our appointed time If this were well considered it woulde make our proude Peacockes feathers too fall when we remember frome whence we come and whither we shall and how we be not able too thinke of oure selues a good thoughte but that all oure goodnes is geuen vs of God and vnto him we bee traytours and theeues if we be proude of his giftes and geue not him worthy thaÌ„kes for them but take the prayse to oure selues Thus by degrees doth God encrease his plages and threatning not destroying vs at the firste but by layinge on vs one litle rodde at the first he biddeth warneth vs to beware of the next for that wil be greater if we amend not this he doth by his other Prophetes also In Osee he coÌ„pares hym self to the mothe Lyon in punishing for the mothe doth not eate vp clothes hastely but by leasur by litle and litle but the Lyon deuoureth vp all at once So saieth God I will be no more onely as a mothe in clothes in punishing you so gently and by leasure for by that gentle kynde of punishinge ye waxe wors◠〈◊〉 worse but I will come now as a LioÌ„ and destroye you quickely for ye abuse my geÌ„tlenes and I can not hold my handes any longer beside you Lorde soften oure harâ— hearts that wher we be gilty in thesame fault of negligent buyldinge thy house we may heare and feare those great 〈◊〉 teninges towardes vs wee maye driâ—â—â— thee and obtayne mercy for our sins paâ—â— and here after be more diligente too serue thee verse 12 Then Zerobabel the sonne of Salathiel and Iosua yâ— sonne of Iehozadac the hyghe Priest and all the remnauÌ„t of the people gaue eare vnto the voyce of the Lorde their God and vnto the woordes of Aggens the Prophete â—â— as much that the Lord their God sent hym and the people were afraid in the sight of God verse 13 13 And Aggeus the messenger of the Lorde sayd in the messages of the Lorde to the people sayinge I am with you saieth the Lorde ¶ Hitherto from the beginninge hathe ben nothinge but chydinge and threateninge for their greate negligence in buyldinge Gods house nowe folowes the profite and commoditie that came by suche a sharpe kynde of rebukinge They began to geue eare vnto it marke it and were afrayde too heare and consider those plages whiche yet hanged ouer their heads they beleued those sayinges too bee true whiche Aggeus sayde vnto them and thei â—eared God This is the ordinary way that God vseth to teache by whiche the scripture sets before vs to learne too beleue in God and feare him First to rebuke sinne and declare the anger of God towardes sinners and preache repeÌ„taunce as Ihon Baptist and oure sauioure Christe began to preache repent the kyngdome of God is at haÌ„de Fayth commeth by hearing saith sainct Paule and hearinge by the woorde of God therefore he that will beleue and haue his fayth encreased must be diligent in the scriptures too heare sermons and marke what God saieth vntoo vs there What maruayl is it if the Papistes haue so litle faith seing thei reade not the scripture and hold opinion that it is not necessary yea not to be suffered that the scripture should be muche read or taughte but the Popes lawes customes and decrâ—es The whole scripture hath these .ii. chiefe partes into the whiche it is deuided the lawe and the Gospell the lawe contaynes properly the setting forth of sinne threatninges curses Gods anger toward sinâ—â— remorse of conscience for thesame daÌ„nation hel despaire the Gospel contains coÌ„fort hope forgeuenesse mercies in Christ heauen saluation agrement with God Thus teaches s. Paule sayinge the lawe workes anger within a man in conscieÌ„ce towards him self for displeasing his 〈◊〉 God and also declares what is sinne the angre and iust iudgement of God for sin By the law comes the knowledge of syn Agayn he saieth I had not knowen coueting lusting and desiring for any vnlawfull thing to haue ben sinne except the law had said thou shalt not lust nor couet The gospel is the power of God to saue al that beleue in Christ whiche saieth come to me all ye that laboure and are laden I will refreshe you thus God loued the worlde that he gaue his onelye begotten sonne c. with many suche like promises as if any man sinne we haue an aduocate with the father c. this profit came here to this people by preaching the law of God and threatninges vnto theym that they whiche were afore so forgetful of their duties now hearing the great anger vengeaunce of God that hanged ouer their heads ready to fal on them it styrred them vp to do their duties and fear God Thus maye we here se the fonde tender eares of them which would not heare nor haue the law preached but all together the swete comfortable promises mercies in Christ nor can not abide the anger of God iuste iudgement for sinne to be taught saying it bringes a man into dispaire and that it is not nowe in the time of grace mete too be preached A man as he is made of bodye soule so hath he the lawe geuen hym too beate doune the lustes of the fleshe and keepe hym in due feare to his Lorde and God least the soule should despaire when it coÌ„siders the greatnes of the sinne whiche the fleshe and mynde drawes hym to he hath the coÌ„fort of Christ offered vnto him in the gospell So least we be proud forget God we haue the lawe geuen too set before vs the righteousnesse of those thinges which God requires of vs oure weake vnableâ—nes to fulfill thesame and the righteous sentence of deathe and Gods anger proâ—nounced vpon all that fulfill not thesame lawe But least we shoulde despayre 〈◊〉 haue the vnspeakeable mercies of God â—â—â—fered vnto vs in his sonne whiche by hys death hath conquered death and paied the full price for the sins of the whole world He biddeth vs when we feele oure owne weakenes vnablenes to fulfill his law to come vnto hym aske help and mercy at his handes and doubte not thereof but it shal be graunted For as we see in iudgementes here amongest vs there is a royal seate set where the iudge sittes he that is accused standes at the barre holdes vp his hande heares his enditement redde witnes is broughte in againste him and â—â— iustly condempned to death so we shal see Iesus Christe the righteous iudge of the worlde that will not be brybed sit in hys seate of maiesty at the laste daye all the companye of Aungels about him and we shall stande at the barre as accused enâ—yted for breakinge that righteous lawe of his woorde the deuill whiche entised vs so to do shal beare witnes that to be true yea and our own conscience also the feaâ— of
they shall fynde present comfort and peace patiently to beare all such sorow as shal be laide on them When as Emperours were not Christened greate was the persecution yet coulde they not preuaile When heresies began to springe in the Church than God raised vp Augustine and others to withstande them and the mo that they were the more was the truth tried out and florished but after that the Pope had conquered all good learning decayed and the deuell thereby had lulled all on sleepe then came this outwarde worldly peace where the moste parte submitted them selues to the beast and his peace was the bitterest thinge that coulde be before God and greatest trouble to all good consciences For then outwarde peace broughte in Lordely pryde whiche harmed more then any persecution as Bernarde sayeth But nowe after that the light appeares agayn with what peace of conscience can and doe men offer them selues to the fire thoughe the Pope and his clergye rage lyke Lyons or mad dogges What great learning hathe God reueled in our time more then before and chiefly it hath ben done because of errours heresies sectes and controuersies that be abroade that Gods chosen people should not lyue in blindnes styl that his goodnes may be knowen And althoughe persecution be great yet God strengthens his to dye for his truth in most quiet peace to the shame of their persecutours Wher there is no striuinge there is no victorye where ther is no victory there is no praise nor reward Therfore God of his gret loue that his people may haue most noble victories greatest reward suffreth them to be troubled by the deuyll hys ministers but not to be ouercomen Where the tormentours rage because thei can not ouercome the simple souls holding fast the faith which thei would pul from them for the whiche thei striue God so strengthens hys that they suffer all tormentes with more peace of conscience then the tormentours delaye it on theÌ„ whiche deuise the deaths for them But not onely this inwarde peace but an outwarde alsoo was geuen them as longe as they displeased not the Lord. God coÌ„maunded that euery man amongst the Israelites should come thryse a yeare to IerusaleÌ„ to worship him there least thei should grudge saying who shal defend our countrie when we are gone so far froÌ„ home our enemies wil inuade and destroy vs God promises that he will defende their couÌ„try in the mean time that thei shuld haue no harme Thus thei beleuing God were bold to go to IerusaleÌ„ to serue God leuing none at home to kepe their goods landes but a few wemen chyldren So we if we would serue the Lord a righte maintayne his true religion our enemies shoulde not hurt vs but wemen and chyldren shoulde be able to defende vs if wee will not serue him as he hathe appointed there is no worldly power able to defend vs but we and they shall perishe altogether verse 10 In the .xxiiii. daye of the .ix. moneth and the second year of Darius was the message of the Lorde sent by the haÌ„de of Aggeus the prophet saying verse 11 Thus sayeth the Lorde of hostes Aske I praye thee yâ— priestes the law sayinge verse 12 If any man beare holy flesh in the lap of his garmeÌ„t do touche with his lappe bread or brothe wyne oyle or anye kynde of meate shall it bee made holy the Priestes aunswered and saide no. verse 13 And Aggeus sayd if he that is defiled in soule do touche any of these whether shal it be defiled the Priestes aunswered and said it is defiled verse 14 Aggeus aunswered sayd So is this people and so be these folke before my face sayeth the Lorde and so is all the woorke of their handes and whatsoeuer they bringe hyther it is defiled ¶ For the rekeninge of monethes years dayes and such other particular wordes â–ª we sayde ynough before Now is the Prophet sent to appose the priestes in the law of God and make theym geue sentence againste them selues The lippes of the Prieste kepe knowledge and they shall aske the lawe of his mouthe saieth Malachy And therfore to see what knowledge they had in the lawe of the Lorde what aunswer they woulde make he was sent to examine them and he puts foorthe hys question so wisely that he makes them to condemne them selues by their owne iudgement He is bidden them aske theÌ„ oute of the lawe of God and not out of the Popes lawe nor yet any mans lawe whiche often through bribes is ended as a man is frended but out of Gods boke which with out parcialitie speakes indifferentlye on all partes and neither feares the riche for his might and authoritie nor hath foolish pitie on the poore for his pouertie but vprightly iudges right and condemnes sin wheresoeuer it is founde If the priestes in Moyses law had this charge geuen theÌ„ to be so cunninge in the scriptures yâ— they shoulde be able to aunswere all doubtes whiche coulde be asked them How much more shoulde oure Priestes nowe be able by the scripture to teache all which be ignoraunte and aunswere all doubtes that can bee moued for saincte Paule sayeth a minister shoulde be able too exhorte wyth holsome doctrine and confute false But if ye wante one too keepe a Curre rather then a Cure to be a Hunter or a Fawkener to be an ouerâ—ear of your workemen to be youre stuarde or loke to your sheepe and cattell too be youre Gardiner kepe youre Orcharde or write youre busines who is meter for anye of these businesses then syr Ihon lackelatine What a wickednes is thys that they shoulde take such paynes to be so cuÌ„ninge in these thinges that God lookes not for oâ— them and in those thinges that God hathe charged theym withall they can saye nothing at all they be dumme Dogges not able to barke in rebukinge sinne blynd guides not able to rule their flocke but if the worlde be on their side they can theÌ„ playe the woode Dogges bytinge snatching at euery man near them and let no honest man dwel in rest by theÌ„ but accuse burne and condemne all that speake against their mischiefes If there be a treÌ„tall to be saiee or any money to be gotteÌ„ for masses Diriges Relikes pardons c. then who is so ready as they they can smell it out a great sorte of myles of But if a man waÌ„t comforte in conscience woulde vnderstaÌ„d his duety towards God or Gods goodnes towardes vs they be blinde beastes ignorant doltes vnlearned asses and can saye nothing but make holy water bid them saye a Ladies psalter The questions which he putteth forth here teÌ„d to this purpose that by one thing which is like he may proue an other lyke For loke as halowed fleshe did not halow these thinges which it touched so did not the goodnes whiche was in some of them make the rest holy But
or gettes it wrongfully layes it vp nigardly or els spendes it vnthriftely And in all his labour sekes hys owne profitte with the hurt of others therefore it is synne By this is also proued this great controuersy whether we be made righteous by woorkes or faith For if workes should make vs righteous then the good workes which an euil man doth should make him righteous But the Prophete saieth here that whatsoeuer the euyll man doth it is defiled Therfore the man must be good before the worke be good as our sauioure Christ saieth Eyther make the tree good and the frute good or make the tree euyll and the frute euil And as the frute makes not the tree good but shewes and geues it to be a good tree So it is in the euyl frute and the tree The soure crabtree makes the crabbes bitter and not the crabbes makes the tree euyll As the tree is so is his frute and as the man is suche is hys lyfe A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringes foorth good thinges and an euyl man out of the euyll treasure of his heart bringes foorth euyll But the heart the man is euyll before the dede be euyll not in tyme but in the order of nature For as in a well spring looke what taste the water hath at the head of the spring thesame it hath when it runnes foorthe So if the heart of man be defiled which is the springe whereof comes hordom adultery murther and all other oure doinges the deedes muste nedes be nought which come oute of suche a defyled headde and springe So that if we wil doe any good dede we must be good meÌ„ trees before in Goddes sighte and election of God that our fruite and dedes mai be good For out of an euyll roote can not come good fruites God loues the dedes for the maÌ„s sake â–ª whiche doeth theym rather than the man for the good woorkes that he doeth As God looked firste at Abel and then at his giftes but to Cain his offeringes he loked not because Abel was a choosen vessel of God therefore God receiued his offeringes and Cains were not receyued because he was not of that number For as a scholemayster will take in good part the diligence that his scholers can do and if he see them put their good willes theretoo he wil beare with their faultes and teache them their lessons But to stubburne and frowarde he wil shew no gentelnes but cast them of So God with those whome he hath chosen in Christe before the world was made will bear with their infirmities and wyncke at their littell faultes teache them to do better prayse their well doinges and gentellye correcte their faultes But his enemies and outcastes because whatsoeuer they doe is hypocresye he loues them not but euen theyr prayer is turned to sinne and whatsoeuer they do is defiled because they be not graffed chosen in Christe Iesus as the wyse man saieth the wicked man and his wickednes are hated in like of God Thus the man makes the woorke good rather then the woorke makes the man good in Gods sight and iudgemente be it neuer so godly to the outwarde shew in the eye So if the heart of man and conscience be defiled it defiles the good creatures of God whiche otherwise be good and lawefull Sainct Paule speakinge of meates saieth all be cleane and laweful to theym whiche be cleane but to the vncleane nothinge is cleane but their myndes consciences be defiled For â—f a man eate but a pece of bread and thinke that it is not lawfull for him to do so he sinnes because he doeth it not of fayth and so the coÌ„scieÌ„ce wantinge fayth is defiled For whatsoeuer is not fayth is sinne and he waÌ„tinge true knowledge that God made all things to serue man nowe throughe supersticion and a defiled conscience serues that creature whiche shoulde serue hym and so defiles that whiche of it selfe God hath created holy cleane and mete to be eaten at al tymes with thankesgeuing All this comes by reason of sinful superstition in the man whiche not beleuinge the scriptures that all meates be laweful for all men at all times wantes faythe and so hath hys conscience defiled which defiles the meat whiche he eates Where as they commonly reason our euill woorkes condemne vs therfore our good woorkes saue vs this place of the Prophete teacheth the contrarie reason For all the Priestes in their general counsaill graunte that he whiche is defiled in soule defiles al thinges which he doth yet they denye that if a holy thinge touche an other thing vnholy that it maketh it holy also So that sinne hath greater strengthe to defile other thinges then goodnes hath to make other things holy Sainct Paule reasoninge of thesame matter teaches vs howe to conclude saying the rewarde of sinne is death and then he sayeth not the rewarde of vertue and good woorkes is euerlasting lyfe but he saieth euerlasting lyfe is the free gift of God Thus must we reason than bothe as the Prophete doeth here sainct Paule in thesame ease that oure euyll is more able too condemne vs then our goodnes is to saue vs. This shoulde also be a sufficiente warninge for vs too beware what companye we ioyne our selues vnto For sinne in one man is of so great force that it defiles all the company he is in Thus teaches sainct Paule euyll communication corruptes good maners The wickednes whiche is in these meÌ„ it crepes like a caÌ„ker which infects alwaies the next part vnto it vntyl it haue run through infected the whole bodye So the wicked neuer cease vntill they haue drawen vnto them all suche as kepe their companye What is a more daungerous thinge than too kepe companye with vnthriftes Haue not many which before they knew such vnthriftynes were sober and honest but after they haue ben tangled with suche euyll men solde house and lande some became beggers many hanged Haue not many honest yong men by keping coÌ„pany with swearers and horehunters become open blasphemers and geue them selues to al vnhappines So in companing with Papists and to please the worlde manye haue forsaken the truth which thei knew and profest and are become open enemies and persecuters of God and his people Did not Salomon fall too Idolatrie with marriyng Heathen wyues Did not God forbid marriage with the Heathen least they shoulde entyse vs to Idolatry Was not Sampson ouercome in keping coÌ„pany with Dalida What a proud presumptioÌ„ then is this to thinke I am stroÌ„g inough wise inough to take hede to my self in what company so euer I shal come For except you be wiser then SalomoÌ„ or stronger then Sampson thou shalt be ouercome as thei were When thou shalt sit amonge Papistes heare them blaspheme thy God and praise their Idolatrye howe canste thou escape