he must runne that will be crowned the mart time wherein he must occupie his talent that will be a gainer the warfare wherein he must fight valiantly that will be rewarded Iohn 9. The night approches wherin no man can work Thirdly he affirmes that as there is a time a life to come the foundation wherof is to be layed in this life so humilitie of minde and mercie and goodnesse and readinesse in distributing is the way to apprehend it and come vnto it and all rich men thereby haue readie and infallible way vnto saluation So saith S. Iohn 1. Epist 3.14 By this we know we are translated from death to life if we loue our brethren And therefore our Sauiour Luk. 16. bids Make you friends with your riches that they your friends by exhibiting your almes may receiue and make way for you to enter into euerlasting habitations But of all other the 25 of Matthew shewes this most plainely where our blessed Sauiour shall say at the day of iudgement to the godly Come ye blessed c. And this is the reason why almes and mercie and all good workes are so commended in the Scripture and in the Fathers and haue those high titles giuen vnto them because they are the things which God hath appointed vs to walk in for the working out of our saluation 25 For the better vnderstanding of which point and that you may see the venime which the Church of Rome hath put into the doctrine of Almes and all Good works you must note that for the bringing man to heauen and happinesse two things must be done First Gods iustice must be satisfied and the price be paied which man through his sinne owes to God For God hauing giuen the Law for man to keepe entirelie in thought word and deede and man hauing broken this law by his sinne the iustice of God is such that he cannot now be saued till the price be paied for this sinne and a iust and full satisfaction be made to God for the breach of this law the which no man can do by almes or prayers or any good workes but by faith in Christ whose death and obedience alone iustifieth from the law But then secondly when Christ our Sauiour hath reconciled vs to his Father and eleuated vs into a new state that our sinnes are pardoned and obtained for vs the gift of eternall life yet still we must performe the conditions and walke the way prescribed in the Gospell As if the King freely without desert of mine at the mediation of another giue me a place about him and neuer so much right vnto it yet I am bound if I will enioy it to come vnto him and do the things that the place requireth and if he giue me a tree growing in his forrest this his gift tyes me to be at cost to cut it downe and bring it home if I will haue it and when I haue done I cannot brag that by my comming and seruice I merited the place or by my cost in carrying the tree made my selfe worthy of the tree as the Iesuites speake of their workes but onely my deed is the way that leades to the fruition of that which is freely giuen me And there cannot be produced a place in all the Scripture nor a sentence in all the Fathers which extend our works any further or make them exceede the latitude of a meere condition or way whereby we walke to that which not themselues but the bloud of Christ hath deserued The Prophet Dauid was a holy man and mercifull to the poore yet when he comes to the point of meriting Psalme 143. he desires God Not to enter into iudgement with him for no flesh is righteous in his sight And that which might giue an end to this controuersie for euer Apoc. 4.10 we reade the foure and twenty Elders had crownes vpon their heads but yet when they came into the presence of God to worship him They cast them downe before his Throne and cried Thou alone art worthy Againe within the same latitude of our workes the Apostle saith that thereby We lay hold vpon eternall life because as they are the way so they giue confidence and assurance to the conscience and lay through hope the ground of saluation in our minde For as he that keepes the way is sure to come to the end so he that perseueres in the way of a good life is sure to come to eternall life and hath confidence not because he thinkes his workes are worthy or deserue it but because he knowes they are the way 1. Ioh. 3. If our heart condemne vs not we haue confidence toward God Saint Ierome writes of Hilario a holy man that when he died and felt a motion of feare he checkt himselfe Egredere anima mea egredere quid times Septuaginta prope annis servisti Christo iam times March on my soule and set forward willingly why fearest thou these seuentie yeares thou hast serued God and wilt thou be now afraid For as in a clocke the finger makes not the clocke to go but the clocke it and yet it shewes how the clocke goes within So our works And as after a long sicknesse when a man feeles his stomacke come his strength and sleepe to amend and his sits to abate he beginneth to conceiue certaine hope of life euen so our workes are the signes of our election and the forerunners of saluation whereby we lay hold on it by hope and faith and walke toward it This is the Apostles meaning 26 Let vs come to some application of it and so end When the foundation of eternall happinesse is to be laid in this world by liuing godly and such as will enioy heauen must lay hold vpon it in this life they much forget themselues that by liuing in sinne and wickednesse lay the foundation of their owne destruction For Iob saith of euery wicked man 20.11 that His bones shall be filled with his sinne and it shall couch downe with him in the dust and 1. Ioh. 3.8 Let no man deceiue you with vaine words he that doth wickedly is a wicked man and of the diuell Euery man thinkes to haue eternall life and yet few lay any foundation for it If euer it were a time to cry out of sinne this is it wherein the Preachers may say with the Angel in Zach. 1. We haue gone through the world and behold all the world sitteth still and is at rest And it cannot be said of vs as it was of the Amorites that Their wickednesse is not yet complete Gen. 15. For we see sinne to be of that eleuation that there is scarce left any roome for the mercie of God to helpe vs. There are foure things that shew sinne to be complete and nothing wanting but the terrible iudgements of God to be daily looked for First when the sinnes are great like the sinnes of the Gentiles Atheisme whoredome Sodomie bloudshed oppression These are crying sinnes and there
Two Sermons THE FORMER DELIVERED AT PAVLS CROSSE THE FOVRE AND TWENtieth of March 1615. being the anniuersarie commemoration of the Kings most happie succession in the Crowne of England THE LATTER AT THE Spittle on Monday in Easter weeke 1613. By IOHN VVHITE D.D. My Sonne feare thou God and the King and meddle not with them that are giuen to change Prou. 24.21 ANCHORA SPEI Imprinted at London by Richard Field for William Barret 1615. TO THE RIGHT VERTVOVS AND NOBLE LAdie the Ladie Crofts wife to my worthie Patron Sir Iohn Crofts of Saxham all comfort in the mercies and grace of God GOod Madam I send you what I preached not long since in a solemne and deuout audience vpō speciall occasion For such is either the curiositie or religion of Hearers that sometime they will haue vs preach in print He that could do it well in one sense were a man fit for this age though in my sense it is fitter for many then for my selfe who knowing mine owne imperfections and the different operation of a mouing voyce and breathlesse letters am therfore naturally timorous of publike censures and had kept my lines within doores if either importunitie had not inticed them abroad or I had not feared their stealing out at a back dore Now as they are I commend them to your Ladiship it hauing bene time out of mind a courtesie allowed the Presse to take vp the Passe where it best affects When I liued farre remote Sir Iohn Crofts your husband my worthie and louing Patrone hauing neuer seene me sent and called me to the place I haue since which time it hath pleased both Him and you selfe and your Noble children and my Honorable LADIE CHEANY with whom you liued in the straitest band of loue vntill God by a blessed death in her ripe age tooke her to his mercie so much to fauour me that thereby I haue bene the better both encouraged and enabled to my studies which were falling to the ground for want of means And if that were not yet what I haue seene since in the course of your life and the order of your family were enough to binde all good minds that honour Vertue vnto you whose zeale to Religion and loue to Learning and continuall exercise therein both by reading and practise ioyned with such promptnes of memorie and modestie in speaking giues you interest in all either Learned or Godly makes you worthy of more then my poore words can attribute Saint Ierome commends a Ladie because she made her daughters and gentlewomen that were about her daily to reade and learne somewhat out of the Scripture a kind of commendation now worne out of fashion like a sute of apparell of the old make yet your Ladiship hath not refused it that he who hath seene your children and attendants about you priuate at worke hath doubted which were the worke the Reading of some while others were working or the working of others while some were reading Which parts men obseruing in persons of your ranke haue taken libertie without all feare and freely to speake thereof and the wisest that haue bene such as Ignatius Chrysostome Ierome Basil Nazianzen Saint Paul himselfe and the holy Euangelists haue mentioned them and more then mentioned them left vs those memorials of them that the Church of God could not haue spared as may be seene by their affectionate writing of and to the Maries Lydia Lois Eunice Cassobolites Olympias Laeta Demetrias Paula Eustochium Celantia Saluina and diuers more whose vertues therein mentioned are a great part of that which hath taught and giuen example to noble women in all ages since For coniugal loue motherly pietie matronly grauitie wisedome bountie humilitie hospitalitie vertue shall be both registred and commended and imitated and honored when the contrarie shall be contemned in the greatest and now and then sent downe to the graue with a peale of satyres Go forward then and maintaine what God hath giuen you and as these things are yours in an eminent manner so hold them fast and value them aboue your husbands state or your patronage much more aboue glittering apparell and worldly pleasures and those vanities and excesses where with so manie please themselues and no bodie else And as here they yeeld you honor and respect so in Death which determines all our actions and layes the pleasures of sinne vpon Gods cold earth you shall taste the benefite thereof for the delights of the flesh and the pride of life will poison the graue but the feare of God shall be recompenced with Honor and Peace and Eternall life which things are daily behight vnto you your godly husband and vertuous children in his praiers to God By him that is at your Ladiships seruice IO. WHITE A SERMON PREACHED AT PAVLES CROSSE vpon the foure and twentieth of March 1615. being the anniuersarie commemoration of the Kings most happie succession in the Crowne of England 1. TIM 2.1 I exhort therefore that first of all supplications prayer intercession and giuing of thankes be made for all men for Kings and for all that are in authoritie that we may leade a quiet and peaceable life in all godlinesse and honestie AND is it true that all these things are so indeed as they seeme vnto vs are we not deceiued do we certainly see one another indeed that we dreame not of that which is but a fancie and beguiles vs are we out of our beds waking and mouing and truly vnderstanding what befalles vs is it day-light are our eyes open is not sleepe still vpon vs or waking dreames presenting vs with imaginations are they not shadowes that are about vs Is it credible that a sinfull Nation so ill deseruing at the hands of God so watcht by enemies in our bosome the most cruell and mercilesse that euer were and threatned by him and his that thinke they haue power to shut vp heauen and restraine the influence of euery creature that waited for nothing as this day but confusion and euery mischiefe to fall vpon vs that their wrath could procure is it I say possible that a people in such danger of shipwracke in good-earnest without dreaming should notwithstanding liue and breathe the same life we did enioy the same mercies of our God the same security the same peace both of State and Church and they lie at our feete like the fiue Kings of Canaan Ios 10.24 that meant to haue deuoured vs and this day which they prophesied should haue bene the dismallest that euer rose vpon the kingdome assemble also together in ioy and triumph men women and little children to celebrate our peace ringing and singing and reioycing before the Lord our maker Parsons the Iesuite a man well knowne to our State and by his owne thought a great Statesman himselfe and wise but he was a cab of dung 2. Reg. 6.25 an Asses head sold to the Pope for 80. siluerlings and his friends rose vp in a misty morning
euen to hell their painting their nakednesse their inconstancy in all fashions their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the instruments of dissolutenesse their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Nazianzen speaketh The sophistrie of their lockes turning their head into a stage for men to looke at But this is nothing Feare they not him that hath made heauen and earth and hath throwne into sudden miserie and knockt downe before their eyes as gallant as themselues in the top of their pride Feare they not sickenesse disgrace a loathsome age O why art thou proud ô dust and vanitie vile earth stinch lapped vp in silke magnified dongue guilded rottennesse golden damnation Do you not consider I will yet once more vrge the point if paraduenture any pietie any remorse any grace any memorie of Gods loue be left among vs do you not consider what hauocke ye make of Gods good gifts that should be spent to better purposes relieuing the poore keeping house paying of debts bringing vp your children Do you neuer call to minde the pretiousnesse of the time spent about these things when scarce one houre in twentie foure and twenties is bestowed in humble prayer and true repentance vpō your knees in your closet vnto God see you not what a banner you display of a vaine minde that minds nothing but these trifles how you confound all order and states by going beyond your calling what occasions of sinne and vncleannesse you offer to your selues and others how you deface Gods workmanship your bodies as if he made them vnperfect and you would mend them Non cogitat vanitatem vniuersi qui vniuersas vanitates cogit in cutem suam Such as hang vpon their skinne the vanitie of all things little remember the vanitie of euery thing And so I come to the second principall part of my text 18 Wherein the Apostle charges them touching the vse of their riches To do good to be rich in good workes readie to distribute willing to communicate He admouisheth them of three points First the substance to do good Secondly the quantitie to be rich in doing good Thirdly the qualitie to be ready and willing to do this Touching the first point it is to be obserued that our Apostle doth not particularly expresse and name any thing as almes or lending or contributing this or that way which yet they are bound vnto in expresse termes elsewhere but onely in generall he bids them not withhold their riches but communicate distribute them to all good purposes and be good and godly as well as rich yea abound in godlinesse as much as they do in wealth and prosperitie The substance is do good distribute communicate euery way the first word imports all good whatsoeuer belongs to a Christian life pietie holinesse iustice integritie religion all godlinesse The other two distribute and communicate that good which properly is expected from rich men that none else can do The proper good of fire is to warme the good of water is to wash cleanse the good of meate to feede the good of Physicke to cure and the proper and speciall good of rich men is to helpe and relieue by communicating and distributing where there is want either among the poore or in the Church or in the Common wealth The which goodnesse our Apostle most wisely opposes against the manifold euil that they may do For a great man with his riches may do much hurt he may oppresse the State wherein he liues twenty waies by ingrossing by inhansing by monopolies by vsury he may oppresse his enemie peruert iustice giue bad example hinder religion support heresie beare out himselfe in any wickednesse for A gift in the bosome prospers which way soeuer it goes This is it that hath filled this Citie and all the world with oppression and bloudshed and whordome and Atheisme and Papistrie and blasphemie that a great man may do what he list because his riches affoord him the meanes and are a bush at his backe This is it that makes the name of riches so odious in the Scripture and rich folke so suspected in the world And this is it that causes many a man to seeke after greatnes and authoritie and place and promotion that he might be able to execute the lusts of his heart as many loue to be mending the fire not because they care for mending it but because they would warme their fingers From all this the Apostle reuokes vs to the doing of good This is the substance 19 The quantitie is rich in good the qualitie readie and willing In which words he teacheth how to conditionate our distribution there must be Plenty and chearefulnesse First they must be rich and plentifull as God hath bene to them He giues richly all things and expects that we should distribute richly againe This is done when first we cast our eyes vpon all sorts of good that is to be done the poore in extremitie must be holpen orphans and aged must be prouided for our poore friends that are behind hand prisoners and distressed housholders yong tradesmen that want stocks must be thought on We must be ready to helpe forward any publike good Churches highwaies bridges feede the hungry to cloathe the naked to prouide for the miserable Many a poore child is cast naked by death and pouertie of friends vpon the world it weeps in want and yet knowes not it owne miserie many a young man and woman in their want are ready to fall into desperate courses many an honest housholder doth all he is able and yet ouercharged cannot rescue himselfe from secret want pinching debts heauie sighs O happie hand that helpes here and happie abundance that supplies all this want a poore child by this meanes becomes an honest man and somtimes a great ornament to his countrey and the distressed are enabled either to ouercome or comfortably to beare their affliction Make the picture of this Mercie in a table and hang it in your houses let it be a virgine faire and louely her garments greene and orient a crowne of gold vpon her head the teares of compassion bolting at her eyes pitie and ruth sitting in her face Let her paths be milke where she sets her foote let plentie lie in her lap and multitudes of people draw their breath from her Let her giue sight to the blind and feete to the lame and strength and comfort to the miserable Let the earth giue her all his riches and the heauens their influence Let her make the Sunne to shine the day to rise the clouds to raine the earth to be fruitfull At her right hand place the Angels of heauen protecting at her left hand all Gods mercies attending Vnder her feete the diuell and couetousnesse Let pride follow her in bands let oppression and enuie and selfe-loue and vnlawfull gaines flie from her presence and write vpon her breast in golden letters O bona Charitas alumna coeli corona soli haeres vitae medicina mortis ô bona Charitas