that because Discipline is wanting the Church is fading and that the infirmity of the one maketh a nullity of the other That this is necessary for the well-being of a Church I grant that it is necessary to the essence and being of a Church I vtterly deny Neither will they euer be able to proue it by euidence of Gods Word The Church of the Iewes thus saith of the Church of the Gentiles o Cant. 8.9 If she be a wall wee will build vpon her a Palace of siluer and if she be a doore we will enclose her with boords of Cedar She calleth her a sister because she had a wall though not of siluer and a doore though not of Cedar So is our Church a sister to all reformed Churches though she may haue some spots in externall matters And our hope is that her wall shall be made more costly and siluer-like and her doore of Cedar in Gods good time In the Interim p Heb. 10.25 Forsake not the assembling of your selues together as the manner of some is but exhort one another and so much the more as you see the day approaching Whom thou canst amend whom thou canst not tolerate in any case beware of offring thy mother so great an iniury as to flye from her Say shee were poore ragged weake say she were deformed yet she is not infectious Or if shee were yet shee is thine which should be motiue enough for thee to pitty her to pray for her to labour for her redresse not to auoid her Quest Before I end this point some haply may demand what may be thought of the Church of Rome whether is it to be accounted Gods Church it being so corrupted with Idolatry as it is Answ For answer whereto a distinction must be made Errors and corruptions in a Church are of two sorts either such as concerne Manners or such as concerne Doctrine As for corruption in Manners they make not no Church but a bad Church and therefore in respect of them they are not to be forsaken by vs neither to be accounted of as no Church of God For corruptions in Doctrine they are either such as are citra fundamentum besides the foundation and these trouble or circa fundamentum about the foundation and these shake or contra fundamentum against the foundation and these ouerturne all The two former are weakning errors and doe not debarre them from being the true Church of God being but the q 1 Cor. 3.12 building of hay and stubble on the foundation the stubble burnt I meane not in their fire of Purgatorie their soules may be saued The latter are destroying errors and in these consideration must be had whether a Church erreth of weaknesse or of malice If it be of weaknesse then are we not peremptorily to conclude against such a Church for S. Paul r Gal. 1.2 writes to the Galatians as a Church of God though they were peruerted to another doctrine embracing a fundamentall errour of iustification by works But if it be of malice or affected ignorance like Å¿ 2 Tim. 3.8 Iannes and Iambres that withstood Moses resisting the truth then doth such a Church cease to be a Church neither is it any longer to be reputed as a Church Thus the Church of Rome doth wilfully and obstinately destroy the foundation it selfe and therefore may be concluded for no Church of God And so much briefly for the Answer to the Question with which answer we end this point and come vnto another The Prophet doth not only speake in the present tense hath but he also speaketh in the singular number Vineyard not Vineyards and thence we note The Church and Vineyard of God is but one Doctr. The Church of God is but one There are indeed t Cant. 6.8 threescore Queenes and fourescore Concubines and Virgins without number but my Doue my vndefiled is but one She is the only one of her mother Thus testifieth S. Paul u 1 Cor. 12.12 As the bodie is one and hath many members and all the members of that one bodie being many are one bodie so also is Christ that is the Church Hitherto likewise tends that saying of our blessed Sauiour * Iohn 10.16 Other sheepe I haue which are not of this fold them also must I bring and they shall heare my voice and there shall be one fold and one shepherd True it is this one Church may haue many parts As the Ocean Sea is but one yet distinguished according to the Regions vpon which it lies And so there is the Germane Ocean the Spanish Ocean the English Ocean the Irish Ocean and the like And thus there is a Church in Geneua a Church in France a Church in Scotland a Church in England and yet but one militant Church vpon the earth For as a Kingdome diuided into many Shires Reason and more Townes and Villages is called one because it hath one and the same King one and the same Law So the Church is one because it liueth by one and the same Spirit and is ruled by one and the same Lord and professeth one and the same faith hath one and the same hope and hath beene baptized with one and the same baptisme as x Ephes 4.4 5. S. Paul writing to the Ephesiaâ—s declareth And not one as tied to any one place much lesse to any one person as the Popish Antichristian crew who though they haue nothing in their mouths so much as The Church the Church and therein like Oister wiues doe outcry vs yet exceedingly infringe the liberties of the Church for all of them haue made the Catholique Church to be nothing else but the Romane Church and y Haruaeus de potest Papae cap. 23. See B. Iewels defence of Apolog fol. 610. some of them haue made the Romane Church to be nothing else but the Pope And this is their One But now for Vse Vse This vnitie or onenesse of Gods Vineyard should teach vs all vnitie and concord that professe our selues to be of this Vineyard And as in the naturall bodie there is a perpetuall sympathie betweene all the parts so ought there to be in this bodie mysticall z 1 Cor. 12.26 If one member suffer all should suffer with it if one member be had in honour all should reioyce thereat The eye must not say to the hand I haue no need of thee nor the head againe vnto the feet I haue no need of you but euery member ought to be helpfull to its fellow-members willingly yeeld to euery one that which belongeth to them and according to that of S. Peter a 1 Pet. 4.10 As euery man hath receiued the gift euen so minister the same one vnto another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God For as the incolumitie of the bodie depends vpon the concord of the parts in the mutuall performance of their duties so the welfare of the Church when we
A Vineyard of any other possession is most deare to him that holds it that he will not part withall on any tearmes The Lord forbid it me y 1 Kings 21.3 said Naboth to Ahab that I should giue the inheritance of my fathers vnto thee Thus is the Church more deare and precious to the Lord than all other societies in the world z Psal 87.2 Hee loueth the gates of Sion more than all the dwellings of Iacob It a Isay 43.4 is precious in his sight He will giue men and people for her life b Cap. 62.3 It is a Crowne of glory in the hand of the Lord and a royall Diadem in the hand of her God Hence it is called c Isay 49.22 The beauty of the earth The standard of the Nations d Matth. 4. The holy Citie e Reu. 21.2.19 A citie whose walles and gates are of precious stones and the streets of gold f Cant. 2.1 The rose of the field The Lilly of the Vallies g and 4.13 15. The fairest amongst women An Orchard of Pomgranats A Fountaine of Gardens A well of springing waters And being compared with other societies h Cap. 2.2 3. As a Lilly amongst thornes and like the Apple-tree amongst the trees of the Forest So then by all these comparisons it is euident that there is no society in the world so excellent none so worthy none so amiable none so louely none so deare none so precious vnto the Lord as is his Church And thus in generall we haue seene what excellent proportion and congruity there is betweene them and how liuely by a Vine-yard the nature and condition of the Church visible is set forth Now more particularly if we compare the Church and the Vine it selfe together we shall finde the resemblances manifold either in respect of the Root or of the Branches or of the Banke or of 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 Qui viret in folijs venit à radicibus humor 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 i Iohn 15.4 As the branch cannot beare fruit of it selfe except it abide in the Vine Vers 5. 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 Vers 6. 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 k Cant. 6.8 9. threescore Queenes and fourescore Concubines and Virgins without number yet saith Solomon speaking in the person of Christ my doue my vndefiled is but one And so witnesseth S. Paul l 1 Cor. 12.20 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 m Ephes 4.4 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 n Iohn 15. 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 o Iohn 15.2 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 Sine modo crescunt Plinie 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 Virtutes Christianae sunt copulatiuae They sing the song of degrees adding to p 2 Pet. 1.5 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 pruning and not the worse bringing forth after it is cut more and better grapes not worse nor fewer Thus the Church and true members of the Church the more they bee afflicted the more they flourish as q Exod. 1.2 the people of Israel vnder Pharaohs tyranny the more they were oppressed the more they multiplied and grew Thus the Church of
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 pâ—â—â—nzie 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 mote 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 b 1 Thess 4.11 study to be quiet medling with our owne businesse leauing other things to whom they doe concerne Vse 2 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 c 1 Cor. 3.3 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 d 2 Sam. 22 3. Psal 75.4 5. Luk. 1.69 strength power and height vsually in Scripture and by oile e Iob 29.6 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 excellently seated both for pleasure and profit Muscul in loc 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 noisome things Fourthly in the Election or Chusing of choice and noblest Plants such as were of the best kinde to set it with Fiftly in the Fortification and further strengthening it for he built a Tower in the midst thereof for the preseruation of it Sixtly and lastly in the erection and setting vp a Wine-presse in it as being desirous to supply all things that might be vsefull for it So that by all these he testified that his care for its good was very great Before I come to speake of these particulars in generall obserue we God is no way wanting or defectiue in any one point of good husbandry towards his Church and Vineyard Doctr. God is no way wanting in any point of good husbandrie for his Churches good Is any thing wanting in it that he supplies Is any thing hurtfull in it that he remoues Is any violence offered to it that he withstands No husbandman shall so labour his ground as God will doe it And thus doth God speake of himselfe professing his prouident care for the good of it f Isay 27.2 3. In that day
doe what they list but what God will they cannot execute what they please but what pleaseth him Let Atheists Papists and all other prophane persons desist from deuising euill against Gods Sion A p Numb 23.8 Prophet of their owne side will teach them it is in vaine to curse whom God hath blessed Vse 4 Lastly as Noahs q Gen. 8.11 Doue brought in her mouth an oliue leafe so doth this doctrine bring with it tidings of peace and comfort to such as are in Christ For if it be so that man cannot hurt vntill God giue way then r Psalm 5.11 12. Let all those that put their trust in thee reioice let them euer shout for ioy because thou defendest them let them also that loue thy name bee ioyfull in thee For thou Lord wilt blesse the righteous with fauour wilt thou compasse him as with a shield What the Apostle speakes in case of damnation may bee spoken also in case of â—â—nger Å¿ Rom. 8.1 There is none vnto them They are alike safe in euery place euen in the midst of their mortall enemies as amongst their kindest friends and so likewise at all seasons for whereas the wicked who are without God are like a bird without a nest or a beast without a den liable to any storme that ariseth and danger that befals yet it is otherwise with the godly they know whither to goe to bee hid from the strife of tongues and violence of Tyrants Gods fauour ioyned with his mighty power and faithfulnesse is a t Prou. 18.10 strong tower thither the righteous runne and are exalted which fort and castle of defence is euery where and no time is vnseasonable to repaire vnto it no place an impediment to hinder them from it no bodily weaknesse can disable them of it their iourney may be vndertaken at midnight as well as at mid-day and they may runne apace as they sit in their houses or lie in their beds and the feeblest creeple may make as good speed as the swiftest footman the wals thereof can no enemy scale the forts thereof can no aduersary batter well may our enemies assault vs but no multitude nor power can preuaile against vs because u 2 King 6.16 he that is with vs is stronger than they that are against vs * Psalm 32.6 so that the flouds of great waters can neuer come nigh vs. Oh the security and felicity of the faithfull maruellous great it is who haue such a tower to flie vnto and such a shield to couer and compasse them round about as is impenetrable no sword no dart nor shot can possibly strike them vntill it pierce him so fenced are they in their goods in their cattell and in all that belongs vnto them that no wicked spirit by any art can come neere to touch them without a speciall commission from the Almighty When Philip King of Macedon had slept a sound sleepe and at length waking spying Antipater by him he vsed these words as the story saith x Plutarch 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 let them perish oh Lord. Obiect But doe wee not see how the godly are wronged spoiled yea and sometimes killed by their aduersaries Resp. 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 y Formido sublata est non pugna Leo. 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 z Rom. 8.37 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 a Acts 5.41 Cap. 16. 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 Reade their stories in the Act. and Mon. 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 b Rupertus 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
b Matth. 6.13 that kingdome power and glory is Gods Reason And no maruell seeing he alone made all c Coloss 1.16 without any helpe Yea he it is that doth preserue and vphold d Acts 17.24 Reuel 4.11 all things that are made and therefore he must needs haue absolute soueraigntie and authoritie ouer all Obiect But Sathan is called e 2 Cor. 4.4 Resp. 1. 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 f Psal 24.1 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 g Matth. 4.8 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 Vse 1 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 h Gen. 32.10 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 i Math. 27.3 4. 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 Vse 2 Secondly is God such an absolute Lord hauing power and dominion ouer all Particulars wherein we are to shew our obedience to the Lord. 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 k Mal. 1.6 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 l Luke 16.2 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 Vse 3 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 m Ephes 6.9 Coloss 4.1 haue a master in heauen As if he should say Beware that you abuse not your authoriâ—ie for know that you haue a supreme Lord and