faith to the conservation of the soule For they that fall away from the grace of God and separate themselues vnto perdition they are fleshly and carnall they haue not Gods holy spirit But vnto you because yee are sonnes God hath sent forth the spirit of his sonne into your hearts to the end yee might knowe that Christ hath built you vpon a rocke vnmoueable that he hath registred your names in the booke of life that hee hath bound himselfe in a sure and everlasting covenant to be your God the God of your children after you that hee hath suffered as much groned as oft prayed as heartily for you as for Peter O father keepe them in thy name ô righteous father the world hath not knowne thee but I haue knowne thee and these haue knowne that thou hast sent me I haue declared thy name vnto them and will declare it that the loue wherewith thou hast loued me may be in them and I in them The Lord of his infinite mercy giue vs hearts plentifully fraught with the treasure of this blessed assurance of faith vnto the end 14 Here I must advertise all men that haue the testimonie of Gods holy feare within their breasts to consider how vnkindly and iniuriously our owne countrimen and brethren haue dealt with vs by the space of foure and twentie yeares from time to time as if we were the men of whom S. Iude here speaketh never ceasing to charge vs some with schisme some with heresie some with plaine and manifest apostasie as if we had cleane separated our selues from Christ vtterly forsaken God quite abiured heaven trampled all truth and all religion vnder our feet Against this third sort God himselfe shall pleade our cause in that day when they shall answer vs for these words not we them To others by whom we are accused for schisme and heresie wee haue often made our reasonable and in the sight of God I trust allowable answers For in the way which they call heresie wee worship the God of our fathers beleeuing all things which are written in the law the Prophets That which they call schisme wee knowe to bee our reasonable service vnto God and obedience to his voice which cryeth shrill in our eares Go out of Babylon my people that you be not partakers of her sinnes and that yee receaue not of her plagues And therefore when they rise vp against vs hauing no quarrell but this we need not to seeke any farther for our Apologie then the words of Abiah to Ieroboam his armie 2. Chr. 13. O Ieroboam and Israel heare you me ought you not to knowe that the Lord God of Israel hath giuen the kingdome over Israel to David for ever even to him to his sonnes by a covenant of salt that is to say an everlasting covenant Iesuits Papists heare yee me ought you not to knowe that the Father hath giuen al power vnto the some and hath made him the only head over his Church wherein he dwelleth as an husbādman in the midst of his vineyard manuring it with the sweat of his owne browes not letting it forth to others For as it is in the Canticle Solomon had a vineyard in Baalhamon he gaue the vineyard vnto keepers every one bringing for the fruit thereof a thousand peeces of silver but my vineyard which is mine is before me saith Christ. It is true this is meant of the mysticall head set over the body which is not seene butas he hath reserved the mysticall administratiō of the church invisible vnto himselfe so hee hath committed the mysticall government of cōgregations visible to the sonnes of David by the same couenant whose sonnes they are in the governing of the flock of Christ whōsoever the holy ghost hath set over thē to goe before them to leade them in their seuerall pastures one in this cōgregation another in that as it is written Take heede vnto your selues and to all the flocke whereof the holy ghost hath made you over seers to feed the church of God which hee hath purchased with his owne blood Neither will ever any Pope or Papist vnder the cope of heaven bee able to proue the Romish Bishops vsurped supremacy over all Churches by any one word of the covenant of salt which is the Scripture For the children in our streets doe now laugh them to scome when they force thou art Peter to this purpose The Pope hath no more reason to draw the charter of his vniversall authoritie from hence then the rethren had to gather by the wordes of Christ in the last of S. Iohn that the Disciple whome Iesus I ued should never die If I will that he tarry till I come what is that to thee saith Christ Straight waies a report was raysed amongst the brethren that this disciple should not die yet Iesus said not to him Hee shall not die but if I will that he tarry till I come what is that to thee Christ hath said in the 16 of S. Matthewes Gospell to Simon the sonne of Ionas I say to thee thou art Peter Hence an opinion is held in the world that the Pope is vniversall head of all Churches yet Iesus said not the Pope is vniversall head of all Churches but Tues Petrus Thou art Peter Howbeit as Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat the servant of Solomon rose vp and rebelled against his Lord and there were gathered vnto him vaine men and wicked which made themselues strong against Ieroboam the sonne of Solemon because Roboam was but a child and tender hearted and could not resist them so the sonne of perdition and man of sinne being not able to brooke the words of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ which forbad his disciples to be leke princes of nations They beare rule and are called gracious it shall not bee so with you hath risen vp and rebelled against his Lord to strengthen his arme he hath crept into the houses almost of all the noblest families round about him and taken their children from the cradle to be his Cardinals he hath fawned vpon the kings and princes of the earth by spirituall coufenage hath made them sell their lawfull authoritie and iurisdiction for titles of Catholicus Christianissimus Defensor fidei and such like he hath proclaimed sale of pardons to inveigle the ignorant built seminaries to allure young men desirous of learning erected Stewes to gather the dissolute vnto him This is the rocke wherevpon his Church is built Hereby the man is growne huge and strong like the Cedars which are not shaken with the wind because Princes haue beene as children over tender hearted and could not resist Hereby it is come to passe as you see this day that the man of sinne doth warre against vs not by men of a language which we cannot vnderstande but he commeth as Ieroboam against Iuda bringeth the fruit of our owne bodies to eat vs
vp that the bowels of the childe may be made the mothers graue that he hath caused no small number of our brethren to forsake their natiue country with all disloialty to cast off the yoke of their allegeance to our dread Soveraigne whom God in mercy hath set over them for whose sauegard if they caried not the hearts of Tygers in the bosomes of men they woulde thinke the dearest blood in their bodies wel spent But now saith Abiah to Ieroboam yee thinke yee be able to resist the kingdome of the Lorde which is in the hands of the sonnes of David Yee be a great multitude the golden calues are with you which Ieroboam made you for Gods haue yee not driven away the priests of the Lord the sonnes of Aaron and the Levites haue made you priests like the people of natioÌ„s whosoever commeth with a young bullocke and seaven rammes the same may bee a priest of them that are no Gods If I should follow the comparison here vncover the cup of those deadly and ougly abominations where with this Ieroboam of whom we speake hath made the earth so drunke that it hath reeled vnder vs I know your godly hearts would loath to see them For my own part I delight not to take in such filth I had rather take a garment vpon my shoulders and go with my face from them to cover them The Lord open their eies and cause them if it be possible at the length to see how they are wretched and miserable and poore and blinde and naked Put it O Lord in their hearts to seeke white raiment and to cover themselues that their filthy nakednes may no longer appeare For beloved in Christ we bow our knees lift vp our hands to heaven in our chambers secretly openly in our churches we pray hartily howrely even for them also though the Pope haue given out as a Iudge in a solemne declaratory sentence of excommunication against this land that our gracious Lady hath quite abolished praiers within her realme and his schollers whom he hath taken from the midst of vs haue in their published writings charged vs not only not to haue any holy assemblies vnto the Lorde for praier but to hold a common schoole of sinne flattery to hold sacrilege to be Gods service vnfaithfulnesse and breach of promise to God to giue it to a strumpet to be a vertue to abandon fasting to abhor confession to mislike with penance to like well of vsury to charge none with restitution to finde no good before God in single life nor in no well working that all men as they fal to vs are much woorsed and more then afore corrupted I do not adde one word or sillable vnto that which Mr Bristow a man both borne and sworne amongst vs hath taught his hand to deliver to the view of all I appeale to the coÌ„science of every soule that hath beene truely converted by vs whether his heart were never raised vp to God by our preaching whether the words of our exhortation never wrong any teare of a penitent heart from his eies whether his soule never reaped any ioy any comfort any consolation in Christ Iesus by our sacraments and praiers and Psalmes thansgivings whether he were never bettered but alwaies worsed by vs. Omerciful Godlif heaven and earth in this case do not witnesse with vs and against them let vs bee razed out from the land of the living let the earth on which we stand swallow vs quicke as it hath done Corah Dathan and Abiram But if we belong vnto the Lord our God and haue not forsaken him if our priests the sonnes of Aaron minister vnto the Lord and the Levites in their office if wee offer vnto the Lord every morning and every evening the burnt offrings sweet incense of praiers land thanks givings if the bread be set in order vpon the pure table the candlesticke of gold with the lamps thereof to burne every morning that is to say if amoÌ„gst vs Gods blessed sacraments be duly administred his holy word sincerely and daily preached if we keep the watch of the Lord our God and if yee haue forsaken him then doubt yee not this God is with vs as a captaine his priests with founding trumpets must cry alarme against you O yee children of Israel fight not against the Lord God of your fathers for yee shall not prosper The second Sermon EPIST. IVDE 17 But yee beloved remember the words which were spoken before of the Apostles of our Lord Iesus Christ. 18 How that they tolde you that there should be mockers in the last time which should walk after their own vngodly lusts 19 These are makers of Sects fleshly having not the spirit 20 But yee beloved edifie your selues in your most holy faith praying in the holy Ghost 21 And keepe your selues in the loue of God looking for the mercie of our Lord Iesus Christ vnto eternall life HAving otherwhere spoken of the words of Saint Iude going next before concerning Mockers which should come in the last time backsliders which even then fell away from the faith of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ I am now by the aide of almighty God and through the assistance of his good spirit to lay before you the words of exhortation which I haue read 2 Wherein first of all whosoever hath an eie to see let him open it and he shall wel perceiue how carefull the Lord is for his children how desirous to see them profit and growe vp to a manly stature in Christ how loath to haue them any way mislead either by examples of the wicked or by enticements of the world and by provocation of the flesh or by any other meanes forcible to deceaue them and likely to estrange their heartt from God For God is not at that point with vs that hee careth not whether wee sinke or swimme No he hath written our names in the palme of his hand in the signet vpon his finger are we graven in sentences not onely of mercy but of iudgement also we are remembred He never denouÌ„ceth iudgements againâ—t the wicked but hee maketh some Proviso for his children as it were for some certaine priviledged persons Touch not mine annointed doe my Prophets no harme hurt not the earth nor the sea nor the trees till wee haue sealed the servants of God in their foreheads Hee never speaketh of godlesse men but he adioineth words of comfort or admonition or exhortation whereby wee are moued to rest and settle our hearts on him In the second to Tim. the 3. Chap. Evil men saith the Apostle and deceiuers shall waxe worse and worse deceiuing and being deceiued But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned And in the first to Tim. the. 6. Chap. Some men lusting after money have erred from the faith pierced themselues through with many sorrowes But thou ô man of God fly these things and follow
stoned the Prophets and crucified the Lord of glory which came vnto them then beganne the curse of God to come vpon them even the curse whereof the Prophet David hath spoken saying Let their table be made a snare and a net and a stumbling blocke even for a recompence vnto them let their eies bee darkned that they doe not see bow downe their backs forever keepe them downe And sithens the houre that the measure of their infidelitie was first maâ—e vp they haue beene spoiled with warres eateÌ„ vp with plagues sâ—ent with hunger and famine they wander froÌ„ place to place and are become the most base and contemptâ—ble people that are vnder the sunne Ephraim which before was a terrour vnto nations they trembled at his voice is now by infidelitie so vile that he seemeth as a thing cast out to bee trampled vnder mens feet In the midst of these desolations they cry Returne we beseech thee ô God of hosts looke downe from heaven behold and visit this vine but their very prayers are turned into sinne and their cryes are no better then the lowing of beasts before him Well saith the Apostle by their vnbeleefe they are broken of and thou doest stand by thy faith Behold therefore the bountifulnesse and severitie of God towards them severitie because they haue fallen bountifulnesse towards thee if thou continue in his bountifulnesse or else thou shalt be cut off If they forsake their vnbeleefe and be grafted in againe and we at any time for the hardnesse of our hearts be broken off it will be such a iudgement as will amaze all the powers and principalities which are aboue Who hath searched the counsell of God concerning this secret and who doth not see that infidelitie doth threaten Lo-ammi vnto the Gentiles as it hath brought Lo-ruchama vpon the Iewes It may bee that these wordes seeme darke vnto you But the words of the Apostle in the eleventh to the Romans are plaine enough If God haue not spared the naturall branches take heed take heed least he spare not thee Build thy selfe in faith Thus much of the thing which is prescribed and wherein we are exhorted to edifie our selues Now consider the conditions and properties which are in this place annexed vnto faith The former of them for there are but two is this Edifie your selues in your faith 21. A strange and a strong delusion it is where with the man of sinne hath bewitched the world a forcible spirit of errour it must needs be which hath brought men to such a senselesse vnreasonable perswasion as this is not only that men cloathed with mortalitie and sinne as we our selues are can doe God so much service as shall bee able to make a full and a perfect satisfaction before the Tribunall seate of God for their owne sinnes yea a great deale more then is sufficient for themselues But also that a man at the hands of a Bishop or a Pope for such or such a price may buie the overplus of other mens merits purchase the fruits of other mens labours and build his soule by another mans faith Is not this man drowned in the gall of bitternesse Is his heart right in the sight of God Can he haue any part or fellowship with Peter and with the successours of Peter which thinketh so vilely of building the pretious Temples of the holy Ghost Let his money perish with him and he with it because he iudgeth that the gift of God may bee sold for money 22 But Beloued in the Lord deceaue not your selues neither suffer ye your selues to be deceaued ye caÌ„receiue no more ease nor comfort for your soules by an other mans faith then warmth for your bodies by another mans cloathes or sustenance by the bread which another doeth eate The iust shall liue by his owne faith Let a saint yea a Martyr conteÌ„t himselfe that he hath clensed himselfe of his owne sinnes saith Tertullian No saint or martyr can cleanse himselfe of his owne sins But if so be a saint or a martyr can cleanse himselfe of his owne sinnes it is sufficient that he can doe it for himselfe Did â—uer any man by his death deliuer another man from death except onely the Son of God he indeed was able to Safe Conduct a Theefe from the Crosse to Paradise for to this end he came that being himselfe pure from sinne hee might obey for sinners Thou which thinkest to doe the like and supposest that thou canst iustifie another by thy righteousnesse if thou be without sinne then lay downe thy life for thy brother die for me But if thou bee a sinner even as I am a sinner how can the oyle of thy lampe be sufficient both for thee and for me Virgins that are wise get yee oyle while yee haue day into your owne lamps For out of all peradventure others though they would can neither giue nor sell. Edifie your selues in your owne most holy faith And let this be observed for the first propertie of that wherein we ought to edifie our selues 23 Our faith being such is that indeed which S. Iude doth here terme Faith namely a thing most holy The reason is this We are iustified by Faith For Abraham beleeued and this was imputed vnto him for righteousnesse Being iustified all our iniquities are covered God beholdeth vs in the righteousnesse which is imputed and not in the sinnes which wee haue committed 24 It is true wee are full of sinne both originall and actuall whosoever denieth it is a double sinner for he is both a sinner and a lyer To denie sinne is most plainely and cleerely to proue it because he that faith he hath no sinne lyeth and by lying proueth that he hath sinne 25. But imputation of righteousnesse hath covered the sinnes of every soule which beleeveth God by pardoning our sinne hath taken it away so that now although our transgressions be multiplied aboue the haires of our head yet being iustified wee are as free and as cleere as if there were no one spot or staine of any vncleanesse in vs. For it is God that iustifieth and who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods chosen saith the Apostle in the 8. ch to the Romans 26 Now sinne being taken away wee are made the righteousnesse of God in Christ. For David speaking of this righteousnesse saith Blessed is the man whole iniquities are forgiuen No man is blessed but in the righteousnesse of God Every man whose sinne is taken away is blessed Therefore every man whose sinne is covered is made the righteousnesse of God in Christ. The righteousnes doth mâ—ke vs to appeare most holy most pure most vnblamable before him 27 This then is the summ of that which I say faith doth iustifie iustification washeth away sin sin remoued we are cloathed with the righteousnes which is of God the righteousnes of God maketh vs most holy Every of these I haue proved by the testimony of