here and there in euene place Saint Paul against whoredome thus writeth Meates are ordained for the belly 1 Cor 6.13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20. the belly for the meates but God shall destroye both it and them now the bodie is not for fornication but for the Lord and the Lord for the bodie and God hath also raised vp the Lord shall raise vs vp by his power Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them the members of an harlot God forbid Doo ye not know that he which coupleth himselfe with an harlot is one bodie for two saith he shal be one flesh but he that is ioyned to the Lord is one spirite Flee fornication euerie sinne that a man doth as without the bodie but hee that committeth fornication sinneth against his owne bodie Know you not that your bodie is the temple of the holy ghost which is in you Whom ye haue of God and ye are not your owne for ye are bought for a price therefore glorifie God in your owne body and in your spirit for they are Gods Here are 7 arguments against whoredome 7. arguments against whoredome the first is of the punishment in the 13. vers where he saith that meates are for the belly the belly for meates but God will destroy both it and them for gluttonie and drunkennes are maintainers of venerie the second argument is drawen from the condition of our bodies in the same verse the bodie is not for fornication but for the Lord for as God is worshipped in heauen of angels which are spirites so will he be worshipped in earth of men which haue bodies and therefore our bodies shall be raised vp to glorie the third argument is drawen from an absurditie It is against reason saith the apostle that our bodies being the members of Christ should be made the members of an harlot so to bring them from high dignitie to most vile indignitie the 4. argument is drawen from the comparison of God and an harlot for he that ioyneth himselfe with an harlot is one with an harlot in affection and shal be one with an harlot in affliction but he that coupleth himselfe to the chast God shall be one with God in glorie for euer the fifth argument is drawen from the effects of fornication for the fornicator defileth his bodie with the pockes leprosie and many other loathsome diseases and therefore vnnaturally sinneth against his owne bodie shortning his life by wasting the vigor of his bodie The sixt argument is drawen from the purposes whereunto the body is destinated your body is the temple of the holy Ghost and you are not your owne therefore in it God must be worshipped not the diuell The seuenth and last argument is taken frō the lawe in the last verse you are bought with a price that is not with gold nor siluer but with the most precious blood of Christ therefore not onely our soule must magnifie the Lorde and our spirit reioyce in God our Sauiour but also our flesh must reioyce in our God and in the life and death of our bodies God must be glorified bowing our knees to GOD the father of our Lord Iesus Christ which leadeth vs to life and not to whores and harlottes Pro. 7.27 Whose waies goe downe to hell Jeremies prophecie is fulfilled in them will be fulfilled in vs Ier. 5.7.8.9 Though I fedde them to the full yet they committed adulterie assēbled themselues by companies in the harlots houses they rose vp in the morning like fedde horses for euerie man neighed after his neighbours wife Shall J not visite these things saith the Lorde shall not my soule be auenged on such a nation as this climbe vpon their walles and destroy them take awaie their battlements for they are not the Lordes The harlot calleth her pleasure solace and so do our delicate dames of England but Jeremie saith this sweete sinne wil haue soure sauce For it will cause the walles of our Cities to be rased the battlements of our house to be beaten downe God bee mercifull vnto this pleasant Iland blesse it for if euerie house of our lande shall bee destroyed where this loathsome sinne of leacherie hath bene shamefully committed as the monkes houses were our fairest Cities no doubt will come to ruinous heapes GOD brought the Sodomites into captiuitie to shewe them that he did hate their sinne yet would they not repent GOD brought thē out of slauerie by Abraham to teach them that he was mercifull to the contrite yet would they not repent We haue bene vnder the tyrant of Spaine in the late dayes of Queene Marie yet we forsake not our former fornications we haue bene deliuered by her Maiestie yet we runne on desperately into all manner of abhominations forgetting the greefe of our calamitie and the comfort of our deliuerance the quietnesse of our priuate estate the peace of our kingdome or the felicitie which we haue by the word of God Oppression of the poore is another sinne that prouoketh GOD to plague vs. Oppression of the poore crieth for vengeance Exo. 3.7 J haue surely seene the affliction of my people which are in Egypt haue heard their crie because of their taskmasters for J know their sorrowes Iam. 16. Do not the rich oppresse you by tyrannie and draw you before iudgement seates who oppresseth Pharaoh the tyrant Nimrod the mightie and Nabal the rich Those that should giue do take awaie those that should feede do fleese those that should be mercifull be vnmercifull Whome do they oppresse their brother their owne flesh the Lords brother and the Lords apple of his eye And what brother his poore needie destitute and afflicted brother and to whome he should giue from him he doth take by violence whom he shuld cōfort him he doth spoile How doth he oppresse by his mony his might God hath giuen them riches and authoritie to defend the poore fatherlesse to see such as be in neede and necessitie to haue right and with their wealth and might they oppresse deceiue they grind the face of the poore and braye them as it were in a morter Ier. 5. their houses are full of riches gotten by deceipt When do they oppresse in the time of the Gospel Elisha said vnto his man when he had taken gold and garments of Naaman is this a time to take mony to receiue garments and oliues 2. King 5.26 and vineyardes and sheepe and Oxen and men seruants and mayd servants So say I to the Nimrodical oppressors of England is this a day of peace and of ioy is this a time to smite downe the people of the Lord to murther his heritage and to deuour widowes houses to eate vp the people like bred Gal. 6.10 While we haue time we should do good to all 2. Cor. 6.2 especially
that we may buye the poore for siluer and the needie for shooes and sell the refuse of the wheate If these thinges be among the people of England as they were among the Iewes or rather if England doth iustify Ierusalem as Ierusalem iustified Sodome and Gomorrha then no doubt as God spared not the naturall oliue so hee will not spare the wilde for we blushe not to commit idolatrye and blasphemie to prophane our Sabaoth to rebell to murder to go a whoring to rob to oppresse to commit vsurie to slaunder our brethren or reuile our fathers Very well saith Tullie without shamefastnesse nothing is right nothing is honest But better saith Bernard spirituall shamefastnesse is the glory of the conscience the keeper of a good name the honor of life the seat of vertues the praise of nature and the badge of all honestie but where this vertue wanteth there is scorne and contempt of God Studie io doe mischiefe maketh sins exceeding great Mich. 2.1 Study to do mischiefe is also another thing that maketh sinne haynous Wo vnto them that imagine iniquitie worke wickednesse vpon their beds when the morning is light they practize it because their head hath power The soule of man being made after the image of God ought to haue God alwaies for his obiect So saith Mary Luke 1.46.47 My soule doth magnifie the Lord and my spirite reioyceth in God my Sauiour For the soule is more excellent then all the creatures of the world and all things are vile in respect of the soule Golde being in dirt is defiled but the soule is not defiled with the bodie of clay Wine mingled with water is corrupted but the soule ioyned with the bodie is pure The Starres and the Sunne are darkened with the cloudes but the soule of man seeeth though being hid in an obscure bodie and therefore Dauid setteth it downe most plainely where hee saith Psal 84.2 My soule longeth yea and fainteth for the courts of the Lord for my heart and my fleshe reioyce in the liuing God And Augustine most plainelye saith Augustine Thou hast made vs O Lord for thee therefore my heart is greatly vnquiet if it do not rest onely in thee O soule saith Bernard made after the image of GOD beautified with his likenes redeemed with Christes bloud espoused to him in faith endued with the holy ghost deputed among the Angels capable of blessednes an heire of blisse what hast thou to do with the flesh The habitation of the soule by affection is in heauen as proueth Paul Our conuersation is in heauen Phil. 3.20 It is a base thing therefore to take a cottage for a cittie the worlde is a cottage heauen is the cittie of Saintes When then the soule of man desireth golde hee can neuer haue all the gold of the worlde when he desireth rule he can neuer haue the rule of all the world when he hunteth for the praise of men he cannot haue the praise of all the worlde but that soule which possesseth Christ possesseth all things As God hath giuen vs Christ Iesu so hath he giuen vs all thinges Rom. 8.32 Who will then studie for riches which is vanitie or for pleasure which is hurtfull or for sinne which is damnable and forsake God which is truth Christ which is mercie and the holy Ghost which is consolation Finally all earthly things be of a short continuance the things in heauen which are the obiect of the soule are eternall All things in earth are greeuous for they are full of miseries things in heauen are delightful The studies of mortall things do not performe those thinges they promise for as Basil noteth Things past are vanished and past our senses thinges present slee away before they be tasted things to come sith they are not present afflict vs with their want All worldly things are vnstable for as a floure they sprout vp and fall againe and neuer continue in one estate Iob. 14.2 for we are whole and sicke rich and poore Lastly they that gather riches cannot tel to whom they shall leaue them To set our delight therefore on short things and not in eternall to set our studies on troublesome thinges not in happie things to set our affections on earthly thinges that content vs not and leaue heauenly things that yeeld full contentation to apply our mind to the instable thinges of this worlde leauing the certaine treasures of heauen is a sinne that argueth Gods displeasure and procureth a speedie and fearefull destruction Perseuerance in sinne is another thing Perseuerance in sâ—nne maketh sinne exceeding great that procureth the vengeance of God to fall ineuitablie vpon vs. An hundred yeares was the arke in making and in all that time the people repented not therfore the flood came vppon them and drowned them Lot preached to Sodome and Gomorrha they repented not but vexed the spirit of Lot therfore fire from heauen consumed them To Ierusalem did God send his Prophets wise men and Scribes but the people did kill and crucifie them scourge persecute them from citie to citie therefore their house is made desolate So to the people of EnglaÌ„d I sorrow to write it the Gospell is the smell of death 2. Cor. 2.6 Rom. 2.4 Gal. 5.13 the long suffering of God is abused to impenitencie Christian libertie is turned into wantonnesse the supper of the Lord is receiued to our iudgement Cor. 11.29 Christ himselfe is a stone to stumble at 2. Pet. 28. and a rocke of offence The conscience of men is defiled Tit. 1.15 therefore nothing is clean to them Wherfore this exceeding great sinne of obstinacie is to be punished with an exceeding great plague It is a grieuous thing that a man professing himselfe to forsake the deuill the worlde and the flesh should break this vow couenant which hee hath made with the holy God the searcher of his heart vaines and the iudge of the quick dead But it is more grieuous when not only we haue contemned the maiesty of God and proudly resisted his lawe and defiled the image of God but also haue giuen our selues to be followers of the deuil and do serue him as a prince a God in all vnholines and vnrighteousnes for euer But it is a most grieuous sin that in the time of the Gospel we are obdurat in sinne For this being the day of saluation the time accepted we turn it into the day of destruction and time of vengeance To stumble in the night it is dangerous but to fall backward in the light of the Gospell is damnable Dauid sinned but in his youth we in our youth are wantons in our middle age proud in our old age couetous and the older we are the more wicked we are It is the nature of a man to sin it is the nature of a Christian man to repent but it is the nature of the deuill neuer to repent Augustine saith
THE CRIE OF ENGLAND A Sermon preached at Paules Crosse in September 1593. by Adam Hill Doctor of Diuinitie published at the request of the then Lord Maior of the Citie of London and others the Aldermen his brethren LONDON Printed by Ed. Allde for B. Norton 1595. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE THE Lord Maior of the famous Citie of London and the right Worshipfull the Aldermen his Bretheren and the Commons of the same Adam Hill Professor of Diuinitie wisheth grace peace and life euerlasting THere be foure things in the earth verie smal verie wise as witnesseth wise Salomon Prou. 30.25 c. the Pismires a people not strong yet prepare they their meate in the summer the Cunnies a people not mightie yet make they their houses in the rocke the Grashopper hath no King yet go they foorth all by bands the Spider taketh hold with his handes and yet is he in Kings Pallaces So must we prouide now in the summer time while the Gospell shineth out of the face of Christ Iesus against the winter which hath in it three moneths death iudgement and hell that as the Emmet escapeth the annoyance of the three winter moneths so wee may escape the terrour of death the rigor of Gods iudgement and the torments of hell The Cunnies build their house in the rocke so we may not trust to our riches which are vncertaine to our bowe which will breake to our speare which shall bee knapt asunder to our horse which is a vaine thing to our hoasts of men which are but flesh to our Captaines which are but locusts to men which are mortall or to Princes which shall die but to the Lord which can keepe our eyes from teares our feete from falling and our life from death The Grashoppers albeit they haue no king yet they goe foorth by armies we haue a father to rule in the house a preacher to teach in the Church a gracious Prince with manie honorable Senators to rule our Realme yet there is strife in euerie house sedition in euerie Citie and sects in euerie Church and therefore our house will fall our kingdome shall be desolate and our church will be the sinagogue of satan The spider is in Kings pallaces but wee dwell some of vs in the lusts of the flesh some in the treasures of the world and some are as enuious as the diuell fewe there are that say with Dauid Psal 84.2 My soule longeth yea and fainteth for the Courtes of the Lord for my hart and my flesh reioice in the liuing God To moue my countrimen therefore to a generall speedie and heartie repentaunce I haue laid downe in this treatise the crie not of Sodome but of England which if it be diligentlie weighed Luke 21.34 I doubt not but we shall take heede to our selues least our hearts be oppressed with surfetting and drunkennes and cares of this life We shall be watchfull Matt. 24.24 Mich. 6.8 Rom 12.12 Rom. 12.11 we shall doo iustlye and loue mercie we shall be instant in praier we shall be feruent in the spirit we shall not perseuere in sinne but continue in praier without ceasing saying Turne thy face away froÌ„ our sins Psal 51.9 O Lord blot out al our offences Psa 19.8 c. remeÌ„ber not against vs the former iniquities but make hast let thy tender mercy preuent vs help vs O God of our saluation for the glorie of thy name and deliuer vs and be mercifull to our sinnes for thy names sake so we thy people and sheepe of thy pasture shal praise thee for euer and from generation to generation will set forth thy praise which God giue vs grace to doo for his sonnes sake Christ Jesus to whom with the holie Ghost be all honor and glorie for euer and euer Amen Yours in the Lord Adam Hill Minister THE CRIE OF ENGLAND Genes 18. ver 21 22. Because the crie of Sodome Gomorrha is great and because their sinne is exceeding greeuous I will goe downe now and see whether they haue done altogether according to that crie which is come vnto me and if not that I may know OF all the holie Scriptures there is not one example more frequently vsed of the Prophets Apostles to feare the people from sinne than thys generall seuere and fearful destruction of the Sodomites The Prophet Jeremie saith Ier. 49.40 As God destroyed Sodome and Gomorrha with the places thereabout saith the Lord so shall no man dwell there neither shall the sonne of man remain there Amos. 4.11 So saith the Prophet Amos I haue ouerthrowen them as God ouerthrew Sodome and Gomorrha and ye were as a firebrand pluckt out of the fire yet haue yee not repented And the Prophet Zephanie saith Zeph. 2.9 Surely Moab shall bee as Sodome and Ammon as Gomorrha the breeding of nettles and salt pits and a perpetuall desolation So likewise it is said in the Euangelists And whosoeuer shall not receiue you Mat. 10.14 Mat. 6.11 Luke 9.5 nor heare your words when ye depart out of that house or that citie shake off the dust of your feete truly J say vnto you it shall be easier for them of the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of iudgement than for that citie And in the second Epistle of S. Peter it is said 2. Pet. 2.6 And turned the cities of Sodom Gomorrha into ashes condemned them made them an ensample vnto them that should afterward liue vngodly Iude 7. So in Iude As Sodom and Gomorrha and the cities round about them which in like manner as they did committed fornication and followed strange flesh are set downe for an ensample and suffer the vengeance of eternall fire As all the Prophets and Apostles yea and Christ himselfe haue vnto their hearers set downe Sodome and Gomorrha as an ensample of Gods iustice against sin impenitent sinners so doo I purpose by Gods grace to handle this fearfull panolethrie or vtter destruction to this Citie of London assuring my selfe that if this exhortation worke not in you a broken heart you shall by the yron rod of Gods wrath be broken in peeces like a potters vessell you shall be like the breeding of nettles and salt pits you shall not onely haue a perpetual desolation in earth which is lamentable but also suffer the vengeance of eternall fire which is intollerable A comparison betwâ—ene Sodom and London Sodom was in a frutefull valley so is London in Sodome there were gorgeous houses and fayre workes so there are in London in Sodome they did eate and drinke and fulfill the lusts of the flesh so doo they in London Sodom was in captiuitie vnder Chedor Laomer and freed by Abraham London all England was in subiection to the Pope hath been freed by our gracious Queene Elizabeth Sodome had Lot the Preacher of righteousnes sent vnto them whose spirit they vexed London hath had manie godly Fathers sent