them doe violence to no man neither accuse any man falsely and be content with your wages And by these we may make a rule for others as no doubt he did Who did the like to Herod rebuking him for keeping his brothers Luke 3. 19. wife And at one word this is the truth of which our Sauiour spake of to the woman of Samaria when he said the true worshippers must worship the Father in spirit and in Iohn 4. 23. Rom. 12. 1. truth in offring vp our bodies in a true repâ—ntance and holy sacrifice vnto God If the Apostles had medled with lawes of carnall commandements they had transgressed the rule therefore they meddle not with any thing but with matters of truth in squaring out duties for subiects to their Magistrates and high powers with reciprocall duties betweene husband and wife father childe Master seruant And generally this to be Gods Commandement to beleeue in 1. Iohn 3. â—3 the name of his Sonne Iesus Christ and to loue one another as he hath commanded If this method had heene continued betweene Pastor and Flocke the new Testament had beene alwaies seene in his true colours which afterwards by the Church of Rome was bedawbed with golden but vnkinde and vnnaturall ceremonies Notwithstanding the Primitiue Church kept his matter of ordering of waies a long time And to giue you a view thereof I will bee so bold as to deuide this Auditorie into these particular estates As here are honourable Iudges Iustices of peace Counsellors at law Gentlemen Soldiours Merchants Handycrafts-men and Husbandmen For the Iudges such honourable and wise persons I will say no more then God blesse them and of the rest I cannot in so short a time speake particularly But that generally somewhat may be said of Waies I will take out two which in the primitiue Church were in some question concerning their waies those are the Merchant and the Soldiour The Merchant was called into question as not hauing the right course of a trade because hee is nothing laborious as others are but easie selling whole sale of no action neither in hand or in speech for properly that is a trade which getteth gaine by his labour and after gayning returneth still to his labour as the Handycraftsman maketh his worke gayneth and returneth to his worke againe so the Plowman soweth and reapeth and returneth to the Plow againe so vocations of words haue their gaines and their returnes to labour againe For it was said to Adam in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eate bread till thou returne to the earth for out of it wast thou Gen. 3. 19. taken because thou art dust and to dust thou shalt returne Notwithstanding this question of the Merchant was not alike defined but men of good iudgement dissented and I suppose that Iohn Baptist would not haue made any exception against him who excluded not the Publican neither is the Merchant an idle man but much occupied and looketh vp vnto the heauens to haue successe and blessing from God You may say that rather they might haue made exception against him whom I named a Gentleman vnto that I answer that our kinde of Gentlemen were not extant in their dayes But I will helpe to admonish them to take heed that that which is in the booke of Wisdome be farre from them as to say of the pleasures and Wisdome pastimes of this life this is our portion this is our lott Remember what Abraham said to his sonne being in hell torments Thou in thy life time receiuedst thy good things As for the Soldiour the exception against him was not to be receaued into the ministerie of the Word But there are more kindes of trades and one there is not so easie to be condemned because the Law is to be the ground of his action but he is so often in law that he is lesse in charitie and filleth whole parishes with vncharitablenesse To discribe him I must borrow a tearme from the common Law which may bee comprehendeth not so generally these kinde of trades But the tearme is a Common Barretor With these kinde of men no trespasses must be taken vp by neighbours and bretheren in one faith and one Church but all must be tryed by law that the offender if he refuse that tryall must redeeme his peace with a great price This trade is so violent so hurtfull and such a cunning extortion that our Sauiour both remembreth it and giueth counsell to his Disciples saying If any man will sue thee at the law and take away Math. 5. 40. thy coat let him haue thy cloake also If therefore Christs Disciple must deliuer coate and cloake whose Disciple is he that taketh them There is an other Tradesman if wee may call him a tradesman I meane the Vsurer tollerated in Common-wealths Psal 15. 5. condemned in the word of God None of the Disciples of Christ in whom there must be nothing but that which is perfect that we may be like to our Master who was perfect His Disciples therefore must not lend looking for something againe but lend looking for nothing againe And in the new Testament how can it be that to him shall be shewed the saluation of God when in the old Testament He shall not dwell in the holy hill In this thing they are both a censured euill by the word of God and an euill end will be the encrease of riches in their great abundance to them that vse it The abundance of riches so blindeth his iudgement that he seeth no euill but thinkes that he hath God by the finger when he hath the diuell by the fist In the olde Law one might not lend in Vsurie to his brother according to the flesh and may he now lend to his brother according to the spirit Let the Preachers of the Word and deuiders of the Word take heede least while they teach some vsuries small that they may be done they by so teaching and so doing become least in the Kingdome of heauen Let the Disciple hearken vnto his Master and heare Christ saying If ye loue me keepe my coÌ„mandements A Lawyer being asked concerning Arrests Ioh. 14. 15. vpon the Sabaoth day answered that the Arrests were good in Law but the parties that executed the Arrests punishable shall we so answer for the Vsurer that his vsurie is good in law but the Vsurer culpable so that he shall not dwell in the holy hill And to speake somewhat of Arresting on the Sabaoth day whereby I say our wayes are not ordered aright how can that be good in the law of any Common-weale that breaketh any one of the ten Commandements the ten Commandements are not very subtill hard to be discerned but grosse euen the law of nature Let vs put a God and what Nation doth not put it no lesse can be then to haue one set day to worship in Breake that day so commanded and where then is our Religion To put out
A SERMON PREACHED AT THE ASSISES HOLDEN AT WINCHESTER the 24. day of Februarie last before Sir LAVRENCE TANFEILD Knight Lord Chiefe Barron of the Exchequer and Sir RICHARD HVTTON Knight one of the Iustices of the Court of Common-Pleas By ABRAHAM BROWNE Prebend of the Cathedrall Church of WINTON NOLI ALTVM SAPERE LONDON Printed by Edw. All-de 1623. TO SIR LAVRENCE TANFEILD KNIGHT LORD Chiefe Barron of the Exchequer and Sir RICHARD HVTTON Knight one of the Iustices of the Court of Common-Pleas Beloued in the Lord I Was requested very earnestly by a right Worshipfull person that hee might haue a Copie of my Sermon Preached at the Assises at Winchester another put mee in minde of publishing it and a Dedicatorie Epistle required To answere all these if I publish it I shall satisfie in exhibiting the Copie requested And albeit I am not ouer earnest to haue it published yet I may suppose that that part of the Sermon which is against the Masse the thing most of all respected in the speech may serue among other Writings for the confutation of that pretended sacrifice But for Dedicatory Epistle to whom more properly of right doth it appertaine then to your Honours if it may please you to accept of it your selues being the most principall persons in the Auditorie most iudicious to discerne all things then spoken and being acquainted with pleadings in Law may iudge what validity our reasonings haue in matters of Religion The pleadings in Law are ingenious and ought to be very demonstratiue strong in proofe that things may be euidently cleared before they come to sentence yet this difference that in Law-pleadings one pleadeth against another In our matters one speaketh and no man in the place must contradict yet we must not be in that respect more bolde but more circumspect for God heareth and many witnesses What I haue said against the Masse I haue read and resolutely approue to be the truth and if shortnesse haue made obscurity or weakenesse of proofe or insufficiencie in a matter of so great importance when it shall be replied by Gods grace I will strengthen the Arguments and giue more aboundance of testimony accordingly as things are by me alledged In pleading against the Masse aboue all other controuersies in Religion your Honours are very competent and conuenient Iudges For with you are handled cases of restitution if any thing be taken away matters of trust to be performed alienations of things in that respect and alterations not to be admitted voluntas testatoris the testators will especially to be regarded the ends proposed in grants to be obserued that if the Masse Priest were put to his triall at your iudgement seat he should receiue the very same iudgement I haue set vpon him He must restore the Table he hath taken away place it againe in the middest of the Church as our common Prayer booke alloweth that it may be farther from an Altar or if not to haue such a iudgement as to be a Table not an Altar he must restore the great Loafe he hath taken away hauing put in steed of it a thin Wafer Cake the knife must be brought again alienation must be recalled that the Priests onely must not participate alteration forbidden and to minister vnder both kindes the end prescribed by our testator to be kept euen by eating the Bread and drinking the Cup to 1. Cor. 11. 2. shew forth the Lords death vntill he come For the Masse is a new inuented Religion and as it is said in Scholes Vno absurdo dato mille sequuntur Grant one absurdity and a thousand will follow so is it with the Masse Priest one absurdity hath bred many absurdities he hath inuented a mysterie and yet his mysterie keepeth not the rule of such mysteries as are in the olde Testament which should be the patterne for all mysteries And againe as his mysterie agreeth not with the Scriptures so the Masse Priests intention agreeth not with his Masse booke that as it is said he that is out of the way the faster he runneth the farther he is out so is it with the Masse Priest once out neuer in The Masse Priests dealing in respect of God and in respect of the people is like a tenure in England which I haue heard of where the Tenant maketh proffer of a Present to his Landlord but deliuereth it not that the chiefe Lord may say vnto him I thanke you for nothing For concerning God the foolish Masse-Priest vnderstandeth not that that which is the Priests portion and that which the Priest eateth as it is in the Leuiticall Offerings is not the Sacrifice but that which is burnt is Gods offering and the bloud sprinkled at the mercy seat is the attonement but he eateth all his offerings drinketh vp all in his Chalice and rinceth his Chalice that he may be knowne to drink all that God may say to him I thanke you for nothing But as for the people they may all the yeare long excepting once a yeare when he receiueth but halfe say to him we thank you for nothing And for the Masse Priests intention not to agree with his Masse booke it is as euident For his prayers are in the plurall number and he intendeth himselfe only Againe he prayeth to God only that the oblation which the whole family had offered meaning the Bread and Wine which the brethren had offered part whereof was to serue for the Communion might be made the Body and Bloud of his most beloued Son Iesus Christ And vpon it bringeth in the Institution which is for taking eating but he intendeth not but offering of Christ himselfe for a propitiatory sacrifice not marking that a body broken bloodshed is already sacrificed and what is once sacrificed cannot be sacrificed again Therefore our Sauiour sitting in person at the supper deliuered his Body broken as already sacrificed and his Blood shed to preuent a Masse Priest for to offer him For his sacrifice as a Doctor of the Church Gregorius Nazianzenus saith is insacrificabile sacrificium a sacrifice that cannot be sacrificed againe Besides these absurdities this is also not to be ouer-skipped that when he saith Ite missa est Goe your wayes it is dismissing time the speaker meaneth that some should depart and those that remained should communicate for all might haue adored if that only were intended but all could not communicate but he intendeth no such thing as a Communion that they that remaine must adore only and receiue nothing that stil the people may say We thank you for nothing The truth is the old prayers which are in the Mass book are mistaken for in the prayers what is for offering is to be referred to those offerings which the disciples had offered for the maintenance of the Church but the mysteries of the Body and Blood of Christ were to be receiued according to our Sauiours Institution in so much that we liuing now by Tythes those prayers
are out of vse More might be said but a Dedicatorie Epistle must not be ouerlong The Text of my Sermon is a mattor of great obseruation short in words but large in meditation Let vs looke to the ordering of our wayes and not so much with them to attend an vnnecessary adorning of Temples made with stone and a false aduancing of Sacraments so shall wee haue better shewed vs the saluation of God and we true worshippers in spirit and truth The people of the land haue accepted this Religion as to pray in their mother tongue to offer praises in singing of Psalmes with the Preaching of the Word if they may haue it Lamenting much when their lot is to dwell there where they may not haue it I write what I know The summe is if we offer praise and order our wayes we shall in greater confidence looke for the comming of him which is to come euen our Lord Iesus Christ iudge to be of the quick and the dead vnto whose grace I commend your Honours in all your iudgements Your Honours in the Lord ABRAHAM BROWNE A SERMON PREACHED at the Assises holden at Winchester PSAL. 50. v. 23. He that offereth praise glorifieth me And to him that disposeth his waies aright Will I shew the saluation of God I Haue chosen this Text in three respects First in respect of my selfe being aged and about finishing my course after a long seruice in the ministerie of the Word that I might haue such a Text as would summe vp if not all yet most of my Sermons Secondly this being the time of the Assises it would be very fitting to speake of that which will be handled at the generall Assise which is the day of Iudgement Lastly withall to exhibit vnto you the Religion of our Sauiour Iesus Christ compleat euen perfectly set out for as much as without which we cannot be saued To performe these things I haue deuided my Text into three parts The first will concerne praising of God The second to be the ordering of waies The third a shewing of the saluation of God The first of praising God I will make instance thereof in the Church seruice that the religion of Christ in the new Testament may be fully discerned And where it is said he that offereth praise without any exception of person albeit the word offereth be the act of a Priest yet I had rather say that all are Priests then to exempt any from offering of praises euen in the Church It is said in the Reuelations of Christ that he hath made vs Chap. 1. 6. Kings and Priests vnto God and his Father And Saint Peter saith Yee as liuely stones are built vp a spirituall 1 Pet. 2. 5. house vnto God to offer vp spirituall sacrifices vnto God acceptable thorough Iesus Christ for albeit the burnt offerings of the old Testament are ceased yet we cannot be a peculiar people vnto God without sacrifices It is a thing duly to be marked that that part of the Temple which was called but the Porch thereof was twice seuerely reformed by our Sauiour and titled by the name of the house of God our Sauiour applying that vnto it in the Prophet Esay Mine Math. 21. 12. Iohn 2. 1â— house is the house of Prayer and you haue made it a den of theeues And so it followeth in the mysterie of the Temple that the vpper part thereof being fulfilled by Christ and in him personally finished in the heauens where he is now and appeareth in the sight of God for vs Now nothing remaineth for vs but only that part wherein was Prayer and Preaching And so that place honoured with the title of the house of God To this that answereth that our Sauiour after he was ascended gaue gifts vnto men Saint Paul naming by them Apostles Euangelists Prophets Pastors Teachers Ephes 4. 9. no Priests and I will say no Priests sacrificing because all Priests Againe the Apostles designing out their office goe no farther then to giue themselues continually to Act. 6. 4. prayer and the ministery of the Word And if their prayer be the prayer of the Church the vnlearned must confirme it by saying Amen vnto it And they shall be but president Priests among the Priests offering alike praises vnto God All the congregation offereth and they no Priests nor good Disciples that offer not All our Church Seruice conformably for offering is Prayers Confessions prayses for Prayer the house is named by it for confessions prayses the Hebrew word in my Text is indifferent to them both If any man obiect and say that there are more things in the Church seruice then prayers confessions and praises as reading of Scripture the Pulpit Sermons the Lords supper also and Baptisme To this I answer that in all these God offereth somewhat vnto vs and not we to him in the reading Statutes and ordinances with admonitious exhortations and threatnings the Pulpit secondeth these things at the Lords Supper Christ giueth and we receiue Baptisme offereth the forgiuenesse of our sinnes so nothing will be ours but offering of Praises in the house of Prayer vnto which God addeth this approbation Hee that offereth Praises glorifieth me This assertion howsoeuer it mislike Trent Can. 3. Sess 6. others it hath one most vehement aduersary as decreeing in a Counsell that whosoeuer shall say that the Lords Supper is a Sacrifice of praise and thanks-giuing a bare remembrance of the Sacrifice done vpon the Crosse and not propitiatorie or only to profit the receauer neither ought to bee offered for the liuing and for the dead for sinnes punishments satisfactions and other necessities let Rhemes vpon Heb. 7. 1â— him bee Anathama Others say that there is no lawfull Common-wealth in the world that is not made a peculiar people vnto God by a Priesthood distinguished from them that worship false Gods or no Gods at all This must be answered or wee haue a great defect in our Church and my selfe reproued that take hold of these words as if God were now content only with a spirituall sacrifice saying Hee that offereth praises glorifieth mee And to make answer this Psalme containing such matter as shall bee accomptable at that day when God will call all the world from the rising of the Sunne to the going downe of the same vnto iudgement First of all it is said I will not reproue Vers 8. thee for burnt offerings So that wee are discharged from the Leueticall sacrifice And then commeth in these words Offer vnto God Praise and pay thy vowes to the most Vers 14. high And both these things are contained in my Text and no more Sacrifices then these contained in the Psalme That which the Papists striue for is called by the name of the Masse which thing beareth the burthen of the Church seruice with them The thing therefore offring opposition to mine assertion I could not but looke more narrowly into the matter and I finde that
then eate it spiritually in the deede it selfe No feeding to the spirituall feeding so true a feeding and so substantiall that to it only agreeth all that our Sauiour speaketh in the sixt of Iohn of eating of his Flesh and drinking of his Blood As to this thing also we are directed by our Sauiour his own speech saying It is the spirit that quickneth the flesh profiteth nothing the words that I speake are spirit and life And the conclusion of this note is that these two famous Doctors by their speeches haue ouerthrowne both transubstantiation and the Masse But to proceede in the matter in hand that the place for the Table was the middle of the Church one onely proofe will serue which is Constantine the great in his glorious Eusebius li. 10. c. 4. Gerson Church made for Christian Religion so placed it And it is reported by a Writer of theirs that when the Pope commaunded that the Tables should bee made of stone may be for the iogling of it hee would haue for himselfe a Table of boords And now I haue ended my speech concerning Scripture Doctors and the Vsier of the Church none of them testifying the Masse It may be it will be said if the Masse be taken out of the Church a thing so comely and glorious in his ceremonies the Religion of Christ will be but a bare Religion To this I answer that if it be bare it will fit well enough to that worship which must be in spirit and in truth according to our Ioh. 4. 23. Sauiour his owne saying onely decencie and order must not be neglected And when the Religion of Christ shall be thus stripped of this outwardly glorious Priest it will receiue the better iudgement from the wise A graue Philosopher or a seuere censuring Poet will giue a truer iudgement then those Gouernours of the people that to please the vulgar sort of men holding them to some Religion deuise for them such glorious shewes not caring whether the thing be true or false or agreeable to Gods word or not agreeable A wise Philosopher will not except against inhabitation of vertue in a threed bare cloake They were wise men which adored Christ lying in a Manger But such basenesse needeth not as pompe also needeth not in medio virtus vertue may be neither A Philosopher reading of the Gospels and marking our Sauiour his speaches said he was the wisest man that euer spake He looked not for any authority of the world in our Sauiour but considered his speeches And concerning glorious Churches a Poet will say In templis quid fuit aurum What doth gold in the Temples if it be saith hee the Gods will not thanke you if not they will not blame you What saith Cato Si Deus est animus c. If God be a spirit he is to be worshipped with a pure minde Numa had three sayings as that the Gods cared not for bloody Sacrifices Againe better things were not to be presented by worse things such as the Images be made of no not of gold for it is but thick clay The third thing was that the whole life of man was to be spent in Religion If a Papist should bring an Heathen Philosopher into his Church and shew the goodly Imagerie and painting therein he would aske him what else for these Images haue mouthes and cannot speake as when they brought him a childe to behold the beauty of him he said to the childe Loquere my pner vt te videam Speake childe that I may see thee hee respected inward vertue not outward shewes S. Augustine saith In humilitate hnius sacrificij non est tiphus nec cothurnus In the humility of this Sacrifice there is neither pride nor masking like Players The sum is the Religion is not discerned by gewe-gawe foolish men but by them that are graue and sober The Papist when he would gaine a Disciple he obiecteth against vs that our Religion is to easie no austerity of life for want of fasting againe bare of all comely ceremonies Both these obiections are not otherwayes to be answered then by the wisedome that is in Christs Religion As for fasting to answer in wisedome two wayes shewing that wee eate not flesh to pamper our flesh but as S. Paul saith to Timothy Drinke a little wine for thy stomacke 1. Tim. 5. 23. sake and for thy often diseases The like to be in eating of flesh and this being true without dissimulation then it will be seconded that such liberty is in Christs Religion that nothing is to be excepted against which is receiued 1. Tim. 4. 4. with thankes-giuing vnto God A good Disciple that beleeueth it A faithfull deuider of the Word that preacheth it But for comely ceremonies as farre as decencie goeth wee must goe along with them a fault to haue our houses swept and foule Churches faire benches at home and ragged Pewes Our Sauiour being to answere the obiection of fasting made his answere three wayes first that new wine was not to be put in olde bottels Math. 9. 14. Secondly that nothing would gaine them to the truth for Iohn Baptist came fasting and they said he had a diuell he came eating and they said hee was a glutton The third answer which must stand for all is that wisedome is iustified of her owne children These rules obserued they must haue an answer picked out of them But if we fasted with them their fasting a matter of no such hardnesse should wee gaine them that the answere will be the last which is that wisedome is iustified of her children And our Sauiour will say for all iudgements If I say the truth Iohn 8. 46. 47 why doe yee not beleeue me hee that is of God heareth Gods word As the wisdome of Christ in his Religion framed according to spirit and truth seemeth foolishnesse to the wise men of this woâ—ld so let the wisedome of the wise men of this world be foolishnes to vs that are Christs Disciples I will deuide our Church actions into three sorts The first is our Confessions and Praises in the house of Prayer The house of Prayer is Gods house and for these Confessions and Praises they haue their approbation out of the Text As God himselfe saying in his owne person He that offereth praises glorifieth me where the word Glorifieth will answere to the obiection of wanting glorious setting forth of Church seruice euen that hee that offereth praises glorifieth him The second sort of things are Baptisme and the Lords Supper of these no question onely the Lords Supper for his name by the Masse Priest somewhat excepted against as bearing the name of Supper rather 1. Cor. 11. 2â— then their deuised sacrifice of the Masse yet for this also I answer with that Prophesie Thou doest prepare a Table before me in the sight of mine aduersaries I am the bolder Psal 23. so to say because two Doctors of the Church Origen and Eusebius
make vse thereof as seeking proofe for a Table whereby they shew that albeit the name of Altar be vsed yet a Table must be proued for that the Churches act was at a Table not at an Altar And so it serueth for an Argument against the Masse The Act of the Pulpit is the third which must be alowed for albeit the house which is the house of God be named by prayer as the principall act therein our Sauiour so saying yet the Euangelist farther addeth that he taught daily in the Temple and then Luke 19. 46. this Act may not want his Prophesie I will allude at the least to that place of a Psalme where it is said An handfull Psal 72. 16. of Corne shall be in the earth euen in the top â—f the mountaines and the fruit thereof shall shake like the trees of Libanus and the children shall flourish out of the Citie like grasse What is this handfull of Come which shall be in the dayes of Christ for the words of that Psalme concerne him and his dayes and said to be in the top of the mountaine let that Sermon in the mountaine be it yet what is the mountaine of the Church if not the Pulpit the highest place of the Church and what more answereth to an handfull of Corne then the Preachers Text for the seede the Sower sowed was the word of God And when this handfull which Luke 8. 11. is the Text is enlarged by Expositions and Applications how well may be said that the fruit thereof shaketh like the trees of Libanus And how fitly shall the Auditorie be those children that flourish out of the Citie and stand before the Preacher as thicke as grasse And I will say that I may better take vp this Prophesie for the Seede of the word sowed in the Pulpit then the Masse Priest can take it vp for his baked Cake vpon the top of his shauen crowne For he is bold so to apply it though hee shake no fruit except he shake his lockes in that his dumme shew when he acteth his Masse The Kingdome of Christ is knowledge and aboundance of knowledge as it is said by the Prophet that in the dayes Isay of Christ knowledge shall abound euen as waters vpon the sea And who is he that is a man of grauity and wisedom but that he will say it is a glorious sight and a glorious Church built of liuely stones to see men and women of all degrees and youthes of all ages come into the Church with their Bibles and Psalme-bookes to heare the Word and to sing Psalmes and praises to the glory of our God These acts would become the greatest Emperour in the world It is said of Charles the great that he sung in the Church But what neede I speake of an Emperour Christ our Math. 26. 30. Sauiour the patterne of Maiestie and grauity did sing The Prophet Hosee willeth the Israelites to offer the Calues Hose 14. 3. of their lips but to offer prayers by telling of prayers which they vnderstand not be they not lips of Calues and not of men It is said of a Philosopher that hee neuer laughed but once and that was when hee saw an Asse so gingerly to eate a thistle I suppose he would haue laughed once more to see a man like a great boy to stand with a payre of Beads at his girdle and to take them with great deuotion to tell prayers in a tongue he vnderstandeth not But I will follow these matters of the Church no farther but will come to the second part of my Text which is in these words And to him that ordereth his waies aright But to bring in this second part I must set downe a common Church for vs Christians like the Temple of the Iewes whereunto all resorted of all Sects and of all manners Pharises with their Leuen Saduces denying the Resurrection with sinners of all sorts none accepted but the vncircumcised vpon this confuse mixture in the worshippers in one house commeth in that question Lord who shall dwell in thy Tabernacle who shall rest in thy Psal 15. 1. holy hill The like is here though not proposed in a question but affirmatiuely set downe as to him that ordereth his waies aright I will shew the saluation of God God is glorified in his house when in it common praises be offered vnto him but the saluation of God shall not bee shewed but vnto him that ordereth his waies aright I must deuise such a Church that all must come into And what need I say deuise a Church I know where I stand and before whom I speake at the Assifes But my deuised Church is none other then the Church of England as now it is which hath in it foure principall notes Authenticall and Catholike to the designing of such a Church And they vnresistable truths as these There shall be no Images in the Church to be worshiped This is agreeable to the second Commandement so euidently practised by the Iewes that you need not inquire whether they worshipped any for in their Sinagogues as in their Temple they had no Images to be worshipped that their Prophets may freely speake against Images as it appeareth in the Prophesies committed vnto them by a certaine relation from the holy Ghost This continued to this day They cannot without great offence giuen of Christians to see that second Commandement put out of their Catechisme and the worship of Images grossely practised euery where The second thing is that the whole Church-Seruice shall be in their mother Tongue as we say that is knowne vnto them For Saint Paul as in a matter of great absurdity asketh the question when on blesseth in the Spirit how shall he that occupieth the roome of the vnlearned say Amen at the giuing of thankes seeing he knoweth 1 Cor. 14. 28. not what thou sayest The third is concerning the Lords supper that it bee giuen and receaued vnder both the kindes euen of Bread and also of Wine alike consecrated For who can deny that our Sauiour did not so institute it and said Doe this 1 Cor. 11. 25. as oft as you doe it in remembrance of me and so deliuered it vnto Saint Paul that it might in that manner be administred in the Church This to be obserued is necessary to be required that in a matter of so great importance there may be no defect in the Church The fourth is that there be proposed but one true and liuing God to receaue the prayer and for Mediator none but our Sauiour the Sonne of God as Saint Paul euen in that place where he appointeth for the Church supplications and prayers to be made in it and saith There is but one God and one Mediator betweene God and man the 2 Tim. 2. 5. man Christ Iesus who gaue himselfe a ransome for vs. No person of the blessed Trinity but may haue inuocation euen in the Church but Saints whosoeuer are no
beginning at Hierusalem But you translate the word repentance by the word penance saying Christ said that penance should be preached And from whence haue you this word penance is it from thence that your Latine Translation saith Agite paenitentiam but how dissolutely do you abuse the grauity of the Translator For when he meant to speake home as wee say and to the purpose translateth doe repentance answerable to our conuertion and ordering our wayes aright according to the Hebrew and Greeke you Translate him in your English by your Confessors tearmes as doe pennance But to returne from speaking any more to them the truth is the ordering of wayes must be done by an effectuall repentance euen a turning from our euill wayes that wee may be found alwayes in sinnes great and lesse well tolde euen by a Confessors booke to bee vpon the mending hand This is published in our Common prayer where repentance and forgiuenesse are ioyned in our absolution the application of which absolution we leaue to the conscience of all hearers as they repent and not to be a Sacramentall donation or graunt to any that repenteth not And this is the ordering of wayes in our Church where truthes should bee not deceptions and falshoods Repentance must bring in the absolution not any Sacrament no not those two noble Sacraments of Baptisme and the Lords Supper will with vs absolue an vnrepentant sinner vnlesse you apply them to Infants vnto whom knowledgâ— of repentance is not yet come And now we may see why the Church is rid from the law of carnall commaundements which were to some but clokes for their hypocrisie to all burthens hard to beare for all commaundâ—ments of God must be kept albeit they be carnall rights and therfore the not sleeping sinne and transgression worthy of an expiation and an attonement and now in the new Testament the Church seruice easie as he that offereth prayses glorifieth God so God himselfe saying But when we come to this second point which is ordering of wayes then wee are come to that straight gate that leadeth to eternal life into which few enter and thereby true that many are called but few chosen St. Iames saith In many things we offend all of vs. And St. Iohn will not Iam. 3. 2. denie but that we may sinne though hee say afterwards he that is borne of God sinneth not meaning by continuance in any sinne neuer so little It is said of the Husbandman that he is not out of worke all the yeare long for he is changing of ground breaking vp of grounds fallowing plowing weeding reaping no more is the Saint of God out of worke all his life time and repentance will finde worke for the Pastor and Teacher for the Flock and the Disciple And when we are thus labouring in repentance let vs hearken to him that saith Come to me all yee that are we arie and laden and I will ease you take my yoke on you Math. 11. 28. and learne of me that I am meeke and lowly in heart and yee shall finde rest for your soules for mine yoake is easie and my burthen is light These words no doubt are spoken vnto them that labour in conuerting and turning still from this and that euill way euen as men wearied finding the burthen still heauie And this my Text will haue a good correspondencie and will answere well to that our Sauiour his voyce and that it is said in my Text that wee must order our wayes aright and it commeth in after this manner And vnto him that ordereth his wayes aright I will shew the saluation of God This shewing of Gods saluation is the third part of my Sermon and maketh my worke a perfect worke that I shall by Gods grace fulfill my promise which was to exhibit the Religion of Christ perfectly for as much as without which we cannot be saued For vnlesse when I will speake of offering praises and so glorifying God I bring not in euery one of those three persons of the blessed Trinity God will be vnperfectly glorified And this thing is ready to be performed in these words which are I will shew the saluation of God I say the three persons are here ready to be shewed vs. For who is he that can shew the saluation of God vnlesse it be the holy Ghost and what other saluation vnder heauen besides Iesus as for God he is named And concerning the holy Ghost that he must shew the saluation it is easily to be proued because the saluation is such a thing as eye neuer saw eare neuer heard of and neuer entred into the heart of man euen Iesus Christ crucified to the Iewes a stumbling 1 Cor. 1. 23. 1 Cor. 19. 20. stone to the Grecians foolishnesse Where is the wise where is the Scribe where is the Disputer of this world by Christ crucified God hath destroyed the wisedome of the wise and hath brought to nothing the vnderstanding of the prudent Verse 19. and the Princes of this world if they had knowne it would 1 Cor. 2. 8. they haue crucified the Lord of glory We are said to be Ministers of the Spirit but I suppose that none of vs will say that wee doe minister the Spirit but by the holy Ghost none can say that Iesus is the Lord but by the holy Ghost 1. Cor. 12. 3. neither Disciple nor yet the Teacher If the Wise the Scribe the Disputer could not finde it out we are not wiser of our selues then they What is it to shew a thing to a man set you it neuer so neere him albeit he can see except the ayre be lightned by which they may see The holy Ghost hath lightned the vnderstanding of man and withall will conuince the world of sinne because they beleeue not in Christ When the day is broken and the Sun vp he that cannot see then is blinde indeede so now that the holy Ghost is come and lightneth the world which thing how farre it reacheth who can tell whosoeuer seeth nor Christ crucified to be the saluation of God is blinde and to bee holden for blinde And as there are degrees in seeing some seeing better some worse so Christ crucified to be The saluation of God is better seene of some then of others It is an easie mattâ—â— for vs to shew to a man that Christ Iesus is the saluation of GOD if shewing bee to say so and to preach so but to bring it aright into the heart and to beleeue with my vnderstanding that Iesus dyed for our sinnes will require an influence of the holy Ghost There is great difference in shewing of a starre if it were to be shewed betweene an Astrologer and a Countriman euen about the Creation of the world as if the Country-man were asked whether might be better spared his Apple-tree in his Orchard or one of the little Starres in the Skie It may be it would not bee rightly answered we are so earthly and therefore dull because we are earthly but an Astrologer if he wete to shew the Stars he will not only shew it according to his situation bignesse motion but according to an influence it hath to vs-ward The holy Ghost if hee shew the saluation of God in Christ Iesus he will shew it by an influence in vs which the Astrologer cannot doe and by that influence shew an influence in Christ Iesus to vs-ward both for Iustification by faith and Sanctification by a new birth and then with ioy wee shall say the holy Ghost hath shewed vs the saluation of God And for the saluation of God to be the second Person in the Trinitie as no Christian will denie so he the lesse a Christian that maketh not the second Person in the Trinitie all the saluation of God As here he is named because a time appointed would come when we should readily name him as Saint Peter saith Neither is there saluation in any other for there is none other name â—nder heauen giuen among men whereby wee Act. 4. 1â— must be saued In the old Testament it is said Hearken O Deut. 6. 4. Israel thy God is one God To vs also in the new Testament Christ saith Goe yee therefore and teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father the Sonne and Math. 28. 1â— the holy Ghost And Saint Iohn saith There are three that 1. Iohn 5. 7. beare record in heauen the Father the Word and the holy Ghost and these three are one So to conclude I will say that by this blessed Trinitie our Religion is not only styled but confyned beyond these three Persons we must not goe Angels must not be worshipped neither yet any Saint yet there is one Saint which approacheth neere to the blessed Trinitie euen the Mother of Christ in a right as it were that she was his Mother though hee neuer called her Mother but Woman She hath matched him if not gone beyond him in Psalmes Hymnes and prayers This iniurie hath beene too long in practise but now I suppose it is come to the highest For the Iesuits to accomplish the iniury done vnto Christ first nameth himselfe by the name of Iesus yet as if Iesus were but a Sonne though I dare say they thinke not that Iesus had mo bretheren they commend their societie not to Iesus but to the Mother as their Patronesse and Protectrix A braine-sicke societie who will not say As lamentable it is that Bellarmine that great Champion concludeth his worke with praise be to God and to the blessed Virgin the Mother leauing out the Sonne and the holy Ghost and so the Papists in their salutations and farewells as Midwiues in childe-birth say deuoutly not knowing how blasphemously God and our Lady helpe you For who that feareth God dare ioyne a creature with God the Father or the Sonne of the Father But it is enough to point at these things for this time My speach is to better Christians let vs offer praise that God may be glorified And notice must be taken of that which followeth euen that To him that ordereth his way aright shall bee shewed the saluation of God And to that blessed Trinitie the Father Sonne and holy Ghost be all honour praise and glory now and euermore Amen FINIS