of the Church for all of them haue made the Catholique Church to be nothing else but the Romane Church and some of them haue made the Romane Church to be nothing else but the Pope And this is their One But now for 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 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 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 thus shew ourselues to be members one of another And therefore as God hath called vs so let vs walke whether we be Magistrates Ministers or others Art thou a Magistrate Then thou as the head shouldst rule and gouerne wisely woe be to the bodie when the head is phrenzie drunken idle or the like see thou be not so but as the head doth heare and see taste and smell for the good of the inferiour members so shouldst thou in that place wherein God hath set thee Art thou a Minister Then as the Heart thou shouldst be the fountaine of life and vitall spirits doctrine like dew should distill from thy lips Little ioy haue the other members when the heart is sicke or heauy Art thou in meaner place a Tradesman Husbandman or the like then as the foot see thou be sound and seruiceable being ready to goe or runne for the least good that may betide the bodie And that vnitie and loue may the better be continued and maintained let these euils be auoided First Enuie or repining at the gifts of others a sinne too common and yet vnnaturall for doth the foot enuie at the head because it is preferd before it as more honourable Or is it discontented because it is clad in leather when it may be there is a chaine of gold about the necke or a pretious stone vpon the finger Each member is apparelled and decked with such ornaments and vestures as are most seemely for it A garter is vnseemely about the necke and so is a chaine about the leg A foule fault then it must needs be to enuie any in higher place for that credit honour and respect which they haue aboue vs. Secondly arrogancie and highmindednesse for any gift that is in vs aboue our brethren The eie is honoured with that necessary and noble sense of seeing and so is the eare with that worthy and needfull sense of hearing and the nose is preferred before them both in that profitable and vsefull sense of smelling Thus he that taketh place before all in some things must be content to giue place and come behinde others in some things else Let this cause thee to contemne none that are inferiour to thy selfe in shew Thirdly curiosity or busie medling with things belonging not vnto vs. The eie meddles not with hearing nor the eare with seeing nor the foot with either of them both but each member knowes its owne office and that it lookes to So arrogate not to thy selfe any thing out of thy owne calling but containe thy selfe within thy owne bounds and limits If a more should fall into the eie were the foot a fit member to be thrust into the eie to plucke it out No for though the foot be sensible of the trouble yet it leaues the helping of it to the hand It is neither fit nor comely for the people to meddle with the office of Magistrates directing them how to gouerne nor with the calling of Ministers teaching them how to preach And therefore let all take the Apostles counsell and study to be quiet medling with our owne businesse leauing other things to whom they doe concerne For a second vse Is the Church but one Then woe to such as are authors or fautors of any diuision or separation and so breake the vnity of the Church Such sinne grieuously as S. Paul sheweth writing to the Corinthians and auoucheth that such are carnall and walke as men What answer will Brownists and Separatists make to God at the last day Oh they were wicked Magistrates vngodly Ministers c. But if the head ake doth the foot refuse to beare it Or if the eie be blemished doth the rest of the members disdaine it or contemne it or whilest it remaineth in the body refuse to haue fellowship with it and renounce their owne part in the body because of it Me thinks this being well considered must needs conuince them But of these before Hitherto I haue beene in the Proposition of the Parable The prosequution explication or narration of it followeth now to be handled which beginneth at the latter end of the first verse and continueth to the end of the sixth Wherein we haue laid downe to be considered first the Vineyards Plantation in the latter part of the first and in the second verses secondly the Supplantation thereof in the foure next In the first of these we haue two things to intreat of as first of the Vinitors great paines and cost which he bestowed vpon it and secondly of his iust expectation which he made to receiue fruit from it His paines cost and care for this his Vineyards good appeares in six sundry particulars First in the situation of it for it grew 1. vpon a Hill 2. vpon a very fruitfull Hill In an horne of the sonne of oile for so the words are by which Hebraisme is set forth the fatnesse and fruitfulnesse of the place For by an horne is noted strength power and height vsually in Scripture and by oile fatnesse and plenty and by the sonne of oile is meant that which commeth of the oile and is of it A phrase vsuall amongst the Hebrewes And so wee reade of the sonne of daies of the sonne of death of the sonne of plenty and the like By this phrase then is noted thus much that they were excellendy seated both for pleasure and profit and in so fruitfull a place as if it had beene the sonne of oile and borne of it Secondly in the Protection of it for hee fenced and enclosed it in strongly that it might not be wasted nor any way annoied Thirdly in the Elapidation or Cleansing of it casting out the stones and preparing of the soile by purging it from all
the Wood or of the Leaues or of the Fruit there being no property in the one which is not in a sort answered in the other For the Root that we know sendeth sappe to euery Stem and Branch whereby they flourish and bring forth fruit and vnlesse they continue in the root they can neuer thriue nor prosper for thence it is whence they haue their moisture Thus the Church and euery true member of it receiueth the life and sappe of grace from Iesus Christ who is the root and into whom the multitude of true beleeuers are engrafted whereby they grow and bring forth fruit to God So that vnlesse they continue in him they cannot prosper but must needs fade and wither according to our Sauiours speech As the branch cannot beare fruit of it selfe except it abide in the Vine no more can ye except ye abide in mee I am the Vine ye are the branches he that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruit for without mee you can doe nothing If a man abide not in me hee is cast forth as a branch and is withered and men gather them vp and cast them into the fire and they are burned In the Branches there is great resemblance diuers wayes 1. There are many branches in the root yet all make but one Vine so all the faithfull in the congregation and all the congregations of the faithfull in the whole world make but one only Church And albeit there are threescore Queenes and fourescore Concubines and Virgins without number yet saith Solomon speaking in the person of Christ my doâ—e my vndefiled is but one And so witnesseth S. Paul Now are they many members yet but one bodie One as sucking sap from one and the same root liuing by one and the same spirit and ruled by one and the same head Christ blessed for euer But of this more hereafter 2. All the branches of a Vine though they seeme to stand alike in the stocke are not alike fruitfull neither doe they all draw sap and moysture from the root for as some are fruitfull and flourish so some againe are barren and wither which are cut off and cast into the fire Thus is it in the Church visible all the members thereof are not alike incorporated into the root through the inuisible bonds of the spirit neither doe they bring forth fruit in him Some there are who are onely externally engrafted others there are who are also internally The former sort are such members of the Church visible who by externall baptisme haue giuen their names to Christ and so entred into the profession yet indeed are not Christs because they haue not the Spirit of Christ for though they are baptized with water yet they are not with the holy Ghost They haue Iohns baptisme but not Christs baptisme This kinde of Sacramentall engrafting will suffer a cutting off because they haue not the sap of grace ministred vnto them from the stocke of life but are as dead trees and branches The other sort are they who besides the outward engrafting are also inwardly engrafted by the holy Ghost into the stocke Christ Iesus and doe liue in him and grow in him and bring forth fruit to the praise of his name Notwithstanding both these sorts as they communicate together in the outward bonds of one profession as they visibly continue together like one visible body vpon that one root Christ Iesus on whom they all outwardly professe that they depend as on the fountaine of their sap and life so they both together make this visible Vineyard and Church on earth 3. There is no branch of any tree that exceedeth it in growing and spreading forth it selfe in one weeke yea night how exceedingly is it shot So the true members of the Church exceed all others in growth in grace they are still spreading forth their branches growing from one degree of grace vnto another They are all for Addition and Multiplication nothing for Diuision or Substraction except in euill They sing the song of degrees adding to Faith Virtue and to Virtue Knowledge and to Knowledge Temperance and to Temperance Patience and to Patience Godlinesse and to Godlinesse Brotherly-kindnesse and to Brotherly-kindnesse Charitie They be not like the old Moone in the wane but like the new euer in her increasings 4. The branches of the Vine grow the better for their prâ—ning and not the worse bringing forth after it is cut more and better grapes not worse nor â—ewer Thus the Church and true members of the Church the more they bee afflicted the more they flourish as the people of Israel vnder Pharaohs tyranny the more they were oppressed the more they multiplied and grew Thus the Church of God euer riseth in its ruine prospereth in its persecution The bloud of Martyrs is but the seed of it and the chopping off their heads but as the pruning of this Vine And as Ioseph said so may euery true Christian say The Lord hath made me fruitfull in the Land of my affliction Their tribulation worketh patience and patience experience and experience hope and that maketh not ashamed And thus for the resemblance in the branches Now in the Barke or Rinde let vs compare them we see that the Barke of the Vine seemeth more withered dry than the Rinde or Barke of any other Tree whateuer yet it hath plenty of sap and abundance of moisture vnder it Thus the Church of God seemes blacke and deformed outwardly to the worlds eye which onely beholdeth and iudgeth the Rinde by reason of the scorching heat of persecution yet she is inwardly glorious and beautifull for there the inuisible graces of Faith Feare Hope Loue Patience Holinesse are hid This shewes the Psalmist The Kings Daughter is all glorious within and the Church maketh this confession of her selfe I am blacke but comely oh ye Daughters of Ierusalem as the tents of Kedar as the curtaines of Soloman And this is the cause that her mothers children looke vpon her and are angry with her In the Wood let vs see what likenesse we can finde 1. That we know is the weakest and feeblest wood of any other The trees of the Forest are strong and tall but the Vine so weake that it cannot beare vp it selfe without a stay or prop. Thus the Church of any society is least able to helpe it selfe it cannot stand against a storme without the prop of Gods protection by reason of her naturall weaknesse It is a weake tent in it selfe not fortified with any wals A small flocke of sheepe very impotent and feeble An humble and poore people yea a very worme for so the Lord calleth her Feare not thou worme Iacob and ye men of Israel I will helpe thee saith the Lord Feare thou not for I am with thee bee not dismaied for I am thy God I will strengthen thee
waking spying Antipater by him he vsed these words as the story saith No maruell I slept so soundly seeing Antipater was by and watched It would not haue fallen out so well with this Land in generall and many no nor any of vs in particular had not this Ante-pater our gracious Father who was before all worlds beene our mercifull keeper In 88. fierce enemies intended the inuasion of this Land but they were foiled and England triumphed for the Lord of Hoasts was our defender Many enterprises haue beene vndertaken against our most gracious Soueraigne especially that hellish attempt of popish monsters in that infernall Powder-plot yet King Iames is waked and long may he wake for Ante-pater stood by and watched O still stand by and watch but as for his enemies they are executed as traitors and haue slept their last And so lot them perish oh Lord. But doe wee not see how the godly are wronged spoiled yea and sometimes killed by their aduersaries True yet this commeth not to passe through the force of their aduersaries might but by the will and permission of the Lord neither doth hee suffer it to satisfie their foes but to increase their felicity and for their good For it is with the godly as with the beast in the field which is safer in a storme than in the fairest seasons the storme driueth him to his den and harbour but when it is ouer hee commeth forth and is in danger to bee taken of the hunter Thus in trouble the godly flie vnto the clefts of their Rocke and get vnder the wing of their Protector but when troubles are ouer they are in greater danger to be ensnared Wee know raine and thunder are many times better for corne and grasse than faire sunne-shine so here Againe God hath promised not to defend vs from troubles but preserue vs in troubles Our Feare shall be taken away not our Fight And so though we be persecuted yet we be not forsaken though slaine yet not ouercome nay when we seeme to be ouercome then doe we ouercome our enemies Though we beare away the blowes and are slaine by them yet God still preserues vs and we obtaine a noble victorie Excellent was that speech which sometimes Anaxarchus vsed when as Nicocreon the tyrant commanded he should be beaten to death in a morter Beat and bray said he to the executioner as long as thou wilt Anaxarchus his sachell meaning his body but Anaxarchus thou canst not touch Thus are the godly preserued by God who putteth his right hand vnder their heads and giues them grace sufficient proportioning their strength to the burden mitigating their sorrowes making them possesse their soules in patience yea to reioyce in their tribulation as appeareth not only in the examples of the Apostles in the Acts but also by the practise of some in our owne Nation in the time of persecution as Glouer Farrar Hawkes with diuers other the later of which three being desired by some of his godly friends to giue some token when hee was in the flames whether the paine were tolerable or no for their further confirmation after his eies were started out of his head his fingers consumed with the fire and when euery one thought him dead and did expect the fall of his body suddenly lifts vp his stumps and thrice as a famous conquerer claps them ouer his head in token of victory Thus the faithfull famously conquer when they seeme to be conquered by their enemies I remember what one saith of S. Laurence his patience and constancy when hee was broiled on the gridiron That God was more glorified by it than if hee had saued his body from burning by a miracle So vndoubtedly it is as much for Gods glory to preserue vs in our suffering as to preserue vs altogether from suffering Thus then we see that our enemies could not so farre preuaile did not God permit them neither would he suffer them so farre to preuaile did it any way tend to his dishonour or our dammage Our God is omnipotent doing what he will and suffering no resistance in that he will not so that only he which can ouercome him can hurt vs. That godly gloriation then which the Apostle vseth against the enemies of our soules may fitly be vsed by vs against the enemies of our bodies What shall we then say to these things If God be for vs who can be against vs And then a little after Who shall separate vs from the loue of Christ Shall tribulation or distresse or persecution or famine or nakednesse or perill or sword Nay in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loued vs. Thus as if all these had been but flea-bitings he doth triumph ouer them And then in a straine beyond all admiration hee goeth on thus For I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. If then we be Gods though Satan and sinners would yet they can doe nothing against vs that shall be for our hurt and though God himselfe can yet he will doe nothing to vs that shall not turne to our endlesse and euerlasting good Further in that it is said The wall shall not only be broken but that it shall likewise be trodden downe we may see as in a glasse the beastly and brutish disposition of the enemies of the Church No beast of the field doth shew it selfe more raging or rauenous than doe the wicked when God suffers them to breake into his Vineyard for the afflicting of it Looke as it is with beasts who doe not only eat and deuoure but tread downe and spoile when they come into good pastures more than they eat so is it with them and therefore Scripture giues them names agreeing with their natues they are called Fowlers Hunters Canibals and men-eaters They are also named Lions and this was Neroes stile who was the first that stained his sword with the bloud of Christians as Eusebius sheweth in his Ecclesiasticall Historie They are likewise called Boares The Boare out of the wood doth waste it and Buls yea strong buls of Bashan They are also compared to Vnicornes Beares Leopards Dragons Serpents Aspes Adders and they haue their hornes tusks teeth talants mouthes iawes pawes checkbones giuen to them These names they haue made good in all ages If we should view the Scriptures or reade ouer the Histories of the Primitiue Church we should finde plenty of examples for the confirming hereof Such and so great cruelty hath beene practised by them towards Gods people that as Eusebius affirmeth it farre exceedeth the credit of any relation If we come to our owne times we shall not want
which our blessed Sauiour hath giuen vs wee are taught to acknowledge that kingdome power and glory is Gods And no maruell seeing he alone made all without any helpe Yea he it is that doth preserue and vphold all things that are made and therefore he must needs haue absolute soueraigntie and authoritie ouer all But Sathan is called the God of this world and most obey him How then is God so absolute a Lord Sathan is so called First because he challengeth it to himselfe and not that he is so for The earth is the Lords and the fulnesse thereof the world and they that dwell therein He only vsurps it as he did when he told our blessed Sauiour All the kingdomes of the world he would giue him if he would fall downe and worship him And thus the Deuill is called the God of this world as Absolom was called King by vsurpation Secondly and especially he is called a God because the wicked make him so suffering him to rule ouer them and reigne in them giuing him that honour and worship which indeed belongs to God It is not then Satans power that makes him a God but mans weaknesse in yeelding to his suggestions Neither doth this obedience which most giue him make against what is now taught for we may not measure and esteeme of soueraigntie and authoritie by the obedience or disobedience of subiects but by the right of authoritie which any hath ouer a land or people What if most men should not obey their Prince but his enemie would it follow hereupon that he should not be their Lord but that other whom they serue Nothing lesse So here And againe Satan himselfe is but Gods slaue seruing as an executioner or tormenter of the wicked now we know Princes are as well Lords ouer such as they are ouer the very best Now we come to see what Vses will follow hereupon And first seeing God is absolute Lord ouer all that is or euer was let wicked men be admonished aduisedly to consider from whom they haue had what now they doe enioy and whether they hold their lands and their possessions as we say in Capite All as we see is Gods if wee hold not what we haue from him we are but as theeues robbers vsurpers Tell me then thou worldly wealthy wise one canst thou say of thy lands possessions leases moneys as Iacob did that God hath giuen them thee I feare me nay the bad meanes thou vsedst for the attainment of them will gainsay it God giues what hee giues by lawfull meanes thy courses were sinfull and vnlawfull as lying couzenage oppression vsury extortion or the like whereby these were gotten Whence is it that Trades are called crafts and mysteries but from hence in that more liue by the craft and sinne of their Trades than by the Trade it selfe Hence also is it that men are faine to bee as warie in buying and bargaining with most Tradesmen in these sinfull daies as if they were fallen into the hands of theeues and cut-purses Will not these things witnesse against many at the last day that they haue not lawfully what they haue Will not these sinfull courses conuict thousands of theft before the Lord Yes questionlesse Happy were it for these if they could in time see it and repent thereof and make restitution of what they haue thus vniustly gotten while there is helpe and hope otherwise let such be assured a day will come when as they shall be compelled to restore and say to Satan and the world as Iudas did to the High Priests Take your siluer your gold your wealth againe It is the price of bloud but shall finde no better answer than that they gaue him What is that to vs thou shouldst haue looked to it Secondly is God such an absolute Lord hauing power and domnion ouer all let this serue for our Instruction and teach vs all to shew our alleageance to him in the practise of these duties First in carrying in our hearts a feare and reuerence of his maiestie euen such a feare as doth proceed from loue this God requireth A sonne honoureth his father and a seruant his master If then I be a father where is my honour and if I be a master where is my feare saith the Lord Almighty Secondly by an open profession and acknowledgement that he is our Lord. Euen as seruants by their liuerie make knowne to all men whose they are and whom they serue So doe thou both by words and deeds make knowne to whom thou dost belong and be not ashamed of thy master thou hast no cause He is farre from being a faithfull seruant that can stand by and be dumbe in case his master be dishonoured Thirdly in giuing him absolute and vniuersall obedience cheerefully subiecting our selues in all things and at all times to his commands Here must be no reasoning about no inquiring into his commandements as may be into mens for they must be obeyed in him yea disobeyed for him if they command any thing contrary to his will but he must be obeyed absolutely in all the parts of his will reuealed His sayings must be our doings Ipse dixit must be sufficient Fourthly by acknowledging our selues to be accountable vnto him for all our waies and workes Still remembring the goods we vse are none of ours they are our Lords and we are but stewards who must shortly be called to a reckoning He that spendeth his owne need care the lesse but he that hath a matter of trust committed into his hands and cannot spend but out of anothers stocke had need to looke about him because he must be countable and so enforced to make good whatsoeuer he commeth short in in his reckonings Aske then thy selfe what haue I that I haue not receiued of my Lord and Master Whence had I these gifts of bodie minde health wealth c. but of him And so carry thy selfe in the vsing of these as that thou maist be able to hold vp thy head before the Lord in that day of reckoning And thus we see some particulars wherein we are to testifie our loyalty and obedience Lastly this may be a ground of moderation and meeknesse for all superiours in their dealings with their inferiours and such as are vnder their gouernment seeing as they are Lords ouer others so they haue a Lord aboue them This the Apostle putteth Masters in minde of and on this very ground stirres them vp to iust and equall dealing with their seruants because they also haue a master in heauen As if he should say Beware that you abuse not your authoritie for know that you haue a supreme Lord and Master aboue you as you are aboue these who hath more power ouer you than you haue ouer them and therefore looke vnto your cariage The second attribute giuen to him is Lord of Hoasts The reasons haue beene before rendred and this