Ministers and members of his Churche he came to muster them I say and to put them in readines that they togither with him yea and after him also when he was gone might be ready to make warre and to fight not againste God and his people but against the hipocriticall Scribes and Pharises and the whole Iewishe Sinagog which seduced Gods people agaynst the arrogante and vayneglorious Philosophers whiche seduced the Heathen and Gentiles againste Antechrist and his ministers whiche seduced the whole worlde againste these I say and such other lyke came he and his Apostles to fighte But with what sworde not with a temporall sworde not with that sworde whiche the Pope giueth so liuely in his Scutchion where he crosseth the key with the sword and ioyneth them togither in his armes signifying thereby that not onely spirituall iurisdiction is committed vnto him but also that he hathe the power of the temporall sworde in his hande Chryste and his Apostles came not to fight wyth thys sworde nor with fire nor with faggot nor with hatchet nor with halter wherewith the Pope hathe murthered a great number of the good Saincts and seruants of God nor to make any ciuill war or tumults amongst the nations whereof the Pope hath alway bin a great author Christe I say and his Apostles came not to fight with any such sword nor after any such sorte but he came to fight with a spirituall sworde with preaching of the Gospell and with the word of God which of Sainct Paule is called the sword of the spirit Take vnto you saith he the sword of the spirite whiche is the worde of God. This therefore is the sword that Chryste brought into the world this is the sworde that he fought withall against the world So then you sée now that Christ also him selfe troubled the worlde after a sorte but yet you heare how he troubled it you sée that he vsed the sworde and foughte wyth the sworde but you heare what sworde it was that he fought withal you sée that he himselfe broughte discorde and dissention with him into the world but you beare againste whome and againste what hée brought it And euē so we likewise whom they accuse to be troublers of the worlde we confesse of our selues indéede that we trouble the worlde after a sorte but yet so as Christ troubled it we consesse that we vse the sword and fight with it but such a sword as Christ himselfe vsed and fought withall we confesse that we bring discord and dissention amongst men but yet against such as we shoulde bring it and against such as we ought to bring it We bring not discord and dissention againste God nor against Christ nor againste the Gospell nor against the word of God nor againste the doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets we bring no suche discord dissention into the worlde but we bring discord dissention against palpable blindnesse ignorance we bring discorde dissention againste errour superstition and Idolatrie we bring discord and dissention against mens doctrines traditiōs which are cōtrary to gods word we bring discord dissentiō against Papistrie Atheisme we bring discord dissention against Antechrist and his Kingdome we bring discord dissentiō against the diuelish vnitie of Gods conspired eminies whiche disagrée from vs in the truth but cā agrée amōgst themselues too well in all falschoode and wickednesse if it may serue to their owne filthy gaine and aduantage Against these is it that we bring discord and dissention if it may be called discord that is againste the eninnies of god But in déede it is no discord at all or at leastwise no such kind of discorde as the Apostle héere giueth vs warning to beware of and auoyde and therefore consequently the discord which we are charged with being eyther no discorde at all or no suche discord as is héere reproued by the Apostle it must néedes followe that eyther we are no authoures at all of discorde as they accuse vs or if we be authoures of discorde it is of suche as is good and commendable and so yet we are good authoures and commendable authours of good cōmendable discorde authors of such discord as is necessary for the Church to haue and of such discord as without which the doctrine of the Gospel can not take place or if it do cannot long hold and cōtinue For if there be no dissenting from falshoode and lyes whiche haue béen and are and will be to the worldes ende so long as the Diuell hath to do with the world if there be no dissenting I say frō them doubtlesse the trueth of the Gospell can neuer take sure roote nor be throughly setled but will be soone ouer-growne or rather ouerthrowne and weyed downe with the stinking wéedes of mants witte which the Diuell doth still heepe occupyed with odde toyes and deuises of their owne contrarie to the word of God only to shake or shadowe the trueth withall So then oure Discorde you see is no discorde or if it be it is good and necessarre Discorde and thus are we deliuered of that infamie and slaunder whiche they bring vppon vs and are not to be charged in déede with those sturs and troubles of the Church whych they name vs to bée Fathers of Well then what shall we saye to the matter sturres troubles there are in the Church great discord and dissention there is amongest vs whence shall we searche for the cause hereof or whome shall wée make to be authours of it that the worlde may knowe them and eschewe them we wil go no further but to the rule that the Apostle here setteth downe for tryall of the matter I praye you brethren sayeth he haue an eye vnto those men whiche cause Discorde and dissention amongst you and giue occasion of offences contrane to the doctrine that you haue receyued and eschewe them Here is the rule sette downe Now therfore let vs looke about and sée whether we can espye where anye discorde is raysed or where anye occasion of offence is giuen againste the doctrine which we haue receyned of the Apostles And if we finde any matter that bréedeth anye suche Discorde or anye manne that ministreth anye suche matter to bréede Discorde withall againste the doctrine of the Apostles lette vs be bolde to saye that the same matter bréeding suche Discorde and the same man ministring such matter are the verye causes and causers of al sturres and troubles that be nowe in the Churche And here wil it please oure gentle friendes the Catholickes to giue vs leaue nowe another whyle to be bolde with them as they haue bene with vs and to tel them in their eare that al this matter will lighte vppon their owne neckes I wil not holde you long the time is some what paste and I desire of my self to bée shorte and I wyll be the shorter bycause I goe not nowe aboute so muche to proue matters vnto you whyche
aboute temporall causes and quarrels aboute inturies or wrongs done or offered to be done by one man to an other touching their goods landes or lyfe or some such other thing pertaining to theyr temporall state this is temporal Discorde Whiche of these two therefore doeth the Apostle here speake of If I shoulde tell you that hée speaketh of spirituall discord suche as riseth of spirituall matters of Churche matters or of matters concerning Religiō Faith you would answere me that my text is not for this place time nor pertinent to these kinde of businesses and affaires which are nowe in hand but doeth rather belong to Schoole men and Dimnes or some other suche Ecclesiastical persons as are to heare and determine in such cases If I should tel you that hée speaketh of temporall discorde such as riseth of temporall causes and quarrels or of temporall iniuries and wrongs and so forth you woulde aunswere me that it is superfluous at this time and more than néedes to speake of any such matter vnto you for why ye come for that purpose it is the only or chiefe cause of your repayre hyther at this present to heare and consider of such controuersies and quarrels amongst men and therefore I néede not waste my winde any further therein Honourable and worshipful which so euer of these two kindes of discorde it be that the Apostle here speaketh of as in déede hée maye séeme to speake of them bothe you shal perceyue that my text is not impertinent to the place and time nor anye whyt from the matter ye haue nowe in hande I knowe well ynoughe that your assembly here togither at this present Session now to be holden is onelye or chieffic for thys cause to ende discorde and strife to conserue Vnitie and peace and to reforme iniuries and wrongs whereof the wante of peace the supply of discord doth grow I know I say the this is your purpose and the chief or only cause of your cōming hither yet this I know too that my matter wil be no let vnto you but doth and may very wel agrée with the your purpose For first if I shal say any thing to the aleying of tēporal discord dissentiō or to the furtherāce of tēporal vnitie peace though it be true in déed that you be come for the same purpose do meane now to sit vpon such matters yet my frendly admonitiō cā by no means hurt or hinder your good purpose being toward the self same matter you come for nor wil be altogyther néedelesse or vnprofitable vnto you the shal heare it séeing the best wisest man that is hath néed sometimes of a friendlye and faithfull admonitor at hys elbow On the other side if I shal say any thing to the abandoning of spirituall discord strife or to the aduancement and furtheraunce of spiritual vnitie concord in this case am I also to be heard willinglye of you though in some respect I will not deny but the this kind of discourse doeth belōg rather to schole mē diuines thā to you the are tēporal lawiers tēporall iudges iustices yet this I muste tell you notwithstanding the you can not so cleane shifte off this kind of matter frō you as thoughe it wer a méere alien to your other businesse but you must also haue to do with it aswel as wyth other matters may not estrāge it frō your present affaires For whō come you to serue come you not to serue Christ I think you wil not say nay For God him self so sayth vnto you by his Prophet Erudimini qui iudicatis terrā seruite domino in timore Be learned ye that are iudges of the earth serue the Lord in fear What Lord is it the you must serue the K the Q the prince of the coūtry wher you dwel and vnder whō you are subiects surely this lord also must you serue I deny it not But what Lorde doth God here wil you to serue when hée saith vnto you serue the lord in fear Doubtlesse he willeth you to serue Christ the other lords L. that other maisters Maister your Ladies Lorde and your mistresse maister euen the Quéenes Lorde and maister yea the Lord and maister of all Lordes and of all kings and of all Quéenes and of all Princes and of all the Monarches of the earth or rather Lorde and Maister of all the whole earth it selfe For so sayth God also a little before in the same Prophete Postula à me dabo tibi gentes in hereditatem c. aske of me sayeth God the father vnto his sonne Christ and I wil giue thee the heathen for thine inheritaunce and the vttermost partes of the earth for thy possession Lo here is Christe made Lorde of all Lordes and Lorde and owner of the whole earthe The earthe the nations of the earth and the Kings of the nations they are all his they are giuen him for his inheritaunce they are giuen him to be his possession and he is Lorde of them all Wherfore whatsoeuer other Lordes you haue whatsoeuer other maisters you haue you must serue Christ as the chiefe Lorde and as the graunde Lorde and masters ouer al other Lords maisters You must serue him his Church not onelye your prince country not only the Quéen common wealth to say the truth I do not sée how you can well serue the cōmon wealth except you first serue the Church nor how you can wel serue the Prince except you first serue Christ For Christ is a patterne vnto the prince the Church is a patterne vnto the common wealthe to follow Neyther is that common wealth a good common wealth or commendable before God whiche doth not frame and conforme it self after the Church nor that Prince a good or commendable Prince which doth not frame and conforme himselfe after Christ So then yée must haue a chiefe care and a chief regard of Christ and of the Church of Christ and so consequentlye of all those matters and causes which be insident to Christ his Church And therefore as you are readie when you sée your Countrey or common wealth the ciuill and politique bodie of the realme to be rente and torne in péeces one member from another by ciuil discorde and dissention by warres by strife and variance by fraude by force by lying in wait one for anothers goods or landes or life and so forth as you are readie in this case to loke vpon and lament the afflicted state of your countrey and to bynde vppe the woundes of the common wealth which it hath receyued and to heale and make vp the hoales and breaches that rents and tearings which you finde in the bodie politique as you are readye to repayre and redresse wyth all spéede the wrackes and decayes that are in the temporal state I saye as you are readie to loke vpon these temporall matters and to consider throughlye of them and are nowe
A Godlye and pithie Exhortation made to the Iudges and Iustices of Sussex and the whole Countie assembled togither at the generall Assises By William Ouerton Doctor of Diuinitie and one of the Queenes Maiesties Iustices appoynted for the peace vvithin the same Countie PROVERB 10. VVhere no Ruler is there fall the people to ruine and decay But vvhere much counsayle is there is health and safetie Printed by R. Newbery and H. Bynneman To the Reader HAuing occasion the laste Lente to be at Estgreenestedde it was my chance gentle Reader to heare a very learned and frutefull Sermon made the same present time before the whole assembly of the Sheere I tooke suche profit and pleasure of it my selfe by hearing it and heard it so generally commended of others that I could not but deuise how to make common to many that which was there vttered but to fewe that so the benefite of it might redound also to many I maye perhappes haue blame of the Authour to put it foorth in printe without his knowledge and consent but if he knewe howe muche good he did to those fewe that heard him I trust he will not be offended if by my meanes he doe more good to a greate number that hearde him not but shall reade him for the exhortation is so tempered and the conueyance of it in suche sorte that though ye can specially applye it but to some men yet ye maye vse it so generally that it wyll edifye any man If all therefore shall reade it it wyll profite all bycause it hathe matter that serueth for all But if those reade it that are Iudges of circuites and Iustices of the peace or Iurie men or suche other like that haue anye calling that way it will profyte suche men most bycause to suche it most apperteyneth And surely I wysh aboue all other that Iudges and Iustices and whosoeuer they be else that vse to giue charge to the people yea and those also that haue the charge gyuen them shoulde alwayes before they goe aboute such businesse reade ouer and peruse thys little peece of worke that thereby they myghte be stirred vp to deale more earnestly in Gods causes and in matters of Religion than commonlye they are wont to do I doubt not but like good effect would follow such reading of it as did then followe the hearing of it For thys I sawe and hearde my selfe the same tyme when the Iudges were come from the Churche to the Hall and were nowe sette downe and the Countrey before them they did not onely imparte to the multitude what great fruite and comforte they had receyued themselues by hearing that Sermon giuing it a singular commendation in the eares of all men euen from the benche where they sate but also then tooke occasion thereby to gyue a verye quicke and vehemente charge to the graunde Iurie yea and to the Iustices themselues and to all others that had anye office or authoritie in the Sheere to looke more narrowly to matters of Religion than heeretofore they had done and to endeauoure themselues by all meanes possible to conserue the peace and vnitie of Christes Church and to search out and see punished all that were offenders to the contrary And to tell you the truth it did my heart good to see so graue wise a mā Iudge GAVDIE by name to giue so carnest and godly a charge in God and the Gospels behalfe such good frute followed in that good Magistrate by hearing so good and godly a Preacher that day And I would all others that be of the same calling that he is of mighte haue as good lyking heereafter to reade him as he hadde then to heare hym that like fruite maye come of it when oportunitie shal serue for the fruite that followed was great Well I will not cōmend the Preacher vnto thee I shoulde but darken his due prayses by mine vnsufficient praysing of him but I wil cōmend thee to the reading of this his worke and when thou hast redde it commend him thy selfe as thou seest cause In the meane time I wil pray vnto God both for him and for thee and for vs al for him to encrease his talēt in preaching for thee to enslame thy zeale in hearing for vs all to amende oure negligence in following And so I bidde thee farewell Thy vvelbeloued brother in Christ M. M. Precor vos fratres vt speculemini eos c. I praye you Breethren haue a good eye to those menne or take heede of those menne vvhich do breede discord and dissention amongst you and giue occasion of offences cōtrary to the doctrine that you haue receyued and eschue them THere is nothing more acceptable to God there is nothing more profitable to man there is nothing more answerable to Christian Religion and Faith there is nothing more auaylable to vertue and good life there is nothing more requisite and necessarie for al states whether they be priuate or publike there is nothyng more amiable more delectable more comfortable or more commendable in all respectes at a worde there is nothing that passeth all thinges more than thys one thing iust peace grounded vppon the true knowledge and feare of god It is not in vayne therefore that the Apostle héere exhorteth the Romanes and by them vs also whiche bée nowe presente yea and all other Christians wheresoeuer that we shoulde beware and take héede of suche menne as doe bréede discorde and dissention amongst vs and gyue occasion of offences in the Churche of God and not only that we shoulde take héede of them and beware of them but also that we shoulde eschue them and auoyde them as authoures of that euill whyche of all other euilles is moste daungerous and dothe moste shake and weaken all states of menne or rather doth beate downe destroy and ouerthrowe all thyngs wheresoeuer it commeth in place menne houses townes kingdomes countries nations and peoples be they neuer so manye be they neuer so greate and mightie Suche a meruailous mischiefe is Discorde and Dissention whersoeuer it taketh roote and therefore good cause I saye that the Apostle shoulde earnestly admonishe vs al to shunne it and auoyde it and the authors also thereof which doe sowe it and bréede it I pray you brethren sayth hée take héede of those men whych bréede discorde and dissention amongest you and giue occasion of offences contrarie to the doctrine that you haue receiued and eschewe them But what discorde or what dissention is it that the Apostle here speaketh of for there be two kinds of discord there is one kinde that is spirituall there is another kinde that is temporall Spiritual discorde is when men are dinided amongst themselues and disagrée one from another in spirituall matters in Ecclesiasticall causes in matters or causes of religion and Faith. This is spirituall discorde Temporal discord is when men fall oute amongest themselues and doe wrastle or be at warre as it were one with another aboute temporall matters