towardes God to keepe holy their sabbath daye the daye of rest And to these temples haue the Christians customably vsed to resort from tyme to tyme as vnto meete places where they might with common consent prayse and magnifie Gods name yeelding him thankes for the benefites that he dayly powreth vpon them both mercifully and aboundantlye where they might also heare his holy word read expounded preached sincerely and receaue his holy sacramentes ministred vnto them duely and purely True it is that the chiefe and special temples of God wherin he hath greatest pleasure most delighteth to dwel are the bodies mindes of true christians and the chosen people of God according to the doctrine of holye scriptures declared by Saint Paul. Knowe ye not sayth he that ye be the temple of God and that the spirite of God doth dwell in you The temple of God is holy whiche ye are And againe in the same Epistle Know ye not that your body is the temple of the holye Ghost dwelling in you whom you haue geuen you of God and that ye be not your owne Yet this notwithstanding God doeth alowe the materiall temple made with lyme and stone so oft as his people come together into it to praise his holy name to be his house and the place where he hath promised to be present and where he wil heare the prayers of them that call vpon him The which thing both Christ and his apostles with all the rest of the holy fathers do sufficiently declare by this That albeit they certaynlye knewe that their prayers were heard in what place soeuer they made them though it were in caues in woodes in desartes yet so oft as they could conueniently they resorted to the material temples there with the rest of the congregation to ioyne in prayer and true worship Wherefore dearely beloued you that professe your selues to be Christians and glory in that name disdaine not to folow the example of your maister Christe whose schollers you saye ye be shew you to be lyke them whose scholemates you take vpon you to be that is the Apostles and disciples of Christe Lift vp pure handes with cleane heartes in all places at all tymes But do the same in the temples and Churches vpon the sabbath daies also Our godly predecessours and the auncient fathers of the primitiue Church spared not their goodes to buylde Churches no they spared not their lyues in tyme of persecution and to hazarde their blood that they myght assemble them selues together in Churches And shal we spare a little labour to come to churches Shall neither their example nor our duety nor the commodities that thereby shoulde come vnto vs moue vs If we will declare our selues to haue the feare of God if we will shewe our selues true christians if we will be the folowers of Christ our maister and of those godly fathers that haue liued before vs now haue receaued the rewarde of true and faythfull christians we must both willingly earnestly and reuerently come vnto the material churches and temples to praye as vnto fit places appoynted for that vse And that vppon the sabbath day as at most conuenient tyme for Gods people to cease from bodyly and worldlye businesse to geue them selues to holy rest and godly contemplation parteining to the seruice of almightie God Wherby we may reconcile our selues to God be partakers of his reuerent sacramentes and be deuout hearers of his holye worde so to be established in fayth to godwarde in hope agaynst all aduersitie and in charitie towardes our neighbours And thus running our course as good christian people we may at the last attaine the reward of euerlasting glorie through the merites of our sauiour Iesus Christe to whom with the father and the holye Ghost be all honour and glorye Amen The seconde part of the Homilee of the place and tyme of prayer IT hath ben declared vnto you good Christian people in the former Sermon read vnto you at what tyme and into what place ye shal come togyther to prayse God. Now I entende to set before your eies first how zelous desirous ye ought to be to come to your Church Secondly how sore God is greeued with them that do despyse or little regarde to come to the Churche vpon the holy restfull day It may wel appeare by the scriptures that many of the godly Israelites beyng no we in captiuitie for their sinnes among the Babilonians full often wysshed and desyred to be agayne at Hierusalem And at their returne through Gods goodnesse though many of the people were negligent yet the fathers were maruelous deuout to buyld vp the temple that Gods people might repayre thyther to honour him And Kyng Dauid when he was a banished man out of his countrey out of Hierusalem the holye Citie from the sanctuarie from the holye place and from the tabernacle of God What desyre what feruentnesse was in him towardes the holye place What wysshinges and prayers made he to God to be a dweller in the house of the Lorde One thing sayth he haue I asked of the Lorde and this will I still craue that I maye resorte and haue my dwelling in the house of the Lorde so long as I lyue Agayne Oh howe I ioyed when I heard these wordes VVe shall go into the Lordes house And in other places of the Psalmes he declareth for what intent and purpose he hath such a feruente desyre to enter into the Temple and Churche of the Lorde I will fall downe sayth he and worship in the holy temple of the lord Agayne I haue appeared in thy holy place that I myght beholde thy myght and power that I myght beholde thy glory and magnificence Finally he sayth I will shewe foorth thy name to my brethren I will prayse thee in the middes of the congregation Why then had Dauid suche an earnest desyre to the house of God First because there he would worship and honour god Secondly there he would haue a contemplation and a syght of the power and glorye of god Thirdly there he would prayse the name of god with all the congregation and companye of the people These considerations of this blessed prophet of God ought to stirre vp and kindle in vs the lyke earnest desyre to resort to the church especially vppon the holy restfull dayes there to do our duties to serue God there to call to remembraunce how God euen of his mere mercie for the glory of his name sake worketh myghtely to conserue vs in health wealth and godlynesse myghtyly preserueth vs from the assaults and rages of our fierce and cruell enemies and there ioyfully in the number of his faithfull people to prayse and magnitie the Lords holy name Set before your eyes also that auncient father Simeon of whom the scripture speaketh thus to his great commendation and an incouragemēt for vs to do the lyke There was a man at Hierusalem
vnderstande and to cary away suche sentences and stories as be more fyt for our capacitie and instruction And wheras we reade in diuers Psalmes how Dauid did wyshe to the aduersaries of god sometymes shame rebuke and confusion sometyme the decay of theyr ofspryng and issue sometime that they might peryshe and come sodaynly to destruction as he did wishe to the Captaynes of the Philistians Cast forth sayth he thy lyghtening and teare them shoote out thyne arrowes and consume them with such other maner of imprecations Yet ought we not to be offended at suche prayers of Dauid being a prophete as he was singulerly beloued of God and rapte in spirite with an ardent zeale to gods glorie He spake them not of a priuate hatred and in a stomake against their persons But wyshed spirituallye the destruction of suche corrupt errours and vyces whiche raygned in all diuilishe persons set agaynst god He was of lyke mynd as saint Paule was when he did deliuer Himeneus and Alexander with the notorious fornicatour to Satan to their temporal confusion that their spirite might be saued against the daye of the lord And when Dauid did professe in some places that he hated the wicked yet in other places of his Psalmes he professeth that he hated them with a perfect hate not with a malitious hate to the hurt of the soule Whiche perfection of spirite because it can not be perfourmed in vs so corrupted in affections as we be we ought not to vse in our priuate causes the lyke wordes in fourme for that we cannot fulfil the like wordes in sense Let vs not therefore be offended but searche out the reason of such wordes before we be offended that we may the more reuerentlye iudge of such sayinges though straunge to our carnall vnderstandinges yet to them that be spiritually minded iudged to be zelously and godlye pronounced God therefore for his mercies sake vouchsafe to purifie our myndes through fayth in his sonne Jesus Christ and to instill the heauenly droppes of his grace into our harde stonye heartes to supple the same that we be not contemners deriders of his infallible worde but that with all humblenes of minde and Christian reuerence we may endeuour our selues to heare and to reade his sacred scriptures and inwardly so to digest them as shall be to the comfort of our soules and sanctification of his holye name to whom with the sonne and the holy ghost three persons and one lyuing God be al laude honor and prayse for euer and euer Amen ⧠An Homilee of Almes deedes and mercifulnes towarde the poore and needie AMongst the manifolde dueties that almighti god requireth of his faithful seruants the true Christians by the which he woulde that both his name should be glorified the certaintie of their vocation declared there is none that is either more acceptable vnto him or more profitable for theÌ„ then are the workes of mercye pity shewed vpon the poore which be afflicted with any kinde of misery And yet this not with standing suche is the slouthfull sluggishnesse of our dull nature to that whiche is good and godlye that we are almoste in nothing more negligent and lesse carefull then we are therein It is therfore a very necessary thing that Gods people should awake their sleepie myndes and consyder their duetie on this behalfe And meete it is that all true Christians should desyrously seke and learne what God by his holy word doth herein requyre of them that fyrst knowing their duetie whereof many by their slacknes seeme to be very ignoraunt they maye afterwardes diligentlye endeuour to perfourme the same By the which both the godly charitable persons may be incouraged to go forwardes and continue in their mercifull deedes of almes geuing to the poore and also suche as hytherto haue eyther neglected or contemned it may yet now at the length when they shall heare howe much it apparteyneth to them aduisedly consyder it and vertuously apply them selues therevnto And to the intent that euerye one of you maye the better vnderstande that whiche is taught and also easylier beare awaye and so take more fruite of that shall be sayde when seuerall matters are seuerally handeled I mind particulerly and in this order to speake and intreat of these poyntes Fyrst I will shewe how earnestly almyghtie God in his holye worde doth exact the doyng of almes deedes of vs and how acceptable they be vnto him Secondlye how profitable it is for vs to vse them and what commoditie and fruit they will bring vnto vs. Thyrdly and laste I will shewe out of Gods worde that who so is liberall to the poore releeueth them plenteously shal notwithstanding haue sufficient for himselfe euermore be without daunger of penurie and scarcitie Concerning the first which is the acceptation and dignitie or pryce of almes deedes before God Knowe this that to helpe and succour the poore in their neede and miserie pleaseth God so much that as the holy scripture in sundry places recordeth nothyng can be more thankfullye taken or accepted of god For firste we reade that almightie God doeth accounte that to be geuen and to be bestowed vpon himselfe that is bestowed vppon the poore For so doth the holy ghost testifie vnto vs by the wyse man saying He that hath pitie vpon the poore lendeth vnto the lord him selfe And Christe in the Gospell aduoucheâ—â— and as a moste certayne trueth byndeth it with an othe that the almes bestowed vppon the poore was bestowed vpon him so shall be reckoned at the last daye For thus he saith to the charitable almes geuers when he sitteth as iudge in the doome to geue sentence of euery maÌ„ accordyng to his desartes Uerylye I saye vnto you whatsoeuer good mercifull deede you did vpon any of the least of these my brethren ye did the same vnto me In releeuing their hunger ye releeued mine in quenching their thirst ye quenched mine in clothing them ye clothed me and when ye harboured them ye lodged me also wheÌ„ ye visited them being sicke or in prison ye visited me For as he that receaueth a Princes imbassadours and entertayneth them wel doth honour the Prince from whom those imbassadours do come So he that receaueth the poore and needy and helpeth them in their affliction and distresse doth thereby receaue and honour Christe their maister who as he was poore and needye him selfe whylest he lyued here amongst vs to worke the mysterie of our saluation so at his departure hence he promised in his steede to sende vnto vs those that were poore by whose meanes his absence should be supplied and therfore that we would do vnto him we muste do vnto them And for this cause doth almyghtye God say vnto Moyses The land wherin you dwell shall neuer be without poore men because he woulde haue continual trial of his people whether they loued him or no that in shewing them selues obedient vnto his will they might certaynlye
muâ—â— be careful to keepe the christian sabbath day which is the sunday not onely for that it is Gods expresse commaundement but also to declare our selues to be louing children in folowing the example of our gratious Lorde and father Thus it may playnely appeare that Gods will and commaundement was to haue a solemne time and standing day in the weke wherin the people shoulde come together and haue in remembraunce his wonderfull benefites and to render him thankes for them as apparteyneth to louing kynd obedient people This example and commaundement of God the godly Christian people began to follow immediately after the ascention of our Lorde Christ and began to chose them a standing daye of the weeke to come together in Yet not the seuenth day which the Jewes kept but the Lordes day the day of the Lordes resurrectioÌ„ the day after the seuenth day which is the first of the weeke Of the which day mention is made of saint Paule on this wyse In the first day of the sabbath let euery man lay vp what he thynketh good meaning for the poore By the first day of the sabbath is meant our Sundaye whiche is the first daye after the Jewes seuenth day And in the Apocalips it is more plaine wher as saint John sayth I was in the spirite vpon the sunday Sithens whiche time Gods people hath alwayes in all ages without any gaynsaying vsed to come together vpon the Sunday to celebrate and honour the Lordes blessed name carefully to kepe that day in holy rest quyetnes both man woman chylde seruaunt and stranger For the trangression and breache of whiche day God hath declared him selfe much to be greued as it may appeare by him who for gathering of sticks on the sabbath day was stoned to death But alas all these notwithstanding it is lamentable to see the wicked boldenes of those that will be counted gods people who passe nothing at al of keeping and halowing the sundaye And these people are of two sortes The one sort if they haue any businesse to do though there be no extreme neede they must not spare for the sunday they must ryde and iourney on the sunday they must dryue carry on the sunday they must row and ferry on the sunday they must buye and sell on the sunday they muste keepe markets and fayres on the sundaye Finallye they vse all dayes alike workdaies and holy daies al are one The other sort is worse For although they wil not trauell nor labour on the sunday as they do on the weke day yet they wil not rest in holines as God commaundeth but they rest in vngodlines filthines prauncing in their pryde prancking and pricking pointing and painting them selues to be gorgeous and gay they rest in exces superfluitie in glutteny and drunkennesse lyke rattes and swyne they rest in brawling and rayling in quarreling and fyghting they reste in wantonnes in toyishe talkyng in filthy fleshlinesse so that it doth to euidentlye appeare that God is more dishonored and the deuill better serued on the sunday then vpon all the dayes in the weeke besyde And I assure you the beastes whiche are commaunded to rest on the sunday honour God better then this kynde of people For they offende not God they breake not their holyday Wherefore O ye people of God lay your handes vpon your heartes repent amend this greeuous and daungerous wickednesse stand in awe of the commaundement of God gladlye folowe the example of God him selfe be not disobedient to the godly order of Christes Churche vsed and kept from the apostles tyme vntill this day Feare the displeasure and iust plagues of almighty God if ye be negligent and forbeare not labouring and trauayling on the sabbath day or sunday and do not resort together to celebrate magnifie Gods blessed name in quiet holinesse and godly reuerence Nowe concerning the place where the people of God ought to resort together and where especially they ought to celebrate and sanctifie the sabbath day that is the sunday the day of holye rest That place is called Goddes Tentple or the churche because the company congregation of Gods people which is properly called the church doth there assemble them selues on the dayes appointed for such assemblies meetinges And sorasmuch as almightie God hath appointed a speciall time to be honored in it is very meete godly and also necessary that there should be a place appoynted where these people should meete and resort to serue their gracious God and mercifull father Trueth it is the holy Patriarches for a great number of yeres had neyther temple nor churche to resort vnto The cause was they were not stayed in any place but were in a continuall perigrination and wandering that they could not conueniently buyld any churche But so soone as God had delyuered his people from their enemies and set them in some libertie in the wildernes he set them vp a costly a curious tabernacle whiche was as it were the paryshe church a place to resort vnto of the whole multitude a place to haue his sacrifices made in and other obseruaunces and rites to be vsed in Furthermore after that God according to the trueth of his promise had placed and quyetlye setled his people in the land of Chanaan now called Jury he commaunded a great and a magnificent temple to be buylded by kyng Salomon as seldome the lyke hath ben seene a temple so decked and adourned so gorgeously garnished as was meete and expedient for people of that tyme whiche would be allured stirred with nothing so much as with suche out warde goodlye gaye thinges This was nowe the temple of God indued also with many gyttes sundry promyses This was the paryshe churche and the mother Churche of all Jury Here was God honoured and serued Hyther was the whole realme of all the Israelites bounde to come at three solempne feastes in the yere to serue their Lord God here But let vs proceede further In the tyme of Christe and his Apostles there was yet no temples nor Churches for Christian men For whye they were alwayes for the moste part in persecution veration and trouble so that there coulde be no libertie nor lycence obteyned for that purpose Yet God delyghted much that they shoulde often resort togyther in a place and therefore after his ascention they remayned togyther in an vpper chamber sometyme they entred into the Temple sometyme into the synagoges sometyme they were in pryson sometymes in theyr houses sometymes in the feeldes c. And this continued so long till the fayth of Chryste Jesus began to multiplye in a great parte of the worlde Nowe when dyuers Realmes were establyshed in gods true religion and God hath geuen them peace and quyetnes then began kynges noble men and the people also stirred vp with a godly zeale and feruentnesse to buylde vp temples and Churches whyther the people might resort the better to do their dutie