againe Wee commende thicke darkenesse Wee would haue foure and twentie Egges for a pennye Wee haue that true Mannah the breade which came downe from Heauen the Gospell of Iesus Christ But wee had rather haue the fleshe pottes of Egypt their Egges and Onyons Oh it was a good worlde then wee saye Wee haue the armourie of Gods wordē the whole armour of God but wee woulde rather haue Python and Raamses of Egypt Pharaoes armories Wee haue the Lorde our tower our Castell our defence but wee woulde rather haue the tower of Babell and the strong castels of Babylon These are nowe ouerthrowen amongste vs and wee liue without wall without Bulwarke and yet the Lorde be thanked peace is established amongest vs the enimie is vanquished Mars is vanished The Lorde him selfe as hee did the Arke of Noah hath made fast the barres of our gates Noah may buylde the Arke hee may enter into the Arke but the Lorde alone must shut it vp must make fast the doore thereof Wee haue Christian sufficiencie as much as wee stande in neede of of all thinges of Corne of Wyne and Oyle although not that greate superfluitie and great plentie of Egypt or of Sodome But to let this plentie passe they had taske Masters ouerseers Bishops which compelled them to make Bricke which layde great burthens vppon them Wee haue sheepeheardes which doe not compell vs but exhort vs not to make Tyles to buylde and mayntayne the Popes Babilon but Pearles of the Gospell to buyld the Church of Christ which do not burthen our consciences as they did but vnburthen them and settle them in most sure peace of saluation of health Without all doubt all the workes they did in Poperie they were but bricke so painful so hard so costly fit for the fire not for the praise of God because they were not commaunded of him Who will praise that worke of his seruants which he commaundes not and so although they laboured and swet much in those dayes they did but make bricke and wash bricke as it is in the prouerb that is they lost their labour I feare they lost their reward Wee haue not Pharaoes Princes maiestrates which do burthen their subiects aboue their power not only with rents but with labours and toylings with their bodies but Moses gentle Magistrates and curteous which like sheepe by the hand lead the people of God and for the neede of the common wealth lay tributes and taxes vpon them as they are able to beare Which do not laye that tribute vpon our husbandmen as I haue hearde by custome the kings of the Scottes doe that are bound to beare armour with the King a certaine number of dayes in the warres of their owne proper costes and charges at his pleasure which do not laye that tribute of victuals of the French men vpon their subiects which without a pension or payment cannot eate the fatlings which they haue fedd Which do not enioy that Turkish slauerie where none no not their Noble men can giue their landes to their children without their Princes pleasure and that vnder charge of Souldiours euer readie to serue in the warres at an houres warning What should I reckon vp here the tributes and taxes of the Romanes Octauianus tooke the eighth part of al free men of al their goods When Cesar was slaine euery one of the Senatours were commaunded to paye for euery tyle of their house sixe farthings and euery one of the citizens the foure and twentieth part of all their goods Our subsidies and taxes are light easie and to be borne withall in comparison of these ancient payments and other later exactions in other countries We haue not nowe Toll gatherers which sit at the receipt of custome who as in times past amongst the Iewes so amongest our auncestours gathered and scraped together our siluer our gold their Peter pence as they called them the first fruits of our Bishops that they might carrie them out of the Realme But which do long before giue warning of our paiments and gather them by small portions nor do not transport them any where else but lay them vp in the Princes treasurie I would to God we did not complaine without cause These be our good things and we see them not and yet men do complaine and find fault and are not content The greatest parte of men were neuer so rich neuer so gentlemanlike prepared and furnished with all things both within and without I would to God we did not impouerish our selues by vnlawful buying and wearing of silkes and veluets against all reason and lawes onely to satisfie our owne fond pleasures and of verie many persons for no other cause but to follow the vaine fashion of the world They must do as other do they must be in the fashion although they be beggers for their labours and greatly offende the maiestie of God who commaunds vs most straitely obedience to our Princes and willes vs not to be carefull for our apparel and to be content with couerings or happings as we call them to couer our nakednes and not so earnestly to seeke after euery vaine fashion of apparell that shal be deuised This maketh vs poore 1. Tim. 6. v. 8. this transporteth our treasure out of the Realme although some there be which are pinched of cruell landlords And yet all men do complaine of great penurie of great pouertie of want of all things But this want and this complaint amongest verie manie in my opinion is couetousnes which will neuer haue ynough which florisheth amongest all men and not truth to whom that wants aswell that which he hath as that which he hath not as the Philosopher said truely But many do lament the pulling downe of Abbayes they say it was neuer merie world since They highly commend their liberalitie to the poore their curtesie to their tenants their commoditie to the common wealth their planting of woodes their setting of trees I doe not here excuse our cruell landlordes our oppressors of their tenaunts our pullers downe of townes of whome as euery age hath had some so our age hath too manie and from which faultes the Abbayes themselues are not free as I suppose as their granges doe testifie I do beleue wee haue more strangers nowe in England then heretofore som of oure shires haue had people But I speake generally of the state and condition of our dayes In such great scarsitie of all things in such a great multitude of people in such a great price of all things they are not able to shewe I beleeue in our age so great liberalitie towarde so manye as wee haue tryed these many yeares next going before and especially this deare yeare last past here in England The which deare yeare truely I thinke the Lorde sent to this our Englande one amongest so many to the tryall of our riche men to the glorie of his name And here in deede was proofe and tryall made of all men
I that haue sinned that haue done wickedly but those sheepe what haue they done Let thy hand I pray thee be against mee and against my fathers house Thus we ought in all these externall plagues punishments of the Lord to find fault with our selues and to saye that wee haue deserued euen the same plagues not to find fault with those iudgements of God which are far lesse then we haue deserued And yet surelie amongst vs in these daies no sin more cōmon We shal come in no place we shal talke with no man but we shal finde him complaining or grieued with somewhat The gentleman he complaines all things are deare money skant his charge great which dearth in trueth him selfe in some parte is the cause of For if hee let his pastures fermes deare he must needes buy deare againe The husbandman he complaines that corne is too cheape he is not able to paie his rents seruants wages of his crop The Artificer he saith there are so manie of an occupacion that one cannot liue by another and that he can not get his debtes paid whose prices without all conscience the Lord sometimes plagues with euil paiments The seruants some times lack masters men wil do their worke them selues some lack wages some victuals So that from the top to the toe no part is free euerie one is grieued euerie one complaineth So that this plaister is verie necessarie the disease being so general dangerous Therefore I conclude with our last weekes lesson out of S. Paules Epistle to the Philippians fit for our times Phil. 4. The Lord being euen now at hand in deede Reioice in the Lord alwaie againe I saie reioyce Let your curtesie or gentlenes be knowen or manifest to all men The Lorde is euen at hand Be careful for nothing but in all things let your petitions be manifest vnto God in prayer supplication with giuing of thanks Let vs reioyce in the Lord who is now our aduocate our lawyer that pleadeth al our causes shal be our Iudge Let our curtesie mercifulnes be knowen to al men that we may find mercie curtesie at the Lords hand at that daie For with what measure we measure to others now in the chaffe and pelfe of this world shal then no doubt be measured vnto vs againe The Lorde is euen at hand let vs be careful for nothing but in al our needs necessities let vs praie vnto him and we shal receiue What is more easie then to aske and haue But aboue al things let vs giue thankes Let vs beware of murmuring complaining So shal the Lord not only this yeare but euerie yeare powre down his blessings vpon vs. Thus desiring your worships to accept this my simple gift praying the Lorde to blesse you both with his holie spirite this yeare manie others to his glorie the benefit of this our countrey and in the world to come of his great mercie to crowne you with euerlasting glorie I moste humblie take my leaue Welborne this xv of Nouember 1589. ¶ An Apologye or defence of our dayes against the vaine murmurings and complaints of manie wherein is plainlie proued that our daies are more happie and blessed than the daies of our forefathers WHereas there are manie things in my opinion right worshipfull in this our age out of counse manie things complained without a cause manie things and that of them which would be counted wise men verie iniuriouslie and vnaduisedly giuen foorth commonlie vttered then as mee seemeth amongst all the rest that complaint is verie iniust vneqaull and against all reason That these our dayes are worse than the former that our times are vnhappie miserable and that the former daies the dayes of our fathers were happie verie blessed verie calme and prosperous When as this opinion of the common people too too common amongst vs. Salomon the wisest that euer was Ecclesiastes ver 12. c. 7. in that one Sermon of his of the excellencie and vanitie and comparison of things together wherein he nameth himselfe a preacher to all ages and countries hath with his verdit as it were plainly condemned Saye not saith he what is the matter or howe chaunceth it that the former dayes are better then these for if thou saye so thou hast not asked wisdome counsaile concerning this matter As though he should saye Wisdome would teach thee another lesson that is to saye That things present seeme alwayes grieuous to men and strange things pleasant that our owne things although they be better in deede to be of none account with vs and that other mens things do please vs most of all Thus is the nature of man euer lothing things present and longing for things absent despising her owne things greedie of other mens things bragging of things past and slacke in things present verie fruitfull of vnthankfulnes And not onely Salomon but Iesus Christ being the wisedom of God the father teacheth vs the same in his Gospell He hath said manie that are first shall be the last and the last shall be the first Our heauenly father will haue his noble Kings his Mecenasses and gentlemen his Constantines his Theophilus his doctors his confessours his Martyres not onely in the infancie of his Church but also in her olde age not in her cradels but in her graye haires not in her time of increasing and flourishing shining as at the first sending downe of the holie Spirit but also in her groning decreasing and as it were now labouring time of trauell vnder Antichrist And these are no lesse notable no lesse famous no lesse valiant no lesse inflamed with the zeale of Gods house than the former And these at the last day shal be without doubt in maiestie euen to be reckoned vp amongest those first Because his mercie is for euer Ioel. 2. euen the same towards his Church And also our Prophet Ioel doth teach vs the same doctrine which did prophecie of our times vpon whom truely those ends of the world haue come more fully than vpon those first Christians which do not liue in the last hour of the day as they did but truely in his last moment and minute I will powre out saith the Lord by that Prophet in those dayes my spirite vpon all flesh and your children and your daughters shall prophecie your old men shall dreame dreames and your yong men shall see visions And also I will powre out my spirite in those dayes vpon your seruants and maydens And I will shewe wonders in heauen aboue and tokens in the earth beneath bloud fire and the vapour of smoake The Sunne shal be turned into darkenes and the Moone into bloud before that great and notable day of the Lorde come And it shal be that who soeuer calleth vpon the name of the Lorde shal be saued Who is he which will denye these things to concerne our dayes The fulfilling of
this prophesie doth plainly proue the same in our eyes For from whence commeth those great streames of knowledge of light of learning of wisedom in euery arte in euery science in comparison of the former times but from this powring out of the Holie Ghost Then seeing in all other artes also in diuinitie in the knowledge of tongues and in expounding of Scriptures this wisedome this light this knowledge of the Scriptures this gift of tongues this great blessing of expounding the Scriptures and prophesieng the which al the Church of God now enioyeth cannot be denyed but to be of the Holie Ghost Wherefore this prophesie doeth stretch out it selfe euen vnto vs. This floud and powring out of the Holie Ghost being begunne in the Apostles time and being dryed vp with that feruent heate of worldlye troubles of warres in the Popes tyrannie nowe at the length in the euentyde in this twilight is burst foorth againe and floweth to vs most plenteously and also with great aboundance This we see this let vs confesse this we must acknowledge The Holie Ghost is compared to the winde by our Sauiour It loueth the coolenes of the ayre It flyeth from the scortching heate of the Sunne Morning and euening the pleasant and wholesome blastes of it is felt and perceiued And at noone time for the most parte it is quiet calme and not discerned What that same coopling together that followeth of miracles of wonders of the Sunne of the Earth of the Moone of lightning the which our times do beholde do plainly testifie that the same prophesie going before doth concerne vs that that same streame of the Holie Ghost doth reach vnto vs that it doth water also our Church Hereof thanks be to God for this his vnspeakable gyft the states of our Realme our Noble men our Counsellours are more wise as Dauid in the lawe of the Lord and by his lawe then their Elders Seniors Priests yea what do I say Priests or elders then their doctours yea then their Bishops in time of Popish religion Our children are able to speake to the praise glorie of God farre beyond their olde men And when as their Pharisies their Scribes and doctours of the Lawe are in deede dombe our infants and sucklings in age in comparison of them crye Osanna And that in Greeke Hebrewe and all kinde of tongues When as in that blinde and darke kingdome this prouerbe no lesse olde then true was commonly vsed It is Greeke it cannot be read Timothie the young man Apollo the Iewe Aquila the artificer euen nowe in the Church of God are more mightie in the Scripture can expound the worde of God more perfectly can reprehend sinne more boldly can comfort the afflicted soule more forceablye then those whome they called Clergie men as though they alone had beene the Lordes then the Schoole-men whome they so termed much like the Scribes amongest the Iewes then those greye haires reuerend fathers of their Hermits Abbots Monkes in all their Cloisters Such Timothies haue we had verie manie Some such Iewes Tremelius Some such artificers in the beginning of the Gospell Although they do depraue and maliciously scoffe at such young men and such workemen But in the ende such which are young in yeares haue beene trayned vp in some occupacion in the beginning of their life that with S. Paul counselleth Timothie to doe shall shewe them selues workemen without reproofe rightly deuiding the worde of trueth against that great daye of the haruest to the shame and confusion of their so manie Priestes Elders fathers Of whome if I helde my peace their workes monuments in the Church of God would testifie the same Wherefore this prophesie doth belong vnto vs those holie streames flowe vnto vs and also they are ours Hereof are those dreames meditations and reuelations by night of the lawe of the Lord to his faithfull seruants to them which loue it to them which chewe as it were eate it to them that muse in it daye and night Therefore this is an vniust complaint That selfe same thing and these our dayes nature her selfe also hath as it were shadowed vnto vs and liuely expressed in the Sunne What do we not see in our Sunne before his rising a certaine brightnesse to goe before by certaine degrees through our whole Hemispherie An Hemispherie is the compas of the heauens as farre as we can see and the beames of his light as it were sent before before the appearing and seeing of the bodye of the Sunne it selfe So truely before the rising and returning againe of Iesus Christ of that true Sunne before his moste glorious appearing in the Hemispherie or compasse of his Church wee see it come to passe and doe nowe plainly feele Wee see the beames of his brightnesse sent before through the whole worlde through all thinges through all Artes through all countries this light this brightnes encreaseth euery yeare more and more wee our selues doe plainly perceiue this When Wyckliffe and Hus preached this light beganne in the middest of most thicke Popish darkenesse When Erasmus and Luther preached this light was increased as in the dawning or in the daye breake When Caluin Bucer and Bullinger preached it was spread farre and wyde But nowe truely all darkenes being dispersed it hath filled all the worlde it hath entred into euery thinke it hath lightned all the ayre And it encreaseth euery daye and is more brighter and clearer This is a moste certaine signe as also in that materiall Sunne euen nowe of Christes drawing neare of appearing in his maiestie and standing as it were in the last degree And as S. Iames sayeth standing at the dore yea nowe at the verye thresholde And is not this the verie true Image of our time O howe happie were were wee if wee knewe our owne good things but wee are like Israell plainly vnder the gouernement of Moses both for Gods blessings and for our owne blindnesse vnthankefulnes and murmurings Pharaoes Egypt was not better than the Wildernes his meates not better than Manna His Leekes not better than the Lawe of the Lorde The waters of Niluâ— then that which flowed out of the Rocke the harbours of their houses than the ouershadowing of the darke cloude the Torches and lightes of the Egyptians than the Piller of fire which coulde not be put out But yet the blinde vnthankefull and wicked Israelites doe not accompt these thinges so Howe often woulde they haue gone backe to Egypt againe Howe often did they wish for it againe Howe often in their mouthes did they highly commende it Wee plainlye are in the same case What good thinges they had in the shadowe wee haue them in the trueth What things they had painted vnto them as it were wee haue the thinges them selues liuely giuen vnto vs What thinges they had in their bodyes wee haue them in our soules And yet wee complaine we murmure wee are not thankefull wee wish for the former Egypt
The Lorde be praised for that his excellent gift which so well disposed the heartes of a great manye our countrie townes and villages sent their contributions and collections to our Cities Our gentlemen some of them sent waynes loaden with corne of their owne to the markets to be solde onely to the poore and that by a smaller price than the common rate was Others which had not so good store of their owne bought corne in the market that they might helpe to supplye the wantes of their poore neighbours at home which stoode in need and that also by an indifferent price Such buyers and sellers our Lincolne shire and other shires adioyning famous gentlemen worthie of eternall memorie had in that harde time Then it was woorth God haue mercie to helpe the poore Then it was acceptable to the Lorde Then it was thanke worthie when all thinges were deare scarce and harde to be gotten Here was tryall of mercie here was commendation of liberalitie Here the poore widdowes myte in the Gospell and the little barrell of Oyle and flower of the widdowe of Sarepta shined and came againe into the world These men gaue more in this penurie and euen of their owne scarcitie and want than all these Monkes of their aboundance and great superfluitie neither of that yeare onely but of euerye yeare the same nowe may truely be pronounced The earth nowe waxeth olde and barren it doeth not giue his increase as vnder that blacke horse in the sixth Chapter of the Reuelation of Saint Iohn When all things were plentifull Apoc. 6. when it was in his flourishing youth his vertue his strength his force nowe decayeth And as the decaying vading and death of olde men is sudden euen so is it of the worlde it selfe of the earth and of the Heauens nowe they all waxe olde as doeth a garment and are chaunged suddenly from their olde glorie fruitfulnesse and fertilitie Wherefore these yeares next going before our husband-men haue not reaped so great plentie of corne as they were wont to doe And yet we all must needes confesse the number of poore to increase Wherefore our liberalitie is of a morsell with Iob not of a Barne stuffed full for many yeares Iob. 31 17. of the Widowes myte not of thousand thousandes of Munkish reuenues of the little Oyle of the Widowe of Sareptha not of the superfluitie of the Pharistes And in this great scarcitie and dearth of all thinges in the frosen charitie of a great manye no man perished for hunger No man dyed for want as wee haue read in their Histories manye haue done in that bountifull and liberall kingdome which they commende so highly In Englande here in the dayes of king Henry the sixth there was such a dearth that some were compelled to make bread of Beanes and bracking or Fearne rootes which cast manye their liues In the latter ende of Queene Marie her raigne in that great dearth which was then as I haue heard manye of the poore had perished for hunger if the funeralles of the riche had not reléeued them better than their almes or giftes And as I haue hearde the Acornes that they did eate then killed manye for all that But amongest vs this I can truely report that I heard saye verie many were not ashamed to confesse that they coulde gett more by begging from dore to dore weekely than they coulde yearne by working for wages continually The Lorde doeth so open the heartes of his secrete ones that his poore shoulde be releeued that his Gospell shoulde be fruitefull euen nowe also as in the dayes of the Apostles And that his name should be glorified But in the former cheapenesse of all thinges in their great plentie and in not so great number of pouertie What was it to giue their bread and cheese for they seldome gaue money and such like And such were those dayes they themselues being witnesses But to returne to our Monasteries againe It is pittie saith one that the houses were pulled downe the houses might haue stande the abuses might haue beene taken awaye But whosoeuer speaketh thus they speake vnaduisedly for they open their mouth against the Lorde The pulling downe the defacing the sacking of these houses was the Lords doing It was not the power of anye Prince of any mortall man These men were famous sinners against the Lorde as were the men of Sodomah and their sinnes as it were heaped one vppon another reached euen vp to Heauen although they were perchaunce to them selues and their neighbours bountifull and beneficiall The sinnes of Sodomah raigned amongest them Such sinnes Ezechiell describeth vnto vs that is to saye Pryde Idlenesse Ezech. 16. fulnesse of breade and vnmercifulnesse In so much that the fatnesse and haughtinesse and idlenesse of Monkes came into a Prouerbe amongest all men In so much that idle persons were called Abbey lubbers fatt men were saide to haue Abbots faces But there was greater sinnes than these amongest them Idolatrie the first sinne in the tenth commaundement Blasphemie of the name of God the next sinne also by their vaine rash othes by things of no value as by the Mouse foote and such like which they counted no sinne yea the thirde sinne also was amongst them the breaking and prophaning of the Lords Sabaoth whose obseruation and keeping is chiefely in preaching and hearing the worde of God As our Lorde Iesus himselfe being here on earth taught vs to keepe it Hee preached euery Sabaoth daye Luke 4. Luke 4. v. 16. For so he spent his Sabaothes In doing good to our neighbours not in idlenesse of the bodie as the Pharisies taught not in singing Odes Himnes without vnderstanding as they were wont What shal we recken vp here their other sinnes beside these There was one amongest them notable and deadly sinne as they terme it and chiefe of all other both against God and against man which truely they shall neuer wash away with any sacrifice And that is this that vnder shewe of holines for couetousnes of gaine they seduced the people teaching a false way of saluation they threwe headlong as much as in them lay into hell euen thousands of soules without the great mercie of God Through couetousnes making merchandise of men as S. Peter sayeth 2. Pet. 7. and selling soules as saith S. Iohn This selling of saluation of Masses of pardons shall condemne the couetous deceiuers before the Lorde If they had giuen these freely perchaunce their simplicitie might haue made a place of pardon for them but now their couetousnes must needes be condemned Should God haue let these remaine Nay should he suffer their houses to stand Their crye now euen as of Sodome was great and had ascended into the eares of the Lord of hostes They were sinners against him though they seemed simple and beneficiall to others Although what liberalitie I pray you call you this To fill the bellie and to kill the soule Such surely was
hearts We shal find in the books of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel farre greater spoyles expulsions breakings hewing downe and ransacking of those good kings Ezechiah Iosiah then these were Wherefore these things now should not séeme strange or wonderful vnto vs. And these Kings of Ecclesiasticus in the greater number of other Kings which builded those high places which plāted those groues which ordeined these Priests these Kings I saye which pulled downe their buildings cut downe their plantings and expelled their Priests are counted only famous not infamous onely religions not impious not spoylers but reformers of Gods house Eccl. 49. ver 4. These be his word All kings except Dauid Ezechias and Iosias haue done wickedly For the kings of Iudah forsaking the lawe of the Lord haue forsaken God himselfe These three kings did laye wast groues aulters high places but they forsooke not the lawe of the Lord and therefore their horne is exalted with glorye and their remembrances is for euer So truely with the Lord with al godly faithful men which dare ground their faith on Gods word Our kings which haue pulled downe the Abbeyes expelled their Munkes are also famous and in great estimation Wee may saye O thrise happie and faire Sunneshine dayes of ours the which all the cloudes of ignorance being dispersed all the vailes of superstition being rent in peeces all the monumentes and pillers of Idolatrie being pulled downe haue Iesus Christ the true Sonne of righteousnes of saluation and trueth moste clearely shining and with his beames most plainly glistering in them Neither doe I here iustifie or allowe the wickednes of the world which dayly increaseth the charitie of many which is waxed colde nay plainly frosen Neither do I commend all the ground which we the Lordes husbandmen do till but the fourth parte onely which receiueth the seede and keepeth it We must needes confesse wee haue much thornie grounde much stonie ground manie high wayes wherein we are some time compelled to throwe the Lords seede Therefore I doe not allowe here or commend that olde beaten waye of Papistrie which many do followe when they come to the Church to heare the word of God thinking thus with themselues what seede soeuer shal be sowen in their hearts they will not receiue it They will beleeue as they haue beleeued Neither the stonie grounde of time seruers which ground their religion vpon the Prince and not vpon God and will turne which way the Prince turneth Neither the thornie ground of couetous men which in the Church receiue the worde of God gladly but when they come home or into the field their chestes and their hedges choake it All these groundes I allowe not And these are too too common in euery fielde in euery towne That same beaten waye moste olde men followe that same stonie waye hypocrites treade that same thornie waye couetous misers trace And these being put altogether they will make a great shewe But there shall be such alwayes Our Sauiour hath tolde vs before Therefore the faithfull marueil not when they meete withall and see many such But yet for al this their barrainnesse and vnfruitfulnes cannot nor ought not to defraud or depriue the fourth ground the good grounde the Lordes field of his iust praise and commendation which of one seede yeeldes vnto the Lord some thirtie some sixtie some an hundred folde of fruite This land is worthie of praise and such lande the Lorde be thanked we haue amongst vs. I may iustly pronounce our dayes happie and our selues vnhappie of whome nowe verie many of vs stumble at noone daye and slyde in the light runne headlong into the pittes of sinne in the Sunneshine who woulde not praise the clearenes of our time our Sunneshine our great light and knowledge And againe who would not wonder at the foolishnes and sottishnes of manye men the blindnes of their eyes the stumbling of their feete their falling downe euen groueling for all this light Who would beléeue that charitie should waxe colde in such daily kindling of the Lordes fire amongest vs that couetousnes should once appeare amongest vs being so daily and diligently wed out and plucked vp by the rootes that vsurie durst once shewe her face being arraigned and condemned so often in all courtes by all lawes in all languages both in Lattine and English That oppression of any landlordes to their tenants should be once named thought on or felt amongest vs in such great knowledge of brotherly loue These are the blockishnes of men These are the blindnes of their eyes whose mindes as the Apostle saith the Prince of this world hath blinded lest the glorious light of the Gospel should shine vnto them This is no iust complaint or condemnation of the dayes then the which daies the Lorde gaue to the worlde neuer any more cleare more blessed more laden with all blessings the lanterne of his worde the sunne of his Gospell so many cleare and innumerable starres of his ministers shining glistering and flourishing amongest vs. They therefore that stumble in such great light maye condeme themselues not the times the men not the dayes their wilfull negligence not our wonderfull Sunshine But the greatest and most grieuous and dangerous complaint of all followeth Manye vrge the discentions of our time and the sectes that like Tares are sprung vp with the Gospell and the bitter speaches and sharpe contentions of the professors of the Gospell amongst thēselues They remember not that amongst the Parables of his kingdome our Sauiour also intermingled this of the Tares sowen by the enuious man euen in the midst of his wheat to haue stopped the mouthes of his disciples which maruelled at this and were greatly troubled at this matter by his commaundement and authoritie And also in his doctrine to haue many times taught this principall point to strengthen their faith and to auoide the offences of the wicked chiefe of all other Do ye thinke that I am come to set peace vppon the earth No but rather diuision and this diuision is the ouerthrowe of Sathan the breache of his peace the ouerthrowe of his kingdome For Sathan the diuel himselfe hath a peace in his kingdome as in another place our Sauiour doth teach vs or else his kingdome could not stand and the world loues her owne This peace the doctrine of our Sauiour Iesus Christ breakes and quite takes away The boundes of Lawes shal be broken for my name saith our Sauiour nay the bonds of Nature and that into two partes nay into twentie partes from henceforth there shall be fiue in one house deuyded three against two and two against thrée A small number was wont to be the mother of loue and a greate many the mother of sedition and quarels but here neither frwnes of number nor nighnes of kinred shal make peace for the father shal be at variance against the sonne and the sonne against his father And the mother
Heretikes from whence that tryall of spirites which Saint Iohn commaundeth to all his children is had From hence that spirice of discretion and iudgement 1. Cor. 3. whereof all the seruaunts of God in some measure are partakers appeareth He that is spiritual saith the Apostle iudgeth all things and now all Christians are spirituall For they which haue not the spirite of Christ are none of his And all the sonnes of God are led with the spirite of God And they all by this holy bonde are knitte to their heade Iesus Christ And therefore the holy Ghost is called the bonde of peace They all can discerne light from darkenesse Christ from Belyall They are not without sence without spirite fleshly not hauing the spirit as are those false Prophets whereof S. Iude prophesieth as are those Idolaters of whom Dauid sayth Their Idols and grauen Images are without sence vnderstanding and so are they that made them and so are all they that put their trust in them And surely such was the insensiblenesse of many Idolaters in times past they were as voyde of true sence of God euen as the Image which they worshipped But the true Christians all haue hereof a féeling and vnderstanding and they must vse their sences they must trie their féeling they must vse their discretion The Lorde hath not giuen them these his graces in vaine What this varietie of iudgements and opinions doth onely beautifie the Church of God Hereof was the great glorie and beautie of Moyses Tabernacle of the diuersitie of oblations of the variety which euery one offred If they had all brought things of one kinde it had not béene so glorious and pleasant to the eyes Hereof when as they all agréed in the manner of their offering in this one thing that they offered willingly and fréely as for the matter not onely golde and siluer but also brasse not onely blew and purple but also scarlet not onely linnen and fine silke but also Goates haire were accepted and receiued All these being aptly ioyned together according to that forme which Moises sawe in the Mount did giue great glorie and beautie to this Tabernacle Salomons temple also contayned in it diuerse furnitures of nature diuerse functions and helpes of arte And hereof was the glorie of it contayned Ephes 4. what also meaneth that méeting of all men in vnitie of faith in the Church of Christ but the diuerse wayes and diuerse iudgements of many What meaneth this prophesyings of two or thrée in the Church and congregation and the iudgement of the rest but diuerse senses and sentences of holy Scripture what meaneth that prophesying or interpretation of scripture according to the Analogie of faith which Saint Paule maketh mention of 12. Rom. But that there is a certaine compasse of discenting varying in the Church of God so that it be within the boundes What meaneth that mariage garmentes of the Church her selfe 45. Psalme which Salomons wife no doubt did shadowe out vnto vs. The Quéene stoode on the right hande in a vesture of golde wrought about with diuerse colours and what meaneth that néedle worke that followeth all the glorie of the kinges daughter is within In a vesture of golde wrought with néedle worke shall shee be brought vnto the king What I say meane all these varieties all these diuersities all these néedle workes but wholely a diuersitie of iudgementes and as it were the soft stinginges of Bées one towardes an other which make the Lordes honny And yet al this without death without destruction without damnation Therefore in vaine crie our aduersaries and vrge this as Hercules dart Luther and Caluine do dissent concerning the Lordes Supper Therefore if Luther bee saued Caluine is damned Therefore in vaine doe many whisper this into the eares of the simple people they striue amongest them selues and that very bitterly of certaine rites and ceremonies of the Church of abuses of Ecclesiasticall matters of the garment of this Quéene Therefore their religion is nought and no credite is to be giuen to their Sermons therefore there is no trueth amongest them For say they there is but one trueth and that simple and peaceable In déede to confesse the trueth they striue of the vesture of the Quéene that is to saye of Sacrifices and Ceremonies but not of the life of faith they quarrell amongest them selues in déede of the building vppon of golde and siluer and precious stones but not of the foundation of Iesus Christ For truely besides faith in Iesus Christ all the other pointes of our religion are but the garmentes ornamentes exercises iewelles badges fruites companions waiting maydes of this our mother of true religion Not her substance not her life not her saluation And therefore first of all as concerning faith onely sayeth our Prophet Habakuck The iust shall liue by faith and the same saying the Apostle Saint Paule repeateth often after him The first to the Romaines the seuentéenth verse and the third Chapter to the Galathians and the tenth to the Hebrewes as an vndoubted trueth without any addition of workes or any thing else And our Sauiour Christ him selfe teacheth vs the same thing Hée that beléeueth in me though he were dead shall liue And hee that beléeueth not shall bée damned And also the Apostle Saint Iohn Hee that hath the sonne hath life But as concerning Sacramentes the Apostle Paule to the Galathians sayth as manie as are Baptised haue put on Iesus Christ And of good workes the same Apostle sayeth to the Collossians Put vpon you as the elect of GOD bowelles of mercie c. And to the Hebrewes of the same he sayth But wee hope better of you and thinges accompanying saluation Therefore workes accompanie saluation they are not saluation it selfe And godlinesse hee calleth the beste exercise and circumcision a seale of righteousnesse These names doe declare the nature of all these Then truth in déede is but one but as long as shée is here on earth shee is not without a veale without a mufler If truth were so easie to be mette withall then all labour of séeking of searching of studying was but in vaine If eyther the Church it selfe at anie time could embrace trueth in her perfect age absolute in all respectes then there should bee no increase of knowledge as long as we liue here in this worlde The which growing in knowledge that it should be in vs all the Apostles Peter and Paule doo verie earnestly exhort and commande If the millitant Church heere on earth coulde clyme vp to the highest degrée of knowledge then in vaine were that perfection in knowledge and not proper to the triumphant Church in heauen But as yet the Scriptures are to be searched of vs day and night besides the light which the fathers haue left vs They are written for our further learning and instruction As the Church of the Israelites had many mansions and going forwardes euen till it came to the boundes of the lande
sound and so as rotten corrupt branches be hewne off and quite throwne away of the heauenly husbandman God the Father himselfe for not to beléeue the gospell is a marke of the reprobate a badge of those that shal be damned a certaine signe of the bowghes broken off As both the Apostles Peter and Paule may teach vs. If iudgement begin of the house of God saith S. Peter Pet. 1. Epist 4. cap. v. 17. 2. Ep. Thes 1. cap. vers 8.9 what shall be the end of those which will not beléeue the Gospell of God And S. Paul saith the Lord Iesus shal be reuealed from heauen with the Angels of his power in a flame of fire giuing vengance to those which know not God which do not harken to and obey the Gospel of our Lord Iesus Christ All such are not of the Lordes familie all such are withered boughes throwne foorth to euerlasting fire And here let our recusants take héede they be not such Now followeth the common complaint but not so bitter as the former nor so properly a complaint as of wéeping bewailing of the simple sort and especially of women Who going into the Churches séeing the bare walles and lacking their golden Images their costly coapes their pleasant Orgaines their swéet frankinsence their gilded chalices their goodly streamers they lament in themselues fetch many déepe sighes bewayle this spoyling and laying waste of the Church as they thinke The like bewayling of the people of the Iewes and of those old men which now returning froÌ„ Babylon had séene the glorie of the first temple with their eyes is repeated vnto vs in the 2. chap. of the Prophet Aggey They missed Salomons gold his marble his Cedars his câ—ruings they accounted the house which Zorobabel builded as nothing to it But what did the Lord teach them by the Prophet what glorie did he promise to the second building what kinde of ornaments did he prepare for it It followeth in the Prophet The same word which I couenanted with your fathers when I brought them out of the lande of Egypt my spirite shall stand in the middest of you feare you not now saith the Lord of hoasts Yet once againe seemeth it but a small thing vnto you Agge 2. ver 5.6.7 And I will moue the heauens with the power of my holy spirite with the preaching of my word the earth the sea the dry land And I will mooue make quake for feare all Nations and the desire of all Nations shall come and he shall fill this house with glorie sayth the Lord of hostes What do ye wish for gold Golds siluer are mine sayth the Lord of hoostes If it please me I could employ these to beautifie this house but I wil giue it greater glorie The glorie of this latter house hauing nothing but bare wals is greater then of the former so gylted so carued sayth the Lorde of hoosts and in this place I will giue peace sayth the Lorde of hoosts This is the glory of the second temple this is the glory of our Churches although the walles be not painted although their vestures be not silke although their roode lofts be broken downe although they want their frankinsence Orgaines yet the word of the Lord and his spirite shall stand stedfastly in the middest of them The Gospell of Iesus Christ ringeth in theÌ„ although their Orgaines cease that swéete sauour of life to life is felt although that earthly frankinsence be put out that pearle of the Gospell which our Sauiour counsailleth all wise marchantes to buy though they solde all that they had is present is set foorth to offered to all men fréely Although the pearles of this worlde and iewels which are but clay myre are absent these things alone decke and adorne our Churches delight the soules of the faithful aboue all harmony and musicke in the world please the eares better then all Orgaines are swéeter in their noses than all frankinsence do refresh all their senses with a heauenly kind of chearefulnes liuelines Their Images do not so liuely picture out Iesus Christ vnto vs as his Gospell doth Their Images were all false their roodes were lyes their pictures painted out a false Christ vnto vs for they painted him like a goodly young man comely beautifull well fauoured in all respects as fine as the Painter or caruer could deuise but the Prophet Esay who indéede painteth out Christ vnto vs truly his true countenance shape of bodie describeth him far otherwise as we may read in his 53. chap. For he did growe before the Lord like as a branch and as a roote in a drye grounde he hath neither beautie nor fauour when we looke vppon him there shall be no fairenesse wee shall haue no lust vnto him He is despised and abhorred of men he is such a man as hath good experience of sorrowes and infirmities We haue reckoned him so vile that wee hidd our faces from him such a one in déede was Iesus Christ this was his true picture and what beautie can there be of a trée that groweth in a drie grounde what comelinesse in a monster of men and the outcast of the people For so Dauid also calleth him in the Psalmes Psal 22. vers 6. Esay 40. Their Orgaines of brasse doe not so much delight the eares as the trumpets of his preachers doeth Their golden coapes as they termed them put vpon their Priestes backes did not so much adorne the Church as the booke of Gods word in their handes We bring foorth this pearle of the Gospell more precious then all their Vestmentes Chalices Censours Images broken rent solde the losses whereof they doe complaine and we put it against all their complaintes And they which are wise will cease to complaine or murmure any more and will say we haue made a happie exchange What shall I recken vp here the mouing of all Nations the desire of all Nations Iesus Christ the peace of conscience the fulnesse of heauenly glorie which all that worde of the Lorde and his spirite as in time past to the Iewes temple euen so nowe haue brought vnto vs. This word hath rowsed vp the Nations which before was a sléepe this voice of the Lorde hath called them vp euen from the dead sléepe of blindnesse and bondage Now that which Dauid sayde of Israell comming out of Egypt the same may we say of the people of Christ comming out of the spirituall Egypt When Israell came out of Egypt and the house of Iacob from amongest the straunge people Iuda was his sanctuarie and Israell his Dominion the sea sawe that and fledde Iordaine was driuen backe The mountaines skipped like Rammes and the little hilles like young shéepe So truely euen nowe in our dayes the Lorde béeing present in Iuda his Sanctuarie which confesseth his name alone and in Israell his dominion which wrastleth with prayers and supplications and