all from sin He is the Physician which healeth all our Diseases He is that Saviour which saveth People from all their sins To be short Matth. 1. he is that flowing and most plentious Fountain of whose fulness all we have received For in him alone are all the treasures of the wisdom and knowledge of God hidden And in him and by him have we from God the Father all good things pertaining either to the Body or to the Soul O how much are we bound to this our Heavenly Father for his great Mercies which he hath so plenteously declared unto us in Christ Jesu our Lord and Saviour What Thanks worthy and sufficient can we give to him Let us all with one accord burst out with joyful voice ever Praising and Magnifying this Lord of Mercy for his tender Kindness shewed unto us in his dearly beloved Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Hitherto we have heard what we are of ourselves very sinful wretched and damnable Again we have heard how that of ourselves and by ourselves we are not able either to think a good Thought or work a good Deed so that we can find in ourselves no hope of Salvation but rather whatsoever maketh unto our Destruction Again we have heard the tender Kindness and great Mercy of God the Father towards us and how beneficial he is to us for Christ's sake without our Merits or Deserts even of his own mere Mercy and tender Goodness Now how these exceeding great Mercies of God set abroad in Christ Jesu for us be obtained and how we be delivered from the captivity of Sin Death and Hell shall more at large with God's help be declared in the next Sermon In the mean season yea and at all times let us learn to know ourselves our frailty and weakness without any boasting or cracking of our own good Deeds and Merits Let us also acknowledge the exceeding Mercy of God towards us and confess that as of ourselves cometh all Evil and Damnation so likewise of him cometh all Goodness and Salvation Osee 13. as God himself saith by the Prophet Osee O Israel thy destruction cometh of thyself but in me only is thy help and comfort If we thus Humbly submit ourselves in the sight of God we may be sure that in the time of his Visitation he will lift us up unto the Kingdom of his dearly beloved Son Christ Jesu our Lord to whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost be all Honour and Glory for ever Amen A SERMON OF THE Salvation of Mankind by only Christ our Saviour from Sin and Death everlasting BEcause all Men be Sinners and Offenders against God and Breakers of his Law and Commandments therefore can no Man by his own Acts Works and Deeds seem they never so good be justified and made righteous before God But every Man of necessity is constrained to seek for another Righteousness of Justification to be received at God's own hands that is to say the forgiveness of his Sins and Trespasses in such things as he hath offended And this Justification or Righteousness which we so receive of God's Mercy and Christ's Merits embraced by Faith is taken accepted and allowed of God for our perfect and full Justification For the more full understanding hereof it is our Parts and Duties ever to remember the great Mercy of God how that all the World being wrapped in Sin by breaking of the Law God sent his only Son our Saviour Christ into this World to fulfil the Law for us and by shedding of his most precious Blood to make a sacrifice and satisfaction or as it may be called amends to his Father for our sins to asswage his Wrath and Indignation conceived against us for the same The efficacy of Christ's Passion and Oblation Insomuch that Infants being Baptized and dying in their Infancy are by this Sacrifice washed from their Sins brought to God's Favour and made his Children and Inheritors of his Kingdom of Heaven And they which in Act or Deed do sin after their Baptism when they turn again to God unfeignedly they are likewise washed by this Sacrifice from their sins in such sort that there remaineth not any spot of Sin that shall be imputed to their Damnation This is that justification of Righteousness which St. Paul speaketh of when he saith No man is Justified by the works of the Law Gal. 2. but freely by faith in Jesus Christ And again he saith We believe in Jesus Christ that we be justified freely by the faith of Christ and not by the works of the Law because that no Man shall be justified by the works of the Law And although this justification be free unto us yet it cometh not so freely unto us that there is no ransom paid therefore at all But here may Man's Reason be astonished reasoning after this fashion Objection If a Ransom be paid for our Redemption then is it not given us freely For a Prisoner that payd his Ransom is not let go freely For if he go freely then he goeth without Ransom For what is it else to go freely than to be set at liberty without paying of Ransom Answer This Reason is satisfied by the great Wisdom of God in this mystery of our Redemption who hath so tempered his Justice and Mercy together that he would neither by his Justice condemn us unto the everlasting Captivity of the Devil and his Prison of Hell remediless for ever without Mercy nor by his Mercy deliver us clearly without Justice or Payment of a just Ransom but with his endless Mercy he joyned his most upright and equal Justice His great Mercy he shewed unto us in delivering us from our former Captivity without requiring of any Ransom to be paid or amends to be made upon our parts which thing by us had been impossible to be done And whereas it lay not in us to do that he provided a Ransom for us that was the most precious Body and Blood of his own most dear and best beloved Son Jesu Christ who besides this Ransom fulfilled the Law for us perfectly And so the Justice of God and his Mercy did embrace together and fulfilled the Mystery of our Redemption And of this Justice and Mercy of God knit together speaketh St. Paul in the third Chap. to the Romans Rom. 3. All have offended and have need of the Glory of God but are justified freely by Grace by Redemption which is in Jesu Christ whom God hath sent forth to us for a Reconciler and Peace-maker through Faith in his Blood to shew his righteousness And in the 10th Chapter Rom. 10. Rom. 8. Christ is the end of the Law unto righteousness to every man that believeth And in the 8th Chapter That which was impossible by the Law inasmuch as it was weak by the flesh God sending his own Son in the similitude of sinful flesh by sin condemned sin in the flesh that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us
not rise to life but fall down to death and damnation and that without end Chrisâ— haâ—h not redeemed from us sin that we should live an sin For Christ hath not so redeemed us from sin that we may safely return thereto again but he hath redeemed us that we should forsake the motions thereof and live to righteousness Yea we be therefore washed in our Baptism from the filthiness of sin that we should live afterward in the pureness of life In Baptism we promised to renounce the Devil and his suggestions we promised to be as obedient Children always following Gods will and pleasure Then if he be our Father indeed let us give him his due Honour If we be his Children let us shew him our Obedience like as Christ openly declared his obedience to his Father which as St. Paul writeth was obedient even to the very death Phil. 2. the death of the Cross And this he did for us all that believe in him For himself he was not punished for he was pure and undefiled of all manner of sin He was wounded saith Esay for our wickedness Esay 53. and stripped for our sins he suffered the penalty of them himself to deliver us from danger He bare saith Esay all our sores and infirmities upon his own back No pain did he refuse to suffer in his own body that he might deliver us from pain everlasting His pleasure it was thus to do for us we deserved it not Wherefore the more we see our selves bound unto him the more he ought to be thanked of us yea and the more hope may we take that we shall receive all other good things of his hand in that we have received the gift of his only Son through his liberality R m. 8. For if God saith St. Paul hath not spared his own Son from pain and punishment but delivered him for us all unto the death how should he not give us all other things with him If we want any thing John 1. either for body or soul we may lawfully and boldly approach to God as to our merciful Father to ask that we desire and we shall obtain it For such power is given to us to be the Children of God so many as believe in Christs Name Mat. 11. In his Name whatsoever we ask we shall have it granted us For so well pleased is the Father Almighty God with Christ his Son that for his sake he favoureth us and will deny us nothing So pleasant was this Sacrifice and Oblation of his Sons death which he so obediently and innocently suffered that we should take it for the only and full amends for all the sins of the World And such favour did he purchase by his death of his Heavenly Father for us that for the merit thereof if we be true Christians in deed and not in word only we be now fully in Gods grace again and clearly discharged from our sin No â—ongue surely is able to express the worthiness of this so precious a death For in this standeth the continual pardon of our daily offences in this resteth our justification in this we be allowed in this is purchased the everlasting health of all our souls Acts 4. Yea there is none other thing that can be named under Heaven to save our souls but this only work of Christs precious offering of his Body upon the Altar of the Cross Certes there can be no work of any mortal man be he never so holy that shall be coupled in merits with Christs most holy act For no doubt all our thoughts and deeds were of no value if they were nor allowed in the merits of Christs death All our righteousness is far unperfect if it be be compared with Christs righteousness For in his acts and deeds there was no spot of sin or of any unperfectness Our deeds be full of imperfection And for this cause they were the more able to be the true amends of our righteousness where our acts and deeds be full of imperfection and infirmities and therefore nothing worthy of themselves to stir God to any favour much less to challenge that glory that is due to Christs act and merit Psal 115. For not to us saith David not to us but to thy Name give the glory O Lord. Let us therefore good Friends with all reverence glorifie his Name let us magnifie and praise him for ever For he hath dealt with us according to his great mercy by himself hath he purchased our Redemption Heb. 1. He thought it not enough to spare himself and to send his Angel to do this deed but he would do it himself that he might do it the better and make it the more perfect Redemption He was nothing moved with the intolerable pains that he suffered in the whole course of his long Passion to repent him thus to do good to his Enemies but he opened his heart for us and bestowed himself wholly for the ransoming of us Let us therefore now open our hearts again to him and study in our lives to be thankful to such a Lord and evermore to be mindful of so great a benefit Acts 17. yea let us take up our Cross with Christ and follow him His Passion is not only the ransom and whole amends for our sin but it is also a most perfect example of all patience and sufferance For if it behoved Christ thus to suffer and to enter into the glory of his Father why should it not become us to bear patiently our small crosses of adversity and the troubles of this World For surely as saith St. Peter Christ therefore suffered 1 Pet. 2. 1 Tim. 2. Rom. 8. Mat. 5. Heb. 11. to leave us an example to follow his steps And if we suffer with him we shall be sure also to reign with him in Heaven Not that the sufferance of this transitory life should be worthy of that glory to come but gladly should we be contented to suffer to be like Christ in our life that so by our works we may glorifie our Father which is in Heaven And as it is painful and grievous to bear the Cross of Christ in the griefs and displeasures of this life so it bringeth forth the joyful fruit of Hope James 5. in all them that be exercised therewith Let us not so much behold the pain as the reward that shall follow that labour Nay let us rather endeavour our selves in our sufferance to endure innocently and guiltless as our Saviour Christ did For if we suffer for our deservings 1 Pet. 2. then hath not patience his perfect work in us but if undeservedly we suffer loss of goods and life if we suffer to be evil spoken of for the love of Christ this is thankful afore God for so did Christ suffer The patience of Christ He never did sin neither was any guile found in his mouth Yea when he was reviled with taunts he reviled not again
the place where he hath promised to be present and where he will hear the Prayers of them that call upon him The which thing both Christ and his Apostles with all the rest of the Holy Fathers do sufficiently declare by this That albeit they certainly knew that their Prayers were heard in what place soever they made them though it were in Caves in Woods and in Desarts yet so oft as they could conveniently they resorted to the material Temples there with the rest of the Congregation to joyn in Prayer and true Worship Wherefore dearly beloved you that profess your selves to be Christians and glory in that name disdain not to follow the example of your Master Christ whose Scholars you say you be shew you to be like them whose School-mates you take upon you to be that is the Apostles and Disciples of Christ Lift up pure hands with clean hearts in all places and at all times But do the same in the Temples and Churches upon the Sabbath days also Our godly Predecessors and the ancient Fathers of the Primitive Church spared not their Goods to build Churches no they spared not their Lives in time of Persecution and to hazard their Blood that they might assemble themselves together in Churches And shall we spare a little labour to come to Churches Shall neither their Example nor our Duty nor the Commodities that thereby should come unto us move us If we will declare our selves to have the fear of God if we will shew our selves true Christians if we will be the followers of Christ our Master and of those godly Fathers that have lived before us and now have received the Reward of true and faithful Christians we must both willingly earnestly and reverently come unto the material Churches and Temples to Pray as unto fit places appointed for that use and that upon the Sabbath day as at most convenient time for Gods People to cease from bodily and worldly business to give themselves to Holy Rest and Godly Contemplation pertaining to the Service of Almighty God Whereby we may reconcile our selves to God be partakers of his Holy Sacraments and be devout hearers of his Holy Word so to be established in Faith to Godward in Hope against all Adversity and in Charity toward our Neighbours And thus running our course as good Christian People we may at the last attain the Reward of everlasting Glory through the Merits of our Saviour Jesus Christ To whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost be all Honour and Glory Amen The Second Part of the Homily of the Place and Time of PRAYER IT hath been declared unto you good Christian People in the former Sermon read unto you at what Time and into what Place ye shall come together to praise God Now I intend to set before your Eyes First how zealous and desirous ye ought to be to come to your Church Secondly how sore God is grieved with them that do despise or little regard to come to the Church upon the Holy restful Day It may well appear by the Scriptures that many of the godly Israelites being now in Captivity for their sins among the Babylonians full often wished and desired to be again at Jerusalem And at their return through Gods goodness though many of the People were negligent yet the Fathers were marvellous devout to build up the Temple that Gods People might repair thither to honour him And King David when he was a banished man out of his Countrey out of Jerusalem the Holy City from the Sanctuary from the Holy place and from the Tabernacle of God What desire what ferventness was in him toward that Holy place what wishings and prayers made he to God to be a Dweller in the House of the Lord One thing saith he have I asked of the Lord and this will I still crave that I may resort and have my dwelling in the House of the Lord so long as I live Again O how I joyed when I heard these words We shall go into the Lords House Psal 122. And in other places of the Psalms he declareth for what intent and purpose he hath such a fervent desire to enter into the Temple and Church of the Lord I will fall down saith he and worship in the holy Temple of the Lord. Again Psal 63. I have appeared in thy holy place that I might behold thy might and power that I might behold thy glory and magnificence Finally he saith I will shew forth thy name to my brethren I will praise thee in the midst of the Congregation Why then had David such an earnest desire to the House of God First because there he would worship and honour God Secondly there he would have a contemplation and a sight of the Power and Glory of God Thirdly there he would praise the Name of God with all the Congregation and Company of the People These considerations of this blessed Prophet of God ought to stir up and kindle in us the like earnest desire to resort to the Church especially upon the holy restful days there to do our Duties and to serve God there to call to remembrance how God even of his meer mercy and for the glory of his Name sake worketh mightily to conserve us in Health Wealth and Godliness and mightily preserveth us from the assaults and rages of our fierce and cruel Enemies and there joyfully in the number of his faithful People to praise and magnifie the Lords Holy Name Set before your Eyes also that Ancient Father Simeon of whom the Scripture speaketh thus to his great commendation and an encouragement for us to do the like There was a man at Jerusalem Luke 2. named Simeon a just man fearing God he came by the spirit of God into the Temple and was told by the same spirit that he should not die before he saw the anointed of the Lord. In the Temple his Promise was fulfilled in the Temple he saw Christ and took him in his Arms in the Temple he brake out into the mighty praise of God his Lord. Anna a Prophetess an old Widow departed out of the Temple giving her self to Prayer and Fasting day and night And she coming about the same time was likewise inspired and confessed and spake of the Lord to all them that looked for the Redemption of Israel This blessed Man and this blessed Woman were not disappointed of wonderful Fruit Commodity and Comfort which God sent them by their diligent resorting to Gods Holy Temple Now ye shall hear how grievously God hath been offended with his People for that they passed so little upon his Holy Temple and foulely either despised or abused the same Which thing may plainly appear by the notable Plagues and Punishments which God hath laid upon his People especially in this that he stirred up their Adversaries horribly to beat down and utterly to destroy his Holy Temple with a perpetual desolation Alas how many Churches Countries and Kingdoms of Christian
When he was wrongfully dealt with he threatned not again nor revenged his quarrel but delivered his cause to him that judgeth rightly Perfect patience careth not what Perfect patience nor how much it suffereth nor of whom it suffereth whether of Friend or Foe but studieth to suffer innocently and without deserving Yea he in whom perfect Charity is careth so little to revenge Mat. 5. that he rather studieth to do good for evil to bless and say well of them that curse him to pray for them that pursue him according to the example of our Saviour Christ The meekness of Christ who is the most perfect example and pattern of all meekness and sufferance which hanging upon the Cross in most fervent anguish bleeding in every part of his blessed Body being set in the midst of his enemies and crucifiers and he notwithstanding the intolerable pains which they saw him in being of them mocked and scorned despitefully without all favour and compassion had yet towards them such compassion in heart that he prayed to his Father of Heaven for them Luke 15. and said O Father forgive them for they wot not what they do What patience was it also which he shewed when one of his own Apostles and Servants which was put in trust of him came to betray him unto his Enemies to the death He said nothing worse to him Mat. 15. but Friend wherefore at thou come Thus good People should we call to mind the great examples of Charity which Christ shewed in his Passion if we will fruitfully remember his Passion Such charity and love should we bear one to another if we will be the true Servants of Christ For if we love but them that love and say well by us Mat. 5. what great thing is it that we do saith Christ Do not the Paynims and open sinners so We must be more perfect in our Charity than thus even as our Father in Heaven is perfect which maketh the light of his Sun to rise upon the good and the bad and sendeth his rain upon the kind and unkind After this manner should we shew our Charity indifferently as well to one as to another as well to friend as foe like obedient Children after the example of our Father in Heaven For if Christ was obedient to his Father even to the death and that the most shameful death as the Jews esteemed it the death of the Cross why should we not be obedient to God in lower points of Charity and Patience Ecclus. 28. Mat. 28. Let us forgive then our Neighbours their small faults as God for Christs sake hath forgiven us our great It is not meet that we should crave forgiveness of our great offences at Gods hands and yet will not forgive the small trespasses of our Neighbours against us We do call for mercy in vain if we will not shew mercy to our Neighbours For if we will not put wrath and displeasure forth of our hearts to our Christian Brother no more will God forgive the displeasure and wrath that our sins have deserved before him For under this condition doth God forgive us if we forgive other It becometh not Christian men to be hard one to another nor yet to think their Neighbour unworthy to be forgiven For howsoever unworthy he is yet is Christ worthy to have thee do thus much for his sake he hath deserved it of thee that thou shouldest forgive thy Neighbour And God is also to be obeyed which commandeth us to forgive if we will have any part of the Pardon which our Saviour Christ purchased once of God the Father by shedding of his precious Blood Nothing becometh Christs Servants so much as mercy and compassion Let us then be favourable one to another James 5. and pray we one for another that we may be healed from all frailties of our life the less to offend one the other and that we may be of one mind Ephes 5. and one spirit agreeing together in brotherly love and concord even like the dear Children of God By these means shall we move God to be merciful unto our sins yea and we shall be hereby the more ready to receive our Saviour and Maker in his blessed Sacrament to our everlasting comfort and health of Soul Christ delighteth to enter and dwell in that Soul where Love and Charity ruleth and where Peace and Concord is seen For thus writeth St. John 1 John 4. 1 John 2. God is charity he that abideth in charity abideth in God and God in him And by this saith he we shall know that we be of God if we love our brethren Yea and by this shall we know that we be delivered from death to life if we love one another 1 John 2. But he which hateth his brother saith the same Apostle abideth in death even in the danger of everlasâ—â—ng death and is moreover the child of damnation an◠〈◊〉 the Devil cursed of God and hated so long as 〈◊〉 so remaineth of God and all his heavenly company For as Peace and Charity make us the blessed Children of Almighty God so doth hatred and envy make us the cursed Children of the Devil Rom. 8. God give us all grace to follow Christs examples in Peace and in Charity in Patience and Sufferance that we now may have him our guest to enter and dwell within us so as we may be in full surety having such a pledge of our Salvation If we have him and his favour we may be sure we have the favour of God by his means For he sitteth on the right hand of God his Father as our Proctor and Attorney pleading and suing for us in all our needs and necessities Wherefore if we we want any gift of godly wisdom we may ask it of God for Christs sake and we shall have it Let us consider and examine our selves in what want we be concerning this virtue of Charity and Patience If we see that our hearts be nothing inclined thereunto in forgiving them that have offended against us then let us knowledge our want and wish to God to have it But if we want it and see in our selves no desire thereunto verily we be in a dangerous case before God and have need to make much earnest Prayer to God that we may have such an heart changed to the grafting in of a new For unless we forgive other we shall never be forgiven of God No not all the prayers and good works of other can pacifie God unto us unless we be at peace and at one with our Neighbour Nor all our deeds and good works can move God to forgive us our debts to him except we forgive to other He setteth more by Mercy than by Sacrifice Mercy moved our Saviour Christ to suffer for his Enemies it becometh us then to follow his example For it shall little avail us to have in meditation the fruits and price of his Passion to magnifie
that are strayed from thee This Experience was perceived to be true of that holy Prophet Jeremy Jer. 15. O Lord saith he whatsoever they be that forsake thee shall be confounded they that depart from thee shall be written in the Earth and soon forgotten It profiteth not good People to hear the goodness of God declared unto us if our hearts be not enflamed thereby to honor and thank him It profited not the Jews which were Gods elect People to hear much of God seeing that he was not received in their hearts by Faith nor thanked for his benefits bestowed upon them their unthankfulness was the cause of their destruction Let us eschew the manner of these before rehearsed and follow rather the Example of that holy Apostle St. Paul who when in a deep Meditation he did behold the marvellous Proceedings of Almighty God and considered his infinite goodness in the ordering of his Creatures he burst out into this conclusion Surely saith he of him Rom. 11. by him and in him be all things And this once pronounced he stuck not still at this Point but forthwith thereupon joyned to these words To him be glory and praise for ever Amen Upon the ground of which words of St. Paul good Audience I purpose to build my Exhortation of this day unto you Wherein I shall do my endeavour First To prove unto you that all good things come down unto us from above from the Father of Light Secondly That Jesus Christ his Son and our Saviour is the mean by whom we receive his liberal goodness Thirdly That in the power and vertue of the Holy Ghost we be made meet and able to receive his gifts and graces Which things distinctly and advisedly considered in our minds must needs compel us in most low reverence after our bounden Duty always to render him thanks again in some testification of our good hearts for his deserts unto us And that the entreating of this matter in hand may be to the glory of Almighty God Let us in one Faith and Charity call upon the Father of Mercy from whom cometh every good gift and every perfect gift by the mediation of his well-beloved Son our Saviour that we may be assisted with the presence of his Holy Spirit and profitably on both parts to demean our selves in speaking and hearkning to the Salvation of our Souls In the beginning of my speaking unto you good Christian People suppose not that I do take upon me to declare unto you the excellent Power or the incomparable Wisdom of Almighty God as though I would have you believe that it might be expressed unto you by words Nay it may not be thought that that thing may be comprehended by Mans words that is incomprehensible And too much arrogancy it were for Dust and Ashes to think that he can worthily decâ—are his Maker It passeth far the dark understanding and wisdom of a Mortal Man to speak sufficiently of that divine Majesty which the Angels cannot understand We shall therefore lay apart to speak of the profound and unsearchable Nature of Almighty God rather acknowledging our weakness than rashly to attempt what is above all Mans capacity to compass It shall better suffice us in low Humility to reverence and dread his Majesty which we cannot comprize than by over-much curious searching to be over-charged with the Glory We shall rather turn our whole Contemplation to answer a while his goodness towards us wherein we shall be much more profitably occupied and more may we be bold to search To consider the great Power he is of can but make us dread and fear To consider his high Wisdom might utterly discomfort our Frailty to have any thing to do with him but in consideration of his inestimable goodness we take good heart again to trust well unto him By his goodness we be assured to take him for our refuge our hope and comfort our merciful Father in all the course of our Lives His Power and Wisdom compelleth us to take him for God Omnipotent Invisible having Rule in Heaven and Earth having all things in his subjection and will have none in Council with him nor any to ask the reason of his doing Dan. 11. For he may do what liketh him and none can resist him For he worketh all things in his secret Judgment to his own pleasure Prov. 16. yea even the wicked to damnation saith Solomon By the reason of his Nature he is called in Scripture consuming Fire he is called a terrible and fearful God Heb. 11. of this behalf therefore we have no familiarity no access unto him but his goodness again tempereth the rigor of his High Power and maketh us bold and putteth us in hope that he will be conversant with us and easie unto us It is his goodness that moveth him to say in Scripture It is my delight to be with the Children of Men. It is his goodness that moveth him to call us unto him to offer us his Friendship and Presence It is his goodness that patiently suffereth our straying from him and suffereth us long to win us to Repentance It is of his goodness that we be created reasonable Creatures where else he might have made us brute Beasts Prov. 8. It was his Mercy to have us born among the number of Christian People and thereby in a much more nighness to Salvation where we might have been born if his goodness had not been among the Paynims clean void from God and the hope of Everlasting Life And what other thing doth his loving and gentle Voice spoken in his word where he calleth us to his Presence and Friendship but declare his goodness only without regard of our worthiness And what other thing doth stir him to call us to him when we be strayed from him to suffer us patiently to win us to Repentance but only his singular goodness no whit of our deserving Let them all come together that be now glorified in Heaven and let us hear what answer they will make in these Points before rehearsed whether their first Creation was in Gods goodness or of themselves Forsooth David would make answer for them all and say Know ye for surety even the Lord is God he hath made us and not we our selves If they were asked again who should be thanked for their Regeneration for their Justification and for their Salvation Whether their deserts or Gods goodness only Although in this Point every one confess sufficiently the truth of this matter in his own Person yet let David answer by the mouth of them all at this time who cannot chuse but say Not to us O Lord not to us but to thy Name give all the thanks for thy loving mercy and for thy truths sake If we should ask again from whence came their glorious Works and Deeds which they wrought in their lives wherewith God was so highly pleased and worshipped by them Let some other witness be brought in to testifie
ye see how all is of God by his Son Christ our Lord and Saviour Remember I say once again your Duty of Thanks let them be never to want still injoyn your self to continue in Thanksgiving ye can offer to God no better Sacrifice For he saith himself Psal 50. It is the Sacrifice of Praise and Thanks that shall honor me Which thing was well perceived of that holy Prophet David when he so earnestly spake to himself thus Psal 103. O my Soul bless thou the Lord and all that is within me bless his holy Name I say once again O my Soul bless thou the Lord and never forget his manifold rewards God give us Grace good People to know these things and to feel them in our Hearts This knowledge and feeling is not in our selves by our selves it is not possible to come by it a great pity it were that we should lose so profitable knowledge Let us therefore meekly call upon that bountiful Spirit the Holy Ghost which proceedeth from our Father of Mercy and from our Mediator Christ that he would assist us and inspire us with his presence that in him we may be able to hear the goodness of God declared unto us to our Salvation For without his lively and secret inspiration can we not once so much as speak the Name of our Mediator as St. Paul plainly testifieth 1 Cor. 12 No Man can once Name our Lord Jesus Christ but in the Holy Ghost Much less should we be able to believe and know these great Mysteries that be opened to us by Christ St. Paul saith That no Man can know what is of God 1 Cor. 2. but the Spirit of God As for us saith he we have received not the Spirit of the World but the Spirit which is of God for this purpose That in that holy Spirit we might know the things that be given us by Christ The Wise man saith that in the Power and Vertue of the Holy Ghost resteth all Wisdom and all Ability to know God and to please him For he waiteth thus We know that it is not in Mans power to guide his goings Wisd 9. No Man can know thy Pleasure except thou givest Wisdom and sendest thy holy Spirit from above Send him down therefore prayeth he to God from the holy Heavens and from the Throne of thy Majesty that he may be with me and labor with me that so I may know what is acceptable before thee Let us with so good Heart Pray as he did and we shall not fail but to have his assistance For he is soon seen of them that love him he will be found of them that seek him for very liberal and gentle is the Spirit of Wisdom In his power shall we have sufficient Abilty to know our Duty to God in him shall we be comforted and encouraged to walk in our Duty in him shall we be meet vessels to receive the Grace of Almighty God for it is he that purgeth and purifieth the mind by his secret working And he only is present every where by his invisible Power and containeth all things in his Dominion He lightneth the Heart to conceive worthy thoughts to Almighty God he sitteth in the Tongue of Man to stir him to speak his Honor no Language is hid from him for he hath the knowledge of all Speech he only Ministreth Spiritual strength to the powers of our Soul and Body To hold the way which God had prepared for us to walk rightly in our Journey we must acknowledge that it is in the power of his Spirit which helpeth our infirmity That we may boldly come in Prayer and call upon Almighty God as our Father it is by this holy Spirit which maketh intercession for us with continual Sighs Galat. 4. Rom. 8. If any Gift we have wherewith we may work to the Glory of God and profit of our Neighbor all is wrought by this own and self same Spirit which maketh his distributions peculiarly to every Man as he will 1 Cor. 12. If any Wisdom we have it is not of our selves we cannot glory therein as begun of our selves but we ought to glory in God from whom it came to us as the Prophet Jeremy writeth Jerem. 9. Let him that rejoyceth rejoyce in this that he understandeth and knoweth me for I am the Lord which sheweth Mercy Judgment and Righteousness in the Earth for in these things I delight saith the Lord. This Wisdom cannot be attained but by the direction of the Spirit of God and therefore it is called Spiritual Wisdom And no where can we more certainly search for the knowledge of this Will of God by the which we must direct all our Works and Deeds but in the holy Scriptures for they be they that testifie of him John 5. saith our Saviour Christ It may be called Knowledg and Learning that is other where gotten without the Word but the Wise Man plainly testifieth Wisd 13. that they all be but Vain which have not in them the Wisdom of God We see to what Vanity the Old Philosophers came who were destitute of this Science gotten and searched for in his Word We see what Vanity the School Doctrin is mixed with for that in this Word they sought not the Will of God but rather the Will of Reason the Trade of Custom the Path of the Fathers the Practice of the Church Let us therefore Read and Revolve the holy Scripture both Day and Night Psal 1. Psal 119. For blessed is he that hath his whole meditation therein It is that which giveth light to our Feet to walk by It is that which giveth Wisdom to the simple and ignorant In it may we find Eternal Life In the holy Scriptures find we Christ in Christ find we God for he it is that is the express Image of the Father He that seeth Christ seeth the Father And contrariwise as St. Jerome saith the ignorance of the Scripture is the ignorance of Christ Not to know Christ Psal 19. Heb. 1. John 14. is to be in darkness in the midst of our Worldly and Carnal light of Reason and Philosophy To be without Christ is to be in foolishness For he is the only Wisdom of the Father in whom it pleased him that all fulness and perfection should dwell Coloss 2. With whom whosoever is endued in Heart by Faith and rooted fast in Charity hath laid a sure Foundation to build on whereby he may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth length and depth and to know the love of Christ This universal and absolute knowledge is that Wisdom which St. Paul wisheth these Ephesians to have as under Heaven the greatest treasure that can be obtained Ephes 3. For of this Wisdom the Wise Man writeth thus of his experience All good things came to me together with her and innumerable Riches through her hands And addeth more in that same place Sap. 7.
otherwhiles obey God but by and by do think that laying him aside it is lawful for them to serve the World and the Flesh And because that we are letted by the natural corruption of our own Flesh and the wicked affections of the same he doth bid us also to return with Fasting not thereby understanding a superstitious Abstinence and choosing of Meats but a true Discipline or taming of the Flesh whereby the nourishments of filthy Lusts and of stubborn Contumacy and Pride may be withdrawn and pluckt away from it Whereunto he doth add weeping and mourning which do contain an outward profession of Repentance which is very needful and necessary that so we may partly set forth the righteousness of God when by such means we do testifie that we deserved punishments at his hands and partly stop the offence that was openly given unto the weak Psal 25. Thus did David see who being not content to have bewept and bewailed his sins privately would publickly in his Psalms declare and set forth the rigteousness of God in punishing sin and also stay them that might have abused his Example to sin the more boldly Therefore they are farthest from true Repentance that will not confess and acknowledge their sins nor yet bewail them but rather do most ungodlily glory and rejoyce in them Now lest any Man should think that Repentance doth consist in outward weeping and mourning only he doth rehearse that wherein the chief of the whole matter doth lie when he saith Rent your Hearts and not your Garments and turn unto the Lord your God For the People of the East part of the World were wont to rent their Garments Psal 52. if any thing hapned unto them that seemed intolerable Hypocrites do counterfeit all manner of things This thing did Hypocrites sometimes counterfeit and follow as though the whole Repentance did stand in such outward gesture He teacheth then that another manner of thing is required that is That they must be contrite in their Hearts that they must utterly detest and abhor Sins and being at defiance with them return unto the Lord their God from whom they went away before For God hath no pleasure in the outward Ceremony but requireth a contrite and humble Heart Psal 52. which he will never despise as David doth testifie There is therefore none other use of these outward Ceremonies but as far forth as we are stirred up by them and do serve to the glory of God and to the edifying of others Now doth he add unto this Doctrin or Exhortation How Repentance is not unprofitable certain godly Reasons which he doth ground upon the nature and property of God and whereby he doth teach that true Repentance can never be unprofitable or unfruitful For as in all other things Mens hearts do quail and faint if they once perceive that they travel in vain Even so most especially in this matter must we take heed and beware that we suffer not our selves to be persuaded that all that we do is but labor lost for thereof either sudden desperation doth arise or a licentious boldness to sin which at length bringeth unto desperation Lest any such thing then should happen unto them he doth certifie them of the grace and goodness of God who is always most ready to receive them into favor again that turn speedily unto him Which thing he doth prove with the same Titles wherewith God doth describe and set forth himself unto Moses speaking on this manner Exod. 34. For he is gracious and merciful slow to anger of great kindness and repenteth him of the evil that is such a one as is sorry for your Afflictions First He calleth him gentle and gracious as he who of his own nature is more prompt and ready to do good than to punish Whereunto this saying of Esaias the Prophet seemeth to pertain where he saith Esay 55. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous his own imaginations and return unto the Lord and he will have pity on him and to our God for he is very ready to forgive Secondly Doth attribute unto him mercy or rather according to the Hebrew word the Bowels of mercies whereby he signified the natural affections of Parents towards their Children Which thing David doth set forth goodly Psal 103. saying As a Father hath compassion on his Children so hath the Lord compassion on them that fear him for he knoweth whereof we be made he remembreth that we are but dust Thirdly He saith that he is slow to anger that is to say long-suffering and which is not lightly provoked to wrath Fourthly That he is of much kindness for he is that bottomless Well of all goodness who rejoyceth to do good unto us therefore did he create and make Men that he might have whom he should do good unto and make partakers of his Heavenly Riches Fifthly He repenteth of the evil that is to say he doth call back again and revoke the punishment which he had threatned when he seeth Men repent turn and amend Against the Novatians Whereupon we do not without a just cause detest and abhor the damnable Opinion of them which do most wickedly go about to persuade the simple and ignorant People That if we chance after we be once come to God and grafted in his Son Jesus Christ to fall into some horrible sin shall be unprofitable unto us there is no more hope of reconciliation or to be received again into the favor and mercy of God And that they may give the better colour unto their pestilent and pernicious Error they do commonly bring in the sixth and tenth Chapters of the Epistle to the Hebrews and the second Chapter of the second Epistle of Peter not considering that in those places the holy Apostles do not speak of the daily falls that we as long as we carry about this body of sin are subject unto Mat. 12. Mark 3. but of the final falling away from Christ and his Gospel The sin against the Holy Ghost which is a sin against the Holy Ghost that shall never be forgiven because that they do utterly forsake the known Truth do hate Christ and his Word they do crucifie and mock him but to their utter destruction and therefore fall into desparation and cannot repent And that this is the true meaning of the holy Spirit of God it appeareth by many other places of the Scriptures which promise unto all true repentant sinners and to them that with their whole heart do turn unto the Lord their God free pardon and remission of their sins For the probation hereof we read this O Israel saith the holy Prophet Jeremy if thou return Jer. 4. return unto me saith the Lord and if thou put away thine abominations out of my sight then shalt thou not be removed Again these are Esaias words Esay 55. Let the wicked forsake his own ways and the unrighteous his own
imaginations and turn again unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he is ready to forgive And in the Prophet Hosea the godly exhort one another after this manner Come and let us turn again unto the Lord Hos 6. for he hath smitten us and he will heal us he hath wounded us and he will bind us up again Note It is most evident and plain that these things ought to be understood of them that were with the Lord before and by their sins and wickednesses were gone away from him For we do not turn again unto him with whom we were never before but we come unto him Now unto all them that will return unfeignedly unto the Lord their God Eccles 7. 1 John 1. the favor and mercy of God unto forgiveness of sins is liberally offered whereby it followeth necessarily that although we do after we be once come to God and grafted in his Son Jesus Christ fall into great sins for there is no righteous Man upon the Earth that sinneth not and if we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us yet if we rise again by Repentance and with a full purpose of amendment of Life do flee unto the mercy of God taking sure hold thereupon through Faith in his Son Jesu Christ there is an assured and infallible hope of pardon and remission of the same and that we shall be received again into the favor of our Heavenly Father It is written of David Acts 13. 2 Sam. 7. I have found a Man according to mine own heart or I have found David the Son of Jesse a Man according to mine own heart who will do all things that I will This is a great commendation of David It is also most certain that he did stedfastly believe the promise that was made him touching the Messias who should come of him touching the Flesh and that by the same Faith he was justified and grafted in our Saviour Jesu Christ to come and yet afterwards he fell horribly committing most detestable Adultery and damnable Murder and yet as soon as he cried Peccavi 2 Sam. 2. 2 Sam. 22. I have sinned unto the Lord his sin being forgiven he was received into favor again Now will we come unto Peter of whom no Man can doubt but that he was grafted in our Saviour Jesus Christ long before his denial Which thing may easily be proved by the answer which he did in his Name and in the Name of his Fellow Apostles make unto our Saviour Jesus Christ when he said unto them Will ye also go away John 6. Master saith he to whom shall we go Thou hast the words of eternal life and we believe and know that thou art that Christ the Son of the living God Whereunto may be added the like Confession of Peter where Christ doth give us most infallible testimony Thou art blessed Simon the Son of Jonas for neither Flesh nor Blood hath revealed this unto thee but my Father which is in Heaven These words are sufficient to prove that Peter was already justifyed through this lively Faith in the only begotten Son of God whereof he made so notable and so solemn a confession But did not he afterwards most cowardly deny his Master although he had heard of him Mat. 26. Mat. 10. Whosoever denieth me before Men I will deny him before my Father Nevertheless as soon as with weeping eyes and with a sobing heart he did acknowledge his offence and with an earnest repentance did flee unto the mercy of God taking sure hold thereupon through Faith in him whom he had so shamefully denied his sin was forgiven him and for a Certificate and Assurance thereof the Room of his Apostleship was not denied unto him But now mark what doth follow After the same Holy Apostle had on Whitsunday Acts 2. with the rest of the Disciples received the gift of the Holy Ghost most abundantly he committed no small offence in Antiochia by bringing the Consciences of the Faithful into doubt by his Example Gal. 2. so that Paul was fain to rebuke him to his Face because that he walked not uprightly or went not the right way in the Gospel Shall we now say that after this grievous offence he was utterly excluded and shut out from the grace and mercy of God and that this his trespass whereby he was a stumbling Block unto many was unpardonable God defend we should say so But as these Examples are not brought in to the end that we should thereby take a boldness to sin presuming on the mercy and goodness of God but to the end that if through the frailness of our own Flesh and the temptation of the Devil we fall into like sins we should in no wise despair of the mercy and goodness of God What we must beware of Even so must we beware and take heed that we do in no wise think in our hearts imagine or believe that we are able to repent aright or to turn effectually unto the Lord by our own might and strength For this must be verified in all Men John 15. 2 Cor. 3. Phil. 2. Without me ye can do nothing Again Of our selves we are not able as much as to think a good thought And in another place It is God that worketh in us both the Will and the Deed. For this cause although Jeremy had said before Jer. 6. If thou return O Israel return unto me saith the Lord yet afterwards he saith Turn thou me O Lord and I shall be turned for thou art the Lord my God And therefore that holy Writer and ancient Father Ambrose doth plainly affirm That the turning of the heart unto God Ambros de Vocat Gent. lib. 8 cap. 9. is of God as the Lord himself doth testifie by his Prophet saying And I will give thee an heart to know me that I am the Lord and they shall be my People and I will be their God for they shall return unto me with their whole heart These things being considered let us earnestly pray unto the living God our Heavenly Father that he will vouchsafe by his holy Spirit to work a true and unfeigned Repentance in us that after the painful labors and travels of this Life we may live eternally with his Son Jesus Christ to whom be all praise and glory for ever and ever Amen The Second Part of the Homily of Repentance HItherto have ye heard Well-beloved how needful and necessary the Doctrin of Repentance is and how earnestly it is throughout all the Scriptures of God urged and set forth both by the ancient Prophets by our Saviour Jesus Christ and his Apostles And that for as much as it is the conversion or turning again of the whole Man unto God from whom we go away by sin these four Points ought to be observed that is From whence or from what things we must return
this manner Peter was sorry and wept De poenitentia distin I. cap. Petrus because he erred as a Man I do not find what he said I know that he wept I read of his Tears but not of his satisfaction But how chance that the one was received into favor again with God and the other cast away but because that the one did by a lively Faith in him whom he had denied take hold upon the mercy of God and the other wanted Faith whereby he did despair of the Goodness and Mercy of God It is evident and plain then that although we be never so earnestly sorry for our sins acknowledge and confess them yet all these things shall be but means to bring us to utter desparation except we do stedfastly believe that God our Heavenly Father will for his Son Jesus Christs sake Pardon and Forgive us our Offences and Trespasses and utterly put them out of remembrance in his sight Therefore as we said before they that teach Repentance without Christ and a lively Faith in the Mercy of God do only teach Cains or Judas Repentance The Fourth is an Amendment of Life or a new Life in bringing forth Fruits worthy of Repentance For they that do truly Repent must be clean altered and changed they must become new Creatures they must be no more the same that that they were before And therefore thus said John Baptist unto the Pharisees and Sadducees that came unto his Baptism O generation of Vipers Matt. 3. who hath forewarned you to flee from the anger to come bring forth therefore Fruits worthy of Repentance Whereby we do learn that if we will have the wrath of God to be pacified we must in no wise dissemble but turn unto him again with a true and found Repentance which may be known and declared by good Fruits as by most sure and infallible signs thereof They that do from the bottom of their Hearts acknowledge their Sins and are unfeignedly sorry for their Offences will cast off all Hypocrisie and put on true Humility and lowliness of Heart They will not only receive the Physician of the Soul but also with a most fervent desire long for him They will not only abstain from the Sins of their former Life and from all other filthy Vices but also flee eschew and abhor all the occasions of them And as they did before give themselves to uncleanness of Life so will they from henceforwards with all diligence give themselves to Innocency pureness of Life and true Godliness Ionas 3. We have the Ninevites for an example which at the Preaching of Jonas did not only proclaim a general Fast and that they should every one put on Sackcloth but they all did turn from their Evil Ways and from the Wickedness that was in their Hands But above all other the History of Zaccheus is most notable For being come unto our Saviour Jesus Christ Luke 19. he did say Behold Lord the half of my Goods I give to the Poor and if I have defrauded any Man or taken ought away by Extortion or Fraud I do restore him fourfold Here we see that after his Repentance he was no more the Man that he was before but was clean changed and altered It was so far off that he would continue and abide still in his unsatiable covetousness or take ought away fraudulently from any Man that rather he was most willing and ready to give away his own and to make satisfaction unto all them that he had done injury and wrong unto Here may we right well add the sinful Woman which when she came to our Saviour Jesus Christ Luke 7. did pour down such abundance of Tears out of those wanton Eyes of hers wherewith she had allured many unto folly that she did with them wash his Feet wiping them with the Hairs of her Head which she was wont most gloriously to set out making of them a Net for the Devil Hereby we do learn what is the satisfaction that God doth require of us which is that we cease from Evil Iohn 5. and do Good and if we have done any Man wrong to endeavor our selves to make him true amends to the utmost of our power following in this the example of Zaccheus and of this sinfull Woman and also that goodly Lesson that John Baptist Zacharias Son bid give unto them that came to ask Counsel of him This was commonly the Penance that Christ enjoyned sinners Go thy way and sin no more John 15. Which Penance we shall never be able to fulfil without the special grace of him that doth say Without me ye can do nothing It is therefore our parts if at least we be desirous of the health and salvation of our own selves most earnestly to pray unto our heavenly Father to assist us with his holy Spirit that we may be able to hearken unto the Voice of the true Shepherd and with due obedience to follow the same Let us hearken to the Voice of Almighty God when he calleth us to Repentance let us not harden our hearts as such Infidels do who abuse the time given them of God to repent and turn it to continue their pride and contempt against God and Man which know not how much they heap Gods wrath upon themselves for the hardness of their hearts which cannot repent at the day of Vengeance Where we have offended the Law of God let us repent us of our straying from so good a Lord. Let us confess our unworthiness before him but yet let us trust in Gods free mercy for Christs sake for the pardon of the same And from henceforth let us endeavor our selves to walk in a new Life as new born Babes whereby we may glorifie our Father which is in Heaven and thereby to bear in our Consciences a good testimony of our Faith so that at the last to obtain the fruition of everlasting life through the merits of our Saviour To whom be all praise and honor for ever Amen The Third Part of the Homily of Repentance IN the Homily last spoken unto you right well-beloved People in our Saviour Christ ye heard of the true parts and tokens of Repentance that is hearty contrition and sorrowfulness of our Hearts unfeigned confession in word of mouth for our unworthy living before God a stedfast Faith to the merits of our Saviour Christ for pardon and a purpose of our selves by Gods grace to renounce our former wicked life and a full Conversion to God in a new life to glorifie his Name and to live orderly and charitably to the comfort of our Neighbor in all righteousness and to live soberly and modestly to our selves by using abstinence and temperance in word and in deed in mortifying our earthly Members here upon Earth Now for a further perswasion to move you to those parts of Repentance I will declare unto you some causes which should the rather move you to Repentance The causes that should
Publican before the Proud Holy and Glorious Pharisee He calleth himself a Physician but not to them that be whole Luke 18. Matth. 9. but to them that be sick and have need of his Salve for their Sore He teacheth us in our Prayers to acknowledge ourselves Sinners and to ask Righteousness and deliverance from all Evils at our Heavenly Father's hand He declareth that the sins of our own Hearts do defile our ownselves He teacheth Matth. 12. that an evil Word or Thought deserveth Condemnation affirming that We shall give account for every idle word Matth. 15. He saith He came not to save but the sheep that were utterly lost and cast away Therefore few of the Proud Just Learned Wise Perfect and Holy Pharisees were saved by him because they justified themselves by their counterfeit Holiness before Men. Wherefore good People let us beware of such Hypocrisie Vain-glory and Justifying of ourselves The Second Part of the SERMON of the Misery of Man FOrasmuch as the true knowledge of ourselves is very necessary to come to the right knowledge of God ye have heard in the last Reading how Humbly all good Men always have thought of themselves and so to think and judge of themselves are taught of God their Creator by his Holy Word For of ourselves we be Crab-trees that can bring forth no Apples We be of ourselves of such Earth as can but bring forth Weeds Nettles Brambles Briers Cockle and Darnel Our Fruits be declared in the 5th Chapter to the Galatians Gal. 5. We have neither Faith Charity Hope Patience Chastity nor any thing else that good is but of God and therefore these Virtues be called there The fruits of the Holy Ghost and not the fruits of Man Let us therefore acknowledge ourselves before God as we be indeed miserable and wretched Sinners And let us earnestly Repent and Humble ourselves heartily and cry to God for Mercy Let us all Confess with Mouth and Heart that we be full of Imperfections Let us know our own Works of what imperfection they be and then we shall not stand foolishly and arrogantly in our own Conceits nor challenge any part of Justification by our Merits or Works For truly there be imperfections in our best Works We do not love God so much as we are bound to do with all our Heart Mind and Power We do not fear God so much as we ought to do We do not pray to God but with great and many imperfections We Give Forgive Believe Live and Hope imperfectly We Speak Think and Do impefectly We Fight against the Devil the World and the Flesh imperfectly Let us therefore not be ashamed to confess plainly our state of Imperfection Yea let us not be ashamed to confess Imperfection even in all our best Works Let none of us be ashamed to say with the Holy St. Peter Luke 5. Psal 106. I am a sinful man Let us say with the Holy Prophet David We have sinned with our fathers we have done amiss and dealt wickedly Let us all make open Confession with the Prodigal Son to our Father and say with him We have sinned against Heaven Luke 14. and before thee O Father we are not worthy to be called thy sons Let us all say with Holy Baruch Baruch 2. O Lord our God to us is worthily ascribed shame and confusion and to thee righteousness We have sinned we have done wickedly we have behaved ourselves ungodlily in all thy Righteousness Let us all say with the Holy Prophet Daniel Dan. 9. O Lord righteousness belongeth to thee unto us belongeth confusion We have sinned we have been naughty we have offended we have fled from thee we have gone back from all thy Precepts and Judgments So we learn of all good Men in Holy Scriptures to Humble our selves and to Exalt Extol Praise Magnifie and Glorifie God Thus we have heard how evil we be of ourselves how of ourselves and by ourselves we have no Goodness Help or Salvation but contrariwise Sin Damnation and Death everlasting Which if we deeply weigh and consider we shall the better understand the great Mercy of God and how our Salvation cometh only by Christ 2 Cor. 3. For in ourselves as of ourselves we find nothing whereby we may be delivered from this miserable Captivity into the which we are cast through the envy of the Devil by breaking of God's Commandment in our first Parent Adam Psal 50. Ephes 2. We are all become unclean but we all are not able to cleanse ourselves nor make one another of us clean We are by nature the children of God's wrath but we are notable to make ourselves the Children and Inheritors of God's Glory We are Sheep that run astray 1 Pet. 2. but we cannot of our own power come again to the Sheepfold so great is our Imperfection and Weakness In ourselves therefore may we not glory which of ourselves are nothing but sinful neither may we rejoyce in any Works that we do all which be so Imperfect and Impure that they are not able to stand before the Righteous Judgment Seat of God as the Holy Prophet David saith Psal 143. Enter not into judgment with thy Servant O Lord for no man that liveth shall be found righteous in thy sight To God therefore must we flee or else shall we never find Peace Rest and Quietness of Conscience in our Hearts For he is the father of mercies and God of all consolation He is the Lord with whom is plenteous redemption 2 Cor. 1. He is the God which of his own mercy saveth us Psal 130. and setteth out his Charity and exceeding Love towards us in that of his own voluntary Goodness when we were Perishing he Saved us and provided an everlasting Kingdom for us And all these Heavenly Treasures are given us not for our own Deserts Merits or good Deeds which of ourselves we have none but of his mere Mercy freely And for whose sake Truly for Jesus Christ's sake that pure and undefiled Lamb of God He is that dearly beloved Son for whose sake God is fully pacified satisfied and set at One with Man He is the Lamb of God John 1. which taketh away the sins of the World of whom only it may be truly spoken that he did all things well 1 Pet. 2. and in his mouth was found no craft nor subtilty None but he alone may say The Prince of the World came and in me he hath nothing And he alone may also say Which of you shall reprove me of any fault John 8. He is the high and everlasting Priest Heb. 7. which hath offered himself once for all upon the Altar of the Cross and with that one oblation hath made perfect for evermore them that are sanctified 1 John 2. He is the alone Mediator between God and Man which paid our ransom to God with his own blood and with that hath he cleansed us
so not conceiving a right Faith thereof make those Promises larger than ever God did trusting that although they continue in their sinful and detestable Living never so long yet that God at the end of their Life will shew his Mercy upon them and that then they will return And both these two sorts of Men be in a damnable state and yet nevertheless God who willeth not the Death of the wicked Ezek. 18. and 33. hath shewed means whereby both the same if they take heed in season may escape The first Against desperation as they do dread God's rightful Justice in punishing Sinners whereby they should be dismayed and should despair indeed as touching any hope that may be in themselves so if they would constantly or stedfastly believe that God's Mercy is the Remedy appointed against such despair and distrust not only for them but generally for all that be sorry and truely repentant and will therewithal stick to God's Mercy they may be sure they shall obtain Mercy and enter into the Port or Haven of Safeguard into the which whosoever doth come be they beforetime never so wicked they shall be out of danger of everlasting damnation Ezek. 3. as God by Ezekiel saith What time soever a Sinner doth return and take earnest and true Repentance Against Presumption I will forget all his Wickedness The other as they be ready to believe God's Promises so they should be as ready to believe the Threatnings of God As well they should believe the Law as the Gospel As well that there is an Hell and everlasting Fire as that there is an Heaven and everlasting Joy As well they should believe Damnation to be threatned to the wicked and evil doers as Salvation to be promised to the faithful in Word and Works As well they should believe God to be true in the one as in the other And the Sinners that continue in their wicked living ought to think that the Promises of God's Mercy and the Gospel pertain not unto them being in that state but only the Law and those Scriptures which contain the Wrath and Indignation of God and his Threatnings which should certifie them that as they do over-boldly presume of God's Mercy and live dissolutely So doth God still more and more withdraw his Mercy from them and he is so provoked thereby to wrath at length that he destroyeth such Presumers many times suddenly 1 Thess 5. For of such St. Paul saith thus When they shall say it is Peace there is no danger then shall sudden destruction come upon them Let us beware therefore of such naughty boldness to Sin For God which hath promised his Mercy to them that be truly repentant although it be at the later end hath not promised to the presumptuous Sinner either that he shall have long Life or that he shall have true Repentance at the last end But for that purpose hath he made every Man's death uncertain that he should not put his hope in the end and in the mean season to God's high displeasure live ungodly Wherefore let us follow the Counsel of the wise Man let us make no tarrying to turn unto the Lord Let us not put off from day to day for suddenly shall his Wrath come and in time of Vengeance he will destroy the wicked Let us therefore turn betimes and when we turn let us pray to God Osee 14. as Osee teacheth saying Forgive all our Sins receive us graciously And if we turn to him with an humble and a very penitent Heart he will receive us to his Favour and Grace for his Holy Names sake for his Promise sake for his Truth and Mercies sake promised to all faithful Believers in Jesus Christ his only natural Son To whom the only Saviour of the World with the Father and the Holy Ghost be all honor glory and power world without end Amen AN EXHORTATION Against the Fear of Death IT is not to be marvelled that worldly Men do fear to die For death depriveth them of all worldly Honors Riches and Possessions in the fruition whereof the worldly Man counteth himself happy so long as he may enjoy them at his own Pleasure and otherwise if he be dispossessed of the same without hope of recovery then he can no otherwise think of himself but that he is unhappy because he hath lost his worldly Joy and Pleasure Alas thinketh this carnal Man shall I now depart for ever from all my Honors all my Treasure from my Country Friends Riches Possessions and worldly Pleasures which are my Joy and Heart's delight Alas that ever that day should come when all these I must bid farewel at once and never enjoy any of them after Wherefore it is not without great cause spoken of the wise Man O Death Eccles 41. how bitter and sower is the remembrance of thee to a Man that liveth in Peace and Prosperity in his Substance to a Man living at ease leading his Life after his own Mind without trouble and is therewithal well pampered and fed There be other Men whom this World doth not so greatly laugh upon but rather vex and oppress with Poverty Sickness or some other Adversity yet they do fear death partly because the Flesh abhorreth naturally it 's own sorrowful dissolution which death doth threaten to them and partly by reason of Sicknesses and painful diseases which be most strong Pangs and Agonies in the Flesh and use commonly to come to sick Men before death or at the least accompany death whensoever it cometh Although these two Causes seem great and weighty to a worldly Man whereupon he is moved to fear death yet there is another Cause much greater than any of these afore rehearsed for which indeed he hath just cause to fear death and that is the state and condition whereunto at the last end death bringeth all them that have their Hearts fixed upon this World without Repentance and Amendment This state and condition is called the second death which unto all such shall ensue after this bodily death And this is that death which indeed ought to be dreaded and feared For it is an everlasting loss without remedy of the Grace and Favor of God and of everlasting Joy Pleasure and Felicity And it is not only the loss for ever of all these eternal Pleasures but also it is the condemnation both of Body and Soul without either appellation or hope of redemption unto everlasting pains in Hell Unto this state death sent the unmerciful and ungodly rich Man Luke 16. that Luke speaketh of in his Gospel who living in all Wealth and Pleasure in this World and cherishing himself daily with dainty Fare and gorgeous Apparel despised poor Lazarus that lay pitiful at his Gate miserably plagued and full of Sores and also grievously pined with Hunger Both these two were arrested by death which sent Lazarus the poor miserable Man by Angels anon unto Abraham's Bosom a place of Rest
themselves by true Faith perfect Charity and sure Hope of the endless Joy and Bliss everlasting All those therefore have great cause to be full of Joy that be joyned to Christ with true Faith stedfast Hope and perfect Charity and not to fear death nor everlasting Damnation For Death cannot deprive them of Jesus Christ nor can any Sin condemn them that are grafted surely in him which is their only Joy Treasure and Life Let us repent of our Sins amend our Lives trust in his Mercy and Satisfaction and Death can neither take him from us nor us from him For then as St. Paul saith Whether we live or die we be the Lords own And again he saith Christ did die and rose again because he should be Lord both of the dead and quick Then if we be the Lords own when we be dead it must needs follow that such temporal death not only cannot harm us but also that it shall be much to our profit and joyn us unto God more perfectly And thereof the Christian Heart may surely be certified by the infallible or undeceivable Truth of Holy Scripture It is God saith St. Paul which hath prepared us unto immortality and the same is he which hath given us aâ— earnest of the Spirit Therefore let us he always of good Comfort for we know that so long as we be in tho Body 2 Gal. 5. we be as it were far from God in a strange Country subject to many perils walking without perfect Sight and Knowledge of Almighty God only seeing him by Faith in Holy Scriptures But we have a courage and desire rather to be at home with God and our Saviour Christ far from the Body where we may behold his Godhead as he is Face to Face to our everlasting Comfort These be St. Paul's words in effect whereby we may perceive that the Life in this World is resembled and likened to a Pilgrimage in a strange Country far from God and that Death delivering us from our Bodies doth send us strait home into our own Country and maketh us to dwell presently with God for ever in everlasting Rest and Quietness So that to die is no loss but profit and winning to all true Christian People What lost the Thief that died on the Cross with Christ by his Bodily death Yea how much did he gain by it Did not our Saviour say unto him Luke 16. This day thou shalt be with me in Paradise And Lazarus that pitiful Person that lay before the Rich Man's Gate pained with Sores and pined with Hunger did not death highly profit and promote him which by the ministry of Angels sent him unto Abraham's Bosom a place of Rest Joy and Heavenly Consolation Let us think none other good Christian People but Christ hath prepared and made ready before the same Joy and Felicity for us that he prepared for Lazarus and the Thief Wherefore let us stick unto his Salvation and Gracious Redemption and believe his Word Serve him from our Hearts Love and Obey him and whatsoever we have done heretofore contrary to his most Holy Will now let us Repent in time and hereafter study to Correct our Life and doubt not but we shall find him as merciful unto us as he was either to Lazarus or to the Thief whose examples are written in Holy Scripture for the comfoâ—t of them that be sinners and subject to sorrows miseries and calamities in this World that they should not despair in God's Mercy but ever trust thereby to have forgiveness of their Sins and Life everlasting as Lazarus and the Thief had Thus I trust every Christian Man perceiveth by the infallible or undeceivable Word of God that Bodily death cannot harm nor hinder them that truly believe in Christ but contrarily shall profit and promote the Christian Souls which being truly penitent for their offences depart hence in perfect Charity and in sure Trust that God is merciful to them forgiving their Sins for the Merits of Jesus Christ his only natural Son The Second Cause why some do fear death The Second Cause why some do fear death is sore sickness and grievous pains which partly come before death and partly accompany or come with death whensoever it cometh This fear is the fear of the frail flesh and a natural passion belonging unto the nature of a mortal Man But true Faith in God's promises and regard of the pains and pangs which Christ upon the Cross suffered for us miserable sinners with consideration of the Joy and everlasting Life to come in Heaven will mitigate those pains and moderate this fear that it shall never be able to overthrow the hearty desire and gladness that the Christian Soul hath to be separated from this corrupt Body that it may come to the Gracious Presence of our Saviour Jesus Christ If we believe stedfastly the Word of God we shall perceive that such bodily sickness pangs of death or whatsoever dolorous pangs we suffer either before or with death be nothing else in Christian Men but the rod of our Heavenly and Loving Father wherewith he mercifully correcteth us either to try and declare the Faith of his patient Children that they may be sound Laudable Glorious and Honourable in his Sight when Jesus Christ shall be openly shewed to be the Judge of all the World or else to chastise and amend in them whatsoever offendeth his Fatherly and Gracious Goodness lest they should perish everlastingly And this his correcting rod is common to all Men that be truly his Therefore let us cast away the burden of Sin that lieth too heavy on our necks and return unto God by true penance and amendment of our lives Let us with patience run this course that is appointed suffering for his sake that dyed for our Salvation all sorrows and pangs of death and death itself joyfully when God sendeth it to us having our Eyes fixed and set fast ever upon the Head and Captain of our Faith Jesus Christ Phil. 2. Who considering the Joy that he should come unto cared neither for the shame nor pain of death but willingly conforming and framing his Will to his Fathers Will most patiently suffered the most shameful and painful death of the Cross being innocent and harmless And now therefore he is exalted in Heaven and everlastingly sitteth on the right hand of the Throne of God the Father Let us call to our remembrance therefore the Life and Joyes of Heaven that are kept for all them that patiently do suffer here with Christ and consider that Christ suffered all his painful passion by sinners and for sinners And then we shall with Patience and the more easily suffer such sorrows and pains when they come Let us not set at light the chastising of the Lord nor grudge at him nor fall from him when of him we be corrected For the Lord loveth them whom he doth correct and beateth every one whom he taketh to be his Child What Child is
the nature of Charity concluding that because they did pray for men on Earth therefore they do much more the same now in Heaven Then may it be said by the same reason that as oft as we do weep on Earth they do also weep in Heaven because while they lived in this World it is most certain and sure they did so And for that place which is written in the Apocalyps namely that the Angel did offer up the Prayers of the Saints upon the golden Altar it is properly to be understood of those Saints that are yet living on Earth and not of them that are dead otherwise what need were it that the Angel should offer up their Prayers being now in Heaven before the face of Almighty God But admit the Saints do Pray for us yet do we not know how whether specially for them which call upon them or else generally for all men wishing well to every man alike If they Pray specially for them which call upon them then it is like they hear our Prayers and also know our hearts desire Which thing to be false it is already proved both by the Scriptures and also by the Authority of Augustin Let us not therefore put our trust or confidence in the Saints or Martyrs that be dead Let us not call upon them nor desire help at their hands but let us always lift up our Hearts to God in the name of his dear Son Christ for whose sake as God hath promised to hear our Prayer so he will truly perform it Invocation is a thing proper unto God which if we attribute unto the Saints it soundeth to their reproach neither can they well bear it at our hands When Paul had healed a certain lame man Acts 14. which was impotent in his Feet at Lystra the People would have done Sacrifice unto him and Barnabas who rending their clothes refused it and exhorted them to worship the true God Likewise in the Revelation Apoc. 19. when St. John fell before the Angel's feet to worship him the Angel would not permit him to do it but commanded him that he should worship God Which Examples declare unto us that the Saints and Angels in Heaven will not have us to do any Honour unto them that is due and proper unto God He only is our Father he only is Omnipotent he only knoweth and understandeth all things he only can help us at all times and in all places he suffereth the Sun to shine upon the good and the bad he feedeth the young Ravens that cry unto him he saveth both Man and Beast he will not that any one hair of our Head shall perish but is always ready to help and preserve all them that put their trust in him according as he hath promised Isai 65. saying Before they call I will answer and whilst they speak I will hear Let us not therefore any thing mistrust his goodness let us not fear to come before the Throne of his Mercy let us not seek the aid and help of Saints but let us come boldly our selves nothing doubting but God for Christs sake in whom he is well pleased will hear us without a Spokes-man and accomplish our desire in all such things as shall be agreeable to his most Holy Will Chrysost 6 hom de profectu Evang. So saith Chrysostom an ancient Doctor of the Church and so must we stedfastly believe not because he saith it but much more because it is the Doctrine of our Saviour Christ himself who hath promised that if we Pray to the Father in his name we shall certainly be heard both to the relief of our Necessities and also to the Salvation of our Souls which he hath purchased unto us not with Gold or Silver but with his precious Blood shed once for all upon the Cross To him therefore with the Father and the Holy Ghost three Persons and one God be all Honour Praise and Glory for ever and ever Amen The Third Part of the Homily concerning PRAYER YE were taught in the other part of this Sermon unto whom ye ought to direct your Prayers in time of need and necessity that is to wit not unto Angels or Saints but unto the eternal and everliving God who because he is merciful is always ready to hear us when we call upon him in true and perfect Faith And because he is Omnipotent he can easily perform and bring to pass the thing that we request to have at his hands To doubt of his Power it were a plain point of Infidelity and clean against the Doctrine of the Holy Ghost which teacheth us that he is all in all And as touching his good will in this behalf we have express Testimonies in Scripture Psal 50. how that he will help us and also deliver us if we call upon him in time of trouble So that in both these respects we ought rather to call upon him than upon any other Neither ought any man therefore to doubt to come boldly unto God because he is a sinner For the Lord as the Prophet David saith is gracious and merciful yea Psal 107. 1 Tim. 1. his mercy and goodness endureth for ever He that sent his own Son into the World to save sinners will he not also hear sinners if with a true penitent Heart and a stedfast Faith they Pray unto him Yea 1 John 1. if we acknowledge our sins God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness as we are plainly taught by the Examples of David Peter Mary Magdalen the Publican and divers others And whereas we must needs use the help of some Mediator and Intercessor let us content our selves with him that is the true and only Mediator of the New Testament namely the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ For as St. John saith If any man sin 1 John 2. we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous who is the Propitiation for our sins And St. Paul 1 Tim. 2. in his first Epistle to Timothy saith There is one God and one Mediator between God and man even the man Jesus Christ who gave himself a ransom for all men to be a testimony in due time Now after this Doctrine established you shall be instructed for what kind of things and what kind of persons ye ought to make your Prayers unto God It greatly behoveth all men when they Pray to consider well and diligently with themselves what they ask and require at Gods hands lest if they desire that thing which they ought not their Petitions be made void and of none effect There came on a time unto Agesilaus the King a certain importunate suiter who requested him in a matter earnestly saying Sir and it please your Grace you did once promise me Truth quoth the King if it be just that thou requirest then I promised thee otherwise I did only speak it and not promise it The man would not
wretches which have no feeling of God within us at all continually to fear not only that we may fall as they did but also be overcome and drowned in sin which they were not And so by considering their fall take the better occasion to acknowledge our own Infirmity and weakness and therefore more earnestly to call unto Almighty God with hearty Prayer incessantly for his grace to strengthen us and to defend us from all evil And though through Infirmity we chance at any time to fall yet we may by hearty Repentance and true Faith speedily rise again and not sleep and continue in sin as the wicked doth Thus good People should we understand such matters expressed in the Divine Scriptures that this Holy Table of Gods Word be not turned to us to be a snare a trap and a stumbling stone to take hurt by the abuse of our Understanding But let us esteem them in a reverent Humility that we may find our necessary Food therein to strengthen us to comfort us to instruct us as God of his great Mercy hath appointed them in all necessary works so that we may be perfect before him in the whole course of our life Which he grant who hath Redeemed us our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost be all Honour and Glory for evermore Amen The Second Part of the Information for them which take Offence at certain places of the Holy Scripture YE have heard good People in the Homily last read unto you the great Commodity of Holy Scriptures ye have heard how ignorant men void of godly Understanding seek Quarrels to discredit them Some of their Reasons have ye heard answered Now we will proceed and speak of such politick wise men which be offended for that Christs Precepts should seem to destroy all Order in Governance as they do alledge for example such as these be If any man strike thee on the right cheek Mat. 5â— turn the other unto him also If any man will contend to take thy coat from thee let him have cloak and all Let not thy lest hand know what thy right hand doth If thine eye thine hand Mat. 18. or thy foot offend thee pull out thine eye cut off thine hand or thy foot and cast it from thee Rom. 12. If thine enemy saith St. Paul be an hungred give him meat if he be thirsty give him drink so doing thou shalt heap hot burning coals upon his head These sentences good People unto a natural man seem meer absurdities contrary to all Reason 1 Cor. 2. For a natural man as St. Paul saith understandeth not the things that belong to God neither can he so long as old Adam dwelleth in him Christ therefore meaneth that he would have his faithful servants so far from vengeance and resisting wrong that he would rather have him ready to suffer another wrong than by resisting to break Charity and to be out of Patience He would have our good deeds so far from all carnal respects that he would not have our nighest Friends know of our well-doing to win vain-glory And though our Friends and Kinsfolks be as dear as our right Eyes and our right Hands yet if they would pâ—â—â— us from God we ought to renounce them and forsake them Thus if ye will be profitable Hearers and Readers of the Holy Scriptures ye must first deny your selves and keep under your Carnal Senses taken by the outward words and search the inward meaning Reason must give place to Gods Holy Spirit you must submit your Worldly Wisdom and Judgment unto his Divine Wisdom and Judgment Consider that the Scripture in what strange form soever it be pronounced is the Word of the living God Let that always come to your remembrance which is so oft repeated of the Prophet Esaias The mouth of the Lord saith he hath spoken it and Almighty and everlasting God who with his only word created Heaven and Earth hath decreed it the Lord of Hosts whose ways are in the Seas whose paths are in the deep Waters that Lord and God by whose word all things in Heaven and in Earth are created governed and preserved hath so provided it The God of gods and Lord of all lords yea God that is God alone incomprehensible almighty and everlasting he hath spoken it it is his Word It cannot therefore be but truth which proceedeth from the God of all Truth it cannot be but wisely and prudently commanded what Almighty God hath devised how vainly soever through want of grace we miserable wretches do imagine and judge of his most Holy Word The Prophet David describing an happy man Psal 1. saith Blessed is the man that hath not walked after the counsel of the ungodly nor stand in the way of sinners nor sit in the seat of the scornful There are three sorts of People whose Company the Prophet would have him to flee and avoid which shall be an happy man and partaker of Gods Blessing First he may not walk after the counsel of the ungodly Secondly he may not stand in the way of sinners Thirdly he must not sit in the seat of the scornful By these three sorts of People ungodly mâ—n sinners and scorners all Impiety is signified and fully expressed By the ungodly he understandeth those which have no regard of Almighty God being void of all Faith whose hearts and minds are so set upon the World that they study only how to accomplish their worldly practices their carnal imaginations their filthy lust and desire without any fear of God The second sort he calleth sinners not such as do fall through Ignorance or of frailness for then who should be found free What man ever lived upon Earth Christ only excepted but he hath sinned Prov. 24. The just man falleth seven times and riseth again Though the godly do fall yet they walk not on purposely in sin they stand not still to continue and tarry in sin they sit not down like careless men without all fear of Gods just punishment for sin but defying sin through Gods great grace and infinite mercy they rise again and fight against sin The Prophet then calleth them sinners whose hearts are clean turned from God and whose whole conversation of life is nothing but sin they delight so much in the same that they choose continually to abide and dwell in sin The third sort he calleth scorners that is a sort of men whose hearts are so stuffed with Malice that they are not contented to dwell in sin and to lead their lives in all kind of wickedness but also they do contemn and scorn in other all Godliness true Religion all Honesty and Vertue Of the two first sorts of men I will not say but they may take Repentance and be converted unto God Of the third sort I think I may without danger of Gods judgment pronounce that never any yet converted unto God by Repentance but continued still in their
beloved of God and wrapt in spirit with an ardent zeal to Gods glory He spake not of a private hatred and in a stomach against their Persons but wished spiritually the destruction of such corrupt Errors and Vices which reigned in all devilish Persons set against God He was of like mind as St. Paul was when he did deliver Hymeneus and Alexander with the notorious Fornicator to Satan to their Temporal confusion that their Spirit might be saved against the day of the Lord. And when David did profess in some places that he hated the wicked yet in other places of his Psalms he professeth that he hated them with a perfect hate not with a malicious hate to the hurt of the Soul Which perfection of spirit because it cannot be performed in us so corrupted in affections as we be we ought not to use in our private causes the like words in form for that we cannot fulfil the like words in sense Let us not therefore be offended but search out the reason of such words before we be offended that we may the more reverently judge of such sayings though strange to our carnal Understandings yet to them that be spiritually minded judged to be zealously and godly pronounced God therefore for his mercies sake vouchsafe to purifie our minds through Faith in his Son Jesus Christ and to instill the Heavenly drops of his grace into our hard stony hearts to supple the same that we be not contemners and deriders of his Infallible Word but that with all humbleness of mind and Christian reverence we may endeavour our selves to hear and to read his sacred Scriptures and inwardly so to digest them as shall be to the comfort of our Souls sanctification of his Holy Name To whom with the Son and the Holy Ghost three Persons and one living God be all Land Honour and Praise for ever and ever Amen AN HOMILY OF Alms-Deeds and Mercifulness towards the Poor and Needy AMongst the manifold Duties that Almighty God requireth of his Faithful Servants the true Christians by the which he would that both his Name should be glorified and the certainty of their Vocation declared there is none that is either more acceptable unto him or more profitable for them than are the Works of Mercy and Pity shewed upon the Poor which be afflicted with any kind of misery And yet this notwithstanding such is the slothful sluggishness of our dull Nature to that which is good and godly that we are almost in nothing more negligent and less careful than we are therein It is therefore a very ncessary thing that Gods People should awake their sleepy minds and consider their Duty on this behalf And meet it is that all true Christians should desirously seek and learn what God by his Holy Word doth herein require of them that first knowing their Duty whereof many by their slackness seem to be very ignorant they may afterwards diligently endeavour to perform the same By the which both the godly charitable Persons may be encouraged to go forwards and continue in their merciful Deeds of Alms-giving to the Poor and also such as hitherto have either neglected or contemned it may yet now at length when they shall hear how much it appertaineth to them advisedly consider it and vertuously apply themselves thereunto And to the intent that every one of you may the better understand that which is taught and also easilier bear away and so take more fruit of that shall be said when several matters are severally handled I mind particularly and in this order to speak and intreat of these points First I will shew how earnestly Almighty God in his Holy Word doth exact the doing of Alms-Deeds of us and how acceptable they be unto him Secondly how profitable it is for us to use them and what commodity and fruit they will bring unto us Thirdly and lastly I will shew out of Gods Word that whoso is liberal to the Poor and relieveth them plenteously shall notwithstanding have sufficient for himself and evermore be without danger of penury and scarcity Concerning the first which is the acceptation and dignity or price of Alms-Deeds before God Know this that to help and succour the Poor in their need and misery pleaseth God so much that as the Holy Scripture in sundry places recordeth nothing can be more thankfully taken or accepted of God For first we read that Almighty God doth account that to be given and to be bestowed upon himself that that is bestowed upon the Poor For so doth the Holy Ghost testifie unto us by the Wise Man saying He that hath pity upon the Poor Prov. 19. lendeth unto the Lord himself And Christ in the Gospel avoucheth and as a most certain truth bindeth it with an Oath that the Alms bestowed upon the Poor was bestowed upon him and so shall be reckoned at the last day For thus he saith to the charitable Alms-givers when he sitteth as Judge in the doom to give sentence of every man according to his deserts Mat. 25. Verily I say unto you whatsoever good and merciful deed you did upon any of the least of these my brethren ye did the same unto me In relieving their hunger ye relieved mine in quenching their thirst ye quenched mine in clothing them ye clothed me and when ye harboured them ye lodged me also when ye visited them being sick in Prison ye visited me For as he that hath received a Princes Embassadors and entertaineth them well doth honour the Prince from whom those Embassadors do come So he that receiveth the Poor and Needy and helpeth them in their affliction and distress doth thereby receive and honour Christ their Master who as he was poor and needy himself whilest he lived here amongst us to work the Mystery of our Salvation at his departure hence he promised in his stead to send unto us those that were Poor by whose means his absence should be supplied and therefore that we would do unto him we must do unto them And for this cause doth the Almighty God say unto Moses The Land wherein you dwell Deut. 15. shall never be without poor men because he would have continual trial of his People whether they loved him or no that in shewing themselves obedient unto his will they might certainly assure themselves of his love and favour towards them and nothing doubt but that as his Law and Ordinance wherein he commanded them that they should open their hand unto their brethren that were poor and needy in the Land were accepted of them and willingly performed So he would on his part lovingly accept them and truly perform his promises that he had made unto them The Holy Apostles and Disciples of Christ who by reason of his daily conversation saw by his Deeds and heard in his Doctrine how much he tendred the Poor the godly Fathers also that were both before and since Christ indued without doubt with the Holy Ghost and most
the giving than with the gift and that he as much esteemeth the doing of the thing as the fruit and commodity that cometh of it Whoso therefore hath hitherto neglected to give Alms let him know that God now requireth it of him and he that hath been liberal to the Poor let him know that his godly doings are accepted and thankfully taken at Gods hands which he will requite with double and treble For so saith the Wise man He which sheweth mercy to the poor doth lay his money in bank to the Lord for a large interest and gain the gain being chiefly the possession of the life everlasting through the merits of our Saviour Jesus Christ To whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost be all Honour and Glory for ever Amen The Second Part of the Sermon of Alms-deeds YE have heard before Dearly Beloved that to give Alms unto the Poor and to help them in time of necessity is so acceptable unto our Saviour Christ that he counteth that to be done to himself that we do for his sake unto them Ye have heard also how earnestly both the Apostles Prophets Holy Fathers and Doctors do exhort us unto the same And ye see how wel-beloved and dear unto God they were whom the Scriptures report unto us to have been good Alms-men Wherefore if either their good examples or the wholsom counsel of godly Fathers or the love of Christ whose especial favour we may be assured by this means to obtain may move us or do any thing at all with us let us provide us that from henceforth we shew unto God-ward this thankful service to be mindful and ready to help them that be poor and in misery Now will I this second time that I entreat of Alms-deeds shew unto you how profitable it is for us to exercise them and what fruit thereby shall arise unto us if we do them faithfully Our Saviour Christ in the Gospel teacheth us that it profiteth a man nothing to have in possession all the riches of the whole World and the wealth or glory thereof if in the mean season he lose his Soul or do that thing whereby it should become captive unto death sin and hell-fire By the which saying he not only instructeth us how much the souls health is to be preferred before worldly commodities but it also serveth to stir up our minds and to prick us forwards to seek diligently and learn by what means we may preserve and keep our souls ever in safety that is how we may recover our health if it be lost or impaired and how it may be defended and maintained if once we have it Yea he teacheth us also thereby to esteem that as a precious Medicine and an inestimable Jewel that hath such strength and vertue in it that can either procure or preserve so incomparable a treasure For if we greatly regard that Medicine or Salve that is able to heal sundry and grievous Diseases of the Body much more will we esteem that which hath like power over the Soul And because we might be better assured both to know and to have in readiness that so profitable a Remedy he as a most faithful and loving Teacher sheweth himself both what it is and where we may find it and how we may use and apply it For when both he and his Disciples were grievously accused of the Pharisees to have defiled their souls in breaking the constitutions of the Elders because they went to meat and washed not their hands before according to the custom of the Jews Christ answering their superstitious complaint teacheth them an especial remedy how to keep clean their souls notwithstanding the breach of such superstitious Orders Luke 11. Give Alms saith he and behold all things are clean unto you He teacheth them that to be merciful and charitable in helping the Poor is the means to keep the Soul pure and clean in the sight of God We are taught therefore by this that merciful Alms-dealing is profitable to purge the Soul from the infection and filthy spots of sin The same Lesson doth the Holy Ghost also teach in sundry places of the Scripture Tobit 4. saying Mercifulness and Alms-giving purgeth from all sins and delivereth from death and suffereth not the soul to come into darkness A great confidence may they have before the high God that shew mercy and compassion to them that are afflicted The wise Preacher the Son of Syrach confimeth the same Ecclus 5. when he saith That as water quencheth burning fire even so mercy and alms resisteth and reconcileth sins And sure it is that mercifulness quaileth the heat of sin so much that they shall not take hold upon man to hurt him or if ye have by any infirmity or weakness been touched and annoyed with them straightways shall mercifulness wipe and wash away as salves and remedies to heal their sores and grievous diseases And thereupon that Holy Father Cyprian taketh good occasion to exhort earnestly to the merciful works of giving Alms and helping the Poor and there he admonisheth to consider how wholsom and profitable it is to relieve the needy and help the afflicted by the which we may purge our sins and heal our wounded souls But yet some will say unto me If Alms-giving and our charitable works towards the Poor be able to wash away sins to reconcile us to God to deliver us from the peril of damnation and makes us the Sons and Heirs of Gods Kingdom then are Christs merits defaced and his blood shed in vain then are we justified by Works and by our Deeds may we merit Heaven then do we in vain believe that Christ died for to put away our sins and that he rose for our justification as St. Paul teacheth But ye shall understand Dearly Beloved that neither those places of the Scripture before alledged neither the Doctrine of the blessed Martyr Cyprian neither any other godly and learned man when they in extolling the dignity profit fruit and effect of vertuous and liberal Alms do say that it washeth away sins and bringeth us to the favour of God do mean that our work and charitable deed is the original cause of our acception before God or that for the digninity or worthiness thereof our sins may be washed away and we purged and cleansed of all the spots of our iniquity for that were indeed to deface Christ and to defraud him of his glory But they mean this and this is the understanding of those and such like sayings that God of his mercy and special favour towards them whom he hath appointed to everlasting salvation hath so offered his grace especially and they have so received it fruitfully that although by reason of their sinful living outwardly they seemed before to have been the Children of Wrath and Perdition yet now the Spirit of God mightily working in them unto obedience to Gods Will and Commandments they declare by their outward deeds and life in the shewing of
mercy and charity which cannot come but of the Spirit of God and his especial grace that they are the undoubted Children of God appointed to everlasting life And so as by their wickedness and ungodly living they shewed themselves according to the judgment of men which follow the outward appearance to be Reprobates and Cast-aways So now by their Obedience unto Gods Holy Will and by their mercifulness and tender pity wherein they shew themselves to be like unto God who is the Fountain and Spring of all mercy they declare openly and manifestly unto the sight of men that they are the Sons of God and elect of him unto salvation For as the good fruit is not the cause that the Tree is good but the Tree must first be good before it can bring forth good fruit so the good deeds of Man are not the cause that maketh Man good but he is first made good by the spirit and grace of God that effectually worketh in him and afterward he bringeth forth good fruits And then as the good fruit doth argue the goodness of the Tree so doth the good and merciful deed of the man argue and certainly prove the goodness of him that doth it according to Christs sayings Ye shall know them by their fruits And if any man will object that evil and naughty men do sometimes by their deeds appear to be very godly and vertuous I will answer so doth the Crab and Choak-Pear seem outwardly to have sometime as fair a red and as mellow a colour as the Fruit that is good indeed But he that will bite and take a taste shall easily judge betwixt the sour bitterness of the one and the sweet savouriness of the other And as the true Christian man in thankfulness of his heart for the redemption of his Soul purchased by Christs death sheweth kindly by the fruit of his Faith his obedience to God so the other as a Merchant with God doth all for his own gain thinking to win Heaven by the merit of his Works and so defaceth and obscureth the price of Christs Blodd who only wrought our purgation The meaning then of these sayings in the Scriptures and other Holy Writings Alms-deeds do wash away our sins and mercy to the Poor doth blot out our offences is that we doing these things according to Gods Will and our Duty have our sins indeed washed away and our offences blotted out not for the worthiness of them but by the grace of God which worketh all in all and that for the promise that God hath made to them that are obedient unto his Commandment that he which is the truth might be justified in performing the truth due to his promise Alms-deeds do wash away our sins because God doth vouchsafe then to repute us as clean and pure when we do them for his sake and not because they deserve or merit our purging or for that they have any such strength and vertue in themselves I know that some men too much addict to the advancing of their works will not be contented with this answer and no marvel for such men can no answer content or suffice Wherefore leaving them to their own wilful sense we will rather have regard to the reasonable and godly who as they most certainly know and perswade themselves that all goodness all bounty all mercy all benefits all forgiveness of sins and whatsoever can be named good and profitable either for the Body or for the Soul do come only of Gods mercy and meer favour and not of themselves So though they do never so many and so excellent good deeds yet are they never puft up with the vain confidence of them And though they hear and read in Gods Word and other-where in godly mens Works that Alms-deeds Mercy and Charitableness doth wash away sin and blot out iniquity yet do they not arrogantly and proudly stick and trust unto them or brag themselves of them as the proud Pharisee did lest with the Pharisee they should be condemned but rather with the humble and poor Publican confess themselves sinful wretches unworthy to look up to Heaven calling and craving for mercy that with the Publican they may be pronounced of Christ to be justified The godly do learn that when the Scriptures say that by good and merciful works we are reconciled to Gods favour we are taught then to know what Christ by his intercession and mediation obtaineth for us of his Father when we be obedient to his Will yea they learn in such manner of speaking a comfortable argument of Gods singular favour and love that attributeth that unto us and to our doings that he by his Spirit worketh in us and through his grace procureth for us And yet this notwithstanding they cry out with St. Paul O wretches that we are and acknowledge as Christ teacheth that when they have all done they are but unprofitable servants and with the blessed King David in respect of the just judgments of God they do tremble and say Who shall be able to abide it Lord if thou wilt give sentence according to our deserts Thus they humble themselves and are exalted of God they count themselves vile and of God are counted pure and clean they condemn themselves and are justified of God they think themselves unworthy of the Earth and of God are thought worthy of Heaven Thus by Gods Word are they truly taught how to think rightly of merciful dealing of Alms and of Gods especial mercy and goodness are made partakers of those fruits that his Word hath promised Let us then follow their examples and both shew obediently in our lives those works of mercy that we are commanded and have that right opinion and judgment of them that we are taught and we shall in like manner as they be made partakers and feel the fruits and rewards that follow such godly living so shall we know by proof what profit and commodity doth come of giving of Alms and succouring of the Poor The Third Part of the Sermon of Alms-Deeds YE have already heard two Parts of this Treatise of Alms-Deeds The first how pleasant and acceptable before God the doing of them is the second how much it behoveth us and how profitable it is to apply our selves unto them Now in the third Part will I take away that let that hindreth many from doing them There be many that when they hear how acceptable a thing in the sight of God the giving of Alms is and how much God extendeth his favour towards them that are merciful and what fruits and commodities doth come to them by it they wish very gladly with themselves that they also might obtain these benefits and be counted such of God as whom he would love or do for But yet these men are with greedy Covetousness so pulled back that they will not bestow one Half-penny or one piece of Bread that they might be thought worthy of Gods benefits and so to come into his favour For
they are evermore fearful and doubting lest by often giving although it were but a little at a time they should consume their Goods and so impoverish themselves that even themselves at the length should not be able to live but should be driven to beg and live of other mens Alms. And thus they seek excuses to withhold themselves from the favour of God and choose with pinching Covetousness rather to lean unto the Devil than by charitable Mercifulness either to come unto Christ or to suffer Christ to come unto them O that we had some cunning and skilful Physician that were able to purge them of this so pestilent an humour that so sore infecteth not their bodies but their minds and so by corrupting their Souls bringeth their bodies and souls into danger of Hell-fire Now lest there be any such among us Dearly Beloved let us diligently search for that Physician which is Jesus Christ and earnestly labour that of his Mercy he will truly instruct us and give us a present Remedy against so perillous a Disease Hearken then whosoever thou art that fearest lest by giving to the Poor thou shouldst bring thy self to beggery That which thou takest from thy self to bestow upon Christ can never be consumed and wasted away Wherein thou shalt not believe me but if thou have Faith and be a true Christian believe the Holy Ghost give credit to the Authority of Gods Word that thus teacheth For thus saith the Holy Ghost by Solomon He that giveth unto the Poor shall never want Men suppose that by hoording and laying up still they shall at length be Rich and that by distributing and laying out although it be for most necessary and godly uses they shall be brought to Poverty But the Holy Ghost which knoweth all truth teacheth us another Lesson contrary to this He teacheth us that there is a kind of dispending that shall never diminish the stock and a kind of saving that shall bring a man to extream poverty For where he saith that the good Alms-man shall never have scarcity he addeth But he that turneth away his eyes from such as be in necessity shall suffer great poverty himself How far different then is the judgment of man from the judgment of the Holy Ghost 1 Cor. 9. The Holy Apostle Paul a man full of the Holy Ghost and made privy even of the secret Will of God teacheth that the liberal Alms-giver shall not thereby be impoverished He that ministreth saith he seed unto the sower will minister also bread unto you for food yea he will multiply your seed and increase the fruits of your righteousness He is not content to advertise them that they shall not lack but he sheweth them also in what sort God will provide for them Even as he provided seed for the sower in multiplying it and giving great increase so he will multiply their Goods and increase them that there shall be great abundance And lest we should think his sayings to be but words and not truth we have an example thereof in the third Book of Kings which doth confirm and seal it up as a most certain truth The poor Widow that received the banished Prophet of God Elias when as she had but a handful of Meal in a Vessel and a little Oyl in a Cruise whereof she would make a Cake for her self and her Son that after they had eaten that they might die because in that great Famine there was no more food to be gotten yet when she gave part thereof to Elias and defrauded her own hungry belly mercifully to relieve him she was so blessed of God that neither the Meal nor the Oyl was consumed all the time while that Famine did last but thereof both the Prophet Elias she and her Son were sufficiently nourished and had enough Oh consider this Example ye unbelieving and faithless covetous Persons who discredit Gods Word and think his Power diminished This poor Woman in the time of an extream and long Dearth had but one handful of Meal and a little cruse of Oyl her only Son was ready to perish before her face for hunger and she her self like to pine away and yet when the poor Prophet came and asked part she was so mindful of mercifulness that she forgot her own misery and rather than she would omit the occasion given to give Alms and work a work of Righteousness she was content presently to hazard her own and her Sons life And you who have great plenty of Meats and Drinks great store of Moth-eaten Apparel yea many of you great heaps of Gold and Silver and he that hath least hath more than sufficient now in this time when thanks be to God no great Famine doth oppress you your Children being well clothed and well fed and no danger of death for Famine to be feared will rather cast doubts and perils of unlikely Penury than you will part with any piece of your superfluities to help and succour the poor hungry and naked Christ that cometh to your doors a begging This poor and silly Widow never cast doubts in all her misery what wants she her self should have she never distrusted the promise that God made to her by the Prophet but straightway went about to relieve the hungry Prophet of God yea preferring his necessity before her own But we like unbelieving wretches before we will give one Mite we will cast a thousand doubts of danger whether that will stand us in any stead that we give to the Poor whether we should not have need of it at any other time and whether here it would not have been more profitably bestowed So that it is more hard to wrench a strong Nail as the Proverb saith out of a Post than to wring a farthing out of our fingers There is neither the fear nor the love of God before our eyes we will more esteem a Mite than we either desire Gods Kingdom or fear the Devils Dungeon Hearken therefore ye merciless Misers what will be the end of this your unmerciful dealing As certainly as God nourished this poor Widow in the Time of Famine and increased her little store so that she had enough and felt no penury when other pined away so certainly shall God plague you with Poverty in the midst of Plenty Then when other have abundance and be fed at full you shall utterly waste and consume away your selves your store shall be destroyed your goods pluckt from you all your glory and wealth shall perish and that which when you had you might have enjoyed your selves in peace and might have bestowed upon other most godly ye shall seek with sorrow and sighs and no where shall find it For your unmercifulness toward other ye shall find no man that will shew mercy towards you You that had stony hearts towards other shall find all the Creatures of God to you ward as hard as Brass and Iron Alas what fury and madness doth possess our minds that in a
1 Pet. 1â— and that your freedom is purchased neither with gold nor silver but with the price of the precious blood of that innocent Lamb Jesus Christ which was ordained to the same purpose before the World was made But he was so declared in the latter time of grace for your sakes which by him have your Faith in God who hath raised him from death and hath given him glory that you should have your faith and hope towards God Therefore as you have hitherto followed the vain lusts of your minds and so displeased God to the danger of your souls So now like obedient Children thus purified by Faith 1 Pet. 1. give your selves to walk that way which God moveth you to that ye may receive the end of your Faith the Salvation of your Souls And as you have given your bodies to unrighteousness to sin after sin so now give your selves to righteousness to be sanctified therein If ye delight in this Article of our Faith that Christ is risen again from death to life then follow you the example of his Resurrection as St. Paul exhorteth us saying Rom. 6. As we be buried with Christ by our Baptism into death so let us daily die to sin mortifying and killing the evil desires and motions thereof And as Christ was raised up from death by the glory of the Father so let us rise to a new life and walk continually therein that we may likewise as natural children live a conversation to move men to glorifie our Father which is in Heaven Matth. 5. If we then be risen with Christ by our faith to the hope of everlasting life let us rise also with Christ after his example to a new life and leave our old We shall then be truly risen if we seek for things that be heavenly if we have our affection on things that be above and not on things that be on the earth If ye desire to know what these earthly things be which ye should put off and what be the heavenly things above that ye should seek and ensue St. Paul in the Epistle to the Colossians declareth when he exhorteth us thus Mortifie your earthly members Col. 3. and old affection of sin as fornication uncleanness unnatural lust evil concupiscence and covetousness which is worshipping of Idols for the which things the wrath of God is wont to fall on the children of unbelief in which things once ye walked when ye lived in them But now put ye also away from you wrath fierceness maliciousness cursed speaking filthy speaking out of your mouths Lie not one to another that the old man with his works be put off and the new be put on These be the earthly things which St. Paul moved you to cast from you and to pluck your hearts from them For in following these ye declare your selves earthly and worldly These be the fruits of the earthly Adam These should you daily kill by good diligence in withstanding the desires of them that ye might rise to righteousness Let your affection from henceforth be set on heavenly things sue and search for mercy kindness meekness patience forbearing one another and forgiving one another If any man have a quarrel to another as Christ forgave you even so do ye If these and such other heavenly vertues ye ensue in the residue of your life ye shall shew plainly that ye be risen with Christ and that ye be the heavenly Children of your Father in Heaven from whom as from the giver James 1. cometh these graces and gifts Ye shall prove by this manner that your conversation is in Heaven where your hope is and not on Earth following the beastly appetites of the flesh Phil. 3. Ye must consider that ye be therefore cleansed and renewed that ye should from henceforth serve God in holiness and righteousness all the days of your lives that ye may reign with him in everlasting life If ye refuse so great grace whereto ye be called what other thing do ye Luke 1. than heap to you damnation more and more and so provoke God to cast his displeasure upon you and to revenge this mockage of his Holy Sacraments in so great abusing of them Apply your selves good Friends to live in Christ that Christ may still live in you whose favour and assistance if ye have then have ye everlasting life already within you then can nothing hurt you Whatsoever is hitherto done and committed John 5. Christ ye see hath offered you pardon and clearly received you to his favour again again in full surety whereof ye have him now inhabiting and dwelling within you Only shew your selves thankful in your lives Col. 3. determine with your selves to refuse and avoid all such things in your conversations as should offend his eyes of mercy Endeavour your selves that way to rise up again which way ye fell into the Well or Pit of sin If by your Tongue you have offended now thereby rise again and glorifie God therewith accustom it to land and praise the Name of God as ye have therewith dishonoured it And as ye have hurt the name of your Neighbour or otherwise hindred him so now intend to restore it to him again For without Restitution Restitution God accepteth not your Confession nor yet your Repentance It is not enough to forsake evil except you set your courage to do good By what occasion soever you have offended turn now the occasion to the honouring of God and profit of your Neighbour Psal 36. Truth it is that sin is strong and affections unruly Hard it is to subdue and resist our Nature so corrupt and leavened with the sour bitterness of the Poison which we received by the inheritance of our old Father Adam But yet take good courage saith our Saviour Christ Matth. 6. for I have overcome the World and all other Enemies for you Sin shall not have power over you for ye be now under grace saith St. Paul Rom. 6. Rom. 8. Though your power be weak yet Christ is risen again to strengthen you in your Battel his Holy Spirit shall help your Infirmities In trust of his mercy 1 Cor. 5. take you in hand to purge this old leaven of sin that corrupteth and soureth the sweetness of our life before God that ye may be as new and fresh dough void of all sour leaven of wickedness so shall ye shew your selves to be sweet bread to God that he may have his delight in you I say kill and offer you up the worldly and earthly affections of your bodies For Christ our Easter Lamb is offered up for us to slay the power of sin to deliver us from the danger thereof and to give us example to die to sin in our lives As the Jews did eat their Easter Lamb and keep their Feast in remembrance of their deliverance out of Egypt Even so let us keep our Easter Feast in the thankful remembrance of
O thou that art desirous of this Table of Emissenus a godly Father Euseb Emiserem de Euchar. that when thou goest up to the reverend Communion to be satisfied with spiritual meats thou look up with Faith upon the Holy Body and Blood of thy God thou marvel with reverence thou touch it with the mind thou receive it with the hand of thy heart and thou take it fully with thy inward man Thus we see Beloved that resorting to this Table we must pluck up all the roots of infidelity all distrust in Gods promises that we make our selves living Members of Christs Body For the unbelievers and faithless cannot feed upon that precious Body whereas the faithful have their life their abiding in him their union and as it were their incorporation with him Wherefore let us prove and try our selves unfeigned without flattering our selves whether we be Plants of the fruitful Olive living branches of the true Vine Members indeed of Christs Mystical Body whether God hath purified our hearts by Faith to the sincere acknowledging of his Gospel and embracing of his mercies in Christ Jesus so that at this his Table we receive not only the outward Sacrament but the spiritual thing also not the Figure but the Truth not the shadow only but the body not to death but to life not to destruction but to salvation which God grant us to do through the merits of our Lord and Saviour To whom be all Honour and Glory for ever Amen The Second Part of the Homily of the Worthy Receiving and Reverent Esteeming of the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ IN the Homily of late rehearsed unto you ye have heard good People why it pleased our Saviour our Christ to institute that heavenly memory of his Death and Passion and that every one of us ought to celebrate the same at his Table in our own Persons and not by other You have heard also with what estimation and knowledge of so high Mysteries we ought to resort thither You have heard with what constant Faith we should clothe and deck our selves that we might be fit and decent partakers of that Celestial Food Now followeth the third thing necessary in him that would not eat of this Bread nor drink of this Cup unworthily which is newness of life and godliness of conversation For newness of life as fruits of Faith are required in the partakers of this Table We may learn by eating of the Typical Lamb whereunto no man was admitted but he that was a Jew that was circumcised that was before sanctified Yea St. Paul testifieth 1 Cor. 10. that although the People were partakers of the Sacraments under Moses yet for that some of them were still Worshippers of Images Whoremongers Tempters of Christ Murmurers and coveting after evil things God overthrew those in the Wilderness and that for our example that is that we Christians should take heed we resort unto our Sacraments with holiness of life not trusting in the outward receiving of them and infected with corrupt and uncharitable manners For this sentence of God must always be justified I will have mercy and not sacrifice De Bapt. lib. 1. cap. 3. Wherefore saith Basil it behoveth him that cometh to the Body and Blood of Christ in commemoration of him that died and rose again not only to be pure from all filthiness of the Flesh and Spirit lest he eat and drink his own condemnation but also to shew out evidently a memory of him that died and rose again for us in this point that ye be mortified to Sin and the World to live now to God in Christ Jesu our Lord. So then we must shew outward testimony in following the signification of Christs death amongst the which this is not esteemed least to render thanks to Almighty God for all his benefits briefly comprised in the Death Passion and Resurrection of his dearly beloved Son The which thing because we ought chiefly at this Table to solemnize the godly Fathers named it Eucharistia that is Thanksgiving As if they should have said Now above all other times ye ought to laud and praise God Now may you behold the matter the cause the beginning and the end of all Thanksgiving Now if you slack ye shew your selves most unthankful and that no other benefit can ever stir you to thank God who so little regard here so many so wonderful and so profitable benefits Seeing then that the name and thing it self doth monish us of thanks Heb. 13. let us as St. Paul saith offer always to God the host or sacrifice of praise by Christ that is the fruit of the lips which confess his Name For as David singeth Psal 50. He that offereth to God thanks and praise honoureth him But how few be there of thankful Persons in comparison to the unthankful Luke 17. Lo ten Lepers in the Gospel were healed and but one only returned to give thanks for his Health Yea happy it were if among sorty Communicants we could see two unfeignedly give thanks So unkind we be so oblivious we be so proud Beggers we be that partly we care nor for our own commodity partly we know not our Duty to God and chiefly we will not confess all that we receive Yea and if we be forced by Gods power to do it yet we handle it so coldly so drily that our lips praise him but our hearts dispraise him our tongues bless him but our life curseth him our words worship him but our works dishonour him O let us therefore learn to give God here thanks aright and so to agnize his exceeding graces poured upon us that they being shut up in the Treasure-house of our Heart may in due time and season in our life and conversation appear to the glorifying of his Holy Name Furthermore for newness of Life it is to be noted that St. Paul writeth That we being many are one bread and one body For all be partakers of one bread Declaring thereby not only our Communion with Christ but that Unity also wherein they that eat at this Table should be knit together For by Dissension Vain-glony Ambition Strife Envying Contempt Hatred or Malice they should not be dissevered but so joyned by the bond of Love in one Mystical Body as the corns of that Bread in one Loaf In respect of which strait knot of Charity the true Christians in the Primitive Church called this Supper Love As if they should say none ought to sit down there that were out of love and charity who bare grudge and vengeance in his Heart who also did not profess hiâ— kind affection by some Charitable Relief for some part of the Congregation And this was their Practice O Heavenly Banquet then so used O Godly Guests who so esteemed this Feasts But O wretched Creatures that we be at these days who be without reconciliation of our Brethren whom we have offended without satisfying them whom we have caused to
and Riots in the challenge of their Lands yea sometimes Murders and Bloodshed whereof thou art guilty whosoever thou be that givest the occasion thereof This covetous practising therefore with thy Neighbors Lands and Goods is hateful to Almighty God Let no Man subtilly compass or defraud his Neighbor biddeth St. Paul in any manner of cause 1 Thes 4. For God saith he is a revenger of all such God is the God of all equity and righteousness and therefore forbiddeth all such deceit and subtilty in his Law Deut. 9. by these words Ye shall not deal unjustly in Judgment in Line in Weight or Measure Prov. 20. Ye shall have just Ballances true Weights and true Measures False Ballances saith Solomon are an abomination unto the Lord. Remember what St. Paul saith God is the revenger of all Wrong and Injustice as we see by daily experience however it thriveth ungraciously which is begotten by falshood and craft We be taught by experience how Almighty God never suffereth the third Heir to enjoy his Fathers wrong Possessions yea many a time they are taken from himself in his own life time God is not bound to defend such Possessions as are gotten by the Devil and his Counsel God will defend all such Mens Goods and Possessions which by him are obtained and possessed and will defend them against the violent Oppressor Prov. 25. So witnesseth Solomon The Lord will destroy the House of the proud Man but he will establish the borders of the Widow Psal 36. No doubt of it saith David better is a little truly gotten to the righteous Man than the innumerable Riches of the wrongful Man Let us flee therefore good People all wrong Practices in getting maintaining and defending our Possessions Lands and Livelihoods our Bounds and Liberties remembring that such Possessions be all under Gods revengeance But what do we speak of House and Land Nay it is said in the Scripture that God in his ire doth root up whole Kingdoms for wrongs and oppressions and doth translate Kingdoms from one Nation to another for unrighteous dealing for Wrongs and Riches gotten by deceit This is the practice of of the Holy One saith Daniel Dan. 4. to the intent that living Men may know that the most High hath power over the Kingdoms of Men and giveth them to whomsoever he will Furthermore What is the cause of Penury and Scarceness of Dearth and Famine Is it any other thing but a token of Gods ire revenging our Wrongs and Injuries done one to another Ye have sown much upbraideth God by his Prophet Haggai and yet bring in little ye eat Hagg. 1. but ye be not satisfied ye drink but ye be not filled ye cloath your selves but ye be not warm and he that earneth his Wages putteth it into a bottomless Purse Ye looked for much increase but loe it came to little and when ye brought it home into your Barns I did blow it away saith the Lord. O consider therefore the Ire of God against Gleaners Gatherers and Incroachers upon other Mens Lands and Possessions It is lamentable to see in some places how greedy Men use to Plough and grate upon their Neighbors Land that lieth next them how covetous Men now a days Plough up so nigh the common Balks and Walks which good Men before time made the greater and broader partly for the commodious Walk of his Neighbor partly for the better shack in Harvest time to the more comfort of his poor Neighbors Cattle It is a shame to behold the insatiableness of some covetous Persons in their doings that where their Ancestors left of their Land a broad and sufficient Bier-balk to carry the Corps to the Christian Sepulture how Men pinch at such Bier-balks which by long use and custom ought to be inviolably kept for that purpose and now they either quite eare them up and turn the dead Body to be born farther about in the High Streets or else if they leave any such Meer it is too straight for two to walk on These strange encroachments good Neighbors should be looked upon these should be considered in these days of our Perambulations And afterward the Parties admonished and charitably reformed who be the doers of such private gaining to the slander of the Township and the hindrance of the Poor Your High-ways should be considered in your Walks to understand where to bestow your days works according to the good Statutes provided for the same It is a good deed of Mercy to amend the dangerous and noisom Ways whereby thy poor Neighbor sitting on his silly weak Beast founder not in the deep thereof and so the Market the worse served for discouraging of the poor Victuallers to resort thither for the same cause If now therefore ye will have your Prayers heard before Almighty God for the increase of your Corn and Cattle and for the defence thereof from unseasonable Mists and Blasts from Hail and other such Tempests love Equity and Righteousness ensue Mercy and Charity which God most requireth at our hands Which Almighty God respecteth chiefly in making his Civil Laws for his People the Israelites Levit. 24. Deut. 29. in charging the owners not to gather up their Corn too nigh at Harvest Season nor the Grapes and Olives in gathering time but to leave behind some Ears of Corn for the poor Gleaners By this he meant to induce them to pity the Poor to relieve the Needy to shew mercy and kindness 1 Cor. 9.10 It cannot be lost which for his sake is distributed to the Poor for he which ministreth Seed to the Sower and Bread to the Hungry Joel 8. which sendeth down the early and the latter Rain upon your Fields so to fill up the Barns with Corn and the Winepresses with Wine and Oyl He I say who recompenseth all kind of Benefits in the Resurrection of the Just he will assuredly recompence all merciful deeds shewed to the Needy howsoever unable the Poor is upon whom it is bestowed O saith Solomon let not mercy and truth forsake thee Bind them about thy neck saith he and write them on the Table of thy Heart so shalt thou find favor at Gods hand Thus honor thou the Lord with thy Riches and with the first Fruits of thine increase so shall thy Barns be filled with abundance and thy Presses shall burst with new Wine nay God hath promised to open the Windows of Heaven upon the liberal righteous Man that he shall want nothing He will repress the devouring Caterpiller which would devour your Fruits He will give you peace and quiet to gather in your Provision that ye may sit every Man under his own Vine quietly without fear of the Foreign Enemy to invade you He will give you not only Food to feed on but Stomachs and good Appetites to take comfort of your Fruits whereby in all things ye may have sufficiency Finally he will bless you with all manner of Abundance in this
continual Prayers unto Almighty God even from the bottom of our hearts that he will give his grace power and strength unto our gracious King to vanquish and subdue all as well Rebels at home as Foreign Enemies that all Domestical Rebellions being suppressed and pacified and all outward Invasions repulsed and abandoned we may not only be sure and long continue in all obedience un o our gracious Sovereign and in that peaceable and quiet life which hitherto we have led under his Majesty with all security but also that both our gracious King and we his Subjects may all together in all obedience unto God the King of Kings and unto his holy Laws lead our lives so in this World in all Vertue and Godliness that in the World to come we may enjoy his everlasting Kingdom which I beseech God to grant as well to our gracious Sovereign as unto us all for his Son our Saviour Jesus Christs sake To whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost one God and King immortal be all glory praise and thanksgiving World without end Amen Thus have you heard the First Part of this Homily Now good People Let us pray The PRAYER as in that time it was Published O Most mighty God the Lord of Hosts the Governor of all Creatures the only giver of all Victories who alone art able to strengthen the Weak against the Mighty and to vanquish infinite multitudes of thine Enemies with the Countenance of a few of thy Servants calling upon thy Name and trusting in thee Defend O Lord thy Servant and our Governor under thee our Sovereign Lord the KING and all thy People committed to his charge O Lord withstand the cruelty of all those which be Common Enemies as well to the Truth of thy Eternal Word as to their own natural Prince and Country and manifestly to this Crown and Realm of England which thou hast of thy Divine Providence assigned in these our days to the Government of thy Servant our Sovereign and gracious KING O most merciful Father if it be thy holy Will make soft and tender the stony Hearts of all those that exalt themselves against thy Truth and seek either to trouble the quiet of this Realm of England or to oppress the Crown of the same and convert them to the knowledge of thy Son the only Saviour of the World Jesus Christ that we and they may joyntly glorifie thy Mercies Lighten we beseech the their ignorant Hearts to embrace the Truth of thy Word or else so abate their cruelty O most mighty Lord that this our Christian Realm with others that confess thy holy GOSPEL may obtain by thy aid and strength surety from all Enemies without shedding of Christian Blood whereby all they which be oppressed with their Tyranny may by relieved and they which be in fear of their cruelty may be comforted and finally that all Christian Realms and especially this Realm of England may by thy Defence and Protection continue in the Truth of the Gospel and enjoy perfect Peace Quietness and Security And that we for these thy Mercies joyntly all together with one consonant Heart and Voice may thankfully render to thee all Laud and Praise that we knit in one Godly concord and unity amongst our selves may continually magnifie thy glorious Name who with thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ and the holy Ghost art one Eternal Almighty and most merciful God To whom be all Laud and Praise World without end Amen The Second Part of the Homily against Disobedience and Wilful Rebellion AS in the First Part of this Treaty of Obedience of Subjects to their Princes and against Disobedience and Rebellion I have alledged divers sentences out of the holy Scriptures for proof so shall it be good for the better declaration and confirmation of the said wholsom Doctrin to alledge one example or two out of the holy Scriptures of the Obedience of Subjects not only unto their good and gracious Governors but also unto their evil and unkind Princes As King Saul was not of the best but rather of the worst sort of Princes as being out of Gods favor for his disobedience against God in sparing in a wrong pity the King Agag whom Almighty God commanded to be slain according to the Justice of God against his sworn Enemy and although Saul of a Devotion meant to Sacrifice such things as he spared of the Amalechites to the Honor and Service of God yet Saul was reproved for his wrong Mercy and Devotion and was told that Obedience would have more pleased him than such lenity which sinful humanity saith holy Chrysostom is more cruel before God than any Murther or shedding of Blood when it is commanded of God But yet how evil soever Saul the King was and out of Gods favor yet was he obeyed of his Subject David the very best of all Subjects and most valiant in the service of his Prince and Country in the Wars the most obedient and loving in Peace and always most true and faithful to his Sovereign and Lord and farthest off from all manner of Rebellion For the which his most painful true and faithful Service King Saul yet rewarded him not only with great unkindness but also sought his destruction and death by all means possible so that David was fain to save his life not by Rebellion or any Resistance but by flight and hiding himself from the Kings sight Which notwithstanding when King Saul upon a time came alone into the Cave where David was so that David might easily have slain him yet would he neither hurt him himself neither suffer any of his Men to lay hands upon him Another time also David entring by night with one Abisai a valiant and fierce Man into the Tent where King Saul did lie asleep where also he might yet more easily have slain him yet would he neither hurt him himself nor suffer Abisai who was willing and ready to slay King Saul once to touch him Thus did David deal with Saul his Prince notwithstanding that King Saul continually saught his death and destruction It shall not be amiss unto these Deeds of David to add his words and to shew you what he spake unto such as encouraged him to take his opportunity and advantage to slay King Saul as his mortal Enemy when he might 1 Reg. 24. b. 7 c. 1 Reg. 26. b. 9. b. 10 c. The Lord keep me saith David from doing that thing and from laying hands upon my Lord Gods Anointed For who can lay his hand upon the Lords Anointed and be guiltless As truly as the Lord liveth except that the Lord do smite him or his days shall come to die or that he go down to War and be slain in Battel the Lord be merciful unto me that I lay not my hand upon the Lords Anointed These be Davids words 1 Reg. 24. a. 1 Reg. 1 b. 7. b. 9. 2 Reg. 1. b. spoken at sundry times to divers his Servants
Enemies with the Countenance of a few of thy Servants calling upon thy Name and trusting in thee Defend O Lord thy Servant and our Governor under thee our Sovereign Lord the KING and all thy People committed to his charge O Lord withstand the cruelty of all those which be Common Enemies as well to the Truth of thy Eternal Word as to their own natural Prince and Country and manifestly to this Crown and Realm of England which thou hast of thy Divine Providence assigned in these our days to the Government of thy Servant our Sovereign and gracious KING O most merciful Father if it be thy holy Will make soft and tender the stony Hearts of all those that exalt themselves against thy Truth and seek either to trouble the quiet of this Realm of England or to oppress the Crown of the same and convert them to the knowledge of thy Son the only Saviour of the World Jesus Christ that we and they may joyntly glorifie thy Mercies Lighten we beseech the their ignorant Hearts to embrace the Truth of thy Word or else so abate their cruelty O most mighty Lord that this our Christian Realm with others that confess thy holy GOSPEL may obtain by thy aid and strength surety from all Enemies without shedding of Christian Blood whereby all they which be oppressed with their Tyranny may be relieved and they which be in fear of their cruelty may be comforted and finally that all Christian Realms and especially this Realm of England may by thy Defence and Protection continue in the Truth of the Gospel and enjoy perfect Peace Quietness and Security And that we for these thy Mercies joyntly all together with one consonant Heart and Voice may thankfully render to thee all Laud and Praise that we knit in one Godly concord and unity amongst our selves may continually magnifie thy glorious Name who with thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ and th◠〈◊〉 Ghost art one Eternal Almighty and most mercâ—â—â—â— God To whom be all Laud and Praise World without end Amen The Third Part of the Homily against Disobedience and Wilful Rebellion AS I have in the First Part of this Treatise shewed unto you the Doctrin of the Holy Scriptures as concerning the Obedience of true Subjects to their Princes even as well to such as be evil as unto the good and in the Second Part of the same Treaty confirmed the same Doctrin by notable examples likewise taken out of the Holy Scriptures so remaineth it now that I partly do declare unto you in this Third Part what an abominable sin against God and Man Rebellion is and how dreadfully the wrath of God is kindled and inflamed against all Rebels and what horrible plagues punishments and deaths and finally eternal damnation doth hang over their heads as how on the contrary part good and obedient Subjects are in Gods favor and be partakers of Peace Quietness and Security with other Gods manifold blessings in this World and by his mercies through our Saviour Christ of life everlasting also in the World to come How horrible a sin against God and Man Rebellion is cannot possibly be expressed according unto the greatness thereof For he that nameth Rebellion nameth not a singular or one only sin as is Theft Robbery Murder and such like but he nameth the whole puddle and sink of all sins against God and Man against his Prince his Country his Country-men his Parents his Children his Kinsfolks his Friends and against all Men universally all sins I say against God and all Men heaped together nameth he that nameth Rebellion For concerning the offence of Gods Majesty who seeth not that Rebellion riseth first by contempt of God and of his holy Ordinances and Laws wherein he so straitly commandeth Obedience forbiddeth Disobedience and Rebellion And besides the dishonor done by Rebels unto Gods holy name by their breaking of their Oath made to their Prince with the attestation of Gods Name and calling of his Majesty to witness Who heareth not the horrible Oaths and Blasphemies of Gods holy Name that are used daily amongst Rebels that is either amongst them or heareth the truth of their Behavior Who knoweth not that Rebels do not only themselves leave all Works necessary to be done upon Work-days undone whiles they accomplish their abominable work of Rebellion and to compel others that would gladly be well occupied to do the same but also how Rebels do not only leave the Sabbath-day of the Lord unsanctified the Temple and Church of the Lord unresorted unto but also do by their Works of wickedness most horribly prophane and pollute the Sabbath-day serving Satan and by doing of his work making it the Devils day instead of the Lords day Besides that they compel good Men that would gladly serve the Lord assembling in his Temple and Church upon his day as becometh the Lords Servants to Assemble and meet Armed in the Field to resist the fury of such Rebels Yea and many Rebels lest they should leave any part of Gods Commandments in the first Table of his Law unbroken or any sin against God undone do make Rebellion for the maintainance of their Images and Idols and of their Idolatry committed or to be committed by them and in despite of God cut and tear in sunder his holy Word and tread it under their Feet as of late ye know was done The fifth Commandment As concerning the second Table of Gods Law and all sins that may be committed against Man who seeth not that they be contained in Rebellion For first the Rebels do not only dishonor their Prince the Parent of their Country but also do dishonor and shame their natural Parents if they have any do shame their Kindred and Friends do disinherit and undo for ever their Children and Heirs The sixth and eighth Commandment Thefts Robberies and Murders which of all sins are most loathed of most Men are in no Men so much nor so perniciously and mischievously as in Rebels For the most arrant Thieves cruellest Murderers that ever were so long as they refrain from Rebellion as they are not many in number so spreadeth their wickedness and damnation unto a few they spoil but a few they shed the Blood but of a few in comparison But Rebels are the cause of infinite Robberies and murderers of great Multitudes and of those also whom they should defend from the spoil and violence of other and as Rebels are many in number so doth their wickedness and damnation spread it self unto many And if Whoredom and Adultery amongst such Persons as are agreeable to such wickedness are as they indeed be most damnable The Seventh Commandment What are the forcible oppressions of Matrons and Mens Wives and the violating and deflouring of Virgins and Maids which are most rife with Rebels How horrible and damnable think you are they Now besides that The Nninth Commandment Rebels by breach of their Faith given and the Oath made to their
Heirs for ever for whom they might purchase Livings and Lands as natural Parents do take care and pains and to be at great costs and charges and universally instead of all Quietness Joy and Felicity which do follow blessed Peace and due Obedience to bring in all troubles sorrow disquietness of Minds and Bodies and all Mischief and Calamity to turn all good Order upside down to bring all good Laws in contempt and to tread them under feet to oppress all Vertue and Honesty and all vertuous and honest Persons and to set all Vice and Wickedness and all vicious and wicked Men at liberty to work their wicked Wills which were before bridled by wholsom Laws to weaken to overthrow and to consume the strength of the Realm their natural Country as well by the spending and wasting of the Mony and Treasure of the Prince and Realm as by murdering the People of the same Prov. 14. their own Country-men who should defend the honor of their Prince and liberty of their Country against the Invasion of Foreign Enemies And so finally To make their Country thus by their mischief weakned ready to be a prey and spoil to all outward Enemies that will invade it to the utter and perpetual captivity slavery and destruction of all their Country-men their Children their Friends their Kinsfolk left alive whom by their wicked Rebellion they procure to be delivered into the hands of the Foreign Enemies as much as in them doth lie In Foreign Wars our Country-men in obtaining the Victory win the praise of valiantness yea and though they were overcome and slain yet win they an honest commendation in this World and die in a good Conscience for serving God their Prince and their Country and be Children of eternal Salvation But the Rebels how desperate and strong soever they be yet win they shame here in fighting against God their Prince and Country and therefore justly do fall headlong into Hell if they die and live in shame and fearful Conscience though they escape But commonly they be rewarded with shameful Deaths their Hands and Carcasses set upon Poles and hanged in Chains eaten with Kites and Crows judged unworthy the honor of Burial and so their Souls if they repent not as commonly they do not the Devil hurrieth them into Hell in the midst of their mischief For which dreadful execution St. Paul sheweth the cause of Obedience Rom. 13. not only for fear of Death but also in Conscience to God-ward for fear of eternal damnation in the World to come Wherefore good People let us as the Children of Obedience fear the dreadful Execution of God and live in quiet Obedience to be the Children of everlasting Salvation For as Heaven is the place of good obedient Subjects and Hell the Prison and Dungeon of Rebels against God and their Prince so is that Realm happy where most obedience of Subjects doth appear being the very Figure of Heaven and contrariwise where most Rebellions and Rebels be there is the express similitude of Hell and the Rebels themselves are the very Figures of Fiends and Devils and their Captain the ungracious pattern of Lucifer and Satan the Prince of darkness of whose Rebellion as they be Followers so shall they of his damnation in Hell undoubtedly be partakers and as undoubtedly Children of Peace the inheriters of Heaven with God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Ghost To whom be all Honor and Glory for ever and ever Amen Thus have you heard the First Part of this Homily Now good People Let us pray The PRAYER as in that time it was Published O Most mighty God the Lord of Hosts the Governor of all Creatures the only giver of all Victories who alone art able to strengthen the Weak against the Mighty and to vanquish infinite multitudes of thine Enemies with the Countenance of a few of thy Servants calling upon thy Name and trusting in thee Defend O Lord thy Servant and our Governor under thee our Sovereign Lord the KING and all thy People committed to his charge O Lord withstand the cruelty of all those which be Common Enemies as well to the truth of thy Eternal Word as to their own natural Prince and Country and manifestly to this Crown and Realm of England which thou hast of thy Divine Providence assigned in these our days to the government of thy Servant our Sovereign and gracious KING O most merciful Father if it be thy holy Will make soft and tender the stony Hearts of all those that exalt themselves against thy Truth and seek either to trouble the quiet of this Realm of England or to oppress the Crown of the same and convert them to the knowledge of thy Son the only Saviour of the World Jesus Christ that we and they may joyntly glorifie thy mercies Lighten we beseech thee their ignorant Hearts to embrace the Truth of thy Word or else so abate their cruelty O most mighty Lord that this our Christian Realm with others that confess thy holy GOSPEL may obtain by thy aid and strength surety from all Enemies without shedding of Christian Blood whereby all they which be oppressed with their Tyranny may be relieved and they which be in fear of their cruelty may be comforted and finally that all Christian Realms and especially this Realm of England may by thy Defence and Protection continue in the Truth of the Gospel and enjoy perfect Peace Quietness and Security And that we for these thy Mercies joyntly all together with one consonant Heart and Voice may thankfully render to thee all Laud and Praise that we knit in one godly Concord and Unity amongst our selves may continually magnifie thy glorious Name who with thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost art one Eternal Almighty and most merciful God To whom be all Laud and Praise World without end Amen The Fourth Part of the Homily against Disobedience and Wilful Rebellion FOr your further instruction good People to shew unto you how much Almighty God doth abhor Disobedience and Wilful Rebellion specially when Rebels advance themselves so high that they arm themselves with Weapon and stand in the Field to sight against God their Prince and their Country It shall not be out of the way to shew some Examples set out in Scriptures written for our eternal Erudition We may soon know good People how heinous an offence the treachery of Rebellion is if we call to remembrance the heavy wrath and dreadful indignation of Almighty God against Subjects as do only but inwardly grudge mutter and murmur against their Governors though their inward Treason so privily hatched in their Breasts come not to open Declaration of their doings as hard it is whom the Devil hath so far enticed against Gods Word to keep themselves there no he meaneth still to blow the Coal to kindle their Rebellious Hearts to flame into open Deeds if he be not with Grace speedily withstood Num. 11. a Num. 12.
People and Country where Rebellion was first begun that the Child then and yet unborn might rue and lament it with the final overthrow and shameful deaths of all Rebels set forth as well in the Histories of Foreign Nations as in the Chronicles of our own Country some thereof being yet in fresh Memory which if they were collected together would make many Volums and Books But on the contrary part all good luck success and prosperity that ever hapned unto any Rebels of any Age Time or Country may be contained in a very few lines or words Wherefore to conclude let all good Subjects considering how horrible a sin against God their Prince their Country and Country-men against all Gods and Mans Laws Rebellion is being indeed not one several sin but all sins against God and Man heaped together considering the mischievous life and deeds and the shameful ends and deaths of all Rebels hitherto and the pitiful undoing of their Wives Children and Families and disinheriting of their Heirs for ever and above all things considering the eternal damnation that is prepared for all impenitent Rebels in Hell with Satan the first Founder of Rebellion and Grand Captain of all Rebels let all good Subjects I say considering these things avoid and flee all Rebellion as the greatest of all mischiefs and embrace due obedience to God and our Prince as the greatest of all Vertues that we may both escape all Evils and Miseries that do follow Rebellion in this World and eternal damnation in the World to come and enjoy Peace Quietness and Security with all other Gods benefits and blessings which follow Obedience in this life and finally may enjoy the Kingdom of Heaven the peculiar place of all obedient Subjects to God and their Prince in the World to come which I beseech God the King of all Kings grant unto us for the obedience of his Son our Saviour Jesus Christ unto whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost one God and King immortal all honor service and obedience of all his Creatures is due for ever Amen Thus have you heard the Fourth Part of this Homily Now good People Let us pray The PRAYER as in that time it was Published O Most mighty God the Lord of Hosts the Governor of all Creatures the only giver of all Victories who alone art able to strengthen the Weak against the Mighty and to vanquish infinite multitudes of thine Enemies with the Countenance of a few of thy Servants calling upon thy Name and trusting in thee Defend O Lord thy Servant and our Governor under thee our Sovereign Lord the KING and all thy People committed to his charge O Lord withstand the cruelty of all those which be common Enemies as well to the truth of thy eternal Word as to their own natural Prince and Country and manifestly to this Crown and Realm of England which thou hast of thy Divine Providence assigned in these our days to the government of thy Servant our Sovereign and gracious KING O most merciful Father if it be thy holy Will make soft and tender the stony Hearts of all those that exalt themselves against thy Truth and seek either to trouble the quiet of this Realm of England or to oppress the Crown of the same and convert them to the knowledge of thy Son the only Saviour of the World Jesus Christ that we and they may joyntly glorifie thy mercies Lighten we beseech thee their ignorant Hearts to embrace the Truth of thy Word or else so abate their cruelty O most mighty Lord that this our Christian Realm with others that confess thy holy GOSPEL may obtain by thy aid and strength surety from all Enemies without shedding of Christian Blood whereby all they which be oppressed with their Tyranny may be relieved and they which be in fear of their cruelty may be comforted and finally that all Christian Realms and especially this Realm of England may by thy Defence and Protection continue in the Truth of the Gospel and enjoy perfect Peace Quietness and Security And that we for these thy Mercies joyntly all together with one consonant Heart and Voice may thankfully render to thee all Laud and Praise that we knit in one godly Concord and Unity amongst our selves may continually magnifie thy glorious Name who with thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost art one Eternal Almighty and most merciful God To whom be all Laud and Praise World without end Amen The Fifth Part of the Homily against Disobedience and Wilful Rebellion WHereas after both Doctrin and examples of due Obedience of Subjects to their Princes I declared lastly unto you what an abominable sin against God and Man Rebellion is and what horrible Plagues Punishments and Deaths with Death everlasting finally doth hang over the heads of all Rebels it shall not be either impertinent or unprofitable now to declare who they be whom the Devil the first Author and Founder of Rebellion doth chiefly use to the stirring up of Subjects to Rebel against their lawful Princes that knowing them ye may flee them and their damnable suggestions avoid all Rebellion and escape the horrible plagues and dreadful death and damnation eternal finally due to all Rebels Though many causes of Rebellion may be reckoned and almost as many as there be Vices in Men and Women as hath been before noted yet in this place I will only touch the principal and most usual causes as specially Ambition and Ignorance By Ambition I mean the unlawful and restless desire in Men to be of higher estate than God hath given or appointed unto them By Ignorance I mean no unskilfulness in Arts and Sciences but the lack of knowledge of Gods blessed Will declared in his holy Word which teacheth both extreamly to abhor all Rebellion as being the root of all mischief and specially to delight in obedience as the beginning and Foundation of all goodness as hath been also before specified And as these are the two chief causes of Rebellion so are there specially two sorts of Men in whom these Vices do Reign by whom the Devil the Author of all evil doth chiefly stir up all Disobedience and Rebellion The restless Ambitious having once determined by one means or other to atchieve to their intended purpose when they cannot by lawful and peaceable means climb so high as they do desire they attempt the same by force and violence wherein when they cannot prevail against the ordinary Authority and Power of lawful Princes and Governors themselves alone they do seek the aid and help of the ignorant multitude abusing them to their wicked purpose Wherefore seeing a few ambitious and malitious are the Authors and Heads and multitudes of ignorant Men are the Ministers and furtherers of Rebellion the chief Point of this part shall be as well to notifie to the simple and ignorant Men who they be that have been and be usual Authors of Rebellion that they may know them and also to admonish
even at this day But these ambitious and indeed traitorous means and spoiling of their Sovereign Lords the Bishops of Rome of Priests and none other by right than the Bishops of one City and Diocess are by false usurpation become great Lords of many Dominions mighty Princes yea or Emperors rather as claiming to have divers Princes and Kings to their Vassals Liegemen and Subjects as in the same Histories written by their own Familiars and Courtiers is to be seen And indeed since the time that the Bishops of Rome by Ambition Treason and Usurpation atchieved and attained to this height and greatness they behaved themselves more like Princes Kings and Emperors in all things than remained like Priests Bishops and Ecclesiastical or as they would be called Spiritual persons in any one thing at all For after this rate they have handled other Kings and Princes of other Realms throughout Christendom as well as their Sovereign Lords the Emperors usually discharging their Subjects of their Oath of Fidelity and so stirring them up to Rebellion against their natural Princes whereof some examples shall in the last part hereof be notified unto you Wherefore let all good Subjects knowing these the special Instruments and Ministers of the Devil to the stirring up of all Rebellions avoid and flee them and the pestilent suggestions of such Foreign Usurpers and their Adherents and embrace all obedience to God and their natural Princes and Sovereigns that they may enjoy Gods blessings and their Princes favor all Peace Quietness Security in this World and finally attain through Christ our Saviour life everlasting in the World to come which God the Father for the same our Saviour Jesus Christ his sake grant unto us all To whom with the Holy Ghost be all honor and glory World without end Amen Thus have you heard the Fifth Part of this Homily Now good People Let us Pray The PRAYER as in that time it was Published O Most mighty God the Lord of Hosts the Governor of all Creatures the only giver of all Victories who alone art able to strengthen the Weak against the Mighty and to vanquish infinite multitudes of thine Enemies with the Countenance of a few of thy Servants calling upon thy Name and trusting in thee Defend O Lord thy Servant and our Governor under thee our Sovereign Lord the KING and all thy People committed to his charge O Lord withstand the cruelty of all those which he Common Enemies as well to the Truth of thy Eternal Word as to their own natural Prince and Country and manifestly to this Crown and Realm of England which thou hast of thy Divine Providence assigned in these our days to the Government of thy Servant our Sovereign and gracious KING O most merciful Father if it be thy holy Will make soft and tender the stony Hearts of all those that exalt themselves against thy Truth and seek either to trouble the quiet of this Realm of England or to oppress the Crown of the same and convert them to the knowledge of thy Son the only Saviour of the World Jesus Christ that we and they may joyntly glorifie thy Mercies Lighten we beseech thee their ignorant hearts to embrace the Truth of thy Word or else so abate their cruelty O most mighty Lord that this our Christian Realm with others that confess thy holy GOSPEL may obtain by thy aid and strength surety from all Enemies without shedding of Christian Blood whereby all they which be oppressed with their Tyranny may be relieved and they which be in fear of their cruelty may be comforted and finally that all Christian Realms and especially this Realm of England may by thy Defence and Protection continue in the Truth of the Gospel and enjoy perfect Peace Quietness and Security And that we for these thy Mercies joyntly all together with one consonant Heart and Voice may thankfully render to thee all Laud and Praise that we knit in one Godly concord and unity amongst our selves may continually magnifie thy glorious Name who with thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ and the holy Ghost art one Eternal Almighty and most merciful God To whom be all Laud and Praise World without end Amen The Sixth and last Part of the Homily against Disobedience and Wilful Rebellion NOw whereas the Injuries Oppressions Raveny and Tyranny of the Bishops of Rome Usurping as well against their natural Lords the Emperors as against all other Christian Kings and Kingdoms and their continual stirring of Subjects unto Rebellions against their Sovereign Lords whereof I have partly admonished you before were intolerable and it may seem more than marvel that any Subjects would after such sort hold with unnatural Foreign Usurpers against their own Sovereign Lords and natural Country It remaineth that I do declare the Mean whereby they compassed these matters and so to conclude this whole â—reaty of due Obedience and against Disobedience and Wilful Rebellion You shall understand Of the ignorance of simple people the later Part that by ignorance of Gods Word wherein they kept all Men specially the Common People they wrought and brought to pass all these things making them believe that all that they said was true all that they did was good and godly and that to hold with them in all things against Father Mother Prince Country and all Men was most meritorious And indeed what mischief will not blind ignorance lead simple Men unto By ignorance the Jewish Clergy induced the common People to ask the delivery of Barabbas the seditious murderer and to sue for the cruel Crucifying of our Saviour Christ for that he rebuked the Ambition Superstition and other Vices of the High Priests and Clergy For as our Saviour Christ testifieth that those who Crucified him wist not what they did so doth the Holy Apostle St. Paul say If they had known if they had not been ignorant they would never have Crucified the Lord of Glory but they knew not what they did Our Saviour Christ himself also foreshew that it should come to pass by ignorance that those who should persecute and murder his true Apostles and Disciples should think they did God acceptable Sacrifice and good Service as it is also verified even at this day And in this ignorance have the Bishops of Rome kept the People of God specially the common sort by no means so much as by withdrawing the Word of God from them and by keeping it under the vail of an unknown strange tongue For as it served the ambitious humor of the Bishops of Rome to compel all Nations to use the natural Language of the City of Rome where they were Bishops which shewed a certain acknowledging of subjection unto them so yet served it much more their crafty purpose thereby to keep all People so blind Si cognovissent Gregorius 2 3. Anno Dom. 726. c. In the second Commandment that they not knowing what they prayed what they believed what they were commanded by God might
that the People that will not see with their Eyes nor hear with their Ears to learn and to understand with their Hearts cannot be converted and saved And the wicked themselves being damned in Hell shall confess ignorance in Gods Word to have brought them thereunto saying We have erred from the way of the truth and the light of Righteousness hath not shined unto us and the Sun of understanding hath not risen unto us Mat. 7. John 3. we have wearied our selves in the way of wickedness and perdition and have walked cumberous and crooked ways but the way of the Lord have we not known Mat. 11. b. 15. 13. a. 9. f. 3. Luke 8. a. 8. Joh. 5. f. 39. Ps 1. Mat. 7. b. 7. Luk. 11.9 Luke 16. g. 30.31 Gal. 1. b. 8. Deut. 5.32 Deut. 17. c. 14.15 c. Rom. 13. 1 Pet. 2. Psal 118. Psal 18. 118. Eph. 5.14 1 Thes 5. a. 4.5 John 12.35.36 Jam 1. c. 17. 1 Tim. 6. d. 16. John 3. And as well our Saviour himself as his Apostle St. Paul doth teach that the ignorance of Gods Word cometh of the Devil is the cause of all error and misjudging as falleth out with ignorant Subjects who can rather espy a little mote in the eye of the Prince or a Counsellor than a great Beam in their own and universally it is the cause of all evil and finally of eternal damnation Gods Judgment being severe towards those who when the light of Christs Gospel is come into the World do delight more in darkness of ignorance than in the light of knowledge in Gods Word For all are commanded to read or hear to search and study the holy Scriptures and are promised understanding to be given them from God if they so do all are charged not to believe either any dead Man nor if an Angel should speak from Heaven much less if the Pope do speak from Rome against or contrary to the Word of God from the which we may not decline neither to the right hand nor to the left In Gods Word Princes must learn how to obey God and to govern Men in Gods Word Subjects must learn Obedience both to God and their Princes Old Men and young rich and poor all Men and Women all Estates Sexes and Ages are taught their several Duties in the Word of God For the Word of God is bright giving light unto all Mens Eyes the shining Lamp directing all Mens Paths and Steps Let us therefore awake from the sleep and darkness of Ignorance and open our Eyes that we may see the light let us rise from the works of darkness that we may escape eternal darkness the due reward thereof and let us walk in the light of Gods Word whiles we have light as becometh the Children of light so directing the steps of our Lives in that way which leadeth to light and life everlasting that we may finally obtain and enjoy the same which God the Father of Lights who dwelleth in light incomprehensible and inaccessible grant unto us through the light of the World our Saviour Jesus Christ Unto whom with the Holy Ghost one most glorious God be all Honor Praise and Thanksgiving for ever and ever Amen Thus have you heard the Sixth Part of this Homily Now good People Let us pray The PRAYER as in that time it was Published O Most mighty God the Lord of Hosts the Governor of all Creatures the only giver of all Victories who alone art able to strengthen the Weak against the Mighty and to vanquish infinite multitudes of thine Enemies with the Countenance of a few of thy Servants calling upon thy Name and trusting in thee Defend O Lord thy Servant and our Governor under thee our Sovereign Lord the KING and all thy People committed to his charge O Lord withstand the cruelty of all those which be common Enemies as well to the truth of thy eternal Word as to their own natural Prince and Country and manifestly to this Crown and Realm of ENGLAND which thou hast of thy Divine Providence assigned in these our days to the Government of thy Servant our Sovereign and gracious KING O most merciful Father if it be thy holy Will make soft and tender the stony hearts of all those that exalt themselves against thy Truth and seek either to trouble the quiet of this Realm of ENGLAND or to oppress the Crown of the same and convert them to the knowledge of thy Son the only Saviour of the World Jesus Christ that we and they may joyntly glorifie thy Mercies Lighten we beseech thee their ignorant hearts to embrace the truth of thy Word or else so abate their cruelty O most mighty Lord that this our Christian Realm with others that confess thy holy GOSPEL may obtain by thine aid and strength surety from all Enemies without shedding of Christian Blood whereby all they which be oppressed with their Tyranny may be relieved and they which be in fear of their cruelty may be comforted And finally that all Christian Realms and especially this Realm of ENGLAND may by thy Defence and Protection continue in the truth of the Gospel and enjoy perfect Peace Quietness and Security and that we for these thy Mercies joyntly all together with one consonant heart and voice may thankfully render to thee all laud and praise that we knit in one godly concord and unity amongst our selves may continually magnifie thy glorious Name who with thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost art one Eternal Almighty and most merciful GOD. To whom be all laud and praise World without end Amen A THANKSGIVING for the Suppression of the last Rebellion O Heavenly and most merciful Father the defender of those that put their trust in thee the sure fortress of all them that flee to thee for succor who of thy most just Judgments for our Disobedience and Rebellion against thy holy Word and for our sinful and wicked living nothing answering to our holy profession whereby we have given an occasion that thy holy Name hath been blasphemed amongst the ignorant hast of late both sore abashed the whole Realm and People of England with the terror and danger of Rebellion thereby to awake us out of our dead sleep of careless security and hast yet by the miseries following the same Rebellion more sharply punished part of our Country-men and Christian-brethren who have more nearly felt the same and most dreadfully hast scourged some of the seditious Persons with terrible Executions justly inflicted for their disobedience unto thee and to thy Servant their Sovereign to the example of us all and to the warning correction and amendment of thy Servants of thine accustomed goodness turning always the wickedness of evil Men to the proof of them that fear thee who in thy Judgments remembring thy Mercy hast by thy assistance given the Victory to thy Servant our Queen her true Nobility and faithful Subjects with so little or rather no effusion of Christian Blood as also might have justly ensued to the exceeding comfort of all sorrowful Christian hearts and that of thy fatherly pity and merciful goodness only and even for thine own names sake without any our desert at all Wherefore we render unto thee most humble and hearty thanks for these thy great mercies shewed unto us who had deserved sharper punishment most humbly beseeching thee to grant unto all us that confess thy holy Name and profess the true and perfect Religion of thy holy Gospel thy heavenly Grace to shew our selves in our living according to our profession that we truly knowing thee in thy blessed Word may obediently walk in thy holy Commadments and that we being warned by this thy Fatherly correction do provoke thy just wrath against us no more but may enjoy the continuance of thy great mercies towards us thy right hand as in this so in all other Invasions Rebellions and dangers continually saving and defending our Church our Realm our Queen and People of England that all our Posterities ensuing confessing thy holy Name professing thy holy Gospel and leading an holy Life may perpetually praise and magnifie thee with thy only Son Jesus Christ our Saviour and the Holy Ghost To whom be all laud praise glory and Empire for ever and ever Amen FINIS