true hearts of your subiectes Oh turne and employ these to the glory of God that God may cōfirm in your Grace the thing which he hath begun To this ende hath GOD placed Kinges and Princes in their state as Dauid saith that they serue the Lorde that they may see and cause others to see to the furniture of the Church The good Emperor Iustinian cared for this as much as for his life Constantine Theodosius Valentinian other godly Princes called themselues Vasallos the subiects and bond seruants of God They remembred that God furnished them in their houses and were not vnmindful to furnish his house When Augustus had beautified Rome with setting vp many faire buildings he said Inueni lateritiam marmoream reddidi I foūd it made of bricke but I leaue it made of marble Your grace when God sent you to your inheritance and the right of this Realme founde the church in horrible confusion and in respect of y ◠true worship of God a church of brick or rather as Ezechiel saith daubed vp with vnseasoned morter Your grace hath already redressed the doctrine now cast your eyes towardes the Ministerie giue courage countenance vnto learning that Gods house may be serued so shal you leaue a Church of God a testimonie that the zeale of the Lords house hath eaten you vp And you O dearely beloued if there be any such which are neither hot nor colde which doe the work of the Lord negligently which esteem the word of GOD but as a matter of pollicie which are ashamed to bee called Professours of the Gospel of Christ pray vnto God that he wil increase your zeale Let vs continue rooted and built in Christ and stablished in the faith Let vs haue care for the house of God Whosoeuer is not after this sort zealous is a man of a double heart We may not halt between two opinions If the Lord be God follow him but if Baal be he then go after him he that is not with Christ is against him Many talke of the Gospel and glorie in their knowledge but it is neyther talke nor knowledge whiche shal saue them in that day He that feareth the Lorde and serueth him with a pure heart and may truely saye the zeale of thine house hath consumed me he shall be saued If they shall not escape which haue zeale without knowledge what shall become of vs which haue knowledge without zeale And you whosoeuer you are that by such meanes haue decayed the Lordes House and abridged the prouision and maintenaunce thereof and see the miserable wracke of Gods Churche if there be any zeale of God in you if you haue any felowshippe of the spirite if any compassion and mercy if you loue God if you desire the continuance of the Gospel oh remember you haue the patrimonie due vnto them that shoulde attend in the Lordes house you take vnto your selues wrongfully that which was not lotted for you Giue vnto Caesar those things which belong to Caesar and vnto GOD the thinges which appertaine to him and make for the beauty and furniture of his house Enrich your selues by lawfull meanes and without the spoyle and waste of Gods Church Let not the Ministery by your meanes be despised You enriched them which mocked blinded deuoured you Spoyle not them now that feed and instruct and comfort you Let vs seeke the glory of God Let vs at length serue the Lorde and not our bellie and greedy wantonnesse So shal God blesse you and prosper you in al your affaires so shal he strike a terrour of you into all forreine Princes that dwell about you so shall your heart be kept stedfast in the hande of God so shal your heart be perfect before the Lorde so shall you leaue suche as shall alwayes praise the Lorde in Sion so shall you see your childrens children and peace vpon Israel And thou O most mercifull Father graunt that thy wordes be not spoken in vayne it is thy cause Thou art our father we are as claye in thine handes Thou hast the key of our hearts Giue zeale to them that haue knowledge giue knowledge to them that haue zeale that they may be inflamed and rauished with the loue of thy house to sorrow for the decay thereof and to doe al their indeuour to build vp and establish the same for euer Amen Matthew 9. Then said he to his disciples Surely the haruest is great but the labourers are few Wherefore pray the Lord of the haruest that he would send labourers forth into his haruest CHrist our Sauiour after he was baptized by Iohn tēpted by Satan in the wildernes began to execute y ◠Cōmission wherunto his father had sent him chose vnto him self a number of disciples to be at his commandement and so tooke his progresse through a great part of the Countrey In the meane way in euery place where he came he taught the people that the kingdome of God was come amongst them he healed their diseases wrought straunge miracles before their eies and gaue manye singular and euident tokens of his comming But specially he behelde in what state the poore people stood touching their readines in receiuing Gods truth in al the countrey where he had byn therfore at the end of his circuite he was moued w t pity said he saw thē in most woful case forsaken and lost as if they had byn a flocke of sheepe without a heard and that not through their owne malice but through the wilful blindnesse and negligence of them that were set to guide them Sheepe as Aristotle and Plinie write of them are a simple kinde of cattell profitable to many vses ready to receiue all maner wrongs without skil to helpe or succour it selfe it coueteth to breake out of the folde or close if it may espie any hole open it strayeth and wandreth abroade many times hangeth in the briers many times is taken vp by the Wolfe it is euer in dāger of the wynd rayne yea of the very grasse and water it liueth by and thereof is infected oftentimes with a number of maladies so that the health and safety of the sheepe resteth only in the care and diligence of the shephearde To such a kind of cattel are the people likened Christ saith not they were like vnruly sheep that would not be guided by their heard but he saith They were like poore lost sheep that had no heard at al. For the people of thēselues were not vnwilling to receiue the Gospel but there was none to instruct them And for that he addeth an other similitude to declare the same and saith The haruest indeed is great but the workmen are but few the corne is ripe ready to be cut but there lack hands to fetch it in The comming of these times was promised long afore euen from the first creation of mankinde but the perfourmance thereof at the first was darke and as it were wrapt vp and hid
the Gospel to be heresie and that the things which he hath done for vs are wrought by the power of Beelzebub and which as good watchmen attending their warde may stirre vp the people to knowe the season that the night is passed and the day is come that it is time to cast away the workes of darkenesse and to put on the armour of light shall witnesse for them what zeale they beare to the house of God If the ministers be mindefull to perfourme their duetie if the Lordes haruest be not neglected if the defence for the Gospel finde vpright Iudges if all that giue outward shew of zeale be in deede zealous and worke the fruites of zeale what hope may they of Iericho haue that their cursed dwellings shal stand or why shall Israel mistrust that the Temple of God shall not receiue againe the former and perfect beautie Nowe because euery where in these sermons hee commendeth the necessary vse of godly learning and is an humble suter for patronage thereof I can not but present them vnto your honours our patrones and fathers right honourable Chauncelours of both the Vniuersities that seeing the benefite of this your gracious protection hath and doeth and shall reache it selfe so farre to do so much good to the whole Church of God you may at home and with your selues reioyce in the comfort of a good conscience for the manifold fruites of your fauour bestowed in such sort and all that haue the loue of the trueth may earnestly praye vnto God for your honours that he will continue his goodnesse towardes you and giue you long and prosperous dayes in this life and after a ioyfull enterance into his glorie Your honours most humble to command Iohn Garbrande ⧠Certaine Sermons of B. Iewell Ioshua 6. And Iericho was shut vp and closed because of the children of Israel neither might any man goe out or in 2. And the Lorde saide vnto Ioshua behold I haue giuen into thine hand Iericho and the King thereof and the strong men of warre 3. And yee shall compasse all the Citie c. IN diuers maners god spake opened himselfe to our fathers by visions dreames by sacraments by angels by plaine expresse words by allegories by secret mystical vnderstanding where one thing is couered vnder another And al this did he that he might cōdescende to our capacitie that wee might bee conuerted and saued that we might be guyded in the right way and not goe aside neither to the right hande nor to the left By vision GOD spake to Ezechiel as appeareth in the firste Chapter of his prophecie The wheeles which he saw were horible to behold they were ful of rings and the rings were full of eyes the foure beasts were also terrible they had faces like a man like a lion like a bullock and like an eagle In dream God spake to Samuel saying Beholde I wil doe a thing in Israel wherof whosoeuer shal heare his two eares shall tingle c. Touching Sacramentes God him selfe saith Thou shalt shew thy Sonne in that day saying this is done because of that which the Lord did vnto me whē I came out of Egipt thou shalt set apart vnto the lord al that first openeth the wombe c. And whē thy sonne shal aske thee to morrow saying What is this thou shalt then say vnto him with a mighty hande the Lorde brought vs out of Egypt out of the house of bondage For when Pharao was hard hearted agaynst our departure the Lord then slue al the first borne in the lande of Egypt from the first born of man euen to the first born of beast therefore I sacrifice vnto the Lorde all the males that first open the wombe but al the first borne of my sonnes I redeeme Sometimes he spake by Angels as by sundrye examples it may appeare Sometimes by him selfe in his owne person as he spake to Moses face to face Sometimes by playne expresse wordes Thou shalt loue the Lorde thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soule and with all thy might And againe Thou shalt haue none other goddes before my face thou shalt make thee no grauen image c. These are playne woordes these are the woordes which our Lord GOD hath spoken Some tymes he expressed his holy will not in words or visions or in such sort as I haue shewed but onely by some mysticall or secret Allegory by some deede which the people sawe done before their eyes of which kynd is this which we haue now to consider Therefore hath God sayde by the Prophet What coulde I haue done any more to my vineyard that I haue not done vnto it What shoulde I doe but it hath byn done What shoulde I say but it hath been sayde what warning shoulde I giue but it hath byn giuen I haue byn carefull for my people that they shoulde repent and turne to me that all Israel shoulde be saued If they perish I am free from their destruction they perishe in their owne wilfulnesse they haue none excuse Now touching an Allegory whereof we are at this present to say God opened his minde sometimes not by wordes but by some notable kinde of deede and the people heard GOD speak vnto them not with their eares but with their eyes The people of Israel as they were passing through the wildernesse lacked water to drinke and were like to perishe there stood a mighty great Rocke of harde stone whiche Moses smote with his rodde it opened and yelded out a great streame of water the whole people dranke of it and was refreshed the same people being likewise in the same wildernesse vtterly voyde of bread and all other substenance was like to famish God sent them Manna from heauen aboue they gathered it they ground it and they ate of it it was sweet and delicate and full of comfort This was an Allegorie that is to say a secret and mysticall kinde of vtterance For by this Manna and by this Rocke the people was ledde to vnderstand and thinke on that bread and that water that should come from heauen Saint Paul saith the Rocke was Christ his side was clouen his blood issued out it is a water springing vp into euerlasting life we drink of it and liue for euer So likewise that Manna was the bodie of Christ the people did eate of it and liued by it Christ had not yet taken vppon him a naturall bodye yet they did eate his bodie he had not yet shedde his blood yet they dranke his blood Saint Paule saith all did eate the same spirituall meate that is the body of Christ and all did drinke of the same spirituall drinke that is the blood of Christ and that as verily and as truely as we doe nowe and who so euer then did so eate Christ liued for euer not because the rocke was turned into his flesh or the water into his blood it was an Allegory as
CERTAINE Sermons preached before the Queenes Maiestie and at Paules crosse by the reuerend father IOHN IEVVEL late Bishop of Salisburie Whereunto is added a short Treatise of the Sacraments gathered out of other his sermons made vpon that matter in his cathedrall Church at Salisburie Imprinted at London by Christopher Barker Printer to the Queenes most excellent Maiestie 1583 To the right honorable Sir William Cicil Knight Lorde high Treasorer of England and to the right honorable L. Robert Dudley Earle of Leicester two of her Maiesties most honorable priuie Counsaile most worthie Chauncelours of both the Vniuersities Oxforde and Cambridge VNtrue reportes and sclaunders can neither giue falsehoode any credite among the wise nor disgrace the due estimation of the trueth Howbeit it seemeth there are some which hope it will turne them to no small aduauntage if to other their secrete and wicked practises they ioyne a sleyght of ill speaking of sclaundering the writings the godly sayings the life and the death of those whome it hath pleased God to vse to the setting forth of his Gospel and thereby to the great comfort of his people Among others vpon whom this hath bene practised they haue made some especiall choice of the late Bishop of Salisburie a man of famous memorie whose life and death is truely and syncerely written by M. Doctour Humfrey Howsoeuer they dealt vncharitably with him in his life Christian and godly discretion would they should spare to reproche the dead Or if not so yet in wisedome they might foresee that when matters are called to tryall such things cannot passe for currant lawfull wherof some due proofe hath not bene yeelded Yet as though the discredit of that one man who in great humilitie did acknowledge himselfe inferiour to many godly fathers then liuing in this Church of England were ynough for them to ouerthrowe all that whole worke which the Almightie God hath by his right hand and strong arme established they deliuer by tradition certaine false obseruations of his either simple or negligent or wilfull and malicious gathering and abusing the holy Scriptures of God and the auncient writings of the Fathers It is a harde thing for him that speaketh much to speake nothing worthy iust reprehension But it is much harder to escape the reprehension of corrupt Iudges euen when he shal speake most vprightly His defence is abroade published by himselfe And notwithstanding the endeuour of a learned aduersarie was to empeache it yet by his last and a moderate answere he auouched it good and approued his plaine and syncere dealing to the consciences of all men Whom it may please to vnderstande after what sort he prepared himselfe to the accomplishment of those two notable bookes of the defence of the Apologie and the Replie which are as two double Canons prepared for the battery of errour and superstition must needes confesse his diligence and reuerent proceeding in such cause to haue bene such as for which he may well be compared with any whomsoeuer the former or this present age hath thought therefore worthie commendation For besides his aduised obseruation of all such things as in the aduersaries bookes deserued answere and besides that he disposed a summarie and full collection of such matter as he would vse for the disproofe of the same the which he conceiued in short notes this may be a notable testimonie that he had purpose to set downe the aucthorities out of the Fathers and the quotations truely and playnely whereas in times before hee had gathered sundrie bookes of common places out of the Greeke and Latine and later writers he did peruse a fresh the authors themselues and made euery where in them speciall markes for the difference of such places whereofhee made choyce Those were all drawen forth and layde to their themes by certeine scholers who wrote them out by such direction as he had giuen vnto them So reuerent regard had he to do the worke of the Lord and to defend the trueth faithfully With like reuerence also did he in all places where he was occasioned to preach handle the word of God Albeit his giftes of reading and vnderstanding memorie were great yet it appeareth he did seldome or neuer deliuer any exposition vpon any peece of scripture before any Congregation in the meanest parish of the countrie but vpon diligent studie and whereof he drewe his notes In this his care Gods prouidence wrought mercifully for his Church that so there might be some way to deliuer in common vnto all the fruites of those godly trauailes which he gaue forth to some one especiall part of the Church Hereby it is that these his Sermons preached before her Maiestie and at Paules crosse come nowe to the reading of all such before whome they were once spoken to seeke that of them in true practise of Christian religion for which they were in their times vttered Why I make choyce of these among so many so excellent his sermons pronounced in those places if any be curious to aske let him aduisedly consider the state of Gods Church amongst vs in these dayes and bestowe his paynes to reade these which are offered to his Christian iudgement and then make to himselfe a charitable answere And if at such seuerall times as that reuerende father in the feare of God moued his petitions before the conscience either of her highnesse or of your honors or of any others the good children and seruantes of God he were so well acquitted that he was thought to speake vprightly in true zeale for the aduauncement of Gods glorie and like a wise buylder of the house of God no doubt in this rehearsall of them altogether they shall worke that wholsome effect if through the assistance of Gods holy spirite they be considered now with as great diligence as hee was then heard with good attention Your honours haue wel declared that you measured not your louing affection to him by the short terme of his life which giueth great hope that his humble requestes so many as are to craue ayde and furtherance of aucthoritie shall in good time be preferred They are such as shew how desirous he was to see the peace and prosperitie of Ierusalem and that the kingdome of God might neuer againe be taken away from vs. He sheweth what thinges they are by which this may bee brought to passe that among all the meanes which mans wisedome can prouide next to the high meanes of princely authoritie the chiefest is that all particular Churches may bee furnished with sufficient learned and godly Ministers and therefore that tender due care be had to encrease the nomber of them Their seruice is most needeful in the ouerthrowe of Iericho the citie which God will haue destroyed and in the buylding vp vnto God his Temple at Ierusalem The care which Magistrates take hereof and that laborers may be sent into the Lordes haruest which may defende the cause of Christ against those which charge
eyes are ouer the righteous and whiche is nigh vnto all that call vpon hym was also able to make his owne cause good to giue courage to his Seruantes tremblinge and anguish of minde to their enemies For the more his seruannts were deminished the more they encreased and the more tyrants preuailed the more they were weakened He that should die was bold and carelesse he that shoulde kyl was fearefully amazed the tormentor mourned the condemned reioyced the dead had the glorie the Tyrantes the shame their sacrifices decayed their Temples were forsaken theyr Goddes laught to scorne their Priestes were wood and lacked their large offringes the Lorde did let the curse fall vpon them whiche he made by his seruant Ioshuah and whiche shall come vpon al those that wyll seeke to raise vp Hiericho To rehearse the examples of Gods myghtye hande and to declare what hee hath done in all ages to shew foorth his power no tongue is able yet it is expedient to giue foorth one or two examples thereof Licinius an vngodly Emperour after hee had extended his force against the Christians to suppresse them and gaue greatest shew of his fauour to such about him as could best deuise new and straunge torments felt y e plagues of god was sundry times vanquished by Constantinus to whom he yeelded himself and led a priuate life in Thessalia vntill at length hee which had beene before the enemy vnto al learning was slayne by his own souldiers The palme of the hande whiche Balthazar saw write vpon the plaster of the wall did more amaze him his countenance was more changed and his thoughts more troubled therwith then if he dad bene assaulted with the force of a hundred thousand men King Pharaoh first saide to the messengers of God Moses Aaron I know not the Lord I care not for him But when he felt the smart of Gods hand he cried out vnto them The Lord is righteous but I and my people are wicked pray ye vnto the Lord for it is enough that there be no more mighty thunders haile and I wil let you goe and you shal tarie no longer Antiochus placed idols in the Temple of God and blasphemed his name and brought Ierusalem into bondage he burnt the bookes of the Lawe in the fire and cut them in pieces that so the name of God might no more be remembred but when the tormentes which God cast vpon him began to vexe him then hee began to leaue off his great pride and selfe wil when he was plagued came to the knowledge of him selfe with the scourge of God when he himselfe might not abide his owne stinke he said It is meet to be subiect vnto God that a man which is mortal should not thinke himselfe equall to God through pride Then he prayed to the Lord then he deliuered the Iewes theÌ„ he would restore the temple then he would also become a Iew himselfe and goe through al the world and preach the power of God Maximianus practising the like attemptes was likewise striken his fleshe was eaten with lice his body rotted in wardly hee was not able to abyde the smel of himselfe Then hee confessed his errour found his guilte called in his proclamation stayed his sword and albeit it were against his mynd commaunded that the Christians shoulde haue their Bookes and vse their Churches and heare the Scriptures and call vppon the name of Christ as they had done before Iuliane of all other began most politiquely and subtlely and therefore most mightely to set vp Hiericho He gaue commandement that no Christian mans childe should goe to schoole deuising thereby to keepe them rude and barbarous that no Christian shoulde beare office or liue in any manner authoritye thereby to make them vyle that they should neuer be Captaynes or souldiers that so they might be kept in weaknes he remoued the Christians out of his court He opened againe the temple of the Heathen did erecte Idolles in them and the more to giue credit and countenaunce to the matter he himselfe being the Emperour tooke vpon him the office of a Bishop and did offer sacrifice many of the nobles many of y e people applied themselues to followe this example and did the like He liceÌ„ced the Iewes to returne home again to build vp Ierusalem he allowed them mony he gaue them liberties and all this onely in the despite of Christ onelye to discredite and deface the glory of the sonne of God Hereby the Heretikes vpbrayded and defied Christ the faithfull were dismayed and the church of GOD was brought to great confusion But now let vs enter into the sanctuary of the Lordes counsels and behold the later end of these doinges The Iewes fell to woorke layd their foundation prouided al thinges needefull and began to buylde sodainely brake out an earthquake and ouerthrew their worke lighteninges fel from heauen and burnt their tooles in their handes and their coates on their backs The print that the lightning made in their garments was a crosse in token that they were the enemies of the crosse of Christe Then was the name of Christ more glorious and his Gospell more beautiful then before Iulian tooke his iourney into Persia and had made great threates y t at his returne hee would consume the name of Christians roote out the name of the Galilaeans and not leaue one Christian aliue and would set vp the Image of Venus in all his Churches But being in the field he was sodainely striken in the breast with an arrow from heauen he pulled it out the wound was deadly he cursed Christ hee tooke of the blood into his hande threwe it vp into the ayre and thus cried Vicisti Galilaee O thou Christ of Galilee thou hast conquered Thus sodeÌ„ly the tyrant was sâ—aine his attempts were accursed his frame of Hiericho would not stand The faithful Christians were set at liberty they went to their Churches they gaue God y â— glory they made triumphs were ioyful Thus God looketh vpon his faithful such is the power and readines of his hand The diuel himselfe confessed that when any Christian was present his mouth was musted he could not speake he could doe nothing The like might be said of Nero Caligula Maximinus Dioclesian Valerian others they had â—oÌ„quered Fraunce Spain Germany EnglaÌ„d Hungarie Dalmatia Arabia India Persia Scithia they had the world at commandement yet a few poore Christians artificers women maydens ignorant and vnlearned people they coulde neuer conquer Nero had crucified Peter and beheaded Paule that preached the Gospel but the Gospel whiche they preached they could not behead they could not crucifie Nero Caligula Commodus and sundry others like â—yrants were slain Dioclesian as it is thought was striken mad made vnable to rule and therfore left the Empire Valerian was taken in the field by Sapores King of Persia and tyed in a chaine and being the Emperour of the
worlde was made to lie downe on all foure that Sapores might set his feete on his shoulders and so get to horsebacke Al this notwithstanding the Gospel of Christ grewe stil and went forwarde Suche successe shal they haue that take in hand to builde Hiericho The Lorde wil smyte his enemies vpon the cheeke bone he will breake the teeth of the wicked Well may they barke they shal not byte God knoweth the way of the righteous and the way of the wicked shal perish God resisteth the proude but giueth grace to the lowly Yet a little while saith Dauid the wicked shall not appeare and thou shalt looke after his place and hee shall not be found The remembraunce of him shall perish Euery plant which our heauenly father hath not planted shalbe rooted out Put not your trust then in princes nor in the sonnes of men which cannot saue themselues their breath departeth and they returne to their earth It is God that is king of kings which loueth the righteous ouerthroweth the way of the wicked All flesh is grasse and al the grace thereof is as the floure of the field the grasse withereth the floure fadeth but the word of our God shall stande for euer Was God able in those daies to auenge the crâ—elty of Tyrantes to withstand the proud to defend the humble and lowlie shal we thinke that his hande is shortened great is our God his power is wonderfull and there is no ende of his iudgements O what leagues and confederacies what practises pollicies haue we seene defeyted what aboundaunce of blood hath been shed by sword and by fire the workers thereof are gone the end of many of them was horrible yet the Gospel continueth and encreaseth in all places Aeneas Siluius who was afterward Pope and called Pius the seconde sheweth in his storie of Bohemia what great preparation was made to mainteyne the Church of Rome and to destroy al those which professed the Gospel whom they called Hussites and Calixtians because they defended the receyuing of the cup as well as of the bread in the Lordes Supper Two Cardinals the one of them Cardinall Beauford an English man Bishop of Win the other Iulianus were sent into Germany to leauy power at whose intreaty the Emperour and States appoynted three armies of men to fulfill the Popes purpose But saith the story Non visum hostem fugerunt They fled before they did see the enimie And againe the secoÌ„d time Priusquam hostis vllus daretur in cospectu foedis sima caepta fuga They fledde away with shame before any enimy came to fight here of one of the Cardinals Iulianus writeth thus to Eugenius the fourth Nonne videbitur hic digitus Dei Ecce exercitus armatorum toties fugit à facie eorum nunc similiter Ecclesia vniuersalis fugit ecce nec armis nec literis vinci possâ—t Videbitur miraculum Dei euideter demonstrans illos ver a sentire nos falsa Is not the power of God here to be seene our armies of souldiers haue fled before theÌ„ many times and now the vuiuersal Church fleeth They cannot be ouercome neither by weapons nor by learning This must needs appeare a miracle wrought by God to declare that their opinion is true and ours false Thus we see how vainly and miserably they encumber themselues which take vpon them to restore Hiericho God withstandeth them defeateth their purpose as wee may see this day Let vs therfore reioyce in God and let vs saye with the people of Israel I will sing vnto the Lord for he hath triumphed gloriously the horse and him that rode vpon him hath he ouerthrowen in the sea It is not enough that wee looke backe and gaze at this decayed citie of Hiericho and beholde the rampiers loosed the walles throwen downe the houses burned and the people thereof slayne God can giue peace God can withdrawe it we haue seene the iudgements of the Lord vpon them wee haue seene the turning of the Lords hand towards vs. That thing whiche hath bin done may be done again The Arke of God was taken by the Philistims and God suffered his temple to be spoyled not that he was offended with the Arke or with the temple but for the vnworthines of the people He neuer forsaketh but he is first forsaken As he saith Seeing ye haue forsaken mee I wil also forsake you God himself telleth vs by the prophet Ieremie as you heard before That which I haue built wil I destroy that which I haue planted wil I plucke vp When Christ rebuked the vnthankfulnes of the Iewes he said vnto them The kingdom of God shalbe taken froÌ„ you and shalbe giuen to a nation whiche shall bring forth the fruites thereof And agayne The children of the kingdom shalbe cast out into vtter darknes for many are called but fewe are chosen It behoueth vs not therfore ouermuch to glory in victory It is fickle and casuall and may be lost Let vs humble our selues vnder the mighty hande of God let vs acknowledge the woonderfull woorke that he hath wrought in our dayes and praye him to continue the good thinge hee hath begunne among vs. In him we haue our lyuing our mouing and our being We are nothing but claye before him that he which reioyceth may reioyce in the Lorde Now it remaineth we consider what wholsome remedies may be deuised that Hiericho be neuer againe restored Here of I wil say somewhat the time so requireth Heere might wee marke the practises and policies of noble coÌ„querors what wayes they take to keepe themselues in safety and their conquered subiectes from rebellion Some when they had gotten a citie thought it enough to ouerthrow the walles therof Some razed al the castels threw down al the holdes Others haue built strong places and Towers and furnished them with munition to bridle the people Others haue spoyled them and kept theÌ„ poore Others haue vnarmed them kept them from all weapon Others to withdrawe them from vnquiet fancies haue set them to Plough the ground and to other bodily labour Others haue cut off their captaines and al such as might seem able to leade the people and to moue rebellion Some haue killed their male children Some dissolued the old Lawes and gaue them new Others haue forbidden banquets feasts and al other conuenticles or asseÌ„blies to make them strange one to another Others haue purposely sowed and mainteined factions set city against citie surname against surname blood against blood that no man might safely trust another Some haue deuised othes and bands of conscience some haue deuised lawes martial other crueltie some haue transported and caried away the whole people man woman and child as Nabuchodonozor did the Iewes into BabiloÌ„ put others in their place By these and such other like wayes as much as wisedom and pollicie could deuise they thought to keepe countries and nations in
Lawe in their inwarde partes and write it in their hearts and will be their God and they shal bee my people and they shal teach no more euery maÌ„ his neighbour and euery man his brother sayinge Know the Lord for they shall all know mee from the leaste of them to the greatest of them sayeth the Lorde And agayne our Sauiour sayeth out of the prophet Esay They shall all be taught of God And in the seuententh of Saint Iohn he sayeth This is life eternall that they knowe thee to be the onely very God and whome thou hast sent Iesus Christ To this ende and for this cause He gaue some to bee Apostles and some Prophetes and some Euangelistes and some Pastours and teachers for the gathering together of the Saints for the worke of the ministerie and for the edificatioÌ„ of the body of Christ that we hencefoorth bee no more children waâ—ering and caried about with euery wind of doctrine by the deceit of men with craftines whereby they lay waite to deceiue Therefore doeth S. Peter cal vpon them that are of the church of god in all places that they shew foorth the mercies of God that they witnesse vnto all the world what the Lord hath done for them in filling them with all spirituall knowledge and vnderstanding Be readie alwayes to giue an answer to euerie man that asketh you a reason of the hope y t is in you There fore doeth God giue charge to his people the children of Israel to heare his Lawe and keepe his commaundements not as an ordinance that shoulde stande good but for a season whiche shoulde bee kepte onely by them but also requireth that they teache the same to their posteritie that so his great blessinges may neuer bee forgotten For thus hee sayeth These wordes which I commande thee this day shall bee in thine heart and thou shalt rehearce them continually vnto thy children and shalt talke of them when thou taryest in thine house and as thou walkest by the way and when thou lyest downe and when thou risest vp Thus doeth God by promise that hee wyll giue the Spirite of knowledge and of vnderstanding vnto his people and by raysing vp labourers whom he hath sent foorth into his viniarde Prophetes Apostles Euangelistes and pastours and teachers and by his earnest commaundement that we giue eare to his woorde and speake of his wonderfull kindenesse shewed vnto vs and our forefathers make it appeare howe needefull a thinge it is that we knowe his will Without this knowledge we cannot loue hym as our father we can not feare him as our Lorde But when wee see the miserable blindenesse and ignoraunce in all places abroade what hope may wee haue to see Hiericho suppressed and quite ouerthrowne It cannot be but great inconueniences shall followe in the Churche of God as confusion of order and dissolution of life to the indangering of the state vnlesse by godly care of the Magistrates some helpe be prouided This care must shewe it selfe in remouinge blinde watchmen whiche haue no knowledge who are but dumme dogges that can not barke who lye and sleepe and delight in sleeping These greedye Dogges can neuer haue enough sayeth the Prophet Esaye Non residence and absence from their cure is a fault that woulde bee amended in the Sheapheardes of the Lordes flocke Though they be neuer so able to instructe and therefore worthie to haue the roumes in the Churche yet if they haue not a desire to do good if they feede not Christes sheepe if they be strangers to the people of their chargeâ— if they bee not at hande to giue their flockes their bread in due season what let may there bee but that ignorance and blindenesse shall growe and encrease in the people Another fault no lesse hurtfull to the Church of God is the sufferinge of pluralities when one man taketh the profite of two or more benefices whiche is not worthye of one These Non residents and pluralitie men teache not they knowe not nor care for the People of their charge they haue brought this confusion and shame into the house of God They are blinde guides they are the darkenesse of the world Against those whiche are suche GOD sheweth his heauy displeasure My Sheep sayeth he wandred through all the mountaines and vpon euerie high hill yea my flocke was scattered through al the earth and none dyd seeke or searche after them And againe Neither did my shepheards seeke my shepe but the shephardes fedde themselues and not my sheepe And by the Prophet Ieremie he saith They that shoulde minister the law knew me not And againe The Pastours are become Beastes and haue not soughte the Lorde therefore haue they none vnderstandinge and all the flockes of their pastures are scattered These either bee a remnant of the wicked Inhabitantes of Hiericho that resist the passage of Gods people towardes the land of promise or suche as haue forgotten the commaundement of the Lorde and haue giuen themselues to doe the sinnes of the people whom the Lord gaue ouer vnto them These be they that seeke the restoringe of Hiericho the ouerthrow of Hierusalem therefore the curse of God wyll fall vppon them the blood of Gods people shall be required at their handes because they bring the abhomination of desolation into the holy place because they suffer Christes flocke to perishe for lacke of knowledge and to be caryed away after euery wynde of false doctrine God graunt al such that they may see with their eyes and vnderstande in their heartes and knowe the gratious goodnesse of the Lorde that the people bee not through their negligence like Horse and Mule but that they may descerne betweene darkenesse and lighte and betweene Hiericho and Hierusalem that they may bee able to giue a reason of the faith whiche is in them and that they may teache the same vnto their Children So shall we be builte vpon a rocke so shall we stande as firme as mount Sion so shall wee neuer be confounded The thirde meanes to stay the buyldynge of Hiericho is to bee thankefull for the benefites whiche God hath bestowed vpon vs and in suche sorte to leade our life that it may appeare wee bee his seruants To this ende God hath giuen his holye worde and to this ende hath he left his holy sacraments that we should be put in minde of his kindenes and not become vnmindefull or vnthankefull and so receiue his grace in vayne But you wil say What thanks shall I giue Some leade me one way and some another some saye heare is Christe some saye there is Christe I know not nor wherefore nor howe to yeelde thankes Hereto a short answere can not suffice and a long woulde be tedious Let vs call to remembrance the Lesson that was giuen vs in this place on Sunday last Let vs search the scriptures Esay the Prophet saith To the Law and to the testimonie if they spake
of sinne may be reueiled When the woman of Samaria saw the miracles that Christ had done and heard some men doubte whether hee were Messias or no why quoth she wheÌ„ Messias shall come shall he doo moresignes theÌ„ this man hath shewed So may we say by the Bishop of Rome when Antichrist shal come shal he worke more signes then they of that See haue done shal he work more disorder in the Church shal he do more to the dishonour of God and against Christ Some man wyll say that for vnitie sake it is meete y t some man be named head of the church But Gregory saith SiquantitateÌ„ vocis perpendimus duae sunt sillabae Sipondus iniquitatis vniuersa pernicies If we weigh the quaÌ„tity of the word it standeth in two sillables if we consider the weight of the wickednes it is an vniuersal destructioÌ„ Unto Anastasius the Bishop of Antioch he writeth thus To dissemble the iniury don to your honor if one bishop be caled vniuersal theÌ„ if y t one vniuersal bishop fal the whole vniuersall church goeth to grounde Therefore Francisons Zabarella a Canonist seeinge the great inconueniences y t grew hereof saith the popes do now whatsoeuer thei list to do yea although it be vnlawful ar become more theÌ„ god Herof hath folowed infinit errors for the Pope hath in uaded entred vpon al the right of the inferiour Churches so that the inferiour Byshops may go for nought and vnlesse God helpe the state of the Church the vniuersal church is in danger In consideration of this great danger which hereby groweth to y e whole church Gregorie saith to Iohn the Boshop of Constantinople Tu quid Christo vniuersalis Ecclesiae capiti in extremi iudiciâ— dicturus es examine qui cuncta eius membra tibimet conaris vniuersalis appellatione supponere What answer wilt thou make at the trial of the last iudgement vnto Christ the head of the vniuersal Church which thus by the name of vniuersall Bishop seekest to make all his members subiect vnto thee This decay of the church the olde Catholique Fathers foresaw in their time When Constantinus y t Emperor endowed the churche with landes possessions they saye there was a voyce of Angels heard in the ayre saying Hodiè venenum infunditur in Ecclesiam This daye poyson is powred into the Church If there were poyson powred into the Church then I doubt there was neuer Triacle powred into it since This we see that from that time shee hath done worse and worse Augustine fyndeth faulte with the multitude of Ceremonies and sayeth the Churche in hys time was in worse case by mannes deuises then was the Churche of the Iewes Bernarde sayde There is no parte sounde in the Cleargie And agayne They which chuse the first places in the Church are chiefest in persecuting Christ And againe Non doctores sed seductores non pastores sed impostores non praelati sed Pilati They be not teachers but deceiuers they are not feeders but beguilers they be not Prelates but Pilates What should I hold you with calling the fathers to witnes in this matter they themselues that haue bene proctors for y e Church of Rome are contented sometimes to acknowledge that they haue forsakeÌ„ the original Latomus findeth fault that y e Lords supper was ministred to the people in one kinde only Abbas Panormitane Faber Pius secundus founde falt with y e forbidding of priests marriage Ex agamia saith Faber multi lapsisunt in pedicas diaboli Many haue fallen into the snares of the deuill by forsaking mariage And further expresseth the mischiuus purpose of those which brought such ordinance into the Church by a similitude saying arâ—neae texunt subtiliaretia c. Spyders weaue their webs so smal and fine that they may scarcely be seene if any thing fall into them they first set vpon the head therof so take away all sense feeling Albertus Pighius confessed there were errors abuses in the masse I will saye nothinge of their life Some of themselues say that they succeed Peter in place but Iudas in life Boniface being himself a bishop said In old time we had treene chalices goldeÌ„ priestes but now we haue trene Priestes and golden Chalices And Adrian being also a Bishop said Succedimus non Petro in docendo sed Romulo in parricidio Wee succeed not Peter in teaching but Romulus in slaughter of our brethren Yet notwithstanding say they we are successors to Peter vicars of christ we are y e church But Christ taketh it for an argument against y e Scribes Pharisees This did not AbrahaÌ„ You are not the church you are of your father y t diuel And Micheas My Priests teach for reward my Prophets prophecy for money and yet they rest themselues vpon the Lord and saye is not God in the middest of vs Are not we the church Therefore night shalbe vnto you for a vision and darknesse shalbe vnto you for a diuination and the sunne shal goe downe ouer the Prophets and the day shalbe darke ouer them I wil speake nothing of the blindnes of the time past for our aduersaries take that for a special hold and cal ignorance the mother of deuotion and say Scriptures are a buckler and a defence for heretikes Not long sithence in this citie there were certaine interrogatories put forth to enquire of suche as then they called heretikes wherein one inquiry was made in this sort Item whether you knowe or haue heard of any person or persons within your parish that hath kept or at this present doth keepe any heretical naughtie and seditious booke or bookes especially English Testaments or Bibles I fayne not this of my selfe the booke is to be seene imprinted euen in this yard But this matter wil soone be answered wil they saye for it followeth Falsly traÌ„slated That were somewhat if they woulde appointe you out one that were translated aright or did allowe any translation of the Testament in English to be vsed Whensoeuer any great Eclipse chanceth in the sunne or moone some maruellous impression or change or mortality foloweth vppon the earth Euen so when true knowledge faileth in the Church of God it cannot be but the soules of the people shal perish If in the little time of Moses absence the people forgate God and fell to idolatry if when Christ slumbred and tooke but a litle nappe in the shippe the ship began to drowne how shall it bee with them that receiue not Moses at all and giue no place to our sauiour Christ who only is able to saue the Church from drowning For as Hilarie saith Ecclesiae intra quas verbum Dei non vigilauerit naufragae sunt NoÌ„ quod Christus in somnum relaxetur sed quod somno nostro consopiatur in nobis Those churches are in danger of drowning wherin the word of God waketh not Not for that Christ is in any sluÌ„ber but because
spiritualtie the other for the laitie For S. Paul saith Omnis anima superioribus potestatibus subdita sit Let euery soule bee subiect to the higher powers Euery soule whether he be bishop Cardinal or Pope al are subiect to their Prince And Chrisostome vpon that place saith Etiam si Apostolus sis si Euangelista siue Propheta siue quisquis tandem fueris neque enim pietatē subuertit ista subiectio Yea if thou be an Apostle if thou be an Euāgelist if thou be a Prophet or of what state soeuer thou be for this subiection is no hinderāce to godlines And of the superiority of Princes power Tertullian speaketh thus Colimus imperatorem vt hominē à Deo secundum solo Deo minorem We woorshippe the Emperour as a man nexte vnto God and inferiour onely vnto God Some other there be that see and knowe that the Church of God is nowe a building and yet not onely refraine themselues from the worke but also spurne down that other men haue built vp that see wee teach nothing but the word of God and the doctrine of the primitiue church yet least they should seeme to receiue the doctrine which they haue persecuted inforce them selues to be constant and lay violent hands vpō their owne conscience and saye Non regnabit super nos He shal not beare rule ouer vs and as Pharao said in the hardnes of his heart Nescio Dominum I know not the Lord. I take not here vpon me to iudge other mens consciences but such men there haue byn as we may know by reading as God hath opened by notable iudgement I pray God there be none such now I pray God there be none that offend against their own conscience and knowledge and against the holy spirit of God But alas I speake not now of the ignorant and vnlearned sort of people that offend of simplicity and haue a zeale of God although it be not according to knowledge but I speake of them that be learned that knowe well that wee teach you nothing this day but that Christ and his Apostles taught before vs was euermore frequēted throughout the church vntil al things grew to corruption And of the contrary parte they doe know and their consciences doe testifie vnto them that their doctrine for the most parte is contrary to the vse of the primitiue churche contrary to the Apostles contrary to Christe himselfe Yet wil these men sooner leaue their liuing then bee present at the hearing of an Englishe prayer or communicate with the people vnder both kyndes They call it a schisme to haue the common prayers in a tongue that the people may vnderstande To communicate vnder both kindes they call it a schisme For the Ministers to be maried they cal it a schisme And other like things which were tedious to rehear se at length Those thinges which were ordeyned by Christ and his Apostles vsed throughout the whole Catholique primitiue Churche without question they cal schismaticall O mercifull God shall wee saye that all the whole world of the Christians euer from Christes time vntil the late time of these later Fathers was in a continual schisme Shal we say that S. Augustine S. Ambrose and other old fathers were schismatiques Shall wee say that Christ and his Apostles taught vs schismes or that was once true and Christian doctrine-is it nowe become a schisme Is the Churche nowe within fiue hundreth yeeres become Catholike and was Christes church and the Apostles churche and the Doctours church not Catholike O Lord if we be deceiued thou hast deceiued vs for if in these doings we be schismatikes for hauing prayer in a knowen tongue or for communion vnder both kindes or for the mariage of Priestes and Ministers where as thou gauest thy communion vnder both kindes and didst choose such as were married to be thy Apostles and didst pray in the common and vulgar tongue as also thy Apostle Paule taught vs to do If this be schisme we are become schismatiques for folowing thine example and that ordinance which thou hast left vnto thy Church But S. Hillarie sheweth how we shalbee sure to know an heresie or a schisme Hee est regula fidei Christus dixit Apostolus dixit This is a rule of faith to say Christ hath said it the Apostle hath said it Christ saith Bibite ex hoc omnes Drinke ye al of this without exception Paul biddeth vs to pray so that the people may say Amen And sayeth Honorabile coniugium in omnibus Mariage is honorable in al men Then is this by Hylaries rule the Catholique faith the contrary is Schismaticall for our faith is buylded vppon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets S. Cyprian saith Non pax est sed bellum nec Ecclesiae iungitur qui ab Euangelio separatur It is no peace but war no Catholike peace or vnity but opē war schisme neither can he say I am of the Church that is diuided from the gospel Iustinus martyr as it is reported by Eusebius saide Ipsi Domino non acquiescerem si alium Deum diceret praeter omnium Creatorem I would not beleue Christ himself if he should say there were another God then the creator of al things If he would not beleeue God himselfe teaching otherwise then is sette downe by the woorde of God much lesse would he beleeue the Churche teaching contrary to the Gospel God of his mercy graunt that al our controuersies that we now stand vpon may be hearde and determined by Gods Gospel and open the eyes of our aduersaries that they may see the hope whereunto they are called In the meane season let not vs shunne or refraine them but exhort and counsel them with al sobrietie in the spirite of meekenesse as our brethren Who knoweth whether God of his mercie will call them to repentaunce As God sayde to Saynt Paule by Reuelation Populus mihi multus est in hac ciuitate I haue much people in this citie So I trust I may say at least I doubt not but wee may charitably hope God hath a great number euen among them that runne to the Masse that will yet heare no reason but are stubborne and wilfull Their hearts are in the handes of God and he is able and will mollifie them and of stony wil make them fleshy and of stones make them the children of Abraham and the principall corner stones in the building of his Church Other impedimentes there bee that keepe men from the buylding of Gods house But that which GOD complayneth of by the Prophet is that euery man fell to builde his owne house and lefte the house of God vnbuilded This is the corruption of our nature Such thinges as we shoulde glorifie God withall we abuse moste to the dishonour of God Therefore Christe calleth them thornes and the Mammon of wickednesse not because they are so of themselues for they are the giftes of God but
home from Obededom and set in the mount Sion when Religion reuiued which through the negligence and malice of Saul was forsaken when he saw his nobility his Bishoppes his Priestes and all his people willing and forward he could not refraine him selfe but brake out and song Haec est dies quam fecit Dominus exultemus laetemurin ea This is the day which y ◠Lord hath made let vs be glad and reioyce in it Let vs be merry ioye that euer we liued to see it Euen so Paul when in his time hee saw the Gospel take roote and prosper and that the sauour of life was powred abroade that the kingdome of God was enlarged and the kingdome of Satan shaking down his heart leaped and sprong within him Ecce nunc tempus acceptabile Behold now that acceptable time behold God hath looked downe mercifully vpon the world beholde the daye of saluation is come vpon vs. But the godly man as hee reioyceth at the beautie of Gods house so when contrariwise he seeth the same disordered filthily when he seeth the Sacraments of God abused the trueth troden vnder foote the people mocked the name of god dishonoured he cānot but lament mourn and finde himselfe wounded at heart When the good king Iosias saw the booke of god whiche was so long hid in y ◠wall out of remēbrance when he considered the blindenes in which they had liued the vnkindnes of their forfathers he could not forbeare but fell a weeping he feared least god would take vengeance vpō thē for so great cōtempt of his word Whē Ieremy saw the wilfulnes and frowardnesse of the people which would not submit themselues and be obedient vnto god he cryed Oh that my head were ful of water mine eyes a fountaine of teares that I might weepe day and hight c. Such care had they for Gods people thus the zeale of Gods house had eaten them vp Zeale if any man know not the nature of the word is an earnest affection and vehement loue as is the loue of a mother towards her children or of y e natural child towards his mother This zeale cannot abyde to see that thing which it loueth despised or hurt Such a zeale and care carieth God ouer his people hee loueth them as a mother loueth her little children he wil not suffer them to be hurt By y e Prophet Esai he saith Can a woman forget her childe not haue cōpassion on the sonne of her womb thogh they should forget yet wil I not forget thee Zachary also saith He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eie For God hath said they shalbe my people and I wil be their God Such care likewise heare al the godly towards their God they loue him with all their soule with al their heart with al their strength they reuerence him as their deare father they are grieued at anye blasphemy and with anye contempt of his holy name But as euery man be he neuer so wicked yea euen he that saieth in his heart there is no God which is become filthy abhominable in al his doings yet in his talke outwardly saith he hath a God and that hee beleeueth in him euen so there is none so wicked or so forsaken of God in his heart but he perswadeth himselfe hee hath the zeale of GOD and what he doth in selfe loue of his owne fantasie hee will beare in hand he doth it for the loue of God The ouerthrowers and wasters of the Churche will seeme to shew a speciall care for the Churche Dissemblers hypocrites despisers scorners euen suche as sinne agaynst the holye Ghost which denie the trueth of God after they haue knowen it which witting and knowing fight against the trueth which say of Christ we will not haue him to rule ouer vs which worke that sinne that shall neuer bee forgeuen in this worlde nor in the worlde to come yet notwithstanding wil pretend and seem to haue the zeale of God Thus the Scribes and Pharisies set vp their bristles against Christ thy Disciples keep not the common fast thou sufferest them to put and to eate the eares of corne thou sufferest them to eate with vnwashed handes thou breakest the tradition of the Elders thou breakest the Law of God which he gaue vs by Moses thou art a seditious teacher thou art a schismatike thou art an Heretike They sayde we fast twise in the Weeke wee haue Abraham to our father we are Moses Disciples Therfore when they hearde Stephen speaking those heauenly words Behold I see the heauens open and the Sonne of man standing at the right hand of God through zeale they gaue a shoute with a loud voyce stopped their eares and ran vpon him al at once When Christ had said Ye shall see the sonne of man sit at the right hād of God come in the clouds of heauē the hie priest through zeale rent his clothes sayd Ye haue heard the blasphemie This naughty man speaketh blasphemie against God He called a Councell the Scribes Pharisies met together not one man amongst them but of themselues they looked about them as if they only were the pillars and buttresses of the church and were only zealous and carefull for the house of God But their meeting was as Dauid forespake and as Peter declareth and as wee knowe against the Lorde and against annointed They were touched with zeale of their owne glory not with the zeale of Gods trueth They sought their owne praise but not the praise which is of God They made crakes that they knewe the scriptures that they were the Temple of God that they had the consent of al antiquitye as others haue done since that time and as wee see many do this day in very deed these men now haue euen as much as they had then as by proof and triall it wil appeare There are others which haue a feeling of God and a great care for his Church but such a feeling and care as commeth either of their owne fantasies or of some opinion and credite they haue in their Fathers which were before them not of the vnderstanding of Gods pleasure Such are they which offende God not of malice or wilfulnesse but onelye for lacke of teaching and vnderstanding Such were they whiche withstoode Saint Paule in all his preaching for that they tooke him for an Heretike and thought his preaching was against God I beare them witnesse saith he that they haue the zeale of GOD but not according to knowledge Such a zeale haue many who forbid that God commandeth and commande that which God forbiddeth Such a zeale had Paule himselfe I was a blasphemer a persecutor an oppressor but I was receiued to mercy for I did it ignorauntly without beliefe Such a zeale haue they who think they do God good seruice whē they kil murther the righteous good seruāts of God Such a
Pharisies and priests offended eueÌ„ of malice the poore people only of ignorance and simplicity Woe be vnto you Scribes Pharisies that haue taken away the keies shut vp the kingdom of God before the people and neither wil you enter in your selues nor suffer others that wold gladly enter But as for the people he had compassion on them for that he sawe they were forsaken and perished euen as sheepe without a heard that they had a certaine zeale of God although not according to knowledge that they fell into the pitte not of wilfull malice but onely because they followed the blynd guydes that fell before them that they were Gods haruest and lay abroade and were lost no man would take the paines to fetch them in Saint Paul was not only lead away by ignorance but also was a most earnest persecuter of the Church of Christ yet was he a portion of Gods haruest And therfore assoone as GOD had striken him downe from his horse he knew he had done amisse and cryed out Lord what wilt thou that I do and after he writeth of him selfe God hath had mercy and taken me to his grace because I knew not what I did Many there were that cried out vpon Christ crucifie him crucifie him after when he hung vpon the crosse nodded their heads vpon him made mowes at him did him al maner of spite vilany yet pertayned they to Gods haruest and afterward as it is credible were crucified for him shed their blood for him themselues Euen so are there euen at this time many that of ignoraunce persecute the Gospel of Christ as it were crucifie Christ againe which if they felt indeede that it were the Gospell of God they would not so litle regard their owne saluation God make them to bee of his haruest and send out labourers to fetch them in Whensoeuer we begin to feele a lacke within our selues and can suffer our selues to be infourmed and taught by the Spirit of God then may we be assured God wil take vs for his haruest Plato the olde Philosopher imagineth that the god Loue was borne of the Ladie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say Madame lack or necessity For no man loueth a thing before he feele himself stand in neede of it so loue is the Childe and lacke or neede is the mother Saint Augustine writeth of himselfe that before he became christened a friend of his offered him the Scripture to looke vpon but he after he had read a litle because he felt in himselfe no lacke of it he despised it and â—long it from him Afterwarde he beganne to finde much follye in himselfe and because he could see no redresse he fel to weeping and prayer In the middest of his mourning and groning he heard a voyce Tolle lege tolle lege Take vp and reade take vp read He marueiled much what it should be At the last he tooke vp a booke that lay by him of Paulos Epistles and the first wordes that he set his eies vpon were these Induimini dominuÌ„ Iesum ChristuÌ„ Put ye on the Lord Iesus Christ S. Hierom writing vpon the prophet Nahum saith In aduentu Messiae populus qui fuerat consâ—pitus sub magistris excitabitur ibit ad montes scripturaruÌ„ What time Messias shal come the people that were lulled a sleepe in ignorance by such as should haue been their teachers shal awake and get them forth to the mountaines of the Scriptures And Chrisost vpon the Genesis Si desit ministerium hominis ipse Dominus superne illustrabit mentem nostraÌ„ If the ministery of man be waÌ„ ting the Lord himself wil lighten our mind froÌ„ aboue And Christ in the Gospel of S. Iohn saith My sheep heare my voice follow me they wil not follow a stranger but flye froÌ„ him And to conclude whosoeuer feeleth a lack within himself can suffer himselfe to be informed taught by the spirit of God he may be assured God wil take him for his haruest Thus was the haruest great the laborers very few the scatterers wasters almost infinite This was the state of the Church at the coÌ„ming of Christ Euen likewise in these our dayes Christ our sauiour hath gone abroad in progresse and done marueilous cures shewed strange miracles amoÌ„g his people hath caused his gospel to ring throughout the world And as he said then eueÌ„ so may it now be said Messis multa The haruest is great marueilous forward yea euen there where as no worldly hope of haruest could haue beene Many there are that hunger thirst after the kingdome of God which is the knowledge of his Gospel many that are yet greene ignorant many that lie by the way side and yet haue gathered no root many that as yet are but tares and darnell I meane blinde and obstinate but when Gods holy will shalbe may be turned into good corne and pertaine to his haruest But the laborers are few I say not there be but few Cardinals few bishops few priests y t shold be preachers few Archdeacons few ChaÌ„celors few Deanes few prebendaries few vicars few parish Priests few monkes few friars For the number of these is almost infinite Gregory Nazianzene in his time complained at the multitude of Priestes and saide they were almost as many as the rest of the people And Iustinian the Emperor in his time was faine to restraine y e number of theÌ„ to giue coÌ„mandement that in one cathedral Church there should neuer be aboue 60. priests 100. deacoÌ„s The like order was takeÌ„ in a general couÌ„cel for the abating of the multitude of monks friars And in the booke called opus tripartitum ioyned to y e councel of Laterane these words were written Totus fere mundus obloquitur scaÌ„dalizatur de multitudine religiosorum pauperuÌ„ qui introierunt in mundum qui non iam religiosi sed trutannij vocantur Welneare y t whole world crieth against is offeÌ„ded at the great multitude of begging monkes friars whiche are entred into the world nowe for their behauiour are called not religious men but varlets These be the wordes of the Councel The number of these is great but alas the number of labourers is very smal And yet they giue a shewe to the worlde that they be pastors and feeders of the flocke that they be the fathers of the people that they bee the teachers of the multitude that they be the labourers in the haruest that the whole Catholike Churche stayeth altogether vpon them They giue the Bishop of Rome these titles that hee is the onely key of Christian faith that he is greater then the Apostles for that they could erre and he cannot they say he is Christes Uicar whereas indeede to any mans sight Christ may be contented to be his Uicar They say he is no bare man but a god as
torments no fire no fagot haue euer weakened the cause of the Gospel Tertullian saith Plures effiâ—imur quoties metimur the more we be cut downe the more we encrease These be their arguments this is their logique they haue no liking to trie the matter by Scripture by doctours by Councel or by the practise of the most ancient Churches and if they make any pretense of likinge such tryall they doe it for some other hidden purpose to moue mutinies and disquiet that they may woorke their practises whiles mens heades are occupied and busied with talke of such matters Pirrhus a lustie gentleman and Kinge of Epyrus when he first tooke Counsell with hys Nobles to wage warre against the Romanes heard saye hee might soone conquere them for that they were nothinge else but a sorte of wilde and harbarours people but afterward when he came to the view of the Romanes army indeed and sawe their Captaines and Souldiers wel appoynted and their flagges and standardes in good order mary quoth he whether these men be barbarous or no I cannot tel but wel I wot their behauiour and the order of their campe is not barbarous So what accompt soeuer men make of this doctrine that god be thanked is taught this day yet whosoeuer shall come neere view it well and try it to the vttermost and shall finde that al thinges are done seemely and orderly according to the olde doctours to the Apostles and to the primatiue Church of Christ shall fall downe to the grounde and confesse that the order and maner therof or any thing that is taught therein is not hereticall Saint Iohn Baptist sent his disciples to Christ to knowe whether hee were the true Messias or no or els whether they should looke for another Christ made them answer Go and shewe Iohn what thinges ye haue hard and seene the blinde receiue sight the halte goe the lepers are clensed the deafe heare y e dead are raised vp y e poore receiue the Gospel For these tokens were sufficient to make Iohn vnderstande that Christ was the true Messias Euen so if a man stande in doubte of this Religion whether it bee of God or no let hym but consider think with himselfe thus a great number of errours are now reuealed superstition is remoued idolatrie is taken away the Sacramentes are rightlye and duly vsed the dombe speake the blinde see the poore afflicted mindes receiue the Gospell the prayers are in such sort as the people may take profit and comfort by them God giue vs grace to know how great neede we haue to pray that in all places we may lift vp cleane handes and heartes vnto God and cal vpon him in spirit and truth If this be heresie then alas what is true religion Can these bee done by the power of Beelzebub Can the deuil reforme errours remoue superstion take away idolatrie cause the Sacramentes to be directly vsed the dombe to speake the blinde to see the poore to receiue the Gospel the people to take fruite and comfort by their prayers O good brethen this is the worke of Gods right hande the kingdome of God doubtlesse is come vppon vs the prince of errour is put to silence the readinesse of the people vniuersally in al places is marueilous kinges and princes suffer themselues to be led captiues to the obedience of Christ They that before were enemies and persecutours of this doctrine are nowe contented to yeeld their bodies liues for y t defence of the same and to be short al the world this day cryeth and groneth after the Gospel And al these things are come to passe at such time as to any mans reason it might seeme impossible when al the world the people priests princes were ouerwhelmed with ignoraÌ„ce wheÌ„ the word of God was put out of sight when he that tooke vpon him the generall rule of altogether was crept into y e holy place had possessed the coÌ„science of man as if he had bene God and had set himselfe aboue the scriptures of God gaue out decrees that whatsoeuer he should do no man shoulde finde fault with him when all schooles priests bishops kings of the worlde were sworne to hym that whatsoeuer he tooke in hand they should vphold it when he had chosen kings sonnes brothers to be his Cardinales when his Legats espies were in euery kings councel when nothing could be attempted any where but he by by must haue knowledge of it wheÌ„ whosoeuer had but muttered against his doinges must straight waies haue bene excoÌ„municate put to most cruel death as Gods enemie when no man could haue thought there had bene any hope that euer these dayes should haue bene seene that God of his mercy hath giuen vs to see when al things were voide of al hope and full of desperation Euen then I say euen then contrarye to all mans reason God brought all these thinges to passe Euen then God defeited their policies not with shielde or Speare but only with the spirit of his mouthe that is with preachinge of the Gospel There is no counsel agaynst the Lorde the deuils were cast out by the powre of God This is the day which y e Lord hath wrought to thee o Lord y e prayse hereof is due thou hast turned our mourning into ioy thou hast put to sileÌ„ce y e spirit of error thou hast inflamed y t hearts of thy people thou hast brought princes kings to the obedience of thy sonne Iesus Christ thou hast opened the eyes of y e world to espy out to cry for y e coÌ„fort of y e gospel WheÌ„ al things were in dispaire yet thou didst reserue vnto thy selfe one litle sparkle y t should inkindle agayne light in thy church y t shoulde remoue rubbish fylth out of thy teÌ„ple whose hart should euer be in thy haÌ„d who should do that that good is in thy sight should walke in y â— wayes of her father Dauid This is the hand power of God this is the Lordes doing and it is marueilous in our eyes God giue vs grace to haue these things euer before our eyes that we neuer be vnthankfull Now for al these graces y t God hath so plentifully powred vpoÌ„ vs let vs coÌ„sider what kindnes ought to be rendred on our part O Israel O my people saith almighty God what thing is it y t I require of thee but onely that thou loue me walk in my wayes this is our homage this is our dutie this shalbe loked for at our hands The grace of god saith Paul y t bringeth saluation vnto al meÌ„ hath appered techeth vs y t we shold liue soberly righteusly in this preseÌ„t worlde looking for the blessed hope appearing of the glory of the mighty god and of our sauiour Iesus Christ Such in olde times was the life of all them that professed the name of Christ Tertullian of his
And againe In Christ ye are circūcised with circūcision made without hands by putting off the sinfull body of the fleshe through the circumcision of Christ Euen so is not Baptisme ante bare signe Baptisma eius saith Chrisostome etiam passio eius est Christes baptisme is Christes passion They are not bare signes it were blasphemie so to say The grace of God doeth alwayes woorke with his Sacramentes but wee are taught not to seeke that grace in the signe but to assure our selues by receiuing the signe that it is giuen vs by the thing signified We are not washed from our sinnes by the water we are not fed to eternall life by the bread and wine but by the precious blood of our sauiour Christ that lieth hid in these Sacraments Bernard saith Datur annulus ad inuestiendū c. The fashiō is to deliuer a ring when seisin and possession of inheritance is giuē the ring is a signe of the possession So that hee which hath taken it may say the ring is nothing I care not for it it is the inheritance which I sought for In like maner whē christ our Lorde drewe nigh to his passion hee thought good to giue seisin possession of his grace to his disciples y ◠they might receiue his inuisible grace by som visible signe Chrisost saith In nobis non simplex aqua operatur sed cū accepit gratiam spiritus abluit omnia peccata Plaine or bare water worketh not in vs but when it hath receiued the grace of the holy Ghost it washeth away all our sins So saith Ambrose also Spiritus sanctus descendit consecrat aquā The holy Ghost cōmeth down halloweth the water And Praesentia Trinitatis adest There is the presence of the Trinitie So saith Ciril Quemadmodū viribus ignis aqua c. As water throughly heat with fire burneth as well as the fire so the waters whiche washe the bodie of him that is baptized are changed into diuine power by the working of y ◠holy ghost So said Leo sometimes a bishop of Rome Dedit aquae quod dedit matri Virtus enim altissimi obūbratio Spiritus sancti quae fecit vt Maria pareret saluatorem eadē fecit vt regeneret vnda credentē Christ hath giuen like preeminence to the water of Baptism as he gaue to his mother For that power of the highest and that ouershadowing of the holye Ghoste whiche brought to passe y ◠Mary should bring forth the sauiour of the world hath also brought to passe that the water should beare a new or regenerate him that beleeueth Suche opinion had the auncient learned fathers and such reuerent wordes they vsed when they entreated of the Sacraments For it is not man but God which worketh by them yet is it not the creature of bread or water but the soule of man that receiueth the grace of God These corruptible creatures neede it not we haue need of Gods grace But this is a phrase of speaking For the power of God the grace of GOD the presence of the Trinitie the holy Ghost the gift of God are not in the water but in vs. And wee were not made because of the sacramentes but the sacraments were ordeined for our sake Now for the number of Sacraments howe many there be it may seeme somewhat hard to say that it cannot be spoken without offence For mens iudgments herein haue swarued very much some haue said there are two others three others foure and others that there are seuen Sacramentes This difference of opinions standeth rather in tearmes then in the matter For a Sacramēt in y e maner of speaking which the Church vseth in the writings of the holy scripture of auncient fathers sometimes signifieth properly euery such Sacrament which Christ hath ordayned in the newe Testament for which he hath chosen some certain element and spoken speciall wordes to make it a Sacrament and hath annexed thereto the promise of grace sometimes it is vsed in a generall kinde of taking and so euery mysterie set downe to teach the people and many thinges that indeed and by speciall propertie be no sacraments may neuerthelesse passe vnder the generall name of a Sacrament The sacraments instituted by Christ are only two the sacrament of Baptisme of our Lords Supper as the auncient learned fathers haue made acompt of them S. Ambrose haueing occasion of purpose to entreate of y e Sacraments speaketh but of two De Sacramentis saith he quae accepistis sermonē adorior I begin to speak of the Sacramēts which you haue receiued And yet in his whole treatise deuided into sixe bookes he writeth but of two his booke is extāt if any man doubt this he may see it S. Augustine reckoneth them to be but two Haec sunt ecclesiae gemina Sacramenta These be the two Sacraments of the church Again he saith Quaedam pauca pro multis eademque factu facilima c. Our Lord his Apostles haue deliuered vnto vs a few sacraments in steede of many the same in doing most easie in signification most excellent in obseruation most reuerend as is the Sacrament of Baptisme and the celebration of the bodie and blood of our Lord. Thus Augustine and Ambrose vnto whom I might also ioyne other auncient fathers recken but two Sacramentes Let no man then be offended with vs for so doing wee doe no newe thing but restore the ordinance of Christ and keepe the example of the holy fathers What then Doe we refuse confirmation penance orders and matrimonie Is there no vse of these among vs doe we not allow them yes For we doe confirme and teache repentance minister holy orders and account matrimonie so vse it as an honorable state of life We visit y e sicke among vs and anoynt them with the precious oyle of the mercy of God But we cal not these sacraments because they haue not the like institution Confirmation was not ordeyned by Christ penance hath not any outward element ioyned to the worde the same may be sayd of orders And matrimony was not first instituted by Christ for God ordeined it in paradise long before But in these two we haue both the element and the institution In Baptisme the element is water in the Lords Supper bread and wine Baptisme hath the word of institution Teache al nations baptizing them in the name of y ◠Father and the Sonne and the holy Ghost The Lords supper in like maner hath the worde of institution Doe this in remēbrance of me Therfore these two are properly and truly called the Sacraments of the Churche because in them the element is ioyned to the word and they take their ordinance of Christe and be visible signes of inuisible grace Nowe whatsoeuer lacketh eyther of these it is no Sacrament Therefore are not the other fiue which are so reckoned and make vp the number of
who haue bin constant in y ◠faith haue suffred death for Christs sake That so they may be taught by their name to remēber whose name they beare y t they neither speake nor doe anie thing vnworthy of their name As if any bee called Iohn that hee praye for grace and desire to be filled with grace that he giue witnesse of Christ that hee is the Lambe of GOD which taketh away the sinnes of the worlde that hee rebuke vice boldelie as Iohn did in Herode though hee were a mightie Prince Or if he be called Paule that hee so become a follower of Paule as Paule was of Christe and saye with Paul That I might liue vnto God I am crucified with Christ Thus I liue yet not I now but Christ liueth in mee and heare Christ speaking vnto him as did Paul fal down say Lorde what wilt thou that I doe So let him that is called Thomas touche the bosome of Christ and handle his woundes and make a good confession as Thomas did and say My Lord and my God Let Matthew forsake his custome euen the deceitful gaines of y ◠world and followe Christ Let Daniel remember Daniel and though he should be throwen in to the denne of Lions or be burnt in the fire or suffer any cruell tormentes yet let him not therfore forsake God but put his whole trust in him Thus should our names teach vs that whether we write them or vtter them or heare them spoken they may put vs in minde of christian duetie and Godlines The other Sacrament of Christes Church is the sacrament of the Lordes Supper whiche some haue called the Sacrament of the Altar some the Sacrament of the holie table some the Sacrament of bread and wine but wee most properly may call it the sacrament of the bodie and blood of Christ And that we wander not at large but may stande in certaine ground I wil expounde those words of our Sauiour This is my bodie and this is my blood of the newe testament that is shed for manie for the remission of sinnes This matter these two or three hundreth yeeres late past hath beene encumbred with manie questions and much controuersie Some saie the woordes are plaine Christe him selfe spake them hee is almightte and can doe what soeuer hee will hee hath not spoken otherwise then hee meant If wee expounde them by signes and figures wee take away the force of the holy mysterie and make nothing of it the woordes muste bee taken euen as they lye they must not haue any other construction Therefore at this day many wise men which yeelde from other pointes of superstition and in many other thinges receiue the truth stand here and sticke at this and cannot yeeld I will declare the whole matter simplye and plainely and submit my selfe to the vnderstanding and capacitie of all men That which I will vtter heerein shall not be of my selfe but of the Fathers of the Churche not of those whiche haue beene of later yeeres but of the most auncient not of the Heretiques◠but of the most Catholique which euer haue beene the enemies and confounders of Heretiques I wil shewe the vse and order and faith of the Primitiue Churche whiche was in the times of the Apostles and of Tertullian Ciprian Basill Nazianzene Hierome Augustine Chrysostome and others Catholique and godly learned Fathers Let no man regarde mee or my speeche I am onely a finger these are cleare and bright starres I doe but shewe them vnto you and poynt them that you maye beholde them God giue vs grace that wee may see them truely and by them bee able to guyde and to direct our waye let vs laie aside all contention and quietly heare that shall bee spoken Whatsoeuer shall bee saide if it bee true if it bee auncient if it be Catholique if it bee so cleere as the sunne beames let vs humble our heartes and beleeue it There is no trueth but of God Whosoeuer resisteth the truth resisteth God First I will shewe you that we doe truelie and indeede eate the bodie of Christ and drinke his blood And this shall be the foundation and key of entraunce into all the rest Secondely I will open these woordes This is my body and there howe by what sort in what sense and meaning the bread is the body of Christ Thirdly that the bread abideth still in former nature and substance as before euen as the nature and substance of water remayneth in Baptisme Fourthly how the body of Christ is eaten whether by faith or with the mouth of our bodie and how the body of Christ is present in the Sacrament Fiftly What difference is betweene the body of Christ and the Sacrament of the body of Christ Sixtly howe wee ought to prepare our mindes and with what faith and deuotion wee must come to the receiuing thereof Wee saie and beleeue that wee receiue the body and blood of Christ truelie and not a figure or signe but euen that bodie whiche suffered death on the crosse and that blood which was shed for the forgiuenes of sinnes So saieth Christ My fleshe is meate in deede and my blood is drinke indeede And againe Except yee eate the flesh of the sonne of man and drink his blood ye haue no life in you And againe He that eateth me euen he shall liue by me Wee say there is no other substantiall foode of our soules and that hee is diuided among all the faithfull and that hee is voyde of saluation and the grace of Christ whosoeuer is not partaker of his body and blood This we say and may not flee from it hereafter Yet least happily any should be deceiued we say this meate is spirituall and therefore it must be eaten by faith and not with the mouth of our bodie Augustine saith Vt quid paras dentes ventrem crede manducasti Why preparest thou thy teeth and thy bellie beleeue and thou hast eaten And againe Nolite fauces parare sed cor Prepare not your iawes but your heart As material bread nourisheth our bodie so doeth the bodie of Christ nourishe our soule and is therefore called bread Deus panis intus est animae meae saith Augustine God is the inward bread of my soule For wee receiue him and eate him and liue by him But heereof hereafter more at large Nowe let vs consider the wordes of Christ This is my body this is my blood These woordes you say are plaine open easie and manifest So are they yet albeit they are plaine they must haue a right construction The plainest woordes that bee vnlesse they bee duelie expounded may breede errour S. Iohn saith The word was made flesh These words are plaine yet of these plaine wordes Apollinaris did breede an heresie Christ saith My father is greater then I. His woordes are playne yet did the Arrians gather thereof an heresie that Christe is not equall with his
were made he hath said Hoc est corpus meum therfore it is now no more bread but his body and that this is the faith of the Church in which we were borne and christned In deede this hath lately beene receiued as a matter of faith But if we examine it well wee shall finde it to bee an errour and no point of faith I saye it hath beene receiued of late for our olde Fathers neuer beleeued it as I will declare and prooue and let you see that it hath not beene the Catholike faith nor the faith of the Primitiue churche nor of the Apostles of Christe and therefore no faith at all The opening of this matter will be somewhat darke and where with you haue not beene acquainted but giue me your attendance lend me your senses and I trust by the grace of God I shall make it playne They say the bread is changed and done away vtterly and that it is no breade though it seeme to be bread that in this case we may not trust our eyes but leane to faith Marke I saye they tell vs that the bread remayneth not and for trial hereof they require vs not to leane to any other thing then faith Wee will then close and shut vp our senses and hearken what Christ what S. Paul what the holy fathers of the church who are best able to instruct our Faith haue spoken S. Paul to the Corinthians in one piece of a Chapter calleth it bread foure times Read the place yee shall finde it so in the eleuenth of the first Epistle The Lord Iesus in the night that he was betrayed tooke bread And as often as ye shall eate this bread and drink this cuppe yee shewe the Lordes death till hee come Againe Whosoeuer shall eate this bread and drinke the cup of the Lorde vnworthelie shall bee guiltie of the body and blood of the Lorde And againe Let a man therefore examine himselfe so let him eat of this bread and drink of this cuppe They say it is not bread but Paul saith and so manie times saith it is bread And of the wine Christ saide after he had giuen thankes and it was consecrate and after his Supper I wil not drinke of this fruit of the vine hēceforth vntil that day when I shall drinke it newe with you in my fathers kingdome The fruite of the vine is wine therfore the selfe same fruit of the vine the same wine in substaunce did abide still after consecration as before S. Augustine calleth this holy mystery Sacramentū panis vini The sacrament of bread wine Iustinus Martyr saieth Diaconi distribuunt vnicuique praesentium de pane in quo gratiae actae sunt de vino aqua ad eos qui non sunt praesentes deferunt The Deacons deuide vnto euery one of them that are present part of that bread ouer which thankes were giuen and they carry of the wine and water to such as are not present Againe he saith Alimento humido sicco admonemur quae propter nos Deus dei filius perpessus sit By drie moyst food whereby he meaneth the sacrament wee are taught what things God the Sonne of God hath suffred for vs. What meāt he by dry food but bread or by moist food but wine It can not be avoided but that he thought y ◠bread wine remaine after the consecration He liued 1400 yeres since And before him Ignatius Vnus panis omnibus fractus It is one bread which is brokē for al. So Iraen who also liued 1400. yeeres since saith Eum calicem qui est creatura c. He made y t cup which is a creature his body by which he increaseth our bodies Therfore when the cup of mixture the bread whiche is broken receiueth the worde it is made the sacramēt of the body blood of Christ by which the substance of our flesh is increased nourished Hee saith after consecration it is a creature and suche a creature as nourisheth the substance of our flesh Origen who liued wel nigh 1400 yeres since saith Ille cibus qui sanctificatur per verbum Dei perque obsecrationem iuxta id quod habet materile in ventrem abit in secessum eijcitur The meate which is sanctified by the worde of God by praier as touching the materiall substance therof goeth into the belly and is cast out into the priuy Certainly vnles bread in the substance and nature of bread did remaine in the sacrament these words were too horrible to be spoken Dionisius saith Pontifex opertum panem aperit in frusta concidit The Bishop vncouereth the bread that was couered cutteth it in pieces He noteth that the loafe of the communion was of some bignesse and that the minister after consecration deuided it and gaue to euery man a portion S. Cipriā writeth Dedit Dominus noster in mēsa in qua vltimum cū apostolis participauit cōuiuium c. Our Lord at the table whereat he receiued his last Supper with his Disciples with his own hands gaue not his very body very blood really but bread wine but vpō the crosse he gaue his own body by y ◠hands of the souldiers to be wounded He maketh a difference betweene that which Christ gaue vppon the crosse that which he gaue at the table At the table he gaue breade and wine vppon the crosse hee gaue his body and blood Againe he calleth the bread after consecration Panem ex multorū granorum adunatione cōgestum Bread made not of formes and accidents but of the substance and moulding of many cornes Ambrose saith Quanto magis operatorius est sermo Dei vt sint quae erant in aliud cōmutentur How much more effectual is the worde of God that the bread and wine may be in substance and nature the same that they were before and yet bee changed into another thing They are changed into a Sacrament which they were not before and remaine bread and wine which they were before Chrisostome saith In similitudinē corporis sanguinis Christi panē vinum secundum ordinem Melchisedec nobis ostendit in sacramēto He shewed vs in a Sacramēt bread wine after the order of Melchisedec to bee the likenes of the body and blood of Christ What should I strande to trouble you with the rest As these say so say the other that the thinges which are seene in the sacrament are bread and wine But say they it is called bread because it was bread or because it hath a likenes of bread A pretie shift but it wil not helpe For S. Augustine saith Quod videtis panis est calix quod vobis etiam oculi renuntiant The thing that you see is the bread and the cup which thing your eyes do testify Gelasius saith Non desinit esse substantia panis vel natura vini
Et certè imago vel similitudo corporis sanguinis Christi in actione mysteriorum celebratur There leaueth not to be the substance of bread or the nature of wine And indeede the image or represētation likenes of the body blood of Christ is published in the ministration of the mysteries He saith it leaueth not it remaineth it is stil not the forme or appearance but the substance and nature Chrysostome saith Natura panis in Sacramēto remane◠The nature of bread remaineth in y e sacramēt And Theodoretus Signa mystic a post sanctificationem nō recedūt a natura sua manēt enim in priori substātia figura forma The mystical tokens or sacramēts after the cōsecration depart not frō their own nature for they remaine stil in their former substāce forme figure Not only in forme and figure not onely in shewe but it remaineth breade and wine in nature and substance Likewise Cirillus Christus fragmēt a panis dedit discipulis Christ gaue fragmēts or pieces of bread to his discipies It was verye bread deuided into sundrie pieces And Rabanus saith Sacramētū ore percipitur in alimētum corporis redigitur The sacrament is receiued with the mouth and is turned into the nourishment of the body Bertramus saith Secundum creaturarum substantiam quod fuerunt ante consecrationem hoc postea consistunt Touching the substance of the creatures of bread wine they abide y e same after as they were before the cōsecration Euen so saith Clemēs Vinum esse illud quod benedictum est ostendit rursus dicens non bibam amplius ex hoc germine vitis Christe shewed that that was wine which was blessed by saiyng againe I will no more drinke of the fruite of the vine I will bring forth no more witnesses in this matter you haue enough and so manye as maye satisfie any reasonable man You see the consent of the old doctors I know not howe any thing may bee more plainely set downe and declared Why then say you how came transubstantiation into the Church How it came in I cannot shew you The husbandmā that findeth his field ouergrowen with cockel and ill weeds knoweth not how they come They grow of thēselues he soweth them not But when or since what time it hath been receiued and allowed of I wil tel you It was first determined enacted in the Councel of Laterane vnder Pope Innocentius the third in the time of king Iohn king of England in the yeere of our Lorde a thousand two hundreth fifteen that is 350 yeres ago not before Then was it first so named and made a matter of faith and neuer before This I speake not of my selfe they that maintaine that errour confesse it the most learned and wisest sagest of them say it And yet then was it no Catholike faith for it was onely receiued in the Church of Rome the other churches ouer all the worlde receiued it not as appeareth by a Councel holden at Florence Therefore if transubstantiation be a matter of faith it is a newe late founde faith and no old and Catholique faith In the time of our great graundfathers it was not so taken Afterwarde Pope Honorius 3. commaunded that it should be kept vnder a canopie and that the people should worship the sacrament And after him Vrbanus 4. made a newe holie day in honour of it which he called corpus Christi day And all these thinges haue been done within these fewe yeeres For before in the times of Augustine Ierome Chrisostome and the old fathers they were neuer heard of But to returne to that we haue in hand whether the bread and wine in the Sacrament remayne in their proper nature Yes verily for so is it auouched by our Sauiour by Saint Paul by Ignatius Iustinus Irenaeus Origen Dionisius Cyprian Ambrose Chrisostome Augustine Gelasius Theodoretus Cirillus Bertramus and Rabanus By so many good and lawfull witnesses it appeareth that the bread and wine remayne in the same nature and substance as before I seeke not to astonishe you by bringing in such a heape of Authors nor yet to seeke mine owne glorie therby God is my witnes and his Christ If I would seeke mine owne commoditie I shoulde holde my peace and not vnfolde these errours wherewith the Churche of God hath byn disquieted these late yeeres As for glorie I haue none in these things shame come vpon them that seek the glory and commendation of men our glorie is to discharge our cōscience and to speake the truth that wee may be blamelesse in the day of our Lord. And yet in speaking thus of the sacrament of the Lordes supper and denying the strange and new learning of transubstantiation and making it knowen that the bread and wine continue stil that they were before we do not conceiue basely or vnreuerently of the sacrament wee doe not make it a bare or naked token Let no man bee deceiued We doe both thinke speake soberly and with reuerence of the holy mysteries As we cannot cal them more then they are so may wee not esteeme them lesse then they are by the ordinance and institution of Christ We say they are changed that they haue a dignitie and preeminence which they had not before that they are not now common breade or common wine but the sacrament of the body and blood of Christ a holy mysterie a couenant betweene Christ and vs a testimonie vnto our conscience that Christ is the Lambe of God a perfite seale sufficient warrant of Gods promises whereby God bindeth himselfe to vs and we stand likewise bounden vnto God so as God is our God and we are his people In Baptisme the nature substance of water doth remaine stil and yet is not it bare water It is changed made the sacrament of our regeneration It is water consecrated made holy by the blood of Christ They which are washed therein are not washed with water but in the blood of the vnspotted Lambe One thing is seene and an other vnderstande Wee see the water but wee vnderstande the blood of Christ Euen so wee see the bread and wine but with the eies of our vnderstanding we looke beyonde these creatures wee reache our spirituall senses into heauen and beholde the raunsome and prise of our saluation Wee doe beholde in the Sacrament not what it is but what it doeth signifie When wee receiue it with due reuerence and faith we say as sayde Gregorius Nyssenus Ego aliam escam agnosco quae c. I know another kind of meate bearing the likenes resemblāce of our bodily meat the pleasure and sweetnes wherof passeth only into the soule It goeth not into the mouth or belly but onelie into the soule and it feedeth the minde inwardly as the other outwardly feedeth the body We say as S. Aug. Ipse est panis cordis nostri Christ is the bread
the receiuing of this Sacrament If any bee such a one I require hym by the body blood of Iesus Christ and by the iudge of the quicke and the dead that he come not to the Lordes table that he betraie not the sonne of God It were better he had neuer bene borne and that a milstone were hanged about his necke he throwne into y e sea Let vs not deceiue our selues God wil not be mocked He receiueth dānation y t receiueth vnworthely Let vs fall downe before our Lorde and giue thankes vnto hym Let vs say what shall I giue vnto the Lord for al that he hath giuen vnto me I wyl take the cup of saluation call vpon the name of the Lord. Let vs say O Lord our Lord how wonderful is thy name in all the world Let vs say prayse the Lord O my soule and all that is within me prayse his holy name Let vs purpose and promise amendement of our lyfe let vs goe out with Peter and weepe let vs fall at Christes feete with Marie Magdalene and with our teares washe his feete Let vs saye with Dauid I haue sinned to the Lorde Let vs saye with the Prodigal sonne father I haue sinned agaynst heauen and against thee I am no more worthy to bee called thy sonne Let vs saye haue mercy on mee O God accordyng to thy great mercie thou art my God I am thy seruāt O saue me for thy mercies sake Let vs offer vp our bodies a liuing pure holy and acceptable sacrifice to God So shall we be partakers of the death of Christ and of his resurrection Thus haue we briefly gone through the whole matter of the Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ and followed the same order which was set down First that we do in the Sacramente truely eate the bodie of Christ Secondly what is the meaning of the wordes Hoc est corpus meum Thirdely whether y ◠bread remeaine in nature substance Fourthly whether it be eaten with the mouth of the bodie or by faith onely Fiftly what difference is betweene the bodie of Christ and the mysticall signes Sixtly howe we must be prepared and with what deuotiō we ought to come to receiue this Sacrament Hauing thus treated of the Sacramentes of the newe testament and said so much as is needfull for you to knowe of them both as well of Baptisme which is the sacrament of our regeneration as of our Lordes supper which is the sacrament of our refection or nourishment I will now in fewe wordes speake something of confirmation of matrimony of ecclesiastical ministerie which some call holy orders of repentance or penance and of extreme vnctiō which some of late yeeres haue called Sacraments and by ioyning these to the other haue made vp the nomber of seuen Sacramentes so haue charged the Church with fiue sacramēts more then Christ did euer ordaine For these fiue wante either the worde or the element or both and therefore may not bee taken for true sacraments Such as haue with all their skil shewed them selues helpers and furtherers of our aduersaries yet haue plainely cōfessed that they are not sacraments of Christes institution Alexander of Hales saith of confirmation The sacrament of confirmation as it is a Sacrament was not ordained either by Christ or by the Apostles but afterwarde in the Counsel of Melda Which Counsel was kept many yeres after Christ And Durandus saith of matrimonie Matrimonie in due and proper kinde of speach is no Sacramēt And Bessarion a Cardinal cōfesseth as it was shewed before that in due and right consideration none of these fiue may be called Sacramentes We reade saith he that these two onely Sacramentes were deliuered vs plainely in the Gospel First of Confirmation which is so called because that which was done on our behalfe in baptisme is ratified and confirmed many parentes had not such due care as they ought in the godly bringing vp of their childrē so that many children knew not whether they were baptized or no many were neuer taught what couenant was made betweene them God in their baptisme many swarued away from Christian profession and caried them selues to the fellowship of the heathens and of the sonnes of God became the sonnes of the deuel Upon this occasion the Churche of God laieth charge vpon the parentes and the witnesses of the baptizing of younge children that they teach thē the waies of the Lorde to know y e holy mystery that they haue receiued and what they haue promised and professed in baptisme that they put them in minde howe God hath called them out of the kingdome of darknes vnto his wonderfull light and to the fellowship of the saintes in light When the children of the Christiās were thus brought vp had learned the religyō of Christ and to walke in the waies of Godlines they were brought to the church by their parents presented vnto the Bishop and yeeled a reason of their faith openly before the whole congregation they professed they would so beleue that they would liue and die in that faith Then the Bishop and all the people fell downe on their knees and prayed vnto God that he would continue the good thing hee had begonne and the bishop laying his hande vpon them cōmended them vnto God This was the ratifying of the professiō which they made by others at their baptisme and for that cause called Confirmation Now whether it be a sacrament and when I say a sacrament I meane a ceremonie commanded by God in expresse wordes For God onely hath the authorytie to institute a Sacrament Sacraments are confirmations seales of the promises of God and are not of the earth but from heauen As Christ saith The babtisme of Iohn Whence was it from heauen or of men Chrysostome saith The misterie were not of God nor perfect if thou shouldest put any thing to it Marke and iudge your selues shal see whether this were a sacrament instituted by Christ Augustine said Accedat verbum ad elementum fit sacramentum Ioine the worde to the creature it is made a sacrament This creature or element is visible as are water bread wine The word which must be ioyned is the commandemēt institution of christ without the word and the commandement and institution it is no sacrament I protest y t the vse and order of confirmation rightly vsed is profitable and necessarie in the Church no way to be broken But all y t is profitable necessarie is not a sacramēt Christ did not commāde it he spake no word of it Looke and reade if you doubt it Christes wordes are written and may be seene You shal neuer finde that hee commanded Confirmation or that hee euer made any special promise to it Therefore may you conclude that it is no sacrament Otherwise being rightly vsed it is a good ceremonie wel ordeined of our auncient fathers The Apostles layde their handes on
darknesse their worme shall neuer die their fire shall neuer bee quenched they shall goe downe headlong into the fire that is prepared for the deuill and his angels Be not deceiued saith Saint Paul neither fornicatours nor adulterers nor wantōs nor bouggerers shal inherit the kingdome of God Now are wee to speake in the next place of the ministerie of the Church which some haue called holy orders Shall wee accompte it a Sacrament there is no reason so to doe It is a heauenly office a holy ministerie or Seruice By suche as haue this office God lighteneth our darkenesse hee declareth his minde to vs hee gathereth together his scattered sheepe and publisheth vnto the worlde the glad ridings of saluation The Patriarkes dyd beare this office This was the office of the prophets God saith I haue sent vnto you al my seruants the prophets rising vp eueri day sending thē Agayne he saith I haue put my wordes in thy mouth Therefore when they taught the people of God the Prophetes signed their speache thus The mouth of the Lorde hath spoken it The Lorde hath saide The voyce and y e worde of the Lord Heare the word of the Lorde But when the fulnesse of the time came God sent his Sonne and hath spoken vnto vs by hym He became our Prophet to shew vs the wyll of his father He saieth I haue not spoken of my selfe but the Father whiche sent mee he gaue mee a commandement what I should say and what I should speake Hereof Saint Iohn sayth No man hath seene God at any time He is inuisible he is incomprehensible no minde can conceiue hym no eye can see hym but the onely begotten Sonne which is in the bosom of y e Father hee hath declared him Of hym the father sayde This is my beloued Sonne in whome I am well pleased heare hym Hearken vnto hym receiue hys woorde credite hym beleeue hym No doubte the Ministerie of the Gospell is hyghlye to bee esteemed seeinge our Sauiour was not ashamed to publish the wyll of his Father in his owne person yet it appeareth not where euer hee dyd ordeine it to be a Sacrament Hee appointed that the comforte thereof shoulde bee carried into all nations and gaue that charge vnto hys Apostles Goe teache all nations Agayne What I tell you in darkenesse that speake you in light and what you heare in the eare y e preache you on the houses Hee sawe the people and had compassion on them hee saw they were dispearsed and scattered abroade lyke sheepe without a shepheard and that they perished because they had no knowledge of the wyll of God Therefore he sayeth Pray the Lord of the haruest that he woulde sende labourers into the haruest Therefore he ordayneth them to this ministery I wyll make you fishers of men And sendeth them foorth as my father sent mee so sende I you And Goe to the lost sheepe of the house of Israel Hee wylled them to call the people to repentaunce and to preache the kingdome of God By this ministerie God hath gathered to hymselfe an acceptable people and hath brought them to the obedience of the Gospell of Christ and hath turned the hartes of the Fathers vnto their children and so made it to be the foundation of religion They that exercise this ministerie are y e eyes of Christ the pillers of y e Church the interpreters of Gods will the watchmen of the Lordes tower the leaders of Christes sheep the salte of the earth the light of the world Daniel saith They that turne many to righteousnes shal shine as the starres for euer euer Not that there is any so great wisdome or eloquence in men they are but weake they are vnfit to do this seruice Esay saith of himselfe I am a man of polluted lippes And Ieremie saith O Lord god behold I cannot speake for I am a child So saith S. Paul I haue planted Apollos watered but God gaue the increase So thē nether is he that planteth any thing nether he that watereth but God y t giueth the increase So said Saint Iohn that he was not Christe nor that Prophet but the voyce of hym that crieth in the wildernesse and not worthy to vnloose the latchet of his shooe that should come after him The power whereby they dyd conquere the worlde was not in them but in the woorde which they preached It is the power of God to saluation to euery one that beleueth It is like a fire lyke a hammer that breaketh a stone When ye receiued of vs y e word of the preaching of god saith S. Paul to the Thessalonians ye receaued it not as the worde of men but as it is indeede the woorde of god which also worketh in you that beleue The power of an earthly Prince is great The wyse man sayeth The feare of a King is lyke the roaring of a Lyon Yet is a Prince but mortall and the Law of a Prince is but mortall it hath no power to force the conscience But the woorde of God dooth breake into the heart it forceth a way into the Conscience it is sharper then any two edged sworde it entreth through euen to the deuidinge a sunder of the soule and the spirit because it is the word of God For it is not man but God that speaketh as Christ telleth the Apostles It is not yee that speake but the spirit of your father whiche speaketh in you So saith the Prophet Zacharie Hee spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets which haue bene since the worlde beganne The Prophets and Apostles and holy men of God were but instruments It was God which gaue his holy spirite whiche gaue them tongues to speake and wordes to vtter Therfore said Christ I wil giue you a mouth and wisedome where against al your aduersaries shall not be able to speake nor resist Though men be but simple yet the worde they deliuer is mighty though they be mortall the worde of the Lord endureth for euer Where this worde is receiued it is fire and burneth it is a hammer and breaketh the hardnesse of the heart it is mightie in operation it cleanseth the inner man it openeth the consctence it is a sauour of life vnto lyfe it is the meanes of saluation Hee that receiueth this worde and beleeueth shal be saued This is the worde of reconciliation God hath committed it vnto vs. If any hide this worde he slayeth the people He is a dombe dogge Of such God saieth Beholde I wil come against the Prophets that steale my word euerione frō his neighbour They are thieues and robbers Woe be vnto you interpreters of the law for yee haue taken away the key of knowledge saith Christ ye entred not in your selues and them that came in yee forbad And agayne Woe bee vnto you Scribes and Pharises hypocrites because ye shut vp the kingdome of
woundes or diseases They be a curious sorte in searching out the life of others and slouthfull in correctynge their owne lyfe S. Ambrose saith Lauat lachrima delictum quod voce pudor est coÌ„fiteri The teare washeth awai that offence which shame would not suffer to confesse in speach The Church of God in Graecia neuer receiued it And Erasmus witnesseth it was not vsed in the time of S. Hierome Apparat tempore Hieronimi nondum institutam fuisse secretam admissorum confessionem It appeareth that in the time of S. Hierome which was foure hundred yeers after Christe secret confession of sinnes was not yet ordeined And Beatus Rhenanus a man of great readyng saith Tertullianus de clancularia ista confessione admissoruÌ„ kihil loquitur neque eam vsquaÌ„ olim preceptam legimus Tertullian speaketh nothing of this secret confession of sinnes and we reade not any where that it was coÌ„manded in times past By these testimonies of Chrysost August Ambrose by y â— obseruatioÌ„ of Erasmus Rhenanus it may appeare that this secret confession in the eare of the Priest hath not bene taken to bee necessarie and that it is not of Gods determinate appoyntment but an ordinance of man As the glose vpon the decrees something playnly confesseth Melius dicitur confessionem institutam fuisse a quadam vniuersalis ecclesiae traditione potius quam ex noui vel veteris testamenti authoritate It is better saide y â— confession was appointed by some traditioÌ„ of the vniuersall Church then by any authoritie or coÌ„mandement of the new or olde testament Nowe in a worde or two I wyll somewhat speake of sacisfaction or recompeÌ„ce for offences which we haue done wherby we satisfie make amendes to the full contenâ—ation of him that is offended Such a recompeÌ„ce the law required An eye for an eye a tooth for a tooth a hand for an hande a foote for a foote Such amends for such harme so muche for so much this was accompted due and lawfull satisfaction This is of two sortes either that which is done vnto God or that which is done vnto men We are neuer able to satisfie make amendes vnto God We must alwayes confesse that we are vnprofitable seruaÌ„ts vnworthy to stand in his presence by no meanes able of our selues to make recompence for that we haue offended him Our onely and ful satisfaction for our trespasses done against him is the blood of our sauiour Iesus Christ The thief vpoÌ„ y â— crosse called vpoÌ„ Iesus Lord remeÌ„ber me wheÌ„ thou coÌ„mest into thy kingdome He knew he had offended God but fouÌ„d not how he might make amends otherwise theÌ„ by the righteousâ—es of Christ Iesus answered him verely I say vnto thee to day thou shalâ— be with me in paradise Today that is by and by Hee refuseth hym not nor feareth hym that God wyll refufe him because he had done amisse and made no recompence but promiseth hym because he repented and beleeued that hee shal be saued Paul was throwne downe a persequutor and raysed vp a preacher What amends might he make in so short time Saint Ciprian saith Sanguis tuus O Christe non quaerit vindictam Thy blood O Christ looketh not for any reuenge And saint Ambrose Lachrimas Petri lego satisfactionem non lego I reade of Peters teares but I reade nothynge of any satisfaction he made For our whole life cannot sufficyently acquite vs from the guâ—lâ—inesse of one sinne much lesse is any man able to worke or deserue y â— forgiuenes of all his sinnes The only things that God requireth of vs wheÌ„ we haue sinned ar that we sorow for our sinnes and amende our liues So Iohn the Baptist spake to the Pâ—arisies Bringe foorth fruite worthy amendement of life So saint Paul calleth the Ephesians to make recompence for their former naughtines Cast of lyinge and speake euery man the trueth vnto his neighbour Let him y â— stole steale no more but leâ— him rather labour worke with his hands the thing that is good Other recompeÌ„ce god looketh not for at our handes But when the godly haue taken offence at any our doings that are euil wee must giue all heede to content their mindes reconcile our selues againe vnto them It hath bene an ancieÌ„t order in the Church of God that if any had openly offended the congregatioÌ„ he should come openly againe before them to satisfie them by amends There he fel downe on his knees confessed his fault wepte and lameÌ„ted for it prayed the brethren that they woulde forgiue him and would also praye vnto God to be mercifull vnto him There the whole congregation fell downe before God their heartes moulted their eyes gushed out in teares they helde vp their hands prayed together for him and gaue thankes to God that their brother which had bene lost was founde againe Such satisfaction was it which hath bene made to the Church of God The last of those which some haue of late misused and counted one of the sacramentes of the Church is Extreme vnction And this they haue founded vpon the words of S. â—ames Is ani sicke among you let him call for y â— elders of the Churche let them praye for him and anoint him with oile in y â— name of the Lord and the prayer of faith shal saue the sicke the Lord shal raise him vp and if he haue coÌ„mitted sinne it shal be forgiuen him For the better vnderstanding of which words consider that God is mercifull to the sonnes of men and sheweth foorth his mercie at sundrie times by sundrie wayes And to leaue the examples of the olde Testament in the time of the gospel he hath giuen to some y â— gâ—ft of tongues and hath made them able beinge simple men to speake the wonderful works of God in tongues which they neuer learned To somâ— he hath giueÌ„ the gift of power and of the operation of great workes By this power many signes and wonders were wrought by y â— hands of the Apostles At the word of Peter Ananias and Saphira hys wyfe fel downe dead In this power Paul stroke Elimas the sorcerer with blindnes To some he gaue the gift of healing By this S. Peter healed a man which was a creeple from his mothers wombe and said In the name of Iesus Christ of Nazareth rise vp and walke hee tooke him by the right hande lift him vp and immediatly his feete and ancle bones receiued strength They were able to make the blinde see the lame to walke the leapers to be cleane the dead to receaue life agayne For when he sent foorth his Apostles to preach Christ gaue them power against vncleane spirits to cast them out and to heale euery sicknes and euery disease These things they wrought sometimes by their shadowe as many were healed by the shadowe of Peter sometimes with their worde sometimes with