law be not kept I grant there may bée some fault found in them touching this matter but what and y e party be to mightye for y e bishop to deale w t it séemeth that the papists wexe very bold wel it were good that the Magistrate and those y e bée in authoritie shold coÌ„maÌ„d such yea if it were a noble man vpoÌ„ his alegeance to the Prince to come to the Church Augustine doth testifie that through the straight coÌ„mandement of Theodosius the Emperor his church of Hippo was deliuered froÌ„ the Donatists were brought vnto the trueth by y e preching of the word of God for as S. Paule saith faith coÌ„meth by hearing surely this is not only a gret hindrance of the frée passage of y e Gospel when men sée the magistrats negligeÌ„t in punishing of such transgressors of Gods lawes the princes but also if they sée vnderstand that the rulers themselues their familie and houshold regard litle the word of God The third sorte of people that are to bée blamed for that y e word of God is no more regarded in these our daies be the coÌ„mon multitude In the which number I may include euen the most excellent sort of men vntil such time as they faithfully embrace the word of God and so be graffed into the body of the Church Of all the creatures that God hath created man against his maker hath béene found most vnthankfull obstinate rebellions and disobedient which hath béene séene not onely by the disobedience of our first parents but also in vs so that wée hearing as it were Gods voyce by his woorde yet harden our harts cast of his yoke from vs and forget the benefits that hée hath bestowed vpon vs of the which greeuous offence I mean of y e contempt of his worde the messeÌ„gers of God Patriarches Prophets EnaÌ„gelists apostles and ministers haue froÌ„ time to time complained Moyses the seruaÌ„t of God speking of the peruerse nature of y e people of his time sayth vnto God Lord they wil not beléeue nor harken to my voyce and y t which they did suspect would coÌ„e to passe others by experience found most true for Esay sayeth Lord who hath giuen credeÌ„ce vnto the things that we haue hard Elyas complaineth vnto God y t the childreÌ„ of Israell had not onely forsaken his couenaÌ„t but also killed his Prophets and that hée onely was left aliue the Prophet Ieremy saith that he taught the people of Iuda the worde of the Lord xxiij yéers that with great paines and trauel for thus he saith vnto them I haue risen vp early I haue giueÌ„ you warning in seasoÌ„ but you would not hear me And againe he saith though y e Lord hath sent his seruants al y e prophets vnto you yet would you not obay you would not incline your eares to hear After the prophets God sent his only soÌ„ in to the world who was coÌ„temned of y e ritch hated of the mighty scorned of y e lerned notwithstanding he gathered together y e poore refused not y e blind dispised not the lame forsaketh not y e sinners he abhorreth not y e penitent théefe reiecteth not the mourniÌ„g adulter esse dispised not y e huÌ„ble Cananite refused not the custoÌ„er lothed not the Disciple y t denied him let therfor the miserable wretch flée vnto the merciful the guilty to the fauorable the vnclean to the fountain the waÌ„derer to the way y e sick to the phisticioÌ„ the lost sheep to the shepherd the sinner to Jesus w c saueth people froÌ„ their sins w c Jesus although in corporal preseÌ„ce he is absent froÌ„ vs yet hath hée not left vs destitute of prechers techers which cal his people to eÌ„brace kéep obay his word wherby they may be knowen in loue him as is said in our text if any man loue me he wil kéep my word But why do not these cormoraÌ„ts say to theÌ„selues for whom doo I prepare these buildings laÌ„ds and farmes with y e losse of mine own soul I dout whether I shal possesse or they enioy theÌ„ to whom I bequeth them or not the rather may I so think for that my coÌ„science beareth me witnesse that they haue béen euil gotten and euil kept and therefore it is very likly they shalbe euil spent I know not whether mine heir wilbe awise man for a foole whether he wil spend that riotously which I haue gotten wickedly Why do they not acknowledg theÌ„ selues to be but men and man is as grasse as a flower of y e field the grasse shal wither y e flower decay to beshort you y t be godly minded pray you with the prophet Dauid and say Encline my hart O Lord vnto thy testimonies not vnto couetuosnes And surely this vice not onely draweth men from the loue of Christ and obedieÌ„ce to his word in these dayes but there is ioyned with it carnall plesure and fleshly delights which is such a snare chat it holdeth men that delight theriÌ„ so with captiuitie that their harts are with drawne from all the seruice of God and obedience of his word and only set there vpoÌ„ These vices are such hurtful harmes miserable mischeefes to those that lewdly loue them plesantly practise them that they drawe them into damnation except bothe spéedely and earnestly they repent Will God think you suffer these vices long vnpunished no let vs thinke therfore that God speaketh vnto vs after this manner and faith O you vnthankful sonnes of Adam how many things haue I to speak iudge of you how often would I haue holpen you and you would not you haue dispised all my counsels and broken all my commandemeÌ„ts I haue therfore iust cause to be angry with you and to condemne you but I haue had compassioÌ„ vpoÌ„ you I haue séen your misery and decréed to help your I saw you wander in exile far from your owne countrey and therfore I came in mine owne person from heauen to guide you into the right way I saw you scattered in mountains and lye in hedges yet I sent my seruaÌ„ts to gather you together who haue shewed you that all things are prepared and made ready for you This my goodnes and loue towards you ought to alure you to come vnto mée loue mée But héerin I haue to burden and accuse you namely for your ingratitude rebelioÌ„ and contempt of my woord you wey not the benefits that I haue bestowed vppon you you kéep not my commaundementê you regard not my word nor my Sacraments how you receue theÌ„ nor feare not my wrath you euill entreat my messengers you stifnecked vncircuÌ„sised harts and eares ye haue alwaies resisted y e holy ghost as your fathers did so doo you Thus we may sée that there is nothing that either sooner moueth Gods wrath or draweth vs into damnatioÌ„ then coÌ„tempt of gods grace offered vnto vs by his holy word We
find in the holy scripturs that when the Jews did forsake contemne the grace of y e Gospel first offred vnto thē by Christe God powred out his indignation vpon them saying vnto them O Serpents ye generation of Vipers how shall ye escape the damnation of hel again our sauiour biddeth his Disciples shake their dust of their féet as a witnesse against thē it shalbe easier for thē of y e land of Sodom Gomora in the day of iudgment thē for them After the same maner he speketh in other places threatnig the Jewish people generally other Cities specially for the sayde offence The men of Niniuie saith he shall rise in iudgment with this generation condemne it for they repented at the preaching of Ionas and beholde a greater then Ionas is héere The Queene of the South shall rise in iudgment with this generation shall condemn it for she came from the vttermost parts of the earth to heare the wisdome of Salomon and behold a greater then Salamon is héere Againe in another place he saith woe bée to thee Chorasin woe be to thee Bethsaida for if the works which haue béen doone in you had béen doone in Tirus and Sydon they had repented long agoe in sackcloth and ashes Neuerthelesse I say vnto you it shalbe easier for Tyre and Sidon at the day of iudgment then for you By the which testimonies of holy scriptures and many others we may not only perceiue Gods wrath against the contemners of his word but also that he kéepeth our sinnes stil in remembrance if wée will not embrace and obey the same word in due season which if wée embrace worthely and kéep obediētly we shall declare our selues accordīg to our text louers of Christe if not we shal shew our selues to be but dissembling Christians so mooue him to take his precious Jewel of his holy word away from vs againe giue it to a nation which wil bring forth frute God graūt that our sinnes deserue not any such plague to fall vpon England The third braunche setteth forth the vtility profit and commoditye which hapneth vnto them that rightly loue Christe and keep his word namely not onely that God the Father will loue him But also that the whole Trinitye wil come vnto him and wyll dwell with him VVHat thing more happy what thīg more plesant what thing more beautifull can happen vnto vs miserable men then to bée so much in the fauour of God y t we may be beloued of him which thing is not onely promised vnto vs if we loue him and kéep his word but he also further promiseth saying and we will come vnto him in which words he speaketh after the manner of men he cōmeth vnto vs when he declareth and offreth his grace and fauour vnto vs and he may be sayd to goe from vs when he taketh his grace and fauour frō vs so that it may be rightly said that God is w t his people by power by grace and by his holy spirit by meanes wherof his people be not only in safety from their bodely ghostely enemies but also are led dayly forwarde towards his euerlasting kingdome Lastly he addeth these words and we will dwell with him in which words he promiseth a continuāce of his grace so that those that are faithfull may rightly be said to be the Temple of God according that saying of S. Paule speaking to the Godly ye are the temple of the liuing God what good thing can be wanting to them that haue God alwaies presēt with them and as it were to be their gift for as S. Paule saith if God be with vs who shall be against vs there we néed not feare the newe deuises and practises of the Romanists and that rabble which they dayly deuise againste England O how do men reioyce when it pleaseth the prīce or gouernor of the countrey to cōe vnto them to giue them good countenance and to speake cherefully vnto them And contrariwise how pensiue and sorye are they when the Prince frowneth on them then they goe like as they were halfe dead but what is this ioy of the receiuing of a mortall Prince to be compared with the receiuing of the imortall God Or what is the frownig of such a Prince to be compared with the anger of the Prince of princes Let vs therfore prepare and make ready our mindes and inward parts with all kinde of spirituall furniture to the receiuing of this guest he is receiued by faith he is receiued kept by obedience to his word by mortification of the flesh and by vertuous liuing But where shall wée haue such to receiue and entertaīe such a worthy presonage where is that noble man obedient vnto Gods word become wher is that Lady mortefication of the flesh to be found where is that woorthy Gentleman vsher vertuous liuing to be sought what be their none of all these to be found yes or els God forbid but they are to fewe God he knoweth but think you that this Prince wil tarry in that place or with that people or country where instéed of obediēce he findeth dis obedience instéed of mortification of the flesh he findeth carnal concupisence instéed of vertuous liuing hée findeth vice and wickednes no he wil away thence he wil not tary there searche examin your selues inwardly you that feare God whe ther your inward parts be swept clēsed from sin and wickednes fit to receiue the holy ghost for the spirit is the seale wher with God marketh them that be his this is the comforter which shall teache vs all things that Christ hath said vnto vs this is that spirit by the which we are addopted into the inheritance of the eternal life which certifieth our spirites that we are the sones of God This is the ioyful comforter of our harts and mindes wherby we may cry Abba father this is he that discended vpon Christ in liknes of a doue this is he by whom our minds are stirred vp to holy meditations our bodies made the Temple of God and our tungues fit instruments to set forth his praise finally this is that spirit wherby we are mooued to loue Christ to forsake this world to embrace and kéep Gods woord and to craue to be in the euerlasting kingdome of god purchased for vs by the only blood of christ to the which Jesus Christ with the father and the said holy spirit be all loue praise honor and glory for euer euer Amen FINIS Virtus spirat in altum Iohn 14. Augustine 1. Iohn 4. Deu. 6. Math. 22 Math. 10. Psal 8. 1. Pet. 1. Apoc. 1 Hebr. 4. 1. Iohn 3. 1. Cor. 2. Isai 5. Deut. 10. Psal 10. Iosua 23. Ecclesia 47. Iohn 21. Philip. 3. Roma 8. Philip. 2. Luke 16. Iohn 5. Iohn 7. Iohn 8. Iohn 20. Exod. 24. Reg. 3. Esdra 8. Ionas 3. Act. 3. 4. iohn 10. Hebru 5. Malachi 2. Ezechi 33. Peter 3. Timothi 1. 1 Cor. 1. 1. Cor. 2. Galath 1. Genesis 27. Ieremi 48. Roma 10. Exod. 4. Isai 25. Ieremi 25. Math. 23. Math. 10. Rom. 8.
⧠A Godly lear ned and fruitfull Sermon Made vpon the fourteenth of Iohn in which is plainely set foorth the true looue of Christ the markes whereby the Children of God are knovven and the commoditie vvhich that looue bringeth By D. S. 1584. Iohn 15. 13. ¶ Christ so deerely looued vs that he gaue his life for vs. AT LONDON ¶ Printed for Yarath Iames and Thomas Lawe and are to be solde in new gate market ouer against Christe Chvrch gate To the right Woorship full Sir William Pelham Knight Leiftenant of the Queenes Maiesties Ordenaunce your seruant Iohn Iordan wisheth in this lyfe health and prosperitie with eternall felicitie in Christ Iesus AS it pleaseth the Lord of his vnsearchable wisdoÌ„e to plant in you the glistering beams of his gospell and so heaped vpon you as wel his blessinges for your body in this lyfe as also endewed you with his feare and loue that your soule may attaine to the euerlasing life So it hath pleased him also to ordaine the meanes that the same may be continued in you to the end namely by his secret gift of grace by his loue poured in your hart and by the pure preaching of his woord vnder so gracious a Prince whose looue hath a long time shined in this realme of peace of plenty to the terror of the blinde thirsting Papists our dayly aduersaries So that you may say with the children of God Blessed are that people which liue in his feare Yea blessed are the people whose God is the Lord and liue in his looue Of which loue this Sermon heere Dedicated to your worship largely and learnedly entreateth the Author not knowen vnto mee onely the excellencie thereof caused me to put it in print that all that liue in the looue of God might bee partakers of so good a worke Heerein is set foorth the fruites of true faith the vanitie of worldly wealth the corruption of couetousnes the greatnes of our sinnes the punishment due thereunto and the meanes whereby wee may be deliuered from the some beeing a loadestone to direct our dooings from the rankor of couetousnes to bring vs to godlines Wherfore Saint Paule to withdrawe vs from it saith godlines is great ritches wee brought nothing into this world and certeinly wee shall carry nothing with vs wherefore while we haue foode and raiment let vs be coÌ„tent therwith and Saint Mathew writeth that if all men will seeke the kingdome of God and the righteousnes thereof they shall not want but shall haue all thinges cast vnto them from aboue For if wee haue to maintaine vs in this life and cast care on heauenly thinges wee shall posses heauen raigne with Christ foreuer Wherefore Maister Caluin vpon Paule to Timothy saith They that measure their religion by riches are heere taught that onely religion is the true riches Wherby it appeareth that there is nothing more necessarie and needfull vnto the Saluation of a Christian then the knowledge zeale and looue of God and his religion This bold attempt I doo offer vnto your worship as a true argumeÌ„t of my duetifull minde not as a meane to you now earnest in religion but vnto one of whose looue and godly zeale in that behalfe I haue all ready had sufficient triall Beseeching therfore that by your worships well accepting it at my hand though out of another mans caske it may be the better lyked accepted and followed of them that endeuour themselues to liue in the looue of our onely Sauiour In which looue the Lord of his great mercy côtinue your good worship my very good Lady your whole famely and that all which be partakers of his feare and looue may bee inheritours of his euerlasting kingdome Your worships humble Seruant alwaies to commaund Iohn Iordan If any man loue me hee vvil keep my vvord and my Father vvil loue him vve vvil come vnto him and vvill dvvell vvith him Iohn 14. I haue in this present text of holye Scripture three necessary braunches to intreat of offred vnto me First I minde God permitting to entreat of that loue which the children of God dutifully owe vnto Jesus Christe their alone God and Sauiour 2 Secondly my purpose is likewise to shew how and by what meanes the said children of God may be knowne to loue Christ Jesus as they ought to doo namely in kéeping his woord 3 The third setteth forth the vtilitie profit and commodity which hapeneth vnto that man which rightly loueth Christ and kéepeth his word namely not onely that God the Father will loue him but also that the whole Trinity will come vnto him and dwell with him The Sermon THe mindes of Gods choseÌ„ people haue neuer any peace or quietnes in the which they may stay them selues vntil they féel them selues vnited vnto Christ by meanes of a perfit and stayed faith with a ful confidence in him and a burning loue towardê him Augustine therfore hath aptly said that loue is a certain coupling of y t louer with the beloued which saying of Augustine may be approued true by the testimonie of S. Iohn in his first Epistle and fourth chapter where he saith That God is charity and he that dwelleth in charity dwelleth in God and God in him Betwéen the which words charity and loue in this place and many more of the holy scriptures I take to be no difference Which loue of God is powred into the harts of Gods children by the holy spirite of God by the means of Christe for the spirit of loue was louingly giuen vnto Christe vnto this end that he shoulde powre it into his members And although the same loue in the children of God is vnperfit during this theyr mortall life because of sinne yet is it acceptable vnto God for that they by fayth are made members of Christe The manner and order of which loue is explicated and set foorth as wel by that seruant of God Moyses in y e Booke called Deutronomium sixt Chapter in these woords Thou shalt loue the Lorde thy God with all thy hart with all thy soule and with all thy might as also the very same woords rehersed or rather coÌ„firmed by our sauiour Christe in the 22. Chapter written by S. Mathewe To loue God with all thine hart is to take dilligent héed that thine hart hée not inclined to the looue of any thinge more then to the loue of thy God To loue him with all thy soule is to stay the trust of thy saluation and safety of thy soule onely on Jesus Christe the sonne of God To loue him with all thy might is to apply all thy sences to the setting foorth of his honour and glory For séeing wée bée wholy his he will haue vs holy to loue him I graunt there are things in this world that may kindle our minds and affectioÌ„s to looue theÌ„ for there be worldly honours the glittering golde she glistering precious stones the beuty of maÌ„kinde the excellent
found shall perish to giue because it ioyneth the hart of man vnto God to a fountayne for that it refreshed the minde to a precious stone because it beautifieth the soule to fire because it warmeth the affection to a garment for that it couereth the turpitude of offences to oyntment for that it supplieth the inward partes Experience of this loue hath béen seen in the death of many Marters they dyīg for the zeale and loue which they did beare vnto God and his trueth consider what they left what way they went and what they looked for what they left wée sée what way they went wée haue heard and perfectly séene what they attayned vnto we sée not but béeleue they left things transitory and vayn they passed through torments paines they attained no dout vnto that which was promised them of God namely euerlasting ioy and endles felicitie Besides these there be many examples set foorth vnto vs in the holy Scriptures how ardently the holy men of God haue from time to time looued the Lord. Abraham shewed the zeale of his looue towardes God when hée was ready to offer his sonne Isaack in sacrifice Iosua béeing olde called the people of Jerusalem vnto him and warning them of many thinges aboue all other thinges hée said take héede most diligently of this that you loue your Lord God It is written of Dauid that with his whole hart he did praise the Lord and looued God that made him The Appostle Saint Peter answered our sauiour earnestly sayīg Lord thou knowst I loue thée Saint Paule had such loue towardes God he that accoūted all things vile that he might winne Christ Again how earnestly dooth he encourage all men to continue in this loue saying Who shall seperate vs from the loue of Christ shal tribulation or anguish or persecutiō or famine or nakednes or perill or sworde Thus I wil end this first braunche with request which the said Saint Paule made to the Philippians saying if therbe therfore any consolation in Christ if any comfort of loue if any fellowship of the spirit if any compassiō and merry fulfil my ioy that ye be like minded hauing the sāe loue béeing of one accord and of one iudgement which thing if we doo not wée shall shew our selues the vnthankfullest creatures that euer God created The second braunche setteth foorth hovv and by vvhat meanes our looue tovvards our sauiour Christe may bee knovven cheefly in keeping his vvord for thus he saith if any man looue me he vvill keep my vvord THe word of Christ in this place is takē as well for y e doctrine which he hīselfe taught with his owne mouth Viua voce as also for that which his ministers haue set foorth doo or shall teach not only out of the newe but also out of the olde Testament as is manifestly shewed in y e xvi Chapter written by Saint Luke in these woords They haue Moyses and the Prophets let them heare them againe Christe speaketh of the Scripturs of bothe Testaments where he saith Iohn 5. Scru tamini scripturas search the Scriptures And the rather to mooue all people to credit and embrace his word he shewed y t it is not his word in respect that hee is man but in respect y t he is God for thus he saith Mea doctrina non est mea sed eius qui misit me My doctrine is not mine but his that sent mée again in the viij of Iohn he sayth I doo nothing of my self but as the father hath taught me euen so I speake these things which saying of Christ may not onely confirme the fayth of the godly knowing that y e doctrine which is taught them is the woord of God but also it is a lesson vnto all Preachers that they teach nothing to the people but that which may be confirmed by Gods words my doctrin is not mine but his that sent me for they are the messengers and Legats of y e most high God and of his sonne Christ Jesus not to teach the people what they lyst but that which is spyed within their commission of Gods worde whosoeuer therfore cannot rightly say of the doctrine which he teacheth my doctrine is not mine but his that sent me that man seduceth him selfe and the people which hée teacheth But the Papists and other here tiques cānot rightly say the said words but they teach the doctrine of men and not the pure woord of God it followeth therfore that they seduce themselues and the people also It séemed good to our God and heauenly father that the holy scripturs should be sette foorth to men chéefly for that cause which is set down in the twenty Chapter written by S. Iohn where it is sayd Haec scripta sunt vt creditis quia Iesus est filius Dei et vt credētes vitam habeatis in nomine eius These things are written that ye might beléeue that Jesus is the sonne of God and that in beleeuing you might haue life through his name Héere is plainly set downe the end why the holy Scriptures concerning Jesus was giuē namely that we might haue fayth in the sonne of God and the end of this fayth is to haue euerlasting life Sithence then that this woord is so profitable vnto vs it behooneth vs to kéepe it not locked vp in chests and cloyesters as the papists kéept it not in woords onely as the Pharisies kept it but in faithfully hearing it beléeuing it and practysing it in our liues as the holy Vigin Mary kept it We haue many examples in the book of God how from time to time the word of God hath béen regarded with Gods people The people sayd vnto Moyses all the wordes which the Lord hath said wée wil doo Hely taught Samuel right wel that he should say vnto the Lord that spake vn to him speak on Lord for thy seruāt hear reth When Esdras redde the booke of the lawe from morning vnto midday it followed that all the people wept for ioye when they heard the wordes of the law of their God when the word of God came from Ionas to y e King of Niniuy without delay he rose out of his princely seate did his apparell off and sat him downe in asijes After the lame mā was healed which is spoken of in the thirde Chapter of the Actes of the Apostles and Peters sermon ended many that heard his sermon beléeved as is shewed in the fourth Chapter of the Actes thus wée sée howe the word of God hath béen regarded in times past of Godlie people And what is the cause that the worde of God is not more regarded and followed in these our dayes sithence it is not so plentifully taught among vs what bée the Bishoppes and Ministers onely in fault or are the Maiestrates and Rulers only to bée blamed or bée the common multitude alone culpable herein no surely in mine opinion no one society
of these are to be blamed alone but eache of them in this degrée are to bée touched in this matter if therfore the Eishoppes Prechers and ministers of the word desire to haue the doctrine which they teach to profit amongst men It behoueth them to take hée de first y T they take not the office vpon them for ambition and couetuousnes sake entring therfo at the windowe like a théefe and murderer but in at the doore which doore is Christe as hée him selfe testifieth in the tenth of Saint Iohn saying I am the doore by mée if any man enter in he shall bée saued He rightly may be said to enter at the doore that faithfully beleeueth in Christe that feeleth in him selfe an aptnes and hability to teach Christs doctrine and is by Christes Church which is guided by the holy ghost lawfully and orderly elected into that function For as Saint Paule sayeth writing to the Hebrues the fift Chapter No man taketh this honour to himselfe but hée that is called of God as was Aron would God experiēc had not taught vs in thes our days that too too many haue rushed into that spirituall function by sinister meanes and waies some by freendship some for hired sake and some for money and gaine The reformation wherof with the déep consideration of the incōueniences that haue doo and are like to grow vnto the Church of Christe by means héereof I reserue vn to you that be in authoritie Secondly if they desire to haue the woord of God to bring forth frute they must not liue in the ministery as ydle Drones but execute their office in labouring and teaching of Gods trueth for as God saith by his Prophet Malachie the secōd Chapter The Priests lips should haue suer knowledge that the people might vnderstād the lawe from their mouth for he is the messenger of the Lord of Hostes vnto such idle loyterers w c will not teach Gods woord God speaketh by his Prophet Ezechiel the xxxiiij chapter saying Woe vnto the shepherds of Israell that féed thēselues should not the shepherds feed y e flockes ye eat the fat and ye cloth you with wull yée kill them that are fed but you féede not the shéep Again by his sayd Prophet he threatneth vnpreaching prelats on this manner When I shall say vnto the wicked O wicked man thou shalt dye y e death if thou doost not speak and admonish the wicked of his way that wicked man shal dye for his iniquitie but his blood wil I require at thy hands Neuerthelesse if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it if he doo not turn from his way he shall dye for his iniquitie but thou hast de liuered thy soule Thirdly if the Prechers of the woord of God be desirous to haue woord to take déep root in the harts of the hearers they must neither preach the word for aduantage lucre or gaine neither to vtter their eloquence neither yet to obtain the praise of men S Peter in his first Epistle and thyrd chapter straightly exhorteth thē saying Féed yée y e flok of Christ as much as lieth in you taking the ouersight of thē not as compelled ther vnto but willingly after a godly sorte not for the desire of filthie lucre but of a good mīd not as though yée were Lords of Gods heritage but y t yée may bée examples vnto the flocke again S. Paule in his first Epistle to Timothie and first Chapter saith That a Bishop should not be giuen to filthy lucre and as hée would not haue them to bée couetuous so he also would haue them in their teachings to vse a playne and orderly kinde of doctrine In his first Epistle to the Corinthians and first Chapter hée saith Christ sent mée not to Preache the Gospell with wisedome of wordes least the crosse of Christe should haue been made of none effect for God sayth I wil destroy the wisdome of the wise Againe in the sayd Epistle and secōd Chapter he sayth my words and my preachinges was not in enticing words of mans wisdome but in playne euidence of the spirite and of power that your fayth should not bée in the wisdome of men but in the power of God And as hée came not with intycing words of mans wisdome so did hée not preach to please men for thus hée saith in the first Chapter to the Galathians doo I séek to please men If I had hetherto studied to please men I were not the seruant of Christe Fourthly if the Preachers of the woord of God desire to haue the Doctrine which they teach to be accepted of men they must frome their liues according to their doctrine which thing if they doo not their hearers may say vnto thē as Isaack sayd vnto Iacob Thy voice is Iacobs voice but thy handes are the handes of Esau Of such dissemblers our Sauiour Christ speaketh in the twenty thrée Chapter of Saint Mathew They sayth hée saye but doo not Such builde the Temple of God with the right hand of good doctrine but put it downe agayne with the lefte hande of their euill liues well hée that knoweth the Fathers will and dooth it not is worthy to be beaten with many stripes So if the Ministers and Preachers of the worde of God enter into that function by sinister and corrupt meanes as by fréendship kinred or for money if they sléep loyter in their office if they preache for promotions and liuings or to vtter their eloquence or to please men rather then to edefie the Church of Christ or if they teach well and liue euill they hinder the frée passage of the Gospell and shall make accounte therof before the Lorde God Now as it is the office of the Bishops and Ministers to Preache the woorde So it is the ofice of y e Magistrats Rulers and gouernours of this Realm to maintaine the same with the sword and to correct the offendor For they rightly cannot be said to be rulers which rule not which speak of the Law but vse it not Such may be likened to S. George fighting with the Dragon but striketh not to a man paīted on a wall drawing a bow with an arrow but shooteth not such haue the work of the Lord in hand but execute it not cōsiderīg not what the Lord hath said by his Prophet Ieremy Cursed bée hée that dooth the worke of the Lord negligently The Rulers therfore ought not onely to make good Lawes for the setting forth of gods worde but also diligently to see that such holesome Lawes be obserued kept as did good Ezechias Iosias others we haue in this land a law made that euerie subiect that is able should cōe vnto the Church to hear Gods word read and preached and to haue the Sacramēts ministred vnto them but how it is kept of some people in some cûtries it is known You wil peraduenture say that y e bishops be in fault if this