is the exercise of true mourning and fasting to the Lorde approued in the holy Scriptures Our time dothe aske it our sinnes his iust anger and the wickeds glorious bragge dothe enforce it I meane not that ordinary course of abstinence whiche the lawes haue wholesomely enioyned onely but I pray in humblenesse of my hearte that to those prouisions might be added the purpose of the Lorde in the outward exercise of Fasting That is that as our plagues are to be feared greatelye bycause oure liues are so far oute of order our mourning and fasting shoulde be suche as might be extraordinary yet not voide of Gods ordinaunce and may be sayde to consist in these two branches Namely in the outwarde exercise of abstinēce and in the inwarde drawing of water The outward exercise of true fasting to humble and supple the hearte the scripture commendeth vnto vs thus Firste that we by aucthoritie I say by aucthoritie of the Pastor and Magistrate Zoph 2.1 Ioel 1 2. Ionas 3.7 Nehem 9.1 1. Sam. 7 3. Ezra 8.21 bée assembled into the house of God there to doe these thinges for and during the whole daye whyche oughte to bée as a Sabbaoth vnto vs. First the Ministers Gods Prophetes are to preache to vs the lawe of GOD and to signifie our transgressions vnto God against the same which then shal most humble vs when of purpose wée assemble to that end and herof reade we in Ieremy 36.6 Iere. 36.6 and the whole Chapiter In Nehemiah the eight and ninth Chapiter to the diligent reading whereof at thy comming home I beséeche thée good people Whose Sermons must be endeuoured to shewe the cause of oure assembly and to lay open Gods anger againste vs and the imminent daunger that hangeth ouer vs whyche can not but proue the heartes of euerye suche as haue any life of Gods spirite in them thoughe by our insolencie abusing hys greate patience the same lye as almoste dead within vs. And further the Preachers office in thys fasting daye is to pray God hartily for the people 1. Sam. 7.4 Ioel. 2.17 Their direction to the people is ruled to vs thus That they in that day of faste should not only earnestly for euer after vtterly deteste all sin iniquitie but that they also obstain frō things otherwise approued lawfull and requisite yea very necessarye And these maye bée thus diuided Into the godly abstinence of the Christian faster from lawful and godly pleasures And into the like abstinence from necessarye sustenaunce Let the Bridegroome goe out of his chamber and the Bride forth of hir closet saith the Prophet Ioel. 2.16 Let mā and beast put on sackcloth saith the lawe of Niniuie Ionah 3.8 which law though it strictly tye not vs yet ought Christians to consider howe absurde a thing it is and farre from the Analogie of a true humbled spirite in the day of fast to assēble with the church in prowde shining and glorious apparel for nothing may be thē and there admitted whiche doth not moue to mourning And for that our labour trade of occupatiō merchandize worketh profit so pleasure the vse of it that day doth work impediment to our fast therfore Daniel 9.5 the day of Gods fast we must solemnize as a Sabbaoth to the LORD as to the Iewes it was commanded Leu. 17.26.30.31 32. ch ch 23.7.8 and as a christian help to our humilitie before the Lord is yet by aucthoritie to be embraced as the Lorde shall worke them to thinke it conuenient The holy abstinence from meates Esther 4.16 Ionah 3.7 is also in our godly faste required not that thereby God is simply pleased but that thereby our bodies shoulde be lesse sturdy and our spirites more humbled and apt to praye And this is the very cause why abstinence from not one kinde of meate as fleshe onely but from all sorts of sustenaunce is in the Scriptures so ofte required namely that neither fulnesse shoulde make vs lustye and proude agaynste oure God or drowsie and sléepie when we were to heare of our sin but that oure hungrye bodyes myghte teache our pyned soules what néed wée haue to crye for the foode of life and how vnable to liue wythout his hand whom we so mightily offende and that the byting worme of hunger mighte helpe to tame and bring obedient to the spirite that fleshe whiche farced full hathe so contemned to stoupe vnto his God Lo this is the true vse of oure abstinence from all meates in Gods holye fasting daye But to abstaine from meates by choice and to vse other for religion is méerely euil and Diabolicall 1. Tim. 4. Againe to abstaine from meates and not to vse the inward exercise is to prophane the holy right of fasting vnto God Esay 58. Wherefore lette vs consider the second part of true fasting vnto the Lord according to his worde This dothe consiste as we haue saide in the inward drawing of water and is set forth to vs by Samuel at Mizpeh when the Lord had returned the Arke increased the zeale to right religion in his people whyche twenty yeares and more had bin returned from the Philistines Samuel sayd 1. Sam. 7.1 If yee bee truely turned to the Lord and come to him with youre heartes then putte away the straunge Gods from amongest you and Ashtaroth and dyrecte your heartes vnto the Lorde and serue him onely and hee shall delyuer you out of the hands of the Philistines Then the children of Israel did putte away Baalim and Ashtaroth and serued the Lorde onelye And Samuel saide Gather al Israel togither at Mizpeh I wil pray for you and they gathered togither to Mizpeh and drew water and powred it out before the Lord fasted the same day and said there We haue sinned agaynste the Lorde c. Thys tyme aunswereth ours and here after oure twentye yeares and odde of Gods mercifull returne to vs what dothe he aske of vs but that wée if wée be come to him with our hearts put away the Popish Christe and that Ashtaroth that Italian God and Romishe Priest the Pope and his pelfe And secondelye that we directe oure heartes not to our mincing but to hys Maiestie and serue him onely and not oure carnall pollicie that we faste and pray and draw water and powre it out before the Lorde That is that hearing our sinnes reproued by his worde and hauing our bodies broughte vnder in abstinence our spirites humbled at the sighte of oure sinnes wée shoulde wyth Christian compunction digge the stonye fountaine of our hearts and wyth Dauid Daniel Peter Magdalene and the Sainctes of God drawe thence the salted water of the same and plentifullye poure it forthe by the conducte of the eye and that before the Lorde not before Sathan thoroughe dispaire with Iudas or Achytophel or hypocriticallye before men wyth Achab and Ishmael 2. K. 21 27. Iere. 41.1.6 purposing no amendment but after mischief but simply before the Lorde with these Israelites and godly Samuel in Mizpeh and vnfainedly cry and confesse to his Maiestie and fatherly mercie Wée haue sinned Lorde and done vniustlye We haue neglected the glorie of thy Arke and Testamente We haue loathed oure heauenly Mannah thy blessed worde Wée haue lefte oure first loue and become barren Figge trées Wherefore thy wrath is kindled and thy fury is waxen hote But behold we thus embrace thy son our sauiour Christ and prostrate oure selues before thée We caste from oure selues all superstition and that antechristian Priest thy great enimy Wée humble our selues in thys thine approued exercise We offer our selues by our onely sacrificing Priest Rom. 12.1 Christe Iesus vnto thée a holy turned people and liuely offering whych is our reasonable seruing of thée We therefore eftesoones beséech thée to spare vs at our only mediator God man Iesus our dressers petitiō cease thy ready sentēce Cut them downe As these laws for fasting whiche hir Maiestie hathe godlily giuen vs be good So let vs pray God that thys our like addition by hir gracious auctoritie maye be added and so shall the Fig trée haue rightly his moste fertile compose Amen Lord Iesu But let vs knowe that neyther Samuel can profitably pray or the people rightly plentifully drawe water and faste to please GOD excepte they turne in heart to God And further note of Samuels wordes that the duty of true conuersion is first to caste out of the Chayre and Churche Baalym and Ashtaroth the Italian Priest and his adherents and thē to direct our heartes vnto the Lorde in the right addressing to his faste whych shal bring vndoubtedly his olde aduaile to oure present Figge trée that is though when we be beste disposed at Mizpeh the Philistines take occasion to work our spoile some by fawning flatterye and some by open warre yet the Lord will rowse vppe hys strength for vs and hée wil assemble the chariots of his Angels and the artillerie of hys thunderclappes if men were not of force by him to disperse the confederates againste vs that with easie pursute we shall ouerthrowe all Popishe Philistines As to our comfortable example and doctrine we may reade the Lorde to haue done for these his beloued in Mizpeh 1. Sam. 7.7 c. And finally our kingdome by hys mighty hand shal be then preserued hir Maiestie in much godlynesse long continued and we hir faithful subiects shal henceforth liue in al godly peace with the whole Israel of God This al other thy graces we beséech thée o Lord to grant in thy great rich mercy to hir maiestie thy seruante hir counsel to al spirituall pastors Magistrats people to the whole realme of Englande and hir Graces dominions that we may not be cut down as barren Figge trées but maye endure blessed as the Palme trée by the riuers side planted euery of vs to bring forth our allotted fruites in due season in the puritie of Faith by the measure of true Charitie in the garden of a good conscience through Christ our Lorde to whō togither with thée O deare Father and the holy Ghost thrée distinct persons and one eternall God be all honor glorie power and dominion for euer and euer Amen Laudes Deo per Christum seruatorem nostrum FINIS
howe to sounde our heartes and haue a more ful féeling of this heauenly swéetnes let vs learn what is the operation of this vnfained faith required Surely it worketh by Gods spirit and word thrée notable things in vs. The first is a perfect beléefe in our inward man that though our outwarde shoulde be fully punished for sinne yet our inwarde man shoulde haue prerogatiue to bring both to the fauor of God bicause our sinnes are not laide to oure charge Rom. 4.7.8 Ps 32.1 1. Io. 1. but remitted fully in the purging bloude of Iesus Christ And therfore through his merite our faith apprehending him we may approche by that newe and liuing way vnto his grace Heb. 10.19 and call vnto him as his iustified children Abba deare Father and reste assured that we by pure faith vnfained haue Christe Iesus to be to vs againste our sinful folly Gods holy wisdome our iniquity Gods righteousnes our grosenes his holinesse against our dailye deadly sins Christ Iesus our sufficient raunsome 2. Cor. 1.30 as the Apostle hathe sette it downe vnto vs in these words But ye are of him in Christ Iesus who of God is made vnto vs wisedome and righteousnesse and sanctification redemption The seconde worke of this our vnfained fayth is growing from the firste to assure our heartes of the countenaunce of Gods fauour and good continuance of vs in hys loue for euer and euer so as neither our dayly sinnes or Sathans accusations or yet the verye Iustice of God can possibly take hys fatherly loue from vs or impeache our great fauour with him or by laying to our charge true thynges agaynste vs could yet cast off hys singular loue from vs Rom. 8. tot cap. of al whych that moste noble chapter of blessed Paule the eyghte to the Romaines doth assure vs. Laste of all thys faith is so renued by the worde of God that it can not but saye to mans soule that hath it Blessed art thou whiche haste thy parte in the firste resurrection Apo. 2.6 for thou shalte not taste of the second death but shalt be the Priest of God to raigne with hym a thousande yeares But will yée knowe beloued who hath this regenerating faith verily euen onely they which are of a pure hart For this is the ordinary worke of God by faith first to approch vs to his holy presence to make vs his beste beloued children to iustifie vs by his grace and to sanctifie vs by his spirite Then the same spirite descendeth to the second degrée of his most holy labor Ezech. 36. Ephe. 4. Coloss 3.1 and dothe with his moste holye finger forme and frame vs anewe changeth our acts and hearts and fashioneth vs to the Image of God in true holinesse and righteousnesse And out of all doubte greate is the glorious God by whose mighty operation the sea of mans hearte is turned so quite to another course so as by the spirite he is brought to hate that horrible vice whiche before he honored and ardently to loue and embrace with great delight that vertue whiche before he did despise And to desire to do those blessed things of whyche he earst could take no pleasure And this is that puritye of the hearte by the Apostle to Timothie so greatly commended and is the seconde sound note of Gods holy childe and mēber of the inuisible elect and predestinat Churche to life euerlasting And thys seconde note you sée consisteth in these thrée blessed vertues The true hate to sin Rom. Ps 119. euen as to a Serpent The sincere loue of righteousnesse with the exercise of the whole body and spirit to it And thirdly the inwarde desire of the heart in soule and body to doe the wil of God Althoughe the same godly desire by mightie battels with sinne and Sathan is euery day impugned as by Paule in the seauenth of the Romaines is moste notably sette downe whether for breuities sake I sende thée The laste note of the inuisible Church and member of it is sincere loue burning charitie loue or vncorrupted charitie which procéedeth from true faith is accompanied with assured hope diffused by the spirite of God into vs and so borne vnto our brethren as we shunne by euill example to hurte them and take greate care with all our power 1. Cor. 10 31 to doe them benefite euen as the Lorde hath commaunded vs and doe omitte the oportunitie of reuenge or hatefull memorie of euil done déedes But as God for Christes sake hathe forgiuen vs doe from the botome of our harts forgiue and forget the iniuries of oure brethren according to this saying of Gods spirite by Paule Eph 4 31.32 Lette al bitternesse and anger and wrath and euill speaking bee putte awaye from you wyth all malitiousnesse Bee yee curteous one to another and tender hearted forgiuing one an other euen as God for Christes sake forgaue you Shall wée putte the Papistes to silence o ye blessed people In this then doe it that they blaspheming vs as euil doers may haue their mouthes stopped by our godlynesse of life And further 1 Pet. 2.12.15 that so we maye make our calling sure and an entring into the euerlasting Kingdome of God Nowe then apply thys doctrine to your selues 2. Pet. 1 10.11 deare brethren that yée haue nowe hearde and saye to your hearts for comforte if ye finde in trueth these markes liuely in you Now we know for truth that Gods spirite dothe assure our spyrites Rom. 8. that we are the sons of God And so maye you be bolde to blesse God for thys grace and say vnto the Papistes Gods goodnesse is great who hath planted vs in Englande and Englande into his Catholike Vineyarde both visible inuisible But beholde yet further his gracious goodnesse appeareth is right notable to behold For in this Vineyard of his holye Churche of Englande to the great benefite of the Figge trée he hathe firste placed a watche Tower Esa 5. He hath secondly set a Hedge of defence rounde aboute it And thirdly hauing stoned the grounde hée hathe stablished a Wine presse within the yarde where eache trées fruite shall in conuenient time be brought to his tryall purpose of benefite If that noble Prophet Esay could say so of Iudah and Ierusalem maye not Gods Prophets crye it out nowe concerning Englande and say the Lordes goodnesse is maruellous greate to thée o thou Figge trée of England For he hath placed thée in hys owne Vineyarde he hath set vp a Turret in thée whence thy watche men may sée thée and thyne enimies purpose agaynste thée wherehence to giue thée warning of thine intended harmes And he hathe sette hys hedge of prouidence rounde about thée in more ample wise than euer had the Isralits for they had but warrant when they came vp to Ierusalem to worship that no enimies shoulde inuade them But thou England arte and haste béene hedged and defended
muche more worthye of receit as that the same is sente to youre memories by that Princely Prophet Dauid And it is that Psal 1.1 Zorobabell and Iehosuah of a milde purpose haue vsed to the enimies of thys trée such mercilesse pitie that by suche ouermuche lenitie thrée pestilent cancre wormes are bred in the earth about the roote and eate vppe the life of the Figge trée But if they be not with spéed digged and cast away to the helpe of his life it is of necessitie that he muste be cut down The firste is the cancre of Popishe conspyracie and their wicked counsell The seconde is the stiffe and stubborne standing in sinne and the defence thereof And the thirde is that the scorning Atheist pestilent Papiste and subtile hypocrite are set with and aboue the godly in the chayre of aucthority which is by their abuse become greately the chaire of scorners If thys earth be not remooued the Cancre wormes excéedinglye bréede and the barren trée must perishe The conspiracies of the Papistes and their wicked coūcels they be eyther publique or priuate Publique but yet among themselues at their solemne places of appointed méetings where for their Counter caked Christ against the Lorde and his annointed they consulte and mightly conspyre awayting onely theyr trauailing day of such Popish conception As the laste good Fridaye in our partes was a suspected number gathered neare vnto a suspected place where that horrible sacrilegious Masse if it often be not may with greate ease voide of feare be daily sacrificed Their priuate persuasions are greate and wrought by sundry sometime by wandering Priestes harboured of no beggars sometyme by popishe Phisitions greatly magnified of our greater Papistes and these secreately sollicite the Romishe religion to men in towne and fieldes and in their weary beddes and muche moleste the valor of the Figge trée But these sinners stande the more stiffely in their Italienated sinne bicause they stande in that way whiche manie of oure Worshipfull and Noble States be delighted in to whiche Popishe sinne all lashing luste is fixed and their state dothe bréede suche stoutnesse as it is euen at this day déemed a sin eyther to reproue thē for it or thys Cancre worme of deathe in them And can we looke to haue eyther Atheisme Popery or Popishe hypocrisie once but a little disgraced so long as the Chaire of aucthority in most of our shires is filled with the Popish scorner Sundry letters are carefully sent many times to search out Papists but they come to the handes of suche often as haue more cause to be called themselues than to be in commission to conuent others And what is then done the packet once receiued happily there is some priuye packing of the Popishe Iustice to those knowne or suspected so as for the tyme non est inuentus is a good returne So is God dishonored hir Maiesties godly endeuor disturbed hir honorable Councell set to Schoole and the poore Figge trée vndigged to hir death You sée then of necessitie it is if ye wil my Lordes whiche haue the authority to place into the Chayre of Iustyce rightly digge the hurting matter from the Figge trée you must take away this earth that countenaunce and purpose whyche earste haue fedde these cancre wormes I meane that lenitie mercilesse pitie whyche in hope to win thereby the hollow Papist haue greatly hurt and hyndered the true hearted Protestant And the verye grounde of your labour and firste setting the spade to the earth is and muste here begynne to digge out the Papist from the Chaire of auctority For you may not forgette that not onely they are fruitelesse themselues but they make the grounde also barrē wheresoeuer they rule yea they bite at the prospering Figge trée they whet the téeth of theyr confederates and are practising their purpose vnder the pretence of hir Maiesties power against the branches that their cunning maye excell againste the bodye and the verye roote of the trée of thys common weale in the day of their decrée But if that the Atheiste hypocriticall and scorning Papiste were altogither discontinued the seate of authoritie No doubt thereof but their agents the Popishe practitioners that so conspire into the heartes of men against Gods truth durste not or could haue such fréedome neither suche standing in sin or so mightie preuailing aide woulde be lent vnto it Oh Lorde worke this yet more effectually for thy holie names sake and for thy loue to the dresser of oure Figge trée And London London thy Rulers and Gouernours muste well looke vnto it For a little digging in the Countrie dothe driue these cancred Papistes into thée So as thou arte become a mother to manye godlye So also a Nurse vnknowen to thée to manye a wicked Papist whiche breake vp their being in the countrey and lurke in the Citie of London and so are moste safe when they are nearest the place of their deserued daunger as neare to the court the Councell the Bishoppes consistory Westminster Hall and the sworde of authoritie Wherefore my Lord Bishop muste be still vigilant the Iudges diligent the Mayor painefull all to picke oute the scorning Papiste thys pestilent cancre worme which for more safetie créepeth so neare the roote of the Figge trée The reuerende Fathers muste bée holpen with the aide of theyr preaching brethren The godlye Iudges with the help of their associats And surely praised be God for it Englād had neuer in mans memory so manye good christian Lawyers whych with their study to the Common laws haue bin so able to benefite the bodies in the common weale as now they are by their increase in godly knowledge of his holy laws to furnish well the Fig trée to hir growth in spirite for the good successe to hys church This thē remaineth my Lords that you being our godly Fathers of the law endeuor with godly strife to excel one another in digging and that you become for your zeale in knowledge so religious and for youre dexteritie in Iustice so vpright that al other godly Iudges succéeding you may with reuerent regard feare to pronounce the sentence of Iustice after you leaste they should not equall your equitie to Papist or Protestant but chiefly in digging of euil matter from the Figge trée To your godly furtherance herein I pray you reade Psalm 101. The seconde worke of the Magistrate of either estate is to laye to the roote of the Figge trée that which maye supple and comfort and mightily help the weakened life of the same and is here by our heauenly dresser exampled vnto suche namely earnest and hearty prayer vnto God to humble his church to quicken hir to make supple and nimble hir veynes by his spirite that hys sap may be vigent and working in hir making hir more more fruitfull And then to dung the same trée that is to indicte to it such godly exercises as maye rightly humble theyr heartes and supple their soules before God And that
A SERMON preached at Paules Crosse the 23. of Aprill being the Lords day called Sonday 1581. By Anthonie Andreson ¶ Printed at Londō by Ralph Nevvbery Anno. 1581. ¶ To the right worshipful Esquiers maister Edmund Andreson Sergeaunt at Lawe to the Queenes moste excellent Maiestie and to Maister Thomas Fanshawe hir Maiesties Remembrauncer in hir honourable Court of Th exchequer Anthony Andreson Minister of Gods holye Gospell sendeth most Christian salutations AS it pleased god of his prouident purpose in his mercie to call mee your poore kinsmā to that notable place and honourable Audience at Paules Crosse to sound forth the word of his Grace whiche in the simplicitie of my soule I carefullye there deliuered So his wisedome hath further vsed the godlye and of good iudgement and not a fewe to drawe from me my promisse to profite hys people further abroad by the same his holye worde in the office of this my willing pen whiche laboure of mine therein I haue by the Lordes goodnesse now so faithfully here set down as I suppose neither anye Methode is altered or matter omitted that by me then was there spoken Happily some other wordes in some places are vsed as otherwise it were not possible vnlesse I shoulde haue firste penned and then conned my Sermon by hearte whiche had bin a heauy laboure bothe lothsome needlesse I praise God of his mercies to whose glorie I speak it but the felf same substāce of doctrine matter maner and order which both your worships with the rest thē heard is here continued If therefore it nowe seeme to obtaine lesse consider the action is past yet here is the same matter but wanting the voice gesture and person of hym that spake it But no doubt Gods spirite shal open the harts of the Readers to receiue it his seede to their comfort if they with desire of gaine to their consciences turne ouer these little leaues And I praie God in and by our Christe that it maye fructifie as muche as my desire is and that is so much as possibly I can craue And were it of much more valor as it is for the handling but in midle sorte no other choice woulde I make than to bothe your Worshippes my good cousins as to them to whome I owe my selfe for your louing and continuall friendships towardes me This my poore gifte therefore accepte of your good natures as from the heart of him that wisheth you the whole treasures of God for euer to enrich you in body spirite and soule to eternall life Whose defence be euer yours and your for euer his in Christe our Lorde Amen Your kinsman and wel-willer to his power in Christe AN. ANDRESON At my Chamber in London Iune 6. 1581. Emanuell Let vs pray c. Luke 13.6 He spake also this Parable A certaine man had a Figge tree planted in his Vineyard And he came and sought fruite thereon and found none then said he to the dresser of his Vinyard Behold this three yeres haue I come sought fruit of this Figge tree and finde none cut it downe why keepeth it also the ground barren And he answered said vnto him Lord let it alone this yere also till I digge rounde aboute it and dung it And if it beare fruite wel if not then after thou shalt cutte it downe RIghte honourable learned dearely beloued in our sauioure Christe this sacred portion of Gods holy scripture thus read vnto you is spoken by oure Maister Christ as a parable most fit to expresse the wilful ignorance and obstinate rebelliō of that pernitious people of Iewry which now for their vnfruitefull hearing and contemptuous reiecting of the greate graces offered them by the word of God are in shorte time vtterly to bée caste vnder the cursse of Gods malediction The occasion of this Parable was the carping spéeches of the Samaritanishe Iewes in cause of Pilates crueltye against the Galileans whose bloude hée had mingled with their pretenced sacrifices which abused the sacrifices of right religion in the most curssed purpose to open rebellion whiche purpose being moste vngodly God vsed that ciuill power to méete with their attemptes before they had begonne their indeuoure althoughe in muche crueltie the President vsed right reuenge The reporte whereof was brought to Christ as therby either to drawe from Christe some sharpe censure of the President his cruell acte or else to terrifie his sacred person in cause he taught vnder so seuere a Ruler But the Lorde sawe their subtiltie and aunswered them with greate discretion affirming the execution of the sinners to be iust leauing the maner of doing to be decided before the Lorde and by their owne tidings tooke happy occasion to teach thē the doctrine of repentance saying Were these only sinners I tel you nay But except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish And God himselfe by that other kind of correction in Ierusalem dothe also forewarne you that not onely those .xviij. vpon whome the Turret of Siloah fell were sinners but also your selues yet left aliue are likewise righte guiltie of death And if you doe not by this his ordinarie and extraordinarie hande take occasion to amend your liues ye shall al likewise perishe But you are sharpe of sight into other mens actions and most blinde to sée your owne estate But beholde it is euen like to this Parable A certaine man hadde a Figge tree c. The Lorde hathe planted you Ierusalites in his fruiteful lande hée looketh for your holinesse of lyfe to hym hée laboureth to all that maye bee that you shoulde be fruitefull but often comming hée findeth you euer barren Therefore it is not long ere you shall be cut downe to your vtter confusion And thys was fulfilled by Vespasian and Titus aboute fortie yeares after the ascention of our Sauiour Christe And thus muche for the Iewish Figge tree The argument or summe of thys Parable is that manye are often suffered of GOD to remaine whilste some are weeded oute that yet deserue lyke castyng forthe wyth others from the Vineyarde And that this long suffering of oure good GOD is to drawe vs to repentance but if we abusing his grace do remaine rebellious our contumacie shall cause vs with vehement force to be throwen from the Church and common weale of Gods electe to the gaping gulfe of extreame hate and perfecte misery The partes of this Parable in my iudgement are two First here is sette downe right notably the singular grace and goodnesse of God to his people shadowed here by this Figge trée Secondly the constrained sētence of Gods Iustice to and vpon the same place and people where before he hath notwithstanding diffused his abundant grace The former parte is approued in these wordes A certaine man hadde a Figge tree planted in his Vineyard c. The second in these Cut it down why keepeth it the ground also barren c. The great and singular goodnesse of God shineth here most brightly as wel in
is too vniuersall What Village Towne or Citie is it that is not a witnesse vnto this Gen. 10.9 Nymrod was called a greate Hunter but Nymrods hunting is nothing worth he hunted after beastes and buildings but wée againste our brethren And surely thys hunting muste néedes be vniuersall while it hathe taken holde of the Clergie Doe not hir maiesties Courtes approue greate hunting with a Nette lease often twelue or twenty yeares to come is hunted so after with a couetous Nymrod nowe that his poore brother whyche dothe enioye it muste of necessitie eyther take a newe or bée in feare to bée forestalled of hys state to come No offices so base that sundry nettes of dyuers webbes are not prouided to forestall them No forfeite bée it small but gréedily some one doth prosecute agaynste an other by meanes whereof sinne is dailye solde for siluer For the informer taketh his bribe and lets the faulte remaine No intreaty persuasion or louing desire can winne the poore but little fauour in this cruell age Such dyking in of groundes suche barring menne of common righte as the poore Cottier muste eyther begge and bée starued or else steale and bée hanged For so menne hunte after bloude The Countrey Villages doe decaye and shire Townes are fylled wyth beggers for rotten shéepe do ouer runne all Oh Lorde cease thys crueltie Habac. 2.12 The Prophet Habacucke cryed out of them in olde tyme whyche buylded Townes wyth bloud viz. rapine oppression and cruelty But he hathe lefte it also to thée in writing which pullest down Townes to féede thy owne couetousnesse wyth pore mennes bloude Ho sayeth he hee that coueteth an euill couetousnesse to hys house Habac. 2.9 that hee maye set hys neste on hyghe to escape from the power of euill thou haste consulted shame to thine owne house by destroying manye people and haste sinned agaynste thine owne soule for the stone shal crye out of the wall and the beame out of the timber shall aunsweare it And concerning the Cleargie such spiteful crueltie is bent against it as it passeth not onelye by others agaynste vs but euen of one of vs againste an other It is a greate crueltie my Lordes and Fathers of the lawe that sundrye godlye Preachers in this land lyuing obedieÌ„t to the now established laws haue bene possessed of their benefices for manye yeares shall be no more regarded than a dumbe Dogge a blinde Idoll Priest that can nothyng saye Nay by some suche wicked persons and their complices Noble menne and greate menne of aucthoritie shall be abused yea reachyng sometime to the hyghest Gouernoures to flitte good mennne oute of theyr seates I coulde name some suche lewde persons and wil if I be demaunded that make an occupation to espy aduantage making no difference of men for their filthie gaine to thrust out godly Preachars from the Church of God and for theyr fée to thruste the greatest giuer into such roomths These are shamefull Hunters whyche hunt some twentie some thyrty some forty yeares past for forfaites of Benefices to sette Symony on sale I beséeche your Lordeships aydes and helpes for Gods church herein that if you wante lawe for these men your endeuour may be to procure further as time and grace will offer it Wante lawe sayde I nay my Lordes you had néede go afresh to your Books and studye more law againste the crueltie of these dayes For what say you learned Fathers to this cunning crueltie A patrone of a Benefice giueth his Benefice fréely fearing the strict examination of some good Bishoppe so as the poore Clearke to be instituted by his presentation may safely swere and performe that he hath giuen nothing promised nothing either money or lease he or hys friendes but the patrone calleth the friendes of the partie presented and bindeth them in a greate summe that whensoeur the same shall be instituted and inducted he shal at any time within one moneth after suche his induction at the demaunde of the said patrone or his assignes absolutely resigne vâ—pe hys sayde Beneâ—yre But what is the purpose of this crueltie Forsoothe eyther to compel the incumbent hauing passed the Byshops handes to lease vnto him the couetous patrone that benefice at his owne price or else to thruste him quite out of that seate for an other Chapman O horrible and most gréeuous crueltie I speake not by gesse but by certaine knowledge hereof yet not in mine owne case I praise God for it But if cruelty be crepte so high as it rageth so againste the Ministers of God shall we not thinke she hath greate authoritie in the temporall sorte I purpose not here to saye more of the sinnes of Englande but be you Iudges O honorable audience whether the petition of our Mediator hathe not hitherto most mightily preuailed againste our deserued sentence Cut it downe But now lette vs consider likewise of Christes conditionated prayer for the Figge trée Till I digge it and dung rounde about it if it bring forth fruite then well If no then after thou shalte cut it down Here is prayer with condition the condition hath in it thys Firste the labour of the dresser and also of the good successe of the trée I will digge it and dung it saith the dresser of the bitter Figge trée That is I will do to it that thing which if there be any life in it shall without doubte make it fruitfull The great mercie of God doth still yet abounde beloued and the singular loue of this oure Mediatoure Christe héere also that when the daye of destruction is preparing euen then the Father by the mediation of the sonne is stayed from striking to a further season But Christe will digge and Christe will dung his Churche this Realme and euery Fig trée to take awaye by the one the corruptions and impediments that may hinder his fruitetulnesse And by the other to shelter him supple and moysten his roote that the vigor whych there is cowched as scante kéeping life should valiantly aspyre the top of smallest twigges and mightily make them fruitefull And this holye operation Christe our Lorde worketh from heauen by his substitutes and Ministers in earth namely his Magistrates Ciuil Ecclesiasticall his holy spirite by them diggeth the trées at the roote to the glorie of his name in conuerting and coÌ„firming the Figge trée or in Iustice and equity to cut downe the same And here you Gouernors vnder God you must learn from Christ two especiall lessons First that you haue suche a Fatherly loue to your charge and people coÌ„mitted to you as Christ our Maister had and to be frée froÌ„ those euils your selues whiche cause this heauy sentence to the Fig trée cut it down SecoÌ„dly to be vigilant sober wise to discern the time wheÌ„ to make present petition to the Lorde and to digge and dung the trée and to stande in the gappe againste the Lordes wrath To the firste Moses giueth example to al Magistrates and besides oure