Apostles are all teachers are all workers of miracles haue all the gift of healing doe all speake with tongues doe all interpret It is God who worketh all in all communicating indifferently spirituall life to all his members insomuch as the least is a member of his bodie so well as the greatest In this respect all parts are peeres Albeit I say there be diuers gifts and diuers measures of gifts and so by consequence for fashion and function an imparity yet because they be donatiues grants and graces as it is said here the mighty may not scorne the meane nor the meane enuie the mighty no part must be pâ—rt For â—hat hast thou that thou hast not receiued He that appointed thee mouth or eye might haue made thee foote or hand Againe no member ought to mutter against head or fellow for the mysticall body of Christ is all faâ—re Tota pulchra es amica mea now beauty consists in variety of colours and in a concinne disposition of sundry different parts If all the whole body were an eye where were the hearing If the whole were hearing where were the smelling But God hath in a most sweete order disposed the members euery one of them in the body first Apostles secondly Prophets thirdly Teachers then workers of miracles after that the gifts of healing helpers gouernours diuersities of tongues Hee then that affects in the Church an hotchpotch paritie martyrs and marres Christs body which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. a body fitly knit together by euery ioynt Ephesians 4.16 Thirdly there is a sympathie betweene the members of the naturall bodie for if one suffer all suffer with it if one member be had in honour all the members reioyce with it So Paul in this scripture Be merie with them that be merie weepe with them that weepe Paine is often lessened by pitie passion is relieued in one by compassion of many Minus fit quod patitur vnum membrum si compatiantur alia membra nec ipsa mali releuatio fit per communionem cladis sed per solatium charitatis vt quamuis alij ferendo patiuntur alij cognoscendo compatiuntur Communis fit tamen tribulatio quibus probatio spes dilectio spiritusque communis est He that hath not this fellow feeling may suspect worthily that hee is not a liuely member of Christ for his bodie is coupled and knit together throughout euery ioynt wherewith one ministreth to another If then we doe not beare one anothers burthen and feele one another miserie wee are not knit together by the sinewes of loue and if not knit to the bodie no part of the bodie Fourthly there is no dead or idle member in the body but euery one helpes another and is seruiceable for the good of the whole the eye doth direct the head and the hand guard the eye the nose smels for all tongue speaks for all hand workes for all The eye cannot say to the hand I haue no need of thee nor the hand againe to the feet I haue no need of you but euery part seekes anothers and not his owne good In like sort the wise Counseller must see for all the tall Souldiers fight for all the iudicious Clerke write for all as Occam said vnto the Emperour Lewis If you will defend me with your sword I will defend you with my pen. Seeing wee haue diuers gifts according to the grace giuen vnto vs if a man haue the gift of prophecie let him haue it c. The duties here mentioned are partly Publike If a man haue the gift of prophecie c. Priuate If a man shew mercie let him do it with cheerfulnes The publike coÌ„cerne things Spiritual for Doctrine Theoricall as prophecying and teaching Practicall as exhortation Discipline let hâ—m that ruleth doe it with diligence Temporall if any man giue let him doe it with singlenes If any man haue the gift of prophecie let him haue it agreeing to the faith A Prophet in old time foretold things to come but vnder the Gospell a Prophet is hee that interprets the Prophets he that shewes Christ is come spoken of by y e mouth of al his holy Prophets euer since the world began A Preacher is a Prophet as the word is vsed 1. Cor. 14.1 and 1. Cor. 13. we know in part we prophecie in part A Preacher then must teach agreeing to the faith that is according to the Scripture which is a rule of faith or according to the Creede which is an abridgement of that rule for other foundation can no man lay then that which is laide Christ Iesus He that will edifie Gods house must build vpon Christ and square al his doctrines according to the rule of truth If any man speake let him talke as the words of God It is not said here that a Prophet ought to vse no booke but the Bible no Commentarie but the Creede for that is too spirituall as Mâ—rlorate notes He that will preach agreeing to the Scripture must reade the best expositors of the Scripture for as Bernard said all bookes are written for the bettering of the conscience which is the booke of the soule so wee must examine all bookes especially treatises of Diuinitie for the better vnderstanding of this one booke which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Booke Neither is it said here that the Prophet in the pulpit must speake nothing beside plaine text but only that hee must exercise his gift according to faiths analogie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 teaching the wholesome words of Christ and consenting to the doctrine which is agreeable to godlinesse for whatsoeuer is deduced out of Gods booke by necessarie consequence must be receiued as his word let him that hath the gift of prophecie haue it agreeing to the faith Or as other interpret to beget and confirme faith in vs euermore For if a Prophet rise among you saying Let vs goe after other gods and serue them c. thou shalt not hearken vnto the words of the Prophet Deut. 13.1 The true Prophet is he Cuius in ore vâ—rbum vitae cuiâ—s in more vita verbi Or as Melanct. and most of the most ancient fathers according to the proportion of faith and grace giuen As if hee should say Whosoeuer is called by the Church lawfully to preach the Word let him abide therein according to the measure of his gift for God hath giuen to some more to some lesse and often blesseth him that hath lesse more then him that hath more Let euery man therfore exercise his talent with faith and diligence to the best edification of Gods people comitted to his charge so likewise let him that hath an office â—aite on his office let him that teacheth take heed to his doctrine let him that exhorteth giue attendance to his exhortation according to the proportion of grace Let not any suffer his talents to rust but
in their house what doth he but teach obedience to superiours especially that children should honour father and mother albeit they be neuer so meane for this subiection is a vertue not a weaknesse If parents inioine things vnlawfull and contrary to scripture then as expositours vpon this text commonly note we must prefer our father in heauen before our fathers on earth and say with Christ How happened it that ye sought me wist ye not that I must goe about Gods businesse Otherwise we must not offend them so much as with a very looke See decalog com 5. The dutifull child shall prosper as Christ in fauour with God and men but gracelesse Cham shall be cursed rebellious Absolon disobedient Phinehas and Hophni shall not liue out halfe their daies It was Gods law that the stubborne child should be stoned to death openly that all might heare and feare By the common lawes he that murthers his parent is reputed a petty traitor By the Ciuill lawes in old time an offender in that kind was sowed in a sacke with a dog a cocke a viper and an ape and so cast into some deepe water as vnworthy to reap the benefit of any element For so Tully doth excellently glosse that law Vâ— qui eum necásset vnde ipse natus esset careret ijs rebus omnibus ex quibus omnia nata esse dicuntur Etenim quid est tam commune quà m spiritus viuis terra mortuis mare fluctuantibus littus eictis Ita viuunâ— dum possunt vt ducere animam de coelo non possint ita moriuntur vt eorum ossa terra non tangat ita iactantur fluctibiâ—â— vt nunquà m abluantur ita postremò eijciuntur vt ne ad saxa quidem mortui conquiescant It is probable that Christ submitting himselfe to Ioseph vsed his occupation but what it was I cannot shew you need not know Saint Hilary thinks he was a Smith Hugo that he was a Mason most Diuines that he was a Carpenter So Iustin Martyr and other ancient Doctors haue gathered out of Matth. 13.55 Marke 6.3 See Six Sinen bibliothâ—c lib. 6 annot 62. Baron â—nnal tom 1. an 12. Iansen concord cap. 54. Maldonat Rhemisan Matth. 13.55 Now then in that Christ exercised a mechanical trade we may learne that a poore man may serue God and often doe much good in an honest occupation the text saith Iesus prospered in wisdome and in fauour with God and men He was a lambe and therefore the bigger the better but the wicked are goates and therefore the longer they liue the worse they are Mary kept all these sayings together in her heart It was well she laid them vp better that she kept them best of all that she kept them all Let vs also lay these things vp in our secret treasury that being inwardly grafted in our hearts they may bring forth in vs the fruit of good liuing This Gospell is well fitted to the day for after the celebration of Christs birth circumcision Epiphanie what should follow but his first manifestation in the Temple and then on the next dominical his first miracle wrought in Cana of Galile The Gospell and Epistle concord for what Christ doth in the one is a paterne of that Paul saith in the other Paul doth require first that we should offer our selues a quicke sacrifice to God and then according to the measure of grace that we should become seruiceable to men euerie one among our selues one anothers members euen so Christ here did first dedicate himselfe to God in celebrating the Passeouer in hearing the Doctors in disputing about religion in neglecting his acquaintance to doe the businesse of his Father in heauen and then hee went with his parents and came to Nazareth and was obedient to them Or as other obserue the Gospell and Epistle both insinuate that two things are requisite to saluation humilitas mentis munditia carnis For the first Pauls precept is that no man stand high in his own conceit but so iudge of himselfe that he be gentle and sober as a member helping other And Christs paterne is he became subiect to Ioseph and Mary though he was Lord of all For the second Pauls precept is Offer your bodies a quicke sacrifice holy and acceptable to God And Christs paterne is hee did the businesse of God in the Temple neglecting the pleasures of the flesh among his friends and acquaintance Sweet Iesus indow vs plentifully with thy grace that we may thus preach and practise that following thee who art the way wee may come to thee which art the life Amen The Epistle ROM 12.6 Seeing that we haue diuers gifts according to the grace that is giuen vnto vs c. LVther is of opinion that this Epistle should be capite breuior sine prolixior shorter in the beginning longer at the end For the beginning appertaines vnto the conclusion of the Epistle for Sunday before and the end to be the beginning of the Epistle for Sunday following yet so that it may be both read and expounded as a text absolute in it selfe The summe whereof is that wee must imploy and improue the manifold gifts of God vnto the glory of his name and good of his people This exhortation is inferred vpon a familiar comparison vsed in the words immediatly before for as we haue many members in one body and all members haue not one office so we being many are one body in Christ and euery man among our selues one anothers members In which obserue foure instructions First as the members are not made by their owne vertue but created by Gods almighty power before they could execute any function in the body not members because working but on the contrary working because members In like sort Christians are not members of Christ through their owne good works but they doe good works because they be members and inserted into Christ as the tree brings forth the fruit and not the fruit the tree The Papists then in their works of congruitie run too much vpon the figure called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 setting the cart before the horse merit before mercy Potes à te de ficere saith Augustine sed teipsum reficere non potes ille reficit qui te fecit Secondly the members are well content with their seuerall offices and place the foote is not grieued at the heads supremacie neither doth the nose maligne the eye nor eye couet to be tongue but euery one performes his function without any faction euen so we which are members of Christs mysticall body must be content with our vocation and calling neither enuying such as are aboue nor despising such are vnder vs. Although there be diuersities of gifts yet but one spirit diuersities of administrations yet but one Lord diuersities of operations yet but one God who worketh all in all Are all
6. is said to haue done for his Poâ—edome The Lord saith Thou shalt haue no other Gods but me neither in hâ—auen aboue nor in earth beneath nor in the water vnder the earth and yet as the Scripture doth intimate the proud man makes honour his god the couetous man gold his god the voluptuous man his belly his god The first hath his idoll as it were in the aire the second his idoll in the earth and the third his idoll in the water as one pithily notes vpon the second Commandement Secondly some pawne their soules albeit they be not so desperate so giuen ouer to commit sinne with greedinesse as to sell their soules right out yet for their profit and pleasure they will be content to pawne their soules vnto the diuell for a time so Dauid in committing adulterie did as it were pawne his soule Noe when hee was drunke did pawne his soule Peter in denying Christ did also pawne his soule but these being all labourers in Gods vineyard redeemed their soules againe with vnfained and hartie repentance But let vs take heede how we play the merchant venturers in this case for our soule is our best iewell of greater value then the whole world and the diuell is the craftiest vsurer and greatest oppressor that euer was if he can get neuer so little aduantage if we keep not day with him he will be sure at the iudgement day to call for iustice and to claime his owne speaking vnto God as the King of Sodome did vnto Abraham Da mihi animas caetera tolle tibi Giue me the soules which haue been pawned and forfetted vnto me the rest take to thy selfe There is another kinde of pawning of soules and that is vnto God for Princes and Prelates Ministers and Masters are bound to God as it were in goods and bodie for all such as are vnder them as the Prophet said vnto King Ahab Keepe this man if he be lost and want thy life shall goe for his life But if thou dost thy best endeuour though the wicked incorrigible sinner die for his iniquitie thou shalt deliuer thy soule redeeeme thy pawne and when euening is come the Lord of the vineyard shall giue thee thy reward Thirdly some lose their soules as carnall and carelesse Gospellers ignorant negligent people who though they come to Church either for fashion or feare yet alas they seldome or neuer thinke of their poore soule from whence it came or whither it shall goe trifling away the time in the market neither buying nor selling nor giuing but idly gaping and gazing vpon other a fit pray for the cutpurse betraying themselues and their soules vnto that old cunnicatcher Satan who goes about daily seeking whom he may deceiue cunningly snatching and stealing such soules as are vnguarded vnregarded O blockish stupiditie will you keepe your chicken from the kite your lambe from the wolfe your faâ—ne from the hound your conies and pigeons from the vermine and will not you keepe your soule from the diuell but idly lose it without any chopping or changing in the market Fourthly some giue their soules as first the malitious and enuious person for whereas an ambitious man hath a little honour for his soule a couetous man a little profit for his soule a voluptuous man a little pleasure for his soule the spitefull wretch hath nothing for his soule but fretting and heart-griefe like Cain who said of himselfe Whosoeuer findeth me shall slay me Secondly such as finally despaire giue their souls away for the diuell bestoweth nothing in liew thereof but horror and hell of conscience The distressed soule may comfort himselfe with the conclusion of this parable The first shall be last and the last first The last in 〈◊〉 owne iudgement the first in Gods eye Thirdly such as destroy their bodie that the diuel may haue their soule giue themselues away for nothing in one word this is the case of all such as stand idle in the market they serue the diuels turne for nothing for the wages of sinne saith Paul is death and death is none of Gods workes a nothing in nature Why therefore do you stand idle in the market all the day goe into the vineyard saith the Lord and whatsoeuer is right I will giue you Now there be diuers labourers in the vineyard as there be diuers loiterers in the world one plants another waters some dig some dung the householder giues vnto one man a shredding hooke to another a spade to a third an hatchet so there be sundrie vocations and offices in the Church diuersities of gifts and diuersities of administrations and diuersities of operations 1. Cor. 12. But about the trimming of the materiall vine there be three sorts of labourers especialâ—y the first to proyne the second to lay abroad and vnderprop it the third to digge away the old mould and to lay new to the root al which are so necessarie that if any of them faile the vine will soone decay No lesse needfull in Christs Church are these three estates Clergie Magistracie Commonaltie It belongs to the Priest to cut away supersâ—uous branches with the sword of the spirit The Magistrate must protect vnderset and hedge in the vine lest the wilde bore out of the wood roote it vâ— and the wilde beasts of the field deuoure it The common labourer must dig and till the ground that hee may get sustenance for himselfe and other If no Priest what would become of our spirituall life if no Prince what would become of our ciuill life if no common people what would become of our naturall life We must al be labourers and that painfull and profitable painfull called in this our parable thrice workmen Non otiandum in viâ sed laborandâ—m in vineâ There is no roome in y e vineyard for sluggishnes Cursed is he that doth the worke of the Lord negligently But because Satan is the most diligent preacher in the world and heretikes compasse sea and land to make proselyts and to draw disciples after them it is not enough that labourers in the vineyard be painfull except they be profitable for as one said of the schoolemen A man may magno conatu nihil agere take great paine to little purpose toile much and yet not helpe but rather hurt the vineyard The by-word Euery man for himself and God for vs all is wicked impugning directly the end of euery vocation and honest kind of life That our paine may be profitable wee must labour in a lawfull calling lawfully for the good of the vineyard and then as it followeth in the last point of the parable wee shall receiue Gods peny for our paine When euen was come the Lord of the vineyard said vnto his steward Call the labourers and giue them their hire beginning at the last vntill the first Wherein obserue two things especially When at euening What giue theÌ„ their hire the