his word is heauy in vs through our heauines Orig. sheweth how dangerous y e state of theÌ„ is where the Gospel is not preached Such a Church can not stand before the abominatioÌ„ of desolation stedfast or without danger of seducing And therfore Christ compareth his church to the weakest things that be Sometimes hee calleth it a vine which vnies it euermore be propte and borne vp looked vnto pruned of it selfe is not able to stande but falleth to the ground groweth wilde Sometimes he likeneth it to a flocke of sheepe which without attendance is ready to take infinite maladies Sometime to a shippe which if it be not wel prouided on euery side if it be destitute of light of sunne starres is in daunger of the rocke and windes surges of the sea Sometimes to the moone which hath no light but from the sunne What needeth more proofe in a matter being of it selfe so cleere Christ himselfe Daniel Peter and Paul gaue vs warning that this confusion should come to passe in y e church of God We see with our eyes how farre we are straâ—ed from the original We see what darknesse and blindnesse hath beene euen in them that shoulde haue ruled the sterne Good men haue had their eyes opened and haue poynted to vs that the pâ—lâ—te of the shippe a long time hath beene Antichrist The auncient and olde Doctours in their time foresawe that this great captiuitye and confusion was comming euen vpon them Our fathers of later yeeres though our Aduersaries and Patrones of the contrary cause yea the Bishopyes of Rome and their chiefe pillars doe coufesse that the patterne and original hath not beene kept Discipline whiche is the greatest bond of the church hath beene broken I pray God it may now bee restored The Sacraments that Christ left for our most comfort haue byn miserably mangled and defaced Our prayers haue been without spirite and veritye and so abused that indeede they were no prayers What greater proofes or authorities doe we looke for Now then can there bee anye man so wilfull that will say there hath been no disorder in the churche or that Christ himselfe and his Apostles if they were aliue coulde rule the church in no better sort then it hath beene and is by the Pope and his Cardinals But me thinke I heare some say The church cannot bee so forsaken it is the house and temple of God it is the spouse of Christe Christ made her a sure promise that he woulde neuer forsake her Ero vobiscum vsque ad consummationem soeculi I will bee with you to the end of the worlde All this is true yet is it not true that euery particular churche of the worlde shal be established for euer For was not this temple that Salomon built the temple of God yet was it ouer throwen and burnt down to the grounde by y â— Chaldees Iupiters image was set vp in it by Antiochus It was afterward ouerthrowen by the Emperour Titus yet was it the temple of God Gods house is a house of prayer yet Christ saith Vos fecistis speluncam latronum You haue made it a denne of theeues The Lord made choise of his Uine he loued it it was a chosen heritage yet Ieremie saith Many pastours haue destroyed my Vineyard troden my portion vnder foote of my chosen place they haue made a desolate wildernes Hierusalem was called the holy city yet is shee charged that shee hath played the harlot and done shamefully The Iewes called themselues the people of God but Christe calleth them the Synagogue of Satan The Church of God is called the holy place yet Christ saith the abhomination of desolation and S. Paule saieth the man of sinne shal stand in the holy place If we beleeue Christ and his Apostles that forewarned vs hereof if we beleeue the old doctours if we beleeue the writers of later yeeres if we beleeue such as God hath stirred vp in our time to reuiue his Gospel if we beleeue our aduersaries if we beleeue our owne senses anâ— experience let vs confesse that the Church hath byn defaced with abuses let vs giue God thaÌ„ks that of his great mercies hath restored it and lee vs euery man endeuour to reediffe it God had mollified the Kings hearte to bee gracious towards them he had deliuered them he had restored them home to their countrie hee gaue them Prophetes to call vppon them and a godly Prince to rule ouer them but the people cried out The time is not yet come that the Lordes house shoulde be buylded Here must I touche the causes that withholde men from the buylding vp of Gods Temple not al that may be reckoned For that wold require more time but onely the chiefest that shall come to hand The first seemed to be dispaire of the cause For they sawe it was a long trauayle from Babylon to Hierusalem They had beene spoiled of all they had and were poore and the greatest part euen of their owne people forsooke them and would not returne home with them Theyr enemies were strong and laughed them to scorne and hindered their buildinges Others charged them with sedition and sayde if these men may once recouer their city they will paye no more tribute they will be no longer in subiection and this matter at length shall redound to the kings dammage Looke in your Chronicles and you shal find that the Iewes haue euer byn traytours Euen so when the man of God Luther was raysed vp by God to reforme the church a friend of his said vnto him O father Luther you shal neuer be able to preuayle the Pope princes and al the world are against you The matter is past recouery goe into your study say Deus miscreatur nostri EueÌ„ so wheÌ„soeuer it pleaseth God to build vp the walles of his teÌ„ple he chooseth out such y â— for their owne infirmities for the force strength of their enimies they might be discouraged and despaire Euen now that it hath pleased God to restore his gospel they that are of the contrary part crie out These men be rebels they woulde haue no magistrate they would haue al things in common Behold what they haue done in Heluetia beholde what they haue done in Germanie Looke out your Chronicles you shal finde that al the vproares and seditions which haue been these forty yeeres haue byn stirred vp by some of them But all this discouraged not the good Prince Zorobabel hee armed himselfe with Gods promise against all impossibilities and so called the people to the huylding of the temple And therefore GOD prospered him and moued the king Darius hearte to make proclamation that whosoeuer would withstand Zoroâ—abel in his doinges tymber shoulde bee taken out of his owne house and a gallowes made and he thereon hanged without redemption Euen so that man of GOD despayred not though hee same all the worlde against him but gaue the glory
and the like murtherers But the Godly when they see any disorder they doe nothing like the other they mourne in their heartes to see that the trueth is not rereyued and to see the mindes of their brethren so obstinately hardened they make prayer to God for them they are deepely touched with the feeling of suche calamittes whiche GOD layeth vppon other The zeale of Moses coulde not like the Idolatrie of the people yet hee went vnto the Lorde againe and sayde Nowe if thou pardon their sinne thy mercie shall appeare but if thou wilte not I praye thee rase mee out of thy Booke which thou hast written Christ lamented ouer Hierusalem O Hierusalem Hierusalem which killest the Prophetes stonest them which are sent to thee how often woulde I haue gathered thy children together as the hen gathereth her chickins vnder her wings ye would not Beholde your habitation shall be left vnto you desolate Paul suffered much at the haudes of the wicked Iewes They troubled y e church of god they hindred y e course of the gospell they were enemyes of the Crosse of Christ they were Dogges they were conâ—â—sion Yet he sayeth I haue great heauenes continual sorrow in mine heart for I would wish my selfe to be separated froÌ„ Christ for my brethren are my kinsmen accordinge to the flesh which are the Isralites Dauid saith Mine eyes gush out with riuers of water because they keepe not thy Lawe And agayne My zeale hath euen consumed me because mine enimies haue forgotteÌ„ thy words Againe I saw the transgressours and was greued because thei kept not thy word And when hee saw the whole nation of Israel wasted by the enimies how mournfull a complaint made he to god O god the heathen ax come into thine inheritance thine holye temple haue they defiled made HierusaleÌ„ heaps of stones The dead bodies of thy seruants haue they giuen to be meat vnto the foules of the heauen the flesh of thy saints vnto the beasts of the earth At this time whâ— the tabernacle was lost wheÌ„ Saul was vnquiet and the Priestes were sâ—ayne and the Prophets despised and the people lef without al comfort hee powreth out his heare in these wordes Zelus domus tuae comedit me O Lorde the zeale I beare vnto thine house hath eaten me vp It inflameth my heart drieth my blood consumeth my marowe Such a care had bee for the house of God it was death vnto him to see it so destroyed and layde wast So Christ when he sawe the temple of God fowly and vnseemely abused that they made the holy place a place for their vnlawfull and vnhanest game by vsurie that they turned Religion into robberie solde oxen sheepe and doues and keept their bankes for exchaunge in the temple when the Priestes and Leuites whiche shoulde serue God were become marchantes and serued them selues when the temple or house of God which Dauid purposed and Salomon finished and Ezechias and Esras and other Godly Princes preserued in whiche was kept the booke of the Law whether al the people assembled together to serue God was not vsed lyke gods house but like a common faire or market and was made a denne of theiues When these grosse abuses were suffered and things were let runne to such extremities and al this vnder pretence of holines as if it were not onely lawfull but needes it must be so moued with zeale hee coulde not abide it He made a scourge of smal cordes droue them all out of the temple and poured out the changers mony and ouerthrew the tables saide make not my fathers house a house of marchaÌ„dise And his disciples remembred that it was writteÌ„ the zeale of thine house hath eaten me vp This was no frantique or melancholy passion neither in Moses nor in Dauid nor in Christ Moses was a very meeke maÌ„ aboue al that were on the earth Dauid was a man that heareth not and in whose mouthe are no reproofes And Christ sayde learne of me for I am humble and meeke When his disciples Iames Iohn grewe wrothfull against the Samaritanes that would not receiue hym and sayde Lord wylte thou that wee commaunde that fire come downe from heauen consume them euen as Elias did He turned about and rebuked them saide yee know not of what spyrite you are Yet through zeale for Gods house Christ whypped out the buiers and sellers Dauid shed foorth teares abundantly and Moses dashte in peeces the tables of Gods commandements Al men ought to bee pacient gentle in matters appertayninge to them selues but in Gods cause no man must yeelde or bee patient In our dayes vppon whom the ende of the worlde is come when wee did lately see those times wher of our sauiour foretolde so longe sâ—theuce that desolatioÌ„ should be in the holy place and such confusion ignorance and blindenes that men shoulde stomble at noone dayes that truth should be a stranger vpon earth that men should forsake wholsome doctrine and giue eare vnto fables that the mysterie of iniquitie should work and the very elect if it were possible bee deceiued what trial was made of true godlye zeale How notably did it shew it selfe agaynst the rage and furie of the wicked What should I speake hereof The exaÌ„ples are fresh you can not forget them you hearde of them so late it is so late since you did beholde them What moued so many so learned so vertuous to yeelde their backes to the scourge their neckes to the tormentours their bodies to the fire to forsake their goodes their friends their parentes their wiues and childreÌ„ but the zeale of Gods house Neither death nor life nor Angels nor thinges present nor things to come was able to separate them from the loue of God They continued stedfast vnto the ende the zeale of Gods house dyd eate them vp But now God hath restored vs he hath taken away the desolation from vs hee hath giuen vs his trueth he hath reuealed the man of sinne he hath raysed vp a banner of hope We se and enioye such thinges as many kings and Prophets would haue eniayed and could not What remayneth but that we take the zeale of the Lords house into our heartes and seeke by all meanes the glory of the same As our good fathers and brethren shewed the vehemencie of their loue in disly king the disorders which troubled y e church of God so in this blessed peace which God giueth to his Church let vs witnesse our earneste zeale in seeking that it may be made beautifull and established for euer Let our next care be to continue possession Kingdomes are preserued by the same meanes by which they were first gotten That which is conquered by zeale by carefull zeale must bee kept It was saide of Annibal that he knew how to get the victorie but howe to vse it bee knew not Many haue lost that by negligence which they had by diligence
wonne Therefore we ought as our heartes were careful and desirous to see these dayes so by our thankefulnes to God for so great blessinge and by Christian and Godlye prouidence foresee such meanes whereby wee may longe hereafter enioye the same WheÌ„ Phydias had made the pourtraiture of Iupiter Pisanus he ouerlayed it with oyle y t it might continue fresh and greene and neuer putrifie When God gaue order to Noah for making the Arke he saide Thou shalt pitch it within and without with pitche that it might be sound and sure abide the waues He which chalengeth to himselfe that proude and wanton name to be called the head of y e vniuersal church after by litle litle he was gotten into possessioÌ„ was not behind hand by al meanes to maintaine keepe the same In this policie he tooke away the reading of the scriptures froÌ„ the people he made noble men princes his Cardinals He threw downe set vp changed whom what he would The kings states of the world y e bishops professors schollers in vniuersities preachers were brought to swere allegeaÌ„ce obedience vnto him I deuise not this the stories hereof are abrode y e oth which they tooke is known His authorite grew greater theÌ„ the authoritie of general councilles Nothing might be decreed in councels but what pleased him none might be admitted to speak in couÌ„cils but such as were sworne to him He had al law in his breast There was sometimes a proclamation made in Rome y t for considerations no man should erect or builde vp any theater that if any were set vp it shold be rased pulled down Pompeius a gentleman of great wealth noble courage did build a theater such a one as before had not bene seene which would receaue 2500. men contrary to y e proclamation order taken But dubtinge least the next maiestrates should destroy it he caused a place of religion to bee set vpon it called it the teÌ„ple of Venus Whereby he prouided y t if any wold ouerthrow it because it was a Theater they might yet spare it for the temples sake for to pul down a teÌ„ple was sacrilege Euen so there haue bene proclamations cannons y t no man shoulde be called y e chiefe or y e head of al Churches or vsurpe such authoritie ouer others but when y e Pope built vp his supremacie against the meaning of suche canons hee preteÌ„ded religioÌ„ for his doing he sayde it was de iure diuino y t no man should presume or atteÌ„pt agaiÌ„st it y t so his power might coÌ„tinue for euer If they haue bene thus carefull to mainteine falshod how much more careful should we be to maintaine y e truth If they to aduaÌ„ce their owne kingdome how much more wee to set forth the kingdom of God to builde vp the Church of Christ And if they sought to do y t by lies by false meanes why should we bee slack to vse the right true good meanes wherby that good thing which God hath wrought for vs may bee established And albeit there be many wayes by which the kingdome of God may be mainteined as the fauour countenance of y e prince whiche so coÌ„forteth cherisheth y e Church as the sunne beames coÌ„fort cherish the earth knowledge learning discipline which are as the life the sinues without which the Church must needes fall asunder at this time I wil leaue to speak of the rest only stay vpon learninge which may truly be called y e life or y e soule of y e Church of christian religien How necessarie a thinge they haue counted learninge to the settinge foorth of Religion the stories of our old fathers of heathens and Christians in al ages doe witnesse They thought that neither Religion might stande without knowledge nor knowledge were to bee esteemed without Religion Charles the great that hee might the better plant Religion in Saxonie and Heluetia did erect many places for encrease of learning He knewe well that there was no other way better to establish Religion The Cathedral Churches before such times as ignoraunce and blindenesse grewe ouer all the worlde and brought in an vniuersal corruption maintayned schooles of learning that the doctrine which was taught in those places might bee defended agaynst the gaynesayers by suche learned men as were there bred vp The Princes of Germanie and the free Cities after they had receyued the Gospell they dissolued theyr monasteries which had bene harbourers for such as liued in idlenes and set vp Schooles and colledges which should be nourceries to breede vp learned men that might bee able to teache the people and to maintaine religion Whereby it came to passe that in shorte time they had great store of worthy and learned men This did they wel see that haue bene the enemies of religion therefore vsed all meanes to hinder the encrease of learninge that they might haue the better way to ouerthrow Religion For if learning decay it is likely that Religion can not abide Beare with me if I speake that whiche may seeme more fitt for some other place then for this audience the best here vnderstandeth me wel In other countries the receiuing of the Gospell hath alwayes bene cause that learning was more set by and learninge hath euer bene the furtherance of the Gospell In England I knowe not how it commethe otherwise to passe For since the Gospell hath bene receiued the maintenaunce for learninge hath bene decayed And the lacke of learninge will be the decay of the Gospel Would God it were not so or that yet before the faulte be incurable there may be some redresse Loth I am to speake yet the case so requireth that it is needefull to be spoken I truste I shall speak in the hearing of them that wyll confider it Maintenance of learninge whereby an able and sufficient ministerie may growe and be established in al the Churches of this realme is to be wished for The good estate of this noble kingdome y â— comfort of posterytie y â— staye of Religion the continuing of the Gospell the remouing of darknes hangeth vpon it One asked sometimes howe it was that in Athens so goodly and great a citie there were no Phisitians To whom this answere was made because there are rewardes appointed for them that practise Phisicke The same answere may be made for our times the cause why y â— Church of God is so forsaken is the want of zeale in theÌ„ that should either for their curtesie or for their ability be fosterers of learning encrease the liuings where occasion is and giue hope confort to learned men What said I increaseâ—nay the liuings and prouision which hertofore were giuen to this vse are taken away Haue patience if any such be here as I well know there are whom these things touch Suffer me to speake the truth
owne cause remember thy dayly reproch by the foolish man So strong is the holde of this spirituall Hiericho and so stoutely it fighteth against the Lord. Albeit Hiericho was so strong and the walles thereof seemed inuincible such as no power could pearce yet at the sound of seuen truÌ„pets and the showt of the people they fel downe flat to the ground So mightily did God in such weake meanes shew foorth his wonderfull and fatherly care to woorke the râ—st and peace of his people Pharao had Israel euen in his mouth as a pray the Sea was before them and the hilles on eche side they were vnarmed he had the power and all the pollicie of his countrie it seemed vnpossible they shoulde euer bee able to escape that daunger but marke the turning of Gods mighty hande sodainly the Sea opened Israel passed through the middes of it as vppon dry land Pharao followed after and was swallowed and drowned with all his men Israel looked back and sawe the marueilous workes of God howe it was now perfourmed which God had sayd vnto Pharao Thou shalt perish from the earth and in deede for this cause haue I appointed thee to shew my power in thee and to declare my name throughout all the world Therfore they reioyced in God and feared him and made him sacrifice Nabuchodonosor when he fell vpon Iurie made the whole countrie to shake with the terrour of his name Hee was like to a mightye great tree whose height reached to the heauens and the fight thereof through all the world yet sodainly was this mightie tree hewen downe as the holy one that came downe from heauen had said Hew downe the tree destroye it Nabuchodonosor was driuen froÌ„ men and had his dwelling with the beasts of the field did eate grasse fodder as the oxen seuen yers til his heares were growne as Eagles feathers his nailes like birds clawes The power of Senacherib was terrible y â— people of Israel were not able to withstande it hee did glory in the pride therof he said no god was able to deliuer Ierusalem nor to saue it out of his hands yet sodenly the Angel of the lord in one night smote in the campe of Asshur an hundred fourescore and fiue thousande of his men he fled away with the rest was slayne by his sounes and the people of God left at libertie Though Babylon said she should neuer mourn nor feele any heauenes yet an Angell came downe from heauen and cried out mightily with a loude voyce saying It is fallen it is fallen Babylon the great citie and is become the habitation of Deuils and the hold of al foule spirits and a cage of euery vnclean hateful bird It were an infinite labour and yet very comfortable to consider how marueilously God in the old times hath ouerthrowne his enemies and deliuered his poore seruants Dauid to saue his life was faine to run froÌ„ king Saul and remained in a mountaine in the wildernes of Ziph Saul sought him euery day but God deliuered hym not into his hand Dauid was not only w tout ayde or hope of ayde but also without sustenaunce looked when he should be taken thought it not possible to escape for Saul his men compassed Dauid his men round about to take theÌ„ But there came a messenger to Saul saying hast thee and come for the Philistims haue inuaded thy Land Wherfore Saul returned from pursuinge Dauid and thus poore Dauid was deliuered God is a helper in due season he commeth with aide when things are desperate hee helpeth when there is no hope of help els where the counsels attempts policies of the wicked are in vaine He that dwelleth in the heauens shal laugh theÌ„ to scorn The prophet Dauid found himselfe disquieted at the worldly prosperity of the wicked saith As for mee my feete were almost gone my steps had welneere slipt for I fretted at the foolish wheÌ„ I saw the prosperitie of the wicked c. theÌ„ thought I to know this but it was to painful for me vntil I went vp into y â— Sanctuary of God theÌ„ vnderstoode I their end Surely thou hast set them in slipperie places castest theÌ„ downe into desolation How sodenly are thei destroied perished coÌ„sumed As for me it is good to draw nere vnto god therfore haue I put my trust in y â— Lord god that I may declare al thy workes A King is strong a woman is stronge and wine is stronge but trueth dooth abyde and is stronge for euer Truth is great and strongest Whither may a man go from the spirit of the lord or whither may a maÌ„ fly from his preseÌ„ce If he ascend vp into heauen the lord is there or if he descende into hell the Lorde is there also The face of the Lord is vpon them y t doo euill When they shal say peace and safetie then shal come vpon them sodaine destruction Let no man be deceiued and think that these thinges are wrought by the power of starres or by the pleasure of princes it is God that ruleth the world and not the starres It was not Ioshuah that ouerturned the walles of Hiericho nor the crie of the people sounde of the trumpets It was neither Constantinus nor Iouinian nor Valentinian nor Theodosius that planted the Gospel and changed the heartes of the people These were vertuous and godly Emperours yet those changes were not made by their power but it was God which sent forth his spirite and renewed the face of the earth Christe Iesus the sonne of righteousnesse had looked vpon them The morninge starre from an high had risen ouer them Good princes and good rulers are the good instrumeÌ„ts by whom God setteth foorth his glory their hearts be in the handes of God hee â—endeth them and enclineth them to his purpose but the trueth of the Gospel is not planted and setled in our hearts neither by the wyll of man nor by the authority of princes No creature can claime part of this glory this glory belongeth vnto God but vnto vs and to our fathers to our kinges and to our prophets the confusioÌ„ of our faces This is the Lords doing and it is maruelous in our eies This is y e day which the lord hath made let vs reioyce be glad in it This is a chaÌ„ge wrought not by the Starres but by the righte hand of the most high The soÌ„nes of God euen they which beleeue in him ar borne not of blood nor of the wil of flesh nor of y e wil of man but of god as by the Prophet Ezechiel God himself declareth A new heart wil I giue you a new sprit wil I put within you I wil put my sprit within you cause you to walk in my statuts And by y e prophet Ieremy I wil put my law in their inward parts write it in their harts
not according to this worde it is because there is no light in them Chrisostome saith Nullo modo cognoscitur quae sit vera Ecclesia Christi nisi tantummodo per Scripturas By no meanes may it by knowne whiche is the true Church of Christ but onely by the Scriptures Without them our faith is no faith without the helpe of them wee cannot knowe Christ from Antichriste wee cannot know the Church of Christ from the Sinagogue of Sathan Hereby let vs learne to knowe Hierusalem hereby let vs learne to knowe Hiericho Certainely if the woorde of GOD and the breathe of his mouthe bee not able to shewe this tradition and custome shall be much lesse able It is a good thinge to bee thankefull and to prayse the Name of the most high the seruants of God finde cause of thankfulnes in consideration of the great wonderful mercies continually powred vpō them Moses comanded Nisan to bee the firste moneth in the yeere because God had deliuered Israell from the hande of Pharao in that month In like sort Mardocheus the Iewe and Esther the Queene sent letters vnto al the Iewes that were through all the prouinces of the king Assuerus both nere farre enioying them that they shoulde kepe the fourteenth day of the month Adir with ioy and feasting for that vppon that daye God had deliuered them from the hande of Haman and that they woulde not fayle to obserue the fame euery yeare Upon this day euen vpon this day I say the xvii of this moneth God sent his handemaide and deliuered vs. Let vs be kinde and thankfull vnto God for so great blessing I say not let vs make it the first day of the yeere Yet this I say let vs haue it in remembrance let vs singe with the prophet When the Lord brought againe y e captiuitie of Sion we were like them that dreme thē was our mouth filled with laughter and our tongue with ioy The Lord hath done great things for vs wherof we reioyce Let no man be offended herewith it is onely a remembrance of the mercy of God it behoueth vs to remember it it is good to speake of it For if we haue eyes to see and neglect not our owne saluation wee haue nowe much greater cause to reioyce then Dauid had because the things which are this daye restored vnto vs by the goodnesse of our God are farre greater and worthyer then those which Dauid and the people of Israell receiued in their deliuerance out of the capitiuitie of Babylon For by howe much the heauens are greater then the earthe and God is more excellent then a creature so much doeth the knowledge of God and his true worshippe passe all worldly blessinge and all other felicitie that can bee deuised vnder the Sunne For what knoweth hee which knoweth not God Or what worshippeth he whiche worshippeth not God Hee that worshippeth not God hath not the comforte of GOD but hee that hath God and knoweth God and serueth God hath a sure helpe and defence in all assayes Let vs therefore bee glad and reioyce let vs witnesse our ioye and singe vnto the Lorde a new songe Let vs kindle in our heartes the fire of the loue of God and of our neighbour and let the flame thereof breake out to the glory of God Let vs decke the Altars of our heartes with the florishing branches of vertue and good woorkes let vs sacrifice and kill our lustes and affections In this maner if wee shewe our thankefulnesse towardes GOD wee shall hinder the wicked purpose of thē that wish the restoring of Hiericho we shal see the lande of Gods promise and enter into his rest The fourth stay to hinder this buyldinge is discipline whiche is so needefull that neyther without it shall yee be able throughly to discomfort those that seeke to build vp Iericho againe nor your selues happely and prosperously to goe on forward in setting foorth the glory and maiestie of our God and to passe safely to the countrie promised It is as the sinewes of the church to strengthen it and to ioyne and knit the parts thereof together But because the time is passed and this matter weightie and worthy of larger discourse I wyll leaue it to your godly considerations and for some other time And thou O mercifull father rise vp we beseeche thee to iudge thine owne cause stablishe the thinge thou hast begonne in vs guide our feete in the way of peace giue force vnto thy worde blesse thine inheritance blow downe the walles of Hiericho so shal Hierusalem prospet and her walles be made strong so shall the daye starre lighten our hartes so shall Israel reioyce and all the people truly know thee and prayse thy name for euer Amen Aggaeus 1. Thus speaketh the Lord of hostes saying This people say The time is not yet come that the Lords house should be builded Then came the word of the Lord by the ministery of the prophet Hagge saying Is it time for your selues to dwell in your seiled houses and this house lie waste THese words be written in the first Chapter of the Prophet Aggaeus For better vnderstandyng wherof I must call to your remembrance the storie of that time vpon occasion wherof these words were spoken Almighty God beinge for many and sundrye causes highly displeased with his people the Iewes after he had chastened thē many wayes and sawe none amendement at the laste gaue them ouer into the handes of their enemies and suffered both the kinge and all the people of the countrie to be carryed away prisoners into Babylon where they continued in miserie the space of seuentie yeeres In the meane season their countrey partly lay waste and grewe full of wylde beastes partly was inhabited by foreyners the temple that Salomon had built them the stateliest richest work of the whole world was burnt to the grounde and all the ornaments therof rauened vp and caried into Babylon After fiftie yeres king Cyrus shewed fauour towardes his people did lycence them to depart home agayne But as they were aboute the building vpon occasion of cōplaint of their enemies the whole worke was stayed At y ◠length after 70. yeeres God remembred his promise and mercy and stirred vp the heart of king Darius king of Persia who had then conquered the Chaldees to lycence the Iewes to depart home agayne into their countrie and to reedifie theyr Citie and Temple This king Darius as the Rabbines or Doctors of the Iewes and most parte of learned men coniecture was sonne vnto the king Assuerus begotten of the good Ladie Queene Hester which Ladie Hester he maried after he had imbased diuorced from hym the prowd and stubborne Queene Vasthi This was Gods marueylous prouidence by that meanes twice to deliuer his people Fyrst by the good Lady Hester from the tyranny of Hamā as it appeareth by the storye and after by her child Darius cleerely to delyuer them and
the Sacraments Mary burie their dead in a strange tongue that the People may vnderstand nothing which make a famine of hearing the word of God which stop vp the springes of the water of lyfe which take awaye the Keyes of the Kingdome of Heauen and neither enter in them selues nor suffer them that woulde enter which say ignoraunce is the mother of deuotion the Church is then in best order the people most deuoute when they are hood winckt blinded see nothing These are not fit instrumēts wherwith we may ouercome the aduersaries This is not y e sworde of the spirit these are not the spiritual weapons which cast downe holdes and euery high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God What man that would keepe out his enemy will pul downe his holdes what captaine that meaneth to giue a forcible assault vpon the enemy will discourage his fighting souldiers but our souldiers are out of courage our Castles are falling therefore that which we feare wyll fall vpon vs The oxe that treadeth out the corne is musseled He that goeth a warrefare receiueth not his wages the crye hereof goeth vp into the eares of the Lord of Hostes He wil not abide so great contempt of his worde and preachers his owne name is therby dishonoured Our sauiour saith He that dispiseth you dispiseth mee And S. Paul He y t despiseth these thinges despiseth not man but god And think we that hee wyll suffer his holy name to be despised Nay hys wrath is alreadie kindled He hath already begū his iudgements therfore many places are left desolate There is none that can warne them of their sinne none that can moue them to repentance none that can preach vnto them forgeuenes through Christ none that can instruct them in the comfort of euerlasting life Because they worke such thinges against the Lord the hearts of many are astonied Though they heare they vnderstande not They scorne and ieste at the worde of saluation it is vnto them a sauour of death vnto death they are earthlye minded whose God is their bellie and whose glorie is to their shame For this cause you liue still in your sinnes in adulterie in couetousues and in pride without any feeling of conscience without any feare of God Your daughters your heires to whom you shall leaue your landes are stollen awaye from you Robberies and theft are so common as if it were not onely lawful but also commendable as if sinne were no sinne and he I fire but a fable Thus wee prouoke God to anger Manye walke of whom wee cannot thinke but with weeping they are the enemies of the crosse of Christ the name of God is blasphemed through them Many are so ignoraunt they knowe not what the Scriptures are they knowe not that there are any Scriptures They call them hereticall and newe doctrine Many will beleeue neyther side whatsoeuer they alleadge Bring they trueth bring they falshoode teache they Christ teach they Antichrist they will beleeue neither they haue so hardened their heartes Be the Preacher rough or gentle learned or vnlearned let him vse authority of the scriptures of the doctours of the councels of Decrees or Decretalles of Gods Lawe of mans law nothing wil moue them nothing wil please them because the ministery of God and there by God himselfe is despised These woordes happily seeme sharpe and ouer vehement but the hardnesse of our hearts against GOD and the lacke of zeale of his house inforce me to them We are almost fallen into the lowest pitte we are left without zeale as senselesse men and as if we had cleane forgotten our selues as the Heathen which know not God Therefore vnlesse we repent the kingdome of God shall be taken away from vs. He will send vppon this land a famine of the woorde Hierusalem shall be ouerthrown and made an heape of stones the man of sinne and they which haue not the loue of the trueth shall preuayle with many and withdraw them from obedience to the Prince this noble realme shall be subiect to foreine nations all this will the zeale of the Lorde of hostes bring to passe I could haue spent this time in opening some other matter but nothing in my iudgement is more worthy your good consideration and speedy redresse I would be loth rashly or rudely to abuse the reuerence of this place but vnles these things be cared for vnlesse we shew foorth greater zeale then hitherto if the yeeres to come eate vp and take awaye from the Ministery as the late yeeres haue done there wil not be left within a while any to speake the word of God out of this place The Pulpits shall haue none to vse them the people shal grow wyld and voyd of vnderstanding When Xerxes behelde the greate company of his Souldiers suddenly he brake into teares and wept bitterly One sayde to him O Syr you haue cause to reioyce you haue a goodlye companie they are able to fight for you agaynst any nation But what shall become of them saith Xerxes after a hundred yeeres not one of all these shall be left aliue If the view of the smal number of Preachers might be taken how fewe they are and howe thinne they come vp we haue greater cause then Xerxes to lament if we haue any zeale to the house of GOD. For of the Preachers which nowe are within fewe yeeres none will remayne aliue And Xerxes souldiers lefte issue behinde them which might afterwardes serue their Countrey But there is like to bee small increase for the supplie of Learned men The Lorde shall lacke men to bring in his haruest the little ones shall call for bread and there shall be none to giue it them They that shall come after vs shall see this to bee true There is no house so spoyled as the House of the LORD There is no Seruaunt so little rewarded as the Seruaunt of Christ and the disposer of the mysteries of God Oh that your Grace did beholde the miserable disorder of Gods Church or that you might foresee the calamities which will follow It is a part of your kingdome such a parte as is the principall proppe and stay of the rest I wil say to your Maiesty as Cyrillus sometimes saide to to the godly Emperor Theodosius Valētiniā Abea quae erga Deum est pietate reipublicae vestrae status pendet The good estate welfare of your common wealth hangeth vpon true godlinesse You are our Gouernour you are the Nource of Gods Church We must open this griefe before you God knoweth if it may be redressed it hath growen so long and is runne so farre But if it may be redressed there is no other besides your Highnesse that can redresse it I hope I speake truly that which I speake without flatterie that God hath endued your Grace with such measure of learning knowledge as no other Christian Prince He hath giuen you peace happinesse the loue and
time saith a Christian man could be known by nothing so wel as by the changing of his life Cyprian of the Christians in his time sayth Veniunt vt discant discunt vt viuant They come that they may learne they learne that they may know how to liue S. Paul commendeth the Philippians that they shine as lyghtes in the worlde that theyr lyfe doth testifie what they be Eusebius saieth Valeriani aula erat referta piis Ecclesia Deifacta They y t were of the court of Valerian were become Christians and then was the court not lyke a court but like vnto the Church of God Iustinus the martir saith he was first turned to Christ for the admiration that he had of the innocent and godly life of Christian men Such then was the life of them that bare the name of Christ they came to learne they learned to liue You might haue knowne theyr profession by the onely changing of their maners The court wherin they liued was so reuerently kept without notable sinne or wantonnes as if it has ben the temple of God O almighty God howe fares it nowe with them that woulde be called Christians and bee reckoned among professors of the Gospel how many are there that come to learne how many are there that learne to liue howe many are there that may be knowne by changing of their maners Unlesse it be for that they make a mockerie of Gods holy Gospel and so become more dissolute more fleshly more wanton then euer they were afore What court can we finde that any part may be lyke the temple of God Seldome is it that almightye God may bee hearde to speake hys minde But when he hath spoken who is he that thinketh vpon it who is he that doth not dispise it who is he that spurneth not at it If our life should giue testimonie and report of our religion sory I am to speake it but alas it is to true in too many it cryeth out Non est Deus the very course of our life beareth wytnesse against vs that in our heartes wee thinke there is no God and that there is no feare of God before our eyes I amplifie not nor enlarge the matter I woulde to God it were no more then I make of it Thus we doe withholde the trueth of God in vnrighteousnesse thus the grace of God is abused to the contenting of our pleasures thus wee become the vessels of Gods wrath and heape vp vengeance vpon our heads Therefore wil God take away his holy spirit from vs therefore wyl God giue vs ouer to a reprobate minde therfore shal y e end of vs be worse then was y e beginning O good brethren let vs not abuse the mercy of god let vs not receiue the grace of god in vaine Remēber how many eyes are set vpon vs let vs take occasion away from them y t seeke occasion to sclander our profession let not let not our life cause the gospel of Iesus Christ to be yl spoken of and blasphemed let vs walke so as becommeth them that are called and in deede are Filii lucis The children of light The trueth of the gospel of Iesus Christ hath nowe shined ouer the whole worlde if it be yet hiddē from any it is hidden frō them that perish he that perisheth nowe shall perish in his owne blood Now if any beleeue not he is inexcusable The wisdom of god in publishing his word contrary against the course of mans policie y e continual preaching of it in al places the ashes of so many learned fath ers godly men women who haue yeelded their bodies to the cruel torments of tyrants to bee consumed in the fire for the testimony therof are yet so fresh in your eies spoken of in your hearinge and witnessed in your hartes and consciences that you can not denie but the kingdome of God is come amongst vs. But if there be any that is not perswaded in his religion for asmuch as it is a matter of lyfe and death of saluation damnation I beseeche you before God and before his Christ let vs not be careles let vs not be negligent If we mislike it let vs read the Scriptures and know wherefore we mislike it Dispise not good brethren despise not to heare gods worde declared As you tender your owne soules be diligent to come to sermons for that is the ordinary place where mens hearts be moued Gods secrets be reuealed For be the preacher neuer so weake yet is the word of God as mightie as puisant as euer it was If thou heare Gods worde spoken by a weake man anignorant man a sinner as thou thy selfe art and yet wilt beleeue it and heare it with reuerence it is able to open thine eyes and to reueale vnto thee the high misteries of thy saluation Remember we are the sonnes of the Prophets The kingdome of God is come amongst vs. Let vs not withstand the Spirit of God let vs not treade downe the blood of the euerlasting Testament The hande of god hath wrought this let vs not arme our selues against GOD and say They are wrought in the name of Beelzebub It is not our doctrine that we bring you this day we wrote it not we founde it not out wee are not the inuentours of it wee bringe you nothing but that the olde fathers of the Churche that the Apostles that Christ our Sauiour himselfe hath brought before vs. O condemne it not before you know it In the meane while thinke well of them that labour for you that do you seruice that pray for you that shall giue their lyfe for you Let vs lay aside all blinde affection let vs labour to know the truth let God haue the victory And then when we know God let vs glorifie him as our God let vs so liue y e our words our deedes our whole life may testifie that y e kingdom of god is amōngst vs. Let our light so shine before men that they may see our good works gloryfie our father which is in heauen So shall God powre downe his blessings vpon vs so shal god bles whatsoeuer we take in hand so shal we be blessed in peace so shal we be blessed in war so shal god go forth before our armies so shal we be the children of god so shall god bee our god and remayne with vs for euer And thou most mercifull father as thou hast sent vs thy heauenly kingdome that is the most comfortable tidyngs of the Gospel of thy sonne Iesus Christ so wee beseeche thee for thy mercy blesse that thinge that thou hast begunne that it may continue among vs remaine with vs for euer Open the heartes of them that of ignorance thinke ill of it that they may see that blessed hope whereunto thou hast called vs that al the worlde may know thee and thy sonne our sauiour Iesus Christ whome thou hast sent for the