good pleasure was to make choice of thys the moste notable Beacon of the land as thereby to expresse his anger vnto al if we repent not Againe the fire fel not on our dwelling houses at home but only on the house of God Euen therby not only to conuince vs of sinne for the abuse of hys holy Temple but also to signifie to the beste of oure soules that wée whyche beare the name of GOD his religion in our profession haue not in sinceritie aunswered oure faith and therefore are vnder the censure of Gods anger And surely thys double abuse is greate this daye in Englande For there is no place so egregiously polluted as the Churche of Paules or his worde more contemned in any place What meaneth else that accustomed walking and prophane talking in time of the Sermon there Neither is there any Nation more blessed wyth puritie of godly doctrine in trueth or any so blessed lesse fruitefull vnto GOD. Although I confesse it with thankfulnesse to God that his Gospel hath won to hym infinite soules in this nation which doe the Lorde his holy word Sacraments and Sabaoth as well in thys Citie as in the realme abroade But at the comming of thys firie Preacher we then cryed namelye thys Citie hir Graces Courte and the whole lande Lord we haue sinned spare thy people O Lorde And so our mediatour Christ stayed the fire And then also the Lorde stirred vp the heartes of our honorable aucthoritie to giue from hir Maiestie Proclamation to take away the abuse thereof whiche was an approued digging but alas how long did we obey euen but a short space for as the lawe came but for that house of stone so our stony heartes cast off with spéede the verye memorie of this iuste threatning Preacher And nowe who maketh accompts of it wel wel nay woe woe to vs if we so loosely looke about vs. O Lord what harts haue wée Shall a sodaine falling of a rotten and olde Turret of Syloah be by our Maister Christe instituted a doctour of repentance to the Iewes for the fall whereof reason coulde afforde vs some cause and shall wée or dare we so despise this speciall messenger from God this burned stéeple whych calleth vs al to daily repētance Come hither to me ye commers to the Citie saith Paules stéeple and beholde the anger of oure God For as ye sée me so I remayne corrected by his reuenging hande to cal you to repentance But O Lorde thou God of Heauen this Citie this land this place yea this day hath forgotten this Make vs mindefull O Lorde of thée and penitently sorrowfull for oure sinnes against thée we humbly beséeche thée for Christes sake And as Gods extraordinary preachers came not alone but had some one or other ioyned vnto them as Esay had Micah Ieremy had Ezechiel and Hoseas had Amos So this fire from Heauen hathe to associate his message in earth Gods swift arrowe and burning sword of pestilence chieflye in this Citie Psal 91.5.6 from whence it hathe bin sundry times in sundrye places dispersed and in suche sorte as oure gracious Quéene godly Magistrates haue gyuen forth holy lawes for prayer and fasting to moue the people to repētaunce thereby acknowledging this sword to be far other and beyond naturall cause of infection From heauen we haue hadde also a thirde extraordinary Preacher of Gods anger and warning to repentaunce whych hath bin termed The gentle warning the Lorde make vs méeke spirited in humble sorte to bée rightly warned by it But howsoeuer it fare with vs yet these termes and godly actes doe approue these for Messengers sent of GOD and that by our consent in worde and déede to our forewarning The blazing Starres I speake not of as hauing foresighte to sée thys cauill and why they to Englande more than to other countries wherefore I care to giue vs our own messengers From earth also the Lorde hathe moste notably cited vs to iudgement signified his sentence ready to be executed but for the mediation of our Christ and that alone What meaneth else that monstrous mouing of that twentye acres of grounde Anno. 1570. as oure allowed Chronicles do reporte or such sundry inundation of waters in euerye coast of our Country Such monstrous byrthes strange sicknesses and sodaine deaths But laste of all An. 1580. Aprilis 6 that vniuersall Earthquake and like watershake whiche draue vs into present feare and forced the whole state to Christian prayer and care to repent If nowe the Preachers of our time haue not cause to say Our God is angrie and prepared vnto battel wherfore also I would not haue you to forgett our present Irishe wars which although they be farre from the hearte yet God graunte vs to remember that his power is greate our sins are ripe and the enimies purpose that traiterous Doctor Saunders and his adherents right daungerous But if wée truely turne to the Lorde he will turne to vs and them with theyr aides to vtter confusion as his grace hath shewed himself a louing God to vs in their late ouerthrowe in those parts his name for euer be praised Nowe beloued Magistrates of bothe estates your office is at this instant required to digge and giue compose and aboue all you must take care that standing in the gappe to stoppe the breache for the people you be not like wicked as the people for their shall you perishe before them and great shall be our confusion The Lorde Mayor muste not be a Protestaunt during his office and a Papist after and so for his office sake shewe himselfe occupied about the Fig trée of his City but he with his brethren ought to be touched and sealed in hearte to the Lorde that at all times as they are preferred to their people so they bée godly religious vpright holye aboue the people that their prayer and Christian practize maye ben defence for the Citie not onely against the pernitious purpose of the euill disposed but also against the iust reuenging hand of God whē he warneth vs of iminent danger So likewise muste the Bishoppes those reuerende Fathers and the other councellours and gouernors abroade be and haue the same condition engrauen in their spirite with the pensil of God that they may repaire the broken hedge remoue the hindering matter from the roote of the Fig trée and lay compose to moisten supple and comforte the life therof Which grace God grant you for your selues and vs for Christes sake But our texte doth directe your holy labours vnto two things First that you take from the trée that whiche doth hinder the growth to the fruit therof Then that you lay to the roote of the same that dung or compose whiche may administer helpe to the life of it But I praye you lette pore Haggai Haggai 1.1 delyuer vnto Zorobabel and Iehosuah the thing whiche mightily doth hinder the growth of the Figge trée whych may séeme to youre discretions so
this Fig trée growing out of the same And euery Countrey Towne village Potentate preacher and priuate person is a braunch of this Figge trée of Englande being borne or nowe nourished in the same And so euery man is to apply this vnto himselfe that he is this Figge trée planted in this land by Gods mercie whych land is of hys infinite grace and goodnesse grafted into his Catholike Vineyarde the vniuersall holy Church of Christ Militant in earth The fertilitie of this Vineyarde is suche if thou do respect but the soile of the land that wée muste of necessitie say of it that whych Esay Esa 5.2 saide of Hierusalem My beloued had a Vineyarde in a very fruiteful hil Of thys landes fruitefulnesse I reste to speake in this noble Auditorie leaste I shoulde séeme to tell them that by far greater experience may teache me that it is the treasure house of Gods abundant and fruitful blessings seruing vs plentifully and sending hence abundātly sufficient proofe thereof to all nations not only neare but farre off situate from vs Gods holy name be praised for it Christ Iesus make vs thankful inhabitāts fruitful Fig trées to the Lord obediēt to hir Maiesty trusty in truth giue vs right English harts one to an other Oh Lord how greate is thy goodnes but herein muche more namely that of thy infinite goodnes grace thou hast placed vs in this fruitful land planted the same into thy most holy Vinyard sacred sea of thy holy Churche Engl. is a member of the church of God thankes be to God the church of God is in Engl. But here some Papist séemeth to saye me thinke Nay sir not so England is not nor hathe the Churche of God in it To whose blasphemy we maye boldely answere The perfect notes infallible markes of Gods Church both of the visible inuisible Churche are apparante with vs in our Church of England therfore Englād is the Vineyard of the Lord whiche is the house of Iacob and the Church of God Esa 5.7 The visible Church of God we call here that Catholike company which is dispersed into sundry places are by the word of God called into one society and felowship as Gods elect people in outwarde profession of sincere religiō participate togither of the Lordes Sacraments make cōfessiō of the Christian faith according to the word do accept the publique priuate discipline of the same in séeming sinceritie And this catholike militante company are placed into sundry territories which for theyr situations diuersitie of Countries bée also deuided into particular Churches and beare such names as the Country soile is knowen by as the Church of Corinth Laodicea Ephesus Thessalonica Englande Fraunce and Irelande c. And this visible Churche as it hath in it in euery Countrey where it is bothe good and euil ones elect and reprobate faithful and infidelious Math. 3.22 Math 13.27 2 Tim. 2.20 holy and hypocriticall Wheate and Cockle Corne and Chaffe vessels of honoure and dishes of disgrace So the saide Church of God called the Militaunt Congregation is knowne to be there wheresoeuer these certaine notes and markes thereof are resident The infallible markes of the isible Churche of God and to be séene in common vse that is to say Puritie of Doctrine sincere deliuerye of Christes holy Sacraments and godly Discipline Whiche assured markes and notes to knowe his Churche by our sauiour Christe hathe couched into one sentēce of the Gospell vnder the commaunding commission from his Maiestie to his holy Apostles in the Gospell after Saint Mathewe thus Math. 28.18 And thus spake to his Disciples saying All power is giuen vnto mee in heauen and in earth go therefore teach al nations baptizing them in the name of the father and of the sonne of the holy Ghoste teaching them to obserue all thinges whatsoeuer I haue commaunded you and loe I am with you alwaye vntil the end of the world Amen In this sacred sentence dearely beloued are these thrée heauenly notes giuen of God to trye if his Militante Churche be in whatsoeuer kingdome Countrey or people Goe teache the Gospell this is the first For wheresoeuer the doctrine of the word is purely after Christs commaundements delyuered and taughte there is the Church of God The second is the true administration of hys holy Sacraments Baptizing them in the name of the father c. Note wel that not onely hys matter of Sacrament but his methode in Baptizing must be obserued where his Churche is established therfore the Lorde deliuereth both the matter what and the manner howe saying Baptize them thus In the name of the Father and of the Sonne c. The thirde sacred marke of this visible Churche is registred vnder these wordes Teaching them to obserue al thinges whatsoeuer I haue commaunded you Math. 1.29 Do not saieth the Lorde onelye teache the nations my worde but baptize the beléeuing and those whiche beléeue and are baptized sée that they bée kepte in my obedience and vnder my swéete and easie yoke by your aucthoritie in my spirite that their conuersation amongest men may aduaunce theyr confession vnto God Loe here is the rule and warrant for godlye discipline in the Church of God Teache them to obserue bring them to obey directe the Segniorie into their duetye teache them how they ought to gouerne in the Church and let them exercise theyr aucthoritie to my glorie and to the maintainaunce of the same Whych then is in the right order when they are taught by doctrine and discipline 1. Cor. 11. 1. Thes 4.2 to obserue all and euery thing that I giue you in commaundement for them and when you feare to presse vppon them anye thing that you haue not receiued frō me whiche might tie their consciēce to obserue as if it were of mine Now this happy land of England by Gods great mercy hath al and euery of these marks namely the word of God most purely taught the holy Sacramēts of Christ in substāce sincerely administred godly discipline by wholesome lawes established therefore this Churche of England is the true church of God For the first we dare appeale to the throne of God and the consciences of vpright lerned men that we haue the trueth of Gods holye doctrine taught amongest vs. Whiche doctrine also by hir gratious Maiestie in hir godly laws is mightily maintained and by the helping hande of such as be godly Magistrates is greatly furthered but by the learned fathers and zealous godly preachexs most truly diligently and plainly in these our days deliuered And we may for our doctrine in Eng. approued as I haue said right boldly affirm as Pet. the Apostle in his time for the Apostolical doctrine said thē 1. Pet. 1.25 And this is the word which is preached amōgest you And for the two Sacramēts of Christs holy Church which Churche knoweth no moe we haue them
in substance sincerely by law established and by the godly Ministers likewise to Gods people administred without addition or defalking too or fro the worde of God For the Discipline of the Church we also haue it thoughe in some weaker sorte than either the auctoritie of the worde seemeth to me to affoorde or the grauitie of the cause in our pestiferous time doth require it Yet it cannot bée said but we haue established discipline by hir graces godly laws to this Churche of Englande and at thys laste Parliament agaynst the Papists haue the same Christianly augmented God grāt that our godly and reuerende Bishops Iudges Ecclesiasticall Commissioners and officers whych haue the authority may and would so vse thys aucthoritye they haue that God myghte be wonne as it were wyth theyr godly indeuor to enlarge the heartes of higher aucthoritye ouer vs in the Lorde by lawefull power to yéelde vs further and more seuere discipline to one and all in thys Churche of Englande Lord for thy mercies sake graunt it to this thy holy visible Vineyarde of Englande we beseeche thée And in the meane space brethren let vs be obedient to this we haue and heartilye praise God for the same and pray earnestly with conioyned hearts for a further by hir Graces aucthoritie and the strict rule of hys holy worde These holy and sufficient notes of hys visible Church we haue in our English Church at thys day the Lord be praised for them and contynue them wyth vs and therefore agaynste al your blasphemies to God your sinister but subtill suggestions to Princes and people o ye poore Papists we stand by proofe to bée the Figge trée planted indeede in the moste holy Vineyarde of the Lorde and haue our Churche consecrated a sacred member of the Catholike Churche of God visible wyth the rest of that Militante troupe and companye of sanctified men in the vniuersall earth And as for the other forged marks of Vniuersalitie and personall succession we count it sufficient to haue the society with suche the sonnes of God as haue their felowshippe with the Sainctes of Christe 1. Io. 11.2.3 4. and haue learned to forsake the company of the wicked and to auoide the way of sinners but greatly deteste to stoupe to that Cacolike Apostata of Rome Ps 1. whych so arrogantly setteth hymselfe in that chaire of the scorner But touching personall succession of Bishoprickes and Churches we holde it not to be always a sure marke of Gods holye Churche Except ye wil saye of the Church of Israel vnder Ieroboam that Idolatour that she was then the true Churche thoughe an Apostata by hir grosse Idolatrie bicause she could boast of personall succession from the Kyngs and Bishoppes of that people Or that the Churche of Iudah vnder Manasses that idolatrous King was notwythstanding the murther of Gods chyldren their sacrificing to Idols theyr racing out of the lawe of the Lorde and banyshing hys holy sacrifyces was I saye all thys admitted yet the true Church of God bycause they hadde and coulde shewe a personall succession of Kyngs and Byshoppes euen from the firste Moses and Aaron But yée wyll possibly presse vs wyth the auctoritie of the Fathers as wyth Tertullian that ancient whych boasted in truth to haue had succession of the Byshops of Rome for the furtheraunce of hys purpose But forget not you Papists that as yet the Fathers of that Church had not departed from the faith but wyth theyr succession had contynued the Apostolicall doctrine vppon whiche point Tertullian chiefly stoode as it may appeare by hym And also would God you would not wyth malitious heartes séeke to darken that notable doctrine of hys in that hys Booke of prescriptions that althoughe manye Churches haue not to shewe theyr personall succession of Byshoppes yet if so they haue the Apostolicall doctrine taught sincerely in them for that consāguinitie and kinred in Doctrine those Churches are and are to be accompted Apostolicall The Orientall Churches hadde due succession til Arrius had infected them with hys poyson shall personall succession nowe approue the sect of the Arrians to be the church of God So had the Churche of Rome before Antichristes possession therof Shal we therfore now say whē their doctrine theyr malice theyr ambition theyr pride theyr dyuelishe conuersation dothe conuince them to be that whore of Babilon Shal we I say now say bycause they possibly can shew vs a great Catalogue of Byshops from Linus or Anacletus that therefore they are nowe the true Churche of God And yet were that a sufficient proofe of Gods Churche our Bishops in England then haue their personall succession from the firste euen the firste that you can name as by time and nexte course succéeding one an other Thus you sée dearely beloued howe apparant it is that this noble Realme of Englande is planted by Gods greate mercy into the Catholike Vineyarde of the Lorde the visible Churche of God and is it selfe a notable member of the same Now time requireth that we speake something likewise of the inuisible cōpany and Church of God to the greater comforte of the godlye in thys visible Churche whiche this day heare me or hereafter may heare of this holy labor to their further benefite If thou wouldest knowe certainly beloued in thine owne conscience whether thou arte verily and indéede the member of Christ and so a liuely braunche of the virident Vine end a fruitful Figge trée examine thy selfe by these thrée pointes The true notes of the inuisible Church al which the spirite of God againe hathe laide vp in one most sacred Sentence and thys it is The end of the commandement is loue out of a pure hart 1. Tim. 1.5 and of a good conscience and of saith vnfained In thys sentence beloued in Christ is laid forth vnto vs the verye true and infallibe tokens to euery mans soule whether he be the sonne of God or no. For by degrées from the fruite to the trée from the childe to the parent he goeth fetcheth thence vnto vs the certaine markes whereby we are sealed to the Lorde The purpose of God giuyng his worde is saith the Apostle that yée purely loue one another but your loue muste procéede from a good conscience not from a corrupted hart and this conscience hath his purging from an vnfained faith Then take hence your certaine notes of Gods children and these they are First by the vertue of the spirite and word of God a pure faith vnfained Secondly a renued minde whiche here is called a pure heart And thirdely by the same spirite suche charitie as neither can be cold or hypocriticall In whom soeuer these be vigent warme let him be assured though al the Popes in Rome had sēt their curses against him this honorable natiō yet he is of god the member of Christ one of his inuisible Churche whyche can not be caste forth of the dores But that we maye the better knowe
Fathers of the lawe are embrewed wyth this bloude I am also a straunger to the Citie a poore man come oute of the Country and whether my Lorde Mayor or his brethren be or haue in their corporation this improper proprietie I cannot say but I am very sure of thys it is a very vnséemely sight to sée a Parson of a Parishe Churche so stately attyred in suche costely robes and golden chaines as the honor of this Citie doth affoorde to hir Aldermen But if you bée suche improper persons I pray you yet haue lesse care of your gaine and more of conscience lette vs not serue you for suche parings but somewhat more liberally carue to vs in the Lord we admonishe you Remember that the word of God requireth you to make vs partakers of all your goodes Mala. 1.14 And dare you so boldelye take from vs then our fyrst allotted portions Malach. 3.8 It is counted a blessed thyng wyth manye in these dayes to spoyle the portion of the Minister but the dayes to come shall proue it accurssed with God But Lorde this is thy iudgement vppon vs thy seruauntes whyche haue not serued thée as belongeth vs in these thy forbearing dayes and thy further plague to the posteritie for this contempte againste thée For thy worde by thys meanes shall bée eyther sparingly or not at all delyuered them But surelye if Potentates hadde lyttle regarde to Religion yet me séemeth it their greate pollicie whylest the LORDE dothe yet forbeare well to maintaine the preaching ministery For the hart of man is his leader and the affectictions kindled there enforce the bodye seruiceable to his will The handes maye be restrained for a time but the hearte not altered a newe assaye is to be giuen But if the heart of man bée once conuerted vnto the trueth of God whyche commeth to passe by the office of Preaching then the soule submitteth hymselfe to euerye lawfull power Rom. 13.1 as sent from God and for conscience to GOD and dutie to hys worde causeth his body to obey euen to moste hard commaundements impositions euery demannd Let a suruey be taken hereof betwixt the Papist and the true Protestant the one is ready to rebell at euery motion the other alwayes preste to aide aucthoritie with goods landes life Wherehence commeth this but that the heartes of men are setled by the worde to stoupe and stande to their superiors set ouer them not for feare but for conscience Iere. 29.6.7 And good Ieremy and Barucke Baruc. 9.11.12 do euer persuade the Israell of God not only to bende their backes to Nabuchadnezars bondage but also hartilye to praye to God for his prosperous raigne and for the life of his sonne Balthazar how much more then wyl they teache obedience to godlye Princes by whome God is greately honoured and his Prophets right louingly intreated But this is a hard fruite o noble Fig-trées and improrer persons to giue to God lame liuings and halting portions to take the beste by spoile from his Minister and your selues not sanctified to the seruice For you are not otherwise Ecclesiasticall then when you call for tythes but for the charge of the Cure you take no care Oh be afraide of thys you that forget God and yet boaste of hys truth for it is a right bitter fruite and roote of a thousande euils to the Church of God whyche is the verye cause why I haue thus saide vnto it A braunche whereof beholde oure presente time hathe bredde for our Ministers in the Country for the moste part are either ignorant and idle or else ouer poore and néedy The people for the moste are likewise vnder suche either blinde and Popishe or hauty and harde harted and yet the Lorde doth stil beare and cryeth for better fruites Heb. 3. oh beloued lette vs hearken to his voice while it is to day that we do not stil thus fall by degrées from the lyuing God thoroughe the deceitfulnesse of sinne It is ynough that we haue spent the time of two and twētie yeares so vainely 1. Pet. 4.2.3 lette vs knowe that hence forth we ought to liue not after the lustes of the fleshe but after the will of God But this is a greate wonder to manye that men professing God and indued with so goodlye wits should in the light of the glorious Gospell so manye yeares gloriouslye shining delight to dwell in suche obstinate blindenesse But take vppe thy wonder beloued and looke into the matter So shalt thou perceiue this bitter fruit to arise of these thrée monstrous vices namely of the carnal contempt of Gods long sufferaunce Of the naturall distruste of his worde and promise And of the presumptuous abuse of his goodnesse First naturally we feare those things which be angry and able to hurt as lyons beares and tyrannous men Againe we doe not feare but rather contempne those thinges whych be milde mind not harme as louyng kinde and peaceable men Yea suche Princes as be rough and sharp to punish transgressors wée feare to offende but suche as onely strike of mercies string and seldome touch due Iustice threat our wicked nature with tooth naile enarmeth hautie contempt against them Euen so it is likewise to our good God bicause he is slow to wrath doth not alwayes strike we straight contemne his threatning worde supposing eyther he is not able or not knowing to punishe our open rebellion againste hym and so the wicked saieth in his hearte Psal there is no God Secondely if GOD in mercie doe swéetely persuade vs by hys holy worde to true repentaunce straightwaye our nature halseth vp a naturall distruste saying Malac. 3 1◠what profite haue we to serue the Lord or what be his promises vnto vs we wil not hearken vnto his word Io. 22.14.15 For if we pray vnto him what gaine to vs In their deadly distrust they scornfully saye Ezech 33. Come let vs goe heare what the Lorde wil say to vs but they holde his Prophets as iesting persons and pleasant Minstrels that satisfy the time not as the sincere Prophets of God For neither beléeue they the promises of Gods loue to appertaine to them or the iudgements of his wrath doe they accepte in truth and therfore they neyther embrace the promisse of his mercy or be terrified with the threates of hys Iustice But in steade therof they say Come lette vs eate and drincke for to morrowe we shal dye Oh horrible and thrice curssed nature so arming thy carnall corps to abuse the long suffering of thy good God But be ye sure that the eternall worde of God is yea and Amen that whatsoeuer it promiseth it shall performe and though his infinite wisedome to drawe thée to repentaunce do differ his plagues yet he wil iustifie his worde in the day of his anger When those thyngs shall come to passe whych he hath spoken by his Prophets and then in the midle of his wrath
Metaphor Euery mā hūteth his brother with a net And my brethren lette vs examine the common condition of most parts now in Englāde shal not we perceiue these sins to aboūd in the same looke to our earnest profession of the Gospell in the beginning of hir Maiesties raigne whō God in his mercie long preserue ouer vs euer in hys Christ how we hungred the truth thē how we ioyed of Gods Ministers how we desired heauēly encrease prepared our liues to answere the Gospel we clensed our Churchs our hearts houses of popish Idolatry we reedified the same with the squire of the word that in such zeale namely the Potentates Bishops Citizens of London other many godly ones as we were no whit inferior to the Iewes whiche with Nehemias Ezra Esra 3. 5 Nehe. ca. 3. ca. 4. repayred the ruinous walles of Ierusalem But beloued let vs with a simple eye looke into euery state almost in Englād now we shal right sorowfully sée a catholike cooling of this former zeale to Gods house Partly by the malice of Sathā in his seruants the Papists séeking by persuasion al policie to hinder the former work offring vs their help to build whose purpose is wholy to pul down And partly Esra 4.2 by our owne wearinesse of well doing which contenting oure selues with our firste building Haggai 12.4 haue taken surcesse for a time to build pul downe rebuild againe to our great cost the Countries great paine our braue bowers sumptuous towers to féed our fantasies and pore mēs eies but the building of Gods holy house to the encrease of faith vertue in true religiō we haue almost laide aside except a few sommer gatherings by grace conserued vnto God May wée not therfore admonish Magistrats Ministers godly men to apply this voice of the spirite of God to his holy churche which firste was sente to Ephesus viz. I knowe thy workes sayth God and thy labour Reuel 2.2 and thy patience and how thou canste not forbeare them whych are euil and hast examined thē which say they are Apostles and are not and haste found them lyars and haste suffered for my names sake and hast patience and for my names sake haste laboured and haste not fainted Neuerthelesse I haue somewhat against thee bycause thou haste lefte thy first loue Remember therefore from whence thou haste fallen and repent and doe thy firste workes or else I will come shortly and remoue thy Candlesticke We are all lesse louing lesse labouring and lesse zealous in religion than earst we haue béene yea one and all of vs which the Lordes spirite the true discerner of all things doth call here a falling from our first loue and threatneth a comming to cut vs downe if we preuent not his spéedy cōming to our candlesticks O Lord for thy mercies sake graunt to our godly Prince and all hir noble Counsellors to the Bishops and learned Fathers to the Iudges Preachers and godly people thoughe Sommer gatherings thy grace that they may all in their callings and spirites take hold of their first loue and do their firste good workes in thée and by thy Christe that our Candlesticke thy holy gospel and Church hir Maiestie and this our hapy state may firmely stand to thy glory and our continuall comfort for thy holy names sake But if ther be such a weaknesse in Gods Sommer gatherings in England whiche yet are the best beloued of the Lord what are wée to looke for in the rest whyche are but hypocriticall Nemo rectus sayth the Prophet No man kéepeth hys heart and his hand by that line that the lawe of his God the simplicitie of his soule doth direct vnto him And surely if you wil not wilfully be blinde when didde you euer reade heare or sée of greater hypocrisie than is nowe resiante in Englande The Papist supposeth it his greatest grace to coulour his Italian hearte with hys Papisticall hypocrisie For lette hym bée accompted Papisticall by the superiours and Lorde howe hée protesteth the contrarye and if hys inferioure enforme him then he frowneth sweateth sweareth and taketh it hotely but yet there is no greater poyson in the Toade nor fixed hatred in the Serpente or rigoure in the roaryng Lyon huntyng for hys praye Gen. 3. than lurketh vnder the sugred tongues of oure Italienated Papistes For the poison of Aspes is vnder their lippes Againe what dissimulation amongest menne of all sorts in eache degrée O Lorde it is a worlde to sée Abels countenaunce but Caines hearte amongest confederates friendes parteners and cobrethren vniuersallye abroade It hathe béene called the holy water of the Courte but in euerye corner of the lande at thys daye are greate Welsprings of this infernall Lake If yée buy but corne of the husbandmanne there is deceit if you deale with the Artificer beholde swéete wordes and sleightie subtiltie But trafique or craue counterchaunge with the Marchaunte or Vsurer in Citie or Towne excepte some speciall man of GOD and beholde a graue countenaunce a sugred tong and séemely welcome but if thou deale wyth hym he is as a thornie hedge Thou takest hym for a shilter but if he haue delyuered thy clothes from some stormy raine yet ere thou escape from vnder him he will all to scratch thy fleshe If he bit thee not to the very bones Oh séeming friendship and sure hypocrisie O Lorde preserue thy holy ministery from hypocrisie and kéepe hir farre from Iustice seate But Micah Micah 7.3 saide in his time of it thus To make good for the euil of his handes the Prince viz. the great Rulers in the lande asked and the iudge iudged for a rewarde therfore the great man hee speaketh oute the corruption of hys hearte and so they wrappe it vppe The beste of them is as a bryar and the moste righteous of them is sharper than a thorny hedge The daye of thy watchemen and thy visitation commeth then shall bee theyr confusion No maruayle beloued for a generall iniquitie can not but begette an vniuersall cutting downe Woulde God hypocrisie had not spred his wings so largely in Englande pierced so déepe as to the harts of many sorts in hir or so cunningly couloured his vgly shape as he hathe at this day For no where shal religion godlinesse or honesty offer hir selfe in England but hypocrisie dare aduenture to presume of some preferment in that place He is the vesture of the proude the habite of the adulterer the gowne of the Vsurer and the beste attyre for the Macheuil The Atheist girdeth him about him and no treason can be broched besides him He delighteth not to dwell with beggers but offereth salutations to sacred states the Lorde graunte all godly Princes and Potentates eies to sée hym and spirites to discerne him for his glorye and oure beste good But haue we likewise vniuersall Crueltie and doe wée lay watch to forstall our brethren surely thys sinne