in their blinde zeale crucified their Lord Christ. They haue a zeale saith the Apostle but not according to knowledge If they had knowne the Lord of glorie they would neuer haue crucified him This blinde zeale causeth poore deceiued soules to thinke themselues zealously affected towardes Christ when they are stubbornely set for Antichrist Zeale without knowledge is not zeale but stomacke It is not true zeale but rather a brainsick giddinesse which causeth many to forsake their naturall home and to wander to Ierusalem there to woorship God as if they thought with Benadab king of Syria that God were the God of the hils and not of the valleies It is another thing to be eager and another thing to be zealous They deceiue themselues which thinke they doe the dutie of seruants zealously bent in their masters cause when they are sharpe without all sober and staied consideration reproouing them openly whom they ought priuately to admonish rashly condemning them whom they ought charitably to iudge as brethren 34 We must bee zealous in Gods cause For Angels themselues without zeale are nothing But our zeale must be as I saide with iudgement Ye are not ignorant what heroicall zeale there was in Moses in Elias in Iehu in Phinees in Mattâ—â—thias in Christ. This zeale this loue this true holinesse and heartie feare of God is abated in the best vtterly banished out of most men Where nowe in what corner of this earth shall we finde a man in zeale comparable vnto Dauid whom when the woord of God was contemned and his ministers despised the griefe the of had like to haue wasted away My zeale saith he hath euen melted me because mine enemies haue forgotten thy words What a crosse what atorment was the sinne of Sodom to the heart of iust Lot The small remorse which we haue for sinne sheweth our zeale is not verie great Let vs pray therefore to God as to increase our faith so to kindle true zeale in vs that wee may as Phinees with the sword of the holie ghost the woâ—d of God run through cut asunder and destroie all the filth and vncleannesse which lieth lurking in our hearts that wee cut off all our lewde affections our carnall lusts our lasciuious thoughts that wee may so mortifie the members of the bodie and rectifie the affections of the mind that with a chast life in bodie and soule we may glorifie our God Let vs pray for the zeale that was in Christ Iesus that wee may with the sharpe whippe of vnfained repentance driue out of our bodies which are the temples of Gods holie spirit all buying and selling all couetousnesse vsurie enuie lying deceite that wee giue not our bodies and soules to any such prophane vse but to be kept vncorrupt and pure as beseemeth the temples of his holie spirit that we may offer vp vnto God in the midst of these temples the sacrifice of an humble and of a contrite heart the sacrifice of righteousnesse the sacrifice of praise Let vs beseech him I say to inflame our hearts with true zeale that earnestly seeking our owne saluation and the safetie of others we may be zealous as the blessed Apostle was with the zeale of God euen holy and zealous before the Lord. 35 For as our zeale must bee coupled with iudgement and knowledge so with truth and synceritie God will not bee serued with fained holinesse and with counterfaite religion with outward shewes and with the lippes but with the heart In our praiers we must powre out our hearts before him in repentance our hearts must be rent asunder in our almes we must keepe a single heart when the word is preached we must open our hearts to receiue it whatsoeuer we doe in his seruice we must doe it heartily as to the Lord. For all our seruing of him is in vaine nay it is damnable if we seeke onely which way we may appeare holie and righteous vnto men Such as we would seeme to be we must bee in deede such we must appeare in truth before that Lorde who seeth our verie hearts and examineth our in most reines Let vs euer remember that God looketh vpon vs with open eyes he beholdeth in greatest darkenesse hee seeth the vnsearchable heart and thought of man no secret can be kept secret from him This would bridle in vs all inward wicked cogitations all outward wicked workes if we could well and as we should consider it For if we be ashamed and afraid to offend in the sight of man who hath onely power ouer our mortall bodie how much more should we be ouercome with shame and feare to sinne in the sight of that eternall God who hath power ouer bodie and soule to cast them both into eternall fire 36 Thus we are to serue our redeemer we are ransomed and bought to serue not for a day but for al our daies we are redeemed for euer to serue him for euer He that runneth is not crowned til he haue ended his race and then beginneth his glorie Iudas and Demas began to serue the Lorde but they were soone wearie their seruice was vnrewarded because it was vncontinued Onely he that continueth to the end shall be saued which saluation of our soules and bodies the Lord of his infinite mercies grant that wee may aspire vnto him in this life and attaine vnto him in the life to come through the merits of Iesus Christ to whom with the father and the holie ghost c. The eleuenth Sermon A Sermon made at Yorke ROM 13. 8 Owe nothing to any man but this to loue one another for he that loueth another hath fulfilled the Lawe 9 For this thou shalt not commit adulterie thou shalt not kill thou shalt not steale thou shalt not beare false witnesse thou shalt not couet and if there be any other commandement it is brieflie comprehended in this saying euen in this thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe 10 Loue doth not euill to his neighbour therefore is loue the fulfilling of the Lawe 11 And that considering the season that it is nowe time that we should arise from sleepe for nowe is our saluation neerer than when we beleeued it 12 The night is past and the daie is at hand let vs therfore cast away the works of darkenesse and let vs put on the armour of light 13 So that we walke honestly as in the day OVR Apostle in the former part of this Chapter hath diligently set downe as well the office and authoritie of a magistrate as also what dutie and obedience the subiects doe owe vnto him Hee was occasioned hereunto for that the Iewes the elect nation of God who therefore claimed to be a free people could not abide so to subiect theÌ„selues as to liue obediently vnder forrein Princes The Gentiles which nowe were become Christians thought it not agreeable to their holie profession to yeelde obedience vnto wicked magistrates
against the Lord farre from me c. Wherein first he putteth the ministers in minde of their dutie secondly he telleth the prince and people of their office lastly hee sheweth if they doe it not what punishment wil followe 6 Samuel reiected put from the office of a magistrate by this froward rebellious people yet was not so froward himselfe as to forsake the office of a minister Neither minded he to reuēge this wrong offered him but with a milde minde he was content not onely to pray for them but to teache them faithfully and louingly to admonish them A patterne for all princes to bee milde in their owne matters yet earnest and zealous in the quarel of God He prayed for the people his enemies the cause was his owne he tooke the sword in his hand and cut King Agag in peeces the cause was Gods Moses in his owne cause was a man most milde he quietly suffered wonderful wrongs but when he perceiued Idolatrie committed Gods glorie comming into question hee with his partakers for worshipping of that calfe put to the sword three thousand men Christ our Sauiour and Master suffered though vndeseruedly yet meekely all reproofe yea reproch yea death it selfe but when his fathers cause came in hande that the house of God was made a denne of theeues hee bestirred him with his whip coursed those symoniacall choppers and chaungers buyers and sellers out of the Temple and made hauocke of whatsoeuer they had 7 This milde and zealous Samuel zealous in Gods cause and milde in his owne first by his owne example putteth the ministers in minde of their duetie in whom hee requireth two things as principall points concerning them To pray and To teache God forbid that I should sinne against the Lorde and cease praying for you I will shewe you the good and right waie 8 Christ that good pastor was earnest in praier for the people Holie father keepe them yea for his enemies Father forgiue them Paul the good Apostle prayed without intermission Iames the good Bishop of Hierusalem made his knees as hard as the hoose of a camell with continuall praying Our good Prophet Samuell thinketh it a great sinne not to pray for the people Absit a me hoc peccatum Be this sinne farre from mee Christ Peter Paul Ieremie praied with many teares God is delighted with an heartie prayer both in the minister in the Prince and in the people Christ was so feruent herein that he swet water and bloud King Dauid in his earnest prayer nightly watered his bed with teares The Israelites in Babylon in powring out their heartie prayers powred out also teares aboundantly Moses was so earnest with God in his prayers that God saide vnto him Why doest thou holde me Anna was so eager that shee powred out her verie heart before God in prayer The verie Ethnickes would not dallie with their false gods in prayer Plato reporteth that when they met in the house of their Idols to pray one openly pronounced Hoc agite Doe this Talke not trifle not let not your mindes wander Doe that ye come for For prayer is the lifting vp of the minde to God And Christ complaineth of this lippe labour This people honour me with their lippes God seeth thy heart and he requireth it 9 The persons for whom Samuel did praie are specified in the latter ende of his speeche For to whom hee saith if yee doe wickedly ye shall perish both you and your king for them that they might not doe wickedly he prayed Wee must pray first for kings and all that are placed in authoritie that God may giue them vnderstanding hearts rightly to rule faithfull counsellers from whom they may receiue wise and graue aduise carefull mindes to put good counsels in execution Euil counsel giuen and followed hath wrought much woe to many princes and vtter ruine to sundrie common wealths King Hanan hearkened to euill counsell and executed it but it turned to the confusion of him and his people Absolon likewise followed Achitophels wicked counsel and destruction likewise followed them both Solomon he gaue eare to foolish women and followed their idolatrous deuises whereby he procured to himselfe the wrath of God Roboam reiected the counsel of the graue and wise and followed the light and lustie deuises of young braines but it spoiled him of the most part of his kingdome Zedechias would not heare the good counsel of Ieremie but gaue eare to the euill aduise of his bad counsellers which in the ende turned to his confusion Happie is that Prince that hath wise and godly counsellers and thrise happie that wil followe them Then may the people liue a quiet and a peaceable life in all godlinesse and honestie Samuel praied for the Prince and the people This is one principall part of the ministers office 10 The other is to teache If I teache not woe woorth me saith S. Paul But what is it that the minister should teache The Pope to be head of the vniuersal Church No that Christ claymeth as his owne right To abstaine from mariage and meate as not lawful to be vsed That S. Paul termeth the doctrine of deuils Shal we teache Purgatorie and prayer to the dead or for the dead But S. Iohn teacheth that we are purged by the bloud of Christ. And God commaundeth vs to call vpon him in our prayer Other commaundement haue we none To be short shal we teache the doctrine of men Then all our worshipping of God shall be in vaine Samuel therefore telleth vs what we shal teach namely the good and right waie Esay speaking of Gods word saith This is the waie walke in it The prophet Ieremie hath the like Stand vpon the waies and see and inquire of the olde waie which is the good waie and walke in it We ought to walke in the olde path of Gods auncient woord For that is the good and the right waie Yee shall not doe that which seemeth right vnto you but what I commaund that onely doe neither adde nor detract any thing Christ taught not his owne waies but the waies of his Father The wordes which I haue spoken are not mine but his that sent me the fathers S. Paul durst not teache any other thing than what he had receiued of the Lorde Yea he curseth the verie Angels of heauen if they teache any other way than that which hee had alreadie deliuered as right and good It is the office therefore of the minister to teache the woorde He that speaketh let him speake as the words of God The good Emperour Constantinus was so carefull of this that hee required of the Synode ouer which he was set to decide matters of religion that they should order all things by the booke of God which booke hee placed for the same purpose in
and their prayer tooke away the force of the fire The scriptures are full of examples of all sorts Kings Prophets Apostles faithfull Christians haue called vpon the Lord in the time of their troubles hee hath heard them graunted their requests and deliuered them from their distresses Wherefore before all things the Apostle heere exhorteth vs vnto praier 10 But for whom First generally for all men then specially for kings and them that are placed in authoritie It seemeth some were of opinion that praiers should be made onely for the faithfull for the brethren for Christians and not for Infidels Paul to meete with this vncharitable error saith Let supplications be made for all men S Iohn in his Canonicall Epistle seemeth to make exception against this generall doctrine There is a sinne vnto death I say not that thou shouldest praie for it This is that sinne which Christ calleth sinne against the holy Ghost which neuer shall be remitted and therefore is not to be praied for But because it is hard for vs to discerne who sinne vnto eternall death Christian charitie wil that we hope wel of all and obserue the generall rule to praie for all There were secrets reuealed to the Apostles of Christ which are hidden from vs they had the gift of prophecying and discerning of spirits to foresee and knowe which gifts these times haue not Paul rapt into the third heauen learned secrets not to be reuealed hee knewe that Himenaeus and Alexander were reprobates We may not so iudge of others Who art thou that iudgest an other mans seruaunt In outward shewe after the iudgement of man Paul being a violent persecuter of Christ sinned vnto death yet was hee the elect vessell and glorious instrument of God Christ is the propitiation for the sinnes of the whole world he wil haue all men to be saued and to come to the knowledge of the trueth We must therefore haue a charitable meaning towards all and pray for all as he hath died for all Praie euen for your enemies for them that persecute and slander you Blesse them that curse you Wish well to them that doe ill to you For God suffereth his raine to fall and his light to shine both vpon good and bad Abraham praied for Abimeleck Moses for Idolaters Samuel for Saul Stephen for them that stoned him and Christ for them that cruelly put him to shamefull death Let vs imitate these holie paternes 11 As we should praie for all men so chiefely for kings and such as are in authoritie because they chiefly neede it In Pauls time the kings and rulers of the people were Ethnickes tyrants enemies to Christ and cruel persecuters of the Gospel wherevpon some thought it not conuenient for the Church to pray for them who sought to destroie it S. Paul abateth this opinion teaching them that they should chiefly praie for such as for men in greatest daunger and most needing the helpe of their praier Praie for him that praieth not for himselfe The prophet Ieremie requireth the Israelites to praie for the cruel persecutor of Gods people Nabuchadnetzar For God in his mercie giueth good princes and in his ire he giueth wantons as Esay saith and hypocrites as Iob writeth Both euill and good are the ordinaunce of God We must praie for ill princes because the kings heart is in Gods hand that he may turne their mindes and staie their persecutions of euil make them good and of strangers from the common wealth of his Saints make them pillers and staies vnto the Church For good princes we ought heartily to praise the Lord for them especially to pray as the prophet did for Salomon Giue thy iudgements to the King O God and thy righteousnesse to the Kings Sonne For it is the singular gift of God not onely to set vp rightfull gouernement in the world but also to cherishe and preserue the same Euen they whom he hath furnished with the spirite of righteousnesse and of iudgement are vnable furtherfoorth to execute their charge than they be specially directed by the hande of God and assisted from heauen with all helpes necessary for their calling If the Christians did praie for the wealth and prosperitie of those princes which bent all their force and power against the kingdome of Christ surely for such as are defenders of the faith and zealous patrones of Gods people wee ought daily and hourely to powre out supplications that God would grant them a long life a safe gouernementt a sure dwelling valiant souldiers faithfull counsellers a good people a quiet world and whatsoeuer the hearts of men or kings doe desire And let all such as wil not say Amen to those praiers assure themselues that they are neither duetifull Christians nor faithfull subiects but disloyall contemners of Gods ordinance and rebellious despisers of his commaundement who spake by the mouth of his Apostle saying Praie for Kings and all such as be in authoritie 12 If any Church any people any nation in the world haue cause to praise the Lord for their prince this Lande hath more than any in respect of the wonderfull blessings wherewith God by the ministerie of his handmaide hath enriched vs far beyond all that we are possibly able to conceiue Israell was well apaide with the good gouernement of Debora Iudith and Hester But they thought themselues twise happie when God gaue them Moses Samuel Dauid Salomon Iehosaphat Ezechias Iosias to gouerne them England liked well and tooke it for no small blessing of God when Henrie the first H. the second Edward the first Edward the third Edward the fourth H. the fift H. the sixt H. the seuenth H. the eight Edward the sixt bare rule ouer it But did God euer blesse the throne of any man as hee hath doone the royall seate of his annointed at this day Hath the like euer beene heard of in any nation to that which in ours is seene Our Debora hath mightily repressed the rebel Iaben our Iudith hath beheaded Holophernes the sworne enemie of Christianitie our Hester hath hanged vp that Haman which sought to bring both vs and our children into miserable seruitude And if we may compare with the ancients of Israel Moses was not more milde nor Samuel more iust nor Dauid more faithful nor Salomon more peacefull nor Iehosaphat more readie to assist his neighbours nor Ezechias more carefull for Gods cause nor Iozias more zealous to restore syncere religion If yee make the comparison betweene her owne predecessors neither was Henrie the first better learned nor Henrie the second more easie to forgiue and put vp iniuries nor Ed. the first more chast nor Ed. the third more loath to accept of forrein dominion being offred nor Ed. the fourth more iust in yeelding all men their owne nor H. the fift more happie nor H. the sixt more holie nor H. the seuenth more prudent nor H. the eight more valiant in quelling the Pope nor
to bee celebrated yet neither purgatorie nor praier neither any other after helps can be auaileable for the partie departed and therefore wee must nowe sowe as hereafter we will reape Cast away impietie and worldly concupiscence and liue a sober a iust and a godlie life looking for the blessed hope and the appearance of the glorie of the great God and of our Sauiour Iesus Christ. Here we are as Christs souldiers appointed to fight a good fight to fulfill our course to keepe the faith and so to looke for the promised crowne of glorie which God will giue to such as looke for and loue his comming 5 Whereof Iob is a good remembrance vnto vs. All the daies of this my warfare doe I waite till my chaunging shall come In which words we haue three things chiefly to bee considered First that our whole life is a warfare Secondly that this warre will haue an ende Thirdly that this end is daily to be looked for 6 He which saith here I waite all the daies of this my warrefare saith otherwhere also Mans life is a warrefare vpon earth In this Christian warre some be generals some captaines some trumpetors the rest be common and ordinarie souldiers Euerie one must keepe his standing answere his calling fight and manfully striue for the victorie 7 Kings and princes are generals Gods lieuetenaunts vpon earth to defend Gods people to set them in order to see them well gouerned to fight in Gods quarell to preferre and promote Gods cause They should serue the Lorde the king of kings in feare Imbrace the sonne aduaunce true religion Seeke the kingdome of heauen wherein doth consist their victorie and glorie This they will doe if they be zealous in Gods cause if they be in deede the Nurces of his Church they will hate his enemies with perfect hatred they will punish transgressors protect the innocent execute iustice and iudgement without respect of persons So shal they militare Christo doe the office of a good general in Gods warre Such generals were Dauid Iehosaphat Ezechias and Iosias These generals are placed of God and therefore of dutie to be obeyed Let euerie soule be subiect to the higher power for there is no power but of God God giueth good princes as a blessing and the same God giueth euill princes as a curse He gaue Samuel in his fauour and in his wrath the gaue Saul He maketh an hypocrite to raigne for the sins of the people These generals haue authority frō the Lord of Hosts to draw the sword against transgressors and to execute martial law according to such limitatiō as God hath prescribed 8 The captaines are the Nobilitie put in their seueral authorities our seuerall bands They must valiantly goe before striue and stand for Gods cause giue good example to their souldiers in honest behauiour in painefull trauell according to their callings So vpright in all their dooings that the people may be enforced to iustifie them as the Israelites did their Samuel Good captaines make good souldiers 9 The trumpetors are the ministers of Gods woord by the blast of the trumpe both to giue warning of the enemie and also to order the going forward of the armie To these men God saith Crie out alowde leaue not off lift vp thy voice like a trumpet and shewe my people their offences If these men be dumme dogges and sound not the trumpet as well to forewarne as to guide Gods armie The perishing bloud shall bee required at their handes by whom it hath beene betraied Paul was faithfull and skilfull to sound this trumpe and to sound it in season to striue for the truth and to powre out his bloud in Gods quarell He ended his daies like a man full of valour I haue fought a good fight I haue fulfilled my course I haue kept the faith His faithfull heart was carefull for the whole armie of God I haue care of all the Churches 10 The common souldiers must keepe their stand and station in all obedience and readinesse stowtly they must fight vnder Christs victorious banner They are not trifles for which they striue Therefore let them not shrinke nor cowardly runne away but with an inuincible courage in an assured hope of the victorie abide all warrelike miseries sustained with the comfort of that reward which no man shall receiue except he striue lawfully No man that laieth his hand to the plough and looketh backeward is woorthie of the kingdome of heauen But hee that endureth to the ende shall be saued 11 Now we must striue for Christ and not for Antichrist for the truth and not against it I can doe nothing against the trueth but for the truth saith S. Paul For the gospel and not for the doctrine of man for true religion and not for superstition must wee striue But our striuing for the most part is all awrie and wicked Wee striue who may be the prowdest pretending equalitie wee striue in deede for superioritie Neither equall nor superior can wee abide wee striue how to supplant and ouerthrowe one another Enuie hath made men impudent striuing to vndermine and cast downe the wals of innocencie striuing how to place and how to displace how to disgrace and how to bring into fauour howe to set vp and how to throwe downe And in so dooing wee striue against our selues and for the aduauntage of our deadly foes This warre is not Christian this is not to striue lawfully This is not to fight a good fight This victorie shall not be crowned 12 Our principall and common enemies against whom wee must all iointly fight are the diuell the world and the flesh The diuell is strong and subtile a roaring Lion and an olde Serpent of long and great experience So soone as we professe to be Christs souldiers as a malitious and fierce enemie hee inuadeth vs. My sonne if thou wilt come into the seruice of God stand fast in righteousnesse and feare and arme thy soule to temptation Christ himselfe was tempted immediatly after that he was baptized His waies of assault are these He perswadeth to euill he either hindereth or infecteth that which is good that no action which we doe may be pleasant in the sight of God Hee tempteth and ouercommeth euen the perfectest as he did Adam the strongest as he did Sampson the wisest as he did Solomon Hee therefore that standeth let him take heede that he doe not fall No perfection no strength no wisedome ought to free vs of this care But we neede to praie continually Leade vs not into temptation And yet we beeing in the midst of the battle with such an enemie still sleepe in securitie But the diuell sleepeth not And this malitious aduersarie hath spials in our armie he laboureth by corruption to make a mutinie amongst vs that whilest we striue amongst our selues he
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
complaineth as of a thing which touched him neerer to the quicke than any other crosse though he suffered both many and heauie crosses besides My breath saith he was strange vnto my wife though I prayed her for the childrens sake of mine owne bodie 21 Take away religion let their hearts bee voide of the feare of God and what sinne is there so heinous what iniquitie so huge whereunto they are not alwaies in daunger one to bee perswaded by the other When Satan despaireth of al other meanes he vseth this as the surest to speede in accomplishing wicked purposes He found no such instrument as Iesabel to make Achabwallowe in bloud as idolatrous women to bewitche Salomon as the daughters of Moab to steale away the heartes of the children of Israel It is godlinesse and religion conscience and feare of sinne that keepeth them within the limits of their duetie Without this they are not only carelesse of that comely shamefastnesse and sober temperaunce which beseemeth the honestie of their estate but exceeding the bounds of all modestie they ouerflowe and breake out euen into extreme lasciuiousnesse with others Heereby the honourable ordinaunce of God is loathed and condemned of loose wantons as a thing which bringeth infinite miseries with it a thing wherin there is nothing but griefe no quietnesse of heart no repose of minde Thus I haue shewed you the author of mariage God himselfe the causes of mariage mutuall comfort and helpe procreation and auoyding of vncleannesse the dueties that eche partie linked in mariage doeth owe vnto other the honour which mariage hath by euerie of these and in these the ground from whence discredite and dishonour groweth vnto mariage God graunt that whether we bee called to this honourable estate of mariage or haue receiued the gift to liue otherwise we may keepe both our soules and bodies vnstained in all things walke as becommeth Saints that haue betrothed themselues vnto Christ Iesus To whom with the Father and the holie Ghost c. The seuenteenth Sermon A Sermon preached at Pauls Crosse at his first comming to the Bishopricke of London IOHN 6. 1 After these things Iesus went his way ouer the sea of Galile of Tiberias 2 And a great multitude followed him because they sawe his miracles which he did on them that were diseased c. OVR Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ the Archpastor and great sheepheard of our soules casting his eyes towarde the Citie of Ierusalem bewailed the lamentable estate thereof and that with teares The like effect although proceeding from a cause vnlike I finde in my selfe beholding this Ierusalem of ours this famous Citie the greatnes whereof doth adde not a litle to that exceeding griefe of minde which the deepe consideration of so waightie a thing musts needs worke This office requireth a perfect man to teache gouerne and guide this learned and wise people this great and large Diocesse doth wish for one furnished as Samuel or rather as Salomon with all graces and gifts of learning policie wisedome and knowledge of things belonging both to God and men This comberous charge hath made many a good and godlie man to withdrawe himselfe to shrinke backe vtterly to refuse the like place and calling For although it be a faithful saying If a man desire a Bishops office he desireth a good worke yet such are the difficulties so many are the perils whereunto they are subiect which labour in it that the richest in all spirituall graces the most plentifully indued with rare and excellent gifts of God might haue good cause to â—eare least the frailtie of flesh and bloud being so great a burthen so heauie should make them faint 2. It is no easie matter to til the Lords ground to weede his field to bring in his haruest to trimme his vineyard to feede his flocke to builde his house to watche ouer his citie to preache his woord to distribute his sacraments to execute his discipline to gouerne his Church to performe so many partes as are required in him by whome this great and high charge is vndertaken Where should one finde a seruaunt of that fidelitie and wisdome which the cure of soules doth aske a seruaunt that knoweth how to minister seasonably vnto euerie soule to feede infantes nouices litle ones with rudiments of Christianitie as with milke them of better growth with stronger meate to confirme meâ— established in the truth and reclaime them that slide from it to wound and bruise the hearts of the obstinate who bende themselues wilfully against God and to comfort such as haue heauâ—e heartes troubled consciences by reason of sinne 3 Neither is the pastor pressed onely with these burthens which are peculiar and proper to himselfe but euen those which are common to others with him are also heauier vnto him than others To leade a godlie and a righteous life belongeth not to the pastor alone but vnto all Yet in this which is common vnto all there is more laide vpon him than any Others must be sober he a mirror of sobrietie they vertuous and honest he such a paterne of vertue and honestie that he may say with S. Paul Be ye followers of vs walke as ye haue vs for an example S. Chrysostome compareth the pastor vnto one that wrastleth naked If there bee any deformitie at all in the bodie of a naked man it is soone espied and faulted We are naked to the eyes of the whole world no one in the world which hath not moe eyes than one no eye which is not quicke and sharpe sighted to espie a blemish no blemish be it neuer so great in others halfe so soone found or halfe so much pointed at as the least and lightest thing awry in vs at whose handes notwithstanding it is required to walke vnreprooueable 4. Now if vnto these so many and so weightie considerations to this endlesse care and thought which a good sheepeheard taketh day and night in attending both to himselfe that hee may walke without blame and to his flocke that it may conueniently be gouerned wee adioyne those continual labours of studying meditating reading and writing whereunto the depth of the mysteries of God doe necessarily inforce him that must lay them open before others which if he doe not a woe ineuitable hangeth ouer him if he doe the trauell of dooing it is such that the Apostle himselfe cryeth out Who is sufficient for these things All this being duely and throughly weyed wee may well conclude that hee which desireth the roome of a Bishop in the Church desireth as a good so also a hard and vndoubtedly a very troublesome office 5. Secondly it is an office full of peril and daunger For if we preache things pleasaunt vnto men we discharge not the duetie of the seruaunts of God if we preache his truth we are hated as their deadly enemies to whom wee preache For not speaking against sinne the Lord threateneth death If thou doest not speake