⧠A FRVITful sermon preached at Occham in the Countie of Rutland the second of Nouember 1583. By Thomas Gybson PROVERB 29. 8. ¶ VVhere there is no Vision the people decay GOD IS MY HELPER AT LONDON Printed by Robert Walde-graue dwelling without Temple-Barre 1584. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE Lorde FRAVNCES Earle of BEDFORD and one of her Maiesties most honourable priuy Councell Knight of the Noble order of the Garter VVith the right honorable Sir VVALTER MILDMAY knight Chancellour of the Queenes Maiesties Court of Exchequer and one of her highnesse most honourable priuy Counsell Grace Mercy and peace be multiplied from God our heauenly father and from our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christe THE blessed holye Euangelist Saint Luke Right Honorable penning and publishing the Heauenlye story and blessed Gospell of Iesus Christ doth also dedicate the same to one Theophilus a Noble and famous man of singular credit and authority The reason and cause that mooued him thereto is because in those times the purenesse of the Gospell was hindred and persecuted whereby manye erroures began to be spreade and allowed and therefore in great Wisdom it pleased the holy Ghost not onely to wryte a faithfull sure and perfect storye but also to offer and present the custodye and defence of the same to one of Religion and povver The verye same cause partly hath mooued mee at this time to be so bolde as to offer and Dedicate this poore and simple testimonie of my trauaile to your Honours For although I doe confesse vve lyue vnder a Gracious Prince whome the Lorde long continue to his glorye to the shame and confusion of his enemies and to the dayly profit of his Church although I say we liue in so peaceable happy and gratious a time vnder the florishing state of the Gospell yet truely the dearest Children of God and the sinceritie of religion is subiect to bitter persecution These wordes at the first maye seeme very greeuous hard and haynous and yet they are most certaine true The holy Apostle S. Paule writing to the Galatians 4 29. speaketh on this maner As he that was borne after the fleshe persecuted him that was borne after the spirite euen so is it now he speaketh of Ismaell and Isaac and yet we doe not reade in the scripture of any persecution betweene them neither did Ismael persecute his brother Isaac with hande or swoorde but that which is worse proudly arrogantly he raised himselfe againste him mocking him and as it were treading vnder feete the promise of God And this dealing by the Apostle is called a persecution in deede there is not any persecution more greeuous to the Children of God then this Now who doth not dayly see that the best Christians and the purenesse of religion are greatly persecuted by Papistes Atheistes and Hipocrites as Isaac was by his Brother Ismaell And of all matters of religion I thinke there is scarce anye in these dayes more generally hated of such kind of men then that which is most altogether almost only hand led in this simple SermoÌ„ For these such like men many of them can bee content vvith a common ordinarye profession to heare Mattins and Euensong and sometimes a Sermon by such men as they like off but that there should be any continuall course of the pure preaching of the worde of God they can in no wise allowe or like of This I say is hated reiected and persecuted so farre as may bee of the greater sorte and therefore not without cause haue I atteÌ„pted to dedicate this my labor to your honors as special patrons defendors of the Lords cause and tried Friends and fauorers of God and his truth But yet this attempt may seeme very rash and needles For who am I that I shoulde take vppon mee to set foorth and to publish any thing The vnworthiest I confesse of many hundreths and the vnablest of many thousands and yet seeing many things more simple lesse needefull and profitable are not only suffered but alowed to come abroad I am not altogether discouraged neither hath anye man iuste cause to accuse me in this my simple enterprise I know these be dayes of knowledge learning there be greate stoore of famous and learned diuines in our land whom I beseech the Lorde to blesse that they may assist their weake brethren in the defence of this and such good causes and yet the two mites of the poore widow cast into the tresury amongest the great giftes of the wealthy are not to be refused I know your Honours be dayly hearers of famous and learned men both in your houses and abroad you are acquainted with the sermons of profound deepe diuines and such as are mighty in the scriptures notwithstanding hauing in my selfe sufficient trial experience of your honors most curteous humble fauorable dealing towards me and also of some liking of my simple and poore trauelles in preaching heretofore I am not ashamed or afrayd after such triall and proofe to offer this so small and simple a thing vnto your honours The great necessitye of the matter I deale withall the care of Gods glory the zeal of his house the benefit that his church may haue by it hath especially mooued me that it should be published come abroade Let not therefore hypocrites bee too rashe in iudging the Lorde the searcher of the hearts and reynes knoweth my purpose and affection in preaching and publishing this matter The cause that hath moued me to present it to your Honors rather then to other is the loÌ„g proof and acquaintance of your honourable courtesies and friendly good-will towards me which for my part I am neuer able to requite for the which I thinke my selfe as long as breath is in me most bounde and indebted to your Honours And here I offer this poore fruite of my trauaile as some testimony of goodwill and thankfulnesse And whereas we are wont commonly to offer and present to our dearest friendes some gyftes as tokens of good will or else of speciall duety Amongst many great and prescious presentes which are no doubt giuen and presented to your honours I also offer this simple mite and yet I hope more pleasant and acceptable to the receiuers then thousands of gold or siluer or any earthly thing whatsoeuer And in deede can there be any matter more sweete and pleasaunt to the cheefe Patrons and defenders of the Godly preachers the worde of God then to heare of the necessitie profite and excellencye of preaching which things are set foorth plainely largely in this little sermon For howsoeuer manye men hate abhorre this matter and can in no case disgest it yet your honors zeale câ—â—rage liking good will and countenance to this and other good causes is comonly known and spread abroad A further reason why I publishe this Sermon is because there is some matter in it for the which I haue beene in the country where I dwel openly
slaundered and euill spoken off and therefore to cleare my selfe from such false reports to satisfie my friends which are ready to answere in my cause to let the enemies knowe I haue spoken nothing wherof I am ashamed but dare put it to the witnessing and testimonie of the Christian reader and also to resolue morefully the weaker sort in such thinges as at the first seeme strange and absurde For these and such like causes I saye I am content and willing that this my trauell come to light although the whole or most part of this Sermon is vnsauorie vnpleasaunt to the greater sort and specially to the ignorant people to the hipocrite to the idol or dumb minister yet this is that which chiefly misliketh and greeueth them because both in the place where I preached this Sermon and also else where I sayd affirmed that the minister which preacheth not and hath not those giftes which the lord requireth in his Ministers that such a one is no Minister approoued of GOD neyther hathe any right and authoritie from the Lorde to minister his Sacramentes Which matter hovve straunge and absurde soeuer it seeme to ignoraunte and carnall men yet I hope it is heere sufficiently confirmed by authoritye and examples of the holy Scripture I coulde alleadge further the allowaunce and iudgement of moste famous and pure Diuines and such as are generally receiued and allowed of all true Christians Master IOHN CALVIN aboute the latter ende of his Catechisme which is allowed by her Maiesties authority saythe in playne wordes that the ministration of the Sacramentes belongeth to them who haue the charge to preache openlye in the Church For the preaching of Gods word and the ministration of the Sacraments be things ioyntly belonging to one kind of office these be his very words which are as plaine as may be M. Rodolphus Gualter in his 118. Homely vpon Mark speaking of the institution of the Lordes supper and of the right order in ministring that sacrament amongst other things sayth on this maner Peccant qui coenaem absque verbi predicatione peragunt adeoque illam huic praeferunt quasi vel ad dei cultum uel ad salutem plus conferat quam verbum cum tamen huius maiorem quam sacramentorum rationem habuerunt Christus Apostoli They sinne against the institution of Christ which doe minister the Supper without preaching of the worde and so preferre the Sacrament before preaching as though that auayled more to saluation and seruice of God then the worde preached whereas notwithstanding both Christe and the Apostles esteemed more the preaching of the Worde then the Sacrament These are his wordes I might alleadge many other testimonies for this cause not onely from the moste worthye Godly and learned diuines both old and new of other nations but also from famous Martyrs and Byshoppes in this our land in their sermons and writinges published and priuiledged by authority I hope then there is no cause why this doctrin shold not receiue a fauorable intertainment allowaunce as of your honors so of all faithful christians hauing such warrant from so pure and learned men and from the testimony of the holy worde What soeuer I spake in deliuering and vttering this sermon I haue here set it down so neare as I could remember both in forme and matter To conclude I moste heartely desire in the Lord the christian reader especially your honors to accept this my poore trauel I am bold to ioyn you both in one not onely because the Lord hath ioyned you together in the bonde of friendship and in a care of my good estate but also that which is greatest of all in a zeale of Gods glory furtherance of his religion Now the very God of peace sanctify you through out and I pray God that your whole spirites soules and bodyes may be kept blamelesse vnto the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ Amen Your Honours in the Lord THOMAS GYBSON Hearken with feare and reuerence to the worde of the Lorde written by the holy Apostle Saint Paule in his first Epistle to the Corinthians Chap. 9. verse 16. Woe be vnto me if I preach not the Gospel OUR Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christ in the 17. Chapter of the blessed Euangelist Luke amongst many other excellent thinges vttereth and propoundeth this parable Who is it of you that hauing a seruaunt plowing or feeding Cattell woulde saye vnto him by and by when he were come from the field Goe and sit downe at table c. And afterwardes in the tenth verse applyeth it on this maner So likewise yee when ye haue done all those thinges which are commaunded you saye we are vnprofitable seruauntes we haue done that which was our duetie to doe The holy Apostle and seruant of Christ in this place auoucheth and confesseth in him selfe the saying of his Master to be moste true For although amongest many good workes there is not a more excellent or better work then the preaching of the word of God which was done most purely effectually and diligently by the Apostle yet he is so farre from accounting it meritorious that he sayeth a necessitie is laid vpon him that duetie bindeth him to do it In the former verses from the beginning of this Chapiter S. Paule sheweth and that with diligence and large copie of wordes that beeing amongest the Corinthians he was content to giue place to his owne right to forbeare that which he might lawfully doe to take no maintenaunce at all from them least be should giue occasion of cauilling to the false Apostles as though hee vnder the presence of the calling of an Apostle should seeme to seeke his owne gaine and lurre Amongst other thinges he hath sayde and that in the former verse It were better for me to dye then that any man should make my reioycing in vaine The which wordes may seeme to proceed and flow from an ambitious and vaine glorious spirite And therefore it might bee sayde What now Paule What needes all this Thou art wont to glory in Christ alone doest thou now glory in thine owne doinges To such a question or obiection the Apostle aunsweareth qualifiyng his former speach as if he should saâ— although it be an excellent worke to preach the Gospel and that freely yet take not my wordes so as though I repose any merite of saluation in this work for I am called to it and bound to it by duty and commaundement from my maister Christ And if I doe it not I prouoke and procure the anger of God and the sentence of his cursse and condemnation on me Woe be to me if I preach not the Gospell Of these words being but a part of the verse I haue taken vpon me to speake at this time From whence I meane by Gods grace to speake o these three pointes First I will gather some description of preaching that you may know what it is Secondly I meane to prooue the necessitie of
word such a conscience a care to reforme your selues your housholdes What I saye hath wrought these things in you how came you by thē What is it that hath so altered your mindes déedes affections Let your conscience be witnesse to me in this matter I am sure you wil approue y t which I haue spoken acknowledge the profite the power and necessity of the worde preached All euery one of these arguments do prooue and confirm as I think that euery minister necessarily ought to preach and otherwise y t he is no minister approoued of God Al euery one of these or most of them do quite ouerthrow and condemne all dumb idle carelesse ministers whatsoeuer One day they shall know what account he maketh of the soules of his people for seeing the word of the Lord in so many places requireth in a minister preaching yea diligent and carefull preaching in what a miserable and damnable state doe these men stand The Apostle sayeth Woe be to me if I preach not the Gospell Well it may be whatsoeuer I haue yet spoken will be granted it is necessary that euery minister preach but what shall all those be condemned which haue not such ful measure of knowledge as other haue which be not accoūted and allowed for publique preachers God forbid I know there is difference in gifts there was so amongst the Apostles but they all sufficiently preached Amongst vs and such others as vse this place and such like places there is difference euerye one of vs haue not the like measure but for my part I speake as I thinke our measure is smal ynough yet the Lord be thanked for that we haue giue vs grace to vse it to his glorye the benefit of his church In my selfe I professe and grant very smal and weake measure insufficiency and lacke of giftes and the Lorde the searcher of the hearts knoweth that the consideration of this hath and doth make me to feare and tremble oftentimes to sigh and lament y ◠so greate a charge and so waighty a burthen is layd vpon me so simple and weake a wretch To you that haue any measure of those giftes which the Lord requireth in his ministers to you I say quench not the spirite vse the meanes to encrease your measure if you be painfull carefull watchfull and faithfull in your Ministerie with a holye and pure affection the Lorde will blesse you To him that hath shall be giuen wee cannot at the first come to perfection Appollos a learned Doctor feruent in the spirite and mighty in the Scriptures yet was he ignoraunt in some things and receiued instructiōs from Aquila and Priscilla Some haue more then others some haue ten talentes some fiue and some but one yet alwayes remember and let it neuer slip out of your minds that the slouthfull and vnprofitable seruaunt shall bee cast into vtter darknesse there shall bee weeping and gnashing of teeth Against such I speake which in deede neuer had any one Talent or any giftes of Ministers or hauing any doe either abuse them or at least doe not put them soorth to any profitable vse Consider a little the state of our ministery There be some amongest vs sacrificing and Massing Priestes full of manifest superstition and hypocrisie and in trueth enemies to Christs religiō Others there be altogether ignoraunt vnlearned very Idoles they can do what Euen iust nothing Others there be which may haue some grounde of learning but in deede they vtter verie little neither is y ◠people bettered by them Some are idle some carelesse some altogether lewd and prophane some ioyne liuing to liuing and take more vpon them then they can discharge although it may bee they speake in one place yet are they dumbe in an other All these and such like are worthie of blame to bee openlye spoken agaynste because they openlye commit offence All these stande daily in a miserable and damnable state without repentaunce But my chiefe drift at this time in this part of my Text is to prooue as you haue heard that euerye Minister approoued of God must preache that is hee must féede the people he must cut the word of God he must improoue rebuke exhort hee must not simply or barelye read or heare the people say some Catachisme but he is to be able in some sufficient measure to open interpret the holy scripture and apply them I hope that this is alreadye prooued onely I exhorte you to account the Lorde wisest to rest in his holie decrees and allowe his owne order as best Let vs not take vppon vs to appointe him what he should do Seeing he hath set downe preaching as the most excellent ordinarie means to saluation let vs not say y t reading will serue the turn Séeing that he requireth that his Ministers be apt to teach let vs not count them his ministers which neuer taught nor euer had any aptnesse in them If he may bee counted a lawfull Minister and teacher that onely readeth the ordinary Seruice and sometime heareth a fewe Children to say a Catechisme without booke as it is set downe before him then may the Cleark also of the Town be counted a minister and teacher then may euery husbandmā Seruingman nay euery boy or child that can do asmuch be so counted Let not some say for defence of ignoraunt ministers that if they do that which they can do it will serue the turn for in the building of an house as there be some Master builders which bring timber and Stone so other there bee which bring morter and fillings and serue to necessarye vse but let vs remember y t euerye Mynister in his charge is or oughte to be a builder yea a master builder and if the cheefe builder bring nothing but fillinges how shall y ◠Lords building in y ◠place goe forward The Apostle in y ◠place which hath bene already twise alleaged saith That the Lorde hath ordained the Minister for the gathering together of his Saincts and for the edification of the body of Christ till we all meete together in the vnity of fayth knowledge of the Son of GOD vnto a perfect man and vnto the measure of the age of the fulnesse of Christ Oh these be no small things these are no trifles this is no vile simple and drudgery worke no small measure but very greate weightye high and most excellent The holy ghost in another place sayth Leauing the doctrine of the beginning of Christe let vs be led forward vnto perfection not laying againe the foundation of repentance from dead workes and of fayth towarde God of the doctrine of baptisme and laying on of hands of the resurrection from the deade and of eternall iudgement Marke I beseech you these wordes There be many people yea and Ministers also that are ignorant of the first rudiments of Christe that of repentaunce of Baptisme of the