This comforte it was that made Iob so patiently to abyde losse of goodes the spoyle of hys landes and houses and the myserable destruction of hys chyldren The same comfort caused Ioseph wyth lyke patience to endure bondage imprisonment sclaunder reproch and daunger of his lyfe For he was assuredly perswaded that nothyng was done without the certayne prouidence of hys louyng and mercifull Lorde and God and therefore was assured that it woulde fall out to the best in the end This if wee soundly and truely consider wee shall neither rashely condemne other whose sinnes bee not notoriouslye knowne and when any euill happeneth to our selues by this comfort we shall sustayne it patiently Nowe haue I briefely declared vnto you as you haue heard first that outwarde profession and externall seruice and vse of Sacramentes is not sufficient for Christians but that to the glorie of God they must confirme their calling with the practise of a vertuous godly life Secondly whensoeuer misery or plague happeneth to maÌ„ it commeth not by chaunce or fortune or by a course of nature as vaine worldly men imagine but by the assured prouidence of God that seeth knoweth worketh all things Thirdly that God is moued with two causes to cast such miseries and afflictions vpon men somtime by iust punishment of sinne for transgression of his holy lawe and secondly to trie the faithfull and godly And lastly I haue tolde you what good instructions are to be taken of true Christians in both those wayes It remaineth that we pray vnto God most hartely that this doctrine may be so imprinted in our harteâ— as it may bring forth due fruites to hys glorie to whom bee honour and glory foreuer and euer So â—â— it ⸪ ¶ Certayne Sermons vppon this Text. Mat. 13. 3. The seede sower went out to sowe his seede and some fell by the high wayes side and the foules of the aire came and deuoured it vp some fell on stonie ground where it had not much earth and anone it sprong vp because it had no deepenesse of earth but when the Sunne rose it was burned and because it had no roote it withered c. THe holy ghost in the scriptures sundry times resembleth God to a husbandman And as there be sundry kindes of husbandry so doth he in diuers respectes compare the Churche people of God to the partes thereof Auncient writers make three parts of husbandry Pasturing Vintage Tillage To al these do the scriptures compare the Church of God The Lorde is my sheepard saith Dauid therfore caÌ„ I lack nothing He shall lead me forth in a greene Pasture c. And againe We are the people of his pasture and the sheepe of his handes And Christ himselfe saith I am the good Sheepard c and my sheepe heare my voice As touching Vintage Christ saith I am the true Vine my father is the Husbandman In Esay God maketh a long discourse declaring his Churche people to be his chosen Vineyard planted in a very fertile grouÌ„d To which parable Christ also alludeth in S. Matth. To Tillage he compareth his Church in S. Joh. Doe not you say there are foure monethes and then Haruest commeth Behold I say vnto you lift vp your eyes looke vpon the countries round about you because they are white readie to Haruest and he that reapeth shall haue his rewarde that he may gather in fruites to euerlasting life And in S. Mat. There is a large haruest few workmen desire the Lord of the haruest that he will thrust forth labourers into his haruest But in no place more plainely than in this parable of the seede sower which now I haue recited vnto you This y e spirit of God doth of purpose by these familiar similitudes to set before our eyes and to impresse more deepely in our minâ—â—s partly the great goodnes and singular care of god toward vs partly to teach vs our duetie toward him As the husbandman trauaileth and hath great care of his pasture his Vineyarde and Tillage and leaueth nothing vndone whereby he may further them so ought they to aunswere his expectation to yeelde fruit accordingly But as touching this parable of the seede sower ye haue to note these partes God is the husbandman the Preachers of the word are the seede sowers the seede is the worde of God the grounde is the heartes of men the duiersitie of the grouÌ„nde noteth the diuersitie of mens dispositions in hearing the worde of God If preachers bee the seede sowers then haue they authoritie froÌ„ God as doyng his seruice and as comming in hys message and therefore sayth Paule Let man so esteeme vs as the seruaunts of Christ and bestowers of the secretes of God They must bee heard therefore as the messengers of GOD they must be esteemed as hys seruauntes that come to sowe the seede of saluation in the heartes of men It is the worde of God that they vtter and ought to haue the Maiestie of hys person though it bee vttered by the mouthe of a mortall and fraile man The Prophets say thus Thus saith the Lorde The mouth of the Lord hath spoken and yet were they men that deliuered the message So God honoureth his messenger that though he bee couered wyth fraile fleshe sometime also stayned with sinne yet he maketh hym his mouth to open his will vnto his people When you receaued the worde of me you receaued it not as the worde of man but as it was in deede the worde of God And to the Galathians You refused not my infirmitie in fleshe but you receaued mee as the Angell of God yea euen as Christ Iesus And agayne to the Thessalonians Hee that reiecteth vs reiecteth not vs but God who hath giuen his holye spirite vnto vs. And for that cause sayeth Christ He that heareth you heareth me and he that reiecteth you reiecteth me And God in his Prophetes alwayes taketh as to himselfe that contempt or that reproche that was shewen to his Ministers whom he sent vnto hys people threatneth for the same most greeuous punishments This should they consider which in these dayes make so small accompt of Preachers and Preaching of gods word that they esteeme neither any thing of lesse price nor any persons of lesse credite But therein they shew both howe little regard they haue of their owne saluation and howe lyghtly they esteeme the glorie and Maiestie of God who offereth that benefite vnto them by his Preachers The worde of God by Christes owne exposition is the seede and so saith S. Peter also You are new borne not of mortall but of immortall seede through the worde of God that liueth and abideth foreuer All fleshe is grasse and all the glory thereof as the floure of grasse grasse withereth and the floure falleth but the worde of God abydeth for euer and this is the vvorde which
my selfe but all my sufficiencie is of GOD. If Saint Paule doth so humblye acknowledge his weakenesse why shoulde we stande so proudly in our own conceites Liberum arbitrium sayeth Saint Augustine ad diligenda dei precepta primi peccati granditate perdidimus i. We lost free will to loue and imbrace the coÌ„mandements of God through the gretnesse of the sin of our first Father Adam And De verbis Apost ser 2. Sunt homines ingrati gratiâ— dei multuÌ„ tribuenâ—â—â— inopi sauciaeque naturae Verum est magnas arbitrij vires homo cum conderetur accepit sed peccando amisit i. Men are vnthankful or vnkind vnto the grace of God attributing much vnto needy and wounded nature It is true man when he was made receiued great power of frewill but he lost it againe when he sinned And Epist 107. Primus homo sic factus est vt nihil voluntati eius resisteret postquam anâ—em libera voluntate peccauit nos in necessitatem percipitati sumus quicunque ab eius stirpe descendimus that is The firste man Adam was so made that nothing resisted his will but after thorow freewill he sinned We as many as descende from his stock are cast down headlong into necessitie of sinning If in the fall of Adam we lost freewill to loue and imimbrace the commaundement of GOD if wee shewe our selues vngratious to Gods grace by attributing so much to our maymed and corrupte Nature If by Adams offence wee bee cast into a necessitie of sinning Lette vs as the Gospell teacheth caste awaye this confydence of oure owne powers lette vs shake of this selfe lyking Hipocricie lette vs submitte our selues vnder the mightye hande of God and acknowledge our owne infyrmitie lette vs not kicke at that Doctrine of the Gospell that layeth before vs our owne weakenesse and teacheth howe great neede wee haue of the sauing grace of God in Christ Jesu As touching that they pretende the Gospell in Preaching free grace by fayth onely doeth discourage men from well doing and sette open a wyde Wyndowe to loosenesse and naughtinesse It is a very false and wicked slaunder not bearing any countinaunce or lykelihoode of truth in it For the same Spirite that is the Spirite of fayth and perswadeth our consciences to beleeue the great goodnesse and free mercies of GOD toward vs in Christe Jesu is also the spirite of loue and doeth inflambe oure hartes earnestlye to loue so bountifull and so mercifull a God that did vouchsafe when we were yet his enemies to giue his dearely beloued Sonne to death for vs. Nowe then if by the motion of one spirite we doe by fayth assuredly knowe Gods goodnesse towarde vs and by the knowledge and true sence thereof doe loue him for the same needes must there followe obedience to hys lawe and perpetuall studie to please him Fayth then of necessitie breedeth loue of God and loue bryngeth foorthe obedience to hys wyll Qui diligit me saith Christ Sermonem meum seruat j. Hee that loueth mee keepeth my sayings This loue then shoulde leade vs to obedience Thys loue shoulde bee the roote of all good dooings and not a proude hope to merite Gods fauour and deserue euerlasting lyfe by our workes For when wee haue done all wee can doe as Christ witnesseth We haue yet not done so muche as of duetie we should doe Euen so then as nothing can keepe good children so muche in obedience as to knowe theyr Parentes goodnesse towarde them so nothing can more pithylie moue Christian men to the true seruice of God and keeping of hys lawe then by the Gospell to learne hys vnspeakable goodnesse towardes vs. Moreouer the same Gospell that teacheth by Christes bloud onely to attayne remission of sinne dothe teache vs also that the ende and cause of thys our free redemption is to lyue in the seruice of God and no more to bee subiect to sinne Apparuit gratia Dei Saluatoris nostri omnibus hominibus vt abnegata impietate mundanis concupisentijs pie sobrie caste viâ—amus in hoc seculo Ipsius sumus opus conditj in Christo Iesu ad opera bona quae praeparauit deus vt in illis ambularemus that is to say The grace of God hath appeared that wee denying vngodlynesse and worldly lustes shoulde lyue soberly righteously and godly in this worlde Wee are sayth S. Paule his workemanshippe created in Christ Iesu vnto good workes which God ordayned that wee should walke in them Zacharie saieth He hath perfourmed the othe whiche hee sware to our forefather Abraham that he woulde giue vs that wee beeing deliuered out of the handes of our enemyes myght serue him without feare in holynesse and righteousnesse c. No man raunsometh a Captayne to this ende that he shoulde continue to serue his enemie God by Christ hath deliuered vs from sinne and Sathan and therefore must wee nowe forsake them and lyue in obedience of hym that hath so mercifully and freely redeemed vs. For this cause doe wee professe in our Baptisme that wee forsake the Diuell and all hys workes and as Saint Paule sayeth binde our selues to rise with Christ in newnesse of life That seeing wee bee nowe made by him the children of lyfe wee haue no more to doe with the workes of darkenesse This is the true doctrine of the Gospell wherefore no good man hath cause to bee ashamed of it It is an impudent cauill and no true crime when the aduersarie pretendeth a shame misliking of the Gospel because in preaching free grace it debaseth mans dignitie discourageth from studie of godlynes and giueth occasion to continue in sinne and wickednesse Although it teach you that of your selues you are the children of wrath and damnation yet it telleth you also that by Christ you are the heires of euerlasting lyfe and saluation Though it teache you that of your selues you can doe nothing yet it telleth you also that by the spirite of God in Christ Jesu you maye doe all things Though it teach you that by your good workes you cannot merite Gods fauour anâ— remission of sinnes yet it telleth you also that God by faith in Christes bloud onelye hath so taken away your sinnes and restored you to his fauour againe that you yet to shewe your selues thankefull vnto hym are â—ounde to walke in holynesse and ryghteousnesse before him all the dayes of your lyfe You may therefore safely and boldly say with S. Paule notwithstanding this shamelesse cauile That you are not ashamed of the Gospell for that it is the power of God c. An other sorte there is that are ashamed of the Gospell cleane contrarie to these that before I spake of that is the loose and sensuall Epicure giuen to the pleasures of the fleshe of the world For as the other sort found fault that we make too casie a waye to Heauen so these accuse the streightnesse
of God vnfruitefull â—â—ggetrees making shewe of Christianitie with the faire greene leaues of hearing Gods worde commyng to the Church vsing of the Sacramentes talking oftentimes of the Scriptures c. But the sound and true fruites of godly conuersation we shew not For if we remaine such vnprofitable trees we shall be cut downe cast into the fire and haue our partes with hypocrites where shall bee weeping and gnashing of teeth c. The next note of this text is that when God punisheth and plagueth wicked naughtie men for doing contrarie to his will it is not done onely for them vppon whom the particular punishments light but for the example of other also in al ages times These things saith S. Paul are examples for vs c. And afterward All these things came to them as ensamples were written to admonishe vâ— vpon whom the endes of the world are come The better to vnderstande this I will first declare vnto you two pointes the one that all things that come to man coâ—e not by fortune by chaunce or by natural course onely but by y â— certaine prouidence appointment of God secondly for what causes God most commoÌ„ly sendeth such plagues vpoÌ„ men And then will I adde y â— conclusion y â— Christians must make applicatioÌ„ of such examples to themselues and how y â— is to be done As God of his vnestimable goodnes made the world all that therein is for the benefite commoditie of maÌ„ that he might vse all the inferiour creatures to Gods glory so doth the same Lord maker by his almightie power infinite wisedome continue preserue y â— same My father yet still worketh faieth Christ and I worke By him onely we moue liue haue our being as Saint Paul saith as Dauid in sundry Psalmes witâ—esseth wheÌ„ thou hidest thy face they are troubled wheÌ„ thou takest away their breth they die are turned into their dust wheÌ„ thou lettest thy breath go foâ—th they shal be made thou shalt renew the face of the earth That wee call and esteeme nature is nothing but the very â—inger of God working in his creatures much more the alteration of natural courses things done extraordinarily As god made clouds at y â— beginning to water y â— earth so doth he preserue them by his mightie power holdeth them houering in y â— aire y â— they fal not downe immoderatly to drowne y â— earth but shedde theÌ„selues temperatly by drops sweet showers to season y â— same Wherefore wheÌ„ raine falleth excessiuely to hurt y â— earth or hinder mankinde as it did in the time of Noah or wheÌ„ the clouds be cleane dried vp that there is no raine at al as it fell out in y â— time of Achab it is most euident to be y â— worke of God according to his iustice punishing y â— breaking of his law vnthankfulnesse of his people So likewise as God made y â— aire so it is he y â— for lyke causes keepeth it in seasonable maner somtime moist somtime dry somtime weate sometime colde somtime wholesome somtime infectious dauÌ„gerous whervpoÌ„ followeth sicknes death of men murrens of cattle c. In like maner I might speake of y â— earth y â— water y â— Sonne y â— Moone residue of the starres planets In all euerie of which as it is the finger of God that keepeth theÌ„ in their natural order so it is his power y â— doth alter chaunge the same for causes to his wisdome knoweÌ„ bringeth out such effects as be hurtfull rather then beneficiall vnto man Therfore wheÌ„ we see infections sicknesses disseases deathes murraines losse of corn or hay destructioÌ„ of cattle great fluds burnings blastings a noÌ„ber of such like we must looke further then into y â— course of nature vnderstand y â— there is a God an ouerruler of nature y â— doth those things This is not true only in these things y â— appertaine to nature but in those also y â— be done by the will of man or as we say prophanely by chaunce or fortune For in deede there is no chaÌ„ce or fortune And therfore y â— good father Aug. doth renouÌ„ce those heathenish names repeâ—ted that euer he vsed theÌ„ That which we call fortune is nothing but y â— hand of God working by causes for causes that we knowe not ChauÌ„ce or fortune are gods deuised by man made by our ignorance of y â— true almighty euerlasting God Are not two sparrowes solde for a farthing one of them falleth not to the ground without your father yea all the heires of your head are nuÌ„bred feare you not therefore you are more worth then many sparrowes The sense of these words is y â— the prouidence of God erteÌ„deth it selfe to al creatures so y â— there is nothing so base or simple eyther w tout man or w tin him which he neglecteth or is ignorant of Of those things that be without man nothing almost is of lesse value or lesse esteemed than a poore sillie sparrow yet one of them falleth not to the grounde without our heauenly Father Of such things as appertaine to maÌ„ nothing is of lesse price than a heare yet one of theÌ„ perisheth not but by Gods prouidence This doctrine maketh greatly to the aduauncement of the true knowledge of God For it teacheth vs as I haue sayd before not onely that he is y â— maker of heauen earth of all y â— creatures in them contained but also that he doth gouerne and dispose them all preserue them that they may continue so long as to his blessed will shall seeme conuenient The scriptures in sundry places witnesse the same both in the course of his doing in sundrye Histories of Ioseph of Iob of Saule of Dauid and in particuler testimonles of sundrye Godly men and holy Prophets but noue more euidently and zealously than Dauid in many Psalmes but principally in the 104. 107. Vnto which places I referre the Godly hearer for this time would not serue if I sholh but meanely declare vnto you the wholesome instructions and assured comfortes that are to be gathered both by the examples and particular testimonies Christ in the words before recited extendeth the carefull prouidence of God to Sparrowes and to the heares of oure heades to the end no man should thinke or imagine that it is onelye a generall prouidence as many doe in these days which as they dare not deny that the world is gouerned by the wisedome and power of God so they thinke it an absurde thing to teach that God is occupied about all particular Creatures and specially them that be of the meanest sort Therefore they expound chose wordes that Christe vseth here or the scripture in other places to be spoken by Hiperbole that is a manner of
the proper necessarie vse of them all the fleakes of flesh called muscles the bones and the great varietie and the marueilous fashion and ioyning of them together the wonderfull course of the Veines the Arteries the sinewes disperkling themselues to notable vses into all partes of the body both inwarde and outwarde I will not put thee in minde of the substance the nature the power and strength of thy soule which in deede farre passeth all the other For if by consideration of thy body thou canst not learne that there is a God which in such wonderfull sorte did frame it thou shewest thy selfe not to haue the common vnderstanding of a mannes soule but art more dull than a brute beast By these things which I haue hitherto spoken a naturall man may vnderstand that there is a certaine deuine and spirituall power that gaue beginning to all these things and therfore is of himselfe Eternall And because he wrought them of nothing that he is also Omnipotent and Almightie and because they are framed in so goodly order and exceeding varietie that he is of Infinite Wisdome And for so much as he made them in the beginning and to this day preserueth them to the benefite of mankind that he is Exceeding good and bountifull and a louer of man And because he suffereth euen vnworthy persons to enioy the benefite of his creatures that he is with all very Mercifull And because with want of these his creatures he punisheth and plagueth the wicked hee sheweth himselfe Iust also Now this diuine and spirituall power that is eternall almightie wyse good mercifull and iust is that God which we speake of whom these Godlesse persons should learne thoughe they had no other booke but this of the frame of the world But seeyng they haue Gods booke of hys holy Scriptures besides this they shall be vnexcusable heape vnto themselues wrath in the day of wrath if they repent not and shake those wicked cogitations out of their harts that the seede of Gods worde may prosper with them The thirde euill birde and cruell Harpie that deuoureth the seede of Gods worde is Obstinate Papistrie And of this birde are three kindes The open Papist which dwelleth among vs and forsaketh our Communion in prayer vse of the Sacramentes manifestly protesting that wee be departed from the Catholike Church and therefore that they may not in conscience ioyne with vs. The second sort are fleeing Papistes which fling ouer the sea and returne againe secretly bringing with them pardons reconciliations sclaunderous and seditious bookes and libels w t other like things wherewith they indeuour not onely to feede other Papists in their obstinacie but with traiterous meanyng as much as they can to steale away the heartes of the subiectes from the Prince and Magistrate prepare the way to rebellion and alteration of the state so that thys Realme hath not in the world so deadly and perilous enimyes as these are to y â— vttermost of their power Their continuall trauaile is to beate into the heartes of English men that our doctrine our Church our Prince our lawe our whole state is schismaticall and hereticall that they ought not to obey either the Churche in doctrine or the Prince and state in gouernment but if they rebell â—â—they doe God good seruice To represse or chase awaye those two kindes of Romish Harpyes for so much as they wyll neither reade writing nor heare Preaching there is none other way but to claime ayde of the Magistrate that they wyll vse more seuere sharpe execution of the lawes deuise some streighter meanes than hitherto hath bene For the lenitie of these daies hath caused the multitude of these byrdes exceedyngly to increase with the perill bothe of Prince and state which if in tyme they take not heede of I feare it will be too late The thirde kinde of these sort of Harpyes is the Cunning Papist which can hyde hymselfe vnder the colour of loyaltie and obedience to y â— lawes and wyll needes be accompted a faithfull true and good subiect yet carieth in his boosome in effect the same perswasion that the other doe and for feare of daunger or discredite they are contented to obey the law in y â— meane tyme are perilous instrumentes to let the other vnderstand the secretes of all thyngs that be done or purposed wyth friendship and money to helpe them when any kinde of daunger is at hand These men as they can not by lawe be corrected so surely haue the gouernours verye great cause to haue a carefull eye vnto them and to take heede that they bee not brought into place of credite But for so much as all these three sortes of Romish Harpyes not onely deuour the seede of Gods worde and pull it out of those mindes that heare it but also by distainyng the same with their foule dung of sclaunderous reportes make it to sauour yll in the senses of many it behoueth such as feare God to be well armed with sufficient aunswere to y â— same Namely when they say that the doctrine that we preach is a new doctrine and that they wyll beleeue as their fathers haue done before them that they are the true Catholique Church and we are schismatikes and heretikes that we disagree among our selues and they consent in vnitie all which their pretences with diuerse other lyke you shall finde sufficiently aunswered in the Sermons vpon this Text Non me pudet Euangelij I am not ashamed of the Gospell c. Thus haue you heard me declare vnto you what those three principall birdes are which Sathan in these dayes hath bred in England to hinder and deuour the seede of Gods word which falleth on the high waye Nowe it remaineth to speake of the other diuersities of ground c. ¶ The seconde Sermon vppon this part of the Text. Mat. 13. 5. Some fell vpon stonie ground where it had not muche earth and by and by it sprang vp because it lacked deepenesse of earth but when the Sunne rose it was burned away BEforé whrist did speake of them which all 〈…〉 heare and receaue y â— â—ede of Gods holye worde yet their heartes bee so hardned that it sinketh not into their mindes therefore y e Diuell doth quickly by his birdes deuoure it that it neither coÌ„meth to good effect nor giueth any shew or token of likelihood to prooue well Nowe in these that followe he describeth them that receaue and admitte the word of God in such sorte as they giue great token at the beginning that it will prosper and doe good in their heartes but shortlye after some impediment growing the seede fayleth and bringeth forthe no fruite at all And first he speaketh of them whom he resembleth vnto stonie grounde that is such hartes mindes of men which because they be of disposition vehement and hoate they by and by
wee must not doe it coldly but boldly fearing no authoritie of man to Preache Jesus Christ crucified Againe in the same Prophet Crie and cease not lift vp thy voyce as a Trumpet tell my people their iniquitie and the house of Iacob their sinnes So that with like earnest boldnesse are wee in this place willed to crie out agaynst sinne and wickednesse and to tell men plainely of their iniquitie In Ezechiell we are compared vnto watchmen that should alway stand in the watch tower of the Churche of God if wee espie either corrupt doctrine or false worshipping of God or wickednesse of life by any meanes eyther openly or colourably to thrust themselues into the Church of God that wee presently ring out the alarme sound the Trumpet to giue warning to the inhabitants of the Citie of God the celestiall Hierusalem that they take heede and beware of themselues otherwise the blood of other that perish without warning will be required at our handes And that men may not thinke that this charge belongeth to the Prophetes alone S. Paule to Timothie and by hym of all other requireth the same Preache the worde But howe Bee earnest in season out of season for no time is vnconuenient to Preach true doctrine And he addeth Reproue intreate rebuke with all patience and doctrine so that if mens obstinacie bee such that they wyll not amend wee must leaue it to God and take it patiently For wee are but planters and waterers God must gyue the successe and increase Nowe if our charge bee thus earnestlye required of vs as wee are greatly to blame if we doe it not so they that be of God can not mislike with vs when wee doe it though happily their owne persons be touched therewith But we must not teach onely but we must liue also accordingly We must be Exemplaria gregis Be thou saith Paule to Timothie an example to the faithful in word in conuersation in charitie in faith And to Titus Aboue all things bee thou an example of good workes with vncorrupt doctrine with grauitie with integritie And Chrisost God sayeth he will not haue a Christian to be contented with himself but to edifie other also and that not in doctrine onely but in life also For men looke not onely what is spokē but what is done As there was neuer time more captious perilous and daūgerous then these dayes are so was circumspect walking neuer more necessarie y t our enimies take not a pretence by our blemishes to quarrell agaynst our doctrine This if we doe we shal be good Ministers of Christ we shal walke in the house of God w t good conscience we shal be able for any iust cause to stoppe y ◠enimyes mouthes force them to praise God in the day of visitation we shall be able for mans iudgement to say w t Christ Quis ex vobis c. Which of you cā rebuke me of sinne But if we doe not this our conscience must needes be heauily burthened Gods iudgementes as he threatneth by his Prophetes will bee greeuous against vs he will rase vs out of the booke of Israell he will set himselfe agaynst vs he wyll feede vs with worme wood and giue vs water with gaule to drinke yea he wyl cry out Woe and curse against vs as he doth in Jeremie Ezechiel Woe saith he to these pastors that hurt and destroye my flocke And in Jeremie 25. Howle ye sheepards and crie and wallow your selues in the ashes yee principall of the flocke for your dayes of slaughter are accomplished the flyght shall fayle from the sheepardes the principall of the flocke shall not escape c. In which words althoughe the Prophet chiefely doth speake of Princes Magistrates and gouernous of the people of GOD yet hee comprehendeth also those that hee hath appoynted to direct them in doctrine and teaching What the Byshops Preachers and y ◠Ecclesiasticall state of this Realme haue deserued I knowe not but what the world speaketh of them and howe men open their mouthes against them I knowe and with griefe of my harte I knowe it and heare it If wee bee such horrible offences to the Churches of God as the common voyce of men doth make vs as before I haue sayde in this place Better it were that Milstones were tyed about our neckes we cast headlong into the Sea as Christ speaketh of them that giue offence to y t meanest of his churche If wee bee so retchlesse and negligent that when wee bee made Byshops and haue gotten the Rochet on our backe wee forget howe to Preache if we be so giuen ouer to the worlde as wee haue eyther lyttle or no care at all of our duetie and calling as men saye to our faces our faulte must needes bee great neyther can any excuse bee made But if wee bee so wee lyue vnder a Prince and lawes vnder Magistrates and gouernours neyther doe wee challenge any exemption as the annoynted of Rome did but let our causes and crymes bee tryed wyth suche indifferencie as other States woulde bee contented to bee iudged by and then let euerye man carye his owne burthen according to the weight of hys desertes I desire na fauour eyther for other or for my selfe although I knowe more faultes by my selfe then I doe by other Onely this I require that gnats bee not turned into Elephantes and moulehilles be made Mountaynes that is small blemishes no faultes in other horrible and great crymes in vs onely of affection to deface our calling and to discredite the Gospell which wee Preache Sathan knoweth ryght well and I feare his cunnyng bee too well learned that there is no waye so fitte to deface any kynde of doctrine as by all meanes that maye be to bryng the Ministers and Preachers thereof in discredite hatred and contempt There is in the Ecclesiasticall historye a notable example of that noble Emperour Constantine the greate who after that he had assembled the great Councell of Nice for the suppressing of the Heresie of Arrius and there were assembled to the number of 318 Bishops whereof the greatest number were men of notable fame as well for life as learning yet by humayne frayltie forgetting themselues and the principall cause that they came for they began to offer to the Emperour Libels and Bils of complaynt one agaynst another blazing euery man the others infirmities which thing the Emperour greatly misliking and foreseing the great inconuenience that might come thereby to the Christian fayth whiche lately before hee had excepted into his Empire he would not so muche as once looke into the Bils of complayntes but wrapped them vp togeather and in theire sighte cast them into the fyre with reuerente wordes exhorting them to forget those quarrels to bende themselues wholye to that matter for whiche principallye they came So that the Godlye Emperoure did rather indeuour with Sem and Iaphet