yée dwell in your old wickednesse How long will yée liue in hatered one with another How long will ye continue in rancour and strife Shall I so forgiue you as you forgiue your neighbours shall I so pardon you your sins as you pardon your brethren their offences O I forgaue thée thy great debt and wilt not thou forgiue thy brother that little wherein he hath offended thee I haue paid his debt I haue paid the ransome for his trespasse if my bloud be a sufficient ransome for the same for that blouds sake of myne forgiue him if nought els will moue thée if thou wilt not for his owne sake yet for my sake pardon him Good brethren wee haue long enough serued the deuil the prince of this world let vs now serue God our maker and Christ our redéemer We haue long ynough yea too long continewed in rancour and malice one with another let vs now therfore if there be any societie betwéene God and vs if there be in vs any loue of Christ if there bee any feare of Gods wreake and vengeance let vs one forgiue another let euery man forgiue his Christian brother let vs all cast aside al rancour strife and debate and so let vs dwell together in vnitie in brotherly loue and concord This day we haue heard Gods Gospel preached vnto vs this day wee haue learned out of the word of God that if wée be Christians we should liue like Christians if we be the children of God we should liue as becommeth the children of God without enuie without hatred without strife or malice Let vs therfore now leaue off our old contention strife let vs euen here in this place one forgiue another and so be reconciled one vnto another and saie Remitte nobis debita nostra sicut nos dimittimus debit oribus nostris O Lord forgiue vs our sins as we forgiue them that trespasse against vs. This is our profession this is our Religion hereunto are we called of God appointed by Christ and commanded by his holy word Let vs consider our white hore hairs let vs behold our riueled skinne let vs haue alwaies before our eyes the graue whereunto we are créeping Let vs consider that death daily hangeth ouer our heads And shall wee then in this sort liue out the rest of our years Shall wee thus die and come to our graues Let vs shew our selues in our workes to be the children of God and the brethren of Christ let vs not shew our selues Christians in name and not in déed let vs not loue in word alone but in déed and veritie let vs not requite euill with euill one mischiefe with another but let vs according vnto S. Pauls Rule Ouercome euill with good hatred with loue and so fulfill the Law of God So shall God hold backe his sword though alreadie drawne so shall he not smite vs though he hath bent his bow prepared him the weapons of death and ordained his arrowes to destroy But God shall continue our God and remain with vs for euer Amen THE FIFT SERMON Luk. 10. vers 23. 24. 23. And he turned him to his Disciples and said Blessed are the eyes which see that ye see 24. For I saie vnto you many Prophets kings would haue seen the things that ye see and haue not seene them and haue heard the things that yee heare and haue not heard them OUR Sauiour Christ before he began to declare and set forth the will of his Father before hee began to preach abroad the high mysteries of our redemption the glad tidings of mans saluation sent abroad into the world a many of Disciples to the number of thrée score and ten to the end that they should espie out and sée the stay of the people how they would accept his Doctrine and first to giue them this warning and say Paenitentiam agite appropinquat enim regnum caelorum Repent your selues for the Kingdome of Heauen is at hand These Disciples of Christ after they had in all points accomplished their masters commission and fulfilled his commandement returned againe vnto Christ and shewed him the maruailes that they had wrought in his name reioycing much therat and especially for that Deuils departed from men possessed and were driuen out by them The verie Deuils said they are subdued vnto vs in thy name But when Christ heard them thus say and perceiued that they reioyced there at he turned to his Disciples hee pulled them from this vaine fancie and said I saw Sathan fall downe from heauen as lightning Behold I haue giuen you power to tread vpon Serpents to go ouer Scorpions ouer all venemous and noysome beasts they shal be subiect obedient vnto you they shal not hurt you But reioyce not in this reioyce not that you shall haue power ouer Serpents that you shall be able to tread vpon Scorpions and all other venemous beasts be nothing therwith annoyed but reioyce you in this that your names are written in the booke of life Put away said Christ this vaine-glory that your haue conceiued this fond fancie wherein ye reioyce and reioyce yée only in this that your names are written in heauen and that you know God and his son whom he hath sent into the world For no man knoweth the Son but the Father neither knoweth any man the Father saue the Son he to whom the Son will open it This is your felicitie this is your ioy no man but you hath this great ioy felicitie And therfore blessed are the eyes which sée that ye sée This heauenly felicity this marueilous blisse that Christ in this place spake of to his Disciples was prophesied and long time before spoken of euen at the first beginning of the world for at what time Adam had transgressed Gods commaundement and so fallen from the ioyes of Paradise God himselfe to put Adam in some comfort againe prouounced these words against the wicked Serpent that had wrought him that woe and said Ipsum conteret caput tuum The seed of the woman shall tread downe thy head he he it is that shal breake downe and destroy the power of the deuill said God vnto Adam This promise I say euen at the beginning of the world was made by God vnto Adam and so continued to the time of Christ for afterward this same promise declared God likewise to many a good and godly man Hee said vnto Abraham In sâ—mine tuo benedicentur omnes fiues terrae In thy seed said God in that seed of thine shall all the Nations of the earth be blessed To Dauid also God declared likewise this promise and said De semine tuo ponam super soliuÌ„ tuuÌ„ Of the truit of thy body shal I set vpon thy seat And so in the time of Esay his prophet god continued this promise and said Ecce virgo concipiet pariet filium cuius nomen erit Emanuel behold a virgine shall conceiue
the bad as vnto the good And therefore my Bretheren euen for this cause alone all good and godlie Preachers and such as were sent from God haue euer béen so zealous and so much desired the saluation of Gods people Moyses when he saw the people of Israel after their deliuerance from Captiuitie by the mightie hand of God fall from God forsake him and forget the wonders that he had wrought for them he cried out vnto God and said O domine me potius de leas de libro vitae Sooner then that these perish O Lord wipe me out of the Booke of life let my name be striken out of it So Paule Cupio Anathema esse pro fratribus meis I wish my self to bee accursed from Christ for my brethren I would that I might be cast away so they might be saued O my brethren consider these harts consider I say the zealous hart that Moses the zealous affection that Paule had vnto the saluation of the people What thinke you is it to be striken out of the booke of life What thinke you is it to be a man accursed and haue portion among reprobates Moses was content to be blotted out of the booke of life so that the people of Israell might be saued S. Paule was content to bée accursed and cast from the face of God so that Gods people might not be cast to perdition Thus they of an earnest heart and zealous loue they bare to the congregation of God wished their owne destruction for the safegard of others Therefore also it behooueth you my brethren you that are temporall men it behooueth you on the other part not to despise Gods messengers not to set light by them that preach you the Gospel and glad tydings of your saluation For this is the onely meanes whereby it pleaseth God that we should be saued this onely is it whereby the people is won vnto Christ God might haue sent an Angel vnto the chamberlaine of the Quéene Candace and so haue conuerted him but he sent Philip he sent Philip I say a poore and meane man that thorough his preaching he might bee won to the faith and so brought to saluation God might haue sent an Angell to Cornelius but he sent Peter who instructed him in the faith and wan him to the Gospell of Christ God might haue sent an Angell vnto Paul to haue mollified his heart and so turned him from persecution of Gods Saints but it pleased God to send Ananias that thorough the putting on of his hands the scales should fall from his eyes that by him he should receiue his sight and be baptised and so by meanes of a man hee might be brought home vnto God and made a member of his flocke Therefore whensoeuer we heare the word of God preached notwithstanding the preacher beare no pompe of eloquence or shew of great learning notwithstanding he be a simple and poore man yet if he bring vnto vs the rule of Christs Gospell if hee teach vs the will of GOD and the glorie of his word let vs not despise him let vs consider that hee is Gods messenger and appointed by God to helpe vs to saluation I beseech you saith Saint Paule that yee receiue not the grace of God in vaine This onely Boun I aske of you this is onely the request that I make vnto you that yee take not the grace of God in vaine A great matter it were if any one man would misuse the grace of his Prince a great matter it were for a man to despise the friendship of his friend or the gentlenesse of his enemie but a greater matter it is yea a farre greater matter to take the grace of God in vaine For what auaileth it vs what should it profit vs if GOD once deliuer vs from our sins and we turne againe to our old wickednesse What gained wee if the couenant of God and Testament of our Sauiour Christ be broken vnto vs if we receiue the same in vaine Blessed are they saith Christ which heare the word of God and keepe it The Scribes the Pharisies the Iewes Annas Caiphas and Pilate heard the word of God heard Christ himselfe speak preach amongst them and yet they receiued this word of God in vain they receiued this grace of God in vain Christ likened his word to a sower that went forth and sowed his seed whereof some fell by the way side and so wast troden with mens feet and destroyed some on the stone which tooke roote but yet soone withered away because it lacked moistnesse some fell among thornes and the thornes sprung vp with it and choked it So the poore husbandman lost in maner his whole cost and labour for of all that he sowed little fell into the good ground brought any increase And euen thus standeth it with Gods Gospell now a daies for preach we neuer so oft teach wee neuer so much few yea verie few are found that receiue the same continue therin and so bring forth fruits of saluation When Moses the seruant of God was but a little time departed from the people and gone vp into the mount there to talke with God and aske councell of him the people by and by made themselues a golden Calfe and fell to the worshipping of that Image And this did they because they receiued the grace of God in vaine When Moses was dead and Iosua succéeded into his roome straight-waies the people worshipped Baal and Astaroth they forsooke the liuing Lord who had deliuered them and in stéed of him they worshipped verie Diuels And this did they because they receiued the grace of God in vaine Saul though he once was the seruant of God and inspired with his spirit yet at the length he fell from God and persecuted Dauid the chosen of God and so in the end miserably slew himselfe And this did he because he receiued the grace of God in vaine Iudas being one of the Apostles and the seruant of Iesus Christ yet he not only betraied his master Christ but also became himselfe a verie deuill for so said Christ Vnus vestrum Daemon est One of you is the Deuill And this did he because he receiued the grace of God in vaine And therefore S. Paule in this place willed the Corinthians that they should not receiue the grace of God in vaine as the people did in Moses time that they should not receiue it as they did which liued in the time of Iosuah that they should not in such sort take it as Saule did and lastly that they should not so receiue it in vaine as Iudas did and worke their owne destruction This was his request this thing he onely desired that they wold not receiue the grace of God in vaine For God saith In an acceptable time haue I heard thee and in the day of saluation haue I succoured thee These words are written in the prophesie of Esay and pronounced they were
whole Countrey be scattered when the people once conspire against their Princes And therefore also an old writter Petrus Lilius saith Discord is the only cause of the ouerthrow of Kingdomes Diuision is the onlie cause that great Empires can not stand Dissention maketh two kingdomes of one Dissention maketh of two Cities one and at length it maketh of two kingdomes no kingdome of two Cities no Citie This writeth Petrus Lilius of Dissention this is the end of Discord sayth he and in déed experience hath taught that this is most true But wherefore speake I of these things wherefore do I here repeat vnto you these old and auncient histories why recount I vnto you the ouerthrow of Rome the destruction of the Gretians the desolation of Ierusalem which all hapned thorough Diuision I would to God I saw nothing euen now before mine eyes that causeth mée thus to say I would to God I say that I saw now nothing present before mine eyes that causeth me thus to say But these examples my Bretheren God hath placed before our eyes that we might take heed by them that we might the better looke to our selues and beware of our owne destruction Christ hath said Christ that is the author of Trueth and trueth it selfe hath said Ciuitas diuisa desolabitur The Citie that is diuided be it neuer so rich neuer so strong neuer of so great force yet shall it be destroied it shall be brought to vtter desolation Rome that sometime was the wealthyest Citie in the world called therefore the Ladie of the whole world fell to diuision and therefore was shée ouerthrowen and vtterly destroyed The Gretians which were a people of greatest force fell to dissention and therefore was their whole estate pulled down and cast flat to the ground Ierusalem that holie Citie that Citie that was so strong fell a sunder fell at discord within it selfe and therefore was shée spoiled of her enemyes and brought to desolation Remember good Bretheren remember with your selues how can that Ship which saileth in the Sea be safe in the middest of the waues if the people within the same boore holes thorough it or rent vp the ribs of the same How can that Citie be preserued where no man will heare counsell where no man careth for the publike state where no man passeth for other where God is not in the middest Deus charitas est saith S. Iohn qui in charitate est in Deo manâ—t God is charitie and he that dwelleth in charitie dwelleth in God O saith Salomon Turris fortissima nomen Domini The name of the Lord is a strong Tower The name of God saueth the Citie Dauid also the prophet of God saith Nisi Dominus custodierit ciuitatem in vanum laborant qui custodiunt eam Except the Lord keep the Citie except the Lord defend it saith he they labour in vaine they watch in vaine that are set to defend it These things good Bretheren appertaine both to our office that are Ministers and appointed by God to instruct the people and they appertaine also vnto all Magistrats yea and vnto the whole people As for vs that are Gods Ministers and messengers sent vnto you we do stand vpon the Tower to crie and giue you warning that the enemies are comming to shew you before hand that your foes are approching our part is to declare vnto you that your fight is not against King nor Caesar is not against any Prince or power of this world but against spirituall enemyes against the Deuill and his adherents our part is to dissuade you from dissention to dissuade you from discord and diuision This must we do aswell to the Magistrat as to the rest of the people aswell to him that beareth office as to him that beareth none For we are debtors vnto all men aswell to the rich as to the poore to the wise as to the foolish to the good as to the bad This is also the Magistrates office this is likewise his duetie Therefore hath God set him vp therefore hath God exalted him aboue the rest of the people that he should guid them in peace lead them in loue and vnitie together Thus did Dauid that good king he found the whole kingdome left by Saul his predecessor in dissention and diuision within it selfe he found I say the whole countrey at variance and great debate but by his great wisdome and good gouernance together hée reduced the same into good order againe and such as before were enemyes he made faithfull friends and the whole Countrey he brought to quietnesse peace and mutuall vnitie And therfore when he had this brought to passe for ioy that he had thus of mortall foes made louing friends he sung O quà m bonum quà m iocundum habitare fratres in vnum O how ioyfull a thing is it for Bretheren to dwell together in vnitie So much it comforted him so glad was he when he saw his people agrée together Therefore in the Scriptures the Magistrates are called Shepheards for that they ought so to guid the people committed to their charge as the Shepheard doth his flocke Therefore they are called also Captaines for that they ought to haue such respect to Gods people as the good Captaine hath regard to his Souldiers Therefore likewise are they called the Heads for that like as the head gouerneth the whole bodie so should they rule and gouerne the people as members of their bodie Therefore in like are they called Fathers for that the people are so in subiection vnto them as the childe is in obedience vnder his father But chiefly it is required in them it is chiefly and aboue all other things required in such as are Magistrates that they them selues know God that they them selues I say aboue all other men haue perfit knowledge of God and his Lawes so that the people by that meane may follow him and they altogether may follow God Therefore in the Booke of Deutronomie God himselfe gaue in charge to all such as should become Magistrates saying He that is called to beare Office what euer hee be that is appointed to be a Ruler shall first write out all this Booke of my Law with his owne hand And againe he said Non recedet liber iste ab ore tuo This Booke of mine shal not dcpart from thy mouth this Booke of mine shall not be out of thy hand This is Gods charge to all them that beare office this is his charge and commaundment giuen vnto them Therefore that good king Dauid when God had appointed him to be king and chiefe Ruler of his people he said Si dedero oculis meis somnum aut palpebris meis requiem antequà m innâ—uero domum Domino meo Tabernaculum Deo Iacob If I shall giue my selfe vnto sleepe or mine eye lids any rest before that I find out a house for my God and a Tabernacle for the God of