speake boldly and plainly it is cleane contrary Salust obiected to Tully that he was no gentleman and herefore vnworthy to beare office Indeed saith Tully my nobility begins in me and thine ends in thee for some which haue neither learning nor liuing nor wisedom nor ciuility nor honesty nor pietie at all yet if they can fetch their pedegree from some noble or worshipfull house they boast thereof hold themselues worthy of reuerence and thinke themselues wronged if they be not regarded What did the Iewes gaine by glorying that Abraham was their father semen Abrahae sumus pater noster Abraham we are the seed of Abraham Abraham is our father when our sauiour told them Iohn 8.44 vos estis ex patre Diabolo you are of your father the deuill and his works you do Indeed they were the seed of Abraham with Ismael but not the sonnes of Abraham with Izaak Grant them to bee sonnes yet they were sonnes according to the flesh not according to the promise For Non habent hae reditatem Petriqui fidem Petri non habent Ambr. d paeniten lib. 1. cap. 6. Non sunt filij Abrahae qui non sequuntur fidem Abrahae they are not the sonnes of Abraham which follow not the faithful steps of Abraham Outward titles then without inward vertues auaile vs nothing for what shall it profite vs to be entitled Christians and yet liue as prophanely as infidells to bee called the Church of God and yet in coÌ„uersation resemble the Synagogue of Satan To be counted the children of God Qualis haberi velis talis fias and yet spend our times like the sonnes of Belial to bee reputed the seruants of Christ Iesus and yet serue the world the flesh and the deuill to descend of noble godly parents and yet degenerate from their noble godly wayes God is not pleased with shadowes but with substance not with outward titles but with truth in the inward parts Therefore Theodosius the Emperour held it a more noble thing to be MembruÌ„ ecclesiae then caput imperij A meÌ„ber of the Church then head of the Empire If then thou wilt boast of thine honorable kindred labour striue endeuour that thou mayest truely glory and say that God is thy father La virtu è argume to aâ— nobilita the Church thy mother Christ Iesus thy elder brother this is most high holy honorable kindred Thus much of the person saluting his name his calling his kinred The persons saluted are beautified with three excellent Titles 1. called 2. sanctified 3. reserued to Iesus Christ Calling is twofold 1. to some office and duty 2. to the knowledge of God and saluation To some office and dutie either priuate or publique priuate and oeconomical as masters of families artificers husbandmen Publique is either ciuill or ecclesiasticall Ciuill is either in peace as Magistrates or in warre as militarie Gouernors Ecclesiasticall is either immediate by God and Christ as prophets and Apostles or mediate by men as Archbishops Bishops Ministers of the word Calling to the knowledge of God and saluation is either externall or internall Externall is either common to all by the instinct of Nature and works of creation Psalme or not coÌ„mon to all by the word preached The Lord hath not dealt so with euery nation Internall and effectuall is a worke of the whole Trinitie whereby God the father through the son by the holy Ghost not onely offers grace but giueth it to the elect Vocantur electi vel foris per externam praedicationem vel intus efficaci operatione speritus sancti The elect are called either without by the outward preaching of the word or within by the inward effectuall operation of the holy Ghost This hath two partes the one inuitement the other admission Inuitement is when God offers remission life euerlasting to all that beleeue this outwardly by the preaching of the word and inwardly by inspiration of heauenly desires Admission is wheÌ„ men are entred into the kingdom of grace this outwardly by Baptisme inwardly by the spirit engraffing them into Christ and making them reall members of Gods kingdome This is diuers in respect of time and in respect of place In respect of time for God calleth in diuers houres of the day that is in diuers ages of the world and in diuers yeares of our age some before the law as Abel Enoch Noah Abraham some vnder the law as Moses Dauid Iosias Isay with other kings and Prophets some after the law as the blessed Apostles Martyrs Confessors Some in the first houre their childhood as Samuel Ieremy Iohn Baptist Some in the third houre their youth as Daniel and Iohn the Euangelist Some in the sixth houre their middle age as Peter and Andrew Some in the eleuenth houre their old age as Gamaliel and Ioseph of Arimathea some in the last houre of the day the last hour of their life as the theefe vpon the crosse In respect of place for God calleth some from their ships and some from their shops some from the market and some from vnder the hedges This diuers calling at diuers times and in diuers places intimates a caueat and a comfort â—em dicat â—eo me vocaâ—t quia colat â—eum quomaâ— coâ—uâ—sses si â—catus nâ—n fuâ—es Austen de â—erb Apost A caueat for such as are called that they magnifie not themselues and vilifie others A comfort for them that feele not themselues sufficiently called that they rest in hope God can wil call when where whom he will either at the last houre with the theefe vpon the gallowes or out of oppressing Egypt with the Israelites or persecuting Paul breathing out slaughter against the Saints of God The vses hereof are three First seeing we are called of God we must walke worthie of our calling that as hee which hath called vs is in himselfe most holy so should we not onely begin well but continue in holinesse and righteousnesse all the daies of our liues For to this end hath the grace goodnesse bountifulnesse of our Lord appeared vt abnegata omni impietate that denying and renouncing all impiety of life and impurity of heart we should liue in this present life Sobriè â—ustè â—iè Haec tria perpeâ—uò meditare aduerbia Pauli Haec tria sunt vitae regula sancta tuae soberly iustly godly Soberly towards our selues iustly towards others godly towards God because sancta conuersatio confundit inimicum aedificat proximum glorificat Deum A holy life and godly conuersation doth confound and stop the mouthes of our enemies doth edifie and build vp our brethren doth glorifie God Secondly seeing we are called of God not onely generally but particularly for euery one that liueth in the Church and Common-wealth ought to haue a particular calling to walke in wee must ioyne the practise of our particular calling with the practise of our generall calling For it is not sufficient for a man to
THE HOLY SALVTATION OF THE BLESSED APOSTLE Saint Jude to the Saints and seruants of God PREACHED AT PAVLS Crosse the seuenteenth of Nouember Anno Dom. 1611. By FRANCIS TOMLINSON Preacher of the Word and Chaplaine to the Right Honourable the Lord Ellesmere Lord High Chancellor of England and Chancellor of Oxford Quibus parum vel quibus nimium mihi ignoscant quibus autem satis est non mihi sed domino mecum gratias agant AT LONDON Imprinted by FELIX KYNGSTON for George Norton dwelling neare Temple barre 1612. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL RELIGIOVS AND VERTVous Knight Sir THOMAS LVCIE high Sheriffe of Warwick-shire mercy peace and loue bee multiplied RIght Worshipfull when I was called by my Lord of London to preach at Pauls Crosse I resolued with my selfe to answere with Moses Exod. 5.10 I am not eloquent but slow of speech slow of tongue with Ieremie Ier. 1.6 I cannot speake for I am a child in vnderstanding with Iohn Baptist non sum dignus Matth. 3.11 I am not worthie and with Saint Paul 1. Cor. 15.9 I am the least of the Apostles not worthy to bee called an Apostle neuerthelesse being commanded I did obey obeying spake speaking feared rather a reprouing then an approuing of that I spake howbeit beyond all desert and desire it pleased some of friendship and affection to commend others of fauour and good conceit euen then conceiued instantly to vrge that my poore paines might be printed which I vtterly refused as vnworthy to see the light since I vnderstand by some that some haue giuen out that if I will not giue a true and perfect copie they will put it out in parts peeces and imperfect as they tooke it of two euils therefore I haue chosen the lesse chusing rather to vndergo the hard censures of such as are more readie to censure others then doe any good themselues then to suffer this simple Sermon without my knowledge and consent to be thrust forth in imperfect notes I affect not popular praise nam quis ego sum aut quae est in me facultas Neither doe I respect the vncharitable censures of Papists â—usten Atheists Schismatickes for qui volens detrahit famae meae nolens addit mercedi meae He which with his will impaires my name against his will augments my reward But my desire is onely that my poore talent may bee imployed to Gods glory let God be glorified by me and let me still bee vilified for Gods sake Not vnto mee O Lord not vnto mee but to thy holy name giue the glory That I am bold to shroud these first fruits of my simple labours vnder your Right Worshipfull patronage besides priuate causes your Zeale of Gods glory delight in Gods sacred word great loue to learning and religion good fauours towards Gods Ministers haue deseruedly inuited mee macte virtute esto goe forward I beseech you in godlines encrease in grace grow from strength to strength from vertue to vertue be constant in the faith stoutly defend the truth earnestly contend for the truth let not the cunning Papist seduce you nor the malecontent Schismaticke insinuate himselfe into you nor the godlesse Atheist ring and sing in your eares diuellish charmes but honour him sincerely which will honour you loue him feruently which loueth you delight in him chiefly which delighteth in you cleaue to him inseparably which will neuer forsake you sed quid verbis opus vbi nihil opus I know you doe it Phil. 1.3.4.5 and I thanke my God hauing you in perfect memorie alwaies in all my prayers praying with gladnesse because of the fellowship which you haue in the Gospell from the first day I knew you till now yet as Paul Syluanus and Timotheus gaue hearty thanks to God for the Thessalonians that they had receiued the Gospell in such sort that they were examples not onely to them of Macedonia and Achaia 1. Thes 1.2.7 but also to the Christians in all quarters so doe they earnestly desire them to continue according to their good beginnings cap. 4.1 we beseech you brethren say they and exhort you in the Lord Iesus that ye encrease more and more as ye haue receiued of vs how ye ought to walk please God as if they shuld haue said we do not command you as Lords ouer you as now the Pope doth sic volo sic iuiubeo stat pro ratione voluÌ„tas as CoÌ„stantius that Arian Emperour quod ego volopro canone sit but we beseech entreat and exhort you by the Lord Iesus that if you respect and reuerence Christ if you feare him as a Lord and loue him as Iesus suffer the words of exhortation for wee speake from him and for him In like maner I beseech you Right worshipfull giue me leaue currenti addere calcar Seneca habet hoc proprium generosus animus vt excitetur ad honesta It is proper to a noble minde to bee excited to honest actions and seeing I know that you know in religione vera virtus in virtute vera nobilitas and that nulla vera religio sine sapientia Lactantius nec vlla vera sapientia fine religione Pardon my Zealous affection and tender care of your euerlasting good enforceing mee to beseech you to goe forward in good things and encrease more and more in godlinesse for declining in religion brings a staine of honour and a decay euen of temporall portion I feare it not in you for as it is no small comfort to mee often to call to mind the tractablenesse willingnesse readinesse I found in you to drink in thirstingly the principles of religion when I taught you also the rudiments of Grammar so is it and euer shall be my great comfort not onely to heare of it but often to be an eye and eare witnesse of your zeale for the truth of God I meane your resolute constancy and constant resolution to defend the truth against malicious Papists malecontent Schismaticks and miscreant Atheists continue in the same fight the good fight stir vp that gift of God which is in you be faithfull vnto the end and in the end you shall receiue the end of your faith euen the saluation of your soule In the meane time I humbly beseech you to pardon my importunate boldnesse and accept of this poore widdowes mite as an vndoubted testimonie of my vnfained affection towards you in the Lord. Now the Lord of Lords enlarge his mercies more and more towards you perpetuate to you an honourable name and memory amongst his faithfull seruants in this present life and crowne you with an endlesse crowne of glory in the life to come Your worships in all dutifull affection FRANCIS TOMLINSON THE HOLY SALVTATION OF the blessed Apostle S. Iude. IVDE 1.2 1 Iude a seruant of Iesus Christ and brother of Iames to them that are called and sanctified of God the Father and reserued to Iesus Christ 2 Mercie vnto you and peace and loue
be multiplied THis holy Epistle of the blessed Apostle Iude though shorte yet sententious though little yet not lightlie to be regarded for albeit it containe not argument and matters of sundrie sorts as the sacred Epistles of other Apostles do yet as it were in one generall exhortation the Apostle exhorteth the Saints and seruants of God to constancie and perseuerance in their profession of the Gospell inueighing sharply against carnall profession and grosse abusing of Christian religion and also admonisheth them to beware of impostors seducers false teachers cunning deceauers which were craftily crept in amongst them drawing men from puritie of religion to impuritie of the flesh whom the Apostle liuelie painteth out in their seuerall colours and against whom he iustly denounceth the fearefull iudgements of God to be inflicted vpon them for plaine and euident demonstration whereof he setteth down manifold examples and manifest testimonies out of the sacred scriptures The maine scope then and generall drift of th'Apostle in this Epistle is partly to set downe the dutie of euery Christian and partly to set out the corruptions of those and these times The occasion of writing this Epistle was this It is affirmed by the most learned of all times and agreed vpon by the best writers that this Apostle Iude out-liued many yea most of the Apostles continuing and preaching in Mesopotamia Pontus Persis and other parts of the world till the reigne of Domitian the Emperor in whose reigne iniquitie reigned impietie abounded corruption of manners and dissolution of life raged in euery place Yea euen some which made an outward shew of religion waxed wanton abusing the free fauour grace and mercy of God promised and published in the Gospell Which when this holy man of God saw and seeing greeued at it he wrote this Epistle admonishing the Saintes of God to take heede to themselues lest they also should be carried away with the errors of the wicked and so fall from their owne stedfastnes and not onely so but that in so dangerous times they should earnestlie contend against seducers and constantly defend the faith truth and religion of Iesus Christ once receaued These words are the holy and religious salutation of the blessed Apostle S. Iude wherein as vsually in euery salutation it may please you to obserue three circumstances 1. The person saluting 2. The persons saluted 3. The forme or manner of salutation The person saluting is described three wayes 1. By his name Iude. 2. By his calling A seruant of Iesus Christ 3. By his kinred The brother of Iames. The persons saluted are adorned and beautified with 3. excellent titles 1. They are called of God 2. They are sanctified by God 3. They are reserued to Iesus Christ The forme of salutation is a prayer wherein the Apostle wisheth three blessing 1. Mercie 2. Peace 3. Loue. Mercy the fountaine of Saluation Peace the fruit of Mercy Loue the fruit of peace Of these in order by Gods assistance and your christian patience 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iude or Iudas of this name our Sauiour had two Apostles the one called Iudas Iscariot who for thirtie peeces of siluer betrayed and basely sold his Lord and Master Seruus Dominum Discipulus magistrum homo Deum creatura creatorem tradidit vendidit vilissimè vendidit The seruant betrayed sold most basely sold his Lord the Disciple his Master man God the creature the Creator Infoelix mercator Iudas Oh vnhappie wretched accursed merchant Iudas The other called Iudas the sonne of Alphaeus called also Thaddaeus and Lebbaeus which variety of names was giuen him as some thinke not onely to distinguish him from Iudas the traitor but that the very name of Iudas as odious to all might vtterly be forgotten howbeit this Apostle not ashamed of this and his name in the very forefront of his Epistle calleth himselfe Iudas I rather thinke then that these names Thaddaeus and Lebbaeus were giuen vnto this Apostle neither to distinguish him from Iudas the traitor nor vtterly to extinguish the name of Iudas but because Iudas Thaddaeus and Lebbaeus signifie all one thing to wit praising or confessing The occasion of which name with the reason thereof is set downe in the 29. chapter of Genesis the 35. verse For when Leah had borne three sons to Iacob she conceiued and bare a fourth sonne saying Now will I praise or confesse the Lord and she called his name Iudah The author then of this Epistle could not bee Iudas the traitor for hee had hanged himselfe long before Euseb lib. 4. cap. 5. nor Iude the fifteenth Bishop of Ierusalem for he was long after but Iude the son of Alphaeus and seruant of Iesus Christ. Serui à seruando Augustine de ciuitate Dei lib. 19. cap. 15. because such as by right of warre and law of Armes might haue been slaine and put to death being reserued and kept aliue by the Emperours and conquerors were sold and made seruants Of seruants there are three sorts 1. some by slauish voluntarie subiection 2. some by condition 3. some by profession The first the seruants of sinne the second of men the third of God The first seruice sinfull the second ciuill the third Christian Seruants of sinne they are which with greedinesse commit sinne 1 Facere peccatum non est simpliciter peccare sed toto anima in peccatum in cumbere Qui facit peccatum sernus est peccati Hee which committeth sinne saith our Sauiour he is the seruant of sinne Ioh. 8.34 That is Quisquis indulget peccatis secure peccat peccata peccatis addit non potest non peccare Whosoeuer doth giue himselfe ouer to commit sinne with greedinesse doth sinne with security without remorse doth adde sinnes vnto sinnes without repentance cannot but sinne hee is rightly tearmed the seruant of sinne Know yee not saith the Apostle that to whomsoeuer yee giue your selues as seruants to obey Rom. 6.16 his seruants yee are to whom yee obey whether it bee of sinne vnto death or of obedience vnto righteousnesse Duram seruiunt seruitutem They which serue sinne serue a hard seruice Stipendium peccati mors The wages of sinne is death Faciunt peccatum saith Augustine vt aliquam corporalem caperēt voluptatem In euangel Iohannis tract 41. voluptas transit peccatum manet praeterit quod delectabat remanet quod pungat They commit sinne that by sin they may take some corporall pleasure the pleasure passeth away Nocet empta dolore voluptas the sinne remaineth That which once delighted is gone that which may still sting abideth Seruants by condition they are which are either borne such by nature or taken captiues in warre or bought with money they which are hired are hirelings to such seruants Saint Paule giueth graue counsell Seruants obey those Ephes 6.5.6 which are your Masters according to the flesh with feare trembling and simplicitie of heart not with eye seruice as men pleasers but as the seruants of