he wil both cause the raging of the sea to cease and staie the madnesse of the people 2 But to the ende wee may more particularly gather such lessons out of this parcell of Scripture as may most tende to Gods glorie and our edifying I meane to stande while this time will permit vppon these pointes shewing first that wee must followe Christ into the ship secondly that as many as will saile with him shall be in daunger thirdly that in their daunger they shall not be destitute of helpe if they seeke it at his hands It is not my peculiar cōceit but Tertullian Chrysostom do note that this ship representeth the church of Christ tossed with the surges of temptatiō with the stormy waues of calamity trouble in this presēt world 3 Christ hath alwaies had a Church here on earth it was begun in Paradise sithens it hath remained and continewed euen vnto this daie And as Christ hath his boate so hath Antichrist also his Wherefore it behoueth vs to knowe and discerne the one from the other The arke of the tabernacle of the Lord hath her true ornamentes whereby to be knowne Therein are layde vp the treasures of God most precious iewels S. Paul telleth vs what they are In the arke of the testament was a goulden pot hauing manna and the rod of Aaron that had blossomed and the tables of the testament In the tables was the written word of God Manna was a figure of that mysticall foode wherewith we are nourished to eternall life the rod of Aaron resembled the scepter of discipline So that where nothing is taught but according to the written worde where the sacramentes are sincerely ministred where the rod and scepter of gouerment is vsed there is Christ there is the Church And wee may thanke our God for euer that in his meruelous great mercie hee hath made vs pertakers of these so rich and precious blessings whereby we knowe assuredly that God is amongst vs that he sitteth in the midst of our assemblies that this church is vnto vs as the arke of Noah as the glorius sanctuarie of the Lord as the ship into which Christ Iesus is entred 4 When the Romaines minded to leaue the citie Scipio tooke an ensigne in his hād set forwardes towards the capitol saying Quicunque vult remp saluā me sequatur whosoeuer wisheth wel to the common state let him follow me But most truely it may be saide Whosoeuer wisheth well to his owne soule let him follow Christ. Hee is no seruaunt that refuseth to follow his maisterr he that followeth him not is not worthie of him The sheepe when they heare the voice of their sheepehearde they go after him He is no member of Christ that sundreth him selfe from the heade of that bodie whereof he professeth himselfe a member That braunch that is cut off from the vine withereth and is fit for nothing but for the fire After that Iudas left Christ gaue himselfe to be a sectarie of the high priestes his case was lamentable No man commeth to the hauen but hee which followeth Christ to the ship If wee leaue him whither shoulde wee go There is no other that hath the words of eternall life Let vs therefore doe as his Disciples did forsake all and follow Followe him not onely to the ship but in the ship 5 The follow Christ to the ship which by faith in the gospell are gathered and vnited to his Church the doore and entraunce whereunto is narrow For so Christ describeth it If any man will come after me let him denie him selfe This lesson is generall For S. Luke sayth dixit omnibus he spake vnto all and S. Marke Et turbae discipulis dixit he spake it both to the multitude and to his disciples No man therefore can looke to come vnto Christ by any other way We must beginne with the plaine denying of our selues that is to say the forsaking of our impietie and fleshlie lustes 6 To denie impietie is to forsake false doctrine false worshipping of God and whatsoeuer is against the first parte or table of the law The house of God saith Tobias shall be built for euer with a glorious building as the Prophetes haue spoken of it And all nations shall turne and feare the Lord God truely and shall burie their idols that is to saie they shall forsake their impietie and so be numbred with the Saintes of God When the Ephesians which had vsed curious Artes were conuerted to the faith of Christ they brought their bookes and burned them as many as were worth by estimation fiftie thowsand peeces of siluer By the writinges of Athenagoras Clemens Iustine martyr Arnobius Minutius Lactantius and many other of the Auncientes it appeareth that the verie first thing which those men of famous memorie did in their conuersion from Gentilitie to the truth was openly to proclaime defiance to that impietie wherein they had bene nuzled and trayned vp Constantine considering with him selfe the liues and doinges of former Emperours and finding that their estate had bene alwaies worse which had worshipped the gods of the nations that they which gaue greatest credit to Idolatrous spirites of diuinatiō were but deluded that none had fairer promises of prosperous euentes then they whose endes were most infortunate that his father onely amongest the rest putting his trust in the God which created heauen and earth had by experience all the time of his life founde him a mightie protectour and a bountifull rewarder of them that feare him when it pleased God by this meane to bring him to a loue and liking of the truth he began forthwith to shew great tokens of fauour vnto Christians to haue conference with their Bishops and chiefe professours to restore them whom crueltie had cast out of their lawfull possessions for beeleuing in the name of Christ to erect houses of great charge for prayer and holie exercises of the Church to doe whatsoeuer might any way be deuised not onely for the succour and needeful reliefe but also for the honour and dignitie of Christians Nowe by this that Tobias foresheweth how the Gentiles being conuerted to the truth shall burie their Idols that S. Luke recordeth howe the Ephesians burned all their impious bookes that the fathers in their first conuersion wrote so vehemently against paganisme that Constantine gaue so many and so great tokens of a minde detesting all impietie and burning with the loue of Christ Iesus by this I say we may perceiue how impossible it is to steale a true denial of impietie how impossible for a man which in deede hath denied it not to shewe his deniall in his deedes 7 To denie impietie it is not enough except wee also denie our fleshlie lustes If we looke into our euill and corrupt nature wee shall finde nothing but that which leadeth vs cleane from Christ nothing but rebellion against the spirite distrust in the
refuse to heare it reade it followe it if the seede of God doe not fructifie in our hearts if the peace wee haue with God bring not foorth pietie if our ciuill peace bring foorth no better fruite than beastly securitie if plentie worke nothing in vs but pride if with Adam in our presumption wee disobey the Lorde if with Sodome when we are ful our care be onely to satisfie our lust if we neglect the poore and deride the iust if with Israel we lust after flesh and despise Angels foode if we hunger after poperie and thirst not after the water of life if wee fall away from God and fall downe to creatures if wee runne a whoring and defile the flesh and prophane the temple of God if we tempt God being wearie of our profession hauing wauering mindes and backesliding hearts if we despise gouernement and speake euil of them that be in authoritie if wee mutter and murmure against the principalitie of Moses and Aaron if wee loath the present state and seeke after alterations then shall all these godlie blessings of God turne into cursings the message of life shall be vnto vs a fauour of death the words of the sonne of God spoken vnto vs for our saluation shall beare witnesse against vs and condemne vs our vineyard shall be laide wast wee shall be made a byword and a woonder to the world and for a iust reward of this our wickednesse our former benefites shall but adde a greater waight vnto our woe But this be farre from vs and from our children for euermore Wherefore to returne and to conclude this part when we shall behold the great mercies of God so plentifully powred vpon vs howe hee hath regarded his vineyard blessed and inriched this his Church with so great gifts and so maruellous treasures you see how truely we may say Vinea nostra floruit Our vine hath flourished This is the goodnes of God towards vs. 13 Let vs nowe cast our eyes another way and see how men haue dealt with the Lords vineyard Great hath beene the fauor of God towards it and great also hath beene the malice of Satan and the ingratitude of man in labouring by all meanes to lay it wast These enemies of the vineyard are termed foxes vnder which name be comprised all heretikes all Schismatikes all hypocrites Atheists Epicures Conspirators Persecutors with all the rable of the wicked They are termed litle foxes either for that they are more rash more wilfull and more hurtfull to the vineyard than the olde foxes because they shunne no peril or else they are so called in contempt For although they seeme mightie strong and fierce yet when God shal arme himselfe against them then they wil appeare sillie weake cubbes not able to kicke against the pricke There is no wilinesse no force no power no counsell against our God If Christ say It is I all his enemies doe stagger and fall flat to the ground The litle cubbes perhaps are animated by reason of their wilinesse and because they know they are many in number It is true The children of this worlde are wise in their generation subtile they are as serpents But God confoundeth the counsels of all craftie Achitophels and taketh foxes in the snares they set for others The number is great and as the maner is of euil weedes it groweth apace they are tenne for one But one Dauid is worth not onely tenne but tenne thousand Philistines because he commeth in the name of the Lord. He that fighteth vnder Christs banner and is protected vnder the shadowe of the wings of the almightie he is safe be he in neuer so great perils Gedeon with three hundred crying The sworde of the Lorde and Gedeon slewe and put to flight an infinite number the huge armie of the Madianites It is all one with God to ouercome with fewe or many So the enemies then of God the enemies of the Church they are but sillie weake cubbes be they neuer so wilie neuer so many 14 But the enemies of Gods vineyard are therefore chiefly called foxes because they are of like condition vnto foxes whom they singularly resemble in foure peculiar properties The foxe is rauenous greedie on his pray And these cubbes enemies to the crosse of Christ haue vnder pretense of long praier deuoured widowes houses spared no estate or conditon of men beguiled Princes of their possessions gotten to themselues the riches and wealth of the whole worlde with false merchaundise selling that for bread which is no bread making their gaine of masses merites pardons and such like stuffe Vnsatiable dogges they are euer barking and neuer satisfied The olde gray foxe is become the Lord of the whole earth the king of kings his Cardinals Abbots and Bishops great Princes and Lordes of whole Countries the litle foxes as Monkes Fryers Massing priests what with singing and what with begging haue raked no small heapes together 15 Foxes doe feede on bloud in desire whereof they kil more than they can deuoure Christ calleth Herod Foxe partly for his sauage and cruel murthering of Infants What thousands of the children and lambes of God these Herodians these Romanists these rauening wolues and bloudie foxes haue deuoured looke into the histories of all times you shall woonder at it and abhorre them Doubtlesse the righteous bloud which they haue shed vpon the earth shall come vpon them the bloud of the Saintes whom they haue cruelly butchered crieth vnto the Lord against them for reuenge and the Lord wil heare it Whomsoeuer thou shalt see take delight in the bloud of persecution he is a Foxe 16 As they liuely resemble foxes in greedinesse and crueltie so in wilinesse also they are like vnto them craftie they are subtile as false as a foxe The foxe will not woorry neere his bele but raungeth farre abroade least he be espied So these subtile deceiuers goe farre off they compasse sea and land to make a proselite of their owne profession they shut themselues vp in their beles in the day time they dare not abide the light but seeke lurking holes and corners disguising themselues in strange apparell least their woonted attire should bewray them wilie foxes deepe dissemblers double hearted double tongued double faced speaking them full faire whom they hate full deadly promising and not performing shifting off and seeking time nowe humble as sheepe but when time serueth as fierce as Lyons By subtile slightes and breache of faith they brought Iohn Hus to the Councel at Constance and there cruelly murthered him they promised him a Safe-conduct to come and to goe but those holie Fathers agreed vpon a newe point of religion that Promise is not to be kept with heretikes and so cruelly and treacherously consumed with fire the Saint of God These faithbreakers be no more to be trusted than foxes 17 The last propertie that I note in the foxe is that hee casteth an euil sauour I will not
into them also the selfesame blessing of increase and fruitfulnesse And as vnto these so likewise vnto man the greatest in honour though in order the last of all his creatures he gaue the same power to spread out himselfe by propagation and to replenish the face of the earth 2 For the seemelier and better ordering whereof to the ende that as God himselfe is most pure and therefore hateth all vncleannesse so the actions of men who in nature resemble him might be framed according to the paterne of his image hee prescribed a way how man as beseemeth the excellencie of his creation nature might not after a brutish beastly maner but in al honestie cleanlines bring forth the honorable fruit of his bodie that so Gods creation and work might be continued his kingdom inlarged his name by reason of the multitude much more praised And this meane or way appointed by God was matrimonie a state whereof the chosen vessel of God writeth this as the iudgement of the holie Ghost Mariage is honourable Wherein for your better instruction and learning my purpose is to shew you the reasons of the honour which it should haue and also of the great disgrace which it hath amongst men 3 Mariage is honourable first in respect of the author by whom it was ordeined Secondly in regard of the causes thereof Thirdly for the dueties which are required of the parties maried Touching the first it appeareth in the beginning of the booke of Genesis howe after that God had perfectly accomplished his creation and had giuen the Lordeship ouer all liuing creatures vnto Adam he saide It is not good that man be alone let vs make him an helper that may be before him let vs make woman Whereupon our Sauiour in the Gospel inferreth That therefore which God hath ioyned together let no man separate approouing mariage to bee the institution of God and a naturall order proceeding I meane from the God of nature to bee obserued and vsed for euer Neither did hee onely confirme this lawe and ordinaunce of God in plaine woords and in his teaching but he also did honest and honour the same with his presence For being called to a mariage he his mother and kinsfolke gladly went there to feast with others where it pleased him miraculously to increase their cheere and withal their honour For it is not nothing which this doth adde to the holy and reuerend estimation thereof that the first miracle which Christ wrought was wrought at a mariage and is so by the holie Ghost recorded Nowe besides this that almightie God himselfe ordeined mariage and that in Paradise a most heauenly habitation and that before the innocencie was stained with sinne besides this that Christ did allow and many waies approoue the same yea and moreouer vouchsafed to resemble his spirituall coniunction with his Church vnto this estate we finde that the Patriarkes the Priests and Prophets the holiest men of God Abraham Moses Aaron and the rest of that blessed companie haue chosen to liue rather in mariage than otherwise acknowledging thereby the state of mariage to be vndoubtedly no lesse allowable if not more honourable than single life 4 Concerning the second point that is to say the honour which riseth from the causes for which GOD did institute the state of wedlocke the scripture noteth especially three The first is mutuall societie helpe and comfort And this were a cause sufficient to esteeme of mariage highly if there were no other For God hath saide It is not good that man be alone Let vs make him an helper and helper and not an hinderer 5 The second cause why matrimonie was ordeined and must be honoured is increase and propagation For although that this may be as we see it it is in lewde and shamelesse persons too often without this estate of mariage yet this is so much against the dignitie of humane nature that such broodes haue beene alwaies basely accounted of by men which haue had but the bare light of naturall vnderstanding Wherefore the blessed Apostle hath saide I will that the younger sort marie and bring foorth children giuing vs thereby to vnderstand that there can be no seemely propagation of mankinde saue onely in mariage Children begotten in the state of matrimonie are the blessing of God and the fruite of the vndefiled wombe is a reward as Salomon wisely acknowledged in the Psalme For a man to be honoured with the name of a father to be renued and continued in his posteritie if it be not a speciall blessing of God a very exceeding great reward why are men women so desirous to see the fruit of their bodies Why was Anna so exceeding in crauing children at the hands of God Why was barrennesse so grieuous vnto Sara Why did it seeme reprocheful vnto Elizabeth Is it a small benefit that God hath raised out of the bodie of Abraham so many Patriarchs Priests Prophets Iudges and Kings such a multitude not onely of men of reputation on earth but also of blessed saints and citizens in heauen If it were an honour vnto Abraham to be a father of many nations surely mariage which made him a lawfull and an honourable father ought very honourably to be esteemed 6 Another cause of honour giuen vnto mariage is for that it is a remedie against vncleannesse Let euerie man haue his wife and euerie woman her husband for the auoiding of fornication Vpon which words of S. Paul Ambrose writeth verie aptly Qui abstinēt a licitis in illicita prolabuntur They which forbeare things lawfull to vse fall many times to vse things which they should forbeare And he bringeth in the Manichees for example as we may bring in the Papistes and namely that ponde of Rome adioyning to a Nunrie wherein were founde the heads of seuen thousand bastards It is true that all haue not neede of this remedie because all are not subiect to the daunger and perill of this disease But if any man be subiect to this disease let him beware howe he despise this remedie There bee no doubt that haue the gift of chastitie by birth and there be that haue made themselues chast by indeuour but of all this men are not capable As it is the gift of God so it seemeth to be a rare and not a common gift Such as haue it and so liue sole they are more fit to labour in Gods Church it must needes be graunted for they are combred with fewer cares But be these cares neuer so many and great better it is to marie than to burne and to be burthened with ordinarie and nest cares than with vnordinarie and dishonest carelesnesse to be destroied There are many that deceiue themselues thinking a single and a chast life to be all one To bee pure in bodie and in spirite this is chastitie Hee that seeth a woman and in his heart hath