Sydon and Woe be vnto all the Isles that lacke wise men for their rulers and discréete personnes to teach them wisedome Well let this be my first poinct in this his seconde attyre to cloth the minister of the Lorde withall we wil procéede happily at length we shal finde that whiche may delight vs The next is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Suche a one as shall mainteine and kéepe straungers and not vnfitly For among Israel straungers were harboured because they themselues were straungers in Aegypt And we must remember to kéepe straungers in token that wee doe wander on earth and haue no abiding place and in remembraunce we be straungers vnto all the worlde for the word of the Lorde That heathnish writer yet the eloquent writer Marcus Tullius Saith properly in his Officijs Non dominus domo sed domus domino cohonestanda The house ought not to set out the maister but the goodnesse of the maister adorneth and beutifieth the statelynesse of the house Vlisses traueling verie farre gaue his commendation to Greece and all the countries there about that for courtesie and hospitalitie it might wel be compared vnto all Latium I knowe not what Vlisses would say if he were with vs but I am in doubt he might begge and sterue to before he gate ought I must of duetie counsell you with Paul to bee good vnto the poore for by receiuing straungers men haue receiued Angelles into their houses If Dauid may be beléeued the good mans childe hath seldome begged breade and the heart of the reighteous man is alwayes lyberal I must speak the trueth before the Lorde and before you all for we are driuen into a verie narowe straite the bely and the backe flaunteth it out in all sumpteousnesse your houses they haue nothing in them but bare walles they be so pinched with penurie those which are in the common welth in whose handes are many heapes of Gould are loth to distribute thrée peckes of meale to the poore and fatherlesse Nay I haue harde some speake it That if the vnsatiable gathering together of money if your racking of poore people if the greedinesse of scraping in of welth were left among you the spiritualtie wee which are of the common welth that haue nothing but by trauayle and sweate of our browes raked vp in many yeres would bestow more on the poore people then we do This is a pitifull crye it is ascended vp alreadie vnto the eares of the Lord the people they are readie to starue they houle in their miserie and crie out in the verie paine and smart of their soules vppon vs the ministers of the Lorde that harden other mens harts by our coueteousnesse Naball must néedes be harde and gréedie and no meruaile if Diues thinke much to giue vnto Lazarus that ritche men séeke for newe barnes to put in their stoore when they of Iuda and such as be in the house of God continually thirste to inritch them Well the Church of God perisheth in her miserie and panteth so sore that she is burst with crying because that this is not looked vnto In a cleere testimonie of my conscience I vtter the trueth vnto you for I haue seene it in some I knowe it in many it is common in all Hospitalitie here so much accompted of of Paul is termed husbandrie For if you saue much greedely that your childrē may spend it lasciuiously it is saide to be but good husbandrie I once was at Pauls Crosse when as a learned graue father preaching there among many other thinges spake much then of this vice He called to memorie at that time for the space of many yeares before that there had been no one Alderman in al London whose senne was remembred to haue vsed the honestly which the father in many yeares had seraped vp so couetously It was a sore and heauie saying for those wise and gray headed men that were then present And the saying of that wise Prophet moued the hartes of many that heard it There is at this daye nowe in London in moste florishinge state two sonnes of two Aldermen gouerninge by the wealth their fathers lefte them the happie and good state of that Citie But if that olde and grayheaded father were now aliue and speaking of the ministers of the worde of God shoulde turne his eyes to sée the iolitie wherin their children be that same discréete father for the two famous most worthy Shrifes that haue gouerned that honourable Cytie of London could not since that Englande was inhabited and knowen of men picke out so much as two sonnes of two Bishoppes to haue sat in the seate of their fathers I speake it as in such a time wherein the Lorde hath sent a rot among vs that wise men and most good and godly men shoulde haue so lewde and wicked children This is it I say The Lord wil haue their sonnes to spende it wantonly for that their fathers haue rackte it vp so vnkindly And if that money were bestowed on the poore which pine away for want of foode or some other way to the good and profite of the Church which lyeth smothered in their coffers and motheaten with rust the Lorde would not onely prosper them as good Phinees to haue the honour of the Priesthoode to remaine in their houses for euer But they shoulde be suer to haue one in the fauour and sight of God in a perpetuall generation The worlde is nowe so proude and the people therein so stately that if the sonne of a minister be not a gentleman the sonne of the minister shal bee but in accompt a begger There is some in Englande that haue good and large stipends for seruing the Lorde and they spende it as liberally on their Sonnes to make them Courtiers Well Aaron did not so either Eleazar so eyther els the Apostles and bretheren of the Lorde eyther els did Cephas or the residew so Pittye it is the Churche of God to sée how it serueth how the people die for foode the hedge of the Lorde how it is broken downe and they of the house do not so much as send their childrē out of their house to repayre it The Lorde moue his Prophetes to see vnto it And giue thē that earnest of his spirit the zeale of his glorye the feare of his name the reuerence of his Maiestye they ought to haue that his Gospell may bée farthered his Hierusalem builded his Citye finished his Church fetled that if it bee his will it may frō henceforth bee neuer more remoued we haue now run thorow the two first peeces of our last worke euen a litle liberty more and I doubt not but I shall dispatch the rest It foloweth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apte to teache there was required 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and now wée haue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the lord God hath alwaies had a care ouer his church he therfore hath cōtinually sent laborers into his harueste to helpe them forwarde therin
The Exposition and Readynges of Iohn Keltridge Mayster of the Artes Student of late in Trinitie Colledge in Cambridge Minister Preacher and Pastor of the Church of Dedham that is in Essex Vpon the wordes of our Sauiour Christe that bée written in the .xi. of Luke ROMAYNES 10. VER 8. The words is nie thee euen in thy Mouthe and in thy Harte This same is the worde of Faith which we teache IAMES 3.14 But if you haue bitter enuiyng and strife in your Hartes reioyce not neither be Liers against the Trueth Imprinted at London by William How for Abraham Veale 1578. ¶ TO THE RIGHT HOnourable and reuerend father in God John Elmer Bishop of London and my verie good Lorde health and peace and long life in Iesus Christe IF the Church and House of the Lorde God were or had beene tyed to any one man for his skill and cunning woorkemanship in the same There mighte haue stepped foorth and shewen themselues greatly greeued honourable and my very good Lorde most singuler and learned men in this common wealth That for age through discretion for life through grauitee for time in wisdome for prayse and speeche of people by their rare and goodly giftes could very wel and in due season haue chalenged the first place and taken vpon them the first roome to haue made dispatchall and finished vp this litle building rather then any other Whervnto not withstandyng I haue now put my hands with Morter and Lyme and such homely prouision as I haue founde in the Countrie since my departure from Cambridge Very bolde now as at other times I haue been with your Fatherhood to open my entente and meanyng in this labour of myne That the care whervnto I am bounde by priuate dutie may from henceforth discharge it selfe And that weresome and great burthen layde on our shoulders that be the dispensers of the word of God the sooner lightned I haue not giuen my trauayle and this the sweate of my browes to Aristo Chius as in Fables but I haue searched and made choyse in the praesentyng of this my small gifte of your Honour then any other For that by good right you chalenge the first fruites of my youthe Whom it pleased in younge dayes and this my infancie to ingrafte plante in as one thought worthie some place in the vineyarde of the Lorde And I doubt not but that rule and gouernement wherewith God hath blessed you in this Common welth of England shall haue as glorious an ende in the suppressing rooting out of sinne as it hath had a blessed entraunce and continued vntill this day in supporting and mainteining of the truth If any thing in this my small volume shall appeare to belesse studied and more craggedly handled then commonly the stoorehouses of young Occupiers as I am ought to be I haue a good excuse vnto your Lordship in that a more toublesome and perelous time neuer happened by the space of this one whole yeare then hath done vnto me either els lesse fruit and smaller commoditie gleaned vp by the hands of any one labourer or greater sorrowe or lingering hope or sore attemps or the like flames and such contentions as your Honour verie well knoweth that I haue thought him much disquieted that hath not sought quietnesse in so vnquiet a life And yet in these tossings and tumblings wherein I am sweltered in manner and ouercome with out any hope of recouery I may not be altogether dismayed neither will I stay the course I haue begonne but faire and saftely step by step drayle forwarde till that time the Lorde God shall release vs The causes hereof with my iudgment of the same please it you to turne ouer but fewe leafes they will shewe what manner a ones they be At the end of this booke I haue offered to your Lordeship the copie of that Sermon the verie noates and certeine wordes almost which I speake when you thought good to appoint me at Fulham your Mannor this yeare last past of our Lord. 1577. Vppon Ascention day at the making of ministers there to preach before the Cleargie men This I haue done at the sute and earnest request of certeine my friendes of the Cytie of London men of good calling worship then at that time present though vnknowen vnto you when I preached there These I could not thrust away in so good a demaunde neither durst I withstand them in so reighteous a cause Yet I consithered that the right therof belonged not to them for it pleased you to take it at my handes at that time by commaundement Therefore haue I made restitution of the same For then they hearde it then they begged it when as I speake it But now I write it though they requirde it and as due debt I restore it vnto your honour Both which these shorte bookes as you may knowe the studie of young deuines most commonly busied in I giue them as a pawne and pledge of that duetie that I owe vnto you And I desire of the Lorde God to increase you in all spirituall giftes in Iesus Christ that the whole workmanship and Temple of the Lorde may be fully finished all rotten and shackering sprigges that ouershadowe the Church of God cut off all idle sluggish and hollowe harted men discerned to the increase of his name the setting forth of his glorie the abolishing of Poperie and supersticion and the farthering of tranquilitie and peace in these our borders Your Lordships faithfull seruaunt John Keltridge In Dedham this xxi of Iune 1578. ¶ To him that readeth and vnderstandeth longe life and glory in the Lorde Christe I I is a spéech receiued commonly among men that rare things should be deare thinges and those that bée knowne openly they bee spewed out and layed aside very scornfully The reporte of the first when I first tooke this in hande cōpelled mee to lay aside my Paper and my Inke and betake my selfe to other exercise The tryall in the other shut vp all hope that I had if hee that ruleth the actions of men as I did know and am assured coulde not also despose the hart and secrete cogitations of all flesh Therfore the prayer of the Lorde though it be generally taught of all and thought to bee as base and homly ware such as euery poore man lyinge tottered in his ragges and the base husbandman in the feeld is content to vse for this their sakes also in contempte yet when I gaue my selfe to the looking theron I found a greate deale more Maiesty therin contayned then any one earthly creature can comprise As for the notable and famous men of late memorie displaying their Insignes so gloriously in the sight of men shewinge vs how to war and to pight battayle with the world and the diuel how to pray to whom wherfore and for what causes with other artillery and goodly furniture belonginge therunto as becommeth those that will know the Lorde yet I can not say though they played
their partes very conningly and writ very subtellye and comprehended all that they did artificially that therfore they swalowed vp whole multitudes of such as succéeded them For neither Ireneus stayed because that the fathers which went before him knewe the Lorde neyther Origen kepte backe his hand or lefte his pen or dispised labor albeit the matters hee tooke vpon him were described of others And as for those succéeded them eyther faltered they in their spéech or swounded they in common talke or did they fall because Cirill or Ierom or Crysostom or Ambrose plentifully and verye faythfully with great zeale and singuler trauayle painted forth the dealing and conuersatiō of the men that liued then I say naye but those flowing wits did leaue behind them a gret light to their posteritie and they that came after sucked out the Marrow and the strength and robbed their Progenitors and after that became as mighty in their laboures as valyaunt in their wrightinges and as pleasaunt in their tongue and language as the most renowmed men of them that liued in former ages And that I can sée or may iudge as yet our time hath bin as well blessed with flourishinge wittes and our men that now liue garnished with so great knowledge as I doo and dare incourage them al that loue the Lord to procéed manfully in their callinges in as mutch as both our Forfathers haue not stolne away all cōmendation from vs that follow them neyther we shut vp into so narowe a roome but that in the light and beauty of the dayes wherin wée bée wee may amonge many good and excellent writers say something To him that looketh for the first place it is good to contente him with the second or the thirde degrée For him that gapeth to contend for the rest if hée wil be aduertised by mée hée shall thinke himselfe well if hée can haue place with the hindermost So that great thinges shall not dismaye the weake and simple men shall stande by the best But if any one pleased with his condition can kéepe a meane that is hée that shall haue the commendation from them bothe As for this my trauaile and first byrth as it were pained so mutch the more as I desire earnestly the Church of the Lorde God should inioy it séeing it is my first Babe I willingly offer him vnto you all to looke vpon him and this Booke I giue it the rather to young men as I my selfe am but growing vp and attende the good leysure of the Lorde that can increase and strengthen mee and bringe mee vp to greater stature For any fine and conninge feature you shall finde herein I dare not promise so much as any iot therof but as be the bookes of Deuines commonly talkinge to common men laying out the plainenes and behauiour of the people such is this that I giue vnto you If any question with mee for the matter and the substaunce therin contayned let him not thinke hee is in the Goldsmithes shop hée wil be content when hée hath red so much as I haue doone and séene the behauiour of the worlde as all may doo that liue nowe to bestow himselfe in some more homely trade a greate deale Yet I will say something vnto him please it him to enter in to sée what ware I haue and wil he vouchsafe to reade ouer this worke of mine hee shall finde though an vnskilfull Artificer meddeleth with it yet so much both of housholde stuffe and other furniture if hée can place it well and bestowe it in his house as is able to suffise the best learned man that I knowe to stop vp more then one creuice or two in his study Neyther can I see if so bee this worke were taken in hand by any other learned and skilfull in iudgement but that hee whiche looketh on it might receiue greate comfort and singuler pleasure in the same Consideringe that hee looketh vpon the Lorde God and talketh familiarly with Christe and is bolde to presente him selfe beefore Aungelles and powres and prayeth for his Bretheren and is harde of so good and gratious a Lorde as our God is That giueth when hée asketh openeth when hée knocketh bestoweth when hée demaundeth that shal feare him and call on his name faythfully Also whosoeuer buieth of his Marchandrise and vseth it well to the glory of the Lorde and profitinge himselfe with others hée layeth not vp treasure that is to be taken frō him but caryeth it with him vnto Heauen and it lyeth by him for euer And amonge all the thinges pretious and excellent that I haue seene on earth neuer tooke I more comforte in any one then this that the glory of the Lorde and the sweetnes of his worde and this helpe wherin by prayer I haue all that is necessary both heauenly and terrestriall tittelled mee from time to time till I had inioyed them of trueth neuer rauished with any pleasure of man so much as of late in the meditation and heauenly spéeche that I had when I questioned too and froe with the Lorde God what it was hée would haue his people and poore famely that pineth away in this world to looke vpon From whom I receiued this message that séeynge it pleased him to make choyse of the sonnes of men and to take vnto him those that he loued in this life they ought therfore to disioyne themselues and forsake the company of vnbeléeuers praying for and meditating heauenly thinges castinge vp their mindes to Heauen and reposinge their hope on the God of glorye that hath giuen vnto vs his liuery and his colyzen to bee knowne as his Seruauntes euen by prayer and earnest inuocation vpon his name the order frame wherof I haue largely set downe in my first Booke After this that no man bee excusable but vnderstande so mutch as is set downe by the Lorde when anye one shall come beefore him that hee may not speake vnknowne thinges or praye when hée vnderstandeth not or vtter that hee knoweth not or powre out before God and his Aungelles and all the honorable company and assembly of Sainctes vnaduisedly that which hee regardeth not for this cause haue I vnfolded the darkenesse of speeche and layde open to euery Babe if so hee can reade the wordes of our Sauiour Christe set downe by him in the eleuenth of Luke all which you shall finde layd on a heape and knitte vp togeather in my second Booke Of those that come betwixt eyther precepts eyther rules either exhortations eyther demaundes eyther things that bee amisse eyther such as bee well eyther life cyther dealinges and demeanor of men that shewe themselues in their proper places them I exhorte euery man to take priuatly vnto him not to vse them as common vnto all As concerning my iudgement indiuers poinctes of Religion and called in controuersy by men of our time I haue looked at them handled them I haue not to the decidinge of them I haue selected out an other time and
order of the building restraine or kéepe any from prayer I speake not of the thrée firste hundred yeares it is open vnto him that readeth that though fier and sworde kepte them vnder Yet had they both places and temples and Synagogues to pray in and I doubt not but the head or chauncell thereof stoode Eastwarde as ours doth If it were Iewishe and ceremoniall and not allowed why did not Christ abolish it For he taught in their Synagogues and in their temples and disputed with the Scribes and vsed that well which they abused But if this were neuer thought on of so great a number of learned fathers is it matter enough for men to make conscience in so small trifles Zenon bishop of Gaza called of many the eye or glorie of those dayes built a temple called of Sozomenus Oratorium and the patterne thereof was taken from those churches that were in vse then it was allowed Many yeres if so it had pleased God it might haue stood yea euen till this day for ought that I can see against it But they will not come to the temples in some places or not willingly for that they wer dedicated to saincts Was that in Basill buylt at Edessa vnto sainct Thomas euer the worse for that it bore his name Is the water the worse that an euill man holdeth the golde impure that the sinner toucheth or the vessell cupp of more corruption that the Papist buyeth I dare not say it For if the beléeuing man shal clense euen those things that are filthie then Christians may allowe of these things wherein there is no shame to vse them I aske a question iudge thereof thy selfe Is it lawfull if a man were in Constantinople or nowe in Rome to worship in the temple or not to this when it is aunswered I will saye something I haue often saide that this is not a volume to approue and confirme euery particuler thing by large discoursing thereon but as content to runne them oner and at more leisure if things be not reformed to intreat thereof more copiously There is yet another thing that presseth sore and deateth downe to the grounde a great cause that men come not to the temple I can not tell what nature it hath or howe lothsome it is in the looke but men runne from it verie spéedily and it is pittie and the Lord knoweth howe gréeuous it is in his sight that such as haue béene very zealous furtherers of the Gospell shall withdraw them selues from church from seruice from obeying from duetie and that for a surplesse When I purposed to write of prayer I determined not God knoweth to sitt mée downe to checke any man but as one that hath had triall of these abuses I am by priuate duetie inforced to looke vppon them For of late neither as yet so long since is it that these lettes were knowen among men But who waying the condition and state of people in those dayes and casting his eyes to sée them nowe will not lament to see howe their consciences and mindes be alienated from that they were priuately vse priuate prayer and publiquely do come to none and against their owne consciences offende often rather then to incurre the breach of lawe once I speake it as agast by the small conference of time and perusing of the stories which I easely acknowledge in my selfe Yet as one to whome God hath giuen a little taste I do not thinke conuenient that what colde affection soeuer I haue vnto Religion or what zeale it be that I beare vnto the Gospell ought in mee or any other to be quenched for so small a trifle The Sabboth is broken the churche is not frequented obedience is not giuen Magistracie is not knowen the worde of God is not heard the Sacramentes be not receiued vnitie of the church broken peace concorde and amitie is not thought on all order and custome is spurned vnder foote and all is for a Surplesse I aske a question againe and when that is set downe I dare say more Can the libertie which we haue in Christ and the bondage from whence we are deliuered by the Gospell beare it or no This may suffice for this time I stay here For it seemeth not to mee sufficient that the benefite which is given vnto euery countrie for their custome should be restrayned and kept backe because of the mindes of diuers men that be therein Otherwise I may reason that Papists and Athistes whereof I am in doubt some be in the churche may be an occasion that whereas they be not pleased in their consciences the right course may not be taken to the Gospell And though there bée weake and there be strong there is the Papistes that delighteth in the vse of the Surplesse and hope for a day yet of what force is this Argumēt The Church must yeeld to their affections and they shal bee as Elders to dipese their rittes pertayning to the Churche But diuers bee offended I know it and I lamente it Yet what then This reason of the people it abideth not the fier for as well is the consideration of my duty and the cause of their offence to bee searched and the proofe of Antichristianite to bée wayed and the detestation whyther it bee iust or no considered and their hartes whyther they ought too bée touched and their consciences offended and this our communicating with Idolatry falsely so termed duely examined béefore wée relente to the infirmities of other And as they bée but wordes and presumptions grounded vpon other mennes weakenes so when the argument is made stronge it wilbée leauyed This is that I stand on can any man offended herewith by that vayle is layde beefore his eyes haue a sufficient warrant to refuse the woord the Sacraments the Temple and for such a trifle Then this is that I sée which came hereof that many before perswaded well of these rites haue new by a sinister opinion of late driuen into their heads altogeather abandoned the truth So that to trye this whyther it bee lawfull or not some other way must bée taken to disprooue it For this wythereth at the Sunne and the mindes of men bée as the Smoake that thorowly perswaded therof relent agayne at so homly an argument I leaue it therfore and I take in hand an other matter sumwhat more waighty then that of the people and that is whyther or no wée ought to repaire vnto publique prayer and what occations may withdraw vs But for the our meetings is commonly referred vnto one day which is the Sabboth albée it extraordinarely wée may haue seuerall comminges togeather on other dayes to serue God Yet in the holy day I include all And this it is which is sayde to bee the seuenth daye that God blessed when hee finished his worke and the Tabernacle of the Heauens where he sitteth The kéeping whereof wil be better considered when
lay not thy infirmities abrode and vncouer not thy nakednes before the Lord God when thou enterest into his seate and iudgest presumptuously in thine owne eyes then looke about and beware For of a trueth he hath the lawe and the Scepter and he hath the sworde to destroy thée Remember Dauid his supplication vnto the Lord. O thinke vpon thy tender mercie and louing kindnesse for they haue béene for euer Remember not the sinnes of my youth nor my rebellions but according to thy kindnesse remember thou mée for thy goodnes sake O Lorde I thinke Dauid indifferently smyteth vs vnto the quicke and he that shall turne him selfe to sée the manners of our time will thinke there is scarce a God vppon the earth to sée what glorie he suffereth in the vngodly men and to sée howe the head of the iust is couered with reproches But as the beautie of the Sunne till the cloude ouershadowe it and as is the Palme trée till the frost nippeth it as the blossome of the Peache till the winde alter it so is the beautie of the wicked til the Lord cōsumeth him For if God enter into iudgement what flesh shall bee iustefied in his sight For euen this confessed Daniel in that hee and other of the Church presented not their supplications before God for their owne rightuousnes but for his owne mercy sake foreseeing that wee of Adam are by nature the Children of death to what ende shall wee striue with God whose spirite hath not alwayes striued with vs For he knew that wee were but flesh and that vayne were the cogitacions and thoughtes of man from his youth Then let this bee our first way to prepare our selues to goe to prayer that wee take vnto vs humilite and debase our selues before the Lorde The second kinde of seruice or duety wee owe and rightly to come vnto prayer is this that wee bee not gilty of that in Esay This people confesseth mee with their lippes but their hartes are far from mee Hee that is offender herein is not fitte to come vnto the Lorde namely to haue thy body at the Temple and thy presence at the Alter and thy harte at holme Can the Aethiopian be made white or the sōmer chaunge his course Can you gather Grapes of Thistles and Figges of Thornes wilt thou fetch Honye out of the Rocke and the Sunne beames from the duskishnes of the night or the Cristolet or the Saphir out of all quarters of the earth No more will hée his glorye from the wicked nor his loue and fauour from the vngodly nor ioy and Heauen from the dissembler nor his Christ and his owne presence will hee shew for euer vnto the Hypocrite I remember I spake hereof before yet it is necessary to touch it now that the iust measure of the man of God may appeare The third thinge or the preparation and pathway that wée may haue more assured entrance into praier is to bée of a faythfull and vpright conuersation and to bée steady in fayth If wee come vnto a Senate or before graue and auncient councellors wee repose some assuraunce of that wee come for in their hands and I knowe if it bée the price of Monye there is no man but speketh very cōstātly Then if we haue any thing to craue for of the Lord it behooueth vs to tread our steps aright to lay the forme of our wordes duelye and the manner of our speeche that wée lispe not and thy thoughtes and cogitacions that thou wauer not before his Maiesty For if thy minde be not setled and thy dealings dispised and thou thy selfe strengthned that thou shiuer not it is in hazard but that thy whole request perisheth And to say the truth how can wee call on him on whom wée beleeue not Goe wée vnto the Mariner and the Seafaring man and to no ende or thinke wée then to bée drowned Doo wée run vnto the Phisition or wayte wée for poyson will the Lawier take his fee for nothinge or can wée bow our selues before our God as if wee were at Beersheba or at Dan or at the Idolles of Samaria to retourne agayne without aunswer then vnhappy truely were our case but euen for this doo we come before the Lord to wipe away the teares from our eyes and the burthen from our shoulders and that hee would accepte our fayth For hee that beléeueth in him hee shall not perishe but haue life And vnto this ende are we called that we might bee heires of eternall saluation accordinge to hope Titus 3. Therfore Ieames hee that prayeth let him pray in fayth not doubtinge for hee that wauereth is like vnto the leapinges of the Sea that is turned and walowed in the winde and let not that man thinke that he shall haue any thing from the Lorde that asketh not stedfastly It was well sayde of the Apostle Lorde increase our sayth and agayne helpe or vnbeleefe for it is very hard for flesh and blood to aske so faythfully but that he wil be still in a mammoringe To the end then that wee may appeare before him clothed with rightuousnes and our garmēts bee spanged with sinseritie and truth that we may know to pray faythfully to obey steadely to trust in him obediently I will drawe out the Image of a perfecte and vpright Christian and lay open the tokens and signes of an Infidell There is for so I sinde in the writers fiue kindes or maner of fayth which I doo professe that I haue red also in the booke of God. 1. An Historicall or Ethnicke like 2. A deade fayth that is good for nought 3. A fayth of miracles cōmon to the wicked 4. A temporall fayth which is but for a time 5. A iustifiyng fayth which remayneth euer AN Historical faith such a one as is of the Ethnick when there shal be no difference made of the Heauenly and the Eternall God than is of the Infidell to an Idoll of a Panime to his counterfet and halowed Saincte or the Gentil to his Saturne or the Turke to his Mahomet And this manner of Religion it is in all those that be on the face of the earth for the Heauens declare the glory of God the Firmament his handy worke and very nature shewed to the Heathen that there was one that satte aboue that spred abroad the face of the Heauens as a coueringe and called the Sunne at his pleasure and renued the course of the yéeres Cleanthe◠in Seneca cryed out Duc me summe pater altique dominator poli that excellent verse in Peter Martirre borowed of the Poet Homer can testefie the same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aristotle had Ens entium in his lips as for any thing els hee knew not It is a common thing among the nations to confesse a God as for ought els they know not Otherwise as I finde it in Arnobius the Persians would neuer ioyne themselues with their Mothers Nor
thrones their dominions their Empires or sought their owne glorie made an entraunce ready gate to set vp and establish the sincerity puritie of religion Therefore Christe of him selfe testifieth I séeke not mine one name but my fathers that seÌ„t mée â–ª I haue glorified thee among men and I will glorifie thee againe For if he be our father where is our honor Will the childe acknowledge his parents the wild and sauage beast giue place to them that nourish her succeadeth the fire the heauens in his place and the fire the ayre and she ayre the water and the water the earth and the earth vs shall not we acknowledge and reuerence the Lorde of Hostes who dwelleth betwixt the Cherubynnes and ought to be worshipped of all nations vnder heauen Cyprian hath giuen as touching this firste point hallowed be thy name in mine opinion a verie good reason For saith he wée craue not that God should be sanctified in our prayers who is alwayes holye but that his name sanctified in vs wée might be made perfecte and holy in him Thus I also finde it in the booke of God in that place Be thou holie because I am holy Then our prayer is that being sanctified cleansed made perfect in the Lorde we may be holie and good perseuere therein For this cause Paulinus in the fifth age of the Churche when he liued called our Baptisteries places of restoring againe of man meaning thereby as I do gesse that we ought to rise froÌ„ sinne and liue to life mortifying and beating downe the lustes of the fleshe and as wee shoulde sanctifie the name of the Lorde so we ought in our conuersation and in our walking before him to bee againe sanctified that is walke as holy before him For as the water in the fifth of Iohn did neuer clense make perfect but when the Angell moued it No more is man renued and altered but when the Spirite sanctifieth him And as Sara was not by nature but by promise made a mother and bare a childe So are we holy not of our selues but of the Lorde Therefore we neede daily sanctifiyng and seeing that wee sinne and fall so often wee must rise and be reared vp in Christ in renouation and sanctification of the spirit For this is our sanctification in Paule that we be no fornicatours no worshipers of Idols no adulterers no light persons no folowers of wemen not théeues not deceiuers not haters not drunkardes and these sometime we were but we are washed but wee are iustified but wee are sanctified in the name of our Lorde Iesus Christe Master Gualter vppon this place hath an especiall note as touching this hallowed or sanctified be thy name neyther wil I blame him here in consideration the superstition of the world is so great who begyled in the vanitie of their thoughts are not able or else will not iudge aright of the will of the Lorde He findeth greate faulte for that men take an occasion from the name of God as though the bare rehersall thereof had vertue in it to doe wounders signes and miracles in the earth And of truth that wherewith M. Gualter found fault is so common in the worlde that as euery one is holyest and wil be counted godlyest so is hée in this life peruersist I wish that of Cyris were setled in the mindes of men that beefore they iudge of any thinge in the Booke of God they would consider thrée things the time the person and the matter that is handled which if they were duely wayed it would bee a cause good enough that men should not stray as they do in the iudging of the Scriptures For as out of this place is grounded this error that if wée recken vp the bare name of the Lord it is sufficient for vs if we say sanctified be his name it is enough vnto saluation therfore the commoÌ„ sorte of people repeate and vtter these wordes of Christe but they consider no more and so think that by saying of the same they haue discharged their duetie but this it is grosse and pernitious it sauoureth of the flesh alone that is sluggishe and heauie tired if it take any paines in searching out the wil of God For not euery one the saith Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heauen but be that knoweth the will of my father doeth it This is the onely cause that the heretikes haue erred so grossely heretofore â— haue taken the bare wordes not the meaning of the spirit Therefore to take away all occasion of falshoâ— which is gathered froÌ„ the name of God I save this The name of God in Scriptures doth signify euery thing which is proper vnto him wherby his heaueÌ„ly diuine nature or his works glory appeareth As in Dauid thy name O Lord thy praise endureth for euer it extendeth and reacheth to the ends coastes of the world and againe praise him al you people blesse you the name of the Lorde Iunilius writting against heretickes reckeneth according to the Hebrewes computation eight especiall names giuen vnto God which bee these first God then Lorde also Lorde and God together or else almightie or sufficient or omnipotent or our piller and stay or God of hosts or a iudge and searcher The He rew I haue lefte out for I thinke it not coÌ„uenient the rehersall nowe these onely significations be they that are presented vnto vs and by these names is he called in the scriptures especially by Abraham when he apeared vnto him and then when he spake to Moses Exod. 3.6 Exod. 15. Psalme 86. And the Grecians call him a secret sercher or pearser of all thinges and a sister of our thoughts Wher vnto Peter Martyr Musculus haue in diuers places alluded and maister Gualter semeth to touch the verie same vpon the exposition of the name of god Here vnto I adioyn put those same glorious titles giueÌ„ vnto him by Moses when he desired he might see and looke vppon the Lord god Exod. 34. For then when he passed by in the cloude when Moses was put into a clifte of the rocke and God had put â—â—s hand before him and Moses sawe his backe parts alone he cried out lord God mercifull and liberall â—â—ntle and pitiful of infinite goodnesse and trueth keeping thy goodnesse for thousanâ—s forgiuing iniquitie and transgressioÌ„s and sinnes leauing not vngodlines vnpunished but visiting the sinnes of their fathers in 〈◊〉 sonnes and sonnes sonnes vppon such as feare not him and kéepe not his commaundements This other such like places of scripture do open and shew vnto vs the incomprehencible Godhead of the Lorde which onely is seene in his workes his creation and his creatures and by the same commaunded in this place to exalte magnifie and blesse his name The wicked take occasion as I shewed you before to call on his name verie often and thinke they doe
sanctifie it when they name it but it is not so For Moses did not speede the better for his calling on God or for his stretching out of his armes or for thy squeaking out on the name of the Lorde when he commaunded in his name that life should departe the Grashoppers runne away out of Aegypt but in acknowledging his might and his power and his greatnesse that was able to doe it and bring it to passe and by faith he did accomplish it So we thinke in this sole speach vttered halowed be thy name there is no commoditie commeth to vs But in remembring what we be and desiring by all meanes with our might with strength with our power to blesse it and set it forth in that is our obedience and prayer knowe Elyas called on the name of God and fire came downe from heauen and consumed the water the stickes and the sacrifice And Ieremy in the name of the Lorde foretolde their captiuitie into Babilon And Micheas in the name of God prophesied of the ouerthrowe of Ahad And yet by rehearsing the name of the Lorde did they not this but by faith thorowe the spirite In like maner we by asking or demaunding or â—rauing though it be in his name if it be not by faith it is nothing The reason hereof is vse his name and in â—â—are and in skill aâ—â— as he biddeth it helpeth thée Abuse his Godhead and turne it to thy pleasure and racke his libertie to thâ— commoditie and he consumeth thée Then in this place sanctified be thy name is nothing els mente then his glorie the knowledge of him the true vnderstaÌ„ding of his maiestie the debasing of our selues and the glorifying of the Lorde our god This was the onely cause that Moses and Aaron did not sée the lande of promise neitheir entered into Canaan For they did not sanctifie the Lorde at the waters of striefe That is magnifie and extol their God and that ought to haue glorified him who in that distresse wherein they were was able to haue helped theÌ„ if they had called on his name Hallowing that is making holy or holying and sanctifiying doth signifie any thing that is consecrated or giuen or seuered froÌ„ man vnto God and is only proper to the Lord to his seruice to the worship of his name I take this worde to proceede from the Hebrewes that in their spéech called it a gifte as it were presented to god It came of the ceremonie which was vsed in Israel who as any thing was holy and consecrated to the Lorde vsed to lay their handes thereon singnifying that that thing they gaue they willingly gaue it to the lord So Iacob blessing Ephraim and Manasses laide his handes vpon them and blessed them or put them a part from other vnto god In the same signification they laid their handes on their sacrifices as being holy to the Lorde and pastors and Deacons kept this order in the church and so did Paul and layed his handes vpon them deliuering them vp or putting them in minde of their duetie that ought to be holy and vpright before the Lorde In that sert we do make holy or sanctifie the name of the Lords our God in that it is onely he to whome we giue holinesse and sanctification and reuerence hemage a boue the rest and doe confesse none to be like him Here it commeth to passe that we call those which be the Lordes Saincts that is holy as comming from one that is holy which is the Lord god For an those that are begrymed and sweltered in claye or sayde to be claylike and of blacke blacke men so from him that is holiest are we holy Gualter out of Cratilas in Plato as I take it hath properly deriued this worde and calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not earthly of the priuatiue α and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is without the earth As then being worthy of the names of sainctes when we haue forsaken the enormities of the flesh of the earth which is of those that beinge heare are earthly But paraduenture ouer farre in this and easely knowen from whence I came euen from the earth that sauoureth so much of these grosse and crooked speaches yet as content w my portion I cannot be ashamed to power foorthe my harde and crabby talke seeing so greate strife in others to be nice and in their finesse and puritie of tongue could to this day in my iudgement vse none I aske at your handes this a lone to suffer me patiently to speake vnto rudelinges euen them of the countrye where nowe I am If not but you will snoffle at it and enuie my small skill truely I giue you warning to chaunge your mindes for euen you with all your eloquence shall neuer perswade me to giue ouer And as one vnaquainted with so dainty eares I returne againe to the earth from whence I went more exquisite more delicate and the gorgeous stuffe I leaue to you In this place by this worde sanctifying or halowed I vnderstande to estéeme or thinke as holy to honour and celebrate and to call on the name of one eternall God which is holye and in this sence God doth vse these words in Ezechiel I wil be magnified and I wil be satisfied I wil be knowen in the eyes of the nations and they shall knowe that I am the Lorde Ezech. 38.23 and Esaie shewed the same verie effectuall The Lorde hath opened or made his arme naked in the sight of the Gentiles and all the ends of the earth shal sée the saluation of our god Esay 52.10 For in that the name of God is holy and reuerent verie holinesse and sanctitie it selfe therfore are we commaunded to hallowe it But because he is not knowen of all and the mindes of men are cloyed and worne with superstition Idolatrie Blasphemie incantation execration periurie therefore is it that in prayer we praye that glorie may bee geuen vnto him homage ductie feare and reuerence that all may honour him praise him and laude him For this cause I haue set you downe a perfecte rule and square to directe our life and conuersation withall and to vnderstande howe God is knowen which is partely in our creation partely in our redemption partly in our iustification that the Lorde God may bee knowen vppon the earth his sonne Christ among men and the spirite that gouerneth directeth the heartes of all fleshe Theodoret in that place where he sheweth what God is maketh this sanctification or holines a name that doth appertain to the Trinitie for the none els by nature are Gods but they his opinion is that Lorde and God appertaine to the thrée seuerall persons but our Lorde God is to be honoured or sanctified so that in one God the Father the Sonne and the holie Ghost ar to be sanctified Eucherius vppon the Kinges sheweth the wisedome of the Lorde God which doth wonders and
signes and miracles without any slothe or staying but euen spéedely at his woorde not saith hee with many trifling circumstances but in his wisedome at his pleasure Howe glorious a God then is he and worthie to be magnified Therefore Crisostom to Philemon When God did not stande in néede of our helpe he created made vs of nothing For when he had made euery thing then made he man what reuerence then can we giue to our God more then sanctifie him shewe his power among men Primatius on the Romanes atributeth mercie iustice goodnes peace with all other good giftes vnto the Lord and to this end he doth it euen to pluck downe debase man to exalt and sanctifie the name of god Augustine is verie excellent in his meditations hee giueth vnto God these titles Great mightie omnipotent eternall pittifull long suffering righteous that hydeth many things knoweth all things Only strong onely present onely of force and of strength vncomprehensible seeinge all thinges iudginge all thinges vuchanngable yet chaunging and altering all other immortall infinite whom no man can attayne vnto Immoouable yet moouinge and turninge all vnsearchable yet searching all feareful and fearing all yet neuer feared that is aunciaunt and olde and gray headed for hée was euer not altered for hée is the same that bringeth all to age and continueth alwayes workinge and fashioninge and framinge and making and creating all yet alwayes quiet alwayes strong alwayes giuing neuer needing defending distributing nourishing profiting louinge ayding mainteining displeased yet pleased repenting not striking and consuming yet protecting fostering that is onely one and eternall and euerlasting and vnchangeable in his counsell I suppose that Augustine hath shewed vs howe to iudge of the Lorde howe to sanctifie him howe to glorifie him euen when we lay aside all that is in man and giue due honour reuerence feare and maiestie vnto him I will staye no longer in this place I procéede to that which followeth for I dare not stande in curious intermedling with the Lorde but I shewe yon briefely in what the Lorde is sanctified euen in all things that are vppon the earth whose excellencie if it haue any and glorie and goodnes commeth onely from God But in especial God is sanctified by these two workes and iust iudgements of his that happen in the worlde The firste is his righteousnesss and his iustice in the reuealing whereof euen by punishing the wicked and comforting them that bee his the Lorde God is chiefely glorified as in Pharao his ouerthrow in the read Sea with the destruction and ouerwhelming of his captaines horses and chariots that was a feare and astonishment to all nations The like in Sennacharib the Tirant of Assiria that ouerthrewe the Gods of the nations and blasphemed the trewe liuing God and perished he and his people by the hand of the Angell In no one thing is the Lorde so glorified as in this in shewing his rigour and sharpnesse to the infidels and nations and by sauing and protecting his people what glorious beautiful steppes had the daughter of Syon when Iuda was brought out of captiuitie and Hierusalem from thraldome bondage and the lame man went in the stréetes and the blinde could sée the Lorde and the Leapers were clensed and the bloudie Cyte was made a running spring and the standing poole a riuer of sweete water and when ioye and health was spreade abrode vpon the children of that wofull and desolate widow Sion when the Messias was come the Churche deliuered the Apostles called the Gentiles elected Herod eaten and deuoured with Lice the enimie of the Lorde and the Churche had quietnesse and the enimies were swallowed vp and glad tydings of the Gospel was preached on the face of the whole earth When the Lord permitted persecution vnder Nero Domitian Traian Dioclesian vntill Arcadius howe rose it againe triumphantly the Lorde God magnified in Asia in Aphrica in Europe and the heretikes beaten and suppressed downe by the worde of God. After that from Arcadius vnto Honorius vnto Theodotius the younger vnto Martian vntill Leo vntill Zeno. Howe worthie a passage had the power of the Gospell euen from Arrius and those heretikes that went before him vntill Pelagius and those heretikes which succeeded him I might cunne ouer the sixt age since Christ where albeit the countenance of the Lorde shined not so pleasantly as it did 〈◊〉 others yet the stories of Anastatius of Iustus of lusâ—mian of Iustin of Tâ—berius of Mauritius do testifie that the Lorde God gaue his Church an honourable conquest ouer the enimies of Christe But I let this â—ip and I returne thither from whence I went namely that this ought to be our petition our earnest sute and desire vnto the lord that he would not permit his name to be blasphemed and prophaned among the nations but in his mercie he would giue vs of his grace and in his iustice strike and punishe those that be his aduersaries that all men may knowe him and adore his name and that he may be feared and honoured among all After this manner be the godly brought speaking as it were in their owne persons Not vnto vs O Lorde not vnto vs but vnto thy name giue thy praise for thy goodnesse and for the truethes sake And againe in pittifull sorte do the Sainctes complaine by Dauid when the heathen cryed out where is their God And againe Powre foorth thy wrathe and indignation vppon the heathen which know thée not and vppon the kingdomes which call not on thy name And againe in Ioell Help vs O Lord of our strength eueÌ„ for thy glorâ—e for thy names sake Let the reuenge of the bloud of thy Saincts powred forth be openly shewed among the nations Yet herein is héede to be taken namely that priuate grâ—dge prinate malice make vs not to burst out into these exclamations but that it be done in the zeale of the Lord. The seconde kinde or manner of his power wherein he is sanctified his name glorified and he praised among the children of men is his infinite merâ—ic and goodnesse that is extended from generation to generation euen vnto thousand shousandes of such as feare him and kéepe his commaundements and were it not for the Lord of hostes for his great mercie that in Esay shoulde â—e fulfilled that we were as Sodoma and become as outcastes in Gomorra the calamities that happened to Iuda in so oftâ— times changing their iudges that were falne so strangely yet recouered themselues againe so mightely in a shorte space are a witnesse vnto vs to testifite this Their transgressions vnder Samuel yet he deliuered them their falling in the time of Dauid yet he â—aued them their miserie and desperate case wherein they faltered vnder Salomon yet he protected them vnder Ahab yet he defended them vnder the residewe of his successours yet did he not deface them so that his iustice to
punishe them his iudgmentes to tame them his wraith and his furie to consume them And his mercie to incourage them his righteousnesse to helpe them his clemencie to hold them and his goodnesse for to ransome them be the greatest and the mightiest woorkes of the Lorde wherein hee is glorified Yet in none so much as in this that they which went before vs and we whiche followe nowe that be aliue are in his mercie and goodnesse saued in one Iesus Christ that being deade are made aliue being falâ—en from grace are raised vp in a gratiouâ— Lord and swalowed vp with iniquitie are made new treatures and a perfect workemanshippe vnto God our father Thelassius hereon in his Hecatondate the seconde properly toucheth this Thou art frée saith he and called vnto libertie in Christ by grace giue not thy selfe then vnto the pleasure of the flest for euen in this benefite is wrought the worke of our saluation which is that we be true vprighte and perfect that by vs in our works the name of God may be glorified For euen in this is the worde euil spoken of in that we be followers of the flesh for this the name of God is dishonoured among the Gentiles Then to the end this parte for I see that I am ouer reached by the houre nothing on earth both set out his glorie that made it somuch as this That he confoundeth his enimies wherby the Godly are comforted and his worde hath free passage and in his mercie forbeareth his saincts and at once consumeth not or in his wrath destroyeth not but patient loÌ„g sufferinge of great goodnes vseth all kind of clemencie to bring those his vnto him To conclude it is the onely ende and vse of this petition Halowed be thy name That if we shall see the whole world to be deuided and cut in sunder For the word of God then in our peticion the sects may be abolished falfe opinions defaced the truth established the Gospell confirmed to pray to our Lorde god Hallowed be thy name if we be snared with the intisemeÌ„ts of the flesh if glorie puffe vs if brauerie gallantnesse in the world do moue vs If concupisence sturre vs or impietie and vngodlynesse wrestle with vs No easier way can befounde to ouercome them then this Halowed be thy name The ritch man he forgetteth the Lord and is choked with the cares of this life hée scrapeth greadely he oppresseth vnbrotherly begileth vncharitablie dealeth with all men vniustly and liueth vnchristianly The aduouterer vnchastly the thaefe vntruely the extortioner by robbery the vserrer by pilferie or els if al the world should ioyn together in tyrranie it can no better way remedied bee more easely redressed or the word of God obeyed or thy life and wicked demeanour purged then by this prayer Halowed be thy name but let vs leaue this come to the next and it folweth Let thy Kingdome come OVR Lorde and sauiour Christ as tendering the health and safetie of man hath set downe a definitie certeine order of prayer to be vled Not to take away all other or the no man may or can pray but onely praying thus but to shew vs in espetiall that the glorie of God is first to be looked for his name promoted his aucthoritie established his Godhead magnified his kingdome inlarged that in all our petitions this aboue other things ought to be regarded to desire earnestly that the retrennesse of the flesh and beastlines thereof might be launched and the glorie of God his gospell his worde his kingdome ratified This is the seconde peticion or request that we make vnto God in our prayers For we desired at the first to be helped of him as of our father it is expedient that we shoulde not séeke our owne commoditie but the Lordes and it is knowen in that we aske newe Let thy kingdome come This kingdome it is net giuen to one onely but to all fleshe it is not of man or the power of man but of the Lorde for that wee bee weake it is giuen to strengthen vs because we be sorowfull it is giuen to comforte vs and knowing wée be ignorant he hath giuen it to instruct vs and for our better consolation this is that he teacheth vs Let thy kingdome come M. Gualter is of this opinion that for so much as sinne and iniquitie reigneth in vs therefore we pray that vngodlynesse may be expelled and wickednesse banished and the only kingdome of God knowen among vs Cyprian vpon the Lords prayer We pray saith he that the kingdome of glorie may come promised by Christ and bought by the bloud and death of Christ that we which reigned in the world may now againe be chaunged and reigne with Christe For so it is prepared of the Lord that such as be his shoulde be seauered from the Gods of this worlde and made a newe people to him his father so receiue as it is in Matthew the kingdome that was prepared for them from the beginning There is in this life two manner of regiments two kingdomes that be among vs one it is of God and of the Lorde and of his sonne Christ The other is of the prince of this world the ruler of the ayre that gouerneth the hearts of the wicked as in Peter And this coÌ„quest this victorie that he claymeth and the rule which he hath it came in by that vntimely fight which he had with our first father Adam who in the cumbat and battell whiche he had was seduced by the wilinesse of a poore woman you may easely knowe what force we be of that are ouercome by so weake creatures And from that time Sathan hath so preuailed with the sonnes of men that they haue haene slaues and Galeboyes to doe his worke and toyle in his carte euer since yet not so that he hath cleane swallowed vs taken the whole gouernement into his handes but in this respect said to reigne in that commonly he infecteth the kings of the earth and the most of the nations with the cup of his fornication That in iust iudgement and in ful desert for their manifould sinnes are permitted to be scourged and for their malice and ingratitude duely punished In whome the kingdome of Sathan is said to haue poure for that he gouerneth their déedes and their whole life neither suffered hee them to sée the light and puritie of the Gospel And this gouernemeÌ„t it hath stollen away and so bewitched the mindes of men that for the space of one thousande sire hundred fiftie sixe yeres the Lorde God saue onely in a poore family or nowe and then in some Seth or one Enoch was scarce knowen vppon the face of the earth for which cause the windowes of the heauen opened they powred downe rayne and consumed those of the earth And to so many thousandes as were there what was the Arke that it might be rompared therevnto
which had in it but eyght persons as a seueral people kept to God And in this place I haue drawn you out a shorte catalouge of the peruerse and crooked kingdome the dominion of the diuel by which you may knowe what wee are of our selues when God forsaketh vs and you shall vnderstande againe that the Lord euen in the midst of death can keepe vs that be of his Church vnto life I knowe the I haue to deale with a great number that if God would not cut off the presumptuous spéech would complaine with Esdras the he had forgotten Sion that his people had hanged vp their harpes by the riuer of Babell and wepte there yet could not be heard of god And if euer it appeared in blacke and mourning wéede then was the Church of God chéefely destitute voide of helpe when as Nemrod that mightie hunter grewe vp to so great strength and consumed the flocke and heritage of the Lorde This kingdome of Sathan it is enlarged especially by these three meanes the firste is in belying and defacing the trueth the woorde of God the seconde is in open wickednes the third is by sects scismes heresies to beat downe the Gospel An example of the first I cannot shew better then in him of whom we brag so much our first father what a lye was that he made vnto him to begyle him withall If you eat of this fruit you shal be Gods knowing good euil then take this in the meane time as God his glorie his kingdome his empire is enlarged by setting out the trueth so is the kingdom of the diuel by disceit After this sort he bewitched the Philosophers of olde he begyled the Gentiles and nations on the earth with fonde and fantasticall illusions taken frō the Sunne the Moone and the other creatures whō they worshipped The beginning of the Kinge of Babylon and of Assiria after the floode 131. yeare testifie the same euen from Nemrod before named called of M. Bullinger and of the Poets Saturnus how great blindnesse and filthie superstition incroched on the earth euen that blessed nation whome God hath nowe mightily prospered the Germanes frō whence I knowe not whether any more heauenly or more wise or better learned or greater number to set out the glorie of the Lord and his Christ hath risen out of any place or nation or countrie vnder the Sunne then hath from them Yet these came out of the loynes of that beastly Monarcha and liued a long time in Idolatrie For take a viewe of their predccessours frō whence they came and iudge whether God hath blessed them or no that when they were wilde grapes good for nothing hath graffed them againe vppon a newe stocke and they bring foorth verie plentifull fruite For consider all and the power of God which wrought it Howe sprang vp Idolatrie when Ninus sonne to Nemrod otherwise of the Poets Iupiter Belus began to reigne Hee erected a temple to his father and to his mother Iuno and to Rhea his mothers mother and be was the chiefe author of idolatrie euen the moste grosse and beastliest that I finde among men Him did Semiramis a Paragon and his mother and an Amazon as filthie wicked as her sonne succede in the Empire Only in an out corner about Mesopotamia and in other pettie viliages was God knowen I touche this age For that it pleased God to suffer Sathan to build him a throne a kingdome among men in those dayes especially which was the foundation and Piller of all vntrueth vntill this day For nowe began the Aegyptians to bud vp that vntoward generation whose name deserueth to be hated for that all our toyes and inuentions in hidden and vnknowen artes began with them And the diuell to establishe and ratisie his dourine began in Aegypt the fiftéenth yere of Nemrod which was of Noe the 745. of the world 1801. yeres Then began Mizraim so called in their language his tyranny this is he called of the Histeriographers Oceanus that made great broyles in the Church and confirmed his wickednesse with bloude But it is true that is in Salomon The Lorde that sitteth in his seate doth wipe away all euill And againe the wise King doth scatter the wicked and bring a mischiefe vppon them And therefore this buylding of Sathan it lasted not long but was broken downe euen the chéefe walles thereof when hee suffered Abraham to soiourne among them For his posteritie sufferes many troubles and diuers calamities and were oppressed many yeres yet in the ende the Lorde God was magnified his name was praised and his Maiestie séene his people had a glorious day of them when Pharooth and his horsemen and his Chariots were ouerwhelmed and drowned in the deapth of the Seas Therefore in my iudgement this is a worthy and moste excellent prayer that the olde reliques of the auncient building may be defaced and to desire the Lorde that his kingdome may bee increased and superstition and falshod sowed and setled in the hearts of men rooted out and the puritie of the Gospel may take holde and veritie and religion shine among vs For it is the olde custome of Sathan to begyle vs as auncient as the Aegyptians be and the Caldees the Hebrewes so is his pollicie and his wilinesse of many yeres and long time greater continuance then our late and miserable dayes be able to resist if we were assaulted with the like For which cause séeing superstition hath heretofore ouerflowed the face of the whole earth from the beginning might haue continued vntill our latter times had not the Lorde God in his sonne Chrisie looked on vs For that Mahomet and the Turke haue their dominion and glorious titles to be made Gods aboue all that be in earth and his neighbour his nexte rempanion hath nowe a long season set him selfe in his chaire of state and Imperiall throne and hath made al the princes of the earth drunken with his venomous eup for that wée our selues bee a gazing stocke almoste to the whole worlde and the eyes of euery kingdome and nation cast vppon vs for that peace and quietnes the true light of the Gospel was neuer set out in his perfecte colour as it is at this day with vs and for that if vnthankfulnesse continue and lothsomnesse take vs we are at a venture that God will depriue vs of his benefites Considering the brickle state and distresse wherein we be no greater consolation in my iudgement may or can happen to vs nor worthier blessing light on vs or more earnest supplication moued by vs then that he would promete his glorie sanctifie his name defend his church establishe his kingdom roote out the posteritie of Sathan suffer his peace to be among vs. The second shift and pollicie that hee hath to erect his owne glorie and set vp his kingdome is by open sinne manifest
breach of the word of God whether it be in Idolaâ—rie or murther or whoordom or incest or sorcerie or theft or in any other kind of vngodlines whatsoeuer For what a victorie glorie hath he gotten when the children of Abraham the heires of his couenant do stide so far from the trueth as that they be a gazing stocke and eyesore to all other This impure and wicked spirite the author of sedition and father of all vntrueth by cogitations by cuill thoughts by deuises by euil pretences by lustes by concupiscence first moueth them then by breath of the worde by malice by begiling by deceipt by intisement by incouraging to all cuill in the ende consumeth them And here créepeth in his last most deceiuable â—â—ite that incenseth and inflameth euen the brightest and the glorious starres with his rancor and pride And so puffeth them vp with vaine conceite by his weapons which he giueth them sectes scismes heresies fonde illusions they commonly drayle with them most good and exquisite pillers of the Church For my owne parte if euer sathan displayed his pagiaunt and set abrode his insignes among men I am perswaded he hath don it very cunningly in these dayes For the word of God is troden vnder foote vnrighteousnesse hath almost the vpper hande the alters of God are broken downe the temple is pestered with monie chaungers euery one hath his religion euery one his God botherhoode is forsaken loue is forgotten trueth and equitie are banished into farre countries and faine to begge their breade contention is growen vp diuitions enmitie are creapte into our heartes some delight in one man others in another man Paul and Apollos and Clephas are so much talkte of that Christ and religion is neuer a whit thoughte of this building vp of the Sinagouge of sathan and despising the worde doth make our prayer of small effect no though we crie out day and night before the Lorde Let thy kingdome come Yet till these and such like bee amended thinges that bee amisse it preuaileth not Can the Rushe growe without myre or the grasse growe without water will the trée beare fruite with out moisture or canne the spider make her house or weaue her web without labour No more can the deuill without beguiling vs nor his workemen without intising vs nor his builders without molesting vs bring any good successe or passage to his kingdome and this deuise of Sathan hath been put in practise of late and I can testifie it for that great zeale which I haue séene and the small knowledge whiche men haue their religion in matters of no value their ignoraunce in thinges of great weight can ought derogate so much from the kingdome of God and of Christ as this It is an old barre and a croked péece of yron he hath laide in our way the best Smith that I know this day is not able to bring it to any fashion And laboure asmuch as you can therein yet will it neuer be brought to good passe that any one shoulde seuer the congregation plucke the Lorde Christ in péeses deuide his church bring in brawls contentions strife debat grudging without greate perill and ioperdie to the nocke and houshoulde of God And euen nowe we beginne as they in Asia did to striue for the passeouer and the holy day yet in this enimitie debate if euerie man would examine his priuate conscience and his dealings wherin he is blinded the great shew and faire face for the Surplesse and the Cope to countenaunce them wil neuer make recompence for the oppression and guile the vse whereof somuch shameth them But if that complaint so common nowe among vs were trewe yet there is little consideration of the kingdome of God when the apparell attyre that is worne in the church shall driue thée from it And it is not a sufficient cause for any of you all to crie out reformation and reformation Church men and Church men the Pope and the Pope yet I say not truely there is good cause to do so for if maners in men could be reformable and they that be about the offeringes of the Lord were sound agréeable no man in tongue threatening out vengeaunce against the Pope were founde in heart to dissemble popishly the arke of God it néeded not be caried into so priuate corners as it is neither woulde a greate number runne rather vnto priuate houses to serue there then refuse to come vp to Bethell to offer with the congregation But I saye vnto all in the Lorde and as from the Lorde If God when wée haue plentie of the worde and eate in full aboundance of the fatnesse of the Oliue doth for this our sinne take breade and the worde from vs too wée haue in our transgressions worthely deserued it the dayes are nowe so miserable that euery man maketh conscience of nothing euery base citchinboy must nowe play the Leuite and yet vnworthy to enter into the porche of the Lorde The people is as the priest the priest must giue place to the people that man that commeth not to please them is thought vnworthy to speake among them The Lorde end the troubles of his sainctes and vnfolde these deuises of the diuill that all flesh may sée his dealings speake well of the name of the Lord for till these thinges be amended and our holowe hartes better setled and our braules and debats ended the kingdome of God cannot be builded But to vndersrande this more fully Let thy kingdome come We haue to consider that as god hath permitted in his eternall counsell and limitted vnto vs whome he hath chosen a verie ordinarie way to come vnto him as he hath kept a certeine portion to himselfe as he hath giuen them strength and might to resist the deuill so he hath from all beginning in his secrete determination giuen a part company vnto Sathanas vnto vs that be his he hath squared out a pathway and entrance to walke in euen thorough his sonne Christe in whome wee are reconciled in whose bloud we are washed in whome our glory appeareth our sanctification commeth his kingdome and dominion increaseth And this is our kingdome that God in his sonne Christ wrought and brought to passe before the foundation of the worlde that the heade of the serpent should be troden downe our deliueraunce bought that we might liue in obedience knowledge all our life of this kingdome ought these places to be vnderstoode opened before and prophesied of the kingdome of Christ and his regiment Psal 2. Psal. 47. Psal. 72. Esa. 9. Iere. 23. But most excellently and generally in the discourse of Daniel and his prophesie and it is alluded vnto by Paul. Colos 1. that chargeth vs to giue thankes to God the father which hath deliuered vs from the power of darkenesse and translated vs into the kingdome of his welbeloued sonne and this is it for which we pray Let
mountaines leaue there dwelling and runne a wrie in his displeasure Yet that man shoulde as a Lorde and king ouer these bée without a king and guide to rule him It pleaseth God I shoulde sée the maner of the world and of foolish people in my youth and glad I am thereof For if a man liue many yeres in them all reioyce yet shall he remember the day of darkenesse and in the end all whatsoeuer commeth is but vanitie But hee that knoweth the will of God and is led by it his ende is gladnesse and his yeares is glorie and honour shal be his portion for euer For as the cloudes drop in there season on the earth and as the trée doth fall towarde the South or as the North winde blustreth consumeth or as in the place the trée falleth there it lyeth So is it ordeined to man that according to his life he shoulde finde it when he commeth to accompt Who can measure the waues of the Sea by his Bucketts or who is he can shewe me the way of the spirite Howe doe the boanes growe And howe increase our Synewes Or what is the iust order of the bodie when thou liuest What is the secreate working in the womb when the infant striueth with his mother shee bursteth consumeth with Sorrowe All these be harde and the wisedome of al flesh cannot iudge hereof But the will of the Lorde who knoweth it Then happie is that man that hath vnderstanding and he is blessed of the Lord that hath wisedome his dayes are prolonged on earth the measureth his doings by the will of god For the husbandman soweth his séede but he knoweth not the gaine that will come vp thereof And the wayfaring man he taketh his iourney in the morning but he is not aware what wil be fall or night The craftes master he worketh and wearieth himselfe yet little doth he knowe who shall eate the labour of his handes And he that planteth buildeth cannot tell to whome his substance is prouided for Then if in these thinges that bee on earth the Lorde God is knowen as guider and directour of them all What saluation can we looke for What health can we wishe for What preseruation can we hope for But from the Lorde Is it then any meruaile if we pray Let thy will be done in earth as it is in heauen Two fortes of men I condempne here The first they that be emong them selues a seuerall house and churche from all other that be louelike of the housholde of faith with whome against the will of God there is thoughts cogitations euil pretences to mischiefe that thinke though they bee vile and lasciuious yet to bee accounted as holy and righteous and do thinke that they are led by the Spirite of God and cannot erre And though they will and wish nothing else then is wicked yet that all is done by the will of God. The seconde is against the Pelagians and againste free will men that giue saluation to their déedes and life vnto their workes and heauen vnto their owne will to haue frée power to choose or refuse to take it or forsake it being offered them to haue a minde to obey God and a will to serue the Lorde and readines to fulfill the commaundements of them selues and from no other Among whome this prayer is changed Thy will be fulfilled and their owne imaginations strengthened for their will is sufficient Let no man wounder at this For the place is not so inconuenient but that I may touche it And I wishe wee might not haue to do with them they bée so daungerous But as the winde that is in the East commeth néere vnto the Westerne parte and is scattered abroade through all coastes of the earth So am I afraide that our neighbours infected about vs with these heresies driuen to seeke their harbour dwelling in other places shoulde wander nowe too néere vs And vndoubtedly if this watcheworde be not sufficient to stay the course that is begon My little treatise heereof at this time shall rise hereafter to a greater volume The firste Heresie tooke his originall from Simon Magus the inchaunter hee that woulde haue bought the Holy ghost for money when he was baptized of Philip That did thinke it was no sinne to vse the company of all women indifferently This herctike thought also that he could not sinne And if any fault was committed that it was forgiuen him And lawfull to vse any company any vice any euill déede sinne and beastlinesse without exception And this herisie as I heare is blowen abroade and euen nowe renued not many myles from vs that it seemeth high time to confound them least they shoulde spreade abroade and infect others I séeke not curiously to knowe whome especially they followed For they sauour partly of Carpocrates that filthie and beastly liuer They take part of Prodicus that did prostitute him selfe to all maner of lasciuiousnes that was a defender of those that were called Adamites They haue a portion among the Donatistes that seuere them selues from the supper of the Lorde least they should be insected with others And Pelagius hath schooled them to thinke well of them selues and to haue saluation in their own wil. So that if they knewe not before I shewe them nowe I hope in time what father they had and from whence they had their beginning All whiche commeth from the enimie of all fleshe the father of lyes and Prince of this worlde that is ruler of the ayre the diuell and Sathanas This houshold of faith commonly called The familie of loue it was spread abroade in Germanie in the lowe countrye verie nigh about thrée hundred yeares past and renued of late within this fourtie yeares and hath continued vntill nowe If so that it had not pleased God the more to lighten them with his spirite that in time they should reuolt First they do thinke that he which is regenerated can sinne no more and that the Spirite will neuer leaue them for what grosse sinne soeuer and that they are deified The nexte that their bodies may as common ware bee solde to euery one to vse them alike Which grosse and pernicious errours I am forie I must close them vp in so short a roome But yet content at this present to kéepe a lowe sayle I will touche them briefely All fleshe doth sinne for man sinneth daily Some men I doubt not haue the spitite of God Then men hauing the Spirite of God sinne dayly I sometime woundered at the first entrance step I tooke vnto diuinitie to sée what ende was alotted vnto the sonnes of Adam I marueiled at the grace wée haue from god That though Lot was called good yet fell in drunkennesse and rose againe so spâ—edily by the Lorde And Abraham so well beloued and commended from heauen howe it came to passe that hee should prostitute
handes of God in his sonne Christe in whome onely I rise a perfect man to life eternal As for others if they thinke to get any thing by their labour let them bragge thereof when they haue gotten it For as the Carpinters of Noe when hee made the Arke so are these that made a house to saue some yet saued not them selues And they may glorifie the Lord in one or other their dooings Glorie in the beauens till they be changed shall they neuer haue Lactantius as I thinke of his milde and pleasaunt wordes he spake in his booke de Ira hath wiped away all the sleights of man as touching this question For Subiecta est peccato fragilitas carnis qua induti sumus The fragilitie of our flesh saith he is subiect prone to sin wherwithal we are clad In his booke Contra Gentes in his 13. Cap he hath confessed the very like that no man can be without sin during his above in the flesh Gregorius Nazianzen in his Oration so termed wher with all bee comforteth De patre tacente giueth it proper only to the Lorde God to bee without sinne In his Oration Infamatrice Agaynst Iulian the seconde as els where in many places setteth downe that God hath so ordeyned the no man on earth should bee without sinne And Ambrose bet down the same in his time that I stand on now And in his first Booke Chap 2 Quis est sayth bee qui mundum Cor a peccato habeat Aut non delinquat in Lingua sua Is there any man sayth Ambros that hath a cleane hart that is vnspotted and frée from sin Or that hath not offended in his toung Herunto it is alluded in the Scriptures where it is so often attributed vnto our satisfaction our clensing our washing our purginge or makingecleane our fréedome in Christe This suppressinge and beatinge downe of the insolency flaming a fresh in our age might in one Psalme 32. bée sufficiently raked out Wherin Dauid speaketh no one woord of iustification in vs But hee counteth that man happye whose iniquities bée forgiuen and whose sinnes bée couered hee accompteth him blessed to whom the Lorde imputeth no sinne In Esay the Lord him selfe speaketh where hee comforteth as it were his people Israell shewing it was only hee that did blot out their transgressions and of him selfe hee did it and hée would no more remember their iniquities Red ye neuer as yet that Parable in Math. Where the kingdome of Heauen is compared to one that is ritch and wealthy hauinge many debters amonge the rest hee had one that ought him ten thousand Talents when hee had not wherwith all to pay hée his wife and all that hée had should haue bin solde But thinke you if Christe had not taken compassion of him and for giuen him all his debt If hee had â—yeu by the héeles and fettered all the dayes of his life yet that hee coulde euer haue payde the vttermoste Farthing Verely as the womaÌ„ with the bloody Flixe spent hir substance and mended not so if wee touch not the hem of his garment and debase our selues litle it is wée can looke for at the hands of God. But now this is our comfort in all extremity that God hath commaunded vs to pray in the name of his Sonne Christe And this is the Irrefragable testimony of his goodwill that hée maketh vs sure of the remission of our sinnes For hée hath promised and hee fayleth vs not but so far as the Easte is from the West so far hath hee set our sinnes from vs. Thus mutch for the first note wée are all debters that is sinners offenders against the Lorde Not to discourage any man for God forbid but as willinge to lifte them vp as they bée to mount into the Heauens if they could so that it be discretly doone I haue adioyned a shorte Lesson borowed of M. Gualter in his Treatise on Luke Page 284. Hicergo obseruemus quoad nos peccata exmera gratuita mi fericordia remitti nullo nostrorum operum aut meritorum respectu quae in nobis prorsus nulla sunt In meaninge this It is only one Lorde that hath remitted vnto vs pardoned our sinnes without our desarte yet is hée rightuous neither is there any thing deminished in his iustice For that which was ours sin is wiped away and clensed in his blood And in due time according to his first purpose came he tooke our flesh vpon him and wiped away the curse and malediction was due to vs by his cure vpon the Crosse so that wée attayne our rightuousnes onely in the Lorde And as otherwayes you may know him Very swéet and comfortable is Lactantius in his 77. Booke cap. 1. The Aucthor of life and our rightuousnes which wée haue of God is only God him selfe Arnobius in lib. 2. Contra gentes saith that it was all alone one Bishoppe Iesus Christe that gaue Saluation to our soules and that could giue the spirit of Eternitye And Epiphanius in lib. 3. Tomo 20. hath thus Christ without his passion wrought not our redemption but in that bee dyed for vs and gaue him self vnto his father a full Sacrifice for our soules in his blood hee hath perfectly washed away our sinnes and hath rased out the handwrighting agaynst vs and nayled it to the Crosse Hilarye In his Trinitate second Booke sayth properly for this The Virgin that is Mary his birth and his bodye after that the crosse death and hell were a meanes to worke our saluation which tendeth to this That albeit our sinnes be manifolde and many in number yet are they al forgotten in Christ And to encourage vs the more he hath left vs a mean to attaine the same which is faith Of the death of Christ how did Esay Euangelize long before of that which appeared notwithstanding long after Surely he hath borne our infirmities car ryed our forrowes yet wé did iudge him as plagued and smitten of GOD and humbled But hee was wounded for our transgressions Hee was broken for our iniquities The chasticement of our peace was vppon him And with his stripes wee are healed All wée like sheepe haue gone astraye wee haue turned euery one to his owne way the Lorde hath layde vpon him the iniquitie of vs all And Peter hee him selfe hath set out as one that sawe and knew the Lorde The excellent and great mercie of God that are not redéemed with corruptible things as siluer Goolde by a vaine conuersation from our fathers but with the pretious bloude of Christ as of a Lainbe vndefiled and without spot Therfore in Titus he is said to haue giuen himselfe for vs that he might redeeme vs from all iniquitie purge vs to bee a peculier people vnto himselfe zealous of good workes And in one verse doubtlesse euen in Tymoth Is the full saluation of man set downe where according
nakednesse to the worlde If the reprobate shall haue iudgement in this life and in the world to come to astonish thée if that Ananias and Saphira were guiltie of theft and Sacraledge then when thy commission is good and thy warraunt sufficient and thou hast to deale also with such men I will allowe it Notwithstandinge amonge other reasons that I now remēber laid vnto mée by poore lay men though I perceiue they had good instructers that taught them so counningly yet one among them all in a redde Cappe and a black coate did vere me perlously For my owne part I was amazed and it was straunge to sée a poore fellowe brought vp at plough and cart withered and weather beaten and be shacked in his aray yet to reason so profoundely dost not knowe saith the same poore man that Thelias thwackt the prists of Ball and sklewe them at a Ponde and they were the foes of God and why shall not wee kill those that be hiks enimies Mary masse I trowe the one Skamuel sklewe Ahag hee would haue saide Agag and with that was verie angrye and Spineas he ment Pineas or plainly Phinees did skil a whore as knaue and he iks praysed by god I was afrayd then and rid away as well as I coulde I thought it time yet by his leaue for I am out of his pawes and I haue leasure enough I will aunswere it nowe For it tendeth heather that Elias did kill the pristes of Baal at the brooke of Kison at such time as they had cryed out Baal Baal héere vs c. The ignoraunce of men may appeare therin and true it is an euil scholemaster may easely mar a fine scholer for though these men spake roughly and had grimme talke yet by their trauelling it appeared to me they had a willing minde to atteine sumething And as I haue hearde for that in those quarters there be many Papists I did in verie déede suspect much But I let them alone and God almightie turne them and if these my few lynes may euer happen to come to their fingers I knowe I shall smarte for it Howe euer it be and wheresoeuer nowe they bée I will speake this to them briefly God was then dishonoured the space of many yeares by Ahab his parmission in suffering these Chemerimes those bloudie sacrificers in his common welth And Iesabel that infamous strompette had nourished the Priests of Baal in her house Nowe God beeing sore displeased would haue the Idolaters punished according to his lawe If there be founde in any Cities man or woman whiche the Lorde thy God giueth thée that hath wrought wickednesse in his sight and hath gone and serued other Gods worshipped them The Sunne the Moone c. Carrye him to the gates of the Citie and stone him with stones till hee dye Then that which Elyas did he was commaunded by the Lorde As touching Phineas the sonne of Eleazar the sonne of Aaron the Priest that slewe Zambry Cosby it is sayd that hée turned away the anger of God from the children of Israel in the hee was zealous for the Lord of Hoastes sake the is he did it not but by the singuler spirit of God that stirred him And for his obeisance rewarded him For his commendation remayneth in Dauid Then if hée would not bée pettish I would say some thing to this poore Cuntry man the would learn when Idolatry is come to the ful brimme and Magistracie and authority is contempted as Moses was and when thou art commaunded to hang their heades vp in the Sunne that offend the Lorde when God saith vnto thée do this he raiseth thée vp once again I say it is an offence if thou obay not But al these extraordinary examples the wicked men doo peruerte to their condempnation For they take it as done of themselues in the flesh that was commaunded them in spirit frō the lord And wher they accomplished the commaundement of their God to abolish and roote out sin They doo it in reuengement to their owne condempnation As for Samuell that slew Hagag that Heathnish and Idolatrous Prince that Amalechite whom God hated and abhorred and now commaunded to bée slaine For that hée layd wait for them as in the way vp frō Aegypt It was lawfully done For Samuell was a Magistrate and ruler in Israell and hée iudged Israell fortye yeares And ruled them in vprightnes integritée all his life against whom at his death Israel was not able to say ought or to charge him with any thing Then being the Magistrate hée had Aucthority to vse the sword and execute iudgment Which if I thought you wold deny as the Anabaptistes doo I then would take it an other way in hand But wearied my selfe and hauing euen now tryed you I let them alone for this time when occasion serueth and leasure permitteth and God graunteth vnto mée fitte oportunity I will more largely handle it For this time I cease And this it is my doctrine that I teach if thou or any man else shall take vppon thee the seat of the Lorde enter into iudgement condemne thy brother laye in waite for him take vp the swoorde presume to smyte or else any other way indammage him Thou arte guiltie of his blood and the Lorde will require it at thy handes The laste thing which I note herein Forgiue vs our debtes as wee forgiue our debters Is the agreement and vnitie that the Lorde requireth in vs all that offereth vs as it were our saluation in his Christe and inrolleth vs againe to bee duetifull and obedient to others This I woulde it were if so it séemed good vnto his Maiestie more common then it is lesse debate more loue woulde growe among vs For this cause as beinge one that meaneth wel vnto the famili◠of the Lorde and woulde right gladly hazarde that little whiche I haue to ioyne you all in one Christe Take this from mee as a poore testimonie of the loue I beare you Euen a golden chaine precious Emerode that I willingly do giue to linke you and couple you togeether in one Lorde And I giue it in the name of Christe of his church that euen nowe in Englande suffereth shipwracke goeth to decaye and more and more yet like to perish if we stay not on this Anchor and take not holde in his Christe The Perle or Emerolde it is Loue. The Chayne or Iewell is Trueth For if you do remember I protractured out a man not so long since that to my thinking though he was comely ynough in height stature and proportion and able to serue in the house of God yet I lefte him verie naked and to couer his shame I haue giuen him apparell in this place And vppon his rayment hee may hang the two former Iewels Loue Trueth only Let his Robes and his ornaments be Discretion His Pompe and his brauerie Hospitalitie His glorying and beautifying
haue from the Spirit 12. The Dores to enter at the worde and the Gospel 13. The Barres to stay this hee that gaue this God the Father 14. The knitting of all this togeather is Loue. 15. The keeping it froÌ„ shaking brotherly agreement 16. The force and strength therof one minde and one Iudgement 17. The glory and beauty therof Immortality 18. The ende of this building the glory of God. 19. The price and rewarde Life Not that which is terrestriall endureth a small time but an other euen that which is aboue when wée shall dwell with god The onely price of sutch as loue and feare his name vnfeignedly To whom that bée of his true Church the Lorde God sende his blessing and peace for euer that quietnes may bée to them of Israel and life for euermore Amen FINIS A Sermon made before the reuerend father in God John Bishop of London by I. Keltridge Preacher at his Mannor at Fulham before them of the Clergie at the making of Ministers in the yeare of our Lorde God. 1577. and novve set out in Printe It is thus written in the firste Epistle of Paull vnto Timoth. Chap. 3. vers 1. 1. It is a true saying if a man desire the office of a Bishop hee desireth a good worke 2. A Bishoppe therfore must bee vnreprouable the husbaÌ„d of one wife watching sober modest harberous apte to teache 3. Not giuen to Wine no striker not giuen to filthy lucre but gentill no fighter not couetous c. THéese wordes contayne thus mutch the rule and gouernemente and state of the Church The office the duty the function of a Bishop The state is preserued the gouernemeÌ„t established the authoritie reuerenced the Church setled where Bishoppes bée chosen that are blamelesse The common welth is racked the state impoâ—erished wise and gray headed fathers despised the word of God banished where Bishops are chosen that are shamcles If the rulers bée wise and discréet â—â—en if the order and frame conningly and truly set vp if the guidance be sincerely and purely drawne 〈◊〉 as also squared by the rule set downe in the Booke of God Then Bishops liue happely The common wealth quietly the state flourisheth most gloriously At this present as one of the poorest and meanest Leuites among Israel yet ordayned I hope in good time to serue in the Tabernacle of the Lord elected and chosen to se the Curtaines of our God and the hangings of the habitation of the Lorde of Hoastes dewely to be spreade before his seate As one desirous to sée that no Aliaunt shall touche the Arke of God nor any one vnclensed to approche his sanctuary I am bolde to enter in to sée the surneture thereof the glorie the apparell the sumpteousnesse of his Throne and to sée and for to knowe whether we bee apparelled as Aaron or deckt as Leuits or in manners Israelites or among the Prophets the sonnes of Prophets that the voice of the Lorde may sounde among vs. Foure especially vvaightie great encombraunces able to beate and vvaye him to the grounde lye on the necke of a Bishop His Vocation by Calling His Deutie by Function His Dignitie by office His Aucthoritie by Rule All which haue seuerally foure most excellent and goodly giftes kept vp as in their treasurehouse to furnish and store good men withall His calling hath foure pillers to staye on for hee must bee Vnrebucable subiect to no reproche blamelesse Not wanton not lasciuious husbande of one wife Painefull yet gainfull to bring to God euen watchfull By temperancie not by glottonie ruling them but modest His function requireth 4. garments to cloath him vvith His Robes his Iewels DiscretioÌ„ Grauitie His statelynes and his Brauerie Hospitalitiâ— His honouring and apparelling Instructing His cloth and garment lyned with abstinencie that he be no dronkarde or gluttonous person His office hath adioyned foure Sergeants to vvaite on him He must be no incrocher vpon any no fighter No scraper in of his gold by filthy lucre Lowly courteous gentle vnto all men No brawler no striuer no quareler with any man His aucthoritie and his rule commeth in that maketh an ende of all strife the mistresse Gouernesse to keepe the rest in avve By instructing by ordering beeing able to teach his housholde Liuing discretely warily vprightly abhorring couetousnes That can keep in subiectioÌ„ his own family in feare in reuerence That hee bee not a young scholler puft vp with pride but that he haue a good report of all All vvhich as they be in number xxii So for the greatnes of the matter the statelinesse of that I take in hand the skill and furniture that is required in him I seeke for I am in greate doubt the time vvill not suffer me to ransacke so much as the third gifte that ought to be in vs Prophets that I may go so farre as the vvorde of God leadeth me let vs ioyne in heartie and faithfull prayers together vnto the Lorde For the vvhole Church of God As a member and portion thereof this Church of England and Irelande c. THis place where as he speaketh of a Bishoppe is is not to be vnderstood so as that only he speaketh to him in aucthoritie called by Luke a Senior or as in Tytus 1. For this cause haue I left thée in Creata to set in order the residue that were left Or as Acts. 20. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But as Caluine thinketh In the bishop so called of Paul is ment euery one seuerally ioyntly in his function to whom the charge of soules is committed Therfore Pomeranus offitia sunt non dignitates Musculus Instruere noÌ„ regere Teaching them not fléesing them Bullenger Vocati non intrusi Chrisostome Ordinandos ad bonuÌ„ non deuorandos ad commodum elected to serue them not chosen to eate them Ambrose non ambitione pecuniae desiderio For men that come hastely to serue god in the ministerie take it for welth sake to liue securely then that al may be comptable vnto the Lorde and surrender a reason of religion I take it generally of all that Bishoppes that is those to whom cure and charge of soules is committed ought to haue those good gifts set downe by Paul in his youngling Timotheus Not to make any strife or to debate the matter as some haue done or therefore the I may séeme to take away aucthoritie from the Senior or gouernement from the Elder or preheminence from superiour or rule from him that sitteth in seate to guide others But as Paul in this of Timoth. to the saincts of Christ which be at Philippos together with Bishops and Deacons euen so say I to all those which be here Bishoppes Deacons Elders Seniors Ministers Preshiters is this same giueÌ„ in charge for none shal be excused but as touching that common cry hussing so much in the eares of many about them that bearâ— the sway in the Church this I say briefly I can
not finde any difference in the primatius Churche from ours but in the name alone for they bad Bishoppes and they also whome they called Elders and wee haue Ministers whiche they called Docters wee haue Instructours whiche they called Teachers we haue Rulers whom they called Seniors we haue Presbiters that were Pastours we haue other Dignities which they called Offices so the we haue as they had onely they suffer vs not to be as they were For that argument of Archaepoumenos It is not so pithy nor so strongly wrested as once I thought neither yet that of one head of one bodie for many Kings yet one King as haue béen many Bishops yet one Bishop as is Not many Kings as many heades to deuide one bodie but one heade to kéepe the kingdome of that same bodie Not many Bishops as subuerting them But one Bishop ouer Bishops to protect them Not diuers heades of one bodie to deuide them but one heade of diuers members to vpholde them so then our Bishops and their Bishops and in Iesus Christe one Bishop let vs nowe approach vnto his calling Two kind of wayes are wee called By the Lord by men ordinarely mediately strangely by the Lord God inwardly As Moses by the hand of the Lord by the flaming bush Leuy his Famely by the forecounsell of God Aaron seuered frō the congregation Elyas from among the residue of the Prophets Samuel from among the children of Ely Gad Nathan from the children of their Tribes with others A mong the nations also called he very straungely a great number Melchisedeck out of Aegypt from Mesopotamia Balaam from out of the mountaines and from the East Iob in the lande of Hus. Scibillae mutch spoken of among writers Ioseph in Aegypt Ionas in Niniui Daniel in Babilon Nehemias and Esdras among the Pertians all which were straungly and some of them extraordinarelie called by the Lord and this kinde of calling ceaseth and we take an other into our Church The second order of calling Ministers it is ordinarie 1 It is therefore put to the secreat workinge of the Spirite of the Lorde in the mindes of men 2 And to that which Paull saith here he that desireth a Bishoppricke desireth a good worke 3 And to the wisedome and discretion of him that chooseth them As when that the twelue called the brethren together charged them to choose out seuen men of honest report Act. 6. Like as Paul when he came to Derbe and had herde of Timotheus that had a good report of the brethren that were at Listra and Iconium Act. 16. That it may be verested of vs spokē of the Lord by Paul Barnabas that he had put them a part chosen them vnto a good worke Act. 13. where I finde no popular consent nor any acclamatiōs of the people as in Rome when they choosed Censors Dictators Tribunals Pretors and such like neither cast they as it were lotts or els gaue it vnto election of the multitude or els tyed to the congregation a lone but the likaunce was giuen to one Elder the choyse to him that was wise in the Church and hee that was chosen continued as their Ruler for euer That al things may be fully don their is adioyned the putting on of hands I take it that this custome came from the Hebrewes who as any thing was holy consecrated to the Lorde so they vsed to lay their hands thereon signifying that that thing they gaue they willingly gaue it vnto the lord So Iacob blessing Ephraim and Manasses laide his handes vppon their beads so did Christ lay his handes on the little babes that were brought vnto him In the same signification layed they handes on their sacrifices Therefore when they made choise of Docters Pastors Teachers Deacons they layed handes vpō them to shew◠that wee are not ours but the Lordes giuen and dedicated to the vse of his Church thus nowe haue we brought Dauid from the sheepefolde Ewes Amos hath no more to doe among his cattle Moses is called from Madian The Apostles haue not to deale with the Angle and the hooke and wee haue giuen Tymothe the first steppe into the ministerie his aucthoritie he hath to execute indgement power he hath to tel righteousnesse to the house of Iacob to bring Syon the hill of our God to knowe his ordinaunce He may now bouldly enter into the Sainctuarie called he is handes are laid vpon him and hee hath wished a good worke and let vs nowe knowe how he may performe it The 4. first as proppes and stayes to hold him vp that hanged vpon his calling are these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Blamelesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Husband of one wife 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 watchiug 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sober 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Among the wonders of the world this is one that in so long time so many yéeres so great space I haue neither read of neither hard of neither found out that Sonne of man that was blamelesse For there is none that do good no not one None can say that of Christe which you can accuse mée of sinne Very few can say that our Sauiour reported of Zacheus a perfecte Israelite in whom there is no guile Not many can say as Paull sayd when hée sente from Miletum for the Sages and Elders of Ephesus that hée was giltlesse of the blood of all Nor reporte with Samuell whose Oxe or whose Asse haue I pluckte from you Not now so great heapes of those that wish to bée wiped out of the Booke of life to saue Israel Nor with Paul to bée accursed as touching the flesh that hée might saue some at the day of the Lord few there be that offer vp as Iob did for their Sonnes or their daughters or redéeme if peraduenture they might the transgressions of their children who hath the commendation that Abraham had of God that he can saye he is an vpright man and will teache his children the wayes of the Lorde what man goeth nowe into the fieldes to praye with Isaak or remembreth with Israel the benefites he hath receiued or careth not for the wayes of Balaam or séeketh not the promotion of Aegypt and the substaunce of the Isles about him Who hath béene found of late worthie to be taken from of the earth to dwell with God Or thought méete to haue the Angels waite vppon them with their fiery Chariots Haue wée béene fed with Angels foode Hath the rocke béene broken in péeces to yelde vs water Haue wée tried the drought in the wildernesse the frostes in the fieldes the strength of the mightie the perill and ieopardy of red Seas who is there in time of néede aduentureth his life with Iudith That if Nathan speake repente him of his faulte that hardoneth not his harte with Ahab That striueth not with the Préestes of God Then as yet I knowe not or finde not that man that is blamelesse Who playeth not that
parte of Naboth that fatte Chuffe Who hideth them that are in perrill from the face of Iesabell Who is not ready to sacrifise to Peor Who renueth the decayed Sanctuary Who ronneth not with Vzias to the Arke Who hath not forsaken the Lord and forgotten his holy Hill Who reareth not vp Alters vnto Iupiter and giueth not ritch burnt offeringes to the Planets as yet then I â—â—ow not or finde not that man that is blameleâ—◠〈◊〉 there any filled with wisdome as is the flood of Phison with his Buckettes or like Tigris when the new fruictes are growinge that bringeth in plenteous vnderstanding as Euphrates and filleth it vp as Iordayne in the Haruest that casteth out wisdome as floods or as the Waterbrooke of the Riuer or as Dorix when it is at the full or as the water Conduicte out of the Garden of pleasure That deceyueth not in his tongue that beguileth not his Neighbour that speaketh truth to all thensure I haue not or find not that man which is blamelesse Hath not wisdome cryed out doth not vnderstanding put forth hir voice standeth shée not in the heigh places in the stréetes and wayes doth shée not crie in the whole Cittie in the Gates and no man heareth hir Who regardeth the yellinge of the poore afflicted soule Who causeth the Hedge and Vineyard of the Lordo to bee repaired who hath brought Golde Incence Frankensence Mirrhe to him deserued it who layeth not his hands with the Souldiers to kepe Christe still in the Graue the hée rise not what cause haue I then to question any more with Paull I may not I ought not I dare not I should not for it is vndoubted and without question I know not I finde not that man which is blamelesse Then let vs seeke a litle farther happelye wee may finde some man by the way or some one thinge that may bée doone by man and that hée may clime vnto therfore wée come to the seconde parte of this seconde diuition of trueth not so harde as the other yet not so easelye as it is taken for and it is this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Husbande of one Wife This it was put in because of the vnbeléeuing Bretheren that had diuers wiues in the law it was permitted and before the law Sobolis procreandae causa that the worlde might bee increased to haue many wiues Abraham had diuers wiues Iacob diuers Dauid married Abigail yet had hee two beside naye and more too Elcana was indifferent well wiued but hee had brawles enough with them and it went hard with Iacob wheÌ„ hée was bought and solde in the féelds with his Sonnes Mandragoras So vnlouingly these louelesse toyes causeth broyles in braineles loue I finde not in the conrse of all the Prophets that anye one of them broake the rule of the Lorde in this and if Monuments were searched which haue you of all Dianaes Préestes of Apollos shauelinges of those Romishe Flamines that haue not run vpon the sword vpon death vpon fier then they would once violate breake their chastety Of those that bée this day at the Altar of the Lord that poore out his Incence and offer at his Table how many is there whom the Gospell cryeth out vpon and these dayes hath spewed forth from of the face of the earth as vnworthy to abide in the tentes of Iacob for this villany A forte there be euen in the house of God fitter to sporte it with the Timbrell and the Pipe then to take in their handes the Booke of the Lorde Helyas looked vp to the Heauens and saw a blacke Clowde wherby hee iudged that rayne was comming to helpe Israel with all Is there none here of all the Prophets that will looke vp to the HeaueÌ„s to bring tidings to this people Surely it may bée doone and safely For if euer vengaunce approched nere vs and tempests and stormes fell on vs these are the dayes wherin the ayre is blacke and glowmy and full of thicke clowdes readye to powre forth rayne and throwe downe Hailestones to consume vs for the aduowtery and incestiousnes of vs the Cleargie what a number haue béene depriued of late what a number are suspected now I it was a a sore lesson I it was a good lesson I but it was a harde lesson 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gratianus that vile and filthy wretch with others that rabble forbad Mariage The Gretian Church and the Latine suffered it a long time Silitius setled established it in Spayne Gregory in Silitia and it was assayed in Germany But Augustanus Maguntius and Hildebrand disanulde it These dayes are so miserable that Concubines bée but common ware and men of conscience yet in these Marchaundrise will strayne their conscience Polygamos Digamos Trigamos Centigamos if so you will they spare them not at all so it be doon in the Closet I am perswaded before the Lorde and that among vs who be of the housholde of faith that Solomon his so greate a number of Concubines the royaltie and statelinesse of his princes are scarce able to serue the gréedinesse of some our English wan tons that bee amonge vs the Lorde cut them off and giue Micheas a bolde spirite to tel them of it Let vs come to the third part and sée what it is that followeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Watching A great charge it is that is giuen to the minister of the worde of God who as one to tender the care of his launched patient ought to be readie at all assayes to winde and folde vp the rawenesse thereof And this was it Christ said to the twelue get you and preache you And the fiftie hee sent foorth healing and teaching in his name also Christe in Iohn you shall beare witnesse of me In that last prayer the charge hee gaue vnto them he lifted vp his voice and saide sanctefie them O father in the trueth thy worde is the trueth as thou didest sende me into the worlde so do I sende them into the worlde and againe to Peter féede my shéepe and againe a good shéepeherd giueth his life for the shéepe and they here his voice and they are led by him Esay the Prophet threatneth out vengeance against them that liue securely and carelesly in their charge Woe be vnto Syon Wo be vnto Ierusalem Wo be vnto Ephraim and Woe vnto Manasses Her Priestes bee blinde ignoraunt euery one of them the are domme dogges that cannot barke looking after vaine and wanton things And this vice it is two common the Lorde knoweth among vs that are become continuall sléepers and lye downe in our lassiuiousnesse and belshe out in our talke most infamous blasphemy against the Lorde I here the voyces of good and wise men tinkling in my eares of the dissolute ministers in the country and that be abrode But let good men blushe let them that shoulde sée be blinded the Lorde wil one day take away this Vayle and vncouer their faces to sée better I sée it and
and in that hee sayth apte to teach None must bée fit to lay his hands vnto this plough that is not of sufficient force to rule it I would to God our ministers knew the way to put of their shooes when they come into the Temple or that they would singe an other song then that they chaunted and flong forth to those of Babylon Or dawbed not vp the walles of his Temple with vntempered Morter as now they doo Here how it is I know not it may happely bee better then where as I haue béen but in other plares the Huntesman is readier then the Minister and hée fitter to trauerse the feelds then he is to féede the flocke I am ashamed to sée in the congregation the heritage of the Lord that there should bée any as to serue in his Tabernacle which came not of the flocke of Phinees and are not found registred among them of the right Préesthood If Israel were now gathered togeather they would haue chosen Eleazar and his children and haue let the other gon as Bastards I see verye well that as to one Tribe so onely to one Church society is this that I speake But I would all the Lords in Israel heard mée that there might not so much as a Porter be lefte in the house of God if hée were not able to open locke the doores by good title This is the poore councell that I am able to giue you at this time O you of the kindred of Leuy that euery man make cleane his vesselles and kéepe holy his owne soule that hee may bée blamelesse at the day of the Lorde How can this bée when a number are so tounge tyed that in euery thirde liuing not the third man is able to speake to the People There was in Gilgal Schooles of learning wherof Samuel was hed not far of Iordayne when the twelue stones were set vp at what time the people came as on dry land thorow Iordan There was also in Ierico an other schoole whereas Elyzeus ruled called Nazaristes Thither they went vnto the Prophets from thence were they called if they néeded any God to whom all prayse belongeth hath giuen vnto Englande two as worthy and famous Schooles as I haue red of in any commō wealth But how many haue bin sent for from thence into the common wealth or who is there if hée haue not one to speake for him that at this daye eateth amonge the Prophets The Sickle hath nowe béene twice sixe times put into the Reapers handes since I gaue my first full entry into Cambridge and many a time hath the Sunne turned backe agayne his course since I began my study yet I did neuer heare of twise sixe persons which were called by the Patronistes into any one benifice throughout England eyther knowen any if hée sued not for it to haue got ought and then if Maister Simon and hée iugled not together or went aside into some corner hée went without it too If not then the guifte therof was giuen vnto his man and ten poundes or a twenty or thrée times ten sometimes returneth backe againe into his Cofers Thus are the poore seruants of the Lord robbed How can it bée that Vniuersities should bee so pestered as they are with students vnleast you tooke out of the Country to serue your turne when you might haue good faythfull Ministers from the schooles complayn you of dronkards take sober men from the Vniuersities let them of the féeldes kéepe their Plough stil Complayne you of euell liuers how can it bée otherwise seeinge they neuer knew as yet to liue well Complayn you of dissolute and idle men Then choose out them that are benommed in ioynctes and wythered in face and broken with long trauaile at their bookes vse discipline for those fat Chuffes that lye snorting in priuate corners Complain you of Spend-thriftes and Banckerowtes redier to rifle sweare it out fitter for the Buckler and buffetinge then for the Bible and profitinge Then strip them bare and disherite them of this title the deface the Church with their dishonest and vnchaste life Apparrel sober and graye headed fathers that wante and stand in néede Complayn you of the small skill and litle instructing of those that bée in the Church then I am inforced I perceiue to tell you all fetche out the brasse and copper and Tin wherof there is now so great store in Hierusalem Let your kniues and your Basons your pottes and your vesselles about the Tabernacle of the Lord bée of siluer onely and of golde for puritie and cleanenes is verity and holynesse vnto God bréefely I say thus mutch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arte thou a Minister It is expedient thou bée a teacher For I say from Ezechiell and from the Lorde If God sende a sworde into the land and that people haue a Watchman that is set ouer them That same man when hée séeth the sworde shall blowe the Trompet and warne the people If a man heare and is not warned but the sworde come and take him away his blood shal be on his owne head for hée heard the sound of the Trompet and cared not If the watchman sée the sworde comminge and telleth it not if any of the people bée hurt hée shall die in his sinne his blood wil I require at the watchmans hand Agayne if I say vnto the wicked thou wicked thou shalte surely dye and hée may beware and will not hée dyeth in his sinnes his blood will I aske at his owne handes But if hée bée wicked and thou tellest not the wicked of his wickednes hée shal surely dye in his sinne but his blood will I require at thy hands for as trulye as the Lorde liueth if hee stretch forth his hande ouer a Citye and destroy prouision of bread and send dearth amonge them to distroy man and beast in the féelde though Noe Daniell and Iob those thrée men were among them yet shall they saue but their own soules If I bring noysome beastes into the lande to waste it vp and leaue it desolate that no man may go therein for Scorpions and wilde beastes If these three men were there they shoulde saue but their owne soules And if he sende out a Pestilence into the lande and poore out his sore indignation on it in blood so that hee rooteth out both man and beaste If Noe Daniell Iob were therin they should deliuer neyther sonnes neyther doughters but saue their owne soules in their owne righteousnes well I exhorte you all in the Lorde and in the name of the Church of God which waltering in many corners of England holdeth vp her handes vnto you that being wearied with long and great tediousnesse is not able to lifte vp her heade any longer That now shiuering thorows all the ioyntes of her bodie cryeth out pititifully for instruction at your handes That béeing defaced heretofore with base and homely doctrine craueth to be fed with good Discipline and receiue good
and strong meate from you and I craue it in the name of Iesus Christ which hath bought you and for his bloudshedding which hath ransomed you and for the mediation on his behalfe which dayly prospereth you That you woulde be good and faithfull stewards in the house of God That henceforth you suffer no dissolute and gyddiheads to trouble her no dombe and doltish ministers to mussle her no Priestes of Baall no bringers of newfangles to come néere her You shall increase to the Lorde GOD the number of his chosen people you shall strengthen the weake helpe the féeble incurrage the poore in spirite make strong the féeble knées open the eyes of the blinde helpe the ignoraunt and builde vp the walles of his spirituall Hierusalem I haue described heatherto the halfe face of such a Prophet as I haue seldome heard of in any commmon welth please it you to giue me leaue to touch but the very hem of this his next garment If then I giue him not sufficient clothing I am content to let him go for this time hereafter when I am welthier more fully to attyre him To his bodie as to the whole man I haue giuē him this that he be blameles To kéepe him in awe as otherwise one wilde enoughe that he praunce not forth in his furie he hath a snaffle to drawe him backe euen a verie good vertue mutuall societie For that hee hath a house and a charge to hee hath a towre to looke out on where he must be watching For that he is in a verie brickle place I haue set one to waite vpon him to kéepe him in sobrietie hee is couered with discréetion and being a man of wisedome he regardeth not him selfe so much as others he bestoweth therefore on his neighbours and kéepeth hospitalitie And knowing that men liue not by breade onely hée diggeth for the pittes of the water of life and teacheth them to séeke the Manhu came downe from heauen Lastly as one able to discharge so great an office hee hath Abstinency as kéeper of him selfe and others that they absteine from such thinges as be hurtefull and séeke them maye profite all In the booke of God there is prescript commaundement giuen as touching them that abstayned Loquere ad filios Israel vir siue mulier si vouerint votum Nadir separēt se a domino a vino sisera abstineant c. Of abstainers I finde two sortes The one at the cōmaundemēt of the Lorde The other of frée will Commaunded of God was Samuel euen from the breastes of his mother when as Hanna wife of Helcana being barrē she desired of the Lorde a childe 1. Sam. 2.33 The like was of Sampson when the Angell appeared to Manoath of the tribe of Dan whose wife also had neuer childe til that time Iudg. 13. Like as was that of Iohn Baptist when as the Angell appeared to Zacharie at the Alter shewing him that his wife should conceiue and beare a sonne and that he shoulde drinke neither wine neither strong drink for he was a Nazarist as Luk. 1. An other kind of abstainer there was the lasted al onely for a time common to the Leuite to the Priest to man to woman vnto all for a certeine season which custome in maner was kept by Paul when he vowed a vow and shaued his heade in Cenchraea Priscilla and Aquila accompaning him This was that whereon the Papistes tooke so much holde for their vowings But as the Gopell is frée and tyed neyther to tymes and seasons neither to yeares and dayes so the libertie that wee haue in Christe doth abrogate these Paul speaking here of the abstayning meaneth not that we shoulde renewe this custome againe but warneth vs here of drounkennesse and of intemperauncie A vice verie common and in déede not cared for and I meruaile so much the more thereat as I sée them to be traunceformed into beastes and that manlinesse and liue bloud that followeth the greenesse of youth to be turned into blacknesse and vglinesse in the Face of whome you may haue a good note to discerne them by that sweltering and rottennesse you shall sée in them that be common quaffers Wherefore as there be nowe euery where in the house of God redier at Ticktacke then at the Bible that dishonest their calling of Dyceing and bring contempt to the word of God shame to them selues and a reproch for euer to their vocation by ouerdrinking so if any thing deserueth banishment from the sight of God from the ministerie from Bishoppricke this in my iudgement especially deserueth it And howe can it be that the true foode the spirituall perfect drinke can euer be tasted of if such mis-shapen deformed and disguised Ale house Knightes be suffered to haue any thing to doe in the seruice of the Lorde For this cause thinking my selfe most happie at this time though vnworthy to speake in so learned and Honorable an assembly as héere I sée Yet either as Phormio to Hannibal or as one emboldened to speake at this present I presume in the name of the Lord God in the behalfe of his Church and of the flocke he hath committed to vs to speake thus much Not therin to rip vp old sores which I know cannot be healed or to vnlase the wounds of any man which cannot be done without peril and ioperdy of the body neither yet as hauing cause to crie out for reformation in diuers cases in that many thinges be reformed most exactly But humblie to craue of your honour whome God hath placed in his eternall counsaile ouer vs Leuites to rub and race out all the stock of Iesabell to plucke out and deface them which haue no title to the true Priesthoode To rende the kingdome of those headlesse fellowes who hauing of a long time serued Peor and offered vp the first fruites of their youth to Accaron are nowe compelled to lie groueling in the Church of God and in the darknes wherin they haue loytered shoake vp the people with vnleauened bread nay with chaffe and superstition wherin they haue serurely lurked these many yeres The countrie is so full either of tongue tied ministers whiche speake nothing ▪ or of Vesselles without water good for nothing or of idle and sluggish Leuites which profit nothing that the people of the Lord are starued they lack meate euery corner so ful of newefangled disguised toyes bringing in of newes and straunge nouelties to delight the people in preching deuided in doctrine contrarie in life and behauiour filthy in instructions erronious in admonitions Phantasticall in their dealings innonating chaunging the olde for the newe that the shéepefolde of the Lorde is cut in sunder and faine to abide in manie angles and to lurke in priuate corners that they may better be satisfied in that they aske I am persuadid that a great number they are fitter for Mycah to serue and worship a Theraphin to the dishonour of the Lorde then once to offer vp true
good Cence in the house of the God of Iacob I may well say that the Regions are ripe alreadie vnto Haruest but the workemen they are vnskilfull in their dooings for they cut downe they spoyle the branches of the good Vine they are not able to prune them in their season They haue so by the space of many yéeres ouershadowed the litle graftes and kepte vnder the simple soules by cloake of superstition That for lacke of the Sun the sinsceare and true meaninge of the worde that hath bin kepte from them by these rotten and shackering boughes they are euen now falne to the ground and wythered O Lorde howe many poore and sillye Creatures of God haue pyned away which neuer knew what Iesus Christe mente how many is there that if they had tasted of this Breade of lyfe wheron wee feed would most willingly haue nourished them selues therwith and for the want therof haue died in honger Wherfore and for which cause euen in the Lorde Christe and in his blood I speake thus mutch The Lord hath so blessed the sonnes of his Prophets and Gilgall is become so gloryous in the sight of God and Bethell and Ierico where our Nazaristes bee is now come vnto so full a groath as that since the Lord hath giuen his worde to man a more happye and flourishing estate was neuer séene among the sonnes of Prophettes It is our humble sutes that as GOD hath blessed them so Ely and Elyas woulde now bringe these younge Leuites into the Tabernacle of the Lorde to serue there The Lord God sende downe vpon you the full measure and aboundaunce of his spirite that those may bee chosen out as fitteste for Israell that are meetest to beare the Arke of the Lorde The Lorde sende vs his Prophettes of his grace and goodnesse that as hee hath giuen mercyfully vnto vs a long calme and quiet Sommer therin to make ripe and fully to strengthen our studyes such a time as heretofore wee neuer hadde so in the pleasure and greenenes of this same tyme wee suffer not the fruicte which is looked for at our handes to wyther away but that wee maye bringe it into the common Wealthe amonge others and profit them which haue eyther litle or small skill in the worde of God and that hope to bee only releeued by our dooings And that God that heatherto hath blessed them in that his fauour prosper vs and them in Iesus Christe And nowe euen last of all hauinge sayd what I doo thinke and vttered that I meane in a true testimony of my conscience I craue pardon at your handes my fellowe Bretheren and laborers in the Lord Take this my farewell and last spéeche among you Euen to you of Cambridge I also sometime of Cambridge doo speake To others men of learning and wisdome I a litle experienced in readinge and as one snatchinge heare and there that which hee coulde get at studye make my humble sute and ernest requeste with hartye good will vnto you all That the house of the Lorde wonderfullye decayed and broken downe in many places in England the wales therof so shaken that any rauening ramping beast may enter therein to deuoure vp the poore flocke of the Lorde scarce in sixtéen yeres one man found out to speake vnto thē sixteene times nay in twentie yeeres not two Sermondes in ten yeeres not one Preacher and since the blessed and happy day then which neuer came one more ioyfull in this Realme whē our most gratious Soueraigne toke first of all the Scepter and the Diademe vpon hir head and now hath kept the same frō the handes of forrein men I say from that day of ioy and mirth vntill this hower many Churches sundry congregations diuers Parishes in this Realme eyther are destitute altogeather or seldome in seuen yéeres or neuer in many Monethes or not at all since the preachinge of the Gospell haue had any one good Preacher to teache them Our Prophets they tary at holme and very lothe they bee to go abroade so many troubles and sundry miseries are insident vnto them in the common wealth And verely I can scarce blame them for if they doo they are fayne to goe into the feeldes to gather their owne meate if so they will as though there were now a dearth amōg them and then there daintiest feed it is but Pottage If which is worse they happen to gather some Coliquintida or of the wilde Vine they may sterue or els be poisoned there is neuer an Elyza to helpe thē or any one so rare it is like vnto that Sunamite commended of the Lorde that if a Prophet or man of God come by him wil call him or appoinct him a place or make him a chaumber or wall it about or set him a bedde there or a Table or a stoole or a Candelsticke to entertayne him and his seruaunt if hee turne thyther or come that way That I might haue good occasion to charge them to stay at holme and bee content with their small prouision for they shal be fed as hongerly when they come abroad as euer they were whē they kept their study And yet this is not my meaning for without doubt if we were as ready to serue the Lord as God would bée if wée walked vprightly to blesse vs though they woulde not or they could not or that the people were harde and stony vnto vs yet the Lord would prouide vs meate yea though it were from the mouth of the Kauens and wée should bée as well lyking with the pulse and the pottage wheron wee feede as any other though they were in the Kinges Court with all their dainties Wherfore let no man bee discourged we are but as our fathers were furthermore it is our portion in this life to bee in bondage in this world And if wee were not as now we are very secure the Lorde would deliuer vs It is a pittifull thinge and I can not but vtter it take it as you will wee disagrée among our selues and bee at discorde with in our owne house and there is harte burning euen amōg those that minister in the Ephod and serue at the Table of the Lorde The thing is to open the grudge is ouer well knowen as for the contention I would it were so great as that of the Prophets was that any iust quarrel might be pretended but in as much as neither the worke is falsified that appertaineth to the holy buildings nor the garments or the silke or the fine purple and wreathed worke cōtrary to the commaundemente of God but your disputation is about Snuffers Besoms and such base and homly stuffe which you thruste into the Tabernacle of our God lay vpon vs being things of no value therefore I am not purposed to defend thē at this time but to pray vnto the Lord to prepare our hartes aright that wee may vse them equall and as becommeth vs bothe of them Hauing for al that great and wayghty matters