God 37 Prophesies of the Prophets how kept 1 Before God doth Punish he giueth warning 211 Why God suffers the wicked to runne on without Punishment 268 Why God Pun sheth the wicked for doing that worke he emploies them in 226 Purposes made for the most part like our Holiday Eeues 155 Q GOd fell not to Questioning vntill man fell to sinning 190 Gods Questions tend for the most part to conuince the conscience ibid. R THe godly come of noble Race 120 Rage of the wicked limited 250 Diuersitie of Religion dangerous in a kingdome 114 Religion is the strength of our Land 130 Rhetoricke lawfull to be vsed 296 Rich men rarities in heauen 110 Riches to be esteemed in themselues as blessings ibid. Why they are called the Mammon of vnrighteousnesse ibid. Rome her first foundation laid in bloud 255 Whether it be a true Church 98 Rules to be followed in vsing Parables and Allegories 83 S SAfetie of the godly very great 250 To liue in Safety keep in with God 249 Saints allotted by Papists to all countries except England 287 Security of the wicked blockish stupidity 244 Separation not to be made from our Church for some blemishes 96 Senses of God troubled with mans sin 170 Sinne corrupteth all things 165 Euery Sin belcheth forth an euill sauor 171 It is a make-bate 186 It breakes our Couenant with God 241 It depriues vs of Gods protection 240 It weakens a Kingdome 242 It hath both voice feet and wings to hasten iudgement 316 Foure Sinnes in Scripture said to be crying sinnes 317 Sinnes of weaknesse punished much more shall sinnes of wickednesse 235 Things sinfull afford resemblances to admonish of duty 85 Singing Psalmes or other holy songs lawfull 26 Directions how to Sing 29 Few Sing but they take Gods name in vaine by their singing 31 Three kinds of Songs in vse amongst the Iewes 8 Sodome what it was and what it is 169 By our Speeches our loue we beare to God will be discouered 49 Foure Suters that seeke to get the soule 59 No Suter should speed but Christ 60 Superiours must remember they haue a Superiour 285 T DVties of the second Table to be especially regarded 298 Time is to be obserued for doing good 153 Some good duties are at some times vnseasonable 154 Tongue the Interpreter of the mind 49 Toleration of Idolaters vnlawfull 113 The godly though not preserued from Troubles yet preserued in them 252 Why Trades are called Crafts and Mysteries 283 Truth of God with-hold not in vnrighteousnesse 199 V THe Church compared to a Vineyard in diuers respects 73 Verse comprehends much in a little 24 Verse better remembred than prose 5 Vnity ought to be in the Church 100 That Vnity be maintained what must bee auoided 101 The wicked are Vnthankefull to God 162 Vowes not to be broken 198 Vsurers like the Timber-worme and like the nether Milstone and their Broakers like the vpper 312 They will be Venison in Heauen 313 W WArre a heauy iudgement 263 Waters of the Sanctuary needfull to further our growth in grace 145 Weaknesse of grace should not discourage if there be true grace 161 Wealthinesse and Wickednesse not euer conioind 109 Wicked they shall not euer remaine within the Church 105 Wicked preserue the godly as chaffe doth the Corne. 111 They charge the godly to be the troublers of the State when it is themselues 129 They turne Gods best blessings into poison 165 They cannot please God 171 They haue no peace with him 187 They shall not escape Gods wrath 233 They lie open to all dangers 243 Witches are the Deuils drudges 248 The Deuill cannot doe harme to any to gratifie a Witch 247 Workes testifie though not iustifie 51 The godly abound in good Workes 81 Words of a Christian are of a healing nature 80 Word preached is a Winepresse and doth discouer what is within the heart 131 Word neuer preached in vaine 167 Our Workes should be workes of the Spirit 152 The best Workes of the wicked are offensiue to God 170 World not to bee loued if wee would loue God 55 Worship of God is the glory and strength of our Land 128 FINIS
secondly seeing the Church is Gods inheritance and peculiar possession let none that professe themselues to be of the Church giue themselues from him to any other but let vs liue to him and die to him for whose vse we are enclosed * 1 Cor. 6.19 20. Yee are not your owne therefore glorifie God in your soules and bodies saith the Apostle for they are his If his then not the worlds nor the fleshes nor the deuils Why then doe we suffer these or any of these to sowe tares and corrupt seed in Gods closures Why doe wee endure the plants of wickednesse to be set in his field And why doe wee bring forth fruit vnto our selues or any other rather than vnto him Remember whose thou art or at leastwise dost professe thy selfe to be and be no longer for the weeds of sinne nor for voluptuous pleasures to feed on as bullocks doe on pasture land but be thou Gods garden of sweet flowers his Vineyard of fruitfull grapes and bring all vnto him for first fruits and tenths that thou maist be his blessed land and possession for euermore Vse 3 Lastly this may assure vs for our comfort that seeing we are his heritage he will not easily leaue vs nor forsake vs if we bring forth fruit vnto him x 1 King 21.2 3. Naboth could not be drawne to part with the inheritance of his Fathers though Ahab made him neuer so large proffers for it and much lesse will God who gaue it for a law and ordinance y Leuit. 25.25 that none should sell away their inheritance for euer but if in case that any of his people had sold away any part thereof then he or his kinne should redeeme it againe if they were able And in case of inabilitie that which was sold should remaine in the hand of him that bought it vntill the yeere of Iubile in which yeere it should goe out and then euery man should returne againe vnto his owne possession Surely he that made this law will bee mindfull of it and will not easily be driuen to giue ouer his owne inheritance which he hath chosen And if in case for the barrennesse thereof he should forsake it for a time as hee did this people Israel yet it would bee but for a time and nor perpetuall in the end he will returne againe vnto his owne And thus much briefly for this point Now further in that the Prophet speaketh in the Present tense My beloued hath a Vineyard Albeit the whole Church of Israel and Iudah was at this time so generally corrupted as that from the Crowne of the head to the sole of the foot there was nothing found but wounds swellings and sores full of corruption z Cap. 1. ver 5. as he had before testified wee doe obserue that Albeit a Church bee corrupted with error and idolatry Doct. A true Church may be corrupted with error idolatry yet it is still to be accounted Gods Church till he haue diuorced and forsaken her Thus in the daies of Ely a 1 Sam. 2.24.29 Israel was called Gods people and so his Church albeit they were not then separated from all false waies and Elyes sonnes sons of Belial saith the text b Ver. 12. who knew not the Lord remained amongst them So Moses calleth Israel Gods people c Exod. 32.11 when he was vpon the Moâ—â—t yet at that time they were in the very act of their Idolatry which was not vnknowne to Moses Vers 7 8. for God himselfe enformed him thereof So in this our Prophets time d Isay 1.21 22 29. 2.6 8. 65.11 Cap. 1.3 albeit this people were sunke deepe in rebellion and idolatry yet for all that God himselfe doth call them his people Israel doth not know My people doth not consider Turne wee our eyes from the estate of the Church in these times to after times as it was vnder the Gospell and we shall see the truth of the point propounded Looke vpon Ierusalem in our Sauiour Christs time e Mat. 23.37 and we shall see the eleuen Tribes were become Apostates and the Church amongst them was wonderfully corrupted both in Doctrine and manners as appeareth f Mat. 5.21 by our Sauiour Christs seuere reproofe of both yea the Temple it selfe g Iohn 2.14 was almost become a den of theeues full of buyers and sellers Yet at this time it was the true Church of God else the Euangelist would neuer haue called it h Mat. 4.5 27.53 the Holy City In Saint Pauls time i 1 Cor. 1.1 2. Cap. 5.1 2 Cor. 12.20 21. the Corinthians were called the Church of God and yet at that very instant some of them were in an heresie others in incest and othersome that had not repented of their filthinesse Such was the estate of the Churches of Asia k Reuel 2. 3. yet the title of true Churches were giuen to them Vse 1 Those therefore that condemne the Church of England for a No-church and make a separation from it in regard of the errours and corruptions that are in it are farre from the spirit of Christ and the Prophets and Apostles who neuer made any schismaticall and bodily separation from any true Church for the corruptions though grosse that were therein found I deny not but blemishes are in euery Church for what Church euer breathed in so pure an aire as that it might not iustly complaine of some thicke and vnwholsome euaporations of error and sinne but because our Mother wants some beauty hath she lost her face Because she is blacke hath she no comelinesse at all What is it they charge vs with bâ— l See a little booke set forth by the Separatists of the confession of their faith with corruptions for fundamentall error they can discouer none Now doe corruptions in a man make a false man or a corrupt man So that though they make the worst they can of our Church they can make it but a corrupt Church and not a false Church We haue the true Word of God preached the true Sacraments of Christ Iesus administred which all Diuines m Bucer Martyr Fagius Caluin Beza Bullinger Zanchius Iunius Rollock in all the reformed Churches in Christendom which now are or haue bin do hold to be the infallible tokens of a true Church and are reciprocally conuerted with the true Church wee maintaine euery point of the most ancient Creeds we ouerthrow not the foundation by any consequence And as yet we haue not receiued a bill of diuorcement As for Discipline the want whereof they charge vs with our Church is not destitute of it altogether I would wee had the execution of so much as our Church alloweth Neither doe we deny but therein there may be some defects and wants as appeares by those words in the Booke of common Prayer n In the commination vntill the said discipline may be restored But doth it follow hereupon
that because Discipline is wanting the Church is fading and that the infirmity of the one maketh a nullity of the other That this is necessary for the well-being of a Church I grant that it is necessary to the essence and being of a Church I vtterly deny Neither will they euer be able to proue it by euidence of Gods Word The Church of the Iewes thus saith of the Church of the Gentiles o Cant. 8.9 If she be a wall wee will build vpon her a Palace of siluer and if she be a doore we will enclose her with boords of Cedar She calleth her a sister because she had a wall though not of siluer and a doore though not of Cedar So is our Church a sister to all reformed Churches though she may haue some spots in externall matters And our hope is that her wall shall be made more costly and siluer-like and her doore of Cedar in Gods good time In the Interim p Heb. 10.25 Forsake not the assembling of your selues together as the manner of some is but exhort one another and so much the more as you see the day approaching Whom thou canst amend whom thou canst not tolerate in any case beware of offring thy mother so great an iniury as to flye from her Say shee were poore ragged weake say she were deformed yet she is not infectious Or if shee were yet shee is thine which should be motiue enough for thee to pitty her to pray for her to labour for her redresse not to auoid her Quest Before I end this point some haply may demand what may be thought of the Church of Rome whether is it to be accounted Gods Church it being so corrupted with Idolatry as it is Answ For answer whereto a distinction must be made Errors and corruptions in a Church are of two sorts either such as concerne Manners or such as concerne Doctrine As for corruption in Manners they make not no Church but a bad Church and therefore in respect of them they are not to be forsaken by vs neither to be accounted of as no Church of God For corruptions in Doctrine they are either such as are citra fundamentum besides the foundation and these trouble or circa fundamentum about the foundation and these shake or contra fundamentum against the foundation and these ouerturne all The two former are weakning errors and doe not debarre them from being the true Church of God being but the q 1 Cor. 3.12 building of hay and stubble on the foundation the stubble burnt I meane not in their fire of Purgatorie their soules may be saued The latter are destroying errors and in these consideration must be had whether a Church erreth of weaknesse or of malice If it be of weaknesse then are we not peremptorily to conclude against such a Church for S. Paul r Gal. 1.2 writes to the Galatians as a Church of God though they were peruerted to another doctrine embracing a fundamentall errour of iustification by works But if it be of malice or affected ignorance like Å¿ 2 Tim. 3.8 Iannes and Iambres that withstood Moses resisting the truth then doth such a Church cease to be a Church neither is it any longer to be reputed as a Church Thus the Church of Rome doth wilfully and obstinately destroy the foundation it selfe and therefore may be concluded for no Church of God And so much briefly for the Answer to the Question with which answer we end this point and come vnto another The Prophet doth not only speake in the present tense hath but he also speaketh in the singular number Vineyard not Vineyards and thence we note The Church and Vineyard of God is but one Doctr. The Church of God is but one There are indeed t Cant. 6.8 threescore Queenes and fourescore Concubines and Virgins without number but my Doue my vndefiled is but one She is the only one of her mother Thus testifieth S. Paul u 1 Cor. 12.12 As the bodie is one and hath many members and all the members of that one bodie being many are one bodie so also is Christ that is the Church Hitherto likewise tends that saying of our blessed Sauiour * Iohn 10.16 Other sheepe I haue which are not of this fold them also must I bring and they shall heare my voice and there shall be one fold and one shepherd True it is this one Church may haue many parts As the Ocean Sea is but one yet distinguished according to the Regions vpon which it lies And so there is the Germane Ocean the Spanish Ocean the English Ocean the Irish Ocean and the like And thus there is a Church in Geneua a Church in France a Church in Scotland a Church in England and yet but one militant Church vpon the earth For as a Kingdome diuided into many Shires Reason and more Townes and Villages is called one because it hath one and the same King one and the same Law So the Church is one because it liueth by one and the same Spirit and is ruled by one and the same Lord and professeth one and the same faith hath one and the same hope and hath beene baptized with one and the same baptisme as x Ephes 4.4 5. S. Paul writing to the Ephesiaâ—s declareth And not one as tied to any one place much lesse to any one person as the Popish Antichristian crew who though they haue nothing in their mouths so much as The Church the Church and therein like Oister wiues doe outcry vs yet exceedingly infringe the liberties of the Church for all of them haue made the Catholique Church to be nothing else but the Romane Church and y Haruaeus de potest Papae cap. 23. See B. Iewels defence of Apolog fol. 610. some of them haue made the Romane Church to be nothing else but the Pope And this is their One But now for Vse Vse This vnitie or onenesse of Gods Vineyard should teach vs all vnitie and concord that professe our selues to be of this Vineyard And as in the naturall bodie there is a perpetuall sympathie betweene all the parts so ought there to be in this bodie mysticall z 1 Cor. 12.26 If one member suffer all should suffer with it if one member be had in honour all should reioyce thereat The eye must not say to the hand I haue no need of thee nor the head againe vnto the feet I haue no need of you but euery member ought to be helpfull to its fellow-members willingly yeeld to euery one that which belongeth to them and according to that of S. Peter a 1 Pet. 4.10 As euery man hath receiued the gift euen so minister the same one vnto another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God For as the incolumitie of the bodie depends vpon the concord of the parts in the mutuall performance of their duties so the welfare of the Church when we
of heart nor hope so long as he may appeale to some other that is higher especially if he be perswaded of the integritie and vprightnesse of that Iudge to whom he makes Appeale Art thou then wronged and iniured by the mighty yet be not discouraged for though thou canst haue no helpe at mans hand yet there is a higher to whom thou maist appeale euen God in his holy habitation who beholds thy troubles heares thy sighes bottles vp thy teares is acquainted with all thy griefes and will right thy wrongs o Psal 12.5 For the oppression of the poore for the sighing of the needy now will I arise saith the Lord I will set him at libertie from him that puffeth at him Heare this you fatherlesse and widowes you poore and needy ones and albeit these mighty Nimrods ride ouer your heads p Psal 66.12 and plow vpon your backs making long furrowes there and thus wound your flesh yet let them not wound your patience but q Isai 35.3 let your weake hands be strengthned and your feeble knees confirmed for behold your God will come with vengeance your God will come with recompence Commit therefore your cause to him who iudgeth righteously and see you asswage your griefe and sorrow when you are thus oppressed He will come he will come assuredly in due time he will come and deliuer you from out the pawes of the bloud-thirstie and cruell man Though Passion therefore possesse your bodies yet let r Luke 21. Patience possesse your soules And now for the Ecce which is here twice vsed Behold oppression Behold a cry once vsing it is not enough Bernard Vega. Behold and behold againe One cals this a starrie note Another compares it to a hand in the margent of a booke pointing to some thing of great succeeding consequence Pontan Another compares it to the sounding of a trumpet before some proclamation Another to the ringing of a bell before the Sermon of some famous Preacher And indeed as often as it is vsed for it is vsed six hundred times in Scripture it is neuer vsed but in matters of great moment worthy of our deepest and most serious obseruation being still put for a word of wonder and note of admiration So here Behold the wonderfull and vnspeakable mercy and goodnesse of the Lord towards this his Vineyard how great things he had done for it and what meanes he vsed for the prosperitie and welfare of it yea in euery one of the former particulars behold it Againe behold the horrible ingratitude of this his Vineyard Ingratitude in its full proportion with all the dimensions of its vgly stigmaticke forme in it behold Yea we may moue attention from this word to all that hath beene said For there is nothing in this Song but deserues to haue this Character Behold to be stamped on it Consider well of all this Scripture examine euery parcell let not one iod or tittle passe away vnregarded God hath commended yea recommended what is here taught vnto vs with this remarkable note Behold yea behold againe See therefore that you haue beene here present with your minds as well as with your bodies And all you that are here present behold from the highest to the lowest for it deserues deepe pondering vpon Å¿ Matth. 13.9 Let him that hath eares to heare heare And t 24.15 let him that readeth consider Euen so u 2 Tim. 2.7 consider we what hath beene said and the Lord giue vs vnderstanding in all things FINIS AN ALPHABETICALL Table for the readier finding out the chiefe and most materiall things contained in this BOOKE A GOd cannot faile of his end in any of his Actions Pag. 139 Affections of people must be wrought vpon by Gods Ministers 58 Afflictions are Gods Winepresse 132 Not to bee bettered by our Afflictions is dangerous 199 Gods holy hand is in all Afflictions 223 Both the time measure and end of our Afflictions are ordered by God 224 Why God doth vse wicked instruments in the Afflicting of his people 225 How we may looke vpon second causes in our Afflictions 229 God is to be sought vnto when wee are Afflicted 230 They doe not disable vs from being Gods children 236 Amoz the father of Isaiah and Amos in the number of the small Prophets not both one 16 The Angels watch for the godly mans safety 111 Application is the life of Doctrine 278 Arrogancy a sinne to be auoided 101 Attendants of the godly honourable 121 Authority must bee shewed for what Gods Ministers doe deliuer 64 B BArren Professors are good for nothing 79 The world is full of such 159 Man degraded beneath the Beasts 85 Names of Beasts giuen to the wicked 254 Behold how often vsed in the Scriptures 318 It is euer vsed in matters of importance ibid. The abuse of Gods Blessings causeth the Lord to depriue vs of them 238 Pray for a sanctified vse of them 166 Bribery is no better than theeuery 308 Busie-medling dangerous 101 C CHildren are not saued by the faith of their parents 289 They should bee thankfull for religious Parents 295 Gods owne Children chastised 231 The Church weake in it selfe 79 112 She is as a Garden enclosed 73 It stands in need of daily looking to ibid. She is exposed to many dangers 74 She is deare vnto the Lord. 75 93 She is but one 76 99 The more the Church is afflicted the more she flourisheth 78 She is outwardly blacke but inwardly glorious ibid. It is her priuiledge that God is her keeper 89 Why the Deuill seekes to persecute her 93 She may be corrupted with Idolatry 95 Church in England not to be forsaken for some wants 97 Which the Papists make to bee the Catholike Church 99 Her enemies are but weake 245 The miseries of the Church should moue vs to pitty her 265 Christ only deserues our loue 61 Members of the Church receiue the sap of grace from him 76 All that are in the Church are not truly incorporated into Christ 77 Comparisons may lawfully be vsed 82 Company of the godly to be frequented 55 Mans Conscience shall iustifie Gods proceedings 182 The Conscience shal one day be awakned 183 The Checks of it not to be neglected 183 198 Contention and discord the beginnings of warre 264 Conuersation of Christians should bee such as that our aduersaries may iustifie it 185 The Creature is become mans Schoolemaster 86 A double vse to be made of them 88 They are a defence for the godly 111 They are Gods hoasts 286 All of them are against the wicked 287 The godly Conquer when they seeme conquered 253 God remembreth mercy in his Corrections 257 D DEath of the godly a forerunner of Iudgement 213 Necessity of Gods Decree no excuse for wickednesse 196 Discipline not wanting in our Church 97 It is not of the essence of the Church 133 Dignity of the godly very great 121 The Deuill hath not power ouer any creature but by Gods