vnto eternall life how dull are we vnto spirituall heauenly thinges or what can mooue vs Shall we not care to haue that cutte downe which bringeth mischiefe and destructiō and to set vp that which carieth all blessednes with it Shall we neither care to auoide the curse of God plagues and punishments on the one side nor yet couet to haue his blessing that it may mooue vs the rather I wil come now to the application of this Psalme to our estate Wee haue as yee all knowe receiued great blessinges from the Lorde our God by the meanes of our gracious Quéene For by her happie raigne we haue inioyed long peace euen such as the like hath not almost béene séene or heard of in this land Wee haue also great plentie of all thinges our countrie ouer flowinge with milke and honey euery man sitting vnder his Vine and vnder his figge trée And moreour the Lord hath protected vs by her Scepter and power from the inuasion of forraine enemies and from the wicked practises and treasons of domestical aduersaries these are great benefites receiued But the greatest blessing of all is that by her gouernement hee hath deliuered vs from the bondage of Pharoah from the heauy yoake of Antichrist out of Idolatrie and blindnesse and hath restored vnto vs his holie word and his true worship Yet notwithstanding there hath béene among vs many yeeres as ye all know great discorde and variaunce and that not onely against Papistes and other enemies of the holie religion but euen among brethren which professe the same holy doctrine and faith of our Lord Iesus Christ An all this time wee haue tasted the bitter fruites of enmitie and discorde we haue felt and sustained the mischéefes harmes and dammages that growe from it so that we haue had experience with the Isralites in the worser part and can say of our own knowledge behold how euill and howe vncomelie a thing it is for brethren to be at variaunce To make this more apparant if I should stande to rippe vp and to laye open all the euilles which haue alreadie come vpon vs by the discord of brethren it would bee a long and a tedious labour I will therefore onely note some of the cheefe and most generall that beholding as it were our most gréeuous woundes we may séeke to haue them salued and cured if it may please God First therefore I may note as a principall euill fruite of enmity that it is a ioy and on ancouragement vnto the enemies of the Gospell the Papists for to sée brethren set against brethren for as it is in an armie of men if they be at deadly variance among thēselues Captaine against Captaine band against band pursuing ech other That the aduerse part against which they should wholy together bend their forces will say wee shall not néede to doo much we shall easilie preuaile for they will pull down and destroy themselues with their own hands and hereof will much reioyce So is it in Gods Church Christes armie which is set vpon by deadly enemies on euery side when there is discorde growing vnto sharpe enmitie and the leaders themselues bent one part against an other the wicked enemie dooth laugh and receiueth boldnes and strength for hee saith in his hart this sharpe contention amonge them will procéede in the ende euen vnto blood and to the desolation of both partes O howe much ought we to be pricked and gréeued at the reioycing and boldning of Gods enemies And how dolefull a calamitie were this if it should among brethren come vnto blood We see that amōg the children of Israell the discorde and enmitie brake foorth euen vnto bloud and so doubtles excepte the Lord in great mercie turne it away such is the nature of contention when it groweth sharpe that the end among vs also wil be most gréeuous This one euill ought to mooue vs to loue and imbrace the holy vnitye heere commended in this Psalme I would the consideration of it might bee deepely printed in our mindes The wounding of the weake is an other great euil that ariseth from discord doubtles many are cast down or turned out of the way or at the least much hindred hereby in our Church Stumbling blockes being thus laide before the blinde and lame What pittie this ought to mooue and how much the sight of it should vexe and gréeue vs the doctrine of our Sauiour Christ vttered by him selfe and by his Apostles dooth euerie where shew threateninges also and woes are pronounced against them that shall cast downe the weake And shall not we regarde this thing at all shall neither the compassion and loue to our brethren for whome Christ died nor the threatninges and woes denounced take any place Thirdlie the discord of brethren dooth bring both parts into contempt and disgrace among many And so by this meanes the ministers of the Gospell the messengers of Christ which should be had in precious account and estimation for their workes sake euen as the vessels of Gold and siluer in the Lords temple and as the Angels of the Lord of hosts are baselie estéemed euen as if they were vesselles of earth or wood If this did reach onely vnto the men themselues or vnto their disgrace it were the lesse and might with lesse greefe bee borne but the contempt and disgrace reach indéede euē to the glorious Gospel of Iesus Christ because in the disgrace of the men the power of their ministrye is weakened For where the teacher is euill thought of and dispised the multitude dooth not regarde his doctrine This euill goeth deepe and if we consider well of it together with the former which I haue mentioned ye shall sée that vpon our owne experience we may say indéede beholde how euill and how vncomlie a thing it is for brethrē to be at enmitie discorde These euils doo highly displease almighty God and if they bee continued in without redresse who is able to shew the punishmentes and calamities which in time will ensue and come vppon vs in this Land The contempt of the Gospell and growing into Atheisme thereby will drawe downe infinite plagues and miseries For the righteous God will not alwaies suffer such abuse vnreuenged Then séeing vnity is so good bringing so manie blessinges and discorde so euill drawing such an heape of mischeefes with it the one as a nourisher of true life is to bee sought for and maintained by all Godlye Christians and the other is to bee eschewed as a deadly pestilence and this is to be don of vs spéedely because dissention is like the breaking out of waters the longer it continueth the wider is the breache made and so becommeth the more difficulte to bee recouered This béeing confessed of all for there is no man I thinke that will denie but that it is a most necessarie thing in Gods Church and amonge brethren to eschewe discorde and to séeke vnitie therefore let vs in the next place consider and
come downe vpon vs plenteously and flowe vnto euerie member we shall bring foorth fruite vnto God watered with heauenly dewes we shall haue that great and high blessing of God almightie vnto eternall life Therfore if it be not too late that the sinnes of this land haue prouoked the Lord to displeasure let all men lift vp their hartes and cry vnto the Lord that he will bestowe this precious iewell vpon vs that wee may be at vnity not in al manner of wicked vices nor in errors but in the Lord. And nowe who shall séeke this vnity who shall studie to aduance it This may be in question I answer euen all states and degrees of men priuate persons rulers and teachers euen all and euery one that will looke for any part of Gods blessing must aduance it Euery man I say must looke vnto the heauenlye truth of the holy religion and imbrace the same with all loue and harty affection Euery man ought to bee zealous in spirite of the glory for Christ For if a man haue not the zeale of religion hee cannot bee a good man whether he be ruler or priuate man though he séeme to be neuer so peaceable but as the Lord saith to the Angell of the Church of Laodicea Reu. 3. Because thou art neither hot nor colde I will spew thée out of my mouth God dooth reiecte all such dull and drowsie Atheistes and irreligious persons which are so earthly minded as that they regarde not the heauenly graces which are offered in the Gospell Let all men therefore stirre vp their harts to be feruent in gods truth and let not Godlie zeale be quenched Thē further as I haue also shewed before wee must ioyne the practise of this holye word as the Apostle S. Iames willeth be doers of the word not hearers onely deceiuing your selues Ia. 2. ve 19. for the great disturbance of peace and the greeuous breaches of vnity and all bitter dissentions do chéefely arise from hence that all sorts degrees of men do not walk in the rules which God hath prescribed vnto them in his word We must therefore enter more particularly into this matter that wee may sée how each man is to further this blessed vnity I beginne with the priuate person for whom there are rules prescribed in Gods word for him to obserue if he wil be a true member of the Church and a séeker and preseruer of this vnity and so a partaker of Gods blessing vnto life euerlasting One rule is touching subiection reuerence vnto rulers and gouernous both Ciuill and Ecclesiasticall for God hath commaunded to honour and obey them Submitte your selues vnto all manner ordinaunce of man for the Lordes sake whether it be vnto the king as vnto the superior or vnto gouernours as vnto them that are sent of him for the punishment of euill doers and for the praise of them that doo well 1. Pet. 2. v. 13.14 Also of this obedience and subiection for conscience sake of this reuerence and honour to bee rendred S. Paule writeth Rom. 13. ver 1.2.3.4.5.6.7 Likewise obey them that haue the ouersight of you and submit your selues for they watch for your soules as they that must giue accountes c. Hebr. 13. ver 17. The neglect breach of this rule euen the denying of obedience reuerence and honour vnto the rulers gouernours and teachers disturbeth ouerthroweth the vnity which is here praised If then a man wil not make conscience to perform this duty in obeying the holy doctrine of the lord what is he other thē an enemy vnto the true concord a dissoluer of vnity peace But what if rulers offend Pastors gouernours faile and come short in some duties and thereby séeme vnworthy to be regarded I say if they do they shal answer before God for it but yet priuate men are not set at liberty they are not discharged from this obedience rendring honour vnto them for it is vnto the authority vnto Gods ordinance that they do it and not in respect of mā God hath not prescribed the duties of men which are to be don vnto others vnder this condition if they performe all that which they ought to doo on their partes or if they be such manner of men as they ought to be But he hath prescribed euery mans duty absolutly If an other faile in his he shall answer as I said for it before God thou hast no warrāt hereby to depart from the rule which God hath set vnto thée For thou art tied in conscience vnto God to obey his will not in regard of man or of thine own benefit to do this or that for by that doctrine of the blessed Apostle we sée that christian subiects faithful seruantes are commanded euen for conscience to giue honor vnto heathen Princes and infidel Maisters Rom. 13.1 Tim. 6.1 we must then from this expresse word of God obserue that when gouernours do amisse men haue not their tongues set at libertie to reuile and to reproch them or to dishonour them with euill speech séeing it is also writen Thou shalt not cursse the ruler of the people Exod. 22. ver 28. But contrariwise prayers and supplications are to bee made vnto God for rulers and teachers of the Lords people When they offend it is with great hurt to the Church and therefore men are to lament and mourne for it and not to make themselues mery with iestes and reproches Let all euill spéeches of disgrace then be turned into prayers and the laughter into teares for this shall be more pleasing vnto God Let no mā beare him selfe in hand that he is not guiltie of the breach of holy concorde when he obserueth not the rules of this doctrine of submission of reuerence and honour to be giuen vnto gouernours Another rule is giuen by the Apostle in these wordes That ye studie to be quiet and to meddle with your owne businesse and to worke with your owne handes c. Thess 4.11 as God hath distributed vnto euerie man and as the Lord hath called euerie one saith the Apostle so let him walke and so ordaine I in al churches 1. Cor. 7. ver 17. God hath ordained the seuerall places and callings hee hath giuen gifts of abilitie to men to performe the thinges he requireth in the same he hath also set the boundes and limits within which euerie one is to keepe himselfe and to walke orderly medling with that which appertaineth vnto him This is an holy thing and comely a preseruer of vnitie But it is much broken and great euil ensueth thereof for there be many priuate persons which would seeme verie religious and to seeke the holy vnitie aboue others which leaue the dueties of their places and callings and busie themselues wholy with those matters which do not belong vnto them For as if the matters of their trades and sciences were too base or as if the care of their familie were a thing ouer vilde they set
these aside and neglect them and take vpon them greater and higher businesse For beholding anye thing amisse in the Church as if God had set them to bee ouerseers of the gouernours and teachers contrarie vnto this rule of S. Paule they labour not with their handes nor meddle quietly with their owne businesse but they bend all the powers of their minde to dispute and reason about gouernment and the duties of gouernours and teachers wandring about and séeking to perswade and draw others to their minde They thinke thus to doe GOD high seruice But who hath giuen them power to dispense with this rule that yee studie to bee quiet and to meddle with your owne businesse and to labour with your handes Hath God called them and set them aworke about greater thinges and freed them from these Is it not the ordinance and will of our God that men shall instruct and guide their families in his waies Is there not labour and paines and care to be taken that the children and seruants may learne the holy doctrine and walke in it But there are many which deepely meddle in publike matters and if they haue two or three children and as many seruants they are left ignorant no paines taken about them they may walke awry many waies the care thereof is little Also a mans owne matters which S. Paule willeth to meddle with are in prouiding earthly thinges necessarie for his familie so that S. Paule saith if there be any that prouideth not for his owne namely for them of his familie he denyeth the faith is worse then an infidel 1. Tim. 5.8 and so in other dueties Shall wee thinke the truth is obeyed or that God is pleased by such waies when the rulers and guides of Gods people doe amisse a man is to sorrow at it he is to looke to his way that hee kéepe vpright before God but when in reprehending that which others fault in hee neglectteth his owne calling how shall he eschew this sentence thou art therefore inexcusable O man whosoeuer thou art that iudgest another for in that thou iudgest another thou condemnest thy selfe For thou doest the same thinges that thou iudgest Rom. 2. ver 1. Thou leauest vndone thy duetie in guiding that small charge committed vnto thee And let vs make the comparison is he not more worthie blame that findeth fault with the greater and doth it not in the lesser when the greater is more difficult to be performed It is harder to gouerne a whole kingdom a citie or a flocke then a little family and more faultes will appeare How vnreasonable a thing then is it that a man which guideth not his little familie in any such order as God requireth should let goe the sight of his owne defects and wholy giue him selfe in spéech to depraue the publike guides Lament and sorrow for euil consent notthereunto in any wise follow the waies of the Lord obey the rules of the word and therefore let all men regarde this and keepe their place and standing which God hath set them in and so walk as that they may answer before the highe Iudge and giue account howe they haue discharged their duetie To come now to the gouernours and guides of the Lordes people and first to the pastors and shepeheards which haue the power and authoritie Ecclesiasticall These are principall and aboue all other and after a speciall sorte to procure and to preserue this blessed vnitie as the end for which they are giuen of Christ doth shew He hath saith S. Paule giuen some to be Apostles some Prophets some Euangelists some Pastors and teachers and then he sheweth to what end saying for the repairing of saints for the worke of the ministrie for the edification of the body of Christ till we al méet together in the vnitie of faith and that acknowledging of the sonne of God vnto a perfect man vnto the measure of the age of the fulnes of Christ c. Eph. 4. ver 11.12.13 This is their whole worke labour appointed them euen to build vp Christes body the Temple of God by framing cupling together the liuing stones vnto that vnitie of brethren which is commended in this Psalme Then let vs sée the rules prescribed in gods word which they must obserue to performe this holy worke the elders saith S. Peter that are amōg you I beséech which am also an Elder and a witnes of the sufferings of Christ and also a partaker of the glory that shall be reuealed féed the flocke of God which dependeth vpon you caring for it not by constraint but willingly not for filthie lucre but of a ready minde not as though ye were Lordes ouer Gods heritage but that ye may be examples to the flocke 1. Pet. 5. ver 1.2 First the shéep of Christ are to haue food their life dependeth therupon It is required therefore in all shepeheards that wil answere their calling before God to haue the same affectiō in them which Christ had who whē he saw the multitude he had compassion on them because they were as shéepe without a shepeheard Mat. 9. v. 36. pittie compassion vpon the straying shéepe must moue them to féed yea loue must constraine For Christ saith to Peter Simon Ioanna louest thou me more thē these feede my sheepe louest thou me féede my lambes louest thou me feede my shéepe as if he should say of al loue do this for me Here I am to moue those which bee in authoritie in the Church if it may any waie come to their eares I do humbly beseech them for the Lorde Iesus Christes sake to haue compassion vpon the flocke that the sheepe may haue their appointed food euen the bread of life plentifully broken vnto them that they may bee led into the greene pastures and vnto the fountaines and streames of the liuing waters cry also vnto the Lord of the haruest that he will poure downe his spirit vpon them that in compassion there may be labourers sent forth And that such as haue taken vpon them the charge and be idle or absent may be compelled to doe their duetie that such as be not able to féed or that walke in a dissolute and wicked behauiour in life and conuersation may be remoued And that such as bee both skilfull to teach and of godly life may be set ouer them to guide them both by doctrine and ensample If this be not performed howe is the true concorde and vnity sought If the people be not instructed and led in the way of godlines how shal they be framed and built together in one holy temple If the Shepheard bee vngodly and giue corrupt example what peace what vnity or what agréement can such as will feare God hold with him And if there be a diuision betwéene the shéepe and the Shepheard where shal be the vnity of brethren It is out of all controuersie that the meane to worke the Godly vnitye of brethren is that the flocke