owne imaginations and all the curses of the law and so we shall lye downe in our owne confusion and bee couered with our shame because wee loathed instruction and hated to bee reformed For surely the ouerthrow of the wicked sleepeth not though yet they liue in al prosperitie and florish as a greene Bay tree Let not vs then folowe their â—â—usion of ryote but in time receiue the Lordes warning with Noe to huÌ„ble our selues to walke before our god The Storcke in the ayre as sayth the Prophete knoweth her appointed times the Turtle the Crane and the Swallowe obserue their opportunitie of comming and shall not we knowe the iudgements of our God Or can the Oxe know his masters stall or the Asse his masters cribbe and shall not Israel know his God Let vs be warned by the voyce of God let vs receiue instruction and be wise betime For blessed is the man that heareth wisdome watching dayly at hir gates and giuing attendance at the postes of hir doores For hee that findeth hir findeth life and shall obtaine the fauour of the Lord and onely this is our wisdome and perfect vnderstanding to receiue and obserue the admonitions of our God. When Noe were thus admonished by the Lorde he did not by and by forget his worde or choke it with the cares of life and voluptuousnesse of liuing then preuailing but as his fayth was wrought thereby so was he now emboldned and his fayth encreased and preserued by these admonitions concerning thinges to come For as by meats drinks the bodie is increased and by the wholsome counsell of physitions the sicknes to be feared is preueÌ„ted so by the woorde of God the fayth of Noe was increased and by the admonitions thereof the daungers to bee feared were auoyded whilest he willingly gaue credit to that which was spoken By this his readinesse to beleeue the worde appeareth plainly beloued the faythfull heart which the godly ought to haue towards the same that in beleeuing the worde of trueth the Lord may be their God and they his people This readinesse was in the Kenites when they left their owne couÌ„try to go with the Israelites into the land of Canaan that they might be further instructed in the law of God. This readines was in the good king Iosias wheÌ„ his heart melted within him for feare of the plagues of God towardes the land neither ceassed he vntill he had enquired of the Lord what was to be done This readinesse was in all those which wente through the valley of teares from strength to strength to seeke the Lorde in Sion This readinesse was in the Prophetes and Apostles whilest they left all thinges to obey the will of God. This readines was in the Iewes when they were fired with the wordes of Peter and with penitent hearts required what to do And this ought to be our readines towards the word of our saluation and towards the admonitions of the most highest that whilest he speaketh we giue eare whilest he crieth that wee make answere and whilest it is said to day that we beleue and heare his voyce These should be the daies wherein men shoulde follow no more the stubbornnesse of theyr wicked hearts but rather should goe vp to the mountaine of the lord to be instructed in his lawes with reuerence and feare These should be the dayes wherein the idoles shoulde de destroyed and men shoulde forsake their molten gods These should be the sweete and ioyfull dayes of Ierusalem wherein the people shoulde offer willing offrings of obedience and thankfulnesse These shoulde be the Halcionios dies of the Church when righteousnesse and peace when mercie and trueth shoulde meete and kisse eche other But in steade of readines to the worlde the eares of many are vncircumcised that they neither can nor will heare the lawe of god In stead of casting away the vanities of Idoles they are marked with the beastes marke whome they worship In stead of quietnes loue the heartes of many are set on mischiefe whilest discorde enuie and debate preuaile so much I feare therefore these dayes are more like the daies of Noe wherin the coÌ„tempt of trueth bare rule amongst so many They are the dayes of the prouocation in the wildernes wherein the delights of Egyptiacal seruitude is preferred before the sweete Manna of euerlasting happines I wonder what euill spirite hath bewitched men that they should not beleeue the truth Why haue they put vpon them an whorish face and a shameles looke and made their hearts like an adamant whilest they walke in the errour of theyr hearts and in the vanitie of their own imaginations Euery man flattereth himselfe in his owne wayes thinketh him selfe more holy then his fellowe but yet hee pluckes not the beame of pride out of his eie Wee say with filthie Iuda that we be not polluted nor haue folowed after Baalim and yet we are vncleane by meanes of popishe superstition Wee bragge and boast with the proud Pharisie of our righteousnes yet feele we not the burthen of our sinnes and faith in Christ and therfore remaine vniustified We say with the angell of Laodicea that we be rich and much encreased with goodes and haue neede of nothing yet we know not that we are wretched miserable poore and blind naked What remayneth then for vs but to bye of the Lords fine gold that we may be rich white rayment that we may be clothed that our filthie nakednes do not appeare that our eies may be anointed with the eie salue that we may see with al readines to obey the truth to be warned with Noe to make preparation against the flouds of euil to come But especially welbeloued the faith of Noe appeared in this that he saw the things to come which presently could not by outwarde senses be discerned For seeing that the floud was not come before an hundreth and twentie yeeres were ended the tract of time might haue remoued and banished away the remembrance thereof It might also haue seemed incredible to flesh and bloud that such a water should come so quickly besides all these the wicked folowed their delights without respect and to be short these threatnings of such floods might haue bene iudged vaine but Noe his faith did mouÌ„t aloft and reached aboue the capacitie of outwarde senses and looked vp to things more excellent by much theÌ„ could by outward meanes be vnderstood which things yet hid and not apparant the holy ghost sealeth in our harts for our more assurance According whereunto the Apostle calleth fayth the substance of things hoped for the sure demonstration of thinges which are not seene thereby not onely lifting vp our fayth to things to come but also fully assuring vs of the performaÌ„ce therof for God is faithful
which hath promised We are alreadie saued by hope but hope that is seene is no hope for how can a man hope for that which he seeth but if we hope for that which wee see not we doo with pacience abide for it And this treasure wee haue in our earthen vessels that the excellencie of that power might be of God not of vs And therefore our cōuersation is in heauē from whence we looke for the sauiour euen Iesus Christ with whom our life is hid in God that whē Christ which is our life shal appeare thē shal we also appeare with him in glorie Such a sure perswasiō of things to come had Noe neither wauered he in fayth at all This is that exceeding comfort which maketh glad the hearts of the elect in the middest of the sorowes of this life assuredly beholding with the eies of faith such thinges as neither the eie of man hath seene nor his eare hath heard nor yet his heart perceyued or vnderstoode Such an vndoubted hope and trust had the godly fathers vnder and before the lawe when with the eyes of fayth they behelde the Messias sauiour Christ to come and so were iustified as we beleue now that he is come alreadie and hath wrought our redemption Such was the faith of Abraham Isaac and Iacob concerning the promises of the land of Canaan whē as they were but strangers vpon the earth had not a foot bredth to possesse beleeuing what the Lord had promised should surely come to passe Such an assurāce of fayth had Moses when he refused the delightes of Egypt and the pleasures of Pharaos court to suffer persecution with his brethren looking to the promised rewarde This assured fayth of thinges to come had good king Dauid when he trusted that his throne shoulde continue and be established for euer This assurance of things to come our Sauiour Christ commended to his disciples against the assaults of persecution promising them that they shuld sit vpō twelue thrones with him and iudge the twelue tribes of Israel This assurance had the Apostle Paul whē he desired to attaine the righteousnes of fayth and resurrection of the iust that he might weare the crown which God had layde vp in store for him And what els moued the saints of God to withstande the beast and not to loue their liues to death but that by fayth they sawe the newe Ierusalem And this is that golden saying of Ignatius going to be martyred Nihil moror visibilium nec inuisibilium modo Iesum Christum acquiram I neither sayeth he care for things nowe seene nor thinges which are not seene so that I may laye holde of Iesus Christ This is our comfort dearely beloued in these daungerous dayes and byllowes of the world that our faith is not fixed of things present but of thinges to come For though now we be the childrē of God as sayeth the Apostle yet doth it not appeare what we shal be For we know that whē Christ shal appeare wee shall bee like to him for wee shall see him as he is We see now in a glasse darkly but thē shal we see him face to face we know but nowe in part but then shall wee knowe euen as we are knowne We are now corruptible but we shal be clothed with incorruptiō We are now but mortal but this mortall shall be swalowed vp of immortalitie We are now afflicted in distres but the same is but for a momēt yet causeth in vs a most excellēt eternal weight of glory while we looke not on the things which are seen but on the things which are not seene for the things which are seen are but tēporal but the things which are not seene are eternall Though for a while we feele the reliques of sin in vs prouoking vs to euil yet looke we dayly whē that time shal come that this body of sin may be don away We feele in our selues the sparks and seed of much vnrighteousnes yet do we hope in stead therof we shal be clothed with the fine reynes and righteousnes of Christ and all our transgressions to be pardoned We feele for a litle hunger colde yet do we hope for the abūdance of all delightes heauenly treasures We daily sorowe and weepe are vexed with the vncleane conuersatiō of the wicked yet trust we that our sorowe shal be turned into ioy all teares wyped from our eyes We now abyde with patience the tauntes and checkes of Antichrist and his mēbers but yet we see by faith that Babylon the mother of all abominations shal sodainly fall and come to nought for that her sinnes are in remembrance with God. We dayly feare the assaultes of sinne death yet do we knowe by faith that Christ hath cōquered them for vs. We feele our frailtie in this lyfe and thraldome to infirmities yet do we hope for euerlasting rest in the resurrection of the iust Such is the assurance of our faith surmounting farre the reache of mannes capacitie shee wauereth not she sincketh not shee doubteth not as saith the misbeleeuing papist leaning to his ydle woorkes but she maketh the good conscience sure and alwayes hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whilest shee plainly beholdeth the things as yet not seene but surelie for to come to passe Further whereas this readines of Noe was ioyned with reuerēce it is dearely beloued to teache vs that his faith was directed both to the promisse of the couenāt whereby he was receyued into fauour also to the threatnings of GOD whereby the Lord menaced the destructiō of the world which he beleeued to come and so did tremble And as by the former he was assured of gods fauour so by the other in respect of his own infirmitie he feared least he should haue perished with the wicked Wherein we must note two things the one what is the obiect of our faith the other how it trembleth in respect of our selues at the plagues denounced yet for all that is assured of Gods mercie Our faith is leueled directed especially at Christ the obiect therof For like as the Israelites did with their bodily eyes behold the brasen serpent were cured euen so doth fayth the eye of our soule beholde the Sonne of God lift vp vpon the altar of the crosse for our redemptiō And like as wholesome meates onely nourish the body euen so nothing dooth feede our faith but Christ crucified the bread of lyfe at whose worke of redemption our faith must alwaies looke or els we must needes be pressed down with the terrour of our owne conscience into hell For seeing that the promises of the Gospell are a readie way to leade vs to the knowledge of Gods mercy reueyled in Christ in whom it pleaseth the father that al fulnes should dwell and
not fruitles as our aduersaries make report but like a good tree it must bring forth the fruites of integritie and righteousnes of life For euen as fyre burneth cannot be without heate no more then the sunne without his light euen so is it impossible for a true faith to be without good workes which although they do not iustifie vs before God yet are they to bee done that our obedience of faith may thereby be discerned which may bee seene whilest wee walke in the lawe of God. When Moses was ready to take his leaue of the Israelites howe earnestly he required of them obedience to the law of god it is most manyfest throughout the whole booke of Deutero When Samuel had appointed that Iewes a king how sweetely doth hee moue them to the obedience of the law Whē Dauid would publish and sing the praises of God how vehementlye doth he coūsel the Iewes to heare the voyce of God and not to harden their hearts as in the deserte When the Prophets would haue the people to turne to the Lorde that his wrath might bee turned from them their chief persuasion resteth herin that they would testify their faith not by the multitude of sacrifices but by obeying the worde of god This obedience our Sauiour Christ requireth of his disciples if they loue him to keepe his cōmandements this is the same which the Apostle Paul calleth the obedience of faith to the end after we bee iustified wee might expresse the same by our obedience to the law of God and therefore in al his epistles after the treatise of iustification he cōmandeth the fruits of newnes of life whereby dearly beloued wee are to learne how fruitfull our obedience ought to be in good workes for so much as our faith is made manifest therby god is glorified and our brethren profited hee hath made vs a peculiar people vnto him self that we shuld be folowers of good workes wee must therefore liue holily soberly righteously in this presēt world he hath redeemed vs frō the hands of our enemies that we should serue him in holines righteousnes for euer He hath giuen vs heauenlye graces many and endued vs with his holye spirit therefore must the bodie dye to sinne the spirite liue for righteousnes sake He is holye who hath called vs therfore must we be holy in al our conuersation Let vs therefore deare brethren shew forth our obedience in newnes of life and make strong our election and calling by our good workes and our labour shal not be in vaine in the Lord. Wee make great boastes and crakes that wee be Christians let the same be proued true or false by our liues for not euery one that sayth Lord Lorde shall enter into the kingdom of heauen but he that doth the will of God neither is euery one brother or sister to Christ but onely those which heare and keepe his word this is the fruite of our obedience and righteousnes towardes God. If we couet to be blessed and haue good successe we must needs beginne at this obedience of our faith Yf we will haue the Lord to be our God and wee our selues to be his people then must we humble our selues to obey his word yf we wil be counted the friendes of Christ then must we do whatsoeuer he hath commāded vs Yf we will bee purified by faith in heart we must begin to obey the trueth Yf we wil be safely armed against spiritual wickednes we must hold fast the word of god finally if we couet to be saued we may not bee ashamed of the Gospell but in all meeknes receiue the same for it is able to saue our soules We say with the Israelites to Moses that wee will obserue the law But oh that there were such an heart in vs to feare the Lorde and to keepe his commandementes alway that it might go well with vs and with our children for euer Wherefore as obediēce is better then sacrifice so let this be our wisdome with Noe to declare and shew forth our faith by our obedience vnto the word of God. Besides al this the obedience of righteous Noe more plainely did appeare in that he did not folowe his owne purpose and deuise but the appointment of God in this making of the arke for he made it in length in breadth and height in all other partes accordinglye as he was commanded This is the wisedome of God who will not haue his Church builded accordīg to mannes deuise but by the direction of his worde When Moses was commanded to build the tabernacle he was straightly charged to do it according to the paterne shewed vnto him in the mounte When the Israelites were instructed how to serue God when they came into the land of promise they were forbidden to serue him after the maner of the Canaanites and onely to worship him according to his lawe without either turning to the right hand or to the left When the Iewes returned out of captiuitie and repaired the ruines of the temple at Ierusalem they reedified it according to the former building made by Salomō Whē our sauiour Christ builded the spirituall arke temple of his church he layed no other foundation but him selfe who was the rocke against the which the gates of hel should not preuaile For finishing wherof in the gathering together of the saintes he charged the Apostles straitly but to speake what he had taught them This ought to be our speciall care in building and reformation of religion not to do what we thinke good but as the Israelites before they tooke any thing in hand asked counsell of God so must we in all our wayes be ruled by his word which is the way for vs to walke in which the holy ghost hath written that wee might beleue in beleeuing might haue life Wherefore whosoeuer bringeth any other Gospel though it were an angell from heauen let him be accursed neither let vs receiue him into our houses neither bid him God speed Now then if this be the wisedom of God which Noe folowed when he would not build but as he was appointed which Moses the Iewes our sauiour Christ and the apostles haue obserued what kinde of building may that be which standeth onely vpon mens deuises vaine imaginations such as is the whole religion of Antichrist Surelye it is like the religion of the false prophets which sewed pillowes vnder the elbowes of the Iewes in flattring them in their sinnes whilest they dawbed walled their building with vntempered morter Or it is like the house builded vpō the sand which because of the weake fūdation can not well endure Or it is like the straw and stubble which is laid vpon the good fundation which at the fierie triall of
A verie godlie and necessary Sermon preached before the yong Countesse of Comberland in the North the 24. of Nouember 1577. By Christopher Shutt 1. Pet. 4.7 The end of all things is at hād be ye therfore sober and watch vnto prayer Eccles 12.13 14. Let vs heare the ende of all feare God and keepe his Commandements for this is the whole duetie of man For God wyll bryng euery woorke vnto iudgement with euery secrete thing whether it be good or euill Imprinted at London by Christopher Barker Printer to the Queenes Maiestie To the ryght honourable and most vertuous Ladie the Ladie Margaret Countesse of Comberland C. S. wisheth all happinesse and encrease of grace from God the father through our Lord Iesus Christ AS I descended right honorable and my good Ladie into a secret consideration of the age of this present worlde and of the last ende thereof I perceyued that our sauiour Christ in going about by sundry signes and tokens to foreshew premonish his elect of the ruinous decaye and dreadfull downefall of this last generation compared the dayes therof to the dayes of Noe before the floode what time the wicked gaue ouer them selues to all vnrighteousnes heaping one sinne vpō an other vntil the water came and swept them all away to the ende by due remembraunce of Gods fearefull plagues most iustly powred vpon that sinnefull and carelesse generation the godly myght in all reuerence and holy conuersation watch and wayte within the arke of Christes Churche for that long wished most welcome time of their trāslation to eternal happines which thing whilest the faithful haue reason to remember it banisheth farre from them the vayne delights of earthly vanities and prepareth them most readilie to the obedience of the worde of God whereby they be forewarned with watchfull Noe of many future woes feareful daungers and also enkindeled in true godlines and holines of lyfe with feare trembling to worke their saluation For sith they knowe themselues on earth to be but straungers where al things must consume and haue a sodaine and a certaine end their chiefest purpose ought to be as sayeth the Apostle to be sober and to watche in all godly conuersation vnto prayer For sodainly no doubt the ende shall come as was the comming of the flood in Noe his time yea euen in an hower when man thinketh not and then blessed shall he be that is founde in Noe his arke watcheth with his garments cleane and his lampe of righteousnes burning for he shall enter with the bridegrome into rest and so be saued from destruction Neither doe I see what dayes may be so rightly compared with the dayes of Noe as these wherein we lyue vvherein so fewe be righteous so many sleeping in securitie of sinne Whereat I can not but tremble to behold in the spirit the great calamities endles woes which may fal vpō this sinful generation the wickednes wherof is written with a pen of yron with the piont of a diamōd which these eyes of ours are verie likelie to behold except with good Iosias we be humbled in this acceptable time day of grace to seeke vnto the Lord in true repentance to auoyde his heauie wrath For no doubt since the first tyme that Englād euer had the knowledge of Gods Gospel I speake not of the times of ignoraunce the mystie cloudes whereof are past was there in it neuer more ripenes of all maner of sinne and carnall securitie then these present dayes in all estates expresse and therefore the more we stand in daunger of destruction God hath called vs earely and late by the preaching of his worde but we are nothing better what remayneth then but that we feele his scourges When Sodome and Gomorrha woulde not be moued by the preaching of iust Lot what remained but fire and brimstone from heauen to be their destruction When Pharao and the Egyptians refused the wordes of Moses the red sea was appointed to be their confusion When Israel and Iuda would not be counselled by the voyce of the prophets of God the Assyrians and the Babyloniās were raised vp to plague them destroy thē When Ierusalē was nothing bettred by all the sermons miracles of our sauiour Christ and vvould in no vvise acknovvledge the time of her visitation the Romanes vvere appointed to bee her desolation And euen so in this sermon ensuing it may be gathered that vvhen the carelesse man refuseth to be vvarned by the vvord of god the Lord hath many plagues prepared for his destruction Can the Lords vvord thē be of some so stubbernely among vs contēned and hypocritically of other some receaued the fruits of holy life in fevv brought forth and the land escape vnpunished It is to truely verified of vs vvhich in times past vvas vvitnessed of the dayes of Noe vvherin al flesh had corrupted it selfe filled the lād vvith iniquitie whilest only Noe and his familie being but a fewe in number vvere occupied in making of the Arke for their deliuerāce Wherof Madame vvhē I had preached before your honour more compendiously perhaps through shortnes of the time then eyther your Honour could haue desired or I my selfe haue vvished I was then of some so vehemently required to impart in vvriting to their further consolation vvhat then in pulpit I had spoken that notvvithstanding I iudged my labours to simple to passe abroad and my selfe farre vnmeete for such a purpose yet durst I not deny to cōfort such as thirsted after spiritual knovvledge to warne such as would escape of the vengeance to come and so eftsoones resolued my self as nere as god vvould giue me leaue to explane and augment vvhat my purpose vvas then in the pulpit to vtter Neither had I far to seeke to vvhose patronage I might commend vvhat herein I vvent about vvhē as dayly your honours godlie zeale and vertuous life called me to offer it vnto your wisdome whose vvilling hart not onely I haue had experience of to accept my laboures in good part before this time but also see your vvhole endeuour alvvayes bent to further the proceedings of the Gospell and to reclame this ignorant country frō their vvonted erroures to the church arke of Christ A rare vertue in your sexe and such as may condēne the slackenes of some other kinds vvho care full litle hovve it goeth vvith the Churche so they them selues may liue at vvill and ease But as your honour hath chosen the vvay of trueth to bee your treasure and delight and eke your perfect wisedome and nobilitie and also by your happy and welcome comming into these rude and desert partes haue ministred great solace to the godlie so do I wishe with all my heart and dayly pray that your honour may happily proceed as you haue vertuously begun to the great benefitte of Christes church to the comfort
of your quiet conscience in the last day Your honours most humble in Christ Christopher Shutt C B ¶ A verie godlie and necessary Sermon preached before the young Countesse of Comberlande in the North the 24. of Nouember 1577. by M. Christopher Shutt Ebr. 11.7 By faith Noe being warned of God of the things which were as yet not seene moued with reuerence prepared the arke to the sauing of his housholde through the which arke he condemned the world and was made heire of the righteousnes which is by faith THe holy ghost right honourable and welbeloued layeth forth to our consideration in this chapter a long rehearsal of the faithful men of God in the former ages of the worlde whose perfect faith and true religion is made manifest to all posterities in this place of scripture who after that by faith they were iustified before God like trees of righteousnes they brought forth the fruites of al obedience in godly cōuersation Among whom the Apostle reckoneth vp the liuely faith and godly life of righteous Noe in the latter end of the first age Who beholding the great ripenes of sinne and corruption of all flesh with ouerflowing waters to be punished being warned of God with all reuerence and feare prepared the arke for the safetie of him selfe and his houshold and also to condemne the great securitie of that carelesse generation whereby hee obtained through the free mercy of God to be called the heire of the righteousnes which is according vnto faith The due remembrance whereof may enkindle in vs if we lothe not our saluation the vigilant care wherewith we ought to be pressed in this last age and winding vp of these our sorowful dayes wherein such ripenes of al iniquities so horrible contempt of Gods word and so manifest vngodlines foretel and prognosticate the small fall of this totering world to be very neere an end that when the same shal come we might be saued within the arke of Christes Church with faithfull Noe rather then by our carnall securitie to hazard losse of bodie and soule for euer The wordes of the Apostle as they lye in order containe especially two things to be obserued The one whereupon it came that Noe was moued to prepare the arke The other what effect that arke had when it was made The former is contayned in these words By faith Noe being warned of God of the things which were as yet not seene moued with reuerence prepared the arke Wherein is perceiued first an admonition to be giuen him Secondly a readines in him to beleue the same and last of all the making of the arke to declare the obedience of his faith The other followeth in the text He prepared it to the sauing of his houshold through which arke he condemned the world and was made heire of the righteousnes which is by faith Wherein is noted what effect it had in Noe and his familie next of al what effect concerning the wicked lastly howe this obedience of Noe was accepted and rewarded of God. Albeit right honourable and beloued the electe of God in this life walke through the valleye of teares and shadows of death yet the Lord continueth their light strength and rocke of sure defence who in the time of trouble will hide them in his tabernacle that not one heare of their head shal perishe but when the floodes of aduersities approch he giueth them warning to escape and so deliuereth them out of temptation and reserueth the vniust vnto the day of iudgement to bee punished Which warning the Lorde gaue now to Noe with whom he had according to the riches of his grace entred into a couenant to the end he might prepare an arke for his deliueraunce against the comming of the flood wherewith the wicked shoulde bee drowned In like maner when the sinnes of the Sodomites cryed for vengeance from heauen the Lorde premonished righteous Lot being wearied with their vncleannes to separate him selfe and his from them least he shoulde haue perished in the flame of the citie which was readie with fire and brimstone to be destroyed When Corah Dathan and Abiron with their companie had repugned the ordinaunce of God and contrary to his commandement offred vp straunge incense and so prouoked the wrath of the Lorde against them the Lord commanded Moses Aaron to exempt them selues the rest of the congregation from their companie lest they should haue bin swalowed vp together with them quicke into hell Such faythfull warning the spirite of God giueth to the elected saintes in the reuelation that they should come out of Babylon and touche no vncleane thing least in being partakers of hir sinnes they should haue bin partakers of hir plagues wherein wee may learne the great care which the Lorde hath for the saluatiō of his people forewarning them alwayes of the dangers to come to the ende they might safely rest vnder his protection For surely he will do nothing but he first reuealeth his word vnto his Prophets that they may warne his chosen earely and late to saue them selues in time of trouble The Lord foretolde the people of Israel of Iuda by the mouth of his Prophetes their captiuitie in Assyria Babylon long time before they felt any sore that the godly might seeke deliueraunce Our Sauiour Christ premonished his elect of many daungers to come that those which were in Iurie might flee vnto the mountaines and seeke to saue themselues vnder the crosse The Apostles foreshewed the comming of false prophetes and of Antichrist the man of sinne and of his manifolde abominations wherewith he should poyson the world that the godly might bee the better furnished with the woorde of trueth to preserue them selues against his wily traines of mans decrees and vaine inuentions We haue bene admonished these nineteene yeeres and more and warned by the preaching of the Gospell to forsake papistrie and superstition to leaue our sinfull wayes and to folowe the righteousnesse of life that we might be saued from destruction We haue bin at our wits ende with signes and strange reports and fearfull sights from heauen calling vs to repētance We haue felt of earthly cōsumptions diuers kindes of death with losse of friends and other things to humble vs to flie from the wrath to come We haue bene astonied with the lamentable ruine of Monarchies kingdomes rounde about vs that we sleepe not in securitie And dayly we doe see such troubles euerye where as do forewarne our ouerthrowe if in time we doe not repent Wherfore as the Lord hath set watchmen ouer vs in bidding vs take heede to the sounde of the trumpet let vs beware with reuerence and feare for if wee walke after the stubbernes of our stonie heartes and saye with the wicked wee will not take heede then will hee bring vpon vs the fruites of our
those that lie in darkenes and shadow of death vntill they haue accesse into the Church of the faythfull For so lōg as we be without the church and number of the faythfull we are aliants strangers pilgrims and men without God in this worlde yea wee bee enemies to God vntil we be reconciled to the father by Christ We are without mercy and polluted in our bloud vntil by him we obtaine grace be washed from our sinnes We are dead in trespasses and sinnes till we be raised vp with the righteousnes of Christ We be drunkē with the poisoned dregges of superstition vntil we haue the soueraigne triacle of Gods promises in the worde of the truth for our preseruation How thē ought we think you to make haste into this arke your owne cōsciences herein shal be my iudges Surely we can not be partakers of the heauenly graces except we be within the church of Christ for onely vpon the same they are bestowed Where can our soules be fed with the worde of God but among the faythfull who are the sheepe of Christ heare his voice Where shall we shew our thankfulnesse and confirme our faith with the sacraments but in that Church where thei be sincerely ministred Where can we haue forgiuenesse of our sinnes the grace of God the holy ghost the righteousnesse of Christ and other his benefits vnlesse we be within the Church for whom he wrought the same If therefore we hope for happines looke assuredly for saluation thē must we keepe within the arke then we shall be safe and sounde And that we be not deceyued with the title of the Church which the aduersaries always haue in their mouthes the Lord hath left vs his true and sincere worde the right administratiō of his sacraments and ecclesiasticall discipline to be the perfect marks of this his spirituall arke whereto whilest we do cleaue stick we cannot be deceyued or perish with the wicked What then sayth the papist shall we thinke of all those which liued in the time of ignorāce and were without the Church which now we haue which was so lately found shall we iudge them to be damned which thing we must needes do except wee make the Church of Rome the arke and Church of Christ Concerning the Church of Rome this is to be obserued that this Church of Rome which nowe is is not the same but only in place with that which was in the primitiue time For then they followed the doctrine of the Apostles nowe they haue reuolted from the same and Antichrist sitteth in the Temple of God. And though the auncient fathers speake much in the commendation of the Church of Rome yet speake they only of the church before that superstition crept into the same And now before I answere to this question I must propounde the like to them Before the time of Boniface the third then Pope of Rome when superstition and corruptiō crept into the Church and the light of the trueth began to be darkned were all damned which neuer before or after yeelded to the sea religion of Rome Were all vndone which neuer beleeued transubstantiation concluded by Innocētius the third or those which neuer worshipped their breaden god which thing Honorius did decree What need I speake of other vanities Were all the Prophetes and holy men of God was Christ and his Apostles and the auncient fathers of the primitiue Church beside the way and out of the arke which had the spirite of God to lead thē into all truth who taught the sacred verities and all things necessarie to saluation and yet did neuer retaine such vanities as these men holde And if they did foretell any thing thereof it was but to bid the Church beware of such vngodlinesse And as for the arke or Church wherein we bee it was before theirs was euer deuised not newly and of late yeeres as many iudge begunne but renued and reformed of late according to the worde of God and is in substāce and doctrine all one with the Church of God from the beginning directed by his spirit and by the scepter of his worde And albeit it was long hid through the tyrannie of the deuill who draue the woman into the wildernes yet ceased there not infinite numbers to withstande and gainsay the pollutions of Idolatrie whom God preserued by his grace though they could not bee seene by the eyes of men For like as faith is chiefly knowē to God and cannot be discerned by outwarde senses otherwise then by the declarations thereof so the Lorde knewe onely who were his whose fayth was knowne by their resistance to the beast When Iohn foretold the corruptions of the later times and of the man of sinne he shewed that there was of all tribes many sealed with the spirit of God and marked with the blood of the Lambe receyued by fayth who perished not in the lake of Antichristes pollutions He tolde that the two witnesses of Christ whereby he meant the smal number of the true Church should be murthered by the beast who should make warre with the saints of God and torment them to death who should be drunken with the blood of saints and holy martyrs which could neuer haue beene if there had bene none to haue gainsaid his wicked ways I neede not speake of the churches of Grecia who still withstood the popish vanities yea there neuer ceased some to withstande hir erronious religion Neither must we thinke that all was lost that liued thē For why the Lord hath wayes meanes vnknowen to man to saue his people as hee saued the thiefe euen in the last houre vpon the crosse And as he hath chosen in his secret purpose vnknowne to man who shall bee saued so will he not lose one of them but call them in due time As for this argument which they vse herein it hath bene a stūbling blocke to the wicked of all ages The Iewes were mooued with nothing so much to gainsay the doctrine of the Prophets calling them from their Idolatrie but that their fathers had liued as they did at that present and yet they ought not to haue folowed their fathers further then their fathers folowed the worde of trueth The woman of Samaria reasoned thus against our Sauiour Christ Our fathers saith shee worshipped in this mountaine but hee made hir an answere that they worshipped they knewe not what for saluation came of the Iewes But it is not the part of a good cōscience whē the trueth is opened to leape from the same into the seat of iudgement and define who were saued who were not but rather referring al to the mercy and good pleasure of God both concerning our forefathers all others to labour our wittes to do his will. For now this thing is condemnation that light is come into the world
hire Sir Iohn Lackelatine to sing or say the seruice howe shall the Gospell haue good successe whilest Church to Church is ioyned and non residencies borne withall and well liked what can go forewarde in the building of the Lorde where preaching is but once a quarter I say not where it is seldome or neuer which I might or once a moneth which some thinke more thē needes if it be eche Saboth it is counted a worke of supererogation how can the people be reclaimed from their vanities or kept within the fold in dew obedience Go to what springes of such contempt in these estates euen effusion of all ryot and running into sinne of the inferiour sort For as the wall within and eke without is made of squared stones betweene the which the lesse stones are contained to make the building vp euē so the minister within the Churche the Magistrate in the common weale should support and vpholde the meaner sort in dewe obedience If then the squared stones within or els with out fall downe the lesse can neuer long endure because they lacke their stay And of cōtempt in these degrees it comes to passe that lacke of discipline good liuing is the cause of many sinnes both in the Church and commō weale Neither woulde I haue this forgotten that whilest ecclesiasticall officers may for money dispense with offendours and also vayne pitie in the common weale maye shadowe iniquities the Churche can not go well Surely Surely it is with Englande as the Prophet Osee saide it was with Israel The Lord hath a controuersie with the people of the land because there is no mercy no truth no knowledge of God in the land But by swearing lying killing stealing and whoring men break out and blood toucheth blood therfore shal the land mourne c. How ripe the sinnes of England be for the sickle of Gods vēgeance euerye Christian eye can testifie And yet for all this we are fast a sleepe with the carelesse world in the time of Noe. We eat drinke we marie giue to mariage most like vntill the flood shall take vs hence wee lye vpon our soft couches and put away the euill day farre frō vs we blesse our selues when wee heare the threatnings of the Lord and curses of his law and say We shall feele none euill we are drunken with foolish Nabal vntill Abigail bring vs word that we must dye We spoyle and make our selues merie with the goods of other men as the Amalekites did in Ziklag vntill Dauid Gods scourge come vpon vs to wounde vs to death and make a reskewe We drinke with Balthasar in bowles vntill the Medes take away our kingdome we enriche our selues also enlarge our barnes and laye vp treasure in store for many yeres and yet this present night our soule must be taken away and then who shal possesse our substance we waste and spoyle our masters goodes liue vnmindfull of our duetie vntill we be called to render an accompt of our stewardshippe we sleepe full harde with the foolish virgins and our lampes quite put out till that the bridegrome be gone in and the doore fast locked that we can not enter We sit like the proud strumpet Babylon feede our selues with folly that we shall feele no sorowe nor widowhead yet al sorows shal sodainly come vpon vs Finally we say Peace peace all things quiet euen when the end is at hand Nay rather let vs watche pray and haue our lampes of righteousnes burning that we may enter into rest with the bridegrome at his comming leaue betimes our great securitie least we perish with the wicked It is reported of Tamberlane the king of the Parthians who tearmed himselfe Iram dei orbis vastitatem to haue set vp three seueral dais three seueral kinds of tents wherof the first was white betokening mercie if his enemies would that day yeeld the secōd day the tēts were red betokenīg the bloodshed of the rulers the thirde was black signifying the burning and destruction of the citie neyther was there hope of mercie when the white tents were takē down although they humbled themselues with lawrell Let vs goe foorth with lawrell braunches in this our time and day of grace for it is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the liuing God who is a consuming fire let vs be admonished by the woorde of trueth or els the same will condemne vs with the wicked But the time is past I haue wearied you to much I wil therfore note one worde or two of the last wordes and so make an ende He was made the heire of righteousnes which is according to fayth This is nowe the acceptation reward of Noe his faith who first was receiued into fauour by beleeuing the promise of God and thereby had God a mercifull father Of whō this his obedience was accepted not for anye the worthines of flesh blood which was none but by the free grace of God accepting in good worth what he did For when faith beleueth the promises of God concerning saluation apprehendeth the adoption of the children then foloweth the inheritaunce of our righteousnesse for that we being by fayth the children of God are heires euen felowe heires with Christ of his kingdome For after we beleeue we are sealed with the spirit of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance vntill the redemption of the possession purchased vnto the praise of his glorie This is that which the Apostle saith that wee being iustified by the grace of God should be made heires according to the hope of euerlasting life And for this cause is Christ the mediatour of the newe Testament that through death which was for the redemption of the transgressions which were in the former Testamēt they which were called might receiue the promise of the eternal inheritāce Blessed be God therefore let vs all say euen the father of our Lord Iesus Christ which according to his aboundant mercie hath begotten vs againe vnto a liuely hope by the resurrection of Iesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance immortal and vndefiled reserued in heauen for vs. This inheritance of righteousnes Abraham behelde with the eyes of fayth whē he forsooke his owne countrey looking for a better and euerlasting in heauen reioycing in spirite to see the day of Christ the Messias This inheritance Dauid longed after when like as the Harte desired the water brookes euen so his soule longed after the Lorde hoping to see the goodnesse of the Lorde in the lande of the liuing This inheritance the Apostles beleeued to haue when they confessed Christ to bee the Sonne of God and to haue the woordes of Eternall life This inheritance the Saints in the reuelatiō cast their eyes vpon when with patience they endured the tormentes