imposed lawes to his owne mother drawing all power into his hands and making himselfe as the Sunne from which all others both Moone and Stars do receiue their light Thus hath Lucifer inuaded Christs poore Family and hath made choyce of a person of humility by whom vnder the colour of piety and religion hee might bring into the Church of Christ the highest degree of pride that euer the world saw in any worldly state or the weakenesse of man is capable of whom hee setting vp on the foundation not of a rocke but of imagination and opinion only and crowning with a triple crowne hath perswaded both him to take and perswaded men to giue more then humane honours as high as to the titles of Optimus maximus our Lord God the Pope and as our Countryman Stapleton writeth to him Supremum in terris Numen forcing the Emperors sometimes acknowledged for his gracious Lords and Soueraignes to yeeld their neckes for him to trample on and the Kings and Princes of the earth to licke the dust of his feet and all the people for their saluation to fall downe before him as hauing all keyes and powers of heauen and earth and hell and purgatory as blasting with the breath of his mouth like lightning whatsoeuer hee curseth as hauing the oracles of God in his breast and that neuer ordinary priuiledge that he cannot erre This was the punishment of the Church after that thorow abundance and wealth and ease she became wanton and loued not the truth that as it was prophesied 2. Thess 2. God should send strong delusions and men should belieue lies to the astonishment of all other churches both Easterne and Southerne who wonder that wee can belieue such fancies As for the necessity of one visible Monarch to make the visible church one seeing the Apostles writings in their so often mention of the church and the pastors of the same neuer intimate this doctrine of this Monarchie seeing Eph. 4. the Apostle of purpose laieth the grounds of vnity alledgeth those other bonds One Lord one Faith one Baptisme and omitteth this seeing after reckoning vpon the seuerall degrees of Ministers both ordinary and inordinary giuen to his church after his affection for the building of it in truth and loue hee setteth downe Apostles Euangelists Prophets Pastors Teachers this one Monarch is not once named to the church seeing before Christs comming God had a visible Church in Iob his house not depending vpon the Church of Iudah and is also granted by Bellarmine and yet the Church of God was alwayes one seeing since Christ the Primitiue Church had no such head but as Aeneas Siluius acknowledgeth Ante Nicenum Concilium sibi quisque viuebat ad Romanam Ecclesiam paruus ad modum respectus habebat and yet in the long time of that little regard of Rome the Church of Christ was one seeing to this day all Churches in the three partes of the world haue so anciently renounced this one head who notwithstanding may not be accounted castawayes and no partes of Christs Church seeing whatsoeuer reason is vrged of necessity one Bishoppe doth as necessarily proue the necessity of one King ouer all the Christian world truely we are so farre from thinking the necessity of one visible head to be an article of our faith that contrariwise wee agree in iudgement with Gregory the Great concerning the danger of the same who disputing against the very name and title of an vniuersal Bishoppe bringeth this reason against the thing Ecclesiae vniuersa corruit si ille vniuersus cadit if that vniuersall Bishoppe should fall his fall be the ruine of the whole Church This our lamentable experience hath made good not onely in the gouernment of the Western Churches in which he hath been like a wilde Bore in the Lords Vineyard but also in their faith which by reason of their generall subiection to that one head was as generally tainted with the same errors for as when one foot slippeth the other may stand and vphold the body vnlesse it bee carried with the sway of that which slipped so when one Church faileth in any point of truth an other may stand vphold the same vnles they be dependant one vpon an other respect not that only vncorruptible head Christ and his vnchangeable lawes 2 Now that we haue found out the Lords Vineyard and considered the nature and state of the same wee are in the next place to consider the husbandry which the Lord of this Vineyard vseth the labour the cost the skill and care hee bestoweth on it to make it prosper for since that vniuersall curse pronounced by the mouth of God Cursed be the earth for mans sake thornes and thistles shall it bring forth Gen. 3. good things do hardly thriue without skilfull and Industrious planting and cherishing their impediments are many their helpes must be so many that the Vineyard which is neglected and left to it selfe may seem in a manner blamelesse though it proue not fruitfull for these duties therefore of the husbandman the Lord conscious to himselfe of his own goodnesse towards it doubteth not to make the Vineyard and Church it selfe and euery plant thereof euen all the inhabitants of Iudah his Iudges what one thing hee hath omitted which might haue smothered it What could I haue done to my Vineyard saieth God which I haue not done The particulars were set downe before 1. The choice of the seat of Canaan My beloued had a Vineyard on a verie fruitfull hill 2. His fencing it from spoyles He hedged it about with his mighty protection 3. The choyce of the plants Hee planted it with the best plants the roote the true Vine that came downe from heauen the branches the sonnes of Abraham 4. The preparing of the Soile he gathered vp the stones that might hinder the growth the Cananites and Hittites 5. For a further defence hee built a Towre in the middest of it his glorious Temple 6. He set vp a Vinepresse in it an Altar vpon which they might offer the fruits of their free will offerings to those hee added continuall pruning and dressing watring of it from the cloudes of heauen It appeareth after Ver. 6. For the proofe of these particulars reade the old Testament What is the whole history of the Bible but the narration of Gods blessings vpon his owne people as if hee minded no other nation no part of his creation but onely them What is Genesis but the miraculous preseruation of them in their first spring and tender beginnings till they were growne into a great people now a plant able to bee remoued and to stand by it selfe What are Exodus and Numbers but a powerfull translating of this Vine by a mighty hand out of the Garden of Egypt where it was borne downe and the gracious ordering and preseruing of it as it were aboue ground in a wildernesse where it had nothing to liue on for forty yeares till it
since it was reformed we know no other differēce from that which it was before then such as wee see in the Vineyard and Church of Iudah which in the dayes of Manasses was full of superstition in the dayes of Iosiah had her abominations cast out and the purity of Gods seruice restored according to his owne law There were crept into our Church grauen Images the likenesses of things in heauen and things in earth and men did bow downe and worshippe them contrary to the law and contrary to antiquity for as yet appeareth euen by the buildings and walles of our most ancient Churches there was no place within the Church prouided for them To these Images of dead men they did light candles and burned Incense and offered gifts after the custome of the heathen the light of the Church was remoued out of the candlesticks and the word of God which is the true light of the world and lanterne to our feet was hidden vnder an vnknowne tongue as vnder a bushell that which the Apostle calleth both our milke and our meate was taken away and nothing was read to the peoples vnderstanding but the lies of their Legend the author therof had a leaden head a brazen forehead as Viues a lerned Papist cēsureth them The holy Sacraments of the church were prophaned to the sanctified water in baptisme cream was added salt spittle by the people receiued as parts of the sacramēt the Lords Supper was mangled the cup of blessing which is the Cōmunion of the bloud of Christ was sacrile giously remoued the communion of the bread was turned into a priuate masse of dead ceremonies These and infinite other abominations were growne vp so high that they did both draw all the fatnes from the roote and ouerdrop and ouershadow the true vine and euen called for the fickle to cut them downe for there was not any learned deuout man amongst themselues in those ages who did not both bewayle the corruptions of the Church as appeareth by them that wrote and in particular acknowledge some one error of theirs or other though now authority stoppeth their mouthes and clippeth such tongues and the Indices expungatorij do rase those confessions out of their writings Now the indisposition therefore eyther of the Church of Rome or any other neighbor Church to reform themselus can be no iust excuse for our Church and her ouerseers not to reforme her selfe then it had beene for Israel to sinne because Iudah sinned or for Iudah because of the sinne of Israel In these cases of Gods seruice and honor the expectation of neighbours and desire of vnity is no allowed answere but that of Iosuah belongeth to all gouernors which he spake to all Israel Iosu 15. If it seeme euill in your eyes to serue the Lord chuse you this day whom you will serue but I and my house will serue the Lord and that rule of Hosea If Ephraim be ioyned vnto Idols let him alone and if Israel play the harlot yet let not Iudah sinne Only our hearty prayer vnto God is that as we do communicate in the general grounds and foundations of Christianity and ioyntly professe the same Creede so the Lord would giue them hearts to remoue these abominations which blocke vp the way of peace and communion between Church and Church or if eyther for pride or couetousnes they will acknowledge no error yet hee would giue them contented minds to keep to themselues their owne corruptions which now being cast off by vs would be so much the more loathsome to put on againe The third doubt which the vineyard of the house of Israel answereth is the vnity of the Church seeing the deuided houses of Ephraim and Iudah not so much seuered in state as in religion are yet by our Prophet accepted as one vineyard for though one read of many seuerall Churches in the new Testament also Psal 64. yet that of Saint Augustine is most true there be many Churches yet but one Church and in such sort many yet they are all but one Nay in the vnity of the Church wee must yet goe further and acknowledge with the same father the Church is the body of Christ not that which is here or there but that which is euery where throughout the world Psalme 90. neither that which is at this time but euen from Abel vnto those which shall hereafter bee borne and belieue in Christ vnto the end the whole company of saints belonging to one City which is the body of Christ and whereof he is head for this is that which the Apostle affirmeth of all beleeuers Bee they Iew or Gentile bond or free they are al incorporate into one Company they all make one body But this vnity is properly meant of Christs mysticall body and Church which is inuisible of which church these men are no part who are onely in Sacrament is Ecclesiae as Saint Augustine expoundeth himselfe that is of the whole body of the faithfull from Adam to the end of the world yet notwithstanding these outward visible societies of professed christians in which the militant members of Christ mingled with the bad are yet in framing for eternity these also haue a bond of vnity also and though they bee many yet are they but as one Now the outward bonds of these visible Churches are diuers for 1. they all spring by propagation from one originall mother Church Ierusalem which is beneath is the mother of vs all and from Sion came the Gospell by propagation vnto all Nations But this bond is not so strong as to tie them in one that are sprung from one beginning There is a stronger which this Parable of a Vine doth lay before vs for the Vine or tree which is diuided into so many seuerall branches some dying some springing vp and one bough perhaps bearing seuerall fruits from another what is it that maketh them all one but their owne stocke and roote on which they all vifibly grow this is the visible bond of the seuerall armes and parts of the visible Church they all outwardly ioyne in that one roote Christ in whom they are all visiblie ingrafted on whom they all make outward shew that they doe stand and grow The Apostle Ephes 4.5 exhorting Christians to vnity setteth downe this bond and to it addeth two other kinds the vniformity of our faith and articles of beliefe There is one kinde of ingrafting one badge of their incorporation Baptisme One Lord one Faith one Baptism i. One King vnder which they liue one Law by which they are guided one common badge of their incorporation which they all publikely receiue so that seeing the Iewes howsoeuer dispersed amongst al the Nations of the earth and liuing without dependance vpon any one common gouernour and yet accounted but as one Nation because of the bond of their vnity in the publike profession of the Law of Moses and seeing they that hang on Mahomet as their
Prophet onely howsoeuer diuided both in sects and kingdomes amongst themselues are yet in regard of their common profession of Mahumetisme accounted but as one body of Mahumetans How much more truely doe these 3. bonds of professing one and the same Lord and King of receyuing his one and the same law and word of incorporating themselues into one body by Baptisme in which 3. the essence of Christianity consisteth make al the professed christians of the world of one incorporation howsoeuer they are scattered in the earth and scattered in place and in knowledge one of another yea and in som priuat opinions also differ for they all visibly meete in their one roote Christ and in professing of faith in him To these 4. common bonds the Primitiue Church added as they might a fift bond of communion and mutuall society euery new created Bishoppe and ouerseer of any particular Church sending his synodicall letters of the profession of his faith to his neighbour brethren and they accordingly receiuing one another into the communion and fellowshippe of loue as appeareth by the Ecclesiasticall story Lastly when the Emperor himself became a christian and the bonds of the Empire and of the church were in a maner all one they added a 6. bond the common assemblies of all the ouerseers of the particular Vineyards within the Empire in common counsell to make peace and set down orders for the peaceable and vniform gouernment of the whole But the church of Rome which in the greatnes shee is growne to sayeth of her selfe as Babylon Reuel 18. I am a Queene and am no widow and shall see no mourning that is I cannot faile would teach the world a new lesson or article of christian faith not read in the Scripture not thought of in the Primitiue church not acknowledged by any ancient Father not dremed of by any anciēt Bishop of that See that notwithstanding God thundered and was angry when the Israelites asked a King as therein reiecting God to raigne ouer them yet now the Church cannot be vnder Christ and his Iudges as Israel was vnlesse she haue a King an absolute Monarch ouer her and that is the Bishoppe of Rome that all who acknowledge not this doctrine are heretiques all that yeelde not that obedience are schismatiques none of the Church and body of Christ all as Publicans and Infidels and in the state of damnation A fearefull sentence like that of the Bramble Iugd. 9. If you put not your trust vnder my shadow fire shall come out from me and consume the Cedars of Libanon For if all bee schismatiques and cut off from the Church like branches from the Vine that acknowledged not the Bishop of Rome for their King then was Saint Cyprian in a damnable estate who not onely reiected Stephanus the Bishoppe of Rome in a matter of faith but in matter and cases of iurisdiction also forced appeales to Rome and aduised the Bishops of Spaine to repeale him whom Stephanus had restored to his Bishoprick Then was Saint Augustine in a damnable estate who with 216. Bishops in the 6. Councell of Carthage not onely wrote to Innocentius not to receiue appeales out of Africa nor to send his Legats a letter nor to bring in the smoaky pride of the world into the Church of God but also made a decree purposely against his challenged authority that what Priest or Deacon soeuer should appeale to any beyond the sea he should be excommunicated throughout all Africa But what doe I speake of particular Bishoppes that a canonicall Councell of Calcedon of 630. Catholique Bishoppes was in a damnable state which made a decree that the Archbishoppe of Constantinople should haue equall priuiledges with the Archbishop of Rome and that he hauing the next place of honour should in causes Ecclesiastical be aduanced as farre as the See of Rome And although the Popes Legates did by all meanes labour to stay the decree as being repugnant to a former decree of the Nicene Councell for the church of Antioch yet it passed with generall consent and was pronounced by the Iudge as the decree of the Councell neither is this it selfe so much to be regarded as the reason they gaue for that their decree that as their Father had not giuen without good aduice to the See of elder Rome the first place of honor because that City was the seat of the Empire so with a former councell of 150. Bishops at Constantinople vnder Theodosius the elder moued with like consideration had giuen equall priuiledges to the most holy See of new Rome and they insisting in the steppes of sacred Fathers did againe decree the same thing This was in those dayes the opinion of the Bishops of the whole world concerning the ground reason of the Bishoppe of Romes Primacy neither was that the opinion of the Church for a time but three partes of the Christian world vnder the three Patriarkes of Constantinople of Antioch and of Alexandria haue alwayes since receiued him as hereticall for his claime insomuch that they denied their Emperor Michael Palaeologus christian burial for yeelding to the Church in the councell at Lions euen at this day though their miserable slauery vnder the Turke might force them to yeeld a shew of subiection to any christian of whom they might hope of any comfort yet they cannot in their consciences frame themselues to this grosse and lying flattery Wretched men if vndergoing such miseries vnder the hands of their enemies for Christs name neglecting such liberties and worldly preferments as are proposed to reuolters they are notwithstanding in the damnable estate of the Turkes and Infidels and Aliens from CHRIST for that default though they thus liue as Confessors and many of them die as Martyrs But to conclude the vniuersall Church and Spouse of Christ for many ages after her Lords ascension kept herselfe free from these domesticall yoakes neither could shee bee induced that any decree or cannon should be imposed ouer her by any one of her Bishops but that which her self in the free and common Councel of her elder children concluded to bee good for her selfe and hers for execution of which orders and Canons though shee appointed her elder sonnes to ouersee her younger first some as Bishoppes to ouersee her Presbyters and after some as Primates to ouersee her Bishops and lastly some as Archbishoppes and Patriarks to ouersee her Primates yet all the orders which they exacted of particular persons were the common decrees of their Synods Now wonderfull it is to consider how one of her owne children by getting the elder brothers place hath in the absence of the Lord vsurped and claimed ouer the necks first of all his brethren in particular and lastly ouer the necke of his mother also creeping vp by the Emperour like Iuie by the Oke till he had ouertopped him also from a primacy to a supremacy and after to an absolute and visible Monarchie and Kingdome of Romans and as Lord of all
A LEARNED AND GRACIOVS SERMON Preached at Paules Crosse BY THAT FAMOVS AND ludicious Diuine IOHN SPENSER D. of Diuinity and late President of Corpus Chr Coll in OXFORD Published for the benefite of Christs Vineyard by H. M. IOHN 15.2 Euery branch that beares not fruit in me he taketh away and euery one that beareth fruit he purgeth it that it may bring forth more fruit LONDON Imprinted by George Purslowe for Samuel Rande and are to be solde at his shoppe neere Holborne Bridge 1615. TO THE RIGHT REVER END AND worthily honoured Father in God IOHN by Diuine Prouidence L. Bishop of LONDON Grace and Peace be multiplied with all the complements of true Essentiall Happinesse THe Author of this Heauenly Sermon Right Reuerend and most worthy Moecenas of Learning I may iustly compare to Iohn the Baptist of whom Iesus giueth this commendation that hee was a burning and a shining light Iohn 5.35 for hee was a Iohn indeede a faithfull dispenser of the mysteries of God in whom the grace of God was exceedingly resplendent who burned with zeale loue towards Gods Vineyard and was while he liued such a shining light in the house of God in respect of his knowledge learning piety and godlinesse that he was reuerenced of all good men admired of such as excell in iudicious learning yea all mē of what sort or condition soeuer which knew him did worthily afforde him the testimony of a milde and louing spirit Oh what admirable height of knowledge and depth of iudgement dwelled within the lowly minde of this true humble man great in all mens eyes except his owne with what grauity maiesty of speech did his tongue vtter heauenly mysteries which many a Christian eare hath heard with vnspeakable ioy and comfort Oh how did he empty himselfe to fill others how did hee waste and consume himselfe to inlighten that flocke which was committed to his chargel yea as it is the nature of true goodnes to communicate it selfe to others so was it this good mans endeuor that as he was Lux illuminata inlightned himselfe with knowledge and grace from aboue so he might be Lux illuminans the instrument and seruant of God to inlighten others in the wayes of their peace to the glory of his Master Christ and the soules health of the lambs of his little flocke For mine owne part I professe it freely that as I was to him vnder God most of al indebted for my liuelihood in this world so for matter of learning light of knowledge if I haue any it was especially drawn from his fountain deriued from the splendor of his goodnes yea while I liued as it were vnder his roofe being his Minister for the space of fiue yeares what gaine I got by attending his voyce how much I haue profited by penning and obseruing his precious meditations and what a blessing I haue reaped from the haruest of his honest religious and vnblameable conuersation those which knew mee before and haue been acquainted with me since can truly testifie to Gods glory that me mihi meliorem reddidit quam accepit Wherefore now to shew my thankfulnes in part and the reuerend respect I deseruedly bore him I haue vndertaken though vnworthy of all others to publish such of his learned labours as he left behind him and which I am sure he rather penned for his owne priuate vse then with any purpose to haue them printed eyther before or after his death for though by all possible means this blessed mā was euer ready to manifest his good will to the benefite of the Church and behoofe of posterity yet was hee so lowly in his owne eyes so cast downe in his owne conceite and his labours of such little esteeme in his own sight that he held nothing he did worthy of the worlds view though his paines were neuer so great in the composing thereof yea this of mine owne knowledge I dare affirme that such was his humility and modesty in that kind that when he had taken extraordinary paines together with a most iudicious and complete Diuine in our Church about the compiling of a learned and profitable worke now extant yet would hee not be moued to put his hand to it though hee had a speciall hand in it and therfore it fell out that tulitalter honores Concerning this particular Sermon which is his fathers postbumus and presents it selfe in the first place to the world before the rest which by Gods grace shall follow after though of it selfe it deserues allowance and binds dependency vnto it yet am I bolde to recommend the protection thereof to your Lordshippe and to intitle it to your Honours name vpon due deliberation and diuers iust causes as first in regard of the vnthankefulnes of this inconsiderate age of ours which is more willing to entertaine euery idle Pamphlet and vaine toy that fond inuention can excogitate then to embrace such laudable enterprises which further the Kingdome of God or perswade the truth of religiō among the sonnes of men amongst which vngratefull monsters some are such Atheists and open enemies of Gods truth that they bark at them sicut Cerberus in Stygio some are such Athenians affecters of nouelty that they will hisse at them sicut anguis in herba and looke asquint at euery occurrēt that fits not their humor and there is an ignauum pecus which them selues stand idle in the market place al the day long and yet with forked tongues will they not spare to carpe at each monument of piety and in a preiudicate opinion reiect disgrace their paines who shall but crosse the path of their wicked delights wherefore I much desired my Honourable L. that this worthy Sermon might find such an happy Patrone as your selfe being assured that passing vnder your Honourable name it might be sheelded from the iniurie and enuy of impious superstitious and contentious persons and might find with men of sound iudgemēt the freer acceptation and with men of great place the grauer consideration and with men of all sorts the better intertainment when it comes abroad And further though I know your Lordshippe delights not to haue your name diuulged in printed papers yet I doubt not but you will bee pleased to patronize this poore Orphan and suffer it willingly to passe vnder your Honors protection and that for it own sake being a discourse of Gods Vineyard a part whereof Almighty God hath made you an happy ouerseer but especially for his fathers sake whom while hee liued you loued as your owne life and tendered as that which was neerest and dearest vnto you oh how did the loadstone of your loue euer draw him after your selfe so that in the same Vniuersity you were Students together in the same house you were seruants Chaplaines together in the same city you were neighbours and Preachers together to the same colledges where you were first Students you were aduanced together and I doubt not but in the
hand and by arte Non exsanguinibus nec ex voluntate carnis sed ex Deo saith Saint Iohn of the Church Both Vine Church grow vp the meanest of all plants they cannot beare vp themselues without props and stayes euen as the Elme is to the Vine so is the ciuill state vnto the Church Both in regard of their naturall weakenes are taught to twine their armes and their branches one within an other embrace sustaine and strengthen one another as it were growing in one by loue when they flourish and are suffered to spread nothing so enlargeth it selfe As Plinie speaketh of Vines Sine modo crescunt So the Church spreadeth forth her armes from the sea vnto the riuer from one end of the world vnto the other In the time of their flourishing estate and their summer no plant is so pleasant euery thing harboreth vnder their shadow but when winter commeth and the persecutions of stormes take away their beauty no plant standeth so poore so deformed so contemptible to the outward eye the rich the noble the worldly wise like their greene leaues doe commonly fall away Both Vineyard and Church both must bee strongly fenced els they lie open to the prey of many kinds of spoiles both must bee pruned and kept vnder with continuall cutting els they grow out luxuriously and become wilde and as for their fruits when they proue fruitfull how are their weake branches laden with grapes how doe their fruites exceed their strength how doe they bring forth their grapes in bunches and clusters vnited in loue as the Apostle Saint Iames speaketh of the fruits of righteousnes that they are brought forth in peace of them that loue peace And as for the kinds of their fruits all other fruits in comparison are as nothing It is the fruit of these two vines which ministreth mirth and comfort to all the world and as the vine speaketh Iudg. 9. cherisheth the heart both of God and man Fruits of mercy and loue how doe they warme and cheare vp the weake hearts fruits of Iustice and Equity how doe they ease and relieue the oppressed soule God Angels and men reioyce when these Vines are laden with these fruits For when they are vnfruitfull both sorts of Vines are of all trees most vnprofitable seruing for no vse but for the fire This is then the nature of Gods Church It is a spirituall Vineyard the roote whereof is but one Christ Iesus the second Adam Other foundation sayeth the Apostle can no man lay Other Plants shal be rooted out Into him the multitude of beleeuers are planted into him they grow for all the branches of it are of their own nature wilde taken from the old stocke the first Adam euen as many as the Lord our God shall call and they are set into that eternall Vine the second Adam by ingrafting Now as in Grafts though all in like manner stand in stockes and are fastned to them with outward bonds yet all doe not incorporate themselues by drawing sappe from the root therby growing in it and bringing forth fruite so there is an outward ingrafting into Christ by outward visible bonds of vnion the outward profession of the faith of Christ and the outward Sacrament of Incorporations the society and company of which outward professions so visibly ingrafted doe make the visible Church and Vineyard of God on earth And with this visible and outward ingrafting and by meanes thereof there is wrought an inward ingrafting and incorporating through the inuisible bonds of the spirit also in which some doe grow into the stocke and receiue sappe and life from the roote euen the participation of the spirit of life from Christ and doe bring forth fruit in him the company of which onely doe make vp that mysticall body of Christ which is to man inuisible because the bond is inuisible These two sorts of grafts howsoeuer to our eyes they stand alike in the stocke and do somtimes seem to grow alike yet the Apostle distinguisheth most plainely with their seuerall bonds also Rom. 2.28 Hee is not a Iew who is a Iew outward neither that circumcision which is in the flesh but hee is a Iew who is a Iew within whose circumcision is of the heart in the spirit not in the letter whose prayse is not of men but of God Notwithstanding both these sorts as they communicate together in the outward bonds of one profession as they visibly cōtinue together like one visible body vpon that one roote Christ Iesus on whom they al outwardly professe that they depend as on the fountaine of their sappe and life so they both together make this one visible Vineyard and visible Church on earth to which God speaketh by his Prophets that Vineyard which is sometimes fruitfull and somtimes bringeth forth wilde grapes And of this visible kind of Vineyard we are now to intreat Our next question therefore is where that Vineyarde may bee seene For in Esayes dayes Surely saith God the Vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel the men of Iudah are his pleasant plants All the world besides was as a wildernes and a forrest the habitation of wild beasts this onely was the Lords Paradice placed in the middest of the world and fenced in from all the world the subiect of our present Parable But the circumstances of this Church doc minister occasion of 3. doubts concerning the generall nature and state of Gods Church on earth which are necessary to be vnfolded first seeing the whole church of Israel and Iudah was at these times so generally corrupted as well in idolatry and superstition as in life manners that as it is Esay 1. From the crowne of the head to the soale of the foot there was nothing sound but wounds swellings and sores full of cerruption A doubt ariseth how it might be called Gods Church and Vineyard vnles an Idolatrous and erring Church notwithstanding may bee accounted Gods Church an adulterous wife Gods Spouse 2. Seeing the house of Israel at this day was diuided and Ephram separated from Iudah not onely in ciuil sort but in the forme of Religion also our next doubt is then how these two Churches are notwithstanding by the Prophet counted as one The vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel though the men of Iudah be his pleasant plants And seeing both Iudah and Samaria are now laid waste and the Church and Vineyard there is vtterly destroyed our last doubt is where the Vineyard and Church of God may now be found on earth I will lightly touch them all speaking first of the place where the Church is secondly of her variable state her purity and corruption thirdly of her vnity how many particular Churches are notwithstanding one Now for the first where the Vineyard of the Lord of hosts is Vnhappy Israel thou hadst an eternall promise Psal 132. ver 14. This said God is my rest for euer here will I
be named the Lords Vineyard Surely to vse Gods owne similitude where there hath publikely passed a solemne contract of marriage visibly confirmed by Couenants and pledges mutually deliuered and receiued though the wife keepe not the truth of her first faith but euen openly and shamelesly turneth away her heart after other louers yet til there passeth a publike renouncing one of the other and a bill of diuorcement giuen and separation passed she is accounted his wife whose name she beareth whose wife shee publikely professeth her selfe to be So is betweene God and his visible Church both Israel and Iudah notwithstanding their fornications still kept the publike profession of the name of the God of Israel they retained circumcision the outward seale and pledge both of his Couenant both offered sacrifices to him that brought thē out of Egypt euen by that stile though in a superstitious maner both had the law of God publikely amongst them his Prophets also And therefore this outward foundation of the old league and couenant continueth stil the Lord accounteth them both as his and notwithstanding their knowne adulteries and their children of fornication by other gods whom they also serued hee intreateth them though in anger and displeasure and in threates and sometimes in chasticements yet as his owne for they were neuer denounced till they were destroyed and by the benefite of that same outward society coniunctiō which in the midst of their other abominations still remayned between God and them of the word and Sacrament many spirituall children also were borne by them to the Lord such as those 7000. were in Elias dayes who liuing in house together with their illegitimate brethren feared their father the God of Israel and secretly mourned at the abominations of their mother howsoeuer by liuing in so corrupt a house they might be tainted with some of the corruptions of their mother and carnall brethren And this is the nature of the Christian Church wherof that was a figure it is here on earth subiect to alterations and to that like generall defection and ouerrunning with weeds which both Christ and the Apostles prophesie should happen in the outward and visible face thereof which we see did happen in the figuratiue Church of Israel before Christ though the roote and foundation of Christianity shal neuer faile in it and the booke of God the seed of immortality shall remaine in it vncorrupted and the publike profession of Christ shall neuer be vtterly choaked for the Elects sake that shall bee from age to age of this world being borne in it yea though one part of the Church whose preseruation of the trueth shall be lesse corrupted then an other as Iudah was in comparison of Israel For the particular Churches are like Vineyards some flourishing for a time some barren and according to their husbandmen some cleaner kept some ouergrowne with thornes some become wilde for want of pruning yea they are like our bodies some sound and orthodox some more diseased some sicke vnto death and some vncleane and leprous and with whom there can bee no communion Thus the Church of Corinth in the Apostle Saint Paules time was not so sound as the Churches of Rome Ephesus the Church of Galatia was infected with a most dangerous error After when S. Iohn wrote the church of Ephesus had her imperfections the other sixe Churches were more infected and amongst them Laodicea was in farre worse estate then either Pergamus or Thyatira and yet all these remained the Lords Churches and Vineyards in the middest of their errors corruptions because they helde that foundation of Christianity vpon which the Church is builded Thou art Christ the Sonne of the liuing God For although as euery sinne is opposite to theloue of God so euery error also is opposite to his truth and doe not agree together yet by reason of our weake eyes and iudgements not discerning the disagreement of truth and error as of righteousnes and sinne the best men doe receiue some probable errors into the society of truth without reiecting and ouerturning their faith of those grounds which they truly hold and therefore though euery little error in matter of faith be dangerous and causeth some defect and mayme in our practise of piety eyther in our inuocations of faith or in our works of loue and the more deadly the nearer they touch the principall grounds yet they doe not all make wounds vnto death and kill our faith and piety till they come to be knowne and wilfull errors that is to be heresies and sinnes of the will for then the least error is deadly because it is wilfull and directly opposite to the loue of the truth of Christ Finally as one Church is more or lesse pure and Orthodoxe then another so wee see how the selfe same Churches continue not alwayes in one and the selfe same state for the Church of Iudah was sometime religious sometimes idolatrous sometimes purged in part the groues and high places still remaining so hath euery Church in the world since Christs time vndergone great alterations and changes the Church of Rome in her first ages was very sound and pure the Easterne Churches were more ouergrowne with errors in these latter ages since as Platina obserueth Iohn 10. The people were cleane departed from Saint Peters steps the west Churches haue more declined and the Easterne Churches except that one error of the proceeding of the holy Ghost in all other parts of faith remaine much more pure then the Church of Rome and her adherents yea Rome it selfe began a little changing of her selfe when Pius the fift acknowledging that their bookes of publike diuine seruice in all places were stuffed with vaine errors of superstitions did cast out some corruptions and no doubt besides the priuate reformations both in the iudgements and practise of numbers of her followers who will not embrace all her abominations she would haue proceeded further in publike reformation had not besides the loue of her priuate gaines a respect of her publike credit hindred her for by confessing any one error shee seeth that shee should giue preiudice against her self for other her opinions in acknowledging that shee might erre in them also Which ministreth an answere to their vaine obiections who demand of vs where our Church was for so many ages till Martin Luthers dayes in what caue of the earth it lurked for our Church is one and the same which it was at the first planting of Christianity amongst vs It hath alwayes had one and the same roote and foundation one and the same Christ publikely professed though at the first more purely afterwards more corruptly and not by Gods mercy the same Christ more purely againe For as the new dressing and weeding of a Vineyard is not a new planting and as the often repairing the decayes and purging of the vncleannes of the Temple was not the new founding and building of another Temple so in our Church
therefore conceiued no need of repentance and redemption by an other Sauiour Thus he generally affirmeth of the Iewes whose eares and hearts were by custome growne more then as all men naturally are so obstinately hardned in contempt against the word of truth that Mat. 11.21 had the signes and wonders that were done amongst them beene done in Tyre and Sydon nay in Sodom they would haue repented in Sackcloth and Ashes as the Nineuites did at the preaching of Ionas onely And this is that obstinate opposition of some against the ordinary meanes of mans saluation that caused not onely the Prophets to mourn but our Sauiour Christ to sit down and to weepe ouer Ierusalem when he saw that shee would not bee gathered to her Redeemet as if Christ should haue said as God by our Prophet What could I haue done more for my Vineyard which I haue not done 3 After the consideration of this so exceeding great cost and care bestowed vpon the Lords Vineyard wee are in the third place to looke vnto the end of these his labours and husbandry bestowed on his Church that is the same which euery man which plāteth a vineyard doth expect of his plants fruits I looked for grapes fruites naturall and proper to a Vine proper to a Christian that receiueth the nature the sappe the spirit of the roote Christ Why the good workes and fruites of Christians are compared to grapes and themselues to vines I partly shewed before For as nothing is created for it selfe so the poorest creature that GOD hath made is inabled with some gift to imitate the bounty and goodnesse of the Creator and to yeeld somthing from it selfe to the vse and benefit of others and this is their naturall worke thus the Sun and Moone and Starres as they are indued with light vertue so they restlesly moue to impart their light and influence to the inlightning and quickning of the inferiour world Thus doe the cloudes flie vp and downe emptying themselues to inrich the earth of which notwithstanding they reape no haruest Thus doth the earth without respect of her priuate profit liberally yeelde her riches and fatnes to the innumerable armies of creatures which all sucke her brests and hang on her for maintenance as on their common mother and not to depart frō our Parable thus doe all fruit-bearing trees spend themselues and the principall part of their sappe and moisture not on the increase of themselues but in making some pleasant fruit or berry of which neyther they nor their young springs shall taste and this when it is ripe perfect they voluntarily let fall at their masters feet thus neither doth the Vine make her selfe drunke with her owne grapes nor the Oliue annoint her selfe with her own oyle and yet they striue to abound with fruites For the more euery thing furthereth the common good of the world the higher is the excellency of the nature thereof and the greater resemblance it hath to the Creators goodnesse Now when heauen and earth are fruitfull in their kinde when neyther beast nor tree are idle but are alwaies bringing forth something to the good of others when not onely the creatures vnder man but the blessed Angels of heauen are ministring spirites perpetually and willinglie seruing for our good when God the father himselfe with the Lord our King are yet working and diuiding the streames of their goodnesse to the best behoofe of the world how can it bee allowable that when all the Armies of heauen and earth the Creator with the creatures are thus busied in bringing forth fruit onely man should remaine vnfruitfull his faculties and graces idle himselfe a burthen to the earth It cannot be for not onely the Church of God for the gathering of her children the propagation of truth and piety amongst them but the world it selfe for the vpholding of her estate doth necessarily require mans fruits for seeing we grow together as members in a body and branches in a tree the life and sappe strength and helpe of the root and head cannot be deriued to vs vnlesse it be conuaied by ioynts and by sinewes by armes and by boughes by the mutuall ministery of man by the works of iustice and mercy from one to another and therefore vnlesse the Pastor yeelde the fruit of his light and knowledge vnlesse the Magistrate do yeelde the fruit of his iustice and authority vnlesse euery priuate man doe yeeld forth the fruite of those faculties graces which they receiue not for themselues but for the good of the body they are no parts of Christs body neyther haue they the spirit of the head the spirite of loue in them but they are theeues and murtherers enemies to Christ and to his Church they starue his body and purloine from their fellow members those good things which the mercifull head hath so intended by them to vs that the benefite might be ours and the thanks theirs and al might grow by the naturall fruits of loue But here ordinarily ariseth in the mind of man a vaine shift which much hindreth his fruitfulnes and maketh him draw in all to himselfe and recall his sappe from the fruits into the roote againe and that is a false reasoning with himselfe that because doe he the best he can yet his fruits will bee earthly and sowre and neuer perfect and kindely ripened because were they neuer so perfect and abundant yet they cannot merite lifes eternity to him that beareth them and because that which is wanting is fully supplied in the all-sufficient fulnesse and superrogatiue merits of the head and therefore it is but lost labour to spend himselfe in bringing forth such vnperfect fruites so helpeles in the worke of his owne saluation thus doth iniquity lie vnto her selfe and turneth the truth of God into a lie for though those three promises are all true yet the conclusion we inferre vpon them is altogether vncoherent True it is that though wee bee ingrafted into the eternall Vine Christ yet wee retaine something of the nature of the olde stocke whence wee were taken which giueth to our best fruites an earthly taste and some relish of the olde man True it is that though we are planted with the best heauenly plants of piety yet they grow in a forraine soile and in a colde clime farre from the Sun and our fruites are not concocted and perfect euen our most spirituall fruits our prayers haue not a pleasing taste vnlesse they haue some sweetning But this defect is supplyed by the great Angell of the couenant who when he presenteth these our fruits to God the great husbandman addeth to them of his owne precious incense which helpeth their infirmity and harshnes and maketh them acceptable Renel 8.4 Again true it is that these our fruits were they neuer so abundant and as excellent as mans perfectly restored perfection can afforde yet can they not merite those crownes and kingdomes and the eternity of that glory but
that When yee haue done all that you can wee must say that yee are vnprofitable trees not worthy the care and cost the feeding the watering the graces the continuance bestowed on them in this world no more then the fruites of the Orenge and Lemmon and Figge-trees in this our colde land are answerable to the extraordinary charge of their planting and maintaining yet notwithstanding all this euen these our sowre and vnperfect fruites howsoeuer defectiue in themselues are yet sufficiently profitable for the vses of the Church during this her warrefare wherein any meane thing is very comfortable and troubled waters doe often serue for Souldiers drinke and in that regard all they are pleasing to the great husbandman to see these his plants in some degrees profitable to the world and by their fruits louing cherishing and feeding one another as their roote doth feed them But for the Crowne of heauen and a kingdome of eternall glory this riseth aboue the compasse of the deseruings of seruants It passeth to vs by another right and claime by inheritance due onely to vs as sonnes and therefore children and babes as soone as they are adopted in Christ thecues and murtherers like the prodigall sonne vpon their faithfull return to God though they die immediately as the theefe on the Crosse before the time of fruit-bearing and working in the Vineyarde yet by right of this their new birth and adoption into Christs body they haue a right to heauen equal with their brethren that haue spent all their life in painefull fruit bearing for if sonnes then heires sayth the Apostle euen fellow heyres with Iesus Christ For notwithstanding for the present whilest these sons continue in their minority they differ not from seruants though they bee Lords of all Gal. 4.1 they obey their Fathers commandements and they labour in his Vineyard and doe more faithfull seruice in the house one sonne of loue then twenty hyred seruants do for feare of stripes and this is to them as discipline healthfull and necessary for their owne good also and in their time of liuing the foundation of their perfection in grace to make them fit for that heauenly place in all vertues qualified for so great an inheritance in a society so glorious And as for the reward of such obedient sonnes wee haue our fathers answere to the elder brother that challenged his fathers iustice for his bounty towards his vnthrifty sonne hardnes towards him who had continued most faithfull in his seruice Sonne saith our Father thou art alwayes with mee and all that I haue is thine as obedient sonnes therfore wee are alwaies with our father this is our security and all is ours because sonnes VVhat can we desire more Our good works and seruices of piety are therefore as S. Barnard most excellently concludeth of them in the very end of his Booke De libero Arbitrio They are the nurceries of our hope the Ministeries of our loue tokens of our secret predestination foretokens of our future blessednesse Via regni non causa regnandi they are the way vnto our kingdom they are not the cause why wee shall raigne as Kings Now if notwithstanding all this wee Christians cannot be induced to exercise our faculties in doing good and to bring forth fruits of loue answerable to our new nature as all other creatures do in their kind without some reward and hire behold first we are created or dained redeemed furnished with gracer maintained in our estate with bountifull supplies of all necessaries for our place and what greater reward doth the Vine or the Oliue or any other Creature expect for their fruits but their maintenance euery thing in their kind the Centurion in the Gospell that had Souldiers vnder him and could say to one Come and hee came and to another Goe and he went though into certaine danger of his life what greater rewardes could hee giue to them then this present abundance and maintenance or what greater rewards doth any seruant expect at his masters hand for as great seruice and as faithfull as we men performe to God Againe were our naturall loue and seruices one towards another as ready and as perfect as are the duety of one member in the body to another for the Apostle proposeth as the sampler of our duety yet wee receiue a further sufficient reward the like mutuall helps from them againe and what other reward doth the eye or feete or hand expect for their daily atrendance but the like mutuall seruice from the body Againe this is the Apostles counsell Gal. 6.1 If any man bee falne yee that are spirituall restore him considering thy selfe lest thou bee also tempted Euen as trauellers doe mutually aid comfort and in any distresse releeue one another without any further respects of priuate gaine If all this will not stirre vp our Christian hearts to performe the duties of a Christian man by which their owne soules are bettered and increased in grace Behold yet a further commodity from the Master of the Vineyard his speciall blessing and increase of his care and graces vpon these plants which are most fruitfull For euery branch that beareth not fruite in mee hee taketh away and euery branch that beareth fruite hee purgeth that it may beare more Ioh. 15. Thus haue they increase of graces from heauen which is the greatest of all graces the grace of perseuerance whē other perish they are preserued and watered when fruitles branches are cut off for the fire for he not onely blesseth their store who spend it vpon their brethren as springs that runne are fed that they may continue but hee dealeth mercifully also with them that are mercifull to his children and his pitty is ready to pardon their offences to remit their chasticements who are kind and pittifull one to another how gracious is our God to his vines that bring forth grapes who hath reward for those that giue but a cuppe not of the iuyce of grapes but of colde water to any little one for his sake Thus doth the temporary fruits of our loue mercy make a way for vs to Christs mercy and so to our eternall peace Lastly if all this cannot stirre vp the graces of God in vs vnto fruitfulnesse Christs finall separation triall of his sheepe from goats of his members from aliens and strangers his finall publike sentence of life and death giuen in the sight of men and Angels shall bee grounded not vpon the diuersity of their inward hidden natures but vpon their seuerall kind of acts proceeding from them vpon the seuerall kind of mens fruits for euery tree is known by their fruits all Christs branches yeelded grapes all his members as they were possessed so they were moued did work by the spirit of loue Hereby yee are known to be mine if ye loue one another Iohn 13.35 and therefore this sentence also is our times be of any better kinde the exact iudgement of this point belongeth