Kinred Hammon sinned and all his house was punished Dauid sinned as I said before and all his Realme was punished with a sore pestilence If this then be so as it is most sure because the Lord hath spoken it then how can this stand The former is taken for eternall punishment of God after this life the better for temporal and momentary punishmēt and those the Lord layeth often on one man for the sinne of another and the schoolmen giues very good reason for it but especiallie Thomas Aquinus quia vnus res est alterius 2. propter periculum imitationis And althogh the schoole men in very many pointes erre yet in these they haue said moste truely for both man is prone vnto sinne by nature and also verye easilye bent vnto it by the example of others nam exemplum est alteranatura as one saith verie wisely But there is a punishment eternal and in this euery one shal beare his owne burthen for he that sinneth shall die The wicked in deed may floorishe for a time but it can be no long space the chaffe may growe with the wheat but it is but til Haruest Dauid at the first sight of the wicked thought that they had been the onely men but when he went into the house of God there did consider the end of these men thē he concluded and said that his foote had almost slipped For they shall soone bee cut downe like grasse and shall wither as the greene herbe 37. Psal 2. The worme shal feele his sweetenes he shall bee no more remembred and the wicked shall bee broken down like a tree 24. Iob. 20. But wherfore do the wicked liue and wax olde and growe in wealth There seede is established in their fight with them and their generations before their eies Their houses are peacable without feare and the rodde of God is not vpon them Their Bullockes gendereth and failleth not their Cowe calues and casteth not her Calfe 21. Ioh. 7 8 9 10. ve He will deuide their leaues in his wreath they shal be as stubble Before the winde as chaffe that the storme carieth away 17 18. ve Thus you see what an euill bargaine the wicked make in this life for temporall pleasure they haue eternall paine and for the things of this world they loose the euerlasting ioyes of heauen and this is not onelye a great burthen but euery man shall beare his owne burthen for this cause And thus I haue in some measure fulfilled my promise nowe it remaineth that after the ground worke laid I should goe on and finish the building and surely where doctrine goes not before their exhortation cā take no place for as the building cannot stand without the foundation no more can exhortation without doctrine but lyke to the house builded vppon the sandes which when the raine came fell and the fall therof was great the winde blewe it downe and why because it was not builded vppon a rock and had no sure foundation The vse of this doctrine serueth to al estates and degrees of this life and seing that euery man hath a burthen som greater som lesse according to their sinnes and in al some it behoueth vs therfore with speed to come neere to the proclamation made by our Sauiour Christ Come all you that be heauye loden and I will ease you for so hee loued the world that he gaue himselfe for it Thou therfore that art a Minister do thy office truly eat not vp thy flocke by making vsurie vpon them and consider the last words in our Sauiours will Peter louest thou me feede my flock or if thou louest me feed my flock The same he repeted three times most vehemently which surely doeth argue the great necessitie of it And though men haue arrowes in their tongues and shoot at thee by euill reportes yet if thou be diligent thou shalt haue comforte for the day will come and it is not far off wherein euery man must beare his owne burthen It serueth also for a singuler vse to the vniuersitie that care be had of sufficient men for the dischargeing of the duty of the Ministerye such men who resemble the trees of Persia that are alwayes budding and haue alwaies ripe fruite on them as Theophrastus witnesseth Such as woulde instruct the people of God giuing them ripe wholsome doctrine fir for the eating But alas there is a great want of this which is a heauie burthen to vs heere in England The wisemen of our time are become yong children and the olde grayheaded ancient men are become yong Schollers and what is my meaning but as I said before that such are alwaies learning and neuer come to anye perfection I meane not the Reuerend fathers of our Church who take great paines in pruning of vs but of such as will neuer be pruned But what a fearefull and dangerous thing this is in that day will appeare wherin euery man shall beare his owne burthen Let vs therefore dearely beloued bee true harted one to another and pluck the visardes of hipocrisie from our faces wherewith we haue bene couered a long time and so speaking the trueth from our hartes wee may in that day be iustified wherein euerie man must beare his owne burthen And let vs not suffer the people to statue for want of teaching as wofull experience doeth showe the like in this Church of England but especially in the North partes who for want of preaching liue in darknes in the shadowe of death such scarscitie there is of those that shoulde guide their feete into the waye of peace The Lord graunt that we of our Colledges who liue by the sweate of their browes be not plagued for it in that day wherein euerie man must beare his owne burthen But you that be rich withdraw not your minds from Christ by reason of aduersitie which is incident to the Gospell bee not content to do onely those things which you may with case or with the commoditie of this life for so did the yong man but when Christ came at this Sell all that thou hast and giue to the poore then hee went away from Christ sorrowfull for why he had great possessions And I feare if a triall should come we that now are the greatest possessors would then be the least and turne away from Christ for why wee haue great possessions and so it would go euill on our partes euen in the day wherin euery man must beare his own burthen And you also for whom I haue caused this litle exhortation to be put in print that burthen your selues with the curse of the Church and with Ananias defraud his Ministers of their right now at the last awake out of your dreame suffer not your eye lids to sleepe nor the temples of your heade to take any rest vntill you haue restored that which you haue wilfully and wrongfully detracted And now euen now kisse the sonne least he bee angrie and so yee perish euerlastingly If his wrath be kindled yea but a litle woe be vnto you it had beene better for you that you had neuer beene borne or that a milne stone had beene tyed about your necke and beene cast into the sea for in that day of the wrath of the Lord the hils wil not couer you the fire will not consume you the water will not deuoure you but euerie one shall receiue iudgement and no meanes to escape euen in that day wherein euery man must beare his owne burthen This exhortation might be inlarged further for the beating downe of euery particular sinne in the whole life of man but that would require whole volumes and not the shortnes of this Pamphlet Heere therefore I will make an ende desiring God that hee will forgiue vs our sinnes that he would burie them in the death of his Sonne and mortifie our euill affections that so wee beeing dead vnto sinne may liue vnto righteousnes and be found blamelesse before God euen in that day wherein euery man must beare his owne burthen A praier OPen our eyes O Lord that we may bee turned from darknesse to light from the power of Satan to thee our God Open the harts and eares of vs thy people here in England that we may imbrace this comfortable doctrine for Paul may plant and Apollo water but it is the Lord of life that giueth the increase We therefore flie to thy throne of mercie most mighty most mercifull Father beseeching thee to heare vs for Christ his sake pardoning and forgiuing vs all our sinnes which bee the causes why thou wilt not heare our praiers and graunt our requests except they be wiped away in his bloud Build thou Ierusalem in euerie one of our harts and gather our wicked affections into the houshold of Israel And forasmuch as this our land hath lately beene troubled with great contentions and all proceeding from the pride of our hearts now therefore good Lorde after this great tempest send a gratious calme and after this long warre send vs euerlasting peace towards the kingdome of heauen through the merits of Christ Iesus our onely Lord and Sauiour Amen FINIS
which may bring vs to immortalitie where wee shall neuer carry any more burthens but sing praises of the most high continually And forasmuch as our life while wee liue in this worlde is subiect to many trials and temptations as also that man euen against himselfe is alwaies fighting the powers of his minde and body are alwaies at defiance one with the other let vs therefore labor against our flesh that the spirit of error do not ouerturn vs. Lucifer being the chiefest Angel because he would be equal with his maker was cast downe into the lowest place in hell but these men will sit in the iudgement seate of God and crie damnation damnation as if they had some secrete inspiration from the Lords counsell But will not God cast them downe Will hee not confound their pride that pul motes out of their brothers eye but forget the beames which is in their owne Yet I speake not this to defend non residencie for as there be that may iustly say Malum est nobis esse hîc So there are also that think it a pleasant life though they haue sufficient maintenance for their degree in the country abroad to liue at ease and so in their life they expresse this saying Bonum est nobis esse hîc It is an easie life to liue here I muse how they blush not when men call them Ministers when indeed they neuer do minister and these men are alwayes learning and neuer come to any perfection and if they take neuer so great pains to the outward appearance of men yet for all this they are like vnto the candle which beeing put vnder a bushell giueth small light or none at all O what greeuous burthens are in England whereof this is not the least for such liue vpon the bloud of the slaine of the people Those therefore that bee guiltie in this I accuse none I speake it generally to all lette them take heede of it and I would to God that euen in this their day they would consider the time of their visitation and so they would considering the night is past and the day is come put away the workes of darkenes and put on the armour of light The husbandman of whome the parable consisteth in the Gospell after hee had once dressed the trees of his garden amongst the which in one he had most delight and therfore tooke more paines in pruning of it than of the other supposing indeed to haue receiued the most fruite at it but when the time came beholde there was nothing vppon it but leaues Then at the request of his seruant he let it stand another yere and at the time appointed looked for fruit and lo there was nothing Then the husbandman saide the third yeare cut it down least it also make the ground barren The Lord our God who by his great mercie and goodnes hath planted vs in a famous vineyard and hath taken great paines in pruning of vs hath looked for fruite but behold the bitter rootes of dissention Now the Lorde expecting daily our amendment hath let vs stand still in the florishing vine not for three yeeres but for 20. or 30. and aboue and yet behold no fruite but leaues in the best part or else wilde grapes good for nothing but the furnace Now what iudgement remaineth but that we should be cut vp least wee also make the country and the people barren amongst whom we liue But I fear me this long forbearing is but to bring a greater destruction and as a man would say to fetch his blow the further that his stroke may be the greater By this which is spoken you may partly perceiue that euery man both by nature by the course of his life hath a great burthen But there be many mo burthens beside these for vsurie is a burthen The Vsurer can say for the defence of himselfe I do nothing but that which the lawe will allow although indeed vnder a pretence of lawe hee meane most deceitfully But you knowe that Iudas vnder a pretence of holines betraied his master and so those Vsurers eate vp the people sucking the bloud of them and all this vnder the colour and pretence of lawe But though euerie one do sinne and haue a great burthen yet notwithstanding as a broken peece of gold is not to bee cast away so wee should beare with the infirmities of our brethren helping their weaknes so it would followe that we should beare one anothers burthen for he that seemes to stand let him take heed that he fall not 1. Cor. 10.12 Thy brother fell to day thou maiest fall to morrow for there shall bee iudgement merciles to him that sheweth no mercie and mercie reioyceth against iudgement 2. Iam. 13. Let vs therfore be merciful as our Sauiour Christ is merciful for Christ hath once suffered for sinnes 1. Pet. 3.18 The grace of God hath appeared vnto all 2. Titus 11. Instructing thē with meeknes that are contrary minded prouing that if God at anye tyme will giue them repentaunce that they may know the trueth 2. Tim. 2.25 So that ye see the burthens of men bee infinite and yet men not to bee reiected for their burthens for vnder a filthye and polluted skin may be a full sound body vnder vice may lurke excellent vertue Helena as Poets faine had a mole in her cheek which made her more amiable so that vice doth rather adorne then any way dishonor the subiect in some neither is the Lord his hand shortned that it can not make an euill tree bring forth good fruit for he that made the eye will ye not haue him see and hee which made the eare will ye not haue him heare Hee which created man can hee not change man which way he will who hath euen the Kings heart in his hands as sayeth Salomon to dispose turne as pleaseth him best But I will let this point passe and come to the second thing which I promised in the beginning to speake of that as euery one hath a burthen as you haue heard before so euery one must beare his owne burthen The soule which sinneth shall die 18. Ezec. 20. The fathers shal not be put to death for the children nor the children put to death for the fathers but euery man shal be put to death for his owne sinne 24. Deut. 16. So then euerye one of vs shall giue accountes of himselfe to God 14. Rom. 12. By which two places it doth appeare without all controuersie that euery man shall beare his own burthen But some may obiect flesh and blood is ready to make obiectiōs as did Nichodemus howe can a man said he be borne again alleaging a place of scripture against this doctrine out of the 20. of Exod. 5. visiting the iniquitie of the fathers vnto the children vppon the 3. and 4. generation of them that hate me Adam sinned and so we all are punished 3. Ge. Achabs wiues sinne brought destruction vpon all their
England it did swallowe vp and spoile the goods of the Church but hearken ye deafe Adders it is meete for you to dwell in your seeled houses and the house of God to ly waste 1. Hag. And therefore it is that many of vs in England haue sowen muche and bring in little and haue eaten but had not enough drunke and were not filled wee haue cloathed ourselues and yet we be not warme and he that earneth wages hath put it in a broken bagge Ye looked for much saith the Prophet and loe it came to lyttle and when ye brought it home I did blowe vpon it saith the Lord because of my house that it is waste and ye run euery man to his owne house The Lord hath placed vs heere in a friutful land and yet for this sinne of robbing the Church the dew of heauen did not fal vpon the earth to moisten it and so all our riches could not deliuer vs from great penury thy destruction therefore is of thy selfe ô England repent therefore betime runne not a whoring after thine owne inuentions and now build a second Church farre more glorious then the first and goe about it betime The children of the Iewes were hindred had many lets because they let slip the opportunitie Restore the goods of the Church betymes and you shall see if your little doe not encrease to aboundaunce and then euerye student will labour for knowledge and Religion to benefit the Church to the confusion of Antichrist to the conforming and conducting of your soules through the wildernes of this worlde to the kingdome of Heauen this burthen if there were no moe in England it were sufficient to bring fire and brimstone suddenlye to consume vs but at the preaching of Ionas the Niniuites repented though his sermon was very shorte yet 40. daies and Niniuie shall be destroyed turned the wreath of the Almightie cleane away from them And it may bee likewise that the reading of this little Pamphlet will at the least make some of them blush when they consider how many learned men they hinder that are fain to stay stil in Cambridge for the great want that is in the Countrey abroad The Lord in times past had a controuersie with the children of Israel because there was no trueth no mercie no knowledge of God in their land Ose 4.1 And what wil he doe with this mercilesse nation wherein by the wicked the Prophets are almost stoned yet in the best part they are scourged and whipt by extreame penurie VVill hee not haue a controuersie with vs and hath he not shewed tokens of it These last yeares when a mightie nation did rise vp against vs like the sandes of the sea though at that instant wee had some good motions yet now when the peril is past our hearts are hardened with Pharao and we returne with the dogge to his vomit Pharaoh had tenne mightie blowes at his heart and yet would not be reclaimed and England hath had a thousand warnings and yet still is hardened Moses smit the rocke and water gushed out to the comforting of the children of Israel And I would to God that teares of repentance might make suche men to weep day night for the desolation of this Ierusalem and is it not a confusion of our owne faces that beeing vnder such a most gratious Queene by whose gouernement now this 33. yeeres wee haue enioyed all blessinges both spirituall and temporall more than all our neighbor countreys about vs that we I say should deale so vngratiously in with-holding the goodes of the Church which by the bountifull hands of so gratious a Queene and so prudent a Councell is bestowed vppon vs and yet this burthen doth seeme to vs to bee so light that we can wipe our mouthes and say wee haue not sinned Let Fraunce confirme vs in this doctrine for by this sinne there came vp sectes and heresies and had increased to a great and vnquenchable flame had not the sling of Dauid and the sword of Gedeon bene giuen into the Kings hand to fight the battell of the Almightie God for true religion and for the establishing of the Church Lord prosper his iourney that through his hand Israel may be deliuered from Aegypt where it lyeth in bondage vnder the Pope or vnder the Turke that the God of England may shew himselfe to be the true God and therefore that it is impossible for them to kicke against the pricke or for dust and ashes to wage warre against the immortall euer-liuing God whose power indeede no creature is able to resist I haue dwelt long as you may see in setting forth one of the burthens of this lande But I may excuse my selfe for this one is all and where this one is remooued there all other burthens may easily be taken away So indeede it is a rocke of offence a stone to stumble at which except it bee taken out of out way it is impossible that we shuld passe by it except it be such men as will strayne a gnat and swallow vp a cammell And vnto these what is it but is possible who can speak to the Church out of euerie text all thinges and these be they that condemn learning in Sermons because indeede they haue none themselues And this is the cause that the common people can better tell of cappe and surplesse than of faith and a good conscience which that sect wants for the most part Our Sauiour pronounced a woe to the Scribes Pharisies because they were diligent in tything mint and rue and euerie little trifle leauing the weightier points of the lawe But what if Christ were on the earth againe doe you thinke they should escape with a thousand woes because they haue beene the destruction of many mens souls driuing them to desperation as by wofull experience wee see it daily and all for want of learning Such deale with our auncient Fathers writings as they that haue cutte a purse who takes the mony and casts the purse away for fear their wickednes should be knowne to the world and they for all that they cannot abide our Fathers yet they are faine to flie to their writings to releeue their necessitie yet they cast away the purse But all is for vaineglorie to set out themselues as though it were theyr owne inuentions or their owne arme which helped them Thus they set at varience the minds of the people one holding of Apollo another of Paul the third of Cephas one of this man another of that man which things except they be lookt too in time doe foretell the ruine of the Church to come And though by reason of our most gratious Queene it come not in our dayes yet it may come in the time of our posteritie and the ages that are to come to the end of the world and though our life be short or lighter than vanitie because our dayes are numbred yet let vs worke those thinges in this short life