to discharge them out of their enemies handes for euer The Iewes notwithstanding they had so gracious a graunt of their king yet many of them would not returne home but made their aboade euen there among their enemies in Babylon and the most part of them that were returned fell to building of their owne houses and left the house of God vnbuilded so soone they had forgotten Gods mercy towardes them In the time of their trouble they cryed out If I shrinke from God I pray God shrinke from me But beinge restored home and at libertie they sayde as the Prophet heere reporteth Nondum uenit tempus c. The time is not yet come that the Lords house should be builded They saw they had many enemies on euerie side the matter it selfe was marueylous weightie and to their iudgementes almost impossible They had begunne before vnder kynge Cyrus and because the matter was then dashe and their enimies preuayled against them they were vtterly discouraged and cast into dispayre Wherefore god spake to them by the Prophet Aggaeus Is it time for your selues to dwel in your seeled houses and this house lye wast Haue you found le asure to set vp furnish your owne house can you neglect the restoring of my house My house I say in which my Lawe hath bene read and preached to you where your Fathers haue made mee sacrifices towardes which house you turned your faces whensoeuer you prayed vnto me in Babylon and were heard Therfore sayth the Lord. Ye haue sowen much bring in litle ye eate but yet haue not ynough ye looked for much loe it came to litle and when you brought it home I dyd blow it out You set your ioye vppon vaine things and the same shal deceiue you This place of the Prophet Aggaeus I haue thought good to apply to the present state of our time For as then the citie of Hierusalem was miserably rased and the Temple of god burnt downe by heathens euen so hath it fared in time lately past with the Churche of Christe here amonge vs. And as then God mollified softened the heart of the king Darius for the deliuery of his people euen so of his great mercie hath he nowe stirred vp a most noble vertuous Ladie our soueraigne Queene Elizabeth for the same purpose And as then there were many that set light by Gods benefites and thought it meete ynough for him to waite vpon their leisure euen so I pray God the same securitie be not founde in vs at this time I pray God there be none of vs that make light of Gods grace and say in our heartes Nondum venit tempus c. The time is not yet come that the Lords house should be builded 1 Wherfore first I wil proue by Gods grace that our Churche hath bene ouergrowne with errours and abuses as then the temple of Hierusalem was defaced by the Caldees 2 Secondly I will shewe what thinges they be that doo stay men from reedifying of this Temple 3 Last of all after what sorte this Churche ought to be builded and so I wyl leaue you to God Prayers Touching the first parte I shall not neede many wordes for God hath in our dayes sufficiently reuealed and we haue seene the state of the Church in time past And indeed the errors abuses haue bene so grosse that who so cānot see them with his eyes yet may feele and grope them with his fingers Yet because I knowe some are not throughly perswaded heerein but thinke that the church of Rome hath euermore bene pure and without spot and some others in their writinges call it the rule of the trueth that whatsoeuer that Church sayth whatsouer it be must needs be true as Siluester sayth it is Infallibilis regula a rule that neuer deceiueth Some set it aboue the word of god as the same Syluester A doctrina Ecclesiae Romanae Romani Pontificis sacra scriptura robur trahit authoritatē The holy scripture taketh force authority of y t doctrin of the church Bishop of Rome And as Cusanus Sequuntur Scripturae Ecclesiā non è conuerso The scriptures follow the church not on the contrary part y t church followeth y ◠scriptures Others say Impossibile haereticari c. It is not possible he should fall into heresies whiche foloweth the church of Rome some others sai y t if christ his Apostles were aliue they were not able to rule the church in better sort then it is now ruled by the Pope and his Cardinalles Thus some schoole doctors haue written I am able to aleadge mine authors Therfore I must of force stād vpō this matter a litle not because I think it needfull but y ◠al men may be satisfied First Christ our sauiour as he foreshewed the prosperous course of the gospell y t it should bee preached throughout y e world y t the gates of hel should not be able to withstand it so he his Apostles forwarned also the ruine decay of y ◠Church y t in so many places and in so plaine wordes that no man can doubt of it or deny it For Christ alleadging the prophet Daniel sayth that abomination should sitte in the holy place and that there shoulde be such confusion and disorder that if it were possible the very elect should be peruerted He sayth that when he shall come to iudge there shal scarsely be found faith in the world Paul likewise sayth that the man of sinne that is such a one as in all thinges should be contrary to Christe and is called Antichrist shoulde sitte in the temple of God and beare hymselfe as if hee were God in deede Daniel sayth The trueth shal be cast downe to the grounde And to Timothie Paul sayeth In the latter times some shall depart frō the faith and shall giue heede to spirites of error doctrins of deuils S. Peter saith Ther shal be false teachers among you And where saith Christ I beseech you consider where saith Christ this horrible desolation should be among y ◠turks or Iewes no but in the holy place Wher shal y e son of man scarsely finde faith wher shall the very elect stande in doubt what they may beleeue amōg y e heathēs or infidels No but in the church Wher saith S. Peter shalbe y e masters of lies wher saith Daniel shall the truth be troden downe where sayth S. Paul shal y e mā of sin perch settel behaue himself as if he were very god among the heathen No no good brethren but in templo Dei In the Temple of God in the very Church among thē that should beare the name of Christ But forasmuch as it cannot be doubted among christian men that Christ his Apostles appointed y e church in their time in such sort as no better could be deuised let vs cōpare the church of late time
home from Obededom and set in the mount Sion when Religion reuiued which through the negligence and malice of Saul was forsaken when he saw his nobility his Bishoppes his Priestes and all his people willing and forward he could not refraine him selfe but brake out and song Haec est dies quam fecit Dominus exultemus laetemurin ea This is the day which y ◠Lord hath made let vs be glad and reioyce in it Let vs be merry ioye that euer we liued to see it Euen so Paul when in his time hee saw the Gospel take roote and prosper and that the sauour of life was powred abroade that the kingdome of God was enlarged and the kingdome of Satan shaking down his heart leaped and sprong within him Ecce nunc tempus acceptabile Behold now that acceptable time behold God hath looked downe mercifully vpon the world beholde the daye of saluation is come vpon vs. But the godly man as hee reioyceth at the beautie of Gods house so when contrariwise he seeth the same disordered filthily when he seeth the Sacraments of God abused the trueth troden vnder foote the people mocked the name of god dishonoured he cānot but lament mourn and finde himselfe wounded at heart When the good king Iosias saw the booke of god whiche was so long hid in y ◠wall out of remēbrance when he considered the blindenes in which they had liued the vnkindnes of their forfathers he could not forbeare but fell a weeping he feared least god would take vengeance vpō thē for so great cōtempt of his word Whē Ieremy saw the wilfulnes and frowardnesse of the people which would not submit themselues and be obedient vnto god he cryed Oh that my head were ful of water mine eyes a fountaine of teares that I might weepe day and hight c. Such care had they for Gods people thus the zeale of Gods house had eaten them vp Zeale if any man know not the nature of the word is an earnest affection and vehement loue as is the loue of a mother towards her children or of y e natural child towards his mother This zeale cannot abyde to see that thing which it loueth despised or hurt Such a zeale and care carieth God ouer his people hee loueth them as a mother loueth her little children he wil not suffer them to be hurt By y e Prophet Esai he saith Can a woman forget her childe not haue cōpassion on the sonne of her womb thogh they should forget yet wil I not forget thee Zachary also saith He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eie For God hath said they shalbe my people and I wil be their God Such care likewise heare al the godly towards their God they loue him with all their soule with al their heart with al their strength they reuerence him as their deare father they are grieued at anye blasphemy and with anye contempt of his holy name But as euery man be he neuer so wicked yea euen he that saieth in his heart there is no God which is become filthy abhominable in al his doings yet in his talke outwardly saith he hath a God and that hee beleeueth in him euen so there is none so wicked or so forsaken of God in his heart but he perswadeth himselfe hee hath the zeale of GOD and what he doth in selfe loue of his owne fantasie hee will beare in hand he doth it for the loue of God The ouerthrowers and wasters of the Churche will seeme to shew a speciall care for the Churche Dissemblers hypocrites despisers scorners euen suche as sinne agaynst the holye Ghost which denie the trueth of God after they haue knowen it which witting and knowing fight against the trueth which say of Christ we will not haue him to rule ouer vs which worke that sinne that shall neuer bee forgeuen in this worlde nor in the worlde to come yet notwithstanding wil pretend and seem to haue the zeale of God Thus the Scribes and Pharisies set vp their bristles against Christ thy Disciples keep not the common fast thou sufferest them to put and to eate the eares of corne thou sufferest them to eate with vnwashed handes thou breakest the tradition of the Elders thou breakest the Law of God which he gaue vs by Moses thou art a seditious teacher thou art a schismatike thou art an Heretike They sayde we fast twise in the Weeke wee haue Abraham to our father we are Moses Disciples Therfore when they hearde Stephen speaking those heauenly words Behold I see the heauens open and the Sonne of man standing at the right hand of God through zeale they gaue a shoute with a loud voyce stopped their eares and ran vpon him al at once When Christ had said Ye shall see the sonne of man sit at the right hād of God come in the clouds of heauē the hie priest through zeale rent his clothes sayd Ye haue heard the blasphemie This naughty man speaketh blasphemie against God He called a Councell the Scribes Pharisies met together not one man amongst them but of themselues they looked about them as if they only were the pillars and buttresses of the church and were only zealous and carefull for the house of God But their meeting was as Dauid forespake and as Peter declareth and as wee knowe against the Lorde and against annointed They were touched with zeale of their owne glory not with the zeale of Gods trueth They sought their owne praise but not the praise which is of God They made crakes that they knewe the scriptures that they were the Temple of God that they had the consent of al antiquitye as others haue done since that time and as wee see many do this day in very deed these men now haue euen as much as they had then as by proof and triall it wil appeare There are others which haue a feeling of God and a great care for his Church but such a feeling and care as commeth either of their owne fantasies or of some opinion and credite they haue in their Fathers which were before them not of the vnderstanding of Gods pleasure Such are they which offende God not of malice or wilfulnesse but onelye for lacke of teaching and vnderstanding Such were they whiche withstoode Saint Paule in all his preaching for that they tooke him for an Heretike and thought his preaching was against God I beare them witnesse saith he that they haue the zeale of GOD but not according to knowledge Such a zeale haue many who forbid that God commandeth and commande that which God forbiddeth Such a zeale had Paule himselfe I was a blasphemer a persecutor an oppressor but I was receiued to mercy for I did it ignorauntly without beliefe Such a zeale haue they who think they do God good seruice whē they kil murther the righteous good seruāts of God Such a
shal he regard the desires of women Which place S. Hierome exê‘oundeth Ideo Antichristus simulat cactitatem vt plurimos decipiat Therefore dooth Antichrist faine or pretend chastity that he may deceiue many Thus farre they disagree from the originall of Gods worde But they vse commonly to saye the Churche was then in her minoritie and infancie afterwarde she was better informed So when Christ and the Apostles and the Doctours please them they shall rule the matters they shall be holy Doctours and holy Fathers if not they shall not bee paternes to folow but children infants They vse them as marchants vse their counters for that counter which now standeth for a pound anon after shal be remoued and made a simple halfpenny Yet notwithstanding they cry Fathers Doctours Church and yet indeede do al things contrary to the Church of Christe contrary to the Doctours and fathers of the Church Two principall thinges there be that seeme to beare vp the whole brunt of the religion that hath bene in the world of late time the one is the Masse and thinges thereunto belonginge the other is the authoritie of the Pope These two I wyll breefely compare to the first originall onely running ouer certaine special branches of them both in as few wordes as I can deuise And as touching the Masse if there be any man here that hath any good opinion of it and is also learned and able to iudge let him thinke with himselfe what Doctour or father in the Primitiue Churche euer vsed or taught vs to vse a priuate Masse what Doctour or Father euer hearde of 10. 20. or 30. Masses in one Church said at one time what Father or doctor euer taught the Priest to communicate for other Chrisostome noteth it is an errour to say y â— SacrameÌ„ts receiued of one may do good to others that receiue them not What Father or Doctor euer taught that hoc facite was hoc sacrificate What Doctour or Father euer taught vs that the bread is transubstaÌ„tiate into Christes bodie I assure you that worde was neuer hearde of vntill nowe within litle more then 300. yeeres vnder Innocentius the thirde What Father or Doctor taught vs that there remaine accidentiasine subiecto that Christes body is in a C. thousand places at once that the Priest should holde the bread ouer his head and turne his backe to the people that the Sacrament shoulde bee hanged vp in a canopie for the people to adore What father euer taught vs that their communion bread shoulde be rounde because the earth is rounde That the Priest shoulde kisse the Altar because Iudas kissed Christ that he should wash his fingers because Pilate washed his handes That hee shoulde knocke his breast iu token of the theeues repentance vpon the Crosse Those thinges haue bene written by Durande Bonaâ—enture and Innocentius and others like of late time but the Fathers in the Primitiue Church neuer heard of them Yet some men of late time haue beaten into your heades y â— these many other like thinges haue come by succession euen froÌ„ the primatiue Churche and from the Apostles But so the coniurers and Sorcerers saye that their books of coniuration and sorcerie came from Moses from Enoch and from Abel Plutarche writeth that Theseus Romulus Hercules and other like Princely gentlemen indeede were Bastardes and were be gotten of fathers of very lowe degree but after they came into honour and estimation the people because they knew not whose soÌ„nes they were thought they had come from heauen and therfore they called them the sonnes of the gods Euen so these thinges that I haue here reported nowithstandynge in deede they are base borne yet because they haue stollen into the Churche and haue bene had in honour some men haue taughte you they haue come euen from heauen and therefore they haue fathered them vpon Christe and his Apostles But in the meane season they haue not dealte iustlye with you but haue done wronge both to Christ and to his Apostles Hierome writinge vpon Aggeus sayeth Quae absque authoritate testimoniis Scripturarum quasi traditione Apostolica sponte reperiunt at qué confingunt percutit gladius Dei The Sworde of God stricketh those thinges which men fynde out and deuise of them selues without the authoritie testimonies of the scriptures and deliuer foorthe as if they came by the tradition of the Apostles Againe what Catholique Father taught vs that the Pope is the head of the Church aboue kings aboue Councils aboue the word of god greater and of more authoritie then the Apostles that he cannot erre that the whole world is his diocesse that he may not be iudged what soeuer hee doe although he drawe a thousande soules downe into hell that he is neyther man nor God but a mixture medled together of God and man Al these thinges our later Fathers haue written of the Pope and yet I leaue a hundred things vntouched Thus farre haue they gone from their originall and paterne But what greater disorver can there bee in the Church of God then when Antichrist shall come and sit in the place of God There is an olde fable of Antichrist that when he commeth he would turne trees vpside downe and do such like wonders But the markes whereby Antichrist shall be knowne indeede are otherwise set downe in the holy Scriptures In his comming abhomination shall stand in the holy place and trueth shall be throwne downe in the earth I knowe many men are offended to heare the Pope pointed out for Antichrist and thinke it an vncharitable kinde of doctrine therefore I refraine to vse any such names and only wyl reporte to you of other by what tokens Antichrist when he commeth may bee knowne Gregorie as it were in the spirit of prophesie writing against Iohn bishop of Constantinople saith Rex superbiae propè est quod dici nefas est Sa cerdotum est praeparatus exercitus The king of pride is at hand which is vnlawful to be said an army of priests is prepared By these tokens saith Gregorie you may know him hee shalbe the prince of pride and he shal haue an army of priestes to wayte vpon him In another place he saith Quisquis se vniuersalem sacerdotem vocat vel vocari desiderat in elatione sua Antichristum praecurrit Whosoeuer calleth himself the vniuersal priest or desireth so to be called in the pride of his hart is the forerunner of Antichrist These words were written by Gregorie more then 900. yeeres since If there were euer any that might be knowne by these tokens which was or is the prince of pride is called or desireth to be called y e Vniuersal priest or B. or hath an army of priests I leaue y t to your iudgemeÌ„t whether the same be he whom Gregorie describeth or some other I pray God to lighten the eyes of al the world that all the world may spie him and the man
time saith a Christian man could be known by nothing so wel as by the changing of his life Cyprian of the Christians in his time sayth Veniunt vt discant discunt vt viuant They come that they may learne they learne that they may know how to liue S. Paul commendeth the Philippians that they shine as lyghtes in the worlde that theyr lyfe doth testifie what they be Eusebius saieth Valeriani aula erat referta piis Ecclesia Deifacta They y t were of the court of Valerian were become Christians and then was the court not lyke a court but like vnto the Church of God Iustinus the martir saith he was first turned to Christ for the admiration that he had of the innocent and godly life of Christian men Such then was the life of them that bare the name of Christ they came to learne they learned to liue You might haue knowne theyr profession by the onely changing of their maners The court wherin they liued was so reuerently kept without notable sinne or wantonnes as if it has ben the temple of God O almighty God howe fares it nowe with them that woulde be called Christians and bee reckoned among professors of the Gospel how many are there that come to learne how many are there that learne to liue howe many are there that may be knowne by changing of their maners Unlesse it be for that they make a mockerie of Gods holy Gospel and so become more dissolute more fleshly more wanton then euer they were afore What court can we finde that any part may be lyke the temple of God Seldome is it that almightye God may bee hearde to speake hys minde But when he hath spoken who is he that thinketh vpon it who is he that doth not dispise it who is he that spurneth not at it If our life should giue testimonie and report of our religion sory I am to speake it but alas it is to true in too many it cryeth out Non est Deus the very course of our life beareth wytnesse against vs that in our heartes wee thinke there is no God and that there is no feare of God before our eyes I amplifie not nor enlarge the matter I woulde to God it were no more then I make of it Thus we doe withholde the trueth of God in vnrighteousnesse thus the grace of God is abused to the contenting of our pleasures thus wee become the vessels of Gods wrath and heape vp vengeance vpon our heads Therefore wil God take away his holy spirit from vs therefore wyl God giue vs ouer to a reprobate minde therfore shal y e end of vs be worse then was y e beginning O good brethren let vs not abuse the mercy of god let vs not receiue the grace of god in vaine Remēber how many eyes are set vpon vs let vs take occasion away from them y t seeke occasion to sclander our profession let not let not our life cause the gospel of Iesus Christ to be yl spoken of and blasphemed let vs walke so as becommeth them that are called and in deede are Filii lucis The children of light The trueth of the gospel of Iesus Christ hath nowe shined ouer the whole worlde if it be yet hiddē from any it is hidden frō them that perish he that perisheth nowe shall perish in his owne blood Now if any beleeue not he is inexcusable The wisdom of god in publishing his word contrary against the course of mans policie y e continual preaching of it in al places the ashes of so many learned fath ers godly men women who haue yeelded their bodies to the cruel torments of tyrants to bee consumed in the fire for the testimony therof are yet so fresh in your eies spoken of in your hearinge and witnessed in your hartes and consciences that you can not denie but the kingdome of God is come amongst vs. But if there be any that is not perswaded in his religion for asmuch as it is a matter of lyfe and death of saluation damnation I beseeche you before God and before his Christ let vs not be careles let vs not be negligent If we mislike it let vs read the Scriptures and know wherefore we mislike it Dispise not good brethren despise not to heare gods worde declared As you tender your owne soules be diligent to come to sermons for that is the ordinary place where mens hearts be moued Gods secrets be reuealed For be the preacher neuer so weake yet is the word of God as mightie as puisant as euer it was If thou heare Gods worde spoken by a weake man anignorant man a sinner as thou thy selfe art and yet wilt beleeue it and heare it with reuerence it is able to open thine eyes and to reueale vnto thee the high misteries of thy saluation Remember we are the sonnes of the Prophets The kingdome of God is come amongst vs. Let vs not withstand the Spirit of God let vs not treade downe the blood of the euerlasting Testament The hande of god hath wrought this let vs not arme our selues against GOD and say They are wrought in the name of Beelzebub It is not our doctrine that we bring you this day we wrote it not we founde it not out wee are not the inuentours of it wee bringe you nothing but that the olde fathers of the Churche that the Apostles that Christ our Sauiour himselfe hath brought before vs. O condemne it not before you know it In the meane while thinke well of them that labour for you that do you seruice that pray for you that shall giue their lyfe for you Let vs lay aside all blinde affection let vs labour to know the truth let God haue the victory And then when we know God let vs glorifie him as our God let vs so liue y e our words our deedes our whole life may testifie that y e kingdom of god is amōngst vs. Let our light so shine before men that they may see our good works gloryfie our father which is in heauen So shall God powre downe his blessings vpon vs so shal god bles whatsoeuer we take in hand so shal we be blessed in peace so shal we be blessed in war so shal god go forth before our armies so shal we be the children of god so shall god bee our god and remayne with vs for euer And thou most mercifull father as thou hast sent vs thy heauenly kingdome that is the most comfortable tidyngs of the Gospel of thy sonne Iesus Christ so wee beseeche thee for thy mercy blesse that thinge that thou hast begunne that it may continue among vs remaine with vs for euer Open the heartes of them that of ignorance thinke ill of it that they may see that blessed hope whereunto thou hast called vs that al the worlde may know thee and thy sonne our sauiour Iesus Christ whome thou hast sent for the
CERTAINE Sermons preached before the Queenes Maiestie and at Paules crosse by the reuerend father IOHN IEVVEL late Bishop of Salisburie Whereunto is added a short Treatise of the Sacraments gathered out of other his sermons made vpon that matter in his cathedrall Church at Salisburie Imprinted at London by Christopher Barker Printer to the Queenes most excellent Maiestie 1583 To the right honorable Sir William Cicil Knight Lorde high Treasorer of England and to the right honorable L. Robert Dudley Earle of Leicester two of her Maiesties most honorable priuie Counsaile most worthie Chauncelours of both the Vniuersities Oxforde and Cambridge VNtrue reportes and sclaunders can neither giue falsehoode any credite among the wise nor disgrace the due estimation of the trueth Howbeit it seemeth there are some which hope it will turne them to no small aduauntage if to other their secrete and wicked practises they ioyne a sleyght of ill speaking of sclaundering the writings the godly sayings the life and the death of those whome it hath pleased God to vse to the setting forth of his Gospel and thereby to the great comfort of his people Among others vpon whom this hath bene practised they haue made some especiall choice of the late Bishop of Salisburie a man of famous memorie whose life and death is truely and syncerely written by M. Doctour Humfrey Howsoeuer they dealt vncharitably with him in his life Christian and godly discretion would they should spare to reproche the dead Or if not so yet in wisedome they might foresee that when matters are called to tryall such things cannot passe for currant lawfull wherof some due proofe hath not bene yeelded Yet as though the discredit of that one man who in great humilitie did acknowledge himselfe inferiour to many godly fathers then liuing in this Church of England were ynough for them to ouerthrowe all that whole worke which the Almightie God hath by his right hand and strong arme established they deliuer by tradition certaine false obseruations of his either simple or negligent or wilfull and malicious gathering and abusing the holy Scriptures of God and the auncient writings of the Fathers It is a harde thing for him that speaketh much to speake nothing worthy iust reprehension But it is much harder to escape the reprehension of corrupt Iudges euen when he shal speake most vprightly His defence is abroade published by himselfe And notwithstanding the endeuour of a learned aduersarie was to empeache it yet by his last and a moderate answere he auouched it good and approued his plaine and syncere dealing to the consciences of all men Whom it may please to vnderstande after what sort he prepared himselfe to the accomplishment of those two notable bookes of the defence of the Apologie and the Replie which are as two double Canons prepared for the battery of errour and superstition must needes confesse his diligence and reuerent proceeding in such cause to haue bene such as for which he may well be compared with any whomsoeuer the former or this present age hath thought therefore worthie commendation For besides his aduised obseruation of all such things as in the aduersaries bookes deserued answere and besides that he disposed a summarie and full collection of such matter as he would vse for the disproofe of the same the which he conceiued in short notes this may be a notable testimonie that he had purpose to set downe the aucthorities out of the Fathers and the quotations truely and playnely whereas in times before hee had gathered sundrie bookes of common places out of the Greeke and Latine and later writers he did peruse a fresh the authors themselues and made euery where in them speciall markes for the difference of such places whereofhee made choyce Those were all drawen forth and layde to their themes by certeine scholers who wrote them out by such direction as he had giuen vnto them So reuerent regard had he to do the worke of the Lord and to defend the trueth faithfully With like reuerence also did he in all places where he was occasioned to preach handle the word of God Albeit his giftes of reading and vnderstanding memorie were great yet it appeareth he did seldome or neuer deliuer any exposition vpon any peece of scripture before any Congregation in the meanest parish of the countrie but vpon diligent studie and whereof he drewe his notes In this his care Gods prouidence wrought mercifully for his Church that so there might be some way to deliuer in common vnto all the fruites of those godly trauailes which he gaue forth to some one especiall part of the Church Hereby it is that these his Sermons preached before her Maiestie and at Paules crosse come nowe to the reading of all such before whome they were once spoken to seeke that of them in true practise of Christian religion for which they were in their times vttered Why I make choyce of these among so many so excellent his sermons pronounced in those places if any be curious to aske let him aduisedly consider the state of Gods Church amongst vs in these dayes and bestowe his paynes to reade these which are offered to his Christian iudgement and then make to himselfe a charitable answere And if at such seuerall times as that reuerende father in the feare of God moued his petitions before the conscience either of her highnesse or of your honors or of any others the good children and seruantes of God he were so well acquitted that he was thought to speake vprightly in true zeale for the aduauncement of Gods glorie and like a wise buylder of the house of God no doubt in this rehearsall of them altogether they shall worke that wholsome effect if through the assistance of Gods holy spirite they be considered now with as great diligence as hee was then heard with good attention Your honours haue wel declared that you measured not your louing affection to him by the short terme of his life which giueth great hope that his humble requestes so many as are to craue ayde and furtherance of aucthoritie shall in good time be preferred They are such as shew how desirous he was to see the peace and prosperitie of Ierusalem and that the kingdome of God might neuer againe be taken away from vs. He sheweth what thinges they are by which this may bee brought to passe that among all the meanes which mans wisedome can prouide next to the high meanes of princely authoritie the chiefest is that all particular Churches may bee furnished with sufficient learned and godly Ministers and therefore that tender due care be had to encrease the nomber of them Their seruice is most needeful in the ouerthrowe of Iericho the citie which God will haue destroyed and in the buylding vp vnto God his Temple at Ierusalem The care which Magistrates take hereof and that laborers may be sent into the Lordes haruest which may defende the cause of Christ against those which charge
the Gospel to be heresie and that the things which he hath done for vs are wrought by the power of Beelzebub and which as good watchmen attending their warde may stirre vp the people to knowe the season that the night is passed and the day is come that it is time to cast away the workes of darkenesse and to put on the armour of light shall witnesse for them what zeale they beare to the house of God If the ministers be mindefull to perfourme their duetie if the Lordes haruest be not neglected if the defence for the Gospel finde vpright Iudges if all that giue outward shew of zeale be in deede zealous and worke the fruites of zeale what hope may they of Iericho haue that their cursed dwellings shal stand or why shall Israel mistrust that the Temple of God shall not receiue againe the former and perfect beautie Nowe because euery where in these sermons hee commendeth the necessary vse of godly learning and is an humble suter for patronage thereof I can not but present them vnto your honours our patrones and fathers right honourable Chauncelours of both the Vniuersities that seeing the benefite of this your gracious protection hath and doeth and shall reache it selfe so farre to do so much good to the whole Church of God you may at home and with your selues reioyce in the comfort of a good conscience for the manifold fruites of your fauour bestowed in such sort and all that haue the loue of the trueth may earnestly praye vnto God for your honours that he will continue his goodnesse towardes you and giue you long and prosperous dayes in this life and after a ioyfull enterance into his glorie Your honours most humble to command Iohn Garbrande ⧠Certaine Sermons of B. Iewell Ioshua 6. And Iericho was shut vp and closed because of the children of Israel neither might any man goe out or in 2. And the Lorde saide vnto Ioshua behold I haue giuen into thine hand Iericho and the King thereof and the strong men of warre 3. And yee shall compasse all the Citie c. IN diuers maners god spake opened himselfe to our fathers by visions dreames by sacraments by angels by plaine expresse words by allegories by secret mystical vnderstanding where one thing is couered vnder another And al this did he that he might cōdescende to our capacitie that wee might bee conuerted and saued that we might be guyded in the right way and not goe aside neither to the right hande nor to the left By vision GOD spake to Ezechiel as appeareth in the firste Chapter of his prophecie The wheeles which he saw were horible to behold they were ful of rings and the rings were full of eyes the foure beasts were also terrible they had faces like a man like a lion like a bullock and like an eagle In dream God spake to Samuel saying Beholde I wil doe a thing in Israel wherof whosoeuer shal heare his two eares shall tingle c. Touching Sacramentes God him selfe saith Thou shalt shew thy Sonne in that day saying this is done because of that which the Lord did vnto me whē I came out of Egipt thou shalt set apart vnto the lord al that first openeth the wombe c. And whē thy sonne shal aske thee to morrow saying What is this thou shalt then say vnto him with a mighty hande the Lorde brought vs out of Egypt out of the house of bondage For when Pharao was hard hearted agaynst our departure the Lord then slue al the first borne in the lande of Egypt from the first born of man euen to the first born of beast therefore I sacrifice vnto the Lorde all the males that first open the wombe but al the first borne of my sonnes I redeeme Sometimes he spake by Angels as by sundrye examples it may appeare Sometimes by him selfe in his owne person as he spake to Moses face to face Sometimes by playne expresse wordes Thou shalt loue the Lorde thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soule and with all thy might And againe Thou shalt haue none other goddes before my face thou shalt make thee no grauen image c. These are playne woordes these are the woordes which our Lord GOD hath spoken Some tymes he expressed his holy will not in words or visions or in such sort as I haue shewed but onely by some mysticall or secret Allegory by some deede which the people sawe done before their eyes of which kynd is this which we haue now to consider Therefore hath God sayde by the Prophet What coulde I haue done any more to my vineyard that I haue not done vnto it What shoulde I doe but it hath byn done What shoulde I say but it hath been sayde what warning shoulde I giue but it hath byn giuen I haue byn carefull for my people that they shoulde repent and turne to me that all Israel shoulde be saued If they perish I am free from their destruction they perishe in their owne wilfulnesse they haue none excuse Now touching an Allegory whereof we are at this present to say God opened his minde sometimes not by wordes but by some notable kinde of deede and the people heard GOD speak vnto them not with their eares but with their eyes The people of Israel as they were passing through the wildernesse lacked water to drinke and were like to perishe there stood a mighty great Rocke of harde stone whiche Moses smote with his rodde it opened and yelded out a great streame of water the whole people dranke of it and was refreshed the same people being likewise in the same wildernesse vtterly voyde of bread and all other substenance was like to famish God sent them Manna from heauen aboue they gathered it they ground it and they ate of it it was sweet and delicate and full of comfort This was an Allegorie that is to say a secret and mysticall kinde of vtterance For by this Manna and by this Rocke the people was ledde to vnderstand and thinke on that bread and that water that should come from heauen Saint Paul saith the Rocke was Christ his side was clouen his blood issued out it is a water springing vp into euerlasting life we drink of it and liue for euer So likewise that Manna was the bodie of Christ the people did eate of it and liued by it Christ had not yet taken vppon him a naturall bodye yet they did eate his bodie he had not yet shedde his blood yet they dranke his blood Saint Paule saith all did eate the same spirituall meate that is the body of Christ and all did drinke of the same spirituall drinke that is the blood of Christ and that as verily and as truely as we doe nowe and who so euer then did so eate Christ liued for euer not because the rocke was turned into his flesh or the water into his blood it was an Allegory as
al other Sacramentes be the people hereby was taught to consider of other things When the people was strong with Serpentes in the wildernesse and were swollen and heaued vp and perished in the wildernesse without hope of cure Moses erected vp a brasen serpent vppon a pole the people beheld it their anguish abated their swelling slaked and they were healed Christ was this serpent he was lifted vpon the crosse who so trusteth in him shal neuer be ashamed In certaine of their sacrifices they had a Lambe they stickte him they killed him and made sacrifice of him this Lambe was Christ the Sonne of GOD he was killed stickt and made a sweete smelling Sacrifice for our sinnes Of him sayeth God himselfe This is my beloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased Of him saith Iohn Beholde the Lambe of God which taketh away the sins of the world Of him Saint Peter speaketh among men there is none other name giuen vnder heauen whereby we must be saued In his righteousnesse onely we are receyued as righteous his blood clenseth vs from all sinne there is no other sacrifice wherewith we may be reconciled to GOD our heauenly Father all these were Allegories that is to say certaine resemblaunces and significations of secrete matters That striking of the Rocke that feeding vppon Manna that lifting vp of the Serpent that killing of the Lambe were certayne mysticall kinds of speaking And let no man thinke these things are impertinent or frō the purpose they are incident vnto the matter and grow necessarily of the things we haue to speake of When Iosuah that noble and worthy Captayne by Gods speciall conducte had past thorow the water of Iorden and taken possession in the Lande of Canaan a Land flowing with mylke and hony there to plant the people of Israel according to the promises that GOD had made them the Citizens of Hiericho that stoode in the frontiers of the Countrey rampyred their wall and placed their artillerie and appoynted them selues to resist him and to withstand his force To assault this City Iosuah practised a straunge kynd of battery He commaunded that the Arke of Gods Maiesty shoulde be carried reuerently about the Walles seuen dayes together and that the whole hoste in armour shoulde goe before it that after them shoulde followe seuen Priestes with seuen Trumpets that all the rest of the people shoulde followe after the Arke and that thus they should doe euery day once The seuenth day he encreased their labour and bade them to goe about seuen times in like order The people within laughed them to scorne to see their folly At the seuenth and last turne Iosuah commaunded them all to make a showte Straight way after so long silence they lifted vp their voyces and showted with a greate showte so many hundred thousands of men women and children the Trumpets blewe in euery corner the whole Heauen and earth was ful of their noyse and the Wall fell downe flat Here let vs consider and glorifie the power of God there was neyther mine nor ramme nor other engine nor warlike force nor worldly pollicy practised onely at this roare and sounde of Trumpets and voyces of men the rampyers were broken the walles fell downe and sunke and were made euen with the grounde the Souldiers went ouer and slewe without mercy man woman and child and cattell and whatsoeuer creature they found before them they fired the citie and consumed it and burnt it to ashes Then Ioshua sware at that time saying Cursed be the man before the Lorde whosoeuer hence foorth shall take in hande to restore this City of Hiericho let him lay the foundation thereof in the death of his eldest sonne and in the death of his youngest childe let him close vp and finishe the gates let him neuer more reioyce in the fruite of his bodie but let him liue as a manne accursed in the middes of the people let his name and memorie and all his posterity perish with him this was the tenure of Ioshuas curse Sixe hundred yeeres after in the time of the wicked King Achab one Hiel hauing no regarde to this curse set vppon to restore Hiericho and it came to passe euen as it was foresaide by Ioshua Gods curse fell vppon him he buryed his eldest sonne bee huryed his youngest sonne hee was left without comforte euen as a man that the Lorde had cursed for Gods will was that Hiericho shoulde lye waste and desolate for euer as an euerlasting remembraunce of his wrath that all people should feare to withstand his wil. This is the plaine story onely according to the letter But as touching the Allegorie or the matter which therein lyeth couered it hath a farre deeper meaning This Hiericho whereof the story speaketh was a citie in Canaan in a lowe sowre barren ground in the middest of a rotten and pestilent water by reason whereof before the same water was cured by the Prophet Elizeus the men that dranke thereof died of sundry diseases the women also became vnfruitfull This citie withstoode the people of God and laboured to keepe them from their inheritaunce that God had giuen them That Hiericho of whiche we haue nowe to consider is a spirituall power of darknesse that resteth onely in flesh and in worldy promises that withstandeth Gods people and exalteth itselfe against God For euen in this life as there is a Ierusalem so is there a Hiericho as truth hath her house so is there also a house wherein falshoode and errour dwelleth As there is a glory of the light so is there a power of darkenesse This Hiericho of falsehood and darkenesse God ouerthroweth when it seemeth good in his sight with the breath of his mouth and with the blast of his holy woorde hee doeth ouerthrow it and whosoeuer wil seek to restore it shalbe accursed Three things therfore I haue thought good by Gods sufferance to treate of 1 First how high this Hiericho is built and how strongly it is fenced and yet how easily it is ouerthrowen 2 How vainely and how miserably they loose their labour that seeke by any meanes to restore it 3 What good remedies may be deuised that this Hiericho be not restored againe Whatsoeuer my simple learning or vtterāce shalbe yet I doubt not but the very bare consideration hereof of it selfe vnto the godly must needs be comfortable They that goe down to the sea in shippes and occupy by the great waters they see the works of the lord his wōders in the deep For God is maruelous in the surges and tempestes of the Sea he is marueilous in the firmament of Heauen but much more marueilous is he in the surges and stormy Tempestes of his Church Here may we beholde the worke of his hands This is y e shop of his power of his wisdome of his light and truth and righteousnesse and patience and mercy Here may we see the children of light and the children of darknesse the
saieth the Lord. There be certain bookes of our Lord vnto the authority whereof eche parte agreeth eche part beleeueth eche part yeeldeth there let vs seeke for the Churche thereby let vs examine and trye our matters This is the Rocke vppon whiche Christ hath builte his Churche against this Rocke the gates of Hell shall not preuayle Augustine speaketh this in a prety allusion Non me aedificabo super te sed te aedificabo super me I will not builde my selfe vppon thee but I wil builde thee vppon mee The same affirmeth Hierome Basil Cyril Hillarius and other the auncient writers It woulde bee too long to alleage any more onely I will recite vnto you Lyraes iudgement of these woordes more for that hee was one that fauoured our Aduersaries then for the weight of his authoritie Super hanc petram sayeth hee id est super Christum Vpon this rock that is vpō Christ ex quo patet quod Ecclesia non consistit in hominibus ratione potestatis c. Wherby it is manifest that the Church is not among men by reason of any Ecclesiasticall or Seculare authoritie or dignitie because many Princes and chiefest Bishoppes haue forsaken the faith therefore the Church resteth in those persons in whō are to be found true knowledge the confession of faith acknowledging of the trueth Wherefore the foundation of this building wherupon all the whole worke must rest must be Christ and his holy word for as Saint Paul saith No man can lay an other foundation then that which is layde already Iesus Christ The Emperour Domitian pretending a refourming of the Empire which afore his time Tyberius Caligula Nero and other wicked Emperours had spoyled and defaced asked a Philosopher one Apollonius Tyanaeus what order were best to be taken therein Apollonius made him aunsweare Sir if it please your Maiestie you must doe as the Musition had his Schollers doe Howe is that sayde Domitian Marye Sir quoth Apollonius there was a cunning Musition that set his Schollers to an ignoraunte and homelye minstrell to learne musicke of him but before hee sent them out hee gaue them this Lesson whatsoeuer you see your Maister doe see that you auoyde it he is vnlearned and his Lessons and manner of fingering nought therefore see you doe the contrary Euen so may I say whatsoeuer we see that they haue done that were our later fathers before vs that haue destroyed Christes Church let vs remember to doe the contrary Their foundation as you know and as they themselues confesse is ignoraunce let our foundation be Christ and knowledge of Gods word They haue pulled the Scriptures out of the peoples heades and handes that no man might see their doings Let vs exhort all men as S. Chrysostome Origen and other holy fathers did to reade the Scriptures that all the worlde may see our doings They buyld Gods worde vpon the Church let vs as Paule doth teach vs buyld the Church vppon Gods word They contrary to God contrary to his word haue made the Bishop of Rome supreame head of the Church contrary I say to the worde of God haue they made him supreme head of al the Church These are not my wordes but S. Gregorie who was himselfe a bishop of Rome saith of them Piae leges venerandae Sinodi ipsa Domini nostri Iesu mandata superbi atque pompatici cuiusdam sermonis inuentione turbantur The godly lawes the reuerend Synodes and the very commandements of our Lord Iesu are broken by the inuention of a certain proud and pompous name And thereof as Gregorie himselfe testifieth hath ensued Vniuersa pernicies An vniuersal destruction Marke I beseeche you and let it not out of your remembrance They say this is the key of the Church that one be the head of it to rule it and to gouerne and keepe in vnity all the rest But Gregorie which was himselfe a Bishoppe of Rome saith it is Vniuersa pernicies A generall corruption and plague of the Church Let vs according to Gods woorde according to the Canons knowe that as Cyprian saith Vnus est Episcopatus cuius a singulis in solidum pars tenetur There is but one Byshopricke part wherof is holden in whole of euery seueral Bishoppe And as Hierome saith Vbicunque fuerit Episcopus siue Romae siue Engubij fiue Constantinopoli siue Rhegij siue Alexandriae siue Tanais eiusdem meriti eiusdem est sacerdotij Whersoeuer there be a Bishop be it at Rome be it at Eugubium be it at Constantinople be it at Rhegium be it at Alexandria be it at Tanais they are al of one worthines they are al of one priesthood They set the Pope aboue kings princes against Gods word Let vs know that according to Gods worde euery soule must be subiect to y ◠higher powers In these things in al other the like in which they forsake y e paterne original in which they doe cōtrary to the scriptures to Christ and his Apostles contrary to the practise of the Primitiue Church and contrary to the sound iudgement of the auncient Catholike fathers grounded vpon the worde of God let vs remember whatsoeuer they do or haue done to doe the contrary For it is not possible by what meanes things haue growen to corruption that by the same meanes they shall euer bee wel restored againe After the Temple was builded or was in building and rearing Esdras the Prophete read the Lawe of GOD and sacrificed Oxen sheepe and Lambes and the people wepte in consider action that they and their fathers had so vnkindly offended God and deserued so extreamely to be punished at his hande So the good king Iosias after he had founde the booke of the Lawe and sawe howe highly both he and his fathers had offended God hee fell a weeping for the consideration of Gods greate benefites and our owne vnwoorthinesse canseth vs to mourne at the sight of our owne vnkindenesse Then they turned 〈◊〉 GOD repented themselues of their wickednesse and left suche vanities as they had walked in before So Christ our Sauiour when he began to preache the Gospell and to spreade abroade the vnspeakeable treasure of our saluation called vs first to repentance and said Poenitentiam agite appropinquauit enim regnum coelorum Repentye for the kingdō of God is at hād Zachaeus when he had receiued Christ to his table repented him of his excortion and made restitution Then Iesus sayd vnto him This day is saluatiō come vnto this house forasmuch as he is also become the sonne of Abraham So the Christian men in the beginning repented themselues and changed their whole life therfore were called Saintes as S. Paul vseth in many places to name them Vocatis Sanctis to those which are called Saints And sanctis qui sunt Corinthi To the Saintes which are at Corinth Plinie being a heathen and set by the Emperour to enquire of Christian men made report in
it is Gods cause The liuings of such as are in the ministery are not in their handes to whom they are due Al other labourers and artificers haue their hire increased double as much as it was wont to be Onely the poore man that laboureth sweateth in the vineyard of the Lorde of hostes hath his hire abridged abated I speak not of the Curats but of Personages Uicarages that is of the places which are the castles towers of fence for the Lordes temple They seldome passe now a dayes from the patrone if he be no better then a gentleman but either for the lease or for present money Such marchaÌ„ts are brokeÌ„ into y â— church of God a great deale more intolerable theÌ„ were they whoÌ„ Christ chased whipt out of y â— teÌ„ple Thus they y â— should be careful for Gods church that should be patrones to prouide for y â— conscieÌ„ces of the people to place amoÌ„g theÌ„ a learned Minister who might bee able to preach y â— worde vnto theÌ„ out of season in season to fulfil his ministerie seeke their own not y â— which is Iesus Christs They serue not Iesus Christ but their bellie And this is done not in one place or in one countrie but throughout England A gentlemaÌ„ cannot keepe his house vnles he haue a Parsonage or two in ferme for his prouision O mercifull God wherto will this growe at last If the miserie which this plague worketh would reache but to one age it were tolerable But it wil be a plague to the posteritie it wilbe the decay desolation of Gods Church Yong men which are toward learned see this They see that he whiche feedeth the flocke hath least part of the milke hee which goeth a warfare hath not halfe his wages Therefore they are weary and discouraged they chaunge their studies some become prentises some turne to phisick some to lawe all shun and flee the Ministerie And besides the hinderance that thus groweth by wicked dealing of patrons by reason of the impropriations the Uicarages in many places in the properest market townes are so simple that no man can liue vpon them and therefore no man wyll take them They were wont to saye Beneficia sine cura Benenefices without charge but now may be said Cura sine beneficio Charge or cure without benefice I speake not this of my selfe many here present know I speake the trueth And my selfe know the places which haue continued styll these many yeares without a Minister resident amonge them and haue prouided them selues as they might with their owne mony Your Graces subiects had hope of amendement in your graces late visitation But yet it standeth stil in case as miserable as it did before I know your grace heareth not of these matters And I hope God wyll worke in your gracious heart to prouide some remedy agaynste them For otherwise the scholes wil be forsakeÌ„ the Church desolate the people wylde and dismayed the Gospel discredited otherwise wee shal see that wrought against the house of God that neuer any Ieroboam or Iulian or Licinius could haue brought to passe against vs. This noble Realme which euer was famous for the name of learninge is like thereby to come to such ignorance and barbarie as hath not beene heard of in any memorie before our time I knowe that there are grieuous complaintes made that the Bishops appoint Priests and Ministers that are ignoraunt and haue no vnderstanding in the latine tongue Woulde God it were not true Or would God that they which be the causers hereof woulde somewhat helpe to ameÌ„d it But alas are we able to make learned men vpon the sudden Or can we make others then come vnto vs or wyll come to liue in miserie But there are many which can say such as bee ministers in the Churche shoulde teache freely without hope of recompence or hire for their labour Our preachers are no better then Peter Paul the other Apostles They are no better then the holy prophets who liued poorely Pouertie is a coÌ„mendable estate So say some in lyke deuotion as did Iudas What needed this wast this might haue bene sold for much giuen to the pore not that he cared for the pore but because he was a thiefe had the bag bare y t which was giuen I doubt not there are many which teach Christ for Christes sake which say in their soule y e Lord is my portion who in that heauy time from which God deliuered theÌ„ if they might haue receiued theyr life only for a recoÌ„pence would haue bin glad to take the paines who seeke you and not yours which haue forsaken all they had to followe Christ I doubt not there are such But for y t hope of posteritie I report me to al you which are fathers haue childreÌ„ for whom you are carefull Although your selues haue a zeale a care for the house of god yet wil you breed them vp keepe them at schoole vntil 24. yeeres old to your charges that in the ende they may liue in glorious pouertie y t they may liue poorely naked like the Prophets Apostles Our posteritie shall rue that euer such fathers went before them And Chronicles shal report this contempt of learning amonge the punishments and murraines and other plagues of God They shall leaue it written in what time and vnder whose raygne this was done Or if we growe so barbarous that wee consider not this or bee not able to drawe it into Chronicle yet forraine nations wyl not spare to write this and publish it to our euerlastinge reproche and shame In the meane time what may bee ghessed of their meaning which thus rauine and spoyle the house of God which decay the prouision therof and so basely esteeme the Ministers of his Gospel They can not say to God the zeale of thy house hath eaten me vp Howsoeuer in other thinges they doe wel howsoeuer they seeme to reioyce at the prosperitie of Sion and to seeke the safetie and preseruation of the Lordes anoyâ—ted yet needes must it bee that by these meanes forraine power of which this realme by the mercie of God is happely delyuered shall agayne be brought in vpon vs. Suche thinges shalbe done vnto vs as we before suffered the truth of God shalbe taken away the holy scriptures burnt and consumed in fire A marueilous darknesse and calamitie must needes ensue For if the tempest be so darke in the sea that the load starre lose her light and the needle fayle to giue token of the North Pole no marueile though the Ship lose her course and be swallowed vp in the sandes The Gospell of Christe is the fountaine of light and of knowledge It cannot be mainteined by ignorance and darknes These bee the proppes of their kingdome which take away y e scriptures which hold the people in blindenes which flie the light whiche haue their common prayers minister
the Sacraments Mary burie their dead in a strange tongue that the People may vnderstand nothing which make a famine of hearing the word of God which stop vp the springes of the water of lyfe which take awaye the Keyes of the Kingdome of Heauen and neither enter in them selues nor suffer them that woulde enter which say ignoraunce is the mother of deuotion the Church is then in best order the people most deuoute when they are hood winckt blinded see nothing These are not fit instrumēts wherwith we may ouercome the aduersaries This is not y e sworde of the spirit these are not the spiritual weapons which cast downe holdes and euery high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God What man that would keepe out his enemy will pul downe his holdes what captaine that meaneth to giue a forcible assault vpon the enemy will discourage his fighting souldiers but our souldiers are out of courage our Castles are falling therefore that which we feare wyll fall vpon vs The oxe that treadeth out the corne is musseled He that goeth a warrefare receiueth not his wages the crye hereof goeth vp into the eares of the Lord of Hostes He wil not abide so great contempt of his worde and preachers his owne name is therby dishonoured Our sauiour saith He that dispiseth you dispiseth mee And S. Paul He y t despiseth these thinges despiseth not man but god And think we that hee wyll suffer his holy name to be despised Nay hys wrath is alreadie kindled He hath already begū his iudgements therfore many places are left desolate There is none that can warne them of their sinne none that can moue them to repentance none that can preach vnto them forgeuenes through Christ none that can instruct them in the comfort of euerlasting life Because they worke such thinges against the Lord the hearts of many are astonied Though they heare they vnderstande not They scorne and ieste at the worde of saluation it is vnto them a sauour of death vnto death they are earthlye minded whose God is their bellie and whose glorie is to their shame For this cause you liue still in your sinnes in adulterie in couetousues and in pride without any feeling of conscience without any feare of God Your daughters your heires to whom you shall leaue your landes are stollen awaye from you Robberies and theft are so common as if it were not onely lawful but also commendable as if sinne were no sinne and he I fire but a fable Thus wee prouoke God to anger Manye walke of whom wee cannot thinke but with weeping they are the enemies of the crosse of Christ the name of God is blasphemed through them Many are so ignoraunt they knowe not what the Scriptures are they knowe not that there are any Scriptures They call them hereticall and newe doctrine Many will beleeue neyther side whatsoeuer they alleadge Bring they trueth bring they falshoode teache they Christ teach they Antichrist they will beleeue neither they haue so hardened their heartes Be the Preacher rough or gentle learned or vnlearned let him vse authority of the scriptures of the doctours of the councels of Decrees or Decretalles of Gods Lawe of mans law nothing wil moue them nothing wil please them because the ministery of God and there by God himselfe is despised These woordes happily seeme sharpe and ouer vehement but the hardnesse of our hearts against GOD and the lacke of zeale of his house inforce me to them We are almost fallen into the lowest pitte we are left without zeale as senselesse men and as if we had cleane forgotten our selues as the Heathen which know not God Therefore vnlesse we repent the kingdome of God shall be taken away from vs. He will send vppon this land a famine of the woorde Hierusalem shall be ouerthrown and made an heape of stones the man of sinne and they which haue not the loue of the trueth shall preuayle with many and withdraw them from obedience to the Prince this noble realme shall be subiect to foreine nations all this will the zeale of the Lorde of hostes bring to passe I could haue spent this time in opening some other matter but nothing in my iudgement is more worthy your good consideration and speedy redresse I would be loth rashly or rudely to abuse the reuerence of this place but vnles these things be cared for vnlesse we shew foorth greater zeale then hitherto if the yeeres to come eate vp and take awaye from the Ministery as the late yeeres haue done there wil not be left within a while any to speake the word of God out of this place The Pulpits shall haue none to vse them the people shal grow wyld and voyd of vnderstanding When Xerxes behelde the greate company of his Souldiers suddenly he brake into teares and wept bitterly One sayde to him O Syr you haue cause to reioyce you haue a goodlye companie they are able to fight for you agaynst any nation But what shall become of them saith Xerxes after a hundred yeeres not one of all these shall be left aliue If the view of the smal number of Preachers might be taken how fewe they are and howe thinne they come vp we haue greater cause then Xerxes to lament if we haue any zeale to the house of GOD. For of the Preachers which nowe are within fewe yeeres none will remayne aliue And Xerxes souldiers lefte issue behinde them which might afterwardes serue their Countrey But there is like to bee small increase for the supplie of Learned men The Lorde shall lacke men to bring in his haruest the little ones shall call for bread and there shall be none to giue it them They that shall come after vs shall see this to bee true There is no house so spoyled as the House of the LORD There is no Seruaunt so little rewarded as the Seruaunt of Christ and the disposer of the mysteries of God Oh that your Grace did beholde the miserable disorder of Gods Church or that you might foresee the calamities which will follow It is a part of your kingdome such a parte as is the principall proppe and stay of the rest I wil say to your Maiesty as Cyrillus sometimes saide to to the godly Emperor Theodosius Valētiniā Abea quae erga Deum est pietate reipublicae vestrae status pendet The good estate welfare of your common wealth hangeth vpon true godlinesse You are our Gouernour you are the Nource of Gods Church We must open this griefe before you God knoweth if it may be redressed it hath growen so long and is runne so farre But if it may be redressed there is no other besides your Highnesse that can redresse it I hope I speake truly that which I speake without flatterie that God hath endued your Grace with such measure of learning knowledge as no other Christian Prince He hath giuen you peace happinesse the loue and
performance of the same The Quenes most honourable counsaile with the residue of the noblitie The miserable state of both the Uniuersities all other schooles of learning the onely nurceries of this Realme The Byshops and preachers that the number of them may bee encreased and that they may haue grace to set foorth the trueth of Gods Gospell as their dutie is diligentlye soberly sincerely truely and faithfully And the whole commons of this Realme especially such as speake yll or thinke ill of Gods holy word that they may haue grace to regarde the saluation of their soules to laye afide all blinde affection to heare the woorde of God and so to come to the knowledge of the trueth Who so list to peruse either the whole course of the Scriptures or other stories and recordes of antiquitie shall finde that the messengers of God such as haue bene sent of purpose to giue knowledge of his holy wyll haue at all tymes bene vnkindely receiued of the more parte and sclaunderously reported of and whatsoeuer they haue sayde or done hath bene falsly depraued turned to the worst Moses that godly Captayne notwithstandynge hee were purposely called and sent from God and in his name wrought many strange wonders befor the people yet were there some that saide hee was a Sorcerer and whatsoeuer he did he did by way of coniuration The Religion of the Jewes was the true worship of the onely God Yet Plinie sayth it was contemptus omnium numinum The despising of all the goddes The Jewes suffered no images to be in their Churches because God had forbiddē them Yet Cornelius Tacitus saith They worship their god in forme of an asse Others said they worship a god whome they call Sobaoth in the shape and fashion of a hogge and that therfore they were forbidden to eate swines flesh Others that they worship Saturnus because they were commaunded to keepe holy the Saturday The wicked and cruell Aman to bringe the people of God into hatred with the king Assuerus made his complaint of them in this wise May it please your Maiestie sayth he to vnderstande you haue a people here in your realme that vseth a new kinde of religion and wyll not be ordered by your graces lawes When the godly prynce Cyrus had giuen Esdras and Nehemias leaue to builde vp againe the Church of God at Hierusalem there came diuers to him and had him take good heede for that the Jewes were his enemies and euer had hene traitours to his crowne Lykewise after that Christ our Sauiour had ascended into heauen and the holy Ghoste was powred downe vpon the Apostles and they began to speake diuers tongues that they neuer had learned the enemies disdainefully scorned at the giftes of God and sayde Musto pleni sunt isti These men be drunken and full of newe wine And therfore they talke they knowe not what When Paul and the other Apostles taught free remission of sinnes without any goodnesse or desert of our partes onely of Gods mercye and in the blood of Christ the enemies iested at that kinde of learning and said faciamus mala vt veniant bona then if Gods mercie bee declared by forgiuenes of sinnes Let vs doo euill that good may come therof Let vs continue in sinne that grace may abound Because the Christians in the ministration of the holy Communion vsed bread and wine some saide they worshipped not Christ but Bacchus and Ceres goddes of the heathens Wheras the Christian men soone after the Apostles time vsed to resorte together in the night time or in the morning before daye into some priuate house there to call vpon the name of God and to receiue the sacrament together for feare of the crueltie of tyrantes the enemies reported that beinge thus together they killed a childe amongst them and so deuoured vp his flesh and dranke his blood and after put out the lights and so committed incest and adulterie one with another But what needeth moe examples Because wee saye that iustification standeth onely vpon the free grace and mercy of God the aduersaries report that we forbid good workes And because we speake against superstition vsed in fasting as before vs did Esay Paul and Christe himselfe they report that wee woulde haue no fasting And because we reproue the errours and abuses in the maner of prayer they say we would not haue the people to pray And because we restore the sacraments to the first institution of our Sauiour Christe and the example of the primatiue Church they say wee take away the Sacraments This is Gods holy wyl that for our exercise whatsoeuer we say or doe be it neuer so well it shall bee ill taken Iulian the apostata founde fault with the simplicitie and rudenes of Gods word Tertullian saith the heathens in the time of the primatiue Church were wont to painte out in mockery the God of the Christians with an asses head and a booke in his hand in token that the Christians professed learnynge but indeede were Asses rude and ignorant And do not out aduersaries the lyke this day agaynst all those that professe the Gospell of Jesus Christ O saye they who are they that fauour this way none but Shoomakers Taylours Weauers Prentises such as neuer were in the vniuersity but bee altogether ignoraunt and voyde of learning Thus haue you bene borne in hande that you might bee broughte to mistruste the Gospell And as the Pharises vpbrayded those that hearde the doctrine of Christe Dooth any of the rulers or of the Pharises beleue in him But this people which knowe not the law are cursed Euen so this day they say by you they vnderstand not their pater noster they knowe not their Creede yee bee ignorant O miserable men doe they aduance themselues of your ignoraunce If you knowe not your beleefe if you vnderstand not your Pater noster if you be so ignoraunt through whose fault are you so ignorant why were they your pastors why did they not teache you why take they from you the holy Scriptures why wyll they haue you be ignorant and vnlearned still This doe they that they may the more discredit and deface the Gospell which GOD of his mercie hath in our dayes restored vnto vs and caused the beames thereof to shine ouer all Countries in such sort that nowe the simple and vnlearned the rich the learned the worshipfull the honourable the states and Princes of the worlde be become professours and mainteyners of it as our eyes do see this day Blessed be his holy name therfore They say that the preachers of the same are vnlearned as men that read nothing but a fewe English books and neuer studied or saw the old Doctors Wee finde not such fault in their learninge neither do we speake those thinges by them that the most parte of you doeth knowe wee might iustly and truely speake For wee seeke not to confound them by such meanes it is not our profession
of al them that speak agaynst vs that touchinge the very substance of religion wee teache nothinge this day but that hath bene taught before by Christ him selfe set abroade by his Apostles continued in the Primitiue Church and maintained by the olde and ancient Doctors And in one or two wordes onely to giue a taste of the same that thereby ye may the better iudge of the rest Wee saye that in the Sacrament after the consecration remaineth the substance nature of bread and wine The same saith S. Augustine S. Chrysostome Theodoretus Gelasius others Gelasius wordes are so plaine as no man can denie them Non desinit esse substantia panis vini There leaueth not to be the substance of bread and wine Thus wrote they and were Catholiques We say that Christes last Supper must be vsed as a communion frequented with more then one So Christ ordeined it so y ◠Apostles the Primitiue Church and all the olde Doctors practised it and neuer was there any of them that euer made mētion of a priuate Masse Thus did they and yet were they Catholiques We say the holy Communion or sacrament of the breaking shedding of the body and blood of Christe ought of necessitie to bee vsed vnder both kindes Thus did all the Doctors vse it And Gelasius an old father saith that otherwise to vse it is open sacriledge And for y ◠space of 1000. yeeres after Christ there can no example be found to the contrary Thus did they and yet were Catholiques We say the publique prayers ought to be in the common tongue that the Bishop of Rome ought not to take vpon him to be the head of the vniuersal Church that the prince is of right by the authority that god hath giuen hym the hiest ruler of his Church and Realme as well of the ecclesiasticall officers as of the temporall And all these thinges bee aduouched confirmed by y e examples of the primatiue Church by the olde general Councels and by the Doctors And the contray here of shall neuer be proued nor by old father or Doctor nor by aucient councel nor by example of y ◠primatiue Church nor by any sufficient authoritie of the Scriptures I leaue the rest for it were an infinite labour to say as much as might be saide Thus they taught thus dyd they were catholikes alas are we sayinge the same onely because we say y e same become heretiques that was once true is it now become false that was once Catholique doctrine is it now at last become heresie O mercifull God was it thy wil y t thy trueth should be true but for a season vntil there should come men to decree the contrary If we be heretiques that teach the same that the olde Doctours of the Church taught what then are they that teach contrary to the Doctours Christ our Sauiour to reproue the Pharises thought it sufficient to say to them Hoc Abraham non fecit This thing Abrahā neuer did Therefore are you not the children of Abraham Euen so may we truely say to such as holde not themselues contented with this doctrine these things that you do Saint Augustine neuer did Saint Hierome neuer did none of the ancient fathers euer did the Apostles in the Catholike primatiue Church neuer did therefore yee are not the children of S. Augustine ye are not the children of S. Hierome ye are not the children of any of the olde catholique doctors ye are not the children of Christes primatiue Catholyke and vuiuersal Church It may not become me to sette order in these thinges yet if it were lawfull I woulde wysh that once agayne as time shoulde serue there might be had a quiet and a sober disputation that eche parte might be required to shew their groundes without selfe wyll and without affection not to mayntayne or breede contention for I trust it should be the way to take away al contention but onely that the trueth may bee knowen many consciences quieted and the right stone tryed by comparison of the counterfaite For at the last disputation that should haue bene you know whiche partie gaue ouer and would not meddle Some will saye the Iudges wyll not be indifferent And alas what man that doubteth his owne matter wyll euer think the Iudges indifferent Let the whole worlde let our our aduersaries them selues bee Iudges heerm affection put apart let our aduersaries themselues be Iudges What can wee offer more if this bee not sufficient what can there be sufficient Pompeius a noble Gentleman of Rome at what time he shoulde goe into the fielde against Caesar that then was his enemie and some of his counsell told him he lacked men and should neuer be able with so small a number to stande in fielde agaynst Caesar beinge well furnished Tushe quoth hee when so euer I shall but beate the ground with my foote I shall by and by rayse vp a swarme of souldiers Afterward it befell that Pompey was vanquished and glad to flee Then Marcus Cato an old gentleman and one of his army sayd to hym O sir remember your promise you lacke men now let vs see your swarme of Souldiers It is wel knowne that it hath bene spoken both in this place and in other lyke that al the Doctours and al the general councels were against vs. Nowe the armie is discomstted nowe they stande in neede of men nowe let them call for their Doctours and Councels if they come but with one sufficient Doctour or Councell they may haue the field I speake not this to boast my self of any learning but the goodnes of the cause maketh me y e holder Neither woulde I haue in this behalfe said so much as I haue sauing that the matter it selfe very necessitie inforced me so to doe Alas it were great pitie that Gods trueth shoulde be defaced w t priuy whisperings It were great pitie that whole houses shoulde be ouerthrowen mēs consciences wounded the people deceiued Gods trueth and the loue thereof pulled from your heartes his woorke blasphemed as if it came from Beelzebub w tout any good ground without any authorytie of the Scripture without any example of the Primatiue Churche without Counsell without any auncient Doctour or father But they haue another kinde of learuynge which because wee haue not therefore they say we are vnlearned For if controuersies might haue bene tryed by learnyng you shoulde neuer haue seene the Masse agayne after it was once downe If there euer come another change as I pray God wee may neuer see nor surely euer shall wee vnlesse our vnkindnesse pull downe Gods plague vppon vs but if a change come suche a one as they looke for you shall see with what argument they wyll proue their Masse We reade that Christ dyd put the Pharises to silence yet afterwarde when their tyme came they sayde We haue a lawe and by our law he must die But Gods name be praysed no persecutions no
Et certè imago vel similitudo corporis sanguinis Christi in actione mysteriorum celebratur There leaueth not to be the substance of bread or the nature of wine And indeede the image or represētation likenes of the body blood of Christ is published in the ministration of the mysteries He saith it leaueth not it remaineth it is stil not the forme or appearance but the substance and nature Chrysostome saith Natura panis in Sacramēto remane◠The nature of bread remaineth in y e sacramēt And Theodoretus Signa mystic a post sanctificationem nō recedūt a natura sua manēt enim in priori substātia figura forma The mystical tokens or sacramēts after the cōsecration depart not frō their own nature for they remaine stil in their former substāce forme figure Not only in forme and figure not onely in shewe but it remaineth breade and wine in nature and substance Likewise Cirillus Christus fragmēt a panis dedit discipulis Christ gaue fragmēts or pieces of bread to his discipies It was verye bread deuided into sundrie pieces And Rabanus saith Sacramētū ore percipitur in alimētum corporis redigitur The sacrament is receiued with the mouth and is turned into the nourishment of the body Bertramus saith Secundum creaturarum substantiam quod fuerunt ante consecrationem hoc postea consistunt Touching the substance of the creatures of bread wine they abide y e same after as they were before the cōsecration Euen so saith Clemēs Vinum esse illud quod benedictum est ostendit rursus dicens non bibam amplius ex hoc germine vitis Christe shewed that that was wine which was blessed by saiyng againe I will no more drinke of the fruite of the vine I will bring forth no more witnesses in this matter you haue enough and so manye as maye satisfie any reasonable man You see the consent of the old doctors I know not howe any thing may bee more plainely set downe and declared Why then say you how came transubstantiation into the Church How it came in I cannot shew you The husbandmā that findeth his field ouergrowen with cockel and ill weeds knoweth not how they come They grow of thēselues he soweth them not But when or since what time it hath been receiued and allowed of I wil tel you It was first determined enacted in the Councel of Laterane vnder Pope Innocentius the third in the time of king Iohn king of England in the yeere of our Lorde a thousand two hundreth fifteen that is 350 yeres ago not before Then was it first so named and made a matter of faith and neuer before This I speake not of my selfe they that maintaine that errour confesse it the most learned and wisest sagest of them say it And yet then was it no Catholike faith for it was onely receiued in the Church of Rome the other churches ouer all the worlde receiued it not as appeareth by a Councel holden at Florence Therefore if transubstantiation be a matter of faith it is a newe late founde faith and no old and Catholique faith In the time of our great graundfathers it was not so taken Afterwarde Pope Honorius 3. commaunded that it should be kept vnder a canopie and that the people should worship the sacrament And after him Vrbanus 4. made a newe holie day in honour of it which he called corpus Christi day And all these thinges haue been done within these fewe yeeres For before in the times of Augustine Ierome Chrisostome and the old fathers they were neuer heard of But to returne to that we haue in hand whether the bread and wine in the Sacrament remayne in their proper nature Yes verily for so is it auouched by our Sauiour by Saint Paul by Ignatius Iustinus Irenaeus Origen Dionisius Cyprian Ambrose Chrisostome Augustine Gelasius Theodoretus Cirillus Bertramus and Rabanus By so many good and lawfull witnesses it appeareth that the bread and wine remayne in the same nature and substance as before I seeke not to astonishe you by bringing in such a heape of Authors nor yet to seeke mine owne glorie therby God is my witnes and his Christ If I would seeke mine owne commoditie I shoulde holde my peace and not vnfolde these errours wherewith the Churche of God hath byn disquieted these late yeeres As for glorie I haue none in these things shame come vpon them that seek the glory and commendation of men our glorie is to discharge our cōscience and to speake the truth that wee may be blamelesse in the day of our Lord. And yet in speaking thus of the sacrament of the Lordes supper and denying the strange and new learning of transubstantiation and making it knowen that the bread and wine continue stil that they were before we do not conceiue basely or vnreuerently of the sacrament wee doe not make it a bare or naked token Let no man bee deceiued We doe both thinke speake soberly and with reuerence of the holy mysteries As we cannot cal them more then they are so may wee not esteeme them lesse then they are by the ordinance and institution of Christ We say they are changed that they haue a dignitie and preeminence which they had not before that they are not now common breade or common wine but the sacrament of the body and blood of Christ a holy mysterie a couenant betweene Christ and vs a testimonie vnto our conscience that Christ is the Lambe of God a perfite seale sufficient warrant of Gods promises whereby God bindeth himselfe to vs and we stand likewise bounden vnto God so as God is our God and we are his people In Baptisme the nature substance of water doth remaine stil and yet is not it bare water It is changed made the sacrament of our regeneration It is water consecrated made holy by the blood of Christ They which are washed therein are not washed with water but in the blood of the vnspotted Lambe One thing is seene and an other vnderstande Wee see the water but wee vnderstande the blood of Christ Euen so wee see the bread and wine but with the eies of our vnderstanding we looke beyonde these creatures wee reache our spirituall senses into heauen and beholde the raunsome and prise of our saluation Wee doe beholde in the Sacrament not what it is but what it doeth signifie When wee receiue it with due reuerence and faith we say as sayde Gregorius Nyssenus Ego aliam escam agnosco quae c. I know another kind of meate bearing the likenes resemblāce of our bodily meat the pleasure and sweetnes wherof passeth only into the soule It goeth not into the mouth or belly but onelie into the soule and it feedeth the minde inwardly as the other outwardly feedeth the body We say as S. Aug. Ipse est panis cordis nostri Christ is the bread