of God vnfruitefull â—â—ggetrees making shewe of Christianitie with the faire greene leaues of hearing Gods worde commyng to the Church vsing of the Sacramentes talking oftentimes of the Scriptures c. But the sound and true fruites of godly conuersation we shew not For if we remaine such vnprofitable trees we shall be cut downe cast into the fire and haue our partes with hypocrites where shall bee weeping and gnashing of teeth c. The next note of this text is that when God punisheth and plagueth wicked naughtie men for doing contrarie to his will it is not done onely for them vppon whom the particular punishments light but for the example of other also in al ages times These things saith S. Paul are examples for vs c. And afterward All these things came to them as ensamples were written to admonishe vâ— vpon whom the endes of the world are come The better to vnderstande this I will first declare vnto you two pointes the one that all things that come to man coâ—e not by fortune by chaunce or by natural course onely but by y â— certaine prouidence appointment of God secondly for what causes God most commoÌ„ly sendeth such plagues vpoÌ„ men And then will I adde y â— conclusion y â— Christians must make applicatioÌ„ of such examples to themselues and how y â— is to be done As God of his vnestimable goodnes made the world all that therein is for the benefite commoditie of maÌ„ that he might vse all the inferiour creatures to Gods glory so doth the same Lord maker by his almightie power infinite wisedome continue preserue y â— same My father yet still worketh faieth Christ and I worke By him onely we moue liue haue our being as Saint Paul saith as Dauid in sundry Psalmes witâ—esseth wheÌ„ thou hidest thy face they are troubled wheÌ„ thou takest away their breth they die are turned into their dust wheÌ„ thou lettest thy breath go foâ—th they shal be made thou shalt renew the face of the earth That wee call and esteeme nature is nothing but the very â—inger of God working in his creatures much more the alteration of natural courses things done extraordinarily As god made clouds at y â— beginning to water y â— earth so doth he preserue them by his mightie power holdeth them houering in y â— aire y â— they fal not downe immoderatly to drowne y â— earth but shedde theÌ„selues temperatly by drops sweet showers to season y â— same Wherefore wheÌ„ raine falleth excessiuely to hurt y â— earth or hinder mankinde as it did in the time of Noah or wheÌ„ the clouds be cleane dried vp that there is no raine at al as it fell out in y â— time of Achab it is most euident to be y â— worke of God according to his iustice punishing y â— breaking of his law vnthankfulnesse of his people So likewise as God made y â— aire so it is he y â— for lyke causes keepeth it in seasonable maner somtime moist somtime dry somtime weate sometime colde somtime wholesome somtime infectious dauÌ„gerous whervpoÌ„ followeth sicknes death of men murrens of cattle c. In like maner I might speake of y â— earth y â— water y â— Sonne y â— Moone residue of the starres planets In all euerie of which as it is the finger of God that keepeth theÌ„ in their natural order so it is his power y â— doth alter chaunge the same for causes to his wisdome knoweÌ„ bringeth out such effects as be hurtfull rather then beneficiall vnto man Therfore wheÌ„ we see infections sicknesses disseases deathes murraines losse of corn or hay destructioÌ„ of cattle great fluds burnings blastings a noÌ„ber of such like we must looke further then into y â— course of nature vnderstand y â— there is a God an ouerruler of nature y â— doth those things This is not true only in these things y â— appertaine to nature but in those also y â— be done by the will of man or as we say prophanely by chaunce or fortune For in deede there is no chaÌ„ce or fortune And therfore y â— good father Aug. doth renouÌ„ce those heathenish names repeâ—ted that euer he vsed theÌ„ That which we call fortune is nothing but y â— hand of God working by causes for causes that we knowe not ChauÌ„ce or fortune are gods deuised by man made by our ignorance of y â— true almighty euerlasting God Are not two sparrowes solde for a farthing one of them falleth not to the ground without your father yea all the heires of your head are nuÌ„bred feare you not therefore you are more worth then many sparrowes The sense of these words is y â— the prouidence of God erteÌ„deth it selfe to al creatures so y â— there is nothing so base or simple eyther w tout man or w tin him which he neglecteth or is ignorant of Of those things that be without man nothing almost is of lesse value or lesse esteemed than a poore sillie sparrow yet one of them falleth not to the grounde without our heauenly Father Of such things as appertaine to maÌ„ nothing is of lesse price than a heare yet one of theÌ„ perisheth not but by Gods prouidence This doctrine maketh greatly to the aduauncement of the true knowledge of God For it teacheth vs as I haue sayd before not onely that he is y â— maker of heauen earth of all y â— creatures in them contained but also that he doth gouerne and dispose them all preserue them that they may continue so long as to his blessed will shall seeme conuenient The scriptures in sundry places witnesse the same both in the course of his doing in sundrye Histories of Ioseph of Iob of Saule of Dauid and in particuler testimonles of sundrye Godly men and holy Prophets but noue more euidently and zealously than Dauid in many Psalmes but principally in the 104. 107. Vnto which places I referre the Godly hearer for this time would not serue if I sholh but meanely declare vnto you the wholesome instructions and assured comfortes that are to be gathered both by the examples and particular testimonies Christ in the words before recited extendeth the carefull prouidence of God to Sparrowes and to the heares of oure heades to the end no man should thinke or imagine that it is onelye a generall prouidence as many doe in these days which as they dare not deny that the world is gouerned by the wisedome and power of God so they thinke it an absurde thing to teach that God is occupied about all particular Creatures and specially them that be of the meanest sort Therefore they expound chose wordes that Christe vseth here or the scripture in other places to be spoken by Hiperbole that is a manner of
words make marchandise of your soules c. The same is noted also by S. Paule in way of Prophecie as S. Peter doth that such should come in the latter dayes in greate number For of this sort sayth he are they which crepe into mens houses and leade captiue simple women laden with sinne and lead with diuerse lustes Who seeth not in these Testimonies of the holy Scripture those religious Wolues described whiche in swarmes haue ouerwhelmed the face of the earth and with great shewe and pretence of holinesse and long prayer haue sought not the glory of God but their owne inestimable wealth of the world For by selling their Merits their Prayers their Masses their Pardons by Pilgrimages by Purgatory by absolutions by dispensations and a number of other deuises they haue not onely deuoured an infinite number of Christian soules but crepte into mens Testamentes and from wife and children and kinsfolk got into their clawes the Wealth and Riches of the world I would to God this were not so notoriouslye knowne that it needed no further declaration or proofe Wherefore when you see this Angelicall or Seraphicall shew of heauenly life in these inclosed Wolues haue not by and by their Doctrine in admiracion but looke carefullye vnto their clawes least they crepe within you ere you be ware The second shepes cloathing vnder which false Prophets do hide themselues is Ordinary power and authoritie Long Succession and lawful calling to the Ministerie And as I said before of honest conuersation and Goly life so I must saye of this that it is and ought to bee one of the bewtifull Ornamentes of Christs true sheepe whiche they oughte not to make light accoumpt of nor wythout it to thruste themselues into the Mynisterye of Gods true Doctrine as the Anabaptistes and other phanatical spirits do For S. Paule faith How shal they preach vnlesse they be sent And agayne No man vsurpeth this honor vnlesse he be called thervnto of God as Aaron was If it should be lawfull for euerye man to come into the office of preaching or ministering without ordinary caling there would be broughte into the Church a marueilous confusion of all thinges together with infinite Sects and Erroures But vnder this fayre Title and bewtifull Garment haue many Wolues and wicked Heretiks crept into the church as after you shall perceiue And Christes warning in this place principallye toutheth suche for hee directeth his speeche agaynste the Scribes Pharisies and high Priestes that then were in ordinary Succession calling and authoritie And lykewise doth the spirite of God in al the course of the scriptures both of the old and new Testamēt Moyses sayth If there shall rise among you a Prophet or a Dreamer In medio tui sayth he euen among you or in the middest of you He sayth not a straunger or Forrener comming frō some other place but among you And Esay His watchmen are blinde and know nothing And a little after Behold their Sheapheards are voyd of vnderstanding They are all gone euery man after his owne way And in Hieremie In the Prophets of Hierusalem I saw abhominacion c. Filthinesse and vncleanes is proceded from the Prophets of Hierusalem ouer the whole earth And agayne My people is become a lost flocke theire Sheapheards haue deceiued thē and made thē to wander in the mountains And Ezec. Her Priestes haue peruerted my law vnaduisedlye and haue prophaned my Sanctuarie You sayth Malachi to the Priests haue gon out of the waye and haue caused manye to fall by the lawe Nothing can bee more playne then that whiche Paule speaketh to the Ministers of Ephesus c. I knowe this sayth he That after my departure shall greeuous Wolues enter in among you not sparing the flock Of your own selues shal men arise speaking peruers things to draw disciples after them And Saint John From among vs they came but they were not of vs. Yea S. Paule sayeth that Antechrist shoulde sitte not among Heathen persons or Infidels but in Templo Dei in the Church of God Wherfore you may not maruell though we say that false prophets greeuous wolues are his vnder this fayre shepes cloathing of ordinary Authority succession and calling for the spirite of God hath told vs that it hath so beene and shoulde so bee to the worldes ende You may not therefore thinke that Ordinarie authoritie and calling is a full and iust proofe of good Doctrine or of true preachers Wolues haue deuoured the Flocke vnder that clothing yea suche they haue beene that haue most cruellye persecuted Gods good prophers and the doctrine that they haue taught Who persecuted Hieremie and the other Prophets were they not those that sayde Templū domini Templū domini i. The Tēple of the Lorde The Tēple of the Lord And Nūquid veritas discedet á Sacerdotibus i. Shal the truth depart frō the Priests Were it not they y t stroke Micheas and caused Hieremie to bee cast into prison Who were they that put Christ to death and persecuted his Apostles Doe not the Euangelistes and Actes of the Apostles euidently declare it Doth not Christe giue his Disciples warning that it should bee so These things saith he haue I spoken vnto you that you may not be offended They shall excommunicate you out of their synagoges al for my names sake Were it not they that had ordinary Calling Succession that hadde Authoritye to excommunicate Seing then by testimonie of the Scriptures we learne y t it hath alway bene so among the people of god and the Scriptures witnes in way of Prophecie that in the latter dayes it shoulde bee so Why may not the faythfull people of God greatelye feare that nowe also in our age the false Prophettes bee hid vnder the cloake of Ordinary calling and Succession For this Cause did God extraordinarily rayse and set vp his true Prophets which might sharpely blame reproue those false Maisters Teachers y t did abuse this countenāce of ordinary Successiō Authority to deceaue Gods people carry thē from the law of god to superstition Idolatry Which prophets of god not w tstanding y t ordinary calling succession of the other in many places do tearme them Dumbe Dogs Idle sheapheards deceauers Lions Wolues Foxes Murderers c. And for so doing they which were in ordinary authority did esteeme thē as factious seditious stubborne obstinate deceauers of y t people It hath pleased the mercifull prouidēce of God likewise in these latter days extraordinarily to raise vp mightily to defend certain learned men and Godly preachers whiche might reueale vnto y e world earnestly reproue cōfound the great horrible corruptiō both of doctrine māners y ◠haue now these many yeares ben brought into y ◠church w t fagot fyre maintained by thē y t chalenge to themselues ordinary power
of stomache to digeste A true and strong Christian fayth is the mouth of the soule and the power wherewith wee doe receiue and digeste Christ Jesus crucified as the foode of our saluation We must looke therefore to our selues first whether we knowe and vnderstande the mistery of our redemptioÌ„ that is that the vnspeakeable mercy of God sent downe the second person in Trinitie to take flesh of the blessed Virgine to lyne in the shape of a most contemptible man in this worlde and in the ende to haue suffered cruell death for the redemption of mankinde Secondlye whether we feele in our harts a strong perswasioÌ„ that we also through the merciful promises of god are partakers of the same worke of our redemption For a true Christian must not only haue a generall knowledge but also by a fyrme faith hee must haue â— particular application of the same to himselfe Furthermore as it is necessarye to haue both a desyre to eate styrred by a sence and feeling of true repentaunce and also an assured fayth to receiue and digest this wholesom and comfortable medicine of oure soule so because God bestoweth not his mercy by his sonne Christ in vayne or to the end we should still continue in sinne we must further try our selues whether we feele an vnfained desire to rise to a newnesse of life and an earnest study hereafter to ameÌ„d our former faults and to strayn our selues to a Godly and honest conuersation that God in vs maye bee glorified and the mouthes of his Ennemies stopped Lastly wee muste examine oure consciences whether we haue a feruente and great desyre to call to oure remembraunce the vnestimable Benefyte of oure Redemption made by the price of his bodye and blood and to acknowledge and confesse the same vnfaignedlye before GOD and the Worlde and to yeeld vnto him moste hartye thankes for the same and the residue of his benefytes not at this present tyme onelye but euer hereafter vntill the time of his comming This is the Godly and Christian tryall of oure selues which if we vse by the grace of Gods Spirite working in vs wee shall becomme eyther worthye Guestes or muche more fytte then other wayes wee shoulde bee c. Happylye some will thinke that this Admonition is a Terroure and tormente to theire consciences to feare men from comming to this blessed Sacramente rather than an Exhortation or Incouragemente vnto it For if the Daunger bee in it selfe so great as the vnworthye Receauer eateth Damnation to himselfe and the preparation and triall so streighte as you haue made it it were better neuer to come to it For what one is there among a thousande that doth in this manner trye his conscience or if he doe hee must needes feele so great want and imperfection either in sorrow for his sinnes or in sence of Gods wrath or in weakenesse of his Fayth or in the studie of newe lyfe or in the Coldenesse of his charitie or in the feeblenesse to giue thinkes and set forth the glory of God or in all these things that he must needes be ouerwhelmed in conscience and feared to make hymselfe partaker of these holy mysteries But deerely beloued let not this feare shake your consciences nor driue you backe from this blessed table This eâ—amination and tryall must be within the boundes of humaine frailtie and God in this as in all other doynges for Christes sake will vse hys mercie and clemencie For he knoweth our corruptions imperfections and will haue regarde of our infirmities Onely let vs not be secure slacke and negligent but feeling by this triall great want in our selues with lowelye humble and confessing hartes let vs acknowledge the same and say vnto God I am sorie O Lorde for my sinnes but not as the greeuousnesse of them requireth Augment O Lord by thy spirit the sense of thy wrath in me I beleeue and know with other christians that thy sonne hath shed his blood for mee but increase my faith O God and helpe my vnbeliefe I desire to liue according to the calling of a christian but the fleshe and the world maketh this studie cold in me therefore doe thou strengthen me with thy blessed spirit I know it is my bounden duetie to yeelde vnto thee immortall thankes as well for all other thy benefites as principally for the whole worke of our redemption by the death of thy deerely beloued sonne but I feele this zeale to be so faint and feeble that it is nothing according to my duetie and for that cause I lyft vp myne eyes to the throne of thy mercy and humbly desire thee to pardon all my imperfections and to heale all my infirmities The sense and knowledge of my weakenesse may not feare me from this holy cable For this heauenly feast is a medicine for them that bee sicke a comfort to them that be penitent sinners a free and liberall gift to such as bee poore and haue nothing of themselues Christ in this feast is giuen as meate without which we know we must of necessitie perish And he is giueÌ„ as lyfe vnto vs and therfore without him we can haue nothing but death The best worthinesse that wee can bring to these reuerend and holy mysteries is that we confesse our owne vnworthinesse to the end thy mercy may make vs worthy that we despaire in ouâ— selues to the end thy grace may comforte vs that we humble our selues to the end thy goodnesse may raise vs vp that wee acâ—use our selues to the end thy sonne by his merite may iustifie vs. For though of our selues wee are able to doe nothing yet by hym wee shall be able to doe all things c. These or lyke cogitations if wee haue in preparing our selues to that blessed nourishment of our â—oules he that breaketh noâ— a brused â—eede nor putteth out smoking flaxe will noâ— cast aside our infirmitie but mercifully receaue vs. The sorrowfull Father which with care for hys sonne â—ryed vnto Christ I beleeue Lorde but helpe thou myne vnbeliefe thoughe his faith as it myght appeare was very weake yet obtained hys purpose at Christes hanâ— to haue his sonne by myracle healed If our fayth hee but as a grayne of Mustarde seede yet it wyll muche preuayle with Gods mercy The Apostles of Christ which were admitted to his last Supper were notwithstanding weake and touched wyth many infirmites althoughe they were not altogether wicked and faythlesse as Iudas was They beleued in Christ they loued Christ and they loued one an other and yet at the verye table of the Lorde they shewed theyr weakenes Peter not without some reproche of the residue preferred himselfe before them all Though all other sayth he bee offended by thee yet will not I bee offended by thee They ambitiously contended amoÌ„g themselues which of them should bee the greater I wyll not mention that immediately after Supper they through timorousâ—esse fledde from Christ and for
This comforte it was that made Iob so patiently to abyde losse of goodes the spoyle of hys landes and houses and the myserable destruction of hys chyldren The same comfort caused Ioseph wyth lyke patience to endure bondage imprisonment sclaunder reproch and daunger of his lyfe For he was assuredly perswaded that nothyng was done without the certayne prouidence of hys louyng and mercifull Lorde and God and therefore was assured that it woulde fall out to the best in the end This if wee soundly and truely consider wee shall neither rashely condemne other whose sinnes bee not notoriouslye knowne and when any euill happeneth to our selues by this comfort we shall sustayne it patiently Nowe haue I briefely declared vnto you as you haue heard first that outwarde profession and externall seruice and vse of Sacramentes is not sufficient for Christians but that to the glorie of God they must confirme their calling with the practise of a vertuous godly life Secondly whensoeuer misery or plague happeneth to maÌ„ it commeth not by chaunce or fortune or by a course of nature as vaine worldly men imagine but by the assured prouidence of God that seeth knoweth worketh all things Thirdly that God is moued with two causes to cast such miseries and afflictions vpon men somtime by iust punishment of sinne for transgression of his holy lawe and secondly to trie the faithfull and godly And lastly I haue tolde you what good instructions are to be taken of true Christians in both those wayes It remaineth that we pray vnto God most hartely that this doctrine may be so imprinted in our harteâ— as it may bring forth due fruites to hys glorie to whom bee honour and glory foreuer and euer So â—â— it ⸪ ¶ Certayne Sermons vppon this Text. Mat. 13. 3. The seede sower went out to sowe his seede and some fell by the high wayes side and the foules of the aire came and deuoured it vp some fell on stonie ground where it had not much earth and anone it sprong vp because it had no deepenesse of earth but when the Sunne rose it was burned and because it had no roote it withered c. THe holy ghost in the scriptures sundry times resembleth God to a husbandman And as there be sundry kindes of husbandry so doth he in diuers respectes compare the Churche people of God to the partes thereof Auncient writers make three parts of husbandry Pasturing Vintage Tillage To al these do the scriptures compare the Church of God The Lorde is my sheepard saith Dauid therfore caÌ„ I lack nothing He shall lead me forth in a greene Pasture c. And againe We are the people of his pasture and the sheepe of his handes And Christ himselfe saith I am the good Sheepard c and my sheepe heare my voice As touching Vintage Christ saith I am the true Vine my father is the Husbandman In Esay God maketh a long discourse declaring his Churche people to be his chosen Vineyard planted in a very fertile grouÌ„d To which parable Christ also alludeth in S. Matth. To Tillage he compareth his Church in S. Joh. Doe not you say there are foure monethes and then Haruest commeth Behold I say vnto you lift vp your eyes looke vpon the countries round about you because they are white readie to Haruest and he that reapeth shall haue his rewarde that he may gather in fruites to euerlasting life And in S. Mat. There is a large haruest few workmen desire the Lord of the haruest that he will thrust forth labourers into his haruest But in no place more plainely than in this parable of the seede sower which now I haue recited vnto you This y e spirit of God doth of purpose by these familiar similitudes to set before our eyes and to impresse more deepely in our minâ—â—s partly the great goodnes and singular care of god toward vs partly to teach vs our duetie toward him As the husbandman trauaileth and hath great care of his pasture his Vineyarde and Tillage and leaueth nothing vndone whereby he may further them so ought they to aunswere his expectation to yeelde fruit accordingly But as touching this parable of the seede sower ye haue to note these partes God is the husbandman the Preachers of the word are the seede sowers the seede is the worde of God the grounde is the heartes of men the duiersitie of the grouÌ„nde noteth the diuersitie of mens dispositions in hearing the worde of God If preachers bee the seede sowers then haue they authoritie froÌ„ God as doyng his seruice and as comming in hys message and therefore sayth Paule Let man so esteeme vs as the seruaunts of Christ and bestowers of the secretes of God They must bee heard therefore as the messengers of GOD they must be esteemed as hys seruauntes that come to sowe the seede of saluation in the heartes of men It is the worde of God that they vtter and ought to haue the Maiestie of hys person though it bee vttered by the mouthe of a mortall and fraile man The Prophets say thus Thus saith the Lorde The mouth of the Lord hath spoken and yet were they men that deliuered the message So God honoureth his messenger that though he bee couered wyth fraile fleshe sometime also stayned with sinne yet he maketh hym his mouth to open his will vnto his people When you receaued the worde of me you receaued it not as the worde of man but as it was in deede the worde of God And to the Galathians You refused not my infirmitie in fleshe but you receaued mee as the Angell of God yea euen as Christ Iesus And agayne to the Thessalonians Hee that reiecteth vs reiecteth not vs but God who hath giuen his holye spirite vnto vs. And for that cause sayeth Christ He that heareth you heareth me and he that reiecteth you reiecteth me And God in his Prophetes alwayes taketh as to himselfe that contempt or that reproche that was shewen to his Ministers whom he sent vnto hys people threatneth for the same most greeuous punishments This should they consider which in these dayes make so small accompt of Preachers and Preaching of gods word that they esteeme neither any thing of lesse price nor any persons of lesse credite But therein they shew both howe little regard they haue of their owne saluation and howe lyghtly they esteeme the glorie and Maiestie of God who offereth that benefite vnto them by his Preachers The worde of God by Christes owne exposition is the seede and so saith S. Peter also You are new borne not of mortall but of immortall seede through the worde of God that liueth and abideth foreuer All fleshe is grasse and all the glory thereof as the floure of grasse grasse withereth and the floure falleth but the worde of God abydeth for euer and this is the vvorde which
fruit Some fell in stonie ground that is into such hartes as wanted the good iuice moisture of gods holy spirit therfore when the heate of persecution ariseth their zeale is withered they reuolt frō the truth Some fell into bushie ground that is into the mindes of them y t were troubled w t the eares of this worlde with the loue of riches with y e pleasures of this life which wholly chaked vp y e good seede of y e Gospel of Christ so y t it coulde not in any wise prosper bring forth fruite Here you may perceaue that for one fourth parte of good grounde that yeldeth fruit of y ◠doctrine of God there are three greater partes of euil ground wherin it nothing at al prospereth I would to God there were lesse store of these euil grounds in this land then vndoubtedly should we see greater successe of the Gospell more ample fruit of our Preaching It were good for men to looke that these quarrellings at other mens liues be not one of those cords of vanitie that Esay speaketh of in the. 5. Chap. Woe bee to them sayth God by Esay that drawe on iniquitie with cordes of vanitie and sinne as it were with a Cartrope That is Wo bee to them that imagine excuses and coloures to nousle maintaine themselnes in contempt of Gods worde and want of repentaunce Let men take heede of such dealing that such cordes of vanitie pull not on iniquitie so fast that it drawe men to vtter contempt and derision of god and his truth For so it followeth euen in the same place immediately which saye in this manner in derison of the Preaching of y e Prophets Let God make speede let him hasten his worke that wee may see it and let the counsell of the holy one of Israel drawe neere and come that wee may knowe it And in lyke manner say the wicked and vnrepentant people of the Iewes Iere. 5. They haue denied the Lord and said it is not he tushe the sworde and the plague shall not come vpon vs neither shall wee see it The threatnings of the Prophetes are but winde and the true worde of God is not in them they vtter their owne phantasies these things shall come to themselues and we shall liue here liuely brauely and gallantly as wee haue before time Euen with like contempt and derision many at these dayes abuse y ◠Preachers of Gods word If we exhort Princes Magistrates and Rulers to frame their purposes and deuises according to the worde of God and in Gods causes to lay aside humaine pollicie because vnlesse God builde the house in vaine he laboureth that buildeth it and if the Lorde keepe not the Citie the watchman waketh but in vaine Oh saye some of them these Preachers lacke experience and discretion they are fooles they are vnskilfull they knowe not what pertaineth to the pollicie of gouernment It is sufficient for Princes and rulers to shewe themselues Religious although in deede they bee not For so howled that Monster Machiuell the poyson of Princes Courtes and noble houses If to confirme mē in the defence of Gods truth we lay before them the assured promises of Gods assistaunce that he wyll not suffer a heare of their heades to perishe that for their safetie he will cause his Angels to campe aboute them yea thoughe they were in the valley of the shadowe of death yet they shoulde not neede to feare because the Lorde is wyth them thoughe people frette and fume though Princes of great power consulte and laye their heades together agaynst the Lorde and agaynst his annoynted yet he that sitteth in heauen wyll defeate their purposes and laughe them to scorne for ther is no power there is no wysedome there is no Counsell agaynst the Lorde these saye they bee the sweete dreames of doting Preachers wherewyth they nusle Princes in idlenesse and securitie and by vayne confidence in the prouidence of God cause them to lay themselues open to the daunger of their enymyes as thoughe euen in these dayes wee dyd not see the defenders of thys their Religion to haue sustayned greate ouerthrowes and slaughters at their aduersaryes handes When wee laye before men terrible threatnings of Gods wrathe and indignation if they reuolte from the trueth of the Gospell or suffer the same to bee betrayed into the handes of the enimye saying that GOD wyll forsake them that hee wyll take hys defence from them that hee wyll sette hys face agaynst them that hee wyll bryng straungers vppon them to destroye theyr Countrey and possesse their great landes and goodlye buyldynges Manye crye that the Preachers bee peeuishe and for feare of theyr owne state raue in follye For they thinke if Religion bee altered that they shall first goe to wracke but they haue small care and prospect howe to mayntayne the state of their Countrey in safetie Thus doe they continuallye knitte Cordes of vanitie to drawe them selues into iniquitie and contempte of GOD and all this commeth to passe as I sayde before because they looke so muche vppon other mennes doinges that they cleane forget their owne They shall doe well to followe Christes Councell that they fyrst Take the beame out of their owne eyes and then shall they better see to take the moate out of their brothers They maye not thinke that God is the God of the Ecclesiasticall state onely or that the Scriptures of GOD doe prescribe onelye their dueties with greeuous threatning if they perfourme it not Nay he is the God of the whole people and of all the states and conditions thereof Of Parentes and Children of Maisters and Seruantes of Husbandes and Wiues of Lawyers Counsellers of Marchants all other Occupiers yea he is the GOD of Gentlemen and Gentlewomen of Lordes and Ladyes of Princes Magistrates Rulers Gouernours all their dueties in his holy worde hee prescribeth and against all them he speaketh and with terrible threates in hys Prophetes he thundreth as much or more then he doth against euill Ministers and Preachers And more oftentimes he noteth their vices faultes to bee the cause of those great plagues vtter desolations which he threatneth to bring vppon his people Reade the. 1. 3. 5. 30. Chapters of Esay Reade the 5. 8. 21. 22. 25. of leremie almost all the parts of the Prophets and you shal perceaue this to be most true I woulde staye vpon some examples but that I myght be thought to touche some things too nyghly Therefore all these sortes of people as well as the Ministers of Gods worde for their vocations ought to bee able to saye wyth Christ in this place Quis ex vobis arguit me de peccato Which of you can rebuke mee of Sinne Which of you is able to accuse vs that we liue loosely in chambering wantonnesse or riotouslye in banqueting drunkennesse or contentiously in striefe and enuie or
in Examples they be infinite I should holde you too long A witnesse or two of approued authoritie for this may serue Roffensis agaynst Luther This saith he I speake for the Fathers vvhose iudgement I had rather follow then the Schoolemens for that in this pointe they bee repugnant one to the other Erasmus in his Enchiridion sayth Si Turcis vt Christum amplectantur Occamos Durandos Scotos Gabrieles aut Aluaros proposuerimus quid cogitabunt quid sentient vbi audierint spinosas illas argutias de instantibus de formal tatibus de quidditatibus c. Praesertim vbi viderint eos de his adeò non conuenire vt frequenter vsque ad pallorem vsque ad conuitia vsque ad Sputa nonnunquam vsque ad pugnos inâ—ucem digladientur If wee to winne the Turkes to embrace Christ shall offer or alleage vnto them Durande Scotus Gabriel Aluarus or any their followers what wyll they thinke What will they gather when they shall heare those Sophisticall and contentious subtilties De instantibus de formalitatibus de quidditatibus c. Whiche are altogether friuolous contentions rather for wordes then matter But especially when they shall see these men in such sorte to disagree for these things that often they striue euen till they be pale withall euen till they fall to chiding euen till they spit one at an other euen til they fall to blowes together The like repugnancie is betweene Thomas and sundrie other Diuines For the Vniuersitie of Paris condemneth Thomas in diuers articles as manifestly erring in the faith as it may appeare in certaine additions set to the end of the maister of the sentences I omit the contrarietie of Councells by manifest decrees impugning one another I omit the greeuous conteÌ„tion betwene the Councell of Basill the Popes struggeling which of them should haue the chiefe authoritie in the Church I omit the repugnant opinions of Gerson sundry other Diuines touching the same I will not speake of the great stirre that was betweene the Vniuersitie of Paris and the Freers for the whole state of their religion and continued many yeeres vntill the Popes highnesse tooke the Freers into his tuition against a great number of learned Diuines that disputed preached and wrate sharpely against them I will not speake eyther of the disagreeing betweene the Canonistes Scholemen for sundrye matters as betweene the Monkes and Freers for the conception of our Lady Ouely I will in a word or two put you in minde of some of their chiefe champions that euen in this age euen in our dayes euen in our remembraunce haue not onely differed in some small pointes but in chiefe and great articles one writing against another Yea and I will note unto you the Fathers of one onely counsaile of Tridente that thereby you may take taste what agreement is betweene the residue if their doinges shoulde bee sifted Doth not Catharinus Archbishop of Compsane one of the Popes legates and great Cardinalls in rigour and fierce manner impugne the iudgement of Dominicus a Soto â— Spanishe Frier of great credite and one of the Emperours confessors the same Soto as sharpely write against Catharinus that in no such small controuersies as in a trifle touching apparel but De Fiducia hominis Christiani of the hope of a ChristiaÌ„ Of predestinatioÌ„ of originall sinne of free will c. belike ech part had his assistances For one of their bookes was printed in Rome w t the alowance of the Byshop and Cardinals the other were printed at Antwerp Cam priuilegio Imperatoris and the allowance of of the Scholes of Louaine Colone the prelates of Flaunders The same Catharinus writeth as vehemently against Cardinall Caietanus of famous memorie a great patrone of the Popes to his dying day but in hys workes Katharinus noteth 200 pointes of doctrine erronious as he saith heretical That booke came forth after Caietanus was dead or else like it is that he woulde haue done as much for Catharine as that commeth to Like contention was betwene Catharinus and Franciscus Torrensis for y e single life of Priests and the residence of Byshops whiche thing Francis sayd were appointed by Gods lawe but Catharine earnestly defendeth the contrary Who is of greater credite in y e Church of Rome theÌ„ Albertus Pighius who hath more stoutely or w t more countenance of learning defended that side And yet in the weightie articles of Originall sinne Iustification and Free Grace beside diuers other Ruardus Tapper Deane of Coleyne in his 2. Tome doth namely expressely write against him say that hee was deceaued Because the time doth now cut me so shorte I will here end this matter as hauing giuen you a sufficient triall how the Patrones of the Sea of Rome agree among themselues And yet forsoothe these are they that fynde so greate faulte wyth lacke of agreement betweene the Preachers of the Gospell in these dayes and vppon euerie diuers worde in the interpretation of a sentence will deuise the name of a sect among vs onely of malice onely to defame our doctrine as Doctor Staphilus dealeth with vs in c. Wherefore when wee heare these lying and sclaunderous repartes that the Teachers of the Gospel are licentious seditious disagreing amoÌ„g themselues let vs consider that these are the blastes of malitious enimies tenne times more offending in the same things themselues Let vs remember that the Gospell of Christ is y â— true Rule of perfect life the paterne of obedience and the assured bonde of vintie peace and concorde and therefore still say wyth S. Paule I am not ashamed of the Gospell Last of all they which depend wholy vpon the iudgemeÌ„t of men and estimation of the world and are ashamed of the Gospell because of the Multitude the power the authoritie and noble estate of them that mislike the Gospel They see not onely losse of estimation and contempt of the world but commonly persecution also eyther partly annexed or alway imminent and at hand to the preaching of the Gospell As it is well written Crux est comes Euangely i. The Crosse and persecution is the companion of the Gospell so it is as truely proued on the other part that Sensus carnis crucem execratur fugit i. The vnderstanding of the fleshe detesteth and flyeth froÌ„ the Crosse Wherefore worldly men because they see that the greater part do hate the Gospel That fewe Nobles or great estates doe soundly fauour it That they are disdayned and had in contempt that puerly doe teache it that there is continuall erpectation of the Crosse of persecution to lyght vpon it for this cause I say many doe shunne it fewe doe embrace it all men euerie hower stande looking what mutabilitie of time will bring vnto it This causeth that in the Vniuersities many excellent and goodly wittes that myghte bee singular ornamentes â—â— the Churche
turne their studies to Lawe to Phisiche and to other purposes and will hardly be brought to the studde of Diuinitie but in no wise to followe the Ministerie But I will not tarrie longer in this matter althoughe I haue good matter to vtter in it The time doth abridge me I will returne to my purpose They that are ashamed of the Gospell in respect of worldly disdayue and trouble do not sufficiently consider that Christ in the middest of hys owne persecution and affliction saide that his kingdome was not of this world yea he sayde the world hated him because he detected the wickednesse of the worlde They therefore that will bee true followers of Christ may not looke to haue better intertainment in the world than Christ had himselfe If the world hate you sayth Christ you knowe that it hated mee before you If yee were of the worlde the worlde would surely loue that is his owne Because you are not of the world but I haue chosen you out of the worlde therefore doth the world hate you The seruant is not aboue the maister If they persecuted me they will persecute you also And all these things shall they doe for my names sake And although wee be sure by Christes promyse that the worlde shall thus vse vs Yet consider how gratiously and mercifully he hath in these dayes delt with his scattered flocke Though Antichrist grenne and gnashe his teeth at vs Though the greatest powers of Europe be bent against vs yet as he promised by his Prophet Esay He hath giuen Kings to be nursing Fathers and Queens to be nursing mothers He hath raised to vs our most gratious soueraigne vnder whose protection praise be to his name for it we doe safely and quietly enioye the preaching of y ◠Gospell yea notw tstanding y e threatnings and indeuours of mighty aduersaries abrode some great enimies at home And yet still doth the say as I pray God she may long euer from hir heart say Non me pudet Euangelij c. I am not ashamed of the Gospell If any be so affected that they thinke the kingdome of Christ and his Gospell is but weake and worthie contempte because it is commonly tossed in daūger and trouble of the world and hath Princes more commonly against it then wyth it they are in that point much deceaued For thereby it may appeare that it is preserued kept by the mightie power of God and not by the vncertaine and brittle Fauour of Princes and worldly puisance which then commonly falleth most sodainly when it seemeth to men to florishe most gloriously to be in most high estate dignitie Looke in all the kingdomes of the earth if it hath not bene so But for the Church of God and Professors of his truth what a notable example is it of Diuine protection that when the whole world perished with the Deluge yet God in y ◠middest of the waters by the benefite of the Arke preserued his chosen sorte of the house of Noah from all daunger Likewise afterward Abraham and his posteritie was safe euen in the middest of the Caananites their enimies In Aegypt Gods people although for the time oppressed yet afterwarde myraculously were deliuered to the terrour of all Princes y ◠bend their power against God The same people were afterward fedde from heauen in the Desert when they despaired of foode and nourishment were planted in the land of Promise in despite of al their Enimyes preserued from extreame Ruine in great Chaunges Troubles and Banishments that the Relictes myght remayne whereof the Sauiour of the worlde Christ Jesu shoulde come c. ⸪ ¶ Certaine Sermons vppon this Texte of the Euangelist Beware of false Prophetes that come to you in sheepes clothing but inwardly be rauening Wolues By their fruites you shall knovve them Mat. 7. 15. AS wee haue nothing deerelye beloued more precious in this worlde then the blessed Word of God and his heauenly Doctrine taken out of it so haue we not any kinde of persons more worthy to bee loued and had in estimation than those whom God sendeth to impart the same vnto vs. Agayne on the other side as nothing is more perilous and pernitious to Gods people than false and corrupt Doctrine contrarie to Gods holy will reuealed in the scriptures so is there no sort of men more to be shunned and taken heede of than false teachers whom Sathan thrusteth into y ◠church of God to corrupt that precious Treasure meane of our saluation Wherefore our Lord and Sauiour Christ after that he had made that notable Sermon in the Mount to his Disciples and had set forth the true interpretation of the Lawe of God giuen by Moyses and discouered the false Doctrine and hypocrisie of the Scribes Pharisies and had rightly instructed his hearers in the true exercise of Almes Prayer Fasting trust in God and other workes of charitie not contented herewith but knowing the malice of the Diuell that would leaue nothing vndone wherby all hys Disciples myght be seduced from the trueth of his doctrine In this place he carefully giueth them thys forewarning that they shoulde take heede of false Prophetes that should come to deceaue them and as rauening Wolues to deuour their Soules And first he describeth them what they be that they may the better take heede of them Secondly he giueth a note rule or marke whereby they may more easily be knowne There was neuer time in which this warning was more necessarie then in these our dayes when so many diuers doctrines are spred defended and the one repugnant vnto the other The patrons of the Church of Rome say that we be schismatikes heretikes false teachers and therefore doe they will the people to beware of vs. Againe the professors of the Gospell charge them with the like and say they are those false prophets of whome Christ giueth warning Let vs first therefore examine the description and afterward come to the rule wherby they may bee knowne that all men may vnderstande to whether partie both those things can be more iustly aptly applyed They shall come to you saieth Christ in sheepes clothing but inwardly they are rauening Wolues This descriptiō is more largly declared by S. Paul Such false Apostles saith he are deceitfull workers and transforme themselues into the Apostles of Christ and no meruaile for Sathan himselfe is transformed into an Angell of light and therfore it is no great thing though his ministers transforme thēselues as though they were the ministers of righteousnesse c. And to the Thessa The comming of Antichrist is by working of Sathan with all power and signes and lying wonders and in all deceauablenes of righteousnesse That which Christ vttereth by a figuratiue speache That they should come in sheepes clothing that Saint Paule expoundeth to be their transformyng of themselues into the likenesse of Gods true ministers in