sleepe nor mine eye-liddes to slumber vntill I haue found out a place for the Lorde an habitation for the mightie God of Iacob Now although it be my purpose and order requireth to hasten to the cause of Dauids ioye which he heare mentioneth yet it standeth with dewe order in this place as it doeth with edifying to stande vppon his great care in wayting for that thing whiche being obteyned this his ioye succeeded For liuelie and sounde is that ioye which the harte feeleth when it is refreshed frō care griefe going before When the Lorde had deliuered his soule out of all aduersities which hee susteyned in the dayes of Saul and had brought him to the glorie of his kinglie Throne herein he shewed the simplicitie of a true harte in that hee was not chaunged by the suddain alteratiō nor his hart beguyled by those pleasures to cause him to forget God He was not highe minded hee had no proude lookes But he kept his soule as a childe that is weyned frō his mothers brest Yea at this time he throughlie weined him self frō taking pleasure in anie thing vntill the Arke of God should be brought home placed in Israel which hee calleth by y e name of the Lorde and the mightie God of Iacob Therevnto doth he sweare and vow not to haue regard vnto his own tabernacle nor house not to coūt it his home or settle him selfe therein neyther to take any sound rest vntil he had seene this busines of the Lord in dew forwardnes Thus was hee thankfull vnto the Lorde whiche had remēbred him and all his afflictions Let vs examine our selues call to minde the yeeres that are past when the fyrie sworde did hange ouer oure heades in the dayes of Queene Marie that by so weake a threede that we looked euerie houre when it should fall vpon vs whē we being straungers frō our own houses walked frō house to house at suche time as the Owles and Backes looke foorth and flye And thought it well if wee might liue so without house or land or ought else saue bare breade for the life We were as the Iewes which by Hamans meanes were solde to bee slaine and destinate to a day of death And we were as humble Hester whiche would make no request but for life onelie Nowe when wee sighed and cried for the bondage and the crie for our bondage came vp vnto God and God hearde our mone remembred his couenant Then hee brought agayne our captiuitie as hee did of Iacob then were we like vnto them that dreamed Euen for sodeine ioye doubting whither we dremed those happie tydinges or no. Then was our mouth filled w t laughter our tongue w t ioy Thē the Nations about vs said that y e lord had don great things for vs. And we sang thervnto the Lord haue done great things for vs whereof wee reioyce Christ Iesus seemed then to vs as a shining and burning Lampe and we seemed for that time to reioyce in the light thereof But our giuinge of thankes and singing prayse vnto god was skarse so good as that of the people of Israel mentioned in the fourth Chapter of Exodus who when they hearde that the Lord had visited them and had looked vpon their tribulatiō they bowed downe and worshipped But when tribulation was increased vppon them they murmured against God and his seruaunt Moyses So could we bowe downe and worshippe in the day of our deliuerance but since that time not through bitter afflictiō as did they but through too much pāpering with more fleshe then y e pottes of Egypt haue we haue waxen fatte and haue forgotten the day of our penurie and hunger Yea wee haue forgotten and forsaken the Lorde the holie one of Israel in that wee are gone backewarde And better hath the Oxe knowne his owner and the Asse his maisters cribbe then we haue known him that saued vs. For if wee knewe him we would also surelie know that he redeemed vs from that firie fornace that we should burne with more zeale of furthering his kingdome vpō earth to the aduauncing of his glorie But the people of Englande in that daye whē the Lorde did lift vp their heads were farre from the zeale and practise of Dauid who beinge aduaunced to his kingdome had not yet the thinge he would haue and gaue him selfe no rest vntill he had done dewe homage vnto the Lordes kingdome by furthering procuring and labouringe about those things whiche appertayned vnto the true worshippe of God vntill he did see them at a good staye But our Cleargie firste which should with great affliction haue laboured about the Lords worke to haue seene that firste finished before they hadde instauled them selues into their owne rowmes they contrariewise layde holde on the great liuings catch who catche might the riche Bishoprikes and fatte Benefices And as Achsaph the daughter of Caleb when her father hadde giuen her a portion of highe grounde desired still more namelie places with springes of water so was their desiring and desiring agayne For those whiche were serued with Benefices where corne grounde was most they must haue an other wher good store of pasture lie And whē they were serued w t that they muste long for one where store of sheepe are kept and then they thinke they should be well But would to god it had bin no worse affection desire then y t of Achsaph which desired the increase of her portion of that lande which the Lorde had giuen and blessed vnto her people but these men haue bene greedie of the fatte spoyle and haue not bene aware that it was the spoyle of Iericho which ought not to haue bene medled withall but to haue bene execrable thinges vnto vs. I meane not as though that wealthful spoile might not haue bin takē vse of by conuerting it another waye But those things holding still their nature strēgth which thei receiued of y e Cananitish Roman ought to haue bin to vs execrable things And euen as the lord gaue vnto y e children of Israel the first cōquest in y e land of Canaan namely ouer Iericho without bowe or sword horse horseman or anie battle or anie hande mouing of theirs in token that he would alwayes stande on their right hand and their victories should proceede from him if they would goe forwarde to fight the Lordes battell so the Lorde gaue vs this victorie not with noise of battle or tumblinge of garmentes in bloude but by his own hande alone from heauen the thing to vs vnlooked for thereby incouraging vs to marche forwarde vnder his banner and vnder the good lucke of this watcheword The Lord liueth which brought the children of Israel out of Egypt and out of Babel the Lorde liueth which haue brought agayne the captiuitie of his poore suppliantes from the yron yoke of Antichrist and the Lorde also giuing vs the earnest of assured victorie
in those battels which were to insue in the behalfe of his sonnes kingdome against his professed enimie Antichrist if we would haue bene so gracious as once to haue taken them in hande But we refused to goe to the battle anie more though the Cananite dwelled still in the lande and bare the sworde to slaye euerie true Israelite therewith I meane that man of Rome who by his Cananitishe offices and Canons of his lawes standing still in their strengthe beareth the scepter right vp eueÌ„ a rodde for the righteous Thus haue we behaued our selues not as faithful Iosua and his souldiours whiche froÌ„ Iericho ceassed not to goe forward to more battels and therein sawe y e great saluation of God fightinge for them when the Sunne and Moone stoode still in heauen and hasted not to goe downe for a season But we haue done more like the Amalekites whiche inuaded Zicklag which did eate drinke and daunce manie dayes because of the great spoyle they had taken vntill suddaine slaughter vengeance came vpon theÌ„ in the middest of their mirth So let vs take heed that wee do not so long eate and drinke of the spoyle and daunce in securitie vntill that Dauid Christ Iesus come at vnawares and take awaye all and our liues therewith also in most iust iudgement Wee also haue done as that other generation of the Iewes which arose vp after Iosua which regarded their owne ease more then the Lords commaundement and his glorie which stoode vpon the rootinge out of those wicked ones whose sinne was ripe their daie was come those Cananites Perezites and Iebuzits suffered they to dwell still amonge them Therefore the Lorde saide that they shoulde be thornes to their sides and their Gods should be their destruction as it came to passe Euen so haue we tenne times more made couenant with that cursed broode of Antichrists birdes not only entring into neare familiaritie with the men but also borowing manie of their ceremonies intertaining their forme of seruice for the most part being turned but from Latin to English and yet which is worse holding our neckes vnder their gyrdles by making our selues willing slaues to their Ecclesiasticall sworde And because this practise could sonest be atchiued and this vngracious work could most spedelie be iumbled vp then was it counted Pollicie to wipe mens noses with and to giue them amocke But be not deceiued God is non mocked who redemed you from aduersitie to this ende that you should deale wisely and faithfullie in all his house Therefore it did stand you vpon to haue takeÌ„ better aduisement in the reforming of religion and matters about Gods worshippe knowinge that aboue all thinges it is a matter most curious And you shoulde with feare and much trembling setting apart your owne effaires for a season as Dauid did here and that with a solemne vow making that you would first seeke the building of Gods kingdome you should thus I say haue bene conuersant in this busines knowing that theÌ„ all things wold haue prospered with you You shoulde also haue known y t the lord in his worship might not admit ani strang deuise vnder pretense of pleasing some nor might admit anie mingling of his wisedome with mennes wisedome anie tolerations of vanities with a smoothe and fayned promise to take them away in time to come Why did the Lorde shewe such a terrible and fearefull example vpon the two sonnes of Aaron Nadab Abihu as to skortche them with fire from heauen Because they tooke fire for their censeres from the hearth whiche they should haue taken from the Altar And they were but yong schollers in those ceremonies the obseruations were manie and it was at the firste beginninge of their trayning to practise yet the Lordes ielousie burned w t fire And why Had the Lord so great regarde for a coale of fire was it not to leaue a fearfull monument for all men to beholde that they might take heed least in matters pertaining to the worshippe of God they alter and chaunge euen the least thinge If any man want skill let him withdrawe himselfe For it is written Take heed to thy foote when thou entrest into the house of God be more neare to heare then to giue the sacrifice of fooles for they knowe not that they doo euill Beholde howe manie in the Realme of England haue done and dailie doo presume to set in their feete into Gods house and haue not learned how to sacrifize aright Offer not they the sacrifice of fooles And they will not knowe that they do euill But to returne to those which haue bene chiefe maister workemen in the reformation of religion at the fâ—rste Can they not beholde howe that for wante of this faythefull zeale whiche was in this seruaunt of God Dauid For want of dewe feare trembling carefull crying for the spirite of wisedome and whole attending vppon the Lordes worke with hartes free from worldlie intanglings And for want of that intier loue and charitie which seketh not her owne thinges but those which are Christes and her poore brethrens I say for want of these things and being drunken with that new vessell of wine of worldlie concupiscence then set a broche Can they not espie howe they haue drawne their liues so farre wrong that skilfull workemen yea nowe euery bungler can not but wonder to see suche worke For they haue framed their timber some toe longe and some toe short in such sort that the buildinge hangeth all on the one side tottering and reeling with euerie wind and waiteth but for a blast from the Lorde to cause it to fall and to slaie all those which haue committed theÌ„selues to such a false building And as for the forme fashion of the house where was the paterne which God shewed Moses in the mount It was to be fouÌ„d but it was not sought the hast was so great to other things Therefore because the Lords paterne was refused no maruaile thowgh hee refused to send his spirit of wisedome vnto those which stood in stead of Bezaleel and Aholiab and the rest of the workmen For veiwe and trie out this reformation Looke vnto your brethreÌ„ of other nations rounde about which haue reformed if they haue admitted such thinges as you who yet notwithstanding come short enoâ—gh 〈…〉 duetie But looke vnto the worde of God and espie out there how manie coales of fire you haue takeÌ„ not from the altar Christ Iesus but from the smoking chimneis of the Cananites which dwelt in the land the Papists I meane Therefore repent and returne or else take heede of the Lords fire from heauen who although he vse more patience and longe sufferaunce towardes you then he did towardes Nadab and Abihu yet be you assured that he hath not nowe lesse regard and ielousie for the bodie then he had then for the shadowe And whereas some saye what It is a house though it be a
the burthen and to auoide that great labour which belōgeth to y e building of gods church rightlie and effectuallie haue bene cōtent to shuffle vp the matter and haue committed the cariage of the Arke to brutishe Oxen euen dumme blinde Ministers And these Oxens feete are not shodde with the preparation of the Gospell of peace therfore they stūble at euerie steppe and haue long ago ouerthrown cart Arke all althogh there haue bene Vzzahs appointed to put toe their hand helpe the oxen I meane teachers haue bin apointed to learn y e ignorant ministers to preach how thei prosper men may wel know except they had power to work miracles to make y e dumme to speake and the blinde to see and that only by teachinge But lette those Vzzahs and the appointers of them vnderstande and knowe a more excellente waye namely that the Leuites take the burthen vpon their shoulders weighe it neuer so heauie by trouble persecution and paynefull labour and let them cherefullie bring home that Arke euē Christ Iesus vppon whose shoulders the gouernement lieth and place him in his Tente pitched for him euen his Sion his Church and kingdome that he may beare that rule and gouuernement which vnto him belōgeth without so muche as the print of the foule footesteppes of Antichrist remaining in his Tabernacle to his dishonour And here it shal not be amisse vpon occasion to touche the courage of Dauid who although he was a little daūted at the firste by that miscarying of the Arke in so much that he said How shall the Arke of the Lorde come vnto me yet notwithstanding hee fainted not neyther gaue ouer his purpose but feared the Lord more and sought out more circumspectlie wher y e fault was and howe it might be redressed And agayne girt vpp his loynes and addressed him selfe with more cherefulnes yet agayne to bringe it home Manie there be in the Realme of Englande whiche haue bene zealous of Church gouuernement and of the remouing the ceremonies of mens traditions and stinted seruice and because they haue made long tarying haue had a colde offeringe and haue hoped longe of redresse by Parliamentes wherevnto they haue made sute and haue bene disappointed of their hope Therefore as though they hadde done their whole dewtie they haue set them downe and waxed colde and carelesse and haue slept on both eares and thinke that the Lord must needes nowe holde them excused vntill the Lorde cast it vpon them put into their mouthes But they muste knowe that they are not to ceasse seeking the kingdome of God and for other thinges they shall be caste vnto them without their carefull thought The kingdome of God must suffer violence of those which w t violent zeale doo drawe it vnto them Many runne but fewe gett the crowne We must so runne as wee may obteyne It is not ynough to be wishers and woulders as manie be at this daye counted religious and fauourers of gouernement because they can saye O wee muste praye we must pray thereby satisfying them selues and others being not a little gladd that they may buye it so cheape to sitt at their ease and folowe the worlde Therefore what cryes and complaintes their prayers bee maye easelie be discerned Prayers without practtse are but poore prayers the harte whiche setteth not the hande a worke do not burne with much heate We must so praye as continuing and increasing in greater feruēcie giuing y e Lord no rest nor suffering any nay though he seemeth to sende vs awaye with a rough answere as our Sauior Christe did vnto the Cananitishe woman refusing her sute and calling her dogge yet shee left him not but desired at the least that whiche a Dogge might haue euen the crummes which fall from the children and so obteyned her sute with cōmendatiō of her faith And we if we haue wished desired therwith made sute to the higher powers laboured in the behalfe of true Ecclesiasticall gouernement and yet haue returned emptie confounded because the lord haue not vouchsafed to let vs see y e Arke come home we are to feare so much y e more before the face of y e lord as it is said y t Dauid feared the lord in y ◠vnspedie day he feared God before but now his feare was increased And in this feare ought we to examine the cause why the Lord haue not made our enterprise prosperous to search our waies whither we haue taken the right pathe or no whither we haue gone to the place where it is or we haue sought it in a wronge place whither we haue put our shoulders to the burthen or we haue gone about to carte it that it might come easily vnto vs and as it were alone without oure helping hande Thus ought wee to search vntil we finde out in our selues the cause of Gods displeasure for the whiche wee are depriued of this benefite And hauinge founde the cause let vs repent and redresse that is amisse and strengthen y e feeble knees of ours making straight steppes to our feete least that which is halting bee turned out of the waye Lette vs recouer the right pathe from the which wee haue wandred wide and gyrde vppe oure loines that wee maye with more courage and swiftnes walke therin then before we haue done in our wronge false waye And some there be whiche haue atteyned vnto this knoweledge that the kingdome of God come not by obseruation and wayting and suinge here and there but is neare vnto vs euen within vs and no more is to be required but that we remoue our selues frō euill and worshippe God accordinge to his worde chusing rather to suffer the crosse then to denye Christ by slauishe giuing ouer of that authoritie libertie which he haue giuen vnto his people Some I saye haue attayned vnto this knowledge yet notwithstanding they haue bene dismayed and offended beholding the wayward footsteppes of diuers whiche haue gone before euen in the right path though not with steadie foote but haue slipped halted and falne in the waye by committing some thinge whiche haue displeased the Lorde as sometime in the chiefe Citie in Englande there were manie whiche withdrewe themselues from this spirituall bondage mentioned But some onelie making conscience at the Cappe Surplesse and therein stoode all their religion Some entring that waye despised all other but pitied them not in the bowelles of compassion that they might be brought vnto the trueth but were proude in their owne conceyte Moste of them also ignoraunt howe they should come to the ende or yet to the middest of the waye which they hadd entred neyther being humble in seeking out the same but thinking rather that they knew all things Therfore whē they wer tried and weighed manie were found too light and their miscarying of the Lords Arke and the iudgement which fell vpō some of thē as sore
loue whiche haue giuen place to iniquitie soone getting the vpper hande And of all our forwardnes and goodnes which appeared in the day when the Lorde opened one dore for vs to come out of prison and an other dore to haue entred his Tabernacles if we would haue but strained our selues a litle to haue remoued a fewe blockes in the waie Of this our goodnes and forwardnes howe that it proued but as a morning mist which vanished before any heat of the Sunne brast forth I haue spoken before Litle was that we had therfore was taken from vs euen that litle Great was the true and sincere ioye faith zeale loue which Dauid hadd therefore was giuen vnto him more For he continued faithefull to him which hadd called him through grace and for the remembrance of his great goodnes he still in hart desired to add more labour vnto the Lords worke For the Arke being brought home placed in a tent he desired to builde an house for the same And if it hadd seemed good in the eyes of the Lord to haue vsed his hande therin as he did accept of his hart and goodwill he woulde haue chose rather to haue bene destitute himselfe of a princelie pallace then y t the Arke of god should haue bene without a royall house for the more manifestinge of the glorie thereof And when he receyued answere from y e Lord that he should not build an house vnto him but his sonne shoulde builde it yet as muche as he might he did with all his power and became a cheefe builder one waye when as an other waye hee could not namelie in preparinge those thinges which should furnishe the worke and set it forwarde with speede when it shoulde be begonne For he said My sonne Salomon is yonge and tender and we must buylde an house for the Lorde magnificall excellent and of great fame and dignitie thoroughout all Countries I will therefore nowe prepare for him And hee prepared an hundred thousande Talentes of golde and a thousande thousande Talentes of Siluer And of Brasse and of Iron passinge weight And also Tymber and Stones and he had sett Masons to hewe and polish the stones in readinesse And yet for all this his hunger for Gods glorie was not satisfied but hee complayned that hee was able to doo no more For hee sayde to his Sonne Salomon according to my pouertie I haue prepared these thinges There was then no necessitie of an house For the Arke was kept in the Tabernacle whiche figured the churche and that was after Gods institution And the necessitie of hauinge the Temple came not vntill the Lords commaundement appointed a time therevnto Neyther was there any ruine of thinges pertaining to Gods house at that time Yet you see howe Dauid behaued himselfe not constrained by any necessitie of the time but inflamed by his true affection which hungred for the further glorie of those things which represented Gods glorie There be witnesses in England which know howe that exceding manie mouthes of the teachers and of those which speak as they are taught haue confessed concerning their Churche Some that it is ruinous Yet will they make the stones whole againe out of the duste not with a worke as Nehemiah did with building but with a word or two in saying it is the churche of God yet notwithstanding Some saye It is naked and yet a Churche And thoughe it bee both hungrie and naked they giue it such a beggars almes as y e Apostle Iames speake of Goe warme thee and fill thy bellie For they saye God helpe it wee shall praye for it In the meane time nothinge is ministred to susteyne it with touchinge that they complayne to bee wantinge vnto it therefore what helpeth it Some saye It is as a man that wante a legge and yet a church But the Scripture saye That that which is halting is neare to bee turned out of the waye Some saye It want but an arme c. But all this while they espie not wherein the greatest deformitie lieth namelie In that it hath a little pretie bodie and a great sorte of monstrous great heades I meane those of whome wee maye well complayne with the Prophete and saye O Christe Other Lordes besides thee haue ruled ouer vs. But because I knowe herein my ment will be sifted I saye for my selfe that I iudge them not nor condemne them The worde of the Lorde iudgeth all them and mee But concerninge the Churche of Englande as they inticle it It is a notable dishonour vnto Christ Iesus to make all the Parishes in England generallie his Churche hee will giue no thankes for that liberalitie Yet I am perswaded the Lorde I take to witnesse that in the Realme of Englande there bee diuers Churches And I hope also that there bee manie more true worshippers or such at the least as the Lorde doeth accept whiche abhorre and deteste to bowe the knee to the Antichristian scepter more I saye then seeme to appeare as was in Israel in the dayes of the Prophete Eliah But that the booke whiche is for Gods worshippe and seruice and yet beareth not the name of God that euer it caused Tabernacle to bee so framed as that the Lord shoulde knowe it for his owne I vtterlie denie But to returne to my purpose Seeing the case so standeth that the ruines and decayes of the Churches be apparant by a generall confession almoste of all Yea seeing it is also confessed that shee is sicke vnto death and lie panting for breath let vs not thinke that sweete and smoothe wordes will heale her deadlie hurte as to saye yet it is a famous Churche and other nations haue thought well reuerentlie of the Churche of Englande c. But let all with whome is yet the feare of the liuinge GOD and anie desire of his glorie laye the hande to the worke no more but euen thus by eschewing euill and dooing good that although they goe forwarde in fewenesse according to their pouertie for a tyme yet by their example and aduertisementes they maye winne manie vnto righteousenesse by callinge and stirringe vppe after this maner Come lette vs goe vp to the mountaine of the Lorde to the house of the GOD of Iacob and he shall teache vs his wayes and wee will walke in his pathes Let them also saye eche to other that because we sought not the Lorde in dewe order therefore heare we this complainte to our rebuke and shame There was neuer more wickednes then is nowe Thus if we do labouring not more faintlie because iniquitie hath gotten the vpper hande but more valiauntlie to redeeme the times because the dayes be euill wee shall bee foūde in the sight of the Lorde accordinge to our abilitie to haue polished made readie liuinge stones for the Lordes buyldinge that although wee can see the worke goe but slowlie forwarde in our dayes yet in the next generation it may rise more