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A00668
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A sermon of simonie and sacriledge preached at Pauls Crosse March 18: by Roger Fenton preacher of Graise Inne.
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Fenton, Roger, 1565-1616.
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1604
(1604)
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STC 10801; ESTC S105579
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12,992
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74
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together with the administration of Sacraments haue the first place wherefore the Archministers of the Gospell the 12. Apostles leauing all other businesse gaue themselues to praier and the administration of the word 6. Act. 4. To deuour these is apparent destruction for where these bee wanting the people must needs perish Yet such is the malice and subtiltie of the serpent that rather then this shall stand entire hee will so worke as one shall deuour an other The time was when Prayer being turned into a Masse and the Masse into an idoll did swallow vp the preaching of the word the time is when preaching hath well nigh swallowed vp Prayer as if there were nothing holy in the Church of Christ but a Sermon Such is the peeuishnesse of our corrupt nature that where God hath combined such a louely paire of vertues together we can not leane to the one but we must despise the other Whereas in deed there is such a sweet concord and harmonie betweene them that who so despiseth the one shall be depriued of the comfort of the other They be the ascending and descending Angels of commerce betweene God and vs. The Word teacheth vs to know his trueth Prayer testifieth that we acknowledge his goodnesse to be the onely fountaine of all our blessings Preaching bringeth knowledge without which deuotion is blinde Prayer exerciseth deuotion without which knowledge is lame and vnprofitable the one soweth the seed the other fetcheth a shower of graces from heauen to make it growe By Preaching God doth serue vs with that heauenly Manna the food of our soules by Prayer we doe serue God which is the end of all our preaching Be it farre from vs then to make a diuorce betweene these two which can so well agree 2 That these sacred means might take effect in working holinesse in the Church of God he hath sanctified or set apart in the second ranke Time Place and Person for the ministerie of the Worde Prayer and Sacraments for Time he hath selected the Saboth for Place the Temple for Persons the Clergie 1 The Saboth sanctified or set apart from common vse to Gods seruice is then deuoured when it is profaned by weekly businesse or lewd sports as about this place it hath beene too much But his roiall Highnesse whom God hath crowned ouer vs no doubt to crowne vs with mercies and compassions as hitherto it hath beene his maner in al his proceedings to begin with religion So hath he in his first proclamation caused the reformation of this point to be proclaimed Pray we to God to continew and increase establish the reformation of those things which without all controuersie are to be reformed 2 The Holinesse of the place is deuoured when the temple of God is made an Exchange Iohn 2. 16. I meane not onely the temple at Hierusalem but euerie place consecrated to Gods worship is Holy and therefore saith the Apostle not to be profaned by common imploiments 1. Cor. 11. 22. vers Haue yee not houses to eate and drinke in or despise yee the Church of God 3 Sanctified persons set a part for the Ministery of the Gospell are deuoured a thousand waies yea rather then faile we our selues wil deuour our selues That vnhappie faction amongst vs about mynt and annice Rom. 1. 1. had brought such a snare vpon this Church as if Gods especiall prouidence had not preserued vs the Papist on the one side and the profane Atheist on the other had deuoured both sides with open mouth Verily it is a snare to deuour any thing that is sanctified but yet I am not come to the dint of my text As the sacred ordinance of God the Word and Sacraments can not be ministred without conuenient time place and person set a part for that purpose so neither can place nor person be fit for that Ministerie without conuenient maintenance Wherefore God of his goodnesse out of those temporall blessings in abundance bestowed vpon the sonnes of men hath resumed a portion for this purpose Which portion is said in my text to be sanctified because it is set a part from common vse to the maintenance of Gods seruice For it is laid down for a principle in Leuit. 27. 28. Euerie thing separate from common vse is holie to the Lord. so that where the Scripture speaketh of this porcion there to be separate and to be Holy be Sinonyma diuers termes expressing one and the same thing These lie open to be deuoured by couetous and needie persons these be alluring baits to intise a man to deuour them but Solomon giueth vs a Caueat that vnder this baite there lieth a hooke to insnare the conscience of the deuourer so as he may swallow the bait and wound himselfe win the world and loose his soule Be it farre from me to insnare the iudgement of the weake or any waies to darken the trueth by Ceremoniall or Leuiticall shadow I know where I speake in the presence of God and of those who are able to discerne and iudge what I say Giue me leaue by your Honorable patience to inlighten my selfe in the vnfolding of this text so farre onely as the Morall law of God which is perpetuall and the euidence of his gospel do second the same That precept of Wisdome to hir sonne in the third Chapter of this booke 9. vers Honor God with thy riches albeit she had written it in the hearts of men by nature yet she had need to renew it since many endeuour to blot it out for it is a conceit coÌ„monly conceaued that for those temporal blessings we possesse if wee vse them soberly without excesse iustlie without oppression of others and charitably with some porcion relieue the poore we are thereby discharged as if no part therof were due vnto God or did any wise appertaine to the first table The Nicodemites were content to become Christians thus farre that they would giue their harts vnto Christ so they might dispose of their bodies as occasion serued These goe a degree farther they will worship God in soule and bodie both that of the abundance of the heart the mouth may speake the knee bow the handes and eies be lifted vp but for honouring God in their riches they thinke it is more then needs they will offer to God the oblations of their hearts and calues of their lippes too but not of their stalles We will go with the wise men saith Barnard to seeke Christ from the East yea we will fall downe and worship him but we be grown too wise to opeÌ„ our treasuries that is the renting of our hearts we cannot endure to be tied unto it If Paule therefore will make Agrippa a Christian he must except these bands too But God will not release vs. For as God is the owner and giuer of all so he will be acknowledged by * a sacred Sacrum â—ectâ—gal â—aluin in â—eb 1. 4 rent to be Lord of all He gaue blessings to Abraham Abraham