an eare left were so effectual to deceiue al sorts of men that knowing this we cannot meruaile if poperie were spread far wide He did the Pope very profitable seruice which first found out this ground to builde on It bare vp their building a great while But after that the light began a litle to appeare when men had gotten once a sight of the scriptures in a knowen tongue they woondered to see the world so deluded in so much that euen amongst themselues such as had any small freedome of iudgement spared not plainely to auouche that this ground was but mire and slough altogether vnfitte for spiritual building Why that booke should be called a golden legend saith Viues for so it was intituled I doe not knowe sith it was written by a man of an yron mouth and a leaden heart and is altogether full of most shamelesse lies Erasmus likewise At this day saith he euerie bodies dreames yea the dotages of sillie women are read amongest diuine Scriptures 19 The last ground which they haue and the fairest to the eye is their traditions Vnder the name of doctrine receiued from Moses by word of mouth without writing that is to say tradition the Scribes and Pharisies were able smoothlie to carie away anything til Christ recalled all things to the Lawe the Psalmes and the Prophets til he opened the scriptures And as in other grounds so in this the Pope hath found by good experience that they cannot stand longer than the scriptures lie secret and vnknowen 20 He therefore that buildeth vpon these grounds hath cause I thinke to besturre hand and foote that men may be alwaies kept off from the scriptures For whatsoeuer is builded vpon these grounds by the scripture it is ouerthrowen The scriptures haue prescribed an holie communion they vpon their foundation haue reared a blasphemous Masse The scripture maketh baptisme the consecrated seale of mans saluation They vpon their foundation haue builded the baptisme of belles and shippes The scripture saith Christ was offered vp but once they vpon their foundation haue erected an altar whereupon he is daily offered vp The scripture wil haue the scriptures to be read of all men prayer to be made with vnderstanding Christ to be a full satisfaction for sinne worship to be doone vnto God alone They vpon their foundations haue builded a doctrine that forbiddeth Gods people to reade his word that teacheth them to powre out their prayer in a tongue which they cannot vnderstand that hath found out a way to satisfie the wrath of almightie God in this life by penaunce and after this life by indurance in Purgatorie a doctrine that commaundeth them to call vpon Saints and soules departed to worship the worke of their owne handes to say to a peece of bread My Lord my God If these doctrines of theirs did not containe as they doe most manifest impietie yet all religion builded vpon such grounds must needes be vaine and friuolous For although we offer vp neuer so many sacrifices though we keepe all the daies in the yere holie though we pray and giue thankes and doe almes yet except we knowe that herein we shewe obedience to the lawes and statutes of our God we doe but tire out our selues in vaine Wil God reward those things wherein he taketh no delight Or taketh he delight in any thing and hath not shewed it Or hath he shewed it and not in scripture Doubtlesse they worship him but in vaine which either teache or practise the precepts of men for the Lawes of God That they teache or practise the precepts of men they wil not graunt yet the most that possibly they can alledge to prooue any one of these things to be of God is this Such or such a father saith that this or this being not written is neuerthelesse Apostolicall And they knowe that the witnesses whom they cite in matters of tradition doe sometimes checke and contrarie one another In the controuersie that was betweene the East and West Churches concerning the feast of Easter the one part alledged tradition to prooue their custome and the other part tradition to prooue the contrarie It might be that neither was Apostolicall both could not be when eche gainesaide other Yet both must be if al be Apostolicall which the Fathers haue saide is Apostolicall If al be not where is the certaintie of these grounds Why doe they murther burne and persecute from place to place as many as make any doubt of these things which are grounded vpon so fickle and weake foundation 21 But to leaue the foundation whereupon they builde their doctrine if in the rest we finde them as corrupt as in this they haue beene declared weake surely then we may boldly affirme that the Church of Rome is rather a sinke of all abhomination than a fountaine from whence those liuing waters or a storehouse wherein that heauenly foode whereof the Prophet Esay speaketh may be had Let vs therefore nowe consider the end as wel of our religion as of theirs Let vs viewe the marke whereat eche part doeth shoote Whatsoeuer men doe they doe it to some end And the qualitie of things which are doone to any ende is iudged to be good or bad by the ende whereunto they are doone Hereof it is that in scripture things otherwise highly commended as prayer fasting and almes deedes are most bitterly reprooued when they tend to bad ends As there is but one author from whom all things are so there is but one end vnto whom al things should encline and bend themselues God is Alpha the first from whom all other things haue their being and beginning wherefore in reason he is Omega the end and finall cause of all things vpon him they must attend and seeing they are not of themselues therefore they may not serue themselues but for the glorie of him by whom they are From hence a rule may be gathered to iudge betweene pure religion in deede and that which is vntruely so called For that religion no doubt is best which most aduaunceth the glorie of God and that which taketh most from him the worst Ipsi gloria in Ecclesia In the Church of God all glorie is giuen not to men but to him This is the song of the true Church of Christ Righteousnesse O Lord belongeth vnto thee but vnto vs open shame 22 Wherefore touching our selues we teache with the blessed Apostles and Prophets that by nature we are the children of wrath that corruption is bredde and setled within our bones that we are both borne and begotten in it that with it all the powers and faculties of our nature are infected that still it cleaueth fast vnto our soules and although the deadly sting be taken from it yet there it sticketh as long as life doth endure so irkesome and so grieuous that it forceth the most vpright and perfect to crie Miserable man who shall deliuer me
they would learne two short lessons of S. Paul and learne withall to followe them the matter easilie might be amended The one is to loue men not their monie Non quaero quae vestra sunt saith S. Paul I seeke not yours but you This lesson is hard but good and the other is like it I can doe nothing against the trueth but for the trueth saith the Apostle Nothing in a bad cause but in a good cause all things These lessons well learned would quickely cut off many euil pleas and driue back causelesse controuersies 15 You to whom the sword of iustice and iudgement is committed take heede vnto it Let it not spare mightie men for their sinnes are mightie sinnes If such offend their fall draweth down others with them God therefore commaunded Moses to hang vp the princes of the people vpon gibbets that they might be examples of punishment who had beene examples in sinning The good Consul Iunius Brutus spared not his owne sonnes but cut off their conspiring heads And Aulus Fuluius in the like case did the like thing Pilate abused his office when vpon sute hee spared Captaine Barrabas the murtherer and killed Christ our sauiour Spare not traitors murtherers or theeues least you bee partakers of their sinnes Your lenitie towardes them is crueltie towards the common weale the enemies of whose peace they are Serue God in feare loue his trueth promote his Gospell The seate the iudgement the sword is the Lordes defend therefore his cause see to the keeping of his statutes enlarge his kingdome aduaunce his glorie for he hath promised to glorifie them that honour him but they that despise him shall be full base hee shall make them vile and contemptible 16 Doing of iudgement may also generally be taken for iust dealing Iustice is a vertue which giueth euery man his own Render vnto euerie man y ◠which is his Let euerie man performe his office fulfil his dutie let euerie man do right one to another do as you would be done vnto If this Law were obserued the people shold be eased of great expenses iudges iustices of great trauel Christ saith if a man take thy coat frō thee rather than striue giue him also thy cloake There is verily a fault amongst you because ye goe to Lawe one with another why doe you not rather suffer wrong Why doe yee not rather sustaine any kinde of tollerable harme Abraham gaue place to Lot and would not contend his onely reason was wee are brethren But brotherhoode is nowe adaies no argument of agreement our times are so vnlike their times and we so vnlike them There were no better meane in my opinion to bridle these quarelling and contentious mindes of wranglers than to burthen such as faile in their cause with great expenses amerciaments It would make them beware of quarels and vniust contending if they were sure to paie well for it Doe iudgement deale iustly one with another paie vnto al men that which is due that which is not due seeke not to haue at any mans hands 17 The second duetie to our neighbour is mercie Hee hath shewed thee O man what is good and what the Lord requireth of thee surely to doe iudgement and to loue mercie Bee mercifull saith our Sauiour as your father is also mercifull This mercie as Christ there teacheth wil shewe forth it selfe in three properties First it will bridle that vncharitable rashnesse of iudging and condemning others Nolite iudicare Iudge not Mercie will not bee hastie to iudge There be iudgements ciuill and iudgements Ecclesiasticall iudgements publike and priuate iudgements Christ neither forbiddeth the magistrate neither the publike minister to iudge according to the Lawe neither the parent or master to iudge and correct their offending children or seruaunts It is vncharitable priuate iudgement which God forbiddeth when men vnaduisedly take vpon them to giue sentence of others as if God had resigned his owne right into their handes they condemne whom they list and say what they list euen as they fancie so they iudge This man is a Saint and that man a sinner he the seruant of God and hee the childe of death Who art thou that so iudgest anothers seruaunt Is it not to his own master only to whom he stands or fals Who art thou that takest such seueritie vpon thee that dealest so vnmercifully with thy brother He is a sinner so thou either art or hast beene or maist be iudge therfore thy selfe trie and examine thine owne woorkes Iudge I say thy selfe and iudge not him least thou be condemned of the Lord for both not iudging and iudging If a brother be ouertaken with a fault ye that are spirituall shew mercie restore him with the spirit of meekenesse considering thy selfe least thou also be tempted Verily this mercilesse iudging of others is the cause why wee fall into many perils and secret temptations Loue mercie therefore and iudge not Hee that iudgeth with the Pharisee with the Pharisee shall be iudged 18 Another fruite of mercie is forgiuenesse They who are hastie to iudge are for the most part in forgiuing slowe But forgiue and yee shall bee forgiuen Howbeit such as sit in iudgement ought to correct and not to remit because they deale not with iniuries doone to themselues but to the lawes and common wealth or church But in priuate iniuries wee must all remember the words and followe the example of our Sauiour Be mercifull and forgiue Christ forgaue them that put him to death Stephen them that stoned him Ioseph them that solde him the king his vnthriftie seruaunt 1000. talents If wee forgiue not others it is in vaine to praie that which wee dailie praie Forgiue vs. For so doth Ecclesiasticus wel teache vs. He that seeketh vengeance shall finde vengeance of the Lord and he will surely keepe his sinnes Forgiue they neighbour the hurt that he hath doone to thee so shall thy sinnes be forgiuen thee also when thou praiest Should a man beare hatred against man and desire forgiuenesse of the Lord Hee will shewe no mercie to a man that is like himselfe and will he aske forgiuenesse of his owne sinnes If hee that is but flesh nourish hatred and aske pardon of God who will intreate for his sinnes And our Sauiours commaundement is If thou bring thy gift to the altar and there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee leaue there thine offering before the altar and goe thy waie first bee reconciled to thy brother and then come and offer thy gift Whereunto S. Chrysostome alluding saith That God had rather want thy sacrifice due to him than reconciliation should not be made betweene thee and thy brother 19 The next and third fruite of mercie mentioned by our sauiour is Giue and it shall be giuen vnto you He that loueth mercie giueth almes but the couetous man is cruell God is so carefull to haue the
euerie good worke 5 The Prophet beeing inflamed with a desire of knowledge and vnderstanding sawe no other waie to attaine thereunto but by ioyning with continuall meditation earnest prayer Teache me thy waies O Lord Giue me vnderstanding Shewe me thy Law He knewe that praying was as needefull altogether as reading that if there be any difference at all it is this By praying we profite more than by reading 6 As he desireth to be taught so it is especially to bee noted that his desire is to be taught of God Teache thou me O Lorde There is none that can open the sealed booke of God but onely the Lion of the tribe of Iuda the roote of Dauid the Lambe of God For Thou art woorthie to take the booke and to open the seuen seales thereof because thou wast slaine and hast redeemed vs to God by thy bloud It is he that hath the keie of Dauid which openeth and no man shutteth shutteth and no man openeth For the outward reading of the word without the inward working of his spirite is nothing The precise Pharisees the learned Scribes red the Scriptures ouer and ouer againe they not onely red them in bookes but woore them on their garments they were not onely taught but were able themselues to teache others But because this heauenly teacher had not instructed them their vnderstanding was darkened their knowledge was but vanitie they were ignoraunt altogether in that sauing trueth which the Prophet Dauid is so desirous to learne The mysteries of saluation were so hard to be conceiued of the verie Apostles of Christ Iesus that he is forced many times sharpely to rebuke them for their dulnesse which vnlesse he himselfe had remooued by opening the eyes of their mindes they could neuer haue attained to the knowledge of saluation in Christ Iesus The eares of that woman Lydia would haue beene as close shut against the preaching of Paul as any others if the finger of God had not touched and opened her heart As many as learne they are taught of God and no man knoweth the father but he to whom it pleaseth the sonne to reueale him There is but one teacher in the schoole of Christ hee it is that leadeth vnto all trueth 7 Nowe although Christ onely openeth the booke of knowledge giueth vnderstanding and reuealeth vnto vs the wil of his father although the spirite onely bee the schoolemaster that inwardly guideth the heart in the way of trueth yet may wee not gape for reuelations as the Anabaptists doe or thinke that God hath reuealed vnto vs whatsoeuer wee doe vainely imagine and conceiue in our braines For as there is a spirite of truth so there is also a lying spirit S. Iohn therefore giueth vs a caueat not to credit euerie spirit but to trie spirits whether they be of God or no. We are to bee taught of God yet by such meanes as God hath appointed The riche man beeing in torments craued reuelations for his brethren to whom it was aunswered They haue Moses and the Prophets God doth teache inwardly but by outward meanes He spake in old time by Angels by dreames by visions by reuelations But now in these latter daies he hath spoken by his sonne and he by his ministers He taught the Eunuch but it was by Philip he taught Cornelius but it was by Peter he taught Paul but it was by Ananias 8 But howsoeuer or by whomsoeuer we taught the thing which we must learne is the woord of God not the decrees and decretals of Popes not the quiddities of too curious schoolemen not lying legends not amorous arts not the daungerous discourses of Politikes voide of the feare of God denying defacing Christian religion This is not our schoole these are not our studies What we should desire to learne the Prophet sheweth by the words following Thy waies 9 This word WAIE by a translation or metaphor in the scripture hath sundrie significations Sometime it is taken for doctrine as thou teachest the WAIE of God truely sometimes for religion as when S. Paul saith I persecuted this WAIE and againe According to this WAIE which they call heresie I woorship the God of my Fathers sometimes it is taken for the course and order of a mans life as in the words of the Prophet Esay The Lord taught mee that I should not walk in the WAIE of this people sometimes for the counsels and purposes of men so Elihu meant it saying His eyes are vpon the WAIES of man and he seeth all his goings The waie which the Prophet heere would learne of God is true religion the doctrine of his holie wil in his word reuealed but chieflie the doctrine of the true Messias promised the waie of trueth it selfe hee onely being the waie the trueth and the life hauing giuen vs an example that we should followe his steps who did no sinne Now as God hath his waie so man hath his My waies are not your waies The waies of Christ and Antichrist of the Church of God and the Synagogue of Satan of religion and superstition these are contrarie eche to other Christ saith of himselfe I am the waie In the knowledge of this waie S. Paul glorieth I esteemed to knowe nothing but Christ Iesus and him crucified and in the knowledge of this waie the Prophet desireth to be taught of God Teach me thy waie O Lord. 10 To this petition he addeth a promise first to walke and secondly to walke in trueth We may not be idle We are created vnto good workes which God hath prepared that we might walke in them Wee are redeemed and bought with a price not to doe nothing or to liue as we list but to serue him which hath redeemed vs. Our Sauiour could in no wise abide idlenesse Why stand ye still Saint Paul would haue all men to be stirring Let euerie man walke Not one is excepted not one can be dispensed withall Whosoeuer hee bee that will not labour let him not eate For it is good that euerie man should eate his bread in the sweate of his browes And worke in the wise mans iudgement is euen as needefull for men as meate There is no such bane to a common wealth or kingdome no such poison to the maners of euerie particular man as idlenesse is Examples we haue too many in all ages Idlenesse in Dauid was a cause of lewdenesse so that it is not good no not for Princes to bee idle Idlenesse was the roote of all that filth in Sodoma Israel in the absence of Moses being idle fell to feasting dauncing and idolatrie And therefore seeing that such as bee idle are subiect to so many noysome temptations S. Ieroms counsell is this See thou be alwaies dooing somewhat that the diuell may finde thee occupied he that is out of good exercise is easilie snared of the diuell And idlenesse saith S.
wee are not consumed because his compassions faile not but are renewed euerie morning great is his faithfulnesse Being mindfull therefore of these his mercies let vs as thankfull seruauntes offer vnto this our mercifull God this sacrifice of righteousnesse neuer ceasing to magnifie and praise his name O Lorde we acknowledge this to be thy worke without any merite or deserte of ours Wee blesse thee wee praise thee we thanke thee for it accept O Lorde this our seruice and sacrifice in thy great mercie 22 The seconde part of this our sacrifice of praise is to poure out requestes and supplications Let vs herein with humble and penitent heartes with sure trust that God will heare vs out of heauen craue at his mercifull handes the deliueraunce of his annointed our Soueraigne Ladie out of all distresse from the rebellion of Absolon from the counsell of Achitophell from the rage and furie of all that conspire to do hir harme Thou knowest O Lorde that shee hath not deserued this treacherie at their handes being most milde and mercifull doing good vnto all hurting none Therefore O Lorde according to thy mercifull woont as thou hast done hitherto so deliuer protect and defend hir still finish that which thou hast most graciouslie begune bridle O Lorde hir enemies and ours let them knowe their madnes open their eies and cause them plainely to see that they cannot preuaile against thy chosen seruaunt that they cannot cast downe or bring into ignominy hir whom thou hast set vp and placed in honour Giue grace O Lorde if it bee thy good pleasure that they may enter into themselues examine their own heartes see their sinne repent them of their wickednesse abstaine from farther proceeding that thou in thie mercy maiest shew them grace and fauour in the ende And graunt O Lorde that we which professe thy holie name may still offer vnto thee the sacrifice which thou requirest euen the sacrifice of righteousnesse that the minister of thy worde may sincerely and diligently preach thy Gospell that being a good example to the flocke and leading a godlie an vpright life he maie bring thee the offrings of many soules vnto the stretching out of thy glorious kingdome amongst men Grant that princes Magistrats whom thou hast set in authority may without feare or fauor offer also this sacrifice in vpright deciding of controuersed causes and seuere punishing of malefactours Finallie giue this grace O Lorde wee beseech thee to thy whole flocke for wee are thy flocke the sheepe of thy pasture that wee all may offer vnto thee our goodes our bodyes and our soules for they are thyne Graunte that we maie liberallie bestowe our goodes to the needefull reliefe of thy poore Sainctes that wee may mortefie our bodyes and cheerefullie offer them if neede so require to anye kynde of tormente for thie sake that in soule wee maye offer thee the sacrifice of true repentance for our sinnes of hartie thankes for thy great grace of earnest sute for continuance of thy mercie and fauour towardes vs. We humblie beseech thee O father for the merites of thy deere sonne vpon whom as vpon our aultar we offer vp all our sacrifice bowe downe thy mercifull eare to our petitions extend thy mercies to thy litle flocke preserue our gracious Queene and so direct the heartes of all which beare authority vnder hir that by their good gouernment wee may leade a peaceable and a quiet life in all godlynesse and honestie To thee O mercifull father with thy Sonne Christ Iesus our onely redeemer and that blessed spirit our sweete comforter three persons one God be all honour and praise both now and euer The two and twentieth Sermon A Sermon preached at Pauls Crosse at his remouing to Yorke 1. COR. 13. 11 For the rest brethren fare yee well be perfect be of good comforte be of one minde liue in peace And the God of loue peace shalbe with you AFTER that our Apostle S. Paul as a faithfull teacher a wise stewarde a louing father a vigilant watchman a diligent labourer a seuere punisher of all sinne had with a good conscience painefully trauailed a long time with the famous citie of Corinth omitting no part of Apostolicall dutie opening vnto them all the mysteries of Christ the whole counsell of God all the secretes of his truth at the length by the goodwill and calling of God being else where appointed to preach the Gospell hee forgetteth them not in the time of his absence but as by word afore so stil by writing endeuoureth to leade them on Wherfore being now to make an ende both of speaking and writing vnto them hee most louinglie taketh his leaue and with his farewel giueth them this sweete exhortation Be perâ—it be of good comfort be of one minde liue in peace and the God of loue and peace shall be with you 2 My present case is not much vnlike although I my selfe bee most vnlike for happie were hee that might followe so blessed a guide though it were with far vnequall paces The citie is like the people are like my departure from you is like but the performing of my office amongest you I must confesse hath ben much vnlike And good cause why for God alike hath not bestowed his gracious giftes Yet my conscience beareth me record I haue endeuored to treade in the same steps And in doctrine which is the chiefest point I dare affirme euen the same which the holy Apostle doth I haue deliuered no other vnto you then that which I haue receiued of the Lord yea safely in the sight of the most high God I may saie with him you haue receiued of vs not the word of men but as it was in deede the worde of God In distribution whereof neither haue I vsed flatterie as you know neither coloured couetousnesse the Lorde will testifie neither haue I sought mine owne praise my heart is witnesse And this testimonie of conscience that I haue dealt sincerely in the house of God as touching doctrine hath bene my great reliefe and comfort in all the stormy troubles which by the mighty assistance of almighty God I haue waded throwe Concerning diligence in the execution of mine office although I haue had a ready will yet my weake body being not answerable to my desire as all flesh herein is faultie so for my part I must pleade guiltie One debt and duety with S. Paule I protest I haue truelie paide you for with a tender affection I haue loued you The nurce was neuer more willing to giue the breast vnto hir childe then I haue beene that you shoulde sucke not onely milke but also bloude from mee if it might stande you in steede or serue to your safetie God hee knoweth that with this loue I haue loued you In vsing correction I haue sought reformation and not reuenge to punish hath bene a punishment to my selfe I neuer did it but with great griefe I haue alwaies
the middest of them and what the Bishoppes in Synode did so conclude to bee godly and behooueful that he did ratifie and confirme 11 The ministers you see should teache the right waie He which beareth that name and performeth not this office is but an Idoll Let another take his Bishopricke Such drones were better smothered than suffered in that hiue where none should liue that wil not labour Such as sowe not why should they reape Neither is it any new thing to cast out vnworthie ministers who cast off care of their duetie Solomon deposed Abiathar the high Priest and Iustinian depriued Syluerius and Vigilius Bishops of Rome These are good presidents for Princes in like case to followe 12 Again such as teach but teach not the good right way such as are open and publike maintainers of errors and heresie such in the iudgement of God are thought vnworthie to liue Falsus Propheta moriatur Elias and Iehu did not thinke themselues imbrued but rather sanctified with such bloud I haue no cruell heart bloud be farre from me I minde nothing lesse Yet needes must it be graunted that the maintainers and teachers of errors heresie are to be repressed in euery Christian common wealth Such troublers of the quiet of the Church such deceiuers of the people are at leastwise according to the auncient commendable custome of the church to be remooued from the ministerie It is no reason that the church enemies should bee fostered in the bosome of the church The histories of things doone by good princes and rulers in these cases are so many and manifest that I neede not trouble you with recitall of them Amphilochius the Bishop sharply reprooued Theodosius the Emperour that he so long winked at Arius and suffered him to spreade his pestilent heresie farre and wide ouer the bodie of the church The Emperour was not angrie at the words of iust reproofe but foorthwith banished Arius and gaue him some part of his iust deserts The ministers what roume soeuer they haue in the church of God ought to pray and teache the good and right way or else to giue place to others that can and will And thus much for the duetie of the ministers 13 It followeth Feare the Lord and serue him in the trueth withall your hearts The Prophet in these words putteth the prince and people in remembrance of their dutie Wherin double seruice is required The seruice due vnto God and the seruice due vnto the common wealth The seruice which we owe vnto God is feare which feare is euer ioyned with loue and for that cause called a sonnelike feare to distinguish it from that seruile feare the ende whereof is desperation as the fruite of the former is loue which maketh not ashamed Feare God for they which feare him shal not feele his power All things bee naked and open before him He doeth see and wil iudge Feare him therefore but loue him too who hath so loued thee that hee hath not spared his onely sonne but giuen him to death for thee 14 God putteth the heads in minde of this duetie knowing that as they goe before so the people wil followe after Ieroboam gaue euil example and he made the people sinne Iosias feared and zealously serued God and the people did the like Quomodo reges Domino seruiunt in timore nisiea quae contra Domini iussa sunt religiosa seueritate prohibendo atque plectendo Aliter rex seruit vt homo aliter vt rex vt homo fideliter timendo vt rex leges iusta praecipientes contraria prohibentes sanciendo How doe Princes serue the Lorde in feare saith S. Augustine vnlesse with religious rigor they forbid and punish things wherein the statutes of the Lorde are broken The king serueth God as a man one way and an other way as a king As a man by leading a faithfull life as a king by making Lawes such as inioyne things that are iust forbid the contrary Ezechias did God the seruice of a king in destroying the groues and temples of Idols which were builded against the commandement of God Iosias did the like in reforming the church in dispatching all Idolatrie and superstition Darius did God royall seruice when he gaue the Idol into Daniels handes and cast his enemies into the denne of Lions Nabuchodonazer did the like when by straite Lawe hee commaunded that none should blaspheme but that all should serue the God of Sydrach My sach and Abednago Herein Princes doe rightly serue God as Princes when to serue him they doe such things as vnlesse they were Princes they could not doe 15 The first point of kinglie seruice vnto God is to purge and cleanse his Church Christ teacheth this by that which he did at his entering into that fowlie defiled temple of Ierusalem It appertaineth to Princes to Magistrates to them which are nowe assembled in this honourable Court of Parliament by all good meanes and Lawes to see Gods house made cleane that it may be the house of prayer and not a denne of theeues 16 First it must be purged from all false doctrine from all Idolatrie and superstition The good kings Ezechias and Iosias were careful in this behalfe They could not abide Idolatrie to be committed or God to be blasphemed within their dominons It had beene hard to haue purchased such a thing as a Masse at Moses hands with a masse of money That zealous Prince king Asa deposed Maacha his grandemother wholly from all gouernment for setting vp a foule Idol in a groue He that dealt so sharply with his grandmother for this surely would in no case or respect haue tolerated a blasphemous masse in his reformed church and kingdome The euill which others doe by our sufferance is ours We doe it when we suffer it to be done Princes to please princes may not displease the prince of all princes Feare the Lord and serue him in zeale and in trueth cast out of the church of England all leuin of blasphemie and Idolatrie So shall you glorifie God and he shal glorifie you Pauls heart was set on fire his spirit was kindled within him when hee sawe the citie of Athens giuen to Idolatrie Ye knowe the Historie of that woorthie man Mattathias We praie daily Hallowed be thy name but with what mindes if wittingly we suffer his name to be prophaned blasphemed 17 Feare the Lord purge his Church remooue all stones of offence out of his vineyard S. Pauls rule is Let all things in the Church be doone seemely What that seemelinesse is he himselfe expoundeth in these words Let all things be doone vnto edification The primatiue Church casting away Iudaicall and Heathenish rites was simple in her ceremonies The pope hath polluted and burthened the Church with both Wee may haue no other than such as are comely and serue for the
good And as it is profitable for them to be constrained so is it a thing verie reasonable to constraine them For why should not the Church enforce her lost children to returne to saluation if lost children enforce others to turne to destruction Seeing that the whole seruice in our Church is no other than Gods written worde as there can be alleaged no iust cause why any man should withdrawe himselfe from this word so appertaineth it vnto princes that feare God within their dominions to compel euery subiect to come and heare this worde least the church by this euill example should be greatly offended Gods causes are zealously to be seene vnto and the winning of mens soules is religiously to be sought And thus much briefly touching the seruice of God To see the Gospel eueriewhere preached the ministers prouided for and the people compelled to come heare the worde This is the feare of God which Samuel requireth 22 Whereunto must bee added a speciall regard to the common wealth It is commonly saide that the common wealth is sore diseased and that euerie member of that bodie seemeth to be grieued Remedie would bee sought in time least remedie come too late But I am no Phisition for that bodie and therefore is it not fit for me to minister any medicine to it But I shall pray for the health thereof and set it ouer to such as haue skill and can helpe The care of the common wealth chiefly appertaineth to the head of the common wealth who is Parens Patriae the mother of this sicke childe It is required at our handes to feare and serue the Lorde in trueth That prince doth serue God in trueth and in deede which is careful that the euill may be punished and repressed and that the good may bee defended and aduaunced When generally all men are seene vnto that euerie man doe his duetie then God is in trueth and synceritie serued 23 The prince is set as the head ouer the bodie as the chiefe shepeheard ouer the flocke These titles are giuen to Princes and gouernours to put them in minde not onely of their honour and preeminence but of their charge and office also But the prince cannot doe this alone it is a burthen too heauie for one to weeld And therefore hee must according to the counsel which Iethro gaue vnto Moses choose out of all the people men wise and fearing God louers of the trueth such as hate couetousnesse and out of them make rulers ouer thousands hundreds fifties and tennes that they may sit and iudge the people at all seasons Magistrates should bee chosen out of all the people for their woorthinesse It is vnmeete that such things as should followe deserts bee procured by other sinister meanes Magistrates should be wise men furnished with learning vnderstanding good skil and long experience men that feare God religious louers of his trueth fauourers of the Gospell and of all such as liue in the feare of God True and vpright dealers such as will stedfastly fasten their eies vpon the causes brought before them and not regard the face of any man lastly haters of couetousnesse bribes and rewardes Good officers should thus be qualified And to the end that magistrates may be such it must be prouided that there may be choise of officers without sale of offices It is not probable that he which obtaineth such a roume for a price wil leaue it freely or deale iustly in it A greater corruption than this cannot enter into a common wealth For by this meane both the prince and people are deceiued To punish the euil to maintaine the good to ouerlooke the whole and to choose appoint forth worthie officers for the gouernment of the common wealth this is the duetie of a prince that feareth God That prince which doth this serueth God in trueth 24 Homer bringeth in Iupiter sitting in the middest of the assemblie of gods whom he menaceth and threateneth on this wise Let not any god or goddesse attempt the breache of my mandate If I vnderstand that any doe I wil giue him small ioie of this place or prouide him another farre ynough hence a dwelling place the gates whereof are yron and the ground brasse I will plunge him as deepe vnder hel as heauen is ouer earth He shall well knowe his might to be somewhat beneath mine For if ye thinke your selues to be stronger than I am make triall of your strength fasten a chaine in heauen and ioyne all your force at the end thereof But yee shall neuer be able to pull Iupiter out of heauen no though ye sweate much about it whereas if I list to put but my finger to the haling of you I wil pluck vp sea and lande with you So much am I superior vnto gods and men Kings and princes in their seuerall dominions haue such power through the prouidēce of almightie God by whose appointment they weare their crownes that their ordinaunces bee not lightly broken vnlesse themselues be carelesse to haue them kept For by reason of the Maiestie that God hath giuen them they are feared of all estates and conditions of men They can throwe downe whom they wil and whom they wil they can aduaunce They haue the chaine and the reine in their hands they can draw others whither they wil but others are not able to drawe them vnlesse they list This power and strength and glorie which GOD hath giuen vnto kings and whereby they are able to leade the worlde as it were in a string leaueth them vtterly without excuse if they vse it not to the benefite of the common wealth They cannot serue God in trueth and giue the bridle to their subiects to sinne without restraint These times of greatest and grauest consultation are fit occasions wherein Princes may most effectually shewe howe heartily and truely they feare the Lord. These are the times to prouide chaines that is to say good statutes and lawes to holde all men within compasse and to binde together the skattered parts of the common wealth When the great counsel of Rome entered into the Senate to consult for the good gouernment and defence of the Empire first they went sacrificed to Iupiter and there euerie man offered vp and left behinde him his priuate affections promising that their consultation should onely tend to the common benefite Leaue you all priuate affections likewise cast them behinde you seeke not your owne commoditie Let it appeare that you loue your Countrie God the Prince and the common wealth require a faithfull performance of this seruice at your hands Seeke by Lawe the syncere setting foorth the maintenance and continuance of Gods true religion Let this be your first and principal care and so shal ye serue the Lorde in trueth 25 Seeke by Lawe to represse the gainesayers and the enemies of this trueth This libertie that men may openly professe diuersitie of religion must needs be dangerous to the
common wealth What stirs diuersities of religion hath raised in nations kingdoms the histories are so many so plaine and our times in such sort haue told you that with further proofe I need not trouble your eares One God one king one faith one profession is fit for one monarchie common wealth Diuision weakneth Concord strēgtheneth The storie of Scilurus the Scythian is knowen who vpon his death bed taught his lxxx sons the force of vnitie by the strength of sticks weake by themselues when they are tyed in a bundle Let conformitie and vnitie in religion be prouided for and it shal be as a wall of defence vnto this Realme 26 And as these things are especially to be regarded as our principal care must be for the highest matters synceritie and vnitie in religion so we may not neglect or passe ouer smaller things which neede redresse For as diseases and sores in the basest and vilest parts of the body doe grieue and may endaunger the chiefest vnlesse they bee cured betimes so the least abuses by sufferance may worke the greatest harme Gorgeous apparel and sumptuous dyet with such like matters may seeme small things but they are the causes of no small euils They eate vp England and are therefore to bee repressed by straite Lawes It is a part of true seruice done vnto God to see euen vnto these things 27 Wee may seeme to cast our eyes very lowe when wee looke into the dealings of euerie officer vnder the Prince Yet euerie one must be seene vnto They waxe sodainely rich by the spoile of the Prince Reforme it by Lawe that all may walke in trueth If merchaunts with other artificers and meaner trades doe inriche themselues by impouerishing others through deceitfull shifts the common wealth suffereth dammage by their vneuen dealings If we wil haue God serued in trueth wee must by Lawe reforme them 28 That biting worme of vsurie that deuouring wolfe hath consumed many many it hath pulled vpon their knees and brought to beggerie many such as might haue liued in great wealth and in honour not a fewe This canker hath corrupted all England It is become the chiefe chaffer and merchaundise of England We shall doe God and our countrie true seruice by taking away this euill Represse it by Lawe else the heauie hand of God hangeth ouer vs and wil strike vs. 29 That vile sinne of adulterie in Gods common wealth punished with death so ouerfloweth the bankes of all chastitie that if by sharpe Lawes it be not speedily cut off God from heauen with fire will consume it Preuent Gods wrath bridle this outrage so shal you serue the Lord in truth 30 There is nothing more hurtfull to the common wealth than these corner contracts without consent of parents contrary to the woorde of God the Lawe of nature the Lawe ciuil and all right and reason The inconueniences that followe are not sufferable Euaristus a Bishop of Rome saith It is not wedlocke but whoredome when the consent of parents is wanting God cannot bee better serued than if by Lawe yee restraine this vnlawfull contracting The children of this inconuenient mariage may scarsely bee termed lawfull The deuill that hath euer hated wedlocke and loueth whoredome was the first author of this great disorder God graunt you vnderstanding heartes and willing mindes faithfully and in trueth to trauell to represse and take away these euils 31 And as euill is to be controlled by Lawe so that which is good is also by Lawe to be procured God hath made vs many wayes riche For what wee haue freely at his hands we haue it But he himselfe is become very poore in so much that for want of reliefe he is forced to begge and for want of lodging and meate hee lieth and dieth in our streetes This great ingratitude God cannot but reuenge Oh what shame is this to a Christian common wealth in a reformed countrie Obstinate Iewes would neuer shew themselues so vnthankful Their auncient Lawe forbidding beggars is euen to this day most straitly kept amongest them Lawes in this behalfe haue beene prouided but as they wanted perfection so haue they in manner in no point or any where had execution Serue God in trueth prouide that Christ craue not Such as wil not feede him here he wil neuer feede in his kingdome Thus haue I point by point let you see disorders and wants in the common wealth Ye haue authoritie by Lawe to reforme them Consider duetifully of it and serue God truely as ye ought alwayes remembring the saying of the Prophet Esay Woe be to them that make wicked Lawes 32 When good Lawes are made they must be put in execution Lawe is the life of the common wealth and execution the life of the Lawe And better not to make Lawes than not to execute Lawes when they are once made This is the dutie of the publike ministers of the common wealth They must first keepe Lawes themselues then see that others in like sort may obserue them If the officers and ministers of the common wealth contemne lawes doubtlesse the people wil neuer reuerence them if they breake them the people wil neuer keep them Which Solon wisely considering wisely aunswered being demaunded what was chiefe safetie for a common wealth If the Citizens obey the Magistrate and the Magistrate the Lawes You that are appointed to this purpose and put in trust therewith lay aside dread and meede fauour and friendship gift and gaine and with simplicitie of heart punish the transgressor of the Lawe according to the Law Make not Anacharsis webbe of the Lawe Let not the hornet escape and the litle flie bee caught Fewe Lawes well made and well kept would serue the turne This is Gods seruice the execution thereof he hath set ouer to your hands Serue him in trueth and singlenesse of heart Cursed is he that negligently doeth the worke of the Lorde 33 Thus much hath beene spoken concerning higher powers and of their duetie in the seruice of God Samuel speaketh not to them alone to the people it is spoken as well as to the prince Feare and serue ye the Lorde in trueth Feare God embrace the Gospel leade your liues in holinesse and righteousnesse according to the word of trueth The Lorde is a strong defence to them that feare him They that feare him want nothing 34 Giue vnto the Lordes annointed due reuerence and honour Let euerie soule be subiect not by constraint but for conscience sake Imitate those worthie Israelites who were so willingly obedient to Iosua that they cryed with one voice Whosoeuer shall rebell against thy commaundement and will not obey thy woordes in all that thou commaundest him let him die Grudge not repine not at higher powers say not in your hearts Let vs breake their bands and cast away their chaines from vs. 35 Seeke the peace of the common wealth and
deede meere daliances deuised by Satan to no other end but onely to noozle the deceiued in their blindenesse But true humilitie is the lowlinesse of a pensiue and contrite heart This humilitie was in the Publicane which thought so basely of himselfe that he durst not lift vp his eyes towards heauen this humilitie was in Paul when hee confessed himselfe the least amongst the Apostles and the chiefest amongst sinners A man of this disposition which thinkes so basely of himselfe will easily esteeme others better than himselfe But what Should a king then in dignitie place and authoritie prefer a meane artificer or a daylabourer before himselfe or should a wise man esteeme a naturall foole wiser than himselfe No. Saint Paul is no author of confusion neither will hee in any wise haue Gods good gifts debased He descendeth not to these extremities but onely perswadeth vs not to thinke so arrogantly of our selues as in respect of our selues to condemne others Euery man hath the minde of a king in himselfe Goliah thought bigly of himselfe but of Dauid how basely This selfeliking hath infected and possessed allâ—flesh 14 The way to redresse it is to looke vpon our selues and vpon others but not vpon both with the same eyes vpon our selues with the eyes of straite iudgement vpon our neighbours with a fauourable and a charitable eye Whosoeuer therefore thou art that despisest another consider in thy selfe these two things First whatsoeuer thou hast that good is it is of God the author of al goodnes as al that thou hast is from him so to him thou dost stand accountable for it Thou art but a steward of his goods which will call thee to a strict a hard reckoning for euery mite If thou consider this thou shalt find small cause to boast and glorie of thy selfe but shalt giue all glorie to the king of glorie But open thine other eye and looke downe to thy sinnes there shalt thou see an ouglie sight thou shalt be forced to leaue off glorying and to crie with the Prophet Dauid Mine iniquities are gone ouer my head and as a waightie burthen they are too heauie for me Yea if thou rightly looke vpon thy sinnes thou shalt see in that glasse Gods face turned away from thee his eares shut vp against thy praiers Your iniquities saith God haue made a diuision betweene you me If thou truely enter into thy selfe and consider of thy sinne thou shalt say with the prodigall childe Lord I am not woorthie to be called thy sonne and with Peter Depart from me for I am a sinner and with Dauid It is I that haue sinned as for these sheepe what haue they doone Thou wilt thinke of others as Saul did say of Dauid Thou art more righteous than I. But the prince of darkenesse hath dimmed or rather put out both these eyes we can neither see our gifts that be good to be of God nor our sinne as we should to be of ourselues and therefore we esteeme most highly of our selues most vilely of others Which we would not doe if we did louingly and charitably beholde with reuerence the graces gifts of God which are in them For who is there in whom some commendable thing doeth not appeare Lazarus seemed a contemptible thing in the eyes of that riche glutton yet was his patience to bee preferred before the others riches The Publicane seemed ougly and odious to the Pharisee yet his humblenesse was much more worthie praise than the others supposed puritie and holinesse of life There is no man so base but a charitable eye may finde out in him some good and pretious thing And no man may be despised in whom there is any appearance at all of that which is good At the least this we may see in all men that they shewe the workemanship of him which made them they carie the image of him by whom they were created and in them which are our brethren how high soeuer we beare our heads yet thus much wee may consider more that they are as dearely bought as wee the pretious bloud of the sonne of God was shed for them as well as for vs we haue not a foot more than they in that eternal inheritance which God hath prouided for his humble-minded children If these considerations doe not make vs to esteeme others better than our selues yet somewhat they will abate and take downe that proude humor which causeth vs to lift vp our selues so much aboue others And as in looking vpon our brethren we must haue one eye open to behold the graces of God which are in them so the other must be shut and closed vp that those things wherein they are weake may bee hidden For Charitie doeth couer sinnes There can be no charitie in that mans heart whose eies are fedde with beholding the infirmities of his brethren Sem and Iaphet turned away their faces when they went to couer their fathers nakednesse for which charitable deede they receiued a blessing but Cham for looking vpon his fathers fall brought a curse vpon himselfe and his posteritie To teache vs that hee which looketh vpon other mens faults with pleasure and delight doeth well deserue that other men should looke vpon his plagues without compassion S. Paul therefore would haue vs to bee fauourable censurers of our brethren readie to pardon scapes Considering saith he thy selfe least thou also be tempted And it is a good meditation which Augustine prescribeth in these cases Such wee were or may be Wherefore as Christ doth not onely couer our manifold sinnes but also forgiue as it were and quite forget them So let vs like good and pitifull Surgions hide the sores of our wounded brethren from the winde This the Lawe of charitie and loue requireth and this neither taketh away the sword from the magistrate nor yet the rod from the minister but that eche of them seuerally according to the order of his vocation may punish sinne as he must pitie sinners 15 The other preseruatiue of vnitie is Not to looke vpon our owne things onely but euerie man vpon the things of others These words doe suffer a double exposition They may bee referred to the words before by way of preoccupation as if he should say You thinke it hard to preferre others before your selues but you may make it easie Looke not vpon your owne things such as minister occasion of ouerweening but looke vpon the vertues qualities and graces that bee in others Another exposition is to make this a proper meane to keepe and conserue vnitie rather than a waie onely to diminish loftinesse and pride so that the words are to this effect Without vnitie there can be no Christianitie and a chiefe meane to liue in vnitie is that men bee not euerie one for himselfe but eche carefull to doe good to other that wee seeke not greedily our owne commoditie and neglect the commoditie of our
taketh away because the world is not worthie of them and some because they are not worthie of it He cut off Iofias for his souâ—e pleased God therefore he made hast to take him away from the midst of iniquities He cut off Achab Agag and Herode because they were bloudie and wilie men therefore they did not liue out halfe their daies 18 So true it is Man that is borne of a woman hath but a short time to liue it is euen as true that followeth in the same sentence that his fewe daies are full of miserie He commeth vp and is cut downe like a flower he fleeth as it were a shadowe and continueth not Mans life is as vnlasting as a flower Hee commeth vp and is cut downe as a flower He vanisheth away like a shadowe of a flower And while he liueth he is full of miserie He commeth into the world with sorowe and weeping whilest hee liueth in the worlde hee is hated of the worlde or else which is woorse of God assaulted of Satan in continuall warre subiect to the manifold diseases both of the bodie of the soule the one truely miserable but the other most intolerable He neuer continueth in one state To day in his princely throne to morowe in his dustie graue to day placed in great authoritie to morow cast out of countenance to day in high fauour to morow in high displeasure now rich now poore now in wealth now in woe now sound now sicke now ioiefull now ful of sorowe to day a man to morowe nothing O how short how changeable and howe miserable is the state of mortall man which we neglect but Iacob well considered when he aunswered Pharao of his age The daies of my peregrination are pauci mali fewe and euill Walke therefore circumspectly saith S. Paul for the daies are euill Wee are fallen into those euill daies and perillous times of the which both Paul and Peter forewarned vs. These may bee rightly called dismall daies The God of this world hath blinded the eyes of men Let him therefore that standeth I say it againe take heede that hee fall not Let vs expect our change and pray the Lord to increase our faith that wee may bee able to stand before him in that day that dreadfull day of his iust iudgement 19 As our daies here are short and euill so is the time of our change either to better or woorse vncertaine What is most certaine Death What most vncertaine the time of death saieth Bernard We are all tenants at will vncertaine how long to remaine in this our earthly tabernacle Of this we are put in minde in the Lords praier Giue vs this day our daily bread We say this day as vncertaine of to morowe It is written of one that beeing inuited to a dinner on the morowe by his friend hee aunswered These many daies I neuer had to morowe Therefore saith S. Iames let vs not appoint for to morowe but with conditions If the Lorde will and if we liue The Egyptians considering the vncertaintie of mans daies were accustomed at their great feasts in the midst of their iollitie to haue one sodainely come foorth with an image of death and shewing it to the gests to pronounce this speeche Eate drinke be merie within a while thou shalt be such as this And the Israelites dwelt in tents vncertaine of their abode euer readie to shift whereby they represent vnto vs our peregrination in this mortalitie wherein because we are vncertaine to stay long wee ought at all times to be readie to depart so that we may enter into that celestiall Canaan This time of mans life and death God hath made vncertaine for two causes the one that his minde might not be troubled the other this present text giueth and it is the last member of our diuision 20 This ende or chaunge is daily to bee looked for Seeing that death is certaine our daies short and the time of our dissolution vnknowen wisedome would haue vs to put our selues in readinesse looking for our change the end of this bad life that it may be to vs the beginning of a better It is good counsell which S. Augustine giueth Death looketh for thee eueriewhere if thou bee wise looke thou eueriewhere for him The remembraunce of this our end would bridle sinne well in vs. Remember thy ende and thou shalt neuer doe amisse Christ saith Watch for you knowe not at what houre he will come He commeth sodainely as a theefe in the night The Lorde will come when thou lookest not for him and in an houre that thou knowest not Let vs watche therefore with the wise virgins hauing our lampes continually burning waiting for the comming of the bridegroome that wee may enter with him into his ioie 21 And as mans life is short so is the comming of Christ at hand Waite for it will surely come and will not stay The time is short This we knowe though it be not in vs to knowe the definite point of time which to the Angels of heauen is vnreuealed But Christ hath set downe certaine tokens of the ende which all are fulfilled and amongst others he saith Iniquitte shall abound charitie shall waxe colde the Gospell shall be preached in all the world and then shall come the end Neuer more iniquitie neuer lesse charitie the Gospel neuer so liberally taught behold the ende Peter saieth The end of all things is at hand If then at hande howe much neerer now If those were the latter times surely these are the last times the verie ende of the ende Heare the counsell of a wise man Make no tarying to turne vnto the Lord and put not off from day to day for sodainely shall the wrath of the Lord breake foorth and in thy securitie thou shalt be destroied and thou shalt perish in the time of vengeaunce 22 By procrastination driuing off forslowing our turning to the Lord and looking for our change three great dangers doe ensue First if we slumber and sleepe in securitie if we accustome our selues with sinning not looking for our chaunge neither remembring the fearefull comming of our Lord our custome will waxe to be our nature and hard will it be for vs to rise from sinne in which we haue beene so long and so deepely buried After that Lazarus had laine foure daies in the graue Christ vsed many circumstances for the raising of him againe who raised others with a woord 23 Secondly it is daungerous in respect of the sodaine taking away which happeneth to many in so much that they haue not time sufficiently to think vpon God or once to crie Lord help The first age in all their iollitie not thinking on death were sodainely drowned The Sodomites sodainely by fire consumed Pharao with his armie swallowed vp in the sea The Israelites gnawne of deadly serpents Dathan
blotted out the handewriting that was against vs he spoiled our foes of their prai◠hee tooke euen captiuitie it selfe captiue in a word he wrought our ful and complete deliuerance The price of our redemption was not gold but bloud the pretious bloud of our blessed Sauiour The bloud of Iesus Christ doth deliuer vs from all sinne And as he died to redeeme vs so rose he againe to iustifie vs. In rising againe hee triumphed ouer death now conquered he burst the gates cheines of hell and set our feete in a place of great libertie hee cloathed vs with his righteousnesse reconciled vs to his father of enemies made vs friends of no people the people of God of straungers citizens with Angels and inhabitants of heauen free denisons with the children of God and heires of his euerlasting kingdome This deliuerance out of bondage this redemptiō this kingdome of God euerlasting inheritance our Christ hath purchased God hath granted to all such as thankfully will receiue him As many as receiued him to them he gaue power to bee made the sonnes of God and to receiue him is to beleeue in him for so it followeth To them which beleeue in his name Faith therefore is the meane to make vs partakers of that great redemption in Christ Iesus Heereunto all the Prophets beare witnesse that whosoeuer shall beleeue in him by his name he shall receiue remission of sinnes and withall eternall life 5 And as Christ hath deliuered all his out of the captiuitie of Satan and sinne so hath he also vs after a more speciall and peculiar maner out of that denne of theeues out of that prison of Romish seruitude out of the bloudie clawes of that cruel and proud Antichrist Our God hath vsed our Moses to deliuer vs from Egyptiacal seruitude that we may serue him henceforward in freedome of conscience he hath led vs out of a maruellous darknesse into a maruellous light hee hath giuen vs for his gift it is an vnderstanding heart to knowe God the father and him whom he hath sent Iesus Christ vnto whom by this starre his shining Gospell he hath conducted vs. This trueth of God hath discouered yea and discomfited also grosse error For the want of this light was the cause of all our blindenesse which is the mother of all superstition which is the enemie to all religion That now we haue eyes to see and heartes to vnderstande there is no other cause besides the mercie of our redeemer 6 For of the cause of our gratious deliuerance thus Zacharie recordeth It was saith he that he might shewe mercie towards our fathers God made a couenaunt with our father Abraham confirmed it with an othe not that it might be surer but that we might be more assured of it the couenaunt was that hee would shewe mercie and in mercie worke our deliueraunce To performe this couenant of grace and mercie made vnto our fathers and comprehending also vs he gaue vp his only begotten sonne in the fulnesse of time to death There was no other motiue why he should worke our deliuerance but onely this his mercie God therefore which is rich in mercie for the great loue wherewith hee loued vs euen when we were dead by sinne reuiued vs with Christ. The cause of our redemption was his good will onely For By grace we are deliuered He did it according to the good pleasure of his owne will according to the riches of his grace So that all the steps to this our redemption are built vpon mercie only God in mercie made couenant of our deliuerance in mercie confirmed it with an othe in mercie through the merits of Christ performed his promise to vs so that our whole redemption is free not due of mercie and not of merits Not by workes which we haue wrought but according to his great mercie he hath saued vs. Man neuer brought one stone to this building man neuer laide one finger to this woorke it is the onely building and woorke of GOD who in tender compassion hath both begun and finished it Wee may well wonder that God with so mercifull eies looked vpon so miserable and so sinfull creatures that the sonne of God would die for the redemption of his enemies This doth in deede commend his loue seeing that all which he hath doone is of meere mercie in himselfe without any shadowe of merite in vs. 7 Nowe that Christ hath deliuered vs from Satan and that with so deare a prise let vs fall no more into the clawes of that roaring Lyon least he vtterly deuoure vs. Hee is cast out of our house let him enter in no more least hee bring seuen with him woorse than himselfe and then our euill ende bee farre woorse than our bad beginning Now that Christ hath cleansed vs from our sinne let vs not swinelike returne to wallowe in that slime againe Thou art made whole saith Christ I haue washed away thy sinne with my bloud Goe and sinne no more least a woorse thing happen vnto thee Nowe that Christ in a mightie arme hath freed vs from Pharao from the house of bondage let vs returne no more to the flesh pots of Egypt let vs not lust after quailes for if wee feede vpon them we shall surfet of them to our destruction Let vs serue no more him that serueth Satan that vndoubted man of sinne And lastly nowe that Christ hath opened our blinded eies and hath powred vnderstanding into our hearts nowe that hee hath giuen vs a lanterne to guide our feete let vs tumble no more in darkenesse but as the children of light walke in the light honestly as becommeth men in so cleare noone day For the ende of our redemption is that wee may serue him without feare that hath so dearely redeemed vs. 8 First we must serue Secondly we must serue no other but him Thirdly him we must serue without feare We were created man is borne vnto seruice and labour as birdes vnto flight We were not redeemed and bought with a price to bee idle and doe nothing but to glorifie him in bodie and spirite that hath bought vs. We are not called to stand or sit still but to walke euerie one in that vocation wherewith he is called The scriptures are full of such speeches as these Goe walke worke sweate why stand yee idle To teache vs that seruice is required at our handes 9 God deliuered vs to the end that being deliuered we might now serue him as heretofore we serued Satan We are not nowe our own men to serue whō or how we lift but we are his to serue him as he prescribeth No man can serue two masters wee haue yeelded and promised our seruice to him therefore besides him we may serue no other 10 We may not serue Mammon for that is made to serue vs. The couetous man which serueth his monie is iustly called of Paul an Idolater
paide ful dearely for it Herode without all reason and iudgement promised to his daunsing daughter whatsoeuer shee should demaund and his keeping of promise was euen as vnaduised They want iudgement that forsake the freshe liuing springes and drinke of a puddell that contemne the sauing woord of God and bee altogether addicted to mans vaine and deceitfull doctrine that forsake Christs merits by sticking to their owne They want iudgement that call vpon dead Saints when they may and should call only vpon the liuing God who hath promised when we crie both to heare and to helpe vs. They are destitute both of reason and iudgement who vowe that which lieth not in their power to performe The world is not ignorant howe these holie ones performed their vowes of chastitie and of single life How vnable to beare this yoke the Popes owne legate was which forced this thing here in England vpon others they well knewe which tooke him in the midst of his filth to his owne euerlasting infamie and the great dishonour of Honorius the second from whom he was sent Res notissima negari non potuit the thing was famously knowen and could not be denied Doest thou teache another and doest not teache thy selfe Doest thou forbid mariage and thy selfe commit adulterie Doest thou force that yoke vpon others which thy selfe so shamefully shakest off What is emptinesse of reason and iudgement if this be not The murther which Theodosius rashly committed without aduise or iudgement put him to great penance and wrought him much sorowe whereupon he gaue his royall assent vnto a Lawe that afterwards he should do nothing without deliberation before hand taken The man that is hastie and rash as hee doeth others much woe so wants no woe himselfe S. Paul would haue our seruing of God for to be reasonable that is to be such as that a good and a iust reason may be rendered of it not such reasons as Durandus giueth of popish rites and ceremonies in a booke written purposely of this matter but written in such sort that a man vnacquainted with the strange blindenesse of their darkened mindes would certainely thinke that such a worke was rather published to mooue laughter amongst companions than to breede knowledge in the mindes of religious Christians So voide they are in al their doings euen of common sense and reason not onely of true pietie and obedience to Gods woord 9 Another interpretation of dooing iudgement may bee giuen and that is if we take iudgement for the administration of iustice and so it hath a speciall respect to such as are set in place of deciding causes and repressing sinnes who are required by our Prophet to giue righteous and iust iudgement Giue thy iudgements to the King O God saith the Prophet and thy righteousnesse to the kings sonne Then shall he iudge the people in righteousnesse and the poore in iustice Iustice and iudgement are commonly in the scriptures ioined together because if there be a diuorce at any time betweene these two Gods familie and the common wealth goe to wracke and ruine The Psalmist seemeth to note a separation to haue beene betweene these two in his time when hee saith Iudgement shall returne to iustice But these may also bee so distinguished that iudgement haue his especiall respect to the execution of the sword to the punishing of transgressors iustice to the righeous deciding of matters which are in controuersie I neede not trauell much heerein I speake to wise and learned men which well knowe their duetie and I trust that the feare of God will direct them Christianly to discharge the same Yee doe not forget that ye are called in the scripture God not onely because yee are set in Gods seate but because ye are the mouth the hand of God the mouth to speake in awarding true sentence the hand to strike in executing iudgement without respect-of mens persons Wherein it behooueth you to take good heede and to beware what ye doe For yee exercise the iudgement not of man but of God If the seate be his if ye be his mouth and hand if sentence be his if his be the iudgement then see to it that ye iudge vprightly as the ministers of that vpright iudge For there sitteth a iudge also vpon you what measure you giue you shall receiue when the great iudge shall proceede to his last and euerlasting sentence Hee that truely feareth God and considereth these things will not swarue from iustice for feare or fauour of any man or thing 10 I will briefly touche certaine properties which should be in such as are placed in Gods iudiciall seate and leaue the rest to your wise considerations The first thing that iudges are especially to take heede of is that they be not receiuers of bribes Beware of rewards they are the verie bane of vpright iudgement 11 In God whose seate ye sit in there is no iniquitie Such therefore as correct faults ought themselues to bee faultlesse In condemning others we condemne our selues if wee our selues doe that for which we condemne others A certaine pirate beeing charged with his fault by Alexander the great conquerour made him this answere I robbe in deede with one litle shippe but thou robbest with a whole Nauie It is not for him to reprooue that is reprooueable 12 God is no accepter of persons neither must you in iudgement either fauour the riche because of his wealth or spare the poore for his miseries sake but weie their causes in the balance of equitie with an euen and steddie hand 13 The iudge may not giue place to commiseration his place is a place of equitie and not of foolish pitie The pitifull and deceitfull crie of the Gabionites the appearance of their miserable estate and condition made the wise and woorthie iudge Iosua to swarue from iustice and to breake the commaundement of the almightie The exclaming of the people hath many times as much cause as had the harlots complaint made vnto Salomon that her childe was taken from her which her selfe had smothered 14 In proceeding in iudgement beware of swiftnesse and much speede It is good for a iudge commonly to haue leaden feete Yet as a iudge may be too swift so hee may bee too slowe Delatories and shiftings off weare out many a iust cause begger many a poore man The cause standing cleare further pleading should cease sentence shold not be delaied Salomon set not ouer the harlots to the next terme but seeing by his wisdome the truth of the cause proceeded foorthwith to iudgement Paul was set ouer from place to place from terme to terme and could not receiue iustice the cause is declared Felix hoped for a fee. But this fault of delaying iustice is laide vpon the Attorneies and Proctors the Counsellers and Aduocates in the Lawe who seeke their greater gaine and wealth through the greater trouble and losse of the people If
there neither is nor euer was a more learned ministerie in any nation vnder heauen Neuerthelesse I acknowledge It is much to be lamented that the glorious Gospel of Christ nowe shining with so perfect beautie as it doth in the midst of so great light so many should still remaine in darkenesse liuing as men without God in this present world and perishing through the ignorance of his sauing truth In the meane while they which are the chiefe and principal causes hereof think they haue very wel discharged themselues by accusing others as if when they against all both religion and reason haue drawne vnto themselues those possessions which ought to maintaine such as labour in the Gospel a Bishop by striking the earth with one foote might raise vp learned pastors sufficient to furnish a whole prouince But whosoeuer bee the principall cause of this disorder they vndoubtedly cannot wash their hands of it that presume to take vpon them the charge of soules for which they knowe themselues vnfit and altogether vnsufficient In these which destroie because they cannot saue there is onely a defect which although it woorthily deserue punishment doeth neuerthelesse mooue some pitie and compassion if there be a willingnesse to do that which there wanteth abilitie to performe But against such as wittingly and wilfully suffer the sheepe for which Christ died to die for want of instruction the soules of them that perish doe crie as the bloud of Abel against Cain for vengeaunce and wrath Giue attendaunce therefore to reading to exhortation to doctrine exercise these things and giue your selues vnto them that al may see how you profite and howe the Church doth profite by you Ye are fed by the sweate of other mens browes ye receiue things temporall without any corporall labour of your owne But with what conscience doe ye this if they which minister vnto your necessities reape not that at your hands for which they minister You can perhaps alleage many colourable excuses for your selues But wil you alleage the same in that day when a strict account of your stewardship shalbe required by him that cōmeth to iudge both quicke and dead Consider these things and be ye stedfast vnmoueable abounding alwaies in the worke of the Lord knowing that your labour in the Lord is not in vaine Is it not better for you to saue both your selues and others than by not sauing others not to saue your selues 15 They which are saued must bee sanctified in truth they which are of the truth must be consummate and made perfect in one They are no better therefore than soule-murtherers be they neuer so paineful in their teaching that teache such doctrines as doe either poison the Church with heresie or dismember rent it asunder with schisme Of heretikes S. Paul forewarning the Church of Ephesus saith I knowe that after my departure there will rauening woolues enter in among you not sparing the flocke Of Schismatikes hee writeth in most earnest manner as well to the Church of Corinth as of Rome To the one I beseech you brethren by the name of our Lord Iesus Christ that ye all say one thing and that there be no schismes amongst you To the other Marke them diligently which cause diuision These serue not the sauiour they serue the destroier of the world They haue ouer them a king to wit the Angel of the bottomlesse pit whose name in Hebrue is called Abaddon that is to say a destroier Their pestilent properties S. Iohn sheweth by comparing the harme which they doe in the Church to the torments which they suffer that are stung with scorpions 16 Now as these destroie by ill teaching so likewise there are others who teaching well but liuing ill doe more harme by their life in one houre than good by their doctrine in many yeres Sozomene writeth that when barbarous nations saw how the Christian priests which were captiues did by their sober and reuerend behauiour damme vp the mouthes of euil speakers they thought them to be men full of wisedome and vnderstanding and hoped to finde fauour at the hands of God if they should woorship him after the maner of those woorthie and graue sages Could the auncient Prophets the blessed Apostles the holie Fathers in former times haue inlarged the bounds of the Church in so strange wise as they did had they not conuerted moe by the rare integrity of their maners than by the force aud power of their words Not without cause therefore doth the Prophet make request in the Psalme that the priests of the Lord may put on righteousnesse as a garment For if their shame be seene who shall hide the nakednesse of the people Thus we see what should especially be reformed in the principall part of the house of God 17 It remaineth nowe that somewhat be spoken of the maner of reformation Christ in reforming the Church proceeded orderly knowing that disorderly remedies of euils are as dangerous as the euils for which they are sought His orderly proceeding appeareth in this that he first visited and then reformed Visitations if they bee vsed according to the true intent and prupose whereunto they were ordeined are needefull and profitable in the Church For howsoeuer they b◠nowe abused by men of corrupt mindes the cause for which they were first established was the maintenance of truth the rooting out of heresie the confirming of good orders the redressing of things amisse the continuing of religion peace innocencie amongst men If we reape not this fruite and commoditie by them the fault is in our selues in the parties visited when they hide and conceale that which should bee reformed in the visitors when they are carelesse in admonishing and if that doe not serue in punishing offenders detected and lawfully conuicted before them Let the one sort therefore remember the sinne of Achan howe close it was kept and howe God plagued Israel till it was reuealed and let the other consider the example of Christ which proceeded no lesse seuerely in punishing than orderly in searching out the faults and abuses of the Temple 18 The rod in the hande of the pastor is as necessarie as the staffe yea perhaps more because they are moe whom feare doth constraine than whom loue doth allure to become vertuous It is noted that in the daies of Iason a dissolute and carelesse high priest the inferior sort of priests being let alone were no more diligent about the seruice of the altar but despised the temple and regarded not the sacrifices they became frequenters of games heathenish exercises not without great disgrace to their calling When Nehemias returning from captiuitie found that Eliashab the high priest had chambered his kinsman Tobia in the court of the house of God where aforetime the offerings the incense the tithes of corne of wine and of oyle appointed for the Leuites had beene laide by which meanes it came to passe that
into them also the selfesame blessing of increase and fruitfulnesse And as vnto these so likewise vnto man the greatest in honour though in order the last of all his creatures he gaue the same power to spread out himselfe by propagation and to replenish the face of the earth 2 For the seemelier and better ordering whereof to the ende that as God himselfe is most pure and therefore hateth all vncleannesse so the actions of men who in nature resemble him might be framed according to the paterne of his image hee prescribed a way how man as beseemeth the excellencie of his creation nature might not after a brutish beastly maner but in al honestie cleanlines bring forth the honorable fruit of his bodie that so Gods creation and work might be continued his kingdom inlarged his name by reason of the multitude much more praised And this meane or way appointed by God was matrimonie a state whereof the chosen vessel of God writeth this as the iudgement of the holie Ghost Mariage is honourable Wherein for your better instruction and learning my purpose is to shew you the reasons of the honour which it should haue and also of the great disgrace which it hath amongst men 3 Mariage is honourable first in respect of the author by whom it was ordeined Secondly in regard of the causes thereof Thirdly for the dueties which are required of the parties maried Touching the first it appeareth in the beginning of the booke of Genesis howe after that God had perfectly accomplished his creation and had giuen the Lordeship ouer all liuing creatures vnto Adam he saide It is not good that man be alone let vs make him an helper that may be before him let vs make woman Whereupon our Sauiour in the Gospel inferreth That therefore which God hath ioyned together let no man separate approouing mariage to bee the institution of God and a naturall order proceeding I meane from the God of nature to bee obserued and vsed for euer Neither did hee onely confirme this lawe and ordinaunce of God in plaine woords and in his teaching but he also did honest and honour the same with his presence For being called to a mariage he his mother and kinsfolke gladly went there to feast with others where it pleased him miraculously to increase their cheere and withal their honour For it is not nothing which this doth adde to the holy and reuerend estimation thereof that the first miracle which Christ wrought was wrought at a mariage and is so by the holie Ghost recorded Nowe besides this that almightie God himselfe ordeined mariage and that in Paradise a most heauenly habitation and that before the innocencie was stained with sinne besides this that Christ did allow and many waies approoue the same yea and moreouer vouchsafed to resemble his spirituall coniunction with his Church vnto this estate we finde that the Patriarkes the Priests and Prophets the holiest men of God Abraham Moses Aaron and the rest of that blessed companie haue chosen to liue rather in mariage than otherwise acknowledging thereby the state of mariage to be vndoubtedly no lesse allowable if not more honourable than single life 4 Concerning the second point that is to say the honour which riseth from the causes for which GOD did institute the state of wedlocke the scripture noteth especially three The first is mutuall societie helpe and comfort And this were a cause sufficient to esteeme of mariage highly if there were no other For God hath saide It is not good that man be alone Let vs make him an helper and helper and not an hinderer 5 The second cause why matrimonie was ordeined and must be honoured is increase and propagation For although that this may be as we see it it is in lewde and shamelesse persons too often without this estate of mariage yet this is so much against the dignitie of humane nature that such broodes haue beene alwaies basely accounted of by men which haue had but the bare light of naturall vnderstanding Wherefore the blessed Apostle hath saide I will that the younger sort marie and bring foorth children giuing vs thereby to vnderstand that there can be no seemely propagation of mankinde saue onely in mariage Children begotten in the state of matrimonie are the blessing of God and the fruite of the vndefiled wombe is a reward as Salomon wisely acknowledged in the Psalme For a man to be honoured with the name of a father to be renued and continued in his posteritie if it be not a speciall blessing of God a very exceeding great reward why are men women so desirous to see the fruit of their bodies Why was Anna so exceeding in crauing children at the hands of God Why was barrennesse so grieuous vnto Sara Why did it seeme reprocheful vnto Elizabeth Is it a small benefit that God hath raised out of the bodie of Abraham so many Patriarchs Priests Prophets Iudges and Kings such a multitude not onely of men of reputation on earth but also of blessed saints and citizens in heauen If it were an honour vnto Abraham to be a father of many nations surely mariage which made him a lawfull and an honourable father ought very honourably to be esteemed 6 Another cause of honour giuen vnto mariage is for that it is a remedie against vncleannesse Let euerie man haue his wife and euerie woman her husband for the auoiding of fornication Vpon which words of S. Paul Ambrose writeth verie aptly Qui abstinēt a licitis in illicita prolabuntur They which forbeare things lawfull to vse fall many times to vse things which they should forbeare And he bringeth in the Manichees for example as we may bring in the Papistes and namely that ponde of Rome adioyning to a Nunrie wherein were founde the heads of seuen thousand bastards It is true that all haue not neede of this remedie because all are not subiect to the daunger and perill of this disease But if any man be subiect to this disease let him beware howe he despise this remedie There bee no doubt that haue the gift of chastitie by birth and there be that haue made themselues chast by indeuour but of all this men are not capable As it is the gift of God so it seemeth to be a rare and not a common gift Such as haue it and so liue sole they are more fit to labour in Gods Church it must needes be graunted for they are combred with fewer cares But be these cares neuer so many and great better it is to marie than to burne and to be burthened with ordinarie and nest cares than with vnordinarie and dishonest carelesnesse to be destroied There are many that deceiue themselues thinking a single and a chast life to be all one To bee pure in bodie and in spirite this is chastitie Hee that seeth a woman and in his heart hath
when he saide Many are the troubles of the iust S. Paul did consider it and therefore said They that will liue godlie in Christ Iesus shall suffer persecution Christ did often put his disciples and scholars in remembraunce of it If they haue persecuted me they will persecute you In the worlde wee are sure to finde heauie intertainement but this is our comforte with whom we suffer with him we shall raigne we shall liue with him in glorie with whom now we are in miserie if so be we take vp our crosse and follow him Patience perfoce is no patience Not euerie one which beareth any manner of crosse but he which taketh it vp that is to saie which is willing to beare it he shall receiue an immortall crowne of glorie The wilde restie and vnbroken horse if hee kick and fling neuer so much yet is hee forced to carie his rider but being managed and tamed he passeth on quietlie with his burthen The wicked mutter they murmure blaspheme when they are once touched but the seruauntes of God doe not onely take that patiently which is laide vpon them but they reioyce that they are thought worthie to suffer Be they neuer so much afflicted in body the end of their affliction is alwaies ioy in the spirit The wicked kick against the prick the godly submit them selues to the yoke knowing that they are striken with a tender hand that he which humbleth them loueth them shall turne all things to their good Yea they take vp not only their own crosses but also the griefes suffrings of others vpon their backs they are content to feele the smart euen of other mens stripes to put their shoulders vnder the burthēs of their brethren to weepe for the sorrowes of other men as much as for their owne when others are bound to be as if they were in chaines with them These are the suffringes of the church of Christ these are the crosses of his children As for hereticks they haue no portion in this cuppe Though they offer themselues vnto all kindes of torture yet because they suffer not for the truth but against the truth they cannot looke for that rest which is promised to Gods afflicted when the Lorde shall shew him selfe from heauen accompanied with his mighty angels For it is not the crosse but the cause that makes a martyr Blessed are they that suffer for righteousnes sake There is no cause why that irreligious crew should glory in their suffrings which fight for Antichrist for heresie for popery for superstitiō sedition selfe will singularity Non ex passione certa est iustitia sed ex iustitia passio gloriosa est saith S. Augustin Our suffringes are no argument of our righteousnesse but our righteousnesse an ornament vnto our suffringes 13 To these afflictions whereof wee haue hitherto spoken the church hath alwaies bene subiect from the beginning it hath ben tossed and much troubled Abel the image of the church was vnnaturally murdered by the bloudy hand of his owne brother Abraham the father of our faith with his familie a figure of the church liued as a pilgrime and they as straungers vpon earth The Israelites were in Aegypt tyrannized by Pharao in the wildernes many wayes chastised of the Lord afterwardes in continuall stormes war battle before they could be placed in the land of Canaan when they were come thither had dwelt long there in the end their temple was spoiled their people murdered their cities razed they led captiues into strange countries This was the lot of Gods church the portion of his elect chosen people in former times In the last daies Christ himselfe was no sooner in the worlde but he was by by forced to saue his life by flight There was no day no houre that passed ouer him without griefe frō the time of his birth to that verie moment wherein he yeelded vp the ghost How it fared with his disciples after him after them with the churches which they had planted it may appeare by the history partly of their acts partly of those times wherein Nero Traiā Domitian Diocletian others of the like disposition liued But no time so bloudy cruell as since that Romaine strumpet hath vsurped authority ouer Christ his church The church coulde hide it selfe in no corner of any kingdom in the whole worlde but his tyranny found it out to vexe it to persecute it and to spoile it What bloud he hath shed what murthers he hath committed in these latter daies Englād Scotlād Flaūders Fraūce can sufficiently record By this it is euident to al mēs eyes how the church in the midst of this wicked world is tossed like a ship vpon the sea 14 As the whole church of Christ so euery member that truely professeth him is subiect vnto great tentation If the ship be in danger how can they be without perill that are in it As soone as we professe the name of Christ the Deuill stirreth vp his stormes tempests of temptation to make vs deny forsake our profession wherin his assaults be most fierce in which respect the blessed Apostle doth cal thē firie So it pleased God to chastise keepe vnder euery sonne whom he receiueth And if we would be without affliction then were we bastardes not children 15 If both the whole body euery member therof be thus deuoted vnto suffring the chiefest mēbers must looke to be in greatest dangers That which Christ told his disciples must be verified in all their successors The world shal hate them For why they which hate to be reformed cannot brooke to be reproued And we must needes rebuke the world of sin What misery soeuer commeth to the church the minister is alwaye the first that feeleth the smarte of it This we finde to haue bene true in the Prophets in the Apostles in others that frō time to time haue borne the roomes of ouerseers in the Church Quem prophetarum non persecuti sunt sayth Christ. What Prophet can be named which hath not bene persecuted The time would not suffer me to make but onely a bare rehersall either of the ancient worthy guides of the church which haue ben most cruelly entreated murthered in former times or of your owne pastors whom our late euill daies haue seene taken from vs in most cruell sort 16 By this it is plaine that the whole church of Christ euery mēber of the same is subiect to tribulations afflictiōs troubles the chiefest mēbers most subiect Let vs now consider how why this commeth to passe The most neere immediate cause of their troble which are tossed vpō the sea is the rising of windes the raging of the waters This is manifest vnto sense They that go downe to the sea in ships vse trafficke in great waters do see that when the stormie winde ariseth lifteth vp the waues they
which are in the ship mount vp to heauen descēd to the deepe so that their soule melteth for trouble they are tossed to fro stagger like a drunken man al their vnderstanding is swallowed vp Wherfore the blustring winds the stormy seas were the sensible cause why the ship wherein Christ with his disciples sayled was sore tossed greatly dangered Now if we looke into the sea of the world we shall finde that all our griefe vexation cōmeth from those vnquiet motions which are raised by our spirituall and ghostly enemy who neuer resteth but tumbleth to and fro raising one tempestuous storme in the necke of an other What maruell then if the church be troubled or rather how can it be otherwise then troubled sore assalted seeing Satan hath so many waies to molest it vseth as many as he hath Sometimes he stirreth vp cruell bloudy persecution If that will not serue hee vseth such windes as are somwhat more calme but no whit lesse dangerous the windes of diuision and contention then which nothing doth sooner hazard the church of Christ. A kingdom being at vnity in it selfe though it be smal yet may be strong but diuided distracted into factiōs though it be mighty how should it stand This is a thing which I wish greatly that we did throughly consider Hetherto such is is the mercy of almighty God our enemies haue not preuayled against vs although they bee many and wee but fewe they strong and wee weake But if a few sillie weake ones be miserably diuided what may wee looke for but ineuitable ruine It is lamentable that the Gospell of peace should bring forth schisme This is both slaunderous vndoubtedly perilous to our profession Vnto them whom Satan hath abused as his instruments to worke this euill I may speake in a maner as the clearke of Ephesus did to the people when they were in an vprore without cause There is no idolatry no impiety maintained by the lawes and orders of this church If Demetrius the craftes men which are with him haue any thing cōcerning other maters there is authority we haue courts there are lawfull assemblies to heare to discusse to determine thē When they refuse the peaceable meanes wherby strife may be ended will followe no course but that which breedeth confusion raiseth tumultes may they not iustly be accused as clamorous troblers of the church of God for as much as there cā be no iust alowable reason aleaged of these their troublesom vnquiet dealings Shall we be followers of mē in contention that about friuolous vaine things leaue the walking after Christ in peace loue Now the God of patiēce cōsolatiō grant that at y e lēgth we may be like minded one toward another according to Christ Iesus that with one minde one mouth we may praise God euē y e father of our Lord Iesus Christ. 17 Thus the church as a ship is by outwarde persecution inward cōtentiō as it were by stormes tēpests troubled The stormes which trouble the particular members of the church are our own rebellious disordred desires which neuer suffer vs to enioy any long rest of minde Some are troubled with one vnquietnes som with another Some cānot rest for the cares of the world som swel with pride vaine glory some boile in rācor enuy malice some fry in lust some with anger The best are secretly disturbed with that frō which the holy Apostle crieth out Miserable mā who shall deliuer me Whē these things haue so shaken vs that our soules are therby brused thē doth Satā raise the greatest storme of all other He layth our sins before our eies perswadeth with vs as he did with Cain Iudas that our iniquity is greater thē can be pardoned our sores past cure our breaches such as are without hope of remedy With this blast puffe he ouerthroweth many the dearest children of God are most subiect hereunto It is therefore good to resist sin betimes least when the conscience is therewith ouerburdened if the Diuel cast our sin before vs together with the iudegment of God against sinne we make shipwrack of our faith 18 Now when these troubles are not quieted by such causes as haue power to appease thē thē are the causes although not properly but figuratiuely said to be aslepe So the Lord whē he seeth children to be afflicted or suffreth the wicked for a time to goe vnpunished till he deliuer the one and plague the other is to our seeming as if he slept And the grace of God in vs whereby wee withstand and resist that which fighteth against the spirit may be saide to wake as long as it worketh to sleepe then when it ceaseth working When we sleepe naturally our bodies are subiect to many daungers Holofernes being a sleepe the weake hand of Iudith was able to make him shorter by the head In corde christiano tranquillitas erit pax sed quamdiu vigilat fides nostra Si autem dormit fides nostra periclitamur In a christian heart there shall be both tranquillitie and peace but no longer then our faith is kept waking if that fall asleepe we are in daunger saith S. Augustine For this cause S. Paule cryeth out so loude in the eares of men Awake thou that sleepest And to Timothie Stirre vp the gift of God which is in thee but let it not sleepe 19 If the maister and gouernour of the ship who sitteth at the helme fal asleepe the ship cannot keepe hir right course vnguided but will fall vpon euerie sande rush vpon euerie rocke and so hazard whatsoeuer is in it The boate of Christ is set ouer vnto two gouernours the magistrate and the minister It is daungerous if either of them be not watchfull When such kings ruled Israell as liued securely tooke their case and cared not for the publike benefit such as Manasses and Ieroboam then was there great confusion in the Church and common wealth God was not serued idolatrie euerie where was committed It is a great fault in rulers and iudges of the earth when their eyes are not open to beholde the disorderly dealinges of the wicked nor their eares to receiue the complaintes of the poore the fatherlesse the widow and them which suffer wrong There was sometime a Sergeant that now resteth I hope in peace who when a poore man craued his aduise in a matter and offered him no mony aunswered I heare thee but I feele thee not This mans heart was awake vnto couetousnes but vnto iudgement and iustice asleepe 20 Ministers are termed by a speciall name of watchmen to shewe that they aboue all others shoulde beware of too much sleepe Sonne of man I haue made thee a watchman vnto the house of Israell saith the Lorde to his Prophet Nowe if the people take a man from amongest them
the holie ghost a trinitie in vnitie be rendered all thankes and all glorie giuen from this time forth and for euer more Amen The one and twentieth Sermon A Sermon preached at Pauls Crosse at what time a maine treason was discouered PSALM 4. 5. Offer the sacrifices of righteousnesse THE occasion why the Princely prophet wrote this Psalme is the great distresse whereunto he was brought by the monstrous vnnaturall rebellion which his ambitious sonne Absalon raised against him This forced him to flie vnto God for aide and by earnest prayer to seeke help from heauen The summe and substance of the Psalme consisteth in these pointes First he crieth vnto God for deliueraunce from this wicked conspirasie Heare me when I call O God of my righteousnesse thou hast set me at libertie when I was in distresse haue mercie vpon me and hearken vnto my prayer Secondly he reprooueth the wicked enterprise of his foes and therewithall moueth them to repentance O ye sonnes of men howe long will ye turne my glorie into shame louing vanitie and seeking lies For be yee sure that the Lorde hath chosen to himselfe a godly man the Lorde will heare when I call vnto him tremble and sinne not examine your owne heart vpon your bed and be still offer the sacrifice of righteousnesse and trust in the Lorde Thirdlie as one assured of present helpe he turneth his talke againe vnto God and reioyceth in the sweete and comfortable feeling of his grace saying Many say who will shewe vs any good but Lorde lift vp the light of thy countenaunce vpon vs thou hast giuen me more ioy of heart than they haue had when their wheate and their wine did abounde I will lay me downe and also sleepe in peace for thou Lorde only makest me dwell in safetie 2 The prophet in calling vpon the name of God maketh mention of his owne innocencie Heare me when I call O God of my righteousnes Not that he thought himselfe so iust righteous that God could not charge him with any sin for so no mā can trie his cause and stand in iudgement with God which thing he also confesseth saying in an other place Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant for in thy sight shall no fleshe liuing be iustified For one dutie scarce performed he is able to charge vs with a thousande omitted nay we cannot alleage him one for a thousande why then doth the prophet speake of innocencie Why doth he vse this phrase of speach Heare me O God of my righteousnesse Surelie he knewe that God is a mercifull defender of them whome the world doth vndeseruedlie hate and persecute And in respect of his enemies for anie cause which they had so to conspire and rebell against him he might iustlie and trulie euen in the sight of God protest him selfe to be innocent He was a mercifull and a iust prince neuer offering wrong to anie his rebellious sonne he had sundrie times spared but neuer offended he neuer greeued his wicked counseller Achitophel neither yeat the raging people which vnnaturallie opposed them selues against him In respect hereof he alleageth his righteousnesse and innocencie his hart being a witnesse vnto him that towardes them he had euer shewed him selfe milde and mercifull 3 The Prophet hauing thus professed his vprightnesse vrgeth and prouoketh God to take the defence of his cause now as at all times he had heretofore protected him Thou hast set me at libertie when I was in distresse Dauid passed through manie trobles but God deliuered him out of all He strenthened him against that huge and monstrous Philistine farre beyond the reason or expectation of man For if ye compare a younling with one of perfect age a simple shephard with a souldier exercised in feates of armes one of smale stature with a vast giant a naked manne with one most stronglie armed the combat could not choose but seeme in all pointes verie vnequall in so much that the Philistine plainlie contemned him But God fought for him gaue him the victorie Besides this he deliued him also from the fraud trechery of wicked Doeg from the treason of the men of Caila and Ziph which laboured to giue him into his enemies handes God deliuered him frō Achis king of Geth where he was in great danger How often by what miraculous meanes he saued him out of the hands of Saul y e histories do manifestly plainly shew Therfore he putteth God in remēbrāce of this his wonted mercy God is well pleased when his benefits are well remembred Vpon this experience of Gods former mercies he cōceiueth great confidence and sure hope that his protector woulde not leaue him now in the bryers that the God of whose mercie hee had so often tasted seeing that his cause was iust woulde not nowe leaue him as a praie to his enemies neither suffer them to trample ouer him 4 Thus wee see that the security of princes doth not rest vpon their power be they neuer so strongly garded but vpon their innocencie wee see from whence they ought in their troubles to looke for succour we see by what meanes they may assure themselues of helpe from heauen In the seconde parte of the Psalme the Prophet reporteth the rebellion of his foes and withall moueth them to repentaunce He reproueth them especially for two causes first for that they laboured to displace the prince whom God had set ouer them wherein the ignominie which they did vnto him was not so great as the iniurie which they offred vnto God 5 The contriuers thereof were not men of meene calling but of high place and great authoritie and therefore they are not called the sonnes of Adam but the sonnes of man filii viri noble personages Conspiracies are not wont to bee bred in the heades of the meenest sort which thing the Prophet noteth in the seconde Psalme The princes are assembled together in counsell against the Lorde and against his Christ. Marie the verie sister of Moses a woman of place and countenaunce deuised a plot to displace hir brother Moses spared hir because shee was his sister but God plagued hir because shee was a rebell and cast vppon hir a most foule disease Core Dathan and Abiram which conspired also against Moses were not the meenest men in their tribe Ieroboam a man of great might conspired against Salomon and openly rebelled against Roboam The kinges sonne Absolon the great wise counseller Achitophel rose vp against their lawfull Soueraigne armed the people against him If I shoulde enter into prophane histories and receite vnto you the authors and contriuers of ciuel seditions from time to time it woulde appeare that they were for the most part filij viri It is sometime otherwise For wee reade that simple men that men whose names are not spoken of without some speciall note of extreeme basenesse haue notwithstanding stirred vp daungerous tumultes But such are either set on by other
must all offer 15 At the handes of the minister it is required that hee feed the flocke committed vnto his charge this is righteousnesse in him it is his sacrifice God will haue no blinde no lame no vncleane thing to be offered therfore let as many as offer the sacrifice of righteousnes take heede to that they doe The wordes of the Lorde are pure wordes like siluer tried in a fornace of earth fined seuen times He therefore that speaketh let him speake as the wordes of God 16 Furthermore as it is reason that they which sacrifice at the altar shoulde liue of the altar euen so it is against all equitie and right that the labour of preaching the Gospell shoulde rest vpon any mans backand the maintenance due for the same be withheld and kept from him It hath beene tolde you often and some haue beene angrie to heare it so often tolde that the ministerie is too much pinched the liuing of the Church so fleesed that manie worthy ministers haue scarce nay they haue not wherewith tolerablie to sustaine themselues 17 To come from the minister to the magistrate when heynous crimes are detected and brought to light there is then a speciall sacrifice of righteousnesse required at his handes such a sacrifice as Ioas offered who following the good aduise of Iehoida the high priest his faithfull counsellour put Athalia which had murthered the kinges children and vsurped the kingdome to the sworde The Lorde sometime doth so deale with his people that they plainely see his wrath to be kindled and his heauie indignatioÌ„ impossible to be appeased til this sacrifice be offred him The Israelites were ouerthrowne in battle till Achan was stoned to death King Dauid founde no rest in his kingdome till AbsoloÌ„ Adonias had that which their rebellious practises did deserue God requireth as well the sacrifice of iustice as of mercie yea he sometimes accepteth iustice for a sacrifice and plagueth mercie as a grieuous sinne If Dauid had not spared his sonne for murther his sonne had not troubled him with rebellion For rebellion he woulde also in fatherly pity and compassion haue spared him this God coulde not suffer but tooke execution of iustice him selfe stretched out the arme of an oake and strangled the gallant in his owne haire Saul suffred Agag but he felt the wrath of the Lorde for it to the losse of his kingdome Quiparcit lupo mactat gregem hee that spareth a wolfe spilleth the bloude of the flocke saith Chrisostome God appointeth the magistrate to be a reuenger vnto wrath vpon him that committeth euil They which glorie to haue the sworde rustie in the sheath when they woulde drawe it out peraduenture shall not so well be able Let magistrates therefore from the highest to the lowest execute iustice without feare or fauour when neede requireth and so they shall offer vp the sacrifice of righteousnesse 18 As this sacrifice belongeth peculiarlie to them so there are others belonging although to them yet not to them alone but to all Christians Wee must all sacrifice vnto the Lorde with our goodes with our mindes and with our bodies For all these we haue receiued to serue him withall With our goodes the needie must be relieued the naked clothed the hungrie comforted and fed For this sacrifice S. Paul commendeth to the PhilippiaÌ„s I was euen filled after that I had receiued of Epaphroditus that which came from you an odoure that smelleth sweete a sacrifice acceptable pleasant vnto God The like he hath also to the Hebrewes To doe good and to distribute forget not for with such sacrifice God is pleased 19 To haue the sacrifice of the bodie offered S. Paul is verie earnest with the Romaines I beseech you brethren by the mercies of God that yee giue vp your bodies a liuing sacrifice holie and acceptable vnto God Let not thine eye behold the thing which is euill and it is made a sacrifice let no vncleane word escape thy tongue and it is an offring let thine hande doe no harme and it is an oblation saith S. Chrysostome To the like effect Origen when thou subduest pride thou dost affer a calfe when wrath a ram when lust a goate a doue when a vaine and wandring cogitation But the most precious sacrifice of the bodie is when being mortified it is also offered to the crosse for the testimonie of Iesus Christ in whose cause the death of the Saints is deere in the sight of God If the Prophetes the Apostles the martyrs of all ages haue offred vp the glorious sacrifice of righteousnesse why should wee be acounted faithfull as they were vnlesse wee be willing to doe and to suffer as they did Wee haue a longe time had faire weather wisdome would that we should prouide for stormes Christs Church must be tried such is Gods woont A rough storme was rising but the Lord such are his mercies raised vp a winde which scattered the clowdes he hath in great fauour and tender loue deliuered vs from the Lions mouth Let vs therefore liue no longer in this our senslesse securitie but offer him sacrifice as of our bodies so likewise of our mindes repentance and praise 20 Our sinnes no doubt haue prouoked his wrath our ingratitude hath grieued him our iniquities haue kindled his indignation wee haue grieuouslye offended by despising his worde from the highest to the lowest The Magistrates are for the most part colde in Gods cause they are not eaten vp with the zeale of his house iustice iudgement they commonly omit wickedly peruert The guides and Pastours of the Church seeke themselues and not those things which belong to Iesus Christ. And the people not well guided nor â—euerely corrected are of all other farthest out of frame Now if the most high haue power ouer the kingdome of men to giue it to whom soeuer he will and to appoint ouer it most vile persons when pleaseth him and if because of our vnrighteous dealing he should as he hath done many a time and oft vnto nations farre greater and mightier then ours power vs as it were out of one vessell into an other translate the scepter of this kingdom from hand to hand in steede of a gracious and religious Lady cause an hypocrite to raigne ouer vs which the Lord neuer suffer these eyes to see what could we saie but God were iust in al his waies had brought that vpon vs which our sinnes haue deserued To appease his wrath and to staie these or the like plagues from breaking in and from ouerwhelming the land there is no other waie but speedily to offer vp the sacrifice of righteousnesse This is the sacrifice of righteousnesse euen a broken and a contrite heart 21 The other sacrifice of the minde is praise which consisteth in thankesgiuing and petition Let vs thanke our God for his manifolde mercies For it is the Lordes mercies that