DEarely beloued in our Lord and Sa­uior Iesus Christ, The people of the citie of Corinth, to whome S. Paule wrote this Epistle or letter, were at great strife, conten­tion, and variance among themselues, as touching the Preachers of Christs [Page] Gospell, and Ministers dwelling a­mong them. For, whereas God had sent them store of Preachers, as Pe­ter, Paul, Apollo, Cephas, and such other, which were notable in the mini­sterie of God; they of these great gifts and benefits of God, tooke occasion of strife, tooke (I say) occasion of great contention and debate among them­selues. For whosoeuer liked Peter best, would say, I hold of Peter; whosoeuer thought Pauls Doctrine better than Peters, would say, I stand of Pauls side; whosoeuer againe thought that Apollo excelled the rest, would say, I hold with Apollo. And thus of their owne fancies, they tooke occasion of strife, & found fault with the preaching of Christs Gospell. As for Peter, as for Paul, as for Apollo, they all preached one thing, they taught one Doctrine, there was no strife, no debate, no dis­sention among them. Yet notwith­standing, though the Schoolemasters agréed, the Disciples and Schoolers could not bée at one: though they all preached one and the same Doctrine, [Page] yet could not the people fancie their Preachers alike. And therefore Paul concluded before, and said; Let no man reioyce in men, for all is yours, whether it bee Paule, or Apollo, whe­ther it bee Cephas or the world, all is yours. And hereupon followed these words of his, that you heard read vnto you. As for vs (saith Saint Paule) esteeme vs as the Ministers of Christ: whatsoeuer they bee that Preach vnto you the Gospell of GOD, regard them as the Stewards of the secrets of God.

So it happeneth oftentimes that ei­ther the people iudge too much of the Preachers of Gods word, or else they iudge too little: Sometime they attri­bute vnto them too much honour, some­time againe they giue them too little honour: Sometime they credit them too much, sometime they beléeue them nothing at all. So are the people alwaies inconstant, so are they moo­ued on either side. When Paule and Barnabas at Listra began to Act. 14. [Page] preach, by and by the whole multitude of the people thought them to be Gods and no men, forthwith they erected Al­tars, they brought their Sacrifices, their oxen, their calues, their shéepe, minding to haue sacrificed vnto them, and Paule they called Mercurius; Bar­nabas, Iupiter. This was too great an honour. And therefore when Paule and Barnabas vnderstood the same, they rent their clothes, tore their owne garments, run in among the people, cried out and said: Yee men and bre­thren, why doe yee this? So likewise Peter being appointed by God to goe to Cornelius the Captaine, Act. 10. so soone as he came in vnto him, by and by Cornelius met him, fell downe at his féete, and worshipped him, hee thought him a God and no Man. And thus, as yée sée, sometimes the people offended too much on that hand, and gaue more honour and reuerence vn­to Gods Ministers than God him­selfe required, or they looked for: Sometimes againe on the other hand, they gaue them no reuerence, they [Page] attributed no honour vnto them, they did set too little by the Preachers of Gods word; and this was a fault on the other side.

When Christ in our nature began first to preach, and set abroad his fa­thers will, and the glad tydings of the Gospell, the people forthwith found fault with him; he is, said they, but a Carpenters son, Iohn. 6. wée know his Father, wée know his Mother, he was neuer set to Schoole, how can this man haue learning? Afterward, when the Disciples and Apostles of Christ preached and taught the peo­ple, and beganne to speake with strange tongues, Act. 2. in so much that e­uery man maruailed to heare his owne speach and language, both Medes, Persians, and they of Me­sopotamia; yet said the people, these men are full of new wine. And this was too little honour. Therefore if the Preacher bée too much honoured, then is God dishonoured: if hee bee despised and nothing set by, then is Christ himselfe despised, and not re­garded. [Page] They that said Christ was a Carpenters sonne, a man vnlear­ned, and such a one as neuer went to schoole: they that said the Apostles of Christ were full of new wine, spake not this of any priuate ma­lice or hatered that they bare either vnto Christ, or his Apostles, but one­ly to bring Gods word to shame, only to bring Christs holy Gospell out of credit with the people: this was their entent and purpose, and nothing els. Therefore Saint Paule in this place sheweth the Corinthians how they should estéem the teachers of gods holy word, how they should thinke and iudge of them. For the people sometime estéeme most a policicke man, such a man as by his great wit is able to conclude Peace and Leagues betwéene Princes, they re­gard him that is of stout courage and learned in the Lawes, they set most by him that is eloquent and able to perswade; yea and they regard him not that is not excellently learned, and séene in all Sciences: but heere [Page] Saint Paule sheweth them, that they should not estéeme the Preachers of Gods Gospell as men politicke, as men of great wit, as men of stout courage, and learned in the Law as men eloquent, and excel­lently well séene in sciences: but as the Ministers of Christ, and Ste­wards of the secrets of God. Thus should the Ministers of Christ bee estéemed, and thus ought the teachers of Gods word shew themselues, as Ministers of Christ, and dispensers of Gods secrets. And therefore saint Paule in another place saith; We come not to preach our selues, 2. Cor. 4. all our preaching, all our teaching, all our Doctrine, is that you know Iesus Christ; as for our selues, wée are but your seruants. So Christ himselfe; Qui de se loquitur, gloriam propriam quaerit, Ioh. 7. Hee that speaketh of him­selfe, seeketh his owne glorie, saith Christ. 1. Cor. 3. So Paule likewise, Quid Pe­trus, quid Paulus, quid Apollo, nisi Mi­nistri? What is Peter, what is Paule, what is Apollo? thinke you them any other [Page] than the seruants and ministers of God? Paule hath planted, Apollo watered, but God hath giuen the en­crease. The encrease came not from Peter, not from Paule, not from Apollo, but from God alone. A­pollo, Paule, and Peter, are no­thing els but the ministers and ser­uants of God; God is he that giueth the encrease, God alone is hee that giueth the encrease. When the great Citie of Ierusalem vnderstood of Iohn the Baptist, and began to séeke vnto him, they asked him, What art thou? Hee answered them, E­go vox clamantis in deserto, Parate vi­am Domini. Iohn 1. I am. said hee, a man not worthy to be esteemed, I am but a mes­senger sent vnto you, I am nothing els but a voice to cry, Prepare you the way of the Lord. So Moses and Aaron that had the conducting of the people of God, when the whole Campe was in a tumult and vp­rore, and the people ran in rage a­gainst them, like to haue slaine them, they stretched out their hands [Page] and said, Exod. 16. Non contra nos, sed contra Dominum, nam nos qui sumus? This stir, this hurly burly, this tumult, that you make is not, said they, against vs, but against God; for alas, what are we? we are but Gods seruants, Gods messen­gers, appointed to lead and guid you. Thus therefore ought euery man e­stéeme the Preachers of Gods gospell, as messengers, as seruants as Mini­sters of Christ, thus ought euery man thinke, and iudge of them.

But what kind of seruant is this Preacher, what manner of Minister is he? Saint Paul saith, He is the Ste­ward and Dispenser of Gods secrets, he setteth foorth, and sheweth abroad the mysteries of his holy Gospel. And these mysteries that S. Paul here meaneth, (to conclude in one word) are none other than the Articles of our Faith: That Christ is the Sonne of God, con­ceiued by the holy Ghost, borne of the virgine Marie; that he was crucified, dead, buried, descended into Hell, rose againe, and sitteth at the right hand of his Father; that by his blood, our sinnes [Page] were washed away; that our bo­dies shall at the last day arise, and we possesse eternall life. These be the se­crets, these be the mysteries, that the Ministers of Christ, the seruants and Stewards of God, do vtter and de­clare to Gods people: no wisdome of man is able to compasse this, no lear­ning of this world able of it selfe to expound these hidden secrets. For saith Saint Paul, Animalis homo non percipit ea quae sunt ex Deo. 1. Cor. 2. The natu­rall man perceiueth nothing of the spirit of God, he vnderstandeth not such things as are of God. It is foo­lishnesse vnto him, and he can not perceiue it, for it must be spiritually discerned. Ioh. 1. Christ himselfe also, Non ex hominibus, nequè ex voluntate carnis, sed ex voluntate Dei, they which are Gods children, and able to vnderstand his mysteries, are such which are not borne of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. When Christ had asked of Pe­ter what he thought of him, and Pe­ter had said, Math. 16. Tues Christus, filius Dei [Page] viui, Thou art Christ the Sonne of the lyuing God: He answered, O hap­pie art thou Simon the Sonne of Ionas, for flesh and blood hath not opened that vnto thee, but my Father that is in Heauen. These mysteries there­fore are onely opened by the spirit of God, by Gods only working, not by any wisdome of man, not by any cun­ning and great learning of this world. Now therefore, saith Saint Paul, thinke thus of vs, iudge vs to be the Ministers and seruants of God, and marke well whether we reueal vnto you Gods mysteries, and his holie Gospell; Consider with your selues, and sée whether wée open vnto you Gods hidden Secrets: By this shall you know, whether wée be the ser­uants and dispensers of Gods myste­ries.

But like as in S. Pauls time, there was dissention, strife, & great debate, euen amongst the Christians, and such as professed the name of God: So like­wise in our dayes, (good Bretheren) euen in the time that wée our selues [Page] haue séene, there hath béen discord and parts-taking among vs. Some haue said, I will beléeue the old learning: some againe haue said, I will beléeue the new: some haue said I will credit this man: some I will beléeue that man. And thus the father hath fallen out with the sonne, the Mother with the daughter, the brother with his bro­ther, and one neighbor with another; ech man defending that part, which he himselfe best liked. But alas, (good Bretheren) this is no new thing, this hath béen from the beginning, and euen in Christes time. For at what time Christ himselfe walked here on this earth, & began to preach the glory of his father, some said he was a good man, Ioh. 7. Luk. 7. some other said no, some said he was a Prophet, some other said he was none, but one that deceiued the people, some reioyced that it pleased God to send such a Preacher as Christ was, some againe despised his doctrine, and said, Ioh. 7. he had a deuill. These words the people then spake of Christ, these words, I say, they spake of Christ him­selfe. [Page] He was called a Samaritane, Luk. 7. a wine-bibber, a friend of publicans and sinners, a seducer of the people. There­fore, it is the lesse maruaile if such words be now at these dayes spoken, as were spoken in the beginning of the Church; if such words be spoken against vs, as were spoken against Christ himselfe. But S. Paul hath here giuen vs a rule, whereby to know the true seruants of Christ, and Stewards of Gods secrets. Christ was the true Prophet, and why so? because he prea­ched his fathers will. Ioh. 15. What euer I haue heard of my Father, saith Christ, the same haue I declared vnto you. Saint Paul was the true seruant of Christ, and steward of his secrets, and why so? because he labored in Gods vine­yard, he preached, he taught, more than all the rest of the Apostles of Christ did, Laboraui plus quàm, caeteri omnes. 1. Cor. 15. I haue labored more than all the rest of the A­postles haue done. Therefore was he the true and faithful minister of Gods mysteries, because he thus diligently alwaies taught Gods Gospell, and the [Page] glorie of his name: for this cause I say, and none other, was he the Steward and dispenser of Gods secrets. So were the Patriarches, and the Pro­phets, the true seruants of God, be­cause they declared the will of God. And here haue we to consider, that Christ which was the true Prophet, the Apostles which were the ture Mi­nisters and Stewards of Christ, the Patriarches & Prophets, which were the true and faithfull seruants of God, were all greeuously afflicted, persecuted from place vnto place, and lastly put to most cruell death. This I say, hapned to Christ himself, and all his Apostles, S. Iohn the Euangelist only excepted. And yet was Christ Gods own sonne, the Apostles were the true Ministers and Stewards of Gods secrets. And therefore if we shall in our time sée the Preachers of Gods word afflicted, the Teachers of the Gospell of Christ per­secuted, the Stewards of Gods secrets miserably tormented, yet let not vs (good Bretheren) let not vs giue ouer and shrink from Gods gospell, let vs [Page] consider that this is no new thing, no strange hap, but such as hapned to the Patriarches, to the Prophets, to the Apostles, yea, and to Christ him­selfe.

Now then, let vs take this rule of S. Pauls, and thereby let vs trie whe­ther the Preachers in times past, the Popes, the Cardinals, the Bishops, were the true seruants of God, Ste­wards and dispensers of his holie se­crets. There are at this day some that be called Bishops, some that be called Cardinals, & they say that they carry vp the Church of Christ, and are the props & pillers of the same: and there­fore in token therof they haue alwaies pillers borne before them. At this day the Bishop of Rome calleth himselfe a generall Bishop, an vniuersal Bishop, not ouer this part, or that part, but ouer all Christendome; yea, & he saith, he is the head of Christs Church: he saith that he hath power ouer Kings, ouer Princes, he hath power ouer pur­gatorie, ouer Soules departed, ouer Deuils, ouer Angels: he can parden [Page] not only sinnes alreadie done, but such also as shall be at any time hereafter committed: and that he can not mi­stake the Scriptures of God, that he can not erre, and be deceiued: what euer he doth, all is well done: no man can iudge him and sit vpon his doings. I speake not this of malice, I speake it not for any grudge or hatred I owe to his person, God is my witnesse, I neyther know him that now is, nor any of them that haue heretofore time béen Bishops of Rome. But all these their doings are written, all these words which I haue here spoken, are written I say, euen in their owne Lawes and Decrées; the places may be alleaged and brought forth. Alas, these are glorious titles, to be called vniuersall Bishop, and head of Christs Church, to haue dominion ouer Kings and Princes, to haue power ouer Pur­gatorie, ouer Soules departed, ouer Deuils, ouer Angels, to haue authori­tie to pardon sinnes past, & sinnes here­after to be committed, not to erre, not to be deceiued: all these are glorious [Page] and triumphant titles, as you well sée. But let vs now take Pauls rule, the rule I say that S. Paul hath here giuen vs, and let vs by the same trie, whe­ther the Bishops, the Cardinals, the Popes, haue heretofore time, or at this time, do dispense vnto vs the mysteries of the Gospell, as Stewards of the se­crets of God: whether they do preach & teach the Gospel of Christ, as the ser­uants and Ministers of Christ. Alas, we sée they do nothing lesse, they do, we sée, nothing lesse than set forth the Gospell of God, & the glory of his holy name. Now then can they call them­selues Pastores, when they féede not Gods shéepe? how can they call them­selues watchmen, when they haue no regard to Gods flocke? how can they call themselues pillers of the Church, yea, and the head of the Church, when they shew themselues rather destroyers of the Church of Christ, and not members of the same? Alas, if they be not Gods seruants, whose seruants are they? if they be not Dis­pensers & Stewards of Gods secrets, [Page] of whose secrets are they Stewards? if they be not so much as members, how are they then the Pillers & head of Christs Church?

Saint Paul goeth further and saith, It is not sufficient to be called Ser­uants, to be called Ministers, to be cal­led stewards of Gods secrets, but it is further required at the Stewards hand, that he be found faithful. In this world the Master committeth the order of his house to the gouernance of his Ste­ward; the disposing of his whole liuing, & order of all other things, he commit­teth only to his Stewards wisdome: & he looketh that he be found faithfull in all his doings. And if this be in worldly things, if the Master here in this world will look for, & require faithful dealings at his Stewards hands, in such things as are but transitorie, & of little value: how much more then will God require faithfulnesse in his Stewards, as tou­ching things Eternall, things Hea­uenly, and the disposing of his secrets. But from the beginning, euen from the first beginning of the world, there [Page] haue béen alwayes vntrustie and wic­ked Stewards. For, at what time God framed man, and placed him in Paradise in great ioy and pleasure, the Deuill enuying this his felicitie, be­came a wicked Steward, and said vn­to Adam, Tush, ye shall not dye, eate of this fruit, Gen. 3. ye shall not dye, God doth but mocke with you: for he doth know that in what euer houre ye eate of it, your eyes shalbe opened, & ye shall be as God, knowing both good & euill. And thus he became a most wic­ked Steward. Ieremy also the prophet saith, that in his time ther were wicked and vntrusty Stewards: Currunt saith he, at ego non misi, loquuntur, at ego non sum loquutus illis, Ier. 23. They run, saith God, but I sent them not, they haue spoken, but I spake not vnto them. So Christ himselfe said, that in the later dayes there should come false Stewards, false Prophets, false Preachers, and say, Math. 24▪ Hic est Christus, illic est Christus, Lo, here is Christ, there is Christ; and should do great wonders and tokens, in so much that, if it were possible, the [Page] verie chosen should be brought into error also. Antechrist in likewise shall come saith Paul, The man of sinne, the sonne of perdition, 2. Thess. 2. he shall exalt him­selfe aboue all that is called God, he shall sit in the holie place, in the Tem­ple of God, in the conscience of Men: and when he commeth he shall not say, I am Antechrist, I am a false Pro­phet, I am a wicked Steward; but he shall rather say, I am a true Prophet, I am a faithful Steward. I am Christ the Sonne of God, yea I am God himselfe. Now therefore how will you know the true seruant, from the false Minister, how will you trie the faith­full Steward from the vnfaithfull? Mary, saith S. Paul, if he doth his Ma­sters will and commaundement, if he doth all those things faithfully that his Master requireth at his hands, if he this doth, then is he a faithful Minister and a trustie Steward. By this shall you know him, by this token, & none other shall you soone discerne, whether he be a faithfull Steward, this is the point of a trusty seruant. And therfore [Page] God vnto Ezechiel his prophet, and so by him to all such as shall become his Stewards & Preachers of his Gospel, saith, Ezech. 3. I haue appointed thee a Watch­man ouer my house of Israel, to crie vn­to my people, therefore take good heed to the words of my mouth, and giue them warning at my commandement: thou shalt heare it at my mouth, saith God, and then shalt thou pronounce it vnto my people. So Paul was bould to say, 1. Cor. 11. Quodaccepi à Domino, tradidi vobis, That which I deliuered vnto you, re­ceiued I of the Lord: what thing so­euer I receiued of the Lord, that haue I deliuered & sthewed vnto you, with­out adding any thing thereto, or dimi­nising any thing therefro. Euen so, Christ himselfe said, Ioh. 7. Sermo quem audi­stis non est meus, sed patris mei qui misit me: The doctrine which you hear is not mine, but his that hath sent me: These words that you haue heard, are not mine, but my fathers that sent me: I do but my Fathers message, saith Christ, all that I teach, all that I preach vnto you, is nothing else but [Page] the will of my Father. Ioh. 7. By this there­fore (my Bretheren) shall you soone trie whether they are true seruants of God: for if they shall only disclose vnto you the wil of God, if they shal preach vnto you the secrets of Gods Gospell, & the glory of his holie name, then are they true seruants, then are they Christs ministers, & faithful dispensers of Gods secrets. But if they teach you not the sincerity of Gods Gospel, if they preach not vnto you the mysteries of Gods word, if they disclose not vnto you the will of God, if they do not this; then are they not Gods seruants, then are they not Christs Ministers, nor Stewards of Gods secrets. And therfore saith S. Iohn in his Epistle, [...]. Ioh. 1. If any man come vnto you, & bring not this doctrine, re­ceiue him not into your house, neither salute him: if any man, saith he, come vnto you, & teach you any other Gospel, than this that I haue preached, let him not enter into your house, do not somuch as bid him, God spéed. So Esay the pro­phet, Esa. 8. If they speak not according to this word, they shall haue no morning light.

[Page] Now as touching the variance & di­uersity of opinions nowadaies, as tou­ching the dissention & controuersie that is at this time among vs I would to God that all such as defend & maintain the Popes authoritie & power, would be content to be iudged by this rule, to be tried by this only rule that S. Paul here giueth. These are the most & the greatest controuersies, wherupon hath risen all the contention & variance that we haue séen; whether we should haue a Communion, or a priuat Masse: whe­ther the Communion should be mini­stred vnder both kinds, or not: whether we ought to haue our Prayers in our vulgar tongue: whether we shold haue and set vp in our Churches any grauen Images: and whether we may law­fully haue the Scriptures in our com­mon tongue, that euery man may read and vnderstand them. These are, I say, the controuersies, whereon han­geth all our debate. But now let vs sée and consider, whether such as taught you to haue a priuate Masse: such as would haue the Communion ministred [Page] vnder one kind alone: such as taught you to worship Images: such as would you to pray in an vnknowen tongue: such as would not suffer you to haue the knowledge of Gods word and his gospell: let vs I say, according vnto S. Pauls rule, sée whether they were the true Ministers of Christ, & faithful ste­wards of the secrets of God; let vs weigh whether they disclosed vnto you the mysteries of Gods word, and whe­ther their doctrine agréed with the gos­pell of Christ.

Christ at his last Supper ordeyned a Communion, Luk. 22. for the comfort of all our Soules; but they turned this into a pri­uat Masse, that one man should receiue alone. This was contrarie to Christ, contrarie to that he ordeined. And how then should wée esteeme them, as the Ministers of Christ, & Stewards of the secrets of God? Christ ministred this Communion to his Disciples in both the kinds; yet they notwithstanding ministred it vnder one kind alone, they robbed the people, and took the cup from them. And this was contrary to Christ, [Page] & his institution. And how then should wée estéeme them as the ministers of Christ, & stewards of the secrets of God? God gaue vs in commaundement to make no grauen Image: they taught that we should make ourselues grauen Images, that wee should knéele, that we should bowe, that we should créepe vnto them, and that we should offer & sticke vp candles before them.

This they taught to bee necessarie doctrine, and that our saluation depen­ded therupon. This haue they done, you all right well know, and this con­trarie to the expresse commandement of God. And how then should wee e­steem them as the ministers of Christ, and Stewards of the secrets of God? S. Paul willeth our praiers in the con­gregation to be such, 1. Cor. 14. to be red and song in so plain a tongue, in so distinct and knowne a language, that the common people may vnderstand them, and so altogether may answere the minister, and say Amen. And this was vsed in the Patriarches, in the Prophets, in the Apostles, in the old Doctours [Page] times, in the Primitiue Church: and yet there haue beene men, and now are, that would haue the praiers in La­tine, in a tongue to vs strange and vn­knowne, and in a tongue that few or none vnderstand. And how then can they say they are the Ministers of Christ, & Stewards of Gods secrets? God, in the old Law, gaue in charge to his people, Num. 15. Deut. 11. that they should haue his Law alwaies before their eyes, that they should haue his commandements written in their hands, on their sleeues, on their doore thresholds, in the skirts of their garments. This God himselfe commanded. And Christ in the new Law, Scrutamini Scripturas, saith he, illae enim testimonium perhibent de me, Ioh. 5. Search ye the Scripturs, for they do bear witnesse of mee. And yet this notwith­standing, notwithstanding Christ commaunded vs to searth the Scrip­turs, yet you your selues haue known men, and such as were Preachers, for­bid you to haue Gods Gospell in your hands, would not suffer you to haue the holy Testament of Christ in your [Page] houses, no nor in the Churches for all men to read. This was contrarie to Gods commandement, and the mind of our sauiour Iesus Christ. And how then can they say they are the Mini­sters of Christ, & Stewards of Gods secrets? Christ said vnto Peter, Amas me? pasce oues meos, Ioh. 21▪ pasce agnos meos, pas­ce gregem meum: Peter (said Christ) lo­uest thou me? feed my sheepe, feed my lambes, feed my flock: But our great clearkes, our Popes, our Cardinals, our Bishops, would seldome or neuer make a Sermon; they fed not Gods shéepe, they fed not Gods lambs, they had no regard to Gods flocke: and how then could they say, they were the Ministers of Christ, and Stewards of Gods secrets? I leaue out much of purpose, good brethren, I wittingly ouerpasse here many things els, that I could say herein; the time would faile me, if I shold reherse vnto you al those things wherin they haue most shamfully abused thēselues. But iudge you, my brethren, by these things only which I haue here shewed vnto [Page] you, whether they should be estéemed as the Ministers of Christ and Ste­wards of the secrets of God? Christ willed them not only to be Stewards but faithfull Stewards, faithfull mi­nisters, faithfull dispensers of his secrets. If to do nothing be the faith­fulnesse that God requireth in them, if this bee the charge that Christ de­mandeth of them, then may wee well call them the seruants of God and mi­nisters of Christ: otherwise how can we say, that they are the Stewards of Gods secrets, and faithfull dispensers of his hidden mysteries?

Saint Paul goeth forth and saith; It is but a small thing that I should be iudged of you. Saint Paul notwith­standing he was an elect vessel of God, to beare abroad the glorie of his name, notwithstanding hee was the greatest of the Apostles, and a faithfull dispen­ser of Gods secrets; yet some men said that hée was vnlearned, some said hee was no Minister of Christs, some said that there were many other Preachers better than hee. And this [Page] was spoken of him euen by the Chri­stians, and such as professed Gods name. And thus a great number of the people iudged that S. Paul was not the seruant of God, was not the Minister of Christ, was not a Ste­ward of Gods secrets. But S. Paule appealed from them, he appealed from their iudgements, and said; It is but a smal matter for me to be iudged of you, or of mans daie &c. Here may wee sée what a bold courage, what a stout sto­macke was in S. Paul, when he durst thus openly, and as it were, to their fa­ces, appeale from the peoples iudge­ment, and so bring them before the dreadfull maiestie of the eternall God. This was a great courage of his, this was a signe that hee little or nothing feared the force of the people. But this he did, because he wel knew that what euer befell him in this world, what euer punishment hee suffered in this life, he could not miscarie before God, hée could not doe other than well in the life to come. And therefore like­wise in another place hee bouldly said [Page] vnto the people, I am pure from the bloud of all men, I haue kept back no­thing that was profitable, I haue hid nothing from you, but haue shewed you all the counsell of God. And so, where, at this day some men there are which say that this Doctrine which is now preached vnto you, shall againe haue a change, that this Religion shall be taken away and once againe alte­red, that it can not long stand & conti­new: to such we boldly answere here as S. Paule to the Corinthians did, that it is but a smal matter for vs to be iudged of you, that we much force not what you iudge and déeme of vs. For we haue kept nothing backe from you, we haue disclosed vnto you al the coun­sell of God. But if such change doth happen, if any alteration of our Reli­gion doth chance, as possible enough it is so to come to passe, yet is it not (good brethren) a thing to bee reioyced at, it is not a thing wherat we should tri­umph and be glad.

For oftentimes when God séeth his benefits misused, when he perceiueth [Page] his Gospell little regarded, when hee espieth his holy word neglected and no­thing set by: then he pulleth from vs againe his benefits earst bestowed, then he taketh away his word from out of the congregation, then hee will not suffer the light of his holy Gospell, any longer to shine vpon them. And this when he doth, he doth it onely for our sinfulnesse, only for our owne sins & wretchednesse. For so in times past he said by Ose his Prophet; For the wickednesse of my people I will get me away, they shal not see me. So Christ himselfe also said; Mat. 21. Auferetur à vobis reg­num Dei, The kingdom of God shalbe taken from you, & giuen to the heathen which shall bring forth the fruits of it. But alas, when Gods kingdom is ta­ken away, in whose kingdom and do­minion do the people then liue? when Gods gospel & his word is no longer preached, what learning, what doctrin, what discipline is there left to bee taught? And this oftentimes commeth to passe by means of our owne sin and wickednes: that for y ^e misusing of God [Page] and his gospel, we neither haue Gods Kingdome, nor his Gospell among vs. But then alas, in what great mi­serie, in what wretchednesse, in what wofull case shall wée stand? For if Gods Kingdom be shut from vs, whi­ther shal we fly? If the light of his gos­pell be taken from vs, what light shall be left vs? If God will get him away from vs, who shall bee our succour? And therefore no man ought to reioice hereat, no man ought to be glad of such a change. But though Gods kingdom be taken away from vs, though Gods Gospell bee no more preached vnto vs, though God fly from vs, and will hide himselfe away, yet is God and his gospell nothing thereby altered; God is still one, and the same God, his gos­pell is the same gospell that it was be­fore, his Kingdome continueth in one stay and estate, it is not changed nor altered. For saith Christ, Caelum & ter­ra transibunt, Mat. 5. verbum autem meum non transibit: Heauen and earth shall perish, but may word shall not perish. And a­gain, Portae inferorū nō praeualebūt aduersū Mat. 16. [Page] illud: The gates of hell shal not preuaile against it. And therefore S. Paul hauing on his side this word of God, which ne­uer changeth, but alwayes continueth one and the same: hauing, I say, this word of his which shal neuer perish, and against which the verie gates of hel shal not preuaile, he was bould to appeale from the slaunderous iudgement of the people, and say, I passe not what you thinke of me, It is but a small matter for mee to bee iudged of you, or of mans day, &c.

Good people, you haue here heard de­clared vnto you, and thereby you may well perceiue, that S. Paul notwith­standing hée was the seruant of God, an elect vessell of the holy Ghost, and the chiefest Apostle of Christ; yet was euill spoken of and misliked euen of the Chri­ans, and such as professed the name of God: notwithstanding he was indéed the true seruant of God, the minister of Christ, and a faithfull dispenser of the secrets of God, yet could not all men speake wel of him, al men could not giue him a good report. And therefore to cause [Page] them to conceiue a better opinion of him, and report of him none other than he deserued, he here willeth them, that they should first weigh well and consi­der his doings, they should examine his doctrine, and the gospel that he had prea­ched amongst them: they should marke well and see whether he had been a faith­full dispenser of the mysteries of Gods gospell, and then so estéeme him, as the minister of Christ, and Steward of the secrets of God. And therefore iudge you nothing (saith he) before the time that the Lord come, which shall bring that to light which is hid in darknesse, and open the counsels of the hearts, and then shall euerie one haue prayse of God. And so in these daies, as Paul in his time was misliked of many, so I say, in these our dayes the ministers of God, and prea­chers of his gospell, are euill spoken of a­mongst all men: some say they are vn­learned, they know nothing, they are crafts men, they were neuer set to school, this they haue said, and do yet report of them. Some men say, they preach they cannot tell what, they speake against [Page] prayer, against fasting, against almes déeds, and all other good works; they al­low nothing that good is, they disallow in manner all things. This you know hath béene spoken, and yet is reported of such as now are ministers in Gods gos­pell. But hereunto haue I none other thing to say, than that which S. Paul in this place writeth to the Corinthians, It is sufficient for vs to bee found the ser­uants of God, the ministers of Christ, & faithfull dispensers of Gods secrets. In the meane season doe not you (good bre­thren) thinke euill of the preachers of Gods word, report not amisse of the mi­nisters of Christ, account not them your enemies, that bring vnto you the glad tidings of the gospel. Acts 17▪ When Paul came to Berea from Thessalonica, and began there to preach the Gospell of Christ, the people ranne to their bookes, sear­ched the Scriptures, conferred his doctrine with the word of God: and when they found that in all points it a­gréed therwith, then they beléeued Paul, then they embraced his doctrine, then with willing harts they claue to his dis­cipline. [Page] And as they did, euen so let vs do, good brethren; let vs not iudge rash­ly of Gods ministers, let vs not ouer hastily giue sentence of them, let vs not report euill of Gods seruants: but let vs well weigh and consider what thing they teach vs, let vs examine & trie their doctrine with the touch-stone of Gods word: let vs conferre their preaching, their teaching, their discipline, with the Scriptures of the holy Ghost. And this when you haue done, then bée you our iudges; then if you sée that we teach you nothing but the mysteries of God, if you perceiue that we onely disclose vnto you the will of God, if you sée that wée preach vnto you none other thing than the secrets of Gods gospell, estéeme vs to be the seruants of God, the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the secrets of God.

AT what time the Iewes had grieuously offended God their Lord, forgot­ten their obedience to­wards him, and betaken themselues to strange gods, euery man wandring after his owne lust and fansie; and thereupon God began to plague and punish them with sundry and diuers plagues, and with vnseasonable weather, so that their grasse, their corne, their fruits, & what euer other commodities sprang out of the earth, were al in great danger: then Dauid the Prophet, séeing all these mi­series at once fall vpon the people, called [Page] them home againe, shewed them how they should returne from their wicked­nes, & come vnto God. For God desi­reth not our destructiō, he is loth to work reuengement vpon vs when we anger & displease him. Eze. 18. In what euer houre the sinner shal returne from his sin, & come vnto me, saith the Lord, I shall be readie to receiue him. As for all his sins that hee did before, they shall not be thought vp­on: but in his righteousnesse that he hath done he shal liue. In what euer time a man shall hold vp his hands, acknow­ledge gods mercy, & be sory for his offen­ces from the bottom of his hart, God as­keth no more, he craueth no more at his hands, he is pleased only with his hum­ble repentance. And therefore Dauid in the beginning of this Psalm shewed the people how they shold in this wise come vnto God, & desire mercy at his hands, saying: God bee mercifull vnto vs, and blesse vs, & shew vs the light of his coun­tenance, and be mercifull vnto vs.

And now therefore, when Dauid per­ceiued that this grace of god, this mercy, this blessing of his was not giuen in [Page] vaine, was not frustrat & void, he caused all the people to say, Let the people praise thee O God, let all the people praise thee. This is a short sentence, but such a sentence it is, as shall endure and continue for euer. This is our professi­on, this is our baptisme, this is our reli­gion. It is not sufficient to know the go­spel, to know God, to know Christ, but we must confesse the gospel, we must cō ­fesse God, we must confesse & acknow­ledge Christ. The gospel that Christ left vs, is not a song to delight our ears, it is not an harmony to content & please our hearing, but it is a squire to direct our liues by, it is a rule to frame all our do­ings by. S. Paul saith, Titus 2. To this end hath the grace of God, that bringeth saluatiō, appeared vnto vs, that we shold deny vn­godlynesse & worldly lusts: and that we should liue discreetly, righteously, and godly, in this world. Therefore hath God giuen vs h [...] gospell, therefore hath he giuen vs his word, that we should ac­cording thereunto liue a sober, a discreet, and modest life, saith he. And in another place: That we by the same gospell may [Page] serue and please him in newnesse of life. And so Zacharie that holy Father, bée­ing filled with the holy ghost, Luke 1. said: that wee beeing deliuered out of the hands of our enemies, might serue him al the daies of our life, in such holinesse and righte­ousnesse, as is accepted before him. For like as our professiō is, so shold our liues be. If wée professe the name of Christ, we should liue like christians: if we pro­fesse God, we should liue as becommeth the seruants of God. 1. Ioh. 3. Saint Iohn sayth, For this purpose appeared the Sonne of God, to loose the workes of the diuell: to this end, that all sinne and wicked­nesse should be left and forsaken. By this are the children of God knowne from the children of the diuell. S. Paul in his Epistle to the Romans saith, be­fore God they are not righteous which heare the law, but they that do the law shall be iustified. God reckoneth no man iust for hearing of the law, hee accoun­teth no man righteous for knowing of his gospell, but for the kéeping of his law, for the obseruing of his gospell; though no man indéed be able through­ly [Page] to fulfill and kéepe the same. Iam. 1. S. Iames also saith, See that yee bee doers of the word, and not hearers onely, deceiuing your owne selues. For if any heare the word and do it not, he is like vnto a man that beholdeth his bodily face in a glasse: for as soone as hee looketh on himselfe, hee goeth away and forgetteth im­mediatly what his fashion was. But who so looketh in the perfect law of libertie, and continueth therein, (if hee bee not a forgetfull hearer, but a doer of the work) the same shall be happie in his deed. If ye therfore heare the word of God prea­ched vnto you, if you know the gospell of Christ neuer so well, if yée dayly and howerly read and study the same: yet if you liue not according to the word of God, if you walke not after the gospel of Christ, you doe nothing else but deceiue your selues, you doe I say, nought else but deceiue your owne selues. S. Iohn the Baptist when he preached and pre­pared the way of the Lord, hée began with this lesson, Math. 3. Penitentiam agite: doe you (said he) the workes of repentance. For hereunto are we all called, not only [Page] to know Gods way, but also to walke in Gods way: not only to know God & his name, but also to confesse God and praise his holy name. Therefore do wée receiue Christs holy Sacraments, ther­fore are we baptised, therfore eat we the Sacrament of Christs body, and drinke his most holy blood. But O mercifull God, how many are there that say they know Gods way, & yet walk not in that way! how many that say they know their faith & promise made in baptism, & yet forsake the same! how many that re­ceiue the Sacrament of Christs body & blood, & yet cōtinue in their old sin & wic­kednesse! But God saith, God I say, that cannot lye, 1. Ioh. 2. saith, Qui manet in pecca­to non nouit me, hee that continueth in sin knoweth not me. Ezechiel declaring the folly of the people in his time, Ezech. 33. saith: O these come vnto thee after the manner of a great people: yea my people sit down before thee, and heare thy words, but they doe not thereafter: For in their mouths they shew themselues as though they were feruent, but their heart goeth after their owne couetous lucre. They [Page] haue my word in their mouthes, they speake euer of my name, saith God, but their hearts are farre from mee. And so likewise Iude the Apostle of Christ, Iude 1. Veritatem Dei verterunt in lu­xum, saith hee, They haue turned the truth of Gods word into riot: they are vngodly, and turne the grace of our God into wantonnesse, and deny God. Paul complaining of the misliuing of of the people in his time, Rom. 1. said, Where­as they know God, they glorifie not God: Where they know his name, they glorifie not his name. Whosoe­uer he be that taketh vpon him to know Gods way, and walketh not in Gods way, whosoeuer taketh vpon him to know God and his gospell, and di­rects not his dooings according vnto Gods will & his holy commandements, hée doth not confesse God, and glorifie his holy name. Saint Paul found fault with the Iewes, Rom. 2. and said, For your sake is the name of God euill spo­ken of among the Gentiles: for your sake, for your euill and corrupt lyuing, said S. Paul [Page] Good brethren, let vs consider that as many of vs as say, we know gods way, we know gods word & his gospel; if ver­tue follow not, if honest conuersation & vpright liuing follow not this our pro­fession, we shame God, and dishonor his holy name. Dicunt se nosce Deum, saith S. Titus 1. Paul, sed factis negant: they say they know God, saith he, they say they know his holy word & gospel, but in their deeds they deny God, they deny his gospel. An horrible thing it is to deny God. The Turks, the Iews, the Heathen, & Infi­dels, do not deny God: & yet S. Paul said that in his time Christian men, such as professed the name of god, in their déeds denied god & his gospel. If thou say thou knowest God, if thou say thou knowest his gospell: if thou liue not as God com­maundeth thée, if thou liue not as it be­commeth a professor of Gods gospell, thou blasphemest Gods name, and dis­honorest his gospel. Ore suo appropinquant ad me, Esay 29. saith God by his prophet Esay, cor­da autem illorū longe absunt à me: this peo­ple draweth nigh vnto mee with their mouthes, but their hearts are farre from [Page] me. They honor me with their mouthes but with their hearts they deny mée. And in another place God by his Pro­phet Dauid saith: O thou man, Psal. 50. why do­est thou preach my lawes, and takest my couenant in thy mouth? for with the sin­full thou art sinfull, with the théefe thou art a théefe, with the adulterer thou art an adulterer.

Therefore, if wee haue the word of God as a song to delight our eares, if we turne the truth of Gods gospel into riot and wantonnesse, if we confesse God with our lips, & deny him in our déeds, if we say we know Gods law, we know his commaundements, and yet liue not thereafter; we do not prayse God and confesse his name, but we shame God, and dishonor his holy name: we cause the people to thinke euil of Gods word, and slaunder his gospell. And this is the cause why the common sort of people iudge, that not to be the gospel, which is this day preached & taught vnto them; because such as professe the gospell, liue not after the gospell, because such as say they know Gods way, walke not in [Page] Gods way. And thus through our own folly, through our owne euill and cor­rupt liuing, we offend our brethren, we offend our selues, and so in them offend Iesus Christ: and their bloud shall bée required at our hands. Let vs remem­ber what God by the Prophet Esay saith, Esay 39. Haec est vera via, ambulate in ea: This is the true way, walke in the same. Chrysostome saith, if yee heare Gods word preached vnto you, and yee fol­low it not, yee learne, saith he, but your owne damnation, yee learne nought els but your owne destruction: The words that you heare preached vnto you, shall accuse and condemne you. God sayth, Thou shalt not steale, Exod. 20. thou shalt not commit adulterie, thou shalt beare no false witnesse, &c. these words, this law of God written vnto vs, shall accuse, yea, and condemne vs, I say; if wee to our powers follow not the same, if wée walke not and continue in them accor­dingly. Alas, the verie age of the world, the profession that wee haue taken vpon vs, is, or should bee ynough to put vs in remembrance of another life, of ano­ther [Page] world to come. Let vs not take the name of God in vaine, let vs all prayse and extoll God, let our mouthes, our hands, our hearts, and all other our members praise and confesse his name for euer. Laetentur & exultent populs, &c. O let the people reioyce and bee glad, that thou iudgest the folke righteously, & gouernest the nations vpon the earth. Thy way, O Lord, is knowne, said Da­uid, thy way is knowne vpon the earth, therefore let all people, all nations, yea, all the whole world reioyce and be glad thereat.

Diuers people set their minds on di­uers things: some in conquest, some in great power and force of men, some in heapes of money, and treasures of this world, some others, that they are able to make other men feare, and they feare nothing themselues. But all these things are vaine, both conquest, power, and heapes of great treasure, are transitorie, and fade away: but the man of God, that dreadeth God, and hath a delight in his Law, set­teth his ioy and delight in those things [Page] which haue no end, but continue for e­uer. And therefore Dauid here saith, Let all the people reioice and be glad, in this thing alone, because thou iudgest the folke righteously, and gouernest the nati­ons vpon the earth.

Let vs consider if there were a whole Christian nation brought in captiuitie vnder the Turke, in thraldom and sub­iection vnto him, in such sort that they should neuer heare the Scriptures, ne­uer receiue the Sacraments, neuer come to the church to pray, but alwaies be where God should be despised, and his name dishonored: cōsider I say with your selues, in what miserie, in what wretchednesse, in what great thral­dome should they be. With what con­science should they be able to abide this? But if it would then please God to de­liuer them standing in this state, if it would please God to restore vnto them his Scriptrues, if it would please God that they might receiue againe his holy Sacraments, and might come and pray together: if God would thus much doe for them, O what ioy, [Page] what tryumph, what mirth would they make! Let vs therfore here consider the estate of Gods Church before the time of the Prophet Dauid, & as it was in his time. Before the Raigne of Dauid, the Tabernacle of God was broken, 1. Reg. 5. the Arke lost, the Scriptures taken from them, the Priests slaine: God made them no answere by Prophet, Angell, nor by dreame: euery man ran whi­ther himselfe best liked, without any feare of God, or dread of his Law: so had Saul that wicked King, miserably tossed and turmoyled the same. But it pleased God, by the hands of King Da­uid his Prophet, to restore againe his Church so ouerthrowne, to her former estate and condition: it pleased God by him to make vp the Tabernacle againe, 2. Reg. 6. to find out the Arke that before was lost, to set vp all other things in good stay and order: and this was as much, as if he had called them from death vnto life, from bondage to fréedome, from Hell to Heauen. Therefore when all these things were thus restored againe by the might and power of God, this [Page] prophet Dauid comforted his heart, Psal. 118. and said; Haec est dies quā fecit Dominus, laete­mur & exultemus in ea: This is a ioyfull day which the Lord hath made, let vs re­ioyce & be glad therin. And so likewise in another place; Psal. 99. Dominus regnauit, mo­ueatur terra: The Lord beareth the rule, the Lord is king, be the people neuer so vnpacient: Let the whole world con­spire (saith he) let it be moued & do what it can against God, for God ruleth and raigneth ouer al. Zacharie, when he saw the comfortable time that should ensue the birth of Christ, he fel downe & cried out, saying: Benedictus Dominus Deus Is­rael, Luk. 1. quia visit auit & fecit redemptionē ple­bis suae: Blessed be the Lord God of Is­rael, for he hath visited & redeemed his people. So Simeon that old and holy fa­ther, so soone as he beheld Christ, & had receiued his redéemer into his armes, by and by his heart brake out for ioy, & said; Nunc dimittis seruū tuū Domine, Luk. 2. secundū verbū tuū in pace &c. Now lettest thou thy seruant, O Lord, depart in peace, ac­cording to thy word: for mine eyes haue beholden thy saluation, mine eyes haue [Page] seene thy Sauiour, whom thou hast pre­pared for al people. Euen so in this place the prophet Dauid considering the great mercie that God had shewed, y ^e wonde­rous work that he had then wrought, & how that in his time al the whole people knew Gods way, he said; Laetentur & ex­ultent populi &c: Let the people reioyce & be glad, yea let all the people reioyce, be­cause thou iudgest the folke righteously, & gouernest the nations vpon the earth.

Now (good brethren) forasmuch as we haue here séene & considered the state of Gods Church before Dauids time, & the state wherunto it was restored again in Dauids time: Euen so let vs in like con­sider the state of Christs Church before our time, & the state & condition of y ^e same in our own time, in those daies that we our selues haue séen. Let vs cōsider how horrible darknesse, what error & confusi­on hath of late time bin in the Church of god, let vs weigh & consider (I say) y ^e de­formity & great abuses y ^e were in y ^e same. For alas, we had the sacraments, we had y ^e holy gospel & word of god, but wee had them al in vain. Baptism we had, but we [Page] knew not the Principles of our faith. The Sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ wee had, but wee vnderstood not why Christ left vs this Sacrament, we knew not why he said; Take, eate, this is my body &c. It is the greatest Sacrament, and yet we perceiued not what it meant. We had Praiers, wee had Psalmes, wee had supplications vnto God, and yet we vnderstood them not, we vnderstood no word of them. Wee worshipped things made with mens hands, Images of blockes and stones, such as had eyes and saw not, eares and heard not, neither had any breath in their mouthes: such things we worshipped, and this contrarie to the expresse commandement of God. The Scriptures were rent, were torne, were troden vnder foote, were burnt be­fore our eyes. We groped our way in the middest of the day, as said the Pro­phet Ieremie. And as the same Prophet of his owne time spake, saying; Secun­dum numerum Ciuitatum tuarum sunt Dij tui: Ier. 11. According to the number of the ci­ties, are thy Gods, O Iuda: so might we [Page] of our owne time haue said. For looke how many cities we had, so many Gods had wee also. Euery Borough, euery Towne, yea, euery village (in a maner) had his proper and peculier Saint. It was then come to passe that Esaie pro­phesied, Esa. 5. saying; Hell hath opened her mouth maruellous wide, Hell hath ga­ped (saith hee) because they haue no knowledge of God, because they haue no vnderstanding. And so likewise Sa­lomon: Pro. 29. When Prophesie faileth, the people must needs be scattered. This is the word of God, and this is the miserie that wee our selues haue séene. The old father Tobie, when God had stricken him with blindnesse, and so taken his sight from him, and therefore his friends and acquaintance, resorted vnto him to comfort him, and somwhat, if they might, ease him of his great grief: Tob. 5. Alas (said he) what comfort can I receiue that cannot see the light of the Sunne. Thus said he only because he could not behold the light of this world. Alas, what comfort then, what ioy, what con­solation could wee haue, when God [Page] tooke from vs the knowledge of his gos­pell, the light of his word, yea the know­ledge of God himselfe; when euery man ran whither himself best liked, & folow­ed that way which pleased his owne phansie. Therefore were wee caried a­way, therefore were we led into errour, therfore lost we the knowledge of God, because prophesie failed, because Gods word was not taught and preached vn­to vs. But now it hath pleased God to reueale himselfe vnto vs, now we know what is what, now can we discerne light from darknesse, good from bad; now we vnderstand & know this, I say. Now we haue the Scriptures in our mother tongue, that euery man may read and vnderstand them: the same Scriptures that Christ hath sealed with his owne bloud. And these Scriptures Ieremie that old father calleth, The prop of our Faith. Ioh. 5. So Christ himselfe; Illae sunt quae testimonium perhibent de me: They beare witnesse of me, (saith Christ) and they shall lead you into al truth. Hillary saith; The Scriptures are the squire and Rule of our life. Ioh. 5. In the Scriptures (saith [Page] Christ) you shall find euerlasting life. And Paule writing vnto the Romains, saith; Rom. 1. The Gospell of Christ is the po­wer of God, to saue all that beleeue ther­on. The Scriptures were written (saith he) that we thereby should know our saluation. All these things God hath now restored vnto vs. Now are wee able to know our profession, now are we able to know our Religion, to know God, to know Christ, to knowe our sal­uation. Now haue wee the vse of the Primitiue Church, the Communion vnder both kinds: now haue wee our praiers in our knowne tongue, as in the Apostles time, as in the old Fathers and Doctors times they were vsed: Tertul­lian that old Doctour speaking of his time; We come together (saith he) and hear the Scripturs read vnto vs. We may now do, as S. Basil writeth the people in his time did: Sonus virorū, mulierū, & paruulorū, in orationibus claugorē edit, tāquā fluctus ferientes littora: The sound (saith he) of men, women, and children pray­ing together, maketh a noyse like the waues of the Sea beating on the shore. [Page] Thus saith that old father, they did in his time, and thus may you now do. Now may we say, as Athanasius said; If I be deceiued, thou hast deceiued me, O Lord. For thy word is plaine, thy Gospell is true, and therefore if we be now deceiued, it is thy word, it is thy Gospell, that deceiueth vs: God hath so plainly shewed vnto vs the light of his Gospel, the knowledge of his word. Therfore haue we most iust cause to say with the prophet Dauid: Laetentur & ex­ultent populi, Let the people reioyce & be glad. And therfore let vs not be vnkind, let vs not be vnthankful, let vs say; thou O Lord, iudgest the folk righteously, & gouernest the Nations vpon the earth. Thou hast now restored vnto vs our praiers in our known tongue, thy sacra­ments as they were vsed in the Apostls time, in y ^e Primitiue Church; in the old Fathers & Doctors times. And let vs say with Zachary that holy father; Benedictus Dominus Deus Israel, Blessed is the Lord God of Israel. Let vs say with Dauid; Haec est dies, laetemur & exultemus in ea, this is the ioyful day, let vs reioyce & be glad [Page] therin. Let vs with Simeon the prophet say, Nunc dimittis seruum tuū Domine, se­cundum verbum tuum in pace, Now lettest thou thy seruant, O Lord, depart in peace, according vnto thy word. Let vs say, as the prophet here saith, Laetentur & exultent populi, Let the people reioice and be glad, because thou rulest the Nations vpon the earth. O let the people praise thee, O God, let all the people praise thee. And God, euen our owne God giue vs his blessing, that the earth may bring forth her increase.

Thou hast, O Lord, sent vnto vs thy measure, thou hast giuen vs thy squire, whereby to measure and rule our liues: thou hast sent, I say, vnto vs thy Gos­pell, thy holie word, the light of thy déerely beloued Sonne Iesus Christ, whereby we may guid our selues, & di­rect our waies vpon the earth. And when we shall thus liue, when we shall once begin so to direct our doings, as Gods Gospell teacheth, & his holie word com­maundeth vs; then shall the earth bring forth her increase, then shall she yeeld vs her fruit in due season. For like as God. [Page] when we turne from him, following our owne lusts and desires, plagueth and punisheth vs: so when we repent and returne vnto him, he is good, he is louing, he is mercifull vnto vs. Turne vnto me, Ier. 3. sayth God, by his prophet Ieremie, and I will turne vnto you. Eze. 33. When soeuer a sinner repenteth him of his sinnes, I will forget his ini­quities, saith the Lord. It is the Lord that gyueth vs fruit, it is the Lord that maketh the ground fertile; it is not the ground of it selfe that bringeth forth fruit, it is not the corne that fée­deth vs, it is the blessing of God, the blessing I say of God alone. And there­fore saith the prophet Dauid, Psal. 145. If thou O Lord, wilt open thy hand, then all things shall be filled with thy blessing. It is the Lord that maketh the Sunne to shyne, Psal. 44. the Moone to giue light, the raine to fall on the earth. I am the Lord that doth all this, sayth God. Dauid also in his Psalme saith, Psal. 85. Sciant quòd manus tua fecit haec, Let them know, O Lord, saith he, that thy hand alone hath done these wonders. It is God, I say, [Page] that causeth the earth to be fruitfull, and bring forth increase, it is God that causeth the heauens to heare the earth, the earth to crie vnto the Heauens. Your harts shall be full of my blessing, saith the Lord. If we shall forsake our sinnes, if we will leaue our wicked­nesse, and turne vnto God, our harts shall be full of his blessing, and then shall the earth bring forth her increase: the earth this dead thing, this vnsen­sible thing, this masse of clay, at Gods commaundement, at his will and plea­sure, it shall bring forth corne, it shall bring forth grasse, and all other kind of fruits, to serue them, that neuer thinke vpon him that bestowed them. O that wée were kinde, that wée were not vnmindfull, that we would remember God: But alas, wée are vnkind, we are vnmindfull, we ney­ther thinke on God, nor his works: and therefore God closeth vp his hand, therefore he gyueth not vnto vs hys blessing, therefore is the earth bar­ren and vnfruitfull. And this our owne sinnes causeth, this our owne [Page] wickednesse, and sinfull lyuing causeth. Ose the prophet vnto the people of Is­rael, (when they had forsaken God their Lord, and therefore were gréeuously pu­nished) cried out and said, Osc. 13. Malum tuum ex te ô Israel, Thy euill is come of thy selfe O Israel. All this scarsitie, all this dearth, all this plague, commeth of thy selfe alone: Thou art, saith he, the cause, thou thy selfe art the cause hereof. And euen as they were the cause of their pla­gue, so are we the only cause of all this our punishment: and yet we sée not, nor know Gods anger. I haue striken thee, saith God by his prophet, and yet thou feelest not: and where shall I strike thee once againe? Esa. 1. Filios educaui, saith God by his prophet, I haue bred vp, I haue nou­rished vp children, and they despise me, they set nought by mée, they will not ac­knowledge mée their father. Good Bre­theren, let vs turne vnto God, let vs a­mend our sinfull lyuing, let vs submit our selues wholy to his mercie: so shall the earth bring forth her increase, so shal she yéeld vs her fruit in due time & sea­son. Let vs consider the dignitie that [Page] God hath giuen vs: he made vs in Pa­radise, he fashioned vs to his owne like­nesse, he breathed life into vs; and lastly, where we by the fall of our first parent Adam, were all adiudged to eternall death, he redéemed vs again by the blood of his déere Sonne, and Passion of our Sauior Iesus Christ. Behold these things, and be not vnthankfull. Let vs (good Bretheren) behold our selues, let vs behold our owne vocation, our owne profession, let vs behold Christ our Sa­uior. We are the children of God, the bretheren of Christ, and heyres of the euerlasting kingdom; we are Christian men, we professe Gods Gospell: let vs therfore remember that we must walke as becommeth the seruants of Christ, we must liue like the professors of Gods holie Gospell. Let vs remember how many wayes God calleth vs, how di­uersly he allureth vs vnto him, by what sundry meanes he prouoketh vs to come vnto him. O thou proud soule, sayth God by his prophet, thou earth & ashes, when wilt thou forsake thy sinfull lyuing and come vnto me? when wilt thou re­pent [Page] and turne vnto me? Alas, do we looke that the stones in the stréets, the verie stones vnder our féete should rise vp, and call vs to repentance? The hea­uens drop downe teares for our sake, they wéepe and are sorie for vs; and wilt not thou O man burst out in teares, and bewaile thy sinfull life? God loo­keth when we will come, he wayteth when we will returne vnto him, he daily and hourely watcheth when we will submit our selues, & receiue his mercie. So louing, so good, so gratious a Lord is he. Why should you perish, saith Christ, giue me thy hart, O thou man, and I am contented.

Let vs all therefore my Bretheren, let vs all returne vnto God, let vs alto­gether come forth & confesse Gods holie name; let our hands, our mouthes, our harts, praise and laud him for euer: let all the people reioyce and be glad, that God iudgeth the folke righteously, and gouerneth the Nations vpon the earth. So shall the earth bring forth her in­crease, so shall shée yéeld vs her fruit in due season: so shall we be blessed in our [Page] houses, blessed in the fields, blessed in our commings in, and our goings out: so shall our corne, our cattell, our shéepe, and oxen, be alwayes blessed: and so shall Gods blessing be vpon vs, and our Children, and God, euen our owne God shall blesse vs, and remaine with vs for euer. Amen.

FOr the better vnderstan­ding of these words writ­ten by the Apostle S. Paul, we must consider that there be two Princes of contrary dispositions [Page] and natures, which haue the rule and gouernance of this world, that is to wit, God, and the Deuill; and that neuer was there man, sithence the first foun­dation of the world, but was in subie­ction and vnder obedience either of the the one, or of the other: And as God is the father of light, the God of all good men, so is the Deuill the father & Prince of this world, the Lord of darknesse, the king of this age, Ephes. 6. as saith S. Paul, and ruler of the wicked: And like as all good men fight vnder the banner of God their Lord, so all vngodly fight vnder the standard of the Deuill their Prince: And euen as the iust man hath his re­ward of God, so hath the wicked man his stipend of the Deuill. And thus be Infidels, Turkes, Iewes, and all Hea­then people, vnder the power and domi­nion of the Deuill, vnder the standard of Sathan: and therefore are they not able to thinke any good, to conceiue one good thought, because they fight vnder his Banner, because they haue giuen ouer all their members to be ordered of the Deuill, without any féeling of good, [Page] without any feare of God. And thus, as I said, do the Turkes, thus do the In­fidels, thus do all Heathen people at this day, and so did the Iewes in the time of Paul, In vmbra mortis ambulaue­runt, Psal. 107. Ephe. 4. saith he, They walked in the sha­dow of death. But after that it pleased God the Father, by the comming of his déere Sonne Iesus Christ, to reueale himselfe vnto them, to open and declare his Gospell among them, then began the people to renounce the Deuill, to forsake his Law and seruice, and to be­take themselues wholy to the gouer­nance of God. And therefore S. Paul, the further to incourage them thereun­to, willeth them in this Epistle of his, That like as before time they gaue ouer their members to the seruice of vnclean­nesse, from one wickednesse to another, so should they now giue ouer the same their members, to the seruice of righte­ousnesse. For, to this end was Christ borne into this world, to this end liued he here among vs, to this end preached he, and taught the people Gods holie word, that we by his example, and the [Page] doctrine of his Gospell, should liue an vpright and holie life. And therfore Za­charie that holie prophet, being filled with the holie Ghost prophesied, and said, before Christs birth, that Christ should for this cause appeare in this world, That we being by him deliuered from the feare of our enimies, Luk. 1. might serue him in purenesse and holinesse all the daies of our life. And S. Paul like­wise saith, Ye were darkenesse, but now ye are light, Ephe. 5. walke therefore as becom­meth the children of light. Therefore are we deliuered from the power of darkenesse, saith S. Paul, that we should walke in the light, and haue no fellow­ship with the vnfruitfull workes of darknesse. And so in like, Vocauit nos De­us, 1. Thess. 4. non ad immunditiem, sed ad sanctita­tem, God hath not called vs to vnclean­nesse, but to holynesse and sanctitie of life. Thus hath he called vs, that we not only in Body, but in Soule, should be pure & vnspotted. And therefore S. Paul vnto the Romanes, Know you not, saith he, that all we which are baptized into Iesus Christ, Rom. 6. are baptized into his [Page] death? Therefore are we buried with him by Baptisme into death, that like as Christ was raised vp from the dead, euen so also should we walke in a new life. And for this cause this same Paul likewise saith, Exhibete vos tanquam viua membra, Rom. 12. Shew your selues as quicke and liuely members. And in an other place, Exhibete corpora vestra sacrificium san­ctum & acceptatum Deo. Rom. 12. Giue ouer your bodies for a sacrifice holie and accepta­ble before God. And also, 1. Cor. 3. Nescities cor­pora vestra esse templa Dei? Know you not that ye are the temple of God, and that the spirit of God dwelleth in you? These and such other many lessons hath S. Paul giuen vs, to call vs vnto pure­nesse and holynesse of life. Let vs there­fore, (good Bretheren) liue holy; consi­der that God hath not called you to vn­cleannesse, but to puritie of life; consider if yée be baptized with Christ into death, you must also walke with him in a new life: let your bodies be a sacrifice holie & acceptable vnto God: shew your selues liuely members of Christ, and the Tem­ple of the holie Ghost. Vocauit nos Deus, 1. Thes. [...]. [Page] saith S. Paul, 1. Thess. 4. Vt viueremus sobriè, God hath called vs, God hath appointed vs, to liue in sobernesse, to liue in purenesse, to liue in holynesse: and this not in one part of our Bodies, not in one part of our Soules, but in our whole bodies, in our whole soules. For Christ our Sa­uior suffred not his bodie to be crucified in one part, Math. 27. Sed à planta pedis, vsque ad summum capitis, But euen from the sole of the foote, to the crowne of his head, was he beaten, rent, and torne, and mi­serably tormented in his whole Bodie. His Bodie was scourged with whips, his head prickt with thornes, his hands and féete nayled to the Crosse, his side pierced with a sharp speare. For Christ speaking of himselfe, saith, Psal. 22. Foderunt ma­nus meas, & pedes meos, They haue dig­ged my hands, and my feete, they haue made holes thorough them. And thus si­thence Christ suffred all his whole Body to be tormented for vs, sithence he suf­fred all his members to be crucified for our sakes; let vs applie our selues, and all our member to serue and please him in holynesse and vpright lyuing all the [Page] dayes of our liues. And therefore saith s. Paul here, Ye haue now betaken your selues vnto Christ; therefore let your conuersation be according, liue as be­commeth the seruants of Christ: For euen as before this time, ye gaue ouer your members to vncleannesse, from one wickednesse to an other, so now giue o­uer your members to the seruice of righ­teousnesse.

And such (good Bretheren) was the life of all Christian men, in the begin­ning of Gods Church: such was, I say, their life & lyuing. They subdued their flesh, they mortified their members, and gaue them ouer wholy vnto Christ, and so made them members vnto righteous­nesse. When Christ walked here on this earth, & was conuersant in our flesh, and this nature of ours; at what time he en­tered into the house of Zacheus, which was a Ruler of the Publicans, & desired to sée Iesus, by and by Zacheus was turned into a new man, and by and by he stoode forth, and said vnto the Lord: Behold Lord, Luk. 19. the halfe of my goods I giue vnto the poore, and if I haue defrau­ded [Page] any man, I restore him foure fold. Thus was he only by the presence of Christ, turned into a new man, thus he of an vncircumcised Publican was made the child of Abraham, and of a sin­full and wretched creature, he became forthwith a Christian. And so in like, when Christ had but once called vnto Mathew, Math. 9. and bad him follow him, im­mediatly he left the Toll-gathering, he left the receipt of the custome, he left his owne proper game and profit, and ran after Christ. Of such force was the pre­sence of Christ vnto Zacheus, of such power was the commaundement of Christ, with Mathew the Toll-gatherer. Saint Augustine a little before he retur­ned vnto Christ, & embraced his trueth, he feared, he trembled, and alwaies stood in doubt: but so soone as Christ had once inspired him with his holie spirit, and re­uealed his trueth vnto him, forthwith without any further doubt or delay, he renounced his errors, and became a per­fect Christian. There was once a Chri­stian man, whose name was Eusebius, and being demaunded what he was, [Page] answered, a Christian: being asked what countrey man, said, a Christian: who was his father, a Christian: where he dwelt, a Christian: and so to ech other demaund, he answered a Christian: as who would say, what so euer I be, I am nothing else but a Christian. In the be­ginning of Gods Church, all good men were called Christian men: and yet was it not one thing to be a Christian, and a good man. The Christian men, for that they considered they were called to sal­uation, to redemption by the death of Christ, & to the inheritance of Heauen, they had their delight and only felicitie in heauenly things: they estéemed not the vaine pleasures of this world: and because they thus carried Christ in their Bodies, because they had their mem­bers crucified vnto Christ, therfore were they called Christians. And so should we doe, (good Bretheren) so should we consider our redemption, so should we mortifie our members, and renouncing the vaine delights of this world, we should fixe our eyes, our minds, and all our doings on Heauenly things alone. [Page] Saint Cyprian saith, The people come to learne the Gospell, to heare the word of God; and wherefore? that they might worke according vnto the Gospell, that they might bring forth fruits worthie the word of God: that they may thus doo, therfore they heare Gods word, saith S. Cyprian. And thus if wée do not, what euer we brag of our Redemption, what euer we brag of our profession, what euer we boast of the knowledge of Gods Gospell, it is to no end, it is not to effect or purpose. And therefore if we haue heretofore time giuen ouer our members vnto vncleannesse, from one wickednesse vnto an other, now let vs giue ouer the same our members vnto the seruice of righteousnesse.

For, saith S. Paul, What profit, what fruit had ye at that time in those things, whereof you are now ashamed? for the end of such things is death. It is the part of a wise man, and the office of a discréet man, in such good order to dis­pose all his businesse, and to bring all his doings to so good end, that he take no foile, nor haue any shame therefore. [Page] Ye haue committed sin (saith saint Paul) yée haue giuen ouer your members from one wickednesse to another, and now ye be ashamed, now are ye sorie for those your misdoings: But what profit then had yee of those things, whereof you are now ashamed? This is an hor­rour, and the greatest horrour that may be, that no man can commit sin without a great burden of conscience, without great torment & disquietnesse of minde. Iudas, when he had betraied his master Christ, Mat. 27. by and by, his conscience accu­sed himselfe, and was so great a burden vnto him, that to deliuered and eased thereof, he went imediatly and hanged himselfe. When Caine had slaine his owne brother, and committed that exe­crable Gen. 4. murther, God said vnto him, Why dost thou lowre? Such a thing is sin, that whosoeuer committeth it, it will forthwith appeare in his face, it will appeare and shew in his counte­nance. But happie is that man that soo­nest commeth to repentance, happie is he that is soonest sorie for his sins and misdoings. Adam, Gen. 3. so soone as hee had [Page] eaten of the forbidden fruite, & so trans­gressed the commaundement of God, God called vnto him, and said, Adam, v­bies? Where art thou? He answered; I am fled away Lord, I hide my selfe. And why fled he away, why hid he himselfe from the sight of God? because he was ashamed. Luk. 15. The prodigall Son spoken of in the Gospell, after he had riotously consumed his whole substance, and so brought to extreame pouertie, hee re­turned againe, came home to his fa­ther, fell downe before his féete, and said; O father, I haue sinned against Heauen and against thee. And why said he thus? because he was ashamed. The people in the time of Daniel the Pro­phet, Dan. 9. when they sawe their owne wic­kednesse, and repented them thereof, cryed out and said; Shame is come vpon vs, shame and confusion is this day fal­len vpon vs. Dauid the Prophet, when hee had by tyranie caused his faithfull and trustie seruant Vrie to be slaine, 2. Reg. 11. thereby to haue his pleasure of Bersabee his wife, and after had séene his owne foly, cryed out vnto God, [Page] saying; Psal. 51. Miserere mei quoniam iniquitatem meam ego cognosco, Haue mercie vpon me, O Lord, because I know mine ini­quities. And why said he thus? because he was ashamed. Ieremie, Postquam o­stendisti mihi peccata mea, erubui: After thou hadst, O Lord, shewed me mine offences, I was ashamed (said he.) Thus (good brethren) a wicked conscience e­uermore beareth shame about with it, euermore carieth a most heauie bur­den, euermore is prickt and tormen­ted, and neuer at quiet.

And though some men there bee, so giuen ouer vnto sinne, that they féele no shame in this life, that are not mo­ued in their conscience in this world, yet may they assure themselues they shall féele bitter torments in the world to come, and eternall shame that ne­uer shall haue end. And if there bee a­ny that will now say, as the people in the time of Daniel did; whatsoeuer we doe, God will not looke vnto vs, hee regardeth not our doings, whe­ther wee doe good or euill, God hath no respect vnto it; and so bee nothing [Page] moued in their conscience for their sinful liuing: when they shal be cast into vtter darknesse where shall be wéeping and gnashing of téeth, then shall their con­science be moued with repentance, then shall they bee ashamed; but then al too late. Luk. 16. Remember the glutton, the rich glutton (that in his life time had no­thing but pleasure, neuer felt aduersitie, nor neuer was prickt in conscience for his mislyuing) after hee fell into Hell fire, was there tormented, and the worme of his conscience began to gnaw him; then he cryed out vnto Abraham, then hee was ashamed, but then was it too late. And thus shall the wicked peo­ple doe at the last day, the wicked people (I say) that shall then be liuing and sée the great terrour of that day, They shal say vnto the Hils, fall vpon vs, vnto the mountains, Luk. 23. comecouer vs: then shal their owne wicked conscience accuse them, then shall they be ashamed, but then too late. Now (good brethren) what profit had all these of their owne sinfulnesse, what profit and commoditie had they of all their wickednesse? What profit had [Page] Adam by transgressing the commaun­dement of God? What profit had Cain for murthering of his brother? What profit wan the prodigall Son by mi­spending of his fathers goods? What profit had the people in the time of Da­niel, for their misliuing? What profit had Dauid by killing of Vrie? What profit had the rich glutton that liued in such pleasure? What profit (I say) had all these of their owne wickednesse? No profit, no commoditie, no pleasure a [...] al, but shame, nothing els but shame and confusion. Euen so here S. Paul; What profit (said he) had yee then of all those things, of which yee are now ashamed? It appeareth well yée haue gotten no­thing but displesure, nothing but shame and confusion. For the end of such things is death.

And this that is well spoken of hone­stie of life, this that is well applyed to honest conuersation, may wel be spoken and applied to Religion. For it behoo­ueth a man so to worship God, that hee haue no shame, no confusion therefore. But alas, from the beginning, euen [Page] from the first creation of man, there haue bin good, there haue bin bad: some there hath bin, that forsaking the liuing God, haue worshiped their own deuises: some in stéed of God, haue worshipped stocks and stones: some haue sacrificed to the Sun and Moone, Ier. 8. and made them their Gods: and this hath béene from the be­ginning. Ier. 44. And therefore Ieremie wri­teth, that the people in his time said, I­bimus & sacrificabimus Lunae Reginae caeli: We wil do sacrifice & offer oblations vn­to the Queen of heauen: for so (said they) our Fathers did, and did prosper in their doings. Ier [...]. Some said vnto the Stone, Pa­ter noster es, and to a Stocke, Deus noster es, exuerge adiuua nos.

And this hath béene euen from the beginning. The Babilonians wor­shipped Bell their God, Bel. which was but a blocke: they worshipped also a Dra­gon, which they called their liuing God, and this did they in good sooth. The Iewes made a golden Calfe, and fell downe before the same, and wor­shipped it, Exod. 32. and said, Isti sunt Dij tui, These are thy Gods, O Israell, these are [Page] they that brought thée out of the land of Egypt, and deliuered thée. Wée read al­so that they worshipped a Brasen Ser­pent, 2. Reg. 18. and burnt Incense and sacrifice vnto it. And as they had these vaine I­dols for their Gods: so likewise had they a number of Superstitious cere­monies of their owne deuising, which here were too long to be spoken of. And all this did they of blindnesse, thinking they had done well, meaning nothing but good therein. But afterwards when it pleased God to shew them their owne blindnesse, to shew them their folly, to shew them the wickednesse they wal­ked in: then were they ashamed of their doings, then (I say) they were ashamed confounded. And therfore said Iere­my the prophet, Verè patres nostri coluerūt mēdatia, truly our forefathers followed after lies. The Gentiles, when they per­ceiued that the Sun & Moon their chief Gods, were indéed no gods, & able to do them no pleasure, then they were asha­med. When the people of Babilon saw & vnderstood their own folly in worshiping their God Bell & their Dragon, & that [Page] they were not such, as they tooke them to be, then were they ashamed. And so in like, when the Iewes saw before their eyes their golden Calfe molten, and their brasen Serpent broken & ground into poulder, then were they ashamed, then were they sorie and ashamed of their former doings. Thus saith the Prophet Esaie, or rather God by the mouth of his Prophet, Why offer yee so many sacrifices vnto me? offer me no moe oblations. Esai. 1. I abhorre your incense, I may not away with your new moones and Sabbathes. I am troubled with them, I am wearie of them, Quis ista requirit? Who looketh for these things, who cō ­mandeth you so to doe? Esaie in ano­ther place also; Esai. 55. Why doe you lay out your money for the thing that feedeth not, and spend your labour about the thing that satisfieth not? And so likewise in another place the same prophet saith; They make my people forget my name, Esai. 59. for their owne traditions. He saith also; Taelas aranearum texunt, They weaue the Spiders web, they doe nothing els but breed the Cockatrice egs, and weaue [Page] the Spiders webbe, saith he. And so Iere­mie cried out, Ier. 2. and said, Duo mala fecit po­pulus meus, me dereliquerūt Dominum De­um suum, & foderunt sibi cisternas quae a­quas non possunt continere: my people, saith God by his Prophet Ieremie, haue forsa­ken men their Lord, and digged them­selues pits that can hold no water. Esay 1. Esay calleth mans inuention Sordes, drosse: Ieremie calleth it chaffe: Ier. 23. Malach. 1. Malachie, ve­ry mans dung: Zacharie, Gods curse. Christ himselfe calleth it, Luke 11. Fermentum Pharisaeorum, the leuen of the Pharisies: Hée calleth it also, Tenebras, vtter darke­nesse. Thus it pleased God to describe vnto vs mans inuention, to call it cob­webs, to call it filth, to call it drosse, and chaffe, mans dung, Gods curse, the le­uen of the Pharisies, and vtter darke­nesse. And this doth he for none other purpose, than onely to make his people ashamed of their owne deuises. Acts 22. Paul not­withstanding hee was a great learned man, skilfull in the lawes and customes amongst the Iewes, brought vp at the féet of Gamaliel: yet when hée knew [Page] Christ, when he was filled with the ho­ly Ghost, and embraced Gods gospel, he was ashamed of all he had learned be­fore, he was ashamed of his owne igno­rance. Iohn 20. Saint Thomas, who would not beléeue Christ to bée risen from death, when he felt Christs side, & had put his finger into his wound, then hee was a­shamed, then he was sory for his vnve­léefe. The Iewes when they perceiued their owne folly & ignorance, Acts 2. said, Viri fratres quid faciemus? O men & brethren what shall we do. The Ephesians, when S. Paul had preached vnto them, Act. 19. & they receiued the doctrine of Christ, by & by such as vsed curious crafts, came and brought their bookes of enchauntment, their books of witchcraft, & burnt them, cast them into the fire and burnt them: so much were they ashamed of their owne folly. 1. Cor. 13. And so S. Paul, Cum essem paruulus, sentiebam vt paruulus, When I was a child, I spake as a child, I vnder­stood as a child, I imagined as a child. But as soone as I was a man, I left all childish­nesse: Now I am become a man, and therfore I am now ashamed of my chil­dishnesse [Page] Thus might the Prophets haue said to the Gentiles, what profit had you of your gods, the Sun and the Moone, what profit had you of them, wherof yée are now ashamed? So might Moyses haue said to the children of Is­rael, what profit had yée in this golden calfe? So Ezechias, what profit had yée in this brasen serpent, of which now yée are ashamed? Euen thus Esay might likewise haue said, what profit had yée in your calends, & new Moones, in your ho­ly daies and sacrifices? And so other the Prophets might well haue said, what profit had ye in your dreames, in your spider cobbes, in your drosse, in your chaffe? what commoditie had yee of all these things? Alas ye are now ashamed of them, & therefore yee had no profit of them, yée had no pleasure by them, they brought you no commoditie, they brought you only shame and confusion.

Thus (good brethren) let vs weigh and consider, what profit wée had in times past of those things, of which wée are now ashamed. And let vs consider how much we are beholden to god, that [Page] now may sée and know our owne folly and ignorance, and so bée ashamed. But herein, good brethren, there néeds not many words: for there is no man so blind, but may well sée, no man so deafe, but may well heare, no man so dull, but may wel perceiue and vnderstand, the great errour, the great blindnesse, the great darknesse, that we haue béene in. And therefore let vs all now giue God thankes, that hee hath restored his light vnto vs, and taken that great error and darknesse from vs. Loth I am here to speake of those things whereof we may be ashamed: loth and sory I am to re­peat that vnto you, wherof we are now ashamed: but this place now requireth the same, this time and place willeth me somewhat to speake thereof. The time hath béene, that we haue put our trust in pardons, in Buls of the Popes, in vaine scrolles, and writings of his; yea, and in them wée haue had greater hope and affiance, than in the death of Christ, and merits of his passion. We haue fal­len downe before images, before stocks, and stones, such as had eyes, and saw [Page] not, eares, and heard not: before them we prayed, before them we knéeled, and stacke vp candles. But now we are a­shamed of them, we all are, I thinke, now sory and ashamed of this our folly: but what profit had we then of all these things. Sometime wee prayed in a strange tongue, in a tongue that we vn­derstood not: we prayed contrarie to the vse that was in the Patriarchs times, in the Prophets times, in the Apostles times: but then what profit had wee of those prayers, whereof we are now a­shamed? We haue séene lawfull marri­age forbidden, and mens lawfull wiues taken from them: and yet the vse of a concubine graunted, as though God were displeased with marriage, & plea­sed with whooredome: but what profit had yée then of that thing, of which yée are now ashamed? We had Baptisme, but we vnderstood not the principles of our faith: & euen as the Prophet spake of his time, Qualis populus, Ose 4. talis Sacerdos, the Priest is become like the people: so might wee well haue said of our owne time; blind were they both, and there­fore [Page] both fell into the dike. This we are now ashamed of, but what profit had we then therby? Ier. 5. The Prophets (said Ie­remy) teach falsly, and the Priests follow them, & my people hath pleasure there­in. And lo, euen this same which the Prophet Ieremie said, the Priests and Prophets did in his time, we our selues haue séene done in our dayes, and now we are ashamed thereof: but what pro­fit had we then by it? We had the Sa­crament of Christs bodie, but we knew not why Christ instituted the same, wée knew not why Christ left vs that Sa­crament; wée did all things contrary to Christs institution. Christ ordained a Communion, but wée had a priuat Masse: Christ ordained, that the whole people should receiue in both kinds, but wée ministred it vnder one kind alone: Christ, when hée instituted this Sacra­ment, spake in the common tongue that all might vnderstand him: but wée contrarie to Christ, contrarie to the A­postles, contrarie to the primitiue Church, consecrated the same in an vn­knowne tongue, that no man might [Page] vnderstand vs. And hereof are we now ashamed, but what profit had we then thereby? We haue knowne this to bée taught, that the bread in the Sacra­ment was turned into the verie bodie and blood of Christ our Sauiour: this we al know, and do yet remember. But Christ, when hee said, the Sacrament should bee turned, meant not that the bread should bée turned into his bodie, but that we which receiue the same shold be turned, that we, I say, should be tur­ned, & made one body with him. This was the meaning, this I say, was the meaning of our Sauiour Christ. And therfore S. Paul, 1. Cor. 10. Panis quem frangimus, participatio corporis & sanguinis Christi est, the bread which we breake is the partici­pation of the body and blood of Christ. For we many are one bread, & one body in as much as we all are partakers of one bread. Math. 14. Christ himselfe said, I wil drinke no more of the liquor of the vine: Christ, I say, after the consecration, said hée would not drinke any more of the liquor of the Vine: The bloud of Christ is not Wine, it is not the liquor of [Page] the vine. Saint Augustine, in Sermone ad Infantes, saith plainly, Quod videtis in mensa panis est: that which you see on the table, is bread. Theodoretus also, Non mutatur substantia panis, the substance & nature of the bread is not changed, sayth he. Gelasius likewise, whom peraduen­ture yée will the more credit, because hée was sometime bishop of Rome, saith, Non desinit esse substantia panis, there lea­ueth not to bee the substance of bread. Natura panis in Sacramento remanet, the nature of the bread remaineth in the Sa­crament. Chrysostome also, Non mutatur substantia panis, the substance of the bread is not altered. I could say more, but this is for this time ynough; this onely I trust, amongst a number of other, shall be now sufficient to perswade you the truth herein. Yée sée here that S. Augu­stine, Theodoretus, Gelasius, and Saint Chrysostome do all affirme, and herein agrée; that the substance or nature of the bread, after the consecration is not chan­ged.

Let vs therefore, good brethren, not­withstanding we haue béene otherwise [Page] taught, let vs, I say, beléeue these holy Doctors, let vs credit them; they wil not mocke vs, they will not deceiue nor be­guile vs. But this other doctrine, this doctrine of transubstantiation, was of late deuised, not past thrée hundred yeres agoe, in the councell of Laterane. And there, vpon this new deuise of theirs, they made a great solemne, and festiuall day, and called it, Corpus Christi day. And now we are ashamed of this: but then what commoditie, what profit had we thereof? We found out of our selues a new sacrifice, the sacrifice (I mean) of the masse, as though the death of Christ had not béene a sacrifice suffi­cient, as though Christs blood had not once for al washed away our iniquities, as though Christ had not said, I haue paid the ransome for your sins. It were an infinit labor to repeat vnto you par­ticularly, all the abuses of late dayes v­sed in the Church of Christ; you your selues can well remember them, I néed not here to rehearse them vnto you. But then what profit had ye of al such things of which you are now ashamed? But [Page] some men there bee peraduenture, that wil not be ashamed of these abuses, but alwaies vphold & maintain the same: & such if there be any, they are like them whom Ieremie prophesied of, saying: Thou hast taken an harlots countenance thou hast gotten thee a whores forehead, Ier. 3. and canst not be ashamed: they are like them also whom Esay the Prophet spea­keth of, & saith, Malice hath made you blind, you barke against the truth. This is the sin that neuer will bée forgiuen, this is so great an offence, that it wil ne­uer be pardoned. Therefore let vs, to whom God hath giuen eyes to sée, eares to heare, & harts of vnderstanding: let vs I say, consider that it is no shame to confesse our errors, to acknowledge our blindnesse; but shame it is to continue in error, too much shame it is to remaine stil in blindnesse. And such as will not be a­shamed of their euill, but laugh at and scorne others, that are sory and asha­med, may well bée likened vnto them whom saint Paul writing to the Ephe­sians speaketh of, Eph. 4. They being past repentance, haue giuen themselues [Page] ouer vnto wantonnesse, to worke al ma­ner of vncleannesse, euen with greedines. And such are giuen ouer in reprobum sen­sum, Rom. 1. into a lewd mind. Such Dauid the Prophet speaketh of, saying: Psal. 17. They cast their eies downe to the ground. For such as wilfully offend, and wittingly cast away themselues, there is no saluation Paul saith, Finis illorum mors est, Rom. 6. their end is death, their end is onely destruction. This is the same that Saint Iohn spea­keth of, Math. 12. which neither shall be forgiuen in this world, nor in the world to come. Wherefore were they cast into hel, that now lye therein? for what cause conti­nue they in those endlesse tormentes? because they would not acknowledge their errors, because they would not be ashamed of their owne folly. Where­fore is there in hell, fire vnquenchable, torments such as cannot be thought, vt­ter darkenesse, and eternall death, but onely to punish such as wilfully liue in wickednes, to plague them that wil not be ashamed of their sins & offences. Mar. 9. They shall be cast into vtter darkenesse, where shalbe weeping & gnashing of teeth, into [Page] fire that neuer shall be quenched, where the worme of the conscience neuer dieth. If we delight in couetousnesse, in adul­tery, in fornication and filthy liuing, the end, let vs say, is death, the end thereof is none other than eternall death. Psal. 15. Quis habitabit in tabernaculo tuo? said Dauid the Prophet, O Lord, who shall dwel in thy Tabernacle, saith he, or who shall rest vpon thy holy hil? Euen he that lea­deth an vncorrupt life, that doth the thing which is right, and speaketh the truth from his heart: Hee that hath not sworne and deceiued his neighbor. But O mercifull God, who walketh now innocently? who leadeth an vncor­rupt life? who doth the thing that is right? who speaketh truth from his heart? what man is there, that hath not sworne and deceiued his neighbour? Ieremie speaking of the people in his time, saith, Confusi sunt, imo non sunt con­fusi: They are ashamed, nay, they are not ashamed, saith Ieremie. And euen so may we of our daies well say, the people are not ashamed, they are nothing sory nor ashamed of their euill liuing. These S. [Page] Paul speaketh of, writing vnto the Phi­lippians: I speake with teares, Philipp. 3. saith hée, they are the enemies of Christs crosse, their end is damnation, their glorie shall be turned into shame.

And shall we then liue thus? shal we thus dye? shall we thus end our liues? shall we thus appeare at the later day, and not be ashamed? shall adulterers, fornicators, whooremongers, couetous persons, come & stand before the iudge­ment seat of God, before the throne of his maiestie, and not bée ashamed? Is this the marriage garment that wée should be clad with? are we those that are called to the feast by the Bride­groome? are we Christs brethren, and heires of the kingdome of God? No. Non resurgent impij in indicio, Psal. 1. the wicked shall not arise in iudgement, saith the Prophet Dauid, the vngodly shal not be able to stand in the iudgement, neither the sinners in the congregation of the righteous. Wo bee vnto them that run from God with a desperat mind, wo bee vnto them that wilfully forsake, and fly [Page] from him. S. Gregorie saith, One sinne linketh in another, as one linke of a chaine holdeth the other. It is an hor­rible thing to turne from God, it is a terrible thing to flye from him: for if we turne from God, whither shall wée goe? if wée flye from him, whither shall we run? Conscientia mille testes, our owne conscience, though wee hide our selues neuer so close, shall be as a thousand wit­nesses against vs, our owne conscience shall vtter and bewray vs. Saint Au­gustine saith, If we do not indeed repent, we faine that wee doe repent, wee onely faine, saith he, that we do repent, and so we mocke with God. But God will not be mocked of vs, he will not bée deluded by vs. But we shal be ashamed and con­founded, when we appeare before God, when wee appeare, I say, before the iudgement seat of God. But then what profit shall we haue of that we are asha­med? what commoditie shall wée then haue of that whereof wee are asha­med. Let vs consider, that we are flesh of Gods flesh, bones of his bones, and [Page] members of his members. And there­fore let vs giue ouer our whole bodies, let vs giue ouer all our members, let vs giue ouer our eyes, our eares, our tongues, our hearts, vnto the homage and seruice of God. So shall wee haue profit of Christ our Sauiour, so shall we haue profit of his death and passion, and so shall Christ say vnto vs, Come yee blessed of my Father, and inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world. Amen.

ALmightie God our hea­uenly Father, like as hée is both good, & also merci­full, like as he is patient, and of long sufferance: So he vseth two maner of wayes to allure and call vs vnto him, when we of our owne heads follow our owne deuises, and lewdly run whither our lusts leadeth vs: Sometimes of his great mercie hee vseth promises; sometimes of his iustice he vseth threat­ning. He promiseth to vs for our well [Page] doing, his fauour and grace, for kéeping his commandements eternall blisse. He threatneth vs for euill liuing, with plagues and punishments, and for brea­king of his Law, eternall death. Thus hee of his mercie somtimes vseth pro­mises, and threatneth againe of his ri­gor and iustice. He promiseth to com­fort, aid, and succour vs, if we come vn­to him: and hée threatneth to strike the terrour of death into vs, if wee turne from him. And so almightie God most mercifully vsed his promises vnto A­braham. Ego sum protector tuus & mer­ces tua, I am (said he) thy defender and thy reward: Gen. 12. Ego benedicam benedicentibus tibi, & maledicam maledicentibus tibi, I wil blesse them that blesse thee, and curse them that curse thee. So ample, so large. so great a promise made God vnto him. And thus almightie God when he wold deliuer his elect people the children of Israell from their great bondage and captiuitie, Deut. 11. Inducam te in terram fluentem lacte & melle, I will bring you into a land that shall flow with milke and hony; this will I performe, this will I bring to [Page] passe for you, and this will I doe for my names sake. And so likewise to these his people he made this merciful promise a­gainst their enemies, Leuit. 26. saying: Yee shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall in­to the sword before you, fiue of you shal chase an hundred, and an hundred of you shall chace ten thousand. Thus also God by his Prophets promised his people, Zach. 1. and said: Turne vnto mee, and I will turne vnto you. And euen thus likewise Christ in the Gospel, maketh most cleare and manifest promises of euerlasting life and saluation to all such as for his name shall forsake the pleasures and delights of this word, and repose their felicitie onely in him: Beati pauperes spiritu, be­ati qui lugeant, Mat. 5. beati qui esuriunt, beati qui persequutionem ferunt: Blessed are the poore in spirit, blessed are they that mourne, blessed are they that hunger & thirst, blessed are they that suffer perse­cution. And why so? For what cause are they blessed that are poore in spirit? For what cause are they blessed that mourne? Why are they happy that hun­ger? What reward shall they haue that [Page] suffer persecution? because (saith Christ) theirs is the Kingdom of Heauen, they shall be comforted, they shall bee filled, they shall obtaine a crowne of glorie. When two or three are gathered toge­ther in my name Math. 18. (saith Christ) I will bee in the middest of them. Whatsoeuer yee shall aske my father in my name, Ioh. 14. it shall be giuen vnto you. These manifold and great promises it pleased almightie God to make vnto his chosen & elect people: these cōfortable promises Christ himself vouchsafed to pronoūce to al such as shal cleaue vnto him: thus mercifully it plea­sed God by faire promises to allure and win vs vnto him. But oftentimes, alas, we set little or nothing by these swéet & comfortable promises, we little estéem or regard them: and therfore god then vseth his threatning, his rigor and Iustice a­mong vs: when no swéet words can win vs, then hee striketh his terror into vs. For when god in old time perceiued y ^t no gentlenes, no kindnesse, no mercy of his could win his people vnto him, he caused Esay his prophet to cry out & said; Impius in beneficijs me nō aguouit, in angustijs autē [Page] clamauit ad me: The wicked and sinfull man (saith he) in my great goodnesse & benefits bestowed vpon him, would not acknowledge nor confesse me; but in his miserie and trouble, in his anguish and woe, then he ran vnto me, and called on my name. And so likewise by the Pro­phet Ieremie God him selfe sayeth; Ier. 32. Con­uerterunt ad me terga, non faci [...]s suas: in die autem tribulationis inclamant me: They haue turned their backes, and not their faces vnto me: but in the day of their trouble, in the time of necessitie they call and cry vpon me. And so in like the same Prophet Ieremie, or rather God by this Prophet Deut. 32. Ier. 2. saith: Impinguatus & incrassa­tus est populus meus, My people are wax­en fat and lustie: they haue forsaken mee the well of life, and digged themselues pits, yea vile and broken pits that can hold no water. Such a thing is the feli­citie and pleasure of this world, that it maketh vs soone to forget God, and the felicitie of the world to come. And ther­fore God so often warned his people of Israel, Deut. 8. 11. that when they were once come into the land of Canaan, into that plen­tifull [Page] country which flowed with milke and hony, wherein should bee no dearth nor scarcenesse: that then they shold not forget the Lord their god, that then their hearts should not be deceiued, that then they should not goe aside, and serue o­ther gods; and so his wrath and indig­nation waxe hote vpon them. And ther­fore when faire promises & louing kind­nesse, cannot win vs to God, then vseth he another way, then doth he appoint a­nother meane, then beginneth hee to threaten and feare vs, and that of his ri­gour and iustice. And thus did hée to our first father Adam: because he would not he should transgresse his commaun­dement, he threatned him, Gen. 2. and said; In quocunque die comederis ex hoc fructu, mortem morieris, In what-euer day thou shalt tast of this fruit, thou shalt dye the death. So likewise God to the whole multitude of his people of Israell said; Deut. 28. Vnlesse ye giue eare to the voice of the Lord your God, to doe all his comman­dements and ordinances, cursed shall you be in the towne, and cursed in the field, cursed shall thy basket be and thy store, [Page] cursed shalbe the fruit of thy body & the fruit of thy land, cursed shalt thou bee in thy comming in, & in thy going out. You shall call, and I will not heare, you shall cry vnto me, and I will not giue eare. Leuit. 26. Dabo vobis caelum aeneum, & terram ferreum, The heauen shall be as brasse, and the earth as Iron; the heauens shall giue you no raine, the earth shall bring you forth no fruit, your trauell and la­bour shal be lost, your land shal not giue her encrease. Thus almightie God threatned his elect & chosen people, and all to kéep them in awe and feare of him. And so in another place he saith; Leuit. 26. I will set my face against you, and ye shall bee slaine before your enemies, and they that hate you shall haue dominion ouer you, & ye shal fly when no man chaseth you. Thus you see, that it pleaseth almightie God oftentimes to vse these and such like words of threatning, to vse such ri­gour, to beat a terrour into his people, when faire promises and swéet words can doe nothing; and this doth hee of his great iustice. And therfore Dauid in this place; God is indeed, (saith he) [Page] a rightfull iudge, and God is euer threat­ning. If men will not turne, he hath whet his sword, and hath bent his bowe and made it readie: He hath prepared him the weapons of death, and ordained his arrowes to destroy. So mightie, so om­nipotent is God, that hee can punish, and so righteous a iudge is he, that hee will punish when it best pleaseth him. But some man would here peraduen­ture say, if God be thus able to punish, and will indéed punish when hee is of­fended, why then doth he it not by and by, why is not he reuenged out of hand? because (saith the Prophet) he is merci­full, pacient, Psal. 103. and of long sufferance. Therefore he procéedeth not to reuenge his anger, therfore hee hasteth not to wreake himselfe on vs, so soone as wee offend him, and transgresse his will: but tarieth, and maketh long delaies to sée whether wée will repent and returne vnto him. But yet (saith Dauid, forasmuch as hee is abused, for as much as yée haue left and forsaken him, notwithstanding he be mercifull, notwithstanding he be pa­cient [Page] cient and of long sufferance, Hee hath now whet his sword, he hath bent his bowe, and made it readie, hee hath pre­pared him the weapons of death, and or­deined his arrowes to destroy: and this will he doe out of hand, he will make no longer delay at all. Here must wee not fancie, that God will strike vs with a sword of Iron, that he hath a bow bent and arrowes to destroy withall: for e­uery creature on the earth, what euer it be, be it neuer so vile, neuer so simple, neuer so weake and abiect, but is able at Gods commandement to bee an instru­ment to plague and punish withall. And therefore consider what is so weake as water, so simple as flyes, so vile as lice and frogs: and yet it pleased almightie God, by these weake, by these simple, by these vile things, to punish and strike the Egyptians, yea, and so much therby to plague them, that neuer before they felt the like, neuer earst they heard of the like punishment. It pleased God to turne their water into bloud, Exod. 7. so that in the whole country no water could be found to drink, no liquor [Page] of water to refresh their Bodies. This was a great plague, and yet was this wrought by want of water, which was but a weake and simple creature. A flye, you know, is a simple thing, a thing of little strength and no force: yet God so increased the number of them, he sent such a multitude of Flyes among the Egiptians, Exod. 8. that euen in the kings house they fell vpon what euer the king eate or dranke, fell vpon his meat, fell into his drinke, and so putrified and corrup­ted the same. The Lice wherewith God in like plagued them, fell not only vpon the king, and his people, but vpon their Shéepe, their Dren, their Asses, their Horses, their Mules, and their whole heards of Cattell, what euer they were. The Frogs entered into their houses, into the kings Palace, into his hall, his p [...]rlor, his chamber, yea, and into his Bed also. Thus it pleased God to vse against the Egiptians these simple, these base, and vile creatures, as his rod, as his scourge, as his sword of punisment. Euery creature, euery thing, whether it hath life, or no life, when it pleaseth God [Page] to vse it, is his sword, is his rod to strike withall. The fire that fell from Heauen, and destroyed the two famous Cities, Sodom and Gomorra, & the whole Re­gion there about, was none other than the sword of God. Gen. 19. Therefore saith the prophet Dauid, Psal. 104. The spirits of tempests doe his will, the thunder and lightnings fulfill his commaundement. And so the same prophet, here in this place: now hath God begun to strike, Now hath he whet his sword, & bent his bow, saith he, now hath he prepared his arrowes to de­stroy, & there is no way now to escape his vengeance, no way to auoyd his punish­ment, but only this, to turne vnto him, to run & submit your selues wholy to him.

These words Dauid the prophet (be­ing persecuted of his enemies, and beset round about of them) spake vnto Saul the proud king, and his adherents and souldiers: putting them in remem­brance how they had prouoked & iustly deserued the vegeance of God, for per­secuting of his innocent soule. And euen as this prophet Dauid spake & pronoun­ced these words vnto Saul, & his wicked [Page] companie, to reduce vnto their memorie the power of God, and the punishment that then hanged ouer their heads: So may we likewise well vse the same in these our dayes, first to bring vs in re­membrance that God is a righteous Iudge; and then to consider how we dailie prouoke and deserue his iust wrath, and so at the least for feare of punishment, to be sorie for our misdéeds, and returne vnto him: For if we will not be conuerted, hée hath whet his sword, he hath bent his bow, prepa­red hym the weapons of death, and ordeyned his arrowes to destroy. But before we come vnto God, (good Bre­theren) before we returne vnto him, we must one come vnto another, we must one turne to another; before we be re­conciled to Christ, we must be reconci­led vnto our neyghbor, before we be at one with God, we must be at one with our Christian Brother. This is the order that God looketh wée should ob­serue, this is that rule which Christ com­maunded vs to kéepe. Remitte, & remit­tetur tibi, Luk. 6. Forgiue, and thou shalt be [Page] forgiuen. Si remiseris alijs peccata sua, tua remittentur tibi, Math. 18. It thou shalt forgiue other men their offences towards thee, then shall thy sinnes also be forgiuen; then shall God pardon thée thine offen­ces, when thou shalt pardon thy Bro­ther that he hath offended thée, then, I say, shall God forgiue thée, and not be­fore. Math. 5. And againe, Nisi remiseritis alijs pec­cata sua, vestra non remittentur vobis, Vn­lesse ye forgiue other men their trespas­ses, your owne sinnes shall not be relea­sed, saith Christ. Remember (good Bre­theren) remember and marke well these words, Christ is the author, Christ is the speaker, Christ is the commaunder hereof. And so Christ our Sauior in an other place of his Gospell, Math. 5. When thou offerest thy gift at the Aultar, saith he, and there remembrest that thy Brother hath ought against thee; leaue there thine offring before the Aultar, & go thy way first and reconcile thy selfe to thy Bro­ther, and then come and offer thy gift. God is contented his honor be deferred, he is contented to tarrie for his Sacri­fice, till thou art agréed with thy Bro­ther, [Page] till thou art at one with him. And when thou hast thus done, then come & there offer thy Sacrifice. This is the ground of the attonement betwéen God and vs, this is the token that Christ is reconciled vnto vs, if we be at one with our neyghbor, if we be reconciled to our Christian Brother. 1. Ioh. 4. For if we shall hate our Bretheren whom we sée, if we shall be at debate with our Neyghbors being daily conuersant with vs; how can we loue God whom we sée not, how can we agrée with Christ, with whom we are not conuersant? But to declare further vnto you, that God accepteth not our Sacrifices, that he regardeth not our pe­titions, that he is not pleased with our prayers, vnlesse we be at one & pleased with our Bretheren; He crieth out by Esaie his prophet, and saith, Esa. 1. Cum clamabi­tis ad me, ego non exaudiam vos, quia manus vestrae plenae sanguinis sunt, When you shal call vpon me, I wil not heare you, though ye make many praiers, yet heare I no­thing at all, saith God. And wherefore? Because your hands are full of blood. It is written in Genesis, Gen. 4. that God would [Page] not looke vpon Cayn and his Offring, that he would haue no regard to his Sa­crifice: and wherefore? because his hart was full of malice. Salomon saith, Pre­catio iniusti abhominabilis est, The praier of the wicked is abhominable, the sinfull mans prayer is abhominable in the sight of God. Psal. 109. Dauid also, Let their prayers be as a sinne, let their prayer be turned into sinne, saith he. O miserable man thou art, if thou be not in charitie, wretched and too sinfull thou art, if thou be not in loue and vnitie, thy Prayer is abho­minable, yea, thy prayer is no prayer, thy prayer is sinne. Thou prayest to be forgiuen, but thou thy selfe wilt not for­giue, this is ynough to condemne thée. For our Religion is none other but a Brotherhood knit together in the loue of God; our profession is none other than charitie and brotherlie loue towards all men in our Sauior and Redéemer Ie­sus Christ. 1. Ioh. 4. God is the God of loue, Christ is the Prince of peace, his Gos­pell is the Gospell peace; and we that are Gods seruants, ought to liue in god­lie loue, we that are Christs bretheren, [Page] ought to liue in Brotherlie peace. We are all baptized in one water, whereby we should haue in remembrance, that we should in loue liue as one together. These, and such other are, or may be, sufficient to bring vs in remembrance of Brotherlie loue, of faithfull amitie, and vnfained concord, if we of our selues were not too forgetfull. O how oft said Christ to his Disciples, Ioh. 14. Pacem meam do vobis, pacem meam relinquo vobis, I giue you my peace, my peace I leaue vnto you. Ioh. 13. By this cognisance and none other shall men know you to be my Disciples saith Christ, if ye loue together, if ye haue loue one to an other. He saith also, A new commandment giue I you, that you loue together, as I haue loued you. What a zealous fire, what an earnest loue had Christ when he praied and said, O Fa­ther, Ioh. 17. cause that these be one, as thou and I are one, that like as thou Father art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in vs. Because ye be few, said Christ to his Disciples, and in the middest of your enemies, liue you in concord and peace one with an other, one beare [Page] with another, and all you hold together. S. Paul saith, Rom. 13. That he which loueth his Brother, hath fulfilled the whole law. Let not the Sunne goe downe on thy wrath, Eph. 4. saith Paul. And againe, Rom. 12. Reuenge not, but giue place vnto displeasure; wreke not your selues, but giue roome to the wrath of God. Dauid, when he was in most extreame persecution, & his ene­mies laid daily wait for his life, séeking his destruction, euen then fell he to most earnest praier, he sought not to be reuen­ged, but he made his prayer vnto God, and said, Psal. 108. O Lord, they speake euill of me, they reuile me, they call me Traitor, they call me all that naught is, but I haue none other help, but to pray vnto thée, my only succour is to flie vnto thée. Thus did that holie prophet Dauid, and so did the Christians in the beginning of Christs Church. For Tertullian, an old and holie father, saith, Fratres se appella­bant & more voluerunt pro muicem, They called them selues Bretheren, saith he, and one would not sticke to dye for an other. O what a charitie, what a loue, what a Brotherly affection was this among [Page] Christians, in the beginning of Gods Church. Saint Steuen, when he was stoned, all his bones crusht and burst in péeces, and his Soule readie to leaue his bodie, euen then he prayed for his Tor­mentors, euen then he cried out vnto God, and said, Act. 1. O Domine, ne statuas illis peccatum hoc, Lord, lay not this sinne to their charge. So that holie father Nazi­anzen, when the hangman that most cruelly had tormented him, desired par­don of him, he méekely answered, Qui mihi ignouit, ignoscat tibi He that hath for­giuen me, the same forgiue thee; God hath pardoned mée, and I béesech him that he will in like pardon thée. Euen so likewise Christ, when he hanged on the Crosse, when his hands and féete were nailed to the trée and he in the mid­dest of all his woe, euen then he prayed for his persecutors, then he desired his Father to pardon them, and said, Luk. 23. O Pa­ter, ignosce illis, nesciunt enim quid faciunt, Father, forgiue them, for they wote not what they doe. This is an example for vs to follow, thus ought wée to do, as in the beginning of Christs Church, [Page] the Christians did, who called them­seues Bretheren, and one would dye for an other: Thus ought we to say, as S. Steuen said, Lord, lay not this sinne to their charge: thus should we do, as that holie father Nazianzene did, and say, He that hath forgiuen me, the same forgiue thée. And lastly so ought we to pray for our enemies, as Christ did for his perse­cutors, and say, Father forgiue it them, they wote not what they doe. Thus ought we to do, if we mind to liue accor­ding to our profession, and if we will be Christians, as we are called Christians. We read, written by S. Luke in the Acts of the Apostles, that in the begin­ning & first spring of Gods Church, the whole congregation had one thought, Act. 4. one mind, one hart. Such a loue, such a charitie, such a Christian conformitie was among them. And in commendati­on of Christian charitie, & brotherly loue one with an other, the prophet Dauid said, Psal. 133. O quàm bonum, & quàm iocundum, habitare fraires in vnum, Behold how good & ioyfull a thing it is Bretheren to dwell together in vnitie: He estéemed [Page] loue to be so great a iewel, he thought concord and vnitie a thing of so great price, that he could not speake too much good of it. And therfore he sayd, It was like the oyntment that ran vnto Aarons beard, and like the dew of Hermon which fell vpon the hill of Sion, where the Lord promised his blessing, and life for euermore. But O mercifull God, vnto what times hast thou reserued vs? where is now the peace giuen, the loue left by our Sauior Iesus Christ? where is that charitie that should alwayes re­maine among Christians? Now is the time, euen now, (good Bretheren) are the dayes come, which Christ himselfe prophesied should come, Math. 24. saying, The time shall be that iniquitie shall haue the vpperchand, and the loue of many shall abate. Christ said, that such a time should come, and euen now, euen now, that time and season is come vp­on vs. So likewise Saint Paul the Apostle of Christ said, 2. Timo. 3. In the last dayes there shall come perilous times, Erunt homines seipsos amantes, There shall bem en which shal loue them selues, [Page] couetous, boasters, proud, cursed spea­kers, and such as shall be despisers of them that are good. O see the prophet saith, Non est veritas in terra, Ose. 4. There is no trueth, no faithfulnesse in the whole world, there is no mercie, no knowledge of God in the land; but swearing, lying, man­slaughter, theft, and adulterie. Iere­mie also the prophet of God, Frater ve­nabitur fratrem ad mortem, Ier. 9. saith he, One Brother shall hunt and persecute an other vnto death: no man may safely trust his owne Brother, for one Brother vnder­myneth an other, and one neyghbour beguyleth an other. And all this do we now sée, wée, I say, in these our dayes do sée and behold all this. We sée now that which Nazianzen that old holie father speaketh of, Membra Christi pug­nant inter se, The members of Christ are at strife and variance among them selues, saith he, and euen those members that Christ died for, those members I say that Christs blood redéemed, those mem­bers we now sée at debate and fighting together. I speake but in generalitie, I speake not now in particularitie, I do [Page] not here repeat to your memories our particular offences, and great crimes, which to consider would cause any ho­nest hart to be sorie, yea, which to re­member would enforce the stonie hart to bléed. I do not now rehearse vnto you by name any such our offences. O rip vp your consciences, descend into your owne harts, sée whether iniquitie doth not abound, sée whether there be not in these our dayes, men, such as are louers of them selues: sée whether there be any trueth, any fidelitie vpon the earth: sée whether one brother doth not hunt and persecute an other vnto death: and lastly sée whether the verie mem­bers of Christ are not now at debate and fighting together. Dauid, when he considered the great oppression, tyran­nie, and persecution vsed against the faithfull, in his time, cryed out and said, Psal. 12. Serua me Deus, quia defecit san­ctus, O saue me Lord, for there is not one Saint more, verie few faithfull are there among the children of men: Eue­ry man telleth lyes to his neighbor, they do but slatter with their lips, and dissem­ble [Page] in their hart. Ieremie the prophet, when he saw the whole multitude of the people in his dayes forsake God, and run after their owne affections, euery man whether his lust lead him, he cried out and said, Ier. 9. Quis capiti meo dabit aquam, & occulis meis fontem aquarum, O who will giue my head water ynough, and a well of teares for mine eyes, that I may bewaile the iniquitie of this people. And euen like as Dauid in his time, so may the iust man say now, Serua me Deus, quoniam defecit sanctus, O Lord helpe, because there is no holie man left. Like as Ieremie, so may the vertuous bewaile now the wickednesse of these our dayes, and say, O who shall poure water into my head, and giue a fountaine of teares vnto myne eyes, that I may bewaile the wickednesse of this people. O Christ, where is now thy new commaunde­ment? where is now thy cognisance, thy badge whereby thy seruants are kno­wen? where is that peace which thou leaftest to thy Disciples? where is now that one hart, that one mind, that one thought, that was in the congrega­tion [Page] in the beginning of thy Church? But what néed I to speake, what néed I to say any thing, if they would heare thée, Lord, if they would heare thy word and Gospell? O Lord where is thy strength become? where is that po­wer, that force of thy word, which was able to diuide the marrow from the bone? Heb. 4. What is now become of that marueilous might of thy word? Thy word, O Lord, is one, thy Gospell is the selfe same and one, but the harts of men, the harts of thy people are not one. But this commeth to passe for my sinnes, this I sée well is wrought by thée, O Lord, for myne owne sinnes and offences: for other poore men preach thy Gospell, other poore men doe teach and instruct thy people with thy ho­lie word, and by and by the people mourne, by and by they are sorie for their sinnes, they repent them of their wickednesse, and turne vnto thée. And I speake as they doe, I preach the same Gospell, the same word of thine as they do, and yet I doe sée no amend­ment, I doe not sée any one won vnto [Page] thée thorough my teaching. And there­fore my sinne is the cause, myne owne sinne and nothing else is the cause here­of; thou hast not thought me a man wor­thie, by whom any one lost shéepe should be conuerted, and brought home vnto thée. But O thou my Brother, that here standest like an ydoll, thou host eyes to sée, and eares to heare, seest thou not that God hath his sword whet, his bow bent, his arrowes readie to destroy? hearest thou not how he calleth thee to repen­tance? Thou doest sée, and heare this, and yet thou increasest sinne vpon sinne, and so heapest vp anger and displeasure against the day of wrath. I call God to witnesse. I haue vttered vnto you Gods trueth, I haue preached among you his holie Gospell, I haue reuealed vnto you his diuine word, so that none of you all can excuse your selues by ignorance. But take you héed to your selues, take good héed, I say, my Bretheren, & marke well what S. Paul saith, Hebr. 10. Peccantes post acceptam gratiam, destituti sunt omni mise­ricordia, They which wilfully sinne after they haue once receiued the knowledge of [Page] the truth, are destitute of all mercie: there remaineth vnto them no more sacrifice for their sins, but a fearefull looking of iudgement, and violent fire, which shall consume the aduersaries. And this is it that the Apostle saith, to bee cast into a reprobate sence. This is the sin that S. Iohn maketh mencion of, saying; Est peccatum in spiritum sanctum, there is a sin against the holy Ghost, which shall ne­uer be forgiuen in this world, nor in the world to come. And for this great sin, for this horrible wickednesse, good peo­ple, God hath drawne out his sword, for this cause hath he bent his bow, and prepared his arrowes to destroy.

Therefore (good brethren) let vs lay aside al contention, al strife, and debate, and let vs looke vp vnto heauen, let vs cast our eies thither, where is no rancor, no discord, no strife, no debate: let vs fix our eyes, our hearts, and our whole mindes on Iesus Christ, on him I say, who hanging on the crosse, praid for his persecutors, and said; O father forgiue them, they wote not what they doe. Let vs imagine that wee now behold him, [Page] and that he now spreadeth out his arms vnto vs, and saith, O thou sinfull man that slumbrest in thy sins, and sléepest in thine own wickednesse, awake, now is it time for thee to awake out of thy slumber, to arise from thy heauie sléepe: remember thou art a Christian man, consider thou are a lymbe of my lymbs, a member of my bodie, the child of God, and coheire of my fathers kingdome. You children of men, how long will yée dwell in your old wickednesse? How long will yée liue in hatered one with a­nother? How long will ye continue in rancour and strife? Shall I so forgiue you as you forgiue your neighbours? shall I so pardon you your sins, as you pardon your brethren their offences? O I forgaue thée thy great debt, and wilt not thou forgiue thy brother that little, wherein he hath offended thee? I haue paid his debt, I haue paid the ransome for his trespasse, if my bloud be a suffi­cient ransome for the same: for that blouds sake of myne forgiue him, if nought els will moue thée, if thou wilt not for his owne sake, yet for my sake [Page] pardon him. Good brethren, wee haue long enough serued the deuil, the prince of this world, let vs now serue God our maker, and Christ our redéemer. We haue long ynough, yea too long, conti­newed in rancour and malice one with another: let vs now therfore, if there be any societie betwéene God and vs, if there be in vs any loue of Christ, if there bee any feare of Gods wreake and vengeance, let vs one forgiue another; let euery man forgiue his Christian brother, let vs all cast aside al rancour, strife, and debate, and so let vs dwell together in vnitie, in brotherly loue, and concord.

This day we haue heard Gods Gospel preached vnto vs, this day wee haue learned out of the word of God, that if wée be Christians, we should liue like Christians, if we be the children of God we should liue as becommeth the chil­dren of God, without enuie, without hatred, without strife or malice. Let vs therfore now leaue off our old contenti­on & strife, let vs euen here in this place one forgiue another, and so be reconciled [Page] one vnto another, and saie; Remitte no­bis debita nostra, sicut & nos dimittimus de­bit oribus nostris, O Lord forgiue vs our sins, as we forgiue them that trespasse a­gainst vs. This is our profession, this is our Religion, hereunto are we called of God, appointed by Christ, and com­manded by his holy word. Let vs consi­der our white & hore hairs, let vs behold our riueled skinne, let vs haue alwaies before our eyes the graue whereunto we are créeping: Let vs consider that death daily hangeth ouer our heads. And shall wee then in this sort liue out the rest of our years? Shall wee thus die, and come to our graues? Let vs shew our selues in our workes to be the children of God, and the brethren of Christ: let vs not shew our selues Chri­stians in name and not in déed: let vs not loue in word alone, but in déed and veritie: let vs not requite euill with e­uill, one mischiefe with another; but let vs (according vnto S. Pauls Rule) Rom. 12. O­uercome euill with good, hatred with loue, and so fulfill the Law of God. So shall God hold backe his sword, though [Page] alreadie drawne, so shall he not smite vs though he hath bent his bow, prepared him the weapons of death, and ordained his arrowes to destroy. But God shall continue our God, and remain with vs for euer. Amen.

OUR Sauiour Christ, be­fore he began to declare and set forth the will of his Fa­ther, before hee began to preach abroad the high mysteries of our redemption, the glad tidings of mans [Page] saluation, sent abroad into the world a many of Disciples to the number of thrée score and ten, to the end that they should espie out and sée the stay of the people, how they would accept his Doctrine, and first to giue them this warning, and say; Paenitentiam agite, appropinquat enim regnum caelorum, Repent your selues, for the Kingdome of Heauen is at hand. These Disciples of Christ, after they had in all points accomplished their ma­sters commission, and fulfilled his com­mandement, returned againe vnto Christ, and shewed him the maruailes that they had wrought in his name, re­ioycing much therat, and especially for that Deuils departed from men posses­sed, and were driuen out by them; The verie Deuils (said they) are subdued vn­to vs in thy name. But when Christ heard them thus say, and perceiued that they reioyced there at, he turned to his Disciples, hee pulled them from this vaine fancie, and said; I saw Sathan fall downe from heauen as lightning. Behold I haue giuen you power to tread vpon Serpents, to go ouer Scorpions, ouer all [Page] venemous and noysome beasts; they shal be subiect, & obedient vnto you, & they shal not hurt you. But reioyce not in this, reioyce not that you shall haue power o­uer Serpents, that you shall be able to tread vpon Scorpions and all other ve­nemous beasts, & be nothing therwith annoyed, but reioyce you in this, that your names are written in the booke of life. Put away (said Christ) this vaine­glory that your haue conceiued, this fond fancie wherein ye reioyce, and reioyce yée only in this, that your names are written in heauen: and that you know God, and his son whom he hath sent in­to the world. For no man knoweth the Son, but the Father, Math. 11. neither knoweth a­ny man the Father, saue the Son, & he to whom the Son will open it. This is your felicitie, this is your ioy, & no man but you, hath this great ioy & felicitie. And therfore blessed are the eyes which sée, that ye sée. This heauenly felicity, this marueilous blisse, that Christ in this place spake of to his Disciples, was pro­phesied and long time before spoken of, euen at the first beginning of the world: [Page] for at what time Adam had transgres­sed Gods commaundement, and so fal­len from the ioyes of Paradise; God himselfe, to put Adam in some comfort againe, prouounced these words a­gainst the wicked Serpent that had wrought him that woe, Gen. 3. and said, Ipsum conteret caput tuum, The seed of the wo­man shall tread downe thy head: he, he it is that shal breake downe and destroy the power of the deuill, said God vnto Adam. This promise (I say) euen at the beginning of the world was made by God vnto Adam, and so continued to the time of Christ: for afterward this same promise declared God likewise, to many a good and godly man. Hee said vnto Abraham, Gen. 22. In s [...]mine tuo benedicentur omnes fiues terrae, In thy seed (said God) in that seed of thine shall all the Nations of the earth be blessed. To Dauid also God declared likewise this promise, and said; Psal. 131. De semine tuo ponam super so­liū tuū, Of the truit of thy body shal I set vpon thy seat. And so in the time of Esay his prophet, god continued this promise, and said; Esa. 7. Ecce virgo concipiet, & pariet [Page] filium cuius nomen erit Emanuel, behold, a virgine shall conceiue and bring forth a sonne, whose name shall bee Emanuel, that is, God amongst vs. And hereunto witnessed all the Patriarches and Pro­phets, euen from the first beginning of the world, vnto the time of the com­ming of our Sauior Iesus Christ. And therfore, because the whole Scriptures, the Patriarches, the Prophets, spake thus plainely of Christ, and declared his comming. Christ said, Scrutamini Scrip­turas, Ioh. 5. illae enim testimonium perhibent de me, search you the Scriptures, for they do beare witnesse of me. Likewise againe to the Scribes and Pharisies, hee said, Si Mosei crederetis crederetis & mihi, Ioh. 5. If ye beleeued Moses, ye would beleeue mee, for Moses also hath written to mee; hee hath told you of me, said Christ, & there­fore if you beléeued him, yée would also beléeue me. And thus all the whole bo­die of the Scriptures bare record of the comming of Christ: the Patriarches knew long before that Christ should be borne: the Prophets prophesied of his comming into the world. But when [Page] Christ should be borne, when his glori­ous comming should appeare, that nei­ther the scriptures declared, neither the holy Patriarches knew, nor the Pro­phets were able to shew. And therfore said Christ, Iohn 8. Abraham voluit videre diem meum, Abraham would faine haue seene my day, & he saw it, & therefore he reioi­ced. But how did Abraham sée it? with bodily eyes? no, but in faith, & because he was in faith able to sée it, therefore he reioyced. What then if he had with his eyes séene Christ, if he had talked with him, if he might haue touched and em­braced Christ: what ioy would hée haue made? how would he haue reioyced and béene glad? No doubt, as the birth of Christ was most acceptable and wel­come to al good men in that time, so was his comming much longed for of the ho­ly Patriarches and Prophets before time: for they well knew that his time should be a time most acceptable, that then all things should be in quietnesse, vnitie and concord in euery place, peace through the whole world. And there­fore said Esay the Prophet, Esa. 9. Et vocabitur [Page] princeps pacis, He shalbe called the Prince of peace. And to declare this more plain­ly, the same Prophet saith, Esay 11. Then shall the Wolfe dwell with the Lambe, the Leopard shall lye downe by the Goat, Bullocks, Lyons, and cattell shall keepe company together, the Cow and the Beare shall lye together: and there shall be no crying, no wayling, no noyse heard in the streets. And therefore this Pro­phet Esay in another place, considering the great ioy, the great felicitie that Christ should bring into the world, when hée should be borne, cryed out and said, Disrumpe coelos, & descende, Esay 64. O Lord said he, breake the heauens and come downe. And so another Prophet in like foreséeing this great felicitie that should ensue the birth of Christ, said, Quis viuet, & videbit haec? O who shall liue to enioy this merueilous felicitie? When Christ was come into this world, though then not borne, but in his mothers wombe, Iohn the Bap­tist béeing a babe, and in his mothers belly also, yet at the Maiestie of his Lord, Luke 1. and at the presence of Christ, [Page] he sprang for ioy, and leapt in his mo­thers wombe. So likewise at the birth of Christ, for ioy that the Angels in hea­uen conceiued thereat, Luk. 2. they sang Gloria in excelsis Deo, & in terra pax hominibus, Glorie be to God on high, and in earth peace vnto men. After that time whē Si­meon that holy prophet had in spirit per­ceiued the true Messias, & Sauior of the world to be born, & had receiued Christ into his armes, Luke 2. he cried out & said, Nunc dimittis seruum tuum Domine, secundum verbum tuum in pace, Now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace, according to thy word: Now, euen now that this sight is prouided before the face of the whole world, that so long hath béene looked for, now that light is appeared which shall be the light of the Gentiles: Now, O Lord, said be, let thy seruant depart in peace, I haue lyued long ynough to sée thy saluation.

Thus, good brethren, all the Scrip­tures throughout, the Patriarches, the Prophets, shewed long before vnto vs, the ioy and felicity that should come vp­on the whole world, at such time as [Page] Christ should be borne. And therefore to confirme all this that they before had prophesied of him, Christ here said vnto his disciples, Blessed are the eyes which see that ye see. Blessed are your eies, said Christ, for your eyes haue séene Gods promises performed: that promise which he made to Adam, saying, The seed of the woman shall breake the head of the Serpent: Your eies haue séene that pro­mise made vnto Abraham, The seed wherein all nations shall bee blessed: That promise also your eyes haue séene performed, which God made vnto Da­uid, saying: Of the fruit of thy bodie wil I set vpon thy seat: You haue séene, and do now sée that Emanuel, of whom Esay prophesied: You, I say, haue séene that thing, whereunto all the Patriarches, al the Prophets, & the whole body of the Scriptures do beare witnesse: You do see and behold him, whom Abraham would gladly haue séene: You sée him, whom Esay calleth the Prince of peace: him, in regard of whom the Prophet cried out, and said, O who shall liue to see this great ioy? You sée him, at whose [Page] presence Saint Iohn the Baptist being in his mothers wombe, sprang, & leapt vp for ioy: him, at whose birth the verie Angels in heauen sang, Gloria in excelsis: him, whom Simeon pronounced to bee the Sauiour of the world. All this, said Christ, you sée, you my disciples, your eyes do sée all this, and therefore blessed are your eyes, happy and blessed are the eyes that sée whiche yée sée. In the begin­ning, Heb. 1. saith S. Paul, God spake diuersly, and by sundry meanes vnto his people, sometimes by dreames, sometimes by re­uelation, sometimes by prophesies, some­times by Angels, and sometimes by his owne voice: but now in these dayes hee hath sent amongst vs his owne sonne: by him, saith he, God hath declared his wil vnto vs cléerely and plainly, euen by the mouth of his owne son. When S. Iohn the Baptist baptized Christ in the riuer of Iordan, it pleased God the Father to crye from heauen, and say, Hic est meus filius dilectus, Luke 3. ipsum audit, This is my beloued sonne, heare him, hearken vnto his voice, giue eare vnto his doctrine: for he it is to whom both the law & the [Page] Prophets haue their respect. And S. Paul saith, Colloss. 1. Mysterium abscōditum a saeculis nunc autem reuelatur per Iesum Christum, the mysterie, that high mysterie of mans saluation, that hath beene so many hun­dred yeres hid, is now reuealed by Christ our Sauiour: so long it hath béene hid­den, saith Saint Paul, and now it is o­pened and shewed vnto the whole world by Christ. Therefore blessed are your eyes, said Christ, yea, blessed are the eyes which sée that yée sée, for your bodily eyes see that which the Angels did lacke, you sée that which the Patri­arches and the Prophets neuer saw: you, said Christ, you my Disciples are blessed that sée me, that heare my gospel and beléeue the same, and therefore bles­sed are your eyes, and the eyes which sée that you sée. For otherwise the Scribes saw Christ as the Apostles did, the Pharisies saw him as the Aposles did, and yet were they alwaies Scribes and Pharisies, that is, such as withstood Christ, and gainsaid his doctrine: Cai­phas saw Christ as the Apostles did, and yet hée rent his clothes, and sayd, [Page] that Christ was a blasphemer. Mar. 14. Pilat saw Christ as the Apostles did, and yet hée gaue iudgement against Christ. Luke 23. Iudas saw Christ as the rest of his fellows the Apostles saw him, Iohn 13. and yet he betrayed Christ. Math. 27. The Souldiers, and such as hung Christ on the crosse, saw Christ as the Apostles did, yet were they wicked men, & did put Christ vnto death. Shall we then say, that these mens eyes were blessed? that the eies of the Scribes and Pharisies were blessed? that Caiphas eyes, Pilats eyes, Iudas eyes were bles­sed? shall wee say, that the Souldiers eyes, & the eyes of them that put Christ vnto death, were blessed, because they saw Christ, & beheld his bodie? O good brethren, these men saw Christ, and yet saw him not: they saw him with their bodily eyes, and yet they knew him not: they saw him as the Asse, the Wolfe, and the Dogge saw him: they saw him as the diuell saw him, Luke 8. and said, Tu es fili­us Dei, Thou art the sonne of God: thus they saw Christ as touching the bodie, but they saw him not as the Apostles saw him: they saw him as a man, but [Page] not as the sonne of God: they saw him as the sonne of a Carpenter, Luke 4. for so they said he was, Math. 13. but they saw him not as the Apostles saw him, to be the verie sonne of God: they saw Christ as a miserable man, but the Apostles saw him as the Sauiour of the world. And therefore Peter was bold to say, Math. 16. Tu es Christus, fili­us Dei viui, Thou art Christ, the sonne of the liuing God. And againe he was in like able to say, Ioh. 6. Tu habes verbum salutis, Thou hast the words of life. Thus the Apostles saw Christ, and beléeued him to be the redéemer of the world, & there­fore Christ said vnto them, Blessed are your eyes, and the eies which see that you see. For I say vnto you, many Kings and Prophets would faine haue seene the things that you see, and could not see them.

This promise, good brethren, of the birth of Christ, and his comming into the world, to redéeme mankind, was made long before, yea, it was promised by God the Father, euen in the first be­ginning of the world, as I haue already declared vnto you. And therfore in hope [Page] of the performance of this promise, ma­ny a godly man did put his affiance in Christ, and long before his comming had a fixed trust in the merits of his pas­sion. The Patriarches, the Prophets, and all such as liued vnder the old law, had the same Law and Testament that wée now haue, they had the same do­ctrine, the same faith, the same prayer, the same Sacraments that wee now haue: wée drinke of Christ, and so the Iewes dranke of Christ: 1. Cor. 10. Bibebant de pe­tra, petra autem erat Christus, They drank of the rocke, saith Saint Paul, and the rocke they dranke of was Christ. They were circumcised, and so are we: for, saith Saint Paul, Colloss. 2. We also are circumci­sed, but with circumcision without hands: We are circumcised, but we are circum­cised in heart by the power of the holy ghost. The Patriarches and the Pro­phets knew well, and beléeued, that by Christ they should be redéemed, that by his only blood, shed on the crosse all the world should bee saued: but this they knew, this they saw, only by faith, & in spirit, for then was not Christ borne: we [Page] haue the lamb of God offered vp for vs, & so had they the same lambe offered vp for them. For S. Iohn saith, Apocal. 13 Agnus obla­tus a principio mundi, Christ was the lambe offered vp from the beginning of the world. 1. Pet. 1. And now therefore, forasmuch as the Patriarchs, the Prophets, & the ho­ly men in old time, had the same [...]a­ment, the same doctrine, the same faith, the same prayer, the same Sacraments that we haue: forasmuch as they drank of Christ, as we do: forasmuch as they were circumcised, and so are we: foras­much as they did beléeue that they should be saued by the death of Christ, as we doe, shall wee thinke that they were not blessed? that their eyes were not as happy as ours? that they saw not as much as we do? Shall we think that Abraham, Isaac, Iacob, Ioseph, and diuers other such good men, lackt any part of their felicitie? Or if they were blessed, why said Christ onely to his Apostles, Blessed are the eyes which see that yee see? When our Sauiour Christ said thus, blessed are your eyes, and the eyes which sée that yée sée, he meant not [Page] and peculiar blessing giuen vnto them alone, but he signified the blessing of that time: as if he should haue said, blessed is this time, blessed are the dayes that you sée. For there is in times and seasons a great difference and diuersitie. Some one time is blessed, another is accursed. The time of the wicked king Manasses, 4. Reg. 21. wherin the Testament and law of God was burnt, Baals altars reedified, and Idols set vp, was a miserable time: this time, I say, of Manasses raigne, was an accursed time. 4. Reg. 23. But the time of Iosias, wherein the law of God was restored againe, Baal cast out of the Temple, the Idols pulled downe, and all good orders againe set vp in their former estate, was a blessed time, a time most happie; and blessed was he that liued to sée that time. So likewise the time of the birth of Christ was a blessed time, and the time of Antichrist a time accursed. And ther­fore Christ oftentimes wept ouer Ieru­salem, and said, Luke 19. O Ierusalem, Ierusalem, thou that killest my Prophets, and sto­nest them that are sent vnto thee, O that thou knewest the time of thy visitation: [Page] O that thine eyes would once sée, thine eares heare, and so thou wouldst know when God hath sent his sonne vnto thee. Rom. 13. Saint Paul saith, Nunc tempus est nobis à somnis surgere, Now is the houre for vs to arise from sleepe. Nox praecessit, dies autem illuxit, The night is past, and the day now beginneth to shine: and therefore in conclusion, he saith, 1. Cor. 6. Ecce nunc tempus acceptabile, Behold now is the acceptable time, behold now is the time of saluation. These were blessed times, these were acceptable times, that Christ our Sauiour and S. Paul spake of, Iohn 12. Dum habetis lucem, ambulate in luce, Whiles you haue light, walke in the light saith Christ, receiue the light, and so shal you be the children of light. And so that time was a blessed time: because Christ was borne in that time, because the force and power of the diuell was by Christ then destroyed, because the dominion & kingdome of sathan was then throwne downe, therefore was it a blessed time. But as touching the blessing of the men in times long before, men were as bles­sed as they were then: Abraham, Isaac, [Page] Iacob, Ioseph, and such other, were as blessed as the Apostles. They had the same Christ, the same Sauiour and re­déemer that the Apostles had. For saith S. Paul, Hebr. 13. Iesus Christus, heri, hodie, & sem­per, Christ, is for yesterday, this day, and for euer. One Christ serued for all the world. Otherwise most miserable were we, & in most wretched condition were all such as either now liue, or haue liued sithence the time of Christ. For we ne­uer saw Christ in the flesh, we neuer be­held his bodie, wee were neuer conuer­sant with him on the earth. But Christ hath told vs by S. Thomas, [...] Beati qui non vident & credunt, blessed are they that be­leeue and haue not seene, blessed are they that sée not, and yet beléeue. These things bée for our great comfort. For although we neuer saw Christ with our eyes, though he was neuer conuersant with vs, as he was with his Apostles, yet haue wée through him the same sal­uation that the Apostles had, wée haue him our redéemer and Sauiour as they had him.

Now let vs compare this saying of [Page] Christ vnto our selues and our time: let vs sée whether this that Christ then spake to his Disciples, may not be spo­ken of vs, and our time. For thus ought wée to read Gods word, to this end we should read the Scriptures of God. Now therefore, good brethren, let vs consider well, and sée whether the Church of God hath not béene so disor­dered before our time, yea, and in our time, that wée may now well say, bles­sed are our eyes, and the eyes which sée that wée sée: for many a good and godly man would sayne haue séene that wee see, and could not sée it. I will be short, I will not long trouble you in this thing, I will not vse many words vnto you herein. The errors that haue beene taught and preached in the church of Christ, haue béene (good bre­thren) so grosse, that such as could not sée them with their eyes, might haue felt them euen with their fingers: so horrible, and so grosse were the errors in the church: so were all things con­founded, and scarcely the forme of the Church left vnto vs. But that this [Page] should so come to passe, Christ himselfe, S. Paul, S. Peter, and Daniel the Pro­phet, long time before gaue warning to the world, and prophesied it should so be. And euen as they spake, so hath it come to passe, looke what they said, the same haue we séene fulfilled. For Christ himselfe openly shewed, that the time should come, Math. 24. that desolation should stand in the holy place. And againe hée said, When the sonne of man shall come to iudge the earth, thinke you that hee shall find any faith vpon the earth? As if he should haue said, when he shall come to iudge, there shall be no faith on the earth, no fidelitie and trust among men, so shall all things be confounded, and no faith shal be found. Saint Paul likewise saith, 2. Thes. 2. The time shall bee, that Antichrist shall nestle himselfe in the Temple of God, in the consciences of men, in the place of Christ, and shalbe exalted aboue all that is called God, or Gods seruice. And he saith further, 3. Tim. 4. Erit tempus cum sa­nam doctrinam aspernentur, The daies shal come, when men shall despise and cast a­way all wholesome doctrine: the time [Page] shall be (saith he) that they shall not suf­fer this Gospell that I haue preached, these Epistes, and letters which I haue sent vnto you, But they shall turne their eares from the truth, and shall bee giuen vnto fables. This S. Paule aforehand told vs, and indéed wee haue found his tale most true. 2. Pet. 2. S. Peter also saith; E­runt magistri mendatiorum, There shall come Preachers and teachers of lyes; there shall come false teachers, which priuily shall bring in damnable sects. Da­niel likewise that Prophet of God, Dan. 9. long before the comming of Christ, prophesi­ed and said, Antechrist shall come, there shall bee an abhominable desolation in the Temple, it shall be destroyed al, and the truth shall be cast flat to the ground.

Now, good brethren, consider well with your selues, where should this de­solation be, which Christ spake of? A­mongst whom shall so small faith bee found? Where should Antechrist nestle himself? Where should good Doctrine be despised? where should there be prea­chers and teachers of lyes? Where shold the truth be cast flat to the groūd? [Page] where should all these things come to passe? Amongst the Turkes, the Sara­sins, the Heathen, the Infidels? a­mongst such as neuer heard of Christ, nor his Gospell? should these things, that Christ, that S. Paule, that S. Pe­ter, that Daniel prophesied to come to passe, should they (I say) be fulfilled a­mongst them? Let not vs deceiue our selues, good brethren, Christ said that desolation should come into the holy place, that such as professed God and his name, should haue little faith. S. Paule said that Antechrist should sit in the ho­ly place, in the Temple of God: that a­mongst Christians wholsome doctrine should be despised, and cast away: S. Peter also, that euen amongst the pro­fessors of Gods Gospel, some there should be that should preach and teach lyes: And Daniel likewise, that in the Temple Antechrist should sit, and there al truth should be cast flat to the ground. And this should not come to passe a­mong the Heathen and Infidels, but in the Church of Christ, euen in the very Church of God. S. Hillarie, who was [Page] an old father in the Church, saith: O you will soone deceiue your selues if yee trust in the wals, know you not that Ante­christ in the Church? Let vs not ther­fore deceiue our selues, let not vs, good brethren, deceiue our selues. And here I pray you consider with me, how that God, for our better vnderstanding, hath in similitudes opened and set forth vnto vs the state of his Church. For Christ in the Gospell compareth his Church vnto a ship in the Sea, tossed and tum­bled with perilous waues: and what I pray you, betides vnto a Ship so tos­sed in the Sea, if there be no Lodes-man to stir it, or if the Lodes-man doth not his duetie, Christ hath likened his Church to a vine: Esay. 5. and what becomes to a vine, if it be not shred and vnderprop­ped? He doth also liken it to a flock of Shéepe: Ioh. 10. and what becomes to a flock of Shéepe, if there bee no Sheepheard to guid and looke vnto them? And now therefore consider with mee, I pray you, euen from the meane Priest, to the Bishop of Rome, consider, I say, whe­ther they haue done their dueties: which [Page] of them all hath done that which is re­quired in them, which of them hath ful­filled that God gaue them in charge to do. Christ to his Disciples, and in them to all such as should become Preachers, Mat. 16. gaue this Commission, saying, Ite, & praedicate, Goe you & Preach: and what is he that euer saw the bishop of Rome in a Pulpit? who hath heard a Cardinal many times preach? Iudge you then (my brethren) when shall the ship come safe to the hauen, if the Lodes-man doth not his duetie? When shall the Vine bring forth any fruit, if the husbandman apply not his diligence to dung, to shred, to vnderprop the same? What shall become of the flocke, if the Shéep­heard sheweth not his industry and ear­nest labour amongst them? Now let vs consider a little further, what they were what should haue bin our Lodes-men: what they were that should haue plaied the good husbands in Gods vineyard: what they were that should haue looked to the flock of Christ. Here will I de­clare nothing of my selfe, I will not here vtter vnto you any thing of mine [Page] owne inuention; I will onely shew you the minds of the auncient Doctors in the Primitiue Church, and the sayings of old holy fathers, that haue written of the Church of God. Saint Gregory speaking of the Church of God, saith, Ecclesia Dei, si ab vno pendebit, corruet, If the Church of God shall hang vpon one man, if the whole sway thereof shall de­pend vpon one alone, that Church must needs fall, saith S. Gregorie. Now let vs consider whither in times past it hath bin so in the Church of god, whether we haue knowne one man to haue called himselfe the head of the Church: and if it so be, how can it then be otherwise, but that the same Church must néeds pe­rish and fall. Saint Barnard, an old holy father writing of the Bishops and Prelates of the Church in his time, saith; Non sunt Pastores, sed Impostores, non Doctores, sed Seductores, non Praelati, sed Pilati: They are not (saith S. Bar­nard) good Pastors and feeders of Gods flock, but they are impostors, such as deceiue Gods sheepe, they are not Do­ctors, but they are seductours, such as [Page] lead men out of the right way: They are not Prelates, but they are verie Pilates. And againe, the same Saint Barnard, in the Councell holden at Rhemes, where he made a Sermon in the presence of the Bishops there assembled, said; Habemus iam non mer­cenarios pro Pastoribus, neque Lupos pro mercenarijs, sed in loco Luporum; Dae­mones habemus, Wee haue not now, said this holy Father, hirelings in steed of Sheepe-heards, nor Wolues in steed of hirelings, but in place of Wolues, wee haue verie Deuils. This spake Saint Barnard of the Preach­ers and Pastors in his time. But O miserable is that Church, wherein are hirelings in stéed of good Shéepe­heards, more miserable, where are Wolues in place of hirelings, and most miserable, where Deuils in roome of Wolues. For then all goeth to ruine and decay, then must néeds all good­nesse in Gods Church bee ouer­throwen.

And so was it then, so was it in his time, said this old Father S. Barnard. [Page] So Platina also an auncient writer; Defecit tum maiestas Imperatoris, & sanc­titas Episcopi, When the Bishop of Rome, said hee, tooke so much vpon him, when hee would bee called, V­niuersall Bishop, and head of Gods Church, then decayed the Maiestie of the Emperour, and the holinesse in the Bishop. Saint Hillarie likewise saith; The Church wherein Gods word is not preached, must needes run against the rocke. Tertullian also, Miremur si fides deficit, cum non sit instructio? Doe wee maruaile (saith hee) if faith faile, if faith bée not found amongst men, sithence there is no Preaching, no teaching, no instruction? Euen so a­notherold writer speaking of his own time, saith, Calamitosa est desolatio in Domo Dei, There is an horrible deso­lation in the Church of God. And therefore also hee saith further, Nos sumus, in quos feces terrae deuenerunt, Wee are they, vpon whom all the dregs of the earth are fallen. So Chri­sostome: If you (saith hee) perceiue it to wax darke in the vale, you say [Page] it is towards night, if you see it begin to be darke on the hils, you say it is nigh night: but if you see it once darke in the skie, you say it is high night: So if you sée ignorance in the people, you may say it i [...] towards night, if you sée igno­rance in the Priests, it is almost night, but if you sée ignorance and little lear­ning in the Bishops and Prelates, then may you well say, it is high night.

Barnard that holy father in another place speaking of the Priests of his owne time, saith, Nothing is now safe amongst the Clergie, all things are con­founded, all things out of order; and therefore there is now nothing left, but that Antechrist be reuealed. I recount here nothing vnto you, my brethren, but onely the sayings of the auncient Doctours and holy Fathers which haue written of Gods Church in times here­before, and therefore I trust you will beleeue them the better. The same S. Barnard of whom I spake before, saith also: It appeareth now that there is no persecution, no Martyrs done vn­to [Page] death: Nay not so, saith he, it is not so, for now euen they that sit highest in the Church of God, they that beare the greatest stroke therin, they begin to per­secute and destroy Gods seruants. And again, speaking of the Priests and Pre­lates, They would seeme to be Gods friends, yet they are his enemyes they would be Christs kinsmen, yet they are his aduersaries, they would be seruants to Christ, and yet they serue Antechrist. And thus, (Good Bretheren) it hath bin in our time, and you your selues haue séene it, you your selues haue séene that the whole Church hath hanged on one man alone: that such as should haue bin Pastors, haue bin deceiuers: such as should haue bin teachers of the right way, haue bin seducers and guydes into blind wayes: such as should haue bin Prelats, haue bin Pilates. You your selues haue séene in the Church of God hyrelings in stéed of good Shepheards, wolfes in place of hyrelings, and verie deuils in the roome of wolfes. All these things haue bin spoken of afore, That the Maiestie in the Emperor, and holi­nesse [Page] in the Bishop should decay: that where Gods word is not preached, there must the Church néeds run against the rocke: that it is little marueile if faith faileth, where good instruction wan­teth: that pityfull desolation is come into the house of God: that wée are they vpon whom the dregs of the whole Earth are come: that it is then high night, when ignorance raigneth in the Bishops: and lastly, that there is no­thing now left, but that Antechrist be reuealed. All these things haue béen spo­ken of before, and are now come to passe, and you your selues haue séen them, you your selues, I say, haue séene all these things fulfilled. You haue séene such sit highest in Gods Church, that haue per­secuted God & his Church: such as haue martyrd the seruants of Christ, such as would séeme Gods friends, and yet are his enemies: such as would be Christs kynsmen, and yet are his aduersaries: such as would be seruants to Christ, and yet doe serue Antechrist: such as Esaie speaketh of, saying, They haue broken downe my vine, and destroyed [Page] my wine presse: such as Christ himselfe speaketh of, and saith, Math. 21. They haue made my Church a den of theeues. Therefore (good Bretheren) let not vs deceiue our selues, let vs not say all things were wel in the Church, there needed no refor­mation, all things were as they should be, there néeded nothing to be amended. For, alas, all things were out of order, all things out of square, all things so confounded, that all things néeded to be amended. I speake herein only gene­rally, I speake not here of the particular things amisse in Gods Church, for then should time faile mée, if I should recount them vnto you particularly. In time past, if any one man would haue sought comfort for his afflicted conscience, where should he haue sought it? whether should he haue gon for comfort? where should he haue craued consolation? what comfort could we haue of our owne merits, what help by our owne deserts, and good déeds? what consolation of the Popes Bulls and Pardons? Alas, no com­fort, no consolation, no helpe at all. And yet vnto those were wée taught [Page] to run, in those were we taught to séeke comfort, and at them to craue consola­tion. In the Church, before time, it hath béen both said & sung vnto the peo­ple, Tu per Thomae sauguinem, fac nos as­cendere vbi Thomas nunc est, Thou Christ, by the blood of thy Martyr S. Thomas, make vs worthie to ascend thither, where Thomas now is. This, I say, as a praier hath béen vsed and sung in the Church of God. The Mother also, that blessed Mother of our Sauior Christ, hath bin openly blasphemed in the Church: shée was called, Spes, vita, dulcedo, Our hope, our life, and our sweetnesse; and fur­ther, Salua omnes sperantes in te, Saue all them that trust in thee. Thus haue men openly prayed vnto her, to the great blaspheming of her holie name. But O Christ, O thou that suffredst for the whole world, where was then thy Pas­sion, where was then that precious blood of thine that washed awaie the sinnes of Man, where was then the Lambe of God that redéemed all man­kind? Loath I am to speake of these things, loath and sorie I am to repeat [Page] them here vnto you, but I am inforced so to do, somewhat the more plainly to open vnto you the great abuses, the wonderfull Errors that long time haue raigned in the Church of God. We had Prayers, but, alas, as they were vsed, they were no prayers: we had the Sa­craments, but we knew not to what end those Sacraments were left vnto vs. We had Baptisme, but we knew not what Baptisme ment. The Testament, and holie Gospell of God, was burnt, cast downe, and trod vnder foot. And in one word, in one word for all, there was in Christs Church nothing but a heap of wickednesse, nothing but a ve­rie heap of confusion and wickednesse. Ieremie the prophet said, That all men, Ier. 31. (after Christ once appeared) should haue such knowledge, such perfit know­ledge of God, that no man should say to his neighbor, know the Lord, for all men should know him, euen from the highest vnto the lowest. Baruch also the prophet, Baruch. 4: said, O blessed art thou Israel, how hap­pie art thou, seeing God hath shewed vnto thee all such things as are pleasant [Page] vnto him; what euer God would haue knowen, that is reuealed vnto thée. O then, what may we say of our selues, and the blind time that is now past, wherein we neither knew God, nor had Gods word reuealed vnto vs? what may we say of that time? O we may well say, miserable were wée, and cur­sed was that time wherein wée then lyued.

And thus (Good Bretheren) I haue in few words laid open before you, both the miserable estate that Gods Church hath stood in, and the great ignorance, error, and blindnesse that you haue béen led in: to the end, that you may now become the more thankfull for Gods great mercie shewed vnto you. For now hath it pleased Almightie God to re­ueale vnto you his holie Gospell, his trueth, and veritie. Now we know that what euer we doe, when we haue done all things that we can doe, yet, we are vnprofitable seruants. Luk. 17. Now wée know that all our comfort, all our con­solation, all our helps, is to be sought for at Gods hands alone: Now we know, [Page] that Christ is only our Sauior, our Re­déemer, and that his blood alone, as S. Iohn saith, hath washed away our ini­quities: 1. Ioh. 1. Now we know what we pray: Now we know wherefore, and to what end the Sacraments were left vnto vs; what our Baptisme meaneth: Now haue we Gods Testament and his helie word restored vnto vs: Now we néed not to say to our neyghbor, know the Lord; for we all are, or may be, suffici­ently instructed to know God, to know Christ, to know the holie Ghost. Now may we say, as Baruch to the Children of Israel, O happie are we, for all things that God would haue knowen are reuea­led vnto vs. And therefore blessed are our eyes, and the eyes which sée that we sée; And on the other part accursed are those eyes which will not sée that we sée, accur­sed are the eares which will not heare that we heare, & accursed are those harts that will not beléeue God, & his Gospell. My Bretheren, consider the miserable estate that the Church of God long time hath stood in, and consider againe, the spéedie redresse thereof, which God now [Page] hath sent vnto vs. The kingdome of God is come vpon vs, Gods kingdome (my Bretheren) is euen now come vpon vs. Christ said, O Ierusalem, Ierusa­lem, thou that stonest my Prophets, and such as are sent vnto thee, O that thou wouldest know the time of thy visitati­on. We are that Ierusalem, Christ hath called, Christ hath cryed vnto vs: O therefore let vs now sée and consider the time of our visitation. O how ma­nie of our Bretheren which haue suffred persecution for Christ and his Gaspell, how manie of them, I say, would faine haue séene the things that we sée, and heare that which we heare, and could not sée it. O let vs not despise our Bro­thers blood, let vs not despise the calling of christ, let vs not despise the blessing of God, the greatest that may be. Alas, if we consider the miserable estate that we haue stood in, and the great goodnesse and mercie of God now shewed vnto vs, doubtlesse we cannot despise this great mercie of his, vnlesse we will be too vn­thankfull, we cannot neglect this mer­ueilous worke, and goodnesse of his, [Page] vnlesse we will be counted too much in­gratfull.

Let vs therefore make our selues new harts, new soules, new minds, let vs ioyfully imbrace God and his Gospell, let our eyes, our eares, and our harts say, Blessed are the eyes which sée that we sée, and eares which heare that we heare: for manie Kings and Prophets haue desired to sée that we sée, and could not sée it. And thus if we doe, then shall we be blessed, then shall our eyes, our eares, our harts, be blessed; and God the father of light, and giuer of all goodnesse, shall blesse vs, and remaine with vs for euer. Amen.

SAint Paul, after he first be­gan to preach the glad ty­dings of the Gospell, and testifie the name of Christ vnto the whole world, as he was much troubled with false Prophets, false Tea­chers, and such as seduced the people from God; euen so he found a number of them among the Corinthians, to whom he wrot this Epistle, or Letter. Some of them, to discredite Paul, and bring an euill opinion of him among the [Page] people, said he was an enemie vnto Moyses, one that sought to abolish the Law giuen by Moyses, and such a one as despised and brake the same. Some other said that he was a teacher of false doctrine, a seducer of the people, one that dissented cleane from the rest of the A­postles, yea, and such a one as disquieted the whole Church of Christ. All these things were reported by S. Paul, thus was he slaundered, thus was he euill spoken of: and this was done euen by such as professed the name of Christ. Therefore he féeling himselfe herewith touched, and perceiuing also that this not only touched him, but God him selfe, thought good by his Letters to a­uoyd this slaunder so risen, and to cléere himselfe vnto the Corinthians, among whom this euil brute first sprang of him. And therefore in the Chapter before, he said, Christ hath committed vnto vs the preaching of the attonement, & so what euer we doe, what euer we teach, or preach vnto you, is only to this end, to shew our selues instruments of the reconciliation betwéene Christ and you.

[Page] Now then are wee messengers in the roome of Christ, and therefore, euen as though God did beseech you thorough vs, so pray we you, that ye be at one with God; and further we exhort you, that ye receiue not the grace of God in vaine.

Almightie God perceiuing the frail­tie and weaknesse of this nature of ours, euen at the first beginning of the world pronounced thus, Gen. 6. and said, Pronum est cor hominis ad malum, à inuentute sua The hart of man is prone and readie vn­to euill, euen from the cradle. This God himselfe saw well in our weake nature, and therefore he spake thus of it. So dull are wée of our selues, to learne any good, and so quicke are we to forget the same, so readie are we to fall vnto vice, and so hard are we to incline vnto ver­tue. And this hath béene ingraffed in vs, this hath béen grounded in this na­ture of ours, euen from the beginning, and this will so continue in vs whiles the world lasteth. The hart of man hath alwayes béen readie to fall from God, and decline vnto vice, alwayes prone [Page] vnto euill, and hard to be won vnto good. And therefore it behooueth all such as are Preachers, all such as are messengers sent from God, and will shew them selues as trustie and faith­full seruants, it behooueth them not on­ly to shew their message, to declare their commission, but they must also incou­rage them to whom they are sent, they must improue, rebuke, exhort, and con­troul them, and that in time and out of time, in season and out of season, that their message may be fruitfull, and they found faithfull. So Paul to Timothe saith, Insta oportunè, importunè, 2. Timo. 4. Preach the word, be feruent, be it in season, or out of season, Do the worke of a Prea­cher, be earnest, call vpon them, both in time, and out of time. And euen this thing that he willed his Scholler Timothe to doe, the same performed he in him selfe; 1. Thess. [...]. I haue not ceased, saith he, to Preach vnto you, to teach you both day and night. So likewise in another place, he saith, Act. 20. Mundus sum ego à san­guine omnium vestrorum, I am cleane from the blood of you all, I am pure from [Page] the blood of all men: For I haue kept no­thing backe, but haue shewed you all the counsell of God. So in like, he saith, Quis infirmatur, 2. Cor. 11. & ego non infirmor? Who is weake, and I am not weake? Who is hurt in the faith, and my hart burneth not? As who would say, there is none of you all, no not the least of you, that is gréeued, but I also am gréeued, none of you troubled, but I also troubled, none of you made weake, but I also am made weake with him. Gal. 4. So Paul againe saith, Filioli mei, quos iterum par­turio, My litle children, of whom I tra­uaile in byrth againe, vntill Christ be fa­shioned in you. Thus was S. Paul al­wayes carefull for the saluation of the people: thus was he continually mind­full of the safegard of his Bretheren, & what euer griefe or disquietnesse fell to any of the flocke of Christ, the same was a griefe and disquietnesse vnto him. And thus must euery good Prea­cher doe, thus must all such doe, as are sent messengers from God, and will shew them selues faythfull seruants, and true workmen in Gods vineyard. [Page] We must doe that which longeth vnto vs, and then will God doe that longeth vnto him. Wée must admonish the peo­ple outwardly, and God will moue their hearts inwardly. Saint Paul speaking of him selfe, of Apollo, of Cephas, and other such, 1. Cor. 3. notable in the ministrie of God, saith, Paulus plantauit, Apollo riga­uit, at Dominus dedit incrementum, Paul planted, Apollo watered, but God gaue the increase. God it was, yea, God alone that gaue the increase.

These things, I speake now to them which haue taken vpon them the mini­sterie of Gods word, to them that haue taken vpon them to be guides vnto the flocke of Christ, to them I speake this, to put them in remembrance, that they neuer forget their message, that they forget not their duetie, that they im­proue, rebuke, exhort, and controul the people, that they be earnest and fer­uent, calling still vpon them, both in time & out of time, in season & out of sea­son, that they fulfill the office whereun­to they are called, that their conscience may be found without spot: and in con­clusion, [Page] that they may plant, that they may water, and God may giue the in­crease, that they may both reforme the vngodlie, and incourage the godlie. And this haue wée in our commission, this is our duetie, this will be requi­red of vs; and this if we doe not, we shall be found faultie: for, we are deb­tors vnto all men, Rom. 1. aswell vnto the Page, as vnto the Prince, vnto the poore, as vnto the rich, vnto the foolish, as vnto the wise, vnto the bad, as vnto the good. And therefore, (my Bretheren) euen for this cause alone, all good and godlie Preachers, and such as were sent from God, haue euer béen so zea­lous, and so much desired the saluation of Gods people. Moyses, when he saw the people of Israel after their deliue­rance from Captiuitie by the mightie hand of God, fall from God, forsake him, and forget the wonders that he had wrought for them, he cried out vn­to God, Exod. 31. and said, O domine, me potius de leas de libro vitae, Sooner then that these perish, O Lord, wipe me out of the Booke of life, let my name be striken [Page] out of it. So Paule, Rom. 9. Cupio Anathema esse pro fratribus meis, I wish my self to bee accursed from Christ for my brethren, I would that I might be cast away, so they might be saued.

O my brethren, consider these harts, consider, I say, the zealous hart that Moses, the zealous affection that Paule had vnto the saluation of the people. What thinke you is it to be striken out of the booke of life? What thinke you is it to be a man accursed, and haue por­tion among reprobates? Moses was content to be blotted out of the booke of life, so that the people of Israell might be saued. S. Paule was content to bée accursed and cast from the face of God, so that Gods people might not be cast to perdition. Thus they of an earnest heart and zealous loue they bare to the con­gregation of God, wished their owne destruction for the safegard of others. Therefore also it behooueth you, my bre­thren, you that are temporall men, it behooueth you on the other part not to despise Gods messengers, not to set light by them that preach you the Gospel and [Page] glad tydings of your saluation. For this is the onely meanes whereby it pleaseth God that we should be saued, this onely is it whereby the people is won vnto Christ. God might haue sent an Angel vnto the chamberlaine of the Quéene Candace, Acts 8. and so haue conuerted him: but he sent Philip, he sent Philip, I say, a poore and meane man, that tho­rough his preaching he might bee won to the faith and so brought to saluation. God might haue sent an Angell to Cor­nelius, Act. 10. but he sent Peter, who instructed him in the faith, and wan him to the Gospell of Christ. God might haue sent an Angell vnto Paul to haue mollified his heart, and so turned him from per­secution of Gods Saints: but it plea­sed God to send Ananias, Act. 9. that thorough the putting on of his hands the scales should fall from his eyes, that by him he should receiue his sight, and be bap­tised, and so by meanes of a man hee might be brought home vnto God, and made a member of his flocke. There­fore whensoeuer we heare the word of God preached, notwithstanding the [Page] preacher beare no pompe of eloquence or shew of great learning, notwithstan­ding he be a simple and poore man: yet if he bring vnto vs the rule of Christs Gospell, if hee teach vs the will of GOD, and the glorie of his word, let vs not despise him, let vs consider that hee is Gods messenger, and ap­pointed by God to helpe vs to salua­tion.

I beseech you, saith Saint Paule, that yee receiue not the grace of God in vaine. This onely Boun I aske of you, this is onely the request that I make vnto you, that yee take not the grace of God in vaine. A great mat­ter it were if any one man would mis­use the grace of his Prince, a great matter it were for a man to despise the friendship of his friend, or the gentle­nesse of his enemie: but a greater mat­ter it is, yea a farre greater matter, to take the grace of God in vaine. For what auaileth it vs, what should it profit vs, if GOD once deliuer vs from our sins, and we turne againe to our old wickednesse?

[Page] What gained wee, if the couenant of God, and Testament of our Sauiour Christ be broken vnto vs, if we receiue the same in vaine? Luk. 11. Blessed are they (saith Christ) which heare the word of God, and keepe it. The Scribes, the Pharisies, the Iewes, Annas, Caiphas, and Pilate heard the word of God, heard Christ himselfe speak & preach amongst them, and yet they receiued this word of God in vain, they receiued this grace of God in vain. Christ likened his word to a sower that went forth and sowed his seed, whereof some fell by the way side, and so wast troden with mens feet and de­stroyed, some on the stone, which tooke roote, but yet soone withered away be­cause it lacked moistnesse, some fell a­mong thornes, and the thornes sprung vp with it and choked it. So the poore husbandman lost in maner his whole cost and labour, for of all that he sowed, little fell into the good ground & brought any increase. And euen thus standeth it with Gods Gospell now a daies: for preach we neuer so oft, teach wee neuer so much, few, yea verie few are found [Page] that receiue the same, & continue therin, and so bring forth fruits of saluation. When Moses the seruant of God, was but a little time departed from the peo­ple, Exod. 32. and gone vp into the mount there to talke with God, and aske councell of him, the people by and by made them­selues a golden Calfe, and fell to the worshipping of that Image. And this did they because they receiued the grace of God in vaine. When Moses was dead, and Iosua succéeded into his roome, straight-waies the people worshipped Baal and Astaroth, they forsooke the li­uing Lord who had deliuered them, and in stéed of him they worshipped verie Diuels. And this did they because they receiued the grace of God in vaine. Saul though he once was the seruant of God, and inspired with his spirit, yet at the length he fell from God and persecuted Dauid the chosen of God, and so in the end miserably slew himselfe. 1. Reg. 28. And this did he, because he receiued the grace of God in vaine. Iudas being one of the Apostles, and the seruant of Iesus Christ, yet he not only betraied his ma­ster [Page] Christ, but also became himselfe a verie deuill: Ioh. 6. for so said Christ, Vnus ve­strum Daemon est, One of you is the De­uill. And this did he because he receiued the grace of God in vaine. And there­fore S. Paule in this place willed the Corinthians that they should not re­ceiue the grace of God in vaine, as the people did in Moses time: that they should not receiue it as they did which liued in the time of Iosuah: that they should not in such sort take it as Saule did: and lastly that they should not so re­ceiue it in vaine as Iudas did, and worke their owne destruction. This was his request, this thing he onely desired, that they wold not receiue the grace of God in vaine.

For God saith, In an acceptable time haue I heard thee, and in the day of sal­uation haue I succoured thee. These words are written in the prophesie of Esay, and pronounced they were by him of the apparance of Christ our Sauiour, and his comming into this world. And these words thus spoken by the Pro­phet, S. Paule here fitly applyed to the [Page] preaching of Christs gospell. For like as our Sauiour came into the world at such time as Christ was borne; so when the Gospell is truely preached, and Gods holy word sincerely taught vs, then is Christ opened vnto vs, then is the acceptable time, and our saluation, is wrought thereby. Therefore S. Hi­erom that holy father and old Doctour of the Church, saith; Quotiescunque au­dimus Euangelium Christi, toties caro & sanguis Christi funduntur in aures nostras. As often as we hear the Gospel of Christ preached vnto vs, so oft the flesh and bloud of Christ is powred into our eares, saith S. Hierom. And these words of his do plainly and most euidently shew vs, how we should vnderstand the ea­ting of Christs body, & drinking of his most holy bloud in the Sacrament; these words, I say, may sufficiently teach vs what is meant by the eating & drinking of Christs body & bloud. This is it that S. Paule here speaketh of, that they receiue not the grace of God in vain. And whensoeuer the gospel of God is truly & sincerely preached, and it recei­ued [Page] accordingly, then is the acceptable time, then is the time of grace and sal­uation. O what a comfortable saying is this; whensoeuer we heare the Gospell taught vs, whensoeuer we heare Gods holy word preached vnto vs, then is the gate of saluation set open vnto vs, and then is the time of grace. And on the contrarie part, when Gods word is ta­ken from vs, and the light of his Gospel hidden from our eyes, then is the gate of saluation shut vpon vs, and then is the time of perdition. But alas, the time of grace, the acceptable time, the time of mercie and saluation hath oftentimes but little continuance among vs, often­times it hath small time of abiding with vs. For before Christ appeared, and was borne into this world, for the space of foure hundred yeares, the whole world, the Iewes onely excepted, was in ignorance and altogether blindnesse. And when Christ was borne, when hee once appeared, then was the acceptable time, then was the time of grace, then was the time of saluation. Here some man will peraduenture say; Why did [Page] God suffer the whole world so long to be in blindnesse? why would he in that long time haue no respect to any other nation, but onely to the nation of the Iewes? This case is déepe, and passeth our capacitie to reason, it is aboue the reach of mans wit, and therefore herein wee haue onely to submit our selues, to humble our hearts and our minds, and say with Paul the Apostle, O homo quis tu qui Deum arguis? O man, what art thou that findest fault with God? What art thou that reproouest the almightie? As God of his proui­dence and good wisedome hath appoin­ted for vs both Sommer and Winter, the spring, and likewise the fall of the leafe againe: So hath hee ordained a time of light, and a time of darkenesse, a time of saluation, and a time of de­struction. And no man may say vnto him, Why doest thou thus? These things séeme good in his eyes, and there­fore what art thou, Rom. 9. O man, that wilt call God to account why hée doth this, or why he doth that? Thus it pleaseth God, and standeth with his good will, [Page] oftentimes to shew vs his light, and the glorie of his gospell: and oftentimes againe to take the same from vs, and leaue vs altogether in blindnesse, alto­gether in ignorance, altogether in vtter darkenesse. [...] 8. For so hée hath said by A­mos his Prophet, I will send an hunger vpon the earth, not the hunger of bread, nor the thirst of water, but an hunger to heare the word of the Lord: so that they shall goe from one Sea to the other, yea, from the [...] vnto the East, running about to [...]ke the word of the Lord, and shall not find it. Christ himselfe also in the Gospell, Math. 21. sayeth, The king­dome of God shall bee taken away from you.

And yet, when hée hath thus done, when hée hath sent an h [...]nger and thirst of his wor [...] into the [...]arth, when hée hath taken Gods kingdome from a­mongst vs; yet I say, hée oftentimes powreth downe his t [...]ueth into the earth, hée distilleth his grace from hea­heauen, that it may sinke into the hearts of men: For so sayeth God by his Prophet Malachie, Malach. 1. Abortu solis, vs­que [Page] ad occasum, magnum est nomen meum inter Gentes: My name is great, euen from the rysing of the Sunne to the fall thereof, amongst all Nations. I am a great King (sayeth the Lord) and my name is feareful amongst the Heathen. This is the time that the Prophet Esay calleth The acceptable time. And what néedeth moe examples? the whole Scriptures, both the old and the new Testament, are full of these and such like other.

There are times that are times of knowledge, there are times againe that are times of ignorance. And who is there now, what man so old, or child so young, but may well remember the blindnesse that hath béene in our time, and our fathers times before vs? Who is so blind, who so farre past knowledge, but may both well sée and remember the darke ignorance that hath béen in times past, and the great grace that God hath now powred down vpon vs in these our dayes? Therefore as Saint Paul gaue the Corinthians warning that they should not receiue the grace f [...] God in [Page] vaine: euen so now he warneth vs, and biddeth vs beware that wee take not this grace of God in vaine, that wee turne not to our old vanitie againe, that wée returne not to our former wicked­nesse, that wée defile not the Gospell of God by our euill and corrupt liuing. And therefore in another place hée saith, Giue your members as instruments of righteousnesse vnto God, Rom. 6. and let not sinne haue power ouer you. Herein is set out vnto vs, and as it were painted before our eyes, our whole office and duetie, and how that wée as well by our workes, as our words, should bée an example and paterne for other men to follow, and that wée giue no cause of offence or slaunder of the Gospell of God. I speake this not onely to the Preachers and Ministers of Gods word (though chiefly to them indéed) but I speake it generally to all you my brethren, that professe Gods Gospell, and beare the name of Christ. For S. Paul indifferently to all men saith, 1. Thess. 5. Yee are not the children of darkenesse, but the c [...]i [...]ren of light, walke you there­fore [Page] as becommeth the children of light. And againe in another place, hée sayth, Giue no man occasion of euill, offend no man, 2. Cor. 6. that in your office yee bee not found faultie. And such was in old time the life of all good & godly men, such was their liuing that professed Gods Gos­pell, and the name of Iesus Christ.

But if it so happen (as oftentimes it chaunceth) that men will néeds bée of­fended with vs, liue wée neuer so vp­rightly, walke we neuer so circumspect­ly (as Christ, notwithstanding he was the Sauiour of the world, notwithstan­ding hée was without spot, and one that neuer transgressed the law, yet was called the Stone of offence:) 1. Pet. 2. If it thus happen, I say, that wée bée ill re­ported of without cause, then may wée say, as Christ himselfe to the Scribes and Pharisies said, Sinite illos, caeci sunt, duces caecorum: Math. 15. Let them alone, they are blind, the leaders of the blind. This is the comfort that wee haue, this is all the comfort that is left vnto vs, if any man wilfully be offended with vs, if a­ny man iudge of vs other than we de­serue: [Page] for so it behooueth vs to line, so ought wée to direct our liues, that if any man accuse vs, if any man find fault with vs, our vpright liuing may be a te­stimonis against him, and be able to con­found him. [...]. Cor. 6. S. Paul sayeth, it is our part to take away occasion of offence. When Christ by procurement of his enemies, (the Scribes and Pharisies) was brought be [...]ore Pilat to bée condemned and adiudged to death, the innocencie of his [...] was such, that hée was cléered and a [...]i [...]ed euen by the mouth of his verie enemie: For when Pilate had heard all that was laid against him, and [...] whole accusations wherewith they [...] him, he pronounced openly, and said, I find [...] fault in this man. The Scribes when they had nothing to accuse Christs Disciples of, nor no­thing wher [...] they might intrap them, [...] of their Law, they came vnto our Sauiour Christ▪ and said, Qua­re non obseruant Discipul [...] traditiones [...]? Why doe not thy Disci­ples obserue the traditions of our fathers? Why keepe they not the customes of our [Page] elders? said they. And vpon this place of the Gospell, Saint Chrysostome an old Doctor of the Church, saith thus: That the Disciples of Christ in all points so exactly fulfilled the law, that the Scribes could find no fault in them as touching the same: and therefore they controlled them for breaking their owne traditions, and the traditions of their forefathers. Traianus that Emperour of Rome, and most cruell persecutor of the Christians in his time, when hée had vsed al kind of extremity towards them, and indéed put a wonderfull number vnto death, and heard say, that they all suffered merueilous patiently, and wil­lingly went so execution, and that not­withstanding th [...], they dayly encreased and grew more and more: hée sent a­broad into all parts of his dominion, to vnderstand what manner of men they were, of what [...], and in what sort they liued, that [...] the name of Christ: And [...] ha [...] from [...] Gentleman of [...] and a Magistrat in that Citie; [...] sayd, That they were men without [...] [Page] and liued without offence, as touching the lawes, sauing that in the morning they vsed to resort together, and so make their prayers, and call vpon the name of Iesus. Tertullian also, an old father of the Church, sayth, that in his time this report went of one Scianus, a Christi­an, and was amongst all men so com­mon a saying, that in maner it became a prouerbe: Marcus Scianus, vir bonus, si non Christianus. This was all the fault they could find in him, That hee was a Christian man, and one that professed the name of Christ. So the same Ter­tullian in another place speaking of the Christians in his time, saith, Vide, appel­lant se fratres & mori volunt pro inuic [...]m: Loe, they call themselues brethren, and one will die for another. This was the only fault they found in them, that they loued so together, that one would vouchsafe to die for the other: this was I say, the greatest fault, that they could find no fault in them.

Thus was it amongst Christians in the beginning of Christs Church, and thus ought it to bée amongst vs: so [Page] should wee liue, that we may be found vnreproouable and vnspotted in the sight of all men. And therefore Saint Paul here saith, that wée should walke in such honestie, in such vprightnesse of life, That wee giue no man occasion of euill, that in our office there be found no fault: that if any man would accuse vs, hée might be controlled by our vertuous life: that our enemies haue nothing to lay to our charge, nothing to accuse vs withall; but that euen their owne mouthes should acquit and discharge vs: that in our selues and our liues, there should none other fault bee found, but onely this, that wée are called Chri­stians: that we should in such loue liue together, that one of vs would willing­ly dye for the other: And lastly, that this onely fault should bée in vs, that wee are cleane and without fault, that both our words, works, and déeds may testi­fie vs to be professors of God, and his holy gospell.

Good people, let vs consider that God of his goodnesse hath sent vnto vs this acceptable time, the time of mercie and [Page] grace: that hée hath deliuered vs from the horrible thraldome that wée some­times liued in: that God hath put a­way the blindnesse, and dispersed that great darkenesse where under the whole word was sometime whelmed: that we may now worship him in spirit and ho­linesse, without superstition or idola­trie: that wée may now walke in the light, without any error or wandring. And this great blessing of his, who so seeth not, I pray God open his eyes that he may both see and vnderstand it.

Let vs not, good brethren, let vs not take this grace of God in vaine, let vs not despise this Gospell of Christ, wher­by the whole world is saued. God knoweth how long this acceptable time, this time of grace, this time of saluati­on, shall last and continue amongst vs. And what knowest thou▪ O thou man, whether by one onely Sermon many may bée conuerted, and wonne to the faith of Iesus Christ? Acts▪ 4. Saint Peter by one onely Sermon conuerted fiue thou­sand people, [...]s it appea [...]th in the Acts of the Apostles.

[Page] Saint Hierome hath a saying worthie to bée noted, and it is this: I know not saith Saint Hierome, whether that soule may bee saued, that is negligent in hea­ring the word of God, and the Gospell of his saluation preached: I know not, saith he, whether such a soule may be sa­ued. Alas, good brethren, wée are not able to saue you, God is your onely Sa­uiour and redéemer: wee are but Gods messengers sent vnto you, wee are but helpers appointed to exhort you to the Gospell of God, and to open vnto you the glorie of your saluation. If you then will wilfully refuse to heare Gods holy word, and will not embrace the same, wée cannot saue you, wee are not able to worke your saluation. I my selfe rose vp euer betimes to warne my people, Ier. 7. saith God by his Prophet Ieremie, I my selfe stand all the day at the gate crying vnto them to commune with them, yet would they not heare, I called vnto them, yet would they not answere me.

O my deere brethren, God knocketh, let vs open the gates of our hearts vnto [Page] him: hée calleth, let vs heare him: hee cryeth, and willeth vs to come vnto him; O therefore let vs runne, let vs make hast, Esay 65. let vs flye vnto him. I haue euer stretched out my hands to an vn­faithfull people, saith God by his Pro­phet Esay: all the day long haue I stret­ched out mine armes vnto a people that will not heare me: all the day long haue I stretched out my hands vnto them, and yet they will not know me: I haue sent you the acceptable time, I haue gi­uen you the dayes of grace, the dayes of mercie, the dayes of saluation. O then let vs not receiue this acceptable time in vaine, let vs not take this grace of God in vaine: Let vs remember how many thousands of people perish this day for want of the gospell of God, and knowledge of his holy word. Wée are they whom God hath called to bee his children, whom hée hath appointed to bée saued, whom he hath receiued to his grace and mercie. If wée haue any great policie, if wée haue any great wit, if wée haue any learning, riches wealth, and felicitie in this world: let vs consider [Page] that we haue them from God alone, that God giueth vs our policie, that God gi­ueth vs our wit, that God giueth vs our learning, that hée alone giueth vs our riches, our wealth, and all other felici­tie that wée haue in this life. O then let vs not take these great gifts of God in vaine, let vs not take these graces of his in vaine. Let our liues so shine before men, that they may sée our good works, and glorifie our father which is in heauen. Amen.

DEerely beleued in our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ, This Epistle, or letter of Saint Paul, written vnto the Romans, is diuided into two seue­rall parts.

In the first part, Saint Paul instru­cteth and telleth them of the beginning of their religion, of the foundation of their faith, of the grace whereunto they [Page] are called by the merits and death of Ie­sus Christ. And, for because he saw and well perceiued, that euen such of the Romans, who had receiued the faith, to bée farce from the works of the faith, and the profession of the gospel of Christ, therefore he instructeth them that they know the testament of Christ, that they know the couenant of their saluation: and that they should remember, that where before time they were strangers from God, cleane without any promise of grace, enemies vnto God, and the children of perdition, were now called vnto God, were become the sons of A­braham, Gods deere friends, and the chil­dren of adoption: and this not of any desert of theirs, not by any merit of their owne, but onely through the great grace, and méere mercy of Iesus Christ. For the whole world was couered vn­der wickednesse, the whole world, I say, the Iewes onely excepted, was o­uerwhelmed in sinne, and had no pro­mise at all of any saluation by God. But yet when Christ Iesus the Saui­our of all the world appeared, and the [Page] Iewes would not acknowledge him their redéemer, it pleased God by him to saue the whole world, and call vnto his grace aswel the Gentile as the Iew, the vncircumcised as the circumcised: and this did he onely of his infinit and great goodnesse. And therefore Saint Paul in the conclusion hereof, crieth out, and saith, Rom. 11. 33 O the deepnesse of the aboundant wisedome and knowledge of God, how vnsearchable are his iudgements, and his wayes past finding out! Who know­eth the mind of the Lord? who was his Counsellor? Who hath giuen vnto him first, that hee might bee recompensed a­gaine? And therefore hée concludeth thus: Rom. 11. 36 Quia in illo, ex illo, & per illum omnia, illi omnis honor & gloria: For of him, through him, and for him are all things: to him therefore bee glorie for euer. Thus doth Saint Paule con­clude the first part, to know the co­uenant of their saluation, to know the greatnesse of Gods mercie, whereun­to they are called, and to giue the prayse and thankes therefore to him a­lone.

[Page] In the second part, which I now handle, hee instructeth them of a vertu­ous life, of honest conuersation, and vp­right liuing among all men. For it is not enough to change our Religion, it is not sufficient to alter our faith, but we must also change our old life, wee must walke in newnesse of life, we must walke in holinesse, wee must walke as becommeth the professors of a new Re­ligion, as becommeth them that are of a right faith, as becometh all such as confesse God and his Gospel. And ther­fore S. Paul writing vnto the Hebrews saith; Heb. 10. 19. Seeing that we by the means of the bloud of Iesus haue libertie to enter into the holy place, let vs draw nigh with a true heart in a sure faith, let vs prouoke vnto loue and to good workes. So in a­nother place he saith; You were some­times darknesse, Ephe. 5. 8. but now ye are light in the Lord, walke therfore as becommeth the children of light: So God himselfe when he had chosen the Iewes to be his people, and them alone amongst all o­ther Nations to worship him, said; Deut. 10. O Israel, what is it that I require or seek for [Page] at thy hands, but that thou loue mee, and keepe my commandements: This is the onely thing that I would haue you to doe, that you kéepe my Law and walke in my Precepts.

Therefore Saint Paule himselfe al­so, after hee had declared and set forth at large, the great goodnesse and mercie of God, he said, I beseech you, that yee make your bodies a quicke and liuely Sacrifice, holy and acceptable vn­to God, which is, your reasonable ser­uing of God. Renew your spirits, make your selues new harts, that it may shew and appeare in you, that you are reconciled vnto GOD, that you are the children of adop­tion, and professours of Gods holy name.

Therfore bee not high minded, bee not wise in your owne opinions: recom­pence no man euill for euill: prouide a­forehand things honest in the sight of all men: and if it bee possible, haue peace with all men. Marke well my brethren these words by the way, If it be possible haue peace with all men. Christ, though [Page] hee was the author so peace, and the true peace it selfe, yet could he not haue peace with all men. Non veni pacem mit­t [...]re in terras, sed bellum, Luk. 12. sed discordiam, I am not come (saith Christ) to send peace into the world, but war and dissen­tion: for from hence forth there shall be fiue in one house diuided, three against two, and two against three. The Fa­ther against the Son, and the Son a­gainst the Father. The mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother. The peace of the world is no peace with God: the loue of this world is no loue before God.

So the Patriarches and the Pro­phets, though they were men of peace, yet could they haue no peace in this world. And therefore Saint Paule here saith, If it bee possible, as much as in you shall lye, haue peace with all all men, bee in vnitie and loue with all manner of men. This thing, my bre­thren, I haue put you in remembrance of by the way.

But that S. Paule should thus doe, that he should exhort the Romanes, [Page] as he here doth, that they become not high minded, nor wise in their owne opi­nions, nor recompence no man euill for euill, and that they should, if it were pos­sible, haue peace with all men, good cause there was, there was, I say, good cause, why he should thus doe. For there were at the same time in Rome, a great num­ber both of Iewes and Gentiles, and amongst them there was great strife and diuision. The Iewes on the one side estéemed not the Gentils: the Gen­tiles on y ^e other side despised the Iewes. Thus betwéene them the people were diuided, and rent into dissention: thus betwéene them the whole people often­times were readie to fal together by the eares: and thus thorough them, were they at such great contention and strife that they that were brethren would not vouchsafe to commune, & talke together: they that before were linked in such loue and vnited together, that one would die for the other, could not then one abide another: and such as were friends, be­came open enemies. And this came to passe onely through pride. Pride was [Page] the cause that such as were brethren fell out one with another: pride was the cause that such as should haue died one for another, could not one abide another: pride was the cause that such as before­time were friends, became then open e­nemies. The Iewes on the one part were proud, for that they were the chil­dren of Abraham, Rom. 9. for that they were vnder the Law and promise, for that they had knowledge of Gods wil by O­racles, for that God had oftentimes both sent his Angels vnto them, and spoken by his owne mouth vnto them; and the Gentiles had none of all these: they were not of the séed of Abraham: they were not vnder the promise: they neuer had knowledge of Gods wil, nei­ther by Oracle, nor vision: God neuer spake vnto them, nor neuer sent his Angels vnto them. The Gentiles on the other sides, were as proud as the Iews: they said that they had wise men amongst them, men of great learning and knowledge: they had Philosophers, they had Astronomers, they had Geo­metritians, and great Orators; and so [Page] had not the Iewes amongst them: They had no men of great wisdome, they had no men of any high learning, they had no Philosophers, no Astro­nomers, no Geometricians, nor O­rators; they were men ignorant, and without any great knowledge at all. Saint Paule therefore to set an vnitie betweene these two which were thus farre at discorde, exhorteth them that They all thinke one thing, that they bee of like affection one towards ano­ther: that they bee not high minded, nor wise in their owne opinions. For pride it is that breaketh all loue, and pride it is that breedeth all dissention. There was neuer yet diuision, there was neuer any discord or dissention, but Pride was the first cause and authour thereof.

Lucifer, that sometime was an An­gell of GOD, set himselfe against GOD, and said; Exaltabo me super Aquilonem, & ero similis Altissimo, I will get mee vp aboue the North Pole, I will sit aboue the clouds, and I will bee like vnto the most highest. And [Page] this did hee, for that hee swelled with pride. And therefore was he throwen downe, onely for this great pride of his was hee cast into vtter darknesse, and déepe dungeon of hell.

Coral [...], Num. 16. Dathan, and Abiram, being puffed vs with pride, conspired against Moses and Aaron: but God caused the earth to open, and swallowed vp both them, and all such as then were in the Tents with them.

The Iewes themselues, which had professed the Gospell of Christ in Saint Paules time, were diuided; and some of them said; I stand with Paule, some other said; 1. Cor. 1. I hold with Apol­lo, and so were drawen on either side.

And this did they onely thorough pride. But alas, saith Saint Paule, Is Christ diuided? both Paule and Apol­lo preach one and the same Christ vn­to you, they teach you all one Gos­pell, is Christ then diuided amongst you? So likewise some of them, which professed Christs Gospell (be­cause [Page] all meats & drinks were indiffe­rent vnto them, Rom. 14. because they could with safe conscience indifferently eat of all meats and drinke of al kinds of drink) were proud, and thought themselues more perfit than other men. On the o­ther side, such as had a conscience therin, such as could not for conscience sake in­differently vse all kinds of meats and drinkes, were likewise proud, and thought themselues more holy than o­ther men.

And thus pride, euen amongst such as professed Christ and his Gospell, brake the loue and vnitie which should haue béene amongst them that liued vn­der the Gospel. Pride it was that cau­sed the Iewes to hate the Gentiles, and the Gentiles to despise the Iewes. Pride it was that caused Lucifer so much to exalt himselfe, and make him­selfe egall with God. Pride it was that caused Corah, Dathan, and Abi­ram, to conspire against Moses and Aaron. Pride it was that caused such as could indifferently eate all meats, to [Page] thinke them selues more perfit than such as could not so do. Pride it was againe, that caused the other which could not in­differently vse all meats, to thinke them selues more holie than the rest. There­fore in this place S. Paul willeth the Romans for auoyding of all dissention, first to put away all pride, which is the verie roote and mother of all discord. Be not high minded, said he, for so shall you abate this rancour and malice a­mong you, but humble your selues, humble your courage; be not proud of your wit, of your great learning, of your eloquence, but make your selues egall to them of the lower sort. This is the golden chaine of humilitie. For like as pride is the mother of all wickednesse, so is humilitie the mother of all vertue: like as pride maketh vs like vnto Luci­fer, so humilitie maketh vs like vnto Christ. Therfore Christ him selfe, when he first gaue his Disciples charge for to preach, when he first gaue them in com­mandment vpon the mount, to publish abroad his Gospell, Luk. 6. Beati pauperes, said he, and why so? quoniam ipsorum est reg­num [Page] caelorum, Math. 5. Blessed are the poore, for theirs is the kingdome of God. And again, Beati mites, and why so? quoniam ipsi possi­d [...]bunt terram, Blessed are the meeke, for they shall inherite the earth. So again, to his Disciples he said, Math. 11. Discite ex me, quia ego mitis sum, Learne ye of me, for I am meeke, I am gentle, learn this of me said Christ. Philip. 2. So Paul, Hic sensus sit in vobis, qui fuit in Christo, Let the same mind be in you, that was also in Christ Iesus: which when he was egall with God, yet neuer­thelesse made himselfe of no reputation, & humbled himself vnto death, euen the death of the Crosse. So Dauid, notwith­standing he was a King, a Prophet, and a man chosen, euen according to the heart of God, yet he humbled himselfe, & said, Psal. 131. Non ambulaui in magnis, nequè in mi­rabilibus super me▪ I am not high minded, I haue no proud lookes, I do not exercise my selfe in great matters, which are too high for me. 1. Cor. 1. So Paul, God hath chosen the foolish things of this world, that by them he may be able to confound the wise: he hath chosen the weake things, that thorough them he may subdue the [Page] strong. Thus God vseth humble & lowly things, Psal. 8. saith S. Paul, Ex ore infantium et lactantium perfecists laudem tuam: Out of the mouth of verie babes & sucklins hast thou made perfit thy praise, euen by the mouths of infants & sucking babes thou hast ordeined strength, and spred abroad the glory of thy name. So Paul, notwith­standing he was a great learned man, and skilfull in the Lawes among the Iewes, yet he bragged not, nor boasted of his great knowledge he had, but he humbled himselfe, 1. Cor. [...]. and said, Ego me arbi­tror nihil scere nisi Christum, & eum quidem crucifixum: I thinke thus of my selfe, that I know nothing, saue Iesus Christ, euen the same that was crucified, other know­ledge haue I none to auaunt my selfe of said S. Paul. And vpon this foundation of humility, it pleased almightie God, at the first to erect & build his holie Church, vpon his Apostles, I say, who were the very paterns of méeknesse, it séemed good vnto God to build his holy Church. And after them such as were of the congrega­tion of Christ, such as professed the name of Christ, were not proud men, were [Page] not men of haut courage, nor high min­ded. And therefore, as we read in the Acts of the Apostles, Act. 4. Erat illis cor vnum, & anima vna, They were all of one heart, and one mind together. So at the beginning, the Disciples of Christ were poore in spirit, and therefore were they méet to inherite the kingdome of Hea­uen: they were méeke in heart, & hum­ble of mind, and therefore were they méet to possesse the earth: they learned at Christ to be méeke and lowlie, they had the same sence in them that was in Christ, and therfore they humbled them selues vnto death: they were counted the foolish things of the earth, therefore were they méet instruments to confoūd the wisdome of the world: they were counted the weake things, & therefore were they méet to ouercome the mightie. The Babes were méeke & lowlie, and therefore were they méet to spred abroad the glorie of God. Saint Paul of all his learning thought that he knew nothing, so much he humbled himselfe: and there­fore was he méete to be an Apostle of Christ, and Preacher of his Gospell. [Page] There is a storie, or rather a fable, wri­ten of S. Anthonie; whether you take it as a storie, or a fable, I much recke not, but it serueth well for this purpose, it is thus. Saint Anthonie on a time lay in a traunce, and as he so lay, he looked downe from Heauen, (as he thought) & saw all the whole earth so thicke coue­red with snares, that possible it was not for any man to tread vpon the earth, and not be intangled therewithall: and this when he beheld, suddeinly he cried out, and said, O Lord, and who can then walke on the earth, and not be intrap­ped? with that he heard a voice that an­swered him, and said, Sola humilitas, Only humilitie it is, said that voice, that may go, and not be intangled; only Hu­militie, and nothing else. Who so is Humble, he may walke without daun­ger, he may go and not be taken. This is written that S. Anthonie should sée, and heare in his traunce. But Dauid, the prophet of God, saith in déed, Sa­crificium Deo spiritus contritus, The con­trite and humble heart, is a sacrifice vn­to God, the méeke and lowlie heart is a [Page] swéet and acceptable Sacrifice vnto God, saith the prophet Dauid. So a­gaine, in another place, Psal. 138. he saith, De­us humilia respicit, & alia à longè pro­spicit, God hath regard to the hum­ble and lowlie, and as for the proud, he beholdeth them a far off. Esaie al­so, or rather God by his Prophet E­saie saith, Esa. [...]5. Super quem r [...]quiescet spiri­tus meus, nisi super humilem? Vpon whom shall my spirit rest, saith God, But vpon the humble and meeke? for otherwise, Tytus 3. saith Saint Paul, Qui infla­tur, cadit, He that is puffed vp with pride, falleth into the hands of the De­uill.

Thus, (good Bretheren) humili­tie preserueth the Church of God, hu­militie vphouldeth all good Common weales. Pride it is that scattereth the Church of God, pride ouerthroweth all good Common weales. There was yet neuer pride in any Citie without dissention, nor dissention that conti­nued without destruction of the whole Common weale. Ye shall neuer read in any record, eyther of Citie, King­dome, [Page] or Common weale, but that, if pride raigned therein, there consequent­lie followed dissention, and of dissen­tion insued the ouerthrow of the same. In the Citie of Rome, which was cal­led the Ladie of the whole world, there were two that tooke vpon them the go­uernance of the Empire, Iulius Caesar, and Pompey. Iulius Caesar was a man of so haught courage, that he could abide no péere, Pompey was of such an high mynd, that hée could suffer no man to be his egall. And thus for dominion, stroue these two together: and thus thorough their dissention, was not on­lie the whole Citie, but the kingdome it selfe brought to destruction. The state of the Gretians, which then chief­ly aboue other florished, because it was diuided, came to vtter confusi­on. But what speake I of these? what speak I of Rome, and the state of the Gretians. Who is there that hath not heard of Ierusalem, Ierusalem I say, that great City, that same Towne that God had chosen to him selfe, euen that same Towne wherein God would [Page] haue his Temple erected, and his holie name honored, after that the Rulers thereof began to be diuided, after that the Magistrats fell to discord, and each man would be a Captaine, and no man would be ruled: then came the enemies in, then was it besieged, then was the Mother for verie famine constreined to eat her owne childe, then was it vtter­ly destroyed, and no one stone left vpon an other; and which was most mise­rable, there were slaine in that Citie xj. hundred thousand people, and the verie chanels in the stréets ran all with blood. Thus miserably was it ouerthro­wen, and in such wretched estate were the whole people thereof: and this only came to passe, thorough pride and dis­sention. And this was it that Esaie long time before prophesied of, and said, Then shall the whole Countrey be scat­tered, Esa. 3. 14. when the people once conspire a­gainst their Princes. And therefore also an old writter, Petrus Lilius saith, Dis­cord is the only cause of the ouerthrow of Kingdomes; Diuision is the onlie cause that great Empires can not stand; [Page] Dissention maketh two kingdomes of one; Dissention maketh of two Cities one, and at length it maketh of two king­domes, no kingdome, of two Cities, no Citie. This writeth Petrus Lilius, of Dissention, this is the end of Discord sayth he, and in déed experience hath taught that this is most true.

But wherefore speake I of these things? wherefore do I here repeat vn­to you these old and auncient histories? why recount I vnto you the ouerthrow of Rome? the destruction of the Greti­ans? the desolation of Ierusalem? which all hapned thorough Diuision. I would to God I saw nothing euen now before mine eyes, that causeth mée thus to say; I would to God, I say, that I saw now nothing present before mine eyes, that causeth me thus to say. But these examples, (my Bretheren) God hath placed before our eyes, that we might take heed by them, that we might the better looke to our selues, and beware of our owne destruction. Christ hath said, Christ that is the author of Trueth, and trueth it selfe, Luk. 1 [...]. hath said, Ciuitas diuisa, [Page] desolabitur, The Citie that is diuided, be it neuer so rich, neuer so strong, neuer of so great force, yet, shall it be destroied, it shall be brought to vtter desolation. Rome, that sometime was the weal­thyest Citie in the world, & called there­fore the Ladie of the whole world, fell to diuision: and therefore was shée ouer­throwen, and vtterly destroyed. The Gretians, which were a people of grea­test force, fell to dissention: and there­fore was their whole estate pulled down, and cast flat to the ground. Ierusalem, that holie Citie, that Citie that was so strong, fell a sunder, fell at discord with­in it selfe: and therefore was shée spoiled of her enemyes, and brought to desola­tion.

Remember, (good Bretheren) re­member with your selues, how can that Ship which saileth in the Sea, be safe in the middest of the waues, if the people within the same boore holes thorough it, or rent vp the ribs of the same? How can that Citie be preserued, where no man will heare counsell, where no man careth for the publike state, where no [Page] man passeth for other, where God is not in the middest? 1. Ioh. 4. Deus charitas est saith S. Iohn, & qui in charitate est, in Deo man [...]t, God is charitie, and he that dwelleth in charitie, dwelleth in God. O, saith Salomon, Turris fortissima nomen Do­mini, The name of the Lord is a strong Tower: The name of God saueth the Citie. Psal. 127. Dauid also the prophet of God saith, Nisi Dominus custodierit ciuitatem, in vanum laborant qui custodiunt eam: Ex­cept the Lord keep the Citie, except the Lord defend it, saith he, they labour in vaine, they watch in vaine that are set to defend it.

These things, (good Bretheren) ap­pertaine both to our office that are Mi­nisters, and appointed by God to in­struct the people, and they appertaine al­so vnto all Magistrats, yea and vnto the whole people. As for vs that are Gods Ministers, and messengers sent vnto you, we do stand vpon the Tower to crie, and giue you warning that the ene­mies are comming, to shew you before hand that your foes are approching: our part is to declare vnto you, that your [Page] fight is not against King, nor Caesar, is not against any Prince or power of this world, but against spirituall enemyes, against the Deuill and his adherents: our part is to dissuade you from dissen­tion, to dissuade you from discord and diuision. This must we do aswell to the Magistrat, as to the rest of the peo­ple: aswell to him that beareth office, as to him that beareth none. For, we are debtors vnto all men, Rom. 1. aswell to the rich, as to the poore, to the wise, as to the foo­lish, to the good, as to the bad. This is also the Magistrates office, this is like­wise his duetie. Therefore hath God set him vp, therefore hath God exalted him aboue the rest of the people, that he should guid them in peace, & lead them in loue and vnitie together. Thus did Da­uid, that good king; he found the whole kingdome left by Saul his predecessor in dissention and diuision within it selfe, he found, I say, the whole countrey at variance and great debate: but by his great wisdome and good gouernance to­gether, hée reduced the same into good order againe, and such as before were [Page] enemyes, he made faithfull friends, and the whole Countrey he brought to quietnesse, peace, and mutuall vnitie. And therfore, when he had this brought to passe, for ioy that he had thus of mor­tall foes, made louing friends, he sung, O quàm bonum, Psal. 133. & quàm iocundum, habi­tare fratres in vnum, O how ioyfull a thing is it, for Bretheren to dwell toge­ther in vnitie. So much it comforted him, so glad was he when he saw his people agrée together. Therefore in the Scriptures the Magistrates are cal­led Shepheards, Psal. 78. for that they ought so to guid the people committed to their charge, as the Shepheard doth his flocke. Therefore they are called also Captaines, Iosua 1. for that they ought to haue such respect to Gods people, as the good Captaine hath regard to his Souldi­ers. Therefore likewise are they called the Heads, 1. Pet. 2. for that, like as the head go­uerneth the whole bodie, so should they rule and gouerne the people, as mem­bers of their bodie. Therefore in like are they called Fathers, for that the peo­ple are so in subiection vnto them, as [Page] the childe is in obedience vnder his fa­ther. But chiefly it is required in them, it is chiefly, and aboue all other things required in such as are Magistrates, that they them selues know God, that they them selues, I say, aboue all o­ther men, haue perfit knowledge of God, and his Lawes; so that the peo­ple by that meane may follow him, and they altogether may follow God. Therefore in the Booke of Deutrono­mie, God himselfe gaue in charge to all such as should become Magistrates, saying, He that is called to beare Of­fice, what euer hee be that is appoin­ted to be a Ruler, shall first write out all this Booke of my Law with his owne hand. And againe, he said, Non recedet liber iste ab ore tuo, Iosua 1. This Booke of mine shal not dcpart from thy mouth, this Booke of mine shall not be out of thy hand. This is Gods charge to all them that beare office, this is his charge and commaundment giuen vnto them. Therefore that good king Dauid, when God had appointed him to be king and chiefe Ruler of his people, Psal. 132. he said, Si [Page] dedero oculis meis somnum, aut palpebris meis requiem antequàm inn [...]uero domum Domino meo, & Tabernaculum Deo Iacob. If I shall giue my selfe vnto sleepe, or mine eye lids any rest, before that I find out a house for my God, and a Taber­nacle for the God of Iacob &c. as who would say, I will neuer studie myne owne matters, I will neuer go about mine owne businesse, before I haue established the matters of my God, and the businesse of the God of Iacob. Ther­fore in like maner Ezechias, 2. Chro. 29. that vertu­ous king, when he was called by God to beare office, would not go home to his owne affaires, before he had purged the Church of God. Iustinian also, that good and godlie Emperor was wont to say, That he asmuch cared for the preserua­tion of Gods Church, as he did for the safegard of his owne Soule. And thus, look what care Dauid the prophet of God had ouer Gods people: looke what care that vertuous king Ezechias had: looke what care that good and godlie Empe­ror Iustinian had, the same, and the like ought euery good Magistrate to haue: [Page] as Dauid, Ezechias, and Iustinian did, so should euery good and godlie officer doe: hée must not giue himselfe vnto sléep, nor his eye lids vnto rest, before he hath prouided a Temple for the God of Iacob: he must not go home vnto his owne house, before that he hath purged Gods Church: he must haue as great respect to the saluation of Gods flocke, as he hath regard to the safegard of his owne Soule: he must remember that his chaire is Gods chaire, that his sword is Gods sword. Now (good Bre­theren) it behooueth you of your part, to put away all hatred, to abolish from him all pride, dissention, all discord, and to honor the Magistrate, to follow you your Shepheard, as the shéepe do their shepheard: to ioy in him your Cap­taine, as the Souldiers reioyce in their Captaine: to be gouerned by him your head, as the members of the bodie are ruled by the head: and lastly, so to be in subiection vnto him, as the childe is in obedience and subiection to his fa­ther. And so shall there then be, both a godlie Magistrat, so shall there be god­lie [Page] people, and so shall there be a godlie Realme.

Now let vs here thinke that Saint Paule speaketh these words vnto vs (as indéed he speaketh them vnto vs, if we are, or will be called Christians) vn­to vs, he saith; Bee not high minded, vnto vs he saith; Bee not wise in your owne opinions: vnto vs he saith; Re­compence no man euill for euill: vnto vs he saith, If it bee possible haue peace with all men. O then, why are wee of such proud hearts? Why are wee high minded? Why are we wise in our own opinions? Why recompence wee euill for euill? Why séeke we reuengement? why agrée not we together? O by whose name shall I cal you? I would I might call you brethren: but alas, this heart of yours is not brotherly. I would I might call you Christians: but alas, you are no Christians. I know not by what name I shall call you: for if you were Brethren, you wold loue as Brethren: if you were Christians, you would agrée as Christians. Christ said vnto his dis­ciples, and so by them to all such as pro­fesse [Page] his name; Ioh. 13. Mandatum nouum do vo­bis, vt diligatis mutuo, sicut & ego dilexi vos, I giue you a new commandement, said Christ, that you loue together euen as I haue loued you. By this token, by this cognusance of mine shal men know you to be my Disciples, if you loue to­gether as I haue loued you. Let vs looke well vpon our selues, let vs behold our selues well: alas, this badge, this cog­nisance is gone, this peace that Christ left vnto vs, is not to be found amongst vs.

O yée that sometime were brethren, but now mortall enemies, ye that some­time ware this Badge, this cognisance of Christs peace, which now yée haue cast from you, O how long will you fol­low vanitie, how long will yée dwell in dissention? I haue done my part, I haue called you to peace, I haue called you to loue, I haue called you to vnitie: doe you now your parts, do you ensue after peace, loue you each other, continue yée in vnitie together. I haue not the keyes of your hearts, I am not able to loose and open those stonie hearts of [Page] yours: God make you al one, God mol­lifie you hearts, God make you friends, God graunt you to loue as brethren to­gether.

Let vs lay aside this pride of our heart, let vs not bee wise in our owne opinions, let vs not requite euill with euill, let vs, as much as may bee, haue peace with all men. Alas, it is no great thing that I require of you: I require onely your loue, I require your friendship one towards another, I aske no more but that your hearts bee ioy­ned in mutuall loue and vnitie toge­ther. Alas, it is a thing that soone may bee granted of such as pray together of such as haue one heauenly Father, of such as are partakers of Christs ho­ly Sacraments, of such as professe Christ, and will bee called Chri­stians.

O how can we pray our Heauenly father to forgiue vs, if we will not for­giue our brother wherein hee trespas­seth against vs. How can wee with cleere conscience come vnto the holy [Page] Communion, and bee partakers of Christs most holy bodie and bloud, if wee are not in charitie with our owne neighbour? Let vs therefore lay aside all discord without hipocrisie, let vs lay apart all malice without dissimula­tion, let vs all ioyne together in bro­therly loue, let vs all be of like affection one towards another, let vs not bee high minded, but let vs make our selues equall to them of the lower sort. So shall wee make our bodies a quick and liuely Sacrifice, so shall wee make them holy and acceptable vnto God, so shall we bee reconciled vnto God, and God reconciled vnto vs: and finally, so shall we which are called Christians, be knowne to be Gods seruants and such as professe the name of Christ, if wee shal be found to haue this peace and bro­therly loue, which is the badge and cog­nisance of Christ. And so shall God be ours, and remaine with vs for euer.

Amen.