THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD A Sermon preached at Botterwike in Holland neere Boston in Lincolnshire By THOMAS GRANGER Preacher of Gods word there IOHN 95. As long as I am in the World I am the light of the World LONDON Printed by T. S. for Thomas Pauier and are to be sold at his shop in Yuie lane 1616. TO THE RIGHT VVorshipfull Mr. THOMAS LEVENTHORPE Esquire Sonne and heyre to the renowned Knight Sir IOHN LEVENTHORPE T. G. wisheth all happinesse and eternall blessednesse RIGHT Worshipfull The speciall affection that I beare to that louely Oliue wherof you are a special branch and the duty wherein I euer remaine obliged vnto it hauing heretofore receiued pleasant nutriture from thence and delightfull refreshing in the shade thereof haue often solicited me by one meanes or other to shew and testifie my thankefull minde to the same and to your selfe in particuler Siluer and gold haue I none nor any costly present but such as I haue freely receiued I freely offer vnto you The water is a common element yet when one Synaeta hauing nothing to offer to Artaxerxes passing by he tooke water out of the riuer Cyrus with both his hands and offered it to the king who accepted it as a speciall gift as Aelianus recordeth first because water is the best element Secondly because it was taken out of Cyrus So the Ayre the Light are common and I not hauing any gift to present you withall am glad to offer the Light vnto you which I hope shal finde special acceptance with you First because that of many lights this is the best light giuing light to all other lights of the naturall soule without which they are vtter darkenesse euen as the lesser lights of the firmament are but darke and dead bodies without the light and vitall influence of the Sun Secondly because this light ariseth and shineth out of another world then is either the Macrocosme or Microcosme to wit the spirituall world which is the word and Church of God But though this light be common because it is offered to all and shineth vnto all yet it is receiued of few because darke earthy bodies cannot receiue the light in which respect it becommeth a proper and speciall light and I make no doubt but that you are one of those few who delight in this light and therefore I trust will also accept this as a speciall gift which is pretious and speciall in it selfe though it be not specially but vulgarly set forth by me to whom the exhibiting and shewing thereof to the world is also committed The Lord protect and conduct you in the way euerlasting From Botterwike in Holland neere Boston in Lincon 1616. Your worships to command euer in the Lord THOMAS GRANGER THE LIGHT OF THE VVORLD IOHN 8. 12. Then spake IESVS againe to them saying I am the light of the world he that followeth me shall not walke in darknesse but shall haue the light of life THESE words containe a Sermon of our Sauiour Christ preached to the Iewes in the Temple Wherein two things are principally to be considered the Preface and the principall Scope The Preface is in the former words Then spake Iesus to them c. Wherein consider these circumstances First The person speaking Iesus spake his speaking is amplified by a note of sedulitie and oftennesse in speaking Spake againe Secondly The persons to whom he spake to them viz. the people of the Iewes flocking together about him not to the Pharisies Thirdly The time when then that is either after this time when the Pharises had tempted him vpon occasion of a woman taken in adulterie or else in the great and last day of the feast of Tabernacles as some thinke but whether it mattereth not much Whereas it is said that he spake to them againe hence we obserue and learne that Christ was most diligent laborious and painefull in his calling being in all things answerable to the commandement and will of his father He was often weary hungry thirstie with trauailing and preaching neither fainting nor failing therein through want of earthly reward as the maner of earthly men is nor discouraged therefrom with the feare of his enemies In the Chapter aforegoing the Iewes seeking to kill him he trauailed into Galilee and from thence about the middle of the Feast to Ierusalem againe where he taught continually in the Temple till the end of the last day of the Feast then he went into the mount Oliuet to rest and refresh himselfe and earely in the morning he came againe into the Temple to preach By which History and many other places it is apparent that Christ was continually employed in the actions of his calling Hereupon it is that Iohn saith Cap. 21. 25. If all things were written that Iesus spake and did I suppose the world could hardly containe the bookes that should be written of him which words he vttered out of the consideration and reuiew of Christs great and daylie pains in teaching preaching working miracles which he thought could not more fitly be expressed than by such an hyperbolicall kinde of speaking Likewise Ioh. 4 34. Christ was wearied with trauaile and thirstie hauing neither drunke nor eaten any thing since the morning it being now mid-day therefore his Disciples prayed him to eate but he answered I haue meate to eate that yee know not of My meate is that I may doe the will of him that sent mee and finish his worke As if he had said though meate be now necessarie for me I hauing fasted thus long yet is the doing of my fathers wil and finishing of his worke more necessarie therefore occasion of preaching by the comming of the Samaritans at this instant being offered I must forget bodily hunger I must not now regard bodily meate but I must redeeme the present occasion with neglect of my body and bodily sustenance Likewise Math. 26. 55. I sate dayly teaching in the Temple among you c. Hereby the Ministers of Christ are taught by his example to be laborious and painfull in the faithfull discharge of their office in the distruction of the kingdome of sinne and Satan and in gathering and building vp the Church and kingdome of Christ seeing that he hath sent them in like manner as his father sent him as himselfe saith In Ioh. 4. 35. Christ exhorteth his Disciples to performe the duties of faithfull labourers in the Lords haruest to be carefull in reaping his fruits his argument is drawn from the comparison of earthly haruest-labour Say yee not there are yet foure months and then commeth the haruest c. As if he should say you are so carefull for this earthly haruest that you count the moneths the weekes and dayes till haruest come so hungarly doe you looke for it and painefully labour in it but the Lords haruest for which you ought to be as careful is euen now at hand for yee may see the regions already white to the haruest
impuritie Gen. 8. 21. Esay 64. 6. Iob. 14. 4. but by the spirit of Christ wee are mortified and renewed in affections will euen in the spirits of our mindes Rom. 8. 10. Ephes 4. 22. 23. 24. IIII. He is our redemption As if he should say by him alone wee are redeemed both from the bondage of sinne and miserie that commeth by sinne This redemption is begun in this life being deliuered from the bondage of corruption and accusation of an euill conscience and perfected in the end of this life when the soule is seperate from the burthen of the flesh but consumate and finished in the resurrection of the last day when body and soule being revnited and ioyned together shall remaine for euer with Christ in his kingdome of glory Now that which the Apostle saith there that Christ is our wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption is all one with that which Christ saith heere I am the light of the world Therefore if any man desire to know more wisdome or other wisedome more righteousnesse or other righteousnesse more redemption or other in whole or in the least part let him heare the Apostle Colos 2. 8 9. Beware least there be any man that spoile you through philosophies and vaine deceit through the traditions of men according to the rudiments of the world and not after Christ for in him dwelleth all the fulnesse of the god-head bodily III. The holy Ghost is the light of the world Though God the Sonne be the wisedome and word of the father giuing light and life to the spirituall world that is the companie of the regenerate euen as the Sun giueth light and life to the materiall world yet the world that is the vnregenerate liuing in the darkenesse of ignorance and sinne doe not comprehend nor receiue this light of life no more then the dead eye or body is beautified by the light of the Sun to see and liue therewith Ioh. 1. 5. the light shineth in the darkenesse and the darkenesse comprehended it not 11. He came vnto his owne and his owne receiued him not Esay 53. 1. Who will beleeue our report and to whom is the arme of the Lord reueiled Ioh. 12. 37. Though he did many miracles before them yet they beleeued not in him So that the father is the fountaine of light the Sonne is light begotten of the Light and tooke flesh on him to manifest and participate this light to vs the holy Ghost is light proceeding from both being sent of the Father and the Sonne to enlighten vs. But the Son is the light of the World in a more peculiar maner because he is Emanuell and in and by him is the worke of our redemption wrought but yet with the cooperation of the father and the holy Ghost as if three men should weaue a coate and the third weare it So that the Trinitie in the Vnitie and the Vnitie in the Trinitie is the light of the World Concerning the third signification The Doctrine of the Gospell is the light of the World There be sundry Doctrines and arts in the World which are lights also but they are naturall lights not lights of life there is no vertue in these lights to quicken the mortall body or to reuiue the dead soule the Doctrine of the Gospell is only the light of life Ioh. 6. 63. The words that I speake to you are spirit and life Ioh. 17. 3. Psal 119. 105. Ioh. 24. 13. Concerning the fourth signification Christians and Christian life are the light of the World and especially the Ministers of the Word 2 Cor. 4. 6. God that commanded the light to shine out of darkenesse is hee which hath shined in our hearts to giue the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Iesus Math. 5. 14. Yee are the light of the World Ephes 5. 8. Yee were once darkenesse but now are yee light in the Lord that is you are now enlightened by the word of truth let your conuersation be according to the truth Phil. 2. 15. Be blamelesse and pure and the sonnes of God without reproofe in the middest of a naughtie and crooked nation among whom yee shine as lights in the world Prou. 4. 18. The way of the righteous shineth as the light more and more vnto the perfect day Hereupon the workes of the regenerate are called the workes of light Rom. 13. 12. Put on the armour of light i. honest behauiour Notwithstanding all that hath beene said we must know that although Christ the Gospell and Christian life be the light of the world yet the world namely the vnregenerate comprehend not nor see this light because they take darkenesse to be light and light to be darkenesse Know therefore that as Christ was reputed in the world so were the Prophets before him and the Apostles after him and in such sort are the true Ministers and true beleeuers esteemed in the world Marke what Esay saith of Christ chap. 8. 18. I and the children which thou hast giuen me are as signes and wonders in Israel i. as monsters As Dauid saith Behold I am become a monster vnto many And Iohn saith of him Ioh. 1. 10. He was in the world and the world was made by him and the world knew him not Iohn 9. 29. Christ himselfe saith Mat. 11. 19. The sonne of man is counted a glutton a drinker of wine a companion of Publicans and sinners Mat. 27. 63. He is counted a deceiuer Mat. 9. 34. A sorcerer Ioh. 8. 48. A Samaritane and to haue the diuell Mark 3. 21. His kinsfolkes lay hold on him supposing him to be beside himselfe Ioh. 9. 24 The Pharisies know him to be a sinner If Christ was thus reputed of who neuer sinned and in whose person words and works the Maiesty power and glory of God appeared yea through which as through a chrystall his diuinity shined forth to the world how much more then the children of God that are clogged with infirmities No maruell is it though they be counted the vilest and most contemptible persons of all other See the cause hereof Wisd 2. 22 They doe not vnderstand the mysteries of God nor can discerne the honour of the soules that are faultlesse The cause of this ignorance and going astray is vers 21. Their owne wickednesse hath blinded them Ioh. 3. 19. This is the condemnation of the world that light is come into the world and men loued darknesse more then light because their deeds were euill The wicked hate the light because it discouers sinne which they loue againe the righteous loue the light because it discouers sinne which they hate and manifesteth the right way vnto them into which they desire to enter and wherein they delight to walke The world knew not the Prophets that were before Christ But what part or people of the world The Pharisies Amorites Ammonites Moabites Edomites No maruell if
past feeling haue giuen themselues to wantonnesse Custome in sinne hardneth the heart and the heart being hardned rebelleth against the mind and putteth out the light of reason which bringeth a curse vpon the conscience and taketh away all remorse of sinne which is a token of reprobation The Apostle calleth it a seared conscience that cannot bleed 1 Tim. 4. 2. Thus haue I shewed what it is to walke in darknesse which is to liue not according to the knowledge of God and his waves but according to the imaginations and corrupt affections of our owne hearts And thus doe all men naturally liue though neuer so wise learned ciuill and great in the world their whole life is foolish fruitlesse vnprofitable and their end is eternall death For the further clearing of this point I will shew in what particulars the vaine and foolish life of the ignorant is compared to darknesse First darknesse is a priuation and want of light so spirituall darknesse that is the ignorance and blindnesse of the heart is a priuation and want of the light or knowledge of God Secondly in darknesse all things are inuisible one thing cannot be discerned from another Blacke and white good and euill hurtfull things and profitable things are not discerned So in spirituall darknesse men call good euill and euill good sinne is delightfull and sweet to them yea they coun tit abhomination todepart from euill 1 Pet. 4. 4. Wherein it seemeth strange vnto them that yee run not with them to the same excesse of riot therefore speake they euill of you Thirdly in darknesse a man knowes not the right way though he be neuer so quickesighted and although he be set in it yet will he soone goe astray running into by-paths and dangerous wayes like a blind man so in So in spirituall darknesse ignorance of God in his word a man knowes not the way of life this narrow way he can not finde though he be neuer so subtill politicke wise and learned well may he grope for the streight gate as the men of Sodome did for Lots dore but he shall neuer be able to finde it and though he daily looke on it yet shall he not discerne it All his wayes are the wayes of death and the good and right way seemeth to him to be the worst way Fourthly if this light of the sunne were not the earth should be a very picture and resemblance of hell a confused masse or heape of beasts foules and men one thing treading other vnder foot nothing but hunger thirst cold nakednesse feare terrours sorrow despaire mourning and wailing continuall dying one thing deuouring another Euen so in spirituall darknesse where the knowledge of Gods word is not there is a resemblance of hell and men are like diuels there is nothing but disorder and confusion no dueties towards God nor towards man put in practise Where this glorious light of the Gospell shineth not in the hearts of men they are like to beasts and Serpents yea they degenerate into the natures of all noisome and venemous beasts First they hatch cockatrice egges that is whatsoeuer commeth from them is deadly poyson Esay 59. 5. The poison of Aspes is vnder their lippes Psal 14. 5. Destruction and vnhappines is in their waies verse 7. Secondly they are vipers children deuouring parents and parents their children Mat. 3. 7. Thirdly They are as fed horses of vnbrideled and adulterous lusts Ier. 5. 8. Fourthly Reioycing and neighing in the victory and downfall of their neighbours like to strong horses Ier. 50. 11. Fiftly destroying their Prophets teachers instructors and the poore like to Lyons Ier. 2. 30. Psal 10. 9. 22. 13. Sixtly subtile and wilely to deceiue like Foxes Luke 13. 32. Seuenthly Girning and running about like dogges if they be not satisfied in their vnsatiable desires Psal 59. 14. Esay 56. 11. Eightly rauenous and greedy of the prey full of cruelty and without all mercy like to wolues Mat. 7. 15. Where the light of the Gospell shineth not in the hearts and mindes of men what can there be but pride vaineglory drunkennesse excessiue drinkings oppression deceiuing one another and being deceiued euery Superiour treading his Inferiour vnder foote politicke and craftie circumuenting one another wily intrapping and insnaring one another cousenage fraudulent dealing dissembling and lying in bargaining bloodsucking by cruell oppression hatefull and heathenish rent-racking vaine and prodigall spending voluptuous liuing and licentious gaming murthers enuy ill will contention and trouble whoredomes adulteteries and wantonnesse These and such like are the workes of darknesse euen of them that are aliue in body and dead in soule But Christ is the light of the world they that follow him shall not liue in such darknesse but shall haue the light of life Thus much of the negatiue reason the affirmatiue followeth IIII. But shall haue the light of life There be two lights of life or liuely lights First the knowledge of God in righteousnesse and holinesse participated by the sonne of God to Adam in the creation is called liuely light I say the naturall knowledge of God in Adam before the fall was the light of naturall life which life stood in absolute holinesse which was his perfect obedience to the first Table and absolute righteousnesse which was his obedience to the second But this liuely light by the fall was extinguished yet not wholly but so buried in ignorance and impurity as it is of no force to bring forth in vs any pure worship of God or holinesse of life but serueth rather to bridle and restraine vs from outragious sinne and to giue vs some light to discerne our ignorance and malice to our owne accusation and condemnation so that it is a deadly and not a liuely light The second light is a new knowledge that is the knowledge of God in Christ Of God in Christ reconciling the world to himselfe of God in Christ our mercifull and louing father of God in Christ redeeming and purchasing vs againe when by sinne we were vtterly lost of God in Christ restoring vs to sight that were vtterly blinde and ignorant of God in Christ abolishing the body of sinne and corruption in vs of God in Christ renuing vs into his owne image and likenes from which by Adams transgression we fell of God in Christ turning the curse of the earth with all afflictions and troubles into blessings and meanes to eternall blisse of God in Christ preparing a kingdome and heauenly Citty for vs whose pauements walles and buildings are of Golde Pearle Emeraldes Chrysolites Carbuncles and all costly ornaments a thousand times excelling the Sanctum Sanctorum of Salomons Temple in glory He that followeth Christ hath this liuely light in him he that followeth him not hath no light in him but is shut vp in ignorance and darknesse Hee I say that denying carnall wisedome and fleshly lusts doth follow him is enlightned to see and behold the glory of God in sauing
be hid in darkenesse and inuisible and therefore could nothing mooue without stumbling and falling neither know whether to goe Ioh. 12. 35. And what could be looked for but sudaine death Againe without light we should haue no knowledge of any thing the firmament and elements with all their creatures should be inuisible to vs there should be nothing but blindnesse ignorance feare horror sorrow despaire we should be farre worse than the prisoner that lies in the bottome of a nastie dungeon Yea if the light of the Sunne were not the World should be a very picture and resemblance of Hell a confusion of beasts foules and men euery one treading other vnder foote yea all things should be mingled together into one Chaos or masse there should be nothing but hunger thirst cold nakednesse feares terrours mourning and wailing continuall dying one thing deuouring another Consider therefore what is the necessitie excellencie glory and felicitie of the light which is the life of the World Hence it is that light is vsed in the Scripture to signifie good and darkenesse euill Light signifieth the glory of Heauen the essence and holinesse of God the sonne of God the doctrine of the Gospell naturall vnderstanding knowledge and wisedome in the minde the knowledge of the glory and wisedome of God in the saluation of the elect holinesse of life Christians felicitie and prosperitie life Contrarily darkenesse signifieth Hell the paines and of Hell sinne and wickednesse the blindnesse and ignorance of man since the fall sinfull and lustfull liuing the Gentiles that know not God calamitie and miserie death These things are generally signified by Light and Darkenesse But for the clearing of this perticular place the light hath foure speciall significations First It signifieth God that is the Trinitie in the Vnitie Secondly It signifieth the Father Sonne and holy Ghost that is the Vnitie in the Trinitie Thirdly it signifieth the Doctrine of the Gospell Fourthly it signifieth Christians and Christian life Concerning the first signification It is sayd 1 Ioh. 1. 5. God is Light and in him is no darkenesse As if he should say God is holy This holinesse of the Diuine nature standeth First in the life and incomprehensible essence or being of God Secondly in his other essentiall properties as his power wisedome iustice mercy goodnesses Thirdly in his vnspeakeable complete celestiall ioy blessednesse and felicitie And as God is all light so there is no light without him for all that is without him is ignorance darkenesse and impuritie Concerning the second signification I. God the father is the light of the world but this light in him is inuisible to the world and to Angels 1 Tim. 6. 16. Who onely hath immortalitie and dwelleth in the Light which none can attaine vnto Ioh. 1. 18. No man hath seene God at any time Wis 9. 13. What man is he that can know the Counsell of God or who can thinke what the will of God is Also No man knoweth the father but the sonne c. Therefore this light of the world in the person of the father is hid inuisible II. God the Sonne is the light of the world by communication from the father and in him is the light and life of the world manifest and visible which was hid in God from euerlasting Ioh. 5. 36. As the father hath life in himselfe so hath he giuen to the Sonne to haue life in himselfe For this cause is he called the image of the inuisible God and brightnesse of his glory whose glorious nature wisedome and goodnesse shineth in the sonne who with the father is one and the same God Heb. 1. 3. Hence it is that he is called the wisdome of the father because he perfectly knoweth all secrets hidden in the father And he is in speciall manner called the Word because he reuealeth these secrets and this light to the World in mans nature and by mans voice Ioh. 1. 18. No man hath seene God at any time the sonne which is in the bosome of the father he hath declared him The Sonne therefore is the light and life of men in a double respect I. Christ is the light and life of man in the worke of creation for by participation of his life and light he receiued life motion sence and knowledge Ioh. 1. 4. In it was life and the life was the light of men II. He is the life and light of man in the worke of redemption in which respect here he calls himselfe the light of the World The former naturall life and light which we receiued from him in the creation is turned into darkenesse and death through the enuy of the Deuill and sinne So that naturally we are without God without light without life lying in the darkenesse of ignorance and the pollution of sinne Ezech. 16. 4. Rom. 1. 18. Now therefore seeing that we are darknesse and not light death and not life euen dead in trespasses and sinnes Ephes 2. 1. God out of the hidden treasures of his wisedome goodnesse and mercy hath quickned reuiued and begotten vs againe by application of his liuely light communicated from before the beginning of the world to the son participated to vs by through the son in the world The son therefore is the light and life of the world he is the wisedome and word of the father reuealing declaring and applying life and light to the world and for this purpose the word was made flesh and dwelt among vs 1 Ioh. 1. 1. That which was from the beginning euen Christ God eternall which we haue heard euen the same Christ made man which we haue seene with our eies which we haue looked vpon and our hands haue handled of the word of life declare wee vnto you The Sonne therefore iâ— our life light and felicitie he alone of God is made vnto vs wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption 1 Cor. 1. 30. This place is a plaine exposition of these words I am the light of the World for heere the Apostle excludeth a man wholly from himselfe as nothing but darkenesse and death and setteth forth our spirituall and liuely being and manner of being in Christ I. Hee is our wisedome All sauing and true wisedome is in Christ for God hath fully reueiled himselfe in Christ and by him to vs and by no other meanes Colos 2. 3. In him are hid all the treasures of Wisedome and knowledge and if all be in him then without him is nothing II. He is made our righteousnesse that is to say by him and in him alone we are accepted and beloued of God For first he alone by himselfe hath purged our sinnes Secondly his obedience alone is imputed to vs for righteousnesse In which two things standeth the righteousnesse of faith by which God is our God and we are his people III. He is our sanctification By nature we are profane without God in the world a masse of filthinesse and
these knew them not But the Church of God the Israelites knew them not yea they were worse then the Aliants For the Niniuites persecuted not Ionas but beleeued God Ionas 3 4 5. c. But the Israelites persecuted al the Prophets with derision contempt imprisonment death Act. 7. 52. Which of the Prophets haue not your fathers persecuted and they haue slaine them that shewed before of the comming of that iust c. Which were the slaughter-houses of the Prophets and Saints before Christ euen Samaria and Ierusalem Mat. 23. 37. Euen Ierusalem where was the Temple and worship of God where aboue all places in the world Gods name was called vpon Ezec. 16. 46. Thy eldest sister is Samaria thy younger sister is Sodome Againe the world knew not the Apostles that were after Christ In Acts 5. 28. the preaching of the Gospell is counted sedition and rebellion In verse 38. 39. Gamaliel a Doctor of the Law doubteth whether it be of God or of men comparing the Apostles to Theudas and Iudas of Galile that made insurrection in the dayes of tribute In Acts 24. 5. Paul is counted a pestilent fellow a moouer of sedition a maintainer of the sect of the Nazarites In the vers 14. his doctrine is called Heresie chap. 26. 44. Madnesse 1. Cor. 4. 13. We are counted the of-scourings of al things And Iohn the Baptist that came in the way of righteousnesse is said to haue the diuell In the primitiue Church what euills soeuer happened to the City or prouinces of Rome whether famine pestilence earth-quakes warres vnseasonable weather the Christians were thought to be the causes thereof whereupon rose great persecutions whereas indeed they themselues were the causes thereof which by reason of their vnbeliefe and malice brought these iudgements of God vpon thei owne heads And herein note the condition of this blinde world it alwayes hath beene and is suspitious of the truth and the true profession thereof fearing and dreading the same as an enemy to their peace and safety Worldly peace rest safety liberty prosperity is all that the carnall man seeketh for or careth for making the end of their owne doings and Gods doings also the rest ease and pleasures of their bodies and the pompous gloryfying of their persons Whatsoeuer is aboue this and for God they take to be against them because they are against God though not in outward shew yet in spirit yea making themselues their owne Idols Ioh. 11. 48. If we let him alone all men will beleeue in him and the Romanes will come and take away both our place and the Nation These worldly Politicians whose policy was not guided nor seasoned with grace are afraid of Christ and Christian profession If we let him thus alone say they all men will beleeue him to be the Prophet and Messias that should come and so make him King which when Caesar heareth he will come with an inuincible host against vs and vtterly destroy this City and the whole nation Therefore our safest course is by some meanes to plot his death which plot and which meanes was the cause of the same destruction that they feared for the Romane Emperour came and tooke away their place and nation because they slew the sonne of God and persecuted the Gospell These wicked wretches neuer feared that their infidelity pride couetousnes oppression hypocrisie should be the causes of their ruine but they feared the Gospell and godly life Againe Act 5. 24. The chiefe Priest Saduces had put the Apostles in prison but an Angel deliuered them in the night and commanded them to preach in the Temple the next day Now the chiefe Priest and the Captaine of the Temple and the high Priests hearing what was done doubted of them whereunto this would grow These carnall and gracelesse politicians regarding only the establishing of their place and of themselues and of all things for themselues feared an alteration doubted whether it would in the end proue to be with them or against them And because indeed that it could not but be against them for the preaching of Iesus to be the sonne of God the Prince and Sauiour of the world must needs conuince them of rebellion and murther to their vtter disgrace shame and confusion among all the people therefore they laboured by all meanes to murther the Apostles to quench the light of the Gospell In like sort very many in these times hanging between Popery and protestancy doubt and haue long doubted what this geare will grow to in the end In the meane time not regarding at all what their vnbeleefe pride oppression couetousnesse epicurisme and mocking will grow to Furthermore as the world in all times and ages heretofore hath not knowne the straight paths of God so in these present dayes of ours the true and right profession of Christianity is counted of many puritanisme and precisenesse phantasticalnesse affectation of singularity and hypocrisie True it is indeed that as there are true Preachers and true beleeuers so Satan stirs vp counterfeits that haue an outward shew and resemblance of them but are not purged from their inward filthinesse These are they that worldlings stumble at concluding thus euen so are they all therefore their profession is but a kind of sect and to follow the common course and practise of the world is the surest and safest way Here Satan hath his desire Againe if any godly man that hath alwayes made conscience of his wayes shall offend though of meere infirmity or occasioned by some strong temptation but yet so as he may iustly be taxed why then the matter is now out of all doubt both he and all of his rancke are hypocrites and none else such is the blindnes of the world and their praeiudicate opinion of the children of God But now to conclude this first part let me leaue this as a bone for the world to gnaw on that stumbling blockes shall euer be cast before the feet of the wicked yet shall the lanterne of Gods word shine vnto them to guide them without stumbling or erring notwithstanding stumble they will and fall downe euen to the breaking of their necke for their owne wickednesse blindeth them yea and they doe wilfully out of tbe hardnesse of their hearts close their eyes against the wayes of truth because the waies of errour death destruction are more pleasant vnto them Thus much of the principle or ground of the reasons enforcing the exhortation which followeth next in order to be spoken of II. He that followeth me There are sundry sorts of followers I. Yong gentlemen that are trained vp for education sake vnder great personages and for experience countenance and preferment sake in the world are called their followers II. They that hold on some sect of the Philosophers schooles are called their followers III. They that fashion and conforme themselues to the example of any man that excelleth in any faculty are called his