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
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
zeale haue they who as saith Naziāzen defend Christ against Christ and defend the church against the church And these things do they not of malice nor of wilfulnes nor against their conscience but because they knowe not God the father nor his Christ whō he hath sent Therfore they trūble at Christe spurn away the gospel of God thinke ill speake euil of the word or life because they know not the Gospel of God nor the word of life Thus they perswade themselues that they defend the Church that they honour the sonne of God that they doe God great seruice and that they haue the zeale of God But this pride was euer in the heart of man and it appeared euen in our Graundsire Adam whatsoeuer liketh vs well wee thinke that cannot but please GOD. Suche is the opinion wee fondely conceiue in our fantasies in trust wherof whatsoeuer we doe we think our selues sure safe Origen writing vpon the place of the Apostle Zelum Dei habent sed non secundum scientiam They haue the zeale of God but not according to knowledge saith Similiter potest dicere Apostolus de alijs quod timorem Dei habeant sed non secundum scientiam de alijs c. In like maner the Apostle may say of others they haue the feare of God but not according to knowledge of others they haue the loue of God but not according to knowledge of another he hath the faith of God but not according to knowledge And another may be saide to fast but not according to knowledge And so in all thinges whatsoeuer we doe vnlesse wee haue knowledge vnderstanding it may be said vnto vs that we haue the zeale of a good worke but not according to knowledge Ideo danda est praecipue opera scientiae neres nobis infaeliciter accidat vt in fide positi frustremur a fide zelum habentes bonorum decidamus a bonis Therefore al heed is chiefly to be giuē to the attaining of knowledge least it goe not well with vs least we faile frō our faith whē we thinke we beleue thinking we haue a zeale of good workes wee bee founde voyde of all good workes The wise man saith This was not enough for thē that they erred in the knowledge of god but wheras they liued in great warres of ignorance those so manie and so great plagues they called peace The zeale that they had and the contentation of their heartes made them beleeue that all their superstition and idolatrie and other enormities was Catholike vnitie This zeale as on the one side it hath manye tokens of goodnes for that it hath a conscience and a feare and an obedience towardes God so on the other side it is very daungerous because it lacketh knowledge euen as a shippe for lacke of a Gouernaur is euer in daunger of the rockes and as the body whiche hath no eye is euer in daunger of falling Such kinde of zeale the greater it is the worser it is the more vehement it seemeth the more vthementlye it fighteth against God For our good meaning maketh not our doinges good our zeale is not a rule whereby we may measure our either our faith or our workes but onely the knowen will and pleasure of God Therefore speaketh God in this maner by the prophet Esai my thoughts are not your thoghts neither are your ways my wayes Therfore saith Salomon Trust in the Lord with al thine heart and leane not to thine own wisedome in al thy wayes acknowledge him and hee shal direct thy doings This counsel also doth Moses giue Take heed that ye do as the Lord your God hath commanded you turne not aside to the right hand nor to the left But the true and godly zeale proceedeth not from hypocrisie or intention but is led and trained by vnderstanding and is moulten into the heart and the vehemency and heat of it no man knoweth but he that feeleth it It taketh away the vse of reason it eateth and deuoureth vp the heart euen as the thing that is eaten is turned into the substance of him that eateth it and as iron whiles it is burning hot is turned into the nature of the fire so great and so iust is the griefe that they which haue this zeale conceiue when they see Gods house spoyled or his holye name dishonoured So saith Elias I haue been very ielous for y ◠Lord God of hosts for the childrē of Israel haue forsaken thy couenāt broken down thine altars slaine thy Prophets with the sword I onely am left and they seeke my life to take it away So when Moses found that the people had forsaken God and were fallen down before a moulten calfe did put their trust in the woorke of their owne hāds his wrath waxed hot he cast the tables out of his hād brake them in pieces beneath the mountaine His heart was so inflamed with zeale that he considered not what he had in his hande nor what hee did Ieremy when he sawe the disorder of the people and howe they were not mended with his preaching and woulde inwardly conceale the griefe he conceiued and purposed not to make mention of the Lorde nor to speake any more in his name yet could he not for his zeale found way and brake out His word saith he was in mine heart as a burning fire shut vp in my bones and I was weary with forbearing I could not stay And albeit there is much likenesse between the rage and fury of hypocrites and the godlye zeale of good men for either are hot either are vehement either wisheth redresse yet this is an euidēt differēce godly zeale is tempered seasoned with charity the vngodly is ioyned with bitternes reuenge y e godly seeketh to winne the vngodly to kill and to destroy The vngodly haue their handes full of blood they kill the Prophets they say We haue a lawe and by our lawe he must die They say Come let vs destroy them that they be no more a nation Let not the name of Israel be had any more in remembrance They burne the holy bookes of the Scriptures as did Aza and Antiochus They saye ransake it pull it downe case it to the foundation let nor one bee left aliue They digge vp the bodies of the dead out of their graues They shewe their cruelty vppon the bones and ashes which were long before buryed and well nigh consumed It grieueth them when they lacke vppon whome they may whet their blood thyrstie and cruell zeale It grieueth them no one thing else so much that they did not woorke surely and cut vp the roote Such is the zeale of the vngodly Euen such a zeale as was in Nero in Caligula of whom it is reported he wished that all the Romaines had but one necke that he might cut off all their beades at one stroke as was in Herode in Annas and Catphas
Gods hands is to haue prophets preachers by whō they may be instructed When y ◠prophet declareth y ◠mercy of God towardes Israel y ◠he would put an end to their afflictions bring thē home again from Babylō he saith thus Behold saith the Lord I wil send out many fishers they shal fish thē In the like sort saith Esai How beautiful vpō y ◠moūtaines are the feet of him that declareth publisheth peace that declareth good tydings publisheth saluatiō saying vnto Siō thy god reigneth The voice of thy watchmē shalbe heard they shal lift vp their voyce shout together And Baruch Nor the Agarēs that sought after wisdom vpō the earth nor the marchāts of Nerrā Themā nor the expoūders of fables nor the scarchers out of wisdom haue known the way of wisedome There were the giāts famous frō the beginning that were of so great stature so expert in war Those did not the Lord choose neither gaue he the way of knowledge vnto thē but they were destroyed because they had no wisdome perished through their own foolishnes He hath foūd out al the way of knowledge hath giuē it vnto Iacob his seruant to Israel his beloued And againe O Israel we are blessed for the thinges that are acceptable to god are declared vnto vs. He hath not dealt so with euery nation neither haue they knowledge of his iudgmēts saith the Prophet Dauid But when God taketh away his ministers whiche should preach peace open vnto the people the wil of God make known his iudgemēts it is a token that God is highly displeased with his people Where there is no visiō the people decay they know not what to beleeue Of this misery speaketh Iere. The young children aske bread but no mā breaketh it vnto them Of this speaketh Esay The poore needy seeketh water there is none They would haue some counsell some comforte and there is no man to giue it them My sheepe wandered saith God through al the mountaines and on euery high hill yea my flock was scattered through all the whole earth and none did seeke or searche after them They were full of diseases they were pined for hunger and taken vp by the wolfe but none had care to deliuer them In such state as the flocke is in which hath no shepheard or the shippe which is tossed by the tempestes amiddes the surges and rockes of the Sea and hath no skilful Pilote to guide it or the yong sucking childe that hath no nource to feede it euen in such stace are your soules if you haue not the ministery of Gods worde abyding with you You are children the Preacher is your nource you are a shippe in daunger of many wreckes through the boysterous tempests of this worlde the Preacher is your Pilote to guide you safely towardes the hauen of rest you are the flocke the Preacher leadeth you from dangerous places to feede vpon the whole some pastures of Gods holy worde Whosoeuer they be which reioyce not in the increase of the Lords haruest hee forsaketh them and leaueth them comfortlesse and giueth them fewe or no labourers Wherfore pray the Lorde of the haruest that he would send forth labourers into his haruest It is the Lorde which casteth the firste seede into the earth whiche doeth moysten the ground and maketh it fruitful and giueth forth his sunne that it may come to ripening Al the soile field corne and the husbandry therof is the Lordes Let vs pray to him to send forth labourers to trauaile and take paines Notwithstanding we ought to praye to God that hee will stirre vp and set foorth men to instruct his people yet that nothing embarreth the authority of princes For as God calleth him inwardly in the heart whom he wil haue to bee a minister of his word so must he be authorized of his Prince by outward and ciuil calling as I could shew at large if time would suffer it So Salomon the king deposed Abiathar the high priest and set vp Sadoc So Iustinian deposed two bishops of Rome Siluerius Vigilius authorized others And the same Iustinian was wont to say that he had no lesse regarde to the Church of God thē he had to his own soule So Constantinus Valentinianus and Theodosius called themselues Vasallos Christi The vasals of Christ And Socrates in his story saith Wee haue also herein comprised the Emperours liues for that sithence the Emperours were first christned the affaires of y ◠church haue depended of them the greatest counsels both haue byn are kept by their aduise It pertaineth therefore also to kings and Princes to send out labourers into the haruest Labourers they must be and not loyterers For Christ compareth the teaching of his people to thinges that be of greate labour as to plowing and fallowing of the grounde to planting of a Uine to rearing of a House to threshing of Corne to feeding of sheepe to leading of an Hoste and keeping of warre in which thinges is required much diligence and labour Cato in his bookes of husbandry saith it was an old saw among husbandmen Qui terram colit ne sedeat est enim aliquid semper quod agat He that plougheth the ground must not sit stil for he hath alwaies somwhat to do The worke of the husbandman is neuer ended hee falloweth stirreth soweth harroweth weedeth and tendeth his land Therefore if they he Pastours let them feede the flocke if they be Doctours let them teach the people if they be watchmen let them stande vppon their watche if they bee messengers let them doe their erraunt This is the way to buylde vp the Churche of Christ This commission Christ gaue vnto his Disciples Ite in mundum vniuersum c. Goe ye into al the world and preach the Gospel vnto euery creature Thus by twelue poore Apostles al the world was conquered Princes and kings and Emperours were subdued to the faith of Christ This is the key that openeth the conscience this is the two edged sword which entreth through euen to the diuiding asunder of y e soule and the spirit Therefore the Apostle saith The weapons of our warfare are not carnall but mighty through God to cast downe holds casting down the imaginations euery hie thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God and bringing into captiuity euerie thought to the obedience of Christ This is the only instrumēt wherwith we may cut down and haue in the haruest of God For all mens deuises Actes Iawes or commandements be the authority thereof neuer so great yet are not sufficient to content one mans conscience For the wisedome of man is but follie before God God knoweth the fancies and cogitations of men that they be but vayne and foolish Aristotle the great wise Philosopher on a time being sick when the phisition came to him to minister him
that followeth mee shall not walke in darkenesse but shall haue the light of life So spake Almightie GOD to his people Take heede that you doe as the Lorde your GOD hath commaunded you turne not aside to the right hande nor to the lefte Thou shalt not doe the thing that seemeth right in thine owne eyes Thou shalte not followe the zeale of thine owne heart Thinke that thou maist be deceiued dispose thy selfe to hearken to the voyce of the Lord whatsoeuer he shall commaund thee that onely shalt thou doe For my thoughts are not your thoughtes neither are your wayes my wayes saith the Lord For as the heauens are higher thē the earth so are my waies higher thē yourwaies my thoughts aboue your thoughts The will of y e Lord is the only measure whereby all trueth must be tryed Heereunto the Prophet Dauid humbleth himselfe and speaketh vnto GOD in this manner Lighten mine eies O lord O teach me to do thy wil teach me to follow it to practise it Hereof S. Paul speaketh Vnderstand what the will of the Lord is Leaue the pretence of zeale leaue the deuotion of your owne heart rest not vppon the will of your forefathers nor of flesh blood Learne to feele and taste the will of God it is good and gracious and merciful thereby direct your steppes therein shall you finde the possession of life We were drowned in darkenesse sayth the Apostle yet thought we had the light I my selfe saith hee was a blasphemer and did persecute the Church of God I followed the way of my fathers I had a great zeale and thought I did well but the way wherein I walked was slippery the light was darkenesse I delighted in vanitie and had pleasure in leasings I was blinde yet perceiued it not and therefore was my blindenesse and miserie so muche the more But now is our Saluation come neere vnto vs our bodies are made the Temples of God and his spirit dwelleth within vs. We haue the woorde of life put both in our mouth and in our heart the kingdome of God is in the middes amongst vs. The Sonne of God calleth vnto vs Come vnto me al ye that trauel and be heauily laden and I wil refresh you S Iohn saith We haue looked vpon and our hands haue handeled the worde of life And againe The word was made flesh and dwelt among vs and we saw the glory thereof as the glory of the only begotten sonne of the Father full of grace and of trueth So neere is the Lorde to them that seeke him So neere vnto vs is our saluation When Dauid heard the voyce of the Lorde he awaked and rose vp hee gaue thankes vnto God and powred out his heart before him saying O Lorde our Lorde howe wonderfull is thy Name in all the worlde And againe Prayse the Lorde O my soule and all that is within mee praise his holie Name When the Apostles hearde this voyce of the Lorde they were awaked they forsooke all they had they tooke vp their Crosse and went ouer all the worlde preaching the Gospell of saluation When Paul heard the voyce of Christ from heauen aboue he fell flat on the earth and being astonied sayde Lord what wilt thou that I do I am thy seruaunt and the sonne of thy handemayde make me to doe that thou commandest me to doe Then coulde neither life nor death nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor thinges present nor thinges to come nor height nor depthe nor any other Creature separate Paule from the loue of God whiche is in Christ Iesus our Lorde then hee esteemed not to knowe anye thinge sauing Iesus Christ and him crucified He brake his sleepe rose vp and went forwarde In like manner the Prophet Esay stirreth vp Hierusalem Arise be bright for the light is come and the glorie of the Lorde is risen vppon thee Knowe thy time and the day of thy visitation awake thou that sleepest and stande vp from the dead for the Sonne of God hath shined ouer thee The Apostle therfore saith It is nowe time that wee shoulde arise from sleepe We are the children of God we are the children of the trueth we are the sonnes of the Prophets we are they whom GOD hath chosen out of the worlde Whosoeuer putteth his hande to the plough and looketh backe is vnmeete for the kingdome of heauen These thinges are sent for our vnderstanding GOD hath giuen his worde vnto vs. We haue seene the workes of God the doumbe to speake the deafe to heare the blynde to see the lame to goe the dead to rise and come out of their graues the Sunne to be darkened the earth to quake rockes to rent and the Diuell to confesse the Sonne of God for he was forced to say Thou art Christ the Sonne of God Nowe doth the kingdome of heauen suffer violence The night is passed the daye is at hande we haue slumbered enough in ignoraunce it is nowe time we knowe the blessinges which GOD hath bestowed vppon vs it is time wee shoulde be thankefull and awake out of the sleepe of forgetfulnesse that wee humble our selues vnder the mighty hande of God and dreame no more of our owne strength our conscience is charged we cannot pleade ignoraunce it is time that we rise the mercie of God the aboundaunce of his blessing the feare of his iudgement the regarde of our saluation so requireth Let vs cast away the workes of darkenesse they bee vnfruitefull lothesome and horrible They darken the hearte and blinde the conscience hee that doeth them shall bee cast into vtter darkenesse Let vs bee afrayde let vs be ashamed hereof such things are not fit for the children of light Let vs put on the armour of light God hath chosen vs to bee his Souldiers and hath called vs foorth into the fielde Our fight is not against fleshe and blood but against the Diuell the Prince of this worlde and the Father of darkenesse hee rampeth like a Lyon and lyeth in waite and seeketh whom hee may deuour All the vanities of this life our bodies our owne heartes conspire against vs the fight is terrible the daunger great Let vs not be vnprouided let vs not stande open to the stroke of the enimie Let vs take vnto vs the whole armour of God let our loyues be girded with beritie let vs put on the shielde of Faith the brestplate of righteousnesse the sworde of the spirit the helmet of saluation These bee the weapons of righteousnesse these be the armour of light Let vs not feare to declare the truth though thereby wee shoulde daunger our life Let vs bee faithfull vnto the ende let it appeare that the weapons of our warfare are not carnall but mighty through God to cast downe holdes and imaginations and euery hie thing that is exalted against God so shal our armour be complete so shall we shewe glorious in the fielde and be terrible to the enimie
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
owne cause remember thy dayly reproch by the foolish man So strong is the holde of this spirituall Hiericho and so stoutely it fighteth against the Lord. Albeit Hiericho was so strong and the walles thereof seemed inuincible such as no power could pearce yet at the sound of seuen truÌ„pets and the showt of the people they fel downe flat to the ground So mightily did God in such weake meanes shew foorth his wonderfull and fatherly care to woorke the râ—st and peace of his people Pharao had Israel euen in his mouth as a pray the Sea was before them and the hilles on eche side they were vnarmed he had the power and all the pollicie of his countrie it seemed vnpossible they shoulde euer bee able to escape that daunger but marke the turning of Gods mighty hande sodainly the Sea opened Israel passed through the middes of it as vppon dry land Pharao followed after and was swallowed and drowned with all his men Israel looked back and sawe the marueilous workes of God howe it was now perfourmed which God had sayd vnto Pharao Thou shalt perish from the earth and in deede for this cause haue I appointed thee to shew my power in thee and to declare my name throughout all the world Therfore they reioyced in God and feared him and made him sacrifice Nabuchodonosor when he fell vpon Iurie made the whole countrie to shake with the terrour of his name Hee was like to a mightye great tree whose height reached to the heauens and the fight thereof through all the world yet sodainly was this mightie tree hewen downe as the holy one that came downe from heauen had said Hew downe the tree destroye it Nabuchodonosor was driuen froÌ„ men and had his dwelling with the beasts of the field did eate grasse fodder as the oxen seuen yers til his heares were growne as Eagles feathers his nailes like birds clawes The power of Senacherib was terrible y â— people of Israel were not able to withstande it hee did glory in the pride therof he said no god was able to deliuer Ierusalem nor to saue it out of his hands yet sodenly the Angel of the lord in one night smote in the campe of Asshur an hundred fourescore and fiue thousande of his men he fled away with the rest was slayne by his sounes and the people of God left at libertie Though Babylon said she should neuer mourn nor feele any heauenes yet an Angell came downe from heauen and cried out mightily with a loude voyce saying It is fallen it is fallen Babylon the great citie and is become the habitation of Deuils and the hold of al foule spirits and a cage of euery vnclean hateful bird It were an infinite labour and yet very comfortable to consider how marueilously God in the old times hath ouerthrowne his enemies and deliuered his poore seruants Dauid to saue his life was faine to run froÌ„ king Saul and remained in a mountaine in the wildernes of Ziph Saul sought him euery day but God deliuered hym not into his hand Dauid was not only w tout ayde or hope of ayde but also without sustenaunce looked when he should be taken thought it not possible to escape for Saul his men compassed Dauid his men round about to take theÌ„ But there came a messenger to Saul saying hast thee and come for the Philistims haue inuaded thy Land Wherfore Saul returned from pursuinge Dauid and thus poore Dauid was deliuered God is a helper in due season he commeth with aide when things are desperate hee helpeth when there is no hope of help els where the counsels attempts policies of the wicked are in vaine He that dwelleth in the heauens shal laugh theÌ„ to scorn The prophet Dauid found himselfe disquieted at the worldly prosperity of the wicked saith As for mee my feete were almost gone my steps had welneere slipt for I fretted at the foolish wheÌ„ I saw the prosperitie of the wicked c. theÌ„ thought I to know this but it was to painful for me vntil I went vp into y â— Sanctuary of God theÌ„ vnderstoode I their end Surely thou hast set them in slipperie places castest theÌ„ downe into desolation How sodenly are thei destroied perished coÌ„sumed As for me it is good to draw nere vnto god therfore haue I put my trust in y â— Lord god that I may declare al thy workes A King is strong a woman is stronge and wine is stronge but trueth dooth abyde and is stronge for euer Truth is great and strongest Whither may a man go from the spirit of the lord or whither may a maÌ„ fly from his preseÌ„ce If he ascend vp into heauen the lord is there or if he descende into hell the Lorde is there also The face of the Lord is vpon them y t doo euill When they shal say peace and safetie then shal come vpon them sodaine destruction Let no man be deceiued and think that these thinges are wrought by the power of starres or by the pleasure of princes it is God that ruleth the world and not the starres It was not Ioshuah that ouerturned the walles of Hiericho nor the crie of the people sounde of the trumpets It was neither Constantinus nor Iouinian nor Valentinian nor Theodosius that planted the Gospel and changed the heartes of the people These were vertuous and godly Emperours yet those changes were not made by their power but it was God which sent forth his spirite and renewed the face of the earth Christe Iesus the sonne of righteousnesse had looked vpon them The morninge starre from an high had risen ouer them Good princes and good rulers are the good instrumeÌ„ts by whom God setteth foorth his glory their hearts be in the handes of God hee â—endeth them and enclineth them to his purpose but the trueth of the Gospel is not planted and setled in our hearts neither by the wyll of man nor by the authority of princes No creature can claime part of this glory this glory belongeth vnto God but vnto vs and to our fathers to our kinges and to our prophets the confusioÌ„ of our faces This is the Lords doing and it is maruelous in our eies This is y e day which the lord hath made let vs reioyce be glad in it This is a chaÌ„ge wrought not by the Starres but by the righte hand of the most high The soÌ„nes of God euen they which beleeue in him ar borne not of blood nor of the wil of flesh nor of y e wil of man but of god as by the Prophet Ezechiel God himself declareth A new heart wil I giue you a new sprit wil I put within you I wil put my sprit within you cause you to walk in my statuts And by y e prophet Ieremy I wil put my law in their inward parts write it in their harts
wil be their God and they shalbe my people Let vs then know this our selues of others let vs with the prophet Esay say Therfore let them see and knowe let them consider and vnderstande together that the hand of the Lorde hath done this Hee is able to set starres and heauens out of course to set the Sunne backe and to make it stand to open the earthe to deuide the sea to make the drie rocke to yeelde water to make the clouds to giue breade to make Children to preach to make an Asse to speak to make the diuels to confesse his holy name to say I know who thou art euē y e holy one of god With this power he blew downe the walles of Hiericho with this power he beateth downe whatsoeuer holde is built vp against god This power standeth not in worldly strength but is shewed in weakenesse God hath chosen the weake thinges of the worlde to confounde the mightie things saith the Apostle Paule Some trust in chariots some in horses but wee will remember the name of the Lorde our God Our helpe is in the name of the Lorde which hath made both heauen and earth Thus is the prince of darknesse caste out thus is the Gospell of Christe caried throughoute the world this is the ouerthrowe of Hiericho this is the might of Gods hande But is Hiericho so layde flat that no mā wyl attempt or wishe to restore it Uerily it was afterward restored in the dayes of Achab but bee that restored it was accursed Euen so it fareth with this spirituall Hiericho it is neuer so blowne downe but some woulde wyshe to rayse it vp God deliuered his people out of Egypt and yet there were that looked backe and wisht to bee there agayne and when they had Manna in their mouthes they thought it a lothsome and a squamishe meate and wisht for their Goordes and Ouyons and hauinge the Angels of God to goe in visible forme before them to hee their guydes both daye and night yet wyshed to bee vnder Pharao in the house of bondage to be tormented with labors to liue in tyrannie and oppression where they had their children slayne before their faces Notwithstandinge God had deliuered his people from the captiuitie of Babilon yet the greatest part of them remayned still there and would neuer returne to see Ierusalem Babylon the great citie is fallen and is become the habitation of deuils yet Iohn sayeth Many shall mourne and weepe lament and cry ouer her alas alas the great citie Babilon the mightie citie Babilon that was clothed in fine linnen and purple skarlet gylded with golde precious stone pearles What citie was like to this great citie Dauid sayth Their sounde is gone foorth through all y t earth their words into the ends of the world And the prophet Esaye Howe beautifull vpō the mountaines are y e feete of him y t declareth publisheth peace y t declareth good tydings publisheth saluation Yet S. Paul saith They haue not al obeyed the gospel And Esay Lord who hath beleeued our report or to whō is the arme of the lord reueled And againe I haue spred out my hands all the day vnto a rebellious people whiche walked in a way y t was not good after their owne imaginations The truth of god is not alway taken it is neuer so receiued that euery man liketh thereof The Lord knoweth who are his and to whom he wil make himselfe knowne Christ himselfe was a stumblinge stone vnto the vnbeleeuinge Iewes and a signe that should be spoken against Saint Iohn saith This is the condēnation that light is come into the world men loued darknes rather thē light because their deedes were euill The Gospel of Christ is the power of god to saluation it is the sauour of life vnto life yet is it also the sauour of death vnto death For many wyll not suffer wholesome doctrine but hauing their eares itching shal after their owne lust get them a heape of teachers and shal turne their eares from the truth and shal be giuē vnto fables shal giue heede vnto sprits of error doctrins of deuils Because wisdom cannot enter into a wicked hart nor dwell in a body that is subiect to sinne the deuil the prince of this worlde was cast foorth yet S. Peter sayeth He walketh about like a roaring lion seking whō he may deuour And euen so standeth it with Ierusalem the Cittie of the Lorde and that cursed Cittie Hiericho Many refuse the blessinge of the Lorde in their deliuerance from vnder Pharao and feedinge them with heauenly Manna and giuinge them his Angels to be their guides they wyll not returne home to their owne countrey out of their captiuitie in Babylon though they see the iudgements of God done vpon proude Babilon yet they mourne and lament ouer it they looke not vpon the hands that are spread all the day vnto them they obey not the gospel Christe is vnto them a stumbling stone and so seeke they to restore agayne Hiericho which the Lord hath ouerthrowen and which he would not haue built againe but curseth them that shall seeke to restore it And this doe they because they knowe not how amiable the Tabernacles of the Lord are because they did neuer taste and see howe sweete the Lord is Three speciall helpes the deuil hath vsed to further this purpose of restoring Hiericho First the hard heart blindnes of the people secondly the eloquēce and subtil perswasion of the learned thirdly the sworde and violence of tyrants Of these three the first is the greatest for blindnesse and stubburnnesse wyll preuayle where cunning and tyranny can doo nothinge Hereof the prophet Ieremy complayneth My people is foolish they haue not known me they ar foolish childrē haue none vnderstādīg they ar wise to do euil but to do wel they haue no knowledge Of this sort our sauiour speaketh This peoples heart is waxed fat their eares are dul of hearing with their eies haue they winked least they shuld see with their eies heare with their eares and vnderstand with their hearts should returne that I might heale them Of this sort Esay reporteth It is a rebellious people lying children and children that would not heare the law of the Lorde whiche say vnto the Seers see not vnto the prophets prophecie not vnto vs right things but speake flattering things vnto vs prophesie errors depart out of the way goe out of the path cause the holy one of Israel to cease from vs. Through blindnes stubburnes al the children of Israel murmured against Moses Aaron Wherfore now hath the lord brought vs to this land to fal vpō the sworde were it not better for vs to return into Egipt Therfore y e lord said I wil do to thē as they haue spoken they shal not see the
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
not according to this worde it is because there is no light in them Chrisostome saith Nullo modo cognoscitur quae sit vera Ecclesia Christi nisi tantummodo per Scripturas By no meanes may it by knowne whiche is the true Church of Christ but onely by the Scriptures Without them our faith is no faith without the helpe of them wee cannot knowe Christ from Antichriste wee cannot know the Church of Christ from the Sinagogue of Sathan Hereby let vs learne to knowe Hierusalem hereby let vs learne to knowe Hiericho Certainely if the woorde of GOD and the breathe of his mouthe bee not able to shewe this tradition and custome shall be much lesse able It is a good thinge to bee thankefull and to prayse the Name of the most high the seruants of God finde cause of thankfulnes in consideration of the great wonderful mercies continually powred vpō them Moses comanded Nisan to bee the firste moneth in the yeere because God had deliuered Israell from the hande of Pharao in that month In like sort Mardocheus the Iewe and Esther the Queene sent letters vnto al the Iewes that were through all the prouinces of the king Assuerus both nere farre enioying them that they shoulde kepe the fourteenth day of the month Adir with ioy and feasting for that vppon that daye God had deliuered them from the hande of Haman and that they woulde not fayle to obserue the fame euery yeare Upon this day euen vpon this day I say the xvii of this moneth God sent his handemaide and deliuered vs. Let vs be kinde and thankfull vnto God for so great blessing I say not let vs make it the first day of the yeere Yet this I say let vs haue it in remembrance let vs singe with the prophet When the Lord brought againe y e captiuitie of Sion we were like them that dreme thē was our mouth filled with laughter and our tongue with ioy The Lord hath done great things for vs wherof we reioyce Let no man be offended herewith it is onely a remembrance of the mercy of God it behoueth vs to remember it it is good to speake of it For if we haue eyes to see and neglect not our owne saluation wee haue nowe much greater cause to reioyce then Dauid had because the things which are this daye restored vnto vs by the goodnesse of our God are farre greater and worthyer then those which Dauid and the people of Israell receiued in their deliuerance out of the capitiuitie of Babylon For by howe much the heauens are greater then the earthe and God is more excellent then a creature so much doeth the knowledge of God and his true worshippe passe all worldly blessinge and all other felicitie that can bee deuised vnder the Sunne For what knoweth hee which knoweth not God Or what worshippeth he whiche worshippeth not God Hee that worshippeth not God hath not the comforte of GOD but hee that hath God and knoweth God and serueth God hath a sure helpe and defence in all assayes Let vs therefore bee glad and reioyce let vs witnesse our ioye and singe vnto the Lorde a new songe Let vs kindle in our heartes the fire of the loue of God and of our neighbour and let the flame thereof breake out to the glory of God Let vs decke the Altars of our heartes with the florishing branches of vertue and good woorkes let vs sacrifice and kill our lustes and affections In this maner if wee shewe our thankefulnesse towardes GOD wee shall hinder the wicked purpose of thē that wish the restoring of Hiericho we shal see the lande of Gods promise and enter into his rest The fourth stay to hinder this buyldinge is discipline whiche is so needefull that neyther without it shall yee be able throughly to discomfort those that seeke to build vp Iericho againe nor your selues happely and prosperously to goe on forward in setting foorth the glory and maiestie of our God and to passe safely to the countrie promised It is as the sinewes of the church to strengthen it and to ioyne and knit the parts thereof together But because the time is passed and this matter weightie and worthy of larger discourse I wyll leaue it to your godly considerations and for some other time And thou O mercifull father rise vp we beseeche thee to iudge thine owne cause stablishe the thinge thou hast begonne in vs guide our feete in the way of peace giue force vnto thy worde blesse thine inheritance blow downe the walles of Hiericho so shal Hierusalem prospet and her walles be made strong so shall the daye starre lighten our hartes so shall Israel reioyce and all the people truly know thee and prayse thy name for euer Amen Aggaeus 1. Thus speaketh the Lord of hostes saying This people say The time is not yet come that the Lords house should be builded Then came the word of the Lord by the ministery of the prophet Hagge saying Is it time for your selues to dwell in your seiled houses and this house lie waste THese words be written in the first Chapter of the Prophet Aggaeus For better vnderstandyng wherof I must call to your remembrance the storie of that time vpon occasion wherof these words were spoken Almighty God beinge for many and sundrye causes highly displeased with his people the Iewes after he had chastened thē many wayes and sawe none amendement at the laste gaue them ouer into the handes of their enemies and suffered both the kinge and all the people of the countrie to be carryed away prisoners into Babylon where they continued in miserie the space of seuentie yeeres In the meane season their countrey partly lay waste and grewe full of wylde beastes partly was inhabited by foreyners the temple that Salomon had built them the stateliest richest work of the whole world was burnt to the grounde and all the ornaments therof rauened vp and caried into Babylon After fiftie yeres king Cyrus shewed fauour towardes his people did lycence them to depart home agayne But as they were aboute the building vpon occasion of cōplaint of their enemies the whole worke was stayed At y ◠length after 70. yeeres God remembred his promise and mercy and stirred vp the heart of king Darius king of Persia who had then conquered the Chaldees to lycence the Iewes to depart home agayne into their countrie and to reedifie theyr Citie and Temple This king Darius as the Rabbines or Doctors of the Iewes and most parte of learned men coniecture was sonne vnto the king Assuerus begotten of the good Ladie Queene Hester which Ladie Hester he maried after he had imbased diuorced from hym the prowd and stubborne Queene Vasthi This was Gods marueylous prouidence by that meanes twice to deliuer his people Fyrst by the good Lady Hester from the tyranny of Hamā as it appeareth by the storye and after by her child Darius cleerely to delyuer them and
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
despise his calling let him not speake to vs in vain let vs no longer say it is not yet time to build vp the Lords house God hath raised vp vnto vs a most vertuous noble Lady that hath already set labourers a woorke begun the building Let vs remember that the Chaldees when they came to Ierusalem neuer strayned curtesie or sayde It is not yet time to pul down the house of God they layd handes on it spoyled it they burnt it without mercy euen vnto the grounde Let vs not in Gods cause bee more negligent then our enemies were against God Let euery man say with himselfe It is Gods temple that must be built vp it is the heauenly Hierusalem it is the arke of the Lord it is the Lords busines that I haue in hand accursed be he that doth the Lordes busines vnfaithfully And you my Lordes forasmuch as God hath planted you in chiefest honour and made you the greatest ouerseers of his worke I beseech you euen for his sake when you see your owne houses so furnished as is meete for your estates remember the poore house of God When you see your men waiting attending at your Tables remember howe fewe there bee to wayte vppon Christ at his table When you coÌ„sider that your owne houses cannot bee mainteyned without prouision remember there bee prouision made for the house of God Let y e zeale of Gods owne house rauish and deuour our hearts let vs build vp the cabernacle of the most holy and dreadful and euer liuing God so will God dwell and abide with vs and be glorified in the middest amongst vs. And thou most mercifull father deale fauourably with Sion that wee may see the walles of thy Hierusalem restored For now is the time of thy mercy come vpon vs now is the time And as thou hast begun this worke in vs in these our daies so vouchsafe to blesse the same that it may endure and continue for euer that al the world may know thee the onely true and liuing God and thy Sonne Iesus Christe whose Gospell thou hast reuiued amongst vs. To whom with thee and the holy Ghost be al honour and glory world without end Amen Psalme 69. The zeale of thine house hath eaten me CErtaine learned wise men of old time that had no vnderstaÌ„ding or sauour of god when they considered with themselues to what end and purpose mankinde was create set in this worlde after they had driuen the matter as farre as they might by naturall knowledge at length they concluded some that man was made to knowe the properties and qualities the conuenience or difference of natural thinges either in the aire or in the water or in the earth or vnder y e earth Some other that man was made to consider and behold the Sunne and Moone the starres the course and reuolutions of the Heauens And so they iudged that man which eyther had most aboundance of naturall reason or behelde and considered the heauens best to be most perfect of all others and that he came neerest to the end of his creation Thus sayde they as men without feeling of God onely endued with the light of nature But as God himselfe declareth who fashioned vs and made vs and knoweth vs best the very true ende why man was made was to knowe and to honour God Therefore who so knoweth him best honoreth him with most reuerence he is most perfect hee commeth neerest the end of his creation When Salomon had described the deceyuable vanities of the worlde and saide Vanity of vanities vanitie of vanities al is vanity wheÌ„ hee had concluded by longe discourse that riches empire honour pleasures knowledge and whatsoeuer els vnder the Sunne is but vanitie hee knieteth vp the matter with these woordes Feare GOD and keepe his commaundementes for this is the whole duetie of men That is this is trueth and no vanity this is our perfection to this ende are wee made not to liue in eating and drinking not to passe our time in pleasure follies not to heape vp those thinges which are daylye taken from vs or from whiche wee are daylye taken awaye but that in our woordes in our life in our bodye and in our soule wee doe seruice vnto God that wee looke aboue the Sunne and Moone and all the Heauens that we become the Temples of the holye Ghoste that the holy spirite of GOD may dwell in vs and make vs fitte instrumentes of the glorye of God Therfore God gaue vs his holy word hath continued it from the beginning of the worlde vntill this daye notwithstanding the Philosophers and learned men in all ages who scorned it out as the worde of fâ—llie for so it seemeth to them that perish Notwithstanding the wicked Princes and Tyrants and high â—omers of the worlde who consumed and burnt it as false and wicked or seâ—â—tious doctrine notwithstanding the whole worlde and 〈◊〉 of darkenes 〈◊〉 euer bent against it yet hath he wonderfully coÌ„tinued and perserued it without losse of one letter vntil this day that we might haue whereby truly to know him the true and onely God and his sonne Iesus Christ whom he sent Therfore haue we Temples and Churches places to resorte vnto altogether to honour to worship and to acknowledge him to be our god to ioyne our hearts and voyces together and to call vpon his holy name In suche places God hath at all times vsed to open his maiesty and to shew his power In such places God hath made vs a special promise to heare our prayer when soeuer we call vpon him Therefore are they called the dwelling place and house of GOD. In such places al godly men euermore set their greatest pleasure and thought themselues miserable when they were seciuded or put off from the same as the Prophete and â—oiy prince Dauid Laetatus sum in his quae â—icta sunt 〈◊〉 in domum Domini ibimus O saith that holye man my hart reioyced within my body wheÌ„ my fellowes called vpon me and said Let vs go into the house of the Lord. Againe I am in loue with the beauty of thy house And again O how beautiful is thy tabernacle O Lord O thou y â— God of hosts my heart longeth fainteth to come within thy courts His spirits were rauished with the sight maiesty of the tabernacle not for y â— the place it selfe at y â— time was so beautiful for in Dauids time it was almost rotten ruinous a homely thing to behold nothing in comparison to that teÌ„ple that afterward was built by Salomon But therein stood the shew worthines of that holy place y â— Gods trueth and lawe was opened and proclaimed in it and the sacraments and ceremonies so vsed in such forme and order as God had commanded them to be vsed the people receiued them obediently and liued thereafter Therfore when the tabernacle was restored when the Arke was fet
it is Gods cause The liuings of such as are in the ministery are not in their handes to whom they are due Al other labourers and artificers haue their hire increased double as much as it was wont to be Onely the poore man that laboureth sweateth in the vineyard of the Lorde of hostes hath his hire abridged abated I speak not of the Curats but of Personages Uicarages that is of the places which are the castles towers of fence for the Lordes temple They seldome passe now a dayes from the patrone if he be no better then a gentleman but either for the lease or for present money Such marchaÌ„ts are brokeÌ„ into y â— church of God a great deale more intolerable theÌ„ were they whoÌ„ Christ chased whipt out of y â— teÌ„ple Thus they y â— should be careful for Gods church that should be patrones to prouide for y â— conscieÌ„ces of the people to place amoÌ„g theÌ„ a learned Minister who might bee able to preach y â— worde vnto theÌ„ out of season in season to fulfil his ministerie seeke their own not y â— which is Iesus Christs They serue not Iesus Christ but their bellie And this is done not in one place or in one countrie but throughout England A gentlemaÌ„ cannot keepe his house vnles he haue a Parsonage or two in ferme for his prouision O mercifull God wherto will this growe at last If the miserie which this plague worketh would reache but to one age it were tolerable But it wil be a plague to the posteritie it wilbe the decay desolation of Gods Church Yong men which are toward learned see this They see that he whiche feedeth the flocke hath least part of the milke hee which goeth a warfare hath not halfe his wages Therefore they are weary and discouraged they chaunge their studies some become prentises some turne to phisick some to lawe all shun and flee the Ministerie And besides the hinderance that thus groweth by wicked dealing of patrons by reason of the impropriations the Uicarages in many places in the properest market townes are so simple that no man can liue vpon them and therefore no man wyll take them They were wont to saye Beneficia sine cura Benenefices without charge but now may be said Cura sine beneficio Charge or cure without benefice I speake not this of my selfe many here present know I speake the trueth And my selfe know the places which haue continued styll these many yeares without a Minister resident amonge them and haue prouided them selues as they might with their owne mony Your Graces subiects had hope of amendement in your graces late visitation But yet it standeth stil in case as miserable as it did before I know your grace heareth not of these matters And I hope God wyll worke in your gracious heart to prouide some remedy agaynste them For otherwise the scholes wil be forsakeÌ„ the Church desolate the people wylde and dismayed the Gospel discredited otherwise wee shal see that wrought against the house of God that neuer any Ieroboam or Iulian or Licinius could haue brought to passe against vs. This noble Realme which euer was famous for the name of learninge is like thereby to come to such ignorance and barbarie as hath not beene heard of in any memorie before our time I knowe that there are grieuous complaintes made that the Bishops appoint Priests and Ministers that are ignoraunt and haue no vnderstanding in the latine tongue Woulde God it were not true Or would God that they which be the causers hereof woulde somewhat helpe to ameÌ„d it But alas are we able to make learned men vpon the sudden Or can we make others then come vnto vs or wyll come to liue in miserie But there are many which can say such as bee ministers in the Churche shoulde teache freely without hope of recompence or hire for their labour Our preachers are no better then Peter Paul the other Apostles They are no better then the holy prophets who liued poorely Pouertie is a coÌ„mendable estate So say some in lyke deuotion as did Iudas What needed this wast this might haue bene sold for much giuen to the pore not that he cared for the pore but because he was a thiefe had the bag bare y t which was giuen I doubt not there are many which teach Christ for Christes sake which say in their soule y e Lord is my portion who in that heauy time from which God deliuered theÌ„ if they might haue receiued theyr life only for a recoÌ„pence would haue bin glad to take the paines who seeke you and not yours which haue forsaken all they had to followe Christ I doubt not there are such But for y t hope of posteritie I report me to al you which are fathers haue childreÌ„ for whom you are carefull Although your selues haue a zeale a care for the house of god yet wil you breed them vp keepe them at schoole vntil 24. yeeres old to your charges that in the ende they may liue in glorious pouertie y t they may liue poorely naked like the Prophets Apostles Our posteritie shall rue that euer such fathers went before them And Chronicles shal report this contempt of learning amonge the punishments and murraines and other plagues of God They shall leaue it written in what time and vnder whose raygne this was done Or if we growe so barbarous that wee consider not this or bee not able to drawe it into Chronicle yet forraine nations wyl not spare to write this and publish it to our euerlastinge reproche and shame In the meane time what may bee ghessed of their meaning which thus rauine and spoyle the house of God which decay the prouision therof and so basely esteeme the Ministers of his Gospel They can not say to God the zeale of thy house hath eaten me vp Howsoeuer in other thinges they doe wel howsoeuer they seeme to reioyce at the prosperitie of Sion and to seeke the safetie and preseruation of the Lordes anoyâ—ted yet needes must it bee that by these meanes forraine power of which this realme by the mercie of God is happely delyuered shall agayne be brought in vpon vs. Suche thinges shalbe done vnto vs as we before suffered the truth of God shalbe taken away the holy scriptures burnt and consumed in fire A marueilous darknesse and calamitie must needes ensue For if the tempest be so darke in the sea that the load starre lose her light and the needle fayle to giue token of the North Pole no marueile though the Ship lose her course and be swallowed vp in the sandes The Gospell of Christe is the fountaine of light and of knowledge It cannot be mainteined by ignorance and darknes These bee the proppes of their kingdome which take away y e scriptures which hold the people in blindenes which flie the light whiche haue their common prayers minister
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
so shall we stande strong boldely against sword and fire and death so shall we like faithfull Souldiers of our captaine Christ manfully stande agaynst the gates of hell and resiste al the assaultes and quench al the fiery darts of the wicked then shal we eate of the fruite in the middest of Paradise and shall receaue the Crowne of euerlastynge glory Let vs walke honestly as in the day not in gluttony drunkeÌ„nes neither in Chambering and wantonnes nor in strife and enuying He setteth downe three things as three botches and carbuncles of the soule they oppresse the body defile the minde and breake the bonde and vnitie of the Church of God The first is gluttonie and drunkennes the roote and mother of al euill nothinge standeth safe where wine preuayleth This was the iniquitie of Sadome abundance and fulnesse of bread they abused the gifts of God to the dishonour of god This was y e cause of all her filthynes her filthines was the cause of her destruction Here of God speaketh My chosen people My darling is waxed fat Therefore he forsooke god that made him and regarded not the strong God of his saluation And againe by the Prophet Esay The harpe and viole timbrell and pipe are in their feastes but they regard not the work of the Lorde neyther consider the worke of his hands And in the xxiichap Behold ioy and gladnes slaying oxen and killing sheepe eating fleshe and drinking wine eating and drinking for to morowe we shall die So through gluttony and drunkenn es they despised the threatnings of God and entered not into the way of repentance but continued in their sinnes and made scorne of the Prophets of God The people of Israel sate them downe to eate and drink rose vp to play They forgat God and the mercies he had shewed vpon them and worshipped a golden calfe So grosse and so deadly are the cloudes of drunkennes Our Sauiour Christ saith towardes the latter day the people shall eate and drinke and be voyd of care as in the daies of Noah and distruction shall sodainely fall vpon them therefore Christ sayth Woe be to you that are full for you shall hunger Many haue bene slaine in the field but manie more haue taken their deadly wounde by surfeting many haue bene drowned in the sea but many more haue perished by the strength of wine It is not set downe that the rich glutton was an oppressour an extortioner an vsurer or y â— he came vniustly by his goods but that he abused the same y t be fared deliciously and became vnthankefull and therefore was punished in hell fire Then he which before had aboundance and did swimine in wine had not one droppe to quench his thirst Many make their belly their God They haue more comfort in the caste of sweete fare then in the consideratioon of the workes of God Their table is turned into a snare their glorie is to their shame Here will I speake nothing of forcing and quaffinge God keepe it farre from Christian tables it is too too wilde barbarous the heathens hate it nature abhorreth it the horse and mule woulde not vse it S. Augustine saith Ebrius non peccatuÌ„ facit sed ipse totus est peccatum A drunken man doth not commit sinne but hee is altogether sinne And therefore his rewarde is death S. Paul saith Drunkardes shall not inherite the kingome of God They shall drink the cup of y â— wine of the lordes wrath Therefore Christ sayth Take heede to your selues least at any time your heartes bee opressed with surfeting and drunkennes and the cares of this life least that day come on you at vnwares Therefore saith the Apostle let vs not walke in eating and gluttonie it will drowne our senses it will oppresse our nature The kingdome of God is neither meat nor drinke our meat is to do y e wil of our father Let vs not abuse the creatures of God Let vs eate drinke that we may liue only to y â— sustenaÌ„ce of our bodies y t we by the moderate sober vse of those thinges may be the better hable to folow please God in our vocation The meat for the bellie the bellie for the meats but God shal destroy both it them Let vs think of the cuppe which Christ had on y â— crosse his cup was eisel tempered with gall at his hande let vs take the cup of thankes giuing and call vpon the name of the Lord. Let vs whether we eate or drinke remeÌ„ber who it is that hath bestowed his giftes vpon vs and whatsoeuer wee doe let vs doe it to the glory of God An other boâ—ch and carbuncle is chambering and wantonnes Of this also the Apostle warneth vs for adulterers and fornicators God shall iudge they shal haue their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone whiche is the second death the Lorde is the auenger of al such It is the will of God that our bodies be kept in holynes they are the temples of GOD hee hath called vs to be vessels of honour that wee shoulde bee holy in body and holy in spirit that we serue him in holynes and righteousnes all the dayes of our life The last is strife and enuying We are one body in Christ Iesus wee are indued with one spirit we are meÌ„bers one of another The Gospel of Christ is the gospell of peace he hath broken the stoppe of the partiton wall hee hath set al thinges at peace Hee hath taught vs learne of me for I am humble meeke Let vs not saith S. Paul bee desirous of vaine glorye prouoking one another â—nuying one another Let not one of you say I am Pauls and another I am Apollos the body of Christ is one it is not deuided If you bite and deuoure one another take heede least you consume one another If there bee â—nuying and strife and dissentions among you you are yet carnall you sauour not of the spirit of God You are but a litle flocke the worlde hateth you ioyne together loue one another beare you one anothers burthen and so fulfill the law of Christ The fruite of the spirit is loue ioy peace longe sufferinge gentlenesse goodnes faith meekenes temperancie Loue suffereth long it is bountiful loue enuieth not loue doeth not boast it selfe it is not puffed vp it disdaineth not it seeketh not her owne things it is not prouoked to anger it thinketh not euil it reioyceth not in iniquitâ—e but reioyceth in the trueth it suffereth all thinges it beleeueth all thinges it hopeth all thinges it endureth al things loue is the bonde of perfection The seruant of Christ is not quarrellous let vs keepe the vnitie of the spirite in the bonde of peace Let not dissention or malice trouble our hearts let vs walke after this maner and so let vs glorifie God in our mortall bodies Let vs auoyde these thinges gluttonie
in darknes Our sauiour therefore saith The wordes y ◠I spake vnto you are spirite and life To eate the bodie of Christ and to drinke his blood is not the parte of the bodie it is rather a worke of our mind And therefore S. Ambrose saith Non corporali tactu Christum sed fide tangimus We touch not Christ by bodily touching but we touch him by faith And againe Stephanus in terris positus Christum tangit in caelo Stephen being in the earth toucheth Christ being in heauen By faith therefore wee eate Christ and by faith we drinke Christ by faith wee are apparelled and clothed with Christ And this is that the Apostle saith Put ye on the Lorde Iesus Christ Let vs bee incorporate in him Let God see nothinge in vs but the image of his sonne so shall he dwell in vs wee in him Take no thought for the flesh to fulfill the lustes thereof The sonnes of God rest vpon the prouidence of God their father He giueth thē water out of the rockes hee raineth downe breade from heauen hee openeth his handes and filleth euery liuing thing w t his blessing The Prophet saith The Lorde is my shepheard I shall not want The thinges of this worlde shall haue an ende they fade away and will not continue If riches abounde wee must not set our heart vpon them but rather bee carefull for the life to come We must seeke the kingdome of God the righteousnes thereof then al these things shalbe ministred vnto vs. He doeth not forbid honest moderate forecast and prouision as if it were not lawfull for Christians to deale in matters appertaininge to the good estate of this life For he hath said vnto Timothie If there be any y ◠prouideth not for his own namely for them of his houshoulde he denieth the faith is worse then an infidel again he saith no mā euer yet hated his owne flesh but nourisheth it and cherisheth it Agayne writing to Timothie drinke no longer water but vse a litle wine for thy stomakes sake and thine often infirmities In whiche speéches hee sheweth we are bonde to nourish and feede and bee carefull for our bodies Though the conuersation of the faithfull bee in heauen and they seeke after the thinges which are on high yet whiles they passe the pilgrimage of this lyfe they must needes haue the felowshippe and company of their naturall bodies the whiche they must not so weaken that thereby they shall become vnprofitable and not hable to doe seruice in the Churche of god and yet so keepe them vnder that they may be made obedient to the spirite Onely wee may not bee ouer carefull To take great care for the body is to cast away all care for the soule For they that will bee riche fall into temptation snares and into many foolish and noysome lusts which drowne men in perdition and destruction for the desire of mony is the roote of al euil which whiles some lusted after they erred from the fayth and perced themselues with many sorrowes Of this care speaketh our sauiour It is easier for a Camel to go through y ◠eye of a needle then for a rich man to enter into the kingdome of God No care can satisfie the vncontented minde The righteous eateth is satisfied but the bellie of the wicked euer wanteth Hee hath enlarged his desire as hell and ladeth hym selfe with thicke clay he encreaseth that which is not his and cannot be satisfied The horse leache hath two daughters whiche cry giue giue There be there things y ◠wil not be satisfied Yea foure y ◠say not it is enough They care not by what meanes they make their gaynes they liue in vsurie a most fylthye trade a trade which God detesteth a trade which is the verye ouerthrow of all Christian loue They eate vp the people as they eate breade Such are the wayes of euery one that is greedy of gaine He wolde take away y ◠life of y ◠owners thereof They haue hardened their heart against God they doe not serue God but Mammon But their gayne shall be to their losse their mony to their destruction He that giueth his money vnto Usurie shall not dwell in the tabernacle of the Lorde nor rest vppon his holy mountayne Wee haue here no continuing Citie wee are straungers as were al our fathers before vs. If we gather riches to our selues be not rich in God he shall say vnto vs O foole this night will they fetch away thy soule from thee Then whose shall those things be which thou hast prouided Let him therefore that hath this worldes goods be as if hee had them not They are the giftes of God The Lorde giueth them and the Lorde taketh them away Settle not your hearts vpon thē As they come so wil they fade away they bee vncertaine they will deceiue you Set your desier vpon heauenly thinges seeke after the life which is to come in the lande of the liuing When wee shall see those vnspeakable ioyes wee shal perceiue that all the pleasures of this life in comparison of them were nothing Now somewhat more specially to applie the woordes of the Apostle to this present time It is now time also that wee should arise from sleepe God hath deliuered vs also from the night We may say This is the day which the Lorde hath made Let vs reioyce and be glad in it Wee may say he hath shewed his mercies towardes vs and the truth of the Lorde endureth for euer Let vs looke backe to the time late past and beholde the night of errour and ignoraunce What shall I say Where should I beginne or howe may I ende The matter is of great compasse the time I haue to speake is but shorte and I haue no delight to speake of darknes After God had deliuered the people of Israel and giuen them passage through the red sea Marie the Prophetesse sister of Aaron looked backe into Egipt There she remembred Pharao and his crueltie howe he plagued the children of God she remembred how by a mightie hande and out stretched arme hee deliuered them and wrought his wonders vpon Pharao and all the lande of Egipt She looked backe vpon the great darknes and vpon the frogges and flies and botches she behelde the waters turned into blood the killinge of the first borne of man and beast the ouerthrowe of Pharao and all his Charets in the middes of the sea And therefore she answered the men Singe yee vnto the Lorde for he hath triumphed gloriously The horse and his rider hath he ouerthrowen in the sea Euen so let vs cast backe our eies make a view of the Church Loth I am to speake of it Yet it is nedefull to say somewhat thereof that we way reioyce in our deliueraunce All thinges were done in a strang tounge the priest spake and
of our heart And as S. Basil Est spirituale os interioris hominis quo nutritur recipiēs verbū vitae quod verbū est panis qui descēdit de coelo There is a spiritual mouth of y ◠inner mā by which he is nourished by receiuing Christ y ◠word of life whiche is the bread that came frō heauē In this mystery of y ◠death of Christ his death passion is renewed to our remēbrance We are so moued to sorow for our sins which haue bin cause of his death to be thākful for y e great mercy of God whiche by this meanes wrought our redēption as if we did see him presēt before our faces hanging vpō y e crosse We know y ◠Christ hath left his sacraments to his Church that they might be helpes to lift vs vp into heauē By them we are ioyned with Christ and made partakers of his passion Next let vs consider how and after what sort we eat the body of Christ in the sacrament And here I beseech you that you may take the cōfort of the body blood of Christ to giue good eare For of mistaking this mystery grewe the first error in the Church When y ◠disciples of Christ heard Christ speake of this matter and vnderstood him not they were offended and shrounke backe and departed If we take the wordes of Christ in such meaning as they did wee shalbee deceiued and offended as they were This it is then which wee haue to consider whether the bodie of Christ goe into our mouth and our bodies as other meates or whether it be receiued spiritually as a spirituall meate and so passe into and nourishe our soule Hereof somewhat was sayde before by the way and shortly But for cleerer vnderstanding of the same we haue to weigh and declare that the eating of the body of Christ is not grosse or corporall but ghostly and spirituall as a peculiar worke of the minde The trueth hereof is founded in our Creede and is an article of our Christian faith Wee beleeue that Christ did rise againe from the dead and ascended into heauen and sitteth at the right hand of God in glorie So saith Saint Paule If yee then be risen with Christe seeke those thinges whiche are aboue where Christ sitteth at the right hād of god And again Our conuersation is in heauen from whence we also looke for the sauiour euen the Lord Iesus Christ Christ himselfe saith to his disciples It is expediēt for you that I goe away And The poore alwaies ye haue with you but me yee shall not haue alwayes So S. Peter saith Whom the heauen must conteine vntil the time that al thinges be restored which God had spoken by the mouth of al his holy prophets since the world began Whiche speeches haue occasioned the olde auncient learned Fathers to teache the people after this sort touching the body of Christ Vigilius a godlie Bishop and Martyr saith Caro Christi cū esset in terra nō erat in coelo nunc quia est in coelo non est vtique in terra The flesh of Christ when it was in earth was not in heauen and nowe because it is in Heauen doubtlesse it is not in earth Ambrose saith Seeke the things that be aboue and not the things that be vpō earth Therfore we must seeke thee neither vpō the earth nor in the earth nor according to the flesh if we list to finde thee S. August saith According to the flesh that the word receiued according to that he was borne of the Virgin according to that he was takē of the Iewes according to that he was nayled to the crosse according to that he was taken downe and lapt in a shrowde and layde in the graue and rose againe and shewed himselfe in this respect it is true that hee sayde Yee shall not euermore haue mee with you And againe hee saith Donec saeculum finiatur sursum est Dominus c. Vntill the world be ended the Lorde is aboue yet notwithstāding euen here is the truth of y e Lord. For the body wherin he rose againe must needs be in one place So Cirillus sayd Christus non poterat in carne versari cum Apostolis postquam ascēdisset ad patrē Christ could not be conuersant together with his Disciples in his flesh after he had ascended vnto his father It would bee tedious to alleadge all y t might be saide to like purpose Thus Christe and Paul Peter thus Vigilius Ambrose Augustine Cirill and al the olde Catholique fathers say and wee are taught to beleeue that Christ is not corporally in the churche but is ascended into Heauen and that hee hath giuen to his bodie immortalitie but hath not taken from the same the nature of a bodie Vigilius hauing cause to prooue this same article against Eutiches shutteth vp the matter thus Haec est fides professio catholica quam Apostolitradiderunt martyres roborauerunt fideles huc vsque custodiunt This is the Catholique faith profession which the Apostles haue deliuered the martirs haue confirmed and the faithful hitherto doe continue The body then which we eate is in Heauen aboue all Angels and Archangels and powers and principalities Our meate is in Heauen on high and we are heere belowe on the earth Howe may it be that we may reach it or taste or eate it Heere let vs imagine that there are two men in euery man and that euerie man is fleshe and spirite bodie and soule This man thus doubled must bee furnished with double senses bodily to serue the bodye and spirituall to serue the soule Hee muste haue eyes of the bodie and eyes of the soule eares of the bodye and eares of the soule Spirituall senses ars quicke sharpe and liuely They pearce anye thing bee it neuer so thicke they reache anye thing bee it neuer so farre off Christ saieth of Abraham Abraham reioyced to see my daye hee sawe it and was gladde Hee sawe it not with his bodylie eyes but with the inner eyes of the soule When we speake of the mysterie of Christe and of eating his bodie wee must shut vp and abandon all our bodily senses And as wee cannot say that wee see him with our bodily eyes or heare him with our bodilye eares or touche him with bodily feeling so likewise can we not and therefore may wee not saye wee taste him or eate him with our badylie mouth In this woorke wee must open all the inner and spirituall senses of our soule so shall wee not onely see his bodye but heare him and feele him and taste him and eate him This is the mouth and the feeling of faith By the hande of faith we reache vnto him and by the mouth of Faith we receiue his body Touching the eating of Christes bodye S. August taught the people on this wise Crede manducasti Credere in Christum hoc
heauen before men for ye your selues go not in nether suffer ye theÌ„ that would enter to come in Of these and against them God speaketh by the Prophet Ieremie Wo be vnto the pastors that destroy scatter the sheepe of my pasture And by the Prophete Zacharie O Idol-shepherd that leaueth the flocke Thou hast eares and hearest not thou hast eyes and seest not thou hast a tongue and speakest not and a heart but vnderstandest not thou art an idole Christ sayde to thee feede my lambes feede my sheepe but thou carest not for them Thou hast the roume of an Euangelist and Pastour and Teacher but thou gatherest not the saintes together thou doest not the worke of the ministerie thou buildest not vp the bodie of Christe They shall perish in their wickednesse but their blood wyll I require at thy handes Here note this ministerie of the Churche was not ordeined to offer sacrifice for forgiuenesse of sinnes Whosoeuer taketh that office vpon hym be doeth wrong iniurie to the death and passion of Christ He only is called of god an high Priest after y e order of Melchisedec He onely by his owne blood entred in once into the holy place obtained eternall redemption for vs. He only with one offeringe hath consecrated for euer them y t are sanctified He only hath said Consummatum est It is finished The ransome or price for mans saluation and for forgiuenesse of the sinnes of the worlde is payde in mee in my death vpon the Crosse Of hym alone and onely of hym hath it bene spoken This is my well beloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased And by Esay With his stripes only we are healed It is he only which hath made of both one It is he only which did put out y â— hande writing of ordinaÌ„ces y â— was against vs he euen tooke it out of the way and fastened it vppon the Crosse He alone is our hye Priest the Lambe of God the Sacrifice for sinnes the Altar the Propitiation for sinners and redeemer of the world He only hath appeased the wrath of god He onely appeareth in the sight of GOD to make intercession for our sinnes All others whatsoeuer Apostles Prophetes Teachers and Pastours are not in office to offer any propitiatorie sacrifice but are called to the ministerie of the Saintes to the edification of the bodye of Christe and to the repayringe of the Church of God Thus muche of the holy ministerie of the Church which standeth in the setting foorth of the mysterie of our saluation both by the Preachinge of the woorde of GOD and by the due and reuerent ministration of the Sacramentes The principallest parte of this office is to preache repentance that so wee may amende our lyues and bee conuerted vnto GOD. So Ioel the Prophet followed hys ministerie sayinge Rent your heartes and not your garmentes and turne to the Lorde your God for he is gracious merciful So S. Paul teacheth that true circumcision is by putting off the sinnefull body of the fleesh that it is in mortifying our members that bee on the earth Fornication vncleanesse the inordinate affections euil concupiscence couetousnes which is idolatrie y â— it is in putting away al these thinges wrath anger maliciousnes cursed speakinge filthy speakinge out of your mouth in putting of the old maÌ„ with his works and putting on the new which is renewed in knowledge after y e image of him that created him So Iohn Baptist said Repent for the kingdome of God is at hand Prepare ye y â— waies of the Lord make his pathes straight So our Sauiour Christ when he began to preache said Am end your liues for the kingdome of God is at hand Therfore it wil not bee amisse now to speake of repentaunce which some of late yeares haue chaunged into pennaunce and there of haue also made a Sacrament Here it behoueth to rippe vp the whole lyfe of man There is not any man that liueth and sinneth not God sayeth The imagination of mans heart is euyll from his youth The Prophet Ieremie saith The heart is deceitful and wicked aboue all things who can know it Saint Iohn therefore saith If wee say that we haue no sinne wee deceiue our selues trueth is not in vs. Of hymselfe Saint Paul saith I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing Of hymselfe the Prophet Dauid sayeth There is nothiÌ„g sound in my flesh because of thine anger neither is there rest in my bones because of my sinnes For mine iniquities are gone ouer mine head as a weighti burtheÌ„ they ar to heauy for me He saith If thou O Lord straightly markest iniquities O Lord who shal abide it So sayth the Wise man A iustman falleth seuen times God is a righteous God and the auenger of all them that offendeâ—â— Saint Paul saith The wages of sinne is death And the Prophet Ezechiel The soule that sinneth shall dye For this cause then God ordayned the ministerie of his worde and appoynted certayne to this office that they shoulde warne his people of theyr sinnes and feare them by the terrour of Gods assured displeasure and heauy wrath As is seene by y t to Esay Cry aloude spare not lift vp thy voyce lyke a trumpet and shewe my people their transgressions the house of Iacob their sins So Saint Paul vnto Timothie I charge thee before God the Lorde Iesus Christ which shal iudge the quick and dead at his appearing in his kyngdome preach the word be instant in season out of season improue rebuke exhort with all long suffering and doctrine So woulde God haue our filth layde open before our eyes that wee might weigh and iudge our owne heartes that euery man might make charge vppon him selfe and saye I am an vnprofitable seruant my righteousnesse is as a foule and steined cloth My soule hath sinned and hath deserued to dye the death In this case some fall into desperation and saye as sometimes dyd Caine My sinne is greater then can be pardoned God withdraweth his mercie from mee I am vnworthie of it I haue offended against the holy spirit of GOD mine owne conscience accuseth me I haue no parte in the kingdome of GOD and of Christe there is no sacrifice left for my sinnes Thus the wicked liue in trembling and agony as dyd Cain thus they leaue their lyfe with horrour and miserie so haue they no grace to repent no taste nor feelyng of the mercie of God But the children of God though they bee wounded yet they finde reliefe in the certayne hope of Gods mercie Though they say I am a sinner my sinnes are more in number then the heares of my head I haue offended against heauen and earth Yet they know that Christ came to call sinuers to repentance that hee healeth those that are
handekerchifes sometimes by laying on of handes and by touchinge sometimes with oyle as is in the sixth of S. Marke they cast out many deuils they anointed many y â— were sicke with oyle healed theÌ„ euen as Christ also by many sundrie wayes healed many He healed sometimes though he were absent sometimes by his worde sometimes by mourning and sorowinge sometimes by hys garment sometimes by touching sometimes with specle dust for at that time the Church had the especial gift of working miracles Therefore S. Iames putteth them in mynde that they dispise not to vse the meanes whiche God hath appoynted that whosoeuer falleth into sickenes he call for the Elders and that they vse their gift of healinge and anointe him with oyle because it hath pleased GOD thereby to worke health This was the maner and order of those times Euen as christ vsed dust and spetle so S. Iames willeth them to vse oyle for the restoring of health As the Corinthians dyd abuse the gift of tongues were taught by S. Paul how to vse it better so dyd many abuse y â— gift of healing were therfore warned by S. Iames howe they should vse it better As the gift of tongues was not to last for euer but only for a time so y â— gift of healing was not to continue euer but for a time Christ saith When thou fastest anoint thine head wash thy face Hee dooth not in these words giue an vniuersal commandement that must euer be kept in our fasting that wee vse the ceremonie of anointing but meaneth thereby that in our faste we bee fresh and mery Euen so S. Iames in saying anoint him with oyle doth not set downe an order wherunto hee would haue the Church of God tyed for euer it is not an vniuersal commandement that the after ages should do the like but onely a particular ordinance for the time to vse the gift of healing This is the meaning of his words Let vs marke what abuses haue growne by mistaking them S. Iames speaketh of bare and simple oyle They vnderstande it of their oyle which they consecrate and halow in vnaduised order For these wordes the Bishop vseth when hee consecrateth it Aue sanctuÌ„ oleum chrisma balsamum Haile O holy oyle chrisme and balsame Againe exerciso te immuÌ„de spiritus in nomine patris filii spiritus sancti vt recedas ab hoc oleo vt possit effici vnctio spiritualis vt spiritus sanctus possit in eo habitare I adiure thee thou vncleane spirit in y â— name of the father and of the sonne and of the holy ghost that thou depart from this oile y t it may be a spiritual ointment and y â— the holy ghoste may dwell in it Agayne Emitte quaesumus sancte pater spiritum sanctum paracletum tuum de coelis in hanc pinguedinem oliuae ad refectioneÌ„ corporum sanationem animarum O holy father we beseeche thee send downe thy holy spirit y â— comforter froÌ„ heauen into this fatnesse of y â— oliue to the refreshing of body soule In like sort they are taught to pray ouer y â— sicke Per hanc sactam vnctionem suam piissimam misericondâ—â—m ignoscat tibi deus vt per hanc vnctioneÌ„ habeas remissionem omniuÌ„ peccatorum By this holy anointing by his great mercye God pardon thee that by this anointinge thou maiest haue remission of al thy sinnes I deuise not these thinges I imagine them not of my selfe nor reporte them vntrulye The Byshop in such wordes blesseth the oyle with such wordes doeth the Priest anoynt the sicke with oyle In their Bookes it is easie to bee seene Now iudge you if this were S Iames doctrine or if this order were kept in the church in the time of the Apostles Would you thinke that S. Iames gaue curtesie by bowing his bodie and saying Aue to the oyle dyd he speake wordes of coniuration to driue foorth the euyll spirite woulde he euer say that the Oyle doth heale both bodye and soule or that remission of al sinnes is giueÌ„ by annointing S. Iames knew that remissioÌ„ of sinnes is not giuen by any creature that there is no name in heauen or earth by which wee are saued but the name of Iesus onely that the holy ghost resteth not nor dwelleth in oyle but in the hearts of the faithful that God giueth health not in respect of the corruptible creature but at the praiers of the Church which are offered vp to hym by his sonne our sauiour So great difference is there betweene the late meaning and the meaning of S. Iames. Such vse of y â— oyle we haue not neither doth the Church of God allow it Yet holde we the rule of the Apostle in visitation of the sicke When any is sicke among vs the Minister coÌ„meth vnto him and discretlye instructeth hym in what sorte he should prepare hymselfe to depart this life so leadeth hym to comforte and laboureth to make hym stronge in the certayne hope of euerlasting lyfe Thus he saith Brother you are entringe the way of al flesh Al y â— sonnes of Adam are heires of this sentence of God vpon Adam thou arte duste and to dust thou shalt returne Man that is borne of woman is of short continuance and ful of trouble He shooteth foorth as a floure is cut downe hee vanisheth also as a shadowe and continueth not Humble thy selfe vnder the mightie hand of God Hee is our good father dooth correct those children whome hee loueth Blessed is he whom the Lord doth chastise and instruct in his wayes Here is the proofe trial of your patience faith remember the patience of Iob in al his miseries he praised y â— name of the Lord. Although saith hee he shoulde kill me yet wyl I put my trust in God Although my bowels be consumed within mee and my members of my body bee rent a sunder and the pangues bee neuer so great yet can I not but trust in him Loue not the world nor y t things that be in the world The world passeth away the lust therof The wise man saith I haue coÌ„sidered al the works that are done vnder the sun behold al is vanitie vexatioÌ„ of spirit Againe great trauel is created for al men an heauy yoke vpoÌ„ the sonnes of Adam froÌ„ the day y e thei go out of their mothers wombe til the day y t they return to y e mother of al things Christ hath therfore willeâ— vs to wake bee ready because wee know not in what houre our master will come He saith Behold I come as a thief blessed is he which watcheth kepeth his garments least he walk naked men see his filthines Examine your selfe consider howe and in what thinges you haue offended God make a true and humble confession of your sinnes say with Dauid I haue sinned against the Lorde
and I will confesse against my selfe my wickednes vnto y e Lord. Call to minde how you haue gotten your goods how you haue vsed thē whether you haue delighted in thē or put any confidence in thē Call to minde how you haue taken care for your Children seruantes if by your good meanes they haue bene nourtered in the feare of y t Lord. In these such other parts of your lyfe lay open your sinnes let them come forth before you acknowledge thē against yourselfe vnto the Lord say boldly because you may saye it truelye I am an vnprofitable seruant I haue not done that which I ought to haue done there is no good thinge dwellinge in mee the Law in my members hath preuailed agaynste the Lawe of my minde It can not bee but God wyl cast his eyes vpon you and wyl heare you and wil pardon the wickednes of your sinnes What wanteth in you to the fulnesse of righteousnesse is already satisfied in the rigeteousnes of Christ God hath saide and sworne As I liue saith the Lord God I desire not y e death of the wicked but y t the wicked turne from his way liue And againe if the wicked will returne from all his sinnes y t he hath cōmitted al his transgressions y t he hath committed thei shal not be mētioned vnto him The Lord is ful of compassion mercy For as high as the heauen is aboue the earth so great is his mercie towared them that feare hym As far as the East is frō the West so farre hath he remoued our sinnes frō vs. Christ himselfe saith God so loued the world y t he hath giuen his only begotten sonne that whosoeuer beleueth in him should not perish but haue life euerlasting And S. Paul god setteth out his loue toward vs seeing y t while we were yet sinners Christ died for vs much more thē being iustified by his blod we shalbe saued frō wrath through him Thus in time of sicknes are we put in minde to examine and view our sins to solace our selues in y t bloodshedding of Christ Farther he that is sicke is counsailed to call to minde what any man hath trespassed him to forgiue them because God is y e God of loue and if any man hate his brother hee abideth in death and we are commanded to saye forgiue vs our trespasses as we forgiue them that trespasse against vs if we doe forgiue men theyr trespasses our heauenly father will also forgiue vs. But if we do not forgiue men theyr trespasses no more wil our heauenly father forgiue vs our trespasses That so all we which are redeemed with one price by the precious blood of the vnspotted lambe may ioyne together as partakers of one inheritance and the children of one father and so goe forewarde to one glorie by one way and become al one in Iesus Christ our Lorde In this case the good father calleth his sonne vnto him and exhorteth him in this manner My sonne harken vnto mee these be the last words which I shal speake vnto thee Thou seest in me the weakenes and decay of flesh thou shalt be as I am now One passeth before another the worlde and the beauty thereof fade away and come to an ende Trust not the worlde it wil deceiue thee walke aduisedly knowe y t thou shalt giue an accompt of thy doings For we must al appeare before y e iudgement seate of christ y t euery man may receaue the things which are done in his body according to that hee hath done whether it be good or euil Deceiue no man by wrongful dealing encrease not thy goodes by extortion nor by vsury he that giueth his money vnto vsurie shall not enter into the tabernacle of the Lorde Hee that taketh vsury of his neighbour killeth him without a sword The Lord wyll auenge it he wil not blesse yl gotten goods they cannot prosper they wyll neuer continue nor remayne vnto the third heire My sonne in all thy doings feare the Lord. If thou feare the Lord thou shalt prosper in the day of thine ende thou shalt bee blessed Medle not much with other mens busines least thou be entangled with controuersies abhorre the flanderer double tongued Let my doings which am thy father be euer before thyne eyes Those few goodes which I haue were truly gotten I haue not gathered them of the teares and heauines and vndoing or hindering of any Be faithfull to thy wife and besides her know none other Helpe thy neighbour accordinge to thy power and turne not thy face from the poore needie Be mercifull after thy power If thou hast much giue plentiously if thou hast licle do thy diligence gladly to giue of that litle Be not slowe to visit the sick whatsoeuer thou takest in hande remember the ende and thou shalt neuer do amisse As for me I haue passed the vanities and miseries of this world The Lorde hath giuen and the Lord taketh away blessed be the name of the Lord. He is the Lorde my God let hym doe with me as it seemeth good vnto hym I knowe that this shall hasten my saluatien And that Christ shalbe magnified in my body whether it be by life or by death I haue not so liued that I am ashamed to liue neither am I afrayde to die for we haue a gracious Lord. I know that if my earthly house of this tabernacle bee destroyed I haue a building giuē of God that is an house not made with handes but eternal in y ◠heauens They that die in the Lord are blessed they shall rest from their labors Christ is vnto me both in lyfe and in death aduantage In such sort do the Godly prepare themselues to their iourney out of this life Then the Minister prayeth that he e may bee constant in this faith he strengtheneth him confirmeth him in it He exhorteth the sicke to commende him selfe vnto God he prayeth vnto God that he will giue his Angels charge ouer him to keepe him and defende hym that hee fall not into temptation He teacheth him to saye O lord in thee haue I trusted let mee neuer be confounded Come Lord Iesus come and take mee vnto thee Lord let thy seruant depart in peace thy kindome come I am thy sonne thine am I O saue me into thine hands O Lord I commende my spirite thou hast redeemed mee O Lorde God of trueth In this state he dyeth and hath his eyes alwayes fastened vpon God and so seeth how indeede the dead are blessed which dye in the Lord. Thus doth the Churche of God instruct all men to liue and to die and to bee in readinesse Thus ar the sicke amonge vs annointed with the inner in uisible oyle of y ◠mercie of God Thus are they put in minde to haue the oyle of faith and of a good conscience and that their lampes may euer be burning that so they may enter in with the