our sinne but no remedie against the sting therof so that it maketh vs feare and with trembling looke for the reward of sinne which is euerlasting death But the spirite of adoption by the preaching of the Gospel telleth vs that in Christ we haue remission of sinnes we are reconciled vnto God and adopted by him we are his chosen children and may boldly and ioyfully call him father And this certainetie of our saluation the spirit of God testifieth to our spirit whereby we put away all seruile feare of punishment beeing assured of Gods constant fauour and eternall loue towardes vs who neuer leaueth vnfinished that which he hath begun nor forsaketh him whom he hath chosen 15 Therefore daungerous and desperate is that doctrine of the Papists which doth teache vs euer to be doubtfull and in suspence of our saluation A lamentable discomfortable and miserable estate Here it is in one woord confounded For Zacharie saith we are redeemed to serue him without feare or doubtfulnesse For where doubt is there is feare and what greater feare than of a thing so fearefull Hee that will serue God must serue him in a quiet and ioiefull conscience with a sure and vndoubted confidence of mercie and saluation in Christ the Lord of mercy With thee is mercie saith the Prophet that thou maist be feared As if hee should say Thou art full of clemencie and compassion and therfore we serue thee with a reuerent and without a seruile feare being perswaded of thy great mercie 16 Feare is euer of the inferior to the superior It is not required in the prince to feare the subiect the master the seruaunt the father the childe or the husband the wife but contrarie in all God feareth not man his creature man ought to feare God who hath created him to feare him as a louing father and not as men doe feare a fierce tyrant 17 The true feare which is required of vs is euer ioined with loue The good childe feareth to offende his father for that loue and reuerence he beareth to him and not in respect or for feare of punishment The honest and well natured wife that truely loueth her husband for the same cause feareth and taketh great heede least in any thing she should offend him Euen with such feare ought we to serue our God who is our father our Christ who is our spouse Of this godlie feare the Prophet Dauid saith Serue the Lord in feare And againe Feare the Lorde all yee his Saints Of this Christ speaketh Feare him which can destroie both bodie and soule This feare great goodnesse and happinesse doe accompany It is the beginning of true wisedome For all wisedome without the feare of God is but earthly fleshly and diuelish They that haue it shall be satisfied with all good things There is no want to them that feare him It causeth men to decline from euill it banisheth sinne woorketh repentance in mans heart and happie are all they that feare the Lorde as they cursed which feare him not If the Angell had feared the Lord he had still kept his place and glorious estate and not beene made of an Angell a diuel cast out of heauen into hell If Adam had loued and feared God hee had not beene banished out of paradise and throwne vpon the face of this cursed earth If the feare of God had not of old wanted the whole world had not beene drowned If the citie of Sodoma had feared God they might haue remained in prosperitie vntill this day If Cain had feared God he had not so trecherously murthered his brother If Cham he had not so shamefully discouered his father If Laban he had not so deceitfully dealt with Iacob If Pharao he would haue let Israel depart when GOD commaunded If Israell had loued and truely feared God they would not haue loathed Manna despised magistrates followed fleshly lusts murthered the Prophets crucified Christ and persecuted his Apostles If the Corinthians had feared God they would not haue beene so contentious so proude so adulterous neither would they so vncharitably haue iudged their brethren in things indifferent they would not haue condemned mariage the institutiō of God neither in such sort prophaned the holy Sacramēts of Christ. The feare of God wold haue brought forth better fruit in all these and the want therof brought forth this bad fruit 18 If the feare of God dwelt in our hearts the Gospel so truly and plentifully preached among vs would no doubt bring forth far more fruite after so many monitions perswasions and entreaties we would leade a better life When there are amongst vs many that breede contention and make diuision that lend out their monie vpon vsurie that pollute their neighbours bed with adulterie that shut vp the bowels of mercie and compassion and suffer Christ to begge crie and starue in the streetes that neither regard the heauenly message of their saluation nor esteeme the messenger by whom it is brought that shewe no reuerence to the woord of God but manifestly hate loath and despise it is it not too cleare and manifest that we feare not the Lord 19 If the feare of God were in vs would wee deale with the seruaunts of God as wee nowe doe The dealing of Hanun the sonne of Nahash towards Dauids seruaunts was not more villanous than the dealings of the world are with the honorable Embassadors of the most high God at this day Dauid sent his seruauntes to the king of the children of Ammon to comfort him straight vpon the death of his father The malitious Ammonites misconstruing their intent whispered in the eare of their Lord Thinkest thou that Dauid doth honour thy father or that he hath sent comforters vnto thee Are they not rather sent as spies to searche the citie and so to ouerthrowe it He had no sooner heard the name of a spie but hands were laide vpon Dauids seruants they were sent away with their beards halfe shauen and their coates cut off in the vnseemeliest place to his owne euerlasting ignominie and shame which so despitefully vsed men sent vnto him of meere loue and heartie meaning For the good king had no other drift or purpose in his heart but this I will shewe kindenesse to Hanun as his father shewed kindnesse vnto me The true Dauid the most mightie Prince the king of all kings hath in fauour mercie and reconciled loue sent his embassadors his ministers vnto you to comfort you in your griefes and to bring you ioiefull tidings of a kingdome which it hath pleased his father to bestowe vpon you These messengers ought of right to be honourably receiued Entreate such with honour saith the Apostle Nay such messengers are woorthie of double honour But behold they are taken as if they were spies they are accounted as the offscourings refuse baggage of the world not as the embassadors of the great
wearie and loaden to come promising them that he would refresh their soules And heerein he did the office of a priest And againe hee healed all that Satan had afflicted and herein he did the office of a king He shall iudge the poore of the people saith the prophet he shall saue the children of the needie and shal subdue the oppressor He threwe out his enemie the oppressor Satan and deliuered his people out of that enemies hands An example for the magistrate to defend the innocent to deliuer the oppressed to punish the transgressor For the swoord is giuen him to this end An example for the minister to teache the word of God and confirme it with doing what good soeuer he may according to the talents that the Lord hath giuen him Finally an example for euerie faithfull Christian to shewe foorth his beleefe by his conuersation his faith by workes to make his vocation and calling sure thereby For God was with him Christ wrought his wonderfull workes by the power of God and not as the Scribes falsely charged him by the power of Beelzebub for God was with him He taught the word that he receiued of his father he cast out diuels by the finger of God He was no chopper or changer of the woord he vsed neither witchcraft sorcerie nor coniuring He wrought not by the diuel but by the power of God 40 The next part was that he died and rose again to procure vs this peace They slewe him hanging him on a tree God raised him vp the third day The death and resurrection of Christ is the onely meane of our reconciliation and peace with God For he died for our sinnes and rose for our iustification By his death and passion he hath cancelled and fastened vpon the crosse the hand-writing that was against vs. Hee hath pacified Gods wrath hee hath procured Gods fauour of enemies made vs friends of strangers citizens of the children of wrath the children of God and fellow-heires of his eternall kingdome 41 Before this crucified Christ that died and rose againe wee shal appeare to giue an account of our whole life of our thoghts our workes and words For as S Peter saith He is ordeined of God a iudge of the quicke and the dead At the latter day hee is appointed to be iudge of all flesh The father hath deliuered all iudgement vnto him And we shall all stand before his iudgement seate that euery one may receiue the things doone in his bodie according to that he hath doone whether it be good or euill This iudge is both iudge and witnesse I will come neere vnto you to iudgement and I will be a swift witnesse against the southsayers and against the adulterers and against false swearers and against those that wrongfully keepe back the hyrelings wages and vexe the widowe and the fatherlesse oppresse the stranger and feare not me saith the Lord of Hosts Nothing is hid from his eyes he seeth the secrets of all hearts he wil not be corrupted but giue vnto euerie one according to his woorkes Christ is iudge Wherefore we are taught to leaue reuenge vnto him Vengeaunce is mine I will repay saith the Lord. For priuate men to reuenge wrongs is to vsurp Christs office to take iudgement out of his handes whom God the father hath appointed iudge of the quicke and the dead You that bee afflicted and oppressed with miserie and wrong lift vp your heads for your redemption draweth neere You that oppresse and wrong your brethren repent and desire pardon least the sentence of Gods iustice ouertake you His iustice no man can abide For in his sight shall none that liueth be iustified Christ therefore is giuen as S. Peter teacheth to be our Iesus that is our Sauiour our Christ that is annointed a king a priest and prophet the Lord of all whom we ought to serue in holinesse and righteousnesse sent of God and made man he preached peace betweene God and man and betweene men among themselues he died to bee a sacrifice for vs he rose againe to iustifie vs hee is made our iudge and doeth iudge iustly 42 Nowe wee with PETER or rather with the holie Ghost with the Prophets and Apostles giue heerein to Christ that which is his owne And here is the controuersie betweene the aduersaries of the Gospel the papists and vs. We giue vnto Christ that which is his right they rob and take from him that which is his due We spoile our selues of all righteousnesse and seeke to be cloathed with his righteousnesse They cloath themselues with their owne righteousnesse not caring for that righteousnesse which is in him We hope to be saued by him our onely priest our sacrifice our mediator They haue shauen priests and vnbloudie sacrifices and infinite mediators both of Saints and Angels To be short we acknowledge Christ our whole Sauiour and all the glorie thereof we giue vnto God They will be saued by themselues their merits their pardons they impart the glorie of God vnto dead men to images to relikes to dumme creatures 43 The third and last part of S. Petets sermon was that wee are made partakers of peace by faith in Christ name To him all the prophets giue witnesse that through his name al that beleeue in him shall receiue remission of sins Wherein three things are remembred vnto vs that remission of sinnes is free that we receiue it by faith and that this doctrine is witnessed by all the prophets 44 All flesh hath sinned and doth neede forgiuenesse God is the onely forgiuer of our sinnes Neither doth he forgiue them in respect of mans merits but of his mercie good will and free mercie The onely meanes that mooued God to bee mercifull freely to sinnefull man was that most acceptable sweete bloudie sacrifice which the innocent sonne of God offred vpon the crosse for our sinnes All haue sinned and are depriued of the glorie of God are iustified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Iesus He tooke our vnrighteousnesse vpon himselfe and cloathed vs with his iustice and He who knewe no sinne was made sinne for vs that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him In Christ and for Christ we receiue free remission of sins There is no other name giuen vs vnder heauen whereby we may be saued I am the way the truth and the life No man commeth to the father but by me saith Christ. No sinne forgiuen but thorough him and through him all sinnes are forgiuen freely 45 The meane whereby wee are made partakers of this free remission of sinnes in the death and resurrection of Christ is faith in Christ. For all saith Peter that beleeue in him shall receiue remission of sinnes through his name God doeth freely offer vnto vs remission of sinne and peace in Christ. The meane and
length become doubtful and vncertaine like a tale that passeth from man to man and is told as many waies as there are men to tel it Againe if once it be graunted that there is any part of the Lawe of GOD vnwritten if entraunce once be giuen to Lawes that passe by the word of mouth I would know when we should be able to say Nowe we haue all the statutes of God these we must obserue but moe we may not receiue The Marcionites they haue a doctrine as they say receiued from the Apostles by tradition without booke Valentinus he likewise vrgeth very stoutely Christ had many thinges to tel his Disciples which as then they could not beare and therefore his doctrine may not be tryed by the booke It is a tradition Let any thing but the written word of God take place in matters of faith and who seeth not that the very mainesea of heresies must needs breake in vpon the Church of Christ These are as we suppose causes iust allowable and sufficient in the indifferent iudgement of reasonable men why we should deliuer you no doctrine concerning faith religion but onely that which is in Scripture why we should admonish you to beware of bread sowred with pharisaical leuen and to feed vpon that which ye know came down from heauen to shun broken cisternes to come to the wel of liuing waters as here ye are exhorted by the Prophet 13 At this the aduerse part doth greatly storme they cannot abide to haue controuersies iudged onely by the scriptures They which make scripture onely the ground and foundation of faith are no fit builders for the Church of Rome When Constantinus required that those matters about which the Church was then veriehoat in contention might be decided onely according to those things which are written the aunswere of Hilarie was Hoc qui repudiat Antichristus est He which refuseth this is Antichrist Why then doe our aduersaries flie this kinde of triall why refuse they to goe to the lawe and testimonies there to be iudged The reason is rendred by the Prophet It is because there is no light in them They haue chosen to them selues another foundation than that of the Prophets and Apostles Wherefore as Herode to couer the basenesse of his stocke and to the end that in time he might be thought to be of the bloud royall burned the sacred monuments and bookes of the Iewes wherein the lineal descents pedigrees and genealogies of the kings of Israell were described so they to strengthen the authoritie of their base and ilfauoured grounds doe endeuour not onely in word and writing by contumelious and reprocheful termes to discountenance but also if the power of God were not greater than theirs by fire and flame to destroy for euer the eternall testament of the sonne of God We charge them with no corner attempts we haue seene the burning of these heauenly records we haue seene the verie handling of the booke of life punished with bitter and cruel death May we not iustly say to that man of sin as S. Augustine to Petilian Iudas Christū carnalem tradidit tu spiritualem furens Euangeliū sanctum flammis sacrilegis tradidisti Iudas betraied Christ in the flesh but tho◠in the spirite In thy furie thou hast deliuered the holy Gospel vnto heynous flames 14 But what are the grounds for which they haue thus furiously bent themselues against the writings of the holy Ghost The grounds whereupon they build such doctrines as cannot stand with the scriptures of God are fained miracles the record and witnesse of fowle spirits precepts of men muddie legends vncertaine traditions which grounds so long as the light of the Gospel shineth in mens eies so long as we haue the scriptures to direct vs in our iudgement are easily perceiued to be but bogges and false grounds but take away the scriptures put out the light and in darkenesse who can descrie what they are This is the onely reason why Antichrist doth so much striue to hoodwinke the worlde by conueying the scriptures out of sight 15 By the scriptures we learne that the comming of that wicked one shall be with power and signes and lying wonders and in all deceiueablenesse of vnrighteousnesse which when we heare it giueth vs plainly to vnderstand that miracles are rather to be taken for causes of reasonable suspition than infallible proofes of true doctrine But the Pope wel perceiueth that if the scriptures may be buried his miracles wil then stand him in good stead As soone as Philip preached the things that concerned the kingdome of God and the name of Iesus Christ to the people of Samaria they forsooke the sorceries of Simon Magus and beleeued the doctrine of the scriptures But till then they all gaue heede to witchcraft and their generall iudgement of Magus was This man is the power of the great God 16 In the scriptures we are charged to heare Moses and the Prophets In the scriptures we finde that Christ refused the testimonie of an vncleane spirit In the scriptures we haue learned how to aunswere them which sende vs either to diuels or dead mens ghosts to be schooled and taught Should not a people enquire at their God From the liuing to the dead But let it be prouided that such sentences as these may be no more remembred and then what is it which the Pope may not confirme by his pale and grislie witnesses when men doe not heare of these scriptures they will easily finde as good reason as Saul to open their eares and to listen vnto Satan God aunswereth me no more neither by Prophets nor by dreames Therefore I haue called thee that thou maist tel me what to doe 17 How often are we warned in scriptures to take heede that we build not religion vpon doctrines of men How sharply are the Corinthians taken vp by the Apostle for pinning themselues vpon mens sleeues saying I am of Paul and I of Appollos But if this were concealed who would controlle the Pope for diuiding his traine for appointing some to be of Benedict some of Frauncis some of Dominicke for exacting more rigorously the strict obseruation of their rules than the keeping of the Lawes and statutes of God 18 So long as the myst of poperie was thicke ynough to stoppe the light of the scriptures of GOD the fabulous legends of Saints liues were thought as true as the Gospel There they had with maruellous cunning conueyance interlaced all points of popish doctrine which being barely taught would by reason of the grossenesse of them haue beene loathed in short time but being mingled with straunge and pleasaunt fables and so powred both into young and tender wits as the first licour wherewith their mindes were seasoned and into olde heads as the onely thing that might hold them euen then when all other entries of delight were shut vp so long as they had but
they say partly by grace but principally by the power and strength of their owne nature For being ashamed to affirme with Pelagius that a man may doe the workes of righteousnesse by nature without the grace of God they hold his grace to be a thing indeede necessarie But howe As a birde that is tyed or a man that is in fetters needeth onely to haue those incumberances remooued hauing then a naturall abilitie to flie and walke without any further helpe so man as they say hath in himselfe abilitie to doe good if the grace of God doe but remooue lets Is not this to make nature the principal cause of our well dooing whereas in trueth without the speciall motion of Gods spirite and that in euerie particular action wee are no more able to walke in the waies which GOD hath commaunded than a drunken man to goe without leading who staggereth euen in the plainest ground though all stumbling blockes be remooued though his waie lie neuer so smooth before him such is our weakenesse In consideration whereof the blessed Apostle sayth plainely It is not in him that willeth or in him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercie We dragge and are not able of our selues to set one foote before an other Drawe me saith the spouse in the Canticles and then we will runne after thee But these men litle considering of what fraile metall they are made perceiuing not how sinne hath weakened the faculties of the soule vaunt of freedome of strength of inward power and make their owne will the chiefest cause of their wel dooing 30 And when they haue doone any thing which to their seeming is wel doone they prise it so high and esteeme so much of it that God as they thinke should doe them iniurie if in iudgement he did not pronounce them iust and righteous for their workes sake If it were possible that God entering into iudgement should finde any so vpright and perfect that by their workes they might be iustified in his sight doubtlesse he should finde his owne seruaunts to be such or else none if any of his seruaunts surely his Prophets if any Prophet rather Dauid than any other But Dauid crieth out Enter not into iudgement no not with thy Seruaunt O Lord. For in thy sight shall none that liueth be iustified For whether we consider workes forbidden or commaunded by the Lawe what man is there liuing which can say in the one My heart is pure in the other I haue doone all that is enioyned me For if it were so that we knewe nothing wherein we had transgressed the lawes and statutes of the almightie yet herein could we in no wise be iustified because of secret sinnes hidden euen from our owne selues For which if God shal call vs to our reckoning and marke straitely what is doone amisse O Lord saith the Prophet who shall stand Againe if we had doone whatsoeuer wee could yet because we cannot doe so much as we should we ought to acknowledge our selues vnprofitable whereas we euen the best of vs are farre from dooing that which if we would we might doe 31 Nowe if God notwithstanding for his sonnes sake doe so allowe and accept the worke of our hands that he bountifully rewardeth our weake seruice with an excellent and an eternall waight of glorie how much are wee bound both to praise his mercie and to hate the insolencie of those men who besides al this swelling in the proude conceit of their workes will haue eternall life which is his gift to be their merite nor onely that but the worthinesse of their deserts to be so great that many of them dooing God more seruice than can bee sufficiently rewarded in their owne persons deserue heauen not onely for themselues but for others too These shipwracks of faith they haue made by reason of their inward pride 32 The excessiue desire of outward pompe hath furthermore caused them to disdaine the basenesse of Christ Iesus and of his Apostles to bee ashamed of the meane and lowe estate wherein they liued to make of their Deacons and Priests Cardinals exceeding the kings of the earth in glorie of their Bishop a Monarke vnder whose foote the Emperour himselfe hath beene a footestoole whose stirrop the greatest Soueraignes haue scarse beene deemed worthie to holde at whose bridle kings haue attended as seruaunts that the wordes of the Preacher might bee iustified Follie is set in great excellencie and the riche set in the lowe place I haue seene seruaunts on horses and Princes walking as seruants on the ground 33 This pompe cannot bee maintained with nothing it must haue strong sinnewes And therefore whatsoeuer mans wit might possibly deuise for gaine they haue both founde it out and put it in vre setting Offices Masses Prayers Pardons Sacramentes Heauen and Earth all the treasures of the house of GOD to sale if wee may terme it the house of God which they haue made a shoppe of so vile merchaundise It were infinite to recite what huge summes of money they haue heretofore by religious pretenses euerie yeere gathered within the compasse of this one Ilande What heapes then haue they raked out of other partes of Christendome Which offals and profites if once men beginne as here so in other kingdomes also to withholde from them if men leaue off buying their wares any more if things which are fatte and excellent depart doubtlesse that citie which nowe is cloathed in fine linnen and purple and skarlet which nowe is guilded with golde and decked with pretious stones and pearles shall in one houre be made desolate This they know and it maketh them carefull to maintaine whatsoeuer is commodious and gainefull to them As for the glorie of GOD it is the least part of their care nay they care not howe heynous sacrilege they commit in spoyling and robbing him of his honour 34 It is an honour vnto God when all men by faith point their fingers as it were at Christ Iesus naming him the onelie Lambe which taketh away the sinnes of the worlde when he is acknowledged the onely mediatour betweene God and vs when wee confesse that hee is that Priest according to the order of Melchisedech which hauing offered one sacrifice for sinnes hath therewith because it was a perfect sacrifice consecrated for euer them that are sanctified when our faith is so ascertained and grounded vppon his promises that we can bee bolde as Lyons assuring our selues that the eye of the Lorde is on them which trust in his mercie to deliuer their soules from death as the Prophet witnesseth But how doe they giue vnto him this honour who haue deuised so many waies to take away sinne besides the bloud of the Lambe of GOD who as though wee might not be bolde to enter into the holie place by the newe and liuely way which hee hath prepared for vs through the vaile which is his fleshe or as
though there were some others without whom the father in him is not pleased some others more willing to heare our requestes than hee who gaue himselfe to death for our sakes haue made their intercessors infinite in number and as though his sacrifice were so vnperfect that by beeing once offered it could not perfectly consecrate those which are sanctified renue their oblations day by day finally as though the Prophet were ouer presumptuous which saieth God is our hope and strength and helpe therefore will not we feare goe about by all meanes to strike a seruile terror into the heartes of the faithfull to keepe them alwaies wauering and doubting to take away all assurance of the mercie and fauour of God towards them which when we haue lost what courage can we haue to withstand the fierie assaults of Satan what comfort or consolation in the middest of those sharp and bitter conflicts which we must endure if we will liue godly in Christ Iesus 35 It is an honour vnto God when his name onely is called vpon when we worship and fal downe before none but him This honour he getteth not at their hands which haue gotten to them selues legions of Angels to whom they pray and millions of Idols which they daily adore Their differences betweene an Idoll and an Image are but shifts Call them what yee will They are similitudes of things in heauen or things in earth which is sufficient to condemne them of Idolatrie that worshippe such things Their distinctions betweene the honour which they giue to Images and the worship which they doe to God alone may serue to bleare the eyes of mortall men But the eternall God doth knowe that they honour creatures with that honour which is forbidden them in the Lawe that they bowe downe to them and that they serue them 36 It is an honour vnto God when reuerence and obedience is shewed vnto his Lawe But is this performed in that synagogue where he sitteth which is an aduersarie and exalteth him selfe against all that is called God or that is woorshipped making himselfe supreme Iudge of all nations requiring his owne words to be heard of all men as the words of God bereauing magistrates of their lawfull power exempting his Clergie from the ciuill sword what villanie soeuer they commit chaunging at pleasure the gouernment of Christ established in his Church dispensing with sinne be it neuer so directly against the expresse commaundement of God forbidding his Clergie mariage vnder colour of seuering them from the worlde but in deede to ease them of such cares and troubles as are necessarilie ioyned with that honourable estate which God commendeth and both secretly with concubines and openly in stewes permitting them fornication which God doeth hate Seeing therefore that this their synagogue is nothing but a sinke of all vncleannesse seeing that all their indeuours tend to no other end but onely to the aduauncement of themselues the dishonour of God and the disgrace of Christ doubtlesse they are not they cannot be the men which minister the waters of eternall life vnto thirstie soules 37 Now that we haue seene both the ground and the end as wel of that faith which we professe as of the doctrine which is helde by them who are deadly enemies to vs and our profession it remaineth that a worde bee spoken of the meanes which are vsed on both parts to set forward that for which we striue Touching our selues as the marke which wee shoote at is to set vp the kingdome of Christ Iesus a kingdome which is not of the worlde so the meanes which herein wee vse are not worldlie but altogether heauenly and spirituall What the proceedings of the Gospell haue beene yee are not ignoraunt ye knowe verie wel how without force without crueltie without trecherie and deceit without all wisedome of flesh and bloud in naked simplicitie in trueth vncoloured and as the Apostle speaketh in foolishnesse of preaching we haue laboured to prepare you for one husband to present you as a pure virgin to Christ not outwardly arrayed in purple and skarlet guilded with gold pretious stones and pearle like the strumpet that sitteth vpon many waters but like the spouse of Solomon glorious within ful of Christ riche in faith and in good workes fulfilled with knowledge of his wil in all wisedome and spiritual vnderstanding strengthened mightily in the inward man rooted and grounded in syncere loue inabled to comprehende with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height of the loue of Christ strengthened with all patience and long suffering blessed with all spirituall blessings in heauenly things 38 Contrariwise they desiring no such thing but seeking to build an earthly kingdome for themselues vse the meanes which are fittest for that purpose They feede mens eies with all glorious and glittering shewes they inuent to themselues instrumentes of Musicke to delight the eare but of the worke of the Lord of preaching the Gospel of instructing the heart of building the faith of exhorting and comforting Gods people who seeth not how litle regard they haue They keepe men occupied alwaies in corporal and bodily exercise which profiteth litle But are they careful to traine men vp in the knowledge of Christ which is eternal life in true godlinesse which is profitable vnto all things which hath the promise of the life present and of that which is to come No their practise from time to time doth shewe that most prophane and godlesse men onely siding themselues with the Church of Rome and defending by all meanes the Popes honour may both be counted as Catholikes and euen canonised as Saints among them If they passe the daies of their life lewdely after death at a reasonable prise they may purchase rest for their soules If their hearts be set vpon adulterie incest theft murther consider the holie father for his parchement and lead and what more easily graunted in the Court of Rome than full and free libertie to commit sinne Hence it commeth to passe that as euerie man is most licentiously bent so he ioyneth himselfe most willingly to the Church of Rome and warreth most earnestly for that faith which faith if the riche men of this worlde be for the most part readie to embrace what maruel is it For whereas Christ hath saide It is hard for a riche man to enter into heauen their doctrine and practise maketh the way expedite onely for the riche but by the way which they teache for a poore man to enter into the kingdome of heauen it is a hard matter It were too much to recite all the meanes whereby that kingdome of darkenesse hath growen it were a thing too full of horror to discourse of all the trecheries poysonings murtherings massacres which they haue vsed to maintaine their power neuer any tyrant in the world more Did Christ did Peter did the blessed Apostles thus subdue and conquer nations Did they thus inlarge the kingdome of God
the middest of them and what the Bishoppes in Synode did so conclude to bee godly and behooueful that he did ratifie and confirme 11 The ministers you see should teache the right waie He which beareth that name and performeth not this office is but an Idoll Let another take his Bishopricke Such drones were better smothered than suffered in that hiue where none should liue that wil not labour Such as sowe not why should they reape Neither is it any new thing to cast out vnworthie ministers who cast off care of their duetie Solomon deposed Abiathar the high Priest and Iustinian depriued Syluerius and Vigilius Bishops of Rome These are good presidents for Princes in like case to followe 12 Again such as teach but teach not the good right way such as are open and publike maintainers of errors and heresie such in the iudgement of God are thought vnworthie to liue Falsus Propheta moriatur Elias and Iehu did not thinke themselues imbrued but rather sanctified with such bloud I haue no cruell heart bloud be farre from me I minde nothing lesse Yet needes must it be graunted that the maintainers and teachers of errors heresie are to be repressed in euery Christian common wealth Such troublers of the quiet of the Church such deceiuers of the people are at leastwise according to the auncient commendable custome of the church to be remooued from the ministerie It is no reason that the church enemies should bee fostered in the bosome of the church The histories of things doone by good princes and rulers in these cases are so many and manifest that I neede not trouble you with recitall of them Amphilochius the Bishop sharply reprooued Theodosius the Emperour that he so long winked at Arius and suffered him to spreade his pestilent heresie farre and wide ouer the bodie of the church The Emperour was not angrie at the words of iust reproofe but foorthwith banished Arius and gaue him some part of his iust deserts The ministers what roume soeuer they haue in the church of God ought to pray and teache the good and right way or else to giue place to others that can and will And thus much for the duetie of the ministers 13 It followeth Feare the Lord and serue him in the trueth withall your hearts The Prophet in these words putteth the prince and people in remembrance of their dutie Wherin double seruice is required The seruice due vnto God and the seruice due vnto the common wealth The seruice which we owe vnto God is feare which feare is euer ioyned with loue and for that cause called a sonnelike feare to distinguish it from that seruile feare the ende whereof is desperation as the fruite of the former is loue which maketh not ashamed Feare God for they which feare him shal not feele his power All things bee naked and open before him He doeth see and wil iudge Feare him therefore but loue him too who hath so loued thee that hee hath not spared his onely sonne but giuen him to death for thee 14 God putteth the heads in minde of this duetie knowing that as they goe before so the people wil followe after Ieroboam gaue euil example and he made the people sinne Iosias feared and zealously serued God and the people did the like Quomodo reges Domino seruiunt in timore nisiea quae contra Domini iussa sunt religiosa seueritate prohibendo atque plectendo Aliter rex seruit vt homo aliter vt rex vt homo fideliter timendo vt rex leges iusta praecipientes contraria prohibentes sanciendo How doe Princes serue the Lorde in feare saith S. Augustine vnlesse with religious rigor they forbid and punish things wherein the statutes of the Lorde are broken The king serueth God as a man one way and an other way as a king As a man by leading a faithfull life as a king by making Lawes such as inioyne things that are iust forbid the contrary Ezechias did God the seruice of a king in destroying the groues and temples of Idols which were builded against the commandement of God Iosias did the like in reforming the church in dispatching all Idolatrie and superstition Darius did God royall seruice when he gaue the Idol into Daniels handes and cast his enemies into the denne of Lions Nabuchodonazer did the like when by straite Lawe hee commaunded that none should blaspheme but that all should serue the God of Sydrach My sach and Abednago Herein Princes doe rightly serue God as Princes when to serue him they doe such things as vnlesse they were Princes they could not doe 15 The first point of kinglie seruice vnto God is to purge and cleanse his Church Christ teacheth this by that which he did at his entering into that fowlie defiled temple of Ierusalem It appertaineth to Princes to Magistrates to them which are nowe assembled in this honourable Court of Parliament by all good meanes and Lawes to see Gods house made cleane that it may be the house of prayer and not a denne of theeues 16 First it must be purged from all false doctrine from all Idolatrie and superstition The good kings Ezechias and Iosias were careful in this behalfe They could not abide Idolatrie to be committed or God to be blasphemed within their dominons It had beene hard to haue purchased such a thing as a Masse at Moses hands with a masse of money That zealous Prince king Asa deposed Maacha his grandemother wholly from all gouernment for setting vp a foule Idol in a groue He that dealt so sharply with his grandmother for this surely would in no case or respect haue tolerated a blasphemous masse in his reformed church and kingdome The euill which others doe by our sufferance is ours We doe it when we suffer it to be done Princes to please princes may not displease the prince of all princes Feare the Lord and serue him in zeale and in trueth cast out of the church of England all leuin of blasphemie and Idolatrie So shall you glorifie God and he shal glorifie you Pauls heart was set on fire his spirit was kindled within him when hee sawe the citie of Athens giuen to Idolatrie Ye knowe the Historie of that woorthie man Mattathias We praie daily Hallowed be thy name but with what mindes if wittingly we suffer his name to be prophaned blasphemed 17 Feare the Lord purge his Church remooue all stones of offence out of his vineyard S. Pauls rule is Let all things in the Church be doone seemely What that seemelinesse is he himselfe expoundeth in these words Let all things be doone vnto edification The primatiue Church casting away Iudaicall and Heathenish rites was simple in her ceremonies The pope hath polluted and burthened the Church with both Wee may haue no other than such as are comely and serue for the
and their prayer tooke away the force of the fire The scriptures are full of examples of all sorts Kings Prophets Apostles faithfull Christians haue called vpon the Lord in the time of their troubles hee hath heard them graunted their requests and deliuered them from their distresses Wherefore before all things the Apostle heere exhorteth vs vnto praier 10 But for whom First generally for all men then specially for kings and them that are placed in authoritie It seemeth some were of opinion that praiers should be made onely for the faithfull for the brethren for Christians and not for Infidels Paul to meete with this vncharitable error saith Let supplications be made for all men S Iohn in his Canonicall Epistle seemeth to make exception against this generall doctrine There is a sinne vnto death I say not that thou shouldest praie for it This is that sinne which Christ calleth sinne against the holy Ghost which neuer shall be remitted and therefore is not to be praied for But because it is hard for vs to discerne who sinne vnto eternall death Christian charitie wil that we hope wel of all and obserue the generall rule to praie for all There were secrets reuealed to the Apostles of Christ which are hidden from vs they had the gift of prophecying and discerning of spirits to foresee and knowe which gifts these times haue not Paul rapt into the third heauen learned secrets not to be reuealed hee knewe that Himenaeus and Alexander were reprobates We may not so iudge of others Who art thou that iudgest an other mans seruaunt In outward shewe after the iudgement of man Paul being a violent persecuter of Christ sinned vnto death yet was hee the elect vessell and glorious instrument of God Christ is the propitiation for the sinnes of the whole world he wil haue all men to be saued and to come to the knowledge of the trueth We must therefore haue a charitable meaning towards all and pray for all as he hath died for all Praie euen for your enemies for them that persecute and slander you Blesse them that curse you Wish well to them that doe ill to you For God suffereth his raine to fall and his light to shine both vpon good and bad Abraham praied for Abimeleck Moses for Idolaters Samuel for Saul Stephen for them that stoned him and Christ for them that cruelly put him to shamefull death Let vs imitate these holie paternes 11 As we should praie for all men so chiefely for kings and such as are in authoritie because they chiefly neede it In Pauls time the kings and rulers of the people were Ethnickes tyrants enemies to Christ and cruel persecuters of the Gospel wherevpon some thought it not conuenient for the Church to pray for them who sought to destroie it S. Paul abateth this opinion teaching them that they should chiefly praie for such as for men in greatest daunger and most needing the helpe of their praier Praie for him that praieth not for himselfe The prophet Ieremie requireth the Israelites to praie for the cruel persecutor of Gods people Nabuchadnetzar For God in his mercie giueth good princes and in his ire he giueth wantons as Esay saith and hypocrites as Iob writeth Both euill and good are the ordinaunce of God We must praie for ill princes because the kings heart is in Gods hand that he may turne their mindes and staie their persecutions of euil make them good and of strangers from the common wealth of his Saints make them pillers and staies vnto the Church For good princes we ought heartily to praise the Lord for them especially to pray as the prophet did for Salomon Giue thy iudgements to the King O God and thy righteousnesse to the Kings Sonne For it is the singular gift of God not onely to set vp rightfull gouernement in the world but also to cherishe and preserue the same Euen they whom he hath furnished with the spirite of righteousnesse and of iudgement are vnable furtherfoorth to execute their charge than they be specially directed by the hande of God and assisted from heauen with all helpes necessary for their calling If the Christians did praie for the wealth and prosperitie of those princes which bent all their force and power against the kingdome of Christ surely for such as are defenders of the faith and zealous patrones of Gods people wee ought daily and hourely to powre out supplications that God would grant them a long life a safe gouernementt a sure dwelling valiant souldiers faithfull counsellers a good people a quiet world and whatsoeuer the hearts of men or kings doe desire And let all such as wil not say Amen to those praiers assure themselues that they are neither duetifull Christians nor faithfull subiects but disloyall contemners of Gods ordinance and rebellious despisers of his commaundement who spake by the mouth of his Apostle saying Praie for Kings and all such as be in authoritie 12 If any Church any people any nation in the world haue cause to praise the Lord for their prince this Lande hath more than any in respect of the wonderfull blessings wherewith God by the ministerie of his handmaide hath enriched vs far beyond all that we are possibly able to conceiue Israell was well apaide with the good gouernement of Debora Iudith and Hester But they thought themselues twise happie when God gaue them Moses Samuel Dauid Salomon Iehosaphat Ezechias Iosias to gouerne them England liked well and tooke it for no small blessing of God when Henrie the first H. the second Edward the first Edward the third Edward the fourth H. the fift H. the sixt H. the seuenth H. the eight Edward the sixt bare rule ouer it But did God euer blesse the throne of any man as hee hath doone the royall seate of his annointed at this day Hath the like euer beene heard of in any nation to that which in ours is seene Our Debora hath mightily repressed the rebel Iaben our Iudith hath beheaded Holophernes the sworne enemie of Christianitie our Hester hath hanged vp that Haman which sought to bring both vs and our children into miserable seruitude And if we may compare with the ancients of Israel Moses was not more milde nor Samuel more iust nor Dauid more faithful nor Salomon more peacefull nor Iehosaphat more readie to assist his neighbours nor Ezechias more carefull for Gods cause nor Iozias more zealous to restore syncere religion If yee make the comparison betweene her owne predecessors neither was Henrie the first better learned nor Henrie the second more easie to forgiue and put vp iniuries nor Ed. the first more chast nor Ed. the third more loath to accept of forrein dominion being offred nor Ed. the fourth more iust in yeelding all men their owne nor H. the fift more happie nor H. the sixt more holie nor H. the seuenth more prudent nor H. the eight more valiant in quelling the Pope nor
instituted by Christ to be receiued of Christians By the one which is Baptisme we are receiued and incorporated into the Church of Christ by the other which is the Eucharist or Lords supper wee are nourished and fed vnto life euerlasting These are pledges and assurances of remission of sinnes and saluation purchased by the death of Christ. These are Gods seales added vnto his most certaine promises for the confirmation of our weake faith weake by reason of the infirmitie of our fleshe For if we were spirituall saith Chrysostome wee should not neede these corporall signes We being now prepared and purposed to be partakers of this holie mysterie the sacrament of the bodie and bloud of Christ it standeth vs vpon to haue that due consideration which the waight of a matter so neerely concerning our saluation doeth require to the end that we may to our comfort and profite receiue the same Deepely to enter into this matter the shortnesse of this time wil not permit yet somewhat I will say and giue you a tast of things needefull 21 In this sacrament there are two things a visible signe and an inuisible grace there is a visible sacramentall signe of breade and wine and there is the thing and matter signified namely the bodie and bloud of Christ there is an earthly matter and an heauenly matter The outward sacramentall signe is common to all as well the bad as the good Iudas receiued the Lords bread but not that bread which is the Lord to the faithfull receiuer The spirituall part that which feedeth the soule onely the faithful doe receiue For he cannot be partaker of the bodie of Christ which is no member of Christs bodie This foode offred vs at the Lords table is to feede our soules withall it is meate for the minde and not for the bellie Our soules being spiritual can neither receiue nor digest that which is corporall they feede only vpon spirituall foode It is the spirituall eating that giueth life The flesh saith Christ doeth nothing profite We must lift vp our selues from these externall and earthly signes and like Eagles flie vp and sore aloft there to feede on Christ which sitteth on the right hande of his father whom the heauens shall keepe vntill the latter day From thence and from no other Altar shall he come in his natural bodie to iudge both quicke and dead His naturall bodie is locall for else it were not a naturall bodie his bodie is there therefore not here for a naturall bodie doth not occupie sundrie places at once Here we haue a sacrament a signe a memoriall a commemoration a representation a figure effectuall of the bodie and bloud of Christ. These termes the auncient Fathers Ireneus Tertullian S. Augustine S. Ierome S. Chrysostome doe vse Seeing then that Christ in his naturall bodie is absent from hence seeing he is risen and is not here seeing hee hath left the worlde and is gone to his father howe shall I saith S. Augustine laie holde on him which is absent how shall I put my hand into heauen Send vp thy faith and thou hast taken hold Why preparest thou thy teeth Beleeue and thou hast eaten Thy teeth shall not doe him violence neither thy stomacke conteine his glorious bodie Thy faith must reache vp into heauen By faith he is seene by faith he is touched by faith he is digested Spiritually by faith wee feede vpon Christ when wee stedfastly beleeue that his bodie was broken and his bloud shed for vs vpon the crosse by which sacrifice offered once for all as sufficient for all our sinnes were freely remitted blotted out and washed away This is our heauenly bread our spirituall foode This doth strengthen our soules and cheere our hearts Sweeter it is vnto vs than honie when we are certified by this outward sacrament of the inward grace giuen vnto vs thorough his death when in him we are assured of remission of sins and eternall life Better foode than this thy soule can neuer feede vpon This is the bread of euerlasting life They which truely eate it shall liue by it 32 Thus I haue briefly simply and plainely vnfolded vnto you the meaning of this most holy mysterie Time wil not suffer me to let you see the absurdities of the popish vnsauourie opinions in this matter neither to confute their vaine allegations and false collections abusing the scriptures dreaming euermore with the grosse Capernaites of a carnall and a fleshly eating Beholde the one part of this sacrament consecrated is termed bread the other a cup by the Apostle himselfe Because what they were according to the substance of their natures before consecration the same they remaine after saith Bertram The like hath Theodoret Those mysticall tokens after they be sanctified doe not leaue their proper nature for they abide in their former substance figure and shape This sacrament was deliuered to the Corinthians in both kindes As Christ saith so saith Paul Bibite ex hoc omnes Drinke ye all of this That the whole sacrament should be receiued of the people and no mutilation permitted the auncient writers are most cleare as Ambrose Ierom Chrysostom Gelasius Cyprian c. This sacrament is to be receiued in remembrance of Christ crucified As oft as yee shall eate this bread and drinke of this cup ye shewe the Lords death vntill his comming 23 In what maner we ought to prepare our selues thereunto Paul teacheth saying Let a man prooue himselfe and so eate of that bread and drinke of that cuppe This condemneth Anabaptists which thinking themselues to be without sin communicate with none but such as they thinke like to themselues Euerie man shal beare his owne burthen It behooueth therefore euerie man to trie him selfe and not other men Trie whether ye be in the faith or no. Faith hath his fruites It worketh repentaunce it causeth sorowe for sinnes committed feare of sinning againe and hope of pardon It breedeth loue towards God and loue towardes our brethren If incredulitie if impenitencie if hatred and malice haue possessed thine heart then abstaine from the Lords table least with Iudas thou receiue the Lords bread against the Lord the foode of saluation to thy condemnation But if thou beleeue repent thee of thy sinne purpose to liue a charitable and godlie life if thou be cloathed with the sweete garment of the sonne of God then sit thee downe at the table of the Lorde and at the feast of the lambe For this is his feast this is doone onely in remembraunce of him this is the blessed Eucharist a sacrament of praise and thankesgiuing as for al other godly benefites so particularly and principally for the death and passion of Iesus Christ Gods onelie sonne and our onelie Sauiour 24 These dueties being thus performed vnto God wee must also endeuour to liue and leade an honest life Peace is a great meane to procure pietie and pietie should breede honestie in vs. The one
brethren Loue seeketh not her owne But in these euill daies charitie is growen so colde that euerie mans song is I am neerest to my selfe Men scrape and scratch they heape together and laie vp for them and theirs but the bowels of tender mercie towardes others are withered and dryed vp Of these selfeseekers wee haue too many examples Of this crue were the Sichemites for to obtaine substance wealth and cattel and friendes they sticked not to alter their religiō But whilest they thus sought themselues they lost themselues Nabal was one of the same note and the riche man whose heart was set onely vpon the enlarging of his barnes was another 16 There bee that seeme to bee farre from this fault and are not that seeme to looke vpon others but doe it not with a single eye And of this kinde I note foure sorts There bee that giue to others for a Ne noceat which although it be not simple yet is it more sufferable than the rest Achaz spoiled the temple of God to giue rewards to the king of Assyria and so bought his owne quietnesse with a stolen price Yea Iacob is faine and glad to send his brother Esau great gifts that hee may passe quietly by him without hurt The needier sort are forced to consider of the richer for their better safetie The poore seruaunt in the Comedie complaineth of it It is a hard case saith he that the poore must still offer to the rich mans boxe There be others that sometime looke vpon others with some part of liberalitie But either they doe it to auoide an euill name and least they should bee noted for niggards or else they doe it when it is wrung out from them by clamor and importunitie The poore widowe by weerying the wicked Iudge brought him at length to shewe her Iustice. The Disciples may seeme to haue had a spice of this fault by that speeche of theirs concerning the Cananite Send her away she crieth after vs. Another sort giue not because they are but because they would seeme to be bountifull and liberall as the Pharisees which made a trumpet to be blowne that men might knowe when they gaue almes The last and woorst sort giue but they giue to gaine Iason gaue Antiochus the king a graund summe of money But he knewe the office of the high Priest to be well woorth it 17 Our Apostles meaning is not that we should in this wise consider one another but he exhorteth vs syncerely hartily in deede to seeke the commoditie and safetie of others euen as Christ hath sought ours He sought not himselfe but beeing equall with God became man for vs and being Lord of all for vs became a seruaunt to exalt vs hee humbled himselfe hee made himselfe a curse to take away the curse which was due vnto vs. Let that affection therefore be in vs which was in him He is our example Him we must followe in the path of his vertues if wee wil followe him in at the gate of his kingdome Euerie Christian ought so to be affected towards others that hee may say with S. Paul in synceritie and trueth I seeke you not yours 18 Princes are not exempted from this rule of Christian dutie Loue thy neighbour as thy selfe is spoken vnto them All Christians are our neighbours which doe neede our helpe To suffer such to perish for want of helpe is to bee guiltie of their bloud Moses in consideration hereof when he sawe an Israelite in danger to be murthered of an Egyptian in defence of his brother slewe the enemie of God Abraham sate not still when Lot was in daunger When the Christians were persecuted by the Persian Constantinus wrote letters in their behalfe that they might peaceably enioie the freedome of their conscience and the libertie of the Gospel The same Emperor waged warre against Licinius his owne sisters husband in the quarell of the poore afflicted Christians Constans likewise wrote a menacing letter to Constantius his brother wherein hee proclaimed open warre against him vnlesse he did presētly surcease his enterprises against the Christians These zealous and woorthie Princes being neerely touched with those afflictions which others suffered for Gods cause studied for their safetie as for their owne This they did for strangers what would they haue doone if their subiects had claimed succour at their handes would they haue put their owne sheepe in the mouthes of bloudie and rauening woolues which were so careful to deliuer a strange flock from the butchers knife As it is treason for the subiects to forsake their Prince so for the Prince to forsake his subiects it is a fault not sufferable If Christ made himselfe poore to inriche vs if he humbled himselfe to the death of the crosse for our deliuerance when wee were his enemies held in captiuitie vnder sinne and death shall wee spare our paines our purses or our liues for the releeuing of our brethren the afflicted members of Christ Iesus It was a plaine lesson which Mardocheus gaue Queene Hester If she neglected the people of God God would finde a way to deliuer his people but shee and her fathers house should perish Kings and Princes should consider that they are Gods ministers furnished with power and might from aboue to stand with him against his enemies to serue him both with scepter and with sword to bee patrones and defenders of all his seruaunts It is a glorious thing for a prince to fight as Dauid did the Lords warres against the Philistims to be in the fielde vnder Christs banner But to drawe in one yoke with Infidels to bee in league with Antichrist it is both an impious and a base thing By ioining with Achaz Iehosaphat gained nothing and Ochozias as litle by ioyning with Ioram Ioas and Iehu woorthy princes regarded Gods cause and had singular care of the safetie of their people the one tooke away that cruel murtherer of the kings bloud the conspiring and traiterous Queene Athalia the other brake the necke of that idolatrous proude and lasciuious Queene Iesabel Moses and Dauid most woorthie princes looked not onely on themselues but prouided for their posteritie when the one appointed Iosua and the other Salomon to raigne after them The prince that hath not a speciall and singular care ouer his people hath denied the faith and is woorse than an Infidell 19 Neither doeth this concerne the duetie of Princes onely but of Counsellers also Their care should bee greater for the Prince and common wealth than for their owne commoditie I wil not remember vnto you Codrus and Decius Curtius Brutus with such like who loued their countrie more than themselues I wil not put you in minde of those two precepts set down by Tullie out of Plato the one of not seeking for priuate cōmoditie the other of not leaning to one part and neglecting another of the common wealth I like
taketh away because the world is not worthie of them and some because they are not worthie of it He cut off Iofias for his souâ—e pleased God therefore he made hast to take him away from the midst of iniquities He cut off Achab Agag and Herode because they were bloudie and wilie men therefore they did not liue out halfe their daies 18 So true it is Man that is borne of a woman hath but a short time to liue it is euen as true that followeth in the same sentence that his fewe daies are full of miserie He commeth vp and is cut downe like a flower he fleeth as it were a shadowe and continueth not Mans life is as vnlasting as a flower Hee commeth vp and is cut downe as a flower He vanisheth away like a shadowe of a flower And while he liueth he is full of miserie He commeth into the world with sorowe and weeping whilest hee liueth in the worlde hee is hated of the worlde or else which is woorse of God assaulted of Satan in continuall warre subiect to the manifold diseases both of the bodie of the soule the one truely miserable but the other most intolerable He neuer continueth in one state To day in his princely throne to morowe in his dustie graue to day placed in great authoritie to morow cast out of countenance to day in high fauour to morow in high displeasure now rich now poore now in wealth now in woe now sound now sicke now ioiefull now ful of sorowe to day a man to morowe nothing O how short how changeable and howe miserable is the state of mortall man which we neglect but Iacob well considered when he aunswered Pharao of his age The daies of my peregrination are pauci mali fewe and euill Walke therefore circumspectly saith S. Paul for the daies are euill Wee are fallen into those euill daies and perillous times of the which both Paul and Peter forewarned vs. These may bee rightly called dismall daies The God of this world hath blinded the eyes of men Let him therefore that standeth I say it againe take heede that hee fall not Let vs expect our change and pray the Lord to increase our faith that wee may bee able to stand before him in that day that dreadfull day of his iust iudgement 19 As our daies here are short and euill so is the time of our change either to better or woorse vncertaine What is most certaine Death What most vncertaine the time of death saieth Bernard We are all tenants at will vncertaine how long to remaine in this our earthly tabernacle Of this we are put in minde in the Lords praier Giue vs this day our daily bread We say this day as vncertaine of to morowe It is written of one that beeing inuited to a dinner on the morowe by his friend hee aunswered These many daies I neuer had to morowe Therefore saith S. Iames let vs not appoint for to morowe but with conditions If the Lorde will and if we liue The Egyptians considering the vncertaintie of mans daies were accustomed at their great feasts in the midst of their iollitie to haue one sodainely come foorth with an image of death and shewing it to the gests to pronounce this speeche Eate drinke be merie within a while thou shalt be such as this And the Israelites dwelt in tents vncertaine of their abode euer readie to shift whereby they represent vnto vs our peregrination in this mortalitie wherein because we are vncertaine to stay long wee ought at all times to be readie to depart so that we may enter into that celestiall Canaan This time of mans life and death God hath made vncertaine for two causes the one that his minde might not be troubled the other this present text giueth and it is the last member of our diuision 20 This ende or chaunge is daily to bee looked for Seeing that death is certaine our daies short and the time of our dissolution vnknowen wisedome would haue vs to put our selues in readinesse looking for our change the end of this bad life that it may be to vs the beginning of a better It is good counsell which S. Augustine giueth Death looketh for thee eueriewhere if thou bee wise looke thou eueriewhere for him The remembraunce of this our end would bridle sinne well in vs. Remember thy ende and thou shalt neuer doe amisse Christ saith Watch for you knowe not at what houre he will come He commeth sodainely as a theefe in the night The Lorde will come when thou lookest not for him and in an houre that thou knowest not Let vs watche therefore with the wise virgins hauing our lampes continually burning waiting for the comming of the bridegroome that wee may enter with him into his ioie 21 And as mans life is short so is the comming of Christ at hand Waite for it will surely come and will not stay The time is short This we knowe though it be not in vs to knowe the definite point of time which to the Angels of heauen is vnreuealed But Christ hath set downe certaine tokens of the ende which all are fulfilled and amongst others he saith Iniquitte shall abound charitie shall waxe colde the Gospell shall be preached in all the world and then shall come the end Neuer more iniquitie neuer lesse charitie the Gospel neuer so liberally taught behold the ende Peter saieth The end of all things is at hand If then at hande howe much neerer now If those were the latter times surely these are the last times the verie ende of the ende Heare the counsell of a wise man Make no tarying to turne vnto the Lord and put not off from day to day for sodainely shall the wrath of the Lord breake foorth and in thy securitie thou shalt be destroied and thou shalt perish in the time of vengeaunce 22 By procrastination driuing off forslowing our turning to the Lord and looking for our change three great dangers doe ensue First if we slumber and sleepe in securitie if we accustome our selues with sinning not looking for our chaunge neither remembring the fearefull comming of our Lord our custome will waxe to be our nature and hard will it be for vs to rise from sinne in which we haue beene so long and so deepely buried After that Lazarus had laine foure daies in the graue Christ vsed many circumstances for the raising of him againe who raised others with a woord 23 Secondly it is daungerous in respect of the sodaine taking away which happeneth to many in so much that they haue not time sufficiently to think vpon God or once to crie Lord help The first age in all their iollitie not thinking on death were sodainely drowned The Sodomites sodainely by fire consumed Pharao with his armie swallowed vp in the sea The Israelites gnawne of deadly serpents Dathan
with his complices eatē vp of the earth Herode sodainely deuoured with lice The riche man after all his prouision sodainely smitten with death Lying Ananias sodainely fel downe dead Eglon the Moabite Abner the captaine sodainely murthered by the swoord of Aod and Ioab All histories all ages are full of like examples 24 The third danger is that in driuing off to the lest day we shall finde hard time then to turne vnto our God Sickenesse wil sore disquiet vs Satan wil extremely tempt vs Our friends with talking and crauing will molest vs the terror of our ouglie conscience will astonish vs so that hard it will be for vs then to bee rightly mindful of our end so in this extremitie to turn to God that hee in our extreme case may turne his mercie towardes vs. And as S. Augustine saith The remedies come too late when perill of death is neere Remember that which hee also saith elsewhere Hee that hath liued well cannot die ill and hee can hardlie die well that hath liued ill Hee saith hardly not vnpossibly but questionlesseverie hardly 25 Put thine houshold in an order for thou shalt die and not liue saith Esay to Ezechias Giue thy goods whilest they be thine for after death thou hast no interest in them Stand with your loines girded and your shoes on your feete and your staffe in your hande that you may bee readie Wee haue slept too long in sinne to our great danger Let vs now awake to our speedie deliueraunce It is sufficient for vs that we haue spent the time that is past of our life after the will of the Gentiles Let vs now imitate that woorthie souldier who after long warring vnder Adrian the Emperor returned home and liued as Christs souldier a most godlie life and after 7◠yeeres died and caused to be written on his tombe Here lyeth Similis a man that was many yeres and liued but seuen Let vs these fewe yeres that we haue liue them to God For that onely is woorthie to be called a life which bringeth vs from a transitorie life to an eternall from a miserable to a most blessed and glorious Let the trumpe euer sound in our eares Rise you dead come vnto iudgement Let vs daily remember that we must die and so shall we contemne these things present and make hast to things to come Truly if we shal rightly consider the vanitie of the worlde the miserable estate of man that we are here but pilgrims and haue no permanent citie that whilest we liue in this rotten tabernacle wee are meere straungers and men from home that wee daily slide yea and fall into sinne that our righteous God hateth it and that the stipend therof is eternall death and withall propose before our eyes the celestiall kingdome the crowne of glorie the eternall felicites which the Lord hath prepared in heauen for such as loue his comming we wil not onely watchefully looke for but most greedily desire the same In our heart wee wil daily crie with S. Iohn Come quickely Lord Iesu wee wil bee like affected to S. Paul desiring to depart hence and to be with Christ we wil sigh and mourne as hee did O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me frō the bodie of this death We wil with Iob euen be wearie of our liues and crie with Elias It is ynough O Lord take my soule it wil be with vs as it was with al the blessed Patriarches and Prophets and Apostles and holie men now glorious Saints in heauen who continually beeing heere thirsted after God and now most blessedly haue enioied him we will vtterly contemne this earthly trash worldely vanities and transitorie things and desire and seeke those things which are aboue where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God we will whilest wee haue our beeing heere which is but a while humble our selues to walke with our God and although wee tread this earth yet our conuersation wil be in heauen from whence also we looke for the Sauiour the Lord Iesus Christ who will change our vile bodie that it may bee fashioned like to his glorious bodie according to the working whereby he is able to subdue all things vnto himselfe 26 Thus wee see that funerals are Christian auncient and commendable that the causes are sundry good godly yet neither our preaching nor praier neither any other ceremonie nor circumstance can profite the dead but are helping comforts to such as liue that onely in this life mercie remaineth for man and after this life onely iudgement As we now sowe so we shall then reape Here we are Christs souldiers to fight a good fight so wee may hope for the crowne of glorie Which thing Iob doeth wel declare vnto vs First telling vs that wee are in continuall warre wherein both the generals the captaines the trumpetors and common souldiers that is the prince the nobilitie the ministers and the people must take to them a good courage be faithful dutiful and manfull in fighting the battle of the Lorde euerie man keepe his standing and answere his office But we must all striue for Gods truth and not struggle against it not ambitiously contending for superioritie or malitiously howe to vndermine and wrong one another This is no lawfull combat no Christian warre this is not to fight a good fight But wee must wage warre against our common and our deadly enemies the diuell the world and the flesh The diuel is a roaring lyon a subtile serpent who hath ouercome the perfectest the strongest the wisest The world is all wrapped in wickednesse The flesh wrestleth against the spirite We must put on the armour of God resist the diuell and he will flie from vs crucifie the world chasten our flesh and bring it into subiection vnto the more noble part our spirit At length this our warrefare will come to an ende wee may looke for a change All the world is mutable and of all thinges in the world man most mutable We would change our condition our magistrates our ministers our religion all things But the change that Iob speaketh of we least remember wee litle thinke vpon the change of this mortall life Wee may assure our selues that we all shall die It is an act of Parliament that shall neuer be repealed it is the way of all flesh The daies of man are short and wretched short a spanne long wretched full of miseries All flesh is as grasse and as a flowre both do fade but the flowre sooner Cares wantonnesse ambition yea God in sundrie respects cutteth off both the good and the bad good flowers bad flowers but all as flowers The time of our change is vncertaine and often sodaine that our minde be not troubled that we alwaies be in readinesse Iobs example admonisheth vs of this I looke still when my changing shall come Let vs after his example
daily looke for our change Let vs expect the comming of Christ. Hee commeth in post the forewarnings are fulfilled Iniquitie aboundeth Christian charitie is frosen the Gospell is preached Then is the ende Let vs not slumber in securitie or driue off to returne vnto our God For it is hard for the buried in sinne to rise Man often is sodainely smitten that he hath no time to repent In his last daie he is disquieted by sickenesse by Satan yea by his friendes yea by his owne conscience Let vs liue in reuerent expectation of the Lord with our loines girt and with our lampes light and let the trumpet of iudgement euer sound in our eares it will wel stirre vp our hearts Let vs liue these fewe daies that remaine vnto the Lord whom we ought to haue serued all our daies And lastly recounting the vanitie of the worlde the miserable state of this life and the inestimable blessednesse of the life to come let vs with Iohn Paul Elias the blessed seruants and Saints of God looke for the appearance of the comming of Christ Iesus who will place vs vpon the right hand of his father and giue vs possession of our inheritance that we may haue the perfect fruition of all the treasures prepared for vs by our God in heauen To him euen the Father the Sonne and the holie Ghost three persons and one God of eternall maiestie be all honour c. The tenth Sermon A Sermon preached at his first comming to Yorke Lvc. 1. 74 That being deliuered out of the hands of our enemies we may serue him without feare 75 In holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the daies of our life THE greater and better part of holie Scripture either setteth foorth Gods goodnesse towards vs or our duetie towards him In these fewe but most pithie woords of Zacharie both are comprehended The great benefite we receiue from God is our redemption in Christ. The dutie which wee owe to him againe is in holinesse and righteousnesse of life continually to serue him He toucheth our redemption in one word but in many words explicateth the dutie which we owe for it vnto our redeemer giuing vs hereby secretly to vnderstand that men are easilie taught to knowe but hardly brought to doe their masters wil. We are rich in al speech and vnderstanding but in deedes ful poore and barren We know much but litle doe we although amongst other things knowne this be one that He which knoweth his masters will and doth it not shall be beaten with many stripes and this another that Not euerie one that saith Lord Lord but he which doth the will of the father shall enter into the kingdome of heauen Wee are for all this such as those Pharisees were whom Christ reprooueth because they saide and did not Euen such we are become as Iude doth describe Wels without water Clowdes without raine Trees without fruite dead though not as yet pulled vp by the rootes Wee are hearers of the woord and yet skantly that but workers of the woord we are not God graunt that the woord wherein wee nowe glorie bee not one day to our shame that the Gospel of saluation beare not witnesse against vs and condemne vs that the words which Christ hath spoken vnto vs heape not iudgement vpon our heads that this be not our condemnation also that light beeing come into the worlde wee loue darkenesse more than light Surely if wee continue to professe in woords and denie in deedes to crucifie to our selues our Sauiour Christ afresh to feede vpon our vomit and to welter in the lothsome myre of our filthie sinne wee shall make our selues vnwoorthie of the kingdome of God wee cannot claime the benefite of Christs merits neither bee partakers of that glorious redemption which Zacharie heere remembreth vnto vs but the bloud of Christ shall be vpon our heads and wee shall perish in our sinne as being guiltie of our owne damnation Thy destruction O Israel is of thy selfe 2 Wherefore to auoide Gods perpetual indignation and our perpetuall confusion let vs followe the counsel of Zacharie who instructed by the spirit of wisedome teacheth vs First that wee are redeemed secondly that the ende of our redemption is that we may serue him that hath redeemed vs thirdly after what sort we should serue him Where he saith that wee are deliuered out of the hands of our enemies it argueth that we once were in their hands We are freed therefore we were bond And in this point we haue to consider First our bondage then the meane of our deliuerance and lastly the cause by which we were deliuered 3 Adam through his rebellion lost his freedome and became a bondman and all we through him and in him are bond conceiued and borne in sinne the children of wrath bond vnto Satan and seruaunts vnto wickednesse the deserued reward whereof is death euen double death this our present mortalitie and euerlasting damnation As by one man sinne entred into the world and by sinne death so death went ouer all men in asmuch as all men sinned With Adam we lost Gods first fauour and protection with him the gratious image of God was blotted out in vs also with him we were expelled out of paradise cast vpon the face of the cursed earth throwen into the hands of our cruell enemie whose liuerie wee did put on and vnder whose miserable thraldome wee liued In this fall from God we lost our immortalitie we lost our freewill wee lost our wisedome our vertue our light our glorie our ioie our heauen our God Our peruerse heart became prone to all euill and full of all sinnefulnesse we became vnwise in our iudgement disobedient to our God deceiued and deceiuing seruing lusts and deadly pleasures liuing in malitiousnesse and enuie hatefull and hating one another We were without hope and without God in this present world all blinded in ignorance and wrapped in all sinne For as we changed our master so changed we our mindes and maners also and for Christ we serued Antichrist we threwe away the loue of Gods eternall truth and according to the ignorance of our blinded hearts hungerly fed vpon all poisoned error and plunged our selues into all wickednesse This was our most miserable estate thus we were thus we are by nature This was the pitifull condition of all humane flesh 4 Let vs now see the meane of this our deliuerance from this deadly captiuitie Wee are ransomed out of the handes of our enemies pulled out of the iawes of Satan freed from the seruitude of Antichrist of ignorance and of sinne onely by the mediation of our redeemer Iesus Christ. He is the Lyon of the tribe of Iuda which alone hath trodden the winepresse alone hath fought the battell in fighting atchieued the victorie and by vanquishing brought our enemie Satan vnder our feete for euer On the crosse with his bloud hee
blotted out the handewriting that was against vs he spoiled our foes of their prai◠hee tooke euen captiuitie it selfe captiue in a word he wrought our ful and complete deliuerance The price of our redemption was not gold but bloud the pretious bloud of our blessed Sauiour The bloud of Iesus Christ doth deliuer vs from all sinne And as he died to redeeme vs so rose he againe to iustifie vs. In rising againe hee triumphed ouer death now conquered he burst the gates cheines of hell and set our feete in a place of great libertie hee cloathed vs with his righteousnesse reconciled vs to his father of enemies made vs friends of no people the people of God of straungers citizens with Angels and inhabitants of heauen free denisons with the children of God and heires of his euerlasting kingdome This deliuerance out of bondage this redemptiō this kingdome of God euerlasting inheritance our Christ hath purchased God hath granted to all such as thankfully will receiue him As many as receiued him to them he gaue power to bee made the sonnes of God and to receiue him is to beleeue in him for so it followeth To them which beleeue in his name Faith therefore is the meane to make vs partakers of that great redemption in Christ Iesus Heereunto all the Prophets beare witnesse that whosoeuer shall beleeue in him by his name he shall receiue remission of sinnes and withall eternall life 5 And as Christ hath deliuered all his out of the captiuitie of Satan and sinne so hath he also vs after a more speciall and peculiar maner out of that denne of theeues out of that prison of Romish seruitude out of the bloudie clawes of that cruel and proud Antichrist Our God hath vsed our Moses to deliuer vs from Egyptiacal seruitude that we may serue him henceforward in freedome of conscience he hath led vs out of a maruellous darknesse into a maruellous light hee hath giuen vs for his gift it is an vnderstanding heart to knowe God the father and him whom he hath sent Iesus Christ vnto whom by this starre his shining Gospell he hath conducted vs. This trueth of God hath discouered yea and discomfited also grosse error For the want of this light was the cause of all our blindenesse which is the mother of all superstition which is the enemie to all religion That now we haue eyes to see and heartes to vnderstande there is no other cause besides the mercie of our redeemer 6 For of the cause of our gratious deliuerance thus Zacharie recordeth It was saith he that he might shewe mercie towards our fathers God made a couenaunt with our father Abraham confirmed it with an othe not that it might be surer but that we might be more assured of it the couenaunt was that hee would shewe mercie and in mercie worke our deliueraunce To performe this couenant of grace and mercie made vnto our fathers and comprehending also vs he gaue vp his only begotten sonne in the fulnesse of time to death There was no other motiue why he should worke our deliuerance but onely this his mercie God therefore which is rich in mercie for the great loue wherewith hee loued vs euen when we were dead by sinne reuiued vs with Christ. The cause of our redemption was his good will onely For By grace we are deliuered He did it according to the good pleasure of his owne will according to the riches of his grace So that all the steps to this our redemption are built vpon mercie only God in mercie made couenant of our deliuerance in mercie confirmed it with an othe in mercie through the merits of Christ performed his promise to vs so that our whole redemption is free not due of mercie and not of merits Not by workes which we haue wrought but according to his great mercie he hath saued vs. Man neuer brought one stone to this building man neuer laide one finger to this woorke it is the onely building and woorke of GOD who in tender compassion hath both begun and finished it Wee may well wonder that God with so mercifull eies looked vpon so miserable and so sinfull creatures that the sonne of God would die for the redemption of his enemies This doth in deede commend his loue seeing that all which he hath doone is of meere mercie in himselfe without any shadowe of merite in vs. 7 Nowe that Christ hath deliuered vs from Satan and that with so deare a prise let vs fall no more into the clawes of that roaring Lyon least he vtterly deuoure vs. Hee is cast out of our house let him enter in no more least hee bring seuen with him woorse than himselfe and then our euill ende bee farre woorse than our bad beginning Now that Christ hath cleansed vs from our sinne let vs not swinelike returne to wallowe in that slime againe Thou art made whole saith Christ I haue washed away thy sinne with my bloud Goe and sinne no more least a woorse thing happen vnto thee Nowe that Christ in a mightie arme hath freed vs from Pharao from the house of bondage let vs returne no more to the flesh pots of Egypt let vs not lust after quailes for if wee feede vpon them we shall surfet of them to our destruction Let vs serue no more him that serueth Satan that vndoubted man of sinne And lastly nowe that Christ hath opened our blinded eies and hath powred vnderstanding into our hearts nowe that hee hath giuen vs a lanterne to guide our feete let vs tumble no more in darkenesse but as the children of light walke in the light honestly as becommeth men in so cleare noone day For the ende of our redemption is that wee may serue him without feare that hath so dearely redeemed vs. 8 First we must serue Secondly we must serue no other but him Thirdly him we must serue without feare We were created man is borne vnto seruice and labour as birdes vnto flight We were not redeemed and bought with a price to bee idle and doe nothing but to glorifie him in bodie and spirite that hath bought vs. We are not called to stand or sit still but to walke euerie one in that vocation wherewith he is called The scriptures are full of such speeches as these Goe walke worke sweate why stand yee idle To teache vs that seruice is required at our handes 9 God deliuered vs to the end that being deliuered we might now serue him as heretofore we serued Satan We are not nowe our own men to serue whō or how we lift but we are his to serue him as he prescribeth No man can serue two masters wee haue yeelded and promised our seruice to him therefore besides him we may serue no other 10 We may not serue Mammon for that is made to serue vs. The couetous man which serueth his monie is iustly called of Paul an Idolater
For he is our God not whom we professe but in whom we repose our trust and whom we serue and obey When the Lord commaundeth one thing and his monie perswades an other will not his obedience declare whom he maketh his God God saith Lend freely and looke for no gaine But wil the vsurer whose monie is his God remit his interest because of this because the Lord hath so charged him No he will not so let goe his tenne or twentie or thirtie in the hundred To him the glorie of God yea and his owne soule is vile nothing is pretious but onely money What the Prophet speaketh of putting foorth monie to vsurie he full litle regardeth but feedeth still vpon his mast and blesseth himselfe when hee waxeth fat not perceiuing that God hath alreadie plagued him with a plague of all plagues the obduration of his heart And although that God hath giuen him ouer into a dull and senselesse minde his eares beeing so dammed vp that nothing can haue entraunce to mooue or touche his hard heart yet he still blesseth himselfe and his accursed soule Thou vsurer thou idolater that doest glorie in thy shame in thy euill gotten golde doest thou not knowe that thy wealth shall melt like snow before the sunne thinkest thou still to holde it O foole this night shall they tâ—ke away thy soule perhaps this instant and then whose is all this After that Zacheus fell to the seruice of Christ and that Christ entred into his house hee presently forsooke the seruice of Mammon made a large restitution of that which he had gained by such vnlawfull meanes and then began to bee liberall not onely to lend freely but to giue for nothing he gaue the one halfe of all his goods to the poore If God would at this day work thus in the heart of one Zacheus a rich vsurer how many poore might be relieued by such a restitution He might mainteine many a needie man and saue his owne soule Well this one thing we knowe This woord that proceedeth out of Gods mouth against vsurie shall not returne in vaine if it cannot worke reformation it wil worke confusion 11 As these serue their monie so there are some Domino non seruientes sed suo ventri seruaunts to the bellie and not to the Lord. He serueth the bellie who frameth himselfe to be of any religion so that in this world he may liue by it when poperie hath the vpper hand then a papist when the Gospell is in due estimation a protestant all things to all men that somewhat may be gained or saued to himselfe Hee maketh no difference betweene the Masse and the Communion Christ and Beliall but for his bellie sake wil halt on both sides serue all times and turnes Such a one was Leontius Bishop of Antioch who being in heart an Arrian couered his religion and ioined with the counsell of Nice in outward profession of the trueth So his soule was led by the diuel and his bodie by the world 12 Some and those many are seruauntes of men as those which in matters of religion wholly hang their soules vpon humane authorities and iudgements So did the Corinthians I hold of Paul I of Cephas and I of Apollos So doe al the Popes fauorites And so doe those that choose to themselues newe masters newe teachers according to their itching and wandering â—ares esteeming such and despising others So doe they which praise and flatter men in their follie thereby to winne themselues estimation with them which haue mens persons in admiration for gaines sake Finally so doe they which repose their trust in the merits of men that seeke iustification or remission of sinnes eyther by their owne woorkes or by the desertes of others For to knowe that hee is our redemption sanctification and iustice is no small part of Gods seruice to giue this to any other is to take it from him which who so doeth is not woorthie to bee named his seruaunt He that serueth him must serue him alone 13 Not him and the worlde For the worlde is wholly set on vanitie and mischiefe it hateâ—h him and therefore wee must hate it If ye be his seruaunts let not sinne beare rule in your bodies or haue dominion ouer you We must die vnto sinne that we may liue vnto God through Iesus Christ our Lord. He that doth sinne is the seruaunt of the diuell the diuel is but a bad master to serue he is a lier a theefe and a murtherer And hee entertaineth no seruants but such as be like himselfe whose wages are fire cheines brimstone darkenesse wailing howling and gnashing of teeth in a word euerlasting death and damnation Wee are nor ransomed out of the hands of our enemies to serue these masters mammon the bellie men sinne the world or the diuell But wee are redeemed to serue him onely to serue our Christ our redeemer that hath full deerely bought vs. Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serue 14 Him we must serue without feare In the Psalme it is saide Serue the Lord with feare and reioice vnto him with reuerence And here wee are taught to serue him without feare As there is but one God so the scripture is alwaies one There is a feare which children haue towards their parents and a feare of seruants towards their masters God will be feared of vs as children but not as seruaunts or if as seruaunts not as slaues The beleeuing Christian the regenerate childe of God who through faith in Christ is certaine of his deliuerance from the diuell and from hell assured of remission of sinnes and of life euerlasting in the death and resurrection of Iesus Christ our Sauiour he serueth in the reuerent feare of loue and not in that dreadfull feare of death and euerlasting damnation wherewith the reprobate minde is daunted He feareth not death for hee is sure of life hee feareth not damnation for he is assured of saluation he beleeueth that which Christ hath promised and doubteth nothing of the obteining of that which Christ hath procured for him He is surely perswaded with S. Paul that neither death nor life nor tribulation nor affliction nor any thing present or to come shall separate him from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus Hee feareth therefore neither the sting of death nor the power of Satan But this certaintie of Gods loue towards him in Christ and the testimonie of his loue towards God againe casteth out all feare of eternall punishment For ye haue not saith the Apostle receiued againe the spirite of bondage vnto feare but ye haue receiued the spirit of adoption by which wee crie Abba father This spirit testifieth with our spirit that God is our gratious father and if he our father wee his children and if his children heires of his glorious kingdome The preaching of the Lawe letteth vs see
not to feare it at all but rather to take delight and pleasure in it to commit it as the Apostle saith with a kinde of greedinesse to count sinne no sinne to swallowe it down without any remorse or contradiction Their case is lamentable which are thus fallen asleepe and for the most part their end miserable Such was the sleepe of that riche man who hauing filled his barnes and prouided store for many yeeres incouraged himselfe to sensualitie Soule take thy rest You that loue the rest of your soules in deede keepe your soules waking and doe not suffer them to take rest Awake thou that sleepest and takest thy rest stand vp from the dead and Christ shall giue thee light It is time to awake we haue slept too long God would not haue vs to sleepe vnto death but to awake vnto life for he wil not the death of a sinner his desire is rather that we should repent Now is the time nowe Christ calleth thee nowe he stretcheth out his armes nowe he offereth mercie come vnto him and thou shalt finde true rest for thy wearied soule Long hath beene thy sleepe great hath beene thy sinne but God is full of compassion prest and readie not onely to graunt but to offer pardon If nowe wee refuse it offering it selfe to vs it will refuse vs hereafter when wee offer our selues to it 24 Of this we are not afraide because we sleepe as well in securitie as in sinne We must therefore be raised out of this sleepe also Mans life is a warfare and men are souldiers we must keepe our standing and watche least we be vnawares both assaulted and surprised We haue both many and mightie and fierce aduersaries The diuell who is violently and greedily set as an hungrie Lyon that roareth for his pray The worlde which hath infinite slights to deceiue vs The flesh which mightily striueth wrastleth against the spirite There is no place of securitie left for a Christian souldiers there being so many great dangers There is no where any place wherein it is safe to be secure Not in heauen saith Bernard nor in Paradise much lesse in the world In heauen the Angels fel from the verie presence of the Godhead Adam fel in Paradise from the place of pleasure and Iudas in the world from the schoole of our Sauiour In the time of Noe they liued in great securitie and the floud sodainely ouerwhelmed them In the time of Lot the Sodomites liued in as great securitie and were as soudainely consumed with fire Thus with fire and water securitie hath beene plagued God hath armed the verie elements against that thing wherein notwithstanding we continue as if we would trie whether hee which wakened them by sending water vpon the one and fire vpon the other would waken vs by causing the earth to swallowe vs vp What we should looke for GOD doth best knowe our securitie being the same with theirs can denounce no lesse to vs than it brought to them Wee crie peace peace what more euident token can there bee that our sodaine destruction is at hand Men are commonly neerest vnto perill both corporall and spirituall when their mindes are furthest from thinking of preuenting it It is written of the people which were in Laish that because they had no businesse with any bodie nor any bodie with them no man raised any tumult or vsurped any dominion in their Land and the place which they inhabited was good and lacked nothing therefore they dwelt carelesse quiet and sure Which when the spials sent foorth from the children of Dan had once perceiued they made no doubt of conquering the Land but encouraged their brethren and set them forward Be not slouthfull to goe and enter to possesse the Land If yee will goe ye shall come vnto a carelesse people the countrie is large surely GOD hath giuen it into your hands They went vp being onely sixe hundred men came to Laish found the people without all mistrust of danger put them to the sword and burnt vp their citie Their peace bred plentie their plentie securitie their securitie their destruction And as in daungers of the bodie so likewise or rather much more in perils which beset the soule we shal find those temptations most grieuous which assault vs at vnawares For this cause we are in scriptures so often called vpon to be watchefull Watche and praie saith our Sauiour that ye fall not into temptation Hee that falleth into temptation asleepe hardly riseth out of temptation aliue For if they that watch continually be not conquerors but with much adoe what shall become of them vpon whom Satan then laieth hands when beeing lustie and strong hauing whatsoeuer their hearts can wish they are at peace take their rest and because they haue no change therefore feare not GOD Surely their destruction is as the swelling of an high wall it commeth sodainely downe and they are fearefully consumed Watch therefore and sleepe not in securitie Blessed is he that watcheth 25 Our saluation is neerer than when we beleeued This is the second reason why we should cast away the workes of darkenesse and put on the armour of light We haue entred our names into the profession of Christianitie in our Baptisme we haue receiued the trueth by it wee seeke saluation wee haue beene long scholers we ought nowe to growe to some good perfection we draw now neere vnto the end therfore we shold amend our pace in this our course The neerer we come to the end of our race the faster we should run if we desired to get the reward we runne for Let vs doe so And seeing the race that we haue to run is euen in a maner finished and the crowne we run for is immortall let vs be earnest in the cause let vs cast off all hinderaunces and striue industriously vnto that saluation which is set before vs. Nowe that wee are almost as it were within the reache of the crowne of glorie let vs take strength vnto vs let vs double our courage encrease our zeale adde more and more vnto euerie good and perfect gift which wee haue receined from the father of light This the neerenesse of our saluation doth now especially require 26 Let them that sit in darkenesse and in the shadowe of death sleepe on But vnto vs the night is past Night in the scriptures is taken for ignorance the times whereof are now past The day starre is risen and hath appeared vnto vs. Christ the true light is come into the world he that nowe will walke in darknesse is not blinde but wilfull and runneth with open eyes to his owne damnation If the light had not come into the world if I had not spoken vnto them saith Christ they might haue pleaded ignorance but I haue tolde them the trueth therefore they are left without excuse Christ that light of the worlde hath appeared his crosse is painted out before our eyes If our
yet he followed the example of Daniel of the three young men of the blessed Apostles who did boldly preach and professe Christ when they were charged not to doe it We may not be ashamed of our religion we may not halt on both sides With the heart man beleeueth vnto righteousnesse and with the mouth man confesseth vnto saluation Whosoeuer shalbe ashamed of me and my woords of him shall the sonne of man be ashamed when he shal come in his glorie and in the glorie of the father and of the Angels Moreouer Cornelius instructed his familie and brought them vp in the feare of God A rare example in an Ethnike captaine nay a rare example in such as be christians and professe most pietie and by calling should be most religious yea and are placed as examples not onely to families but to cities to countries to nations He remembred well that he that hath a charge must aunswere for his charge He could not forget Redde rationem giue an account of thy stewardship Hee was afraide of the saying of the wise man An hard iudgement shall they haue that beare rule The sinnes of the subiects of the people of the familie will bee punished in the magistrates in the masters in the housholders For to euery one of these saith the Lord I will require the bloud of them that perish if through thy negligence euill example or want of correction any of them shall fall from God Not onely they saith Paul who commit such things are worthie of death but also they who consent to such as doe them And he consenteth doubtlesse which by office should correct sinne and by negligence or corrupt affection suffereth sinne The scripture chargeth Elie the priest with the sinnes of his vnruly sonnes at the which he winked and he was punished for it The sinne that the people of Israel committed in woorshipping idols is laide to the charge of the kings of Israel which either instituted them defended them or did not pull them downe The Queene of Saba commendeth Salomon greatly for the good ordering of his house Happie are thy men happie are these thy seruaunts which stand euer before thee and heare thy wisedome King Dauid was so careful that he would not suffer as much as a lyer to remaine within his court Abraham is commended of God for the good nurturing and godly bringing vp of his sonnes and his houshold That magistrate that feareth God will not suffer sinne in the citie vnpunished the swoord is giuen him to cut it off and beate it downe That pastor that feareth GOD will vse all meanes to bring his sheepe to the sheepefold if they goe astray That housholder that feareth God will by good order and due correction keepe it in the feare of God And so shall both the magistrate the pastor and the housholder deliuer their owne soules 11 Againe as Cornelius declared the fruites of his faith towards his familie so was he louing friendly towards his neighbours He gaue much almes to the people This is that sacrifice which God doth require chiefly of a christian I will haue mercie mercie and not sacrifice This is a sacrifice of a sweete smelling sauour a sacrifice acceptable to God and well pleasing him He that releeueth not his needie brother beeing of abilitie to releeue him doeth neither feare nor loue God Giue almes of thy substance and turne not away thy face from any poore man least the Lord turne away his face from thee Giue and it shall be giuen vnto you saith the sonne of God Hee that sheweth mercie shall finde mercie and iudgement without mercie to the mercilesse No treasure so wel bestowed as that which is giuen to the poore That is laide vp in heauen God doth binde himselfe to recompense that which is giuen to the poore for it is giuen to himselfe The mercifull shall receiue euerlasting life the mercilesse euerlasting death God gaue a Lawe to Israel Let there bee no begger among you This Lawe the Iewes keepe inuiolate to this day A great reproche and slander it is to vs christians that the Lord of Iewes and Gentiles the sonne of God our sauiour Christ who became poore to make vs riche at whose mercifull hands of his free gift we haue receiued whatsoeuer we haue to vs a great shame and confusion it is that we should fall so farre from all hūmanitie so vtterly forget our christianitie to shewe our selues so hard and stonie hearted so vnthankefull and without all naturall affection to suffer our God our Sauiour our Christ whom wee professe not onely to goe on begging but to lie hungrie colde naked sicke diseased pining and perishing in the streetes and at our doores This mercilesse minde this great ingratitude wil no doubt be requited with Ite Goe your waies ye cursed into euerlasting fier If it bee not reformed in time God no doubt will come downe and reuenge it Cornelius gaue liberal almes vnto them which were strangers to him God is careful for strangers He putteth the Israelites in minde not to afflict but to comfort the strangers that dwell among them Foryee your selues were strangers too By the prophet Zacharias he biddeth vs beware least we grieue them Oppresse not the widowe nor the fatherlesse the stranger nor the poore God ioineth the widowes the fatherlesse and strangers most commonly euer together as persons most destitute and such as haue most neede of helpe Egypt was blessed for the straungers that dwelt there but when the king of Egypt Pharao oppressed them they groned and called vpon God hee deliuered them and powred his manifolde plagues vpon Egypt The sinnefull citie of Sodome was of long time spared for Lot and his familie strangers there Such as are strangers for the gospels sake for the cause which we professe and maintaine are ioyfully to be receiued cheerefully and liberally to be releeued For in receiuing them wee doe not onely receiue Angels as Abraham and Lot did but we receiue releeue Christ Iesus whom they professe and whose members they are And whatsoeuer we giue to them we giue it him and he will reward it But whosoeuer shall vexe wrong or offend any of them better it were that a milstone were tied about his necke and hee hurled into the bottome of the sea I speake of godlie strangers that are strangers for the truths sake not of such as are of no religion of no church godlesse and faithlesse people some Papists some Anabaptists some Arrians some Libertines these are to bee expelled and cast out of the countrie least for their wickednes God plague the whole Realme God is woont euer to blesse the countrie for reteining and releeuing godlie religious strangers so is he woont to powre his plagues on them that nourish Cananites among them And thus much touching Cornelius the Italian by parentage by vocation a souldier placed in Cesarea who was deuoute
lawfull when maidens are asked to wiues of their parents and are giuen by them openly to their husbandes otherwise they are not mariages but whoredomes The best writers both olde and newe subscribe hereunto Tertullian Ambrose Chrysostome Augustine with all the learnedst of latter times whose particular sentences I omit to recite for breuities sake But if youthfull children haue so litle reuerence both of God and men that such admonition wil not make them leaue such disordered mariages it behooueth magistrates who are the common parentes of the weale publike to bridle their lusts with seuere Lawes for the redresse of this euill and the mischiefes ensuing of it And thus much of S. Peters entraunce into his sermon the sermon doeth followe 33 Ye knowe the word which God hath sent to the children of Israel preaching peace by Iesus Christ and so foorth The summe of the sermon is this Iesus Christ which is Lord of all the preacher and author of peace did faithfully performe the office for the which he was sent preaching to the people the glad tidings of the Gospell and healing all their diseases for God was with him and hee was slaine and hanged on tree the thirde day he arose again from death he ascended into heauen from thence shall he come to iudge the quicke and the dead to whom all the prophets beare witnesse that through his name all that beleeue in him shall haue remission of their sinnes Such as this is were the sermons of the Apostles Here is all things necessarie to saluation expressed This is that which God commanded his great Apostle S. Peter to preache In this doctrine would hee haue his people trained vp The people receiued it as a sufficient doctrine Peter and Paul were directed by one spirite they neither esteemed to knowe any thing but Iesus Christ and him crucified neither could they testifie or preache ought but him This sermon is diuided into three parts the first that Iesus Christ the Lord of all was sent vnto the people of Israel to preache peace the next that he died rose againe from death to procure vs this peace the last that we are made partakers of this peace by faith in his name Iesus Christ the Lord of all was sent vnto the people of Israel to preache peace Let vs weie the words seuerally they are most effectuous fully setting foorth the mysterie of our saluation 34 Iesus by the interpretation of the Angel is a sauiour Thou shalt call his name Iesus for he shall saue his people from their sinnes The Angel appearing to the sheepeheards saide Behold I bring you tidings of great ioie that shall be to al the people that is that vnto you is born this day a Sauiour The Ethnikes doe seeke their safetie in their idols the Iewes in the obseruances of the Lawe and traditions the Papistes in their pardons purgatorie masses merites the true Christians seeke it in Iesus Christ the Sauiour and in none but him He will not be matched therein with any other but he is a full perfect and onely Sauiour He is the Lambe of God that taketh away the sin of the world There is neither water nor fier buls nor bels masses nor merites pope nor pardon that can saue vs. There is neither diuel or flesh nor world if he saue vs that can condemne vs. For who can condemn whom he doth iustifie And whom he iustifieth not who can saue Christ is annointed And Iesus is called so because hee was annointed of God aboue his fellowes Whereupon Esay the prophet writeth of him The spirit of the Lord is vpon me for he hath annointed me Annointed he was to be a king and priest for they among the Iewes were woont to be annointed Hee is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords The wise men of the East did acknowledge him a king Where is he that is borne king of the Iewes Zacharie sheweth further what maner of king Behold thy king commeth to thee meeke and riding vpon an asse and vpon a colt the foale of an asse This our king doth gouerne vs with a right scepter The scepter of thy kingdome is a scepter of righteousnesse He doth defend vs with a mightie and stretched out arme against whose power no power can stand He is that triumphant prince which hath most victoriously vanquished and throwen vnder foote our enemies They labour in vaine that kicke against the prickes that striue against his Gospel For he is a prince of might that doeth defend it and the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it The sunne wil runne his course the passage of the Gospel cannot bee stopped The Gospel is not bound While it is persecuted it is inlarged The bloud that is spilt for it is the very seede of it Nowe as he is our king so our priest and prophet too at whose mouth wee should require the Lawe of God That prophet like vnto Moses the searcher of truth That very sonne of God of whom the father hath saide Ipsum audite Heare ye him He is the priest which once for all hath sufficiently sacrificed for our sins by himselfe and by none other once and not often vpon the crosse and not vpon the altar sufficient for all such as shall be saued He is the priest the high bishop that maketh intercession for vs the onely mediator betweene God and man to teach man the wil of God to reconcile God to man to make intercession betweene God and man These are the peculiar duties of Christ as wee are taught in the Epistle to the Hebrues 35 Which is Lord of all Least the Gentiles should conceiue that Iesus Christ was promised and sent to be a Sauiour onely to the Iewes hee answereth that obiection by a preuention so to terme it calling him Lord of all the Lord of the Gentile as wel as of the Iewe. Christ wil that all men shall be saued that is men of all sorts He was sent to preache peace to all both Iewes and Gentiles He is the Lord ouer all euen the Lord of glorie to whō all power is giuen both in heauen and in earth He hath bought vs al with a great price that we should serue him in holinesse and righteousnesse Let vs remember therefore that of the prophet If I be a Lord where is my feare saith the Lord of Hosts Feare not them which kil the bodie but be not able to kill the soule but rather feare ye him which is able to destroie both bodie and soule in hell 36 Which God hath sent When the fulnesse of time was come God sent forth his sonne made of a woman and made vnder the Lawe that he might redeeme them which were vnder the Lawe He was made man for vs that in our nature he might suffer for vs. He was sent of his father being equall
not trauell to tel you howe diuersly the name of grace is taken in the sacred scriptures but rather note vnto you in what sense the holie Ghost doth chiefly vse it in this place Grace is the fauour and mercie of God towards sinnefull men It is called grace because it is giuen gratis freely and vndeseruedly on our parts to whom it is giuen For vs it is purchased by the onely meane and meere merite of our Sauiour Christ and to vs it is both offered and exhibited by the voluntarie and vnprouoked operation of the spirite This grace in it selfe being large more than sufficient for all men the holy Ghost diuideth and bestoweth vpon eache breathing where and as he listeth according to the secrete pleasure of his will Thorough it we haue saluation whereas through sinne wee deserue death For out iniquitie was heinous in the sight of God first committed by Adam and since continued in vs but farre more exceeding was the mercie of our Lord who when we were his enemies sent foorth his sonne made of a woman and made vnder the Lawe that he might redeeme them which were vnder the Lawe and that we might receiue the adoption of sonnes No tongue can expresse neither any minde conceiue this gratiousnesse Yet let vs ponder it with such consideration as we are able Great therefore I say was the mercie of our creator who gaue his sonne and great the loue of our Sauiour who gaue euen himselfe for vs. Our thraldome was great that required a ransome of such value our guiltinesse much that could no otherwise be washed away but with the verie heart bloud of the innocent lambe of God Christ Iesus our Lord Yea inestimable and vneffable was the loue of our gratious Lord who to spare vs spared not himselfe He was content to become ignominious before men that we might be glorious with his father to be condemned that wee might be absolued to bee crowned with thornes to purchase vs a crowne of immortalitie to loose his life that we might gaine life to suffer death that we might escape it and to become as hated and accursed of God that we might find fauour and eternall grace with him In his death our sinne is pardoned by his bloud our filthinesse is washed away by his resurrection we are reconciled to his father and made at one with God Let vs not breake this so happie truce betwixt the Lord and vs let vs not through sinne condemne our selues againe nowe that we are iustified let vs not walke toward hell hee hauing made plaine and easie the path to heauen The image of God in vs defaced through Adam is repaired by Christ Let vs appeare therefore in this pure image before God that wee may be acceptable in his pure sight Through Christ we are called to be citizens with the Saints and Gods houshold-seruaunts let vs then put on the garments of trueth and innocencie that so it may appeare whose seruaunts we are by our Lords liuerie We are made the happie heires of his glorious kingdome and fellow heires with Iesus Christ wherefore let vs not seeke so possessions here that we loose a better inheritance aboue in heauen If wee doe it is in vaine that the grace of our Lorde Iesus Christ hath beene so largely offered vnto vs and plentifully powred on vs. Yea his grace will encrease the wofulnesse of our destruction 7 Grace is offered and receiued by two especiall outwarde meanes the preaching of the Gospel and the holie administration of the blessed Sacraments These two are the instruments or rather the hands by the which the holie Ghost doth offer exhibite seale and deliuer the grace of God vnto vs. 8 And there bee two sorts of men to whom grace is offered by the word in vaine The one are they which wil not giue it so much as the hearing but doe vtterly contemne and vnkindely refuse that which the Lord doth so kindly and so gratiously offer to them The other they that heare it indeede reade it but consider it not receiue it but altogether without fruite and for fashions sake Of the former sort are all such as Pharao was who enioined Moses to come no more in his sight for hee would not heare him Such also were the Iewes to whom when Stephen preached they stopped their eares Such they of whom the Lorde complaineth by the Prophet saying I spake and they would not heare 9 Of the latter sort there be three kindes shadowed in the parable of the sower which went foorth to sowe his seede whereof some fell in the high way side some in stonie grauelly ground some also amongst thornes That which fell by the high waie side either the birds of the aire picked vp or men trod vpon with their feete Which our sauiour applieth vnto him that heareth the word of the kingdome and vnderstandeth it not and by and by the diuell taketh it away least he should beleeue and so be saued For it fareth with the woord preached as with the seede sowen Some are so dissolute and rechelesse that they let it in at the one eare and out at the other The hearts of some be so be so hardened and parched because they want the watering of Gods spirit which doth only mollifie that his word can take no roote in them The diuell and his deceitful Angels doe so bewitch them and fil their harts with vain cogitations so abalienate their mindes and trouble their memorie that they cannot tell what is saide it is forgotten by that it is spoken Yea the diuell doth so throughly occupie the hearts of many other with superstitious opinions and fond perswasions or with such worldly desires such fleshly lusts such froward affections that the hearing of the blessed word is a wearisome worke vnto them euery houre spent that way is as tedious as a yere and thought to bee wholly lost Many likewise both heare the woord preached and reade the Scriptures as the Pharisees did heare them that they may seeme to fauour the Gospel and so vnder pretence of holinesse blinde the eyes of others and purloine commoditie to themselues Such come in amongst the children of God as did Satan of old yet God knowes them to be children of darknesse not of light yea and oftentimes he so shaketh them out of their painted rags that the whole world may espie their ouglie and deformed nakednesse Whilest by their hypocrisie they labour to deceiue others they deceiue yea and damne themselues To this sort of men therefore the word is offered but all in vaine Either they receiue it not or they receiue it to their owne destruction 10 The second sort are resembled to the stonie soile which receiueth the seede and it taketh roote for a time but when the heate of the sunne commeth it withereth away Many such there be which haue gladly heard the Gospel haue frequented sermons with appearance of great deuotion and could freshly
If a prince giue out his letters patent of a gift so long as the seale is not put to the gift is not fullie ratified and the partie to whom it is giuen thinketh not him selfe sufficientlie assured of it Gods gift without sealing is sure as hee himselfe is al one without changing yet to beare with our infirmitie and to make vs more secure of his promise to his writing woord he added these outward signes and seales to establish our faith and to certifie vs that his promise is most certain He giueth vs therfore these holie and visible signes of bread wine saith Take and eate this is my bodie and blood giuing vnto the signes the names which are proper to the things signified by them as we vse to doe euen in cōmon speach when the signe is a liuelie representation and image of the thing 13 Let vs therefore bee thankefull vnto our redeemer Christ for these his great benefites and so vnspeakeable and vndeserued mercies and let vs receiue this holie sacrament as a sure pledge that the vertue of his death and passion is imputed vnto vs for iustice euen as though we had suffered the same which hee did in our owne naturall bodies Let vs not be so peruerse as to drawe backe when Iesus Christ calleth vs so louingly to this royall feast but with good consideration of the woorthinesse of this gift present we our selues with a feruent zeale that we may come woorthily to this holy table Let eche man trie himselfe and so eate saith the Apostle Let vs enter into our selues therefore and examine the estate of our hearts and soules and consider in what case we stand If we be not of the sanctified houshold of God not Christs seruaunts and faithfull Disciples shall we dare presume to presse in being aliens and strangers to the Lords as most comfortable so also most dreadfull table No let no impenitent blasphemer of God no whoremonger or vile and vnrepented sinner presume to touch or tast this foode for such shall not feede vpon Christ and his merits but they receiue their owne damnation But such as wil woorthily feede at this blessed feast must earnestly and truly mourne for their sinnes past in a setled purpose and resolution neuer willingly to defile themselues againe And such as will be partakers of this bread that came from heauen Iesus Christ our one and onely Sauiour must also be as one bread or loafe and as one bodie ioined together in brotherly loue and all other offices of godlie and Christian charitie For if thou come to this banket without this vesture of loue it shall be saide vnto thee Friend howe camest thou hither not hauing on thy wedding garment A wofull speeche and an ende most miserable Let this suffice for the first point which is the blessed Apostles exhortation not to receiue the grace of God in vaine 14 Concerning the second member wherein wee are put in mind that this is the time to shewe our selues woorthie receiuers of grace he applieth to his purpose the words of the Prophet Esay who speaking vnto Christ as in the person of his father saith In an acceptable time haue I heard thee and in a day of saluation haue I helped thee The acceptable time is that whereof S. Paul speaketh When the fulnesse of time came God sent his sonne made of a woman It was indeede an acceptable time and full of grace wherein the sacrifice of Christ was so gratiously accepted and his praiers heard of God And it may well be called a day of saluation wherein his father gaue him a triumphant victorie ouer those so bitter torments of death An acceptable time was it a day of saluation not so much in respect of him who at all times was accepted as of vs who without him and his death had beene refused For in that day was your redemption wrought by our redeemer and sinners saued by his passion who had no sinne And as hee died and rose so he praied and was heard for vs. I pray for them I pray not for the world I pray for them whom thou hast giuen me saith our Sauiour Nowe the acceptable time and day of saluation which Esay spake of S. Paul doth very aptly and effectually applie to his present occasion Beholde nowe is the acceptable time beholde nowe is the day of saluation For the Fathers liued in hope of this acceptable day of grace and fauour to come but the verie time beginneth from the suffering of Christ Iesus and continueth euen to the worlds end And vnto euerie one of vs so much of this acceptable time is granted as we haue time granted here to liue Which being not long because our life is but as it were a span it may fitly be called a day or rather an houre of saluation This day therefore grace is offered vs of God Against whose maiestie forasmuch as all haue sinned and by sinne are depriued of his glorie wee must needes acknowledge that for the recouering of our losse wee stand all in present neede of his grace Nowe is the time wherein our soules doe groane to be releeued with grace and mercie For who can say My heart is sound I neede no Physitian What one man is there amongst vs all who hath loued God as he ought to doe or tendered his neighbours case as he would his owne We may dallie with our selues and thinke that we suffer not for our owne transgressions that we are not cause of that great plague calamitie which presently is come vpon our countrie Beloued do not deceiue your selues Our God is a righteous iudge who blesseth the innocent and heapeth punishment vpon the offending soule For truly if we searche our selues as we ought to doe with a single eye if we examine out thoughts take a reckoning of our words and peise our deedes and waies in an equall ballance aske our hearts and they wil tell vs enquire of our conscience it wil declare vnto vs that euerie one of vs hath wel deserued more than hath happened vnto any of vs Yea wee shall finde that all haue not suffered halfe so much as euerie one hath deserued Our first parents for tasting the fruit that was forbidden them were themselues cast out of their pleasaunt habitation and punished in all their posteritie to come for euer Haue wee being terrefied by the horror of their example withheld our hands and bridled our affections from euerie vnlawful and forbidden thing Corah Dathan and Abiram with their fauourites and confederates were swallowed vp of the earth for whispering against Moses and against Aaron Did we neuer once mutter against our good and lawfull magistrates against our iudges and against the Lordes ministers Dauid for numbring of his people procured such a plague that 70. thousand were consumed with it and are wee so vnspotted that we haue not in as heinous a matter as this offended God would
the moone shall be abashed the sunne ashamed when the Lorde of hostes shal raigne in mount Sion The like we read in Ezechiel threatning destruction and desolation to Egypt I will couer the heauen and make the starres thereof darke I will couer the sunne with a cloude and the moone shall not giue hir light all the lightes of heauen will I make darke for thee and bring darkenes vpon thy lande sayth the Lorde I might alledge the like out of Ioel Ieremie Amos and Micheas but the matter is cleare inough needeth rather to be considered thaÌ„ prooued 19 The wordes being literally thus vnderstoode may be morally applied not without great fruite vnto the vnderstanding and wise hearer which can discerne betweene interpretation of scripture application thereof In the one we giue you the bare sense of the scripture in the other we teach you the profitable vse of it For the vse of scripture may be very well shewed not only by such collectioÌ„s as do probably gather or necessarily coÌ„clude one thing out of another but also by those allegoricall comparisons which shewe how in one thing another is shadowed a spirituall thing resembled in a corporall As for example if heere we refer the sun to Christ that sunne of righteousnes the moone to the Church and the starres to the pastors and doctors of the Church 20 The sunne in this sence is most euidently in this our age darkned Christ is obscured by that great enimie Antichrist the man of sinne who hath set himselfe in Christs peculiar place and will be exalted aboue all that is called God To make any other mediator betwene God and man sauing only Christ Iesus which is not onely man but also God To seeke else where remission of sinnes iustification redemption sanctification or saluation than only in this Iesus in him crucified doth darken make dimme both him and his merites And of this treason the Romish Antichristian Church which they terme Catholike is founde guiltie For the children of this harlot labour by al meanes to obscure the sonne of God to robbe him of the glorie of his desertes in our saluation I would neuer haue beleeued that any professing learning or hauing had but a glimse of the course of the woorde of God could haue beene so grosse in such sort to haue eclipsed the brightnesse of Christ Iesus by giuing his glorie vnto earthly creatures if of late I had not to my great greefe and their great shame heard their owne blasphemous conâ—essions therof Surely the Romish strumpet hath rubbed hir forehead hir children are become altogether shamelesse whatsoeuer shee determineth they make it equiualent with the written word of God There is no absurditie in poperie in which there are ful many and full grosse which they doe not defende to be right good and Catholike The Popes pardons purgatorie masses merites praiers both for to y e dead pilgrimages images reliques yea holy water and holy bread All these they will haue some one way and some another to bee forcible remedies against sinne and death This is their religion and seruing of God thus they honour the Lambe that was slaine for the sinnes of all the worlde If this doe not derogate from him and stoppe the brightnesse of his glorie who is the only once offered propitiation for all our sinnes by whose bloud we are only purged whose death only hath made vs free from death if this doe not obscure the glorious beautie of Christ Iesus if this doe not deface the woorthinesse of his merites what doeth or what can do Hath the glorious sonne of God sacrificed his precious life for our sakes vpon the crosse that Thomas of Caunterburies bloud powred out in an earthly quarrell should make passage to heauen for vs Is there any man in whose heart the light of the glorie of God hath shined which seeth not how this fogge doth darken this blessed sunne 21 Againe this sonne is obscured when as we professe that in our woordes which in our liues and deedes we doe denie After that king Dauid had committed adulterie Nathan the phophet charged him therewith in these words Thou hast caused the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme When men professe wel liue ill their life is not tolerated for their profession but their profession is slandered by their conuersation When the Iewes which professed the Law did not practise it the Law which they professed heard euill thereby For a bad professor of a good thing is a staine to that thing which he doth professe This is the speciall fault of our wicked dayes these our times are clowdie and full of this darkenesse our light doth not shine to glorifie God but our darkenes doth abounde to the obscuring of his Christ. The mercilesse rich men which wring and oppresse by deceitfull and iniurious dealing which neglect and despise their afflicted brethren the needie members of Christ doe not they blaspheme the woorthie name wherewith both they and we are named It were a great deale better neuer to haue professed then not to practise neuer to haue receaued then not to obserue neuer to haue knowne then not to obey the word of truth Vnto them which heare the word and keepe it being heard a blessing is promised but vnto theÌ„ of whom it is written Dicunt non faciunt They say do not woes againe and againe are denounced This knowe sayth the Apostle that in the last dayes shall come perillous times For men shall be louers of themselues couetous boasters proude cursed speakers disobedient to parentes vnthankefull vnholy without naturall affection truce breakers false accusers intemperate fierce despisers of them which are good traitours headie high minded louers of pleasure more than louers of God hauing a shewe of godlinesse but hauing denied the power thereof Let all the worlde iudge whether these be not the cloudes which haue darkned the sunne of our dayes 22 Now as the sun reseÌ„bleth Christ so the moone his Church For as the moone hath hir light from the sun so the Church hirs from Christ. And as the sunne being vnchangeable is at all times exceeding bright and glorious but the moone doth change and some times is at the full sometimes at the wane hir light to the eye of the worlde now encreasing and nowe diminishing nowe filling the whole globe and now in no part thereof appearing so Christ and his Church Christs glorie is alwaies great and alwaies one His Church vpon earth doth varie nowe she flowrisheth and nowe is blacke sometimes shee ouer spreadeth the face of the whole earth at other times she is brought to so narrowe streightes that mortall eye is vnable to espie hir When the Church of Christ is persecuted as it was in the dayes of those cruell Emperours which were of olde and as it is at this daie vnder Antichrist and Antichristian Princes this is as it were the chaunging
Tribes of Israell Where the faith of the Apostles shall condemne the vnbeleeuing Iewes the pietie of the Centurion all vngodly magistrates preaching Paul all vnpreaching prelates Zacheus al vsurars and Lazarus al repining impatient and wicked beggers The bookes shall be layd wide open in the sight of all fleshe The booke of God and the booke of mans conscience the booke of his lawe and the booke of our life It shall be examined in the one what GOD hath commaunded in the other it shall be testified howe man hath obeyed in the one what workes of mercie hee hath required at our handes in the other what fruites of mercilesse affection the grounde of our stonie heartes hath yeelded And according to the euidence both of the one and of the other the eternall and irreuocable sentence shall passe from the mouth of God The periured the vsurer the adulterer the lyer the idolater shall be cast into the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone into that vtter darkenesse where shall be wayling weeping gnashing of teeth endlesse horror and euerlasting woe But the elect which haue liued a sober a iust and a godly life which haue loued the comming of Christ Iesus more than this worlde or their present liues they shall enter into the kingdome of their Lorde they shall be glorified with Christ and possesse with him that euerlasting enheritaunce hauing hearde that most ioyfull sentence Come ye blessed of my father possesse the kingdome prepared for you from the first foundations of the worlde 27 Heereuppon Saint Peter inferreth this conclusion seeing all these thinges must be dissolued what manner persons ought yee to be in holie conuersation and godlinesse looking for and hasting vnto the comming of the day of God And Saint Luke this threefolde exhortation Take heede to your selues watch pray continually Take heede of surfetting and dronkennesse least your heartes bee opprest least that day come vppon you at vnawares and vnlooked for least it happen to you as it happened to the fathers in the dayes of Noa they ate and dranke and sodenly the water ouerwhelmed them or as to the Sodomites they burned in lust and sodenly fire consumed them from heauen or as to the Israelites they fedde themselues greedilie surfeted and died with the meate in their mouthes Let their dreadfull endes make vs eschewe their sinnes Beware also of the cares of this life They be perillous thornes and pricke thy heart to death Iudas was carefull by any meanes to gather money and to what it brought him yee all knowe Ananias and Saphira caring howe to liue made no conscience to lye to the holie Ghost their destruction was most sodaine When the riche man was in the middest of his care howe to enlarge his barnes that verie night his soule was taken from him Beware therefore and take heede specially of these two things Let not your hearts be ouerwhelmed with excesse of meates and drinkes nor choaked with the cares of this present life 28 Besides this warinesse and heedetaking it is further required that we bee also watchfull For sith wee knowe not what time the Lorde will come expedient it is that wee shoulde bee in continuall expectation of him that wensoeuer hee come wee may bee readie with ioye to meete him Happie is he that watchfully looketh for the comming of Christ Iesus and hee miserable whom the Lorde shall ouertake vnlooked for S. Ierome did so liue in continuall watching and waiting for this daie of redemption that the sounde of that voyce was still in his eares Arise yee deade and come to iudgement I doe waite sayth Iob all the dayes of my warfare till my chaunge come The like wee reade of the Prophet Dauid whose watchfulnesse was such that the watchman standing vppon his warde being wearie of the discomfortablenesse of the night doth not so eye the rising of the morning as hee did the glorious appearing of the Lorde I haue wayted saith hee vpon the Lorde my soule hath wayted and I haue trusted in his worde My soule waiteth on the Lorde more than the morning watch watcheth for the morning How happy is their estate whom the Lorde in that day shall finde thus readie for him 29 But because we can of our selues neither rightly beware nor diligently watch without the speciall assistance of his spirite therefore as wee are exhorted to watch so are we likewise admonished to pray The Lorde of his infinite mercie graunt that being thus prepared to meete the Lorde in the day when he commeth to iudge the quicke and the deade we may be founde worthy to enter with him into that rest which hee by the shedding of his most precious bloude hath purchased for all the blessed of his father to whome c. A Sermon preached at Pauls crosse MATTH 8. 23 And when he was entred into the ship his disciples followed him 24 And beholde there arose a great tempest in the sea so that the ship was couered with waues but he was asleepe THIS short historie doth by way of a type or figure set forth the state of the Church putting vs in minde that the waie to the kingdom of God is rough that wee must enter into ioy through much sorrowe that here wee must be alwayes on the suffring side that the whole life of a Christian man vpō earth is a warfare that such as will be disciples of Christ must beare the crosse that as many as will bee in the same ship with him must prepare them selues vnto daungerous stormes The sea of this wicked worlde is troublesome the Church of God is beaten and tossed like a boate it is disfigured with sharpe and stormie weather Feeble is all flesh manifoulde are our infirmities faint is our faith and seeing our sinne with the remembraunce of the stipende due for the same wee are readie to sinke into the bottomlesse gulfe of desperation In this daungerous estate wee finde no helpe in our selues But beholde the disciples of Christ haue taught vs by their example where helpe is to be sought in the middest of these manifolde and great distresses And that is onely in Christ who is alwayes a present helper of them which seeke him in time of neede who hath ouercome and victoriously triumphed on the crosse against Satan sinne the worlde hell death and condemnation To him all power giueth place against him no force is able to stand vnto him all things are made subiect He is that Samson which by his owne death hath slaine his foes that Dauid which hath dasht out the braines of Goliah the grād enemy of Gods people that seede which hath brused the serpents head that almighty which rebuketh windes ceaseth stormes easeth the burthens of them that mourne washeth awaie iniquitie freelie forgiueth sinne heareth and deliuereth out of trouble If we crie with the disciples in our distresse Helpe Lord he will in mercie awake and heare vs through his mighty power
feare me whose God is their bellie and whose felicitie is meate and drinke Our excesse this way is intollerable and abhominable we striue to equall almost Vitellius who had serued vnto him at one feast 2000. fishes 7000. birds and Heliogabalus that monster of the worlde who at one supper was serued with 600. ostriches There is no birde that flieth no fish that swimmeth no beast that moueth which is not buried in our bellies This excesse is an enemie both to wealth health it hath cut off much housekeeping and brought many men to extreme beggerie and as many great diseases are cured by abstinence so fulnesse hath beene the cause of sundrie straunge and vnwoonted sicknesses Aurelian the Emperour did neuer sende for phisitian in time of his sicknesse but cured himself only by thin diet And as immoderate feeding doth much hurt to the bodie so it is more noysome to the minde For as the grounde if it receiue too much raine is not watered but drowned and turneth into myre which is neither fit for tillage nor for yeelding of fruite so our flesh ouerwatered with wine is not fit to admit the spirituall plough or to bring foorth the celestiall fruites of righteousnesse The herbes that growe about it will be lothsome and stinking weedes as brawling chiding blasphemie slaunder periurie hatred manslaughter and such like bad workes of drunkennesse and darkenesse Are not these vnsauourie fruites ynough to make vs abhor the tree A drunken bodie is not a man but a swine fit for Diuels to enter into For these sins are against nature which being moderately refreshed is satisfied being stuffed is hurt violated deformed God hath giuen vs his creatures soberly to vse and not so shamefully to abuse we should if we did well feede the body to serue not to rule to obey not to leade the spirite I chastise my body sayth S. Paul and bring it into seruitude Is it not perillous trow you to pamper make strong our aduersarie or haue we a greater or stronger enemie than our rebellious flesh Ful bellied drunkards are no better then traytors in this spirituall warre Ge â—deon a figure of Christ would no other souldiers to fight against the Madianites but such as stood tooke vp water in their haÌ„d lickt it out of such there were but 300. in number the rest y t were afraide or lay downe to drinke their fill he sent away they were not for his purpose Such filled bellies were not fit to serue God nor able to fight against the Madianites Satan and sin Gods and Gods peoples enemies The Israelites lusted after quailes but to their owne confusioÌ„ Esau for his belly sake sold his birth right inheritance Beware their examples Lucullus a Romaine had a seruant alwaies at his elbow to pul him by the sleeue at such times as he porred in too fast But we haue the blessed Apostle of Christ the seruaunt of God to put vs in minde of sobrietie in diet Nor in diet onely but also in attire 10 A mans apparell laughter gate doth shew his nature In apparell this is to be obserued that auoyding vanitie pride therein euery man weare according to his calling Iohn Baptist ware a rough cote of camels haire But SalomoÌ„ vsed rich glorious apparel yet both vsed y t which did become theÌ„ There is no more holinesse in a Fryers coule than in a sheepheardes cloke Yet that is comely in one which is not seemely in an another Saint Paule is verie earnest with women and requireth them to goe in sober apparell decking themselues with shamfastnes and modestie not with brodered haire or with golde or pearles or sumptuous attire but as becommeth women that professe the feare of God And S. Peter telleth theÌ„ that their godlie mother Sara went soberly apparelled Sara was a good woman a rich woman and a noble woman such as followe hir footesteppes neede not be ashamed Yet doe I not condemne all other apparell yea euen such apparell as is costlie and gorgious may be fit for some states and personages I doe not doubt but that Hester and Iudith did weare golde and were gorgiously decked But if Paule and Peter did liue in our dayes they would not spare the vanitie of our women much lesse of our men The vaine and monstrous apparell of all other countries and nations Englande hath scraped together and in a brauerie put it on the estimation whereof is this A light wauering minde matched with a vaine proude heart desireth a light vaine strange proude and monstrous apparell to couer and cladde it withall But sobrietie is content with that which is seemely Be sober in your apparell 11 Be yee sober also in your speech and gesture Be slowe to speake and when you speake let your woordes be so seasoned that they may be wholsome and not offensiue to the hearer Let no lewde speech proceede from your mouthes A mans speech and gesture will bewray his thoughtes The talke of a foole is vnsauourie altogether and his gesture vncomely but a wise mans vnderstanding is seene euen in his lookes A foole exalteth his voice in laughter but the man that is soberly minded will scarcely smile to himselfe He that is guiltlesse hideth not his face but the murderers heade is in his bosome Our outwarde actions are liuelie tokens of our inwarde disposition from which they proceede Wherefore it greatly behooueth al estates and conditions of men both inwardly in minde and outwardly in diet attire speech and gesture to be sober 12 With sobrietie S. Peter ioyneth watchfulnesse Be sober and watching I will not heere recite vnto you the manifolde kindes of watching whereof the Scriptures make mention but rather note a fewe vnto you most necessarie and such as the Apostle chieflie meaneth Before we can watch we must be wakened Wherefore he sayth Awake thou that sleepest and stande vp from the dead and Christ shall giue thee light He speaketh not of naturall sleeping but of a sleepe which is in death He that liueth in pleasures is dead being aliue and they that wake vnto sinne are asleepe vnto righteousnesse All such as liue in error and lie in sinne are but dead men in the sight of God Aristotle saith that seuen houres of sleepe suffice naturally the bodie Let it suffice the soules of men to haue slept in the lappe of Antichrist 700. yeares and to haue beene rocked so long in the cradell of that deadly errour It is now high time to awake and arise from the dreames of poperie for they are not sickly but deadly At the length let Christ shine vnto thee the light of his Gospell if thou embrace it will driue away the darke cloudes of errour and ignoraunce Awake I say at the sounde of Gods woord from thy former superstition and at length embrace the trueth which will be as a lanterne nay as a bright shining starre to guide thee vnto
must all offer 15 At the handes of the minister it is required that hee feed the flocke committed vnto his charge this is righteousnesse in him it is his sacrifice God will haue no blinde no lame no vncleane thing to be offered therfore let as many as offer the sacrifice of righteousnes take heede to that they doe The wordes of the Lorde are pure wordes like siluer tried in a fornace of earth fined seuen times He therefore that speaketh let him speake as the wordes of God 16 Furthermore as it is reason that they which sacrifice at the altar shoulde liue of the altar euen so it is against all equitie and right that the labour of preaching the Gospell shoulde rest vpon any mans backand the maintenance due for the same be withheld and kept from him It hath beene tolde you often and some haue beene angrie to heare it so often tolde that the ministerie is too much pinched the liuing of the Church so fleesed that manie worthy ministers haue scarce nay they haue not wherewith tolerablie to sustaine themselues 17 To come from the minister to the magistrate when heynous crimes are detected and brought to light there is then a speciall sacrifice of righteousnesse required at his handes such a sacrifice as Ioas offered who following the good aduise of Iehoida the high priest his faithfull counsellour put Athalia which had murthered the kinges children and vsurped the kingdome to the sworde The Lorde sometime doth so deale with his people that they plainely see his wrath to be kindled and his heauie indignatioÌ„ impossible to be appeased til this sacrifice be offred him The Israelites were ouerthrowne in battle till Achan was stoned to death King Dauid founde no rest in his kingdome till AbsoloÌ„ Adonias had that which their rebellious practises did deserue God requireth as well the sacrifice of iustice as of mercie yea he sometimes accepteth iustice for a sacrifice and plagueth mercie as a grieuous sinne If Dauid had not spared his sonne for murther his sonne had not troubled him with rebellion For rebellion he woulde also in fatherly pity and compassion haue spared him this God coulde not suffer but tooke execution of iustice him selfe stretched out the arme of an oake and strangled the gallant in his owne haire Saul suffred Agag but he felt the wrath of the Lorde for it to the losse of his kingdome Quiparcit lupo mactat gregem hee that spareth a wolfe spilleth the bloude of the flocke saith Chrisostome God appointeth the magistrate to be a reuenger vnto wrath vpon him that committeth euil They which glorie to haue the sworde rustie in the sheath when they woulde drawe it out peraduenture shall not so well be able Let magistrates therefore from the highest to the lowest execute iustice without feare or fauour when neede requireth and so they shall offer vp the sacrifice of righteousnesse 18 As this sacrifice belongeth peculiarlie to them so there are others belonging although to them yet not to them alone but to all Christians Wee must all sacrifice vnto the Lorde with our goodes with our mindes and with our bodies For all these we haue receiued to serue him withall With our goodes the needie must be relieued the naked clothed the hungrie comforted and fed For this sacrifice S. Paul commendeth to the PhilippiaÌ„s I was euen filled after that I had receiued of Epaphroditus that which came from you an odoure that smelleth sweete a sacrifice acceptable pleasant vnto God The like he hath also to the Hebrewes To doe good and to distribute forget not for with such sacrifice God is pleased 19 To haue the sacrifice of the bodie offered S. Paul is verie earnest with the Romaines I beseech you brethren by the mercies of God that yee giue vp your bodies a liuing sacrifice holie and acceptable vnto God Let not thine eye behold the thing which is euill and it is made a sacrifice let no vncleane word escape thy tongue and it is an offring let thine hande doe no harme and it is an oblation saith S. Chrysostome To the like effect Origen when thou subduest pride thou dost affer a calfe when wrath a ram when lust a goate a doue when a vaine and wandring cogitation But the most precious sacrifice of the bodie is when being mortified it is also offered to the crosse for the testimonie of Iesus Christ in whose cause the death of the Saints is deere in the sight of God If the Prophetes the Apostles the martyrs of all ages haue offred vp the glorious sacrifice of righteousnesse why should wee be acounted faithfull as they were vnlesse wee be willing to doe and to suffer as they did Wee haue a longe time had faire weather wisdome would that we should prouide for stormes Christs Church must be tried such is Gods woont A rough storme was rising but the Lord such are his mercies raised vp a winde which scattered the clowdes he hath in great fauour and tender loue deliuered vs from the Lions mouth Let vs therefore liue no longer in this our senslesse securitie but offer him sacrifice as of our bodies so likewise of our mindes repentance and praise 20 Our sinnes no doubt haue prouoked his wrath our ingratitude hath grieued him our iniquities haue kindled his indignation wee haue grieuouslye offended by despising his worde from the highest to the lowest The Magistrates are for the most part colde in Gods cause they are not eaten vp with the zeale of his house iustice iudgement they commonly omit wickedly peruert The guides and Pastours of the Church seeke themselues and not those things which belong to Iesus Christ. And the people not well guided nor â—euerely corrected are of all other farthest out of frame Now if the most high haue power ouer the kingdome of men to giue it to whom soeuer he will and to appoint ouer it most vile persons when pleaseth him and if because of our vnrighteous dealing he should as he hath done many a time and oft vnto nations farre greater and mightier then ours power vs as it were out of one vessell into an other translate the scepter of this kingdom from hand to hand in steede of a gracious and religious Lady cause an hypocrite to raigne ouer vs which the Lord neuer suffer these eyes to see what could we saie but God were iust in al his waies had brought that vpon vs which our sinnes haue deserued To appease his wrath and to staie these or the like plagues from breaking in and from ouerwhelming the land there is no other waie but speedily to offer vp the sacrifice of righteousnesse This is the sacrifice of righteousnesse euen a broken and a contrite heart 21 The other sacrifice of the minde is praise which consisteth in thankesgiuing and petition Let vs thanke our God for his manifolde mercies For it is the Lordes mercies that
complaineth as of a thing which touched him neerer to the quicke than any other crosse though he suffered both many and heauie crosses besides My breath saith he was strange vnto my wife though I prayed her for the childrens sake of mine owne bodie 21 Take away religion let their hearts bee voide of the feare of God and what sinne is there so heinous what iniquitie so huge whereunto they are not alwaies in daunger one to bee perswaded by the other When Satan despaireth of al other meanes he vseth this as the surest to speede in accomplishing wicked purposes He found no such instrument as Iesabel to make Achabwallowe in bloud as idolatrous women to bewitche Salomon as the daughters of Moab to steale away the heartes of the children of Israel It is godlinesse and religion conscience and feare of sinne that keepeth them within the limits of their duetie Without this they are not only carelesse of that comely shamefastnesse and sober temperaunce which beseemeth the honestie of their estate but exceeding the bounds of all modestie they ouerflowe and breake out euen into extreme lasciuiousnesse with others Heereby the honourable ordinaunce of God is loathed and condemned of loose wantons as a thing which bringeth infinite miseries with it a thing wherin there is nothing but griefe no quietnesse of heart no repose of minde Thus I haue shewed you the author of mariage God himselfe the causes of mariage mutuall comfort and helpe procreation and auoyding of vncleannesse the dueties that eche partie linked in mariage doeth owe vnto other the honour which mariage hath by euerie of these and in these the ground from whence discredite and dishonour groweth vnto mariage God graunt that whether we bee called to this honourable estate of mariage or haue receiued the gift to liue otherwise we may keepe both our soules and bodies vnstained in all things walke as becommeth Saints that haue betrothed themselues vnto Christ Iesus To whom with the Father and the holie Ghost c. The seuenteenth Sermon A Sermon preached at Pauls Crosse at his first comming to the Bishopricke of London IOHN 6. 1 After these things Iesus went his way ouer the sea of Galile of Tiberias 2 And a great multitude followed him because they sawe his miracles which he did on them that were diseased c. OVR Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ the Archpastor and great sheepheard of our soules casting his eyes towarde the Citie of Ierusalem bewailed the lamentable estate thereof and that with teares The like effect although proceeding from a cause vnlike I finde in my selfe beholding this Ierusalem of ours this famous Citie the greatnes whereof doth adde not a litle to that exceeding griefe of minde which the deepe consideration of so waightie a thing musts needs worke This office requireth a perfect man to teache gouerne and guide this learned and wise people this great and large Diocesse doth wish for one furnished as Samuel or rather as Salomon with all graces and gifts of learning policie wisedome and knowledge of things belonging both to God and men This comberous charge hath made many a good and godlie man to withdrawe himselfe to shrinke backe vtterly to refuse the like place and calling For although it be a faithful saying If a man desire a Bishops office he desireth a good worke yet such are the difficulties so many are the perils whereunto they are subiect which labour in it that the richest in all spirituall graces the most plentifully indued with rare and excellent gifts of God might haue good cause to â—eare least the frailtie of flesh and bloud being so great a burthen so heauie should make them faint 2. It is no easie matter to til the Lords ground to weede his field to bring in his haruest to trimme his vineyard to feede his flocke to builde his house to watche ouer his citie to preache his woord to distribute his sacraments to execute his discipline to gouerne his Church to performe so many partes as are required in him by whome this great and high charge is vndertaken Where should one finde a seruaunt of that fidelitie and wisdome which the cure of soules doth aske a seruaunt that knoweth how to minister seasonably vnto euerie soule to feede infantes nouices litle ones with rudiments of Christianitie as with milke them of better growth with stronger meate to confirme meâ— established in the truth and reclaime them that slide from it to wound and bruise the hearts of the obstinate who bende themselues wilfully against God and to comfort such as haue heauâ—e heartes troubled consciences by reason of sinne 3 Neither is the pastor pressed onely with these burthens which are peculiar and proper to himselfe but euen those which are common to others with him are also heauier vnto him than others To leade a godlie and a righteous life belongeth not to the pastor alone but vnto all Yet in this which is common vnto all there is more laide vpon him than any Others must be sober he a mirror of sobrietie they vertuous and honest he such a paterne of vertue and honestie that he may say with S. Paul Be ye followers of vs walke as ye haue vs for an example S. Chrysostome compareth the pastor vnto one that wrastleth naked If there bee any deformitie at all in the bodie of a naked man it is soone espied and faulted We are naked to the eyes of the whole world no one in the world which hath not moe eyes than one no eye which is not quicke and sharpe sighted to espie a blemish no blemish be it neuer so great in others halfe so soone found or halfe so much pointed at as the least and lightest thing awry in vs at whose handes notwithstanding it is required to walke vnreprooueable 4. Now if vnto these so many and so weightie considerations to this endlesse care and thought which a good sheepeheard taketh day and night in attending both to himselfe that hee may walke without blame and to his flocke that it may conueniently be gouerned wee adioyne those continual labours of studying meditating reading and writing whereunto the depth of the mysteries of God doe necessarily inforce him that must lay them open before others which if he doe not a woe ineuitable hangeth ouer him if he doe the trauell of dooing it is such that the Apostle himselfe cryeth out Who is sufficient for these things All this being duely and throughly weyed wee may well conclude that hee which desireth the roome of a Bishop in the Church desireth as a good so also a hard and vndoubtedly a very troublesome office 5. Secondly it is an office full of peril and daunger For if we preache things pleasaunt vnto men we discharge not the duetie of the seruaunts of God if we preache his truth we are hated as their deadly enemies to whom wee preache For not speaking against sinne the Lord threateneth death If thou doest not speake
to admonish the wicked of his wicked waie his bloud will I require at thine hand and for speaking against sinne Elias was persecuted Zacharias stoned Esaias cut in pieces Ieremias cast into a dungeon Iohn Baptist Stephen Paul Iames Peter Iustine Athanasius Cyprian Polycarp of our owne Bishops and teachers not a fewe in other nations huge multitudes both heeretofore and of late in most cruel and sauage maner tormented with all extremitie that might be deuised to increase the bitternesse of their death 6 Many auncient Prophets and woorthie Fathers of the primitiue Church casting these accounts in their minds haue shunned and laboured by what meanes they could to auoide this office Doubtlesse mans flesh is fraile we are all weake and ful of infirmitie If this office require a strong man to beare the burthen of so great a trauell certainly it is altogether vnfitly cast vpon me I would haue wished rather rest for this my wearysh bodie full of diseases and as the Prophet speaketh almost worne away like a clowte If this office in respect of the hardnesse thereof of the great daungers incident into it and in consideration of mans vnablenesse to performe it haue made so many so loath to enter vpon a charge of such difficultie and daunger before God and the world what may I then thinke of my selfe From the bottom of my heart I confesse with S. Paul Minimus sum I am the least of the Apostles not woorthie to bee called an Apostle Wherefore as Moses was contented to take vpon him the charge and keeping of a fewe sheepe in Madian but beeing called to guide the great and mightie people of Israel aunswered Mitte quem missurus es Send whom thou wilt send So although considering the great want of labourers in the Church of Christ I were contented to vndertake the care and charge of a smal flock yet beeing called to this great this wise and riche people remembring my vnfitnesse thereunto I sawe no aunswere more conuenient for me than that of Moses before mentioned But God hath his secrete and vnsearchable working and I am as clay in the potters hand Si passeres non cadunt in terram absque prouidentia diuina fortuito fient Episcopi If sparrowes fall not on the grounde without the prouidence of the almightie are Bishops made at all aduenture saith S. Cyprian Here I see God hath placed mee by the hand of his chiefe minister with the aduise of her wise honourable counsellers and the choise of them to whom it apperteineth not without your great contentation and liking as I am giuen to vnderstand I haue therefore submitted my selfe and taken vpon me this heauie yoke as the searcher of all secrets will beare me record vnwillingly willingly In respect of my many imperfections my vnfitnesse to execute this great and weightie office in such sort as it ought to bee performed I receiue it vnwillingly but in regard of the calling which I am perswaded proceedeth from the determination of almightie God I willingly submit my selfe hereunto It is you it is you dearely beloued that haue drawne me hither Her Maiestie could spie nothing in me woorthie of this roome but your too much and on my part altogether vndeserued liking The Lord bee mercifull vnto mee and graunt mee his grace that in some measure I may aunswere your expectation 7 And now to the matter which I haue chosen to speake of at this present Wherein it shall not bee a thing vnnecessarie for your better vnderstanding somewhat to consider of the circumstances occasions wherepon the words which I haue red doe depend Christ hauing cured a poore sicke man which had beene eight and thirtie yeres diseased whom he found lying by the pond of Bethsaida desirous of remedie but lacking one to helpe him into the water where it was to be had the blinde Iewes because this was doone vpon the Sabaoth day found themselues much grieued and thereupon persecuted Iesus who after an Apologie made in defence of that holie action perceiuing their malice to be increased thereby rather than abated left them and went beyond the sea of Galilee Howbeit the multitude left not him but because they had seene the signes and woonders which hee wrought miraculously recouering the sicke and restoring them to perfect health therfore they flocked after him in great troups When Iesus therefore had lifted vp his eyes and sawe that a very great multitude came vnto him hee saith to Philip Whence shall we buie bread that these may eate 8 The first reason therefore why Christ forsooke Ierusalem and went beyond the sea of Galilee was to the ende hee might conuey himselfe from the tyrannie and persecution of the wicked So we reade in the Gospel according to S. Matthew that hearing howe his forerunner was beheaded he went aside tooke boate and retired into a solitarie place apart Whereby wee are giuen to vnderstand that if our liues be particularly sought wee may lawfully flee from the cruell and bloudie hands of our persecutors Christ foretelling his Disciples of the grieuous heauie entertainement which they should finde at the handes of the worlde giueth them this lesson Beware of men and withall this license When they shall persecute you in this Citie flie into an other Herein I neede not much to perswade fraile and fearefull flesh is euer readie to flie perill But what scripture those wen can alleage for themselues that flie not for the Gospel but from the Gospell that flie before they be persecuted or their bloud sought as yet I cannot learne Belike they feare least they should bee repayed with their owne measure No our Gospel is a doctrine of mercie and not of malice they which syncerely professe it are full of clemencie and altogether ruled by pietie our Church consisteth of milde sheepe and not of cruel woolues the popish Church is the wooluish and bloudie Church we seeke reformation and not destruction knowing that Christian hearts are to be perswaded by the Scriptures and not by fire and fagot to be inforced Yet doe I not meane by this speeche but that the obstinate the resisters and disturbers of religion the false prophets and deceiuers of the people may be lawfully cut off the sword may lawfully be drawne against such as are manifest traitors vnto the trueth and to the state But this is not the matter whereof they stande in feare It is not outward daunger but inwarde terror for which they flie Fugit impius nemine persequente the wicked man flyeth when no man pursueth him he trembleth where nothing is to be feared the wagging of a leafe doeth make him shake because his heart is euill 9 Another cause why Christ went aside into the wildernesse may seeme to haue beene a desire of taking some rest after the great and manifold trauels that hee and his Disciples had susteined as appeareth by the woords which he spake to his disciples