23 By this inbred corruption our vnderstanding is so darkened that naturally we cannot perceiue the things which are of God no we count them foolishnesse our will is in such thraldome and slauerie vnto sinne that it cannot like of any thing spirituall and heauenly but is wholly caried vnto fleshly desires 24 If therefore we perceiue the things that are of God and doe like of them if our hearts be enclined to doe his will because this cannot come of our selues our nature bending a cleane contrarie way we acknowledge most willingly and vnfeinedly The good we doe is his it is not ours our beginning to doe and our continuance in dooing well proceedeth onely and wholly from him If any man receiue the grace of God offered it is because God hath framed his heart thereto If any man come when God calleth it is because his grace which calleth draweth If being brought vnto Christ we continue in him we haue no other reason to yeeld of our dooing but onely this he hath linked vs and fastened vs vnto himselfe We neither rise when we are fallen nor stand when we are risen by our owne strength When we are in distresse we are of our selues so far from abilitie to helpe our selues that we are not able to craue helpe of him vnlesse his spirite wrest out Abba Father from vs. We cannot mone our owne case vnlesse he doe grone and sigh for vs we are not able to name Iesus vnlesse by the speciall grace of his spirite our mouthes be opened no we cannot of our selues so much as think of naming him if to thinke of naming him be a good thought 25 When against our naturall inclination to euill his spirite which worketh all in all hath so preuailed that wee now beginne to hate the workes of the flesh hauing an earnest desire to abounde in loue ioie peace long suffering gentlenesse goodnesse faith meekenesse temperaunce and all other fruites of the spirite yet by reason of the strength of that bodie of sinne which euer fighteth against the spirite our inward man is so weakened that we cannot do the things which we would and the things which we do euen the best of them are so farre beneath that perfection which the Lawe of God requireth that if he should rigorously examine them in iustice no fleshe could euer be accounted righteous in his sight The loathsomest things that can be imagined the cloathes that be most vncleane are not so foule as our very righteousnes is vnrighteous Wherupon we conclude that whatsoeuer wee receiue by way of reward at Gods hand either in this life or in the life to come wee receiue it as a thing freely giuen by him without any merite or desert of ours we doe not say in our hearts The Lord hath giuen vs these good things to possesse for our righteousnesse For seeing it is he which giueth both to will and to doe he crowneth in deede his owne worke when he rewardeth ours and he neuer rewardeth any worke of his owne wherein there is not somwhat of ours which he pardoneth 26 Thus being naked and vtterly destitute in our selues we seeke all things in Christ Iesus Him onely we acknowledge to be our wisedome our iustification our sanctification our redemption our priest our sacrifice our king our head our mediator our phisition our waie our trueth our life In our selues we finde nothing but pouertie and weakenesse praise and honour and glorie wee giue to him The onely marke we ayme at is to set vp his throne to aduaunce his kingdome to make it knowne that in him the Father hath layde vp all the treasures of heauen to the ende that vnto him the thirstie may repaire for water the hungrie for bread the naked for cloathes and wee all for all things needeful to the safetie of our soules and bodies 27 This is not the scope which the Church of Rome proposeth They direct all things to an other end How can ye beleeue saith Christ to the Iewes which receiue honour one of an other and seeke not that honour which commeth of God alone And howe can the faith of the Church of Rome be sound sith they hold such doctrines as tend wholly to their owne glorie their owne gaine and not to the praise and honour of God 28 That they seeke not his glorie but their owne it may appeare vnto any man which throughly considereth of their doctrine First they will not acknowledge that pouertie and nakednesse those filthie garments of corruption and sinne wherein Adam hath wrapped his posteritie But in the pride of their hearts they dissemble it diminish it and make light of it For although they denie not but that mans nature is corrupted yet marke how they paire and lessen this corruption The Prophet Dauid doeth terme it wickednesse and sinne but they make it onely an inclination vnto sinning The Lorde himselfe doeth witnesse that by it all the imaginations of the thoughts of mans heart are only euill they restraine it to the inferior part of the soule and make it onely a mother of some grosser desires The blessed Apostle prayed groned and wept against it as a thing which made him altogeher wearie of his life But after Baptisme they make no more account of those inward rebellious motions against the spirite than they doe of the beating of a mans pulse 29 And as they hide that weakenesse which indeede they haue so they boast of that strength which is not in them For being subiect vnto miserable bondage vnder sinne by reason of that corruption which hath spred it selfe ouer all flesh they bragge notwithstanding of the freedome of their wil as if sinne had not vtterly bereaued vs thereof but stil it were in vs to frame and fashion our owne hearts vnto good things For proofe whereof their maner is to make long discourses teaching that Gods foreknowledge doth not take away free will that men are not violently drawen to good or euill Which things we easily and willingly graunt neither doe we teache or euer did that the freedome of our wil is taken away by the eternall decree of his vnsearchable purpose but this we say and all that haue the trueth doe say the same that the will of man being free vnto naturall and ciuill actions hath of it selfe no freedome to desire things heauenly and spirituall not because the eternall purpose of God but because the corruption of our nature hath addicted vs only vnto euill We doe not teache or euer did that any man is the seruaunt either of sinne or of righteousnesie by constraint For whether we obey the one vnto death and condemnation or vnto life and saluation the other our obedience is alwayes voluntarie it is not wrested from vs against our wils But the question being how we are made willing vnto that which is good this is the difference betweene our aunswere and theirs We say onely by the grace of God
close by the altars from the presence of which he was exiled In the ende to shewe the happie case wherein they are to whom continuall and daily accesse to the house of the Lord is graunted he preferreth one day spent there before a thousand any other-where the meanest roome about the house of God before the highest throne in the pallaces of the wicked In another Psalme he so speaketh as if euery daies absence from that holie place were a thousand yeeres When shall I come to appeare before the presence of God As if he should haue said Shall I neuer Neuer shall I be so happie So the Israelites at such time as they were exiles in Babylon declared their earnest desires this way by their bitter teares Nehemias by his heauinesse in the presence of the king Christ by leauing his mother to present himselfe at holie exercises in the temple being but as yet of greene and tender age And with what zeale ioye and gladnesse the Disciples of Christ after the death of their master ioyned themselues together in priuate houses when by reason of the cruell persecution by the Priests they durst not shewe themselues abroade it appeareth both in the Euangelists and in the Acts of the Apostles Yea when afterward the spirite of God miraculously descending vpon them had increased both their zeale and courage they openly professed him whom before they worshipped in secrete places No feare no prohihition no threatning of higher powers was able to withholde them they spake they entred into the temple they taught daily and beeing persecuted were glad that God thought them woorthie to suffer for his sake who had died for theirs God according to his promise is euer present in his congregation Wheresoeuer two or three are assembled in his name he is with them yea what thing soeuer his Saints so assembled shall lawfully aske his promise is it shall bee giuen them 3 With what earnest desire deare brethren ought we then to stand in this place before the Lord beeing driuen from the tabernacle of God as Dauid persecuted as the blessed Apostles of Christ exiled as Israel cast out of the Churches wherein we were nurced and trained vp Howe thankefull ought we to be to our heauenly father who hath in so ample manner in the midst of our manifold distresses griefes caused the light of his countenance to shine in the faces of vs his poore afflicted seruaunts For althogh because we our princes our prophets our people haue grieuously sinned in not esteeming so preciously nor following so religiously his blessed Gospel as we ought to doe therefore he hath bereaued vs of our worldly prosperitie and brought these miseries vpon vs wherein we nowe are yet knowing that we are the sheepe of his pasture howsoeuer wee haue wandered and gone astray it hath pleased him in great aboundance of mercie so to temper the sharpenesse of his correction that we finde him still our present helper at hand and readie most to succour vs in our extreemest neede Could wee wish for more at the hands of God than beeing banished and constreined to forsake all the profites and comforts which we inioied at home in our natiue countrie here amongst aliens and strangers to finde a citie so safe to dwell in maintenance so competent for our needeful and reasonable sustentation such grace in the eies of the godly magistrates vnder whom we liue such fauour and respect to our hard estate such free libertie to come together to call vpon God in our common praiers to heare his word syncerely and truly preached in our owne natural tongue to the great and vnsearchable comfort of our soules finally all things so strangely and almost miraculously ministred and brought vnto our handes as doubtlesse we could neuer haue found heere if the Lorde himselfe had not gone before as it were to make readie to prouide for vs O what tokens of mercie special fauour hath our kind gratious father shewed vs in this our exile and distresse for his Gospell in these our sorowful and afflicted times Wee haue lost the sauing truth at home and found it abroade Our countrie-men are become our enemies and strangers are made our friends Being persecuted by our natiue rulers foraine magistrates haue shewed vs fauour In banishment wee haue a place to dwell in In anguish we abound with comfort And as the Apostle speaketh hauing nothing we are as possessing all things Therefore deare brethren hauing receiued these so great and rare graces at the mercifull hands of our good God I may iustly as one of your poore helpers in these holie labours vse the words of S. Paul which in the beginning I recited exhorting and beseeching you that yee receiue not this grace of God in vaine Be not an vnthankeful people neglect not the great benefite now offered vnto you approch with all reuerence and present your selues as humble petipetitioners before the Lord and careful seruants before our God For I say vnto you as Iacob saide in his iourney towardes Mesopotamia Verè Dominus est in loco isto Truly God is here euen present amongst vs. We doe clearely and plainely perceiue that our fathers and mothers our friends and familiars hauing forsaken vs he hath receiued vs as his dearest 4 Let vs nowe take a viewe of S. Pauls words which I haue propounded to intreate of In the entrance of which he professeth himselfe to bee our helper furthering vs and setting vs forwarde in the course of our saluation not onely by teaching the woord of reconcilement remission of sinnes free mercie in the death and through the merites of Christ crucified but also by most earnest and vehement exhortation beseeching vs woorthily to receiue this so freely offered grace and blessing Nowe as Paul was an helper and a moouer vnto godlinesse so no doubt we ought all to bee helpers euerie one to another according to our calling in distributing and communicating such gifts as we haue receiued at the bountiful hands of God Euerie one according to that of S. Peter as hee hath receiued grace himselfe so ministring it to another as good dispensers of the manifold graces of GOD. For he hath not deliuered vs our talents to bee wrapped vp hidden and buried in the earth We are stewards so to vse the riches of his grace as may bee most to the aduantage of his glorie amongst men 5 Vnto this our blessed Apostle exhorting setteth three especiall things before our eyes to be considered First hee putteth vs in remembrance of the great mercie of God towards vs whereof we are mooued not to shewe our selues vnwoorthie receiuers Secondly hee sheweth that this is the acceptable and onely accounted time wherein it must appeare whether wee receiue that grace in vaine or no Thirdly he teacheth wherein and howe wee must declare our selues so to haue receiued it as behooueth 6 Receiue not the grace of God in vaine I will
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
to spare such as attempted the ouerthrowe of true religion or made the people to bowe themselues vnto strange gods In such cases the verie heads and princes of the people escaped not his iust hands Hee did wisely consider that as it is a point of mercie to pardon priuate wrongs so not to punish publike transgressors against God and the state were great iniustice it beeing in doubt whether their deedes were more pestilent or their example if it were strengthened by impunitie would be more pernicious The scepter of thy kingdome saith the Prophet is a scepter of righteousnesse And he prooueth it thus For thou louest righteousnesse and hatest iniquitie Wilt thou knowe what is good and what the Lord requireth of thee Surely saith the Prophet to doe iustice and to loue mercie The song of Dauid had these two parts Mercie and Iudgement Princes are Gods lieuetenants his person they beare and his image they must resemble In him both these are ioined together I am the Lord which shewe mercie iudgement and righteousnesse on earth Mercie without iustice is not mercie but follie saith S. Chrysostome And againe Mercie is then rightly termed mercie if it be shewed so that iustice be not thereby brought into contempt And S. Augustine saith that As it is mercie sometimes to punish so sometimes to spare is crueltie Concerning our selues thus much I can say that if care bee not had thereof in time to keepe backe the rage of sinne by repressing sinners it wil be too late when the Land doth flowe with bloud to thinke vpon it Moses so loued the safetie of his people that hee cried Lord spare them or wipe me out of the booke of life To haue a gouernour like to Moses milde and mercifull yet not carelesse to be zealous in Gods cause nor vnmindefull in iustice to punish great transgressors is a great a rare blessing Which if our God haue bestowed vpon vs for vnto him wee must acknowledge it although in this place I passe it ouer because my desire is not to please but to teache neither did I euer vse flattering woords as ye know but if God haue beene mercifull to vs heerein the Lorde make vs thankefull for it 7 Together with Moses God gaue his people Aaron the Priest which gift he accounteth also as a great blessing Yet Aaron was a man though of great vertue not altogether without blemish We see how for feare of the people more than of God in the absence of Moses he plaied the milkesop erected an Idol and with his bodie wheresoeuer his heart was become either committed Idolatrie or at least permitted it perswaded hereunto as some suppose by Marie the sister of Moses We haue too many followers of the steps of Aaron in this weakenesse Howbeit vnto some God hath giuen a greater measure of strength courage some there are more bold and constant in Gods cause and their duetie some that will not bowe their knees to Baal that wil not displease God for the pleasuring of man some whose libertie and liues are not so deere vnto them but that they can be contented not onely to bee bound but also to die for the testimonie of Christ. Of this better sort although in comparison of the woorse the number be not so great as good yet I suppose that fewe Nations vnder heauen haue moe faithfull and able ministers than this Land hath Beg we at the hands of the Lord of the haruest to send moe pastors and fewer hyrelings moe labourers and fewer loyterers For in respect of the greatnesse of the haruest these workemen though they be many yet are but fewe When God doth giue his people good gouernours and wise teachers when he maketh their men to excell in wisedome their princes to be as Moses and their Priests as Aaron and besides all this raiseth vp women like to Marie amongst them powring out his spirite not onely vpon their sonnes but vpon their daughters also choosing out of them notwithstanding their weakenesse mightie instruments of his power surely a benefite so rare and pretious should winne mens hearts vnto God for euer 8 But the Prophet goeth forward and maketh mention of a third thing which is that God did turne the cursings of Balaam into blessings Remember what Balak King of Moab had deuised and what Balaam the sonne of Peor aunswered him from Shittim to Gilgall that ye may knowe the righteousnesse of the Lord. It fretted the heart of that prophane king Balak to beholde the flourishing prosperitie of Gods people to see Og the king of Bashan and Sihon king of the Amorites conquered and slaine by them This multitude saith he will licke vp all that are about vs as an oxe licketh vp the grasse of the fielde Wherefore mistrusting his owne strength hauing feene trial of theirs he deuised to hire Balaam the wisard to curse them and thought by that meane without all peraduenture to preuaile ouer them But ye knowe Balaams answeres the first How shall I curse where God hath not cursed the second God hath blessed and I cannot alter it the third How goodly are thy tents O Iacob and thine habitations O Israel As the valleies are they stretched foorth as gardens by the riuers side as the Aloe trees which the Lord hath planted and as the cedars beside the waters When hee sawe that God would not suffer his tongue to curse Israel though it were hyred hee gaue Balak this aduise to cause the daughters of Moab to steale away their hearts by carnall pleasure and so to allure them vnto the sacrifice of their gods that they forsaking the true God he might also forsake them This practise was a stumbling block in their way whilest they abode in Shittim they committed fornication they coupled themselues vnto Baal Peor and ate of things sacrificed vnto Idols and diuels Wherefore God plagued them and laid his heauie hand vpon them Howbeit he withdrewe not his mercie and kindenesse wholly from them but in Gilgal tooke away this their shame and sealed againe the couenant of reconciled loue So that as there was no curse which could take away his blessing so there was no counsell that could hinder his good purpose towards his people Yee are not ignoraunt how the Balamite of Rome hath cursed vs our prince our prophets and our people euen as the Philistim cursed Dauid by his gods But we haue found the promise of Christ most true Blessed are yee when they shall reuile you Our God hath turned all his curses into blessings his name be blessed for it The Pope that Balaam hath bitterly cursed the ground whereon we goe and the whole Land wherein wee liue But hath there growen a brier or a thorne the more vpon it for all that mans curse Hee that shall surueie it and viewe it well and marke the plentifulnesse of these latter yeeres must needes confesse that God hath bestowed vpon
and resoluing of the moone into bloude Heereby it commeth to passe that shee which looketh as the morning and is faire like the moone chaungeth hir outwarde shape and figure and appeareth in the eyes of them that beholde hir like a garment dyed in bloud By this wee see what the spouse of Christ is to looke for in this worlde Wilt thou be of the number of them that liue godlie prepare thy selfe to suffer All that will liue godlie in Christ must doe it it is their portion If he were persecuted why should we be spared if he despised why wee well reputed of Let vs not therefore be dismayed though we see the Church of God in heauie case Let hir fooes debace and oppresse hir for a while hir king shall at length deliuer hir and crowne hir with eternall glorie Shee was neuer I thinke in greater distresse the enemie neuer more cruellie bent Christ in his members neuer more bloudilie crucified then euen in these our dayes as well by enemies as by false and bastarde brethren who pretending the ayde and succour of the Church practise nothing but theft and robberie Shee is both wounded by hir aduersaries and spoyled euen by hir owne children the one haue made hir bloudie and the other beggerly Howebeit as the Arke of Noe was tossed vppon the waters but could not be drowned the Lorde susteyning it with his mightie hande so the Church in the ende shall haue a glorious triumph ouer all the enemies of GOD hell gates may striue they can not preuaile in suffering shee shall conquere and when by persecution she is made most blacke then is shee in trueth most beautifull I am blacke O daughters of Ierusalem sayeth the spouse blacke but comely Through ignominie shee commeth vnto glorie by tribulation to a kingdome by the crosse to ioye and by death to immortall and euerlasting life The death of the saintes of God is precious their sufferingeâ—â—re honorable in his sight for whom they suffer nay they are profitable euen vnto them it behooueth the moone to be turned into bloud Hir restauration shalbe much more glorious 23 It followeth that the starres also shall fall from heauen Vnto starres wee may verie well compare teachers pastours and guides the brightnesse of whose doctrine and conuersation shoulde giue light to such as liue in this worldes mistie darkenesse Iohn Baptist was called Lucerna lucens ardens a candle which doeth both shine and burne They which are as starres vnto others heere shall heereafter shine as the brightnesse of the firmament and as the starres of heauen for euermore But these daungerous dayes haue made manie of these starres to fall from the firmament of heauenlie doctrine to the dregges and dreames of mans learning And one starre falleth not commonly alone Lucifer drewe a traine of others after him The starre which falleth to the earth becommeth earthly looseth the light which it had and like a brande which is smoothered spendeth and wasteth it selfe to nothing He that hath beene once illuminated like a starre and receiued the heauenly gift and beene partaker of Gods holie spirite and hath tasted of the good woorde of GOD and of the powers of the worlde to come if hee fall at anie time away hardely or neuer doeth hee rise againe Dreadfull examples heereof there are both auncient and late as Iudas Iulian Arius Franciscus Spira Staphilus Baldwin and such like Whose fearefull endes it were to be wished that they which followe their declining steppes did well consider For touching our owne countreymen and brethren according to the fleshe the greatest withstanders of the trueth at this day are such as haue beene eyther preachers or earnest professors of that which nowe they hate so deadlie and by impugning so fiercely persecute They are fallen from heauen to earth Christ they haue forsaken and betaken them selues to the man of sinne Christes aduersarie they embrace darkenesse in steede of light errour in place of sounde doctrine damnable heresie for the pure and sauing trueth Had it not beene better that these Apostataes had neuer knowen this blessed way than knowing it so traiterouslie and so damnablie to shrinke from it But to leaue them to their desperate resolution others there are that stande in doctrine but fall in life and manners whose conuersation is not in heauen but altogether vppon the earth beeing worldly minded not like starres of light but like cloudes of darkenesse teaching others and not themselues that say and doe not They are wholie bewitcht with loue of this present base worlde themselues they seeke and would to God they sought themselues aright but they seeke not Christ without whom themselues are lost This is the great scandall of the worlde at this day woe vnto them by whom it commeth Well by that which hitherto hath beene spoken we see how Christ the sonne of righteousnesse the brightnesse of his father is obscured as well by false doctrine as by wicked conuersation howe the moone the Church is made blacke and bloudie by cruell persecution howe the starres the teachers and doctors of the Church are fallen both by heresie from heauenlie doctrine and by dissolute behauiour from the shining brightnesse of a sanctified and celestiall life 24 The same wordes might giue me occasion to touch sondrie other kindes both of persons and thinges I might shewe how the spirituall dignitie of the pastor who should bee as the sunne in the eyes of men is darkned and obscured by contempt how the ciuill authoritie of the magistrate which ought to shew it selfe in exercising iust and lawfull power vpon the woorkes of darknes and so to beare rule as it were in the night being in this age in manie places vsed as a sword to slay the innocent and well meaning man and as a sheild to defend and strenthen sinne hath so cleane lost that glorious light of iustice that it seemeth euen chaunged into blood thirdlie howe the people which are in number as the starres be in nature and disposition so farre remooued from heauen that the verie naming of thinges aboue as of thinges which doe not concerne them is become euen tedious and odious vnto them Againe I mightshewe you howe faith which as the sunne giueth light to other vertues is it selfe dimmed howe the auncient vertues which haue beene in high and honourable callinges haue left their place and are not founde they are fallen like starres from heauen Charitie beeing vnto other vertues as the moone in comparison of the rest of the starres is also chaunged hir sweete and amiable nature is conuerted into more than sauage barbaritie tender hearted men are become bloudie minded euerie man hunteth after his brother as after a pray each degree is maliced and hated of other the Cleargie of the laytie the sheaphearde of the sheepe the rich of the poore yea the man of the wife the parentes of the children the maister of the seruauntes all men of some and some almost of
Christ. S. Paul speaketh to the elect of God who doubtlesse will at length awake As for the reprobate they still shal sleepe on in their errours and sinnes vnto their eternall death and confusion But arise Ierusalem and be thou enlightned arise Ierusalem from death to life frō errour to truth from darkenesse to light from Antichrist to Christ who by his holy spirite will illuminate thee that thou mayst knowe God the father and him whom he hath sent Iesus Christ and that is the only way to euerlasting life Plinie reproouing our drowsinesse sayeth that sleepe doth steale away the halfe of our life But this sleepe wherof we speake stealeth away the whole life of the greatest part of men Dauid himselfe lay slumbering in the filthy sleepe of whoredome a whole yeare at the least and could not awake vntill Nathan blewe in his eare and stirred him But Dauids sleepe was but a nappe in comparison of such as are so hard and fast a sleepe that they will neuer stirre vntill fire out of heauen flee about their eares to waken them So were the Sodomites wakened and consumed Awake therefore and when ye are wakened then watch 13 Watch that ye be not deceiued by false prophetes who watch to deceiue you teach otherwise thā Christ hath taught The diuell is a subtill perswader of men he is a lying spirite in the mouth of his prophets his ministers workmen are craftie companions such as creepe into houses and leade away the simple as captiues with them A man of a watchfull eye shall knowe these wolues by two properties First they are rauenous cruel bloudy they will persecute and kill they will be as Caine not as Abell as Ismaell and not as Isaak as Esau not as Iacob as Pharao and not as Moses as Caiaphas and not as Peter The seconde note is that which Chrysostome mentioneth Who so in blasphemie yelleth and howleth with a foule and open mouth against the trueth he is a wolfe Such they were of whom the prophet speaketh in the psalme saying They set their mouth against heauen 14 All must watch that they be not themselues deceiued by these deceitfull wolues when they put on sheepes clothing But God giueth charge to such as be the pastors of his people to be watchfull also ouer others not only carefully to feede them as his flocke deerely redeemed in good wholsome pastures but also to driue chase away the wolues least Gods sheepe be deuoured by thē And this pastoral office doth not only pertain vnto priests prechers but also vnto princes tēporal gouerners whō God hath placed in authority to y t end y t they shold promote his glory For the which cause God calleth Cyrus the king his shephard Vigilate watch the wolfe to driue him away watch the flock to fede it 15 Let euerie one be watchfull ouer his life that his conuersation be according to his profession If we walke disorderly we shal not walke alone our example wil draw others after it their sins we shall answere for Lucifer fell not alone he drew cōpany from heauen with him Ieroboam being sinfull made Israell to sin And he is burnt in the hand with that marke of horror for a warning to al succeeding ages Ieroboā the son of Nebat that made Israel to sin Let vs beware that we play not Simeon Leui so make our father Iacob to be loathed of the Cananites We professe Christ true Christianitie Let vs not through our lewd life be a slander to our sauiour and a shame to his gospel Watch therefore But because as S. Paul sayth neither planting nor watering will helpe except God himself do giue encrease because our watching as the prophet witnesseth is in vaine neither can sobrietie and heedefulnes serue to keepe a citie except the Lorde himselfe doe keepe it let vs craue help at Gods mercifull hands let vs pray as wel as watch When S. Paul hath armed Gods souldier he biddeth him pray Man be he neuer so well appointed for defence neuer so stronge and perfit cannot stande without Gods strength He that looketh but a litle into the worlde shall espie iust cause to moue vs to prayer if anie men now if euer The greate diuell in these our later dayes is let loose Antichrist rageth and seeketh our confusion The wicked glistering world maruelously deceiueth bewitcheth The flesh raigneth and beareth swinge The spirite is faint sinne ouerfloweth Christ is comming in the cloudes to call vs vnto iudgement Therefore be ye sober watch pray Pray I say not in shewe but in deede not in appearance but from the heart not for fashion but in earnest Babble not in wordes like hypocrites but powre out thy heart before God as did Hanna And God graunt for his Christ our Iesus sake that in fayth and loue wee may lift vp pure hands sincere affections hartie grones vnto our Lorde that we may ouercome our many dreadfull enemies purchase pardon and glorifie God Let vs with Dauid with whom we haue sinned pray for mercy Let vs with the disciples of Christ with whom we haue wauered pray for the encrease of our faith because the ende of all thinges is nowe at hande 16 It followeth Haue feruent charity amongst your selues This cōcerneth our dutie towardes men as y ◠other did towards God All our dutie towards our neighbour consisteth in loue He that loueth another hath fulfilled the lawe Iohn the beloued disciple of Christ was the preacher of loue it was euer in his mouth as it is in his writings in so much that lying vpon his death bed his disciples requesting to haue one lessō frō him before his departure he was able to deuise no one thing more needful to be spokē of then this which he had oftē said Loue one another my litle childrē Peter would haue our loue to be earnest hote Euery one loueth himself very vehemently but our loue towards others is very cold chill Our loue for the most part this way is in word in phraise but not in deede in truth This world is dubble harted dissēbling is made a trade to liue by There be many Labans but fewe Iacobs Many that salute say Aue but their next word is Apprehendite If Christ came nowe he were like to finde litle faith but lesse charity yet without charity al that we do is vaine yea it is very sin Let vs therfore loue as God hath loued vs he loued vs not slenderly when he tooke so bitter a death for vs. A God for his enemies See therfore that ye haue vehement sincere hearty loue among your selues not contenting your selues barely to haue it in shewe vnlesse yee shewe it by these effectes which Saint Peter in this place setteth down Vehement loue heere spoken of is described by these properties First it couereth y e multitude of