more need his deuotion in frequenting publique prayers his constancy in his studies his studious vigilancy for the publike affaires both of the Church the Common wealth So that hee might with as little Ostentation haue spoken of himselfe as Luther did of himselfe Ego sum oneratissâ—…mus psalterium exigit â—…ntegrum hominem totum eundem Concio ad Populum totum preculae instituti mâ—…i cultus totum negotioâ—…um alienorum occupatio I am burdened more then any man my paines in my Pesthâ—…ls require a whole man My Preaching to the people a whole man My priuate and publique deuotions a whole man common affaires belonging to my place in the Church in the common wealth a whole man So that I may compare his life to such an one as S Augustine wished Eudoxius the Abbot to lead Inter ignem et Aquam Inter Apicem Superbiae et voraginem Desidiae Neither inclining to Pride on the right hand nor idlenesse on the left Wheresoeuer he liued leauing some remarkeable token of his goodnesse Witnesse his mother Camebridge who will still remember him as truely for his learning as Trithemius did for Algerus Vir fuit in sanctis Scripturis jugâ—… studio exercitatus veterum quoque Lectione Diues atque in Secularibus literis magnifice doctus ingenio cautus et disertus eloquio And for his life the like Testimony may be easily procured that there was none in the Vniversity more obseruant of Order Habit â—…xercises both publique and priuate I haue heard it from his owne mouth and hee had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he neuer missed publique Sermon at St. Maries during all the time of his abode there saue twice I am loath to defile mine owne nest Yet I feare Aetas Parentum peior Avis tulit nos nequiores Witnesse likewise the Church in generall for whom willingly hee would haue spent himselfe so that few are left behind but are loosers by his death Heauen only a gainer in whose blessed mansions hee now rests fully satisfied with the melodious harmony of that Supernall Quire Part of which musicke I thinke he heard before he departed this life for the night before he dyed all his discourse was of musicke and being demanded whether he heard any or what musicke he meant his answere was O Gabriel Gabriel Sure the blessed Choristers of Heauen were ready to carry his soule with ioy into his Masters ioy I will conclude with him as S August concerning his deare beloued Nebridius Nunc vivit in sinu Abrahae Boysius meus dulcis amicus meus nam quis alius tali animae Locus My deare friend now rests in Abrahams bosome for sure there is no othe place for so Diuine a soule Thus gentle Reader haue I giuen thee a short suruey of the life of him whom perhaps thou knewest though not in his person yet in his workes If I haue come short of what his desert might iustly challenge as the relation of Salomon did to the Queene of Saba I must craue craue pardon for my weakenesse in this kind it being thanke worthy for him that hath no better 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or if I haue shot my few arrowes ouer the marke with Ionathan I shall be well content with S. Augustines censure vpon Tully for his large commendations of Caesar So it may bee with his glosse Dicebat hoc tam Magnus Laudator aut tam Magnus Adulator sed si Laudator talem noverit si autem adulator talem esse debere ostendebat To conclude if this last worke of his finde but that acceptation with thee which vttered Viva Voce it gaue to the auditors or if this Prol s Posthuma haue but some resemblance with his former off-spring that it be not thought altogether Spurious I doubt not but thou wilt bee easily induced together with mee and others that haue bene bettered by the godly example and heauenly labours of this holy man to glorifie the Author of euery good and perfit gift who will not cease to raise vp such excellent instruments for his owne glory and the Churches good To whose blessed Protection I commit thee Euer Resting Thine in what hee may R. P. A TABLE OF THE CONTENTS Sermons on Proper Lessons 1 The first Lesson at Morning Prayer on the second Sunday in Aduent ESAY 5. 18. Woe vnto them that draw inquitie with cords of vinitie and sinne as it were with a cartrope Pag. 1 2 The first Lesson at Morning Prayer on the first Sunday after Epiphany ESAY 41. 14. Feare not worme Iacob c. 16 3 The first Lesson at Evensong on the fourth Sunday after Epiphanie ESAY 58. 7. Breake thy bread to the hungry 31 4 The first Lesson at Morning Prayer on Sepâ—… Sunday 〈◊〉 1. 26. And God said let vs make man in our image after our likenesse 50 5 The first Lesson at Morning Prayer on the seventh Sunday after Trinitie 2 SAM 24. 14. Let vs fall now into the hands of the Lord for his mercies are great and let me not fall into the hand of man 70 6 The first Lesson at Morning Prayer on the thirteenth Sunday after Trinitie 2 KING 19. 36. So Sennacherib King of Ashur departed and went his way and returned and dwelt in Niniue and as he was in the Temple worshipping Nisroch his God Adâ—…amelech and Sharezar his sonnes slew him with the sword 89 7 The first Lesson at Morning Prayer on the nineteenth Sunday after Trinitie DAN 13 16. Shadrach Mesech and Abednago answered and said vnto the King c. 106 8 The first Lesson at Morning Prayer on the one and twentieth Sunday after Trinitie ABACVCK 2. 9. Woe be to him that coveteth an evill couetousnesse to his house 121 Other Sermons vpon seuerall Occasions 1 On Rogation Sunday PROV 22 28. Remoue not the ancient bounds which thy Fathers haue made 135 2 At the Sessions ROM 13. 4. He is the Minister of God for thy good 160 3 A Funerall Sermon PSAL. 42. 9. One deepe calleth another 197 4 Before the King at Christchurch PSAL. 84. 10. One day in thy Courts is better then a thousand 211 5 On PSALM 105. 4. Seeke the Lord and his strength seeke his face euermore 228 6 IOHN 8. 6. Iesus stopped downe and with his singer wrote on the ground 254 7 IAMES 5. 16. Confesse your faults one to another 27â—… SERMONS ON Proper Lessons ESAY 5. 18. Woe vnto them that drawe iniquitie with cordes of vanitie and sinne as it were with a Cart rope IN this Text two poynts are to beediscussed especially First the goodnes of God who soundes a woe before he sendes a woe Secondly the wickednesse of man in drawing iniquity Touching the first in holy writ we finde two kinds of woes a woe of Condoling and a woe of Condemning Condoling as Psalm 1â—…0 Woe is mee that I am constrayned to dwell with Misery Mica 7. 1. Woe is mee for I am as the Grape gleaning of the Vintage And in this Prophesie
man according to Gods owne heart The foolish Anabaptists obiect here that God indeed granted that license to the Iewes but hee denied it vnto Christians and answere is made that Iohn the Baptist who prepared the way for Christ allowed the calling of souldiers for when they did aske him Luke 3 4. What shall wee doe he did answere Do violence to no man neither accuse any falsly and be content with your wages Where Diuines obserue generally that Iohn approued the vocation of souldiers and condemned only three foule abuses in war Violence Calumnie Couetousnesse as Bernard sweetly contentos fore suis stipendijs indixit non omnem militiam interdixit Hee sayd in his exhortation a little before bring forth fruits worthy amendment of life Now then either he was a deceiuer or else souldiers continuing in their calling may bring foorth good fruits and escape the wrath to come According to this Commission the Saints of God haue warred and obteined prayse for the same being renowned because valiant in battell Heb. 11. 34. As Abraham Moses Iosua Gideon Samson Dauid and Naaman the Syrian is Chronicled for his fortune and fortitude in warre Fortune because he was the deliuerer of his countrey Fortitude because hee was a mightie man in valour 2. Kings 5. 1. And in the New Testament when the Centurion sayd vnto Christ I haue souldiers vnder mee Christ Highly commended his great faith but in no sort condemned his fashion of liuing and act 10. Wee read of Cornelius a Captaine who was a deuout man and one that feared God with all his houshold who gaue much almes and prayed vnto God continually neither did St. Peter who shewed him the way to saluation in Christ any way dislike his office but on the contrary protested that he was accepted of God It doth not follow which is obiected by some Polititians that because the religion of Christ teacheth peace therefore it is vnfit for warre and because it perswadeth patience therefore it makes men cowards for howsoeuer the first building of the Temple was without the noyse of any iron toole to signifie that it should bee the house of peace Yet in the second as it is reported Nehâ—…miah 4. 17. They built with one hand and held their swords in the other to shew that in a good cause it should not be vnlawfull for to fight and warre Nay the Lord of hostes vsually giues a blessing to Iust warres as when Abraham returned from the slaughter of the foure Kings Melchisedec King of Salem and a Priest of the most High God blessed him and sayd Blessed be the most High God possessour of heauen and earth which hath deliuered thine enemies into thine hands At the prayer of Moses Israel preuailed against Amalek when Duke Iosua fought at Beth-oren the Lord cast downe great stones from heauen vpon his enemies and they were moe who dyed with the hailestones then they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword and when hee was about to sacke Iericho an Angel appeared vnto him as a Captaine with a drawen sword to fight for him Iosua 5. In Ecclesiasticall hystorie wee find that God by miracles euidently shewen in the heauens encouraged Constantine the great to fight and that the Angels fought for Theodosius the yonger against the Saâ—…acens and that Honorius army was so blessed by the Lord of hostes against Rhadagaisus King of the Gothes that not so much as one Romane was killed or wounded whereas one hundred thousand of the Gothes were discomfited To the Testimonies of holy Scripture wee might adde the sayings of the most ancient and learned Fathers Tertullian in his Apology told the Gentiles Nauigamus et nos vobisâ—…um et militatamus c. We Christians are Sea-men and souldiers and husbandmen and merchant as well as yee St. Ambrose numbreth among other vertues Warlike fortitude and in his oration vpon the death of Theodosius Hee câ—…mmends him exceedingly for his skill in exercising of armes Chrysostome in an Homily concerning their excuses who came not to the wedding dinner you pretend saith hee that you are a souldiour the Centurion in the Gospels history was a good souldidiour and yet a good Saint St. Augustine in diuerse places of his workes both alloweth and commendeth highly the calling of warriours Bernard in his ser ad militis Templi Chap. 3. Miles Christi saith he securus interimit securior interit A souldiour beares not the sword for nought but is the Minister of God to take vengeance on him that doth euill and so when hee kils a malefactor Non homicida sed malecida Anabaptists obiect it is written Vengeance is mine I will repay saith the Lord Answere is made that the vengeance which is exercised by publique persons is not priuat grudge but the vengeance of God because Magistrates are the lieutenants and Ministers of God And whereas they further vrge the word of Esay they shall breake their swordes into matroks and their speares into sithes nation shall not lift vp a sword against nation neither shall they learne to fight any more S. Hierome answers that this Prophecie concerned only the very time when our blessed Sauiour the Prince of peace was borne For then as hystory reports there was an vniuersal peace throughout the whole world or as other it shewes that the Gospel of Christ sets not only God and man at peace but also man with man The summarie pith is briefly this that Christs people shall be meeke and hauing troden vnder their feet cruelty shall endeauour to liue peaceably but because part of Christs Kingdome is in this world that part hath here but a beginning the good being mingled with the bad and the good not absolutely good but imperfitly perfit therefore Christ inioyned Luke 22. 36. Hee that hath none let him sell his coate and buy a sword for albeit Christians may not offend other yet they may defend themselues in offending others so simple as doues in defending themselues so wise as serpents and therefore Caluin calles them braine-sicke Bedlams who by this place take from the Church the vse of the sword and condemne all manner of warre Yea but Christ himselfe sayd All that take the sword shall perish by the sword Diuines answere that a Prince takes not the sword of himselfe but hee receiueth it from God and hee giueth it to his Captaines and the Captaines to the souldiers and so by consequent all fighting in a lawfull warre put on Gods armour and are sayd expresly to fight the battailes of the Lord. Other obiect the weapons of the Church are the shield of faith sword of the spirit breast-plate of righteousnesse helmet of saluation as S. Paul armes a Christian. Ephes. 6 Answere is made that S. Paul in that place describes not any warre with men but a spirituall warfare which is against the deuill We wrestle quoth he not against flesh and
the soule of the world the Clergie of the Church and the Iesuites of the Clergie Iesus in this answere to the Pharisees expressed equity trueth piety but the Iesuites in their disputes regarde quaestum magis quam quaestionem All seeking their owne and not the things of Iesus Christ as S. Paul phraseth it Philip. 2. 21. Which occasioned a learned Diuine to say that they were Suitae not Iesuitae louers of themselues and not followers of Christ. Iesus here would haue scandalous accusations of our brethren written in the dust and trodden vnder feet of all that passe by But their doctrine is composed of lyes and libels and all thinges are fed and mainteined by such things of which they are bred and made the aliments of Popery must be correspondent to the elements of which it consisteth aequiuocation is their Diana lying their best helpe Machiauel their fifth if not first Euangelist as Caesar sayd si ius violandum est regni causa violandum and I haue heard that Sambucus alluding to that Apophâ—…egme should say when he had stolen a manuscript out of a library si ius violandum est eruditionis causa violandum so these men are resolued if a man must lye hee must lye for the good of the catholike religion and if lye in so good a cause lye to some purpose Iesus is a Sauiour of his people the Prince of Peace the God of loue but the Iesuites are destructiue doctors as rash Empiricks they can cure none but by letting of blood no treason plotted as Camerarius obserues in any state but a Iesuit hath a finger if not his whole hand in it either at the beginning middle or end so drunken with the blood of the Saints that as their old acquaintance writes the very Canibals and Anthropophages shall condemne them at the last day Thus haue they nothing of Iesus except only the bare name and nomen inane saith a Father is Crimen immane for their nature they resemble more Christs aduersaries the Scribes and Pharisees as being their offall and off-spring not so much flesh of their flesh as spirit of their spirit Now beloued I beseech you giue me leaue to say that vnto you which Moses in the 30. Chap of Deuter. to his auditours I haue set before you this day life and death good and euill blessing and cursing chuse therefore life shun the wayes of Antichrist which are the paths of death and follow Christs example which is the way the truth and the life that foâ—… both you and your seede may liue good subiects in his kingdome of grace and blessed Saints in his kingdome of glory IAMES 5. 16. Confitemini invicem peccata vestra Confesse your faults one to another OVr iniquities make a separation betweene God and vs and withhold his good thinges from vs Ierem. 5. 25. Now then vt cessante causa cesset effectus that the cause ceasing its effect also may cease S. Iames in the closing vp of his Epistle prescribeth a three-fold remedie for the remouing of our sinnes Eclipsing the Sunne of righteousnesse and hiding his face from vs. The first is confession of our faults one to another in our present text The second is prayer one for another in the words immediatly following The third is exhorting one of another in the 19. and 20 verses Concerning confession hee sets downe fiue conditions especially to wit that it be 1 Non involuta sed aperta not inuoluved and intricate but ingenuous and plaine noted in the verbe fatemini 2 Non diuisa sed integra not a partiall acknowledgement but a Plenarie noted in the preposition Con. Confitemini 3 Non reciproca sed transitiua not recoyling toward our selues but vttered vnto others also noted in the Aduerbe Inuicem 4 Non defensiua sed accusatiua not defensiue but accusatiue noted in the Nowne peccata faults 5 Non aliena sed Propria not another mans but our own noted in the Pronoune Vestra your faults Touching prayer one for another he shewes the great power thereof illustrated by the Prophet Elias example who being a man subiect to the like passions as wee that is frayle both in respect of his mind and body in respect of his mind as fleeing from angry Iesabel 1. Kings 19. In respect of his body as being fed by Raueâ—…s and by the little cake of a poore widdow dwelling in Zarepta 1. Kings 17. Yet with one prayer he shut vp the windowes of heauen and it rained not on the earth for three yeeres and sixe moneths And with another earnest prayer hee did open them againe and the heauen gaue raine and the earth brought soorth her increase As for exhorting one another he doth vrge that duty from the most excellent reward thereof If any of you haue erred from the trueth and some man hath conuerted him let him know that hee that hath conuerted the sinner from going astray out of his way shall saue a soule from death and shall hide a multitude of sinnes It is the worke of God only to saue soules causally but occasionally good men as Ministers and Instruments of God are sayd to saue soules in conuerting sinners from euill courses vnto the right way by fruitfull instructions and good examples So the Scripture speakes Matth. 18. 15. If hee heare thee thou hast won thy brother and more plainly 1. Tim. 4. 16. Take heede vnto thy selfe and vnto thy doctrine continue therein for in so doing thou shalt both saue thy selfe and them that heare thee I am at this time to treat of confession and the condition thereof I therefore resume my text Confesse your faults one to another A sinner vnregenerate is like Sampson grinding in the prison house corne for his enemies the greater his labour the more his losse Now the first step out of this vnhappy prison is the acknowledgement of his faults as the reuerend Father Nilus initium salutis est sui ipsius accusatio The condemning of his infirmities is the beginning of his sauing health Adam in couering his offence did offend more then in committing it all the sonnes of Adam haue this imbred cunning to hide their nakednesse with fig-leaues that is their naughtinesse with idle cloaks and excuses it is mother-wit to post and passe sinne from our selues vnto some other As when almighty God arraigned Adam in Paradise for transgressing his commandement in eating of the forbidden fruit hee presently layd the fault vpon Eua his wife she being questioned layd it vpon the serpent and the serpent vpon God Albeit vngodly men as our notes declines their sinnes throughout all the cases in the Nominatiue by their pride to get them a name in the Genitiue by their fornication in the Datiue by their Bribes in the Accusatiue by their Detracting and backbiting In the Vocatiue By their adulation and flattering In the Ablátiue By their oppression and robberies Yet they will not
such custome Mr Harding being hardly pursued is constrained in despite of his will and wit to grant that the termes of auricular and secret confession are seldome mentioned in the Fathers Erasmus and Rhenanus affirme they were neuer vsed in old time so that as reuerend Iewel sayd if Harding had left out the word seldome and sayd neuer his tale had beene the truer The challenge then of Caluin is iustifiable that the auricular Popish confession was not practised in the Church vntill twelue hundred yeeres after Christ 〈◊〉 first in the Laterane councell vnder 〈◊〉 the third 2 We say that auricular confession is not necessary for that it is an humane tradition not a diuine constitution as their owne Panormitan acknowledgeth and Maldonate their Iesuite writes expressely that many Catholiks are of the same opinion as namely Scotus among the schoolemen and the expounders of Gratian among the Canonists 3 Wee say that auricular confession of all faults is impossible for who can tell how oft he doth offend Psalme 19. 12. Our sinnes are more then the haires of our heads quoth Dauid and as King Manasses in his prayer more then the sand of the sea now quod sine numero est quomodo numerabo saith Bernard 4 Wee say that it is a pernicious practise by which a great many men are damnified if not damned many doubtlesse suffer dammages in their purses and personall estate because confessions euermore make worke for indulgences and indulgences are agreat support of the Popes triple Crowne There was a booke written Anno 1343. entituled Poenitentiarius asini Wherein are brought foorth the Wolfe the Foxe and the Asse comming to confession and doing penance First the Wolfe confessed himselfe to the Foxe who doth absolue him easily from his faults and excuse him in the same Then the Wolfe hearing the Foxes shrift affordes him the like fauour Lastly 〈◊〉 asse commeth to confession whose 〈◊〉 was this that hee being hungry tooke a straw from out the sheafe of one that went in peregrination vnto Rome the dull asse though repenting of this fact yet because hee thought it noâ—… so heinous as the faults of the other had immediatly the discipline of the law with all seuerity neither was he iâ—…dged worthy of any pardon or absolution but was apprehended vpon the same slaine and deuoured whosoeuer was the penner of this fabulous tale had a mysticall vnderstanding in the same For by the Wolfe no doubt was meant the Pope by the Foxe the Prelats and Priests and the rest of the spirituallity the Pope is soone absolued of the spirituallity and the spirituallity soone absolued of the Pope By the Asse is meant the poore Laytie vpon whose backe the strict censure of the law is executed sharpely Moreouer Popish aâ—…ricular confession is exceeding hurtfull vnto the souâ—…s of ignorant people who being beguiled with this blinding and benighting doctrine trust so much to their externall confession and externall absolution that they neglect inward and intire repentance This opinion assuredly breeds vp a sinner and makes him as it were fat in iniquity For as one sayd wittily the Papists account of confes sion as drunkards of vomiting and say When wee haue sâ—…nned wee must confesse and when we haue confessed wee must sâ—…nne againe that we may confesse againe So they sticke fast in their sinnes as thinking they haue done their parts wheâ—…â—…hey haue runne ouer the bed-roule of their 〈◊〉 and so receiued a formall absolution In our Churches history we read that a certaine Popish Priest named Nightingall Parson of Crondal in Kent who preaching vpon Shrove-Sunday to his parishioners and taking for his theame the words of S. Iohn If we say wee haue no sinne we deceiue our selues and the trueth is not in vs Told them he had receiued the Popes pardon from Cardinall Poole exhorting them also to receiue the same seeing that he stood now so free from sinne as he did at the fontstone and cared not now if he should die the same houre in the cleanesse of his conscience whereupon being suddenly stricken by the hand of God he immediatly shrunke downe into the Pulpit and so was found dead speaking not one word more Well then if S Iames here meant not auricular confession vpon constraint vnto the Priest euery yeare let vs examine what confession it is of which he sayth acknowledge your faults one to another Our Church in the second part of the homilie concerning repentance and Caluin institutionum lib. 3. cap. 4 sect 12. affirme that there is a two fold confession of faults one to another enioyned in the holy Scripture the first is for the satisfaction of our neighbours if wee haue trespassed against them and the second is for the satisfaction of our owne selues If at any time wee feele our consciences afflicted heauily with any grieuous crimes of both which our text may be consâ—…d as being Christian duties exceedâ—…y requisite not only in our sicknesse but in our health also LECTVRE 2. COncerning the first kind of confession it is a duty to be performed in sicknesse especially to which obseruation I am led with Aretius by the coherence for S. Iames in the words a little before sayd If any man be sicke among you let him call for the Elders of the Church and let them pray for him and then in our text Confesse your faults one to another insinuating that it is at such a time chiefly fit yea necessary that we should vnfainedly forgiue others and earnestly desire that others forgiue vs and so God of his infinite mercy forgiue all When Hezechias was sicke vnto death Esay the Prophet came unto him and sayd Put thy house in order for thou shalt die Dispose first of thy soule which is ill disposed if it bee not in loue which is the complement of the law Secondly dispose of thy body which is ill disposed If thou command not thy tongue to confesse thy faults and to doe right to those it hath abused and slandered â—…irdly dispose of thy temporall estate which is ill disposed if thou make not restitution vnto such as thou hast oppressed and iniured This confession is to be performed in our health also that if it be possible so much as in vsiâ—… we may haue peace with all men especially when as we go to the Lords Table so Christ instructeth vs. Matth. 5. 23. If thou bring thy gift to the Altar and there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee leaue there thy offering before the Altar and goe thy way first be reconciled vnto thy brother and then come and offer thy gift By which it is apparant that wee must offer in loue being reconciled vnto our brother and much more vnto the Church which is the whole brotherhood of all Christian people for God expects and respects mercy more then sacrifice Hosea 6 6. It is a fashion among meane