those that lie in darkenes and shadow of death vntill they haue accesse into the Church of the faythfull For so lōg as we be without the church and number of the faythfull we are aliants strangers pilgrims and men without God in this worlde yea wee bee enemies to God vntil we be reconciled to the father by Christ We are without mercy and polluted in our bloud vntil by him we obtaine grace be washed from our sinnes We are dead in trespasses and sinnes till we be raised vp with the righteousnes of Christ We be drunkē with the poisoned dregges of superstition vntil we haue the soueraigne triacle of Gods promises in the worde of the truth for our preseruation How thē ought we think you to make haste into this arke your owne cōsciences herein shal be my iudges Surely we can not be partakers of the heauenly graces except we be within the church of Christ for onely vpon the same they are bestowed Where can our soules be fed with the worde of God but among the faythfull who are the sheepe of Christ heare his voice Where shall we shew our thankfulnesse and confirme our faith with the sacraments but in that Church where thei be sincerely ministred Where can we haue forgiuenesse of our sinnes the grace of God the holy ghost the righteousnesse of Christ and other his benefits vnlesse we be within the Church for whom he wrought the same If therefore we hope for happines looke assuredly for saluation thē must we keepe within the arke then we shall be safe and sounde And that we be not deceyued with the title of the Church which the aduersaries always haue in their mouthes the Lord hath left vs his true and sincere worde the right administratiō of his sacraments and ecclesiasticall discipline to be the perfect marks of this his spirituall arke whereto whilest we do cleaue stick we cannot be deceyued or perish with the wicked What then sayth the papist shall we thinke of all those which liued in the time of ignorāce and were without the Church which now we haue which was so lately found shall we iudge them to be damned which thing we must needes do except wee make the Church of Rome the arke and Church of Christ Concerning the Church of Rome this is to be obserued that this Church of Rome which nowe is is not the same but only in place with that which was in the primitiue time For then they followed the doctrine of the Apostles nowe they haue reuolted from the same and Antichrist sitteth in the Temple of God. And though the auncient fathers speake much in the commendation of the Church of Rome yet speake they only of the church before that superstition crept into the same And now before I answere to this question I must propounde the like to them Before the time of Boniface the third then Pope of Rome when superstition and corruptiō crept into the Church and the light of the trueth began to be darkned were all damned which neuer before or after yeelded to the sea religion of Rome Were all vndone which neuer beleeued transubstantiation concluded by Innocētius the third or those which neuer worshipped their breaden god which thing Honorius did decree What need I speake of other vanities Were all the Prophetes and holy men of God was Christ and his Apostles and the auncient fathers of the primitiue Church beside the way and out of the arke which had the spirite of God to lead thē into all truth who taught the sacred verities and all things necessarie to saluation and yet did neuer retaine such vanities as these men holde And if they did foretell any thing thereof it was but to bid the Church beware of such vngodlinesse And as for the arke or Church wherein we bee it was before theirs was euer deuised not newly and of late yeeres as many iudge begunne but renued and reformed of late according to the worde of God and is in substāce and doctrine all one with the Church of God from the beginning directed by his spirit and by the scepter of his worde And albeit it was long hid through the tyrannie of the deuill who draue the woman into the wildernes yet ceased there not infinite numbers to withstande and gainsay the pollutions of Idolatrie whom God preserued by his grace though they could not bee seene by the eyes of men For like as faith is chiefly knowē to God and cannot be discerned by outwarde senses otherwise then by the declarations thereof so the Lorde knewe onely who were his whose fayth was knowne by their resistance to the beast When Iohn foretold the corruptions of the later times and of the man of sinne he shewed that there was of all tribes many sealed with the spirit of God and marked with the blood of the Lambe receyued by fayth who perished not in the lake of Antichristes pollutions He tolde that the two witnesses of Christ whereby he meant the smal number of the true Church should be murthered by the beast who should make warre with the saints of God and torment them to death who should be drunken with the blood of saints and holy martyrs which could neuer haue beene if there had bene none to haue gainsaid his wicked ways I neede not speake of the churches of Grecia who still withstood the popish vanities yea there neuer ceased some to withstande hir erronious religion Neither must we thinke that all was lost that liued thē For why the Lord hath wayes meanes vnknowen to man to saue his people as hee saued the thiefe euen in the last houre vpon the crosse And as he hath chosen in his secret purpose vnknowne to man who shall bee saued so will he not lose one of them but call them in due time As for this argument which they vse herein it hath bene a stūbling blocke to the wicked of all ages The Iewes were mooued with nothing so much to gainsay the doctrine of the Prophets calling them from their Idolatrie but that their fathers had liued as they did at that present and yet they ought not to haue folowed their fathers further then their fathers folowed the worde of trueth The woman of Samaria reasoned thus against our Sauiour Christ Our fathers saith shee worshipped in this mountaine but hee made hir an answere that they worshipped they knewe not what for saluation came of the Iewes But it is not the part of a good cōscience whē the trueth is opened to leape from the same into the seat of iudgement and define who were saued who were not but rather referring al to the mercy and good pleasure of God both concerning our forefathers all others to labour our wittes to do his will. For now this thing is condemnation that light is come into the world
of your quiet conscience in the last day Your honours most humble in Christ Christopher Shutt C B ¶ A verie godlie and necessary Sermon preached before the young Countesse of Comberlande in the North the 24. of Nouember 1577. by M. Christopher Shutt Ebr. 11.7 By faith Noe being warned of God of the things which were as yet not seene moued with reuerence prepared the arke to the sauing of his housholde through the which arke he condemned the world and was made heire of the righteousnes which is by faith THe holy ghost right honourable and welbeloued layeth forth to our consideration in this chapter a long rehearsal of the faithful men of God in the former ages of the worlde whose perfect faith and true religion is made manifest to all posterities in this place of scripture who after that by faith they were iustified before God like trees of righteousnes they brought forth the fruites of al obedience in godly cōuersation Among whom the Apostle reckoneth vp the liuely faith and godly life of righteous Noe in the latter end of the first age Who beholding the great ripenes of sinne and corruption of all flesh with ouerflowing waters to be punished being warned of God with all reuerence and feare prepared the arke for the safetie of him selfe and his houshold and also to condemne the great securitie of that carelesse generation whereby hee obtained through the free mercy of God to be called the heire of the righteousnes which is according vnto faith The due remembrance whereof may enkindle in vs if we lothe not our saluation the vigilant care wherewith we ought to be pressed in this last age and winding vp of these our sorowful dayes wherein such ripenes of al iniquities so horrible contempt of Gods word and so manifest vngodlines foretel and prognosticate the small fall of this totering world to be very neere an end that when the same shal come we might be saued within the arke of Christes Church with faithfull Noe rather then by our carnall securitie to hazard losse of bodie and soule for euer The wordes of the Apostle as they lye in order containe especially two things to be obserued The one whereupon it came that Noe was moued to prepare the arke The other what effect that arke had when it was made The former is contayned in these words By faith Noe being warned of God of the things which were as yet not seene moued with reuerence prepared the arke Wherein is perceiued first an admonition to be giuen him Secondly a readines in him to beleue the same and last of all the making of the arke to declare the obedience of his faith The other followeth in the text He prepared it to the sauing of his houshold through which arke he condemned the world and was made heire of the righteousnes which is by faith Wherein is noted what effect it had in Noe and his familie next of al what effect concerning the wicked lastly howe this obedience of Noe was accepted and rewarded of God. Albeit right honourable and beloued the electe of God in this life walke through the valleye of teares and shadows of death yet the Lord continueth their light strength and rocke of sure defence who in the time of trouble will hide them in his tabernacle that not one heare of their head shal perishe but when the floodes of aduersities approch he giueth them warning to escape and so deliuereth them out of temptation and reserueth the vniust vnto the day of iudgement to bee punished Which warning the Lorde gaue now to Noe with whom he had according to the riches of his grace entred into a couenant to the end he might prepare an arke for his deliueraunce against the comming of the flood wherewith the wicked shoulde bee drowned In like maner when the sinnes of the Sodomites cryed for vengeance from heauen the Lorde premonished righteous Lot being wearied with their vncleannes to separate him selfe and his from them least he shoulde haue perished in the flame of the citie which was readie with fire and brimstone to be destroyed When Corah Dathan and Abiron with their companie had repugned the ordinaunce of God and contrary to his commandement offred vp straunge incense and so prouoked the wrath of the Lorde against them the Lord commanded Moses Aaron to exempt them selues the rest of the congregation from their companie lest they should haue bin swalowed vp together with them quicke into hell Such faythfull warning the spirite of God giueth to the elected saintes in the reuelation that they should come out of Babylon and touche no vncleane thing least in being partakers of hir sinnes they should haue bin partakers of hir plagues wherein wee may learne the great care which the Lorde hath for the saluatiō of his people forewarning them alwayes of the dangers to come to the ende they might safely rest vnder his protection For surely he will do nothing but he first reuealeth his word vnto his Prophets that they may warne his chosen earely and late to saue them selues in time of trouble The Lord foretolde the people of Israel of Iuda by the mouth of his Prophetes their captiuitie in Assyria Babylon long time before they felt any sore that the godly might seeke deliueraunce Our Sauiour Christ premonished his elect of many daungers to come that those which were in Iurie might flee vnto the mountaines and seeke to saue themselues vnder the crosse The Apostles foreshewed the comming of false prophetes and of Antichrist the man of sinne and of his manifolde abominations wherewith he should poyson the world that the godly might bee the better furnished with the woorde of trueth to preserue them selues against his wily traines of mans decrees and vaine inuentions We haue bene admonished these nineteene yeeres and more and warned by the preaching of the Gospell to forsake papistrie and superstition to leaue our sinfull wayes and to folowe the righteousnesse of life that we might be saued from destruction We haue bin at our wits ende with signes and strange reports and fearfull sights from heauen calling vs to repētance We haue felt of earthly cōsumptions diuers kindes of death with losse of friends and other things to humble vs to flie from the wrath to come We haue bene astonied with the lamentable ruine of Monarchies kingdomes rounde about vs that we sleepe not in securitie And dayly we doe see such troubles euerye where as do forewarne our ouerthrowe if in time we doe not repent Wherfore as the Lord hath set watchmen ouer vs in bidding vs take heede to the sounde of the trumpet let vs beware with reuerence and feare for if wee walke after the stubbernes of our stonie heartes and saye with the wicked wee will not take heede then will hee bring vpon vs the fruites of our
owne imaginations and all the curses of the law and so we shall lye downe in our owne confusion and bee couered with our shame because wee loathed instruction and hated to bee reformed For surely the ouerthrow of the wicked sleepeth not though yet they liue in al prosperitie and florish as a greene Bay tree Let not vs then folowe their â—â—usion of ryote but in time receiue the Lordes warning with Noe to huÌ„ble our selues to walke before our god The Storcke in the ayre as sayth the Prophete knoweth her appointed times the Turtle the Crane and the Swallowe obserue their opportunitie of comming and shall not we knowe the iudgements of our God Or can the Oxe know his masters stall or the Asse his masters cribbe and shall not Israel know his God Let vs be warned by the voyce of God let vs receiue instruction and be wise betime For blessed is the man that heareth wisdome watching dayly at hir gates and giuing attendance at the postes of hir doores For hee that findeth hir findeth life and shall obtaine the fauour of the Lord and onely this is our wisdome and perfect vnderstanding to receiue and obserue the admonitions of our God. When Noe were thus admonished by the Lorde he did not by and by forget his worde or choke it with the cares of life and voluptuousnesse of liuing then preuailing but as his fayth was wrought thereby so was he now emboldned and his fayth encreased and preserued by these admonitions concerning thinges to come For as by meats drinks the bodie is increased and by the wholsome counsell of physitions the sicknes to be feared is preueÌ„ted so by the woorde of God the fayth of Noe was increased and by the admonitions thereof the daungers to bee feared were auoyded whilest he willingly gaue credit to that which was spoken By this his readinesse to beleeue the worde appeareth plainly beloued the faythfull heart which the godly ought to haue towards the same that in beleeuing the worde of trueth the Lord may be their God and they his people This readinesse was in the Kenites when they left their owne couÌ„try to go with the Israelites into the land of Canaan that they might be further instructed in the law of God. This readines was in the good king Iosias wheÌ„ his heart melted within him for feare of the plagues of God towardes the land neither ceassed he vntill he had enquired of the Lord what was to be done This readinesse was in all those which wente through the valley of teares from strength to strength to seeke the Lorde in Sion This readinesse was in the Prophetes and Apostles whilest they left all thinges to obey the will of God. This readines was in the Iewes when they were fired with the wordes of Peter and with penitent hearts required what to do And this ought to be our readines towards the word of our saluation and towards the admonitions of the most highest that whilest he speaketh we giue eare whilest he crieth that wee make answere and whilest it is said to day that we beleue and heare his voyce These should be the daies wherein men shoulde follow no more the stubbornnesse of theyr wicked hearts but rather should goe vp to the mountaine of the lord to be instructed in his lawes with reuerence and feare These should be the dayes wherein the idoles shoulde de destroyed and men shoulde forsake their molten gods These should be the sweete and ioyfull dayes of Ierusalem wherein the people shoulde offer willing offrings of obedience and thankfulnesse These shoulde be the Halcionios dies of the Church when righteousnesse and peace when mercie and trueth shoulde meete and kisse eche other But in steade of readines to the worlde the eares of many are vncircumcised that they neither can nor will heare the lawe of god In stead of casting away the vanities of Idoles they are marked with the beastes marke whome they worship In stead of quietnes loue the heartes of many are set on mischiefe whilest discorde enuie and debate preuaile so much I feare therefore these dayes are more like the daies of Noe wherin the coÌ„tempt of trueth bare rule amongst so many They are the dayes of the prouocation in the wildernes wherein the delights of Egyptiacal seruitude is preferred before the sweete Manna of euerlasting happines I wonder what euill spirite hath bewitched men that they should not beleeue the truth Why haue they put vpon them an whorish face and a shameles looke and made their hearts like an adamant whilest they walke in the errour of theyr hearts and in the vanitie of their own imaginations Euery man flattereth himselfe in his owne wayes thinketh him selfe more holy then his fellowe but yet hee pluckes not the beame of pride out of his eie Wee say with filthie Iuda that we be not polluted nor haue folowed after Baalim and yet we are vncleane by meanes of popishe superstition Wee bragge and boast with the proud Pharisie of our righteousnes yet feele we not the burthen of our sinnes and faith in Christ and therfore remaine vniustified We say with the angell of Laodicea that we be rich and much encreased with goodes and haue neede of nothing yet we know not that we are wretched miserable poore and blind naked What remayneth then for vs but to bye of the Lords fine gold that we may be rich white rayment that we may be clothed that our filthie nakednes do not appeare that our eies may be anointed with the eie salue that we may see with al readines to obey the truth to be warned with Noe to make preparation against the flouds of euil to come But especially welbeloued the faith of Noe appeared in this that he saw the things to come which presently could not by outwarde senses be discerned For seeing that the floud was not come before an hundreth and twentie yeeres were ended the tract of time might haue remoued and banished away the remembrance thereof It might also haue seemed incredible to flesh and bloud that such a water should come so quickly besides all these the wicked folowed their delights without respect and to be short these threatnings of such floods might haue bene iudged vaine but Noe his faith did mouÌ„t aloft and reached aboue the capacitie of outwarde senses and looked vp to things more excellent by much theÌ„ could by outward meanes be vnderstood which things yet hid and not apparant the holy ghost sealeth in our harts for our more assurance According whereunto the Apostle calleth fayth the substance of things hoped for the sure demonstration of thinges which are not seene thereby not onely lifting vp our fayth to things to come but also fully assuring vs of the performaÌ„ce therof for God is faithful
men loue darknes more then light And to saye the trueth if some of our elders in the times of ignorāce had had the trueth as wee haue no we reueyled they would long since haue repented in sackecloth ashes But it is greatly to bee feared which our sauiour Christ doth threaten to come to passe against the Iewes to be layde against vs For as the men of Niniue repēted at the preaching of Ionas and not the Iewes at the preaching of Christ who was greater thē Ionas euen so the good and faithfull dealing which they had in times past in ciuill causes doth reprooue our iniquities and tell what they would haue bin if they had had the light And therefore a good father saieth full well Men had better cōsciences then and lesse knowledge now haue they more knowledge worse consciences But if these men will bragge of auncientie thē must they looke vnto the olde wayes of the Prophets and Apostles to Christ the trueth it selfe in whom are all the treasures of wisedome and vnderstanding for Antiquitie without veritie is nothing worth If they would boast of vnitie the same must be reposed in true doctrine and the holy ghost not in ydle ceremonies If they will glory of succession the same will helpe thē nothing except they follow the ancient fathers in sinceritie of doctrine and godly cōuersation for they be not the true successours of holy men which alwayes sit in their chayres but they which folow their faith and godly workes And if they make theyr vaunt of multitude the most parte are not alwayes best inclined For why narowe is the way that leadeth vnto lyfe and fewe there be that fynde it but wyde is the way that leadeth to perdition And though many be called yet fewe be chosen Only Noe his familie which were but eight in all were saued aliue when all the worlde besides was drowned And though they bragge much of the title of the church the church yet haue they made thereof a denne of theeues brokē downe the vineyard of the Lorde erred frō the way of trueth Let vs therfore repaire not vnto them but vnto the Arke of Christ so wee shall be sure and safe from drowning destruction Furthermore it is to be noted that notwithstāding Noe and his familie were safe within the Arke and sure from drowning yet were they tossed to fro with the feareful waues sourging seas also dismaid with the cloudy mistie ayre not much vnlike vnto the disciples of our Sauiour Christ afraid vpō the seas at the dāgerous tempestes tossing the ship wherein they were But as then our sauiour Christ most comfortably did awake and commaunde both winds and seas to be still so was the merciful God careful for Noe in these afflictions within the Arke and after many wearisome dayes did bring him safe to land Thus is the Church of God alwayes in the raging tempestes and byllowes of this worlde afflicted with many tribulations before she can arriue to the hauen of heauenly happines Albeit Abraham had the Lorde to bee his buckler and exceeding great rewarde vnder whose defence hee was safely garded yet was hee tryed by famine and other daungers many for the better exercise of his faith The Prophet Dauid was well assured of the Lordes fauour and mightie protection that hee needed not to feare yet was his fayth and patience proued by many afflictions both of wicked Saul and others mo and him selfe ordayned to go through fire and water before he came to the place of sweet refreshing Before our Sauiour and captaine Christ the head of the Church did with our fleshe ascende into heauen hee passed through the grieuous torments of the crosse Before the saintes and holy men of God attained euerlasting happinesse their fayth patience was tryed by the manifolde persecutions of Antichrist and his members And euen in these dayes the beast and man of sinne and sonne of perdition together with many kings and nobles of the earth doth breathe grieuous threates and wicked counsell against the Church and spouse of Christ and stirre vp strife all the day long wherein we must learne dearely beloued to arme our selues with fayth and patience against such persecutions For although wee be within the Arke yet will the waters of afflictions streame and striue against vs. Though our fayth bee buylded vpon the rocke and sure fundation Christ Iesus yet will the boysterous blastes and windes of wickednes assault shake vs if it were possible to make vs fall Wee must needs be like fashioned to our master and captaine Christ to suffer with him that wee may raigne with him to dye with him that we may rise againe with him to be partakers of his sorowes that we may be fellowes at his ioyes Wee must needes be tryed as fine golde from base mettall as the godly from the vngodly and as children from bastardes in the fierie fornace of afflictions Wee must needes haue the reliques of sinne punished in vs and therfore wee are tossed within the Arke chastised of the Lorde least with the wicked worlde we should be condemned Hereby the Lord wil also haue vs to bee stirred vp to seeke for succour from his throne of grace in calling vpon him in the day of trouble Our fayth our patience and other vertues moe must needs be explored known we must be inflamed with the desire of the life immortall wherewith we shal be crowned after we haue endured tentation Neither must we in the middest of these afflictions be discomfited or faynt-hearted for why wee abide nothing but it is according to the will of God neyther happeneth any thing vnto vs but the same hath happened to the godly of all ages And although for a time we cate the breade of teares and drinke the waters of aduersitie yet afterwarde shall we be filled with the heauenly Manna waters of euerlasting life Heauines may well endure for a night but ioye commeth in the morning The Lorde hath promised to bee present with vs by his grace and to comfort vs in distresse and to deliuer vs out of tribulatiō And though wee bee tossed in the Arke for a yere perhappes for more yet shall wee rest at length vpon Armenia and the floodes bee dryed vp and then the Lorde shall take vengeance of them who here afflict and molest vs. And in the meane time he shall turne their hearts that they do vs no wrong as hee turned the heart of Esau towardes Iacob Hee shall call them backe from persecuting vs as hee called Saul from folowing and pursuing after Dauid yea hee shall put such a snaffle in their mouthes then they shall doe no more then in his secrete prouidence he hath appoynted Wherefore when we be impugned by
sathan and the spirituall powers of wickednesse aboue our bodily reache when wee walke through the middest of many false brethrē and by these aduersaries of the trueth be reproched slandered reuiled and persecuted also weakened through our owne infirmities let this bee our hope and comfort that wee bee within the Arke and once the ioyful day wil come when God shall wipe away all sorowes from our eyes and crowne vs with glory and worship And therefore whilest we be within the Arke let vs not despaire for trouble and aduersitie for God is faythfull who hath promised And thus much of the first effect of the Arke The seconde effect it had was touching the wicked for the scripture saith Whereby he condemned the worlde Whilest Noe and his family dearely beloued were lōg exercised in the making of the Arke and thereby obeyed the cōmandement of God they did condemne the stubbernes of the wicked which refused to do the same and to be warned and so tooke away al excuses from them so that as the Arke was for the safetie of Noe so was it likewise a cōdemnation for the wicked This is deare brethren the nature of the admonitions and warnings of God which for the most part haue a double effect for to the godly which beleeue the same they are the sauour of life to life but to the wicked which refuse the same they are the taste of death vnto destruction For as the redde sea was a safe passage for the Israelites comming out of Egypt and a drowning to the Egyptians And as the fire of Babylon hurt not the three childrē cast into the Ouen but yet burnt the ministers which cast them in And as the Lyons saued Daniel aliue but quickly did deuoure his accusers euen so is the nature of the word of god Wherefore it is cōpared to the fire which melteth waxe and hardeneth clay and to the trumpe in battell which encourageth some discourageth other some And as the rayn comming down frō heauen returneth not thither againe but maketh the earth fruitfull euen so shall the woorde of God accomplish euery where whatsoeuer his will is And therefore as it is a condemnation to the wicked so is it the power of God vnto saluatiō to all those which beleeue the same Let vs therfore submit our selues all our cogitations to the same least in refusing it we be condemned thereby and all excuse taken from vs. But it fareth with this generation whereof fewe embrace the trueth and liue therafter as it did with the worlde in the dayes of Noe. For as then they were disobedient to Noe and contemned the preaching of righteousnes so nowe many good Noes preache the woorde sincerely but alas it falleth into the heartes of many but as good seed into euill groūd and therefore eyther bringeth forth litle or els no fruite at al the contempt whereof was then and so is nowe the cause of manye plagues What banished Adam out of Paradise brought so many woes vpon him all his posteritie but the contempt of Gods worde what ouerthrewe the Israelites in the wildernesse plagued their posteritie in the lande of Canaan so often but the contempt hereof what lost Saul the fauour of God and the scepter of his kingdome or what led Israel and Iuda into captiuitie but the contempt of this what helde the Iewes frō the heauēly supper graces of God what depriued them of the dignitie of the childrē benefite of the kingdome but the contempt of this what should I speake of the manifolde plagues of God powred vpon this realme of England nations rounde about vs for the contempt of his worde And then how happeneth it that we still loath the same as the Israelites did Manna in the wildernes or is it that we would be in the spiritual Egypt of filthie papistrie againe and so depriue our selues of the land of rest But as in Noe his time all fleshe euen all degrees were sore corrupted so is it nowe most lamentable to beholde all fleshe is gone astray and iniquitie ripe on euery side Looke into the heads high estates of al sorts who shuld haue knowledge bee lightes for others euen these as the Prophet saith haue broken the yoke burst the bonds asunder Where should be zeale and true religion Where shoulde be godlinesse and innocencie of life but chiefly in these but doe we not see many of them eyther professed papistes or manifest dissemblers Where should the ministerie be relieued and vpholdē but by these and do not diuers o◠them make spoyle hauocke of the Church goodes to cloath and feede them selues and starue the poore Where shoulde the good and godly lawes of Englande be better executed but by these They doe not make they marre and breake the lawes And if there bee some godly statutes made it is to true in some which the Oratour sayth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Manie lawes we make but wee litle regard or keepe them And as the Poet saith Auro venalia iura Why are the lawes like spyders webs to let the waspe escape and to torment the flye If gentlemē offend as their hands are ryfest in transgression they haue their purse courtly friendes they shall escape vnpunished But aye the poore goes by the walles What els is this but euen to make and sel the lawes I neede not speake of brybing and insatiable officers who rather seeke for gaine then for maintaining of the trueth who make the poore their praye and spoyle But this I saye as sometimes an ancient king hath said Saepè boni iudices habent malos vicarios quorum reatibus ipsi domini constringuntur si non eos coërceant à rapacitate cohibeant that is Oftentimes good magistrates haue euill vicegerentes or vnder officers with whose offences the heades them selues are chayned if they stay them not and refraine them from greedines And what may we rightly iudge to bee the cause of these offences but euen the neglect of the woorde of God which should teache vs to doe aright and to flee from euill And as the contempt in this degree is horrible so woulde I wishe it spreade no further then should our ministerie be the freer from offence and our gospel haue the better speede But it is herein as Ieremie said The priests say not Where is the Lord and they that should minister the law know not the Lorde the pastours haue offended against him the Prophets prophesie in Baal and goe after things which do not profit Our ministerie is fowly to saye the trueth corrupted for whilest ignorant ministers and dombe dogges more like to Ieroboams priests and sacrificing massemongers haue cure charge of soule while tagge ragge may bee admitted to this function whilest gentlemen may haue the profits of the flocke and