them all other true Christian men to Pray always and never to faint or shrink Remember also the example of the Woman of Canaan Mat 15. how she was rejected of Christ and called Dog as one most unworthy of any benefit at his hands yet she gave not over but followed him still crying and calling upon him to be good and merciful unto her Daughter And at length by very importunity she obtained her request O let us learn by these examples to be earnest and fervent in Prayer assuring our selves that whatsoever we ask of God the Father in the Name of his Son Christ John 16. and according to his will he will undoubtedly grant it He is truth it self and as truly as he hath promised it so truly will he perform it God for his great mercies sake so work in our hearts by his Holy Spirit that we may always make our humble Prayers unto him as we ought to do and always obtain the thing which we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord to whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost be all Honour and Glory World without end Amen The Second Part of the Homily concerning PRAYER IN the First Part of this Sermon ye heard the great necessity and also the great force of devout and earnest Prayer declared and proved unto you both by divers weighty Testimonies and also by sundry good Examples of Holy Scripture Now shall you learn whom you ought to call upon and to whom you ought always to direct your Prayers We are evidently taught in Gods Holy Testament that Almighty God is the only Fountain and Well-spring of all Goodness and that whatsoever we have in this World we receive it only at his hands to this effect serveth the place of St. James James 1. Every good and perfect gift saith he cometh from above and proceedeth from the Father of Lights To this effect also serveth the Testimony of Paul in divers places of his Epistles witnessing that the Spirit of Wisdom the Spirit of Knowledge and Revelation yea every good and heavenly gift as Faith Hope Charity Grace and Peace cometh only and solely of God In consideration whereof he bursteth out into a sudden Passion and saith O man 1 Cor. 4. what thing hast thou which thou hast not received Therefore whensoever we need or lack any thing pertaining either to the Body or to the Soul it behoveth us to run only unto God who is the only giver of all good things Our Saviour Christ in the Gospel teaching his Disciples how they should Pray sendeth them to the Father in his Name saying Verily verily John 16. Matt. 6. Luke 11. I say unto you whatsoever ye ask the Father in my Name he will give it unto you And in another place When ye Pray pray after this sort Our Father which art in Heaven c. And doth not God himself Psal 50. Acts 1. by the mouth of his Prophet David will and command us to call upon him The Apostle wisheth Grace and Peace to all them that call on the Name of the Lord and of his Son Jesus Christ Joel 2. as doth also the Prophet Joel saying And it shall come to pass that whosoever shall call on the Name of the Lord shall be saved Thus then it is plain by the infallible word of Truth and Life that in all our necessities we must flee unto God direct our Prayers unto him call upon his Holy Name desire help at his hands and at none others whereof if we will yet have further reason mark that which followeth There are certain conditions most requisite to be found in every such a one as must be called upon which if they be not found in him unto whom we pray then doth our Prayer avail us nothing but is altogether in vain The first is this that he to whom we make our Prayers be able to help us The second is that he will help us The third is that he be such a one as may hear our Prayers The fourth is that he understand better than we our selves what we lack and how far we have need of help If these things be to be found in any other saving only God then may we lawfully call upon some other besides God But what man is so gross but he well understandeth that these things are only proper to him which is Omnipotent and knoweth all things even the very secrets of the Heart that is to say only and to God alone whereof it followeth that we must call neither upon Angel nor yet upon Saint but only and solely upon God Rom. 10. as St. Paul doth write How shall men call upon him in whom they have not believed So that Invocation or Prayer may not be made without Faith in him on whom they call but that we must first believe in him before we can make our Prayer unto him whereupon we must only and solely Pray unto God For to say that we should believe either in Angel or Saint or in any other living Creature were meer horrible Blasphemy against God and his Holy Word neither ought this Fancy to enter into the Heart of any Christian man because we are expresly taught in the Word of the Lord only to repose our Faith in the Blessed Trinity in whose only Name we are also Baptized according to the express Commandment of our Saviour Jesus Christ Mat. 28. in the last of St. Matthew But that the truth hereof may the better appear even to them that be most simple and unlearned let us consider what Prayer is De spi lit cap. 50. De summo bono cap. 8. lib. 3. St. Augustin calleth it a lifting up of the mind to God that is to say an humble and lowly pouring out of the Heart to God Isidorus saith that it is an affection of the Heart and not a labour of the Lips So that by these places true Prayer doth consist not so much in the outward sound and voice of words as in the inward groaning and crying of the Heart to God Now then is there any Angel any Virgin any Patriarch or Prophet among the dead that can understand or know the meaning of the Heart The Scripture saith Psal 7. Apoc. 2. Jer. 17. 2 Par. 6. It is God that searcheth the Heart and the Reins and that he only knoweth the Hearts of the children of men As for the Saints they have so little knowledge of the secrets of the Heart that many of the ancient Fathers greatly doubt whether they know any thing at all that is commonly done on Earth And albeit some think they do yet St. Augustin Lib. de cura pro mort agenda c. 13. De vera Râ—l cap. 22. Esay 63. Lib. 22. de civit Dei cap. 10. a Doctor of great Authority and also Antiquity hath this Opinion of them That they know no more what we do on Earth than we know what they do in Heaven For Proof whereof he
shall not be imputed to our condemnation He hath taken upon him the just reward of sin Rom. 6. which was death and by death hath overthrown death that we believing in him might live for ever and not die Ought not this to engender extream hatred of sin in us to consider that it did violently as it were pluck God out of Heaven to make him feel the horrors and pains of Death O that we would sometimes consider this in the midst of our pomps and pleasures it would bridle the outragiousness of the flesh it would abate and asswage our carnal affections it would restrain our fleshly appetites that we should not run at random as we commonly do To commit sin wilfully and desperately without fear of God is nothing else but to crucifie Christ anew as we are expresly taught in the Epistle to the Hebrews Heb. 6. Which thing if it were deeply printed in all mens hearts then should not sin reign every where so much as it doth to the great grief and torment of Christ now sitting in Heaven Let us therefore remember and always bear in mind Christ crucified that thereby we may be inwardly moved both to abhor sin throughly and also with an earnest and zealous heart to love God For this is another fruit which the memorial of Christs death ought to work in us an earnest and unfeigned love towards God So God loved the World saith St. John that he gave his only begotten Son John 3. that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have life everlasting If God declared so great love towards us his silly Creatures how can we of right but love him again Was not this a sure Pledge of his Love to give us his own Son from Heaven He might have given us an Angel if he would or some other Creature and yet should his love have been far above our deserts Now he gave us not an Angel but his Son And what Son His only Son his natural Son his well-beloved Son even that Son whom he had made Lord and Ruler of all things Was not this a singular token of great love But to whom did he give him He gave him to the whole World that it to say to Adam and all that should come after him O Lord what had Adam or any other man deserved at Gods hands that he should give us his own Son We are all miserable Persons sinful Persons damnable Persons justly driven out of Paradise justly excluded from Heaven justly condemned to Hell-fire And yet see a wonderful token of Gods love he gave us his only begotten Son us I say that were his extream and deadly Enemies that we by vertue of his Blood shed upon the Cross might be clean purged from our sins and made righteous again in his sight Who can chuse but marvel to hear that God should shew such unspeakable love towards us that were his deadly Enemies Indeed O mortal man thou oughtest of right to marvel at it and to acknowledge therein Gods great goodness and mercy towards mankind which is so wonderful that no flesh be it never so worldly wise may well conceive it or express it For as St. Paul testifieth Rom. 5. God greatly commendeth and setteth out his love towards us in that he sent his Son Christ to die for us when we were yet sinners and open enemies of his Name If we had in any manner of wise deserved it at his hands then had it been no marvel at all but there was no desert on our part wherfore he should do it Therefore thou sinful Creature when thou hearest that God gave his Son to die for the sins of the World think not he did it for any desert or goodness that was in thee for thou wast then the Bond-slave of the Devil But fall down upon thy knees and cry with the Prophet David Psal 8. O Lord what is man that thou art so mindful of him or the son of man that thou so regardest him And seeing he hath so greatly loved thee endeavour thy self to love him again with all thy Heart with all thy Soul and with all thy Strength that therein thou maist appear not to be unworthy of his love I report me to thine own Conscience whether thou wouldest not think thy love ill bestowed upon him that could not find in his heart to love thee again If this be true as it is most true then think how greatly it behoveth thee in Duty to love God which hath so greatly loved thee that he hath not spared his own only Son from so cruel and shameful a death for thy sake And hitherto concerning the cause of Christs Death and Passion which as it was on our part most horrible and grievous sin so on the other side it was the free gift of God proceeding of his meer and tender love towards mankind without any merit or desert of our part The Lord for his mercies sake grant that we never forget this great benefit of our Salvation in Christ Jesu but that we always shew our selves thankful for it abhorring all kind of wickedness and sin and applying our minds wholly to the service of God and the diligent keeping of his Commandments Now it remaineth that I shew unto you how to apply Christs death and Passion to our comfort as a Medicine to our Wounds so that it may work the same effect in us wherefore it was given namely the health and salvation of our souls For as it profiteth a man nothing to have salve unless it be well applied to the part infected So the death of Christ shall stand us in no force unless we apply it to our selves in such sort as God hath appointed Almighty God commonly worketh by means and in this thing he hath also ordained a certain mean whereby we may take fruit and profit to our souls health What mean is that forsooth it is Faith Not an unconstant and wavering Faith but a sure stedfast grounded and unfeigned Faith God sent his Son into the World saith St. John John 3. To what end That whosoever believeth in him should not perish bâ—t have life everlasting Mark these words That whosoever believeth in him Here is the mean whereby we must apply the fruits of Christs death unto our deadly Wound Here is the mean whereby we must obtain eternal life namely Faith For as St. Paul teacheth in his Epistle to the Romans with the heart man believeth unto righteo sness Rom. 10. and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation Paul being demanded of the Keeper of the Prison what he should do to be saved Acts 16. made this Answer Believe in the Lord Jesus so shalt thou and thine house both be saved After the Evangelist hâ—d described and set forth unto us at large the life and the death of the Lord Jesus in the end he concludeth with these words John 20. These things are written that we may believe Jesus
take all their Commandments for Gods For as they would not suffer the Holy Scriptures or Church Service to be used or had in any other Language than the Latin so were very few even of the most simple People taught the Lords Prayer the Articles of the Faith and the Ten Commandments otherwise than in Latin which they understood not by which universal ignorance all Men were ready to believe whatsoever they said and to do whatsoever they commanded For to imitate the Apostles phrase if the Emperors Subjects had known out of Gods word their Duty to their Prince they would not have suffered the Bishop of Rome to persuade them to forsake their Sovereign Lord the Emperor against their Oath and Fidelity and to Rebel against him only for that he cast Images unto the which Idolatry was committed out of the Churches which the Bishop of Rome bare them in hand to be Heresie If they had known of Gods Word but as much as the Ten Commandments they should have found that the Bishop of Rome was not only a Traitor to the Emperor his Liege Lord but to God also and an horrible Blasphemer of his Majesty in calling his holy Word and Commandment Heresie and that which the Bishop of Rome took for a just cause to rebel against his lawful Prince they might have known to be a doubling and trebling of his most heinous wickedness heaped with horrible Impiety and Blasphemy But lest the poor People should know too much he would not let them have as much of Gods Word as the Ten Commandments wholly and perfectly Henry 4. Gregor 7. Anno Dom 167. Paschal 2. Anno 19â— withdrawing from them the second Commandment that bewrayeth his Impiety by a subtil Sacriledge Had the Emperors Subjects likewise known and been of any understanding in Gods Word would they at other times have rebelled against their Sovereign Lord and by their Rebellion have holpen to depose him only for that the Bishop of Rome did bear them in hand that it was Symony and Heresie too for the Emperor to give any Ecclesiastical Dignities or promotion to his learned Chaplains or other of his learned Clergy which all Christian Emperors before him had done without controlement would they I say for that the Bishop of Rome bare them so in hand have rebelled by the space of more than forty Years together against him with so much shedding of Christian Blood and murder of so many thousands of Christians and finally have deposed their Sovereign Lord had they known and had in Gods Word any understanding at all specially had they known that they did all this to pluck from their Sovereign Lord and his Successors for ever that ancient Right of the Empire to give it unto the Romish Clergy and to the Bishop of Rome that he might for the Confirmation of one Arch-Bishop and for the Romish Rag which he calleth a Pall scarce worth Twelve pence receive many thousand Crowns of Gold and of other Bishops likewise great Sums of Mony for their Bulls which is Symony indeed Would I say Christian Men and Subjects by Rebellion have spent so much Christian Blood and have deposed their natural most noble and most valiant Prince to bring the matter finally to this pass had they known what they did or had any understanding in Gods Word at all And as these ambitious Usurpers the Bishops of Rome have over-flowed all Italy and Germany with streams of Christian Blood shed by the Rebellions of ignorant Subjects against their natural Lords and Emperors whom they have stirred thereunto by such false pretences so is there no Country in Christendom which by their like means and false pretences hath not been over-sprinkled with the Blood of Subjects by Rebellion against their natural Sovereigns stirred up by the same Bishops of Rome And to use one Example of our own Country the Bishop of Rome did pick a Quarrel to King John of England â—ing John about the Election of Stephen Langton to the Bishoprick of Canterbury wherein the King had ancient Right being used by his Progenitors all Christian Kings of England before him the Bishops of Rome having no Right but had begun then to usurp upon the Kings of England and all other Christian Kings as they had before done against their Sovereign Lords the Emperors proceeding even by the same ways and means and likewise cursing King John and discharging his Subjects of their Oath of Fidelity unto their Sovereign Lord. Now had English-men at that time known their Duty to their Prince set forth in Gods Word would a great many of Nobles and other English-men natural Subjects for this Foreign and unnatural Usurper Innocent III. his vain curse of the King and for his feigned discharging of them of their Oath and Fidelity to their natural Lord upon so slender or no ground at all have rebelled against their Sovereign Lord the King Would English Subjects have taken part against the King of England and against English-men Philip French King with the French King and French-men being incensed against this Realm by the Bishop of Rome Would they have sent for and received the Dolphin of France with a great Army of French-men into the Realm of England Lewis Dolphin of France Would they have sworn Fidelity to the Dolphin of France breaking their Oath of Fidelity to their natural Lord the King of England and have stood under the Dolphins Banner displayed against the King of England Would they have expelled their Sovereign Lord the King of England out of London the chief City of England and out of the greatest part of England upon the South-side of the Trent even unto Lincoln and out of Lincoln it self also and have delivered the possession thereof unto the Dolphin of France whereof he kept the possession a great while Would they being English men have procured so great shedding of English-blood and other infinite mischiefs and miseries unto England their natural Country as did follow those cruel Wars and traiterous Rebellion the fruits of the Bishop of Romes blessings Would they have driven their natural Sovereign Lord the King of England to such extremity that he was inforced to submit himself unto that Foreign false Usurper the Bishop of Rome who compelled him to surrender up the Crown of England into the hands of his Legat who in token of possession kept it in his hands divers days and then delivered it again to King John upon that condition that the King and his Successors Kings of England should hold the Crown and Kingdom of England of the Bishop of Rome and his Successors as the Vassals of the said Bishop of Rome for ever in token whereof the Kings of England should also pay a yearly Tribute to the said Bishop of Rome as his Vassals and Liege-men Would English-men have brought their Sovereign Lord and Natural Country into this thraldom and subjection to a false Foreign Usurper had they known and had any understanding in Gods
fall without any kind of thought or compassion toward them whom we might easily relieve without any Conscience of Slander Disdain Misreport Division Rancor or inward bitterness Yea being accumbred with the cloaked Hatred of Cain Gen. 4. Gen. 27. 2 Sam. 3. with the long coloured Malice of Esau with the dissembled Falshood of Joab dare ye presume to come up to these sacred and fearful Mysteries O Man whither rushest thou unadvisedly It is a Table of Peace and thou art ready to fight It is a Table of singleness and thou art imagining mischief It is a Table of quietness and thou art given to debate It is a Table of pity and thou art unmerciful Dost thou neither fear God the maker of this Feast nor reverence his Christ the refection and meat nor regardest his Spouse his well-beloved Guest nor weighest thine own Conscience which is sometime thine inward accuser Wherefore O Man tender thine own Salvation examine and try thy good will and love towards the Children of God the Members of Christ the Heirs of the Heavenly Heritage yea towards the Image of God the excellent Creature thine own Soul If thou have offended now be reconciled If thou have caused any to stumble in the way of God now set them up again If thou have disquieted thy Brother now pacifie him If thou have wronged him now relieve him If thou have defrauded him now restore to him If thou have nourished spite now embrace friendship If thou have fostered hatred and malice now openly shew thy love and charity yea be prest and ready to procure thy Neighbours health of soul wealth commodity and pleasures as thine own Deserve not the heavy and dreadful burthen of Gods displeasure for thine evil will towards thy Neighbour so unreverently to approach to this Table of the Lord. Last of all as there is here the mystery of Peace and the Sacrament of Christian Society Chrysost ad popu Ant. Homil. 6. whereby we understand what sincere love ought to be betwixt the true Communicants So here be the tokens of pureness and innocency of life whereby we may perceive that we ought to purge our own Soul from all uncleanness iniquity and wickedness lest when we receive the Mystical Bread as Origen saith we eat it in an unclean place that is In Levit. Cap. 23. 1 Cor. 11. Luke 17. Homil. 14. in a Soul defiled and polluted with sin In Moses Law the man that did eat of the Sacrifice of Thanksgiving with his uncleanness upon him should be destroyed from his People And shall we think that the wicked and sinful Person shall be excusable at the Table of the Lord 1 Cor. 11. Luke 17. Homil. 114 We both read in St. Paul that the Church of Corinth was scourged of the Lord for misusing the Lords Supper and we may plainly see Christs Church these many years miserably vexed and oppressed for the horrible profanation of the same Wherefore let us all universal and singular behold our own manners and lives to amend them Yea now at least let us call our selves to an accompt that it may grieve us of our former evil conversation that we may hate sin that we may sorrow and mourn for our offences that we may with tears pour them out before God that we may with sure trust desire and crave the Salve of his Mercy bought and purchased with the Blood of his dearly Beloved Son Jesus Christ to heal our deadly Wounds withal For surely Chrysost ad popul Ant. Homil. 6. if we do not with earnest Repentance cleanse the filthy stomach of our Soul it must needs come to pass that as wholsom meat received into a raw stomach corrupteth and marreth all and is the cause of further sickness so shall we eat this wholsom Bread and drink this Cup to our eternal destruction Thus we and no other must thorowly examine and not lightly look over our selves not other men our own Conscience not other mens lives which we ought to do uprightly truly and with just correction O saith Chrysostom let no Judas resort to this Table Ad popul Ant. Hom. 6 Mat. 26. let no covetous Person approach If any be a Disciple let him be present For Christ saith With my Disciples I make my Passover Why cried the Deacon in the Primitive Church if any be holy let him draw near Why did they celebrate these Mysteries the Quire-door being shut Why were the publick Penitents and Learners in Religion commanded at this time to avoid Was it not because this Table received no unholy unclean or sinful Guests Wherefore if Servants dare not to presume to an earthly Masters Table whom they have offended let us take heed we come not with our sins unexamined into this presence of our Lord and Judge If they be worthy blame which kiss the Princes hand with a filthy and unclean mouth shalt thou be blameless which with a stinking Soul full of Covetousness Fornication Drunkenness Pride full of wretched Cogitations and Thoughts dost breath out iniquity and uncleanness on the Bread and Cup of the Lord. Thus have you heard Epilog how you should come reverently and decently to the Table of the Lord having the knowledge out of his Word of the thing it self and the fruits thereof bringing a true and constant Faith the Root and Well-spring of all newness of life as well in praising God and loving our Neighbour as purging our own Conscience from filthiness So that neither the ignorance of the thing shall cause us to contemn it nor unfaithfulness make us void of fruit nor sin and iniquity procure us Gods Plagues but shall by Faith in knowledge and amendment of life in Faith be here so united to Christ our Head in his Mysteries to our comfort that after we shall have full fruition of him indeed to our everlasting joy and eternal life To the which He bring us that died for us and redeemed us Jesus Christ the righteous to whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost one true and eternal God be all Praise Honour and Dominion for ever Amen AN HOMILY CONCERNING The Coming down of the HOLY GHOST and the manifold Gifts of the same For Whitsunday BEfore we come to the declaration of the great and manifold gifts of the Holy Ghost wherewith the Church of God hath been evermore replenished it shall first be needful briefly to expound unto you whereof this Feast of Pentecost or Whitsuntide had his first beginning You shall therefore understand that the Feast of Pentecost was always kept the fiftieth day after Easter a great and solemn Feast among the Jews wherein they did celebrate the memorial of their deliverance out of Egypt and also the memorial of the publishing of the Law which was given unto them in the Mount Sinai upon that day It was first ordained and commanded to be kept Holy not by any mortal man but by the mouth of the Lord himself as we read in Levit. 23. and Deut.
Unto whom this our returning must be made By whose means it ought to be done that it may be effectual And last of all after what sort we ought to behave our selves in the same that it may be profitable unto us and attain unto the thing that we do seek by it Ye have also learned that as the Opinion of them that deny the benefit of Repentance unto those that after they be come to God and grafted in our Saviour Jesus Christ do through the frailness of their Flesh and the temptation of the Devil fall into some grievous and detestable sin is most pestilent and pernicious so we must beware that we do in no wise think that we are able of our own selves and of our own strength to return unto the Lord our God from whom we are gone away by our wickedness and sin Now it shall be declared unto you what be the true parts of Repentance and what things ought to move us to repent and to return unto the Lord our God with all speed Repentance as it is said before is a true rtturning unto God whereby Men forsaking utterly their Idolatry and wickedness do with a lively Faith embrace love and worship the true living God only and give themselves to all manner of good Works which by Gods Word they know to be acceptable unto him There be four parts of Repentance Now there be four parts of Repentance which being set together may be likened to an easie and short Ladder whereby we may climb from the bottomless Pit of perdition that we cast our selves into by our daily offences and grievous sins up into the Castle or Tower of eternal and endless Salvation The first is the Contrition of the Heart for we must be earnestly sorry for our sins and unfeignedly lament and bewail that we have by them so grievously offended our most bounteous and merciful God who so tenderly loved us that he gave his only begotten Son to die a most bitter death and to shed his dear Heart Blood for our Redemption and Deliverance And verily this inward sorrow and grief being conceived in the heart for the heinousness of sin if it be earnest and unfeigned is a Sacrifice to God as the holy Prophet David doth testifie saying Psalm 5. A Sacrifice to God is a troubled Spirit a contrite and broken Heart O Lord thou wilt not despise But that this may take place in us we must be diligent to read and hear the Scriptures and the Word of God which most lively do paint out before our eyes our natural uncleanness and the enormity of our sinful life 2 Sam. 12 For unless we have a thorow feeling of our sins how can it be that we should earnestly be sorry for them Before David did hear the Word of the Lord by the mouth of the Prophet Nathan what heaviness I pray you was in him for the Adultery and the Murder that he had committed So that it might be said right well that he slept in his own sin We read in the Acts of the Apostles Acts 4. that when the People had heard the Sermon of Peter they were compunct pricked in their hearts Which thing would never have been if they had not heard that wholesom Sermon of Peter They therefore that have no mind at all neither to read nor yet to hear Gods Word there is but small hope of them that they will as much as once set their Feet or take hold upon the first Staff or Step of this Ladder but rather will sink deeper and deeper into the bottomless Pit of perdition For if at any time through the remorse of their Conscience which accuseth them they feel any inward grief sorrow or heaviness for their sins for as much as they want the salve and comfort of Gods Word which they do despise it will be unto them rather a Mean to bring them to utter desperation than otherwise The second is an unfeigned Confession and acknowledging of our sins unto God whom by them we have so grievously offended that if he should deal with us according to his justice we do deserve a thousand Hells if there could be so many Yet if we will with a sorrowful and contrite Heart Ezek. 18. make an unfeigned Confession of them unto God he will freely and frankly forgive them and so put all our wickedness out of remembrance before the sight of his Majesty that they shall no more be thought upon Hereunto doth pertain the golden saying of the holy Prophet David where he saith on this manner Then I acknowledge my sin unto thee Psalm 51. neither did I hide mine iniquity I said I will confess against my self my wickedness unto the Lord thou forgavest the ungodliness of my sin These are also the words of John the Evangelist 1 John 1. If we confess our sins God is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to make us clean from all our wickedness which ought to be understood of the Confession which is made unto God For these are St. Augustins words In Epist ad Julian comitem 30. That Confession which is made unto God is required by Gods Law whereof John the Apostle speaketh saying If we confess our sins God is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to make us clean from all our wickedness For without this Confession sin is not forgiven This is then the chiefest and most principal Confession that in the Scriptures and Word of God we are bidden to make and without the which we shall never obtain pardon and forgiveness of our sins Indeed besides this there is another kind of Confession which is needful and necessary And of the same doth St. James speak after this manner saying Acknowledge your faults one to another and pray one for another that ye may be saved As if he should say Open that which grieveth you that a Remedy may be found And this is commanded both for him that complaineth and for him that heareth that the one should shew his Grief to the other The true meaning of it is that the Faithful ought to acknowledge their offences whereby some hatred rancour ground or malice having risen or grown among them one to another that a Brotherly reconciliation may be had without the which nothing that we do can be acceptable unto God Mat. 5. as our Saviour Jesus Christ doth witness himself saying When thou offerest thine Offering at the Altar if thou remembrest that thy Brother hath ought against thee leave there thine Offering and go and be reconciled and when thou art reconciled come and offer thine Offering It may also be thus taken that we ought to confess our weakness and infirmities one to another to the end that knowing each others frailness we may the more earnestly pray together unto Almighty God our Heavenly Father that he will vouchsafe to pardon us our infirmities for his Son Jesus Christs sake and not to
even at this day But these ambitious and indeed traitorous means and spoiling of their Sovereign Lords the Bishops of Rome of Priests and none other by right than the Bishops of one City and Diocess are by false usurpation become great Lords of many Dominions mighty Princes yea or Emperors rather as claiming to have divers Princes and Kings to their Vassals Liegemen and Subjects as in the same Histories written by their own Familiars and Courtiers is to be seen And indeed since the time that the Bishops of Rome by Ambition Treason and Usurpation atchieved and attained to this height and greatness they behaved themselves more like Princes Kings and Emperors in all things than remained like Priests Bishops and Ecclesiastical or as they would be called Spiritual persons in any one thing at all For after this rate they have handled other Kings and Princes of other Realms throughout Christendom as well as their Sovereign Lords the Emperors usually discharging their Subjects of their Oath of Fidelity and so stirring them up to Rebellion against their natural Princes whereof some examples shall in the last part hereof be notified unto you Wherefore let all good Subjects knowing these the special Instruments and Ministers of the Devil to the stirring up of all Rebellions avoid and flee them and the pestilent suggestions of such Foreign Usurpers and their Adherents and embrace all obedience to God and their natural Princes and Sovereigns that they may enjoy Gods blessings and their Princes favor all Peace Quietness Security in this World and finally attain through Christ our Saviour life everlasting in the World to come which God the Father for the same our Saviour Jesus Christ his sake grant unto us all To whom with the Holy Ghost be all honor and glory World without end Amen Thus have you heard the Fifth Part of this Homily Now good People Let us Pray The PRAYER as in that time it was Published O Most mighty God the Lord of Hosts the Governor of all Creatures the only giver of all Victories who alone art able to strengthen the Weak against the Mighty and to vanquish infinite multitudes of thine Enemies with the Countenance of a few of thy Servants calling upon thy Name and trusting in thee Defend O Lord thy Servant and our Governor under thee our Sovereign Lord the KING and all thy People committed to his charge O Lord withstand the cruelty of all those which he Common Enemies as well to the Truth of thy Eternal Word as to their own natural Prince and Country and manifestly to this Crown and Realm of England which thou hast of thy Divine Providence assigned in these our days to the Government of thy Servant our Sovereign and gracious KING O most merciful Father if it be thy holy Will make soft and tender the stony Hearts of all those that exalt themselves against thy Truth and seek either to trouble the quiet of this Realm of England or to oppress the Crown of the same and convert them to the knowledge of thy Son the only Saviour of the World Jesus Christ that we and they may joyntly glorifie thy Mercies Lighten we beseech thee their ignorant hearts to embrace the Truth of thy Word or else so abate their cruelty O most mighty Lord that this our Christian Realm with others that confess thy holy GOSPEL may obtain by thy aid and strength surety from all Enemies without shedding of Christian Blood whereby all they which be oppressed with their Tyranny may be relieved and they which be in fear of their cruelty may be comforted and finally that all Christian Realms and especially this Realm of England may by thy Defence and Protection continue in the Truth of the Gospel and enjoy perfect Peace Quietness and Security And that we for these thy Mercies joyntly all together with one consonant Heart and Voice may thankfully render to thee all Laud and Praise that we knit in one Godly concord and unity amongst our selves may continually magnifie thy glorious Name who with thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ and the holy Ghost art one Eternal Almighty and most merciful God To whom be all Laud and Praise World without end Amen The Sixth and last Part of the Homily against Disobedience and Wilful Rebellion NOw whereas the Injuries Oppressions Raveny and Tyranny of the Bishops of Rome Usurping as well against their natural Lords the Emperors as against all other Christian Kings and Kingdoms and their continual stirring of Subjects unto Rebellions against their Sovereign Lords whereof I have partly admonished you before were intolerable and it may seem more than marvel that any Subjects would after such sort hold with unnatural Foreign Usurpers against their own Sovereign Lords and natural Country It remaineth that I do declare the Mean whereby they compassed these matters and so to conclude this whole â—reaty of due Obedience and against Disobedience and Wilful Rebellion You shall understand Of the ignorance of simple people the later Part that by ignorance of Gods Word wherein they kept all Men specially the Common People they wrought and brought to pass all these things making them believe that all that they said was true all that they did was good and godly and that to hold with them in all things against Father Mother Prince Country and all Men was most meritorious And indeed what mischief will not blind ignorance lead simple Men unto By ignorance the Jewish Clergy induced the common People to ask the delivery of Barabbas the seditious murderer and to sue for the cruel Crucifying of our Saviour Christ for that he rebuked the Ambition Superstition and other Vices of the High Priests and Clergy For as our Saviour Christ testifieth that those who Crucified him wist not what they did so doth the Holy Apostle St. Paul say If they had known if they had not been ignorant they would never have Crucified the Lord of Glory but they knew not what they did Our Saviour Christ himself also foreshew that it should come to pass by ignorance that those who should persecute and murder his true Apostles and Disciples should think they did God acceptable Sacrifice and good Service as it is also verified even at this day And in this ignorance have the Bishops of Rome kept the People of God specially the common sort by no means so much as by withdrawing the Word of God from them and by keeping it under the vail of an unknown strange tongue For as it served the ambitious humor of the Bishops of Rome to compel all Nations to use the natural Language of the City of Rome where they were Bishops which shewed a certain acknowledging of subjection unto them so yet served it much more their crafty purpose thereby to keep all People so blind Si cognovissent Gregorius 2 3. Anno Dom. 726. c. In the second Commandment that they not knowing what they prayed what they believed what they were commanded by God might
CERTAIN SERMONS OR HOMILIES Appointed to be Read in CHURCHES In the Time of Queen Elizabeth OF FAMOUS MEMORY And now Reprinted for the Use of Private Families In Two Parts LONDON Printed for George Wells at the Sun Abel Swall at the Unicorn in St. Paul's Church-yard and George Pawlett at the Bible in Chancery-Lane 1687. THE PREFACE As it was Published In the Year 1562. COnsidering how necessary it is that the Word of God which is the only food of the Soul and that most excellent Light that we must walk by in this our most dangerous Pilgrimage should at all convenient times be Preached unto the People that thereby they may both learn their Duty towards God their Prince and their Neighbours according to the Mind of the Holy Ghost expressed in the Scriptures And also to avoid the manifold Enormities which heretofore by false Doctrine have crept into the Church of God And how that all they which are appointed Ministers have not the Gift of Preaching sufficiently to instruct the People which is committed unto them whereof great inconveniences might rise and ignorance still be maintained if some honest Remedy be not speedily found and provided The Queens most Excellent Majesty tendering the Souls Health of Her Loving Subjects and the Quieting of their Consciences in the Chief and Principal Points of Christian Religion and willing also by the true setting forth and pure declaring of God's Word which is the principal Guide and Leader unto all Godliness and Virtue to expel and drive away as well corrupt vicious and ungodly Living as also Erroneous and poisoned Doctrines tending to Superstition and Idolatry Hath by the Advice of Her most Honourable Counsellors for her discharge in this behalf caused a Book of Homilies which heretofore was set forth by Her most Loving Brother a Prince of most worthy Memory Edward the Sixth to be Printed anew wherein are contained certain Wholsome and Godly Exhortations to move the People to Honour and Worship Almighty God and diligently to Serve Him every one according to their Degree State and Vocation All which Homilies Her Majesty Commandeth and straitly Chargeth all Parsons Vicars Curates and all others having Spiritual Cure every Sunday and Holiday in the Year at the ministring of the Holy Communion or if there be no Communion ministred that day yet after the Gospel and Creed in such order and place as is appointed in the Book of Common Prayers to Read and Declare to their Parishioners plainly and distinctly one of the said Homilies in such order as they stand in the Book except there be a Sermon according as is enjoyned in the Book of Her Highness Injunctions and then for that Cause only and for none other the Reading of the said Homily to be deferred unto the next Sunday or Holiday following And when the foresaid Book of Homilies is read over Her Majesties pleasure is that the same be repeated and read again in such like sort as was before prescribed Furthermore Her Highness Commandeth that notwithstanding this Order the said Ecclesiastical Persons shall read Her Majesties Injunctions at such times and in such order as in the Book thereof appointed And that the Lords Prayer The Articles of the Faith and the Ten Commandments be openly read unto the People as in the said Injunctions is specified that all Her People of what Degree or Condition soever they be may learn how to invocate and call upon the Name of God and know what Duty they owe both to God and Man So that they may Pray Believe and Work according to Knowledge while they shall live here and after this life be with him that with his Blood hath bought us all To whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost be all Honour and Glory for ever Amen AN ADMONITION TO ALL MINISTERS Ecclesiastical FOR that the Lord doth require of his Servant whom he hath set over his Houshold to shew both Faithfulness and Prudence in his Office it shall be necessary that Ye above all other do behave your Selves most faithfully and diligently in your so high a Function That is aptly plainly and distinctly to read the Sacred Scriptures diligently to instruct the Youth in their Catechism gravely and reverently to Minister his most Holy Sacraments prudently also to choose out such Homilies as be most meet for the time and for the more agreeable instruction of the People committed to your charge with such discretion that where the Homily may appear too long for one Reading to divide the fame to be read part in the Forenoon and part in the Afternoon And where it may so chance some one or other Chapter of the Old Testament to fall in order to be read upon the Sundays or Holidays which were better to be changed with some other of the New Testament of more edification it shall be well done to spend your time to consider well of such Chapters before-hand whereby your prudence and diligence in your Office may appear so that your People may have cause to Glorifie God for you and be the readier to embrace your Labours to your better commendation to the discharge of your Consciences and their own A TABLE OF THE SERMONS Contained in this present Volume I. A Fruitful Exhortation to the Reading of Holy Scripture Pag. 1. II. Of the Misery of all Mankind Pag. 10 III. Of the Salvation of all Mankind Pag. 19 IV. Of the true and lively Faith Pag. 32 V. Of Good Works Pag. 46 VI. Of Christian Love and Charity Pag. 61 VII Against Swearing and Perjury Pag. 69 VIII Of the Declining from God Pag. 78 IX An Exhortation against the Fear of Death Pag. 89 X. An Exhortation to Obedience Pag. 105 XI Against Whoredom and Adultery Pag. 119 XII Against Strife and Contention Pag. 137 XIII Of the right Use of the Church Pag. 159. XIV Against peril of Idolatry Pag. 175 XV. For repairing and keeping clean the Church Pag. 282 XVI Of Good Works And First of Fasting Pag. 289 XVII Against Gluttony and Drunkenness Pag. 309 XVIII Against excess of Apparel Pag. 322 XIX An Homily of Prayer Pag. 334 XX. Of the Place and Time of Prayer Pag. 356 XXI Of Common-Prayer and Sacraments Pag. 370 XXII An Information of them which take offence at certain places of Holy Scripture Pag. 385 XXIII Of Alms-Deeds Pag. 402 XXIV Of the Nativity Pag. 421 XXV Of the Passion for Good-Friday Pag. 434 and 435 XXVI Of the Resurrection for Easter-day Pag. 455 XXVII Of the worthy receiving of the Sacrament Pag. 467 XXVIII An Homily concerning the coming down of the Holy Ghost for Whitsunday Pag. 480 XXIX An Homily for Rogation-week Pag. 497 XXX Of the state of Matrimony Pag. 530 XXXI Against Idleness Pag. 540 XXXII Of Repentance and true Reconciliation unto God Pag. 556 XXXIII An Homily against Disobedience and wilful Rebellion Pag. 583 A Fruitful EXHORTATION TO THE Reading and Knowledge OF HOLY SCRIPTURE UNto a Christian Man there can be nothing either more necessary
living They called and cryed to God for Help and Mercy with such a ceremony of Sackcloth Dust and Ashes that thereby they might declare to the whole World what an humble and lowly estimation they had of themselves and how well they remembred their Name and Title aforesaid their vile corrupt frail Nature Dust Earth and Ashes Sapi. 7. The Book of Wisdom also willing to pull down our proud Stomachs moveth us diligently to remember our mortal and earthly Generation which we have all of him that was first Made and that all Men as well Kings as Subjects come into this world and go out of the same in like sort that is as of ourselves full miserable as we may daily see And Almighty God commanded his Prophet Esay to make a Proclamation and cry to the whole World and Esay asking What shall I cry The Lord answered Cry That all Flesh is Grass Esay 40. and that all the Glory thereof is but as the Flower of the Field when the Grass is withered the Flower falleth away when the Wind of the Lord bloweth upon it The People surely is Grass the which dryeth up and the Flower fadeth away And the Holy Man Job Job 14. having in himself great experience of the miserable and sinful estate of Man doth open the same to the World in these words Man saith he that is born of a Woman living but a short time is full of manifold Miseries he springeth up like a Flower and fadeth again vanisheth away as it were a shadow and never continueth in one state And dost thou judge it meet O Lord to open thine Eyes upon such a one and to bring him to judgment with thee Who can make him clean that is conceived of an unclean Seed and all Men of their evilness and natural proneness be so universally given to Sin that as the Scripture saith God repented that ever he made Man And by Sin his Indignation was so much provoked against the World that he drowned all the World with Noes Flood Gen. 7. except Noe himself and his little Houshold It is not without great cause that the Scripture of God doth so many times call all Men here in this world by this Word Earth O thou Earth Jer. 22. Earth Earth saith Jeremy hear the word of the Lord. This our right Name Calling and Title Earth Earth Earth pronounced by the Prophet sheweth what we be indeed by whatsoever other Style Title or Dignity Men do call us Thus he plainly named us who knoweth best both what we be and what we ought of right to be called And thus he setteth us forth speaking by his faithful Apostle St. Paul All Men Jews and Gentiles are under sin there is none righteous no not one There is none that understandeth there is none that seeketh after God they are all gone out of the way they are all unprofitable there is none that doth good no not one Their throat is an open Sepulchre with their tongues they have used craft and deceit the poison of serpents is under their Lips their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness their feet are swift to shed blood destruction and wretchedness are in their ways and the way of peace have they not known Rom. 11. Gal. 3. there is no fear of God before their eyes And in another place St. Paul writeth thus God hath wrapped all nations in unbelief that he might have mercy on all The Scripture shutteth up all under Sin Ephes 2. that the Promise by the Faith of Jesus Christ should be given unto them that believe St. Paul in many places painteth us out in our colours calling us the Children of the wrath of God when we be born saying also that we cannot think a good thought of ourselves much less can we say well or do well of ourselves And the Wise Man saith in the Book of Proverbs Prov. 24. The iust man falleth seven times a day The most tried and approved Man Job feared all his Works Luke 1. St. John the Baptist being Sanctified in his Mothers Womb and praised before he was Born being called an Angel and great before the Lord filled even from his Birth with the Holy Ghost the preparer of the way for our Saviour Christ and commended of our Saviour Christ to be more than a Prophet Matth. 3. and the greatest that ever was born of a Woman Yet he plainly granteth that he had need to be washed of Christ he worthily Extolleth and Glorifieth his Lord and Master Christ and Humbleth himself as unworthy to unbuckle his Shooes and giveth all Honour and Glory to God So doth S. Paul both oft and evidently confess himself what he was of himself ever giving as a most faithful Servant all Praise to his Master and Saviour So doth blessed St. John the Evangelist in the name of himself and of all other Holy Men be they never so just make this open Confession If we say we have no sin 1 Joh. 1. and 2. we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us If we acknowledge our sins God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness If we say we have not sinned we make him a lyar and his word is not in us Wherefore the Wise Man in the Book called Ecclesiastes maketh this true and general Confession Eccles 7. There is not one just man upon the Earth that doth good and sinneth not And David is ashamed of his sin but not to confess his sin Psal 51. How oft how earnestly and lamentably doth he desire God's great Mercy for his great Offences and that God should not enter into judgment with him Psal 113. And again How well weigheth this Holy Man his sins which he confesseth that they be so many in number and so hid and hard to understand that it is in a manner impossible to know utter Psal 19. or number them Wherefore he having a true earnest and deep Contemplation and Consideration of his sins and yet not coming to the bottom of them he maketh Supplication to God to forgive him his privy secret hid sins The knowledge of which he cannot attain unto He weigheth rightly his Sins from the Original root and Spring-head perceiving Inclinations Provocations Stirrings Stingings Buds Branches Dregs Infections Tastes Feelings and Scents of them to continue in him still Wherefore he saith Mark and Behold I was conceived in sins He saith not Sin Psal 51. but in the plural number Sins forasmuch as out of one as a Fountain spring all the rest Mark 10. Luke 18. Our Saviour Christ saith There is none good but God And that we can do nothing that is good without him nor can any man come to the Father but by him He commandeth us also to say that We be unprofitable servants John 15. Luke 17. when we have done all that we can do He preferreth the penitent
that Heb. 12. saith St. Paul whom the Father loveth and doth not chastise If ye be without God's correction which all his welbeloved and true Children have then be you but Bastards smally regarded of God and not his true Children Therefore seeing that when we have on Earth our carnal Fathers to be our correctors we do fear them and reverently take their correction shall we not much more be in Subjection to God our Spiritual Father by whom we shall have everlasting Life and our Carnal Fathers somtimes correct us even as it pleaseth them without cause But this Father justly correcteth us either for our Sin to the intent we should amend or for our Commodity and Wealth to make us thereby partakers of his Holiness Furthermore all Correction which God sendeth us in this present time seemeth to have no Joy and Comfort but Sorrow and Pain yet it bringeth with it a tast of God's Mercy and Goodness towards them that be so corrected and a sure hope of God's everlasting Consolation in Heaven If then these Sorrows Diseases and Sicknesses and also Death itself be nothing else but our Heavenly Father's Rod whereby he certifieth us of his Love and gracious Favour whereby he tryeth and purifieth us whereby he giveth unto us Holiness and certifieth us that we be his Children and he our merciful Father Shall not we then with all humility as obedient and loving Children joyfully kiss our Heavenly Father's Rod and ever say in our Heart with our Saviour Jesus Christ Father if this Anguish and Sorrow which I feel and Death which I see approach may not pass but that thy will is that I must suffer them Thy Will be done The Third Part of the Sermon against the Fear of Death IN this Sermon against the fear of Death Two Causes were declared which commonly move worldly Men to be in much fear to die and yet the same do nothing trouble the faithful and good Livers when Death cometh but rather give them occasion greatly to rejoice considering that they shall be delivered from the sorrow and misery of this World and be brought to the great Joy and Felicity of the Life to come The Third Cause why Death is to be feared Now the Third and special Cause why Death indeed is to be feared is the miserable State of the worldly and ungodly People after their Death But this is no Cause at all why the godly and faithful People should fear Death but rather contrariwise their godly Conversation in this Life and Belief in Christ cleaving continually to his Mercies should make them to long sore after that Life that remaineth for them undoubtedly after this bodily Death Of this immortal State after this transitory Life where we shall live evermore in the Presence of God in Joy and Rest after Victory over all Sickness Sorrows Sin and Death There be many plain places of Holy Scripture which confirm the weak Conscience against the fear of all such Dolours Sicknesses Sin and bodily Death to asswage such trembling and ungodly fear and to encourage us with Comfort and hope of a blessed State after this Life Saint Paul wisheth unto the Ephesians Ephes 1. That God the Father of Glory would give unto them the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation that the Eyes of their Hearts might give Light to know him and to perceive how great things he had called them unto and how rich an Inheritance he hath prepared after this Life for them that pertain unto him Phil. 1. And St. Paul himself declareth the desire of his Heart which was to be dissolved and loosed from his Body and to be with Christ which as he said was much better for him although to them it was more necessary that he should live which he refused not for their sakes Even like as St. Martin said Good Lord if I be necessary for thy People to do good unto them I will refuse no Labour But else for mine own self I beseech thee to take my Soul Now the Holy Fathers of the Old Law and all faithful and righteous Men which departed before our Saviour Christ's Ascension into Heaven did by Death depart from Troubles unto Rest from the hands of their Enemies into the hands of God from Sorrows and Sicknesses unto joyful refreshing in Abraham's bosom a place of all Comfort and Consolation as the Scriptures do plainly by manifest words testifie Wisdom 3. The Book of Wisdom saith That the Righteous Mens Souls be in the hand of God and no torment shall touch them They seemed to the eyes of foolish Men to die and their death was counted miserable and their departing out of this World wretched but they be in Rest And another place saith Wisd 4. That the Righteous shall live for ever and their Reward is with the Lord and their Minds be with God who is above all Therefore they shall receive a Glorious Kingdom and a Beautiful Crown at the Lord's hand And in another place the same Book saith The Righteous though he be prevented with suddain Death nevertheless he shall be there where he shall be refreshed Of Abraham's Bosom Christ's words be so plain that a Christian Man needeth no more proof of it Now then if this were the state of the Holy Fathers and Righteous Men before the coming of our Saviour and before he was Glorified How much more then ought all we to have a stedfast Faith and a sure Hope of this blessed state and condition after our death Seeing that our Saviour now hath performed the whole Work of our Redemption and is Gloriously ascended into Heaven to prepare our dwelling places with him and said unto his Father Father John 17. I will that where I am my servants shall be with me And we know that whatsoever Christ Will his Father Wills the same wherefore it cannot be but if we be his Faithful Servants our Souls shall be with him after our departure out of this present life St. Stephen when he was stoned to death even in the midst of his torments what was his Mind most upon Acts 7. When he was full of the Holy Ghost saith Holy Scripture having his eyes lifted up into Heaven he saw the Glory of God and Jesus standing on the right hand of God The which Truth after he had confessed boldly before the enemies of Christ they drew him out of the City and there they stoned him who cryed unto God saying Lord Jesu Christ take my Spirit And doth not our Saviour say plainly in St. John's Gospel Verily John 5. verily I say unto you He that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and cometh not into judgment but shall pass from death to life Shall we not then think that death to be precious by the which we pass unto life Therefore it is a true saying of the Prophet Psal 116. The death of the Holy and Righteous Men is precious in the
fear of bodily Death Phil. 1. when it cometh but certainly as St. Paul did so shall he gladly according to God's Will and when it pleaseth God to call him out of this life greatly desire in his heart that he may be rid from all these occasions of evil and live ever to God's pleasure in perfect obedience of his Will with our Saviour Jesus Christ to whose Gracious Presence the Lord of his infinite Mercy and Grace bring us to reign with him in life everlasting To whom with our Heavenly Father and the Holy Ghost be Glory in Worlds without end Amen AN EXHORTATION CONCERNING Good Order and Obedience to Rulers and Magistrates ALmighty God hath appointed and Created all things in Heaven Earth and Waters in a most excellent and perfect Order In Heaven he hath appointed distinct and several Orders and States of Archangels and Angels In Earth he hath assigned and appointed Kings Princes with other Governors under them in all good and necessary Order The Water above is kept and raineth down in due time and season The Sun Moon Stars Rainbow Thunder Lightning Clouds and all Birds of the Air do keep their order The Earth Trees Seeds Plants Herbs Corn Grass and all manner of Beasts keep themselves in order All the parts of the whole year as Winter Summer Months Nights and Days continue in their order All kinds of Fishes in the Sea Rivers and Waters with all Fountains Springs yea the Seas themselves keep their comly course and order And Man himself also hath all his Parts both within and without as Soul Heart Mind Memory Understanding Reason Speech with all and singular corporal Members of his Body in a profitable necessary and pleasant Order Every degree of People in their Vocation Calling and Office hath appointed to them their Duty and Order Some are in high degree some in low some Kings and Princes some Inferiours and Subjects Priests and Lay-men Masters and Servants Fathers and Children Husbands and Wiâ—es Rich and Poor and every one have need of other so that in all things is to be lauded and praised the goodly order of God without the which no House no City no Common-wealth can continue and endure or last For where there is no right order there reigneth all Abuse Carnal liberty Enormity Sin and Babylonical confusion Take away Kings Princes Rulers Magistrates Judges and such Estates of God's order no Man shall ride or go by the way unrobbed no Man shall sleep in his own House or Bed unkilled no Man shall keep his Wife Children and Possessions in quietness all things shall be common and there must needs follow all mischief and utter destruction both of Souls Bodies Goods and Common-wealths But blessed be God that we in this Realm of England feel not the horrible Calamities Miseries and Wretchedness which all they undoubtedly feel and suffer that lack this godly order And praised be God that we know the great excellent Benefit of God shewed towards us in this behalf God hath sent us his high gift our most dear Sovereign King JAMES with a godly wife and honorable Council with other Superiors and Inferiors in a beautiful order and godly Wherefore let us Subjects do our bounden Duties giving hearty thanks to God and praying for the preservation of this godly order Let us all obey even from the bottom of our Hearts all their godly Proceedings Laws Statutes Proclamations and Injunctions with all other godly orders Let us consider the Scriptures of the Holy Ghost which persuade and command us all obediently to be subject first and chiefly to the King's Majesty Supreme Governor over all and next to his honorable Council and to all other Noble Men Magistrates and Officers which by God's goodness be placed and ordered For Almighty God is the only Author and Provider for this fore-named State and Order as it is written of God in the Book of the Proverbs Prov. 8. Through me Kings do reign through me Counsellers make just Laws through me do Princes bear Rule and all Judges of the Earth execute Judgement I am loving to them that love me Here let us mark well and remember that the high Power and Authority of Kings with their making of Laws Judgements and Offices are the Ordinances not of Man but of God And therefore is this Word through me so many times repeated Here is also well to be considered and remembred that this good Order is appointed by God's Wisdom Favor and Love especially for them that love God and therefore he saith I love them that love me Wisd 6. Also in the Book of Wisdom we may evidently learn that a King's Power Authority and Strength is a great Benefit of God given of his great Mercy to the comfort of our great Misery For this we read there spoken to Kings Hear O ye Kings and understand learn ye that be Judges of the ends of the Earth give ear ye that Rule the Multitudes For the Power is given you of the Lord and the Strength from the Highest Let us learn also here by the Infallible and undeceivable Word of God That Kings and other Supreme and higher Officers are ordained of God who is most high And therefore they are here taught diligently to apply and give themselves to Knowledge and Wisdom necessary for the ordering of God's People to their governance committed or whom to govern they are charged of God And they be here also taught by Almighty God that they should acknowledge themselves to have all their Power and Strength not from Rome but immediately of God most High We read in the Book of Deuteronomy Deut. 33. that all Punishment pertaineth to God by this Sentence Vengeance is mine and I will reward But this Sentence we must understand to pertain also unto the Magistrates which do exercise God's room in Judgement and punishing by good and godly Laws here on Earth And the places of Scripture which seem to remove from among all Christian Men Judgement Punishment or Killing ought to be understood that no Man of his own private Authority may be Judge over others may punish or may kill But we must refer all Judgment to God to Kings and Rulers Judges under them which be God's Officers to execute Justice and by plain words of Scripture have their Authority and Use of the Sword Granted from God as we are taught by St. Paul that dear and chosen Apostle of our Saviour Christ whom we ought diligently to obey even as we would obey our Saviour Christ if he were present Thus St. Paul writeth to the Romans Let every Soul submit himself unto the authority of the higher Rom. 13. powers for there is no power but of God The powers that be be ordained of God Whosoever therefore withstandeth the Power withstandeth the Ordinance of God But they that resist or are against it shall receive to themselves damnation For Rulers are not fearful to them that do good but to them that do evil
can lay his hands on the Lords anointed and be guiltless And David said furthermore As sure as the Lord liveth the Lord shall smite him or his day shall come to die or he shall descend or go down into Battel and there perish the Lord keep me from laying my hands upon the Lord 's anointed But take thou now the spear that is at his head and the cruse of Water and let us go And so he did Here is evidently proved that we may not withstand nor in any ways hurt an anointed King which is God's Lieutenant Vicegerent and highest Minister in that Country where he is King But peradventure some here would say that David in his own defence might have killed King Saul lawfully An Objection and with a safe Conscience But holy David did know than he might in no wise withstand An Answer hurt or kill his Sovereign Lord and King He did know that he was but King Saul's Subject though he were in great favour with God and his Enemy King Saul out of God's favour Therefore though he were never so much provoked yet he refused utterly to hurt the Lord 's anointed He durst not for offending God and his own Conscience although he had occasion and opportunity once lay his hands upon God's high Officer the King whom he did know to be a Person reserved and kept for his Office sake only to God's Punishment and Judgment therefore he prayeth so oft and so earnestly that he lay not his hands upon the Lord 's anointed And by these two Examples Holy David being named in Scripture a Man after God's own Heart Psal 88. giveth a general Rule and Lesson to all Subjects in the World not to withstand their Liege Lord and King not to take a Sword by their private Authority against their King God's anointed who only beareth the Sword by God's Authority for the Maintenance of the good and for the Punishment of the evil who only by God's Law hath the use of the Sword at his command and also hath all Power Jurisdiction Regiment Correction and Punishment as Supreme Governor of all his Realms and Dominions and that even by the Authority of God and by God's Ordinances Yet another notable Story and Doctrine is in the second Book of the Kings that maketh also for this purpose When an Amalekite 2 Kings 1. by King Saul's own consent and Commandment had killed King Saul he went to David supposing to have had great Thanks for his Message that he had killed David's deadly Enemy and therefore he made great haste to tell to David the chance bringing with him King Saul's Crown that was upon his Head and his Bracelet that was upon his Arm to persuade his tidings to be true But Godly David was so far from rejoycing at this news that immediately and forthwith he rent his Cloaths off his Back he Mourned and wept and said to the Messenger How is it that thou wast not afraid to lay thy hands on the Lords anointed to destroy him And by and by David made one of his Servants to kill the Messenger saying Thy blood be on thine own head for thine own mouth hath testified and witnessed against thee granting that thou hast slain the Lords anointed These examples being so manifest and evident it is an intolerable ignorance madness and wickedness for Subjects to make any Murmuring Rebellion Resistance or withstanding Commotion or Insurrection against their most dear and most dread Sovereign Lord and King ordained and appointed of God's Goodness for their Commodity Peace and Quietness Yet let us believe undoubtedly good Christian People that we may not obey Kings Magistrates or any other though they be our own Fathers if they would command us to do any thing contrary to God's Commanments In such a case we ought to say with the Apostle Acts 7. We must rather obey God than man But nevertheless in that case we may not in any wise withstand violently or rebel against Rulers or make any Insurrection Sedition or Tumults either by force of Arms or otherwise against the Anointed of the Lord or any of his Officers But we must in such case patiently suffer all wrongs and injuries referring the Judgment of our Cause only to God Let us fear the terrible Punishment of Almighty God against Traytors and rebellious Persons by the Example of Korah Dathan and Abiram who repined and grudged against God's Magistrates and Officers and therefore the Earth opened and swallowed them up alive Others for their wicked Murmuring and Rebellion were by a sudden Fire sent down from God utterly consumed Others for their froward behaviour to their Rulers and Governors God's Ministers were suddenly striken with a foul Leprosie Others were stinged to death with wonderful strange fiery Serpents Others were sore plagued so that there were killed in one day 2 Kings 18. the Number of Fourteen thousand and seven hundred for Rebellion against them whom God had appointed to be in Authority Absalom also rebelling against his Father King David was punished with a strange and notable Death The Third Part of the Sermon of Obedience YE have heard before in this Sermon of good Order and Obedience manifestly proved both by the Scriptures and Examples that all Subjects are bound to obey their Magistrates and for no cause to resist or withstand or rebel or make any Sedition against them yea although they be wicked Men. And let no Man think that he can escape unpunished that committeth Treason Conspiracy or Rebellion against his Sovereign Lord the King though he commit the same never so secretly either in Thought Word or Deed never so privily in his privy Chamber by himself or openly communicating and consulting with others For Treason will not be hid Treason will out at length God will have that most detestable Vice both opened and punished for that it is so directly against his Ordinance and against his high Principal Judge and Anointed on Earth The Violence and Injury that is committed against Authority is committed against God the Commonweal and the whole Realm which God will have known and condignly or worthily punished one way or the other For it is notably written of the wise Man in Scripture Eccl. 10. in the Book called Ecclesiastes Wish the King no evil in thy Thought nor speak no hurt of him in thy privy chamber For the bird of the air shall betray thy voice and with her feathers shall bewray thy words These Lessons and Examples are written for our Learning Therefore let us all fear the most detestable vice of Rebellion ever knowing and remembring that he that resisteth or withstandeth common Authority resisteth or withstandeth God and his Ordinance as it may be proved by many other places of Holy Scripture And here let us take heed that we understand not these or such other like places which so straitly command Obedience to Superiours and so straitly punished Rebellion and Disobedience to the same to be
meant in any condition of the pretenced or coloured Power of the Bishop of Rome For truly the Scripture of God alloweth no such Usurped Power full of Enormities Abusions and Blasphemies But the true meaning of these and such places be to extol and set forth God's true Ordinance and the Authority of God's Anointed Kings and of their Officers appointed under them And concerning the Usurped Power of the Bishop of Rome which he most wrongfully challengeth as the successor of Christ and Peter We may easily perceive how false feigned and forged it is not only in that it hath no sufficient ground in Holy Scripture but also by the Fruits and Doctrine thereof For our Saviour Christ and St. Peter teach most earnestly and agreeably Obedience to Kings as to the chief and Supreme Rulers in this world next under God But the Bishop of Rome teacheth that they that are under him are free from all burdens and charges of the Commonwealth and Obedience toward their Prince most clearly against Christ's Doctrine and St. Peters He ought therefore rather to be called Antichrist and the Successor of the Scribes and Pharises than Christ's Vicar and St. Peter's Successor Seeing that not only in this point but also in other weighty matters of Christian Religion in matters of Remission and Forgiveness of Sins and of Salvation he teacheth so directly against both St. Peter and against our Saviour Christ who not only taught Obedience to Kings but also practised Obedience in their Conversation and Living For we read that they both paid Tribute to the King And also we read that the Holy Virgin Mary Matth. 17. Mother to our Saviour Christ and Joseph who was taken for his Father at the Emperor's Commandment went to the City of David Luke 2. named Bethlehem to be taxed among other and to declare their Obedience to the Magistrates for God's Ordinances sake And here let us not forget the blessed Virgin Maries Obedience For although she was highly in God's Favour and and Christs natural Mother and was also great with Child at the same time and so nigh her Travail that she was delivered in her journey yet she gladly without any excuse or grudging for Conscience sake did take that cold and foul Winter journey being in the mean season so poor that she lay in a Stable and there she was Delivered of Christ And according to the same Lo how St. Peter agreeth writing by express words in his first Epistle 1 Pet. 2. Submit your selves and be Subject saith he unto Kings as unto the chief heads and unto rulers as unto them that are sent of him for the punishment of evil-doors and for the praise of them that do well for so is the will of God I need not to expound these words they be so plain of themselves St. Peter doth not say Submit your selves unto me as Supreme Head of the Church Neither saith he Submit your selves from time to time to my Successors in Rome But he saith Submit your selves unto your King your Supreme Head and unto those that he appointeth in Authority under him for that you shall so shew your Obedience it is the Will of God God will that you be in subjection to your Head and King This is God's Ordinance God's Commandment and God's Will that the whole Body of every Realm and all the Members and Parts of the same shall be subject to their Head their King and that as St. Peter writeth for the Lords sake 1 Pet. 2. Rom. 13. Matth. 22. And as St. Paul writeth for conscience sake and not for fear only Thus we learn by the word of God to yield to our King that is due to our King That is Honour Obedience payments of due Taxes Customs Tributes Subsidies Love and Fear Rom. 13. Thus we know partly our bounden Duties to common Authority now let us learn to accomplish the same And let us most instantly and heartily pray to God the only Author of all Authority for all them that be in Authority according as St. Paul willeth writing thus to Timothy in his first Epistle 1 Tim. 2. I exhort therefore that above all things Prayers Supplications Intercessions and giving of Thanks be done for all Men for Kings and for all that be in Authority that we may live a quiet and a peaceable life with all godliness and Honesty For that is good and accepted or allowable in the sight of God our Saviour Here St. Paul maketh an earnest and an especial Exhortation concerning Giving of Thanks and Prayer for Kings and Rulers saying Above all things as he might say in any wise principally and chiefly let prayer be made for Kings Let us heartily thank God for his great and excellent Benefit and Providence concerning the state of Kings Let us pray for them that they may have God's Favour and God's Protection Let us pray that they may ever in all things have God before their Eyes Let us pray that they may have Wisdom Strength Justice Clemency and Zeal to God's Glory to God's Verity to Christian Souls and to the Commonwealth Let us pray that they may rightly use their Sword and Authority for the maintenance and defence of the Catholick Faith contained in Holy Scripture and of their good and honest Subjects for the fear and punishment of the evil and vicious People Let us pray that they may most faithfully follow the Kings and Captains in the Bible David Ezekias Josias and Moses with such other And let us pray for ourselves that we may live Godlily in Holy and Christian Conversation So shall we have God on our side and then let us not fear what Man can do against us So we shall live in true Obedience both to our most merciful King in Heaven and to our most Christian King on Earth So shall we please God and have the exceeding Benefit peace of Conscience rest and quietness here in this World and after this life we shall enjoy a better Life Rest Peace and the everlasting Bliss of Heaven which he grant us all that was obedient for us all even to the death of the Cross Jesus Christ To whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost be all Honour and Glory both now and ever Amen A SERMON Against Whoredom and Vncleanness ALthough there want not good Christian People great swarms of Vices worthy to be rebuked unto such decay is true Godliness and Virtuous living now come Yet above other Vices the outragious Seas of Adultery or breaking of Wedlock Whoredom Fornication and Uncleanness have not only burst in but also overflowed almost the whole World unto the great dishonour of God the exceeding Infamy of the Name of Christ the notable decay of true Religion and the utter destruction of the publick Wealth and that so abundantly that through the customable use thereof this Vice is grown unto such an height that in a manner among many it is counted no sin at all but rather a pastime a
Acts 15. That when the Apostles and Elders with the whole Congregation were gathered together to pacifie the hearts of the faithful dwelling at Antioch which were disquieted through the false Doctrine of several Jewish Preachers they sent word to the Brethren That it seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to them to charge them with no more than with necessary things Among others they willed them to abstain from Idolatry and Fornication from which said they if you keep your selves ye shall do well Note here how these holy and blessed Fathers of Christ's Church would charge the Congregation with no more things than were necessary Mark also how among those things from the which they commanded the Brethren of Antioch to abstain Fornication and Whoredom are numbred It is therefore necessary by the determination and consent of the Holy Ghost and the Apostles and Elders with the whole Congregation that as from Idolatry and Superstition so likewise we must abstain from Fornication and Whoredom It is necessary unto Salvation to abstain from Idolatry So it is to abstain from Whoredom Is there any nigher way to lead unto damnation than to be an Idolater No even so neither is there any nearer way to damnation than to be a Fornicator and a Whoremonger Now where are those People which so lightly esteem breaking of Wedlock Whoredom Fornication and Adultery It is necessary saith the Holy Ghost the blessed Apostles the Elders with the whole Congregation of Christ it is necessary to Salvation say they to abstain from Whoredom If it be necessary unto Salvation then woe be to them which neglecting their Salvation give their Minds to so filthy and stinking a Sin to so wicked Vice and to such detestable abomination The Second Part of the Sermon against Adultery YOU have been taught in the First Part of this Sermon against Adultery how that Vice at this day reigneth most above all other Vices and what is meant by this word Adultery and how Holy Scripture dissuadeth or discounselleth from doing that filthy Sin and finally what corruption cometh to Man's Soul through the Sin of Adultery Now to proceed further let us hear what the blessed Apostle St. Paul saith to this matter writing to the Romans he hath these words Rom. 13. Let us cast away the Works of Darkness and put on the Armour of Light Let us walk honestly as it were in the day time not in eating and drinking neither in chambering and wantonness neither in strife and envying but put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ and make not provision for the Flesh to fulfil the Lusts of it Here the Holy Apostle exhorteth us to cast away the Works of Darkness which among other he calleth gluttonous eating drinking chambering and wantonness which are all Ministers unto that Vice and preparations to induce and bring in the filthy Sin of the Flesh He calleth them the Deeds and Works of Darkness not only because they are customably in Darkness John 3 Matth. 25. or in the night time for every one that doth evil hateth the Light neither cometh he to the Light lest his Works should be reproved but that they lead the right way unto that utter Darkness where weeping and gnashing of Teeth shall be Rom. 8. And he saith in another place of the same Epistle They that are in the Flesh cannot please God We are Debtors not to the Flesh that we should live after the Flesh for if ye live after the Flesh ye shall die 1. Cor. 6. Again he saith Flee from Whoredom for every Sin that a Man committeth is without his Body But whosoever committeth Whoredom sinneth against his own Body Do ye not know That your Members are the Temples of the Holy Ghost which is in you whom also ye have of God and ye are not your own For ye are dearly bought Glorifie God in your Bodies c. And a little before he saith Do ye not know That your Bodies are the Members of Christ Shall I then take the Members of Christ and make them the Members of a Whore God forbid Do ye not know That he which cleaveth to a Whore is made one Body with her There shall be two in one Flesh saith he but he that cleaveth to the Lord is one Spirit What godly Words doth the blessed Apostle St. Paul bring forth here to dissuade and discounsel us from Whoredom and Uncleanness Your Members saith he are the Temples of the Holy Ghost which whosoever doth defile Gâ—d will destroy him as saith St. Paul If we be the Temple of the Holy Ghost how unfitting then is it to drive that Holy Spirit from us through Whoredom and in his place to set the wicked Spirits of Uncleanness and Fornication and to be joined and do Service to them Ye are dearly bought saith he 1. Pet. 1. therefore glorifie God in your Bodies Christ that innocent Lamb of God hath bought us from the Servitude of the Devil not with corruptible Gold and Silver Esaiah 38. but with his most precious and dear heart blood To what intent That we should fall again into our old Uncleanness and abominable Living Luke 1. Nay verily But that we should serve him all the days of our Life in Holiness and Righteousness that we should glorifie him in our Bodies by purity and cleanness of Life He declareth also That our Bodies are the Members of Christ How unseemly a thing is it then to cease to be incorporate or imbodied and made one with Christ and through Whoredom to be enjoined and made all one with a Whore What greater dishonor or injury can we do to Christ than to take away from him the Members of his Body and to join them to Whores Devils and wicked Spirits And what more dishonor can we do to ourselves than through Uncleanness to lose so excellent a Dignity and Freedom and to become Bond-slaves and miserable Captives to the Spirits of Darkness Let us therefore consider First the Glory of Christ then our Estate our Dignity and Freedom wherein God hath set us by giving us his Holy Spirit and let us valiantly defend the same against Satan and all his crafty Assaults that Christ may be honored and that we lose not our Liberty or Freedom but still remain in one Spirit with him Eph. 5. Moreover in his Epistle to the Ephesians the blessed Apostle willeth us to be so pure and free from Adultery Fornication and all Uncleanness that we not once name them among us as it becometh Saints nor Filthiness nor foolish Talking nor Jesting which are not comely but rather giving of Thanks For this ye know saith he that no Whoremonger 1 Cor. 6. neither unclean Person or covetous Person which is an Idolater hath any Inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and of God And that we should remember to be holy pure and free from all Uncleanness the holy Apostle calleth us Saints because we are sanctified and made holy by the
doth chide with himself so it comprehendeth two most detestable Vices the one is picking of Quarrels with sharp and contentious words the other standeth in froward answering and multiplying evil Words again The first is so abominable that Saint Paul saith 1 Cor. 5. If any that is called a Brother be a Worshipper of Idols a Brawler a picker of Quarrels a Thief or an Extortioner with him that is such a Man see that you eat not Now here consider that St. Paul numbreth a Scolder a Brawler Against Quarrel-picking or a picker of Quarrels among Thieves and Idolaters and many times there cometh less hurt of a Thief than of a Railing Tongue For the one taketh away a Man 's good Name the other taketh but his Riches which is of much less Value and Estimation than is his good Name And a Thief hurteth but him from whom he stealeth But he that hath an evil Tongue troubleth all the Town where he dwelleth and somtime the whole Country And a Railing Tongue is a Pestilence so full of Contagiousness that Saint Paul willeth Christian Men to forbear the Company of such 1 Cor. 1. and neither to eat nor drink with them And whereas he will not that a Christian Woman should forsake her Husband although he be an Infidel or that a Christian Servant should depart from his Master which is an Infidel and Heathen and so suffereth a Christian Man to keep Company with an Infidel Yet he forbiddeth us to eat or drink with a Scolder or Quarrel-picker And also in the Sixth Chapter to the Corinthians he saith thus Be not deceived for neither Fornicators 1 Cor. 6. neither Worshippers of Idols neither Thieves nor Drunkards nor cursed Speakers shall dwell in the Kingdom of Heaven It must needs be a great fault that doth move and cause the Father to disinherit his Natural Son And how can it otherwise be Against froward answering Matth. 5. but that this cursed Speaking must needs be a most damnable Sin the which doth cause God our most Merciful and Loving Father to deprive us of his most blessed Kingdom of Heaven Against the other Sin that standeth in requiting Taunt for Taunt speaketh Christ himself saying I say unto you resist not evil but love your Enemies and say well by them that say evil by you do well unto them that do evil unto you and pray for them that do hurt and persecute you that you may be the Children of your Father which is in Heaven who suffereth his Sun to rise both upon good and evil and sendeth his rain both upon the just and unjust To this Doctrine of Christ agreeth very well the teaching of St. Paul that chosen vessel of God who ceaseth not to exhort and call upon us Rom. 12. saying Bless them that curse you bless I say and curse not recompense to no man evil for evil if it be possible as much as lyeth in you live peaceably with all men The Second Part of the Sermon against Contention IT hath been declared unto you in this Sermon against Strife and Brawling what great inconvenience cometh thereby specially of such Contention as groweth in matters of Religion And how when as no Man will give place to another there is no end of contention and discord and that unity which God requireth of Christians is utterly thereby neglected and broken And that this contention standeth chiefly in two points as in picking of quarrels and making of froward Answers Now ye shall hear St. Paul's words Rom. 12. saying Dearly beloved avenge not yourselves but rather give place unto wrath for it is written Vengeance is mine and I will revenge saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger feed him if he thirst give him drink be not overcome with evil but overcome evil with goodness All these be the words of St. Paul but they that be full of Stomach and set so much by themselves that they may not abide so much as one evil word to be spoken of them peradventure will say If I be reviled An Objection shall I stand still like a Goose or a Fool with my Finger in my Mouth Shall I be such an Idiot and Dizard to suffer every Man to speak upon me what they list to rail what they list to spew out all their venom against me at their pleasures Is it not convenient that he that speaketh evil should be answered accordingly If I shall use this lenity and softness I shall both increase mine enemies frowardness and provoke others to do the like Such reasons make they that can suffer nothing for the defence of their impatience And yet An Answer if by froward answering to a froward person there were hope to remedy his frowardness he should less offend that so should answer doing the same not of ire or malice but only of that intent that he that is so froward or malicious may be reformed But he that cannot amend another man's fault or cannot amend it without his own fault better it were that one should perish than two Then if he cannot quiet him with gentle words at the least let him not follow him in wicked and uncharitable words If he can pacifie him with suffering let him suffer and if not it is better to suffer evil than to do evil to say well than to say evil For to speak well against evil cometh of the Spirit of God But to render evil for evil cometh of the contrary Spirit And he that cannot temper nor rule his own anger is but weak and feeble and rather more like a Woman or a Child than a strong Man For the true strength and manliness is to overcome wrath and to despise injuries and other mens foolishness And besides this he that shall despise the wrong done unto him by his enemy every man shall perceive that it was spoken or done without cause Whereas contrarily he that doth fume and chafe at it shall help the cause of his adversary giving suspicion that the thing is true And in so going about to revenge evil we shew our selves to be evil and while we punish and revenge another Man's folly we double and augment our own folly But many pretences find they that be wilful to colour their impatience Mine Enemy say they is not worthy to have gentle words or deeds being so full of malice or frowardness Theless he is worthy the more art thou therefore allowed of God and the more art thou commended of Christ for whose sake thou shouldest render good for evil because he hath commanded thee and also deserved that thou shouldest so do Thy neighbor hath peradventure with a word offended thee call thou to thy remembrance with how many words and deeds how grievously thou hast offended thy Lord God What was Man when Christ died for him Was he not his enemy and unworthy to have his Favour and Mercy Even so with what gentleness and patience doth he forbear and tolerate and
suffer thee although he is daily offended by thee Forgive therefore a light Trespass to thy neighbour that Christ may forgive thee many thousands of Trespasses which art every day an offender For if thou forgive thy Brother being to thee a trespasser then hast thou a sure sign and token that God will forgive thee to whom all Men be debtors and trespassers How wouldst thou have God merciful to thee if thou wilt be cruel unto thy Brother Canst thou not find in thy heart to do that towards another that is thy fellow which God hath done to thee that art but his servant Ought not one sinner to forgive another seeing that Christ which was no sinner did pray to his Father for them that without mercy and despitefully put him to death 1 Pet. 2. Who when he was reviled he did not use reviling words again and when he suffered wrongfully he did not threaten but gave all vengeance to the judgment of his Father which judgeth rightfully And what crackest thou of thy Head if thou labour not to be in the Body Thou canst be no member of Christ if thou follow not the steps of Christ Isai 53. Luke 23. Acts 7. Who as the Prophet saith was led to death like a Lamb not opening his mouth to reviling but opening his Mouth to praying for them that crucified him saying Father forgive them for they cannot tell what they do The which example anon after Christ St. Stephen did follow and after St. Paul We be evil spoken of saith he and we speak well We suffer persecution and take it patiently Men curse us and we gently intreat 1 Cor. 4. Thus Saint Paul taught that he did and he did that he taught Bless you saith he them that persecute you bless you and curse not Is it a great thing to speak well to thine Adversary to whom Christ doth command thee to do well David when Shimes did call him all to naught did not chide again but said patiently Suffer him to speak evil if perchance the Lord will have Mercy on me Histories be full of Examples of Heathen Men that took very meekly both opprobrious and reproachful Words and injurious or wrongful Deeds And shall those Heathen excel in Patience us that profess Christ the Teacher and Example of all Patience Lysander when one did rage against him in reviling of him he was nothing moved but said Go to go to speak against me as much and as oft as thou wilt and leave out nothing if perchance by this means thou mayst discharge thee of those naughty things with the which it seemeth that thou art full laden Many Men speak evil of all Men because they can speak well of no Man After this sort this Wise Man avoideth from him the reproachful Words spoken unto him imputing and laying them to the Natural Sickness of his Adversary Pericles when a certain Scolder or railing Fellow did revile him he answered not a word again but went into a Gallery and after towards Night when he went home this Scolder followed him raging still more and more because he saw the other to set nothing by him And after that he came to his Gate being dark Night Pericles commanded one of his Servants to light a Torch and to bring the Scolder home to his own House He did not only with quietness suffer this Brawler patiently but also recompensed an evil Turn with a good Turn and that to his Enemy Is it not a shame for us that profess Christ to be worse than Heathen People in a thing chiefly pertaining to Christs Religion Shall Philosophy perswade them more than Gods Word shall perswade us Shall Natural Reason prevail more with them than Religion shall with us Shall Mans Wisdom lead them to those things whereunto the Heavenly Doctrine cannot lead us What blindness wilfulness or rather madness is this Pericles being provoked to anger with many villanous words answered not a word But we stirred but with one little word what foul work do we make How do we fume rage stamp and stare like Mad Men Many Men of every trifle will make a great matter and of a spark of a little word will kindle a great fire taking all things in the worst part But how much better is it Reasons to move Men from quarrel-picking and more like to the Example and Doctrine of Christ to make rather a greater fault in our Neighbour a small fault reasoning with ourselves after this sort He spake these words but it was in a sudden heat or the Drink spake them and not he or he spake them at the motion of some other or he spake them being ignorant of the truth he spake them not against me but against him whom he thought me to be But as touching evil speaking he that is ready to speak evil against other Men first let him examine himself whether he be faultless and clear of the fault which he findeth in another For it is a shame when he that blameth another for any fault is guilty himself either in the same fault or in a greater It is a shame for him that is blind to call another Man blind and it is more shame for him that is whole blind to call him blinkard that is but purblind For this is to see a straw in another Mans Eye when a Man hath a block in his own Eye Then let him consider that he that useth to speak evil shall commonly be evil spoken of again And he that speaketh what he will for his pleasure shall be compelled to hear what he would not to his displeasure Moreover let him remember that saying That we shall give an account for every idle Word Mat. 12. How much more then shall we make reckoning for our sharp bitter brawling and chiding Words which provoke our Brother to be angry and so to the breach of his Charity And as touching evil answering although we be never so much provoked by other Mens evil speaking yet we shall not follow their frowardness by evil answering if we consider that anger is a kind of madness and that he which is angry is as it were for the time in a phrensie Wherefore let him beware Reasons to move Men from froward answering lest in his fury he speak any thing whereof afterward he may have just cause to be sorry And he that will defend that anger is not fury but that he hath reason even when he is most angry then let him reason thus with himself when he is angry Now I am so moved and chafed that within a little while after I shall be otherwise minded wherefore then should I now speak any thing in mine anger which hereafter when I would fainest cannot be changed Wherefore shall I do any thing now being as it were out of my Wit for the which when I shall come to my self again I shall be very sad Why doth not Reason why doth not Godliness yea why doth not Christ
and continue in are the Bodies and Minds of true Christians and the chosen People of God according to the Doctrine of the Holy Scripture declared in the First Epistle to the Corinthians Know ye not saith St. Paul 1 Cor. 3. that ye be the Temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you If any Man defile the Temple of God him will God destroy For the Temple of God is Holy which ye are And again in the same Epistle Know ye not that your body is the Temple of the Holy Ghost dwelling in you whom ye have given you of God 1 Cor. 6. and that ye be not your own For ye are dearly bought Glorifie ye now therefore God in your Body and in your Spirit which are Gods And therefore as our Saviour Christ teacheth in the Gospel of Saint John John 4. they that worship God the Father in Spirit and Truth in what place soever they do it worship him aright For such Worshippers doth God the Father look for For God is a Spirit and those that Worship him must Worship him in Spirit and Truth saith our Saviour Christ Yet all this notwithstanding the material Church or Temple is a place appointed as well by the usage and continual Examples expressed in the Old Testament as in the New for the People of God to resort together unto there to hear Gods Holy Word to call upon his Holy Name to give him thanks for his innumerable and unspeakable benefits bestowed upon us and duly and truly to celebrate his Holy Sacraments in the unfeigned doing and accomplishing of the which standeth that True and Right Worshipping of God aforementioned and the same Church or Temple is by the Holy Scriptures both of the Old Testament and New called the House and Temple of the Lord for the peculiar service there done to his Majesty by his People and for the effectuous presence of his Heavenly Grace wherewith he by his said Holy Word endueth his People so there assembled And to the said House or Temple of God at all times by common order appointed are all People that be godly indeed bound with all diligence to resort unless by sickness or other most urgent causes they be letted therefore And all the same so resorting thither ought with all quietness and reverence there to behave themselves in doing their bounden duty and service to Almighty God in the Congregation of his Saints All which things are evident to be proved by God's Holy Word as hereafter shall plainly appear And first of all I will declare by the Scriptures that it is called as it is indeed the House of God and Temple of the Lord. He that Sweareth by the Temple saith our Saviour Christ John 2. Matth. 23. John 2. Sweareth by it and him that dwelleth therein meaning God the Father which he also expresseth plainly in the Gospel of Saint John saying Do not make the House of my Father the House of Merchandize And in the Book of the Psalms Psal 5. the Prophet David saith I will enter into thine House I will Worship in thy Holy Temple in thy Fear And it is almost in infinite places of the Scripture especially in the Prophets and Book of Psalms called the House of God or House of the Lord. Somtimes it is named the Tabernacle of the Lord Exod. 25. and somtimes the Sanctuary that is to say the Holy Place or House of the Lord. And it is likewise called the House of Prayer Levit. 19. 3 Reg. 8 2 Par. 6. as Solomon who builded the Temple of the Lord at Jerusalem doth oft call it the House of the Lord in the which the Lords Name should be called upon Isaiah 56. Matth. 12. Matth. 21. Mark 11. Luke 19. Luke 18. Luke 2. And Isaiah in the Fifty sixth Chapter My House shall be called the House of Prayer amongst all Nations Which Text our Saviour Christ alledgeth in the New Testament as doth appear in Three of the Evangelists and in the Parable of the Pharisee and the Publican which went to pray in which Parable our Saviour Christ saith They went up into the Temple to pray And Anna the Holy Widow and Prophetess served the Lord in Fasting and Prayer in the Temple Night and Day And in the Story of the Acts it is mentioned Acts 3. how that Peter and John went up into the Temple at the Hour of Prayer And Saint Paul praying in the Temple at Jerusalem was wrapt in the Spirit and did see Jesus speaking unto him And as in all convenient places Prayer may be used of the Godly privately So it is most certain that the Church or Temple is the due and appointed place for common and publick Prayer Now that it is likewise the place of Thanksgiving unto the Lord for his innumerable and unspeakable benefits bestowed upon us appeareth notably at the latter end of the Gospel of Saint Luke Luke 24. Acts 22. and the beginning of the Story of the Acts where it is written that the Apostles and Disciples after the Ascension of the Lord continued with one accord daily in the Temple always praising and blessing God And it is likewise declared in the First Epistle to the Corinthians Cor. 11. that the Church is the due place appointed for the use of the Sacraments It remaineth now to be declared that the Church or Temple is the place where the lively Word of God and not Man's Inventions ought to be Read and Taught and that the People are bound thither with all diligence to resort And this proof likewise to be made by the Scriptures as hereafter shall appear In the Story of the Acts of the Apostles Acts 13. we read that Paul and Barnabas Preached the Word of God in the Temples of the Jews at Salamine And when they came to Antiochia they entred on the Sabbath-day into the Synagogue or Church and sate down and after the Lesson or Reading of the Law and the Prophets the Ruler of the Temple sent unto them saying Ye Men and Brethren if any of you have any Exhortation to make unto the People say it And so Paul standing up and making silence with his Hand said Ye Men that be Israelites and ye that fear God give Ear c. Preaching to them a Sermon out of the Scriptures as there at large appeareth And in the same Story of the Acts the Seventeenth Chapter is testified how Paul preached Christ out of the Scriptures at Thessalonica And in the Fifteenth Chapter James the Apostle in that Holy Council and Assembly of his Fellow Apostles saith Acts 15. Moses of old time hath in every City certain that preach him in the Synagogues or Temples where he is read every Sabbath-day By these places ye may see the usage of Reading the Scriptures of the the Old Testament among the Jews in their Synagogues every Sabbath-day and Sermons usually made upon the same How much more then is it
convenient that the Scriptures of God and specially the Gospel of our Saviour Christ should be Read and Expounded unto us that be Christians in our Churches specially our Saviour Christ and his Apostles allowing this most godly and necessary usage and by their Examples confirming the same It is written in the Stories of the Gospel in divers places that Jesus went round about all Galilee Matth. 4. Mark 1. Luke 4. Matth. 13.20 Mark 6. Luke 13. Luke 4. teaching in their Synagogues and preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom In which places is his great diligence in continual Preaching and Teaching of the People most evidently set forth In Luke ye read how Jesus according to his accustomed use came into the Temple and how the Book of Isaiah the Prophet was delivered him how he read a Text therein and made a Sermon upon the same Luke 19. And in the Nineteenth is expressed how he Taught daily in the Temple And it is thus written in the Eighth of John John 8. John 18. Jesus came again early in the Morning into the Temple and all the People came unto him and he sate down and Taught them And in the Eighteenth of John our Saviour testifieth before Pilate that he spake openly unto the World and that he always Taught in the Synagogue and in the Temple whither all the Jews resorted and that secretly he spake nothing Luke 21. And in Saint Luke Jesus Taught in the Temple and all the People came early in the Morning unto him that they might hear him in the Temple Here ye see as well the diligence of our Saviour in teaching the Word of God in the Temple daily and specially on the Sabbath-days as also the readiness of the People resorting all together and that early in the Morning into the Temple to hear him The same Example of diligence in preaching the Word of God in the Temple shall ye find in the Apostles and the People resorting unto them Acts the Fifth Where the Apostles although they had been whipped and scourged the day before and by the High Priest commanded that they should preach no more in the Name of Jesus yet the day following they entred early in the Morning into the Temple and did not cease to teach and declare Jesus Christ And in sundry other places of the Story of the Acts Acts 13.15.17 ye shall find like diligence both in the Apostles in Teaching and in the People in coming to the Temple to hear Gods Word And it is testified in the First of Luke that when Zachary the Holy Priest Luke 1. and Father to John Baptist did Sacrifice within the Temple all the People stood without a long time praying such was their zeal and fervency at that time And in the Second of Luke appeareth what great Journeys Men Luke 2. Women yea and Children took to come to the Temple on the Feast-day there to serve the Lord and specially the Example of Joseph the Blessed Virgin Mary Mother to our Saviour Jesus Christ and of our Saviour Christ himself being yet but a Child whose Examples are worthy for us to follow So that if we would compare our negligence in resorting to the House of the Lord there to serve him with the diligence of the Jews in coming daily very early somtimes by great Journeys to their Temple and when the multitude could not be received within the Temple the fervent zeal that they had was declared in standing long without and Praying We may justly in this Comparison condemn our slothfulness and negligence yea plain contempt in coming to the Lord's House standing so near unto us so seldom and scarcely at any time So far is it from a great many of us to come early in the Morning or give attendance without who disdain to come into the Temple And yet we abhor the very Name of the Jews when we hear it as of a most wicked and ungodly People But it is to be feared that in this point we be far worse than the Jews and that they shall rise at the day of Judgment to our Condemnation who in Comparison to them shew such slackness and contempt in resorting to the House of the Lord there to serve him according as we are of duty most bound And besides this most horrible dread of God's just Judgment in the great day we shall not in this Life escape his heavy Hand and Vengeance for this contempt of the House of the Lord and his due service in the same according as the Lord himself threatneth in the First Chapter of the Prophet Aggeus after this sort Agge 1. Because you have left my House desert and without Company saith the Lord and ye have made haste every Man to his own House for this cause are the Heavens stayed over you that they should give no Dew and the Earth is forbidden that it should bring forth her Fruit and I have called Drought upon the Earth and upon the Mountains and upon corn and upon wine and upon oil and upon all things that the earth bringeth forth and upon men and upon beasts and upon all things that mens hands labour for Behold if we be such worldlings that we care not for the Eternal Judgments of God which yet of all other are most dreadful and horrible we shall not escape the punishment of God in this World by drought and famine and the taking away of all worldly commodities which we as worldlings seem only to regard and care for Whereas on the contrary part if we would amend this fault or neglignce slothfulness and contempt of the House of the Lord and his due service there and with diligence resort thither together to serve the Lord with one accord and consent in all Holiness and Righteousness before him we have promises of benefits Matth. 18. both Heavenly and Worldly Wheresoever two or three be gathered in my Name saith our Saviour Christ there am I in the midst of them And what can be more blessed than to have our Saviour Christ among us Or what again can be more unhappy or mischievous than to drive our Saviour Christ from amongst us to leave a place for his and our most ancient and mortal Enemy the old Dragon and Serpent Satan the Devil in the midst of us In the Second of Luke it is written how that the mother of Christ and Joseph when they had long sought Christ whom they had lost and could find him no where Luke 2. that at the last they found him in the Temple sitting in the midst of the Doctors So if we lack Jesus Christ that is to say the Saviour of our Souls and Bodies we shall not find him in the Market-place or in the Guild-Hall much less in the Ale-house or Tavern amongst good Fellows as they call them so soon as we shall find him in the Temple the Lords House amongst the Teachers and Preachers of his Word where indeed he is to be
found And as concerning Worldly commodities we have a sure promise of our Saviour Christ Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and the righteousness thereof and all these things shall withal be given unto you And thus we have in the First Part of this Homily declared by God's Word that the Temple or Church is the House of the Lord for that the Service of the Lord as Teaching and Hearing of his Holy Word calling upon his Holy Name giving Thanks to him for his great and innumerable Benefits and due ministring of his Sacraments is there used And it is likewise declared by the Scriptures how all Godly and Christian Men and Women ought at times appointed with diligence to resort unto the House of the Lord there to serve him and to glorifie him as he is most worthy and we most bound to whom be all Glory and Honour World without end Amen The Second Part of the Homily of the right Use of the Church IT was declared in the First Part of this Homily by God's Word that the Temple or Church is the House of the Lord for that the Service of the Lord as Teaching and Hearing his Holy Word calling upon his Holy Name giving Thanks to him for his great and innumerable Benefits and due ministring of the Sacraments is there used And it is likewise already declared by the Scriptures how all Godly and Christian Men and Women ought at times appointed with diligence to resort unto the House of the Lord there to Serve him and to Glorifie him as he is most worthy and we most bounden Now it remaineth in this Second Part of the Homily concerning the right use of the Temple of God to be likewise declared by God's Word with what quietness silence and reverence those that resort to the House of the Lord ought there to use and behave themselves It may teach us sufficiently how well it doth become us Christian Men reverently to use the Church and Holy House of our Prayers by considering in how great reverence and veneration the Jews in the old Law had their Temple which appeared by sundry places whereof I will note unto you certain In the 26th of Matthew it is laid to our Saviour Christ's charge before a Temporal Judge as a matter worthy death by the two false witnesses that he had said He could destroy the Temple of God and in three days build it again not doubting but if they might make Men to believe that he had said any thing against the Honour and Majesty of the Temple he should seem to all Men most worthy of death Acts 21. And in the 21st of the Acts when the Jews found Paul in the Temple They laid hands upon him crying Ye Men Israelites help this is that Man who teacheth all Men every where against the People and the Law and against this place Besides that he hath brought the Gentiles into the Temple and hath prophaned this holy place Behold how they took it for a like offence to speak against the Temple of God as to speak against the Law of God and how they judged it convenient that none but Godly Persons and the true worshippers of God should enter into the Temple of God And the same fault is laid to Paul's charge by Tertullus an eloquent Man and by the Jews in the 24th of the Acts Acts 24. before a Temporal Judge as a matter worthy of death that he went about to pâ—llute the Temple of God And in the 27th of Matthew Matth. 27. when the chief Priests had received again the pieces of Silver at Judas's Hand they said It is not lawful to put them into Corban which was the Treasure-House of the Temple because it is the price of Blood So that they could not abide that not only any unclean Person but also any other dead thing that was judged unclean should once come into the Temple or any place thereto belonging And to this end is Saint Paul's saying in the Second Epistle to the Corinthians 2 Cor. 6. the Sixth Chapter to be applyed What Fellowship is there betwixt Righteousness and Vnrighteousness Or what Communion between Light and Darkness Or what Concord between Christ and Belial Or what part can the Faithful have with the Vnfaithful Or what agreement can there be between the Temple of God and Images Which sentence although it be chiefly referred to the Temple of the Mind of the Godly yet seeing that the Similitude and Pith of the argument is taken from the material Temple it enforceth that no Ungodliness specially of Images or Idols may be suffered in the Temple of God which is the place of worshipping God And therefore can no more be suffered to stand there than Light can agree with Darkness or Christ with Belial For that the true worshipping of God and the worshipping of Images are most contrary And the setting of them up in the place of Worshipping may give great occasion to the Worshipping of them But to turn to the Reverence that the Jews had to their Temple You will say that they Honoured it Superstitiously and a great deal too much crying out The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord Jer. 7. being notwithstanding most wicked in Life and be therefore must justly reproved of Jeremiah the Prophet of the Lord. Truth it is that they were Superstitiously given to the Honouring of their Temple But I would we were not as far too short from the due Reverence of the Lord's House as they overshot themselves therein And if the Prophet justly reprehended them hearken also what the Lord requireth at our Hands that we may know whether we be blame-worthy or no. It is written in Ecclesiastes the Fourth Chapter Eccles â— When thou dost enter into the House of God saith he take heed to thy Feet draw near that thou must hear For Obedience is much more worth than the Sacrifice of Fools which know not what evil they do Speak nothing râ—shly there neither let thâ—ne Heart be swift to utter words before God For God is in Heaven and thou art upon the Earth therefore let thy words be few Note welbeloved what quietness in gesture and behaviour what silence in talk and words is required in the House of God for so he calleth it See whether they take heed to their Feet as they be here warned which never cease from uncomely walking and jetting up and down and overthwart the Church shewing an evident signification of notable contempt both of God and all good Men there present And what heed they take to their Tongues and Speech which do not only speak words swiftly and rashly before the Lord which they be here forbidden but also oftentimes speak Filthily Covetously and Ungodlily talking of matters scarce honest or fit for the Ale-House or Tavern in the House of the Lord little considering that they speak before God who dwelleth in Heaven as is here declared when they be but Vermine here
creeping upon the Earth in comparison to his Eternal Majesty and less regarding that they must give an account at the great day of every idle word wheresoever it be spoken Matth. 12. much more of filthy unclean or wicked words spoken in the Lords House to the great dishonour of his Majesty and offence of all that hear them And indeed concerning the People and Multitude the Temple is prepared for them to be Hearers rather than Speakers considering that as well the Word of God is there Read and Taught whereunto they are bound to give diligent Ear with all Reverence and Silence as also that Common-Prayer and Thanksgiving are Rehearsed and said by the Publick Minister in the Name of the People and the whole multitude present whereunto they giving their ready Audience should assent and say Cor. 14. Amen as Saint Paul teacheth in the first Epistle to the Corinthians And in another place Glorifying God with one Spirit and Mouth Which cannot be when every Man and Woman in several pretences of Devotion prayeth privately one Asking another giving Thanks another reading Doctrine and not regarding to hear the Common Prayer of the Minister And peculiarly what due Reverence is to be used in the Ministring of the Sacraments in the Temple the same Saint Paul teacheth to the Corinthians 1 Cor. 11. rebuking such as did Unreverently use themselves in that behalf Have ye not Houses to eat and drink in saith he Do ye despise the Church or Congregation of God What shall I say unto you Shall I praise you In this I praise you not And God requireth not only this outward Reverence of Behaviour and silence in his House but all inward Reverence in cleansing of the Thoughts of our Hearts Osee 9. threatning by his Prophet Osee in the Ninth Chapter that for the Malice of the Inventions and Devices of the People he will cast them out of his House Whereby is also signified the Eternal casting of them out of his Heavenly House and Kingdom which is most horrible And therefore in the Ninteenth of Leviticus God saith Levit. 19. Psal 5. Fear you with Reverence my Sanctuary for I am the Lord. And according to the same the Prophet David saith I will enter into thine House I will Worship in thy Holy Temple in thy Fear Shewing what inward Reverence and Humbleness of Mind the godly Man ought to have in the House of the Lord. And to alledge somwhat concerning this matter out of the New Testament in what Honour God would have his House or Temple kept and that by the Example of our Saviour Christ whose Authority ought of good reason with all true Christians to be of most Weight and Estimation It is written of all the four Evangelists as a Notable Act Matth. 21. Mar. 11. Luke 19. John 11. and worthy to be testified by many Holy Witnesses how that our Saviour Jesus Christ that Merciful and Mild Lord compared for his Meekness to a Sheep suffering with silence his Fleece to be shorn from him Isaiah 53. Acts 8. Isaiah 50. Matth. 5. and to a Lamb led without resistance to the Slaughter which gave his Body to them that did smite him answered not him that reviled nor turned away his Face from them that did reproach him and spit upon him and according to his own Example gave Precepts of Mildness and Sufferance to his Disciples Yet when he seeth the Temple and Holy House of his Heavenly Father misordered polluted and prophaned useth great severity and sharpness overturneth the Tables of the Exchangers subverted the Seats of them that sold Doves maketh a whip of Cords and scourgeth out those wicked abusers and profaners of the Temple of God saying My House shall be called the House of Prayer but ye have made it a Den of Thieves John 2. And in the Second of John Do not ye make the House of my Father the House of Merchandize For as it is the House of God when Gods service is duly done in it So when we wickedly abuse it with wicked talk or covetous bargaining we make it a Den of Thieves or an House of Merchandize Mark 11 Yea and such Reverence would Christ should be therein that he would not suffer any Vessel to be carried through the Temple And whereas our Saviour Christ as is before mentioned out of Saint Luke could be found no where when he was sought but only in the Temple amongst the Doctors and now again he exerciseth his Authority and Jurisdiction not in Castles and Princely Palaces amongst Souldiers but in the Temple Ye may hereby understand in what place his spiritual Kingdom which he denieth to be of this World is soonest to be found and best to be known of all places in this World And according to this Example of our Saviour Christ in the Primitive Church which was most Holy and Godly and in the which due discipline with severity was used against the wicked open Offenders were not suffered once to enter into the House of the Lord nor admitted to Common Prayer and the use of the Holy Sacraments with other true Christians until they had done open Penance before the whole Church And this was practised not only upon mean Persons but also upon the Rich Noble and Mighty Persons yea upon Theodosius that Puissant and Mighty Emperor whom for committing * The Peoples fault was most grievous The sentence executed otherwise and more cruel than it should a grievous and wilful Murder Saint Ambrose Bishop of Milain reproved sharply and ‡ did also Excommunicate the said Emperor and brought him to open Penance And they that were so justly exempted and banished as it were from the House of the Lord were taken as they be indeed for Men divided and separated from Christs Church and in most dangerous estate yea as Saint Paul saith * 1 Cor. 5 even given unto Satan †He was only dehorted from receiving the Sacrament until by Repentance he might be better prepared Chrys the Devil for a time and their company was shunned and avoided of all Godly Men and Women until such time as they by Repentance and publick Penance were Reconciled Such was the Honour of the Lords House in Mens Hearts and outward Reverence also at that time and so horrible a thing was it to be shut out of the Church and House of the Lord in those days when Religion was most pure and nothing so corrupt as it hath been of late days And yet we willingly either by absenting ourselves from the House of the Lord do as it were Excommunicate ourselves from the Church and and Fellowship of the Saints of God or else coming thither by uncomely and unreverent behaviour there by hasty rash yea unclean and wicked Thoughts and Words before the Lord our God horribly dishonour his Holy House the Church of God and his Holy Name and Majesty to the great danger of our Souls yea and certain Damnation also if
we do not speedily and earnestly Repent us of this Wickedness Thus ye have heard dearly beloved out of Gods Word what Reverence is due to the Holy House of the Lord how all Godly Persons ought with diligence at times appointed thither to repair how they ought to behave themselves there with Reverence and Dread before the Lord what Plagues and Punishments as well Temporal as Eternal the Lord in his Holy Word threatneth as well to such as neglect to come to his Holy House as also to such who coming thither do unreverently by gesture or talk there behave themselves Wherefore if we desire to have seasonable Weather and thereby to enjoy the good Fruits of the Earth if we will avoid Drought and Barrenness Thirst and Hunger which are Plagues threatned unto such as make haste to go to their own Houses to Ale-Houses and Taverns and leave the House of the Lord empty and desolate if we abhor to be scourged not with Whips made of Cords out of the material Temple only as our Saviour Christ served the Desilers of the House of God in Jerusalem but also to be beaten and driven out of the Eternal Temple and House of the Lord which is his Heavenly Kingdom Ephes 3. with the Iron Rod of Everlasting Damnation and cast into utter Darkness where is Weeping and Gnashing of Teeth if we Fear Dread and abhor this I say as we have most just cause to do Then let us amend this our negligence and contempt in coming to the House of the Lord this our unreverent behaviour in the House of the Lord and resorting thither diligently together let us there with Reverent hearing of the Lords Holy Word calling on the Lords Holy Name giving of hearty Thanks unto the Lord for his manifold and inestimable benefits daily and hourly bestowed upon us celebrating also Reverently the Lords Holy Sacraments serve the Lord in his Holy House as becometh the Servants of the Lord in Holiness and Righteousness before him all the days of our Life and then we shall be assured after this Life to rest in his Holy Hill and to dwell in his Tabernacle there to Praise and Magnifie his Holy Name in the Congregation of his Saints in the Holy House of his Eternal Kingdom of Heaven which he hath purchased for us by the Death and Shedding of the precious Blood of his Son our Saviour Jesus Christ to whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost one Immortal God be all Honour Glory Praise and Thanksgiving world without end Amen AN HOMILY AGAINST Peril of Idolatry and superfluous Decking of Churches The First Part. IN what points the true Ornaments of the Church or Temple of God do consist and stand hath been declared in the two last Homilies treating of the Right Use of the Temple or House of God and of the due Reverence that all true Christian People are bound to give unto the same The Sum whereof is that the Church or House of God is a place appointed by the Holy Scriptures where the lively Word of God ought to be Read Taught and Heard the Lords Holy Name called upon by publick Prayer hearty Thanks given to his Majesty for his infinite and unspeakable benefits bestowed upon us his Holy Sacraments duly and reverently ministred and that therefore all that be Godly indeed ought both with diligence at times appointed to repair together to the said Church and there with all Reverence to use and behave themselves before the Lord. And that the said Church thus godly used by the Servants of the Lord in the Lords true Service for the effectual presence of Gods Grace wherewith he doth by his holy Word and Promises endue his people there present and assembled to the attainment as well of Commodities worldly necessary for us as also of all heavenly Gifts and Life everlasting is called by the Word of God as it is indeed the Temple of the Lord and the House of God and that therefore the due Reverence thereof is stirred up in the Hearts of the Godly by the Consideration of these true Ornaments of the said House of God and not by any outward Ceremonies or costly and glorious decking of the said House or Temple of the Lord contrary to the which most manifest Doctrine of the Scriptures and contrary to the usage of the Primitive Chruch which was pure and uncorrupt and contrary to the Sentences and Judgments of the most antient learned and godly Doctors of the Church as hereafter shall appear the Corruption of these later days hath brought into the Church infinite multitudes of Images and the same with other parts of the Temple also have decked with Gold and Silver painted with Colours set them with Stone and Pearl clothed them with Silks and precious Vestures fancying untruly that to be the chief Decking and Adorning of the Temple or the House of God and that all People should be the more moved to the due Reverence of the same if all Corners thereof were glorious and glistering with Gold and precious Stones Whereas indeed they by the said Images and such Glorious decking of the Temple have nothing at all profited such as were Wise and Understanding But have thereby greatly hurt the Simple and Unwise occasioning them thereby to commit horrible Idolatry And the covetous Persons by the same occasion seeming to worship and peradventure worshipping indeed not only the Images but also the matter of them Gold and Silver as that Vice is of all others in the Scriptures peculiarly called Idolatry Ephes 5. Coloss 3. or worshipping of Images Against the which foul Abuses and great Enormities shall be alledged unto you First the Authority of Gods holy Word as well out of the Old Testament as of the New And secondly the Testimonies of the holy and ancient learned Fathers and Doctors out of their own Works and ancient Histories Ecclesiastical both that you may at once know their Judgments and withal understand what manner of Ornaments were in the Temples in the Primitive Church in those times which were most pure and sincere Thirdly the Reasons and Arguments made for the defence of Images or Idols and the outragious decking of Temples and Churches with Gold Silver Pearl and precious Stones shall be confuted and so this whole matter concluded But lest any should take occasion by the way of doubting by Words or Names it is thought good here to note first of all that although in common speech we use to call the likeness or similitudes of Men or other things Images and not Idols yet the Scriptures use the said two words Idols and Images indifferently for one thing alway They be words of divers Tongues and Sounds but one in Sense and Signification in the Scriptures The one is taken of the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Idol and the other of the Latin word Imago an Image and so both used as English terms in the translating of Scriptures indifferently according as the Septuaginta
have in their Translation in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Saint Jerome in his Translation of the same places in Latin hath Simulachra in English Images And in the New Testament 1 John 5 that which Saint John calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Saint Jerome likewise translateth Simulachrum as in all other like places of Scripture usually he doth so translate And Tertullian a most ancient Doctor and well learned in both the Tongues Greek and Latin interpreting this place of Saint John Beware of Idols that is to say Lib. de corona militis saith Tertullian of the Images themselves The Latin words which he useth be Effigies and Imago that is to say an Image And therefore it skilleth not whether in this process we use the one term or the other or both together seeing they both though not in common English Speech yet in Scripture signifie one thing And though some to blind Mens Eyes have heretofore craftily gone about to make them to be taken for words of divers Significations in Matters of Religion and have therefore usually named the likeness or similitude of a thing set up amongst the Heathen in their Temples or other places to be worshipped an Idol But the like similitude with us set up in the Church the place of Worshipping they call an Image as though these two words Idol and Image in Scripture did differ in property and sense which as is aforesaid differ only in Sound and Language and in meaning be indeed all one especially in the Scriptures and matters of Religion And our Images also have been and be and if they be publickly suffered in Churches and Temples ever will be also worshipped and so Idolatry committed to them as in the last part of this Homily shall at large be declared and proved Wherefore our Images in Temples and Churches be indeed none other but Idols as unto the which Idolatry hath been is and ever will be committed And first of all the Scriptures of the Old Testament condemning and abhorring as well all Idolatry or worshipping of Images as also the very Idols or Images themselves especially in Temples are so many and plentiful that it were almost an infinite Work and to be contained in no small Volume to record all the places concerning the same For when God had chosen to himself a peculiar and special People from amongst all other Nations that knew not God but worshipped Idols and false Gods he gave unto them certain Ordinances and Laws to be kept and observed of his said People But concerning none other matter did he give either more or more earnest and express Laws to his said People than those that concerned the true Worshipping of him and the avoiding and fleeing of Idols and Images and Idolatry For that both the said Idolatry is most repugnant to the right worshipping of him and his true Glory above all other Vices and that he knew the proneness and inclination of Mans corrupt Kind and Nature to that most odious and abominable Vice Of the which the Ordinances and Laws so given by the Lord to his People concerning this matter I will rehearse and alledge some that be most special for this purpose that you by them may judge of the rest In the fourth Chapter of the Book named Deuteronomy is a notable place Deut. 4. Numb 22. and most worthy with all diligence to be marked which beginneth thus And now Israel hear the Commandments and Judgments which I teach thee saith the Lord that thou doing them mayst liâ—e and enter and possess the Land which the Lord God of your Fathers will give you Ye shall put nothing to the word which I speak to you neither shall ye take any thing from it Keep ye the Commandments of the Lord your God which I command you And by and by after he repeateth the same Sentence three or four times before he come to the matter that he would specially warn them of as it were for a Preface to make them to take the better heed unto it Take heed to thy self saith he and to thy Soul with all carefulness lest thou forgettest the things which thine Eyes have seen and that they go not out of thine Heart all the days of thy Life thou shalt teach them to thy Children and Nephews or Posterity And shortly after The Lord spake unto you out of the middle of Fire but ye heard the Voice or sound of his Words but you did see no form or shape at all And by and by followeth Take heed therefore diligently unto your Souls you saw no manner of Image in the day in the which the Lord spake unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the Fire lest peradventure you being deceived should make to your selves any graven Image or likeness of Man or Woman or the likeness of any Beast which is upon the Earth or of the Birds that flie under Heaven or of any creeping thing that is moved on the Earth or of the Fishes that do continue in the Waters Lest peradventure thou lifting up thine Eyes to Heaven do see the Sun and the Moon and the Stars of Heaven and so thou being deceived by errour shouldst honour and worship them which the Lord thy God hath created to serve all Nations that be under Heaven And again Beware that thou forget not the Covenant of the Lord thy God which he made with thee and so make to thy self any carved Image of them which the Lord hath forbidden to be made For the Lord thy God is a consuming Fire and a jealous God If you have Children and Nephews and do tarry in the Land and being deceived do make to your selves any similitude doing evil before the Lord your God and provoke him to anger I do this day call upon Heaven and Earth to witness that ye shall quickly perish out of the Land which you shall possess you shall not dwell in it any long time but the Lord will destroy you and will scatter you amongst all Nations and ye shall remain but a very few amongst the Nations whither the Lord will lead you away and then shall you serve Gods which are made with Mans Hands of Wood and Stone which see not and hear not neither eat nor smell and so forth This is a notable Chapter and treateth almost altogether of this matter But because it is too long to write out the whole I have noted you certain principal points out of it First how earnestly and oft he calleth upon them to mark and to take heed and that upon the peril of their Souls to the charge which he giveth them Then how he forbiddeth by a solemn and long rehearsal of all things in Heaven in Earth and in the Water any Image or likeness of any thing at all to be made Thirdly what Penalty and horrible Destruction he solemnly with Invocation of Heaven and Earth for record denounceth and threatneth to them their Children and Posterity if they
unreasonable Beasts without dread of Punishment or respect of Reward have diminished and dishonored the high Majesty of the Living God by the baseness and vileness of sundry and divers Images of dead Stocks Stones and Metals And as the Majesty of God whom we have left forsaken and dishonoured and therefore the greatness of our Sin and Offence against his Majesty cannot be expressed So is the weakness vileness and foolishness in device of the Images whereby we have dishonoured him expressed at large in the Scriptures namely the Psalms the Book of Wisdom the Prophet Isaiah Places of the Scripture against Idols or Images Ezekiel and Baruch especially in these places and Chapters of them Psalm 115. and 134. Isaiah 40. and 44. Ezekiel the 6th Wisdom 13 14.15 Baruch 6. The which places as I exhort you often and diligently to read so are they too long at this present to be rehearsed in an Homily Notwithstanding I will make you certain brief or short Notes out of them what they say of these Idols or Images First that they be made but of small pieces of Wood Stone or Metal and therefore they cannot be any similitudes of the great Majesty of God whose Seat is Heaven and the Earth his Footstool Secondly that they be dead have Eyes and see not Hands and feel not Feet and cannot go c. and therefore they cannot be fit Similitudes of the living God Thirdly that they have no power to do good nor harm to others though some of them have an Ax some a Sword some a Spear in their hands yet do Thieves come into their Temples and rob them and they cannot once stir to defend themselves from the Thieves Nay if the Temple or Church be set a fire that their Priests can run away and save themselves but they cannot once move but tarry still like blocks as they are and be burned and therefore they can be no meet Figures of the Puissant and Mighty God who alone is able both to save his Servants and to destroy his Enemies everlastingly They be trimly deckt in Gold Silver and Stone as well the Images of Men as of Women like wanton wenches saith the Prophet Baruch that love Paramours Baruch 6. and therefore can they not teach us nor our Wives and Daughters any Soberness Modesty and Chastity And therefore although it is now commonly said that they be the Lay-mens Books yet we see they teach no good Lesson neither of God nor Godliness but all Error and Wickedness Therefore God by his Word as he fordiddeth any Idols or Images to be made or set up so doth he command such as we find made and set up to be pulled down broken and destroyed Numb 23. And it is written in the Book of Numbers the 23 Chapter that there was no Idol in Jacob nor there was no Image seen in Israel and that the Lord God was with the People Where note that the true Israelites that is the People of God have no Images among them but that God was with them and that therefore their Enemies cannot hurt them as appeareth in the Process of that Chapter And as concerning Images already set up thus saith the Lord in Deuteronomy Deut. 7. and 12. Overturn their Altars and break them to pieces cut down their Groves burn their Images for thou art an holy People unto the Lord. And the same is repeated more vehemently again in the twelfth Chapter of the same Book Here note what the People of God ought to do to Images where they find them But lest any private persons upon colour of destroying Images should make any stir or disturbance in the Commonwealth it must always be remembred that the redress of such publick Enormities pertaineth to the Magistrates and such as be in Authority only and not to private Persons and therefore the good Kings of Juda Asa Ezechias Josaphat and Josias are highly commended for the breaking down and destroying of the Altars Idols and Images And the Scriptures declare that they specially in that point did that which was right before the Lord. And contrariwise 1 Kings 16. 2 Chron. 14.15.31 Jeroboam Achab Joas and other Princes which either set up or suffered such Altars or Images undestroyed are by the word of God reported to have done evil before the Lord. And if any contrary to the Commandment of the Lord will needs set up such Altars or Images or suffer them undestroyed amongst them The Lord himself threatneth in the first Chapter of the Book of Numbers and by his Holy Prophets Ezekiel Micheas and Abakuk that he will come himself and pull them down And how he will handle punish and destroy the People that so set up or suffer such Altars Images or Idols undestroyed he denounceth by his Prophet Ezekiel on this manner I my self saith the Lord will bring a sword over you Numb 1. Ezekiel 6. to destroy your high places I will cast down your Altars and break down your Images your slain Men will I lay before your gods and the dead Carkasses of the Children of Israel will I cast before their Idols your bones will I strew round about your Altars and dwelling places your Cities shall be desolate the hill Chappels laid waste your Altars destroyed and broken your gods cast down and taken away your Temples laid even with the ground your own works clean rooted out your slain shall lye amongst you that ye may learn to know how that I am the Lord and so forth to the Chapters end worthy with diligence to be read That they that be near shall perish with the Sword they that be far off with the pestilence they that flee into holds or wilderness with hunger And if any be yet left that they shall be carried away prisoners to servitude and bondage So that if either the multitude or plainness of the places might make us to understand or the earnest charge that God giveth in the said places move us to regard or the horrible plagues punishments and dreadful destruction threatned to such worshippers of Images or Idols setters up or maintainers of them might engender any fear in our Hearts we would once leave and forsake this wickedness being in the Lord's sight so great an offence and abomination Infinite places almost might be brought out of the Scriptures of the Old Testaments concerning this matter but these few at this time shall serve for all You will say peradventure these things pertain to the Jews what have we to do with them Indeed they pertain no less to us Christians than to them For if we be the people of God how can the Word and Law of God not appertain to us St. Paul alledging one Text out of the old Testament concludeth generally for other Scriptures of the old Testament as well as that Rom. 15. saying Whatsoever is written before meaning in the Old Testament is written for our instruction Which Sentence is most specially true of such writings
great contention in the Church of Christ about them to the great trouble and decay of Christendom And withal ye have heard the Sentences of old Ancient Fathers and Godly Learned Doctors and Bishops against Images and Idolatry taken out of their own Writings It remaineth that such reasons as be made for the maintenance of Images and excessive Painting Gilding and Decking as well of them as of the Temples or Churches also be answered and confuted partly by application of some places before alledged to their Reasons and partly by otherwise answering the same Which part hath the last place in this Treatise for that it cannot be well understood of the meaner sort nor the arguments of Image-maintainers can without prolixity too much tedious be answered without the knowledge of the Treatise going before And although divers things before-mentioned be here rehearsed again yet this repetition is not superfluous but in a manner necessary for that the simple sort cannot else understand how the foresaid places are to be applyed to the Arguments of such as do maintain Images wherewith otherwise they might be abused First it is alledged by them that maintain Images that all Laws Prohibitions and Curses noted by us out of the Holy Scripture and Sentences of the Doctors also by us alledged against Images and the worshipping of them appertain to the Idols of the Gentiles or Pagans as the Idol of Jupiter Mars Mercury c. and not to our Images of God of Christ and his Saints But it shall be declared both by God's Word and the Sentences of the ancient Doctors and Judgment of the Primitive Church that all Images as well ours as the Idols of the Gentiles be forbidden and unlawful namely in Churches and Temples And first this is to be replyed out of God's Word that the Images of God the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost either severally or the Images of the Trinity which we had in every Church be by the Scriptures expresly and directly forbidden and condemned Deut. 4. as appeareth by these places the Lord spake unto you out of the middle of Fire you heard the voice or sound of his words but you did see no form or shape at all left peradventure you being deceived should make to your self any graven Image or likeness and so forth as is at large rehearsed in the First Part of this Treatise against Images And therefore in the Old Law the middle of the propitiatory which represented God's Seat was empty lest any should take occasion to make any similitude or likeness of him Isaiah Isaiah 40 after he hath set forth the incomprehensible Majesty of God he asketh To whom then will ye make God like or what similitude will ye set up unto him Shall the Carver make him a Carved Image And shall the Goldsmith cover him with Gold or cast him into a form of Silver Plates And for the poor man shall the image-maker frame an image of timber that he may have somewhat to set up also And after this he cryeth out O wretches heard ye never of this Hath it not been preached to you since the beginning how by the Creation of the World and the greatness of the Work they might understand the Majesty of God the Maker and Creator of all to be greater than that it could be expressed or set forth in any Image or Bâ—dily Similitude Thus far the Prophet Isaiah who from the Forty fourth Chapter to the Forty ninth treateth in a manner of no other thing And Saint Paul Acts 17. in the Acts of the Apostles evidently teacheth the same that no Similitude can be made unto God in Gold Silver Stone or any other matter By these and many other places of Scripture it is evident that no Image either ought or can be made unto God For how can God a most pure Spirit whom Man never saw be expressed by a gross bodily and visible Similitude How can the infinite Majesty and Greatness of God incomprehensible to Man's Mind much more not able to be compassed with the Sense be expressed in a small and little Image How can a Dead and Dumb Image express the Living God What can an Image which when it is fallen cannot rise up again which can neither help his Friends nor hurt his Enemies express of the most Puissant and Mighty God who alone is able to reward his Friends and to destroy his Enemies Everlastingly A Man might justly cry with the Prophet Habakkuk Habak 2. Shall such Images instruct or teach any thing right of God Or shall they become Doctors Wherefore Men that have made an Image of God whereby to Honour him have thereby dishonoured him most highly diminished his Majesty blemished his Glory and falsified his Truth Rom. â— And therefore Saint Paul saith that such as have framed any Similitude or Image of God like a mortal Man or any other likeness in Timber Stone or other matter have changed his Truth into a Lie For both they thought it to be no longer that which it was a Stock or Stone and took it to be that which it was not as God or an Image of God Wherefore an Image of God is not only a Lie but a double Lie also But the Devil is a Liar John 8. and the Father of Lies Wherefore the lying Images which be made of God to his great dishonour and horrible danger of his People came from the Devil Wherefore they be convict of foolishness and wickedness in making of Images of God or the Trinity for that no Image of God ought or can be made as by the Scriptures and good Reason evidently appeareth Yea and once to desire an Image of God cometh of Infidelity thinking not God to be present except they might see some sign or image of him as appeareth by the Hebrews in the wilderness willing Aaron to make them gods whom they might see go before them Where they object that seeing Isaiah and Daniel by certain descriptions of God as sitting on a high seat c. Why may not a Painter likewise set him forth in colours to be seen as it were a Judge sitting on a Throne as well as he is described in Writing by the Prophets seeing that Scripture or Writing and Picture differ but a little First it is to be answered that things forbidden by Gods Word as Painting of Images of God and things permitted of God as such descriptions used of the Prophets be not all one Neither ought nor can Man's Reason although it shew never so goodly prevail any thing against God's express Word and plain Statute-Law as I may well term it Furthermore the Scripture although it have certain descriptions of God yet if you read forward it expoundeth it self declaring that God is a pure Spirit Infinite who replenisheth Heaven and Earth which the Picture doth not nor expoundeth it self but rather when it hath set God forth in a bodily similitude leaveth a Man there and will easily bring
Lies Deceits Uncleanness Filthiness Dung Mischief and Abomination before the Lord. Wherefore Gods horrible wrath and our most dreadful danger cannot be avoided without the destruction and utter abolishing of all Images and Idols our of the Church and Temple of God which to accomplish God put in the minds of all Christian Princes And in the mean time let us take heed and be wise O ye beloved of the Lord and let us have no strange gods but one only God who made us when we were nothing the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ John 17. who redeemed us when we were lost and with his Holy Spirit doth sanctifie us For this is life everlasting to know him to be the only true God and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent Let us honour and worship for Religions sake none but him and him let us worship and honour as he will himself and hath declared by his Word that he will be honoured and worshipped not in nor by Images or Idols which he hath most strictly forbidden neither in kneeling lighting of Candles burning of Incense offering up of Gifts unto Images and Idols to believe that we shall please him for all these be abomination before God But let us honour and worship God in Spirit and in Truth John 4. fearing and loving him above all things trusting in him only calling upon him and praying to him only praising and lauding of him only and all other in him and for him For such worshippers doth our Heavenly Father love who is a most pure Spirit and therefore will be worshipped in Spirit and in Truth And such worshippers were Abraham Moses David Elias Peter Paul John and all other the Holy Patriarchs Prophets Apostles Martyrs and all true Saints of God who all as the true Friends of God were enemies and destroyers of Images and Idols as the Enemies of God and his true Religion Wherefore take heed and be wise O ye beloved of the Lord and that which others contrary to Gods Word bestow wickedly and to their damnation upon dead stocks and stones no Images but Enemies of God and his Saints that bestow ye as the faithful Servants of God according to Gods Word mercifully upon poor Men and Women Fatherless Children Widows sick Persons Strangers Prisoners and such others that be in any necessity that ye may at that great day of the Lord hear that most blessed and comfortable saying of our Saviour Christ Come ye blessed into the Kingdom of my Father prepared for you before the beginning of the World For I was hungry and ye gave me meat thirsty and ye gave me drink naked and ye clothed me harbourless and ye lodged me in Prison and ye visited me sick and ye comforted me For whatsoever ye have done for the poor and needy in my name and for my sake that have ye done for me To the which his Heavenly Kingdom God the Father of Mercies bring us for Jesus Christs sake our only Saviour Mediator and Advocate to whom with the Holy Ghost one immortal invisible and most glorious God be all Honour and Thanksgiving and Glory World without end Amen AN HOMILY FOR Repairing and keeping clean and comely adorning of Churches IT is a common custom used of all men when they intend to have their Friends or Neighbours to come to their Houses to eat or drink with them or to have any Solemn Assembly to treat and talk of any matter they will have their Houses which they keep in continual reparations to be clean and fine lest they should be counted sluttish or little to regard their Friends and Neighbours How much more then ought the House of God which we commonly call the Church to be sufficiently repaired in all places and to be honourably adorned and garnished and to be kept clean and sweet to the comfort of the People that shall resort thereunto It appeareth in the Holy Scripture how Gods House which was called his Holy Temple and was the Mother Church of all Jewry fell sometimes into decay and was oftentimes profaned and defiled through the negligence and ungodliness of such as had the charge thereof But when godly Kings and Governors were in place then Commandment was given forthwith that the Church and Temple of God should be repaired and the Devotion of the People to be gathered for the reparation of the same We read in the fourth Book of the Kings 4 Kings 12. how that King Joas being a godly Prince gave commandment to the Priests to convert certain Offerings of the People towards the reparation and amendment of Gods Temple Like commandment gave that most godly King Josias 4 Kings 22. concerning the reparation and re-edification of Gods Temple which in his time he found in sore decay It hath pleased Almighty God that these Histories touching the re-edifying and repairing of his Holy Temple should be written at large to the end we should be taught thereby First that God is well pleased that his People should have a convenient place to resort unto and to come together to praise and magnifie Gods Holy Name And secoâ—dâ—â— he is highly pleased with all those which diligenâ—ly and zealously go about to amend and restore such places as are appointed for the Congregation of Gods People to resort unto and wherein they humbly and joyntly render thanks to God for his benefits and with one heart and voice praise his Holy Name Thirdly God was sore displeased with his People because they builded decked and trimmed up their own Houses and suffered Gods House to be in ruine and decay to lye uncomely and fulsomly Wherefore God was sore grieved with them and plagued them as appeareth in the Prophet Aggeus Thus saith the Lord Agge 1. Is it time for you to dwell in your cieled Houses and the Lords House not regarded Ye have sowed much and gathered in but little your meat and your clothes have neither filled you nor made you warm and he that had his wages put it in a bottomless purse By these Plagues which God laid upon his People for neglecting of his Temple it may evidently appear that God will have his Temple his Church the place where his Congregation shall resort to magnifie him well edified well repaired and well maintained Some neither regarding godliness nor the place of godly exercise will say The Temple in the Old Law was commanded to be built and repaired by God himself because it had great Promises annexed unto it and because it was a figure a Sacrament or a signification of Christ and also of his Church To this may be easily answered First that our Churches are not destitute of Promises forasmuch as our Saviour Christ saith Where two or three are gathered together in my Name there am I in the midst among them A great number therefore coming to Church together in the name of Christ have there that is to say in the Church their God and Saviour Jesus Christ present among the
unto him and are inwardly touched with sorrowfulness of heart bewailing the same in the affliction of our Bodies These are the three ends or right uses of Fasting The first belongeth most properly to private Fasts the other two are common as well to publick Fasts as to private and thus much for the use of Fasting Lord have mercy upon us and give us grace that while we live in this miserable World we may through thy help bring forth this and such other fruits of the Spirit commended and commanded in thy Holy Word to the glory of thy Name and to our comforts that after the race of this wretched life we may live everlastingly with thee in thy Heavenly Kingdom not for the merits and worthiness of our works but for thy mercies sake and the merits of thy dear Son Jesus Christ to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost be all Laud Honour and Glory for ever and ever Amen The Second Part of the Homily of FASTING IN the former Homily beloved was shewed that among the People of the Jews Fasting as it was commanded them from God by Moses was to abstain the whole day from Morning till Night from Meat Drink and all manner of Food that nourisheth the Body and that whoso tasted ought before the Evening on the day appointed to Fasting was accounted among them a breaker of his Fast Which Order though it seem strange to some in these our days because it hath not been so generally used in this Realm of many years past yet that it was so among Gods People I mean the Jews whom before the coming of our Saviour Christ God did vouchsafe to chuse unto himself a peculiar People above all other Nations of the Earth and that our Saviour Christ so understood it and the Apostles after Christs Ascension did so use it was there sufficiently proved by the Testimonies and Examples of the Holy Scriptures as well of the New Testament as of the Old The true use of Fasting was there also shewed In this Second Part of this Homily shall be shewed that no Constitution or Law made by Man for things which of their own proper nature be meer and indifferent can bind the Conscience of Christian men to a perpetual observation and keeping thereof but that the Higher Powers have full liberty to alter and change every such Law and Ordinance either Ecclesiastical or Political when time and place shall require But first an Answer shall be made to a Question that some may make demanding what judgment we ought to have of such abstinences as are appointed by publick Order and Laws made by Princes and by the Authority of the Magistrates upon Policy not respecting any Religion at all in the same As when any Realm in consideration of the maintaining of Fisher-Towns bordering upon the Seas and for the increase of Fisher-men of whom do spring Mariners to go upon the Sea to the furnishing of the Navy of the Realm whereby not only Commodities of other Countries may be transported but also may be a necessary defence to resist the Invasion of the Adversary For the better understanding of this Question it is necessary that we make a difference between the Policies of Princes made for the ordering of their Commonweals in provision of things serving to the most sure defence of their Subjects and Countries and between Ecclesiastical Policies in prescribing such works by which as by secondary means Gods wrath may be pacified and his mercy purchased Positive Laws made by Princes for conservation of their Policy not repugnant unto Gods Law ought of all Christian Subjects with reverence of the Magistrate to be obeyed not only for fear of Punishment but also as the Apostle saith for conscience sake Conscience I say not of the thing which of its own nature is indifferent but of our Obedience which by the Law of God we owe unto the Magistrate as unto Gods Minister By which positive Laws though we Subjects for certain times and days appointed be restrained from some kinds of Meats and Drink which God by his Holy Word hath left free to be taken and used of all men with thanksgiving in all places and at all times yet for that such Laws of Princes and other Magistrates are not made to put Holiness in one kind of Meat and Drink more than another to make one day more holy than another but are grounded meerly upon Policy all Subjects are bound in Conscience to keep them by Gods Commandment who by the Apostle willeth all without exception to submit themselves unto the Authority of the Higher Powers And in this point concerning our Duties which be here dwelling in England environed with the Sea as we be we have great occasion in reason to take the Commodities of the Water which Almighty God by his Divine Providence hath laid so nigh unto us whereby the increase of Victuals upon the Land may the better be spared and cherished to the sooner reducing of Victuals to a more moderate price to the better sustenance of the Poor And doubtless he seemeth to be too dainty an English-man who considering the great Commodities which may ensue will not forbear some piece of his licentious Appetite upon the Ordinance of his Prince with the consent of the Wise of the Realm What good English heart would not wish that the old ancient glory should return to the Realm wherein it hath with great commendations excelled before our days in the furniture of the Navy of the same What will more daunt the Hearts of the Adversaries than to see us well fenced and armed on the Sea as we be reported to be on the Land If the Prince requested our obedience to forbear one day from flesh more than we do and to be be contented with one meal in the same day should not our own Commodity thereby perswade us to subjection But now that two meals be permitted on that day to be used which sometime our Elders in very great numbers in the Realm did use with one only spare meal and that in Fish only shall we think it so great a burthen that is prescribed Furthermore consider the decay of the Towns nigh the Seas which should be most ready by the number of the People there to repulse the Enemy and we which dwell further off upon the Land having them as our Buckler to defend us should be the more in safety If they be our Neighbours why should we not wish them to prosper If they be our defence as nighest at hand to repel the Enemy to keep out the rage of the Seas which else would break in upon our fair Pastures why should we not cherish them Neither do we urge that in the Ecclesiastical Policy prescribing a form of Fasting to humble our selves in the sight of Almighty God that that Order which was used among the Jews and practised by Christs Apostles after his ascension is of such force and necessity that that only ought to be used among
be so answered at the King's hand but still urging him more and more said It becometh a King to perform the least word he hath spoken yea if he should only beck with his Head No more saith the King than it behoveth one that cometh to a King to speak and ask those things which are rightful and honest Thus the King cast off this unreasonable and importunate suiter Now if so great consideration be to be had when we kneel before an Earthly King how much more ought to be had when we kneel before the Heavenly King who is only delighted with Justice and Equity neither will admit any vain foolish or unjust Petition Therefore it shall be good and profitable throughly to consider and determine with our selves what things we may lawfully ask of God without fear of repulse and also what kind of Persons we are bound to commend unto God in our daily Prayers Two things are chiefly to be respected in every good and godly mans Prayer His own necessity and the glory of Almighty God Necessity belongeth either outwardly to the Body or else inwardly to the Soul Which part of man because it is much more precious and excellent than the other therefore we ought first of all to crave such things as properly belong to the salvation thereof as the gift of Repentance the gift of Faith the gift of Charity and Good Works Remission and Forgiveness of Sins Patience in Adversity Lowliness in Prosperity Gal. 5. and such other like fruits of the Spirit as Hope Love Joy Peace Long-suffering Gentleness Goodness Meekness and Temperance which things God requireth of all them that profess themselves to be his Children saying unto them in this wise Matt. 5. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorifie your Father which is in Heaven And in another place also he saith Matt. 6. Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness and then all other things shall be given unto you Wherein he putteth us in mind that our chief and greatest care ought to be for those things which pertain to the health and safeguard of the Soul Hebr. 13. because we have here as the Apostle saith no continuing City but we seek after another in the World to come Now when we have sufficiently prayed for things belonging to the Soul then may we lawfully and with safe Conscience Pray also for our bodily Necessities as Meat Drink Clothing Health of Body deliverance out of Prison good luck in our daily Affairs and so forth according as we shall have need Whereof Matt. 6. Luke 11. what better Example can we desire to have than of Christ himself who taught his Disciples and all other Christian men first to pray for Heavenly things and afterward for Earthly things as is to be seen in that Prayer which he left unto his Church commonly called the Lords Prayer In the third Book of Kings and third Chapter it is written That God appeared by night in a dream unto Solomon the King saying Ask of me whatsoever thou wilt and I will give it thee Solomon made his Humble Prayer and asked a wise and prudent Heart that might judge and understand what were good and what were ill what were godly and what were ungodly what were righteous and what were unrighteous in the sight of the Lord. It pleased God wondrously that he had asked this thing And God said unto him Because thou hast requested this word and hast not desired many days and long years upon the Earth neither abundance of Riches and Goods nor yet the life of thine Enemies which hate thee but hast desired Wisdom to sit in Judgment behold I have done unto thee according to thy words I have given thee a wise heart full of knowledge and understanding so that there was never any like thee before time neither shall be in time to come Moreover I have besides this given thee that which thou hast not required namely worldly wealth and riches Princely honour and glory so that thou shalt therein also pass all Kings that ever were Note this Example how Solomon being put to his choice to ask of God whatsoever he would requested not vain and transitory things but the high and Heavenly Treasures of Wisdom and that in so doing he obtaineth as it were in recompence both Riches and Honour Wherein is given us to understand that in our daily Prayers we should chiefly and principally ask those things which concern the Kingdom of God and the Salvation of our own Souls nothing doubting but all other things shall according to the promise of Christ be given unto us But here we must take heed that we forget not that other end whereof mention was made before namely the Glory of God Which unless we mind and set before our Eyes in making our Prayers we may not look to be heard or to receive any thing of the Lord. In the xx Chapter of Matthew the Mother of the two Sons of Zebedee came unto Jesus worshipping him and saying Grant that my two Sons may sit in thy Kingdom the one on thy right hand and the other at thy left hand In this Petition she did not respect the Glory of God but plainly declared the ambition and vain-glory of her own mind for which cause she was also most worthily repelled and rebuked at the Lords hand In like manner we read in the Acts of one Simon Magus Acts 8. a Sorcerer how that he perceiving that through laying on of the Apostles hands the Holy Ghost was given offered them money saying Give me also this power that on whomsoever I lay my hands he may receive the Holy Ghost In making this Request he sought not the Honour and Glory of God but his own private Gain and Lucre thinking to get great store of Money by this feat and therefore it was justly said unto him Thy money perish with thee because thou thinkest that the gift of God may be obtained with money By these and such other Examples we are taught whensoever we make our Prayers unto God chiefly to respect the Honour and Glory of his Name Whereof we have this general Precept in the Apostle Paul 1 Cor. 10. Coloss 3. Mat. 26. Luke 22. Whether ye eat or drink or whatsoever ye do look that ye do it to the glory of God Which thing we shall best of all do if we follow the example of our Saviour Christ who praying that the bitter Cup of Death might pass from him would not therein have his own will fulfilled but referred the whole matter to the good will and pleasure of his Father And hitherto concerning those things that we may lawfully and boldly ask of God Now it followeth that we declare what kind of Persons we are bound in Conscience to pray for St. Paul writing to Timothy 1 Tim. â— exhorteth him to make Prayers and Supplications for all men exempting none of what
degree or state soever they be In which place he maketh mention by name of Kings and Rulers which are in Authority putting us thereby to acknowledge how greatly it concerneth the profit of the Common-wealth to pray diligently for the Higher Powers Neither is it without good cause that he doth so often in all his Epistles crave the Prayers of Gods People for himself Colos 4. Rom. 15. 2 Thess 3. For in so doing he declareth to the World how expedient and needful it is daily to call upon God for the Ministers of his Holy Word and Sacraments that they may have the door of utterance oppened unto them Ephes 6. that they may truly understand the Scriptures that they may effectually Preach the same unto the People and bring forth the true Fruits thereof to the Example of all other After this sort did the Congregation continually Pray for Peter at Jerusalem Acts 12. and for Paul among the Gentiles to the great increase and furtherance of Christs Gospel And if we following their good Example herein will study to do the like doubtless it cannot be expressed how greatly we shall both help our selves and also please God To discourse and run through all degrees of Persons it were too long Therefore ye shall briefly take this one conclusion for all Whomsoever we are bound by express Commandment to love for those also are we bound in Conscience to pray But we are bound by express Commandment to love all men as our selves therefore we are also bound to Pray for all men even as well as if it were for our selves notwithstanding we know them to be our extream and deadly Enemies For so doth our Saviour Christ plainly teach us in his Gospel saying Love your enemies Matt. 5. bless them that curse you do good to them that hate you pray for them that persecute you that ye may be the children of your Father which is in Heaven And as he taught his Disciples so did he practice himself in his life-time Luke 23. praying for his Enemies upon the Cross and desiring his Father to forgive them because they knew not what they did As did also that Holy and blessed Martyr Stephen Acts 7. when he was cruelly stoned to death of the stubborn and stiff-necked Jews to the example of all them that will truly and unfeignedly follow their Lord and Master Christ in this miserable and mortal life Now to entreat of that Question whether we ought to pray for them that are departed out of this World or no Wherein if we will cleave only unto the Word of God then must we needs grant that we have no Commandment so to do For the Scripture doth acknowledge but two places after this life The one proper to the Elect and Blessed of God the other to the Reprobate and Damned Souls as may be well gathered by the Parable of Lazarus and the Rich man Luke 16. Lib. 2. Evang. quaest 1. cap. 38. which place St. Augustine expounding saith in this wise That which Abraham speaketh unto the Rich man in Lukes Gospel namely that the Just cannot go into those places where the Wicked are tormented what other thing doth it signifie but only this that the just by reason of Gods Judgment which may not be revoked can shew no deed of Mercy in helping them which after this life are cast into Prison until they pay the uttermost farthing These words as they confound the Opinion of helping the dead by Prayer so they do clean confute and take away the vain Error of Purgatory which is grounded upon the saying of the Gospel Thou shalt not depart thence until thou hast paid the uttermost farthing Now doth St. Augustine say that those men which are cast into Prison after this life on that condition may in no wise be holpen though we would help them never so much And why Because the Sentence of God is unchangeable and cannot be revoked again Therefore let us not deceive our selves thinking that either we may help other or other may help us by their good and charitable Prayers in time to come For as the Preacher saith When the tree falleth whether it be toward the South Eccles 11. or toward the North in what place soever the tree falleth there it lieth meaning thereby that every mortal man dieth either in the state of Salvation or Damnation according as the words of the Evangelist John do also plainly import saying John 3. He that believeth on the Son of God hath eternal life But he that believeth not on the Son shall never see life but the wrath of God abideth upon him Where is then the third place which they call Purgatory or where shall our Prayers help and profit the dead Lib. 5. Hypogno Chrysost in Heb. 2. Homil. 5. in Cyprian contra Demetrianum St. Augustine doth only acknowledge two places after this life Heaven and Hell As for the third place he doth plainly deny that there is any such to be found in all Scripture Chrysostom likewise is of this mind that unless we wash away our sins in this present World we shall find no comfort afterward And St. Cyprian saith that after death Repentance and Sorrow of pain shall be without fruit Weeping also shall be in vain and Prayer shall be to no purpose Therefore he counselleth all men to make provision for themselves while they may because when they are once departed out of this life there is no place for Repentance nor yet for satisfaction Let these and such other places be sufficient to take away the gross Error of Purgatory out of our Heads neither let us dream any more that the Souls of the dead are any thing at all holpen by our Prayers But as the Scripture teacheth us let us think that the Soul of man passing out of the Body goeth straightways either to Heaven or else to Hell whereof the one needeth no Prayer the other is without Redemption The only Purgatory wherein we must trust to be saved is the death and blood of Christ which if we apprehend with a true and stedfast Faith it purgeth and cleanseth us from all our sins even as well as if he were now hanging upon the Cross The blood of Christ 1 John 1. Heb. 9. saith St. John hath cleansed us from all sin Thâ— blood of Christ saith St. Paul hath purged our Consciences from dead works to serve the living God Heb. 10. Also in another place he saith We be sanctified and made holy by the offering up of the body of Jesus Christ done once for all Yea he addeth more bidem saying With the one oblation of his blessed Body and precious Blood he hath made perfect for ever and ever all them that are sanctified This then is that Purgatory wherein all Christian men put their whole trust and confidence nothing doubting but if they truly repent them of their sins and die in perfect Faith that then they
the place where he hath promised to be present and where he will hear the Prayers of them that call upon him The which thing both Christ and his Apostles with all the rest of the Holy Fathers do sufficiently declare by this That albeit they certainly knew that their Prayers were heard in what place soever they made them though it were in Caves in Woods and in Desarts yet so oft as they could conveniently they resorted to the material Temples there with the rest of the Congregation to joyn in Prayer and true Worship Wherefore dearly beloved you that profess your selves to be Christians and glory in that name disdain not to follow the example of your Master Christ whose Scholars you say you be shew you to be like them whose School-mates you take upon you to be that is the Apostles and Disciples of Christ Lift up pure hands with clean hearts in all places and at all times But do the same in the Temples and Churches upon the Sabbath days also Our godly Predecessors and the ancient Fathers of the Primitive Church spared not their Goods to build Churches no they spared not their Lives in time of Persecution and to hazard their Blood that they might assemble themselves together in Churches And shall we spare a little labour to come to Churches Shall neither their Example nor our Duty nor the Commodities that thereby should come unto us move us If we will declare our selves to have the fear of God if we will shew our selves true Christians if we will be the followers of Christ our Master and of those godly Fathers that have lived before us and now have received the Reward of true and faithful Christians we must both willingly earnestly and reverently come unto the material Churches and Temples to Pray as unto fit places appointed for that use and that upon the Sabbath day as at most convenient time for Gods People to cease from bodily and worldly business to give themselves to Holy Rest and Godly Contemplation pertaining to the Service of Almighty God Whereby we may reconcile our selves to God be partakers of his Holy Sacraments and be devout hearers of his Holy Word so to be established in Faith to Godward in Hope against all Adversity and in Charity toward our Neighbours And thus running our course as good Christian People we may at the last attain the Reward of everlasting Glory through the Merits of our Saviour Jesus Christ To whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost be all Honour and Glory Amen The Second Part of the Homily of the Place and Time of PRAYER IT hath been declared unto you good Christian People in the former Sermon read unto you at what Time and into what Place ye shall come together to praise God Now I intend to set before your Eyes First how zealous and desirous ye ought to be to come to your Church Secondly how sore God is grieved with them that do despise or little regard to come to the Church upon the Holy restful Day It may well appear by the Scriptures that many of the godly Israelites being now in Captivity for their sins among the Babylonians full often wished and desired to be again at Jerusalem And at their return through Gods goodness though many of the People were negligent yet the Fathers were marvellous devout to build up the Temple that Gods People might repair thither to honour him And King David when he was a banished man out of his Countrey out of Jerusalem the Holy City from the Sanctuary from the Holy place and from the Tabernacle of God What desire what ferventness was in him toward that Holy place what wishings and prayers made he to God to be a Dweller in the House of the Lord One thing saith he have I asked of the Lord and this will I still crave that I may resort and have my dwelling in the House of the Lord so long as I live Again O how I joyed when I heard these words We shall go into the Lords House Psal 122. And in other places of the Psalms he declareth for what intent and purpose he hath such a fervent desire to enter into the Temple and Church of the Lord I will fall down saith he and worship in the holy Temple of the Lord. Again Psal 63. I have appeared in thy holy place that I might behold thy might and power that I might behold thy glory and magnificence Finally he saith I will shew forth thy name to my brethren I will praise thee in the midst of the Congregation Why then had David such an earnest desire to the House of God First because there he would worship and honour God Secondly there he would have a contemplation and a sight of the Power and Glory of God Thirdly there he would praise the Name of God with all the Congregation and Company of the People These considerations of this blessed Prophet of God ought to stir up and kindle in us the like earnest desire to resort to the Church especially upon the holy restful days there to do our Duties and to serve God there to call to remembrance how God even of his meer mercy and for the glory of his Name sake worketh mightily to conserve us in Health Wealth and Godliness and mightily preserveth us from the assaults and rages of our fierce and cruel Enemies and there joyfully in the number of his faithful People to praise and magnifie the Lords Holy Name Set before your Eyes also that Ancient Father Simeon of whom the Scripture speaketh thus to his great commendation and an encouragement for us to do the like There was a man at Jerusalem Luke 2. named Simeon a just man fearing God he came by the spirit of God into the Temple and was told by the same spirit that he should not die before he saw the anointed of the Lord. In the Temple his Promise was fulfilled in the Temple he saw Christ and took him in his Arms in the Temple he brake out into the mighty praise of God his Lord. Anna a Prophetess an old Widow departed out of the Temple giving her self to Prayer and Fasting day and night And she coming about the same time was likewise inspired and confessed and spake of the Lord to all them that looked for the Redemption of Israel This blessed Man and this blessed Woman were not disappointed of wonderful Fruit Commodity and Comfort which God sent them by their diligent resorting to Gods Holy Temple Now ye shall hear how grievously God hath been offended with his People for that they passed so little upon his Holy Temple and foulely either despised or abused the same Which thing may plainly appear by the notable Plagues and Punishments which God hath laid upon his People especially in this that he stirred up their Adversaries horribly to beat down and utterly to destroy his Holy Temple with a perpetual desolation Alas how many Churches Countries and Kingdoms of Christian
hand such good things as in the Common-Prayer of the Church are craved let us joyn our selves together in the Place of Common-Prayer and with one voice and one heart beg at our Heavenly Father all those things which he knoweth to be necessary for us I forbid you not private Prayer but I exhort you to esteem Common-Prayer as it is worthy And before all things be sure that in all these three sorts of Prayer your minds be devoutly lifted up to God else are your Prayers to no purpose and this saying shall be verified in you This people honoureth me with their lips Esay 29. Matt. 15. but their heart is far from me Thus much for the three sorts of Prayer whereof we read in the Scriptures Now with like or rather more brevity you shall hear how many Sacraments there be that were instituted by our Saviour Christ and are to be continued and received of every Christian in due time and order and for such purpose as our Saviour Christ willed them to be received And as for the number of them if they should be considered according to the exact signification of a Sacrament namely for the visible signs expresly commanded in the New Testament whereunto is annexed the promise of free forgiveness of our sins and of our holiness and joyning in Christ there be but two namely Baptism and the Supper of the Lord. For although Absolution hath the promise of forgiveness of sin yet by the express word of the New Testament it hath not this promise annexed and tied to the visible sign which is imposition of hands For this visible sign I mean laying on of hands is not expresly commanded in the New Testament to be used in Absolution as the visible signs in Baptism and the Lords Supper are and therefore Absolution is no such Sacrament as Baptism and the Communion are And though the ordering of Ministers hath this visible sign and promise yet it lacks the promise of remission of sin as all other Sacraments besides the two above-named do Therefore neither it nor any other Sacrament else be such Sacraments as Baptism and the Communion are But in a general acception the name of a Sacrament may be attributed to any thing whereby an holy thing is signified In which understanding of the Word the ancient Writers have given this name not only to the other five commonly of late years taken and used for supplying the number of the seven Sacraments but also to divers and sundry other Ceremonies as to Oyl washing of Feet and such like not meaning thereby to repute them as Sacraments in the same signification that the two fore-named Sacraments are And therefore St. Augustine weighing the true signification Dionysius Bernard de caena Domini ablut pedum and the exact meaning of the word writing to Januarius and also in the third Book of Christian Doctrine affirmeth that the Sacraments of the Christians as they are most excellent in signification so are they most few in number and in both places maketh mention expresly of two the Sacrament of Baptism and the Supper of the Lord. And although there are retained by the Order of the Church of England besides these two certain other Rites and Ceremonies about the institutions of Ministers in the Church Matrimony Confirmation of the Children by examining them of their knowledge in the Articles of the Faith and joyning thereto the Prayers of the Church for them and likewise for the Visitation of the Sick yet no man ought to take these for Sacraments in such signification and meaning as the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lords Supper are but either for godly states of life necessary in Christs Church and therefore worthy to be set forth by publick action and solemnity by the Ministry of the Church or else judged to be such Ordinances as may make for the Instruction Comfort and Edification of Christs Church Now understanding sufficiently what Prayer is and what a Sacrament is also and how many sorts of Prayers there be and how many Sacraments of our Saviour Christs institution let us see whether the Scriptures and examples of the Primitive Church will allow any vocal Prayer that is when the mouth uttereth the Petitions with voice or any manner of Sacrament or other publick or common Rite or Action pertaining to the profit and edifying of the unlearned to be ministred in a Tongue unknown or not understood of the Minister or People yea and whether any Person may privately use any Vocal Prayer in a Language that he himself understandeth not To this question we must answer No. And first of Common-Prayer and Administration of Sacraments Although Reason if it might Rule would soon perswade us to have our Common-Prayer and Administration of the Sacraments in a known Tongue both for that to pray commonly is for a multitude to ask one and the self-same thing with one voice and one consent of mind and to administer a Sacrament is by the outward Word and Element to preach to the receiver the inward and invisible grace of God and also for that both these Exercises were first instituted and are still continued to the end that the Congregation of Christ might from time to time be put in remembrance of their Unity in Christ and that as Members all of one Body they ought both in Prayers and otherwise to seek and desire one anothers commodity and not their own without others Yet shall we not need to flee to Reasons and Proofs in this matter sith we have both the plain and manifest words of the Scripture and also the consent of the most learned and ancient Writers to commend the Prayers of the Congregation in a known Tongue First Paul to the Corinthians saith 1 Cor. 14. Let all things be done to edifying Which cannot be unless Common Prayers and Administration of Sacraments be in a Tongue known to the People For where the Prayers spoken by the Minister and the words in the Administration of the Sacraments be not understood of them that be present they cannot thereby be edified For as when the Trumpet that is blown in the Field giveth an uncertain sound no man is thereby stirred up to prepare himself to the Fight And as when an Instrument of Musick maketh no distinct sound no man can tell what is piped Even so when Prayers or Administration of Sacraments shall be in a Tongue unknown to the hearers which of them shall be thereby stirred up to lift up his mind to God and to beg with the Minister at Gods hand those things which in the words of his Prayers the Minister asketh Or who shall in the ministration of the Sacraments understand what invisible grace is to be craved of the Hearer to be wrought in the inward man Truly no man at all For saith St. Paul He that speaketh in a Tongue unknown shall be to the Hearer an Aliant which in a Christian Congregation is a great absurdity For we are not
strangers one to another Ephes 2. 1 Cor. 10. and 12. but we are the Citizens of the Saints and of the houshold of God yea and members of one body And therefore whiles our Minister is in rehearsing the Prayer that is made in the name of us all we must give diligent ears to the words spoken by him and in heart beg at Gods hand those things that he beggeth in words And to signifie that we do so we say Amen at the end of the Prayer that he maketh in the name of us all And this thing can we not do for edification unless we understand what is spoken Therefore it is required of necessity that the Common-Prayer be had in a Tongue that the Hearers do understand If ever it had been tolerable to use strange Tongues in the Congregations the same might have been in the time of Paul and the other Apostles when they were miraculously endued with gifts of Tongues For it might then have perswaded some to embrace the Gospel when they had heard men that were Hebrews born and unlearned speak the Greek the Latine and other Languages But Paul thought it not tolerable then And shall we use it now when no man cometh by that knowledge of Tongues otherwise than by diligent and earnest study God forbid For we should by that means bring all our Church-exercises to frivolous Superstition and make them altogether unfruitful Luke writeth Acts 4. that when Peter and John were discharged by the Princes and High-Priests of Jerusalem they came to their fellows and told them all that the Princes of the Priests and Elders had spoken to them Which when they heard they lifted up their voice together to God with one assent and said Lord thou art he that hast made Heaven and Earth the Sea and all things that are in them c. Thus could they not have done if they had prayed in a strange Tongue that they had not understood And no doubt of it they did not all speak with several voices but some one of them spake in the name of them all and the rest giving diligent ear to his words consented thereunto and therefore it is said that they lifted up their voice together St. Luke saith not Their voices as many but their voice as one That one voice therefore was in such Language as they all understood otherwise they could not have lifted it up with the consent of their hearts For no man can give consent of the thing that he knoweth not As touching the Times before the coming of Christ there was never man yet that would affirm that either the People of God or other had their Prayers or Administrations of the Sacraments or Sacrifices in a Tongue that they themselves understood not As for the time since Christ till that usurped Power of Rome began to spread it self and to inforce all the Nations of Europe to have the Romish Language in admiration it appeareth by the consent of the most Ancient and Learned Writers that there was no strange or unknown Tongue used in the Congregation of Christians Justinus Apol. 2. Justinus Martyr who lived about 160 years after Christ saith thus of the Administration of the Lords Supper in his time Vpon the Sunday Assemblies are made both of them that dwell in Cities and of them that dwell in the Countrey also Amongst whom as much as may be the Writings of the Apostles and Prophets were read Afterwards when the Reader doth cease the chief Minister maketh an Exhortation exhorting them to follow honest things After this we rise all together and offer Prayers which being ended as we have said Bread and Wine and Water are brought forth Then the head Minister offereth Prayers and Thanksgiving with all his power and the People answer Amen These words with their circumstances being duly considered do declare plainly that not only the Scriptures were read in a known Tongue but also that Prayer was made in the same in the Congregations of Justin's time Basilius Magnus and Johannes Chrysostomus did in their time prescribe publick Orders of publick Administration which they call Liturgies and in them they appointed the People to answer to the Prayers of the Minister sometime Amen sometime Lord have mercy upon us sometime And with thy Spirit and We have our hearts lifted up unto the Lord c. Which answers the People could not have made in due time if the Prayers had not been in a Tongue that they understood The same Basil writing to the Clergy of Neocaesarea Epist 63. saith thus of his usage in Common-Prayer appointing one to begin the Song the rest follow and so with divers Songs and Prayers passing over the Night at the dawning of the Day all together even as it were with one Mouth and one Heart they sing unto the Lord a Song of Confession every man framing unto himself meet words of Repentance In another place he saith If the Sea be fair how is not the Assembly of the Congregation much more fair in which a joyned sound of Men Women and Children as it were of the waves beating on the shore is sent forth in our Prayers unto our God Mark his words Bâ—sil Rom. 4. A joyned sound saith he of Men Women and Children Which cannot be unless they all understand the Tongue wherein the Prayer is said And Chrysostom upon the words of Paul saith So soon as the People hear these words World without end 1 Cor. 14. they all do forthwith answer Amen This could they not do unless they understood the word spoken by the Priest Dionysius saith Dionys Cyprian Ser. 6. de orat dominica that Hymns were said of the whole multitude of People in the Administration of the Communion Cyprian saith The Priest doth prepare the minds of the Brethren with a Preface before the Prayer saying Lift up your hearts That whiles the People doth answer We have our hearts lifted up to the Lord they be admonished that they ought to think on none other thing than the Lord. St. Ambrose writing upon the words of St. Paul saith This is it that he saith 1 Cor. 14. because he which speaketh in an unknown Tongue speaketh to God for he knoweth all things but men know not and therefore there is no profit of this thing And again upon these words If thou bless or give thanks with the spirit how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest This is saith Ambrose if thou speak the praise of God in a Tongue unknown to the Hearers For the unlearned hearing that which he understandeth not knoweth not the end of the Prayer and answereth not Amen which word is as much to say as truth that the blessing of thanksgiving may be confirmed For the confirmation of the Prayer is fulfilled by them that do answer Amen that all things spoken might be confirmed in the minds of the
Hearers through the testimony of the truth And after many weighty words to the same end he saith The conclusion is this that nothing should be done in the Church in vain and that this thing ought chiefly to be laboured for that the unlearned also might take profit lest any part of the Body should be dark through Ignorance And lest any man should think all this to be meant of Preaching and not of Prayer he taketh occasion of these words of St. Paul If there be not an Interpreter let him keep silence in the Church to say as followeth Let him Pray secretly or speak to God who heareth all things that be dumb For in the Church must he speak that may profit all Persons St. Hierom writing upon these words of St. Paul 1 Cor. 14. How shall he that supplieth the place of the unlearned c. saith It is the Lay-man whom Paul understandeth here to be in the place of the ignorant man which hath no Ecclesiastical Office How shall he answer Amen to the prayer that he understandeth not And a little after upon the words of St Paul For if I should pray in a Tongue c. he saith thus This is Paul's meaning If any man speak in strange and unknown Tongues his mind is made unfruitful not to himself but to the Hearer For whatsoever is spoken he knoweth it not Psal 18. St. Augustine writing upon the xviii Psalm saith What this should be we ought to understand that we may sing with reason of Man and not with chattering of Birds For Owls Popinjays Ravens Pies and other such like Birds are taught by men to prate they know not what but to sing with understanding is given by Gods Holy Will to the Nature of Man Again the same Augustine saith De Magist There needeth no speech when we Pray saving perhaps as the Priests do for to declare their meaning not that God but that Men may hear them And so being put in remembrance by consenting with the Priest they may â—ang upon God Thus are we taught both by the Scripture and Ancient Doctors that in the Administration of Common-Prayer and Sacraments no Tongue unknown to the Hearers ought to be used So that for the satisfying of a Christian mans Conscience we need to spend no more time in this matter But yet to stop the mouths of the Adversaries which stay themselves much upon General Decrees it shall be good to add to these Testimonies of Scriptures and Doctors one Constitution made by Justinian the Emperor who lived five hundred twenty and seven years after Christ and was Emperor of Rome The Constitution is this Noâ—el constit 23. We command that all Bishops and Priests do celebrate the Holy Oblation and the Prayers used in Holy Baptism not speaking low but with a clear or loud voice which may be heard of the people that thereby the mind of the Hearers may be stirred up with great Devotion in uttering the Prayers of the Lord God for so the Holy Apostle teacheth in his first Epistle to the Corinthians saying Truly if thou only bless or give thanks in spirit how doth he that occupieth the place of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving thanks unto God for he understandeth not what thou sayest Thou verily givest thanks well but the other is not edified And again in the Epistle to the Romans he saith With the heart a man believeth unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation Therefore for these causes it is convenient that among other Prayers those things also which are spoken in the Holy Oblation be uttered and spoken of the most Religious Bishops and Priests unto our Lord Jesus Christ our God with the Father and the Holy Ghost with a loud voice And let the most Religious Priests know this that if they neglect any of these things that they shall give an account for them in the dreadful judgment of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. Neither will we when we know it rest and leave it unrevenged This Emperor as Sabellicus writeth favoured the Bishop of Rome and yet we see how plain a Decree he maketh for Praying and Administring of Sacraments in a known Tongue that the Devotion of the Hearers might be stirred up by knowledge contrary to the judgment of them that would have Ignorance to make Devotion He maketh it also a matter of Damnation to do these things in a Tongue that the Hearers understand not Let us therefore conclude with God and all good mens assent that no Common-Prayer or Sacraments ought to be ministred in a Tongue that is not understood of the Hearers Now a word or two of private Prayer in an unknown Tongue We took in hand where we began to speak of this matter not only to prove that no Common-Prayer or Administration of Sacraments ought to be in a Tongue unknown to the Hearers but also that no Person ought to Pray privately in that Tongue that he himself understandeth not Which thing shall not be hard to prove if we forget not what Prayer is For if Prayer be that Devotion of the Mind which enforceth the Heart to lift up it self to God how should it be said that that Person prayeth that understandeth not the words that his Tongue speaketh in Prayer Yea how can it be said that he speaketh For to speak is by voice to utter the thought of the mind And the voice that a man uttereth in speaking is nothing else but the Messenger of the mind to bring abroad the knowledge of that which otherwise lieth secret in the heart and cannot be known according to that which St. Paul writeth 1 Cor. 2. What man saith he knoweth the things that appertain to man saving only the spirit of man which is in man He therefore that doth not understand the voices that his Tongue doth utter cannot properly be said to speak but rather to counterfeit as Parats and such other Birds use to counterfeit mens voices No man therefore that feareth to provoke the wrath of God against himself will be so bold to speak of God unadvisedly without regard of reverent understanding in his presence but he will prepare his Heart before he presume to speak unto God And therefore in our Common-Prayer the Minister doth often-times say Let us pray meaning thereby to admonish the People that they should prepare their Ears to hear what he should crave at Gods hand and their Hearts to consent to the same and their Tongues to say Amen at the end thereof On this sort did the Prophet David prepare his Heart when he said Psal 57. My heart is ready O my God my heart is ready I will sing and declare a Psalm The Jews also when in the time of Judith they did with all their heart pray God to visit his People of Israel had so prepared their hearts before they began to pray 2 Par. 3. After this sort had Manasses prepared
wretches which have no feeling of God within us at all continually to fear not only that we may fall as they did but also be overcome and drowned in sin which they were not And so by considering their fall take the better occasion to acknowledge our own Infirmity and weakness and therefore more earnestly to call unto Almighty God with hearty Prayer incessantly for his grace to strengthen us and to defend us from all evil And though through Infirmity we chance at any time to fall yet we may by hearty Repentance and true Faith speedily rise again and not sleep and continue in sin as the wicked doth Thus good People should we understand such matters expressed in the Divine Scriptures that this Holy Table of Gods Word be not turned to us to be a snare a trap and a stumbling stone to take hurt by the abuse of our Understanding But let us esteem them in a reverent Humility that we may find our necessary Food therein to strengthen us to comfort us to instruct us as God of his great Mercy hath appointed them in all necessary works so that we may be perfect before him in the whole course of our life Which he grant who hath Redeemed us our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost be all Honour and Glory for evermore Amen The Second Part of the Information for them which take Offence at certain places of the Holy Scripture YE have heard good People in the Homily last read unto you the great Commodity of Holy Scriptures ye have heard how ignorant men void of godly Understanding seek Quarrels to discredit them Some of their Reasons have ye heard answered Now we will proceed and speak of such politick wise men which be offended for that Christs Precepts should seem to destroy all Order in Governance as they do alledge for example such as these be If any man strike thee on the right cheek Mat. 5â— turn the other unto him also If any man will contend to take thy coat from thee let him have cloak and all Let not thy lest hand know what thy right hand doth If thine eye thine hand Mat. 18. or thy foot offend thee pull out thine eye cut off thine hand or thy foot and cast it from thee Rom. 12. If thine enemy saith St. Paul be an hungred give him meat if he be thirsty give him drink so doing thou shalt heap hot burning coals upon his head These sentences good People unto a natural man seem meer absurdities contrary to all Reason 1 Cor. 2. For a natural man as St. Paul saith understandeth not the things that belong to God neither can he so long as old Adam dwelleth in him Christ therefore meaneth that he would have his faithful servants so far from vengeance and resisting wrong that he would rather have him ready to suffer another wrong than by resisting to break Charity and to be out of Patience He would have our good deeds so far from all carnal respects that he would not have our nighest Friends know of our well-doing to win vain-glory And though our Friends and Kinsfolks be as dear as our right Eyes and our right Hands yet if they would pâ—â—â— us from God we ought to renounce them and forsake them Thus if ye will be profitable Hearers and Readers of the Holy Scriptures ye must first deny your selves and keep under your Carnal Senses taken by the outward words and search the inward meaning Reason must give place to Gods Holy Spirit you must submit your Worldly Wisdom and Judgment unto his Divine Wisdom and Judgment Consider that the Scripture in what strange form soever it be pronounced is the Word of the living God Let that always come to your remembrance which is so oft repeated of the Prophet Esaias The mouth of the Lord saith he hath spoken it and Almighty and everlasting God who with his only word created Heaven and Earth hath decreed it the Lord of Hosts whose ways are in the Seas whose paths are in the deep Waters that Lord and God by whose word all things in Heaven and in Earth are created governed and preserved hath so provided it The God of gods and Lord of all lords yea God that is God alone incomprehensible almighty and everlasting he hath spoken it it is his Word It cannot therefore be but truth which proceedeth from the God of all Truth it cannot be but wisely and prudently commanded what Almighty God hath devised how vainly soever through want of grace we miserable wretches do imagine and judge of his most Holy Word The Prophet David describing an happy man Psal 1. saith Blessed is the man that hath not walked after the counsel of the ungodly nor stand in the way of sinners nor sit in the seat of the scornful There are three sorts of People whose Company the Prophet would have him to flee and avoid which shall be an happy man and partaker of Gods Blessing First he may not walk after the counsel of the ungodly Secondly he may not stand in the way of sinners Thirdly he must not sit in the seat of the scornful By these three sorts of People ungodly mâ—n sinners and scorners all Impiety is signified and fully expressed By the ungodly he understandeth those which have no regard of Almighty God being void of all Faith whose hearts and minds are so set upon the World that they study only how to accomplish their worldly practices their carnal imaginations their filthy lust and desire without any fear of God The second sort he calleth sinners not such as do fall through Ignorance or of frailness for then who should be found free What man ever lived upon Earth Christ only excepted but he hath sinned Prov. 24. The just man falleth seven times and riseth again Though the godly do fall yet they walk not on purposely in sin they stand not still to continue and tarry in sin they sit not down like careless men without all fear of Gods just punishment for sin but defying sin through Gods great grace and infinite mercy they rise again and fight against sin The Prophet then calleth them sinners whose hearts are clean turned from God and whose whole conversation of life is nothing but sin they delight so much in the same that they choose continually to abide and dwell in sin The third sort he calleth scorners that is a sort of men whose hearts are so stuffed with Malice that they are not contented to dwell in sin and to lead their lives in all kind of wickedness but also they do contemn and scorn in other all Godliness true Religion all Honesty and Vertue Of the two first sorts of men I will not say but they may take Repentance and be converted unto God Of the third sort I think I may without danger of Gods judgment pronounce that never any yet converted unto God by Repentance but continued still in their
poor Pilgrim and meek soul riding upon an Ass but like a valiant and mighty King in great Royalty and Honour Not as Christ did with a few Fishermen and men of small estimation in the World but with a great Army of strong men with a great train of Wise and Noble men as Knights Lords Earls Dukes Princes and so forth Neither do they think that their Messias shall slanderously suffer death as Christ did but that he shall stoutly conquer and manfully subdue all his Enemies and finally obtain such a Kingdom on Earth as never was seen from the beginning While they feign unto themselves after this sort a Messias of their own brain they deceive themselves and account Christ as an abject and scorn of the World Therefore Christ crucified as St. Paul saith is unto the Jews a stumbling-block and to the Gentiles foolishness because they think it an absurd thing and contrary to all reason that a Redeemer and Saviour of the whole World should be handled after such a sort as he was namely scorned reviled scourged condemned and last of all cruelly hanged This I say seemed in their eyes strange and most absurd and therefore neither they would at that time neither will they as yet acknowledge Christ to be their Messiâ—s and Saviour But we dearly beloved that hope and look to be saved must both stedfastly believe and also boldly confess that the same Jesus which was born of the Virgin Mary was the true Messias and Mediator between God and Man promised and prophesied of so long before For as the Apostle writeth With the heart man believeth unto righteousness Rom. 10. and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation Again in the same place Whosoever believeth in him shall never be ashamed nor confounded Whereto also agreeth the testimony of St. John written in the fourth Chapter of his first general Epistle on this wise Whosoever confesseth that Jesus is the Son of God he dwelleth in God and God in him There is no doubt but in this point all Christian men are fully and perfectly perswaded Yet shall it not be a lost labour to instruct and furnish you with a few places concerning this matter that ye may be able to stop the blasphemous mouths of all them that most Jewishly or rather devilishly shall at any time go about to teach or maintain the contrary First ye have the witness and testimony of the Angel Gabriel declared as well to Zachary the High-Priest as also to the blessed Virgin Secondly ye have the witness and testimony of John the Baptist pointing unto Christ and saying Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the World Thirdly ye have the witness and testimony of God the Father who thundred from Heaven and said This is my dearly beloved Son in whom I am well pleased hear him Fourthly ye have the witness and testimony of the Holy Ghost which came down from Heaven in manner of a Dove and lighted upon him in time of his Baptism To these might be added a great number more namely the witness and testimony of the Wise Men that came to Herod the witness and testimony of Simeon and Anna the witness and testimony of Andrew and Philip Nathaniel and Peter Nicodemus and Martha with divers other But it were too long to repeat all and a few places are sufficient in so plain a matter specially among them that are already perswaded Therefore if the privy Imps of Antichrist and crafty Instruments of the Devil shall attempt or go about to withdraw you from this true Messias and perswade you to look for another that is not yet come let them not in any case seduce you but confirm your selves with these and such other testimonies of Holy Scripture which are so sure and certain that all the Devils in Hell shall never be able to withstand them For as truly as God liveth so truly was Jesus Christ the true Messias and Saviour of the World even the same Jesus which as this day was born of the Virgin Mary without all help of man only by the power and operation of the Holy Ghost Concerning whose nature and substance because divers and sundry Heresies are risen in these our days through the motion and suggestion of Satan therefore it shall be needful and profitable for your instruction to speak a word or two also of this part We are evidently taught in the Scripture that our Lord and Saviour Christ consisteth of two several natures of his manhood being thereby perfect man and of his Godhead being thereby perfect God John 1. Rom. 8. It is written The Word that is to say the second Person in Trinity became flesh God sending his own Son in the similitude of sinful flesh fulfilled those things which the Law could not Phil. 2. Christ being in form of God took on him the form of a servant and was made like unto man being found in shape as a man 1 Tim. 3. God was shewed in Flesh justified in Spirit seen of Angels preached to the Gentiles believed on in the World and received up in glory Also in another place There is one God and one Mediator between God and man even the Man Jesus Christ These be plain places for the proof and declaration of both Natures united and knit together in one Christ Let us diligently consider and weigh the works that he did whiles he lived on Earth and we shall thereby also perceive the self-same thing to be most true In that he did hunger and thirst eat and drink sleep and wake in that he preached his Gospel to the People in that he wept and sorrowed for Jerusalem in that he paid Tribute for himself and Peter in that he died and suffered death what other things did he else declare but only this that he was perfect man as we are For which cause he is called in Holy Scripture sometime the Son of David sometime the Son of Man sometime the Son of Mary sometime the Son of Joseph and so forth Now in that he forgave Sins in that he wrought Miracles in that he did cast out Devils in that he healed men with his only Word in that he knew the thoughts of mens Hearts in that he had the Seas at his Commandment in that he walked on the Water in that he rose from Death to Life in that he ascended into Heaven and so forth What other thing did he shew therein but only that he was perfect God coequal with the Father as touching his Deity Therefore he saith The Father and I are all one which is to be understood of his Godhead For as touching his Manhood he saith The Father is greater than I am Where are now those Marcionites that deny Christ to have been born in the flesh or to have been perfect man Where are now those Arians which deny Christ to have been perfect God of equal substance with the Father If there be any such we may easily
who became poor to make us rich vile to make us precious subject to death to make us live for ever What greater love could we silly Creatures desire or wish to have at Gods hands Therefore Dearly Beloved let us not forget this exceeding love of our Lord and Saviour let us not shew our selves unmindful or unthankful toward him but let us love him fear him obey him and serve him Let us confess him with our Mouths praise him with our Tongues believe on him with our Hearts and glorifie him with our good Works Christ is the light let us receive the light Christ is the truth let us believe the truth Christ is the way let us follow the way And because he is our only Master our only Teacher our only Shepherd and chief Captain therefore let us become his Servants his Scholars his Sheep and his Souldiers As for Sin the Flesh the World and the Devil whose Servants and Bond-slaves we were before Christs coming let us utterly cast them off and defie them as the chief and only Enemies of our Soul And seeing we are once delivered from their cruel Tyranny by Christ let us never fall into their hands again lest we chance to be in a worse case than ever we were before Happy are they saith the Scripture that continue to the end Be faithful saith God until death and I will give thee a crown of life Again he saith in another place He that putteth his hand unto the Plough and looketh back is not meet for the Kingdom of God Therefore let us be strong stedfast and unmoveable abounding always in the works of the Lord. Let us receive Christ not for a time but for ever let us believe his Word not for a time but for ever let us become his Servants not for a time but for ever in consideration that he hath redeemed and saved us not for a time but for ever and will receive us into his Heavenly Kingdom there to reign with him not for a time but for ever To him therefore with the Father and the Holy Ghost be all Honour Praise and Glory for ever and ever Amen AN HOMILY FOR Good-Friday concerning the Death and Passion of our Saviour Jesus Christ IT should not become us well-beloved in Christ being that People which he redeemed from the Devil from Sin and Death and from everlasting Damnation by Christ to suffer this time to pass forth without any meditation and remembrance of that excellent Work of our Redemption wrought as about this time through the great mercy and charity of our Saviour Jesus Christ for us wretched Sinners and his mortal Enemies For if a mortal mans deed done to the behoof of the Common-wealth be had in remembrance of us with thanks for the benefit and profit which we receive thereby how much more readily should we have in memory this excellent act and benefit of Christs death whereby he hath purchased for us the undoubted pardon and forgiveness of our sins whereby he made at one the Father of Heaven with us in such wise that he taketh us now for his loving Children and for the true inheritors with Christ his Natural Son of the Kingdom of Heaven And verily so much more doth Christs kindness appear unto us in that it pleased him to deliver himself of all his goodly Honour which he was equally in with his Father in Heaven and to come down into this vale of misery to be made mortal man and to be in the state of a most low Servant serving us for our wealth and profit us I say which were his sworn Enemies which had renounced his holy Law and Commandments and followed the lusts and sinful pleasures of our corrupt Nature And yet I say Coloss 2. did Christ put himself between Gods deserved wrath and our sin and rent that Obligation wherein we were in danger to God and paid our debt Our debt was a great deal too great for us to have paid And without payment God the Father could never be at one with us Neither was it possible to be loosed from this debt by our own ability It pleased him therefore to be the payer thereof and to discharge us quite Who can now consider the grievous debt of sin which could none otherwise be paid but by the death of an Innocent and will not hate sin in his heart If God hateth sin so much that he would allow neither man nor Angel for the Redemption thereof but only the death of his only and well-beloved Son who will not stand in fear thereof If we my Friends consider this that for our sins this most innocent Lamb was driven to death we shall have much more cause to bewail our selves that we were the cause of his death than to cry out of the malice and cruelty of the Jews which pursued him to his death We did the deeds wherefore he was thus stricken and wounded they were only the ministers of our wickedness It is meet then that we should step low down into our hearts and bewail our own wretchedness and sinful living Let us know for a certainty that if the most dearly beloved Son of God was thus punished and stricken for the sin which he had not done himself how much more ought we sore to be stricken for our daily and manifold sins which we commit against God if we earnestly repent us not and be not sorry for them No man can love sin which God hateth so much and be in his favour No man can say that he loveth Christ truly and have his great Enemy sin I mean the author of his death familiar and in friendship with him So much do we love God and Christ as we hate sin We ought therefore to take great heed that we be not favourers thereof lest we be found Enemies to God and Traytors to Christ For not only they which nailed Christ upon the Cross are his tormentors and crucifiers Heb. 6. But all they saith St. Paul crucifie again the Son of God as much as is in them who do commit vice and sin which brought him to his death Rom. 6. If the wages of sin be death and death everlasting surely it is no small danger to be in service thereof Rom. 8. Rom. 8. If we live after the flesh and after the sinful lusts thereof St Paul threatneth yea Almighty God in St. Paul threatneth that we shall surely die We can none otherwise live to God but by dying to sin If Christ be in us then is sin dead in us and if the Spirit of God be in us which raised Christ from death to life so shall the same Spirit raise us to the resurrection of everlasting life Rom. 1. But if sin rule and reign in us then is God which is the fountain of all Grace and Vertue departed from us then hath the Devil and his ungracious spirit rule and dominion in us And surely if in such miserable state we die we shall
Christ to be the Son of God and through Faith obtain eternal life To conclude with the words of St Paul Rom. 10. which are these Christ is the end of the Law unto salvation for every one that doth believe By this then you may well perceive that the only mean and instrument of Salvation required of our parts is Faith that is to say a sure trust and confidence in the mercies of God whereby we perswade our selves that God both hath and will forgive our sins that he hath accepted us again into his favour that he hath released us from the bonds of damnation and received us again into the number of his elect People not for our merits or deserts but only and solely for the merits of Christs Death and Passion who became man for our sakes and humbled himself to sustain the reproach of the Cross that we thereby might be saved and made inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven This Faith is required at our hands And this if we keep stedfastly at our hearts there is no doubt but we shall obtain Salvation at Gods hands as did Abraham Isaac and Jacob of whom the Scripture saith Gen. 15. Rom. 7. that they believed and it was imputed unto them for righteousness Was it imputed unto them only and shall it not be imputed unto us also Yes if we have the same Faith as they had it shall be as truly imputed unto us for righteousness as it was unto them For it is one Faith that must save both us and them even a sure and stedfast Faith in Christ Jesus who as ye have heard came into the World for this end that whosoever believe in him should not perish John 3. but have life everlasting But here we must take heed that we do not halt with God through an unconstant and wavering Faith but that it be strong and stedfast to our lives end He that wavereth saith St. James is like a wave of the Sea James 1. neither let that man think that he shall obtain any thing at Gods hands Peter coming to Christ upon the Water Mat. 14. because he fainted in Faith was in danger of drowning So we if we begin to waver or doubt it is to be feared lest we shall sink as Peter did not into the Water but into the bottomless Pit of Hell-fire Therefore I say unto you that we must apprehend the Merits of Christs death and Passion by Faith and that with a strong and stedfast Faith nothing doubting but that Christ by his own Oblation and once offering of himself upon the Cross hath taken away our sins and hath restored us again into Gods favour so fully and perfectly that no other sacrifice for sin shall hereafter be requisite or needful in all the World Thus have you heard in few words the mean whereby we must apply the fruits and merits of Christs death unto us so that it may work the Salvation of our Souls namely a sure stedfast perfect and grounded Faith Numb 21. John 3. For as all they which beheld stedfastly the Brasen Serpent were healed and delivered at the very sight thereof from their corporal diseases and bodily stings even so all they which behold Christ crucified with a true and lively Faith shall undoubtedly be delivered from the grievous wounds of the Soul be they never so deadly or many in number Therefore dearly beloved if we chance at any time through frailty of the flesh to fall into sin as it cannot be chosen but we must needs fall often and if we feel the heavy burden thereof to press our souls tormenting us with the fear of Death Hell and Damnation let us then use that mean which God hath appointed in his Word to wit the mean of Faith which is the only instrument of Salvation now left unto us Let us stedfastly behold Christ crucified with the eyes of our heart Let us only trust to be saved by his Death and Passion and to have our sins clean washed away through his most precious Blood that in the end of the World when he shall come again to judge both the quick and the dead he may receive us into his Heavenly Kingdom and place us in the number of his Elect and chosen People there to be partakers of that immortal and everlasting life which he hath purchased unto us by vertue of his bloody Wounds To him therefore with the Father and the Holy Ghost be all Honour and Glory World without end Amen AN HOMILY OF THE Resurrection of our Saviour Jesus Christ For Easter-Day IF ever at any time the greatness or excellency of any matter Spiritual or Temporal hath stirred up your minds to give diligent ear good Christian People and well-beloved in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ I doubt not but that I shall have you now at this present season most diligent and ready Hearers of the matter which I have at this time to open unto you For I come to declare that great and most comfortable Article of our Christian Religion and Faith the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus So great surely is the matter of this Article and of so great weight and importance that it was thought worthy to keep our said Saviour still on Earth forty days after he was risen from death to life to the confirmation and establishment thereof in the hearts of his Disciples So that as Luke clearly testifieth in the first Chapter of the Acts of the Apostles he was conversant with his Disciples by the space of forty days continually together to the intent he would in his person being now glorified teach and instruct them which should be the teachers of other fully and in most absolute and perfect-wise the truth of this most Christian Article which is the ground and foundation of our whole Religion before he would ascend up to his Father into the Heavens there to receive the glory of his most triumphant Conquest and Victory Assuredly so highly comfortable is this Article to our Consciences that it is even the very Lock and Key of all our Christian Religion and Faith 1 Cor. 15. If it were not true saith the Holy Apostle Paul that Christ rose again then our Preaching were in vain your Faith which you have received were but void ye were yet in the danger of your sins If Christ be not risen again saith the Apostle then are they in very ill case and utterly perished that be entred their sleep in Christ then are we the most miserable of all men which have our hope fixed in Christ if he be yet under the power of death and as yet not restored to his bliss again But now he is risen again from death saith the Apostle Paul to be the first-fruits of them that be asleep to the intent to raise them to everlasting life again Yea if it were not true that Christ is risen again then were it neither true that he is ascended up to Heaven nor that he
16. The place appointed for the observation thereof was Jerusalem where was great recourse of People from all parts of the World as may well appear in the second Chapter of the Acts wherein mention is made of Parthians Medes Elamites Inhabiters of Mesopotamia Inhabiters of Jury Cappadocia Pontus Asia Phrygia Pamphilia and divers other such places whereby we may also partly gather what great and Royal Solemnity was commonly used in that Feast Now as this was given in commandment to the Jews in the Old Law so did our Saviour Christ as it were confirm the same in the time of the Gospel 1 Cor. 10. ordaining after a sort a new Pentecost for his Disciples namely When he sent down the Holy Ghost visibly in form of cloven Tongues like Fire and gave them power to speak in such sort that every one might hear them and also understand them in his own Language Which Miracle that it might be had in perpetual remembrance the Church hath thought good to solemnize and keep holy this day commonly called Whitsunday And here is to be noted that as the Law was given to the Jews in the Mount Sinai the fiftieth day after Easter so was the Preaching of the Gospel through the mighty power of the Holy Ghost given to the Apostles in the Mount Sion the fiftieth day after Easter And hereof this Feast hath his name to be called Pentecost even of the number of the days For as St. Luke writeth in the Acts of the Apostles when fifty days were come to an end the Disciples being all together with one accord in one place the Holy Ghost came suddenly among them and sat upon each of them like as it had been cloven Tongues of Fire Which thing was undoubtedly done to teach the Apostles and all other Men that it is he which giveth eloquence and utterance in Preaching the Gospel that it is he which openeth the mouth to declare the mighty Works of God that it is he which engendreth a burning zeal towards Gods Word and giveth all Men a Tongue yea a fiery Tongue so that they may boldly and chearfully profess the truth in the Face of the whole World as Isaiah was endued with this Spirit Esay 50. The Lord saith Isaiah give me a learned and a skilful Tongue so that I might know to raise up them that are fallen with the Word The Prophet David crieth to have this gift Psal 50. saying Open thou my lips O Lord and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise For our Saviour Christ also in the Gospel saith to his Disciples Mat. 10. It is not you that speak but the Spirit of your Father which is within you All which testimonies of Holy Scripture do sufficiently declare that the Mystery in the Tongues betokeneth the Preaching of the Gospel and the open confession of the Christian Faith in all them that are possessed with the Holy Ghost So that if any Man be a dumb Christian not professing his Faith openly but cloaking and colouring himself for fear of danger in time to come he giveth Men occasion justly and with good Conscience to doubt lest he have not the Grace of the Holy Ghost within him because he is Tongue-tied and doth not speak Thus then have ye heard the first institution of this Feast of Pentecost or Whitsuntide as well in the Old Law among the Jews as also in the time of the Gospel among the Christians Now let us consider what the Holy Ghost is and how consequently he worketh his miraculous Works towards Mankind The Holy Ghost is a spiritual and divine Substance the third Person in the Deity distinct from the Father and the Son and yet proceeding from them both which thing to be true both the Creed of Athanasius beareth witness and may be also easily proved by most plain Testimonies of Gods Holy Word Mat. 3. When Christ was Baptized of John in the River Jordan we read that the Holy Ghost came down in form of a Dove and that the Father thundred from Heaven saying This is my dear and well beloved Son in whom I am well pleased Where note three divers and distinct Persons the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost which all notwithstanding are not three Gods but one God Likewise when Christ did first institute and ordain the Sacrament of Baptism he sent his Disciples into the whole World willing them to Baptize all Nations Mat. 28. In the name of the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost And in another place he saith I will pray unto my Father and he shall give you another Comforter Again John 4. John 2. When the Comforter shall come whom I will send from my Father c. These and such other places of the New Testament do so plainly and evidently confirm the distinction of the Holy Ghost from the other Persons in the Trinity that no Man possibly can doubt thereof unless he will blaspheme the everlasting truth of Gods Word As for his proper Nature and Substance it is altogether one with God the Father and God the Son that is to say Spiritual Eternal Uncreated Incomprehensible Almighty to be short he is even God and Lord everlasting Therefore he is called the Spirit of the Father therefore he is said to proceed from the Father and the Son and therefore he was equally joyned with them in the Commission that the Apostles had to Baptize all Nations But that this may appear more sensibly to the Eyes of all Men it shall be requisite to come to the other part namely to the wonderful and heavenly Works of the Holy Ghost which plainly declare unto the World his mighty and divine Power First It is evident that he did wonderfully govern and direct the Hearts of the Patriarchs and Prophets in old time illuminating their Minds with the knowledge of the true Messias and giving them utterance to Prophesie of things that should come to pass long time after 2 Pet. 1. For as St. Peter witnesseth the Prophesie came not in old time by the will of Man but the holy Men of God spake as they were moved inwardly by the Holy Ghost And of Zachary the high Priest it is said in the Gospel Luke 1. That he being full of the Holy Ghost Prophesied and praised God So did also Simeon Anna Mary and divers other to the great wonder and admiration of all Men. Moreover was not the Holy Ghost a mighty worker in the Conception and the Nativity of Christ our Saviour St. Matthew saith Mat. 1. that the blessed Virgin was found with Child of the Holy Ghost before Joseph and she came together And the Angel Gabriel did expresly tell her Luke 1. that it should come to pass saying The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the Power of the most High shall over-shadow thee A marvellous matter that a Woman should conceive and bear a Child without the knowledge of Man But where the Holy Ghost worketh there
simple Man of small wit and less knowledge one that was reputed among the Learned as an Ideot and he on Gods name would needs take in hand to dispute with this proud Philosopher The Bishops and other learned Men standing by were marvellously abashed at the matter thinking that by his doings they should be all confounded and put to open shame He notwithstanding goeth on and beginning in the Name of the Lord Jesus brought the Philosopher to such Point in the end contrary to all Mens expectation that he could not chuse but acknowledge the power of God in his Words and to give place to the Truth Was not this a miraculous Work that one silly Soul of no Learning should do that which many Bishops of great knowledge and understanding were never able to bring to pass So true is the saying of Bede Where the Holy Ghost doth instruct and teach there is no delay at all in learning Much more might here be spoken of the manifold gifts and graces of the Holy Ghost most excellent and wonderful in our eyes but to make a long Discourse through all the shortness of time will not serve And seeing ye have heard the chiefest ye may easily conceive and judge of the rest Now were it expedient to discuss this Question Whether all they which boast and brag that they have the Holy Ghost do truly challenge this unto themselves or no Which doubt because it is necessary and profitable shall God willing be dissolved in the next Part of this Homily In the mean season let us as we are most bound give hearty thanks to God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ for sending down his Comforter into the World humbly beseeching him so to work in our Hearts by the power of this Holy Spirit that we being Regenerate and newly Born again in all Goodness Righteousness Sobriety and Truth may in the end be made partakers of everlasting Life in his Heavenly Kingdom through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour Amen The Second Part of the Homily concerning the HOLY GHOST dissoâ—â—â—â—◠〈◊〉 doubt Whether all Men riâ—htly 〈…〉 themselves the HOLY GHOST or no â—ohn 14. â—5 OUr Saviour Christ departing out of the World unto his Father promised his Disciples to send down another Comforter that should continue with them for ever and direct them into all truth Which thing to be faithfully and truly performed the Scriptures do sufficiently bear witness Neither must we think that this Comforter was either promised or else given only to the Apostles but also to the Universal Church of Christ dispersed through the whole World For unless the Holy Ghost had been always present governing and preserving the Church from the beginning it could never have sustained so many and great brunts of Affliction and Persecution with so little damage and harm as it hath And the words of Christ are most plain in this behalf saying John 24. Mat. 21. That the Spirit of truth should abide with them for ever that he would be with them always he meaneth by Grace Vertue and Power even to the Worlds end Also in the Prayer that he made to his Father a little before his death he maketh intercession not only for himself and his Apostles but indifferently for all them that should believe in him through their words John 17. Rom. 8 that is to wit for his whole Church Again St. Paul saith If any Man have not the Spirit of Christ the same is not his Also in the words following Ibidem We have received the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father Hereby then it is evident and plain to all Men that the Holy Ghost was given not only to the Apostles but also to the whole Body of Christs Congregation although not in like form and majesty as he came down at the Feast of Pentecost But now herein standeth the Controversie Whether all Men do justly arrogate to themselves the Holy Ghost or no The Bishops of Rome have for along time made a sore Challenge thereunto reasoning with themselves after this sort The Holy Ghost say they was promised to the Church and never forsaketh the Church But we are the chief Heads and the principal part of the Church therefore we have the Holy Ghost for ever and whatsoever things we decree are undoubted Verities and Oracles of the Holy Ghost That ye may perceive the weakness of this Argument it is needful to teach you First What the true Church of Christ is and then to confer the Church of Rome therewith to discern how well they agree together The true Church is an Universal Congregation or Fellowship of Gods faithful and elect People built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Ephes 2. Jesus Christ himself being the head Corner-stone And it hath always three Notes or Marks whereby it is known Pure and Sound Doctrin the Sacraments Ministred according to Christs holy Institution and the right use of Ecclesiastical Discipline This description of the Church is agreeable both to the Scriptures of God and also to the Doctrin of the Ancient Fathers so that none may Justly find fault therewith Now if you will compare this with the Church of Rome not as it was in the beginning but as it is at present and hath been for the space of Nine hundred Years and odd you shall well perceive the state thereof to be so far wide from the nature of the true Church that nothing can be more For neither are they built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets retaining the sound and pure Doctrin of Christ Jesu neither yet do they order the Sacraments or else the Ecclesiastical Keys in such sort as he did first Institute and Ordain them But have so intermingled their own Traditions and Inventions by chopping and changing by adding and plucking away that now they may seem to be converted into a new Guise Christ commended to his Church a Sacrament of his Body and Blood they have changed it into a Sacrifice for the Quick and the Dead Christ did Minister to his Apostles and the Apostles to other Men indifferently under both kinds They have robbed the Lay people of the Cup saying that for them one kind is sufficient Christ Ordained no other Element to be used in Baptism but only Water whereunto when the Word is joyned it is made as St. Augustine saith a full and perfect Sacrament Augustine They being wiser in their own conceit than Christ think it is not well nor orderly done unless they use Conjuration unless they Hallow the Water unless there be Oyl Salt Spittle Tapers and such other dumb Ceremonies serving to no use contrary to the plain Rule of St. Paul 1 Cor. 14. who willeth all things to be done in the Church to Edification Christ Ordained the Authority of the Keys to Excommunicate notorious sinners and to Absolve them which are truly Penitent They abuse this Power at their own pleasure as well in
this matter that in the mouth of two or three may the truth be known Verily that holy Prophet Esay beareth record and saith Esay 26. O Lord it is thou of thy goodness that hast wrought all our works in us not we our selves And to uphold the truth of this matter against all Justiciaries and Hypocrites which rob Almighty God of his Honor and ascribe it to themselves St. Paul bringeth in his Belief 1 Cor. 3. Acts 17. We be not saith he sufficient of our selves as of our selves once to think any thing but all our ableness is of Gods goodness For he it is in whom we have all our Being our Living and Moving If ye will know furthermore where they had their Gifts and Sacrifices which they offered continually in their Lives to Almighty God they cannot but agree with David where he saith Of thy liberal hand O Lord we have received that we gave unto thee If this holy Company therefore confess so constantly that all the Goods and Graces wherewith they were indued in Soul came of the goodness of God only What more can be said to prove that all that is good cometh from Almighty God Is it meet to think that all spiritual goodness cometh from God above only and that other good things either of Nature or of Fortune as we call them cometh of any other cause Doth God of his goodness adorn the Soul with all the Powers thereof as it is and come the gifts of the Body wherewith it is endued from any other If he doth the more cannot he do the less To justifie a sinner to new create him from a wicked Person to a righteous Man is a greater Act saith St. Augustin than to make such a new Heaven and Earth as is already made We must needs agree that whatsoever good thing is in us of Grace of Nature or of Fortune is of God only as the only Author and Worker And yet it is not to be thought that God hath created all this whole Universal World as it is and thus once made hath given it up to be ruled and used after our own wits and device and so taketh no more charge thereof As we see the Shipwright after he hath brought his Ship to a perfect end then delivereth it to the Mariners and taketh no more care thereof nay God hath not so created the World that he is careless of it but he still preserveth it by his goodness he still stayeth it in his Creation for else without his special goodness it could not stand long in this condition And therefore St. Paul saith That he preserveth all things Heb. 2. Heb. 3. and beareth them up still in his Word lest they should fall without him to their nothing again whereof they were made If his especial goodness were not every where present every Creature should be out of order and no Creature should have his property wherein he was first created He is therefore invisible every where and in every Creature and filleth both Heaven and Earth with his Presence In the Fire to give Heat in the Water to give Moisture in the Earth to give Fruit in the Heart to give his Strength yea in our Bread and Drink is he to give us nourishment where without him the Bread and Drink cannot give sustenance nor the Herb health as the Wise Man plainly confesseth it saying Wisd 16. It is not the increase of Fruits that feedeth Men but it is thy word O Lord which preserveth them that trust in thee And Moses agreeth to the same when he saith Deut. 8. Mans life resteth not in Bread only but in every Word which proceedeth out of Gods mouth Wisd 17. It is neither the Herb nor the Plaister that giveth Health of themselves but thy Word O Lord saith the Wise Man which healeth all things It is not therefore the power of the Croatures which worketh their effects but the goodness of God which worketh in them In his Word truly do all things consist By that same Word that Heaven and Earth were made by the same are they upholden maintained 2 Pet. 3. and kept in order saith St. Peter and shall be till Almighty God shall withdraw his Power from them and speak their dissolution If it were not thus that the goodness of God were effectually in his Creatures to rule them how could it be that the Main Sea so raging and laboring to over-flow the Earth could be kept within its bounds and banks as it is That Holy Man Job evidently spied the goodness of God in this Point and confessed that if he had not a special goodness to the preservation of the Earth it could not but shortly be over-flowed of the Sea How could it be that the Elements so divers and contrary as they be among themselves should yet agree and abide together in a concord without destruction one of another to serve our use if it came not only of Gods goodness so to temper them How could the Fire not burn and consume all things if it were let loose to go whither it would and not staid in its sphere by the goodness of God measurably to heat these inferior Creaturs to their riping Consider the huge Substance of the Earth so heavy and great as it is How could it so stand stably in the space as it doth if Gods goodness reserved it not so for us to travel on It is thou Psal 10.3 O Lord saith David which hast founded the Earth in its stability and during thy Word it shall never reel or fall down Consider the great strong Beasts and Fishes far passing the strength of Man how fierce soever they be and strong yet by the goodness of God they prevail not against us but are under our subjection and serve our use Of whom came the invention thus to subdue them and make them fit for our Commodities Was it by Mans Brain nay rather this invention came by the goodness of God which inspired Mans understanding to have his purpose of every Creature Job 38. Who was it saith Job that put Will and Wisdom in Mans head but God only his goodness And as the same saith again I perceive that every Man hath a mind but it is the inspiration of the Almighty that giveth understanding It could not be verily good Christian People that Man of his own wit upholden should invent so many and divers devices in all Crafts and Sciences except the goodness of Almighty God had been present with Men and had stirred their wits and studies of purpose to know the natures and dispositions of all his Creatures to serve us sufficiently in our needs and necessities Yea not only to serve our necessities but to serve our pleasures and delight more than necessity requireth So liberal is Gods goodness to us to provoke us to thank him if any hearts we have The Wise Man in his Contemplation by himself could not but grant this thing to be true
transitory Life and endue you with all manner of Benediction in the next World in the Kingdom of Heaven through the merits of our Lord and Saviour To whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost be all Honor everlasting Amen AN HOMILY OF The State of Matrimony THe Word of Almighty God doth testifie and declare whence the Original Beginning of Matrimony cometh and why it is ordained It is instituted of God to the intent that Man and Woman should live lawfully in a perpetual Friendship to bring forth Fruit and to avoid Fornication by which Mean a good Conscience might be preserved on both Parties in bridling the corrupt inclinations of the Flesh within the limits of Honesty for God hath straitly forbidden all Whoredom and Uncleanness and hath from time to time taken grievous punishment of this inordinate Lust as all Stories and Ages have declared Furthermore It is also ordained that the Church of God and his Kingdom might by this kind of life be conserved and enlarged not only in that God giveth Children by his Blessing but also in that they be brought up by the Parents godly in the knowledge of Gods Word that thus the knowledge of God and true Religion might be delivered by Succession from one to another that finally many might enjoy that evâ—rlasting Immortality Wherefore for as much as Matrimony serveth us as well to avoid sin and offence as to encrease the Kingdom of God you as all other which enter the State must acknowledge this benefit of God with pure and thankful minds for that he hath so ruled your hearts that ye follow not the example of the wicked World who set their delight in filthiness of sin but both of you stand in the fear of God and abhor all filthiness for that is surely the singular gift of God where the common example of the World declareth how the Devil hath their hearts bound and entangled in divers snares so that they in their Wifeless State run into open abominations without any grudge of their Conscience Which sort of Men that live so desperately and filthy what damnation tarrieth for them St. Paul describeth it to them saying Neither Whoremongers 1 Cor. 6. neither Adulterers shall inherit the Kingdom of God This horrible Judgment of God ye be escaped through his mercy if so be that ye live inseparatly according to Gods Ordinance But yet I would not have you careless without watching for the Devil will assay to attempt all things to interrupt and hinder your Hearts and godly Purpose if ye will give him any entry For he will either labor to break this godly knot once begun betwixt you or else at the least he will labor to incumber it with divers griefs and displeasures And this is the principal craft to work dissension of Hearts of the one from the other that whereas now there is pleasant and sweet Love betwixt you he will in the stead thereof bring in most bittet and unpleasant discord and surely that same Adversary of ours doth as it were from above assault Mans nature and condition For this folly is ever from our tender Age grown up with us to have a desire to rule to think highly of our selves so that none thinketh it meet to give place to another That wicked Voice of stubborn Will and Self-love is more meet to break and to dissever the love of Heart than to preserve Concord Wherefore married Persons must apply their minds in most earnest wise to Concord and must crave continually of God the help of his Holy Spirit so to rule their Hearts and to knit their Minds together that they be not dissevered by any Division or Discord This necessity of Prayer must be oft in practice and using of married Persons that oft times the one should pray for the other lest hate and debate do arise betwixt them And because few do consider this thing but more few do perform it I say to pray diligently we see how wonderfully the Devil deludeth and scorneth this State how few Matrimonies there be without Chidings Brawlings Tauntings Repentings bitter Cursings and Fightings which things whosoever doth commit they do not consider that it is the instigation of the Ghostly Enemy who taketh great delight therein for else they would with all earnest endeavor strive against these mischiefs not only with Prayer but also with all possible diligence yea they would not give place to the provocation of Wrath which stirreth them either to such rough and sharp Words or Stripes which is surely compassed by the Devil whose temptation if it be followed must needs begin and weave the Web of all Miseries and Sorrows For this is most certainly true that of such beginnings must needs ensue the breach of true Concord in Heart whereby all Love must needs shortly be banished Then can it not be but a miserable thing to behold that yet they are of necessity compelled to live together which yet cannot be in quiet together And this is most customably every where to be seen But what is the cause thereof Forsooth because they will not consider the crafty Trains of the Devil and therefore give not themselves to pray to God that he would vouchsafe to repress his Power Moreover they do not consider how they promote the purpose of the Devil in that they follow the wrath of their hearts while they threat one another while they in their folly turn all upside down while they will never give over their right as they esteem it yea while many times they will not give over the wrong part indeed Learn thou therefore if thou desirest to be void of all these miseries if thou desirest to live peaceably and comfortably in Wedlock how to make thy earnest Prayer to God that he would govern both your Hearts by the Holy Spirit to restrain the Devils power whereby your Concord may remain perpetually But to this Prayer must be joyned a singular diligence whereof St. Peter giveth this precept saying You Husbands deal with your Wives according to knowledge giving honor to the Wife as unto the weaker Vessel and as unto them that are Heirs also of the grace of Life that your Prayers be not hindred This precept doth particularly pertain to the Husband for he ought to be the Leader and Author of Love in cherishing and increa ing Concord which then shall take place if he will use Moderation and not Tyranny and if he yield something to the Woman For the Woman is a weak Creature not indued with like strength and constancy of Mind therefore they be the sooner disquieted and they be the more prone to all weak affections and dispositions of Mind more than Men be and lighter they be and more vain in their Fantasies and Opinions These things must be considered of the Man that he be not too stiff so that he ought to wink at some things and must gently expound all things and to forbear Howbeit The common sort of Men do judge
thy House Thy Children shall be as the young Springs of the Olives about thy Table Lo thus shall that Man be blessed saith David that feareth the Lord. This let the Wife have ever in mind the rather admonished thereto by the Apparel of her Head whereby is signified that she is under covert or obedience of her Husband And as that Apparel is of Nature so appointed to declare her subjection so biddeth St. Paul that all other of her Raiment should express both Shamefacedness and Sobriety For if it be not lawful for the Woman to have her Head bare but to bear thereon the Sign of her Power wheresoever she goeth more is it required that she declare the thing that is meant thereby And therefore those Ancient Women of the old World called their Husbands Lords and shewed them reverence in obeying them But peradventure she will say That those Men loved their Wives indeed I know that well enough and bear it well in mind but when I do admonish you of your Duties then call not to consideration what their Duties be For when we our selves do teach our Children to obey us as their Parents or when we reform our Servants and tell them that they should obey their Masters not only at the Eye but as the Lord if they should tell us again our Duties we should not think it well done for when we be admonished of our Duties and Faults we ought not then to seek what other Mens Duties be For though a Man had a Companion in his fault yet should he not thereby be without his fault But this must be only looked on by what means thou mayest make thy self without blame for Adam did lay the blame upon the Woman and she turned it unto the Serpent but yet neither of them was thus excused and therefore bring not such excuses to me at this time but apply all thy diligence to hear thine obedience to thine Husband For when I take in hand to admonish thy Husband to love thee and to cherish thee yet will I not cease to set out the Law that is appointed for the Woman as well as I would require of the Man what is written for his Law Go thou therefore about such things as becometh thee only and shew thy self tractable to thy Husband or rather if thou wilt obey thy Husband for Gods precept then alledge such things as be in his duty to do but perform thou diligently those things which the Law-maker hath charged thee to do for thus is it most reasonable to obey God if thou wilt not suffer thy self to transgress his Law He that loveth his Friend seemeth to do no great thing but he that honoreth that is hurtful and hateful to him this Man is worthy most commendation even so think you if thou canst suffer an extream Husband thou shalt have a great reward therefore but if thou lovest him only because he is courteous what reward will God give thee therefore Yet I speak not these things that I would wish the Husbands to be sharp towards their Wives but I exhort the Women that they would patiently bear the sharpness of their Husbands For when either Parties do their best to perform their Duties the one to the other then followeth thereon great profit to their Neighbors for their Examples sake For when the Woman is ready to suffer a sharp Husband and the Man will not extreamly entreat his stubborn and troublesome Wife then be all things in quiet as in a most sure Haven Even thus was it done in old time that every one did their own Duty and Office and was not busie to require the Duty of their Neighbors Consider I pray thee that Abraham took to him his Brothers Son his Wife did not blame him therefore He commanded him to go with him a long Journey she did not gainsay it but obeyed his precept Again after all those great miseries labors and pains of that Journey when Abraham was made as Lord over all yet did he give place to Lot of his Superiority which matter Sarah took so little to grief that she never once suffered her Tongue to speak such words as the common manner of Women is wont to do in these days when they see their Husbands in such Rooms to be made Underlings and to be put under their Youngers then they upbraid them with cumbrous Talk and call them Fools Dastards and Cowards for so doing But Sarah was so far from speaking any such thing that it came never into her mind thought so to say but allowed the Wisdom and Will of her Husband Yea besides all this after the said Lot had thus his Will and left to his Uncle the less portion of Land he chanced to fall into extream Peril which chance when it came to the knowledge of this said Patriarch he incontinently put all his Men in harness and prepared himself with all his Family and Friends against the Host of the Persians In which case Sarah did not counsel him to the contrary nor did say as then might have been said My Husband whither goest thou so unadvisedly Why runnest thou thus on head Why dost thou offer thy self to so great Perils and art thus ready to jeopard thine own Life and to peril the Lives of all thine for such a Man as hath done thee such wrong At the least way if thou regardest not thy self yet have compassion on me which for thy love have forsaken my Kindred and my Countrey and have the want both of my Friends and Kinsfolk and am thus come into so far Countries with thee have pity on me and make me not here a Widow to cast me into such cares and troubles Thus might she have said but Sarah neither said nor thought such words but she kept her self in silence in aâ—l things Furthermore all that time when she was Barren and took no Pains as other Women did by bringing forth Fruit in his House What did he he complained not to his Wife but to Almighty God And consider how either of them did their Duties as became them for neither did he despise Sarah because she was Barren nor never did cast it in her teeth Consider again how Abraham expelled the Handmaid out of the House when she required it so that by this I may truly prove that the one was pleased and contented with the other in all things but yet set not your eyes only on this matter but look further what was done before this that Hagar used her Mistress despitefully and that Abraham himself was somewhat provoked against her which must needs be an intolerable matter and a painful to a free-hearted Woman and a chast Let not therefore the Woman be too busie to call for the Duty of her Husband where she should be ready to perform her own for that is not worthy any great commendations And even so again let not the Man only consider what belongeth to the Woman and to stand too earnestly gazing thereon
Luke 7.16 The same grace and favor did the sinful Woman Magdalen Zacheus the poor Thief and many others feel All which things ought to serve for our comfort against the temptations of our Consciences whereby the Devil goeth about to shake or rather to overthrow our Faith For every one of us ought to apply the same unto himself and say Yet now return unto the Lord neither let the remembrance of thy former life discourage thee yea the more wicked that it hath been the more fervent and earnest let thy Repentance or returning be and forthwith thou shalt feel the ears of the Lord wide open unto thy Prayers But let us more narrowly look upon the Commandment of the Lord touching this matter Turn unto me saith he by the holy Prophet Joel with all your hearts with Fasting Weeping and Mourning Rent your Hearts and not your Garments c. In which words he comprehendeth all manner of things that can be spoken of Repentance which is a returning again of the whole Man unto God from whom we be fallen away by sin But that the whole Discourse thereof may the better be born away we shall first consider in order four principal Points that is from what we must return to whom we must return by whom we may be able to convert and the manner how to turn to God First From whence we must turn From whence or from what things we must return Truly we must return from those things whereby we have been withdrawn pluckt and led away from God And these generally are our sins which as the holy Prophet Esay doth testifie do separate God and us and hide his Face that he will not hear us But under the name of sin not only those gross words and deeds which by the common judgment of Men are counted to be filthy and unlawful and so consequently abominable sins but also the filthy Lusts and inward Concupiscences of the Flesh which as St. Paul testifieth do resist the Will and Spirit of God Gal. 5. and therefore ought earnestly to be bridled and kept under We must repent of the false and erroneous Opinions that we have had of God and the wicked Superstition that doth breed of the same the unlawful worshipping and service of God and other like Ephes 5. All these things must they forsake that will truly turn unto the Lord and repent aright For sith that for such things the wrath of God cometh upon the Children of disobedience no end of punishment ought to be looked for as long as we continue in such things Therefore they be here condemned which will seem to be repentant Sinners and yet will not forsake their Idolatry and Superstition Secondly We must see unto whom we ought to return Unto whom we ought to return Revertimini usque ad me saith the Lord that is return as far as unto me We must then return unto the Lord yea we must return unto him alone For he alone is the Truth and the Fountain of all goodness but we must labor that we do return as far as unto him and that we do never cease nor rest till we have apprehended and taken hold upon him But this must be done by Faith for sith that God is a Spirit he can by no other means be apprehended and taken hold upon Wherefore first they do greatly err which do not turn unto God but unto the Creatures or unto the inventions of Men or unto their own Merits Secondly They that do begin to return unto the Lord By whom we must return unto God and do saint in the Midway before they come to the mark that is appointed unto them Thirdly Because we have of our own selves nothing to present us to God and do no less flee from him after our Fall than our first Parent Adam did who when he had sinned did seek to hide himself from the sight of God we have need of a Mediator for to bring and reconcile us unto him who for our sins is angry with us The same is Jesus Christ who being true and natural God equal and of one substance with the Father did at the time appointed take upon him our frail Nature in the blessed Virgins Womb and that of her undefiled Substance that so he might be a Mediator between God and us and pacifie his wrath Of him doth the Father himself speak from Heaven saying Mat. 3. This is my well-beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased And he himself in his Gospel doth cry out and say John 14. I am the Way the Truth and the Life no Man cometh unto the Father but by me For he alone did with the Sacrifice of his Body and Blood John 1. 1 Pet. 1. Acts 5. make satisfaction unto the Justice of God for our sins The Apostles do testifie that he was exalted for to give repentance and remission of sins unto Israel both which things he himself did command to be preached in his name Luke 24. Therefore they are greatly deceived that preach Repentance without Christ John 15. and teach the simple and ignorant that it consisteth only in the Works of Men. They may indeed speak many things of good Works and of amendment of Life and Manners but without Christ they be all vain and unprofitable They that think that they have done much of themselves towards Repentance are so much more the farther from God because they do seek those things in their own Works and Merits which ought only to be sought in our Saviour Jesus Christ and in the merits of his Death and Passion and Blood-shedding Fourthly This holy Prophet Joel doth lively express the manner of this our Returning or Repentance comprehending all the inward and outward things that may be here observed First He will havs us to return unto God with our whole heart The manner of our turning Esay 29. Mat. 15. whereby he doth remove and put away all Hypocrisie lest the same might justly be said unto us This People draweth near with their mouth and worship me with their lips but their heart is far off from me Secondly He requireth a sincere and pure love of godliness and of the true worshipping and service of God that is to say that forsaking all manner of things that are repugnant and contrary unto Gods Will we do give our hearts unto him and the whole strength of our Bodies and Souls according to that which is written in the Law Deut. 6. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy Soul and with all thy Strength Here therefore nothing is lest unto us that we may give unto the World and unto the Lusts of the Flesh For sith that the heart is the Fountain of all our Works as many as do with their whole heart turn unto the Lord do live unto him only Halting on both sides Neither do they yet repent truly that halting on both sides do
otherwhiles obey God but by and by do think that laying him aside it is lawful for them to serve the World and the Flesh And because that we are letted by the natural corruption of our own Flesh and the wicked affections of the same he doth bid us also to return with Fasting not thereby understanding a superstitious Abstinence and choosing of Meats but a true Discipline or taming of the Flesh whereby the nourishments of filthy Lusts and of stubborn Contumacy and Pride may be withdrawn and pluckt away from it Whereunto he doth add weeping and mourning which do contain an outward profession of Repentance which is very needful and necessary that so we may partly set forth the righteousness of God when by such means we do testifie that we deserved punishments at his hands and partly stop the offence that was openly given unto the weak Psal 25. Thus did David see who being not content to have bewept and bewailed his sins privately would publickly in his Psalms declare and set forth the rigteousness of God in punishing sin and also stay them that might have abused his Example to sin the more boldly Therefore they are farthest from true Repentance that will not confess and acknowledge their sins nor yet bewail them but rather do most ungodlily glory and rejoyce in them Now lest any Man should think that Repentance doth consist in outward weeping and mourning only he doth rehearse that wherein the chief of the whole matter doth lie when he saith Rent your Hearts and not your Garments and turn unto the Lord your God For the People of the East part of the World were wont to rent their Garments Psal 52. if any thing hapned unto them that seemed intolerable Hypocrites do counterfeit all manner of things This thing did Hypocrites sometimes counterfeit and follow as though the whole Repentance did stand in such outward gesture He teacheth then that another manner of thing is required that is That they must be contrite in their Hearts that they must utterly detest and abhor Sins and being at defiance with them return unto the Lord their God from whom they went away before For God hath no pleasure in the outward Ceremony but requireth a contrite and humble Heart Psal 52. which he will never despise as David doth testifie There is therefore none other use of these outward Ceremonies but as far forth as we are stirred up by them and do serve to the glory of God and to the edifying of others Now doth he add unto this Doctrin or Exhortation How Repentance is not unprofitable certain godly Reasons which he doth ground upon the nature and property of God and whereby he doth teach that true Repentance can never be unprofitable or unfruitful For as in all other things Mens hearts do quail and faint if they once perceive that they travel in vain Even so most especially in this matter must we take heed and beware that we suffer not our selves to be persuaded that all that we do is but labor lost for thereof either sudden desperation doth arise or a licentious boldness to sin which at length bringeth unto desperation Lest any such thing then should happen unto them he doth certifie them of the grace and goodness of God who is always most ready to receive them into favor again that turn speedily unto him Which thing he doth prove with the same Titles wherewith God doth describe and set forth himself unto Moses speaking on this manner Exod. 34. For he is gracious and merciful slow to anger of great kindness and repenteth him of the evil that is such a one as is sorry for your Afflictions First He calleth him gentle and gracious as he who of his own nature is more prompt and ready to do good than to punish Whereunto this saying of Esaias the Prophet seemeth to pertain where he saith Esay 55. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous his own imaginations and return unto the Lord and he will have pity on him and to our God for he is very ready to forgive Secondly Doth attribute unto him mercy or rather according to the Hebrew word the Bowels of mercies whereby he signified the natural affections of Parents towards their Children Which thing David doth set forth goodly Psal 103. saying As a Father hath compassion on his Children so hath the Lord compassion on them that fear him for he knoweth whereof we be made he remembreth that we are but dust Thirdly He saith that he is slow to anger that is to say long-suffering and which is not lightly provoked to wrath Fourthly That he is of much kindness for he is that bottomless Well of all goodness who rejoyceth to do good unto us therefore did he create and make Men that he might have whom he should do good unto and make partakers of his Heavenly Riches Fifthly He repenteth of the evil that is to say he doth call back again and revoke the punishment which he had threatned when he seeth Men repent turn and amend Against the Novatians Whereupon we do not without a just cause detest and abhor the damnable Opinion of them which do most wickedly go about to persuade the simple and ignorant People That if we chance after we be once come to God and grafted in his Son Jesus Christ to fall into some horrible sin shall be unprofitable unto us there is no more hope of reconciliation or to be received again into the favor and mercy of God And that they may give the better colour unto their pestilent and pernicious Error they do commonly bring in the sixth and tenth Chapters of the Epistle to the Hebrews and the second Chapter of the second Epistle of Peter not considering that in those places the holy Apostles do not speak of the daily falls that we as long as we carry about this body of sin are subject unto Mat. 12. Mark 3. but of the final falling away from Christ and his Gospel The sin against the Holy Ghost which is a sin against the Holy Ghost that shall never be forgiven because that they do utterly forsake the known Truth do hate Christ and his Word they do crucifie and mock him but to their utter destruction and therefore fall into desparation and cannot repent And that this is the true meaning of the holy Spirit of God it appeareth by many other places of the Scriptures which promise unto all true repentant sinners and to them that with their whole heart do turn unto the Lord their God free pardon and remission of their sins For the probation hereof we read this O Israel saith the holy Prophet Jeremy if thou return Jer. 4. return unto me saith the Lord and if thou put away thine abominations out of my sight then shalt thou not be removed Again these are Esaias words Esay 55. Let the wicked forsake his own ways and the unrighteous his own
imaginations and turn again unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he is ready to forgive And in the Prophet Hosea the godly exhort one another after this manner Come and let us turn again unto the Lord Hos 6. for he hath smitten us and he will heal us he hath wounded us and he will bind us up again Note It is most evident and plain that these things ought to be understood of them that were with the Lord before and by their sins and wickednesses were gone away from him For we do not turn again unto him with whom we were never before but we come unto him Now unto all them that will return unfeignedly unto the Lord their God Eccles 7. 1 John 1. the favor and mercy of God unto forgiveness of sins is liberally offered whereby it followeth necessarily that although we do after we be once come to God and grafted in his Son Jesus Christ fall into great sins for there is no righteous Man upon the Earth that sinneth not and if we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us yet if we rise again by Repentance and with a full purpose of amendment of Life do flee unto the mercy of God taking sure hold thereupon through Faith in his Son Jesu Christ there is an assured and infallible hope of pardon and remission of the same and that we shall be received again into the favor of our Heavenly Father It is written of David Acts 13. 2 Sam. 7. I have found a Man according to mine own heart or I have found David the Son of Jesse a Man according to mine own heart who will do all things that I will This is a great commendation of David It is also most certain that he did stedfastly believe the promise that was made him touching the Messias who should come of him touching the Flesh and that by the same Faith he was justified and grafted in our Saviour Jesu Christ to come and yet afterwards he fell horribly committing most detestable Adultery and damnable Murder and yet as soon as he cried Peccavi 2 Sam. 2. 2 Sam. 22. I have sinned unto the Lord his sin being forgiven he was received into favor again Now will we come unto Peter of whom no Man can doubt but that he was grafted in our Saviour Jesus Christ long before his denial Which thing may easily be proved by the answer which he did in his Name and in the Name of his Fellow Apostles make unto our Saviour Jesus Christ when he said unto them Will ye also go away John 6. Master saith he to whom shall we go Thou hast the words of eternal life and we believe and know that thou art that Christ the Son of the living God Whereunto may be added the like Confession of Peter where Christ doth give us most infallible testimony Thou art blessed Simon the Son of Jonas for neither Flesh nor Blood hath revealed this unto thee but my Father which is in Heaven These words are sufficient to prove that Peter was already justifyed through this lively Faith in the only begotten Son of God whereof he made so notable and so solemn a confession But did not he afterwards most cowardly deny his Master although he had heard of him Mat. 26. Mat. 10. Whosoever denieth me before Men I will deny him before my Father Nevertheless as soon as with weeping eyes and with a sobing heart he did acknowledge his offence and with an earnest repentance did flee unto the mercy of God taking sure hold thereupon through Faith in him whom he had so shamefully denied his sin was forgiven him and for a Certificate and Assurance thereof the Room of his Apostleship was not denied unto him But now mark what doth follow After the same Holy Apostle had on Whitsunday Acts 2. with the rest of the Disciples received the gift of the Holy Ghost most abundantly he committed no small offence in Antiochia by bringing the Consciences of the Faithful into doubt by his Example Gal. 2. so that Paul was fain to rebuke him to his Face because that he walked not uprightly or went not the right way in the Gospel Shall we now say that after this grievous offence he was utterly excluded and shut out from the grace and mercy of God and that this his trespass whereby he was a stumbling Block unto many was unpardonable God defend we should say so But as these Examples are not brought in to the end that we should thereby take a boldness to sin presuming on the mercy and goodness of God but to the end that if through the frailness of our own Flesh and the temptation of the Devil we fall into like sins we should in no wise despair of the mercy and goodness of God What we must beware of Even so must we beware and take heed that we do in no wise think in our hearts imagine or believe that we are able to repent aright or to turn effectually unto the Lord by our own might and strength For this must be verified in all Men John 15. 2 Cor. 3. Phil. 2. Without me ye can do nothing Again Of our selves we are not able as much as to think a good thought And in another place It is God that worketh in us both the Will and the Deed. For this cause although Jeremy had said before Jer. 6. If thou return O Israel return unto me saith the Lord yet afterwards he saith Turn thou me O Lord and I shall be turned for thou art the Lord my God And therefore that holy Writer and ancient Father Ambrose doth plainly affirm That the turning of the heart unto God Ambros de Vocat Gent. lib. 8 cap. 9. is of God as the Lord himself doth testifie by his Prophet saying And I will give thee an heart to know me that I am the Lord and they shall be my People and I will be their God for they shall return unto me with their whole heart These things being considered let us earnestly pray unto the living God our Heavenly Father that he will vouchsafe by his holy Spirit to work a true and unfeigned Repentance in us that after the painful labors and travels of this Life we may live eternally with his Son Jesus Christ to whom be all praise and glory for ever and ever Amen The Second Part of the Homily of Repentance HItherto have ye heard Well-beloved how needful and necessary the Doctrin of Repentance is and how earnestly it is throughout all the Scriptures of God urged and set forth both by the ancient Prophets by our Saviour Jesus Christ and his Apostles And that for as much as it is the conversion or turning again of the whole Man unto God from whom we go away by sin these four Points ought to be observed that is From whence or from what things we must return
move us to Repent Esay 31. Ezek. 33. Hos 14. First The Commandment of God who in so many places of the holy and sacred Scriptures doth bid us return unto him O ye Children of Israel saith he turn again from your infidelity wherein ye drowned your selves Again Turn you turn you from your evil ways For why will ye die O ye House of Israel And in another place thus doth he speak by his Prophet Hosea O Israel return unto the Lord thy God For thou hast taken a great fall by thine iniquity Take unto you these words with you when you turn unto the Lord and say unto him Take away all iniquity and receive us graciously so will we offer the Calves of our Lips unto thee In all these places we have an express commandment given unto us of God for to return unto him Therefore we must take good heed unto our selves lest whereas we have already by our manifold sins and transgressions provoked and kindled the wrath of God against us we do by breaking this his Commandment double our offences and so heap still damnation upon our own heads by our daily offences and trespasses whereby we provoke the eyes of his Majesty we do well deserve if he should deal with us according to his justice to be put away for ever from the fruition of his Glory How much more then are we worthy of the endless torments of Hell if when we be so gently called again after our Rebellion and commanded to return we will in no wise hearken unto the voice of our heavenly Father but walk still after the stubbornness of our own hearts Secondly The most comfortable and sweet promise that the Lord our God did of his meer mercy and goodness joyn unto his Commandment for he doth not only say Return unto me O Israel Jer. 4. but also if thou wilt return and put away all thine abominations out of my sight thou shalt never be moved These words also have we in the Prophet Ezekiel Ezek. 18. At what time soever a sinner doth repent him of his sin from the bottom of his heart I will put all his wickedness out of my remembrance saith the Lord so that they shall be no more thought upon Thus are we sufficiently instructed that God will according to his promise freely pardon forgive and forget all our sins so that we shall never be cast in the teeth with them if obeying his Commadment and allured by his sweet Promises we will unfeignedly return unto him Thirdly The filthiness of sin which is such that as long as we do abide in it God cannot but detest and abhor us neither can there be any hope that we shall enter into the Heavenly Jerusalem except we be first made clean and purged from it But this will never be unless forsaking our former life we do with our whole heart return unto the Lord our God and with a full purpose of amendment of life flee unto his mercy taking sure hold thereupon through Faith in the Blood of his Son Jesus Christ If we should suspect any uncleanness to be in us Similitude wherefore the earthly Prince should loath and abhor the sight of us what pains would we take to remove and put it away How much more ought we with all diligence and speed that may be to put away that unclean filthiness that doth separate and make a division betwixt us and our God Esay 59. and that hideth his Face from us that he will not hear us And verily herein doth appear how filthy a thing sin is sith than it can by no other means be washed away but by the Blood of the only begotten Son of God And shall we not from the bottom of our hearts detest and abhor and with all earnestness flee from it sith that it did cost the dear Heart-Blood of the only begotten Son of God our Saviour and Redeemer to purge us from it Plato doth in a certain place write that if Vertue could be seen with bodily Eyes all Men would wonderfully be inflamed and kindled with the love of it even so on the contrary if we might with our bodily Eyes behold the filthiness of sin and the uncleanness thereof we could in no wise abide it but as most present and deadly Poison hate and eschew it We have a common Experience of the same in them which when they have committed any heinous offence or some filthy and abominable sin if it once come to light or if they chance to have a through feeling of it they be so ashamed their own Conscience putting before their Eyes the filthiness of their Act that they dare look no Man in the Face much less that they should be able to stand in the sight of God Fourthly The uncertainty and brittleness of our own lives which is such that we cannot assure our selves that we shall live one hour or one half quarter of it Which by experience we do find daily to be true in them that being now merry and lusty and sometimes Feasting and Banqueting with their Friends do fall suddenly dead in the Streets and otherwhiles under the Board when they are at meat These daily Examples as they are most terrible and dreadful so ought they to move us to seek for to be at one with our heavenly Judge that we may with a good Conscience appear before him whensoever it shall please him for to call us whether it be suddenly or otherwise for we have no more Charter of our life than they have But as we are most certain that we shall die so are we most uncertain when we shall die For our life doth lie in the hand of God who will take it away when it pleaseth him And verily when the highest Summer of all Death the Lords Sumner Eccles 11. Contra Demetrianum Eccles 5. which is death shall come he will not be said nay but we must be forthwith be packing to be present before the Judgment seat of God as he doth find us according as it is written Whereas the Tree falleth whether it be toward the South or toward the North there it shall lie Whereunto agreeth the saying of the holy Martyr of God St. Cyprian saying As God doth find thee when he doth call so doth he judge thee Let us therefore follow the Counsel of the Wise Man where he saith Make no tarrying to turn unto the Lord and put not off from day to day For suddenly shall the wrath of the Lord break forth and in thy security shalt thou be destroyed and shalt perish in the time of Vengeance Which words I desire you to mark diligently because they do most lively put before our Eyes the fondness of many Men who abusing the long-suffering and goodness of God do never think on Repentance or amendment of Life Follow not saith he thine own mind and thy strength to walk in the ways of thy heart neither say thou Who will bring me under for
my works For God the Revenger will revenge the wrong done by thee And say not I have sinned and what evil hath come unto me For the Almighty is a patient Rewarder but he will not leave thee unpunished Because thy sins are forgiven thee be not without fear to heap sin upon sin Say not neither The mercy of God is great he will forgive my manifold sins For mercy and wrath come from him and his indignation cometh upon unrepentant sinners As if ye should say Art thou strong and mighty Art thou lusty and young Hast thou the Wealth and Riches of the World Or when thou hast sinned hast thou received no punishment for it Let none of all these things make thee to be the slower to repent and to return with speed unto the Lord. For in the day of punishment and of his sudden vengeance they shall not be able to help thee And specially when thou art either by the Preaching of Gods Word or by some inward motion of his holy Spirit or else by some other means called unto Repentance neglect not the good occasion that is ministred unto thee lest when thou wouldst repent thou hast not the grace for to do it For to repent is a good gift of God which he will never grant unto them who living in carnal security do make a mock of his Threatnings or seek to rule his Spirit as they list as though his working and gifts were tied unto their will Fifthly The avoiding of the plagues of God and the utter destruction that by his righteous Judgment doth hang over the heads of them all that will in no wise return unto the Lord Jer. 24. I will saith the Lord give them for a terrible plague to all the Kingdoms of the Earth and for a Reproach and for a Proverb and for a Curse in all places where I shall cast them and will send the Sword of Famine and the Pestilence among them till they be consumed out of the Land And wherefore is this Because they hardned their hearts and would in no wise return from their evil ways nor yet forsake the wickedness that was in their own hands that the fierceness of the Lords fury might depart from them Rom. 8. But yet this is nothing in comparison of the intolerable and endless torments of Hell fire which they shall be fain to suffer who after their hardness of heart that cannot repent do heap unto themselves Wrath against the day of anger and of the declaration of the just Judgment of God Whereas if we will repent and be earnestly sorry for our sin and with a full purpose and amendment of Life flee unto the mercy of our God and taking sure hold thereupon through Faith in our Saviour Jesus Christ do bring forth Fruits worthy of Repentance he will not only pour his manifold Blessings upon us here in this World but also at the last after the painful Travels of this Life reward us with the inheritance of his Children which is the Kingdom of Heaven purchased unto us with the death of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord To whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost be all praise glory and honor World without end Amen AN HOMILY AGAINST Disobedience and Wilful Rebellion The First Part. AS God the Creator Lord of all things appointed his Angels and heavenly Creatures in all obedience to serve and to honor his Majesty so was it his will that Man his chief Creature upon the Earth should live under the obedience of his Creator and Lord and for that cause God as soon as he had created Man gave unto him a certain Precept and Law which he being yet in the State of innocency and remaining in Paradise should observe as a pledge and token of his due and bounden Obedience with denunciation of Death if he did transgress and break the said Law and Commandment And as God would have Man to be his obedient Subject so did he make all earthly Creatures subject unto Man who kept their due obedience unto Man so long as Man remained in his obedience unto God In the which obedience if Man had continued still there had been no Poverty no Diseases no Sickness no Death nor other miseries wherewith Mankind is now infinitely and most miserably afflicted and oppressed So here appeareth the Original Kingdom of God over Angels and Man and universally over all things and of Man over earthly Creatures which God hath made subject unto him and withal the felicity and blessed State which Angels Man and all Creatures had remained in had they continued in due obedience unto God their King For as long as in this first Kingdom the Subjects continued in due obedience to God their King so long did God embrace all his Subjects with his love favor and grace which to enjoy is perfectly Felicity whereby it is evident that Obedience is the principal Vertue of all Vertues and indeed the very root of all Vertues Mat. 4. b. 9. Mat. 25. d. 41. John 8. f. 44. 2 Pet. 2. a 4. Epist Jude a. 6. Apoc. 12. b. 7. Gen. 3. a. 1 Wisd 2. d. 24. Gen. 3. b. 8.9 c. c. 17. d. 23.24 and the cause of all Felicity But as all Felicity and Blessedness should have continued with the continuance of Obedience so with the breach of Obedience and breaking in of Rebellion all Vices and Miseries did withal break in and overwhelm the World The first Author of which Rebellion the Root of all Vices and Mother of all Mischiefs was Lucifer first Gods most excellent Creature and most bounden Subject who by Rebelling against the Majesty of God of the brightest and most glorious Angel is become the blackest and most foul Fiend and Devil and from the height of Heaven is fallen into the Pit and bottom of Hell Here you may see the first Author and Founder of Rebellion and the reward thereof here you may see the grand Captain and Father of Rebels who perswading the following of his Rebellion against God their Creator and Lord unto our first Parents Adam and Eve brought them in high displeasure with God wrought their exile and banishment out of Paradise a place of pleasure and goodness into this wretched earth and vale of misery procured unto them sorrows of their Minds Mischiefs Sickness Diseases death of their Bodies and which is far more horrible than all worldly and bodily Mischiefs Rom. 5. c. 12. c. d. 19. c. he had wrought thereby their eternal and everlasting death and damnation had not God by the obedience of his Son Jesus Christ repaired that which Man by Disobedience and Rebellion had destroyed and so of his mercy had pardoned and forgiven him of which all and singular the Premises the holy Scriptures do bear record in sundry places Thus do you sâ—e that neither Heaven nor Paradise could suffer any Rebellion in them neither be places for any Rebels to remain in Thus became
shall please him he turneth it Thus say the Scriptures Wherefore let us turn from our sins unto the Lord with all our Hearts and he will turn the Heart of the Prince unto our quiet and wealth Else for Subjects to deserve through their sins to have an evil Prince and then to Rebel against him were double and treble evil by provoking God more to plague them Nay let us either deserve to have a good Prince or let us patiently suffer and obey such as we deserve And whether the Prince be good or evil let us according to the Counsel of the holy Scriptures Pray for the Prince for his continuance and increase in goodness if he be good and for his amendment if he be evil Will you hear the Scriptures concerning this most necessary Point 1 Tim. 2. I exhort therefore saith St. Paul that above all things Prayers Supplications Intercessions and giving of Thanks be had for all Men for Kings and all that are in Authority that we may live a quiet and peaceable life with all godliness for that is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour c. This is St. Pauls Counsel and who I pray you was Prince over the most part of the Christians when Gods holy Spirit by St. Pauls Pen gave them this Lesson Forsooth Caligula Claudius or Nero who were not only no Christians but Pagans and also either foolish Rulers or most cruel Tyrants Will you yet hear the Word of God to the Jews when they were Prisoners under Nabuchodonosor King of Babylon after he had slain their Kings Nobles Parents Children and Kinsfolks burned their Country Cities yea Jerusalem it self and the holy Temple and had carried the residue remaining a live Captives with him into Babylon Will you hear yet what the Prophet Baruch saith unto Gods People being in this Captivity Baruc. 1.11 Pray you saith the Prophet for the life of Nabuchodonosor King of Babylon and for the life of Balthasar his Son that their days may be as the days of Heaven upon the Earth that God also may give us strength and lighten our Eyes that we may live under the defence of Nabuchodonosor King of Babylon and under the Protection of Balthasar his Son that we may long do them service and find favor in their sight Pray for us also unto the Lord our God for we have sinned against the Lord our God Thus far the Prophet Baruch his words which are spoken by him unto the People of God of that King who was an Heathen a Tyrant and cruel Oppressor of them and had been a Murtherer of many Thousands of their Nations and a Destroyer of their Country with a Confession that their sins had deserved such a Prince to Reign over them And shall the old Christians by St. Pauls exhortation Pray for Caligula Claudius or Nero Shall the Jews Pray for Nabuchodonosor These Emperors and Kings being strangers unto them being Pagans and Infidels being Murtherers Tyrants and cruel Oppressors of them and Destroyers of their Country Countrymen and Kinsmen the Burners of their Villages Towns Cities and Temples And shall not we Pray for the long prosperous and godly Reign of our natural Prince No stranger which is observed as a great blessing in the Scriptures of our Christian our most gracious Sovereign no Heathen nor Pagan Prince Shall we not Pray for the health of our most merciful most loving Sovereign the Preserver of us and our Country in so long peace quietness and security no cruel Person no Tyrant no Spoyler of our Goods no Shedder of Blood no Burner and Destroyer of our Towns Cities and Countries as were those for whom yet as ye have heard Christians being their Subjects ought to Pray Let us not commit so great Ingratitude against God and our Sovereign as not continually to thank God for his Government and for his great and continual benefits and blessings poured upon us by such Government Let us not commit so great a sin aginst God against our selves and our Country as not to pray continually unto God for the long continuance of so gracious a Ruler unto us and our Countrey Else shall we be unworthy any longer to enjoy those benefits and blessings of God which hitherto we have had by her shall be most worthy to fall into all those mischiefs and miseries which we and our Country have by Gods grace through her Government hitherto escaped What shall we say of those Subjects May we call them by the name of Subjects Who neither be thankful nor make any Prayer to God for so gracious a Sovereign but also themselves take Armor wickedly assemble Companies and Bands of Rebels to break the publick Peace so long continued and to make not War but Rebellion to endanger the Person of such a gracious Sovereign to hazard the Estate of their Countrey for whose defence they should be ready to spend their Lives and being English Men to rob spoil destroy and burn in England English Men to kill and murder their own Neighbors and Kinsfolk their own Countrey-men to do all evil and mischief yea and more too than Foreign Enemies would or could do What shall we say of these Men who use themselves thus rebelliously against their gracious Sovereign Who if God for their wickedness had given them an Heathen Tyrant to Reign over them were by Gods Word bound to obey him and to pray for him What may be spoken of them So far doth their unkindness unnaturalness wickedness mischievousness in their doings pass and excel any thing and all things that can be expressed and uttered by words Only let us wish unto all such most speedy Repentance and with so grievous sorrow of heart as such so horrible sins against the Majesty of God do require who in most extream unthankfulness do rise not only against their gracious Prince against their natural Countrey but against all their Countrey-men Women and Children against themselves their Wives Children and Kinsfolks and by so wicked an example against all Christendom and against whole Mankind of all manner of People throughout the wide World such Repentance I say such sorrow of Heart God grant unto all such whosoever rise of private and malicious purpose as is meet for such mischiefs attempted and wrought by them And unto us and all other Subjects God of his mercy grant that we may be most unlike to all such and most like to good natural loving and obedient Subjects Nay that we may be such indeed not only shewing all obedience our selves but as many of us as be able to the uttermost of our power ability understanding to stay and repress all Rebels and Rebellions against God our gracious Prince and natural Country at every occasion that is offered unto us And that which we are all able to do unless we do it we shall be most wicked and most worthy to feel in the end such extreme Plagues as God hath ever poured upon Rebels Let us make
continual Prayers unto Almighty God even from the bottom of our hearts that he will give his grace power and strength unto our gracious King to vanquish and subdue all as well Rebels at home as Foreign Enemies that all Domestical Rebellions being suppressed and pacified and all outward Invasions repulsed and abandoned we may not only be sure and long continue in all obedience un o our gracious Sovereign and in that peaceable and quiet life which hitherto we have led under his Majesty with all security but also that both our gracious King and we his Subjects may all together in all obedience unto God the King of Kings and unto his holy Laws lead our lives so in this World in all Vertue and Godliness that in the World to come we may enjoy his everlasting Kingdom which I beseech God to grant as well to our gracious Sovereign as unto us all for his Son our Saviour Jesus Christs sake To whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost one God and King immortal be all glory praise and thanksgiving World without end Amen Thus have you heard the First Part of this Homily Now good People Let us pray The PRAYER as in that time it was Published O Most mighty God the Lord of Hosts the Governor of all Creatures the only giver of all Victories who alone art able to strengthen the Weak against the Mighty and to vanquish infinite multitudes of thine Enemies with the Countenance of a few of thy Servants calling upon thy Name and trusting in thee Defend O Lord thy Servant and our Governor under thee our Sovereign Lord the KING and all thy People committed to his charge O Lord withstand the cruelty of all those which be Common Enemies as well to the Truth of thy Eternal Word as to their own natural Prince and Country and manifestly to this Crown and Realm of England which thou hast of thy Divine Providence assigned in these our days to the Government of thy Servant our Sovereign and gracious KING O most merciful Father if it be thy holy Will make soft and tender the stony Hearts of all those that exalt themselves against thy Truth and seek either to trouble the quiet of this Realm of England or to oppress the Crown of the same and convert them to the knowledge of thy Son the only Saviour of the World Jesus Christ that we and they may joyntly glorifie thy Mercies Lighten we beseech the their ignorant Hearts to embrace the Truth of thy Word or else so abate their cruelty O most mighty Lord that this our Christian Realm with others that confess thy holy GOSPEL may obtain by thy aid and strength surety from all Enemies without shedding of Christian Blood whereby all they which be oppressed with their Tyranny may by relieved and they which be in fear of their cruelty may be comforted and finally that all Christian Realms and especially this Realm of England may by thy Defence and Protection continue in the Truth of the Gospel and enjoy perfect Peace Quietness and Security And that we for these thy Mercies joyntly all together with one consonant Heart and Voice may thankfully render to thee all Laud and Praise that we knit in one Godly concord and unity amongst our selves may continually magnifie thy glorious Name who with thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ and the holy Ghost art one Eternal Almighty and most merciful God To whom be all Laud and Praise World without end Amen The Second Part of the Homily against Disobedience and Wilful Rebellion AS in the First Part of this Treaty of Obedience of Subjects to their Princes and against Disobedience and Rebellion I have alledged divers sentences out of the holy Scriptures for proof so shall it be good for the better declaration and confirmation of the said wholsom Doctrin to alledge one example or two out of the holy Scriptures of the Obedience of Subjects not only unto their good and gracious Governors but also unto their evil and unkind Princes As King Saul was not of the best but rather of the worst sort of Princes as being out of Gods favor for his disobedience against God in sparing in a wrong pity the King Agag whom Almighty God commanded to be slain according to the Justice of God against his sworn Enemy and although Saul of a Devotion meant to Sacrifice such things as he spared of the Amalechites to the Honor and Service of God yet Saul was reproved for his wrong Mercy and Devotion and was told that Obedience would have more pleased him than such lenity which sinful humanity saith holy Chrysostom is more cruel before God than any Murther or shedding of Blood when it is commanded of God But yet how evil soever Saul the King was and out of Gods favor yet was he obeyed of his Subject David the very best of all Subjects and most valiant in the service of his Prince and Country in the Wars the most obedient and loving in Peace and always most true and faithful to his Sovereign and Lord and farthest off from all manner of Rebellion For the which his most painful true and faithful Service King Saul yet rewarded him not only with great unkindness but also sought his destruction and death by all means possible so that David was fain to save his life not by Rebellion or any Resistance but by flight and hiding himself from the Kings sight Which notwithstanding when King Saul upon a time came alone into the Cave where David was so that David might easily have slain him yet would he neither hurt him himself neither suffer any of his Men to lay hands upon him Another time also David entring by night with one Abisai a valiant and fierce Man into the Tent where King Saul did lie asleep where also he might yet more easily have slain him yet would he neither hurt him himself nor suffer Abisai who was willing and ready to slay King Saul once to touch him Thus did David deal with Saul his Prince notwithstanding that King Saul continually saught his death and destruction It shall not be amiss unto these Deeds of David to add his words and to shew you what he spake unto such as encouraged him to take his opportunity and advantage to slay King Saul as his mortal Enemy when he might 1 Reg. 24. b. 7 c. 1 Reg. 26. b. 9. b. 10 c. The Lord keep me saith David from doing that thing and from laying hands upon my Lord Gods Anointed For who can lay his hand upon the Lords Anointed and be guiltless As truly as the Lord liveth except that the Lord do smite him or his days shall come to die or that he go down to War and be slain in Battel the Lord be merciful unto me that I lay not my hand upon the Lords Anointed These be Davids words 1 Reg. 24. a. 1 Reg. 1 b. 7. b. 9. 2 Reg. 1. b. spoken at sundry times to divers his Servants
that are out of Gods favor and so hurtful or like to be hurtful to the Common-wealth What Answer think you would he make to those that demand An unnatural and wicked Question whether they being naughty and unkind Subjects may not to the great hazard of the life of many thousands and the utter danger of the State of the Common-wealth and the whole Realm assemble a sort of Rebels either to depose to put in fear or to destroy their natural and loving Princes enemy to none good to all even to them the worst of all other the maintainer of perpetual Peace Quietness and Security most beneficial to the Common-Wealth most necessary for the safeguard of the whole Realm What answer would David make to their Demand whether they may not attempt cruelly and unnaturally to destroy so peaceable and merciful a Prince What I say would David so reverently speaking of Saul and so patiently suffering so evil a King what would he answer and say to such Demands What would he say nay what would he do to such high Attempters who so said and did as you before have heard unto him that slew the King his Master though a most wicked Prince If he punished with death as a wicked doer such a Man with what reproaches of words would he revile such yea with what torments of most shameful deaths would he destroy such Hell-hounds rather than evil Men such Rebels I mean as I last spoke of For if they who do disobey an evil and unkind Prince be most unlike unto David that good Subject What be they who do rebel against a most natural and loving Prince And if David being so good a Subject that he obeyed so evil a King was worthy of a Subject to be made a King himself What be they which are so evil Subjects that they will rebel against their gracious Prince worthy of Surely no mortal Man can express with words nor conceive in mind the horrible and most dreadful damnation that such be worthy of who disdaining to be the quiet and happy Subjects of their good Prince are most worthy to be the miserable Captives and vile Slaves of that infernal Tyrant Satan and with him to suffer eternal slavery and torments This one Example of the good Subject David out of the Old Testament may suffice and for the notableness of it serve for all Luk. 2. a. 1 In the New Testament the excellent Example of the blessed Virgin Mary the Mother of our Saviour Christ doth at the first offer it self When Proclamation or Commandment was sent into Jury from Augustus the Emperor of Rome that the People there should repair unto their own Cities and Dwelling places there to be taxed neither did the blessed Virgin though both highly in Gods favor and also being of the Royal Blood of the ancient natural Kings of Jury disdain to obey the Commandment of an Heathen and Foreign Prince when God had placed such an one over them Neither did she alledge for any excuse that she was great with Child and most near her time of Deliverance neither grudged she at the length and tedious Journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem from whence and whither she must go to be taxed neither repined she at the sharpness of the dead time of Winter being the latter end of December an unfit time to travel in specially a long Journey for a Woman being in her case but all excuses set apart she obeyed Luk. 2. a. 7. and came to the appointed place where at her coming she found such great resort and throng of People that finding no place in any Inn she was fain after her long painful and tedious Journey to take up her Lodging in a Stable where also she was delivered of her blessed Child and this also declareth how near her time she took that Journey This Obedience of this most noble and most vertuous Lady to a Foreign Pagan Prince doth well teach us who in comparison of her are most base and vile what ready obedience we do owe to our natural and gracious Sovereign Howbeit in this case the obedience of the whole Jewish Nation being otherwise a stubborn People Luk. a. 2.3 â—at 17. d. 25 c. Mark 12. b. 17. Luke 20. d. 15. Mat. 27. a. Luke 23.1 John 19.20 Mat. 17. c. 26. Luke 23. d. 24. unto the commandment of the same Foreign Heathen Prince doth prove that such Christians as do not most readily obey their natural and gracious Sovereign are far worse than the stubborn Jews whom we yet account as the worst of all People But no Example ought to be of more force with us Christians than the example of Christ our Master and Saviour who though he were the Son of God yet did always behave himself most reverently to such Men as were in Authority in the World in his time and he not rebelliously behaved himself but openly did teach the Jews to pay tribute unto the Roman Emperor though a Foreign and a Pagan Prince yea himself with his Apostles paid tribute unto him And finally being brought before Pontius Pilate a stranger born and an Heathen Man being Lord President of Jury he acknowledged his Authority and Power to be given him from God and obeyed patiently the sentence of most painful and shameful Death which the said Judge pronounced and gave most unjustly against him without any grudge murmuring or evil word once giving There be many and divers other examples of the obedience to Princes even such as be evil in the New Testament to the utter confusion of disobedient and rebellious People but this one may be an eternal Example which the Son of God and so the Lord of all Jesus Christ hath given to us his Christians and Servants and such as may serve for all to teach us to obey Princes though strangers wicked and wrongful when God for our sins shall place such over us Whereby it followeth unavoidably that such as do disobey or rebel against their own natural gracious Sovereigns howsoever they call themselves or be named of others yet are they indeed no true Christians but worse than Jews worse than Heathens and such as shall never enjoy the Kingdom of Heaven which Christ by his obedience purchased for true Christians being obedient to him the King of all Kings and to their Prince whom he hath placed over them The which Kingdom the peculiar place of all such obedient Subjects I beseech God our heavenly Father for the same our Saviour Jesus Christs sake to grant unto us To whom with the Holy Ghost be all laud honor and glory now and for ever Amen Thus have you heard the Second Part of this Homily Now good People Let us pray The PRAYER as in that time it was Published O Most mighty God the Lord of Hosts the Governor of all Creatures the only giver of all Victories who alone art able to strengthen the Weak against the Mighty and to vanquish infinite multitudes of thine
Enemies with the Countenance of a few of thy Servants calling upon thy Name and trusting in thee Defend O Lord thy Servant and our Governor under thee our Sovereign Lord the KING and all thy People committed to his charge O Lord withstand the cruelty of all those which be Common Enemies as well to the Truth of thy Eternal Word as to their own natural Prince and Country and manifestly to this Crown and Realm of England which thou hast of thy Divine Providence assigned in these our days to the Government of thy Servant our Sovereign and gracious KING O most merciful Father if it be thy holy Will make soft and tender the stony Hearts of all those that exalt themselves against thy Truth and seek either to trouble the quiet of this Realm of England or to oppress the Crown of the same and convert them to the knowledge of thy Son the only Saviour of the World Jesus Christ that we and they may joyntly glorifie thy Mercies Lighten we beseech the their ignorant Hearts to embrace the Truth of thy Word or else so abate their cruelty O most mighty Lord that this our Christian Realm with others that confess thy holy GOSPEL may obtain by thy aid and strength surety from all Enemies without shedding of Christian Blood whereby all they which be oppressed with their Tyranny may be relieved and they which be in fear of their cruelty may be comforted and finally that all Christian Realms and especially this Realm of England may by thy Defence and Protection continue in the Truth of the Gospel and enjoy perfect Peace Quietness and Security And that we for these thy Mercies joyntly all together with one consonant Heart and Voice may thankfully render to thee all Laud and Praise that we knit in one Godly concord and unity amongst our selves may continually magnifie thy glorious Name who with thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ and th◠〈◊〉 Ghost art one Eternal Almighty and most mercâ—â—â—â— God To whom be all Laud and Praise World without end Amen The Third Part of the Homily against Disobedience and Wilful Rebellion AS I have in the First Part of this Treatise shewed unto you the Doctrin of the Holy Scriptures as concerning the Obedience of true Subjects to their Princes even as well to such as be evil as unto the good and in the Second Part of the same Treaty confirmed the same Doctrin by notable examples likewise taken out of the Holy Scriptures so remaineth it now that I partly do declare unto you in this Third Part what an abominable sin against God and Man Rebellion is and how dreadfully the wrath of God is kindled and inflamed against all Rebels and what horrible plagues punishments and deaths and finally eternal damnation doth hang over their heads as how on the contrary part good and obedient Subjects are in Gods favor and be partakers of Peace Quietness and Security with other Gods manifold blessings in this World and by his mercies through our Saviour Christ of life everlasting also in the World to come How horrible a sin against God and Man Rebellion is cannot possibly be expressed according unto the greatness thereof For he that nameth Rebellion nameth not a singular or one only sin as is Theft Robbery Murder and such like but he nameth the whole puddle and sink of all sins against God and Man against his Prince his Country his Country-men his Parents his Children his Kinsfolks his Friends and against all Men universally all sins I say against God and all Men heaped together nameth he that nameth Rebellion For concerning the offence of Gods Majesty who seeth not that Rebellion riseth first by contempt of God and of his holy Ordinances and Laws wherein he so straitly commandeth Obedience forbiddeth Disobedience and Rebellion And besides the dishonor done by Rebels unto Gods holy name by their breaking of their Oath made to their Prince with the attestation of Gods Name and calling of his Majesty to witness Who heareth not the horrible Oaths and Blasphemies of Gods holy Name that are used daily amongst Rebels that is either amongst them or heareth the truth of their Behavior Who knoweth not that Rebels do not only themselves leave all Works necessary to be done upon Work-days undone whiles they accomplish their abominable work of Rebellion and to compel others that would gladly be well occupied to do the same but also how Rebels do not only leave the Sabbath-day of the Lord unsanctified the Temple and Church of the Lord unresorted unto but also do by their Works of wickedness most horribly prophane and pollute the Sabbath-day serving Satan and by doing of his work making it the Devils day instead of the Lords day Besides that they compel good Men that would gladly serve the Lord assembling in his Temple and Church upon his day as becometh the Lords Servants to Assemble and meet Armed in the Field to resist the fury of such Rebels Yea and many Rebels lest they should leave any part of Gods Commandments in the first Table of his Law unbroken or any sin against God undone do make Rebellion for the maintainance of their Images and Idols and of their Idolatry committed or to be committed by them and in despite of God cut and tear in sunder his holy Word and tread it under their Feet as of late ye know was done The fifth Commandment As concerning the second Table of Gods Law and all sins that may be committed against Man who seeth not that they be contained in Rebellion For first the Rebels do not only dishonor their Prince the Parent of their Country but also do dishonor and shame their natural Parents if they have any do shame their Kindred and Friends do disinherit and undo for ever their Children and Heirs The sixth and eighth Commandment Thefts Robberies and Murders which of all sins are most loathed of most Men are in no Men so much nor so perniciously and mischievously as in Rebels For the most arrant Thieves cruellest Murderers that ever were so long as they refrain from Rebellion as they are not many in number so spreadeth their wickedness and damnation unto a few they spoil but a few they shed the Blood but of a few in comparison But Rebels are the cause of infinite Robberies and murderers of great Multitudes and of those also whom they should defend from the spoil and violence of other and as Rebels are many in number so doth their wickedness and damnation spread it self unto many And if Whoredom and Adultery amongst such Persons as are agreeable to such wickedness are as they indeed be most damnable The Seventh Commandment What are the forcible oppressions of Matrons and Mens Wives and the violating and deflouring of Virgins and Maids which are most rife with Rebels How horrible and damnable think you are they Now besides that The Nninth Commandment Rebels by breach of their Faith given and the Oath made to their
Heirs for ever for whom they might purchase Livings and Lands as natural Parents do take care and pains and to be at great costs and charges and universally instead of all Quietness Joy and Felicity which do follow blessed Peace and due Obedience to bring in all troubles sorrow disquietness of Minds and Bodies and all Mischief and Calamity to turn all good Order upside down to bring all good Laws in contempt and to tread them under feet to oppress all Vertue and Honesty and all vertuous and honest Persons and to set all Vice and Wickedness and all vicious and wicked Men at liberty to work their wicked Wills which were before bridled by wholsom Laws to weaken to overthrow and to consume the strength of the Realm their natural Country as well by the spending and wasting of the Mony and Treasure of the Prince and Realm as by murdering the People of the same Prov. 14. their own Country-men who should defend the honor of their Prince and liberty of their Country against the Invasion of Foreign Enemies And so finally To make their Country thus by their mischief weakned ready to be a prey and spoil to all outward Enemies that will invade it to the utter and perpetual captivity slavery and destruction of all their Country-men their Children their Friends their Kinsfolk left alive whom by their wicked Rebellion they procure to be delivered into the hands of the Foreign Enemies as much as in them doth lie In Foreign Wars our Country-men in obtaining the Victory win the praise of valiantness yea and though they were overcome and slain yet win they an honest commendation in this World and die in a good Conscience for serving God their Prince and their Country and be Children of eternal Salvation But the Rebels how desperate and strong soever they be yet win they shame here in fighting against God their Prince and Country and therefore justly do fall headlong into Hell if they die and live in shame and fearful Conscience though they escape But commonly they be rewarded with shameful Deaths their Hands and Carcasses set upon Poles and hanged in Chains eaten with Kites and Crows judged unworthy the honor of Burial and so their Souls if they repent not as commonly they do not the Devil hurrieth them into Hell in the midst of their mischief For which dreadful execution St. Paul sheweth the cause of Obedience Rom. 13. not only for fear of Death but also in Conscience to God-ward for fear of eternal damnation in the World to come Wherefore good People let us as the Children of Obedience fear the dreadful Execution of God and live in quiet Obedience to be the Children of everlasting Salvation For as Heaven is the place of good obedient Subjects and Hell the Prison and Dungeon of Rebels against God and their Prince so is that Realm happy where most obedience of Subjects doth appear being the very Figure of Heaven and contrariwise where most Rebellions and Rebels be there is the express similitude of Hell and the Rebels themselves are the very Figures of Fiends and Devils and their Captain the ungracious pattern of Lucifer and Satan the Prince of darkness of whose Rebellion as they be Followers so shall they of his damnation in Hell undoubtedly be partakers and as undoubtedly Children of Peace the inheriters of Heaven with God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Ghost To whom be all Honor and Glory for ever and ever Amen Thus have you heard the First Part of this Homily Now good People Let us pray The PRAYER as in that time it was Published O Most mighty God the Lord of Hosts the Governor of all Creatures the only giver of all Victories who alone art able to strengthen the Weak against the Mighty and to vanquish infinite multitudes of thine Enemies with the Countenance of a few of thy Servants calling upon thy Name and trusting in thee Defend O Lord thy Servant and our Governor under thee our Sovereign Lord the KING and all thy People committed to his charge O Lord withstand the cruelty of all those which be Common Enemies as well to the truth of thy Eternal Word as to their own natural Prince and Country and manifestly to this Crown and Realm of England which thou hast of thy Divine Providence assigned in these our days to the government of thy Servant our Sovereign and gracious KING O most merciful Father if it be thy holy Will make soft and tender the stony Hearts of all those that exalt themselves against thy Truth and seek either to trouble the quiet of this Realm of England or to oppress the Crown of the same and convert them to the knowledge of thy Son the only Saviour of the World Jesus Christ that we and they may joyntly glorifie thy mercies Lighten we beseech thee their ignorant Hearts to embrace the Truth of thy Word or else so abate their cruelty O most mighty Lord that this our Christian Realm with others that confess thy holy GOSPEL may obtain by thy aid and strength surety from all Enemies without shedding of Christian Blood whereby all they which be oppressed with their Tyranny may be relieved and they which be in fear of their cruelty may be comforted and finally that all Christian Realms and especially this Realm of England may by thy Defence and Protection continue in the Truth of the Gospel and enjoy perfect Peace Quietness and Security And that we for these thy Mercies joyntly all together with one consonant Heart and Voice may thankfully render to thee all Laud and Praise that we knit in one godly Concord and Unity amongst our selves may continually magnifie thy glorious Name who with thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost art one Eternal Almighty and most merciful God To whom be all Laud and Praise World without end Amen The Fourth Part of the Homily against Disobedience and Wilful Rebellion FOr your further instruction good People to shew unto you how much Almighty God doth abhor Disobedience and Wilful Rebellion specially when Rebels advance themselves so high that they arm themselves with Weapon and stand in the Field to sight against God their Prince and their Country It shall not be out of the way to shew some Examples set out in Scriptures written for our eternal Erudition We may soon know good People how heinous an offence the treachery of Rebellion is if we call to remembrance the heavy wrath and dreadful indignation of Almighty God against Subjects as do only but inwardly grudge mutter and murmur against their Governors though their inward Treason so privily hatched in their Breasts come not to open Declaration of their doings as hard it is whom the Devil hath so far enticed against Gods Word to keep themselves there no he meaneth still to blow the Coal to kindle their Rebellious Hearts to flame into open Deeds if he be not with Grace speedily withstood Num. 11. a Num. 12.
People and Country where Rebellion was first begun that the Child then and yet unborn might rue and lament it with the final overthrow and shameful deaths of all Rebels set forth as well in the Histories of Foreign Nations as in the Chronicles of our own Country some thereof being yet in fresh Memory which if they were collected together would make many Volums and Books But on the contrary part all good luck success and prosperity that ever hapned unto any Rebels of any Age Time or Country may be contained in a very few lines or words Wherefore to conclude let all good Subjects considering how horrible a sin against God their Prince their Country and Country-men against all Gods and Mans Laws Rebellion is being indeed not one several sin but all sins against God and Man heaped together considering the mischievous life and deeds and the shameful ends and deaths of all Rebels hitherto and the pitiful undoing of their Wives Children and Families and disinheriting of their Heirs for ever and above all things considering the eternal damnation that is prepared for all impenitent Rebels in Hell with Satan the first Founder of Rebellion and Grand Captain of all Rebels let all good Subjects I say considering these things avoid and flee all Rebellion as the greatest of all mischiefs and embrace due obedience to God and our Prince as the greatest of all Vertues that we may both escape all Evils and Miseries that do follow Rebellion in this World and eternal damnation in the World to come and enjoy Peace Quietness and Security with all other Gods benefits and blessings which follow Obedience in this life and finally may enjoy the Kingdom of Heaven the peculiar place of all obedient Subjects to God and their Prince in the World to come which I beseech God the King of all Kings grant unto us for the obedience of his Son our Saviour Jesus Christ unto whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost one God and King immortal all honor service and obedience of all his Creatures is due for ever Amen Thus have you heard the Fourth Part of this Homily Now good People Let us pray The PRAYER as in that time it was Published O Most mighty God the Lord of Hosts the Governor of all Creatures the only giver of all Victories who alone art able to strengthen the Weak against the Mighty and to vanquish infinite multitudes of thine Enemies with the Countenance of a few of thy Servants calling upon thy Name and trusting in thee Defend O Lord thy Servant and our Governor under thee our Sovereign Lord the KING and all thy People committed to his charge O Lord withstand the cruelty of all those which be common Enemies as well to the truth of thy eternal Word as to their own natural Prince and Country and manifestly to this Crown and Realm of England which thou hast of thy Divine Providence assigned in these our days to the government of thy Servant our Sovereign and gracious KING O most merciful Father if it be thy holy Will make soft and tender the stony Hearts of all those that exalt themselves against thy Truth and seek either to trouble the quiet of this Realm of England or to oppress the Crown of the same and convert them to the knowledge of thy Son the only Saviour of the World Jesus Christ that we and they may joyntly glorifie thy mercies Lighten we beseech thee their ignorant Hearts to embrace the Truth of thy Word or else so abate their cruelty O most mighty Lord that this our Christian Realm with others that confess thy holy GOSPEL may obtain by thy aid and strength surety from all Enemies without shedding of Christian Blood whereby all they which be oppressed with their Tyranny may be relieved and they which be in fear of their cruelty may be comforted and finally that all Christian Realms and especially this Realm of England may by thy Defence and Protection continue in the Truth of the Gospel and enjoy perfect Peace Quietness and Security And that we for these thy Mercies joyntly all together with one consonant Heart and Voice may thankfully render to thee all Laud and Praise that we knit in one godly Concord and Unity amongst our selves may continually magnifie thy glorious Name who with thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost art one Eternal Almighty and most merciful God To whom be all Laud and Praise World without end Amen The Fifth Part of the Homily against Disobedience and Wilful Rebellion WHereas after both Doctrin and examples of due Obedience of Subjects to their Princes I declared lastly unto you what an abominable sin against God and Man Rebellion is and what horrible Plagues Punishments and Deaths with Death everlasting finally doth hang over the heads of all Rebels it shall not be either impertinent or unprofitable now to declare who they be whom the Devil the first Author and Founder of Rebellion doth chiefly use to the stirring up of Subjects to Rebel against their lawful Princes that knowing them ye may flee them and their damnable suggestions avoid all Rebellion and escape the horrible plagues and dreadful death and damnation eternal finally due to all Rebels Though many causes of Rebellion may be reckoned and almost as many as there be Vices in Men and Women as hath been before noted yet in this place I will only touch the principal and most usual causes as specially Ambition and Ignorance By Ambition I mean the unlawful and restless desire in Men to be of higher estate than God hath given or appointed unto them By Ignorance I mean no unskilfulness in Arts and Sciences but the lack of knowledge of Gods blessed Will declared in his holy Word which teacheth both extreamly to abhor all Rebellion as being the root of all mischief and specially to delight in obedience as the beginning and Foundation of all goodness as hath been also before specified And as these are the two chief causes of Rebellion so are there specially two sorts of Men in whom these Vices do Reign by whom the Devil the Author of all evil doth chiefly stir up all Disobedience and Rebellion The restless Ambitious having once determined by one means or other to atchieve to their intended purpose when they cannot by lawful and peaceable means climb so high as they do desire they attempt the same by force and violence wherein when they cannot prevail against the ordinary Authority and Power of lawful Princes and Governors themselves alone they do seek the aid and help of the ignorant multitude abusing them to their wicked purpose Wherefore seeing a few ambitious and malitious are the Authors and Heads and multitudes of ignorant Men are the Ministers and furtherers of Rebellion the chief Point of this part shall be as well to notifie to the simple and ignorant Men who they be that have been and be usual Authors of Rebellion that they may know them and also to admonish
that the People that will not see with their Eyes nor hear with their Ears to learn and to understand with their Hearts cannot be converted and saved And the wicked themselves being damned in Hell shall confess ignorance in Gods Word to have brought them thereunto saying We have erred from the way of the truth and the light of Righteousness hath not shined unto us and the Sun of understanding hath not risen unto us Mat. 7. John 3. we have wearied our selves in the way of wickedness and perdition and have walked cumberous and crooked ways but the way of the Lord have we not known Mat. 11. b. 15. 13. a. 9. f. 3. Luke 8. a. 8. Joh. 5. f. 39. Ps 1. Mat. 7. b. 7. Luk. 11.9 Luke 16. g. 30.31 Gal. 1. b. 8. Deut. 5.32 Deut. 17. c. 14.15 c. Rom. 13. 1 Pet. 2. Psal 118. Psal 18. 118. Eph. 5.14 1 Thes 5. a. 4.5 John 12.35.36 Jam 1. c. 17. 1 Tim. 6. d. 16. John 3. And as well our Saviour himself as his Apostle St. Paul doth teach that the ignorance of Gods Word cometh of the Devil is the cause of all error and misjudging as falleth out with ignorant Subjects who can rather espy a little mote in the eye of the Prince or a Counsellor than a great Beam in their own and universally it is the cause of all evil and finally of eternal damnation Gods Judgment being severe towards those who when the light of Christs Gospel is come into the World do delight more in darkness of ignorance than in the light of knowledge in Gods Word For all are commanded to read or hear to search and study the holy Scriptures and are promised understanding to be given them from God if they so do all are charged not to believe either any dead Man nor if an Angel should speak from Heaven much less if the Pope do speak from Rome against or contrary to the Word of God from the which we may not decline neither to the right hand nor to the left In Gods Word Princes must learn how to obey God and to govern Men in Gods Word Subjects must learn Obedience both to God and their Princes Old Men and young rich and poor all Men and Women all Estates Sexes and Ages are taught their several Duties in the Word of God For the Word of God is bright giving light unto all Mens Eyes the shining Lamp directing all Mens Paths and Steps Let us therefore awake from the sleep and darkness of Ignorance and open our Eyes that we may see the light let us rise from the works of darkness that we may escape eternal darkness the due reward thereof and let us walk in the light of Gods Word whiles we have light as becometh the Children of light so directing the steps of our Lives in that way which leadeth to light and life everlasting that we may finally obtain and enjoy the same which God the Father of Lights who dwelleth in light incomprehensible and inaccessible grant unto us through the light of the World our Saviour Jesus Christ Unto whom with the Holy Ghost one most glorious God be all Honor Praise and Thanksgiving for ever and ever Amen Thus have you heard the Sixth Part of this Homily Now good People Let us pray The PRAYER as in that time it was Published O Most mighty God the Lord of Hosts the Governor of all Creatures the only giver of all Victories who alone art able to strengthen the Weak against the Mighty and to vanquish infinite multitudes of thine Enemies with the Countenance of a few of thy Servants calling upon thy Name and trusting in thee Defend O Lord thy Servant and our Governor under thee our Sovereign Lord the KING and all thy People committed to his charge O Lord withstand the cruelty of all those which be common Enemies as well to the truth of thy eternal Word as to their own natural Prince and Country and manifestly to this Crown and Realm of ENGLAND which thou hast of thy Divine Providence assigned in these our days to the Government of thy Servant our Sovereign and gracious KING O most merciful Father if it be thy holy Will make soft and tender the stony hearts of all those that exalt themselves against thy Truth and seek either to trouble the quiet of this Realm of ENGLAND or to oppress the Crown of the same and convert them to the knowledge of thy Son the only Saviour of the World Jesus Christ that we and they may joyntly glorifie thy Mercies Lighten we beseech thee their ignorant hearts to embrace the truth of thy Word or else so abate their cruelty O most mighty Lord that this our Christian Realm with others that confess thy holy GOSPEL may obtain by thine aid and strength surety from all Enemies without shedding of Christian Blood whereby all they which be oppressed with their Tyranny may be relieved and they which be in fear of their cruelty may be comforted And finally that all Christian Realms and especially this Realm of ENGLAND may by thy Defence and Protection continue in the truth of the Gospel and enjoy perfect Peace Quietness and Security and that we for these thy Mercies joyntly all together with one consonant heart and voice may thankfully render to thee all laud and praise that we knit in one godly concord and unity amongst our selves may continually magnifie thy glorious Name who with thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost art one Eternal Almighty and most merciful GOD. To whom be all laud and praise World without end Amen A THANKSGIVING for the Suppression of the last Rebellion O Heavenly and most merciful Father the defender of those that put their trust in thee the sure fortress of all them that flee to thee for succor who of thy most just Judgments for our Disobedience and Rebellion against thy holy Word and for our sinful and wicked living nothing answering to our holy profession whereby we have given an occasion that thy holy Name hath been blasphemed amongst the ignorant hast of late both sore abashed the whole Realm and People of England with the terror and danger of Rebellion thereby to awake us out of our dead sleep of careless security and hast yet by the miseries following the same Rebellion more sharply punished part of our Country-men and Christian-brethren who have more nearly felt the same and most dreadfully hast scourged some of the seditious Persons with terrible Executions justly inflicted for their disobedience unto thee and to thy Servant their Sovereign to the example of us all and to the warning correction and amendment of thy Servants of thine accustomed goodness turning always the wickedness of evil Men to the proof of them that fear thee who in thy Judgments remembring thy Mercy hast by thy assistance given the Victory to thy Servant our Queen her true Nobility and faithful Subjects with so little or rather no effusion of Christian Blood as also might have justly ensued to the exceeding comfort of all sorrowful Christian hearts and that of thy fatherly pity and merciful goodness only and even for thine own names sake without any our desert at all Wherefore we render unto thee most humble and hearty thanks for these thy great mercies shewed unto us who had deserved sharper punishment most humbly beseeching thee to grant unto all us that confess thy holy Name and profess the true and perfect Religion of thy holy Gospel thy heavenly Grace to shew our selves in our living according to our profession that we truly knowing thee in thy blessed Word may obediently walk in thy holy Commadments and that we being warned by this thy Fatherly correction do provoke thy just wrath against us no more but may enjoy the continuance of thy great mercies towards us thy right hand as in this so in all other Invasions Rebellions and dangers continually saving and defending our Church our Realm our Queen and People of England that all our Posterities ensuing confessing thy holy Name professing thy holy Gospel and leading an holy Life may perpetually praise and magnifie thee with thy only Son Jesus Christ our Saviour and the Holy Ghost To whom be all laud praise glory and Empire for ever and ever Amen FINIS
Word at all Out of the which most lamentable case and miserable tyranny raveny and spoil of the most greedy Romish Wolves ensuing hereupon the Kings and Realm of England could not rid themselves by the space of many years after the Bishop of Rome by his Ministers continually not only spoiling the Realm and Kings of England of infinite treasure See the Acts of Parliament in King Edward the Third his days but also with the same Mony hiring and maintaining Foreign Enemies against the Realm and Kings of England to keep them in such his subjection that they should not refuse to pay whatsoever those unsatiable Wolves did greedily gape for and suffer whatsoever those most cruel Tyrants would lay upon them Would Englishmen have suffered this Would they by Rebellion have caused this trow you and all for the Bishop of Romes causless curse had they in those days known and understood that God doth curse the Blessings and bless the Cursings of such wicked usurping Bishops and Tyrants As it appeared afterward in King Henry the Eighth his days and King Edward the Sixth and in our gracious Sovereigns days that now is where neither the Popes curses Malac. 2. nor Gods manifold blessings are wanting But in King Johns time the Bishop of Rome understanding the brute blindness ignorance of Gods Word and superstition of English-men and how much they were inclined to worship the Babylonical Beast of Rome and to fear all his threatnings and causless curses he abused them thus and by their Rebellion brought this noble Realm and Kings of England under his most cruel Tyranny and to be a spoil of his most vile and unsatiable covetousness and raveny for a long and a great deal too long a time And to joyn unto the reports of Histories matters of later Memory could the Bishop of Rome have raised the Rebellions in the North and West-Countries in the times of King Henry and King Edward but by abusing of the ignorant People Or is it not most evident that the Bishop of Rome hath of late attempted by his Irish Patriarchs and Bishops sent from Rome with his Bulls whereof some were apprehended to break down the Bars and Hedges of the public Peace in Ireland only upon confidence easily to abuse the ignorance of the wild Irish-men Or who seeth not that upon like confidence yet more lately he hath likewise procured the breach of the public Peace in England with the long and blessed continuance whereof he is sore grieved by the Ministry of his disguised Chaplains creeping in Lay-mens Apparel into the Houses and whispering in the ears of certain Northern borderers being then most ignorant of their duty to God and to their Prince of all People of the Realm whom therefore as most meet and ready to execute his intended purpose he hath by the said ignorant Mass Priests as blind guides leading the blind brought those silly blind Subjects into the deep ditch of Horror and Rebellion damnable to themselves and very dangerous to the State of the Realm had not God of his mercy miraculously calmed that raging Tempest not only without any Shipwrack of the Common-wealth but almost without any shedding of Christian and English Blood at all And it is yet much more to be lamented that not only common People but some other youthful or unskilful Princes also suffer themselves to be abused by the Bishop of Rome his Cardinals and Bishops to oppressing of Christian Men their faithful Subjects either themselves or else by procuring the force and strength of Christian Men to be conveyed out of one Country to oppress true Christians in another Country and by these means open an entry unto Moors and Infidels into the possession of Christian Realms Countries other Christian Princes in the mean time by the Bishop of Romes procuring also being so occupied in Civil Wars or troubled with Rebellions that they have neither leisure nor ability to confer their common Forces to the defence of their Fellow Christians against such invasions of the common Enemies of Christendom the Infidels and Miscreants Would to God we might only read and hear out of the Histories of old and not also see and feel these new and present oppressions of Christians rebellions of Subjects effusion of Christian Blood destruction of Christian Men decay and ruin of Christendom increase of Paganism most lamentable and pitiful to behold being procured in these our days as well as in times past by the Bishop of Rome and his Ministers abusing the ignorance of Gods Word yet remaining in some Christian Princes and People Jer. 18. c. 18. By which sorrow and bitter fruits of ignorance all Men ought to be moved to give ear and credit to Gods Word shewing as most truly so most plainly how great a mischief ignorance is and again how great and how good a gift in knowledge Gods Word is And to begin with the Romish Clergy who though they do brag now as did sometime the Jewish Clergy that they cannot lack knowledge yet doth God by his holy Prophets both charge them with ignorance Ezek. 7. g. 26. Hos 4. b. 6. Ps 2. and threaten them also for that they have repelled the knowledge of Gods Word and Law from themselves and from his people that he will repel them that they shall be no more his Priests God likewise chargeth Princes as well as Priests that they should endeavor themselves to get understanding and knowledge in his Word threatning his heavy wrath and destruction unto them if they sail thereof Prov. 19. Wisd 13. Prov. 17. Ephes 4. John 12. Esay 5.13 Luke 19. g. 44 and 23. c. 34. Acts multis locis John 16. a. 2. Esay 27. Hos 4. Baruc. 3. Esay 6. c. 9. Mat. 13. b. 14.15 John 12.40 Wisd 5. Mat. 13.19 2 Cor. 4. a. And the wise Man saith to all Men universally Princes Priests and People Where is no knowledge there is no good nor health to the Soul and that all Men be vain in whom is not the knowledge of God and his holy Word that they who walk in darkness wot not whither they go and that the People that will not learn shall fall into great mischiefs as did the People of Israel who for their ignorance in Gods Word were first led into captivity and when by ignorance afterward they would not know the time of their Visitation but crucified Christ our Saviour persecuted his holy Apostles and were so ignorant and blind that when they did most wickedly and cruelly they thought they did God good and acceptable Service as do many by ignorance think even at this day Finally through their ignorance and blindness their Countries Towns Cities Jerusalem it self and the Temple of God were almost horribly destroyed the chiefest part of their People slain and the rest led into most miserable captivity For he that made them had no pity upon them neither would spare them and all for their ignorance And the Holy Scriptures do teach