swallow them downe whole And because we are now entred into the bowels of hypocrisie giue me leaue a little to cleare my selfe of one thing more wherein as in diuerse others I haue bene not a little mistaken and that is this It is rumoured abrode that I would haue perswaded the Church-officers of this place to dispense with their oath in not presenting those things which concerne my selfe in my ministerie which is all one as if I shold perswade them to be periured by a witting and willing abusing of the most sacred name of God whome they haue called to witnesse against their owne soules if they do not present all things that they are sworn vnto It is vntrue and a wickednesse that I trust God in his mercie wil preserue me from while I liue but this indeed I said that in their oath as in all other oathes that are ministred iudicially two things are chiefly respected if they be not expressed the one is the glorie of God the other is the good of the Church which I told them they were in the execution of their office and in al other presentments to haue a special regard of aduising them to looke most to those things that do make most for the aduancing of the glorie of God and the reformation of the Church of God as namely the prophaning of the Lords day by vnnecessarie working thereupon by carying of wares vp and downe and open gaming vpon the Lords day together with blasphemers drunkards and vsurers and negligent commers to the church al which be foule blots and spots in a Christian congregation and therin shold God be greatly glorified and not to let these alone and stand altogether prying into the Minister for matters of ceremonie and circumstance as if they were in office for no other end but to trouble Gods Minister and to strengthen the hands of the wicked But forasmuch as God is glorified also in presenting of euery thing that commeth within compasse of their oath I would haue them answer truly vnto euerie article And so I say still vnto you that be in office deale so as God may be glorified and Gods church may be edified Leaue this partialitie in doing your office haue the feare of God before your eyes and feare more to offend his Maiestie by abusing his holy name then to offend your honest neighbours by winking at their sinnes I tell you these things plainely and in loue to your soules whatsoeuer men iudge of me I protest before God if protestations will serue your courses that you take be not good God is dishonoured by you and the Church of God vnreformed It is seldome that you go abroad to visite mens houses I meane those that are frozen in their dregges and when you doe go it is so vnseasonably that it were better that you went not at all You should go at the beginning of common Prayer and compell men as much as in you lyeth to come to the general confession and prayers of the Church and reading of the Scripture as well as to the Sermon but you tarry till the Sermon beginneth and then draw out many with you that would be gladder to heare the Sermon perhaps then your selues are and so you hinder both your selues and them too And by this meanes you offend double by bringing in an open contempt both of the Sermon and the common prayers of the Church For what say many we are a comming all in good time the Sermon is not begunne yet and so you let them alone as who say if they come to the Sermon then all is well Againe by this meanes behold another inconuenience while men are left to thēselues to go come at their own pleasure the poore are for the most part defrauded of their allowance because men comming not in due time the collectors cannot haue it of them vnles they would go as vnseasonablie about in the Sermon time as you do Againe when you do go to whom do you go or whose houses do you visite Alas none but a few poore base Alehouses and the meaner sort you dare not go to the richer sort to the better sort no you are afraid to displease them you say it is not the custome but they may and their wiues may and their seruants may come at their pleasure and do what they list and that see the poorer sort and they thinke they should be suffered as well as the rich Againe when you haue visited some few places or persons what do you Do you present anie of them Neuer Do you take twelue pence apeece of them according to the Statute Seldome And there againe the poore are defrauded by your partialitie And to saie the truth I do not see with what faces you can present the poore and meaner sort except you also present the rich for feare least either periurie or partialitie should flie in your faces And what are your pretences Forsooth for the poorer sort alas they are poore we haue giuen them warning c. as though they haue not had warning enough or should from yeare to yeare still be warned and neuer be spurred forward by the discipline of the Church And for the richer sort why sir we see them not we know them not that do offend do you know any Can you tell vs of any And what a stirre wold here be if we should be so forward What would you haue vs noted aboue all men in the towne and I know not what A way with these figge leaues for shame and looke to your oath sincerely My brethren leaue this halting and dissembling and malicious dealing and partiall dealing in Gods businesse For all that deale so do as hypocrites do and you know that hypocrisie is detestable in the sight of God It is no maruell good brethren that there be so many Schismaticks that haue deuided them selues from our congregations crying out against vs that we haue no Church amongst vs for want of discipline and gouernement although therein they be foully deceiued For they thinke that because in many places of the land discipline is either not vsed at all as where euerie man is let to do what he list or else abused as where onely good men are troubled for trifles or some few of the most inferiour sort which haue no money to pay are called in question that therefore we haue no discipline at all but they are deceiued greatly For euen as a rich man hath gold and siluer in his house though he let it lye and rust or else mispend it and as there is a sword in the sheath though it be not drawne foorth and power also in the owner thereof to draw it foorth though he exercise not that power at all or not aright euen so in this Church of England is a sword of discipline that is Church gouernement and power in the Ministers and officers of the Church to exercise the same although in some places it is let rust in the
sheath in other places perhaps drawne foorth and vsed vnseasonably But alas many that be ignorant and weake and yet tender of conscience howsoeuer most of that sort be caried with a spirit of furie and insolencie do stumble exceedingly at these things and surely no great maruel when those that be sworne to present so many things let all alone or else turne the edge of the sword against the Ministers of the word taking as it were a pride and felicitie in disgracing and discrediting of them For to let passe the corruptions of many which are in place and authoritie to punish faults surely this is a thing intollerable for any that are sworne to bring disorders to light to make no more conscience of their oath then if the fearefull name of God were a matter of no regard but to be plaied and dallied withall or made a cloake for mischiefe and malice as if God himselfe did either know nothing of your dealings or had no will or abilitie to punish the same Neither is it any maruell though the Minister of Christ be had in contempt and be counted a contentious and a troublesome fellow when those which should second him with the censurers of the Church are content to let the wicked do what they list without controulment nay are as readie to violate Gods orders as others and assoone as any to misuse Gods Minister for doing of his dutie faithfully And what will be the end of all this but a fearefull iudgement of God vpon the land to end the matter withall As it fell out in the daies of Zedechiah king of Iudah in whose daies both he and the Priests and the people trespassed wonderfully and heathenishly and polluted the house of the Lord euen as in our daies the house of God is polluted and contemned To redresse this geare the Lord sent vnto them his messengers rising early and sending for he had compassion on his people and on his habitation but they did as we do They mocked the messengers of God and despised his words and misused his Prophets vntill the wrath of the Lord arose against his people till there was no remedy For he brought vpon them the King of the Chaldeans who slue their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuarie and spared neither young man nor virgin auncient nor aged God gaue all into his hands See the 2. of Chron. the 36. Chapter and the 16. and 17. verses to shew vs that though God can beare with manie sinnes yet he cannot beare with the contempt of his word and Ministers And thus you see brethren three foule and fearefull monsters brought forth by the malice and nursed by the negligence and couered by the hypocrisie of Church officers and that is contempt of discipline and gouernment Schisme and deuision in the Church contempt of Gods message and messengers and all attended vpon with the consuming wrath and vengeance of God If any man shall think that I haue vrged these things too neare and too particularly applyed this doctrine let them but seriously consider as before God what dammage the Church sustaineth by the corrupt and partiall dealing of Church officers and I hope they will easily confesse that a Pastor whome God hath made a watchman to see that none of Christs sheepe be lost or deuoured by his pastorall authoritie in his owne place may and ought to say as much as I haue done yea euen to the Church officers of this place without offence to any And I maruel considering the great mischiefe that ensueth the negligence and counterfeit dealing of Ecclesiasticall officers and how the fault when Schismatikes are bred is returned vpon the Ministers faithful teachers that others are so sparing or no more earnest against them then they are For if men be ielous ouer their children do with great indignation set thēselues against those that are means whereby they are bereaued of thē yea of their cattell which is lesse And if the Church ought also to be as iealous ouer her children which through the painefull trauels of her Ministers haue bene begotten vnto Christ as men are of theirs then why should not the Fathers and nurses I meane the Ministers of the Churches children for the Lord Iesus open their mouths yea with great zeale and indignation against those by whose meanes the members of the Church may and do miscarrie For why should the Church of Christ be robbed of her children as this very congregation or flocke hath bene of some since my coming hither through your negligence that be in office and sworne to bring grosse and noisome abuses to light the stinke whereof maketh many weake ones to loath their mothers house and we sit still and hold our peace But alas sir will hypocrisie say what would you haue vs to do when we present faultes nothing is reformed as good let all alone as get the ill will of our honest neighbours and do no good money will buy of all c. But this is too open a net to daunce in when all the world shall see that the least part of the hypocrites care is to reforme grosse abuses to do good indeed and with a religious heart zealously to maintaine the glorie of God but rather bend all their studie to serue the time to please men and to crosse the truth Nay rather if mens hearts be vpright with God they are of Iosuahs mind who said Though all Israel will not yet I and my house shall serue the Lord so though no man else will make a conscience of their oath or office yet we will and so do I pray you For if others will be remisse and partiall and corrupted when you haue presented faults and will swallow those Cammels that you bring out of their stables that is their sinne and they shall answere for it But if you faile in your dutie seeing and not seeing straining gnats and swallowing of camels that is your sinne and you shall answere it also for euery one shall beare his owne burden And therefore in the feare of God let vs looke euery one of vs better vnto in then we haue done and repent of that which is past that God in Christ Iesus may be mercifull vnto vs. THE V. SERMON MATH 6.2 As the hypocrites do WE haue hitherto heard how vaineglorie and hypocrisie do defile all our good actions before God and how by taking heede vaineglorie is to be auoyded The reward likewise of sinceritie we haue seene and in part the mature of hypocrisie according to the intent and purpose of our Sauiour Christ who both describeth hypocrites vnto vs in their colours and in so doing doth plainely tell vs that he would haue the doings and qualities of hypocrites to be made known vnto the world To which end it is necessary that the hypocrite be vncased and viewed well in the light that euery one espying his vgly visage and taking good markes of him may beware
most impiously vpon them that worship that is due to God and professe that they cannot honour them inough when in the meane time by their raging against the faithfull which follow their steppes and doctrine they do plainely shew howe they would vse the Apostles and Martyrs if they were now aliue againe and did performe that dutie which they did when they were on earth For why else do they with such rage burne and flame out against vs but because we desire to haue that doctrine to be receiued and to flourish which the Apostles and Martyrs haue sealed with their bloud Let them then a dorne the images of the Saints with their frankensence candels flowers and all kind of pompe as long as they list saith Caluin if Peter were now aliue they would surely pull him in peeces if Paule were amongst them they would certainely stone him if Christ himselfe were aliue and amongst thē they wold rost him to death with a softfire And do not diuerse Protestants play the same part who will seeme to make much of some Preachers and giue them good entertainment as Herod did Iohn Baptist and yet persecute with might and maine their owne Pastors for teaching the same doctrine which they do Or for the couering and cloking of their speciall and beloued sinnes will seeme to the world to be religious by hearing the preaching and entertaining of the persons of Preachers at their houses thinking themselues then safe as Micah did when he had a Leuite in his house when in their harts they do vtterly loth and detest the sinceritie of that truth and the strictnesse of those courses as puritanisme and too much precisenesse which they vrge And what is the religion of all such but a play to be seene of men In the 33. verse of the former 23. Chapter Christ being about to conclude his Sermon doth more plainly vncase these hypocrites and layeth them wide open to all the world telling what they are what they must looke for and what his seruants must look for at their hands What they are he sheweth when he saith O Serpents and generation of vipers to shew that they were not only enemies to the doctrine of the Prophets but most pestilent enemies to the whole church of God and like vipers will not sticke to eate out the very bowels of the Church their mother to maintaine their owne state and pride What they must trust vnto if they truly repent not he sheweth when he saith how should ye escape the damnation of hell As if it were a thing almost impossible for professed hypocrites to repent and be saued So hypocrites we see by Christs example are to be handled though they be the great maisters of Israel their vizards are to be plucked off and they are to be laid open to the view of the world and to be haled by force as it were before the tribunall seate of Gods iudgement What Gods seruants must looke for at hypocrites hands when time shall serue howsoeuer they seeme now to heare them and to entertaine them our Sauiour Christ sheweth when he saith he will send Prophets and wise men and Scribes among them that is men endued with all manner of learning and qualified with aboundance of Gods graces but they shal scourge them and persecute them from citie to citie yea euen in Ierusalem the Lords Prophets shall be killed and the messengers of the most high shall be stoned to death In times past their rage was such against the holy Prophets that neither the holinesse of the Temple nor reuerence of the Altar whereupon the sacrifices were offered could stay them from shedding of innocent bloud As for example the bloud of Zacharias the sonne of Barachias meaning indeede him that was the son of Iehoiada the priest whom Christ calleth Barachias that is the blessed of the Lord of Barach and ias which is the blessed of the Lord as M. Caluin noteth because he had spent his whole life in the worship and seruice of God And this is vsuall in Scripture to giue vnto men besides their proper names other names of speciall signification either for their consolation or for their humiliation So Iacob was called Israel that is preuailing with God and Salomon Iedidah that is beloued of the Lord and Iames and Iohn Boanerges that is sonnes of thunder and Iehoiada Barachias that is the blessed of the Lord. So terroris gratia to terrifie him Bashur that misused Ieremy was called Magor Misabib that is feare on euery side And Naoim in the bitternesse of her soule would be called Marah that is bitternesse But now to the matter of Zacharias the sonne of Iehoiada Barachias the blessed of the Lord. Of whose martyrdome and the cause thereof we may reade sufficiently in the second of Chronicles the 24. chapter from the 17. verse vnto the 23. So likewise in time to come they which now boasted of the Prophets Tombes amongst them and of learned Preachers in their sinagogues should through the iust vengeance of God be giuen vp to such a reprobate mind that they should shew all kind of raging crueltie against the same Prophets whom they so much seemed to reuerence God graunt this prophesie may neuer take place amongst vs if it be his will but surely it is much to be feared that if time should turne and religion alter which our sinnes haue iustly deserued it will proue too true For hypocrites will play the hypocrites and shew them selues in their colours when all is done euen as the Blackmoore will be blacke if all the water in the sea were spent in washing him For they that are so forward now in colour of their office and pretence of lawe to abuse Gods Ministers as many be what would they do if they had Prince and Prelates and lawe and all to backe them They that now in the publike and authorized profession of the Gospell and vnder the gouernment of so gracious and Christian a Prince as we haue who esteemeth of the true Ministers of Christ in the Church as of the soule in the bodie the Lord long preserue her amongst vs are not ashamed to contriue wicked plots and diuellish deuises to call their Ministers names into question by suggesting vnto great persons most impudent lyes and shamefull slaunders and that vnder pretence of their office and vpon the credite of their oath They that now so abound in malice against their Minister for speaking but the truth that when they can find no matter against him at home can send an hundred miles for matters obiected and answered ended and finished ten yeares ago and to reuiue matters whith haue bene dead and buried so long time like those that in Queene Maries time digged vp Bucers bones out of the graue to endite them and burne them what cruell persecutors would these become if time did serue What would not these men do against the poore seruants of Christ if Queene Maries time shold come againe
sit as a peremptory Iudge ouer the hearts affections of my seruants when thou hadst no list to yeeld to the truth to confesse thy faults amend thy life how canst thou deny but that thou art guilty of most saucy and insolent hypocrisie Moreouer when thou likedst not the plaine simple vtterance of my truth the confirmation thereof by the sacred testimony of my seruants the Prophets Apostles it hath pleased thee ô hipocrite to count my seruāts no scholers but vnlearned ignorant fooles as though my booke contained nothing in it but ridiculous matter for thee to make thy selfe merry withall So hath it alwayes bin with all hypocrites since the world stood my wisedom hath bin counted foolishnesse mans folly high wisedome but thou shalt know that they were truly learned which had learned Christ aright they were fooles who in the swelling words of mans wisedome haue sought onely to feede thy eares and not thy conscience Furthermore I forget not thy hypocriticall shew of maintaining false loue and vnitie and peace with the wicked vnder pretence that the Preachers whom I haue sent vnto thee haue bin condemned by thee and thy consort for troublesom contentious persons when they haue disquieted thy sin But let not my seruants be discouraged in my businesse for all this saith the Lord For so did they vse my Prophets before them Ieremy was counted but a babler a contentious person Ezechiels Sermons were but as the songs of a minstrell matter to iest at Paul was accused of sedition by Dianaes siluer-smithes My own son who was wisedom it self frō euerlasting with me he was counted an enemy to Caesar the wicked hypocrites turned away whatsoeuer he spake with a ieast And let no man thinke himself better then these or too good to pledge thē in that cup of contempt and bitter reproch that they haue begun to them in Oh but me thinks now the hypocrite being thus vncased beginneth to pleade hard for himselfe saying that though he come not at those troublesome fellowes vnlearned yet he heareth others and maketh much of thē too so that he is wrōgfully charged if men say that he cares not for the word of God that he is not religious that he cānot abide to haue his sins reproued c. Surely this at a blush is good fruit but in truth no better thē an apple of Sodom faire in shew but being touched it turneth into ashes For nothing is either more easie or vsuall amōgst hypocrites thē to do so that is to say First in way of reuenge to disgrace one whō they like not by gracing another to discountenāce one by countenācing some other And yet in the mean time pretēd another matter that is to be better edified I wot not what that they may seeme notwithstāding both religious iudiciall they will highly cōmend the one deeply cast downe the other but why or vpō what good groūds they cannot well tell There be in diuerse places of the world especially in great cities other popular places running auditories or as one calleth thē Circumcellions wheelers about hither thither hearing now one thē another then a third euery one indeed neuer a one lōg like one that hath a giddy braine who being whirled into euery place is truly said to be of no place These humorous hearers of al mē cōmonly cannot away long with their own Pastors teaching though he teach the truth neuer so soundly nor so profitably Except it be between man and wife I do not know so neare a coniunction of any thing as is by the ordinance of God betweene the Pastor the flocke Now as nothing ought to separate man wife but fornication or adultery so nothing ought to make the flocke leaue their Pastor but false doctrine heresie if he be a teacher And surely there is no sincere harted Christiā but maketh a conscience of this duty that is they dare not leaue the Ministery of their owne ordinary Pastours by whom they haue sound any profit or spirituall comfort they dare not so much as yeeld to any such changes for feare they should not onely be troubled with the spirituall itch of the eare a disease where it once rooteth altogether incureable but also discourage and make sad the Spirite of God in their faithfull teachers whereby they may in time be giuen vp of God to flatterers and seducing teachers fit for their humorous veine vaine humor And surely whosoeuer doth duly consider the offence that groweth therby the hurt that foloweth also therupō both to the whole body of the Church in general to their own soules in special they dare not but in the feare of God make great cōscience of it Christ pointing to childrē said That whosoeuer should offend one of these litle ones it were better that a milstone were hanged about his necke and he cast into the bottome of the sea How much more may that be spoken to those that take a felicity in scandaling offending in disgracing discouraging by their fantastical rouing abrode the greater ones that is the Pastors and builders of the Church I speake not this as though we were the worse for your giddie gadding and stragling but to let you vnderstand that you are the worse that giue such bad examples and that you must answer your contempts vnto our Lord and Maister Christ Iesus This humorous course of giddy braines and itching eares is both schismaticall childish and vnprofitable Schismaticall because they go about to make a rent in the Church of God and to deuide Christ among them This disease raigned in Paules time and it raigneth in our time I hold of Paul saith one I am of Apollos saith another and Cephas shall go for my money sayth a third But neuer a one of those hold of Christ soundly and substantially But what is this but to deuide Christ as the Apostle saith is Christ deuided as if he should say you all would be counted Christs and to hold of Christ if you do so why then do you not regard all his Ministers alike and heare all alike Paule as well as Apollos and Apollos as well as Cephas and Cephas as well as either of the other for euerie one of them preacheth Christ though euery one after his seuerall gift and measure of knowledge and vtterance and eloquence c. Though one be milder then another and one sharper then another yea though one mans gift please your humour better then anothers yet euery one hath Christ for you But now as if one had Christ and another not ye will heare one and not another and so you deuide Christ which is but one this is not well are you not carnall nay are you not Schismatikes As it is a carnall and schismaticall practise so is it also childish for so do children that go to schoole being once held in to their
c. So on the other side as making many rich and yet as it were poore giuing nothing To shew what manner of men Christians must be But how can that be will some say that a man should giue almes or do any other good deed and not make himselfe priuy to the matter and count it nothing which he doth Surely very well or else truly do many dissemble and speake against their owne consciences for come vnto them and thanke them for such and such kindnesse bestowed c. they will say Alas sir for nothing I know no such matter it is not so much worth c. as if he should say If I did any such thing it is with me as if I did it not at al I am to begin it againe I keepe no reckning of it my heart was not set vpon it when it went from me I weigh it not c. Againe euery true Christian is in part regenerate and in part vnregenerate the one part is called in Scripture by the name of flesh and the other by the name of spirite the flesh rebelleth against the spirite that is the part regenerate against the part vnregenerate Now this part that is regenerate by the spirite of sanctification and grace may well be called also the right hand of the soule and the other part which is still fleshly carnall and sensuall and not sauouring the things of God may well be called the soules left hand for the vntowardnesse therof to any goodnesse in which sense it may truly be said whē thou doest any good deed let the spirite that is the part regenerate as the right hand of thy soule do it but let not the other part which is so vntoward and not regenerate and fitted for it haue any thing to do in the matter more then if it knew nothing at all of it We must do as men that trauell in company together and are so earnest in talke that they forget the length of their iourney and to such ten miles seeme but as one mile but if a man go alone and thinketh of nothing but his iourney then his left foote shall know what paines his right foote taketh and will keepe account of all his sleps as it were and thinke his iourney long and his paines exceeding great So we in trauelling towards heauen which we must do so long as we liue by walking in such good workes as God hath appointed for vs Ephes. 2.10 must count all things but losse and dung for the excellent knowledge sake of Christ Iesus our Lord to win him and to be found in him not hauing our owne righteousnesse but the righteousnesse which is of God by faith in Christ forgetting that which is past and endeuouring our selues vnto that which is before and follow hard toward the marke for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus And no maruell though the Apostle made so light account of his owne workes or righteousnesse for he knew they were too light to endure the triall of Gods iustice too vncleane to appeare in his most pure presence Our good deedes are like a faire garment with a filthy lining or as the Prophet Esay speaketh like a menstruous cloth The beauty and goodnesse of them is from God the deformity and vncleannesse is of our selues Shal the one part lift vs vp to any proud conceipt of our selues No it is of God giue him all the glory and let the other humble vs. All the gifts and graces of God do beare some part of his image and stampe though giuen to diuerse persons and in diuerse measure and maner like the Princes coine which hath the Princes image and stampe vpō it to put the subiects in mind of their loyaltie and dutie which they owe to their Prince that as Christ said when we see Caesars image and superscription we should remember to giue vnto Caesar that that is Caesars so when we see any thing with Gods image vpon it we may also giue to God that that is Gods The Princes coine commeth out of the Mint faire and bright but when it cometh into our hands it taketh soile and looseth beautie So the good graces of God come to vs with a most heauenly beautie but we cannot returne them so againe for with vs they take soile and loose their beautie As euery peece of coine hath on the one side the Princes image and title certaine so haue all the graces of God Gods image and Christes title to admonish vs of that holy dutie and absolute praise which we must returne vnto him for the same Look vpon thy faith and thou shalt see this superscription vpon it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is the worke of God to beleeue in him whom he hath sent Looke vpon thy patience and thou shalt find this grauen vpon it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to you it is giuen for Christs sake not onely to beleeue in him but also to suffer for his sake Looke vpon thy loue thy knowledge and iudgement and euery one beareth the same stampe that thy faith doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the worke of God and therefore saith Saint Paul this I pray that your loue may abound yet more and more in al knowledge iudgement to shew that they come from God and not from our selues Art thou filled with the fruites of righteousnes thou shalt find this Poesie sent with them They are by Iesus Christ vnto the glorie and praise of God Art thou conuerted vnto God looke vpon the worke of thy conuersion and thou shalt find this withall The worke of God and therfore saith Ioel Turne vs ô Lord and we shall be turned Hast thou a new heart looke vpon it and thou shalt find Gods stampe vpon it and that is this Created of God And ouer all one generall Poesie for all and that is this What hast thou that thou hast not receiued 1. Cor. 4.7 If there be any thing besides this that commeth from God that is of Sathan or else of our selues We commonly looke on the one side of the garment but not on the other Now if we thinke vpon our defectes and staines nay filthie and rebellious pollutions we would neuer take notice to ourselues of any good we do but say whē we haue done neuer so wel as Nehemiah did when he had most zealously reformed the Lords sabbath and set euery thing in very good order Remember me ô God in this and pardon me in thy great mercie and as Christ commaundeth vs When ye haue done all that ye can do saith he say that you are vnprofitable seruants and haue done but that which was commaunded you Further it is to be obserued that Christ saith the right hand must do the worke and the left hand must not know of it He appointeth the right hand to the worke because that is readiest and quickest and handsomest in working The left
c. and hath all the markes of Belial and therefore he is a man of Belial And thus we se to what end this description of Belial is set forth namely to that end that we might know him when we meet him and auoide him when we know him And now let vs go to another point and see whether it be lawful for Christians to iudge of another by this description or no. It is no small mercy of God so exactly to anatomize or describe the wicked man for by this meanes one shall not be taken for another and Christians knowing for certaine a wicked man by his picture may more easily auoide him more safely reproue him and more freely giue Vertue her robes and her ornaments againe when Belial that runagate is stript out of all and turned out naked as he deserueth But intollerable is the vnthankfulnesse of many and by this doctrine to be reproued that so abuse the mercy of God as to outface the truth euen now in the day light of the Gospell and glorious truth of the Lord. So shamelesse and impudent are the fauourites of Belial that they will not sticke to say How know you that he is a wicked man or a wicked woman Oh you may not iudge you may not iudge when we do but iudge the tree by the fruites and pronounce that which God hath set downe Now he that taketh the notes which God hath giuen him doth not iudge but onely pronounceth the iudgement of God Whatsoeuer the wicked do yet when they daunce in this net You must not iudge c. they thinke themselues safe like the foolish bird called the Ostrich which putteth her head into a bush and then thinketh that no body seeth her though all her body be out of the bush If a wicked man be reproued for couetousnesse what is his defence but this How know you that I am couetous you may not iudge when all his life fauoureth of nothing else but greedy couetousnesse all his talke is of worldly matters for heauenly things he can find no leisure no time to heare the word and yet how know you that he is couetous He getteth al mens trades into his hands to the spoile and decay of many that would liue by him he will be a mercer a grocer a draper a cutler an armourer a girdler a malster a brewer a corne-bodger a gamester and what not and so ouerdroopeth all occupations about him and vnder him that none can thriue but he and yet how know you that he is a worldling In the like sort if the wicked Belial be reproued for pride he will straight be at defiance with you and for his defence this shall be his plea How know you that he is proud you may not iudge c. when all their whole life bewrayeth nothing else euery day a new fashion all the day little inough for their curling and crisping and frisling and pluming and setting c. Their gate must be counterfeit their speech is counterfeit their beauty is counterfeit their haire is counterfeit and yet how know you that teyh be proud In like manner will the lasciuious and incontinent person pleade for himselfe you may not iudge when all his life doth stinke of his filthinesse when he hunteth harlots houses yea though the streetes swarme with his bastards though he doth daily vomit out filthy shamelesse and ribaldry speeches yet he may be an honest man will some say Oh it is hard to iudge These are such as claime patronage one of another claw me I will claw thee They will stand out with it at the barre with God himselfe as in Math. 3.8 Your words haue bene stout against me sayth the Lord But they aunswere What haue we sayd But they that make no conscience of iustifying wicked men will make no conscience to iustifie wickednesse it selfe in time as Salomon made no bones of idolatrie when once he liked idolatrous women It is sayd indeede Iudge not that ye be not iudged Math. 7.1 But that place is to be vnderstood against rash iudgement not iudgement simply for other places do allow of iudging but no place alloweth rash hastie and peremptorie iudging The Apostle Saint Paule handling the doctrine of the Lords supper sayth vnto his auditours the Corinths Iudge ye what I say to shew that Christians must be able to iudge of doctrine And speaking of the preparation of Christians before they come to the Lords table he saith Iudge your selues to shew that Christians must be able to iudge of their owne estate In another place he prayeth that the Church of Christ may abound in all knowledge and iudgement and giueth a reason that they may be able to discerne things that differ In another place the Lord himself saith Iudge righteous iudgemēt All which places besides infinite more to the like effect do shew that our Sauior Christ for bad not all kind of iudgement they may as well conclude that there must be no Iudges nor iudgement seats no courts nor verdicts no Assises nor sessions because Christ hath sayd Iudge not and so we should make a good peece of worke quickly But harken now what common reason sayth to the matter Shall not the Goldsmith iudge of mettals because Christ hath sayd Iudge not Shall not the Phisition iudge of a sicke body because Christ hath sayd Iudge not Shall not a iury of twelue men iudge of a fellon because Christ hath sayd iudge not Shall not the Iudge giue iudgement vpon a malefactour because Christ hath sayd Iudge not Shall not the eare iudge of sounds and the eye of colours and the nose of smels and the pallate of meates because Christ hath sayd Iudge not Yes you will say all Very well And shall not a Christian also by the powers of his inward man discerne betweene a good man and a wicked man because Christ hath sayd Iudge not Or doth all power of iudging and ability of discerning belong onely to the outward man and none to the inward man or shall the inward man be able to iudge of euery thing sauing of mens actions and behauiour That is very absurd The naturall man perceiueth not the things of God sayth the Apostle because they are spirituall and must be spiritually discerned but the spirituall man iudgeth all things and is iudged of none that is of no carnall man is he rightly iudged for the carnall man can no more iudge of the spirituall man and his actions then a blind man can iudge of colours Therefore though Christ hath sayd Iudge not yet will no man loose his authority in place of iudgement nor the priuiledge of his sight nor of his hearing nor of his tasting nor the vse of naturall reason Nay more though Christ hath sayd Iudge not yet these fellowes will not sticke to be most swift iudges of others themselues for do they see another man zealous in religion deuout in prayer a diligent hearer of
and the paines that follow sinfull pleasures and then let our soules be fed and nourished with the sweet foode of the heauenly word of God And then feare not for as Abraham found a sacrifice where he looked for none euen so if we be as readie to sacrifice our sinnes as he was to sacrifice his sonne at Gods bidding we shall find new comforts and pleasures where we looked for none And as Sampson first slue the lion and afterward found a sweet hony combe in the dead lions belly so if we wil arme our selues to slay our sinnes which like ramping lions do meete vs in the way we shall by the power of Gods spirit ouercome them and after that find a most sweet hony comb of Gods mercy in Christ Iesus by whom we haue ouercome sinne and Sathan to our euerlasting peace and consolation He that can truely say with Dauid vnto God Thou shalt guide me by thy counsell shall follow with Dauid and say assuredly Afterward thou wilt receiue me to glorie And he that is not come to that point is as yet at a miserable passe for the Lord in the first of Prouer. sheweth that because he hath called to the foolish to make them vnderstand his words and they haue refused to be instructed or to be guided by his counsell he will laugh at their destruction and mocke when their feare cometh vpon them yea when their feare shall come vpon them like desolation and their destruction like a whirle wind When affliction and anguish shall come vpon them then shall they call vpon the Lord and he will not heare them they shall seeke him early but they shall not find him Thus saith the holy Ghost they shall eate of the fruite of their owne way and be filled with their owne deuises To which the Apostle agreeth and telleth the men of Belial that as they regard not to know God euen so God wil deliuer thē vp to a reprobate mind to do things that are not conuenient And moreouer saith Christ Those mine enemies which would not that I should raigne ouer them bring hither and slay them before me A fearefull thing therfore the children of God pray heartily Thy will be done in earth ô heauenly Father as it is in heauen and with the Church in the Psalme Not vnto vs ô Lord not vnto vs but to thy name giue the praise fighting continually against their affections because they fight against their soules And as the oxe is not readie to worke vntill he be vnder the yoke so Gods children thinke not themselues readie to serue God vntill they haue put on the yoke of Christ and then they say as Dauid said I am readie ô Lord to do thy will And this shall be a singular comfort vnto vs at the houre of death to remember that we haue striuen against our affections and earnestly laboured and prayed to obey God which the man of Belial or lawlesse dissolute person neuer did And so much of the wicked mans first name The second tearme or name that is here giuen to the wicked man is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ish auén vir nihili saith Tremelius that is a man of no worth Auen signifieth both iniquitie and vanitie therfore the house of idols is called Beth-auen because idols are vaine things and idolaters are vaine wicked persons therefore lawlesse loose men are called Ishim auen because such are both vaine and wicked yea more full of vanitie and iniquitie First they are vnprofitable pursuing as it were the wind and the smoke secondly they are practisers of mischiefe and wrong This is profanenesse from which the Apostle dehorteth vs in the twelfth to the Hebrewes and 16. verse where Esau is propounded as a most liuely image of such prophane persons as preferre earth before heauen the world before the word gold before godlinesse the bodie before the soule and the shadow before the bodie as Esau did a messe of pottage before his birthright and as the Israelites preferred onions before Manna and as the Iewes did Barrabas before Christ. Such were they that said in Ier. 43. It was well with vs when we made cakes for the Queene of heauen as many say now adaies It was neuer merry world since we had so much preaching it was a good world when we could go to the Abbeys and other religious houses and haue our bellies full of good cheare for nothing Ieremie is a babler said they and preaching is babling say these But what were they and these too Surely but Ishimauen prophane persons This vaine profanenesse and prophane vanitie is called finenesse of wit now adaies whereby many prophane and vaine persons get their liuing which is nothing else but plaine and lewd shifting This is a matter that men make no reckening of but such a one is viler then the earth Yet the custome of the wicked is to commend such saying such a one is a good honest man and doth no bodie any harme which is vntrue For Ish-auen the vaine man is also a wicked man that is hurtful vnto others And if it were granted that he did no man harme yet is he no good man but a prophane beast and most wicked to Godward An honest man they say he is but of what religion is he what religious exercise doth he frequent How doth he serue God with his familie what striuing hath he against his imperfections When doth he enter into priuate prayer for strength against his speciall sinnes and temptations What care hath he to bring vp his children in the feare of God He may be an honest man and yet a prophane man for honestie is two fold ciuill and religious Some are ciuill honest men and not religious some are religious honest men and scarce ciuill some are neither ciuill nor religious and some are both ciuill and religious Examples we haue in the Scriptures of all these The Barbarians in Miletum were ciuill honest men whose ciuill courtesie and courteous ciuility appeared in that kind entertainment which they gaue and that abundance of necessaries which they ministred vnto Paul and his weather beaten company But religious honest men they were not that is to say such as giue God his due for they had not so much as the knowledge of the true God amongst them as doth appeare by those extremities that they ran into at the sight of Paul For one while they rashly iudged him to be a murderer and that was when the Viper leaped vpon his hand another while they did superstitiously suppose him to be a God and that was when he shooke off the Viper and had no harme In the first of Kings the 14. chapter and thirteenth verse it is said of Abijah the sonne of Ieroboam that when he dyed all Israel mourned for him because there was found in him some goodnesse toward the Lord God of Israel that is he was a man carefull to giue
the body domineering ouer the whole man 3 The nature of hypocrisie and how it is descried in the outward parts and gestures of the body 4 The cunning of the wicked who can teach sinne and set forward mischiefe and leudnesse euen by signes and gestures 5 Lastly the aptnesse and pronnesse of our nature to learne euill euen by signes gestures and dumbe shewes Of euery one of these a little and first of the strictnesse and seuere precisenesse of the word of God in marking and noting the very motions of the body and euery part thereof The Lord we see plainly noteth the very gestures of the body as well as the words of the mouth and actions of our life yea he teacheth vs not onely how to liue and how to speake but also how to go and to moue our bodies euery part and member is set to schoole and bound to his good behauiour Euen as in the building of the tabernacle and materiall Temple there was nothing left to the discretion of them that built it but a patterne was giuen them by God for euerything euen to the very pinnes and ash-pannes and flesh-hookes c. So in the spirituall building of our bodily tabernacles and temples of the holy Ghost nothing is left to our wils and discretions but euen from the very thoughts of the heart to the outward gestures of the body yea to the very mouing of the eyes the fingers and the feet the Lord hath set downe an order in his holy word and whosoeuer breaketh that order is noted for it by the Lord but who soeuer wilfully neglecteth it and setteth the same at naught is also branded for a man of Belial and vaine person whose heart is full of lewd things and whofe destruction commeth both speedily and suddenly vpon him Caines countenance cannot be cast downe but the Lord will note it and search out the cause thereof Gen. 4.6 to be an enuious eye and a bloudy heart against his brother for his goodnesse to shew that we must looke vnto our very countenance least wrath and enuy be espied therein The harlot is noted well inough for her impudent face and thereby is she also noted for a harlot to teach women and maidens to watch ouer their countenances and outward behauiour that there appeare not too much boldnesse and lightnesse therein because thereby they are discerned either what they are or what they would be The proud women of Israel could not walke as they did with their neckes stretched out nor counterfeit a minsing gate but the Lord doth note them for it and doth he not note the daughters of England for the same things aswell as the daughters of Ierusalem The Pharisees could not disfigure their faces when they fasted but our Sauiour Christ would surely marke it and haue it recorded in his word to their shame and the admonition of all others We are become a laughing stocke saith the Church of God being in captiuity and a nodding of the head vnto the Heathen to shew that the very fleering of the countenance and the nodding of the head in contempt and despite of Gods people must be answered for before the Lord aswell as reprochfull speeches and bloudy actions And amongst other signes of contempt and reproch shewed by the Iewes against our Sauiour Christ at his death this is noted by the Euangelist for one that they wagged their heads at him So the man of Belial cannot worke his feates by signes and gestures but the word of God will take notice of it and tell all the world that He maketh a signe with his eyes he signifieth with feete instructeth with his fingers And according to this rule must we liue by this card must we saile making as the Scripture teacheth vs straite steppes vnto godlinesse So farre are we from teaching men liberty to sinne as the wicked Belials of popery slanderously charge the Preachers of the Gospell that we allow not men so much liberty as to make signes to any euill purpose but to carry euen the outward parts of the body and the motions thereof in such sort as they be neither offensiue nor infectiue but according to sobriety and simplicity For this is one chiefe end why the grace of God hath appeared sayth the Apostle to Titus to teach vs not onely to denie vngodlinesse and worldly lusts but also to liue soberly godly and righteously in this present world Which sobriety mentioned by the Apostle in that place is opposite vnto all lightnesse and scandalous behauiour which appeareth as well in the gestures of the body as in other things Some in their wanton and light behauiour are both offensiue to the godly and infectiue to the weaker Christians these walke not according to sobriety Some againe are as counterfeit both in matters of religion and also in common ciuility embracing affable courting ducking promising and protesting c. when there is no good meaning at all in them these walke not according to simplicity All which counterfeit behauiour the Lord noteth and condemneth aswell as Cain for for the heauinesse of his countenance when it bewraied the enuy and malice of his hart And no maruell for both charity and chastity are the worse for such gestures as are not in sobriety and simplicity Charity is broken as well by a proud or disdainfull looke as by a railing slanderous or reprochfull speech As well by the nodding of the head and fleering of the countenance and winking of the eye or putting out the tongue is charity broken and wrath prouoked as by the violence of the hand As charity is broken so also is chastity assaulted that way euen by leud signes and wanton gestures of the body as wel as by plaine motions and enticements of speech both modesty and impudency loue and lust will all appeare and shew themselues in the gestures and motions of the body though the tongue sit still in silence say nothing according to the saying of Salomō in another place of this booke Wisedome shineth in the face of the prudent Many are ashamed to speake what they thinke but yet by signes and gestures they will shew what they desire If these should hold their peace saith Christ pointing to his disciples which praised him the very stones would cry So if the toung be silent the eyes the fingers and the feete will speake Therfore euery member must be sanctified made a weapon of righteousnesse This seuerity of the word of God is it that troubleth all the world It is counted too great precisenesse to liue so strictly We cannot looke awry now adayes say some but we shall be told of it in the Pulpit Ah sayth another the world is come to a good passe indeed we must now go to the schoole of good manners againe we must learne of the Preacher how to go and how to looke and when to laugh and when to
in going whereabout is it It may be they plie it so fast to saue some bodie that is in daunger or to visite the poore and needie No saith the Apostle Their feete are swift to shed bloud But yet it may be their trade and manner of liuing is good and profitable to the Commonwealth No saith the Apostle Destruction and calamitie are in their waies But yet it may be their life is harmlesse and peaceable amongst their honest neighbors No saith he the way of peace they haue not knowne But yet for all this they may feare God in their hearts may they not No saith he The feare of God is not before their eyes Why then we perceiue that a meere naturall man wholly vnregenerate such as Salomon calleth The man of Belial is all one mā both within and without in his life lawlesse and in his heart leude and wicked The vse of this first point is to be made against those wicked mē that being altogether sold vnto sinne and hating reformation will reason in this sort Whatsoeuer my sayings and my doings be or howsoeuer my gestures and outward behauiour be or whatsoeuer my religion be yea though I come not at Church to heare the Sermons nor take any pleasure in the Scriptures c. yet I would you should know it I loue God and I regard Gods word yea I haue as good a hart to God as the best of you But he is deceiued for if a leud heart be a good heart then so it is but a good heart sendeth foorth good things being first renewed by the spirite and grace of God but if thou be a wicked lawlesse Belial and a vaine man that walkest in froward customes c. then know for a certaine that thy heart is full of leude things from whence proceed all thy outward disorders And how can that hart be a good hart to God-ward that is stored with leud things And so much for the first point The second conclusion that ariseth from this place is this that God iudgeth of a man according to that which is in his heart whatsoeuer he be in shewe yea though a false heart may be and is commonly shrowded vnder a ciuill behauiour yet it is seene of God and iudged by him too God seeth not as man seeth saith Samuel man looketh on the outward appearance but God looketh vnto the truth of the heart The hart of man is deceiptfull aboue all things saith Ieremie yet I the Lord search the heart and trie the reines to giue to euery one according to his wayes to shew that the wayes of man are in his heart and none can knowe them throughly but the Lord whose proper office is to search the heart and that he will surely do A needfull point this is for two sorts of people especially to think well vpon The first are Papistes of all sorts Church Papistes and all They are skilfull in their Popish eleuations idolatrous crossings down low duckings demure countenances holy habites and obseruations of times but they keepe their consciences to themselues and the Lord looketh vpon the leudnes and villanies that are lurking in their harts till a fit time serue for the bringing of them foorth as murthering of Princes vndermining of kingdomes and states subuerting the Gospel enriching the kingdome of Antichrist vnder colour of wilfull pouertie besides their whoredomes and other abhominations which make them now so to storme and rage because they are discouered vnto the world But let them looke vnto it God will iudge them for the leude things that are in their hearts Many ceremonies they make like Balaam with his seuen altars c. but both his and their hearts go one way and God seeth it well inough Many prayers and great deuotion they pretend but after the Pharisees fashion who when they seemed to pray most deuoutly then they deuoured most greedily and cruelly poore widowes houses Their Inquisitions are full of such prancks euen amongst their holy fathers but I will not nowe stand raking in those puddles Leude things are in their hearts and God seeth them well inough and will iudge them not so much by that which soundeth in their mouths although he will also iudge them for that but especially by that which is in their hearts This is also to be thought vpon of our politicke Protestants who say they defie Poperie but yet are not many of them very sound at the heart They are too well read and practised in Machiauell to be good Christians they will not sticke to promise to protest to say and vnsay to do any thing for profite and gaine These ciuill honest men can outwardly behaue themselues in print with kind kissings and curteous embracings with courting and saluting but in their heart God seeth much crueltie and couetousnesse deceipt prophanenesse and trecherie like a legion of Diuels in a common Inne for all that come from hell so they bring no godlinesse but gold with them They creep and crouch saith the Psalmist to make the poore fall by heapes into their nets their courtesie and kindnesse is framed rather by art then by heart yet all this artificiall dissembling is seene to God and in time to the world Wo be vnto them if they repent not for Leude things are in their hearts as in the heart of Belial Many are sicke of Amnons disease who seemed to long for cakes of his sister Thamars making but he could not be well till he had his pleasure of his sister And as Absolom inuited his brother Amnon to a great feast of purpose to murther him which he most leudly effected so can many as pollitikely inuite those to their feasts whom they meane to snare and catch at their tables of al which it may be said as it is said here of Belial Whatsoeuer is in their lippes yet Leud things are in their hearts and accordingly will God iudge of them and iudge them too for leud and wicked persons Many of our gilded Polititians and varnished Protestants at large are no whit behind their tutour Machiauel nor his brother the Pope in shrowding a leud heart vnder ciuill pollicie and politicke ciuility to no small endamaging of the Church of Christ but perhappes they thinke that God doth not note it and will not iudge them for it A man may descant vpon Machiauels name as Abigail did vpon Nabals Nabal is his name saith she and folly is with him So Macheuil is his name he matcheth all in euill and an euil match also hath he made for he hath matched a Princesse and a pesant together Christian religion and carnall pollicie together or diuellish pollicie rather who agree like the bondwoman and the freewoman that were in Abrahams house the one hating scoffing and persecuting the other so that there could be no peace in the house vntill they were parted asunder yea vntill the bondwoman and her sonne were cast out of the
all manner of euill saying against them falsly for his sake And such as Dauid was shall not want Zibaes enough in Court and countrey and citie and euery where euery great man yea euery one that is in authority hath such hangbies too many about him to hurt honest men in their credite if they take not heede of them Surely at another time Dauid did passing well when he forbad the publishing of Sauls death amongst the vncircumcised at Gath and Askalon lest they should insult reioyce at the death of the Lords annointed the king of Gods people to shew that if we must not alwaies publish euen true things that are notoriously and famously knowne when the concealment of thē may be more for Gods glory much lesse ought we to deuise or to publish or to credit false rumours slaunderous reports against the Lords annointed or any of the Lords people which tend to no other end but to the dishonor of God in defacing of his seruants In the 2. of Ruth ver 11. there is a notable pattern or exāple for newes mongers All is told me saith Booz vnto Ruth that thou hast done vnto thy mother in law since the death of thy husband how thou hast left thy father and thy mother and the land where thou wast borne and art come vnto a people which thou knewest not in times past By which relation of Booz vnto Ruth we may learn that the vertuous acts of good men are to be spoken of to their cōmendation comfort to the drawing on of others aboue all in all to the glory of God And that if we will needs be discouering of mens liues doings we should speak of their good deeds and vertuous acts not stand raking still in their corruptions and infirmities as the maner of most men is in reporting not to eclipse their vertues but to shew all to the full as he did that told Booz of Ruth but so will Belial neuer do The 2. way which the man of Belial taketh for the raising of contētions is a wilfull peeuish taking all things in euill part construing them to a wrong sense like the malicious Iewes who alwaies drew the heauenly words of our blessed Sauiour frō the right meaning when he spake of the temple of his body shewing how that shold be destroied within 3. daies builded again they maliciously construed his words to be meant of the temple of Ierusalem When he spake of going to a place whither they could not come vnto him they presently asked if he wold go kill himself Whē the blind man being restored to his sight by our Sauiour Christ did but answer the Iewes vnto their question shewing how he came by his sight maintained the deed of our Sauiour Christ they captiously tooke him at the worst as though he went about to teach them Iohn 9.34 So do all wicked lawlesse Belials Answer their demands questions with some reasons that they cannot gainsay then we go about to teach them and then to a braule Speake merrily and familiarly thinking no harme against any man they take it as a deriding and scoffing at them and then to a braule Do but a little reuerence vnto them then they thinke that they are despised Do much reuerence them and then they take it as if we mocked them Admonish them counsell them reprehend them they are aloft straight and take it that we command them that we iudge them that we condemne them they will not endure it Their felicity is great that they take in descanting vpon the Princes lawes vpon the Preachers liues and doctrine and the doings of all men In a word say what you will do what you can meane as well as may be meant be familiar or be strange eate or eate not pipe or mourne all is one nothing is well taken at the wicked Belials hands and so long what can be looked for but contention The third way whereby he raiseth vp contention is by busying and medling in other mens matters which belong not vnto him and that before he is called thereunto whereof some be women some be men Of contentious and busie bodied women the Apostle speaketh thus Being idle they learne to go about from house to house yea they are not onely idle but also pratlers and busie bodies speaking things that are not comely Salomon speaking of contentious women saith It is better to dwell in a corner of the house top then with a contentious woman in a wide house To shew that there is small ease or rest to be looked for with a contentious woman And in the 19. verse he saith it is better to dwel in the wildernesse then with a contentious and angry woman To shew that there is more comfort and rest to be looked for amongst the wild beasts then among contentions women Of busie headed men some are intermendlers in Church matters and some in common-wealth matters Of the first sort are such as Vzzah was who put his hand vnto the Arke of the Lord to hold it vp from falling when he had no calling thereunto The Lord was very wrath with him for it and in his iust vengeance stroke him downe for it euen in the very place with present death If the Lord were so angrie with Vzzah who in feare and of a good intent did but touch the Arke of God then what must they looke for who of a wicked intent to carpe and cauill maliciously and proudly meddle with the holy things of God and matters of Gods Church without any calling too The sacrifice of the wicked is an abhomination sayth Salomon how much more when he bringeth it with an euill mind Euen so the medling of the wicked in Gods matters which belong not vnto them is an abhomination much more when they meddle with a wicked mind and that also to do hurt thereby When Peter of meere curiosity was inquisitiue to know what should become of Iohn Christ gaue him a very round checke for his labour saying What is that to thee follow thou me To shew that it is a foule fault to neglect our owne callings and to be curious and inquisitiue about other mens affaires which pertaine not vnto vs and God will surely rebuke such curious persons Yet how many at this day do imitate Peter in his vaine curiositie or curious veine not fearing or regarding the rebuke that they shall haue from God for their labour What thinke you of Bishops their calling say some of this mans gifts and that mans teaching say other Euery cobler and pedler or tinker and prentise must know these things and haue an oare in the Church gouernours boate and hereof arise contentions and schismes and factions and rents in the Church of Christ. In the meane time examine them how they haue followed Christ themselues a thing indeede whereunto they are called alas they can say
Secondly his owne euil affections Gods anger is one cause for God and he being at oddes Belial cannot be at peace with Gods children For he that imagineth euill continually must imagine euill of all men he that imagineth euill of all men must also imagine as he may well inough that he is hated of all he beleeueth no man and is beleeued of none he trusteth no body is trusted of none and being thus hatefull hated it grieueth him to see others at vnitie therefore to bring others into his own case he raiseth vp contentions between partie and partie like the Diuel who being at enimitie with God himself did not cease vntil he had set enimity between God mā And this mutuall or ciuill dissention doth commonly follow amongst men vpon the contempt and neglect of the word of God and that is an effect of Gods most iust reuenging wrath for when men refuse to submit thēselues vnto the Gospell of peace and so to be reconciled vnto God it is iust with God to giue them ouer and to set them at contention amongst themselues that they may be deuoured one of another According to that which the Prophet Esay saith The wicked are like the raging sea that cannot rest whose waters cast vp mire and dirt There is no peace vnto the wicked saith my God he doth not say that the wicked do not rest or will not rest but they cannot rest And why Because God denyeth them peace And the Apostle saith Euill men shall waxe worse and worse deceiuing and being deceiued He saith not that they may but they shall waxe worse and worse and they shall deceiue and be deceiued as a thing ordained for them this euill shall come vpon them And the wise man saith As the cole maketh burning coles and wood a fire so the contentious man is apt to kindle strife Therfore whosoeuer he be that doth studie contention and reioyce to heare of strife let him feare his estate If he cannot chuse but contend and desire it euen for it selfe sake let him know that he is branded for a wicked man of Belial and one whome Gods anger doth euen burne vpon vntill it hath consumed him The second cause which moueth him to moue contention are his own euill and leud affections or desires and chiefly the pride of his heart as Salomon saith Onely through pride a man causeth contention And this proud contentious humour of his doth chiefly respect his own vainglorie and the furtherance of impietie and mischiefe Let nothing be done saith S. Paul through contention or vaineglorie to shew that the vaine-glorious are contentious and the one feedeth and maintaineth the other And this is that which Salomon speaketh plainely in the 28. of the Prouerbs verse 25. He that is of a proud heart stirreth vp contention to shew that pride is of a stirring nature and a proud heart by stirring of contention may easily be knowne The second thing that Belials proud contentious heart respecteth is in diuellish pollicie the more freely to practise his mischieuous deuises imagining that he may the more quietly proceede in his wicked enterprises without any question or molestation of himselfe Yea out of the contentions of other men some haue sucked no small aduantage Saul pursued Dauid till he heard that the Philistines were come foorth to inuade and destroy his land and then be returned by which means Dauid escaped his hands for that time 1. Sa. 23.27 While there was dissention among the people no man layed handes on our Sauiour Christ but euery man went to his owne house Iohn 7.43 44.53 and Christ went his way to mount Oliuet Iohn 8. the first verse While the Pharisees and Sadduces were at oddes and deuided about Paules words Paule escaped for that time Act. 23.6.7 By this pollicie also did the seditious that were in the citie of Ierusalem raise a third armie when they saw the Citie alreadie deuided to the vtter spoile and ouerthrow of the whole Citie so the contentions of the Citizens was a vantage to the seditious And no doubt but there are many such amongst vs that would be glad to see ciuill dissention in the land which God for his mercies sake if it be his will turne from vs that they might then the more freely follow the spoile and fall vpon the pray And by what other pollicie I pray you doth the vicar of hell still hold his place but by the contentions of Princes and Nations To this end did Pope Hildebrand neuer leaue hitching and encroching vpon the Emperours right vntill he had put him quite beside the cushion as they say And because the Princes of the world should haue no leysure to see the villanies and outragious practises that lurke vnder his triple Crowne much lesse to call him into question and least of all to suppresse and deiect him his practise hath bene and is to set variance and contention betweene Prince and Prince betweene nation and nation that while they are busie in defending of themselues one against another he may both quietly hold that which he hath gotten and also more easily enlarge the borders of his Popedome and all forsooth vnder the name of Saint Peters patrimonie yea that he with his cup-shorne Cleargie may play Rex and in time ouerrunne all So Hildebrand like a hell firebrand first by excommunicating of Henry the Emperour of Germany set his subiects and him at variance that they rebelling against him and the Pope at the same time excommunicating him might driue him to submit himselfe vnto the Pope which indeed the Emperour most slauishly did with his Queene and his child who waited bare footed and bare legged in a cold winter three daies and three nights at the gates of that proud Luciferian Prelate and at the last was let in and admitted to the Pope where he was constrained to yeeld vnto such base conditions as pleased that proude Prelate to bind him vnto surrendring his Crowne and kingdome vnto the Pope and receiuing the same againe at his hands Afterward fearing lest the Emperor would be reuenged of him for his good entertainment that he gaue him he excommunicated the Emperor againe and set vp Rodulphus Duke of Sueuia in his place during which contention the Emperor was at no leisure to deale against the Pope as afterward he was whē he had subdued Rodulph and was setled againe in his Empire in peace In the same steppes do all Hildebrands successors walke to this day setting all Christendome together by the eares that in the meane time they may easily get and quietly keepe whatsoeuer he can get The like practise is taken vp by our home-bred Papists both couchant and dormant who endeuour by all meanes to set contention betweene the Church-gouernours and the Pastours of the Church about matters of circumstance that in the meane time they with the rest of common aduersaries may do what they
list and go whither they list running through the countrey and spoiling the haruest of the Lords Ministers like Sampsons foxes with firebrands at their tailes The like pollicie doth Sathan still vse in filling the Church with needlesse stirres and vnkind contentions by Schismatickes which robbe the Church of Christ of her children that the true preaching of the Gospell may by this meanes be hindered and stopped And to what end else of late hath there bene such contention euen about some fundamentall points of our faith and the doctrine of the Church but while men are busie in vnderpropping the frame and to saue the whole house from falling Sathan with his leauie of Atheists Papistes and Machiuilean polititians may runne away with the spoile and not be espied And what other drift hath the Diuell in sowing of discord betweene the Pastour and people but to hinder the worke of the word still buzzing this into the minds of the people that the Preacher is not learned or else speaketh of malice c. The like purpose he hath as we see by daily experience in raising of contention betweene neighbour and neighbour to breake the bands of loue and to breede straungenesse and contempt of one against another lest that by often meeting in brotherly and kind sort they might mutually stirre vp and confirme one another in the graces of the holy Ghost and in the pathes of pietie and religion The like pollicie hath Sathan also in raising of contention betweene man and wife to interrupt their godly prayers and good courses of Christian exercises whereby Gods blessing and fauour may be hindred and kept from them and he in the meanetime may set in his foote and worke all kind of mischiefe wrath and vncleannesse amongst them Let vs consider well of this that loue to feede as it were vpon stoutnesse and peeuish affections only for maistry sake let vs learn rather to seek after peace ensue it for contention wil come fast inough like weeds amongst the corne or as dogs that come out as a man rideth before they be called And so much briefly for the first point namely the chiefe causes why the man of Belial delighteth in raising vp of contentions Now let vs come to the second point and see by what meanes he doth raise contentions The meanes are diuerse but chiefly three First tale-bearing and tale-belleuing Secondly misconstruing and taking things in the worst sence Thirdly busie medling in other mens matters Of tale-bearers the wise wan speaketh thus As without wood the fire goeth out so without a talebearer strife ceasseth Pro. 26.20 to shew that strife is maintained by tales as the fire is by wood the more wood the more fire so the more tales the more strife And he that carrieth tales carrieth wood like a scullion or kitchin boy to make a bigger fire They may be compared to rogish pedlers or pedling rogues which go about with light trifling wares vnder pretence whereof many play the theeues and do much harme otherwise But if no bodie would looke vpon their wares they would haue small list to open them so if no bodie would hearken vnto talebearers but would reproue them either by word or by countenance surely they would not take such a felicitie in that trade of life as they do For as the North wind driueth away raine saith the Wise man so doth an angry countenance the slaundering toung But these kind of vermine haue more patronage and better countenance then honest men for commonly they tell their tales as Libellers vtter their mind being ashamed of their names lest they should be disproued and reproued And their tales commonly go abroad like fatherlesse children or rather like bastards without fathers knowne or maisterlesse rogues who hang on euery bush a rag that they come at I will tell you a thing of such a one saith this base scullion of the diuels kitchin but I will tell it you in secret you must keepe it to your selfe or else I shall be shent and get ill will I will saith the other I pray let me heare it and so the innocent party is bought sold haled pulled rent torne condemned and hanged between two malicious theeues and he not aware of it The one robbeth his neighbor of his good name which is better then gold and siluer and the other is the receiuer Odiosum genus a hatefull broode they are and deserue hanging ten times more then he that robbeth a man vpon the high way for he may make restitution of that which he stole but a mans good name cannot be restored againe No saith Machiauel slaunder thy enemy speak all euill of him that can be deuised yet cunningly that it may be beleeued if otherwise thou canst not be reuēged of him for howsoeuer he may and doth cleare himselfe of the slander yet a scarre wil remaine do what he can A diuellish practise fitter indeed for Machiauel his followers then for any that beareth the face and name of a Christian. This was Absaloms practise to steale away the hearts of his fathers subiects partly by misreporting of his fathers gouernment partly by extolling of himselfe a most traiterous theeuish practise In like maner do all aspiring minded talebearers grace themselues by disgracing of others to rob men of their friends which is worse then to rob a man of his goods and such if they repent not must make iust accompt to hang in hell for it though they hang not here As it is a wicked practise to carrye tales in such obscure sort as hath bene shewed so it is as bad to beleeue tales and to giue credite to tale-bearers without any further proofe and examination of the matter It hath bene the vndoing of many an innocent and honest man Ziba cometh to king Dauid with a smooth tale against his maister Miphibosheth Dauid receiued it but did not examine it and giuing rash credite vnto it made no more ado but presently without hearing Miphibosheths defence gaue all Miphibosheths lands vnto Ziba a slanderous flattering clawbacke And though Dauid were as an Angell of God in wisedome and discerning as the woman of Tekoah told him yet he was too hastie and credulous in that matter Whereby we may learne that euen the bes◠men are subiect to this foule fault and are guiltie of false witnesse bearing against their neighbour contrarie to the ninth Commaundement which is done not onely by reporting but also by beleeuing of false things against our neighbour And surely men must take heed of this foule vice which is of so cursed consequence as we see daily We had need I say take heede how we beleeue reports raised against Christian professors of the Gospell especially against the zealous Preachers of the word because Christ hath told vs they shall be hated of all men for his names sake and that men shall speake