they say partly by grace but principally by the power and strength of their owne nature For being ashamed to affirme with Pelagius that a man may doe the workes of righteousnesse by nature without the grace of God they hold his grace to be a thing indeede necessarie But howe As a birde that is tyed or a man that is in fetters needeth onely to haue those incumberances remooued hauing then a naturall abilitie to flie and walke without any further helpe so man as they say hath in himselfe abilitie to doe good if the grace of God doe but remooue lets Is not this to make nature the principal cause of our well dooing whereas in trueth without the speciall motion of Gods spirite and that in euerie particular action wee are no more able to walke in the waies which GOD hath commaunded than a drunken man to goe without leading who staggereth euen in the plainest ground though all stumbling blockes be remooued though his waie lie neuer so smooth before him such is our weakenesse In consideration whereof the blessed Apostle sayth plainely It is not in him that willeth or in him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercie We dragge and are not able of our selues to set one foote before an other Drawe me saith the spouse in the Canticles and then we will runne after thee But these men litle considering of what fraile metall they are made perceiuing not how sinne hath weakened the faculties of the soule vaunt of freedome of strength of inward power and make their owne will the chiefest cause of their wel dooing 30 And when they haue doone any thing which to their seeming is wel doone they prise it so high and esteeme so much of it that God as they thinke should doe them iniurie if in iudgement he did not pronounce them iust and righteous for their workes sake If it were possible that God entering into iudgement should finde any so vpright and perfect that by their workes they might be iustified in his sight doubtlesse he should finde his owne seruaunts to be such or else none if any of his seruaunts surely his Prophets if any Prophet rather Dauid than any other But Dauid crieth out Enter not into iudgement no not with thy Seruaunt O Lord. For in thy sight shall none that liueth be iustified For whether we consider workes forbidden or commaunded by the Lawe what man is there liuing which can say in the one My heart is pure in the other I haue doone all that is enioyned me For if it were so that we knewe nothing wherein we had transgressed the lawes and statutes of the almightie yet herein could we in no wise be iustified because of secret sinnes hidden euen from our owne selues For which if God shal call vs to our reckoning and marke straitely what is doone amisse O Lord saith the Prophet who shall stand Againe if we had doone whatsoeuer wee could yet because we cannot doe so much as we should we ought to acknowledge our selues vnprofitable whereas we euen the best of vs are farre from dooing that which if we would we might doe 31 Nowe if God notwithstanding for his sonnes sake doe so allowe and accept the worke of our hands that he bountifully rewardeth our weake seruice with an excellent and an eternall waight of glorie how much are wee bound both to praise his mercie and to hate the insolencie of those men who besides al this swelling in the proude conceit of their workes will haue eternall life which is his gift to be their merite nor onely that but the worthinesse of their deserts to be so great that many of them dooing God more seruice than can bee sufficiently rewarded in their owne persons deserue heauen not onely for themselues but for others too These shipwracks of faith they haue made by reason of their inward pride 32 The excessiue desire of outward pompe hath furthermore caused them to disdaine the basenesse of Christ Iesus and of his Apostles to bee ashamed of the meane and lowe estate wherein they liued to make of their Deacons and Priests Cardinals exceeding the kings of the earth in glorie of their Bishop a Monarke vnder whose foote the Emperour himselfe hath beene a footestoole whose stirrop the greatest Soueraignes haue scarse beene deemed worthie to holde at whose bridle kings haue attended as seruaunts that the wordes of the Preacher might bee iustified Follie is set in great excellencie and the riche set in the lowe place I haue seene seruaunts on horses and Princes walking as seruants on the ground 33 This pompe cannot bee maintained with nothing it must haue strong sinnewes And therefore whatsoeuer mans wit might possibly deuise for gaine they haue both founde it out and put it in vre setting Offices Masses Prayers Pardons Sacramentes Heauen and Earth all the treasures of the house of GOD to sale if wee may terme it the house of God which they haue made a shoppe of so vile merchaundise It were infinite to recite what huge summes of money they haue heretofore by religious pretenses euerie yeere gathered within the compasse of this one Ilande What heapes then haue they raked out of other partes of Christendome Which offals and profites if once men beginne as here so in other kingdomes also to withholde from them if men leaue off buying their wares any more if things which are fatte and excellent depart doubtlesse that citie which nowe is cloathed in fine linnen and purple and skarlet which nowe is guilded with golde and decked with pretious stones and pearles shall in one houre be made desolate This they know and it maketh them carefull to maintaine whatsoeuer is commodious and gainefull to them As for the glorie of GOD it is the least part of their care nay they care not howe heynous sacrilege they commit in spoyling and robbing him of his honour 34 It is an honour vnto God when all men by faith point their fingers as it were at Christ Iesus naming him the onelie Lambe which taketh away the sinnes of the worlde when he is acknowledged the onely mediatour betweene God and vs when wee confesse that hee is that Priest according to the order of Melchisedech which hauing offered one sacrifice for sinnes hath therewith because it was a perfect sacrifice consecrated for euer them that are sanctified when our faith is so ascertained and grounded vppon his promises that we can bee bolde as Lyons assuring our selues that the eye of the Lorde is on them which trust in his mercie to deliuer their soules from death as the Prophet witnesseth But how doe they giue vnto him this honour who haue deuised so many waies to take away sinne besides the bloud of the Lambe of GOD who as though wee might not be bolde to enter into the holie place by the newe and liuely way which hee hath prepared for vs through the vaile which is his fleshe or as
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
Gospell bee hid it is from them that perish whom the God or rather the diuel of this world hath blinded We are in the light the way of truth lyeth plaine and open before our faces Let not vs walke nowe as the children of darkenesse For darkenesse and the night are past 27 The day draweth neere The day of euerie mans particular dissolution and the day of that generall iudgement of all men Although the day of our death be vncertaine yet because all our daies are fewe our first day is no sooner come but we are sure and certaine that the last draweth neere Wherefore it behooueth vs continually to watch to looke for our ende and to put our selues in a readinesse for it For as we are found in that day so shall we finde in the day after that the day of the glorious appearing of Christ when all secrets shall be vnsealed al faults made manifest and euerie man receiue a blessing or a curse as he hath wrought in his bodie good or bad Many daies are past since Christ and his Apostles did count it neere therefore nowe it must needs drawe much neerer and be euen at the doore We may nowe say iustly It is time to rise from sleepe Our saluation is neerer than when wee beleeued The night is past the day draweth on 28 Let vs walke honestly therefore as in the day We are created and redeemed to walke and serue God in whose seruice if we goe not forward we goe backeward we may neither lie down nor stand still but take paines and walke And that honestly hauing our conuersation according to our good profession Wee are set as it were vpon a stage the worlde Angels and men fixe their eies vpon vs. And if the eies of all these were closed yet he to whom the night and the light are all one in clearenesse our eternall God hee seeth our cogitations and searcheth our heart he vnderstandeth all our waies All things lie open and vncouered vnto him hee beholdeth all practises all deuises all trecheries all treasons all sinne Let vs walke vprightly and liue honestly as in his sight 29 This we shall doe if we followe the counsell and exhortation of S. Paul that is if we first cast away the workes of darkenesse Sinnefull actions are called woorkes of darkenesse First because much sinne springeth out of ignorance which is blindenesse and darkenesse wherefore S. Paul alledgeth ignorance to be the cause why hee persecuted the Church of Christ Secondly for that sinners because their workes are euil hate the light which discouereth them and loue darkenesse wherein they may conceale them Thirdly because the workes of sinne are to bee cast into that perpetuall and vtter darkenesse of hell and bound in euerlasting cheines of darkenesse vnto the iudgement of that great day 30 Howbeit for that it sufficeth not to abstaine from euil but it is required that we should doe good therefore the Apostle exhorteth vs not onely to cast away the woorkes of darkenesse but to put vpon vs the armour of light Wherein looke what was saide why sinne should be called by the name of darknesse the like may on the contrarie side be saide why righteousnesse should bee termed by the name of light First for that good woorkes are the fruits of the light of knowledge wherein if we encrease more and more in loue and in all spirituall vnderstanding we shall not onely put a difference betwene those things that are more excellēt but bee pure also and without offence vnto the day of Christ filled with the fruites of righteousnesse which commeth by Iesu Christ vnto the glorie and praise of God Secondly because they that walke honestly as in the day time delight in the light For he that doth the trueth commeth to the light that his deedes may be made manifest that they are done in God who is light and in him is no darknesse at all And therefore insomuch as they well vnderstande that the night will come wherein no bodie shall be able to worke while they haue the light they giue themselues to walk in the light that they may be the sonnes of the light And thirdly because as Bernard saith Bona opera non sunt causae regni sed via regnandi Good workes are not the causes of but the way vnto the kingdome so they leade vs the way to the inheritance of Saints in light and to the fruition of that God who as hee is the father of lights in whom there is no variablenesse nor shadowe of change so he dwelleth in a light that cannot as yet be commen vnto we shall come to it heereafter when we shall drinke of the well of life when in his light wee shall see light To the which euerlasting life and light hee bring vs who is not onely the way the trueth and the life but God of God light of light euen Iesus our Sauiour to whom with the Father and the holie Ghost three persons and one God c. The twelfth Sermon A Sermon preached at an Assises MICH. 6. 8 He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what the Lord requireth of thee Surely to doe iudgement and to loue mercie to humble thy selfe and to walke carefully with thy God FOR the better vnderstanding of the Prophet in these fewe words recited it shall bee requisite to open vnto you a fewe circumstances concerning them wherein I will be short We learne in the text that goeth before in this chapter that God was displeased with his people the Israelites And that it might appeare how iust cause hee had of offence giuen him hee challengeth them that his gratiousnesse towardes them and their vnthankefulnesse towardes him might be examined and tried in iust iudgement And God appointeth the mountaines to be Iudges heerein that is as Ierome expoundeth it the Angels of heauen whom God often vseth as ministers for his glorie and for the benefite of man God declareth therefore here by his Prophet first that hee neuer wronged them and therfore they had no cause to complaine secondly that he hath bestowed his manifold benefites vpon them that he deliuered them out of the house of bondage from the tyrannicall hands of cruell Pharao whose slaues their fathers were that he had giuen them woorthie magistrates and good Priestes to rule direct and instruct them Moses Aaron Myriam and lastly that hee had turned Balaams cursings against them into blessings towards them Nowe after that God had thus set forth his great goodnesse towardes them hee chargeth them with their great vnkindenesse towards him howe they fell from the seruing of him to the woorshipping of false gods by running a whoring after Idols and sacrificing on their hill altars committing most grosse Idolatrie and foolish superstition howe altogether they contemned the woord of the almightie the preaching of the Prophets were drowned in sinnefull securitie and fed themselues with their owne phantasies the inuentions and vaine
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
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
compassion vpon the poore Let vs seeke vp Christ and prouide for him He sought vs and found vs when we were robbed spoiled and deadly wounded let not vs turne away our faces from him seeking crauing so small help at our hands He became poore to make vs riche let vs out of the aboundance of our riches spare somewhat nowe to the reliefe of his pouertie He will well requite it It is not lost which is bestowed vpon him in his poore afflicted members that which wee put in the handes of the poore we lay it vp in the Lords bosome where neither dice nor cards hawkes nor hounds horses nor harlots can consume it rust and canker can not eate it theeues can not robbe and bereaue vs of it Vnwoorthie we are to be called Christians if wee suffer our head Christ Iesus to be naked and cloath him not if we see him hungrie and giue him no bread Woorse wee are than Iewes if we suffer this ignominie to bee doone vnto Christ this ingratitude to be shewed to so gratious a God O let vs be mercifull that as children we may resemble our heauenly father for he is mercifull Vnto this mercifull God the Father the Sonne and the holie Ghost be honour glorie and praise nowe and euer Amen The ninth Sermon A Sermon made in Pauls at the solemnization of CHARLES the 9. the French Kings funerall IOB 14. 14 All the daies of this my warrefare doe I waite till my changing come THE custome of funerals as it is auncient so is it commendable Abraham the father of our faith purchased a peece of ground to burie his dead in And in that place he himselfe Sara Isaak Iacob and Ioseph were buried with great solemnitie much mourning Tobias is commended for burying the dead So is Marie Magdalene for preparing of ointment for the burying of our Sauiour So is Ioseph and also Nicodemus for the care that they had about Christs funerall 2 Causes of funerals S. Augustine giueth three First it is the office of humanitie the duetie of charitie decently to commit the dead corps to the earth out of which they came This charitable dutie is commended in Toby and others whose names I mentioned before and was of the verie Heathen religiously obserued Secondly it is a thing verie seemely and conuenient with reuerence to laie the corps in graue because our bodies are the temples of the holie Ghost wherein by which as by liuely instruments both God hath beene glorified and his people haue receiued good Knowe yee not that your bodie is the temple of the holie Ghost which is in you That which hath beene so notable an instrument would not be vnreuerently entreated though dead Thirdly our faith is hereby confirmed touching the article of our resurrection For we laie downe the bodie in the earth vnder hope that This mortall must put on immortalitie as confessing with Iob I beleeue that my redeemer liueth and that I shall see God in my fleshe mine eyes shall behold him and none other But the Christian Church doeth not neither ought to vse funerals thereby to relieue or benefite the dead All these things saith S. Augustine furniture of funerals order of burying and the pompe of exequies are rather comforts to the liuing than helps to the dead The glutton of whom S. Luke speaketh in the Gospell was buried no doubt with pompe ynough yet his wicked soule was plunged into hell There commeth therefore no part of blessednesse to the dead by funerals but Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord. Lazarus wanted as it is to be thought his funerall but the want thereof bereaued him not of his happie estate he died in the Lord and so was blessed 3 Sith therefore death bringeth with it our particular iudgement sith he that beleeueth on the sonne hath euerlasting life but he that beleeueth not on the sonne shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him Let vs liue as we will die and die as they that hope to rise againe and liue with Christ hereafter As euerie man departeth hence so shall he be iudged at the last daie And Euerie man shall sleepe with his owne cause and with his owne cause rise againe At our particular death is our particular iudgement at the glorious comming of Christ shall bee the generall reuelation of the iudgement of the whole world After this life there is no helpe remaining to the dead to the liuing there is mercie offered to the deade there remaineth onely iudgement He that is not purged heere shall be iudged as filthie there 4 Vaine therefore and dangerous is the opinion of Purgatorie Vaine because it hath no foundation at all in Gods woord Moses prescribing all kindes of sacrifices in the old Lawe maketh no mention either of sacrificing or praying for the dead Paul instructing the Thessalonians what they ought to doe in funerals neither doeth remember vnto them sacrifice nor praier Iust Simeon neuer dreamed of Purgatorie when as he saide Lorde now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace according to thy word Small peace is there in Purgatorie as Papists report It neuer came into Saint Pauls minde when he said I desire to depart hence and to be with Christ. It was not reuealed to the Angell when he said Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord they rest from their labours There is no rest but intollerable paine imagined in Purgatorie euen to them which die in the Lord. Neither Lazarus not the rich man were acquainted with it the one was immediately caried into heauen the other cast into hel He which said to theefe This day thou shalt be with me in Paradise knewe onely two waies the straite way to heauen the broade way to hell hee who knewe all things was ignorant of this third way For there is no such waie to knowe This opinion is perilous The hope of helpe in Purgatorie hath sent many deceiued soules into hell This opinion is iniurious to the bloud of Christ. For if any sinne remaine to bee purged by these after paines then The bloud of Christ doth not cleanse vs from all sinne and then â—e make God a lyer It destroieth repentance without which there is no remission of sinnes here and with which satisfaction for sins afterward cannot stand For faith and repentance cease with this life He that hath not his pardon heere deceiueth himselfe if he hope to haue it hereafter elsewhere Euery man after life shal beare his owne burthen as euerie man hath wrought in his bodie There commeth nothing to the spirits of them that bee dead but that which they wrought while they were aliue Worke thou righteousnesse before thy death for in the graue it is too late And thus it doth appeare that although the vse of funerals be auncient and that for good causes they are
our sinne but no remedie against the sting therof so that it maketh vs feare and with trembling looke for the reward of sinne which is euerlasting death But the spirite of adoption by the preaching of the Gospel telleth vs that in Christ we haue remission of sinnes we are reconciled vnto God and adopted by him we are his chosen children and may boldly and ioyfully call him father And this certainetie of our saluation the spirit of God testifieth to our spirit whereby we put away all seruile feare of punishment beeing assured of Gods constant fauour and eternall loue towardes vs who neuer leaueth vnfinished that which he hath begun nor forsaketh him whom he hath chosen 15 Therefore daungerous and desperate is that doctrine of the Papists which doth teache vs euer to be doubtfull and in suspence of our saluation A lamentable discomfortable and miserable estate Here it is in one woord confounded For Zacharie saith we are redeemed to serue him without feare or doubtfulnesse For where doubt is there is feare and what greater feare than of a thing so fearefull Hee that will serue God must serue him in a quiet and ioiefull conscience with a sure and vndoubted confidence of mercie and saluation in Christ the Lord of mercy With thee is mercie saith the Prophet that thou maist be feared As if hee should say Thou art full of clemencie and compassion and therfore we serue thee with a reuerent and without a seruile feare being perswaded of thy great mercie 16 Feare is euer of the inferior to the superior It is not required in the prince to feare the subiect the master the seruaunt the father the childe or the husband the wife but contrarie in all God feareth not man his creature man ought to feare God who hath created him to feare him as a louing father and not as men doe feare a fierce tyrant 17 The true feare which is required of vs is euer ioined with loue The good childe feareth to offende his father for that loue and reuerence he beareth to him and not in respect or for feare of punishment The honest and well natured wife that truely loueth her husband for the same cause feareth and taketh great heede least in any thing she should offend him Euen with such feare ought we to serue our God who is our father our Christ who is our spouse Of this godlie feare the Prophet Dauid saith Serue the Lord in feare And againe Feare the Lorde all yee his Saints Of this Christ speaketh Feare him which can destroie both bodie and soule This feare great goodnesse and happinesse doe accompany It is the beginning of true wisedome For all wisedome without the feare of God is but earthly fleshly and diuelish They that haue it shall be satisfied with all good things There is no want to them that feare him It causeth men to decline from euill it banisheth sinne woorketh repentance in mans heart and happie are all they that feare the Lorde as they cursed which feare him not If the Angell had feared the Lord he had still kept his place and glorious estate and not beene made of an Angell a diuel cast out of heauen into hell If Adam had loued and feared God hee had not beene banished out of paradise and throwne vpon the face of this cursed earth If the feare of God had not of old wanted the whole world had not beene drowned If the citie of Sodoma had feared God they might haue remained in prosperitie vntill this day If Cain had feared God he had not so trecherously murthered his brother If Cham he had not so shamefully discouered his father If Laban he had not so deceitfully dealt with Iacob If Pharao he would haue let Israel depart when GOD commaunded If Israell had loued and truely feared God they would not haue loathed Manna despised magistrates followed fleshly lusts murthered the Prophets crucified Christ and persecuted his Apostles If the Corinthians had feared God they would not haue beene so contentious so proude so adulterous neither would they so vncharitably haue iudged their brethren in things indifferent they would not haue condemned mariage the institutiō of God neither in such sort prophaned the holy Sacramēts of Christ. The feare of God wold haue brought forth better fruit in all these and the want therof brought forth this bad fruit 18 If the feare of God dwelt in our hearts the Gospel so truly and plentifully preached among vs would no doubt bring forth far more fruite after so many monitions perswasions and entreaties we would leade a better life When there are amongst vs many that breede contention and make diuision that lend out their monie vpon vsurie that pollute their neighbours bed with adulterie that shut vp the bowels of mercie and compassion and suffer Christ to begge crie and starue in the streetes that neither regard the heauenly message of their saluation nor esteeme the messenger by whom it is brought that shewe no reuerence to the woord of God but manifestly hate loath and despise it is it not too cleare and manifest that we feare not the Lord 19 If the feare of God were in vs would wee deale with the seruaunts of God as wee nowe doe The dealing of Hanun the sonne of Nahash towards Dauids seruaunts was not more villanous than the dealings of the world are with the honorable Embassadors of the most high God at this day Dauid sent his seruauntes to the king of the children of Ammon to comfort him straight vpon the death of his father The malitious Ammonites misconstruing their intent whispered in the eare of their Lord Thinkest thou that Dauid doth honour thy father or that he hath sent comforters vnto thee Are they not rather sent as spies to searche the citie and so to ouerthrowe it He had no sooner heard the name of a spie but hands were laide vpon Dauids seruants they were sent away with their beards halfe shauen and their coates cut off in the vnseemeliest place to his owne euerlasting ignominie and shame which so despitefully vsed men sent vnto him of meere loue and heartie meaning For the good king had no other drift or purpose in his heart but this I will shewe kindenesse to Hanun as his father shewed kindnesse vnto me The true Dauid the most mightie Prince the king of all kings hath in fauour mercie and reconciled loue sent his embassadors his ministers vnto you to comfort you in your griefes and to bring you ioiefull tidings of a kingdome which it hath pleased his father to bestowe vpon you These messengers ought of right to be honourably receiued Entreate such with honour saith the Apostle Nay such messengers are woorthie of double honour But behold they are taken as if they were spies they are accounted as the offscourings refuse baggage of the world not as the embassadors of the great
Disciples kept themselues secretly together in a parlour at Ierusalem for feare of the Iewes and there serued God Such priuate congregations the Ecclesiasticall histories plentifully set foorth and commend In such tempests to serue our God in deserts in hils in dennes and holes of the earth wee must bee content But conuenticles or priuate meetings when the gospell of God being strengthened with the ciuill hand hath his free and safe passage is publikely and syncerely preached when al persecution and feare therof is wholy vanished haue beene euer suspitious and they are the nurces of all errors It is the propertie of froward sectaries whose inuentions cannot abide the light to make obscure conuenticles when the doctrine of truth is set at libertie The Donatists the Arrians the Anabaptists the Familie of loue with all others of the like sort fostered vp their errors in secret and darke corners But such as bee of the flocke of the great sheepeheard Christ ought to assemble themselues in one sheepefold Peruersitie neuer wants excuses neither is satisfied with any reason but no man can in right refuse to communicate with vs in our Church It is the sanctuarie of the Lord the house of God the arke of God wherein the treasures of heauen are laide open for our vse no other than such as God hath commanded The golden pot with Manna the flourishing rod of Aaron and the tables of Moses these are no bugges to fray away Gods children They haue nothing offered them but the heauenly foode whereupon the elect of GOD should feede euen that bread which Christ hath sanctified and broken vnto vs for our comfort 25 Such stray sheepe therefore as will not of their owne accord assemble themselues to serue the Lorde in the midst of this holie congregation may lawfully and in reason ought to be constrained thereunto For though religion cannot bee driuen into men by force yet men by force may be driuen to those ordinarie meanes whereby they are woont to be brought to the knowledge of the truth Parents cannot constraine their children to be learned But parents may constraine them to repaire thither where they may be taught Thus you see that God must be serued of vs in holinesse holinesse openly declared and professed not secretly kept and laide vp onely in our hearts and bosomes 26 It followeth in the words of Zacharie And in righteousnesse This righteousnesse hath chiefly respect to the second table and putteth vs in minde how we ought to vse our neighbour In dooing right vnto him we serue the Lord Iesus whose commaundement this is in righteousnesse One lesson well obserued were sufficient for this matter If we could loue our neighbours with that kindenesse which we doe our selues which is the precept of the Lawe we would not want in any part of righteous duetie towards men Render vnto euerie one that which is due this is righteousnesse 27 They which are in authoritie are called Iustices to the end that their name might put them in minde of that duetie which they owe to the common wealth If they doe not see that Lawes be put in practise and execution if in iudgement they doe not iustly punish transgressors and deale in deciding matters of controuersie betweene man and man with an euen hand if for feare they cruelly cast away the innocent for cowards beene euer cruell or for fauour spare the rich if they be men of corrupt minds patrones of euill men and of euill causes for their owne commoditie if they be not wise with Salomon if they feare not GOD with Moses if they loue not the truth as Dauid if they hate not couetousnesse as did Samuel surely they doe not serue God in righteousnesse and iustice because they are iniurious towardes their neighbours 28 The minister of Gods woord is also a seruaunt Wee are your seruaunts brethren for Christes sake whose embassage wee bring If we bee fraudulent or negligent in performing the parts of this duetie we are most vnrighteous 29 To serue in iustice is the duetie of euerie man The riche man is a seruaunt to the poore to releeue and comfort him as he is able For that is right and to that end God hath made him rich that he as a faithful steward might bestowe those riche blessings vpon the familie and houshold of God Iohn the Bishop of Constantinople who for his liberal releeuing of the needie was surnamed the Almner was woont to prouide daily meate for the poore and when it was made readie to come foorth and himselfe see it serued This seruice is of vs very slenderly and slackely doone Christs impotent miserable members are sent away not releeued To suffer him in his members so to begge who hath giuen thee all that thou hast is horrible ingratitude it is not the part of a Christianly afdicted heart of one that serueth his Lord in righteousnesse 30 The counseller at the Law is a seruant to his client whom he ought to serue in righteousnesse Take not excessiuely of the poore for that is not right and equall Of right you should euen without monie pleade his cause so God commaundeth who wil no doubt in that respect pay you your fees with a bountiful hand Take not of both parties for that is trechery and not iustice Thou takest not those fees but stealest them Neglect not thy clients cause if thou promise performe neither take vpon thee more than thou canst well answere If with words and subtile handling thou winnest an euil cause to another mans wrong thou art guiltie of that wrong if thou doest by negligence loose a good cause thou art guiltie of that losse and seruest not thy client nor thy God in righteousnesse 31 To conclude and knit vp all in a woord of what trade or vocation soeuer we be this we must knowe that hee onely serueth God in holinesse and righteousnesse who denying impietie and worldly concupiscence liueth soberly iustly and holily in this present world soberly as touching himselfe iustly towards his neighbour and holily as concerning God he that casteth off the olde Adam and putteth on Iesus Christ he that truely repenteth that leadeth a newe life who heareth the word and worketh it who knoweth the will of God and doth it 32 And this we must doe coramipso before him The seruice which we doe before him must bee zealous heartie and syncere We may not serue God with lukewarme seruice as the Laodiceans did For then God no doubt will vomit out vs as he threatened to doe them Vehement therefore and zealous must we bee for the house of God for the glorie of God and in Gods seruice 33 But euerie zeale God doth not accept or like of For as there is a zeale according to knowledge so there is a blinde headie zeale voide of true knowledge and therefore of true faith S. Paul in his blinde zeale persecuted the Church of God The Iewes
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
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
poore releeued that he hath bound himselfe by promise to make almes most gainefull to the giuer so that it is not in this as in other common expenses but whatsoeuer we laie out that we laie vp He that giueth to the poore lendeth to the Lorde a sure discharger of his debts to the vttermost For hee leaueth not a cup of colde water giuen in his name vnrewarded The occasions which we haue to shewe foorth this fruite of mercie are very many and great we haue the poore with vs and we haue them with vs in great numbers Are we not woorse than Iewes if we suffer our Christ at whose hands we haue receiued all our riches in his naked and hungrie members to beg his bread at our dores pitifully to die euen in the midst of our streetes for distresse for colde and hunger If our gospell bring foorth in steade of mercie this crueltie in stead of kindenesse this hardnesse of heart doubtlesse God will take his pretious gospell from vs and giue it to a people that will bring foorth better and sweeter fruite Nowe if the loue of God and mercie towards our brother can not pierce our flintie heartes yet let shame of the worlde compell vs and our owne commoditie induce vs well to consider of this lamentable case If that which is giuen were giuen in good order it would ease this common griefe By good order and wise prouision the impotent might be so releeued that they should not need to beg and such as are able might be forced in the sweate of their browes to eate their owne bread And if the matter were taken in hande by them by whom it should I doe not doubt but GOD would touche the hearts of many a man with tender mercie that they would both cheerefully and liberally contribute to this worke of mercie which God doth more esteeme than any other sacrifice nay he refuseth sacrifice and craueth this The Lorde loueth a cheerefull and a bountifull giuer and will plentifully reward him Let euerie good man set forward this worke it is the worke of the Lord the fruite of mercie good and gainfull not onely to others but also to our selues For behold howe the works of mercie doe returne backe againe vnto them from whom they proceed Iudge not and you your selues shall not bee iudged Forgiue and yee shall bee forgiuen your selues giue and it shall bee giuen vnto you 20 All which notwithstanding the bowels of compassion are in some men so maruellously dried and closed vp that they turne away their faces from all men that desire any thing at their hands though they aske it not of gift but of loane vnlesse they aske to buie the loane with vsurie The Iewes euen till this day will not lend vpon vsurie among themselues but lende freely to their brethren and without gaine Iudas himselfe that solde his master for monie was not more cruel harted I suppose than these men are who for monie deuoure their brethren Their hearts are yron hearts They haue no sparke of pitie or compassion left in them Let them not thinke but that one day their gaine shall be their exceeding losse If Chrysostome thought that one euill gotten groate laide vp amongest a chestful of monie would be as a canker to fret out and eate vp the rest what shall become then of so much gotten by so vnmerciful vngodlie meanes Where is loue where is mercie when lending of monie is become merchandise Inough hath beene saide in this place of this matter which if it be not amended be yee assured that the Lorde God in his iust wrath will plague you both in your selues and in your posteritie for it 21 Nowe that we haue seene what duetie we owe to men let vs see what God requireth to be performed vnto himselfe Hee hath shewed thee O man what is good Our dutie towards him is to humble our selues and to walke carefully with our God He that will walke with God must be of an humble heart It is the milde-hearted and not the proude-minded the Publican and not the Pharisee that walketh with him 22 To walke with him is to be syncerely and heartily carefull to set forward his cause to promote his gospell to defende his trueth to amplifie his kingdome to the vttermost of our powers Princes and they that iudge the earth whome God hath blessed with so high an honour especially should in feare and reuerence serue their God loue his woord and gospell earnestly cheerefully aduaunce maintaine and defend true religion They are able to doe most good and therefore most is required of them Bishops and ministers the dispensers of Gods blessed mysteries should carefully trauell in their Lords cause and glorie in season and out of season to preache the gospell euen so much as in vs lieth or else the Vae of God which hangeth ouer our heads shall be powred downe vpon vs. But the saying of S. Paul is verified in these our daies vpon al sorts of people All men seeke their owne The preferring of true religion the seeking of Gods glorie is the least part of mens care or thought It was otherwise with Moses who both loued Gods seruice with perfect loue hated superstition with perfect hatred Theodosius for want of this warmenesse zeale in Gods quarell suffered by his too much lenitie the Arrians who denied Christ to be God quietly to spreade abroad their heresies in his dominions without checke or controlling The good Bishop Amphilochius vpon this occasion repaired to the Emperor who had at that time with him his sonne and heire Arcadius The Bishop did his obeysance and dutie to the Emperor but saluted not his sonne wherewith the Emperor finding fault saide Why salute ye not our sonne who shall sit on our seate No Emperor for somuch as thou doest not care for the sonne of God but sufferest him to loose his honour and place neither shal thy sonne be regarded or sit on thy seate Here at his owne cause called into question hee waxed warme and foorthwith expelled the Arrians out of his dominions Many of them who are hoat in their owne matters are colde in Gods cause Yet our Prophet biddeth vs carefully to walke with our God and to bee earnest in seeking of his kingdome and glorie 23 Be carefull ouer your conuersation giue no cause of slander to them which are without or of offence to the litle ones Let not the gospell be discredited by your behauiours Be careful that the light of your life so shine before the worlde that therein your heauenly father may be glorified Yee ought to shine as lights Take heede that your light be not turned into darkenesse Be bright starres and not mistie cloudes If an Eclipse fall amongst you the rest of England will be darkened with it Ye are seene and marked of men and Angels The world hath many eies eares and tongues London Westminster the Innes of Court and Chancerie from
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
e law hath plainly said None shall come neere to any of the kindred of his flesh The vnrulie desires of men which presume to go further in these cases than the shamefastnes of natural honestie doth permit must be restrained repressed For this cause Iohn the Baptist tolde Herode It is not lawfull that thou shouldst haue thy brothers wife For this cause S. Paul dealt so sharpely and seuerely in the cause of that lewde Corinthian with whose foule and vnnaturall fault the whole Church of Corinth was much disgraced 13 In mariage therefore there ought to bee a reuerend regard of nature that this state be not dishonoured by vnseemely copulation as in like sort it is by the vngodlie ioyning of the faithfull with vnbeleeuers Of this thing holie Abraham in prouiding a wife for his son had as we see an especiall care For the eldest therefore by likelyhoode the discreetest seruaunt of his house yea and the trustiest as it seemeth for he had rule ouer al which Abraham did possesse was not permitted to deale in this matter without taking a corporal oath before hand I wil make thee sweare saith Abraham by the Lord God of heauen and God of the earth that thou shalt not take a wife vnto my sonne of the daughters of the Cananites amōgst whom I dwell Abraham would not linke his sonne with the wicked Hee remembred what had come of such mariages in the age before him when the sonnes of God tooke them wiues of the daughters of men onely for their beautie without regard of religion or honestie Their destruction was a lesson vnto him he auoided their sinne by fearing their punishment GOD gaue his people expresse charge concerning this that they should beware in ioyning mariage with Amorites and Cananites the indwellers of that prophane Countrie not onely forbidding this kinde of mariage but also shewing the reason why his people should forbeare it least idolatrous wiues should make their husbands also to become idolators least they make thy sonnes goe a whoring after their gods Whereof wee haue a notable example in Salomon whose pitifull fall being so wise a prince to so horrible impietie ought to be admonition sufficient vnto vs to submit our wisedome to the wisedome of the almightie and our desires to his commaundement But had Salomon neuer beene or had his fall beene vnrecorded our owne times may teache vs what fruites haue come of such vngodlie coniunctions Mans nature is corrupt and fraile he runneth headlong into wickednesse but to righteousnesse must be drawen by God and sooner can the euill peruert the good than the good persuade the euill This kinde of mariage therefore seemed so wicked vnto Esdras that hee caused the Israelites after their returne out of captiuitie to put away their strange not women only but wiues which they had taken to themselues in Babylon And shall Christians doe wel in receiuing such into mariage as Iewes being maried vnto did wel to put from them 14 But the common sort of men in making their matches this way haue chiefly two outward vntoward respects regarding nothing in their choise except it be either beautie or monie The sonnes of God of olde bewitched with the beautie of the daughters of men procured the general flood to ouerflowe them all to wash the defiled world Samson tooke one of the daughters of the Philistims to wife because shee pleased his eye but what came of it It cost him a polling wherein stoode his strength and it lost him both his eyes which before were rauished in the beautie of that deceitful woman Others there are yet of a baser note whose only care is to match themselues wealthily Their question is with what monie not with what honestie the parties whom they seeke are endowed whether they bee riche not whether they be godlie what lands they haue on earth not what possessions are laide vp in heauen for them Such as marie for monie as the monie wasteth so their loue weareth neither is there any loue or friendship constant saue onely that which is grounded on constant causes as vertue and godlinesse whereof onely neither time nor man can spoile vs. There was a riche man in Athens which had a daughter to marie and he asked counsell of Themistocles howe to bestowe her shewing him that there was a verie honest man that would gladly haue her but he was poore and there was a riche man which had also desired her but he was not honest Themistocles aunswered that if he were to choose he would preferre monilesse men before masterlesse monie It is true that S. Paul saith Godlinesse is great gaine Whether it bee man or woman that is godlie they be rich and as Salomon saith He that findeth a good wife findeth a good and a pretious thing the value of golde is not to be matched with her In mariage therefore it behooueth vs to be carefull that they whom we choose bee of the houshold of God professing one true religion with vs the disparagement wherein is the cause of all dissension true friendeship being a louing consent as in all things so chiefly in Gods true seruice 15 But this is not ynough For although the parties maried be such as the lawe of the Lorde alloweth to come together yet can it not be saide that they marie in the Lord except they also marie in such sort as the lawe prescribeth For mariage may be as much dishonoured by the one as by the other For orderly entring into the state of matrimonie it is required that they which be vnder the tuition and gouernement of others haue the ful consent of their parents tutors or such as haue rule ouer them to direct and guide them Abraham prouided a wife for his sonne Isaak Isaak sent Iacob into Mesopotamia to his vncle Laban and there commaunded him to take a wife and he did so In the law of Moses children are commanded to honour their parents And what honour is giuen vnto parents if in this chiefe case beeing the weightiest one of them that can happen in all their life their aduise wisedome authoritie and commaundement be contemned The lawe saith If a man finde a maide that is not betrothed and take her and knowe her then the man that knewe her shall giue vnto the father of the virgin fiftie shekels of siluer and she shall be his wife What Although the parents be against it No. For If her father refuse to giue her to him he shall pay the monie and not marie her Againe the lawe saith Whosoeuer voweth a vowe vnto the Lorde or sweareth an oath to binde himselfe by a bond hee shall not breake his promise but shall doe according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth Neuerthelesse if a woman vowe a vowe vnto the Lord and binde her selfe by a bond beeing in her fathers house in the time of her youth and her
father disallowe her the same day that he heareth all her vowes and bonds wherewith shee hath bound her selfe they shall not be of value and the Lord wil forgiue her because her father disallowed her If promises made to GOD without consent of parents are of no effect can promises made to men be effectuall where the parents consent is not had Children saith the Apostle obey your parents in all things In all things and not in this the greatest of all When S. Augustine was required to helpe to make a mariage in the behalfe of a young man the other partie was named hee aunswered I like that matche well Sed mater adolescentulae non adest cuius voluntatem vt nosti requirere debemus but the mother of the young damsel is not present whose good will as you knowe well ynough wee must aske And as the parents or tutors consent is to bee had in all good and lawfull mariages so it is against the duetie of good parents either to keepe their children longer vnmaried than in conuenient or thorough an ouergreat desire of enriching them which is the common disease to marie them against their liking Such mariages seldom or neuer proue wel but are for the most part the cause of great sin much miserie There can be no lawfull coÌ„mendable match where there wanteth full consent and agreement of the parties whom it most concerneth Rebecca was asked whether she would goe with Abrahams seruant and be maried vnto Isaak or no. Her parents did neither keepe her backe from mariage when she was fit for it nor conclude it til her owne minde were knowne Such then as marie not in the feare of God making a religious and a godlie choise hauing the full consent of their parents or tutors doubtlesse God is no author of their mariage it is not he that coupleth and ioyneth them together their estate is base and not honourable in his sight 16 Touching the causes for which God appointed mariage we haue heard that the first is mutuall helpe and comfort For the man is a couer of defence vnto his wife and the woman a piller of rest vnto her husband As a bodie without a heade so is a woman that hath no husbande And As where no hedge is there the possession is spoiled so hee that hath no wife wandereth to and fro mourning This is the iudgement of the wise But the mouths of fooles are alwaies open to aggrauate the incombraunces troubles and sorowes which the maried are woont to sustaine in the flesh neuer remembring the helpes and comfortes which notwithstanding men religiously yoked in the Lord must needes acknowledge far to exceede all those grieuaunces both in number and measure If any find it otherwise â—ith the fault is not in mariage which was instituted for our helpe but in the maried who make it a hinderance to themselues by their owne follie let the men be blamed let the thing be honoured 17 But as in this case it fareth so doeth it also in the next A vertuous sonne is his mothers glorie they that see him count the wombe that bare him blessed Yea though his father die yet is he as if he were not dead because he leaueth one behinde him like him In his life he sawe him and had ioye in him and was not sorie in his death neither was he ashamed before his enemies Thus when our children doe well and prosper mariage is honoured But are they dissolute disobedient Doe they trouble vs as Simeon and Leuie did their father Doe they make vs abhorred amongst the inhabitants of the land By and by wee grudge and thinke vnreuerently in our hearts Behold this is the fruite of mariage So that which giueth honour to the birth of man receiueth dishonour by his lewde behauiour 18 To come to the last The Physitian must be honoured because God created him for necessitie In like sort mariage which God hath giuen as a remedie and not onely as a meane vnto propagation If therefore we neede it and doe not vse it howe doe we honour it S. Paul was so careful in this respect that euen where he giueth the highest commendation to single life there he addeth This I speake for your coÌ„moditie not to tangle you in a snare but that ye follow the thing which is honest And againe Hee that hath decreed in his heart to keepe his virgine doeth well yet so if he stand firme in his heart that he hath no neede but hath power ouer his owne will Otherwise were it not better to vse an honourable remedy than to nourish and increase an incurable sore Let vs take heede howe we feede the flesh in her vnlawful desires For it cannot be in vaine that God should speake so directly and as it were so particularly vnto euerie one that lewdely defileth prophaneth the temple of the holie spirite Perdet te Deus Thee God shall destroie This the enemie knoweth therfore he laboreth so diligently by all meanes to keepe his sore euer festering within it selfe For which cause it is strang to coÌ„sider how he hath dulled the hearts of many by setling a strong perswasion in them that although they frie in the heate of their vile affections yet their outward continencie of bodie is of it selfe meritorious before God their single life of it selfe acceptable and holie What a puddle of vncleannesse what a sinke of filth what ouglie abhominations haue growne in the worlde vnder this pretense to the great displeasure of almightie God The dishonor of mariage the slaunder and shame of Christian profession the inlarging of the kingdome of sinne and darkenesse the sending of soules innumerable downe to hell time will not suffer mee to discourse 19 I will therefore adde somewhat concerning the disgrace which commeth vnto mariage in regard of the duties thereunto belonging and so end The companie and felowship of maried folkes if discreetely louingly and religiously they performe those needefull dueties eche vnto other which God requireth at the handes of both then no doubt their estate is blessed of the Lord and deserueth to be honoured amongst men But if there want discretion in them wee see what contentions strifes and heart-burnings are wont to grow betweehe couples to the great disquieting of their owne mindes inwardly and if thinges doe chaunce to breake out as such flames commonly doe to the discrediting also of their persons openly in the worlde How vnsweete and vnpleasaunt such a life is the wise man sheweth by comparing a troublesome and contentious wife to a continuall dropping as contrariwise If there bee in her tongue gentlenesse meekenesse and wholesome talke then is not her husband like other men 20 Let heartie loue and affection be lacking betweene them and what enemie can deuise so great a torment against them as they exercise continually vpon themselues Doe they not finde that daily whereof Iob
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
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