institution Inwardly being washed from their blood with that clean water which Ezekiel speaketh of washed Ez. 16. 9. in mine owne pretious blood which maketh their garments white contrarie to al other blood which staineth for so haue the Saints washed themselues and Apoc. 7. 14 their robes washed also in the lauoure of the new birth wherby Tit. 3. 5. they are regenerate to life euerlasting 6 I pray for them which are mine Illuminats by purpose which once were darkenes but now are light in the Lord for I enlighten euerie one that commeth into the world but not any that loueth the world These dwell in Goshen where is alwaies light and all other sit in darkenesse and in the Aegiptian shadow of death These mine Illuminates are pure in hart being purified by faith they therfore see God in a three-folde mirrour 1. They see him in his word in the mirrour of Iesus Christ 2. They see him in his works with Mat. 5. 8 another eye then the worldling doth in the great displaied book of heauen and earth 3. And lastlie heereafter shall see him face to face in heauen with Iesus Christ and the holie Angels 7 I pray for them which are mine Associates by promise partaking of mine owne name beeing Christians Act 11. 26 At Antioch they were first called Christians now heere and in all the Christian world Saint Ambrose his iudgement of these Associates was so deere that hee reades that place Gal. 5 24. Qui sunt Christi in the nominatiue plurall not as it is vulgarly taken in the genitiue singular As if hee should obserue that so manie Christians are so many Christs by reason of this holy and heauenlie vnion and Association The vse then blessed Brethren is that wee seeke and endeuour by all might and meanes to correspond these gratious glorious and ennobled titles Otherwise what are wee with these pretious titles but like the boxes and pots of the Apothecarie which outwardly haue some goodlie exotique inscription when within is some vnwholesome vnsauory drug or like the Mahumetanes which at this day call themselues Sarasins as if they came of Sara the free woman when as indeede Zozom Eccles Hist 6. 38. they are Hagarines of Hagar and Ismael as Zozomen a thousand yeares agoe obserued which appeareth euen yet by their wicked and dissolute condition at this day Or like those that row in a bote sit with their faces toward you but row the bote backward so some make semblance of going on in a direct course and christian carriage when their actions and proceedings are directlie contrariant With such I may expostulate and say what hast thou to doe with the name of Sonne when like a bastard thy condition is to shame thy father and dishonor thy mother Thou causest God whome thou boastest to bee thy father to bee contemned and the Church thy mother to be despised What hast thou to doe with the name of Saint when as thou art a Slaue to sinne and a bondslaue to sathan what hast thou to doe with the title of Prince or Priest when as thou canst finde in thine heart nay boast of it that thou art an agēt against Prince Priest in the vilest actions Or why boastest thou of the honour of beloued when as thou art hatefull to God good men or of thy Baptism seeing thou art of that folish Pro. 30. 12 fond generation that are pure in their own conceit and art not clensed baptized from their vncleannes Or of thine Illumination when as thou gropest at mid-day as did the ancient heretikes the Gnostikes who imagined that they had an impropriatiō of Gods spirit that none had true knowledge but they and as the Anabaptists Iesuits with the late foūded order of the confoūded congregatio Oratorij who at this day in this glorious light of the Gospell of Christ grope in Cymmerian darknesse and gape after vnwritten reuelations Lastlie what haue you to doe with the name of christian when as ye are indeed Cretians of whome that of Tit. 1. 2. Epimenides is fully verified The Cretians are alwaies liars euil beasts slow bellies But I am perswaded better things of you my brethren Attend you therefore as Sonnes and if ought afflict you call and crie vnto your heauenlie father who doth tender you as Sonnes and as Saints resolue that here we haue no abiding Citie but we seek one to come let your conuersation bee therefore as they that looke for so glorious an estate in heauen And as Princes and Priests Psal 119. 164. Dan. 6. 10. with Dauid seauen times a day and with Dauid three times a day Pray praise the Lord. You that are the beloued of the lord let neither life nor death separate you from that vnspeakeable loue nor the power of darkenesse nor the gates of hell for none of all these preuaile against the beloued of the Lord. And as truely Baptized children and washed in the righteousnes of Christ say with the spouse in the Can. 5. 7 Canticles I haue washed my feete how should I defile them I will by no meanes wallowe againe in the mire You are illuminated of the Lord by the pretious eye salue of his truth being blind and darkned before through the ignorance that was in you Giue glorie therfore vnto the Lord as the blind in the Gospel who were restored to their sight And lastly as true christians associated to Iesus Christ bee zealous in the Lords seruice as were the Christians in the primitiue church who being in persecution and dailie subiect to bloudie butcherie yet praied and praised the Lord in the dens caues of the earth as Plinius Secundus euen their aduersarie in the time of Traianus the emperour testifieth of them But you blessed brethren haue your oratories open your pulpits frequented with free and gratious passage let not the feruencie of these distressed Christians rise vp against you in the day of iudgement who are thus blessed euerie way and beloued euerie day of the Lord of heauen and of earth that he may pray for you and so you may be euermore blessed in the surpassing fauour of Iesus Christ Remember also that as you are thus designed by titles of fauour and honour that you also shew your selues both to your owne soules to others as the people that are distinguished and separated from the men of this world For our Sauiour heere in this place saith I pray not for the world but for them which discretiue But distinguisheth demonstrateth that you are not of the world albeit you are in the world That you are not of the world three infallible notes of separation must declare And here let no man traduce this word Separation for I vnderstand not thereby anie Anabaptisticall or Brownish seperation but the same that Paul meneth though in a diuers matter For as he speaketh of Separation or setting apart of Preachers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ro.
he testified That he liued not but Christ liued in him In like manner the spouse also in the Canticles expostulateth with temptations I haue put off my coate how should I put it on againe that is shee had cast away the works of darknes how should she take them againe I haue washed Can. 5. 3. my feete how should I defile them that is I am become cleane in being purified by faith in the blood of Christ and haue done away all my former filthes how can I now that reioyce that I am thus deliuered return into that bondage and slauerie againe The vse of this then is because I hasten that we deceiue not our selues for what semblance soeuer wee make outwardly of christian profession yet if we doe not sanctifie our selues in some measure there is no truth in vs and we doe but cosen our owne consciences and become traitors to our owne soules For this is positiue That Psal 19. 1. Ioh. 3. 3. the feare of the Lord is cleane And he that hath a hope of heauen doth purge himself If I might craue of you blessed people to remember but this paralel of scripture it shal be sufficiēt for me to blesse al the daies of my life this my poore laboure and trauel And so I wil descend vnto my third note of Separation whereby those that here Christ prayeth for are distinguished from the world to wit Euangelical Charitie which is indeed the Cognisance of a true Catholike Christian So our Sauiour testifieth saying By this shall all men know you to be my Ioh. 13. 35 disciples if ye loue one another which Loue is not in the mouth tong onely but in truth and veritie That this is the true outward distinction 1 Ioh. 13. 3. of a true Catholike Christian it appeareth to all of vs heere present For it is common to all professors to be receiued into the Church by Baptisme to enter into the assemblies to praier and preaching to bold vp their handes and cast vp their eies to heauen to crie Lord haue mercie vppon vs and in conclusion to say Amen Yet many of these are counterset Christians fained and false dissemblers but Charitie and Loue Euangelicall notifieth vnto vs the faithfull professor from the fained and false dissembler There are foure fountaines from whence Loue springeth the. 1. of Nature and that euen is also the instinct of brute beastes The. 2. of Blood and that is of Naturall men as they are meerely naturall The 3. of Reason and that is the league and amitie of Philosophers who take Reason to bee their Pilot and Loue no farther than they haue Reason The. 4. of Grace and that is properly of true Christians and that I call Euangelicall Charitie The properties whereof are 1. To sympathize with others in their distresse Beare one anothers burthen 2. To pray for one another The Christian Sacrifice 3. To suffer beare and forbeare euen with the conditions of them that hate vs yea and doe good vnto them and this is indeed the exaltation of Christian charity which Euangelicall and gratious charitie is twofold either in affectu or in effectu In affection onely the poore shew their loue from whom the Lord accepts the will euen as the deed for he requireth not that of them which he giueth not vnto them but in the rich this charitie must bee effectuall in distributing and despersing the blessings and benefits of the Lord to his poore people Witnesse therfore blessed auditorie in the Lord Iesus this day that it is a slander and calumniation of the Papist who saith that we teach you negatiue doctrines onely and not affirmatiue For wee eft-soones proclaime vnto you from this place and all other the like in this kingdome that your Catholike Faith is a dead and desperate follie if it worke not by loue for loue is the euidence to your selues and to the world of your Faith to God But alas with horror and amazement be it spoken how many are there that make profession of this Catholike faith and Euangelicall charitie and yet are degenerated beneath brute beasts in the course of nature and bloud as becomming a cruell Oedipus to their father and a cursed Nero vnto their mother Yea euen in their reason become more vnthankfull then Iudas and that to those to whom they owe Phil. v. 19. in all right and reason euen their owne soules yet are they inhumane as the Dog and cruel as the Lionesse whereas Euangelicall charitie as hath beene said is extended euen vnto our enemies after the example of our God who shineth with his sun vpon the good and bad and of Christ Iesus our Captaine and of the Protomartyr Saint Stephen our fellow souldier who praied for their tyrannous persecutors but much more then to our brethrē to the distressed needie and afflicted members of our Lord Christ Let it bee then a brand of impietie against that soule in the day of account who heareth this and regardeth it not seeing it is the peremptorie and positiue assertion of the Sonne of God That by this Euangelical charitie Ioh. 3. 35 all men shall know who are his And thus much for the person praier and parties both designed and distinguished Now let vs proceed to the reasons why hee praieth for them 1. Donatiue which thou hast giuen me This giuing of vs to God the father is nothing else but a manifestation of the determinate purpose of God in Iesus Christ for as God the father hath predestinated vs to the end which is his glory euerlasting life so also hath he predestinate vs to the meanes to bring vs therunto they cannot be eluded The father hath giuen vs to his Sonne to serue him in foure especiall suites and seruices 1. in deuoted religion euen as the sonne himselfe doth who saith heere in this chapter verse 4. I glorifie the father so must we that bee Christs seruants Let our light so shine before Mat 5. 16. men that they seeing our good works may glorifie our Father which is in heauen 2. In the zeale of soules For the zeale of the Lord must euen Psal 69. 9 eate vs vp Monica the mother of Augustine is a rare President heerein What prayers sighes and groanes did that godly mother Aug. Confess make for her sonne Augustine yet being a Maniche that hee might become an Orthodox Such was the zeale of that pious mother for the soule of her deere Sonne Paul also became all vnto all that hee might winne the more who was weake and he was not weake Thirdly in humilitie Mich. 6. 8. for the Prophet Micheas expostulating this point wherewithall hee should come before the Lord in the end concludeth that a man must humble himselfe to walke with his God shewing that there is no other meanes whereby man may tread the steps of the holy seruice of God but by an humble deiectment of himselfe to the maiesty of God So also our Sauiour himselfe
of this world Therefore it is consonant that he as a King praieth not for the world As touching his Priesthood many and manifold are the obiections but they may be reduced briefly to these foure heads The first drawen from the power of his passion The second from the equitie of his will The third from his owne practise And the fourth from Apostolicall exhortation 1. From the power of his passion is obiected that of Saint Iohn He 1. Ioh. 2. 2. is the reconciliation for our sins and not for ours only but for the sinnes of the whole world Why therefore doth hee not pray for the world seeing hee is the propitiation for the sinnes of the whole world The same Euangelist elswhere answereth it He came indeed vnto his Io. 1. 11. 12 owne but his owne receiued him not But to as many as receiued him to them he gaue this prerogatiue to bee the sonnes of God Their destruction and desertion therefore is of themselues because they do not receiue him The second obiection drawen from the equitie of his will is that of S. Peter where 2. Pet. 3. it is said that he would that all men 2. Pet. 3. should bee saued How then can that bee seeing heere hee praieth not for all men The answer herevnto is that his will is two-fold to wit voluntas Signi and voluntas Beneplaciti His reuealed will and his concealed will He praieth saith Saint Augustine that 's his Aug. in Iohan mercie For he hath mercie on whom hee wil haue mercy He praieth not that 's his iustice For there are vessels Rom. 9. of wrath prepared for destruction The third obiection is taken from his owne practise for hee praied for his enemies father forgiue thē The answer Christ was then the Lambe of God and in his deepest humiliation wherein hee shewed all tokens of meekenesse and mercie but heere in the distinguishment of the sheep from the Goates he is the Lion of the royall blood of Iuda that rendeth in peeces his aduersaries and diuideth the spoile The fourth obiection from Apostolicall exhortation is that of Saint Paul who exhorteth 1. Tim. 2. 1 That praiers and supplications bee made for all men The answer This word All is not to be vnderstood de singulis generum but de generibus singulorum as that also in our Liturgy That it may please thee to haue mercie vpon all men which some haue made an nicetie of is not vnderstood collectiuè but distributiuè as Master Perkins consenteth But that of Cyrill meeteth al obiections and descendeth to the third office of Christ as hee is a Prophet For that ancient Father saith Christ speaketh heere spiritu prophetic◠for obserue the maner In his passion hee praieth for his aduersaries not mentioning his Disciples heere hee praieth for his Disciples and excludeth his enemies Neither is this dissonant from Dauid his tune when he said Let their Table bee made a Psal 6 9. snare bow downe their backs and let that which was for their wealth bee vnto them an occasion of falling and the like for this is no imprecation but a prophecie that so it shal befall the accursed the Lords enemies Augustine is of the same iudgement Christ might saith Augustine haue praied in silence vnto his heauenlie father but hee would not First because he might be an example vnto his Disciples that they might also pray Secondlie that hee might make knowne vnto them the mysteries of the kingdome of heauen to whom they belonged whereof this was not the least to wit That the vngodly had no portion with them of the praier of their Lord and Sauiour But let vs heare Christ himselfe First excluding the reprobates in generall in this verse I pray not for the world and secondly in particular excepting Iudas as you see verse 12. Where you may obserue that he praieth not for his confusedly but particularly for the Lord knoweth who are his Now then ye see that as he is a king he answereth My kingdome is not of this world As he is a Priest all receiue him not albeit he profer offer himselfe vnto all and as a Prophet he foretelleth what shall bee the portion of the wicked to drinke But if any shall bee yet curious and obiect that the person of the Sonne of God suffered which is sufficient I answer that the Pascall Lambe profited the Israelites onely and not the Aegyptians The vse of all this is First that the promises of God doe onelie concerne the faithfull And therefore let men remember that of Saint Augustine Sperando desperando miserè pereunt homines by hoping wickedly and wantonlie all their life in the mercy of God desparing worse in their death by forsaking the liuing Lord men miserably perish The second vse is that albeit Paul preach yet Christ is indeed to some the righteousnesse of God but to others the Rock of offence So that the effect is not in the Preacher but in the disposed auditour Lastly that a Prophet must aswell denounce Gods iudgements as pronounce his mercies So did Hosheah to the Clergie when he cried O ye Priests Hos 5. 1. heare this and to the Laitie Harken O ye house of Israel and to the kings Court Giue eare O house of the king for iudgement is toward you because yee haue beene a snare in Mizpah a net spred vpō Tabor In like manner also doe al the Prophets Fitly therefore heere doth Christ Iesus the very spirit of Prophecy proclaime the wicked world to bee excepted in his holy and heauenly mediation He therefore saith I pray not Durus est hic sermo quia cor nostrum durius Did the sunne stand still at the praier of Iosua did it Josh 10. 12 2. Reg. 20. 11. Mat. 26. 45. retire ten degrees in the Dial of Ahas at the word of Ezechias And was it darkened at the passion of Christ Iesus No maruell then if now it had stood still and neuer againe mooued or retired to the vtmost corner of the world and neuer returned or beene vtterly darkened and neuer giuen any light againe seeing the light of the world and the Sonne of God said I pray not for the world Ex. 19. 18. Did Mount Sinay tremble at the giuing of the Law and the walles Iosh 6. 20 of Iericho fall downe when the Priests sounded their Trumpets and did the earth quake at the passion of Iesus Christ as fainting vnder such an hideous burthen Mat. 26. 51 that the wicked and accursed sonnes of men should execute the Lord of life No maruell then if the whole frame and fabrik of heauen of earth had not beene dissolued into their ancient Chaos when Christ Iesus by whom all things were made shall say I pray not for the world But the heauens the earth are reserued vnto 2. Pet. 3. 7. the second and glorious comming of the Lord and are now preserued and susteined only for
But their precedent generation hath denounced a woe against saying Woe be vnto them that either wash or clippe the coine whereon the Lord hath set his stampe Yea your ancestours commonly vsed these words in their donations Let their Ex aribiuis â—alleg Gland accouÌ„t be without fauor in the day of the Lord whether they be our heires or successors who shall dare to diminish or alter the lands reuenues and inheritance that we haue consecrated to the Lord. If the iudgement of your elders be required this impious and iniurious surprising of Church estates hath beene condemned both by Christian bishops and also by Christian Emperors who euer were willing rather to lay downe their liues then that the prosperity of the church should bee impeached or the goods thereof wickedly imbeazeled or diuerted from the godly intendments of her well disposed benefactors But you see beloued that Christs Church hath bene surprised and dispoyled of her possessions that whereas the Psalmist saith The earth is the Lords The men of the earth with their earthly mindes haue left our Lord as the Iewes no place to rest his head so they no land to set his foot vppon Hence are your lacklatines your lacklearnings which you fondly and furiouslie obiect vnto the reuerent Beaupeers of the church the Bishops whereas you your selues haue made such priests by robbing the Church as church-Pyrats by famishing the Church-men in taking away their bread and liuelihood by vsurping the possession of others For who should serue your foure pound fiue pound twentie nobles cures if such were not ordained to holde your plough your Church and parish would lie fallow yea that poor pittance which is left to maintaine a few better qualified persons is so caught and dailie vndermined by bare weather beaten desperate courtiers forlorne Gentlemen Cyclopâ—cal scatizers that al wisdom godlie policie of the reuerend Bishops and faithfull councellers of state vsing their best endeuors vtmost fidelitie is little enough to retaine it so far are they from any hope of a succession or godlie deuoted generation who would studie to promote the wealth of the Church But let this generation know that the world is giuen vp to a reprobate sense and if they follow it they also are in no better estate Good Lord where is the blessing and fruite of the ancient time Happie is he that preacheth to an attentiue eare and to an intelligent heart and an obedient soule Worthy Ridley in one sermon to that famous renowned Christian Prince Edward the sixt preuailed that Christ-Church hospitall the Hospitall of Saint Bartholomews in Southwarke and Bridewell were at once erected But now in an hundred Sermons the ministers of Christ must become like to the Friars Mendicants and yet not so far preuaile euen in this place with this Hono. citie us to purchase entertainement I hope I shall be the last that euer shall mention it And to conclude my blessed brethren seeing that al the things of this world are accursed without Christ seâ— before your eies Paul and Dauid as presidents and motiues to exhort you to resolution Paul was crucified to the world Gal. 6. 14. and the world to him and accounted all things as losse and dung for the lucre Phil. 9. 8 of Christ And Dauid wondred That any man should desire ought in heauen but the Lord or esteeme any thing in earth in respect of his God Let vs not then bee like sucking babes who rather cleaue to their nurse then to their owne naturall mother This world is our drie nurse the Church is our true mother Let vs then that are able to receiue strong meat learne to distinguish But if for al this you despise this counsell set at naught these aduertisments and addict your selues wholly to the world listen and heare how the world will deale with you in the end Serue it neuer so long yet as Churlish Laban dealt with Iacob in bringing foule Leah to his mariage bed insteed of faire Rachel so the world wil promise you gladsomnes but will performe loathsomnesse will promise you the finest and gaiest speciousnes but will performe with you in deceitfull spitefulnes Let the experienced say if by the world they found any thing but worldly care in gaining the world wordly fear in retaining it worldly sorrow in losing it Yea this is the meede of their life and in their death insteed of Tumulus giue them cumulus an heape of stones as had Achan who touched the execrable thing so these haue some painted Sepulcher or some specious or pompous funerall and there is Catastrophe the guerdeÌ„ that the world affords them But you beloued and blessed in the Lord lift vp your hearts to him that praieth for you in whome you are the Sonnes the saints the Princes and Priests the Beloued and the Baptized the Illuminates and Associates of the highest by whose sufferings you are seperated and distinguished with works of saluation from the residue of the world through whom God dwelleth in you by the liuerie and seison of his gratious spirit in this life and will after this life is ended be in full possession of you both in soule and bodie eternallie in the glorious rest of heauen To moue you now therfore to are solution to leaue this world all worldly fleshly and diuelish practises of the worldlings and such as are ex diametâ—o contrariant to all heartie and vnfained Christians to cleaue vnto the Lord that doth thus pitie you in praing for you honour you in making choice of you froÌ„ among others and in gracing you by vouchsafeing to receiue you as pledges of his fathers loue and accounting you as his own I cannot propone a more forcible motiue to stir vp and quicken your hearts to a sad serious thankfulnes then to put you in minde that you certainely are the people that Christ hath praied for euen you I meane the faithfull of this Land and state who haue sought the Lord in sinceritie and hearty deuotion And that I may not now in the Epilogue of this my weake endeuour send you farre backe I shal desire you to looke and with open and displaied eies beholde the louing kindenes of the Lord toward our kingdome and countrie euen in the memory view of our whole nation and all Christendome How escaped we the furious and mischeeuous complotments of manie weightie and malitious deadly enemies in all the peaceable raigne most happie and neuer enough admired gouernment of that deere Lady our late soueraine Qu. Elizabeth of pretious memorie Did not Christ pray for vs when all those secret designements popish thunder Cardinal conspiracies Iesuiticall proiects and domesticall treacheries were discouered set vpon the stage Did not Christ pray for vs when our state tottered at the decease of our late Soueraigne and to the wonder of al the Christian world did as an earthquake shake settle in a moment when all nations about vs stood looking at the things likely to ensue What frustrated the Popish prophecie of Worthing toÌ„ the Iesuit when forespeaking as he hispaniolized traitor wished That the fall of one Ladie would be the raising of an other Meaning that the death of Ladie Elizabeth would bee the Diadem of Izabella Infanta Eugenia Clara who brought to scorne also the surmise of Weston the Iesuite another false prophet who seeing his fellow WorthingtoÌ„s spel take no effect went on and tooke longer time as the manner of bankrupts is and said That the sinnes of England were not ripe at the death of Weston de tripl offic Queen Elizabeth But when England had fulfilled the measure of her sinnes as the Ammorites did then would the Lord vtterly destroy vs. Which Gen. 15. 16 prophecie of his doubtlâ—s intended the powder Treason which if it had beene effected then had Weston deserued to haue been notified with a red letter in the list of Anabaptisticall prophets But then euen then also Christ Iesus praied for vs and Worthington with his coopse-mate Weston are found lyars and we our prince and people are maruellously and miraculously deliuered from the sulphurous blast complotted at Rome proiected at Rhemes fortified at Doway practised in England yea and that which was some certain yeeres in intendment and purpose was frustrated in a moment Oh then seeing not onely the whole land but euen the very particular person here present can capitulat in specie what great things the Lord hath done for them where in we now reioice let it be sufficient for me to commemorate in generall and for euerie one of vs in indiuiduo to commune with his owne heart and write this lesson there with the pen of a Diamond that neither day nor night tide nor time weale nor woe may obliterate or blot out the character of his diuine lesson and angelicall consolation but resolue that our whole life bee a deuoted sacrifice of thankfulnes seruice to the liuing God of eternal maiestie through Iesus Christ our faithful intercessor to whom with God the father God the sanctifying spirit be rendred al power praise might and maiestie this day and euermore Amen The very God of peace sanctifie you 1. Thes 5. 23. throughout and I pray God that your spirits soules and bodies may bee kept blameles vnto saluation through Christ Iesus this day and euermore FINIS