A SERMON Preached at Paules Crosse the second Sunday in Mychaelmas tearme last 1590. By Geruase Babington D. of Diuinitie Not printed before this 23. of August 1591. ¶ Imprinted at London by Thomas Este dwelling in Aldersgate streete at the signe of the black Horse and are there to be sould ¶ TO THE RIGHT worshipfull Thomas Cranfield Master Henry Rowe Barthelmew Barnes and Nicholas Staynes wardens and the rest of the right worshipfull Societie of the Mercery of the citie of London I Haue euer accounted ingratitude Right worshipfull to be not onely the greatest but the vgliest moÌ„ster in nature according to that Ingratum si dixeris omnia dixeris Wondring at the most sort of men which in this our age doe liue that they so litle regard of it and not rather altogether shunne abhor it But when I perticulerly muse of some as of my selfe I find that either oportunitie wil not alwaies serue or hability in most doth waÌ„t to those that cary willing minds to shew theÌ„selues mindeful in words or answerable in deeds And concerning my selfe which is now my drift purpose I haue often feared least of diuers hereof I should as guiltie be noted of many to whome I haue beene greatly beholden iustly condemned But of none more then of your worships and this right worshipfull company which to me and myne for these many yeres haue ben most bountifull Patrons in diuers respects as louing and carefull pareÌ„ts Wherefore hauing gotten some fitt occasion I thought not to pretermit the same but therein to show my minde and poore habilitie wherein I may doe your worships any seruice I doe here offer to your worships a small present small I say in respect of answering any benefit receued but great pretious in regard of the matter therin conteined A Sermon preached at Paules Crosse as the tytle showeth by a learned godly serious laborer in the Church of GOD which being of the best generally liked so of many earnestly desired Amongst whom diuers of my friends by reason of my ancient acquaintance with the Preacher did request me being therto desirous of my selfe to procure a copie of the same affirming that it would for euer be a comfort to them one Sermon instead of many Sermons Which I assaying to doe at the first found him very vnwilling to graunt being before requested the like by certaine of great account Yet I presuming farther to presse him bearing my selfe bold vpon long acquaintaÌ„ce knowledge with the remembraÌ„ce of diuerse other benefits which I had often and diuerse wayes receaued of him presuming to argue and vrge farther my sute aleadging that I knew his mind was not onely to profit the audience theÌ„ present but to do good to so many as coÌ„ueniently he could according to my experienced knowledge of him of long time At length I obtained a Copie of him of his owne haÌ„d writing which I haue caused to be Printed not onely for the benefit of your worships this right worshipful Company to whome being diligently read often meditated vpon I doubt not but it will be fruitfull but also to so many as shall read or heare the same which was the authors labor and purpose and my poore endeuor and request This I say I am bound to present your worships with all hoping you wil vse the benefit therin contained by due consideration and accept of my minde and dutie which I owe your worships to whome as to the rest of this right worshipful company I pray for the encrease of our heauenly fathers grace with the still continuance of the same Your worships most bounden Richard Wilkinson Things touched in this Sermon COncerning the doctrine of our election The dislikers of it fol. 5 Reasons why it ought to be taught 6 The euidence of the doctrine 8 The cause of election 11 The stabilitie of it 13 The number certaine 15 Knowledge of it in our selues 16 The vse and comfort of it 17 Cauills and obiections against it answered 23 Diuers sorts of conmers to Christ 33 Pride outward in apparell 35 Pride inward in minde fol. 38 Ouer nice humilitie 41 Slippers from the Ministerie ibid. A holow heart to the state fol. 42 The iudgement of God vppon Traytors euer ibid. Contention and Diuision in the church 43 Holow reuerence to Superiors 50 Titles vsed to minist ibid Church robbers 53 Comfort against our vnworthinesse 59 Against disdaine 61 A patern for iudges lawyers gouernors ibid Certainty of our saluation 62 Yet how a child of God may be shaken 64 The storie of master Robart Glouer Martyr 65 No presumption to beleeue the certaintie of saluation 67 Constancie in good affection 69 Not esily to suspect whom we haue trusted ibid. Sectaries excom 71 Iohn 6. 37. All that the Father giueth me shal come vnto me him that commeth to me I cast not away IN the verse before right Honorable beloued in y â— Lord all wée heare our Sauiour Christ affirme of the Capeâ—naits that they also amongst others had séene him but beléeued not The reason is implied in these words which I haue read because they were not giuen of the father For all that the Father giueth mee saith our sauiour in this text commeth vnto me and him that commeth to me I cast not away So is this verse I say a reason of the former we plainely sée it Added of our sauiour Christ in his most déepe wisedome to answere both then and whilst y â— world indureth for the vnbeléefe of many which contemne the Gospell that it ought not as it often is be a stumbling block to any to make them mislike or doubt of Gods truth because many reiect the same cannot be won to regard and folow it as they ought For they that so do and continew are not giuen to Christ of the Father being not giuen they come not it being an effect of y t Fathers giuing to come to the Sonne as witnesseth our Sauiour both in this place and else where when he saith He that is of God heareth Gods word ye therefore heare them not because ye are not of God Againe But ye beleeue not because ye are not of my sheepe And thirdly As many as were ordayned to aeternall life beleeued as many as were ordayned with diuers such places all proouing as I say that to come to Christ by faith procéedeth as an effect from the fathers giuing of vs to Christ by election A doctrine if euer necessarie now surely most necessarie when the fearefull contempt of Gods word that ruleth in many either is or may be a stumbling block to weake mindes that iudge not persons by faith but faith by persons as Lactantius speaketh Not knowing or else not weighing this point of Gods sacred truth that they onely beléeue which are ordayned which are of God which are sheepe to as this text speaketh which are giuen to y â— Sonne by y
hony combe and â—â—â—â—eth our soules to loue againe except we be dead yea to loue most earnest according to the mercie that we haue tasted of Some shadowing of it we may sée in men that stand all condemned iustlie for matter of trespasse committed and expect a sentence of bitter death accordingly Let the Prince in this case release one pardoning in mercie and giuing life when paritie of trespasse called for equall punishment O how leapeth the hart of that released one when be knoweth it crying mercy mercy O swéetest mercy how bound am I for this release Can I loue can I thinke can I honor euer condignly the fountaine of this fauour towards me I cannot I cannot and therefore I will dye with this O mercy aboue merit and hope of requit all in me So it is in our election where onely grace hath made the difference saued vs. The loue is great we cannot but sée it what is due we may not deney it If all loue destre loue againe God forbid but such loue should be euer thought of as the Lord inableth Fourthly it prouoketh vs to all good works we neuer think obediene to much y t redounneth to the good liking of him y t thus hath loued vs. If men in this world shall stede vs any way how wish we how will we how care we how seeke we to do the thing that may content auoyd the thing that may offend them what comparison is there betwixt the loue of men and this loue of God towards vs before the world was made Can then the knowledge and true regard of it be without fruite in our conuersation It cannot be Fiftly it stayeth vs against offence that wold grow by such as fall away if this wer not For it telleth vs some stand in show and some stand in truth some stand for tyme and some stand for euer If any had bene of vs saith y e Apostle Ihon. They would haue continued with vs. Feare we not therfore when men start aside but stand we fast whosoeuer shake remembring wel that all being not apointed to the end they neither are apointed to the meanes Lastly most swéetly this doctrine of our election profiteth vnto patience telling vs y t no tiranny in this cursed worlde no malice nor moods of mortall men can or shall euer preuaile beyond the limits and lists of his counsell y t hath decréed their pitch And therefore indure it and indure it patiently for he moderateth This comforted the Apostles for their Lord master in that notable place of the Acts worthy reading a thousand times O Lord say they against thy holy Sonne Iesus whome thou hadst anointed both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentills and the people of Israel gathered themselues together But what could they doe Surely they haue done nothing but what thy hand and thy counsell had determined before to be done This comfort our Sauiour himselfe pleased to apply to himself against the cruel enemy lifting him selfe vp vaÌ„ting as though he had all power of life death against our Sauiour Thou couldst haue no power against me saith he except it were giuen thee from aboue True in the head and true in the members euer to our great stay and comfort These and such like are y â— fruits of this doctrine of our election Which they neuer tasted nor euer knew that so wickedly condemne it Let it suffice that we féele it to the prayse of God our comfort and let them perish with their error that so cast away a doctrine of such heauenly vse if they will not repent and be perswaded Away then with those cursed Cauils that flye vp downe against this doctrine For it is holy it is swéete it is the Lordes It maketh no man set all at six and seuen as carelesse what he doth saying if I be predestinate to be saued I cannot be damned and if I be apointed to death I cannot be saued But contrarywise it maketh men rather carefull to vse meanes as knowing that the decrée of God taketh his effect by meanes And therefore such as rightly vnderstand this doctrine cary in themselues a care not to speake prophanely of any truth of God howbeit they knowe that the decrée of God standeth euer in it selfe vnchangeable and cannot be altered yet looke they not at that but at the meanes that God hath apointed all men to vse either for the obtaining or auoyding of any thing wished or feared And those meanes they vse with all care and diligence séeking the ende by the way ordeyned not any way made retchlesse in the meanes by the end As for example that I may be plaine Rebecca knew that GOD had apointed her sonne Iacob to liue to be a greater man then Esau because God himselfe had tould her that he would make two mightie nations of her two sonnes the elder should serue the yonger yet did she not conclude hérevpon as these men do that therfore it skilled not what she did when Esau threatned to kill Iacob for being apointed to liue he could not be killed But contrarywise she most carefully deuised and most spéedely vsed meanes to kéepe him from danger by sending him away to her brother Laban till Esau his anger should be as waged Knowing as I say that the decrée of God did not preiudice meanes but rather binde vnto the same as being to take his effect in time by the same And so she ran not rashly to the counsell of GOD as these men doe but looked what her owne dutie was and vsed that By which meanes her Sonnes both liued and all came to passe well as God had decréed Take an other example as plaine as this In the Acts of the Apostles we read that Paule and his company were in great danger vpon y t sea In so much that they were faine to throw all their lading out and in the end the ship burst in two Before the extremitie of the perill God that is euer carefull to comfort his by his Angel in y t night foretould Paule of all y t should happen had him not feare for he should escape and for his sake all likewise that were with him which were in number 276. soules Héere was Gods couÌ„sell knowen his decree and purpose reuealed which Paule beléeued and exhorted all theÌ„ most firmely to be persuaded of What now Did Paule vpon this coÌ„clude as these men speak why then it skills not what we do For God hauing determined to saue vs we cannot be drowned No such matter but leauing y â— decrée of God looketh streight at the meanes that must be vsed the industrie of y â— Mariners who wold haue stolne away had not Paule preuented them the streÌ„gthning of their bodies by taking some meat Which being don such as could swim threw themselues first into the Sea y t getting to land they might helpe
suffice for the first point The 2. part Venit ad me Commeth vnto me Venire ad christum est christum fide amplecti locum dare veritati To come vnto Christ is to embrace him by faith to giue place to the truth saith one Quod dedit mihi pater scilicet perpraedestinationem venit ad me s per fidem What the father hath giuen me to wit by predestination that commeth vnto me by faith saith an other as we hard before in the beginning Quid est qui ad me venerit nisiqui se mihi certa fide dederit What is this he that commeth vnto me but he that giueth himselfe vnto me by assured faith saith a third By all which and many mo that I could aledge we sée the sense is thus much as if our Sauiour should haue saide all that the father giueth me by his election to life those come vnto me by faith that is those lay hould of me and embrace me by true beléeuing in me testifie that fayth by fruits of the same dayly as God inableth Which euidently confirmeth that which I sayd before that the cause of election is in God not in man For here we sée beléeuing floweth from gods giuing and not gods giuing from our beléeuing Therefore is true faith called Electorum fides the faith of the elect because it is in none but in them springeth euer from this fountaine As many as were ordained to eternall life beleeued saith the Apostle Making ordayning first and beléeuing second The like doth that golden cheyne testifie in the eight to the Romans and many places mo Sée then beloued in these words giuen to vs by the Lord Jesus our Sauiour himselfe a sure token a true way to know whether we be the children of God or no and stand in a comfortable estate if God should call vs herehence Surely if we be come vnto Christ by a true faith working to holy life then are we sure by Christes owne words who is truth it selfe that we are giuen by the Father that is chosen and elected to eternall life and cannot perish And that the Lorde would haue vs marke this and make a tryall of our selues by it his very spech declareth For he could haue sayde as easily euery one that is elected is giuen vnto me as all y â— is giuen me commeth vnto me but that by the former no light had broken out to vs wheras by the later we haue a most plain signe Looke we then earnestly at this marke sée if we be commers commers a right vnto Christ For Iudas came and that with both lowly louely behauiour out ward but his drift was naught no lesse then treason In the 7. of Ihon some came to Christ but they came to intrap him In this present chap. they came to Christ that by slocks but it was for loâ—ues and not for loue as our sauiour telleth them The Capernaites also both came and saw as others dyd but they beléeued not Many amongst vs come to Church Sermons Lectures as others to the good comfort of men that sée no more then what is without but God knoweth secrets the ende of all mens comming Certaine it is that euerie comming proueth not a giuing of God therefore looke we about 〈◊〉 It is no smal dutie of a Christian man woman to be carefully harted and sharply sighted to sée into themselues how they walke liue and are like to dye when the trée falleth so shall lye till the iudging daye For the spirit often beateth vpon this as a néedefull thing Let vs search trye our wayes saith y â— Prophet Ieremy Proue your selues whether you be in the faith or no saith y â— Apostle with many such like Many haue thought too well of them selues and found it too late Here is a direction before our eyes If we be Gods we are elected so giuen to Christ as men that shall not perish but be saued in him by him eternally This election shall apeare to vs by comming to Christ For all that y â— Father giueth commeth to him sayth this text This comming to Christ is by faith What faith By a true liuely faith And how is that knowne Euer by fruits as fire by heat Here then is y â— point Our fruits show our faith our faith showes our comming to Christ and our comming to Christ in this sort showeth our election by God to eternall lyfe Fruits then are all which what they are this daye in many of vs that proâ—esse the gospell religiously as men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before the maiestie of God the burning brightnesse of his pearcing eyes let vs all consider in the secret soules and consciences of vs. May that fearefull strange and monstrous pryde in aparell that this daye apeareth and eateth vp this lande testifie vnto the soule of any man or woman delighted with it and in it that they are come to Christ did euer any in the world proue his election by this fruit we know â—o We thinke no euen as we sit now and yet we feare not Herod was royally robed and dreadfully perished The rich glutton with his costly purple fine linnen was a castaway And had not vanitie of aparell saith Gregory béene a gréeuous sinne Nunquam sermo dei tam vigilanter exprimiret quod diues qui torquebatur apud inferos bysso purpura indutus fuisset Neuer would the word of God so carefully note that this rich man tormented in hell was in his life time clothed with purple fine linen So saith he else where if pryde in aparell were not most sinnefull neuer would Christ so haue praised Ihons meannesse and plainnesse in aparell or the Apostle haue exhorted women to beware of brodered haire c. By the prophet Sophony the Lord saith He will visit all those that go in strange apparell meaning the courtiers as the marginall note saith which imitated other nations in their apparell If the Lord threaten punishment iudge in a féeling hart how he liketh it Saint Ierom noteth an example of his punishment in a noble woman in those daies who decking and painting vp a yong mayde that was her Neece with Jewells in her haire and such like trimings by and by had both her handes withered and shortly after dyed concluding vpon it Sic gemmas pretiosissima ornamenta Christus defendit So doth Christ defend pretious stones end gaye clothes God forbid all hands in these daies that are busied in such dressing of haire and hanging on of ornameÌ„ts aboue that which is fit should tast of such iudgemeÌ„t yet feare beloued and thinke of this example in the middest of your deckings For God may show his wrath if it please him in a moment Cypryan sayth profitably Tormenta paucorum exempla sunt omnium The punishment of one is an example for all And with the wise
eijcio I cast not away The words are plaine and therfore let vs but consider the vse of them and so hast to an ende 1 First then they contayne a singular comfort against the wringing thought of our vnworthynesse being in sence as if the Lord Jesus should saye feare not though base though sinnefull poore and of no accompt in the eye either of thy selfe or others For if thou commest to me thou art welcome notwithstanding these and I neuer cast away him that commeth True beloued true and most true blessed be his maiestie for such goodnesse Publicans and sinners poore fishermen and despised Gentils he hath entertayned withall mercie fafour as we know Come vnto me all ye y t trauell and are heauy laden carieth with it no exception of pouertie or basenesse but reacheth out comfort to all commers be they neuer so many in the eyes of men ego reficiam vos I will refresh you At what time soeuer a sinner repenteth himselfe from the botome of his hart I will put all his wickednesse out of my remembrance saith the Lord. Hath it any exception of vnworthinesse against any true repenter If thy sinnes were as redd as skarlet I will make them as white as snow noteth it any casting away of any y t is truely sorowfull No no. And therefore this speach is true he that commeth to me I cast not away Dauid so dead by adultery and murder he cast not away when repentance cryed hartely Lord forgiue Paul a most fierce Saul persecuting the saints of God was not cast away when he came Peter with his periury sinful denyall was yet receiued when he came Mary with her seuen diuells was not cast away He that sorowfully sayd Lord I beleeue to witt as I am able help my vnbeleefe found his swéet comfort notwithstanding imperfection In a word he that commeth vnto me I cast not away haue all true commers to Christ foūd since y ◠world was and shall doe till it ende againe Heauen and earth passing but not a iote of this word of God fayling in truth swéetnesse promised 2 An other swéete vse of these words is this Comfort against contempt in the world and disdaine of proud ones Thou commest to their houses tables and companies being poore simple but a true fearer of God his lawes and what entertainment hast thou Surelie this thou art cast out and contemned For either they cannot be mery whilst thou art in place or y e pride of their places séeme nothing sutable to so sely a guest Farewell they behould thy comfort héere Jesus Christ casteth thée not awaie if thou come to him and therefore blesse him loue him and still more more in all thy occasions resort to him leauing those proud pecocks to the will of him that hateth them and theire sinnefull contempt of their brethren and his most déere seruants 3 A third vse is this to Magistrates rulers iudges gouernours vnto whome come thousands with sorow in their harts and litle money peraduenture in their purses O cast them not away as néere as you can without your comfort Their spirits are troubled their iniuries be great their skill but small to moue your affections by any orderly tale But this scripture is written and let it moue you and moue you greatly that your Lord master casteth none away that come to him He in nature and you in office be gods of comfort to poore commers the fewer you cast away the liker to him and if you cast none away then lykest of all And what better paterne of liked life then Christ our Lord. O happie man that foloweth him riding on horsebacke casteth a comfortable eye downe to him that walketh afoote by his side telling his case as panting and breathing feare of some greater man to come and cary you from him will giue him leaue Yea O happy man I say againe For in earth such an one shalbe blessed praysed and prayed for and in heauen no more cast away then he hath cast others but receyued and comforted as he hath done others 4 Fourthly it most notably implieth the certayntie and assurance of our saluation For if the constancy of Christs loue to all that come vnto him be such that he neuer casteth any of them away iudge in your owne selfe if once you finde the assurance of your cōming whether your safetie be not sealed in the word of Gods truth that you can no more perish then he be vntrue Laye this text then to many scriptures mo that most comfortably deliuer this doctrine to vs. To the first Psalme which saith the man that is once come to Christ by a true beléefe in his name and a life as God inableth according to such faith is like a tree planted by the water side whose leafe shall neuer fade nor fall away for want of moysture neuer neuer To the two and thirtie of Ieremy where promise is made that the couenant with such as are come vnto him shalbe euerlasting that he will neuer turne away from them to doe them good but will put his feare in their harts that they shall not depart from him Which place Austen often vrgeth and setteth it as a wall of brasse against doubt héerein by any man To the testimony in Mathew againe wher it is sayd they should deceiue the verie elect if it were possible if it were possible againe I say and euer remember it To the tenth of Ihon where our Sauiour saith I will giue my sheepe that is such as our text to day calleth cōmers to him eternal life and they shall neuer perish neither shal any pluck them out of my hands With a number such places mo all proouing and preaching this truth of God vnto vs that once finde in our selues a true comming to Jesus Christ by faith and obedience the two heads of all religion and conclude a comfort more swéete then tounge can tell our saluation is sure when this life is ended for this text is plaine with all else now named He that commeth to me I neuer cast away Shaken we may be dangerously tempted as God shall thinke good but perish we cannot if these scriptures be true Peter is a paterne what may befal vs and Peter is a proofe of Gods goodnesse toward vs. Of whom Tertullian saith thus Fidei robur concussum fuit sed non excussum mota fuit fides sed non amota caepit arescere sed nō exaruit ore deū negauit sed corde tenuit The strēgth of his fayth was shaken but not shiuered in peeces moued it was but not remoued it began to dry but it withered not quite with his mouth he denyed God but his hart did not fully and finallie let him go Thus farre may we fall which yet God forlnd and by the mercy that raysed him rise againe 〈…〉 tentatoris viuit tamen radix Wel may
the tempter cast downe our leaues that declared vs to liue and yet shall the roote remaine a liue though it be not seene saith Theophilact Fowlly fell Dauid we all know and felt a feareful change in his hart when he cryed O Lord Let me feele y e comfort of thy Spirit againe yet finally forsakeÌ„ he neuer was nor cast away Notable is the storie of master Robert Glouer in the Acts and Monuments of our Church to show how shrodly a childe of God may be shaken humbled yet all well in time againe Master Glouer to my remembrance hauing receiued sentence to be burned for his faith was in the prison after so bereft of all swéet comfort and féeling of the Spirit in his soule and inwards that he séemed rather to himselfe as it were forsaken then otherwise of God and his grace Diuers godly brethren to whome he made great lamentation for this his dulnesse comforted him with gods promises assuring him in the truth therof y â— it would be otherwise with him in due tyme though thus it pleased God to humble him for a while happely as in déede it was y â— it might be more swéet when it come Say what they all could he receiued no tast of swéetnesse but remained still all dull and heauie dead in himselfe The tyme of his death came he thus voyde of comfort a dolefull and heauie case if we thinke of it The brethren applied him stil with their comfort bad him not feare for as sure as the Lord liued who neuer forsaketh his in their most néede the Spirit would come againe yet ere he died And because they were most sure of it grounding themselues vpon Gods promises which neuer faile therfore they intreated him that when it came he should giue them a signe or by some meanes or other make them acquainted with it both for their comfort present and instruction euer in the like triall He promised that he would and now sée the wonderfull worke of God being taken out of the prison and vpon his way to the place where he must dye sodainly in y â— way came such a streame of swéetnesse into his hart and such a power of the Spirit replenished his soule that he cryed with a loude voyce He is come he is come he is come To the vnspeakeable comfort of the godly brethren that had assured him thereof before the great wonder of them that knew not what be meant Neuer being so heauy in the tyme of his huÌ„bling as now he was ioyfull after this his lightning Tried therfore I say Gods children may be and séeme as forsaken but yet in the ende it is not so my text being true as God is true He that commeth to me I neuer cast away Stand we therefore in the truth of God with assured comfort of our happy end when once we find we are truely come to Jesus Christ by the Fathers giuing Eor whom the Lord loueth to the and he loueth Iesus Christ is yesterday to day the same for euer But O presumption presumption cry some y t neuer knew or else would not haue y t people of God to know what true pietie meaneth Papists I meane who in no case can abide this doctrine being a cutthrote to their purgatorie masses and satisfactorie works all flowing from a fearefull vncertaintie what shall become of vs deuised by theÌ„ to comfort this feareful thought with all Alas beloued is this presumption to giue credit to God when he promiseth yea againe and againe and twentie times promiseth Make the case your owne and suppose that your selues do promise a man either â—aiment or pleasure or some thing or other and the partie resteth vpon the truth of that word assuring himselfe it shal neuer faile but is as sealed with a thousand seales Doth this man offend in presuming or rather yeld you the credit y â— is due vnto you you meaning w t all truth the performance of your word So is this case yea so much better as God excéedeth man in truth of meaning and power to performe what he promiseth God saith I will not cast him away that commeth or I do neuer cast him away If I beléeue this â—o be true doe I presume or performe my dutie in giuing credit to the Lord Nay is not y â— doubting of it a feareful dishonoring of God and detracting from his truth Surely if a man should doubt one of your wordes you will make it and take it a wrong and shall it be no wrong to doubt of God Much more Therefore let these sinfull men delight in their owne discomfort the Lords disgrace till God open their eyes let you and me be of Austens iudgement in this matter Non est ista superbia elati sed câ—â—fessio non ingrati This is not any pride of one puffed vp but a confession of one that is not vnthankfull If any man thinke yet this doctrine of assuraÌ„ce will make men carelesse how they liue I haue answered before this obiection and showed that is neuer so in them that are truely religious and truely taught because they know God hath aswell apointed the way as the ende that is holy life aswell as saluation in heauen And Pietas quae finem nouit non est pietas Pietie that ceaseth was neuer pietie Lastly these words teach vs constancie in loue and affection one towards an other as our Lord and Sauiour is most constant towardes all â—â—at come to him We are to fickle and tickle many of vs to day takeing and to morow forsaking to day louing and to morow lothing without any cause in the world other then our owne naturall corruption soone hott soone colde Such is not our God Sauiour we héere sée who neuer reiecteth whome once he accepteth neuer casteth away who once commeth to him And what better paterne to frame our selues vnto then such an one Such was not Ruth who answered her mother in law that wold haue had her returne and sayd Intreat me not to leaue thee nor to depart from thee For whither thou goest I will go where thou dwellest I will dwell thy people shalbe my people and thy God my GOD. Where thou dyest I will dye and there will I be buryed The Lord do so to me more also if ought but death depart thee and me This was stedfastnesse worthie praise and an example for all to folow that in this behalfe wil be worthie of prayse Such againe was not Traian the Emperour of whome it is written that when Sura Licinius one whome he greatly trusted was accused to him that he was not faithfull but practised trechery against him Traian would not be induced to suspect his faith â—home long he had loued and duely tried but in stede of that frowne with the appurtenances which the accusers looked for went to Sura his house vnbidden tould him he would suppe with him called for Sura