true hearts of your subiectes Oh turne and employ these to the glory of God that God may cōfirm in your Grace the thing which he hath begun To this ende hath GOD placed Kinges and Princes in their state as Dauid saith that they serue the Lorde that they may see and cause others to see to the furniture of the Church The good Emperor Iustinian cared for this as much as for his life Constantine Theodosius Valentinian other godly Princes called themselues Vasallos the subiects and bond seruants of God They remembred that God furnished them in their houses and were not vnmindful to furnish his house When Augustus had beautified Rome with setting vp many faire buildings he said Inueni lateritiam marmoream reddidi I foūd it made of bricke but I leaue it made of marble Your grace when God sent you to your inheritance and the right of this Realme founde the church in horrible confusion and in respect of y ◠true worship of God a church of brick or rather as Ezechiel saith daubed vp with vnseasoned morter Your grace hath already redressed the doctrine now cast your eyes towardes the Ministerie giue courage countenance vnto learning that Gods house may be serued so shal you leaue a Church of God a testimonie that the zeale of the Lords house hath eaten you vp And you O dearely beloued if there be any such which are neither hot nor colde which doe the work of the Lord negligently which esteem the word of GOD but as a matter of pollicie which are ashamed to bee called Professours of the Gospel of Christ pray vnto God that he wil increase your zeale Let vs continue rooted and built in Christ and stablished in the faith Let vs haue care for the house of God Whosoeuer is not after this sort zealous is a man of a double heart We may not halt between two opinions If the Lord be God follow him but if Baal be he then go after him he that is not with Christ is against him Many talke of the Gospel and glorie in their knowledge but it is neyther talke nor knowledge whiche shal saue them in that day He that feareth the Lorde and serueth him with a pure heart and may truely saye the zeale of thine house hath consumed me he shall be saued If they shall not escape which haue zeale without knowledge what shall become of vs which haue knowledge without zeale And you whosoeuer you are that by such meanes haue decayed the Lordes House and abridged the prouision and maintenaunce thereof and see the miserable wracke of Gods Churche if there be any zeale of God in you if you haue any felowshippe of the spirite if any compassion and mercy if you loue God if you desire the continuance of the Gospel oh remember you haue the patrimonie due vnto them that shoulde attend in the Lordes house you take vnto your selues wrongfully that which was not lotted for you Giue vnto Caesar those things which belong to Caesar and vnto GOD the thinges which appertaine to him and make for the beauty and furniture of his house Enrich your selues by lawfull meanes and without the spoyle and waste of Gods Church Let not the Ministery by your meanes be despised You enriched them which mocked blinded deuoured you Spoyle not them now that feed and instruct and comfort you Let vs seeke the glory of God Let vs at length serue the Lorde and not our bellie and greedy wantonnesse So shal God blesse you and prosper you in al your affaires so shal he strike a terrour of you into all forreine Princes that dwell about you so shall your heart be kept stedfast in the hande of God so shal your heart be perfect before the Lorde so shall you leaue suche as shall alwayes praise the Lorde in Sion so shall you see your childrens children and peace vpon Israel And thou O most mercifull Father graunt that thy wordes be not spoken in vayne it is thy cause Thou art our father we are as claye in thine handes Thou hast the key of our hearts Giue zeale to them that haue knowledge giue knowledge to them that haue zeale that they may be inflamed and rauished with the loue of thy house to sorrow for the decay thereof and to doe al their indeuour to build vp and establish the same for euer Amen Matthew 9. Then said he to his disciples Surely the haruest is great but the labourers are few Wherefore pray the Lord of the haruest that he would send labourers forth into his haruest CHrist our Sauiour after he was baptized by Iohn tēpted by Satan in the wildernes began to execute y ◠Cōmission wherunto his father had sent him chose vnto him self a number of disciples to be at his commandement and so tooke his progresse through a great part of the Countrey In the meane way in euery place where he came he taught the people that the kingdome of God was come amongst them he healed their diseases wrought straunge miracles before their eies and gaue manye singular and euident tokens of his comming But specially he behelde in what state the poore people stood touching their readines in receiuing Gods truth in al the countrey where he had byn therfore at the end of his circuite he was moued w t pity said he saw thē in most woful case forsaken and lost as if they had byn a flocke of sheepe without a heard and that not through their owne malice but through the wilful blindnesse and negligence of them that were set to guide them Sheepe as Aristotle and Plinie write of them are a simple kinde of cattell profitable to many vses ready to receiue all maner wrongs without skil to helpe or succour it selfe it coueteth to breake out of the folde or close if it may espie any hole open it strayeth and wandreth abroade many times hangeth in the briers many times is taken vp by the Wolfe it is euer in dāger of the wynd rayne yea of the very grasse and water it liueth by and thereof is infected oftentimes with a number of maladies so that the health and safety of the sheepe resteth only in the care and diligence of the shephearde To such a kind of cattel are the people likened Christ saith not they were like vnruly sheep that would not be guided by their heard but he saith They were like poore lost sheep that had no heard at al. For the people of thēselues were not vnwilling to receiue the Gospel but there was none to instruct them And for that he addeth an other similitude to declare the same and saith The haruest indeed is great but the workmen are but few the corne is ripe ready to be cut but there lack hands to fetch it in The comming of these times was promised long afore euen from the first creation of mankinde but the perfourmance thereof at the first was darke and as it were wrapt vp and hid
darknesse their worme shall neuer die their fire shall neuer bee quenched they shall goe downe headlong into the fire that is prepared for the deuill and his angels Be not deceiued saith Saint Paul neither fornicatours nor adulterers nor wantōs nor bouggerers shal inherit the kingdome of God Now are wee to speake in the next place of the ministerie of the Church which some haue called holy orders Shall wee accompte it a Sacrament there is no reason so to doe It is a heauenly office a holy ministerie or Seruice By suche as haue this office God lighteneth our darkenesse hee declareth his minde to vs hee gathereth together his scattered sheepe and publisheth vnto the worlde the glad ridings of saluation The Patriarkes dyd beare this office This was the office of the prophets God saith I haue sent vnto you al my seruants the prophets rising vp eueri day sending thē Agayne he saith I haue put my wordes in thy mouth Therefore when they taught the people of God the Prophetes signed their speache thus The mouth of the Lorde hath spoken it The Lorde hath saide The voyce and y e worde of the Lord Heare the word of the Lorde But when the fulnesse of the time came God sent his Sonne and hath spoken vnto vs by hym He became our Prophet to shew vs the wyll of his father He saieth I haue not spoken of my selfe but the Father whiche sent mee he gaue mee a commandement what I should say and what I should speake Hereof Saint Iohn sayth No man hath seene God at any time He is inuisible he is incomprehensible no minde can conceiue hym no eye can see hym but the onely begotten Sonne which is in the bosom of y e Father hee hath declared him Of hym the father sayde This is my beloued Sonne in whome I am well pleased heare hym Hearken vnto hym receiue hys woorde credite hym beleeue hym No doubte the Ministerie of the Gospell is hyghlye to bee esteemed seeinge our Sauiour was not ashamed to publish the wyll of his Father in his owne person yet it appeareth not where euer hee dyd ordeine it to be a Sacrament Hee appointed that the comforte thereof shoulde bee carried into all nations and gaue that charge vnto hys Apostles Goe teache all nations Agayne What I tell you in darkenesse that speake you in light and what you heare in the eare y e preache you on the houses Hee sawe the people and had compassion on them hee saw they were dispearsed and scattered abroade lyke sheepe without a shepheard and that they perished because they had no knowledge of the wyll of God Therefore he sayeth Pray the Lord of the haruest that he woulde sende labourers into the haruest Therefore he ordayneth them to this ministery I wyll make you fishers of men And sendeth them foorth as my father sent mee so sende I you And Goe to the lost sheepe of the house of Israel Hee wylled them to call the people to repentaunce and to preache the kingdome of God By this ministerie God hath gathered to hymselfe an acceptable people and hath brought them to the obedience of the Gospell of Christ and hath turned the hartes of the Fathers vnto their children and so made it to be the foundation of religion They that exercise this ministerie are y e eyes of Christ the pillers of y e Church the interpreters of Gods will the watchmen of the Lordes tower the leaders of Christes sheep the salte of the earth the light of the world Daniel saith They that turne many to righteousnes shal shine as the starres for euer euer Not that there is any so great wisdome or eloquence in men they are but weake they are vnfit to do this seruice Esay saith of himselfe I am a man of polluted lippes And Ieremie saith O Lord god behold I cannot speake for I am a child So saith S. Paul I haue planted Apollos watered but God gaue the increase So thē nether is he that planteth any thing nether he that watereth but God y t giueth the increase So said Saint Iohn that he was not Christe nor that Prophet but the voyce of hym that crieth in the wildernesse and not worthy to vnloose the latchet of his shooe that should come after him The power whereby they dyd conquere the worlde was not in them but in the woorde which they preached It is the power of God to saluation to euery one that beleueth It is like a fire lyke a hammer that breaketh a stone When ye receiued of vs y e word of the preaching of god saith S. Paul to the Thessalonians ye receaued it not as the worde of men but as it is indeede the woorde of god which also worketh in you that beleue The power of an earthly Prince is great The wyse man sayeth The feare of a King is lyke the roaring of a Lyon Yet is a Prince but mortall and the Law of a Prince is but mortall it hath no power to force the conscience But the woorde of God dooth breake into the heart it forceth a way into the Conscience it is sharper then any two edged sworde it entreth through euen to the deuidinge a sunder of the soule and the spirit because it is the word of God For it is not man but God that speaketh as Christ telleth the Apostles It is not yee that speake but the spirit of your father whiche speaketh in you So saith the Prophet Zacharie Hee spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets which haue bene since the worlde beganne The Prophets and Apostles and holy men of God were but instruments It was God which gaue his holy spirite whiche gaue them tongues to speake and wordes to vtter Therfore said Christ I wil giue you a mouth and wisedome where against al your aduersaries shall not be able to speake nor resist Though men be but simple yet the worde they deliuer is mighty though they be mortall the worde of the Lord endureth for euer Where this worde is receiued it is fire and burneth it is a hammer and breaketh the hardnesse of the heart it is mightie in operation it cleanseth the inner man it openeth the consctence it is a sauour of life vnto lyfe it is the meanes of saluation Hee that receiueth this worde and beleeueth shal be saued This is the worde of reconciliation God hath committed it vnto vs. If any hide this worde he slayeth the people He is a dombe dogge Of such God saieth Beholde I wil come against the Prophets that steale my word euerione frō his neighbour They are thieues and robbers Woe be vnto you interpreters of the law for yee haue taken away the key of knowledge saith Christ ye entred not in your selues and them that came in yee forbad And agayne Woe bee vnto you Scribes and Pharises hypocrites because ye shut vp the kingdome of
owne cause remember thy dayly reproch by the foolish man So strong is the holde of this spirituall Hiericho and so stoutely it fighteth against the Lord. Albeit Hiericho was so strong and the walles thereof seemed inuincible such as no power could pearce yet at the sound of seuen truÌ„pets and the showt of the people they fel downe flat to the ground So mightily did God in such weake meanes shew foorth his wonderfull and fatherly care to woorke the râ—st and peace of his people Pharao had Israel euen in his mouth as a pray the Sea was before them and the hilles on eche side they were vnarmed he had the power and all the pollicie of his countrie it seemed vnpossible they shoulde euer bee able to escape that daunger but marke the turning of Gods mighty hande sodainly the Sea opened Israel passed through the middes of it as vppon dry land Pharao followed after and was swallowed and drowned with all his men Israel looked back and sawe the marueilous workes of God howe it was now perfourmed which God had sayd vnto Pharao Thou shalt perish from the earth and in deede for this cause haue I appointed thee to shew my power in thee and to declare my name throughout all the world Therfore they reioyced in God and feared him and made him sacrifice Nabuchodonosor when he fell vpon Iurie made the whole countrie to shake with the terrour of his name Hee was like to a mightye great tree whose height reached to the heauens and the fight thereof through all the world yet sodainly was this mightie tree hewen downe as the holy one that came downe from heauen had said Hew downe the tree destroye it Nabuchodonosor was driuen froÌ„ men and had his dwelling with the beasts of the field did eate grasse fodder as the oxen seuen yers til his heares were growne as Eagles feathers his nailes like birds clawes The power of Senacherib was terrible y â— people of Israel were not able to withstande it hee did glory in the pride therof he said no god was able to deliuer Ierusalem nor to saue it out of his hands yet sodenly the Angel of the lord in one night smote in the campe of Asshur an hundred fourescore and fiue thousande of his men he fled away with the rest was slayne by his sounes and the people of God left at libertie Though Babylon said she should neuer mourn nor feele any heauenes yet an Angell came downe from heauen and cried out mightily with a loude voyce saying It is fallen it is fallen Babylon the great citie and is become the habitation of Deuils and the hold of al foule spirits and a cage of euery vnclean hateful bird It were an infinite labour and yet very comfortable to consider how marueilously God in the old times hath ouerthrowne his enemies and deliuered his poore seruants Dauid to saue his life was faine to run froÌ„ king Saul and remained in a mountaine in the wildernes of Ziph Saul sought him euery day but God deliuered hym not into his hand Dauid was not only w tout ayde or hope of ayde but also without sustenaunce looked when he should be taken thought it not possible to escape for Saul his men compassed Dauid his men round about to take theÌ„ But there came a messenger to Saul saying hast thee and come for the Philistims haue inuaded thy Land Wherfore Saul returned from pursuinge Dauid and thus poore Dauid was deliuered God is a helper in due season he commeth with aide when things are desperate hee helpeth when there is no hope of help els where the counsels attempts policies of the wicked are in vaine He that dwelleth in the heauens shal laugh theÌ„ to scorn The prophet Dauid found himselfe disquieted at the worldly prosperity of the wicked saith As for mee my feete were almost gone my steps had welneere slipt for I fretted at the foolish wheÌ„ I saw the prosperitie of the wicked c. theÌ„ thought I to know this but it was to painful for me vntil I went vp into y â— Sanctuary of God theÌ„ vnderstoode I their end Surely thou hast set them in slipperie places castest theÌ„ downe into desolation How sodenly are thei destroied perished coÌ„sumed As for me it is good to draw nere vnto god therfore haue I put my trust in y â— Lord god that I may declare al thy workes A King is strong a woman is stronge and wine is stronge but trueth dooth abyde and is stronge for euer Truth is great and strongest Whither may a man go from the spirit of the lord or whither may a maÌ„ fly from his preseÌ„ce If he ascend vp into heauen the lord is there or if he descende into hell the Lorde is there also The face of the Lord is vpon them y t doo euill When they shal say peace and safetie then shal come vpon them sodaine destruction Let no man be deceiued and think that these thinges are wrought by the power of starres or by the pleasure of princes it is God that ruleth the world and not the starres It was not Ioshuah that ouerturned the walles of Hiericho nor the crie of the people sounde of the trumpets It was neither Constantinus nor Iouinian nor Valentinian nor Theodosius that planted the Gospel and changed the heartes of the people These were vertuous and godly Emperours yet those changes were not made by their power but it was God which sent forth his spirite and renewed the face of the earth Christe Iesus the sonne of righteousnesse had looked vpon them The morninge starre from an high had risen ouer them Good princes and good rulers are the good instrumeÌ„ts by whom God setteth foorth his glory their hearts be in the handes of God hee â—endeth them and enclineth them to his purpose but the trueth of the Gospel is not planted and setled in our hearts neither by the wyll of man nor by the authority of princes No creature can claime part of this glory this glory belongeth vnto God but vnto vs and to our fathers to our kinges and to our prophets the confusioÌ„ of our faces This is the Lords doing and it is maruelous in our eies This is y e day which the lord hath made let vs reioyce be glad in it This is a chaÌ„ge wrought not by the Starres but by the righte hand of the most high The soÌ„nes of God euen they which beleeue in him ar borne not of blood nor of the wil of flesh nor of y e wil of man but of god as by the Prophet Ezechiel God himself declareth A new heart wil I giue you a new sprit wil I put within you I wil put my sprit within you cause you to walk in my statuts And by y e prophet Ieremy I wil put my law in their inward parts write it in their harts
not according to this worde it is because there is no light in them Chrisostome saith Nullo modo cognoscitur quae sit vera Ecclesia Christi nisi tantummodo per Scripturas By no meanes may it by knowne whiche is the true Church of Christ but onely by the Scriptures Without them our faith is no faith without the helpe of them wee cannot knowe Christ from Antichriste wee cannot know the Church of Christ from the Sinagogue of Sathan Hereby let vs learne to knowe Hierusalem hereby let vs learne to knowe Hiericho Certainely if the woorde of GOD and the breathe of his mouthe bee not able to shewe this tradition and custome shall be much lesse able It is a good thinge to bee thankefull and to prayse the Name of the most high the seruants of God finde cause of thankfulnes in consideration of the great wonderful mercies continually powred vpō them Moses comanded Nisan to bee the firste moneth in the yeere because God had deliuered Israell from the hande of Pharao in that month In like sort Mardocheus the Iewe and Esther the Queene sent letters vnto al the Iewes that were through all the prouinces of the king Assuerus both nere farre enioying them that they shoulde kepe the fourteenth day of the month Adir with ioy and feasting for that vppon that daye God had deliuered them from the hande of Haman and that they woulde not fayle to obserue the fame euery yeare Upon this day euen vpon this day I say the xvii of this moneth God sent his handemaide and deliuered vs. Let vs be kinde and thankfull vnto God for so great blessing I say not let vs make it the first day of the yeere Yet this I say let vs haue it in remembrance let vs singe with the prophet When the Lord brought againe y e captiuitie of Sion we were like them that dreme thē was our mouth filled with laughter and our tongue with ioy The Lord hath done great things for vs wherof we reioyce Let no man be offended herewith it is onely a remembrance of the mercy of God it behoueth vs to remember it it is good to speake of it For if we haue eyes to see and neglect not our owne saluation wee haue nowe much greater cause to reioyce then Dauid had because the things which are this daye restored vnto vs by the goodnesse of our God are farre greater and worthyer then those which Dauid and the people of Israell receiued in their deliuerance out of the capitiuitie of Babylon For by howe much the heauens are greater then the earthe and God is more excellent then a creature so much doeth the knowledge of God and his true worshippe passe all worldly blessinge and all other felicitie that can bee deuised vnder the Sunne For what knoweth hee which knoweth not God Or what worshippeth he whiche worshippeth not God Hee that worshippeth not God hath not the comforte of GOD but hee that hath God and knoweth God and serueth God hath a sure helpe and defence in all assayes Let vs therefore bee glad and reioyce let vs witnesse our ioye and singe vnto the Lorde a new songe Let vs kindle in our heartes the fire of the loue of God and of our neighbour and let the flame thereof breake out to the glory of God Let vs decke the Altars of our heartes with the florishing branches of vertue and good woorkes let vs sacrifice and kill our lustes and affections In this maner if wee shewe our thankefulnesse towardes GOD wee shall hinder the wicked purpose of thē that wish the restoring of Hiericho we shal see the lande of Gods promise and enter into his rest The fourth stay to hinder this buyldinge is discipline whiche is so needefull that neyther without it shall yee be able throughly to discomfort those that seeke to build vp Iericho againe nor your selues happely and prosperously to goe on forward in setting foorth the glory and maiestie of our God and to passe safely to the countrie promised It is as the sinewes of the church to strengthen it and to ioyne and knit the parts thereof together But because the time is passed and this matter weightie and worthy of larger discourse I wyll leaue it to your godly considerations and for some other time And thou O mercifull father rise vp we beseeche thee to iudge thine owne cause stablishe the thinge thou hast begonne in vs guide our feete in the way of peace giue force vnto thy worde blesse thine inheritance blow downe the walles of Hiericho so shal Hierusalem prospet and her walles be made strong so shall the daye starre lighten our hartes so shall Israel reioyce and all the people truly know thee and prayse thy name for euer Amen Aggaeus 1. Thus speaketh the Lord of hostes saying This people say The time is not yet come that the Lords house should be builded Then came the word of the Lord by the ministery of the prophet Hagge saying Is it time for your selues to dwell in your seiled houses and this house lie waste THese words be written in the first Chapter of the Prophet Aggaeus For better vnderstandyng wherof I must call to your remembrance the storie of that time vpon occasion wherof these words were spoken Almighty God beinge for many and sundrye causes highly displeased with his people the Iewes after he had chastened thē many wayes and sawe none amendement at the laste gaue them ouer into the handes of their enemies and suffered both the kinge and all the people of the countrie to be carryed away prisoners into Babylon where they continued in miserie the space of seuentie yeeres In the meane season their countrey partly lay waste and grewe full of wylde beastes partly was inhabited by foreyners the temple that Salomon had built them the stateliest richest work of the whole world was burnt to the grounde and all the ornaments therof rauened vp and caried into Babylon After fiftie yeres king Cyrus shewed fauour towardes his people did lycence them to depart home agayne But as they were aboute the building vpon occasion of cōplaint of their enemies the whole worke was stayed At y ◠length after 70. yeeres God remembred his promise and mercy and stirred vp the heart of king Darius king of Persia who had then conquered the Chaldees to lycence the Iewes to depart home agayne into their countrie and to reedifie theyr Citie and Temple This king Darius as the Rabbines or Doctors of the Iewes and most parte of learned men coniecture was sonne vnto the king Assuerus begotten of the good Ladie Queene Hester which Ladie Hester he maried after he had imbased diuorced from hym the prowd and stubborne Queene Vasthi This was Gods marueylous prouidence by that meanes twice to deliuer his people Fyrst by the good Lady Hester from the tyranny of Hamā as it appeareth by the storye and after by her child Darius cleerely to delyuer them and
it is written in the Decretals of Nicholas Pope and many other the like which I leaue The Pope calleth the Cardinals Cardines mūdi c. The very hookes and staies of the world vpon whom the doore of the church militant must be turned Another saith As a doore turneth vpō the hooke euen so y e church of Rome is ruled by the Cardinals Therfore they haue pillars pollares caried afore thē in tokē that they be the pillars and staies of the Church and pollaxes to beate downe al euil doctrine And what shal I speake of bishops their clouen miter signifieth perfect knowledge of the new testament the old Their crosiars staffe signifieth diligēce in attēding y ◠flocke of Christ Their purple bootes sandales signifie y ◠they should euer be booted ready to go abroad thorow thick thin to teach the gospel And thereto they applied the words of the prophet Quam speciosi pedes euangelizantiū pacē euāgelizantiū bona How beautiful are the feet of thē whiche bring glad tidings of peace which bring glad tidings of good things but alas in what kind of thing do they beare thēselues for bishops These misticall titles shewes are not enough to fetch in the Lords haruest they are garments more meete for players then for good laborers S. Bernard writeth thus to Eugenius y ◠bishop of Rome who sometime had bin his scholer Thou which art the shepheard iettest vp down shining in gold gorgeously attyred but what get thy sheep If I durst speake it these things are not the fodder for Christs sheep but for diuels Whatsoeuer apparel they haue vpon them vnles they wil fal to woorke Christ wil not know them for labourers How then can the bishop of Rome be taken for y ◠chiefe pastor of Christ which these 900. yeeres hath not opened his mouth to feede the flocke These 900 yeres I say since Gregory the first of that name it can hardly be found that euer any bishop of Rome was seene in a pulpit One of themselues Adrianus 4. a bishop of Rome was wont to say Succedimus non Petro in docēdo sed Romulo in parricidio Wee succeede not Peter in teaching but Romulus in murthering And in a canon of the Apostles it is decreed that the bishop that teacheth not his flock should be deposed To which purpose they alleadge S. August Episcopatus nomen est operis nō honoris vt intelligat se nō esse Episcopū qui vult praeesse non prodesse A Bishops office is a name of labor not a name of honor that he which coueteth the place of preeminēce hath not a desire to do good may knowe hee is not a bishop Thus saith Origē thus saith Chrisostom thus say diuers others of the old fathers whō it were lōg needeles to rehearse Multi sacerdotes pauci sacerdotes saith Chrisost multi nomine pauciopere There are many priests and fewe priests many that beare the name but fewe that be priests indeede Thus the haruest is great plenteous but the laborers are but few The laborers are but few but the destroyers wasters are exceeding many yea such as should be the haruest men most of al destroy the corne I wil not here report that I am well able that your eyes haue seene and that many of you haue felt the state of our time hath beene such Saint Bernard saw it in his time therfore saith Omnes amici omnes inimici omnes necessarij omnes aduersarij Al are friends al are enemies all are helpers al are aduersaries or hinderers Againe Heu heu Domine Deus ipsi sunt in persequutione tua primi qui vidētur in ecclesia tua primatum diligere gerere principatum Alas alas O Lord god they are the chiefest in persecuting thee that seeme to loue the highest rooms to bere rule in thy church The time being so short as it is appointed me wil not suffer me to speake of thē that euen now hinder Gods haruest being such men as shold stay the people as much as they may do by their exāple disquiet disturb thē y ◠withstand at this time resist your graces doings not in dark or doubtful matters wherin somthing may be said on both sides but in such things as thei thēselus do know were appointed by Christ published by y ◠Apostles receiued by the old doctors vsed frequented in y ◠primitiue catholike Church Why then wil they not receiue them Christ himselfe giueth the reason Quia dilexerūt magis gloriā hominum quam gloriam Dei Because they loued thē praise of men more then the praise of God They know they should danger their credit if they should once againe turne Why would not the Pharisies suffer y ◠people to beleeue in Christ Cyrillus maketh answere Quia quicquid Christo credentium accesserit sibi detractum putabant This was y ◠cause saith he for y ◠they thought how many soeuer faithful came vnto Christ so many were lost frō thē And therfore they had leuer keep the traditions of their elders thē hazard their estimation And Chrisost vpon the same matter saith Cū timerent ne principatum amitterent ceu legum latores vt maiores esse viderētur multa innouabant quaeres ad tantā peruenit nequitiā vt praecepta sua custodirēt magis quā mandata dei Lest thei shold lose their authority as if they had bin law makers men able to stablish and ordein lawes to the end they might seem greater they altered much which thing in the end grew to such a wickednes y ◠they kept their own commandements more then the commandemēts of God Thus euen now the Lordes haruest is great the labourers few and the destroyers and hinderers aboue number O lift vp your eyes consider how the hearts of your poore brethrē lie waste without instructiō without knowledge w tout the food of life without the cōfort of Gods word such a misery as neuer was seen among heathēs The Turks haue teachers sufficient for their people the Iewes albeit they haue no stayed countrey but liue in banishment and wander about yet haue they their Teachers the Christians which this day liue in India Aethiopia Barbarie Moorelande and other places vnder the persecution of heathen princes yet haue their instructours in true religion The Christians in old time when they liued vnder tyrants and were daily put to most shameful death were hated despised of al the worlde yet neuer lacked ministers to instruct them It is therfore most lamentable that Christians liuing vnder a Christian prince in y e peace liberty of the gospel should lacke learned ministers to teache them and instruct them in the worde of God this is the greatest plague that God doth send vpon any people Contrariwise the greatest blessing which any people cā receiue at
Gods hands is to haue prophets preachers by whō they may be instructed When y ◠prophet declareth y ◠mercy of God towardes Israel y ◠he would put an end to their afflictions bring thē home again from Babylō he saith thus Behold saith the Lord I wil send out many fishers they shal fish thē In the like sort saith Esai How beautiful vpō y ◠moūtaines are the feet of him that declareth publisheth peace that declareth good tydings publisheth saluatiō saying vnto Siō thy god reigneth The voice of thy watchmē shalbe heard they shal lift vp their voyce shout together And Baruch Nor the Agarēs that sought after wisdom vpō the earth nor the marchāts of Nerrā Themā nor the expoūders of fables nor the scarchers out of wisdom haue known the way of wisedome There were the giāts famous frō the beginning that were of so great stature so expert in war Those did not the Lord choose neither gaue he the way of knowledge vnto thē but they were destroyed because they had no wisdome perished through their own foolishnes He hath foūd out al the way of knowledge hath giuē it vnto Iacob his seruant to Israel his beloued And againe O Israel we are blessed for the thinges that are acceptable to god are declared vnto vs. He hath not dealt so with euery nation neither haue they knowledge of his iudgmēts saith the Prophet Dauid But when God taketh away his ministers whiche should preach peace open vnto the people the wil of God make known his iudgemēts it is a token that God is highly displeased with his people Where there is no visiō the people decay they know not what to beleeue Of this misery speaketh Iere. The young children aske bread but no mā breaketh it vnto them Of this speaketh Esay The poore needy seeketh water there is none They would haue some counsell some comforte and there is no man to giue it them My sheepe wandered saith God through al the mountaines and on euery high hill yea my flock was scattered through all the whole earth and none did seeke or searche after them They were full of diseases they were pined for hunger and taken vp by the wolfe but none had care to deliuer them In such state as the flocke is in which hath no shepheard or the shippe which is tossed by the tempestes amiddes the surges and rockes of the Sea and hath no skilful Pilote to guide it or the yong sucking childe that hath no nource to feede it euen in such stace are your soules if you haue not the ministery of Gods worde abyding with you You are children the Preacher is your nource you are a shippe in daunger of many wreckes through the boysterous tempests of this worlde the Preacher is your Pilote to guide you safely towardes the hauen of rest you are the flocke the Preacher leadeth you from dangerous places to feede vpon the whole some pastures of Gods holy worde Whosoeuer they be which reioyce not in the increase of the Lords haruest hee forsaketh them and leaueth them comfortlesse and giueth them fewe or no labourers Wherfore pray the Lorde of the haruest that he would send forth labourers into his haruest It is the Lorde which casteth the firste seede into the earth whiche doeth moysten the ground and maketh it fruitful and giueth forth his sunne that it may come to ripening Al the soile field corne and the husbandry therof is the Lordes Let vs pray to him to send forth labourers to trauaile and take paines Notwithstanding we ought to praye to God that hee will stirre vp and set foorth men to instruct his people yet that nothing embarreth the authority of princes For as God calleth him inwardly in the heart whom he wil haue to bee a minister of his word so must he be authorized of his Prince by outward and ciuil calling as I could shew at large if time would suffer it So Salomon the king deposed Abiathar the high priest and set vp Sadoc So Iustinian deposed two bishops of Rome Siluerius Vigilius authorized others And the same Iustinian was wont to say that he had no lesse regarde to the Church of God thē he had to his own soule So Constantinus Valentinianus and Theodosius called themselues Vasallos Christi The vasals of Christ And Socrates in his story saith Wee haue also herein comprised the Emperours liues for that sithence the Emperours were first christned the affaires of y ◠church haue depended of them the greatest counsels both haue byn are kept by their aduise It pertaineth therefore also to kings and Princes to send out labourers into the haruest Labourers they must be and not loyterers For Christ compareth the teaching of his people to thinges that be of greate labour as to plowing and fallowing of the grounde to planting of a Uine to rearing of a House to threshing of Corne to feeding of sheepe to leading of an Hoste and keeping of warre in which thinges is required much diligence and labour Cato in his bookes of husbandry saith it was an old saw among husbandmen Qui terram colit ne sedeat est enim aliquid semper quod agat He that plougheth the ground must not sit stil for he hath alwaies somwhat to do The worke of the husbandman is neuer ended hee falloweth stirreth soweth harroweth weedeth and tendeth his land Therefore if they he Pastours let them feede the flocke if they be Doctours let them teach the people if they be watchmen let them stande vppon their watche if they bee messengers let them doe their erraunt This is the way to buylde vp the Churche of Christ This commission Christ gaue vnto his Disciples Ite in mundum vniuersum c. Goe ye into al the world and preach the Gospel vnto euery creature Thus by twelue poore Apostles al the world was conquered Princes and kings and Emperours were subdued to the faith of Christ This is the key that openeth the conscience this is the two edged sword which entreth through euen to the diuiding asunder of y e soule and the spirit Therefore the Apostle saith The weapons of our warfare are not carnall but mighty through God to cast downe holds casting down the imaginations euery hie thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God and bringing into captiuity euerie thought to the obedience of Christ This is the only instrumēt wherwith we may cut down and haue in the haruest of God For all mens deuises Actes Iawes or commandements be the authority thereof neuer so great yet are not sufficient to content one mans conscience For the wisedome of man is but follie before God God knoweth the fancies and cogitations of men that they be but vayne and foolish Aristotle the great wise Philosopher on a time being sick when the phisition came to him to minister him
were made he hath said Hoc est corpus meum therfore it is now no more bread but his body and that this is the faith of the Church in which we were borne and christned In deede this hath lately beene receiued as a matter of faith But if we examine it well wee shall finde it to bee an errour and no point of faith I saye it hath beene receiued of late for our olde Fathers neuer beleeued it as I will declare and prooue and let you see that it hath not beene the Catholike faith nor the faith of the Primitiue churche nor of the Apostles of Christe and therefore no faith at all The opening of this matter will be somewhat darke and where with you haue not beene acquainted but giue me your attendance lend me your senses and I trust by the grace of God I shall make it playne They say the bread is changed and done away vtterly and that it is no breade though it seeme to be bread that in this case we may not trust our eyes but leane to faith Marke I saye they tell vs that the bread remayneth not and for trial hereof they require vs not to leane to any other thing then faith Wee will then close and shut vp our senses and hearken what Christ what S. Paul what the holy fathers of the church who are best able to instruct our Faith haue spoken S. Paul to the Corinthians in one piece of a Chapter calleth it bread foure times Read the place yee shall finde it so in the eleuenth of the first Epistle The Lord Iesus in the night that he was betrayed tooke bread And as often as ye shall eate this bread and drink this cuppe yee shewe the Lordes death till hee come Againe Whosoeuer shall eate this bread and drinke the cup of the Lorde vnworthelie shall bee guiltie of the body and blood of the Lorde And againe Let a man therefore examine himselfe so let him eat of this bread and drink of this cuppe They say it is not bread but Paul saith and so manie times saith it is bread And of the wine Christ saide after he had giuen thankes and it was consecrate and after his Supper I wil not drinke of this fruit of the vine hēceforth vntil that day when I shall drinke it newe with you in my fathers kingdome The fruite of the vine is wine therfore the selfe same fruit of the vine the same wine in substaunce did abide still after consecration as before S. Augustine calleth this holy mystery Sacramentū panis vini The sacrament of bread wine Iustinus Martyr saieth Diaconi distribuunt vnicuique praesentium de pane in quo gratiae actae sunt de vino aqua ad eos qui non sunt praesentes deferunt The Deacons deuide vnto euery one of them that are present part of that bread ouer which thankes were giuen and they carry of the wine and water to such as are not present Againe he saith Alimento humido sicco admonemur quae propter nos Deus dei filius perpessus sit By drie moyst food whereby he meaneth the sacrament wee are taught what things God the Sonne of God hath suffred for vs. What meāt he by dry food but bread or by moist food but wine It can not be avoided but that he thought y ◠bread wine remaine after the consecration He liued 1400 yeres since And before him Ignatius Vnus panis omnibus fractus It is one bread which is brokē for al. So Iraen who also liued 1400. yeeres since saith Eum calicem qui est creatura c. He made y t cup which is a creature his body by which he increaseth our bodies Therfore when the cup of mixture the bread whiche is broken receiueth the worde it is made the sacramēt of the body blood of Christ by which the substance of our flesh is increased nourished Hee saith after consecration it is a creature and suche a creature as nourisheth the substance of our flesh Origen who liued wel nigh 1400 yeres since saith Ille cibus qui sanctificatur per verbum Dei perque obsecrationem iuxta id quod habet materile in ventrem abit in secessum eijcitur The meate which is sanctified by the worde of God by praier as touching the materiall substance therof goeth into the belly and is cast out into the priuy Certainly vnles bread in the substance and nature of bread did remaine in the sacrament these words were too horrible to be spoken Dionisius saith Pontifex opertum panem aperit in frusta concidit The Bishop vncouereth the bread that was couered cutteth it in pieces He noteth that the loafe of the communion was of some bignesse and that the minister after consecration deuided it and gaue to euery man a portion S. Cipriā writeth Dedit Dominus noster in mēsa in qua vltimum cū apostolis participauit cōuiuium c. Our Lord at the table whereat he receiued his last Supper with his Disciples with his own hands gaue not his very body very blood really but bread wine but vpō the crosse he gaue his own body by y ◠hands of the souldiers to be wounded He maketh a difference betweene that which Christ gaue vppon the crosse that which he gaue at the table At the table he gaue breade and wine vppon the crosse hee gaue his body and blood Againe he calleth the bread after consecration Panem ex multorū granorum adunatione cōgestum Bread made not of formes and accidents but of the substance and moulding of many cornes Ambrose saith Quanto magis operatorius est sermo Dei vt sint quae erant in aliud cōmutentur How much more effectual is the worde of God that the bread and wine may be in substance and nature the same that they were before and yet bee changed into another thing They are changed into a Sacrament which they were not before and remaine bread and wine which they were before Chrisostome saith In similitudinē corporis sanguinis Christi panē vinum secundum ordinem Melchisedec nobis ostendit in sacramēto He shewed vs in a Sacramēt bread wine after the order of Melchisedec to bee the likenes of the body and blood of Christ What should I strande to trouble you with the rest As these say so say the other that the thinges which are seene in the sacrament are bread and wine But say they it is called bread because it was bread or because it hath a likenes of bread A pretie shift but it wil not helpe For S. Augustine saith Quod videtis panis est calix quod vobis etiam oculi renuntiant The thing that you see is the bread and the cup which thing your eyes do testify Gelasius saith Non desinit esse substantia panis vel natura vini
woundes or diseases They be a curious sorte in searching out the life of others and slouthfull in correctynge their owne lyfe S. Ambrose saith Lauat lachrima delictum quod voce pudor est coÌ„fiteri The teare washeth awai that offence which shame would not suffer to confesse in speach The Church of God in Graecia neuer receiued it And Erasmus witnesseth it was not vsed in the time of S. Hierome Apparat tempore Hieronimi nondum institutam fuisse secretam admissorum confessionem It appeareth that in the time of S. Hierome which was foure hundred yeers after Christe secret confession of sinnes was not yet ordeined And Beatus Rhenanus a man of great readyng saith Tertullianus de clancularia ista confessione admissoruÌ„ kihil loquitur neque eam vsquaÌ„ olim preceptam legimus Tertullian speaketh nothing of this secret confession of sinnes and we reade not any where that it was coÌ„manded in times past By these testimonies of Chrysost August Ambrose by y â— obseruatioÌ„ of Erasmus Rhenanus it may appeare that this secret confession in the eare of the Priest hath not bene taken to bee necessarie and that it is not of Gods determinate appoyntment but an ordinance of man As the glose vpon the decrees something playnly confesseth Melius dicitur confessionem institutam fuisse a quadam vniuersalis ecclesiae traditione potius quam ex noui vel veteris testamenti authoritate It is better saide y â— confession was appointed by some traditioÌ„ of the vniuersall Church then by any authoritie or coÌ„mandement of the new or olde testament Nowe in a worde or two I wyll somewhat speake of sacisfaction or recompeÌ„ce for offences which we haue done wherby we satisfie make amendes to the full contenâ—ation of him that is offended Such a recompeÌ„ce the law required An eye for an eye a tooth for a tooth a hand for an hande a foote for a foote Such amends for such harme so muche for so much this was accompted due and lawfull satisfaction This is of two sortes either that which is done vnto God or that which is done vnto men We are neuer able to satisfie make amendes vnto God We must alwayes confesse that we are vnprofitable seruaÌ„ts vnworthy to stand in his presence by no meanes able of our selues to make recompence for that we haue offended him Our onely and ful satisfaction for our trespasses done against him is the blood of our sauiour Iesus Christ The thief vpoÌ„ y â— crosse called vpoÌ„ Iesus Lord remeÌ„ber me wheÌ„ thou coÌ„mest into thy kingdome He knew he had offended God but fouÌ„d not how he might make amends otherwise theÌ„ by the righteousâ—es of Christ Iesus answered him verely I say vnto thee to day thou shalâ— be with me in paradise Today that is by and by Hee refuseth hym not nor feareth hym that God wyll refufe him because he had done amisse and made no recompence but promiseth hym because he repented and beleeued that hee shal be saued Paul was throwne downe a persequutor and raysed vp a preacher What amends might he make in so short time Saint Ciprian saith Sanguis tuus O Christe non quaerit vindictam Thy blood O Christ looketh not for any reuenge And saint Ambrose Lachrimas Petri lego satisfactionem non lego I reade of Peters teares but I reade nothynge of any satisfaction he made For our whole life cannot sufficyently acquite vs from the guâ—lâ—inesse of one sinne much lesse is any man able to worke or deserue y â— forgiuenes of all his sinnes The only things that God requireth of vs wheÌ„ we haue sinned ar that we sorow for our sinnes and amende our liues So Iohn the Baptist spake to the Pâ—arisies Bringe foorth fruite worthy amendement of life So saint Paul calleth the Ephesians to make recompence for their former naughtines Cast of lyinge and speake euery man the trueth vnto his neighbour Let him y â— stole steale no more but leâ— him rather labour worke with his hands the thing that is good Other recompeÌ„ce god looketh not for at our handes But when the godly haue taken offence at any our doings that are euil wee must giue all heede to content their mindes reconcile our selues againe vnto them It hath bene an ancieÌ„t order in the Church of God that if any had openly offended the congregatioÌ„ he should come openly againe before them to satisfie them by amends There he fel downe on his knees confessed his fault wepte and lameÌ„ted for it prayed the brethren that they woulde forgiue him and would also praye vnto God to be mercifull vnto him There the whole congregation fell downe before God their heartes moulted their eyes gushed out in teares they helde vp their hands prayed together for him and gaue thankes to God that their brother which had bene lost was founde againe Such satisfaction was it which hath bene made to the Church of God The last of those which some haue of late misused and counted one of the sacramentes of the Church is Extreme vnction And this they haue founded vpon the words of S. â—ames Is ani sicke among you let him call for y â— elders of the Churche let them praye for him and anoint him with oile in y â— name of the Lord and the prayer of faith shal saue the sicke the Lord shal raise him vp and if he haue coÌ„mitted sinne it shal be forgiuen him For the better vnderstanding of which words consider that God is mercifull to the sonnes of men and sheweth foorth his mercie at sundrie times by sundrie wayes And to leaue the examples of the olde Testament in the time of the gospel he hath giuen to some y â— gâ—ft of tongues and hath made them able beinge simple men to speake the wonderful works of God in tongues which they neuer learned To somâ— he hath giueÌ„ the gift of power and of the operation of great workes By this power many signes and wonders were wrought by y â— hands of the Apostles At the word of Peter Ananias and Saphira hys wyfe fel downe dead In this power Paul stroke Elimas the sorcerer with blindnes To some he gaue the gift of healing By this S. Peter healed a man which was a creeple from his mothers wombe and said In the name of Iesus Christ of Nazareth rise vp and walke hee tooke him by the right hande lift him vp and immediatly his feete and ancle bones receiued strength They were able to make the blinde see the lame to walke the leapers to be cleane the dead to receaue life agayne For when he sent foorth his Apostles to preach Christ gaue them power against vncleane spirits to cast them out and to heale euery sicknes and euery disease These things they wrought sometimes by their shadowe as many were healed by the shadowe of Peter sometimes with their worde sometimes with