in those battels which were to insue in the behalfe of his sonnes kingdome against his professed enimie Antichrist if we would haue bene so gracious as once to haue taken them in hande But we refused to goe to the battle anie more though the Cananite dwelled still in the lande and bare the sworde to slaye euerie true Israelite therewith I meane that man of Rome who by his Cananitishe offices and Canons of his lawes standing still in their strengthe beareth the scepter right vp eueÌ„ a rodde for the righteous Thus haue we behaued our selues not as faithful Iosua and his souldiours whiche froÌ„ Iericho ceassed not to goe forward to more battels and therein sawe y e great saluation of God fightinge for them when the Sunne and Moone stoode still in heauen and hasted not to goe downe for a season But we haue done more like the Amalekites whiche inuaded Zicklag which did eate drinke and daunce manie dayes because of the great spoyle they had taken vntill suddaine slaughter vengeance came vpon theÌ„ in the middest of their mirth So let vs take heed that wee do not so long eate and drinke of the spoyle and daunce in securitie vntill that Dauid Christ Iesus come at vnawares and take awaye all and our liues therewith also in most iust iudgement Wee also haue done as that other generation of the Iewes which arose vp after Iosua which regarded their owne ease more then the Lords commaundement and his glorie which stoode vpon the rootinge out of those wicked ones whose sinne was ripe their daie was come those Cananites Perezites and Iebuzits suffered they to dwell still amonge them Therefore the Lorde saide that they shoulde be thornes to their sides and their Gods should be their destruction as it came to passe Euen so haue we tenne times more made couenant with that cursed broode of Antichrists birdes not only entring into neare familiaritie with the men but also borowing manie of their ceremonies intertaining their forme of seruice for the most part being turned but from Latin to English and yet which is worse holding our neckes vnder their gyrdles by making our selues willing slaues to their Ecclesiasticall sworde And because this practise could sonest be atchiued and this vngracious work could most spedelie be iumbled vp then was it counted Pollicie to wipe mens noses with and to giue them amocke But be not deceiued God is non mocked who redemed you from aduersitie to this ende that you should deale wisely and faithfullie in all his house Therefore it did stand you vpon to haue takeÌ„ better aduisement in the reforming of religion and matters about Gods worshippe knowinge that aboue all thinges it is a matter most curious And you shoulde with feare and much trembling setting apart your owne effaires for a season as Dauid did here and that with a solemne vow making that you would first seeke the building of Gods kingdome you should thus I say haue bene conuersant in this busines knowing that theÌ„ all things wold haue prospered with you You shoulde also haue known y t the lord in his worship might not admit ani strang deuise vnder pretense of pleasing some nor might admit anie mingling of his wisedome with mennes wisedome anie tolerations of vanities with a smoothe and fayned promise to take them away in time to come Why did the Lorde shewe such a terrible and fearefull example vpon the two sonnes of Aaron Nadab Abihu as to skortche them with fire from heauen Because they tooke fire for their censeres from the hearth whiche they should haue taken from the Altar And they were but yong schollers in those ceremonies the obseruations were manie and it was at the firste beginninge of their trayning to practise yet the Lordes ielousie burned w t fire And why Had the Lord so great regarde for a coale of fire was it not to leaue a fearfull monument for all men to beholde that they might take heed least in matters pertaining to the worshippe of God they alter and chaunge euen the least thinge If any man want skill let him withdrawe himselfe For it is written Take heed to thy foote when thou entrest into the house of God be more neare to heare then to giue the sacrifice of fooles for they knowe not that they doo euill Beholde howe manie in the Realme of England haue done and dailie doo presume to set in their feete into Gods house and haue not learned how to sacrifize aright Offer not they the sacrifice of fooles And they will not knowe that they do euill But to returne to those which haue bene chiefe maister workemen in the reformation of religion at the fâ—rste Can they not beholde howe that for wante of this faythefull zeale whiche was in this seruaunt of God Dauid For want of dewe feare trembling carefull crying for the spirite of wisedome and whole attending vppon the Lordes worke with hartes free from worldlie intanglings And for want of that intier loue and charitie which seketh not her owne thinges but those which are Christes and her poore brethrens I say for want of these things and being drunken with that new vessell of wine of worldlie concupiscence then set a broche Can they not espie howe they haue drawne their liues so farre wrong that skilfull workemen yea nowe euery bungler can not but wonder to see suche worke For they haue framed their timber some toe longe and some toe short in such sort that the buildinge hangeth all on the one side tottering and reeling with euerie wind and waiteth but for a blast from the Lorde to cause it to fall and to slaie all those which haue committed theÌ„selues to such a false building And as for the forme fashion of the house where was the paterne which God shewed Moses in the mount It was to be fouÌ„d but it was not sought the hast was so great to other things Therefore because the Lords paterne was refused no maruaile thowgh hee refused to send his spirit of wisedome vnto those which stood in stead of Bezaleel and Aholiab and the rest of the workmen For veiwe and trie out this reformation Looke vnto your brethreÌ„ of other nations rounde about which haue reformed if they haue admitted such thinges as you who yet notwithstanding come short enoâ—gh 〈…〉 duetie But looke vnto the worde of God and espie out there how manie coales of fire you haue takeÌ„ not from the altar Christ Iesus but from the smoking chimneis of the Cananites which dwelt in the land the Papists I meane Therefore repent and returne or else take heede of the Lords fire from heauen who although he vse more patience and longe sufferaunce towardes you then he did towardes Nadab and Abihu yet be you assured that he hath not nowe lesse regard and ielousie for the bodie then he had then for the shadowe And whereas some saye what It is a house though it be a
the iurisdiction of that court which our owne conscience and the voyce almost of all the people in the lande crye out that it is popishe and Antichristian and yet not one man among a thousand haue spirit and courage to withdrawe him selfe from it neyther will they knowe it to bee a sacriledge and treason against Christe to goe and bowe before the scepter of Antichriste and flatter them selues saying that Christ rule in their harts inwardlie thei serue him inwardlie and outwardlie they serue that idoll which the Deuill haue set vpp worse farre awaye then the idoll which Nebuchadnessar set vpp in the plaine of Dura But the people saye If the Masse and images come againe they wil rather dye then they will receyue those Will you fight the Lordes battelles and will you needes chuse your owne standing Must not the Souldioures fight with that bande and wing of the enemies wherevnto their Captaine appointe them But O foolishe and blinde men For whither is greater wickednes The Masse and images or that rule and power which haue authorised and established the Masse images Whither is greater the apple or the tree whiche bringeth forth the apple For the Masse and images all other wicked ceremonies were but apples of this cursed and bitter tree of popishe gouernement And although we haue cut of a few twigges which bare some kinde of apples yet the tree remayne and the roote hath yet very deepe holde in the grounde and it bringeth foorth other cursed crabbes to set our teeth on edge withall And though the Deuill woulde beare vs in hande that they were as good apples and set as great a praise on them as he did on the apple which he feofft Eue with Yet in eating thereof the Lord shall proue our disobedience These abominations which I haue spoken of many more which I haue not named declare whither our bondage or the Babylonian bondage of the Iewes were more greuous and daungerous And if they hanged vp their harpes vpon the willow trees Whither haue we cause to sett apart Lute Cithern Uiols shalmes Cornets Sackbuts and Dulcimers and all the instrumentes of Musicke with daunsing and mirthe and to singe the songs of dolefulnes Lette vs rende our harts and not our garments Lett vs no more sitt downe to eate drink and rise againe to plaie but lett vs eat the bread of aduersitie and drinke the water of affliction and pray continually so that in praying our bitter cōplaints may ascende vp to the Lord we may rightly speak with like affection as did the poore banished Iewes saiyng Behold as the eyes of the seruants look vnto their masters and the eyes of a maidē to the hand of her mistresse so our eyes wait vpō the Lord our God vntil he haue mercie vpō vs. Haue mercy vpon vs O Lord haue mercie vpon vs for we haue suffred to much contempt Yea if we had anie grace to take to hart the reproches of the papists which mock our patched seruice and skorne vs as not able to builde our house of religion without borowing most of our stones and timber from them And cast in our tethes Where doo you tell your church Or whence haue you any iurisdiction or churche gouernement but from him whom you skorne in words namelie the Pope As in deede it is in euerie mans mouth to cry fy on the Pope yet we bowe the knee before him by submission to his Court. Therefore are we mocked of the papists as our sinnes haue deserued Which spirituall euil if our dull harts could feele we might adde also with those carefull Iewes Our soule is filled full of the mockings of the welthy y e despight of y e proud For it is a time of reproch and our shame lyeth open in the eyes of all nations if we could discerne it whyles neyther Temple is buylded wherein we may worshippe the Lord aright neyther the citie wall whereby the Heathen might bee kept out that they no more come into the lords heritage to defile his holy Temple to make Ierusalē an heape of stones Nowe therefore although we at the beginning haue not done as faythfull Dauid did to sweare and vowe vnto the Lorde concerning his acceptable work finishing with all possible speed let vs yet at the length heare the lords voyce without hardening our hartes and sweare vowe to seeke his face and builde his kingdome otherwise then we haue done and not to rest as heretofore tyll we haue performed our vowes and passed euen thorough the vallie of teares mourning digging fountaynes to quenche our thirste I meane abyding all trouble and persecution vntill we draw neare the lords rest in Sion before the time that hee sweare and seale the decree of our neuer entring in thither and so wee bee shut also from his eternall rest in his kingdome for our too much contempt of his glorie which should appeare in the aduaunced kingdome of his deare Sonne and for oure luke warme professing his name without doinge his will and working his worke Thus haue we hearde concerninge the care which Dauid had for y e bringing home the Arke It followeth to speake of the ioy which he conceyued when the Lorde vouchsafed to be with him to bende also the hartes of the people therevnto when it was broght home I reioyced when they sayde vnto mee we will goe into the house of the Lorde King Dauid according to the vowe and promise which hee made vnto the Lorde so he continued faythefull and stedfast and prepared a place for the Arke of God and pitched for it a tent and longed for the day when it should be placed there Yet for all his faythfulnes and exceeding great care it pleased God to humble him by that great iudgement whiche fell vppon Vzzah that hee might bee sifted and tried to the vttermost and the Lorde spared not Dauid in that litle thinge which was committed awrye in that the Arke was caried on a carte and drawne by Oxen which ought to haue bene borne vppon the Leuites shoulders Therefore the Lorde made him to beholde a dolefull sight in the death of Vzzah and turned his ioye into heauines for that present time Thus ielous is the Lorde alwayes for his true worshippe For he will be sanctified of those which come neare him Where is nowe anie place left for toleration of any disorder in the state of the Church when as the Lord would not tolerate beare with thus much for his seruaunt Dauids sake whose care was so great whose harte was so faithfull whose hand was so forward and his labour so painefull to restore true religion to promote the Lords glorie But what haue our reformers of religion done onely in one thinge haue they followed the example of thē which were with Dauid to help home the Arke the first time for they to ease their owne shoulders of
into that waye but rather take heede that we walke so fast and so steadelie and so well armed that sinne doo not ouertake vs ouerthrowe vs in the waye The euill example of life shewed by those Nations which are called Christian this daye make the sauour of the Gospell to stinke before the Iewes Turkes and other Heathen which refuse therefore once to searche what Christian religion is Therefore are they still holden backe from Christe his kingdome Like recompence shall we reape if the vntowarde example of anie man quensh our zeale and care of searchinge out the Lordes cause that we shoulde not take it in hande But there are not wanting whiche vnto the slowe rūners about the lords busines laye more weight of lead vppon their feete and bringe them into a further securitie by afraying them by the example of Vzzah that they attempt not anie thinge about matters pertayninge to the Churche because they haue no callinge As though that vengeance shewed vppon Uzzah was for taking vpon him a wrong calling and not rather for dooing that whiche was no mans calling to do For there was no man in Israel whiche had anie such calling but if that hee had driuen the Cart and done as Vzzah did it is like hee shoulde haue bene spared as litle as Vzzah was And Dauid in the 13. verse of the 15. of the firste Chron. speaking to Sadock and Abiathar say not the Lorde haue made this breache amonge vs because Vzzah did euill But because we sayth he sought him not in dewe order And although hee saye also because you were not heare his meaning is not that they being present should haue done that which Vzzah did But admitte he was punished for ouerreaching his calling as in deede whosoeuer passe the boundes of dutie passe the boundes of their calling also in that respecte Is it not the callinge of euerie Christian to remoue himselfe from their communion whiche worshippe God vaynlie as by the directinge of the blinde and dumme ministerie that execrable abominatiō in Gods sight and to ioyne onlie where the Lordes worshippe is free and not bound or witholdē w t the bands of any iurisdiction of this worlde Howe can they make the kingdome of God near vs within vs if we can not by gods assistance make our selues members of his outward church kingdome in this worlde which onely hath the promise of blessing and life for euermore without the authoritie of man wayting their leysure for a cōmaundemēt therevnto And whervnto are all christians made kings priestes Haue they no calling therby to seeke y e meanes of their saluation If my saluation shoulde depende vpon the curtesie of anie in this worlde I were in most miserable takinge But the righteousnes of God dealeth other wise and our saluation dependeth vppon that king whose baner is alwayes displaied before vs and he is with vs to the ende of the worlde But now cōcerning those which are able to teache instructe in the way of the Lord they must not meddle without calling saye they although there be no callinge suffered and allowed of in a Realme or Dominion but that which they confesse to bee vtterlie vnlawfull So must the flocke of Christe tarie and be starued whilest we wayte for that which they can not direct vs where to haue or howe it should be It must be saye they by diuers true Ministers calling and allowing him and so he must be ordeyned But howe manie of the Ministers in the Realme of England dare be seene in this dooing If fayth canne not bee begotten without a Preacher and a Preacher can not be without lawfull sendinge and this be the onelie way why suffer they the people to be depriued Why are they afrayde and ashamed of the Gospell of Christe Why rather doo they not abide persecution But the lawfull calling and sending of the Ministers whiche is the onelie meane to make them haue frutefull wombes to begette faythfull children and fruteful brestes to nource the same also dewe gouuernement which is the onelie aduauncing of Christe his kingdome the cutting short of sinne and wickednes Also oure Christian libertie to worshippe God with free conscience according to his worde and our comfortable ioyning in the true felowship and communion of Saintes And to conclude the meanes of our saluation must be kept from vs vntill a ciuile law send them vnto vs although there be neuer so long delay as though they were not sent from heauen and offred to all that will receyue them We can defie the Papistes doctrine for making part of our saluation to hange vppon oure owne desertes but wee canne not taste the bitternes of the roote of this doctrine that the building of gods kingdome for the meane and furtherance of our saluation must depend vpon ciuile power and Christ Iesus with all things pertayning vnto him are made vnderlings therevnto and caused to daunce attendaunce vpon it Those which walke after this doctrine and teache men so doo break not one of y e least but one of the greatest commaundements teaching men so and therefore shall be counted least in the kingdome of God if they doe not repent And agayne concerning this calling whiche must needes bee done by diuers Ministers which will not doo it But admit they would frō whence haue they their calling sendinge and authoritie such as pertaineth to a Minister Hadde they it not from those which sitt in the chayre of Antichrist Yea howe manie are in all Christendome which haue bene so rightlie ordeyned but that their ordination haue come from the popishe Prelacie with in three or foure generations at the most Nowe if a man take a griffe of a sowre frute and plant it then take a griffe of that newe planted plant that and take of that agayne plant it the thirde time and so continewe vnto the hundreth time will it loose the sowrenes and gather sweetnesse No more can an vnlawefull callinge bring foorth a lawfull though it descende from one to another an hundred or a thousande times Therefore except they can approue the lawfulnesse of their calling to the ministerie vnder some other title then y t which thei now haue by y e Clergie it will fall out that there shal hardlie be found a Minister duelie called in all the worlde and also that there is small hope that euer ther shal be anie But whatsoeuer burthen they laye vpon vs I laie no more vpon them but that they hauinge the approuing and consent of their flocke doo the works of a Minister namely that they feede their flocke wherof the holy ghost haue made them ouerseers if they make not them selues vnworthie and that they keepe backe from them nothing that is profitable So then they muste not keepe backe nor suffer to be kept backe they standing still their libertie authoritie which the Churche should haue and the true worshippe of God in all
pointes safe and sounde the scepter of the gouernement of Christ borne vpright and hauing dewe honour remouing themselues and their flockes at least from all open abomination in life and religion whereby reproch should redowne to the name of God These thinges if they doo and whatsoeuer else appertaineth to a ministers duetie their worke shall commende them and testifie their calling and shall be in stead of an Epistle or rather a licence written in their owne harts vndestood also and redd of all men Our Sauiour Christ being demaunded whither he were the sent Sauiour or they should looke for an other did not answere that he was sent a Sauiour but saide Tell Ihon what you haue herde and sene The blinde see the lame walke the lepers are clensed the deafe heare the dead are raised vp and the poore receyue the Gospell As if he shoulde haue saide I doo the workes of the Sauiour which the Prophetes beare witnes of that he should doo Therefore I am the sent Sauiour As namelie Isaiah witnesseth saiyng He hath sent me that I shoulde preach the Gospell to the poore and that I should heale the broken harted c. And our Sauiour Christ witnessethe in an other place saiynge I haue greater witnes then the witnes of Ihon For the workes which the Father hathe giuen me to doo those testifie of me that the Father haue sent me Therefore whosoeuer doo the worke of Ministers and haue not known the deepnes of Satan neyther haue the cursed learning of Antichrist I iudge none other burthen to be putt vpon them but that they holde fast the doctrine of Christ vntill his comming And their worke shall declare their calling and seale it before all men Otherwise the answere of our Sauioure Christe to them which came from Ihon and the proofe of his calling should not be forceable And moreouer whereas they tie the Ordination of euerie Minister as it were vnto the girdle of other Ministers that of necessitie it must at all times depende and staie vppon them that is to laie a greater bondage vpon y e churches theÌ„ they are able to beare For admitt there be onelie one church in a nation and they want a pastour must they seeke ouer Sea and lande to gett a minister ordained by other ministers But what if there shoulde be but only one apparent to vs in the world shall that church for euer be depriued after they haue once wanted a minister for default of authoritie to call and ordaine an other By this reason euery church should not be perfect in it selfe nor haue in it selfe meanes and power to continue by that measure of lines which the Lord haue measured out vnto it And is it not a dishonour to Christ Iesus the head of euery congregation which is his bodie to say that his body together with the heade is not able to be sustained and preserued in it selfe Moreouer I demaund what calling the dispersed disciples of the churche of Ierusalem had y t they did preache and teach the Gospell as they went Were they all ordained ministers by whose meanes it is said that manie did beleue and that the Lorde was with them And those whom they did â—egette and bring forth as new borne children to God through the Gospell of his sonne did they want authoritie to feede them and giue them sucke being so brought forth Which if they might doo then came they very neere to the work of the pastour which hath his name of feeding And was not only charitie a calling to these men who meeting with such as they found worthie ouerslipped not that occasion of doing so great good If the Samaritan be commended for doing the part of a neyghbour vnto him which fell among theeues and was wouÌ„ded because he hadd compassion on him tooke him vp and washed his woundes and in all thinges prouided for the safetie of his life Why should they be reproued as passing the bounds of their calling who meeting with soules wounded by the sworde of Antichristian robbers or anie waie bound by Satan with the chaines of ignoraunce shall helpe to loose them and mollifie their woundes with the oile of Gods trueth and bestow vpon them what spirituall gifte they are able to refresh them and saue the life of their soules Yea if they doo it not they shal be founde mercilesse and like to fayle of mercie in the time of their neede In all this I denie not but that ther is vse of other Ministers when they may be had for mutuall help in trying and examining alowinge those whoÌ„ they finde meete that by their iudgement the other churches may so much the more be confirmed Thus haue I passed the bounds of the texte somewhat in this discourse I confesse But I craue pardon of y e reader For not without due occasioÌ„ haue I bin ledde therevnto And nowe at length I come to speake of Dauids ioye whiche I thought to haue done long yere nowe And firste of all therein wee espie the footesteps of that fayth whereby the authour to the Hebrewes witnesseth so manie excellent practises â—o haue bene atchieued which is the grounde of thinges which are hoped for and the euidence of things whiche are not seene For hereby Dauid despised all the glorious thinges with visible shewe whiche belonged to his Royall kingdome and did bidde them giue place in comparison of the vnspeakeable treasure of Gods fauour and all the good whiche flowe from thence whiche he sawe not but by the eyes of fayth and possessed onely by the title of that euidence whiche is concerninge thinges not seene but hoped for yet herein hee ioyed fullie The multitude saye Who will cause vs to see good They knowe what they see here but they knowe not what they shall haue But the faythefull saye Lorde lift vp the light of thy countenaunce vppon vs and so thou shalt giue vs more ioye of harte then the people haue of their aboundant haruest and vinetage They knowe not or at y e least wil not acknowledge for their owne y e things of this world But those thinges which out of Gods countenance turned towardes them they do conceyue they knowe for their owne and they declare that they seeke an induring citie So then euen as Dauid by faith had ouerquelled the Lion and the Beare and by fayth had enterprised to fight with Goliah and had preuayled so by fayth hee obteyned the bringinge home of the Arke And though he seemed at the firste to be disappointed walked on his waye weeping sowing deare seede as did Abraham when he so long went without an heyre and at last was commaunded as it were to burie y e hope which hee had of the promise in his onlie heyre by appointing him vnto the death Yet as Abraham did so hee beleeued in hope against hope Therefore in the Lords appointed day hee returneth with mirth and gladnesse bringing his