tense I will promiseth to giue that power vnto his Apostles there were many things reserued till after his ascention and the Disciples were appointed k Luke 24. 49 Acts 1. 4. to wait and attend at Ierusalem for the accomplishment of Gods promise in sending downe the holy l Iohn 14. 26 15. 26. 16. 7. Ghost after the ascention of the Sonne of God to enable and furnish them with meet gifts for the execution of that charge which hee had imposed vpon them It is also further to bee obserued Note 2 that it was Christs free gift I will giue saith he not sell hire out oâ— lend but as it is with God in all things m Math. 10. 8. freely to giue that those which receiue his gifts should not sell or reâ—ayle them as n 2 King 5. 20 26. Gehazi and o Act. 8. 18. 19 Simon Magus for gaine as is too too apparant the Peters pretended successours make great and abominable trafique in merchandizing the church keyes in pardoning and retaining sinnes for money excommunicating absoluing for their best aduantage but leauing them to sell what Christ freely gaue let vs proceed to the consideration of the second particular circumstance namely to whom these keyes were giuen I will giue to thee Quest Here a question may bee mooued whether the keyes were giuen to Peter alone or to him with the rest of the Apostles Sol. This doubt I haue already in part resolued hauing largelie prooued that as Christ propounded the question to them all in generall and as Peter made confession in the name of all so Christ made this promise in the name of all as is most liuely exemplified Matth. 18 verse 18. where it is euident that what he doth here promise vnto Peter he doth there make good vnto all the Church saying whatsoeuer you bind on earth shall bee bound â— heauen c. Wherupon Aretius Bonum hoc commune non personale quod hereditario iure ad certos pertineat The donation of the keyes and exercise of that spirituall power is not personally tied to one man but is a gift common to the whole Church as also Origen Chrysostome Cyril and many others affirme especiallie Augustine Qui Petrum ecclesia typum facit quae in Petro claues acceperit Whose opinion is that the power of the keyes was not a personall gift neither promised to Peter alone much lesse that these keyes should be tyed by an hereditary succession vnto one particular Sea or Seat as the Papists dreame but to omit these friuolous disputes seeing the Apostles receiue the keyes from Christ we may thence obserue Doct. That the authority of the Ministers calling is deriued from Christ as from the head and the Lord of the Prophets vnto his Apostles and Ministers Matth. 23. 34. Luke 11. 49. Ephes 4. 11. 1. Pet. 1. 11. Reuel 22. 6. Isaiah 6. 8. 9. Matth. 28. 19. Gal. 1. 10 11 12. Vse Vnto the Ministers of God it sufficeth for an exceeding consolation p 2 Cor. 5. 18 19 20. that they haue God the author of their calling whose Ambassadours they are and though the world neither regard them nor reward them yet they being found faithfull dispensers of Gods diuine mysteries shall expect their reward from him that put them in office and sent them who will one day say to euery faithfull Steward q Math. 25. 21 23. Come thou good and faithfull seruant enter thou into thy Masters ioy I doubt not but the Ambassadours of Princes which are messengers of peace finde such acceptance of those to whom they are sent of such a gratefull message that they are not sent away empty and vnrewarded of the common enemy for their message sake which is r Rom. 10. 1 5. Isai 52. 7. so ioyfull to heare of peace after a long and wearysome warfare but because their places require them oftentimes to denounce warre it is no maruâ—ile if their message bee vngratefully accepted and rewarded Yet is their reward with God their king that sent them whose subiects they are and must execute his designes whether they be good or euill vnto men and what indignity soeuer is done or offered vnto them their mightie King will shew himselfe a mightie reuenger thereof who in one sense and sentence hath said Å¿ Psal 105. 15 Touch not mine annoynted and doe my Prophets no harme for the iniury done vnto Dauids Embassadours when they came peaceably to the King of Ammon was reuenged as done vnto the king himselfe this is a principle which the Law of Nature all Nations allow and ought to maintaine If t 1 Kin. 13 4 6 Ieroboam dare stretch out his hand to strike Gods Prophet and Messenger God will smite him that hee shall not bee able to pull in his arme againe without the Prayer of the Prophet which was stretched out against the Prophet and persecuting Iezabel which u 1 Kings 19. 2 vowed to haue the Prophets head w 2 Kings 9. 33 37. was made dogs meat and cast out as a carion carkeise her selfe For such vengeance is Gods iudgement threatned and foretold aforehand by the Prophets and howsoeuer Iehu be Gods Executioner to performe it yet it is euer annexed that it came so to passe according to the word of the Lord which hee spake by the mouth of his Prophets And so much for the second branch wee come now to shew what was giuen which is here said to be The keyes of the kingdome of heauen The metaphor of Keyes which in part hath bin formerly handled is diuersly taken yea rested and drawen by constrained Interpretations to the aduantage of that cause which diuers haue diuersly fancyed to make for them and for the building of their Hierarchy euen an earthly Tabernacle which x Math. 17. 4 Peter sometimes would haue made rather then an heauenly kingdome which God himselfe hath appoynted to be y Mat. 6. 33. aboue all things sought for and established First they that by Keyes vnderstand Principalitie to be giuen to Peter aboue the rest and ouer the whole Church and would crowne him and his Successors with an Emperiall Diadem to exercise as well spirituall iurisdiction as to haue ciuill and temporall authoritie ouer Kings and Princes haue much mistaken the word Keyes which are not vsuall for Kings but Porters to carry and vsurpingly inlarged Christs commission z Luke 12. 13 14. who himselfe would neither be made a King nor intermeddle so much in secular affaires as to diuide Inheritances betwixt two brethren much lesse giue away kingdomes from the right heires and owners to strangers and bastards So the vsurper Satan from whom the Pope-kings or King-popes may more rightly claime that power doth falsely affirme that a Mat. 4. 9. Luke 4. 6 7. all the kingdomes of the world are his and giuen vnto him and he giueth them to whom he will which yet he will not giue nor promise to giue vnto
any but Idolaters which will fall downe and worship him whereas contrarily when Christ perceiued such an ambitious inclination in his Apostles of Lording ouer their brethren hee forthwith b Luke 22 24 to 30. forbad such affectation of Pope-like domination and sent them to climbe by humilitie and innocency at the lowest step of the ladder to exaltation that so they might attaine greatnesse aboue the rest when they had bin most seruiceable to the rest and then hee would appoynt them a Kingdome as his Father had appoynted him c Iohn 18 36. which was not of this world as himselfe clearely witnessed and expressed and howsoeuer the Pope liketh to haue the Keyes vnder his girdle yet hee liketh better of the two Swords that by them hee may â—eepe all men vnder his girdle and to speake the truth in the one as well as the other the Romish Church is driuen to a constrained construction of the words of our Sauiour Christ and turneth the Keyes which were spirituall into a temporal sword of Authoritie and the Swordes which were temporall into spirituall iurisdiction of his Ecclesiasticall Censures and Excommunications d Luke 22. 36 38 50. It is true that Peter did rashly attempt to draw and vse his temporall sword and was commanded to sheath it againe for such weapons his Master needed not which might haue more then twelue Legions of Angels to deliuer him and destroy his enemies if he had aymed at such defence of himselfe or offence of his enemies but the e Math. 26. 51 52 53 54. Scriptures could not so bee fulfilled for hee foretold of his Passion and that persecutions should so rage that a man should need to f Luk. 22. 36 38 sell his coat and buy a sword and when the Disciples by a mis-interpretation and in a carnall sense thought hee had meant a materiall weapon they told him they had two swords he replied that it was enough for that conflict Hence the Pope hath drawen out his two swords spirituall and temporall and vseth one of them as a fooles dagger which is often drawne out and in vpon slight occasions excommunicating and absoluing hourely for petty offences and the other is made like the tyrannicall Turkes Semiter which being once vnsheathed cannot bee put vp till it be made g Apoc. 17. 6 drunken with the blood of the Saints as our times haue seene and doe feele by lamentable experience two such swords as Christ spake of and the Apostle shewed forth are not enough for him nor all the swords of two Kingdomes Italy and Spaine But many Princes swords must rage against their owne bowels to vphold this their Romish Idole whose Image they haue adored as a God for pardoning their sinnes The h Iudg. 9. 8. noble Vine and Oliue would not leaue their goodnesse and sweetnesse to vsurpe a dominion ouer the Trees as this base i Verse 15. Bramble dare attempt but his reward shall be to perish with the Sword of Gods Word and to bee k Apoc 18. 6 serued with like plagues of blood and warre as he hath serued others And as for mis-interpretation of metaphoricall phrases as we see the Apostles before they were taught of Christ misconceiued his Parables vnderstood not what Leauen he spake of nor what Keies or Swords he meant yet now let vs looke into the Popes Library and heare his Interpretations Our Papistes they say are honest men and will bee tryed by themselues let vs therefore see what their Church Champion Bellarmine Bellar. de Rom. Pont. lib. 5. ca. 3. will maintaine for Catholike and Canonicall in this poynt his words be these Ex Scripturis nihil habemus nisi datas Pontifici Claues regni Caelorum de clauibuâ— regni terrarum nulla fit mentio Out of the Scriptures saith hee wee finde nothing giuen to the Pope but the Keyes of the Kingdome of Heauen but of the Keyes of the Kingdomes of the Earth there is no mention at all and so farre we need not care much to agree with them Secondly others interpret the Keyes to bee nothing else but Munus docendi Euangelium the Office of teaching the Gospell wherunto for our owne part we so consent that we thinke it yet falleth short of the full scope thereby intended for administration of Discipline as well as Doctrine in the Church of God which matter because it would require a more ample and exact discourse than is perhaps fitting for this place time and Auditory I will passe by also and referre them that are desirous of further resolution in that Argument to that which is purposely written of diuers concerning the same and the rather because I would not haue the sores of our Church fresh launced and ripped vp and therefore omitting these mis-interpretations which are peccant and vnsound either in defect or in excesse let vs come precisely to vnlocke the true meaning of the Keyes The Metaphor of Keyes is borrowed from that Instrument which we commonly vse in opening or safe locking vp of things appropriated to our owne priuate vse and commoditie and so the sense of the Keyes is diuersly taken in Scripture First the Keyes are taken for matters of trust and authoritie committed to some more worthy person of trust as a Steward to dispose of whatsoeuer is needfull in an household And so Ioseph had the Keyes of l Gen. 39. 4 Potiphar m Verse 22. the Gaoler and n Cap. 41. 40 41. Pharaohs house that is a power to order the affaires of the prisoners and family So it is in this sense vsed when the Lord threatned to depose Shebnah and to preferre Eliachim to be chiefe Steward in the house of Hezekiah Hee saith that he would o Isay 22 22 lay vpon his shoulder the Key of Dauid that he should open and no man should shut c. which in the precedent verse himselfe expoundeth saying vnto Shebnah I commit thy power into his hand which is vnderstood by the Key of Dauid Secondly it is likewise sayd That p Apoc. 1. 18. Christ hath the Keyes of Hell and Death that is a power as a Iudge to condemne and punish delinquents against his Lawe temporally and eternally Thirdly Satan as a tormentor and executioner vnder Christ to execute his Iudgements vpon the damned is sayd to haue q Apoc. 9. 1. and 20. 1. the keyes of the bottomlesse pit that is power and authoritie to execute Gods Iudgements vpon the reprobates as Aretius interpreteth it Dispensator hic est poenarum diuinitas ordinatarum a dispenser saith hee of the Iudgements ordained from heauen by God and thereunto Brightman accordeth ioyning the Pope with the Deuill as an Executioner of Gods Iudgements vpon them which haue fallen from the truth and stedfastnesse of their faith vnto lyes and delusions and these Keyes Antichrist may well place in his Armes to denotate his power ouer Apostatates and back-sliders from the truth and ancient faith of the
the binding and loosing which God in all ages hath exercised in his Church by the Ministery of Moses and all the Prophets as by his Apostles in the time of grace and of the Gospell so we safely conclude that the power to forgiue or retaine sinnes is not properly giuen to men k 1 Cor. 9. 18. cap. 2. 5. 3. 6 7. but to the word of God and his diuine Sacraments whereof men are but the Ministers to plant and water to teach exhort reproue and correct but the effect is of God which giueth power to his Word and Sacraments as the Sunne to mollifie waxe and harden clay to minister the l Acts 10. 44. 2 Cor. 3. 3 6 8. spirit of grace or Satan to possesse reprobates And to conclude and close vp this poynt of the Keyes whether we vnderstand the Doctrine or Discipline of the Church or both as it may bee safely so extended yet wee ascribe vnto God the effectuall power onely to loose or retaine sinnes Vse 1 But let no man despise the Ordinance of God in the administration of his Word and Sacraments or the iust censures of the Church for the contempt of any of them God himselfe reuengeth as an indignitie done vnto himselfe and so the excommunicate person shut out of the Church by Paul and the Congregation was sayd to be deliuered to Satan who hath great dominion ouer vnbeleeuers and contemners of Gods word and holy Ordinances and there were many fearefull examples in the Primitiue Church of diuers excommunicate persons taken with frenzy and ouertaken with strange iudgments wherby God wrought a feare in the Church to offend presumptuously against his Ordinances So m Actes 5. 3 5 11. Ananias and Saphira censured by Peter for their hypocrisie were immediately strucken to death and cut off by a consteruation of the body from the grace of life and by an eternall malediction of the soule from the life of grace And also n Act. 8. 20 21 Simon Magus being discouered and cut off from the Church was filled with all iniquitie and returned to his Sorceries and the Deuils seruices againe o 2 Sam. 7. 15 1 Sam. 13. 14. and 15. 26. and 16. 14. and 19. 23. Saul being denounced by Samuel to be cut off by the sentence of God an euill spirit possessed him who notwithstanding when he was in the Assemblies of the Church Prophets did also prophesie with them It is safe therefore to bee in the Assemblies of Gods Saints where the Spirit of God hath his residence on the contrary it is a fearefull thing to bee in the Congregations of the wicked p Num. 16. 21 24 30 32. 27. 3. as the complices of Corah Dathan and Abiram which were swallowed vp into destruction and went downe quicke to hell with them To be cast off from God which raigneth in the Assembly of the Saints q 1 Cor. 5. 4 5 11. is to bee cast vnto Satan which rageth out of the Church Let such as neglect the publique Assemblies of Christian Congregations or reiect the word of God or his diuine Sacraments there ministred consider how fearefully they offend against God and their owne soules which refuse to vse that Key whereby the kingdome of grace heere and of glory hereafter is so effectually opened vnto them The Keyes of the Kingdome of Heauen Doct. In that the Word of God is called the key of the kingdome of Heauen it teacheth vs the great power and efficacie thereof being as Augustine affirmeth Potens Instrumentum the powerfull Instrument for the encrease of Gods Church and Kingdome It is most true that this great power promised was as graciously performed by Christ vnto his Apostles which brought greater workes to passe by this their Ministery in conquering the whole world and subduing the consciences of men to the obedience of God than all the Potentates and prudent men of the earth were able by their power and policie to performe Demosthenes among the Greekes and Cicero among the Latines renowned for their Eloquence Solon for his wisedome Aristides for his Iustice Plato for his diuine Philosophy Aristotle for his profound knowledge Alexander for his Prowesse Caesar and Pompey for their power famous in their generations in all the world yet neuer attayned any such conquest ouer Satan or the world as these poore Preachers Fishermen and Fishers of men brought to passe by the vertue of these Keyes and Commission of Christ wherby they surpassed all Conquerours for the vniuersall largenesse and constant continuance of Christs kingdome vpon earth Let Tamberlaine the Tartar and the Turkish Ottomans boast of their great Atchieuements yet they came short of the bounds of their Territories as Christes Kingdome was inlarged from Sea vnto Sea vnto the endes of the earth of these it was prophesied and by these it was performed r Psal 19. 4. Luke 1. 3â— Rom. 10. 18. Their sound went out into all the world and their voyce vnto the endes of the earth It is a false bragge of Turkish or Romish Emperours Iupiter in Coelis Caesar regit omnia terris for they neuer had any Empire of comparable extent with this nor of answerable subiection themselues were Lords of men and slaues of vices and it was truely verified which the dogged Diogenes tolde Alexander That he was not a Conquerour but a drudge of the world hee ouercame not the world but the world ouercame him and hee was a slaue to so many Lords as hee was subiect to vices Pride Excesse and Drunkennesse ouerthrew him and his kingdomes were diuided and fayled in the next Generation but of this King and Kingdome it is sayd Å¿ Isai 53. 8. Act. 8. 33. Who can tell his Generation Mans Lawes and subiection extended but to the body goods and estates of men in this world t 2 Cor. 10. 4 5 Christes Kingdome is ouer Satan Sinne Death Hell and Damnation and ouer the Soules and Consciences of men u Hebr. 4. 12. to bring euen the most rebellious thoughts of the heart into subiection vnto God yea it preuailed mightily against all the powers of the world w Apoc. 17. 14. which by most grieuous persecutions set themselues against it but it was no more possible for them to suppresse it then x Apoc 7. 1 to stay the winds that they should not blow vpon the face of the earth or that the breath of God should be restrayned It is recorded by Ruffinus Ruffin lib. 2. Cap. 5. that when the Christians in Edessa a Citie of Mesopotamia were banished by the Emperors commaundement yet they had their meetings in the Fields Woods and by the Riuers to heare and practise the Word of God wherewithall the Emperour being enraged strucke the Captaine with his fist in fury demaunding why he did so permit them the Exercise of their Religion contrary to his Edict and Commaundement Wherevpon the Captaine vpon the next day resolued to dispatch them but beholding
The Rocke of Religion CHRIST NOT PETER As it was deliuered in certaine Sermons vpon Math. 16. ver 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20. Summarily contracted out of that which was more largely handled in the Parish of S. Antholine by George Close the younger one of the Readers there Other foundation can no man lay then that is layd vvhich is Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 3. 11. LONDON Printed by A. Mathewes for Mathew Law 1624. TO THE RIGHT Worshipfull Sir Thomas Middleton Knight William Eyres Doctor of Physick and others the Parishioners and Christian minded Auditory of the Parish of St. Antholine Grace Peace and Saluation in our beloued and blessed Sauiour IESVS CHRIST RIGHT WORSHIPFVL AS the Beloued Apostle S. Iohn besides his generall Epistle to the whole Church directed his two particular to two seuerall Disciples a 2 Iohn ver 1 2. one a Noble worthy and Elect Lady and an other to a faithfull friend b 3 Ioh. ver 1. Gaius a man very hospitall saluted by Paul as his c Rom. 16. 23 Host and of the whole Church at Corinth whom hee had d 1 Cor. 1. 14 baptized and is dignified by Saint Luke to haue been e Acts 19. 29. Pauls companion in his trauels and iourney and was taken prisoner with him at Ephesus in the tumult raised against him both being great fauourer of the Ministers and louers of the Gospell the Euangelicall Apostle chiefely reioyced that they prospered and walked in the trueth and veritie of the Gospell so vnto the painfull Preachers of the Word ariseth great ioy to see the Faith and Loue of the people of God towards his Word and Ministers and prouoketh them to expresse a reciprocall loue to them in seeking to aduaunce the trueth of Religion whereunto they finde them so diligently and dutifully inclined Which consideration hath moued mee to publish these my poore Labours and to commend them to your Protection that haue heard and can best witnesse what hath beene sincerely laboured therein And though I feare not in these dangerous times the malicious scandals of Aduersaries which will by calumniations oppresse the Trueth but was pressed by the loue of some Friendes which are Louers of the Trueth not to suppresse what I had publiquely professed for the maintenance of the Trueth I was at last by their Christian perswasions induced to commit to the Presse these my poore endeauours wherein I haue laboured to expresse the trueth in a Question so much controuerted and oppugned by the Aduersaries of the Truth I confesse it was a double spurre vnto mee to incite mee to giue you contentation when I considered your good likings to haue this Doctrine in these troublesome times of our Churches oppugnation to bee publiquely professed and maintained in the face of Gods enemies which with their blustering breath would at one blast blow downe both our Church and Common wealth and would haue them wholy theirs or none at all Herein on the contrary part you haue in your good acceptations and aduancing this Doctrine greatly approoued your care and zeale to the seruice of God and his true Church as your loue and loyaltie to your King and Common wealth which by the opposite endeauours of our aduersaries are fearefully shot at My purpose and proceedings heerein haue not reached in any absolute manner to decide all the poynts of this our Controuersie and by all Authenticall Authors and ancient Fathers of the Primitiue church or moderne Writers to discusse this Question which many others of great learning and experience haue abundantly performed but onely in an ordinary Audience and vulgar Exercise to prooue out of the Canon of holy Scriptures how faithfully our Doctrines are thence deriued and drawne out for confirmation of what wee hold and confutation of whatsoeuer our Aduersaries haue dreamed to the contrary For this indeed is the Touch-stone of Trueth whereby all pure and counterfeit mettals are to be tryed and wherein as well the olde as the new Writers haue principally laboured to bring all Controuersies to bee discussed The whole current of the Scriptures haue no better nor almost any other ground for their confirmations or confutations in converting gainsayers to the Faith and conuincing Infidels and Heretiques The eloquence of Apollos was an ornament to the Doctor but the authoritie of the Scriptures was the Firmament of his Doctrine who is sayd to haue mightily and publiquely confuted the Iewes f Act. 18. 28. prouing by the Scriptures That Iesus was the Christ I shall therefore intreat the Readers of this poore and plaine Discourse especially such as were the Auditors of those Lectures with the Bereans to examine the truth of the Doctrines according to the Marginall Quotations out of the Scriptures which to auoyde prolixitie I haue there set downe without such Amplifications as according to that time and due exigence of that Exercise I more at large opened and dilated And so commending you to the Word of Gods grace which is able to build you further with dayly and heartie Prayers to God for the increase of your Christian Faith in the knowledge of his will and loue of the Truth commit my selfe to the fauourable acceptance of religious and iudicious mindes passing by the carping obloquy of criticall Censurers Your Worships in the Lord GEO CLOSE Iun. The Rocke of Religion CHRIST Not PETER MATH 16. Vers 13 14 15 16 c. Now when Iesus came into the coasts of Cesarea Philippi he asked his disciples saying Whom do men say that I the Sonne of man am And they said Some say John Baptist and some Elias others Ieremias or one of the Prophets Hee said vnto them But whom say ye that I am Then Simon Peter answered and said Thou art the Christ the Sonne of the liuing God THis sacred Sripture compriseth summarily the Doctrine of the most Catholicke Religion contained in Peters Confession concerning the knowledge of Christ who is poynted out to be a Ephes 1. 22. the head and foundation of his Church and vs his members and therein is also shewed with what Keyes the Kingdome of Heauen is opened or shut vnto vs. More particularly this holy Historie relateth a Conference which our blessed Sauiour had with Peter and all the Apostles b Mark 8. 27. vpon the way as they trauelled towards Cesarea Philippi which somtime was called Pannaeas it is distinguished therby from an other Cesarea neere Joppe formerly called Straton which Herod the Great this Philips father builded fortified with a Castle in honour of Augustus Caesar by whom he was aduanced and surnamed it Cesarea This heere mentioned Philip the Tetrarch of Jturia imitating his fathers flattering example as well in honour of himselfe as the then Romane Emperour Tyberius builded and beautified and called it Cesarea Philippi afterwards it was againe inlarged by King Agrippa and by him called Neronia in honour of Nero. Doct. It is ancient and vsuall with worldly men to endeauour
to perpetuate their memories and eternize their Names by some glorious terrestriall Monuments on earth rather then to haue them registred in c Luke 10. 20. the Booke of Life in Heauen This grosse ignorance and folly the Psalmist derideth and taxeth d Psal 49 11. That great rich men of the earth should thinke their habitations will continue for euer and call their Landes by their owne names they that are mortall and both liue and perish with the bruit beasts seeke in vaine to make their names immortall in stones and monuments of earth Nay they thinke so to fence themselues against Gods decree and ordinance appoynted for all flesh and like Nymrods Impes build a Tower to secure them from Gods Iudgements e Gene. 11. 4. as well as to get themselues a name as appeareth in their proud practise in erecting their Babel the monument of their confusion It is true that Almightie God permitted vnto men some perpetuation of their Names in earth by the succession of children to a thousand generations but when men became rebellious disobedient to his will he cut that cord asunder and made their names soone perish out of the earth which wicked Absolom perceiuing would prouide a remedy against Gods forbid and failing of posteritie f Gen. 17. 7 19 15. 2 the richest earthly blessing that God giueth to his children would yet liue in stones and built a most stately Pillar as he thought of euerlasting continuance in the Kings Dale and called it after his owne name g 2 Sam. 18. 18 Absoloms Place But the Iustice and wisdome of God crossed Absoloms vaine humour and turned his glory into shame for being taken and slaine in his actuall and vnnaturall rebellion against his father Dauid instead of an honourable buriall in his owne Tombe which hee had so prepared h Verse 17. hee was cast into a pit in the Wood and a great heape of stones or rude rubble layd vpon him to keepe the remembrance of his Treason for his shame to all posteritie Was not this the pride and punishment of Nebuchad-nezzar who in vanitie of his mind vanting himselfe in his sumptuous buildings said i Dan. 4. 27. Is not this great Babel that I haue built for the house of the Kingdome by the might of my power and for the honour of my Maiestie But how was he shortly after turned out of his house into the fieldes to liue amongst beasts Did not the Prophet Isaiah as plainely foretell the destiny of Shebna the great Lord Treasurer and Steward to Hezekiah k Isa 22. 15. who had hewen out his Sepulchre in an high place and grauen an habitation as out of a rocke wheras God had determined to l Ver. 16 17 18 19. send him into captiuitie and to roll tosse him as a ball in a strange countrey where he should dye perhaps without buriall and the Charets of his glory shall bee his shame Kain though he had a sonne yet fearing Gods vengeance that his posteritie might faile built a Citie and called it m Gen. 4. 11. to 18. Henoch after his sonns name knowing himselfe cursed of God a fugitiue and vagabond in the earth So as wee see great men not seeking Gods glory but their owne honours yet faile of their wished ends the mightie God thwarting their purposes and bringing their vaine enterprises to nothing one proud pompeling destroyeth an others proiects Herod turnes Straton into Cesarea Philip alters it in the next generation into Philippi Agrippa will haue it Neronia Shebna makes his Sepulchre in one Countrey and is buried in an other and thus doth vanitie deceiue it selfe in hunting after a shadow of glory and not seeking the glory that commeth of God for honour as a shaddow flyeth from him that followeth it and followeth him that flyeth from it and no man can catch it except he falleth downe vpon it Much more aduised was Salomon of all kings the wisest which first sought to honour God and built a Temple vnto his name and as Dauid his father intended n Psal 132. 4 5. to find out a Temple for the Lord and an habitation for the mightie God of Iacob and would haue it the house of God and Temple of the Lord and yet thereby they gained the greatest honour to themselues also for o 1 Sam. 2. 30 God honoureth them that honour him and such as contemne him hee casteth into contempt So as the Lord God is well pleased p Exod. 34. 29. to beautifie Moses his seruants face q 2 Cor. 3. 7. with some sparkles of his owne glory and the house which Salomon dedicated to the honour of God brought honour vnto himselfe that in the Scriptures it is called promiscuously r Iere. 7. 4. the Temple of the Lord and Å¿ Act. 3. 11. Salomons Temple but it was a iust reproofe of the Prophet Haggai when the captiue Iewes were reduced into their owne Countrey and Citie of Ierusalem t Hag. 1. 4. in that they first went about to dwell in their owne seiled houses and the house of the Lord lay wast and desolate Vse Let vs build an house to the liuing God who maketh vs u 1 Cor. 3. 16. 8. 6. 15. 2 Cor. 6. 16. 1 Pet. 2 5. liuing Temples for himselfe to dwell in vpon earth that wee may for euer dwell with him in heauen Augustine accounteth it great folly for men that must dye to build houses as high as Eagles neasts to their successors which must dye also the rule of the Gospell is certaine that w Matt. 6. 33. if wee first seeke the Kingdome of God all other necessary thinges shall bee abundantly ministred vnto vs yea it was Gods liberall promise vnto his people x Deut. 28. 1. Iosh 24 13. that if they obeyed him and continued stedfast in his couenant they should haue houses yea strong and walled Cities which others had builded it is certaine that an honorable name is gotten and established by righteousnesse y Pro. 10. 7. but the name of the wicked shall rotte Bildad doth truely affirme how vntruely soeuer it was misapplied to Iob that z Iob 18. 17. the remembrance of the wicked hypocrites shall perish from the Earth and he shall haue no name in the streete it was a iust though a bitter execration of Dauid a Psal 109. 15. let the wicked be alwayes before the Lord that he may cut off their memoriall from the Earth it were better to bee forgotten then so remembred The Centurion in the Gospell Rule tooke a good course to get him a good name and the fauour of Christ and the people b Luc. 7. 4. 5. in building a Synagogue for the Iewes and exercise of Religion The woman of Canaan c Matt. 15. â—7 28. for her humble patience and faith the poore widdow d Luc. 21. 2. 3. for her mites cast into the treasury the Shunamite