5 Cornelius the Ethnike-captaine being placed in Cesarea ouer the Iewes putteth vs in minde howe the kingdome of Israel was taken from the Israelites and giuen to others Israel was the elect and welbeloued people of God the happie seede of Abraham to whom pertained the adoption and the glorie and the couenant and the Lawe that was giuen and the seruices of God and the promises A most free people as themselues boasted We are Abrahams seede and were neuer bound to any man A plentifull land flowing with milke and honie a most flourishing kingdome a mightie and victorious people for the Lord of hosts did fight for them Yet this elect beloued free and mightie people was ouerthrowen wasted translated brought into most miserable bondage and slauerie first by the Caldeis then by the Meedes afterward by the Grecians and last of al by the Romans And this was the Lords dooing I haue made the earth saith he the men and beasts that are vpon the ground by my great power and by my out-stretched arme and haue giuen it vnto whom it pleased me The name of God bee praised for euer and euer for wisedome and strength are his and he changeth the times and seasons hee taketh away kings and setteth vp kings The most high beareth rule ouer the kingdome of men and giueth it to them whomsoeuer he will 6 Iesus the sonne of Syrach shewing the causes why GOD translateth kingdomes A kingdome is translated saith he from one people vnto another because of vnrighteous dealings and wrongs and riches gotten by deceit and couetousnesse and pride The things that destroied Sodome were pride fulnesse of breade aboundance of idlenesse and that she strengthened not the hand of the poore needie The sinnes that consumed Gods people in the wildernesse and of sixe hundred thousand left but two aliue was loathing of the heauenly Manna and lusting after the flesh-pots of Egypt worshipping of idols fleshly fornication tempting of God and muttering against magistrates The cause why Iurie was laide wast and Israel caried away captiue was the contempt of Gods woord preached by Ieremie three and twentie yeres and that there was no trueth no mercie no knowledge of GOD amongst them Swearing lying murther theft and adulterie had gotten the vpper hand and one bloud guiltinesse followed an other Therefore did the Land mourne and euery one that dwelt therein was rooted out God is alwaies a iust God one that hateth all iniquitie hauing no respect to countrie or calling If our faults be like we may looke for like punishment Let vs recount with our selues and compare our selues with others Are we not as guiltie of vnrighteous dealing of oppression of extortion are we not as couetous are we not as proude as euer any people was Is there not as much pride belly-cheere idlenesse vnmercifulnesse in the citie of London as was in the citie of Sodome Doe wee not as much loath the true bread of heauen Cleaue we not as fast vnto idolatrie and superstition Commit we not adulterie and filthie fornication Tempt we not God Doe wee not mutter against the magistrates as the Israelites did in the wildernesse Is there more trueth mercie and knowledge of God lesse swearing lying murther theft adulterie and bloudshed in England than was in the Lande of Iurie If kingdomes then be translated for wrongfull dealing for couetousnesse and pride howe can vnrighteous couetous proude England stand long If God spared not the flourishing citie of Sodome can he in his iustice spare the sinnefull citie of London If God ouerthrewe the mightie people of Israel in the wildernesse for their sinnes can he winke at our fowle and manifold offences If the Land of Iurie was laid wast and the elect Israel caried away captiue for their ingratitude will not God punish and plague our shamefull contempt our wilfull disobedience For these examples are written for vs that we should not offend as they did least the like fall vpon vs as fell vpon them knowing that if God spared not the braunches of the true oliue hee wil not spare the twigges of the wilde oliue If hee spared not the transgressing Angels the offending Iewes neither will hee spare vs most vile and sinnefull Gentiles Our sinne no doubt hath iustly prouoked our God to anger Let our sighing and groning our earnest praier and true repentance remooue his wrath least our Niniuie sinke and perish in her sinne Yet remaine there a fewe daies of repentance for the safetie of our citie 7 Nowe to the former circumstances of Cornelius S. Luke addeth also the description of his maners testifying therein that he was deuoute that he feared God with all his familie that hee gaue much almes that he praied God continually Here is he set forth as a perfect paterne of true Christianitie an obseruer keeper of the Lawe of the almightie And because the Lawe is conteined in two tables his pietie towardes God is commended first secondly his loue and duetie towards men So that it is shewed howe he liued towards God how he ordered his familie and howe he behaued himselfe towards his neighbours 8 Towards God he was deuoute he feared God hee praied continually The foundation of deuotion is faith the fruits are the feare of God and praier Faith commeth by hearing of the word he heard by reason that he remained amongst the Iewes that there was one true God who was onely to be honoured He had heard of the promised seede in whom all people should bee blessed of the Messias which should bee the Sauiour of the people He beleeued in this promised Messias and thereupon hee is called deuoute for without this faith there is no deuotion no pietie no religion That feare that praier that commeth not of faith is but vaine it is reiected as sinful in Gods sight Whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne The tree must be good before it bring foorth good fruite As the braunche cannot beare fruite of it selfe except it abide in the vine no more can ye except ye abide in me saith Christ. Cornelius brought foorth good fruite and therefore by faith he abode in Christ that is he beleeued The fruites of his faith were the feare of God and praier vnto God for neither can we feare God as we ought nor call vpon him rightly except wee beleeue in him Howe shall they call on him in whom they haue not beleeued And they beleeue not in God that doe not feare him that doe not call vpon him For true faith will exercise the faithfull herein This feare of God hath euer respect to religion Come ye children and hearken vnto me I will teache you the feare of the Lord saith the Prophet That is I will instruct you in true religion I will teache you the true worshipping of God This is the first lesson that a Christian should learne And as all Christians so especially such
Lord hath chosen to him selfe a godlie man the Lorde will heare when I call vnto him The consideration hereof if we way it as we should may giue vs courage and strength against that man of bloud which at this day doth so cruelly persecute the professours of the Gospell and so proudly take vpon him to depose Christian princes and to place hypocrites in their roomes at his pleasure Let him also know that the Lorde hath chosen to himselfe godlie men the Lord will heare when they call vpon him he that toucheth them toucheth euen the apple of the Lordes owne eye Let him tremble that lifteth but a finger against them 10 Contremiscite Be afraide to set your selues against God and your prince to attempt such an ouerthrow to the common state cease from conspiracie leaue your treacherous deuises bee not deceiued you cannot preuaile you doe but worke your owne confusion call your selues to a reckoning betimes haue some quiet and sober consideration of your doinges when you are in your beddes free from all trouble then common with your owne heartes waigh the cause that you take in hand I am your prince God hath placed me ouer you ye are my subiectes God hath so placed you you shoulde loue me and not seeke my shame and subuersion ye owe me obedience not rebellion honor and not treason What occasion haue I giuen you thus to set your selues against me I haue dealt righteouslie and graciouslie with you I haue bene mercifull not cruell ouer you I haue sought your safetie more than mine owne But whom woulde ye haue to raigne ouer you A false worshipper an hypocrite a murderer of his owne brother an incestuous fornicatour one that will flatter you and deceiue you sweare and not performe Consider these things waigh what wickednesse you haue taken in hande and be quiet be still Cease from rebellion and obey peaceably the prince whom God hath placed ouer you So long as ye continew in the hardnesse of your heartes though you offer him all the beastes vpon a thousande hilles it is all in vaine Repent and offer vp the sacrifices of righteousnesse The Israelites when they had sinned were wont to offer sacrifice to pacifie God as appeareth in the law But for the most part this was done without feeling of their sin without true repentance formallie and for fashion sake onely But outward seruice without inwarde remorse and repentaunce for sinne God doth abhorre The rebell Absolon offered sacrifice in Hebron but in vaine because his heart was full of treason Antichrist renueth his oblations euerie day but to what purpose so long as he mindeth murther stirreth rebellion and maliciouslie persecuteth the spouse of Christ Sacrifice the sacrifices of righteousnes offer God repentance for your former faults and put your trust in the Lorde Thus wee see by what occasion the Prophet vttereth these wordes which I haue chosen to speake of at this time 11 To offer vp sacrifices it hath hen vsual in all ages amongst all people kinreds and nations of the earth But I will onelie speake of such as the people of God haue offered vp Before the law Abell Abraham Iacob Iob and othets in the time of the law Aaron with the Leuites presented offerings before the Lord. In the time of the Gospell the Apostles had and at this daie also Christians haue their sacrifices which being faithfully offered are graciouslie accepted in the sight of God 12 Sacrificing is a voluntarie action whereby wee worshippe God offring him somewhat in token that we acknowledge him to be the Lorde and our selues his seruauntes Ye are made saith S. Peter an holie priesthood to offer vp spirituall sacrifices acceptable to God by Iesus Christ. God therefore doth require this dutie at our handes It was commaunded in the law the Prophet Dauid calleth for it and S. Peter teacheth that euen now it is also due vnto God from men 13 Let vs now consider who are priestes to offer vp these sacrifices For there cā be no sacrifice without a priest as there can bee no priest where there is no sacrifice In the scriptures I finde a threefold priesthood allowed of God a Leuiticall priesthoode such as that of Aaron and his sonnes a royall priesthoode figured in Melchisedeck and verified in Christ a spirituall priesthood belonging generallie to all christians The Leuiticall priesthoode continued vnto Christ then ceased For being a figure of the truth which was to come the truth being come it coulde no longer continue Neither is there in the roiall priesthoode of Melchisedeck anie other that hath succeded but onely Christ. He is a priest for euer according to the order of Melchisedeck a king a priest a God a mā perfectinnocēt vndefiled vnspotted seuered from sinners yet numbred punished plagued with the wicked humbled to the depth and exalted farre aboue the highest heauens without beginning without ende without father as man without mother as God The thirde priesthood is that which is common to all Christians For he hath made vs kings and priestes vnto God his father Where the popish priesthoode taketh footing in what grounde the foundation thereof is layde I cannot finde in the Scriptures Antichrist is the authour of that priesthoode to him they sacrifice him they serue 14 What sacrifices Aaron did offer vp and what sacrifice Christ hath presented to his father we all knowe It followeth now to bee considered what kinde of sacrifice we must offer Aaron offered sacrifice which coulde not in it selfe bee accepted of God nor take awaie the sinnes of them for whom it was offered For whether they bee offeringes of thankes giuing they were not of that value that God should take delight and pleasure in them or sinne offeringes it is impossible that the bloud of bulles and goates shoulde take awaie sinne impossible But the priest according to the orer of Melchisedeck hath offred the sacrifice of his owne flesh acceptable euen for the worthinesse of it and by the vertue which is in it forcible and more then sufficient to wash awaie all sinne This he did willingly He made himselfe an offering for sinne Hee did it perfectly without offring hee consecrated for euer them that are sanctified Where full remission of sinne is there needeth no further sacrifice for sinne and the holie ghost beareth vs recorde that wee haue full remission of all our sinnes Their sins and iniquities will I remember no more Wee are healed with his stripes where there is no sore there needes no salue Not that wee haue no sinne but acknowledging that wee haue it it is as if we had it not because hee is faithful to forgiue it iust to cleanse vs from it The bloud of Iesus clenseth vs from all sinne The bloude of Iesus once shed the offring of the bodie of Iesus Christ once So that there remaineth no other sacrific to be dailie offered but the sacrifice of righteousnesse which wee
without they citizens and we strangers But nowe the bounds of the Church are inlarged her elders as it is in the booke of reuelation do now sing a new song Thou hast redeemed vs to God by thy bloud out of euerie kindred tongue people and nation Wherfore remember saith the Apostle that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh called vncircumcision of them which are called circumcision in the flesh made with hands were at that time without Christ and were aliants from the common wealth of Israel and were strangers from the couenaunts of promise and had no hope and were without God in the worlde But nowe in Christ Iesus ye which once were farre off are made neere by the bloud of Christ. For he is our peace which hath made of both one and hath broken the stoppe of the partition wall This wee are willed to remember For is it not a thing verie memorable that in vs GOD should nowe accomplish the promise which hee made to his sonne so long before Aske of me and I will giue thee the heathen for thine inheritaunce and the vttermost coasts of the earth for thy possessions Is it not memorable that the furious rage of the whole world mightily opposing it selfe against the kingdome of Iesus Christ it should notwithstanding growe so soone to this so exceeding greatnesse and that by so weake meanes from so small beginnings Nowe sith God hath brought this so strangely to passe for our sakes sith the Lord hath doone it for no other cause but onely to open the doore of saluation vnto vs with how great ioie of heart ought wee to heare his voice when hee saith of the Gentiles Let them ascend to mount Sion when hee saith of his house It shall be called the house of praier for all Nations Hee that will not shrowde himselfe vnder this vine hee that entreth not into this arke hee that will not be partaker of these celestiall treasures these heauenly mysteries this true bread of life so largely offered vnto all nations if his soule die the death who wil haue pitie or compassion of him Wherefore to conclude let vs bee followers of Christ as becommeth his deare children let vs learne by his example to be carefull and zealous for the house of God to purge and cleanse it as much as in vs lyeth from al defilements that as oft as we doe reuerently religiously frequent it to heare the word of saluation to receiue the blessed Sacraments of the Lord to powre out our praiers and supplications before him his spirite groaning with our spirits and our requests ascending thorough the forcible intercession of that only mediator which is to bee heard for his reuerence sake wee may reioice in our saluation and he be glorified by our reioysing Which GOD the Father graunt for his Sonnes sake To whom c. The fourteenth Sermon A Sermon made at the Spittle in London ACTES 10. 34 Then Peter opened his mouth and saide Of a truth I perceiue that God is no accepter of persons c. THE doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles doth wholly tend to this ende to declare vnto vs that Iesus Christ crucified is the promised Messias the redeemer and Sauiour of all that doe beleeue in him Neither is this matter cleared more perfectly by any Prophet or Apostle than by the Apostle S. Peter in this Sermon which nowe we haue in hand For therein is comprised briefly but most effectually the fulnesse of the gospell the perfect doctrine of saluation Nowe because the occasion of hauing it preached was Cornelius the captaine and the preacher of it was Peter the Apostle I will note somewhat in either of them seuerally for the better vnderstanding of that which the Sermon it selfe shall laie before vs. In Cornelius therefore first what maner of man he was on what occasion he sent for Peter in what sort he receiued him at his comming 2 The curious description which S. Luke maketh of Cornelius here declareth him to haue beene a notable and rare man both by other circumstances of his person and by his manners The other circumstances which I meane are his countrie his calling and the place of his abode Touching his countrie he was an Italian an Ethnike bred of Ethnike parents trained vp amongst a people drowned in idolatrie and superstition worshipping false gods being ignorant of the true God By calling hee was a souldier a captaine of the Italian band a captaine ouer one hundred souldiers The Romans had soldiers out of al prouinces but their chiefe force was of the Italians whom they trusted best as naturall subiects This Italian captaine made his abode in Cesarea a famous citie inhabited by the Iewes The whole lande of Iurie was brought in subiection to the Romane Empire and least the inhabitants thereof should reuolt certaine garrisons of souldiers were placed in sundrie of the greater cities to see them kept in obedience and to represse tumults Cornelius the captaine with the souldiers of his retinue were bestowed in Cesarea If we looke on this mans countrie if we consider his calling and vocation if we call to remembrance in what place he liued and with whom he was conuersant we shall finde nothing but idolatrie superstition wee shall behold nothing but rape robberie murther mischiefe spoile bloud-spilling we shall see nothing but lewdenesse prophanenesse wicked maners and cursed companie 3 All the which occasions of corruption notwithstanding he was deuoute he feared God with his whole familie hee gaue much almes to the people and praied God continually The mightie and merciful God did gather pearles out of this dunghil God can raise vp children vnto Abraham out of stones Faith pietie holinesse and religion come not by nature but of grace of Gods free gift not of our deseruing of mercie not of merite Faith is the gift of God He worketh all in all He giueth to will and to doe Not by the workes of righteousnesse which we had wrought but according to his mercie hath hee saued vs that we may acknowledge our wretchednesse and vnworthinesse and giue all glorie vnto him 4 Here we learne that neither parentage nor vocation nor corruption of place doeth shut vs out of the kingdome of God Ethnikes euen wilde oliues by nature are graffed by grace in the true oliue Souldiers that liue in order are allowed of by Iohn Baptist. Neither filthie Sodome nor superstitious Egypt nor idolatrous Babylon nor corrupt Cesarea was able to infect Lot or Ioseph or Daniel or Cornelius whom the Lorde had chosen according to his good pleasure and of his mercie had preserued The foundation of God remaineth sure and hath this seale The Lord knoweth who are his I will haue mercie on whom I wil haue mercie It is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercie
e law hath plainly said None shall come neere to any of the kindred of his flesh The vnrulie desires of men which presume to go further in these cases than the shamefastnes of natural honestie doth permit must be restrained repressed For this cause Iohn the Baptist tolde Herode It is not lawfull that thou shouldst haue thy brothers wife For this cause S. Paul dealt so sharpely and seuerely in the cause of that lewde Corinthian with whose foule and vnnaturall fault the whole Church of Corinth was much disgraced 13 In mariage therefore there ought to bee a reuerend regard of nature that this state be not dishonoured by vnseemely copulation as in like sort it is by the vngodlie ioyning of the faithfull with vnbeleeuers Of this thing holie Abraham in prouiding a wife for his son had as we see an especiall care For the eldest therefore by likelyhoode the discreetest seruaunt of his house yea and the trustiest as it seemeth for he had rule ouer al which Abraham did possesse was not permitted to deale in this matter without taking a corporal oath before hand I wil make thee sweare saith Abraham by the Lord God of heauen and God of the earth that thou shalt not take a wife vnto my sonne of the daughters of the Cananites amōgst whom I dwell Abraham would not linke his sonne with the wicked Hee remembred what had come of such mariages in the age before him when the sonnes of God tooke them wiues of the daughters of men onely for their beautie without regard of religion or honestie Their destruction was a lesson vnto him he auoided their sinne by fearing their punishment GOD gaue his people expresse charge concerning this that they should beware in ioyning mariage with Amorites and Cananites the indwellers of that prophane Countrie not onely forbidding this kinde of mariage but also shewing the reason why his people should forbeare it least idolatrous wiues should make their husbands also to become idolators least they make thy sonnes goe a whoring after their gods Whereof wee haue a notable example in Salomon whose pitifull fall being so wise a prince to so horrible impietie ought to be admonition sufficient vnto vs to submit our wisedome to the wisedome of the almightie and our desires to his commaundement But had Salomon neuer beene or had his fall beene vnrecorded our owne times may teache vs what fruites haue come of such vngodlie coniunctions Mans nature is corrupt and fraile he runneth headlong into wickednesse but to righteousnesse must be drawen by God and sooner can the euill peruert the good than the good persuade the euill This kinde of mariage therefore seemed so wicked vnto Esdras that hee caused the Israelites after their returne out of captiuitie to put away their strange not women only but wiues which they had taken to themselues in Babylon And shall Christians doe wel in receiuing such into mariage as Iewes being maried vnto did wel to put from them 14 But the common sort of men in making their matches this way haue chiefly two outward vntoward respects regarding nothing in their choise except it be either beautie or monie The sonnes of God of olde bewitched with the beautie of the daughters of men procured the general flood to ouerflowe them all to wash the defiled world Samson tooke one of the daughters of the Philistims to wife because shee pleased his eye but what came of it It cost him a polling wherein stoode his strength and it lost him both his eyes which before were rauished in the beautie of that deceitful woman Others there are yet of a baser note whose only care is to match themselues wealthily Their question is with what monie not with what honestie the parties whom they seeke are endowed whether they bee riche not whether they be godlie what lands they haue on earth not what possessions are laide vp in heauen for them Such as marie for monie as the monie wasteth so their loue weareth neither is there any loue or friendship constant saue onely that which is grounded on constant causes as vertue and godlinesse whereof onely neither time nor man can spoile vs. There was a riche man in Athens which had a daughter to marie and he asked counsell of Themistocles howe to bestowe her shewing him that there was a verie honest man that would gladly haue her but he was poore and there was a riche man which had also desired her but he was not honest Themistocles aunswered that if he were to choose he would preferre monilesse men before masterlesse monie It is true that S. Paul saith Godlinesse is great gaine Whether it bee man or woman that is godlie they be rich and as Salomon saith He that findeth a good wife findeth a good and a pretious thing the value of golde is not to be matched with her In mariage therefore it behooueth vs to be carefull that they whom we choose bee of the houshold of God professing one true religion with vs the disparagement wherein is the cause of all dissension true friendeship being a louing consent as in all things so chiefly in Gods true seruice 15 But this is not ynough For although the parties maried be such as the lawe of the Lorde alloweth to come together yet can it not be saide that they marie in the Lord except they also marie in such sort as the lawe prescribeth For mariage may be as much dishonoured by the one as by the other For orderly entring into the state of matrimonie it is required that they which be vnder the tuition and gouernement of others haue the ful consent of their parents tutors or such as haue rule ouer them to direct and guide them Abraham prouided a wife for his sonne Isaak Isaak sent Iacob into Mesopotamia to his vncle Laban and there commaunded him to take a wife and he did so In the law of Moses children are commanded to honour their parents And what honour is giuen vnto parents if in this chiefe case beeing the weightiest one of them that can happen in all their life their aduise wisedome authoritie and commaundement be contemned The lawe saith If a man finde a maide that is not betrothed and take her and knowe her then the man that knewe her shall giue vnto the father of the virgin fiftie shekels of siluer and she shall be his wife What Although the parents be against it No. For If her father refuse to giue her to him he shall pay the monie and not marie her Againe the lawe saith Whosoeuer voweth a vowe vnto the Lorde or sweareth an oath to binde himselfe by a bond hee shall not breake his promise but shall doe according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth Neuerthelesse if a woman vowe a vowe vnto the Lord and binde her selfe by a bond beeing in her fathers house in the time of her youth and her
the moone shall be abashed the sunne ashamed when the Lorde of hostes shal raigne in mount Sion The like we read in Ezechiel threatning destruction and desolation to Egypt I will couer the heauen and make the starres thereof darke I will couer the sunne with a cloude and the moone shall not giue hir light all the lightes of heauen will I make darke for thee and bring darkenes vpon thy lande sayth the Lorde I might alledge the like out of Ioel Ieremie Amos and Micheas but the matter is cleare inough needeth rather to be considered thaÌ„ prooued 19 The wordes being literally thus vnderstoode may be morally applied not without great fruite vnto the vnderstanding and wise hearer which can discerne betweene interpretation of scripture application thereof In the one we giue you the bare sense of the scripture in the other we teach you the profitable vse of it For the vse of scripture may be very well shewed not only by such collectioÌ„s as do probably gather or necessarily coÌ„clude one thing out of another but also by those allegoricall comparisons which shewe how in one thing another is shadowed a spirituall thing resembled in a corporall As for example if heere we refer the sun to Christ that sunne of righteousnes the moone to the Church and the starres to the pastors and doctors of the Church 20 The sunne in this sence is most euidently in this our age darkned Christ is obscured by that great enimie Antichrist the man of sinne who hath set himselfe in Christs peculiar place and will be exalted aboue all that is called God To make any other mediator betwene God and man sauing only Christ Iesus which is not onely man but also God To seeke else where remission of sinnes iustification redemption sanctification or saluation than only in this Iesus in him crucified doth darken make dimme both him and his merites And of this treason the Romish Antichristian Church which they terme Catholike is founde guiltie For the children of this harlot labour by al meanes to obscure the sonne of God to robbe him of the glorie of his desertes in our saluation I would neuer haue beleeued that any professing learning or hauing had but a glimse of the course of the woorde of God could haue beene so grosse in such sort to haue eclipsed the brightnesse of Christ Iesus by giuing his glorie vnto earthly creatures if of late I had not to my great greefe and their great shame heard their owne blasphemous conâ—essions therof Surely the Romish strumpet hath rubbed hir forehead hir children are become altogether shamelesse whatsoeuer shee determineth they make it equiualent with the written word of God There is no absurditie in poperie in which there are ful many and full grosse which they doe not defende to be right good and Catholike The Popes pardons purgatorie masses merites praiers both for to y e dead pilgrimages images reliques yea holy water and holy bread All these they will haue some one way and some another to bee forcible remedies against sinne and death This is their religion and seruing of God thus they honour the Lambe that was slaine for the sinnes of all the worlde If this doe not derogate from him and stoppe the brightnesse of his glorie who is the only once offered propitiation for all our sinnes by whose bloud we are only purged whose death only hath made vs free from death if this doe not obscure the glorious beautie of Christ Iesus if this doe not deface the woorthinesse of his merites what doeth or what can do Hath the glorious sonne of God sacrificed his precious life for our sakes vpon the crosse that Thomas of Caunterburies bloud powred out in an earthly quarrell should make passage to heauen for vs Is there any man in whose heart the light of the glorie of God hath shined which seeth not how this fogge doth darken this blessed sunne 21 Againe this sonne is obscured when as we professe that in our woordes which in our liues and deedes we doe denie After that king Dauid had committed adulterie Nathan the phophet charged him therewith in these words Thou hast caused the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme When men professe wel liue ill their life is not tolerated for their profession but their profession is slandered by their conuersation When the Iewes which professed the Law did not practise it the Law which they professed heard euill thereby For a bad professor of a good thing is a staine to that thing which he doth professe This is the speciall fault of our wicked dayes these our times are clowdie and full of this darkenesse our light doth not shine to glorifie God but our darkenes doth abounde to the obscuring of his Christ. The mercilesse rich men which wring and oppresse by deceitfull and iniurious dealing which neglect and despise their afflicted brethren the needie members of Christ doe not they blaspheme the woorthie name wherewith both they and we are named It were a great deale better neuer to haue professed then not to practise neuer to haue receaued then not to obserue neuer to haue knowne then not to obey the word of truth Vnto them which heare the word and keepe it being heard a blessing is promised but vnto theÌ„ of whom it is written Dicunt non faciunt They say do not woes againe and againe are denounced This knowe sayth the Apostle that in the last dayes shall come perillous times For men shall be louers of themselues couetous boasters proude cursed speakers disobedient to parentes vnthankefull vnholy without naturall affection truce breakers false accusers intemperate fierce despisers of them which are good traitours headie high minded louers of pleasure more than louers of God hauing a shewe of godlinesse but hauing denied the power thereof Let all the worlde iudge whether these be not the cloudes which haue darkned the sunne of our dayes 22 Now as the sun reseÌ„bleth Christ so the moone his Church For as the moone hath hir light from the sun so the Church hirs from Christ. And as the sunne being vnchangeable is at all times exceeding bright and glorious but the moone doth change and some times is at the full sometimes at the wane hir light to the eye of the worlde now encreasing and nowe diminishing nowe filling the whole globe and now in no part thereof appearing so Christ and his Church Christs glorie is alwaies great and alwaies one His Church vpon earth doth varie nowe she flowrisheth and nowe is blacke sometimes shee ouer spreadeth the face of the whole earth at other times she is brought to so narrowe streightes that mortall eye is vnable to espie hir When the Church of Christ is persecuted as it was in the dayes of those cruell Emperours which were of olde and as it is at this daie vnder Antichrist and Antichristian Princes this is as it were the chaunging
when he saide Many are the troubles of the iust S. Paul did consider it and therefore said They that will liue godlie in Christ Iesus shall suffer persecution Christ did often put his disciples and scholars in remembraunce of it If they haue persecuted me they will persecute you In the worlde wee are sure to finde heauie intertainement but this is our comforte with whom we suffer with him we shall raigne we shall liue with him in glorie with whom now we are in miserie if so be we take vp our crosse and follow him Patience perfoce is no patience Not euerie one which beareth any manner of crosse but he which taketh it vp that is to saie which is willing to beare it he shall receiue an immortall crowne of glorie The wilde restie and vnbroken horse if hee kick and fling neuer so much yet is hee forced to carie his rider but being managed and tamed he passeth on quietlie with his burthen The wicked mutter they murmure blaspheme when they are once touched but the seruauntes of God doe not onely take that patiently which is laide vpon them but they reioyce that they are thought worthie to suffer Be they neuer so much afflicted in body the end of their affliction is alwaies ioy in the spirit The wicked kick against the prick the godly submit them selues to the yoke knowing that they are striken with a tender hand that he which humbleth them loueth them shall turne all things to their good Yea they take vp not only their own crosses but also the griefes suffrings of others vpon their backs they are content to feele the smart euen of other mens stripes to put their shoulders vnder the burthēs of their brethren to weepe for the sorrowes of other men as much as for their owne when others are bound to be as if they were in chaines with them These are the suffringes of the church of Christ these are the crosses of his children As for hereticks they haue no portion in this cuppe Though they offer themselues vnto all kindes of torture yet because they suffer not for the truth but against the truth they cannot looke for that rest which is promised to Gods afflicted when the Lorde shall shew him selfe from heauen accompanied with his mighty angels For it is not the crosse but the cause that makes a martyr Blessed are they that suffer for righteousnes sake There is no cause why that irreligious crew should glory in their suffrings which fight for Antichrist for heresie for popery for superstitiō sedition selfe will singularity Non ex passione certa est iustitia sed ex iustitia passio gloriosa est saith S. Augustin Our suffringes are no argument of our righteousnesse but our righteousnesse an ornament vnto our suffringes 13 To these afflictions whereof wee haue hitherto spoken the church hath alwaies bene subiect from the beginning it hath ben tossed and much troubled Abel the image of the church was vnnaturally murdered by the bloudy hand of his owne brother Abraham the father of our faith with his familie a figure of the church liued as a pilgrime and they as straungers vpon earth The Israelites were in Aegypt tyrannized by Pharao in the wildernes many wayes chastised of the Lord afterwardes in continuall stormes war battle before they could be placed in the land of Canaan when they were come thither had dwelt long there in the end their temple was spoiled their people murdered their cities razed they led captiues into strange countries This was the lot of Gods church the portion of his elect chosen people in former times In the last daies Christ himselfe was no sooner in the worlde but he was by by forced to saue his life by flight There was no day no houre that passed ouer him without griefe frō the time of his birth to that verie moment wherein he yeelded vp the ghost How it fared with his disciples after him after them with the churches which they had planted it may appeare by the history partly of their acts partly of those times wherein Nero Traiā Domitian Diocletian others of the like disposition liued But no time so bloudy cruell as since that Romaine strumpet hath vsurped authority ouer Christ his church The church coulde hide it selfe in no corner of any kingdom in the whole worlde but his tyranny found it out to vexe it to persecute it and to spoile it What bloud he hath shed what murthers he hath committed in these latter daies Englād Scotlād Flaūders Fraūce can sufficiently record By this it is euident to al mēs eyes how the church in the midst of this wicked world is tossed like a ship vpon the sea 14 As the whole church of Christ so euery member that truely professeth him is subiect vnto great tentation If the ship be in danger how can they be without perill that are in it As soone as we professe the name of Christ the Deuill stirreth vp his stormes tempests of temptation to make vs deny forsake our profession wherin his assaults be most fierce in which respect the blessed Apostle doth cal thē firie So it pleased God to chastise keepe vnder euery sonne whom he receiueth And if we would be without affliction then were we bastardes not children 15 If both the whole body euery member therof be thus deuoted vnto suffring the chiefest mēbers must looke to be in greatest dangers That which Christ told his disciples must be verified in all their successors The world shal hate them For why they which hate to be reformed cannot brooke to be reproued And we must needes rebuke the world of sin What misery soeuer commeth to the church the minister is alwaye the first that feeleth the smarte of it This we finde to haue bene true in the Prophets in the Apostles in others that frō time to time haue borne the roomes of ouerseers in the Church Quem prophetarum non persecuti sunt sayth Christ. What Prophet can be named which hath not bene persecuted The time would not suffer me to make but onely a bare rehersall either of the ancient worthy guides of the church which haue ben most cruelly entreated murthered in former times or of your owne pastors whom our late euill daies haue seene taken from vs in most cruell sort 16 By this it is plaine that the whole church of Christ euery mēber of the same is subiect to tribulations afflictiōs troubles the chiefest mēbers most subiect Let vs now consider how why this commeth to passe The most neere immediate cause of their troble which are tossed vpō the sea is the rising of windes the raging of the waters This is manifest vnto sense They that go downe to the sea in ships vse trafficke in great waters do see that when the stormie winde ariseth lifteth vp the waues they
sins Secondly it causeth vs to be giuen to hospitalitie Thirdly it will not suffer men to hide those graces which they haue receiued at Gods handes but is a cause of bestowing the same to the vse benefit of their brethrē 17 It is not our charitie that can couer our sins from the sight of God Christ is the propitiation for our sinnes It is I that blot out your iniquities sayth the Lorde But as Gods loue to vs ward couereth our sinnes so our towardes our brethren doeth couer theirs If God loue vs his mercie is as a cloke that hideth all our shame he seeth no blemish or deformity in vs. If we loue our brethren our charity is as a vaile before our eies we behold not their faults Although they be great we do not waie thē although many we recken thē not For charitie couereth euen the multitude of sins The eye of the charitable man is alwaies vewing his owne woundes as for the scarres of other 〈◊〉 he seeth them not His hād is alwaies occupied not in picking out motes frō other mens eyes but in drawing out beames from his owne S. Augustine to shew the great dislike he had of such as vncharitably delighted to vnfold other mens faults wrote these verses ouer his table Quisquis amat dictis absentum rodere vitam Hanc mensam vetitam nouerit esse sibi Who so loueth to gnawe vpon men in their absence Let him knowe that this table doth not like his presence 18 The next fruit of loue is hospitalitie Be harborus one toward another without grudging S. Paul is of the same iudgement For hauing vsed this exhortation Let brotherly loue continue he immediatly addeth Be not forgetfull to lodge strangers Hospitalitie hath respect vnto all men but chiefly to strangers namely such as are of the houshould of faith and are driuen out of their countrie for the profession of Christs Gospel Such are chiefly to be releeued Of such especially it is written and prouided for in the lawe The strāger that dwelleth with you shalbe as one of your selues thou shalt loue him as thy selfe for ye were strangers in the lande of Egypt I am the Lord your God God hath offered vs at this time great occasion to shew foorth our charitie many of Gods good children are straungers in Englande Let vs not omit this good occasion to doe good Abraham and Lot were liberall towardes straungers and when they supposed to haue receiued men they receiued Angelles to their great benefit But we no doubt in receiuing these strangers which wander from place to place beeing cast out of their countries for confessing and professing Christ receiue not Angels but the Lorde of Angelles Hee that receiueth you receiueth me In doing good to straungers we doe good also to our selues for great shall be the benefit when Christ shall say I was a straunger and yee harboured me As great the curse to them to whom it shalbe said I was harbourlesse and ye did not lodge me Saint Peter would haue vs giuen to hospitalitie without murmuring and with kindnesse entertaine straungers For in shewing of beneuolence there are three speciall vertues which if they be wanting our benefits loose their grace and goodnesse The first is willingnesse God doth loue a cheerefull giuer The seconde is bountifulnesse For he that soweth sparinglie shall reape sparingly The thirde is singlenesse of heart for if we giue vainegloriously to be seene of men wee loose our rewarde at Gods handes as by murmuring we deserue no thankes of men 19 There be two graunde enemies of hospitalitie The one is couetousnesse the other profusenesse Nigardlinesse would not suffer Naball that rich carle to bestowe a peece of breade to releeue the necessitie of Dauid a king Shall I take my breade and my water and the flesh of my beastes that I haue killed for my shearers and giue it to men whom I knowe not eyther who or whence they are Others with the prodigall sonne wast that vnthriftilie wherewith they should releeue the poore and comfort straungers Some of them being eaten vp as they say with three H. H. H. Horses Haukes and Harlots Some with vaine apparell casting away as much vpon a garment as would almost ransome a king Some with building some with banquetting some by one meane and some by an other whereby it is come to passe that hospitalitie it selfe is waxen a straunger and needeth harbour we haue shut it quite and cleane out of doores 20 The last fruite of heartie loue is the good bestowing of our graces and giftes to the benefit of others Let euery man as he hath receiued a gift minister the same one to another as good disposers of the manifolde graces of God The giftes that we haue which be good they be of God for euery good gift commeth downe from the Father of lightes And these giftes we receiue to bestowe vpon others as good stewardes of the Lorde S. Peter doeth seeme chiefly as it were to point vnto two sortes of high and principall stewardes at whose handes an especiall reckoning of the graces of God will be required the magistrate and the minister For God leadeth his people like sheepe by the hande of Moses and Aaron whose gifts are the sworde and the woorde whereof the one may not be borne in vaine but drawne to the punishment of euill doers and to the aduauncement of them that doe well the other is to bee preached in season and out of season to the confirmation of the trueth the refutation of errour the exhortation to vertue the disswasion from vice that the man of God may be perfectly inabled to euerie good worke Howbeit as magistrates and ministers are principally ment in this exhortation so are all sexes and sorts of people called vpon For we shall all giue an account of our stewardship we must all make a reckoning of the talentes we haue receiued be they fiue two or one No man is borne nor brought vp to himselfe but to the benefit and behoofe of an other and as stones in one building or members in one bodie so is euerie man interessed and inuested in the possession ech one of an other to the ende no man should seeke his owne thinges but the things that make for the profiting of an other Which one lesson amongest many if once we would heare to learne it and learne to remember it and remember to followe it and followe to continue and perseuer in it we should not onely declare our selues to be good dispensers of the manifolde gifts and graces of God but heare also that blessed voice Euge serue bone fidelis Come my good and faithful seruant I haue set thee ouer a few small things I wil henceforth place thee ouer more and greater come and enter into thy maisters ioy whereunto he bring vs that so dearelie bought it for vs euen Iesus the price of our redemption to whome with the father and