A GODLY sermon preached in the Court at Greenwich the first Sunday after the epiphany, Anno Domini. 1552. And in the sixth year of the reign of king Edward the sixth, the right godly and virtuous king of famous and blessed memory. By B. G. Imprinted at London by Henry Middleton, for Thomas man.. 1581. A SERMON preached in the Court at Greenwich the first Sunday after the epiphany An. Do. 1552. The Gospel appointed for that day taken out of the second chapter of Saint Luke the Evangelist, beginning at the 41. verse and continuing to the end of the chapter. verse 41 Now his parents went to jerusalem Chap. 2. ver. 41. every year, at the feast of the Passover. verse 42 And when he was twelve year old, & they were come up to jerusalem, after the custom of the feast. verse 43 And had finished the days thereof, as they returned, the child jesus remained in jerusalem, & joseph knew not, nor his mother, verse 44 But they supposing that he had been in the company, went a days journey, & sought him amongst their kinsfolks, & acquaintance. verse 45 And when they found him not, they turned back to jerusalem, & sought him. verse 46 And it came to paesse three days after, that they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the Doctors, both hearing them, and ask them questions. verse 47 And all that heard him, were astonished at his understanding, and answers. verse 48 So when they saw him, they were amazed, & his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee with heavy hearts. verse 49 Then said he unto them: how is it that you sought me? know ye not that I must go about my father's business? verse 50 But they understood not the word that he spoke to them. etc. FOR SO MUCH as the whole Gospel, is more full of matter & plenteous in mysteries, then that it can well be discussed within the limits of one sermon: I have taken for this time to entreat upon this one sentence spoken by Christ unto his parents vers. 49. Know ye not that I must go about my father's business? being content to omit the rest, taking only so much of the rest, as shall suffice to declare the occasion whereupon he spoke these words for the fuller understanding of the same. Ye shall therefore understand that when our Saviour was come to the age of twelve years, giving attendance upon his parents to jerusalem, at the solemn feast of Easter, whither they yearly did repair at that time of sincere devotion and for the obedience of the law. After that joseph & Mary had devoutly passed Exod. 23. 14. 15. the days of the feast, & were returned home, it came to pass (not through blind Fortune but by God his proprovidence, that his glory might appear) that the blessed son jesus tarried behind at jerusalem, & while his parents, either not taking good heed of him, or else going a part in sundry companies, either of them trusting he had been with the other, they went one days journey before they miss him. But after he was found wanting, they sought him diligently amongst their kinsfolks and acquaintance, but found him not. Which was undoubtedly unto them a very cross of bitter affliction. So doth God many times exercise his elect & chosen with adversity for their trial, & to keep them in humility. When they were returned to jerusalem and had long sought him with sorrowful hearts, after three days they found him in the temple. Here by the way me think the holy ghost teacheth us a spiritual doctrine, and that right necessary: So long as we seek Christ in our own kinsfolks, that is, our own inventions & devises, we find him not, but to find Christ, we must accompany these godly persons joseph and Marie unto the Temple of his holy word, there Christ is found unto so many as seek him with such humble spirits & meek hearts as joseph & Mary did. They found him in the temple not idly occupied as many are, not mumbling things he understood not, Sine mente sonum, a confused sound without knowledge. But they found him occupied in the father of heaven his business, as all men should be in the temple, either in speaking to God by humble and hearty prayer, or hearing God speaking to them in his most blessed word. So was Christ occupied amongst learned men and apposing them. Where he teacheth us to be always as glad to learn as to teach. It is a probable conjecture that he opened to them the Scriptures which spoke of Messiah: a matter then in controversy. But whatsoever their matter was, the Evangelist saith, He made them all astonished at his understanding & answers. verse. 47. So the glory of his godhead even then began to shine. Where we may mark the wonderful power of the Gospel: Even the hard hearted that will not receive it, yet the bright beams of the truth shining Act. 4. 13. 14. 16. therein maketh them astonished. It causeth also the godly to marvel, as Mary and joseph, but their admiration always ended with joy. Yet not withstanding his heavenly majesty made all men to wonder, his mother thought she had some cause to expostulate with him for the great fear he had brought upon them, casting them into a dungeon of sorrows, and complaining, said. Son why hast thou etc. She seemeth to charge him with the first precept of the second table, that he had not well entreated his parents. But Christ so shapeth his answer, that he taketh away all her complaint. Teaching us how the precepts of the second table may not be understand in any wise to be a hindrance to the first. Wist ye not that I must go about my father's business? ver. 49. where our duty & service to God cometh in place, all humane service and obedience, which might be a hindrance thereto, to whom so ever it be, Father, or Mother, King or Kesar must stand back and give place. Besides this, he teacheth us here a most necessary lesson, for all men to know and bear away, which is, that his whole life and death was nothing else but a perfect obedience to the will of his heavenly father, & that he was always most busily occupied therein: And teacheth us, that if we look by adoption to be brethren & coheirs with Christ of his father's kingdom, we must also with our master and Lord yield up ourselves wholly to our heavenly father his will & always be occupied in his business. Exemplum dedi vobis. etc. I joh. 13. 15. have given you an example, that ye should do, even as I have done to you. Which lesson being so necessary for all christians to be kept, & the breach thereof cause of all iniquity: I thought it good to pass over other places of ghostly instruction which this gospel might minister, & to tarry upon this one sentence. Know ye not how I must go about my father's business? Intending to show in order how all estates of men, the clergy; the nobility and the commonalty, are under the band of this obligation Oportet etc. we must: and aught of necessity to be occupied in the father of heaven his business. But first of all mistrusting wholly mine own strength, I crave aid of you by your devout prayers. Prayer. Conatus rex christ meos tu dirige semper, Et mihi sit foelix te duce principium. Know you not that I must go about● Luk. 2. 49. my father's business? After that our first parents through disobedience and sin had blotted & disfigured the lively Image of god, whereunto they were created, & might have lived always, in a conformity to the will of God: Man was never able to apply himself to God his father's business, nor yet so much as to know what appertained thereto. The natural 1. Cor. 2. 14. man (sayeth Paul) perceiveth not the Heb. 1. 3. & 2. 16. things of the spirit of God etc. Till Christ the very true Image of God the father did come down and took man's nature upon him. Which descent as he declareth was to fulfil for us the will of his father, that like as by disobedience Rom. 5. 19 of one man many were made sinners, So by the obedience of one (Christ) many might be made righteous. What time as he became obedient unto death, Philip. 2. 8. even the death of the cross. Which obedience lest carnal men should challenge to suffice for them, howsoever their life be a continual rebellion against God & his holy will (such as there be a great number, and have been in all ages) Saint Paul wipeth them clean away, Saying Christ hath Heb. 5. 9 become salvation (not to all) but to all that obey him. Let no man therefore flatter and deceive himself, if we will challenge the name of Christ his disciples, if we will worthily possess the glorious name of Christians, we must learn this lesson of our master, to be occupied in our heavenly father's business which is to fly our own will (which is a wicked and wanton will) & wholly to conform ourselves to his will, saying as we are taught. Fiat Math. 6. 10. voluntas tua, thy will be done: which as Saint Augustine saith, The fleshly man, the covetous, adulterous, ravenous or deceitful man can never say but with his lips from the teeth forward, because in his heart he preferreth his own cursed will, setting aside the will of God. Now forsomuch as the greatest part of the world have at this day forsaken their father's business, applying their own, and are altogether drowned in sin: For, The whole head is sick & the whole heart is heavy. From the sole of the foot isaiah. 1. 5. 6. to the head, there is nothing whole therein etc. And as Saint Paul saith. All Philip. 2. 21 seek their own, & not that which is lesus Christ's. And I am here ascended into the high hill of Zion, the highest hill in all this realm. I must needs as it is given me in commission, Cry aloud isaiah. 58. 1. & spare not: lift up thy voice like a trumpet, & show my people their transgressions. I must cry unto all estates aswell of the Ecclesiastical ministery, as of the civil governance, with the vulgar people. But forsomuch as example of holy scriptures with experience of Christ's church in all ages hath taught us that the fall of Priests is the fall of the people, and contrariwise the integrity of them is the preservation of the whole flock: And the ministers as Christ saith, being the light of Math. 6. 22. 23. his mystical body, if the light be turned into darkness, there must needs follow great darkness in the whole body. I think it convenient to begin with them which seem to have brought blindness into the whole body, making men to forget their heavenly father's business. They which should have kept the candle still burning: these will I chief examine in that business which Christ so earnestly committed to joh. 21. 15. 16. 17. all pastors before his ascension: when he demanded thrice of Peter if he loved him, and every time upon Peter's confession, enjoined him, straightly to feed his lambs & sheep. Wherein we have the true trial of all ministers, who love Christ, who apply his business. But to consider how it hath been forgotten in the church many years, it might make a Christians heart to bleed. He that wrote the general Chronicle of all ages: when he cometh Easciculus temporum. to the time of john the 8. and Martin the second Bishops of Rome about 600 years ago, conferring the golden ages going before with the iniquity of that time: when through ambition, avarice & contention, the office of setting forth God's word was brought to an utter contempt & trodden under foot. In token whereof the Bible was made the Bishops footstool, he falleth to a sudden exclamation & complaineth thus with the lamentable voice of the prophet jeremy Helas, Helas, O Lord God: How is the Lamen. jere. 4. 1. gold become so dim? How is the goodly colour of it so sore changed? O most ungracious time (saith he) wherein the holy man faileth (or is not) all truths are Psal. 12. 1. & 14. 3. diminished from the sons of men: there are no Godly men left, the faithful are worn out among the children of men. In that time as it appeareth both by this history and others, ambition & greedy avarice taught ministers to seek & contend for livings, who might climb the highest by utter contempt of their office, and of our heavenly father's business: And so to make Christ his stock a ready pray for the devil, who goth about like a roaring Lion seeking whom he ●. Pet. 5. 8. may devour. Then the Bishop of Rome abusing always Peter's keys to fill judas Satchels, dispensed with all prelate's (that brought any money) from obeying of Christ's commission given to Peter, Feed, Feed, Feed, my Lambs and my sheep, and stretched it so largely, that in stead of feeding Christ his Lambs and sheep, he allowed them to feed Hawks, Hounds, and Horses (I will not say) harlots. Then in steed of Fishers of men, he made them to become fishers of benefices Math. 4. 19 & fat livings. He brought preaching into such a contempt, that it was accounted a great absurdity for a Cardinal to preach, after he had fasciculus temporum. once bestred his Moil. But let us see after, how this evil increased. S. Bernard S. Barnard. in his time about 200 years after lamented, that when it seemed that open persecutoin of Tyrants & Heretics was ceased in the Church, than an other persecution far worse, and more noisome to Christ's gospel did succeed, when the ministers, Christ's own friends by pretence, were turned into persecutors. My lovers & my Psal. 38. 21. friends stand aside from my plague, & my kinsmen stand a far off. The iniquity of the Church (Sayeth Bernard) began at the elders. Heu, Heu, Domine Deus, etc. Alas, alas, O Lord God, they Bernard. are the foremost in persecuting of thee, which are thought to love the chiefest place or pre-eminence in the Church. This complaint with much more to long to be rehearsed, made Saint Bernard in his time against the Prelates of Rome, nothing afraid in the same place (for obscuring of Christ his Gospel) to call them Antichrists, and for murdering of silly souls redeemed with Christ his precious blood, he maketh more cruel persecutors of Christ, than the jews, which shed his blood. If the iniquity of Rome 400. years ago, was so great, & since hath not a little increased, it was high time that God should open the eyes of some Christian princes to see the great abuses and enormities of Romish bishops, and to deliver Christ's gospel out of captivity, & to bring down his horns, whose pride (if he might have had success in his tyranny) began to ascend with Lucifer above the stars. It is not many years ago, that a champion of his named Pelagius, writing against Marcilius Paduanus, in defence of Rome, hath not been ashamed to leave in writing, that the pope, quodammodo, after a sort doth participate both natures, the Godhead and manhood with Christ: and that he may not be judged of the Emperor, because he is not a mere man, but as a God upon earth, & God (saith he) may not be judged of man. What intolerable blasphemy is this? If I had not read it myself, I could scarcely believe any such blasphemy to proceed from him which professeth Christ. Do you not perceive plainly the hissing and poison of the old serpent, when he tempted our first parents, & promised they should become like Gods? A vile wretched creature, worms meat, forgetting his estate, must become a God upon earth. Such Gods shall follow jupiter, Mars, and Venus, into the pit of damnation. But some will say, what should we speakc so much of the Bishop of Rome, is he not gone? his popower taken away? If preachers would let him alone, the people would soon forget him. Truly for my part, if I had that gift, strength & calling, I had rather (though I were sure to smart therefore) speak against his enormities in Rome, then to speak of them here. And I think no man beareth (at least I am sure no man ought to bear) any malice or evil will against his person, in speaking against his vice and iniquity. We fight not (Saith saint Paul) against flesh and blood, but we fight Ephes. 6. 12. against the prince of darkness etc. When any wicked man adversary to God and his word assaileth us, we must take him for no other but as an instrument of the devil, and Satan himself to be our enemy and none other: And Augustine. even as when an enemy assaileth us on horseback, we wish to overthrow the enemy, and win the horse, which may be profitable unto us: So if the devil could be cast out of such instruments as he hath in Rome, the men would become profitable members of Christ. But if the devil sit so fast in the saddle, that he cannot be turned out, we cannot amend it. Yet our duty is to pray unto God for them, and to hate none of God's creatures, but rather that which Satan hath depraved. Si forte Deus convertat corda eorum. If peradventure God will turn their hearts. But notwithstanding their faults ought to be chief told them in their presence, yet not there only, but even here amongst us also, although it come not to their ears, it is not a little expedient oftentimes to cry & thunder against their errors & vices. Chief that so oft as we hear it, we may give god thanks (as we are most bounden) for our deliverance from that captivity of Babylon as Saint Peter himself by the mind of ancient writers called it. Examples 1. Pet. 5. 13. hereof we have in the Scriptures, the song of the Israelites after their deliverance out of Egypt, and Exod. 15. 1. afterwards when they were delivered by Deborah from the tyranny of Sisera: and after the deliverance from Holofernes, jud. 5. 1. by judith. We must be thankful, jud. 16. 1. least for our unthankfulness God suffer us to fall into a worse bondage than ever we were in. But most of all it is profitable that we may from our hearts renounce with Babylon all the vices of Babylon. For what did profit the deliverance out of Egypt to those that still did carry Egypt in their minds through the desert? What did it avail the deliverance out of Babylon to those that did bring Babylon home to jerusalem? I fear me yet in England a great many like fleshly Israelites, are weary of the sweet Manna of the Gospel, & savour of the fleshly Egypt, desiring to live still under the bondage of Phara●. But most of all it is expedient now for my purpose to speak of that Sea, from whence so far as ever I could learn, those intolerable abuses have overflown, and are come among us: which as yet are great enemies to Christ's Gospel here in England, making his ministers to set aside his business▪ Such abuses as can not yet be driven away, nor sent home to Rome to their father. I mean of dispensations for pluralites, and tot-quots, with dispensations for non residents, which avarice & Idleness transported hither from Rome: But for that they savour sweet for a time to carnal men, they have so many patrons they can not be driven away, with other abuses: And because they are accounted to stand by Law, they are used as cloaks for iniquity. These may well be likened unto those fatlings which Saul against God's commandment 1. Sam. 15. ●. did keep alive, when he vanquished the Amalekites. And truly till there be ordained some Godly laws, to banish these with other abuses, God's wrath is kindled against us to destroy all such as are the maintainers of them. So long as it shallbe lawful for men to have so many livings, as they can get, and discharge never a one, and so long as men may have the livings to lie where they will in idleness far from their cure, fatting themselves like the devils Porklings, and let a thousand souls perish for lack of spiritual food, God his business shall never be well applied, nor his gospel have success in England. It is pity that ever it should be needful, to wish any laws to be made by man to bring ministers of God's word to do their duty, being so plainly expressed in God his law. If our hearts were not hardened more than Pharaoh, our eyes of judgement more blinded with unsensibleness of heavenvly things than the Sodomites, we should tremble & quake more at one threatening of God's vengeance against negligent pastors that feed themselves, that set aside their heavenly father's business, whereof the scripture is full in every place, than we should fear all the powers upon earth, which as Christ saith, having power of the body cannot hurt the soul. Oh Lord Math. 11. 28. how dare men be so bold to take on them the name of Christ his ministers, and utterly refuse the work of their ministery, by leaving their flock, god his word being so plain against them? I marvel not so much at blind baierds which never take God's book in hand, ignorance hath blinded them, they know not the price of man's soul: but truly I could never marvel enough at learned men, which read the scriptures, where their hearts and understanding should be when they read almost in every leaf of scripture, besides all ancient writers, their own sharp sentence & judgement, which a whole day were too little to bring them in. O merciful God, where be their eyes to see? their ears to hear? do they think there is a God which will be master of his word? I will let pass how they are called of the holy ghost by most odious names, thieves, robbers, hypocrites, idols, wolves, dumb dogs, with many such like worthy their deserts. I will only declare, which me thinks might suffice if there were no more, how the scripture maketh them most cruel murderers and guilty of blood. In the 34 of Ecclesiastictis it is written: The Bread of Eccl. 34. 22 the needful is the life of the poor, he that defraudeth them thereof is a man of blood. If this sentence be true in them that defraud the needy of their corporal food, how much more are they which withhold the food of the soul, being the worthier part of man, guilty of blood? And therefore God by his prophet Ezechiel telleth them, so Ezech. 3. 10 & 33. 8. many as perish by their negligence, their blood shall be required at their hands, as men guilty of blood. Now let them consider if the blood of Abel one man cried up unto heaven for Gen. 4. 10. vengeance against Cain: what an horrible cry shall the blood of a thousand souls make before the throne of God, ask vengeance against that wicked Pastor which most cruelly hath hungered them to death in withholding from them the food of life? The gold they lay up yearly brought far of by farmers, their Rings & jewels, their fine apparel, their beds they lie in, their meat and drink, being the spoil of the poor, cry all for vengeance. The stones in the wall, the timber over their heads cry for Haba. 2. 11. vengeance. Alas how far are they from excusing themselves with Saint Paul, saying to the people of Ephesus. I Act. 20. 26. take you to record this day I am pure from the blood of all men, for I have spared no labour but have showed all the council of God unto you. But alas these men may rather say, that they have kept council of God's council. And where Saint Paul preached publiquly and by houses, these men keep silence lest they should disquiet the devil in his fort, of whom Christ saith. When Luk. 11. 21. a strong man armed watcheth his house, the things that he possesseth are in peace Mat. 24. 48. etc. They say with the evil servant, My master is long a coming, & so beats his fellow servants, like cruel murderers & tyrants whose judgement shall be straighter than any Pharaoh, Nero, or Domitian that ever reigned. But alas it helpeth nothing to call or cry upon them. They have hardened their Each 7, 12. joh. 1●. 39 hearts as an Adamant stone. Lazarus hath liene so long buried and stinking in worldly lusts and sensuality, the preacher can not call him out, nor yet remove the grave stone. What shall I then do? I must call unto you most noble Prince, & Christ's anointed. I am come this day to preach to the king, and to those which be in authority under him, I am very sorry they The king being absent, these words were added. should be absent which should give example, & encourage other to the hearing of God's word. And I am the more sorry that other preachers before me complain much of their absence: But you will say, they have weighty affairs in hand. Alas, hath God any greater business than this? If I could cry with the voice of Stentor, I should, I should make them hear in their chambers: But in their absence, I will speak to their seats, as if they were present. I will call unto you noble prince as Christ's anointed. Christ's little flock here in England, whom he hath committed unto your charged which wander by many thousands, as sheep having no Math. 9 3● pastors, they cry all unto you for succour, to send them home their shepherds, to the end, that for things Gal. 6. 6. corporal, they may receive spiritual: & to let one pastor to have one only competent living, which he may discharge. They call upon you to expel & drive away the great drones, which in idleness devour other men's labour, that after S. Paul's rule, He that will not labour be not suffered to eat. The little 2. Thes, 3. 10. thren, 4. 4. or lament. jer. ones have asked bread. Christ's little ones have hungered and called for the food of the gospel a long time & none there was to give it them. Now they cry unto you, take heed you turn not your ears from them, lest their blood Prou. 21. 1● be required at your hands also, & lest God turn his ears from you. Samuel spoke unto Saul fearful words: Because 1. Sam. 15. 23 thou hast cast away the words of the Lord hath therefore cast aways thee from being king. You are made of God a Pastor, a Pastor of Pastors. When David was anointed king in Israel, God said, Thou shalt feed my 2. Sam. 5. 2. Psal. 78. 71. people Israel, you must feed, and that is, to see that all pastors do their duty. The eye of the master hath a great strength. Your grace's eye to look through your Realm and see that watchmen sleep not, shallbe worth a great number of preachers. They call unto you to awake not only negligent pastors, but also to take away other enormities, which have followed in heaps upon those evils, pluralities and non residentes. If I might have time, I think I should be able to prove that the great swarm of evils which reign at his day, have flowed from those fountains or rather puddles: But I will only speak of the great abuses, which by spoil and robbery do hide the gospel, how they have ensued. First of all the dispensations of non residents have brought forth farming of benefices to gentlemen, lay men, wherein they have found such sweetness and worldly wealth, that preachers can not have them, they will be perpetual farmers. Which Psal. 80. 1●. hath opened a gap for the Heathen as David saith, or else for cloaked christians, much worse than heathen, who have entered into Christ's inheritance, spoiled his holy temple, & rob his gospel. Such seem to make composition with our great enemy Satan. The idle and idol pastor saying: Da mihi divitias, coetera tolle tibi. Give to me riches, take the rest to thy share. whom Satan answereth: Si mihi des animas, tu cape divitias: If thou wilt betray to me the souls, take riches for thy part. another gap hath been opened, for tha● the learned have not done their duties, no more than the unlearned: hereby Christ's vinyeard hath been utterly spoiled: Patrons see that none do their duty, they think as good to put in asses as men. The Bishops were never so liberal in making of lewd priests, but they are as liberal in making lewd vicar's. I dare say, if such a monster as Deruel Gatherel the idol of Wales brent in Smithfielde could have been well conveyed to come & set his hand to a bill to let the patron take the greatest part of the profits, he might have had a benefice. There is never any question how he can occupy himself in God's business. john Gerson. Gerson a learned man in his time witnesseth, that whosoever in that time was admitted to a benefice in France, must answer to these questions. Scis u●rumque testamentum: knowest thou the old testament & the new. and the ignorant was put back: but with these men it skilleth not if he never opened the Bible, so much the metre for their purpose, he is not able to speak against their abuses, but will suffer them to sleep in their sin. And will you see what preposterous judgement they use? For all worldly offices they search meet and convenient men, only christian souls so dearly bought are committed without respect to men not worthy to keep sheep. Your grace hath sent forth furueiers, as most needful it was, to see there should be no deceit in payment of pensions, & other offices abroad. Would to God you would also send forth Surveyors to see how benefices are bestowed & used: how Christ & his gospel are rob & dishonoured, to the great decay of your realm & common wealth. You should find a small number of patrons, that bestow rightly their livings, seeking God's glory, and that his work and business may be rightly applied, without Simo nigh or seeking there own profit. For first it as almost general, to reserve the ferming to himself or his friend, and to appoint the rent at his own pleasure. But worse than all this, a great number never farm them at all, but keep them as their own lands, and give some three halfpenny Priest a curates wages, nine or ten pounds. Even as jeroboam made priests of his own 1. Kin. 13. 3●. for his hill altars to sacrifice to his calves, that the priests should not go to jerusalem. These Icroboams' will never let the people ascend to jerusalem to find Christ in the Temple of his word. They began first with personages, & seemed to have some consciences towards vicarages, but now their hearies be so hardened, all is fish that cometh to the net. Gentlemen are persons & vicar's both, nothing can escape them. There be vicarages about London having a thousand people so spoiled: whereby it may appear what is done further of. Your grace may find also where gentlemen keep in their hands livings of 40. or 50. pounds, & giveth one that never cometh there 5. or 6. pounds. Some change the ground of the benefice with their tenants, to the intent, if it be called for, the tenant shall lose ●t & not they. Is not this a godly Patron? It shall appear also, I could name the place where a living of a hundredth marks by year, if I say Crostwaite & Cheswicke. not pounds, hath been sold for many years, I suppose an 100 save one, & so continueth still. O good Saint Ambrose, if thou hadst been Bishop there, thou wouldst never have suffered such Wolves to devour the flock. It may well be called a devouring, for this living in a godly learned pastors hand, might have refreshed five hundred in a year with bodily food, & all the whole country about with God's word: which as I perceive in xx mile's compass hath uneath one man to preach and yet no place in England more needful. For boys and girls of xiiii. or xv. years old cannot say the Lords prayer. Shall such injury to Christ & his gospel be suffered in a christian realm? That one enormity crieth for vengeance till it be redressed. What shall I speak? Your noble men reward their servants with livings appointed for the gospel. Certainly I marvel that God holdeth his hand, that he destroyeth not such with Nadab & Abihu. Let them not abuse God's patience, for if they do not shortly repent, & bestow the livings better, both master and man shall burn in hell fire. I am not able to rehearse, nor yet any man knoweth all the abuses which the simoniacs, ambitious and idol pastors have brought unto your realm. By whose evil example ravenous wolves painted Christians, hypocrites have entered & defiled the sanctuary, spoiled Christ & his gospel, to the destruction of his flock. How great enemies, they be to Christ, by keeping away his gospel, it shall appear, if ye consider what superstition and blindness remaineth still among the people, only through lack of faithful preachers: I pass over much infidelity, Idolatry, sorcery, charming, witch crafts, conjuring, trusting in figures, with such other trumpery, which lurk in corners & began of late to come abroad only for lack of preaching. Come to the ministration of the Sacraments set forth now by common authority after the first institution, they think baptism is not effectual, because it wanteth man's traditions: They are not taught how the Apostles baptised. A great number think it a great offence to Act. 8. 38. take the Sacrament of Christ's body in their hands, that have no conscience to receive it with blasphemous mouths, with malicious heartesfull of all uncleanness. These come to it by three of custom, without any spiritual hunger, & know not the end wherefore it was instituted. They come to the church to feed their eyes and not their souls, they are not taught, that no visible thing is to be worshipped. Augustine. And for because they see not in the church the shining pomp and pleasant variety (as they thought it) of painted clothes, candlesticks, Images, altars, lamps, tapers, they say so good to go into a Barn, nothing esteeming Christ which speaketh to them in his holy word, neither his holy Sacrament reduced to the first institution. To be short, the people are now even as the jews were at Christ's coming, altogether occupied in external holiness & culture, without any feeling of true holiness or of the true worship of God in spirit & truth, without the john. 4. 24. which all other is mere hypocrisy. Many thousands knoweth not what this meaneth, but seek Christ still among their kindred, in man's inventions, when they can never find him. As the Mat. 15. 3. 9 jews preferred man's traditions before God's commandements, even so is it now. Men think it a greater offence to break a fasting day, or work upon a saints day, them to abstain from profitable labour and turn it to Bacchus' feasts, exercising more ungodliness that day than all the week, despising or soon weary of God's word. All this with much more cometh through lack of preaching, as experience trieth where godly pastors be. It cannot much be marveled, if the simple & ignorant people, by some wicked heads and firebrands of Hell, be sometimes seduced to rebel against their Prince & lawful magistrates, seeing they are never taught to know their obedience & duty to their king, and sovereign, so straightly commanded in God's law. But there hangeth over us a great evil, if your grace do not help it in time. The devil goeth about by these cormorants that devour the livings appointed for the Gospel, to make a fortress and Bulwark, to keep learned pastors from the flock: that is, so to decay learning, that there shall be none learned to commit the flock unto. For by reason livings appointed for the ministery, for the most part, are either rob of the best part, or clean taken away, almost none hath any zeal or devotion to put their children to school, but to learn to write, to make them prentices, or else to have them lawyers. Look upon the two wells of this Realm, Oxford and Cambridge, they are almost dried up. The cruel Philistines abroad, enemies to Christ's gospel, Gen. 26. 15. have stopped up the springs of faithful Abraham. The decay of students is so great, there are scarce left of every thousand, an hundred. If they decay so fast in seven years more, there shallbe almost none at all, and then may the Devil make a triumph. This matter requireth speedy redress, the misery of your people, cry upon you noble Prince, & Christ for his flock crieth to you his anointed, to defend his lambs from these ravenous wolves, that rob & spoil his vincyard. Whose malicious endeavour, if your grace do not speedily resist, there is entering into England, more blind ignorance, superstition and infidelity, than ever was under the Romish Bishop. Your Realm (which I am sorry to speak) shall become more barbarous than Scythia: which least God almighty lay to your grace's charged, for suffering the sword given to you (for the maintenance of the gospel) to lie rusting in the sheath, bestir now yourself in your heavenly fathers but sins: With stnde all these cormorantes by godly laws, which rob Christ's gospel & tread it down. They eat up God's people as it were Psal. 14. 4. bread. Your grace shall have more true renown & glory before God, to defend Christ's gospel against them, then to conquer all Aphrica. You shall do God more service, to resist this tyranny of the devil & his members, then to vanquish the great Turk. Cut first away the occasions of all this mischief, dispensations for pluralities and tot-quots, for non residents, suffer no longer the tithes of the furthest parts of England to be due to be paid at Paul's font. 'Cause every pastor, as his living will extend to keep hospitality himself. But many thinks them selves excused, for a year or two, because their livings are taken away the first year: which undoubtedly doth not excuse them for their presence. I had rather beg, or borrow of my friends to help me to meat & cloth, then suffer the devil to have such liberty one year. It is no small number of souls that may perish, by one years absence. Moses was from the Exod. 32. 1. people but forty days, and they fell to idolatry. Howbeit, for as much as the Scripture doth allow the minister a living the first year also: He that serveth the Altar, let him live of the Altar: 1. Cor. 9 13. and again Thou shalt not mussel the Ox that treadeth out the corn: I do not doubt but after your grace, with the advice of your honourable counsel, have considered, how much it may set forth God's glory, how many souls may be delivered from the claws of the devil, by sending pastors to their livings, the first month, & suffering them to have no cloak of absence, you will soon restore the first years living, which in my conscience was wrongfully taken away at the first, as I suppose, by the Bishop of Rome. But I doubt not, if all were well redressed to this, that this also should soon be amended. Wherefore here I will desire god, to assist your grace in the advance mente of his Gospel, which like unto josias you have helped to bring to 2. Kin. 23. 8. light, where it lay hid. But yet, it is not heard of all your people, a thousand pulpits in England are covered with dust, some have not had four sermons these xv. or xvi. years since Friars left their limitations, and a few of those were worthy the name of sermons. Now therefore that your glory may be perfit, all men's expectations is, that whatsoever any flatterers or enemies to God's word should labour to the contrary, for their own lucre, your grace will take away all such lets and abuses as hinder the setting forth of Gods most holy word: and to withstand all such robbers, as spoil his sanctuary: traviling to send pastors home to their flock, to feed Christ's Lambs & sheep, that all may be occupied in the father of Heaven his business. And for this your travail, as Saint Peter saith, When the Prince of all Pastors shall appear, you shall receive an 1. Pet. 5. 4. incorruptible Crown of glory. And thus far concerning the Ecclesiastical ministery. But now to come to the civil governance, first, to all of the nobility, The second part, of civil governors. magistrates & officers, all these must at all times remember, They must be occupied in their heavenly father's business. They The text. have received all their nobility, power, dominion, authority, and offices of God, which are excellent and heroical gifts, and if they be occupied in God's business, it shall redound to his glory and the wealth of his people: But if they fall from his business, and follow their own will, or rather the will of Satan prince of darkness and father of john. 12. 31. Ephe. 2. 2. & Eph. 6. 12. all the children of darkness, then shall all these glorious titles turn them to names of confusion. For falling unto ungodliness & framing themselves to the shape and fashion of this world, nobility is turned into vile slavery & Rom. 12. 2. x bondage of sin, power and dominion are turned into tyranny, authority is become a sword of mischief in a mad man's hand, all majesty & honour is turned to misery, shame & confusion: And ever the higher that men be: while they serve sin, more notable is their vice, and more pestiferous to infect, as a cancarre, by evil examples: because all men's eyes are bent to behold their doings. Every fault of the mind is so much more evident, as the paty is more notable, who hath it. For the worthier the person is which offendeth, the more his offence is noted of others. Seeing that virtue in all whom God hath exalted is the maintainer of their dignity, without the which they fall from it: it shallbe moste needful for them to embrace virtue, & chief humility, which is the keeper of all virtues, which may put them ever in remembrance, from whence power is given them, for what end, who is above them, a judge, an examiner of all their doings, who cannot be deceived. But as dignity goeth now a days, climb who may climb most highest, every man exalteth himself, and tarrieth not the calling of God, humility is taken for no keeper, but for an utter enemy unto nobility. As I heard of a wicked climber & exalter of himself, who hearing the sentence of Christ in the Gospel, He that humbleth himself shall Luk. 14. 11. be exalted: He most blasphemously against God's holy word said, sure it was not true, for if I, said he, had not put forth nor advanced myself, but followed this rule, I had never come to this dignity. For which blasphemy, the vengeance of God smote him with sudden death. I fear me a great number are in England this day, which though in words they deny not this sentence of Christ, yet inwardly they can scarce digest it, else certainly they would never seek so ambitiously to advance themselves, to climb by their own might uncalled, never seeking the public weal, but rather the destruction thereof, for their private wealth and lucre: which causeth us to have so many evil magistrates. For all the while that men gather goods unjustly by polling, pilling usury, extorsion, & Simmonie, and therewith seek to climb with bribes & buying of offices, it is scarce possible of such to have wholesome magistrates. S. Bernard said, Of a bitter root cometh a bitter fruit. They enter in at the S. Bernard. window (which is used aswell in civil government as Ecclesiastical) and therefore may Christ's words well be verified, He that entereth not in at the Ihon. 10. 1. door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. And Esaias complaint against jerusalem taketh place among us, Thy princes are wicked & companions of thiefs, isaiah. 1. 13. they love gifts altogether and gape for rewards: as for the fatherless they help not him to his right, neither will they lot the widows cause come before them. They will not knowetheir office to be ordained of God, for the wealth and defence of all innocentes, for the aid of all that be in misery: the time is come that Solomon speaketh of, When the wicked man be are rule, the people shalt Pro. 29. 2. mourn. When had ever the people such cause to mourn as now, when the greatest number of all magistrates are occupied in their own business; seeking rather the misery of the people, then to take it away: rather to oppress them than to defend them, their hands be ready to receive their money, to rob and spoil them, but their ears are shut from hearing their complaints, they are blind to behold their calamities. Look in all countries how lady Avarice hath set a work altogether mighty men, gentlemen and all rich men to rob and spoil the poor, to turn them from their livings, and from their right, and ever the weakest go to the walls. And being thus tormented and put from their right at home, they come to London a great number; as to a place where justice should be had, & there they can have none. They are suitors to great men, and can not come to their speech, their servants must have bribes, and that no small bribes: All love bribes. But as such as be so dangerous to hear the poor, let isaiah. 1. 23. them take heed lest God make it as strange to them when they shall call: for as Solomon saith, Who so stoppeth his Pro. 21. 13. 1. King. 3. 16. ear at the crying of the poor, he shall cry & not be heard. We find that poor men might come to complain of their wrongs to the Kings own person. King joram, although he was one of 2. Kin. 8. 3. the sons of Achab, no good king, yet he heard the poor widows cause and caused her to have right: such was the use then. I would to God that all noble men would diligently note that chapter, and follow the example. It should not then be so hard for the poor to have success to them, nor coming to their presence, they should not be made so astonished & even speechless with terrible looks, but should mercifully & lovingly be hard & succoured gladly for Christ's love, considering we are the members of his body, even as my hand would be glad to help my foot, when it is annoyed. O with what glad hearts & clear consciences might noble men go to rest, when they had bestowed the whole day in hearing Christ himself complain in his members & redressing his wrongs. But alas for lack hereof poor people are driven to seek their right among the lawyers: And there as the prophet joel saith, Look what the Caterpillars had left in their robbery & joel. 1. 4. oppression at home, all that doth the greedy Locusts, the lawyers, devour at London. They laugh with the money which maketh others to weep, & thus are the poor rob on every side without redress, and that of such as seem to have authority thereto. When Christ suffered his passion there was one Barrabas, S. matthew Math. 27. 16. calleth him a notable thief, a gentleman thief, such as rob now a days in velvet coats, and other two obscure thieves and nothing famous, the rustical thieves were hanged and Barrabas was delivered: Even so nowe'a days little thieves are hanged that steal of necessity, but the great Barrabasses have free liberty to rob & to spoil without all measure in the midst of the city. The poor pirate said to Alexander, we rob but'a few in a ship, but thou roobest whole countries and kingdoms Alas silly poor members of Christ, how you be shorn, oppressed, pulled, haled to & fro on every side, who can not but lament, if his heart been not of flint There be a number every term, & many continually, which lametably complain for lack of justice, but all in vain. They spend that which they had left, and many times more, whose ill success here causeth thousands to tarry at home beggars and lose their right, & so it were better, than here to sell their coats: for this we see, be the poor man's cause never so manifest a truth, the rich shall for monyfind 6. or 7. counsellors shall stand with subtleties and sophisms to cloak an evil matter & hide a known truth A piteous case in a christian common wealth. Alas that ever manifest falsehood should be maintained, where the God of truth ought to be honoured. But let them alone, they are occupied in their father's business, even the prince of darkness. You are of your father the john. 8. 44. devil: Yet I cannot so leave them, I must needs cry on God's behalf, to his patrons of justice, to you most redoubted prince, whom God hath made his minister Rom. 13. 4. for their defence: with all those whom god hath placed in authority under you. Look upon their misery, for this is out heavenvly father's business to you appointed by his holy word. When I come among the people, I call upon them, as my duty is, for service, duty and obedience unto their prince, to all magistrates, to their Lords, and to all that be put in authority over them, I let them hear their own faults. But in this place my duty is & my conscience upon God's word bindeth me, seeing them so miseraby, so wrongfully, so cruelly entreated on every side, in God's behalf to plead their cause, not by form of man's law, but by God's word, as an intercessor. For as they are debtor unto you & other magistrates of love, fear, service, & obedience under God: So are you again debtor unto them of love, protection; of justice & equity, mercy & pity. If you deny them these, they must suffer, but god shall revenge them. He standeth (saith David) in the congregation of Gods. Psal. 82. 1. & as judge among gods. Take heed all you that be counted as Gods, God's ministers uppen earth, you have one God judge over you, which as he in the same Psalm sharply rebuketh ungodly rulers for accepting of persons of the ungodly: so he telleth faithful christian magistrates, their true duties & business in plain words, Defend the poor & needy, see that such as be in necessity have right, deliver the outcast & poor, save them from the hands of the ungodly. Hear have all noble men & christian magistrates most lively set forth to them their heavenly father's business, wherein he would have them continually occupied: would to God the whole Psalm were graven in their hearts. Truly for lack that this business is not applied, but the poor despised in all places, it hath given such boldness to covetous cormorantes abroad, that now their robberies, extortion & open oppression, hath no end nor limits, no banks can keep in their violence. As for turning poor men out of their holds, they take for no offence, but say Their land is their Psal. 24. 1. own, and forget altogether that the earth is the Lords, & the fullness thereof. They turn them out of their shrouds as thick as mice. thousands in England through such beg now from door to door; which have kept honest houses. These cry daily to God for vengeance, both against the great Nemrothes works thereof, and their Gen. 10. 8. 2. maintainers. There be so many mighty Nemrothes in England, mighty hunters, that hunt for possessions & Lordships, that poor men are daily hunted out of their livings: there is no covert nor den can keep them safe. These Nemrothes have such quick smelling hounds, they can lie at London and turn men out of their farms and tennements, a hundred, some 200, miles of. O Lord, when wicked Achab hunted 1. Kin. 21. 5. after Nabothes vineyard, he could not (though he were a king) obtain that prey, til● cursed jesabel (as women many times have shrewd wits) till she took the matter in hand: So hard a thing it was in those days to wring a man from his father's inheritance, which now a mean man will take in hand. And now our valiant Nemrothes can compass the matter without the help of jesabel, yet hath England even now as great a number of jesabels', which to maintain their intolerable pride, their golden heads, will not stick to put too their wicked hands. O Lord what a number of such oppressors worse than Achab are in England, which sell the poor for a pair of shoes, of whom if God should Amo. 2. 6. serve but 3. or 4. as he did Achab, to 1. Kin. 22. 38 make the dog's lap the blood of them, and their wives & their posterity, I think it would cause a great number to beware of extorsion, to beware of oppression, & yet escaping temporal punishment, they are certain by God's word, their blood is reserved for hellhounds, Cerberus and his company: which they nothing fear. A pitiful case and great blindness, that hearing God's word, man should fear more temporal punishment, then everlasting. Yet hath England had of late some terrible examples of God's wrath in sudden and strange deaths of such as join field to field and isaiah. 5. 8. house to house. Great pity they were not chronicled to the terror of other which fear neither god nor man, so hardened in sin, that they seek not to hide it, but rather are such as glory in their mischief: which maketh me oftentimes remember a writer in Psal. 52. 1. our time, Musculus upon saint Mathews Musculus. gospel, which marveled much at the subtle and manifold working of Satan, how he after the expelling of superstition and hypocrisy, traveleth most busily to bring in open impiety. That where as before, hypocrites, men feared men and not God, now a great number, fear neither God nor man. The most wicked are counted most manlike, and innocency is holden for beastliness: yet may we not say hypocrisy is expelled, for as many of these Achabs' as signify they favour God's word by reading or hearing it, or with prayer honouring him (as Christ saith) with their lips, Math. 15. 8. their hearts being far from him, they are as detestable hypocrites as ever was covered in cowl or cloister. I cannot liken them better than to that jews, that say to Christ, hail king of the jews. What their painted friend Math. 27. 29 ship is, and how of Christ it is esteemed, S. Augustine setteth forth by an apt similitude: Even as (saith he) a man should come to embrace thee, to kiss & honour thee upward, & beneath with apaier S. Augustine. of shoes beaten full of nails, tread upon thy bare foot, the head shall despise the honour. done unto it, and for the foot that smarteth, say, why treadest thou upon me? So when feigned Gospelers honour Christ our head, sitting in heaven and oppresseth his members in earth, the head shall speak for the feet that smart, and say, Why treadest thou on me? Paul had a zeal towards God, but he did tread upon Christ's feet on earth, for whom the head cried forth of heaven, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? Although Act. 9 4. Christ sitteth at the right hand of his father, yet heath he in earth, he hungereth in earth, he suffereth all calamities here on earth, he is many times evil entreated here on earth. Would to god we could bear away this brief and short lesson, that what we do to his members upon earth we do to him: it Math. 25. 40. would bring men from oppression, to show mercy, without which no man can obtain mercy. If they would remember jeam 2. 13. how the rich glutton was Luk. 16. 23. damned in hell, not as we read for any violence, but for not showing mercy, they might soon gather how sharp judgement remaineth for them, which are not only unmerciful, but also violently add there unto oppression: who are so far from mercy? a great number. Their hearts will serve them to destroy whole towns, they would wish all the people destroyed to have all the field brought to a sheep pasture. O cruel mercy: it is like to the mercy of a bishop of Magunce in Germany, named Hatto, which as the chronicles mention 500 years ago in time of a Registrum mundi. great dearth, called all the poor people in all the whole country into a great barn, pretending to make a great dole, but having them sure enough, he fired the barn and brent them all up, saying, these be the mice which devour up the Corne. This was a policy to make bread better cheap, but for this unmerciful mercy, God made him an example for all unmerciful men, to the worlds end. For a multitude of Ratios came & devoured him in such terrible sort, that where his name was written in windows, walls, or hangings, they never ceased till it were razed out. Some peradventure shrink to hear such cruelty, & the terrible vengeance that ensued. But doubtless there is almost daily as great cruelty practised amongst us, by such bloudsuccours as being infected with the great dropsy of Avarice, always drinking & ever a thirst, by famishing poor people, drinking up their blood, & with long continuance therein torment them more grievously, than he that brent them all in one hour. Now seeing as I said this cruelty, robbery, and extorsion groweth daily to such intolerable excess, and overfloweth this Realm, because it is not punished nor restrained, it is high time for all those magistrates that fear God, not only to abstain from this evil themselves, but to resist it also. It is God his business, he hath commanded it, and will straightly require it. Would to God all noble men would be ware by the example of Saul, he had a commandment to apply God's 1. Sam. 15. 3. business: Go and smite Amelecke and have no compassion on them etc. He left his business undone, spared Ameleck and the fairest of the beasts, but for this negligence he received of Samuel a sorrowful message from God: Because thou hast cast away the word of the Lord, he hath cast thee off also from being King. Even so in every christian common wealth, god hath commanded rulers to destroy Amelecke, all extorsion, oppression and robbery, to defend the needy & all innocentes. If they look not to this business, but suffer Ameleck to live, not only to live but to grow in might, so truly as God liveth he shall cast them of, they shall not be his magistrates. But let it once be known that not only our most noble king (whose godly example is a Lantern to all other) but that also all his nobles about him have wholly bent themselves in his business, to withstand all violence, and to oppress all oppression, for defence of God's people, that the wicked Achabs', might know that God had in England, a great number of Pastors, patrons, feeders and cherishers of his people: it should doc that which the fear of God cannot do: that is, stop the great rage of violence, oppression & extorsion, which taken away, would pluck from many their vanity in superfluous and monstrous apparel, in sumptuous building, such as seek to bring paradise into earth, being the greatest causes of all oppression and spoiling of poor people, which most vain vanities & blind affections never reigned so much in all estates in England, as at this day. It was a notable saying of Charles the fift Emperor of that Charles the fift to the duke of Venice. name to the Duke of Venice, when he had seen his princely Palace, a Paradise upon earth. When the Duke looked that he should have praised it exceedingly, Charles gave it none other eommendation but this. Haec sunt quae faciunt invitos mori: these earthly vanities (said he) are they which make us loath to die. A truer sentence could not well be spoken by any man. I would wish we should look in all our buildings. When the beauty thereof so increaseth that it would grieve us to departed from it, & to pluck down that piece again, and to remember withal the holy patriarchs & with S. Paul that we have not here a continuing Heb. 13. 14. city but we seek one to come. But truly me think now in England for our vain delight in curious buildings, God hath plagued us as he did the builders of Babel, not with the Gen. 11. 7. confusion of tongues, but with the confusion of wits, our fancies can never be pleased, pluck down and set up, and when it contenteth us not, down with it again. Our minds are never contented, nor never shall be while we seek felicity where it is not. Would God every one would consider what a hell it should be to all that vainly delight herein, when death shall with great violence, pluck them from their earthly heaven. Moreover, extorsion taken away, shall strait abate the unmeasurable excess in costly fare, which goeth beyond the vain banqueting of Sardanapalus or Esopus, I dare not add Cleopatra, which supped up with a spoonful of vinegar a pearl valued to 50000 crowns. It would also abate the intolerable excess in apparel, which causeth us to have robbers in velvet coats, with S. Martin's chains. But I must for lack of time pass over these enormities, which alone give matter enough for whole sermons: I leave them for other which shall follow, more able to paint out such monsters in their colours. And here in conclusion I desire all noble men and godly Magistrates, deeply to ponder and revolve in their Godly memory, what acceptable service they may do, chiefly to God, and secondly to the kings majesty, and his whole realm, in employing their whole study, how to resist all such as spoil Christ's people, whom he so tenderly loved, that he shed his blood for them. Virtue joined with nobility spreadeth her beams over a whole realm. And so your diligence in God's business shall soon inflame all other to follow your example, that all may occupy themselves in God the father's business. But now that I have hitherto charged the Ecclesiastical ministers, and after the civil gonernours, with all rich and mighty men with The third part, of the commons. negligence in God his business, me think I do hear the inferior members rejoice and flatter themselves, as if all were taken from them, and they left clear in the sight of God. But if they consider their estate by God's word, they shall find small cause to advance themselves. For God's word plainly telleth us, both that evil and dumb pastors and wicked rulers and magistrates, are sent of God, as a plague & punishment for the sins of the people. job. 34. 30. isaiah. 24. 2. Osee. 4. 9 And therefore both isaiah & Osee after most terrible threatenings of God his vengeance for sin, bring in as a most grievous plague of all, that even the priests, which should call them from sin, shall become so evil as the people. Which plague Saint Bernard said in his time was come with a vantage, for because the priests were much worse than the people. And Amos Amos. 8. 11. as a most grievous punishment of all other, threateneth hunger, not of bread, but of hearing God's word. And concerning the civil magistrates, it is plain in job, that for job. 34. 30. the sin of the people God raiseth hypocrites to reign over them, that is to say, such as have the bare names of governors and protectors, & are in deed destroyers, oppressors of the people, subverters of law and equity. And seeing it is so, so many as feel the grief and smart of this plague, ought not to murmur against other, but patiently suffer, and be offended with their own sins, which have deserved this scourge & much more: and study for amendment, that God may take it away. For if they continue as they do, to murmur against god & their rulers, as the Israelites did, to provoke daily his anger by multiplying sin in his sight, with envy, malice, deceit, backbiting, swearing, fornication, & with utter contempt of his word, he shall for their punishment, so multiply the number of evil governors, unjust judges justices, & officers, that as it was Vopiscus spoken by a jester in the Emperor Claudius' time, the images of good magistrates may all be graven in one ring. God hath cause greatly to be displeased with all estates, when every man should look upon their own faults to seek amendment, and as it is a proverb lately sprung up, no man amendeth himself, but every man seeketh to amend other, and all that while nothing is amended. Mighty men and gentlemen, they say, the commonalty live to well at ease, they grow every day to be gentlemen, and know not themselves: their horns must be cut shorter, by raising their rents & by fines, by plucking away their pastures, and so by many goodly pretences, Lady Avarice can whisper in their ears. The mean men, they murmur and grudge, and say the gentlemen have all, and there were never so many gentlemen and so little gentleness. And by their natural Logic ye shall hear them reason how these two Contugata, these yoke fellows, gentlemen and gentleness, should be banished so far asunder: And they lave all the misery of this common wealth upon the gentlemen their shoulders. But alas, good Christians, this is not the way of amendment, Si in●ucem Gal. 5. 15. mordetis & commeditis. If ye bite and devour one another, as Saint Paul saith, take ye heed lest ye be consumed one of another. Histories make mention of a people called Anthropophagi, eaters of men, which all men's hearts abhor to hereof: And yet alas by Saint Paul's rule, England is full of such Anthropophagies. Every man envieth other, every man biteth & gnaweth upon other with venomous adders tongues, far more noisome than any teeth. And whereon cometh it? Covetousness is the root of all. Every man scratc●●th & pilleth from other: every man would suck the blood of other: every man encroacheth upon an other. Covetousness hath 〈◊〉 away the large wings of charity; and plucketh all to herself, she is never satisfied, she hath chested all the old gold in England & much of the new: she hath made that theridamas was never more Idolatry in England, then at this day: But the Idols are hid, they come not abroad. Alas noble prince, the Images of your ancestors graven in gold, & yours also, contrary to your mind, are worshipped as Gods, & all that while the poor lively Images of Christ, perish in the streets, through hunger & cold. This cometh when covetousness hath banished from amongst us Christian charity, when like most unth ankfull children, we have forgotten Christ his last will, when he so often before his passion did inculcate love, love, love, love one another. And herein we show ourselves worse than any carnal sons: Which be they never so unkind, yet always they remember the last words of their earthly parents. Nay rather I may say, we are much worse than the bruit beasts, of whom when we consider, how wonderfully nature hath framed them to concord & unite, to preserve & help one another of their own kind: it may make us utterly to be ashamed. The Hearts as Saint Augustine writeth, swimming over a narrow Augustine. sea, in a company together, with much pain can bear up their heads in the water: for the remedy whereof, every one layeth his head upon the hinder part of another, When the for most (having no stay) is sore weary he cometh behind, and thus every, one in his course, taketh pain for the whole herd. If men endued with reason would learn of these unreasonable creatures, this lesson to help one another, as we are commanded by Saint Paul, saying, Bear ye one another's Gal. 6. 2. burden, and so shall you fulfil the Law of Christ. How soon then should Col. 3. 14. 1. Cor. 13. 5. Philip. 2. 4. charity, the band of perfection, which seeketh not her own, but rather to profit other, be so spread among all degrees, that our common wealth should flourish in all godliness. But alas we see that all goeth contrary. For whiles all men, as Saint Paul saith, seek the things that be their own, & not other men's, not the things which Phil. 2. 4. appertain to Christ: Phila●tia, that is, self love, and love of private commodity, hath banished charity, and love to the common wealth. And if we should se●ke the cause & ground of all these evil, why God his business is so neglected among all estates and degrees, I think it should appear to be ignorance of God his holy will: For if Mary and joseph so godly and devout a couple, understood not for a time Christ's saying, Wist ye not that I must go about my father's business? as Saint Luke saith; they understood, not that saying▪ What marvel is it, if we living so carnally and drowned in worldly pleasures and framed to the shape of this world, be ignorant in our heavenly father's business? And therefore 〈◊〉 well apply them. But shall we think this to be very strange: many apply not God his business nor his will, which yet would disdain to be, counted ignorant there in. But undoubtedly, good christians, it is an unfallible verity, that negligence in performing God his will, cometh of ignorance. It is all one to know God and his will, & saint john saith plainly, He that loveth not, knoweth not God. For if he do Ihon. 4. 8. know God, he cannot but love him, and love is always occupied in God's business. By this rule Saint Augustine Augustine. proveth, we cannot keep perfectly the first precept, to love God so well as we ought to do, while we are in this mortal life: For all our love cometh of knowledge, but in this life, ex part cognoscimus, our knowledge 1. Cor. 13. 5. is unperfect. And thus S. Augustine's rule grounded upon S. john is true, that so far as we know God, so far do we love him, and so they that love him nothing at all, they know him nothing at all. Although they seem to have never so much windy knowledge, puffing up their stomach with presumption, as the Apostle sayeth, scientia inflat, knowledge 1. Cor. 8. 1. maketh a man swell: So that if a man have studied the scripture all his life long, & learned the whole Bible by heart, and yet have no love, he is ignorant of God his will. The poor 1. Cor. 13. 2. man that never opened book, if the love of god be; shed abroad in his heart by the holy ghost, he overcometh Rom. 5. 5. him, in the knowledge of Gods will. The Godly Pembus of whom we Pembus. read in the Ecclesiastical history, when he was first taught the first verse of the Psalm, 39 I have said, I will Psal. 39 1. take heed to my ways, that I offend not in my tongue. He refused a long time to take out a new lesson, judging his first lesson to be unlearned, till he could perfectly practise it, by an holy conversation. So ought we always to When God's word is truly learned. make our account to have learned God's word, when we have learned charity & obedience. But this knowledge, though it lack in many learned, yet ordinarily it cometh always by hearing God his word. Rom. 10. Faith cometh of hearing, and hearing of the word of God. Wherefore, as I said, their Rom. 10. 17. case is to be lamented, which would gladly hear God's word, & can have no preachers. Then may we say, God hath abundantly powered his grace among us, that have his gospel so clearly set forth unto us, & have such opportunity, that there wanteth nothing but ears to heart. We must have ears Luk. 8. 8. in our hearts to let it sink. But, O man, thrice unhappy and children of greater damnation, if we harden our hearts, and receive such abundance of 2. Co. 6. 1. Heb. 16. 8. grace in vain. The earth (Saith saint Paul) which after the rain (of God's grace) bringeth forth thorns and briars, is reproved, & is nigh unto cursing, whose end is to be burned. Would God all that be in the court, that will not vouchsafe, having so many Godly sermons, to come forth of the hall into the chapel, to hear them, would remember what a heavy stroke of God's vengeance hangeth over all their heads that contemn his word: and over those in all places, which had rather be idle, and many times ungodly occupied in wanton and wicked pastimes, then come to the church, profaning the Sabbath day, appointed for the service of God, & the hearing of his word, bestoweing it more wickedly than many of the Gentiles. Yet if they would come to the sermons, though their hearts were not well disposed, God's word might win them, as Saint Augustine was won by the preaching Augustine. of S. Ambrose, when he came only to hear his sweet voice & eloquence. O that they knew what dishonour they did to Christ, that esteem him so light, to prefer vain, nay I say wicked things to the hearing of his holy word. Are not these they, as Saint Paul Heb. 10. 19 saith, which tread underfoot the Son of God, count the blood of his testament, wherein he was sanctified, an unholy thing, & hath done despite to the spirit of grace? O Lord how canst thou hold thy hands from punishing this unthankfulness? Certainly I think all other wickedness compared to this, is shadowed, & seemeth to be less. I would to God we would remember many times the plagues & tokens of Gods extreme wrath that came upon the jews, after first unthankfully they had rejected Christ, & after his word, when they were destroyed by Titus & Uespatian such a plague as never came upon any other country. And look on their vices: there reigned avarice, ambition, pride, extorsion, envy, advonterie, but these reigned also in other countries about, where no such vengeance did light: but then did God thus exercise his wrath upon them to the terror of all other, for contempt of his holy word and for their unthankfulness: which being called so many ways by his prophets by himself, by the Apostles, still hardened their hearts. This exceeded all other wickedness in the word. Now if as great unthankfulness be found in many of us towards Christ, & his gospel, set forth so plainly unto us: how can we without speedy repetance, but look for the terrible stroke of vengeance. God (saith Ual. max.) hath feet Val. Max. of wool, he cometh slowly to punish, but he hath hands of iron, when he cometh he striketh sore. Philip King of Macedon, Philip king of Matedony. hearing of one in his kingdom which refused most unthankfully to receive a stranger, of whom before he had been succoured in ship wrack, in extreme need, for a worthy punishment caused to be printed in his forehead with an hot iron these two words, Ingratus hospes, au unthankful guest. O Lord if we consider, when we were strangers from God, in the ship wrack of sin, how mercifully Christ hath delivered us, and borne our sins upon his body. If after all this we most unthankfully refuse to receive him, by refusing of his word, may we not think ourselves worthy many hot irons to print our unthankfulness to our shame? And undoubtly so many as continue thus unthankful, though it be not written in their foreheads, to put them to worldly shame: yet shall it be graven in their conscience to their everlasting confusion and damnation, When the books of every man's conscience shall be laid open, D●●i. 7. 10. as Daniel saith. Their judgement shall be more strait than Sodom & Math. 10. 25. & 11. 24. Gomorrha, which that we may avoid, let us all from the highest to the lowest, pray with one accord, that God may soften and prepare our hearts with meekness and humility, and thankfulness to embrace his gospel, and his holy word: which shall instruct us in his holy will, & teach us to know his business every man in his vocation, that (as Saint Paul saith) every one may give attendance to themselves Acts. 20. 28. & to the flock, wherein the holy ghost hath made them overseers to rule the congregation of God, which he hath purchased with his blood: that all other ravenous Wolves may be turned to good shepherds. So that Christ his ministers may enjoy the portion assigned for the Gospel: that all magistrates and governors may give their whole study to the weal public, and not to their private wealth, that they may be maintainers of justice and punishers of wrong: and that all inferiors may live in due obedience, meekly, contenting themselves every one in their vocation, without murmuring or grudging: that under Christ & our noble prince his minister here one earth, we all being knit together with Christian charity, the bond of perfection, may so fasten our eyes upon our Lode star, God's word, that it may continually be a lantern to our feet, to guide our Psa. 119. 105 2. Pet. 1. 19 ways through the desert and dark wilderness of this world: that our eyes be never so blinded with shadows of worldly things, to make us to embrace false deceitful, and temporal felicity, for that which is true steadfast and everlasting: that this lantern, which shineth now, as Saint Paul saith, tanquam speculum, as through a glass, and in a dark speaking, 1. Cor. 13. 12 when that which is unperfect shall be taken away, we may present us to that clear light which never is shadowed with any darkness: that we may behold the blessed sight of the glorious trinity, 〈◊〉. 1. 17. the father, the son, and the holy Ghost, to whom be all praise, all honour and glory world without end Amen. God save the King.