suche other like sectes the seuerall discourses whereof I thinke I shall not néede to recommende vnto youre memories by anye new repeticion neither doth the time suffer it This only nowe resteth O ye iudges and Iustices and the residue that are here assembled togither to this present Session the you haue a good care as I doubt not but you haue for the spéedie redresse of al things that are amisse but specially of discord and dissention whiche wheresoeuer it be there can be nothing but amisse For it is the roote of all euill and the spring of all mischiefe Wherefore apply your selues I beséeche you euerye manne in youre order and degrée to the appeasing of controuersies and strife laboure what you can to alley Discorde and Dissention in all manner of matters and amongest all manner of states Discorde and Dissention amongest Temporall menne Discorde and dissention amongest Spirituall menne discorde in youre policie discorde in oure ministerie discorde in the common wealth discorde in the Churche and speciallye the discord that is in the Church For the other tēdeth to the annoyance of your temporal state but this extēdeth to the losse of eternall life there is a greate oddes therfore betwene these twoo both are to be regarded but yet the one is to be preferred aboue the other so muche as Golde is to be preferred aboue Siluer so much as the soule aboue the bodie as Heauen aboue Earth as euerlasting thinges aboue thinges momentanie and corruptible Wherefore haue a care in Gods name for youre ciuill state and for the common wealth and for youre Countrey but haue a speciall care for your Spirituall state whiche is the health of youre soules and for youre Spirituall common wealth whiche is the Churche of Christe and for youre Spirituall Countrie whiche is Heauen aboue For you are but Pilgrims here in Earth strangers in this vale of duste and claye neither haue you any permanent house or citie here in this worlde as the Apostle sayth but your citie is the Celestiall Ierusalem on high and there must you build your habitation there muste you builde your houses if you thinke to dwel and inhabite for euer Despise not youre houses here on earth nor your goodes nor youre landes nor youre liuing nor your life for these are the tēporal giftes of God yea good giftes of God to if they be not ill vsed Despise them not therefore I saye builde these thinges vnto youre selues in the name of God builde you houses build you cities here on earth builde goodes builde landes builde liuings vnto youre selues builde your temporal state here yea and builde ciuill peace and vnitie amongst your selues for the conseruation and continuaunce of youre temporall state no manne sayes you nay they are thinges lawfull to be done yea and they are well done of you so that you do them iustlye and truely and in the feare of God and without iniury or wrong vnto others but yet lette your chiefe buylding be in heauen and of heauenlye things buylde vpon the true religion of GOD buyld vpon the broken bodie of Christe buylde vpon the peace and vnitie of his Church buylde vppon youre selues into his Churche and into his bodye whereof youre selues are members as well and as muche as anye others who so euer they be that beare the greatest names and titles of the Church buylde these thynges I saye and laye youre heades and handes togyther vnfaynedlye to plucke vppe by the rootes all Discorde and Dissention whyche is a lette vnto thys buylding And for as muche as the effecte canne neuer cease excepte the cause be firste taken awaye firste therefore take awaye the causes of Discorde and Dissention out of bothe states ciuill and Ecclesiasticall and the thing it selfe will soone vanishe awaye Remoue from the common wealthe extortion oppression briberie periurie with suche other like vices and punishe those persons that offende therin according to the lawes and statures of this Realme and you shall sée all Discorde and dissention in the ciuill state will soone come to an ende Remove from the Church Papistry Anabastistry Atheisme Puritanisme with suche other Hereticall sectes and punishe those persons that offende therein according to the lawes and statutes of the realme and you shall sée all Discorde and dissention in the Churche and in Churche matters wyll soone come to an ende And bycause euerye man hath his office and authoritie from GOD by measure and limitation some more some lesse some one way some another waye lette euerye manne haue a speciall eye vnto that charge whyche is principallye incidente to hys his office and callyng lette hym enquire that should enquyre let him present that shoulde present lette him speake that shoulde speake let him heare that shoulde heare let him iudge that shoulde iudge lette him execute that shoulde execute and so forth lette euerye manne doe that whiche speciallys apperteyneth to his office and lette him doe it in the feare of GOD and wyth an vpright heart diligentlye and faithfullye and we shal sée all that is amisse will soone be amended But I feare there is many a one comes hither pro forma tantùm as they say for fashion sake only and to fil vp the Sessions but howe to discharge their conscience is the furthest part of their thought yea they thinke not once of it at al. Do ye not thinke that you might finde manye nestes of shrewd stinging waspes lurking in corners aboute you if you would séeke for them Naye rather do not wée thinke that you knowe alreadie where they are if you woulde vtter them Ah remember whome you come here to serue not man only from whose eyes you maye hide many things but God who séeth into the secretes of youre heartes and from whome you can conceale nothing Looke therefore well aboute you dallie not with God he will not be playde withall goe through with the matters yée take in hand and hault not for any respect eyther of pleasing or displeasing of man but studie to please God by your true and faithfull seruice at this time as you wil thinke to cléere your selues in that day when you shall stande before the tribunall seate of Christe to render accompte of youre doings Looke therefore more narrowly to Gods matters and to Gods causes search out presente and punish such ercesses and defaultes as be committed againste the stablishmente of Gods true Religion and the quiet state of his Church Iwis Iwis there are many curst Calues of Bason abroade whiche since they suckte the Bull that came from Rome haue giuen ouer all obedience and allegiance both to God and the Quéene For before that time they coulde be contente to come to the Churche and to heare Sermons and to receyue the Sacramentes and to vse common Prayer with the rest of the congregation of Christe and so forthe They were conformable in all respectes and contente to doe anye thing that beséemed good Christians to doe but since they suckte that madde Bull they are become euen as braynesicke Calues frowarde stubborne disobediente in worde and déede not to be ledde nor ordered by any reason and I would it were no worse And yet these forsooth can not be séen nor heard of when time of reformation is they can not be heard of at the quarter Sessions nor nowe at these generall Sessions nor when anye commission is sitte vpon for the redresse of suche matters they can not bée espyed or heard of at any suche tyme but when the Sessions are past we can both heare and sée that they haue their open méetings and solemne feastings togither sometimes at one house sometimes at another house amongst themselues with all fréedome and libertie yea with all ioylitie and lustinesse talking and iesting at their pleasures of the state and of Religion and so forth whatsoeuer they list to no good end I warrante you nor withoute vnhappie meaning As of late you hadde some experience of it Westwarde I pray God ere it bée long we haue not lyke experience héere Eastwarde and all through oure owne siacknesse and negligence in looking to these matters Well nowe I conclude Scrue GOD serue hys Churche and haue an eye to those men that bée enimies and disturbers of it and so seruing God and his Churche you shall scrue youre Prince and Countrey neuer a whitte the lesse but rather you shall serue them a greate deale more and a great deale the better For to serue God and his Churche is the very head and beginning of youre whole seruice that you now come for and without that whatsoeuer otherwise you doe it is but headlesse seruice yea it is no seruice neyther can you serue youre Prince and Countrey at all except you first serue the Church And your selues as you are Christian men are this Churche and the Quéene as she is a Christian Quéene is the head of thys Church nexte vnder Christe And therfore maruell not that I say vnto you you can not serue youre Prince and Countrey except you first serue the Churche whereof she is the head and you the members The God of all grace and of all mercies so dispose our heartes so direct oure counsels so gouerne oure actions so further oure attemptes so blesse and prosper all our doings at this time and finallye so finishe the good worke that we haue nowe taken in hand and begun in his name that we maye iustly and truly serue him that we may iustly truly serue his Churche that we maye serue the Quéene that we may serue the common wealthe that we maye serue one anothers furne in suche singlenesse of heart and true brotherly affection that there maye be long peace amongst vs and one godly vnitie and vniformitie both of Religion and life to the glory of his holy name and the common comfort and ioy of vs all God our heauenly father graunt this mercy vnto vs for his sonne our sauiour Iesus Christes sake to whome with the father and the holy Ghost be all honour glory now and for euer AMEN Rom. 16. verse 17. Imprinted at London by Ralph Newberie and Henry Bynneman
you knowe not as to moue you to the diligente consideration of those thinges whyche bée alreadye knowen vnto you and there fore néede no proufe For I will referre it to your own knowlege and conscience if you know any thing at all or haue heard any thing of God and of his word I wil referre it to your own knowledge whether it be not mamfestly true that I wil say of them And this it is that I saye that they and their matters that is to say they and the doctrine which they teach they and the bookes whiche they write do bréede and ingender discord and dissention doe bréede and ingender occasions of offences against the doctrine of the Aposeles and therefore they and theyr matters do cause all those sturs and troubles that be nowe in the Church and are the very thinges in déede whiche the Apostle here in this place exhorteth vs to beware of and to eschewe And now iudge your selues whether this be not true that I saye For as I tolde you I will saye nothing but within youre owne kenning Haue they not I pray you brought an infinite number of traditiōs into the Churche of Christe cleane contrarie to the doctrine of Christe and of his Apostles of whose deuice was priuate Masse and the propiciatorie sacrifice of the same of whose deuice was inuocatiō of saincts of whose deuice was adoration of Images who broughte in Purgatorie prayer for the deade Pilgrimage or Peregrmation to dumbe stockes or stones auriculer Confession Church chastitie Monkish vows and a thousand such other if it were worthie the time to reherse them Of al whiche notwithstanding there is not so much as one that is once named or spoken of by the Apostles much lesse commaunded or commended vnto vs by any doctrine of theirs And yet all these thinges doe they teache all these things doe they preache and write great volumes of them and by preaching and writing doe maintaine them to the vttermoste thoughe directly againste the doctrine of the Apostles Whiche thing as it is a snare to the simple and doth meruailously intangle theyr consciences that they cannot tell whych waye to turne them so it is a greate offence vnto the godly to sée it and in déede can not abyde it but reproue them for it and hereof cōmes the Discorde and dissention that is betwéene vs and them and all the whole sturres and troubles that are in the Churche But now iudge you as I saye who be the authours of al this whether we which professe the Gospell and cleaue to the onlye written word of GOD and receyue and allowe the dactrine of the Apostles or they which besides the Gospell and besides Gods worde and cleane againste the Apostles doctrine doe bring fancies and deuices of their owne and stablishe the same moste diuellishly in the Church of Christ to the great hurte of the simple as I sayde before and the grieuous offence of all that bée godlye Sure I am that by the rule here of Saint Paul you must néeds iudge them to bée the authours and workers of all this Discorde and dissention and of all stirs and troubles that are in the Church I will omitte to shewe you that they are authours also of all other troubles abroade in the worlde of Discorde and dissention betwéene Princes of ciuil warres and tumults of bloudshed and murther of priuie mutinies and open insurrections against the state although I mighte lay before your eyes manifolde examples and manifest proues hereof euen amongest our selues here in England of late dayes both by theyr Bulles whyche they sente hyther to discharge menne of they loyaltie and obedience vnto theyr soueraigne and also by moste spitefull and contumelious bookes whyche SAVNDERS and suche others his companions haue written and sente ouer into the Realme moste traytorouslye to stirre vppe the Quéenes subiectes and euen with open wordes to animate them to rebell against hir owne person Oh these be fitte guydes to gouerne the Church But I wyll omitte I saye to speake of these things vnto you I wyll referre you ouer to the Cronographers whiche haue noted the facts and gests of euery age and tune and specially to those which haue written of the practises of Popishe Prelates either by Ecciesiasticall historie or otherwise althoughe what néede you to séeke any further for the things whiche you are der youre owne eyes and whiche you are already by dayly experience welacquainted with and too well in déede if it were Gods will. Let them goe you sée well ynoughe what they are But nowe there be other sects besides these whiche doe verye muche trouble and disturbe the Churche and ciuill state as Anabaptistes Libertines and such other like which wold haue no common wealth at al but yet all thinges common whithe woulde haue no Rule nor Maiestracie amongest the people but yet woulde rule and raigne aboue Magistrates whyche woulde haue no lawes but yet woulddo what wrong they liste contrarie to lawe of which sorte are those that sticke not to teache out of open Pulpits to beare mē fondly in hande that it can not be found within the two claspes of the Bible that Christian men may goe to lawe or sue one an other And what else is this I praye you but to ouerturne all policie and gouernement and to haue no common wealth at all For if we maye not vse the lawes we must haue no laws if no laws then no Magistrates if no Magistrates then no obedience if no obedience then no order if no order then as I saide no common wealth at all but euerie manne maye liue after his owne common wil as he liste hymselfe and as his owne spirite shall moue him whyche is the stincking opinion and derie sinke in déede of al Anabaptistrie Such men therfore must be looked vpon And I am afraid least the Puritans also as you call them an other sects lately sprung vppe amongest vs doe smell shrewdly of this ill fauored smoake Of whome and of others I thoughte to haue spoken more but the time cuttes me off And of some of these sects there be amongst your selues that knows somewhat more than I doe and therefore you shall not neede mine instruction therein I will therefore drawe nowe to an end You haue hearde sufficiently as I trust whēce all Discorde and dissention commeth and who be the Authours of all stirres and troubles both in ciuill matters touching the ciuill state And also in matters of the Church touching the state Ecclesiastical The former kinde I deliuered vnto you in a summe and gaue you only a short viewe of it but yet such as doeth imply in it selfe a sufficiente consideration of youre whole charge in that behalfe The other kinde I handled somewhat more at length and declared vnto you plainlye and perticularly who be the chiefe Authours of Discord and dissention and of all sturres and trobles in the Church namely the Papistes the Anabaptistes the Lybertines the Puritanes and
A Godlye and pithie Exhortation made to the Iudges and Iustices of Sussex and the whole Countie assembled togither at the generall Assises By William Ouerton Doctor of Diuinitie and one of the Queenes Maiesties Iustices appoynted for the peace vvithin the same Countie PROVERB 10. VVhere no Ruler is there fall the people to ruine and decay But vvhere much counsayle is there is health and safetie Printed by R. Newbery and H. Bynneman To the Reader HAuing occasion the laste Lente to be at Estgreenestedde it was my chance gentle Reader to heare a very learned and frutefull Sermon made the same present time before the whole assembly of the Sheere I tooke suche profit and pleasure of it my selfe by hearing it and heard it so generally commended of others that I could not but deuise how to make common to many that which was there vttered but to fewe that so the benefite of it might redound also to many I maye perhappes haue blame of the Authour to put it foorth in printe without his knowledge and consent but if he knewe howe muche good he did to those fewe that heard him I trust he will not be offended if by my meanes he doe more good to a greate number that hearde him not but shall reade him for the exhortation is so tempered and the conueyance of it in suche sorte that though ye can specially applye it but to some men yet ye maye vse it so generally that it wyll edifye any man If all therefore shall reade it it wyll profite all bycause it hathe matter that serueth for all But if those reade it that are Iudges of circuites and Iustices of the peace or Iurie men or suche other like that haue anye calling that way it will profyte suche men most bycause to suche it most apperteyneth And surely I wysh aboue all other that Iudges and Iustices and whosoeuer they be else that vse to giue charge to the people yea and those also that haue the charge gyuen them shoulde alwayes before they goe aboute such businesse reade ouer and peruse thys little peece of worke that thereby they myghte be stirred vp to deale more earnestly in Gods causes and in matters of Religion than commonlye they are wont to do I doubt not but like good effect would follow such reading of it as did then followe the hearing of it For thys I sawe and hearde my selfe the same tyme when the Iudges were come from the Churche to the Hall and were nowe sette downe and the Countrey before them they did not onely imparte to the multitude what great fruite and comforte they had receyued themselues by hearing that Sermon giuing it a singular commendation in the eares of all men euen from the benche where they sate but also then tooke occasion thereby to gyue a verye quicke and vehemente charge to the graunde Iurie yea and to the Iustices themselues and to all others that had anye office or authoritie in the Sheere to looke more narrowly to matters of Religion than heeretofore they had done and to endeauoure themselues by all meanes possible to conserue the peace and vnitie of Christes Church and to search out and see punished all that were offenders to the contrary And to tell you the truth it did my heart good to see so graue wise a mā Iudge GAVDIE by name to giue so carnest and godly a charge in God and the Gospels behalfe such good frute followed in that good Magistrate by hearing so good and godly a Preacher that day And I would all others that be of the same calling that he is of mighte haue as good lyking heereafter to reade him as he hadde then to heare hym that like fruite maye come of it when oportunitie shal serue for the fruite that followed was great Well I will not cōmend the Preacher vnto thee I shoulde but darken his due prayses by mine vnsufficient praysing of him but I wil cōmend thee to the reading of this his worke and when thou hast redde it commend him thy selfe as thou seest cause In the meane time I wil pray vnto God both for him and for thee and for vs al for him to encrease his talēt in preaching for thee to enslame thy zeale in hearing for vs all to amende oure negligence in following And so I bidde thee farewell Thy vvelbeloued brother in Christ M. M. Precor vos fratres vt speculemini eos c. I praye you Breethren haue a good eye to those menne or take heede of those menne vvhich do breede discord and dissention amongst you and giue occasion of offences cōtrary to the doctrine that you haue receyued and eschue them THere is nothing more acceptable to God there is nothing more profitable to man there is nothing more answerable to Christian Religion and Faith there is nothing more auaylable to vertue and good life there is nothing more requisite and necessarie for al states whether they be priuate or publike there is nothyng more amiable more delectable more comfortable or more commendable in all respectes at a worde there is nothing that passeth all thinges more than thys one thing iust peace grounded vppon the true knowledge and feare of god It is not in vayne therefore that the Apostle héere exhorteth the Romanes and by them vs also whiche bée nowe presente yea and all other Christians wheresoeuer that we shoulde beware and take héede of suche menne as doe bréede discorde and dissention amongst vs and gyue occasion of offences in the Churche of God and not only that we shoulde take héede of them and beware of them but also that we shoulde eschue them and auoyde them as authoures of that euill whyche of all other euilles is moste daungerous and dothe moste shake and weaken all states of menne or rather doth beate downe destroy and ouerthrowe all thyngs wheresoeuer it commeth in place menne houses townes kingdomes countries nations and peoples be they neuer so manye be they neuer so greate and mightie Suche a meruailous mischiefe is Discorde and Dissention whersoeuer it taketh roote and therefore good cause I saye that the Apostle shoulde earnestly admonishe vs al to shunne it and auoyde it and the authors also thereof which doe sowe it and bréede it I pray you brethren sayth hée take héede of those men whych bréede discorde and dissention amongest you and giue occasion of offences contrarie to the doctrine that you haue receiued and eschewe them But what discorde or what dissention is it that the Apostle here speaketh of for there be two kinds of discord there is one kinde that is spirituall there is another kinde that is temporall Spiritual discorde is when men are dinided amongst themselues and disagrée one from another in spirituall matters in Ecclesiasticall causes in matters or causes of religion and Faith. This is spirituall discorde Temporal discord is when men fall oute amongest themselues and doe wrastle or be at warre as it were one with another aboute temporall matters
come hither for that purpose Euē so much more and much rather loke you vpon the lamentable sace and countenaunce of Christes decayed Church looke vppon the déepe and wide woundes of his mysticall bodie so soare stricken with spirituall discorde and dissention sée howe Christe is wounded in his bodie sée howe the bodye is maymed in his members sée howe the members are rent and torne one from another sée howe they are diuided amongest themselues nay alas how they are diuided againste themselues sée what hoales and breaches are made in the poore Church of Christe sée what ruine and decaye is come vpon the poore flocke of Christe sée what numbers of poore soules are caried away by rauening wolses to be deuoured of them and are euen yet hanging in their chappes and in their féeth and being in the middest of their téeth doe not féele theyr owne misery nor sée their owne daunger sée howe euerye thing almoste is or if you looke not the sooner to it shortlye will bée tourned vpside down topsie turuie black will be white and white will be blacke truth wil be error errour wil be truth good will be euill and euill will be good right will be wrong and wrong wyll bée right and euery thing wil be as euery mā wil haue it For we can not abide to draw all one way be it neuer so godly and iust but euery man drawes his owne waye euery man followes his owne fancie euery man likes best his own wil wit no mā likes another so we rent the Churche teare the Temple of God in sunder wyth our continuall faction and discorde O miserable state the vnitie of Faith is diuided into varietie of opinions the profession of the Gospel is drawn into proprietie of sects the firme stable worde of God is made a flexible nose of waxe euery man thinkes to writh it which way he wil himself And al this oh ye iudges iustices all thys is come to passe by the sléepinesse of Gods seruants by the watchfulnesse of Sathā his ministers the olde and newe sectaries and Scismatickes whiche are bolde to attempt any thing which blushe not to say and affirme whatsoeuer they list be it neuer so false which contend stil for victorie though they be ouerthrowen yea are readie with blowes to maintain their euil quarrel if they durst whose hāds you must holde whose féete you muste staye whose mouthes you must stop whose rash malapert enterprises you muste in anye wise restraine represse that they fight not the they go not the they speake not any more against God his trueth with such libertye as they haue don This is your office this is your charge oh ye Iudges Iustices this is your chiefe charge therefore this ought to be your chiefe care this ought to be your chief trauel to heale vp the wounds of Christs mistical bodi to stop vp the holes gappes of his broken decaied Church to repayre renew the peace vnitie of hys house to beat down destroy al Schismes sects with the aucthors fautors therof to vphold maintain further with al youre diligence with al your wit pollicie with al your might power the true ancient catholike religion of Christ This I saye is your chief charge this therfore ought to be your chief care trauel Wherefore bend your wits ernestly about it put your hāds diligētly vnto it vse your cunning wisely exercise your aucthoritye spéedilye let nothing passe you that may touche you let nothing be vndone by you that maye lye vpon you in that behalfe For you are not come hither to serue mā only you are not come hither to serue your Prince youre countrey common wealth only but are come hither to serue God you are come hither to serue Christ you are come hither to serue the Lord in fear This seruice god himselfe biddeth you to doe and therefore you muste doe it and this seruice no man nor Prince forbiddeth you to do therfore you may do it and néede not doubt to do it Nay rather if I misse not my markes or if my memorie fayle me not it is the very first point or part of your commission giuē you from the prince that you should do it or at least wise it is the first thing the your selues giue in charge vnto others to do it therfore I shall not néede to stande anye longer vpon this point nor to follow it any further Only this I will say at the shutting vp of this point that al controuersies quarrels are to be anoyded that al strife variaunce is to be cut off that all discord dissention is to be rooted vp euery where in all maner of matters but yet specially in spiritual matters specially in Church matters for that discorde is a sore discord in déede that is a worme that perceth déeper that is a cancker that créepeth further into a man euen into the innermost parts bowels of a man to the distruction both of boldie and soule as for the other it annoyeth our temporall state only but pearceth not our soules it hurteth vs not the wayes but rather doth vs good if a wise man haue the matter in handling For by outward afflictiō we are inwardly mended ar made better to God ward by worldly troubles if we cā vse thē wisely beare thē patiētly But nowe bicause we are to beate down-al discord dissention to build vp repaire godly vnitie peace the we maye the better aymie at this marke whereat we must shoote let vs sée whence this discorde and dissention commeth and who be the chief principal aucthours of it You heard before that there are two kinds of discord tēporal discord which riseth of tēporal matters spirituall discorde which cōmeth of spiritual causes Touching the former kind youre selues which are best exercised in ciuil affaires cā best iudge or gesse what be the causes of al sturs troubles in the ciuill state who are most likely to be authors and bréeders of the same For mine owne part as I am now knit in one care wyth you of the cōmon wealth haue the lyke charge that you haue therfore would be glad also to furder any thing the might profit aduantage the same so yet being called another way as you know I am and this kind of businesse being the lesse parte of my calling I professe my self to haue lesse skil in it therfore leaue the great waighty consideration of those matters to your ryper wisdome experiēce Only I wil giue you a short view of some of the chiefe causes or causers of tēporal discord dissention so will passe from that to the other pointe which toucheth my calling more properly Wil you heare therfore in a summe what are the causes of discord dissention in the ciuil state I wil tel you The