of him auoide his conditions and escape his punishment And this worke as you know good brethren I called the vncasing of the hypocrite wherein I shewed you first what is hypocrisie namely a counterfeiting of religion or any religious dutie or a doing of that which we do onely to be seene of men and yet seeme to be such as would approue our waies in the sight of God professing the loue and feare of God when there is no such matter in vs. For which cause they are most fitly compared to players who make a shew of doing that which they do not indeede and represent those persons which they are not Next how many kinds of hypocrites there be some being publike some priuate some religious some ciuill Lastly we tooke a particular view of some speciall hypocrisies described by our Sauiour Christ in the 23. of Mathew from the 14. verse to the 23. whereof the last was of them that seeme to make a conscience of trifles and none of waightie matters which Christ calleth straining of gnats and swallowing of camels all which for breuities sake I do omit because there are many mo yet behind to be vncased whose acts and monuments are truely recorded whose visages and pictures are plainely deciphered and whose bowels and inward parts are deepely searched and whose iuglings and dissemblings are all fully discouered by Christ the searcher of hearts in the forenamed 23. chapter of Mathew and diuerse other places beside Wherein our Sauiour Christ we see is not sparing but plentifull not mild but seuere not short but long not negligent but painefull and neuer hath done with them but euer anone meeteth with them remembreth them and neuer lets them passe vntill he hath marked them with his blacke cole of deepe dislike and deadly detestation and still warning his disciples to beware of hypocrits and their leuin of hypocrisie whereof but a little sowreth and spoileth the whole lumpe Now seeing our Sauiour Christ bendeth all his force as it were against hypocrisie and the doings of hypocrites I see no reason that any should be offended that I do so too For hypocrisie in religion is like Iudas amongst the disciples a faire spoken theefe but a cunning and daungerous traitor readie still to betray both Christ and all Christianitie into the hands of their enemies onely she saith as Esau said The dayes of mourning for my father will come shortly and then I will kill my brother Iacob that is I onely want and waite a time to do my feates in Besides those actes which our Sauiour Christ hath alreadie noted in the Scribes and Pharises to the 25. verse of the 23. of Mathew we find in the verses following diuerse other parts of their hypocrisie seuerely taxed and liuely described by him whereof some be in actu some in potentia that is some be present and some are to come By the former he sheweth what is alwaies the present behauiour of hypocrites euen when they are at the best by the latter he prophecieth what they will be when time shal serue and that he sheweth in the 34. verse where he saith that they which now for the present do garnish the sepulchers of the righteous shall one day both kill and crucifie scourge and persecute both Prophets and wise men in their sinagogues and from citie to citie But for the present thus it is with them First they make cleane the outside of the cup and platter but within they are full of briberie and excesse these he further likeneth to whited tombes which appeare beautifull outward but are within full of dead mens bones and of all filthinesse applying his similie vnto hypocrites thus So are ye also for outwardly ye appeare righteous vnto men but within ye are full of hypocrisie and iniquitie Christs meaning is that all hypocrites care is to approue themselues in the sight of men by setting faire shewes vpon euery thing but before God they are most wicked abominable like the harlot who to please straungers is very diligent and carefull and towards others is very courteous and sober and kind but towards her owne husband is most sauage impudent and shamelesse In the next place Christ sheweth what friends and welwillers hypocrites are vnto the Prophets that is to the Preachers of Gods word but you must note that is to them that were dead and that they are great friends to them appeareth two waies First by the cost that they are at in decking their Tombes Secondly by blaming of their forefathers by whom the Prophets were persecuted and iniuried while they were aliue And thus would they get a good opinion amongst men by reuerencing the memorie of the Prophets and holy men of God For while they did thus counterfeit a loue vnto their persons they seemed to yeeld to their doctrine and who would not take them now for most faithfull followers of their doctrine and most zealous seruants and worshippers of God It was a thing very plausible to decke the Tombes of the Prophets and to erect monuments for them For by this meanes saith Caluin quasi ex tenebris eruebatur religio vt in suo honore staret religion was as it were plucked out of darkenesse and set vp in her due honour But indeede they meant nothing lesse then to restore the doctrine of the Prophets which by their death might seeme to be put out And yet being both straungers vnto the propheticall doctrine and also most deadly enemies vnto the same they wold bestow goodly Tombs vpon thē being dead as though that they and the Prophets had stood both for one and the same cause And this saith Caluin is vsuall with hypocrites to honour the holy seruants of God pure teachers of the word after their death whom they could not endure being aliue And for this M. Caluin doth yeeld a very singular good reason This cometh not only from the corrupt custom of the vulgar people saith he sed quia duris seueris correptionibus molesti ampliùs non sunt mortui cineres non agrè in illis colendis euanidā religionis vmbram ostentant qui loquentiū vocibus ad insaniam aguntur But because their dead dust and ashes are no longer troublesome vnto thē with hard and sharpe reproofes therfore it doth not grieue them to make shew of a vanishing shadow of religion in reuerencing thē being dead who were driuen to madnes rage with their liuely voices The world because it durst not wholly despise God or at least rise vp openly against him as it were in armes hath inuented this deuice to worship the shadow of God for God himself in like maner doth reuerence the shadow of the preachers Prophets for the doctrine it selfe What need we go any further for an exāple of this play then to the Popish church who are not content with that lawfull and due reuerence that is giuen to the Apostles blessed Martyrs of Christ but will bestow
most impiously vpon them that worship that is due to God and professe that they cannot honour them inough when in the meane time by their raging against the faithfull which follow their steppes and doctrine they do plainely shew howe they would vse the Apostles and Martyrs if they were now aliue againe and did performe that dutie which they did when they were on earth For why else do they with such rage burne and flame out against vs but because we desire to haue that doctrine to be receiued and to flourish which the Apostles and Martyrs haue sealed with their bloud Let them then a dorne the images of the Saints with their frankensence candels flowers and all kind of pompe as long as they list saith Caluin if Peter were now aliue they would surely pull him in peeces if Paule were amongst them they would certainely stone him if Christ himselfe were aliue and amongst thē they wold rost him to death with a softfire And do not diuerse Protestants play the same part who will seeme to make much of some Preachers and giue them good entertainment as Herod did Iohn Baptist and yet persecute with might and maine their owne Pastors for teaching the same doctrine which they do Or for the couering and cloking of their speciall and beloued sinnes will seeme to the world to be religious by hearing the preaching and entertaining of the persons of Preachers at their houses thinking themselues then safe as Micah did when he had a Leuite in his house when in their harts they do vtterly loth and detest the sinceritie of that truth and the strictnesse of those courses as puritanisme and too much precisenesse which they vrge And what is the religion of all such but a play to be seene of men In the 33. verse of the former 23. Chapter Christ being about to conclude his Sermon doth more plainly vncase these hypocrites and layeth them wide open to all the world telling what they are what they must looke for and what his seruants must look for at their hands What they are he sheweth when he saith O Serpents and generation of vipers to shew that they were not only enemies to the doctrine of the Prophets but most pestilent enemies to the whole church of God and like vipers will not sticke to eate out the very bowels of the Church their mother to maintaine their owne state and pride What they must trust vnto if they truly repent not he sheweth when he saith how should ye escape the damnation of hell As if it were a thing almost impossible for professed hypocrites to repent and be saued So hypocrites we see by Christs example are to be handled though they be the great maisters of Israel their vizards are to be plucked off and they are to be laid open to the view of the world and to be haled by force as it were before the tribunall seate of Gods iudgement What Gods seruants must looke for at hypocrites hands when time shall serue howsoeuer they seeme now to heare them and to entertaine them our Sauiour Christ sheweth when he saith he will send Prophets and wise men and Scribes among them that is men endued with all manner of learning and qualified with aboundance of Gods graces but they shal scourge them and persecute them from citie to citie yea euen in Ierusalem the Lords Prophets shall be killed and the messengers of the most high shall be stoned to death In times past their rage was such against the holy Prophets that neither the holinesse of the Temple nor reuerence of the Altar whereupon the sacrifices were offered could stay them from shedding of innocent bloud As for example the bloud of Zacharias the sonne of Barachias meaning indeede him that was the son of Iehoiada the priest whom Christ calleth Barachias that is the blessed of the Lord of Barach and ias which is the blessed of the Lord as M. Caluin noteth because he had spent his whole life in the worship and seruice of God And this is vsuall in Scripture to giue vnto men besides their proper names other names of speciall signification either for their consolation or for their humiliation So Iacob was called Israel that is preuailing with God and Salomon Iedidah that is beloued of the Lord and Iames and Iohn Boanerges that is sonnes of thunder and Iehoiada Barachias that is the blessed of the Lord. So terroris gratia to terrifie him Bashur that misused Ieremy was called Magor Misabib that is feare on euery side And Naoim in the bitternesse of her soule would be called Marah that is bitternesse But now to the matter of Zacharias the sonne of Iehoiada Barachias the blessed of the Lord. Of whose martyrdome and the cause thereof we may reade sufficiently in the second of Chronicles the 24. chapter from the 17. verse vnto the 23. So likewise in time to come they which now boasted of the Prophets Tombes amongst them and of learned Preachers in their sinagogues should through the iust vengeance of God be giuen vp to such a reprobate mind that they should shew all kind of raging crueltie against the same Prophets whom they so much seemed to reuerence God graunt this prophesie may neuer take place amongst vs if it be his will but surely it is much to be feared that if time should turne and religion alter which our sinnes haue iustly deserued it will proue too true For hypocrites will play the hypocrites and shew them selues in their colours when all is done euen as the Blackmoore will be blacke if all the water in the sea were spent in washing him For they that are so forward now in colour of their office and pretence of lawe to abuse Gods Ministers as many be what would they do if they had Prince and Prelates and lawe and all to backe them They that now in the publike and authorized profession of the Gospell and vnder the gouernment of so gracious and Christian a Prince as we haue who esteemeth of the true Ministers of Christ in the Church as of the soule in the bodie the Lord long preserue her amongst vs are not ashamed to contriue wicked plots and diuellish deuises to call their Ministers names into question by suggesting vnto great persons most impudent lyes and shamefull slaunders and that vnder pretence of their office and vpon the credite of their oath They that now so abound in malice against their Minister for speaking but the truth that when they can find no matter against him at home can send an hundred miles for matters obiected and answered ended and finished ten yeares ago and to reuiue matters whith haue bene dead and buried so long time like those that in Queene Maries time digged vp Bucers bones out of the graue to endite them and burne them what cruell persecutors would these become if time did serue What would not these men do against the poore seruants of Christ if Queene Maries time shold come againe
the mother the second is the daughter The first is the poyson the other is the signe thereof or the breaking out The first is the fountaine the second is the streame The first is the coale the second is the flame The first is the cause the second is the effect of the same The first is the theefe the second is his accessary The first robbeth God of his honour the second doth publish it Therefore both the first and the second be damnable neither the first nor the second are sinnes veniall as the Papists say but both the first and the second the mother and the daughter without faith and repentance are sinnes eternally mortall And therefore our Sauiour Christ saith here Take heede of them as if they were some dangerous enemies to the soule The first thing therefore to be taken heed of is all inward desire of vaineglory or worldly praise and that is forbidden in the first verse where our Sauiour saith Giue not to be seene of men that is with an intent purpose or desire that men should see thee and commend thee for it Publicke giuing is not forbidden for Christ saith Let your lights shine before men that they may see c. But vaineglorious giuing in publicke is forbidden and therefore he doth not simply say Do not your almes before men but addeth to be seene of them condemning that end which is first in heart though last in act So in Math. 5.16 he saith not Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie you but that they seeing your good workes may glorifie God your heauenly father who worketh both the will and the deed So then we see that it is not simply euill to do good workes in the view of men nay rather it is good so to do to glorifie God and encourage others God is much glorified when his children walke like their father being mercifull as their heauenly father is mercifull though not in that degree of mercie yet in mercy of the like nature heauenly bountifull free and harmelesse By the death of Christ he was knowne to be the naturall sonne of God and by the good life of Christians aswell as by their death it may be knowne that they are the adopted sonnes of God For when Christ died there was a strange alteration of nature the earth did shake the powers of heauen lost their power the graues opened the dead arose there was darknesse vpon the face of the earth as if day had bene turne into night which when men saw they confessed yea the very enemies of Christ himselfe confessed to the glorie of the diuine power saying doubtlesse this was the sonne of God So when Christians dye to the world and liue vnto God when they by the power of Gods spirit do crucifie sinne and quicken righteousnesse there is also a great alteration in nature their nature is refined by grace their night is turned into day and their day into night their present shame is their glorie and their former glory is their shame their dead affections are raised vp the deuowring graues of their hard harts being opened and now they speake and do and studie otherwise then they did and not like other men In a word as Christs death was not like other mens death so Christians liues are not like other mens liues Christs funerals were solemnized by the Sunne and the Moone by the powers of heauen by the graues and the dead by the earth and the stones and all the insensible creatures whereof in their kind some blushed some trembled some fainted and all mourned for the death of their Lord and feared seeing such things happen to their Soueraigne an vtter dissolution of themselues and all nature These things were not looked for in the world nor regarded at worldly mens funerals yea such as beseeme not the Princes of the nations so Christians liues and deaths too are solemnized and graced with the ornaments of the spirit and the ioy of heauenly Angels with the fruites of righteousnesse the applause of the godly things not regarded of the wicked nor beseeming the helhounds of this world But doubtlesse when men see these lights they must needes glorifie God and say God hath done great things for them and when the wicked themselues see such an alteration in them as they may stand a farre off and wonder at but neuer attaine vnto they must be enforced spite of their hearts to giue God the glorie as Achan did saying this is the truth and so it was and as the Iewes did doubtlesse these were good men the sonnes and daughters of God A man may by their behauiour know of whose bringing vp they were by their habite and spirituall attire a man may discerne them to be the Citizens of the heauenly Ierusalem Blessed be God in so much as they must go a little farther with the wicked in the book of Wisedome and say we are fooles and they are wise howsoeuer we counted their life madnesse before we are they that played the madmen and haue wearied our selues in the wayes of vnrighteousnesse And with Balam Oh that we might dye the death of the righteous and that our last end might be like vnto theirs And thus we see how for the glorifying of God in this life it is necessary for Christians to exercise workes of mercy as giuing of almes and other good workes appointed of God in his word euen before men As it is necessary for the glory of God so also is it as necessary for the encouragement of the godly And first of the painefull Pastor and Minister of the word and then of other Christians To the godly Minister it is no small comfort and encouragement when he shall see the Lords people vnder his charge fruitfull in good workes aswell as in good words For then shall he see the fruite of his labours when after his labour he seeth them fruitfull in all maner of good workes and on the other side when they receiue the word in vaine he may feare that he hath laboured in vaine in vaine I say as touching their conuersion though not simply in vaine otherwise for the word of God is neuer preached in vaine whether men beleeue it or no heare it or no being euer either a sauour of life to life or of death vnto death and comming as the raine which neuer returneth in vaine but either watereth the earth or drowneth it and maketh the ground to bring forth either corne or cockle sweet flowers or stinking weedes whereof the one shall be preserued and the other rooted vp and cast out vpon the dunghill The husbandman is encouraged to follow his husbandry when his vines are fruitfull and his haruests plentiful growing timely ripening kindly yeelding abundantly and no lesse is Gods husbandman the minister of the word encouraged by the timely growing kindly ripening and plentifull yeelding of his charge the Lords husbandrie after he hath taken
brought me with my great credit her great shame to high preferment and now am I free from all troubles and liue like a king in heauen as sometime I was a ruler in Aegypt Aske Dauid and he will tell thee that when he could say vnto God With my whole heart I haue sought thee then could he most boldly call vpon God and say Let me not wander from thy commandements Aske Saint Paule and he will tell thee that he would not presume to craue for the prayers of the Church but when he could also certifie them that he had a good conscience in all things and desired to liue honestly Againe Paule speaking of himselfe and his fellow labourers saith thus We are not as many which make marchandize of the word of God but as of sinceritie but as of God in the sight of God we speake in Christ. We walke not in craftinesse neither handle we the word of God deceitfully but in declaration of the truth we approoue our selues to euerie mans conscience in the sight of God And what hast thou gotten Paule for thy labour In how many dangers hast thou bene both by sea and by land By thy owne confession thou hast bene whipped and beaten with roddes cast into prison stoned and laied for dead hunted from one place to another and at the last lost thy head hadst not thou beene better to haue pleased thy honest neighbours by preaching Christ after their fashion No no sayth Paule neuer tell me of these matters I was crucified to the world and the world to me that is I cared no more for the world then the world did for me the power of God did appeare in my weaknesses when I was in prison I was at liberty when I went from the whip to the dungeon I sung Psalmes yea all this was an honour vnto me that I was not worthie of From all my daungers the Lord deliuered me And where I lost my life there I found it againe euen euerlasting life In a word I haue fought a good fight and haue finished my course I haue kept the faith For henceforth is layed vp for me the crowne of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous Iudge shall giue me at that day and not to me onely but to all them that loue his appearing Aske King Hezechiah what was most comfortable to him in his sicknesse when he looked for nothing but death Oh sayth he I payed and sayd I beseech thee ô Lord remember how that I haue walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart that is a sound and vpright heart without dissembling and haue done that which is good in thy sight to shew that when all faile yet sincerity and truth of heart shall comfort vs like a good keeper and kind nurse at the houre of death Now then what remaineth for this point but that we gather vp the summe of all that hath bene sayd of it and make the conclusion and that is this Seeing that sinceritie shall be rewarded by our heauenly father both in this life with sound comfort in time of trouble with courage and boldnesse in time of prayer with the prayers of the Saints in time of neede with a continuall feast in the time of affliction with heauenly consolation in the time of death and in the world to come with the kingdome of heauen let euery man confesse that the reward of sincerity is a great reward And seeing as it is so great for quantitie and so good for qualitie that all the world cannot affoord so much as a shadow thereof nor tell how to commend it let euery one of vs be more moued therey to embrace sinceritie and to seeke praise at Gods hand rather then all the vaine praises of the world And seeing as sinceritie is of all vertues the chiefest and that which graceth all our vertues before God and man let vs aboue all looke in all our affaires that nothing be done without it Lastly seeing as both Enoch and Ioseph and Dauid and Hezechiah and Paule besides many else haue giuen such testimonie thereof let no man doubt to beleeue nor feare to follow it for out of all doubt those that are approued in Gods sight shall be well rewarded of their heauenly father And so much for the reward of sinceritie THE IIII. SERMON MATH 6.2 As hypocrites do in the Synagogues and streetes to be seene of men WE haue heard heretofore the excellent nature and heauenly reward of sinceritie now brethren that we may be as much out of loue with hypocrisie as we are in loue I hope with sinceritie let vs see the nature and reward of hypocrisie because contraries being layed together do the better appeare And first of the nature of of hypocrisie vpon these wordes as the hypocrites do c. Of the second branch when we come to the next words Verily I say vnto you they haue their reward At this time onely of these wordes as hypocrites do wherein our Sauior Christ doth giue vs to vnderstand two things First that whosoeuer professeth a shew of that which he is not is an hypocrite secondly that the doings of hypocrites are to be made knowne that euery one seeing the hypocrite laid out in his colours with his reward that belongeth to him may take heede that he play not the hypocrite or if he hath played that part to be ashamed thereof and repent and follow the Lord euer after in sinceritie and truth of heart Now seeing as our Sauiour Christ would haue hypocrites knowne by their doings I will endeuour my selfe at this time by Gods helpe to vncase the hypocrite who hath plaid his part so long so impudently and so vncontrolledly carying away all the credit of the world euen to the vndermining of the house of God endangering the whole estate of Christian Religion And call this Sermon if you list the vncasing of the hypocrite for I will if God will do my best endeuour to vncase him Wherein perhaps I shall not behaue my selfe so handsomly and finely to please all parties as some could do but yet I hope both soundly and plainly I shall go to worke You know brethren that plaine dealing is my profession though it be counted a iewell for beggers flattery and curiositie and hypocrisie I leaue to them that will dye rich men and therefore I speed accordingly and I must needes confesse that I am wellinough serued to be so well belaboured as I am with the strife of tongues Well if I could handle this matter more learnedly then I can yet I would of purpose deceiue all such itching eares as come rather to haue their humours fed then their liues reformed A peece of worke both thanklesse and dangerous yea a most vnpleasant argument haue I taken in hand especially as the case standeth now when most men come to catch and to cauill and quot homines tot sententiae euery mans head swarming with as many odde
SERMON Of the reward of Hypocrisie MAT. 6.2 Verily I say vnto you they haue their reward OF the nature of hypocrisie we haue heard sufficiently in the three former Sermons and as sinceritie graceth all our good actions before God so on the contrarie side we haue seene that hypocrisie disgraceth and shameth vs yea maketh euen our best deedes to stinke as most loathsome filth before his heauenly Maiestie yea and before men too when once it breaketh out And this might serue sufficiently to perswade vs to take heed of hypocrisie and counterfeiting in Gods religion or any religious duties commaunded by God but because the hypocrite dreameth of some great reward whereby he shall become some great man both in this world and in the world to come imagining that as he is liked of men so he cannot chuse but be loued of God therefore our Sauiour Christ affirmeth most constantly and in earnest manner that hypocrites haue all the reward that they shall haue For the praise of men haue they hunted for and that they haue more then that they shall not haue to reward them but to punish them a portion they shall haue with the Diuell and his Angels in hell The praise of men what is it surely euen as men are themselues as they are affected men are but men when they are at the best and at the highest Whether it be in wisedome or in authoritie or in goodwill or in abilitie or whatsoeuer else that is vaine and vanishing mutable and inconstant blind and partiall A simple reward then is the praise of men euen fit for such vaine fooles as seeke for nothing else The hypocrite taketh great paines for the obtaining notwithstanding of this vaine reward as fooles which hunt after a fether blowne vp and down in the wind they cannot get it vnlesse they will sweate and almost runne themselues out of breath and when they haue gotten it it is but a fether and nothing lighter The praise of men what is it surely but words proceeding from inconstant minds false hearts and from those whose hands cannot accomplish the deuises of their hearts And what are such wordes but wind and what is more inconstant then the wind He that obserueth the praises of men is like him that obserueth the wind and is fitly resembled to a Windmill that whirleth about apace so long as the wind bloweth a main but when the wind slacketh his gale then he slacketh his pace and as the Windmill is turned with the wind so the hypocrite also turneth with the time If he may be praised for well doing then he will do well still but if he be reproched or threatned or not highly esteemed then he altereth his course and is gone But here perhaps it will be obiected by some that the Scripture commendeth a good name in many places and thereby admonisheth men to get a good name and to keepe it being gotten And what is that but to be praised of men and to get the good opinion and estimation of men Indeede this is true a good report is to be sought for amongst men and carefully to be kept too when it is obtained But this must be propter aliud non propter se for some other end then simply for it selfe But the meaning and drift of our Sauiour Christ here is that we should not make that the end and scope of our well doing as if that were our summum bonum that is our felicitie and happinesse as hypocrites do that looke no further and desire no better thing then the praise of men To get and keepe a good name there be many reasons to perswade vs but to make the praise of men the end of our well doing we haue no one reason to perswade vs but diuerse to disswade vs as we shall see anone For the getting of a good report amongst men we haue reason for Salomon preferreth it before riches and before precious oyntment that is before all pleasures and profites whatsoeuer Before riches he preferreth a good name and saith that it is better then riches and that for three causes For first few riches are hardly obtained without much euill a good name is not obtained without some good deedes Secondly riches are meanes by reason of our corruption to call vs from God They that will be rich fall into temptations and snares and many foolish and noisome lusts which drowne men in perdition and destruction saith Saint Paule A good name prouoketh vnto golinesse Your zeale saith Paule to the Corinthians hath prouoked many Meaning that the good report which he made of them to others where he came did through the blessing of God prouoke many to the like zeale Thirdly riches are vncertaine here to day and gone to morrow Trauell not too much to be rich saith Salomon for riches take them to their wings like an Eagle but a good name is more permanent then life for it liueth after death As a good name is better then riches so is it also better then a precious ointment For first the best ointment that is may be purchased for money as appeareth by that which Mary a meane woman bought for our Sauiour Christ but a good name cannot be bought for thousands Secondly precious ointment onely suppleth the outward parts and is soueraigne for outward wounds but a good name doth comfort the heart The light of the eye reioyceth the heart and a good name maketh the bones fat saith Salomon Thirdly a good ointment onely profiteth the annointed but a good name is profitable to others Nobis necessaria vita nostra alijs fama nostra saith S. Augustine our life is necessarie for our selues and our good report for others to encourage them to godlinesse as we haue heard Lastly ointment is pleasant in smell onely to those that are nigh The house was filled saith the Euangelist with the smel of that ointment which Mary bestowed vpon Christ but a good name flieth farre and neare And this brute went of Christ saith the Euangelist Mathew through the land Againe a good name is in part a reward of righteousnesse All these saith the Apostle to the Hebrewes speaking of the faithfull whom he nameth and commendeth in that place through faith haue obtained a good report All which commendations of a good name do serue not onely to perswade vs to get it and keepe it for the glorifying of Gods name and encouraging of our brethren but also they do greatly condemne two sorts of men in the world First those that so they do well care not what men say of them but so farre as we can we must with doing well keepe a good name for the causes before alleadged Secondly those that make no conscience of detracting a mans good name being so excellent but make a continuall practise of slaundering and backbiting their brethren And these are worse then theeues for a theefe may make
one a proper man saith another he touched all degrees and spared none sayth another he had but a soft voyce saith another no vtterance it is pitty with a little practise he would do well he was too long sayth another he hath no learning sayth another What Vniuersitie was he of where dwels his friends what liuing hath he hath he no more benefices then one He sayd well sayth another if he can follow it himselfe when he hath done c. And afterward perhaps if he stay long amongst them or chance to haue charge ouer them they that before praised him to the skies will be the first that shall picke quarrels against him for one thing or another and all to remoue him Is it not then a labour well bestowed to set our selues onely to get praise of men can there be a greater misery were we not in a good case thinke you if we had hope of no better reward then this no maruell though But blessed be God our hope is and our comfort is that we dealing faithfully and vprightly in Gods businesse shall be rewarded of God himselfe in Christ his sonne with another manner of reward then all the world can giue vs or take from vs either In a farre more miserable case me thinke is the hypocrite then many a mans horse or beast is The horse is rid hard and trauelled sore all day and at night is turned into a sorry stable with a galled backe and spurred sides but yet with his maisters reward and that is a good baite and a good word Let him be well dressed and well meated sayth the owner he hath gone well to day it is as good a horse as euer man put legge ouer And if he chance to be stolen or lost or to dye his maister maketh great enquirie and searcheth for to find him againe or great moane besides high commendations of his beast because he cannot be had againe In like maner fareth it with the hypocrite in part whom euery man rideth and derideth at his pleasure as the spurre makes the horse to go so vaine glorie and praise makes the hypocrite to go and therefore it was well sayd in the Prouerbe Gloria calcar habet praise is a spurre as if the vaineglorious foole were a iade that would not go without spurring When the hypocrite hath ended his iourney he is turned home againe with a gald conscience well may he haue a good word as It was well done c. but scarse many times the worth of an asses baite And if he be missing perhaps there is not so much enquiring after him as after the strayed horse except peraduenture as Laban sought after Iacob to call him to account for the manner of his departure And if he dye some moane may perhaps be made for him and a good word from a false heart may chance be cast after him but it may be more moane will be made for a good seruiceable beast and the one shall be as soone forgotten as the other But when death comes it were happy for hypocrites if then they were horses or asses or vile toades for then should their miserie ende with their liues but they cannot haue that priuiledge and therefore they are farre more miserable then the bruite beast which perisheth Consider well of it my good brethren and let vs not be any longer bewitchâ—d with this tickling humour and most vaine vaine as I may call it of carping and caring and studying and seeking how to please men against God or to please men not God but let vs labour by all good meanes and call instantly vpon God by humble prayer that we may be so gouerned by his holy Spirit and grace that all our desire and study may be to do chose things and that in such manner as may get praise and commendation at his hand and we may be approued in his sight Lastly let his doctrine serue to worke patience in all those that hauing deserued commendation and loue and good liking of those amongst whom they haue laboured cannot get the fame or hauing once gotten it through their faithfull and plaine dealing or the inconstancie and frowardnesse of men lost the same Euery man hath his time as Salomon saith there is a time to reioyce and a time to be sorry so there is a time to be praised and a time to be dispraised a time to be lifted vp and a time to be cast downe againe least we should looke for our heauen vpon earth And let it not greeue any man to be dispraised nor greatly puffe vp any to be commended but rather be we grieued that we cannot studie to please God better then we do and be we glad that we haue the testimonie of a good conscience before God that we haue deserued better of men then we find at their hands and shall find farre better of Gods hands then euer we desired or deserued And seeing as the praise and commendation of men is so vaine and miserable a reward both for the vncertaintie of it for the deceitfulnesse of it for the breuitie of it for the vnprofitablenesse of it and for the danger of it let vs neither straine with a good conscience nor keeping a good conscience according to Gods word greatly regard it when we haue lost it For so do miserable hypocrites who as Christ sayth here in our text haue their reward If any body hath now put vppon him the Diuels armour of proofe I meane vnbeleefe as commonly all hypocrites do that this doctrine may not enter into his hart let them but consider and weigh well who hath sayd it and how he affirmeth it that hypocrites haue their reward He that hath said it is the Lord Iesus himselfe who being the wisedome of the father knoweth what he sayth and being truth it selfe cannot erre let no man now suspend his iudgement for the matter or stay his repentance vntill he heare it confirmed by some Doctours or Fathers or Councels for he hath spoken it that cannot deceiue any nor be deceiued by any yea vpon whose word and authoritie all the Doctours and Councels in the world haue builded and must build whatsoeuer they teach or else they build beside the foundation As Christ hath sayd it against whom I say there is no gainesaying so hath he affirmed it in most earnest and confident maner Verily I say vnto you they haue their reward that is in good earnest I speake it and for a most vndoubted truth I affirme it And all little inough for such is the cunning of Sathan to beguile mens soules that he will still feede them with some hope that it is not so hard as the Preacher saith it is Thou shalt dye the death saith God to Adâ—m if thou eatest of that tree No sayth Sathan ye shall not dye that is God doth not meane to deale so hardly with you as he sayth he is mercifull and that was but to make you afraid So playeth the hypocrite
all manner of euill saying against them falsly for his sake And such as Dauid was shall not want Zibaes enough in Court and countrey and citie and euery where euery great man yea euery one that is in authority hath such hangbies too many about him to hurt honest men in their credite if they take not heede of them Surely at another time Dauid did passing well when he forbad the publishing of Sauls death amongst the vncircumcised at Gath and Askalon lest they should insult reioyce at the death of the Lords annointed the king of Gods people to shew that if we must not alwaies publish euen true things that are notoriously and famously knowne when the concealment of thē may be more for Gods glory much lesse ought we to deuise or to publish or to credit false rumours slaunderous reports against the Lords annointed or any of the Lords people which tend to no other end but to the dishonor of God in defacing of his seruants In the 2. of Ruth ver 11. there is a notable pattern or exāple for newes mongers All is told me saith Booz vnto Ruth that thou hast done vnto thy mother in law since the death of thy husband how thou hast left thy father and thy mother and the land where thou wast borne and art come vnto a people which thou knewest not in times past By which relation of Booz vnto Ruth we may learn that the vertuous acts of good men are to be spoken of to their cōmendation comfort to the drawing on of others aboue all in all to the glory of God And that if we will needs be discouering of mens liues doings we should speak of their good deeds and vertuous acts not stand raking still in their corruptions and infirmities as the maner of most men is in reporting not to eclipse their vertues but to shew all to the full as he did that told Booz of Ruth but so will Belial neuer do The 2. way which the man of Belial taketh for the raising of contētions is a wilfull peeuish taking all things in euill part construing them to a wrong sense like the malicious Iewes who alwaies drew the heauenly words of our blessed Sauiour frō the right meaning when he spake of the temple of his body shewing how that shold be destroied within 3. daies builded again they maliciously construed his words to be meant of the temple of Ierusalem When he spake of going to a place whither they could not come vnto him they presently asked if he wold go kill himself Whē the blind man being restored to his sight by our Sauiour Christ did but answer the Iewes vnto their question shewing how he came by his sight maintained the deed of our Sauiour Christ they captiously tooke him at the worst as though he went about to teach them Iohn 9.34 So do all wicked lawlesse Belials Answer their demands questions with some reasons that they cannot gainsay then we go about to teach them and then to a braule Speake merrily and familiarly thinking no harme against any man they take it as a deriding and scoffing at them and then to a braule Do but a little reuerence vnto them then they thinke that they are despised Do much reuerence them and then they take it as if we mocked them Admonish them counsell them reprehend them they are aloft straight and take it that we command them that we iudge them that we condemne them they will not endure it Their felicity is great that they take in descanting vpon the Princes lawes vpon the Preachers liues and doctrine and the doings of all men In a word say what you will do what you can meane as well as may be meant be familiar or be strange eate or eate not pipe or mourne all is one nothing is well taken at the wicked Belials hands and so long what can be looked for but contention The third way whereby he raiseth vp contention is by busying and medling in other mens matters which belong not vnto him and that before he is called thereunto whereof some be women some be men Of contentious and busie bodied women the Apostle speaketh thus Being idle they learne to go about from house to house yea they are not onely idle but also pratlers and busie bodies speaking things that are not comely Salomon speaking of contentious women saith It is better to dwell in a corner of the house top then with a contentious woman in a wide house To shew that there is small ease or rest to be looked for with a contentious woman And in the 19. verse he saith it is better to dwel in the wildernesse then with a contentious and angry woman To shew that there is more comfort and rest to be looked for amongst the wild beasts then among contentions women Of busie headed men some are intermendlers in Church matters and some in common-wealth matters Of the first sort are such as Vzzah was who put his hand vnto the Arke of the Lord to hold it vp from falling when he had no calling thereunto The Lord was very wrath with him for it and in his iust vengeance stroke him downe for it euen in the very place with present death If the Lord were so angrie with Vzzah who in feare and of a good intent did but touch the Arke of God then what must they looke for who of a wicked intent to carpe and cauill maliciously and proudly meddle with the holy things of God and matters of Gods Church without any calling too The sacrifice of the wicked is an abhomination sayth Salomon how much more when he bringeth it with an euill mind Euen so the medling of the wicked in Gods matters which belong not vnto them is an abhomination much more when they meddle with a wicked mind and that also to do hurt thereby When Peter of meere curiosity was inquisitiue to know what should become of Iohn Christ gaue him a very round checke for his labour saying What is that to thee follow thou me To shew that it is a foule fault to neglect our owne callings and to be curious and inquisitiue about other mens affaires which pertaine not vnto vs and God will surely rebuke such curious persons Yet how many at this day do imitate Peter in his vaine curiositie or curious veine not fearing or regarding the rebuke that they shall haue from God for their labour What thinke you of Bishops their calling say some of this mans gifts and that mans teaching say other Euery cobler and pedler or tinker and prentise must know these things and haue an oare in the Church gouernours boate and hereof arise contentions and schismes and factions and rents in the Church of Christ. In the meane time examine them how they haue followed Christ themselues a thing indeede whereunto they are called alas they can say
siluer fethers with meeknesse and lowlinesse harmlesnes godly iealousie and continuall mourning for their owne wants the faults of others which they cannot reforme And thus much in generall for the manner of contending amongst the godly wherein they differ from the wicked who care not for Christ because he is none of their head like the harlot that cared not if the child were cut in peeces because it was none of hers whose meeknesse is haughtines stern fiercenesse bitter crueltie and cruell bitternesse whose innocentie is spoile and oppression whose ielousie is only ouer their own glorie whose mourning for sin is reioycing in their owne sin and in the fall of others Now seeing as we be come thus farre it were not amisse to set down some rules in more particular manner to guide poore simple Christians in their zealous and earnest contendings and striuings in following wherof they may haue comfort to their owne consciences and others may glorifie God for their wise and godly cariage of themselues to the aduantage of the truth and the disaduantage of their aduersaries To which end we are to know that euery one that contendeth iustly standeth either for Gods matters or for mens causes In striuing about Gods matters it were good to obserue these rules following not that I would bind any man to these but let euery man as God giueth him experience impart his godly aduice and counsell for the good of others In Gods matters if the controuersie be in publike meetings before many looke to thy calling if it be in priuate betweene thee and a few looke also vpon what occasion it groweth and whether it be offred by thy selfe or by others if by thy selfe especially before thy betters looke how thou fall into it and vse great modestie crauing both leaue to speake and attention to be heard with submission of thy iudgement vnto men of iudgement patiently hearing them also with whom thou contendest as well as thou art desirous to be heard thy selfe and especially vse some words of preparation to draw the minds of the hearers to a reuerent regard of that thou sayest left it be otherwise a profane contention and do not as many do who amidst their cuppes when men are earnestly employed in other pleasant and wittie discourses chop in of a sudden with some great question of Diuinitie vsing no meane at all to diuert and turne the hearers minds from that veine of mirth whereunto they are setled vnto a matter of more grauitie and maiestie which requireth sober and aduised attention If the controuersie be occasioned by others then marke by whom it is raised and to what end if by prophane persons onely to cauill and snare thee then reproofe or silence is the best answer according to the counsell of Salomon Answer not a foole in his folly left thou be like him and yet answer to his folly that is as his folly deserueth lest he be wise in his owne conceipt If the question ariseth by those that ate sober godly then follow S. Iames his rule Be swift to heare and slowe to speake that is put not foorth thy selfe as the maner of many is but let others first speake and be thou required to speake before thou speakest By this meanes also thou shalt the better be able to speake to purpose and with mor ease to go through with the matters like him that followeth another when the ice is broken before him It is good also to looke vnto thy abilitie and not to meddle with a matter that is too high for thee as many do because they would haue men know that they can say somewhat when indeed they do but bewray their grosse ignorance and pride This is Dauids counsell in his owne practise Lord saith he I am not high minded I do not exercise my selfe in matters that are too high for me Then obserue order and auoid confusion that is speake in thy turne and let not many speake together Take for example the Apostles who being assembled in a Councell at Ierusalem about the matter of circumcision other points of Christian religion spake one after another First Peter spake and then all the multitude kept silence and then after him Barnabas spake and after Barnabas Iames and all others kept silence In the next place looke to the right end of thy contending and that is fourefold First Gods glory Secondly truths victorie to the suppressing of errour Thirdly thine owne comfort and instruction Fourthly the edification of others To this end auoid all brawling and bitternesse with vaineglorie and ostentation and let all things be done in loue Lastly if you cannot agree submit your selues to the iudgement of some learned men thy Pastour if he be in place and of abilitie to iudge or to some other Preacher with him or without him if he be not in place Let the Prophets speak two or three saith Paul and let others iudge and the spirits of the Prophets shall be subiect to the Prophets If the spirites of the Prophets that is the Ministers of the word must be subiect to the Prophets then much more in matters of controuersie must the spirits of those which are no Prophets be subiect to the learned In defending our owne causes or in pleading the causes of other men First let vs be sure that the cause be good then may we with lesse offence contend about the same if we haue good calling and iust occasion with fit oportunitie as hath bene shewed before For many complaine contend which haue done the wrong these are like dogges which first bite and then crie or like theeues which pursue true men and may be compared to the harlot who hauing killed her owne child contended with her bedfellow about the death thereof as though that she had bene the death of it Secondly if thy cause be good and iust first offer peace and agreement according to the law of warre if it be refused seeke still and with a mind still of embracing peace yea suffer much and put vp much wrong Thirdly auoid all occasions of contention as much as lyeth in thee by all possible meanes with great ones and chiefly take heed if thou be a meane person of hauing too much familiaritie with three sorts of men First thy superiours especially whose hearts are not sure and vpright towards thee Eate not the bread of him that hath an euill eye saith Salomon for as though he meant it so will he say vnto thee eate eate when his heart is not with thee Surely thou shalt vomite vp thy morsels and loose all thy sweet words And the poore saith he speake with prayers but the rich answer roughly And the rich beare rule much more whē the poore are beholding vnto thē if they borrow they must be seruants vnto them Remember an Embleme or Parable of the two pottes swimming both in one streame the one of brasse the
he seeth his father make conserues of Roses and other flowers he is ready to weepe and is sory to see them marred because he would make nose-gayes of them which he himself would cast away by the next morrow So God that made good men that which they be he knoweth when it is time to gather them that they rot not on the tree and how long they may be preserued in their kind He will take somefresh and greene to preserue them all the yeare long he will make conserues of their flowers wine of their grapes to keep a long time after He will make their sauour their sweete sent their strength that is their godlines vprightnes and vertue to liue after them which otherwise would be buried Take for example the Apostles and Martyrs dost thou not yet eueÌ„ drink of their liqour doth not their constant confession make thee to confesse Christ doth not their death help thee to endlesse life Could Ignatius and Polycarpus haue liued aboue fiue or sixe yeeres more then they did and yet what part of all their ages hath lasted so long or done so much good as the last halfe hower wherein they died Therefore let vs say we are but babes and forasmuch as we perceiue the wisedome of our father to be so great and our owne ignorance so grosse let vs rather confesse our weaknesses in all cases then presume to doubt of his iustice or prouidence in any thing But the mischiefe is this that whereas we will not iudge of a song by one note nor of an Oration by one full sentence we will presume to iudge of the harmonie and orderly direction of the world by one action therein And if God seeme to hold his peace and to suffer men to play their parts ought we not to haue so good opinion of his wisedome as to thinke that he can tell when it is time to pay home And though he let the wicked play their part on the stage and the godly to lie in prison he can also prouide to end the braueries of the one with iust punishment and the wofull complaints of the other with ioyfull triumphs The world is a kind of stage-play conueied to a certaine end by a most excellent maker whereof we cannot iudge by one act that we see plaied but we must tarrie till all the parts be played which perhaps wil not be while we liue nor in many yeares after When we reade that Ioseph was sold into Egypt we cannot be angrie inough with his brethren when he is cast into the dungeon for chastity thou couldest find in thy heart to blame not onely Pharao but euen God himselfe but when thou seest him taken out of prison to reade the Kings dreames and after as a King in Egypt a succour to his father in his old age the raiser vp againe of his whole house at their neede then thou perswadest thy self that he which made him to raigne in Egypt did suffer him to be sold in t Egypt and that the discord which offended thee and the harmonie which delighteth thee againe proceede both from one selfe-same musition that is from one most wise and iust God Another obiection is this The wicked fare wel at will therfore they are not plagued and destroyed as hath bene said they are But we are deceiued for rather they haue all miserie for all the good things which we terme good in the hands of the wicked do turne to euil Their own sinnes do work them more mischiefe then all the euils which thou bewailest in good men for there is not a greater mischief then to be wicked and all their commodities haue as litle force against their sinne as veluet pantofles against the gout or as Diademes against the headach or as purple robes against the chollick What feare do they sustaine in following their wickednes and so much the more dangerous because the most shamelesse of them all dareth not bewray his disease to the Phisition We would change so foolish are we our state with a poore caitiue that playeth the King on a stage with a long gowne of cloth of gold which in the end he must returne home againe to the Vpholster and pay well for the hire of it and in the meane time consider not what ragges scabs vermine itch and scurfe lieth hidden vnderneath it We would rather go naked then to be clothed but what skils it whether a man be tormented in veluet or in canuas in gold or in yron be we rich or poore as soon as we haue giuen ouer our selues to vice we are become slaues vnto it and if it be so what skils it who we be if we be not our owne men The last obiection is that the wicked go long vnpunished to which the answere is double First they may liue yet to punish vs who haue bene scourged by them alreadie and yet are neuer the better Secondly it may be a greater punishment to them to liue after they haue done amisse then to haue died in the deede doing for now they see first that their practises haue not successe according to their wils secondly that all the mischiefe they haue wrought is in vaine thirdly that they haue prouoked God against them and the whole world to no purpose fourthly that they haue gotten thereby nothing but shame torment of mind If God then by his seeming to be slow do both amend thee saith Plessy and punish them and both at once then is â—he Lord stil iust in his threatnings as he is in all his workes Examples we haue hereof sufficient in Nero in Herod in Cain in Iezabel in Lewes the 9. a French King all which liued after their cruell murthers and massacres and were seuerely punished though none of those whose innocent bloud was spilled by them were aliue to see theÌ„ punished The reason is this God punisheth not as worldly Iudges do to content them that haue suffered wrong or to satisfie thy reuenging mind or to get himselfe the name of a good Iudge but because he hateth the euill which he intendeth to correct and will also draw good out of it If he should strike at our appointment then should he be but our executioner and we should be the Iudges but God executeth his owne iudgements and not ours These obiections being thus answered let vs now see what good vse we may make of al the former doctrine We learne from hence first when we see the wicked to flourish to be contented and patient not enuying their exaltation for God doth lift them vp of purpose to cast them downe this vse doth Dauid teach vs to make of the wicked mans prosperitie Fret not thy selfe because of the wicked men neither be enuious for the euil doers for they shal soon be cut downe like grasse and wither as the green herb Psa. 27.1.2 And the truth of this point is further confirmed by our Sauior Christ who saith that