in substance sincerely by law established and by the godly Ministers likewise to Gods people administred without addition or defalking too or fro the worde of God For the Discipline of the Church we also haue it thoughe in some weaker sorte than either the auctoritie of the worde seemeth to me to affoorde or the grauitie of the cause in our pestiferous time doth require it Yet it cannot bée said but we haue established discipline by hir graces godly laws to this Churche of Englande and at thys laste Parliament agaynst the Papists haue the same Christianly augmented God grāt that our godly and reuerende Bishops Iudges Ecclesiasticall Commissioners and officers whych haue the authority may and would so vse thys aucthoritye they haue that God myghte be wonne as it were wyth theyr godly indeuor to enlarge the heartes of higher aucthoritye ouer vs in the Lorde by lawefull power to yéelde vs further and more seuere discipline to one and all in thys Churche of Englande Lord for thy mercies sake graunt it to this thy holy visible Vineyarde of Englande we beseeche thée And in the meane space brethren let vs be obedient to this we haue and heartilye praise God for the same and pray earnestly with conioyned hearts for a further by hir Graces aucthoritie and the strict rule of hys holy worde These holy and sufficient notes of hys visible Church we haue in our English Church at thys day the Lord be praised for them and contynue them wyth vs and therefore agaynste al your blasphemies to God your sinister but subtill suggestions to Princes and people o ye poore Papists we stand by proofe to bée the Figge trée planted indeede in the moste holy Vineyarde of the Lorde and haue our Churche consecrated a sacred member of the Catholike Churche of God visible wyth the rest of that Militante troupe and companye of sanctified men in the vniuersall earth And as for the other forged marks of Vniuersalitie and personall succession we count it sufficient to haue the society with suche the sonnes of God as haue their felowshippe with the Sainctes of Christe 1. Io. 11.2.3 4. and haue learned to forsake the company of the wicked and to auoide the way of sinners but greatly deteste to stoupe to that Cacolike Apostata of Rome Ps 1. whych so arrogantly setteth hymselfe in that chaire of the scorner But touching personall succession of Bishoprickes and Churches we holde it not to be always a sure marke of Gods holye Churche Except ye wil saye of the Church of Israel vnder Ieroboam that Idolatour that she was then the true Churche thoughe an Apostata by hir grosse Idolatrie bicause she could boast of personall succession from the Kyngs and Bishoppes of that people Or that the Churche of Iudah vnder Manasses that idolatrous King was notwythstanding the murther of Gods chyldren their sacrificing to Idols theyr racing out of the lawe of the Lorde and banyshing hys holy sacrifyces was I saye all thys admitted yet the true Church of God bycause they hadde and coulde shewe a personall succession of Kyngs and Byshoppes euen from the firste Moses and Aaron But yée wyll possibly presse vs wyth the auctoritie of the Fathers as wyth Tertullian that ancient whych boasted in truth to haue had succession of the Byshops of Rome for the furtheraunce of hys purpose But forget not you Papists that as yet the Fathers of that Church had not departed from the faith but wyth theyr succession had contynued the Apostolicall doctrine vppon whiche point Tertullian chiefly stoode as it may appeare by hym And also would God you would not wyth malitious heartes séeke to darken that notable doctrine of hys in that hys Booke of prescriptions that althoughe manye Churches haue not to shewe theyr personall succession of Byshoppes yet if so they haue the Apostolicall doctrine taught sincerely in them for that consāguinitie and kinred in Doctrine those Churches are and are to be accompted Apostolicall The Orientall Churches hadde due succession til Arrius had infected them with hys poyson shall personall succession nowe approue the sect of the Arrians to be the church of God So had the Churche of Rome before Antichristes possession therof Shal we therfore now say whē their doctrine theyr malice theyr ambition theyr pride theyr dyuelishe conuersation dothe conuince them to be that whore of Babilon Shal we I say now say bycause they possibly can shew vs a great Catalogue of Byshops from Linus or Anacletus that therefore they are nowe the true Churche of God And yet were that a sufficient proofe of Gods Churche our Bishops in England then haue their personall succession from the firste euen the firste that you can name as by time and nexte course succéeding one an other Thus you sée dearely beloued howe apparant it is that this noble Realme of Englande is planted by Gods greate mercy into the Catholike Vineyarde of the Lorde the visible Churche of God and is it selfe a notable member of the same Now time requireth that we speake something likewise of the inuisible cōpany and Church of God to the greater comforte of the godlye in thys visible Churche whiche this day heare me or hereafter may heare of this holy labor to their further benefite If thou wouldest knowe certainly beloued in thine owne conscience whether thou arte verily and indéede the member of Christ and so a liuely braunche of the virident Vine end a fruitful Figge trée examine thy selfe by these thrée pointes The true notes of the inuisible Church al which the spirite of God againe hathe laide vp in one most sacred Sentence and thys it is The end of the commandement is loue out of a pure hart 1. Tim. 1.5 and of a good conscience and of saith vnfained In thys sentence beloued in Christ is laid forth vnto vs the verye true and infallibe tokens to euery mans soule whether he be the sonne of God or no. For by degrées from the fruite to the trée from the childe to the parent he goeth fetcheth thence vnto vs the certaine markes whereby we are sealed to the Lorde The purpose of God giuyng his worde is saith the Apostle that yée purely loue one another but your loue muste procéede from a good conscience not from a corrupted hart and this conscience hath his purging from an vnfained faith Then take hence your certaine notes of Gods children and these they are First by the vertue of the spirite and word of God a pure faith vnfained Secondly a renued minde whiche here is called a pure heart And thirdely by the same spirite suche charitie as neither can be cold or hypocriticall In whom soeuer these be vigent warme let him be assured though al the Popes in Rome had sēt their curses against him this honorable natiō yet he is of god the member of Christ one of his inuisible Churche whyche can not be caste forth of the dores But that we maye the better knowe
Fathers of the lawe are embrewed wyth this bloude I am also a straunger to the Citie a poore man come oute of the Country and whether my Lorde Mayor or his brethren be or haue in their corporation this improper proprietie I cannot say but I am very sure of thys it is a very vnséemely sight to sée a Parson of a Parishe Churche so stately attyred in suche costely robes and golden chaines as the honor of this Citie doth affoorde to hir Aldermen But if you bée suche improper persons I pray you yet haue lesse care of your gaine and more of conscience lette vs not serue you for suche parings but somewhat more liberally carue to vs in the Lord we admonishe you Remember that the word of God requireth you to make vs partakers of all your goodes Mala. 1.14 And dare you so boldelye take from vs then our fyrst allotted portions Malach. 3.8 It is counted a blessed thyng wyth manye in these dayes to spoyle the portion of the Minister but the dayes to come shall proue it accurssed with God But Lorde this is thy iudgement vppon vs thy seruauntes whyche haue not serued thée as belongeth vs in these thy forbearing dayes and thy further plague to the posteritie for this contempte againste thée For thy worde by thys meanes shall bée eyther sparingly or not at all delyuered them But surelye if Potentates hadde lyttle regarde to Religion yet me séemeth it their greate pollicie whylest the LORDE dothe yet forbeare well to maintaine the preaching ministery For the hart of man is his leader and the affectictions kindled there enforce the bodye seruiceable to his will The handes maye be restrained for a time but the hearte not altered a newe assaye is to be giuen But if the heart of man bée once conuerted vnto the trueth of God whyche commeth to passe by the office of Preaching then the soule submitteth hymselfe to euerye lawfull power Rom. 13.1 as sent from God and for conscience to GOD and dutie to hys worde causeth his body to obey euen to moste hard commaundements impositions euery demannd Let a suruey be taken hereof betwixt the Papist and the true Protestant the one is ready to rebell at euery motion the other alwayes preste to aide aucthoritie with goods landes life Wherehence commeth this but that the heartes of men are setled by the worde to stoupe and stande to their superiors set ouer them not for feare but for conscience Iere. 29.6.7 And good Ieremy and Barucke Baruc. 9.11.12 do euer persuade the Israell of God not only to bende their backes to Nabuchadnezars bondage but also hartilye to praye to God for his prosperous raigne and for the life of his sonne Balthazar how much more then wyl they teache obedience to godlye Princes by whome God is greately honoured and his Prophets right louingly intreated But this is a hard fruite o noble Fig-trées and improrer persons to giue to God lame liuings and halting portions to take the beste by spoile from his Minister and your selues not sanctified to the seruice For you are not otherwise Ecclesiasticall then when you call for tythes but for the charge of the Cure you take no care Oh be afraide of thys you that forget God and yet boaste of hys truth for it is a right bitter fruite and roote of a thousande euils to the Church of God whyche is the verye cause why I haue thus saide vnto it A braunche whereof beholde oure presente time hathe bredde for our Ministers in the Country for the moste part are either ignorant and idle or else ouer poore and néedy The people for the moste are likewise vnder suche either blinde and Popishe or hauty and harde harted and yet the Lorde doth stil beare and cryeth for better fruites Heb. 3. oh beloued lette vs hearken to his voice while it is to day that we do not stil thus fall by degrées from the lyuing God thoroughe the deceitfulnesse of sinne It is ynough that we haue spent the time of two and twētie yeares so vainely 1. Pet. 4.2.3 lette vs knowe that hence forth we ought to liue not after the lustes of the fleshe but after the will of God But this is a greate wonder to manye that men professing God and indued with so goodlye wits should in the light of the glorious Gospell so manye yeares gloriouslye shining delight to dwell in suche obstinate blindenesse But take vppe thy wonder beloued and looke into the matter So shalt thou perceiue this bitter fruit to arise of these thrée monstrous vices namely of the carnal contempt of Gods long sufferaunce Of the naturall distruste of his worde and promise And of the presumptuous abuse of his goodnesse First naturally we feare those things which be angry and able to hurt as lyons beares and tyrannous men Againe we doe not feare but rather contempne those thinges whych be milde mind not harme as louyng kinde and peaceable men Yea suche Princes as be rough and sharp to punish transgressors wée feare to offende but suche as onely strike of mercies string and seldome touch due Iustice threat our wicked nature with tooth naile enarmeth hautie contempt against them Euen so it is likewise to our good God bicause he is slow to wrath doth not alwayes strike we straight contemne his threatning worde supposing eyther he is not able or not knowing to punishe our open rebellion againste hym and so the wicked saieth in his hearte Psal there is no God Secondely if GOD in mercie doe swéetely persuade vs by hys holy worde to true repentaunce straightwaye our nature halseth vp a naturall distruste saying Malac. 3 1◠what profite haue we to serue the Lord or what be his promises vnto vs we wil not hearken vnto his word Io. 22.14.15 For if we pray vnto him what gaine to vs In their deadly distrust they scornfully saye Ezech 33. Come let vs goe heare what the Lorde wil say to vs but they holde his Prophets as iesting persons and pleasant Minstrels that satisfy the time not as the sincere Prophets of God For neither beléeue they the promises of Gods loue to appertaine to them or the iudgements of his wrath doe they accepte in truth and therfore they neyther embrace the promisse of his mercy or be terrified with the threates of hys Iustice But in steade therof they say Come lette vs eate and drincke for to morrowe we shal dye Oh horrible and thrice curssed nature so arming thy carnall corps to abuse the long suffering of thy good God But be ye sure that the eternall worde of God is yea and Amen that whatsoeuer it promiseth it shall performe and though his infinite wisedome to drawe thée to repentaunce do differ his plagues yet he wil iustifie his worde in the day of his anger When those thyngs shall come to passe whych he hath spoken by his Prophets and then in the midle of his wrath
is too vniuersall What Village Towne or Citie is it that is not a witnesse vnto this Gen. 10.9 Nymrod was called a greate Hunter but Nymrods hunting is nothing worth he hunted after beastes and buildings but wée againste our brethren And surely thys hunting muste néedes be vniuersall while it hathe taken holde of the Clergie Doe not hir maiesties Courtes approue greate hunting with a Nette lease often twelue or twenty yeares to come is hunted so after with a couetous Nymrod nowe that his poore brother whyche dothe enioye it muste of necessitie eyther take a newe or bée in feare to bée forestalled of hys state to come No offices so base that sundry nettes of dyuers webbes are not prouided to forestall them No forfeite bée it small but gréedily some one doth prosecute agaynste an other by meanes whereof sinne is dailye solde for siluer For the informer taketh his bribe and lets the faulte remaine No intreaty persuasion or louing desire can winne the poore but little fauour in this cruell age Such dyking in of groundes suche barring menne of common righte as the poore Cottier muste eyther begge and bée starued or else steale and bée hanged For so menne hunte after bloude The Countrey Villages doe decaye and shire Townes are fylled wyth beggers for rotten shéepe do ouer runne all Oh Lorde cease thys crueltie Habac. 2.12 The Prophet Habacucke cryed out of them in olde tyme whyche buylded Townes wyth bloud viz. rapine oppression and cruelty But he hathe lefte it also to thée in writing which pullest down Townes to féede thy owne couetousnesse wyth pore mennes bloude Ho sayeth he hee that coueteth an euill couetousnesse to hys house Habac. 2.9 that hee maye set hys neste on hyghe to escape from the power of euill thou haste consulted shame to thine owne house by destroying manye people and haste sinned agaynste thine owne soule for the stone shal crye out of the wall and the beame out of the timber shall aunsweare it And concerning the Cleargie such spiteful crueltie is bent against it as it passeth not onelye by others agaynste vs but euen of one of vs againste an other It is a greate crueltie my Lordes and Fathers of the lawe that sundrye godlye Preachers in this land lyuing obedieÌ„t to the now established laws haue bene possessed of their benefices for manye yeares shall be no more regarded than a dumbe Dogge a blinde Idoll Priest that can nothyng saye Nay by some suche wicked persons and their complices Noble menne and greate menne of aucthoritie shall be abused yea reachyng sometime to the hyghest Gouernoures to flitte good mennne oute of theyr seates I coulde name some suche lewde persons and wil if I be demaunded that make an occupation to espy aduantage making no difference of men for their filthie gaine to thrust out godly Preachars from the Church of God and for theyr fée to thruste the greatest giuer into such roomths These are shamefull Hunters whyche hunt some twentie some thyrty some forty yeares past for forfaites of Benefices to sette Symony on sale I beséeche your Lordeships aydes and helpes for Gods church herein that if you wante lawe for these men your endeuour may be to procure further as time and grace will offer it Wante lawe sayde I nay my Lordes you had néede go afresh to your Books and studye more law againste the crueltie of these dayes For what say you learned Fathers to this cunning crueltie A patrone of a Benefice giueth his Benefice fréely fearing the strict examination of some good Bishoppe so as the poore Clearke to be instituted by his presentation may safely swere and performe that he hath giuen nothing promised nothing either money or lease he or hys friendes but the patrone calleth the friendes of the partie presented and bindeth them in a greate summe that whensoeur the same shall be instituted and inducted he shal at any time within one moneth after suche his induction at the demaunde of the said patrone or his assignes absolutely resigne vâ—pe hys sayde Beneâ—yre But what is the purpose of this crueltie Forsoothe eyther to compel the incumbent hauing passed the Byshops handes to lease vnto him the couetous patrone that benefice at his owne price or else to thruste him quite out of that seate for an other Chapman O horrible and most gréeuous crueltie I speake not by gesse but by certaine knowledge hereof yet not in mine owne case I praise God for it But if cruelty be crepte so high as it rageth so againste the Ministers of God shall we not thinke she hath greate authoritie in the temporall sorte I purpose not here to saye more of the sinnes of Englande but be you Iudges O honorable audience whether the petition of our Mediator hathe not hitherto most mightily preuailed againste our deserued sentence Cut it downe But now lette vs consider likewise of Christes conditionated prayer for the Figge trée Till I digge it and dung rounde about it if it bring forth fruite then well If no then after thou shalte cut it down Here is prayer with condition the condition hath in it thys Firste the labour of the dresser and also of the good successe of the trée I will digge it and dung it saith the dresser of the bitter Figge trée That is I will do to it that thing which if there be any life in it shall without doubte make it fruitfull The great mercie of God doth still yet abounde beloued and the singular loue of this oure Mediatoure Christe héere also that when the daye of destruction is preparing euen then the Father by the mediation of the sonne is stayed from striking to a further season But Christe will digge and Christe will dung his Churche this Realme and euery Fig trée to take awaye by the one the corruptions and impediments that may hinder his fruitetulnesse And by the other to shelter him supple and moysten his roote that the vigor whych there is cowched as scante kéeping life should valiantly aspyre the top of smallest twigges and mightily make them fruitefull And this holye operation Christe our Lorde worketh from heauen by his substitutes and Ministers in earth namely his Magistrates Ciuil Ecclesiasticall his holy spirite by them diggeth the trées at the roote to the glorie of his name in conuerting and coÌ„firming the Figge trée or in Iustice and equity to cut downe the same And here you Gouernors vnder God you must learn from Christ two especiall lessons First that you haue suche a Fatherly loue to your charge and people coÌ„mitted to you as Christ our Maister had and to be frée froÌ„ those euils your selues whiche cause this heauy sentence to the Fig trée cut it down SecoÌ„dly to be vigilant sober wise to discern the time wheÌ„ to make present petition to the Lorde and to digge and dung the trée and to stande in the gappe againste the Lordes wrath To the firste Moses giueth example to al Magistrates and besides oure
muche more worthye of receit as that the same is sente to youre memories by that Princely Prophet Dauid And it is that Psal 1.1 Zorobabell and Iehosuah of a milde purpose haue vsed to the enimies of thys trée such mercilesse pitie that by suche ouermuche lenitie thrée pestilent cancre wormes are bred in the earth about the roote and eate vppe the life of the Figge trée But if they be not with spéed digged and cast away to the helpe of his life it is of necessitie that he muste be cut down The firste is the cancre of Popishe conspyracie and their wicked counsell The seconde is the stiffe and stubborne standing in sinne and the defence thereof And the thirde is that the scorning Atheist pestilent Papiste and subtile hypocrite are set with and aboue the godly in the chayre of aucthority which is by their abuse become greately the chaire of scorners If thys earth be not remooued the Cancre wormes excéedinglye bréede and the barren trée must perishe The conspiracies of the Papistes and their wicked coūcels they be eyther publique or priuate Publique but yet among themselues at their solemne places of appointed méetings where for their Counter caked Christ against the Lorde and his annointed they consulte and mightly conspyre awayting onely theyr trauailing day of such Popish conception As the laste good Fridaye in our partes was a suspected number gathered neare vnto a suspected place where that horrible sacrilegious Masse if it often be not may with greate ease voide of feare be daily sacrificed Their priuate persuasions are greate and wrought by sundry sometime by wandering Priestes harboured of no beggars sometyme by popishe Phisitions greatly magnified of our greater Papistes and these secreately sollicite the Romishe religion to men in towne and fieldes and in their weary beddes and muche moleste the valor of the Figge trée But these sinners stande the more stiffely in their Italienated sinne bicause they stande in that way whiche manie of oure Worshipfull and Noble States be delighted in to whiche Popishe sinne all lashing luste is fixed and their state dothe bréede suche stoutnesse as it is euen at this day déemed a sin eyther to reproue thē for it or thys Cancre worme of deathe in them And can we looke to haue eyther Atheisme Popery or Popishe hypocrisie once but a little disgraced so long as the Chaire of aucthority in most of our shires is filled with the Popish scorner Sundry letters are carefully sent many times to search out Papists but they come to the handes of suche often as haue more cause to be called themselues than to be in commission to conuent others And what is then done the packet once receiued happily there is some priuye packing of the Popishe Iustice to those knowne or suspected so as for the tyme non est inuentus is a good returne So is God dishonored hir Maiesties godly endeuor disturbed hir honorable Councell set to Schoole and the poore Figge trée vndigged to hir death You sée then of necessitie it is if ye wil my Lordes whiche haue the authority to place into the Chayre of Iustyce rightly digge the hurting matter from the Figge trée you must take away this earth that countenaunce and purpose whyche earste haue fedde these cancre wormes I meane that lenitie mercilesse pitie whyche in hope to win thereby the hollow Papist haue greatly hurt and hyndered the true hearted Protestant And the verye grounde of your labour and firste setting the spade to the earth is and muste here begynne to digge out the Papist from the Chaire of auctority For you may not forgette that not onely they are fruitelesse themselues but they make the grounde also barrē wheresoeuer they rule yea they bite at the prospering Figge trée they whet the téeth of theyr confederates and are practising their purpose vnder the pretence of hir Maiesties power against the branches that their cunning maye excell againste the bodye and the verye roote of the trée of thys common weale in the day of their decrée But if that the Atheiste hypocriticall and scorning Papiste were altogither discontinued the seate of authoritie No doubt thereof but their agents the Popishe practitioners that so conspire into the heartes of men against Gods truth durste not or could haue such fréedome neither suche standing in sin or so mightie preuailing aide woulde be lent vnto it Oh Lorde worke this yet more effectually for thy holie names sake and for thy loue to the dresser of oure Figge trée And London London thy Rulers and Gouernours muste well looke vnto it For a little digging in the Countrie dothe driue these cancred Papistes into thée So as thou arte become a mother to manye godlye So also a Nurse vnknowen to thée to manye a wicked Papist whiche breake vp their being in the countrey and lurke in the Citie of London and so are moste safe when they are nearest the place of their deserued daunger as neare to the court the Councell the Bishoppes consistory Westminster Hall and the sworde of authoritie Wherefore my Lord Bishop muste be still vigilant the Iudges diligent the Mayor painefull all to picke oute the scorning Papiste thys pestilent cancre worme which for more safetie créepeth so neare the roote of the Figge trée The reuerende Fathers muste bée holpen with the aide of theyr preaching brethren The godlye Iudges with the help of their associats And surely praised be God for it Englād had neuer in mans memory so manye good christian Lawyers whych with their study to the Common laws haue bin so able to benefite the bodies in the common weale as now they are by their increase in godly knowledge of his holy laws to furnish well the Fig trée to hir growth in spirite for the good successe to hys church This thē remaineth my Lords that you being our godly Fathers of the law endeuor with godly strife to excel one another in digging and that you become for your zeale in knowledge so religious and for youre dexteritie in Iustice so vpright that al other godly Iudges succéeding you may with reuerent regard feare to pronounce the sentence of Iustice after you leaste they should not equall your equitie to Papist or Protestant but chiefly in digging of euil matter from the Figge trée To your godly furtherance herein I pray you reade Psalm 101. The seconde worke of the Magistrate of either estate is to laye to the roote of the Figge trée that which maye supple and comfort and mightily help the weakened life of the same and is here by our heauenly dresser exampled vnto suche namely earnest and hearty prayer vnto God to humble his church to quicken hir to make supple and nimble hir veynes by his spirite that hys sap may be vigent and working in hir making hir more more fruitfull And then to dung the same trée that is to indicte to it such godly exercises as maye rightly humble theyr heartes and supple their soules before God And that