Apostles 1. Tim. 3.15 Christ Iesus himselfe being the chiefe corner stone in whom all the building coupled together Eph. 2.20 21. groweth vnto an holy Temple in the Lord. And this is that spirituall Temple whereof this materiall temple was a type and a figure here spoken of in my text And the building of this spirituall house we are then said to promote as good Christians generally when we endeauour to liue soberly iustly vprightly and in the feare of God Abstaining from all appearance of euill and keeping our selues vnspotted of the world when we doe follow peace with all men and holinesse without which no man shall see the Lord when we all of vs indeauour to liue euery man in his vocation painefully and honestly and that with a cleere conscience both toward God and towards all men More particularly Then is Zerubbabel and the Magistrate said to further this worke of the Lord when they doe execute iudgement and iustice vprightly for the punishment of euill doers and the praise of them that doe well when they doe execute iudgement rectè sententiando and when they doe execute iustice debitè exequendo When according to Illyricus Illyricus they doe execute iudicium iustitia iustitiam iudicij semper iustitiam in iudicie Et sit verbum sapienti sat And then are Iehoshua and Gods Ministers said to set forward the building of Gods house which is the Church of Christ when wearing Vrim and Thummim vpon their heart they doe preach the word of God instantly when they doe improoue and rebuke and exhort with all long suffering and doctrine When they are ready according to the Scriptures to teach the ignorant to confute the repugnant to reprooue the euill mannered and to instruct and frame the well disposed Among the rest speciall workemen are yee the Sworne-men Church-wardens and Side-men on whose shoulders a weightie burden of this building a weightie burden of this businesse lyeth Peruse then seriously your bookes of Articles weigh well the dreadfull oath you take Reade it ouer againe and againe as it is set downe vnto you in the forefront of your bookes Consider the Maiestie of that great God whom you inuocate as a witnesse of your integritie and vprightnesse And if you would be as indeede you should be then must I tell you that you should in some sort be like vnto Melchisedech Heb. 7.3 who in the 7. of the Heb. is said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. without father without mother without kindred that so yee may say as Cassidore noteth non nouimus Patrem We know not father we know not mother we know not sister we know not brother we know not friend we know not foe we know not rich we know not poore veritatem nonimus We know the truth and the truth we will present all malice all feare fauour and affection laid aside and that according to the tenour of our oath If thus beloued you will truly informe things deformed in the house of God I doubt not but those in authoritie will carefully see all things reformed conformed and performed to the glory of God and to the amendment of what is amisse in the Church of Christ Ezek. 9.4 5. In the 9. of Ezekiel you shall reade of an Angel whom the Lord sent to Ierusalem in the similitude of a man and what was his message Goe through the Citie and cry against all the abhominations that are done in the midst thereof Other then there were which followed him and what was their charge Goe after him through the Citie and smite and let your eye spare none neither haue you pitie Here both Iurors and Iudges may see grafically described a picture of their duties The Romane Senate as Liuy writeth in his Decads vpon some weightie occasion Tit. Liu. li. 24. deca sent a Messenger vnto a certaine people with whom they were in league called Aequi sometimes he calles them Aequitani But they regarding neither the message nor the Messenger willed him to deliuer his errant vnto that tree pointing vnto an Oake that grew thereby Whereupon the Embassadour turning him to the tree said Tum haec sacrata quercus audict quod faedus violatur Why then said he this sacred Oake shall here and beare witnesse that the league is broken And hereupon followed the ruine and destruction of that people Well you haue heard your duties Church-wardens and Sidemen going before to take and to giue notice of abhominations faults defaults innormities You that are Ecclesiasticall Iudges following after to reforme and amend what is amisse to smite to execute iudgement and iustice without all respect of persons Now herein doe you all take heede that you be not remisse you be not partiall you be not negligent lest the timber the walles the windowes and the pillars of this sacred house doe testifie and beare witnesse against you How God plagued these Iewes for their negligence in the building of his Temple Gods materiall house in Ierusalem you may see in this Prophesie Is it time for your selues to dwell in your sieled houses and this house lye wast There is their sinne recorded in the 4. verse of the 1. Chapter Will you know what were the plagues and iudgements inflicted vpon them for this sinne Then looke into the 6. verse You haue sowne much and bring in little you eate but you haue not enough you drinke but ye are not filled ye cloth you but ye be not warme and he that earneth wages putteth the wages into a broken bagge And in the 9. verse Ye looked for much and loe it came to little And when ye brought it home I did blow vpon it And why saith the Lord of hoasts Because of mine house that is wast and ye run euery man vnto his owne house Therefore the Heauen ouer you stayed it selfe from deaw and the earth stayed her fruit And I called for a drought vpon the Land and vpon the Mountaines and vpon the Corne and vpon the Wine and vpon the Oyle vpon all that the ground bringeth forth both vpon Men and vpon Cattle and vpon all the labour of the hands And in the 16. 17. verses of the 2. Chapter before they set themselues about the building of Gods Temple When one came to an heape of twenty measures there were but ten and when one came to the wine-presse for to draw out fifty vessels out of the presse there were but twenty I smote you with blasting and with meldew and with haile in all the labours of your hands yet ye turned not to mee saith the Lord. And hath not the Lord of late yeares plagued vs after the same fashion for our negligence in the building of his spirituall house iust after the same manner making our fruitfull Land barren for the wickednesse of them that dwell therein And how can we tell but we may be thus plagued partly for our negligence and want of zeale in the repairing in the seemly
to see that all his Subiects as well Clergie men as Lay men each man in his vocation doe obserue and keepe them duely And therefore S. Augustine saith to Bonifacius Aug. Epist 50. ad Bonis In hoc seruiunt Domino Reges herein Kings are said to serue the Lord as they are Kings when within their owne Realmes and Dominions they doe those things which none can doe but onely Kings Obiect But the Apostle in the 5. of the Hebrewes at the 1. verse will tell vs that not Zerubbabel the Prince but Iehosua the high Priest is ordained for men in things that appertaine to God and so we say too that hee is ordained to doe them as it followeth in the next word of the same Scripture to offer guifts and sacrifices for sinnes which wee acknowledge to be the peculiar Office of Iehosua the Priest which if Zerubbabel the Prince take vpon him to meddle with as sometime King Vzziah did then transgresseth he the bounds of his Office and prouoketh the wrath and vengeance of the Lord against him as King Vzziah did 2 Chro. 26.19 Solution But to prouide by good lawes ciuill punishments and orders that Ministers doe their duties in things concerning God and not onely the Ministers but the people too this is Zerubbabels charge this is the Kings charge And so is he ordained of God within his Realmes and Dominions next and immediatly vnder Christ a supreame Gouernour ouer all persons and that in all causes not onely ciuill and temporall but also religious and Ecclesiasticall so farre forth as belongeth to the outward preseruation but not to the personall administration of them wherefore the supremacy which we giue vnto our Zerubbabel in causes Ecclesiasticall is to deale therein not as King Vzziah but as good King Ezekiah did that is not to offer Incense not to preach the Word not to administer the Sacraments not to celebrate publike prayers not to practise the discipline of the Church and such like But to see that these things bee done as they ought to bee done by such as are lawfully called thereunto this is Zerubbabels charge And in giuing this to Caesar we giue no more then is Caesars The greater then is their fault who reprooue the Oath of the Kings supremacy as wicked and vngodly For to be sworne to this of his Maiesty is no more but to acknowledge him to be the lawfull Soueraigne And why may not our Parliament take an oath of Englishmen for Iames our King against the Pope vsurping his right as well as Iehoida tooke an oath of the men of Iudah for Ioash their King 2. King 11.4 against Athaliah that vsurped his State as you may reade in the 2. Kings 11. This poynt then let me close vp with that of Saint Augustine In hoc seruiunt Domino Reges c. Herein are Kings said to serue the Lord as they are Kings when within their owne Realmes and Dominions they doe command good things Aug contra Cresâ—â—b 3. cap. 13. and forbid the contrary not onely concerning the ciuill state of men but concerning the religion of God also so S. Augustine writing against Cresconius And now let vs descend to the last poynt to bee handled to wit the end wherefore the Lord stirred vp the spirit of Prince Priest and people And that was to the building and repairing of his Temple They came and did the worke in the house of the Lord of hosts their God To shew that they were awaked from sleepe they came and set themselues to worke A good argument that a man lies not still sleeping Many you know will answer in their sleepe speake and talke in their sleepe and say they will doe this and that and yet all the while lye sleeping still But when you see a man once set himselfe handsomely to worke then you may be assured that he is awaked indeed As when the chiefe poise of a clocke lies downe vpon the ground all the wheeles stand still but as soone as the weights are wound vp from the ground presently all the wheeles are set a worke and are euery one in its proper motion and so by the Horologe and the bell you may see and here how the day passeth In like manner so long as the heart of Prince Priest and people lay groueling on the earth and earthly things running euery man to his owne house letting Gods house lie waste so long their was no stirring no motion in them towards the building of Gods Temple But as soone as the Spirit of the Lord drew vp the poise of their heart from the earth toward heauen and heauenly things presently as so many wheeles all the powers and faculties of their soules and all the parts and members of their bodies were set a worke in building the house of the Lord of hosts their God Some commanding some directing some aduising some deuising some working in brasse some in gold and siluer some in purple some carrying some sawing some squaring timber some hewing stones some building the walles and some bearing mortar And so couragiously and cheerefully did they follow this businesse that whereas before Gods house lay waste in the dust and in the rubbish for the space of fortie yeeres after their returne from Babylon Now they had finished the worke in foure yeeres space as we reade in the sixt of Ezra They began the second yeere and made an end in the sixt yeere of King Darius Ezra 6.15 As you may see by comparing this prophesie with that of Ezra And now to come vnto our selues Application Let this teach vs beloued as carefully and as cheerefully to set forward the building of Gods spirituall Temple And what is that the Apostle will tell you Know you not that your body is the temple of the holy Ghost 1. Cor. 6.19 and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you O let vs then repaire the ruines 1. Cor. 3.16 and breaches of this temple made by sinne and Satan and let vs adorne and beautifie it with meekenesse temperance sobrietie chastitie faith hope charitie and such like spirituall graces that the Spirit of God may take a delight to dwell in our heart as in the Sanctum Sanctorum of this Temple From whence as from betweene the Cherubines of verity and mercy it may vtter the oracles of God to the euerlasting consolation and comfort of our soules And let vs remember what the same Apostle saith 1. Cor. 3.1 If any man destroy the Temple of God him shall God destroy And therefore let vs glorifie God in our body and in our spirit for they are Gods 1. Cor. 6.2 They are the temple of the holy Ghost Againe let this instruct and teach vs as cheerefully and with as great alacritie to set forward the building of Gods spirituall house which the Apostle calleth the Church of the liuing God the pillar and the ground of truth built vpon the foundation of the Prophets and
c. For what fellowship hath righteousnesse with vnrighteousnesse what communion hath light with darkenesse what concord hath Christ with Belial and what agreement can there be betweene the Temple of God and Idols The same Apostle will tell vs in another place that There is but one Body Eph. 4.4 c. and one Spirit and one Baptisme and one Lord and one God and one Faith and so but one true Religion and all in vnitie Et non habet Dei charitatem qui Ecclesiae non diligit vnitatem So S. Austin He hath not the loue of God that loues not the vnitie of his Church Phithagoras as Plutarch writeth in his Morals attributing much to numbers Plut. in Moral constituted two chiefe principles the one he called vnitatem vnitie the other binarium numerum the number of two Vinitatis natura si acri insit c. If the nature of vnitie saith he be in the ayre it maketh a good temperament if in the mind it worketh vertue if in the body it procureth health if in families cities kingdomes it causeth peace and concord But if saith he againe it be not in the ayre there is a tempest if not in the minde there is vice if not in the body there is sicknesse if not in families cities kingdomes and let me adde if not in the House of God if not in the Church of Christ there is nothing but discord and dissention Et Deus non est discordiae sed pacis Deus saith the Apostle God is not the God of discord the God of confusion O no he is the God of vnitie 1 Cor. 14.33 he is the God of amitie he is the God of peace as we see in all the Churches of the Saints Marcus Agrippa as Seneca writeth was wont to say that he owed much to Salust for one little short sentence which was this Senec. epist 94. Concordia parua res crescunt discordia magnae dilabuntur By concord small matters grow to be great by discord great and mightie matters come to iust nothing he did acknowledge that he owed much to Salust for this short sentence because by it he was optimus frater optimus amicus because by it he was made a good brother and a good friend Surely beloued if we could but well remember that little short peece of a sentence in the 34. Psal secke peace Psal 34.14 and ensue it we might acknowledge our selues deepely indebted to the Prophet Dauid for the same which being well pondered and well cōsidered of vs would make vs to become good brethren and good friends and good husbands and good wiues and good neighbours and good subiects and finally good Christians endeauouring to keepe vnitatem spiritus in vniculo pacis the vnitie of the spirit in the bond of peace Eph. 43. I remember once I saw an emblematicall picture wherein was graphically described a Christian Common-wealth diuided into three States The Regall Ecclesiasticall and popular estate And euery one of these drawne in a chariot after the manner of Caelius Secundus triumphes The first was the Regall estate and in this chariot sate the king But giue me leaue to speake in the language of my text In this chariot sate Zerubbabel the Prince accompanied with sapientia wisedome And she me thought was aduising him as if she said vnto him as it is written in the second Psalme Psal 2.10 Bee wise yee kings and be learned yee that are Iudges of the earth This Chariot was drawne with two horses The one white trapt with crownes and laurell garlands and his name was praemium bonorum the reward of the godly The other horse was blacke trapt with whips swords halters such like and his name was Paena malorum the punishment of the wicked The Chariotor that guided this chariot was called Iustitia Iustice with a paire of ballance in the one hand and a sword in the other hand teaching Zerubbabel teaching Kings Princes Iudges and Magistrates how they ought to execute iustice vprightly to the punishment of euill doers 1. Pet. 2.14 and for the praise of them that doe well In the second place followed the Ecclesiasticall estate And in this chariot sate Iehoshua the hie Priest accompanied with veritie the truth and she me thought was counselling him as if she said vnto him as sometime it was said to Archippus in the 4. of the Coloss Col. 4.17 Take heed vnto the Ministerie which thou hast recciued in the Lord that thou fulfill it This chariot was drawne with a doue and a serpent alluding to that of our Sauiour Christ Be wise as Serpents and simple as doues Math. 10.16 The Coachman that guided this caroach was called fides faith In the third place followed the popular estate and in this chariot sate the remnant of the people accompanied with obedientia obedience And she me thought was reading a Lecture to them as if she drew her text from the 13. of the Romanes Rom. 13.1 Let euery soule be subiect to the higher powers for there is no power but of God and the powers that be are ordained of God c. This chariot was drawne with an Oxe and an Asse the Oxe was called Labor the Asse was called pacientia patience Teaching subiects how they ought to liue euery man in his vocation laboriously and industriously and how they ought patiently to beare those burthens which by authoritie are imposed on them remembring how it is written in the 13. of the Rom. Giue to euery one his due tribute to whom tribute custome to whom custome Rom. 13. ◠and so forth The Coachman that guided this Coach was called fidelitas allegeance Now after all these followed a fourth chariot and this is it whereunto my speech aymeth And this was called currus charitatis the Chariot of charitie In this Chariot sate Zerubbabel the Prince and Iehoshua the hie Priest and the remnant of the people altogether Signifying as I take it that whatsoeuer oddes whatsoeuer difference there is in this world betweene State and State and betweene man and man quoad externa in regard of birth riches dignities and promotions honours and such like And howsoeuer euery estate and euery person hath his precedency according to his degree and place in giuing honour going one before another Rom. 12.10 yet ought euery estate and euery person to be ioyned together to ride together and to be drawne together in the chariot of charitie And they were all compassed round about with a golden chaine which was called catena vnitatis The chain of vnitie alluding to that in the 133. Psal 133.1 Psal Behold how good and how ioyfull a thing it is in the sight of God in the sight of Angels and in the sight of men for brethren whether brethren by nature or brethren by nation or brethren by religion and profession Behold how good and how ioyfull behold how good and how comely a thing it is