sithence the first foundation of the world but was in subiection and vnder obedience either of the the one or of the other And as God is the father of light the God of all good men so is the Deuill the father Prince of this world the Lord of darknesse the king of this age as saith S. Paul and ruler of the wicked And like as all good men fight vnder the banner of God their Lord so all vngodly fight vnder the standard of the Deuill their Prince And euen as the iust man hath his reward of God so hath the wicked man his stipend of the Deuill And thus be Infidels Turkes Iewes and all Heathen people vnder the power and dominion of the Deuill vnder the standard of Sathan and therefore are they not able to thinke any good to conceiue one good thought because they fight vnder his Banner because they haue giuen ouer all their members to be ordered of the Deuill without any féeling of good without any feare of God And thus as I said do the Turkes thus do the Infidels thus do all Heathen people at this day and so did the Iewes in the time of Paul In vmbra mortis ambulauerunt saith he They walked in the shadow of death But after that it pleased God the Father by the comming of his déere Sonne Iesus Christ to reueale himselfe vnto them to open and declare his Gospell among them then began the people to renounce the Deuill to forsake his Law and seruice and to betake themselues wholy to the gouernance of God And therefore S. Paul the further to incourage them thereunto willeth them in this Epistle of his That like as before time they gaue ouer their members to the seruice of vncleannesse from one wickednesse to another so should they now giue ouer the same their members to the seruice of righteousnesse For to this end was Christ borne into this world to this end liued he here among vs to this end preached he and taught the people Gods holie word that we by his example and the doctrine of his Gospell should liue an vpright and holie life And therfore Zacharie that holie prophet being filled with the holie Ghost prophesied and said before Christs birth that Christ should for this cause appeare in this world That we being by him deliuered from the feare of our enimies might serue him in purenesse and holinesse all the daies of our life And S. Paul likewise saith Ye were darkenesse but now ye are light walke therefore as becommeth the children of light Therefore are we deliuered from the power of darkenesse saith S. Paul that we should walke in the light and haue no fellowship with the vnfruitfull workes of darknesse And so in like Vocauit nos Deus non ad immunditiem sed ad sanctitatem God hath not called vs to vncleannesse but to holynesse and sanctitie of life Thus hath he called vs that we not only in Body but in Soule should be pure vnspotted And therefore S. Paul vnto the Romanes Know you not saith he that all we which are baptized into Iesus Christ are baptized into his death Therefore are we buried with him by Baptisme into death that like as Christ was raised vp from the dead euen so also should we walke in a new life And for this cause this same Paul likewise saith Exhibete vos tanquam viua membra Shew your selues as quicke and liuely members And in an other place Exhibete corpora vestra sacrificium sanctum acceptatum Deo Giue ouer your bodies for a sacrifice holie and acceptable before God And also Nescities corpora vestra esse templa Dei Know you not that ye are the temple of God and that the spirit of God dwelleth in you These and such other many lessons hath S. Paul giuen vs to call vs vnto purenesse and holynesse of life Let vs therefore good Bretheren liue holy consider that God hath not called you to vncleannesse but to puritie of life consider if yée be baptized with Christ into death you must also walke with him in a new life let your bodies be a sacrifice holie acceptable vnto God shew your selues liuely members of Christ and the Temple of the holie Ghost Vocauit nos Deus saith S. Paul Vt viueremus sobriè God hath called vs God hath appointed vs to liue in sobernesse to liue in purenesse to liue in holynesse and this not in one part of our Bodies not in one part of our Soules but in our whole bodies in our whole soules For Christ our Sauior suffred not his bodie to be crucified in one part Sed à planta pedis vsque ad summum capitis But euen from the sole of the foote to the crowne of his head was he beaten rent and torne and miserably tormented in his whole Bodie His Bodie was scourged with whips his head prickt with thornes his hands and féete nayled to the Crosse his side pierced with a sharp speare For Christ speaking of himselfe saith Foderunt manus meas pedes meos They haue digged my hands and my feete they haue made holes thorough them And thus sithence Christ suffred all his whole Body to be tormented for vs sithence he suffred all his members to be crucified for our sakes let vs applie our selues and all our member to serue and please him in holynesse and vpright lyuing all the dayes of our liues And therefore saith s Paul here Ye haue now betaken your selues vnto Christ therefore let your conuersation be according liue as becommeth the seruants of Christ For euen as before this time ye gaue ouer your members to vncleannesse from one wickednesse to an other so now giue ouer your members to the seruice of righteousnesse And such good Bretheren was the life of all Christian men in the beginning of Gods Church such was I say their life lyuing They subdued their flesh they mortified their members and gaue them ouer wholy vnto Christ and so made them members vnto righteousnesse When Christ walked here on this earth was conuersant in our flesh and this nature of ours at what time he entered into the house of Zacheus which was a Ruler of the Publicans desired to sée Iesus by and by Zacheus was turned into a new man and by and by he stoode forth and said vnto the Lord Behold Lord the halfe of my goods I giue vnto the poore and if I haue defrauded any man I restore him foure fold Thus was he only by the presence of Christ turned into a new man thus he of an vncircumcised Publican was made the child of Abraham and of a sinfull and wretched creature he became forthwith a Christian And so in like when Christ had but once called vnto Mathew and bad him follow him immediatly he left the Toll-gathering he left the receipt of the custome he left his owne proper game and profit and ran after Christ
and marke well whether we reueal vnto you Gods mysteries and his holie Gospell Consider with your selues and sée whether wée open vnto you Gods hidden Secrets By this shall you know whether wée be the seruants and dispensers of Gods mysteries But like as in S. Pauls time there was dissention strife great debate euen amongst the Christians and such as professed the name of God So likewise in our dayes good Bretheren euen in the time that wée our selues haue séene there hath béen discord and parts-taking among vs. Some haue said I will beléeue the old learning some againe haue said I will beléeue the new some haue said I will credit this man some I will beléeue that man And thus the father hath fallen out with the sonne the Mother with the daughter the brother with his brother and one neighbor with another ech man defending that part which he himselfe best liked But alas good Bretheren this is no new thing this hath béen from the beginning and euen in Christes time For at what time Christ himselfe walked here on this earth began to preach the glory of his father some said he was a good man some other said no some said he was a Prophet some other said he was none but one that deceiued the people some reioyced that it pleased God to send such a Preacher as Christ was some againe despised his doctrine and said he had a deuill These words the people then spake of Christ these words I say they spake of Christ himselfe He was called a Samaritane a wine-bibber a friend of publicans and sinners a seducer of the people Therefore it is the lesse maruaile if such words be now at these dayes spoken as were spoken in the beginning of the Church if such words be spoken against vs as were spoken against Christ himselfe But S. Paul hath here giuen vs a rule whereby to know the true seruants of Christ and Stewards of Gods secrets Christ was the true Prophet and why so because he preached his fathers will What euer I haue heard of my Father saith Christ the same haue I declared vnto you Saint Paul was the true seruant of Christ and steward of his secrets and why so because he labored in Gods vineyard he preached he taught more than all the rest of the Apostles of Christ did Laboraui plus quà m caeteri omnes I haue labored more than all the rest of the Apostles haue done Therefore was he the true and faithful minister of Gods mysteries because he thus diligently alwaies taught Gods Gospell and the glorie of his name for this cause I say and none other was he the Steward and dispenser of Gods secrets So were the Patriarches and the Prophets the true seruants of God because they declared the will of God And here haue we to consider that Christ which was the true Prophet the Apostles which were the ture Ministers and Stewards of Christ the Patriarches Prophets which were the true and faithfull seruants of God were all greeuously afflicted persecuted from place vnto place and lastly put to most cruell death This I say hapned to Christ himself and all his Apostles S. Iohn the Euangelist only excepted And yet was Christ Gods own sonne the Apostles were the true Ministers and Stewards of Gods secrets And therefore if we shall in our time sée the Preachers of Gods word afflicted the Teachers of the Gospell of Christ persecuted the Stewards of Gods secrets miserably tormented yet let not vs good Bretheren let not vs giue ouer and shrink from Gods gospell let vs consider that this is no new thing no strange hap but such as hapned to the Patriarches to the Prophets to the Apostles yea and to Christ himselfe Now then let vs take this rule of S. Pauls and thereby let vs trie whether the Preachers in times past the Popes the Cardinals the Bishops were the true seruants of God Stewards and dispensers of his holie secrets There are at this day some that be called Bishops some that be called Cardinals they say that they carry vp the Church of Christ and are the props pillers of the same and therefore in token therof they haue alwaies pillers borne before them At this day the Bishop of Rome calleth himselfe a generall Bishop an vniuersal Bishop not ouer this part or that part but ouer all Christendome yea he saith he is the head of Christs Church he saith that he hath power ouer Kings ouer Princes he hath power ouer purgatorie ouer Soules departed ouer Deuils ouer Angels he can parden not only sinnes alreadie done but such also as shall be at any time hereafter committed and that he can not mistake the Scriptures of God that he can not erre and be deceiued what euer he doth all is well done no man can iudge him and sit vpon his doings I speake not this of malice I speake it not for any grudge or hatred I owe to his person God is my witnesse I neyther know him that now is nor any of them that haue heretofore time béen Bishops of Rome But all these their doings are written all these words which I haue here spoken are written I say euen in their owne Lawes and Decrées the places may be alleaged and brought forth Alas these are glorious titles to be called vniuersall Bishop and head of Christs Church to haue dominion ouer Kings and Princes to haue power ouer Purgatorie ouer Soules departed ouer Deuils ouer Angels to haue authoritie to pardon sinnes past sinnes hereafter to be committed not to erre not to be deceiued all these are glorious and triumphant titles as you well sée But let vs now take Pauls rule the rule I say that S. Paul hath here giuen vs and let vs by the same trie whether the Bishops the Cardinals the Popes haue heretofore time or at this time do dispense vnto vs the mysteries of the Gospell as Stewards of the secrets of God whether they do preach teach the Gospel of Christ as the seruants and Ministers of Christ Alas we sée they do nothing lesse they do we sée nothing lesse than set forth the Gospell of God the glory of his holy name Now then can they call themselues Pastores when they féede not Gods shéepe how can they call themselues watchmen when they haue no regard to Gods flocke how can they call themselues pillers of the Church yea and the head of the Church when they shew themselues rather destroyers of the Church of Christ and not members of the same Alas if they be not Gods seruants whose seruants are they if they be not Dispensers Stewards of Gods secrets of whose secrets are they Stewards if they be not so much as members how are they then the Pillers head of Christs Church Saint Paul goeth further and saith It is not sufficient to be called Seruants to be called Ministers to be called stewards of Gods secrets but it is further
all the people praise thee And God euen our owne God giue vs his blessing that the earth may bring forth her increase Thou hast O Lord sent vnto vs thy measure thou hast giuen vs thy squire whereby to measure and rule our liues thou hast sent I say vnto vs thy Gospell thy holie word the light of thy déerely beloued Sonne Iesus Christ whereby we may guid our selues direct our waies vpon the earth And when we shall thus liue when we shall once begin so to direct our doings as Gods Gospell teacheth his holie word commaundeth vs then shall the earth bring forth her increase then shall she yeeld vs her fruit in due season For like as God when we turne from him following our owne lusts and desires plagueth and punisheth vs so when we repent and returne vnto him he is good he is louing he is mercifull vnto vs. Turne vnto me sayth God by his prophet Ieremie and I will turne vnto you When soeuer a sinner repenteth him of his sinnes I will forget his iniquities saith the Lord. It is the Lord that gyueth vs fruit it is the Lord that maketh the ground fertile it is not the ground of it selfe that bringeth forth fruit it is not the corne that féedeth vs it is the blessing of God the blessing I say of God alone And therefore saith the prophet Dauid If thou O Lord wilt open thy hand then all things shall be filled with thy blessing It is the Lord that maketh the Sunne to shyne the Moone to giue light the raine to fall on the earth I am the Lord that doth all this sayth God Dauid also in his Psalme saith Sciant quòd manus tua fecit haec Let them know O Lord saith he that thy hand alone hath done these wonders It is God I say that causeth the earth to be fruitfull and bring forth increase it is God that causeth the heauens to heare the earth the earth to crie vnto the Heauens Your harts shall be full of my blessing saith the Lord. If we shall forsake our sinnes if we will leaue our wickednesse and turne vnto God our harts shall be full of his blessing and then shall the earth bring forth her increase the earth this dead thing this vnsensible thing this masse of clay at Gods commaundement at his will and pleasure it shall bring forth corne it shall bring forth grasse and all other kind of fruits to serue them that neuer thinke vpon him that bestowed them O that wée were kinde that wée were not vnmindfull that we would remember God But alas wée are vnkind we are vnmindfull we neyther thinke on God nor his works and therefore God closeth vp his hand therefore he gyueth not vnto vs hys blessing therefore is the earth barren and vnfruitfull And this our owne sinnes causeth this our owne wickednesse and sinfull lyuing causeth Ose the prophet vnto the people of Israel when they had forsaken God their Lord and therefore were gréeuously punished cried out and said Malum tuum ex te ô Israel Thy euill is come of thy selfe O Israel All this scarsitie all this dearth all this plague commeth of thy selfe alone Thou art saith he the cause thou thy selfe art the cause hereof And euen as they were the cause of their plague so are we the only cause of all this our punishment and yet we sée not nor know Gods anger I haue striken thee saith God by his prophet and yet thou feelest not and where shall I strike thee once againe Filios educaui saith God by his prophet I haue bred vp I haue nourished vp children and they despise me they set nought by mée they will not acknowledge mée their father Good Bretheren let vs turne vnto God let vs amend our sinfull lyuing let vs submit our selues wholy to his mercie so shall the earth bring forth her increase so shal she yéeld vs her fruit in due time season Let vs consider the dignitie that God hath giuen vs he made vs in Paradise he fashioned vs to his owne likenesse he breathed life into vs and lastly where we by the fall of our first parent Adam were all adiudged to eternall death he redéemed vs again by the blood of his déere Sonne and Passion of our Sauior Iesus Christ Behold these things and be not vnthankfull Let vs good Bretheren behold our selues let vs behold our owne vocation our owne profession let vs behold Christ our Sauior We are the children of God the bretheren of Christ and heyres of the euerlasting kingdom we are Christian men we professe Gods Gospell let vs therfore remember that we must walke as becommeth the seruants of Christ we must liue like the professors of Gods holie Gospell Let vs remember how many wayes God calleth vs how diuersly he allureth vs vnto him by what sundry meanes he prouoketh vs to come vnto him O thou proud soule sayth God by his prophet thou earth ashes when wilt thou forsake thy sinfull lyuing and come vnto me when wilt thou repent and turne vnto me Alas do we looke that the stones in the stréets the verie stones vnder our féete should rise vp and call vs to repentance The heauens drop downe teares for our sake they wéepe and are sorie for vs and wilt not thou O man burst out in teares and bewaile thy sinfull life God looketh when we will come he wayteth when we will returne vnto him he daily and hourely watcheth when we will submit our selues receiue his mercie So louing so good so gratious a Lord is he Why should you perish saith Christ giue me thy hart O thou man and I am contented Let vs all therefore my Bretheren let vs all returne vnto God let vs altogether come forth confesse Gods holie name let our hands our mouthes our harts praise and laud him for euer let all the people reioyce and be glad that God iudgeth the folke righteously and gouerneth the Nations vpon the earth So shall the earth bring forth her increase so shall shée yéeld vs her fruit in due season so shall we be blessed in our houses blessed in the fields blessed in our commings in and our goings out so shall our corne our cattell our shéepe and oxen be alwayes blessed and so shall Gods blessing be vpon vs and our Children and God euen our owne God shall blesse vs and remaine with vs for euer Amen THE THIRD Sermon Rom. 6. vers 19. 19. Like as ye haue giuen ouer your members to the seruice of vncleannesse from one wickednesse to an other euen so now also giue ouer your members to the seruice of righteousnesse that ye may be holie c. FOr the better vnderstanding of these words written by the Apostle S. Paul we must consider that there be two Princes of contrary dispositions and natures which haue the rule and gouernance of this world that is to wit God and the Deuill and that neuer was there man