like Symon Magus that walked with Phillip as a disciple yet wrought with mony like a worldling Achabs wife would neuer put on demure apparell but when she spake with the Prophets nor our dissembling Protestants bee neuer holy but at Sermon times They heare and desire like Saints but liue deserue like deuils they can looke and speake holily whereby they séeme glorious before men but their workes are naught and therefore odious in the sight of God whose outward behauior is much like cloudes without raine whereby God himselfe doth mocke such fruitles showes These hypocrites therefore are possessed with deuils thy sléep in sinne and it is high time to awake them Though the obseruing of the Sabboth day touching bodily rest do belong to the Ceremonial lawe and shadowes which had an end in Christ being therefore altered from Saterday do Sonday yet as the Iewes did celebrate theirs in remembrance of the creation of the world so ought wee to obserue and kéepe our Sabboth in remembrance of the resurrection of Christ and as a figure to confirme our hope in the resurrection of our owne bodies and our spirituall rest in glorie to come as also for a comely and decent order to bee vsed in the Church that in resting from bodily work we may charitably assemble together to the end the Lord by the preaching of his word may bring forth his worke in vs to his owne glorie and our saluation but our Sabboth in many places is so vilely abused as though it had bene rather ordained to serue Bacchus and Venus the people beeing growen so carelesse negligent and licentious to feast when they should fast play when they should pray and laugh when they should wéep for their sins as though there were neither God nor deuill heauen nor hell As euerie honest nature hath affection good will to his natiue soile and place of birth so ought euery good Christian to haue a godly desire to the soile of his regeneration place of his new birth by Baptisme which is the temple of God the schoole of Christ nurse of Christianitie to make open confession of his sinnes and rehearsal of his faith to intreate for pardon pray for things necessary giue thankes for benefites past to celebrate the Sacramentes to heare and learne his duty and right way to saluation to beléeue truly liue honestly and walke vprightly If the ground yeeld not sappe to the tree it will soone seare and wither away if the lampe be not fed with oyle it must needes goe out if any liuing thing bee kept from nourishing it cannot liue euen so if the faith of a Christian doe not receiue continual sap and moistnes of the heauenly word fed with the oyle of swéet promises in Christ and nourished with the wholesome bread of life it cannot continue but consume and die The séede of the Gospel must stil be sowne in our harts or we cannot reape the haruest of eternal life where prophesie faileth the people perish When the Lord of a manor appointeth his tenants a day to come to his Court the rolles are laide open the Stuard is ready prepared to giue the charge the tenants are dutiful to come attentiue to heare and diligent to execute their Lordes will and if any shall chaunce to be absent or come after the charge be giuen no doubt the Lord wil be very angry and set a fine vpon his head euen so the Lord of all Lords of whom and at whose will we haue receiued and do hold all that euer we haue doth euery Sabboth day kéepe his court at his temple Church or house of praier his rolles the sacred Bible is layd open the Stuard or Minister is ready to giue the charge and tel euery man his dutie and if any of his tenants or people be absent and refuse to come no doubt the Lorde himselfe will be angry or if they come after the charge when seruice or sermon is done they were as good not come at all Againe such a dutiful tenant as desire to stand in his Lordes fauour will nowe and then prepare and bring him a present such as he knoweth his Lord loueth but no present is more pretious in the sight of our heauenly Lord than the praiers thankes of an humble penitent hart and therefore he that will please him and stand in his fauor must often féde his appetite with such presents The Papists of a blind zeale in time of darknesse would not stick to rise vp at midnight to publike praier fast with bread and water suffer hunger and colde run some times an hundred mile bare footed and bare legged to séeke a dumbe image but our professed Protestants hauing the true light of the Gospell their praier and deuotion is faint colde as ise and their disobedience greater than their fathers ignorance When they come together it is rather of compulsion custome or fashion sake than of any godly zeale much like a sullen stubborn and froward seruant that when his maister calleth him commeth grudging with a sowre moiling countenance mumbling a dogs pater noster and with lesse reuerence than those thréehalfepeny seruants that Esop hired to heare him recite his fables The Apostle S. Paul saith that forasmuch as man is the image of Gods glory he ought not in time of prophesying or prayers to couer or dishonor his head and in another place At the name of Iesus euery knée shall bow and the Prophet Esay Al knées shal bow vnto me saith the Lord. The méetest gesture and séemliest behauior at praier and thanksgiuing is knéeling so praied Daniel Paul and Christ himselfe but our people are growen so stubborne wilfull and wayward that in stead of humilitie and reuerence they fall to kicke at their dutie thinke scorn to vncouer their heads in time of sermon or seruice for hurting their cappes Or to knéele at the name of Iesus for wresting their ioynts Or looke vp to heauen when they pray for wrinkling theyr ruffes These people are therfore possessed with deuils they sléepe in sinne and it is high time to awake them In times past he that had learned the seuen liberal artes as Grammer the key of knowledge Logike the rules of reason Rethorike the mother of eloquence Musicke the swéet recreation of wearied minds Astronomie the secret knowledge of nature and course of the heauens Arithmetike the arte of numbring Geometrie to worke by rule compasse waight and measure he had obtayned and gotten euen a worlde of wealth treasure But in these our wretched daeis the eight liberall science called Ars adulandi the golden art of flattery hath wonne the gole and sitteth in fortunes lap so that without skill in that arte though neuer so well séene in the rest a man shal hardly finde meanes to shift in the world Qui nescit simulare nescit viuere These flattering clawbacks students of brazen face colledge are no doubt a most dangerous
day so within the compasse of sixe thousand yeares he will gather his Church by the ministerie of his word and the seuenth kéepe holy his euerlasting Sabboth Againe that Henoch and Elias the one in generation the other in computation in yeares being the seuenth from Adam the first in not tasting of temporall death as y e other sixe fathers before him was a figure of the last day the second being taken vp in a fierie chariote did prefigure the ascention of the elect méeting their Redéemer in the cloudes Hereupon they conclude that the world shall not stand aboue sixe thousand yeares And to prooue it shall not stand so long they alleage the saying of our Sauiour Christ that for the elects sake the dayes of our affliction shalbe shortened againe where the Angel Vriell answered Esdras about thrée thousand and fiue hundred yeares after the creation of the worlde that the time past was much more then the time to come and where it was prescribed in the lawe that about the euening of the sixt day the Sabboth should beginne And as the Israelites were deliuered from bandage by Moses in the sixt yéere so shall the Christians be deliuered from their wearisom bondage of this wicked world by Christ in the sixe age Then come they to ayme at a certaine yeare comparing the time frō the birth of our Sauiour Christ vnto his passion being thrée thirtie yeares with the time that Luther and other godly men beganne to preach the Gospell till the great persecution of the members of Christ in Germany by the Pope and Charles the fift being the like quantitie of yeares And the time from his passion vntill the destruction of Ierusalem a figure of the end of the world being fortie yeares with the time from the said persecution till the yeare of grace 1588. the like quantitie of fortie yeares They note moreouer that in euerie 7. and 9. yeare of mans life called Climacterian yeares doe happen great alterations and dangers diuers famous men haue ended their liues in the same as Luther Melancthon Munster Peter Martyr with diuers others so haue there happened in euery seuenth age of the world great alterations and changes and in the saide yeare 1588. the age of the world being deuided by seuen maketh iust seuen times nine or nine times seuen Againe after seuen times seuen was alwayes the yeare of Iubile hereunto agreeth an old Prophecie recited by Melancthon and translated out of Germanicall rime into Latin by Cyprian and after Englished as followeth When after Christs birth there be expired Of hundreths 15. yeares eightie and eight Then commeth the time of dangers to be feared And all mankinde with dangers it shall fright For if the world in that yeare doo not fall If sea and land then perish ne decay Yet Empires all and kingdoms alter shall And man to ease himselfe shall finde no way But leauing these learned men with their learned coniectures whose iudgements are yet more tollerable then those mockers which S. Peter speaketh of who shall come in the latter dayes and say where is the promise of his comming for since the fathers died all things continue in the same estate wherein they were at the beginning and let vs content our selues with the words of our sauiour Christ of that day and houre knoweth no man no not the Angels in heauē nor yet the sonne himselfe saue the father onely the day of the Lord wil come as a théef in the night as it was in the daies of Noe and Lot so shall it be in the day when the son of man will come they eate dranke married and were married and the floud and the fire came and destroied them all Yet our louing Redéemer of a singular affection to comfort his poore afflicted members hath forewarned vs of certaine signes and tokens which should appeare before his comming by the course whereof we may easily coniecture the euents following as the comming of Antichrist and his false prophets rumors of warres hungers and pestilence persecutions troubles abounding of wickednesse eclips of Sunne and Moone and the vniuersall preaching of the Gospell and left vs an example of the figge trée which beginning to bud doe manifestly shew that summer is neare And as beholding a man whose eyes waxe dim his eares deafe his head bald his face wrinckled his haire white and hoarie his backe crooked his legges twofold vnder him his tongue to falter his téeth to fall out of his head his bloud to be cold and his bodie féeble and sickely which are all incident to humaine nature they be euident tokens to shew that the ende of his naturall life is at hand Euen so when we sée these signes aforesaid come to passe they doe most certainely premonish and forewarne all the people vpon the earth whom the endes of the worlde are come vpon that the day of the Lord is not farre behind That Antichrist is reuealed and all these signes and tokens past alreadie all christendome haue felt the smart therof and our present age can witnesse So many authours of sects and brochers of deuilish heresies were neuer heard of before in any age from the beginning who hath not either felt or heard what rumors of wars vprores and blood shed in all lands For hunger and famine Samaria Ierusalem and Sanxurie with a number of other places where through extremitie they haue béene driuen to eate not onely venemous beasts and their owne ordure but also their owne children can testifie Again who hath not read or hard what wonderful strange eclips of sun moone terrible blazing stars glistering comets dreadful coniunctiōs of planets strange flashing of fire in the elements alteration of the heauens resembling as it were the coūtenance of the angry Iudge What raging swelling of the floods feareful trembling quaking of y e earth horrible tempests vehemēt winds vnseasonable wether what lothsome monsters other prodigious sights contrary to y e course of nature so as it seemes that al y e creatures of God are angry and threaten our destruction All which no doubt are Gods Heralds of armes to shew vnto the world that himself is not farre behind Againe the vniuersall preaching of the Gospell in spight of Antichrist and his cursed crew so as no Nation can iustly excuse it self and say they haue not heard the sound thereof And yet notwithstanding such grieuous abounding of all wickednes that if the Lord should not come quickly no flesh should be saued againe the earth it selfe waxeth weake and féeble for age therefore not so fruitfull as in times past plants and herbes haue lesse vertue Againe the yeares doe change their natural course euery yeare bringeth foorth new tidings euery liuing creature liueth shorter time then heretofore this is called aetas decrepita and therefore euen by course of nature it must néedes be that the day of the Lord is at
⧠A Summons for Sleepers Wherein most grieuous and notorious offenders are cited to bring forth true frutes of repentance before the day of the Lord now at hand Hereunto is annexed A Patterne for Pastors deciphering briefly the dueties pertaining to that function by Leonard Wright Newly reprinted corrected and amended Woe be to the inhabitants of the Earth and the Sea for the diuel is come downe vnto you whose wrath is great because hee knoweth that his time is but short Apoc. 12.12 Be sober and watch c. 1. Pet. 5.8 Happie are those seruants which the Lord when he commeth shall find waking Luke 12.37 1589. The Epistle to the Reader TO feede thy fancie with friuolous fables gentle Reader as to tell thee of drowsie Endimion who desired of Iupiter to sleepe perpetuall or Epimenides who in seeking his fathers sheepe tooke a nappe of fortie and seuen yeares long or those seuen supposed Saintes whom the golden Legend reporteth to haue slept two hundreth yeares and odde is no part of my purpose But rather as one in griefe of conscience for the zeale of my God what in me lyeth to wake and stirre vp those wicked and sinfull sluggards whom the cursed serpent in Paradice aboue fiue thousand fiue hundreth sixtie and two yeares past applying not the sinne of the sea calfe to their heades but that inchaunted apple of perdition to their hartes hath so venoumously infected with contagious poyson of iniquitie and lulled so soundly a sleepe in the carelesse cradle of securitie that neither the golden belles of Aaron the thundring trumpe of Esay the well tuned Cimbals of Dauid the pleasant harmonie of the Euangelists nor the sweete comfortable pipe of Christ himselfe could once as yet allure them to repentance and amendment of life trusting that God by this my plaine rough Summons penned without feare or flatterie shall now in the dawning of the day ring such a peale at the dore of their conscience as shall either moue them at length to loue him in his mercies prouoke them to feare him in his iustice or leaue them vnexcusable in the day of vengeance But of all the sinfull crue of napping sleepers in generall is lately reuealed vnto vs one notable and pestiferous sect especiall most odious to God grieuous to his Church dangerous to the State and noysom to the common wealth of whom the holy Ghost by the penne of the Apostles hath most louingly forewarned vs decyphering them in their colours with titles correspondent to their manners as couetous bosters disdainefull mockers false accusers murmuring complainers dissembling hipocrites Authors of sectes and despisers of authoritie hauing a similitude of godlinesse but haue denyed the power thereof in whom Sathan hath transformed himselfe into an angel of light whose restlesse rage doth manifestly shew the ruine of his kingdom at hand These vnder a colour and shadow of religion are so vehemently set on fire to shake off the yoke of obedience and seeke innouation as nothing is thought tollerable but what they like and what they allow must onely stand for law whereby the church is torne in peeces authoritie contemned vice aduanced vertue neglected and all men in opinion wonderfully distracted Looke where they do loath euerie mite is made a monster euerie gnat a cammell and euerie trifle a trespasse which must be curiously ripped vp and made open to the view of the world But where they like mountaines are no moates nor beames no blemishes loue must couer the multitude of sinnes and all thinges smothered vp with a shew of holinesse Their pretence as their Captaine saith is to marre the Prelate the auncient graue Pastors reuerend Fathers and chiefe pillers of our Church the middle corde of that threefold cable the onely anker staffe and stay of our common wealth much like those rauening wolues which by no meanes would enter league with the poore sheepe vnlesse their Mastiffes whom they feared were deliuered vnto them but dangerous was that peace and simple were those sheepe to yeelde their dogges to such as sought to pray vpon their carkasse They resemble in diuers points that notable and presumpteous crue Iack Straw and his fellowes who being diuelishly incensed with mutation pretending a cause of libertie stirred vp such trouble ciuil discention in this land as nothing could appease vnlesse the king would graunt to put downe all the nobles and prelates reseruing onely a few to be of his counsell and the rascall rable of begging Friers to liue of the peoples deuotion much like the prelacie which these new deuising church-founders are now so desirous to haue established who must be no Bishops to beare the state and title of honor but superintendents to controll Princes no beneficed men and why because it bringeth a charge as frutes tenthes and subsidies to her Maiesties cofers hospitalitie to their neighbors and generall reliefe to the poore but must liue popularly with their feete vnder other mens tables and their tongues tyed to other mens purses But Iack Straw was taught to know how horrible a thing it was once to lift vp either hand tongue or hart against the Lordes annointed or doe his Prophets any harme by sheathing the Maior of London his dagger in his bosom So woulde these be learned to vnderstand that the word of God doth teach and our English lawes command obediently to honour the Prince and reuerence the Prelate To conclude gentle Reader I craue only thy friendly censor without partialitie not forgetting the good Hermit who hauing three of his friendes come to visit him for want of better dainties to entertaine them bestowed on euerie of them an olde apple halfe putrified with spots The first friend to shew his affection deuoured his apple hartely sound and rotten together as it was The second more nice then wise because his was spotted in part disdainefully threw away the whole The third making choice of the best reiected onely the rest So doe I wish thee not with the first friend to deuoure the badde with the good neither with the second to cast away that is good because of some bad but with the third to accept and vse that is wholesom and refuse that is lothsom Vale in Christo. Leonard VVright A Summons for Sleepers AFter that the Apostle Saint Paule had taught the Romanes many notable lessons and rules touching the doctrine of christian faith charitie and obedience to Magistrates In going on to exhort and perswade them to repentance and amendment of life hee taketh occasion to speake of time of sléepe of light and of darkenesse And that considering the season saith he that it is now time that we should wake from sleepe for now is our saluation nearer then when we belieued The night is past and the day is at hand let vs therefore cast away the workes of darkenesse and put on the armour of light c. This worde dormire to sléepe in some places of the holy
is nourished and gouerned doe dayly preach vnto vs The bewtie of the heauens the wholsomenesse of the ayre and the plentifulnesse of the earth do daily teach vs the pleasant valleies delightfull springs and rich mines of treasures do dayly instruct vs the goodly fruitfull trées medicinable hearbes and swéete fragrant floures more gloriously attyred then Salomon in all his royaltie doe dayly admonish vs aske the beasts of the fielde the fishes of the Sea and the foules of the ayre and they will tell thée and say we were all created and ordained for the vse and profite of man Yea our Sauiour Christ himself calleth daily vpon vs Yong man arise Damsell arise Lazarus come forth dead sinner awake but their eares are deafe their mindes obstinate and their senses without féeling Séeing thē that God hath knocked at the doore of our consciences by so many and sundrie meanes and of his mercy hath tarried waiting so long for amendement it cannot be but great vengeance must néeds follow Hainous sinnes doe call downe grieuous plagues euery kingdome deuided within it selfe saith our Sauiour Christ shall be desolate but England by sects factions heresies and schismes is deuided it it selfe the Lord of his mercy defend it from that which followeth If God so sharpely punished one sinne in Adam and the Angels what may we that haue committed such a multitude of sinnes looke for If we shall yéeld an account for euery idle worde what reckoning shall wee make for such horrible offences both in words and actions God is said to haue féete of leade but hands of yron hee commeth slowly but when he commeth he payeth home as one man smiting another the higher he lifteth vp his hand the greater is the stroke euen so the longer that God tarrieth looking for amendment the greater will his punishment bée when it commeth If we will not glorifie his name in repenting and turning vnto him he will glorifie himselfe in reuenging and heaping plagues vpon vs. He is the God of iudgement and Lord of reuenge at whose word the very heauens doe tremble the earth doth quake the mountaines shake hée is a wise and righteous Iudge hee searcheth the very secrets of the heart and reines he wil not be mocked nor deceiued neither will excuses goe for payment in his sight hée is righteous and iust in al his dealings faithful and true of his promise his word is alwaies most certaine and sure yea and Amen that except we repent we shall all perish in our sins those that refuse his mercy so louingly offered shal surely féele his iustice To fall into sinne commeth of humaine weakenesse but to lye still and sléepe in sinne after so much teaching by his creatures his worde his writings his Preachers and his owne example is proper onely to the waywarde impes of Sathan Sodome and Gomorre Tire and Sidon the Niniuites and Quéene of the South shall rise vp at the last day and condemne this generation for if the doctrine and miracles which haue béene shewed amongst these had béene done amongst them they had long since repented in sackecloth and ashes Though I be earnest beare with me I touch not those that be good and say too little to such as bee naught I appeale to God who knoweth these things to bée true and to the worlde who cannot for shame denie them And if I haue said nothing but the truth then blame not me but go about your owne amendment for séeing that all flesh haue so corrupted the Lords way that such abhomination is wrought amongst men and the measure of iniquitie heaped so full it must néeds follow that the iudgements of God are not farre off No doubt his bow is readie bent the arrowes of his vengeance are drawne to the heade his fire is kindled and his wrath is gone out and readie to be powred vpon the contemners of his lawe and therefore high time to awake from sinne When Dauid killed Vrias committed adultery with his wife he slept in sin but being awaked by Nathā the prophet he repented earnestly when Mary Magdalen was possessed with seuen deuils she slept in sinne but being waked by hearing the sound of Chrstis Gospel she lamented pitifully whē Peter forsware his master he slept in sin but being wakened at the crowing of a little cocke he went out wept bitterly It is a common vsage in cities great townes to awake the people from sléep and giue them knowledge that night is welnigh gone the day at hand either by playing of waites ringing of bels sounding of trumpets or singing of Psalms and in country villages the Cocke is a necessarie bird for the same purpose euen so the Preachers of the word as Waites they haue played vnto you as trumpets they haue soūded out the word of life vnto you as Belles they haue rung out his heauenly will vnto you as Psalmistes they haue sung his wondrous workes vnto you and as Cocks they haue crowed and warned you to prepare your selues forasmuch as y e night or time of darkenesse is welnigh spent and the day of saluation at hand And as a litle after midnight the Cock doth crow a litle while and then ceaseth about thrée of the clocke somewhat longer and when it draweth neare day very long and thicke euen so in the time of king Henry the eight our English Cocks began to crow a litle and afterward in King Edwards daies somwhat longer but now in her Maiesties happie reigne they haue crowed aboue thirtie yeares together and now to warne you that the night is past and the day is euen at hand they crow thicke thicke and therfore it is time now or els neuer to awake from sin and cast away the déedes of darkenesse Whiles the husbandman slept the enemy came and sowed tares amongst the wheate while the foolish Virgins slept without Oile in their lampes the bridegrome came and shut them out from the wedding for as much therefore as we know not when the maister of the house will come let vs awake vp and watch least he finde vs sléeping beholde I come as a théefe sayth the Lord happie is hée that watcheth and kéepeth his garments of fayth and charitie lest he walke naked and men sée his filthinesse watch sayth the Apostle stande fast in fayth be strong continue in prayer and quit your selues like men for the time is at hand Some learned men by certaine coniectures haue painted out the time and season of the last iudgement alledging the Oracle of Elias y t the world should stand two thousand yeres before the law two thousand in the law and two thousand in the time of grace and out of saint Peter a thosand yeares with God is but as one day one day as a thousand yeares And as in sixe dayes the Lord made the world and rested the seuenth
there is not one godly man left the faithfull are minished from amoÌ„gst the children of men they doe but flatter with their lippes and dissemble in their double hearts they are become abhominable in their doings there is no feare of God before their eyes the Oxe knoweth his owner and the Asse his masters cribbe but our people will not know the iudgements of the highest The Turtle the Storke and the Swallow do know their appointed seasons but this people is without vnderstanding Oh Lord how wicked are these our daies if the very Turks and Infidels had heard the preaching and séene the wonders that wee haue done they had long ere this repented and amended their liues to our coÌ„fusion Oh Lorde wee heare much with our eares but our hearts remaine still as hard as flint stones we rather féed our fancie than our fayth Lord conuert and amend vs create in vs new and contrite hearts adorne our eyes with the teares of true repentance giue vs grace in some measure to frame our liues according to thy heauenly will that by the course which thou hast appointed for vs in this vale of miserie wée may yet at the ende come to liue with thée in felicitie for euer through Iesus Christ our onely Sauiour and Redéemer to whom with the Father and the holy Ghost thrée distinct persons and one eternall God be all honor glory praise and thanks for euermore Amen A Patterne for Pastors THe office of a Preacher is a dignitie of great reuerence honour and estimation The holie Ghost doeth call them the Angels of the Lord of hostes dispensors of his secrets Stewards of his housholde and fellow workers with Christ himselfe Gods Trumpetters to sounde out his woorde through the world whose tongues are consecrated to instruct the ignorant comfort the weake edifie the simple defend the truth confute heresies suppresse vice and conuert sinners vnto Christ. A calling méete for the best part of men such as are indued with comely personage a graue countenance a bolde spirit and a manly courage a good vertuous nature and ciuill behauiour a learned mind and a fruitful tongue The priests lips should preserue knowledge that the people may séeke the lawe at his mouth about the skirts of Arons Ephod were hanged golden belles alwaies sounding to signifie that preachers must be apt and able to sound out the worde of trueth He must be no gréene plant but hard timber well seasoned with knowledge and experience to instruct and teach soundly profound arguments and reasons to persuade and dissuade pithily arte and eloquence to stirre vp and delight pleasantly discretion and modestie to order and gouerne politikely not onely apt to flourish in a Pulpet but able also to playe his quarter strokes and defende his head Christ especially in these our dangerous dayes when Sathan is so busie is sowing of sects and heresies He must therefore be well furnished with canonicall authorities pithie sayings apt similies fit comparisons familiar examples and pretie histories méete both for comfortation perswasion and delectation for the multitude as Horace sayth is like a monstrous beast with many heades and like diuersitie of natures and commonly the most part ignorant and foolish who though the doctrine be neuer so wholesome yet without varietie are soone dulled and wearied so greatly is the nature of man delighted with nouelties that without change and varietie nothing séemeth pleasant to his lothsom appetite One kind of musick though neuer so swéete yet without varietie it is lothsom to y e eares One kind of meat though neuer so daintie yet without varietie gluttish to the taste and one kinde of matter though neuer so well framed yet without varietie séemeth tedious to the hearers And for that cause were figures first inuented to refresh the audience with pleasure and to this ende serueth Metaphors fables and wise sayings of Poets and Philosophers which being rightly vnderstoode in sense allegorie aptly applyed in time place conuenient containe very profitable lessons to instruct vnto vertue and godlinesse and as it were to spoyle the Egyptians of their iewels and so are the arts of Logick Rethorick very necessarie handmaides to diuinitie wherein are fiue things requisite as well in a Preacher as in an Orator The first inuention to finde out méete arguments and reasons to proue and confirme euery matter whereupon question may arise The second disposition to frame and dispose the matter in right order The third EloeutioÌ„ to adorne and beautifie the same with apt words and picked sentences The fourth a good memorie to preserue kéepe such things as the wit hath conceiued The fift pronunciation which is a moderate and séemely behauiour both of voyce gesture and countenance with a comely motion of the bodie and exactnesse of spéech so as the words doe agrée with the matter and the gesture with the minde whereby the he arers are as much moued and delighted as with doctrine it self Demosthenes being asked what was the first second and third pointes of an Orator answered pronunciation meaning that art without vtterance is to small purpose Some speake shrill short and thicke euery worde tumbling ouer in anothers necke much like the cackeling of Iacke dawes Some are so fine and curious as though euery worde should be waighed in a ballance Some whewle and pipe so smal as though it were a pigge whining for his breakefast Some looke grimme and stearne with the Welchmans wagge the Italian shrugge and the precisian Sneuill as though hée came to fray the audience And some stand so long about instructing the soules as though they had forgotten the people had any bodies who doe not so much edifie as tedifie Whereas a comely graue and moderate behauiour in voice gesture and countenance with a cleane sensible tongue to deliuer his wordes plainely distinctly and modestly with discretion to order the matter aptly pithily and brieflie doth best instruct soonest profite and most edifie A good Preacher also must be wise circumspect discréete in choosing the séede most fit for the soyle remembring that as little children may not alwaies be fed with vinegar and sharp saulce but rather with milke swéete pappe so though sometime it be necessarie to bruise and mollifie the hard stonie affections of mens hearts with the rigor of Gods fearful iudgements yet rather to water them often with the swéete comfortable dew of his mercies in Christ according to the wise Phisitian who tempereth his bitter medicines with swéete sirops He must not be high minded wise in his owne conceit nor curious in taking offence at euery little trifle but charitable in â—udging the best of all men and patient in bearing the infirmities of euill men for common quiet sake for from the beginning the Church was neuer either so ripe in knowledge or purged in manners but that great imperfections remained In the houses and families of godly Patriarkes were alwayes some
scriptures is taken for requiescere to rest as our Sauiour Christ came to his Disciples and found them a sléepe Christ himselfe slept in the sterne of the Ship and Peter slept betwéene two souldiers Againe in some places it is taken to sléepe in sepulchro the graue as Dauid and Salomon slept with their Fathers Behold saith Iob I must sléepe in the dust and Saint Paule saith The faithfull that are dead are fallen a sléepe in Christ But that sléepe which the Apostle doth here speake of is to sleepe in ignorance darkenesse and sinne The way of the vngodly is called darkenesse and shadow of death To wake vp this kinde of sleepers and rebuke the world of sinne is my chiefe intent and purpose in this booke Which is no doubt a thanklesse office and a verie vnthriftie occupation veritas odium parit truth neuer goeth without a scratcht face he that will be busie with vae vobis let him looke shortly for coram nobis So long as Micheas prophecied victorie against the Assyrians he was a trim Prophet but after when he tolde them the contrarie they had him in great disdaine When our Sauiour Christ fedde the people they woulde haue made him a king but after when he began to rebuke their naughtie manners they desired to haue him crucified euen so in these dayes our daintie eares can hardly abide to heare our vices touched Much like the foolish Asse that when he is a loading standeth stocke still but in taking the load off his backe doth yearke out behinde It may aptly be saide vnto our people as Martiall the Poet saide once to his friends My friendes saith he you will imbolden me to speake the truth and the truth is this that you can not abide to heare the truth He therefore that will boldly vtter his conscience without feare or flatterie shall hardly escape without imminent daunger Notwithstanding how odious and despised soeuer Gods Prophets shall séeme to the eyes of the world they must not be afraid to speake the truth to beate down the infection of sinne and wickednesse How dangerous soeuer it be for Lot to reproue the filthinesse of the Sodomites yet must he not cease to say vnto them I pray you my brethren doe not so wickedly Though it cost Iohn Baptist his heade yet must he not forbeare to say vnto Herod It is not lawfull for thée to haue thy brother Philips wife Though Nathans message séeme neuer so perillous yet must he not be afraid to say vnto Dauid Thou art the man it is thou that hast done this déede Elias must not be afraid to say vnto Achab It is thou and thy fathers house that hath brought this plague vpon Israel Ionas must not refuse to crye out in the stréetes of Niniuie Yet remaineth fortie daies and Niniuie shall be destroyed Our Sauiour Christ sent forth his Disciples as shéepe amongst woolues I haue giuen thée a face of brasse as hard as a flint stone that thou shalt not be afraide to tell my people their sins and offences saith the Lord. As Christ himselfe tooke all our sinnes vpon him so ought euerie good christian to take the iniuries done to Christ as his owne The Lord hateth as well him that iustifieth the vngodly as he that condemneth the innocent O Lord saith Dauid I haue alwaies hated those that loue not thée and béene a straunger to those that haue forsaken thy law Amicum esse licet saith the Philosopher sed vsque ad Aras Dauid woulde haue no friendes but those that were Gods friendes nor enimies but those that were Gods enimies and hee that will beare with the vice of his dearest friendes wherein God is offended is vnworthie the name of a christian And he that rebuketh vices where amendment doth follow killeth the sinner that man hath made and saueth the man whom God hath made We reade in the Gospel of certaine people that were possessed with diuels which Christ himselfe did cast out and gaue power to his Disciples to doe the like But I thinke in no age from the beginning was there euer so many possessed with diuelish spirits as in these our miserable dayes In old time Agar was more fruitful then Sara and in our time the Church is so barren the world so frutefull to bring forth huge swarmes of wicked impes that hard it is to finde one corner calling or kinde of life without them We reade of seuen principall or captaine diuels who haue alwaies borne a great sway amongst men The first called Lucifer the diuel of pride and presumption The second Belzebub the Lord of enuie and malice The third Sathan the maister of wrath and disdaine The fourth Abadan the patrone of sloth and idlenesse The fift Mammon the father of couetousnesse and snudgerie The sixt Belphegor the God of gluttonie and drunkennesse and The seuenth Asmodius the ruler of lecherie and whoredom And whosoeuer is infected with any of the saide vices be sure he is possessed with a great captaine diuel which must of necessitie be cast out or els of force the man must perish And surely the Clergie of long time haue beene verie careful and diligent in discharging their duetie herein so as the immortall seede of the Gospell since the Apostles time was neuer more plentifully sowne Notwithstanding the small testimonie of amendment declareth it to bee rather knowne then kept The people so louingly linckt in league with the diuel their eares are so deafe their sences so dull their willes so obstinate and their harts so barren as they haue neither sence to tast stomackes to disgest nor harts to credit except it feede their filthie infected humors I thinke if the preachers should go in sackcloth like Esay or with yrons about their neckes like Ieremie yet were there small hope of amendment If those good auncient Fathers who complained so grieuously of the wretchednesse of their time did sée the horrible abuses and vile corruptions of our age they would wonder at our follie and burst out in teares at our miserie Or if Saint Paule himselfe were here now to sée our pittilesse dayes when charitie is growne so colde and humanitie almost forgotten no doubt he would wonder and say Surely these people are possessed with diuels they sléepe in sinne and it is high time to wake them And first to beginne with the great rich giants and couetous prowling cormorants of this land aboundance of wealth hath so bewitched their vnsatiable mindes and taken such rooting in their flintie harts that neither the feare of God the infamie of the world nor hell mouth that gapes for them can once staunch their greedie desires There is such ioyning of house to house ground to ground fielde to fielde land to land farme to farme and liuing to liuing to maintain their proud backes golden heades and costly throates still scraping for superfluitie that the poore can
hand that our Redéemer is euen readie comming to iudge the earth to kéepe his generall Parlement of reformation to search Ierusalem throughout with candle light to reuenge the bloud of his seruants recompence their enemies as they haue serued them reward theÌ„ according to their wickednes He commeth triumphing in maiestie honour accompanied with Angels Arch-angels and all the hostes of heauen he commeth with the voice of a fearefull trumpet at whose terrible sound the very heauens shall mâ—oue the seas shall roare the cloudes shall rent and the earth shall tremble and quake a consuming fire shall go before him and a mightie tempest shal be stirred vp round about him when great Iericho shal be cast down with the blast of Iosuaes trumpets when none shall scape safe but the house or Rahab the harlot which receiued the messengers that is to say those penitent sinners which obediently receiue the message of the Gospel when all soules shall be ioyned to their bodies and gathered from the foure corners of the world to receiue iust reward celestiall or infernall when euery one shall be called to yéeld account of his talent how he hath imploied his welth wisdom strength or beautie to the benefite and profite of his brethren howe he hath ruled his affections mortified his appetites and behaued himselfe in his calling When his obedient children shall be deuided from the wicked reprobates and go méete their louing redéemer in the cloudes of whom they shall heare that ioyfull sentence pronounced with a chearefull countenance Come ye blessed of my father inherite the kingdome prepared for you from before the foundation of the world was laid when the wicked shal heare that dreadful sentence pronounced of their angry Iudge depart from me ye cursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the diuell and his angels when they shall sée and féele without them the worlde burning with fire within them the worme of conscience euer gnawing aboue them their vnappeasable Iudge condemning them beneath them the horrible confusion of hell torments prepared to deuour them on their right hand their sinnes accusing them on their left hand the cruell enemy readie to execute Gods eternall sentence agaynst them then will they confesse but too late that the Iudgements of God are true say did not wée heare of this then will they cry vnto the Lord but he will not heare them and desire the mountains to fall vpon them but all in vaine they will not doe them so much pleasure fire and brimstone storme and tempest this shall be their portion to drinke there shalbe wéeping wailing and gnashing of téeth whose dolefull lameÌ„table shrikes horrible gréeuous grones déepe hollow sighes terrible lothsome lookes sorrowful mourning complaints sad melancholy thoughts and heauie pensiue conceits no tongue is able to expresse for they goe to frie in perpetuall torments wiithout remission and vtter confusion without redemption The dreadful place appointed for the execution of Gods vengeance hath diuers names in the holy Scriptures most terrible to our senses tending all to expresse vnto vs the grieuousnesse of punishment as horrible darknes vnquenchable fire vnsatiable hunger and the gnawing of a worme to signifie the miserable oppression hurling downe it is called Infernus a dungeon of Gods wrath or bottomlesse pit to signifie the intollerable paine without ceasing or end it is compared to a burning lake the burning whereof is fire and much wood and the vreath of the Lorde as a riuer of fire and brimstone doth kindle it it is also called Gehenna of Ge and hinnum which signifieth a vallie nigh vnto Ierusalem wherein was a Chappell wherein the Idolatrous Iewes did offer and sacrifice their children vnto a brasen Image called Moloch which being made hote inclosed them in the hollownes therof and so slue them and lest their shriking should moone any to pitie them they made an hideous noise with tabrets and drums whereupon the place was called Tophet thus will the Lorde speake to his enemies in his wrath and vexe them in his sore displeasure when his faithfull obedient children shal passe the Emperiall heauens with their louing redéemer to ioye in felicitie for euer with Abraham Isaac and Iacob with all the number of godly Patriarks the goodly fellowship of the Prophets the glorious company of the Apostles the noble armie of Martyrs with Angels Archangels al the ioyfull troups of heauenly powers The ioyes of heauen are pleasant ioyes our eies cannot sée them our eares cannot heare them our hearts cannot conceiue them nor our tongues expresse them as if a man should promise his horses a good banquet they coulde imagine no other but prouender and water to be their best cheare because they know no daintier dishes euen so the natuall man accustomed to the puddle of fleshly pleasure his minde can mount no higher to perceiue discerne or vnderstand the things that be of God so as the ioyfull plaeasures of heauen are hidden froÌ„ his senses But séeing the wise men that came so far from the East did ioy so much to sée Christ in the poore manger it must néeds be much more ioyful to sée him in his state of glory Séeing our vile corruptible bodies receiue of his goodnesse so many benefits and pleasures to abreuiate our wearinesse in this wretched vale of miserie where euery of his creatures doe serue vs in their kinde no doubt our heauenly palace where we shall sée him face to face conteineth maruellous great and ioyfull pleasures Séeing wée receiue so many comfortable blessings in the day of sorrow and mourning much greater shall our pleasures be in the ioyfull day of marriage Séeing the prison and painfull pilgrimage contain such things much more shall we finde in our heauenly paradice when we shall depart from paine and miserie to ioy and felicitie wheÌ„ death sorrow and griefe shall be cleane taken away all teares wiped from our eyes If a séely poore man wandring alone vpon the mountaines out of his way in the midst of a darke tempestuous night voide of companie destitute of money beaten with raine terrified with thunder wearied with trauel striffe with cold famished with hunger and wrapt in all kind of misery should presently vpon a sudden be placed in a goodly rich pallace with cleare light warme fire swéete smels soft beds daintie meats pleasant company and delightfull Musicke to comfort and cheare him who could expresse the sudden ioy of that poore miserable wretch yet is it nothing in comparison of those vnspeakeable ioyes prepared for Gods elect children in his heaueÌ„ly paradice where is no serpent to tempt vs any more but glory without comparison riches without measure day without night life without death libertie without thraldome solace without cessing and ioy without ending to which kingdome the eternall God the father the sonne and the holy Ghost bring vs. A prayer HElpe Lord for
16.18.19 2. Cor. 11.13.14 Apoc. 12.12 The Prelates propounded the Potentats pretended The Potentate Prelate and people Mat. 7.15.16 Act. 20.29.30 Richard the second 1. Reg. 24. Psal. 105.15 Rom. 13.1.2.5 1. Pet. 2.13.14 Tit. 3.1.9.10.11 Heb. 13.7 1. Tim. 5.1.17 Rom. 13.11.12 Ioh. 6.15 1. Thess. 8. Mat. 27. Gen. 19. Mat. 6.18 2. King 12. 3. King 18. Ionas 3. Mat. 10. Ezech. 3. Prou. 17. Psal. 139. He that is not with me is against me saith our Sauiour Mar. 16.9 Mat. 10.1 Luke 4.36 Luke 9.1 Esay 14. Mat. 12. Luke 22. Apoc. 9. Mat. 6. A gaping Idol Tob. 3. Luke 13.3 Esay 15. Ier. 28. Esa. 34. Esa. 5. Prea 4. Amos. 4.1 Mich. 2.1.2 3. Kin. 21. Mat. 4. 2. Pet. 3. Prou. 15. Prou. 31. Eccle. 31 1. Tim. 6 Eccle. 10 Barnard Mar. 10.25 Mat. 19.23 Abacuck 2. Amos. 6. Iob. 21. Esay 34. Iere. 12. Psal. 22. Amos. 6. Gen. 25. Wisd. 6. Iere. 25. Iam. 5. 2. Pet. 2. Esay 34. Mat. 8.12 Psal. 11. Mat. 16.26 Mat. 11.5 Iam. 2.5 Luke 6.20 Ioh. 12.8 Mar. 14.7 Deut. 15. Psal. 41. 1. Ioh. 3.17 Galat. 6.7 Barnard Prou. 21. 1. Tim. 5.8 Mat. 6.33 Prou. 10. Prou. 17. Prou. 28. 2. Cor. 9.10 Prou. 12. Iam. 2.13 Mat. 7.12 Leuit. 25. Deut. 15. Mat. 5.42 Prou. 19. Mat. 10.29 They that feare the Lord will not mistrust his word Eccle. 2. Iam 2.16.13 Exod. 22. Pro. 28 Cicero offic lib. 2. Barnard vppon that canticle Sermo 39. Chrisostom vpon Mat. 5. Titus 3. Exod. 22. Mat. 12.81 Marke 3.29 1. Iohn 5.16 Psal. 15 Deut. 23. Ezech. 18 Psal. 112 1. Iohn 3.17 Ier. 15 Esay 24 To offend the good I meane not to 〈◊〉 the wicked 〈◊〉 may not To sell iustice is intollerable but to sell iniustice is either briberie or plaine knauerie They let the man goe that offended and punish the purse that neuer offended Prou. 25 1. Cor. 6 One poore man oppressing another by violence is like a continuall raine that destroyeth the fruit Prou. 28. He that of wilfulnesse delighteth in law Shall striue for a cockes combe and thriue as a daw Tusser Preach 3. Abacuc 1 Esay 5 Amos. 6 2. Cor. 19 Iere. 22 1. Tim. 5.17 Luke 12.47 Wis. 6 2. King 10 2. Chro. 19. Gen. 47 3. King Mar. 11.15 Mat. 23.23.24.25 The guiltles wil not grieue although the galled grudge Iudas 2. Tim. 3 Amos. 3. Exod. â— Iam. 3.1 Rom. 12.16 It is meant by such scolers as will be rotten before they be ripe A selfe willed foole is a perilous beast Titus 3 Luke 6.36.42 Col. 3.3.8 1. Tim. 6.7 3. King 12 Mat. 7.15.16 1. Tim. 1.6.7 2. King 15 3. King 12 Mark 12 Mat. 23 2â— Esay 56 Philip. 3 Iude. 2. Pet. 2 2. Cor. 12 2. Tim. 3 Esay 5 Ezech. 13 Esay 95 Mat. 18.29 Iohn SleidaÌ„ in his Com. Hilaries sermon at the Synode at Reimes Mat. 5 9 Their tongs are much like Mercuries pipe that inchanted the hearers 1. King 11. Prou. 17 1â— Prou. 26. Pou. 17.10 1. Cor. 16.13 Ier. 4.9 Eccle. 13. Prou. 29. Hipocrisie Phil. 2.10 Iuda Simulata sanctitas duplex est iniquitas Ipsius est meta-lupus actu voce propheta Exod. 20. Mat. 12.12 Luk. 4.16 Esaie 56.2.3 Mat. 10.32 Mat. 21.23 Act. 2.42 Rom. 10.14 1. Cor. 11. Phil. 2.10 Esay 45. In receiuing the communion we pray giue thanks ergo the c. Dan. 6. Ephe. 3.14 Luk. 22.41 True simple meaning asketh Gods blessing and duble dealing double punishment M. St. French nets do catch English fooles Wis. 3. Chrisostome Luke 16. Rom. 8.15 1. Cor. 6.15.19 Luke 22.24 Iohn 19.34 Gregorie Prou. 13. Iohn 8.39 Gene. 22. Ier. 8. Mat. 8.27 Mar. 12.7 Psal. 19. Psal. 107 Mat. 6 Iob. 12 Mat. 12.25 Iudas Mat. 12.36 Ier. 51. Psalm 18. Psal. 7. Rom. 8.27 Gal. 6.7 Iohn 5.30 Psal. 19. 2. Cor. 1.20 Luke 13.3 Mat. 10.15 Mat. 11.21 Luke 11. Gen. 6. Deut. 13. Psal. 7. 1. Thes. 1.7.8 2. King 11. Marke 16.9 Luke 7.37.38 Mat. 14.71.72 Mar. 11.17 Esay 58. Eccle. 33. Mat. 15 2â— Mat. 25.10 Luke 12.40 Mar. 13.33 1. Thes. 5.2 2. Pet. 3.10 Apoc. 16.15 1. Cor. 16.13 Phil. 4.5 2. Pet. 3 Genis 5. Heb. 11.5 4 Kings 2. 1. Thes. 4.17 Mat. 24.22 Marke 13.20 4. Esdras 4. Leuit. 23. Leuit. 25. 2. Pet. 3.3.4 It is not for you to know the times and seasons which the father hath put in his owne power Mar. 13.32 2. Pet. 3.10 Luke 17.26.27.28 Mat. 24.37.38 Gen. 7. Gen. 19. 2. Thes. 2.3 Math. 24. Luke 17. Mar. 23.28.29 Mark 13.20 Act. 1.11 Apoc. 6.10 Psal. 94. last verse Math. 25.31 Math. 24.30 Apoc. 1.7 1. Thes. 4.16 1. Cor. 15.52 Esay 51. Esay 65. Apoc. 6.14 Psalm 50. Iosua 6. Heb. 11.31 Iam. 2.25 Math. 24.31 Apoc. 20.13.14.15 Mat. 25.32 1. Thes. 4.17 Math. 13.39 Math. 25.34 Math. 25.41 Rom. 9.28 Mat. 7.22.23 Wisd. 5. Luk. 13.25.28 Apoc. 6.16 Ozeas 10. Luke 23.30 Psal. 11. Mat. 25. Esay 65. Mat. 8.12 Mar. 9.44 2. Pet. 2.4 Apoc. 9.2 Apoc. 19.20 Esay 30. Ierem. 7. g. Ierem. 32. f. Psal. 2. Mat. 25.46 1. Thes. 4.17 Daniel 12. a. 1 Tim. 5.17 1. Cor. 2.9 1. Cor. 2.14 Math. 2.11 Apoc. 22. 1. Cor. 13.12 Iohn 16.20 Apoc. 21.4 Apoc. 7.16.17 Apoc. 2.8.12 1. Cor. 4.1 Ioh. 15.15 Ezec. 33. Ephe. 4.12 Titus 1. Mat. 16.19 Apoc. 1. Leuit. 21. Mal. 2â— Exod. 28. 1. Tim. 3.6 Exod. 1â— Rom. 12. 2. Tim. 2.24 1. Cor. 13. Iohn 4.11 2. Tim. 2.24 Gen. 9. Mat. 26. Gen. 18. Malem multos nocentes condonare quà m vnum innocentem condemnare Wisd. 1. Rom. 14. 1. Tim. 6. Phil. 2.3 1. Cor. 12. 1. Pet. 4.10 2. Thes. 4.11 Gal. 6. Rom. 14. 1. Cor. 12. Rom. 12. Mat. 25. Luke 12. Rom. 1â— Luke 21. Exod. 35. Mar. 20. Gal. 2. Ephe. 4.14 Hiperius 1. Tim. 3. Titus 12. Leuit 21. Tit. 2.7.8 Mat. 21.3 Act. 10. Mat. 25. 1. Tim. 3. Psal. 50. Psal. 50. Ierom. Ioh. 21. Barnard Mat. 11. Mat. 14.16 Mar. â— 37 Luke 3.11 Rom. 12.13 1. Pet 4.9 Heb. 13.2 Tobias 4. Ioh. 6.26 3. King 12. Barnard There is more hope in a foole then in him that is wise in his owne conceite D. Some Prou. 26. 1. Cor. 2. Iames. 1. Peter Eccle. 6. Eccle. 8. Esay 3. Luk. 3.23 Chitreus 2. Esd. 8. Exod. 24. Deut. 31.4 King 33. Baruk 1. Ierem. 36. Iosua 8. Act. 15.21.13.27 1. Tim. 4.13 1. The. 5.27 Ephes. 3.4 Tertullian Ioh. 20. Psal. 119. Ioh. 1â— Apoc. 1. 2. Cor. 4. Gen. 3. Num. 12. Apoc. 2.20 1. Tim. 5.13 2. Tim. 4. â— 2. Tim. 3.5.7 1. Pet. 3.3 1. Tim. 2.11.9 1. Cor. 14 â—4 35 1. King 1. Gen. 18. 1. Cor. 3. 1. Pet. 3. 1. Cor. 1.10.12.13 Ephe. 44.5.16 Phil. 3.16 Gen. 13. Psal. 133. Ioh. 13.35 1. Pet. 2.5 Ephe. 2.20 Ioh. 15.5 1. Cor. 12. Mat. 20. Rom. 15.6