoeuer bee the principall cause of this disorder they vndoubtedly cannot wash their hands of it that presume to take vpon them the charge of soules for which they knowe themselues vnfit and altogether vnsufficient In these which destroie because they cannot saue there is onely a defect which although it woorthily deserue punishment doeth neuerthelesse mooue some pitie and compassion if there be a willingnesse to do that which there wanteth abilitie to performe But against such as wittingly and wilfully suffer the sheepe for which Christ died to die for want of instruction the soules of them that perish doe crie as the bloud of Abel against Cain for vengeaunce and wrath Giue attendaunce therefore to reading to exhortation to doctrine exercise these things and giue your selues vnto them that al may see how you profite and howe the Church doth profite by you Ye are fed by the sweate of other mens browes ye receiue things temporall without any corporall labour of your owne But with what conscience doe ye this if they which minister vnto your necessities reape not that at your hands for which they minister You can perhaps alleage many colourable excuses for your selues But wil you alleage the same in that day when a strict account of your stewardship shalbe required by him that cōmeth to iudge both quicke and dead Consider these things and be ye stedfast vnmoueable abounding alwaies in the worke of the Lord knowing that your labour in the Lord is not in vaine Is it not better for you to saue both your selues and others than by not sauing others not to saue your selues 15 They which are saued must bee sanctified in truth they which are of the truth must be consummate and made perfect in one They are no better therefore than soule-murtherers be they neuer so paineful in their teaching that teache such doctrines as doe either poison the Church with heresie or dismember rent it asunder with schisme Of heretikes S. Paul forewarning the Church of Ephesus saith I knowe that after my departure there will rauening woolues enter in among you not sparing the flocke Of Schismatikes hee writeth in most earnest manner as well to the Church of Corinth as of Rome To the one I beseech you brethren by the name of our Lord Iesus Christ that ye all say one thing and that there be no schismes amongst you To the other Marke them diligently which cause diuision These serue not the sauiour they serue the destroier of the world They haue ouer them a king to wit the Angel of the bottomlesse pit whose name in Hebrue is called Abaddon that is to say a destroier Their pestilent properties S. Iohn sheweth by comparing the harme which they doe in the Church to the torments which they suffer that are stung with scorpions 16 Now as these destroie by ill teaching so likewise there are others who teaching well but liuing ill doe more harme by their life in one houre than good by their doctrine in many yeres Sozomene writeth that when barbarous nations saw how the Christian priests which were captiues did by their sober and reuerend behauiour damme vp the mouthes of euil speakers they thought them to be men full of wisedome and vnderstanding and hoped to finde fauour at the hands of God if they should woorship him after the maner of those woorthie and graue sages Could the auncient Prophets the blessed Apostles the holie Fathers in former times haue inlarged the bounds of the Church in so strange wise as they did had they not conuerted moe by the rare integrity of their maners than by the force aud power of their words Not without cause therefore doth the Prophet make request in the Psalme that the priests of the Lord may put on righteousnesse as a garment For if their shame be seene who shall hide the nakednesse of the people Thus we see what should especially be reformed in the principall part of the house of God 17 It remaineth nowe that somewhat be spoken of the maner of reformation Christ in reforming the Church proceeded orderly knowing that disorderly remedies of euils are as dangerous as the euils for which they are sought His orderly proceeding appeareth in this that he first visited and then reformed Visitations if they bee vsed according to the true intent and prupose whereunto they were ordeined are needefull and profitable in the Church For howsoeuer they b◠nowe abused by men of corrupt mindes the cause for which they were first established was the maintenance of truth the rooting out of heresie the confirming of good orders the redressing of things amisse the continuing of religion peace innocencie amongst men If we reape not this fruite and commoditie by them the fault is in our selues in the parties visited when they hide and conceale that which should bee reformed in the visitors when they are carelesse in admonishing and if that doe not serue in punishing offenders detected and lawfully conuicted before them Let the one sort therefore remember the sinne of Achan howe close it was kept and howe God plagued Israel till it was reuealed and let the other consider the example of Christ which proceeded no lesse seuerely in punishing than orderly in searching out the faults and abuses of the Temple 18 The rod in the hande of the pastor is as necessarie as the staffe yea perhaps more because they are moe whom feare doth constraine than whom loue doth allure to become vertuous It is noted that in the daies of Iason a dissolute and carelesse high priest the inferior sort of priests being let alone were no more diligent about the seruice of the altar but despised the temple and regarded not the sacrifices they became frequenters of games heathenish exercises not without great disgrace to their calling When Nehemias returning from captiuitie found that Eliashab the high priest had chambered his kinsman Tobia in the court of the house of God where aforetime the offerings the incense the tithes of corne of wine and of oyle appointed for the Leuites had beene laide by which meanes it came to passe that
e law hath plainly said None shall come neere to any of the kindred of his flesh The vnrulie desires of men which presume to go further in these cases than the shamefastnes of natural honestie doth permit must be restrained repressed For this cause Iohn the Baptist tolde Herode It is not lawfull that thou shouldst haue thy brothers wife For this cause S. Paul dealt so sharpely and seuerely in the cause of that lewde Corinthian with whose foule and vnnaturall fault the whole Church of Corinth was much disgraced 13 In mariage therefore there ought to bee a reuerend regard of nature that this state be not dishonoured by vnseemely copulation as in like sort it is by the vngodlie ioyning of the faithfull with vnbeleeuers Of this thing holie Abraham in prouiding a wife for his son had as we see an especiall care For the eldest therefore by likelyhoode the discreetest seruaunt of his house yea and the trustiest as it seemeth for he had rule ouer al which Abraham did possesse was not permitted to deale in this matter without taking a corporal oath before hand I wil make thee sweare saith Abraham by the Lord God of heauen and God of the earth that thou shalt not take a wife vnto my sonne of the daughters of the Cananites amōgst whom I dwell Abraham would not linke his sonne with the wicked Hee remembred what had come of such mariages in the age before him when the sonnes of God tooke them wiues of the daughters of men onely for their beautie without regard of religion or honestie Their destruction was a lesson vnto him he auoided their sinne by fearing their punishment GOD gaue his people expresse charge concerning this that they should beware in ioyning mariage with Amorites and Cananites the indwellers of that prophane Countrie not onely forbidding this kinde of mariage but also shewing the reason why his people should forbeare it least idolatrous wiues should make their husbands also to become idolators least they make thy sonnes goe a whoring after their gods Whereof wee haue a notable example in Salomon whose pitifull fall being so wise a prince to so horrible impietie ought to be admonition sufficient vnto vs to submit our wisedome to the wisedome of the almightie and our desires to his commaundement But had Salomon neuer beene or had his fall beene vnrecorded our owne times may teache vs what fruites haue come of such vngodlie coniunctions Mans nature is corrupt and fraile he runneth headlong into wickednesse but to righteousnesse must be drawen by God and sooner can the euill peruert the good than the good persuade the euill This kinde of mariage therefore seemed so wicked vnto Esdras that hee caused the Israelites after their returne out of captiuitie to put away their strange not women only but wiues which they had taken to themselues in Babylon And shall Christians doe wel in receiuing such into mariage as Iewes being maried vnto did wel to put from them 14 But the common sort of men in making their matches this way haue chiefly two outward vntoward respects regarding nothing in their choise except it be either beautie or monie The sonnes of God of olde bewitched with the beautie of the daughters of men procured the general flood to ouerflowe them all to wash the defiled world Samson tooke one of the daughters of the Philistims to wife because shee pleased his eye but what came of it It cost him a polling wherein stoode his strength and it lost him both his eyes which before were rauished in the beautie of that deceitful woman Others there are yet of a baser note whose only care is to match themselues wealthily Their question is with what monie not with what honestie the parties whom they seeke are endowed whether they bee riche not whether they be godlie what lands they haue on earth not what possessions are laide vp in heauen for them Such as marie for monie as the monie wasteth so their loue weareth neither is there any loue or friendship constant saue onely that which is grounded on constant causes as vertue and godlinesse whereof onely neither time nor man can spoile vs. There was a riche man in Athens which had a daughter to marie and he asked counsell of Themistocles howe to bestowe her shewing him that there was a verie honest man that would gladly haue her but he was poore and there was a riche man which had also desired her but he was not honest Themistocles aunswered that if he were to choose he would preferre monilesse men before masterlesse monie It is true that S. Paul saith Godlinesse is great gaine Whether it bee man or woman that is godlie they be rich and as Salomon saith He that findeth a good wife findeth a good and a pretious thing the value of golde is not to be matched with her In mariage therefore it behooueth vs to be carefull that they whom we choose bee of the houshold of God professing one true religion with vs the disparagement wherein is the cause of all dissension true friendeship being a louing consent as in all things so chiefly in Gods true seruice 15 But this is not ynough For although the parties maried be such as the lawe of the Lorde alloweth to come together yet can it not be saide that they marie in the Lord except they also marie in such sort as the lawe prescribeth For mariage may be as much dishonoured by the one as by the other For orderly entring into the state of matrimonie it is required that they which be vnder the tuition and gouernement of others haue the ful consent of their parents tutors or such as haue rule ouer them to direct and guide them Abraham prouided a wife for his sonne Isaak Isaak sent Iacob into Mesopotamia to his vncle Laban and there commaunded him to take a wife and he did so In the law of Moses children are commanded to honour their parents And what honour is giuen vnto parents if in this chiefe case beeing the weightiest one of them that can happen in all their life their aduise wisedome authoritie and commaundement be contemned The lawe saith If a man finde a maide that is not betrothed and take her and knowe her then the man that knewe her shall giue vnto the father of the virgin fiftie shekels of siluer and she shall be his wife What Although the parents be against it No. For If her father refuse to giue her to him he shall pay the monie and not marie her Againe the lawe saith Whosoeuer voweth a vowe vnto the Lorde or sweareth an oath to binde himselfe by a bond hee shall not breake his promise but shall doe according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth Neuerthelesse if a woman vowe a vowe vnto the Lord and binde her selfe by a bond beeing in her fathers house in the time of her youth and her
to admonish the wicked of his wicked waie his bloud will I require at thine hand and for speaking against sinne Elias was persecuted Zacharias stoned Esaias cut in pieces Ieremias cast into a dungeon Iohn Baptist Stephen Paul Iames Peter Iustine Athanasius Cyprian Polycarp of our owne Bishops and teachers not a fewe in other nations huge multitudes both heeretofore and of late in most cruel and sauage maner tormented with all extremitie that might be deuised to increase the bitternesse of their death 6 Many auncient Prophets and woorthie Fathers of the primitiue Church casting these accounts in their minds haue shunned and laboured by what meanes they could to auoide this office Doubtlesse mans flesh is fraile we are all weake and ful of infirmitie If this office require a strong man to beare the burthen of so great a trauell certainly it is altogether vnfitly cast vpon me I would haue wished rather rest for this my wearysh bodie full of diseases and as the Prophet speaketh almost worne away like a clowte If this office in respect of the hardnesse thereof of the great daungers incident into it and in consideration of mans vnablenesse to performe it haue made so many so loath to enter vpon a charge of such difficultie and daunger before God and the world what may I then thinke of my selfe From the bottom of my heart I confesse with S. Paul Minimus sum I am the least of the Apostles not woorthie to bee called an Apostle Wherefore as Moses was contented to take vpon him the charge and keeping of a fewe sheepe in Madian but beeing called to guide the great and mightie people of Israel aunswered Mitte quem missurus es Send whom thou wilt send So although considering the great want of labourers in the Church of Christ I were contented to vndertake the care and charge of a smal flock yet beeing called to this great this wise and riche people remembring my vnfitnesse thereunto I sawe no aunswere more conuenient for me than that of Moses before mentioned But God hath his secrete and vnsearchable working and I am as clay in the potters hand Si passeres non cadunt in terram absque prouidentia diuina fortuito fient Episcopi If sparrowes fall not on the grounde without the prouidence of the almightie are Bishops made at all aduenture saith S. Cyprian Here I see God hath placed mee by the hand of his chiefe minister with the aduise of her wise honourable counsellers and the choise of them to whom it apperteineth not without your great contentation and liking as I am giuen to vnderstand I haue therefore submitted my selfe and taken vpon me this heauie yoke as the searcher of all secrets will beare me record vnwillingly willingly In respect of my many imperfections my vnfitnesse to execute this great and weightie office in such sort as it ought to bee performed I receiue it vnwillingly but in regard of the calling which I am perswaded proceedeth from the determination of almightie God I willingly submit my selfe hereunto It is you it is you dearely beloued that haue drawne me hither Her Maiestie could spie nothing in me woorthie of this roome but your too much and on my part altogether vndeserued liking The Lord bee mercifull vnto mee and graunt mee his grace that in some measure I may aunswere your expectation 7 And now to the matter which I haue chosen to speake of at this present Wherein it shall not bee a thing vnnecessarie for your better vnderstanding somewhat to consider of the circumstances occasions wherepon the words which I haue red doe depend Christ hauing cured a poore sicke man which had beene eight and thirtie yeres diseased whom he found lying by the pond of Bethsaida desirous of remedie but lacking one to helpe him into the water where it was to be had the blinde Iewes because this was doone vpon the Sabaoth day found themselues much grieued and thereupon persecuted Iesus who after an Apologie made in defence of that holie action perceiuing their malice to be increased thereby rather than abated left them and went beyond the sea of Galilee Howbeit the multitude left not him but because they had seene the signes and woonders which hee wrought miraculously recouering the sicke and restoring them to perfect health therfore they flocked after him in great troups When Iesus therefore had lifted vp his eyes and sawe that a very great multitude came vnto him hee saith to Philip Whence shall we buie bread that these may eate 8 The first reason therefore why Christ forsooke Ierusalem and went beyond the sea of Galilee was to the ende hee might conuey himselfe from the tyrannie and persecution of the wicked So we reade in the Gospel according to S. Matthew that hearing howe his forerunner was beheaded he went aside tooke boate and retired into a solitarie place apart Whereby wee are giuen to vnderstand that if our liues be particularly sought wee may lawfully flee from the cruell and bloudie hands of our persecutors Christ foretelling his Disciples of the grieuous heauie entertainement which they should finde at the handes of the worlde giueth them this lesson Beware of men and withall this license When they shall persecute you in this Citie flie into an other Herein I neede not much to perswade fraile and fearefull flesh is euer readie to flie perill But what scripture those wen can alleage for themselues that flie not for the Gospel but from the Gospell that flie before they be persecuted or their bloud sought as yet I cannot learne Belike they feare least they should bee repayed with their owne measure No our Gospel is a doctrine of mercie and not of malice they which syncerely professe it are full of clemencie and altogether ruled by pietie our Church consisteth of milde sheepe and not of cruel woolues the popish Church is the wooluish and bloudie Church we seeke reformation and not destruction knowing that Christian hearts are to be perswaded by the Scriptures and not by fire and fagot to be inforced Yet doe I not meane by this speeche but that the obstinate the resisters and disturbers of religion the false prophets and deceiuers of the people may be lawfully cut off the sword may lawfully be drawne against such as are manifest traitors vnto the trueth and to the state But this is not the matter whereof they stande in feare It is not outward daunger but inwarde terror for which they flie Fugit impius nemine persequente the wicked man flyeth when no man pursueth him he trembleth where nothing is to be feared the wagging of a leafe doeth make him shake because his heart is euill 9 Another cause why Christ went aside into the wildernesse may seeme to haue beene a desire of taking some rest after the great and manifold trauels that hee and his Disciples had susteined as appeareth by the woords which he spake to his disciples
truth fables and vaine fancies for the holie communion popish priuate blasphemous Masses for the seruing of God the worshipping of Images for fishe and loaues stones and serpentes 21 The next thing to bee noted in the Disciples is that when the people had eaten sufficiente they gathered vppe the broaken meate which remained By which frugalitie of theirs we are admonished to vse the creatures of God in such sort as they may be most beneficiall vnto manie after wee haue taken for our owne contentment then to reserue for the vse of others that nothing be wasted which may profitablie be saued God loueth a bountifull but not a wastfull hande For although it be true which the Prophet saith that God hath giuen the earth to the sonnes of men although it be graunted that we may rule ouer the fishe of the sea and ouer the foule of heauen and ouer euerie beast that moueth vpon the earth vsing them not onely for our necessitie but also for our honest delight and conuenient pleasure yet we must remember that this power is rather a stewardship than a Lordship ouer the creatures of God in earth We stand accountable for them we may not lauish them out as we list 22 That which hitherto we haue obserued in these Disciples is both allowed of God and written that it might be followed of vs. Another thing there is which we may not let passe although it be a blemish and a staine in them For when Christ spake vnto them of feeding the multitude one aunswered two hundred peniworth of breade is not sufficient for them that euerie man may take a morsell Another said here is a boy that hath fiue loaues and two fishes but what are they among so many The like we reade of the seruaunt of Elisha in the seconde of Kinges There came a man from Baalshalisha which brought the Prophet twentie barely loaues and certaine corne The Prophet willed it to be giuen to the people that they might eate But his seruaunte answered how should I set this before a hundred men Wel giue it saith the Prophet that they may eate For thus saith the Lord They shall eate and there shall remaine Then he set it before them they did eate left ouer This mistrust of the power and wonderfull prouidence of Almightie God is the very roote of all euill It cause◠the rich man spoken of in the Gospell to hoorde vp corne for many yeares it caused Ananias to withdraw a portion of the price of his fearme it caused Vespasian to lay an vnsauory imposition vppon the people to paie monie be it spoken with good manner for their very vrine it caused Iudas to betraie his Maister it caused the Israelites when their citie was besieged to make ther bellies their cofers to eate their goulde 23. But let vs now come from the people and disciples to the person of Christ himselfe In whom the first thing which we haue to obserue is his diligence in his office He preached in the cities in the temple in the villages in the ships on the shoares in the wildernes he neither spared any labour nor omitted any occasion to doe good 24 The next thing is his pitifull affection towardes the people vpon whom when he looked his hart was touched with compassion First because they were as sheepe without a Pastor The high priestes the learned Scribes the holie Pharisies were their appointed Pastors to gouerne them to teach them and to lead them by example of honest life Neuerthelesse Christ saith they were sine pastore without a sheepehard The glorious couetous deceiptfull ceremoniall and superstitious rable of popish guides God doth not account amongst the guides of his people neither are they to be called Pastours but deuourers of the flock Pastors which cannot or will not teach are no pastours Because thou hast refused knowledge saith God by his Prophet Ose I will also refuse thee that thou shalt be no priest to me Vndoubtedly their heartes are not touched with any pitie or compassion at all ouer Gods people who for their owne priuate gaine and commoditie thrust such pastours vpon the Church that when the Church hath them it may iustly be saide it hath no pastours This is the plague the poison the bane of al religiō it threatneth ruine to christianity 25 The other cause that moued Christ to compassion was that the people which had taried long with him were hungrie in the wildernes coulde get no meate By this we learne of our maister Christ to beare pytifull heartes towardes our needie naked and hungrie breathren For whosoeuer hath this worldes good and seeth his brother haue neede and shutteth vp his compassion towardes him how dwelleth the loue of God in such a man In former times here hath beene prouision for the poore some as yet remaineth but it is for the most part much abused I shall therefore exhorte you the citizens of London in Christ Iesus require it at your handes that such order may be taken that the poore may bee prouided for and not suffred to crie in your streetes If you that be magistrates will take the thing in hande you shall finde I doubt not a great sorte of liberall heartes and helping handes hereunto The suffring of the people to begge breadeth great inconuenience both in the Church and common wealth I do therefore in Christ againe require you to take due cōsideration hereof that this thing may bee reformed So shall you well please God ease and profit your selues and giue a good example to the rest of the realme God cannot bee vnmindfull of so good a worke It wilbe an hundred times requited both in this life and in the world to come 26 The last thing which I purpose to note in the person of our Sauiour is that he did not onely conceiue an inwarde pitie and therewith content him selfe but his compassion brake out and declared it selfe in workes of mercie He sent them not awaie as the maner is loaden with wordes and emptie of almes he fed them largelie and gaue them till euerie man had enough But first he gaue thanks to his heauenly father leauing vs an example thankfully to acknowledge that whatsoeuer wee receiue it commeth from him as from the principall authour whatsoeuer we bestow he is the Lord owner of it In deuiding the bread hee vse the ministerie of his disciples as the stewardes and disposers of his riches Be it therefore corporall or spirituall sustenaunce which we receiue although it bee at the handes of men yet is it vnto vs as if Christ him selfe in his owne person did reach out his hand from heauen to feede vs. They are therefore too nice which refuse their meate because they like not the man by whom it is brought and set before them They by whose meanes wee are made partakers of good thinges are vnto vs the Angels of God and ought accordinglie
the Church if not then from the Church They must be taken by the friends of the bridegroome ministers and magistrates The minister taketh them by doctrine Luke 3. Acts 2. Acts 10. Iohn 12. By example of life 1. Pet. 5. 1. Cor. 13. Gen. 34. 1. Pet 3. By Ecclesiasticall discipline 1. Cor. 5. Aug. de cor ca. 8. 2. Cor. 10. Luke 14. The magistrate taketh foxes by ciuil punishments 1. Esd. 8. By death 2. Par. 15. By exile Ezra 4. 2. Sam. 14. By confiscation 1. Sam. 13. By incarceration 2. Par. 33. The cause of the assemblie the matters which this scripture offereth to be spoken of Exod. 13. Psal. 117. An exhortation vnto praier What praier is and what parts it hath Psal. 49. Iohn 16. Matth. 6. Petitions or requests Supplications Intercessions Thankesgiuings Iacob 1. When where and how to praie 1. Thess. 5. 1. Tim. 2. Praier before all things Exod 3. Exod. 32. Ios. 6. Ios. 10. Dan. 3. For whom we must pray and for whom not 1. Iohn 5. 2. Cor. 12. 1. Tim. 1. Rom. 14. Praier to be made especially for kings such as are in authoritie Ier. 29. Esay 3. Iob. 34. Psal. 72. Tertul in apologet No nation more occasioned than the English to praise the Lord for their prince Psal. 117. All that are in authoritie vnder the prince must also be praied for be they good or bad be their authoritie Ecclesiasticall or Ciuill The reason why we pray for al men and for princes putteth both princes and al other men in mind of their duties Princes that they should studie to make the people liue in peace Ier. 29. 1. Reg 4. Esay 9. Luke 2. Esay 39. In pietie 1. Thess. 2. In honestie Gen. 38. 1. Sam. 15. The duetie of the people vnder their Princes is to leade a peaceable a godly and an honest life Rom. 5. 1. Iohn 1. 1. Pet. 3. What it is to liue peaceably Rom 12. Heb. 12. Matth. 4. Aug. de consen Euang. lib. 1. cap 18. The principall publike duties of godlinesse are praier hearing of the word and receiuing of the sacraments Two sacraments Baptisme and the supper of the Lord. Hom. 80. supâ—â— Matth. Of the outward signes in y â— Eucharist and how the inward grace therof is reaped not by carnall and grosse deuouring but by spirituall and heauenly feeding vpon the bodie and bloud of Christ Iesus Iohn 6. The visible elements of bread wine are neither chaunged in substance by vertue of consecration and they should in administration be giuen both vnto all not one without the other vnto priest or people Bert. l. 4. de corp sang chr Of preparation required to the worthy receiuing of this blessed Sacrament 1. Cor. 11. 2. Cor. 13. Honest life conuersation amongst men The Apostles vehemencie in exhorting to brotherly concord Three things performed in the words of S. Paul he moueth vnto vnitie taketh away lets which hinder vnitie sheweth y â— meanes whereby vnitie is maintained The Apostle requireth vnitie both in religion and affection Greg. Nazian Actâ— 4. 1. Cor. 1. 1. Cor. 1. Euerie agreement is not that vnitie whereunto we are exhorted Gen 3. Gen. 11. Gen. 19. Num. 16. Exod. 32. Psal. 2. Hilar contra Auxent Rom. 15. Iohn 17. Augustine The vnitie which is in y e Church of England at this day touching religioÌ„ the disagreement about some smaller things outwardly apperteining to religion Prou. 29. 1. Cor. 9. 1. Tim. 5. Gal. 6. 1. Tim. 5. 1. Thess. 5. Of vnitie in religion commeth that vnitie which linketh mens minds in mutuall affâ—ction eche towards other Gen. 4. Matth. 2. Sozom. l. 1. ca. 6. Prou. 6. Iohn 13. Matth. 8. The loue and vnitie which should be in the mysticall bodie of Christ which is the companie of men professing the ChristiaÌ„ faith shewed by comparison of that vnitie which is seene in the parts members of a natural body 1. Cor. 14. Heb. 13. Iosua 1. 2. Sam. 18. Rom. 9. 1. Thess. 2. Gal. 4. The first hinderance of vnitie is contention Heb. 12. Gen. 13. Gal. 5. Another hinderance is vaineglorie the mother and breeder of contention There is nothing in vs whereof wee may boast 1. Cor. 4. Esay 64. Prou. 8. Sap. 6. Num. 22. Matth. 26. Esay 40. Ier. 9. Hest. 5. Vainglorie hardly bridled Acts 12. 2. Cor. 12. The first meane to preserue vnitie is humblenes of minde Ephes. 4. Diuers kindes of humilitie Psal. 147. Eccle. 19. Col 2. Luke 18. 1. Tim. 1. The way to redresse that ouerweening which we haue of our selues Psal. 38. Esay 59. Luc. 15. Luc. 5. 2. Sam. 24. 1. Sam. 24. 1. Pet. 4. Gal 6. Augustine The second meane to maintaine concord is care not onely for our selues but for others also Gen. 34. 1. Sam. 25. Many seeme to haue a care of others whose care in deede is for themselues 2. Chron. 28. Gen. 3â— Matth. 15. Our care for others must be heartie syncere as Christs is for vs. This care of caring for others doeth principally concerne Princes Exod. 2. Gen. 14. Sozom. lib. 2. cap. 15. Euseb. lib. 10. cap. vlt. Theod. l. 2. ca 9. Socr. l. 2. c. 22. 2. Reg. 8. 2. Reg. 9. 2. Reg. 11. 2. Reg. 9. It concerneth also counsellers ministers and generally all men 2. Sam. 17. A petition to be taught the way of God and a promise to walke in his trueth In praying to be taught hee confesseth his ignorance 1. Cor. 13. 1. Cor. 10. 1. Reg. 3. The meanes whereby God doth leade men to knowledge Ios. 1. Psal. 119. Iohn 10. The contempt of the meanes wherby knowledge is attained Luke 11. Luke 11. 2. Tim. 3. Vnto knowledge praier is as needefull as meditatioÌ„ No man learneth wisdome except God be his teacher Apoc. 5. Luc. 24. Acts 16. Iohn 6. Iohn 16. Dangerous to looke for instruction by reuelations 1. Iohn 4. Luc. 16. Acts 8. Acts 10. Acts 9. The thing which the prophet desireth to learne is the way of the Lord. The woord WAIE taken diuersly in scripture Matth. 22. Acts 24. Esay 8. Iob. 34. Esay 55. 1. Cor. 2. The promise of the prophet to walke Ephâ—s 2. 1. Cor. 6. Matth. 20. 1. Cor. 7. 2. Thess. 3. â— Cor. 7. Our walking must be in trueth 1 Reg. 3. Walking in heresie Phil. 3. Walking after the flesh Gal. 5. Walking after couetousnesse Ezech. 33. Psal. 119. Walking in obstinacie Ierem. 13. Walking in the counsel of the wicked Psal. 1. Walking with the tongue 2. Thess. 3. Psal 73. Walking in trecherie Ier. 6. 2. Sam. 16. 2. Sam. 3. Gen. 34. 1. Thess. 4. The preferment of euill men y e cause why euill walkers doe abound in the Clergie Psal. 12. 1. Tim. 5. 2. Mac. 4. In the temporaltie the reason why wicked men abound is because wicked men beare rule Church-robbers vnder the name of Church-visiters Exod. 36. It is not sufficient to talke of trueth we must walke in it Esay 48. This dutie belongeth vnto all but principally to
the middest of them and what the Bishoppes in Synode did so conclude to bee godly and behooueful that he did ratifie and confirme 11 The ministers you see should teache the right waie He which beareth that name and performeth not this office is but an Idoll Let another take his Bishopricke Such drones were better smothered than suffered in that hiue where none should liue that wil not labour Such as sowe not why should they reape Neither is it any new thing to cast out vnworthie ministers who cast off care of their duetie Solomon deposed Abiathar the high Priest and Iustinian depriued Syluerius and Vigilius Bishops of Rome These are good presidents for Princes in like case to followe 12 Again such as teach but teach not the good right way such as are open and publike maintainers of errors and heresie such in the iudgement of God are thought vnworthie to liue Falsus Propheta moriatur Elias and Iehu did not thinke themselues imbrued but rather sanctified with such bloud I haue no cruell heart bloud be farre from me I minde nothing lesse Yet needes must it be graunted that the maintainers and teachers of errors heresie are to be repressed in euery Christian common wealth Such troublers of the quiet of the Church such deceiuers of the people are at leastwise according to the auncient commendable custome of the church to be remooued from the ministerie It is no reason that the church enemies should bee fostered in the bosome of the church The histories of things doone by good princes and rulers in these cases are so many and manifest that I neede not trouble you with recitall of them Amphilochius the Bishop sharply reprooued Theodosius the Emperour that he so long winked at Arius and suffered him to spreade his pestilent heresie farre and wide ouer the bodie of the church The Emperour was not angrie at the words of iust reproofe but foorthwith banished Arius and gaue him some part of his iust deserts The ministers what roume soeuer they haue in the church of God ought to pray and teache the good and right way or else to giue place to others that can and will And thus much for the duetie of the ministers 13 It followeth Feare the Lord and serue him in the trueth withall your hearts The Prophet in these words putteth the prince and people in remembrance of their dutie Wherin double seruice is required The seruice due vnto God and the seruice due vnto the common wealth The seruice which we owe vnto God is feare which feare is euer ioyned with loue and for that cause called a sonnelike feare to distinguish it from that seruile feare the ende whereof is desperation as the fruite of the former is loue which maketh not ashamed Feare God for they which feare him shal not feele his power All things bee naked and open before him He doeth see and wil iudge Feare him therefore but loue him too who hath so loued thee that hee hath not spared his onely sonne but giuen him to death for thee 14 God putteth the heads in minde of this duetie knowing that as they goe before so the people wil followe after Ieroboam gaue euil example and he made the people sinne Iosias feared and zealously serued God and the people did the like Quomodo reges Domino seruiunt in timore nisiea quae contra Domini iussa sunt religiosa seueritate prohibendo atque plectendo Aliter rex seruit vt homo aliter vt rex vt homo fideliter timendo vt rex leges iusta praecipientes contraria prohibentes sanciendo How doe Princes serue the Lorde in feare saith S. Augustine vnlesse with religious rigor they forbid and punish things wherein the statutes of the Lorde are broken The king serueth God as a man one way and an other way as a king As a man by leading a faithfull life as a king by making Lawes such as inioyne things that are iust forbid the contrary Ezechias did God the seruice of a king in destroying the groues and temples of Idols which were builded against the commandement of God Iosias did the like in reforming the church in dispatching all Idolatrie and superstition Darius did God royall seruice when he gaue the Idol into Daniels handes and cast his enemies into the denne of Lions Nabuchodonazer did the like when by straite Lawe hee commaunded that none should blaspheme but that all should serue the God of Sydrach My sach and Abednago Herein Princes doe rightly serue God as Princes when to serue him they doe such things as vnlesse they were Princes they could not doe 15 The first point of kinglie seruice vnto God is to purge and cleanse his Church Christ teacheth this by that which he did at his entering into that fowlie defiled temple of Ierusalem It appertaineth to Princes to Magistrates to them which are nowe assembled in this honourable Court of Parliament by all good meanes and Lawes to see Gods house made cleane that it may be the house of prayer and not a denne of theeues 16 First it must be purged from all false doctrine from all Idolatrie and superstition The good kings Ezechias and Iosias were careful in this behalfe They could not abide Idolatrie to be committed or God to be blasphemed within their dominons It had beene hard to haue purchased such a thing as a Masse at Moses hands with a masse of money That zealous Prince king Asa deposed Maacha his grandemother wholly from all gouernment for setting vp a foule Idol in a groue He that dealt so sharply with his grandmother for this surely would in no case or respect haue tolerated a blasphemous masse in his reformed church and kingdome The euill which others doe by our sufferance is ours We doe it when we suffer it to be done Princes to please princes may not displease the prince of all princes Feare the Lord and serue him in zeale and in trueth cast out of the church of England all leuin of blasphemie and Idolatrie So shall you glorifie God and he shal glorifie you Pauls heart was set on fire his spirit was kindled within him when hee sawe the citie of Athens giuen to Idolatrie Ye knowe the Historie of that woorthie man Mattathias We praie daily Hallowed be thy name but with what mindes if wittingly we suffer his name to be prophaned blasphemed 17 Feare the Lord purge his Church remooue all stones of offence out of his vineyard S. Pauls rule is Let all things in the Church be doone seemely What that seemelinesse is he himselfe expoundeth in these words Let all things be doone vnto edification The primatiue Church casting away Iudaicall and Heathenish rites was simple in her ceremonies The pope hath polluted and burthened the Church with both Wee may haue no other than such as are comely and serue for the
furtherance of true religion 18 The church had neede to be purged of an other enormitie or else it cannot be safe The sinne of Magus must be remooued This disease spreadeth farre Patrones gape for gaines and hungrie fellowes vtterly destitute of all good learning or godlie zeale yea skantly cloathed with common honestie hauing money find readie entraunce into the Church These are theeues and robbers they creepe into the church of Christ by stealth They are not called of God as Aaron was This sinne is vniuersally complained of Surely if symoniacall affection haue corrupted the heart of any Bishop as some will not let openly to say it were not amisse if his heart were giuen him in his hande He is easily dealt withal if he be disbishopped If the lot fal on the lay man the losse of his patronage is but a light punishment for a fault so heynous But whosoeuer is this money man I wil say vnto him in the words of S. Peter Thy money be with thee vnto perdition Shifts are but shifts in these matters It is all one to goe plainely to worke with Iudas What will ye giue me and to giue thy patronage to thy seruaunt to sell and so to diuide Christs coate betweene you Ambrose in his booke de pastore seemeth to touche Bishops of his time with simonie saying Quod dedit cùm Episcopus ordinaretur aurum fuit quod perdidit anima fuit cùm alium ordinaret quod accepit pecunia fuit quod dedit lepra fuit That which he gaue when he was ordained Bishop was gold and that which he lost was his soule That which he tooke when hee ordained an other was money and that which he gaue was a leprosie This is the hole whereat so many vnfit and vnwoorthie persons haue crept in Lay not thy hands on any man quickely is worne out of remembraunce Such as cannot feede the flocke are now dispensed withall to be owners of the fleese God no doubt will finde out the fault and the bloud of such as perish wilbe required at some bodies hands God graunt speedie reformation heerein Such in authoritie as truly feare God wil purge his church from false doctrine from Idolatrie from superstition and from Simonie 19 The next point of princely seruice doone to God is to nurse the church with wholesome foode till we all growe vp to a perfect man in Christ Iesus That this foode may bee ministred that this word may be preached euerie where to Gods people good princes and such as are in authoritie must take special care For this is truely to serue and feare God It is not enough that princes and magistrates embrace the Gospel that they feed vpon the foode of saluation themselues but they as heads and pastors must see this bread broken deliuered to the people Christ had care of al the people sent his disciples abroad with this charge Go your waies into the whole world The wil of Christ is that all be saued and come to the knowledge of the truth The preaching of the gospel is called the kingdome of Christ. For by that meanes Christ is planted groweth raigneth in the hearts and soules of the people If the flocke want their pastor by reason therof through famine perish doubtlesse that bloud of soules wil be required Lawes prouide for many matters of small importance This waightie matter of mans saluation is not lightly to be passed ouer The haruest no doubt is great many willing to heare the word fewe there be that labour but many idle lookers on who take the wages but either wil not or cannot worke They haue learned of the euill steward to play the theefe both to robbe their master Christ of his glorie and the church of Christ of their saluation But woe be to those sheepeheardes which feede themselues and suffer the flocke of Christ to want their meate 20 The want of reward hindereth this worke But this wil be answered Some haue ynough and some haue too much I am acquainted with these speeches but let me say againe A great sort haue too litle and some that are worthie to haue haue starke nothing No man hath too much that wel doeth his dutie for he is worthie of double that honour which he hath And he that can iustly be charged with want of duetie let his candlestick in Gods name and for Gods sake be remooued Nowe if it be alleaged that if equall diuision were made all might be sufficiently prouided for But who shal make the diuision There is cause why men may thinke it skant safe for the Church of Christ to put her patrimonie to arbitrement least while diuision bee pretended some Quintus Fabius adiudge a good part thereof to the Senate of Rome Rome hath robbed Christ of his honour and by impropriations giuen his patrimonie to idle fat Monkes to feede vpon We haue restored Christ to his honour and dignitie but we stil holde from him his lands and liuing like a ward The Ethnicke and Idolatrous priests of Egypt of Iupiter of Baal of Bel were liberally prouided for The priests of Aaron the Scribes and Pharisies the Monkes Friers and sacrificing popish priests were in high authoritie and had the wealth of the worlde Shall Idol seruice be preferred to the true seruice of God Shall false prophets be better regarded and rewarded than true Preachers Then iust is our condemnation For we shewe that light being come into the worlde wee loue it not so much as they loued darkenesse The Gospel hath euil lucke it is neuer preached but the patrimonie thereof is pinched Such as wil pretend the Gospell and labour to pull away the patrimonie of the Gospel may well professe Christ in words but they denie him in their deedes 21 As the ministers are to bee prouided for that the worde may be preached so the people must bee brought to conforme themselues to the thankefull receiuing thereof that from thence they may learne truely to serue and feare God And this care also pertaineth to godlie princes and good magistrates to prouide good Lawes for the same and to see those Lawes put in execution Although conscience cannot be forced yet vnto externall obedience in lawful things men may lawfully be compelled God the great king who worketh al things wel sent foorth his officers to compel men to come in and eate of his great supper Herevpon S. Augustine saith Qui compellitur quò non vult cogitur sed cùm intrarit iam volens pascitur Hee that is constrained is driuen whither he would not goe willingly but when hee is entred by constraint then he feedeth with a good will Paul neuer embraced the gospel vntil he was cast off his horse flat vpon the earth and then he cried Lord what wilt thou haue me to doe It is profitable for men to be constrained vnto those things which are
good And as it is profitable for them to be constrained so is it a thing verie reasonable to constraine them For why should not the Church enforce her lost children to returne to saluation if lost children enforce others to turne to destruction Seeing that the whole seruice in our Church is no other than Gods written worde as there can be alleaged no iust cause why any man should withdrawe himselfe from this word so appertaineth it vnto princes that feare God within their dominions to compel euery subiect to come and heare this worde least the church by this euill example should be greatly offended Gods causes are zealously to be seene vnto and the winning of mens soules is religiously to be sought And thus much briefly touching the seruice of God To see the Gospel eueriewhere preached the ministers prouided for and the people compelled to come heare the worde This is the feare of God which Samuel requireth 22 Whereunto must bee added a speciall regard to the common wealth It is commonly saide that the common wealth is sore diseased and that euerie member of that bodie seemeth to be grieued Remedie would bee sought in time least remedie come too late But I am no Phisition for that bodie and therefore is it not fit for me to minister any medicine to it But I shall pray for the health thereof and set it ouer to such as haue skill and can helpe The care of the common wealth chiefly appertaineth to the head of the common wealth who is Parens Patriae the mother of this sicke childe It is required at our handes to feare and serue the Lorde in trueth That prince doth serue God in trueth and in deede which is careful that the euill may be punished and repressed and that the good may bee defended and aduaunced When generally all men are seene vnto that euerie man doe his duetie then God is in trueth and synceritie serued 23 The prince is set as the head ouer the bodie as the chiefe shepeheard ouer the flocke These titles are giuen to Princes and gouernours to put them in minde not onely of their honour and preeminence but of their charge and office also But the prince cannot doe this alone it is a burthen too heauie for one to weeld And therefore hee must according to the counsel which Iethro gaue vnto Moses choose out of all the people men wise and fearing God louers of the trueth such as hate couetousnesse and out of them make rulers ouer thousands hundreds fifties and tennes that they may sit and iudge the people at all seasons Magistrates should bee chosen out of all the people for their woorthinesse It is vnmeete that such things as should followe deserts bee procured by other sinister meanes Magistrates should be wise men furnished with learning vnderstanding good skil and long experience men that feare God religious louers of his trueth fauourers of the Gospell and of all such as liue in the feare of God True and vpright dealers such as will stedfastly fasten their eies vpon the causes brought before them and not regard the face of any man lastly haters of couetousnesse bribes and rewardes Good officers should thus be qualified And to the end that magistrates may be such it must be prouided that there may be choise of officers without sale of offices It is not probable that he which obtaineth such a roume for a price wil leaue it freely or deale iustly in it A greater corruption than this cannot enter into a common wealth For by this meane both the prince and people are deceiued To punish the euil to maintaine the good to ouerlooke the whole and to choose appoint forth worthie officers for the gouernment of the common wealth this is the duetie of a prince that feareth God That prince which doth this serueth God in trueth 24 Homer bringeth in Iupiter sitting in the middest of the assemblie of gods whom he menaceth and threateneth on this wise Let not any god or goddesse attempt the breache of my mandate If I vnderstand that any doe I wil giue him small ioie of this place or prouide him another farre ynough hence a dwelling place the gates whereof are yron and the ground brasse I will plunge him as deepe vnder hel as heauen is ouer earth He shall well knowe his might to be somewhat beneath mine For if ye thinke your selues to be stronger than I am make triall of your strength fasten a chaine in heauen and ioyne all your force at the end thereof But yee shall neuer be able to pull Iupiter out of heauen no though ye sweate much about it whereas if I list to put but my finger to the haling of you I wil pluck vp sea and lande with you So much am I superior vnto gods and men Kings and princes in their seuerall dominions haue such power through the prouidēce of almightie God by whose appointment they weare their crownes that their ordinaunces bee not lightly broken vnlesse themselues be carelesse to haue them kept For by reason of the Maiestie that God hath giuen them they are feared of all estates and conditions of men They can throwe downe whom they wil and whom they wil they can aduaunce They haue the chaine and the reine in their hands they can draw others whither they wil but others are not able to drawe them vnlesse they list This power and strength and glorie which GOD hath giuen vnto kings and whereby they are able to leade the worlde as it were in a string leaueth them vtterly without excuse if they vse it not to the benefite of the common wealth They cannot serue God in trueth and giue the bridle to their subiects to sinne without restraint These times of greatest and grauest consultation are fit occasions wherein Princes may most effectually shewe howe heartily and truely they feare the Lord. These are the times to prouide chaines that is to say good statutes and lawes to holde all men within compasse and to binde together the skattered parts of the common wealth When the great counsel of Rome entered into the Senate to consult for the good gouernment and defence of the Empire first they went sacrificed to Iupiter and there euerie man offered vp and left behinde him his priuate affections promising that their consultation should onely tend to the common benefite Leaue you all priuate affections likewise cast them behinde you seeke not your owne commoditie Let it appeare that you loue your Countrie God the Prince and the common wealth require a faithfull performance of this seruice at your hands Seeke by Lawe the syncere setting foorth the maintenance and continuance of Gods true religion Let this be your first and principal care and so shal ye serue the Lorde in trueth 25 Seeke by Lawe to represse the gainesayers and the enemies of this trueth This libertie that men may openly professe diuersitie of religion must needs be dangerous to the