loue of God in electing the fellowship of the holy Ghost in comforting is far from them so long as they continue in their sinnes and vnbeliefe so long they be traitours enemies rebels vnto the King of all Kings he proclaimes war and they can haue no peace Thinke on this ye that forget God Yee that ioine house to house and lay field to field till there be no place for other in the land ye that rise vp early to follow drunkennesse and are mighty to powre in strong drinke Ye that speake good of euill and euill of good which put light for darknesse and darknesse for light c. Agree with your aduersary quickly while you are in the way seeke the Lord while he may be found and call vpon him while he is nigh O Ierusalem Ierusalem thou that killest the Prophets and stonest them that are sent vnto thee Suffer the words of exhortation harden not your heart but euen in this day heare the voice of the Crier confesse thy rebellion and come in to the Lord thy God for he is gentle patient and of much mercy desire of him to create in thee a new heart and to giue thee one drop of a liuely faith one dram of holy deuotion a desire to hunger and thirst after righteousnesse Suffer not thine eies to sleep nor thine eie lids to take any rest vntill thine vnrighteousnesse is forgiuen and sinne couered vntill thy peace be made with God and thy pardon sealed O pray pray that thou maist haue this peace O pray pray that thou maiest feele this peace for it is the third kinde the peace of conscience betweene man and himselfe There are foure kinds of conscience as Bernard hath well obserued 1. A good but not a quiet 2. A quiet but not a good 3. Both good and quiet 4. Neither good nor quiet The two good belong properly to the godly the two bad vnto the wicked whose coÌ„science is either too too quiet or else too too much vnquiet in neither peace non est gaudium impijs as the Translators of the Septuagints reade non est gaudere impijs There is no ioy to the wicked Somtime their conscience is too too quiet as Paul speakes euen feared with an hot iron when habit of sin takes away the sense of sinne when as men are past feeling in a reprobate sense giuen ouer to worke all vncleannes euen with greedinesse Ephes. 4.19 This is no peace but a numnesse yea a dumbnesse of conscience For at the first euery mans conscience speaks vnto him as Peter to Christ Master looke to thy selfe Her prick-arrowes as the shafts of Ionathan forewarne Dauid of the great Kings displeasure but if wee neglect her call and will not lend our eares while she doth spend her tongue this good Cassandra will crie no more Now it fareth with the maladies of the minde as it is with the sicknes of the bodie When the pulse doth not beate the bodie is in a most dangerous estate so if conscience neuer prick vs for sinne it is a manifest signe our soules are lulled in a deadly sleepe That schoole will soone decay where the monitor doth not complaine that armie must necessarilâ—e be subiect to surprise where watches and alarums are not exactly kept that towne is dissolute where no clocks are vsed â—o likewisâ—â—ur little citie is in great perilâ— when our conscience iâ—â—ill and sleepie quiet but not good tunc maxime oppugnaris si tâ— nescis oppugâ—ari saith Hierâ—me to Heliodore None so desperatly sicke as they who feele not their disease Saint Augustine notably Quid miserius misero non miserante seipsum and Bernard Ideo dolet charitas mea quòd cùm sis doleâ—dus non doleas inde ma is miseretur quòd cùm miser sis miserabilis tamen non es and Hierome to Sabinian Hoc plango quòd te non plangis When the strong man armed keepes â—is hold the things that are possessed are in peace Where Diuines obserue that vngodly men already possessed with Satan are not a whit disquieted with his temptations As God is at open war so the diuell is at secret peace with the wicked but yet saith Hierome tranquillitas ista tempestas est This calmâ— of conscience will one day prooue a storme For as God said vnto Cain If thou doest ill sinne lieth at the doore Where wickednesse is compared to a wilde beast which dogs a man wheresoeuer hee goeth in this wildernesse And albeit for a time it may seeme harmlesse for that it lieth asleepe yet at length except men vnfainedly repent it will rise vp and rent out the very throte of their soules A guiltie conscience being once roused and awaked thoroughly will make them like those who lie on a bed that is too strait and the couering too short who would with all their heart sleepe but cannot they seeke for peace of minde but there is no peace to the wicked sâ—iâ—h my God As the coÌ„science was heretofore too too quiet so now too too much vnquiet As godly men haue the first fruits of the Spirit and certaine â—asts of heauenly ioyes in this life so the wicked on the contrarie feele certaine flashings of hell flames on earth As there is heauen on earth and heauen in heauen so hell on earth and hell in hell an outward hell and an inward outward in outward darknesse mentioned in holy Scripture where there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth at this feast as Bishop Latymer wittily there can bee no mirth where weeping is serued in for the first course gnashing of teeth for the second Inward hell is an infernall tormenting of the soule void of hope faith and loue this hell the diuels haue alwaies in theÌ„ and reprobate forlorne people carrie about theÌ„ insomuch that they can neither disport themselues abroad nor please themselues at home neither comforted in companie nor quiâ—ted alone but in all places and times Erinnys conscieâ—tiae so Melancâ—hon calles it hellish hags and infernall â—uries affright them Auâ—ustine in his â—narration of the 45. Psalm thus liuely describes the wofull estate of a despairing sinner Fâ—giet ab agro ad ciuitatem à publico ad domum à domo in cubiculum He runnes as a mad man out of the field into the citie out of the citie into his house from the common roomes in his house to his chamber from his chamber into his studie from his studie to the secret closet of his own heart ecce hosteÌ„ suum inuenit quo confugerat seip sum quò fugiturâ—s est and then last of all he is content least of all himselfe being greatest enemie to himselfe The blinde man in the Gospel newly recouering his sight imagined trees to be men and the Burgundians as Comiâ—aeus reports expecting a battell supposed long thistles to be launces so the
Antichrist is the Babylonians ioy the Diuell Câ—licuts ioy but onely Christ is our ioy We will reioyce and be glad in thee I am my beloueds and my beloued is mine Christ is so much the Churches as that he is none others ioy for as Cyprian and other Catholike Doctors He that hath not the Church for his Mother hath not God for his Father and he that hath not God for his Father hath not Christ for his Sauiour Per portam Ecclesia intramus in portam paradisi No Church no Christ no Christ no ioy This exultation appertaines only to the Church He that is not a sonne of Sion a Citizen of Hierusalem is in the gall of bitternes and hath no part nor portion in this happines Now concerning the act the matter is to reioyce The maner greatly to reioyce with iubilation and shouting It is a receiued opinion in the world that religion doth dull our wits and daunt our spirits as if mirth and mischiefe wâ—nt alway together but it is taught and felt in Christs schoole that none can be so ioyfull as the faithful that there is not so merry a land as the holy land and therefore Zachary doth double his exhortation Reioyce greatly shout for ioy and Zophony doth triple it Reioyce â— daughter Sion be ye ioyfull ó Israel be glad with all thine heart ô daughter Hierusalem Exulta laetare iubila Now iubilation as the Fathers obserue is so great a ioy that it can neither be smothered nor vttered Hilaris cum pondere virtus In the words of Christ My yoke is easie my burdeâ— is light A new yoke is heauie but when it is worne and dried it waxeth easie Christ therefore did first weare and beare this yoke that it might be seasoned and made light for vs he commanded vs to fast and himselfe did fast he commanded vs to pray and himselfe did often pray he commanded vs to forgiue one another and himselfe pardoned Againe when he saith My yoke is sweet and my burden is light he doth insinuate that the yokes of other are bitter and their burdens heauie that it is a sorie seruice to be Sathans vassall or the worlds hireling so that the good man takes more delight in performing his dutie then the wicked can in all his villanies vanities I was glad saith Dauid when they said vnto me we will goe into the house of the Lord. And Psalm 84.2 My soule hath a longing desire to enter into the courts of the Lord. And Psalm 81. Sing we merily to God c. An vpright Christian is a Musician a Physician a Lawyer a Diuine to himselfe for what is sweeter Musicke than the witnes of a good conscience What is better Physicke then abstinere sustinere good diet and good quiet what deeper counsell in Law then in hauing nothing to possesse all things and what sounder Diuinitie then to know God and whom he hath sent Iesus Christ On the contrary the wicked is wearied in his wayes and discontented in his courses A malitious man is a murtherer of himselfe the prodigall man a theese to himselfe the voluptuous man a witch to himselfe the couetous man a diuell to himselfe the drunkard all these to himselfe a murtherer to his bodie a theese to his purse a witch to his wit a diuell to his soule The blinde Poet saw so much Semitacertè Tranquillae per virtutem â—atet vnica vita Salâ—iaâ—â—s hath pithily comprehended all in a few words Nâ—mo alâ—orum sensu miser est sed suo ideo non possunt cuiusquam falso iudâ—cio esse miseri qui sunt verè suâ— conscientiá beati hoc cunâ—tis beatiores sunt religiosi quia habent quae volunt meliora quà m quae habent omninò habere non possunt Fiâ—ei praesentis oblectamenta capiunt beatisudinis futurae praemia consequentur Hitherto concerning the Prophets exultation his exaltation followeth Ecce rex tuâ—s c. The word Behold in the Bible is like Iohn the Baptist alway the forerunner of some excellent thing and indeed all our comfort consists in this one sweet sentence Behold thy King commeth vnto thee Behold looke no more for him but now looke on him Happy are the eyes which see the things that ye see King a reall and a royall Prince Reall in regard of his right and that by a thrâ—efold title iure creationis merito redemptionis donâ— patris might as being the Lord vers 3. who commands and it is done vers 6. for he can doe whatsoeuer he will and more then he will A royall Prince both in his affections and actions A tyrant doth rob and spoile the people but the Messias is Iesus a Sauiour of his people Matth. 1.21 A tyrant is a wolfe to scatter and destroy the sheepe but Christ is the good shepheard who gaue his life for the sheepe Iohn 10.11 Thy promised vnto thee borne of thee bred vp with thee flesh of thy flesh and bone of thy bone not euery ones King for Satan is Prince of the world but thy King for he is God of Israel his comming was sufficient for the whole world but efficient only for Sion Or thy King because it is not enough to confesse in generall that Christ is a King for the Diuell himselfe beleeues the Maior of the Gospell but the daughter of Sion must assume and beleeue the Minor that Christ is her King Esay 9.6 To vs a child is borne to vs a Sonne is giuen There is great diuinitie saith Luther in Pronouns a great Emphasis in nobis and noster as Bullinger Caluin note Commeth Christ is the way we wanderers out of the way so that if the Way had not found vs we neuer should or could haue found the way nec opibus nec operibus nec opera Vnto thee tibi sicredis contra te si non credis if incredulous against thee but if beleeuing for thee for thy not his good he gaue himselfe for thee Nascens se dedit in socium conuescens in cibum moriens in pretium regnans in praemium See Epist. Dom. 3. Quadrages What could haue been said lesse and yet what canst thou wish for more for if Chrâ—st be a King then he is able if thine then willing if he come he respects not his paine if he come vnto thee he regards not his profit and therefore reioyce daughter Sion shout for ioy daughter Hierusalem These glosses are common in the Fathers and Friars and I shall often touch vpon them especially Epist and Gospell on Christmas day The second part of this Gospell insinuates how wee must entertaine Christ in our Thoughts The second part of this Gospell insinuates how wee must entertaine Christ in our Words The second part of this Gospell insinuates how wee must entertaine Christ in our Deeds For the
sacraments which are mysteries and Preachers of his faith which is a deepe secret 1. Tim. 3.16 of all other the greatest and yet it is the Ministers proper office with Iohn Baptist to shew the Lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world They are the mouth of God in preaching to the people and againe the peoples mouth in praying to God euen mediators as it were betweene God a man as Moses said of himselfe Deut. 5. I stood betweene the Lord and you to declare vnto you the word of the Lord. This doth intimate how wee should teach and you should heare First how wee should preach If any man speake let him talke as the words of God 1. Pet. 4.11 It is a good obseruation that the Lawyer ought to begin with reason and so descend to common experience and authoritie The Physician he must begin with â—â—perience and so come to reason and authoritie but the Diuine must begin with authoritie and so proceed to reason and experience 2. This may teach you to heare our voyce not as the word of men but as it is indeed the word of God Christ said of the wicked Pharisies in the 23. of S. Matth. Quae dicunt facite Doe as they say but not as they doe Dicunt enim quae Dei sunt faciunt quae sua sunt They doe their owne workes but speake the Lords word And therfore so long as the Preachers deliuer the wholesome words of our Lord Iesus or doctrine which is according to his words you must entertaine them as Angels of God euen as Christ Iesus honouring their place and reuerencing their persons And this I take to be the pith of the first part In the second S. Paul teacheth how wee must not iudge first he reports then reproues their fault His report is in these words Hîc iam quaeritur c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heere among you Corinthians it is discussed and disputed who is a faithful Minister who is vnfaithfull And herein they wrong both God his word and his Ministers God to whom onely iudgement belongs in this case Some peraduenture may iudge of the Ministers eloquence many of his industrie but none of his faithfulnesse which is the chiefe thing required in a steward A man may be fruitfull and yet not faithfull an instrument to saue other and yet be condemned himself for he may preach Christ not for Christ but happely for other respects as the fornicator makes delectation his end not generation so the Preacher adulterans verbâ—m as it is in the vulgar intends not to get children in Christ vnto God but gaine or glorie to himselfe Ye know the men ye know not their minde ye see their fact not their faith onely God knowes the secrets of all hearts Secondly it is an iniurie to Gods word in hauing the faith of our glorious Lord Iesus Christ in respect of persons Iames 2.1 It is not any who who may either priuiledge an error or preiudice a truth if another Gospell hold him accursed although the Minister be an Angell if a truth doe as they say though the teacher be a diuell poyson in a golden cup is as hurtfull as in an earthen pot wine in a siluer bowle no better then in a woodden dish When one faith I am Pauls and another I am Apollos are ye not carnall Is not this grosse carnalitie to set vp Idols in the Church and to worship them in stead of God Thirdly this is an indignitie to the Preachers in that artles men will take vpon them to iudge of art By the lawes of the land a person occupying the craft of a Butcher may not vse the occupation of a Tanner and a Brewer may not deale in the occupation of a Cooper Quod medicorum est promittunt medici tractant fabrilia fabri None prescribe physick but such as are Doctors at least practitioners in the facultie none plead at the common barre but such as are learned in the law yet euerie one as Hierome complaines in an Epistle to Paulinus takes vpon him exact knowledge in Theologie and will teach both Clerke and Priest what they should say what they should doe So that often it fareth with Preachers as it doth alway with fish none so welcome as new come If a stranger happely come among vs albeit he be neuer so weake for his learning neuer so wicked for his liuing yet all the countrie must gad after him and neglect their owne pastors as Christ in the Gospell A Prophet is not honoured in his owne citie and in his owne house This was a soule fault in Corinth Apollos and Cephas and Paul were despised while false teachers were deified Indeed Paul writes in the third chapter of this Epistle as if some followed him and other Apollos himselfe for his plaine doctrine and Apollos for his excellent eloquence But in the sixth verse of this chapter hee saith he applied those things vnto himselfe and Apollos figuratiuely meaning that Peter and Apollos and himselfe were neglected and other vpstart seducers only regaâ—ded he did vse the names of Gods Apostles in his censure for the benefit of the Corinthians For your sake that ye might learne by vs that no man presume aboue that which is written and that one swell not against another for any mans cause So men in our daies are too partiall in hearing and censuring their Teachers as one said Auditories are like Faires the Pedler and the Balladmonger hath more coÌ„pany then the graue rich Merchant Children fooles hang vpon them who sell toyes and neglect those who haue their shops stuft with good commodities and this assuredly doth discourage many Pastors learned and profitable For euery man hath not a magnanimous spirit spernere se sperni to tell his auditorie with Paul I passe very little to be iudged of you For so this fault is reproued in the third verse The false teachers had extolled themselues and disgraced him affirming that his bodily presence was weake and his speech of no value S. Paul therfore hauing the testimonie of a good conscience resolutely tels the Corinthians I little passe to be iudged of them or you or any man Hee saith not I esteeme not at all but I little regard that is not so much respect your iudgement as that I should be discouraged in doing my dutie The witnesse of conscience is more comfortable then the vulgar breath in comparison of the one I little prise the other Or as Gorran It were a great thing to be iudged of such as are spirituall but it is a very small thing to be iudged of you who are thus carnall As Seneca Male de me loquuntur sed mali mouerer si de me Marcus Cato si Lalius sapiens si duo Scipiones ista loquerentur nunc malis displicere laudari est Either of mans iudgement Our
Apostle wils vs to rebuke with all long suffering and doctrine Now himselfe is a paterne of his owne precept for left he should seeme too bitter in chiding the Corinthians and despising their iudgement he doth in this clause somewhat qualifie his speech insinuating that he doth except against all others iudgement so well as theirs Happely some will obiect it is vnciuill and vnchristian not to regard what men speake of vs As wee must haue care of our conscience so likewise of our credit Quâ semel amissâ posteà nullus eris It is good in our courses to gaine the fore-game for it is exceeding hard to play an after-game of reputation Answere is made that albeit Paul esteemed little their iudgement in regard of himself as expecting the praise of God and hauing a good certificate from his owne conscience yet in respect of other who might hereby be scandalized and so the Gospell hindred he was assuredly grieued and therefore reproues here their fault boldly that they might repent heartily To me it is little but vnto other it is a great scandall that I should be thus abused and neglected of you Iudge not mine owne selfe I know more by my selfe then you or any man else and yet I cannot iudge my selfe therefore much lesse ought yee to iudge me This seemes contradictorie to that of Paul If we would iudge our selues we should not be iudged I answer with Aquine that there is a three-fold iudgement 1. Discussionis 2. CondeÌ„nationis 3. Absolutionis Euery man may yea must iudge himselfe with the two former hee must examine himselfe and vpon examination altogether condemne himselfe Euery man ought daily to commune with his owne heart and to search out his spirit Psalm 77.6 Scopebam spiritum I did as it were sweepe my soule Diligenter attendâ— quaâ—tum proficias vel quantum deficias Examine thy selfe whether thou hast gone forward or backward in the waies of the Lord. Summon thy selfe as it were before another and so fift the whole course of thy life wherein thou hast offended in thought word deede by sinnes of omission or commission against God thy neigbour and thy selfe Iudge thine owne selfe in secret before thy selfe and thou shalt not be condemned at the last day before all the world Do this saith Bernard Si non semper aut saepè saltem interdum If not alwaies or often at least sometime especially saith our Apostle when yee come to receiue the blessed sacrament of our Lords Supper Let a man examine himselfe and so let him eate of this bread and drinke of this cup. The second kinde of iudgement is of condemnation So Iob I will reproue my waies in his sight If I would iustifie my selfe mine owne mouth shall condemne me So Dauid Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant for in thy sight shall no man liuing be iustified And S. Iohn If wee say we haue no sinne wee deceiue our selues and the truth of God is not in vs. A Christian in this world is mundus mundandus cleane in part and in part to be made cleane all his perfection consists in acknowledging his imperfection all his righteousnesse in forgiuenes of sinnes rather then in perfection of vertue Yea but say the Pelagians and after them the Papists Elizabeth and Zachary were iust obseruing all the commandements and ordinances of the Lord Luke 1.6 Iob an vpright man departing from euill and preseruing his innocencie Iob 2.3 In Dauid no wickednesse Psal. 17.3 and here Paul I know nothing by my selfe I answere to the first If Zacharie was a Priest then a sinner for as we reade Heb. 7.27 the Priests manner was first to offer sacrifice for his owne sinnes and then for the peoples If then Zacharie did sacrifice he had sinne and sinne is a transgression of the Law so that he did not exactly keepe the whole law but himselfe and his wife so farre obserued the commandements as that they were blamelesse in the worlds eye no man could iustly condemne them for doing vniustly But as Augustine said Vae etiam laudabili vitae hominum si remota misericordia discutias eam Woe to the commendable life of man if God set mercie aside in iudging of it Euen their owne Bernard confesseth ingeniously that if the Lord should take a strait account of vs his stewards it were impossible that any should answere the thousanth yea the least part of his debt nec millesimae nec minimae parti For the commendation of Iob it is not simple but comparatiue There was none like him on the earth at least none so righteous in that part of the earth in the land of Vz. It was a great praise to be so good among that people who were so bad According to the measure of humane perfection Almightie God hath giuen him so great testimonie of righteousnesse saith Augustine Hast thou not considered my seruant Iob how none is like him in the earth an vpright and iust man one that feareth God and eschueth euill But himselfe is afraid of himselfe Verebar omnia opera mea So the Romish translation hath it I was afraid of all my workes Iob 9.28 And in the second verse of the same chapter How shall a man bee iustified before God and in the third verse If I contend with him I shall not be able to answere him one for a â—housand Now for Dauid his praise was not generall but particular and partiall There was no wickednesse found in him that is no plot or practise against Saul wherof he was accused vniustly but otherwise in other things his sinnes were so many and those so heauie that hee crieth out in the 38. Psalme Put me not to rebuke O Lord in thine anger c. Dauid was no traitor but Dauid was an adulterer and a cruâ—ll murtherer He turned from nothing the Lord commanded him all the daies of his life saue only in the matter of Vriah the Hittite 1. Kings 15.5 What had Dauid no fault else but only that against Vriah Yes surely Dauid was conceiued in sin and shapen in wickednesse As he was the sonne of many yeares so the father of many sinnes In his priuate conuersation hee did so much offend as that he saith in the 130 Psalme If thou O Lord be extreame to marke what is done amisse oh Lord who may abide it That text then is to be construed of his publike gouernment as the circumstances import as he was a King the Scripture giueth him this commendation that excepting the matter of Vriah hee gaue no publike scandall in the whole time of his raigne Dauid was in many things a bad man but in most things a good King So likewise this speech of Paul I know nothing by my selfe is not generall extended to the whole course of his life but particular touching his Apostleship So Bishop Latimer said As for sedition for
lust thereof being onely certaine in being vncertaine Secondly things of this world are not satisfactory they doe not fill and content the mind of man The eye cannot be satisfied with seeing nor the eare filled with hearing all things haue an emptinesse and extreme vanity purchasing vnto the possessors nothing but anguish and vexation of spirit and the reason hereof as Viâ—aldus obserues is because the heart of man is made like a triangle and the world round as a circle Now a circle cannot fill a triangle but there will be some corner empty There is nothing can fill the mind of man but the blessed Trinitie when God the Father the most ancient of daies shall fill our memory God the Sonne who is wisdome it selfe shall fill our vnderstanding God the holy Ghost who is contentation and loue shall sit in our will then all the powers of our mind will be at rest when as they shall inioy him who made them But the things of this world afford no perfect and absolute contentment and therefore ne vos configurate seculo isto fit not your selues according to the worlds figure which is a circle but be ye renewed in your mind which is a triangle representing the sacred Trinitie Take a view with the Wise man of all worldly things in briefe doth any pleasure satisfie No pleasure is like lightning Simul oritur moritur it is sweet but short like hawking much cost and care for a little sport The prodigall child wasted both goods and body yet could not haue enough at the lest not enough hogs meat Virgo formosa supernè Desinit in turpem piscem malesuada voluptas Doth learning that incomparable treasure of the mind satisfie No The more a man knoweth the more hee knoweth that hee doth not know so that as Salomon said Hee that increaseth knowledge doth increase sorrow Doth honour content a man No The poore labourer would be written Yeoman the Yeoman after a few deare yeeres is a Gentleman the Gentleman must bee Knight the Knight a Lord the Baron an Earle the Count a Duke the Duke a King the King would Caesar bee and what then is the worlds Emperour content No. Vnus Pellaeo iuueni non sufficit orbis Aestuat infoelix angusto limine munde One world is not enough for Alexander and therefore he weepes and is discontent as if hee wanted elbow roome In the state Ecclesiasticall the begging Frier would be Prior the Prior an Abbat the Lord Abbat a Bishop the Bishop an Archbishop the Metropolitane a Cardinall the Cardinall Pope the Pope a God nay that is not enough aboue all that is called God 2. Thes. 2.4 This made Bernard wonder O ambitio ambientium crux how dost thou paine yet pleasure all men Doe riches content No the more men haue the more men craue and that which is worst of all they are the greatest beggers when they haue most of all He that loueth siluer shall not bee satisfied with siluer As the poore man crieth out Quid faciam quia non habeo so the couetous wretch as fast complaineth Quid faciam quia habeo Luke 12.17 Those drinks are best that soonest extinguish thirst and those meates which in least quantity doe longest resist hunger but here the more a man doth drinke the more thirstie so strange in some is this thirst that it maketh them dig the pits and painfully draw the water and after wil not suffer them to drinke This saith Salomon is an euill sicknesse and a great vanity when a man shall haue riches and treasure and honour â—nd want power and grace to ioy in them Thus you see the world is like a butterflie with painted wings vel sequendâ— labâ—mur vel assequendo laedimur either we faile in pursuing it or else wheÌ„ we haue caught it it is so vaine that it giueth no contentment Herein is the true difference betweene earthly things heauenly things the one are desired much but being obtained they content little the other are desired little but once gained satisfie much and therefore Lay not vp treasure vpon earth where the moth and canker corrupt and where theeues dig thorow steale for these things are neitheâ— vera nor vestra but lay vp treasure for your selues in heauen If ye will not heare the words of Scripture behold the works of nature mans heart is broad aboue narrow beneath open at the top close below to signifie that we should inlarge and spread our affections toward heauen and heauenly things and draw them to as narrow a point as possibly we can concerning earth and earthly things and so by the fashion of our heart we may learne not to follow the fashion of the world Be ye changed by the renewing of your mind We are formed by God deformed by Satan transformed by grace 1. Sacramentally by baptisme 2. Morally by newnesse of life which our Apostle meanes in this place That which followes in the text is expounded Epist. for the next Sunday The Gospel LVKE 2.42 The father and mother of Iesus went to Hierusalem after the custome of the feast day c. THis Gospell is a direction how parents ought to carrie themselues toward their children and how children also should demeane thâ—mselues toward their parents the one by the practise of Ioseph and Mary the other by the paterne of our Sauiour Christ. Parents care touching their children concernes their Soule Bodie Their soule that they bee brought vp in instruction and information of the Lord that is in godlinesse and ciuilitie by the one they shall keepe a good conscience before God by the other they shall obtaine a good report among men the which two conscience and credit must chiefly be sought after in this life For the bodie Parents ought to prouide competent sustenance and maintenance guarding their persons and regarding their estates all which is performed here by Ioseph and Mary toward Christ. First for the soules institution they did instruct him by precept and example precept bringing him to the Temple that he might be taught and that not only this once but often as often as law did require So Iuuencus expressely Ad Templum laetis puerum perducere festis Omnibus annorum vicibus de more solebant This should teach al parents how to teach their children especially that they send them vnto the publike Catechising in the Church and that according to Canon and custome for the common Catechisme which Authoritie commands is fit and full as containing all the vertues necessarie to saluation and the meanes whereby those vertues are receiued and conserued The principal vertues of a Christian are Faith Hope Charitie The Creede is necessarie for faith as teaching vs what wee haue to beleeue The Pater noster is necessarie for hope teaching vs what we are to desire The ten Commandements are necessary for charitie teaching vs what we
haue to do The Sacraments are instruments of grace by which those vertues are conueied vnto vs and continued in vs. As to build an house it is requisite first to place the foundation then to raise the walles and last of al to couer it with the roofe so saith Augustine to make in our soules the building of eternall saluation we neede the foundation of faith the walles of hope the roofe of charitie The tooles as it were wherewith all these bee wrought are the sacred Word and blessed Sacraments our Catechisme then in briefe comprehending all these matters and all these meanes and standing vpon the same legges especially with the Geneuian and Romane Catechisme cannot be distasted either of Accusant or Râ—cusant out of deuotion and pietie but out of saction and malice well or rather ill each may say with the Poet Non amo te Sabidi nec possum dicere quaere Hoc tantùm possum dicere non amo te The father and mother Ioseph was not the naturall father of Christ but father In Opinion Luk. 3.23 Iesus as men supposed was the soâ—ne of Ioseph Care being his nurcing father appointed of God for nurces are called mothers and patrons fathers Law being husband to Mary and nigh of kin to Christ. But Mary was the mother of Christ not only in opinion and care but in truth and in deed Mater à matâ—ria the very matter of Christs bodie was of the Virgin Mary Galat. 4.4 God sent his soâ—ne made of a woman Sâ—e Epist. Sunday after Christmas Secondly these parents instruct their child by their owne example for they doe not send but bring him vp to Hierusalem after the custome of the feast day The which is the shortest cut of teaching Longum iter per praecepta breue per exempla The parents good life preuailes more with his childe then a good lesson Their deuotion is seene in Going vp to Hierusalem after the custome of the feast Tarying there fulfilling the daies S. Paul exhorts vs to pray at all times and in all places for the whole world is Gods vniuersal and as it were Cathedrall Church and euery particular Christian is as it were his priuate Chapell and Temple Daniel praied in the Lions denâ—e Ionas in the Whales bellie Iob on the dunghill and the theese on the crosse yet the Lord heard their prayers and granted their requests It is lawful then in priuate to pray when and where we shall iudge most meete but God for his publike worship hath in all ages assigned certaine times and certaine places The most speciall time is his Sabbath and the most speciall place the Temple so wee finde precept and practise Precept My house shall be called the house of praier the which is repeated by Christ in three Euaâ—gelists Practise The Publican and the Pharisie went vp into the Temple to pray Luk. 18. Anna prayed in the Temple Luk. 2. Peter and Iohn went vp into the Temple at the houre of prayer Act. 3. Christ himselfe daily teaching in the Temple Luk. 19. After Christ by reason of the great persecution the Christians assemblâ—d not in the fittest but in the safest places in processe of time they did erect Oratories not in any sumptuous or stately manner which neither was possible by reason of the Churches pouerty nor plausible in regard of the worlds enuie but at length when Almightie God stirred vp religioâ—s Kings and Queenes as nursing fathers and nursing mothers of the Church that which the Christians before either could not or durst not doe was with all alacritie performed in all places Temples were built no cost spared nothing too deare which that way should be spent sacrilegious wretches are not now more desirous to pull downe then those deuout professors were to set vp Churches Now one chiefe cause why God in all ages would be serued in publâ—ke Temples is that his Church might be distinguished from the Conuenticles of Heretikes and Schismatikes that all of vs acknowledge one God and one Christ so all of vs might haue one faith and one baptisme an vniformitie in doctrine and a conformitie in outward ceremonies for the better deliuering of this doctrine The parents of Christ did therefore well in ioyning themselues vnto the congregation and obseruing the publike ceremonies of the Church At that time the temple was made a denne of theeues and yet Ioseph and Mary ioyne with the Church in the publike worship of God whose example doth exceedingly crosse the practise of Brownists and all other Recusants who refuse to communicate with vs in our Temples because some things as they pretend are amisse Ioseph and Mary took part with Gods Priests and people in that which was good and as for the rest they did not meddle further then their place required They went this long iourney to satisfie the law as also by their good example to stirre vp other to reuerence the publike ceremonies and ministrie By the Law men only were bound to keep the general solemne feasts as wee reade Exod. 23. and Deut. 16.16 Three times in the yeere shall all the males appâ—are before the Lord thy God in the place where he shall chuse so that Mary went not vp to Hierusalem as compelled by law but only carried with pure deuotion to God and vnfained loue to her husband and childe Here then is a notable relique for women to behold Mary free by the letter of the law by thâ— custome of the countrey dwelling at Nazareth a great way from Hierusalem did notwithstanding euery yeere goe with her husband vnto the feast of the Passeouer In our time many women vnlike this good Ladie will be content â—uen on the Lords day to toyle at home about their own businesse and gad abroad to meddle with others businesse rather then thâ—y will accompanie their good husband Ioseph and their towardly sonne Iesus vnto Gods house And when they had fulfilled the daies That is whole seuen daies according to the custome They came with the first and went home with the last Worldly men for their honour will ride post to the Court to be knighted with the first for their profit at mill and market first for their pleasure at the play first at hunting first first at any mâ—rrie meeting but as for the Church they thinke they come too soone and stay too long winter daies are too short for hunting sommer daies too short for hawking yet one houre of seuen daies is thought long that is spent in Gods holy worship as one wittily Long Samons and short sermons please best and yet if we looke not with the spectacles of the world but with the eyes of faith discerning all things aright we shall finde that there is no such honour as to be Gods seruant no such gaine as godlinesse no such pleasure as a good conscience The congregation vnder the Law was not dismissed without the Priests benediction
of time the first had his house set on fire in the night and he with all his familie was burnt the second had the iandise from the crowne of his head to the sole of his foote whereof he died vncomfortably the third seeing what was befallen these twaine repented and confessed the conspiracie yet for all that he lost his eyes Earle Godwin swearing at table before the King that hee did not murther Aâ—frâ—â— after many words in excusing himselfe said So mought I safely swallow this morsell of bread as I am guiltlesse of the deede But so soone as he had receiued the bread foorthwith he was choked What need we looke so farre the confounding of the Spanish Armado the defeating of so many cruell treasons against our late Queene of blessed memory the frustrating of that hellish Gunpowder Treason are plaine demonstrations that vengeance is Gods and that hee will repay that hee doth plead the cause of his seruants against such as striue with them and fight against such as fight against them Againe God rewards the wicked in the world to come Depart from me ye cursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the diuell and his angels For I was an hungred and ye gaue me no meat I thirsted and ye gaue me no drinke c. If they shall be punished who did no good how shall they be tormented who render euill to the members of Christ If negligent Diues be tortured in hell for omitting onely the works of mercy what shall become of violent Diues for committing the works of cruelty Some sins are punished only in this life as poore Lazarus and that incestuous Corinthian Other only in the life to come as the rich Glutton who while he liued had the world at will Other are both tortured in this life and tormented in the next as the filthy Sodomites who for their burning lust had here sulphureum ignem and shall haue there gehennalem ignem Or as Saluianus lib. 1. de gubernat Dei God sent vpon them in this life Gehennam è coelo Wherefore seeing Almighty God doth reuenge our quarell either immediatly by himselfe or mediatly by his ministers and wariers euen all his creatures in heauen and earth it is both faithlesse and fruitlesse for our selues to right our selues It is faithlesse not to belieue that the Lord wil deale with vs according to his word who promised by the mouth of his holy Prophet With thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the vngodly Fruitlesse for as much as it is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the liuing God whose little finger is heauier then our whole hand If it be possible so much as in you is liue peaceably with all men We must seeke peace yet vnder these conditions If it be possible and as much as in vs is For we cannot haue peace with some men and wee may not haue peace in some matters See Gospell on all Saints and ser. on the first Lesson for the next Sunday ioined to the Gospel and Epistle If thine enemie hunger feed him There are degrees of loue Doe good to all men especially to them which are of the houshold of faith Among the faithfull the neerest ought to be dearest vnto vs a wife father child ally neighbour friend is to be respected more caeteris paribus then a stranger or an enemy yet in case of necessitie thou must feed thy foe blessing him that did curse thee By the ciuill lawes he that bequeathes a man nourishment intends he should haue bed and boord apparell and dwelling Alimentis legatis cibaria vestitus habitatio debentur In like sort God inioining vs in his Testament and last will to feed our enemies includes also that we must harbour them and cloath them and according to their seuerall necessities euery way relieue them In so doing thou shalt heape coales of fire vpon his head I finde two constructions of these words one bad another good It is a senslesse sense to say by well doing thine enemie not deseruing it thou shalt heâ—pe coales of fire vpon his head increase Gods heauy iudgements against him Our Apostles intent is to moue men vnto charitable works euen toward their enemies hereby to doe them good and to purpose the same But if that were the meaning Paul should teach vs how to be reuenged and in shew of doing kindnes to worke mischiefe pretending good intending euill The better construction is In so doing thou shalt either confound or conuert thine aduersary Confound him in his conscience making him acknowledge that thou art more religious and more nobly minded then himselfe So when Saul vnderstood of Dauids honest and honourable cariage toward him instantly brake forth into this ingenuous confession Thou art more righteous then I for thou hast rendred mee good and I haue rendred thee euill Or else thou shalt conuert him to thy selfe For loue is strong as death the coales thereof are â—iery coales and a vehement flame There is no greater prouocation to loue then preuention in loue Nimis enim durus animus qui dilectionem ersinolebat impendere nolit rependere Kind respect to thy foe shall blow the coales of his affection and inflame his loue toward thee Be not ouercome of euill We must haue patience when we cannot haue peace so we shall be more then conquerours ouercomming without resistance which is the most noble kind of victory or ouercome euill with goodnesse that is make the wicked good by thy good example Probum ex improbo redde For as Augustine from Seneca diligendi sunt mali vt non sint mali We must manifest our loue to the wicked in winning them to God not in fostering or flattering them in their folly The Gospel MATTH 8.1 When he was come downe from the mountaine c. DOwne from the mountaine From the mount of heauen into this valley of earth as a Physitian to cure our leprosies Or from the mount of the law to the plaine of the Gospell Or from the mount of contemplation vnto the field of action Or he came downe from the mountaine first instructing his disciples and after descending to the capacities of the people Teaching all teachers hereby to deliuer high points vnto the learned and plaine principles to the simple Doctores ascendunt in montem vbi perfectioribus excellentia praecepta descendunt autem cùm inâ—erioribus lâ—uiora demonstrant Behold a leper In Christ preaching and practise meet together So soone as he had said well he proceeds for the confirmation of his doctrine to do well Acting good works and great works good works of mercy great works of miracle Of mercy in helping of miracle in healing a leprous man present and a palsie man absent Intimating hereby that it is not enough to talke of Gods waies except we walke in his paths and
malum culpae whosoeuer resisteth power resisteth the ordinance of God poenae they that resist shall receiue to themselues damnation submit our selues is good because the Magistrate is the minister of God for our good for the good of peace protection iustice religion the like For this cause we pay tribute quia ministri Dei sunt in hoc ipsum seruientes iucundo wee must obey for conscience the which vnto the disobedient is a perpetuall hell but vnto such as obey Gods ordinance is a continuall feast No power but of God An argument from the Author of authority all higher powers are from the highest power vnto whom all creatures must be subiect It happeneth often that potens the ruler is not of God Ipsi regnauerunt non per me They haue set vp Kings but not by me they haue made Princes and I knew it not And the maner of getting kingdomes is not alwaies of God Alexander 6. obtained the Popedome by giuing himselfe to the diuell Phocas by sedition got his Empire Richard 3. came to the crowne of England by butchering his Nephewes and other of the blood Royall yet the power it selfe is euer from God By me Kings reigne Thou couldest haue no power saith Christ to Pilate except it were giuen thee from aboue The powers that be are ordained of God Insinuating that the Magistrate is not from God after any common manner as all things are but after a more speciall fashion ordained The Lord is the God of order and order is the good of euery creature with whom it is better not to be then to be out of order Whosoeuer therfore resisteth If there be no power but of God and nothing done by God but in order he that resisteth authoritie resisteth Gods ordinance So the Lord himselfe said to Samuel They haue not cast thee away but they hauâ—â—ast me away that I should not reigne ouer them And hee might haue said of Princes as hee doth of Preachers He that despiseth you despiseth me For hee said of both Ego dixi dij estis As God is a great king so a king is as it were a little God He therefore that resisteth the Prince resisteth him that sent him almightie God the King of Kings and Lord of Lords 1. Tim. 6.15 There are two binders of the conscience 1. Proper Gods law 2. Improper mans law Gods holy word hath absolute and soueraigne power to binde the conscience for God is Lord of conscience creating it and gouerning it and only knowing it The lawes of men improperly binde conscience not by their owne vertue but by the power of Gods law which here and elsewhere commands obedience to princes He therefore that willingly with a disloyall minde breakes any wholesome lawes of men is guiltie of sinne before God Non enim habendae sunt pro traditionibus humanis quandoquidem fundatae sunt in generali mandato liquidam habent approbationem quasi ex ore Christi So S. Augustine notably Hoc iubent imperatores quod iubet Christus quia cum bonum iubent per illos non iubet nisi Christus They that resist shall receiue to themselues damnation It may be construed either of temporall punishment or eternall iudgement Of temporall for the wrath of a King is like the roring of a lion he that prouoketh him vnto anger sinneth against his owne soule By the lawes of England a traitor conuicted and attainted hath his iudgement to be drawne from his prison to the place of execution as being vnworthie to tread any more vpon mother earth and that backward with his head downward for that hee hath been retrograde to naturall courses after hanged vp by the necke betweene heauen and earth as deemed vnworthie of both his priuie parts are cut off as being vnprofitably begotten and vnfit to leaue any generation after him his bowels and intrals burned which inwardly had conceiued and concealed such horrible treason then his head cut off which imagined the mischiefe last of all his whole bodie quartred and made a prey for the birds of the ayre as one said of a Romish treacherous Iesuite Sic benè pascit aues qui male pauit oues How Rebels haue ruinated vtterly themselues and their families all histories are full of tragicall examples acquirunt sibi damnationem as it is in the vulgar they doe not only receiue but pull vpon themselues heauie iudgements Againe this may be construed of eternall damnation as is manifest in Chore Dathan and the rest of that conspiracie who went downe quicke to hell If murther be fitly termed a crying sinne then treason may well bee called a roring sinne For as he that robs a scholer is said to rob many so the traitor that murthers a Prince kils many sometime the whole State the which assuredly cries aloud to the Lord in such sort that it awaketh him and often calles him to speedie iudgement He is the minister of God for thy wealth If hee be a good Prince causa est he is the cause of thy good temporall and eternall if an euill Prince he is an oâ—casion of thine eternall good by thy temporall euill Si bonus nutritor est tuus si malus tentator tuus est If a good king he is thy nurse receiue thy nourishment with obedience if euill he is thy tempter receiue thy triall with patience So there is no resistance either thou must obey good gouernours willingly or endure bad tyrants patiently Magistrates are Gods ministers ergo subordinate to God If then higher Powers enioyne things against him who is higher then the highest It is better to obey God then men Hic saith Augustine contemne potestatem timendo potestatem In that thou fearest Gods power feare not mans power as Iulians souldiers would not worship Idols at his command yet when he led them against an enemie they obeyed most readily Distinguebant dominuÌ„ temporaleÌ„ à domino aeterno tameÌ„ subditi erant propter dominum aeternum As al power is from God so for God and therefore when the Prince commands against truth it is our dutie to be patient and not agent For this cause pay ye tribute Subsidies are the Kings stipend or pay for he is the minister of God and great seruant of the State So S. Paul expressely Seruing for the same purpose not to take his owne ease but to wake when other sleepe taking such care that al men else may liue without care Magnaseruitus est magna fortuna nam ipsi Caesaricui omnia licent propter hoc ipsum multa non licent Erasmus wittily Miserosesse principes si intelligant sua mala miseriores si non intelligant A Prince must be like Iob eyes to the blinde and feete to the lame Be ye wise therefore ye Kings Intelligâ—te Reges Intelligere est intus legere they must
not altogether hang vpon the almes basket of their Counsell but vnderstand of themselues in some measure those things which concerne their places Erudimini qui quia indicatis Wherefore yee must needs obey Because all powers are of God because they bring with them the good of order because it is a sinne to disobey because iudgement temporall and eternall accompanie this sinne because gouernment is the meane of our weale because Kings are hired by tribute to serue their seruants and care for their subiects It is necessarie wee should obey both ex necessitate finis praecepti for hereby wee shall doe that which is acceptable to God and profitable to our selues acceptable to God enioining obedience profitable to our selues enioying the good of gouernment that we may leâ—de a quiet and peaceable life in all godlinesse and honestie Not onely for feà re of vengeance but also because of conscience Thus all must obey bad men for feare good men for loue The Kings Bench compels the one for he beareth not the sword in vaine but the Chancerie moues the other and therefore the Papists and Schismatikes are not good men in pretending conscience for their disobedience to the Ciuill Magistrate For as a learned father of our Church obserues excellently Tutâ conscientiâ praestari possunt quae propter conscientiam praestanda sunt A man may doe that with a safe conscience which he must doe for conscience Tribute to whom tribute Soueraigne Sublimities on earth are Gods among men in respect of their attributes and tributes Almightie God himselfe expects and receiues at our hands his immediate rents as prayer and thanksgiuing the rest as tithes and tributes hee doth accept being faithfullie paied vnto his Stewards and Vicegerents It is very remarkable that our Sauiour neuer did any miracle about honour or money except that one for giuing tribute to Caesar. For â—e must giue to Caesar the things which appertaine to Caesar honour to whom honour tribute to whom tribute but how much is not defined by Christ or Paul They leaue that as Bishop Latymer obserues to Caesars Counsell for to determine Wherefore let all such as are in Commission for the subsidie remember that excellent speech of Saluianus Illâ—d indignius poenalius quòd omnium onus non omnes sustinent imò quòd pauperculos homines tributa diuitum premunt infirmiores ferunt sarcinas fortiorum res diâ—ersissimas dissimilimasque patiuntur inuidiam egestatem inuidia est enim in solutione egestas in facultate The Gospel MATTH 8.23 And when he entred into a ship his Disciples followed him c. SAint Matthew reports in this scripture two miracles one wrought by Christ in the water another on the land The first is both an Historie The first is both an Mysterie The word of God is a two edged sword hauing one edge saith Tertullian in the sense of the matter and an other in the sound of the words or as Ludouicus Viues obserueth being sharpe in a literall exposition and sharp in an allegoricall sense Most Interpreters therefore note that the ship heere mentioned is a type of the Church militant tossed in the world which is most like the sea with stormes of persecution vntill Christ the Master of the ship who seemes to sleepe for a time doth awake by the prayers of passengers and makes a calme In the storie two things are to be considered especially the shipping of Christ In the storie two things are to be considered especially the sailing of Christ. In his shipping two points obseruable 1. That he entred himselfe 2. That his Disciples followed him In the sailing two principall occurrences are to bee noted also the raging of a tempest stilling of a tempest The tempest is said here to be Sudden Behold there arose The tempest is said here to be Great so that the ship was couered with waues and Christ who was to comfort and help all was asleepe In the stilling of the tempest foure things are regardable 1. Christ awaketh His Disciples came and awoke him saying Master saue vs c. 2. The Disciples are rebuked Why are ye fearfull O ye of little faith 3. The tempest calmed He rebuked the windes and the sea 4. The beholders of this miracle wondred saying What manner of man is this c. Iesus entred into a ship As the superstitious Papists in latter daies assigned seuerall Saints for seuerall seruices as Apollonia for the toothach for hogs S. Anthony for horses S. Loy for Souldiers S. Maurice for Seamen S. Nicholas c. so the grosse idolatrous Heathen in old time marshalled their gods into seuerall rankes allotting Heauen for Iupiter Hell for Pluto the Sea for Neptune Christ therefore to shew their vanitie and to manifest himselfe to be the sole Commander of the world so soone as he had wrought miracles on the land in healing the leper vers 3. in curing the Centurions seruant vers 13. in casting out diuels vers 16. in helping al that were sick vers 17. he comes now saith Origen to shew wonders on the sea Wee neede not then exhibit supplications either vnto the no gods of the Gentiles or moe gods of the Papists importuning the virgin Mary for euery thing as if her sonne Iesus were still a babe not able to helpe For if we be schollers he is our saint Gregorie the God of wisedome if souldiers he is our Mars the God of hosts if wee desire to liue in quietnesse he is the God of peace if mariners he is our Nicholas and Neptune that enters into the ship and calmes the tempest If we ascend vp into heauen hee is there if we descend downe into hell he is there also if wee take the wings of the morning and dwell in the vâ—termost parts of the sea yet thither shall his hand lead vs and his right hand hold vs hauing all power ouer all things in all places and doing whatsoeuer hee will in heauen earth sea Psalm 139.6 Saint Mat. vers 18. of this chapter and saint Marke cap. 4. vers 36. intimate another reason why Christ entred into the ship namely to shun the multitudes of people for as the sunne though a most glorious creature oculus mundi the worlds eye is regarded little because it shineth euery day so ministers the light of the world are eclipsed much by the grosse interposition of earth It is true that familiaritie breeds contempt and as true cuius persona despicitur eius praedicatio contemnitur and therefore clergie men as Christ heere must vpon occasions often withdraw themselues à turbâ turbulentâ Bartholomaeus Angâ—icus mentioneth a lake in Ireland in which if a staffe be pight and tarieth any long time therein the part that is in the earth is turned to iron and the part in the water to stone onely the part aboue the water remaines in his
that thou hast not receiued Wherefore O man if thou be to receiue eternall life it is indeed the wages of righteousnesse but to thee it is grace to whom righteousnesse it selfe is also grace That God cals it is his mercy that thou commest at his call it is his mercy that thou dost labour when thou art come it is his mercy that thou art rewarded for thy labour it is his mercy By the grace of God I am that I am and his grace which is in me was not in vaine but I labored more abundantly then them all yet not I but the grace of God which is with me The Epistle 2. COR. 11.19 Ye suffer fooles gladly c. SAint Paul was so modest in his owne cause that hee cals himselfe the greatest sinner and the least Saint but in Gods cause perceiuing that his personall disgrace might tend to the generall hurt of the Church and scandall of the Gospell he doth boast with the prowdest In whâ—â—soeuer aâ—â—â— tâ—an is bold I am bold also Not out of vaine glory to commend himselfe but out of a iust necessitie to stop the mouthes of other especially to confound the false teachers He doth therefore first confer then prefer himselfe before them all He compares himselfe with them in that which is lesse commendable namely for his birth and ancientry 〈◊〉 are Hebrewes euen so â—m I they are Israelites euen so am â— they are the seed of Abraham euen so am I whereas they reioice after the flesh I will reioice also vers 18. As he doth equall himselfe with them in things carnall so prefer himselfe before them in things spirituall in that which is more worthy praise to wit in his Apostleship First in generall They are the Ministers of Christ I speake as a foole I am more put apart to preach the Gospell of God not by man but by Iesus Christ. In more particular he doth extoll himselfe aboue them all in two points especially 1. For that he suffered moe troubles as he sheweth in this scripture 2. For that he receiued mo graces as he declareth in the next Chapter His troubles here mentioned are partly such as himselfe assumed of his owne accord such as other imposed on him In stripes aboue measure SupramoduÌ„ virtutis humaâ—â— supra modum coÌ„suetuâ—inis humanae In prâ—â—â—n more plenteously in death ofâ— of the Ieâ—s sâ—ue times I receiued forty stripes saue one Thrice was I beaten with rods I was once stoned I suffered thrice shipwracke night and day haue I been in the deep sea in perill of watâ—rs in perill of robbers in ieopardie of mine owne nation in ieopardâ— among the heathen inperils in the Citie in perils in wildernesse in perils among false brethren c. Outward Labour watching hunger thirst fasting cold nakednesse Inward I am cumbred daily and take care for all the congregations c. The naturall man is comforted in three things especially quiet rest liberall diet good apparell For rest Paul did labour much euen with his owne hands night and day watching osten preaching sometime till midnight Acts 20.7 For diet he sometime was in hunger and thirst vpon want 1. Cor. 4.11 and often he did fast for the â—aming of his body 1 Cor. 9.27 For apparell he was in cold and nakednesse the one hurtfull to himselfe the other hatefull to the world For his inward afflictioâ— he tooke care for the whole Church exceeding solicitous for their spirituall temporall good spirituall who is weake in faith or good works and I am not grieued insirmis factus sum infirmus I became weak to the weake that I may win the weake So the Prophet Oh that mine head were full of water and mine cies a fountaine of teares that I might weepe day and night for the slaine of the daughter of my people Concerning defects in temporall good he saith Who is offended that is afflicted and I burne not in heat of compassion All this Saint Paul doth hedge in with a preface before Yee suâ—â—er fooles c. And a protestation after vers 31. The God euen the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ which is blessed for euermore knoweth that I lie not In the preface Saint Paul doth tax the Corinthians folly for that they suffered and that gladly the false teachers to tyrannise ouer their persons and purses eitâ—er secretly defrauding or openly deuouring their estate whereas the good Apostles in the meane while who preached liberty of conscience and sought not their owne but that which is Iesus Christ were neglected and despised As it was in Corinth it is in England the craftie Iesuit and dissembling schismatike preuaile more with the people then the true Protestant Preacher Our popish Ladies are so wise that they suffer the Iesuit to bring both their credits and consciences into bondage to deuoure their husbands estate to take what they list inioyning penance to other while they pamper themselues and exalt their order aboue all either Priest or people So the Schismatike gaines by losse as in familiar letters it is the best rhetoricke to vse no rhetoricke carere figuris sigurat epistolam And as Sciâ—io said he was neuer lesse alone then when he was alone so the factious haue neuer so much liuing as when they haue no liuing But the Protestant Pastor is kept often from his own which all lawes of God and men hold his due by prohibitions and vniust vexations or else paied with insupportable grudging and enuie Some will happily complaine with Innocentius Iustitia nisi venit non prouenit neque datur nisi vendatur So that as trauellers obserue Diuines are lesse regarded in England then in any nation of the world either Christian or heathen Saint Paul in his protestation calles to witnesse the most mercifull and most mighty that he speaks nothing but the truth He that knoweth all knoweth I doe not lie The Lord is to be feared because God to be loued because the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ to be praised because blessed for euermore By this great good glorious Lord whom I dare not abuse because great will not because good may not because glorious I protest that all is true which I haue said or shall say It appeares then in his preface that he dealt wisely in his protestation that hee dealt truly Some commend themselues truely but not wisely moe commend themselues wisely but not truly Paul here doth both approuing himselfe before God and men before God in speaking so truly before men in speaking so wisely The Gospel Luke 8.4 When much people were gathered together and were come to him out of all cities he spake by a similitude The sower went out to sow c. OVr Sauiour Christ in this Scripture propoundeth a parable expoundeth a parable In the propounding three points are regardable the Occasion When much people c. vers 4. Parable