vp to heauen he is there if wée go downe to Hel he is there if we take the wings of the winde he is there present for himselfe hath sayde beholde I am with you to the ende of the world The house of God hath sometimes bene in a ship on the Seas as with our sauiour sometimes in a poore house with his disciples sometymes in the market place at Athens in a parlor at Troas on the shoare with Paul and the faithfull Where two or thrée are gathered togyther in my name I am in the middest of them and where Christ is there may we be assured is Christs Church Tertul in exhorta ad castitatem Ecclesia est vbi duo aut tres sunt licet laici sunt the churche is where two or thrée be together although they be lay men But God to the intente he mighte haue a peculiar place for his people where they might vse prayer thankesgiuing offer sacrifice first raised Salomon to builde and these to redifye a house for his owne honour In the bookes of kings and Chronicles we reade that in the foure hundreth and foure scoure yeare after the children of Israell were come oute of Egipte dyd Salomon builde the house of the Lorde of thrée scoure cubites long in Ierusalem in mounte Moriah whiche had bene declared vnto Dauid his father in the place which Dauid prepared in the thresshing floore of Ornan the Iebusite It is wel worth consideration that neyther Salomon in his first nor these in their new buylding do eyther builde to any other than to the Lord or once herein thinke of buyldyng to themselues Salomon builded not to Abraham although he wer the father of the faithful nor to Isaac although in him the séede were called nor to Iacob although of hym came the twelue Trybes not to Moyses nor Elyas nor Aaron not to anye Prieste not to anye Iudge not to any Prophete but to the Lorde God of Israel onely But we haue forsaken SalomoÌ„ and folowed the Samaritans we haue not builded one teÌ„ple to that Lord but many temples to Idols As that Iewes in old time built vp high places in euery citie and erected altars in euery high hill euery nation made themselfe a God and put them in the highe places whiche the Samaritanes had made euen so did we where was there any then that buylded vnto the God of Israel They buylded Temples they erected Altars they carued Images they appoynted certaine feasts they washed themselues at their entrie into the churche they fell down before their Gods they kindled lights and burned Frankensence seuerall Gods had seuerall Priestes and was it not so in poperie Might not we coÌ„playne with Ieremie accordyng to the number of thy cities was thy Gods O Iâ—hudaâ— and accordyng to the number of the streates haste thou erected Altars of confusion to sacrifice to Baal And was not this true in poperie In euery great Town how many Temples and till of late not one dedicated to Christe Whereas the virgin Mary had euerye day hir Masse many Sainctes manye Masses then was Christe onelye on the Fryday that but in Cathedrall churches only remembred That which was true while he liued on earth that birdes of the aire haue nestes the foxes dens that may much more truly be spoken of such seruices as were done to hym here on earth Euery where hath Peter a churche Mary Paule Dunston Aldate Gyles George Scythe and Katherine but the sonne of Man hath not where to hyde his head Tertul. li. 1. contra Marcionem said truly Inuenio plane ignotis Dijs aras prostitutas sed attica idololatria est item incertis Dijs sed Romana superstitio est I find Altars erected to vnknowen Gods but it is the Idolarye of Athens and to vncertayne Gods but it is the superstition of Rome Austin feared not to saye that there were temples builded to them on earth whose soules laye buryed in Hell Wel might therfore that prophetical Spirite in Ieremy complaine and wel may we that the people haue channged the true God and sought for that that proâ—â—teth not that they haue forsaken the fountaine of the water of life and haue digged themselues cesterues that can hold no water nay as Dauid saith their Idolles are multiplyed after the whiche they make so great haste Superstition hathe no hoe nothing too hotte nothing too heauy The Iewes offred their owne children to Moloch The priests of Baal did cut and launce themselues The people to make a Calfe and an Ephad offered all their richest iewells Againe these Iews build not to themselues they build not houses call them after their own names They dydde not with the Agregentines build as though they woulde liue for euer and liue as though they woulde dye for euer but they builded as men by theyr liues destrous to set vp the glory of the true God They to builde Gods house spared nothing but we to builde our owne nestes plucke from Gods house If Zorobabel Iosue the rest of the chiefe fathers were not more carefull thaÌ„ some of the feet be both learning with out which we are like brute beasts and religion without which we nothing differ from Infidels would spéedily perish I feare me there are that wish as he did of the Romains that they had al but one heade that he might cut off al at once so that wish that many Churches were but one church that it might at once be ouerturned But will you liue alone vpon the earth what profiteth it a man to win the whole worlde if hee loose hys own soule Quid prosunt ista cùm caro datur vermibus anima daemonibus The last thing is the warrant as King Cyrus king of Persia hath commauÌ„ded vs. The warrant wherby the work weÌ„t forward was not of Zorobabel althogh he wer their guide homward nor of Esdras although he were a learned scribe and was to reforme both their religion and maners nor of Nehemias although he was to finish the walls and to deliuer them from oppression It was not at the commaundement of any Patriarche of any Prophet not by the direction of any Prieste but of King Cyrus King of Persia God by whome Kyngs do raigne and that hath not gyuen theÌ„ the sword for nought that hathe promised to raise them vp as nursing fathers and nursing mothers to hys churche doth herâ— stir vp Cyrus to further his own cause to set forwarde she buylding of his house It is worthe the marking God doth not this worke by anye that were as it may séeme of hys owne couenante hee doth not fetch either Saul from kéeping of Asses or Dauid froÌ„ kéeping Shéepe or Elizeus from the plowe or Amos froÌ„ the hearde But as the deliueraunce is altogither miraculous so is the meanes ordinary by a Kyng by K. Cyrus king of Persia It is wonderful to sée that Gods people in reedifying the holy TeÌ„ple did so willingly obey a K. in al
A SERMON Preached before the Queenes Maiestie at Hampton Courte the 19. of February laste paste By VVilliam Iames Doctour of Diuinitie ¶ Imprinted at London by Henry Bynneman Anno Domini 1578. Aprilis 24. A Sermon preached at Hampton Court Ezrae 4. BVT the aduersaries of Iudah and Beniamin hearde that the children of the captiuity builded the tēple vnto the lorde God of Israel 2 And they came to Zerubbabel and to the chiefe fathers said vnto them we wil builde with you for we seeke the Lorde your God as ye do and we haue sacrificed vnto him since the time of Esar Haddon king of Asshur which brought vs vp hither 3 Then Zerubbabel and Iesua and the rest of the chiefe fathers of Israel saide vnto them it is not for you but for vs to builde the house vnto our God for we our selues togither vvil builde to the Lorde God of Israel as king Cyrus the king of Persia hath commaunded vs. GOd that first created man to his owne image and placed him as Lorde of Paradise that after his fall recomforted him that the séede of the woman should bruse the Serpentes head that with most gratious promises blessed Abraham and his posteritie that ledde his people through the wildernesse by the hande of Moyses and Aaron that sente them faythfull Iudges and zealous Priests to execute iustice and maintayne truthe that after long contempt of his mercyfull call by many of his Prophets gaue them ouer to be schooled by the king of Babilon that suffered their temple to bee raced and themselues moste miserably to be entreated that God that at no tyme can forget his faithfull people but remembreth them when they are in trouble and rescueth them in the perillous tyme bycause he will not suffer Virgam peccatorum super sortem iustorum Psal 100 at once worketh thrée strange wonders Fyrst he inflameth King Cyrus with an earnest desire not only to dimisse the people helde in captiuitie but also to restore vnto them all suche vessells treasures as Nabuchadnezer hadde before taken out of the Temple Secondly he rayseth vp thrée notable guydes thrée excellent and rare men for the preseruation of hys people nowe after their returne from babylon Zorobabell Ezra and Nehemias Thyrdly he encourageth the people with all earnestnesse to trauaile in the worke of the house of God so that neyther the wearinesse of the captiuitie whiche they had endured nor the true seruice of God of a long season vnfrequented nor the pleasures whiche Babylon offered coulde once wythdrawe these weake and féebled persons The summe is the snare is broken Israell is deliuered Zorobabel Ezra Nehemias the people al apply their businesse desiring in hearte no one thyng so muche as to erect the Temple of the Lorde to aduāce the glory of their despised God But sée the aduersaries of Iudah Beniamin came not of any cōscience but craftily to supplāt these workmen It so falleth out that if God haue a Church the Diuel if he cānot hinder it yet wil looke to haue an oare in it if Moses worke wonders Pharaos soothesayers will vse an apishe imitation The Apostles Peter Paule Barnabas shal no sooner testifye the trueth of Iesus Christ than Simon and Elymas the sorcerers wil be at ynches to peruerte the ryght wayes of the Lorde If Paul preache at Athens or at Ephesus then shall he surely finde either Stoikes Epicures or Iewes or some secte of miscreants ready to misse-leade Gods people The enuious mā that when the seruants sléepe soweth tares to choake the wheat that plucketh the word of God out of the harts of the hearers ne crederent seruarentur that somtime like a roaryng Lion séeketh whō he may deuoure and at another time can turn himselfe into an Angel of light that so shook that consciences of Caine Iudas that they thought their sins greater than coulde be forgiuen that so cunningly bleared Saules eies with the counterfaite shape of Samuel and made Ananias and his wife to lye to the holye Ghoste That man of sinne as a Spirite sawe the intente of Israell and as an enimy by all possible meanes goeth about to hinder the building of the house of God The diuel and the superstitious Samaritans saw that so long as Kyng Cyrus fauoured the Iewes and the reedifying of the Temple that so lōg it was vnpossible openly to hurt thē or hinder it and therefore nowe after that frowning wyll not serue he vseth a far more cunning shifte he beginneth now to flatter and speake faire You haue a long time endured trouble your treasure is wasted your bodies weakned the work is heauy your strēgth is féeble the charge greate your substance small we Zorobabell and you the reste of the chiefe of Israel we wil ioyne with you in this worke distruste vs not for wee séeke the Lord your God as you do and we haue sacrificed vnto hym since the tyme of Esar Haddon whyche brought vs vppe hither Whome might not these sugred speaches haue deceyued we will builde we séeke the Lorde with you wee sacrifice to him as you do But that God that euen in that same houre instructeth his what to answere and that hathe lefte to hys seruantes iudgement to discerne the sprytes whether they be of God or no here in a trice teacheth Zorobabell Iosua and the rest of the Elders to answeare It is not for you and vs to builde togither I will not stande heere to discusse why thys Booke and the nexte of Nehemias are accompted Canonical neither why the other of Esdras are refused I purpose onelye at thys tyme briefly to reste on these two pointes the aduersaries comming and Zorobabel Ieshua and the rest of Israelles reiecting of thē Of these that I may so speake as maye redounde to gods glory I most humbly craue your Christian ayde in earneste prayer These Iewes nowe returned from seauentie yeares captiuitie and nowe in hand with reedifying the house of God and desirous euery man to abide by his tackling at the first are set vpō wyth these suttle Samaritanes Let vs build with you this they sayd intending nothyng more than indéede to pull downe They sawe thus much with Scribes Phacifies that as if new Christ were suffered to grow vp that then al the people wold go after hym and that if Paul myghte be allowed to preache at Ephesus that then Diana should haue a great downe fall so if the buylding of the tēple might go forwarde that then the Idols of Samaria would be but little set by There are in these superstitious Idolaters two things worth the consideration their consent agréement vniuersallye to hinder Zorobabel and the rest and that in these wordes let vs build c when they intended to supplāt The other is their lying Hipocrisie we seke as you we sacrifise as you and firste it is strange to sée the agréement of the godlesse Againste true Mycheas the whole rabble of false prophetes prophesied
damnandum nouit vt sibi socios multiplicet quibuseum geheâ—nnae ignibus addicatur He persecuteth so muche the more cruellye that as hée knoweth himselfe sure to be damned so he may multiplie fellowes to partake the paynes of hell fire He that in olde tyme beganne with deceyte he nowe endeth with deceyte he beganne with bloud he now endeth with bloud He that made Adam to lose Paradise he maketh many to forsake their owne natiue countrey him for an apple them for lesse than the paryng hée that made Adam disobey God he maketh them to disobey the Lordes annointed he that made Lots wife looke backe to Sodome he now maketh olde English beldams to returne after xix yéeres preachyng of the Gospell to the lothsome puddle of Popishe trumperie He that in old tyme by the bloud of the Lambe was ouercome and dispossessed of heauen he by a droppe of bloud is contente to take possession of his witches and Sorcerers here on earthe He that in olde tyme shedde the bloud of innocent Abell and prepared hoate fornasses for Goddes faythfull seruants hée at this daye rayseth vppe bloudie massacres and firie inquisitioÌ„s and why but bycause hys tyme is shorte Where the Gospel is preached most diligently there dothe the Deuill rage moste furiously and lyke a good Captayne endeuoreth by all meanes to reedifie those walles that the worde of God hath battered downe and to renew that olde Adam that by the spirite of God is put away and as one sayde Account al tyme loste that is not spent in some vertuous exercyse so the Deuill accounteth all tyme lost that is not spent either in veryng or withdrawing from God the childreÌ„ of God and why but bicause his time is shorte A seconde thing in these idolatrous Samaritanes is their lying false hypocrisie for neither sought they the Lord as Israel did neither sacrificed they as they ought to haue done 2. Reg. 17. they preteÌ„ded to feare the Lord but apointed priests of theÌ„selues for the high places and prepared sacrifice and did after the maner of the nations and therefore the spirite of God testifyeth that they neyther feared God nor did after the ordinauntes nor custome nor lawe nor coÌ„maundement which the Lord coÌ„maunded the children of Iacob whome he named Israell notwithstanding here they come with these lying speches we seke we sacrifice Singular was the impudency of these Samaritanes that notwithstanding their owne consciences accused them their dayly practises declared the cleane contrary yet they blush not to saye wee seke c. It is a plague that lyeth on Hypocrytes there is no other sinner be he neuer so strong a thiefe be he neuer so filthy a liuer be he neuer so common a lyar be he neuer so great a blasphemer be he neuer so byting an vsurer be he neuer so cruel a murtherer be he neuer so rancke a traytor be he neuer so false to God so faithlesse to men but in his thefte be desireth darknesse in his adultry secretnes for his lying pardoÌ„ for his blasphemy sometyme séeketh forgiuenesse in hys vsury feareth lawe in hys murder dreadeth the wagging of euery leafe in his treason suspecteth the bewraying of the byrdes of the ayre But the Hypocrite neyther fearing him that knoweth the hart and raynes neyther regarding his owne reproche dareth bycause he caÌ„ bleare mens eies to present himselfe as it were into the presence of God Suche were they that came to our sauiour Christ Maister we know thou speakest truth and regardest no mans person is it lawful to pay trybute to Cesar or no Why if I speake truth beléeue you me not oh ye Hypocrites and another Maister what shal I do to inherite eternal life and Mayster what is the greatest commaundemente in the law To whome our sauiour aunswereth Not euery one that sayth to me Lorde Lorde shall enter into the kingdome of heauen but he which doth the wil of my father which is in heaueÌ„ Why do you call me Lord Lorde and doe not the things which I coÌ„maunde why tempt yée me O ye hypocrites what offer ye to me O ye painted sepulchers you appeare fayre outwardly but inwardly yée are full of dead mens bones and all filthynesse Why doe yée honour mée with your lippes your hartes beyng farre from me Why speake you lies vnto me you haue consciences marked with an hoate Iron Why pretend you a shewe of godlinesse seyng you haue denied the power thereof Surely these Samaritanes are as it were a cleare glasse to beholde the miserie of iniquitie that in this worlde preuayleth Such an hypocrite was Herode that when he purposed nothing but the death of our sauiour Iesus Christe as may appeare by the slaughter of the innocents yet he perswadeth with the Wisemen to returne home by him that he with theÌ„ might worship him that was borne King of the Iewes such false teachers hurte the Apostles suche false brethren added muche to Paules bondes And died these Samaritanes only thinke we with Zorobabel and rose there none of their ashes are there at this daye no Herodians that in word speake that in harte they thinke not are there no false teachers to hinder the Gospell of Christe and are there no false brethren to adde to Paules bondes Not to speake of such as wheÌ„ Steuen preached stopped their eares nor of such as say we wil not heare charme the charmer neuer so wisely nay there are a broode which liue in the church by the church but are not of the churche that at this day do hinder and hitherto haue hindred the course of Zorobabel And as true it is that new wine is not to be put in olde bottels nor new cloth to be patched in an old garmeÌ„t nor Christ Circumcision to be matched togither and as God in olde age raysed vp not a Prieste of Baal but Elias nor our sauiour any lerned Pharisée but simple fishermen to treade the waye of hys Gospel so is not Zorobabel to admitte such as mingle Christ and Belial the Church of God and Idols the Gospell and popery religioÌ„ and mockery What better words than of Samaritanes we seeke we sacrifice what better profession than of Herode Go and séeke and bryng me word that I may worship yet were the Samaritanes Idolatours yet was Herode a Foxe What better spéeches thaÌ„ we be coÌ„formable men we obserue our princes laws we follow iniunctioÌ„s we obey orders yet if it come to examination at the passage of Iordan as Iepthe and the Gyleadites did trie the Ephraimites by pronouncing Shiboleth I feare me they wil say single Siboleth there wil want the harty aspiration h h wanteth the harte wanteth It is an olde prouerbe Ex vnguibus leonem Let them be narowly loked into howe they grunt and grone at the preaching of the Gospell howe they carpe at the doings of the godlye learned how they deride the simpler sorte of the professors of the Gospell how open eares they haue to heare
and how readye tongues to mislike the state of oure Churche what secreate conuenticles they haue howe they daylye buzze of strange newes howe big they looke on the professors of the Gospell howe they still retayne one Masse tricke or other to put the people in minde how willingly they will maintaine grosse Popery but for disputation sake only If you looke narrowly into them you shall perceiue them to be plaine Samaritans playne Herodians the one ready to hinder the building of the house of God the other lyke craftye Foxes to eate vppe the lambe Iesus God that is not deceyued will vomit out all those luke warme Souldiors he cannot abide suche as can couer Neroes crueltie with Catoes grauitie nor suche as to hide Herodes butcherie pretende Iohn Baptistes simplicitie These leaues wythout fruite these eares without corne these clouds without water these lampes without oyle as they haue liued without feare so shall they dye without hope and as they haue bodies without life so haue they soules without God As Copper resembleth Gold is nothing lesse as stage players do ofte put on another person than their own as in the Rainebow there appeare many colours when in déede there are none at all as in broken glasses where there is neuer a face yet there appeare two faces so in these double faced Ianusses in these chāgeable Chamaeleons ther is nothing lesse than that which séemeth most to be What though they say they seeke they sacrifice let them bragge of their forwardnesse we know that empty Tubbes do euer make the greateste sound A fresh Iuy doth not always signify the best wine The Cypers trée is the tallest trée but it beareth leaste fruite Bladders puffed vppe with winde are good for nothing but to make footballes I can compare these hypocrites to nothing so fitly as to the Distridge who when there was a contention betwene the byrdes and foure footed beasts to deceiue the byrds shewed his bil wings and to deceiue the beasts put forthe hys hoofe so seeking to please both deceiued both And as Austin saide of some while they will be Iewes and Christians they are neither Iews nor Christiās so these whyle they wil be Papistes and Protestāts they are neither Papists nor Protestants Yet they say we seeke we sacrifice we loue the Lord with al our hart with all our soule with al our strength But if they once maye warme themselues at the highe Priestes fyre they will foresweare wyth Peter if a little storme of affliction ryse they wyll goe backe in the tyme of trouble if you bid them sell all they haue they will eyther with the yongmā departe heauy or wyth Ananias his wife kepe back half they wyll embrace the worlde wyth Demas they wyll forsake the Apostle with Himeneus and Philetus they wil persecute with Alexander I pray God they do not sell which Iudas And yet notwithstanding al this such is their shamlesnesse that as in hearte they séeke nothing but the ouerthrowe of Christes Kingdome so in worde they pretend nothing so much as to serue God and to sacrifice vnto hym And thus much as touching the consente and hipocrisy The second parte of this texte is the answere wherin there are foure things in order worth the consideration Fyrste the vnitie of the aunswerers Zorobabel Iosue and the reste of the chiefe fathers of Israell and a flatte deniall It is not for you but for vs. Secondly the agréement of them in building wee oure selues and wee togyther Thirdely what they will builde a house to the Lorde God of Israell Fourthly the warrant whereby they builde as Kyng Cyrus the King of Persia hath commaunded vs. And for the firste the aunswere was not of one but of Zorobabel Iosue and the reste of the chéefe fathers of Israel wherein wee learne that in matters of weight there oughte not to take place Zorobabels own opinion but it muste be aided with the consente of others sic volo sic rubeo must haue no place in Gods matters They aunswere not as the Datorse in tyme of Poperye did to a reasonable demaund The Popes holinesse will not admitte it and if his holynesse woulde yet my Lorde woulde not suffer it Zorobabel as his name importethe by interpretation to one straunge and farre from confusion and althoughe in thys refusall he be a very Precisian yet he is not singular He aunswereth not it is for you and mee but ioyning hymselfe wyth the reste It is not for you and vs. Here are many thinges that if tyme and place would suffer would require long tractation As firste that Zorobabels refusall and the reste doth teache vs that aide of the Idolatrouse of the wicked although it be offred is to be refused especially in matters touching the building of Gods house Abraham refused to take of the King of Sodom so much as a thréed or a shoe lachet leaste he should say I haue enriched Abraham The yong Prophet for eating breade with the wicked old Prophet was deuoured of a Lion Theodorus li. 2. ca. 6. Eccles Hist. reporteth that Liberius going into banishement refused al gifts of the Emperour and hys wife let them giue these sayth he to Auxentius Epictetus their Arrian heretikes Secondly here we learne by this example that the company and leagues of the wicked are vtterly to be shaken off For blessed is the man that doeth not walke in the counsell of the wicked nor stande in the way of sinners nor sitte in the seate of the scornefull He that toucheth pitche shall be defiled wyth it one shéepe infecteth a whole flocke one sparckle kindleth a greate flame and one infected house is able to poyson a whole Citie There is no participation of righteousnesse and vnrighteousnesse Iohn the Euangeliste woulde not washe in the bathe wherin Cherinthus the enimy of the truthe bathed himself Caius and Alexander being condemned to die being led to execution with certaine Marcionistes made an especiall requeste to their tormentors that they might be slayne asyde from those Marcionists and that their bloud might not in death be mingled with theirs wyth whome in life they agréed not in religion Thirdly here may be obserued to our singular comforte that the Lord discloseth to his seruants the counsells of the wicked and ouerturneth the practises of hys enimies against hym and his churche as of Achitophel Hamman Herod the rest The thing that here is especially to be weighed is the resō the moued Zorobabel and the rest and that is the they would not haue the true seruice of God mingled with Idolatrous or straunge worshippe They enuyed not that these Samaritans shoulde serue the Lorde they desired nothing more than that the Lorde myght faithfully and religiously be serued but therefore did they deny them any parte or felowshippe in this worke bicause they worshipped strange Gods erected Idolles and put their truste and confidence in creatures The God of Israell can not abide to be worshipped with