unlawful and forbidden by the Commandment of God For such Swearing is nothing else but taking of God's Holy Name in vain And here is to be noted that lawful Swearing is not forbidden but commanded by Almighty God For we have examples of Christ and Godly Men in Holy Scripture that did Swear themselves and required Oaths of others likewise Deut. 6. and God's Commandment is Thou shalt dread thy Lord God and shalt swear by his Name And Almighty God by his Prophet David saith Psal 63. All Men shall be praised that swear by him Thus did our Saviour Christ Swear divers times saying Verily John 3. Verily And St. Paul Sweareth thus I call God to witness 2 Cor. 1. And Abraham waxing old required an Oath of his Servant Gen. 24. that he should procure a Wife for his Son Isaac which should come of his own kindred And the Servant did Swear that he would perform his Masters Will. Abraham also being required Gen. 21. did Swear unto Abimelech the King of Geraris that he should not hurt him nor his posterity and likewise did Abimelech Swear unto Abraham And David did Swear to be and continue a faithful Friend to Jonathan and Jonathan did Swear to become a faithful Friend unto David Also God once commanded that if a thing were laid to pledge to any Man or left with him to keep if the same thing were stoln or lost that the keeper thereof should be Sworn before Judges that he did not conveigh it away nor used any deceit in causing the same to be conveighed away by his consent or knowledge Heb. 6. And St. Paul saith That in all matters of controversie between two Persons whereas one saith Yea and the other Nay so as no due proof can be had of the Truth the end of every such Controversie must be an Oath ministred by a Judge And moreover God by the Prophet Jeremy saith Thou shalt swear the Lord liveth in truth Jer. 4. in judgment in righteousness So that whosoever Sweareth when he is required of a Judge let him be sure in his Conscience that his Oath have three Conditions and he shall never need to be afraid of Perjury First he that Sweareth may Swear truly that is What conditions an Oath ought to have he must setting apart all Favour and Affection to the Parties have the Truth only before his Eyes and for love thereof say and speak that which he knoweth to be Truth and no further The Second The Second is he that taketh an Oath must do it with judgment not rashly and unadvisedly but soberly considering what an Oath is The Third is The Third He that Sweareth must Swear in Righteousness That is for the very Zeal and Love which he beareth to the defence of Innocency to the maintenance of the Truth and of the Righteousness of the Matter or Cause all Profit Disprofit all Love and Favour unto the Person for Friendship or Kindred laid apart Thus an Oath if it have with it these three Conditions is a part of God's Glory Why we be willed in Scripture to Swear by the Name of God which we are bound by his Commandments to give unto him For he willeth that we shall Swear only by his Name not that he hath pleasure in Oaths but like as he commanded the Jews to offer Sacrifice unto him not for any delight that he had in them but to keep the Jews from committing Idolatry So he Commanding us to Swear by his Holy Name Isai 42. doth not teach its that he delighteth in Swearing but he thereby forbiddeth all Men to give his Glory to any Creature in Heaven Earth or Water Hitherto you see that Oaths lawful are Commanded of God used of Patriarchs and Prophets of Christ himself and of his Apostle Pauâ— Therefore Christian People must think lawful Oaths both Godly and necessary Commodities had by lawful Oaths made and observed For by lawful Promise and Covenants confirmed by Oaths Princes and their Countries are confirmed in common Tranquillity and Peace By Holy Promises with calling the name of God to witness we be made lively Members of Christ when we profess his Religion receiving the Sacrament of Baptism By like Holy Promise the Sacrament of Matrimony knitteth Man and Wife in perpetual Love that they desire not to be separated for any displeasure or adversity that shall after happen By lawful Oaths which Kings Princes Judges and Magistrates do Swear Common Laws are kept inviolate Justice is indifferently ministred harmless Persons Fatherless Children Widows and poor Men are defended from Murderers Oppressors and Thieves that they suffer no wrong nor take any harm By lawful Oaths mutual Society Amity and good Order is kept continually in all Communalties as Boroughs Cities Towns and Villages And by lawful Oaths Malefactors are searched out Wrong doers are punished and they which sustain wrong are restored to their right Therefore lawful Swearing cannot be evil which bringeth unto us so many Godly Vain Swearing is forbidden Good and necessary Commodities Wherefore when Christ so earnestly forbade Swearing it may not be understood as though he did forbid all manner of Oaths But he forbiddeth all vain-Swearing and forswearing both by God and by his Creatures as the common use of Swearing in Buying Selling and in our daily Communication to the intent every Christian Man's Word should be as well regarded in such matters as if he should confirm his Communication with an Oath For every Christian Man's Word saith St. Hierom should be so true that it should be regarded as an Oath And Chrysostome witnessing the same saith It is not convenient to Swear For what need we to Swear when it is not lawful for one of us to make a lye unto another Peradventure some will say An Object I am compelled to Swear or else Men that do commune with me or do buy and ell with me will not believe me An Answer To this answereth St. Chrysostome that he that thus saith sheweth himself to be an unjust and a deceitful Person For if he were a trusty Man and his Deeds taken to agree with his Words he should not need to Swear at all For he that useth Truth and Plainness in his bargaining and communication he shall have no need by such vain Swearing to bring himself in Credence with his Neighbours nor will his Neighbours mistrust his Sayings And if his Credence be so much lost indeed that he thinketh no Man will believe him without he swear then he may well think his Credence is clean gone For Truth it is as Theophylactus writeth that no Man is less trusted than he that useth much to Swear Eccles 33. And Almighty God by the Wise Man saith that Man which Sweareth much shall be full of Sin and the scourge of God shall not depart from his House But here some Men will say Another Objection An Answer for excusing of their many Oaths in their
daily talk Why should I not Swear when I Swear truly To such Men it may be said that though they Swear truly yet in Swearing often unadvisedly for trifles without necessity and when they should not Swear they be not without fault but do take God's most Holy Name in vain Much more ungodly and unwise Men are they that abuse God's most Holy Name not only in buying and selling of small things daily in all places but also in eating drinking playing communing and reasoning As if none of these things might be done except in doing of them the most Holy Name of God be commonly used and abused vainly and unreverently talked of sworn by and forsworn to the breaking of God's Commandment and procurement of his Indignation The Second Part of the Sermon of Swearing YOu have been taught in the First Part of this Sermon against Swearing and Perjury what great danger it is to use the Name of God in vain And that all kind of Swearing is not unlawful neither against God's Commandment and that there be three things required in a lawful Oath First that it be made for the maintainance of the Truth Secondly that it be made with Judgment not rashly and unadvisedly Thirdly for the zeal and love of Justice Ye heard also what commodities come of lawful Oaths and what danger cometh of rash and unlawful Oaths Now as concerning the rest of the same matter you shall understand that as well they use the Name of God in vain that by an Oath make unlawful promises of good and honest things and perform them not As they which do promise evil and unlawful things and do perform the same Of such Men Lawful Oaths and Promises would be better regarded Josh 6. that regard not their Godly Promises bound by an Oath but wittingly and wilfully break them we do read in Holy Scripture two notable punishments First Joshua and the people of Israel made a League and faithful Promise of perpetual Amity and Friendship with the Gibeonites Notwithstanding afterwards in the days of wicked Saul many of these Gibeonites were murthered contrary to the said faithful Promise made Wherewith Almighty God was sore displeased that he sent an universal Hunger upon the whole Country which continued by the space of three years And God would not withdraw his punishment until the said Offence was revenged by the death of seven Sons 2 Kingâ—â— Chap. 25. or next kinsmen of King Saul And whereas Zâ—dechias King of Jerusalem had promised Fidelity to the King of Chaldea afterward when Zedechiaâ— contrary to his Oath and Allegiance did rebel against King Nebuchadonosor This Heathen King by God's permission and sufferance invading the Land of Jury and besieging the City of Jerusalem compelled the said King Zedechias to flee and in fleeing took him prisoner slew his Sons before his Face and put out both his Eies and binding him with chains led him prisoner miserably into Babylon Thus doth God shew plainly Unlawful Oaths and Promises are not to be kept how much he abhorreth breakers of honest Promises bound by an Oath made in his Name And of them that make wicked Promises by an Oath and will perform the same we have example in the Scriptures chiefly of Herod of the wicked Jews and of Jeptha Matth. 14. Herod promised by an Oath unto the Damsel which danced before him to give unto her whatsoever she should ask When she was instructed before of her wicked Mother to ask the Head of St. John Baptist Herod as he took a wicked Oath so he more wickedly performed the same and cruelly slew the most Holy Prophet Likewise did the malicious Jews make an Oath Acts 23. Judges 11. cursing themselves if they did either eat or drink until they had slain St. Paul And Jeptha when God had given to him victory of the Children of Ammon promised of a foolish Devotion unto God to offer for a Sacrifice unto him that Person which of his own House should first meet with him after his return home By force of which fond and unadvised Oath he did slay his own and only Daughter which came out of his House with Mirth and Joy to welcome him home Thus the Promise which he made most foolishly to God against God's everlasting Will and the Law of Nature most cruelly he performed so committing against God a double offence Therefore whosoever maketh any Promise binding himself thereunto by an Oath let him foresee that the thing which he promiseth be good and honest and not against the Commandment of God and that it be in his own power to perform it justly And such good Promises must all Men keep evermore assuredly But if a Man at any time shall either of Ignorance or of Malice Promise and Swear to do any thing which is either against the Law of Almighty God or not in his power to perform Let him take it for an unlawful and ungodly Oath Now somthing to speak of Perjury to the intent you should know how great and grievous an offence against God this wilful Perjury is I will shew you what it is to take an Oath before a Judge upon a Book Against Perjury First when they laying their hands upon the Gospel Book do Swear truly no enquire and to make a true presentment of things wherewith they be charged An Oath before a Judge and not to let from saying the Truth and doing truly for favour love dread or malice of any Person as God may help them and the Holy Contents of that Book They must consider that in that Book is contained God's everlasting Truth his most Holy and Eternal Word whereby we have forgiveness of our Sins and be made inheritors of Heaven to live for ever with God's Angels and Saints in Joy and Gladness In the Gospel Book is contained also God's terrible threats to obstinate sinners that will not amend their lives nor believe the Truth of God's Holy Word and the everlasting pain prepared in Hell for Idolaters Hypocrites for false and vain Swearers for perjured Men for False Witness-bearers for False Condemners of innocent and guiltless Men and for them which for favour hide the crimes of evil doers that they should not be punished So that whosoever wilfully forswear themselves upon Christ's Holy Evangely they utterly forsake God's Mercy Goodness and Truth the Merits of our Saviour Christ's Nativity Life Passion Death Resurrection and Ascension they refuse the forgiveness of Sins promised to all penitent Sinners the joyes of Heaven the company with Angels and Saints for ever All which Benefits and Comforts are promised unto true Christian Persons in the Gospel And they so being forsworn upon the Gospel do betake themselves to the Devils Service the Master of all Lies Falshood Deceit and Perjury provoking the great Indignation and Curse of God against them in this Life and the terrible Wrath and Judgment of our Saviour Christ at the great day of the last Judgment when he
of the Old Testament as contain the immutable Law and Ordinances of God in no age or time to be altered nor of any persons of any nations or age to be disobeyed such as the above rehearsed places be Notwithstanding for your further satisfying herein according to my promise I will out of the Scriptures of the New Testament or Gospel of our Saviour Christ likewise make a Confirmation of the said Doctrine against Idols or Images and of our Duty concerning the same First the Scriptures of the New Testament do in sundry places make mention with rejoycing as for a most excellent benefit and gift of God that they which received the Faith of Christ were turned from their dumb and dead Images unto the true and living God who is to be blessed for ever Namely in these places the 14 and 17 of the Acts of the Apostles the 11 to the Romans and the First Epistle to the Corinthians the Twelfth Chapter to the Galatians the 4th and the 1st to the Thessalonians the First Chapter And likewise the said Idols Images and Worshipping of them are in the Scriptures of the New Testament by the Spirit of God much abhorred and detested and earnestly forbidden as appeareth both in the fore-named places and also many other besides as in the seventh and Fifteenth of the Acts of the Apostles the First to the Romans where is set forth the horrible plague of Idolaters given over by God unto a reprobate Sense to work all wickedness and abominations not to be spoken as usually spiritual and carnal Fornication go together In the first Epistle to the Corinthians the Fifth Chapter we are forbidden once to keep Company or to eat and drink with such as be called Brethren or Christians that do Worship Images In the Fifth to the Galatians the Worshipping of Images is numbred amongst the Works of the Flesh And in the First to the Corinthians the Tenth it is called the service of Devils and that such as use it shall be destroyed And in the Sixth Chapter of the said Epistle and the Fifth to the Galatians is denounced that such Image-Worshippers shall never come into the inheritance of the Kingdom of Heaven And in sundry other places is threatned that the wrath of God shall come upon all such And therefore Saint John in his Epistle 1 Joh. 5. 1 Cor. 10. exhorteth us as his dear Children to beware of Images And Saint Paul warneth us to flee from the Worshipping of them if we be wise that is to say if we care for Health and fear Destruction if we regard the Kingdom of God and Life Everlasting and dread the Wrath of God and Everlasting Damnation For it is not possible that we should be Worshippers of Images and the true Servants of God also as Saint Paul teacheth in the Second to the Corinthians the Sixth Chapter affirming expresly that there can be no more consent or agreement between the Temple of God which all true Christians be and Images than between Righteousness and Vnrighteousness between Light and Darkness between the Faithful and the Vnfaithful or between Christ and the Devil Which place enforceth both that we should not Worship Images and that we should not have Images in the Temple for fear and occasion of Worshipping them though they be of themselves things indifferent For the Christian is the Holy Temple and lively Image of God as the place well declareth to such as will read and weigh it And whereas all Godly Men did ever abhor that any Kneeling and Worshipping or Offering should be used to themselves when they were alive for that it was the Honour due to God only Acts 10. Acts 14. as appeareth in the Acts of the Apostles by Saint Peter forbidding it to Cornelius and by Saint Paul and Barnabas forbidding the same to the Citizens in Lystra Yet we like Mad Men fall down before the dead Idols or Images of Peter and Paul and give that Honour to Stocks and Stones which they thought abominable to be given to themselves being alive And the good Angel of God as appeareth in the Book of Saint John's Revelation refused to be Kneeled unto when that Honour was offered him of John Beware saith the Angel that thou do it not for I am thy fellow-Servant But the evil Angel Satan desireth nothing so much as to be kneeled unto and thereby at once both to rob God of his due Honour and to work the Damnation of such as make him so low courtesie as in the Story of the Gospel appeareth in sundry places Yea and he offered our Saviour Christ all Earthly goods on the condition that he would kneel down and Worship him But our Saviour repelleth Satan by the Scriptures Matth. 4 Luke 2. saying It is written thou shalt Worship thy Lord thy God and him alone shalt thou serve But we by not Worshipping and serving God alone as the Scriptures teach us and by Worshipping of Images contrary to the Scriptures pluck Satan to us and are ready without reward to follow his desire Yea rather than fail we will offer him Gifts and Oblations to receive our service But let us Brethren rather follow the Counsel of the good Angel of God than the suggestion of subtil Satan that wicked Angel and old Serpent who according to the Pride whereby he first fell attempteth always by such Sacriledge to deprive God whom he envieth of his due Honour And because his own Face is horrible and ugly to convey it to himself by the Mediation of gilt Stocks and Stones and withal to make us the Enemies of God and his own Suppliants and Slaves and in the end to procure us for a Reward Everlasting Destruction and Damnation Therefore above all things if we take our selves to be Christians indeed as we be named let us credit the Word obey the Law and follow the Doctrine and Example of our Saviour and Master Christ repelling Satans Suggestion to Idolatry and Worshipping of Images according to the Truth alledged and taught out of the Testament and Gospel of our said Heavenly Doctor and Schoolmaster Jesus Christ who is God to be blessed for ever Amen The Second Part of the Homily against Peril of Idolatry YOU have heard welbeloved in the first part of this Homily the Doctrine of the word of God against Idols and Images against Idolatry and Worshipping of Images taken out of the Scriptures of the Old Testament and the New and confirmed by the Examples as well of the Apostles as of our Saviour Christ himself Now although our Saviour Christ taketh not or needeth not any Testimony of Men and that which is once confirmed by the certainty of his Eternal Truth hath no more need of the Confirmation of Man's Doctrine and Writings than the bright Sun at Noon-tide hath need of the light of a little Candle to put away Darkness and to encrease his Light Yet for your further content it shall in this Second Part be declared as in the beginning
or profitable The praise of Holy Scripture than the Knowledge of Holy Scripture forasmuch as in it is contained God's true Word setting forth his Glory and also Man's Duty The perfection of Holy Scripture The knowledge of Holy Scripture is necessary To whom the knowledge of Holy Scriture is sweet and pleasant Who be enemies to Holy Scripture And there is no Truth nor Doctrine necessary for our Justification and everlasting Salvation but that is or may be drawn out of that Fountain and Well of Truth Therefore as many as be desirous to enter into the Right and Perfect way unto God must apply their Minds to know Holy Scripture without the which they can neither sufficiently know God and his Will neither their Office and Duty And as Drink is pleasant to them that be Drie and Meat to them that be Hungry So is the Reading Hearing Searching and Studying of Holy Scripture to them that be desirous to know God or themselves and to do his Will And their Stomachs only do loath and abhor the Heavenly Knowledge and Food of God's Word that be so drowned in worldly Vanities that they neither favour God nor any Godliness For that is the cause why they desire such Vanities rather than the time knowledge of God As they that are sick of an Ague An apt Similitude declaring of whom the Scripture is abhorred An exhortation unto the diligent reading and searching of the holy Scripture Matth. 4. The Holy Scripture is a sufficient Doctrine for our Salvation What things we may learn in the Holy Scripture whatsoever they eat and drink though it be never so pleasant yet it is as bitter to them as Wormwood not for the bitterness of the Meat but for the corrupt and bitter humor that is in their own Tongue and Mouth Even so is the sweetness of God's Word bitter not of itself but only unto them that have their Minds corrupted with long custom of Sin and love of this World Therefore forsaking the corrupt judgment of fleshly Men which care not but for their Carkass Let us reverently hear and read Holy Scripture which is the Food of the Soul Let us diligently search for the Well of Life in the Books of the New and Old Testament and not run to the stinking Puddles of Mens Traditions devised by Mens Imagination for our Justification and Salvation For in Holy Scripture is fully contained what we ought to do and what to eschew what to believe what to love and what to look for at God's hands at length In these Books we shall find the Father from whom the Son by whom and the Holy Ghost in whom all Things have their Being and Keeping up And these Three Persons to be but One God and One Substance In these Books we may learn to know ourselves how Vile and Miserable we be and also to know God how Good He is of Himself and how He maketh us and all Creatures partakers of His Goodness We may learn also in these Books to know God's Will and Pleasure as much as for this present time is convenient for us to know And as the great Clerk and godly Preacher St. John Chrysostom saith whatsoever is required to the Salvation of Man is fully contained in the Scripture of God He that is Ignorant may there learn and have Knowledge He that is Hard-hearted and an obstinate Sinner shall there find Everlasting Torments prepared of God's Justice to make him afraid and to mollifie or soften him He that is oppressed with Misery in this World shall there find Relief in the promises of Everlasting Life to his great Consolation and Comfort He that is wounded by the Devil unto death shall find there Medicine whereby he may be restored again unto Health If it shall require to teach any Truth or reprove any false Doctrine to rebuke any Vice to commend any Virtue to give good Counsel to Comfort or Exhort or to do any other thing requisite for our Salvation All those things saith St. Chrysostome we may learn plentifully of the Scripture There is saith Fulgentius abundantly enough Holy Scripture ministreth sufficient Doctrine for all Degrees and Ages Matth. 4. Luke 3. John 17. Psal 19. What commodities and Profits the knowledge of Holy Scripture bringeth both for Men to eat and Children to suck There is whatsoever is meet for all Ages and for all Degrees and sorts of Men. These Books therefore ought to be much in our Hands in our Eyes in our Ears in our Mouths but most of all in our Hearts For the Scripture of God is the Heavenly Meat of our Souls the Hearing and Keeping of it maketh us Blessed Sanctifieth us and maketh us Holy it turneth our Souls it is a light Lanthorn to our Feet it is a sure stedfast and everlasting instrument of Salvation it giveth Wisdom to the humble and lowly Hearts it Comforteth maketh Glad Cheereth and Cherisheth our Conscience It is a more excellent Jewel or Treasure than any Gold or precious Stone it is more sweet than Honey or Honey-comb it is called the best part which Mary did choose for it hath in it everlasting Comfort The Words of Holy Scripture be called Words of Everlasting Life For they be God's Instruments ordained for the same purpose They have power to turn through God's Promise and they be effectual through God's assistence Luke 10. John 6. and being received in a faithful Heart they have ever an Heavenly spiritual working in them They are lively quick and mighty in Operation and sharper than any two-edged Sword and enter through Heb. 4. even to the dividing asunder of the Soul and the Spirit of the Joints and the Marrow Christ calleth him a Wise Builder Matth. 7. that Buildeth upon his Word upon his sure and substantial Foundation By this Word of God we shall be judged For the Word that I speak saith Christ John 12. is it that shall judge in the last day He that keepeth the Word of Christ is promised the Love and Favour of God John 14. and that he shall be the Dwelling-place or Temple of the Blessed Trinity This Word whosoever is diligent to Read and in his Heart to Print that he readeth the great affection to the transitory things of this World shall be minished in him and the great desire of Heavenly things that be therein promised of God shall increase in him And there is nothing that so much strengthneth our Faith and Trust in God that so much keepeth up Innocency and Pureness of the Heart and also of outward Godly Life and Conversation as continual Reading and recording of God's Word For that thing which by continual use of Reading of Holy Scripture and diligent searching of the same is deeply Printed and Graven in the Heart at length turneth almost into Nature And moreover the Effect and Virtue of God's Word is to illuminate the Ignorant and to give more light unto them that faithfully and diligently
and we be in the time when he is come Therefore saith St. Augustine In Johan Tract 45. The Time is altered and changed but not the Faith For we have both one Faith in one Christ 1 Cor. 4 The same Holy Ghost also that we have had they saith St. Paul For as the Holy Ghost doth teach us to trust in God and to call upon him as our Father Eâ—ai 4â— So did he teach them to say as it is written Thou Lord art our Father and Redeemer and thy Name is without beginning and everlasting God gave them then Grace to be his Children as he doth us now But now by the coming of our Saviour Christ we have received more abundantly the Spirit of God in our Hearts whereby we may conceive a greater Faith and a surer Trust than many of them had But in effect they and we be all one We have the same Faith that they had in God and they the same that we have And St. Paul so much extolleth their Faith because we should not less but rather more give our selves wholly unto Christ both in Profession and Living now when Christ is come than the old Fathers did before his coming And by all the Declaration of St. Paul it is evident that the true lively and Christian Faith is no dead vain or unfruitful thing but a thing of perfect Virtue of wonderful Operation or Working and Strength bringing forth all good Motions and good Works All Holy Scripture agreeably beareth witness that a true lively Faith in Christ doth bring forth good VVorks And therefore every Man must examine and try himself diligently to know whether he have the same true lively Faith in his Heart unfeignedly or not which he shall know by the fruits thereof Many that professed the Faith of Christ were in this error that they thought they knew God and believed in him when in their Life they declared the contrary VVhich error St. John in his First Epistle confuting writeth in this wise 1 John 2. Hereby we are certified that we knew God if we observe his Commandments He that saith he knoweth God and observeth not his Commandments is a lyar and the truth is not in him And again he saith 1 John 3. Whosoever sinneth doth not see God nor know him let no man deceive you welbeloved children And moreover he saith Hereby we know that we be of the truth and so we shall persuade our hearts before him 1 John 3. For if our own hearts reprove us God is above our hearts and knoweth all things Welbeloved if our hearts reprove us not then have we confidence in God and shall have of him whatsoever we ask because we keep his Commandments and do those things that please him And yet further he saith Every man that believeth that Jesus is Christ is born of God and we know that whosoever is born of God doth not sin But he that is begotten of God purgeth himself and the Devil doth not touch him And finally he concludeth and sheweth the cause why he wrote this Epistle 1 John 5. saying For this cause have I thus written unto you that you may know that you have everlasting life which do believe in the Son of God And in his third Epistle he confirmeth the whole matter of Faith and VVorks in few words 3 John 1. saying He that doth well is of God and he that doth evil knoweth not God And as St. John saith That as the lively Knowledge and Faith of God bringeth forth good VVorks So saith he likewise of Hope and Charity That they cannot stand with evil living Of Hope he writeth thus 1 John 3. We know that when God shall appear we shall be like unto him for we shall see him even as he is And whosoever hath this hope in him doth purifie himself like as God is pure And of Charity he saith these words 1 John 2. 1 John 5. He that doth keep God's word and Commandment in him is truly the perfect love of God And again he saith This is the love of God that we should keep his Commandments And St. John wrote not this as a subtil saying devised of his own phantasie but as a most certain and necessary Truth taught unto him by Christ himself the Eternal and infallible Verity who in many places doth most clearly affirm That Faith Hope and Charity cannot consist or stand without Good and Godly VVorks 1 John 5. Of Faith he saith He that believeth in the Son hath everlasting Life But he that believeth not in the Son John 3. shall not see that life but the wrath of God remaineth upon him John 6. And the same he confirmeth with a double Oath saying Verily verily I say unto you he that believeth in me hath everlasting life Now forasmuch as he that believeth in Christ hath everlasting life it must needs consequently follow that he that hath this Faith must have also good Works and be studious to observe God's Commandments obediently For to them that have evil Works and lead their Life in Disobedience and Transgression or breaking of God's Commandments without Repentance pertaineth not everlasting Life Matth. 25. but everlasting Death as Christ himself saith They that do well shall go into life eternal but they that do evil shall go into everlasting Fire And again he saith Apoc. 21. I am the first Letter and the last the beginning and the ending To him that is athirst I will give of the well of the water of life freely He that hath the victory shall have all things and I will be his God and he shall be my Son But they that be fearful mistrusting God and lacking Faith they that be cursed People and murtherers and fornicators and sorcerers and all lyars shall have their portion in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death And as Christ undoubtedly affirmeth that true faith bringeth forth good works So doth he say likewise of Charity Charity bringeth forth good Works John 14. Eccles. 1. Eccles. 15. Whosoever hath my Commandments and keepeth them that is he that loveth me And after he saith He that loveth me will keep my word and he that loveth me not keepeth not my words And as the Love of God is tryed by good Works so is the Fear of God also as the Wise man saith The dread of God putteth away sin And also he saith He that feareth God will do good Works The Third Part of the Sermon of Faith YOu have heard in the Second Part of this Sermon that no Man should think that he hath that lively Faith which Scripture commandeth when he liveth not obediently to God's Laws for all good Works spring out of that Faith And also it hath been declared unto you by examples that Faith maketh Men stedfast quiet and patient in all affliction Now as concerning the same matter you shall hear what followeth A Man
a more perfect Service and Honouring of God and more pleasing to God than the keeping of God's Commandments Such hath been the corrupt inclination of Man ever Superstitiously given to make new Honouring of God on his own Head and then to have more Affection and Devotion to keep that than to search out God's Holy Commandments and to keep them And furthermore to take God's Commandments for Men's Commandments and Men's Commandments for God's Commandments yea and for the highest and most Perfect and Holiest of all God's Commandments And so was all confused that scant well learned Men and but a small number of them knew or at the least would know and durst affirm the Truth to separate or sever God's Commandments from the Commandments of Men. Whereupon did grow much Error Superstition Idolatry Vain-religion Overthwart-iudgment great Contention with all ungodly living An exhortation to the keeping of God's Commandments Wherefore as you have any Zeal to the right and pure Honouring of God as you have any regard to your own Souls and to the Life that is to come which is both without pain and without end apply yourselves chiefly above all things to read and hear God's Word mark diligently therein what his Will is you shall do and with all your endeavour apply your selves to follow the same A brief rehearsal of God's Commandments First you must have an assured Faith in God and give yourselves wholly unto him love him in prosperity and adversity and dread to offend him evermore Then for his sake love all Men Friends and Foes because they be his Creation and Image and redeemed by Christ as ye are Cast in your Minds how you may do good unto all Men unto your Powers and hurt no Man Obey all your Superiors and Governors serve your Masters faithfully and diligently as well in their absence as in their presence not for dread of punishment only but for Conscience sake knowing that you are bound so to do by God's Commandments Disobey not your Fathers and Mothers but Honour them Help them and Please them to your power Oppress not kill not beat not neither slander nor hate any Man But love all Men speak well of all Men help and succor every Man as you may yea even your Enemies that hate you that speak evil of you and that do hurt you Take no Man's Goods nor covet your neighbor's Goods wrongfully but content yourselves with that which ye get truly and also bestow your own Goods charitably as Need and Case requireth Flee all Idolatry Witchcraft and Perjury commit no manner of Adultery Fornication or other Unchastness in Will nor in Deed with any other Mans Wife Widow or Maid or otherwise And travelling continually during this life thus in keeping the Commandments of God wherein standeth the pure principal and right Honour of God and which wrought in Faith God hath ordained to be the right trade and pathway unto Heaven you shall not fail as Christ hath promised to come to that blessed and everlasting life where you shall live in Glory and Joy with God for ever To whom be Praise Honour and Empery for ever and ever Amen A SERMON Of Christian Love and Charity OF all things that be good to be taught unto Christian People there is nothing more necessary to be spoken of and daily called upon than Charity As well for that all manner of works of Righteousness be contained in it as also that the decay thereof is the ruin or fall of the World the banishment of Virtue and the cause of all Vice And forsomuch as almost every Man maketh and frameth to himself Charity after his own appetite and how detestable soever his life be both unto God and Man yet he persuadeth himself still that he hath Charity Therefore you shall hear now a true and plain description or setting forth of Charity not of Men's Imagination but of the very words and example of our Saviour Jesus Christ In which description or setting forth every Man as it were in a Glass may consider himself and see plainly without error whether he be in the true Charity or not Charity is to love God with all our Heart What Charity is The love of God all our Soul and all our Powers and strength With all our Heart that is to say That our Heart Mind and Study be set to believe his Word to trust in him and to Love him above all other things that we love best in Heaven or in Earth With all our Life That is to say that our chief joy and delight be set upon Him and His Honor and our whole Life given unto the Service of him above all things with him to live and dye and to forsake all other things rather than him For he that loveth his father or mother Matth. 10. son or daughter house or land more than me saith Christ is not worthy to have me With all our Power That is to say that with our Hands and Feet with our Eyes and Ears our Mouths and Tongues and with all our Parts and Powers both of Body and Soul we should be given to the keeping and fulfilling of his Commandments The love of thy neighbor This is the First and Principal Part of Charity but it is not the whole For Charity is also to love every Man Good and Evil Friend and Foe and whatsoever cause be given to the contrary yet nevertheless to bear good Will and Heart unto every Man to use ourselves well unto them as well in Words and Countenances as in all our outward Acts and Deeds For so Christ himself taught and so also he performed indeed Of the love of God he taught on this wife unto a Doctor of the Law that asked him which was the great and chief Commandment in the Law Love thy Lord God Matth. 22. said Christ with all thy heart with all thy soul and with all thy mind And of the love that we ought to have among ourselves each to other he teacheth us thus You have heard it taught in times past Matth. 5. Matth. 5. Thou shalt love thy friend and have thy foe But I tell you love your enemies speak well of them that defame and speak evil of you do well to them that hate you pray for them that vex and persecute you that you may be the children of your father that is in Heaven For he maketh his Sun to rise both upon the evil and good and sendeth rain to the just and unjust For if you love them that love you What reward shall you have Do not the Publicans likewise And if you speak well only of them that be your brethren and dearly beloved friends what great matter is that Do not the Heathen the same also These be the very words of our Saviour Christ himself touching the love of our neighbor And forasmuch as the Pharises with their most pestilent Traditions and false interpretations and glosses had corrupted and almost
suffer thee although he is daily offended by thee Forgive therefore a light Trespass to thy neighbour that Christ may forgive thee many thousands of Trespasses which art every day an offender For if thou forgive thy Brother being to thee a trespasser then hast thou a sure sign and token that God will forgive thee to whom all Men be debtors and trespassers How wouldst thou have God merciful to thee if thou wilt be cruel unto thy Brother Canst thou not find in thy heart to do that towards another that is thy fellow which God hath done to thee that art but his servant Ought not one sinner to forgive another seeing that Christ which was no sinner did pray to his Father for them that without mercy and despitefully put him to death 1 Pet. 2. Who when he was reviled he did not use reviling words again and when he suffered wrongfully he did not threaten but gave all vengeance to the judgment of his Father which judgeth rightfully And what crackest thou of thy Head if thou labour not to be in the Body Thou canst be no member of Christ if thou follow not the steps of Christ Isai 53. Luke 23. Acts 7. Who as the Prophet saith was led to death like a Lamb not opening his mouth to reviling but opening his Mouth to praying for them that crucified him saying Father forgive them for they cannot tell what they do The which example anon after Christ St. Stephen did follow and after St. Paul We be evil spoken of saith he and we speak well We suffer persecution and take it patiently Men curse us and we gently intreat 1 Cor. 4. Thus Saint Paul taught that he did and he did that he taught Bless you saith he them that persecute you bless you and curse not Is it a great thing to speak well to thine Adversary to whom Christ doth command thee to do well David when Shimes did call him all to naught did not chide again but said patiently Suffer him to speak evil if perchance the Lord will have Mercy on me Histories be full of Examples of Heathen Men that took very meekly both opprobrious and reproachful Words and injurious or wrongful Deeds And shall those Heathen excel in Patience us that profess Christ the Teacher and Example of all Patience Lysander when one did rage against him in reviling of him he was nothing moved but said Go to go to speak against me as much and as oft as thou wilt and leave out nothing if perchance by this means thou mayst discharge thee of those naughty things with the which it seemeth that thou art full laden Many Men speak evil of all Men because they can speak well of no Man After this sort this Wise Man avoideth from him the reproachful Words spoken unto him imputing and laying them to the Natural Sickness of his Adversary Pericles when a certain Scolder or railing Fellow did revile him he answered not a word again but went into a Gallery and after towards Night when he went home this Scolder followed him raging still more and more because he saw the other to set nothing by him And after that he came to his Gate being dark Night Pericles commanded one of his Servants to light a Torch and to bring the Scolder home to his own House He did not only with quietness suffer this Brawler patiently but also recompensed an evil Turn with a good Turn and that to his Enemy Is it not a shame for us that profess Christ to be worse than Heathen People in a thing chiefly pertaining to Christs Religion Shall Philosophy perswade them more than Gods Word shall perswade us Shall Natural Reason prevail more with them than Religion shall with us Shall Mans Wisdom lead them to those things whereunto the Heavenly Doctrine cannot lead us What blindness wilfulness or rather madness is this Pericles being provoked to anger with many villanous words answered not a word But we stirred but with one little word what foul work do we make How do we fume rage stamp and stare like Mad Men Many Men of every trifle will make a great matter and of a spark of a little word will kindle a great fire taking all things in the worst part But how much better is it Reasons to move Men from quarrel-picking and more like to the Example and Doctrine of Christ to make rather a greater fault in our Neighbour a small fault reasoning with ourselves after this sort He spake these words but it was in a sudden heat or the Drink spake them and not he or he spake them at the motion of some other or he spake them being ignorant of the truth he spake them not against me but against him whom he thought me to be But as touching evil speaking he that is ready to speak evil against other Men first let him examine himself whether he be faultless and clear of the fault which he findeth in another For it is a shame when he that blameth another for any fault is guilty himself either in the same fault or in a greater It is a shame for him that is blind to call another Man blind and it is more shame for him that is whole blind to call him blinkard that is but purblind For this is to see a straw in another Mans Eye when a Man hath a block in his own Eye Then let him consider that he that useth to speak evil shall commonly be evil spoken of again And he that speaketh what he will for his pleasure shall be compelled to hear what he would not to his displeasure Moreover let him remember that saying That we shall give an account for every idle Word Mat. 12. How much more then shall we make reckoning for our sharp bitter brawling and chiding Words which provoke our Brother to be angry and so to the breach of his Charity And as touching evil answering although we be never so much provoked by other Mens evil speaking yet we shall not follow their frowardness by evil answering if we consider that anger is a kind of madness and that he which is angry is as it were for the time in a phrensie Wherefore let him beware Reasons to move Men from froward answering lest in his fury he speak any thing whereof afterward he may have just cause to be sorry And he that will defend that anger is not fury but that he hath reason even when he is most angry then let him reason thus with himself when he is angry Now I am so moved and chafed that within a little while after I shall be otherwise minded wherefore then should I now speak any thing in mine anger which hereafter when I would fainest cannot be changed Wherefore shall I do any thing now being as it were out of my Wit for the which when I shall come to my self again I shall be very sad Why doth not Reason why doth not Godliness yea why doth not Christ
one into the Heresie of the Anthropomorphites thinking God to have Hands and Feet and to sit as a Man doth which they that do saith St. Augustine in his Book De fide symbolo cap. 7. fall into that Sacriledge which the Apostle detesteth in those who have changed the Glory of the incorruptible God into the similitude of a corruptible Man For it is wickedness for a Christian to erect such an Image to God in a Temple and much more wickedness to erect such an one in his Heart by believing of it But to this they reply that this reason notwithstanding Images of Christ may be made for that he took upon him flesh and became Man It were well that they would first grant that they have hitherto done most wickedly in making and maintaining of Images of God and of the Trinity in every place whereof they are by force of God's Word and good Reason convicted and then to descend to the Tryal for other Images Now concerning their Objection that an Image of Christ may be made the Answer is easie For in God's Word and Religion it is not only required whether a thing may be done or no But also whether it be lawful and agreeable to God's Word to be done or no. For all wickedness may be and is daily done which yet ought not to be done And the words of the reasons above alledged out of the Scriptures are that Images neither ought nor can be made unto God Wherfore to reply that Images of Christ may be made except withal it be proved that it is lawful for them to be made is rather than to hold ones peace to say somewhat but nothing to the purpose And yet it appeareth that no Image can be made of Christ but a lying Image as the Scripture peculiarly calleth Images lies for Christ is God and Man Seeing therefore Rom. 1. that for the Godhead which is the most excellent part no Images can be made it is falsly called the Image of Christ Wherefore Images of Christ be not only defects but also lies Which reason serveth also for the Images of Saints whose Souls the most excellent parts of them can by no Images be presented and expressed Wherefore they be no Images of Saints whose Souls reign in joy with God but of the Bodies of Saints which as yet lie putrefied in the Graves Furthermore no true Image can be made of Christ's Body for it is unknown now of what Form and Countenance he was And there be in Greece and at Rome and in other places divers Images of Christ and none of them like to other and yet every of them affirmeth that theirs is the true and lively Image of Christ which cannot possibly be Wherefore as soon as an Image of Christ is made by and by is a Lye made of him which by God's Word is forbidden Which also is true of the Images of any Saints of Antiquity for that it is unknown of what Form and Countenance they were Wherefore seeing that Religion ought to be grounded upon Truth Images which cannot be without Lies ought not to be made or put to any use of Religion or to be placed in Churches and Temples places peculiarly appointed to true Religion and Service of God And thus much that no true Image of God our Saviour Christ or his Saints can be made Wherewithal is also confuted that their allegation that Images be the Lay-mens Books For it is evident by that which is afore-rehearsed that they teach no things of God of our Saviour Christ and of his Saints but Lies and Errors Wherefore either they be no Books or if they be they be false and lying Books the teachers of all Error And now if it should be admitted and granted that an Image of Christ could truly be made yet it is unlawful that it should be made yea or that tho Image of any Saint should be made specially to be set up in Temples to the great and unavoidable danger of Idolatry as hereafter shall be proved And first concerning the Image of Christ that though it might be had truly yet it were unlawful to have it in Churches publickly it is a notable place in Irenaeus Lib. 1. c. 24. who reproved the Hereticks called Gnostici for that they carried about the Image of Christ made truly after his own proportion in Pilate's time as they said and therefore more to be esteemed than those lying Images of him which we now have The which Gnostici also used to set Garlands upon the Head of the said Image to shew their affection to it But to go to Gods word Be not I pray you the words of the Scriptures plain Beware lest thou being deceived Levit. 26. Deut. 5. Sculptile Fusile Similitudo Deut. 27. make to thy self to say to any use of Religion any graven Image or any Similitude of any thing c. And Cursed be the Man that maketh a Graven or Molten Image abomination before the Lord c. Be not our Images such Be not our Images of Christ and his Saints either Carved or Molten or Cast or Similitudes of Men and Women It is happy that we have not followed the Gentiles in making of Images of Beasts Fishes and Vermines also Notwithstanding the Image of an Horse as also the Image of the Ass that Christ rode on have in divers places been brought into the Church and Temple of God And is not that which is written in the beginning of the Lords most Holy Law and daily read unto you most evident also Thou shalt not make any likeness of any thing in Heaven above in Earth beneath or in the Water under the Earth c. Could any more be forbidden and said than this Either of the kinds of Images which be either Carved Molten or otherwise Similitudes Or of things whereof Images are forbidden to be made Are not all things either in Heaven Earth or Water under the Earth Exod. 20. And be not our Images of Christ and his Saints likenesses of things in Heaven Earth or in the Water If they continue in their former answer that thâ—â—â— prohibitions concern the Idols of the Gentiles and not ouâ— Images First that answer is already confuted concerning the Images of God and the Trinity at large and concerning the Images of Christ also by Irenaeus And that the Law of God is likewise to be understood against all our Images as well of Christ as his Saints in Temples and Churches appeareth further by the Judgment of the old Doctors and Primitive Church Epiphanius's renting a painted Cloth wherein was the Picture of Christ or of some Saint affirming it to be against our Religion that any such Image should be had in the Temple or Church as is before at large declared judged that not only Idols of the Gentiles but that all Images of Christ and his Saints also were forbidden by Gods Word and our Religion Lactantius affirming it to be certain that no true Religion can
be where any Image or Picture is as is before declared judged that as well all Images and Pictures as the Idols of the Gentiles were forbidden else would he not so generally have spoken and pronounced of them And S. Augustine as is before alledged Lib. 4. c. 3. de Civ Dei in Ps 36. 113. greatly alloweth M. Varro affirming that Religion is most pure without Images and saith himself Images be of more force to crook an unhappy Soul than to teach and instruct it And he saith further Every Child yea every Beast knoweth that it is not God that they see Wherefore then doth the Holy Ghost so often admonish us of that which all Men know Whereunto S. Augustine answereth us For saith he when Images are placed in Temples and set in Honourable Sublimity and begin once to be Worshipped forthwith breedeth the most vile affection of Errour This is S. Augustine's Judgment of Images in Churches that by and by they breed Errour and Idolatry The Christian Emperors the Learned Bishops all the Learned Men of Asia Greece and Spain assembled in Councils at Constantinople and in Spain Seven and Eight Hundred years ago and more condemning and destroying all Images as well of Christ as of the Saints set up by the Christians as is before at large declared testifie that they understood Gods Word so that it forbad our Images as well as the Idols of the Gentiles Sap. 1â— Origen cont Celsum l. â— 8. Cyprianus contra Demetrium And as it is written Sap. 14. that Images were not from the beginning neither shall they continue to the end So were they not in the beginning in the Primitive Church God grant they may in the end be destroyed For all Christians in the Primitive Church as Origen against Celsus Cyprian also and Arnobius do testifie were sore charged and complained on that they had no Altars nor Images Wherefore did they not I pray you conform themselves to the Gentiles in making of Images but for lack of them sustained their heavy displeasure if they had taken it to be lawful by Gods Word to have Images It is evident therefore that they took all Images to be unlawful in the Church or Temple of God and therefore had none though the Gentiles therefore were most highly displeased following this rule Acts 5. We must obey God rather than Men. And Zephyrus in his Notes upon the Apology of Tertullian gathereth that all his vehement persuasion should be but cold except we know this once for all that Christian Men in his time did most hate Images with their Ornaments And Irenaeus as is above declared reproveth the Hereticks called Gnostici for that they carried about the Image of Christ And therefore the Primitive Church which is specially to be followed as most incorrupt and pure had publickly in Churches neither Idols of the Gentiles nor any other Images as things directly forbidden by Gods Word And thus it is declared by Gods Word the Sentences of the Doctors and the Judgment of the Primitive Church which was most pure and sincere that all Images as well ours as the Idols of the Gentiles be by Gods Word forbidden and therefore unlawful specially in Temples and Churches Now if they as their custom is flee to this answer that Gods word forbiddeth not absolutely all Images to be made but that they should not be made to be Worshipped and that therefore we may have Images so we worship them not for that they be things indifferent which may be abused or well used Which seemeth also to be the Judgment of Damascene and Gregory the first as is above declared And this is one of their chief Allegations for the maintenance of Images Damas l. 4. de fide orth c. 17. Greg. in Epist ad Serenum Massil which have been alledged since Gregory the First his time Well then we be come to their Second Allegation which in part we would not stick to grant them For we are not so Superstitious or Scrupulous that we do ahhor either Flowers wrought in Carpets Hangings and other Arras either Images of Princes Printed or Stamped in their Coins which when Christ did see in a Roman Coin we read not that he reprehended it neither do we condemn the Arts of Painting and Image-making as wicked of themselves But we would admit and grant them that Images used for no Religion or Superstition rather we mean Images of none Worshipped nor in danger to be Worshipped of any may be suffered But Images placed publickly in Temples cannot possibly be without danger of Worshipping and Idolatry wherefore they are not publickly to be had or suffered in Temples and Churches The Jews to whom this Law was first given Origen cont Celsum l. 4. Joseph antiq l. 17. c. 8. l. 18. c. 5. l. â—8 c. 15. and yet being a Moral Commandment and not Ceremonial as all Doctors interpret it it bindeth us as well as them the Jews I say who should have the true sense and meaning of Gods Law so peculiarly given unto them neither had in the beginning any Images publickly in their Temple as Origen and Josephus at large declare neither after the restitution of the Temple would by any means consent to Herod Pilate or Petronius that Images should be placed only in the Temple at Jerusalem although no Worshipping of Images was required at their Hands but rather offered themselves to the Death than to assent that Images should once be placed in the Temple of God neither would they suffer any Image-maker among them And Origen added this cause lest their Minds should be plucked from GOD to the Contemplation of Earthly Things And they are much commended for this earnest zeal in maintaining of GOD'S Honour and true Religion And Truth it is that the Jews and Turks who abhor Images and Idols as directly forbidden by GOD'S Word will never come to the Truth of our Religion whilst the stumbling blocks of Images remain amongst us and lie in their way If they object yet the brasen Serpent which Moses did set up or the Images of the Cherubims or any other Images which the Jews had in their Temple the answer is easie We must in Religion obey Gods General Law which bindeth all Men and not follow Examples of particular Dispensation which be no warrants for us Else we may by the same reason resume Circumcision and Sacrificing of Beasts and other Rites permitted to the Jews Neither can those Images of Cherubims set in secret where no Man might come nor behold be any example for our publick setting up of Images in Churches and Temples But to let the Jews go Where they say that Images so they be not Worshipped as things indifferent may be tolerable in Temples and Churches we infer and say for the adversative that all our Images of God our Saviour Christ and his Saints publickly set up in Temples and Churches places peculiarly appointed to the true Worshipping of God be
them all other true Christian men to Pray always and never to faint or shrink Remember also the example of the Woman of Canaan Mat 15. how she was rejected of Christ and called Dog as one most unworthy of any benefit at his hands yet she gave not over but followed him still crying and calling upon him to be good and merciful unto her Daughter And at length by very importunity she obtained her request O let us learn by these examples to be earnest and fervent in Prayer assuring our selves that whatsoever we ask of God the Father in the Name of his Son Christ John 16. and according to his will he will undoubtedly grant it He is truth it self and as truly as he hath promised it so truly will he perform it God for his great mercies sake so work in our hearts by his Holy Spirit that we may always make our humble Prayers unto him as we ought to do and always obtain the thing which we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord to whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost be all Honour and Glory World without end Amen The Second Part of the Homily concerning PRAYER IN the First Part of this Sermon ye heard the great necessity and also the great force of devout and earnest Prayer declared and proved unto you both by divers weighty Testimonies and also by sundry good Examples of Holy Scripture Now shall you learn whom you ought to call upon and to whom you ought always to direct your Prayers We are evidently taught in Gods Holy Testament that Almighty God is the only Fountain and Well-spring of all Goodness and that whatsoever we have in this World we receive it only at his hands to this effect serveth the place of St. James James 1. Every good and perfect gift saith he cometh from above and proceedeth from the Father of Lights To this effect also serveth the Testimony of Paul in divers places of his Epistles witnessing that the Spirit of Wisdom the Spirit of Knowledge and Revelation yea every good and heavenly gift as Faith Hope Charity Grace and Peace cometh only and solely of God In consideration whereof he bursteth out into a sudden Passion and saith O man 1 Cor. 4. what thing hast thou which thou hast not received Therefore whensoever we need or lack any thing pertaining either to the Body or to the Soul it behoveth us to run only unto God who is the only giver of all good things Our Saviour Christ in the Gospel teaching his Disciples how they should Pray sendeth them to the Father in his Name saying Verily verily John 16. Matt. 6. Luke 11. I say unto you whatsoever ye ask the Father in my Name he will give it unto you And in another place When ye Pray pray after this sort Our Father which art in Heaven c. And doth not God himself Psal 50. Acts 1. by the mouth of his Prophet David will and command us to call upon him The Apostle wisheth Grace and Peace to all them that call on the Name of the Lord and of his Son Jesus Christ Joel 2. as doth also the Prophet Joel saying And it shall come to pass that whosoever shall call on the Name of the Lord shall be saved Thus then it is plain by the infallible word of Truth and Life that in all our necessities we must flee unto God direct our Prayers unto him call upon his Holy Name desire help at his hands and at none others whereof if we will yet have further reason mark that which followeth There are certain conditions most requisite to be found in every such a one as must be called upon which if they be not found in him unto whom we pray then doth our Prayer avail us nothing but is altogether in vain The first is this that he to whom we make our Prayers be able to help us The second is that he will help us The third is that he be such a one as may hear our Prayers The fourth is that he understand better than we our selves what we lack and how far we have need of help If these things be to be found in any other saving only God then may we lawfully call upon some other besides God But what man is so gross but he well understandeth that these things are only proper to him which is Omnipotent and knoweth all things even the very secrets of the Heart that is to say only and to God alone whereof it followeth that we must call neither upon Angel nor yet upon Saint but only and solely upon God Rom. 10. as St. Paul doth write How shall men call upon him in whom they have not believed So that Invocation or Prayer may not be made without Faith in him on whom they call but that we must first believe in him before we can make our Prayer unto him whereupon we must only and solely Pray unto God For to say that we should believe either in Angel or Saint or in any other living Creature were meer horrible Blasphemy against God and his Holy Word neither ought this Fancy to enter into the Heart of any Christian man because we are expresly taught in the Word of the Lord only to repose our Faith in the Blessed Trinity in whose only Name we are also Baptized according to the express Commandment of our Saviour Jesus Christ Mat. 28. in the last of St. Matthew But that the truth hereof may the better appear even to them that be most simple and unlearned let us consider what Prayer is De spi lit cap. 50. De summo bono cap. 8. lib. 3. St. Augustin calleth it a lifting up of the mind to God that is to say an humble and lowly pouring out of the Heart to God Isidorus saith that it is an affection of the Heart and not a labour of the Lips So that by these places true Prayer doth consist not so much in the outward sound and voice of words as in the inward groaning and crying of the Heart to God Now then is there any Angel any Virgin any Patriarch or Prophet among the dead that can understand or know the meaning of the Heart The Scripture saith Psal 7. Apoc. 2. Jer. 17. 2 Par. 6. It is God that searcheth the Heart and the Reins and that he only knoweth the Hearts of the children of men As for the Saints they have so little knowledge of the secrets of the Heart that many of the ancient Fathers greatly doubt whether they know any thing at all that is commonly done on Earth And albeit some think they do yet St. Augustin Lib. de cura pro mort agenda c. 13. De vera Râ—l cap. 22. Esay 63. Lib. 22. de civit Dei cap. 10. a Doctor of great Authority and also Antiquity hath this Opinion of them That they know no more what we do on Earth than we know what they do in Heaven For Proof whereof he
strangers one to another Ephes 2. 1 Cor. 10. and 12. but we are the Citizens of the Saints and of the houshold of God yea and members of one body And therefore whiles our Minister is in rehearsing the Prayer that is made in the name of us all we must give diligent ears to the words spoken by him and in heart beg at Gods hand those things that he beggeth in words And to signifie that we do so we say Amen at the end of the Prayer that he maketh in the name of us all And this thing can we not do for edification unless we understand what is spoken Therefore it is required of necessity that the Common-Prayer be had in a Tongue that the Hearers do understand If ever it had been tolerable to use strange Tongues in the Congregations the same might have been in the time of Paul and the other Apostles when they were miraculously endued with gifts of Tongues For it might then have perswaded some to embrace the Gospel when they had heard men that were Hebrews born and unlearned speak the Greek the Latine and other Languages But Paul thought it not tolerable then And shall we use it now when no man cometh by that knowledge of Tongues otherwise than by diligent and earnest study God forbid For we should by that means bring all our Church-exercises to frivolous Superstition and make them altogether unfruitful Luke writeth Acts 4. that when Peter and John were discharged by the Princes and High-Priests of Jerusalem they came to their fellows and told them all that the Princes of the Priests and Elders had spoken to them Which when they heard they lifted up their voice together to God with one assent and said Lord thou art he that hast made Heaven and Earth the Sea and all things that are in them c. Thus could they not have done if they had prayed in a strange Tongue that they had not understood And no doubt of it they did not all speak with several voices but some one of them spake in the name of them all and the rest giving diligent ear to his words consented thereunto and therefore it is said that they lifted up their voice together St. Luke saith not Their voices as many but their voice as one That one voice therefore was in such Language as they all understood otherwise they could not have lifted it up with the consent of their hearts For no man can give consent of the thing that he knoweth not As touching the Times before the coming of Christ there was never man yet that would affirm that either the People of God or other had their Prayers or Administrations of the Sacraments or Sacrifices in a Tongue that they themselves understood not As for the time since Christ till that usurped Power of Rome began to spread it self and to inforce all the Nations of Europe to have the Romish Language in admiration it appeareth by the consent of the most Ancient and Learned Writers that there was no strange or unknown Tongue used in the Congregation of Christians Justinus Apol. 2. Justinus Martyr who lived about 160 years after Christ saith thus of the Administration of the Lords Supper in his time Vpon the Sunday Assemblies are made both of them that dwell in Cities and of them that dwell in the Countrey also Amongst whom as much as may be the Writings of the Apostles and Prophets were read Afterwards when the Reader doth cease the chief Minister maketh an Exhortation exhorting them to follow honest things After this we rise all together and offer Prayers which being ended as we have said Bread and Wine and Water are brought forth Then the head Minister offereth Prayers and Thanksgiving with all his power and the People answer Amen These words with their circumstances being duly considered do declare plainly that not only the Scriptures were read in a known Tongue but also that Prayer was made in the same in the Congregations of Justin's time Basilius Magnus and Johannes Chrysostomus did in their time prescribe publick Orders of publick Administration which they call Liturgies and in them they appointed the People to answer to the Prayers of the Minister sometime Amen sometime Lord have mercy upon us sometime And with thy Spirit and We have our hearts lifted up unto the Lord c. Which answers the People could not have made in due time if the Prayers had not been in a Tongue that they understood The same Basil writing to the Clergy of Neocaesarea Epist 63. saith thus of his usage in Common-Prayer appointing one to begin the Song the rest follow and so with divers Songs and Prayers passing over the Night at the dawning of the Day all together even as it were with one Mouth and one Heart they sing unto the Lord a Song of Confession every man framing unto himself meet words of Repentance In another place he saith If the Sea be fair how is not the Assembly of the Congregation much more fair in which a joyned sound of Men Women and Children as it were of the waves beating on the shore is sent forth in our Prayers unto our God Mark his words Bâ—sil Rom. 4. A joyned sound saith he of Men Women and Children Which cannot be unless they all understand the Tongue wherein the Prayer is said And Chrysostom upon the words of Paul saith So soon as the People hear these words World without end 1 Cor. 14. they all do forthwith answer Amen This could they not do unless they understood the word spoken by the Priest Dionysius saith Dionys Cyprian Ser. 6. de orat dominica that Hymns were said of the whole multitude of People in the Administration of the Communion Cyprian saith The Priest doth prepare the minds of the Brethren with a Preface before the Prayer saying Lift up your hearts That whiles the People doth answer We have our hearts lifted up to the Lord they be admonished that they ought to think on none other thing than the Lord. St. Ambrose writing upon the words of St. Paul saith This is it that he saith 1 Cor. 14. because he which speaketh in an unknown Tongue speaketh to God for he knoweth all things but men know not and therefore there is no profit of this thing And again upon these words If thou bless or give thanks with the spirit how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest This is saith Ambrose if thou speak the praise of God in a Tongue unknown to the Hearers For the unlearned hearing that which he understandeth not knoweth not the end of the Prayer and answereth not Amen which word is as much to say as truth that the blessing of thanksgiving may be confirmed For the confirmation of the Prayer is fulfilled by them that do answer Amen that all things spoken might be confirmed in the minds of the
wretches which have no feeling of God within us at all continually to fear not only that we may fall as they did but also be overcome and drowned in sin which they were not And so by considering their fall take the better occasion to acknowledge our own Infirmity and weakness and therefore more earnestly to call unto Almighty God with hearty Prayer incessantly for his grace to strengthen us and to defend us from all evil And though through Infirmity we chance at any time to fall yet we may by hearty Repentance and true Faith speedily rise again and not sleep and continue in sin as the wicked doth Thus good People should we understand such matters expressed in the Divine Scriptures that this Holy Table of Gods Word be not turned to us to be a snare a trap and a stumbling stone to take hurt by the abuse of our Understanding But let us esteem them in a reverent Humility that we may find our necessary Food therein to strengthen us to comfort us to instruct us as God of his great Mercy hath appointed them in all necessary works so that we may be perfect before him in the whole course of our life Which he grant who hath Redeemed us our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost be all Honour and Glory for evermore Amen The Second Part of the Information for them which take Offence at certain places of the Holy Scripture YE have heard good People in the Homily last read unto you the great Commodity of Holy Scriptures ye have heard how ignorant men void of godly Understanding seek Quarrels to discredit them Some of their Reasons have ye heard answered Now we will proceed and speak of such politick wise men which be offended for that Christs Precepts should seem to destroy all Order in Governance as they do alledge for example such as these be If any man strike thee on the right cheek Mat. 5â— turn the other unto him also If any man will contend to take thy coat from thee let him have cloak and all Let not thy lest hand know what thy right hand doth If thine eye thine hand Mat. 18. or thy foot offend thee pull out thine eye cut off thine hand or thy foot and cast it from thee Rom. 12. If thine enemy saith St. Paul be an hungred give him meat if he be thirsty give him drink so doing thou shalt heap hot burning coals upon his head These sentences good People unto a natural man seem meer absurdities contrary to all Reason 1 Cor. 2. For a natural man as St. Paul saith understandeth not the things that belong to God neither can he so long as old Adam dwelleth in him Christ therefore meaneth that he would have his faithful servants so far from vengeance and resisting wrong that he would rather have him ready to suffer another wrong than by resisting to break Charity and to be out of Patience He would have our good deeds so far from all carnal respects that he would not have our nighest Friends know of our well-doing to win vain-glory And though our Friends and Kinsfolks be as dear as our right Eyes and our right Hands yet if they would pâ—â—â— us from God we ought to renounce them and forsake them Thus if ye will be profitable Hearers and Readers of the Holy Scriptures ye must first deny your selves and keep under your Carnal Senses taken by the outward words and search the inward meaning Reason must give place to Gods Holy Spirit you must submit your Worldly Wisdom and Judgment unto his Divine Wisdom and Judgment Consider that the Scripture in what strange form soever it be pronounced is the Word of the living God Let that always come to your remembrance which is so oft repeated of the Prophet Esaias The mouth of the Lord saith he hath spoken it and Almighty and everlasting God who with his only word created Heaven and Earth hath decreed it the Lord of Hosts whose ways are in the Seas whose paths are in the deep Waters that Lord and God by whose word all things in Heaven and in Earth are created governed and preserved hath so provided it The God of gods and Lord of all lords yea God that is God alone incomprehensible almighty and everlasting he hath spoken it it is his Word It cannot therefore be but truth which proceedeth from the God of all Truth it cannot be but wisely and prudently commanded what Almighty God hath devised how vainly soever through want of grace we miserable wretches do imagine and judge of his most Holy Word The Prophet David describing an happy man Psal 1. saith Blessed is the man that hath not walked after the counsel of the ungodly nor stand in the way of sinners nor sit in the seat of the scornful There are three sorts of People whose Company the Prophet would have him to flee and avoid which shall be an happy man and partaker of Gods Blessing First he may not walk after the counsel of the ungodly Secondly he may not stand in the way of sinners Thirdly he must not sit in the seat of the scornful By these three sorts of People ungodly mâ—n sinners and scorners all Impiety is signified and fully expressed By the ungodly he understandeth those which have no regard of Almighty God being void of all Faith whose hearts and minds are so set upon the World that they study only how to accomplish their worldly practices their carnal imaginations their filthy lust and desire without any fear of God The second sort he calleth sinners not such as do fall through Ignorance or of frailness for then who should be found free What man ever lived upon Earth Christ only excepted but he hath sinned Prov. 24. The just man falleth seven times and riseth again Though the godly do fall yet they walk not on purposely in sin they stand not still to continue and tarry in sin they sit not down like careless men without all fear of Gods just punishment for sin but defying sin through Gods great grace and infinite mercy they rise again and fight against sin The Prophet then calleth them sinners whose hearts are clean turned from God and whose whole conversation of life is nothing but sin they delight so much in the same that they choose continually to abide and dwell in sin The third sort he calleth scorners that is a sort of men whose hearts are so stuffed with Malice that they are not contented to dwell in sin and to lead their lives in all kind of wickedness but also they do contemn and scorn in other all Godliness true Religion all Honesty and Vertue Of the two first sorts of men I will not say but they may take Repentance and be converted unto God Of the third sort I think I may without danger of Gods judgment pronounce that never any yet converted unto God by Repentance but continued still in their
they are evermore fearful and doubting lest by often giving although it were but a little at a time they should consume their Goods and so impoverish themselves that even themselves at the length should not be able to live but should be driven to beg and live of other mens Alms. And thus they seek excuses to withhold themselves from the favour of God and choose with pinching Covetousness rather to lean unto the Devil than by charitable Mercifulness either to come unto Christ or to suffer Christ to come unto them O that we had some cunning and skilful Physician that were able to purge them of this so pestilent an humour that so sore infecteth not their bodies but their minds and so by corrupting their Souls bringeth their bodies and souls into danger of Hell-fire Now lest there be any such among us Dearly Beloved let us diligently search for that Physician which is Jesus Christ and earnestly labour that of his Mercy he will truly instruct us and give us a present Remedy against so perillous a Disease Hearken then whosoever thou art that fearest lest by giving to the Poor thou shouldst bring thy self to beggery That which thou takest from thy self to bestow upon Christ can never be consumed and wasted away Wherein thou shalt not believe me but if thou have Faith and be a true Christian believe the Holy Ghost give credit to the Authority of Gods Word that thus teacheth For thus saith the Holy Ghost by Solomon He that giveth unto the Poor shall never want Men suppose that by hoording and laying up still they shall at length be Rich and that by distributing and laying out although it be for most necessary and godly uses they shall be brought to Poverty But the Holy Ghost which knoweth all truth teacheth us another Lesson contrary to this He teacheth us that there is a kind of dispending that shall never diminish the stock and a kind of saving that shall bring a man to extream poverty For where he saith that the good Alms-man shall never have scarcity he addeth But he that turneth away his eyes from such as be in necessity shall suffer great poverty himself How far different then is the judgment of man from the judgment of the Holy Ghost 1 Cor. 9. The Holy Apostle Paul a man full of the Holy Ghost and made privy even of the secret Will of God teacheth that the liberal Alms-giver shall not thereby be impoverished He that ministreth saith he seed unto the sower will minister also bread unto you for food yea he will multiply your seed and increase the fruits of your righteousness He is not content to advertise them that they shall not lack but he sheweth them also in what sort God will provide for them Even as he provided seed for the sower in multiplying it and giving great increase so he will multiply their Goods and increase them that there shall be great abundance And lest we should think his sayings to be but words and not truth we have an example thereof in the third Book of Kings which doth confirm and seal it up as a most certain truth The poor Widow that received the banished Prophet of God Elias when as she had but a handful of Meal in a Vessel and a little Oyl in a Cruise whereof she would make a Cake for her self and her Son that after they had eaten that they might die because in that great Famine there was no more food to be gotten yet when she gave part thereof to Elias and defrauded her own hungry belly mercifully to relieve him she was so blessed of God that neither the Meal nor the Oyl was consumed all the time while that Famine did last but thereof both the Prophet Elias she and her Son were sufficiently nourished and had enough Oh consider this Example ye unbelieving and faithless covetous Persons who discredit Gods Word and think his Power diminished This poor Woman in the time of an extream and long Dearth had but one handful of Meal and a little cruse of Oyl her only Son was ready to perish before her face for hunger and she her self like to pine away and yet when the poor Prophet came and asked part she was so mindful of mercifulness that she forgot her own misery and rather than she would omit the occasion given to give Alms and work a work of Righteousness she was content presently to hazard her own and her Sons life And you who have great plenty of Meats and Drinks great store of Moth-eaten Apparel yea many of you great heaps of Gold and Silver and he that hath least hath more than sufficient now in this time when thanks be to God no great Famine doth oppress you your Children being well clothed and well fed and no danger of death for Famine to be feared will rather cast doubts and perils of unlikely Penury than you will part with any piece of your superfluities to help and succour the poor hungry and naked Christ that cometh to your doors a begging This poor and silly Widow never cast doubts in all her misery what wants she her self should have she never distrusted the promise that God made to her by the Prophet but straightway went about to relieve the hungry Prophet of God yea preferring his necessity before her own But we like unbelieving wretches before we will give one Mite we will cast a thousand doubts of danger whether that will stand us in any stead that we give to the Poor whether we should not have need of it at any other time and whether here it would not have been more profitably bestowed So that it is more hard to wrench a strong Nail as the Proverb saith out of a Post than to wring a farthing out of our fingers There is neither the fear nor the love of God before our eyes we will more esteem a Mite than we either desire Gods Kingdom or fear the Devils Dungeon Hearken therefore ye merciless Misers what will be the end of this your unmerciful dealing As certainly as God nourished this poor Widow in the Time of Famine and increased her little store so that she had enough and felt no penury when other pined away so certainly shall God plague you with Poverty in the midst of Plenty Then when other have abundance and be fed at full you shall utterly waste and consume away your selves your store shall be destroyed your goods pluckt from you all your glory and wealth shall perish and that which when you had you might have enjoyed your selves in peace and might have bestowed upon other most godly ye shall seek with sorrow and sighs and no where shall find it For your unmercifulness toward other ye shall find no man that will shew mercy towards you You that had stony hearts towards other shall find all the Creatures of God to you ward as hard as Brass and Iron Alas what fury and madness doth possess our minds that in a
16. The place appointed for the observation thereof was Jerusalem where was great recourse of People from all parts of the World as may well appear in the second Chapter of the Acts wherein mention is made of Parthians Medes Elamites Inhabiters of Mesopotamia Inhabiters of Jury Cappadocia Pontus Asia Phrygia Pamphilia and divers other such places whereby we may also partly gather what great and Royal Solemnity was commonly used in that Feast Now as this was given in commandment to the Jews in the Old Law so did our Saviour Christ as it were confirm the same in the time of the Gospel 1 Cor. 10. ordaining after a sort a new Pentecost for his Disciples namely When he sent down the Holy Ghost visibly in form of cloven Tongues like Fire and gave them power to speak in such sort that every one might hear them and also understand them in his own Language Which Miracle that it might be had in perpetual remembrance the Church hath thought good to solemnize and keep holy this day commonly called Whitsunday And here is to be noted that as the Law was given to the Jews in the Mount Sinai the fiftieth day after Easter so was the Preaching of the Gospel through the mighty power of the Holy Ghost given to the Apostles in the Mount Sion the fiftieth day after Easter And hereof this Feast hath his name to be called Pentecost even of the number of the days For as St. Luke writeth in the Acts of the Apostles when fifty days were come to an end the Disciples being all together with one accord in one place the Holy Ghost came suddenly among them and sat upon each of them like as it had been cloven Tongues of Fire Which thing was undoubtedly done to teach the Apostles and all other Men that it is he which giveth eloquence and utterance in Preaching the Gospel that it is he which openeth the mouth to declare the mighty Works of God that it is he which engendreth a burning zeal towards Gods Word and giveth all Men a Tongue yea a fiery Tongue so that they may boldly and chearfully profess the truth in the Face of the whole World as Isaiah was endued with this Spirit Esay 50. The Lord saith Isaiah give me a learned and a skilful Tongue so that I might know to raise up them that are fallen with the Word The Prophet David crieth to have this gift Psal 50. saying Open thou my lips O Lord and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise For our Saviour Christ also in the Gospel saith to his Disciples Mat. 10. It is not you that speak but the Spirit of your Father which is within you All which testimonies of Holy Scripture do sufficiently declare that the Mystery in the Tongues betokeneth the Preaching of the Gospel and the open confession of the Christian Faith in all them that are possessed with the Holy Ghost So that if any Man be a dumb Christian not professing his Faith openly but cloaking and colouring himself for fear of danger in time to come he giveth Men occasion justly and with good Conscience to doubt lest he have not the Grace of the Holy Ghost within him because he is Tongue-tied and doth not speak Thus then have ye heard the first institution of this Feast of Pentecost or Whitsuntide as well in the Old Law among the Jews as also in the time of the Gospel among the Christians Now let us consider what the Holy Ghost is and how consequently he worketh his miraculous Works towards Mankind The Holy Ghost is a spiritual and divine Substance the third Person in the Deity distinct from the Father and the Son and yet proceeding from them both which thing to be true both the Creed of Athanasius beareth witness and may be also easily proved by most plain Testimonies of Gods Holy Word Mat. 3. When Christ was Baptized of John in the River Jordan we read that the Holy Ghost came down in form of a Dove and that the Father thundred from Heaven saying This is my dear and well beloved Son in whom I am well pleased Where note three divers and distinct Persons the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost which all notwithstanding are not three Gods but one God Likewise when Christ did first institute and ordain the Sacrament of Baptism he sent his Disciples into the whole World willing them to Baptize all Nations Mat. 28. In the name of the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost And in another place he saith I will pray unto my Father and he shall give you another Comforter Again John 4. John 2. When the Comforter shall come whom I will send from my Father c. These and such other places of the New Testament do so plainly and evidently confirm the distinction of the Holy Ghost from the other Persons in the Trinity that no Man possibly can doubt thereof unless he will blaspheme the everlasting truth of Gods Word As for his proper Nature and Substance it is altogether one with God the Father and God the Son that is to say Spiritual Eternal Uncreated Incomprehensible Almighty to be short he is even God and Lord everlasting Therefore he is called the Spirit of the Father therefore he is said to proceed from the Father and the Son and therefore he was equally joyned with them in the Commission that the Apostles had to Baptize all Nations But that this may appear more sensibly to the Eyes of all Men it shall be requisite to come to the other part namely to the wonderful and heavenly Works of the Holy Ghost which plainly declare unto the World his mighty and divine Power First It is evident that he did wonderfully govern and direct the Hearts of the Patriarchs and Prophets in old time illuminating their Minds with the knowledge of the true Messias and giving them utterance to Prophesie of things that should come to pass long time after 2 Pet. 1. For as St. Peter witnesseth the Prophesie came not in old time by the will of Man but the holy Men of God spake as they were moved inwardly by the Holy Ghost And of Zachary the high Priest it is said in the Gospel Luke 1. That he being full of the Holy Ghost Prophesied and praised God So did also Simeon Anna Mary and divers other to the great wonder and admiration of all Men. Moreover was not the Holy Ghost a mighty worker in the Conception and the Nativity of Christ our Saviour St. Matthew saith Mat. 1. that the blessed Virgin was found with Child of the Holy Ghost before Joseph and she came together And the Angel Gabriel did expresly tell her Luke 1. that it should come to pass saying The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the Power of the most High shall over-shadow thee A marvellous matter that a Woman should conceive and bear a Child without the knowledge of Man But where the Holy Ghost worketh there
nothing is impossible as may further also appear by the inward Regeneration and Sanctification of Mankind When Christ said to Nicodemus Unless a Man be born a-new of Water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God he was greatly amazed in his mind and began to reason with Christ demanding how a Man might be born which was old John 3. Can he enter saith he into his Mothers Womb again and so be born anew Behold a lively pattern of a fleshly and carnal Man He had little or no intelligence of the Holy Ghost and therefore he goeth bluntly to work and asketh how this thing were possible to be true whereas otherwise if he had known the great power of the Holy Ghost in this behalf that it is he which inwardly worketh the Regeneration and New Birth of Mankind he would never have marvelled at Christs words but would rather take occasion thereby to praise and glorifie God For as there are three several and sundry Persons in the Deity so have they three several and sundry Offices proper unto each of them The Father to Create the Son to Redeem the Holy Ghost to Sanctifie and Regenerate Whereof the last the more it is hid from our understanding the more it ought to move all Men to wonder at the secret and mighty working of Gods Holy Spirit which is within us For it is the Holy Ghost and no other thing that doth quicken the Minds of Men stirring up good and godly Motions in their Hearts which are agreeable to the Will and Commandment of God such as otherwise of their own crooked and perverse Nature they should never have John 5. That which is born of the Spirit is Spirit As who should say Man of his own Nature is fleshly and carnal corrupt and naught sinful and disobedient to God without any spark of goodness in him without any vertuous or godly Motion only given to evil Thoughts and wicked Deeds As for the Works of the Spirit the Fruits of Faith charitable and godly Motions if he have any at all in him they proceed only of the Holy Ghost who is the only worker of our Sanctification and maketh us new Men in Christ Jesus Did not Gods holy Spirit miraculously work in the Child David when of a poor Shepherd he became a Princely Prophet 1 Sam. 17. Mat. 9. Did not Gods Holy Spirit miraculously work in Matthew sitting at the receit of Custom when of a proud Publican he became an humble and lowly Evangelist And who can choose but marvel to consider that Peter should become of a simple Fisher a chief and mighty Apostle Paul of a cruel and bloody Persecutor a faithful Disciple of Christ to teach the Gentiles Such is the power of the Holy Ghost to Regenerate Men and as it were to bring them forth anew so that they shall be nothing like the Men that they were before Neither doth he think it sufficient inwardly to work the Spiritual and New Birth of Man unless he do also dwell and abide in him 1 Cor. 3. Know ye not saith St. Paul that ye are the Temple of God and that his Spirit dwelleth in you Know ye not that your Bodies are the Temples of the Holy Ghost which is within you Again he saith You are not in the Flesh but in the Spirit For why Rom. 8. 1 John 2 the Spirit of God dwelleth in you To this agreeth the Doctrin of St. John writing on this wise The Anointing which ye have received he meaneth the Holy Ghost dwelleth in you And the Doctrin of Peter saith the same 1 Pet. 4. who hath these words The Spirit of Glory and of God resteth upon you O what comfort is this to the heart of a true Christian to think that the Holy Ghost dwelleth within him Rom. 5. If God be with us as the Apostle saith who can be against us O but how shall I know that the Holy Ghost is within me Some Man perchance will say forsooth As the Tree is known by his Fruit so is also the Holy Ghost The Fruits of the Holy Ghost according to the mind of St. Paul are these Love Joy Peace long Suffering Gentleness Goodness Gal. 5. Faithfulness Meekness Temperance c. Contrariwise the Deeds of the Flesh are these Adultery Fornication Uncleanness Wantonness Idolatry Witchcraft Hatred Debate Emulation Wrath Contention Sedition Heresie Envy Murder Drunkenness Gluttony and such like Here is now that Glass wherein thou must behold thy self and discern whether thou have the Holy Ghost within thee or the Spirit of the Flesh If thou see that thy Works be vertuous and good consonant to the prescript Rule of Gods Word favouring and tasting not of the Flesh but of the Spirit then assure thy self that thou art endued with the Holy Ghost otherwise in thinking well of thy self thou dost nothing else but deceive thy self The Holy Ghost doth always declare himself by his fruitful and gracious gifts namely by the word of Wisdom by the word of Knowledge which is the understanding of the Scriptures by Faith 1 Cor. 12. in doing of Miracles by healing them that are Diseased by Prophesie which is the Declaration of Gods Mysteries by discerning of Spirits diversities of Tongues interpretation of Tongues and so forth All which gifts as they proceed from one Spirit and are severally given to Man according to the measurable distribution of the Holy Ghost even so do they bring Men and not without good cause into a wonderful admiration of Gods divine Power Who will not marvel at that which is written in the Acts of the Apostles Acts 5. to hear their bold confession before the Council at Jerusalem And to consider that they went away with joy and gladness rejoycing that they were worthy to suffer Rebukes and Checks for the Name and Faith of Christ Jesus This was the mighty work of the Holy Ghost who because he giveth patience and joyfulness of heart in Temptation and Affliction hath therefore worthily obtained this name in Holy Scripture to be called a Comforter Who will not also marvel to read the learned and heavenly Sermons of Peter and the Disciples considering that they were never brought up in School of Learning but called even from their Nets to supply the Rooms of Apostles This was likewise the mighty work of the Holy Ghost John 14. who because he doth instruct the hearts of the simple in the true knowledge of God and his Word is most justly termed by this name and title to be the Spirit of Truth Lib. 11. cap. 3. Eusebius in his Ecclesiastical History cap. 3. telleth a strange Story of a certain learned and subtil Philosopher who being an extream adversary to Christ and his Doctrin could by no kind of Learning be converted to the Faith but was able to withstand all the Arguments that could be brought against him with little or no labor At length there started up a poor
simple Man of small wit and less knowledge one that was reputed among the Learned as an Ideot and he on Gods name would needs take in hand to dispute with this proud Philosopher The Bishops and other learned Men standing by were marvellously abashed at the matter thinking that by his doings they should be all confounded and put to open shame He notwithstanding goeth on and beginning in the Name of the Lord Jesus brought the Philosopher to such Point in the end contrary to all Mens expectation that he could not chuse but acknowledge the power of God in his Words and to give place to the Truth Was not this a miraculous Work that one silly Soul of no Learning should do that which many Bishops of great knowledge and understanding were never able to bring to pass So true is the saying of Bede Where the Holy Ghost doth instruct and teach there is no delay at all in learning Much more might here be spoken of the manifold gifts and graces of the Holy Ghost most excellent and wonderful in our eyes but to make a long Discourse through all the shortness of time will not serve And seeing ye have heard the chiefest ye may easily conceive and judge of the rest Now were it expedient to discuss this Question Whether all they which boast and brag that they have the Holy Ghost do truly challenge this unto themselves or no Which doubt because it is necessary and profitable shall God willing be dissolved in the next Part of this Homily In the mean season let us as we are most bound give hearty thanks to God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ for sending down his Comforter into the World humbly beseeching him so to work in our Hearts by the power of this Holy Spirit that we being Regenerate and newly Born again in all Goodness Righteousness Sobriety and Truth may in the end be made partakers of everlasting Life in his Heavenly Kingdom through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour Amen The Second Part of the Homily concerning the HOLY GHOST dissoâ—â—â—â—◠〈◊〉 doubt Whether all Men riâ—htly 〈…〉 themselves the HOLY GHOST or no â—ohn 14. â—5 OUr Saviour Christ departing out of the World unto his Father promised his Disciples to send down another Comforter that should continue with them for ever and direct them into all truth Which thing to be faithfully and truly performed the Scriptures do sufficiently bear witness Neither must we think that this Comforter was either promised or else given only to the Apostles but also to the Universal Church of Christ dispersed through the whole World For unless the Holy Ghost had been always present governing and preserving the Church from the beginning it could never have sustained so many and great brunts of Affliction and Persecution with so little damage and harm as it hath And the words of Christ are most plain in this behalf saying John 24. Mat. 21. That the Spirit of truth should abide with them for ever that he would be with them always he meaneth by Grace Vertue and Power even to the Worlds end Also in the Prayer that he made to his Father a little before his death he maketh intercession not only for himself and his Apostles but indifferently for all them that should believe in him through their words John 17. Rom. 8 that is to wit for his whole Church Again St. Paul saith If any Man have not the Spirit of Christ the same is not his Also in the words following Ibidem We have received the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father Hereby then it is evident and plain to all Men that the Holy Ghost was given not only to the Apostles but also to the whole Body of Christs Congregation although not in like form and majesty as he came down at the Feast of Pentecost But now herein standeth the Controversie Whether all Men do justly arrogate to themselves the Holy Ghost or no The Bishops of Rome have for along time made a sore Challenge thereunto reasoning with themselves after this sort The Holy Ghost say they was promised to the Church and never forsaketh the Church But we are the chief Heads and the principal part of the Church therefore we have the Holy Ghost for ever and whatsoever things we decree are undoubted Verities and Oracles of the Holy Ghost That ye may perceive the weakness of this Argument it is needful to teach you First What the true Church of Christ is and then to confer the Church of Rome therewith to discern how well they agree together The true Church is an Universal Congregation or Fellowship of Gods faithful and elect People built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Ephes 2. Jesus Christ himself being the head Corner-stone And it hath always three Notes or Marks whereby it is known Pure and Sound Doctrin the Sacraments Ministred according to Christs holy Institution and the right use of Ecclesiastical Discipline This description of the Church is agreeable both to the Scriptures of God and also to the Doctrin of the Ancient Fathers so that none may Justly find fault therewith Now if you will compare this with the Church of Rome not as it was in the beginning but as it is at present and hath been for the space of Nine hundred Years and odd you shall well perceive the state thereof to be so far wide from the nature of the true Church that nothing can be more For neither are they built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets retaining the sound and pure Doctrin of Christ Jesu neither yet do they order the Sacraments or else the Ecclesiastical Keys in such sort as he did first Institute and Ordain them But have so intermingled their own Traditions and Inventions by chopping and changing by adding and plucking away that now they may seem to be converted into a new Guise Christ commended to his Church a Sacrament of his Body and Blood they have changed it into a Sacrifice for the Quick and the Dead Christ did Minister to his Apostles and the Apostles to other Men indifferently under both kinds They have robbed the Lay people of the Cup saying that for them one kind is sufficient Christ Ordained no other Element to be used in Baptism but only Water whereunto when the Word is joyned it is made as St. Augustine saith a full and perfect Sacrament Augustine They being wiser in their own conceit than Christ think it is not well nor orderly done unless they use Conjuration unless they Hallow the Water unless there be Oyl Salt Spittle Tapers and such other dumb Ceremonies serving to no use contrary to the plain Rule of St. Paul 1 Cor. 14. who willeth all things to be done in the Church to Edification Christ Ordained the Authority of the Keys to Excommunicate notorious sinners and to Absolve them which are truly Penitent They abuse this Power at their own pleasure as well in
impute them unto us when he shall render to every Man according to his Works Answer to the Adversaries which maintain Auricular Confession And whereas the Adversaries go about to wrest this place for to maintain their Auricular Confession withal they are greatly deceived themselves and do shamefully deceive others for if this Text ought to be understood of Auricular Confession then the Priests are as much bound to confess themselves unto the Lay-people as the Lay-people are bound to confess themselves to them And if to Pray is to Absolve then the Laity by this place hath as great Authority to Absolve the Priests as the Priests have to Absolve the Laity This did Johannes Scotus otherwise called Duns well perceive who upon this place writeth on this manner Johannes Scotus lib. 4. sen distinct 17 quaest 1. Neither doth it seem unto me that James did give this commandment or that he did set it forth as being received of Christ For first and foremost whence had he Authority to bind the whole Church sith that he was only Bishop of the Church of Jerusalem except thou wilt say that the same Church was at the beginning the Head Church and consequently that he was the Head Bishop which thing the See of Rome will never grant The understanding of it then is as in these words Confess your sins one to another A persuasion to Hum lity whereby he willeth us to confess our selves generally unto our Neighbors that we are sinners according to this saying If we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us And where that they do alledge this saying of our Saviour Jesus Christ unto the Leper to prove Auricular Confession to stand on Gods Word Go thy way Mat. 8. and shew thy self unto the Priest Do they not see that the Leper was cleansed from his Leprosie before he was by Christ sent unto the Priest for to shew himself unto him By the same reason we must be cleansed from our Spiritual Leprosie I mean our sins must be forgiven us before that we come to Confession What need we then to tell forth our sins into the ear of the Priest sith that they be already taken away Therefore holy Ambrose in his second Sermon upon the hundred and nineteenth Psalm doth say full well Go shew thy self unto the Priest Who is the true Priest but he which is the Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedech whoreby this holy Father doth understand that both the Priesthood the Law being changed we ought to acknowledge none other Priest for deliverance from our sins but our Saviour Jesus Christ who being Sovereign Bishop doth with the Sacrifice of his Body and Blood offered once for ever upon the Altar of the Cross most effectually cleanse the Spiritual Leprosie and wash away the Sins of those that with true confession of the same do flee unto him It is most evident and plain that this Auricular Confession hath not his warrant of Gods Word Nectarius Sozomen Eccles Hist lib. 7. cap. 16. lib. 10. confessionum cap. 3. else it had not been lawful for Nectarius Bishop of Constantinople upon a just occasion to have put it down For then any thing ordained of God is by the lewdness of Men abused the abuse ought to be taken away and the thing it self suffered to remain Moreover these are St. Augustins words What have I to do with Men that they should hear my Confession as though they were able to heal my Diseases A curious sorâ— of Men to know another Mans life and slothfully to correct and amend their own Why do they seek to hear of me what I am which will not hear of thee what they are And how can they tell when they hear by me of my self whether I tell the truth or not â—â—th no mortal Man knoweth what is in Man but the Spirit of Man which is in him Augustin would not have written thus if Auricular Confession had been used in his time Being therefore not led with the Conscience thereof let us with fear and trembling and with a true contrite Heart use that kind of Confession that God doth command in his Word and then doubtless as he is Faithful and Righteous he will forgive us our Sins and make us clean from all wickedness I do not say but that if any do find themselves troubled in Conscience they may repair to their Learned Curate or Pastor or to some other Godly Learned Man and shew the trouble and doubt of their Conscience to them that they may receive at their hand the comfortable Salve of Gods Word but it is against the true Christian liberty that any Man should be bound to the numbring of his Sins as it hath been used heretofore in the time of blindness and ignorance The Third prrt of Repentance is Faith whereby we do apprehend and take hold upon the promises of God touching the free Pardon and Forgiveness of our sins Which promises are Sealed up unto us with the Death and Blood-shedding of his Son Jesus Christ For what should avail and profit us to be sorry for our Sins to lament and bewail that we have offended our most Bounteous and Merciful Father or to confess and acknowledge our Offences and Trespasses though it be done never so earnestly unless we do stedfastly believe and be fully perswaded that God for his Son Jesus Christs sake will Forgive us all our Sins and put them out of Remembrance and from his sight Therefore they that teach Repentance without a lively Faith in our Saviour Jesus Christ do teach none other but Judas Repentance as all the School-men do The Repentance of the School-men Judas and his Repentance Matt. 27. which do only allow these Three Parts of Repentance the Contrition of the Heart the Confession of the Mouth and the Satisfaction of the Work But all these things we find in Judas Repentance which in outward appearance did far exceed and pass the Repentance of Peter For first and formost we read in the Gospel that Judas was so sorrowful and heavy yea that he was fillled with such anguish and vexation of mind for that which he had done that he could not abide to live any longer Did not he also before he Hanged himself make an open Confession of his fault when he said I have sinned betraying the Innocent Blood and verily this was a very bold Confession which might have brought him to great trouble For by it he did lay to the High Priest and Elders charge the shedding of Innocent Blood and that they were most Abominable Murderers He did also make a certain kind of satisfaction when he did cast their Mony unto them again No such things do we read of Peter although he had committed a very heinous sin and most grievous offence Peter and his Repentance in denying his of Master We find that he went out and wept bitterly whereof Ambrose speaketh on
provoking him to slay King Saul when opportunity served him thereunto Neither is it to be omitted and left out how when an Amalechite had slain King Saul even at Sauls own bidding and commandment for he would live no longer now for that he had lost the Field against his Enemies the Philistines the said Amalechite making great hast to bring first word and news thereof unto David as joyous unto him for the death of his mortal Enemy bringing withal the Crown that was upon King Sauls head and the Bracelet that was about his arm both as a proof of the truth of his news and also as fit and pleasant Presents unto David being by God appointed to be King Saul his Successor in the Kingdom 2 Reg. 1. c. 12. yet was that faithful and godly David so far from rejoycing at these news that he rent his Cloaths Wept and Mourned and Fasted and so far off from thanksgiving to the Messenger either for his deed in killing the King though his deadly Enemy or for his Message and News or for his Presents that he brought that he said unto him How hapned it that thou wast not afraid to lay thy hands upon the Lords Anointed to slay him Whereupon 2 Reg. 1. c. 4. c. 15. immediately he commanded one of his Servants to kill the Messenger and said Thy Blood be upon thine own head for thine own mouth hath witnessed against thy self in confessing that thou hast slain the Lords Anointed This Example dearly beloved is notable and the Circumstances thereof are well to be considered for the better instruction of all Subjects in their bounden Duty of Obedience and perpetual fearing of them from attempting of any Rebellion or hurt against their Prince On the one part David was not only a good and true Subject but also such a Subject as both in Peace and War had served and saved his Princes honor and life and delivered his Countrey and Countrey-men from great danger of Infidels Foreign and most cruel Enemies horribly invading the King and his Country 1 Reg. 8. d. 18. g. 30. for which David was in a singular favor with all the People so that he might have had great numbers of them at his Command if he would have attempted any thing 1 Reg. 16. c 12. c. c. 1 Reg. 18. c. 11. 2 Reg. 15. c. 11. 1 Reg. 18. 10. 12. Besides this David was no common nor absolute Subject but Heir apparent to the Crown and Kingdom by God appointed to Reign after Saul which as it increased the favor of the People that knew it towards David so did it make Davids cause and case much differing from the case of common and absolute Subjects And which is most of all David was highly and singularly in the favor of God On the contrary part King Saul was out of Gods favor for that cause which is before rehearsed and he as it were Gods Enemy and therefore like in War and Peace to be hurtful and pernicious unto the Commonwealth and that was known to many of his Subjects for that he was openly rebuked of Samuel for his disobedience unto God which might make the People the less to esteem him 1 Reg. 15. 22. 26. King Saul was also unto David a mortal and deadly Enemy though without Davids deserving who by his faithful painful profitable yea most necessary Service had well deserved as of his Country so of his Prince but King Saul far otherwise the more was his unkindness hatred and cruelty towards such a good Subject both odious and detestable Yet would David neither himself slay nor hurt such an Enemy for that he was his Prince and Lord nor would suffer any other to kill hurt or lay hand upon him when he might have been slain without any stir tumult or danger of any Mans life Now let David answer to such demands as Men desirous of Rebellion do use to make Shall not we specially being so good Men as we are The Demand Rise and Rebel against a Prince hated of God and Gods Enemy and therefore likely not to prosper either in War or Peace but to be hurtful and pernicious to the Commonwealth The Answer No saith good and godly David Gods and such a Kings faithful Subject and so Convicting such Subjects as attempt any Rebellion against such a King to be neither good Subjects nor good Men. But say they The Demand shall we not rise and rebel against so unkind a Prince nothing considering or regarding our true faithful and painful Service or the safeguard of our Posterity No saith good David The Answer The Demand The Answer whom no such unkindness could cause to forsake his due obedience to his Sovereign Shall we not say they rise and rebel against our known mortal and deadly Enemy that seeketh our lives No saith godly David who had learned the Lesson that our Saviour afterward plainly taught that we should do no hurt to our Fellow-Subjects though they hate us and be our Enemies much less unto our Prince though he were our Enemy Shall we not Assemble an Army of such good Fellows as we are and by hazarding of our lives The Demand and the lives of such as shall withstand us and withal hazarding the whole Estate of our Country remove so naughty a Prince No saith godly David for I The Answer when I might without Assembling force or number of Men without tumult or hazard of any Mans life or shedding of any drop of Blood The Demand have delivered my self and my Country of an evil Prince yet would I not do it Are not they say some lusty and couragious Captains valiant Men of stomach and good Mens Bodies that do venture by force to kill and depose their King The Answer being a naughty Prince and their mortal Enemy They may be as lusty and couragious as they list yet saith godly David They can be no good nor godly Men that so do for I not only have rebuked but also commanded him to be slain as a wicked Man which slew King Saul mine enemy though he being weary of his life for the loss of the Victory against his Enemies desired that Man to slay him The Demand The Answer What shall we then do to an evil to an unkind Prince an Enemy to us hated of God hurtful to the Common-wealth c Lay no violent hand upon him saith David but let him live until God appoint and work his end either by natural Death or in War by lawful Enemies not by traiterous Subjects Thus would godly David make answer and St. Paul as ye heard before willeth us also to pray for such a Prince If King David would make these Answers as by his deeds and words recorded in the Holy Scriptures indeed he doth make unto all such Demands concerning rebelling against evil Princes unkind Princes cruel Princes Princes that be to their good Subjects mortal Enemies Princes
that the People that will not see with their Eyes nor hear with their Ears to learn and to understand with their Hearts cannot be converted and saved And the wicked themselves being damned in Hell shall confess ignorance in Gods Word to have brought them thereunto saying We have erred from the way of the truth and the light of Righteousness hath not shined unto us and the Sun of understanding hath not risen unto us Mat. 7. John 3. we have wearied our selves in the way of wickedness and perdition and have walked cumberous and crooked ways but the way of the Lord have we not known Mat. 11. b. 15. 13. a. 9. f. 3. Luke 8. a. 8. Joh. 5. f. 39. Ps 1. Mat. 7. b. 7. Luk. 11.9 Luke 16. g. 30.31 Gal. 1. b. 8. Deut. 5.32 Deut. 17. c. 14.15 c. Rom. 13. 1 Pet. 2. Psal 118. Psal 18. 118. Eph. 5.14 1 Thes 5. a. 4.5 John 12.35.36 Jam 1. c. 17. 1 Tim. 6. d. 16. John 3. And as well our Saviour himself as his Apostle St. Paul doth teach that the ignorance of Gods Word cometh of the Devil is the cause of all error and misjudging as falleth out with ignorant Subjects who can rather espy a little mote in the eye of the Prince or a Counsellor than a great Beam in their own and universally it is the cause of all evil and finally of eternal damnation Gods Judgment being severe towards those who when the light of Christs Gospel is come into the World do delight more in darkness of ignorance than in the light of knowledge in Gods Word For all are commanded to read or hear to search and study the holy Scriptures and are promised understanding to be given them from God if they so do all are charged not to believe either any dead Man nor if an Angel should speak from Heaven much less if the Pope do speak from Rome against or contrary to the Word of God from the which we may not decline neither to the right hand nor to the left In Gods Word Princes must learn how to obey God and to govern Men in Gods Word Subjects must learn Obedience both to God and their Princes Old Men and young rich and poor all Men and Women all Estates Sexes and Ages are taught their several Duties in the Word of God For the Word of God is bright giving light unto all Mens Eyes the shining Lamp directing all Mens Paths and Steps Let us therefore awake from the sleep and darkness of Ignorance and open our Eyes that we may see the light let us rise from the works of darkness that we may escape eternal darkness the due reward thereof and let us walk in the light of Gods Word whiles we have light as becometh the Children of light so directing the steps of our Lives in that way which leadeth to light and life everlasting that we may finally obtain and enjoy the same which God the Father of Lights who dwelleth in light incomprehensible and inaccessible grant unto us through the light of the World our Saviour Jesus Christ Unto whom with the Holy Ghost one most glorious God be all Honor Praise and Thanksgiving for ever and ever Amen Thus have you heard the Sixth Part of this Homily Now good People Let us pray The PRAYER as in that time it was Published O Most mighty God the Lord of Hosts the Governor of all Creatures the only giver of all Victories who alone art able to strengthen the Weak against the Mighty and to vanquish infinite multitudes of thine Enemies with the Countenance of a few of thy Servants calling upon thy Name and trusting in thee Defend O Lord thy Servant and our Governor under thee our Sovereign Lord the KING and all thy People committed to his charge O Lord withstand the cruelty of all those which be common Enemies as well to the truth of thy eternal Word as to their own natural Prince and Country and manifestly to this Crown and Realm of ENGLAND which thou hast of thy Divine Providence assigned in these our days to the Government of thy Servant our Sovereign and gracious KING O most merciful Father if it be thy holy Will make soft and tender the stony hearts of all those that exalt themselves against thy Truth and seek either to trouble the quiet of this Realm of ENGLAND or to oppress the Crown of the same and convert them to the knowledge of thy Son the only Saviour of the World Jesus Christ that we and they may joyntly glorifie thy Mercies Lighten we beseech thee their ignorant hearts to embrace the truth of thy Word or else so abate their cruelty O most mighty Lord that this our Christian Realm with others that confess thy holy GOSPEL may obtain by thine aid and strength surety from all Enemies without shedding of Christian Blood whereby all they which be oppressed with their Tyranny may be relieved and they which be in fear of their cruelty may be comforted And finally that all Christian Realms and especially this Realm of ENGLAND may by thy Defence and Protection continue in the truth of the Gospel and enjoy perfect Peace Quietness and Security and that we for these thy Mercies joyntly all together with one consonant heart and voice may thankfully render to thee all laud and praise that we knit in one godly concord and unity amongst our selves may continually magnifie thy glorious Name who with thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost art one Eternal Almighty and most merciful GOD. To whom be all laud and praise World without end Amen A THANKSGIVING for the Suppression of the last Rebellion O Heavenly and most merciful Father the defender of those that put their trust in thee the sure fortress of all them that flee to thee for succor who of thy most just Judgments for our Disobedience and Rebellion against thy holy Word and for our sinful and wicked living nothing answering to our holy profession whereby we have given an occasion that thy holy Name hath been blasphemed amongst the ignorant hast of late both sore abashed the whole Realm and People of England with the terror and danger of Rebellion thereby to awake us out of our dead sleep of careless security and hast yet by the miseries following the same Rebellion more sharply punished part of our Country-men and Christian-brethren who have more nearly felt the same and most dreadfully hast scourged some of the seditious Persons with terrible Executions justly inflicted for their disobedience unto thee and to thy Servant their Sovereign to the example of us all and to the warning correction and amendment of thy Servants of thine accustomed goodness turning always the wickedness of evil Men to the proof of them that fear thee who in thy Judgments remembring thy Mercy hast by thy assistance given the Victory to thy Servant our Queen her true Nobility and faithful Subjects with so little or rather no effusion of Christian Blood as also might have justly ensued to the exceeding comfort of all sorrowful Christian hearts and that of thy fatherly pity and merciful goodness only and even for thine own names sake without any our desert at all Wherefore we render unto thee most humble and hearty thanks for these thy great mercies shewed unto us who had deserved sharper punishment most humbly beseeching thee to grant unto all us that confess thy holy Name and profess the true and perfect Religion of thy holy Gospel thy heavenly Grace to shew our selves in our living according to our profession that we truly knowing thee in thy blessed Word may obediently walk in thy holy Commadments and that we being warned by this thy Fatherly correction do provoke thy just wrath against us no more but may enjoy the continuance of thy great mercies towards us thy right hand as in this so in all other Invasions Rebellions and dangers continually saving and defending our Church our Realm our Queen and People of England that all our Posterities ensuing confessing thy holy Name professing thy holy Gospel and leading an holy Life may perpetually praise and magnifie thee with thy only Son Jesus Christ our Saviour and the Holy Ghost To whom be all laud praise glory and Empire for ever and ever Amen FINIS