TWO SERMONS UPON PART OF S. JUDES' EPISTLE, BY RICHARD HOOKER sometimes Fellow of Corpus Christi College in Oxford.  
AC: OX   printer's or publisher's device 
Printed at Oxford by joseph Barnes. Ann. Dom. 1614   

TO THE WORSHIPFUL Mr GEORGE SUMMASTER, Principal of Broad-Gates Hall in Oxford, HENRY JACKSON wisheth all happiness.  
SIR,  
YOur kind acceptance of a former testification of that respect I owe you, hath made me venture to show the world these godly Sermons under your name. In which as every point is worth observation, so some especially are to be noted. The first, that as the spirit of Prophecy is from God himself, who doth inwardly heat, and enlighten the hearts & minds of his holy Penmen, (which if some would diligently consider, they would not puzzle themselves with the contentions of Scot, & Thomas, Whether God only, or his ministering spirits do infuse into men's minds prophetical revelations, per species intelligibiles) so God framed their words also. Whence the holy Father 
a Lib 4 ca 6. de doct. Chr.  S. Augustine religiously observeth, that all those, which understand the sacred writers, will also perceive, that they ought not to use other words, than they did, in expressing those heavenly mysteries which their hearts conceived, as the Blessed Virgin did our Saviour, By the holy Ghost. The greater is Castellio his offence, who hath laboured to teach the Prophets to speak otherwise, than they have already. Much like to that impious King of Spain, Alphonsus X, who found fault with God's works, 
b Rob. Tolet. l. 4 cap 5.  Si, inquit, creationi affuissem, mundum meliùs ordinassem, if he had been with God at the creation of the world, the world had gone better, than now it doth. As this man found fault with God's works, so did the other with God's words. But because we have a 
c 2 Pet. 1.  most (●ure word of the Prophets, to which we must take heed, I will let his words pass with the wind, having 
d P●aef in orat. D. Rainold.  elsewhere spoken to you more largely of his errors, whom notwithstanding, for his other excellent parts, I much respect.  
You shall moreover from hence understand, how Christianitic consists not in formal, and seeming purity (under which who knows not notorious villainy to mask?) but in the heart root. Whence the author truly teacheth▪ that Mockers, which use religion as a cloak to put off, and on, as the weather serveth, are worse than Pagans and Infidels. Where I cannot omit to show, how justly this kind of men hath been reproved by that renowned Martyr of jesus Christ, B. Latimer; both because it will be apposite to this purpose, and also free that Christian worthy from the slanderous reproaches of 
* Parsons in 3. Convers.  him, who was, if ever any, a Mocker of God, Religion, and all good men. But first I must desire you, and in you all Readers, not to think lightly of that excellent man for using of this, and the like witty similitudes in his Sermons. For whosoever will call to mind, with what riff-raff God's people were fed in those days, when their Priests, 
e Malac. 2 7.  whose lips should have preserved knowledge, preached nothing else but dreams, and false miracles of counterfeit saints, enroled in that 
f Canus locor. lib. 11. c. 6 Vives lib. 2 de corrupt. art. Hard. lib 4. Detect.  sottish Legend, coined & amplified by a drowsy head between sleeping and waking. He that will consider this, and also how the people were delighted with such toys (God sending them strong delusions, that they should believe lies) and how hard it would have been for any man wholly and upon the sudden to draw their minds to another bent; will easily perceive, both how necessary it was to use symbolical discourse, and how wisely, and moderately it was applied by that religious Father, to the end he might lead their understanding so far, till it were so convinced, informed, and settled, that it might forget the means and way, by which it was led, and think only of that it had acquired. For in all such mystical speeches, who knows not that the end, for which they are used, is only to be thought upon?  
This then being first considered, let us hear the story, as it is related by Mr Fox: Mr Latimer, 
g Pag. 1903. edit. 1570.  saith he, in his sermon gave the people certain cards out of the fifth, sixth, and seventh Chap: of S. Matthew. For the chief Triumph in the cards, he limited the heart, as the principal thing that they should serve God withal, whereby he quite overthrew all hypocritical and external ceremonies, not tending to the necessary furtherance of God's holy word & Sacraments. By this he exhorted all men to serve the Lord with inward heart and true affection, & not with outward ceremonies, adding moreover to the praise of that triumph, that though it were never so small, yet it would take up the best coat carded beside in the bunch, yea though it were the king of Clubs, etc. meaning thereby how the Lord would be worshipped and served in simplicity of the heart, and verity, wherein consisteth true Christian religion, etc. Thus Mr. Fox. By which it appears, that the holy man's intention was to lift up the people's hearts to God, & not that he made a sermon of playing at cards, and taught them how to play at Triumph, & played (himself) at cards in the Pulpit, as that base companion 
h In the third part of 3. conversions of England: in the Examine of Fox's Saint, cap. 14. §. 53. 54 p. 215  Parsons reports the matter in his wont scurrilous vain of railing, whence he calleth it a▪ 
* Sect 55  Christmas Sermon. Now he that will think ill of such allusions, may out of the abundance of his folly jest at Demosthenes for his story of the 
k Plut in Demosthen.  sheep, wolves, & dogs, and at 
l Liv. dec 1. lib. 2. an. V. C 60  Menenius for his fiction of the Belly. But, hinc illae lacrymae, The good Bishop meant that the Romish Religion came not from the heart, but consisted in outward ceremonies: which sorely grieved Parsons who never had the least warmth or spark of honesty. Whether B. Latimer compared the Bishops to the knaves of Clubs, as the fellow interprets him, I know not: I am sure Parsons of all others deserved those colours, and so I leave him.  
We see then, what inward purity is required of all Christians, which if they have, then in prayer, and all other Christian duties, they shall lift up pure hands, as the 
m 1. Tim. 2. 8.  Apostle speaks, not as 
n Annal to 1 Ann. 57 n. 109 110 & .10. 2. An. 132. num. 5  Baronius would have it, washed from sins with holy water, but pure, that is, holy, free from the pollution of sin, as the greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth signify.  
You may also see here refuted those calumnies of the Papists, that we abandon all religious rites, & godsy duties, as also the confirmation of our doctrine touching certainty of faith (& so of salvation) which is so strongly denied by some of that faction, that they have told the world, 
o S. Paulus de sua salute incertus Richeom. jesuit. lib. 2. c. 12. Idololat. Huguenot. pa. 119. in marg. edit. lat. Mogunt. 1613. interpret Marcel. Bompar jesuitâ.  S. Paul himself was uncertain of his own salvation. What then shall we say, but pronounce a woe to the most strict observers of S. Francis rule, and his canonical discipline (though they make him even 
p Witness the verses of Horatius of jesuit, recited by Possevin. Biblioth. Select part. 2. lib. 17. cap. 19 Exue Francis cum tunicâ, laceroque cucullo, Qui Franciscus eratiam tibi Christus erit, Frāc●sci exuviis (si qua licet) endue Christum, jam Franciscus erit, qu imodò Christus erat The like hath Bencius another jesuit.  equal with Christ) & the most meritorious Monk that ever was registered in their Calendar of Saints? But we for our comfort are otherwise taught out of the holy Sbripture and therefore exhorted to build ourselves in our most holy faith, that so when our 
q 2. Cor. 5. 1.  earthly house of this Tabernacle shall be destroyed, we may have a building given of God, a house not made with hands, but eternal in the heavens. This is that, which is most piously & feelingly taught in these few leaves, so that you shall read nothing here, but what, I persuade myself, you have long practised in the constant course of your life. It remaineth only, that you accept of these labours tendered to you by him who wisheth you the long joys of this world, & the eternal of that which is to come. Oxon. from Corp. Christ. College, this 13. of january, 1613.   

THE FIRST SERMON.  
EPIST. IVDE.  
17 But ye, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before of the Apostles of our Lord jesus Christ,  
18 How that they told you, that there should be mockers in the last time, which should walk after their own ungodly lusts.  
19 These are makers of sects, fleshly, having not the spirit.  
20 But ye, beloved, edify yourselves in your most holy faith praying in the holy Ghost.  
21 And keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord jesus Christ, unto eternal life.  
THE occasion whereupon, together with the end wherefore, this Epistle was written, is opened in the front & entry of the same. There were then, as there are now, many evil and wickedly disposed persons, not of the mystical body, yet within the visible bounds of the Church, men which were of old ordained to condemnation, ungodly men which turned the grace of our God into wantonness and denied the Lord jesus. For this cause the spirit of the Lord is in the hand of Jude, the servant of jesus, and brother of james, to exhort them that are called, and sanctified of God the father, that they would earnestly contend to maintain the faith; which was once delivered unto the Saints. Which faith because we cannot maintain except we know perfectly, first against whom, secondly in what sort it must be maintained; therefore in the former three verses of that parcel of Scripture which I have read, the enemies of the cross of Christ are plainly described; and in the later two, they that love the Lord jesus have a sweet lesson given them how to strengthen & 'stablish themselves in the faith. Let us first therefore examine the description of these reprobates concerning faith; and afterwards come to the words of the exhortation; wherein Christians are taught how to rest their hearts on Gods eternal and everlasting truth. The description of these godless persons is two fold; General and Special. The general doth point them out and show what manner of men they should be. The particular pointeth at them, and saith plainly these are they. In the general description we have to consider of these things. First, when they were described, they were told of before. Secondly, the men by whom they were described, They were spoken of by the Apostles of our Lord jesus Christ. Thirdly, the days when they should be manifested unto the world, they told you they should be in the last time. Fourthly, their disposition and whole demeanour, mockers and walkers after their own ungodly lusts.  
2 In the third to the Philippians, the Apostle describeth certain. They are men, saith he of whom I have told you often, and now with tears I tell you of them, their God is their belly, their glorying and rejoicing is in their own shame, they mind earthly things.  
These were enemies of the cross of Christ, enemies whom he saw, & his eyes gushed out with tears to behold them. But we are taught in this place, how the Apostles spoke also of enemies, whom as yet they had not seen, described a family of men as yet unheard of, a generation reserved for the end of the world, & for the last time, they had not only declared what they heard and saw in the days wherein they lived, but they have prophecid also of men in time to come. And you do well, saith S. Peter, in that ye take heed, to the words of prophecy, so that ye first know this, that no prophecy in the Scripture cometh of any man's own resolution. No prophecy in Scripture cometh of any man's own resolution. For all prophecy, which is in Scripture, came by the secret inspiration of God. But there are prophecies which are no scripture, yea there are prophecies against the Scripture: my brethren beware of such prophecies, and take heed you heed them not. Remember the things that were spoken of before; 
Of the spirit of prophecy received from God himself.  but spoken of before by the Apostles of our Lord and Saviour jesus Christ. Take heed to prophecies, but to prophecies which are in scripture. For both the manner and the matter of those prophecies doth show plainly that they are of God.  
3 Touching the manner, how men by the spirit of prophecy in holy Scripture have spoken & written of things to come, we must understand that as the knowledge of that they spoke, so likewise the utterance of that they knew came not by these usual and ordinary means whereby we are brought to understand the mysteries of our salvation, and are wont to instruct others in the same. For whatsoever we know, we have it by the hands and ministry of men, which lead us along like children from a letter to a syllable, from a syllable to a word, from a word to a line, from a line to a sentence, from a sentence to a side, and so turn over. But God himself was their instructor, he himself taught them partly by dreams and visions in the night, partly by revelations in the day, taking them aside from amongst their brethren; and talking with them, as a man would talk with his neighbour in the way. Thus they became acquainted even with the secret and hidden counsels of God. They saw things which themselves were not able to utter, they beheld that whereat men and Angels are astonished. They understood in the beginning, what should come to pass in the last days.  
4 God, which lightened thus the eyes of their understanding giving them knowledge by unusual and extraordinary means, 
Of the Prophers' manner of speech.  did also miraculously himself frame and fashion their words and writings, in so much that a greater difference there seemeth not to be between the manner of their knowledge, than there is between the manner of their speed & ours. When we have conceived a thing in our hearts and throughlie understand it, as we think within ourselves, yet we can utter it in such sort that our brethren may receive instruction or comfort at our mouths, how great, how long, how earnest meditation are we forced to use? And after much travail, and much pains, when we open our lips to speak of the wonderful works of God, our tongues do falter within our mouths, yea many times we disgrace the dreadful mysteries of our faith, and grieve the spirit of our hearers by words unsavoury, 
job. 15. 2. 3.  and unseemly speeches. Shall a wise man fill his belly with the eastern vind, saith Eliphaz, shall a wise man dispute with words not comely? or with talk that is not profitable? Yet behold, even they that are wisest amongst us living, compared with the Prophets, seem no otherwise to talk of God, then as if the children which are carried in arms should speak of the greatest matters of state. They whose words do most show forth their wise and standing, and whose lips do utter the purest knowledge, so long as they understand and speak as men, are they not fain sundry ways to excuse themselves. Sometimes acknowledging with the wise man, hardly can we discern the things that are on earth, 
Wisd. 9 16.  and with great labour find we out the things that are before us, who can then seek out the things that are in heaven? Sometimes confessing with job the righteous, entreating of things too wonderful for us▪ we have spoken we wist not what. Sometimes ending their talk, as doth the history of the Macchabees, if we have done, well, & aa the cause required it is that we desire if we have spoken stenderly and havely we have done that we could. But God 〈…〉 
Esai. 49. 2.  saith, Esay And we have received, saith the Apostle, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God, that we might know the things, which are given to us of God, which things also we speak, not in words, which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the holy Ghost doth teach. This is that which the Prophets mean by those books written full within, & without, which books were so often delivered them to eat, not because God fed them with ink, & paper, but to teach us, that so oft as he employed them in this heavenly work, they neither spoke, nor wrote any word of their own, but uttered syllable by syllable as the spirit put it into their months, no otherwise then the Harp or the Lute doth give a sound according to the discretion of his hands that holdeth & striketh it with skill. The difference is only this. An instrument whether it be a pipe or harp maketh a distinction in the times and sounds, which distinction is well perceived of the hearer, the instrument itself understanding not what is piped or harped. The Prophets and holy men of God not so. I opened my mouth; 
Ezechiel. 3.  saith Ezechiels' and God reached me a scroll, saying son of man cause thy belly to eat & fill thy bowels with this I give thee, I eat it, and it was sweet in my mouth as honey, saith the Prophet. Yea sweeter, I am persuaded, than either honey or the honey comb. For herein they were not like Harps or Lutes, but they felt, they felt the power and strength of their own words. When they spoke of our peace, every corner of their hearts, was filled with joy. When they prophesied of mournings, lamentations, and woes, to fall upan us; they wept in the bitterness and indignation of spirit; the arm of the Lord being mighty and strong upon them.  
5 On this manner were all the prophecies of holy scripture. Which prophecies, although they contain nothing which is not profitable for our instruction, yet as one star differeth from another in glory, so every word of prophecy hath a treasure of matter in it, but all matters are not of like importance, as all treasures are not of equal price. The chief & principal matter of prophecy is the promise of righteousness, peace, holiness, glory, victory, immortality unto every soul which believeth, that jesus is Christ, of the jew first, and of the Gentile. Now because the doctrine of salvation to be looked for by faith in him, who was in outward appearance as it had been a man forsaken of God, in him who was numbered, judged, and condemned with the wicked, in him whom men did see buffited on the face, scoffed at by Soldiers, scourged by tormentors, hanged on the cross, pierced to the heart, in him whom the eyes of many witnesses did behold, when the anguish of his soul enforced him to roar as if his heart had rend in sunder, O my God, my God why hast thou forsaken me? I say, because the doctrine of salvation by him is a thing improbable to a natural man, that whether we preach it to the Gentile, or to the jew, the one condemneth our faith as madness, the other as blasphemy, therefore to establish and confirm the certainty of this saving truth in the hearts of men; the Lord together, with their preachings, whom he sent immediately from himself, to reveal these things unto the world, mingled prophecies of things both civil and Ecclesiastical, which were to come in every age from time to time, till the very last of the latter days; that by those things, wherein we see daily their words fulfilled and done, we might have strong consolation in the hope of things which are not seen, because they have revealed as well the one as the other. For when many things are spoken of before in scripture, whereof we see first one thing accomplished, and then another, and so a third, pereeive we not plainly, that God doth nothing else but lead us along by the hand, till he have settled us upon the rock of an assured hope, that no one jot or title of his word shall pass till all be fulfilled? It is not therefore said in vain, that these godless wicked ones were spoken of before.  
6 But by whom? By them whose words, if men or Angels from heaven gainsay, they are accursed; by them, whom whosoever despiseth, despiseth not them, but me, saith Christ. If any man therefore doth love the Lord jesus (and woe worth him that loveth not the Lord jesus!) hereby we may know that he loveth him indeed, if he despise not the things that are spoken of by his Apostles; 
A natural man perceaveth not heavenly things.  whom many have despised even for the baseness and simpleness of their persons. For it is the property of fleshly and carnal men, to honour and dishonour, credit, and discredit the words and deeds of every man according to that he wanteth or hath without, If a man with gorgeous apparel come amongst us, although he be a these or a murderer (for there are thieves and murderers in gorgeous apparel) be his heart whatsoever, If his coat be of purple, 
jam. 2.  or velvet, or tissue, every one riseth up, and all the reverend solemnities we can use, are too little. But the man that serveth God, is contemned and despised amongst us for his poverty. 
Act. 12.  Herod speaketh in judgement, and the people cry out, The voice of God, 
Act 1●.  and not of man. Paul preacheth Christ, they term him a trifler. hearken beloved: hath not God chosen the poor of this world, that they should be rich in faith? hath he not chosen the refuse of the world to be heirs of his kingdom, which he hath promised to them that love him? hath he not chosen the ofscowrings of men to be the lights of the world, and the Apostles of jesus Christ? Men unlearned, yet how fully replenished with understanding? few in number, yet how great in power? contemptible in show, yet in spirit how strong? how wonderful? I would fain learn the mystery of the eternal generation of the son of God, saith Hilary. Whom shall I seek? shall I get me to the schools of the Grecians? why? I have read, ubi sapiens? ubi scriba? ubi conquisitor huius seculi? These wise men in the world must needs be dumb in this, because they have rejected the wisdom of God. Shall I beseech the Scribes and Interpreters of the law, to become my teachers? how can they know this, sith they are offended at the cross of Christ? It is death for me to be ignorant of the unsearchable mystery of the son of God; of which mystery notwithstanding I should have been ignorant, but that a poor fisherman, unknown, unlearned, new come from his boat with his clothes wring wet, hath opened his mouth and taught me, In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, & the word was God. These poor silly creatures have made us rich in the knowledge of the mysteries of Christ.  
7 Remember therefore that which is spoken of by the Apostles. Whose words if the children of this world do not regard, is it any marvel? They are the Apostles of our Lord jesus; not of their Lord but of our. It is true which one hath said in a certain place, Apostolicam fidem seculi homo non capit, a man sworn to the world, is not capable of that faith which the Apostles do teach. What mean the children of this world then to tread in the courts of our God? What should your bodies do at Bethel, whose hearts are at Bethaven? The God of this world, whom ye serve, hath provided Apostles and teachers for you, Chaldeans, wizards, Soothsayers, Astrologers, and such like: Hear them. Tell not us that ye will sacrifice to the Lord our God if we will sacrifice to Ashteroth or Melcom; 
We must not halt between 2. opinions.  that ye will read our Scriptures, if we will listen to your traditions; that if ye may have a Mass by permission, we shall have a Communion with good leave and liking; that ye will admit the things that are spoken of by the Apostles of our Lord jesus, if your Lord and Master may have his ordinances observed, and his statutes kept. Solomon took it (as well he might) for an evident proof, that she did not bear a motherly affection to her child, which yielded to have it cut in divers parts. He cannot love the Lord jesus with his heart, which dareth one care to his Apostles, and another care to false Apostles: which can brook to see a mingle mangle of religion and superstition, Ministers and Massingpriests, light & darkness, truth and error, traditions and Scriptures. No; we have no Lord but jesus; no doctrine but the Gospel, no teachers but his Apostles. Were it reason to require at the hands of an English subject, obedience to the laws and edicts of the Spaniard? I do marvel that any man bearing the name of a servant of the servants of jesus Christ, will go about to draw us from our allegiance. We are his sworn subjects; it is not lawful for us to hear the things, that are not told us by his Apostles. They have told us that in the last days there shall be mockers; therefore we believe it: Credimus quia legimus, we are so persuaded because we read it must be so. If we did not read it, we would not teach it: Nam quae libro legis non continentur, eanec nosse debemus, saith Hilary, those things that are not written in the book of the law, we ought not so much as to be acquainted with them. Remember the words which were spoken of before of the Apostles of our Lord jesus Christ.  
8 The third thing to be considered in the description of these men of whom we speak is the time, wherein they should be manifested to the world. They told you there should be mockers in the last time. 
Mockers in the last time.  Noah at the commandment of God built an Ark, and there were in it beasts of all sorts, clean & unclean. A husbandman planteth a vineyard & looketh for grapes, but when they come to the gathering, behold together with grapes there are found also wild grapes. A rich man prepareth a great supper and biddeth many, but when he sitteth him down he findeth amongst his friends here and there a man whom he knoweth not. This hath been the state of the Church since the beginning. God always hath mingled his Saints with faithless and godless persons; as it were the clean with the unclean, grapes with sour grapes, his friends and children with aliens and strangers. Marvel not them, if in the last days also ye see the men, with whom you live and walk arm in arm, laugh at your religion and blaspheme that glorious name whereof you are called. Thus it was in the days of the patriarchs & prophets; and are we better than our fathers? Albeit we suppose that the blessed Apostles in foreshowing what manner of men were set out for the last days, meant to note a calamity special and peculiar to the ages and generations which were to come. As if he should have said; As God hath appointed a time of seed for the sour, and a time of harvest for him that reapeth; as he hath given unto every herb & every tree his own fruit, and his own season, not the season nor the fruit of another, (for no man looketh to gather figs in the winter, because the Summer is the season for them, nor grapes of thistles, because grapes are the fruit of the Vine,) so the same God hath appointed sund●ie for every generation of men, other men for other times, and for the last times the worst men, as may appear by their properties, which is the fourth point to be considered of in this description.  
9 They told you that there should be Mockers. 
Mockers.  He meaneth men that shall use religion as a cloak to put off, and on, as the weather serveth; such as shall with Herod hear the preaching of john Baptist to day, and to morrow condescend to have him beheaded; or with the other Herod say, they will worship Christ when they purpose a massacre in their hearts, kiss Christ with judas, and betray Christ with judas. These are mockers. For as ishmael the son of Hagar laughed at Isaak, which was heir of the promise; so shall these men laugh at you as the maddest people under the sun, if ye be like Moses, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, then to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. And why? God hath not given them eyes to see, nor hearts to conceive that exceeding recompense of your reward. The promises of salvation made to you are matters, wherein they can take no pleasure, even as Ishmael took no pleasure in that promise, wherein God had said unto Abraham, In Isaac shall thy seed be called, because the promise concerned not him but Isaac. They are termed for their impiety towards God, mockers, and for the impurity of their life and conversation, walkers after their own ungodly lusts. S. Peter in his second epistle and 3. chapter soundeth the very depth of their impiety: showing first, how they shall not shame at the length to profess themselves profane, and irreligious, by flat denying the gospel of jesus Christ, and deriding the sweet and comfortable promises of his appearing: secondly, that they shall not be only deriders of all religion, but also disputers against God, using truth to subvert the truth; yea scriptures themselves to disprove scriptures. Being in this sort mockers, they must needs be also followers of their own ungodly lusts. Being Atheists in persuasion, can they choose but be beasts in conversation? For why remove they quite from them the fear God? Why take they such pains to abandon and put out from their hearts all sense, all taste, all feeling of religion? but only to this end and purpose, that they may without inward remorse and grudging of conscience give over themselves to all uncleaneness. Surely the state of these men is more lamentable, then is the condition of Pagans and Turks. For at the bare beholding of heaven and earth the infidels heart by and by doth give him, that there is an eternal, 
Mockers worse than Pagan's, and Infidels.  infinite, immortal, and everliving God; whose hands have fashioned and framed the world; he knoweth that every house is builded of some man, though he see not the man which built the house, and he considereth, that it must be God which hath built and created all things; although because the number of his days be few he could not see when God disposed his works of old, when he caused the light of his clouds first to shine, when he laid the corner stone of the earth and swaddled it with bands of water and darkness; when he caused the morning star to know his place, & made bars and doors to shut up the sea within his house, saying, hitherto shalt thou come but no farther: he hath no eye witness of these things. Yet the light of natural reason hath put this wisdom in his reins, and hath given his heart thus much understanding. Bring a pagan to the schools of the prophets of God; prophecy to an infidel, rebuke him, lay the judgements of God before him, make the secret sins of his heart manifest, and he shall fall down and worship God. They that crucified the Lord of glory were not so far past recovery, but that the preaching of the Apostles was able to move their hearts and to bring them to this, Men & brethren what shall we do? Agrippa, 
Act. 2. Act 26.  that sat in judgement against Paul for preaching, yielded notwithstanding thus far unto him, almost thou persuadest me to become a Christian. Although the jews for want of knowledge have not submitted themselves to the righteousness of God; yet I bear them record, 
Rom. 10.  saith the Apostle, that they have a zeal. The Athenians, a people having neither zeal nor knowledge, yet of them also the same Apostle beareth witness, ye men of Athens I perceive ye are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, some way religious But mockers, walking after their own ungodly lust's t●ey have smothered every spark of that heavenly light, they have stiflled even their very natural understanding. O Lord, thy mercy is over all thy works, thou savest man and beast! yet a happy case it had been for these men if they had never been borne: and so I leave them.  
10 St Jude having his mind exercised in the doctrine of the Apostles of jesus Christ concerning things to come in the last time, 
judas vir sapiens & certi judicii.  became a man of a wise and stayed judgement. Grieved he was, to see the departure of many, and their falling away from the faith, which before they did profess: grieved, but not dismayed. With the simpler and weaker sort it was otherwise: Their countenance began by and by to change, they were half in doubt they had deceived themselves in giving credit to the Gospel of jesus Christ. St Jude to comfort & refresh these silly lambs taketh them up in his arms, and showeth them the men at whom they were offended. Look upon them that forsake this blessed profession wherein you stand: They are now before your eyes; view them, mark them, are they not carnal? are they not like to noisome carrion cast out upon the earth? is there that spirit in them, which crieth Abba father in your bosoms? Why should any man be discomforted? have you not heard that there should be mockers in the last time? These verily are they, that now do separate themselves.  
11 For your better understanding, what this severing and separating of themselves doth mean, we must know, that the multitude of them which truly believe (howsoever they be dispersed far and wide each from other) is all one body, whereof the head is Christ, one building, whereof he is the corner stone, in whom they as the members of the body being knit, & as the stones of the building, being coupled, grow up to a man of perfect stature, and rise to an holy temple in the Lord. That which linketh Christ to us is his mere mercy and love towards us. That which tieth us to him is our faith in the promised salvation revealed in the word of truth. That which uniteth and joineth us amongst ourselves, in such sort that we are now as if we had but one heart and one soul, is our love. Who be inwardly in heart the lively members of this body, and the polished stones of this building, coupled and joined to Christ, as flesh of his flesh and bones of his bones by the mutual bond of his unspeakable love towards them, & their unfeigned faith in him, thus linked and fastened each to other by a spiritual, sincere, and hearty affection of love without any manner of simulation, who be jews within, and what their names be, none can tell, save he whose eyes do behold the secret disposition of all men's hearts. We, whose eyes are too dim to behold the inward man, must leave the secret judgement of every servant to his own Lord, accounting and using all men as brethren both near and dear unto us, supposing Christ to love them tenderly, so as they keep the profession of the Gospel and join in the outward communion of Saints. Whereof the one doth warrantise unto us their faith, the other their love, till they fall away and forsake either the one, or the other, or both; and than it is no injury to term them as they are. When they separate themselves they, are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, not judged by us, but by their own doings. Men do separate themselves either by heresy, schism, or apostasy. If they lose the bond of faith, 
Threefold 〈◊〉  which then they are justly supposed to do, when they frowardly oppugn any principal point of Christian doctrine, 
1 Heresy.  this is to separate themselves by Heresy. If they break the bond of unity, whereby the body of the Church is coupled and knit in one, as they do, which wilfully forsake all external communion with Saints in holy exercises purely & orderly established in the Church, this is to separate themselves by schism. 
●. Schism.  If they willingly cast of and utterly forsake both profession of Christ, & communion with Christians, taking their leave of all religion, this is to separate themselves by plain Apostasy. 
3. Apostasy.  And Saint Jude, to express the manner of their departure, which by Apostasy fell away from the faith of Christ, saith they separated themselves: noting thereby, that it was not constraint of others, which forced them to depart, it was not infirmity and weakness in themselves, it was not fear of persecution to come upon them, whereat their hearts did fail; it was not grief of torments, whereof they had tasted, and were not able any longer to endure them. No, they voluntarily did separate themselves with a fully settled, and altogether determined purpose never to name the Lord jesus and more, nor to have any fellowship with his Saints, but to bend all their counsel and all their strength to raze out their memorial from amongst men.  
12 Now because that by such examples, not only the hearts of Infidels were hardened against the truth, but the minds of weak brethren also much troubled, the holy Ghost hath given sentence of these backsliders, that they were carnal men, and had not the spirit of Christ jesus, lest any man having an overweening of their persons should be overmuch amazed and offended at their fall. For simple men not able to discern their spirits, were brought by their apostasy thus to reason with themselves. If Christ be the son of the living God, if he have the words of eternal life, if he be able to bring salvation to all men that come unto him, what meaneth this Apostasy and unconstrained departure? Why do his servants so willingly forsake him? Babes be not deceived, his servants forsake him not. They that separate themselves were amongst his servants, but if they had been of his servants, they had not separated themselves. They were amongst us, not of us, saith Saint john: and Saint Jude proveth it, because they were carnal, and had not the spirit. Will you judge of wheat by chaff which the wind hath scattered from amongst it? Have the children no bread because the dogs have not tasted it? Are Christians deceived of that salvation they looked for, because they denied the joys of the life to come which were not Christians? What if they seemed to be pillars and principal upholders of our faith? What is that to us, which know that Angels have fallen from heaven? Although if these men had been of us indeed, (O the blessedness of a Christian man's estate!) they had stood surer than the Angels, they had never departed from their place. Whereas now we marvel not at their departure at all, neither are we prejudiced by their falling away, because they were not of us, sith they are fleshly and have not the spirit. Children abide in the house for ever; they are bondmen and bondwomen which are cast out.  
13 It behoveth you therefore greatly every man to examine his own estate, and to try whether you be bond or free, children or no children. I have told you already, that we must beware we presume not to sit as Gods in judgement upon others, and rashly, as our conceit and fancy doth lead us, so to determine of this man he is sincere, or of that man, he is an hypocrite, except by their falling away they make it manifest and known what they are. For who art thou that takest upon thee to judge another before the time? judge thyself. God hath left us infallible evidence, 
infallible evidence in the faithful that they are God's child●●̄  whereby we may at any time give true & righteous sentence upon ourselves. We cannot examine the hearts of other men, we may our own. That we have passed from death to life, we know it, saith St john, because we love our brethren: & know ye not your own selves, how that jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? I trust, beloved, wec know that we are not reprobates, because our spirit doth bear us record, that the faith of our Lord jesus Christ is in us.  
14 It is as easy a matter for the spirit within you to tell whose ye are, as for the eyes of your body to judge where you sit, or in what place you stand. For what saith the Scripture? Ye, which were in times past strangers and enemies, because your minds were set on evil works, Christ hath now reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to make you holy, and unblamable, and without fault in his sight: if you continue grounded and established in the faith, and be not moved away from the hope of the Gospel, Colos. 1. And in the third to the Coloss. ye know that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of that inheritance, for ye serve the Lord Christ. If we can make this account with ourselves; I was in times past dead in trespasses and sins, I walked after the prince that ruleth in the air, & after the spirit that worketh in the children of disobedience; but God, who is rich in mercy, through his great love, wherewith he loved me, even when I was dead, hath quickened me in Christ. I was fierce, heady, proud, high minded; but God hath made me like the child that is newly waned: I loved pleasures more than God; I followed greedily the joys of this present world; I esteemed him, that erected a stage or theatre, more than Solomon which built a Temple to the Lord; the Harp, Viol, Timbrel, & Pipe men singers & women singers were at my feasts, it was my felicity to see my children dance before me, I said of every kind of vanity, O how sweet art thou unto my soul! All which things now are crucified to me, and I to them: now I hate the pride of life, and pomp of this world; now I take as great delight in the way of thy testimonies, O Lord, as in all riches, now I find more joy of heart in my Lord and Saviour, than the worldly minded man, when his wheat and oil do much abound: now I taste nothing sweet, but the bread that came down from heaven, to give life unto the world: now mine eyes see nothing, but jesus rising from the dead: now my ear refuseth all kind of melody to hear the song of them that have gotten victory of the beast, and of his image, and of his mark, and of the number of his name, that stand on the sea of glass, having the haps of God, and singing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvelous are thy works, Lord God Almighty, just, & true are thy ways, O king of Saints. Surely if the spirit have been thus effectual in the secret work of our regeneration unto newness of life; if we endeavour thus to frame ourselves anew, than we may say boldly with the blessed Apostle in the 10. to the Hebrews, we are not of them which withdraw ourselves to perdition, but which follow faith to the conservation of the soul. For they that fall away from the grace of God, and separate themselves unto perdition, they are fleshly and carnal, they have not Gods holy spirit. But unto you, because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the spirit of his son into your hearts, to the end ye might know, that Christ hath built you upon a rock unmovable, that he hath registered your names in the book of life, that he hath bound himself in a sure and everlasting covenant to be your God, & the God of your children after you, that he hath suffered as much, groaned as oft, prayed as heartily for you as for Peter, O father keep them in thy name! o righteous father the world hath not known thee, but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me, I have declared thy name unto them, and will declare it, that the love wherewith thou hast loved me, may be in them, and I in them. The Lord of his infinite mercy give us hearts plentifully fraught with the treasure of this blessed assurance of faith unto the end.  
14 Here I must advertise all men, that have the testimony of God's holy fear within their breasts, 
The Papists falsely accuse us of Heresy and Apostasy  to consider how unkindly, and injuriously our own countrymen and brethren have dealt with us by the space of four and twenty years, from time to time, as if we were the men of whom S. Jude here speaketh; never ceasing to charge us, some with schism, some with heresy, some with plain and manifest apostasy, as if we had clean separated ourselves from Christ, utterly forsaken God, quite abjured heaven, & trampled all truth and all religion under our feet. Against this third sort, God himself shall plead our cause, in that day, when they shall answer us for these words, not we them. To others by whom we are accused for schism and heresy, we have often made our reasonable, and in the sight of God, I trust, allowable answers. 
Act. 25.  For in the way which they call heresy, we worship the God of our fathers, believing all things which are written in the law & the Prophets. That which they call schism, we know to be our reasonable service unto God, and obedience to his voice, which crieth shrill in our ears, 
Apoc. 18.  Go out of Babylon my people, that you be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. And therefore when they rise up against us, having no quarrel but this, we need not to seek any farther for our Apology, than the words of Abiah to jeroboam & his army, 2. Chr. 13. O jeroboam and Israel, hear you me, ought you not to know, that the Lord God of Israel hath given the kingdom over Israel to David, for ever, even to him & to his sons by a covenant of salt? that is to say, an everlasting covenant. jesuits & Papists, hear ye me, ought you not to know, that the Father hath given all power unto the some, and hath made him the only head over his Church, wherein he dwelleth as an husbandman in the midst of his vineyard, manuring it with the sweat of his own brows, not letting it forth to others? 
Cant. 8 11.  For as it is in the Canticle, Solomon had a vineyard in Baalhamon, he gave the vineyard unto keepers every one bringing for the fruit thereof a thousand pieces of silver; but my vineyard which is mine is before me, saith Christ. It is true this is meant of the mystical head set over the body which is not seen. butas he hath reserved the mystical administration of the church invisible unto himself, so he hath committed the mystical government of congregations visible to the sons of David by the same covenant; whose sons they are in the governing of the flock of Christ, whomsoever the holy ghost hath set over them to go before them & to lead them in their several pastures, one in this congregation, another in that: as it is written, Take heed unto yourselves, and to all the flock, 
Act. 20.  whereof the holy ghost hath made you over seers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. Neither will ever any Pope or Papist under the cope of heaven be able to prove the Romish Bishops usurped supremacy over all Churches, 
The Pope's usurped supremacy.  by any one word of the covenant of salt, which is the Scripture. For the children in our streets do now laugh them to scum, when they force, thou art Peter, to this purpose. The Pope hath no more reason to draw the charter of his universal authority from hence, than the rethrens had to gather by the words of Christ in the last of S. john, that the Disciple, whom jesus loved, should never die. If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? saith Christ; Strait ways a report was raised amongst the brethren, that this disciple should not die, yet jesus said not to him, He shall not die, but if I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? Christ hath said in the 16 of S. Matthewes Gospel to Simon the son of jonas, I say to thee, thou art Peter. Hence an opinion is held in the world that the Pope is universal head of all Churches, yet jesus said not the Pope is universal head of all Churches, but, Tues Petrus, Thou art Peter. Howbeit, as jeroboam the son of Nebat the servant of Solomon, rose up and rebelled against his Lord, and there were gathered unto him vain men and wicked, which made themselves strong against jeroboam the son of Solemon, because Roboam was but a child, and tender hearted, and could not resist them: so the son of perdition and man of sin, being not able to brook the words of our Lord and Saviour jesus Christ, which forbade his disciples to be leek princes of nations, They bear rule and are called gracious, it shall not be so with you, hath risen up and rebelled against his Lord, & to strengthen his arm, he hath crept into the houses almost of all the noblest families round about him, and taken their children from the cradle to be his Cardinals, he hath fawned upon the kings and princes of the earth, & by spiritual coufenage hath made them sell their lawful authority and jurisdiction for titles of Catholicus, Christianissimus, Defensor fidei, and such like, he hath proclaimed sale of pardons to inveigle the ignorant, built seminaries to allure young men desirous of learning, 
Consil. delector. Cardin. Laurent. Surius Commde reb. gest. à Pio 5 Franci●cus Sansovin. de gubernat. regnorum & Rerumpub. lib 11 cap. de jud Marescal & Sultan.  erected Stews, to gather the dissolute unto him. This is the rock whereupon his Church is built. Hereby the man is grown huge and strong, like the Cedars, which are not shaken with the wind, because Princes have been as children, over tender hearted, and could not resist.  
Hereby it is come to pass, as you see this day, that the man of sin doth war against us, not by men of a language which we cannot understand, but he cometh as jeroboam against juda, & bringeth the fruit of our own bodies to eat us up, that the bowels of the child may be made the mother's grave, that he hath caused no small number of our brethren to forsake their native country, & with all disloyalty to cast off the yoke of their allegiance to our dread Sovereign, whom God in mercy hath set over them, for whose safeguard, if they carried not the hearts of Tigers in the bosoms of men, they would think the dearest blood in their bodies well spent. But now, saith Abiah to jeroboam, ye think ye be able to resist, the kingdom of the Lord, which is in the hands of the sons of David. Ye be a great multitude, the golden calves are with you, which jeroboam made you for Gods, have ye not driven away the priests of the Lord the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, & have made you priests like the people of nations? whosoever cometh with a young bullock and seven rams, the same may be a priest of them that are no Gods. If I should follow the comparison, & here uncover the cup of those deadly and ugly abominations, where with this jeroboam of whom we speak hath made the earth so drunk that it hath reeled under us, I know your godly hearts would loathe to see them. For my own part I delight not to take in such filth, I had rather take a garment upon my shoulders, and go with my face from them to cover them. The Lord open their eyes, and cause them, if it be possible, at the length to see, how they are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked! Put it O Lord in their hearts to seek white raiment, and to cover themselves, that their filthy nakedness may no longer appear! For, beloved in Christ, we bow our knees, & lift up our hands to heaven in our chambers secretly, & openly in our churches we pray heartily, & hourly even for them also; though the Pope have given out as a judge in a solemn declaratory sentence of excommunication against this land, that our gracious Lady hath quite abolished prayers within her realm, and his scholars, whom he hath taken from the midst of us, have in their published writings charged us not only not to have any holy assemblies unto the Lord for prayer, but to hold a common school of sin & flattery, to hold sacrilege to be God's service, unfaithfulness and breach of promise to God to give it to a strumpet to be a virtue; to abandon fasting, to abhor confession, to mislike with penance, to like well of usury, to charge none with restitution, to find no good before God in single life, nor in no well working; that all men, as they fall to us, are much woorsed, and more, than afore, corrupted. I do not add one word or syllable unto that, which Mr Bristol, a man both borne and sworn amongst us, hath taught his hand to deliver to the view of all. I appeal to the conscience of every soul, that hath been truly converted by us; whether his heart were never raised up to God by our preaching; whether the words of our exhortation never wrong any tear of a penitent heart from his eyes; whether his soul never reaped any joy, any comfort, any consolation in Christ jesus, by our sacraments, and prayers, and Psalms, & thanksgivings; whether he were never bettered, but always worsed by us. Omerciful Godlif heaven and earth in this case do not witness with us, and against them, let us be razed out from the land of the living! let the earth, on which we stand, swallow us quick, as it hath done Corah, Dathan, and Abiram! But if we belong unto the Lord our God, and have not forsaken him, if our priests the sons of Aaron minister unto the Lord, and the Levites in their office, if we offer unto the Lord every morning and every evening the burnt offerings, & sweet incense of prayers, land thanks givings, if the bread be set in order upon the pure table, 
2. Chr. c. 13.  & the candlestick of gold with the lamps thereof to burn every morning, that is to say, if amongst us Gods blessed sacraments be duly administered, his holy word sincerely and daily preached, if we keep the watch of the Lord our God, and if ye have forsaken him; then doubt ye not this God is with us as a captain, his priests with founding trumpets must cry alarm against you, 
Ver. 12.  O ye children of Israel fight not against the Lord God of your fathers, for ye shall not prosper.   

The second Sermon.  
EPIST. IVDE.  
17 But ye, beloved, remember the words, which were spoken before of the Apostles of our Lord jesus Christ.  
18 How that they told you that there should be mockers in the last time, which should walk after their own ungodly lusts.  
19 These are makers of Sects, fleshly, having not the spirit.  
20 But ye, beloved, edify yourselves in your most holy faith, praying in the holy Ghost.  
21 And keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord jesus Christ unto eternal life.  
HAving otherwhere spoken of the words of Saint Jude, going next before, concerning Mockers, which should come in the last time, & backsliders, which even then fell away from the faith of our Lord and Saviour jesus Christ; I am now by the aid of almighty God, and through the assistance of his good spirit, to lay before you the words of exhortation, which I have read.  
2 Wherein first of all, whosoever hath an eye to see, let him open it, and he shall well perceive, how careful the Lord is for his children, how desirous to see them profit and grow up to a manly stature in Christ, how loath to have them any way misled, either by examples of the wicked, or by enticements of the world, and by provocation of the flesh, or by any other means forcible to deceive them, and likely to estrange their heartt from God. For God is not at that point with us, that he careth not whether we sink or swim. No, he hath written our names in the palm of his hand, in the signet upon his finger are we graven, in sentences not only of mercy, but of judgement also we are remembered. He never denounceth judgements against the wicked, but he maketh some Proviso for his children, as it were for some certain privileged persons, Touch not mine anointed, do my Prophets no harm, hurt not the earth, nor the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of God in their foreheads. He never speaketh of godless men, but he adjoineth words of comfort, or admonition, or exhortation, whereby we are moved to rest and settle our hearts on him. In the second to Tim. the 3. Chap. Evil men; saith the Apostle, and deceivers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But continue thou in the things, which thou hast learned. And in the first to Tim. the. 6. Chap. Some men lusting after money have erred from the faith, & pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But thou, o man of God, fly these things, and follow after righteousness godliness, faith love, patience, meekness. In the second to the Thessalonians, the second Chap. They that have not received the love of the truth, that they might be saved, God shall send them strong delusions, that they may believe lies. But we ought to give thanks always to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the spirit, and faith in the truth. And in this Epistle of S. ●ude, There shall come mockers in the last time, walking after their own ungodly lusts. But, beloved, edify ye yourselves in your most holy faith.  
3 These sweet exhortations, which God putteth every where in the mouths of the Prophets & Apostles of jesus Christ, are evident tokens, that God si●teth not in heaven careless and unmindful of our estate. Can a mother forget her child? Surely a mother will hardly forget her child. But if a mother be happily found unnatural, and do forget the fruit of her own womb, yet God's judgements show plainly, that he cannot forget, the man whose heart he hath framed and fashioned a new in simplicity and truth to serve and fear him. For when the wickedness of man was so great, and the earth so filled with cruelty, that it could not stand with the righteousness of God any longer to forbear, wrathful sentences broke out from him like wine from a vessel that hath no vent. My spirit, 
Gen 6 3 & 13  saith he, can struggle and strive no longer, an end of all flesh is come before me. Yet then did Noah find grace in the eyes of the Lord; 
Gen 6, 8 & 18  I will establish my covenant with thee, saith God, thou shalt go into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons wives with thee.  
4 Do we not see what shift God doth make for Lot, and for his family in the 19 of Genesis, lest the fiery destruction of the wicked should overtake him? Overnight the Angels make inquiry, what sons or daughters, or sons in law, what wealth and substance he had. They charge him to carry out all, whatsoever thou hast in the city, 
Gen 19 12.  bring it out. God seemeth to stand in a kind of fear, lest something or other would be left behind. And his will was that nothing of that which he had, not an hoof of any beast, not a thread of any garment should be singed with that fire. In the morning the Angels fail not to call him up, 
Gen 19 15.  and to hasten him forward, Arise, take thy wife, & thy daughters which are here, that they be not destroyed in the punishment of the City. The Angels having spoken again and again, Lot for all this, lingereth out the time still, till at the length they were forced to take both him, 
Ver. 16.  and his wife, and his daughters by the arms (the Lord being merciful unto him) and to carry them forth and set them without the city.  
5 Was there ever any father thus careful to save his child from the flame? A man would think, that now being spoken unto to escape for his life, and not to look behind him, nor to tarry in the plain, but to hasten to the mountain & there to save himself, he should do it gladly. Yet behold, now he is so far off from a cheerful & willing heart to do whatsoever is commanded him for his own weal, that he beginneth to reason the matter, as if God had mistaken one place for another, sending him to the hill when salvation was in the City. Not so, my Lord, I beseech thee. 
Ver. 18.  Behold, thy servant hath found grace in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy mercy which thou haste showed unto me in saving my life. I cannot escape in the mountain, lest some evil take me and I die. Here is a City hard by, a small thing. O let me escape thither (is it not a small thing?) and my soul shall live. Well, God is contented to yield to any conditions. Behold I have received thy request concerning this thing also. I will spare this City, for which thou hast spoken; hast thee; save thee there. For I can do nothing till thou come thither.  
6 He could do nothing! Not because of the weakness of his strength (for who is like unto the Lord in power?) but because of the greatness of his mercy which would not suffer him to lift up his arm against that City, nor to power out his wrath upon that place, where his righteous servant had a fancy to remain, and a desire to dwell. O the depth of the riches of the mercy and love God God is afraid to offend us which are not afraid to displease him! God can do nothing till he have saved us, which can find in our hearts rather to do any thing then to serve him. It contenteth him not to exempt us, when the pit is digged for the wicked; to comfort us at every mention which is made of reprobates and godless men; to save us as the apple of his own eye when fire cometh down from heaven to consume the inhabitants of the earth, except every Prophet and every Apostle, and every servant, whom he sendeth forth, do come loaden with these and the like exhortations, O beloved, edify yourselves in your most holy faith. Give yourselves to prayer in the spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God. Look for the mercy of our Lord jesus Christ unto eternal life.  
7 Edify yourselves. The speech is borrowed from material builders, and must be spiritually understood. It appeareth in the 6. of S. john's gospel by the jews, that their mouths did water too much for bodily food, Our fathers, say they, did eat Manna in the Desert, is it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat; Lord, evermore give us of this bread! Our Saviour, to turn their appetite another way, maketh than this answer, I am the bread of life, he that cometh to me shall not hunger, and he that believeth in me, shall never thirst.  
8 An usual practice it is of Satan to cast heaps of worldly baggage in our way, that whilst we desire to heap up gold as dust, we may be brought at the length to esteem vilely that spiritual bliss. Christ, in the 6. of Matthew, to correct this evil affection, putteth us in mind to lay up treasure for ourselves in heaven. The Apostle, 1. Tim. 3. chapt. misliking the vanity of those women, which attired themselves more costly, then beseemed the heavenly calling of such as professed the fear of God, willeth them to clothe themselves with shamefastness and modesty, and to put on the apparel of good works. Taliter pigmentatae Deum habebitis amatorem, saith Tertullian. Put on righteousness as a garment: in steed of Civit have Faith, which may cause a savour of life to issue from you, and God shall be enamoured, he shall be ravished with your beauty. These are the ornaments, & bracelets, and jewels, which inflame the love of Christ, and set his heart on fire upon his spouse. We see, how he breaketh out in the Canticles at the beholding of this attire, How fair art thou, and how pleasant art thou, O my love, in these pleasures!  
9 And perhaps S. Jude exhorteth us here not to build our houses but ourselves, foreseing by the spirit of the Almighty, which was with him, that there should be men in the last days like to those in the first, which should encourage and stir up each other to make brick & to burn it in the fire, to build houses huge as cities, and towers as high as heaven, thereby to get them a name upon earth; men that should turn out the poor, and the fatherless, and the widow, to build places of rest for dogs & swine in their rooms; men that should lay houses of prayer even with ground, and make them stables where God's people have worshipped before the Lord. Surely this is a vanity of all vanities, and it is much amongst men, a special sickness of this age. What it should mean, I know not, except God have set them on work to provide fuel against that day, when the Lord jesus shall show himself from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire. What good cometh unto the owners of these things, saith Solomon, 
Eccles. 5.  but only the beholding thereof with their eyes? Martha, Martha, thou busiest thyself about many things, One thing is necessary. Ye are too busy, my brethren, with timber, and brick; They have chosen the better part, they have taken a better course, that build themselves. Ye are the Temples of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and will walk in them, & they shall be my people, and I will be their God.  
10 Which of you will gladly remain, or abide in a misshapen, a ruinous, or a broken house? And shall we suffer sin, and vanity to drop in at our eyes, and at our ears, at every corner of our bodies, & of our souls, knowing that we are the Temples of the holy Ghost? Which of you receiveth a guest, whom he honoureth, or whom he loveth, and doth not sweep his chamber against his coming? And shall we suffer the chamber of our hearts and consciences to lie full of vomiting, full of filth, full of garbage knowing that Christ hath said, I, and my Father will come, and dwell with you? Is it meet for your Oxen to lay in parlours, and yourselves to lodge in cribs? Or is it seemly for yourselves to dwell in your settled houses, and the house of the Almighty to lie waist, whose house ye are yourselves? Do not our eyes behold, how God every day overtaketh the wicked in their journeys, how suddenly they pop down into the pit? how God's judgements for their times come so swiftly upon them, that they have not the leisure to cry, Alas? how their life is cut off like a thread in a moment? how they pass like a shadow? how they open their mouths to speak, and God taketh them even in the midst of a vain or an idle word? And dare we for all this lay down, take our rest, eat our meat securely and carelessly in the midst of so great and so many ruins? Blessed and praised for ever and ever be his name, who perceiving of how senseless & heavy metal we are made, 
The sacrament of the L. Supper.  hath instituted in his Church a spiritual supper, and an holy communion, to be celebrated often, that we might thereby be occasioned often to examine these buildings of ours, in what case they stand. For sith God doth not dwell in Temples which are unclean, sith a shrine cannot be a sanctuary unto him; and this supper is received as a seal unto us, that we are his house and his sanctuary, that his Christ is as truly united to me, and I to him, as my arm is united and knit unto my shoulder, that he dwelleth in me as verily as the elements of bread and wine abide within me, which persuasion, by receiving these dreadful mysteries, we profess ourselves to have; a due comfort, if truly, and if in hypocrisy, than woe worth us. Therefore ere we put forth our hands to take this blessed Sacrament, we are charged to examine, and to try our hearts whether God be in us of a truth or no: and if by faith and love unfeigned we be found the temples of the holy Ghost, then to judge, whether we have had such regard every one to our building, that the spirit which dwelleth in us hath no way been vexed, molested, and grieved. Or if it have, as no doubt sometimes it hath by incredulity, sometimes by breach of charity, sometimes by want of zeal, sometimes by spots of life, even in the best and most perfect amongst us, (for who can say, his heart is clean?) O then to fly unto God by unfeigned repentance, to fall down before him in the humility of our souls, begging of him whatsoever is needful to repair out decay before we fall into that desolation, whereof the Prophet speaketh, saying, Thy breach is great like the sea, 
Lam. 2. v. 13.  who can heal thee?  
11 Receiving the sacrament of the Supper of the Lord, after this sort (you that are spiritual, judge what I speak) is not all other wine like the water of Marah, being compared to the cup, which we bless? Is not Manna like to gall▪ and our bread like to Manna? Is there not a taste, a taste of Christ jesus in the heart of him that eateth? Doth not he which drinketh, behold plainly in this cup, that his soul is bathed in the blood of the lamb? O beloved in our Lord and Saviour jesus Christ, if ye will taste how sweet the Lord is, if ye will receive the king of glory, Build yourselves.  
12 Young men, I speak this to you, for ye are his house, because by faith, ye are conquerors over Satan, and have overcome that evil. Fathers, I speak it also to you, ye are his house, because ye have known him, which is from the beginning. Sweet Babes, I speak it even to you also; ye are his house, because your sins are forgiven you for his namesake. Matrons and Sisters, I may not hold it from you, ye are also the Lords building, and, as S. Peter speaketh, heirs of the grace of life as well as we. Though it be forbidden you to open your mouths in public assemblies, yet ye must be inquisitive in things concerning this building, which is of God, with your husbands and friends at home, not as Dalila with Samson, but as Sara with Abraham, whose daughters ye are, whilst ye do well, and build yourselves.  
13 Having spoken thus far of the exhortation, as whereby we are called upon to edify and build ourselves. It remaineth now, that we consider the thing prescribed, namely wherein we must be built. This prescription standeth also upon two points, the thing prescribed, and the adjuncts of the thing. And that is our most pure, and holy faith.  
14 The thing prescribed is Faith. For as in a chain, which is made of many links, if you pull the first, you draw the rest; and as in a ladder of many staves, if you take away the lowest, all hope of ascending to the highest will be removed, So because all the precepts and promises in the law and in the Gospel do hang upon this, Believe; and because the last of the graces of God doth so follow the first, that he glorifieth none, but whom he hath justified, nor justifieth any, but whom he hath called to a true, effectual, and lively faith in Christ jesus, therefore S Jude exhorting us to build ourselves, mentioneth here expressly only faith▪ as the thing wherein we must be edified, for that faith is the ground and the glory of all the welfare of this building.  
15 Ye are not strangers & foreigners, 
Ephes:  but citizens with the Saints, and of the household of God, saith the Apostle, and are built upon the foundation of the Prophets & Apostles, jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone, in whom all the building being coupled together, groweth unto an holy Temple in the Lord, in whom ye also are built together to be the habitation of God by the spirit. And we are the habitation of God by the spi●●t, if we believe. For it is written, whosoever confesseth that jesus is the son of God, in him God dwelleth, and he in God. The strength of this habitation is great; it prevaileth against Satan; it conquereth sin; it hath death in derision; neither principalities, nor powers can throw it down; it leadeth the world captive, & bringeth every enemy, that riseth up against it, to confusion and shame, and all by faith; for this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcometh the world, 
1 Ioh 4 1. joh. 5.  but he which believeth, that jesus is the son of God?  
16 The strength of every building, which is of God, standeth not in any man's arms or legs: it is only in our faith, as the valour of Samson lay only in his hair. This is the reason, why we are so earnestly called upon to edify ourselves in faith. Not as if this bare action of our minds, whereby we believe the Gospel of Christ, were able in itself as of itself to make us unconquerable and invincible, like stones, which abide in the building for ever and fall not out. No, it is not the worthiness of our believing, it is the virtue of him in whom we believe, by which we stand sure as houses that are builded upon a rock. He is a wise man, 
Mat 7.  which hath builded his house upon a rock; for he hath chosen a good foundation, and no doubt his house will stand. But how shall it stand? verily by the strength of the rock which beareth it, & by nothing else. Our fathers, whom God delivered out of the land of Egypt, were a people that had no peers amongst the nations of the earth, because they were built by faith upon the rock, which rock is Christ. And the rock, saith the Apostle in the first to the Corinthians, the tenth Chapter, did follow him. Whereby we learn not only this, that being built by faith on Christ as on a rock, 
Rom. 11.  and grafted into him as into an Olive, we receive all our strength and fatness from him, but also that this strength and fatness of ours ought to be no cause why we should be high minded and not workeout our salvation with a reverend, trembling, and holy fear. For if thou boastest thyself of thy faith, know this that Christ chose his Apostles, his Apostles chose not him; that Israel followed not the rock, but the rock followed Israel, and that thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. So that every heart must this think, and every tongue must thus speak, Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, nor unto any thing which is within us, but unto thy name only, only to thy name belongeth all the praise of all the treasures and riches of every Temple which is of God. This excludeth all boasting and vaunting of our faith.  
17 But this must not make us careless to edify ourselves in faith. It is the Lord that delivereth men's souls from death, but not except they put their trust in his mercy. It is God that hath given us eternal life, 
1. Joh ●  but no otherwise then thus, If we believe in the name of the son of God; for he that hath not the son of God hath not life. It was the spirit of the Lord which came upon Samson, & made him strong to tear a lion as a man would rend a kid: but his strength forsook him, and he became like other men when the razor had touched his head. It is the power of God whereby the faithful have subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained the promises, stopped the mouths of Lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword: But take away their faith, and doth not their strength forsake them? are they not like unto other men?  
18 If ye desire yet farther to know how necessary and needful it is, that we edify and build up ourselves in faith, mark the words of the blessed Apostles, without faith it is impossible to please God. If I offer unto God all the sheep and oxen, that are in the world, if all the Temples, that were builded since the days of Adam till this hour, were of my foundation, if I break my very heart with calling upon God, and wear out my tongue with preaching, if I sacrifice my body and my soul unto him, and have no faith all this availeth nothing. 
No pleasing of God without faith.  Without faith it is impossible to please God. Our Lord and Saviour therefore being asked in the sixth of S. john's Gospel, What shall we do that we might work the works of God, maketh answer, This is the work of God, that ye believe in him, whom he hath sent.  
19 That no work of ours, no building of ourselves in any thing can be available or profitable unto us, except we be edified & built in faith, what need we to seek about for long proof? look upon Israel, once the very chosen and peculiar of God, to whom the adoption of the faithful, and the glory of Cherubins, and the covenants of mercy, and the law of Moses, and the service of God, and the promises of Christ were made impropriate, who not only were the offspring of Abraham, father unto all them which do believe, but Christ their offspring, which is God to be blessed for evermore.  
20 Consider this people and learn, what it is to build yourselves in faith. They were the Lords vine: he brought it out of Egypt, he threw out the heathen from their places, that it might be planted, he made room for it, and caused it to take root, till it had filled the earth, the mountains were covered with the shadow of it, and the boughs thereof were as the goodly Cedars. She stretched out her branches unto the sea and her boughs unto the river. But when God having sent both his servants and his son to visit this vine, they neither spared the one, nor received the other, but stoned the Prophets, and crucified the Lord of glory which came unto them, than began the curse of God to come upon them, even the curse whereof the Prophet David hath spoken, saying, Let their table be made a snare, 
Psal 69.  and a net, and a stumbling block, even for a recompense unto them, 
Rom. 11.  let their eyes be darkened, that they do not see, bow down their backs forever, keep them down. And sithence the hour, that the measure of their infidelity was first ma●e up they have been spoiled with wars, eaten up with plagues s●ent with hunger and famine: they wander from place to place, and are become the most base and contemptible people that are under the sun. Ephraim, which before was a terror unto nations, & they trembled at his voice, is now by infidelity so vile that he seemeth as a thing cast out to be trampled under men's feet. In the midst of these desolations they cry. Return we beseech thee, 
Psal 18. v. 14.  o God of hosts, look down from heaven, behold and visit this vine: but their very prayers are turned into sin, and their cries are no better than the lowing of beasts before him. 
Rome 11. 20.  Well, saith the Apostle, by their unbelief they are broken of, and thou dost stand by thy faith. Behold therefore the bountifulness, and severity of God; towards them severity, because they have fallen, 
Ver. 22.  bountifulness towards thee, if thou continue in his bountifulness, or else thou shalt be cut off. If they forsake their unbelief, and be grafted in again, and we at any time for the hardness of our hearts be broken off, it will be such a judgement, as will amaze all the powers and principalities which are above. Who hath searched the counsel of God concerning this secret? and who doth not see that infidelity doth threaten Loammi unto the Gentiles, as it hath brought Lo-ruchama upon the jews? 
Hos. 1. 9 not my people.  It may be that these words seem dark unto you. 
Ver 6. not obtaining mercy.  But the words of the Apostle in the eleventh to the Romans, are plain enough, If God have not spared the natural branches, take heed, take heed, lest he spare not thee. Build thyself in faith. Thus much of the thing which is prescribed, and wherein we are exhorted to edify ourselves. Now consider the conditions and properties, which are in this place annexed unto faith. The former of them (for there are but two) is this, Edify yourselves in your faith.  
21. A strange, and a strong delusion it is where with the man of sin hath bewitched the world; a forcible spirit of error it must needs be, which hath brought men to such a senseless & unreasonable persuasion as this is, not only that men clothed with mortality and sin as we ourselves are, can do God so much service, as shall be able to make a full and a perfect satisfaction before the Tribunal seat of God for their own sins, yea a great deal more, then is sufficient for themselves; But also that a man at the hands of a Bishop or a Pope, for such or such a price, may buy the overplus of other men's merits, purchase the fruits of other men's labours, and build his soul by another man's faith. Is not this man drowned in the gall of bitterness? Is his heart right in the sight of God? Can he have any part or fellowship with Peter, and with the successors of Peter, which thinketh so vilely of building the precious Temples of the holy Ghost? Let his money perish with him, and he with it, because he judgeth, that the gift of God may be sold for money.  
22 But, Beloved in the Lord, deceive not yourselves, neither suffer ye yourselves to be deceived: ye canreceive no more ease nor comfort for your souls by an other man's faith, than warmth for your bodies by another man's clothes, or sustenance by the bread which another doth eat. The just shall live by his own faith. Let a saint, yea a Martyr content himself, that he hath cleansed himself of his own sins, saith Tertullian. No saint or martyr can cleanse himself of his own sins. But if so be a saint, or a martyr can cleanse himself of his own sins, it is sufficient that he can do it for himself. Did ●uer any man by his death deliver another man from death, except only the Son of God? he indeed was able to Safe Conduct a Thief from the Cross to Paradise: for to this end he came, that being himself pure from sin, he might obey for sinners. Thou which thinkest to do the like, and supposest, that thou canst justify another by thy righteousness, if thou be without sin, then lay down thy life for thy brother; die for me. But if thou be a sinner, even as I am a sinner, how can the oil of thy lamp be sufficient both for thee, and for me▪ Virgins, that are wise, get ye oil, while ye have day, into your own lamps. For out of all peradventure, others, though they would, can neither give nor sell. Edify yourselves in your own most holy faith. And let this be observed for the first property of that, wherein we ought to edify ourselves.  
23 Our faith being such, is that indeed, which S. Jude doth here term Faith, namely a thing most holy. The reason is this. We are justified by Faith. For Abraham believed, and this was imputed unto him for righteousness. Being justified, all our iniquities are covered, God beholdeth us in the righteousness which is imputed, and not in the sins which we have committed.  
24 It is true, we are full of sin both original, and actual; whosoever denieth it is a double sinner, for he is both a sinner, and a liar. To deny sin, is most plainly and clearly to prove it, because he that faith, he hath no sin, lieth, and by lying proveth that he hath sin.  
25. But imputation of righteousness hath covered the sins of every soul which believeth; God by pardoning our sin hath taken it away: so that now although our transgressions be multiplied above the hairs of our head, yet being justified we are as free, and as clear, as if there were no one spot, or stain of any uncleanness in us. For it is God that justifieth, and who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods chosen? saith the Apostle in the 8. ch. to the Romans.  
26 Now sin being taken away, we are made the righteousness of God in Christ. For David speaking of this righteousness, saith, Blessed is the man whole iniquities are forgiven. No man is blessed but in the righteousness of God. Every man, whose sin is taken away is blessed. Therefore every man, whose sin is covered, is made the righteousness of God in Christ. The righteousness doth m●ke us to appear most holy, most pure, most unblamable before him.  
27 This then is the sum of that which I say, faith doth justify: justification washeth away sin: sin removed, we are clothed with the righteousness which is of God: the righteousness of God maketh us most holy. Every of these I have proved by the testimony of Gods own mouth. Therefore I conclude, that faith is that which maketh vas most holy, in consideration whereof it is called in this place, Our most holy faith.  
28 To make a wicked and a sinful man most holy through his believing, is more than to create a world of nothing. Our faith most holy? Surely Solomon could not show the Queen of Saba so much treasure in all his kingdom, as is leapt up in these words. O that our hearts were stretched out like tents, & that the eyes of our understanding were as bright as the sun, that we might thoroughly know the rich●s of the glorious inheritance of Saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of his power towards us, whom he accepteth for pure, and most holy, through our believing. O that the spirit of the Lord would give this doctrine entrance into the stony and brazen heart of the jew, which followeth the law of righteousness but cannot attain unto the righteousness of the law. Wherefore? saith the Apostle. They seek righteousness, and not by faith. Wherefore they stumble at Christ, they are bruised, shivered to pieces as a ship that hath run herself upon a rock. O that God would cast down the eyes of the proud, and humble the souls of the high minded, that they might at the length abhor the garments of their own flesh which cannot hide their nakedness, and put on the faith of Christ jesus, as he did put it on, which hath said; Doubtless I think all things but loss for the excellent knowledge sake of Christ jesus my Lord, for whom I have counted all things loss, and do judge them to be dung, that I might win Christ, and might be found in him, not having mine owner righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, even the righteousness which is of God through faith. O that God would open the Ark of mercy, wherein this doctrine lieth, and set it wide before the eyes of poor afflicted consciences, which fly up and down upon the water of their afflictions, & can see nothing but only the gulf and deluge of their sins, wherein there is no place for them to rest their feet. The God of pity and compassion give you all strength & courage, every day, and every hour, & every moment, to build, and edify yourselves in this most pure & holy faith. And thus much both of the thing prescribed in this exhortation, & also of the properties of the thing. Build yourselves in your most holy faith. I would come to the next branch, which is of Prayer, but I cannot lay this matter out of my hands, till I have added somewhat for the applying of it both to other, & to ourselves.  
29 For your better understanding of matters contained in this exhortation, Build yourselves, you must note, that every Church and congregation doth consist of a multitude of believers, as every house is built of many stones. And although the nature of the mystical body of the Church be such, that it suffereth no distinction in the invisible members, but whether it be Paul or Apollo's, Prince or Prophet, he that is taught, or he that teacheth, all are equally Christ's, & Christ is equally theirs: yet in the external administration of the Church of God, because God is not the author of confusion but of peace, it is necessary that in every Congregation there be a distinction, if not of inward dignity, yet of outward degree: so that all are Saints, or seem to be Saints, and should be as they seem. But are all Apostles? If the whole body were an eye, where were then the hearing? God therefore hath given some to be Apostles, and some to be Pastors, etc. for the edification of the body of Christ. In which work we are Gods labourers, saith the Apostle, & ye are God's husbandry, & God's building.  
30 The Church respected with reference unto administration ecclesiastical, doth generally consist but of 2 sorts of men, the Labourers, & the Building; they which are ministered unto and they to whom the work of the ministry is committed; Pastors & the flock, over whom the holy Ghost hath made them overseers If the Guide of a Congregation, be his name or his degree whatsoever, be diligent in his vocation, feed the flock of God which dependeth upon him, caring for it not by constraint but willingly, not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind, not as though he would tyrannize over God's heritage, but as a pattern unto the flock, wisely guiding them: if the people in their degree do yield themselves frameable to the truth, not like rough stone or flint refusing to be smoothed and squared for the building: if the Magistrate do carefully and diligently survey the whole order of the work, providing by statutes and laws, & bodily punishments, if need require, that all things may be done according to the rule which cannot deceive, even as Moses provided that all things might be done according to the pattern which he saw in the Mount; there the words of this exhortation are truly and effectually heard. Of such a Congregation every man will say, Behold a people that are wise, a people that walk in the statutes and ordinances of their God, a people full of knowledge and understanding, a people that have skill in building themselves. Where it is otherwise there, as by slothfulness the roof doth decay, & as by idleness of hinds the house droppeth thorough, as it is in the 10. of Ecclesiastes, v. 18; so first one piece and then another of their building shall fall away, till there be not a stone left upon a stone.  
31 We see how fruitless this exhortation hath been to such as bend all their travail only to build manage a Papacy upon earth, without any care in the world of building themselves in their most holy faith. God's people have inquired at their mouths, What shall we do to have eternal life? wherein shall we build edify ourselves? And they have departed home from their Prophets, & from their priests, laden with doctaines, which are precepts of men; they have been taught to tyre out themselves with bodily excercise; those things are enjoined them which God did never require at their hands, and the things he doth require are kept from them; their eyes are fed with pictures, and their ears filled with melody, but their souls do wither, and starve, and pine away; they cry for bread, and behold stones are offered them; they ask for fish, and see they have scorpions in their hands; Thou seest, O Lord, that they build themselves, but not in faith; they feed their children but not with food; Their rulers say with shame, Bring, & not build. But god is righteous; their drunkenness stinketh, their abominations ate known, their madness is manifest, the wind hath bound them up in her wings, and they shall be ashamed of their doings. Ephraim, saith the Prophet, is joined to Idols, let him alone, I will turn me therefore from the Priests which do minister unto Idols, & apply this exhortation to them whom god hath appointed to feed his chosen in Israel.  
32 If their be any feeling of Christ, and drop of heavenly dew any spark of God's good spirit within you, stir it up, be careful to build and edify first yourselves, & then your flocks in this most holy faith.  
33 I say, first yourselves; For he which will set the hearts of other men on fire with the love of Christ, must himself burn with love. It is want of faith inour selves, My Brethren, which maketh us 
* Careless.  reckless in building others. We forsake the Lords inheritance and seed it not. What is the reason of this? Our own desires are settled where they should not be. We ourselves are like those women which have a longing to eat coals, and lime, and filth; we are fed, some with honour, some with ease, some with wealth; the Gospel waxeth loathsome & unpleasant in our taste; how should we then have a care to feed others with that which we cannot fancy ourselves? If faith wax cold, and slender in the heart of the Prophet, it will soon perish from the ears of the people. The Prophet Amos speaketh of a famine, 
Amos 8. 11.  saying, I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst of water, but of hearing the word of the Lord. 
Ver. 12.  Men shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north unto the east shall they run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it. 
1. Pet. 4. 17.  judgement must begin at the house of God, saith Peter. Yea, I say, at the sanctuary of God this judgement must begin. This famine must begin at the heart of the Prophet. He must have darkness for a vision, he must stumble at noon days, as at the twilight, and then truth shall fall in midst of the streets, then shall the people wander from sea to sea, and from the North unto the east shall they run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord.  
34 In the second of Haggaie, speak now, saith God to his prophet, Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel Prince of judah, & to jehoshua the son of jehozadak the high priest, & to the residue of the people, saying, who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory, and how do you see it now? is not this house in your eyes, in comparison of it, as nothing? the prophet would have all men's eyes turned to the view of themselves, every sort brought to the consideration of their present state. This is no place to show what duty Zerubbabel or jehoshua doth owe unto God in this respect. They have I doubt not such as put them hereof in remembrance. I ask of you which are a part of the residue of Gods elect & chosen people. Who is their amongst you that hath taken a survey of the house of God, as it was in the days of the blessed Apostles of jesus Christ? who is there amongst you that hath seen & considered this holy temple in her first glory? & how do you see it now? Is it not in comparison of the other almost as nothing when ye look upon them that have undertaken the charge of your souls, & know how far these are for the most part grown out of kind, how few there be that tread the steps of their ancient predecessors, ye are easily filled with indignation, easily drawn unto these complaints, wherein the difference of present from former times is bewailed, easily persuaded to think of them that lived to enjoy the days which now are gone. Surely they were happy in comparison of us that have succeeded them: were not their Bishop's men unreprovable, wis●, righteous, holy, temperate, well reported of even of those which were without? were not their Pastors, guides, & teachers, able & willing to exhort with wholesome doctrine & to improve which gainsaid the truth? had they priests made of the refuse of the people? were men, like to the children which were in Niniveh, unable to discern between the right hand & the left; presented to the charge of their congregation? did their teachers leave their flocks over which the holy Ghost had made them overseers? Did their Prophets enter upon holy things as spoils, without a reverend calling? were their leaders so unkindly affected towards them that they could find in their hearts of sell them as sheep or oxen, not caring how they made them away? But beloved, deceive not yourselves. Do the faults of your guides and pastors offeud you? it is your fault if they be thus faulty. Nullus qui malum rectorem patitur, eum accuset, quia fuifuit meriti perversi pastoris subiacere ditioni, saith S. Gregory, whosoever thou art whom the inconvenience of an evil governor doth press, accuse thyself, & not him. His being such is thy deserving O ye disobedient children; turn again, saith the Lord, & the will I give you pastors according to mine own heart, 
ier. 3. v 14. 15.  which shall feed you with knowledge & understanding. So that the only way to repair all ruins, breaches, & offensive decay in others, is to begin reformation at yourselves. Which that we may all sincerely, seriously, and speedily do, God the Father grant for his son our Saviour lesus sake, unto whom with the holy Ghost, three persons, one Eternal and everlasting Gon, be Honour, and Glory, and Praise forever. Amen.  
FINIS.