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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A04931	A sermon preached by Iohn Knox minister of Christ Iesus in the publique audience of the Church of Edenbrough, within the realme of Scotland, vpon Sonday, the. 19. of August. 1565 For the which the said Iohn Knoxe was inhibite preaching for a season. To this is adioyned an exhortation vnto all the faythfull within the sayde realme, for the reliefe of suche as faythfully trauayle in the preaching of Gods worde. Written by the same Iohn Knoxe, at the commaundement of the ministerie aforesayd.	Knox, John, ca. 1514-1572.	1566 (1566)	STC 15075; ESTC S108139	37,230	132

we suffer the true preachers therof to be oppressed with pouertie before our eyes and yet we shut vp the bowels of mercy from them Let vs consider deare brethren how carefully God commaundeth in his law that the Leuites such as serued that material tabernacle should be prouided of sufficient liuings yea let vs cōsider with what plagues God punished Israell and Iuda when his statutes and his seruaunts were dispised Shal we think that the eternall God wil spare vs if we be found contemners of such as truely preache the Lorde Iesus or lawfully beare any charge within his Church we maye be assured that he will not For as the bodye is more excellent than is the shadow and as the veritie is to be preferred to the signe so are the Ministers of the new testament their spirituall seruice to be preferred tu the leuites and their carnall ceremonies the contempt whereof can not but craue at Gods handes moste seuere punishment bicause as sayde is the office of the one doth farre excell the office of the other They did but reade the law kill the sacrifice sley the beastes take of the skinnes wash the flesh and offer the same as was cōmaunded in the law and for such seruice were the tenthes first fruites and other dueties appointed for their sustentation but the Ministers of Iesu Christ haue an office without al comparison more excellent for they bring to vs the glad tidinges of saluation by the two edged sworde of Goddes worde which is mighty in operatiō they sley that old man that neuer fightes against God they make his thought patent to his owne confusion that the newe man of God maye take lyfe They wash the soules with the bloude of Iesus Christe which aboundantly drops from their lips when truely they preache the vertue and effect of the death of Iesus Christ and rightly minister his sacramentes lefte to be vsed in his Church to holde vs in recent memorie of that so great a benefite Finallye by them are we taught and conducted to offer not onely prayers and thanks giuing but also our bodies and soules in a reasonable and liuely sacrifice vnto God by Iesus Christ. And yet O cruell ingratitude shal we care no more for their sustentation than that we were nothing addicted vnto them neyther yet that God had raised them vppe after ouer long blindnesse to reduce vs againe to the right way of saluation and to conduct vs in the same to the end If we thinke that al these things may be due without ministers or without preaching we vtterly deceyue our selues For the same order that God hath obserued since that he hath collected his visible church he will shall be obserued so long as it continueth vpon the face of the earth that is that euē as vnder the lawe the people were commaunded to require wisdome from the mouthes of the priestes and Leuits had a charge to teach so tourne many from their iniquitie so in this most acceptable time did Iesus Christ ascending to the heauens distribute his glory in diuers sortes for some he made Apostles some Prophetes some Euaungelistes that is preachers of glad tidings some pastours some teachers to the end that we might all come to the vnitie of the faith and to the knowledge of the sonne of God Now if we think that none within Scotlande lackes true faith yea if we thinke that our children can attayne to the right knowledge of God without true doctrine then maye we dreame with our selues that ministers are not necessarie and so are we nothing addicted vnto them But if that faith commeth by hearing and that by the hearing of Gods worde and that Gods word is not sent vnto vs absolutely from heauen by Aungels but is planted by the holy spirite in the heartes and mouthes of men whome God of his mercye sendes forth into the world to sowe therin the seede of his Euangell we can not but cōfesse our selues detters to our ministers The dispisers of whome yea all suche as to their power supporte them not in their necessities are before his throne iudged contempners of his owne maiestie And therfore yet once againe let euery faithfull consider what is his duetie and let vs abhor that ingratitude that we shuld suffer the seruants of the Lorde Iesus to begge or trauaile in pouerty before our eyes for if we doe we banishe from vs Iesus Christ and the light of his euangell The Apostle commaundeth a bishop and euery true preacher of Iesus Christ is a christian bishop among the rest of his vertues to be one that keepeth hospitalitie and is able to receyue straungers This can he not doe without reasonable prouision and by whome the bishop shoulde be prouided S. Paule aunswereth in these wordes Let him that is taught cōmunicate in al his goods with him that teacheth him and againe is it anye great thing that while we sowe vnto you spirituall things that we shuld reape of you carnall things of which and many moe places it is euident that the flock is boundē to prouide for their pastor I wil not excuse vs deare brethrē to cry and complaine we are compelled to answere our bishops persons and vicars Our teachers are taken vp most rigorously how shal we then be able to susteyne oure ministers These complaintes and appearing reasons deare brethren will vanish with winde when we shal come to the straight examination of cōsciences before God For are we not commaunded to honor God with our substance thinke we that we doe honor him when with our substāce we fil the bellies of dumb dogges yea of Gods coniured enimies and suffer his seruauntes to fall into pouertie before our eyes if ye thinke we shall be excused bicause that the order of lawe constrayneth vs therevnto the Godly feare in case this reason shall be admitted before God lest tirannie vnder collour of lawe wil take from vs our tithes and so can we not sustayne our ministers This reason brethren will be weake yea so weake that we feare it shal be repelled before the incorrupt iudge For howe manye of vs haue complayned vpon that tiraunt Who hath made intercessiō to the Maiestrats for redresse of that enormity Yea alas howe many of vs are not maintayners of those theues and partakers of their murders called Bishops Abbottes and Pryors Let no man wōder that we terme such men with so odious termes no let them rather wonder that God poureth not forth the vttermost of his vengeaunce vpon the realme and vs that maintaine such tirants in their tirannie in this great light of his Euangell Theues they are for they take large fee and serues not murtherers they are bicause that by withholding the bread of lyfe they cause the soules of men to dye for hunger of Gods worde And yet how conspire we with thē what doe we to maintayne that abuse of those

the restitution of his gloryous gospell Shall we then thinke that he will leaue his church destitute in this moste daungerous age Onely lee vs sticke to his truth and studye to conforme our lyues to the same and he shall multiply his knowledge and increase his people but now let vs heare what the Prophet sayth more Lorde in trouble haue they visited thee they poured out a prayer when they chastening was vpon them The Prophet meaneth that such as in the time of quietnesse did not rightly regard God nor his iudgements were compelled by sharpe corrections to seeke God yea by cryes and dolorous complayntes to visit him True it is that suche obedience deserueth small praise before men for who can prayse or accept that in good parte which commeth as it were of mere compulsion And yet rare it is that any of Gods children doe giue vnsayned obedience vntill the hande of God turne them For if quietnesse and prosperitie make them not vtterly to forget their duety both towardes God and man as Dauid for a season yet it maketh them carelesse insolent and in manye things vnmindeful of those things that God chiefly craueth of them which imperfection espied and the daunger that thereof might ensewe our heauenly father visiteth the sinnes of his children but in the rodde of his mercye by the which they are moued to retourne to their God to accuse their former negligence and to promise better obedience in all times therafter as Dauid confesseth saying before I fell in affliction I went astray but now will I kepe thy statuts But yet for the better vnderstāding of the Prophetes minde we may consider how God doth visit man and howe man doth visit God and what difference there is betwixt the visitation of God vpon the reprobate and his visitation vpon the chosen God sometymes visiteth the reprobate in his hote displeasure pouring vpon them his plagues for their long rebellion as we haue heard before that he visited the proud and destroyed their memorie Other tymes God is sayde to visit his people being in affliction to whome he sendeth comforte or promise of deliuerance as he did visit the seede of Abraham being oppressed in Egipt and Zacharie sayth that God had visited his people and sent vnto them hope of deliueraunce when Iohn the Baptist was borne But of none of these visitations speaketh our Prophet here but of that onely which we haue already touched to wit when that God layeth his correction vpon his owne childrē to call them from the venemous beastes of this corrupt worlde that they sucke not in ouer greate haboundance the poyson therof doth as it were weane them from their mothers paps that they may learne to receyue other norishmēt True it is that this weaning or spaning as we terme it frō worldly pleasure is a thing straunge to the flesh and yet it is a thing so necessary to Gods children that onlesse they be weaned frō the pleasures of the world they can neuer feede vpon that delectable milke of Gods eternall veritie For the corruption of the one doth eyther hinder the other to be receyued or else so trobleth the whole powers of man that the soule can neuer so digest the truth of God as that he ought to doe Albeit this appeareth harde yet it is most euident For what liquor can we receyue from the breasts of the world but that which is in the worlde and what that is the Apostle Iohn teacheth saying what soeuer is in the world is either the lustes of the eyes the lustes of the fleshe or the pride of lyfe Nowe seeing that these are not of the father but of the worlde howe can it be that our soules can feede vpon chastitie temperance and humilitie so longe as that our stomaks are replenished with the corruption of these vices Now so it is that willingly fleshe can neuer refuse these forenamed but rather still delyghteth it selfe in euery one of them yea in them all as the examples are but to euident It behoueth therefore that God himself shal violently pul his children from these venemous breasts that when they lacke the liquor poyson of the one ▪ they may visit him and learne to be nourished of him Oh if the eies of worldly Princes shoulde be opened that they might see with what humor and lyquor their soules are fed while that their whole delight consisteth in pryde ambition and lustes of the stinking flesh We vnderstande then how God doth visite men aswell by his seuere iudgementes as by his mercifull visitation of deliuerance from trouble or by bringing trouble vpon his chosen for their humiliation And now it res●●th to vnderstand howe man visiteth God man doth visite God when he appeareth in his presence be it to the hearing of his worde or to the participation of his sacramentes as the people of Israell besides the obseruation of their Sabothes and dayly oblations were commaunded thrice a yeare to present them selues before the presēce of the tabernacle and as we doe as often as we present our selues to the hearing of the worde For there is the fotestole yea there is the face and throne of God himself whersoeuer the gospell of Iesus Christ is truely preached and his sacraments rightly ministred But men maye on this sort visite God hipocritically for they maye come for the fashion they maye heare with deafe eares yea they may vnderstand and yet neuer determyne with themselues to obey that which God requyreth And let such mē be assured that he who searcheth the secrets of hearts wil be auēged of al such For nothing can be to God more odyous than to mock him in is owne presence Let euery man therefore examine himselfe with what minde and what purpose he cōmeth to heare the worde of God yea with what care he heareth it and what testimonie his heart giueth vnto him when that God cōmaundeth vertue and forbiddeth impietie Repinest thou when God requireth obedience Thou hearest to thine owne cōdempnation Mockest thou at Gods threatenings Thou shalt feele the weight and truth of them albeit to late when flesh bloude cannot deliuer thee from his hande But the visitation wherof our Prophet speaketh is only proper to the sonnes of God who in the tyme when God taketh from them the pleasures of the world or sheweth his angry countenaunce vnto them haue their recourse vnto him and confessing their former negligence with troubled hearts cry for his mercy This visitation is not proper to all afflicted but appertaineth onely to Gods children For the reprobate can neuer haue accesse to Goddes mercye in time of their tribulation and that bicause they abuse as well his long pacience as the manifolde benefits they receiue from his handes For as the same Prophet heretofore sayth let the wicked obtaine mercy yet shal he neuer learne wisedome but in the lande of righteousnesse that is where the very knowledge of God aboundeth he will doe wickedly which is a

theues we haue tacks by them we haue interest and title to tithes and for loue of the spoile we mainetaine their murthers in oppression of the pore Let vs not be deceyued deare brethren There is no lawe made by man that can make these lawful neyther yet the substance of one to be the iust possession of an other without a iust title The tenthes were once appointed by God to the Leuites to the pore to the widow fatherlesse and straungers and the lawes of Emperours Kings and Princes did after Christ appoint the same to the like vse to wit to the sustentation of such as trauaile in the Church for the reliefe of the pore and for maintenaunce of learning Nowe say we to transfer the tythes from these vses the persons before named not being prouided for is both to commit theft sacriledge yea the spoile of the pore is in the houses of so manye as vniustlye possesse them and who they are ye haue before heard neyther shall they in the ende escape that sentence of the Prophete The malediction of the Lorde is vpon the house of the thefe But yet brethrē let vs suppose that in no sorte we did consent with those oppressiōs but that we opponed our selues vnto them to the vttermoste of our powers and yet we were oppressed in our iust cause by the tirannie of vniust lawes should we yet be excused before God if we communicate not with the necessitie of the ministers of Iesus Christ Let vs be moste assured that we can not for that sentence of our Lorde and iudge standes euer in force Worthy is the laborer of his wages And againe you shall not mussell the mouth of the Oxe that treadeth forth the corne The execution of these precepts he wil alway require of you howsoeuer we flatter oure selues in our owne imaginations neyther doth extremitie of lawes nor corruption of tymes excuse vs before God of the duetie he requires of vs. Which thing did Abdias seruaunt to Achab and Iesabell rightly consider for when by them but Iesabell chieflye the Prophets of the Lord were destroied he hid in caues an hundreth Prophets of the Lorde and fed thē with bread and water that is liberallye and sufficientlye for then was water more scant in Israel than ale or wyne is as yet amongest vs. Did a man feede an hundered seruauntes of the Lorde and in that tyme when things were most scant and yet both the King and the Queene sought the subuersion of true religion and the destruction of all Gods true seruants and shal not a thousand of vs and moe that haue professed the Lord Iesus with in this realme vpon our charges sustaine two or three hundereth of such as haue trauailed and yet trauaile to aduance the kingdome of Iesus Christ amongst vs if we doe not fearefull shall the sentence be that shall be pronounced against vs by him whose voyce we shall not then be able to gainstand whē from his throne he shall saye Depart from me ye workers of iniquitie for I was hungry and ye fed me not thirstie ye gaue me no drinke naked ye clothed me not I lacked harbrowe and ye receyued me not into your house Playne it is that Christ Iesus in his owne person neyther suffers hunger nor thrist he needes neyther clothes nor house but as him selfe in the same place saith whatsoeuer ye did not to the lest one of these that ye did not to me Let vs deare brethren ponder these wordes and let vs nowe beginne to shew the fruites of repentance and vnfaynedly to magnifie the worde of our saluation Let the bowels of our mercye be opened to oure brethren Let neuer the pestilente Papists haue cause to reioyce ouer vs that they shall hereafter saye that our own ingardenes banished Iesus Christ from vs. Which thing if without hipocrisie and of good courage we begin to doe then no doubt but God shall blesse the labors of our hande he shall restore to vs our former courage strike the hartes of our enimies with the same feare that they haue felt before It is we deare brethren it is we that hath exponed the glorious Euangell of Iesus Christ to this daūger within this realme for while that the moste parte of vs studied for the building of our own house the house of the Lord was neglected and dispised And in the meane time hath the enimie so preuayled that we and it stand in equall daūger saue that the spirituall house of God can neuer vtterly be suppressed But we may fal both temporally and eternally if we dispise the sermon of exhortation which calles vs agayne to our first profession If we heare obey his voice there is mercy power and good will in our God Mercy to pardon our former negligence power to represse the pride of our enimies and good will to maintaine the cause of his truth that once of his mercy he hath made to prosper in our handes O Lorde for thine owne name sake moue our heartes to consider our dueties Preserue the flock to whome thou of thy mercy hast reueled thy selfe Purge this realme of damnable Idolatry and continewe to our posteritie the light of thy worde in the same puritie that thou haste offered it vnto vs. Take our rude exhortatiō in good part deare brethren and be bolde vpon vs in all thinges not repugning to god The grace of our Lord Iesus rest with you and vs now euer At Edingbrough in our generall assembly the laste cessions thereof the .28 of December 1565. Iohn Knoxe at the commaundement of the brethren before mencioned ❧ The dispotion Ver. 13. Psal. 82. Rom. 13. Deut. 17. Iosua 1. What is required of a King or Prince The authoritie power of kings is Limmitted The dutie of Gods people ●che 20. 2. Reg. 17. Isai. Iere. 9. Eccle. 3. Isa. 3. Verse 14. Verse 15. Ezech. 8. Apoca. Verse 15. Verse 16. ●osu 24. Rom. 9. Daniell 1. Daniell 2. Daniell 3. Daniell 6. 1. Esd. 1. 1. Esd. 6. A prayer Verse 16. Psal. 119. 1. Iohn 2. 1. Reg. 22. 2. Reg. 9. Verse 17. Verse 18. Iohn 16. Verse 19 20. Verse 19. Gala. 2. 1. Pet. 1. Ezech. 37. 1. Corin. 16. Ephe. 5. Psal. 14 1. Iohn 5. Ephe. 1. Apocal. 1● ●●ele histo ●●omoni 〈◊〉 5. ca. 5. Verse 2● ●●al Psal. A terrible but moste true sentēce The castle ●f Eden●rough was ●●ooting a●ainst the ●xiled for ●hrist Iesus ●ake The an●were is the Quene can ●pare no●hing This is the commaundement of the spirit o● God Hebr. 13. Act. 2. Rom 15. 2 Corint 9. Galat. 4. Phil. 4. Let euerie mā descend within him selfe Act. 6. ●t Scotlād ●duert ●ho are ●●ey that ●●uerence ●●t the euā●●list of Ie●●s Christ. ●●●od 22. Leuit. 27. Nu. 28. Deut. 12. Hebr. 4. Rom. 8. As Christ was crucified amongest the Galathians Gala. 3. Rom. 12. Deut. 17. Math. 2. Cor. 12. ●ph 4. ●et yet Scot●and ad●ert Rom. 10. Gala. 6. Pro. 3. Or Leases Howsoeuer ▪ the worlde mocke this God shall aproue it Zacha. 5. ● Corin. 9. 1. Reg. 25. Math. 25. 〈◊〉 graūt ●hat this ●ay yet ●e vnder●●ande for ●ft before it was heard and mocked of manye