or shoe-latchet and yet would not deny to Aner and Eschol and Mamre their liberty Gen. 14.23 and therefore it must bee termed rather pride then zeale to bee too tetricall and rough that whosoeuer is not in euery point so precise as ourselues should bee turned out as dogs or prophane persons vnworthy of our account and countenance 5 True zeale feareth not the faces of the mighty The 5. when we must beware of their precipitancy who will charge the Minister to bee of a cold constitution if hee break not abruptly into open reprehension men in authority which 〈◊〉 to reproue without the spiâ—â—â— of meeknesse to exasperate ther then to humble the part admonished Lastly The 6. if it bee true zealed wil make thee brook and poâ—â— many priuate wrongs done thy selfe but hot and impatiâ—â—â— of any dishonour vnto Gâ—â— When the Israelites offered 〈◊〉 â—uate wrongs to Moses hee was wont to speak mildely and pray earnestly for them but when they fell to Idolatry a matter which concerned God then his fire was kindled then hee breakes the Tables and stampes the Calfe to powder and casts the ashes into the water and makes them to drinke vp their God Exod. 32. I feare I haue dwelt too long vpon the point the closure is but this Let vs all bestirre our selues when Gods cause is a judging and bee earnest when his glory is in question bee zealous to strike when hee himselfe puts the sword in our hands be calous to speake when himselfe puts the word in our mouthes let euery one that weares the coate and liuery of Christ write â—eale vpon his breast And ô thou holy and blessed Spirit come vnto vs as thou camest to thine Apostles in shape of fierie tongues that our tongues may bee tipt and enamuled our hearts seasoned our soules enflamed our profession graced with zeale of thy honour and worship that sinne may bee shaken thy Name exalted thy Truth embraced our Church continued our Land blessed our soules saued when these few and miserable daies shall be ended And so I come from the crime obiected The crime obiected against Laodicea Thou art neither hot nor cold to see how the sinne is aggrauated in the next words Would God thou wert eithor hot or cold Which words are not so to be vnderstood as if they should haue pleased him well enough had they bene either hot or cold or any thing but luke-warme Non ostendit quid probat sed quid praefert but his meaning was to let them know that hee so disliked luke-warmenesse in Religion and indifferencie in profession of Christianitie that he should haue liked them better and their condition should not haue bin so desperate had they made no conscience or had no knowledge as now it was by their hypocrisie and want of zeale so that the point which by the Holy Ghost is heere deliuered may bee comprised in these tearmes It were better to bee of no Religion at all Better to bee of no Religion then to be luke-warm then to diuide our loue betweene God and the world and our seruice betweene God and Baal and our attendance betweene God and Mammon or to embrace Religion no farther then Religion serues our turne to gaine withall Which Theoreme howsoeuer it be the deduction of Ambrose and of the whole current both of Moderne and Ancient Interpreters yet shall it bee no waste of time to support and fence it by copying a place or two out of Gods Writing-booke turne but your leafes vnto the 9. of Iohn the 41. and view our Sauiours answere to the Pharises question Had you beene blind you should not haue sinned That is say Bucer and Musculus and Aquinas agreeing with the glosse Your sinne had not beene so exceeding sinnefull as now it is as if our Sauiour had thus enlarged his speech There is no man that hath not gone astray euen from the wombe The most righteous before men is defaced and speckled in the sight of God and may go crying all the day long with the Leper Leuiticus the 13. chapter and verse 45. I am vncleane I am vncleane but you dissembling Pharisees are more deepely stayned then anie other your sinnes are high coloured like crimson vvhich as Lipsius obserueth is twice dyed other men haue Moats Lipsius de Constantia libro 1. but you haue Beames in your eyes other men haue Scratches but you haue Wounds and Scarres in your Faces others may swallow sinnes as bigge as Gnats but you can digest sinnes as bigge as Cammells and how is it that your sinnes are more inexpiable then other mens it is because you serue mee not in sinceritie and professe religion onely for your profite and diuide your loue betvvixt mee and your ovvne Mammon it had beene better for you to haue worshipped onelie Mammon and neuer to haue heard of me it had beene better for you to haue trusted onelie to your owne wits and neuer to haue trusted mee vnlesse you trust onely mee and better for you to haue beene starke blinde then onely to see how you may turne your backs and looke a-squint at Heauen it were better to haue been cold dead then to be as it were in an Istmus Heinsy Poem Vt tundat mentem fluctus vterque tuam to bide betwixt life and death to haue thy Religion ebbing and flowing Plutarch de Socratis Genio Hesych de vita Philosophorum thy profession like the soule of Hermotimus in Plutarch and of Epimenides in Hesychius coming and going Let thy Religion be eyther pure and sound or none thy profession eyther entire and sound or none thy zeale eyther burning hote or none to be blinde to be of no profession to make no conscience of Religion is verie damnable but to see the way and not to follow it to professe Religion and not to be zealous for it to weare CHRISTS Liuerie and serue anie other besides the Master that gaue it is intolerable Adde vnto this that clause of the Apostle cited to this very purpose by Gregorie in the third of his Pastoralls out of the second Epistle of Peter chapter 2. and the 21. verse It were better neuer to haue knowne the way then after knowledge to turne out of it Which one place by generall consent is sufficient to make good our poynt the ignorant which in the Apostles stile knows not is like the colde man in my Text that cares not for Religion the backe-slider in the Apostles stile that turneth aside is like vnto the Luke-warme Christian in my Text that careth not whether Religion sinke or swimme whether his profession doe stand or fall who like to Metius Suffetius in Liuie Liuy in his first Decade and first Book will strike or speake for neyther side vntill one side bee downe and then ioyne to that which is best for their commoditie A thing odious amongest Heathens and therefore prohibited by Solon That anie man should stand as a neuter betwixt two
rooted her Churches must be sackt her ancient glorie must end in shame In stead of the sacred Bible she must roue at the way to Heauen in an vnhallowed and blasphemous Alcoran and in stead of skilfull Pilots and Christian guides she shall bee vtterly mis-led by an Ignis fatuus I meane Turkes and Infidels reade now vnto me what might be the cause of this Laodicea was much of Ephraims temper in the seuenth of Hosea like a cake vpon the hearth but halfe baked Laodicea was like the people of Meroz in the fifth of the Iudges nothing forward Laodicea was like those shrinkers in the ninth of Ieremy that had no courage for the truth shee wanted heate in her profession shee wanted life and spirite in Christs cause she most of all wanted that which hee most of all required and that was zeale nullum enim Deo gratius sacrificium quam zelus animarum saith Saint Gregorie in the twelfth homily vpon Ezechtel Which poynt will one day naile the heart and cut deep into the conscience of all those that haue so much to doe in the Lords cause but doe either little or nothing for it And shall I without offence make bolde to tell you that which I haue receiued from the Lord and doe the message for vvhich I came hither Then let me first begin with the fairest It is you right Honourable into whose hands the Lord hath put his Sword for no other purpose but to strike at the roote and to draw at the face and to ayme at the heart and strength of sinne if you suffer your Sword to rust in your sheathe and your Arrowes to rot in your quiuer if you haue a faire profession and yet we finde no good you haue done if you carry a Sword and yet we heare tell of no sinne you haue wounded be a souldier of Christ to quarrell vvith sinne and yet wee remember no field you haue pitched if God haue honoured you and you not honoured him by baiting and hazling of sinne by cooling the heate and breaking the heart taunching the violent issue of vngodlinesse Where then is your zeale If God be dishonored and you not reuenge it if vertue discouraged and you not defend it if religion be outfaced and our land endangered by the inroades and incursions of sinne and you shall not help it where then is your zeale If Sabboths bee broken and you haue authoritie and yet not suppresse it If swearing and drunkennesse be accounted but complement and you haue authoritie and shall not oppose it If sinne may sit in your shope and feed at your boordes and jette in your Markets and you haue a Sword and yet will not strike it If God say strike or else thou dishonorest mee strike or else I will take the sword from thee strike or else thou fighte against me strike or else I will strike at thee yet no punishment but you will reprieue it where then is your zeale Let me not offend I condemne you not Qui monet vt facias quod iam facis ipse monendo laudat I am only your remembrancer to put you in minde of whetting your sword for a sword without an edge may fright but woundeth not to put you in minde of heating and warming your profession For profession without zeale is but like the snuffe of a candle that smoketh and stinketh but neyther warmeth nor lighteth the house to put you in minde of that courage which you should beare and of that conscience which you should make of the curbing of sinne of the honouring of God of aduauncing Religion lest the sword which you beare prooue a naile vnto your heart and the honor which you beare a dishonour to your Maker to put you in minde that a Christian profession that a high and honourable calling should still bee beautified and graced with zeale and attended with christian resolution If then you be willing to fight for your Master if willing to honour and credit your maker if you would haue Religion thanke you and the world to thinke well of you good men to praise GOD for you Gods people to pray for you the heauens to blesse you and all mouthes to commend you all hearts to loue you then must you adde zeale to your profession then string vp your bowe make your arrowes swift and keene your sword sharpe and glistering and I beseech God to strengthen both your heart and hand to sharpen both your Arrowes and Sword to blesse you and your good endeuorus that you may bring much honorto his dreadful name many blessings to this famous Cittie much peace and comfort to your soules And seeing I am thus farre proceeded let me haue leaue to adde a word or two to the wise and reuerend Iudges of the Land you are they whose profession it is to free the weake impotent from the yoke and seruitude of greater personages who would swallow them vp to loppe and prune the corrupt and rotten branches that infect and pester the Land to cut off the trayterous heads of Priests and Iesuites that hinder the peace to whip and censure our besotted Recusants that repine at the growth of the Gospell yet if this godly profession want zeale in performing if our laws be soueraigne but want execution if you be good mē but want resolution if the poor client sollicite that his cause may be ended if the country beseech that offenders may bee punished if the Preachers entreate and beseech you for the glory of God for the honour of our Land for the peace of our Church for the safetie of his Maiesties royall person that you would weaken the forces and abate the pride and frustrate the counsell and eyther banish or binde to allegiance our hollow-hearted and popish fondlings and you shall not heare the suites nor satisfie the hopes of our Church and State that crie and call for the sweeping and purging of our land of all noysome and infestious weedes which the enuious man of Rome hath sowen and planted then you doe more dishonour God by want of zeale then euer you can honour him by your profession If therefore you desire to make your profession glorious your graces eminent if you desire to make Religion beholding to you good men to blesse God for you our Land to thanke and reward you the Church to pray for you all hearts to loue you all mouthes to commend you and Gods blessing vpon you then must you adde zeale to profession Bee zealous like Iehu for the glory of God 2. Kings 10. Bee zealous to breake the threed of contentions without demurres and delaies Bee zealous to ease the Church of those that contend and wrastle in her wombe to ease the Land from Dan to Beersheba from the one end to the other of all such spitefull miscreants as desire and long to see the Scepter remoued from Iuda that speake of vs as Scipio in Polibius did of Rome Polibius apu Curionem lib. 3. at
world for an Oracle When euery histrionicall Orpheus shall bee able to draw stones towers after him when he acteth When euery proud Herod who hath nothing in him to commend him but his gaudy attire shall yet haue all the applause and his words accounted as the voice of God not of man Vox illa hominem non sonat But for Esay hee may speak till he be hoarse who will beleeue him hee may lift vp his voyce like a trumpet who will heare him Dauid may play sweetly vpon his instrument of ten strings and the Preacher descant heauenly on the ten commandements yet who is inamored with the melodie of the one or reformed according to the other 2. Cor. 12. Paul may be rapt into the highest heauen Preach nothing but saluation slip not a phrase which is not sweetly enterlaced with heauenly eloquence paue them the readiest way to those ioies which are vnspeakeable yea euen thrust this Ariadnes threed into their hands few or none that will regard him Thus are Gods Heraulds esteemed no better then Cassandras Prophesies his Embassadors worser then Iustinians Orators 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such members as the world might well want the refuse of men Question but a word with those despisers and all the Apologie they pretend all the rubbe they make is the bad and corrupt life of many Preachers this is it that makes them refuse to heare and puts them out of all conceit with the message they deliuer I hope I shall driue them from this hold and satisfie their obiection with a word Know then that when thou settest foote within the dore of Gods house thy intent and purpose should bee to haue thy sinnes opened thy maladies cured to take spirituall Physicke for the remedie of some languishing disease which would eate vp thy soule Wilt thou then be so wilfull as refuse the soueraigne medicines because thy Physition is sicke of the same disease that thou art Wilt not thou bee cured by this Physition because the Physition cannot cure himselfe What would God haue said to Noah if hee had refused to saue himselfe in the Arke because the men that made the Arke for him were drowned themselues Will not you go on the readiest way to heauen because he that is your guide and Pilot runnes counter himselfe What though the water it selfe be not so cleane as thou woldst haue it yet it will purge and cleanse thee And what though sometimes the life of the Preacher bee not so spotlesse as it might bee wished yet the Message which hee bringeth the Word which hee Preacheth the way which hee pointeth out is the way of life be his life neuer so wicked his heart neuer so foule within him the words which hee hath vttered will bee sufficient to cast and condemne thee at the last day We reade that Elijah was well contented to bee fed and nourished by the mouth of Rauens 1. King 17. birds as rauenous and vncleane as any other wheras God could haue fed him by the mouthes of farre cleaner birds A good caueat for vs saith Stella vpon the tenth of Luke neuer to refuse the food and diet of our soules Stella vpon Luke 10. though the vessels wherein it is carried bee both vnsanctified and vncleane The Rauens were vncleane birds but the meate which they brought was wholesome and the case being all one why should a man refuse the glad tydings of saluation or stop his eares at the voyce of the skilfull charmer because the messenger that brings the tydings is ouertaken with some knowne sin Or because he that charmeth stancheth not the issue of his owne corruption I might enlarge the point both from S. Augustine Aug. Cont. Donat l. 4. cap. 4. Born in Cant. Serm. 66. in his 4. Book and 4 Chapter against the Donatists and from S. Bernard in his 66. Sermon vpon the Canticles But I remember that I haue far to go and litle time to spend wherefore I onely adde this short caution and proceed Beware you murmurre not against the Preacher of the Word lest it be iustly said to you as Moses said to Israel Non est murmur contra nos sed contra Deum Your murmurre is not against vs but against the Lord Exod. 16.8 Despise not him that Preacheth the Word least it be said vnto you as Paul told his Thessalonians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Thess 4.8 you despise not man but God Deale not fraudulently with him that hath a charge of thy soule lest it bee said vnto you as it was to Ananias and Saphira you haue not dealt wickedly with man but with God Act. 5.4 And so I come to the parties here summoned to the Word The children of Israel By Israel saith Zanchius wee are especially to vnderstand those ten Tribes which reuolted in Ieroboams time from the regiment of Iudaea and our Prophet stiles thē not barely Israel as Iunius and Tremelius render it but Bene Iisrael Israelis filij sons of Israel who was mightie with God meaning to put them in mind of their fathers vertues that this comemoratiue might bee an argument to bring them home to their fathers foot-steps and to aggrauate their shame that hauing so religious parēts themselues proued such notorious and shamelesse Apostataes from whence amongst others I haue made choise of this Note Good and vertuous children be loth to depart from the good example of their parents Good children must follow their fathers vertues So we read of Iehosaphat that hee made it his care to walke in the steps of Asa his father the first of Kings at the 22. Of Ezekiah 2. King 18. that hee walked in the same steps that Dauid his father had done Of Iosiah 2. Chr. 34. that hee turned neither to the right hand nor to the left but walked precisely in the way of his father This was a high commendation that Paul gaue the Thessalonians 1. Thess 1.6 And a commendation which God gaue the Rechabites promising that he would crown them with a hopefull posteritie because they followed the godly example of their father Verily Ionaedab the son of Rechab shall not want a man to stand before mee for euer Ier. 33. And Isay 51.2 God thus speakes to Israel Consider Abraham your father and Sarah that bare you they were zealous of my glorie bee not you so cold These were burning and shining lampes bee not you like blacke cloudes and emblemes of darknes Abraham refused not to sacrifice his son looke on him and refuse not to sacrifice thy sinne and vncleane affections Saerah obeyed Abraeham and called him Lord and Israel thou art Gods Spouse therefore obey thy God worship him as Lord onely Which vertuous imitation not onely Christians but Heathens haue embraced Scipio Africanus Scipio Africanus accounted it no small disparagement for him to walk one foot awry from that course of life which Cyrus in Zenophon had gone before him It was the height of
complaint as iust as any when the Lawyer who should be an Atropos to cut the threed feedes his Client with golden hopes and sugred wordes and proues a Clotho to spin a Lachesis to drawe in length the threeds of cōtention what christian hart would not indite both bitter tart Iambicks or whose bowels wold not yerne groan within him to see how the Engrosser of this worst Age employes and sets his best wits on tenters to ioine house to house land to land and field to field till there be not left a Cottage nor a Corner for the poore to dwell in not a Common nor Pasture for them to feed in and if it were possible scarce wholesome ayre enough for them to breathe in Whose heart would not boile melt within him to see how the worlds Alchymist wrastles striues to turne euery corner of his field into a beutifull garden euery litle garden into a glorious paradise euerie litle cottage into a pallace their clothes garments into robes their tables into shrines their chests and coffers into rich minerals of gold and siluer and all this by turning good house-keepers into beggers and tenants out of dores Whose bowels wil not roll within him to see how great men take away the childrēs bread wheron both church common wealth should feed cast it vnto whelps that they may be nourished vnto kites hawkes that they may be stufft and gorged in their mews while Christ Iesus in his distressed members hath his face withered with hunger his feet parched with colde and his stomacke grated nay girt pasted vnto his sides for want of succour for want of sustenance Whose heart would not bleed to see many houses Ouid Metam lib. 2. Tecta sublimibus alta columnis goodly and tall as Babel but not an almes at their dores scarce smoke within them to see such spatious barnes so litle kindenesse to see how that in swallowing the blessings of God euery one of vs is like the monster Briareus wee haue an hundred hands to receiue but in relieuing and supplying the want of other wee haue but one hand that dried and withered like the hand of Ieroboam 1. King 13. How then can we thinke that the Lord will not visit vs for these things and his soule be auenged on such a nation as this They that should be a staffe vnto the feeble are of all others the readiest to bring them vpon their knees they that should be eies to the blinde are the foulest moates beames to put out rhe eies of them that see they that are ordained to chear the faces of the poore are the onelie men to grinde and harrowe them they that should stand in the gap like Moses to saue them from all annoyance are of all others the most forward to feed them with wormewood the water of affliction as Ahab did Micaiah the Prophet 1. Ki. 22. And shall not the Lord be auenged on such a people as this wherefore beloued let me try if I can perswade you in the words of S. Bernard Bern de modo bene viuendi Animae tuae gratū feceris si misericors fueris thou shalt do well to thy soule by shewing mercy in the words of S. Ambrose Ambros 1. Tim. p. 8. Tract 5. in Iohan. Nil magis commēdat animū christianum Nothing that God respects so much as mercy in the words of S. Augustine Charitas tua viscera percutiat Be yee rich in the workes of mercie Prouocaris Christiane prouocaris à viduâ in certamen the poore Widdow of Sarepta must tutor thee to be merciful Iob must reade thee a Lecture of mercie who had beene both eye vnto the blinde and feete vnto the lame and a father to the poore Iob 29. Let me beseech you in the words of the Prophet Zacharie 7.9 Shew mercy euery man vnto his brother let me beseech you in the words of Peter 1. Peter 3. Loue as brethren and be mercifull In the words of Paul Coloss 3.12 Now therfore as the elect of God holy beloued 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 put on the bowels of compassion let your mouthes bee filled with talking your hearts with contriuing your hands with working the workes of mercy while you liue that when your life shall be runne out of breathe you may heare the sentence of blessednesse Mat. 5. Blessed are the mercifull for the Lord hath plenty of mercy in store for them And so I come to the third particular grieuance No knowledge In which words saith Zanchius wee are to note first Third particular grieuance Crimen exaggeratio criminis the crime secondly the aggrauation The crime they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they had no knowledge Which is as much as if hee thus had said you are so farre from seruing mee that you know not whether I am your God or no. What do I telling you of want of truth or want of mercy sins of the second Table not so immediately against my honour There is a worse fault in you then both these there is a sinne against the first Table which doth more neerely impeach my Maiestie and that the very root and stemme of all sin of all prophanenesse You haue no knowledge the aggrauation is from the generality and proceeding of the sins he saith not there was no knowledge of God in you but in totâ terrâ in the whole land It was a vniuersal contagiō that infected all the ten tribes much might hence be gathered but me thinkes the point that is most obserueable shold be this Ignorance Ignorance the mother of sin in things concerning God is the mother and root of most fearefull and enormous sins and therfore it is that all sinnes be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and beare the name of ignorance Heb. 9.7 Ignorance was the natural mother that brought Israel so many sinnes into the world or else God himselfe shot short of truth Ps 95. My people erre in their hearts because they haue not knowne my waies Ignorance was the natural mother that brought the Iewes so many goodly sins and filled their Countrey with sinners or else Saint Mathew hath done them wrong You are deceiued not knowing the Scriptures Math. 22. Ignorance made them crucifie the Lord of Life or else Saint Luke hath ouer-reached himselfe Actes 3.15 It was ignorance that made them become proud Iusticiaries depending wholly and relying vpon their owne righteousnesse because they knew not the righteousnesse of God or else Saint Paul hath censured them too hard Rom. 10.3 Ignorance was the blind guide that led the Gentiles to idolatry Gal. 4.8 And Ignorance of things concerning God set Paules head on working of mischiefe against the Church of God 1. Tim. 1. and this is a disease so infectious that it poysons whatsoeuer good thing lies in the same womb with it It poysons Religion with Idolatry it infects deuotion and zeale with superstition it makes hope to
swell with presumption and turnes euery symptome of feare into desperation and horrour Causa causa causa causati And if Logicke that is old bee not worne quite out of date thē Ignorance which is proued and conuicted to be the prime cause of sin cannot chuse but vsher and make way for punishment I appeale for proofe to the Oracles of God where I finde it punished sometimes with captiuity Esay 5.13 My people is gone into captiuity because they wanted knowledge Sometimes with desolation Esay 27. Sometimes with destruction Hosea 4.6 It maketh subiect to the curse Ps 79.6 It maketh strangers from the life of God Ephes 4.18 It debarres from the life of glory For they that know not one foote of the way to heauen how is it possible they should passe through so many winding Maeanders and perplexed passages vnto those fortunate Ilands of ineffable comfort Lastly Ignorance maketh lyable to the vengeance of God in the day of iudgement 2. Thess 1.8 Hee shall come in flaming fire to render vengeance vnto them that know not God And therefore the more to blame was the Councell of Trent Vse for setting lock key vpon the Scriptures that the Laitie might not look into thē but with as great and eminent danger as the men of Bethshemesh for looking into the Arke 1. Sam. 6. and Pius the fourth Pope of that name Pius 4. for censuring the sacred Oracles of Heauen amongst bookes prohibited marking them in the fore-head with the stroke of Noli me tangere God hath not dedicated the Bible to the Laitie Hosius and of Hosius a father in the Trent conspiracie that it is fitter for women to meddle with the Distaffe then with the word of God Suffer me to draw a little bloud out of this veine for whatsoeuer they doe or can pretend it is euident out of ancient Stories that in the Primitiue Church the word of God was not onely permitted to the Lay people to reade but also that translations were prouided of set purpose that they might reade it We reade in Socrates Socrat. lib. 4. cap. 24. that they were translated by Vlphilas Bishop of the Gothes that the Barbarians might learne them by Methodius into the Slauonian tongue Chrys Hom. 1. in Iohan. S. Chrysostome in his first Homily vpon Iohn remembers the Syrian the Egyptian the Indian the Persian the Ethiopian and many others And Theodoret in his first Booke Theod. de curan Graecorum affectibus lib. 15. De curandis Graecorum affectibus will beare vs witnesse that in his time the Bible was turned into all Languages in the world what one thing is more common among the Fathers then often to bee calling vpon the people to get themselues Bibles to reade and examine them Then the Laitie was acquainted with the Text of Scripture as well as the learned and then the doctrine of Hosius was not hatched So we reade in Socrates Socr. lib. 5. cap. 8. of Nectarius that of a Iudge and one of the Laitie he was made Bishop of Constantinople by the consent of an 150 Bishops And of Saint Ambrose Socrat. l. 4. cap. 25. who was translated from the gouernement of a Prouince to bee Bishop of Millain Of Gregorie the father of Nazianzene Of Thalassim Bishop of Caesarea that from priuate men they were remoued to sit at the sterne of the Church which shewes how painefull and how indefatigably diligent they had bene in the Word of God and in the search of Scriptures that being but Lay-men yet were supposed able to sustaine the office charge of Bishops Wee reade in Eusebius of Origen Euseb hist eccles l. 6. cap. 2. that hee was trained vp in the Scriptures from a child that hee got them without booke and was wont to question with his father Leonides about the difficult meaning of some places Of Macrina foster mother to S. Basil Basil Epist 74. that shee proposed vnto her selfe the example of Timothy and trained him vp in learning the Scriptures from his infancy S. Basil himselfe is our recorder in his 74. Epistle so wee reade in Nicephorus Niceph. lib. 8. cap. 14. his 8. booke and 14. chapter of Paphnusius a Lay-man and yet so renowmed for his singular knowledge in Diuinitie that he was accounted worthy to beare a part and be no small helper in the Councell of Nice And who knowes not that S. Hierome directs many of his Epistles vnto godly women Hierom. highly commending them for their labour in the Scriptures Or who knowes not that S. Iohn himselfe writ his second Epistle to his elect Lady Ioh. Epist 2. which Epistle is Canonicall Scripture And is it not a shame to thinke that hee would send her an Epistle which she might not reade It was indeed the reproach which Iulian the Apostata obiected against the Christians and from him it seemes that Hosius and Andradius and our blinde Romish guides haue borrowed it By all which it appeares that this muffling of mens eyes which the Trent men haue deuised is but a noueltie and a trick to win some credit to their Legend thevery shop and forge of lies and vnder the vaile and mist of Ignorance to send whole droues and legions of soules to hell But for you beloued I shall beseech God in the words of S. Paul and I beseech you vse the same prayer for your selues That the word of God may dwell in you plentifully in all Wisedome that the booke of God may neuer bee wrested out of your hand that hee would open to you the treasures of wisedome and knowledge which there are hid that you may bee like Apollos powerfull and like Tertullus learned in the Scriptures that you may rellish that heauenly Manna that you may long after the sincere milk of the Gospell that you may performe indeed as much as God gaue Ioshua in charge Iosh 1.8 That this booke of God may not depart out of your mouthes that you meditate therein day and night that you obserue and do all that is written therein for thus you shall make your waies prosperous you shall make your sorrowes easie your comforts many your vertues eminent your conscience quiet your life holy your death comfortable your election sure your saluation certaine and so I make poste haste to those fiue sins which I called positiue whereof the first is swearing Swearing 1 Positiue sin Zanchius Polanus Mercer Ribera out of Hier. Error Manich Anabap. Zanchius in 3. praeceptū ex Gratiano the Hebrew word Aloh may either signifie cursing and execration as Zanchius or Periury and foreswearing as Polanus or slandering detraction as Mercer would haue it I rather follow the exposition of Ribera out of Saint Hierome that here it is vsed to signifie rash idle swearing so that heere is no shroud for that doting humour of Anabaptists and Manichees which they wold gladly reare build out of the fift of Mathew
forgot himselfe when he commands that vpon no tearmes that vpon no conditions we should make sale of truth Pro. 23. If any lie might merit or pleade not guilty then surely it should be such a one as maketh for the defence and encrease of Gods glory and honor yet euen this lie also deserues an Anathema from the 13 of Iob v. 7.9 will you lie for Gods defence Is it well that one should make a lie for him The modell of time will not abide any profuse or large discourse I therefore epitomize and contract my larger meditations into this briefe summe The pernicious lie which is of malice as it hath no father but the diuell so hath it no other PatroÌ„ to defend it the lie for sport and merriment wee haue already disabled and the ground of the officious lie is but a quick-sand vnable to support such a weighty sin For say thou lie to helpe thy neighbour at a dead lift perhaps to saue his life a thing that God coÌ„mands this is but a weak supporter for euen in this thou dost thy selfe more hurt then thou canst doe thy neighbour good Nisi fiat iustis rectis medijs P. Martyr de mendacio saith Martyr vnlesse it be done by lawfull and warrantable means Say thou intend the benefit of the Church and by consequeÌ„t Gods greater glory yet S. Paul will schoole thee better Rom. 6.1 Thou maist not giue way to the smallest euil in hope of the greater good to follow thereupoÌ„ If it be obiected that the Egiptian midwiues lied and God blessed them I answer that God blessed them not for the lie but for their faith that wrought in theÌ„ by loue If it be said that Abraham lied to Pharao and to Abimelech I answer it is more then can be prooued Indeed he said that Sarah was his sister it was true for they were the children of the same father but not of the same mother as Abraham himselfe expounds his owne meaning Ge. 20.12 but he neuer denied that shee was his wife Non petit Abraham vt Sarah mentiatur saith Iunius Abraham desired her not to lie what then S. August in his 22. booke against Faustus the Maniche Aug. contra Faust Manic lib. 22. answeres it thus Veritatem voluit celari non mendacium dici he bid her not speake a word but truth and yet be warie that she tolde not all that shee knew à nemine enim id exigitur vt totum depromat quod nouit Phar ao could not bind them to reueale the whole truth saith Martyr in assoyling of this doubt If it bee said that Iacob lyed when hee told his father that he was his elder sonne Esau Aquinas answereth secunda secundae quaest 110. Artic. 3. Aquinus 2. a. 2. ae q. 110. Art 3. that the saying was mysticall not vntrue as if he should haue said I am the elder by grace or thus it was Prophetical to shew a mysterie Quod minor populus hoc est Gentium substituendus esset in locum primogeniti hoc est Iudaeorum By Esau he meant the Iews by himselfe the Gentiles and his purpose was to signifie that howsoeuer the Iewes were Gods first borne yet they should bee cast off and the Gentiles who were the yonger brethren were they to whom the blessing and the inheritance did belong But I will dwell no longer on this point The closure is this Si quando loquuti sunt vt homines peccasse non diffitebimur P. Martyr in locis com de mendacio If they speake these things as men they erred and we denie it not Sin veró afflatu Dei mirabimur eâ—rum dicta sed in exemplum non trahemus If these things were spoken by the motion and direction of Gods Spirit wee will stand in admiration of the wisedome of God yet dare wee not make this practise a patterne for vs to imitate but for all lies we will make bold there to include them where the day of iudgement without repeÌ„tance will be sure to finde them euen in the Catalogue amidst the bedrole of our sinnes Set a watch therefore before thy mouth and keep the dore of thy lips that thou vtter not a lie set lock key vpon thy eares that thou entertaine not the voyce of him that telleth a lie For as he that telleth the lie hath the diuel in his tongue so he that heareth the lie hath the deuill in his eare and quickly it creeps in at the eare that wil neuer out of the heart while thy breath is in thee The time hath already commanded me to take my work out of the Loomes and to let the other three sins remaine vntouched would God they were also left vnpractised nay it were wel if they were not also professed amongst you This beloued this is the only thing that we the Ministers òf God who come here to spend our breath would gladly beg this onley is the thing that wee would faine beseech with all the bowels of our affectioÌ„s with our eyes watring with our flesh shaking with our hearts bleeding with our soules mourning with al the strings of our hearts enlarged towards you that you would not suffer these sins to dwell amongst you that now at length you would draw your swords against sinne which at euery corner besiegeth your Citie before it beginne to batter your wals It is a crastie Sinon you cannot lodge it within your gates but with feare and danger of your liues it is a conuicted rebell against heaueÌ„ you may not harbour it it is a professed traitor against the peace and quiet of your Land you cannot entertaine it without suspition of high treason both against our blessed Sauiour our gracious Soueraigne Alas beloued how long how long shall the Preacher cry that sin is more to bee feared then any treason and yet we practise it How long shall the Preacher cry that sin is the onely Troyan-horse whose womb can command a bloudy Armado armed with cruelty and rage to work our ouerthrow and yet we entertaine and welcome it how long shall the Preacher cry in our streets and wring it in your eares that sin is the onely make-bate betwixt God and vs yet wee are in league and compact with it How long shal the Preacher proclaime this truth that our Land will neuer bee rid of Priests and Iesuites the little Foxes that hinder the growth of the Gospel til first we haue cried down our sin and yet we will not leaue it how long shall the Preacher cry nay weary the strings of his tongue and weary his sides and breake the veines and the pipes of his heart with crying that the sin of our Land that the sinne of our people and the vnthankfulnesse of our Nation hath taken away the glory and the mirrour of Princes the staffe of our comfort the ioy of our heart and the hope of our Land and yet we dandle it on our knees and yet wee foster
it we would be lotheto bestow our loue vpon him that should practise treason against the Crown and yet we loue our sin which is more treacherous we would be loath to see our Land inuaded by forraine enemies that were stronger then wee and yet wee keepe our sin at home which is more dangerous surely our eies would sink into their holes and our haires start frō of our heads and our hearts would breake in sunder within our sides if euer we shold heare of the subuersiō of our State of the sacking of our Kingdome of the downefall of our Churches of the burning of our houses and Cities ouer our heads of the eclipfe and darkening of the Gospel amongst vs and yet alas our sins are stirring the ashes blowing the coles and putting oyle to the flame of Gods displeasure and how shall we quench it we must quench it by a flood of teares by watery eies by bleeding hearts by pensiue soules wee must quench it by making oureies fountains our heads springs our hearts riuers of teares nay let vs euen turne our fountaine of teares into a streame and our streame of teares into a floud our floud of teares into an Ocean and let that Ocean be bottomles that spring boundlesse and that fountain of teares neuer be dried vp that God may be pleased to heale our Land which he hath shaken to renew our hopes which hee hath crossed to turne away the iudgement which hee hath threatned to crowne vs with those myriads of blessings which he hath promised and amongst all these thy blessings write downe these particular by name Crown our gracious Soueraigne and this Kingdome with immortall happinesse let the Scepter neuer depart from his seed let none of his seed euer depart away from thee weaken the wals of Babel continue the light of thy holy Gospell blesse our friends conuert or else confound or infatuate ourfoes kindle our zeale soften our hearts heale our fores pardon our sinnes saue our soules at the last day for thy Son Christ Iesus his sake FINIS Englands SECOND SVMMONS A Sermon Preached at Paules Crosse the 5. of February Anno Domini 1615. By THOMAS SVTTON Batchelour of Diuinity then Fellow of Queenes Colledge in Oxford and now Preacher at S. Mary Oueries The second Impression Perused and Corrected by the Authour REV. 3.19 Be zealous and repent LONDON Printed by NICHOLAS OKES for MATTHEVV LAVV and are to bee sold at his shop in Pauls Church-yard at the Signe of the Fox 1616. ENGLANDS SECOND Summons REV. 3.15.16 I know thy workes that thou art neither cold nor hote I would thou werest either cold or hote Therefore because thou art luke-warme and neither cold nor hote it will come to passe that I shall spue thee out of my mouth THIS whole chapter containes in it three Epistles endited by God in the consistory of Heauen sent by his faithfull seruant Iohn vnto three famous Churches of Asia Euery Epistle may be broken into foure quarters The first an Exordium or entrance The second a generall proposition The third a narration The fourth an Epilogue or conclusion My Text is part of the last Epistle directed to the Church of Laodicea whose Exordium or entrance is set downe in the 14 verse wherein I note First the party to whom this Epistle was directed it is the Angell of the Church of Laodicea Secondly the party greeting or sending it is Amen God blessed for euer The Proposition in the 15 verse I know thy workes The Natration from the 15. verse to the 22. The Epilogue and closure verse the last In the narration I discouer foure particulars First I find her checkt and reprehended for her luke-warmenesse vers 15. Secondly I finde her chid and threatned verse sixteene Thirdly I heare here her exhorted to more heate and seruencie in zeale vers 19. Lastly I see her intreated and allured by a gracious promise verse 20. And surely this sicknesse of Laodicea was a sicknesse vnto death seeing the most soueraigne sprigs of balm which the Phisition could find in al Gilead were not sufficient to asswage her griefe or mittigate her pain If you long to see the breaking vp of my Text into smaller fractions In it you may obserue First a prerogatiue royall appropriated onely vnto God I know thy workes Secondly the deplored estate of these Laodiceans wherein you haue First the crime which was obiected Thou art neither hote nor cold Secondly the aggrauation of the crime by comparing Luke-warmenesse in religion with another sin damnable in it selfe yet pardonable in respect of this Would God thou werest either hote or cold Thirdly the sentence of malediction which hee passed vpon them Therefore I will spue thee out of my mouth And thus haue I briefly and coursely made my first draught whereby you may guesse at the limbes and gather the proportion of my whole discourse Now if God shall continue his gracious assistance and you your christian attention I shall imploy my best end euours for this modell of time to expresse the perfect feature of euerie member beginning with that prerogatiue royall which none can iustly clayme but GOD. I know thy workes as if in fuller tearmes hee had spoken thus thou doest but feede thy selfe with vaine and fruitlesse hopes thou thinkest thou hast done me good seruice by kneeling in my house and hearing of my word and by a tolerable care in the outward obseruance of my Lawes but for thy loue thou hast espoused that vnto the world for thine affection thou hast wedded that vnto thine Herodias for thy zeale thou hast enflamed that with the loue of thy owne wanton Dalilah thou bowest in mine house but thou worshippest Rimmon thou professest my name but thou seruest thine owne belly thou runnest for a Crowne but thou lookest backe like Atalanta and reachest at those balls of Gold which the Diuell like a craftie Hippomenes hath scattered in the way In the time of peace thou lookest faire like the Curtaines of Salomon or the Apples of Sodome but if I nurture thee neuer so lightly with my rodde of correction I finde thee blacke as Kedar and rotten as the Clay in the depth of winter thou prayest that my name may be hallowed but thou swearest rashly and thou thinkest I he are thee not thou committest adulterie with all thy louers and thou thinkest that the night and the darkenesse shall be a Canopie to hide thee that I see thee not thou grindest the faces of the poore for whom I died thou vnderminest the little Church which I haue planted and thou thinkest that I know it not but alasse for thee the strength of thy witte hath encreased thy sinne for there is not a thought so secret but I can tell it not a cabbin so retired but I am in it no closet so secure but I can open it nor no worke so cunningly contriued and wrought but I shall know it When thou drawest the curtaines to commit adultery
to call him backe from pursuing the Romish aduersary ye that cannot be descried whether you be with vs or against vs consider and remember this The GOD of Heauen cannot endure you his Spirit is grieued vvith you his Church is diseased yea and perplexed by you you are like a draught of poyson in her wombe your case is fearefull your condition verie miserable your saluation almost desperate You must be spued out of his mouth And let vs all remember and tremble vvhen vvee consider vvhat God is like to doe with the people and inhabitants of this Land who lie so sicke and are so deeply infected vvith this sinne It vvere better that our Gentrie were almost Iewes and Pagans then to be hollow and giue Religion no encouragement It were much better that Preachers should stand like to Harpocrates that Egyptian god vvith their fingers in their mouthes then to speake so faintly when Babel is in building to speake so cowardly when sinne is encreasing to speake so doubtfully when Gods cause is in hearing or neuer powerfully but onelie when rich aduowsons or great mens fauours are bestowing It were better for many of you Cittizens neuer to haue heard the name of CHRIST neuer to haue knovvne what the Gospell did meane then to professe so barely to vphold so weakely the name whereby you hope to bee saued to maintayne so poorely the Gospell wherein you haue a Crowne proposed and a heauen promised wee might promise vnto our selues a longer peace vnto our kingdome more prosperity to our hearts more true comfort to our consciences more certaine rest to our soules more vndoubted safetie if wee had neyther Gospel preached nor Religion professed nor Truth maintayned amongst vs then now many of vs can for if wee doe preach Christ it is so slackely if wee doe defend the Truth it is so slenderly if wee doe professe Religion it is so indifferently if wee doe shoot at Babel it is so weakely if we doe strike at sinne it is so faintly if we doe God any seruice it is so wearily performed that many English Professors do come far short of these Laodiceans and what then may wee thinke will God do with them The golden Conduites and learned Oracles of Iustice and Law as Tully in his first booke de Oratore was pleased to stile them may doe better to claspe vp their mouthes and throw downe their benches and let Religion shift for it selfe as well as she may then to lie sicke of an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Demosthenes in Gellius in his 11. booke and 9 ch when he was to pleade for the Milesians lay sicke of a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or squinancie I meane to shrinke when they shold cut off corrupt members or hold their hand when they should ease the Land of her impostumes or in a sinfull pollicy to forbeare the canuasing of Romish brats that trouble our Church and endanger our Land and maligne our Soueraigne Ouidui Vixque tenent lachrymas quod nil lachrymabile cernunt who pray for our climactericall yeare and are sicke to see the prosperity of our Ierusalem and better for vs all that our mothers belly had beene our Tombe or like Aristotles Ephemeron in his fifth booke de historia animalium we had perished the day that we were born like Micaiah 1. Kings 22. wee had taken a surfet of the bread and water of affliction and better to feed with Phalaris his bull to lye in Procrustes his bed or sit with Ioseph in the stocks till the soule giue ouer house-keeping in his dampie lodging then to houer like the yong man in Zenophon betweene two waies and go on in neither Zenophon Cyrus or stand like an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 betweene two Religions and sticke neither to the one nor to the other or to play the hollow neutrals and turne our backes vpon all Religion saue onely when we grope a profite in it or onely when we are the richer for it or onely when wee can win a great mans fauour or procure to our selues some honour or preuent some shame and censure by it for then wee proue our selues to be perfect Laodiceans and the Lord will spue vs out of his mouth Were I like Apollos eloquent and powerful in the Scriptures were my sides brasse and my penne iron and my tongue a siluer Trumpet I would heere endite a Rhetoricall and passionate exhortation vnto a sort of men quos video volitare in forum quos stare ad curiam quos etiam venere in senatum sola fundi nostri calamitas the onely scabs and vlcers both of Church and State as the Orator speakes in his second Oration against Catiline In Cat. Orat. 2. I meane our Church Papist who will serue both God and Rimmon and our nullifidian Protestant that can serue both God and Mammon ô that they were wise then would not the one come this day to Church with vs and the next day to a Romish Synagogue to heare a Masse nor the other need driuing into the Temple like that Asse mentioned by Bodin in the 2. of his Demonologie out of Lucian and Apuleius but run from Church like Timon in the Poet ringing as hee goes At mihi plaudo ipse domi I had rather see one of these Angels then heare three of yonder Preachers ô that they were wise then would the one cleaue wholly either to God or Rimmon and the other bow onely either to God or Mammon then would the one either bring his heart with him or giue vs his roome and the other would come either with some zeale or spare his labour in making a formall profession Then would they either giue God all or take all from him vnlesse they will serue God with one halfe and an Idoll with the other meaning that GOD should haue onely the one halfe and an Idoll should haue the other And they meant onely to trouble God so farre as to saue the body but let the deuill and the Pope agree betweene themselues which of them two should haue the soule O Lord open their eyes ô Lord turne their hearts ô Lord pardon their sinnes least they come into condemnation and be spued out of thy mouth which is the sentence of malediction passed vpon all luke-warme professors whereof in the last place I am to speake I will spue thee out of my mouth Which words containe an allegorie drawne from the nature of warme water The sentence of malediction Illyr Bulling Perer. as Illyricus and Bullinger or from meats as Pererius and Ribera which if they be hot or cold the stomach may retaine but if luke-warme it casts them vp againe vt ventriculus benè coquat constringi debet claudi The stomacke digests those meates best whereby it is straitned and contracted so do meates that be hot exciecando contract the stomacke by drying and meates that bee cold exasperando by wringing and pinching it but meates that be luke-warme doe enlarge and
brought you within the view and sight of our iournies end I hope it will make you cheerefull in hearing while I am briefly opening my last conclusion viz. God is highly pleased God highly pleased with purging the Church of luke warm Professors when his Church is eased and emptied of hollow professors Let them take Ionas and cast him into the sea Et facto citius tumida aequora placant the windes will hold their peace and bee still the waues will giue ouer boyling and make their crests as flatte and leueli as a floore and the Maisters of the shippe must needs haue ioyfull hearts to see how merily she cuts the waters so soone as shee hath pickt vp her troublesome loade and emptied her wombe of Ionas whom shee was not able to digest I know that amongst the wheate there will be chaffe yet if the chaffe were burned I know that amongst the beds of Lillies there will be weedes yet if the weedes were rooted vp I know that within the pales and hedges of Gods owne vineyard there will be stones yet if the stones were gathered out the burning of the chaffe would rellish like a burnt Sacrifice the rooting vp of the weeds would sauour as the smell of Incense the ridding of the stones would be as welcome as a free will offering vnto God Did not the Starres and the Heauens applaude Elias in the first booke of Kings chapter 13. for reclaiming them that halted betweene two opinions for setling them that were like to fall downe between two professions or was it not a labour well bestowed whereby hee cured the Land that vvas sicke and wearie not able to beare them and purged their Soules that were sicke and ready to die within them and highly pleased his GOD who was so deepely offended with them The griefe of the head can no way be better cured then by purging the stomach and scouring the bodie of such infestuous humours as fume vpward and disquiet the braine and if Christ bee our head and the Church his bodie how should you imagine that his spirite can be better pleased or our blessed Sauiour delighted with any thing so much as vvith the sweeping out of Luke-warme professors and the paring away of aequiuocall members with the healing if they bee cureable or else the cutting off if they be hopelesse and incureable neutralls Were it not that the time were now ready to impose mee silence and commaunded mee to let you see the farthest period I could verie hardly part so quickely with so good a point I winde vp all in one word of exhortation I should thinke my breath and trauell happily bestowed my Ministerie and seruice richly blessed my paynes and labour highly honoured and revvarded if I might preuaile with authority to prouide som strong purgation to scoure out of the sicke bodie of this Land some vnwholesome Tenants who Ianus-like haue two faces Ouid. Fast libr. 1. the one to looke demurely vp to heauen the other wantonly to smile vpon an Idol and come to our Churches only to saue charges If I might preuail vvith the Clergie to prouide some powerfull and passionate exhortations to settle the hearts of their hearers vpon one God renouncing Idols vpon one Sauiour abiuring this sinfull trash and deceitfull riches The world knoweth it full well that our Land was neuer so sick that our Church neuer groaned so loud neuer mourned in such a passion nor neuer trauelled of these Hermaphrodites with halfe so much paine and griefe as novv â—he doth she hath already bred and at this day shee both feedeth and clothes a numberlesse swarme of our-cast professors I meane Church papists and rotten Protestants who sometimes like vnto Iudas pretend to kisse but if they can come neere enough intend to kill her and sometimes salute her Porches but it is as Ioab saluted Abner 2. Sam. 3. with a dagger in their pockets she may conclude a peace with other enemies but these will cut her throat by way of friendship she sighes so deepely and shee groaneth with so much anguish that her cries are heard her griefe lamented beyond the Seas It is no whispering rumour your selues haue often heard it cried here at the crosse that they are warmely lodged and richly friended and costly fed with the marrow and fatnesse of our owne Land who the middest of our Iubilies doe make flawes in our peace and in the middest of our ioyes endaunger our liues and if anie forrener shold inuade the land wold leÌ„d their kniues to cut our throates and be the formost men to beare armes against vs. This alas this is the maladie that maketh the visage of our Church so wan and her face so full of wrinckles and her backe so ful of furrows and her eies so ful of teares and her heart so ful of sorrowes that though many good Phisitians will speake her faire and wish her health yet they lance not the Impostume yet they purge not the fretting humor that consumes and grieueth her you may reade in her face that her gripings and conuulsioÌ„s be insufferable you may heare by her groanes that her paine is intolerable you may presage by her pulses the signes and symptomes of desolation and death and vvhen these Catholike vipers haue broken her heart what will become of vs who suffer such Professours as will neuer prooue good Subiects to varnish their neasts and make their bowers within her it would doe them good to do vs hurt it would lengthen their liues to shorten ours it would bring them halfe way to Heauen to burie their ponyards in our breasts it would make a new Feast and another Holy-day in the Roman Kalender if they might but smell the burning and heare tell of the smoke and ashes of our Churches they are alreadie become so bolde their number is so exceeding great their Religion is so exceeding bloodie their malice so inueterate that if no sharper course be taken to represse and smother them they will aduenture within a while to try whether wee or they shall be the masters and if either malice or multitude can do it they wil make bone-fires of our flesh they will cut off our liues and confiscate our liuings and set fire on our Churches and martyre our Cleargie and massacre our Iudges and murther our Princes and say of England as Edom sayd of Ierusalem Downe with it downe with it euen to the ground And if euer this day of mourning come vpon vs which I pray God may neuer come yet if it should come wee may thanke our selues for keeping Romish Wasps in our English Hiues It were happy for our Land if we now at last began to pittie and bemone our selues and be somevvhat sharpe in keeping them vnder while we haue the sword in our hands rather then to suffer them to grow so long vntill they be able to treade vpon our Religion or to vaunt or triumph ouer vs. And if any amongst vs can prepare an offering of peace now or neuer let him bring it hee that can vtter or conceiue a prayer now or neuer let him offer it Let vs moue the Heauen with crying spare thy people O God spare thy people giue not our church into reproach Let not the Antichristian hoste be our masters Let not the blasted Catholikes be our commaunders Let not the workemen of Babel be our confounders Wil you haue your farewell and heare what I le say at your parting Let mee exhort you reuerend Iudges who walke heere in Scarlet robes and sit on seates of Iustice to be zealous for the truth to pitty and compassionate our Church to settle your ovvne hearts to bevvare of Luke-vvarmenesse in your religion that when you shall leaue these Benches and put off these robes you may sit on Thrones amongst the foure and twenty Elders and be clothed with the long white Rayment of Saints and follow the Lambe wheresoeuer he goeth Let me exhort you godlie and religious Citizens to bee zealous for the truth to vphold maintayne the Gospel to take heed of coursing and wandring amongst religions to take heed of luke-warmnesse in your christian profession that when you shall be put out of these houses you may be receiued into euerlasting habitations when you shall leaue your trading in this Citie you may bee fellow-Citizens with the Saints in glory when these rotten posts and worme-eaten timber of your bodies shall be broken downe your soules may bee carried on Angels wings into Abrahams bosome and you also may follow the Lambe wheresoeuer hee goes And let vs all begin this day to make our eyes riuers and our heads springs and our hearts fountaines of teares And let this riuer neuer giue ouer running let this spring neuer giue ouer swelling let this fountaine neuer giue ouer flowing vntill this riuer of teares become a sea and this spring of teares become a floud and this fountaine of teares become an Ocean to wash our beds to water our couches to make our chamber swimme for the miserie that wee are like to bring vpon our selues for the desolation and woe which wee are like to bring vpon our Churches for the solemne destruction and finall subuersion which wee haue laboured to bring vpon our whole land and vpon our kingdome by palpable luke-warmenes in our Religion and by our want of godly zealein our Christian profession And when this riuer of teares shall bee dried and these fountaines stopt that wee cannot weepe Let vs fill the aire and beate the heauens with our prayers and though sicknes may put our tongues to silence that we cannot speake yet let our hearts breath our soules enforce vpon the heauens some earnest and powerfull supplications that the dreadfull God whom wee haue offended may be pleased to blesse our Church to prosper our Soueraigne to protect our Kingdome to aduance the Gospell to encrease our zeale to cloath ourenemies in mourning weeds to open the windowes of Heauen crowne vs with his blessings to cure all our soules to forgiue all our sins to saue all our soules for his Sonne Christ Iesus his sake Amen Amen FINIS