like Symon Magus that walked with Phillip as a disciple yet wrought with mony like a worldling Achabs wife would neuer put on demure apparell but when she spake with the Prophets nor our dissembling Protestants bee neuer holy but at Sermon times They heare and desire like Saints but liue deserue like deuils they can looke and speake holily whereby they séeme glorious before men but their workes are naught and therefore odious in the sight of God whose outward behauior is much like cloudes without raine whereby God himselfe doth mocke such fruitles showes These hypocrites therefore are possessed with deuils thy sléep in sinne and it is high time to awake them Though the obseruing of the Sabboth day touching bodily rest do belong to the Ceremonial lawe and shadowes which had an end in Christ being therefore altered from Saterday do Sonday yet as the Iewes did celebrate theirs in remembrance of the creation of the world so ought wee to obserue and kéepe our Sabboth in remembrance of the resurrection of Christ and as a figure to confirme our hope in the resurrection of our owne bodies and our spirituall rest in glorie to come as also for a comely and decent order to bee vsed in the Church that in resting from bodily work we may charitably assemble together to the end the Lord by the preaching of his word may bring forth his worke in vs to his owne glorie and our saluation but our Sabboth in many places is so vilely abused as though it had bene rather ordained to serue Bacchus and Venus the people beeing growen so carelesse negligent and licentious to feast when they should fast play when they should pray and laugh when they should wéep for their sins as though there were neither God nor deuill heauen nor hell As euerie honest nature hath affection good will to his natiue soile and place of birth so ought euery good Christian to haue a godly desire to the soile of his regeneration place of his new birth by Baptisme which is the temple of God the schoole of Christ nurse of Christianitie to make open confession of his sinnes and rehearsal of his faith to intreate for pardon pray for things necessary giue thankes for benefites past to celebrate the Sacramentes to heare and learne his duty and right way to saluation to beléeue truly liue honestly and walke vprightly If the ground yeeld not sappe to the tree it will soone seare and wither away if the lampe be not fed with oyle it must needes goe out if any liuing thing bee kept from nourishing it cannot liue euen so if the faith of a Christian doe not receiue continual sap and moistnes of the heauenly word fed with the oyle of swéet promises in Christ and nourished with the wholesome bread of life it cannot continue but consume and die The séede of the Gospel must stil be sowne in our harts or we cannot reape the haruest of eternal life where prophesie faileth the people perish When the Lord of a manor appointeth his tenants a day to come to his Court the rolles are laide open the Stuard is ready prepared to giue the charge the tenants are dutiful to come attentiue to heare and diligent to execute their Lordes will and if any shall chaunce to be absent or come after the charge be giuen no doubt the Lord wil be very angry and set a fine vpon his head euen so the Lord of all Lords of whom and at whose will we haue receiued and do hold all that euer we haue doth euery Sabboth day kéepe his court at his temple Church or house of praier his rolles the sacred Bible is layd open the Stuard or Minister is ready to giue the charge and tel euery man his dutie and if any of his tenants or people be absent and refuse to come no doubt the Lorde himselfe will be angry or if they come after the charge when seruice or sermon is done they were as good not come at all Againe such a dutiful tenant as desire to stand in his Lordes fauour will nowe and then prepare and bring him a present such as he knoweth his Lord loueth but no present is more pretious in the sight of our heauenly Lord than the praiers thankes of an humble penitent hart and therefore he that will please him and stand in his fauor must often féde his appetite with such presents The Papists of a blind zeale in time of darknesse would not stick to rise vp at midnight to publike praier fast with bread and water suffer hunger and colde run some times an hundred mile bare footed and bare legged to séeke a dumbe image but our professed Protestants hauing the true light of the Gospell their praier and deuotion is faint colde as ise and their disobedience greater than their fathers ignorance When they come together it is rather of compulsion custome or fashion sake than of any godly zeale much like a sullen stubborn and froward seruant that when his maister calleth him commeth grudging with a sowre moiling countenance mumbling a dogs pater noster and with lesse reuerence than those thréehalfepeny seruants that Esop hired to heare him recite his fables The Apostle S. Paul saith that forasmuch as man is the image of Gods glory he ought not in time of prophesying or prayers to couer or dishonor his head and in another place At the name of Iesus euery knée shall bow and the Prophet Esay Al knées shal bow vnto me saith the Lord. The méetest gesture and séemliest behauior at praier and thanksgiuing is knéeling so praied Daniel Paul and Christ himselfe but our people are growen so stubborne wilfull and wayward that in stead of humilitie and reuerence they fall to kicke at their dutie thinke scorn to vncouer their heads in time of sermon or seruice for hurting their cappes Or to knéele at the name of Iesus for wresting their ioynts Or looke vp to heauen when they pray for wrinkling theyr ruffes These people are therfore possessed with deuils they sléepe in sinne and it is high time to awake them In times past he that had learned the seuen liberal artes as Grammer the key of knowledge Logike the rules of reason Rethorike the mother of eloquence Musicke the swéet recreation of wearied minds Astronomie the secret knowledge of nature and course of the heauens Arithmetike the arte of numbring Geometrie to worke by rule compasse waight and measure he had obtayned and gotten euen a worlde of wealth treasure But in these our wretched daeis the eight liberall science called Ars adulandi the golden art of flattery hath wonne the gole and sitteth in fortunes lap so that without skill in that arte though neuer so well séene in the rest a man shal hardly finde meanes to shift in the world Qui nescit simulare nescit viuere These flattering clawbacks students of brazen face colledge are no doubt a most dangerous
sacrifice vnto God it is a greater fault to let goe a Wolfe than to kill a lambe in the flocke and a greater offence to pardon a rebell or a traitor than to kill a true man but these are not called rebelles as they are because they are not hanged vp as they should He that hath a dogge that is a shéepe biter must by lawe either hang him vp or else pay for the shéepe he hath wearied euen so the Christian magistrate whome it hath pleased God to set in authoritie and giuen charge to gouerne and defend his poore shéepe knowing notorious biters lying in waite to deuoure them must either hang vp those curres or answere to God for those shéepe that they doe wearie The bridle sayth Salomon belongeth to the horse a whip to the Asse and a rod for the fooles back Correct a wise man with a nod but a foole with club we sée that nodding will not serue nor becking will not serue nor winking will not serue it must be a club a hatchet or a halter or else such busie headed fooles as disdaine to be ruled will neuer be quiet till they may rule themselues without controulment Their wordes and reasons vnto many séeme big in sound yet in truth are but small in weight great in shewe little in substance full of terrour voide of wisedome rather bugs to fray babes than matter to moue any staide Christian greate persuasions to seduce weake flesh yet not sufficient to satisfie consciences they may stirre vp coniectures in some vnstaide braines which like weake réedes will moue and wagge with euerie blast of winde yet not able to staie assurance in such constant Christian subiectes as stande firme and faithfull to God their Prince and Countrie like oaks so that Helleborus were more fit to purge their frantike braines than arguments to confute their trifling errors To procéede our delicate and fruitfull Countrie hath ingendered a multitude of daintie and vicious people proude prodigall wasters miserable pinching proulers false dissembling liars faire lookes and smooth tongues without good meaning some cruell as Lions some craftie as Foxes some rauenous as Wolues some enuious as dogges some lecherous as Goates some filthie as Swine the most part either hypocrites wicked liuers or ignorant of God euery one in loue with his owne face like Narcissus the higher sort contemning their inferiors with snuffing scorne and the lower sort stoâ—â—aking their superiours with grudging spight It is said that a Cameleon can transforme himselfe into al colours saue white and our people haue all conditions saue honestie I thinke in Sodome was neuer more filthines in Flanders more dronkennes in Crete more lying in France more dissimulation nor in Iewrie more hypocrisie than is now practised in England And as good men would gladly haue euill men amended so euil men would rather haue good men consumed The multitude of sinners haue to chased awaie the shame of sinne that common wickednesse is taken for no priuate offence there is such vnmerciful bribing oppressing and wringing the poore as though there were neither God to honour deuil to dread heauen to hope for nor hell to eschue Euery one is more liberall to lend another his conscience than his money and his seale is of more credit than his soule One crowe will not picke out the eies of another but for mony one man wil not sticke to picke another to the hard bones according to the Prouerbe Homo homini Lupus est Man to man is no man but a Wolfe These people therefore are possessed with deuils they sleepe in sinne and it is high time to awake thm The glory of the Romanes in olde time was to speake lyttle and doe much of the Gréekes to speake much and doe lyttle and of our dissembling Protestants to talke much but earne to amend nothing at all Our Elders were rude in spéech and ciuil in manners we ciuil in spéech and rude in manners they beléeued as Pagans and liued like Christians we beléeue as Christians and liue like Pagans they preached not the word nor we liue according to the word the name of God is in our tongues but his feare is not in our hearts the Papists doe call vs Solifidians but our workes declare vs rather Nullifidians wee are like the Athenians the more good we know y e lesse good we do or pepper which is hotte in the mouth but colde in the bellie so wee frie in wordes but fréese in deedes speake by elles but worke by inches We reade of one Pambo who after he had heard one lesson would heare no mo till hée had learned to practise that one wée desire to heare thousands and yet frame our selues to practise none our preachers for the better instruction of the people in all truth and godlynesse haue paynefully indeauoured themselues to beate downe the superstitious abuse of fasting prayers and almes déedes commending the thing it selfe as verie pleasant and acceptable in Gods sight but they vnderstanding as it were with theyr héeles vpon a wylfull neglygence haue taken occasion thereby to cast awaye both fasting prayer and almes déedes with feastes of the poore and all together Againe some Preachers teach the people at the hearing of the name of Iesus to bowe the knee another sorte denie it as vnlawfull to yeelde more reuerence to that name than to God the Father and the holy Ghost the people hearing that thinke scorne to bowe their knée to any of all the thrée Thus they make theyr libertie a cloake of loosenesse turne the grace of God vnto wantonnesse and the Gospell of Christ vnto lewdnesse they haue changed works into wordes godly deuotion into bare knowledge and are become rather lippe Gospellers than life Gospellers The Papistes were not so zealous to gilde their Temples with golde but our Protestantes are as neglygent to gilde theyr soules with vertue They were beneficiall and diligent both in decking the false dead pictures of Saincts and féeding the true liuely members of Christ and wee séeme to condemne the one and leaue the other vndone They vsed fasting from meates we neither from meate nor sinne they praied often we seldome or neuer they were bountifull to the poore but we liue onely to our selues they wrought of intent to merit heauen but we neither do good for merite nor yet of charitie and duetie yea wée are come from blinde zeale to wylfull wickednesse and from superstition to no religion For the worlde is nowe growen to this point that if a man of godly zeale and deuotion doe accustome orderlie to frequent the Church he is accounted an hypocrite If he bee giuen religiously to fast and praie he is taken for a Papist And if he kéep a good house for reléefe of the poore he is called a merite monger Wherby fasting is despised praier contemned and almes déeds abhorred Thus haue we cast off the workes of Simon Peter are become in manners
and contagious kinde of vermine as intollerable amongest men as wolues amongst lambes Rauens ease not men till they be dead but these smooth glozing Arch-parasites with two faces in one hood like Ianus two tongs in a head like Iudas and two harts in a brest like Magus do dayly eat men quicke become so familiar with the superior sort that they bring to passe euen what they list so as the world séemeth to be diuided betweene the secret dissembler and the open blasphemer These parasites are therefore possessed with some great captaine deuil they sléepe in sinne the Lord of his mercie conuert them least they perish themselues or of his iustice confound them for infecting of others This land is also most vildely corrupted with intollerable pride with such a confused mingle mangle and varietie of apish toyes in apparell euery day flaunting in newe fashions to deforme Gods workemanship in theyr bodies as greate monstrous ruffes starched in the deuils licour and set with instruments of vanitie doublets with great burssen bellies as though theyr guts were ready to fall out some garded lyke French men some fringed lyke Venetians some their heads Turkish their backes Spanish and their wastes Italian some theyr hayre curled and theyr beardes writhen to make them looke grimme and terrible as though they had séene the deuil with long daggers at their backes to kill euery one they méet prouder than themselues with such riotous excesse and vaine curiositie that I thinke they haue made a league with Satan a couenant with hell and an obligation with the deuill to marry his eldest daughter they sléepe in sinne and are as easie to be waked or reformed as the olde worlde was at the preaching of Noe or the latter age at the preaching of Christ. Pride is the mother of hypocrisie the enemie of deuotion the nursse of enuie and the fountayne of all vice sinne was the cause why God did first giue vs apparell not as badges of pride to féede the eies of vaine gazing fooles but to couer our shame and kéepe vs from colde Quid superbis terra cinis quid veste nitida gloriaris subter te sternitur tinea operimentum tuum erunt vermes haec tua vestis erit Againe our Countrie is most horribly choaked and ouergrowne with multitudes of dronken tospots vile lecherous whooremongers and filthie intising drabs which vices doe so greatly offend both the maiestie of God the lawe of nature and the common wealth that if the very stones in the stréete could speake they would crie out vpon it Yet by meanes of greasing bribing and corrupting of officers put in trust to punish them it is no more accounted of but a sporte or game to laugh at as though heauen and hell were nothing else but olde wiues fables to feare and flatter children withall These are no doubt possessed with deuils they sléepe in sinne and it is high time to awake them If filthy whooremaisters would waigh with themselues how God doth know the very secrets of the hart that of his iustice he wil leaue no sin vnpunished either in this world or in the world to come they would surely be afraid to do that in his sight which is so shamefull lothsome odious to be done in the presence of an honest earthly man It is a thing most filthy against nature that a professed Christian an adopted child of God a member of Christ temple of the holy ghost redéemed with no lesse price than by shedding the very heart bloud of the deare only beloued son of God should take that same body mēber of Christ make it y e mēber of an harlot S. Gregory compareth lechery to a firy furnace whereof the mouth is gluttony y e flame pride y e sparkles filthy words the smoke an euil name the ashes pouertie the end shame cōfusion at the last saith Salomon it biteth like a serpent and stingeth like an Adder Whoordome besides y e infamy of the world it wasteth y e goods withereth y e body decaieth y e health shortneth the life maketh a man stinke in the sight of God The vice of dronkennesse in like manner consumeth the wealth surfets the bodie dulleth the wit dimmeth the vnderstanding troubleth the senses without repentance bringeth both bodie soule into hell And therefore if either the feare of God the shame of the worlde the desire to be in their right wits to liue in health of body or to escape the miserable state of beggerie may moue them to repentaunce amendment it is now time to awake detest auoid such horrible wickednes which doe iustly merit a short life a shamefull death There was neuer more sincere preaching nor so litle following so great perswasions to honestie vertue so many giuen ouer to vice naughtinesse so much exhortation to loue and charitie so many stuffed with hatred enuy We greatly complaine of the vnfruitfulnes of the earth the corruption of the aire the vnconstantnesse of the world time that slips so fast away but we complaine not against our owne selues for whose sinful liues the very heauens doo wéepe we professe to be the followers of Christ yet in Christian behauior much inferior to y e heathen Ethnicks that knew not God who passed vs as far in good liuing as we passe them in good learning we greatly delight to beare the name of Abrahams children yet not so willing to kil one wicked affection y t offēdeth God as Abraham was at his cōmandemēt to kill his only beloued sonne It is said that the Castor the Elephant being hūted the one for the vertue of his genitors the other for his tooth the Castor biteth off his genitors and the Elephant findeth a meane to wrest out his tooth cast them away to saue their bodies but our people had rather both preacher pulpit were set on a fire then they would cast away their filthie vices to saue both bodie and soule The sea-man knoweth his tide the Swallow her time and the Crane her season but our people are senselesse the tempestuous windes the waues of the sea and the verie deuils themselues did heare and obey his word but they sléepe so soundly in sinne that neither the infamy and shame of the world can moue them nor al gentle admonitions allure them nor the terrible threatnings of hell torments once feare them nor the filthinesse of sinne that séemed so odious to the verie infidels withdraw them nor the continuall preaching of all creatures vnder heauen persuade them to repent and amend Saint Anthony being a man vnlearned had no other bookes but these and he that can behold these excellent bookes setting foorth the wisedome and goodnesse of almightie God without praysing and glorifying his name is worse then a bruit beast The Sunne Moone and Starres by whose heate light the whole world
is nourished and gouerned doe dayly preach vnto vs The bewtie of the heauens the wholsomenesse of the ayre and the plentifulnesse of the earth do daily teach vs the pleasant valleies delightfull springs and rich mines of treasures do dayly instruct vs the goodly fruitfull trées medicinable hearbes and swéete fragrant floures more gloriously attyred then Salomon in all his royaltie doe dayly admonish vs aske the beasts of the fielde the fishes of the Sea and the foules of the ayre and they will tell thée and say we were all created and ordained for the vse and profite of man Yea our Sauiour Christ himself calleth daily vpon vs Yong man arise Damsell arise Lazarus come forth dead sinner awake but their eares are deafe their mindes obstinate and their senses without féeling Séeing thē that God hath knocked at the doore of our consciences by so many and sundrie meanes and of his mercy hath tarried waiting so long for amendement it cannot be but great vengeance must néeds follow Hainous sinnes doe call downe grieuous plagues euery kingdome deuided within it selfe saith our Sauiour Christ shall be desolate but England by sects factions heresies and schismes is deuided it it selfe the Lord of his mercy defend it from that which followeth If God so sharpely punished one sinne in Adam and the Angels what may we that haue committed such a multitude of sinnes looke for If we shall yéeld an account for euery idle worde what reckoning shall wee make for such horrible offences both in words and actions God is said to haue féete of leade but hands of yron hee commeth slowly but when he commeth he payeth home as one man smiting another the higher he lifteth vp his hand the greater is the stroke euen so the longer that God tarrieth looking for amendment the greater will his punishment bée when it commeth If we will not glorifie his name in repenting and turning vnto him he will glorifie himselfe in reuenging and heaping plagues vpon vs. He is the God of iudgement and Lord of reuenge at whose word the very heauens doe tremble the earth doth quake the mountaines shake hée is a wise and righteous Iudge hee searcheth the very secrets of the heart and reines he wil not be mocked nor deceiued neither will excuses goe for payment in his sight hée is righteous and iust in al his dealings faithful and true of his promise his word is alwaies most certaine and sure yea and Amen that except we repent we shall all perish in our sins those that refuse his mercy so louingly offered shal surely féele his iustice To fall into sinne commeth of humaine weakenesse but to lye still and sléepe in sinne after so much teaching by his creatures his worde his writings his Preachers and his owne example is proper onely to the waywarde impes of Sathan Sodome and Gomorre Tire and Sidon the Niniuites and Quéene of the South shall rise vp at the last day and condemne this generation for if the doctrine and miracles which haue béene shewed amongst these had béene done amongst them they had long since repented in sackecloth and ashes Though I be earnest beare with me I touch not those that be good and say too little to such as bee naught I appeale to God who knoweth these things to bée true and to the worlde who cannot for shame denie them And if I haue said nothing but the truth then blame not me but go about your owne amendment for séeing that all flesh haue so corrupted the Lords way that such abhomination is wrought amongst men and the measure of iniquitie heaped so full it must néeds follow that the iudgements of God are not farre off No doubt his bow is readie bent the arrowes of his vengeance are drawne to the heade his fire is kindled and his wrath is gone out and readie to be powred vpon the contemners of his lawe and therefore high time to awake from sinne When Dauid killed Vrias committed adultery with his wife he slept in sin but being awaked by Nathā the prophet he repented earnestly when Mary Magdalen was possessed with seuen deuils she slept in sinne but being waked by hearing the sound of Chrstis Gospel she lamented pitifully whē Peter forsware his master he slept in sin but being wakened at the crowing of a little cocke he went out wept bitterly It is a common vsage in cities great townes to awake the people from sléep and giue them knowledge that night is welnigh gone the day at hand either by playing of waites ringing of bels sounding of trumpets or singing of Psalms and in country villages the Cocke is a necessarie bird for the same purpose euen so the Preachers of the word as Waites they haue played vnto you as trumpets they haue soūded out the word of life vnto you as Belles they haue rung out his heauenly will vnto you as Psalmistes they haue sung his wondrous workes vnto you and as Cocks they haue crowed and warned you to prepare your selues forasmuch as y e night or time of darkenesse is welnigh spent and the day of saluation at hand And as a litle after midnight the Cock doth crow a litle while and then ceaseth about thrée of the clocke somewhat longer and when it draweth neare day very long and thicke euen so in the time of king Henry the eight our English Cocks began to crow a litle and afterward in King Edwards daies somwhat longer but now in her Maiesties happie reigne they haue crowed aboue thirtie yeares together and now to warne you that the night is past and the day is euen at hand they crow thicke thicke and therfore it is time now or els neuer to awake from sin and cast away the déedes of darkenesse Whiles the husbandman slept the enemy came and sowed tares amongst the wheate while the foolish Virgins slept without Oile in their lampes the bridegrome came and shut them out from the wedding for as much therefore as we know not when the maister of the house will come let vs awake vp and watch least he finde vs sléeping beholde I come as a théefe sayth the Lord happie is hée that watcheth and kéepeth his garments of fayth and charitie lest he walke naked and men sée his filthinesse watch sayth the Apostle stande fast in fayth be strong continue in prayer and quit your selues like men for the time is at hand Some learned men by certaine coniectures haue painted out the time and season of the last iudgement alledging the Oracle of Elias y t the world should stand two thousand yeres before the law two thousand in the law and two thousand in the time of grace and out of saint Peter a thosand yeares with God is but as one day one day as a thousand yeares And as in sixe dayes the Lord made the world and rested the seuenth
wicked impes Amongst eight persons in the arke with Noah was one naughtie packe Amongst the twelue chosen Apostles with Christ himself was one Iudas and therefore as if in Sodom there had béene found but tenne good men the whole citie had béene saued for their sakes so though some of their fellow ministers lacke grace to liue as they ought yet would charitie rather beare with some badde because of the good then openly to deface discredite their brethren because of some bad The spirit of wisdome is louing gentle The Apostle S. Paul would not haue those that are endued with greater giftes to disdaine their brethren hauing lesser neither an elder rebuked rigorously nor accusation receiued against him vnder 2 or 3 witnesses But forasmuch as we are all fellow seruants none of vs without his imperfections hee would haue one to suffer and beare the weakenesse of another one to helpe and comfort another that nothing be done through strife or vaineglory but in méekenes of mind euery one to estéeme another better than himselfe and whereas we haue diuersitie of gifts and difference of administrations as euery one hath receiued the gift so one to minister to another euery one to meddle with his owne businesse knowing that euery one shall beare his owne burthen and receyue his rewarde according to his owne labour hée that stands to take héed least he fall as for his brother whether he stand or fal that perteineth to his owne master who bestoweth not his gifts alike vnto all men neither will he require ten talents where he gaue but one to whom much is giuen of him shall much be required Some are indued with wisdom knowledge iudgement to discerne truth from falshood home with vtterance memorie and boldnesse to instruct with stongue some with godly deuotion christian charitie and honest disposition to teach by example of life and conuersation hée that carryeth bricke and morter may be a mason though not so expert as the maister of the building hée that diggeth ground may be a good gardener though not so cunning as he that draweth the knot hee that cutteth the timber may bée a good Carpenter though not equall to him that contriueth the house Euen so the meaner sort of ministers béeing honest men working in the Lordes vineyard in some measure whether it be by writing reading or speaking without booke may be good Preachers though not so fitte for the Pulpet as those which are indued with greater gifts and no doubt their diligence in doing their best shall be accepted with the poore widowes oblation Though the Fletcher want strength to draw the bow yet is hée a speciall meane to further shooting though the Smith want skill to holde the plough yet is he a necessarie instrument to helpe forwarde the worke though the whetstone can not cut of it selfe yet is it néedfull to make sharpe the Sithe so though some want the gift of memorie and boldnesse to instruct by preaching with tongue yet may hée bee a profitable member in the Church by teaching with penne Our God is louing and gentle and taketh in good part the good will euen of the poorest and simplest of his children pardoneth their imperfections accepteth their obedience and rewardeth them as liberally as the greater A good Preacher also must be carefull to kéepe in credit the authoritie of his office not to vary in doctrine from his fellowe labourers neither to minister any matter amongst the ignorant people that may bréede contention or discord Finally he must be a man of honest life and conuersation for none can effectually teach the waie to die well except himselfe bée such a one as liueth well The Priestes of the olde Lawe were chosen without blemishe to signifie theyr liues without blame The Apostle woulde haue them well tried to bée honest men and of good reporte before they be admitted into that reuerend function He that will profite in teaching must labor with both hands or els as fast as the one doth gather the other doth scatter as the one doth build vp the other doth pull downe hée must haue both Vrim and Thumim knowledge and vertue persuasion in words and example in déeds to thunder in doctrine and shine in life and manners True Christian religiō consisteth not onely in bare preaching dumbe hearing but rather in deuout praying vertuous liuing charitable working It is naturally grafted in man to speak holily praise good sayings and desire rather to know much that liue well Knowledge no doubt is a goodly gift and a great blessing of God yet knowledge without vertue or learning without good liuing are nothing els but as trées without fruit At the last day we shal not be demanded how much we haue knowen but how well we haue liued What auayleth it a man to be able to define what faith and repentance is not féelyng Gods holy spirite working faith and repentance in his heart or to tell a faire smooth tale in words yet stammer in his déeds or to haue al the Scriptures witty sayings of Philosophers at your fingers ends yet want grace to liue accordingly or how is he able to gouern others that hath no power to gouerne himselfe Vnto the vngodly said God Why doest thou preach my laws or takest my Testament in thy mouth whereas thou hatest to be reformed he that imploieth his tongue vnto vertue his déeds vnto vice 〈…〉 carrieth treacle in one hand to resist death and poyson in the other to take away life A wicked liuer though his tongue be neuer so plausible yet the infamy of his life decayeth all his doctrine and other gifts whatsoeuer for if one praise that he saith a number will blame that he doth A teacher without vertue is compared to a painted fire without heate or a faire vizor put on a deformed face or the ship wrights that made Noahes Arke to saue others yet perished in the floud themselues or an Idiot standing by the sea side and séeing straungers passe by in daunger of the tide crying vnto them away away the tide cometh who looking back and séeing the foole stand still begin to say one to another surely this fellow doth but ieast for if it were so dangerous as he saith he would certainly make more hast away himselfe S. Ierom saith Maius est voluntatem Domini facere quà m nôsse A vertuous liver though he say litle yet is he a good preacher a good piller of Gods Church and a right Lay mans booke whose honest life is a seale to confirme his doctrine Gods building is compared to a stone wall the Magistrates ministers vnto squared stones framed on each side and the people vnto litle ones filling vp in the midst and if any of the squared stones chaunce to slip down a number of the litle ones will follow euen so if the Magistrate or teacher
and discretion to gouern are men onely fit and méet for such a reuerend function chargeable office as a publike Preacher is It were much better for the yonger sort of Ministers to forbeare the Pulpet and giue themselues to distinct reading of the holy Scriptures godly homilies and vse catechising which is a verie profitable kinde of teaching til age bring discretion and learne to prate lesse and liue better But they are so greatly delighted in hearing themselues speake that they disdaine publike reading of the holy Scriptures and condemne it as a thing intollerable as though it belongs not to the preaching of the gospel which is nothing else but to teach and instruct the people in faith and good maners and whether it be done by writing reading or speaking without booke so they be taught the spirite of God dooeth woorke effectually as well by the one as the other though not in like measure When S. Paul did write vnto the Romaines no doubt he preached vnto them when Esdras read Moses law vnto the people no doubt he preached vnto them when Barucke read Ieremies sermons vnto the Israelites no doubt he preached vnto them when Iosua read the whole law before the congregation no doubt he preached vnto them Moyses had in euery Citie those that preached him sayth the Euangelist séeing he was read in the Sinagogue euery Sabboth day the Apostle S. Paule exhorted Timothy to giue attendance as well to reading as exhortation and doctrine charged the Thessalonians that his Epistle should be read vnto all the brethren the saintes taught the Ephesians that by reading of his Epistle they might knowe his vnderstanding in the ministerie of Christ. Tertullian calleth the reading of the Scriptures the féeding of our fayth the Euangelist saith they were written for our learning that we might beléeue and liue and are so plaine and easie sayth the Psalmist that they giue light and vnderstanding euen to the simple wherein our Sauiour Christ hath plainly reuealed vnto vs his fathers will and made hâ—s name manifest vnto men happie is he that readeth sayth hee and those that heare kéepe the prophecie of this booke and if the holy scripures séeme darke or hidden to any saith the Apostle it is only to those that are lost whoÌ„ the God of this world hath blinded and I thinke verely that a mans conscience is more mooued better edified and soundlier satisfied by the onely words of the text distinctly read then by long tedious discourses of mens inuentions and more profited by reading of one godly homely wherein the truth is plainely opened and prooued and false doctrine confuted being wel penned in good Method and order to helpe the memorie then by a dozen of such verball vnlearned and contentious sermons as dayly procéede from our young fantastical vpstarts which by wreastiâ—◠〈◊〉 and diminishing at their pleasure doe rather 〈…〉 malice and sedition in the heartes of the hearers then worke any good effect The word doth not edifie the lesse because the eie of the speaker is turned downe to the booke but rather the booke is a meane to kéepe his tongue within compasse of trueth and sure it were much better for the people to be but meanely fed with good holesome dyet then puft vp fatte with meat infected with poyson course houshold bread is more healthfull then fine manchet mixt with grauell as of sound and godly knowledge with méekenesse charity and true deuotion I wish they had more then they haue so were it better that of such knowledge as makes these hoat talkers and contenders to swell so bigge and seeme so wise in their owne conceites they had lesse then they haue they starue not for too little but rather surfet with too much Touching our women preachers I blush in their behalfe in calling to mind the vnshamefast boldnes of that sexe in this our crooked age women are taught in the holy scriptures not to imitate their grandmother Eue in vsurping the office of teaching neither the exaÌ„ple of their sister Miriam in grudging against Moses neither such proud Iesabels as boldly dare vsurpe the name of a Prophetisse to deceiue the seruantes of God neither such Idle tatlers and busie bodies as wander about from house to house speking things which are not comely whose eares itching for nouelties doo get them a heape of teachers after their owne lustes euer learning and neuer able to come to the truth hauing a similitude of godlinesse but haue denied the power thereof neither to prompe themselues in gorgious attire like proud lecherous Venus or Helen of Troy who were more honored for their beautie then their honestie but in the feare of God to learne in silence with all submission and if they doubt of any thing to aske their husbandes at home to decke themselues with the modest sobriety of Anna the humble obedience of Sara and the shamefast chastitie of Susanna not boldnesse in women but blushing is the right colour of vertue Finally the Apostle exhorteth to auoide strife and contention and studie to be quiet and agrée together because we are brethren Brethren by nature brethren by calling and brethren by religion hauing all one God to our Father one Catholik Church to our mother and one Iesus Christ to our redeemer all branches of one vine shéepe of one fold and fellow seruants of one house all partakers of one baptisme one faith and one hope of saluation Let vs therfore say one to another as Abraham sayd to Lot I pray thée let there be no strife betwéene thée and mée neither betwéene thy heardmen nor mine for we are brethren O how good pleasant a thing it is saith Dauid for brethren to dwell together in vnitie by this shall all men know you to be my disciples sayth our sauiour that you loue together as brethren It is written how the mother of Seneca séeing two of her sonnes hauing theyr daggers drawen in theyr hands the one ready to slay the other caught them both in her armes and shewed them her breasts my déere children quoth she what do you behold my breasts that nurst you both you are brethren Euen so the Church of God which hath nursed you with her breasts and brought you vp in the knowledge of the truth most earnestly doth desire and beséech you with her teares that as you wyll haue her continue your louing mother you will bée kind and gentle one to another and liue together as brethren agrée together as children of one family ioine together as stones of one building grow vp togethe as imps of one stock hold together as members of one body and one help to beare anothers burthen as fellow labourers of one work that with one hart one will and one voyce we may together praise honor and glorify our louing redéemer for euer Amen FINIS Gen. 3. 2. Tim. 2.3 1. Tim. 4.2 Iud.