glorie that are Subitò a parentes subitò disparentes Labantes et Labentes sodainely vp and sodainely downe giuing a glimmering but no solid and certaine light Let no such Starres shine in our Firmament 2. In substance stella est solida et pellucida materies non vetustate non putredine corrumpenda non casu vllo dissipanda a Starre is a more solid part of his Orbe euery way round light simple and most pure a Minister must for substance be a Starre possesse a Starre-like and substantiall light not a flash of lightning but a continuall lampe of learning which like the fire of the sanctuary must neuer goe out You are the light of the world sayth our Maister but if the light be darknesse how great is that darknesse light as well as place in the Firmament is substantiall to a Starre and learning as well as office is requisite for a Minister They that handle the two-edged sworde of the spirit must haue skill when to strike with it when but to shake it and when to sheath it An vnlearned Scribe without his treasure of old and new is vnfit to interpret Gods Oracles The Priestes lippes shall preserue knowledge is no lesse a precept to the Minister then a promise to the poeple we are vnfit to be Seers if we cannot distinguish betweene Hagar and Sara but Ixion-like take a cloude for Iune we are poore Starres if light enough comes not from vs whereby to distinguish of colours to discerne the Manna of Jsraell from the inchaunted Cup of Babell a Minister without learning is like a meere Cypher which fills vp a place increaseth the number but signifies nothing There haue been some niggardly affected to learning calling it mans wisedome they thrust out the vse of artes as if with Julian they would shut vp the Schoole dores and send all humane knowledge into banishment If the morall sayes of a Poet or a Philosopher or perhaps some golden sentence of a Father drop from vs it is straight called venenata facundia a poysoned eloquence as if all these were not the spoyles of the Gentiles and meere Hand-maides vnto Diuinitie They wrong vs we make not the Pulpit a Philosophy Logicke Poetry and Schoole but all these so many Staires to the Pulpit Will you haue it The Foxe dispraiseth the Grapes he cannot reach If they could beat downe learning they might escape censure for their owne ignorance For shame let none that hath borne a Booke dispraise Learning she hath enemies enough abroad though she be iustifyed of her Children at home Let Barbary disgrace Arts not Athens The Papistes bragge much of their Schollership though indeed all the salt of their Learning can not keepe their Doctrines from stinking I should hardly be held an impartiall Iudge if I should censure them therefore I will be silent Yet in one thing I can not but commend them They haue one kind of learning beyond ours and it consists in arguing their disputing is strong victorious and full of desperate valour That argument of his was but heere by God rules the Church Triumphant in Heauen therefore the Pope rules the Church Militant on Earth and so as once Diuisum imperium cum Joue Caesar habet Cesar is halfe with Iupiter the Pope is ioyn'd purchaser with Christ But he will be sole possessour This was but reasonably audatious that holds from Heauen to Earth from God to the Pope They dispute with vs yet stronglyer by a demonstratiue argument Quod ex veris primis sed non necessarijs secundis consiâ—tâ—â— Which consists of true principles but not of necessary consequences a Syllogisme in Barbara a very barbarous one I will shew you how as the Iewes reasoned with Stephen Euery Blasphemer deserues to be stoned But Stephen is a Blasphemer ergo Stephen deserues to be stoned Stephen graunts the proposition that a Blasphemer is worthy to be stoned but denies the assumption and sayes I am no Blasphemer therefore not to be stoned They prooue it take vp stones and knock him on the head An inuincible argument So the Papists with vs. All Heretickes deserue to be burned All the Protestants are Heretickes ergo All the Protestants deserue to be burned We stand not much vpon the maior but resolutely and truely deny the minor and say we are no Heretickes therefore deserue not to be burned They prooue it tye vs to strong Stakes lay on Wood put too Fire burne vs to ashes an vnanswerable syllogisme yet we haue answered it and ouercome it Et fortiores ignibus facti sunt our Martyrs were stronger in Fayth then the Fire in heate and though Lord For thy sake we were killed all the day long and counted as Sheepe for the slaughter yet in all these thinges we were more then Conquerours through him that louâ—d vs. But otherwise for the substaunciall light of Learning our Starres shall compare with the Starres of Rome yet Oh that there was no fault in vs of this nature worthy to be censured deplored Take the district eye of a true-iudging God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Who is sufficient for these thinges All our Learning Dexteritie Sinceritie Diligence comes short of the required perfection Let vs treasure vp what we can and produce it to the edification of others Doe we thinke it enough to haue Learning and not to shine in this darke world They are strange Starres that will giue no light if not heere then not hereafter They are deepe Welles from whom can be drawne no Water Wee vnto mee if I preach not the Gospell If thou be called and indued with answerable giftes and wilt burie thy Talent I need not tell thee the danger I cannot say Ex â—re tuo out of thine owne mouth for thou sayst nothing but Ex silentiâ— tuo by thy silence because thou sayst nothing God will iudge thee If it may be sayd of him that would and cannot Preach hee is a dumbe Dogge it may as fitly and iustly be sayd of him that can and will not Preach that he is a dumbe Diuell It is not enough to weare a decent Surplisse c. though some out of their curiositie thinke that too much when the peoples Soules are starued for the bread of Heauen There be good iniunctions for the comely ceremonies of the Church to preserue vs in peace in vnitie so also good orders for weekely Sermons Haec fecisse illa non omisisse iustum est These ought you to haue done and not to leaue the former vndone Let not the first be true Canons whiles the latter are onely Pot-guns A double beame then you must expect from your Starres your Ministers preaching and praising God the meanes the end both I say not one only some of you are all for prayers and care for no preaching some all for preaching care for no praying if there be no sermon they will sitte still and
Thunder we were not able without him to turne your heartes to Righteousnesse Indeed the Word is strong in operation diuidyng the marrow and the bones and our ministrie is not of the Letter but Spirit sayth S. Paul thus farre exceeding the externall commaundement of Moses wherevnto he could not conuert his owne soule that it shall not onely require Fayth but giue it yet still Virtus a Deo the vertue life spirit is from God This cleares vs from that Popish imputatioÌ„ that we build our Fayth on a silly Minister we build it on the testimonie of the Spirit the Word of eternall truth deliuered to vs by such an organ The trueth examined they rather build their saluation on a silly Minister Thus farre they and we goe hand in hand we agree that Fayth conuersion is wrought in the heart by an especiall grace of Gods spirit But heere wee part They say the holy Ghost vseth the authoritie of the Church to beget Fayth in our heartes Wee say hee vseth the Ministrie onely not the Authoritie Thus whereas they rayse the credite of the Doctrine from the Minister wee rayse the credite of the Minister from the Doctrine so that of both Papistes may be trulier sayd to build their Fayth on the credite of Men yea and such men as some of them haue been Sodomites some Coniurerâ— some Murderours and scarce inferiour to Deuils vnlesse now perhaps they lie as deepe and low in Hell Thus are their blinded soules bound to beleeue not by their Ministrie as Christians but by their Authoritie as Pythagoreans I confesse the Word caryes Authoritie with it in any lippes which God hath touched with a Coale froÌ„ his Altar and woe to the soule that disobeyes it There is an easie Distinction sayth that excellent Pâ—still betwixt the Lawyer the Physitian and the Diuine The Lawyer begins with Reason and so descends to common Experience and Authoritie The Physitian begins with Experience and thence proceedes to Reason and Authoritie The Diuine begins with Authoritie and so to Reason and Experience Our personall Authoritie then is nothing the Authoritie of Gods word not to be withstood These then are the Copulatiues and this the meanes to bring you to Righteousnesse or else despaire it If thou liuing within the sun-shine of the Gospell wilt not be enlightned by it thou must perish in darknesse If the Preacher conuert thee not to Righteousnesse God must worke Miracles or thy soule is in hazard Wee should now come to our Reward our Blisse our Heauen Shall shine as Starres for euer and euer But I find it Reu. 1. The seauen Starres are the Angels of the seauen Churches Ministers shall be Starres hereafter sayth the Prophet Daniel they shal be Starres heere too sayth S. Iohn Without question both speake trueth and there is a shining of this world goes before that Heauen Wee must be Starres in Grace that looke to be so in Glory It was directed to the Apostles Vos estis lux mundi you are the light of the world And Let your light so shine before men c. So God hath disposed that Lumen gracia antecedat Lumen gloria the light of Grace shall preceed the light of Glory And none shall shine hereafter that haue been darke heere First then consider what kind of Starres we are then what we shall be Ministers are sayd to be Starres in fiue repectes in Name Substaunce Sight Motion Effectes 1. In Name Stella astando dicitur a Starre quasi not stirre further then the Orbe carries it God hath fixed them in their Spheares and confined them to Stations like good Souldiers they know their Rankes and their Orders and obserue their Non vltra The Sunne knowes his rising and his going downe Ministers must be like Starres fixed in their orbes ours is a stable profession not a gadding Ministry It was S. Peters counsell or rather the holy Ghosts charge Feed that flocke that dependeth on you He spake merely the Tribe of Leuj must haue no minde to the Tribe of God The Apostles indeed went through the world but they had their Pasport for it Goe teach all nations c. It must not be so with vs not that you which are full should grudge the hungry soules some Crummes from your Tables How many are yet in this Land that would be heart-glad of those Sermons which you sleepe out and despise How many would close the Minister in the armes of ioy whom you contemne So easie is it for a full stomacke to forget the benefite of Meate The feete of those that bring good tidinges of peace are no where lesse beautifull then in their most frequented streetes Neuer found Prophet lesse honour lesse welcome then where his perpetuall paines haue best earned it Like pamper'd children you play with your Meate Giue vs leaue to gratifie with some comfortes I say not with our Sauiour the Doggeâ— but the Children of our owne Father which want them Theodâ—râ—t writes that when Valent with his Arrian heresie had bepesterd the Christian world and stroke a deepe wound in the white boosome of the Church Aphrâ—â—dâ—â— a certaine Monke contrary to his order came foorth of his vowed and confining Monastery to succour the endangered trueth being asked by the offended Emperour What he did out of his Cell I did keepe it sayth he so long as Christes Sheepe were in peace I can not be coop'd vp and suffer them in hazard of ruine If being a Virgin I were confined by my Father to a Closset yet seeing the House on fire I were bound to come foorth to quench it Thus it is when the affayres of the Church call vs foorth our owne may not finde vs so ready They are wretched Starres that will be fixed in no Orbe admit of no certaine Charge nay not Starres but meere Meteors Exhalations Ignes fâ—tuj Commets portending delusion to others confusion to themselues vnstable Lightes Câ—râ—ed about with euery wind of doctrine Wandring Starres as Jude sayth for whom is reserued not this shyning in glory but the blacke darknesse for euer They were such Starres that the redde Dragon with his tayle swept from Heauen and cast downe to the Earth that had no true location in the Orbe of the Church Stellae erratiâ—a following their owne phantasies Let vs beware of such wandringes least it be sayd of vs as the Poet of that Starre Etsi non câ—cidit poterit cecidisse viderj though we haue not fallen away yet we haue seemed so Let no stormes blow vs from our Charges Menaces Miseries Gustes Waues shall beat vpon vs yet Sâ— fractâ—s illabatur orbis impauidum ferient ruinae let vs sticke closse fast to our Spheres when Gods general afflictions of plague famine mortalitie are most frequent our councels are most seasonable Oh when wil the iron heartes of men bow if not when they are heat in the flame of iudgements They are wretched Starres then and vncapable of this
haue forgotten Charity They say We sette Fayth at our owne Tables but thrust Charity out to dine with our Seruants These are the scandalous clamours of their inuincible ignorance who as many of the Iewes Christ follow the Ghospell onely for their bellies they consider not in whose hands Abbeys and Monasteries and the best Parsonages are He was a friend to vs that told the Begger beating hard at the Vicars doore for releife he knocked at the wrong doore heere dwells quoth he the Spawne but yonder the Pickerell The Pope and his Heires haue got all wee haue not the tenth of the tenth the very interest left yet they claime as much of vs as of them that haue the principall Well our reward is in Heauen let vs giue them what Influence we can and hauing fedde their soules spare also some reliefe to their bodyes 2. Lighte This the second effect to enlighten them the substance and nature of a Starre hath alreadie taught vs this dutie I will sparingly vrge it Wee illuminate them by speach by conuersation Our Doctrine is the Light Life the Lanthorne if wee carry the Light without the Lanthorne the winde of Malice will striue to blow it out Hee went not farre from this allegorie that prescribed a Ministers dutie Tonare voce fulminare vita our words thunder our liues lightning If we be lightfull in preaching darksome in liuing we doe as it were propound our Doctrines as impossible to be kept If we haue knowing Mindes and dissolute Affections it may be sayd of vs as of that stigmaticke Romane Emperour Galba who was both deformed and witty that a good Instrument is put in an euill Case If we liue well and say nothing we haue an Orbe and seeme Starres but are none for God sure neuer placed Starre in the Firmament that giues no light Whether they be idle or vnable like Aesop's Henne too fatte to lay they are but a burden to our Orbe a disgrace to our Church onely doe thou take heed thy Starre not shining so bright as others least thy Cloudes darken it The peoples sinnes are not seldome the cause of the Prophets darknesse to himselfe be his owne negligence He standes or falles to his owne Maister Perhaps there is yet more in it then so God hath his speciall worke in all euentes it may be in thy Ministers insufficiencie thy sinne is plagued and God strikes thee through him This is no light though insensible stroke thou hast slighted his sacred and maiesticall Word behold as to a Swine vnworthy of this Pearle he denies withholds it The Prophet is a foole the spirituall man is madde for the multitude of thine iniquitie Goe then and bewaile thy sinnes and Pray that the doare of vtterance may be opened to him least whiles he shines not thou perish in darknesse 3. Delight The Starres are the grace of the Skie so are Ministers of the Church when they all moue in peace and vnitie Ordine quisque suo euery one in his owne order We often see the Starres their contemplation their benefite is neuer tedious no more is the societie of Ministers to them that desire to read in those Bookes the constellations of Heauen the mysteries of Saluation and to know how to gouerne their soules and their bodyes God gaue man an vpright Countenaunce directing his Minde togeather with his Lookes to the Starres Erectos ad sydera tollere vultus Looke on them which walke like vs sayth S. Paul not as some Star-gasers that stare on vs onely to intrap vs to whom we reply as Diogenes did to him that so subtilly disputed of the Starres How long is it since you came downe from Heauen Let them beware a successe like Thales who gaz'd so long at the Starres aboue him that he fell into the Ditch below him If then you looke on vs keepe the Creeples intent at the Beautifull gate of the Temple Giue heede to vs trusting to receiue some thing of vs and then though Siluer and Gold we haue none yet what we â—aâ—e we giue you in the name and by the vertue of Jesus Christ of Nazareth better thinges are deriued from vs. Fables and toyes content vs with a transient glaunce videtur Fabula qua posci vult et spectata reponi A Fable requires no more but to be seene and then throwne by But heere Non satiatur oculuâ— visu the eyes are not satisfied with seeing such ioy is the Minister to the good mans soule that he could be content to haue him euer in his sight You haue heard how we are called Starres I would direct the Application of this to 3. sortes of people Patrons Laitie Ministers 1. To speake much of Patrons you will hold it friuolous they heare not being absent neither would they beleeue being present But let not sinne be balked though it be not by to answere for it selfe Many of them care not whom they present if his Purse can speake learnedly though his tongue ignorantly Ignorance Superstition and Symonie were once proper to the Romish Sea I know not what infortunate wind hath blowne the last into our Land and defiled the pure professours of Reformation But you will say there is no Simony wherein the Minister is not one partie It is too true woe to vs the whiles I meane not onely the woe of miserie fatally forced on vs by these euill dayes but the woe of Iudgement which we voluntarily call on vs by this wickednesse I will not speake to excuse vs a tâ—to sed a tanto durum telum necessitas You that are the Donors haue the thinges consecrated to Pietie and Fayth committed to you vpon trust and you haue sworne it a law in your boosomes which you more strictly obserue then the law of your maker that we shall buy them at your handes or goe without them Christ threw out of the Temple not onely the buyers but let me say rather the sellers And though the Law of the Land makes you not Pares â—oeâ—a equall with vs in the punishment yet the Law of Heauen shall find you Pares culpa in equall fault I thinke I might boldly say vnder correction you are in the greater damnation as it had been more heynous in S. Peter to exact money of Magus then in Magus to offer it the reason is impregnable you sinne through a voluntary couetousnesse we through extreame necessity being constrained eyther to beg with our families or study euasions for so strict and religeous a law If wee therefore be condemned as Simonists your easiest censure is to be esteemed Infidels Mee thinkes I heare them reply There is enough left to satisfie all if there might be an equall diuision but some haue all some nothing To whom I will not answere since that graue Father hath for mee Thus their Fathers haue playd the Theeues and they come to compound the matter If we speake of this
we are censured for couetous but how lewdly Is this couetise to desire our owne I say not the Churches superfluities which they called once Bona Pauperum the goods of the Poore but euen the Churches necessaryes which are Bona Christs the goods of Christ which now Latci possident prophane men enioy for Gentlemen haue cut out their gallant suites out of the Churches Broad-cloth and left the Church her selfe nothing but meere Shreds shall I say Who haue more done it then they that stand so for the beauty of the Church None more deface her then they that most seeme to adorne and pollish it Let them vndoe two or three Ministers by their impropriations and they will reward one of their owne humour with the plaisters of their bounty Such corrupted Patrons are of Dionisius mind that rob'd his God of his golden Coate as more fitte for himselfe They say Nero and Agrippa came into the world with theyr feete forward and what Monsters prooued they sure neuer worse to the Commonwealth of Rome then Simonicall Patrons to the Church of England Well if briberie fraud Simony will not carry them to Hell let them hope still to be saued but I would they heard me if they be saued so lyuing and so dying there is hope for the Diuell to be saued It is graunted sinne but they may repent true but did euer man repent that hauing time and meanes could and would not restore let them returne their extorted money which they haue cruelly gotten by Simonicall contracts to the poore Minister or if he be dead to his Wife and Children or I will sooner beleeue that Iudas repented Iudas restored yet repented not truely and shall they repent truely that restore not Let them bragge of their gaines that haue thus coosoned God the Church their owne soules If euer they come with Simony on their backes into Heauen I may be of the Indians minde who dying vnder the Spanish crueltie and admonished to prepare for Heauē to escape Hell asked to what place the Spaniards went They answered to Heauen Then quoth the Indian let me neuer come there For surely Simonistes and honest men doe not belong to one house There are 3. Pees in a line of relation Patrons Priestes People Two of these Pees are made leane to make one P. fatte Priestes haue leane Liuinges People leane Soules to make Patrons haue fatte Purses I accuse not all in generall no one in particular Namque mihi nec equos mihi nec rapuere inuences but for Zions sake I cannot hold my peace which is so sicke of this disease that she lyes at the mercy of God for recouery 2. Let me speake yet more particularly to you ouer whom God hath placed a Minister as a Starre Despise him not at your perill you despise God himselfe and shall not goe scotfree on your soules be it that heare me this day whose table talke is furnished vp with iestes with inuectiues against Ministers Whatsoeuer thou art God hath honoured the poorest Minister aboue thee and taken him as worthy to serue at his owne table but not thee nor thy fathers house were his head Gold his Treasure richer then Hezekiahs and euery roome in his house better furnished then Salomons he may stand in need of the Minister as great a Potentate as Pharaoh was and as despiceable as he thought Moses yet his Courtiers often heard him Send for Moses so was Phenustocles euer banished in peace but sent for home in warre we are passed ouer in the dayes of pride as superfluous creatures of whom no vse but when the wrath of God falles on the naked conscience then the Minister is thought on and the soule receiues some comfort whiles he feeles the sicke-beating Pulse or leanes on the groning Pillow speaking from vs to Heauen the humble deuotions of a penitent heart and from Heauen to vs the comfortable thinges of Sion and the neuer fayling mercies of a tender Sauiour Thus like some Fruite trees in faire weather you throw Cudgels at vs in foule runne to vs for shelter I will not speake affirmatiuely to you in these rotten dayes of ours wherein nothing but priuations are in force and frequent Despise not afflict not impouerish not your Starres I will not say magnifie blesse inrich them because I cannot hope it yet Oh for shame doe not their contraries 1. Despise not Why should I intreat this Wee might imitate the fashion Spernere se sperni Scorne them that scorne vs but I perswade you for your owne sakes since it is not possible you should honor the message of God and despise him that God hath chosen to bring it We shal be your good Ministers till discordant thinges drop from vs and then farewell good conceit as Tertullian spake merrily of the Heathen Vnlesse God please Man he shall be God no longer Now Man must be propitious to God Reproofes are good Physicke though not so well rellish'd Indulgence is sweete and you may thinke it better cheare but you will not be so well after it In these misiudging dayes it is exceeding hard to ouer-reach the Deuill if we let sinne alone his Kingdome flourisheth if we strike at him and hit not the bough he sits on we mooue him not if we doe we are iudged partiall personall wreakers of our owne spleene There is scarse a man that can read English scarse a woman that can make her selfe ready to Church but will presume to teach the Minister and either we must preach what you will heare or you will not heare what we preach In Holiogabolus time there was a Senate of Women we haue Conuocations they consulted about Tyars ours about Religion Let vs take heed it is one of the Deuils subtilest and shrewdest trickes to make vs so zelous in Religiō that we grow wanton and this sinne is so much the more dangerous as it endures not the reproouing thus if an holy impatience arme the Ministers tongue to speake too smart against your sinnes he is straight sayd to rage So Semeiah said of Jeremy Iehu of Elisha the Jewes of Christ and the Gentiles of Paul Of those that neuer will be sober we are called Bedlams But S. Aug. well cleares this vnder the person of Dauid Jnsanire videbatur sed regi Achis insanire videbatur id est stultis et ignorantibus Dauid seemed madde but he seemed so to the King of Achis We are called mad-men but of none saue mad-men their common exceptions against vs and contemptes of vs are these 4. 1. They say we are Men why doth not God send by worthyer Messengers as by Angels They had best teach him Send by whom thou shouldest send 2. They say we are simple men As the Apostles were Fishermen and Amos an Heardman Gallants scorne that a Clowne should teach them their duties They call vs Idiotes Innocentes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word signifies such as doe no hurt but taken for Fooles that