to the mind of God and understanding of the Godly THis will suffice for the former yeare and fill up two Columnes of the Pillar But what hath the Lord done for His people this present yeare which may now be recorded with rejoycing We must answer what ever adversary or friend saith to the contrary Great things therefore must the Citie continue the Records for behold mercies after mercies and loving kindnesses have followed loving kindnesses as the waves of the Sea It is asked where are they for hearke what a great Clerke saith and a Master in Israel Things are as they were nay much worse reformation of corruptions hath beene endeavoured with much zeale and diligence yet the end not attained Nay in some respects it is so farre set backe that in my understanding the state of Religion hath never beene worse since the first reformation then this present yeare What respects these follow in respect of first the greatnesse of destractions which have divided us all one from another then Secondly multitude of Sects and Sectaries c. Thirdly dishonours done to the service of God with so much scorne and scandall to Religion that in forraigne parts they question whether all this time we have had any so abruptly he breakes off Upon easie search we may finde these words towards the end of a Sermon printed very lately at Cambridge I must ponder them whether they hold weight at the Sanctuary whether the Doctor speake according to his charge as the Oracles of God 1 Pet. 4.11 I say I must doe it for it is much against my spirit to fill up this yeare with Ciphers to make it a Leape yeare as if God had done nothing this yeare worthy to be written upon the Pillar the Citie stands charged to raise up now to the glory of her God We take then a second view of the Doctors words he saith Obj. Notwithstanding the much zeale of our Nobles and worthies he meanes and diligence things are much worse then they were Answ Here is a confusion indeed for here is much zeale and as much diligence and yet things much worse I hope things are but in an appearance so but I answer the much zeale first where that is there will be much diligence I will be pretty confident the Doctor doth not fault the zeale as too much But as the man of God a Master and Seer in Israel greatly affected with the House and Cause of his God hee would have commended the reformers zeale the more if it had beene much more more hot and boyling against the light Prophets and treacherous Priests their Idols and Idoll services That is his meaning we hope and we must deale tenderly therewith as with the eye and conscience and give the fairest interpretation thereof That it grieves him to the heart that the successe answers not that the end is not attained the filthinesse is not carried out of the Temple nor are those Priests cast out thence nor are their Idols defiled But touching all this he can consider and comfort himselfe in these words That as God hath accepted a zeale for the building of His house though nothing was done there 1 King 8.18 so will He accept much zeale for the reformation of corruptions there though the end bee not presently attained Surely the Lord takes it kindly that it was in the hearts of the reformers to do yet more for Gods house and to shew much zeale there Let reformers quit themselves in point of zeale and deligence that they have laboured in singlenesse of affection and uprightnes of heart then though their end should faile and the time should be deferred yet they shall not faile of comfort Men must part their care so as to take upon them onely the care of dutie and leave the rest to God They must make good their ends and the meanes they have used in confident assurance that God will make good the issue and turne all to the best And this is a comfortable consideration even now for they that have given all diligence about Temple worke have not lived to see the end attained And hee that had shewed much zeale there thought verily that his very zeale for God and His house would occasion his death Good man he thought himselfe left alone upon the earth 1 King 19. and O that his good Lord for whom hee was so jealous would take away his life and not leave his soule among Lions for them to teare the Cawle of his heart so dismaid and heartlesse have good men beene sometimes when they have beene upon Temple-worke contending for God against Baall and his Priests But note wee this here That never any man from that time to this day did comment upon Elijahs zeale saying It was too much and he was served in his kind that would contend with Princes and beare up against winde and tide No man was so mad and left of his wits and destitute of understanding that would blame the Prophets much zeale and diligence for God and His House when he was in his fainting fits No There is no other use of all this but that which the Apostle makes for the comfort of all those that have much zeale and are jealous for the Lord of Hosts Heb. 10.35,36 Cast not away therefore your confidence which hath great recompence of reward For yee have need of Patience that after you have done the will of God ye might receive the promise This is the Cordiall Reformers must take after they have taken much paines and have beene very jealous for the Lord God of Hosts when yet things in appearance seeme much worse In the second place I must answer those men who may be charitable men too yet not acquainted with the Doctors Zeale about Cloysters and Cloyster-men those Abbies and Abby-lubbers who eate the fat and drinke the sweet caring for the body onely and no farther what betides to the precious soules I say not acquainted with the Man and his known zeale concerning these places and persons they may read the Doctors words backwa d as if the much zeale of the Reformes grieved the Doctor more then the end not attained And that is it which pincheth others also and so they lay the blame upon much zeale that things are worse worse To these men I answer I hope not so things doe but seeme so to be in a worse condition then formerly but suppose they are so shall we blame Reformation or Reformers for this their much zeale and diligence God forbid If there bee any want as sure there is in the best man living it is want of zeale and of double diligence for the service of God which we shall never call the Liturgy The want if any is this that they have not wrought through worke in Temple-worke and for the cause of God That they have not carried out the filthinesse out of the temple which is the prime and chiefe worke ever and cast out those
light and treacherous Priests out thence Zeph. 3.4 who have polluted the Sanctuary and have done violence to the Law that is all the want which is want of zeale not too much zeale Be it knowne unto the world that these Reformers cannot bee too zealous though exceeding zealous for the Lord hath beene to them exceeding gratious and the adversary is exceeding proud and the Churches friends exceeding cold the Churches straights are exceeding great the Priests and their services have been and are exceeding abominable and the zeale of Church-men exceeding cold I sayd not well there zeale cannot be cold I meane these Church-men for the most part have no zeale at all for God but their zeale boyleth and runnes over against God Mal. 3.4 and those pleasant offerings which God hath commanded must and will have when all is done Therefore must Reformers now suffer themselves if they will shew themselves in any proportion answerable to be eaten up with an Holy zeale for the house and houshold of God The greatnesse of the provocation the excellency of the object the weight of the occasion beares out the soule not onely without blame unlesse from wicked and vile men but with great praise in such extasies of zeale seeming distempers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 12.11 Non amat qui non Zelat Aug. It is the glory of a Christian to be boyling in spirit to be carried with full sayle and as it were with the Spring tide of affection so long as the streame runnes in the due channell And if there bee great occasions for great motions then it is fit the affections should rise higher as to burne with zeale to be sicke of love to be more vile for the Lord as David to be counted out of our wits with Saint Paul hereby to further the cause of Christ and the good of soules It was a quicke answer that Luther gave Erasmus he told Luther you are too hot Luther Bee it so Erasmus in your judgement but the judge of all the world who hath loved mee with a love as strong as death for whose cause I am exceeding zealous will not tell me one day Martin thou wast too hot But it is to be doubted He will say rather Erasmus thou wast too cold Away with these midling men dangerous persons who say others have too much zeale because they have none at all Master * On Rev. 3. ver 15 16. Mediocritas hic est pessima nihil in te mediocre esse contentus sum totum summum totum perfectum de sidero Jero Ep. 15. ult 181. Vide Lact. lib. 6. ca 16. Min. Felix p. 25. line 36. in folio Brightman lessons them very well so doe two or three more they shall doe well to observe it that they may prevent a curse a spuing out I can but point to the Margin adding this to the line Blessed be God for those Governors of Israel who were the more forward in the cause of God the more backward others were that offered themselves willingly among the people And blessed bee God for the people that offered themselves so willingly also And for their zeale which shamed the Priests for it is much but the Lord encrease it yet more and make it yet more hot and more boyling in and for the cause of Christ for He is worthy How ever it fareth with the world it shall bee well with them for the hearts of all that are good are towards all such that have offered themselves willingly And which is their securitie the eyes of the Lord are towards them for good who would stand up for His cause against a crooked and perverse generation It shall be well with all such though they be smitten vvith the tongue and hand both yet it shall be well The Lord will remember all those for good Amen Now vve goe on In my understanding the state of Religion hath never been vvorse since the Reformation then this present yeare so the Doctor saith 1. I say first he answers himself in my understanding saith he he is but one man his understanding must not be a Standard vvhereat to measure the judgement of other men in so high and daintie a cause vvherein the glory of God is so much concerned Thousands there are vvho unde stand themselves as vvell as he vvho know it to bee cleane contrary 2. Seemeth the state of Religion never vvorse than now at this present time Yes So it vvas in ancient time know vve not this of old vvhen Israel vvas in Egypt They had never a vvorse opinion of their state then vvhen it vvas beginning to mend Then they vvere comming out of their furnace I say then vvhen they thought themselves plunged deeper in Then they exclaymed against Moses O how they sparkled and kindled against Moses just as vve doe against our Nobles and Worthies hee had done them the greatest vvrong and disservice that could bee done Why so Because Moses vvould bring them out of Egypt But vvho murmured so vvho vvas so uncivill The ignorant multitude True they did complaine of their blessings and murmured vvith meate in their mouth But upon enquiry you vvill finde that Aaron and Mirian murmured these strove also The Brother and the Sister contended and chid vvith Moses and if sisters chide vvith their brothers they will chide bitterly Adde vve hereunto What vvas intimated before and must needs cause a seeming confusion in things The Church-mans Idols are smitten at then vve must expect that he vvill rage as they did vvhen Stephen assured them touching the alteration of things the casting out of beggerly rudiments and how they had persecuted their brethren and Teachers Act. 7.54 When they heard these things they were cut to the heart and they gnashed on him with their teeth VVe goe on as followeth So farre things are set backe 1. I answer first by questioning how farre backe Things are not set farther backe this yeare then as they have beene alwayes and ever vvill be vvhile Reformation comes on It pluckes downe first and casteth forth the rubbish and all this vvhile behold nothing but ruines Truely every mans Tabernacle as well as Davids if raised according to right order and rule must be raised out of ruins Certainly the building never vvent up before it vvent first backe and fell downe even to the ground and into ruins Touching this more anon 2. I aske againe are things set backe Certainly no that is a deceit the Doctor is quite mistaken Things doe not goe backe vve go backe The hearts of the children of men pull back the more strongly the more Reformation drawes on and vvith the more strength If Reformation comes on my heart drawes backe mightily and I cannot thinke I stand single in the vvorld My heart may be an embleme vvherein to behold the Cloyster and Colledge both I say againe things goe not backe Reformation is not set backe vvee turne backe like a deceitfull bow and the more