vnderstand how it is to be sought for let let it be that we both agree it is to bee sought and also doe séeke for it yet if we séeke not the right way we are neuer the better for seeking First then knowe this that there are two sortes of vnity and agreement the one is in God being in the truth in the spirite in true holines and sanctification The other is in error and sin and not in the Lord. Now indeede it is the holy vnitie in the Lord which is praised in this Psalme and which wee must seeke after vpon which the blessing of God shal come This may ye sée by that exhortation of S. Paul Ephesi 4. When hee saith studying to keepe the vnity of the spirite in the band of peace for he addeth as the reason there is one body and one spirit as ye are called in one hope of your calling one Lord one faith one baptisme one God and father of all c. For like as all the members of the naturall body are coupled together by one soule and make but one body so by one spirite of the Lord all the faithfull are vnited and become all one misticall body of Iesus Christ by one faith and by one baptisme they are all in one Lord and in one God The foūdation of this vnity is in the truth and by it men growe vp together in God and for this cause it is sayd in the first verse of the Psalme Brethren also to dwell in vnitie He sayth also because as there is a reconciliation wrought by Christ betweene God and man and so a mā is come into vnitie with God he must also growe into vnity with those which are together reconciled to the Lord with him seeke this vnity to be vnited with our brethrē vnto God otherwise all shall bee dissolued and scattered againe in confusion Touching that other concorde which is in errour and wickednes they which possesse it who are of diuers sortes doo commend it and much complaine of the disturbaunce and breach thereof As first of all the Papistes make a great exclamation against vs which professe the glorious Gospell and haue forsaken them that like wicked Scismatickes wee haue disturbed and broken this holy vnitye by rendinge our selues from the true Church and so from the faith and from Christs misticall body this is a gréeuous and a sore accusation if their vnity which they glory of were in the truth But séeing it is most euident that they haue forsaken the truth of God blaspheme and condemne it and set vp abhominable errours and cursed Idolatrye all their agreementes all their holy league as they terme it is no more but a most wicked and cursed conspiracie against God and his people What is their vnity more then that which is described by the Prophet Dauid Psalme 2. Why doe the Gentiles rage and the people meditate that which is vaine The Kings of the earth stand vp and the Princes take counsaile together against the Lord and against his Christ Here is a great vnity nay a conspiracy of wicked traitors against Christ This perplexitie is fulfilled by them And we haue the commaundement of God by the voyce of the Angel Come out frō among them my people and seperate your selues so that all their cry is nothing against vs we haue not dissolued this blessed vnity here commended but haue forsaken their cursed conspiracy which the néerer a man is ioyned vnto the further of he is from God Let no man therefore be troubled or disquieted by their great wordes but forsaking them imbrace the holy faith and be vnited thereby together with the Prophetes and Apostles and all holy men vnto Iesus Christ Yee shall here many other sortes of men complaine that there is not fellowship and vnitye kepte with them When indéede as they walk after their wicked and vncleane lustes in all abhominable sinnes as in contempte of Gods word in drunkennesse whoredome pride ambition couetousnes vsurie extortion bribery oppression enuy and many such like The holy ghost saith vnto vs haue no fellowship with the vnfruitefull workes of darknesse but rather reprooue them Ephes 5. ver 11. We can not ioyne Christ and Belial we can not be vnited to the Lord and haue fellowship in wicked sins If we say we haue fellowship with him saith S. Iohn walkein darkenesse we lie c. 1. Iohn ver 6. Ephes 5.11 He that crieth out for peace and dooth walk in vngodly wayes straying from the truth and from sanctificatiō whatsoeuer he will séeme to be he is naught else but a disturber and breaker of all holy vnitye For who can take parte with him in those thinges but he shall seperate him selfe as I haue shewed from trueth and Godlines without which there can be no blessed vnity S. Peter calleth our Lord Iesus Christ a liuing stone vnto whom all the faithfull comming as liuing stones are built vp and become a spirituall house 1. Pet. 2. If stones be not squared and made smoothe to sitte and ioyne togeather howe shall they growe into one buylding If men bee not framed in fayth and godlines how shall they be vnited in the Lord In déede there bee imperfections both in doctrine and maners all the best hewen stones haue some ruggednes remaining and men must beare one with an other in much for charity must couer the multitude of sinnes 1. Pet. 4. while the Temple of God is in the world the stones are not perfectly set together but the work is still in hand this temple is still in buylding we must beware of the down fall on that side also Then séeing this blessed vnity must bee in God in the truth in the spirit to be built vp in Christ Iesus in true sanctification for he that is in Christ is a new creature and seeing all concorde without this foundation shall fall downe as a rotten building let the holy booke of God be our ground let it be brought foorth to cut downe all controuersies and let men if they looke for any part of the blessing here promised yéelde all honor and glorie vnto this sacred worde Yea let no man stand vpon his owne honour or reputation If he haue maintained any thing awrie but so soone as euer he esspieth the trueth in any matter yeelde thereunto let the truth of God goe before and lead vs the way For this is the onlie way to growe into this holy vnitie And let such as walke awrie forsake their euill wayes imbrace the heauenly trueth and followe the rules thereof if they will be accounted studious of peace and concorde Ioyning thus vnto the trueth both in faith and godlines of life we shall be ioyned together in the Lord and it shal be said beholde howe good and how comely a thing it is for brethren also to dwell at vnity It shal be like that precious ointment vpon the head of Aaron c. The heauenly graces and giftes of the holy ghost shall
of Christ be fedde and guided by skilfull Godly men which teach doctrine and giue good ensample in life and conuersation And now touching the care of the flocke not by constraint nor for gaine but willingly and of a ready minde not as Lords ouer Gods heritage but as ensamples to the flocke I doo againe instantly beséeche the Pastors and gouerners euen for Christes sake to abound and to increase in all fatherly loue towards the Lords people without which this care can not rightly bée performed Followe herein the example of S. Paul who setting foorth his labour and trauaile not of ambition or desire of gaine nor with roughnes but as he saith we were gentle among you euen as a Nurse cherisheth her children 1. Thess 2. ver 7. where this fatherly loue is broken of there followeth to the exceeding decay and desolation of the Church that which the Lord complained of by the Prophet Ezechiel against the Pastors of Israell Woe be vnto the Shepheardes of Israel that féede them selues should not the shepheards féede the flocks Ye eate the fat and ye cloth ye with the wooll ye kill them that are fed but yée féede not the sheep the weak haue ye not strengthened the sick haue ye not healed neither haue yee bound vp the broken nor brought againe that which was driuen away neither haue yee sought that which was lost but with violence and with cruelty haue ye ruled them Eze. 34. ver 2.3.4 This was the state of the flocke then and shal be euen to the worldes ende that among Christes shéepe as some bee strong so some bee weake some sicke some going astraie Yea such are the frailties of all the faithfull so many are the errors and the sinnes which doo breake foorth but yet they are still the sheepe of Christ the Israell of God the Shepheardes of Israell are to looke to them Now I say if there bee not a fatherly loue in the Shepheards to couer the multitude of sinnes If there be not a tender compassion as in the Nurse towards the little babe in steede of care to heale the broken and sicke and to supporte the weake to bring into the way that which strayeth they shall despise and loath them as not worthy to bee regarded yea they shall with violence and rigor beate and bruse them certaine it is that the greater the frailties are the greater care and compassion is to bee shewed So that violence and rigor are not fitte to be in the Sheepheardes For shall the nurse throw the little infante against the stones or push it forwarde when it can hardlie stande alone Shall the Sheepheard take his staffe and strike the young and tender Lambes Or shall hee beate and bruse the weake féeble shéepe What shall we say are the shéepe of Christ of lesse valew Many of them are weake and feeble in knowledge many of them are but as young babes as touching the spirituall power of sanctification A number of sinnes do breake from them Many are wounded in conscience troubled in spirit here is place for the loue the care the compassion and labour of Sheepheards O ye sheepheards of Israell put on this loue and compassion loath not the sheepe of Christ for these frailties rule them not with violence cruelty but féede and support and heale them with all méeknes and long suffering Let no peruersnes or iniuries of any of the shéepe towardes the sheepeheards breake of the course of this loue and care For if they looke vnto this how the sheepe despise them howe they walke stubbornely against them they shall neuer bee able with patience and méekenes to go through with the worke If we thinke it an vnworthy thing or such as dooth discharge the sheepeheard from his tender loue and care or that may warrant him to be rigorous that many of the sheepe do not reuerence him Looke vpon Moses Paul two great notable seruants of God two speciall sheepeheards of the Lords flocke who is worthy to be compared with them They haue lefte an example to bee followed How great thinges did Moses for the people And yet how often did they murmur against him were ready to stone him How many were their rebellions and iniuries don vnto him And yet his loue is not quenched his care dooth not faile but his praier is most earnest vnto God to pardō them He still estéemeth them though not al as the Lords chosen people What can they do more vnto vs then goe about to stone vs Behold also the excéeding aboundant loue of Paul who wished him selfe accursed from Christ that his kinsemen the Iewes which were obstinate might be saued How much greater was his loue to the faithful of his kindred And yet could they euen the Church of Ierusalem scarce thinke any thing wel of him all the time that he liued but thought hardly of him though he did neuer so much for them This is gathered by that which he writeth Ro. 15 where he first sheweth that it had pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to giue somewhat to the poore Saints in Ierusalem and that he went with this their beneuolēce to see it deliuered and then he intreated thē to be very earnest in praier to God for him that he might be deliuered from the disobedience of Iudea and that his ministry towards Ierusalem might be accepted of the saints It is a merueilous thing to consider that there being so great néede in the Church at Ierusalem and that money being so welcome to those which are in penury and he carying so plentifull store yet there needeth earnest praiers that this his seruice might be accepted He had mooued the Curches of the Gentiles as appeareth in his second Epistle to the Corinthians to make this liberal contribution He wrought this matter he goeth vp with it so great was his care Yet when he sheweth all this loue and diligence towards thē how great was their misliking of him that hee feareth his ministry would not bee acceptable to them The cause of the misliking Iames dooth shew vnto him when hee was come vp Act. 21. ver 21. Namely that it was reported he had taught the Iewes among the Gentiles to departe from Moses not to circumcise their children We sée he loueth them deerely for all this and calleth them saints Notwithstanding their great frailtie in this matter and the harde opinion they conceiued and held of him so great so worthy a seruant of the Lorde Iesus Christ What a patterne of méekenes fatherly loue is here for al the shepheardes of the Lords flocke to followe among the poore feeble and wandring sheepe which doo not so reuerence and regard them as they ought to doo The sheepheardes as S. Peter requireth must be examples to the flockes therfore of all other are to shew meekenes long suffering and that loue which couereth the multitude of sins where the pastors abound in this fathely loue do not fall vpon the fraile sheepe tender lambes with rigour and violence the blessed vnitie of brethren here praised is cheefely furthered for the building vp of Christes body in sanctification is greatly aduanced by the example of the pastors teachers The multitude are drawen thereby to imbrace to follow the truth I do therfore again humbly beseech all the pastors and guides of the Lords people to consider of this holy rule and worthy examples and to practise it that the people of the Lord may be brought into true concord and brotherly amity Then lastly it appertaineth also vnto rulers in ciuill matters to maintaine this vnity according to the truth They are to minister iustice true iudgement vnto all to punish the euill doers and to cherish and maintaine that good Mercy and loue is also necessarily required in them that they may deale euen as fathers when they correct and chastise If this be not there will great mischeefes ensue euen to the disturbance of all godly peace and concorde for let a ruler a iudge or a mighty man be voide of religion and withall giuen to anger dealing among the Lords weake and feeble sheepe he will be ready to beate them downe and to crushe them in peeces The frailties and sinnes are many that breake foorth euen from some of Christs sheepe and lambes as we see there be the weake the sicke the brused and such as erre that thing is odious in them because they professe holinesse and therefore cannot in them be borne therfore lift vp your harts in earnest prayer vnto God that he will powre downe the spirite of fatherly loue and mercy vpon rulers and iudges that they may deale in the Lordes flocke and towardes his poore weake sheepe with such regard as that they may answer before Christ Thus if we honour and imbrace the trueth if we practise the rules thereof euery one performing those duties which the Lord inioyneth the rulers and iudges pastors and gouerners in the Church as also the priuate persons we shall growe into this holy vnity which the holy Ghost here praiseth we shall receiue all heauenly gifts and blessings yea euen that great blessing of all blessinges the life for euermore Graunt this vnto vs O Lord for thy deare sonnes sake our redeemer Sauiour to whom with thee the holy ghost three persons and one euerlasting God whom we worship be all honor glorie dominion and power for euermore Amen FINIS
come downe vpon vs plenteously and flowe vnto euerie member we shall bring foorth fruite vnto God watered with heauenly dewes we shall haue that great and high blessing of God almightie vnto eternall life Therfore if it be not too late that the sinnes of this land haue prouoked the Lord to displeasure let all men lift vp their hartes and cry vnto the Lord that he will bestowe this precious iewell vpon vs that wee may be at vnity not in al manner of wicked vices nor in errors but in the Lord. And nowe who shall séeke this vnity who shall studie to aduance it This may be in question I answer euen all states and degrees of men priuate persons rulers and teachers euen all and euery one that will looke for any part of Gods blessing must aduance it Euery man I say must looke vnto the heauenlye truth of the holy religion and imbrace the same with all loue and harty affection Euery man ought to bee zealous in spirite of the glory for Christ For if a man haue not the zeale of religion hee cannot bee a good man whether he be ruler or priuate man though he séeme to be neuer so peaceable but as the Lord saith to the Angell of the Church of Laodicea Reu. 3. Because thou art neither hot nor colde I will spew thée out of my mouth God dooth reiecte all such dull and drowsie Atheistes and irreligious persons which are so earthly minded as that they regarde not the heauenly graces which are offered in the Gospell Let all men therefore stirre vp their harts to be feruent in gods truth and let not Godlie zeale be quenched Thē further as I haue also shewed before wee must ioyne the practise of this holye word as the Apostle S. Iames willeth be doers of the word not hearers onely deceiuing your selues Ia. 2. ve 19. for the great disturbance of peace and the greeuous breaches of vnity and all bitter dissentions do chéefely arise from hence that all sorts degrees of men do not walk in the rules which God hath prescribed vnto them in his word We must therefore enter more particularly into this matter that wee may sée how each man is to further this blessed vnity I beginne with the priuate person for whom there are rules prescribed in Gods word for him to obserue if he wil be a true member of the Church and a séeker and preseruer of this vnity and so a partaker of Gods blessing vnto life euerlasting One rule is touching subiection reuerence vnto rulers and gouernous both Ciuill and Ecclesiasticall for God hath commaunded to honour and obey them Submitte your selues vnto all manner ordinaunce of man for the Lordes sake whether it be vnto the king as vnto the superior or vnto gouernours as vnto them that are sent of him for the punishment of euill doers and for the praise of them that doo well 1. Pet. 2. v. 13.14 Also of this obedience and subiection for conscience sake of this reuerence and honour to bee rendred S. Paule writeth Rom. 13. ver 1.2.3.4.5.6.7 Likewise obey them that haue the ouersight of you and submit your selues for they watch for your soules as they that must giue accountes c. Hebr. 13. ver 17. The neglect breach of this rule euen the denying of obedience reuerence and honour vnto the rulers gouernours and teachers disturbeth ouerthroweth the vnity which is here praised If then a man wil not make conscience to perform this duty in obeying the holy doctrine of the lord what is he other thē an enemy vnto the true concord a dissoluer of vnity peace But what if rulers offend Pastors gouernours faile and come short in some duties and thereby séeme vnworthy to be regarded I say if they do they shal answer before God for it but yet priuate men are not set at liberty they are not discharged from this obedience rendring honour vnto them for it is vnto the authority vnto Gods ordinance that they do it and not in respect of mā God hath not prescribed the duties of men which are to be don vnto others vnder this condition if they performe all that which they ought to doo on their partes or if they be such manner of men as they ought to be But he hath prescribed euery mans duty absolutly If an other faile in his he shall answer as I said for it before God thou hast no warrāt hereby to depart from the rule which God hath set vnto thée For thou art tied in conscience vnto God to obey his will not in regard of man or of thine own benefit to do this or that for by that doctrine of the blessed Apostle we sée that christian subiects faithful seruantes are commanded euen for conscience to giue honor vnto heathen Princes and infidel Maisters Rom. 13.1 Tim. 6.1 we must then from this expresse word of God obserue that when gouernours do amisse men haue not their tongues set at libertie to reuile and to reproch them or to dishonour them with euill speech séeing it is also writen Thou shalt not cursse the ruler of the people Exod. 22. ver 28. But contrariwise prayers and supplications are to bee made vnto God for rulers and teachers of the Lords people When they offend it is with great hurt to the Church and therefore men are to lament and mourne for it and not to make themselues mery with iestes and reproches Let all euill spéeches of disgrace then be turned into prayers and the laughter into teares for this shall be more pleasing vnto God Let no mā beare him selfe in hand that he is not guiltie of the breach of holy concorde when he obserueth not the rules of this doctrine of submission of reuerence and honour to be giuen vnto gouernours Another rule is giuen by the Apostle in these wordes That ye studie to be quiet and to meddle with your owne businesse and to worke with your owne handes c. Thess 4.11 as God hath distributed vnto euerie man and as the Lord hath called euerie one saith the Apostle so let him walke and so ordaine I in al churches 1. Cor. 7. ver 17. God hath ordained the seuerall places and callings hee hath giuen gifts of abilitie to men to performe the thinges he requireth in the same he hath also set the boundes and limits within which euerie one is to keepe himselfe and to walke orderly medling with that which appertaineth vnto him This is an holy thing and comely a preseruer of vnitie But it is much broken and great euil ensueth thereof for there be many priuate persons which would seeme verie religious and to seeke the holy vnitie aboue others which leaue the dueties of their places and callings and busie themselues wholy with those matters which do not belong vnto them For as if the matters of their trades and sciences were too base or as if the care of their familie were a thing ouer vilde they set
vnto eternall life how dull are we vnto spirituall heauenly thinges or what can mooue vs Shall we not care to haue that cutte downe which bringeth mischiefe and destructiō and to set vp that which carieth all blessednes with it Shall we neither care to auoide the curse of God plagues and punishments on the one side nor yet couet to haue his blessing that it may mooue vs the rather I wil come now to the application of this Psalme to our estate Wee haue as yee all knowe receiued great blessinges from the Lorde our God by the meanes of our gracious Quéene For by her happie raigne we haue inioyed long peace euen such as the like hath not almost béene séene or heard of in this land Wee haue also great plentie of all thinges our countrie ouer flowinge with milke and honey euery man sitting vnder his Vine and vnder his figge trée And moreour the Lord hath protected vs by her Scepter and power from the inuasion of forraine enemies and from the wicked practises and treasons of domestical aduersaries these are great benefites receiued But the greatest blessing of all is that by her gouernement hee hath deliuered vs from the bondage of Pharoah from the heauy yoake of Antichrist out of Idolatrie and blindnesse and hath restored vnto vs his holie word and his true worship Yet notwithstanding there hath béene among vs many yeeres as ye all know great discorde and variaunce and that not onely against Papistes and other enemies of the holie religion but euen among brethren which professe the same holy doctrine and faith of our Lord Iesus Christ An all this time wee haue tasted the bitter fruites of enmitie and discorde we haue felt and sustained the mischéefes harmes and dammages that growe from it so that we haue had experience with the Isralites in the worser part and can say of our own knowledge behold how euill and howe vncomelie a thing it is for brethren to be at variaunce To make this more apparant if I should stande to rippe vp and to laye open all the euilles which haue alreadie come vpon vs by the discord of brethren it would bee a long and a tedious labour I will therefore onely note some of the cheefe and most generall that beholding as it were our most gréeuous woundes we may séeke to haue them salued and cured if it may please God First therefore I may note as a principall euill fruite of enmity that it is a ioy and on ancouragement vnto the enemies of the Gospell the Papists for to sée brethren set against brethren for as it is in an armie of men if they be at deadly variance among thēselues Captaine against Captaine band against band pursuing ech other That the aduerse part against which they should wholy together bend their forces will say wee shall not néede to doo much we shall easilie preuaile for they will pull down and destroy themselues with their own hands and hereof will much reioyce So is it in Gods Church Christes armie which is set vpon by deadly enemies on euery side when there is discorde growing vnto sharpe enmitie and the leaders themselues bent one part against an other the wicked enemie dooth laugh and receiueth boldnes and strength for hee saith in his hart this sharpe contention amonge them will procéede in the ende euen vnto blood and to the desolation of both partes O howe much ought we to be pricked and gréeued at the reioycing and boldning of Gods enemies And how dolefull a calamitie were this if it should among brethren come vnto blood We see that amōg the children of Israell the discorde and enmitie brake foorth euen vnto bloud and so doubtles excepte the Lord in great mercie turne it away such is the nature of contention when it groweth sharpe that the end among vs also wil be most gréeuous This one euill ought to mooue vs to loue and imbrace the holy vnitye heere commended in this Psalme I would the consideration of it might bee deepely printed in our mindes The wounding of the weake is an other great euil that ariseth from discord doubtles many are cast down or turned out of the way or at the least much hindred hereby in our Church Stumbling blockes being thus laide before the blinde and lame What pittie this ought to mooue and how much the sight of it should vexe and gréeue vs the doctrine of our Sauiour Christ vttered by him selfe and by his Apostles dooth euerie where shew threateninges also and woes are pronounced against them that shall cast downe the weake And shall not we regarde this thing at all shall neither the compassion and loue to our brethren for whome Christ died nor the threatninges and woes denounced take any place Thirdlie the discord of brethren dooth bring both parts into contempt and disgrace among many And so by this meanes the ministers of the Gospell the messengers of Christ which should be had in precious account and estimation for their workes sake euen as the vessels of Gold and siluer in the Lords temple and as the Angels of the Lord of hosts are baselie estéemed euen as if they were vesselles of earth or wood If this did reach onely vnto the men themselues or vnto their disgrace it were the lesse and might with lesse greefe bee borne but the contempt and disgrace reach indéede euē to the glorious Gospel of Iesus Christ because in the disgrace of the men the power of their ministrye is weakened For where the teacher is euill thought of and dispised the multitude dooth not regarde his doctrine This euill goeth deepe and if we consider well of it together with the former which I haue mentioned ye shall sée that vpon our owne experience we may say indéede beholde how euill and how vncomlie a thing it is for brethrē to be at enmitie discorde These euils doo highly displease almighty God and if they bee continued in without redresse who is able to shew the punishmentes and calamities which in time will ensue and come vppon vs in this Land The contempt of the Gospell and growing into Atheisme thereby will drawe downe infinite plagues and miseries For the righteous God will not alwaies suffer such abuse vnreuenged Then séeing vnity is so good bringing so manie blessinges and discorde so euill drawing such an heape of mischeefes with it the one as a nourisher of true life is to bee sought for and maintained by all Godlye Christians and the other is to bee eschewed as a deadly pestilence and this is to be don of vs spéedely because dissention is like the breaking out of waters the longer it continueth the wider is the breache made and so becommeth the more difficulte to bee recouered This béeing confessed of all for there is no man I thinke that will denie but that it is a most necessarie thing in Gods Church and amonge brethren to eschewe discorde and to séeke vnitie therefore let vs in the next place consider and