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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	good_a	lord_n	see_v	4,192	5	3.2926	3	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A02793	Two godlie and learned sermons, preached at Manchester in Lancashire before a great audience, both of honor and vvoorship. The first, containeth a proofe of the subtill practises of dissembling neuters, and politique worldlings. The other, a charge and instruction, for all vnlearned, negligent, and dissolute ministers: and an exhortation to the common people, to seeke their amendment, by prayer, vnto God. By Simon Harward, preacher of the woord of God, and Maister of Arte, late of Newe Colledge in Oxfoord.	Harward, Simon, fl. 1572-1614.	1582 (1582)	STC 12924; ESTC S112568	108,746	262

of God not onely with the inward calling but also with the outward I speake this of the publique office of the Ministerie Gen. 18 1● Iosu 24.15 Isa 38 19. Ephe. 6.4 for otherwise euery Christian is bound priuatly to instruct his brother and especially euery parent houshoulder is bound by the word of God to be a Bishop in his owne family hath charge not onely of the body but also of the soule But in the publique office of the Ministery there is required an other manner of outwarde calling first Hebru 13.17 1. Thes 5.11 to be approoued and allowed by the iudgemēt of the Church especially of those whome the Apostle doothe call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which be ouer the people haue the ouersight of the people therefore Paul wil haue in the Church a Seniory or Eldership which he calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when he saith to Timothy 1. Tim. 4.14 Despise not the g●if● that is in thee which was giuē thee by prophesie with the laying on of hands of the company of the eldership Actes 6.2 whē the Deacons were chosē the twelue called the multitude of Disciples together For the which cause good people ye see how my lord at this time hath done nothing of his own priuate iudgement but hath ioyned with himselfe a Seniory of the Preachers round about you who haue altogether in this church examined these which are now to be admitted for the space of these two or three daies and for that the consēt of the common people is not to be neglected for before the Deacōs were chosen the whole multitude was pleased Actes 6. ● therfore there is none at this time admitted but he is approoued cōmended by the letters of sundry worshipfull and others which are best thought of testifying bothe his good godly conuersation also the good liking which the people haue of him in that place whereunto he is already called And as for the rest if any in those parishes can alledge any cause why any of these are not to be admitted if they will speake they shal be heard if they speake not then their silence is to be taken for a consent especially seeing they haue had knowledge so longe before as this businesse is not now taken in hand of a sodayne but longe before knowne to all the Countrey And héere as in Matrymonie the congregation standing by is déepely charged that If any man can shew any iust cause why the partyes that are to bee marryed maye not lawefullye be ioyned together that hee nowe speake or els for euer heereafter houlde his peace Euen so that I maye as it were aske the Banes betwixte these that are to be made Ministers their charge and office I most earnestly request you all as you will aunswer before the Lord Iesus Christ and as ye tender the Church of God that If any of you can laye any thing to any of their charges or shew any iust cause why they may not be receiued into the office of the Ministerie that he speake now or els for euer heereafter hould his peace from speaking any ill of theyr admission Now after their election ther must follow their ordering which that it may be according to the worde of God there are two things required Luke 6.12 Actes 1.24 6.6 First fasting and prayer and therefore our Sauiour Christe before that he sent foorth his Apostles he went into the Mountaine to praye and spent the night in prayer to God The Apostles in the choosing of Matthias and in the appointing of the Deacons made their prayers vnto God Actes 13.3 14 23. Paul Barnabas were sent foorth with fasting praier And the second thing is Acts. 8 1● 13.2 14.22 the laying on of hands wherby they are as it were seperate from priuate men and sent foorth vnto the worke wherevnto the Lorde hath called them which manner of ordeyning as it is plainely commaunded and appointed by God so is the number vncertaine by whom it must be done for that the Scriptures doo make mention sometymes but of one 2. Tim. 1.6 1. Tim. 5.22 Actes 6.2.6 13.1 1. Tim. 4.14 althoughe no do●bt there were no more adioyned sometimes of the twelue sometimes of certaine Prophets Teachers and somtimes of the Seniorie or eldership which seemeth moste to appertaine to the state of the church now present But héere a question may be mooued how the calling of the first reformers in the Church in this last age can be good seeing they had no imposition of hands but onely of Popish Priestes which are no true Seniorie I aunswer that the manner of calling must be considered according to the visible estate of the Church which is either altogether corrupt or els abiding safe and sound If it be pure then is the ca●ing ordinarie but if it be altogether corrupt thē an extraordinary vocation may haue place euen according as it shall please God to rayse vp his seruaunts and to imploye thē to reforme the Church and to bring her to her olde purity God is not alway bound to ordinary meanes 1. Reg. 18 19. for when the ten Tribes of Israel were altogether corrupted thorow their Idolatries God did extraordinarily raise vp vnto them Elias to reforme them and to endeuor to bring thē vnto the right seruice of God who notwithstanding was not a Priest neither had he in that respect any succession That this generall corruption shall be in the Church in the last age and that God shall rayse vp witnesses to speake against it it is sufficiently shewed in the Apocalips Reuel 11.2.3 Againe I may aunswer that the most part of the first reformers of the Church in this last age had after a sort an ordinary vocation as they count a vocation for they were called by the Priests and by them established and setllin their charges and therefore by consequent had authoritie and right to goe vp into the Pulpit and to teach in the Church as Luther Zwinglius Ecolampadius Bucer and before them Wicliffe and Iohn Hus and so many Bishoppes in England Scotland Denmarke and els where which haue receaued and do preach the Gospell of Christ haue succeeded the Popish Priests in succession of the Chaire and place although in Doctrine they haue onely succeeded our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christ And therefore as we allowe their Baptisme so also their imposition of hands vntill the time came that the Lorde in his mercie tooke away the corruptions of them bothe And thus you see how by the word of God Ministers are to be publiquely ordeyned with laying on of hands and with prayer not with shauing and besmearing with Oyle not with Tapers Basins Towels Chalices singing Cakes Wine and Water Flower Crosses Linens bands not with breathing on them as though it were in mans powre to giue the holy Ghost not with Amicks Albes Sto●les Girdles

of good workes with vncorrupt doctrine with grauitie and integrity and with the wholesome word which cannot be reproued that he which withstood him might be ashamed hauing nothing against him to speake euill of and for this cause there was placed in the breast Plate vpon Aarons heart Vrim and Thummim that is Exod. 28.3 light and perfection to signifie that he should not only haue light in knowledge but also integrity in conuersation for this cause also God giueth the Lawe in Leuiticus that Leuit. 21.7.14 18. the Priest shall in no case take to wife an Whore neither mary any woman that is polluted but that he shall take a Maide to wife and so be holy vnto his God and in the same Chapter he will haue his Priests to haue no blemish in their body neither any mishapen mēbers whereby is foreshadowed and signified the perfectnes which ought to be in their liues and conuersations for otherwise if they preache the worde of God and haue no care to reforme their liues thereafter then are they not gatherers Luk. 11.23 Psal 50.16 but scatterers and God will say vnto them as he saithe by the Prophet Dauid What hast thou to do to declare mine ordinaunces that thou shouldest take my couenant in thy mouthe seeing thou hatest to be reformed and hast cast my words behinde thee When thou seest a Theefe thou runnest with him and hast been partaker with the adulterers thou giuest thy mouthe to speake euill and with thy tongue thou forgest deceipt thou sittest and speakest against thy brother and slaunderest thine owne Mothers sonne and therefore what hast thou to doo to preache my lawes or to take my couenaunt in thy mouthe A Wall hath on either side great squared stones and in the midst small pibbles grauell if one of the great stones which vpholde the building doo slip away then all in the midst will soone clatter after The square stones of the Wall of Gods building are on the one side the Magistrates and on the other side the Ministers if one of these doo fall away then are they guiltie not onely of their owne condemnation but also of the bloud of as many as perish by their fall and euil ensample and therefore we ought all to pray vnto God continually that he will giue vs grace so to reforme our lyues that we may euery one of vs say vnto our flockes as Saint Paul said vnto the Phillipians Brethren Phil. 3.17 be ye followers of men and looke on them which walke so euen as ye haue vs for an ensample for many walke of whom I haue tolde you often and now I tell you weeping that they are enemies of the crosse of Christ assuring our selues that although we talke neuer so much yet vnlesse with our talking we ioyne walking and so by our liues and conuersations giue ensample to our flocks we are nothing but enemies of the crosse of Christ we cause the Gospell of Christ to be euill spoken of we drawe from Christ bothe our selues and others and throwe bothe them and vs into the pitte of perdition and then are we like vnto that Idiot which standing on the Sea shore and seeing straungers passing by dooth crie aloude vnto them away away the tide is at hande The Trauaylers looking backe and seeing the Foole to stand still they begin to say amongst themselues Surely the man dooth but iest if this were the time of the tide he would surely pack away himselfe we neede not to make any such haste but by and by the Tide commeth indeede and ouerwhelmeth bothe the negligent foole and the carelesse Horesemen Euen so if we say vnto the people The Tide commeth doo this or thou canst neuer be saued doo this or els thou art damned for euer and in the meane time stirre no foote our selues the common people séeing our carelesse negligence they straight way murmure amongst themselues If these heauie iudgements of God were true they would amend them selues and thereupon they beginne to be carelesse also and so in the end bothe are ouerwhelmed Apoc. 21.8 Isa 30.33 not with the waues of the Sea but with the Lake burning with fier and Brimstone which is the seconde death and with Tophet the burning whereof is fier and much woode and the breath of the Lord like a Riuer of Brimstone dooth kindle it Then dearely belooued If we teach well and liue wel Chris in Math. 23. we are become Iudges of all men but if we teache well and liue ill we are become condemners Rom. 2.1 bothe of our selues and others for by teaching well and liuing well we teach other men how they shall liue but by teaching well and liuing ill we teach God how he shall condemne vs and therefore let euery one of vs endeuour to follow not the ensample of the Pharisies which binde heauy burthens Math. 23.4 and laye them vpon other mens shoulders but they them selues will not so much as put too one of their least fingers but the ensample of the holy Apostle Saint Paule 1. Cor. 9.27 to beate downe our bodies to bring them into subiectiō least by any meanes after we haue preached vnto to others we our selues become reprobates 1. Pet. 5.3.4 that we may be ensamples to the flocke as Peter saith that when the chiefe Sheepeheard shall appeare we may receiue the incorruptible crowne of glory which Christ Iesus hath prepared for them which loue him I speake not this good brethren to accuse any man nor yet to excuse my selfe the Lorde is my witnesse For I acknowledge my selfe aboue all others to be a most miserable and wretched sinner the Lord be merciful vnto me and to vs all and giue vs all grace héereafter so to a mend our liues that by our euill ensample none be compelled to start back from the Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ But howsoeuer we of the Ministerie are not able fully to expresse our doctrine in our liues and conuersations as we are not Angels but men and therefore béeing flesh and bloud may fall and doo fall and haue sundrie imperfections yet good people this ought to be no cause why ye should challenge vnto your selues any more liberty to wallow in sinne and wickednesse For although the Minister were most wilfully bent to worke all vncleanesse euen with greedines yet if he sit in Moyses Chayre Math. 23.3 Chris in Math. 23. if he be called to be your Pastor ye must follow the exhortation of Christ himselfe to obserue whatsoeuer by Gods worde they commaund you but not to doo after their workes For as Chrisostome saythe vpon that place Si bene vixerent c. If they shall lyue well it is their owne gaine if they shall teach well it is your gaine then take ye yours and doo not curiouslye meddle with that which appertaineth vnto others The Earth is vile the Gould is precious wil any man despise the precious gould because the earth

Cittie and place where hee himselfe should come it appeareth that our Sauiour dyd not shew himselfe like these corner créepers 2. Tim. 3.6 these Howletes Night Birdes whiche doo créepe into Houses and lead captiues Women laden with sinnes but he would haue hys commyng to be openlye knowne to all the Countrie Omnis qui peruerse agit odit lucem Euerie one that doth euil hateth the light neither commeth he to the light least his déedes should be reproued but he which dealeth trulye commeth into the light Vt manifesta fiant facta ipsius quod secundum Deum fiant That his deedes might be made manifest that they are wrought according vnto God And therefore if there were nothinge els to cōdemne these popish shauelings which beinge disguised doo créepe about from place to place to perswade the people to withdrawe their obedience from their natural Soueraigne to whom it is due and to giue it to a forraine Prelate a Priest of Rome this one thinge were sufficient to bewray them and to discredit their cause for that they are ashamed to shew their faces and doo vse such harde shiftes such subtill practises and sleightie deuises to kéepe them selues close that thei may not be called to their answer whereas most certenly Trueth seeketh no corners as héere you see how our sauiour Christ dooth send his seuentie Disciples as it were forerunners to make proclamation of him in euery Cittie and place where hee himselfe should come whiche though it were perillous for according to the wordes of our Sauiour in the thirde verse It was nothing els but to sende Lambes among wolues Luk. 10.3 yet was there more respect to be had of the trueth then of any daunger of death what so euer When our Sauiour hath thus sent foorth his seauentie Disciples before him into euery Citie and place where hee him selfe should come he beginneth now their charge in these wordes whiche I haue reade vnto you The Haruest is great and the Labourers are but few pray therfore the Lord of the Haruest to sende Labourers into his Haruest whiche peece of Scripture might fitly bee deuided in two partes the first is An exhortation to prayer that we pray to the Lorde of the Haruest to send foorth Labourers into his Haruest The seconde contayneth The reasons of the Exhortation whiche are two first because the Haruest is great and secondly because the Labourers are but few But I think it best at this time not to inuert the words of our Sauiour but to intreate vpon them orderlye as they lay in the text First of the greatnes of the Haruest Secondly of the small number of the Labourers Thirdly of the meanes wherby that small number shall be encreased if we perfourmed our dutie to praye vnto the Lorde of the Haruest to sende foorth Labourers into his Haruest Firste our Sauiour Christe telleth them that the Haruest is great whereby hée signifyeth the number of the faithfull which hunger and thirst after righteousnesse and haue an earnest desire to heare to receaue and to imbrace the heauenly treasure of his most holye and blessed word And thus doth our Sauiour oft name the Congregation of his faithful people by the name of Haruest Ioh. 4.35 when he saw the Samaritanes commyng to him out of Sichem he sayd behould lift vp your eies looke on the Regions for they are white already vnto the Haruest Math. 9.37 And in the Gospell after Saint Mathew he sayth Surely the Haruest is great c. where he dooth vse the selfe same wordes which he dooth in this place although to another purpose For there he hath especially respect vnto the people on whom he had compassion when he saw them dispersed and scattered abrode as it were Shéepe hauing no Shéepheard and therefore he sayde Surelie the Haruest is great but the labourers are but few pray c. But héere he hath respect not so much vnto the flock as vnto the Disciples themselues that although they sawe but few among the Iewes which fauoured his doctrine and therefore might hardly conceaue any hope of dooing any good yet they should not dispaire For the Haruest was great howsoeuer in their iudgemēt the nūber of the faithfull was but small Rom. 11.2 yet they should not be discouraged For the Haruest was great Elias being in a Caue in the Mount Horeb 1. Re. 19.10.18 was in a māner discouraged when he saw all the Prophets of God slaine his Altars broken downe and he left alone whose life they sought also But the Lord appeared vnto him and comforted him saying Rom. 11.4 I haue reserued vnto my selfe in Israell 7000. men which haue neuer bowed their knees to Baal nor kissed him with their mouthes Here then we that are Ministers are to learne not to be dismayed although we sée but small fruite of our labours but to go on forwarde diligently and painefully in the worke of the Lorde knowing that the Haruest may be greater then we do imagine although in our iudgement ther be few or none which returne vnto repentaunce yet there may be seauen thousand in the sight of God therfore although we may say with Peter I haue trauailed all night Luke 5.5 and haue taken nothing yet we must remēber that we say also Neuerthelesse at thy cōmaundemēt O Lord I will still let downe the Net Semper tibi pendeat hamus In quo non credis gurgite piscis erit The Church is called an Haruest and therefore we must not looke that it should increase and growe to perfection all at once but by little and little and that with much a doo for as the seede is first cast into the ground then couered with cloddes afterward kept vnder with Frost and Snowe and when it is growen vp it is parched with heate almost choaked with briars and weedes and beaten downe with stormes and tempests at the last with much labour it is brought into the Barnes Euen so the Séede of Gods worde when it is sowen in the hearts of men it is longe before it take any déepe roote and hardly dooth the fruit appeare and when it is spronge vp it is parched with the heate of many troubles and miseries it is almost choaked with the briers brambles of voluptuous liuing and the thornie cares of this world it is beaten downe with the stormes tempests of sundry temptations at the last with much a doo it dooth make vs fit to be receaued into the Barnes of euerlasting ioyes then onely is the Haruest perfectly purged for so lōg as we remain heer in this vale of misery we must looke for nothing els but to haue the tares mingled with the wheate the chaffe with the graine the wicked with the good the goates with the shéepe therefore the church is cōpared to a family or household which conteineth not only sons but slaues also Rom. 9.21 2. Tim. 2.20 not all vessels to