A Sermon teaching discretion in matters of religion and touching certayne abuses nowe in the Churche Preached at Paules Crosse the 21. of Nouember by Robert Temple Bachelor in Diuinitie sometimes of Magdalene Colledge in Oxforde Bern. Cant serm 49. Quo zelus feruidior ac vehementior spiritus profusiorque charitas eo vigilantiori opus est scientia quae zelum supprimat spiritum temperet ordinet charitatem Imprinted at London by R. B. for Edward Aggas 1592. To the right Reuerende father in god Iohn by Gods permission Bishop of London my speciall good Lord all humble dutye acknowledged ACcording to youre Lo. pleasure right reuerende Father I haue copied out this Sermon and let it go to the presse remouing at length though with much a do a common reason that diswades verie many and did for a time discourage my selfe I meane the peruerse cauillatioÌ„ of such as call into question other mens labours a greate deale busier to finde a fault then do any good as in deede it is easier to reprehende then iudge arighte and mislike then do the like I am so farre I protest from selfe loue or lyking that I am still affrayde least some thinge of other bee committed whiche being sette out abroade can not bee called in againe Manie may flatter themselues in a fonde conceite of there owne doings and delight in the fauorable iudgemente of their friendes but they shall finde it farre otherwise when there workes come once to a vulgar protractation I most humblie beseech your Lo. to defend with your accustomed fauour my vnworthye labour and earnestlye praye my Bretheren in the Ministrie to laie aside all former conceaued opinion againste the matter and hartely desire euerie good reader besides to construe euerie thing with a conscience as I for his sake in euery point haue spoken my conscience At your L. Mannor house at Fulham Aprill 22. 1592. Your L. in all humble dutie Robert Temple Text 1 Cor. 14. vers 1. Follow after loue and couet spirituall giftes rather that ye may prophesie THE Apostle hauing handled before at large the manifolde giftes of the spirite and treating theruppon of loue the excellent waye of all giftes purposing to handle prophesie the worthyest gifte of all hee seemeth to make his entraunce by conclusion of all hee spake of before and bids the Corinthians a Gods name to couet spirituall gifts but with all to followe loue and rather that they maye prophesie Dâ—uision Before I come to speake of two principall points herein considered first loue the moderation of all giftes secondly prophesie the excellent gifte of all Wee are generally to obserue the onely matter and worke of all giftes â—l 68.18 â—os 4.8 Christ ascending vp on high led captiuity captiue gaue gifts vnto meÌ„ the same vnto euery one of vs by grace according to the measure of the gift of christ and to this end the repayring of the Sainctes the worke of the ministery the edificatioÌ„ of the bodie of Christ â—hat gifts â—e By gifts are ment operations faculties bestowed diuersly peculiarlye to profit the church withall VVhy called â—irituall â—fies Author of all â—fies They be called spirituall gifts First for authoritie secondlie for office The Authour of all gifts is the spirite of God For there are diuersities of giftes but the same spirit and there are diuersities of administrations but the same Lord â— Cor. 12.4 there are diuersities of operations but God is the same that worketh all in all 4.5.6.8 So that all kinde of gifts and callings as prophesies teaching exhortation the word of wisdome the worde of knowledge fayth Rom. 12.6 healing great workes discerning of spirits diuersities of tongues Apostles Prophets Euangelists Pastors Teachers one and the selfe same spirite worketh distributing to euery man seuerally as he will Ambrose saythe Vnum flumen Ambros spi sanct Gratian. lib 1. cap. 2â— sed multi donorum spiritualium meatus hoc flumen exit de fonte vitae Many riuers but one flood from which they doe all issue Math. 28.1 this commeth out of the fountaine of life For whiche cause the holy spiryt albeit properly the thirde person in trinitye and Effector of all giftes is taken for the gift of God Act. 19.20 as appeareth in the question of St. Paule to certaine disciples at Ephesus haue ye receaued the holy ghost since yee beleued Meaning whither the graces of the spirit were giuen to Christes disciples Austen saith somewhat confusedly Aug. Lau. Enchirid. Cap. 37. as it may seeme yet truely Et vtique spiritus sanctus dei donum est quod quidem et ipsum est equale donanti And verelie the holy ghost is the gift of God the which in very deede is equall to the giuer discerning the spirits by a double notion as the authour of all gifts spirituall and so it is not the gift of God but God himselfe essentially equall to the father and the sonne and againe for the verye giftes themselues as either they were bestowed vpoÌ„ the Apostles in the daye of Pentecost or as the faythfull haue the holye Spirite promised Collos 3.1 Act. 3.24 Christ then is come and gone hee sittes at his Fathers right hand the Heauens conteynes him vntill the restitution of all thinges Heb. 7.25 he is our Aduocate with the father and liueth for euer making intercession for vs without coÌ„trouersie great is the misterie of Godlynesse which is â— Tim. 3.16 God is manifested in the flesh iustified in the spirit seene of Angels preached vnto the Gentils beleued on in the world and receaued vp in glory But now the maister and Commissarie of the faculties in his absence is his spirite For as he deserued grace for vs by his death triumphed ouer death by his resurrection sits at his fathers right hand by his ascention So hee hath left the spirit obtayning and bestowing all requisite and necessarie graces for his Church The spirite is Christes vicegerent and President of his church the church being like vnto a Schoole wherein the holye ghost teacheth the faythfull all godlynesse Rom. 10.4 Christ is the ende of the lawe for righteousnes sake vnto euery one that beleueth and nowe throughe the spirite wee wayte for the hope of righteousnes through fayth Galat. 5.5 Math. 5.17 He is the fulfiller of the Lawe and the Prophets for hee came not to destroy them Chrisostom adorand spiâ— Galat. 3 2â— Esay 54.13 Ioh. 6.45 Ioh. 14.26 but to fullfill them And so is the spirite the fullfilling of the gospel The lawe was our scholemayster to bringe vs to Christ that wee mighte bee made righteous throughe fayth now wee are all taught of God as the holye ghost sent by the father in Christes name teacheth vs all things and bringes all things into our remembraunce Ioh. 1.12 as hee hathe told vs. As manie as receiued him to them he gaue a prerogatiue to be
the sonnes of god Galat 4.6 and now hath god sent foorth the spirite of his sonne whiche cryeth Abba father Rom. 8.16 and the same spirite witnesseth with our spirite that wee are the Children of God Likewise they bee called gifts spirituall for the office â—ffice of these â—iftes either in respect of the matter for it is the wisedome of God in a misterie â— Cor. 2.6 â—phe 3.8 euen the hid wisedome which God determined before the worlde vnto our glory a grace giueÌ„ to preach the vnsearchable riches of Christ â— Pet. 1.12 a gospel sent downe by the holye Ghoste from Heauen the which the Angels desire to beholde or of the successe and fruite â— Cor. 4.20 Thes 1.5 â— Thes 2.15 for the kingdome of God is not in word but in power neither is the gospell in word onely but in power of the holye ghost to bee receaued not as the word of men but as it is in deede the worde of God which worketh in them that beleue Paule may plant â— Cor. 3.7 Apollos water but God muste giue the increase whosoeuer is anye thing he must saye with St. Paule by the grace of God I am that I am 1. Cor. 15.10 therefore a woorke impossible for man to performe without worthy graces of the holye ghost If wee doe consider the mutuall edification of the Church the matter is indifferent without anie respect at all Gal. 3.26 28 for wee are all the sonnes of God by fayth in Christ Iesus all one in him Abrahams seede and heires by promise a chosen generation a royall priesthood 1. Pet. 2.9 an holy nation a people set at libertie to shewe foorth the vertue of him that hath called vs out of darkenes into a wonderfull light Reue. 1.5 in him that loued vs and washed vs from our sinnes in his blood we are made Kinges and Priestes vnto God euen the Father But if wee doe marke the ordinarye gouernment of the Churche there is verie great ods Act. 20.28 For the holie ghost choseth out some from amongest the rest to the Bishopricke of the flocke and superintendence of the Church Heb. 13.17 1. Thes 5.13 To be obeyed as ouerseers because they watche and must giue accoumpt for soules to be had in looue for the woorkes sake labouring among the people and being ouer them in the Lord. And as there are giftes of the spirite common to the faithfull loue ioy peace Galat. 5.22 long suffering gentlenes goodnes fayth meekenes temperancy against which there is no law So these giftes whereof the Apostle speaketh we haue named them a litle before in the beginning Prophesie Teaching Rom. 12.6 Exhortation and the like are giftes of a seuerall and peculiar function 1. Cor. 12.8.28 But as with this community of giftes vnto all the faythfull there is a discretion and order in the Churche for ornament So giftes are alwaies ioyned with these offices for edifica-of the Church and both for increase of faith and knoweledge by vnitie in Christ The spirite of grace which alwaies from the beginning discerneth the elect from the numerositie of the rest refused and disanulled euermore furnisheth such as be called to this order of office in the Church with dignitie and sufficiencie of giftes When Christe called foorth his Apostles to preach hee sent them with giftes saying the kingdome of GOD is at hande heale the Sicke cleanse the Leapers rayse vp the deade you haue freelie receaued Math. 10.6.8.20 giue freely it is not you that speake but the spirit of your father which speaketh in you Act. 2.4 and in the daye of Pentecost they were all filled with the holy ghost began to speake with other tongues as the spirite gaue them vtteraunce And the seuen men whom the Apostles did chuse to the office of the Deaconship were full of the holie ghost Act. 6.3.5.8 and of wisedome and faythe and so knowne before they layde their handes on them and Steuen full of faythe and power aboue the rest and of manye miracles among the people so that a number of them of the Synagogues disputing with him were not able to resist the wisedome and the spirite where with he spake TertulliaÌ„ saith Tertul exbo ad castit aleadging the reason of the Apostles words 1. Cor. 7.40 I thinke also I haue the spirite of God idcircò hoc dixit vt sibi Apostoli fastigium redderet Therefore hee sayde so to shewe the authoritie of an Apostle Spiritum quidem Dei etiam fideles habent sed non omnes fideles sunt Apostoli propriè enim Apostoli spiritum sanctum habent qui plenè habent in operibus Prophetiae efficatiam virtutis atque documentorum linguam non quasi ex parte quod ceteri Truelie the faythfull haue also the spirite of God but all that bee faythfull bee not Apostles for the Apostles haue the holy ghost properlie insomuch as they haue in their Prophesie an effectuall working of power and vtteraunce of doctrine and that aboundantlye not as it were in part like other Not then the vocation to the seuerall office but measure of gifts necessarie to their offices not the worthynesse of such as be called The first part Loue the rule of all giftes Nowe the Corinthians replenished very gratiouslie with all these giftes yet conuerting them not as they ought to the glorie of God and edifying one of an other but to osteÌ„tation and contention among themselues St. Paule aloweth their aemulation of giftes but withall settes downe a moderation by looue for loue disposeth euerie woorke vnto a perfection The principall ende of all actions is the glorye of God for whatsoeuer wee doe 1. Cor. 10.31 wee must do all to the glorie of God but the way to bring vs to this ende is loue all thinges diuine and ayme at loue for the ende of the commaundement is looue oute of a pure hart and a good conscience and of fayth vnfayned 1. Tim. 1.5 This the Apostle prooues verye largely naming it a more excellent way of the best gifts that although a man do speak with the tongues of men and Angells and haue not loue 1. Cor. 12.31 1. Cor. 13.12 hee is like a sounding brasse and a tinckling Cymball And although hee had the gift of Prophesie and knewe all secrets and all knowledge yea if hee had all fayth so that hee coulde remooue mountaines and had no loue hee were nothing And though hee fedde the poore withall his goodes and though hee gaue his bodie to be burned haue no loue it profiteth nothing So againe to the same purpose hee willes the Ephesians to followe the truth in loue Ephes 4.13.16 and in all thinges to growe vp vnto him which is the head which is Christ by whom all the bodye being coupled knit togither by euery ioynt for the furniture thereof according to the effectuall power which is
gift greater Math. 3.15 When Iohn earnestly put Christ backe saying I haue neede to be baptised of thee and comest thou vnto mee Hee made him this answere Let bee nowe for thus it becommeth vs to fulfill all righteousenes teaching vs that perfect righteousnes hath alwayes godlie humblenesse 1. Co. 13.2.3 When the Apostle sheweth the corruption of manie gifts if charitie be away hee saith all secreats all knowledge all fayth all goodes to signifie that all is nothing where is enuie and emulatioÌ„ two verie contraries vnto loue Teale without discretioÌ„ An other mischife we spake of is zeale without discretion for where the spirit enableth a maÌ„ with notable giftes zeale for the most part coÌ„sumeth eateth him vp Psal 69.9 that verie seldome is that rule of the Apostle performed spiritu feruentes feruent in spirite But rather that wherewith the Apostle findeth fault Rom. 10.21 zelum dei habeÌ„t sed non ex scientia they haue the zeale of god but not accordinge to knowledge If zeale bee not gouerned it inclineth verye quickelie to vices Berna epist 89 Barnard writing to a freind of his allowing his zeale willeth him to haue a zeale but according to knowledge vt cautus sis maiora minoribus non impedire that saith he thou do beware thou hinder not greater matters for lesse For in matters of vehement and hote emulation we marre all if wee order not loue with discretion and zeale with loue Berna cant serm 20. Zelum tuuÌ„ inflammet charitas informet scientia firmet constantia Let loue kindle thy zeale knowledg instruct it stedfastnes settle it saith Bernard Wee maye verye well compare zeale to a fierce horse if he haue not a bridle a voice that is harsh if a man contend and straine it to hie an vnhappie childe if hee haue not a rodde and a flame of fire if it bee not quenched for so is zeale withoute loue and euen so is the zeale of manie for lacke of loue fierce contentions childishe the verye firebrand of the Church It is a godly thing to bee zealous yet a right zeale is according to knowledg â—m 10.2 it is better howsoeuer to haue a zeale althoughe without knoweledge then to haue no zeale at all â—ig reÌ„ 13. and yet better to haue neither zeale nor knowledge then haue no loue â—novation â—ough â—hisme The laste of all is innouation the verie handmaide of the other whiche bringeth in the corruption and abuse of Gods good giftes by Schisme a fault in the Corinthians as the Apostle telleth them that in all thinges being made rich in Christ in all kind of speaches Cor 15.7.10.12 all knowledge so that they were not destitute of any kind of gift yet they had contention among them euery one of them saying I am Paules I am Apollos I am Cephas and I am Christes as though Christ was deuided or Paule crucified for theÌ„ Such a fault is nowe a dayes among vs where manie vnlearned in this that things indifferent are tollerable that pollution commeth not by communion of sacraments but by consent of sinne doe thereupon sequester themselues from the publique Congregation of Christians to a priuate segregation of Schismatickes and so by discention bring into the Church as it were an infernall dissipation of the bodie and a verye hellishe perturbation of the members of Christ as though Iudah Greg. nazia orat 1. pacâ— and Israell did not belong to one principallytie nor Ierusalem and Samaria to one heauenly Ierusalem And Paule and Appollos and Cephas for whom and against whom all this same swelling is and Christ himselfe and all Christians are not all one Psal 26. â— Austen sayth conferring the place of Dauid I wash my hands in innocencie oh Lord and againe Lorde I haue loued the habitation of thy house Psal 27.4 and the place where thine honour dwelleth with the saying of sainct Paule 2. Tim. 2.20 In a good house are not onely vessels of golde and siluer but also of wood and of earth and some for honour and some for dishonour Aug. parm Epist lib. 3. cap. 4. Ideo quippe tollerabat nocentes non desereret innocentes cuÌ„ quibus lauabat manus quia diligebat speciem domus Domini quae species in vasis honoralibus fuit nec propter vasa que erant in contumeliam se a magna domo seperabat sed eos in vnitate vnius domus tolerabat a quibus se non imitando seruabat Dauid did therefore sayth hee let the wicked alone least he should goe from the godlye with whom hee did washe his handes for hee loued the beawtye of Gods house which beawtie was in vessels of honour neyther went hee asunder from the greate habitation because of the vessels of reproch but kept himselfe well enough from them not doing as they did whom hee suffred in one and the selfe same house These fellowes shoulde learne of Austen to loue the bewtye of Gods Church whiche is the honourable societie of the godlie howesoeuer mixed with the shamefull corruption of the wicked and not forsake the ornament of the one for the dishonour of the other seeking a fellowshipe of perfection in euery poynte whiche cannot be founde Num. 11. â— Moyses did wish that all the Lordes people coulde Prophesie that the Lord would put his spirite vpon them St. Paule did wish that all men were like himselfe in puritie and that all did speake straunge languages but rather that they prophesied 1. Cor. 7. 1. Cor. 14 Aug. secu Ioh. serm â— St. Augustin wisheth that all woulde remember loue and brings this reason Sola est enim quae et vincit omnia et sine qua nihil valent omnia et vbicunque fuerit trahit ad se omnia For only loue both ouercommeth all things and without loue all things are nothing worth wheresoeuer loue is it draweth al things vnto it Greg. Naâ— an parte oâ— 3. If anie of vs Christians be asked the question sayth Gregory Nazianzen what we worship Promptum est respondere quod charitatem veneremur The answere is ready wee worship charitye Wee had need crye out and writ no longer against false Catholiques sola fides Fayth onlie but againste false Protestantes sola Charitas loue only faction aboundeth loue abateth let fayth onelye iustifie but loue onely rectifie But let vs come nere the sore and touch the verie wound of the church I praie you with patience because I will vtter nothing but that euerye ones conscience shall by experience acknowledge true Gregorie Naziazen lamenting the desperate state of the church in his time through the intollerable furie â—reg NaziaÌ„ â—ist Nect â—iscop â—ctant and miserable affliction of the same reckneth vp many heretickes First those of Arrius or Eudoxius an insolent sect assembling theÌ„selues in priuate Churches as it were by lawefull permission Againe Macedonians whose factious contention
commitest thou idolatrie I meane sacriledge August saith of Iudas that he was fur sacrilegus noÌ„ qualiscunque fur fur loculorum sed dominicoruÌ„ loculoruÌ„ sed sacroruÌ„ fur sacreligus qui ausus fuerit vndecunque tollere hoc est de ecclesia tollere Qui aliquid de ecclesia furatur Iudae perdito comparatur A sacrilegious theife not a common theife that stole out of the lords coffers A sacrilegious theife that durst steale whersoeuer it was to be had euen out of the church Who so stealeth ought froÌ„ the church is like Iudas that child of perdition Greg. NaziaÌ„ â—ul arat 2. Gregorie Nazianzen nameth sacriledge to be impietatem auaritia cumulataÌ„ Euseb vita Constant lib. cap. 36. A hughe heape of vngodlie couetousnes In the daies of Constantine wheÌ„ any martyrs or confessors died or banished persoÌ„s hauing no kinred suruiuing to posses their inheritauÌ„ce it came to the church of that place if any of theÌ„ before named had giueÌ„ any of their possessioÌ„s to the church it was to remaine sure for euer to the church There be many that can find fault with our couetousnes but not with that couetousnes in theÌ„selues a huge heape of all impietie They can spie out Magus for simonie among vs but not Iudas for sacriledge amongst themselues they thinke the Church goodes which they posses to be their rightfull patrimonie and inheritaunce Psal 83.12 Bern. Epistol 42. which I see not how it maye be vnles they will say let vs take the sanctuarie of god for our possessions for in verie deed the church goods are poore mens possessioÌ„s not an inheritaunce for noble men and gentelmen But I feare me it will at lenth be the decaie of both our florishing Vniuersities where verie manye of rare giftes either betake themselues to an other calling abroad or abide close at their studie in the vniuersitie their giftes being hid froÌ„ the world because they see the reward of their labour taken away so that they cannot procure a liuing without corruptioÌ„ of conscieÌ„ce so vnsatiable in a number of you is your couetous sacriledge You will say vnto me we do not see but your selues of the cleargie are as faultie as we of the laity for we could not sell if ye did not buie naie manie will offer and that verie roundlie larglie out of their liuing to haue the dignitie title I cannot tell whether anie do so And I tiowe you speake not againste lawfull titles but ambition of them For otherwise I see not but they are lawfull in reuerend bishops so it bee as Barnard saith cant serm 33. Pro huiusmodi volunt esse sunt ecclesiaruÌ„ Praepositi DecaÌ„i Archidiaconi Episcopi Archiepiscopi For these like things speaking before of the voluptuouse pride in the Cleargie both they are and couet to bee ecclesiasticall Prelates Deanes Archdeacons Bishops Archbishops Nazianzen saith against the indignitie Greg. NaziaÌ„ â—n Maxius and ambition of such as Maximus who of a Cinicke philosopher so quicklie became a christian and sought by simony to translate the chaire to himselfe Vtinam nulla esset throni praerogatiua nec praelatio et violenta authoritas ac praeemineÌ„tia vt ex sola virtute cognosceremur I would god there were noe prerogatiue of throne nor praefermeÌ„t violent authoritie praeheminence that wee might bee knowne by vertue alone Howbeit the same auncient father approueth a superioritie and preferment of bishops so it come by degrees deserts as he speakes of Basill Greg. NaziaÌ„ in laudem Basilij who was first a reader of deuinitie then an elder afterwards placed in the bishops chaire deseruedlie And againe saith that Basill Ibidem had a principall care and indeuor antistitem obseruare meaning Eusebius and did possesse the gouernment of the Church though hee were seconde in honor of the Chayre to Eusebius I told you before I take no perticuler knowledg of ani such but if there bee anie such I am suer Ambrose durst not for his life deliuer the goods of the church For sayth hee they were giuen me to kepe them but not to passe them away The same father sayth of Auxentius the ArriaÌ„ Ambro. lib. 5. Epist orat in Auxent who tooke vpon him an other name to bee called Mercurius Vnum portentum est duo nomina mutauit vocabulum sed perfideam non mutauit exuit Lupum et induit Lupum One monster but two names he chaunged his title but not his treacherie he put a woolfe off and one verie cunninglie And so I say of euery such a one Call him Mercurius but hee is still Auxentius the AtriaÌ„ One monster though he haue diuers names he hath chaunged his title but not left his naughtines he can put a wolfes skine of on verie well Whither in the ende the feircenes of sacriledge in you simonie in vs will run god alone knoweth we may feare The inrode is made already into the church the incursioÌ„ will follow next vppon CoÌ„mnons afterwards the inuasion wil be to the scepter and seate of the Highest And then will these ouerrune the land confusion for estate of order in the common wealth barbarousnes for ciuilitie of conuersation amongst the people rebellion for obedience of lawes in subiects ignoraunce for artes of learning in the vniuersities Atheisme for religioÌ„ of God among christians But o Lorde in mercie turne away so feareful punishments from the land My conclusion is As god bestoweth diuers gifts of the spirit to the edefieng of his Church so wee beseech him by grace of the same spirite to make vs more painefull your selues more thankfull and all of vs more fruitfull that following the truth in loue euery meÌ„ber doing his part to builde vp the bodie wee may grow vp togither in him the heade of the same bodie Iesus Christ our Sauiour To whom with the father and the holy spirit be all prayse honor and glorie euermore Amen Manie things are amisse in the print for ortographie poynting quoting of places sence and true Laten Good Reader peruse it with â—ight iudgement