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
not fruitles as our aduersaries make report but like a good tree it must bring forth the fruites of integritie and righteousnes of life For euen as fyre burneth cannot be without heate no more then the sunne without his light euen so is it impossible for a true faith to be without good workes which although they do not iustifie vs before God yet are they to bee done that our obedience of faith may thereby be discerned which may bee seene whilest wee walke in the lawe of God. When Moses was ready to take his leaue of the Israelites howe earnestly he required of them obedience to the law of god it is most manyfest throughout the whole booke of Deutero When Samuel had appointed that Iewes a king how sweetely doth hee moue them to the obedience of the law Whē Dauid would publish and sing the praises of God how vehementlye doth he coūsel the Iewes to heare the voyce of God and not to harden their hearts as in the deserte When the Prophets would haue the people to turne to the Lorde that his wrath might bee turned from them their chief persuasion resteth herin that they would testify their faith not by the multitude of sacrifices but by obeying the worde of god This obedience our Sauiour Christ requireth of his disciples if they loue him to keepe his cōmandements this is the same which the Apostle Paul calleth the obedience of faith to the end after we bee iustified wee might expresse the same by our obedience to the law of God and therefore in al his epistles after the treatise of iustification he cōmandeth the fruits of newnes of life whereby dearly beloued wee are to learne how fruitfull our obedience ought to be in good workes for so much as our faith is made manifest therby god is glorified and our brethren profited hee hath made vs a peculiar people vnto him self that we shuld be folowers of good workes wee must therefore liue holily soberly righteously in this presēt world he hath redeemed vs frō the hands of our enemies that we should serue him in holines righteousnes for euer He hath giuen vs heauenlye graces many and endued vs with his holye spirit therefore must the bodie dye to sinne the spirite liue for righteousnes sake He is holye who hath called vs therfore must we be holy in al our conuersation Let vs therefore deare brethren shew forth our obedience in newnes of life and make strong our election and calling by our good workes and our labour shal not be in vaine in the Lord. Wee make great boastes and crakes that wee be Christians let the same be proued true or false by our liues for not euery one that sayth Lord Lorde shall enter into the kingdom of heauen but he that doth the will of God neither is euery one brother or sister to Christ but onely those which heare and keepe his word this is the fruite of our obedience and righteousnes towardes God. If we couet to be blessed and haue good successe we must needs beginne at this obedience of our faith Yf we will haue the Lord to be our God and wee our selues to be his people then must we humble our selues to obey his word yf we wil be counted the friendes of Christ then must we do whatsoeuer he hath commāded vs Yf we will bee purified by faith in heart we must begin to obey the trueth Yf we wil be safely armed against spiritual wickednes we must hold fast the word of god finally if we couet to be saued we may not bee ashamed of the Gospell but in all meeknes receiue the same for it is able to saue our soules We say with the Israelites to Moses that wee will obserue the law But oh that there were such an heart in vs to feare the Lorde and to keepe his commandementes alway that it might go well with vs and with our children for euer Wherefore as obediēce is better then sacrifice so let this be our wisdome with Noe to declare and shew forth our faith by our obedience vnto the word of God. Besides al this the obedience of righteous Noe more plainely did appeare in that he did not folowe his owne purpose and deuise but the appointment of God in this making of the arke for he made it in length in breadth and height in all other partes accordinglye as he was commanded This is the wisedome of God who will not haue his Church builded accordīg to mannes deuise but by the direction of his worde When Moses was commanded to build the tabernacle he was straightly charged to do it according to the paterne shewed vnto him in the mounte When the Israelites were instructed how to serue God when they came into the land of promise they were forbidden to serue him after the maner of the Canaanites and onely to worship him according to his lawe without either turning to the right hand or to the left When the Iewes returned out of captiuitie and repaired the ruines of the temple at Ierusalem they reedified it according to the former building made by Salomō Whē our sauiour Christ builded the spirituall arke temple of his church he layed no other foundation but him selfe who was the rocke against the which the gates of hel should not preuaile For finishing wherof in the gathering together of the saintes he charged the Apostles straitly but to speake what he had taught them This ought to be our speciall care in building and reformation of religion not to do what we thinke good but as the Israelites before they tooke any thing in hand asked counsell of God so must we in all our wayes be ruled by his word which is the way for vs to walke in which the holy ghost hath written that wee might beleue in beleeuing might haue life Wherefore whosoeuer bringeth any other Gospel though it were an angell from heauen let him be accursed neither let vs receiue him into our houses neither bid him God speed Now then if this be the wisedom of God which Noe folowed when he would not build but as he was appointed which Moses the Iewes our sauiour Christ and the apostles haue obserued what kinde of building may that be which standeth onely vpon mens deuises vaine imaginations such as is the whole religion of Antichrist Surelye it is like the religion of the false prophets which sewed pillowes vnder the elbowes of the Iewes in flattring them in their sinnes whilest they dawbed walled their building with vntempered morter Or it is like the house builded vpō the sand which because of the weake fūdation can not well endure Or it is like the straw and stubble which is laid vpon the good fundation which at the fierie triall of
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