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
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
owne cause remember thy dayly reproch by the foolish man So strong is the holde of this spirituall Hiericho and so stoutely it fighteth against the Lord. Albeit Hiericho was so strong and the walles thereof seemed inuincible such as no power could pearce yet at the sound of seuen truÌ„pets and the showt of the people they fel downe flat to the ground So mightily did God in such weake meanes shew foorth his wonderfull and fatherly care to woorke the râ—st and peace of his people Pharao had Israel euen in his mouth as a pray the Sea was before them and the hilles on eche side they were vnarmed he had the power and all the pollicie of his countrie it seemed vnpossible they shoulde euer bee able to escape that daunger but marke the turning of Gods mighty hande sodainly the Sea opened Israel passed through the middes of it as vppon dry land Pharao followed after and was swallowed and drowned with all his men Israel looked back and sawe the marueilous workes of God howe it was now perfourmed which God had sayd vnto Pharao Thou shalt perish from the earth and in deede for this cause haue I appointed thee to shew my power in thee and to declare my name throughout all the world Therfore they reioyced in God and feared him and made him sacrifice Nabuchodonosor when he fell vpon Iurie made the whole countrie to shake with the terrour of his name Hee was like to a mightye great tree whose height reached to the heauens and the fight thereof through all the world yet sodainly was this mightie tree hewen downe as the holy one that came downe from heauen had said Hew downe the tree destroye it Nabuchodonosor was driuen froÌ„ men and had his dwelling with the beasts of the field did eate grasse fodder as the oxen seuen yers til his heares were growne as Eagles feathers his nailes like birds clawes The power of Senacherib was terrible y â— people of Israel were not able to withstande it hee did glory in the pride therof he said no god was able to deliuer Ierusalem nor to saue it out of his hands yet sodenly the Angel of the lord in one night smote in the campe of Asshur an hundred fourescore and fiue thousande of his men he fled away with the rest was slayne by his sounes and the people of God left at libertie Though Babylon said she should neuer mourn nor feele any heauenes yet an Angell came downe from heauen and cried out mightily with a loude voyce saying It is fallen it is fallen Babylon the great citie and is become the habitation of Deuils and the hold of al foule spirits and a cage of euery vnclean hateful bird It were an infinite labour and yet very comfortable to consider how marueilously God in the old times hath ouerthrowne his enemies and deliuered his poore seruants Dauid to saue his life was faine to run froÌ„ king Saul and remained in a mountaine in the wildernes of Ziph Saul sought him euery day but God deliuered hym not into his hand Dauid was not only w tout ayde or hope of ayde but also without sustenaunce looked when he should be taken thought it not possible to escape for Saul his men compassed Dauid his men round about to take theÌ„ But there came a messenger to Saul saying hast thee and come for the Philistims haue inuaded thy Land Wherfore Saul returned from pursuinge Dauid and thus poore Dauid was deliuered God is a helper in due season he commeth with aide when things are desperate hee helpeth when there is no hope of help els where the counsels attempts policies of the wicked are in vaine He that dwelleth in the heauens shal laugh theÌ„ to scorn The prophet Dauid found himselfe disquieted at the worldly prosperity of the wicked saith As for mee my feete were almost gone my steps had welneere slipt for I fretted at the foolish wheÌ„ I saw the prosperitie of the wicked c. theÌ„ thought I to know this but it was to painful for me vntil I went vp into y â— Sanctuary of God theÌ„ vnderstoode I their end Surely thou hast set them in slipperie places castest theÌ„ downe into desolation How sodenly are thei destroied perished coÌ„sumed As for me it is good to draw nere vnto god therfore haue I put my trust in y â— Lord god that I may declare al thy workes A King is strong a woman is stronge and wine is stronge but trueth dooth abyde and is stronge for euer Truth is great and strongest Whither may a man go from the spirit of the lord or whither may a maÌ„ fly from his preseÌ„ce If he ascend vp into heauen the lord is there or if he descende into hell the Lorde is there also The face of the Lord is vpon them y t doo euill When they shal say peace and safetie then shal come vpon them sodaine destruction Let no man be deceiued and think that these thinges are wrought by the power of starres or by the pleasure of princes it is God that ruleth the world and not the starres It was not Ioshuah that ouerturned the walles of Hiericho nor the crie of the people sounde of the trumpets It was neither Constantinus nor Iouinian nor Valentinian nor Theodosius that planted the Gospel and changed the heartes of the people These were vertuous and godly Emperours yet those changes were not made by their power but it was God which sent forth his spirite and renewed the face of the earth Christe Iesus the sonne of righteousnesse had looked vpon them The morninge starre from an high had risen ouer them Good princes and good rulers are the good instrumeÌ„ts by whom God setteth foorth his glory their hearts be in the handes of God hee â—endeth them and enclineth them to his purpose but the trueth of the Gospel is not planted and setled in our hearts neither by the wyll of man nor by the authority of princes No creature can claime part of this glory this glory belongeth vnto God but vnto vs and to our fathers to our kinges and to our prophets the confusioÌ„ of our faces This is the Lords doing and it is maruelous in our eies This is y e day which the lord hath made let vs reioyce be glad in it This is a chaÌ„ge wrought not by the Starres but by the righte hand of the most high The soÌ„nes of God euen they which beleeue in him ar borne not of blood nor of the wil of flesh nor of y e wil of man but of god as by the Prophet Ezechiel God himself declareth A new heart wil I giue you a new sprit wil I put within you I wil put my sprit within you cause you to walk in my statuts And by y e prophet Ieremy I wil put my law in their inward parts write it in their harts
wil be their God and they shalbe my people Let vs then know this our selues of others let vs with the prophet Esay say Therfore let them see and knowe let them consider and vnderstande together that the hand of the Lorde hath done this Hee is able to set starres and heauens out of course to set the Sunne backe and to make it stand to open the earthe to deuide the sea to make the drie rocke to yeelde water to make the clouds to giue breade to make Children to preach to make an Asse to speak to make the diuels to confesse his holy name to say I know who thou art euē y e holy one of god With this power he blew downe the walles of Hiericho with this power he beateth downe whatsoeuer holde is built vp against god This power standeth not in worldly strength but is shewed in weakenesse God hath chosen the weake thinges of the worlde to confounde the mightie things saith the Apostle Paule Some trust in chariots some in horses but wee will remember the name of the Lorde our God Our helpe is in the name of the Lorde which hath made both heauen and earth Thus is the prince of darknesse caste out thus is the Gospell of Christe caried throughoute the world this is the ouerthrowe of Hiericho this is the might of Gods hande But is Hiericho so layde flat that no mā wyl attempt or wishe to restore it Uerily it was afterward restored in the dayes of Achab but bee that restored it was accursed Euen so it fareth with this spirituall Hiericho it is neuer so blowne downe but some woulde wyshe to rayse it vp God deliuered his people out of Egypt and yet there were that looked backe and wisht to bee there agayne and when they had Manna in their mouthes they thought it a lothsome and a squamishe meate and wisht for their Goordes and Ouyons and hauinge the Angels of God to goe in visible forme before them to hee their guydes both daye and night yet wyshed to bee vnder Pharao in the house of bondage to be tormented with labors to liue in tyrannie and oppression where they had their children slayne before their faces Notwithstandinge God had deliuered his people from the captiuitie of Babilon yet the greatest part of them remayned still there and would neuer returne to see Ierusalem Babylon the great citie is fallen and is become the habitation of deuils yet Iohn sayeth Many shall mourne and weepe lament and cry ouer her alas alas the great citie Babilon the mightie citie Babilon that was clothed in fine linnen and purple skarlet gylded with golde precious stone pearles What citie was like to this great citie Dauid sayth Their sounde is gone foorth through all y t earth their words into the ends of the world And the prophet Esaye Howe beautifull vpō the mountaines are y e feete of him y t declareth publisheth peace y t declareth good tydings publisheth saluation Yet S. Paul saith They haue not al obeyed the gospel And Esay Lord who hath beleeued our report or to whō is the arme of the lord reueled And againe I haue spred out my hands all the day vnto a rebellious people whiche walked in a way y t was not good after their owne imaginations The truth of god is not alway taken it is neuer so receiued that euery man liketh thereof The Lord knoweth who are his and to whom he wil make himselfe knowne Christ himselfe was a stumblinge stone vnto the vnbeleeuinge Iewes and a signe that should be spoken against Saint Iohn saith This is the condēnation that light is come into the world men loued darknes rather thē light because their deedes were euill The Gospel of Christ is the power of god to saluation it is the sauour of life vnto life yet is it also the sauour of death vnto death For many wyll not suffer wholesome doctrine but hauing their eares itching shal after their owne lust get them a heape of teachers and shal turne their eares from the truth and shal be giuē vnto fables shal giue heede vnto sprits of error doctrins of deuils Because wisdom cannot enter into a wicked hart nor dwell in a body that is subiect to sinne the deuil the prince of this worlde was cast foorth yet S. Peter sayeth He walketh about like a roaring lion seking whō he may deuour And euen so standeth it with Ierusalem the Cittie of the Lorde and that cursed Cittie Hiericho Many refuse the blessinge of the Lorde in their deliuerance from vnder Pharao and feedinge them with heauenly Manna and giuinge them his Angels to be their guides they wyll not returne home to their owne countrey out of their captiuitie in Babylon though they see the iudgements of God done vpon proude Babilon yet they mourne and lament ouer it they looke not vpon the hands that are spread all the day vnto them they obey not the gospel Christe is vnto them a stumbling stone and so seeke they to restore agayne Hiericho which the Lord hath ouerthrowen and which he would not haue built againe but curseth them that shall seeke to restore it And this doe they because they knowe not how amiable the Tabernacles of the Lord are because they did neuer taste and see howe sweete the Lord is Three speciall helpes the deuil hath vsed to further this purpose of restoring Hiericho First the hard heart blindnes of the people secondly the eloquēce and subtil perswasion of the learned thirdly the sworde and violence of tyrants Of these three the first is the greatest for blindnesse and stubburnnesse wyll preuayle where cunning and tyranny can doo nothinge Hereof the prophet Ieremy complayneth My people is foolish they haue not known me they ar foolish childrē haue none vnderstādīg they ar wise to do euil but to do wel they haue no knowledge Of this sort our sauiour speaketh This peoples heart is waxed fat their eares are dul of hearing with their eies haue they winked least they shuld see with their eies heare with their eares and vnderstand with their hearts should returne that I might heale them Of this sort Esay reporteth It is a rebellious people lying children and children that would not heare the law of the Lorde whiche say vnto the Seers see not vnto the prophets prophecie not vnto vs right things but speake flattering things vnto vs prophesie errors depart out of the way goe out of the path cause the holy one of Israel to cease from vs. Through blindnes stubburnes al the children of Israel murmured against Moses Aaron Wherfore now hath the lord brought vs to this land to fal vpō the sworde were it not better for vs to return into Egipt Therfore y e lord said I wil do to thē as they haue spoken they shal not see the
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
We malice them not wee are not enemies vnto them And that thou O Lorde that knowest al things knowest best Let them haue the commendation of learning God giue them grace to ioyne it with trueth and to vse it to his glory and not to their owne Yet they must needes be very well learned that wyll charge all their aduersaries with ignorance Albeit in contention of learning I may bee worst heard to speake being the vnworthyest of all my brethren yet this dare I be bolde to say because it is true we are not so farre to seeke in learninge as they woulde haue vs appeare to be S. Paul being driuen to answere in his owne defence in a lyke matter in cōparison betweene him and the false prophets writeth on this sort Hebraei sunt ego Israelitae sunt ego Semen Abrahae sunt ego ministri Christi sunt ego They are Hebrewes so am I they are Israelits so am I they are the seede of Abraham so am I they are the ministers of Christ so am I. So wyll I saye and truely saye betweene vs and them They are seene in the tongues Latine Greeke and Hebrewe so are wee They haue studied the artes so haue wee they haue read the Doctours the generall Councels and the scriptures so haue wee If they can be learned doing this O what vnfortunate vnhappy men are we that are so vnlearned yet doe the same This lucke commonly foloweth al them that be professours of the trueth S Paul was counted and called a rebell and accused that he was an Egiptian and had gathered a number of men of warre to disquiet and trouble the Countrie Wee haue founde saith Tertullus This man a pestilent fellow a mouer of sedition amongest all the Iewes throughout the world So saieth Tertullian that in his time the Christians were called hostes public◠that is enemies destroyers of all common states And those reportes the enemies not only scattred amonge the common people but also dropped them into the magistrats princes eares that they might haue an il opinion of Christian religion and suppresse the Ministers and preachers of it so vnkinde commonly many haue bene towardes the messengers of Gods word When Christ hymselfe came downe from Heauen from the bosome of his father and began to vtter to teache the Gospell of euerlasting life and to confirme the same with manie a straunge myracle the poore people gaue eare vnto hym and beleeued his doctrine and by his wonderous workes knew him to be the sonne of Dauid the very Messias y t was promised them But the Scribes Pharises that bare the name of Doctours and had bene euermore brought vp in learnynge were the instructors of the people made light of Christes miracles said to y e people he casteth out deuils thorow Beelzebub the chiefe of the deuils The miracle was such that no reasonable man would haue thought it to be wrought by y e deuil The poore man that before had ben deafe was now able to heare that before was possessed of the deuill was now deliuered that before was sicke was now restored to his health The poore people marueiled at the doing and glorified God But the Pharisies cryed out against him In Beelzebub principe daemoniorum eiicit daemonia He casteth out deuils through Beel zebub the chiefe of y e deuils Not because it was true nor because it was likely to be true nor because they in their conscience thought it to bee true but onely to bring Christ in hatred w t the people to deface his doctrin And therfore they blasphemed that y e indeede they coulde not deny that they knew to be the workmanship of God they said it proceeded from y e deuil Christe our Sauiour putteth backe these slaunders with diuers reasons whereof at this time for shortnes sake I wyll touche but two The first reason is Euery kingdome that is diuided in it selfe shal be brought to desolation if Satan be deuided against him selfe then must his kingdome needes be dissolued that by his owne workyng But that is not likely For al y e Angels of Satan agree and conspire together to y e vpholding of their kingdome therfore must you needes confesse that I haue remoued this deuil by some other greater power not by the power of Beelzebub the chiefest of the deuils Here perhaps some man wil replie that witches coniurers oftentimes chase away one deuil by y e meane of an other Possible it is so but that is wroughte not by power but by collusion of y e deuils For one deuil y e better to attain his purpose will giue place make as though he stood in awe of another deuil And by y e way to touch but a worde or two of this matter for y t the horrible vsing of your poore subiectes inforceth therunto It may please your grace to vnderstād y t this kind of people I meane witches sorcerers w tin these fewe last yeres are marueilously increased w tin this your graces realm These eyes haue seene most euident and manifest markes of their wickednesse Your graces subtectes pine away euen vnto the death their colour fadeth their flesh rotteth their speach is benummed their sences are bereft Wherefore your poore subiects most humble petitiō vnto your highnes is that the lawes touching such malefactours may bee put in due execution For the schole of them is great their doinges horible their malice intollerable the examples most miserable And I pray GOD they neuer practise further then vpon y e subiect But this onely by the way these be the scholers of Beelzebub the chiefe captaine of the deuils This first reason that Christ vseth is taken of common experiēce For natwithstanding there be nothing so puissant as y e force of a kingdom yet if it be deuided in it self it wyl perish come to confusion For concord and agreement is the strength and maintenāce of al states Break the hoopes of a vessel al the boordes wil fal asunder The exāples hereof are too rife The mightiest kingdomes that euer were by such meanes haue bene conquered fallen into the power of their enemies Therfore Esay prophecying the destruction of the kingdome of the Jewes sayeth firste the people shal fal at dissention within themselues and then should folow their confusion When Vespasian the Emperour his sonne Titus came with an armie against Hierusalem the whole natiō of the Jewes was deuided into three factions eche of them ready to vndo the other Then folowed the ouerthrow of that kingdome Then was Hierusalem rased to y e groūd Then were there slayne of the Jewes to the nūber of 1100000. Once agayne I wil say it because it is marueilous and most true as Iosephus who was thē a capitain there in y e field writeth there were then slayne of the Jewes of men women and children no lesse then 1100000. Of late yeeres the
and shee shall call his name Emanuell In him shall all Israel bee saued hee is the light to lighten the Gentiles his name shall be called wonderfull counseller the mightie God the euerlasting father the Prince of peace in him shal al the endes of the worlde bee blessed This light they behelde when it was not cleerely opened vnto them they did see it comming and reioyced in it they were vnder a Schoolemaister and had not the perfect knowledge of this light But nowe God hath scattered all these Cloudes and wee beholde as in a mirrour the glorye of the Lorde with open face Our elder Fathers in the olde Testament had onely a dimme candle to guide their Feete we haue the bright Sunne beames They had onelye the greene blade of the Corne wee haue the plentifull encrease euen as in the time of haruest they had the shadowe we haue the light they had onely a droppe to refreshe themselues wee haue the whole streame of Gods mercie powred out vppon vs. Nowe hath God remembred his holie couenaunt and the othe whiche hee sware to our father Abraham nowe the woorde was made fleshe and dwelt with vs. The day starre is sprong vp in our heartes the Spirite of God hath filled the whole world the earth is full of his glorye The Idols of the Heathen are fallen and are put to silence their greatest mysteries appeare to bee follies and are laught to scorne the children make games of them in their streetes Sathan the Prince of this worlde which is the accuser of our brethren is now cast foorth Nowe is it knowen that saluation and power and glory belongeth to our God Hee hath raysed his Christe and hath established his kingdome the kings and nations of the worlde shall walke in his light and his light shall not bee put out and his kingdome shall haue no ende Nowe is that newe Hierusalem the glorious Citie of our God reuealed from on high nowe hath God made the Heauens newe and a newe earth and hath fixed his Tabernacle and dwelling place among men The fulnesse of time is come the sounde of the Apostles is gone through all the earth the Sunne of righteousnesse hath appeared he is the light and comfort of the whole worlde This is the gracious yeere of mercye this is the daye whiche the Lorde hath made Nowe is the mercy of the Lorde shewed more and more towardes vs and his trueth endureth for euer When Balaam the false Prophete beholde the glorye of this time hee brake out and sayde Who shall liue when GOD doeth this Who shall liue and see and enioy these thinges Awake therefore or arise from sleepe the time so requireth For nowe is our Saluation neerer then when we beleeued it Of those few words haue growen diuers senses al good and godly yet in my iudgement the simplest and playnest sense is this When we were heathen and sate in darknesse we thought we did well and that wee shoulde be saued in that way in whiche wee walked and that there was no hope of saluation but onelie in that and wee had a great liking in our doinges This is the vanitie and miserie of man oftetimes where he thinketh himselfe most sure he is deepely deceyued The Turks the Iewes at this day others the enemies of the crosse of Christ thinke there is no other true religion but theirs in y t they are woonderfull zealous and stande in it vnto death no perswasion nor force can remooue them When the people of Ephesus heard of the preaching of Paul they raysed vproare and filled the Citie full of tumult they caught Gaius and Aristarchus men of Macedonia and Pauls companions in his iourney and woulde haue slayne them they made an outcrie saying Great is Diana of the Ephesians she is a goddesse she hath made Heauen and Earth we haue put our trust in her we will call vpon her and she will heare vs. Christ she weth his Disciples The brother shal betray the brother to death the father the sonne the childrē shal rise against their parents and shall cause them to die and ye shal be hated of al men for my Name For zeale to their GOD the Priestes of Baal cut themselues with kniues and launcers Through zeale manie fathers slewe their owne children and burnte them quicke in fire in the honour of the Idol Moloch Circumcelliones which were a sorte of Heretikes sprong out of the Donatistes about 420. yeeres after Christ through zeale murthered one another they threwe them selues downe from high rockes and destroyed them selues and thought that the onely way to please God so hot and feruent was their deuotion The children of light haue seldome suffered more or more willingly or with more affiance then the children of darkenesse so striued they for God but against God and abused his name agaynst him selfe and wittingly and willingly went downe to Hell They haue great zeale and earnest desire of the glorye of GOD but not according to knowledge They contented them selues with that they had receiued of their Fathers would seeke no further they thought they did serue GOD but they blasphemed the Name of the Sonne of GOD. In suche sorte did God suffer them to walke in the blindenesse of their heart In the latter day many shall say vnto Christ Lorde Lorde haue wee not by thy Name prophecied and by thy Name cast out Diuels by thy Name done many greate workes Wee haue prayed and giuen almes for thy sake was it not done of zeale deuotion towardes thee So well shall they be perswaded of their doinges they shall presse boldely to the throne of Gods Maiesty and require their meede But Christ shall aunsweare them I neuer knewe you you serued your fancie you serued not mee your almes and miracles and your prayers shall condemne you Therfore Christe sayde to the Woman of Samaria Yee worshippe that which you knowe not You are ledde with a zeale and followe your Fathers but are deceiued Euen so hee prayed his father for them that crucified him and stood by and reuiled him O Father thou art full of mercie forgiue them they are moued of zeale and thinke they please thee they knowe not what they doe they knowe not thee nor mee thy Sonne whom thou hast sent Saint Hierome saith Nomine vnitatis fidei infidelitas scriptae est Infidelitie hath bin written vnder the name of faith and vnitie For herein they thought them selues good and holie and Catholike if they departed not from the vnitie of the world Therfore they followed the generall consent of others they thought them selues saieth hee the true Church and seemed to follow vnitie though in deede they fell to infidelitie Whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne whatsoeuer it be be it neuer so holy neuer so glorious it is sinne it displeaseth God the ende thereof is destruction Therefore Christ sayeth I am the light of the worlde hee
that followeth mee shall not walke in darkenesse but shall haue the light of life So spake Almightie GOD to his people Take heede that you doe as the Lorde your GOD hath commaunded you turne not aside to the right hande nor to the lefte Thou shalt not doe the thing that seemeth right in thine owne eyes Thou shalte not followe the zeale of thine owne heart Thinke that thou maist be deceiued dispose thy selfe to hearken to the voyce of the Lord whatsoeuer he shall commaund thee that onely shalt thou doe For my thoughts are not your thoughtes neither are your wayes my wayes saith the Lord For as the heauens are higher thē the earth so are my waies higher thē yourwaies my thoughts aboue your thoughts The will of y e Lord is the only measure whereby all trueth must be tryed Heereunto the Prophet Dauid humbleth himselfe and speaketh vnto GOD in this manner Lighten mine eies O lord O teach me to do thy wil teach me to follow it to practise it Hereof S. Paul speaketh Vnderstand what the will of the Lord is Leaue the pretence of zeale leaue the deuotion of your owne heart rest not vppon the will of your forefathers nor of flesh blood Learne to feele and taste the will of God it is good and gracious and merciful thereby direct your steppes therein shall you finde the possession of life We were drowned in darkenesse sayth the Apostle yet thought we had the light I my selfe saith hee was a blasphemer and did persecute the Church of God I followed the way of my fathers I had a great zeale and thought I did well but the way wherein I walked was slippery the light was darkenesse I delighted in vanitie and had pleasure in leasings I was blinde yet perceiued it not and therefore was my blindenesse and miserie so muche the more But now is our Saluation come neere vnto vs our bodies are made the Temples of God and his spirit dwelleth within vs. We haue the woorde of life put both in our mouth and in our heart the kingdome of God is in the middes amongst vs. The Sonne of God calleth vnto vs Come vnto me al ye that trauel and be heauily laden and I wil refresh you S Iohn saith We haue looked vpon and our hands haue handeled the worde of life And againe The word was made flesh and dwelt among vs and we saw the glory thereof as the glory of the only begotten sonne of the Father full of grace and of trueth So neere is the Lorde to them that seeke him So neere vnto vs is our saluation When Dauid heard the voyce of the Lorde he awaked and rose vp hee gaue thankes vnto God and powred out his heart before him saying O Lorde our Lorde howe wonderfull is thy Name in all the worlde And againe Prayse the Lorde O my soule and all that is within mee praise his holie Name When the Apostles hearde this voyce of the Lorde they were awaked they forsooke all they had they tooke vp their Crosse and went ouer all the worlde preaching the Gospell of saluation When Paul heard the voyce of Christ from heauen aboue he fell flat on the earth and being astonied sayde Lord what wilt thou that I do I am thy seruaunt and the sonne of thy handemayde make me to doe that thou commandest me to doe Then coulde neither life nor death nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor thinges present nor thinges to come nor height nor depthe nor any other Creature separate Paule from the loue of God whiche is in Christ Iesus our Lorde then hee esteemed not to knowe anye thinge sauing Iesus Christ and him crucified He brake his sleepe rose vp and went forwarde In like manner the Prophet Esay stirreth vp Hierusalem Arise be bright for the light is come and the glorie of the Lorde is risen vppon thee Knowe thy time and the day of thy visitation awake thou that sleepest and stande vp from the dead for the Sonne of God hath shined ouer thee The Apostle therfore saith It is nowe time that wee shoulde arise from sleepe We are the children of God we are the children of the trueth we are the sonnes of the Prophets we are they whom GOD hath chosen out of the worlde Whosoeuer putteth his hande to the plough and looketh backe is vnmeete for the kingdome of heauen These thinges are sent for our vnderstanding GOD hath giuen his worde vnto vs. We haue seene the workes of God the doumbe to speake the deafe to heare the blynde to see the lame to goe the dead to rise and come out of their graues the Sunne to be darkened the earth to quake rockes to rent and the Diuell to confesse the Sonne of God for he was forced to say Thou art Christ the Sonne of God Nowe doth the kingdome of heauen suffer violence The night is passed the daye is at hande we haue slumbered enough in ignoraunce it is nowe time we knowe the blessinges which GOD hath bestowed vppon vs it is time wee shoulde be thankefull and awake out of the sleepe of forgetfulnesse that wee humble our selues vnder the mighty hande of God and dreame no more of our owne strength our conscience is charged we cannot pleade ignoraunce it is time that we rise the mercie of God the aboundaunce of his blessing the feare of his iudgement the regarde of our saluation so requireth Let vs cast away the workes of darkenesse they bee vnfruitefull lothesome and horrible They darken the hearte and blinde the conscience hee that doeth them shall bee cast into vtter darkenesse Let vs bee afrayde let vs be ashamed hereof such things are not fit for the children of light Let vs put on the armour of light God hath chosen vs to bee his Souldiers and hath called vs foorth into the fielde Our fight is not against fleshe and blood but against the Diuell the Prince of this worlde and the Father of darkenesse hee rampeth like a Lyon and lyeth in waite and seeketh whom hee may deuour All the vanities of this life our bodies our owne heartes conspire against vs the fight is terrible the daunger great Let vs not be vnprouided let vs not stande open to the stroke of the enimie Let vs take vnto vs the whole armour of God let our loyues be girded with beritie let vs put on the shielde of Faith the brestplate of righteousnesse the sworde of the spirit the helmet of saluation These bee the weapons of righteousnesse these be the armour of light Let vs not feare to declare the truth though thereby wee shoulde daunger our life Let vs bee faithfull vnto the ende let it appeare that the weapons of our warfare are not carnall but mighty through God to cast downe holdes and imaginations and euery hie thing that is exalted against God so shal our armour be complete so shall we shewe glorious in the fielde and be terrible to the enimie
in darknes Our sauiour therefore saith The wordes y ◠I spake vnto you are spirite and life To eate the bodie of Christ and to drinke his blood is not the parte of the bodie it is rather a worke of our mind And therefore S. Ambrose saith Non corporali tactu Christum sed fide tangimus We touch not Christ by bodily touching but we touch him by faith And againe Stephanus in terris positus Christum tangit in caelo Stephen being in the earth toucheth Christ being in heauen By faith therefore wee eate Christ and by faith we drinke Christ by faith wee are apparelled and clothed with Christ And this is that the Apostle saith Put ye on the Lorde Iesus Christ Let vs bee incorporate in him Let God see nothinge in vs but the image of his sonne so shall he dwell in vs wee in him Take no thought for the flesh to fulfill the lustes thereof The sonnes of God rest vpon the prouidence of God their father He giueth thē water out of the rockes hee raineth downe breade from heauen hee openeth his handes and filleth euery liuing thing w t his blessing The Prophet saith The Lorde is my shepheard I shall not want The thinges of this worlde shall haue an ende they fade away and will not continue If riches abounde wee must not set our heart vpon them but rather bee carefull for the life to come We must seeke the kingdome of God the righteousnes thereof then al these things shalbe ministred vnto vs. He doeth not forbid honest moderate forecast and prouision as if it were not lawfull for Christians to deale in matters appertaininge to the good estate of this life For he hath said vnto Timothie If there be any y ◠prouideth not for his own namely for them of his houshoulde he denieth the faith is worse then an infidel again he saith no mā euer yet hated his owne flesh but nourisheth it and cherisheth it Agayne writing to Timothie drinke no longer water but vse a litle wine for thy stomakes sake and thine often infirmities In whiche speéches hee sheweth we are bonde to nourish and feede and bee carefull for our bodies Though the conuersation of the faithfull bee in heauen and they seeke after the thinges which are on high yet whiles they passe the pilgrimage of this lyfe they must needes haue the felowshippe and company of their naturall bodies the whiche they must not so weaken that thereby they shall become vnprofitable and not hable to doe seruice in the Churche of god and yet so keepe them vnder that they may be made obedient to the spirite Onely wee may not bee ouer carefull To take great care for the body is to cast away all care for the soule For they that will bee riche fall into temptation snares and into many foolish and noysome lusts which drowne men in perdition and destruction for the desire of mony is the roote of al euil which whiles some lusted after they erred from the fayth and perced themselues with many sorrowes Of this care speaketh our sauiour It is easier for a Camel to go through y ◠eye of a needle then for a rich man to enter into the kingdome of God No care can satisfie the vncontented minde The righteous eateth is satisfied but the bellie of the wicked euer wanteth Hee hath enlarged his desire as hell and ladeth hym selfe with thicke clay he encreaseth that which is not his and cannot be satisfied The horse leache hath two daughters whiche cry giue giue There be there things y ◠wil not be satisfied Yea foure y ◠say not it is enough They care not by what meanes they make their gaynes they liue in vsurie a most fylthye trade a trade which God detesteth a trade which is the verye ouerthrow of all Christian loue They eate vp the people as they eate breade Such are the wayes of euery one that is greedy of gaine He wolde take away y ◠life of y ◠owners thereof They haue hardened their heart against God they doe not serue God but Mammon But their gayne shall be to their losse their mony to their destruction He that giueth his money vnto Usurie shall not dwell in the tabernacle of the Lorde nor rest vppon his holy mountayne Wee haue here no continuing Citie wee are straungers as were al our fathers before vs. If we gather riches to our selues be not rich in God he shall say vnto vs O foole this night will they fetch away thy soule from thee Then whose shall those things be which thou hast prouided Let him therefore that hath this worldes goods be as if hee had them not They are the giftes of God The Lorde giueth them and the Lorde taketh them away Settle not your hearts vpon thē As they come so wil they fade away they bee vncertaine they will deceiue you Set your desier vpon heauenly thinges seeke after the life which is to come in the lande of the liuing When wee shall see those vnspeakable ioyes wee shal perceiue that all the pleasures of this life in comparison of them were nothing Now somewhat more specially to applie the woordes of the Apostle to this present time It is now time also that wee should arise from sleepe God hath deliuered vs also from the night We may say This is the day which the Lorde hath made Let vs reioyce and be glad in it Wee may say he hath shewed his mercies towardes vs and the truth of the Lorde endureth for euer Let vs looke backe to the time late past and beholde the night of errour and ignoraunce What shall I say Where should I beginne or howe may I ende The matter is of great compasse the time I haue to speake is but shorte and I haue no delight to speake of darknes After God had deliuered the people of Israel and giuen them passage through the red sea Marie the Prophetesse sister of Aaron looked backe into Egipt There she remembred Pharao and his crueltie howe he plagued the children of God she remembred how by a mightie hande and out stretched arme hee deliuered them and wrought his wonders vpon Pharao and all the lande of Egipt She looked backe vpon the great darknes and vpon the frogges and flies and botches she behelde the waters turned into blood the killinge of the first borne of man and beast the ouerthrowe of Pharao and all his Charets in the middes of the sea And therefore she answered the men Singe yee vnto the Lorde for he hath triumphed gloriously The horse and his rider hath he ouerthrowen in the sea Euen so let vs cast backe our eies make a view of the Church Loth I am to speake of it Yet it is nedefull to say somewhat thereof that we way reioyce in our deliueraunce All thinges were done in a strang tounge the priest spake and
the people hearde they knewe not what No man coulde say Amen to their prayers The matters were such that he might be reconed happie which heard them not They abused the Church of God with vaine fables If you doubt hereof rede their Legendes and festiuals They know this they acknowlege it It might well be spoken of them which Hillarie said Sanctiores sunt aures populi quam corda sacerdotum The eares of the people are more holy then the hearts of the Priests I beseech you marke the fourme and fashion of their prayes To the blessed virgin they sayd Aue Maria salus et consolatrix viuorum et mortuorum Haile Marie the sauiour cōforter both of quick dead And agayne O gloriosa virgo Maria libera nos ab omni malo et a paenis inferni O glorious virgin Mary deliuer vs from al euil frō the paines of hel Agayne Monstra te esse matrem shewe that thou art a mother They cal her Regina Coeli domina mundi vnica spes miserorum Queene of heauen Lady of y ◠world the only hope of them that be in miserie It were tedious and vnpleasant to recite the like their blasphemies Howe did these men accompt of the crosse and passion of Christ What leaue they to be wrought by the price of his blood To speak nothing of the multitude of their intercessours and patrones of their false miracles of their deceiueable merits and workes of supererogation how fowle a kinde of Idolatry was it to worship the image with the selfsame honour wherwith they worshippe the thing it selfe that is represented by the Image As if the thinge it selfe bee worshipped with godly honour then must the Image thereof bee worshipped with godlye honour The holy Scriptures which are the light to direct our wayes and the power of God to saue our soules wer hid vnder a bushel Whosoeuer built him selfe and his faith vpon them was adiudged an Heretike Marriage was forbidden and fornication suffered They did not onely deuoure widowes houses but drew to them selues the fat of the land by pretence of their long praiers I spare your chaste and godly eares otherwise I were able to rehearse many their foule abuses and workes of darkenesse Yet will I shewe you one of their night-birdes lately hatched in the nest of all superstition It is the Agnus dei heere it is It was latelie consecrate by the holie Father and sent from Rome They teache that by the vertue of their consecration or rather coniuration and blessing these little thinges haue power to defende the faithfull from lightening and tempest O merciful God what hath the Pope to doe with the lightening what can a piece of waxe preuaile to the staying of a tempest The Lorde of heauen and earth it is hee that sendeth forth lightnings and raiseth vp tempestes Fire and haile snowe and vapours stormie winde execute his woorde God will sende foorth his lightening and consume them Beholde saith Ieremie the tempest of the Lorde goeth foorth in his wrath and a violent whirle winde shal fal downe vpon the head of the wicked O what a shepheard is he that nowe in this light of the day thus mocketh and deceiueth the lambes and sheepe of Christ Is this to woorshippe Christ in spirite and trueth Is this the hope we haue in Christ Is this the profession of the Gospell Is this the will of GOD to commit our liues to so vile a cake Howbeeit there is no cause why any man shoulde maruell hereat For ignorance which is the mother of errour by their owne confession is become the mother of deuotion and these bee the fruites and children of blindnesse and ignorance I will speake nothing of that man from whence this geare commeth Woulde God hee were the man he woulde seeme to bee But if the light it selfe be darkenesse how great then is the darknesse Yet they say of him his voyce must be receiued as the voyce of Peter and the worde of God him selfe must take authoritie and credite of him Thus hath hee come betweene like a Cloude and eclipsed the sunne of Gods glorious Gospell If wee beholde eyther their Schooles or their Churches their quier their pulpit their prayers their Sacramentes their Cleargie their people their doctrine or their life wee may truely saie as the Prophete saide Surely our fathers haue inherited lies and vanitie wherein was no profite We may truely say the Law hath perished from the Priest counsell from the wise and the worde from the Prophet the blind did leade the blind they haue turned siluer into drosse and fedde the people with chaffe in steede of wholesome and good meates Blessed be the name of God who hath giuen vs eyes to espie their dealinges and hath reuealed vnto vs his worde to guide our feete into the way of peace I knowe these thinges are defended boldely and obstinately no maruell For the Apostle saith They haue not all obeied the Gospell There haue bin that haue called the light darknesse and the darknesse light If our Gospel be hid saith he it is hid in them that perish in whom the God of this world hath blinded the mindes I will not here make answeare to any particular albeit occasion be offered and happely it bee looked for Contention and quarrels haue no ende All doctrine shall bee brought to tryall the day of the Lorde shall reueal◠errours and giue witnesse for the trueth God will turne all to his glorie What so euer stirre is raysed vp against the trueth it is but a smoke it will soone fade and come to nothing There are this day many to all appearance godly men of good life of righteous dealing of great zeale and conscience but yet haue not eyes to see these thinges I protest in their behalfe as did Paul they haue a greate zeale of Gods glorie woulde God it were according to knowledge Wee may say with the Prophet O Lorde thy iudgementes are like a great deepe Who hath knowen the mynde of the Lorde or who is of his counsell God knoweth his time He hath the key of Dauid hee openeth and no man shutteth he is the Father of lightes Wee are in his hande both we and al our counsels God graunt we may put off all fleshly affections and put on Iesus Christ and that all the earth may see his glory Nowe on the other side let vs consider howe mercifully God hath dealt with vs. Hee hath restored vnto vs the light of his Gospell and hath taught vs the secrets of his heauenly will We heare him talke with vs familiarly in the Scriptures as a father talketh with his child Thereby hee kindeleth our faith and strengtheneth our hope thereby our heartes receiue ioye and comfort We haue the holy ministration of the Sacraments we know the couenant of baptisme wee knowe the couenaunt and mysterie of the Lordes Supper Wee fall downe together and confesse our life before God
of our heart And as S. Basil Est spirituale os interioris hominis quo nutritur recipiēs verbū vitae quod verbū est panis qui descēdit de coelo There is a spiritual mouth of y ◠inner mā by which he is nourished by receiuing Christ y ◠word of life whiche is the bread that came frō heauē In this mystery of y ◠death of Christ his death passion is renewed to our remēbrance We are so moued to sorow for our sins which haue bin cause of his death to be thākful for y e great mercy of God whiche by this meanes wrought our redēption as if we did see him presēt before our faces hanging vpō y e crosse We know y ◠Christ hath left his sacraments to his Church that they might be helpes to lift vs vp into heauē By them we are ioyned with Christ and made partakers of his passion Next let vs consider how and after what sort we eat the body of Christ in the sacrament And here I beseech you that you may take the cōfort of the body blood of Christ to giue good eare For of mistaking this mystery grewe the first error in the Church When y ◠disciples of Christ heard Christ speake of this matter and vnderstood him not they were offended and shrounke backe and departed If we take the wordes of Christ in such meaning as they did wee shalbee deceiued and offended as they were This it is then which wee haue to consider whether the bodie of Christ goe into our mouth and our bodies as other meates or whether it be receiued spiritually as a spirituall meate and so passe into and nourishe our soule Hereof somewhat was sayde before by the way and shortly But for cleerer vnderstanding of the same we haue to weigh and declare that the eating of the body of Christ is not grosse or corporall but ghostly and spirituall as a peculiar worke of the minde The trueth hereof is founded in our Creede and is an article of our Christian faith Wee beleeue that Christ did rise againe from the dead and ascended into heauen and sitteth at the right hand of God in glorie So saith Saint Paule If yee then be risen with Christe seeke those thinges whiche are aboue where Christ sitteth at the right hād of god And again Our conuersation is in heauen from whence we also looke for the sauiour euen the Lord Iesus Christ Christ himselfe saith to his disciples It is expediēt for you that I goe away And The poore alwaies ye haue with you but me yee shall not haue alwayes So S. Peter saith Whom the heauen must conteine vntil the time that al thinges be restored which God had spoken by the mouth of al his holy prophets since the world began Whiche speeches haue occasioned the olde auncient learned Fathers to teache the people after this sort touching the body of Christ Vigilius a godlie Bishop and Martyr saith Caro Christi cū esset in terra nō erat in coelo nunc quia est in coelo non est vtique in terra The flesh of Christ when it was in earth was not in heauen and nowe because it is in Heauen doubtlesse it is not in earth Ambrose saith Seeke the things that be aboue and not the things that be vpō earth Therfore we must seeke thee neither vpō the earth nor in the earth nor according to the flesh if we list to finde thee S. August saith According to the flesh that the word receiued according to that he was borne of the Virgin according to that he was takē of the Iewes according to that he was nayled to the crosse according to that he was taken downe and lapt in a shrowde and layde in the graue and rose againe and shewed himselfe in this respect it is true that hee sayde Yee shall not euermore haue mee with you And againe hee saith Donec saeculum finiatur sursum est Dominus c. Vntill the world be ended the Lorde is aboue yet notwithstāding euen here is the truth of y e Lord. For the body wherin he rose againe must needs be in one place So Cirillus sayd Christus non poterat in carne versari cum Apostolis postquam ascēdisset ad patrē Christ could not be conuersant together with his Disciples in his flesh after he had ascended vnto his father It would bee tedious to alleadge all y t might be saide to like purpose Thus Christe and Paul Peter thus Vigilius Ambrose Augustine Cirill and al the olde Catholique fathers say and wee are taught to beleeue that Christ is not corporally in the churche but is ascended into Heauen and that hee hath giuen to his bodie immortalitie but hath not taken from the same the nature of a bodie Vigilius hauing cause to prooue this same article against Eutiches shutteth vp the matter thus Haec est fides professio catholica quam Apostolitradiderunt martyres roborauerunt fideles huc vsque custodiunt This is the Catholique faith profession which the Apostles haue deliuered the martirs haue confirmed and the faithful hitherto doe continue The body then which we eate is in Heauen aboue all Angels and Archangels and powers and principalities Our meate is in Heauen on high and we are heere belowe on the earth Howe may it be that we may reach it or taste or eate it Heere let vs imagine that there are two men in euery man and that euerie man is fleshe and spirite bodie and soule This man thus doubled must bee furnished with double senses bodily to serue the bodye and spirituall to serue the soule Hee muste haue eyes of the bodie and eyes of the soule eares of the bodye and eares of the soule Spirituall senses ars quicke sharpe and liuely They pearce anye thing bee it neuer so thicke they reache anye thing bee it neuer so farre off Christ saieth of Abraham Abraham reioyced to see my daye hee sawe it and was gladde Hee sawe it not with his bodylie eyes but with the inner eyes of the soule When we speake of the mysterie of Christe and of eating his bodie wee must shut vp and abandon all our bodily senses And as wee cannot say that wee see him with our bodily eyes or heare him with our bodilye eares or touche him with bodily feeling so likewise can we not and therefore may wee not saye wee taste him or eate him with our badylie mouth In this woorke wee must open all the inner and spirituall senses of our soule so shall wee not onely see his bodye but heare him and feele him and taste him and eate him This is the mouth and the feeling of faith By the hande of faith we reache vnto him and by the mouth of Faith we receiue his body Touching the eating of Christes bodye S. August taught the people on this wise Crede manducasti Credere in Christum hoc
sicke That he sayde Come vnto mee all yee that are wearye and laden and I wil ease you For what layeth he on his shoulders with ioy Is it not the lost sheepe Wherefore doeth the woman light a candle and sweepe the house and seeke diligently tyll she finde it Is it not for the peace of siluer which shee had lost Ouer whome had the father compassion and ranne and fell on his necke and kissed him Was not this done for hym which was dead but liued agayne and for hym whiche was lost but was found againe The sonne of man came to saue that which was lost And There is ioy in the presence of the Angels of God for one sinner that conuerteth God is merciful and his mercie endureth for euer So â—ayeth the Prophet Dauid Mercie is with the Lord. By the Prophet Ezechiel I desire not the death of him that dieth saith the Lord God It is the wyll of God that all men shal be saued come to the knowledge of y t truth By Esay the Prophet God saith If your sinnes were as crimosyn thei shalbe made as white as snow For I euen I am he that putteth away thine iniquities for mine owne sake and wil not remember thy sinnes The children of God heare this and are glad They lift themselues vp in the fayth of the mercye of God they see the filthynesse of their sinne they knowe though the wrath of God be kindeled against sinne yet he doth not vtterly destroy those that haue sinned but such as continue in their sinnes without repentance they know god will not dispise an humble and contrite heart Therefore they say Enter not into iudgemeÌ„t with thy seruant O Lord for no flesh is righteous in thy sight Take away the iniquitie of thy seruant They say Why art thou heauie O my soule and why art thou vnquiet within mee Wayte on God for I wyll yet giue him thankes for the helpe of his presence They saye there is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Iesus Though I shoulde walke through the valleye of the shadowe of death I wyll feare no euill because thou art with mee They say If our heart condemne vs God is greater then our hearte Thus are wee taughte by the office of the ministerie and by the worde of God to see our selues to know our weakenes to repent our sinnes to beleeue the forgiuenesse of our sinnes and to turne vnto God We are taught to lay open and acknowledge our sinnes not to hide them but to make confession of them This is done two wayes either in the secrete thought of thy heart before God or els in the hearing and presence of men Dauid made confession of his sinnes before God I acknowledged my sin before thee neither hid I mine iniquitie I saide I will confesse against my self my wickednes vnto the Lord thou forgauest y e punishment of my sinne And againe I know mine iniquities and my sin is euer before mee Against thee against thee only haue I sinned done euill in thy sight Such a confessioÌ„ made Daeniel We haue sinned haue coÌ„mitted iniquitie haue done wickedly yea we haue rebelled and haue departed from thy precepts and from thy iudgements For we would not obey thi seruants the Prophetes which spake in thy name to our kings to our princes to our fathers to al the people of the land Euen so the prophet Esay Beholde thou art angrie for we haue sinned We haue all bene as an vncleane thing all our righteousnes as is filthy cloutes we al do fade like a leafe our iniquities like y e winde haue taken vs away But now O Lord thou art our father We are the clay thou art our potter and wee al are the worke of thy handes This is true and Christian confession We are required after this sorte to examine our selues and confesse our sinnes before God who dooth not so hee shall not finde mercy and forgiuenesse of his sinnes The other sort of confession made vnto men I doe not condemne It may doe much good if it be wel vsed S. Iames commendeth it amonge the faithfull Acknowledge your faults one to another pray one for another y t yee may bee healed Hee speaketh not of Priest or minister but of euery one of the faithfull Euery Christian may doe this helpe vnto another to take knowledge of the secret and inner griefe of the heart to looke vppon the wounde whiche sinne and wickednes hath made and by godlye aduise and earnest prayer for hym to receuer his brother This is a priuate exhortation and as it were a Catechizing or instructing in the faith and a meanes to leade vs by familiar and speciall conference to examine our conscience and to espie wherein wee haue offended God The vse and practise hereof is not onely to bee allowed but most needefull and requisite if so the superstition and necessitie and conscience which many haue fondely vsed and put therein be taken away That the Priestes shoulde heare the priuate confessions of the people and listen to their whisperings that euery man shoulde be bound to their auriculer confession it is no commandement or ordinance of God It is deuised and establyshed by men and was lately confirmed by Innocentius the thirde The Church of God in the time of our elder fathers was not tyed to any such necessitie Chrysostome sayth Non dico vt confitearis conseruo tuo peccata tuaâ— dicito deo qui curet ea I wil thee not to confessethy sinnes to thy fellow seruant that is to the Priest confesse theÌ„ vnto God that may heale them Againe he saith Cogitatione tua fiat delictorum exquisitio sine teste sit hoc iudicium solus Deus te confitent em videat Examine thy sins in thy heart within thee let this iudgement be without witnes let god onely see thee makynge thy confession And againe Non dico tibi vt te pro das in publicum neque vt te apud alios accuses sed obedire te volo Prophetae dicenti Reuela Domino viam tuam Apud Deum ergo c. I say not to thee that thou openly shew forth thy selfe nor that thou accuse thy selfe in y â— presence of others but I wyll haue thee obey God which sayeth Disclose thy wayes vnto the Lord. Confesse thy sinnes therefore before God declare thine offences and make thy prayer for them before God which is the true and righteous Iudge Make thy confession not with the tongue but in the record of thyne owne conscience Likewise S. Augustine Quid mihi est cum hominibus vt audiant confessiones meas quasi ipsi sanaturi sint omnes languores meos Curiosum genus ad inquirendam vitam alienam desidiosum ad corrigendam suam What haue I to doe with men that they shoulde heare my confessions as if they coulde heale all my
and I will confesse against my selfe my wickednes vnto y e Lord. Call to minde how you haue gotten your goods how you haue vsed thē whether you haue delighted in thē or put any confidence in thē Call to minde how you haue taken care for your Children seruantes if by your good meanes they haue bene nourtered in the feare of y t Lord. In these such other parts of your lyfe lay open your sinnes let them come forth before you acknowledge thē against yourselfe vnto the Lord say boldly because you may saye it truelye I am an vnprofitable seruant I haue not done that which I ought to haue done there is no good thinge dwellinge in mee the Law in my members hath preuailed agaynste the Lawe of my minde It can not bee but God wyl cast his eyes vpon you and wyl heare you and wil pardon the wickednes of your sinnes What wanteth in you to the fulnesse of righteousnesse is already satisfied in the rigeteousnes of Christ God hath saide and sworne As I liue saith the Lord God I desire not y e death of the wicked but y t the wicked turne from his way liue And againe if the wicked will returne from all his sinnes y t he hath cōmitted al his transgressions y t he hath committed thei shal not be mētioned vnto him The Lord is ful of compassion mercy For as high as the heauen is aboue the earth so great is his mercie towared them that feare hym As far as the East is frō the West so farre hath he remoued our sinnes frō vs. Christ himselfe saith God so loued the world y t he hath giuen his only begotten sonne that whosoeuer beleueth in him should not perish but haue life euerlasting And S. Paul god setteth out his loue toward vs seeing y t while we were yet sinners Christ died for vs much more thē being iustified by his blod we shalbe saued frō wrath through him Thus in time of sicknes are we put in minde to examine and view our sins to solace our selues in y t bloodshedding of Christ Farther he that is sicke is counsailed to call to minde what any man hath trespassed him to forgiue them because God is y e God of loue and if any man hate his brother hee abideth in death and we are commanded to saye forgiue vs our trespasses as we forgiue them that trespasse against vs if we doe forgiue men theyr trespasses our heauenly father will also forgiue vs. But if we do not forgiue men theyr trespasses no more wil our heauenly father forgiue vs our trespasses That so all we which are redeemed with one price by the precious blood of the vnspotted lambe may ioyne together as partakers of one inheritance and the children of one father and so goe forewarde to one glorie by one way and become al one in Iesus Christ our Lorde In this case the good father calleth his sonne vnto him and exhorteth him in this manner My sonne harken vnto mee these be the last words which I shal speake vnto thee Thou seest in me the weakenes and decay of flesh thou shalt be as I am now One passeth before another the worlde and the beauty thereof fade away and come to an ende Trust not the worlde it wil deceiue thee walke aduisedly knowe y t thou shalt giue an accompt of thy doings For we must al appeare before y e iudgement seate of christ y t euery man may receaue the things which are done in his body according to that hee hath done whether it be good or euil Deceiue no man by wrongful dealing encrease not thy goodes by extortion nor by vsury he that giueth his money vnto vsurie shall not enter into the tabernacle of the Lorde Hee that taketh vsury of his neighbour killeth him without a sword The Lord wyll auenge it he wil not blesse yl gotten goods they cannot prosper they wyll neuer continue nor remayne vnto the third heire My sonne in all thy doings feare the Lord. If thou feare the Lord thou shalt prosper in the day of thine ende thou shalt bee blessed Medle not much with other mens busines least thou be entangled with controuersies abhorre the flanderer double tongued Let my doings which am thy father be euer before thyne eyes Those few goodes which I haue were truly gotten I haue not gathered them of the teares and heauines and vndoing or hindering of any Be faithfull to thy wife and besides her know none other Helpe thy neighbour accordinge to thy power and turne not thy face from the poore needie Be mercifull after thy power If thou hast much giue plentiously if thou hast licle do thy diligence gladly to giue of that litle Be not slowe to visit the sick whatsoeuer thou takest in hande remember the ende and thou shalt neuer do amisse As for me I haue passed the vanities and miseries of this world The Lorde hath giuen and the Lord taketh away blessed be the name of the Lord. He is the Lorde my God let hym doe with me as it seemeth good vnto hym I knowe that this shall hasten my saluatien And that Christ shalbe magnified in my body whether it be by life or by death I haue not so liued that I am ashamed to liue neither am I afrayde to die for we haue a gracious Lord. I know that if my earthly house of this tabernacle bee destroyed I haue a building giuē of God that is an house not made with handes but eternal in y ◠heauens They that die in the Lord are blessed they shall rest from their labors Christ is vnto me both in lyfe and in death aduantage In such sort do the Godly prepare themselues to their iourney out of this life Then the Minister prayeth that he e may bee constant in this faith he strengtheneth him confirmeth him in it He exhorteth the sicke to commende him selfe vnto God he prayeth vnto God that he will giue his Angels charge ouer him to keepe him and defende hym that hee fall not into temptation He teacheth him to saye O lord in thee haue I trusted let mee neuer be confounded Come Lord Iesus come and take mee vnto thee Lord let thy seruant depart in peace thy kindome come I am thy sonne thine am I O saue me into thine hands O Lord I commende my spirite thou hast redeemed mee O Lorde God of trueth In this state he dyeth and hath his eyes alwayes fastened vpon God and so seeth how indeede the dead are blessed which dye in the Lord. Thus doth the Churche of God instruct all men to liue and to die and to bee in readinesse Thus ar the sicke amonge vs annointed with the inner in uisible oyle of y ◠mercie of God Thus are they put in minde to haue the oyle of faith and of a good conscience and that their lampes may euer be burning that so they may enter in with the