should be called worshipfull or a Carr-man honourable and who could away with that Nay more it is a kinde of sacriledge vnder those holy names to liue an vnholy life Belshazzar sinned against God by excesse and intemperancie in his eating and drinking but in that he abused the holy vessels of the house of God to serue him to such prophane and vnholy vses was a sinne more fearefull and sacriledge most horrible Thus for thee as thou art a man to sinne prouokes Gods wrath and deserues damnation but to sinne vnder the Christian name and commit wickednesse as thou art a Gospeller it is with Belshazzar to abuse and prophane the holy vessels of Gods house and this must needs plunge thee into the hottest fire of hell To conclude this vse let me tell you what I haue read of a libidinous Gentleman who sporting with a Curtezan in a house of sinne happened to aske her name which she said was Mary whereat he was stricken with such a remorse and reuerence that he instantly not only cast off the harlot but amended his future life Art thou called a Christian and yet followest drunkennesse swearing c. let that very name cause thee to be ashamed of thy folly Let all apply what I forbeare to amplifie Further in that these people haue these titles Israel Iudah the names of their forefathers giuen them as titles of honour and names of excellency we learne a third lesson And obserue another note viz. Good Parents and Progenitors are great ornaments to their posteritie Parents that are godly and religious doe no whit at all disgrace their children by their pietie and godlinesse but much countenance and grace them by it insomuch that it is an honour for posteritie to descend from such worthie Ancestors Solomons Prouerbe may be a sufficient proofe hereof Childrens children are the crowne of the elders and the glory of the children are their fathers to wit if they be godly and pious Besides sundrie instances and examples that might be brought for the confirming of this truth as of Abraham what an honourable title was it accounted to be called the son of Abraham and childe of Abraham The Iewes brag and boast therefore They were Abrahams seed and they had Abraham to their Father And so it was indeed to them that walked in his steps and were like him in grace And so afterwards in Dauid what an excellent prerogatiue was it accounted to be to descend from him and be of his Family For such are the seed of Princes and linage of Kings for thus hath God aduanced the godly to be Kings Priests and Prophets vnto himselfe they come of the noblest House and Family that is whose originall commeth not out of some corner of the earth but they spring of Christ of whom all the Families in heauen and earth are called And this is right and proper Nobilitie indeed This being so it first reproueth such Parents as hope to bring credit and renowne to their posterities by their lewd and sinfull courses they liue miserably and deale vniustly and open the mouths of all to crie out vpon their falshood and deceit their couetousnesse and extortion and yet thinke to raise vp their houses and aduance their names and adorne their children with glorie and estimation But this truth may discouer vnto such parents their folly and great madnesse for this is not the way to bring credit but disgrace to their posterities yea when they are dead and rotten their euill courses will be cast as dung in the faces of such as they leaue behinde as experience makes good Such a man saith one was this childes father What that Vsurer that Worldling that Extortioner that Drunkard that Whore-master saith another How can thy childe stand by and heare this without red cheekes it must needs be matter of shame and griefe vnto him Wouldst thou indeed be an ornament to thy childe and childs childe after thee then see thou be righteous and religious and so thy name shal be remembred in them when thou art dead Oh what a credit is it now accounted to be of the posteritie of Latimer Bradford Ridley and other of those men of God who suffered for the truth How are such esteemed and accounted of amongst all Let experience make thee wise and so liue thou that thy children also may account it their honour not their shame to name thee when thou attraked vp in the dust Secondly let Children who haue had or haue godly and religious parents be thankfull for them and repose their Gentry more in their forefathers vertues that they had than in their great lands and reuenewes that they possessed esteeming them the worthiest of all their Ancestors who were the godliest rather than they who were the wealthiest And withall let such be stirred vp to tread in their fathers steps for all that hath beene said is with this prouiso that we their children be adorned with their gifts and vertues For though wee descend from godly and worthy Ancestors yet if wee degenerate from them as a base and bastard brood it can be no honour credit comfort nor commendation to vs. Put case a man haue a thousand pound land a yeere left him by his friends and he spend it all like the Prodigall in riotous and voluptuous liuing what credit is it for him to brag that such an estate was left him nay is it not a shame So if the vertues of thy parents liue in thee it is then a grace vnto thee that thou descendedst from their loynes otherwise the contrary The very Heathen haue rather choose to descend of vnnoble parents so themselues were noble and renowned through vertue than to come of worthy parents and progenitors and themselues to grow base and degenerate out of kinde So it is better to be religious and the sonne of wicked parents than being the sonne of godly parents to be wicked Cain Cham Ismael and Esau might boast of Adam Noah Abraham Isaac the noblest parents who on the other side might blush and grieue at such degenerate issues Walke then in the steps of thy godly parents and speake not of thy bloud but of thy good not of thy parents vertues but of thy owne for what hath a coward to doe to glorie in the valour of his father And I would that Papists would consider of this who brag that their Pope and Bishops are the Successours of Peter and the rest of the Apostles Well admit this to be true yet can they shew vs how they succeed them in their gifts and graces If they cannot as all the world may see they cannot their personall succession is nothing worth and they brag of an emptie title without honour It remaines now that we come to take a view of the fruits which this Vineyard brought forth which is the third and last thing I propounded to be considered Hee looked for iudgement but
A STRANGE VINEYARD IN PALAESTINA IN AN EXPOSITION OF ISAIAHS PARABOLICAL Song of the Beloued discouered To which Gods Vineyard in this our Land is Paralleld By NEHEMIAH ROGERS Master in Arts and Pastor of the Congregation at Messing in Essex IEREM 2. 21. Yet I had planted thee a noble Vine wholly a right seed How then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of A STRANGE Vine vnto me LONDON Printed by Iohn Hauiland for EDWARD BREWSTER and are to be sold at his Shop at the Signe of the Starre at the West-end of Pauls 1623. TO The Right Honourable and truly Noble Lord ROBERT Earle of Warwick Lord RICH Baron of Leeze c. Encrease of Honour here and euerlasting Glory hereafter Right Honorable Lord MAy it please you to take in good worth this my bold attempt in that vpon so little knowledge and far lesse deserts I haue aduentured so far as to grace these my weake labours with your Noble name Besides some personall and particular respects which I here let passe I haue had some generall inducements hereunto and this aboue the rest Your Honours loue vnto the Truth and great regard of the Ministerie thereof which your more than ordinarie paines taking to heare holy Instructions together with the great respect your Honour giues to such as bring glad tidings of peace whose feet and much more their face are esteemed by you as beautifull are sufficient arguments to euince By which and other fruits of pietie you still merit renowne to your Noble Name and are zealously honoured of al that know you and loue goodnesse into which number I hopefully presuming haue thrust my selfe as being loth to bee hindmost in that acknowledgement which is so nobly deserued and ioyfully rendered of all desiring as far as in me lieth to make knowne vnto the world that grace which lies lodged in your noble brest which being vnited to your greatnesse maketh so happie a composition as that they who had no more than Natures light esteemed it only for true Nobilitie For whereas greatnesse makes some men scornefull and imperious yet what Plinius reports of Vespasian may be truly said of you It hath changed nothing in you but this that your power to doe good should bee answerable to your will Yea it may be iustly thought that your Honour would teach men to take the measure of your greatnesse by your goodnesse of so euen a length and equall pace are they And indeed so it must be for should Honour out-runne Honestie it would hardly bee ouertaken But I must remember to whom I speake euen to such a one as careth not for long salutations in the Markets I haue done when I haue once againe craued pardon for my boldnesse and humbly requested at your Honours hands whose goodnesse hath not wont to magnifie it selfe more in giuing than in receiuing such like holy presents acceptation and countenance to what is here offered by a thankfull heart As for the Matter herein handled I will not feare to say it deserues it And for the Manner I must say it needs it whatsoeuer it bee bee it not as it should be yet my will wisheth it to be well but as it is I humbly betake it to you Hounours fauourable protection and so your Hounour to the protection of the Highest Your Hounours humbly and officiously deuoted in all dutie NEHEMIAH ROGERS TO The right vertuous and truly zealous Ladie FRANCIS Countesse of Warwicke and wife to the Right Honorable Lord ROBERT Earle of Warwick c. Right Noble Lady MY attempt may seeme a wonder but where IVDGEMENT searcheth out the cause and Prudence guideth Wisdome to weigh the circumstance the conceit of wondermēt ceaseth What hath induced mee to ioyne you with your Honourable Lord needs no long relation God hath cemented and combined you together with the neerest strongest bands and therefore I in my due honoring of both presume to conioyne you both in this one Dedication What is conceiued and reported of your Honours worth thorow all our Countrey I must passe ouer in silence for well I know your excellent modestie will not suffer such though deserued a relation Your Honour rather affecting to doe things deseruing Fame than Fame it selfe And like the fixed starres the higher God hath set you the lesse you desire to seeme I confesse I am as yet but a Stranger in these parts yet must he be more strange that meeteth not with the report of your Honours vertues whose diligent paines in gaining knowledge of holy things and conscionable practise of what you know whose humble sober wise courteous and modest cariage rare vertues to be found in Ladies of so high a place and ranke are so many tongues and mouthes and pens without mine to publish your due praises And though through the corruption of these times this age is growne so base as that one cannot thinke any to be the better or the worse for the report that flies of them vnlesse they be eye-witnesses either of their good or ill yet where the sound is all so honourable I dare be confident of an holy inclination gratious disposition which hath giuen me such encouragement as that I haue little need to misdoubt either your Honours acceptation of this Treatise or to aduise your vse for I perswade my selfe that you wil not only view the title and Epistle as the fashion of most Patrons is but the whole book also in some of those houres which your Honour redeemes I dare say for soule employments from those idle and excessiue customes wherein too many Ladies please themselues and none else But I know that your Honor will be better pleased if I turne praises into praiers therefore I will endeuour to supply that want this way beseeching the God of Maiestie and mercy to sanctifie your heart yet more and more who with the New-yeere giue you new supplies of the graces of his Spirit and gratiously to encrease in you the ground of all true Honor Goodnesse Let me not offend in offering so meane a worke to so worthy a Personage the weaker it is the more need hath it of a worthy Patron therefore I humbly betake it to your Honours fauourable protection And so your Honour to the protection of the Highest Your Honours humbly and officiously deuoted in all dutie NEHEMIAH ROGERS TO THE READER HE that feasts high Estates must seeke out for forraine Cookeries and fantasticall dishes to please their pallats but hee that in true charitie inuites home his plaine honest neighbours doth well enough if he prouide such homely fare as shall be competent and befitting men of meaner qualitie It is the plaine Country-man I feast commonly called the Good-man And therefore for thee Reader to expect any curious Diuision rare Inuention or Rhetoricall composition in this Treatise would be as vaine and idle as to hope to meet with puft paste at a Plow-mans table As for those who driue their flockes vpon the
in vaine and spends his strength for nought no better fared it with him in his ministerie than it fareth with vs the Ministers of thy Gospell Scarce a tenth is gathered And yet we cannot wonder that it fareth so with vs For can we who are but rude in speech and of a slow tongue hope for that which so rare a Rhetorician found not little or no fruit could he see of all his trauels and yet he doth not faint but with an inuincible constancy goes on in performing his propheticall function Oh! how sorts the humour of many with this his practise such is the impatiencie of our hearts that except we see present reformation in those we haue to deale withall we are ready with Ieremiah to resolue to speake no more in the name of God It is noted as his blemish and the word of God giues him no rest vntill he had altered his resolution But what course wilt thou now take oh thou man of God with this obdurate people Their hearts are fully set in them to doe euill they will not obey nay which is worse they will not heare thee would they listen to thy Sermons there were some hope they might be wrought vpon but turning away the eare what hope is left Tell vs then oh noble Prophet what wilt thou doe let vs be so bold with thee as to aske the question and be so fauourable as to acquaint vs with thy purpose Now will I sing to my well-beloued a song of my beloued touching his vineyard c. q. d. I see indeed they lightly set by my ordinary Sermons and therefore I purpose to leaue my accustomed manner of prophesying and fall to singing being vnto them rather as a Poet than as a Prophet that so by their owne delights they may be allured Thus God seekes to draw vs to himselfe with those baits which are somewhat agreeable to our pallar he doth compose himselfe to our disposition and euen as face answereth face in a glasse so doth he apply himselfe to fit the humors of mortall men Doe the Sages loue starres and dreames a bright shining starre and a dreame shall instruct them in the truth of God and direct them vnto Christ Doth Saint Peter loue fishing he shall be wonne by a great draught of fishes Doth Augustin loue eloquence Ambrose by his eloquence shall catch him at a Sermon What is it that can win vs which way soeuer our desires stand that is not sinfull God doth in his word allure vs The best things in earth and heauen are made our bait Let vs yeeld our selues therefore to be caught for with these doth the Lord seeke vs not for any need that he hath of vs but for our owne saluation In which Song we haue a Parable proposed of a fruitlesse Vineyard which after great care and cost of the painfull Husbandman bestowed on it is left desolate and forsaken for its barrennesse The Argument of it seemeth not to differ from that of the fore-going Chapters here being nothing said that for substance was not before taught The difference that is is only in circumstance the stile and method only being altered and changed The Scope and drift of the Prophet is first to get audience and attention And therefore he chooseth to deliuer his message in the sweetnesse of verse rather than in prose that so the eare hauing that which delighted it might without tediousnesse listen to that which was taught which being listened vnto might the better and more kindlier worke vpon them And questionlesse by this course he got him hearers for many would flocke to heare him sing who would not step ouer the threshold to heare him in his wonted veine Secondly that they might the sooner learne and better retaine what he did teach them For Verse being composed of certaine Musicall proportions both in the number and measure of feet and syllables are sooner and with greater delight learned and once being learned are longer retained as by experience we finde that our common people haue many vnwritten songs which are older than their great Grand-fathers Father those they learnt being children and neuer forget againe vntill their death yea by this meanes the remembrance of some things haue beene kept from many ages past which both Historie and Tradition had else for euer left neglected and forgotten Thirdly that he might bring them to a sight of their ingratitude and draw from them an impartiall sentence against themselues For looke as it is with the eie which both seeth and correcteth all other things saue it selfe so is it with the sinner when his owne case is proposed to him not as his owne but in the person of another he will soone see the fault and passe a iust sentence on it but else it cannot be espied Whiles wise Nathan was querulously discoursing of the cruell rich man that had forcibly taken away the only Lambe of his poore neighbour how willingly doth Dauid listen to the storie and how sharply euen aboue law doth he censure the fact As the Lord liueth the man that hath done this thing shall surely die See how Iusticers we can be to our very owne crimes in others persons Had he knowne on whom the sentence would haue light it should not haue beene so heauie but now he is selfe-condemned The like was our Sauiours practise with the Scribes and Pharises in propounding that Parable of perfidious Husbandmen who beat the Seruants that were sent to receiue the fruits of the Vineyard and slew the heire and not without the like successe For being asked what the Lord of the Vineyard would doe to such they answer He will cruelly destroy them and let out the Vineyard to others Then Christ infers Therefore I say vnto you the Kingdome of God shall be taken from you and giuen to a Nation that will bring forth the fruits thereof And this is the reason why our Prophet doth not only sing but sings a Parabolicall song propounding the truth in such an obscure manner vnder a continued similitude or allegorie like some expert Physitian who so cunningly wraps vp his pils and conueyes his dose that it begins to worke ere it be tasted And surely there is no one thing wherein is more vse of wisdome than in the due contriuing of a reprehension which in a discreet deliuery helps the disease in an vnwise destroies nature In which Song consider we First the Prooem or Preface to it verse 1. Secondly the Poem it selfe or body of it verse 1 -8 The Prooem in these words Now will I sing to my well-beloued a song of my beloued touching his Vineyard wherein these particulars are obseruable First the Inditer or Author Instrumentall intimated in this particle I. Secondly the kinde of Treatise indited A Song Thirdly the manner of the Prophets publishing and deliuering it Will sing Fourthly the Dedication of it To his well-beloued Fifthly
Bishop in which callings then they liued like Epicures hauing nothing of a good Christian saue the title only Yea Princes of this Land haue renounced their Crownes and Kingdomes and entered into Monasteries and haue put their sonnes and daughters into Cloysters Shall not these condemne vs Nay will not the very heathen rise vp one day in iudgement against vs who haue giuen their sonnes for sacrifice vnto their Idols and caused them to passe through the fire thinking them not too deare to be offered to their gods Let vs looke on these and be ashamed of our selues For certainly the best and noblest amongst the sonnes of men are a thousand-fold more vnfit for that high place than that calling is or can be thought vnworthy of them And as for such as are already called to this high place let all beware of despising of them It is the Apostles rule that they which rule well should haue double honour First honour of countenance and then of maintenance one of these is not enough without the other for it must be double Beautifull are the feet saith this our Prophet Isaiah of them that bring good tidings that publisheth saluation c. If their feet be beautifull how beautifull should their face be who should be so welcome to vs as these who more esteemed or reuerenced Remember how the Lord hath euery way endeuoured to make them so as by giuing them titles of highest respect as Embassadors for Christ and Messengers for the Lord of Hoasts Fathers the first title of honour that was in the world Angels which are the noblest of the creatures Besides he hath giuen them wonderfull authoritie He hath put the Keyes of the Kingdome of heauen into their hands to open and to shut Power to remit and retaine sinnes Thus the Lord is pleased to ratifie their regular proceedings in the Court of Heauen Likewise he hath giuen them extraordinary gifts aboue the common rate as Knowledge Experience Comfort and the like Is it safe despising these whom God hath thus highly dignified A last vse may be for comfort vnto vs who wait at Gods Altar Let vs count it our honour to be called hereunto and preferre it before all other callings whatsoeuer not giuing way to any thoughts of discontentment in respect of the many ignominies or persecutions that we daily doe or are like to vndergoe so as to be grieued at the Lords leading of vs to so toilesome and in mans iudgement disgracefull a vocation or to be moued to leaue and giue ouer our function in that respect As sometimes that Cardinall of Loraine did who after he had preached once vnto the people and was therefore derided by the Prelates of his Order left off vtterly the Office of preaching as a calling too base for his Cardinals Hat-ship Let this be farre from vs. If we doe our duty the world will hate vs True But if we doe it not God will curse vs By the first we are in danger to lose our goods our names our liues by the second our soule our heauen our God Now whether it be better to pelase God or man iudge ye Let euery Minister therefore doe his dutie and albeit most in the world contemne vs yet we shall finde some in the world who are not of the world that will reuerence and respect vs. So long as the widow of Sarepta hath any oile we shall not want Howeuer though here we haue troubles to weary vs yet in the end we shall haue heauens ioy to refresh and comfort vs. It is enough we haue deserued our worke shall haue a reward And thus much for the first particular to be considered in this Preface the second followes And that is the nature and kinde of the Treatise indited and is A Song or Poem And here occasion is offered to speake somewhat in the defence of Poetric and Verse The Position is Poesie and Poetrie is an Art and exercise ancient lawfull and praise-worthy The practises of the seruants of God make this good Moses that man of God was excellent herein as appeareth by that same Canticle which he made in commemoration of Gods goodnesse for his peoples deliuerance out of Egypt and for the destruction of their enemies which Song is held to be the most ancient Song that euer was I am sure it is that we reade of in Scripture and is thought to be first composed in Hexameter verse though it is not certaine For it is no easie matter to finde out the Scansion of verse vsed amongst the Hebrewes such was the varietie of their Measures As also by that which he made a little before his death which he commanded should be taught the Children of Israel yea the text saith he himselfe wrote it and taught it them Thus Deborah and Barak also composed a Song and sang it to the Lord. So Dauid that same sweet singer of Israel had an excellent gift this way as is euident by that same funerall Song or Epitaph which he made for Saul and Ionathan after their deaths Besides diuers Odes and Hymnes which he composed to the honour of God in various kindes of Verse This likewise was the practise of Christians in the Primitiue Church as Eusebius reporteth out of Philo Iudaeus They contemplate saith he not only diuine things but they make graue Canticles and Hymnes vnto God in a more sacred ryme of euery kinde of metre and verse If any doubt remaine notwithstanding what hath beene shewed of the truth of our propounded point let then this be considered of how Verse is the forme of speech which it hath pleased that wise and all-knowing Spirit to choose to reueale a great part of his reuealed will in for besides those speciall Psalmes and Canticles before mentioned there are sundry parts and bookes of holy Scripture Poetically pend as the booke of Iob the booke of the Psalmes the booke of the Prouerbs with Solomons Ecclesiastes and Canticles as the most learned Fathers of the Church haue testified And many other parcels of holy Scripture which we haue meerely translated into Prose are Verse in the Originall This me thinkes should put all out of doubt For who can be so irreligious as to think or imagine that the Holy Ghost would euer haue vsed any vndecent or vnlawfull manner of expression of his holy Mysteries and cause vs to giue credence to this truth viz. Poetrie and Poesie is an Art and exercise lawfull and praise-worthy The commendable properties of which Art appeare in these two ancient Verses Metra parant animos Comprêndunt plurima paucis Aures delectant pristina commemorant Which I finde by one thus Englished to my hand Verse doth the soule prepare and much in briefe affords It rauisheth the eare and things long past records There is Ryme Reason or Reason for Ryme First it prepares fits the soule for holy duties
behold oppression for righteousnesse but behold a crie Here we see first what fruits they were which God especially expected and they were fruits of the second Table Iudgement Righteousnesse And secondly what were the fruits which they returned namely Oppression A crie I might obserue hence from the Prophets elegancie adorning of his speech Rhetorically by a figure thus much that Rhetoricke is an Art sanctified by Gods Spirit and may lawfully be vsed in handling of Gods word There might be brought diuers instances out of holy Scripture wherein all the parts of Rhetoricke are vsed and euery approued rule of it practised yea euen in this very Prophesie But I hasten towards a conclusion and therefore passe from this with a word of admonition to all that we beware how we condemne the lawfull vse with the abuse For the Art it selfe is to be approued and onely the abuse thereof to be condemned But I come to the particulars in my Text. He looked for iudgement righteousnesse He doth not say he expected Oblations and Sacrifices which this people were abundant in as Chap. 1. 11. but he expected that Iudgement and Iustice should be administred the cause of the poore pleaded and all good duties and offices of loue should be shewed towards our brethren and those who were in need Sundrie points might hence be raised but I will only obserue this one which is as the summe of all The works and duties of the second Table are in speciall manner expected and respected by God In the first Chapter of this Prophesie wee may reade how forward this people were in the outward duties of the first Table offering multitude of sacrifices and burnt offerings of Rammes and the fat of fed beasts c. But God he cals them off and tels them he would none because they had no regard of the duties of the second Table for their hands were full of bloud Then exhorting them to repentance hee wils them to testifie the truth thereof by bringing forth fruits meet for repentance And for their better direction he instanceth in some particulars making choice not of such duties as immediately concerne himselfe but of such as especially concerne our neighbour Seeke iudgement releeue the oppressed iudge the fatherlesse pleade for the widow As if he had said vnto them You offer multitudes of sacrifices and obserue solemne daies and Feasts the new Moones and Sabbaths and the like and are not wanting in the outward duties of the first Table But I especially respect the duties of the second wherein you haue beene wanting and therefore labour to finde out what is right and seeke after that iustice that God requires in his Law dealing with others as you would be dealt withall giue ouer your crueltie exercise mercie and stretch forth your helping hand for the releeuing and defending of such as are in need And in the 58. of this Prophesie we may reade how God reiects their prayers and fastings because they regarded not to shew mercy and kindnesse vnto the poore and needie and withall shewes them what manner of Fast it was that he required namely to loose the bands of wickednesse to vndoe the heauie burdens and to let the ppressed goe free To deale bread vnto the hungrie to bring the poore that are cast out vnto their houses to cloath the naked and the like This was the Fast that God did especially respect In the Prophesie of Micah we may reade what large proffers the wicked make They will come with burnt offerings and calues of a yeere old they will offer thousands of Rammes and ten thousand riuers of oile they would giue their first borne for their transgression the fruit of their bodie for the sinne of their soule so that God would be pleased herewith But yet all this would not please him He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee but to doe iustly and to loue mercy and to walke humbly with thy God without this all the former is nothing worth Thus we see verified what we finde recorded by the Prophet Hosea I desire Mercie and not Sacrifice It is better pleasing vnto God to see the duties of Iustice and Righteousnesse of Mercie and louing kindnesse performed to our neighbour than to haue Sacrifices neuer so many or great seuered from these done vnto himselfe The workes and duties that the second Table requires to be performed of vs are most expected and respected by him For the touchstone of piety and true religion towards God is our iust and righteous dealing with our brethren Herein are the children of God knowne and the children of the Deuill whosoeuer doth not righteousnesse is not of God neither hee that loueth not his brother True faith is operatiue and worketh by loue and is to be manifested by our workes without which it is to be iudged dead as S. Iames speaketh No maruell then if God doe so much set by the practise of these duties Which serueth to reproue such as bring forth faire leaues of profession in the first Table but are little or nothing at all in the duties of the second Table In the outward and publike exercises of religion they are very diligent as in repairing to the Congregation hearing the Word receiuing of the Sacraments and the like But looke on them in those things which concerne men and there you shall finde them exceedingly faulty being vnmercifull vniust and vnrighteous in their dealings Certainly the religion of these men is in vaine their best seruices doe stinke in Gods nostrils when righteousnesse towards man is wanting Let all such as are in the place of iustice for to them this is especially intended aduisedly consider of this and beware how they turne iudgement into gall and wormewood as Amos speakes and the fruit of righteousnesse into hemlocke I would such would often put Iobs question to their soule What shall I doe when God riseth vp and when he visiteth what shall I answer him It would be a good meanes to make them take vp his practise Not to with-hold from the poore his desire nor cause the eies of the widow to faile not to lift vp their hand against the fatherlesse though they saw their helpe in the gate and might doe it vndiscerned Yea let vs all consider this and endeuour to bee conscionably iust and vpright in our dealings betweene man and man When the question is made to God what manner of men should dwell in his Tabernacle and rest in his holy Mountaine i. which should haue a good estate here and an habitation in heauen for euermore he describeth them by their innocent and harmlesse behauiour towards their brethren He that walketh vprightly and worketh righteousnesse and speaketh the truth in his heart Certainly hee regardeth that worke very much which hee rewardeth with such and so great wages And hee is well pleased with that
saith that is a sinne that cryeth loud in the eares of God for vengeance How many thousands then in this Land stand obnoxious in an high degree to the iudgements of God for this same sinne which is the bane of our people and blemish of our Church Some there are who rob God of his maine tithes yet are content to leaue him still the lesser they plucke our fleeces and leaue vs the taglocks poore Vicaridge tithes whilst themselues and children are kept warme in our wooll the Parsonage And others yet more iniurious who thinke that too much would the law but allow them a paire of sheeres they would clip the very taglocks off These with the deceitfull Taylor are not content to shrinke the whole and faire broad-cloth of the Church to a dozen of buttons but they must likewise take part of them away and nimme the very shreds which only we haue left After they haue full gorged themselues with the Parsonage graines they can finde meanes either by vnconscionable leases or compositions to picke the Vicaridge bones And thus as Dionysius dealt with Iupiter Olympius who tooke from him a massie garment of gold which Hiero had dedicated to him of the spoiles of Carthage and gaue him a woollen cloake saying that the other was too heauy for summer and too cold for winter but this was fit for both seasons euen so I say we are dealt withall And now our pouertie is flouted at by them that haue our liuings as the Iewes who hauing spoyled Christ of his vestments then mocked him with basenesse Euery Gentleman thinks Ministers meane and yet all the world sees that our meanes haue made them Gentlemen But let all such persons know as haue any way intruded vpon Church rights God hath a Quare impedit against them which one day they must make answer to You say they were taken away from idle drones and fat-bellied Monkes True from the vnworthy they were taken and from the worthy they are detained Wicked Papists had them vngodly robbers haue them And as one obserues vpon the battell of Montlecherye some lost their liuings for running away and they were giuen to those who ranne ten miles further Idlenesse hath lost and oppression hath gained You obiect againe that they were giuen by our forefathers not to vs but to Romish Priests and Bishops who are depriued of them and therefore you haue as much right to them as any of our Clergy Thus is this Obiection answered These were giuen to religious vses and for the encrease of true Religion and Learning Now if they by iniurie of the time through ignorance mistooke the truth it is not wrong nay it is great right to keepe their generall purpose with amendment of their particular error Againe you plead they are your inheritances left you by your Fathers and if they haue beene taken from the Church you tooke them not But learne what that meaneth If a Father that hath oppressed the poore and needie and spoiled by violence c. beget a sonne that seeth all his fathers sinnes which he hath done and considereth and doth not the like c. he shall not die for the iniquitie of his father he shall surely liue c. And then that Obiection is answered Yet Law is on your side and you doe no more than that allowes Though the Lawes of men are for you yet the Lawes of God by which you must one day stand or fall are plaine against you And albeit it holds in the courts of men yet it will neuer hold in the Court of Heauen Besides the Ciuill Lawes are not on your side for they hold that the things of God such as are our tithes and reuenues of the Church ought not to belong to Lay persons But say they were yet what are you the better that the lawes of men doe patronize you in it when the Law of God condemnes you for it Oh that all such as are any way guiltie of this sinne would in time bethinke them and call to minde the horrible examples of Gods iudgements in former ages for it Belshazzar king of Babylon abusing the holy vessels of the Temple to prophane vses was first wounded inwardly with terror of conscience and afterwards was cruelly murdered In both the bookes of the Maccabees we reade of Alcymus Heliodorus Lysimachus Antiochus Menelaus and Nicanor all notorious Church-robbers and all came to fearefull ends The example likewise of Ananias and Saphira is not to be forgotten who for withholding part of that money which was consecrated to God by their own gift were by the seueritie of Gods iustice strooke dead as inuaders of Gods right thus according to Solomons prouerb It is a snare to a man that deuoureth holy things and as a snare first it catcheth suddenly secondly it holdeth surely and thirdly it destroieth certainly Let our Improprietaries apply it and learne to be wise by others harmes Let them beware how they Iewishly with the spoiles of Christ purchase fields of bloud for themselues and theirs For questionlesse the Churches goods haue proued more vnfortunate to the Gentrie of this land than euer did the gold of the Temple of Tholossa to the followers of Scipio of which whoeuer caried any part away neuer prospered after This hath beene as that cole which hung at the peece of meat which the Eagle stole from the Altar wherewith she fired her nest and burnt vp her selfe and young ones Had it not beene for this it may be thought many a faire Family had at this day stood which is now ruinated God is as iust as euer and detesteth this sinne as much as euer he did and therefore let such as will not leaue it and repent of it assure themselues that they shall speed as others haue done before them To you then that haue any Impropriations in your hands I say as Daniel did in the like case to Nebuchadnezzar Let my counsell be acceptable to you breake off this your sinne by righteousnesse Make restitution of that which most vniustly you haue so long deteined that so there may be a healing of your error Thou hast taken away the Churches dowrie and spoiled her of it now it were but reason if thou shouldest make her a iointer to recompence the wrong offered and the losse she hath sustained But howeuer restore to God his owne that God may restore to you your owne For with what face canst thou expect an inheritance from Christ in heauen who deteinest away from Christ his inheritance vpon earth what you get by such a detiny shall be your fatall destinie you shall leaue the gold behinde you but carry the guilt with you to euerlasting fire And that which you deuoure here you are like to disgest in hell hereafter except by Restitution you vomit it vp before We doe not craue that you would with Zacheus restore foure-fold