close by the altars from the presence of which he was exiled In the ende to shewe the happie case wherein they are to whom continuall and daily accesse to the house of the Lord is graunted he preferreth one day spent there before a thousand any other-where the meanest roome about the house of God before the highest throne in the pallaces of the wicked In another Psalme he so speaketh as if euery daies absence from that holie place were a thousand yeeres When shall I come to appeare before the presence of God As if he should haue said Shall I neuer Neuer shall I be so happie So the Israelites at such time as they were exiles in Babylon declared their earnest desires this way by their bitter teares Nehemias by his heauinesse in the presence of the king Christ by leauing his mother to present himselfe at holie exercises in the temple being but as yet of greene and tender age And with what zeale ioye and gladnesse the Disciples of Christ after the death of their master ioyned themselues together in priuate houses when by reason of the cruell persecution by the Priests they durst not shewe themselues abroade it appeareth both in the Euangelists and in the Acts of the Apostles Yea when afterward the spirite of God miraculously descending vpon them had increased both their zeale and courage they openly professed him whom before they worshipped in secrete places No feare no prohihition no threatning of higher powers was able to withholde them they spake they entred into the temple they taught daily and beeing persecuted were glad that God thought them woorthie to suffer for his sake who had died for theirs God according to his promise is euer present in his congregation Wheresoeuer two or three are assembled in his name he is with them yea what thing soeuer his Saints so assembled shall lawfully aske his promise is it shall bee giuen them 3 With what earnest desire deare brethren ought we then to stand in this place before the Lord beeing driuen from the tabernacle of God as Dauid persecuted as the blessed Apostles of Christ exiled as Israel cast out of the Churches wherein we were nurced and trained vp Howe thankefull ought we to be to our heauenly father who hath in so ample manner in the midst of our manifold distresses griefes caused the light of his countenance to shine in the faces of vs his poore afflicted seruaunts For althogh because we our princes our prophets our people haue grieuously sinned in not esteeming so preciously nor following so religiously his blessed Gospel as we ought to doe therefore he hath bereaued vs of our worldly prosperitie and brought these miseries vpon vs wherein we nowe are yet knowing that we are the sheepe of his pasture howsoeuer wee haue wandered and gone astray it hath pleased him in great aboundance of mercie so to temper the sharpenesse of his correction that we finde him still our present helper at hand and readie most to succour vs in our extreemest neede Could wee wish for more at the hands of God than beeing banished and constreined to forsake all the profites and comforts which we inioied at home in our natiue countrie here amongst aliens and strangers to finde a citie so safe to dwell in maintenance so competent for our needeful and reasonable sustentation such grace in the eies of the godly magistrates vnder whom we liue such fauour and respect to our hard estate such free libertie to come together to call vpon God in our common praiers to heare his word syncerely and truly preached in our owne natural tongue to the great and vnsearchable comfort of our soules finally all things so strangely and almost miraculously ministred and brought vnto our handes as doubtlesse we could neuer haue found heere if the Lorde himselfe had not gone before as it were to make readie to prouide for vs O what tokens of mercie special fauour hath our kind gratious father shewed vs in this our exile and distresse for his Gospell in these our sorowful and afflicted times Wee haue lost the sauing truth at home and found it abroade Our countrie-men are become our enemies and strangers are made our friends Being persecuted by our natiue rulers foraine magistrates haue shewed vs fauour In banishment wee haue a place to dwell in In anguish we abound with comfort And as the Apostle speaketh hauing nothing we are as possessing all things Therefore deare brethren hauing receiued these so great and rare graces at the mercifull hands of our good God I may iustly as one of your poore helpers in these holie labours vse the words of S. Paul which in the beginning I recited exhorting and beseeching you that yee receiue not this grace of God in vaine Be not an vnthankeful people neglect not the great benefite now offered vnto you approch with all reuerence and present your selues as humble petipetitioners before the Lord and careful seruants before our God For I say vnto you as Iacob saide in his iourney towardes Mesopotamia Verè Dominus est in loco isto Truly God is here euen present amongst vs. We doe clearely and plainely perceiue that our fathers and mothers our friends and familiars hauing forsaken vs he hath receiued vs as his dearest 4 Let vs nowe take a viewe of S. Pauls words which I haue propounded to intreate of In the entrance of which he professeth himselfe to bee our helper furthering vs and setting vs forwarde in the course of our saluation not onely by teaching the woord of reconcilement remission of sinnes free mercie in the death and through the merites of Christ crucified but also by most earnest and vehement exhortation beseeching vs woorthily to receiue this so freely offered grace and blessing Nowe as Paul was an helper and a moouer vnto godlinesse so no doubt we ought all to bee helpers euerie one to another according to our calling in distributing and communicating such gifts as we haue receiued at the bountiful hands of God Euerie one according to that of S. Peter as hee hath receiued grace himselfe so ministring it to another as good dispensers of the manifold graces of GOD. For he hath not deliuered vs our talents to bee wrapped vp hidden and buried in the earth We are stewards so to vse the riches of his grace as may bee most to the aduantage of his glorie amongst men 5 Vnto this our blessed Apostle exhorting setteth three especiall things before our eyes to be considered First hee putteth vs in remembrance of the great mercie of God towards vs whereof we are mooued not to shewe our selues vnwoorthie receiuers Secondly hee sheweth that this is the acceptable and onely accounted time wherein it must appeare whether wee receiue that grace in vaine or no Thirdly he teacheth wherein and howe wee must declare our selues so to haue receiued it as behooueth 6 Receiue not the grace of God in vaine I will
against the Lord farre from me c. Wherein first he putteth the ministers in minde of their dutie secondly he telleth the prince and people of their office lastly hee sheweth if they doe it not what punishment wil followe 6 Samuel reiected put from the office of a magistrate by this froward rebellious people yet was not so froward himselfe as to forsake the office of a minister Neither minded he to reuēge this wrong offered him but with a milde minde he was content not onely to pray for them but to teache them faithfully and louingly to admonish them A patterne for all princes to bee milde in their owne matters yet earnest and zealous in the quarel of God He prayed for the people his enemies the cause was his owne he tooke the sword in his hand and cut King Agag in peeces the cause was Gods Moses in his owne cause was a man most milde he quietly suffered wonderful wrongs but when he perceiued Idolatrie committed Gods glorie comming into question hee with his partakers for worshipping of that calfe put to the sword three thousand men Christ our Sauiour and Master suffered though vndeseruedly yet meekely all reproofe yea reproch yea death it selfe but when his fathers cause came in hande that the house of God was made a denne of theeues hee bestirred him with his whip coursed those symoniacall choppers and chaungers buyers and sellers out of the Temple and made hauocke of whatsoeuer they had 7 This milde and zealous Samuel zealous in Gods cause and milde in his owne first by his owne example putteth the ministers in minde of their duetie in whom hee requireth two things as principall points concerning them To pray and To teache God forbid that I should sinne against the Lorde and cease praying for you I will shewe you the good and right waie 8 Christ that good pastor was earnest in praier for the people Holie father keepe them yea for his enemies Father forgiue them Paul the good Apostle prayed without intermission Iames the good Bishop of Hierusalem made his knees as hard as the hoose of a camell with continuall praying Our good Prophet Samuell thinketh it a great sinne not to pray for the people Absit a me hoc peccatum Be this sinne farre from mee Christ Peter Paul Ieremie praied with many teares God is delighted with an heartie prayer both in the minister in the Prince and in the people Christ was so feruent herein that he swet water and bloud King Dauid in his earnest prayer nightly watered his bed with teares The Israelites in Babylon in powring out their heartie prayers powred out also teares aboundantly Moses was so earnest with God in his prayers that God saide vnto him Why doest thou holde me Anna was so eager that shee powred out her verie heart before God in prayer The verie Ethnickes would not dallie with their false gods in prayer Plato reporteth that when they met in the house of their Idols to pray one openly pronounced Hoc agite Doe this Talke not trifle not let not your mindes wander Doe that ye come for For prayer is the lifting vp of the minde to God And Christ complaineth of this lippe labour This people honour me with their lippes God seeth thy heart and he requireth it 9 The persons for whom Samuel did praie are specified in the latter ende of his speeche For to whom hee saith if yee doe wickedly ye shall perish both you and your king for them that they might not doe wickedly he prayed Wee must pray first for kings and all that are placed in authoritie that God may giue them vnderstanding hearts rightly to rule faithfull counsellers from whom they may receiue wise and graue aduise carefull mindes to put good counsels in execution Euil counsel giuen and followed hath wrought much woe to many princes and vtter ruine to sundrie common wealths King Hanan hearkened to euill counsell and executed it but it turned to the confusion of him and his people Absolon likewise followed Achitophels wicked counsel and destruction likewise followed them both Solomon he gaue eare to foolish women and followed their idolatrous deuises whereby he procured to himselfe the wrath of God Roboam reiected the counsel of the graue and wise and followed the light and lustie deuises of young braines but it spoiled him of the most part of his kingdome Zedechias would not heare the good counsel of Ieremie but gaue eare to the euill aduise of his bad counsellers which in the ende turned to his confusion Happie is that Prince that hath wise and godly counsellers and thrise happie that wil followe them Then may the people liue a quiet and a peaceable life in all godlinesse and honestie Samuel praied for the Prince and the people This is one principall part of the ministers office 10 The other is to teache If I teache not woe woorth me saith S. Paul But what is it that the minister should teache The Pope to be head of the vniuersal Church No that Christ claymeth as his owne right To abstaine from mariage and meate as not lawful to be vsed That S. Paul termeth the doctrine of deuils Shal we teache Purgatorie and prayer to the dead or for the dead But S. Iohn teacheth that we are purged by the bloud of Christ. And God commaundeth vs to call vpon him in our prayer Other commaundement haue we none To be short shal we teache the doctrine of men Then all our worshipping of God shall be in vaine Samuel therefore telleth vs what we shal teach namely the good and right waie Esay speaking of Gods word saith This is the waie walke in it The prophet Ieremie hath the like Stand vpon the waies and see and inquire of the olde waie which is the good waie and walke in it We ought to walke in the olde path of Gods auncient woord For that is the good and the right waie Yee shall not doe that which seemeth right vnto you but what I commaund that onely doe neither adde nor detract any thing Christ taught not his owne waies but the waies of his Father The wordes which I haue spoken are not mine but his that sent me the fathers S. Paul durst not teache any other thing than what he had receiued of the Lorde Yea he curseth the verie Angels of heauen if they teache any other way than that which hee had alreadie deliuered as right and good It is the office therefore of the minister to teache the woorde He that speaketh let him speake as the words of God The good Emperour Constantinus was so carefull of this that hee required of the Synode ouer which he was set to decide matters of religion that they should order all things by the booke of God which booke hee placed for the same purpose in
and their prayer tooke away the force of the fire The scriptures are full of examples of all sorts Kings Prophets Apostles faithfull Christians haue called vpon the Lord in the time of their troubles hee hath heard them graunted their requests and deliuered them from their distresses Wherefore before all things the Apostle heere exhorteth vs vnto praier 10 But for whom First generally for all men then specially for kings and them that are placed in authoritie It seemeth some were of opinion that praiers should be made onely for the faithfull for the brethren for Christians and not for Infidels Paul to meete with this vncharitable error saith Let supplications be made for all men S Iohn in his Canonicall Epistle seemeth to make exception against this generall doctrine There is a sinne vnto death I say not that thou shouldest praie for it This is that sinne which Christ calleth sinne against the holy Ghost which neuer shall be remitted and therefore is not to be praied for But because it is hard for vs to discerne who sinne vnto eternall death Christian charitie wil that we hope wel of all and obserue the generall rule to praie for all There were secrets reuealed to the Apostles of Christ which are hidden from vs they had the gift of prophecying and discerning of spirits to foresee and knowe which gifts these times haue not Paul rapt into the third heauen learned secrets not to be reuealed hee knewe that Himenaeus and Alexander were reprobates We may not so iudge of others Who art thou that iudgest an other mans seruaunt In outward shewe after the iudgement of man Paul being a violent persecuter of Christ sinned vnto death yet was hee the elect vessell and glorious instrument of God Christ is the propitiation for the sinnes of the whole world he wil haue all men to be saued and to come to the knowledge of the trueth We must therefore haue a charitable meaning towards all and pray for all as he hath died for all Praie euen for your enemies for them that persecute and slander you Blesse them that curse you Wish well to them that doe ill to you For God suffereth his raine to fall and his light to shine both vpon good and bad Abraham praied for Abimeleck Moses for Idolaters Samuel for Saul Stephen for them that stoned him and Christ for them that cruelly put him to shamefull death Let vs imitate these holie paternes 11 As we should praie for all men so chiefely for kings and such as are in authoritie because they chiefly neede it In Pauls time the kings and rulers of the people were Ethnickes tyrants enemies to Christ and cruel persecuters of the Gospel wherevpon some thought it not conuenient for the Church to pray for them who sought to destroie it S. Paul abateth this opinion teaching them that they should chiefly praie for such as for men in greatest daunger and most needing the helpe of their praier Praie for him that praieth not for himselfe The prophet Ieremie requireth the Israelites to praie for the cruel persecutor of Gods people Nabuchadnetzar For God in his mercie giueth good princes and in his ire he giueth wantons as Esay saith and hypocrites as Iob writeth Both euill and good are the ordinaunce of God We must praie for ill princes because the kings heart is in Gods hand that he may turne their mindes and staie their persecutions of euil make them good and of strangers from the common wealth of his Saints make them pillers and staies vnto the Church For good princes we ought heartily to praise the Lord for them especially to pray as the prophet did for Salomon Giue thy iudgements to the King O God and thy righteousnesse to the Kings Sonne For it is the singular gift of God not onely to set vp rightfull gouernement in the world but also to cherishe and preserue the same Euen they whom he hath furnished with the spirite of righteousnesse and of iudgement are vnable furtherfoorth to execute their charge than they be specially directed by the hande of God and assisted from heauen with all helpes necessary for their calling If the Christians did praie for the wealth and prosperitie of those princes which bent all their force and power against the kingdome of Christ surely for such as are defenders of the faith and zealous patrones of Gods people wee ought daily and hourely to powre out supplications that God would grant them a long life a safe gouernementt a sure dwelling valiant souldiers faithfull counsellers a good people a quiet world and whatsoeuer the hearts of men or kings doe desire And let all such as wil not say Amen to those praiers assure themselues that they are neither duetifull Christians nor faithfull subiects but disloyall contemners of Gods ordinance and rebellious despisers of his commaundement who spake by the mouth of his Apostle saying Praie for Kings and all such as be in authoritie 12 If any Church any people any nation in the world haue cause to praise the Lord for their prince this Lande hath more than any in respect of the wonderfull blessings wherewith God by the ministerie of his handmaide hath enriched vs far beyond all that we are possibly able to conceiue Israell was well apaide with the good gouernement of Debora Iudith and Hester But they thought themselues twise happie when God gaue them Moses Samuel Dauid Salomon Iehosaphat Ezechias Iosias to gouerne them England liked well and tooke it for no small blessing of God when Henrie the first H. the second Edward the first Edward the third Edward the fourth H. the fift H. the sixt H. the seuenth H. the eight Edward the sixt bare rule ouer it But did God euer blesse the throne of any man as hee hath doone the royall seate of his annointed at this day Hath the like euer beene heard of in any nation to that which in ours is seene Our Debora hath mightily repressed the rebel Iaben our Iudith hath beheaded Holophernes the sworne enemie of Christianitie our Hester hath hanged vp that Haman which sought to bring both vs and our children into miserable seruitude And if we may compare with the ancients of Israel Moses was not more milde nor Samuel more iust nor Dauid more faithful nor Salomon more peacefull nor Iehosaphat more readie to assist his neighbours nor Ezechias more carefull for Gods cause nor Iozias more zealous to restore syncere religion If yee make the comparison betweene her owne predecessors neither was Henrie the first better learned nor Henrie the second more easie to forgiue and put vp iniuries nor Ed. the first more chast nor Ed. the third more loath to accept of forrein dominion being offred nor Ed. the fourth more iust in yeelding all men their owne nor H. the fift more happie nor H. the sixt more holie nor H. the seuenth more prudent nor H. the eight more valiant in quelling the Pope nor
it more than ordinarie or vsuall blessings As the blessings of that man are by God accursed so where he curseth there the Lord blesseth and to the eternall reproofe of that our enemies vniust and vncharitable execration he hath in these our daies opened his bountifull hand farre wider than in former times when those Antichristian blessings came posting yerely from Rome and embraced our Lande so kindely that they sucked the sappe of wealth both from braunche and roote The Land of Canaan was a pleasaunt and a fruitefull Land flowing with milke and abounding with honie truely it was barren and almost beggerly in respect of our aboundance and store God may iustly say to vs What could I haue doone more vnto my vineyard which I haue not doone vnto it He hath miraculously giuen and continued with vs that grand blessing of his glorious Gospell he hath wonderfully preserued our Soueraigne his seruant he hath kept her safe as Moses and Dauid from Pharao from Dathan and from Amalek from Goliah from Saul from Absolon from the hands of her open enemies and treasons of her deceitfull friends he hath not onely giuen her a circumspect heart to foresee and to preuent and I trust to cut off all intended destruction but also hath more than miraculously abated the pride and confounded the manifold counsels of her and our enemies and contrarie to all expectation kept vs in peace and safetie GOD make vs thankefull and giue vs hearts syncerely bent to seeke him which so mercifully by his benefites and graces hath sought vs. How great is thy goodnesse O Lord which thou hast laide vp in store for them that feare thee For this shall euerie one that is godlie make his praier vnto thee in a time when thou maist be found and call vpon thee while thou art neere 9 If this way will not serue to bring vs vnto God another must be assayed if we wil not be led by faire meanes we shall be drawne by fowle God hath blessings for them which are of a pliable minde but for the froward rods Them he first threateneth as hauing no delight or pleasure to punish hee punisheth as one vnwilling to destroie Gods corrections is for our reformation but if it will not reforme vs for our confusion This selfe loue of ours this senselesse securitie this contempt of Gods woord this want of godlie zeale these contriuings of treason and conspiracie are tokens that God hath bent his dreadfull bowe and is preparing to make his arrowes drunke with our bloud If hee spared neither Israelites nor Angels doubtlesse neither will he spare vs except vnfeinedly we seeke him and seeke him nowe 10 For now is the acceptable time now is grace offered the Lord now stretcheth out his handes of mercie this is the daie wherein the Lorde may be found of them that seeke him But some stop their eares at this and will not heare they are too wise to be enchaunted with these times If ye tell them of seeking the Lord their answere is Who is the Lord They say plainely in their foolish hearts There is no God But the iust God will one day shew himselfe to their confusion Others haue their excuses of worldly hinderaunces and lets Fermes or Oxen or Wiues haue tied them by the legge when they should goe and seeke the Lord. Others haue a minde not vtterly vnwilling to seeke after him but they would faine staie a while seeke him hereafter Youth they say must haue his swinge let olde age waxe holie Such nouices there were of whom Chrysostome writeth that they would not be baptised vntill they were in their death beddes least baptisme should be as a bridle to hold them in They were desirous to haue their foorth in their carnall desires and at the end of their daies by baptisme to wash away all at once But God shall mocke such craft and they who wil not come when he calleth when they call shal not be heard Beware of these delaies Let vs not differre and put off till to morowe but while it is called to day euen whilest this acceptable day is let vs seeke the Lorde that wee may finde him Nowe he is readie to meete vs by the way and louingly to embrace vs with the armes of his eternall mercie 11 The second thing to be cōsidered is how we may seeke the Lord in seking him be sure to find him I wil omit to shew how vainly the Gentiles in their Idols the Iewes in their ceremonies traditions the Papists in their superstitions do seeke the Lord. They seeke him and finde him not because they seeke him where he is not not where he is as themselues haue imagined and not as he hath prescribed The first entrance into the waie where God will be found is faith Fide tangitur Christus fide videtur saith S. Ambrose By faith Christ is handled by faith he is seene By faith he is found All our trauell in seeking without faith is but a fruitlesse wearying of our deceiued soules For he that commeth vnto God must beleeue 12 And the way to beleeue is hearing for by hearing commeth faith The word is that starre which guideth and directeth vs vnto Christ. Search the Scriptures For to this end they are written That ye might beleeue that Iesus is Christ the sonne of God and that beleeuing ye might haue eternall life They were written to be red and therefore S. Paul chargeth Timothie straitlie Giue attendance to reading They were written to bee red not of him onely but of vs also in what condition or estate soeuer God hath placed vs. Princes are not exempted more than others no they aboue others are especially charged to trauell heerein What charge can be deuised more effectuall than that which is giuen vnto Iosua Let not this booke of the Lawe depart out of thy mouth but meditate thou therein day and night that thou maist obserue and doe according to all that is written therein for then shalt thou make thy way prosperous and then shalt thou haue good successe Good reason it is that as Kings doe raigne and hold their power by him so his will reuealed in his word should be the rule and direction of their gouernement If they thinke to establish their thrones better by their owne wise and politike deuises they are greatly deceiued There is no policie no wisedome like the wisedome of GOD. The common wealths which Aristotle and Plato haue framed in their Bookes otherwise full of wisdome yet compared with diuine policies with that citie for whose sake and benefite the Lord doth watch what are they but fancies of foolish men As for Machiauels inuentions they are but the dreames of a brainesicke person founded vpon the craft of man and not vpon godlie wisedome which onely hath good effect Godlie Princes haue no neede to seeke for counsell at these mens hands the mouth of the Lord
without they citizens and we strangers But nowe the bounds of the Church are inlarged her elders as it is in the booke of reuelation do now sing a new song Thou hast redeemed vs to God by thy bloud out of euerie kindred tongue people and nation Wherfore remember saith the Apostle that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh called vncircumcision of them which are called circumcision in the flesh made with hands were at that time without Christ and were aliants from the common wealth of Israel and were strangers from the couenaunts of promise and had no hope and were without God in the worlde But nowe in Christ Iesus ye which once were farre off are made neere by the bloud of Christ. For he is our peace which hath made of both one and hath broken the stoppe of the partition wall This wee are willed to remember For is it not a thing verie memorable that in vs GOD should nowe accomplish the promise which hee made to his sonne so long before Aske of me and I will giue thee the heathen for thine inheritaunce and the vttermost coasts of the earth for thy possessions Is it not memorable that the furious rage of the whole world mightily opposing it selfe against the kingdome of Iesus Christ it should notwithstanding growe so soone to this so exceeding greatnesse and that by so weake meanes from so small beginnings Nowe sith God hath brought this so strangely to passe for our sakes sith the Lord hath doone it for no other cause but onely to open the doore of saluation vnto vs with how great ioie of heart ought wee to heare his voice when hee saith of the Gentiles Let them ascend to mount Sion when hee saith of his house It shall be called the house of praier for all Nations Hee that will not shrowde himselfe vnder this vine hee that entreth not into this arke hee that will not be partaker of these celestiall treasures these heauenly mysteries this true bread of life so largely offered vnto all nations if his soule die the death who wil haue pitie or compassion of him Wherefore to conclude let vs bee followers of Christ as becommeth his deare children let vs learne by his example to be carefull and zealous for the house of God to purge and cleanse it as much as in vs lyeth from al defilements that as oft as we doe reuerently religiously frequent it to heare the word of saluation to receiue the blessed Sacraments of the Lord to powre out our praiers and supplications before him his spirite groaning with our spirits and our requests ascending thorough the forcible intercession of that only mediator which is to bee heard for his reuerence sake wee may reioice in our saluation and he be glorified by our reioysing Which GOD the Father graunt for his Sonnes sake To whom c. The fourteenth Sermon A Sermon made at the Spittle in London ACTES 10. 34 Then Peter opened his mouth and saide Of a truth I perceiue that God is no accepter of persons c. THE doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles doth wholly tend to this ende to declare vnto vs that Iesus Christ crucified is the promised Messias the redeemer and Sauiour of all that doe beleeue in him Neither is this matter cleared more perfectly by any Prophet or Apostle than by the Apostle S. Peter in this Sermon which nowe we haue in hand For therein is comprised briefly but most effectually the fulnesse of the gospell the perfect doctrine of saluation Nowe because the occasion of hauing it preached was Cornelius the captaine and the preacher of it was Peter the Apostle I will note somewhat in either of them seuerally for the better vnderstanding of that which the Sermon it selfe shall laie before vs. In Cornelius therefore first what maner of man he was on what occasion he sent for Peter in what sort he receiued him at his comming 2 The curious description which S. Luke maketh of Cornelius here declareth him to haue beene a notable and rare man both by other circumstances of his person and by his manners The other circumstances which I meane are his countrie his calling and the place of his abode Touching his countrie he was an Italian an Ethnike bred of Ethnike parents trained vp amongst a people drowned in idolatrie and superstition worshipping false gods being ignorant of the true God By calling hee was a souldier a captaine of the Italian band a captaine ouer one hundred souldiers The Romans had soldiers out of al prouinces but their chiefe force was of the Italians whom they trusted best as naturall subiects This Italian captaine made his abode in Cesarea a famous citie inhabited by the Iewes The whole lande of Iurie was brought in subiection to the Romane Empire and least the inhabitants thereof should reuolt certaine garrisons of souldiers were placed in sundrie of the greater cities to see them kept in obedience and to represse tumults Cornelius the captaine with the souldiers of his retinue were bestowed in Cesarea If we looke on this mans countrie if we consider his calling and vocation if we call to remembrance in what place he liued and with whom he was conuersant we shall finde nothing but idolatrie superstition wee shall behold nothing but rape robberie murther mischiefe spoile bloud-spilling we shall see nothing but lewdenesse prophanenesse wicked maners and cursed companie 3 All the which occasions of corruption notwithstanding he was deuoute he feared God with his whole familie hee gaue much almes to the people and praied God continually The mightie and merciful God did gather pearles out of this dunghil God can raise vp children vnto Abraham out of stones Faith pietie holinesse and religion come not by nature but of grace of Gods free gift not of our deseruing of mercie not of merite Faith is the gift of God He worketh all in all He giueth to will and to doe Not by the workes of righteousnesse which we had wrought but according to his mercie hath hee saued vs that we may acknowledge our wretchednesse and vnworthinesse and giue all glorie vnto him 4 Here we learne that neither parentage nor vocation nor corruption of place doeth shut vs out of the kingdome of God Ethnikes euen wilde oliues by nature are graffed by grace in the true oliue Souldiers that liue in order are allowed of by Iohn Baptist. Neither filthie Sodome nor superstitious Egypt nor idolatrous Babylon nor corrupt Cesarea was able to infect Lot or Ioseph or Daniel or Cornelius whom the Lorde had chosen according to his good pleasure and of his mercie had preserued The foundation of God remaineth sure and hath this seale The Lord knoweth who are his I will haue mercie on whom I wil haue mercie It is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercie
not trauell to tel you howe diuersly the name of grace is taken in the sacred scriptures but rather note vnto you in what sense the holie Ghost doth chiefly vse it in this place Grace is the fauour and mercie of God towards sinnefull men It is called grace because it is giuen gratis freely and vndeseruedly on our parts to whom it is giuen For vs it is purchased by the onely meane and meere merite of our Sauiour Christ and to vs it is both offered and exhibited by the voluntarie and vnprouoked operation of the spirite This grace in it selfe being large more than sufficient for all men the holy Ghost diuideth and bestoweth vpon eache breathing where and as he listeth according to the secrete pleasure of his will Thorough it we haue saluation whereas through sinne wee deserue death For out iniquitie was heinous in the sight of God first committed by Adam and since continued in vs but farre more exceeding was the mercie of our Lord who when we were his enemies sent foorth his sonne made of a woman and made vnder the Lawe that he might redeeme them which were vnder the Lawe and that we might receiue the adoption of sonnes No tongue can expresse neither any minde conceiue this gratiousnesse Yet let vs ponder it with such consideration as we are able Great therefore I say was the mercie of our creator who gaue his sonne and great the loue of our Sauiour who gaue euen himselfe for vs. Our thraldome was great that required a ransome of such value our guiltinesse much that could no otherwise be washed away but with the verie heart bloud of the innocent lambe of God Christ Iesus our Lord Yea inestimable and vneffable was the loue of our gratious Lord who to spare vs spared not himselfe He was content to become ignominious before men that we might be glorious with his father to be condemned that wee might be absolued to bee crowned with thornes to purchase vs a crowne of immortalitie to loose his life that we might gaine life to suffer death that we might escape it and to become as hated and accursed of God that we might find fauour and eternall grace with him In his death our sinne is pardoned by his bloud our filthinesse is washed away by his resurrection we are reconciled to his father and made at one with God Let vs not breake this so happie truce betwixt the Lord and vs let vs not through sinne condemne our selues againe nowe that we are iustified let vs not walke toward hell hee hauing made plaine and easie the path to heauen The image of God in vs defaced through Adam is repaired by Christ Let vs appeare therefore in this pure image before God that wee may be acceptable in his pure sight Through Christ we are called to be citizens with the Saints and Gods houshold-seruaunts let vs then put on the garments of trueth and innocencie that so it may appeare whose seruaunts we are by our Lords liuerie We are made the happie heires of his glorious kingdome and fellow heires with Iesus Christ wherefore let vs not seeke so possessions here that we loose a better inheritance aboue in heauen If wee doe it is in vaine that the grace of our Lorde Iesus Christ hath beene so largely offered vnto vs and plentifully powred on vs. Yea his grace will encrease the wofulnesse of our destruction 7 Grace is offered and receiued by two especiall outwarde meanes the preaching of the Gospel and the holie administration of the blessed Sacraments These two are the instruments or rather the hands by the which the holie Ghost doth offer exhibite seale and deliuer the grace of God vnto vs. 8 And there bee two sorts of men to whom grace is offered by the word in vaine The one are they which wil not giue it so much as the hearing but doe vtterly contemne and vnkindely refuse that which the Lord doth so kindly and so gratiously offer to them The other they that heare it indeede reade it but consider it not receiue it but altogether without fruite and for fashions sake Of the former sort are all such as Pharao was who enioined Moses to come no more in his sight for hee would not heare him Such also were the Iewes to whom when Stephen preached they stopped their eares Such they of whom the Lorde complaineth by the Prophet saying I spake and they would not heare 9 Of the latter sort there be three kindes shadowed in the parable of the sower which went foorth to sowe his seede whereof some fell in the high way side some in stonie grauelly ground some also amongst thornes That which fell by the high waie side either the birds of the aire picked vp or men trod vpon with their feete Which our sauiour applieth vnto him that heareth the word of the kingdome and vnderstandeth it not and by and by the diuell taketh it away least he should beleeue and so be saued For it fareth with the woord preached as with the seede sowen Some are so dissolute and rechelesse that they let it in at the one eare and out at the other The hearts of some be so be so hardened and parched because they want the watering of Gods spirit which doth only mollifie that his word can take no roote in them The diuell and his deceitful Angels doe so bewitch them and fil their harts with vain cogitations so abalienate their mindes and trouble their memorie that they cannot tell what is saide it is forgotten by that it is spoken Yea the diuell doth so throughly occupie the hearts of many other with superstitious opinions and fond perswasions or with such worldly desires such fleshly lusts such froward affections that the hearing of the blessed word is a wearisome worke vnto them euery houre spent that way is as tedious as a yere and thought to bee wholly lost Many likewise both heare the woord preached and reade the Scriptures as the Pharisees did heare them that they may seeme to fauour the Gospel and so vnder pretence of holinesse blinde the eyes of others and purloine commoditie to themselues Such come in amongst the children of God as did Satan of old yet God knowes them to be children of darknesse not of light yea and oftentimes he so shaketh them out of their painted rags that the whole world may espie their ouglie and deformed nakednesse Whilest by their hypocrisie they labour to deceiue others they deceiue yea and damne themselues To this sort of men therefore the word is offered but all in vaine Either they receiue it not or they receiue it to their owne destruction 10 The second sort are resembled to the stonie soile which receiueth the seede and it taketh roote for a time but when the heate of the sunne commeth it withereth away Many such there be which haue gladly heard the Gospel haue frequented sermons with appearance of great deuotion and could freshly
If a prince giue out his letters patent of a gift so long as the seale is not put to the gift is not fullie ratified and the partie to whom it is giuen thinketh not him selfe sufficientlie assured of it Gods gift without sealing is sure as hee himselfe is al one without changing yet to beare with our infirmitie and to make vs more secure of his promise to his writing woord he added these outward signes and seales to establish our faith and to certifie vs that his promise is most certain He giueth vs therfore these holie and visible signes of bread wine saith Take and eate this is my bodie and blood giuing vnto the signes the names which are proper to the things signified by them as we vse to doe euen in cōmon speach when the signe is a liuelie representation and image of the thing 13 Let vs therefore bee thankefull vnto our redeemer Christ for these his great benefites and so vnspeakeable and vndeserued mercies and let vs receiue this holie sacrament as a sure pledge that the vertue of his death and passion is imputed vnto vs for iustice euen as though we had suffered the same which hee did in our owne naturall bodies Let vs not be so peruerse as to drawe backe when Iesus Christ calleth vs so louingly to this royall feast but with good consideration of the woorthinesse of this gift present we our selues with a feruent zeale that we may come woorthily to this holy table Let eche man trie himselfe and so eate saith the Apostle Let vs enter into our selues therefore and examine the estate of our hearts and soules and consider in what case we stand If we be not of the sanctified houshold of God not Christs seruaunts and faithfull Disciples shall we dare presume to presse in being aliens and strangers to the Lords as most comfortable so also most dreadfull table No let no impenitent blasphemer of God no whoremonger or vile and vnrepented sinner presume to touch or tast this foode for such shall not feede vpon Christ and his merits but they receiue their owne damnation But such as wil woorthily feede at this blessed feast must earnestly and truly mourne for their sinnes past in a setled purpose and resolution neuer willingly to defile themselues againe And such as will be partakers of this bread that came from heauen Iesus Christ our one and onely Sauiour must also be as one bread or loafe and as one bodie ioined together in brotherly loue and all other offices of godlie and Christian charitie For if thou come to this banket without this vesture of loue it shall be saide vnto thee Friend howe camest thou hither not hauing on thy wedding garment A wofull speeche and an ende most miserable Let this suffice for the first point which is the blessed Apostles exhortation not to receiue the grace of God in vaine 14 Concerning the second member wherein wee are put in mind that this is the time to shewe our selues woorthie receiuers of grace he applieth to his purpose the words of the Prophet Esay who speaking vnto Christ as in the person of his father saith In an acceptable time haue I heard thee and in a day of saluation haue I helped thee The acceptable time is that whereof S. Paul speaketh When the fulnesse of time came God sent his sonne made of a woman It was indeede an acceptable time and full of grace wherein the sacrifice of Christ was so gratiously accepted and his praiers heard of God And it may well be called a day of saluation wherein his father gaue him a triumphant victorie ouer those so bitter torments of death An acceptable time was it a day of saluation not so much in respect of him who at all times was accepted as of vs who without him and his death had beene refused For in that day was your redemption wrought by our redeemer and sinners saued by his passion who had no sinne And as hee died and rose so he praied and was heard for vs. I pray for them I pray not for the world I pray for them whom thou hast giuen me saith our Sauiour Nowe the acceptable time and day of saluation which Esay spake of S. Paul doth very aptly and effectually applie to his present occasion Beholde nowe is the acceptable time beholde nowe is the day of saluation For the Fathers liued in hope of this acceptable day of grace and fauour to come but the verie time beginneth from the suffering of Christ Iesus and continueth euen to the worlds end And vnto euerie one of vs so much of this acceptable time is granted as we haue time granted here to liue Which being not long because our life is but as it were a span it may fitly be called a day or rather an houre of saluation This day therefore grace is offered vs of God Against whose maiestie forasmuch as all haue sinned and by sinne are depriued of his glorie wee must needes acknowledge that for the recouering of our losse wee stand all in present neede of his grace Nowe is the time wherein our soules doe groane to be releeued with grace and mercie For who can say My heart is sound I neede no Physitian What one man is there amongst vs all who hath loued God as he ought to doe or tendered his neighbours case as he would his owne We may dallie with our selues and thinke that we suffer not for our owne transgressions that we are not cause of that great plague calamitie which presently is come vpon our countrie Beloued do not deceiue your selues Our God is a righteous iudge who blesseth the innocent and heapeth punishment vpon the offending soule For truly if we searche our selues as we ought to doe with a single eye if we examine out thoughts take a reckoning of our words and peise our deedes and waies in an equall ballance aske our hearts and they wil tell vs enquire of our conscience it wil declare vnto vs that euerie one of vs hath wel deserued more than hath happened vnto any of vs Yea wee shall finde that all haue not suffered halfe so much as euerie one hath deserued Our first parents for tasting the fruit that was forbidden them were themselues cast out of their pleasaunt habitation and punished in all their posteritie to come for euer Haue wee being terrefied by the horror of their example withheld our hands and bridled our affections from euerie vnlawful and forbidden thing Corah Dathan and Abiram with their fauourites and confederates were swallowed vp of the earth for whispering against Moses and against Aaron Did we neuer once mutter against our good and lawfull magistrates against our iudges and against the Lordes ministers Dauid for numbring of his people procured such a plague that 70. thousand were consumed with it and are wee so vnspotted that we haue not in as heinous a matter as this offended God would
the moone shall be abashed the sunne ashamed when the Lorde of hostes shal raigne in mount Sion The like we read in Ezechiel threatning destruction and desolation to Egypt I will couer the heauen and make the starres thereof darke I will couer the sunne with a cloude and the moone shall not giue hir light all the lightes of heauen will I make darke for thee and bring darkenes vpon thy lande sayth the Lorde I might alledge the like out of Ioel Ieremie Amos and Micheas but the matter is cleare inough needeth rather to be considered thaÌ„ prooued 19 The wordes being literally thus vnderstoode may be morally applied not without great fruite vnto the vnderstanding and wise hearer which can discerne betweene interpretation of scripture application thereof In the one we giue you the bare sense of the scripture in the other we teach you the profitable vse of it For the vse of scripture may be very well shewed not only by such collectioÌ„s as do probably gather or necessarily coÌ„clude one thing out of another but also by those allegoricall comparisons which shewe how in one thing another is shadowed a spirituall thing resembled in a corporall As for example if heere we refer the sun to Christ that sunne of righteousnes the moone to the Church and the starres to the pastors and doctors of the Church 20 The sunne in this sence is most euidently in this our age darkned Christ is obscured by that great enimie Antichrist the man of sinne who hath set himselfe in Christs peculiar place and will be exalted aboue all that is called God To make any other mediator betwene God and man sauing only Christ Iesus which is not onely man but also God To seeke else where remission of sinnes iustification redemption sanctification or saluation than only in this Iesus in him crucified doth darken make dimme both him and his merites And of this treason the Romish Antichristian Church which they terme Catholike is founde guiltie For the children of this harlot labour by al meanes to obscure the sonne of God to robbe him of the glorie of his desertes in our saluation I would neuer haue beleeued that any professing learning or hauing had but a glimse of the course of the woorde of God could haue beene so grosse in such sort to haue eclipsed the brightnesse of Christ Iesus by giuing his glorie vnto earthly creatures if of late I had not to my great greefe and their great shame heard their owne blasphemous conâ—essions therof Surely the Romish strumpet hath rubbed hir forehead hir children are become altogether shamelesse whatsoeuer shee determineth they make it equiualent with the written word of God There is no absurditie in poperie in which there are ful many and full grosse which they doe not defende to be right good and Catholike The Popes pardons purgatorie masses merites praiers both for to y e dead pilgrimages images reliques yea holy water and holy bread All these they will haue some one way and some another to bee forcible remedies against sinne and death This is their religion and seruing of God thus they honour the Lambe that was slaine for the sinnes of all the worlde If this doe not derogate from him and stoppe the brightnesse of his glorie who is the only once offered propitiation for all our sinnes by whose bloud we are only purged whose death only hath made vs free from death if this doe not obscure the glorious beautie of Christ Iesus if this doe not deface the woorthinesse of his merites what doeth or what can do Hath the glorious sonne of God sacrificed his precious life for our sakes vpon the crosse that Thomas of Caunterburies bloud powred out in an earthly quarrell should make passage to heauen for vs Is there any man in whose heart the light of the glorie of God hath shined which seeth not how this fogge doth darken this blessed sunne 21 Againe this sonne is obscured when as we professe that in our woordes which in our liues and deedes we doe denie After that king Dauid had committed adulterie Nathan the phophet charged him therewith in these words Thou hast caused the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme When men professe wel liue ill their life is not tolerated for their profession but their profession is slandered by their conuersation When the Iewes which professed the Law did not practise it the Law which they professed heard euill thereby For a bad professor of a good thing is a staine to that thing which he doth professe This is the speciall fault of our wicked dayes these our times are clowdie and full of this darkenesse our light doth not shine to glorifie God but our darkenes doth abounde to the obscuring of his Christ. The mercilesse rich men which wring and oppresse by deceitfull and iniurious dealing which neglect and despise their afflicted brethren the needie members of Christ doe not they blaspheme the woorthie name wherewith both they and we are named It were a great deale better neuer to haue professed then not to practise neuer to haue receaued then not to obserue neuer to haue knowne then not to obey the word of truth Vnto them which heare the word and keepe it being heard a blessing is promised but vnto theÌ„ of whom it is written Dicunt non faciunt They say do not woes againe and againe are denounced This knowe sayth the Apostle that in the last dayes shall come perillous times For men shall be louers of themselues couetous boasters proude cursed speakers disobedient to parentes vnthankefull vnholy without naturall affection truce breakers false accusers intemperate fierce despisers of them which are good traitours headie high minded louers of pleasure more than louers of God hauing a shewe of godlinesse but hauing denied the power thereof Let all the worlde iudge whether these be not the cloudes which haue darkned the sunne of our dayes 22 Now as the sun reseÌ„bleth Christ so the moone his Church For as the moone hath hir light from the sun so the Church hirs from Christ. And as the sunne being vnchangeable is at all times exceeding bright and glorious but the moone doth change and some times is at the full sometimes at the wane hir light to the eye of the worlde now encreasing and nowe diminishing nowe filling the whole globe and now in no part thereof appearing so Christ and his Church Christs glorie is alwaies great and alwaies one His Church vpon earth doth varie nowe she flowrisheth and nowe is blacke sometimes shee ouer spreadeth the face of the whole earth at other times she is brought to so narrowe streightes that mortall eye is vnable to espie hir When the Church of Christ is persecuted as it was in the dayes of those cruell Emperours which were of olde and as it is at this daie vnder Antichrist and Antichristian Princes this is as it were the chaunging
they say partly by grace but principally by the power and strength of their owne nature For being ashamed to affirme with Pelagius that a man may doe the workes of righteousnesse by nature without the grace of God they hold his grace to be a thing indeede necessarie But howe As a birde that is tyed or a man that is in fetters needeth onely to haue those incumberances remooued hauing then a naturall abilitie to flie and walke without any further helpe so man as they say hath in himselfe abilitie to doe good if the grace of God doe but remooue lets Is not this to make nature the principal cause of our well dooing whereas in trueth without the speciall motion of Gods spirite and that in euerie particular action wee are no more able to walke in the waies which GOD hath commaunded than a drunken man to goe without leading who staggereth euen in the plainest ground though all stumbling blockes be remooued though his waie lie neuer so smooth before him such is our weakenesse In consideration whereof the blessed Apostle sayth plainely It is not in him that willeth or in him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercie We dragge and are not able of our selues to set one foote before an other Drawe me saith the spouse in the Canticles and then we will runne after thee But these men litle considering of what fraile metall they are made perceiuing not how sinne hath weakened the faculties of the soule vaunt of freedome of strength of inward power and make their owne will the chiefest cause of their wel dooing 30 And when they haue doone any thing which to their seeming is wel doone they prise it so high and esteeme so much of it that God as they thinke should doe them iniurie if in iudgement he did not pronounce them iust and righteous for their workes sake If it were possible that God entering into iudgement should finde any so vpright and perfect that by their workes they might be iustified in his sight doubtlesse he should finde his owne seruaunts to be such or else none if any of his seruaunts surely his Prophets if any Prophet rather Dauid than any other But Dauid crieth out Enter not into iudgement no not with thy Seruaunt O Lord. For in thy sight shall none that liueth be iustified For whether we consider workes forbidden or commaunded by the Lawe what man is there liuing which can say in the one My heart is pure in the other I haue doone all that is enioyned me For if it were so that we knewe nothing wherein we had transgressed the lawes and statutes of the almightie yet herein could we in no wise be iustified because of secret sinnes hidden euen from our owne selues For which if God shal call vs to our reckoning and marke straitely what is doone amisse O Lord saith the Prophet who shall stand Againe if we had doone whatsoeuer wee could yet because we cannot doe so much as we should we ought to acknowledge our selues vnprofitable whereas we euen the best of vs are farre from dooing that which if we would we might doe 31 Nowe if God notwithstanding for his sonnes sake doe so allowe and accept the worke of our hands that he bountifully rewardeth our weake seruice with an excellent and an eternall waight of glorie how much are wee bound both to praise his mercie and to hate the insolencie of those men who besides al this swelling in the proude conceit of their workes will haue eternall life which is his gift to be their merite nor onely that but the worthinesse of their deserts to be so great that many of them dooing God more seruice than can bee sufficiently rewarded in their owne persons deserue heauen not onely for themselues but for others too These shipwracks of faith they haue made by reason of their inward pride 32 The excessiue desire of outward pompe hath furthermore caused them to disdaine the basenesse of Christ Iesus and of his Apostles to bee ashamed of the meane and lowe estate wherein they liued to make of their Deacons and Priests Cardinals exceeding the kings of the earth in glorie of their Bishop a Monarke vnder whose foote the Emperour himselfe hath beene a footestoole whose stirrop the greatest Soueraignes haue scarse beene deemed worthie to holde at whose bridle kings haue attended as seruaunts that the wordes of the Preacher might bee iustified Follie is set in great excellencie and the riche set in the lowe place I haue seene seruaunts on horses and Princes walking as seruants on the ground 33 This pompe cannot bee maintained with nothing it must haue strong sinnewes And therefore whatsoeuer mans wit might possibly deuise for gaine they haue both founde it out and put it in vre setting Offices Masses Prayers Pardons Sacramentes Heauen and Earth all the treasures of the house of GOD to sale if wee may terme it the house of God which they haue made a shoppe of so vile merchaundise It were infinite to recite what huge summes of money they haue heretofore by religious pretenses euerie yeere gathered within the compasse of this one Ilande What heapes then haue they raked out of other partes of Christendome Which offals and profites if once men beginne as here so in other kingdomes also to withholde from them if men leaue off buying their wares any more if things which are fatte and excellent depart doubtlesse that citie which nowe is cloathed in fine linnen and purple and skarlet which nowe is guilded with golde and decked with pretious stones and pearles shall in one houre be made desolate This they know and it maketh them carefull to maintaine whatsoeuer is commodious and gainefull to them As for the glorie of GOD it is the least part of their care nay they care not howe heynous sacrilege they commit in spoyling and robbing him of his honour 34 It is an honour vnto God when all men by faith point their fingers as it were at Christ Iesus naming him the onelie Lambe which taketh away the sinnes of the worlde when he is acknowledged the onely mediatour betweene God and vs when wee confesse that hee is that Priest according to the order of Melchisedech which hauing offered one sacrifice for sinnes hath therewith because it was a perfect sacrifice consecrated for euer them that are sanctified when our faith is so ascertained and grounded vppon his promises that we can bee bolde as Lyons assuring our selues that the eye of the Lorde is on them which trust in his mercie to deliuer their soules from death as the Prophet witnesseth But how doe they giue vnto him this honour who haue deuised so many waies to take away sinne besides the bloud of the Lambe of GOD who as though wee might not be bolde to enter into the holie place by the newe and liuely way which hee hath prepared for vs through the vaile which is his fleshe or as
though there were some others without whom the father in him is not pleased some others more willing to heare our requestes than hee who gaue himselfe to death for our sakes haue made their intercessors infinite in number and as though his sacrifice were so vnperfect that by beeing once offered it could not perfectly consecrate those which are sanctified renue their oblations day by day finally as though the Prophet were ouer presumptuous which saieth God is our hope and strength and helpe therefore will not we feare goe about by all meanes to strike a seruile terror into the heartes of the faithfull to keepe them alwaies wauering and doubting to take away all assurance of the mercie and fauour of God towards them which when we haue lost what courage can we haue to withstand the fierie assaults of Satan what comfort or consolation in the middest of those sharp and bitter conflicts which we must endure if we will liue godly in Christ Iesus 35 It is an honour vnto God when his name onely is called vpon when we worship and fal downe before none but him This honour he getteth not at their hands which haue gotten to them selues legions of Angels to whom they pray and millions of Idols which they daily adore Their differences betweene an Idoll and an Image are but shifts Call them what yee will They are similitudes of things in heauen or things in earth which is sufficient to condemne them of Idolatrie that worshippe such things Their distinctions betweene the honour which they giue to Images and the worship which they doe to God alone may serue to bleare the eyes of mortall men But the eternall God doth knowe that they honour creatures with that honour which is forbidden them in the Lawe that they bowe downe to them and that they serue them 36 It is an honour vnto God when reuerence and obedience is shewed vnto his Lawe But is this performed in that synagogue where he sitteth which is an aduersarie and exalteth him selfe against all that is called God or that is woorshipped making himselfe supreme Iudge of all nations requiring his owne words to be heard of all men as the words of God bereauing magistrates of their lawfull power exempting his Clergie from the ciuill sword what villanie soeuer they commit chaunging at pleasure the gouernment of Christ established in his Church dispensing with sinne be it neuer so directly against the expresse commaundement of God forbidding his Clergie mariage vnder colour of seuering them from the worlde but in deede to ease them of such cares and troubles as are necessarilie ioyned with that honourable estate which God commendeth and both secretly with concubines and openly in stewes permitting them fornication which God doeth hate Seeing therefore that this their synagogue is nothing but a sinke of all vncleannesse seeing that all their indeuours tend to no other end but onely to the aduauncement of themselues the dishonour of God and the disgrace of Christ doubtlesse they are not they cannot be the men which minister the waters of eternall life vnto thirstie soules 37 Now that we haue seene both the ground and the end as wel of that faith which we professe as of the doctrine which is helde by them who are deadly enemies to vs and our profession it remaineth that a worde bee spoken of the meanes which are vsed on both parts to set forward that for which we striue Touching our selues as the marke which wee shoote at is to set vp the kingdome of Christ Iesus a kingdome which is not of the worlde so the meanes which herein wee vse are not worldlie but altogether heauenly and spirituall What the proceedings of the Gospell haue beene yee are not ignoraunt ye knowe verie wel how without force without crueltie without trecherie and deceit without all wisedome of flesh and bloud in naked simplicitie in trueth vncoloured and as the Apostle speaketh in foolishnesse of preaching we haue laboured to prepare you for one husband to present you as a pure virgin to Christ not outwardly arrayed in purple and skarlet guilded with gold pretious stones and pearle like the strumpet that sitteth vpon many waters but like the spouse of Solomon glorious within ful of Christ riche in faith and in good workes fulfilled with knowledge of his wil in all wisedome and spiritual vnderstanding strengthened mightily in the inward man rooted and grounded in syncere loue inabled to comprehende with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height of the loue of Christ strengthened with all patience and long suffering blessed with all spirituall blessings in heauenly things 38 Contrariwise they desiring no such thing but seeking to build an earthly kingdome for themselues vse the meanes which are fittest for that purpose They feede mens eies with all glorious and glittering shewes they inuent to themselues instrumentes of Musicke to delight the eare but of the worke of the Lord of preaching the Gospel of instructing the heart of building the faith of exhorting and comforting Gods people who seeth not how litle regard they haue They keepe men occupied alwaies in corporal and bodily exercise which profiteth litle But are they careful to traine men vp in the knowledge of Christ which is eternal life in true godlinesse which is profitable vnto all things which hath the promise of the life present and of that which is to come No their practise from time to time doth shewe that most prophane and godlesse men onely siding themselues with the Church of Rome and defending by all meanes the Popes honour may both be counted as Catholikes and euen canonised as Saints among them If they passe the daies of their life lewdely after death at a reasonable prise they may purchase rest for their soules If their hearts be set vpon adulterie incest theft murther consider the holie father for his parchement and lead and what more easily graunted in the Court of Rome than full and free libertie to commit sinne Hence it commeth to passe that as euerie man is most licentiously bent so he ioyneth himselfe most willingly to the Church of Rome and warreth most earnestly for that faith which faith if the riche men of this worlde be for the most part readie to embrace what maruel is it For whereas Christ hath saide It is hard for a riche man to enter into heauen their doctrine and practise maketh the way expedite onely for the riche but by the way which they teache for a poore man to enter into the kingdome of heauen it is a hard matter It were too much to recite all the meanes whereby that kingdome of darkenesse hath growen it were a thing too full of horror to discourse of all the trecheries poysonings murtherings massacres which they haue vsed to maintaine their power neuer any tyrant in the world more Did Christ did Peter did the blessed Apostles thus subdue and conquer nations Did they thus inlarge the kingdome of God