more except you would haue vs sée all and say nothing And though héere I shall say nothyng but that that hath bin sayd yet that is no shame to me But I woulde fayne knowe of all that hath bin sayde what hathe bin done whiche is or may bée a great shame for you Desperate were the dayes of Ieremye wherein superstition and sinne as two scorpions were growen so ranke that high time it was for the very safegard of Gods remnant that the sounde of vengeance the exclamations of wee and terrible threatnings of God shuld be giuen out to terrifye and staye aâ— many as he had appointed to repente And oure age being in no better case but well worse hath extreame néede of eiulation and exclamation of the like woes and curses to stoppe and it maye be the intollerable abuses of our time to turne and it be possible our stubborne and stony hartes at length vnto the Lord. It is lamentable my brethren that the husbandmans corne can fynde no good ground but the enimies tares not sowne but shed and scattered doe yet take roote prosper and preuayle to the vtter choking and smothering of the Lords haruest But as where the word is not preached there the people perish So where it is plentifully deliuered and the people wilfully negligeÌ„t there is déepe damnation and vtter distruction shortly to be loked for Our Sauiour truly sayd the Haruest is greate and the labourers are fewe let vs follow his couÌ„sel therfore pray the Lorde of the haruest to sende in more paynefull and faithfull labourers leaste the Bore of the woodde doe roote vppe the vyne leaste the cockle doe ouergrowe the corne leaste the Diuell make hauocke of altogither And in this prayer let vs commende vnto him his vniuersall Church and specially England and Irelande and herein particularlye our most gracious soueraigne Queene Elizabeth and all hir moste honourable Counsellers the whole ministerie and euerye priuate member of his body praying for the reste that in his good time they may be plaÌ„ted in or else supplanted out that if they wil neuer bee good that they may yet neuer do harme vnto Israel which is of god Amen Wo to that abhominable filthie and cruell Citie she heard not the voice she receiued not correction shee trusted not in the Lord she drew not neere vnto hir God hir Rulers within hir are as Roring Lions hir Iudges are as Wolues in the euening c. THis Texte maye well be deuided into foure partes as it lyeth and séeing the words themselues doe leade me to so good an order I will contente my selfe and not séeke to be wyser than the holy Ghost The firste and principall parte is a gréeuous accusation of the whole state of Ierusalem both for life and religion Secondlye an enumeration of the particular causes thereof Thirdly a reprehension of the persons but especially of Magistrates and Ministers And fourthly a denouncing of woes and plagues against theÌ„ For the firste it is wonderfull to sée that nothing will doe the wicked anye good And agayne there is nothing can doe the godly any harme All the woes in the world will not make the wilfull once to beware but to the faithfull seruaunte of God one worde is ynough When the Lyon roreth who quaketh not and when God threatneth who is not afrayde Wide open were all the Prophets mouthes and euery one cryed woe but words are but winde and will not preuayle with the wicked who are sworne to sinne and solde ouer to worke wickednesse without measure And Gods owne children sometymes are taken tardy too and threatninges are in vayne euen to theÌ„ But as where wordes will take no place there blowes must be put in proof So where one nor other can doe anye good at all there remaynes nothing but a horrible expectation of destruction Neuerthelesse the verye reprobate and cursed wretch should quake at Gods checke who though he haue no holde nor hope of Eternall life for lacke of faith yet to auoyde the verye bodily plagues and miseries of this mortall life shoulde tremble and shake at his irefull and fearefull Iudgements Gods threatnings haue a twâ—folde operation and effect the one in the chosen and it toucheth them verye néere and turneth their hearts and humbleth them in all their soule as Niniuie may be a liuely example the other in the wicked and they are made more obstinate froward and hard at the hearte and thereby more inexcusable as the example of Pharao in Egipt doth testifie It is and hathe bin euer a mercifull manner of our God to speake before he strike and he is not by by at a worde and a blowe neither but giueth time and space for repentance but and hys patience be wounded once then hys wrath kindleth as the coale and flameth as the fire and no man is able to abide the rage therof Flintie and peruerse were this people and this Prophet preuayled not amongst them hée was one of the last that preached to them before their captiuitie into Babylon Yet I trust better of you and pray better for you and am perswaded that you will doe those things that wée warne you of though we thus speake as Saint Paule saide of the ThessaloniaÌ„s 2. Eph. 13. Cap. Let this driue you somewhat more néere your selfe that God will not be mocked and when hée accuseth it is but lost labour to excuse and as his word endureth for euer and euerye iotte thereof is perfecte to bée performed so these woes being a parte of his word can not returne in vayne thy Prophete yet be perused and read Ieremies bookes as it seemeth and fouÌ„d out the Prophecie of the peoples captiuitie .70 years which he calles wâ—â—â—s that so long Iuda shoulde lye by it and that for theyr transgression And the Angell Gabriel reuealed to him afterward that the Lord in mercy would yet restore them seuen fold again that is .70 times seuen which amouÌ„teth or multiplieth in accoumpt to 490. yeres and then this Messias should come Ieremy here speaketh indefinitelye and sayth the time commeth where the present tyme is put for the future as I take it not to expresse the shortnesse but the assuraunce of the tyme when Christe shoulde come The Wyse man sayth all thinges haue a time and it is a high poynt of wisdome to knowe the tyme of all thinges but to knowe this tyme of all tymes is wisdome of all wisdomes The Prophetes foreshewed it to the Iewes but yet he was chieflie receyued of the Gentiles for he came to his owne his owne knew him not I pray God for the second triumphant kingly coÌ„ming it fall not out so that to whoÌ„ he is most preached they be least prepared How long was it I pray you that Israel longed to come out of Egipts bondage and how loÌ„g loked Iuda to be deliuered froÌ„ Babilons captiuity But for the great fréedom indéed from the perpetual euerlasting
CONFIDITE EGO VICI MVNDVM IO. XVI A SERmoÌ„ Preached at Pawles Crosse on Sunday the thirde of Nouember 1577. in the time of the Plague by T. W. Imprinted at London by Francis Coldock 1578. In the name of God Amen IT HATH bin an olde prouerbe of proofe right honorable dearly beloued c. Veritas odium parit That Flatterie bréedeth frendship Truthe briÌ„ngeth hatred and therefore it hathe wanted no maner of practise bycause it is of so good experience both in Courte and Countrey and I woulde to God not in the Churche it selfe Neuerthelesse as the true minister of God ought to kéepe himselfe vnspotted and vndefiled from all offences so especially must he be frée from the great contagion of so foule a faulte alwayes regestring and remembring that goldeÌ„ sentence worthy an Apostle If I were a maÌ„pleaser I were not the seruaunt of God. And that none can serue two maisters our maister himselfe hath taught vs playne ynough in the Gospel that God and Man or Mammon that God and Baâ—l or Belyall can at no hand be serued togither for God must be serued alone so that Peters saying is fyrme and out of questioÌ„ true that wheÌ„ both caÌ„not be serued togither it is better to obey GOD than Man the reason for conclusioÌ„ is very great For it is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of God a more perilous lapse by oddes to come into his fingers who can deale with body soule cast both into Hel than into the danger of maÌ„ be he Prince or Tirant whatsoeuer who caÌ„ but prison or persecute the body only but must let the soule alone Wherfore it is mete that we being rauished of al outward respectes setting before our eyes the feare of God only shuld wholly employ our selues vnfaynedly to please him to speake those things chiefly whiche shal be most acceptable vnto him for loke how the doctrine of the Prophets Apostles doeth concerne you so the coÌ„mandemeÌ„t of god to theÌ„ reacheth vnto vs though they wer al dead gone long agoe yet God is aliue stil his word endureth for euer as there is no other doctrine for you so is thereno new coÌ„mandemeÌ„t for vs Loke what authoritie they had theÌ„ the same haue we now though not in the same sort nor afterthe same measure of giftes yet al of the same grace and spirit as you may read Ephes. 4. He gaue some Apostles some Prophets some EuaÌ„gelistes some Pastors c. Al the prophets hadde not like giftes nor all the Apostles equalitie of graces yet hee that had least was a Prophet or an Apostle as wel as he that had moste bycause of the same spirite or else shoulde ther be Magis Minus in our ministers Now bycause their giftes be diuerse some more some lesse according to the proportioÌ„ and measure of Gods spirit thereafter is oure portion and yet all that are lawfullye called and orderly qualifyed are the vndoubted Ministers of the Lorde and howsoeuer you wyll answere the contrarye it is as truely sayd of a Pastor now as it was euer of any Prophet or Apostle theÌ„ He that receiueth you receiueth me the contrary He that refuseth you refuseth me Wherefore how base and simple so euer we séeme we are the ambassadours seruants of god Two principall notes doe arise by due consideration of this that I haue sayde Firste that againste flattering falsehode we vse faithful flatnesse Secondly that contrary to childishnesse folly we shewe wisedome and discretion and these beeing ioyned together are the moste necessariest of all the number of graces whiche concerne a Steward without the which he shall doe his maister but simple small and very slender seruice Wherefore séeyng one Christe is the soule substance of all Scriptures the only marke of both Prophets and Apostles and the onely matter of all their doctrine as Paule curseth all aftercommers that shall Preach any other Gospell yea though he be an Angell so he pardoneth no predecessor that hath broched any other doctrine though he were a Prophete Let vs then with Trustinesse the first note ioine Wisedome the secoÌ„d also as two legges to goe withal or handes to labour in the haruest of the Lorde I am not héere to giue out anye rules or to prescribe preceptes of wisedome for I am not so skilfull to teach that way I had more néede learne a great deale Neither is it my purpose to reprehende anye of my bréethren for I knowe no such cause and if there were yet as this place is vnméetest of any so is my person vnfyttest of all only this I saye at a venture I would we were al as wise as I hope we are faithfull and howsoeeuer we excuse our selues before God we can not iustly be accused among men no not the carping enimie himselfe who commeth for the same nonce can conuince vs the contrary but that wée kéepe touch with the veritie written speake wisedome not of maÌ„ nor Apollos Oracles nor inuentions and fables of mans brayne but the infallible truth of the holye Ghost Wisedome is to deuide cut the word kindly to breake this bread skilfully to giue euery man his portioÌ„ as a good disposer to the godly counsaile his part to the weake comforte his to the wicked correction hys to the obstinate condemnation his for so the word is profitable and the word is plentiful euen for euery sore a salue And howsoeuer I shall deale in diuiding I am sure I am well ynough for the choosing of my texte for while I thought to fytte a plaister for the féete I saw the head diseased and finding the whole body in the same pickle I knew not what to doe full fayne I woulde haue deliuered anye péece of scripture rather thaÌ„ this but I could not so ridde my handes of it till it hadde passed my mouth turne whether I would and euery place was lyke vnto it and plentifully expounding it so that whylest I soughte a texte I founde a Sermon A Sermon of the Prophete Sophonye to Israell I praye GOD make it a profitable Sermon to London Amen Giue me leaue therfore to be plaine I praye you for I professe no other thyng and if I could otherwise yet of purpose I would deceiue all such curious commers as neyther hunger nor thirst after righteousnesse but with itching eares delighte themselues wyth straÌ„ge things which are forespokeÌ„ of in the .2 Tim. 4. And it shall be a good note for me now and for al my bréethren for euer héereafter that are planted in thys Citie to be knowen by this marke of playne speaking not that familiaritie in you hathe bredde contempte in vs for there is no suche cause but that your contempte of God shoulde bréede boldnes in vs which are his ministers and there is such a commaundemente and therfore as we sée more than other so are we bound to say
it as we doe But as the good Phisition to heale the body doth minister many things agaynst the minde so muche more shoulde we to heale the soule deale playne agaynst the body especially séeing that Quo grauior est causa eo intentior esset cura The cause béeing greter there shuld be better care I pray you sée how he calles the best Beastes héere what are the rest then iudge you and not only vnder Manasses but also vnder Iosias a good king were naughtie Rulers to be found And héere are names of purpose méete for them whatsoeuer other titles they take to them selues As a roring Lion and a hungry Beare so is a wicked Magistrate ouer tho poore people sayth the wise king The prouerb of a slouthful slouen is written in the .22 of the Prouerbs that euer when he should doe any good there is a Lion in the stréete But and it be true in déede that a Lion sittes in iudgement to deuoure whom he shoulde defende then equitie shall haue a colde suite and therfore among many other things it was wisely sayd of Salomon There the common welth doth flourish where the good do beare rule but where the wicked strike the stroke there the godly hide their heades We haue a most mercyfull and gracious prince Elizabeth God in mercy long preserue and keepe hir Amen She is a Lambe and no Lion and where she giues the Lion it is to be wished that in this sense she had many Lions I meane men of courage and valour But as she hath hands ynowe so I pray God she haue many harts and then we shall doe well ynough Héere is the picture of Ierusalem a monstrous body a roring Lions head a rauening Wolues throte a Camels neck a Cormerants hart neuer an eye but starke blinde not a right hande or foote but talants like the Diuell so that you might rightly borrowe the Poets verse to say Monstrum horrendum informe ingens cui lumen ademptum And all this is for the crueltie in the Princes the couetousnesse in the Priestes and corruption in the people Suche a foule body was it that frō top to toe there was no whole part from the head to the héele no sound place for from highest to lowest they were all set on couetousnesse And héere I could wishe one property yet of a Lion in all our Rulers They saye the Lion quaketh at the crowing of a Cocke So I pray God that the threatnings of the worde may worke with them and quayle them that the spirite of Elias doubled vpon Elizeus maye bee raysed in Iohn and that suche men may be founde out as méetest messangers for them whiche goe not about the bushe neither are blaunchers but as playne as a packe staffe whiche put them in remembraunce what they are that as the Lyon though he be the King of beastes yet at length is made a pray to small birds and then is that saying veryfied Better is a liue Dogge than a dead Lion. So they although they be greate in authoritie yet at the last they are but a bayte for the small wormes And her Iudges are as Wolues in the euening I wil not stand on the curious distinctiō of these degrées but only shew you some difference of the beasts to whom he resembles thē A Liō prayeth in the day a Wolfe in the night a Lyon catcheth stoute beastes a Wolfe killeth Lambes a Lion takes no lambes as an Eagle takes no flies A quila non capit Muscas If a beast humble himselfe to a Lion he is the lesse cruell but do it to a Wolfe and hee is the more fierce A Wolfe hath a more rauenous nature for though he bee ful of spoyle yet he takes pleasure in the bloud for he thrustes his snoute into the bowels of a lambe rooting and noufling for the hart and therefore in scriptures the enimies of the Church are often called Wolues and for no vnlike qualitie are wicked Iudges here resembled to them Whatsoeuer is rightly done of the magistrate may be sayde to be done of god himself I haue said you are gods Take héede therfore what you do sayd Iosaphat a good captaine when he ordayned Iudges for you execute not the iudgments of men but of God and ther is no vnrighteousnesse with him Sit not with his authoritie then to practise your owne crueltie if you do you haue lost your warrant and it is of your self you are no magistrate but a Wolfe and the widow crie and the fatherlesse wéepe for his ryght the lambe is fallen into the Wolues iawes But the bloud shal crie for vengeāce and neuer cease and reuenge shal be redy neuer sleep for hee that made him shall heare hym Now as that Iudges case is cléere that iudgeth thousands in truth and equity so is his moste grieuous that condemneth but one vniustlye Remember the righteous God that hath no respect of persons but is a iust Iudge remember that Potentes potenter punientur the mightie shal be mightily punished and mercy is graunted to the lower sort but the magistrate shall haue a sore triall Wyl you knowe who hath set you in youre seate that same God that raised iudges vnto Israel 2. Iudg. Uerse 16. Wil you know to what end it is to do away euil from among his people and to iudge thē with iust iudgement Put to your helping hand then in the name of God and let two scales fal from al your eyes that haue to deale in iustice the one is couetousnesse that you may sée right the other is cruelty that you shew no wrōg and as much as you can by clemencye pittie and mercy auoyde the name of Wolues But against the wicked be Lions and spare not as Iethro counselled his son in law Moses to picke out men of courage men that feared God and hated couetousnesse to gouern the people You had néede of stomack and courage and to be Liōs some times for you shal méete wyth diuels else now thē Here is suche cutting and flashing as if men were Oxen and not Christians I thinke the sworde you cary should be able to commaund vppe euery sworde into his sheath or if they cannot rule theyr handes I am sure you haue authoritye for theyr legges I reade in the 4. of Genesis that hee that killed Caine a murtherer should bee punyshed seauen folde I am sorie it is made so light a matter in our time I speake not vnto you to make new lawes I knowe you cannot but to execute olde lawes to bee more exquisite on the tryall of him that hath cutte a throte than of hym that hath cut a purse Oh Lord that a murtherer shoulde finde any one friende in a Christian common weale but of nobles of Iudges of magistrates it were to intollerable a poore théefe packes to Tyborne but a manne kyller a murtherer can shyfte hys legges oute of the shackle and
their dealings There is nothing prouoketh god more thā when with a cloke or colour of religiō his people shall wallow in sin or superstitiō Read the 50. Psal. Unto the vngodly man sayde God why doest thou preach my lawes takest my couenant in thy mouth wheras thou hatest to be reformed hast cast my wordes behind thée So be you well assured that it is not inough to haue a gospel in our mouths but we must expresse the truth therof in our liues it is not inough to haue a name of a Christian but to be founde a Christiā in déede Many haue a shew of godlinesse saith S. Paul but they haue denied the power thereof If nature helped not Abrahams owne children but bycause they lacked Abrahās workes they are called Deuils sonnes Iohn 8. alas what shall a naked name without vertue a bare tytle without veritie profite vs at all Doth not Christe foretell of such in the day of iudgemēt who haue done manye thinges in his name and yet when all is done he knoweth them not Math. 7. Surely the blinde charitie of Papistes dothe laye sore to the lame and halting faythe of Christians Our knowledge shall but helpe vs to Hell if we do not that wée know for the seruaunte that knoweth his maisters will and doth it not must looke for many stripes and to whome more is giuen more is to be required We haue receyued plentifully but if we yéelde barrenly Christe cursed a figtrée surely he will not spare thée The Author to the Heb. 6. sheweth that the grounde that drinketh in the deaw or receyueth the rayne falling oft vpon it and yéeldeth fruite is blessed but the barraine and vnfruitefull is to be cursed and burned The Are is at the roote of euerye trée and iudgement is not farre by his fruit shall euery mā be knowen no fruite aswell as naughty fruite is both for the flame It was abhominable before God for Israel to sweare the Lord liueth yet to deceyue Ier. 5. to fast and yet to do no lesse violence to wash and yet to be vncleane to sacrifice and yet to sinne to kéepe Sabbothes yet to tumble in al sensualitie For swearing it was neuer so cōmon custome maketh it nothing in these dayes in euery place in euerye person the magnificēt name of God who is glorious great fearefull is tossed to fro as a tennis ball that for very trifles The Iewes yet whē they heard blasphemy woulde rend theyr clothes It woulde gréeue a Christian hart to heare at euery word an othe at euerye lye an oth bying selling is not without lying and swearing but if the mouth that lieth slayeth the soule Wisd. 1. what déepe damnatiō euen in the nethermost hel remaines for the periured person There would be some exquisit punishment for such helhoundes séeing God wil not hold them giltlesse lette al Magistrates that feare God condemne thē to some paine for they are past shame And bycause I spake of Sabbothes knowe you that euery day is a Christian Sabboth yet one amōgst the rest was specially cōmanded to the Iewes and commended vnto vs both to reste oure bodyes our beasts but the chiefe end was for Israel to go to the Sanctuarie for vs to come to the house of prayer The ceremonie of the seuenth day is not muche amisse and that the number of .7 signifieth perfectiō you may oftē reade in scriptures especially in the Reuelatiō Of churches stars spirits trūpets seales Angels and al appeared by seauen as a most absolute perfect nūber multiplyed in it self albeit this is somwhat mistical yet no harme followeth if we say God rested the vij day to shew vnto vs the perfectiō of his workes laboured .vi. days to giue vs an exāple of vocation It may be not one of the least causes that God ceassed the seauenth day to beholde the excellencye of his creatures and though he séeth them alwayes from whose eyes nothing can be hidde yet to take delight in their assemblings singing of hymnes in their praying vnto hym and praysing hys name in their reading and hearing his word And if he looke downe on oure Sabbothes what shall he finde I pray you euery daye euill and the Sabboth worst Redéeme the time for the dayes are euill If the Apostle saide so then what woulde he say if he liued nowe when the Lord can not haue a péece of a daye no scarce of the Sabboth day which he hathe so charged to be kepte and straightly commaunded to be obserued But it was to the Iewes you will say it is true indéede for those solemne and ceremoniall assemblies sacrifices and feasts but otherwise there hath bin euer in the primatiue Church and from the Apostles some obseruation of one day among the rest and for speciall consideration albeit the whole life of Gods chosen is a perpetuall sabboth and euery day sanctifyed and euerye houre holy vnto them Assuredly we come nothing néere the Iewes in this pointe for on oure Sabbothes all manner of games and playes bankettings and surfettings are very rife If anye manne haue anye businesse in the world Sonday is counted an idle daye If he haue none then it is bestowed in other pleasure Trahit sua quenque voluptas Euery man followeth his owne fansie And the wealthyest Citizens haue houses for the nonce they that haue none make shift with Alehouses Tauernes and Innes some rowyng on the water some rouing in the field some idle at home some worse occupyed thus what you gette euelly all the wéeke is worst spente on the Sabboth day according to the Prouerbe Il gotten ill spent blame not your seruantes if they follow your example for youre prodigalitie makes them vnthriftie But what accompt how answer you is this the Lordes daye or no if it be howe intollerable nay howe accursed moste condemnable are these outragious Bachanalia Lupanaria I can not tell what to call them such as Heathē menne were euer ashamed of I am sure and therfore practised better maters although prophane exercises but ours sauors so of Venus Court and Bacchus kitchin that it may rightly be entituled an abhominable and filthy Citie and withoute doubte London shall iustifie hir elder sister Hierusalem if in time she turne not to the Lorde I saye nothing of diuers other abuses whych do carrie away thousands and drowne them in the pernicious vanities of the worlde Looke but vppon the common playes in London and sée the multitude that flocketh to them and followeth them beholde the sumptuous Theatre housee a continuall monument of Lōdons prodigalitie and folly But I vnderstande they are nowe forbidden bycause of the plague I like the pollicye well if it holde still for a disease is but bodged or patched vp that is not cured in the cause and the cause of plagues is sinne if you looke to it well and the cause of sinne are playes