ioyning of house to house and fielde to fielde so as they woulde banishe the poore to dwell alone by themselues 11. Earely vp to dronkennesse and bibbing from morning till nighte banquetting feasting piping and dauncing but no regarde of the worke of the Lorde wherefor he hathe made them Furthermore Vers 20. they gaue a contrary tongue vnto God For they yéelded commendation of that whiche was noughte and flatly condemned the simple good They altered the tymes and seasons to their owne fantasies darkenesse for light bitter for sweete and swéet for sower 21. They estéemed mannes pollicie aboue Gods diuinitie makyng muche of their owne conceits and became prudent in their owne sight they durst vse and bragge of it that a carowsing Cup or a harty draught coulde not ouertumble them therefore they woulde ioine Bacchus to Venus still Vers 23. Finally they abused the seate of Iustice Equity was sent from home and the wicked were iustified for bribes yea the godly and his cause was by the aduerse power intercepted of his right and hys case peruerted so as either the righteousnesse of his cause was darkened or much diminished or the true alowance to it vtterly taken away therefore the Lorde did threaten his cutting down Esay 5.24 saying Like as the flame of fire deuoureth the stubble and as the Chaffe is consumed of the flame So their roote shall bee as rottennesse and their bud shall ryse vp like duste bycause they haue caste off the lawe of the Lorde of hostes and contemned the worde of the holy one of Israell But nowe let vs looke into the long suffering of this our God to this people Beholde saith he these three yeares haue I sought for fruit and finde none By this terme of time we are to note beloued the long suffering of God which calleth by it to repentance So he dealt with the world in the dayes of the floude yea euen when he was ready to strike then he gaue them afreshe a longer time to repent namely 20. yeres Gen. 6.3 So prolonged he the time of his plagues to their posteritie euen when the daye was conceyued to sée if they would preuent his anger with their returning vnto him And by his holye Prophets cryed vnto them oh ye people why wil you dye Ezech. 33.11 Turne you from your euil wayes gather your selues togither o people not worthy to be beloued before the dresser come forth and ye be as chaffe that passeth in a day and before the fierce wrath of the Lorde come vpon you Zephany 2.12 But they greatly abused his great forbearing and so do we Ieremy saide of them Ierem. 25.3 that hée hadde called them to repentaunce ful 23. yeares earely and late but they woulde not heare nor encline thine eares to obey but prouoked him to anger albeit he long suffered them and sente to them his Prophets as before is saide Oh Ieremy Gods holy Prophet thy terme of time is cast vppon vs. These thrée and twentie yeares hathe the Lorde in mercye by the voice of his Prophetes called for fruite of vs in Englande But what shoulde be our fruites Surely a duple degrée in fruites the Lorde dothe require of vs. Firste a generall fruite as we be all professed into our Christe And then a speciall namely euery trée his owne fruite Philip. 1.27 Of the firste the Apostle Paule speaketh thus Let your conuersation be as it becōmeth the Gospel of God c. That is that our heartes be one in iudgement oure offections in loue our confederacie in godlynesse suche as wée ioyne hands in vnitie one with another to fight togither through the faith of the Gospell againste the aduersary and not as dismembred bodies and companies to deuoure one an other by iarring braules and causelesse contentions Let this beloued be neuer out of our minds which are of one religion If ye bite one an other Gal. 5 15. take heede leaste ye be consumed one of an other Our vnitie loue doth appall the pride of the Papists our brawling contentions and strife not for knowledge but for malice doth bréede a breache for the wicked But note that our vnitie godlinesse muste be a conuersation not a déede well done by chaunce at a sodaine but a continued conuersation in holynesse The guide of whiche conuersation is set downe to vs here to be the faith of the Gospell of God as from which fountaine euerye manne may fetche hys seuerall fruite and lycour to life Marke this you mighty rulers and rich of the earth From hence namely from Gods holy worde oughte you firste to others godlye example to draw the patterne to your conuersatiō God sendeth hys holy Prophets the preachers of the worde fyrste to call you hyther Goe downe to the house of the Kyng of IVDAH saith the Lord to Ieremy Ierem. 22.1 and speake thys thing and say heare the worde of the Lord o King of Iudah thou that sittest vpon the throne of Dauid thou and thy seruants and thy people Execute iudgement and righteousnesse c. then shall yee liue I praye you reade the place at youre leysure you princely Rulers Know you that first you aboue all menne are spectacles and myrrors vnto men your conuersation therefore muste shine by the Gospel Gods holy word and your loue from aboue must abound in equitie to his Ministers Moses must loue Aaron defēd him in truth againste the malice of the wicked But where is this Gospel-like conuersation We wil aske of the riche and mighty nowe at the ende of these thrée and twenty yeres but this equall fruit But it is with vs fruite good ynoughe for the Minister to be basely estéemed it is no matter to priue his portiō to your owne purses but suche are Nabothes feare not God I speake not against the godly mighty but against the rich men of the earth whiche care not for these wordes Do my Prophets no harme Nor for this He that teacheth the Gospel let him liue of the Gospell Nor for this Muzzel not the mouth of the Oxe that treadeth out the corne c. But are these worldlings but fewe or rather may we not aske who is it that delighteth in this conuersation of the worde For the moste parte ye dispise our holye calling but daylye more and more you labour and hunger to be possessed with our liuings You are by calling properly temporall but through elder abuse many of you are become improperly Ecclesiasticall The poore Minister muste crouch to such patrons his knée to the grounde his stéeple to theyr stealth his tythe to their granary and his due portion to their vnsatiable prouision These be improper persons and therefore I take it by law their Churche detentions are rightly called impropriate promotiōs These improper persons receiue hundreds but the pore Vicar can scarce haue tenne poundes and yet the whole burthen is layde on hys shoulders I know not howe many
you shall confesse that not pleasaunt Minstrels but Gods true Prophetes Preachers were sent to forewarne you 2. Kin. 21.2 These bée much more wicked thā curssed Achab whyche yet beléeued the worde at the voice of one Prophet and receiued cōforte But these shall haue him a witnesse to their condemnation in the day of Gods anger which cannot or wil beléeue the Lordes word by so many yeres trauel amongest them Rom. 12.1 But lette vs labour to persuade you by Gods mercies to offer vp your bodyes a holy liuelye acceptable sacrifice to God whyche is your resonable seruing of God Tush that cānot moue for you beléeue vs not you haue Papisticall spirites that is to say doubtfull hearts you dare not reste vpon the promises of God and therefore wil not be allured by his mercies But let vs tell you Esay 26 17 that if ye followe the fashion of this worlde you shal die in the sinnes thereof you saie to your selues safe inough for we haue made a couenant with death our Preachers do but scare vs we sée no suche likenesse of Gods anger all thinges continue their course as at the beginning But you wilfully are ignorant saying 2. Pet. 3.3.4 that the Lord hath a desire to saue vs and would haue none to perish but woulde all to come to repentance Notwithstanding be it knowne to you O ye curssed scorners the Lorde wil come to you as a théefe in the night and when you crye to youre selues peace and rest then sodaine shal be your destruction 2. Tess 2.12 whiche woulde not credite the worde of trueth to your saluation Gen. 7. The first age beleued not Noah and are vniuersally drowned Gen. 19. The cursed Sodomites scorned Loth and wyth fyre and brimstone are consumed And canst thou think to escape with thy scorning couenant of death thou Paynim Papist and carnall Atheiste No the Lord saith to euery such your couenant with death shall be disanulled and your agréemēt with hel shal not stād When a scourge shall runne ouer Esay 28.18 and passe through then shal ye be troden down by it c. The third vice abusing Gods long suffering is Our presumption to sin For we conceiuing by a natural self liking a sinister cōiecture of Gods mercie that he doth not so narrowly looke to our offēces or will so strictly punish our sins do therfore take occasion presumptuously to adde sin vpon sin to passe the dayes of our youth in distemperate dealings against God man promising to our selues a long life a long tyme to repent a long suffering God But O ye gallants of these days which sin in this presumption know ye that God is iust as he is merciful that repētance is his gift to whom it pleaseth him giuen to the hūble spirited that feare him which in the days of their youth remēber him before those euil dayes come wherein you shal for paine griefe in conscience corps say we haue no pleasure to liue Be helping therefore to youre selues in God Eccle. 12 1. and stowpe to the yoke of Christe in time Nowe is the day of your calling when the sounde of Gods Gospell ringeth in your eares now is the acceptable day In this day harden not your harts nor treasure vp to your selues anger against the day of wrath But lende your lustie eares to this necessarye demaunde of the Apostle Paule O man Rom 2.4 despisest thou the ryches of hys bountifulnesse and patience and long sufferaunce not knowing that the bountifulnes of God leadeth thee to repentaunce but thou after thine hardnesse and heart that cannot repent heapest vp as a treasure vnto thy selfe wrath against the day of wrath and of the declaration of the iust iudgemēt of God who wil reward euery man according to his workes Now beloued in God let vs pray the Lord our long suffering God to giue vs true repentaunce that we abuse no longer his blessed bountie either with carnall contempte naturall diffidence or presūptuous sins but that with Dauid we may praye againste the rebellion of our youth Psal 19. our secrete faults and presumptuous offēces that in this long time of his suffering nowe drawing so neare the Lordes Haruest wée may hasten throughe him our heares to be fruitefull leaste we still abusing his great patience at the laste shall heare to our endlesse sorrowe the sharpnesse of this sentence Cutte downe the Figge tree But O Lorde and deare father graunt vs thy heauenly grace wée béeséeche thée for thy holy Christs sake And nowe time requireth to speake some thing of this sharpe sentence Cut it downe If he had saide but cut it it had bene a harde word of Gods anger but in that he saith Cut it downe and with a further demaund namely Why keepeth it the grounde barren also hée signifieth his loue is gone his wrath is kindled and therefore this barren trée must néedes perishe Two wicked euils you sée followeth this wicked Fig trée Firste he is not only fruitelesse himselfe but the verye place where he stādeth he maketh barren also Secondly for thys after a long wattering proyning wéeding and wayting no goodnesse founde in him but much euill he is commaunded to be cut downe from the trées of the Vineyarde And for the first would God it were rightly considered of those which are in aucthoritie For wheresoeuer the barren Figge trée abideth there he is not onely fruitelesse to God but very hurtful to the common weale rounde about him as for example the child of hel the shamefull Vsurer as barren to God so he maketh barren and vnable to liue al the trées that earste bare greate shewe in that Forrest of his Countrey Likewise the hardned Papist is not onely an enimy to God his religion and hir Maiestie in his heart but he maketh according the valor of his countenaunce the Countrie by proportion where he dwelleth very Papisticall with him If he be a Gentlemā he corrupteth his tenants and the godly Minister there hath small ioy of his labor but if a Iustice of peace as too manye suche there are then hée goeth very néere if not to corrupt sundrye his fellowe Benchers yet by the fleshly fauor they owe him and through the linkes of bloude or affinitie to him or other their friendes they are become very sparing of religious fruite bothe bearing with his Popery and all hys and also not so dutifull to God and hir Maiestie for the purging of the country of such bitter trées or fruites as they of faithfulnesse oughte or for their owne persuasion should were they not made barrē by such a bitter Fig trée Oh Lord why should such vniuste Papists sit in place of Iustice so to barren the soyle rounde aboute them Mercy they haue had and it doth rather mar them Lord from heauen from heauen Lord grant them Iustice or mercy at thy good wyll Conuert them or confound them Lord For why
Fathers of the lawe are embrewed wyth this bloude I am also a straunger to the Citie a poore man come oute of the Country and whether my Lorde Mayor or his brethren be or haue in their corporation this improper proprietie I cannot say but I am very sure of thys it is a very vnséemely sight to sée a Parson of a Parishe Churche so stately attyred in suche costely robes and golden chaines as the honor of this Citie doth affoorde to hir Aldermen But if you bée suche improper persons I pray you yet haue lesse care of your gaine and more of conscience lette vs not serue you for suche parings but somewhat more liberally carue to vs in the Lord we admonishe you Remember that the word of God requireth you to make vs partakers of all your goodes Mala. 1.14 And dare you so boldelye take from vs then our fyrst allotted portions Malach. 3.8 It is counted a blessed thyng wyth manye in these dayes to spoyle the portion of the Minister but the dayes to come shall proue it accurssed with God But Lorde this is thy iudgement vppon vs thy seruauntes whyche haue not serued thée as belongeth vs in these thy forbearing dayes and thy further plague to the posteritie for this contempte againste thée For thy worde by thys meanes shall bée eyther sparingly or not at all delyuered them But surelye if Potentates hadde lyttle regarde to Religion yet me séemeth it their greate pollicie whylest the LORDE dothe yet forbeare well to maintaine the preaching ministery For the hart of man is his leader and the affectictions kindled there enforce the bodye seruiceable to his will The handes maye be restrained for a time but the hearte not altered a newe assaye is to be giuen But if the heart of man bée once conuerted vnto the trueth of God whyche commeth to passe by the office of Preaching then the soule submitteth hymselfe to euerye lawfull power Rom. 13.1 as sent from God and for conscience to GOD and dutie to hys worde causeth his body to obey euen to moste hard commaundements impositions euery demannd Let a suruey be taken hereof betwixt the Papist and the true Protestant the one is ready to rebell at euery motion the other alwayes preste to aide aucthoritie with goods landes life Wherehence commeth this but that the heartes of men are setled by the worde to stoupe and stande to their superiors set ouer them not for feare but for conscience Iere. 29.6.7 And good Ieremy and Barucke Baruc. 9.11.12 do euer persuade the Israell of God not only to bende their backes to Nabuchadnezars bondage but also hartilye to praye to God for his prosperous raigne and for the life of his sonne Balthazar how much more then wyl they teache obedience to godlye Princes by whome God is greately honoured and his Prophets right louingly intreated But this is a hard fruite o noble Fig-trées and improrer persons to giue to God lame liuings and halting portions to take the beste by spoile from his Minister and your selues not sanctified to the seruice For you are not otherwise Ecclesiasticall then when you call for tythes but for the charge of the Cure you take no care Oh be afraide of thys you that forget God and yet boaste of hys truth for it is a right bitter fruite and roote of a thousande euils to the Church of God whyche is the verye cause why I haue thus saide vnto it A braunche whereof beholde oure presente time hathe bredde for our Ministers in the Country for the moste part are either ignorant and idle or else ouer poore and néedy The people for the moste are likewise vnder suche either blinde and Popishe or hauty and harde harted and yet the Lorde doth stil beare and cryeth for better fruites Heb. 3. oh beloued lette vs hearken to his voice while it is to day that we do not stil thus fall by degrées from the lyuing God thoroughe the deceitfulnesse of sinne It is ynough that we haue spent the time of two and twētie yeares so vainely 1. Pet. 4.2.3 lette vs knowe that hence forth we ought to liue not after the lustes of the fleshe but after the will of God But this is a greate wonder to manye that men professing God and indued with so goodlye wits should in the light of the glorious Gospell so manye yeares gloriouslye shining delight to dwell in suche obstinate blindenesse But take vppe thy wonder beloued and looke into the matter So shalt thou perceiue this bitter fruit to arise of these thrée monstrous vices namely of the carnal contempt of Gods long sufferaunce Of the naturall distruste of his worde and promise And of the presumptuous abuse of his goodnesse First naturally we feare those things which be angry and able to hurt as lyons beares and tyrannous men Againe we doe not feare but rather contempne those thinges whych be milde mind not harme as louyng kinde and peaceable men Yea suche Princes as be rough and sharp to punish transgressors wée feare to offende but suche as onely strike of mercies string and seldome touch due Iustice threat our wicked nature with tooth naile enarmeth hautie contempt against them Euen so it is likewise to our good God bicause he is slow to wrath doth not alwayes strike we straight contemne his threatning worde supposing eyther he is not able or not knowing to punishe our open rebellion againste hym and so the wicked saieth in his hearte Psal there is no God Secondely if GOD in mercie doe swéetely persuade vs by hys holy worde to true repentaunce straightwaye our nature halseth vp a naturall distruste saying Malac. 3 1◠what profite haue we to serue the Lord or what be his promises vnto vs we wil not hearken vnto his word Io. 22.14.15 For if we pray vnto him what gaine to vs In their deadly distrust they scornfully saye Ezech 33. Come let vs goe heare what the Lorde wil say to vs but they holde his Prophets as iesting persons and pleasant Minstrels that satisfy the time not as the sincere Prophets of God For neither beléeue they the promises of Gods loue to appertaine to them or the iudgements of his wrath doe they accepte in truth and therfore they neyther embrace the promisse of his mercy or be terrified with the threates of hys Iustice But in steade therof they say Come lette vs eate and drincke for to morrowe we shal dye Oh horrible and thrice curssed nature so arming thy carnall corps to abuse the long suffering of thy good God But be ye sure that the eternall worde of God is yea and Amen that whatsoeuer it promiseth it shall performe and though his infinite wisedome to drawe thée to repentaunce do differ his plagues yet he wil iustifie his worde in the day of his anger When those thyngs shall come to passe whych he hath spoken by his Prophets and then in the midle of his wrath